A Word about visions, voices, and convulsions
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If you are one the millions of Christians who tune in to Sid Roth’s channel on WND or his “It’s Supernatural” program, I’m really glad you are here. You may have searched through Google for information on a number of topics you’ve watched, and ended up finding this article.
You see, I am concerned for you, knowing that each episode challenges audiences around the world to stretch its collective imagination beyond the doctrinal boundaries of Scripture. That’s something God Himself tells us we must not do. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Established as a Christian-based interview program, host Sid Roth regularly interviews church celebrities that you may follow as a fan. I will use two examples from this month’s interviews, first with Beni Johnson and then with Heidi Baker. In both of these examples, these women receive visions and hear audible voices which they claim is from God. And they both were sent into uncontrollable convulsions during a particularly disturbing movement called the “Toronto Airport Blessing.”
As you watch these clips and hear these women share their experiences, I want to gently challenge you to do something most audience members are not encouraged to do: watch his interviews not with an open mind, but an open Bible.
Sid begins this month’s Beni Johnson interview with this intro: “Pick almost any church and say, ‘Raise your hand if you’d like to be physically healed.’ 98% of the hands go up! Something is wrong, and God spoke to Beni Johnson about how to fix it.”
Before Beni Johnson shares her new weight loss plan for purchase, she shares that her husband, Pastor Bill Johnson experienced uncontrollable convulsions:
Johnson, senior pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., is part of the New Apostolic Reformation’s signs and wonders movement. More on this in a moment.
Beni goes on to share an early experience in which she first had her own uncontrollable convulsions:
In Sid Roth’s interview with Heidi Baker two weeks ago, we see a similar experience in which Heidi falls into a trance-like state:
Okay, do you have your Bible handy? Brace yourself: All of these extra-biblical (meaning outside of the Bible) experiences are not of God, but a different, darker power. There is no biblical account of anyone being slain in the spirit of God. In fact we are to be sober minded.
The nearest that Scripture comes to describing the convulsions and other bizarre behavior prompted by the Toronto Blessing are its documented effects of demonic possession. Mark 9:18 describes a young man overcome by a demonic spirit, in which he is thrown down and is convulsing uncontrollably. When the Spirit came upon Jesus at His baptism He didn’t collapse or convulse. And when he touched the blind and the infirm, they never fell over “slain.” Nor do we find Peter or John touching people and causing them to fall over.
Being filled with the Spirit is not evidenced by such counterfeits, but by a life that overflows with the Word of God in such a way that it spills over in praise and obedience to God.
There are many more Bible verses to explore, and I encourage you to study them with discernment. I also encourage you to read more about these topics:
Here's a brief, but scholarly, article on the teachings of Bill Johnson
And please do study this document on New Apostolic Reformation Dominionism
