Why Are Christians Throwing Stones at Bishop Juanita Bynum? - JENNIFER LECLAIRE CHARISMA NEWS

Juanita Bynum has been through hell and back—and now Global United Fellowship (GUF) is promoting the controversial prophetess to full-blown bishop status. (Facebook)

Why Are Christians Throwing Stones at Bishop Juanita Bynum?

11/6/2015 JENNIFER LECLAIRE  CHARISMA NEWS

Jennifer LeClaire is now sharing her reflections and revelations through Walking in the Spirit. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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Juanita Bynum has been through hell and back—and now Global United Fellowship (GUF) is promoting the controversial prophetess to full-blown bishop status.

It's no great surprise that her spiritual elevation is stirring a Christian hornet's nest, but are believers being mean-spirited or just discerning?

In case you're not familiar with GUF, it's a Christian fellowship that embraces churches, ministries, fellowships and pastors who acknowledge, accept and submit to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. GUF believes there is more that unites Christians than divides them. 

Ironically, Bynum's appointment is already driving division. Although the group's mission statement is to "foster biblical unity among believers as one body in Christ," some onlookers are gravely concerned about the appointment, given her history and what Paul wrote in 1 Tim. 3:2-5:

"An overseer then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach; not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money, but patient, not argumentative, not covetous; and one who manages his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence. For if a man does not know how to manage his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?"

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"Is there any doubt we are in the last days? The great falling away is happening before our eyes," one commenter wrote on a Christian news site. "Homosexuality has infiltrated the church. Between 50 to 90% of Christians (sic) men are watching porn. The wheat is being separated from the chaff."

Many of the comments were too harsh, accusatory or unhelpful to republish. Suffice it to say that a peppered history that includes homosexual encounters with women, speaking at an ordination service for a gay minister, alleged breaches of contract and divorce has some second-guessing Bynum's appointment as bishop.

Bynum divorced her second husband, Bishop Thomas Weeks, in 2008, about a month before their sixth wedding anniversary. It seems, though, she had good reason. Weeks earlier that year pled guilty to aggravated assault for pushing and kicking Bynum in the parking lot of an Atlanta hotel.

Bynum has taken plenty of flak over the years. She's also been the subject of rap songs calling out prosperity preachers, along with Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn, Paula White, Fred Price, Kenneth Copeland, Robert Tilton, and Eddie Long.

"Jesus is not a means to an end," Shai Linne raps in his song "Fal$e Teacher$". "The gospel is He came to redeem us from sin, and that is the message forever I'll yell. If you're living your best life now, you're heading for hell."

In 2013, Bynum—who was once a regular on TBN and has had gospel music hits and best-selling books—was arrested. I wrote about that in my column, Why Do So Many Televangelists Land Themselves in Jail?.

The case involved a judgment that ordered her to shell out $140,000 to ALW Entertainment. Apparently, she did not follow through on a commitment to perform in a play ALW was producing. She later said she was "wrongfully detained" and her accuser backed down.

Bynum has lived a stormy life, with ups and downs and downs and ups. Many will not let her live it down, but the GUF has embraced her.

How do we apply the truth in 1 Tim. 3:2-5 to situations like this? Is the blood of Jesus sufficient for a peppered past and all the scandals that went along with it? How do you judge true repentance? Is there a double standard for recovering from scandals for women in ministry? Should Christians really be throwing stones at Bynum?

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, co-founder of awakeningtv.com, on the leadership team of the New Breed Revival Network and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening;Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer onFacebook or follow her on Twitter. Jennifer's Periscope handle is @propheticbooks.

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GOD TV Co-Founder Rory Alec Resigns

Citing Moral Failure, GOD TV Co-Founder Rory Alec Resigns

10/2/2014 JENNIFER LECLAIRE  CHARISMA NEWS

Rory and Wendy Alec in the studio in 2010. (Facebook)

Another leader in the body of Christ has admitted to a "moral failure" concerning his marriage. Rory Alec has resigned as chairman and CEO of the network he co-founded with his wife, Wendy.

"After 20 years of service, I have had a moral failure this year," Rory said. "For this reason, I am stepping down. Please forgive me for the disappointment I've caused, but I know your eyes are on Jesus who is the author and finisher of your faith and not on me, an imperfect man. It is with a heavy heart that I confirm my season with GOD TV is over for now."

Wendy, co-founder and director of television at GOD TV, will lead the network with the support of its senior management team and the company's board. GOD TV will continue its international operations and its work in Plymouth, England, in the U.K., including completing the Revival Prayer Centre on Union Street and the new staff building at the Burrington Industrial Estate.

"I will take responsibility on the first night of Revival Alert to share with transparency and authenticity regarding the situation to all our viewers and partners," Wendy said. She will address the issue further on Wednesday from GOD TV's Jerusalem studio.

Charisma News has learned that Benny Hinn will be in the studio with Wendy on Wednesday, and other leaders from the body of Christ are actively ministering to the couple hoping to bring restoration. Please pray for the Alecs, GOD TV and their staff.

From GOD-TV website: GOD TV Statement

GOD TV Co-founder Rory Alec steps aside

GOD TV Co-founder Rory Alec has today announced he is leaving the Network, standing aside as Chairman and CEO with immediate effect. This follows what he terms ‘a moral failure’ concerning his marriage. 

GOD TV Co-founder and Director of Television, Wendy Alec will continue to lead the Network along with its senior management team and the support of the GOD TV Board.

GOD TV has confirmed the organisation will continue its international operations as well as the work it is doing in Plymouth, UK. This includes the completion of its Revival Prayer Centre on Union Street and new staff building at Burrington Industrial Estate.

Mrs Alec told GOD TV staff in Plymouth that she will address the issue further on 8 October while in GOD TV’s Jerusalem studio to host a series of live Revival Alert broadcasts.

“I will take responsibility on the first night of Revival Alert to share with transparency and authenticity regarding the situation to all our viewers and partners,” she said.

In a separate statement, Mr Alec told GOD TV staff: “After 20 years of service, I have had a moral failure this year. For this reason, I am stepping down. Please forgive me for the disappointment I’ve caused, but I know your eyes are on Jesus who is the author and finisher of your faith and not on me, an imperfect man.

“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm my season with GOD TV is over for now.”

In her role as Co-founder, Creative Director and Director of Television, Wendy Alec has overseen all content on GOD TV for the past 19 years. Her remit includes oversight of the Network and Programming Planning teams; Scheduling teams; Production teams; her Commissioning team and approval of Ministry Airtime Sales and Programme Acquisitions. She has been in charge of GOD TV’s Creative Direction, both on air and in print, from the time of the Network’s inception, including the internationally acclaimed and distinctive GOD TV logo. She is fully supported by GOD TV’s executive management team and financial departments.



Media Contact: GOD TV UK & Ireland Regional Director Fergus Scarfe via e-mail at statement@god.tv.

Michael Brown - Be Careful Whom You Damn

Be Careful Whom You Damn

1/14/2014 MICHAEL BROWN, Charisma Magazine

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It is true that the Scriptures often warn us against deception, and it is true that some preach “another Jesus” (who is not Jesus at all) and “another gospel” (which is no gospel at all; see 2 Cor. 11:1-4; Gal. 1:6-9). And it is true that many false converts will be shocked when Jesus says to them on that great and dreadful Day, “Depart from me” (see Matt. 7:21-23; 25:31-46).

All of us should examine ourselves to be sure that we are “in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5) and all of us should be diligent to “confirm [our] calling and election” (2 Pet. 1:10), and this does mean falling into performance-based religious exercises but rather living out our calling to be God’s children (see 2 Pet. 1:3-11; this is our response to what God has graciously done for us).

At the same time, we need to be very careful about setting ourselves up as the ultimate judge of who is saved and who is lost--meaning, among those who claim to be followers of the Jesus of the Scriptures.

Some have decided that I cannot possibly be saved because I am not a Calvinist (seriously), as exemplified by this comment posted to one of my YouTube debates: “I certainly wouldn't call Brown a brother, he denies the gospel, he denies what Christ did on the cross and denies Jesus has the power to save and keep His Church without man's help. Brown’s God is not God.”

So, according to Tim, because I don’t believe, with Calvin, that some “individuals are born, who are doomed from the womb to certain death, and are to glorify him by their destruction,” that I’m not actually saved. (And yes, I hear from those who assure me that Calvinists are not saved.)

How myopic and wrongheaded can we be?

Most recently, because of my appearances on Benny Hinn’s TV show, talking about the Messiah in the Old Testament and the errors of hypergrace, I am now being damned to hell, along with him.

Benny Hinn and Michael Brown

Responding to a blog article highly critical of me, Denise, wrote, “According to [2 John] v. 11 God counts Brown as guilty of the SAME wickedness as Hinn precisely because Brown not only greets the man, but promotes and endorses Hinn and his pulpit. Therefore he too, is to be just as rejected as the false teacher he welcomes. It is THAT serious to God.”

Another commenter wrote, “I would hope that God grants Mr. Brown repentance not only of his charismatic heresies but also the arminian (remonstrant) heresy and that by God's gracious Holy Spirit, He would convert him to the True Gospel which we are to contend for.”

So, I’m doubly damned, being both a charismatic as well as a non-Calvinist--actually triply damned, because I appeared on Benny Hinn’s TV show too.

But it gets worse. According to Brad, “I know it is the will of God that none perish, but it is also his will that men who teach little ones to sin would have been better off not to have been born. These men love mammon and hate God. I’m hoping Brown repents, leaves the ministry, and serves in a local church after his salvation. It would be better off for Hinn had he never been born. If either of you [referring to the bloggers] get the opportunity to plead with Brown to come clean, do so. It may not be too late for him.” (He actually wrote some stuff that was even more rancid, but this quote is sufficient.)

Worse still, a brother on Twitter was so upset with me appearing on Benny Hinn’s show, that he not only decided I was a charlatan but also claimed that God was not my Father. I had tweeted out to my Twitter followers, “What a longsuffering, merciful Father we have!” He responded by calling God my “imaginary friend”--in other words, he can’t be my Father.

This is nothing less than pathetic.

Others have come out of the woodwork with comments like, “What part of, ‘be not unevenly yoked together with unbelievers’ was optional for you all at Brownsville?” (I’ll be sure to let Steve Hill and John Kilpatrick know that they’re not saved either!)

Or this one, stating, “This is the ‘gospel’ Brown is now defending [with a link to a service at the Brownsville Revival]… Sorry, that looks a lot like satanism.”

And this one, which followed a YouTube link to the one of the most powerful altar calls I ever witnessed in my life: “Brown, repent of all your Charles Finney type emotional manipulation and semi-pelagian errors and learn to preach the true gospel.”

And how about this comment to my debate on cessationism with Dr. Sam Waldron, “Dr Brown claims to be sola scriptura [meaning, that the Scriptures alone are our authority for doctrine and practice] but how can I believe him, knowing he is an Arminian and a trinitarian, worse he is a charismatic.”

It looks I’m in really big trouble, being an Arminian (rather than a Calvinist), as well as believing in God’s triune nature (what a crime!) and--perish the thought!--being a charismatic.

To be perfectly clear, I’m not hurt by these comments, nor is this persecution for the gospel. (Obviously.) But I do hurt for the body of Christ and I do hurt for these misguided individuals (on all sides of the debate), and I long to see God’s people--those who are truly is--unite around his Son.

Because of that, I am truly blessed when readers of my Authentic Fire book post reviews stating that they were moved by my heart of reconciliation and honor towards those with whom I differ--and this truly is the expression of my heart.

So, let us all humble ourselves before the Lord, let us search our own hearts prayerfully, let us address clear error where we see it, and let us be careful whom we damn.

I for one am very glad that you are not my final judge, and I’m sure you’re quite glad that I am not yours.

Michael Brown is author of Hyper-Grace: Exposing the Dangers of the Modern Grace Message and host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire on the Salem Radio Network. He is also president of FIRE School of Ministry and director of the Coalition of Conscience. Follow him at AskDrBrown on Facebook or at @drmichaellbrown on Twitter.

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Love For His People Editor's Note: I loved seeing Michael on Benny Hinn's program! It was great! (The week of Jan. 13-17, 2014). 

Here is the link: Benny Hinn TV

Steve Martin

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Benny Hinn's Ministry Changed After Reconciling With Wife (Many marriages need help.)

How Benny Hinn's Ministry Has Changed After Reconciling With Wife

11:00AM EDT 10/24/2013 JENNIFER LECLAIRE, charismanews

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Benny Hinn

Benny Hinn is a man on a mission. Since God has healed his message, there’s a new twist to his ministry—praying for the healing of troubled marriages around the world. Charisma News asked Hinn about this new facet of his ministry and the fruit it’s bearing in nations around the world.

Charisma: Has your message changed at all?

Hinn: No, not really. I mean, I've always preached healing, but I'm focusing very much so on salvation. Well, I do three things now at the meeting. Of course, in the first part, I focus on salvation because I always want to see people saved at first before I administer, and the altar calls are always packed. I focus on family healing. In South Africa, 50 percent of the crowd came down in a church of 11,000. Think about it—that many people actually walked down whose marriages were breaking up or on the verge of breaking up.

I was stunned in Madrid. The first night, I asked those that were having marriage troubles to come down. The pastor just looked at me in shock. A stadium packed, and a third of them came down. There’s lot of people in the body of Christ suffering like this, families just broken or breaking up.

I think Suzanne's and my healing has just had some impact. I go through my situation. My marriage was a whole lot worse than I can even talk about. And I say to people, "You think yours is bad. Mine is probably way worse than you could ever imagine. Again, God healed Sue and I. And if God healed us, He'll heal you."

It's stunning. You see them come down, and they start sobbing and crying almost instantly because the pain is so deep in them. I never dealt with that part of ministry in the past with couples and homes and families. I identify with them. They identify with me. It moved me so deeply to tears.

One lady cried so bad, I think she almost fainted, that poor thing. The pain in them starts coming out. The minute they walk down the aisle, before you get the chance to even pray for them or talk to them, they're already crying, many of them. And then you go down and comfort them and put your hand on their shoulders and minister to them.


I’ve looked at many of them and said, "Now, you look at me," and I took them by the cheeks. I lifted their faces because they were bowed with such sorrow. I said, "God did it for me. He'll do it for you. Please believe it." People want to believe it, but it's something hard for them to believe, [that] God can really do it for them. And it's been an amazing eye-opener anyway for me and Suzanne.

Charisma: What do you think is causing so much trouble in Christian families?

Hinn: That's a great, great question. Sue and I have thought of doing a conference for people with family troubles. I want to learn more about it to help them. I don't know what's going on with other people. In my case, it was family and the stress of ministry and being too busy. I didn't pay attention to Suzanne's pain. That's what caused our problem. And then Suzanne having to struggle with what was happening to our family—and you know that story.

In South Africa, people were just weeping everywhere because Suzanne opened up. She said, "Listen, here's what I went through. Here's what I was on. Here are the drugs I did. Here's what Benny did." And then I opened up and said, "So, here's what I did. Here's what I ignored. Here's what I should have not ignored."

And at some point, people laughed and they cried. And we talked for about a good half-hour. A lot of healing took place as we were talking, as they saw we were being transparent. That made them comfortable—that we were ourselves with them and didn't hide anything.

And finally I said to the crowd in Africa, "Now, we were honest with you. Now you have to be honest with each other and yourselves: What is it that has caused your problem?" This is so powerful because they see the love between me and Sue. We're holding on to each other. Suzanne is kissing on me. She's loving on me on the platform, and people see it's real, that it's not phony stuff, that we're not acting. This is real up there.

Then I said, "Now, you tell each other now that you will fix it. Just like we have, you will." And they stop crying and say, "We will fix it. We will fix it." And it's just powerful. Really, it makes you cry. You just stand there, you know. You just think, "Oh, my God! I can't believe I'm seeing this."

Benny Hinn: The Anointing Is Still in Operation

10/23/2013 JENNIFER LECLAIRE, charismanews

 

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Benny Hinn

Healing evangelist Benny Hinn is back with a passion. After restoring his marriage, Hinn is once again traveling the world—this time with his wife, Suzanne—and holding crusades where miracles are manifesting.

 

Charisma News caught up with Hinn to get the latest report from the field.

 

Charisma: I hear God is restoring your ministry.

 

Hinn: The ministry is coming back. The anointing is still in operation. People are seeing that. 

 

Number two, they are coming because of the deep hurt, deep pain, deep need. Sickness is still there. And thirdly, I think they come because they say, "OK, the Lord has done something for him. We're happy for him and Suzanne." They want to support this, and they show up. 

So, it's been very exciting. I don't know what the future holds, but we're all excited about it, and I'm happy to see the Lord do it. This is real. Sue and I have never been happier.

 

Charisma: You’ve been ministering in packed-out auditoriums around the world these days. What’s going on there?

 

Hinn: Well, since my remarriage I have seen an upsurge. The crowds have come back in most places, especially in the Far East. I was in Manado, Indonesia, in July. We had 200,000 people show up for the crusade. I have not seen crowds like that in three years. It was stunning. 

We were only expecting 80,000. They told my team it was the largest crowd they have had—ever—in that part of Indonesia. I was in Madrid last week; the stadium was jammed. People were just ecstatic.  

 

There just seems to be a lot of excitement out there about my reunion to Suzanne. It's just a very, very exciting time in our lives. Sue and I are doing incredibly, marvelously glorious. Really, I've not had such contentment in my life. It’s like this is our time of peace and recovery. I think sometimes when somebody is healed, it heals everything else around them.

 

Charisma: Tell us about the miracles in London.

 

Hinn: I was in London at Westminster and rented the Westminster Hall across from Parliament. It was jammed out. It was magnificent. While I was in London, three miracles stood out which were just so amazing. One girl—I'll be showing it on TV in two weeks—was flown in from Pakistan with three holes in her heart and crippled. God healed her. 

Two friends in their '60s who were born deaf were both healed. And it just stunned the crowd. It actually stunned me more than anyone else, I think. My son is now working with me. During the divorce, I saw him become so angry and bitter. 

And there he was last week, standing, crying and worshipping God on the platform as he saw the miracles and was helping his daddy. It's a precious thing to see your family healed also when God heals you.

 

Charisma: What’s next for Benny Hinn?

 

Hinn: Doors are swinging open. I'm going to China, by the way, if you can believe it. I've been invited to preach in two cities, Shanghai and Guangzhou, in January. India has opened up big. I'm going to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December, and they're expecting massive crowds. 

And Africa. Dear God! The invitations I'm getting now for Africa can keep me there probably the whole year. So it's like a resurrection, a resurgence. I'm beginning to do some big meetings again in the U.S. I don't know that I'll ever go back to the stadiums because it's very, very expensive. But I am doing convention halls and centers. In fact, I'm coming to Orlando to the convention center early next year.

More: CharismaNews

“We know Where the Ark of the Covenant Is”

BY ADMIN · OCTOBER 1, 2013
JERUSALEM · TAGGED: JERUSALEM

Published on 01.23.13

Pictures of the Trip and Ark of the Covenant

http://www.arkdiscovery.com/aoc-1.htm

Ron Wyatt was in Jerusalem in 1978, after having been diving at the Red Sea inspecting a possible site of the crossing by Moses at the Gulf of Aqaba, and was preparing to return to the states, when he was approached by a member of the Israeli Antiquities Authority who invited him to take a walk in the Garden Tomb grounds. 

While walking through this area, his arm pointed to a pile of trash next to an escarpment and these words came out of his mouth, "There is Jeremiah's Grotto and the Ark of the Covenant is in there." 

He hadn't even thought of those words, but they came out through God's direction. The official with Mr. Wyatt said that was wonderful to hear, and he would give Ron a place to stay, and food to eat while working on the site. 

This was puzzling to Ron because he had not even thought about the Ark, and yet God spoke through him with those words. 

First, Ron had to return to the states and begin research on the idea of the Ark even being in that location. 

Over the next three and a half years he worked at the site, and on January 6, 1982, Ron entered the chamber that contained the Ark of the Covenant.

http://www.arkdiscovery.com/index2.htm

http://www.arkdiscovery.com/aoc-1.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6s_f1...