Sadly, many deceived people, some of whom might be Christians, recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of a false move of false gods known as the “Toronto Blessing.” The Arnotts (two of the craftsmen of this blasphemous movement) and Stacey Campbell (a false prophetess who I am surprised does not have brain damaged because of her shtick of violently shaking her head as she regurgitates false prophesies) are seen in the video doing what they do best–deceiving and being deceived.
Here’s the video captured by my friend, Bart McCurdy.
In July of 2013, I wrote an article titled Spiritual Heroin and Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: A Personal Testimony. In the article, I chronicle how movements like those from Toronto to Anaheim, to Brownsville, to Kansas City destroyed a little church in Southern California and harmed people I love. Sadly, nothing has changed.
While there are new and reoccurring faces and new demonic antics within the world of charismania (New Apostolic Reformation, Lakeland Revival, Bethel Church), the foundation remains the same. False prophets. False visions. False dreams. False worship. False miracles. Appearances of demonic angels. Attributing demonic spiritual manifestations to the Holy Spirit.
Yet apologists for the “Toronto Blessing” and movements spawned from it, some of them respected, will insist that much that is good and true and holy has come out of these alleged movements of God. As intelligent as they may be, they are every bit deceived as the simpleton who wonders into a church, auditorium, or tent, sees the latest alleged demonstration of the miraculous, and believes it.
To the argument that in spite of all of the false prophesies, staged healings, psychological manipulations called spiritual manifestations, gold glitter and feathers blasphemously referred to as the glory of God, adultery, greed, and avarice within the charismatic movement there is some good in it, I say this. If I were to hand you a clear, cool glass of water, and as you lifted the glass to your lips I said, “Oh, by the way. There is one drop of poison in the water,” would you drink it? If you’re reasonable, if your sane you would immediately put the glass down and step away. You would also likely have a few angry words to say to me for offering you the poisoned water in the first place.
Some Charismania apologists might go as far as to tell others there is little, tiny bit of poison in the water, but they will still encourage you to drink it. They will tell you that even though there is poison in the water there is so much good water in the glass that the poison probably won’t hurt you. And, because men like the before-mentioned are seen as nice, reasonable, learned men (all far more intelligent than I am), many Christians and false converts will believe them, will drink the water, and be poisoned. Emotionally poisoned; spiritually poisoned; some, physically poisoned as they trust charlatans instead of God and the surgeons He uses.
If I handed you a glass of water and I told you there was a single drop of poison in it, would you drink it? The unsaved drink iniquity like water (Job 15:16, KJV). And many Christians and false converts drink poisoned charismatic drinks the same way. They guzzle it like water. Then they wait. They wait for their miracle, their visitation, their breakthrough, their healing, their gifting, and their dreams and visions. They wait while charismania apologists continue to try to make convincing arguments that Christians should accept heretics and liars like Bill Johnson, Che Ahn, Todd Bentley, Jesus Culture, John Crowder, John and Carol Arnott, C. Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Stacey Campbell, Sid Roth, Patricia King, Bob Jones, Rick Joyner, and others as brothers and sisters in the Lord who are simply “continuationists.” In doing so they introduce poison to what is supposed to be the pure waters of the Body of Christ.
Until otherwise respected continuationist theologians publicly call out, by name, the before-mentioned charlatans, necromancers (yes, necromancy), and false prophets–people who are not merely “continuationists,” but who are deceptive and/or deceived tools of Satan–to genuine repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, these theologians cannot be trusted. In spite of their solid theological prowess in other areas of biblical study, they should not be trusted. And don’t drink any glass of water they might hand to you, from here on out until they cry out, “Don’t drink than water–any of it! There’s poison in it!”
The “Toronto Blessing”: 20 years of deception, delusion, and destruction–20 years of charlantry, lies, deceit, and dancing with the Devil. “Tony! You’re poisoning the well!”
The well has been poisoned for two decades. Don’t drink the water.
“And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed” (2 Peter 2:2).
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-23).
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:1-3).
I've personally seen how this demonic thing has taken people away from the God of the Bible and into the pit of hell, confusion, chaos, and fake power. Toronto Blessing=Satan's job. End of story.
Tanya
I know it all charlatonry. In the home of my deceased husband and his ex wife he heard leaders of this movement, in uk for organising New Wine in Somerset in the early 1990s in which his evangelical Christian wife was involved, choosing what the next mass hysteria event would be …”we’ve had laughing..now we’re going to do animal noises. “The whole thing was a money making venture, which he also overheard.. He told them to leave his home and never darken its doors again. He had spent years in theatre and drama and knew all about how to manipulate large audiences. He knew their techniques.
In my opinion the whole thing is attractive to otherwise highly depressed personalities, giving them an excuse to give into emotional excess they otherwise cannot feel or allow themselves even normal emotional outlets. Otherwise it’s a playground for unscrupulous money makers. The whole thing has a business undertow.
If the Apostle Paul were on the earth now, he would be extremely busy rebuking church leaders.