Beni Johnson: Wakey, Wakey; Wacky Wacky

Beni Johnson, who allegedly changed her first name to “Beni” to honor heretic Benny Hinn, is the wife of Bill Johnson–the leader of the Bethel Redding cult.

One of Beni’s popular skits is “Wakey, Wakey.” It appears Beni first made known her unbiblical, extra-revelatory, communication with angels in a blog article titled: Wakey Wakey. Beni has since taken her story on the road, which includes the below performance during the 2009 Bethel School of Worship.

Seeing and/or communicating with angels is nothing new in Charismania–especially among those involved in any one of a number of false revivals over the last 25 years (i.e. Toronto Blessing, Brownsville Revival, Pensacola Outpouring, Lakeland Revival, etc.), as well as one of today’s false spiritual movements, the New Apostolic Reformation.

Tragically, Beni’s popular story, like much of Bethel Redding’s teachings, has at least one striking similarity to every godless worldview, including the societal push to legitimize same-sex unions–no objective standard. Beni does not subscribe to any real, objective, and authoritative standard for right or wrong, truth or error. Having rejected the Word of God as the final authority and arbitrator for discerning right from wrong and truth from error, the authority to which Beni subscribe’s is her own subjective views of reality. Whatever comes into her mind (whether she believe it is true, or she known it is a lie) she deems authoritative. Sadly, whatever comes out of her mouth is heard and perceived as authoritative by those who listen to her, follow her, and believer her–believe her for no other reason than “Beni said it, so it must be true.”

Members of cults are conditioned to set aside wisdom and discernment and, instead, are conditioned to trust the wisdom and discernment of the leaders of the cult–to simply take them at their word because (as members have been conditioned to believe) the leaders have a special spiritual pipeline to the supernatural realm and those who dwell there. After all, why would the leaders lie? That’s an article for another day.

Without the Word of God as her standard for truth and as the only reliable barometer for discerning what is of God and what is of Satan, or what is of her own vivid imagination, or a lie she has believed for so long she now believes it is true, Beni has hopped onto a spiritual slippery slope and invites those who listen to her to join her for the ride. Similarly, those seeking to legitimize same-sex unions have no moral standard beyond their subjective opinions and the desires of their own deprave and wicked hearts. As a result, the slippery slope of sexual immorality is long, steep, slick, and lengthening and accelerating day-by-day. And where has that downhill slope taken a fallen world thus far? Bruce (aka: Caitlyn) Jenner.

There are 282 occurrences of the word “angel” or “angels” in the Bible (ESV). I encourage you, the reader, to read the verses for yourself. You will not find a single instance, not one, that even remotely compares to Beni’s alleged encounters with the “angels” in her “Wakey, Wakey” story. You will not find a single instance in the Word of God where a person exerts authority over an angel, like waking them from a sound sleep.

While Beni’s story fits well with a theology that allows for treating angels and the Holy Spirit like divine butlers and genies in bottles, it is not compatible with the Word of God.

The argument I anticipate from Beni’s supporters and fellow spiritual practitioners is this: “Well, just because it’s not in the Bible doesn’t mean it can’t happen!”

My response: By what standard, then, do you determine if what you experienced is of the Lord, of Satan, or of your own imagination?

“Cricket. Cricket. Cricket.” Silence. That’s the typical response I receive when I ask someone to validate that their subjective experiences are of the Lord.

What Bethel Redding has trained their people to do in response to any form of scrutiny is to employ the ad hominem. “You have a religious, Pharisaical spirit.” This is one accusation, one attack against the questioner’s character made in an attempt to discredit the questioner.

Like the atheist who tries to assert any standard for morality, or the liberal progressive who tries to assert a moral justification for changing what God has defined as “marriage,” Beni Johnson and those like her have no objective, morally or spiritually binding standard to assert her stories about play time with angels to be true.

“Well, I believe it’s true!” Some will say.

Irrelevant.

It doesn’t matter what Beni and her followers believe. It doesn’t matter what I believe. What matters is whether or not what we believe is true.

And what is “truth.” Truth is that which conforms to the mind of God. Truth is whatever God says.

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

God still speaks. He speaks to His people (Christians) through the only means the listener can know with certain what he is hearing is true–the Word of God; the Bible.

Beni Johnson’s “Wakey, Wakey” story is wacky, wacky. Join me in praying Beni will repent of her unbiblical practices, which are legion, including the false practice of waking angels.

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Kris Vallotton: A Theological Pretzel Maker

Cult leaders like Kris Vallotton are master theological pretzel makers–eisegetes who twist Scripture to accommodate their twisted, sordid agendas. Like other false teachers at Bethel Redding, Vallotton preys upon the non-Bereans who follow his “teaching”–people who will not turn to the scriptures to see if what what Vallotton is feeding them is poisonous, let alone edible.

The above meme (courtesy of Chris Rosebrough) includes a quote from Vallotton’s book, Heavy Rain (p. 275).

“But Mary treasured all these things [the prophetic word the angel gave her about giving birth to the Savior of the world], pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Mary brooded over the word of God in her heart and gave birth to the Messiah. What she imagined became flesh and dwelt among us… When we dream with God, as Mary did, we co-create masterpieces of His imagination.”

What we have here is an example of a blasphemous ideology, which comes out of the apostate Word of Faith movement–the idea that human beings can create something out of nothing, by the power of their faith and words. Vallotton goes so far as to tell his readers they can be “co-creators” with the Creator of the Universe–God.

Vallotton takes the Roman Catholic blasphemous and damnable heresy of Mary as co-redemtrix to an even more blasphemous level when he writes: “What she [Mary] imagined became flesh and dwelt among us.” While the Roman Catholics hold that Mary is an integral participant in the redemption of souls, Vallotton takes things a step further by daring to assert that Mary’s imagination and dreams played a part in the incarnation of the God-Man Jesus Christ.

Of course, there is absolute no support for this heretical notion in Scripture. But then, Vallotton, like other cult leaders, is well-known for minimizing and marginalizing the authority of Scripture.

Yes, Mary played a vitally important role in the incarnation of the Word Become Flesh. She was chosen and blessed of God to be the earthly mother of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. However, she was not a participant in the sense that the incarnation was in any way contingent upon her cooperation, faith, imagination, or dreams. She was a recipient of God’s grace and mercy. She was chosen by God for the her role she played in the greatest of all miracles. Mary is not a co-redemtrix. And she was not a co-creator in the incarnation of God in the Flesh.

Kris Vallotton is a dangerous, false teacher leading thousands astray and into sin, by encouraging people to believe they are God-like with the power to create–a power given to no mere man–a power wielded by God alone.

Banned from Bethel Redding

Bart McCurdy, his teenage son Billy, and I went to Bethel Redding to attend the group’s evening gathering. We went simply observe–to see what takes place during a Bethel meeting, with their own eyes. As we approached the front door of the building, we were met by Sean, a member of Bethel’s security team. We introduced ourselves. As we walked in the door, Sean stopped us and said that a pastor would need to talk to us before we went any farther. Moments later, the head of security and two staff pastors arrived. They explained to us that because of the way they had “dishonored” the leadership staff of Bethel Redding, via Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube we were banned from being at Bethel.

Here’s the audio of our encounter with staff members of Bethel Redding.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/code_sourcefeatured.asp?iframe=TRUE&reversecolor=FALSE&showoverview=FALSE&flashplayer=TRUE&tiny=FALSE&minimal=TRUE&eventtype=EVENTID&series=SUBTITLE&speaker=SPEAKERNAME&sermonid=53015052462

Welcome to ‘Repent Bethel Redding’

This is an artist’s rendition of the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, offering strange or unauthorized fire before the Lord.

My name is Tony Miano. I am a member of Grace Community Church. I am an evangelist who leads a ministry called Cross Encounters Ministries.

With more than a little reluctance and trepidation, I am entering the world of “Discernment Blogging.” While it can be a place of great encouragement and teaching, it can also be a place of ugliness, lies, and hatred. I hope readers will determine I am in the camp of the former, and not the latter.

Why me, and why now?

I believe a group known as Bethel Redding is a cult. The group has a number of characteristics of cult, as defined by the Christian Apologetic & Research Ministry.

Bethel Redding propagates a false Jesus, contrary to the Scriptures. Bethel Redding propagates a false gospel, contrary to the Scriptures. Bethel Redding propagates a false holy spirit, with false signs and wonders, contrary to the Scriptures. The group is also involved in forbidden, demonic practices such as a strange form of necromancy known as “Soaking Up the Anointing,” “Grave Soaking,” or “Grave Sucking.”

I believe Bethel Redding is a danger to the true church, the Bride and Body of Christ. I also believe Bethel Redding is a danger to the soul of every lost person who comes in contact with the group or any of its affiliates.

I have followed and studied the aberrant activities and theology of Bethel Redding, for several years. I have already extensively written and reported about this cult. Recently, I have received an increase in requests for information about the Bethel Redding cult. Some have asked if there is a central depository of information about the group.

While others have done fine work in cataloging information about Bethel Redding, I’ve decided it’s time I lend a more organized level of assistance to the effort.

Now, this new work will be and must be secondary to primary mission–to herald the gospel of Jesus Christ on the streets around the world and to assist biblical churches in doing the same. So, the production of new, counter-cult material might be slower than some like. I hope you will be patient with me. In order to try to maintain a steady flow of the addition of new information to the site, from time-to-time I will have other people (guest writers) contribute to this site.

In the end, as in all things, I hope my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be glorified in this effort. I also pray the Bride of Christ will be edified, equipped, and protected in this effort, and that many lost people, particularly those involved in the Bethel Redding cult, will come to genuine repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

So, with that, I inaugurate the Repent Bethel Redding website/blog.