Introduction
I know that there will be a number of you that are horrified that we are producing another article on Benny Hinn. (See previous article 1 and article 2). However, before you send me the scorchingemailor letter please could you read further.
This article has come about because someone sent us a video tape after the last article. This was a tape of a Crusade that Benny Hinn held in Denver (17 September 1999) and a recording of the television programme with Paul Crouch of TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) discussing the meeting.
We are not ‘anti gifts’ or ‘anti miracles’. We are not on a crusade simply to discredit Benny Hinn, but we do believe that we need to check out the things that he says, while claiming to be under the anointing from God. That is the problem. If he was just saying this is what I think or what I feel, we may not agree but it would be his opinion. However, Hinn teaches that much of what he says and indeed all that he says under the ‘anointing’ is what God says, not what he says. This is therefore serious and needs to be checked out.
Indeed as Christians we do not have an option as to whether we want to check it out or not; the Bible is clear what we have to do.
“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11-21
Here we have it. Yes, we are to encourage one another and we are to appreciate those that work for the Lord in our midst. However at the same time we are to admonish and above all, “examine everything carefully.” This is especially mentioned in the light of prophetic utterances. The outcome is that we are then to hold fast to that which is good – having left behind that which is not good!
Where there are prophetic utterances – those words that are said to come from the Holy Spirit – we need to examine them in detail. Whatever your feelings are concerning Benny Hinn, what are your feelings about God’s Word here? Can someone who has given such clear false prophecies (see previous article) in the name of the Lord really be part of the ‘good’ that we are to hold on to?
I have to say that I was shocked by the video that I saw and so I reproduce some of the words below. Please will you test it out – are these words really coming from God as Hinn claims? If not then this is a serious case of fraud. Please will you examine these words carefully and see in your heart what the Holy Spirit witnesses to you.
The first section is Hinn live on stage at the Denver Crusade.
“….I place a curse on every man and every woman that would stretch his hand against this anointing, I curse that man who dares to speak a word against this ministry and any man and any woman that raises his or her hand in blessing towards this ministry I bless that man, I bless that home, I bless that family. Any man, any woman, any person that raises his tongue in blessings towards this work, raises his tongue in blessing towards this anointing, raises his tongue in blessing towards this servant of the Lord, I bless them, I bless the work the work of your hand, I bless your life with this mighty power, I Bless your home with the divine protection, I bless your children with long life and I bless you with length of days, I bless you with health and healing, I bless with prosperity, I bless you with the very presence of Almighty God, I a servant bless you. In the name of the one I serve, I bless thy people this night in Denver.
Lift your hands and receive the blessing people, I rarely ever do what I am doing now, this is the Holy Ghost on me telling me to do this. I bless you; I bless your homes, your life, your future, your children. May every attack of Satan against you be destroyed, may every plan of hell be destroyed against you and every plan of God be established, in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.
Under this anointing, under this anointing the word I speak cannot fall to the ground, under this anointing every thing I say happensPlease note these last words carefully. This means that everyone who questions Benny Hinn and his ministry is cursed. Everyone that checks out his teaching and shows that is not according to mainstream Christian teaching is cursed. Yet this is the opposite of what the Scripture says, “examine everything carefully” and only hold fast that which is good. Who are we to believe? The Scripture or the ‘anointed’ utterance of Benny Hinn; and choosing both is not an option there.
The next extract is from the television studio conversation between Benny Hinn, Paul Crouch and his wife. Benny begins,
“I know this sounds strange may be days I’ll be sitting by myself and lose all contact with what’s around me and not only dreams I’m seeing things that are almost unbelievable I’ll be sitting at home and my vision will change, I would lose sight of what’s in front of me and start seeing things, things that I’m not sure I understand yet about what’s coming to the move of the Spirit, but it is so glorious that it is beyond words, but I can tell you this. Can we just pray a second?
(Here Paul Crouch’s voice comes in and throughout this piece when it happens you will find the words in [ ])
[Please]
Master, help us as your people receive this, help me as your servant say it, yes, for your name sake. Amen.
This has nothing to do with our spirituality, nothing to do with praying more and fasting more. God in person said to me.
(Note here that Benny Hinn claimed that this message came personally from God)
If its prayer we’ll all be on our knees, if its fasting we’ll be all famished, we’ll all be on our faces begging for this, its God’s grace, its God’s gift, it belongs to all of us. So I’m not praying any more than I have for 25 years and I’m not seeking the Lord and I haven’t changed nothing. But here’s first what I see for TBN.
(You will) even have people raised from the dead watching this network, people raised from the dead watching TBN. Programmes, just plain programmes, programmes that haven’t done much when it comes to supernatural manifestations, teaching programmes, its not going to be a Benny Hinn thing, stretch your hands, its going to be your average teaching programme, your normal Christian programme that’s blessing the church, it’ll be such power on these programmes, people will be raised from the dead worldwide.
I’m telling you I see this in the Spirit, its going to be so awesome, Jesus I give you praise for this, that people around the world, maybe not so much in America, people around the world who will lose loved ones, will say to undertakers – not yet I want to take my dead loved one and place him in front of that TV set for 24 hours, [really] I’m telling you [Jesus] people will be, people I’m telling you I feel the anointing talking here
(just what is his definition of anointing then? This makes the Holy Spirit sound more like a familiar spirit)
people are going to be cancelling funeral services and bringing their dead in their caskets, placing them before a television set waiting for God’s power to come through and touch them. [Mercy]
Its going to happen time and time so much its going to spread, you are going to hear it from Kenya to Mexico to Europe to South America, where people will be raised from the dead so much so that the word will spread that if some dead person be put in front of this TV screen they will be raised from the dead and they will be. By the thousands, you wait now the Lord just told me and I don’t know whether this is true or not. As I’m saying this, the Lord said He gave that word many, many years ago.
[I have said that yes.]
Yet now I don’t remember you saying that to me ever.
[No I didn’t]
Well the Lord just said to me, I told them this already
[Yes the Lord spoke that to me at the very beginning of TBN and I didn’t really understand and I had a dream]
Now you had a dream tell them about that a little
[It’s just a dream that the dead will be raised up.]
Years ago?
[So it’s on tape I said the years are coming.]
I see, I see quite something amusing, I see rows of caskets lining up in front of this TV set, and I see them bringing them closer to the TV set and as people are coming closer I see actually loved ones picking up the hands of the dead and letting them touch the screen and people are getting raised as their hands are touching that screen. With this programme I’m not talking about my programme programmes, plain programmes but the glory of God will be so on TBN that there’s going to be divine resurrection happening . And I do see people being raised from the dead here, but I see masses of them overseas.
[As a great sign and a wonder to the world]
As a sign to the world. Yea TBN will no longer be just a television network; it will be an extension of heaven to earth,
[My Jesus mercy]
The Lord the Lord just said to me I’m hearing myself say for the first time. TBN will not be only a Christian network it will be an extension of heaven to the earth, an extension like a tube from heaven that the earth can look and say I’m looking at heaven I’m partaking of heaven, I’m getting connected to heaven through this TV tube.
[My Jesus]
If I can say it, it will be heaven’s signal to the earth it will be as though heaven is transmitting and earth is receiving through that set, so if you want to go to heaven, you want to see heaven, you want to taste heaven turn on that channel because you will.
[Hm hm hm]
and Paul God will never allow, I give you that word in Denver, I’ll remind you of it, God will never allow a thing to happen to TBN.”
Please ask yourself, “is this true?” In the months and years since that message was given, has it come to pass? Can a television station be an extension of heaven – Jesus said so, according to Benny Hinn. Have people been raised from the dead in their thousands from touching the TV screen? God said it would happen according to Benny Hinn.
Please do check out the words of this man and ask yourself is this really the teaching of the Holy Spirit or a man? Let’s get back to the true exposition of the Word of God.
