the Charlatan

About a month ago, I received an email prayer request through our church’s prayer chain. It is not uncommon to receive requests to pray for people’s health, anything from the flu to cancer or whatever, as well as prayer for specific people to repent of their sins and trust in Christ. So, when I opened up the e-mail, I was not struck too hard by the heading “urgent prayer request” any more than I was significantly impacted by the word “Leukemia”. I was struck by the fact that the person being prayed for was only eight years old.¹

Cancer has claimed the lives of two of my grandparents as well as a friend of mine from high school. Unfortunately I am not a stranger to the terrible effects of this disease, but fortunately I have not become acquainted with this disease because it has attacked my children, wife, brothers or parents. I say this because I believe that I am like many people, serious illness is real but it is still distant enough to be easily put out of our minds.

When Jesus was walking on the earth, did He fill up the biggest venues in Judea telling followers that if they give of their resources they will demonstrate their faith and may be healed of infirmity? Christ was among the people and He freely healed those who came to Him, and He even went to someone’s home to heal the sick or raise the dead. The healing that Christ gave was real, it was true, and it was not a joke.

Benny Hinn is a liar, a Charlatan, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and a heretic.

Benny Hinn is known for his spectacular miracle healing crusades. If you view his “This is Your Day” television program, you will see an emphasis on physical healing (as well as the rest of the “health and wealth” and word of faith garbage) through his ministry. On one such program, I heard Benny (speaking through an interpreter) saying this,

“Where Jesus is, sickness cannot live. Whoever shall call on the name of the lord shall be delivered. If you are bound by sin; if you are bound by infirmity, disease, and bondage….² My brother, my sister, he hears the very whispers of your heart. Suddenly, healing virtue begins to flow out of His blessed presence…begins to flood your beings and fresh water begins to cleanse your soul. All you have to do tonight, is whisper Jesus. Lift your hands and call on His name. There are miracles happening all over this place right now.”³

Hank Hanegraaff, best known for his “Bible Answer Man” radio show, has repeatedly discussed the falseness of Benny Hinn’s ministry. In fact, to my knowledge, there have been no independently verified actual healings or miracles. It is so odious to claim to heal the sick and lame when you cannot. But, what if we give Mr. Hinn the benefit of the doubt? Wouldn’t it be great if God was using him to heal people? And if he does, he should go to where the sick people are. Go to the pediatric hospitals. Go to the cancer wards. Go to Africa and heal those who have AIDS. Go!

It sickens me to think that this kind of falsehood carries the name of Christianity with it. This kind of false teaching and gospel perverting is almost completely worthless. Why do I say “almost”? The devil knows that there must be at least some truth in order to make people swallow the poison, and sometimes Benny might give say something that is true about Christ or he might present the gospel in a way that the Holy Spirit uses on someone. And that person might really get saved and walk with the Lord. Hey, even Judas cast out demons, but we know that he was not a believer.

"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "So then, you will know them by their fruits.

"Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Matthew 7:15-23)

May God be merciful to Benny Hinn and cause him to repent of his sins, his false doctrine⁴, and turn to trust on Christ alone.

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¹ www.caringbridge.org/mn/bryceb

² He went on to say other things, but the emphasis on the program was the healing.

³ “This is your day” aired on 2/7/07

⁴ Benny Hinn has taught the “little gods” teaching. Basically, the teaching goes that because, in Genesis, animals all reproduced after their own kind, when God created man, He did so after God’s kind. It’s creepy and wrong, but that doesn’t stop it from being preached.