A New Product From Bethel Church!

Hey guys, Colin here, and welcome back to the channel where we bring you Christian commentary about the things that matter. As ever, please know this video isn't a sinful attack, but rather a Biblical critique.

In today's video, we're going to be talking about Bethel Church's new product, and I don't think you're going to believe what it is. But before we get into this, let me offer you some quick context. Bethel Church is a hyper-charismatic, uber-Pentecostal church in Redding, California.

Their membership is reportedly over 10 ,000 people. Needless to say, they are one of the most influential churches in the United States, and it seems that they're also selling a new product on their website that most of you are probably unaware of.

I know I was. Let me introduce you to the Declaration Clicker. You can pick this thing up for just $10. But what does it do, you ask? Well, this clicker counts. Specifically, it counts the amount of declarations you make on a daily basis.

Let's go ahead and read the description so that we can learn more about it. Quote, On a very real note, ladies and gentlemen, please do not buy this product. Not only will you be giving your hard-earned money to an unbiblical ministry, but you'll be wasting $10.

And I mean that sincerely. Now some might ask at this point, what exactly is wrong with having a declarations clicker? I mean, it looks like it helps you pray more often, and praying's supposed to be a good thing, right?

So what's the big deal about this? I know a lot of people will think this way, but I don't think that's an accurate portrayal of this situation biblically. So let me humbly offer you some serious issues regarding the Declaration Clicker.

First, the description of the product says that the clicker is, quote, a powerful and practical tool to help believers renew their minds with truth by helping them tabulate the number of times they speak biblically-based declarations, end quote.

So inherent in this statement is an emphasis on numbers, amounts, tabulations, as it were. The idea is that the more volume you speak words, or a biblical declaration over yourself, the more life will be transformed for you.

This sounds like a Christian idea, but it's really not. It's actually a practice that seems to come much more from Eastern mysticism and New Age cults. The idea is that you're effectively repeating a mantra to yourself.

That's really what this is. It takes the personal aspect of prayer, or of spiritual communication, and turns it into a simple formula. Repeat these words, and you'll get this. The Christian description of prayer, on the other hand, is going to the person who is God, and humbly asking for what you need according to his personal will.

The Bethel description of declarations, on the other hand, has you repeating positive phrases in order to solicit a particular feeling or a particular circumstance. Again, this is not Christian practice at all.

In fact, Matthew 6 -7 says, quote, and when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their many words, end quote. You see, your many words, your clicker count, the amount of declarations you make, will not make your words stronger spiritually.

Instead, in Matthew 6 -9, Jesus says, quote, Pray then like this, our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, end quote. So we glorify the Father, we pray according to His will, we ask for daily sustenance, daily bread, and we also ask for spiritual protection from temptation or evil, etc.

We don't declare over ourselves and repeat a mantra or a formula. We acknowledge and pray to a personal God who's actually listening. This is a fundamentally different way to commune with God spiritually compared to Bethel.

Then the description goes on, saying, quote, As you augment what you speak with the declarations clicker, you will transform what you believe, which will ultimately change what you experience in life, Romans 12 -2, end quote.

Rooted in this statement is the assumption that your thoughts and your speech can actually change your reality. When you repetitively use this clicker, you can, quote, Ultimately change what you experience in life, end quote.

Notice that it does not say that you will change your attitude about life or the way that your mind processes life spiritually. No, it doesn't say that it will change how you experience life, but rather what you experience in life.

This is a very common doctrine in the Word of Faith movement called positive confession. If you decree something to be the case enough times and with enough gusto or faith, you can actually change reality.

But we do not have the power to change reality. Only God can do that. First John 5 -14 says, quote,. And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, end quote.

Notice the language here. Bethel says that you should repeat these phrases over and over to make things happen. Effectively, you are the agent of change. You're the one who's doing it. The Bible simply says that if you pray according to the will of God, He hears you.

God is the agent of change, and He will change whatever He will according to His will. Do you see how fundamentally different that is? One practice effectively deifies yourself, and the other deifies God.

This is not Christian teaching. But then Bethel quote a passage in defense of this practice. Romans 12 -2. It says, quote, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect, end quote.

By the way, the renewing of the mind in this passage has nothing to do with declaring things over yourself repetitively. The passage begins by saying, quote, Do not be conformed to this world. That's what's being contrasted.

In other words, do not act in the way the sinful world acts. Don't act out of their mindset. Don't glorify yourself or your sin, but rather glorify and serve God. Instead, we must be, quote, transformed by the renewal of our minds.

What is the mind? Well, Romans 1 -28 says, quote, And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased what? Mind. To do what ought not be done, end quote. So the mind here is the mindset or the overall framework which you're operating out of.

So it's saying something like this. Act out of and submit to the transformation of your mindset as the Lord changes you by His Spirit, by His grace. It is not telling you to repeat phrases and heap up words counting on your clicker so that you can have a faith boost and transform what you experience in your life.

Do you see how far off of the biblical standard Bethel Church are? That's not even close to what the passage said. And yet that's the only passage they quoted in favor of the practice. The only biblical support they had had nothing to do with what they were talking about.

There is absolutely no biblical support for this practice. In fact, there are several warnings against it given in God's Word. And this is why we must beware of Bethel Church. At virtually every level, their practices are out of alignment with biblical teaching.

This all sounds very Christian, very nice, very compassionate, but it's not. What they're teaching comes more from mystical New Age thought than from Orthodox Christianity. And this clicker is just one example of so, so many.

I pray that this has been a blessing to you, and please know this. I do not offer any of this correction from a high and mighty position. I am nothing but a wretched sinner saved by the grace of Jesus Christ.

So let's pray for Bethel, that they would stop this false teaching by God's grace and turn to the truth of God's Word. Thank you so much for watching that video. Please give us a like and subscribe so that you don't miss any content.

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