Exclusive Intelligence Examiner Report Jerry Barrett

Benny Hinn: “Become Supernaturally Awesome Like Me”

What is called the “New Apostolic Reformation” has doomed many goodhearted but gullible people. This movement, a theological belief which advocates the restoration of the offices of apostle and prophet within the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches, has produced many false teachers who claim they are modern-day Apostles. They are, in fact, false witnesses, leading their followers towards the lake of fire.

    Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California is one such blind guide. In his book, When Heaven Invades Earth, Johnson writes that Jesus performed his miracles “as a man in right relationship with God...not as God. If He performed miracles as God, then they would be unattainable for us.”

    Can we, as Christians, out-perform Jesus? Was Jesus just a man? Are we, then, Gods on this earth? Is the lust for supernatural powers and greatness the bottom line for the so-called New Apostolic Reformation?

    The Holy Bible, in 1 Timothy 4:1 tells us:

    Bethel Church is known for its manifestations of false signs and wonders. There one shall find speaking in tongues—with no interpretation, thus no edification to the others, and false prophecies—all which are claimed to be the work of the Holy Spirit. But, Bethel Church also practices a bizarre activity known as “grave sucking.” They believe that they can suck the “anointing” out of a deceased person’s body by lying on his grave.

Senior Pastor Beni Johnson (Bill Johnson’s wife) posted this picture of her “grave sucking” at the grave of C.S. Lewis.

What Is Grave Sucking?

Imagine a group of people scouring a cemetery, looking for the grave of, say, the late charismatic faith healer, Oral Roberts or the faith healer John G. Lake or even C.S. Lewis. Upon locating the burial plot, the group begins to lay on the ground, or hug—also known as soaking—the gravestone, inviting the spirit of the deceased into their body, thus granting them a spiritual blessing.

    Grave sucking is based upon the idea that the spiritual calling of an individual who has died may be reclaimed and used by another person. The theory is that God uses the Holy Spirit to “anoint” certain believers with a specific purpose—such as healing or prophecy—but, when the person dies, God’s work is thwarted. Thus, the Holy Spirit is “wasted,” lying upon the bones and unable to continue the calling. This unrecovered anointing is apparently available to anyone who would physically come and claim it.

    This occultic activity is loosely based on the teachings of 2 Kings 13:21: “And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.”

    This passage of scripture has nothing to do with “grave sucking.” However, Bill Johnson, in his book, Physics of Heaven, claims:

How Does One Grave Suck?

To “recover” the anointing of the dead, one must lie on the grave of a deceased individual—such as a charismatic faith healer, revivalist, apostle, or prophet—to access their spirit power from the dead bones. This sounds a lot like necromancy, doesn’t it?

    The calling up of dead spirits is something the Holy Bible blatantly condemns. The Bible confirms that the dead are not alive in their graves. We discover only dry bones and dust. We are not to consult with “familiar spirits” or to practice “necromancy” (Deuteronomy 18:11, 1 Samuel 28). Only the satanists, witches, voodoo priests, and extreme Catholics do such foul and unholy things.

    Lying on graves in cemeteries and asking that the “spirit” inhabiting the site enter your body is a hideous thing. It will result in demons possessing many people. We can expect a horrific satanic explosion if this practice advances further.

Can you really “recover” the Holy Spirit’s anointing of a long dead apostle or prophet?

    Galatians 5:19-21 explains: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these...heresies, envyings, revellings, and such...as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” This practice is rejected by God because it places emphasis on the physical realm and not on the Word of God.

    The Bible further prohibits the seeking of the dead. We read in Isaiah 8:19: “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?”

To Be Supernaturally Awesome Like Me

Another believer in grave sucking is Benny Hinn. Hinn claims that he has a key to Kathryn Kuhlman’s grave and claims he gets an anointing from visiting it.

    During a televised event on TBN, from the grave of Aimee Semple-McPherson, Hinn claimed to have received “a terrific anointing of God’s power.”

    During this broadcast, Hinn continued:

    False doctrines, such as those found among Charismatics, are permeating the church today. Paul warned us in Romans 16:17: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.”

    The spiritual covering these false teachers offer is nothing but a means to bring in more money and to manipulate and control. They are there only to serve their own appetites. True shepherds lead by example with pure motives. 1 Peter 5:2-3: “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.”

    True leaders in the church, called by God, are not to dominate people but to instruct them through rightly dividing the word of truth. Moreover, we are commanded to test all things. The Bereans were commended for comparing Paul’s teaching with scripture.

    Jesus commanded in Matthew 8:22 “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” We, as Christians, seek life and life more abundantly. We live forever through Jesus Christ our Lord.