NOTE from Andrew Strom: Dennis Cramer comes from the Prophetic and Apostolic camp, and for that reason I approach his ministry with caution. However, I certainly agree with these recent statements of his-
What exactly is meant by the phrase “at will”?...
“At will” means a believer makes a decision, on his own, to initiate or attempt to duplicate a particular sovereign, supernatural experience. The individual wants a particular supernatural experience to happen so badly, he will do anything, (within his power), to make it happen - to force it, to duplicate or copy it, whether or not it is God’s sovereign will. Rather, a believer should allow God to SOVEREIGNLY cause it to happen at His chosen time, as we see recorded in all similar bible examples.
When a believer unwisely exercises his (soulish) human will, outside of or in conflict with the sovereign will of God, (anything contrary to the written word of God, the Bible), he is producing a seemingly supernatural (source unclear) experience, from his own will or “at will”. This is the meaning of “at will.” “At will” is self-will, and self-will can be sinful, and can lead to all kinds of spiritual deception and questionable practices.
The question of supernatural sovereign experiences “at will”
Do I believe in third heaven experiences? Absolutely, I do. The Bible supports such sovereign experiences as in the example of Paul in II Cor.12. Do I believe in being physically transported?Absolutely, I do! By a sovereign act of God, Phillip was physically transported (Acts 8) from one location to another. So if it’s in the Bible I believe it! I believe it all! Amen!
However, there is a HUGE difference between God willing you to have a certain sovereign bible experience, (like Paul or Phillip) as opposed to you willing it, or trying to make it happen, to duplicate it through mere human effort or merely through the exercising of your human or soulish will, in other words, “at will.” These Bible experiences were 100% sovereign. They did not happen because these individuals willed them into existence or willed them to happen. God and God alone initiated them – He and He alone willed them. This is the very nature of a sovereign experience: God makes it happen when He wants, where he wants, and with whom He wants. Period! And they usually happened when the candidates or recipients least expected it. Why? Because these were sovereign events, not planned or initiated by man, but by God.
When discussing a sovereign experience there is a big difference between initiating versus cooperating. God INITIATES all sovereign experiences, the believer COOPERATES with them. Mix the two, crisscross them, and this can lead to some real doctrinal confusion and counter-productive measures.
It’s all about God’s sovereignty…
The critical issue with operating in the supernatural is: who is initiating what or who is “willing” what? Teaching believers that by following certain steps, teachings, formulas, and/or merely exercising their own human wills, they can duplicate any sovereign supernatural experience is dangerous and unscriptural.
One cannot go to heaven like Paul or be transported physically like Phillip simply because they want to, or because they feel like it, (at will). Teachings like this often cross over into dangerous methods and techniques that resemble new age, mysticism, spiritism or other occult manipulative practices. A believer cannot and must not force, manipulate, or otherwise attempt to reproduce a sovereign supernatural Bible experience by merely following a method, a series of steps, or worst of all “willing it” to happen.
Whether we are discussing being translated in the spirit or transported physically, or any supernatural sovereign experience we read about in the Bible, the critical difference between whether it is God or not is who “willed” it to happen: Was it you or was it God? If you willed it to happen, it ceases to be a sovereign, God ordained, supernatural, Bible experience, and you risk experiencing a counterfeit.
It Is Time To Dust Off Your Bible!...
There is now wide-spread acceptance of “marginal to heretical” doctrines. Just 25 years ago individuals would have been thrown out of the church if caught teaching these heresies. How did this happen? Simply, we have become biblically ignorant. We have not been diligent to feed on the unadulterated Word of God. We are at best malnourished and in some cases starving to death. Biblical ignorance is on the increase in the church, even to epidemic levels! Like any form of “lack” created by ignorance which can lead to sickness, only the proper “intake” or in these cases, only proper biblical education can remedy it.
“Warning: We live in an age of “anything goes” theology! The charismatic church is in big trouble!”...
There is a growing trend towards some really bad doctrine out there. And we, the church, must put a stop to it! If we don’t, no one else will! The church must begin to police herself against unorthodox (false) teaching and bizarre practices. You must reacquaint yourself with the scriptures and know your Bible.
“In 40 years of serving God, I have not heard so much bad doctrine preached from so-called ‘bible believing’ Christians – specifically charismatic Christians.”...
We must pray for a “Berean Revival” in the church – a revival which returns us all to our roots – our roots in the Word of God. In the Bible, the original Bereans were believers who “searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things be so”. There is a lot of doctrine currently in circulation in the charismatic church that is highly questionable – even heretical. Each believer must begin to “search the scriptures” for himself to discover whether what he is believing is biblical or not (Acts 17:11). Stop unequivocally trusting ministers and their pulpits to always and completely preach the truth – some do, some do not. You need to search and know the scriptures for yourself. If their teachings sound too good to be true – they very well may be! Know your bible... My prophetic word to all Pastors/ Teachers for 2011 is simple: “Preach the Word!” Know your bible.
Some examples of current doctrine circulating in the church: You must believe me that I am NOT making this stuff up!
DOCTRINES of CONCERN...
• THIRD HEAVEN EXPERIENCES At WILL...
• GOING TO HEAVEN AT WILL to GET YOUR GIFTS:... There is no biblical record of any believer having to go to heaven to get any gift. This is a totally unnecessary spiritual exercise. The three listings of gifts in Romans, I Cor., and Ephesians have all been in the church for over two thousand years. They are not in heaven, so why go there to get them? The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have each deposited Their respective gifts in the church here on earth. For 2000 years, Christians have been receiving here ON EARTH from this great deposit of gifts. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, ON EARTH, as it is in heaven.” Amen!
• CLOUD of WITNESSES / DEAD SAINTS: Teaches that Christians should expect the intervention of dead saints in our daily lives. This entire deception is based on a terribly irresponsible interpretation of a single obscure verse in Hebrews 12:1. We do not need dead saints intervening in our lives. We have
Jesus as our Mediator, the ONLY mediator we need between God and man (I Tim.2:5) and He is not dead. He is alive! Necromancy, that is, communication with the dead, (any dead) is forbidden in scripture.
• TRAVELING in TIME AT WILL: I have been unable to find this in the bible. Let alone doing it “at will.”
• TRANSPORTING PHYSICALLY At WILL...
• OVER EMPHASIS on ANGELS: Yes, they are real. But an angelic visitation is a rare and precious event. Most Christians will never have an encounter with one. And it is extremely unlikely that a Christian will be visited by an archangel. Michael and Gabriel were given specific, significant, world changing tasks in the scriptures. It is likely that they have more important things to do than to drop by your house for a visit!
• GOING into TRANCES AT WILL...
• TRANCE DANCING: I have been unable to find this in the bible...
Seducing Spirits! (ITim.4:1-4) There has been loosed on the church for 2000 years a literal army of demons who sole task is to deceive the church! Unfortunately, these deceiving, seducing, spirits are enjoying some of their most successful efforts. Why? The average believer does not know his bible. The bible is absolute truth, forever settled in heaven. It is our sword of the Spirit – two edged and deadly. To be bible ignorant is to have no offensive weapon against our enemy Satan. Our ONLY defense against our enemy is a proven offense. And our proven offense against this hoard of demons is the written Word of God, the bible. Jesus wielded this same written word-sword against Satan in the wilderness with great results. So should you! I hear the church saying again, “DEVIL, IT IS WRITTEN!” It does not matter what you think, feel, sense, or even believe. It does not matter what experience you claim to have had, or how many trips to heaven you claim to have made, or how many angels you claim to know on a first name basis. The only thing that matters is what God said in His Word. Know your bible... - Dennis Cramer.
-Please comment on Dennis's statements at our website below- http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/
SOURCE- www.denniscramer.com/
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