Baptisms Faked To Provoke Mass Baptisms: Elevation Church Fake Mass Baptisms

[1still_waters]

Elevation church claims to have spontaneous mass baptisms, which they classify as a miracle.
But a report shows baptisms are staged and faked as a way to provoke others to join into the baptisms.

And Elevation produced a document to show other churches how they could do likewise.

It’s titled “Spontaneous Baptisms – A How-To Guide” and the church shared it freely on the Sun Stand Still website.

But parts of the mass baptism guide have drawn sharp criticism – from other Christians.

Page one shows that the first people instructed to respond to Pastor Steven’s call to baptism were not converts suddenly inspired but Elevation volunteers carefully planted in the crowd.

The guide instructs, “Fifteen people will sit in the worship experience and be the first ones to move when Pastor gives the call. Move intentionally through the highest visibility areas and the longest walk.”

“They had people in the crowd stand up who never intended to be baptized,” said James Duncan, a communications professor at Anderson University and critic of Furtick. “They were shilling for Steven and the intent was these shills stand up and everybody else follows.”

“Although Furtick says this is a miracle, it’s not a miracle,” Duncan said. “It’s emotional manipulation.”

The spontaneous baptism how-to guide describes its purpose as to “pull off our part in God’s miracle.” Church leaders have repeatedly referred to the mass response as a “miracle.” But the guide reveals plenty of human staging.

Full article with video here--> How Elevation Church, Pastor Furtick produce 'spontaneous' baptisms | WCNC.com Charlotte

 

[SonInMe]

that's why our faith is more than emotion

 

[Anonimous]

In keeping with all the other deceptions going on in the church today.

 

[Anonimous]

Faked baptism? Uh, I have decided not to go there...

 

[PoxEclipse]

Spirit + Fire = ?

Matthew 3

11 “As for me, I baptize you [g]with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you [h]with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Acts 2

2 When the day of Pentecost [a]had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire [b]distributing themselves, and [c]they [d]rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other [e]tongues, as the Spirit was giving them [f]utterance.

 

[Fishbait]

The belief that baptism is necessary for salvation is also known as "baptismal regeneration." It is our contention that baptism is an important step of obedience for a Christian, but we adamantly reject baptism as being required for salvation. We strongly believe that each and every Christian should be water baptized by immersion. Baptism illustrates a believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Romans 6:3-4 declares, “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” The action of being immersed in the water illustrates dying and being buried with Christ. The action of coming out of the water pictures Christ’s resurrection.

Requiring anything in addition to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation is a works-based salvation. To add anything to the gospel is to say that Jesus' death on the cross was not sufficient to purchase our salvation. To say that baptism is necessary for salvation is to say we must add our own good works and obedience to Christ's death in order to make it sufficient for salvation. Jesus' death alone paid for our sins (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus' payment for our sins is appropriated to our “account” by faith alone (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9). Therefore, baptism is an important step of obedience after salvation but cannot be a requirement for salvation.

Yes, there are some verses that seem to indicate baptism as a requirement for salvation. However, since the Bible so clearly tells us that salvation is received by faith alone (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5), there must be a different interpretation of those verses. Scripture does not contradict Scripture. In Bible times, a person who converted from one religion to another was often baptized to identify conversion. Baptism was the means of making a decision public. Those who refused to be baptized were saying they did not truly believe. So, in the minds of the apostles and early disciples, the idea of an un-baptized believer was unheard of. When a person claimed to believe in Christ, yet was ashamed to proclaim his faith in public, it indicated that he did not have true faith.

If baptism is necessary for salvation, why would Paul have said, “I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius” (1 Corinthians 1:14)? Why would he have said, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Corinthians 1:17)? Granted, in this passage Paul is arguing against the divisions that plagued the Corinthian church. However, how could Paul possibly say, “I am thankful that I did not baptize…” or “For Christ did not send me to baptize…” if baptism were necessary for salvation? If baptism is necessary for salvation, Paul would literally be saying, “I am thankful that you were not saved…” and “For Christ did not send me to save…” That would be an unbelievably ridiculous statement for Paul to make. Further, when Paul gives a detailed outline of what he considers the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), why does he neglect to mention baptism? If baptism is a requirement for salvation, how could any presentation of the gospel lack a mention of baptism?

 

[Angela53510]

I posted this in the thread in the BDF, not realizing you had exposed it here. But a good blog to read on the subject, with some good Bible verses added in.

The Voice is Jacob’s Voice, but the Hands are the Hands of Esau | Think on These Things

 

[1still_waters]

I stumbled upon this. Food for thought..

Elevation Church planting converts? It’s just logical Arminianism.

Several sources have expressed alarm over a self-indicting “How To Guide” from Elevation Church called “spontaneous baptism resource kit.” This church has claimed a “sun stand still” “miracle” after baptizing 2,158 people, and now it claims it can export the same type of results to other churches. But its techniques have critics crying foul.Christian and mainstream sources alike are taking exception to the Elevation Church’s “kit” because in it the church admits it plants people in the audience who will be the first to move in order to get the stream of baptisms started. As the “How To Guide” itself says, “Fifteen people will sit in the worship experience and be the first ones to move when pastor gives the call.


“Sit in the auditorium and begin moving forward when pastor Steven says go.”
“Move intentionally through the highest visibility areas and the longest walk.”
It further instructs to have people to “act as human door props” to facilitate movement. They are reminded to “Smile and clap showing people you are excited they came forward.” Then, it says to have 30 to 60 people in transition hallways to create a “critical mass” of people moving about. It says to manufacture the emotion: “Create an atmosphere of Celebration for those being baptized as they walk toward the changing rooms…this needs to be HUGE and over the top celebration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”


This may sound fraudulent and even scandalous. One blogger has called it“emotional manipulation.” Another termed it “McDonaldized Christianity.” But let’s face it: it’s only a logical outworking of Arminian “free will” theology. How so?
Simple. If there is even the slightest element of human will needed to come to faith in Christ—even the slightest, microscopic atom of human will—then anything, short of overt sin, that we can do to help anyone overcome any obstacle to that decision should be employed and applauded when it succeeds. I don’t see how anyone could argue otherwise. I don’t care if that means clown suits and cookies, it should be done.


If, in this case, in our culture, an important inhibition to an particular action in front of a crowd is some kind of fear to buck the herd instinct, or fear of attention, or whatever, then technique that remove that inhibition or fear should be welcomed. Again, I am speaking for the Arminian here. In fact, no Christian of any stripe that believes in “free will”—Roman Catholic, Arminian, Finneyite, etc.—should have any criticism of this practice at all. They should all be joining the over-the-top celebration!


But part of the embarrassment to many Christians here is that Elevation Church, perhaps in giddy oblivion, actually admitted they use such tactics. Truth be known, professional evangelists have been using such plants for decades. Ever seen the immediate and robust streams of responders at Billy Graham crusades? They come down every isle, in the most visible places, and they were always at the bottom of the stairs even before George Beverly Shea could sing the first line of “Just As I Am.” Think there weren’t plants there? They would probably never admit it.


Admission or not, the practice goes on, and it cannot but go on because it is the logical result of Arminian theology. Elevation Church’s open admission, and indeed serial manufacturing, exposes a long history of free will evangelism for the assembly line into which it has very often been turned. Very often, I say. The altar call itself evolved out of such manipulation techniques as Charles Finney’s “anxious bench”—a spot where fence-sitters could come get a front-row dose of the evangelist’s bellowing persuasions. From Finney to Moody to Sunday to Graham, it’s been variations on a theme, if not just repeating the same refrain. It’s play the right song, tug on the heart strings, raise that hand, walk that aisle, every head bowed every eye closed, sign this card, check that box, sing that verse again brother—do whatever you need to do to get that person over the emotional hurdle of making that decision. It’s always gone on. Elevation Church just embarrassed them all by being so uninhibited as just to say exactly what they do.


That it’s packaged as a “kit” to be exported and reproduced elsewhere is just icing for critics.
It has long been a criticism of “free will” theology that it reduces evangelism to the level of mere human persuasion. But with persuasion comes persuasive technique. Enter marketers. Sure it’s McDonaldization, but what’s wrong with that? If “saving souls” is the main end-game of your Christian faith, and if the free will is the last hurdle of salvation, then why would you not what the help of an army of marketers, managers, assembly lines, pre-packaged directions, techniques, tools, processes, and networks of support farms and professionals who can claim “billions served”?


I would go above and beyond McDonald’s even. “Billions” heck. I would go for a Google.
But then again, I am not an Arminian. I don’t believe there’s even an element of human “free will” involved in accepting an “offer” or responding to “altar call.” Before regeneration, the will is in bondage. It cannot respond. It is God’s grace that unleashes the bound will so that it can be free to embrace Christ in faith; and when the Spirit frees the bound will, that will will inevitably embrace Christ in faith.
The will is not struggling in the sea in need of a lifesaver to grab on to. It is a dead corpse, floating face down in the water, in need of divine resuscitation back from death to life.


Men don’t have a free will by which they can choose to come to Christ. They have a God who frees them to come to Christ, and once freed, they will. There is no “free will,” only a “freed will.”


It’s only from the standpoint of Calvinism, or the doctrines of grace, that it makes sense to criticize manipulative tactics such as these audience plants used as catalysts for mass baptisms or altar calls. It is encouraging that some Christians seem naturally uneasy when a church like Elevation tells it plainly. But Elevation is just a mote. Free will theology is the plank. Let he who has ears hear, and he who has eyes see clearly.




- See more at: Elevation Church planting converts? It’s just logical Arminianism. - The American Vision

 

[SonInMe]

I stumbled upon this. Food for thought..

Elevation Church planting converts? It’s just logical Arminianism.

Several sources have expressed alarm over a self-indicting “How To Guide” from Elevation Church called “spontaneous baptism resource kit.” This church has claimed a “sun stand still” “miracle” after baptizing 2,158 people, and now it claims it can export the same type of results to other churches. But its techniques have critics crying foul.Christian and mainstream sources alike are taking exception to the Elevation Church’s “kit” because in it the church admits it plants people in the audience who will be the first to move in order to get the stream of baptisms started. As the “How To Guide” itself says, “Fifteen people will sit in the worship experience and be the first ones to move when pastor gives the call.


“Sit in the auditorium and begin moving forward when pastor Steven says go.”
“Move intentionally through the highest visibility areas and the longest walk.”
It further instructs to have people to “act as human door props” to facilitate movement. They are reminded to “Smile and clap showing people you are excited they came forward.” Then, it says to have 30 to 60 people in transition hallways to create a “critical mass” of people moving about. It says to manufacture the emotion: “Create an atmosphere of Celebration for those being baptized as they walk toward the changing rooms…this needs to be HUGE and over the top celebration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”


This may sound fraudulent and even scandalous. One blogger has called it“emotional manipulation.” Another termed it “McDonaldized Christianity.” But let’s face it: it’s only a logical outworking of Arminian “free will” theology. How so?
Simple. If there is even the slightest element of human will needed to come to faith in Christ—even the slightest, microscopic atom of human will—then anything, short of overt sin, that we can do to help anyone overcome any obstacle to that decision should be employed and applauded when it succeeds. I don’t see how anyone could argue otherwise. I don’t care if that means clown suits and cookies, it should be done.


If, in this case, in our culture, an important inhibition to an particular action in front of a crowd is some kind of fear to buck the herd instinct, or fear of attention, or whatever, then technique that remove that inhibition or fear should be welcomed. Again, I am speaking for the Arminian here. In fact, no Christian of any stripe that believes in “free will”—Roman Catholic, Arminian, Finneyite, etc.—should have any criticism of this practice at all. They should all be joining the over-the-top celebration!


But part of the embarrassment to many Christians here is that Elevation Church, perhaps in giddy oblivion, actually admitted they use such tactics. Truth be known, professional evangelists have been using such plants for decades. Ever seen the immediate and robust streams of responders at Billy Graham crusades? They come down every isle, in the most visible places, and they were always at the bottom of the stairs even before George Beverly Shea could sing the first line of “Just As I Am.” Think there weren’t plants there? They would probably never admit it.


Admission or not, the practice goes on, and it cannot but go on because it is the logical result of Arminian theology. Elevation Church’s open admission, and indeed serial manufacturing, exposes a long history of free will evangelism for the assembly line into which it has very often been turned. Very often, I say. The altar call itself evolved out of such manipulation techniques as Charles Finney’s “anxious bench”—a spot where fence-sitters could come get a front-row dose of the evangelist’s bellowing persuasions. From Finney to Moody to Sunday to Graham, it’s been variations on a theme, if not just repeating the same refrain. It’s play the right song, tug on the heart strings, raise that hand, walk that aisle, every head bowed every eye closed, sign this card, check that box, sing that verse again brother—do whatever you need to do to get that person over the emotional hurdle of making that decision. It’s always gone on. Elevation Church just embarrassed them all by being so uninhibited as just to say exactly what they do.


That it’s packaged as a “kit” to be exported and reproduced elsewhere is just icing for critics.
It has long been a criticism of “free will” theology that it reduces evangelism to the level of mere human persuasion. But with persuasion comes persuasive technique. Enter marketers. Sure it’s McDonaldization, but what’s wrong with that? If “saving souls” is the main end-game of your Christian faith, and if the free will is the last hurdle of salvation, then why would you not what the help of an army of marketers, managers, assembly lines, pre-packaged directions, techniques, tools, processes, and networks of support farms and professionals who can claim “billions served”?


I would go above and beyond McDonald’s even. “Billions” heck. I would go for a Google.
But then again, I am not an Arminian. I don’t believe there’s even an element of human “free will” involved in accepting an “offer” or responding to “altar call.” Before regeneration, the will is in bondage. It cannot respond. It is God’s grace that unleashes the bound will so that it can be free to embrace Christ in faith; and when the Spirit frees the bound will, that will will inevitably embrace Christ in faith.
The will is not struggling in the sea in need of a lifesaver to grab on to. It is a dead corpse, floating face down in the water, in need of divine resuscitation back from death to life.


Men don’t have a free will by which they can choose to come to Christ. They have a God who frees them to come to Christ, and once freed, they will. There is no “free will,” only a “freed will.”


It’s only from the standpoint of Calvinism, or the doctrines of grace, that it makes sense to criticize manipulative tactics such as these audience plants used as catalysts for mass baptisms or altar calls. It is encouraging that some Christians seem naturally uneasy when a church like Elevation tells it plainly. But Elevation is just a mote. Free will theology is the plank. Let he who has ears hear, and he who has eyes see clearly.




- See more at: Elevation Church planting converts? It’s just logical Arminianism. - The American Vision

This is an interesting perspective, one I tend to agree with.

The only thing is, while God does save, we do not know who He is drawing. That's why we witness, directed by the Holy Spirit and blessed by God to be part of His salvation plan for someone.

I would not consider this manipulation by this church as being directed by the Holy Spirit, however. Remember the scripture, do not cast pearls before swine.

I do see however if you believe in free will salvation that these kind of things would be considered....possible.