John Arnott
"So when you come to him tonight asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, I don't even want you to entertain the thought that you might get a counterfeit."
"We used to think when people shook, shouted, flopped, rolled, etc., that it was a demomic thing manifesting and we needed to take them out of the room. That was our grid, that's what our experience had taught us, that demons could be powerful...Who cares? If he thinks it's God and he likes it, let him enjoy it! Because you can test the fruit later...If you play it safe with this thing, the Holy Spirit, you know what? You're never going to get anywhere."
(John Arnott, Counterfiet Revival, Hank Hanegraaff, page 52)
"On the carpet I went through a series of physical manifestations which included burning heat passing through my body, shaking, neck jerks, and deep, deep breathing. The whole experience lasted about half an hour. For the rest of the day I felt as light as air and so incredibly clean! At that point I felt that God had done a cleansing work in me, and I needed it because as a pastor you internalize a lot of junk during the course of fulfilling your calling.
However, I wasn't prepared for what happened later that night as I lay in my bed thinking about the day. God began to speak to me and to interpret for me the meaning of the physical manifestations.
The following is what God said to me:
Burning heat: God said, “I have burned the message of the Father's love into your life and ministry - preach it and teach it!”
Shaking: God said, “I have shaken out of your life the remaining theological prejudices you held against the Holy Spirit.”
Neck jerks: God said, “You have been stiff-necked in your walk with me. Through the neck jerks I worked the stiff-neckedness out of your life.”
Wow! I still tingle when I talk about it! Needless to say, God did a tremendous work in my life at the conference.
"'But God, that's just NOT fair!'" What I had just seen made me angry. While flicking through the channels, I'd come across a psychic show. Being a good Christian, I quickly flicked onto something more edifying when the Holy Spirit urged me to go back and check out the program.
I could not believe what I was seeing! With a high degree of accuracy, the psychics were telling people in the live audience precise details about their lives. I wondered why I couldn't do the same. I had recently been appointed Pastor of the Prophetic as TACF, and now I was facing my competition.
'I'm a Christian and I have the Holy Spirit in me, God. I should be able to hear You for other people much better than a psychic who's consulting evil spirits. No wonder people are turning to psychics for help and comfort and not the church.'
The Lord replied, 'Sharpen the sword, Lynley. It's time to hone the gift.' Little did I know that this was just the start of a journey which in the last six months has radically changed my view of gifts of prophecy and taught me how to reach unbelievers. That day in front of the TV, the Lord began to download a strategy for the church and for me to take the gospel outside church walls using prophetic gifts."
(Lynley Allan, "Evangelizing With The Gift Of Prophecy," Spread The Fire Magazine," Issue 3, 2004. John Arnott Editor-in-Chief)
Note: This article is so full of error that I do not know where to begin. To start with the reason that people are turning to psychics is because they are sinners in rebellion against God.
For a person to covet a gift from a medium is beyond me. God hates and despises this wicked practice, and yet she claims that God told her to turn back and watch. Then she boldy proclaims that God used this wicked practice to "Download" a strategy to witness?
Instead of preaching the Word to lost sinners she instead wants us to wow them with some "gift" that mediums on TV are using?
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," Romans 10:13-17.
"Counterfeit Revival leader John Arnott says people are acting "like lions and oxen and eagles and even warriors." Arnott admits that these experiences deeply frighten people, but maintains they are divine rather than demonic. The problem, according to Arnott, is that we have been conditioned to believe "that the Holy Spirit’s a gentleman" who would never do anything "rough or impolite." That, says Arnott, is simply "not true!"
"If you’re going to be concerned about deception, then please be concerned about the greatest deception that there is, and the greatest deception of all, in my opinion, is not to fall for teachings of a false prophet or fall for some, you know, wild goose chase of a rabbit trail out there or whatever and wake up in ten years that you’ve been deceived. In my opinion the greatest deception of all is to have a move of God come through and you not recognize it."
"Welcome to a revival meeting, circa 2004 at TACF, home of 'The Toronto Blessing.' After about 45-minutes of worship, a dark-haired 20-something man named Brian walks forward and picks up a microphone. He asks for a show of hands from first-time visitors. Half a dozen people respond. Two tell him they have come from the United States. One woman says she's from France. The others are local residents. Brian invites those present to speak publicly about anything special that God has done for them recently. In between testimonies, he prays, addressing God throughout his prayers as 'Dad' and 'Papa.' He jerks his head down and to the side frequently, as if ducking some invisible force."
"Last fall, approximately 3,500 people from as far away as Asia, Africa, Australia and South America made the pilgrimage to participate in the tenth annual Catch The Fire conference. More than half of those who attended did so for the first time. Many went hoping to experience something unusual, and weren't disappointed. Conference attendees and speakers alike participated enthusiastically in the party-like atmosphere. Countless individuals could be seen laughing, shaking, weaving drunkenly, making strange noises or crumbling to the floor."
"'How we were characterized in '94 was laughter,' says TACF associate pastor Steve Long. 'And that still does happen in some meetings … [but] not like before where 90 per cent of the people were just on the floor, splitting their guts. The preacher would be preaching to five people out of a thousand. It was just so contagious.'"
"John Arnott likens the choice God is calling for to that which faced the Israelites while they were wandering in the desert three thousand years ago. Says Arnott, "God came along with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." However, "due to fear and unbelief," the Israelites failed "to possess the kingdom of God." According to Arnott, God is once again giving us an opportunity to "enter the promised land." The question is, will we be "radical enough to go for it"?"
"As news of the strange goings on in Toronto spread, spiritually starved seekers from across North America and abroad began flocking to Toronto. Many have brought the experience back with them to their churches (e.g., Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican church in London), causing the "laughing revival" to become a truly global phenomenon."
Not everyone who has come seeking the Spirit in Toronto has been filled, however. John believes many frustrated seekers simply would not let go of their emotions. The reason John himself had such a hard time getting drunk and falling in the Spirit was, as Carol clarified, "You control your emotions. You control your responses.
Controlling emotions is not only harmful to an individual, but doing so can also have a significant impact on others. John explains, "Many times Carol and I will be praying for people, we’re soakin’ ‘em, soakin’ ‘em, soakin’ ‘em, feel the anointing going in. Next thing you know the guy that’s supposed to be catching goes flying back ‘cause it just kind of, it’s got to go somewhere. If the person doesn’t take it, it goes to the catcher, or it rebounds back on the person praying, or something where they can’t take it." This dilemma can be solved, John says, if he and the other leaders "break those controls off of people and boom, they’ll take it just like that."
Another reason for failing to receive is people’s fear of deception. The antidote, says Arnott, is not to become a good discerner, but instead, when one comes "asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, I don’t want you to even entertain the thought that you might get a counterfeit." John notes that, in the past, Vineyard leaders made mistakes regarding the supernatural: "We used to think when people shook, shouted, flopped, rolled, etc., that it was a demonic thing manifesting and we needed to take them out of the room. That was our grid, that’s what our experience had taught us, that demons could be powerful." Now John thinks these kinds of situations should be handled simply by enjoying the experiences and checking the "fruit" later. He explains, "Why would we focus, then, on ‘Yeah, but I don’t like the way he fell and shook and got stuck to the floor and everything!’ Listen! Who cares whether he did or he didn’t? Who cares? If he thinks it’s God and he likes it, let him enjoy it! Because you can test the fruit later." Caution would be a big mistake: "If you play it safe with this thing, the Holy Spirit, you know what? You’re never going to get anywhere."
Arnott is quick to admit that in the beginning he had no "theological framework for parties." He adds, "I had no desire for Christians to fall down, roll around and laugh." Instead he says he wanted God to "save the lost, heal the sick, and expand the kingdom." Today, however, he proudly promotes parties during which Christians get "thoroughly blasted" while "Jesus picks up the tab."
While he is happy to "marinate" Christians in the Holy Spirit, he complained when God began bringing "animal sounds" and "strange prophecy" to the party. When the Almighty allegedly asked, "Would you like Me to take it away?" Arnott quickly acquiesced.
Arnott’s assumption that God was more interested in evangelism than experiences led to another unexpected revelation as well. As he preached salvation messages, he began to sense a "quenching of the Spirit." He went to the Lord in prayer and asked, "Well, why, why is this hard, like I would have thought you would have liked it if I’d have preached on that." To his astonishment, the Lord replied, "It’s because you’re pushing Me." And then God said, "Is it all right with you if I just love up on My church for a while?"
John not only discussed this issue with God but he also discussed it with Randy Clark. Randy, like John, came to the conviction that, rather than giving people "the heavy message of holiness to start with," it was wise for God to throw "a party first." Randy later elaborated: if God had not first thrown a party, "the church couldn’t even have responded" because "most of the people in church already feel so icky about themselves."
"Long before Randy Clark’s January 1994 trip to Canada, Toronto Airport Vineyard pastor John Arnott was being conditioned for what was to follow. As his wife, Carol Arnott, explains, "God also spoke to John and said, ‘I want you to hang around people that have an anointing.’"
According to Carol, God directed them back to an old friend named Benny Hinn. When Benny would get through ministering to them backstage, Carol would be so drunk that John would have to carry her home. John, however, did not "feel anything."
In June of 1993 Rodney Howard-Browne prayed for John Arnott, but the results were the same. In November of that year he embarked on an expedition to Argentina, where he was prayed over by a Pentecostal pastor named Claudio Freidzon, who himself had undertaken a spiritual pilgrimage through which he received "an impartation of spiritual anointing from both Benny Hinn and Rodney Howard-Browne." Freidzon’s ministry was now characterized by manifestations of "uncontrollable laughter."
Claudio Freidzon asked Arnott "if he wanted this new empowerment, and if so to take it." While Carol, as John puts it, "went flying," John didn’t know whether "to stand, fall, roll or forget it." John fell down, but he suspected that he was just "going along with it" as he had many times before. When John got up from the floor, Claudio walked over to him and said, "Do you want it?" Claudio then slapped John on both of his hands and immediately Arnott felt God prompt him with the message, "For goodness sake will you take this? It’s yours." With those words Arnott finally gave in and received the breakthrough he had been seeking so desperately.
The Arnotts traveled back from Argentina with great expectations. When they heard that, like them, Randy Clark had been touched, they invited him to speak. On January 20, 1994, he gave his testimony before 120 attendees at the Toronto Airport Vineyard. In short order "almost 80 percent of the people were on the floor." As John tells the story, "It was like an explosion. We saw people literally being knocked off their feet by the Spirit of God....Others shook and jerked. Some danced, some laughed. Some lay on the floor as if dead for hours. People cried and shouted."
Like the congregation, the staff of the Toronto Airport Vineyard was dramatically impacted. Arnott reported that the sound man got "drunk, drunk, drunk." The church receptionist could not speak for three days and after that, "could only speak in tongues." Delighted, Arnott described how "our staff loves to get me on the floor, you know, they all run over, ‘Hey he’s down,’ you know. They come ‘More, Lord!’ [and] they try to get me to shake or jerk or something. It just makes their day."
"Of all the miracles claimed by the Counterfeit Revival, Arnott calls the healing of Sarah Lilliman "the best one so far." Arnott not only tells his unsuspecting audience that the healing was "documented," but also he makes a point to chide those who may not have had the kind of faith it took to facilitate the miracle.
Sarah, says Arnott, was "like a vegetable...totally incapacitated, paralyzed, and blind." Her friend, "out under the power [at the Toronto Airport Vineyard] has a vision: Jesus said, ‘Go pray for Sarah, your friend, I’m going to heal her.’" To enthusiastic applause, Arnott continues, "That girl, totally incapacitated, paralyzed and blind, after two and a half hours of soaking prayer, got up seeing."
Sadly, however, Arnott’s story plays fast and loose with the truth. An examination of the facts shows just how wildly Arnott has embellished his story:
• Sarah was not totally incapacitated, paralyzed, and blind; Sarah’s doctors had diagnosed significant psychosomatic emotional problems underlying her physical problems.
• Jesus did not heal Sarah as He supposedly promised her friend He would.
• When Arnott’s associate (who allegedly documented the case) was interviewed, he confessed that he had not done any investigation.
Two months later, during a visit to the Toronto Airport Vineyard, Sarah’s friend claimed that God once again had a word for her. This time the Almighty told Sarah (through her friend) that if she "would go to the front of the church and testify, He would heal her eyes." An Arnott associate then promised Sarah that God was not only going to heal her eyes, but would heal her emotions as well.
Today, despite the broad circulation of this story by Arnott and his associates as evidence of God’s power in the Toronto Blessing, Sarah is still, as before, legally blind. Unfortunately, just as before, she and her family are continuing to struggle with her physical and psychosomatic disorders.
As will become painfully clear in Parts Two and Three of this series, this fabrication on the part of John Arnott is not unique. Fellow Counterfeit Revivalists pepper their appearances with fabrications, fantasies, and frauds, seemingly unaware of the disastrous consequences. Followers who at first crowded through the front doors of their churches often become disillusioned and fall out the back doors, some even into the kingdom of the cults. They no longer know what to believe and secretly fear that the untrustworthiness of those who claim to be God’s representatives may indicate the untrustworthiness of God Himself."
"The fire is blazing out of control," boasted John Arnott. The "world-wide spread" is so dramatic that "opposition to this move of God is becoming very much like a fly on an elephant." Despite the fact that "tens of thousands of pastors" and hundreds of thousands of participants have been impacted, Arnott contends we haven’t seen anything yet: "We are currently in a time similar to the ministry of John the Baptist and will soon be coming into a time resembling the ministry of Jesus where powerful signs, wonders and miracles will take place."
"John Wesley correctly stated, "It is a fundamental principle that to renounce reason is to renounce religion, that religion and reason go hand in hand; all irrational religion is false religion." While he recognized physical manifestations as a natural response to an encounter with the gospel, he also attributed enthusiasms such as falling, laughing, and jumping to the "simplicity" of people and to the ploys of Satan. Wesley recounted the story of a meeting that took place in 1773. A hymn was sung over and over some 30 or 40 times, resulting in bodily agitations on the part of some of the people present. In response to this phenomenon, he wrote, "Satan serves himself of their simplicity, in order...to bring a discredit on the work of God."
Years earlier, in 1740, an epidemic of laughter had broken out during a gathering in Bristol. Wesley said, "I was surprised at some, who were buffeted of Satan in an unusual manner, by such a spirit of laughter as they could in no wise resist." A short time later the "spirit of laughter" returned. One lady present was "so violently and variously torn of the evil one" that "she laughed till almost strangled; then broke out into cussing and blaspheming; then stamped and struggled with incredible strength, so that four or five could scarcely hold her."
"But What Is "Soaking?"
"During previous revivals people referred to it as “waiting on the Lord” or “tarrying” as they lingered expecting God’s revival blessings. Although “soaking” includes waiting on the Lord, in this present move of the Spirit it means much more than that. To “soak” in God’s presence is to rest in His love rather than to “strive” in prayer. As the person receiving a touch from God begins to connect with the reality of the Holy Spirit’s presence, he often responds by falling or simply lying on the floor. As he rests expectantly in God’s presence, often the Holy Spirit hovers over the person to reveal more of God’s love and to renew and repair areas of a person’s life.
As the believer soaks in God’s presence, the Lord takes control and begins to draw his attention to God’s word either in the scriptures or through internal audible impressions or pictures he sees in his mind’s eye."
Why Do I Need To Soak?
"There is a deep need in every one of us to be close to God. Experiencing God is something to be sought after and not avoided. While we base our theology on God’s Word, our experiences with God make it all come alive. The Bible is a book of experiences of men and women of God throughout history, whose lives were changed through divine encounter. Your life will be changed as well as you encounter Him."
Where Can I Soak?
"In Toronto, we conclude every meeting with a time of soaking prayer. People stand for prayer on our prayer lines and our ministry team will come and minister to them, praying such things as “Lord, come and give them more of your presence; more of Your love.” They may stand there or often rest in the Spirit as they fall in God’s presence. Because of the many people who experience this phenomenon in our meetings, we assign every prayer team member a “catcher” to assist the person receiving prayer by standing behind them as the prayer team member prays for him."
"After a few moments, you will become aware of the Holy Spirit’s unseen presence. People experience Him in many ways: a weight upon your body, an electric tingling upon your hands or face, or a warm sensation of love going through your heart which connects you to Him."
Can I Trust That It Is The Holy Spirit Working?
"Yes you can. Remember, everything we receive from God we receive by faith. Faith must be positive and focused on God. (Not negative and fearful, focused on the enemy.) Jesus said in Luke 11:11- 13, “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” The key is intimacy. It is not a program to be run and managed, but a relationship to be maintained."
Is “Soaking” In The Bible?
"Here’s some of what the Bible has to say. (NKJV) Psalm 23:1-3 — “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul…” Psalm 131:2 — “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Psalm 4:4 — “Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.” Psalm 37:7 — “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him.” Matthew 11:28-30 — “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Hebrews 4:9-11 — “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest.” Isaiah 40:29-31 — “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Psalm 27:14 — “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Proverbs 1:33 — “But whoever listens to Me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” Luke 10:39 — “And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.” Hosea 2:14 — “Therefore, behold, I will allure her. I will bring her into the wilderness and speak comfort to her.”
"Patrick’s story has been repeated thousands of times over. It is a simple story really. It tells the sad tale of how all of us had grown accustomed to low power and low anointing, trying to see God’s Kingdom come in our lives and ministries as best as we could. Then suddenly, unexpectedly, because of desperation and hunger and a heart cry that “there must be more,” we had a divine encounter with God, the Holy Spirit, and everything changed. We found ourselves overjoyed at the nearness and dearness of God. We began shouting, “He is faithful that promised!”
"Several years ago while I was with Che Ahn in Pasadena, CA, I heard the words “fire tunnel” going over and over in my spirit. In my mind I had a picture of people passing in between two rows of prayer team folks who had one hand held high and joined with their opposite partner while with the other they prayed for the participants, like running the gauntlet. So far as I know, that was the very first “fire tunnel,” and they are now frequent events in “River” churches. The ministry time became explosive with joy as those passing through experienced the laying on of hands by the entire prayer team. Since then we have had many fire tunnels, and have seen multitudes blessed, yet each time we notice that the atmosphere lightens, everyone becomes childlike and those participating are deeply blessed."
"Thankfully, the repentant son was first met by his father, rather than intercepted by his older brother. The older brother in Luke’s account never really understood anything but working for his father. He could have had a party anytime he chose, but considered it a waste of time and resources. He stubbornly refused to participate in the festivities.
I think there is a bit of the older brother in all of us who take the things of God’s Kingdom seriously. It is easy to backslide into a performance mode and fall into a salvation by works. We become self righteous and critical. Thank God for seasons of fun, joy and refreshing that remind us of the great freedom that is ours through grace.
So let’s lighten up, enter into the joy of the Lord and join the party! You just might find yourself enjoying Jesus for a change."
"'But God, that's just NOT fair!'" What I had just seen made me angry. While flicking through the channels, I'd come across a psychic show. Being a good Christian, I quickly flicked onto something more edifying when the Holy Spirit urged me to go back and check out the program.
I could not believe what I was seeing! With a high degree of accuracy, the psychics were telling people in the live audience precise details about their lives. I wondered why I couldn't do the same. I had recently been appointed Pastor of the Prophetic as TACF, and now I was facing my competition.
'I'm a Christian and I have the Holy Spirit in me, God. I should be able to hear You for other people much better than a psychic who's consulting evil spirits. No wonder people are turning to psychics for help and comfort and not the church.'
The Lord replied, 'Sharpen the sword, Lynley. It's time to hone the gift.' Little did I know that this was just the start of a journey which in the last six months has radically changed my view of gifts of prophecy and taught me how to reach unbelievers. That day in front of the TV, the Lord began to download a strategy for the church and for me to take the gospel outside church walls using prophetic gifts."
(Lynley Allan, "Evangelizing With The Gift Of Prophecy," Spread The Fire Magazine," John Arnott Editor-in-Chief)
