Wake Up Olive?
Olive, come out of that grave;
Come out of that grave in Jesus’ name…
What you’re hearing is a worship song at Bethel Church, commanding a little girl who died 6 days earlier to rise up out of the morgue and come back to life. The story of 2-year-old Olive captured world-wide attention, as her family asked others to pray for her resurrection.
But none of the stories of resurrection in the Bible include a week-long appeal. Take Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, but Jesus simply stood at his tomb and said, “Lazarus, come out,” and he immediately came back to life. Jesus and his friends didn’t stand there singing for days.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”
Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. (John 11:39, 43-44)
Bethel Church preaches a different Jesus than the Jesus of the Bible. They do not believe Jesus is God incarnate—that He is very God and very man. Rather, they believe Jesus stopped being God and He was only a man. What Jesus “modeled,” we’re capable of doing, including raising the dead. (Contrary to Colossians 1:19 & Hebrews 1:3)
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him [Jesus] (Colossians 1:19)
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:3)
Responding to this controversy, Pastor Bill Johnson said, “Why did Jesus raise the dead? The reason Jesus raised the dead is because not everyone dies in God’s timing.”
Jesus raised the dead to show He is God who raises the dead! No one dies outside of God’s timing. Job 14:5 says that a man’s “days are determined,” and God has appointed his limits he cannot pass. Acts 17:26 says that God has determined the time and boundaries of our lives.
[Man’s] days are determined, and the number of his months is with You, and You have appointed his limits that he cannot pass… (Job 14:5)
[God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place… (Acts 17:26)
Remember, Bethel is a church that dumps gold glitter on worshipers and says it’s a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. They’re con artists, not Christians. (Look for our other videos on Bethel Church and Jesus Culture, containing real footage from tehir services of these so-called “glory clouds,” also addressing other false teaching of theirs.) Cherish the Scriptures so that in a time of grief, you won’t be taken by the words of charlatans. Instead, you’ll be comforted by the promises of God
…when we understand the text.
(This video is by WWUTT. Discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central.)
