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Transformation in Hemet, California

The Claims in the video- “We had Moonies in the valley, Maharishi Mahesh yogi Tm facilities, the church of Scientology, “We discovered that we were meth amphetamine capitol of the west coast.” They surmised there was spirit of competition in the churches and with the pastors. Cults were problem, lots of satanism and neighborhood youth gangs (as they are in most cities). It was pastor’s graveyard, gangs for decades.
Unity amongst the churches; most cults have left town; decrease in crime, church attendance increase to 14% of the population (doubled in 10 years).  The intercessors used spiritual mapping to change the area.

This change involves Bob Beckett’s Dwelling place Church prior to 96’. Both Becket and Gordon Houston of San Jacinto Assemblies of God openly speak on how God has been working in their community. They claim the intercessors in their church have been able to use spiritual mapping to focus on the issues, “if you don’t know where the problem is you cannot evaluate it.” While I agree that prayer is to be direct and specific to beseech God; this is not what he means. One of the pastors on the video states “Spiritual mapping brings us to a place of knowledge and information.” How this works is explained in the books written on the subject such as by words of knowledge.  “Beckett, who later planted a church in the city, believes that this spiritual reconnaissance—which he now recognizes as spiritual mapping—provided the fuel for focused prayer that not only unleashed church growth, but has begun to transform Hemet's social fabric.” (Christianity Today Jan.12,1998) The claim is that transformation of Hemet is all due to this specific type of prayer. We will look at what has or has not changed in this town.

Background--Beckett is a member of the Spiritual Warfare Network his ministry is associated with Peter Wagner/Cindy Jacobs and he is on the Executive Board of Generals of Intercession. Beckett has taught on local spiritual mapping as part of C. Peter Wagner’s world missions and spiritual classes at Fuller Theological. This is also connected to the laughter movement. George Otis jr. points out that intercessors used spiritual mapping for the results. Otis, Beckett, Ruibal are all associates of each other involved in this paradigm of warfare praying.

“Beckett's report was one of a half-dozen success stories presented to 400 participants from 31 countries at the first International Consultation on Spiritual Mapping in Tacoma, Washington, in November. Other descriptions of transformation came from Kenya, Nigeria, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guatemala, where Christians claim that a breaking of a territorial spirit's power over their country resulted in unprecedented church growth and the end of 36 years of civil war.” (CT, Feb. 3, 1997, p. 76). One needs to consider what is actually being said through this kind of method of prayer.

Bob Beckett has taught alongside many spiritual warfare proponents and has been into this frame of mind for years. At the Spiritual warfare conference Melody land Christian center as far back as Feb.21-23 1994 it touted itself featuring “the top leaders in contemporary spiritual warfare movement.” Some names you may be familiar with some you may not. Hector Torres, Tom White, C. Peter Wagner Ed Silvoso, Cindy Jacobs, Frank Hammond, John Dawson, Gary Bergal and along with guess who? George Otis jr. and Beckett’s whose topic was “Seeing a City's Spiritual Personality and New Methods and Ways to Intercede for Our Cities.” The sub-heading said, “In this study, we will learn practical applications of the information and insight we have gained from our making a commitment to the land. We will learn to develop practical and appropriate applications of prophetic prayer acts, journeys, and prophetic prayer walks as we break strongholds in our community.” If Beckett was teaching this than he was learning it years before and it was not something they stumbled on for the success, so he speaking from experience.

At this conference subjects like The Retaking of Cities and Nations - Hector Torres taught “How to Reach an Entire City through Prayer Evangelism” Ed Silvoso and Cindy Jacobs, Frank Hammond (Who wrote Pigs in the Parlor a very elaborate book on Christians being delivered from demons) taught on Ground Level vs. Strategic Level Warfare.

Mary Lance Sisk Spoke on “How to Discern a City Gate” which is also being popularized today with the gate keepers angle. “This workshop will teach you how to discern the ancient or original gate of a city and there prepare a place for the King of Glory to come in (Psalm 24). In this workshop, you will be given vision, understand that you have been sealed with divine destiny and purpose for your city and that you are a blessing to your city.” Does God need to come through a gate to enter a city? This is becoming quite popular and many ministries are being named after the activity of being watchman over cities to protect them from… what? The spiritual enemy. (Sentinel group for instance, which means a watcher or guard). Are they guarding our cities?

Claim in the Transformation video -In the video “God has just turned the school system around where it used to be one of the laughing stock school districts, where nobody wanted top send their kids to School in the San Jacinto school district. Now our students have some of the highest Academic ratings and lowest dropout ratings in the western US.” The video then shows De Anza elementary school (How many dropouts are there in elementary schools?)

Actual Facts  -As far as we could see this claim is completely false. They are not on any blue ribbon program, nor on California’s distinguished school program of any year that we could find. The scores for 1998, 1999, and 2000 for Hemet and De Anza Elementary are not impressive.

The data shows that with only a few exceptions a majority of students at De Anza score below the national average for all students in that grade and subject category.  That is, fewer than 50% score at or above the national average.  The exceptions are for math and language for first graders in 1999 and for math for first graders in 2000.

9 out of the 12 scores for 1999 De Anza students made lower scores, on the average, than students in California as a whole.  In 2000 for all subject matters and grades De Anza students did worse than California students on the average. Academic Performance Index (API) ranks Hemet elementary schools 5th out of 10.
(www.ed-data.k12.ca.us/dev/School.asp.)

No school in Hemet or San Jacinto have ever made the California blue ribbon listing since 1982. Our conclusion is that the Hemet schools are no better or worse than anywhere else in the nation.

Claim in the Transformation video - Church attendance increase to 14% of the population (doubled in 10 years).

Actual Facts -The population: 100,000 With such a small amount of people one would think that a Church doubling in 10 years would be reasonable, many often do and I might add without these spiritual warfare methods. The church attendance increased 14% because in 10 years the population doubled and many younger people moved to this retirement area. (http://129.33.31.49/asd/servermaint.html )In the last 15 years the city has changed with many new families and youth living there, it no longer just a retirement community. The property was cheap and many young people have moved there and commute. So there is a lot of construction going on. Many communities have church’s doubling or tripling without warfare prayer but by simply doing the work of evangelism.

Claim in the Transformation video – “The valley was very seated in cult and occult activities.” Maharish Mahesh yogi, Scientology, Moonies, Satanism were all active in the town.  “Cult membership once a serious threat has sunk to less than 3/10ths of a percent of the population.” The video states clearly that most cults have left town.  “The church of Scientology is still present but many other groups are long gone.” They even claimed victory by their prayer when a brush fire happened and the TM building burned down (Oct. 1996 Hemet news). The Scientology Church (apparently Hemet was Hubbard's headquarters on Golden Springs Rd.), they admit is still there but they claim the Moonies, Satanism and others are all gone.

Actual Facts Facts -Really? With just a cursory look we found Church’s of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Religious Science, Unity Church Church, Christian Science centers, United Pentecostal Church a Unitarian church and others that are certainly questionable.   (http://www.churchangel.com/WEBCA/hemet.htm)
Did they just overlook some groups? Maybe they think these groups are not to be considered cults?  These are just the ones listed on the web, I’m sure there are many more as there are in any city. Is this accurate reporting from an “investigative researcher”? Clearly the theme running through the video is called “embellishing the truth” or “misrepresentation.” Maybe they just see things the way they want to? This area is known for being filled with all kinds of church’s, denominational and non denominational.

Is the cult membership 3/10s of a percent of the population? This would be 300 people if the population were 100,000 people that it is today. But when the video was made in 1997 the population was closer to 52,315. So 3/10ths of 1% of 52,315 would equal 156 people. (http://www.pe.net/~rksnow/cacountyhemetmis.htm)
How realistic is this number? To state “Cult membership once a serious threat has sunk to less than 3/10ths of a percent of the population” is an absolute statement referring to some kind of research that was done.

Let's look at just a few actual cult numbers from Hemet.  Hemet LDS (Mormons) Churches - 9 wards with 500 members = 4500 members. 1st Church Of Christian Scientist - 43 members. Jehovah's Witnesses = 1000 members in 8 churches. (http://www.superpages.com/)

Claim in the Transformation video- Decrease in crime “neighborhood youth gangs have plagued the Hemet suburb of San Jacinto for decades.”

Actual Facts -This again is a false representation. The crime rate is down in many cities in the area and the nation. And they are not due to spiritual mapping and warfare or any revival in these places. So this is not any proof for their spiritual mapping working.  From what I have been told criminals were being relocated to the area so this increased crime. However, the police dept was not able to cope immediately. When the law enforcement was increased the crime decreased. From those I have recently contacted that live in Hemet, they say the very opposite, that crime and violence are increasing not decreasing.

They claimed Hemet had certain areas the police would never go because of the danger, this is because of generations of street gangs. “The danger was so great around the first street area that the police refused to go there without substantial backup.” They play a clip of a policeman saying  “we got a phone call in the middle of the nigh about 2-3 in the morning.” They then go to the clip of vandalizing of the church. I just don’t see how all this is related although they try to tie it in. This is standard procedure for the police to be prudent in known areas of trouble.

The video shows the newspaper heading Youth crime increases around the country. In the article it says “It not only in San Bernadino and Riverside counties.” The press enterprise newspaper is shown next with the heading “Study looks at crime in school.” The small print states “School districts in Riverside and San Bernardino counties reported higher rates of drug and alcohol offenses and violent crimes than the statewide average, according to a state Department of Education report released Wednesday. Statewide, property crimes such as theft and vandalism topped the list of the most common crimes plaguing California public schools, the first comprehensive report on school crime in eight years…”(Published on 02/27/1997 Wendy Wilson The Press-Enterprise). None of this has to do with the city of Hemet which is just one of the numerous suburbs in this huge area. The article they used showed they are wrong in several ways. 1st it shows there is problem in the schools, not the city itself. 2nd it shows that crime is present at the time of the video, not that it isn’t.

When the video states “Transformation is taking place it is not the same community that it was in the past.” I guess one needs to know what he means by this. For the community has not changed the way they present it in the video at all. “It was pastors graveyard” Becket who is featured in the video says “I never wanted to be there… we had our emotional bags packed waiting for the day God would somehow call us out of this valley.” God said, “I have got a plan if you will make a commitment to this place.” God asked him to spend the rest of his life in the valley for him. He was resistant as “I didn’t love I didn’t care for I didn’t want to be a part of.” But God told him he had a plan if he would make a commitment to this place. The narrator states “The Beckett’s silenced the voices urging them to leave Hemet by purchasing a cemetery plot on the edge of town.” I thought it was his own voice that didn’t want to stay?  He then went to a cabin to pray and fast with others and he says, “we knew we had touched something in the realm of the spirit that would be very significant for our valley, it was at that point that things began to escalate spiritually.” It was then researchers started to feed intercessors fresh information on the communities problems. However Otis explains it as… “God didn't move in Hemet until Bob bought a burial plot in the city.” >From Christianity Today, January 12, 1998 Vol. 42, No. 1, Page 55.)

From his own words the catalyst was a piece of land bought in a cemetery. I’m not sure what significance this would or would not have to spiritual warfare. “It was then researchers started to feed intercessors fresh information on the problems plaguing the community.” Then they started to use spiritual mapping, “if you don’t know what the problem is you can’t evaluate it.” Housten says “Spiritual mapping brings us to a place of knowledge and information, If I have a base of issues that I know are strongholds in my city then God has the ability to speak something in my heart and say gather the intercessors and go after this now.” They claim Impressive results were seen. From this is claimed that the cult population has sunk to 3/10s the population (something we have proven is false).

From what we understand Beckett came out in the early 70’s. Melodyland bought a ranch and he started valley chapel, later it was called the dwelling place. If God moved in the 90’s this is quite a gap of time for this all to happen. Did he buy his plot in the 90’s?

From what I have also heard both Beckett and Housten are endorses of the laughter/Toronto. Somehow it seems these two streams are almost always seen together. In the video we see people up on a hillside with their hands outstretched over the city praying. No doubt doing what they call warfare. (This same thing is seen with Houlio Ruibal in Cali as he points his hands in one direction and then another as he prays).

Housten at the end of the interview says that he will not just be accountable for his church,” he will be held accountable for how he pastored his city.”  Besides this being out of bounds biblically, I wonder how he can justify saying such a thing. A shepherd is to be over his flock of believers, the local congregation not a city.

Claim in the Transformation video- Hemet is called the meth-amphetamine capitol of the West coast near San Jacinto Mt’s. “We discovered that we were meth amphetamine capitol of the west coast.” “It turns out the Hemet valley was also a major drug center at least 9 meth amphetamine labs operated out of the area.” Hemet’s drug trade has dropped by as much as 75%, he gives much of the credit to intercessors. Sonny says “they took a multi million dollar drug cooperation and made it run with its tail between its legs.”

Actual Facts - It is Riverside county that is considered a high methamphetimine area. So they got this wrong, it is not this lone small area that is within the county that is the center.

The DEA gives the geographic distribution of methamphetamine removals which have been fairly consistent over time, with most of the methamphetamine being seized by the Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco. Hemet is not mentioned at all. (http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/meth/appendixa.htm) From what I have heard the police had a crack-down on drugs, with numerous law enforcement agencies that included the FBI. There was also a sizeable drug bust there by police from both inside and outside the area. Drug busts do not equal revival even if you attribute it to your spiritual warfare prayer.

Claim in the Transformation video- “Sonny often cooked up enough meth in a given month to supply more than a million people.”

Actual Facts-There were 2,691 meth labs found in California, 228 were super labs in California. (A Super Lab is defined as a lab that can produce 10 lbs or more.) In 1996 the DEA seized 1,431 kilograms, in 1997 they seized 1,627 kilograms. ( http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/meth.htm)

Here is some info that might make it possible to calculate if enough Meth could be manufactured in one month for one million people. (http://www.kci.org/meth_info/faq_meth.htm)

How much does meth cost on the street?  A.  The cost varies according to several factors, including purity of the drug, the region in which it is sold, the source of the drug (local product vs. imported) and availability of the drug. The approximate prices are: $25 per 1/4 gram $100 per gram  $1700 per ounce. Experts estimate that one ounce of meth equals about 110 meth “hits.”

So if one ounce supplies approximately 3 people for one hit per day per month, that would be 333,333 ounces needed to supply 1million people.  Since 16 ounces of dry measure equals one pound he would have to produce 20833 pounds per month to supply each of the 1 million meth addicts for one hit per day each day for one month. 20,833 lbs = 10.41 tons.

It is highly doubtful that it was possible for him to produce 10 tons of meth in one month. I highly doubt that meth users are only taking one hit per day.  If one ounce cost $1700 and constitutes about 110 meth hit then one hit would cost $15.  At that price you can be sure that people are taking far more than one hit.  I have heard of people who have about a $1000. per day meth habit.

But we also encounter another problem and extremely serious one. Each pound of meth produced leaves behind five or six pounds of toxic waste.  Meth cooks often pour leftover chemicals and byproduct sludge down drains in nearby plumbing, storm drains, or directly onto the ground.   Chlorinated solvents and other toxic byproducts used to make meth pose long-term hazards because they can persist in soil and groundwater for years. Clean-up costs are exorbitant because solvent contaminated soil usually must be incinerated.

If each pound leaves behind five or six pounds of toxic waste, this one person was getting rid of a whopping 104,165-124,998 pounds of waste per month, which would be 52-62 tons of waste material. He wasn't exaggerating that he needed police help! He would actually need to rent about one dump truck per day to get rid of the toxic waste.  Is this seeming more and more impossible to you?

Now let's assume for a moment that meth addicts take more like 5-10 hits per day which is certainly more of a reality.  This would then come out to: 20833 * 5 = 104165 which is 52 tons per month   20833 * 10 = 208330 which is 104 tons per month.

You can then figure out the toxic waste situation from there, suffice it to say that he would have to rent at the least 2 and upwards to 10 dump trucks per day to haul away all the toxic waste. And he would have been dead not long into the process from toxic poisoning himself. The poison left over in a house would be an unbelievable amount.
Remember: A Meth Super Lab is defined as a lab that can produce 10 lbs or more.  (http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/meth.htm) I think this would make the Hemet meth lab the most super mega ultra meth lab possible at a monthly capability of 10 tons!

Conclusion: based on these figures that the claim on the Transformations video is not only exaggerated, but nigh unto impossible! Especially for a million people a month.

After contacting several people involved in church work over Hemet I heard the same response. They have had a lot of people calling. And they cannot confirm the claims at all. A letter received from a pastor who lives in Hemet stated the claims on the Transformations video are not true.  Hemet is not  (nor was it the drug capital of anywhere).  The Gospel is preached here, just like anywhere.  There are several effective churches here doing the good work of the Lord  He stated I've received this questioning from pastors literally all over the world.  There are no “tricks” to evangelism or church growth or reaching the lost-drug culture.  Just follow the Bible's instructions.

Another said... I will just send this off to you to say that “Transformations” is a hype.  One church has gone from two services to one on Sundays.

As far as we can see this video and movement is coming into the churches under the stealth of prayer. Much of what had been reported in the video is falsehood, exaggeration with only shreds of truth. They may mean well but we should be offended and resound against such monkey business on their part. They are giving glory to God for events that did not transpire the way they say. And instead give the people who watch this video, fabrications. To think they are telling us the results are from prayer, something which is used to commune with God and their facts are found false- what does this say?  Church growth, vegetable growth the ending of crime, cults, war etc. are all from this “kind” of praying. Again we want to reaffirm that we can all pray more and it is necessary, but it is also important to pray correctly and biblically. The Bible teaches us that it is the Gospel that is the power of God for salvation, not spiritual warfare. This is Spiritual demagoguery. Throughout the video George Otis said the responsibility is on us for community transformation and the coming of the Kingdom of God to earth it is all dependent on us. If this is what we should be doing then what did the Lord Jesus achieve on the cross?

The reports cited in this article are not a means to an end and I would encourage everyone to do their own research. We are continuing our research as well. If you have anything to add please write and let us know.

I would suggest for all these spiritual warfare warriors to move to a certain area that has had a history of violence, crime and drugs etc., pray for 6 months doing nothing else and lets see if what they have works. In every case on this film with the exception of Almolonga the community has not changed. Here s novel idea: drop the false spiritual warfare techniques and pray for the salvation of souls being converted by the bold preaching of the gospel. Abandoning of any grandstanding and advertising of men’s works would be a step in the right direction.

This is not how the apostles worked in their ministry I would suggest one meditates on these words. 1 Thess. 2:3-12 “For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.  For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness--God is witness.  Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.  But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.  So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.  For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.  You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”

In the beginning of the video the narrator says, “Transformation is potent word, a powerful concept. What does it mean in relation to a society. Can a spiritual DNA of a community really be altered?” Yes transformation is a powerful concept. It is for this reason the New Age Movement has picked up on it. Transformation means a change from one construction to another.

However, the Transformation presented in the video is something more related to the concept of transubstantiation? Where it looks the same, but we are told that there is a substantial change. One apparently needs “only to believe” to see the change. In all the four cities the video clips span many years and were patched together to give a story, a biased story. One can show anything as if in sequence on video and present it as a documentary. Taken at face value it seems real but when looked at from the facts it is not.  This video can only be believed if one accepts it face value without checking the facts. After reading this article and you are still with them after the facts are presented to you –Are you believing the truth? Check it and see for your self.

If we look at history this kind of transformation of cities and countries took place over the centuries through Roman Catholicism. Even today many South American, European cities and even countries are Catholic.

A current western example of the employing these spiritual warfare techniques is found in Pensacola, USA. What happened there was preceded by two years of prayer and fasting, utilizing spiritual mapping of the area to identify and bind the territorial spirits. This spiritual warfare believed and practiced many can be seen at the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola that an intercessory team “sweeps” the sanctuary before each meeting to drive out the demons. What are the demons doing there in the first place? That’s the extent of this concept in action.

Petrie and Sentinel Group founder George Otis, Jr., hold seminars in churches, teaching Christians to find “spiritual pathologies” to discover what blocks revival in their cities, http://www.joelnews.org/news-en/jn323.htm. Do we need to hold a seminar to discover blockages for cities? (what in the world is spiritual pathologies?) Preach the gospel, this is what holds back revival, not enough people have the ability to explain it.

Ephesians 6:12 cannot be true in the way the spiritual warfare movement practices it, because Jude tells us we should not rail against these powers and principalities or go after them. For one thing, it is unhealthy to pursue darkness without any light. There is no biblical precedent to practice prayer in such ways. Therefore one cannot have any armor on against the kingdom of darkness. The video puts man against demons by the authority in Jesus’ name we are to bind and chase away demons. This is necessary for God to move into a city and bring revival. “Spiritual mapping brings us to a place of knowledge and information.” Isn’t this like the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, learning something God does not want us to. If one reads further in Ephesians 6 Paul sums up the reason to have the armor and how to win the battle. “and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19-20.)

When did the territorial spirits become dealt with? By the Church today or by Christ when he died? Colossians 2:14 –15 “Blotting out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; and having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” It was done on the cross and if the original and only appointed apostles of our Lord didn’t take cities or countries by pragmatic spiritual warfare techniques, what makes us think some new self- appointed apostle wanna- be could!  It is when we lift up the cross- God’s glorious gospel- they lose their hold on the people today.

Christianity Today states “Otis poured seven years of global research into his new book, The Twilight Labyrinth: Why Does Spiritual Darkness Linger Where It Does? He has identified 15 'transformed communities,' of which 14 incorporated spiritual mapping. Two factors present in all 15, Otis says, are 'persevering leadership' and 'united prayer.'   (Christianity Today, January 12, 1998 Vol. 42, No. 1, Page 55.) At the end of the video many place names were cited where allegedly other communities have experienced the same transformation. Some of these places were Mizoram – India; Sao Paulo – Brazil; Umofai Villages Nigeria; Sibero-America – Arctic; Resistanca – Argentina; Navapur – India; Selakan Villages – Malaysia; Beriut of Kampala – Uganda; San Nicolas – Argentina. These are in the developing world. It would be interesting to investigate the stories of these places as well, as Otis will be releasing part included some of them.

For these extraordinary claims made in the video there should be some evidence and verification instead of hearsay or retelling of stories (better identified as positive and hopeful gossip). If any of these have actually had a change (which would be wonderful) it would still not verify what these men are proposing in their worldview or in the  Transformations video. We have done what we can to provide any seeker of truth the basis to see what really did take place. We wish we could say the same for the video.

With all due respect for those who may have worked hard on this video not knowing the agenda behind it. It would be more accurate to change the name Transformations to Exaggerations or Transformations to Misrepresentations?

If these 4 communities are dramatically altered as he claims then the evidence would be overwhelming. We have seen there is no evidence for what they claim for a community transformation, but the very opposite has taken place (or no change at all). Of the one positive circumstance (Almolonga) it was completely unrelated to what they were doing and they have made no connection to attribute it to their prayer and mapping.

Otis states “not one of the stories have been an aberration, rather they are reflections of divine intent the way things are suppose to be.” What we have found is that there are hardly any aberrations, they are mostly exaggerations.

Maybe if we lived in the garden at Adam and Eve’s time but not now. Read 2 Tim. 3:1-5 The Bible tells us overall things will get worse not better. The only way they change permanently is when Jesus comes back physically to reign. This video is a perfect example of people not paying attention to details and accepting what is presented through a TV. This does not mean good can be in our world and community but it will never be the majority.  2 Tim.4:3-4 certainly comes to mind as they turn away from the word to fables.

This video is some of the sloppiest research many of us have ever seen. If a newspaper printed an article with this many skewed facts they would be sued if they didn’t print a retraction.

Otis at the end of the video states, “Our journey has taught us that there are steps we can and should be taking to position our community for a visitation of the Holy Spirit.” Again, Transformation is also a new age term, and the way it is used in this video is not biblical. What we have is the anointing falling on whole cities. Where is this all headed? Not just cities being transformed they will claim whole regions and nations to be Christian.

Then Jesus said, “and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” This is not spiritual mapping, binding or loosing nor being under apostles and prophets. It is knowing the Word inspired by God and therefore you will be able to know the author of the Word Who is God.

They say the gospel transformed the communities. The Bible says the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. They are claiming spiritual warfare prayer changed the communities. The gospel is not spiritual warfare. Actually when the gospel is mentioned in the video it is connected to miraculous healings that changed lives. I’m not going to discount the changed lives but I want to point out that the gospel is centered on the person of Christ and his death for sin. We hope it was mentioned to the people in these areas. The gospel presented in the video is supposedly Christianizing cities which would be quite a feat considering it is to be a individual decision for each person.  We cannot Christianize cities, or countries or the world but we can make individual people Christians. It is NOT by binding the demons over their city to set them free, but by preaching the Gospel and making disciples. This is the real spiritual warfare that casts down arguments, confronting the false beliefs that hinder the people from hearing and understanding the gospel. When truth is explained falsehood is defeated and abandoned. There was only a semblance of truth throughout this video in its facts and representations.

Otis speaking at the end of the video tells us we are “ to ask God to increase our appetite for the things that attract his presence most notably unity holiness and faith and humility. At the same time we MUST cultivate a crop of persevering leaders whose collective vision for the community is watered by informed sustain intercession.”

If this video is any example of the informed leaders, should they be the ones we should be listening to?
This is all an infomercial for them to install their Church government.

 If we go back to the beginning of this article we find the prophecy from Peter Wagner's Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders is significant.  “The church will be in key transition period between 2000-2003. During this period the youth in particular will be transitioning into revival. It is especially important for the apostolic government to be initially established and functioning in our cities by Oct. 2003 if we are to see the transformations that God wants to release.” It is not a coincidence that this video is named “Transformations.” As Peter Wagner’s new book is Apostles of the City: How to mobilize the territorial Apostles for city Transformation. If one accepts the transformations video on prayer they do not receive it alone. It comes along with the Peter Wagner model of spiritual warfare and his appointed apostles and prophets for the church.

Is the battle today between Good versus Evil, the Church verses the devil? No! The battle today is the same battle that has always been through the ages.

It is between the truth of God’s Word and the lies of Satan to the people of the world.

This article was put together by Concerned Christians, who care for people and the truth To voice your concern please mail to the sentinel group first, don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. Then mail to us if this article has been a help