This article from Record Searchlight Redding.com is a heartbreaking story of two Bethel School of the Supernatural Ministry students, too much alcohol consumption and false promises of divine power in healing. A man nearly lost his life because of some very bad choices that should not have been made. I hope people who attend this ministry or the church and those involved in Word of Faith teachings begin to do some real questioning on what they are being taught. Jesus healed all to prove He was the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God, the one who was prophesied to come. We, as His followers do not have the same power that He worked during His ministry here on earth. Believe otherwise as this ministry teaches, and other WOFers, and you may find yourself in a similar situation as this one, or at the least extremely disappointed with your faith in question.
Rather than call police when their drinking partner fell — or was pushed — off a nearly 200-foot cliff, two students at a Redding Bible school tried first to reach the severely wounded man and pray him back to life, a lawsuit alleges.
In a lawsuit filed this month in Shasta County Superior Court exactly two years to the day after he was pulled by search-and-rescue crews from the banks of the Sacramento River, Jason Michael Carlsen alleges that when Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry students Sarah Elisabeth Koivumaki and Zachary Gudelunas couldn’t reach him to heal him with their prayers, they spent hours debating whether to call the police.
Bethel’s members purport to have the ability to heal people through prayer and bring the dead back to life.
The two later told police they thought Carlsen was killed in the fall.
Worried that they would be exiled from the church, the two Bethel students also went so far as to try to cover up evidence they’d even been at the top of the cliff, the lawsuit alleges.
m'kayla's korner 
Hi m’kayla,
Just a “heads up”–your link to the rest of the article doesn’t work. Thanks.
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Oh, I’ll fix it.
Thanks!
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Wow! That is such a sad story. Thanks for posting it.
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Hi! Nice to see you.
It’s really sad and I can’t even say I am glad for posting it except that maybe others will be helped.
God bless you.
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All I can say is oh dear…what a disgrace. I think that this “church” causes a lot of damage. I can’t stand they way these sorts of churches “summon” the HS like He is somewhere around the block and they snap their fingers and He is at theor beck and call. Disgraceful
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Wow. I have many friends who have been “Bethelized”. I’m going to send this on, though they’ll have their excuses and I seriously doubt it will do any good.
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I think it’s sad – this kind of accident could happen anywhere, among any group. You can find ungodly, or just plain stupid people everwhere. But hopefully it brings people to more closely examine what this church /school is all about. A church / school that practices the occult and paganism is not a Christian church. They can quote the Bible all they want (so can Satan) and call their signs and wonders whatever they want. But God will not be mocked. Remember the Israelites who thought they could worship God using a golden calf? Things didn’t end well for them.
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I found this in my e-mail and had to post it –
Proverbs 14:7 Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.
Agreed Sandy, it could happen to anyone. I can’t forget my own fallen state and I do hope this article helps open the eyes of those who are still blinded by Johnnson’s false promised signs and wonders. The golden calf was created by those who were tired of waiting for Moses to return from the mountain; tired of waiting for the promise to be fulfilled.
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Hi my nephew is a new student here and he really thinks he is in the seventh heaven. He only speaks about love and now he is a super hero. I am so afraid for him. They are really indoctrinated there. Please if you have some sites that denounces their pastor please give them to me. Thanks!
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I am very sorry to hear about your nephew. My blog has info on Bill Johnson; check his catagory. Also check my blogroll for Crosswise and Heralding Truth for more info.
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The bible does say that the same power that raise Christ from the dead is in us. These two should have called the police, and then prayed.
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Regarding your comment – “We, as His followers do not have the same power that He worked during His ministry here on earth.”
“I tell you the truth. The person that believes in me will do the same things I have done. Yes! HE WILL DO EVEN GREATER THINGS THAN I HAVE DONE. Why? Because I am going to the Father. And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you. Then the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.” (ERV) – John 14:12-14
I do agree that we need to use wisdom … of course we can go to doctors, take medication if needed, and if there is an accident we need to call an ambulance, etc …
However, your blanket statement above completely contradicts John 14:12-14.
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Except you don’t see believers today laying hands on the sick resulting in an immediate recovery. This is the context of my statement – healing! There are lots of claims to that power, that gift, but the truth is it does not manifest. If that were the case then we could walk into all the hospitals and immediately empty them! Which is another question to ask of those with such a claim – why don’t they?
“Greater things” is very often quoted to show proof this power/gift exists and operates, and if that is the case where is it? I would think “greater things” has much to do with the power showed in the book of Acts, in salvations and growth of the church after those who waited were filled with the Holy Spirit.
I am not trying to discredit anything in the bible. If “Greater things” applies to us today, then what is your explanation for not seeing many healings manifest? If you read at least from the beginning of ch 14, Jesus is speaking of peace – Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God…and then He goes on to speak of a home in heaven – In My Father’ house…in verse 6 He states I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. He is speaking of salvation! And He is speaking to those who were face to face witnesses of His power and the works that He did – v 9; in verses following He refers to works leading into v12-14.
It is a good and worthy argument; one of which I would like to understand! 🙂 I do believe there is a key to understanding the things Jesus and His apostles did to establish the faith, different that the works we do today. It goes against what I used to believe, too, but I find no other explanation than that one.
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I have just accidently stumbled onto this blog. I can totally appreciate your love for Jesus and His word. It is very easy for anyone to take His word, twist it & make it their own for what relates to them. I have attended Bethel for 10 years now. I completed the school of ministry in 2003. My heart hurts for the attacks that our church and our Pastor have undergone because of 3 people making bad choices that have now marked them all for life.
I assure you if you have ever been to Bethel you might still think we are not the “normal” church but I assure you this, the messages taught don’t include encouragement to start the night out drinking, then lie about and then pray healing so you don’t get busted, these actions obviously were done by these young adults in a drunkn state.
I am a FIRM believer in not drinking, I don’t see the point in it if I have Jesus. I also believe in healing because Jesus healed people and He is the same today as He was “yesterday” He loves us that much, that along side of salvation the point of the cross was healing wasn’t it? “by His stripes we are healed…”
I know everyone can have their scripture battles and arguments, that’s not my deal. I just simply wanted to bring a different light on here seeing that everyone was judging a church they haven’t been too or Judging a Pastor that they don’t know anything about. Let’s leave that to Jesus and stop wasting our time fighting and pointing fingers at each other ( I mean that in the kindest way, really). The world is looking for an answer. If we could focus our time and energy on showing this world the same love that Jesus died for it would most definitely be a different place.
As you have Jesus in your heart & He in mine we are His kids and I look forward to meeting you someday here or in heaven. Lots of Love, Robin *_*
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Robin,
By His stripes we are healed. What do you and Bill Johnson do with people who are not healed?
I don’t speak from a place of ignorance regarding Bill Johnson. I have practiced and even once believed his teachings and those whose are like his. One day I began to question some things and that is where I found them to not line up with the bible. Normal Christianity is the faith that is written about in the word of God, those who believed in Christ, went thru various and severe forms of tribulation, were outcast, hid in caves and eventually were put to death. The “supernatural” as it is packaged and taught isn’t anything near normal Christianity, in fact is is a lie.
Here in regards to this situation, it is not so much about drinking as it is the false teaching at Bethel that caused these kids to react in the way they did.
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Well, it’s not my power or Bill’s power that heal people it’s Jesus. My job is to listen to the Holy Spirit and just pray for the person in front of me just like I would if they were having a bad day and needed encouragement. It’s not up to me to heal them that’s what Jesus does. I have prayed for people that haven’t been healed and it’s a bummer but I have prayed for others and they have felt something in their body. Was that anything that I did? NO WAY!!!!!
I’m not one to really talk on these things, I usually don’t even respond to peoples comments cause I really like talking in person cause a lot lacks in typing as the tone is merely interpreted. If you met me you would know that I really love Jesus, my heart is never to mislead, lie to or draw anyone into some nonsense.
Again, as far as this situation goes, it doesn’t matter what church they went to, alcohol & selfish fear impaired their judgment not to call the authorities not because of any teaching at Bethel. The 1st thing I learned in my 1st year of school was to honor and have integrity. Some get it & some don’t. It was a horrible horrible life altering situation these three have to face all I was trying to get across I just don’t know how one believer could just cast there judgement out there against another believer. Do I believe in Jesus? Yes! Do you believe in Jesus? Yes! He is my saviour and He is yours. I just wanted to encourage you that I love that you look to the work and don’t just follow like a dumb sheep but I do urge you to be careful of the judgement that you through out a church that loves the Lord and a Man of God that loves Jesus with all His heart. “judge not lest ye be judged.” It’s very thin line that’s all.
I hope this comes across with a tone of love and not an argumentative tone just throwing some things out there to think about.
Thanks so much *_*
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Healing is done by the will of God, through the power of God. No amount of wishing, training or teaching can change that. The reason why I asked what you and BJ do with these is because many are not healed. Period. They are prayed for, prophesied over, proclaimed healed, yet, there is no healing. Why? Because it is not the will of God to heal them.
It kills me, these false teachers and prophets claim all this woo-hoo over healing, yet have need for surgery, wear eye-glasses, hearing aids and need sleep assistance. They take medication for whatever does ail them and all the while claim it is the right of the believer to be free of disease and illness. This simply is not true, yet they cannot see their own error! There are examples of sick people in the bible. And as far as “feeling something” in their body – what does that amount to? Where is an example of a person in the word who were prayed over for healing and reported they “felt something”. Dear, kundalini, reiki, chi can all cause a person to “feel something”. So can hyped up emotional states they are often brought into. The fact is people come in on wheelchairs and leave the same way.
If we love Jesus we follow His word, not the whim of the latest and greatest preacher of the moment. Oh, we are indeed called to judge – prophecies, teachings – every one of them, every time. There is no fine line here. The truth is in the word.
There is no fear over our words being argumentative. I am only looking at the words, not reading emotion into them. Please, I strongly suggest you have another look at BJ and his Supernatural School.
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