What’s being missed with the ‘waking’ of Olive at Bethel Church, Redding - by Holly Pivec

Found here. Our comments in bold.
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Piling on the tragedy of a little girl's death even more, the Doctrinal Police commit doctrinal errors of their own.

We are not intending to defend Bethel church, we are interested in the author's presentation. And that presentation, ostensibly to correct Bethel's error, neither quotes not cites any Scripture. 

In fact, the author makes no biblical presentation at all. She explains no doctrine, affirms no stance, and advocates for nothing. She simply disagrees with Bethel, and apparently that is sufficient.
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The story out of Bethel Church in Redding, California, this past week — following the sudden death of two-year-old Olive Heiligenthal — is tragic. The hearts of people across the nation have gone out to her parents in compassion — not just because they lost a child, but also because of the false hope they’ve clung to that their little girl would come back to life. (Why is it false hope? The author never tells us.

Pursuant to that, we have additional questions:

• Can God raise someone from the dead? 
• Is God capable of raising the dead, but simply unwilling?
• Is there some verse in the Bible that tells us raising the dead has stopped? 

The answers to these are critical to the issue.)

Many news sources have already reported on this story. But I want to point out what has been missed. In their coverage of the fiasco, reporters have noted that the parents’ church, Bethel Church, has rallied around the parents’ prayers for a resurrection — calling for people across the globe to join them in those prayers. But what Bethel Church has been engaged in, since Olive Heiligenthal died on Saturday, is not prayer. They’ve actually been making “declarations.” There’s a big difference. (Let's see if the author will explain.)

Prayer vs. Declarations

In the New Apostolic Reformation — the global movement that Bethel Church is part of — equivocation is common. By equivocation, I mean that leaders in the movement often call two different things by the same name. The result is ambiguity that allows them to promote non-biblical teachings while cloaking those teachings in biblical terminology.

Case in point: Consider Bethel Church’s use of the word “prayer.” Historically, prayer has been understood by Christians as making petitions or requests of God to do such-and-such a thing. That’s how prayer is taught in the Bible. (Is it? We would desire the author to actually make her affirmative biblical case, clearly demonstrating Bethel's error. This will not happen.

And the "historical" way prayer is practiced doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the Bible. Indeed, we would contest the idea that prayer is either historically or biblically defined as "requests of God to do such-and-such a thing."

Certainly asking God for things is one aspect of prayer [petition]. But the author deceives us by suggesting that this is the extent of prayer.)

And that’s the understanding most people will have of the word prayer when they read articles stating that Bethel Church is “praying for a resurrection.” (Still waiting for the biblical case...)

But when Bethel Church uses the word “prayer,” they often mean something very different. They’re generally not requesting or asking God to do such-and-such a thing, such as asking Him to resurrect Olive Heiligenthal. (Is it a legitimate prayer, to ask God to raise the dead? Previously the author called the raising of the dead a "false hope.")

Rather, they’re often referring to the making of “prayer declarations,” or just “declarations,” for short. So, what is a declaration? (The word "amen" is a declaration...)

A declaration is making verbal affirmations that allegedly release God’s power to create a desired reality. (Now the author is employing an equivocation. She is redefining a biblical concept of making a declaration into something else. She does not document the supposed teachings of Bethel church.)

In much the way God spoke and brought the world into existence, believers today – who are created in the image of God – also have the power to bring things into existence through their spoken words, according to Bethel teachings. Declarations are seen to be more effective than traditional prayer because they don’t ask God to do something He has already authorized believers to do themselves. These teachings about declarations can be found in Bethel “apostle” Bill Johnson’s books, including When Heaven Invades Earth. Yet they’re not supported by Scripture. (Again the author mentions the Bible, but never cracks it open to explain.

What does the Bible teach about prayers and declarations? It falls to us to fill in for the author with actual Bible verses. 

Prayer is 

• Asking God for things [petition]: Ps. 86:6-7 Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.
• Asking God to intervene [intercession]: Ex. 10:17-18 Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me.” 18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD.
• Speaking blessing: 2Ch. 30:27 The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling-place.
• Confessing sin (repentance) Ezr. 10:1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites — men, women and children — gathered round him. They too wept bitterly.
• Praising and worshiping Him [exaltation]: Ps. 9:1-2 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

And what about declarations specifically? 

• Ps. 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no-one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
• Ps. 51:15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
• Ps. 75:9 As for me, I will declare this for ever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.
• Ps. 89:2 I will declare that your love stands firm for ever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

In fact, one can hardly read the Psalms without realizing there are hundreds of declarations. Psalm 5, for example, is comprised almost entirely of declarations:

• Ps. 5:1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.
• Ps. 5:2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
• Ps. 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
• Ps. 5:4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.
• Ps. 5:5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.
• Ps. 5:6 You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
• Ps. 5:7 But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down towards your holy temple.
• Ps. 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies — make straight your way before me.
• Ps. 5:9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.
• Ps. 5:10 Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
• Ps. 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
• Ps. 5:12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

And these, specifically about not dying:

• 1Sa. 12:19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”
• Ps. 118:17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

And these about raising the dead:

• Ac. 26:8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
• Mat. 12:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
• John 14:12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
• 1Co. 12:7, 9 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 9 To one there is given through the Spirit... gifts of healing...
• Ep. 1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead...
• He. 6:1-2 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the raising of the dead, and eternal judgment.

 There are many more Scriptures about prayer, including declarations. We are very nearly astonished the author does not understand these things.)

Rather, they’re in line with the teachings of Word of Faith movement leaders such as Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland.

Yet the uninitiated missed the fact that what Bethel has been calling for is not actually prayer as it is normally understood. Instead they’ve been calling for declarations. Here’s the call the church issued on their Facebook page, December 15.

Our God is the God of miracles, and nothing is impossible for Him! We are asking you, our global church family, to join with us in prayer and in declaring life and resurrection over @kalleyheili and @apheiligenthal’s daughter, Olive Alayne! (emphasis mine)

The phrase “declaring life and resurrection over … Olive” was lost on the media as well as many mainstream Christians. Yet Bethel’s call for declarations wasn’t lost on the insiders, i.e., those who hold to Bethel teachings. This can be seen in the nearly 3,000 comments posted on the church’s Facebook page, in response to the call. Notice the many Bethel followers who used the words “declare” or “declaring,” such as this comment posted by a Rick Davis: “Praying, and declaring resurrection Life for Olive … Little Olive, arise, in Jesus’s name!” And here is a similar comment from Susie Mehlig: “Father in Jesus name we decree and declare Spirit of life come back into Olive!” (emphasis mine).

And this video shows Olive Heiligenthal’s parents, Kalley and Andrew, on stage at Bethel Church leading congregants in the singing of a declaration: “Olive, come out of that grave. Come out of that grave, in Jesus’ name.” (Jn. 14:12-14 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I
have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.)

Even the hashtag that has gone viral, #wakeupolive, reflects the language of declaration, not petitionary prayer.

Equivocation of ‘Prayer’ to Downplay Bethel’s Failure

Bill Johnson has employed this equivocation in an apparent attempt to downplay the church’s failure to resurrect Olive Heiligenthal. Notice, in his official statement to the media, he suggests that the only things Bethel Church has been doing at their meetings this past week is taking part in “singing and prayer.” Here’s what Johnson said:

“Since that night, and at the continued request of the Heiligenthal family, Bethel Church has hosted prayer and worship gatherings which consist of singing and prayer (this is the first-ever public gathering of prayer for resurrection that Bethel has hosted).”

Prayer and worship gatherings. He makes it sound as if the church has been engaged in merely an old-fashioned prayer meeting. (Really? Where is "old fashioned" in this statement?)

But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Yet why would Johnson downplay the main activity — making declarations — (Where did Johnson "downplay" declarations?)

taking place at the Bethel Church meetings this week? Could it be because, despite the thousands of declarations that have been made on Olive Heiligenthal’s behalf for five days, her lifeless body still lies at the morgue? (The author almost seems happy about this, at least as far as she can use it to impugn Bethel.)

This is certainly tragic — but even more so because so many of Johnson’s followers have doubled down and refused to admit what’s obvious to everyone else — they have a broken theology. (The author is almost at the end, yet she has still not told us what the correct theology is, or where it's found in the Bible.)

And here’s the kicker. The failure of the church’s declarations suggests something bigger than failure to raise one little girl. (Again the author implies that it is possible for someone to be raised from the dead, despite it previously being a "false hope.")

It suggests that Bethel Church’s entire paradigm — of bringing heaven (or God’s physical Kingdom) to earth through spoken declarations — is also based on false hope. (That is, because the author thinks Bethel is wrong in one area, they are wrong in every area. That is a staggering claim.)