[I read this to the audience at the recent Remnant Radio conference in San Diego, and also at our service Sunday morning at Convergence Church, OKC.]

Many of you, perhaps even most, are aware of the five hour and fifty-minute video produced by Mike Winger that exposed the prophetic hoax perpetrated by Shawn Bolz and what Winger referred to as the culture of cover up at Bethel Church, Redding, California. Sadly, neither Bolz nor Bethel are the only ones guilty of this sort of misconduct. So, how should we respond to it all?

Some have argued that this serves to discredit the entire charismatic movement and that we should all distance ourselves from it. I’ve even had a few people write to me and wonder, in light of all that has happened, if I have repudiated my beliefs about the contemporary validity of spiritual gifts. The answer, of course, is absolutely not.

I am as firmly convinced about the validity of all spiritual gifts today as I ever was, and nothing that anyone abuses or misuses in the purported exercise of those gifts has any effect whatsoever on my convictions about what the Bible says.

So, have Shawn Bolz and others been guilty of obtaining personal information about people from social media and passing it off as if it were revelation from the Spirit? Yes. But what does any of that have to do with what the Bible says? Nothing at all. So, what does the Bible say? It says in Acts 2 that in the church age in which we all live men and women, young and old, will dream dreams and see visions and they will prophesy (Acts 2:17-18).

So, have Shawn Bolz and Mike Bickle been guilty of sexual misconduct? Yes. But what does any of that have to do with the Bible says? Nothing at all. So, what does the Bible say? It says in 1 Corinthians 14:1 that we should earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy.

Did many who knew about Bolz’s misconduct choose to remain silent and cover up his sin? Yes. But what does any of that have to do with what the Bible says? Absolutely nothing at all. So, what does the Bible say? It says that when you prophesy properly and biblically people are built up in their faith, are encouraged, and consoled (1 Cor. 14:3).

Were there people whose lives were devastated because of some of Shawn Bolz’s alleged prophetic words? Yes. And it is tragic that this has happened. But what does any of that have to do with what the Bible says? Again, absolutely nothing. So, what does the Bible say? It says come to the meeting of the church with a revelation or a tongue or an interpretation (1 Cor. 14:26), and let two or three prophets speak while the rest judge and test and weigh what is said (1 Cor. 14:29).

Has the conduct of certain individuals and organizations that identify as charismatic cast a dark shadow on the movement as a whole? Sadly, yes. But what does any of that have to do with what the Bible says? Absolutely nothing. So, what does the Bible say? It records the words of the apostle Paul who said, “I thank God I speak in tongues more than you all!” (1 Cor. 14:18).

Are many of you afraid of spiritual gifts and what will be said and done at a conference like the Remnant Radio gathering in San Diego this past weekend? Sadly, yes. But what does any of that have to do with what the Bible says? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. So what does the Bible say? It says in 1 Thessalonians 5 do not quench the Holy Spirit by despising prophetic utterances.

Are people you know and love now skeptical of charismatic gifts and have they warned you to stay away from conferences like those that Remnant Radio sponsors and speakers such as myself? Yes. But what does any of that have to do with what the Bible says? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. And what does the Bible say? It records in 1 Timothy 1:18-19 the exhortation of Paul to his spiritual son Timothy that he be certain to wage a good fight against sin and temptation by appealing to and trusting in the prophetic words that he has received.

I have said all this at the beginning of this conference because I fear that some of you have become skeptical of the work of the Holy Spirit and are holding him at arm’s length, so to speak. Some of you are embarrassed by the self-serving and manipulative tactics employed by certain prominent charismatic figures. So am I! But I can assure you that all of us who are ministering to you this week do not believe anything or pray anything or act in any way that is based on the abuses and misuses of spiritual gifts on the part of anyone in the world today. So let me remind you again that Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 14:39, “earnestly desire to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues.”

My appeal and prayer is that you will re-commit yourself to a humble and prayerful pursuit and practice of all spiritual gifts in spite of the sinful deeds and sexual misconduct of others in the charismatic community. There is one and only one reason for our belief in the contemporary validity of gifts of the Spirit, and that is the clear and consistent testimony of Scripture. May it always be so.