Are the Healings on Benny Hinn's Show Valid?

[Getterz88]

In reference to the title, what do you think? I find it difficult to believe that so many thousands of people would fake being healed, or lie about their former conditions to back up their abilities to move around, hear, etc. Again, what do you guys think?

[blitzkreig]

In reference to the title, what do you think? I find it difficult to believe that so many thousands of people would fake being healed, or lie about their former conditions to back up their abilities to move around, hear, etc. Again, what do you guys think? If Hinn could heal he would put the drug companies and hospitals completely out of business. I think their businesses are safe.

.

[Benja32one]

:rolleyes
"The Ten Commandments" had a cast of thousands, was it real? Actors are cheap, especially if they are not working.
:pound

[Timothy]

As internet urban legends demonstrate, man (and our flesh) is a gullable creature. I realize that this answer may seem strange, but even the unsaved can recognize those things for what they really are - fake and bogus. There is a former magician, now self-proclaimed "skeptic" (i.e. unsaved athiest) named James Randi ("The Amazing Randi"). Every once in a while on either Discovery Channel or TLC, they re-air a one hour show with him. Even though unsaved, the show was interesting. He spends time "debunking" psychics and everthing that goes with it. I remember a segment where they had a room full of (unknowing) people, gave them each a psychic questionaire. They gave them back a "psychic reading" and asked if the reading was accurate. Almost all of them said "yes." It was then revealed that each was given back the exact same reading! That portion demonstrated how gullable people can really be. Randi is also the person that exposed Peter Popoff. When Popoff claimed God was speaking to him, it really was his wife through a wireless earpiece. Doh! Again, Randi is unsaved and an athiest, so this book is not for everyone, but from the standpoint of debunking "faith healing," he has interesting book called "The Faith Healers."

[onsolidrock]

Benny Sinn has never performed a confirmed healing. The only healings that take place only last until Benny leaves town.

[BigBenny]

For what it's worth I believe Benny Hinn is one of the false prophets the Bible talks about in the end times, not necessarily THE false prophet with the AntiChrist, but one of the false prophets who make all these outrageous claims and bring people away from God.

[babylonrising]

Sure his healings are real. How dare anyone say otherwise! :mad
Now.... About that bridge I have for sale....... :rolleyes

[scottruff]

Catch the show on HBO and then decide. Personally, I say no, they are not real healings.

http://www.hbo.com/NASApp/schedule/ScheduleServlet?CHANNEL=All+Channels&ACTION_DETAIL=DETAIL&ID=76994

[cardboardpunk]

i don't find it difficult to grasp that thousands would lie about being healed..... especially for money or something.

man is inherently evil, and many people would do anything for a few bucks. even if it mocked Christ Himself.


there is no fear of God amonst people these days.

[Time2Sow]

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/faith.html

old healers, shouldn't scat on anyone's parade to read about them
Katherine Kuhlman, eg

[Time2Sow]

WILLIAM BRANHAM HEALING MEETING: EYEWITNESS REPORT
By A. H. POHL

O TIMOTHY: Can you tell me, Bro. Pohl, where and when the Branham meeting was held?

POHL: It was in the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, in the 40’s, because we left in ‘50. It was in the 40s when Branham came to Saskatoon for a healing campaign, and I was involved in it very, very much, because at that time we had a Bible Institute right beside the church where the healing campaign was conducted. I was on staff at the Bible Institute and as such I had responsibility in taking care of all the worst cases, the stretcher cases, and the people that could not walk, coming to the church and going to the healing line. These came into the dorm of the Bible Institute where I was responsible and placed them in the rooms for the time while they’re waiting for Branham to come to minister to them.

So, I was very closely involved with Branham in this. When the meetings were over, like when the meeting was over in the church, I would take Mr. Branham by the arm and lead him from room to room in this dorm, which was just adjacent to the church, and he would pray for these people. And then, when I had taken him into every room, met every patient, then I’d lead him to the back door, and he would be gone, go to his hotel. His brother was out there with the car, picked him up and took him to the hotel. And he was gone. All day, all that night, next day.

He gave orders—at least orders were given that no one was suppose to contact him at the hotel. And, he’d come an hour late, half an hour late the next night to the meeting. Say if the meeting started at 7:00, he’d be there about 7:30. The meeting was already in progress when he arrived. I guess that was part of procedure, but no one—with those circumstances—nobody could really visit with him, or talk to him, or get acquainted with him.

I was the only one that really could have an opportunity to talk to him, and that was when we were going from room to room, side by side, in the dorm. It was quite an experience.

O TIMOTHY: The denomination you were involved with then was what?

POHL: Apostolic Church of Pentecost of Canada, Incorporated.

O TIMOTHY: Okay. Now, he would have the meetings and then have a healing line right before he went into the dorm?

POHL: Right, right. There was always the preaching meeting, and then the healing line, the prayer line, and then of course, I took him into the dorm, to go to all the stretcher cases, and so forth.

O TIMOTHY: Now, did many claim to be healed, or did it seem that many were healed in the meeting?

POHL: In the meetings? Ah, yes, there were those that claimed to be healed, and there were those people that thought they saw healings, or thought they saw miracles. But, when you were on the inside, you saw that some of those things that were supposed to be miracles, were not miracles at all. From the outside, you would think that something had really happened; but having been right close to Branham, and working right with him, I discovered that a lot of those supposed healings or miracles were really not miracles after all.

O TIMOTHY: Okay. As you took him through the dorm, he prayed for different individuals. What did he say during those encounters with the individuals?

POHL: Well, one of the things he did was to take the hand of the person, and quite often I heard him say that the angel that gave him this gift told him that to identify certain diseases—and he would speak of cancer very much—there are vibrations that he felt on his hand that indicate that this person has cancer. So he would take the patient’s hand and hold it. He would say, "Yes, the vibrations tell me that you have cancer." Then he’d say something like this, "We’re going to pray for you, that the Lord will heal you." And he proceeded to do this. Then he went on, and when he was through praying, he would take that hand again or else he would hold the hand throughout the prayer, and he would say, "The vibrations are gone. The cancer is dead. You are healed."

And the person would rejoice, of course; so would I. I thoroughly believed in Branham, I thought he was God’s man and so forth, and we wanted to see people healed. So [supposedly] the cancer was dead, and we were happy about this.

But then he had a little added statement there, and that was something like this, "Now, just keep on trusting the Lord. You’re healed. Don’t loose your faith in the Lord. Just keep your faith and trust the Lord, and you’re healed." He said, "You’re going to be sick for a while. You’re going to be quite sick for a few days." Quite often he referred to three days. "You’re going to be very sick for three days."

The people often asked, "Well, what do you mean, Brother Branham? If I’m healed, why should I be sick?"

He said, "The cancer, the cancerous growth which is now dead inside your body has to be carried out by the blood stream. And it’s waste material; it has to be carried out; it’s poison material, and so you’ll be sick for quite awhile until that is carried away."

But what happened then was this: that in the meantime the people wouldn’t worry about it.

They’d say, "Well, that’s what Branham said would happen. I’m healed."

But this went on, till some of these people got sicker and sicker and died.

So he had an out. By this time he was gone [from that place].

O TIMOTHY: Right. So there were many that he proclaimed healed?

POHL: Yes, yes. Practically every one as I recall, standing beside these various bedsides—practically everyone was pronounced healed. But the tragedy is that so many of those died after Branham was gone. So there was something wrong.

He also said, "Don’t let your faith fail." In other words he emphasized that point. "Don’t let your faith fail." And his out was this, I’m sure, that when they died, well, "Their faith failed."

It wasn’t his faith, it was their faith. In other words, it was the patient’s faith, which I don’t see that in Scripture. When the Lord healed people, they were healed. And there wasn’t such a thing as "You’ll be sick for five days, or three days," and so, "don’t lose your faith." I don’t see that in Scripture.

O TIMOTHY: There was a newspaper that tried to investigate the healings. Can you tell me something about that? What were they able to confirm as far as healings?

POHL: Yes, in Winnipeg. Branham came to Canada at that time and he preached at a number of Apostolic churches in Canada. The first church was the church of our moderator in Winnipeg, who brought him into Canada. And Mr.

Branham had his campaign there. Then he came later on to Saskatoon.

When the campaign was in progress in Winnipeg, the newspaper (one of the large city newspapers) was giving considerable coverage to the meetings, and they indicated that there were a lot of people healed. They were favorable to this church, and advertised it and gave news reports that quite a few people were healed. But later on that same editor sent out some reporters to check on some of these people that they had written up in the paper weeks before. [The reporters were] to check up and see whether these people who were supposedly healed at that time, were still healed, were still alive, or whatever.
And when these reporters went back, they discovered that these people had died, or were in the same state or in a worse state than they were before. So, the editor then put it in the paper that these cases had turned out to be phonies, and that these people weren’t healed after all. And there was something wrong with these so-called miracles and healings.

But when the pastor of the church saw these reports in the paper, he went to the editor rather disturbed and not very happy about the situation, and he confronted the editor: "Why do you do this to our church? You’re hurting the reputation of our church, and you shouldn’t do that to us."

And the editor said words something to this effect, "Well, pastor, if the healings are genuine, you don’t have to worry, do you?"

And I thought to myself later on when I heard this, well, that editor certainly had a lot of common sense, because if they’re genuine, why worry? If they’re not, well then they should be exposed—which is what the paper did.

And the editor said, "Pastor, we gave you good coverage when Mr. Branham was here." The pastor had to admit they did. "Now," he said, "we owe it to our people to give them the rest of the story." And he said, "That’s what we found." He said to the pastor, "I’ll tell you what I’ll do, if you can bring me one genuine case of a genuine healing, I’ll give you the front page."

And I was told right in that pastor’s home that they couldn’t find one.

O TIMOTHY: Not one?

POHL: Not one.

O TIMOTHY: I understand there was a radio pastor whose wife supposedly was healed, and also a man with four students in the college. Could you tell me about those two?

POHL: Oh, yes. Yes. The first one I would relate to is a man from a little place near Regina, Saskatchewan. He and his wife were staunch Christians in our denomination. Very fine family. They had four children, and they were all attending our Bible school at that time, in which I was on staff. We knew these children very well—such very fine children, and young people, and a very fine family.

One day during the healing campaign, the phone rang in our dorm and I answered it in our office there, and here was this man phoning from the airport. He’d flown his wife in from near Regina, and he said, "We’re here. We want Branham to pray for my wife. She’s dying of cancer. What shall we do?"

Well, I said, "Bring her down to the Bible school dorm." And he knew very well where that was. I said, "I’ll meet you at the south door, and we’ll put her in a room, and I’ll see that Branham prays for her."

Which he did, and after the meeting that night we proceeded to take Branham from room to room, and of course we had her in mind very much. And we brought him into her room, and the husband was there, too. Branham prayed for her and pronounced her healed.

Well, there was great rejoicing on the part of all of us. We really were rejoicing that the Lord had healed this woman. [We were rejoicing] for the sake of the whole family. He had given them this story, of course, that "she’s still going to be sick, though she’s healed; she’s going to feel pretty bad." So, they flew back as soon as they could. They wouldn’t stay around. We didn’t have the facilities to take care of sick people there. There was just a dormitory, and so they went back as soon as they could.

About 10 to 14 days later, in that time frame, I was sitting in the office in the Bible school. Branham was gone; the meetings were over. The door opened to the main building, and I could hear footsteps, then a knock on the office door. In came this gentleman. Of course I recognized him immediately, but I saw that his face was very downcast; he was really under pressure and a heavy burden. So I invited him to sit down, and I said, "Brother," I said, "what’s on your heart?" And he said, "Brother Pohl, you were standing beside my wife when she was sick in one of the rooms in the dorm. Mr. Branham prayed for her, and he pronounced her healed."

I said, "Yes, I was right there." He said, "Tell me, how is it that my wife who was healed ten days ago, [somewhere in that time frame], is now in the grave?" He said, "Tell me, how that can be?"
Well, it really hit him hard, and it hit me hard too, because that’s the first I heard that she had died. We hadn’t heard that she had died. So here he was all broken up and he wanted an explanation. What could I tell him? I think that’s one of the hardest questions I’ve ever had to answer in my life. Why is she dead, if she was healed? And I was witness. He couldn’t figure this out, a very fine Christian, and I felt for him.

To this day I don’t know what I said, but I know we wept together and we prayed together. I could have said this: "Brother, your faith failed, or your wife’s faith failed."

What help would I have been to him? I mean, that’s a terrible thing to do.

I wouldn’t dare say that to him, to anyone. He was broken. He had enough to burden him down at this stage without saying, "Your faith failed you." That was the wrong thing to say, so I didn’t say it.

I could have said that, because that’s the feeling behind a lot of these cases. The healer will say, well "Your faith failed, and it’s not my fault."

But, I don’t see that that is the case in Scripture either—where people’s faith failed, and they lost their healing after God healed, or the Lord healed them, or the Apostles healed them. So, it’s ridiculous.

Anyway, he left then, and of course we prayed for him, and so on. But it really was a difficult blow to this man and his family.

Then the other party was—I recall so well—was a pastor from Port Arthur, Ontario, which is now called Thunderbay, Ontario. (They combined two cities, Port Arthur and Port William.]

This man was a Pentecostal pastor, had a radio broadcast and, I understand, quite a sizable church. He flew his wife in and the nurse to Saskatoon which was quite a trip—quite costly. And again I had the phone call from the airport and placed them in a room there eventually in the dorm. And when the meeting was over, and the prayer line was over in the church, I brought Branham into the dorm and he prayed for this lady as well. He prayed also for the nurse. The nurse was deaf. He prayed for her healing, and claimed that she was healed. He also claimed that the pastor’s wife was healed of cancer.

Well, there was great rejoicing. Let me tell you, we rejoiced together, because I thoroughly believed in Branham all this time, I thought he was just ... just it. He was God’s man. We rejoiced together, and then Branham left. And the husband (the pastor) said to me, "Now, Brother Pohl," he said, "I’ve spent thousands of dollars to try to get help for my wife, on doctors, and this and that and the other, medicines." He said, "I really can’t afford it, but here"—and he wrote out a sizable check. He said, "I can’t afford it, but Branham is worth it." He said, "My wife is healed."

He took Branham at his word. See, it wasn’t anything else; he just believed Branham. And here was this sizable check. He said, "Give it to Branham." Which I did, the next day.

Later on, about three, four weeks later, I left for Ontario. I was missionary secretary of our denomination, and I visited some of our churches in Ontario. And in the process of visiting our churches, I came to Port Arthur, Port William. We had a church in Port William, and one of the first things I did when I got to Port William was to ask the pastors, "What about pastor so and so in Port Arthur?" I named him. I said, "How’s his wife doing?" I said, "She was healed in the meetings in Saskatoon."

And I saw a strange look that came over their faces as I asked that question. And I thought in my heart, "Oh, no, not another one." Just like the family I was telling you about in Saskatoon, from Regina. And I said in my heart, "No, not another one."

And they said, "Haven’t you heard, haven’t you heard? She’s dead. She passed away."

Well that was another blow to me, because I began to realize that something was wrong with this kind of healing. This was counterfeit; something was drastically wrong. Of all people, here was a pastor who loved the Lord and served the Lord, and, you know, why did this happen? Did his faith fail?

Did his wife’s faith fail? He had a whole church behind him. But no, she passed away.

I was told that the worst thing was that this man (the pastor) had a very good radio broadcast in the area. He went on the air as soon as he got home, and he announced that they had been to Saskatoon to the Branham meetings and had wonderful meetings there, and there were many healings, and amongst them his wife was gloriously healed in those meetings.

I’m sure that many people rejoiced, were happy to hear that. But, it wasn’t very long after that, a few days later, he had to get on the same radio station and mention the fact that his wife had passed away. And I was told that that gave his radio program a severe blow and setback, because the world at large—I mean they think too, they’re not stupid—here one day she was gloriously healed, and a few days later she’s dead. You know, this doesn’t add up.
We had more of those cases—these are just two exceptional ones—but there were others that passed away. I stood beside bed after bed, person after person who was pronounced healed and yet, where were they? They passed away. So there was something very wrong with this type of healing.




http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/branham.htm

[Time2Sow]

O TIMOTHY: In the meetings inside the main auditorium, Branham mentioned his angel different times, you said. Could you tell me about the incident with the spots on the hand, and then the secret words that he mentioned?

POHL: Oh, yes. This happened in the church, in one of the prayer lines, the healing lines. I was standing right beside Branham, beside his left arm, and our moderator was standing on his right hand. And we were helping him with these people coming by, praying with them and so on.

And in one case, Branham took the hand of a man, grabbed his hand and then lifted it up in the air and showed the back of his hand toward the audience. And he said this, "The angel that gave me this gift,"—he talked quite a bit about that angel that gave him the gift—"told me that in (a certain sickness—I forget which it was) spots will appear on the back of my hand."

And as he held this man’s hand out and showed the back of his hand toward the audience, he said, "Folks, can you see the spots on my hand?"

Would you believe hands went up all over that auditorium and even in the back of the auditorium (people were standing; the place was jammed). And in the balcony way back there you could hardly see his hand, let alone see spots on his hand. It was way back there, and people had their hands up!

Back there in the gallery, and the balcony, and way at the back at the door. They could see spots! It was just something else, and I said to myself, "How can these people see those spots?"

They could hardly see his hand, you know, it’s too far away. But people were holding up their hands. It was amazing. And I when I think back to this now, it seems to have been a form of mass hypnotism. People see what they want to see; they wanted to see spots, because they believed in Branham, and there they were and they could all see spots.

Excepting two of us. First of all, myself. I was standing right beside him. I was touching him, shoulder to shoulder. And I looked, and for the life of me I couldn’t see any spots. There were no spots.

And you know how I resolved that little problem? I said to myself, "Look, all these people can see spots. And I can’t. There’s something wrong with me. They can’t all be out of tune with God. I’m the one that’s backslidden." And I said to myself, "I’m going to talk to you later," and "there’s something wrong with you."

Really, I was so sincere about this thing. I believed in Branham so much that I felt I was out of step with God. And so I said, "Okay, I’m going to talk to myself later."

And then the healing went on, and the prayer line ended finally, and I led Branham into the dorm again, and into the various rooms. When it was all over, I came back into church and here were quite a few people yet, visiting, standing around. It was quite an exciting time. And lo and behold, the moderator, who stood on the other side of Branham that night, said, "Brother Pohl, I want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

He said, "You were standing right beside Branham tonight when he held up this man’s hand, and people could see spots."

And then that thought came back to me, "Oh, yeah, that’s right. I was the one that didn’t see the spots."

So, I said, "Yes, I was right there. And you were on the other side on the right."

He said, "Tell me, did you see any spots on the back of his hand?" And I said, "No, I didn’t see any spots." He said, "I didn’t either. I didn’t either. And we were right there."
He said, "Tell me something. How is it that you and I who were standing right beside him couldn’t see the spots, and all those people back there, way back there, could see spots?"

Well, how do you answer that? He was our moderator. That made me feel so much better, because I found out that he was backslidden too, and not me only, see what I mean! I had felt I had been backslidden because I couldn’t see those spots. But here’s our moderator.

"We’re in trouble; our moderator’s backslidden, too, huh?"

That’s how I reasoned. So I felt much better because I knew I wasn’t the only one, that our brother moderator couldn’t see any spots either. And I thought, "Well, there’s something wrong here, there’s something wrong with this whole procedure."

Alright, that’s the one thing, and then we came to the last meeting. The last meeting was in the Saskatoon arena. We were crowded out in the church, it was just packed. We couldn’t get the people in. So the last Sunday afternoon we had rented the arena downtown. I think there were approximately three thousand people there. And I’m sure there were people from all over and from every part of the spectrum of Saskatoon.

He preached of course, Branham preached, and [there was] a long prayer line, very long. There were scores of people that wanted to be prayed for.

So Branham was getting pretty tired, praying for one after the other. And he was trying to cast a deaf and dumb spirit out of this woman. He prayed and nothing happened. At least to him, nothing happened. And then we just waited a bit, and then he said, "Folks," he said, "I want every eye closed this time. I’m going to pray again. We want this woman healed." He said, "I want every eye closed." And he said, "I can’t do this unless every eye is closed."

At this time I was standing right in front of Branham with the person he was praying for between us ... Branham on the little platform there and the person between us he was praying for. I was, say, six feet from Branham, five or six feet from him.

And while I was waiting for him to finish up praying for this lady, he asked the people, "Please close your eyes." He was going to pray for her the second time, which he did. And once again he said, "This woman can’t be healed like this. Somebody is still looking." He said, "I want every eye closed."

Now I thought the reason was in reverence to God, respect to God, wanting prayer answered, and so on; but here he came out with something else. "The reason that I want every eye closed is that the angel that gave me this gift gave me some words that I must say to cast off this deaf and dumb spirit; and I’m not suppose to reveal those words to any human being."

He said, "The reason I ask you to close your eyes is so you will not read my lips when I say those words."

Well, you know, when he said that—and I’m right in front of him, no mistaking, I heard this; I was so close to him.; I wasn’t way back in the audience, or anything; I’m right there—I said to myself, "Wait a minute.

What is this?"

Publicly he said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I command thee, thou foul, deaf and dumb spirit, come out of this woman." You know, he said it really loud, and with authority, but in the name of Jesus Christ. But that didn’t do it. Obviously there was something else that was needed. And under his breath he said—well, you name it, whatever it was, something like "hocus, pocus", something that was given to him that was superior to the name of Jesus Christ, in his line of thinking.

This is what the angel told him. And this is the only thing that would do the job.

Well, when he said that, that just hit me so hard. I said to myself, "There’s something wrong here. Is there anything greater than the name of Jesus Christ?" What can be greater? To me, the name of Jesus Christ is all powerful, it is the authority, the final authority. There’s nothing greater. And here he had something else that was greater. The name of Jesus Christ didn’t do it; he had to go resort to some other statements, some hocus pocus stuff that did the job.

Well, immediately I said within myself that this is occultism, this is spiritism, this is witchcraft, this is not Christian. It can’t be. If the name of Jesus Christ doesn’t do it, then it’s something else. And that’s what it was. So I became very suspicious.

And when people began to die one after another—people whose beds I had stood beside, and he had pronounced them healed—I said to myself, "Well, that just proves these healings were fake. They’re not genuine. This is not in the name of Christ."

He was deceiving the people with the name of Jesus Christ, but underneath his breath there was something else. And he didn’t want us to read his lips. Now I never looked. I don’t think I could read his lips anyway, I’m not even used to doing that. He was so careful that nobody would read lips.
O TIMOTHY: Maybe at this point someone would be convinced that William Branham was a deceiver, but they might be thinking that maybe he was a small off-beat character in the Pentecostal movement, and maybe this was an isolated sort of incident and not very widespread. What would you say about that?

POHL: No, Branham was well known. I don’t know how many places he visited in total, but I know some of the men who accompanied him in the meetings.

He had two men with him, besides his younger brother, and they would tell us fabulous stories of great miracles that happened here, there, and everywhere in the States. I also understand that he was over in Africa and had a great ministry over there. Branham is well-known yet in many parts of our country. I don’t know about in the States, but I know just last week we heard of two churches right here in southern British Columbia that are Branhamite churches.

And I had a letter from a man just last week from Saskatchewan, and he said his relatives are into Branhamite teaching, and they are linked to a Branham church, and he said he’s having such a problem because they are trying to influence his teenage children to become Branhamites. Now, that’s in Saskatchewan. And he said, "Have you got any literature, any more literature, any help that I could turn to?" He said, "We need something like that."

There are several other churches in Saskatchewan that I know of, and I know there are two right here in Southern B.C. There is also a church up at White Horse, in the Yukon. I had some people come down to see me in order to talk to me about Branham from up there. I had to do some counseling with a young couple from up there. It’s not just an isolated thing. His tapes and his books are very well circulated, very well. I’ve met people all over the place that are Branhamites. Had them even attend my meetings.

O TIMOTHY: I understand Branham was also widely accepted by charismatic leaders and is still well-known as a famous charismatic healer.

POHL: Yes, I know our denomination accepted him; I can’t figure out why they didn’t get wise to it; they should have. Our moderator should have recognized it when he couldn’t see the spots, and I couldn’t see them. He should have recognized there’s something wrong. He should have recognized, too, when he dealt with the editor of the newspaper in Winnipeg, when he couldn’t produce one genuine case. But still, even after that he let Branham go through our churches throughout western Canada.

To me, it was ridiculous. That’s another thing that made me leave the denomination, because I said that I cannot stay in a denomination that is dishonest like that. That isn’t honesty.

The moderator knew that something was wrong, but he didn’t do a thing about it. The only thing I could do, then, was to get out. That’s why we left the denomination. ...

Strangely enough, a missionary who is working in a radio station in France came to see me in Three Hills and wanted all the information I could give him on Branham. I said, "Why?" Well, he said, "We get letters from North Africa,"—it’s a Christian radio station—"and people are writing about Branham. We get converts over there, and we don’t know what we’re dealing with."

He said, "There’s nothing on Branham in books or anything like that." He said, "Give us all the help you can. I understand you were working with Branham in the healing campaign and know a little bit about him."

So I gave him all I could, but at that time there were no books on Branham. Now there is. There is a book now, that has come out in the last eight or ten years, quite a sizable book, and it’s good. It comes out of Saskatoon.

This man wrote about Branham, and he quotes from my book as well, and he gets some very good information that people can use now, and I’ve been mailing that book out. In fact I sold one last week to some other people that have been involved with Branham right here in southern B.C. I’ve distributed a lot of those books already. There’s another little pamphlet now that I’ve gotten hold of, two little pamphlets, in fact, that I’m also distributing. ...

O TIMOTHY: I think it’s common knowledge that the charismatic healers like Kathryn Kuhlman, Oral Roberts, and John Wimber have a very, very low success rate, to say the least. I think that’s common knowledge. What do you think the problem is here? Men are claiming to be healing, and we see that in the Bible there were healings, that God healed. Do you think God is not working among men today, or what’s the problem?

POHL: Well, I believe God heals. I still have a personal belief that God heals because I have seen healings—not a large amount, but I have seen some genuine healings. But I don’t claim to have the gift of healing. I just pray for people according to James 5. I believe that’s the order for the church today. I believe the gift of healing was given in the early church and was largely something that was a credential for the Lord himself and for the apostles. That was their credentials for the fact—in the case of Jesus Christ—that he was the Messiah. And in the case of the Apostles, that they were the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Christ had laid the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20), and the Apostles finished building on that foundation. They had their credentials, as Paul says in 2 Cor. 12:12 that "the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all power and signs and wonders."

What are the signs of an Apostle? I believe these signs, wonders, and miracles, were their credentials, the apostolic credentials. And that’s why many of these things were done in the early church, as the credentials of their authority under Christ.

Alright. Today, though, we have this teaching that everybody can do signs, wonders, and miracles, or nearly everybody, that these gifts are still very prevalent in the church. There are all kinds of people who claim to have the gift of healing and so on. But are they genuine?

To answer your question, I say they are not. These are not the gifts of healing, these are not genuine. Real genuine gifts of healing were there for Christ and the Apostles, as their credential signs. But today these are not Apostles. And they don’t need these credentials as Apostles, because they aren’t Apostles.

Sure, they can pray for people according to James 5, and they can be healed if the Lord so wills, but it doesn’t mean that there’s going to be a lot of healing, just a great deal of healings going on as in the days of Christ because those are there as credential signs for the early church.

So today you have some healings that are done by people who claim to have the gift of healing, but who don’t really have the gift, and in most cases they don’t heal people anyway. They’re not genuine healers.

Some healings are temporary. I think a lot of that has to do with psychological side of it. Some people claim to be healed, you know, in the excitement of a healing meeting, [and they] throw away their crutches, but in a short while they’ll need crutches again. In excitement, psychologically you can do some strange things. Strange things can happen, but it’s not lasting.

I don’t think anybody has the gift of healing today. And I think that’s proven by the fact that the percentage [of sicknesses which are healed] is so very low.
[It is also true that] some people are healed in spite of the healer. Now, if I’m really sincere before God, and I look beyond the healer, and I’m trusting the Lord to heal me, then the miracle can happen in spite of the healer. And I think there are some cases like that. I’m not a bit surprised that that happens, because God does answer faith.

Not like Branham said—I remember him saying this to one man in the healing line one night in Saskatoon—"Do you believe that the angel gave me this gift?" To me, that was a very unfair question. Here the man had been in that long healing line, and he finally got to Branham, and he wanted to be prayed for and healed. And now he’s confronted with this question: "Do you believe that the angel gave me this gift?" What could the man say? If he said, "No," Branham wouldn’t have prayed for him. So what did he do? In front of all these people he said, "Yes." You understand? But how could he know? There was no way that he knew that an angel met Branham. He’s only taking Branham at his word.

"Do you believe an angel gave me this gift?"

Well, "Yes," he said, then Branham prayed for him. But that’s ridiculous. He was having faith in Branham’s word, not in the Bible. It wasn’t the Lord. He was looking to a man. And that’s why I think so many people were not healed, because they just depended on Branham, because Branham was a healer. [And this is true] whoever the healer is. There was something wrong there. No wonder there were very few people healed.

O TIMOTHY: We appreciate very much, Brother Pohl, that you have shared the experiences with us about William Branham. Again we want to recommend the book you have written, 17 Reasons Why I Left The Tongues Movement.

[Elizabeth_S]

In reference to the title, what do you think? I find it difficult to believe that so many thousands of people would fake being healed, or lie about their former conditions to back up their abilities to move around, hear, etc. Again, what do you guys think?
I have a really good friend who took her hubby to one of Benny Hinn's "healing fests".

Benny Hinn made sure that no one he had already not screened got near him asking for a healing, his bodyguards pushed her and her now blind husband away, like they were trash getting near Benny. He gets no respect from me, she really believed in his abilities.

I wish I had known she was going to do that, I would have told her to not go, he is a fake, wolf in sheep's clothing.

He is a fake, a charlatan, or he would be in the hospitals healing children with cancer, healing blind people, healing those who are lame.

None of his healings have been proven, NONE of them.

[Carlosabc]

I remember watching a healing from Benny Hinn on TV. The lady was 'healed' of something ( I forgot what it was) and with big eyes she said: "I didn't believe this would happen"

Benny was silent for a few seconds and went on with his program. I'll never forget that.

[Gail 55]

at the risk of being-tin hated, tar and feathered and run out of town, I will stick my neck out and tell this tale. At the church I go to we have an x-preacher,his 17 year old grandson and other family. Grandson had some un-curable eye trouble and they all went to a Benny Hinn. crusade, well he got healed and now 4 years later he is still healed. They had doctors check this out. It was true he was healed. What I think happened in his case was- he goes on mission trips, our preacher lets him speak at chrch. Whenhe gets out of school ,he wants to be a preacher. I think God had plans for this young man and HE healed him NOT BENNY HINN.He gives God the credit and not B.H. I know the young man and know this to be a true story. I guess sometimes God can even use people like B. H. to work his will. I dont like B.H. "s teachings or his ways BUTTTT----???????? I dont really know what to make of this.

[Patty T]

You hit the nail right on the head Gail. God healed this young man.

[ginnae]

I was flipping through channels last night and caught a few minutes of Benny's crusade in Ok City. ANyway, he people come up on stage and tell him how they were healed that night. First lady, you could believe.. Then of course Benny took each one in her group by the chin and pushed them down. The second they were down, he was yelling at his catchers to get them up.
Next lady comes up on stage in a pink jogging suit and starts jogging back and forth across the stage. Said she had cerebal palsy and barely could walk before. Now everyone was dressed nice, but not her, someone who could barely walk would go to a crusade in a jogging outfit? Right there, to me, it seemed so staged. She wasn't as emotional as the first lady and the rest of her group just stood there. Of course Benny had to end this by grabbing each one on the chin and pushing them down, then demanding the catchers to immediately help them up ( why push them down in the first place?)
I just hate that pushing down stuff. Most of these people weren't even emotional in the Lord, they just were watching the people who were "supposebly healed" talk, then Benny comes over and knocks each one down. Makes no sense and seemed all staged too.
That's my 2 cents...

[SuzyQ]

My feelings have always been, if any person can easily heal (as a gift from GOD) why hold crusades , walk into the hosiptals, go to Africa and heal those dying children, heal the elderly in nursing homes, walk onto psych units and heal mental illness.
A gift from GOD should be used to honor GOD, not used to line the pockets of man,
Praise you LORD for all the blessings you give to us.

[littleone]

Sure his healings are real. How dare anyone say otherwise! :mad
Now.... About that bridge I have for sale....... :rolleyes

Is it anywhere near the ocean front property in Arizona?

[savedandhappy1]

Nope Benny Hinn doesn't heal anyone. Nor does he claim to, but states that if you are healed to praise God for your healing.

So yes the hospital will still have business, but not because of the above. There are many reasons, and yes I believe lack of faith that you can be healed by God is one of them.

Kathy

[Becky]

Nope Benny Hinn doesn't heal anyone. Nor does he claim to, but states that if you are healed to praise God for your healing.

So yes the hospital will still have business, but not because of the above. There are many reasons, and yes I believe lack of faith that you can be healed by God is one of them.

KathyKathy, this didn't make any sense to me. Did you mean ..."yes I believe lack of faith that you can't be healed by God is one of them."?

So are you saying that people are sick because of their lack of faith in God? I just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly.

[prairiedog]

My feelings have always been, if any person can easily heal (as a gift from GOD) why hold crusades , walk into the hosiptals, go to Africa and heal those dying children, heal the elderly in nursing homes, walk onto psych units and heal mental illness.
A gift from GOD should be used to honor GOD, not used to line the pockets of man,
Praise you LORD for all the blessings you give to us.
:thumb :thumb :thumb
I read John & am currently reading Luke. Will read Acts next.
Now, I'm a little bit familiar with the stories within and from what I read/remember, Jesus nor His disciples strutted around a stage to do their faith healings. And none of them ever took the glory for themselves. It was all done through the Holy Spirit.
When the lady who had the issue of blood touched Jesus' garment, she had faith that would be all that is required...& it was.

I don't understand why the showmanship side of these crusades is even necessary. What ever happened to humility?

[sandy111]

Is it anywhere near the ocean front property in Arizona?


:pound you beat me to it....


Hinn is a fake......

its not real.....charletains have been around for a long long time.

I remember as a kid, we went to some crusade from some guy traveling thru town.....my mom caught what was going on.

they used the same people, this woman could'nt walk you know
the walker ect.....mom caught her walking just fine.

she sat and watched......

just a thought has anyone noticed to see who is falling down?
is there a lot of men going up there? or just wemon and children.

hinns a mesmorizer....pet you so you purr and out pops your money.

[kristine]

My mother was a friend and neighbor to a woman who was healed at a Benny Hinn crusade. I am NOT A FAN of Benny Hinn, btw. Anyway, she injured her back when she was a young woman. After 19 surgeries, she still did not find relief from her back problems. Throughout her life, she was only allowed to stand for 12 minutes at a time. She was in a wheelchair.

She attended a crusade in Kansas City and had a complete healing of her back. It was confirmed by a doctor in Lincoln, Ne. This woman was in her 70's when she was healed but was not healed of other serious medical problems ------ just her back.

I did attend a Benny Hinn Crusade and he made me MAD!!!! His stunts were such a gimic and I could not understand why people couldn't see right through it. One man fell off the stage when he was slain in the spirit and seriously injured. Benny's goons would not allow anyone to remove this man or get him help until it could be done so discreetly. How horrible is that?!!!? The poor man.

A woman was blind and in need in money (supposedly). She was ushering at the crusade and he invited her to come on stage. Did he attempt to pray for the healing of her blindness? NO! He just asked everyone to donate money so she could get out of serious debt. They collected over $15,000 in less than 10 minutes from the crowd. What a sham!!!

My mother's friend was healed by God --- not Benny Hinn. I believe that when a large group of believers are in one room in prayer, one can (occassionaly) have a healing by God. I don't know why, for sure --- only God knows.

[Mountain Girl]

When Dateline did the show on Benny Hinn, they were told by Hinn ministries they would give them a list of 200 names of people who have received healings while attending the Hinn crusades. But when it came down to it, they only gave them 5, and Dateline couldn't confirm that even one of the five had received a healing.

[CountryBumpkin]

I have a dear friend that went to a Hinn meeting last year when he came over here. She wanted healing of a heart problem for herself and took a child with her who has a birthmark covering half her face.
Before she went I told her what I thought about Hinn but she was undeterred.
A week after she went I asked her about it and she said that the little girl did not get healed and she is still awaiting her healing. Sad thing is that she still will not hear anything against Benny Hinn and puts it down to her lack of faith.

[savedandhappy1]

Kathy, this didn't make any sense to me. Did you mean ..."yes I believe lack of faith that you can't be healed by God is one of them."?

So are you saying that people are sick because of their lack of faith in God? I just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly.

Becky,

Sorry about the misunderstanding above. Yes, I believe some people are not healed because of their lack of faith. I will point out I said some. As I said before there are some who are healed on earth, and some who are not healed till heaven. It has nothing to do with Benny Hinn or anyone else, but God.

I have given scriptures I believe on this site which plainly state that the person was healed because of their faith. If it wasn't this site then let me know and I will put them here.

I don't believe God makes anyone sick, but if like Job God is using an illness for some reason then yes, God might let them remain sick for awhile or for the time that they are here on earth.

What I have tried to get understood here is I believe faith plays a part in some of it. I believe each case would be different because of what the Lord could be trying to make happen in us or whoever. To say every healing is fake I will not do. We do not know their heart or what God has planned for them. Do I believe Benny Hinn heals anyone, no.

Do I believe that some people need to go to a meeting like his to get heal, yes and no. Yes, because mentally they think they do. No, because you don't have to be at a meeting like that to be healed by God.

Do I think that by faith we could be doing more today then we are with the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us, yes I do. I believe the bible tells us that anything is possible with my Lord.

Kathy

[hopehome]

I don't even think Benny is a Christian.

[savedandhappy1]

I don't even think Benny is a Christian.


Only God knows his heart, we don't, and the truth of the matters is we should be praying for him one way or the other. If he doesn't know Christ as his Saviour, then we should pray. If he does and has been deceived, then we should pray.

We need to do more praying, and alot less gossiping. IMHO


Kathy

[sandy111]

Only God knows his heart, we don't, and the truth of the matters is we should be praying for him one way or the other. If he doesn't know Christ as his Saviour, then we should pray. If he does and has been deceived, then we should pray.

We need to do more praying, and alot less gossiping. IMHO


Kathy

people need to know the truth.

[bopeep1909]

No,the healings on Bennny Hinn's show are not valid.<><

[blitzkreig]

I have never seen a Benny Hinn "show". We don't get TBN where we live. We don't get any religious programing really ...

Benny must be about the great biggest embarrassment to Christianity that there is ...

He certainly does more damage than any atheist organization could ...

.

[savedandhappy1]

people need to know the truth.


Sounds like gossip to me.

bybopeep1909 No,the healings on Bennny Hinn's show are not valid.<><

And you can show me proof where all the people who claimed to be healed in every crusade wasn't? Boy I want to see that.

byblitzkreig I have never seen a Benny Hinn "show". We don't get TBN where we live. We don't get any religious programing really ...

Benny must be about the great biggest embarrassment to Christianity that there is ...

He certainly does more damage than any atheist organization could ...

And that makes the Christians that watch him what? How does he do more damage? Are you one of those who believes that no one can really be saved at his crusades. Show me where in the Bible it says that if someone confesses, and repents at a crusade that maybe teaches false things can't be saved or for that fact healed. People have excepted Christ in bars, motel rooms, etc. are they not saved either?

Kathy

[blitzkreig]

And that makes the Christians that watch him what? How does he do more damage? Are you one of those who believes that no one can really be saved at his crusades. Show me where in the Bible it says that if someone confesses, and repents at a crusade that maybe teaches false things can't be saved or for that fact healed. People have excepted Christ in bars, motel rooms, etc. are they not saved either?

KathyOh good. Benny's motto could be "we're no worse than a bar or cheep motel room" ...

If you can't see that cheap fraud tricks like Benny's do harm to the Message, that is unfortunate.



.

[Elizabeth_S]

Sounds like gossip to me.
God says we are to expose the lies:
Ephesians 5:10-12 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.


10finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
That is biblical and so is pointing out who the false teachersz are. Gossip would be to say his hair is a cirme, or to talk about his personal habits. However, God has directed us to expose the liars, the charlatans, to warn others


And you can show me proof where all the people who claimed to be healed in every crusade wasn't? Boy I want to see that.

I believe that the Dateline story alone showed that there were no rpoven healings, and never has anything been documented


And that makes the Christians that watch him what? How does he do more damage? Are you one of those who believes that no one can really be saved at his crusades. Show me where in the Bible it says that if someone confesses, and repents at a crusade that maybe teaches false things can't be saved or for that fact healed. People have excepted Christ in bars, motel rooms, etc. are they not saved either?

Kathy
2 Peter 2:1-3 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Destructive Doctrines
False Teaching and False Teachers
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
If Benny HInn is one of the false teachers or prophets, then his end is not good and we are to know the difference, not sit in ignorance of God's word on wolves in sheep's clothing.

We are to not let false teachings liars to "slide" because someone doesn't want to "expose" truth.

[Elizabeth_S]

WE certainly can pray for them, but do not enable them.

[RaptureNewbie]

There are bound to be real healings from time to time with Benny filling in the gaps when there's not.

Hint: Benny is not healing them.. it's the genuine faith of those (healed) plus God's will that determines this. Someone not healed is either: A) not trusting in God enough/right-motive or B) trust God enough, but it's not God's will for them to be healed at that point in time.
c) A and B.

Benny is a showman and is doing more harm than good with his engineered performances he uses to fill in the gaps, to the notion of charismatic gifts being around today.

Healings do happen, but are not to be mear spectacles.. they serve a purpose, but are often overlooked.. as they are intended more importantly to advance someones Spiritual life - but such is not always the case unfortunately.

[LostSheep25]

Benny Sinn has never performed a confirmed healing. The only healings that take place only last until Benny leaves town.



:pound :pound

[LostSheep25]

or the only healing that takes place is when he leaves town

[sandy111]

Sounds like gossip to me.



And you can show me proof where all the people who claimed to be healed in every crusade wasn't? Boy I want to see that.



And that makes the Christians that watch him what? How does he do more damage? Are you one of those who believes that no one can really be saved at his crusades. Show me where in the Bible it says that if someone confesses, and repents at a crusade that maybe teaches false things can't be saved or for that fact healed. People have excepted Christ in bars, motel rooms, etc. are they not saved either?

Kathy

what is'nt gossip to you?

what you are saying is Not biblical.

the burden of proof of healings by hinn are on you...not the other way around.

People can accept Christ in bars ect, but I gaurentee you they wont stay there anymore.

I guess too when the bible tells us to beware of FP's thats gossip too.
and paul talking about alaxander who did him much harm was gossip.

[ToBpleasing]

Satan uses the Benny Hinn's to decieve the nonbelievers into not trusting christianity. Sometimes it's the will of God for a person not to be healed. Since only the Lord truly knows our hearts, only He knows what it will take to bring each of us to Him and what it will take to hold each of us near Him. I believe that sometimes He allows adversity and illness to get our attention, as well as to strengthen and mature us. When we are affected by one or the other, we need to ask Him 'what do you want me to learn or gain from this?'.
I think that if the technology and broadcast abilities that we have today, was existing back then when Christ Jesus took human form to save us, I truly believe that He would avoid those cameras like the plaque.
What do you'z guy'z think?

[Happy Heart]

I just want to thank Saved and Happy1 for providing the other side of the debate - it is not easy to be a lone voice - and may God bless you for it....we need to hear all voices I think.

Interesting reading though - so thanks all!

[savedandhappy1]

1. what is'nt gossip to you?

2. what you are saying is Not biblical.

3. the burden of proof of healings by hinn are on you...not the other way around.

4. People can accept Christ in bars ect, but I gaurentee you they wont stay there anymore.

5. I guess too when the bible tells us to beware of FP's thats gossip too.
and paul talking about alaxander who did him much harm was gossip.


1. What is gossip to me? Lets see, how about when people say that BH or anyone else isn't saved. Only God knows their heart.

2. Gossiping, what else would I mean?

3. Why is in on me I am not the one who is claiming the healing?

4. That is right we can accept Christ, anywhere. That is what I was saying. It is not right to say no can be saved at BH, JM, etc. crusades. BH, JM, etc. aren't the ones doing the saving it is Christ.

5. I didn't say that. Show me where I said that?

HAPPY Heart, Thank You!!


Kathy

[savedandhappy1]

Oh good. Benny's motto could be "we're no worse than a bar or cheep motel room" ...

If you can't see that cheap fraud tricks like Benny's do harm to the Message, that is unfortunate.




You know darn well what I was saying. People can get saved no matter where they are. It is the Holy Spirits calling and them accepting, confessing, repenting, etc. to Jesus that does the saving not any human.

Oh, so we do attack the person not the issue. Oh well!!!! I believe what I said was:

By SavedandHappy1) Are you one of those who believes that no one can really be saved at his crusades. Show me where in the Bible it says that if someone confesses, and repents at a crusade that maybe teaches false things can't be saved or for that fact healed. People have excepted Christ in bars, motel rooms, etc. are they not saved either?



Kathy