Secular and religious commentators offer contradictory theories about coronavirus

I wasn't going to post anything about coronavirus, but I've seen a few items that are too good to pass on. Whenever a plague makes the news, it's only a matter of time before conspiracy theories spring up, and the current coronavirus outbreak is no exception. The explanations, unsurprisingly, are in line with the biases of those offering them.

Cliff Kincaid, a conservative Roman Catholic columnist with News with Views, believes that the coronavirus outbreak is a Chinese government plot against U.S. President Donald Trump:

Chinese Reds Set a Trap for Trump

February 29th, 2020

President Trump is in a difficult situation. If he were to disclose circumstantial evidence that the coronavirus virus is a Chinese bioweapon, there would be calls for retaliation against the Communist regime. Such a declaration could lead to more fear, the threat of war, and perhaps a global economic collapse. As it is, the virus is causing a market meltdown. He does not want to contribute to a panic and further collapse.

Politically, his reelection hangs in the balance...

Trump Has Been Sabotaged by the Medical Deep State

March 9th, 2020

The Chinese virus has been treated as just a natural occurrence or unfortunate incident that necessitates that we have to cede more power over our lives to what critics have long called the Medical Deep State. Under pressure from a foreign threat, President Trump has relied on these health care “professionals.” But the result has been stories from the Washington Post about “How the Trump administration lost control of the coronavirus crisis” and the New York Times about how “The Coronavirus Is Coming for Trump’s Presidency.” This is the new narrative designed to bring down Trump.

The President has another option: put the military in charge of the coronavirus response and move quickly to a war footing with Communist China, the source of the outbreak...

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities are claiming that the coronavirus outbreak is a plot by Mr. Trump against Iran, as reported by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz of Breaking Israel News, March 8, 2020 (links in original):

Fatemah Rahbar, a member of Iran’s parliament representing the capital city of Tehran, died on Saturday from Covid-19. Rahbar, age 55, was the second member of parliament and the seventh Iranian leader to die from the coronavirus.

The Iranian leadership has been hard-hit by the coronavirus. Rahbar, age 55, was the second member of parliament and the seventh Iranian leader to die from the coronavirus.At least 23 members of Iran’s 290-member “Majlis” or parliament have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to Iran’s Deputy Parliament Speaker Abdul Reza Misri. This includes the deputy health minister and one of the vice presidents. This figure represents about 8% of Iran’s government. One week after elections for the parliament, the government suspended open parliamentary sessions indefinitely.

On Saturday, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced on a televised news conference that there had been 21 new deaths and 1,076 new cases of coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 145 dead and 5,823 infected in Iran. He emphasized that 1,669 of the confirmed cases recovered from the illness.

“More than 16,000 people are currently hospitalized as suspect cases,” Jahanpour said during a televised news conference.

The government has taken serious measures to combat the spread of the pandemic. Iran temporarily released 54,000 prisoners from overcrowded jails. Mohammad Ja’far Montazeri, Iran’s prosecutor general, said on Sunday that hoarding or disrupting the supply of healthcare items could entail punishments as severe as the death penalty. Hassan Norouzi, the spokesman for the parliament’s legal and judicial committee, told the Tehran Times that the government had instituted a 3-year jail sentence for those who spread fake news or rumors about coronavirus in the country.

China, the epicenter of the outbreak, has so far reported 80,651 cases, of which 3,070 were fatal.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed U.S. economic sanctions for the toll the pandemic is taking on his country. President Trump “is maliciously tightening US’ illegal sanctions with the aim of draining Iran’s resources needed in the fight against #COVID-19 — while our citizens are dying from it” Zarif tweeted on Saturday.

The Iranian Student’s News Agency (ISNA) reported that Gen. Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that the coronavirus may be the product of an “American biological invasion.”

“Today the country is engaged in a biological battle,” Salami said. “[The coronavirus] is American biological invasion that first spread to China and then to Iran and other parts of the world, and the United States knows that it did that.”

“America should know that this virus will return to it if it was behind it,” said Salami.

Iranian civil defense chief Gholam Reza Jalali echoed this accusation. Without naming the United States as the culprit, Reza said, that a “biological attack has been launched against China and Iran with economic goals.”

Religious commentators are also offering contradictory explanations of the reason for the plague. An Israeli Rabbi blames sodomite pride parades, as reported by Mr. Berkowitz in Breaking Israel News, March 9, 2020:

At a speech at his yeshiva (Torah learning institution) on Saturday night, Rabbi Meir Mazuz, a leading Sephardic Haredi rabbi in Israel, blamed the spread of the coronavirus to Israel on the gay “pride” parades in Israel.

“This pride parade is a parade against nature, and anyone who does something against nature, the one who created nature takes revenge on him. When you do things against nature, you place your hand in fire and pray that the fire doesn’t burn you, it burns you! Here they are doing [something] against nature in impertinence, the pride parade, what are you proud of?” Mazuz was quoted as saying by Israel HaYom.

Israel has reported 39 cases of the novel coronavirus in the country as of Monday morning.

The rabbi also claimed that the Arab countries have not been hit by the coronavirus because they are strictly against homosexuality.

He addressed the outbreak of the virus in Iran, the hardest-hit country outside of China. Though not an Arab country, Iran is strictly Shia Muslim and criminalizes homosexual activity. In his speech, Rabbi Mazuz blamed Iran’s outbreak on their “hatred of Israel.”

Rabbi Mazuz has blamed other tragedies on Israel’s acceptance of homosexuality. In November 2015 he claimed gay pride parades and other forms of “sinful behavior” were the reason terrorists murdered Eitam and Naama Henkin the previous month.

It should also be noted that the rabbi inaccurately predicted last month that the coronavirus would infect every country in the world but would not arrive in Israel.

In his recent speech, Rabbi Mazuz suggested that the holiday of Purim contained a cure for the coronavirus.

“If you pray for rain, the harsh judgment of the corona will also be cancelled. It is recommended that on the eve of Purim you also read the sections of the Torah describing the Temple service of the incense while praying for the plague to be dispersed.”

Laura Densmore of Hebraic Heritage Ministries and Bridge Connector Ministries, however, blames the outbreak on President Trump's Middle East peace plan, which proposes to divide Israel. As she states in Breaking Israel News, March 9, 2020 (bold, links in original):

I open this article with a question and then I want to examine the facts on the ground with you. Then you can come to your own conclusions.

The question I pose is this: Are we experiencing consequences from the God of Israel (the Corona pestilence and the Nashville tornado) due to America’s push for the “Deal of the Century” proposal to divide the land of Israel?

Now let’s look at the evidence and the facts on the ground together.

Here is a general principle in the bible. The God of Israel would often bring judgment upon the children of Israel through natural disasters, plagues, wars, and famines. These events don’t happen “serendipity” by chance or coincidence. Instead, these events are often associated to sin. There is sin in the camp and so the God of Israel gives “push back” in the form of a judgment. There are consequences to the sin. There is a “measure for measure” dynamic going on here. In other words, when the people “sew” sin, they reap judgment from God.

Bill Koenig of Watch.org has done a masterful job of tracking these consequences for attempting to divide the land of Israel in his book, Eye to Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel.

Keep this in mind: the purpose of the judgment from God is that He wants to see His people repent, turn away from their sin and return to HIM and to His word.

Now, let me be clear. I am a strong Trump supporter. He has done a lot of good for our nation in rebooting our economy, in bringing jobs back to America and getting America back to work. He has done a lot of good in recalibrating our international trade deals in America’s favor. He has done a lot of good for Israel in moving the US embassy back to Jerusalem and in declaring that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the state of Israel. I strongly support Trump and I am one of his biggest fans!

But in this one area, the “Deal of the Century”, I believe our President and Jared Kushner have missed the mark. They are looking at the problem from a pragmatic, reason and logic based perspective. But they have missed the spiritual perspective.

The Trump team took time to ask for everyone’s input on the peace plan: the Saudis, the Jordanians, the Palestinians, the Israelis, the Egyptians, the EU and the US. But they forgot to consult with the God of Israel to see what HE says about dividing the land of Israel:

For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will also gather all nations,
And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will enter into judgment with them there
On account of My people, My heritage Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations;
They have also divided up My land. Joel 3:1-2

The covenant that the God of Israel made with Abraham and his descendants to give them the land of Israel is eternal and everlasting. To go against that covenant is sure to bring down judgment upon any nation that “wields the knife” to cut/divide Israel.
Sadly, I believe that is what we are now seeing with the spread of the Corona virus.

I believe that the Corona virus is something that God has allowed as a judgment.
It came upon us in a BIG WAY just days after the Trump Peace plan (to divide the land of Israel) was announced.

Trump’s Peace plan to divide the land of Israel to make a Palestinian state was unveiled on 1.28.20:

Revealed: Trump’s “Deal of the Century” map for a future Palestine, Israel

Within three days, on Feb 2, 2020, Trump had to shut USA borders to travelers from China due to Corona virus:

Trump: US has shut down Corona virus from coming in from China

DO YOU NEED MORE EVIDENCE THAT THE GOD OF ISRAEL IS BRINGING DOWN JUDGMENT UPON THE USA FOR THE “DEAL OF THE CENTURY” PEACE PLAN?

Let’s connect two more data points of cause and effect that appear to be strongly connected to each other (kudos to Sara Ballenger for pointing this one out to me). On March 3, 2020, we read this headline:

At AIPAC, Trump’s Israel envoy Friedman pushes the peace plan.

And I quote from the article:

“US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman gave a scathing and highly partisan speech at the AIPAC Policy Conference on Monday night, castigating the American left for opposing US President Donald Trump’s Israel policies and Mideast peace plan.”

How did the God of Israel feel about this “push” for the “Deal of the Century” plan to divide HIS land? While David Friedman was promoting the Deal of the Century plan at AIPAC, here is what happened in Nashville TN on the SAME DAY, March 3, 2020:

Nashville tornado damage includes destroyed airport, collapsed homes as death toll climbs.

I don’t think the God of Israel was very happy to hear more news about the dividing of His land!

However there is GOOD NEWS! Intercession and prayer can change the course of a judgment from the God of Israel!

Here are some scriptures on pestilence and how intercession and action can change the course of pestilence:

In Exodus 32: 31-35, we see a plague came upon the children of people after the sin of the golden calf. After swift action is taken by the Levites to deal with the sin in the camp, the plague/pestilence stops.

In Numbers 14:11-20 , the children of Israel hear a the negative report coming from the 10 spies about the Promised land. They lifted up their voices against God and Moses, and walking in fear, doubt and unbelief. God threatens to send a pestilence, but Moses intercedes on their behalf. God does not wipe them out, but instead, they wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

In 2 Samuel 24: 12-16, David recognizes he has sinned greatly in numbering all the people and asks for God’s mercy. God’s response is that he gives David a choice:
David can have 7 years of famine, 3 months of enemy attacks , or 3 days of pestilence. David chose 3 days of pestilence. In the end, God had mercy and ended the plague.

In Numbers 25:1-9, we see a pestilence/plague that was rapidly spreading throughout the camp in the wilderness. The children of Israel had sinned by joining themselves to Baal, which was spiritual adultery and treachery to the God of Israel. To Israel’s shame and disgrace, an Israelite man was having sexual relations with Cozbi, a Midianite woman. The plague was rapidly spreading through the camp, claiming 25,000 lives. Phinehas speared them through… and immediately the pestilence stopped.

A CALL TO ACTION

This is a call to action for President Trump and Jared Kushner. It is time that they “walk back” on the “Deal of the Century” and retract it.

This is also a call to action to the people of God to pray and intercede, to seek the God of Israel and to ask for his mercy, asking that HE stop this pestilence, this cursed Corona virus.

As the people of the God of Israel, we need to plead and stand in the gap and ask for God’s FORGIVENESS for the release of the Trump peace plan to divide Israel and ask for His MERCY upon the USA, upon Israel and the upon all the nations of the world.

We can also pray into this as a prayer of protection:

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
Psalm 91:1-7

And, to be prudent and practical we can also stay at home if sick, wash our hands frequently with soap and water, follow the guidelines of our local officials for preventing community spread.

In contrast to the view expressed by Ms. Densmore, a charismaniac "prophet" claims that the U.S.A. will be protected from coronavirus because of President Trump's pro-life stand. As reported by Christina Zhao of Newsweek, February 16, 2020 (links in original):

Conservative pastor Hank Kunneman recently claimed that God will save Americans from the new coronavirus because President Donald Trump's administration has "aligned themselves" with the right side of life.

Speaking to the Lord of Hosts church during a service in Omaha, Nebraska last Sunday, Kunneman prophesied that citizens in the U.S. will not have to fear the coronavirus because God will "give mercy."

"Listen to the words that I speak to you at this moment, says the living God. Why do you fear, United States? For I have spoken to you before and I will speak to you again, I have extended and opened a window of mercy to this nation at this time. Therefore, the virus that they speak of, the bright prognostication, the diagnosis, the fear, my mercy is the quarantine that shall be greater than what they have spoken to you, United States," the pastor said, before crediting the Trump administration for God's "mercy."

"And because of the administration that stands in this land, who honor me, who honour the covenants of your forefathers and of the Constitution. And because they have aligned themselves with Israel and because they have sided on the right side of life—life in the womb, life given outside of the womb—there I give life to this nation and I give mercy," Kunneman added. "Do not fear. This virus is the spirit of God."

Newsweek reached out to Kunneman via phone for further comment, but was unable to speak to the pastor before publication.

Chinese officials on Saturday confirmed 2,641 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of diagnosed to roughly 66,000 across the mainland, with the death toll at 1,523.

There have been 15 cases of coronavirus in the United States. One American citizen has died from the virus in China...

As is so often the case, the report is erroneous, or at least, imprecise, in describing the pastor as "conservative." A quick glance at the website of Lord of Hosts Church shows that Lord of Hosts is in fact a charismaniac church that's part of the New Apostolic Reformation, with the "conservative" pastor's wife listed with him as senior pastor, and the church promoting "prophetic words" and the prosperity gospel, with "apostle" Mike Keyes speaking in both services on March 15, 2020.

Quoth the "prophet":

Here's the "powerful word about what God is saying regarding the Coronavirus! This prophecy was declared on February 9, 2020.



It comes as no surprise to this blogger to see that veteran fraud and con man Jim Bakker isn't about to let the opportunity to cash in on the outbreak to pass him by; as reported by Hunter Moyler of Newsweek, February 12, 2020 (updated February 13, 2020) (links in original):

A guest on televangelist Jim Bakker's show suggested on Wednesday that a product sold on Bakker's website might be effective at protecting against and killing the novel coronavirus.

The guest, naturopathic Dr. Sherrill Sellman, said that Silver Solution—a product that can be purchased on Bakker's web store—has been found to be effective on viruses related to the one from Wuhan. Further, she said Silver Solution could bolster a person's immune system and potentially make their bodies less susceptible to the virus.

"Well, let's say [Silver Solution] hasn't been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it's been tested on other strains of the coronavirus and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours," she said. "Totally eliminate it. Kills it, deactivates it. And then it boosts your immune system so then you can support the recovery, because when you kill the virus, then the immune system comes into action to clear it out. So you want a vibrant immune system as well as an ability to deactivate these viruses."

Newsweek contacted Sellman via her website for further comment and clarification but did not receive a reply before publication.

The novel coronavirus emerged from the Chinese city in late 2019. The virus has since spread to 24 other countries, including the United States, though the majority of those infected remain in China. As of Wednesday, the virus has infected over 45,000 people and killed at least 1,100, according to the World Health Organization.

According to its page on Bakker's website, Silver Solution is a product that "works faster, longer and more efficiently than other silvers to support your immune system." Information on the website does not state how the product is to be used. It currently sells on Bakker's website in a variety of packages with a 16-ounce bottle costing 40, but shoppers can purchase bundles of the product that cost up to $300. The label states that the solution contains deionized water, but no other ingredients.

However, similarly marketed products also include colloidal silver which according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) provides no known health benefits. Ingesting it can cause side effects including argyria, or discoloration of the skin or other tissue, and poor absorption of other medications by the body.

Newsweek could not verify the claim that Silver Solution supports the immune system or kills the coronavirus, nor confirm that colloidal silver is used in Bakker's solution.

Further, Silver Solution's page on Bakker's site contains a link to a warning specifically for residents of California. Under a California law, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (also known as Proposition 65), the store is required to warn that Silver Solution "contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm."

Sellman is a naturopathic doctor—a designation distinct from a mainstream medical doctor. Naturopathy, according to information from the alternative medicine university Bastyr University, is a "system of primary health care that emphasizes prevention and the self-healing process through the use of natural therapies."

Naturopathy's legitimacy is contested. Some professionals consider it to be based in pseudoscience, but 22 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. offer licenses to naturopathic doctors, according to the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC).

However, Dr. JoAnn Yanez, the executive director of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges, clarified to Newsweek that Sellman has not met the educational standards that the organization requires.

Sellman "is neither a graduate of an accredited naturopathic medical program, nor has [she] obtained a doctoral level degree from a program recognized by the US Department of Education," Yanez wrote in a statement to Newsweek. "[Her] online profile mentions graduating from the Trinity School of Natural Healing (AKA Health), which is not accredited and confers 'degrees' not recognized by any governmental institution. 'Graduates' of these programs are not considered licenseable [sic] medical practitioners."

Yanez further requested that Newsweek reiterate that Sellman is not a graduate of any institution accredited by AANMC.

The Twitter account of Right Wing Watch shared a clip of the show on its Twitter account Wednesday afternoon. The full episode of The Jim Bakker Show, "A Close Look At What's Not Being Said About The Coronavirus (Day 1)" can be viewed on the program's website.

Bakker is an evangelist who has made headlines in the past for his involvement in a scandal in which he paid a church secretary "hush money" to keep quiet about a sexual encounter. He is also noted for his ardent support for President Donald Trump. He has repeatedly defended the president against criticism, and, as The Hill reported, stated in 2017 that there would be a second American Civil War if Trump were to be impeached.

The various views of the coronavirus outbreak expressed above can't possibly all be right, but they might all be wrong. A major weakness of the explanations offered above is that they're geocentric, as if the epidemic were affecting just a particular people or area, when in fact it's spreading throughout the world. I don't believe that the pandemic is itself an emergency, but I do believe that there are those who have been waiting for such a situation in order to use it as an opportunity to advance an evil agenda; George Soros and his puppet Justin Traitor Trudeau come to mind. One thing that is definitely right is the following prophecy from the Lord Jesus Christ concerning the end times just before His return to Earth:

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. Matthew 24:7

This blogger recommends sticking to the Bible as the only authority for faith and practice, rather than extrabiblical revelations allegedly given to those masquerading as "prophets" and "apostles."

Dominionists and compromising evangelicals team up with the intention of praying for every person in the United States by name

The reader will notice quite a mixed bag of organizations involved in this, but one should always beware of International House of Prayer, which denies being part of the New Apostolic Reformation, but which has similar doctrines and practices. Useful information on IHOP can be found at some of the blogs on my blogroll, but I especially recommend IHOP is New Age. If this keeps up, maybe these people will adopt the Mormon Latter-day Saints practice of praying for the dead.

As reported by Phil Anderson of the Topeka Capital-Journal, August 16, 2019 (link in original):

Praying for every single person in the United States by name may seem like an overwhelming assignment, but a group of local pastors and church leaders say they are committed to taking on that task.

Leaders from various Topeka-area churches have been meeting as part of the All America prayer initiative, which is being organized by an organization named “call2all.”

Organizers say the goal of the All America prayer initiative is to mobilize millions of Christians “to pray for and connect with their neighbors until all 127 million households and every school campus in America is adopted.”

As part of the initiative, which is starting in Kansas, organizers said participants will pray for their neighbors regularly, then “connect with them personally, connect them with Jesus, connect them with the Bible” and finally “connect them with a Christian community.”

New forms of technology, including the All.American phone app, are being used in the effort, organizers said.

A recent meeting in Topeka, which was held at First Assembly of God Church, 500 S.W. 27th, attracted about 200 people from the capital city and northeast Kansas.

The Rev. Doyle Pryor, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Topeka, was among attendees at the meeting.

Pryor noted the initiative includes a number of major Christian mission organizations.

“They all got together and said, ‘Why don’t we pool our resources and work together?’ because what we’re doing isn’t working,” Pryor said. “Let’s turn our eyes back to America. They all said, ‘Let’s start with Kansas.’ ”

According to information provided by the All America prayer initiative, nationally known ministries taking part in the effort include the International House of Prayer, the Luis Palau Association, Youth With a Mission, the Family Research Council and the American Bible Society.

Pryor said one of the main motivations of the All America prayer initiative is focusing on the United States as a mission field.

While other areas of the world are experiencing growth in the number of Christians, organizers of the All America prayer initiative said, the United States has seen a “rapid spiritual and moral decline.” Leaders said they believe God has granted the United States a “reprieve” for a brief period of time.

Hal Smith, pastor of Oakland Community Church, said the first goal of the initiative is to pray for every home and every individual in the United States, starting with Kansas.

Then, Smith said, the goal is to pray for every individual in the world.

Smith said “it’s a huge task,” noting that what is learned in Kansas will be taken nationwide.

Ricky Cruse, of Topeka, also attended the recent meeting at First Assembly of God Church. He said he hopes the prayer initiative “ignites a fire” and results in spiritual renewal.

“This is huge,” Cruse said. “There’s power in prayer.”

For more information, visit www.allamerica.org.

Ontario Court of Appeal hears case on whether woman on life support is alive or dead

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: Deuteronomy 30:19

For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. Proverbs 8:35-36

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 14:12 (also Proverbs 16:25)

Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14:34

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,...
...And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Romans 1:22,28

Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; Jeremiah 22:13a

As reported by Lorenda Reddekopp of CBC News, December 12, 2018 (link inserted by blogger):

The family of Taquisha McKitty will argue in the Ontario Court of Appeal Wednesday that she's still breathing and alive, even though a lower court has declared her dead.

"We're not convinced that she's dead," said Bishop Wendell Brereton from his church, the Breakthrough Temple in Brampton.

He has visited McKitty in hospital and witnessed her movements.

"Legs, arms. From head to toe she's moving," he said.

"So, it's not a corpse lying there. It's a person."

McKitty was declared dead by doctors more than a year ago after she went into cardiac arrest following a drug overdose and was put on life support.

McKitty's lawyer will argue in appeal court in Toronto that an Ontario Superior Court judge erred in not recognizing McKitty's charter rights, and not taking into account her religious beliefs in a case that could prove precedent-setting.

"Taquisha is alive according to her own religious beliefs," lawyer Hugh Scher writes in a court factum.

He adds that some jurisdictions do take religious beliefs into account before declaring someone dead.

"Taquisha remains alive in Nova Scotia, New York, New Jersey and elsewhere, but according to [Ontario Superior Court] is dead in Ontario."

Erica Baron, the lawyer representing Dr. Omar Hayani, who first declared McKitty dead at Brampton Civic Hospital, argues Scher is misinterpreting Nova Scotia law, and that McKitty would be considered dead everywhere in Canada.

In her legal arguments, Baron writes that because of the family's doubts regarding McKitty's movements, further neurological tests were done.

"These movements are not brain based," she wrote.

"If mechanical ventilation was discontinued, her heart would cease beating very quickly."

Bio-ethicist Kerry Bowman from the University of Toronto raised a number of questions about the issue.

"Who decides whether you're dead or not?" he asked in a phone interview, adding that as a whole, western societies are more focused on brain activity as an indicator of life than eastern societies.

"Can a doctor say, 'You're dead,' irrespective of what your family and your religion believes to be dead?"

He believes the courts need to clearly rule on what constitutes death.

In another Ontario case, the family of an Orthodox Jewish man declared brain dead also disputed the finding and went to the courts.

In that case, though, 25-year-old Shalom Ouanounou's heart later stopped beating and a Jewish doctor declared him dead.

The judge in that case then declared the case moot.

Bowman says one uncomfortable part of this issue that can't be ignored is money and the cost of keeping people on life support indefinitely who show no brain activity.

"I'm not saying we should make resource allocation decisions at the bedside, to say, 'This loved one of yours is not worth money.'"

But Bowman does say the courts may need to decide the line between life and death.

In the McKitty case, the Ontario Court of Appeal may not be the end.

Brereton says the church is determined to have the issue heard by the Supreme Court of Canada if the appeal decision is not in their favour.

The fact that someone in Ms. McKitty's condition can be considered alive in some places and not in others shows how imprecise the definition of death actually is. The definition of death as "brain death" goes back only 50 years; it was devised in order to salve the consciences of doctors who were starting to perform heart transplants, who were removing hearts from donors who were still alive according to the definition then in place. December 4 marked the 50th anniversary of the American Medical Association's adoption of heart transplant guidelines (one year and one day after the world's first heart transplant was performed in South Africa), which stipulated that a person's death had to be declared "irreversible" by at least two doctors not connected with the surgical team before his heart could be transplanted, with the best definition of death being based on "irreversible brain death." I intend to do a more detailed post on this subject next year, God willing.

I appreciate Mr. Bowman's frankness in mentioning the economic aspect of the issue of euthanasia. With an aging population and a health care system that's becoming increasingly expensive to maintain, economic concerns are becoming increasingly important, and will continue to do so, masquerading as compassion.

Every case is different and should be judged on its own merits, including that of Ms. McKitty. I, of course, know virtually nothing about her case, but I suspect that the kind of church mentioned in the article may have something to do with her case coming before the courts. Breakthrough Temple in Brampton, Ontario is a charismaniac Dominionist church, which seems to lean in the direction of the New Apostolic Reformation. They claim "Kingdom authority" in the here and now, which makes me wonder if they're having trouble accepting that a miraculous healing may not be occurring. Their statement of faith is weak when it comes to the Holy Spirit, which leads me to suspect that Breakthrough Temple is a Oneness Pentecostal church (their statement is so vague that it's hard to tell, which makes me suspicious that they're trying to conceal their true beliefs).

January 10, 2019 update: Unfortunately, Ms. McKitty died, as reported by Michelle McQuigge of The Canadian Press, December 31, 2018:

TORONTO - A family that went to court to keep their daughter on life support after she was declared brain dead says the Toronto-area woman's heart stopped beating on Monday, rendering her dead in their view.

Taquisha McKitty was 27 when doctors declared her "dead by neurological criteria" in September 2017 following a drug overdose that left her unconscious on a Brampton, Ont., sidewalk.

McKitty's family turned to the courts to prevent doctors from taking her off life support, saying the fact that her heart was still beating meant she was still alive according to the terms of her religious faith.

An Ontario court ruled against her family over the summer, a decision her relatives were in the process of appealing.

A lawyer representing her family issued a statement on Monday afternoon saying McKitty's heart had stopped beating earlier in the day.

In the statement, McKitty's father thanked the public for their support of the family during their court battle.

New Apostolic Reformation targets Indigenous Canadian peoples for evangelism

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Acts 17:29-30

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. John 18:36

As is so often the case with items such as the following, I'm not sure what to make of it, since I'm not there and don't have firsthand knowledge of the situation. I'm uncertain as to whether the people in question are coming to true saving faith in Jesus Christ and then are being led into charismaniac error, or whether they're falling for a false gospel and a false salvation--of two bad alternatives, I hope the former is true. Charismaniacs have a habit of making extravagant claims of miracles, so I'm always skeptical of their stories of "transformation."

I'm troubled when Inuit leaders say that God is “looking to re-establish the relationship” He previously had with them; I could be wrong, but there may be a danger of old pagan practices being brought back and renamed as Christian. As the passages of scripture cited above indicate, there's only one way to come to God, and that's through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ shedding His blood on the cross as payment of the penalty of sin. None of us had a relationship with God prior to coming to faith in Jesus Christ. The gospel is for everyone, and that includes the native peoples of Canada.

Whatever my differences may be with those who are opposed to evangelism among Canadian Natives, I agree with their opposition to the New Apostolic Reformation, including its false gospel of prosperity; its acceptance of extrabiblical revelation; its excessive demonology, including "spiritual mapping" of alleged demonic strongholds and emphasis on generational curses; its unscriptural invention of the modern offices of "apostles" and "prophets;" and its dominionism. As the Lord Himself said, His kingdom is not of this world, but the New Apostolic Reformation, with its seven-mountain mandate, is very much about this world. Let us pray that the Native peoples of Canada will rely on the Bible as their only authority of faith and practice, will be able to discern truth from error, and will act accordingly.

For solid information on the New Apostolic Reformation from a Biblical point of view, I highly recommend Lighthouse Trails Research Project. Search that site under "New Apostolic Reformation," and you will find an abundance of useful information.

As reported by Geoff McMaster of the University of Alberta publication Folio, March 23, 2018 (link in original):

A new evangelical sect targeting Indigenous people in Canada is an ominous trend that should be closely watched, says a University of Alberta sociologist.

In an exposé published last fall, The Walrus reported that an American evangelical movement called the New Apostolic Reformation, or NAR, has been moving north, using sociological research and “spiritual mapping” to locate vulnerable populations it deems possessed by demons.

“It is important that there's enough knowledge about the group in the communities they target, so people have the ability to understand what's coming in and how to deal with it,” said Robin Willey, a post-doctoral fellow who has studied evangelical movements in Canada.

“There is certainly something suspect about using research from the social sciences to shape strategy appearing to specifically target vulnerable populations,” he said. “It is troubling to say the least, and basically amounts to a form of neoliberal recolonization, where Indigenous populations are encouraged to ‘colonize’ themselves.”

According to The Walrus, NAR has already established a foothold among Canada’s Inuit people in the North, but most recently the movement has been recruiting new followers among the impoverished Indigenous population of Winnipeg’s north end, using the language of reconciliation to promise social transformation and healing.

But there are strings attached. NAR believes in the acquisition of wealth to bring about its vision, and that means collecting tithes. The top “apostles” have been known to pocket millions every year, following the prosperity gospel, which promises material wealth and physical healing to those who give generously, reports The Walrus.

The sect’s theology derives from the late Peter C. Wagner, who foretold of apostles infiltrating what he called the seven “mountains of culture”—education, government, media, arts and entertainment, religion, family and business in the name of God.

“That’s pretty much everything,” said Willey, “but NAR also lists business as the most important of the seven mountains, and it’s only through the accumulation of wealth that you can start fuelling influence into the other mountains."

Instead of focusing on personal salvation, as does mainstream evangelicalism, “NAR extends it to people groups, nations, communities and geographic areas. So instead of exorcising demons from a single individual, you can talk about exorcising demons from an entire people, group or community,” said Willey. Convinced they are soldiers in God’s army, NAR apostles aim to eventually take over governments and save the world from corruption and idolatry, establishing God’s new kingdom on Earth.

“They talk about saving some of the most impoverished populations on the planet,” said Willey, including those in Africa and South America.

"The interesting thing about them (in the Canadian context) is they have this language of reconciliation, which plays so well in vulnerable Indigenous communities” suffering from the cultural devastation of residential schools and their legacy of physical, sexual and substance abuse.

According to The Walrus, the movement arrived in Manitoba after one of NAR’s apostles, Cindy Jacobs, had a vision that God wanted to release the “spirit of reconciliation” among Indigenous and non-Indigenous churches in the province. The result was a recruitment drive called “Awakening Manitoba,” in which followers are inducted in emotional prayer services or faith-healing rituals.

"They believe that humans have dominion over the land—taking the biblical directive literally—and can sell that sort of thing to Indigenous people,” reminding them of their preordained rights as original stewards of the land, said Willey.

“But what comes along with that, somewhat ironically, is that there is only one religion and one religious practice that is OK.”

Under NAR’s prophecy, the only way to rid a population of demons is to destroy former religious practices and burn ungodly possessions—such as drugs, pornography, heavy metal music, even sweat lodges—in the name of purification. It is a clear violation of calls in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report for faith groups to “respect Indigenous spirituality in its own right.”

According to some estimates, there are chapters of NAR in all 50 American states. Membership numbers are hard to arrive at because followers don’t officially sign on to any church, seminary or ministry. American lawmakers such as Mike Huckabee, Michele Bachmann and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin have all been drawn to the movement.

In assessing the threat in Canada, however, Willey said numbers matter.

“If this group is really quite small, say, sitting around five per cent of the evangelical community, how much do we really need to worry? My understanding of the evangelical movement right now is that it is becoming more segmented and more diverse.”

Though acknowledging NAR has clearly arrived in Canada, Willey said he hasn’t yet seen signs of it in Alberta. But that doesn’t mean it won’t show up here soon.

“This is a colonial discourse, and as settlers we have a responsibility to ensure people know about it," he said, to avoid substituting one form of colonialism for another.

The Walrus is a secular publication expressing what might be called left-wing views, but this blogger thought its article on the subject was quite fair. As reported by Joel Barde in The Walrus, October 23, 2017 (updated November 3, 2017):

It’s late october 2015, and around 200 people are packed into Winnipeg’s First Nations Family Worship Centre. Facing a tall cross, believers sway in unison, arms outstretched. Some cry. Others flutter their wrists, as if an electrical current were running through them.

Over the past three nights, a group of visiting religious leaders has inducted these largely Anishinaabe parishioners into their movement. The highly emotional services have built to this moment, a spiritual release called “Awakening Manitoba.” “I feel an anointing coming on!” shouts the centre’s Ojibwe pastor, Raymond McLean, pumping his fist in the air onstage. He gestures for Alain Caron—a spectacled, scholarly preacher who has won over the congregation with a series of impassioned sermons—to join him. McLean hooks a burly arm around Caron, who closes his eyes and dances to the blaring Christian rock.

Many of the worshippers make their way forward. As they reach Caron, he lays his hands on their heads and releases a torrent of inscrutable words. Some walk away. Others fall backwards into the arms of a deacon, who lays them flat and draws blue blankets over their motionless bodies.

They rest for a moment, faint smiles on their faces, invested with a radical new commission. As soldiers in God’s army, they will infiltrate government agencies, rid the world of idolatry, and urgently build God’s Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Under McLean’s command, they will start here, at home: purifying Winnipeg’s troubled North End, then spreading their message to other First Nations communities.

Since that October weekend, the Family Worship Centre has become part of the New Apostolic Reformation (nar), a growing religious movement quietly reshaping evangelical Christianity...

...The nar has promoted its theology through books, schools, and ministries. The crown jewel in its promotional efforts is the Transformations series, pseudo-documentaries that purport to show the dramatic economic and societal transformation visited on communities that accept God’s glory.

According to the Sentinel Group—which produces the movies and denies any association with the nar— the Transformations series has been translated into thirty-one languages and viewed more than 200 million times. It has also played a key role in the nar’s shift from converting individuals to societies; when shown in churches, movies are accompanied by instruction on spiritual-warfare techniques.

All of the movies feature a similar narrative: an impoverished region turns to God, eradicates non-Christian beliefs, and undergoes societal and economic healing. In Kenya, a witch doctor is driven from her community, resulting in a decreased crime rate. In Fiji, an Indigenous community burns sacred masks, putting a dramatic end to a violent civil war.

In 2001, Transformations II shone a spotlight on the Canadian North, which—along with other featured regions like Uganda—came to symbolize a theocratic tabula rasa, a world ripe for conversion. The eastern-Arctic segment of the movie opens with an animated scene: a spiritual leader of a nomadic Inuit clan learns of a new God, Jesusie, from a travelling Inuk. The leader vows to accept Jesusie if he has a successful hunt. On a moonless night, he kills a seal, then brings it back to his clan, who eat from its meat, accepting Christ as their Lord and saviour. Only later, after missionaries arrive, do they learn the whole story of Christianity.

The movie then cuts to testimony from born-again Inuit. Over lurid images of bruised bodies, they describe widespread physical and sexual abuse and alcoholism. Inuit children push rocks into a shallow grave—the eighth suicide of the year, explains the voice-over, making their rate more than twenty times the national average. Demons, according to one Inuk believer, had invaded their communities. Even the land had turned its back: caribou and berries began to disappear.

Had God abandoned the Inuit? No; God was “looking to re-establish the relationship” their forefathers had long ago accepted. Over triumphant music, the movie depicts a frenzy of baptisms and impassioned church services—the revival that was gripping the territory. People in Pond Inlet, so moved by the Holy Spirit, gather all their ungodly possessions—drugs, pornography, heavy metal music—and with the aid of the rcmp set them ablaze. “The fire of the Lord is spreading!” exclaims an ecstatic Inuk woman. Inuit are portrayed as being healthier and happier—even suicide is on the decline, they say. (A 2014 study by a Nunavut land claims group contradicts this assertion.)

The film concludes by highlighting how God is “raising up” a new set of Inuit leaders who are “not shy about declaring the Lordship of Christ.” A teacher boasts how all her pupils are Christian, and municipal councillors defiantly state that no meeting starts without prayer. One of the last shots is of Armbruster. He’s hunched down in the atrium of Nunavut’s newly built legislature, gazing at a mace made of narwhal tusk. The Lord’s prayer, he declares proudly, is encased within. “It’s brought into the legislature every time they meet to do official business!”...

...In 2004, Armbruster and Curley travelled to Fiji, where, along with other high-profile nar affiliates, they were introduced to a spiritual-warfare technique called the Healing the Land Ceremony. As evidence of its effectiveness, they were taken to a remote Indigenous community called Nootko that had, a couple of years earlier, carried out the ceremony. Once plagued by infighting, the tiny community, they were told, had healed. Even the land reacted—a stream, once polluted, now ran clean.

The technique excited Armbruster. The ceremony traces a community’s present-day conditions to the sins of its forefathers. There are five principal sources: the generational disconnect between fathers and their children; the shedding of innocent blood (murder); sexual sin (homosexual acts, sex out of wedlock); the breaking of covenants (promises and treaties); and idolatry and witchcraft (any non-Christian form of religion or spirituality). According to nar theology, sin “wounds” the land, allowing Satan’s forces to control communities.

On a sunny morning in the summer of 2007, Armbruster performed the Healing the Land Ceremony on the outskirts of Clyde River, Nunavut, a community of some 900 people. “God chose the places for people to live,” he explained, standing in a circle of community members. “When God created the earth, he created everything good—but our sins have defiled the land.” Armbruster clutched his well-worn bible in his left hand. “Much of what we received from our forefathers was good—but we have to atone for what was not.”

An elderly Inuk in a long black coat spoke next; an Inuk woman stood beside to him, translating his testimony. The man pointed toward the water. “This spot is where they prayed to the evil spirits,” he relayed in Inuktitut. “Satan used to wait out there to devour and destroy people.” The man looked ashamed. “The Lord has also shown me where a mother gave birth, then fed it to the dogs. Because of these sins the earth has been defiled. And because it’s been defiled, we have suffered much and gone through hardship...”

...At many nar-affiliated conferences over the years, Armbruster has often spoken in grandiose terms about how church has merged with state in Canada’s North. But according to Jim Bell, the long-time editor of Nunatsiaq News, Armbruster’s influence needs to be put in context. When I reached Bell by phone, he chuckled a bit, thinking about the gap between Armbruster’s claims and reality. Nunavut, he said flatly, is no theocracy. The territory has gone on to defy conservatives on hot-button issues, including same-sex marriage, bringing the legislation in line with the rest of Canada.

Bell also had a theory: fundamentalist Christianity has become central to the recreation of Indigenous identity for many Inuit. Curley and others don’t draw a distinction between evangelical and Inuit values, said Bell. “Now you could argue that they have reinvented Inuit culture in their own image. But they don’t see it that way. They believe this church is not just the expression of religious identity, it’s also an expression of a really important cultural identity.”

And that, he suggested, is why the 2004 election got so intertwined with messy questions about identity and tradition. Inuit Christians were asserting their culture and resisting what they perceived as a colonial overreach. “They were not saying we oppose protecting the rights of gay people because gay people are sinful—they were saying that we oppose this because it is not consistent with Inuit culture.”

There may also be other cultural reasons for the nar’s success. Armbruster’s ministry caught the attention of French anthropologist Frédéric Laugrand, who has written about the Healing the Land Ceremony. He believes that the ceremony mirrors elements of Inuit shamanism, such as connecting present conditions to past events and using public disclosures to bring communities together. And, like shamanism, it is highly emotional in nature. Laugrand also feels that the popularity of the ceremony—which was practised in more than twenty communities, sometimes multiple times—owes much to political forces. At the time of the Inuit revival, Indigenous groups were frustrated with the federal government and the protectionist agenda of environmental groups. In contrast, Armbruster and missionaries working in the region came with a very different message: that God gave Inuit dominion over the land, and it should be theirs to use.

Pastors at NAR church in British Columbia face multiple charges of sexual assault

As reported by Samantha Anderson of Peace Arch News, October 4, 2017:

For eight years, Samuel Emerson was a pastor at Cloverdale Christian Fellowship Church, also known as “Cloverdale Church.”

His last day as a pastor came on May 18, when RCMP “showed up at the door of the church” and led him out in cuffs, said Samuel’s father, Randy Emerson, who is the current pastor of Cloverdale Church.

In a media release issued Tuesday afternoon, Surrey RCMP revealed that they received several allegations of sexual assault against Samuel Emerson and his wife Madelaine on May 17, 2017.

The South Surrey couple – who have five children – were arrested the next day.

Samuel Emerson, 34, has been charged with 13 counts of sexual assault, 11 counts of being in a position of authority and touching a person for a sexual purpose, and one count of sexual touching of a person under the age of 16.

Madelaine Emerson, 37, has been charged with one count of sexual assault, one count of being in a position of authority and touching a person for a sexual purpose, and one count of threats to cause death or bodily harm.

The alleged assaults occurred between 2015 and 2017.

Surrey RCMP explained the 4½-month delay in announcing the arrest that “there was no investigational or public safety need to report out on this matter.”

The day of the arrest, Randy Emerson wrote on Facebook: “If you know us and our church please pray. We are under attack like never before and we need the accuser of the saints to be silenced and Truth prevail.”

Two days later, he wrote, “Thank you to everyone who is praying for us and expressing love at this time. You are making a difference. This is a time when we must not believe with our eyes and ears but with our spirits. Let God be true and every man a liar. Can’t be specific at this time but your prayers are making a difference.”

Randy Emerson and his wife Christine started the Cloverdale Christian Fellowship Church, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this Sunday.

“Sam, being our son, was a part of the church right from the beginning,” he told the Cloverdale Reporter on Wednesday. “If I’d seen anybody go out that way, it’s traumatizing. Any of our staff taken away (in cuffs) would be tough… Being my son, it was it just the cherry on the ice cream, you know?”

The couple was not previously known to police, and they were later released under “strict conditions… sufficient to alleviate any safety concerns,” an RCMP spokesperson said.

One of those conditions is that Samuel and Madelaine cannot have contact with the church, according to Randy.

No mention of Samuel or Madelaine is on the church’s website, but according to his social media accounts, Samuel was a pastor at Cloverdale Church, and worked with Youth Church Cloverdale.

Randy said that Samuel worked “in every ministry of the church,” which includes the youth ministry.

Samuel Emerson’s work as a pastor also took him to other churches in Surrey, including Life Church in White Rock. In a Facebook post in September 2016, Life Church wrote, “This Sunday we welcomed young Pastor Sam Emerson from our sister church in Cloverdale, B.C.”

“Sam grew upon our church, and had some very important insights to share,” the post reads.

Following the arrests, Sunday services at Cloverdale Church were subdued for “almost two months,” said Randy.

“People were in shock for the first while,” he said. “It was very, very difficult and very quiet and subdued. For the last couple of months we’ve been building towards something lively and full of life again. For awhile it was just, like, everybody was just staring off into space.”

The congregation went from a crowd of around 250 people to 50 people.

“People just left,” said Randy. “These are people, some of them that we’d worked with for 25 years.”

“They were ripped out of our relationships just immediately. And they wouldn’t talk to us. At all. Afraid, and I don’t know what for,” he said.

“As I understand it, none of the allegations occurred at the church,” said Randy, “which is where we work very hard to keep it safe here. We’re even reviewing those policies and protocol to see if we can tighten everything up.”

Randy said that Cloverdale Church’s safety protocols are “pretty typical.” They include criminal record checks for staff. No minor is left in a room unsupervised with an adult if the minor and adult are “opposite genders,” he added.

“As far as we know nothing happened [at the church],” said Randy. “And I can’t control stuff that happens off the property and on people’s own time.”

The Cloverdale Church continues to be active in its work. “We continue to do the things that we’ve always done, but it’s on a much more subdued level,” said Randy. ”We’ve pulled back, but we’re not stopping.”

Surrey RCMP have said the investigation into Samuel and Madelaine Emerson is still ongoing, and that they believe there may have been other victims.

They are asking that any potential victims come forward to speak with police.

Surrey RCMP as that anyone with more information call 604-599-0502, or, if they wish to remain anonymous, to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

As reported by Ms. Anderson in the Cloverdale Reporter, October 4, 2017:

Several Cloverdale churches have come together to issue a statement after former Cloverdale Christian Fellowship pastor Samuel Emerson and his wife Madelaine Emerson were charged with multiple counts of sexual assault...

...“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the numerous charges laid against Sam and Madelaine Emerson, pastoral leaders at Cloverdale Christian Fellowship,” the statement reads.

“We grieve for the victims and support all the efforts of the RCMP and our judicial system to do what is right. We hope that all details will be exposed thoroughly so that justice and healing can be accomplished effectively for the sake of all involved.”

The statement was sent to the Cloverdale Reporter on behalf of Centre Church, Cloverdale Baptist Church, Coast Hills Community Church, Crossridge Community Church, Hope Community Church, Pacific Community Church, Sonrise Community Church, West Coast Community Church and Zion Lutheran Church.

“It’s a wake up call,” said Jim Heuving, executive pastor at Pacific Community Church.

In the wake of the charges being laid, Heuving said that the members of Cloverdale churches are asking themselves, “Are we doing the best we can do? If not, let’s do better.”

There are “strong protocols” in place in order to protect vulnerable people, said Heuving.

“Many churches, Pacific Community Church is an example, are all about safety. Every member of our staff and volunteers are screened and trained in how to work with children, youth, seniors, and those with disabilities.”

Heuving said he will be calling his congregation to unite in prayer and support of those who have been affected. “There’s a lot of hurt,” he said.

The churches are offering to “provide support to any who are impacted by this troubling situation,” including those “who may need financial aid in accessing counselling and support.” Anyone who is looking for support can reach out to the ministries through their websites.

That Cloverdale Church is part of the New Apostolic Reformation is clear from their website, which has a page on the Cloverdale School of Supernatural Ministry. Oddly, the church seems to have recently lost the ability to minister in the supernatural:

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING CLOVERDALE SCHOOL OF SUPERNATURAL MINISTRY
Hello Friends,

After much prayer and discussion between Pastor Randy and I, we have decided to postpone the 2017-2018 Cloverdale School of Supernatural Ministry school year for the foreseeable future. This decision has not come lightly, nor joyfully. Cloverdale Christian Fellowship has been in the midst of a difficult transition since the Associate Pastor resigned earlier this year. Between the building lease, staffing turnover, worship team cutbacks, and numerous other considerations, there is no way to launch by September 12.

This has been an incredibly difficult decision. CSSM began on a hope and a prayer 10 years ago and we have never looked back. This is the first year we will have to postpone in the history of the school. CSSM has been one of the longest running Bethel DVD schools in the world. As we tackle the season we have found ourselves in, it has become abundantly clear that it is necessary to postpone any future plans for the school.

Any updates to the direction of the school and potential launch dates will be posted here, Facebook, and emailed through our email lists. I apologize for not updating you earlier in the summer. Again, this is not a decision that we have taken lightly. In light of this, there are a number of other ministry schools in the local area that we can recommend. These are all ministries we are acquainted with and have seen proven fruit come from them.

Church on Oxford Hill - Oxford School of Ministy (OSOM) - http://www.oxfordhill.ca/general-information.html

Windword - Winsom - http://windword.ca/winsom/


Samuel's Mantle - https://www.samuelsmantle.com/

New Life North Shore - North Shore School of Supernatural Ministry (NSSSM) - https://www.newlifenorthshore.com/ministries/

Ignite the Fire (Reina Carlson) - school@ignitethefire.ca

Any of those school will be great environments to learn and grow.

May you seek His Kingdom and His righteousness,

Joshua Hoffert

Director, Cloverdale School of Supernatural Ministry

Cloverdale's website also has a page promoting the August 17, 2017 Kingdom Culture Conference, featuring "Apostle" Everton Weekes. I appreciate Mr. Hoffert mentioning the other churches in the area; it saves me the bother of looking up which churches to recommend avoiding.

As unsound as Cloverdale Church is, with its NAR doctrine and claiming to act according to the Bible while in fact acting contrary to scripture (e.g., having women as pastors and elders), I disapprove of the virtue-signalling of the churches that issued the statement saying that they "grieve for the victims." We don't know that the accusers are victims--that's for the trial to determine. For the churches that issued this statement to refer to the accusers as victims is to presume the guilt of the accused. If those who signed this statement know that Samuel and/or Madelaine Emerson are guilty, they should give evidence to that effect in court rather than issuing public statements before the trial.

For more information on the New Apostolic Information, I recommend Lighthouse Trails Research Project and Herescope.

Nigerian "Apostle" Johnson Suleman is embroiled in a sex scandal--and then his accuser admits that she lied

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. II Corinthians 11:13

For those of us who clearly remember 1987, it's hard to believe that 30 years ago at this time, the televangelist scandals were underway. Jim Bakker had just been outed by the Charlotte Observer for having sex with employee Jessica Hahn, while Oral Roberts had decreed that if he didn't receive enough money by March 31 to keep his hospital open, he would be "called home." For those, who like this blogger, feel some nostalgia for those days, there are false "prophets" of the New Apostolic Reformation ready to pick up the slack. Johnson Suleman of Auchi, Edo, Nigeria is one such "apostle." According to the website of his Omega Fire Ministries:

God gave His choice servant, Apostle Johnson Suleman a divine mandate to: “wipe out tears, restore people to their destinies by the revelation of the word, the manifestation of power and reality of the Holy Spirit.” He equally told His choice Servant: “Put an end to affliction; I AM SENDING YOU WITH AN OMEGA ANOINTING…”

The OMEGA FIRE MINISTRIES INT. INC. was birthed to restore the joy of men, causing men to manifest destiny, becoming the best God created them to be and frustrating the wickedness of the enemy.

We believe in the fire operation of the Spirit of God that refines, purifies and equally destroys. Our ministry is one that believes in judgment on the wicked. We believe oppressions and demonic manipulations are real, we equally know that more real is the reality and authority of God’s power – it is all-powerful and all-pervading.

As a ministry, we hold as true the belief that all power belongs to God and that the enemy has no scriptural right to manipulate the destinies of believers; It is the right of believers to live a fulfilled life. Hence, this ministry is saddled with the divine mandate to restore the divine rights of believers.

OFM-South-Africa LogoOmega Fire Ministries Int’l was officially inaugurated on the 1st of February 2004 in Auchi, Edo State – Nigeria and is presided by the General of the Prophetic; Apostle Johnson Suleman. The miraculous is a common occurrence in the ministry as God confirms the Mandate given to his servant with infallible proofs. God’s servant Apostle Johnson Suleman is endowed with a rare prophetic insight; A Grace that has confirmed and established several African Leaders.

He speaks as an Oracle Of God on national and global matters as it affects the political, social and economic atmosphere of nations across continents of the world. The Accuracy of his uncommon prophetic analysis and confirmed predictions has earned him a name and fame in various fields of human endeavor. Omega Fire Ministries Int’l is one the fastest growing ministries in Africa and By God’s Grace clocked exactly Ten years on February 1st 2014. With just Ten years of operation our branch network spreads across Europe, America and various parts of Africa. The International Headquarter Church of the Omega Fire Ministries Int’l is located in KM 132, Okene/Abuja Expressway, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria.

Needless to say, I'm not a believer in the New Apostolic Reformation, and we don't have Old Testament-style "Thus saith the Lord" prophets anymore. In the "here we go again" department, "Apostle" Suleman is now embroiled in a sex scandal. As reported by Ifreke Inyang of the Lagos Daily Post, March 6, 2017:

Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, is being accused by one Stephanie Otobo of impregnating and abandoning her.

A letter from Festus Keyamo Chambers dated March 4, 2017 and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police claimed that Stephanie began a romantic relationship with Suleiman in Canada in 2015.

She claimed that the pastor told her he was divorced from his wife and proposed to her, before meeting with her family for introduction, declaring his intention to marry her.

Stephanie also alleged she abandoned her lucrative career, her cars, friends and house in Canada because Suleiman promised to buy her a house in Nigeria.

In another letter dated March 3, 2017 written to Suleiman and also sent to the IGP, her lawyers claimed the cleric was so in love with her, that he had to lick her entire body every time they had sex.

It added that Suleiman invited Stephanie from Canada to Europe, where he made love with her all night after Church programmes.

It is even being alleged that Stephanie was the one sending topic of sermons for the pastor to preach and the songs to be sung.

The letter said the pastor invited Stephanie to his church in Nigeria and begged her to get pregnant for him, as he wanted more male children.

Stephanie who is demanding N500million in damages for the breach of trust, also revealed messier details like Suleiman asking her to bring a friend along for a threesome and to send her nude pictures to him.

Suleiman was also accused of intimidating and harassing Stephanie, after men of the Nigeria Police Force, Monitoring Unit, Kem Salem House, Obalende, Lagos, arrested her inside a banking hall.

Her lawyers gave Suleiman a seven-day ultimatum to meet its demands.

See documents below:

1

2

3

4

"Apostle" Suleman denies the allegations, as reported by Wale Odunsi of the Daily Post, March 6, 2017:

The Omega Fire Ministries has denied that the General Overseer of the church, Apostle Johnson Suleiman has a hand in the arrest and detention of one Miss Stephanie Otobo by the police last Friday, March 3, 2017.

A statement signed by Phrank Shaibu, Communications Manager to Apostle Suleiman also denied that there was a so-called amorous relationship between the said Miss Otobo and the General overseer.

Instead, the church stated that the lady was arrested by operatives acting on a tip off that the lady had repeatedly tried to blackmail the fiery preacher, including demanding N500 million from him, failing which she threatened to expose a purported amorous relationship between her and the Senior Pastor.

The statement of Omega Fire Ministries was in reaction to two letters written by Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo demanding the same N500 million on behalf of the said lady and also accusing Apostle Suleiman of procuring policemen to intimidate and detain his client unlawfully, having earlier promised to marry her.

But Phrank Shaibu said the lawyer was misled into believing that there was an amorous relationship between Apostle Suleiman and the said Miss Otobo, pointing out that the lady was caught up by her own machinations as she was arrested while trying to withdraw money paid into her account by the Church in a sting operation coordinated by the police.

“Unknown to Keyamo, the police was alerted following several attempts by the said lady to blackmail Apostle Suleiman.

“The police also recorded her conversations making the frivolous demand. The highpoint of the drama was her attempt to withdraw money paid into her account at the instance of the police.

“The lawyer should know that his client was arrested by the police with abundance of evidence confirming that she is indeed a serial blackmailer”, he said.

The Communications Manager further debunked Keyamo’s claim of an amorous relationship, a promise to marry and that the Senior Pastor had actually made the initial move towards marriage by seeing her parents, wondering how such a transaction could have taken place without any iota of evidence.

“Let me place it on record that, the lady in question is a self-confessed stripper in a nite club in Canada, who like thousands of people that seek help from Apostle Johnson Suleiman, called to pretentiously convey her intentions to embrace Christ and also needed financial help to keep body and soul as she no longer had a means of livelihood after quitting as a stripper.

“Does Keyamo or his serial blackmailing client have pictures of the visit by Apostle Suleiman or his representatives to her parents? In any case, how could such a relationship have existed when Apostle and the said lady have never met physically?

“How could he have made a promise of a house and a lifestyle comparable to what she has in Canada when he has never been to her house or seen her physically as to have an idea of her living standards?” He asked.

Shaibu contented that the Lagos lawyer must have been misled or excited by the prospects of getting a whopping N500 million, both reasons for which two letters were written and sent to Apostle Suleiman wondering how Keyamo could have fallen for such a gimmick in the first place.

“If Keyamo was not misled or excited by the prospects of a jackpot of N500 million and or an opportunity to save his already dwindling career in law practice from total caput by latching on the popularity of Apostle Suleman vide this tendentiously devilish plot and skewed romantic fantasy, then we may as well demand an evaluation of his mental state along with his client who was obviously on the verge of delusion before she was arrested.

“It’s either one of the options stated above or he is trying to engage in a proxy war on behalf of some unknown agents who had become irritated by Apostle’s stand on national issues. His inference to the latter incident in Keyamo’s letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) confirms this benign thought”, he declared.

The spokesman of the church advised Keyamo to drop the proxy war and focus instead on defending his client in court, adding that all attempts to impugn the integrity of the fiery preacher or the Omega Fire Ministries would fall like a pack of cards.

“We are not surprised that this serial blackmailer decided to join forces with a serial divorcee, who has had five children from four failed marriages to make this phantom claim.

“But we dare to ask: Is a serial blackmailer and or a serial divorcee capable of understanding the sanctity of the institution called marriage?The nature of their mental torpidity is understandable and we invite more recondite and decent persons to read in between the lines and separate the wheats from the chaff.

“In this well coordinated plot to pull down Apostle Suleiman at all costs, the lines of Reuben Abati will suffice: ‘lies have become standard stuff, mischief a major commodity, and indecency a character flaw.’

“If Keyamo and his Canada-returnee client think they can capitalize on the famed generosity of Apostle Suleiman to extort N500million through this plot, they sure have missed it as we shall have our day in court.”

Miss Otobo expanded on her allegations, as reported by Ifreke Inyang in the Daily Post, March 10, 2017 (link in original):

The adultery scandal involving the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleiman and a Canadian-based lady, Stephanie Otobo, is getting messier.

This is as she revealed more details about their alleged affair at a press conference in Lagos on Friday.

Ms. Otobo claimed the cleric loves sex a lot and that they had spent time together at hotels in Naples, New York and Lagos.

“Most of the times we spent together, we had sex,” Ms. Otobo told journalists.

“I refused to have a threesome with him because I’m not a lesbian and I don’t like women touching me.

“He told me he did that with all his past girlfriends, that I was the only one (who refused), that it’s very rude that I can do that to him.

“We were at New York together, two months after I left Napoli. Then he invited me to Nigeria. We were always having sex,” she said.

She added: “In Nigeria, we stayed at Protea Hotel in Ikeja. there’s another hotel after Airport Hotel, there’s a gas station, there’s a new hotel on your right, that’s where he gave me something to drink. I thought it was juice, he brought it, he said let’s drink together, and then he didn’t want to drink, he wanted to eat.

“The night he gave me 8,000 Euros, he was trying to show me that this was real and it would never end, I think he was trying to capture me both physically, spiritually, and mentally.

“Giving somebody so much money, you’re trying to capture them so that without you, they cannot live, because you wanna make yourself their god, that’s what he was trying to do.

“When he came, he was like, ‘this was all I realised today, here you go,’ on the table. Then he said this is how much I love you. After the three days crusade (in Naples), he collected all the money, I was inside, and he said, ‘this is all I realised.’ He gave me everything.

“He told me this was discreet, we couldn’t even call a taxi in the morning when he wanted to discharge me, he had to take a walk with me from his hotel by 4 a.m. to my hotel. I was worried because it could be dangerous, in a place where I don’t know, a new country and everything. He walked me to my hotel and stayed till 7am and went back to his hotel. He said because we have to be discreet, we cannot call a taxi.”

Ms. Otobo called on the police to check her bank records to see proof that Apostle Suleiman sent her money directly from his bank account.

She also denied that the pictures she released were photoshopped.

“He gives me a lot of cash, I’m not talking about 8,000 Euros, I’m not talking about 12,000 Dollars in two weeks.

“If I was a cheap prostitute, how much do you send a cheap prostitute in Canada all the way from Nigeria. I’m based in Canada, I’m sure there are a lot of women that needs money here in Nigeria, how many women or cheap prostitutes has he sent money here in Nigeria?

“We are petitioning the police on that. And also the issue of photoshopping pictures, in between the photoshopped pictures there should be an original copy if the pictures were photoshopped, it must be photoshopped from something, he should provide that. Because I have the cell phones that I used to take the pictures, I still have every original pictures.

“Also, the police should check my passport, he took me to Napoli, he had a programme there, a conference for three days. The police should check his passport, the period it was stamped to Napoli and check my passport, the period I was stamped to Napoli if it was the same stamp.

“He should wake up and face the truth,” she said.

Miss Otobo's mother says that her daughter "is not normal," as reported by Danielle Ogbeche of the Daily Post, March 24, 2017:

Mother of Stephanie Otobo, the alleged girlfriend of Apostle Johnson Suleman of the Omega Fire Ministries, has said she has not seen her daughter in the last three years, noting that her daughter ”is not normal.”

This is coming after Ms. Otobo, a Canadian-based Nigerian singer accused the fiery preacher of impregnating and abandoning her after he promised to marry her.

Following her initial allegation against the preacher, the singer had continued to release more intimidating details about her alleged romance with Suleman.

But her mother, popularly called Mama Tope has opened a fresh controversy on the much publicized saga.

In a chat with newsmen in Sapele, Delta State on Thursday, Mama Tope said she has not met the cleric before, neither has she been to the Omega Fire Ministries.

Describing as untrue claims that she accompanied her daughter to the headquarters of Omega Fire Ministries in Auchi, Edo State for a purported introduction ceremony, she warned that, “those manipulating her daughter against the man of God would be exposed.”

She expressed willingness to, “see the revered cleric to apologize if given access to him.”

She further lamented that, “all efforts to get Stephanie to lead a normal life had not yielded the desired result.”

Mama Tope appealed to Apostle Suleman to, “forgive my daughter and bury the hatchet” even as she blamed the devil for seeking to destroy her daughter.

Mama Tope then went to "Apostle" Suleman to beg for forgiveness, as reported by John Owen Nwachukwu in the Daily Post, March 27, 2017:

Tope Otobo, the mother of Stephanie Otobo, the accuser of founder of Omega Fire Ministry, and her elder sister were on Sunday at the Headquarters of the church at Auchi, Edo State to beg the pastor on behalf Stephanie.

Images of the two women surfaced online shortly after the church service.

Mrs Otobo had recently claimed her daughter was not normal.

In a swift reaction, Stephanie said her mother was threatened to make the speech, adding that the lives of her family members were in danger.

But to make her statement stronger, Mrs Otobo and Stephanie’s sister were captured in a video gone viral kneeling and begging Apostle Suleman.

"Apostle" Johnson then filed a countersuit, as reported by John Owen Nwachukwu in the Daily Post, March 29, 2017:

Founder and General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman has reportedly filed a lawsuit against his alleged mistress, Stephanie Otobo, and online news outlet, Sahara Reporters, for defaming his character and image at the Ikeja High Court, Lagos State.

Suleman filed a N1 billion suit on Stephanie Otobo, who claimed she had amorous relationship with him that resulted to pregnancy.

Recall that Mrs Tope Otobo, Stephanie Otobo’s mother, had last Sunday visited the pastor at his church Headquarters in Auchi, Edo State, knelt and begged him to forgive her daughter.

Joined in the suit as reported by the man of God’s media team, is Sahara Reporters who first reported the case and has been in the forefront of publishing interviews by the Canada-based stripper who keeps maintaining her stance of being romantically involved with the Apostle Suleman.

In the suit ID/ADR/347/2017 filed at the Ikeja High Court, Apostle Suleman is also asking N1 billion from each for damages done to his reputation and has hired four lawyers, Chief Efe Akpofure (SAN ), Erhabour O.I, Victor Idiapho and Emmanuel Usoh to represent him.

"Apostle" Suleman is now refusing to speak on the matter for the present time, as reported by Festus Owete and Idris Ibrahim of the Abuja newspaper The Premium Times, April 3, 2017:

Johnson Suleman, the clergyman accused by a Canada-based Nigerian woman of having amorous relationship with her, on Sunday, declined to speak on the allegation, saying he would only “open up” at the appropriate time.

PREMIUM TIMES met Mr. Suleman, the founder of Omega Fire Ministry, OFM, in his Auchi, Edo State office for about 20 minutes shortly after a church service that lasted about four hours.

Our reporters joined the service midway, where Mr. Suleman spoke about the need for unity in the body of Christ in his sermon.
The cleric, who said he was rushing to the Benin airport to catch a flight to Cyprus and Turkey for religious crusades, pleaded with PREMIUM TIMES to be excused from commenting on the matter because it would be subjudicial to speak on it.

This newspaper had on Saturday interviewed Ms. Otobo’s mother, Bukky, at her Sapele, Delta State base.

The light-complexioned woman had said during the interview that she travelled to Auchi to beg Mr. Suleman because her daughter had been manipulated by lawyers.

She had said, “I did that because of my daughter, (and) because I am a mother. The way I am seeing her is not the way I brought her up. And all those her character is not giving me happiness which I want to put an end to. That is why I went to Auchi.”

Mr. Suleman who was approached by this newspaper to speak on the issue, said he would “only do so at the appropriate time.”

He assured that he would speak to PREMIUM TIMES because of the newspaper’s credibility.

He thereafter offered to take a group photograph with the newspaper’s reporters in his palatial office.

Apart from veiled references to the matter during church services, Mr. Suleman has not publicly reacted to the allegations in the media.

His publicists, Phrank Shaibu, had however issued several statements denying the alleged illicit affair with Ms. Otobo.

Ms. Otobo was recently re-arraigned by the police for alleged blackmail, threat to life, conspiracy, and intent to steal from Mr. Suleman.

She was arraigned alongside her associate, Wisdom Godstime, before Magistrate Kikelomo Bukola-Ayeye of the Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. Ms. Otobo and her co-defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

They were granted bail in the sum of N100,000 each. The case was then adjourned to April 27 for commencement of trial.

This development comes a week after Ms. Otobo formally filed a petition asking the police to investigate multiple allegations against the preacher.

In a letter to the Lagos State Police Commissioner, she accused Mr. Suleman of illegal procurement of abortion, threat to life, and attempted murder.

Ms. Otobo’s petition came days after she told journalists at a press conference that her relationship with Mr. Suleman ended after the preacher began to insist he wanted a sexual activity that involved a threesome.

Miss Otobo, meanwhile, has released a video containing screen shots of her face time with the "apostle," as reported by John Owen Nwachukwu of the Daily Post, April 3, 2017:

The alleged mistress of the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministry, Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, Stephanie Otobo, has Presented original screen of her topless Face-time chat with the cleric.

The 23-year old Canada-based Nigerian singer released a video showing the moments they had a video phone call topless.

Recall that the Delta-born singer had accused the Pastor of engaging in an amorous relationship with her, getting her pregnant and promised to marry her, but abandoned her afterward.

There have been denial, accusations and counter accusations since then, with Stephanie’s mother, Mrs Tope Otobo attending the pastor’s church in Auchi, Edo State to plead with him to forgive her daughter.

Apostle Suleman has also file a suit, demanding N1 billion from his accusers.

But in a video gun viral Monday morning, Miss Otobo, in bid to justify her claims, revealed images of her and the cleric during a face-time chat.

Of course, Miss Otobo's allegations haven't yet been proven, but I suspect that this situation will get messier as it goes along.

January 27, 2018 update: Miss Otobo now admits that she lied; as reported by Fikayo Olowolagba of the Lagos Daily Post, January 27, 2018 (link inserted by blogger):

Stephanie Otobo, the Canadian-based singer has confessed she lied against Apostle Suleman Johnson of the Omega Fire Ministries.

She revealed this on Friday at Apostle Suleman’s church in Edo state.

According to Stephanie, she was paid heavily by some politicians to tarnish the image of the pastor in her desperation to become a popular singer.

In a video shared online, she appealed to the pastor and his wife, Lizzy, to forgive her, which they did. Mrs Suleman later prayed for her.

She said, “I came to Nigeria with a strong passion for my career and fell into the wrong hands of some powerful politicians and pastors who manipulated me in a wrong way to fault the man of God.

“They made me tell lies against him, because of my desperation for my career and I succumbed to it.

“At the time I didn’t know what was going on. I just wanted to help myself. They paid me a lot of money.

“I want to apologise to the body of Christ; Apostle Suleman and his wife. I was used and paid against Apostle Suleman.

Watch the video...