Olive, come out of that grave;
Come out of that grave in Jesus’ name…
What you’re hearing is a worship song at Bethel Church, commanding a little girl who died 6 days earlier to rise up out of the morgue and come back to life. The story of 2-year-old Olive captured world-wide attention, as her family asked others to pray for her resurrection.
But none of the stories of resurrection in the Bible include a week-long appeal. Take Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, but Jesus simply stood at his tomb and said, “Lazarus, come out,” and he immediately came back to life. Jesus and his friends didn’t stand there singing for days.
Bethel Church preaches a different Jesus than the Jesus of the Bible. They do not believe Jesus is God incarnate—that He is very God and very man. Rather, they believe Jesus stopped being God and He was only a man. What Jesus “modeled,” we’re capable of doing, including raising the dead.
Responding to this controversy, Pastor Bill Johnson said, “Why did Jesus raise the dead? The reason Jesus raised the dead is because not everyone dies in God’s timing.”
Jesus raised the dead to show He is God who raises the dead! No one dies outside of God’s timing. Job 14:5 says that a man’s “days are determined,” and God has appointed his limits he cannot pass. Acts 17:26 says that God has determined the time and boundaries of our lives.
Remember, Bethel is a church that dumps gold glitter on worshipers and says it’s a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. They’re con artists, not Christians. Cherish the Scriptures so that in a time of grief, you won’t be taken by the words of charlatans. Instead, you’ll be comforted by the promises of God, when we understand the text.
