Tony Miano from Cross Encounters Ministries writes,
Who is Heidi Baker?
Heid Baker was born on August 29, 1959. She has been married to her husband Rolland for 36 years (1980). Rolland is presently suffering from poor health and is not presently actively engaged in ministry (Source).
Rolland Baker wrote the following on the couple’s ministry website (Source):
“Heidi and I began Iris Global (previously Iris Ministries) in 1980, and have been missionaries since then. We were both ordained as ministers in 1985 after completing our BA and MA degrees at Vanguard University in southern California. I majored in Biblical Studies, and Heidi in Church Leadership. I am a third-generation missionary born in China, and raised in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. I was greatly influenced by my grandfather, H. A. Baker, who wrote ‘Visions Beyond the Veil,’ an account of the extended visions of heaven and hell that children received in his remote orphanage in southwest China two generations ago.”
Rolland Baker’s grandfather, “Harold Armstrong Baker, known as H.A. Baker, was an American author and Pentecostal missionary to Tibet from 1911 to 1919, to China from 1919 to 1950, when forced to leave the mainland, and then in Taiwan from 1955 until his death in 1971” (Source).
Heidi Baker received her Doctor of Philosophy (Systematic Theology) from King’s College of London, in 1995 (Source).
Heidi Baker’s Testimony
A Google search showed that the following video is widely shared as her salvation testimony (Source).
Heidi Baker claims in her testimony that at the age of 16 God called her to be a missionary and a minister. We know this is not true because while God certainly calls women to serve as missionaries, He does not call them to serve as pastors (1 Timothy 2:12-14). God never contradict His Word.
Her testimony was filmed and posted by “Catch the Fire TV,” which is the media arm of “Catch the Fire/Toronto,” which is simply the re-branded name of the Toronto Airport Vineyard. The Toronto Airport Vineyard was/is responsible for a false spiritual movement known as the “Toronto Blessing.” It was this movement that led to the crippling of the first church my family and I were members (Source).
In her testimony she shares how Jesus told her in a vision to look into his eyes and said, “I died so that there will always be enough.” The he ripped off a part of his flesh from the side of his bruised and broken body, and handed it to her, telling her to give his flesh to the children. When she took the piece of raw flesh from Jesus’ hand, it immediately turned to bread. And then Jesus held simple-looking cup to his side, and blood and water flowed from his side, into the cup. Jesus said to her, “This is a cup of suffering and joy. Will you drink it?” And then she gave the cup to thousands of children, from which they all drank.
This alleged vision sounds remarkably like an abomination known as the Roman Catholic Mass. It is no surprise that Baker would articulate a vision so blasphemous. After all the New Apostolic Reformation, as well as other camps within the Charismania circle court the apostate Roman Catholic Church and erroneously see the Roman Catholic religion as compatible with Christianity (Source/Example).
Baker then describes what any Bible-believing Christian can only describe as an outpouring of demonic forces, which, of course, Baker attributes to the Holy Spirit. She describes being flipped upside down so that she was standing on her head and bruised from head to toe.
As part of her testimony, Baker describes a time in which she was pinned to the floor at the Toronoto Airport Vineyard. Allegedly, she had to be carried to her hotel and laid in her bed where she remained frozen, unable to move.
However, the Holy Spirit (insert air quotes) allowed her to get up at 3:00 AM to crawl to the restroom. Once she answered nature’s call (not the Holy Spirit’s), she crawled back into bed, where she returned to her frozen state.
Sadly, Heidi Baker’s testimony is not a testimony of salvation, but rather a testimony of experiences. No mention of sin and repentance. No mention of the cross.
And what did Jesus allegedly tell her in her vision? “I died so that there will always be enough.” This is not the gospel! This is the NAR, Word of Faith, Prosperity Gospel. This is a Galatians 1:6-9 false gospel.
This is the Gospel
This is the gospel–a gospel you will not hear from Heidi Baker or her ilk.
Everyone who stands before God to give an account will do so without excuse (Romans 1:18-23). No one will be able to claim innocence or ignorance of violating God’s law—whether in thought, word, or deed. Because God is good, because He is holy, because He is righteous and just, He must punish sin (Jeremiah 14:10; Hosea 9:9; Luke 13:1-5; John 8:24; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15). The punishment God has determined for sin, all sin, is eternity in Hell (Matthew 25:41-46; Revelation 21:8). It matters not whether a person believe this. What matters is that it is true. Truth is not determined by what one believes. God is truth, though every person is found to be a liar (Romans 3:4).
This same God–again, for there is only one God–who is angry with the wicked every day, whose wrath abides upon the ungodly, who will judge the world in righteousness, is the same God who is loving, merciful, gracious, and kind. And He showed His great love for mankind when He sent His Son to earth in the Person of Jesus Christ—fully God and fully Man, yet without sin (Philippians 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus of Nazareth, born of a virgin just as the prophet Isaiah declared more than 700 years before Jesus’s literal, physical birth (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6), lived the perfect, sinless life you cannot live. For some 33 years, Jesus lived a life in perfect obedience to the law of God–in thought, word, and deed–a life you and I could not hope to live for a mere 33 seconds. And then He voluntarily went to the cross (John 10:15, 17; 19:1-27).
Yes, it was the Jewish people who hatefully and viciously demanded Jesus’s execution. Yes, it was the Roman government that carried out the despicable act. But they were all merely instruments in the hands of another. For it pleased God the Father to crush God the Son under the full weight and fury of His wrath against sin (Isaiah 53:10-12). God the Father made God the Son, who knew no sin, to become sin on behalf of those who repent and believe the gospel so that through the sacrifice of His Son many would be made righteous in the eyes of Almighty God. In other words, on that great and terrible day God the Father looked upon God the Son as if He had lived the depraved life of a sinner and in exchange—a great exchange—God the Father looks upon those whom He has caused to be born again (1 Peter 1:3), to repent and believe the gospel, as if they had lived His Son’s perfect, precious, and priceless life (Colossians 2:8-15; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus shed His innocent blood on the cross. He died a literal, physical death on the cross. And He was buried in a tomb not His own. Three days later, Jesus forever defeated sin and death when He physically, bodily rose from the grave (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). And unlike every false god created in the imaginations of men–whether the false gods of Islam, Catholicism, Mormonism, Hinduism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Oprah-ism, or Atheism (a religion like every other spiritual “ism”)—Jesus Christ is alive today and He will return at a time of the Father’s choosing.
What God commands of you all people everywhere is that that you repent (Luke 13:1-5; Acts 17:29-31). Change your mind. Stop believing lies and believe the truth you know—the truth for which you are responsible and will be held accountable. Turn from your sin and turn toward God, and by faith alone receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
You must come to God on His terms. God does not negotiate with sinners. God will not be bribed by your religious practices or what you may perceive as “good works” acceptable to God. God will not weigh your “good” against your “bad,” for God does not see you or anyone else as good. God’s definition of, God’s standard for goodness is moral perfection, and only One has ever, only One will ever meet that standard. And that is Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Messiah, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. As for you, as is the case for the rest of mankind, you have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
If God causes you to be born again and extends to you the gifts of repentance and faith, which only He can give, then He will take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. You will begin to love the things God loves and hate the things God hates. You will stop presuming upon God’s forgiveness as if it is something you have earned or deserved. Instead, you will have the confident assurance He has forgiven you—not on the basis of any deeds you have done in righteousness, but based entirely upon God’s mercy, grace, and love, and for His glory (Titus 3:4-7).
Why would God allow His one and only Son to die a sinner’s death He did not deserve in order to take upon Himself the punishment sinners rightly deserve for their sins against God, so that sinners could be forgiven and saved? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Please repent and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, while God has given you time.
Heidi Baker’s Affiliations
The most notable among Heidi Baker’s ministry board members is Stacey Campbell. Campbell “is the founder and facilitator of the Canadian Prophetic Council and serves as an honorary member of the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, presided over by Cindy Jacobs. She and her husband, Wesley, are on the apostolic team of Harvest International Ministries (H.I.M.) under Dr. Ché Ahn. They are also the founders of a church (New Life Church, Kelowna, BC) and a mercy organization for children at risk called ‘Be A Hero.’ As conference speakers, they have ministered in over 60 nations, laboring to see revival and social justice transform the world. Stacey’s personal experience as a church planter, pastor, and missionary gives her prophetic teaching a depth and authority that can only come from personal experience. The Campbells have five grown children and live in Kelowna, B.C., Canada” (Source).
While Stacey Campbell is only an honorary member of the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders (ACPE), she’s no small fish in this particularly putrid spiritual pond.
Campbell participated in the apostolic commissioning of one of the worst characters the New Apostolic Reformation has ever produced: Todd Bentley. She made quite the scene, outdoing most of the false apostles present. She showed herself either to be a really bad actress, demon-possessed, or both (Source).
Bill Johnson, leader of the Bethel Redding cult, also participated in Bentley’s commissioning, stating, “We shape the course of history by partnering with you.” And, “You welcome glory as well as anyone I have ever seen in my life. I long to learn from you.” (Source).
Bentley soon showed himself to be a fornicator and adulterer (Source).
Bentley was later restored to ministry by NAR leader and false teacher, Rick Joyner (Source). Joyner also participated in Bentley’s commissioning, saying, Bentley would be the antidote for the “lukewarmness” in the church (Source).
Bentley back in business and as bad as ever. He claims a $1 donation will result in one soul saved (Source). He also boasts of one million “decisions for Christ” in the first ten years of his ministry (Source). Most recently, Bentley, up to his old carny shenanigans, claimed that angel feathers and gem stones appeared at a meeting in Fresno (Source).
Heidi Baker’s Headless Chicken Prophecy
Heidi Baker is a frequent flyer at Bethel Redding. She speaks there often.
Recently, on the Bethel.TV YouTube channel, a clip of Heidi Baker speaking was posted. The title of the video: The Call of an Eagle – Heidi Baker, Bethel Church.
Here’s the video:
Baker begins in typical false apostolic prophetic fashion by singing a little freestyle, I mean “spirit-led” tune and engaging in the droning practice of repeating words and phrases. By the looks of the crowd gathered, the people had already been whipped into an altered state of consciousness, before Baker begins her prophetic utterance. Baker begins her shtick in such a way as to make sure the people stay in the emotional and psychological state she wants them. She’s been trained by the worst.
Her first pronouncement to the people is that God wants to lift them above a non-specific storm to give them generic eagle eyes. She can’t be too specific. There might be someone in the crowd lucid enough to catch on.
She declares that God has given her a prophetic word for America, a word that was also for the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (likely the school to which she referred). Baker’s alleged prophetic word is punctuated with a shout of “Ho!” and a hoped-to-be-believed involuntary snap of the head to the right. After all, what would a prophecy be without a quick, spirit-launched Taser blast.
Baker then allegedly heard God say, “Your destiny is not to be a chicken.” Slipping out of their altered state of consciousness (real or feigned), several people in the audience laugh.
Hoots and hollers follow when Baker proclaims that God doesn’t want them to be chickens. He wants them to be eagles. That’s rather judgmental against chickens, if you ask me.
Baker tells her audience that God wants them to see above a non-specific dust, a non-specific storm, and a non-specific swirl.
God’s (not the God of the Bible, mind you) tirade against chickenhood continues by allegedly declaring through Baker that he wants them to soar like eagles and not hop around on the ground like chickens. More chicken intolerance.
Baker references Isaiah 40:31 (the first verse of Scripture I ever memorized) out of context, course. No Surprise. At Bethel Redding, “location, location, location”—whether earthly or during a little heaven tourism—is far more important than “context, context, context.”
Just in case the “vision of an eagle” isn’t enough, Baker prophesizes that God wants to give the audience power over serpents. They will dive like eagles and scoop up snakes. Then, they will fly high enough to suffocate the snakes.
Look, I’m not a fan of snakes, but that’s a tough way to die. And could someone please do the research for me that shows the altitude a snake suffocates and compare that to the altitude an eagle suffocates? If you actually find that information, please post it in the comments section.
Oh, I know. I know. She’s speaking metaphorically. But I’m writing this article, in part, to calm my nerves. I’m so angry with this false prophetess and the cult that is Bethel Redding I, well, I wanna kick a chicken!
Baker then prophesizes that God is calling them to the scariest place they’ve ever been—a place of fearless love. She punctuates this particular utterance with a brief display of “holy laughter.”
It’s at this point that Baker begins to stall. Her speech begins to have more gaps in it—more pregnant pauses. Of course, it’s speculation on my part, but it’s not unreasonable (no more unreasonable than Baker’s blasphemous utterances) that Baker is running out of things to say. She’s thinking on the fly, trying where else to take the eagle and chicken metaphor.
And then…..
Still speaking what she has the audience convinced are the very words of God, Baker says. “I’m going to call you; I’m going to call you to a place where you warn, even warn those who are chirping [momentary pause…..and wait for it] with no heads” (emphasis mine).
This image is a screen capture a mere second after Baker makes the pronouncement that somewhere people exist (metaphorically or literally, who knows) who chirp like birds…..and have no heads
Notice the family of four prominent in the middle of the screen–presumably a husband, his wife, and two small children? Notice the parents’ expressions? What might they mean? What might this couple be thinking?
The husband/father is smiling–almost laughing. Maybe he is in fool, I mean full agreement with Baker and he thinks what he is experiencing is really cool and of the Lord. Or, maybe he’s thinking, “I sold everything, packed up my family, and moved to Redding, CA, to attend Bethel’s School of Supernatural Ministry. DOH! What was I thinking!” Or maybe he’s thinking something else. He might just be smiling at the man who walks by and sits down to his right. Only he and God knows.
The wife/mother has her hands over her mouth in an expression of what appears to be either stunned amazement, or shock and horror. We should certainly hope for the latter. What might she be thinking? Maybe she’s thinking, “Wow! I was just thinking the other day about headless people chirping like birds…..with no heads…..and chirping…..like birds…..with no heads…..and no beaks!” Or maybe she’s thinking, “My kids just heard that. How am I going to explain headless people chirping like birds to my kids? Maybe this school has a third semester course in handling this situation. In the meantime, if the kids express any discomfort or doubt, I’ll gently admonish them not to touch the Lord’s anointed and go up, up, up, up, up to bed.” Or maybe she’s thinking something else. Only she and God knows.
Baker continues: “I’m going to call you to a place where you would warn, even warn those who are running around the yard with no heads. I’m the head, says the Lord. I’m the head. I’m your head. You’re not meant to be headless chickens who don’t even know they’re running with no head.”
May I just say, I breathed a sigh of relief just now. I was concerned the headless people knew they were running around like chickens with their heads cut off!
But wait! There’s more!
Baker says, again duping the audience into believing she is speaking the very words of God, “In that place, you will learn to soar without flapping, without flapping, and without sweat, because it will be by my spirit.”
A couple of things. If a bird is flapping, it’s not soaring. God knows that. So, God would not say, through Heidi Baker, that He is going to make people soar without flapping. Since God created birds, He actually knows the mechanics of bird flight. The God who gave eagles the ability to soar knows that soaring means flying without flapping wings.
Yet Another Reason to Avoid Bethel Redding Like the Plague
Heidi Baker is the type of charlatan members and attenders of Bethel Redding are exposed to on a regular basis. She is a false teacher, a false prophetess, and may not be saved herself.
Here’s Baker’s “Strange Fish” prophecy:
If you attend Bethel Redding, if you are influenced by Bethel Redding and people like Heidi Baker, flee to Christ!
I have well-documented the unbiblical, even demonic activities of Bethel Redding. You are not safe there. You are not safe being exposed to this cult’s and its affiliates’ false teachings.
If you need help finding a Bible-believing, gospel-preaching, truly Holy Spirit-indwelt church, please contact me at: info@crossencountersmin.com.
Source: By Tony Miano, Bethel Redding, Heidi Baker, and the Headless Chicken Prophecy, Cross Encounters Ministry, http://crossencountersmin.com/featured-article/bethel-redding-heidi-baker-headless-chicken-prophecy/, Published 14/04/2016. (Accessed 15/04/2016.)
Wake up Aussie Christians we seriously dont need this type/form of American “Christanity,” here in Australia, so why are we now, after “Toronto / Brownsville,” now importing Bethel?
Enough with the hype…enough with the numbers game.
Heidi Baker’s prophecies are always overly-dramatic, outrageous, and ridiculous. What a nincompoop.
Chickens, eagles, snakes, fish…. What about goats? Seems like she should be talking more about goats than anything else in her disgusting web of lies.
Who can possibly believe her pious trashy nonsense?
This imbecile woman ‘pastor/elder/leader’ has deceived even herself.
This article has nothing to do with Hillsong, why is posted on a Hillsong Blog site? It seem you are trying to imply guilt by association. Bethel / Redding and Hillsong are completely different Church’s and Church movements.
Yes a worship pastor from Bethel may speak at Hillsong conference but Hillsong conference is a conference for ALL church’s. You seem to think Hillsong are responsible for the theology and actions of all the speakers and Church’s represented at Hillsong conference which is false and unfair.
This means that Hillsong is responsible for all speakers and church’s reptresented at Hillsong conf over the past 30 years which is just wrong.
Yes.
David,
Yes, I agree with you in part but for different reasons.
We’ve got enough depravity, greed, lust, paedophilia, cultism, lies,deception, brainwashing and outright delusional insanity in our own little homegrown Hillsong without going further afield.
“Yes a worship pastor from Bethel may speak at Hillsong conference but Hillsong conference is a conference for ALL church’s.”
Really?? You thjink so?? NOT for Bibe-literate “guest” speakers, because there are NONE !! There have always been NONE. Those are NOT welcome at Hellswrong conference for 1 reason.. because they would expose to much wickedness. It would leave everyone in the crowd speechless by letting the cat-out-of-the-bag and exposing ALL THE OTHER “guest” speakers on stage.. These people run from the light & hide in the darkness (meaning at places like Hellswrong conferences).
SO THERFORE Brian houston has to keep inviting ONLY other greedy mammon seekers & Scripture twisters to agree with him & his Anti-Scripture teachings ! Its that simple .
“This article has nothing to do with Hillsong, why is posted on a Hillsong Blog site?”
You dont yourself even understand the Scriptures, you ought to not even be posting on ANY blog sites having to do with the Bible.. MUCH LESS instructing OTHERS how to run THEIR Bible sites..
typical Hellswrong cult member arrogance ..
Oh! the ARROGANCE of many of you Hellswrong people !
Yes ???
Yes, Hillsong is responsible for all speakers and churchs represented at Hillsong conferences over the past 30 years.
“This means that Hillsong is responsible for all speakers and church’s reptresented at Hillsong conf over the past 30 years which is just wrong.”
so whom do you think invited all these liars to speak at all those Hillsong conferences, Mr once-again Dense-as-a-brick.. Mr sparkle?? Santa claus??
Lashonweiss
You cant help yourself can you? You have to be rude and disrespectful. Why do you have to say ” Mr once-again Dense-as-a-brick”
I will only respond to you or engage with you if you can refrain from using personal insults. Now, if you want to comment again go ahead just don’t be make personal attacks. If you can manage a whole comment without being rude I will respond.
Lets see if you can do it shall we 🙂
david.. everybody sees right thru you you try to hide behind “rude” etc but you didnt respond to my 2 “discussion” questions from days ago not because they were rude but because YOU COULDNT DEFEND BRIAN and not to mention YOU DONT KNOW THE BIBLE !
Everyone sees thru you youre not here for “discussion” youre here to change peoples minds about Hellswrong and nobodys buying it.
Ive had plenty of other comments I havent even bothered making becaues frankly you are a BIG waste of time.
Not only are you NOT here for discussion (only to PROSELYTIZE), but now your the little dictator trying to tell a website (you dont belong on) how THEY should RUN it !
A dictator just like your cult leader Dictator Brian..
TRUTH —> Youre more concerned about the structure of a website (you dont belong on), than the LIES being told to the Body of Christ. I thijnk weve completely established, you are nothing but a a TARE..
@David,
“I will only respond to you or engage with you if you can refrain from using personal insults.”
And people here will only engage with *you* if you can refrain from your tiresomely self-indulgent and hypocritical posturing, which clearly springs from a cultic mindset and serves only to put on public display your abject stupidity, trammelled thinking, blinkered vision, and rank Biblical ignorance. (I don’t believe that anyone is holding their breath waiting for that to happen.)
david thinks Brian houston is an innocent little creature white as snow.
which explains why david never came here to ”discuss” anything & are still making stupid comments. That one was just plain dumb-as-dirt. the reason hes always here is only to PROSELYTIZE for Brian houston & Hellswrong. Tho nobody here is anywhere near dumb enough to fall for it (except david LOL) !!!
“This means that Hillsong is responsible for all speakers and church’s reptresented at Hillsong conf over the past 30 years which is just wrong.”
another 1 of your problems.. you dont belive in accountability. That concept has not registered on your brain yet. Its like Pilate you wash your hands of the whole thing and it goes away.. Like when you were astonished that even after 30 years the victims should be recompensed. It keeps coming up again & again in your posts which boast of the doctrines of MEN.
“Nope. Too much time has passed. Or its not THEIR fault. Who cares??”
David doesnt care thats been made clear ..
David says “This article has nothing to do with Hillsong, why is posted on a Hillsong Blog site? It seem you are trying to imply guilt by association. Bethel / Redding and Hillsong are completely different Church’s and Church movements.”
Does this article have anything to do with Hillsong? David, you don’t get to dictate the terms about articles on our sites.
The problem with movements like Hillsong (and C3), is that they love to promote the latest fad ‘coming down the pike’ e.g. Hillsong has had Bethel’s leader Bill Johnson as a keynote speaker, Hillsong has had Jesus Culture perform. Hillsong does not do their due diligence when it comes to exposing their ‘congregations’ to false teachers.
By the way, the most important part of the article?
The gospel is given clearly by Tony Miano.
So, David, if you continue to align yourself with false teachers and movements, you are without excuse. You have been ‘exposed’ to the gospel, the gospel not given at Hillsong.
There will many more articles in the future that connects the dots between Hillsong and and its alignment with the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation), a group that Bethel/Heidi Baker are well entrenched in.
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
Seriously, when is the Australian church going to wake up and stop importing these Americans with their accompanying heresies? Great, just great now this “new thing thing … Bethel,” is going to burn my fellow Aussie christians and their faith…overall just sad.