A BIBLICAL CRITIQUE of Brownsville Assembly of God Deliverance Manual

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A BIBLICAL CRITIQUE  of  Brownsville Assembly of God Deliverance Manual

A Critique of  BROWNSVILLE ASSEMBLY OF GOD “DELIVERANCE MANUAL “

Manual Written by Teresa Castleman, “Deliverance Co-ordinator. ”
Manual authorized by Pastor John A. Kilpatrick

Introduction: In critiquing this manual, I am not intending to question the character of
Pastor Kilpatrick or Deliverance Co-ordinator Castleman. No doubt their intention is to help
people live the abundant life in Christ. However, they should give further study to all Scriptures
dealing with the subject of deliverance. This manual is in contradiction to paragraph 10 in the
Assemblies of God Position Paper, “Can Born-again Believers Be Demon Possessed?”
We are at a crucial juncture in our Movement. What will determine our future: “Biblical
Theology”or “Experiential Theology”? By its name, Brownsville Assembly of God professes to
support Assemblies of God doctrine. Excerpts listed here indicate to the contrary. To each
reader, I humbly submit this critique for your evaluation. If you can Scripturally show me to be
mistaken, I will be indebted to you.

NOTE: (l) First I will list quotes and teachings from the manual with page numbers.
(2) I will then add my comments/critique in italics.
MANUAL Page 2: Co-ordinator Castleman appears to adhere to Assemblies of God doctrine,
knowing our position paper re: the believer and evil spirits. She writes: “Are Christians demon
possessed? Absolutely not. Can Satan have strongholds in our lives? Yes.”
COMMENT: Castleman uses the term “strongholds” to mislead the undiscerning reader. By
page 16, these “strongholds” are “evil spirits”; “demons” (p 22); “deceiving spirits” (p 41);
“sexual demons’ (p 43); “demonic powers” (p 48). And—all of these are shown to be in
believers. Also, some of the Scriptures she uses telling how to get these “strongholds” out of the
believer are clearly those depicting demon possession.
MANUAL Pages 3-15 give instructions for those who are in training to be ‘Deliverance
Ministers.” The prospective “Deliverance Minister” fills out information worksheets. In addition
to listing background (education, medical, spiritual), each must report “Areas of Involvement.”
COMMENT: There are 43 “areas, ” some of them including many aspects. Note the things that
are mixed together: along with drugs, alcohol, Satan worship, etc. we find: daydreaming,
arthritis, allergies, chronic ear problems, and near-death experience. How do all these belong
in the same category??
MANUAL Page 16
HOW TO RECEIVE DELIVERANCE
“To be given to person (wanting deliverance) at the time of initial interview”
COMMENT: On this page the terminology shows clearly that the so-called “strongholds ” are
actually demons, and it is believers who must get them expelled.
MANUAL p. 16: 1. “Suspect your need of deliverance only after you have gone through the nor-
mal channels of prayer, spiritual discipline, applying the Word, etc. and still don’t have victory.”
COMMENT: This of course can apply only to a Christian.
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MANUAL p. 16: 2. “Start renouncing the spirits, binding them yourself, before coming for
deliverance. ”
COMMENT: Ifthe believers can bind the spirits, why do they still need “deliverance “?
MANUAL p. 16: 3. “Don’t pray for yourself while the workers are praying for you. Words can
hinder the exit of the evil spirit.”
COMMENT: This statement shows the author believes an evil spirit is inisde the Christian;
otherwise, it could not exit! Note it is no longer called a “stronghold. ‘
MANUAL p. 16: 4. “Most evil spirits will be expelled via your mouth. Don’t be embarrassed if
you feel like you must cough, burp, sigh, yawn, scream, weep, etc. On the other hand there may
be no physical reactions.”
COMMENT: Just as above, this says an evil spirit must be expelled—from a Christian. In every
instance in the Word where an evil spirit is inside a person, there is demonic control, and
“possession ” is a good term to express it. A Christian is “in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17) and Christ is
in every Christian (Col. 1:27). Can an evil spirit be “in Christ”? The believer’s body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19). When an evil spirit can inhabit Christ—then and only
then—can a demon be inside a Christian. Thank God, this can never be!
MANUAL Page 17: “Will These Evil Spirits Try to Return?” Further instructions to those
seeking deliverance: “According to Matthew 12:43-45 they will try to return. You must command
them to leave you alone in the Name of Jesus.. .Keep your deliverance by putting on the whole
armour of God. Ephesians 6:10-18. ”
COMMENT: Matthew 12: 43-45 is the continuation of Jesus’ teaching earlier and applies to a
man who had been demon possessed (v. 22), not to a believer who had received “deliverance.
Verses 25-29 show clearly that Jesus will not come into a person ‘s heart until all evil spirits are
removed. Therefore, no Christian can have an evil spirit inside. Before Jesus comes in, any
demons inside have to exit! A Christian is not “a house divided” (v. 25). He is one spirit with
the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17), his soul is saved (Heb. 10:39), and his body is the temple of the Holy
spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).
Ephesians 6:10-18 is basic provision for every believer. By obeying it, saints will not be
deceived into thinking they need “deliverance. ‘
MANUAL Pages 18-21 : Further instructions for the “Deliverance Team.” Some examples:
“Claim the protection of the Blood of Jesus over everyone on the premises…. Bind the spirits,
especially the strongman. Matthew 12:29. ”
COMMENT:
As I have shown in the paragraph above, these cannot apply to Christians
who are already under the blood of Jesus and who have already been rid of any demons. Ifthe
Deliverance Team can “claim the protection of the blood of Jesus over everyone, ” why do they
then need to “deliver” those who already are under the blood? Is a demon “under the blood”?
MANUAL Page 22: The Deliverance Prayer is ‘ ‘to be prayed by the person seeking deliverance at
the time of ministry.”
COMMENT: Bear in mind all of this applies to believers. This prayer is the kind a sinner, not
a Christian, needs to pray. Here are typical excerpts: “Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the
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Son of God, that you died on the cross for my sins and that you rose from the dead. I confess you
as my Lord and Saviour, I repent of all my sins… Lord, I ask you to forgive me and to cleanse
me by your precious Blood. I accept it now.. .Satan, because of the Blood, you have no power
over me and you have no place in me… ”
THINK: Is this a prayer for a believer?! Isn ‘t a Christian already cleansed by the Blood?
WHAT did these people pray at the time of salvation? Let us speak Truth: if people are bound,
inhabited by evil spirits, they are not yet saved!
MANUAL Pages 23-43: A list oftwenty “STRONGHOLDS” that must be “brokerV’ includes
the following: ‘familiar spirit, generational curses, anti-christ, deaf and dumb spirit, death,
divination, fear, haughtiness, heaviness, infirmity, jealousy, lying, perverse spirit, seducing spirits,
sexual demons.”
COMMENT: This is quite a “mix”! The following, cannot possibly be in a believer: l. God
said that anyone with a familiar spirit was to be put to death (Lev. 20:27; 1 Sam. 28:9), 2. The
spirit of antichrist is totally opposite a Christian. 3. Paul cast a spirit of divination out (Acts
16:16-18); the woman was not a Christian before the demon was cast out. 4. Seducing spirits
cannot possibly inhabit a Christian (1 Tim. 4:1). 5. Note: “generational curse” is nowhere
found in Scripture; the concept is shown to be erroneous in Ezekiel 18, plus many other
Scriptures.
MANUAL: Page 43: Under the heading, “sexual demons,” we find: ficubus–Webster defines
incubus as ‘an evil spirit that lies on persons in their sleep; one that has sexual intercourse while
they are sleeping. ‘ This spirit will take on the form of a man in order to have intercourse with
women.” “Succubus-Webster defines succubus as ‘a demon that takes on a female form in order
to have sexual intercourse with men while they are asleep. ” Castleman continues, “I have found in
some cases these spirits work with members of the same sex .. .Some individuals have a diffcult
time in letting go of these spirits and for many it is even more diffcult to keep the door closed so
they do not return.”
COMMENT: This is one of the heresies we can read about in church history. Scripture is clear
that angels are sexless beings (Matt. 22:30; Mk. 12:25), and demons are fallen angels, hence
sexless. Satan promotes such malicious deception as this to terrorize those who believe it.
MANUAL Pages 45-50: These pages give basic instructions with Scriptures. Titles are “Learning
to Walk in Your Deliverance” (45); “Requirements to Keep Your Deliverance” (47-48); “The
Renewed Mind Concept” (49-50). Page 46 has a brief instruction for “Ministry to Children.”
COMMENT: The instructions here are, for the most part, well-documented with scriptures. The
problem here is that that they do not apply to believers seeking “deliverance. ” Substitute
“Salvation “for “Deliverance ” in these instructions, and you will see you do not need a
“deliverance ministry ” for believers.
“Ministry to children ” should be approached with great care. The greatest wrath of
Christ comes on anyone who offends a child (Mt. 18:6-7).
MANUAL Page 51 : ‘My Never Again List”
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COMMENT: Some of these are well advised, others are unscriptural. For example it is good to
say, “Never again will I confess supremacy of Satan over my life, for “Greater is He that is
within me than he that is in the world. I John 4:4. (However—to follow the “deliverance
ministry” teaching set forth in this manual, the verse would read, “Greater is He that is in you
than the evil spirit that is in you. ” )
It is unscriptural to tell all believers to say “Never again will I confess sickness. ” A
small percentage might be able to say that truthfully, but the majority will be sick at some time
regardless of all the positive confession, etc. It is sick people who die.
CONCLUSION: I. This manual makes the Word appear to say just the opposite of what it
clearly teaches ( and contrary to AG doctrine). 11. Who needs deliverance? Sinners do.
Christians, by definition, are those who have been delivered. Colossians 1;13 tells us: “He (the
Father) has delivered us from the power of darkness .. .. Jesus said, “the Truth shall make you
free” (Jn. 8:32-34). There is not a single instance in the Bible ofa believer being delivered from
an evil spirit. Ill. Why then are we being bombarded with such practices? Reasons include: 1.
Lack of Bible knowledge. (Hos. 4:6; 2 Tim. 3:16).2. Some members in our churches have not
been born again though they may have “repeated the sinner’s prayer.” They are in bondage to
sin and may even be demon possessed (1 Jn. 3:9). 3. Some who were at one time born again no
longer have Christ within (Rom. 8:13). They too are in bondage and can even be
inhabited/possessed by a demon. 4. Probably the largest group who submit to “deliverance
ministry” are carnal Christians (1 Cor. 3:1-4), in danger of losing salvation (Rom. 8:13). Many
would rather (supposedly) “be delivered ofa demon” than to crucify the flesh and obey Jesus’
command to repent-or else!” (Rev. 2-3). 5. Those who profess “deliverance ministry” are
popular. The love of money and power is a snare for many. It is the spirit of the age to want
“spiritual experience” (Gal. 1:10). Those who are not willing to ‘ Ä the price” for this genuine
experience are often glad to accept substitutes. Like the New Agers they want “experience,” but
are not willing to live by every word of God (Lk. 4:4; 1 Tim. 4:1; 1 Jn. 4:1). Like Nadab and
Abihu, they tolerate “wild fire” (Lev. 10:1-2) rather than wait on God as Elijah did (I Ki. 18) and
as Jesus commanded (Rev. 3:15-22). 6. Great statistics result from calling all (including
ministers and other believers) to come for repentance. Often they are all then counted as
converts—some many times. May we not be guilty of lying about results (Rev. 21:8).
NOTE Definitions: The term “SPIRIT” is used in Scripture in two differing ways: 1) “spirit” as
personal being: the Holy Spirit is God, the Spirit of Truth; angels are ministering spirits;
demons are evil spirits. In this primary sense, a spirit is a living being. Both angels and demons
have “personality”; they know, speak, hear, guide. DIFFERENT from the second usage:
2) “spirit” as disposition, attitude: a haughty spirit (Pv. 16;18); a humble spirit (Isa. 57:15); a
meek and quiet spirit (1 Pet. 3:4). Some misinterpret 2 Tim. 1 :7; they speak of deliverance from a
“spirit (demon) of fear.” If fear is an evil spirit, then three good spirits must take its place: spirit
of love, spirit of power, spirit ofa sound mind. Obviously, love, power, and sound mind are not
spirit beings, and fear is not a spirit being! Let us use the “sound mind” God has given us as
we ‘Yightly divide” the Word He has given (2 Tim. 2:15).
opal L. Reddin, D. Mn.
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May 25, 1999