Contrary to the criticism levelled at Ed Smith and his ministry by the staff of the said church, I found a transparent and honest presentation of what he believes and practices as well as evaluation and testimonies from recognised Christian psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors with whom he works in close partnership. He has been thoroughly researched and evaluated a representative of the Christian Research Institute and he has found no fault with his theology in its fundamentals or his modelof ministry. One of his reservations is that there has not been enough time to evaluate results over the long term.

“…CRI finds nothing inconsistent with Scripture in TPM’s core theory and practice. It certainly fits the biblical worldview to hold that believing lies oppresses or injures people and replacing those lies with truth frees or heals them. The theory that the emotional pain that haunts so many people’s lives (including Christians) is rooted in false beliefs associated with past experiences rather than the experiences themselves seems elegant in its profound simplicity, and the proposal that Satan is often the source of those lies while Jesus supplies the truth that dispels them is again consistent with Scripture (e.g., John 8:44; 14:6; 18:37). This emphasis on conforming one’s beliefs to truth is entirely biblical (Ps. 43:3; 51:6; Prov. 23:23; 1 Cor. 13:6; Eph. 4:14–15, 25; 5: 8; 6:1411), and the complete dependence on Christ in ministry to the hurting that TPM advocates, to the point of giving Him the central place in that ministry, is commendable at least in concept and warrants consideration…”

The “horrific” problems this ministry is supposed to have produced come, not from honest practitioners who are faithful to the training but from people who claim to be doing TPM when they are in actual fact doing something else in the name of TPM. Ed Smith warns against such people and against people who act as “lone rangers” in the name of TPM.

Instead of writing this ministry off as “unbiblical, unethical and dangerous” as I was told, on the strength of one biased group of people who put claims into Ed Smith’s mouth which he did not make, why not encourage people to research and evaluate for themsleves by checking a wide spread of what trained and experienced experts are saying?

I find it very interesting that the leaders of another church of the same denomination have embraced this ministry and have encorporated it so fully into their church’s ministry that they have become the model and the teacher for other churches.

I have personally trained as a TPM facilitator and it gives me great joy to see people being set free from their emotional pain when they come face to face with Jesus and hear the truth about themselves which brings true peace. Applying th TPM principles in my own life has brought me greater spiritual growth in the past two years than in the other 52 years that I have walked with Jesus.

This movement is taking off in my state (Utah) and I’ve been to one Harp and Bowl meeting. The Lord did not meet me there, and I haven’t been back. I had been trying to think why it wasn’t sweet to be there (when the Lord lets His presence be known, it is SO sweet) when all they were doing was singing and praying…But looking at the Revelation passage they use as a foundation, it occured to me: was anyone falling on their face before the Lord in this worship session? No. In the Rev. passage, that is the response of the elders: Falling on their faces, casting their crowns before the throne. In Bible accounts of God meeting people, whether groups or individually, the person being “met” always falls on his face at the feet of God or His angel.

I had already figured out that the foundational scriptures are taken out of context, and have been viewing this with caution. Your red flags list is going to be a huge help as I continue in the little charismatic church where my family and I worship.

I too am also a nurse. I believe in what both of you are saying. I believe that sometimes the Devil does come and tempt us, and I also believe that sometimes it’s our own flesh that causes us to do sinful acts. It’s both.
I’ve witnessed my fair share of demonic warfare, and I believe that sometime it can be demonic spirits telling people to do things. The choice is still ours though…except when that person is possessed then the demonic spirit is in control.
I see IHOP and their sugar coated message of 24/7 prayer and worship. I agree that it is not biblical, they’ve take Revelation 5 totally out of context. Which is flag number 1. God has told us to be in continual prayer, and live a life of worship…but never did He command us to gather into a place where we chant, prophesy, speak in toungues and pray and sing for 24/7 hours 365 days in a year. I know what Jesus taught. It was to go out into the world to proclaim the gospel. That was the command for the Christians. True that the OT people worshipped in the temple. However, the Samaritan woman stated that the Jews believe they must worship in Jeruselum, which is where the temple was. And Jesus corrected her saying that.

“Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:21)

Our whole lives should be a life of worship and praise.
We have no need to go to a place to have 24/7 worship and praise, which is not a biblical.

Those who are worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth, are already worshiping.

I have peronally experienced demonisation after a life of sinful living. When the demons were cast out, they were biting a baby in front of nine people!! It was horrific, the child present was 19 months and was screaming while you saw the teethmarks on her cheeks and hand, like a scene straight out of the exorcist movie.

You have no idea how difficult it is to find the truth and freedom after such an experiece. Yet, reading the bible and pleading the blood of Jesus helps, and a relationship with Jesus has brought healing ect, but self appointed ministers tend to confuse a person and sometimes draw in more demonic spirits.

I am seeking with all my heart for the truth and hope to one day find as a relationship with God is what I desire with my whole heart…

Some charismatics blow on you, and try to get you drunk in the spirit and rebuke demons all day long, it makes a person paranoid, especially after a horrible incident!!