Dennis Cramer: The 'Nervous' Prophet

The 'Perfect Storm' of 2006 Sizzled but Fizzled-Out,

but Did Christians See Jesus Sitting on a Throne?

Part 1 

 

Self-proclaimed prophet, Dennis Cramer, is a familiar face on The Elijah List, and the prophetic poster boy of The Father's House church in Stockton, CA, where he is scheduled to conduct his "School of Prophecy" in November 2007. 

 

The Elijah List, headed up by Steve Shultz, serves as a public spotlight for individuals such as Kim Clement, Chuck Pierce, Rick Joyner, John Paul Jackson, Cindy Jacobs, John Arnott, Jim Bakker, Mike Bickle, Juanita Bynum, Randy Clark, Francis Frangipane, Bill Hamon, Rodney Howard-Browne, Bob Jones, Dutch Sheets, Richard Twiss, C. Peter Wagner, Les Yoder, Bill Yount, and many more.

 

Schools of Prophecy aren't unique. A Google search netted thousands of hits, with some offering correspondence courses via the internet. Even the New Age "Master Prophet" Elijah Bernard Jordan offers a School of the Prophets on his website.

 

But Dennis Cramer's School of Prophecy is unique, in that he gives it his  personal stamp of approval upon graduation: "When I'm through with you you'll be prophesying over everything that moves" (video Message from Dennis ). 

 

Cramer's Schools of Prophecy are broken down into three levels. Level 1 lays the basic groundwork for those aspiring to be prophets, and teaches students  "how to accurately hear from God and to speak accurately for God" ( see Level 1 here ).

 

Level 2, according to Cramer, "is a one-day prophetic school for only the serious student of prophecy," and "consists of seven advanced teachings on prophecy"

(see Level 2 here, emp. theirs). Here, students learn how to handle their personal prophecies, and are "taught how to go on the offensive and 'war'" with their prophecies.

 

Cramer's Level 3 School of Prophecy seems to be the meat and potatoes of his training, in that eager students have the "unique opportunity" to experience a "highly advanced first-hand prophetic practice" ( see Level 3 here, emp. theirs), and take part in "cutting-edge prophetic exercises"; on-the-job training, with no reading or writing necessary; and watching and learning from Cramer. "Then, on a volunteer basis, students follow his example and experience several different prophetic methods or practices for themselves."

 

Oddly enough, Cramer maintains that students may skip Level 1 and Level 2, and go straight to Level 3, where the student is taught to practice, among other things, "with prophetic gestures: expressing with body movements or 'acting out' the word of the Lord using items or props." 

 

Certainly, Dennis Cramer has the freedom to conduct his Schools of Prophecy whenever and wherever he chooses, but after all is said and done, is there any Biblical justification for schools of prophecy? Moreover, if Cramer is proven to be a false prophet, should he continue to occupy the office of a prophet? And, what about the spiritual welfare of the students attending the classes?  

 

Cramer's prophetic credentials

 

"Founder and president of Dennis Cramer Ministries, Dennis preaches, teaches, and prophesies nationally and internationally to numerous churches and conferences" ( Press and Promotional Material/Biography ). 

 

Cramer's "supernatural ability" in the department of the prophetic seems to rival that of the Old Testament prophets:

 

"Clearly gifted with the supernatural ability to hear from God, this servant has blessed thousands with his down-to-earth, yet extremely accurate style of prophetic ministry. With over twenty-seven years of prophetic experience, Dennis also sits on the "apostolic team" of several churches and para-church organizations" ( Press and Promotional Material/Biography ).

 

When it comes to Dennis Cramer's prophetic abilities, Steve Shultz, founder of the Elijah List, states that:  

 

"I just completed a conference with Denny Cramer out in Connecticut. He is perhaps the single most accurate prophet to the Church I have seen. I say that also about people such as Chuck Pierce and Kim Clement, I know--but to watch Denny Cramer prophesy over one person after another, non-stop, for over an hour, is amazing and one's faith cannot help but be built up" (Steve Shultz, letter to The Elijah List ).

 

Dennis Cramer claims to be a prophet of God. Cramer's colleagues and followers recognize him as a prophet of God. But Cramer, "the single most accurate prophet to the Church" Steve Shultz has seen, is not your average, everyday prophet. To his credit, Cramer issued a specific request to his readers; a request that is rare, if unheard of, from today's prophetic prognosticators: 

 

"Prophetically I've 'Seen' Something Powerful! I would like to submit to you for judging-something I've seen for this summer, the summer of 2006. Of course God will be doing many other things worldwide during this same time period which He has not revealed to me. Again, this is just my 'glimpse' and I'm very excited to share it with you now. So again, please judge this" (Dennis Cramer, The Perfect Storm Is About To Hit!, emp. theirs).

 

Thank you for the reminder, Dennis. Judging the fruit of a prophet is exactly what the Bible instructs Christians to do:

 

"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-20; NASB).

 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1; NASB).

 

Jesus calls Christians to be "fruit" inspectors. True prophets bear good fruit (true prophecies); false prophets bear bad fruit (false prophecies). And Christians are to judge the prophecies accordingly.

 

Judging Cramer's 2006 prophecy

 

With Cramer's request to judge his 2006 "Perfect Storm" prophecy in mind, concerning Amos 3:7, Cramer states: "May I be perfectly frank with you? This well known verse has always made me a little nervous as a prophet. In fact, as a prophet, it's made me a lot nervous!" ( The Perfect Storm Is About To Hit! )

 

Amos 3:7 teaches that God speaks warnings through the words of prophets.  Simply put, a true prophet of God hears from God and tells the truth. Thus, if a prophet of God truly hears from God and tells the truth, there is no reason to be nervous. 

 

"Let me assure you that I'm more frequently 'in the dark' prophetically than you might imagine," states Cramer. "If God's not showing me, I'm not seeing. In this sense I am far more dependent on revelation from the Holy Spirit than most believers. When the prophetic switch is off, brother, it is off. However, when He turns the switch back on, I will occasionally see some powerful prophetic things" (Dennis Cramer, The Perfect Storm Is About To Hit! ).

 

Every Christian has access to the Holy Spirit, Who leads, guides, and directs Christians into all truth:

 

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you (John 16:13-14).

 

Concerning the function of the Holy Spirit, Matthew Henry wrote that:

 

"The Holy Spirit is our Guide, not only to show us the way, but to go with us by continued aids and influences. To be led into a truth is more than barely to know it; it is not only to have the notion of it in our heads, but the relish, and savour, and power of it in our hearts. He shall teach all truth, and keep back nothing profitable, for he will show things to come. All the gifts and graces of the Spirit, all the preaching, and all the writing of the apostles, under the influence of the Spirit, all the tongues, and miracles, were to glorify Christ. It behooves every one to ask, whether the Holy Spirit has begun a good work in his heart? Without clear discovery of our guilt and danger, we never shall understand the value of Christ's salvation; but when brought to know ourselves aright, we begin to see the value of the Redeemer. We should have fuller views of the Redeemer, and more lively affections to him, if we more prayed for, and depended on the Holy Spirit" (Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 16). 

 

 

To God, the office of a prophet is serious business, as demonstrated in the following Bible books and chapters: Deuteronomy 13; Deuteronomy 18; Psalm 105; Jeremiah 5; Lamentations 2; Ezekiel 13; Matthew 7; Matthew 24; John 6; 1 Corinthians 14; 2 Peter 2; 1 John 4; Revelation 2; Revelation 19.

 

Is Cramer's claim that God turns the prophetic switch of-and-on nothing more than a safety net disclaimer, just in case he gets 'in the dark' and foretells a false prophecy? True prophets of God are not "in the dark." True prophets of God are not spiritually blind to what God shows them. True prophets of God hear God and do not foretell false prophecies.

 

Sizzling prophecies and fizzling soda pop   

 

In his The Perfect Storm Is About To Hit! prophecy, Cramer kicks his  prophetic utterances up another notch, as he elevates the word "Unprecedented" to unprecedented heights:


 

"But even greater than this outpouring of healings, signs, and wonders will be an unprecedented worldwide release of miracles-90 days of genuine miracles of all kinds, miracles of all shapes, and miracles of all sizes. The summer of 2006 will be a season of sizzling worldwide miracles: unprecedented, unparalleled, and unmatched! *Unprecedented worldwide miracles are coming! *Unparalleled worldwide miracles are coming! *Unmatched worldwide miracles are coming!"

 

Serious students of the New Testament will notice that Cramer's prophecy about unprecedented, unparalleled, and unmatched worldwide miracles go way beyond the miracles performed by Jesus Christ and His apostles. While Cramer's Perfect Storm prophecy may have sizzled at first, when June, July, and August of 2006 came and went, his prophecy about the unprecedented worldwide miracles fizzled out like soda pop spewing out off a shaken 2 litre bottle.

 

But in case we missed something, and the 2006 "90 days of genuine miracles" of all shapes and sizes really took place, the question is: Where was the Christian and secular news media during this period of worldwide celebration? Indeed, if the miracles actually took place, imagine, for a moment, the following front-page headlines lighting-up newspapers worldwide like fireworks at a 4th of July celebration: 

  

 

Miraculous Healings Taking Place Worldwide!

Cemeteries Empty As the Dead Rise from Their Graves

Untold Millions Healed of Cancer, AIDS, Diabetes!

Terminally-Ill Patients Leave Hospitals in Droves

Doctors Worried, Hospitals Closing Doors

Amputated Arms and Legs Reappearing!

People Celebrating In the Streets, State-Wide Traffic Jams

HEAVEN ON EARTH! WORLDWIDE CRIME-RATE AT AN ALL-TIME LOW

American and Worldwide Churches Filled to Capacity

 

Prophecies concerning worldwide miracles on an unprecedented scale may sound warm and fuzzy to those who are gullible enough to have their ears tickled, but the fact is there were no "Unprecedented worldwide healings!" There were no "Unprecedented worldwide signs!" There were no "Unprecedented worldwide wonders!"--at anytime during 2006.

 

But now that Cramer's prophetic parade has been rained on, there will come a day when sickness, disease, poverty, and death will cease--when Jesus returns for His saints. But until Jesus comes, Christians are to preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:2). 

 

Why? Because the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Timothy 4:3-5).

 

Dennis Cramer and Jesus Christ: a comparison of prophecies

 

Compare Cramer's Perfect Storm prophecy to Jesus' end time prophecy in Matthew chapter 24, where Jesus said:

Add to this the events preceding the second coming of Jesus Christ:

 

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition

(2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

 

Notice the words, falling away. And people are turning away from Jesus Christ and the truth of His word at an unprecedented rate.  

 

Does the body of Christ really need modern-day prophets, such as Dennis Cramer, to lead, guide, and direct us and to foretell future events? No. Does the body of Christ really need schools of prophecy, where false prophets lead impressionable, gullible Christians down the road to deception? No. Is there any Biblical justification for schools of prophecy? No. Christians have God's word and the Holy Spirit to rely on:

 

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

 

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).

 

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He

will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you (John 16:13-14).

 

Judged, weighed, and found wanting

 

In his "'This Is My Year', Says The Lord!" prophecy, Cramer states: 

 

"2006: The Year Of Our Lord - Literally! ...God is going to dramatically shift the emphasis away from us and back on to Him (self). 2006 will be the 'year of our Lord' in a very literal way. The words of Isaiah will ring strong and true throughout churches all across this nation: 'I (we) will see the Lord (once again) sitting upon a throne (very) high and (very) lifted up, and His train (His glory and splendor) will (dramatically) fill the temple'" (refer to Dennis Cramer's prophecy, "'This Is My Year', Says The Lord!"; emp. theirs).

 

No wonder Cramer said he was "nervous". His 2006 Perfect Storm prophecy fizzled out and dried up! Furthermore, Christians nationwide did not see Jesus Christ "Literally" sitting upon a throne in 2006.

 

An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah. And He left them and went away (Matthew 16:4).

 

Dennis Cramer's prophecies have been judged (at his request), weighed in the light of Scripture, and found wanting. When it comes to prophets and prophecy, God's word is specific:

 

You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).

 

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6).  

 

Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds (Jeremiah 14:14).

 

For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream (Jeremiah 29:8). 

 

They see falsehood and lying divination who are saying, 'The LORD declares,' when the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word (Ezekiel 13:6). 

 

Dennis Cramer is a false prophet. Should he repent, close his School of Prophecy, and stop prophesying? Yes.

 

The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it? (Jeremiah 5:31).

 

Now that you know the truth, what will YOU do?

 

Sincerely in Christ,

Bud Press, Director

Christian Research Service

February 14, 2007

Jude 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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