Kevin Reeves' Riveting Story of His River Movement Exit: A Review of The Other Side of the River
Kevin Reeves was once deep into the experiences of the River Revival Movement.* As part of a small aberrational group, Reeves was steeped in its errors while at the same time having reservations about its practices. And in this Reeves' read you'll learn how these reservations led to revelations compelling Reeves and his wife to exit "The River" to return to the Word of God alone.
*River Movement/River Revival Movement encompasses The Toronto Blessing, Brownsville Revival, Dominion, Latter Rain, Word of Faith, Rodney Howard-Browne's laughing revival, the Kansas City Prophets, or a mix of all so some of the aforementioned. (p. 22)
Rather than harshly criticizing his former "River" partners, Reeves tells his story--The Other Side of the River--with great sensitivity, and genuine love while exposing the deceptions that had enveloped his hyper-charismatic group. Reeves' two-fold purpose for writing this story is in his words, "First I pray it might be helpful to those who have recognized and turned away from distortions of doctrine and practice that have crept into the church today. Secondly, I hope it will be a warning, and an eye-opener to those still involved with hyper-charismatic teachings or have loved ones who are."
(p.11)
Right off the bat, Reeves' "Contents" with its list of chapters, and subsections draw the reader into the story with its catchy and intriguing titles. For example, chapter four: "We All Fall Down" has these subsections: "Called to the Carpet," "Carnality in Motion," "Catch Me if You Can," "Context or Pretext," "A Visit with God's Bartender," "Whose Anointing?" "The Biblical Anointing," and "Examine the Source."
Inside each chapter Reeves gives the reader a first hand look into the often bizarre and unsettling practices of his "New Covenant Fellowship" with its river tales. From the get-go, Reeves introduces and defines numerous "riverese" terms such as "impartation," "blood line," "pattern son," "taking authority," "drunkenness," "personal prophecy," "revelation," and so many more.
While every chapter of this riveting work is chock full of vivid descriptions and eye-opening information found within his river congregation, Reeves final three chapters especially resonated with me from the stand point of the discerning of truth and error through research and documentation and acting upon it.
As stated earlier Reeves revealed how he had routinely sensed something wasn't right with this river revival. In fact, Reeves wrote he had secretly read The Seduction of Christianity-- a work that was "anathema" to Charismatics. But it was Dave Wilkerson's out spoken 1999 Charisma magazine article: "David Wilkerson Blasts Faith Preachers in Sermon" that finally spurred Reeves into action. So awakened was he that Reeves put aside his "charismatic programming" as he described it, and clicked onto his computer to discover a world he'd never before considered. As a result Reeves wrote he felt as if, "...truth grabbed me by the shirtfront and gave me a hard shake...." (p.183)
Describing this time of research, documentation, and reflection Reeves posed some important questions each of us must answer when we stand at a fork in the road. And of all these questions, the most poignant of all, as Reeves so succinctly put it, was "The bottom line for facing discovery of the false is--what will you do with truth?" (p.186)
Reeves answered with another question: "What should you do when a question arises about a particular doctrine, practice, or fellowship?" We should, says Reeves, as the Bereans "search the scriptures." Reeves further explained that we should "investigate, scrutinize, ask questions, and put on trial" the deceptions we find in light of God's word. Then, in repentance we must act upon what we find. We must do an about-face! (p.187)
And an about-face is what Reeves courageously did! Now Reeves tells us all the details in these final chapters recounting his determined stand for truth. In the end, out of "The River" but not defeated, Reeves reminisced, "Following 'every wind of doctrine,' I drank deeply of every experience I could, followed by our prophets, and preached with authority from an eldership position--until the day truth mattered." (p.214) Like Reeves may we also dare to take a stand--for "truth" matters!
Learn to Discern Granny Verse: Acts 17:11
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so."
More Information: To obtain this "need to read" Reeves' book--one sure to open your own eyes to the width, breath, and depth of "The River," and to the necessity of understanding its deceptions so you too can discern error, and defend truth please see:
http://www.lighthousetrails.com/
