John and Adam dive deep into the growing commercialization of Bethel Church, exposing how its conferences, subscriptions, merchandise, and even a dating app reflect more of a shopping network than a house of worship. From inflated costs to questionable data practices, they highlight how spiritual life has been packaged and sold for profit. Drawing parallels to William Branham, Branhamism, and other cult dynamics, the discussion uncovers how monetization strategies blur the line between ministry and manipulation. <br /><br />The conversation also unpacks troubling doctrinal trends, including Bethel’s use of new age terminology like “Christ consciousness” and how hierarchical leadership structures mirror Masonic and cult-like models. With personal insight into business operations, IT security, and church finance, John and Adam expose both the practical dangers of poor accountability and the theological dangers of a man-made religion that replaces the free gift of grace with hype and hierarchy. <br /><br />00:00 Introduction <br />02:08 Apostles, and Scandals <br />04:04 Bethel’s Marketing Push <br />05:04 The “Bethel Shopping Network” <br />06:45 The Cost of Conferences and Subscriptions <br />09:04 The Bethel Dating App and Ad Revenue <br />12:00 John’s Business Perspective on Church as Enterprise <br />16:08 The Cult Economy vs. Honest Church Operations <br />20:44 Lack of Transparency in Bethel’s Finances <br />24:51 The Data Risks Behind the Dating App <br />27:01 Cult-Style Growth Through In-Group Marriages <br />28:18 Encryption Concerns and WordPress Vulnerabilities <br />32:22 Security Failures and Cult Tactics <br />36:52 New Age Concepts Entering Bethel Teaching <br />39:06 “Christ Consciousness” and Doctrinal Drift <br />43:04 New Age Terminology in the Church <br />49:05 Enlightenment vs. Biblical Awareness <br />55:05 The Core Gospel: Salvation by Grace Alone <br />58:03 Bethel’s Hierarchical Ranks and the Masonic Parallel <br />1:00:51 The Pyramid vs. the Simplicity of Jesus and the Gospel <br />1:02:18 Equal with Jesus? The Final Red Flag <br />1:02:42 Closing Reflections and Call to Discernment <br /><br />______________________<br />Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:<br />Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962<br />Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K<br />______________________<br />– Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham<br />– Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBSpezVG15TVG-lOYMRXuyQ<br />– Visit the website: https://william-branham.org<br />– Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamBranhamOrg <br />– Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@william.m.branham<br />– Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wmbhr<br />– Buy the books: https://william-branham.org/site/books
