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Are You, Todd Friel, a Spirit Led Person?
January 18, 2011 by Patrick Burwell
Filed under Article, Biblical Authors, How to Win Souls, Patrick J Burwell, Founder
In posting my recommended podcasts I found I had something to say…
These are the podcasts (downloadable audio recordings) I have or do still subscribe, downloading them daily to listen to on my USB radio, Blackberry or computer.
The FREE Bible in Audio
http://www.AudioTreasure.com
The Albert Mohler Radio Program
http://www.albertmohler.org/rss/podcast.php
Grace to You Daily Radio Broadcast with John MacArthur
http://feeds2.feedburner.com/GTYDailyRadioBroadcast
Walk in the Word with James MacDonald
http://www.walkintheword.org/podcast.xml
The Christian Worldview with David Wheaton
http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheDavidWheatonShow
Worldview Weekend with Brannon Howse
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/podcast-show.php?ShowID=20
Hot Tea Radio -Sponsored by TeaPartyPatriots.org, of which I am a First Brigade member.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hottearadio.rss
I also listen to Wretched Radio, which is an inexpensive paid podcast site.
WretchedRadio.com
http://www.wretchedradio.com (by paid membership only)
I can recommend them, but that recommendation comes with a pretty serious caveat.
Let me explain…
As I hear Todd Friel repeatedly deny the Power and Sovereignty of the Holy Spirit I struggle to keep supporting the show. Todd is what I call a Scripture Legalist; People who know the Bible but don’t have God’s Spirit in them – while denying anyone else can. He uses the same faithless tactic Atheists use: “I don’t know and no one else can know either!” Seriously Todd? That’s your argument?
Anyway, I have called in to the BeepTalk voicemail line repeatedly to explain how God, in the Bible, clearly shows the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the Believer – yet Todd refuses to understand. I expect there is a measure of need there.
Todd Friels’ tainted view of Scripture rejects all but the initial input the Spirit of God has in the life of the Believer, unless it is written “verbum pro verbo” in the Bible. Even when the Bible itself clearly shows, with many points, that God is able to communicate to the Believer how He chooses, Todd still chooses to colour his reading of Scripture to reject all such claims. I have sent by email to Todd, many examples from Scripture of how the Holy Spirit leads us into ALL truth, directs our steps, encourages and corrects us, yet Todd cannot seem to grasp the concept of an Indwelling God.
Todd would make an outstanding Southern Baptist, having the appearance of godliness, but denying the Holy Spirit’s power. I don’t yet say he is “always learning and never able to arrive at the knowledge of the truth”; There is still hope.
So, before you think I am too angry with him, let me quickly say Todd isn’t lost (hopefully). He may be deceived, but he gets the same patience God has with me, no? And he has good segments every Wednesday, where he sets aside his rants against Gods’ Spirit and demonstrates Biblical witnessing. And, for that, I am glad; You can’t get that many places.
I am truly grateful for the Wednesday shows.
Fridays are interesting but for a completely different, and often saddening, reason. Those are often the days many call in and try to reason with Todd, but all too often are just another opportunity for him to wriggle off the point the Holy Spirit brings him to, over and over again, as he uses his personality to power past God’s voice in others as they try to tell him that…
God is SOVEREIGN; He does as He CHOOSES.
My wife thinks I am wasting my time with Todd, but I haven’t given up on him. Anyone who witnesses like he does deserves patience. He may yet allow the Ruach Hagodesh to reign in his life; He may yet learn to hear the still small voice of God.
Where would Todd Friel be without being able to read?
Tony Verkiennes, thankfully, often saves the day with his encouraging words, quips, and detailed news segments, where he filters out the “Catholics are Christians too” nonsense some professing Christian news feeds provide all too often.
And, every once in a while, Kirk Cameron or Ray Comfort come back on and I am then very glad to be listening. They are both very encouraging as they find new ways to motivate you to share your faith – ways that lift you up, as opposed to Todd’s’ modus operandi of running people down.
If I hear you, Todd Friel, claim the Spirit of God leading someone in BIBLICAL ways is just “bad pizza” one more time I may LOSE my patience with you. I know Ray Comfort doesn’t agree with you, I read his books. So when will you listen to your friends?
Another friend says he had to give up listening to Todd so he wouldn’t feel the need to shoot himself every day; Interesting take. My friend now listens to James MacDonald instead (Well done James, btw).
So, do I recommend subscribing to WretchedRadio.com? Well, Maybe. But only if you are really thick skinned (and a bit thick headed wouldn’t hurt either). 
No, seriously, I still think so. Since Ray Comfort left the show it hasn’t been the same, though. I think Todd just needs a co-host that won’t back down. Brannon Howse, maybe…
http://www.wretchedradio.com (by paid membership only)
Patrick Burwell, OnlyJesusSaves.com Ministries
(reposted for efficacy)
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I don’t know about this guy, but we must compare any voices we hear to the word of God, making sure the spirit of God is speaking with us. The spirit definitely is God, part of the holy trinity. However, he will never contradict the word. If a spirit tells us something contrary to the word of God, it is not the spirit of God. I personally can’t stand the holier than thou types. I can’t stand to see someone seeking to please God in the flesh. It is not possible. We must rely on the grace of God alone for salvation and sanctification of the spirit through belief of the truth.
You missed the follow up comments… Scroll down…Patrick Burwell
I’m trying to figure out what you are defending. When listening to Todd, I don’t hear him ever denying the sovereignty of God nor denying the work of the Holy Spirit. He repeatedly speaks of the Holy Spirit’s work in salvation and directing the believer’s path. I do believe he is guarded from those that will “overwrite” what the word of God clearly says with what they believe God has “given” to them.
With that said, Todd’s typical stance is that you must weigh what you perceive is from God, against Scripture. The enemy can also influence and tempt our emotions and use that to lead us down a path of destruction, thus we MUST weigh what the Holy Spirit teaches us against the truth of Scripture AND we will know that they will NOT contradict because God does not author confusion. This way we will KNOW that the Holy Spirit is directing us. Of course as we know the Scriptures and hide it in our hearts we will be more in tune to the Holy Spirit and know our Master’s voice more clearly as we grow in holiness.
I don’t think Todd would deny that the Holy Spirit will lead and direct our steps day to day and lead us to truth. What I think he might deny is that the Holy Spirit will teach us new truth outside of the Bible. The implications to that would be that the Bible is incomplete and would directly attack the sovereignty of God and His ability to conserve His Word.
You keep saying that God “does AS He chooses HOW He Chooses”. Do you not believe that He has chosen His Word as the vehicle of truth and the Holy Spirit as the teacher of His Word? Is not the Holy Spirit the one that constantly leads us to the Word and speaks the living truths into our lives? Isn’t that what God has chosen according to His Word? Isn’t every manifestation in the Bible a reiteration of the Word? Even tongues?
I keep going back to the idea that you must be defending a specific instance that you believe (like tongues or new revelation?) and Todd disagrees with. I just don’t know what you are defending because what you have posted contradicts what I have heard Todd speak of for many years. (Im a long time listener…since the WOTM days)
Since writing all of this Todd has responded off handedly in his radio show that he indeed does believe he is lead by the Spirit of God – but ONLY through the Bible, only by what he reads. He doesn’t believe God can speak to him any other way, and made it clear no one else does either.
Is our Trust in God restricted to our understanding? Proverbs would say otherwise.
Todd, every time you make sweeping comments about who the Holy Spirit is, what He is able to do, you demonstrate that what what you believe you know about the Spirit of God is all that you believe He is. And yet the very Bible you say you trust in says the Spirit of God is like a wind; You know when He moves but you don’t know where He came from or where He is going.
In other words, God, the Holy Spirit, does AS He chooses HOW He Chooses.
Take a step Back Todd, don’t walk off that legalism cliff.
-Patrick
After considering this further I think I need to clarify:
I think that it isn’t whether Todd, or anyone else, believes his submission is to the Spirit that is the issue, but whether he believes he only needs to be submitted to his own understanding of what he reads in the Bible.
It seems like a splitting of hairs at first look, but it’s not at all.
The Bible tells us about Jesus, but we are to submit TO Jesus, not our own understanding; Not who we think He is, but to who “He knows Himself to be” as C.S. Lewis said it.
“Trust in Yahweh with all your heart and not in your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and HE will direct your paths.” (my emphasis).
-Patrick
I agree with John MacArthur about “tongues” etc. But I do wholeheartedly agree the issue is about control with Todd. And Isn’t that the issue with all of us? Unless a man is born again…
I know what you are talking about, I too have listened to every episode since the creation of way of the master radio to the current wretched radio…. I pray that God will baptize Todd with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues! Wouldn’t that be a shocker for Todd! I love Todd and his show, he has taught me so much…I wish he were also teachable…There is a fear there of not being in control. This is serious because if we are in control then where is God? I know that for Todd he sees being in submission to the word as letting the Spirit control him and this is true. There is more though and I pray Todd will find out!
Chris, Thanks for the input. And yes, I do tend toward being too harsh. I apologize if I sound that way. But I have been listening to Todd ever since when it was WayoftheMasterRadio.com so I don’t say what I have said litely.
1. I fear for his soul.
2. I would appreciate his not blaspheming the Holy Spirit by denying His Sovereignty.
Todd is better off not discussing matters he has said repeatedly he does not know.
-Patrick
(updated for grammar 05/21/2010)
In considering what I have written, and while discussing this matter with a few folks who know me, I have been reminded that if you do not have God’s Spirit then you are not Born Again. In other words, if Todd Friel has not surrendered his sovereignty to God, the Holy Spirit, then he is not a Christian.
There is a way that seems good to a man, but that way leads to death.
So there you have it Todd. Only you and God know for sure if you are just a really smart guy playing an intellectual game without actually surrenduring – OR – you are someone who is so worried he doesn’t want to come across as being “word faith” that you err on the side of sounding legalistic.
My wife and I pray you are the latter and see clearly that you can know ALL about Jesus and never give up CONTROL to Him. Only you and God know Todd.
But, your salvation aside, you must stop saying you don’t know how God’s Spirit can lead and guide us in this life personally- AS -you then say to others who DO know that they cannot possibly know. Your ignorance of the matter does not preclude that knowledge in others. If you don’t know, Todd, then you must not lend your opinion about it. Ask Ray Comfort, I’d bet he will be glad to explain the Indwelling Spirit to you – but you have to promise to NOT TALK – only listen.
As my Elder says to me often about this matter of how you cannot explain to the lost what it is to be Born Again…
“Either you is, or you isn’t. You cain’t hum a few bars and fake it with God.”
Better the faithful strike of a friend then the kiss of an enemy. I hope you have taken this in such a light. If it helps say all this in the same gentle drawl as Justin Peters.
Patrick Burwell, OnlyJesusSaves.com
Hey Patrick, as a fellow Calvary Chapeler, I do fear you might’ve been a tad too harsh on Todd. After all, he has been one of the most vocal opponents of PDL/seekerism, the emergent church, squishy evangelicalism. I do think that cautiousness is very necessary, even when we are free to exercise the gifts.