“Word of Faith” series by Justin Peters - Analysis: False prophets abound in WOF

Mississippi Baptist Convention Board ^ | 01/14/2008 | Justin Peters

[WileyPink]

“Word of Faith” series by Justin Peters

This is the third in a series of analyses by correspondent Justin Peters. These special articles were first printed in the Baptist Record each week from September 25, 2003, to October 16, 2003.

Analysis: False prophets abound in WOF
Third in a series (originally printed 10/9/03)

I believe the Word of Faith (WOF) movement is home to many false prophets. Both the Old and New Testaments are replete with warnings about false prophets and, on at least two occasions, the Apostle Paul called out by name men who were teaching false doctrine (1 Tim. 1:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:16-18). There is, therefore, biblical precedent for calling by name purveyors of spiritual error. Such action should not be undertaken lightly, however, so the names that follow are included only after great study and careful analysis:

Kenneth Hagin. Recently passed away, he is considered the father of the modern WOF movement. Hagin claimed that his faith teachings came to him by divine revelation, but they were actually the product of his extensive plagiarizing of Essek W. Kenyon.
Hagin’s son, Kenneth Jr., carries on his father’s work as pastor of Rhema Bible Church and head of its school in Tulsa, Ok. Boasting of at least eight personal visits from Christ, Hagin, as did his father, blurs the crisp line between Creator and created as in, “You are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was. The believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth.”

Kenneth Copeland. Along with his wife Gloria, the Copelands are considered to be two of the movement’s more intellectual leaders. Students of Hagin Sr., the Copelands have built a multi-million dollar “Christian” media empire.
Kenneth Copeland is known for his deification of man. According to Copeland, the Holy Spirit personally told him, “A born again man [Jesus] defeated Satan. You are the very copy of that one.” Incredulous, Copeland then asked the Holy Spirit, “Well, now, you don’t mean that I could have done the same thing?” (emphasis original) Replied the Holy Spirit, “Oh yeah, if you’d had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did. ’Cause you’re a reborn man too.” This, sadly, just scratches the surface with Copeland.

Jesse Duplantis. With little doubt, this self-labeled Cajun preacher is the most entertaining of the WOF leaders. He is well known for his comedic style, prosperity teachings, and personal visits from Christ. (Regarding the latter, do you see a pattern developing?)
In his Voice of the Covenant magazine Duplantis claims, “The very first thing on Jesus’ agenda was to get rid of poverty.” In his video Close Encounters of the God Kind, Duplantis relates how one day he was ushered into Heaven itself. There King David told Jesse that he regretted writing some of his Psalms (what does this imply about biblical inerrancy?) and then upon seeing Jesus, Jesse noted that He “was taller than I thought He would be.”
Safely back on earth, one day Jesse sensed that Jesus was sad over something. After being asked what was wrong by the concerned Duplantis, the Alpha and Omega told him, “I need you, boy.” (emphasis original)

Creflo Dollar. This rather aptly named preacher is pastor of World Changers Church International in Atlanta, and is prominently featured on Trinity Broadcasting Network. He preaches the prosperity gospel quite convincingly. He confidently asserts that Jesus wore designer clothes and that that prosperity can be ours provided that we “sow a seed” into his ministry.
Even more disturbing, though, is Dollar’s outright denial of the deity of Christ: “If Jesus came as God, then why did God have to anoint Him? Jesus came as a man, that’s why it was legal to anoint Him.” (emphasis original)

Space does not permit me to go into detail on all of the WOF leaders. Others to watch include Paul and Jan Crouch, Marilyn Hickey, Paul Cain, John Avanzini, Joyce Meyer, Mike Murdock, Rod Parsely, and R.W. Shambach.

Be wary also of preachers who share their pulpit with these people. Most preachers are very protective of their pulpits and rightly so; whom a preacher invites to fill his pulpit speaks to what that preacher believes.

Again – please understand, gentle reader, that this is not a personal attack on anyone. This is a call for discernment. Though I wish that this call was not necessary, both the present reality and the Word of God (Matthew. 24:11; 2 Corinthians. 11:13f; 2 Peter. 2:1) indicate that it is.

[WileyPink]

Baptist Bible Study Ping

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to or removed from this list.

In Christ...Alone!

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Kenneth Hagin.***

I had a friend years ago who was a very good baptist Sunday School teacher and missionary, till he fell under Hagin’s teachings. He slowly lost the people in his class till it was just him and me, and we went round and round over many of these false doctrines he was trying to bring into the church. He was finally removed by the church board from his teaching position.

Once he bought a used van that he could not get to run right. he became convinced the devil was in the car and spent the night in the car trying to pray the devil out.

I’ve noticed that it only takes a few minutes of listening to one of these WOF “preachers” before you can recognize them for what they are.

[MHGinTN]

When the author of Purpose Driven shared his pulpit with the abortion defender, Obama, that was all it took to see that that one didn’t have spiritual discernment. A man cannot serve the destroyer of the innocent and be counted amongst Christ’s own for Jesus loved the little ones. The defense of abortion glares from too many who count themselves as Christians, especially the ‘WCofC’ mouthpieces.

[Resolute Conservative]

As before your short break I enjoy reading all of your study material.

[Campion]

Once he bought a used van that he could not get to run right. he became convinced the devil was in the car and spent the night in the car trying to pray the devil out.

"It might not work, but it's a lot cheaper than the repair shop." ;-)

[dixiechick2000]

There are false prophets, and we need to be diligent in who we listen to.

Nice to see you during the week. ;o)

[uptoolate]

Good evening Wiley,

My sister just informed me that a friend of hers who married what he thought was a Christian woman has now taken a turn away from what he had believed to be true. This woman he married has some pretty heretical symptoms: Claims to be a prophet and that her husband should forget all he ever learned about “Christianity” for she has been given ‘divine revelation’ to the truth, she follows a female ‘pastor’, is getting to the isolation stage in that she feels that ‘going to church isn’t necessary’, one can lose salvation, one who has been saved has become perfect and doesn’t sin anymore and lives a pure life, (yeah, I know, those last two seem to be at odds with one another).

Anyway, have you heard of any ‘movements’ like this? I’d like to get more info on this ‘movement’ so I can help her and her friends go in to battle to reclaim their misdirected friend who married this girl. (She wasn’t like this in the beginning)

For now I have instructed her to gather in prayer on a regular basis with all those who are concerned. Also I suggested fasting. I believe their may be a demonic element here.

Any prayers, thoughts or info would be much appreciated.

[alpha-8-25-02]

GOOD MORNING SAINTS!

SITE YOU CAN FOLLOW NEWS ABOUT THE APOSTATES,[VERY WELL INFORMED CHRISTIANS KNOW THE ENEMY]!

http://sliceoflaodicea.com/

EXERPT FROM LATEST ARTICLE:

“Watch Rick Warren’s Appearance at National Cathedral

Abominations, Purpose Driven Madness, Circus Church, New Spirituality

You can watch Rick Warren speak at National Cathedral this past Sunday at the church website. Note that he used the “New Reformation” theme. That would be the reformation where doctrine no longer matters, where those who worship the goddess Sophia or Isis, practice Buddhism or have Hindu inclinations on the side can link arms with Southern Baptists like Rick Warren because after all, they both believe there’s a “Jesus”. Rick Warren was also the “preacher” at the pantheon for their 11:15 service on Sunday. In May, the openly homosexual radical, Dr. Peter Gomes of Harvard Memorial Church, will preach from the same pulpit.”

5 SOLAS!

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***This woman he married has some pretty heretical symptoms: ***

Can you give us some more info on what and how they worship, if they do such a thing.

There are so many it is tough to try to figure them out with just this as several groups have these same doctrines.

[Kitty Mittens]

Thank you for the Ping and the Link, Brother Alpha, and for the Post, WileyPink; Very Informative Reading! I didn’t Know whether to Laugh or Barf when I Read the Blasphemies of the False Teachers, especially this Tragic Silliness by Jesse Duplantis: “There King David told Jesse that he regretted writing some of his Psalms...” LOL! That is Stupid Beyond Belief, and my Prayer is that All False and Evil ‘Ministries’ Pretending to be Christian will be Swept from the Airwaves by our Holy God!

[uptoolate]

This may have been the church they were/are attending. Still checking for more info.

http://www.clctoday.org/tinleypark/index.html

[Finny]

Rick Warren is full of platitudes and I found the first part of "Purpose Driven Life" to be inspiring in a short-term way, but the rest of it to be intimidating and appealing to cliquishness and exclusivity, in an indirect way. I have always and will always distrust Big Church. Experiences here in Orange County where his Saddleback Church is located have led me to distrust him indeed.

That said, EVERY TIME I have ever come across a program with Joyce Meyers (from time to time channel surfing the rare times I watch TV), I've found her talks to be engaging, provocative, resonant, genuine, lacking in platitudes or appeal to social cliqueishness, and filled with the kind of common-sense do-right morality that has stood good people in good stead for generations. While I can't remember a thing from "Purpose Driven Life," I can remember many things from the realtively few times I've heard Joyce Meyers do some preaching. I'm puzzled to see her name sullied here.

[WileyPink]

I can remember many things from the realtively few times I've heard Joyce Meyers do some preaching. I'm puzzled to see her name sullied here.

Can you remember the times she said that Jesus had to go to hell after He died on the cross so that He could defeat Satan there? Meyers says that Jesus' sacrifice wasn't enough to redeem our sins. He instead had to literally go to hell and fight Satan and "snatch the keys to hell from him" in order for our sins to be forgiven. Here are some quotes from her..."And you've got to really glean some things out of the Word of God to really get hold of what He [Jesus] did for you during those three days. Jesus said, 'It is finished.' And He meant the Old Covenant. The job He had to do was just getting started. He really did the job the three days and nights that He was in hell. That's where the job was done."
"He was pronounced guilty on the cross but He paid the price in hell."
"There is no hope of anyone going to heaven unless they believe this truth I am presenting. You cannot go to heaven unless you believe with all your heart that Jesus took your place in hell"
...and on, and on, and on I could go...

You can find many resources on Meyers on the net. She is a typical WOF teacher. Here's one source to check on...

Let Us Reason

[ovrtaxt]

Here’s the crux of my problem with Word of Faith theology- and mind you, I was brought up in a WOF church.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” Rom 10:17.

In this verse, ‘Word’ is the greek ‘rhema’. Rhema, by definition, is a specific, spoken, precise communication from God to you, for a certain purpose and application. So faith comes when God tells you something.

Usually, WOF teachers will tell you that any old verse out of the Bible can be picked out and confessed and brought to pass, but that’s not a rhema Word, that’s just a piece of the Logos Word. WRONG. You can’t do that. I don’t care how great the promise may be, if God didn’t have a conversation with you about it, it’s not faith according to Rom 10:17.

So with this misapplication of what faith is, preachers have a tool whereby they can manipulate the flock into doing all sorts of things by quoting Bible verses, and using a subtle guilt or a sense of duty- ESPECIALLY AT OFFERING TIME.

This is one reason why we have home church with other families, outside of any institutional church structure. The restoration of David’s Tabernacle, IMO.

[Finny]

Thanks for the response. You will be shocked to hear that to me, that's akin to arguing over how many angels fit on the head of a pin, and frankly, I think God would think so, too. The "false prophet" label is like a hologram in that it has many depths and deceptions to look real. I think the "shepherds" who argue among themselves about things that matter NOT in the big scheme of how we further the values of Christ that will save us in the long term, are as vulnerable to false prophecy ans anyone else, though they would deny it probably; they're no different than the rest of us sinners who stumble on our individual paths to God through His tremendous mercy, grace, and love. The common-sense Christian approach to life that I've heard Meyers so eloquent advocate has been consistent every time I've heard her. Sort of like Rush, after nearly 20 years, is consistent and reaffirming in the principles of conservatism. Rick Warren, on the other hand, seems to me to appeal to pride and the desire to be admired by one's fellows through good works -- an "I'm a better Christian than you" kind of thing. I've never gotten that from Meyers AT ALL, and I've gotten that from Warren from the start and seen it confirmed in some of his followers.

That's my take.

[WileyPink]

That's my take.

...and I appreciate that. But, anyone who teaches that Jesus had to literally go to hell and battle with Satan in order for my sins to be forgiven, is teaching heresy and is a false teacher. That is not in the Bible.

The common-sense Christian approach to life that I've heard Meyers so eloquent advocate has been consistent every time I've heard her.

And if this has been her teachings over time, she has been consistently wrong.

I think the "shepherds" who argue among themselves about things that matter NOT in the big scheme of how we further the values of Christ that will save us in the long term, are as vulnerable to false prophecy ans anyone else, though they would deny it probably; they're no different than the rest of us sinners who stumble on our individual paths to God through His tremendous mercy, grace, and love.

These types of teaching aren't things that "matter NOT". They are un-Biblical! We don't stumble onto our individual paths to God. There is but ONE PATH to God, Jesus Christ!
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Not the Jesus that Meyers and these others teach, but Jesus Christ that when He died on the cross for my and your sins said, "It is finished!"

I know that I get pretty worked up about this, but please don't fall for this woman's teachings. They are not Biblical! And these things DO MATTER!

In Christ...Alone