An Open Letter To A Friend...(warning of false prophets)

http://billrandles.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/an-open-letter-to-a-friend-warning-against-false-prophets/ ^ | 02-11-12 | Bill Randles

[pastorbillrandles]

Dear April , How are you? It has been too long, I hope we can get together some time.Kris and I have fond memories of the years your family came to our church.

I saw the dialogue which many had with you on Facebook about Kenneth Copeland, and felt as a friend, (and pastor) I should offer to you my own updated input on the subject.

As you know I was very much into Copeland and Hagin as a young pastor , immersing myself in the full spectrum of the Word of Faith teaching.

But Kris and I had an experience which God used to really cause us to rethink our association with Word Faith teaching, in fact we had to re-examine everything we believed in the light of the Word of God.

Sometime ago, (I think it was the mid 1980′s, we went to a small town in Iowa to attend a conference of fellow Word Faith pastors. I believe it was at xxxx’s church. A car pulled into the parking lot with a vanity license plate which said “Iamagod”.

Kris and I looked at each other with that look which says, “What have we gotten ourselves into?”, and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart saying, “All He is doing is taking your own teachers to their logical conclusion”.

April, this began for us a long period of soul-searching and painful re-examination of all of our doctrines in the light of the Word of God. What are you going to do when you realize that your teachers are unbiblical? Are you going to be loyal to them or to the Word of God?

It became evident to us that these teachers really do teach that believers are “little gods” , which is heretical. There are other, even worse teachings, such as Copeland’s teaching that “any born again believer could have died on the cross”, here is the very quote;

“The Spirit of God spoke to me and He said, “Son, realize this. Now follow me in this and don’t let your tradition trip you up.” He said, “Think this way — a twice-born man whipped Satan in his own domain.” And I threw my Bible down… like that. I said, “What?” He said, “A born-again man defeated Satan, the firstborn of many brethren defeated him.” He said, “You are the very image, the very copy of that one.” I said, “Goodness, gracious sakes alive!” And I began to see what had gone on in there, and I said, “Well now you don’t mean, you couldn’t dare mean, that I could have done the same thing?” He said, “Oh yeah, if you’d had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did, you could have done the same thing, ’cause you’re a reborn man too.”
——-Kenneth Copeland (Substitution and Identification, tape #00-0202, side 2)

I have since then had to repent (admit I was wrong, and go back to orthodoxy) of my involvement with these false teachers, as it is a sin to follow them. One of the questions I have had to face was, “What was it in me that resonated with such false teachers, who teach that “men are in God’s class of being”, and that we can with words “create our own worlds”?

Remember that con-men can only appeal to the larceny in our own hearts. People believe what they want to believe, often to serve their lusts.As a pastor and friend

I urge you dear sister, to think about what I have said, re-examine what you believe, in the light of scripture, take a hard look, spare nothing, and flee the Word/Faith movement, while you can!

Dear sister, it is hard to face these realities, but there are more quotes than this to prove that Hagin and Copeland are the very people Jesus and the disciples warned about in view of the last days.

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;(2 Peter 2:1-4)

I didn’t want to renounce these people, I didn’t want to be perceived as “negative”, “religious” or a “heresy hunter”, but it gets to the point where you have to decide where your loyalty lies, is it to Copeland and Hagin or to the Word of God.

I still believe in Salvation, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, healing, miracles prophecy, all of it! I just refuse to listen to men who say that we are all “little gods” and that any believer with revelation knowledge could have died on the cross, or that “the believer is just as much an incarnation as Jesus was”*.

*(Hagin, ”The Incarnation,” The Word of Faith, 12/80, cited in Christianity in Crisis, p. 175,397).

April these are dangerous heresies, they sound good and appeal to human vanity, but they aren’t the faith of the apostles of Jesus. The apostles warned us, that in the last days, many will depart from the true faith…

We love you and would be happy t talk further about it, With Love and concern…Pas Bill and Kris

[stilloftyhenight]

"He said, “Oh yeah, if you’d had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did, you could have done the same thing, ’cause you’re a reborn man too.”
——-Kenneth Copeland (Substitution and Identification, tape #00-0202, side 2)"

I stopped watching many of them some time ago..how is it that they get so far off track? Sad. Somewhere along the line they derail.

[bella1]

Sounds like my story. Glad to be out of that movement.

[ducttape45]

It was because of men like that and their teachings that cost me my marriage back in the late 1990’s. I have since renounced the likes of Kenneth Copeland while my ex still follows teachers like him. I’m doing well but she still believes God owes her a handout.

[bella1]

they do leave a trail of destruction don't they.

[American in Israel]

Terrible destruction, and they focus on the women here in Alaska. Empowering them they call it. The trail of divorce is horrendous.

[stilloftyhenight]

I’m sorry to hear that, dt.

I know so many who depend on “teachers” for their learning, rather than scripture. The Bible clearly says, “Call no man teacher.” They are so easily mislead.

Those who know the Lord and His word know when they are being deceived.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

I hope and pray that she takes your kind counsel. It must have been hard to give.

I have a similar situation with a friend following Benny Hinn. A quick youtube search will show a video of him placing a curse on anyone that comes against him. A CURSE! Pastors and ministers do not curse people. We are called to PRAY for those that curse us not curse those that are against us.

[bella1]

It still amazes me the amount of “silly” women who get caught up in this. My husband and I were in that movement for 16 years; now out of it for 17 and have been in a more orthodox, traditional church. Thankfully.

[fella]

A lot of con-artists go into the “ministry” for the tax exemption and the not needing to keep good books that goes with that. As long as they don't criticizes the government they are pretty much left alone. But you will know them by their deeds as they gather unto themselves all the accoutrement's of power such as large tracks of land, mansions, limos and private airfields and aircraft with all that staff to run that little empire for them.

[cashless]

It will be better to have a millstone tied around your neck and be cast into the sea than to lead someone astray. Now that I am over 60, it’s easier for me to discern the pretenders from the true teachers and pastors. First you look at how big is their church. Then you look at how big is their house. Then you look at how nice is their car. And to put it all in perspective, you look at how big is their personal sacrifice. If they got the big church, the big house, the nice car and are sacrificing nothing in their calling, run from them, they are charlatans. And if God stripped them of all their possessions they would shake their fist in God’s face and spit in his eye. They have had it so good for so long and have deluded themselves in believing they are important to God. Believing that any believer could have done the same work on the cross as that accomplished by Christ Jesus is a damnable lie and heresy, denying the need of a sinless substitute necessary for our salvation.

[time4good]

Thanks Bill for your thoughtful, humble and honest letter. I pray for this woman. I too saw close friends and brothers and sisters in Christ get pulled into this in the early ‘80’s. I grew up in AoG, as a pentecostal preacher’s kid, seeing the power and holiness of the Holy Spirit, never doubting the real thing. But I also saw those wanting to a. profit from it, b. glory-seek, or c. fall to the same pride as Lucifer himself and what he said to Eve “ye shall be as gods” with the “Name it/Claim it” positive confession preachers.

It always rang false with me, as I had men of God around me as well as those who had gone before, e.g., Peter and John in the book of Acts, and Paul, who all lived and breathed and had their being in the power of the Holy Spirit but attributed NOTHING to themselves - they were humble servants. The same attitude of my father on his death bed.

It grieves me to see Christans get caught up in this, the oldest lures of Man, the same ones Satan tried to tempt Jesus with in the wilderness.

But, He alone is worthy of all praise, honor and glory.

[Steve Newton]

Amen

Love the sinner but hate the sin

[Shery]

The list of these men and women who are false teachers/prophets is ever growing! We don’t have a TV, but when visiting my mother, she had on Benny Hinn. I wanted to tell her but we’ve long been at odds about this, but both parents will not hear it. Sad.

[terycarl]

you seem to wonder how people stray....once Protestantism left the true church, anything was possible. If a golfer hits a drive, and at impact it is 3 or 4 degrees off course, by the time it lands 350 yards away it is out of bounds, in a trap, or in serious trouble for the second shot. The same applies to Christianity, for one thousand five hundred or so years, Christianity was the Catholic church......however, along came Martin and his group,Zwingley, Calvin, Henry VIII, even up to Joseph Smith, and they all denied thAT cHRISTIANITY HAD BEEN PRESERVED FOR ALL THOSE YEARS(WHOOPS) in a manner satisfactory to their beliefs. Pastor Bill may bve the most sincere person on the planet....but if he is wrong......he is wrong

[boatbums]

I’m glad to see that these false prophets are being renounced by Bible-believing and dedicated Christian leaders. It is indeed remarkable how far off from reality AND the truth of God’s word they can get. They will all have to answer to Him for the satanic and accursed gospel that they preach. I pray God opens the eyes and hearts of those who innocently have been deceived by them and they do indeed flee from it and into the light of truth.

[thecodont]

Long ago I met a devotee of the Word of Faith cult. She diligently read the teachings of Copeland, Osteen, Kenyon, Hagin, etc.

One day she said to me (quoting Kenyon): “Jesus is no more God’s son than you are.”

Honestly, I don’t know where she got that one.

[pastorbillrandles]

No I don’t wonder, not really, God tells us in his word how people stray. People always they depart from the Word of God,Nor do I believe that Christianity had ever departed, I know that God has always had a remnant of true believers, in spite of the efforts of dictators, false prophets, persecutors, false expressions of christianity...”Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail over it...”The True church is composed of all who have truly repented of their sins, and have come under the Lordship of the risen Saviour who died for them. BTW your “golf shot analogy could very well apply to the Roman church over the centuries.

[pastorbillrandles]

No I don’t wonder, not really, God tells us in his word how people stray. People always they depart from the Word of God,Nor do I believe that Christianity had ever departed, I know that God has always had a remnant of true believers, in spite of the efforts of dictators, false prophets, persecutors, false expressions of christianity...”Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail over it...”The True church is composed of all who have truly repented of their sins, and have come under the Lordship of the risen Saviour who died for them. BTW your “golf shot analogy” could very well apply to the Roman church over the centuries.

[Terry Mross]

One time I saw on the news most of these frauds gathered together. It was at Oral Roberts’ funeral. I don’t believe these people believe in God. And that includes one who takes a $14 million advance on a book.

Anytime I see these charletans on TV I think “If God wanted the gospel spread in this manner he would have put KGOD on top of Mt. Ararat and broadcast to the world.”