Ex-WOFers

An Old Statement of Faith.....

2005-05-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

I came across this Statement of Faith that I wrote in 1999 on the first step of my journey out of the WOF Movement. Even though I've taken many steps after this one and do not currently ascribe to many of the listed statements, I thought it would be beneficial to those taking that first step.

(Note: Since we began as a Word of Faith church, this was written from that perspective to show shifts we've made in doctrines specific to the Word of Faith Movement).

Christianity is Christ centered. All our beliefs should have God and not man at the center. If we make man the center of our beliefs then we will develop a "works" based theology.

What we believe about Faith

We believe that our faith is IN GOD and not in ourselves or our abilities or our works. Mark 11:22 begins by saying "Have faith in God." IN is a key word in this verse. It does not say we're to have the faith OF God. In fact, in Matthew 17:20, Jesus said that all we need is "faith as a grain of mustard seed."

Faith is simply trusting God. God is the object of our faith not our confessions, methods, etc. If we make those things the focus of our faith then our faith becomes a "work". In Hebrews 4, it states that faith will cause us to enter into God's rest. When we make faith a "work", are we trusting in God or our own abilities? 2 Timothy 2:13 states that even "if we are faithless, He remains faithful."

We are to be doers of the Word but that comes as a result of the faith in our hearts. "We are created in Christ unto good works" (Ephesians 2:9). Good works comes as a result of us being in Christ. In the same way, our confessions, actions, etc. will come as a result of our faith. They are not our faith. We tend to complicate faith when it is very simply trusting God and placing our lives into His hands.

What we believe about Prosperity

Matthew 6:33 sums up our belief about Prosperity. Jesus said "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you." The Bible does not teach us to seek after wealth. We are to SEEK GOD.

In 1 Timothy 6:10, it states that the "love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." It talks about those who are "eager for money" and it's results. In fact, many reference to "riches" and "wealth" in the New Testament are from a "warning" perspective.

The Bible teaches us that God will "supply all our needs according to His riches in glory" (Philippians 4:19). We are encouraged to be content. In Philippians 4:11-12, Paul states "for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what is is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." The secret was that his strength came FROM God.

Do we believe that God wants us to prosper (by His definition of prosperity)? Yes. Do we believe that we are to seek that prosperity? No. Let's keep God in the center and seek Him.

What we believe about Church leadership.

We believe in servant leadership (following Jesus' example) and that leadership is there to "equip the saints for the work of ministry" (Ephesians 4:11). We believe that the church is a place where the leadership rallies around the visions of each individual vs. the individuals "hooking up" with the Pastor's vision.

We believe in accountability and that the New Testament gives examples of a more "pluralistic" type leadership vs. a one man show. The New Testament church does not follow the "Moses" type of leadership when God only spoke through His prophet, priest, or King. We do not support the teachings that intimidate people into submission by using examples of God's judgment in Old Testament stories that DO NOT apply to today. We are all now a part of the "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9).

We encourage people to ask questions. In Acts 17:11, the Bereans were commended as being more "noble" than the Thessolonicans because the "searched the scriptures daily" to check up on Paul's teachings. It's ok to question the teachings and decisions of leaders and to seek clarifications on issues pertaining to the church.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is our Guide (see John 14-16). As leaders, we should not attempt to take the place of the Holy Spirit in the lives of individuals when it comes to areas of guidance and direction.

We believe that a leader should lead by example hence we need to have a relationship with those to whom we minister. We do not ascribe to the "sin of familiarity" teaching and that leaders should not associate with those to whom they minister. Jesus certainly did not give us this example and, in fact, the ones that knew only of Him could not receive from Him (Mark 6:5). Those who knew Him intimately could.

We subscribe to the Leadership principles of SAFEchurch.com.

What we believe about Giving

We believe that the New Testament teaches us to be givers in every area of our lives. 2 Corinthians 9:7 sums up our belief on how we are to give in relation to money "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." (NKJV). "You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." (NLT).

The principle of tithing is an Old Covenant principle that was not renewed in the New Testament. The argument that tithing was before the law since Abraham tithed before the law is used inconsistently because Abraham also sacrificed animals, etc. before the law. In the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), tithing was not listed as one of the aspects of the law that we are to continue. Paul wrote many letters to young churches and young ministers. Not once, did he mention this "important" principle of tithing even when writing to the Gentile church that was not familiar with the tithing principles.

When we teach giving as "10% of your income", we miss the higher principle of giving that Jesus wants us to have. Many of the giving scriptures we use do not refer to money only. In Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom" is in reference to giving forgiveness, mercy, and love.
We cannot preach that we are "free from the curse of the law" (Galatians 3:13) yet preach that we are still subject to the curse that comes on us from not tithing (Malachi 3). We should not use tithing as a way to get people to give out of necessity or in response to pressure. Let's teach the principles of giving that is laid out in the New Testament.

What we believe about Worship and the Anointing

Our worship should be God centered. We worship God out of our hearts. It's us to God with no expectations in return. We do not worship in order to "get the anointing". We worship God because He is worthy of our worship and praise.

The word "anointing" is mentioned 28 times in the KJV. 20 times it is in reference to anointing oil. In 1 John 2:27, it states the we all have the "anointing" in us. This scriptures parallels John 14:26 which refers to the Holy Spirit.

We believe that the touch of God can and will initiate change in our lives. It is not, however, the end but the beginning. We will not ultimately mature unless we fill our hearts with the Word of God and allow our minds to be renewed.

What we believe about the Devil

Satan, Devil, and Lucifer are mentioned in a little over 100 verses in the Bible and many of the reference are repeated in the 4 different gospels. To get this in perspective, note that Psalms 119 has 176 verses.

We are not to be ignorant of the Devil and his schemes but we are to realize that he is not an equal to God and there was no 'battle' to speak of between God and the devil. God simply cast him out of heaven (Luke 10:18).

The Devil and his kingdom is not an organized army as we sometimes preach but it's in chaos. Since it is based on lies and deceit, there is no trust and order.

We need to "submit to God and resist the Devil and he will flee from us" (James 4:7). The key is submission to God and His Word. As we renew our minds into thinking in line with the Word of God, the devil will lose his control of areas of our lives.

We do have an real enemy but he has no power over us if we resist him and his lies.

What we believe about the Sovereignty of God
We believe that God is Sovereign. It's not having a "whatever will be ... will be" attitude to say that God is in control. Jesus taught us to pray for the will of Father in our lives. 1 John 5:14 says that "this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." When we learn to trust in the Sovereignty of God, it brings a confidence and rest in our lives.
What we believe about Healing
Healing is a Provision of God. God healed in the O.T. He healed through the ministry of Jesus. He healed in the early church. He heals today!!!!!
Jesus came and provided redemption from our SINS with His redemptive work on the cross.
Isaiah 53 prophecies about the "healing from our transgressions" and also physical healing.
The physical healing aspect of the Is. 53 prophecy was fulfilled in the healing ministry of Jesus NOT in His redemptive work on the cross. (Matthew 7:16,17.... this is the INSPIRED WORD OF GOD not a mistake!!! "...and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses." )
Reading 1 Pet 2:24 IN CONTEXT would lead you to conclude that he was talking about sins NOT sickness..... who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed.
There is no instances in the N.T. where Paul taught the church to receive healing by 'claiming it' 'standing for it' 'confessing it' etc. Any reference to healing was in response to 'laying on of hands' 'gifts of healing' in operation, etc. James doesn't say "Is anyone among you sick? claim your healing" but it says "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them PRAY over him ...."
In Phil. 2:25-32 describing the healing of the almost-dead Epaphroditus, Paul never mentions 'standing' saying that Epaphroditus will 'live and not die' etc. He simply said that God had mercy and healed him. Why did he not use this situation to teach the church how to stand for healing?
You cannot use what Jesus said the the leper in Matthew 8 to determine the will of God for healing for everyone. Remember that the 'gifts of healing' are in operation as the Spirit wills.
The WOF movement (and others) have muddied the waters by combining healing and salvation. They are two distict works of God. One (salvation) is a finished work in Jesus.
The other (healing) is a continuing work based on the mercy of God.
Because of the healing ministry of Jesus, ALL believers can now 'lay hands on the sick'. We should all pray for the sick (in ministering the gospel)
We live in a fallen world where sickness is present. Christians get sick; not by their choice (as it is with sin) but because of the presence of viruses, disease, etc. Is sickness God's will? Of course not, but neither are earthquakes, natural disasters, etc. However, it's all a part of this fallen world which, thank God, will be redeemed someday!!!! We are thankful that our sins (what separated us from God) are forgiven and we look forward to the 'redemption of our bodies' and to eternity in Heaven!!!!!

(NOTE: The above summaries are not intended to be a complete study on any of the listed subject but just to give you a flavor on what we believe.)

Giving and the 100-Fold Return?!?!

2005-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

One of the most depressing parts of the Word of Faith movement is its inevitable emphasis on money and its being given by the faithful. Of course, the beneficiaries of this doctrine are not the poor saps writing the checks of providing credit card numbers to WOF ministries--it is the ministries themselves that benefit. If you doubt this, just look at the incomes and extravagence of Joyce Meyers, Kenneth Copeland, Frederick Price, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson and any number of lesser luminaries in this movement.

WOF is truly an Americanized version of Christianity. According to the captialistic system, and indeed the American preoccupation with all things financial, success is measured according to how much a person has in their savings or checking accounts, their retirement funds, the size of their homes, and the type of cars that they drive. WOF buys directly into all of this. "God wants you wealthy!" is the mantra stated by any number of these ministries. If you are not wealthy, the believer is often told, it is the person's own fault for lack of faith. The same dynamic is found when when seeks healing, too: if you are not healed, it is because of secret sin, unrepented lifestyles, or a simple lack of faith.

Ask yourself this: If God truly works according to a 30 fold, 60 fold, or 100 fold return on gifts given to Him, why don't these same ministries simply give away all of their assets in order to get 100 times that back? I mean, if this pyramid-scheme of a doctrine is true, and those gaining all of those contributions are honest, they would never again have to ask for money if they simply followed their own teachings. Jesse DuPlantis wouldn't have to whine about not having the two jet aircraft he wants; hell, he needs to just give away the airplanes he DOES have (or some other asset), and Bingo! Jesse would not have to plague the rest of us with his pleas. This holds true for the rest of these shell-game thieves, too, for they are the ones who benefit, not those from whom money is extorted.

Although I posted this elsewhere, consider this simple mathematical formula when considering the whole "100-fold return" that is being taught:

Let's say that on Day 1 you feel genuinely moved of God to give $100. According to the formula, God will return to you $10,000.

Let's then say that on Day 2, again with full faith, you give the entire $10,000 God just blessed you with back to Him (let's say via Kenneth Copeland). According to the formula, God is required to give back to you the amount of $1 million.

Same thing on Day 3: You give God the $1 million back to a ministry in full agreement spiritually and mentally and God then returns to you the amount of $100 million.

On Day 4, giving God the glory and thanks, you again give God back the $100 million with which He just blessed you. God then has to return to you $10 billion.

The following day, Day 5, you give back to God the $10 billion, rejoicing in the blessings He has shown. God then returns to you $1 trillion.

On Day 6, in obedience to the Most High, you give Him the $1 trillion. God then responds by giving you $100 trillion.

By the end of a single week one person--if this formula nonsense is true--one person, mind you, owns all of the wealth and resources on planet Earth. What about all of the others, then, who are naming and claiming out there? Are they just out of luck?

Truly, WOF teaching is nonsense of the first order--or more directly put, absolute BS--and yet millions world-wide are throwing away money to increase the accounts of the ministries in question, many of those givers on fixed incomes, too.

So again I state what should be obvious: Let these Word of Faith ministries that push this doctrine simply give away all that they have. If they do so, God will multiply back to them 100 fold and these people will never again have to bother begging for funds.

Or could it be that the WOF ministries know it is a sham, and to do so would kill the goose that lays the golden egg?

To this writer at least, it is time for Christ to again clean out the temple of the money-changers, the Name-It-And-Claim-It crowd, and those victimizing the weak and hurting for their own gain. Or at least for Christian believers to open their eyes, quit being suckered, and ask questions.

Incapable of being honest?

2005-05-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

I heard this quote for a few weeks now, and I find I cannot get away from it... "They are such unfortunates who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves -Incapable of grasping and living a life with rigorous honesty" (The Big Book by Bill W.)

Does this SO ring true of the WOF background I came from or what? It seems to me that the ones pushing this religious addiction are clearly so involved in their own deception, they cannot be honest with others let alone themselves. Immersion into "faith-it-into-being" doctrine removes or at best seriously hinders us from really acknowledging life as it truly is, not what we wished it to be. It is only by really looking at our lives in reality and then relying on God to help us with our life, that we can grow away from this deception and delusion. "The problem with deception is we don't know we're deceived, because we are deceived."

How then can we ex-WOF'ers hope to live life in the here and now with clarity and spirituality? I think Marcus Aurelius states it clearly: "The best way of avenging yourself is not to become like the wrong-doer." We do this by being real with ourselves and others, by living in a community and not isolating ourselves from others. I believe there is grace and hope in this journey.

Where are the Servant Leaders?

2005-05-12T02:09:00.000-07:00

I posted this on my blog earlier this week, but I thought it fits here as well.

One of great teachings of Jesus is his thoughts on leadership.

You know that in this world there are tyrants and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant. I came here not to be served but to serve others.

He not only spoke these words but demonstrated them. Many of today's Word of Faith leaders, by contrast, demonstrate the opposite spirit.

In 1997, Kenneth Hagin had a "prophecy" about a great move of God that would begin in St. Louis during his meetings there. At the time, I had just graduated Rhema and was back at my home church, St. Louis Family Church, where these meetings were scheduled to be held. I'd like to share one aspect of these meetings that helped to trigger my stepping out of this movement.

For the meetings, there was a special parking lot designated for VIPs. The entire front of the church was sectioned off for these special guests. There was special childcare for their children and a welcome room with food and drinks for them. There were those who stood in lines for hours to get into these meetings. However, even if they did, because of the reserved seating, I'm not sure the seating they received was quite worth the wait. I remember watching how these special guests were treated and thought to myself, if Jesus was here, he'd be sitting in the back with the ones who stood in line for hours to get in versus sitting in the special seats with those classed as "leaders" in the Word of Faith movement.

So there we were, catering to the every need of these "leaders." Parking their cars, caring for their children, making sure they had lots to eat and drink, and giving them the best seats of the house. While the masses were standing in the cold for hours hoping to get a good seat and to experience something from God.

I would not class these "leaders" as "servants." I've been in conferences with high level CEOs of multi-million dollar companies who did not receive this type of treatment. This is yet another great example of a contrast between what we see in the Word of Faith movement today and the teachings of Christ.

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in Jesus if you favor some people more than others? For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"--well, doesn't this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives? - James

Having conversations with God?

2005-05-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated by the conversations Word Of Faith preachers would claim they have with God. In their sermons, they would chronicle long conversations that they have with God concerning prosperity, healing, confessions, etc. It normally started with God asking them a question. "Do you know why my people are poor?" They would reply and the conversation begins. There are times this conversation would take place while they were preaching. I've personally seen Kenneth Copeland and Keith Moore carry on extensive conversations with God in the middle of their sermons.

In my days in the Word of Faith, I've never had such a conversation with God. I always wondered what I was missing. Why didn't God have these conversations with me? Why didn't God personally teach me through conversing with me?

This movement is filled with incidents such as this that draw a distinction between the leaders and the laity. Many of those in the pews sit in awe at these stories of conversations and experiences with God, believing them and wishing that they could be spiritual enough to participate.

In the previous post, JimmyPage mentioned David Hogan. I remember as a teenager listening to the wild stories David Hogan would share and believed with all my heart that I too would have such experiences. They never came.

One consistent theme of the Word of Faith movement is that they sell a product they cannot deliver. Along the way, there are many innocent, disillusioned hearts who sit condemn because they never have these experience. Why? Many times they feel it's because they have hidden sins or wrong motives. This brings about a feeling of never quite measuring up.

Former Heroes of the Faith!

2005-05-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of the "Heroes of the Faith" compiled by contributor JimmyPage:

David Hogan--"Faith Healer" who became popular during the Pensacola Revival at Brownsville, AOG, who claimed to have resurrected some 200 stiffs, who claims to have a vehicle that was/is able to drive under water (by the power of the Holy Spirit, of course), and a host of other claims too numerous to list here.

Kim Clement--The rockin' rappin prophet who has made so many false predictions that it beggars my ability to list them. A favorite of Jan Crouch, this South African-born "prophet" has been making bad predictions for years and, to no one's suprise who knows the charismatic world, has not been called to answer for them.

Marilyn Hickey--WoFer out of Colorado who has been making standard WoF claims for years. She is remembered for her constant providing of shameless "Jesus Junk" as a point of contact--corn meal, breastplates, oil/water from the Holy Land, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

Paul Cain--Charismatic prophet of immense standing a few years ago who, it was claimed, had so great an annointing that he could and would short out nearby electrical equipment. He fell from grace with the Charismatics after it was revealed that this holy man of God had been involved in homosexual affairs.

Bob Tilton--Do I really need to include this guy's past? I mean, after ABC got done with him he was tried and convicted of various and sundry fraud claims. After his time in the slammer, Bob came back and is again peddling his shameful WoF message on television.

Mike Warnke--claimed to be a former Satanic high priest and was a famliar part of the Charismatic world until he was exposed as a result of a story in Christian publication "Cornerstone." He is credited (or blamed would be the better word) for the proliferation of anti-Satanic ministries in the late 20th century such as the unspeakable Bob Larson.

Bob Larson--Bombastic and proven liar of Christian radio and television, he claims to have cast out hundreds of demons--some even on the air. Married at least four times, he repeatedly claimed to be married only once. One of his best whoppers was when he claimed that Satan had taken to appearing as himself (Larson) in order to spread these rumors.

More to come on some contemporary figures, but how about some golden oldies?

A.A. Allen--Tent revivalist of the 1950's and 1960's, who claimed to regularly raise the dead, heal the sick, and so on. In his revival meetings, there were jars said to contain the physical remains of demons for the gullible to come up and gawk at. He also had oil flowing from his hands (allegedly by the power of the Holy Spirit), and had the sign of the cross appear on the foreheads of those he touched there. He once invited people to send the bodies of their deceased to his ministry headquarters in Arizona until health officials in that state stopped the practice before it could really get started. He promised to resurrect these dead folks. He was found dead in a San Francisco motel strewn with barbituates and alcohol. Cause of death was liver failure from years of drinking.

Maria Woodworth Etter--1880's-1906 "prophet" known as the "trance evangelist" because of her tendency to freeze in position in mid-sentence, sometimes for hours or even a day. She predicted that SF would disappear as a result of a tidal wave in 1890, which it rebelliously failed to do. She was the inspiration for a host of later lady healers/prophets such as Aimee Semple McPherson, Kathryn Kuhlman, et al. Her works are still in publication through WoF publishing houses such as Harrison House. Knee-slapping fun, this one!

William Branham--Called the greatest prophet of his time, this guy used common parlor tricks to sucker his audiences into believing that he was called of God. When he died in an auto accident in the 1960's, his followers refused to bury the guy, believing that God would resurrect him. One of the first of the Five-fold ministry types, and still looked to and revered amongst Pentecostals and charismatics.

W.V. Grant--both father and son of the same name, but especially the latter. W.V. jr. spent time in jail for mail fraud but still manages to show up on television every so often promising all sorts of things. He is best remembered for his ability to call on people in his audience by name, tell them who their MD was, and what their ailments were. He learned this trick from his dad and William Branham, who would collect information on cards on audience members before the meeting and then use the info to "Call out" the person.

Oral Roberts--What can one say? He of the 900 ft. Jesus, the failed City of Faith, and his whining that unless his followers come up with some $8 million in cash that God was going to "Call him home". The granddaddy of contemporary healers, all of the rest of these charlatans owe a tip of the hat to Oral and his techniques, such as the seed-faith sham.

Aimee Semple McPherson--Huge evangelist of the 19 teens through the 1940's. Claimed healings and "signs and wonders" followed her ministry based out of LA. She faked her own kidnapping in the 1920's when she left to take up with one of her paramours, a ministry radio operator. Other famous alleged lovers (Anthony Quinn) and known lovers (Milton Berle). Many more are rumored. She died of a drug overdose in 1944.

Kathryn Kuhlman--Benny Hinn's mentor and faith healer today still spoken of with great reverence among charismatics. A series of "for sure" healings were followed up upon by an MD and found that not one of her claimed healings were in fact true. She died on the operating table after her own faith apparently wasn't enough to save her life.

Jimmy, we're waiting on the "more to come on some contemporary figures."

Living in the shadow of the shield!

2005-05-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

This comment was posted by unregulated female on the previous topic.

I have often wondered if those of the WOF/ Renewal movement were hallucinating. My religious backgound is rooted in this "if you can believe it, confess it, "it" will come true." Believe me, I worked the crap out of this... The sad part was I was in massive poverty, higher education was frowned upon or dismissed as not being spriritual enough - - that one had to have a "divine calling" to be a preacher/ missionary/ etc. I jumped into this whole swarm of sickness with both feet - partly because I so deparately needed to connect with the Divine and partly to belong to a "cutting edge" sort of people.

What I discovered was many in this WOF group owned secret sins that were not discussed: pornography, sex addictions, alcohol and drug addiction, family/spousal abuse, depression, massive anger, and a whole host of other issues. One man I know who truly loves God, went to the "leaders" of this school, confessed his struggle with his own sexual identity, and begged for help and counseling. What did he receive? The school immediately kicked him out, causing him to lose his apt and job (both provided by the school). Yep, that sort of crap happens all the time - living in the shadow of the shield.

Coming out of this WOF hyper, high-octane beliefs, I find myself literally gagging at all of the "christian bubble" tactics. "circle the wagons, the devil's a-comin'!". Fear and strong arm tactics whether they come through someone yelling your hellish destination or if it comes through some slick, greased-down, smile like ya love me, leave me cold. I am so ready for the warmth of reality and real people dealing with their lives - -not dissociating from their pain, but facing it with God's grace.

A Beautiful Mind!

2005-05-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

A thought occurred to me while watching this movie. If Crowe was having regular conversions with Jesus or talking to angels, we would make him a celebrity, talk about how spiritual and anointed he is, and he would be filling stadiums sharing his experiences with the faithful instead of seeking help and dealing with the issues.

Here's a quote from the October 2001 issue of "The Word Of Faith" (Publication of Kenneth Hagin Ministries).

Brother Hagin then demonstrated by uttering a psalm. Then he taught alternately in English and in tongues with interpretation. He told the congregation that he saw two angels standing, one on each side of him. He asked them their names and purposes, and shared those with the congregation. One was Michaelini, a messenger angel sent to carry out Rev. Hagin's words. The other was Michahnini, Rev. Hagin's guardian angel. After that, Rev. Hagin moved through the congregation ministering words from the Lord to several individuals.

Hagin has also had many conversations with Jesus. In my humble opinion, many of these conversations are way out of scope of what most consider standard Biblical doctrine (a good topic for another post).

As a graduate of Rhema, I have to say I do not doubt Kenneth Hagin's sincerity. However, one possibility is that, like Russell Crowe in "The Beautiful Mind", he really believed he was talking to Jesus and seeing angels. The question we need to ask ourselves is- was he hallucinating?

Flirting with Faith

2005-04-28T02:05:00.000-07:00

I never fully subscribed to Word-Faith, but there was a time when the Prosperity movement and I flirted. I'll share here an excerpt from the story of my journey through the charismatic movement. This section is rather unimaginatively titled "The Prosperity Preachers":

I was genuinely surprised by the message of the prosperity preachers when I heard for the first time that God wanted us to be rich. Europe’s first ever Christian TV channel had recently started broadcasting, and I was ripe for its teachings. A lady from church kindly kept my mother and I up-to-date with videotaped recordings of the daily programmes. The exciting preaching I was hearing was like nothing I had been exposed to before: Kenneth Copeland and Fred Price would encourage believers to "name it and claim it" with infectious enthusiasm; John Avanzini would open up the teachings of Jesus and provide keys to getting rich; Rodney Howard-Browne’s powerful anointing would cause an entire theatre-full of believers to erupt into hysterical laughter, while causing others to freeze like statues in the middle of giving their testimonies. I soon learned to sincere amazement that God wanted us to be wealthy and that sickness came directly from the Devil himself. The new preachers I listened to would talk straight to Satan saying things like, "Get your hands off my property in the name of Jesus!" Whenever financial trouble reared its head, they would simply "stand on the Word", confessing boldly that Jesus died to make them rich, and claiming by faith the results there and then. If signs of sickness appeared, they would proclaim aloud on the spot, "By his stripes I am healed. Hallelujah!" and Satan would be obliged to get out of the way, and God to step in. Christianity was one long line of victories, all available by quoting the promises of Scripture back to God, to oneself or even to Satan. I liked it.

I remember hearing John Avanzini speak one time. He began by saying something like, "Now this is one of Jesus’ greatest parables on the subject of money and how to become wealthy" (put almost as crudely as that). He then took his viewers through the parable of the sower (Mark 3:4-8), explaining that Jesus was teaching his followers that if they sowed their money in fertile soil, they would reap a hundredfold in kind. He also added that one of Satan’s greatest schemes had been to keep the church ignorant of the important meaning of this parable for centuries. I was bowled over, although not because Avanzini had twisted and contorted the text to suit his own ends, but because Satan had apparently been able for so long to blind the minds of believers to Jesus’ greatest parable on the subject of how to get money!

Unfortunately, I did not have the wisdom to check things for myself and see if what he was saying was true. It was quite some time later that I was combing through the gospels trying to find the parable to which John had referred, and was puzzled to discover that nothing he said even remotely matched anything I found on the lips of Jesus. Eventually I concluded the reference could only be Mark 4, and I was finally awakened to the fact that Avanzini had in fact grossly misled his viewers. No one approaching the parable for the first time could possibly have construed its meaning in the blatantly deceptive way he had. Mark even tells us in the following passage (4:13-20) that Jesus was talking about the word of God, a far cry from what I had been led to believe. Avanzini had of course conveniently forgotten to mention this part of the text. How many other Christians, I wondered, had taken John and his fellow charismatic preachers at their word and not had the wherewithal to compare it with the words of Jesus for themselves?

Welcome, to the desert of the real!

2005-04-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

Another set of destructive teachings made popular by the Word Of Faith movement is the idea that we can confess our problems away or do 'carpet time' to change situations in our lives. Many people deal with critical issues in their lives using these methodologies when ultimately, in most cases, they do not see any changes in their situations.

I believe that we should be able to be REAL, deal with issues, and discuss our struggles without the condemnation of the confession police. The typical "Give it to God, brother" responses need to cease. There are so many times I've heard the answer "You need a touch" given to real people dealing with real issues. As a result of these cliche answers, many of the Word Of Faith followers believe that their problems will go away when they attend to the next meeting with the evangelist who will make them laugh, fall , shake and get "drunk."

The reality is you cannot confess away temptations. You cannot confess away financial struggles. You cannot confess away sickness. All these issues need to be addressed; and, in most cases, lifestyle changes need to be made.

You're not going to get the wealth of your neighbor because he is a "sinner." You cannot confess your way into his house which was paid for by his hard work. You cannot tithe or "give" your way out of financial difficulties when you were irresponsible with your finances. You're not going to be healthy if you don't take care of your body.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to be real.

Armor Bearers - RUN!!!!

2005-04-26T23:01:00.000-07:00

One of my former pastors gave me a book "God's Armor Bearer" by Terry Nance, a Rhema grad. In it, Mr. Nance gives us the pretty standard definition of an Armor Bearer. Here's a few quotes (Not full lists from the book but a good sample).

Duties of a Armorbearer

- Must provide strength for his leader.
- Must have a deep down sense of respect for his leader, and acceptance for, and tolerance of, his leader's personality and his way of doing things.
- Must instinctively understand his leader's thoughts
- Must walk in agreement with and submission to his leader.
- Must make the advancement of his leader his most important goal.
- Must follow order immediately and correctly.
- Must support his leader
- Resists seeking to know his leader after the flesh

Functions of an Armorbearer

- Surrenders completely to his leader, trusting him implicitly and obeying without hesitation his every command.
- Carries out every plan of his leader successfully
- Completes his leaders command perfectly
- Prepares and cares for his leaders belongings
- Anticipates his leader's needs and demands so as to properly furnish and supply what is needed.
- Exalts, respects, and uplifts his leader at all times
- Works tirelessly and diligently on behalf of his leader, seek ways to advance his welfare and situation
- Fulfills his leader in every way, getting along with him, and making him feel comfortable in giving orders
- Sacrifices his own life and well-being for the betterment of his leader
- Demonstrates total intolerance of any false charge made against his leader
- Forgives his leader for any offense immediately and without harboring resentment or anger
- Demonstrates extreme loyalty to his leader, even unto death
- Esteems his leader as more important than himself

I believe this teaching is one of the most dangerous teaching of the Word Of Faith Movement. It fosters spiritually abusive environments where people are controlled and manipulated. I remember sitting in Keith Moore's "Submission and Authority" classes at Rhema and thinking, "Are we joining the mafia here?"

If you're in an environment where any of the above is practiced, my advise to you is to get out. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200. The longer you wait, the harder it will become to break free.

The Appeal of the Word Of Faith

2005-04-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

I have often wondered why the Word Of Faith movement (or Word-Faith movement) is such a popular flavor of modern Christianity. With the exception of Billy Graham and Luis Palau, it seems as if the only ministers who could fill a stadium are Word Of Faith ministers or those closely associated with the movement (Meyer, Copeland, Hinn, Hickey, Jakes, etc.)

It is said that the top 4 things and we seek in life are:

1) Wealth
2) Health
3) Power
4) Entertainment

The Word Of Faith provides answers to these quests:

1) Prosperity on DEMAND.
2) Promise of a life free from sickness and disease or what's called divine health.
3) The teaching that we have authority over about anything that can come our way.
4) A life filled with glorious experiences with "the anointing."

However, most of us who were once Word Of Faith come out of the movement very disillusioned and with the feeling that we've been used, abused, manipulated, and lied to.

This blog will share the stories of many of us who have come out of the Word Of Faith movement in the hopes that we can help those who are on their way out and are currently experiences some of the things we did many years ago.

Paul