What I see happening in the Charismatic World is more of the same  old stuff. Some Christians just don’t seem to get it, and are still looking for the next Great Revival of  Signs and Wonders. You would think that with all the information out there about Todd Bentley’s false healing revival in Lakeland Fl  that people would come to their senses and have some discernment.  But no, the Signs and Wonder chasers are still out there in full force, looking to be deceived by the next “Anointed Preacher” or New Doctrine. It seems that itching ears have to be itched over,  and over,  and over again. As II Timothy 4 vs 3 states that:“For the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine”. If only Christians would be able to discern the times we live in, they would understand the time that II Timothy speaks about is the present age we live in. Not in some future time to come , but right in the here and now.

This is a right now word, how many times have I heard that only to find out that the TV preacher was trying to sell some of that right now  word for a special price of only $19.99. Benny Hinn’s miracle crusades are still drawing huge crowds with people desperately seeking  Signs and Wonders only to be crushed when their guaranteed miracle does not happen.

Morris Cerullo is still hawking his how to pray books and special prayer Bibles along with next crusade of whatever. Paul Crouch and Richard Roberts are still begging  the viewer to send in their seed faith gift and their miracle will come. How about some miracle anointing oil from Jerusalem as sold by the Elijah List.

Even Perry Stone has veered  off course and will be interviewing next week someone who went to heaven and spoke with their relatives. Now that is necromancy and spiritualism which is specifically forbidden by the Bible. He went on to say that the person had a near death experience, and came back to share what happened.  Even my daughter recognized that speaking to the dead was forbidden by God. I guess he had to fill in time and figured the way to boost ratings  was to show something that  bordered on the bizarre. Perry’s teachings  now have more of a Kabbalah influence than that of the Bible.  Does anybody see a pattern here, there is really something wrong with this picture. As Christians are we really that gullible, the answer unfortunately is an astounding yes. But we can change that by going back to sound teaching and doctrine. Start by reading some of the classic Christian sermons by preachers such as EM Bounds, Charles Spurgeon, Harry Ironside, or DL Moody maybe then  we can get back on the right path obeying God rather than man.

Is there such a thing  as  being drunk in the Spirit ?  Slain in the Spirit or Holy Laughter. In my many years of being a charismatic of  which I am a  now a recovering charismatic. It sounds similar to a  being  a recovering alcoholic  and in essence it is. The emotional experience in most charismatic services is what becomes top priority. Most charismatics mistake the feeling generated by  the music minister leading the praise and worship during the service as Holy Spirit ordained. The exhilarating  feeling that is felt is mistakenly called the move of the Holy Spirit. The preaching of the Word becomes an afterthought and takes a back seat to the music. I was in one service where a woman fell out and landed right on my left arm  which was a good thing because if my arm was not there she would have hit her head on the metal chair. She would have been in considerable pain, sometimes you just don’t know what is going on with people.

Now we get down to the heart of the matter, what is being drunk in the Spirit, Slain in the Spirit or Holy Laughter. As Kenneth Hagin said many times over drunk again. I looked in many Bibles including many Translations and never did see the Apostles ever mention that being drunk in the Spirit was a manifestation of the Spirit.  I just could not find any substantiation for this doctrine.The only people who said that the Apostles were drunk on the day of Pentecost were the mockers( Acts 2 vs 3).  So if the mockers were saying the Apostles were drunk; and Kenneth Hagin also said that he drunk and stumbled around acting like a drunk. There is only one conclusion that can be reached and that is Kenneth Hagin and the mockers in Acts 2 were of the same mind. Kenneth Hagin by saying he was drunk in the Spirit was actually mocking the Holy Spirit. Here is a short video clip of Kenneth Hagin and Ken Copeland in what is called Pentecostal Bedlam.

There are people falling, laughing and running all over the place. The scene is absolutely sad and chaotic, the Holy Spirit was never and I mean never in this mess. There was a spirit there  a false spirit, a demonic spirit, an unclean spirit masquerading as the Holy Spirit. God is not the author of confusion but the devil  and he is the father of lies. The people in this clip have given themselves over completely to the influence of Satan. They are under a delusion and are completely apostate. Peter replied to the mockers in the book of Acts 2  vs 15 “For these men are not drunk as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day” which is 9 AM.

According to an article by Biblical Discernment  Ministries that :

Hagin cited Acts chapter 2 in an attempt to prove that the Apostles were drunk in the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This is nonsense. Those who said the disciples were “full of new wine” were the mockers who wanted to debunk the miracle of tongues which was occurring (Acts 2:13). The mockers did not say the disciples were drunken because they were staggering about and slurred in speech and falling to the ground, but because of the many languages which were used to preach the Gospel that day and because they wanted to slander the servants of Christ. In his reply to these mockers, PETER PLAINLY SAID THEY WERE NOT DRUNKEN (Acts 2:15). In Ephesians 5:18, Paul CONTRASTS drunkenness with the filling of the Spirit. The drunk is not in control of himself, but is under the power of a foreign substance. In contrast, the Spirit-filled Christian is entirely in control of himself under the direction of the Holy Spirit. There is absolutely no case in the New Testament of the Lord Jesus Christ or the Apostles or early Christians staggering about in a drunken stupor, unable to attend to necessary duties, as those in the laughing revival are experiencing. THE CHRISTIAN IS COMMANDED TO BE SOBER AT ALL TIMES (1 Thess. 5:6,8; 1 Tim. 3:2,11; Titus 1:8; 2:2,4,6; 1 Pet. 1:13; 4:7; 5:8).

If for no other reason, one should reject Hagin on this basis alone: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

The only example of “spiritual drunkenness” in the Bible is in the prophets, referring to God’s judgment upon sin and apostasy (Isa. 29:9-14; Jer. 51:37-40). These prophecies sound a solemn warning to the Laughing Revival crowd. They have rejected the sound teaching of the Bible; they have refused to be sober and vigilant; they have mocked careful Biblical discernment; they have exalted experience over doctrine; they have gone awhoring after feelings and “signs and wonders”; and they have been blinded by demonic delusions. God warns that those who refuse to obey the truth will be blinded by lying wonders (2 Thess. 2:9-12).

Throughout the rest of Hagin’s sermon, various people were laughing hysterically, making it difficult to follow his message. The service could best be characterized by confusion. It ended like it began, with a rock concert disguised as a worship service.

http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/hagin/general.htm

http://rickydslife1waytoheaventhroughjesus1.wordpress.com/

1. During the past 14 years I had 11 surgeries, yes that is right 11 surgeries. Talk about being in the Lord’s Boot Camp I was there, but I feel that the 11 surgeries prepared me for what was to come in 2006 which was being diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. It is truly amazing to look back at how I was able to make it through all those surgeries. I know that the only way I made it was through was with the Lord Jesus help. The Scripture verse from the Bible  that kept me  strong is:” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians  Chapter 4 verse 13. It never started out as 11 surgeries, it started with one surgery and ended with eleven. Here is the list: 5 foot reconstruction surgeries, 3 knee replacements, 1 right shoulder joint replacement, 1 right hip replacement and 1 back surgery which was done in february of 2009.

This is the Lord’s boot camp there was no other way for me to face my health problems but straight on, my back was against the wall and there were no other options.The pain was too great, and the quality of  life was diminishing. I knew from reading my Bible in the Book of Daniel where the the 3 Jewish boys Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar because they refused to bow down and worship the image of the king. The three Jewish boys knew that their God was able to deliver them even if they had to go into the furnace and God would deliver them and He did. For there was one walking with them in the furnace who looked lke the Son of God who was Jesus  and they didn’t get burned (Daniel Chapter 3). In my case I knew the Lord Jesus would get me through this trial and everything was going to be all right , it took 14 years. But those 14 years were used for preparation time for the next physical problem to come which was stage 4 prostate cancer.

During those 14 years I became a physical therapy expert, rehabbing and reading my Bible daily brought me closer to God. I remember having a cast on my foot and thinking what it would be like to workout again. The waiting time helped me to appreciate the things that we always take for granted like walking, moving your shoulder with no pain or riding a stationary bike. The toughest part of rehab was going through it after knee replacement, in order to get full range of motion the knee must constantly  be worked, bent and put through a whole assortment of movements which were killers, but I had to endure the torture in order to walk right again. All through it the Lord Jesus was helping me to endure and giving me patience to get through this physical thing that I was going through. It’s hard for people to imagine but as soon as one body part was repaired or replaced another part needed attention.

As of today I am back in the gym working out 4 to 5 days a week with stage 4 prostate cancer. And sharing my testimony to all who would listen of  the love and mercy that Jesus has provided for everyone through His death on the Cross and His Resurrection that He would grant eternal life to all who repent and receive Him as Lord and Savior. Through all of this I know that God is Soverign that until I fulfill His plan for my life I am here until He calls me home.

http://rickyd2.wordpress.com/

Dr. Stephen Arterburn answers questions inspired by his book,
TOXIC FAITH: EXPERIENCING HEALING FROM PAINFUL SPIRITUAL ABUSE.

Taped in Long Beach, CA, circa 1991.

PART ONE

Topics covered:

What is Spiritual Abuse?
What is an Outcast?

Since I made the first post, that detailed my friend and my experience Monica and Gary Dennington, I have learned that asking people and families to move to Dallas to help them with their ministry is not a one time occurrence. In fact after making the post and the video, I have found out that they have asked at least two other families to move to Dallas and be a part of their group doing TV and ministry together.

I stated that the Denningtons asked my family and my friends family to move to Dallas in several video (about the Denningtons) comment areas, and I was contacted by a woman who chooses to remain anonymous. Her and her husband both are taking the stance that the Denningtons will get exposed without them. But I do not really think silence and apathy is acceptable to God or the body of Christ at large. Simply put. If someone hurts you,, it helps others if you tell your story. But because the couple wants to remain un-named, I will quote their email comments to me,,, but not name them.

TO THE DENNINGTONS AND FOLLOWERS: I am fully prepared to talk to any authorities that is required of me, to insure this family, and the other family I will be mentioning, remains safe und un-harassed. In case of any retaliation towards them, I will be willing to cooperate however I can to help. BUT I must not remain silence and I have to use the information they gave me to expose what needs to be exposed.

====================================

Here is the first email I received.

“hello well we have been contimplating exposing them since about march but have stopped and we see God is allowing it to crumble all on its own. The last time They asked us to do some shows on their channel also and we actually moved our whole family down there. Talk about the biggest mistake we are still paying for it. I want you to know That Monica is very controlled by her husband. It is her husband that puts her up to all of this and controls her like a puppet. It is very sad actually, and we wondered often if she was abused. I am not under my real name because I am not ready to outwardly talk about what happened when we where down there. I want you to know Monica is a super sweet person but her husband is very abusive to her in a way that is more verbal and controlling. First off they tricked us they had this whole “storm the gates of hell thing” and we thought they were just talking about sin period, Then when we get down there they are like 1 block away from TBN and they said their whole plan is to take the camera down there and stand in front of TBN and expose them. We were like>>>WHAT!! we do not want to do that. So we were praying like hard, because we had no money to leave. Like 2 days before the “whole launch of there channel her husband (which was unders a lot of stress to launch the channel) blows up at us about some silly head phones..it was so crazy, My husband told Him um Gary calm down, but he kept yelling. So we quietly got all our stuff and left. I really thought by the looks of their ministry they were around a lot of people but they are not they are Hermits. Anyways God bless you..in all you do.”

Then I sent out this response,,,

“hello maam,, Thanks for writing. I have been awake for a long time and was fixing to go to sleep. But I wanted to tell you I got your PM and that after I think about it. I might write you back. I sure hope you and your family made it home OK. God bless you,,, damon”

And got this as a response,,,

“thank you we are fine now it is just weird cuz I use to beg my husband. Just make a video about them, but he wouldnt because he said “they will come down without my help” He said you cannot keep treating people bad and think your going to prosper. So Now I see it is good to listen to your husband..lol. But I love them I feel very bad for monica cuz she gets the beatings. Her husband pushes her out there on the chopping block while he hides in the back ground. there is something wrong with Him. He secludes her and their framily. I feel super bad for her she seems very brainwashed. I am not joking he tells her what to wear, eat, when to clean. And when she is shooting if she does not nail it the way he wants it said, he yells at her. Gary always says “we have a job to do” Well Gary your JOB does not over ride loving your neighbor and treating them right. I pray for monica to seperate from Gary because he has already been married before, she is too young for him and he treats her like a child.
thanks for listening it is hard to find poeople who know them.
Bye”

==================================================

I have watched almost every video that was made to Monica Dennington’s Calvinism series. But I found Bianca’s video series examining Tic Toc’s doctrines. As a result I had a converstaion on the phone with Bianca (aprodigalchild) and an email exchange where Bianca claimed,,,,,,,

“I know another couple besides them that have been somewhat involved and ran…they to so far didn’t come public.”

And then Biance claimed,,,,,

“I have been contacted by other witnesses that have been out there and witnessed some very key and serious things going on with the Denningtons.They are not yet recovered to the point of coming out public with it all.Let’s pray they muster up the courage to do so,I told them they owe it to others so as they don’t become hurt as they did….But some don’t want to be in the battle I suppose.I wonder what we will do when the End Times comes and we will be faced eye to eye with evil…How many will stand?”
===================================================

The quotes above are unaltered by me. I offer them without the consent of the writers, for the sake of others.
===================================================

The anonymous writer that I quoted stated that she believed Monica was being abused and controlled by her husband Gary. Since my interaction with the Denningons has not been close enough to know whether this is the case or not. I will leave that for you to decide for yourself. If Monica is being abused, she should leave,,, if she is not,,, she is an abuser of other people herself and they both need to repent.

But what I was concerned about seems to be true. That either Monica or Gary, or both are aspiring to be a leader of a cult group, and one of them is a sociopath with narcissistic personality disorder.  A single charismatic figure (not in the theological sense)  or person usually leads up the group. And they assemble around themselves like minded people. Or at least try to.

One of the best benefits of group bloging is cross promotion.

We thanks everyone who has added this GroupBlog to your blogrolls. Or promoted this site in any way.

For the four months we have been group blogging,, I consider the groupblog to be a success in promoting Word of Faith exposure type websites. Particularly the groupblog authors other blogs and sites. Which in turn can link you to even more websites about the WoF. And also our TV channel. Have you seen our TV channel?

So I just wanted to post this summary report of the top click from this site to others. I encourage all visitors to just click away. This groupblog could be a launching pad for anyone endeavoring to learn about the WoF,, to almost be able to do so for ever. There are just so many websites doing great work these days. Thank God for that,, and the internet.

Clicks for all days ending 2009-06-29 (Summarized)

I used a 20 minute audio portion of the the video for the show. I contacted Monica and Gary Dennington to get their permission to use their radio clip since blogtalkradio is strict about everything being podsafe (legal).  After the radio show was over,, John did a post about the show from which we eventually started getting quite a few hits from. So many that I had to post this warning on the post.

“An addendum to this post: We get quit a few hits to our site by people searching for the name Monica Dennington. IT SHOULD BE STATED that since this post was made Tic Toc Ministries, and Monica and Gary Dennington has become to be known by this blogs administrator to be a very dangerous group. Please beware of these people. They are very cult like. I have personal experience dealing with them and I have determined they should be avoided. So much so that as soon as I get time,, I will be doing some exposure work on Tic Toc and Monica and Gary. Damon Whitsell”

After we did the radio show. John visited the Denningtons sites and talked to them on the phone. And kept telling me that they wanted to talk to me also,,, but I was so swamped and not feeling well that I did not call them for two weeks. I had what I thought was a great talk with Gary. So I watched some more of their videos but was concerned about what I saw. Then John contacted me and said that the Dennintgons was asking us to move to Dallas,,,, to help them with their TV network and do some TV shows. I was really appalled that someone would ask two families to move to help them out. Two people who they really did not know. BUT still they asked two families to move. I immediately thought about how that was a very cult like thing to do. I would never ask anyone to move to help me with my ministry. BUT THEN AGAIN,,, it is clear to me that Monica feels she has a divine call to “clean up the body of Christ” to facilitate His return. How sad it is to believe that Jesus cannot return unless WE first clean his church (body) up. Like he cannot clean his own body. Did He not say there would be tares among the wheat and goats among the sheep?

I watched more videos of the Denningtons and became convinced that Monica is a false teacher that is  charismatic and regularly plays on all the charismatic stereotypes about non charismatics. I wanted to do a video refuting some of her teaching. especially the one called  The Key To God’s Secrets: A Message To Students And Teachers. In which she shows just how Anti-Intellectual and Anti-denominational she is. These are both two aspects that all cults share.

Before My concern turned to alarm,, I contacted Gary again because while I was not going to move anywhere, I thought maybe we could still do word of faith exposure TV together over the web. BUT I have had many bad experiences with charismatics and expressed my concerns to Gary that if I was to develop a working relationship with them, in some form or fashion, that I needed assurance that I would not receive the same kind of treatment from them or anyone in their group. Gary promised to contact me after the launch of their network (I had already told him I would not move but could maybe work together somehow),,, but he did not do so. In the video below,,, I read portions of my letter to the Denningtons expressing my concerns.

Most things in this article and video can be verified by John Edwards at faithpreacher.com

This video and article was made as a warning about Monica and Gary Dennington,,,, because I believe that they are aspiring to make Monica a cult of personality based around her alarmism and disdain for DENOMINATIONALISM. Please bookmark this blog and come back,,,,, as after I get through setting up a few self hosted wordpress blogs for this ministry,,, I pray I will be able to examine and refute some of the TICTOC cults false teachings.

Monica has embarked on a series of videos against Calvinism. AND WHILE I HAVE NEVER REFERRED TO MYSELF AS A CALVINIST,, I am very Calvinistic,,, but not a Calvinist. Simply because I do not believe in all the tenets of Calvinism,, especially hyper or 7 point Calvinism. BUT I am almost a Calvinist. So I thought I would include the video that I think is the best refute against her anti-Calvinist stance,, in which she calls for all non Calvinist to disown and disregard Calvinist as NOT REAL CHRISTIANS,, and therefore should be dis-fellowshiped from and considered “not a part of the real body of Christ”.

There is 4 things I would like to stick in your head after you read this.

1. Do not contact the Denningtons,,, they might ask you and your family to move.

2. Gary said twice,,,, that he would contact me back about my email,, and never did,,, nor did they respond to my subsequent responses.

3. Monica teaches salvation only comes to the obedient,, and yet does the scripture not say that lying is a sin? Then why did they twice lie to me? And can they be saved?

4. TIC TOC ministries is a dangerous group,,, that should be avoided because it is a cult in the making. Not only a sociological cult,, but also a false doctrinal based pseudo Christian Cult.

Damon Whitsell,

Manager, How2BecomeAChristian Apologetics Network

Part 2 Exposing the Tic Toc/FINAL WORD Cult: Others Experiences with the Denningtons

FROM: http://www.youtube.com/user/LaneCh

Here we have a non-Calvinist radio station who found Monica Dennington’s recent diatribe against Calvinism so ridiculous that they decided to review it and hold it to Scripture even though they don’t agree with Calvinism. I think Chris Rosebrough did a wonderful job even though we disagree on Calvinism. If you want a good refutation of Tic Toc Ministry’s video, I’m not sure if you’ll find much better. While you listen to this, be sure to keep in mind that this is a *non-Calvinist* reviewing Dennington’s video.

As I’ve pointed out earlier, here Ms. Dennington argues that arguing is wrong, presents her theological view with the intention that you agree with it that if we agree with another’s theological view, we’re committing idolatry, and says that division is wrong while encouraging her viewers to divide themselves from “this error of Calvinism.” etc.

(This video falls under section 107 of the Fair Use Law. You can find more about it here:
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92ch…
If anyone has any notion that they’d like to have this removed based primarily on the claim of copyright infringement, be forewarned that I’m ready to fight it. This is clearly an example of material used for the purpose of critique which falls under section 107.)

Mrs. Dennington’s original video would be linked here if Fighting for the Faith did not review the entire video from start to finish.

Here’s the link to Pirate Christian Radio:
http://www.piratechristianradio.com

Fighting for the Faith:
http://www.fightingforthefaith.com

Link to the show:
http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/20…

Does God want us to be rich and have a “BIG HOUSE?”

THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME!!!

From time to time we get comments that need to be responded to in depth. This is one case.

Demonknight2 SAID,,,,

“Hello, Damon. Since you clearly don’t want comments that say anything nice about the guys you’re against, I won’t say anything. But I have to ask you SERIOUSLY your personal opinion or what you think the Bible says about the issue… Perhaps God doesn’t necassarily want ALL believers to be BILLIONARES. But… Do you really think that as Christians, the only things we’re worthy of having (in God’s eyes) are the SAME things non-believers have or LESS than what non-believers have??? In other words, why would God ask believers to engage in things completely outside the realm of what the rest of the world is doing, then expect those SAME people to eat mud pies for dinner, AND LIKE IT?????? Again, are you saying that the God we serve is a “turn the other cheek & eat hambergers for dinner & thank me for it” type of God, while the person that slapped you is laughing with his friends about it & eating steak & has NOTHING to do with God??? Honestly, if God is going to contrast the size of our wallet to whether we love & trust in him, then perhaps it’s not us who are putting stock in money, maybe it’s really God! OK, but that sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it??? But equally ridiculous? The notion that God wants, condones, or commands that all believers be LESS than “the world” even if the subject IS MONEY!!! Be HONEST… Do you want to serve a God that “sees” you as not being worthy to have a house BIGGER than a person who OUTWORDLY MOCKS GOD???? – Thanks”

I will do my best to show how Demonknight2 needs a total paradigm shift in his understanding. Because his case is levied against mere strawmen arguments (not the real beliefs of those he opposes) that he has created in his own mind against those that do not believe in the Prosperity Gospel and the Word of Faith Movement.

The Lord has blessed some to be rich and some not. Mainline Christianity does not say that “God does not want us rich” NOR does it posit that “God wants us to live in poverty”. But the Word of God is clear that we cannot serve both God and Money (mammon), and Gods declares “chose this day whom you will serve.” We are not to store up for ourselves treasures on this earth but in heaven. It is harder for a rich man to get to heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of needle. This is not because being rich is a sin. But because earthly riches have earthly strings (the deceitfulness of riches) attached, instead of the pursuit of sanctification (the race set before us), is wrought with many inherent problems. But the Lord does sometimes bless is followers with great material possessions in this world, if it be his will for that believer. Given that they are mature in the faith and have their eyes fixed on Jesus and are serving Him and not “serving money.”

THE BIBLE HAS MANY WARNINGS ABOUT EARTHLY RICHES: 

Ecc 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is an evil disease.

Ecc 6:2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he Wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is also vanity.

Ecc 12:7-8 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall returned to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity

1Ti 6:17-19 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded; nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Jas 1:10-11 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

THE BIBLE HAS WARNINGS ABOUT THE FLEETINGNESS OF LIFE

Psa 102:11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.

Jas 4:13-15 Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Psa 144:3-4 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

1Ch 29:15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

TIME IS JUST A PUZZLE PIECE IN ETERNITY!!!

AND Our days are short and do quickly fade Job_14:2; Psa_90:9, Psa_102:11, Psa_144:4; Ecc_6:12; Isa_40:6-8; Jam_4:14

For we are aliens and strangers to this world. This world IS NOT our home!!!

We are merely pilgrims on a pilgrimage and sojourners in a foreign land. Gen_47:9; Psa_39:12, Psa_119:19; Heb_11:13-16; 1Pe_2:11 ; 1Pe_1:17

The Lord tells us in the sermon on the Mount that we are the salt and light of the world. This means He was telling us that this world is not our home. Matthew 5:13-16. 1Corinthians 15 gloriously proclaims the resurrection life that is to come for those who believe (trust, faith is not a force) on Jesus.

BUT UNBELIVERS ARE RESSURECTED TO DIE THE SECOND DEATH Rev. 20:6,14

1Pe 1:23-24 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

Therefore, “Mat 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The Lord is not concerned about big houses in this life. He is concerned that our pursuit of earthly riches in this life will cause us to miss out on the home He has prepared for us in Heaven. If I where to suffer for in abject poverty for a hundred thousand years in this life. It would not compare to the riches of His Eternal Kingdom

I THINK THE QUESTION IS,,,,, WILL YOU HAVE YOUR BEST LIFE NOW,,, OR LATER?

more about “The Word of Faith IS NOT THE GOSPEL /…“, posted with vodpod

TO YOUTUBER grinz2000:

The “Word of Faith” IS NOT THE GOSPEL / Todd Bentley is Word of Faith / Word of Faith IS WITCHCRAFT VEILED IN CHRISTIAN TERMS From Damon Whitsell, How2BecomeAChristian Apologetics Network

I had promised some friends that I had seen a video in which Todd Bentley had stated that he was highly influenced by Kenneth Hagin and hence was WoF also. I promised that I would send it to them when I found it again. I stumbled upon it today and the video is hosted by a WoF believer. THE VIDEO CLEARLY SHOWS BENTLEY IS WORD OF FAITH

In the comment section the owner of the channel grinz2000 was saying that Hank Hannegraph is “anti-supernatural”. THIS IS JUST NOT TRUE. And is both an ad hominum attack and a straw man LOGICAL FALLACY; only meant to try and discredit Hank’s exposure work against the WoF Movement.

So I informed grinz2000 that Hank is a continuationist/charismatic himself. So the accusation that Hannegraph is biased against the supernatural is just a lie and an gross misrepresentation of what the man says about himself. I am not a fan of Hank but I hate it when WoF’ers and charismatics in general try to paint people as “anti-supernatural” when that is just a straw man to dodge the issue. DISCREDIT THE ARGUMENT: NOT THE MAN
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During our exchange in grinz2000’s comments. He or she said,,,,

“Hanegraaf is against the Word of faith.. he calls it the “counterfeit revival”…’They’.. label the ‘Word of faith’ as a ‘movement’…but the Gospel is the Word of Faith..according to the Apostle Paul Romans 10:8 (King James Version) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; To not receive the ‘Word of Faith’ is to reject the true Gospel and all the ‘called’ ministry gifts..which is rejecting the Lord himself.”

I SAY: Well she should get the book. Hank does not just speak about and call just the Word of faith Movement a “Counterfeit Revival”.

NOW IS THE WORD OF FAITH THE GOSPEL??? Clearly the answer is NO, NO, NO!!!

THE WORD OF FAITH IS WITCHCRAFT VEILED IN CHRISTIAN TERMS

Wof’ERS are the best at the art of taking scripture out of context (CONTEXTOMY) to eisegete (INSERT INTO) her preconceived notions (OPINIONS) into the text. The context is clearly the Resurrection which is the gospel. So mush so that the Apostle Paul said if the resurrection of Jesus is not true,, then our faith will not save us from our sins.

Rom 10:1-17 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, **THE WORD OF FAITH**, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. or with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

SAVING FAITH IS TRUST THAT JESUS PAID THE PRICE FOR OUR SINS. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

THE GOSPEL IS CLEARLY STATED. 1Co 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures:

IT IS CLEAR THAT THOSE WHO PREACH “ANOTHER GOSPEL” ARE DOOMED TO HELL.

Gal 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

2Co 11:3-4 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
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THE WORD OF FAITH IS WITCHCRAFT VEILED IN CHRISTIAN TERMS.

From my article Abracadabra, Presto and SHAZAAM,, YOUR HEALED of your Word of Faith Delusion,,, because I SAY SO By Damon Whitsell

http://how2becomeachristianinfoblog.com/2008/11/29/abracadabra-presto-and-shazaam-your-healed-of-your-word-of-faith-delusion-because-i-say-so-by-damon-whitsell/
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STRAIGHT FROM THE WITCHES MOUTH Here is some text from a website on witchcraft.

http://www.witchcraft-magick.com/

“Mankind has always attempted to know the unknowable and control it by his own actions. At the same time, it was recognized that there were powers beyond his ability to control. Throughout history, certain people have been accepted as being better at controlling the powers that represent natural forces such as earthquake, wind, flood,fire and disease.

In some cases, these powers were named as gods or goddesses, at other times the forces themselves were named and summoned and controlled by the will of humans known as witches in modern day language.

The power possessed by a witch or shaman skilled in the art and working of witchcraft was assumed to be almost limitless. By saying certain words or power names in the correct manner and correct tone of voice, the witch could heal the ill, and cast out the evil spirits which caused pain and suffering in those who were diseased.

Inanimate nature also obeyed the words of witchcraft and even the creation of the world itself was through a spoken word. The words could tear the earth apart and make water pile up in a heap and even the sun could be stopped in its course by a word uttered in witchcraft.”

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Witchcraft vs Christianity; Learn the similarities and differences of the two

“The differences between the Christian and witchcraft viewpoint is the difference between being citizens of a society which takes an active role to shape and mold the structure of society or subjects of a society which has the connotation of subordination to the larger group for the benefit of all.

A similar term with very different meanings between Christian and pagan understandings of the word is “self-control”. To those practicing witchcraft they believe that they are the one who has full control over the actions. They do not surrender to another except under very brief, special and voluntary circumstances. Self-control means taking charge, making all decisions relating to oneself, doing anything so long as it doesn’t hurt someone else.

The witch views control as the act of intentionally and positively directing the will toward the achievement of positive goals. The underlying assumption with the witch’s view of self control is that man is inherently valuable, and can achieve good and beneficial ends through the use of will power.”

http://www.witchcraft-magick.com/christianity.html

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EVEN WITCHES DON’T HAVE FAITH IN FAITH

“People who are just beginning witchcraft don’t have the understanding or the ability to actually practice medicine, but witchcraft is the belief system which is outstripping all others in popularity. It is expected that young people who are practicing witches may soon be preparing for degrees in medical fields and thus improve the chances of being healed through witchcraft as well as more mainstream means and medications.

Modern scientists have documented the term called the placebo effect. When some people receive healing from illnesses which in some cases are considered terminal illnesses after being given a pill made of sugar rather than the test drug, the healing is due to the placebo effect. Others would say that they were healed by faith, the patient believed that they would be healed due to the medication, and so they were healed, in spite of the fact that they received no medication. So, faith regardless of whether the faith comes from belief in the drug, belief in God or belief in witchcraft.”

http://www.witchcraft-magick.com/spells.html

A WICHES FAITH IS in WITCHRAFT. Not faith or God. There is no force called faith. Faith (trust) is only as good as the object of that faith.

An interesting study is to get a few bible dictionaries and do a word search on “God of forces” I have several books on demonology by Merrill F. Unger. He has a whole chapter devoted to the “God of forces” in one of them, so he might have a really good definition in his bible dictionary. I will look when I get more of my books out of storage.
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MORE WORDS FROM WITCHES ABOUT THE POWER OF WORDS COMING TO THIS BLOG LATER
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WHAT IS BAD IS THAT THE WORD OF FAITH TEACHERS KNOW THEY TEACH WITCHCRAFT!!!

Benny Hinn claims the Holy Spirit told him, “…that if witches and occultists can speak death by the supernatural power of words, then Christian can speak life and prosperity by the same power.” The Facts on the Faith Movement, J. Ankerberg & J. Weldon, Harvest House, 1993, p.23 Copyright ©2008

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Benny Hinn: “Witches even..I mean..I’m not here to talk about witches but, but I’ll tell you this.“

Paul Crouch: “They..they under they know the secret.“

Benny Hinn: “,,,because see I had a witch tell me this. And I said what!? She said, listen to me, she said do you know that we are taught in witchcraft how to kill birds with words, and how to kill people with our mouth. I said what do you mean kill people? She said we are taught with words to bring disease on men. I said how? She said by speaking certain words (unintelligible) she said we can actually cause sickness that could very well kill.” Christianity in Crisis (audiobook), tape II, side 3.

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COPELAND: Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks and that’s when the action takes place because that is when the spiritual force is brought up out of the mouth – whether it be fear or whether it be faith – and when that spiritual force comes out, it is going to give substance to that image that is inside of you. People say, ‘that is that New Age visualization stuff’. The New Age is trying to do this. And they get somewhat results out of it because it is a spiritual law. (Believer’s Voice of Victory (television program), TBN, 28 March 1991.)

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 ALL WORD OF FAITHERS NEED TO REPENT AND FOLLOW THE TRUE GOSPEL!!!

YA’LL DON’T HAVE “THE FULL GOSPEL”. YA’LL HAVE A FOOLS GOSPEL!!!

Joel Osteen Preaches to Sold-Out Crowd in Yankee Stadium

WANT TO KNOW HOW HAGIN DOES HIS TRICKERY

IT IS SO SAD that Word of Faith people will line up to proclaim Hagin a “true man of God” when he was nothing but a con artist.

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False Teachers of The Word of  Faith

http://excharismania.blogspot.com/2009/05/battlestar-galatia-sermons-from.html

http://brojeffssermons.blogspot.com/2009/05/sermons-from-galatians-2-false-teachers.html

(Gal. 1:9- “As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”)

Last week we began with Paul speaking to the Galatian church about how false teachers had crept into the church there and had polluted the Gospel message with error.  The false teachers and preachers had infiltrated from within and disguised as Christian teachers and preachers had added “improvements” to the gospel message making it not the gospel at all but heresy (grossly false doctrine).   Today I want us to look at one of the fastest growing cults within the church.  This false movement is called the “Word-Faith Movement” or “Word of Faith Movement” (hereafter will be WoF).  You might know some of the names of the false teachers I name today but most importantly we will expose the lies they espouse as gospel.

I. Cultic/Occultic Origins(2 Tim. 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”) – You may not be familiar with the name Word-Faith or Word of Faith movement but you might have heard of some of it’s teachers/preachers: Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Robert Tilton, Creflo Dollar, John Avanzini, Eddie Long, Marilyn Hickey, T.D. Jakes, Juanita Bynum, Fred Price, Rod Parsley, John Hagee, Joyce Meyer, Jesse Duplantis, Jerry Savelle, Paul Crouch (TBN), Charles Capps, Leroy Thompson, Benny Hinn, Paula White, Joel Osteen, Pat Robinson, R.W. Schambach, Myles Munroe.
The WoF movement did not start overnight, but began in the early 1900’s with a man named E.W. Kenyon.  Kenyon was greatly influenced by New Thought founder Phineas Quimby (his false teachings are the basis for the cult called Christian Science started by Mary Baker Eddy; early New Age beliefs). E.W. Kenyon went to Emerson College of Oratory in Boston which was a breeding ground at the time for the newly emerging New Thought cult. New Thought claimed to have discovered laws of faith, advancing a Christianized version of their occult teaching.
With these cultic/occultic teachings Kenyon would mix and blend it in with orthodox Christian doctrine to create the false, peculiar beliefs that became the WoF.  So we see then cultic/occultic roots of WoF and now let’s look who brought into the present. The man who was most influential in spreading this heresy into the 20th and 21st century is Kenneth Hagin.  And his disciples and devotees affectionately call him “Dad” Hagin.  “Dad” Hagin died in 2003 but the heresy of the WoF keeps rolling on even stronger today.  But what do you ask is the false teachings of the WoF.

II. WoF False Doctrines – (1 Tim 4:1- “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”)-

1. Faith in Faith- The primarily false teaching of the WoF’ers is that a Christian by their faith can make God do anything.  In the WoF they put their faith in their ‘faith’. To them faith is a force that we use to make God heal us and keep us healthy or make God make us rich and get us all that we desire.  WoF say faith is the stuff God made the earth, the universe, and even humans according to the WoF false teachers.  They twist the scripture in Heb. 11:1 (in the KJV)- “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for…”; this proves to them that faith is a substance that allows God to be a slave for you, to make him create the world that you want and desire, to be healthy, wealthy, and master of your own life.  The WoF heresy is nothing more than Christianized humanism that we are in control because God is not and that only saved man can allow God to work in the world and we activate God by the law and force of faith but we will get to more of that later.  The truth of Hebrew 1:1 is that the archaic terms of the KJV is not very understandable to us, so the better translation of ‘substance’ here is the word ‘assurance’ (NASB). True faith is the assurance that the promises of God never fail, it is human beings trusting in a God they cannot see, to do things that He has promised.  To the WoF teachers faith is the substance that we get what we desire, even God has to have faith because faith is the source of God’s power.  And this leads us to our next WoF false teaching, positive confession.

2. Positive Confession- This is the WoF belief that we have what we confess because words are the containers of faith.  For example, if we speak positive confessions of healing and quote bible verses (even taken out of context) then the force of faith is activated and healing and health will eventually be manifested to you but you must keep on positively confessing in order to stay healed or if your broke it will make you rich if you use the same formula of faith: confess or speak it, believe it, and receive it because God is obligated to do so because we use faith and confession.  Because the WoF God used the same formula when He made the universe because to them He spoke (and visualized) it in the beginning when He said, “Let there be…” and of course He had to believe it would happen because it came into existence, for every faith-filled word that He spoke.  But there is a drawback to confession because if there is a positive confession there must be a negative confession.  Positive confession works off of faith and it attracts God’s power to work on the our behalf to make us rich and well, while negative confession is fear that attracts the Devil to allow him to make us sick and poor.  They say our words are so powerful that we attract sickness like cancer and even death if we just accidentally utter a negative confession like “My head is killing me” when we have a headache because it could cause us to die of a brain tumor or a brain hemorrhage.  The WoF teacher has the answer to reverse the curse by only having us utter positive things even though our bodies may tell us we’re sick, we are to ignore and deny the symptoms and confess we’re fine, we’re well, we’re healed, and free of pain and to quote over and over “by His stripes we are healed” or twist some other scripture with the word ‘healing’ in it to suit our need of confession. (Side note: If you ignore symptoms of being sick and deny them it won’t make you well no matter how much you confess you are healed, symptoms are God’s built in warning system that something is wrong and needs attention.) Contrary to the beliefs of the WoF movement sickness and poverty is not the individual’s results of each person’s sin. It is a part of this cursed and fallen creation we are born into without choice.  It is not sinful to be sick or poor (which is what they teach; K.Copeland: “Poverty is an evil spirit”; J. Hagee: “Poverty is caused by sin and disobeying the Word of God.”). They need to be informed that it is sinful to be spiritually sick and spiritually poor believing the heretical teachings of the WoF movement and living selfishly (Rev 3:16,17- “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked”) that is their spiritual state.

3. Little Gods: Man Promoted, God Demoted- A hallmark of any cult is to alter the truth about the Godhead and specifically undermine the person and work of Jesus Christ.  The WoF does this as well, not only do they demote God but they promote man to a “little god” (they spell it with a little ‘g’).  They promote the same lie as Satan hissed in the Garden, “You will be like God”.  How do they get to the place to say that man is a “little god”?  Well many of the WoF teachers believe that when God created man in His image and likeness that He made a “little god”.  Their flawed reasoning to think this let me quote Joyce Meyer, “If you as human being have a baby, you call it human kind. If cattle have another cattle, they call it cattle-kind. I mean what’s God supposed to call us? Doesn’t the Bible say we’re created in His image? Now, you understand, I’m not saying you are a God with a capital ‘G’” (“Joyce Meyer-Little Gods” http://www.you tube.com/watch?v=7Y4eVu2oxP8). We are left with no doubt about what she is saying and the rest of the WoF teachers all mirror the same belief like Kenneth Copeland (“You don’t have a god in you, you are one!”; “The Force of Love”, Audiotape, 1987), Creflo Dollar (“You’re not a sinner saved by grace, your sons and daughters of the Most High God. You are gods!”; “Changing Your World”, April 17, 2002), and there are too many to quote but say and believe the same thing, they are gods.  They believe when God made man (the “little gods”) that He gave man dominion over the earth and their belief about dominion was that man was a god over this world.  But when the Devil deceived Adam and Eve well that defaulted man’s title over earth and gave it to Satan who became god of this world.  God then was locked out from doing anything on earth and in the affairs of mankind.  And God’s avenue back into this earth was through man and He found it in Abraham.  The WoF teach that because Abraham and other people of faith gave God permission to act on the earth.  They teach that their poor WoF God finally had access to earth and man finally had access to God.  How twisted the WoF teachings are, man is deified and God is humanized and the devil is on an equal playing field with God and man  is in control and allows God to work. How that false, evil belief is shattered by this verse about the sovereignty of God (Dan 4:35 – All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?”). God is in control and we aren’t, thank God.

4. Spiritual Death of Jesus- How could any God-fearing, saved Christian man or woman believe that there is any other redemption or salvation other than the suffering and death of Christ on the cross.  Well, the WoF false teachers do it again.  According to them, Jesus paid for our sins not on the cross but in the very pit of hell itself they falsely claim Christ had to die spiritually and burn in hell to save us.  I will quote one of the popular WoF teachers, “if you think that the punishment for our sin was to die on the cross? If that were the case, the two thieves could have paid your price.” (Fred Price; ‘Ever Increasing Faith Messenger, pg.120).  This is believed and repeated by all the WoF teachers from Kenneth Copeland to Joel Osteen, from Joyce Meyers to Paula White, and Benny Hinn to T.D. Jakes.  But Galatians 6:14 gladly says this, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”.  We can boast only in the suffering, shed blood, and death of Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of sins and nothing else.

III. Things to Consider- This is just a small part of the false, cultic teachings of the WoF.  It seems that I’m making this up and surely Christians don’t believe this fractured fairytale. They push these false teachings anywhere and through any outlet they can where they can make a buck and fleece the sheep.  Irregardless if their false promises for healing kill someone because going to the doctor or taking medicine is sneered at for a “lack of faith” or if people have fallen on hard times or born into poverty their seen as sinful by these false brethren and tell those who have been deceived by them that if there sick or poor, it is because it’s their fault.  These false teachers will have a fearful end. The Apostle Paul pronounced upon them anathema, destruction, false teachers will face the wrath of God and will receive their reward at the Great White Throne Judgment. Remember Jesus’ warning, Matt. 24:4, Stay true to the truth of God’s word and false teachers will easily be seen.

Romans 10:17 reads, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

This is true, but I would add a word of caution. Note that another truth is brainwashing cometh by hearing and hearing. Be sure that as you are endeavoring to listen and study the word of God, that you aren’t actually being brainwashed by men.

My husband and I have recently realized that we were willingly and actively being brainwashed by constantly listening to recorded sermons and also reading certain books over and over again. Imagine: No one came to our house and held us captive to brainwash us. We pursued the brainwashing!

By all means possible, seek truth, but under no circumstances, believe what a man tells you just because of whom he says he is.

-MW

Almost anyone today is very familiar with the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Many modern day prosperity preachers are a lot like the “Chocolate Factory”, who promise all sorts of goodies, including the “Everlasting Gobstopper” (the miracle candy that never diminishes and lasts forever). Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory is, of course, pure fantasy. Prosperity Candyman Preachers are just like the fantasy chocolate factory–a world of make believe. It has become amusing how certain television “Christian” networks seem to solely exist to have their “everlasting fundraisers”. While they do so, they promise all who partner with them “everlasting gobstoppers”.
Prosperity preachers would have people believe that somehow they are the “Candyman”. They make claims that sound delicious, appetizing and irresistible. Many are the gullible who stand in line for their “Financial Chocolate Bar”. Prosperity preachers promise you a “Golden Ticket” to prosperity if you only buy their candy.

Here are some of the Candyman Preachers “Miracle Candy” promises:

• Sow a seed out of your need and prosper.
• Activate your miracle by sowing your seed now.
• Come into agreement with God; sow the best seed possible and reap a harvest.
• Sow your financial seed and expect God’s harvest on your life.
• Your future is in the seed you sow today, go to the phone now.
• This is your time for transition into God’s favor by sowing your seed now.
• Release the seed in your hand and God will release a harvest into your life.
• This is God’s appointed time for you to be blessed; sow a seed and reap a harvest.
• God is ushering in a new season of prosperity for your life.

And of course, many candyman preachers accept all major credit cards, and offer toll free call ins to make your pledge for your “everlasting gobstopper” (miracle harvest of financial prosperity). My deceased aunt, while living, gave tens of thousands to a church organization, and ended her life nearly broke. I wonder what happened to her financial “harvest”?

When we stop playing games with the teachings of Jesus Christ, it will be observed that Jesus Christ is not now, and never has been, purchased with money. Sins are not remitted through donating money to preachers and the Holy Spirit is never purchased with credit cards. Making preachers wealthy and prosperous was never a teaching of Jesus Christ in the four Gospels. Many are the deluded Christians, sitting in the pews of megachurches making preachers materially wealthy. And many are the lonely and deceived television viewers, who make pledges to fill the bank accounts of false prophets, false pastors and wolves in sheep’s clothing.

http://www.batteredsheep.com/candyman.html

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I don’t know how many operations I performed in my surgical career. I know that I performed 17,000 of one particular type, and 7,000 of another. I practiced surgery for thirty-nine years, so perhaps I performed 50,000 operations. I was successful, and patients were coming to me from all over the world. And one of the things that endeared me to the parents of my patients was the way my incisions healed. No one likes big scars, but they are especially upsetting to mothers when they appear on their children. So I set out early on to make my scars small, as short and as thin as possible. These “invisible” scars became my trademark. But was I a healer?

The secret of thin scars is to make the incision precise-no feathered edges-and in the closing, to get the edges of the skin in exact apposition. I would do this by sewing the stitches inside the skin, but not through it, and the knots were tied on the bottom. All you have to figure out is how I crawled out after doing that.

I was the one who put the edges together, but it was God who coagulated the serum. It was God who sent the fiberblasts out across the skin edges. It was God who had the fiberblasts make collagen, and there were probably about fifty other complicated processes involved about which you and I will never know. But did God come down and instruct the fiberblasts to behave that way? In a sense, he did. But he did it through his natural laws, just the way he makes the grass grow, the rain fall, the earth quake. The question, then, is not, Does God heal? Of course he heals! We are concerned with this question: Granted that God heals, is it normally according to natural laws or an interruption of those laws (i.e., a miracle)?

Ordinary Providence

It is God’s providence that keeps the sea at the edge of the shore, or an airplane in the sky, or that makes cats out of kittens. When the twenty-three chromosomes of the sperm and the twenty-three chromosomes of the egg are put together, it is God’s ordinary activity that forms a baby. It is his ordinary activity that grows a baby into a child, a child into an adolescent, an adolescent into an adult, and an adult into an elderly person. It is also his ordinary providence that brings about the death of a person, set off by one phenomenon or another. Nevertheless, the phenomenon is part of God’s natural law. Can you interrupt or alter God’s law of nature? It may indeed appear that you can. You might accelerate the process or slow it, but you cannot avoid it. Whatever happens, it is according to God’s providence.

Suppose you get tonsillitis. Your doctor recommends penicillin, and your condition improves. You say to your doctor, “You’re a magician!” Not so. He was an instrument, just as I was an instrument in stitching the skin together. I used instruments to do it, but I was an instrument in so doing. You might say at this point, “What makes you so special?” And the reply is, “I’m not.” Nothing makes me special. God uses instruments who will spend eternity with him. I’m one of those instruments. But he also uses instruments who curse him and people who never even acknowledge him.

I remember well an incident that occurred during my days in training. A woman was recovering from gall bladder surgery. She said to her surgeon as he made his rounds, “I thank God for making me well.” The surgeon angrily grabbed the foot of the bed with both hands and shouted, “God didn’t do that; I did!” But whether this doctor acknowledged it or not, he was an instrument of God’s providence.

Now, back to the tonsillitis. God created a fungus that a man named “Penicillin notatum.” It has been around, I presume, since the beginning of time. But I was well into my residency before Alexander Fleming noted its properties. Penicillin killed bacteria, and it did so through a very complicated process: all part of God’s natural laws. Penicillin killed the streptococcus in your tonsils, and you were healed in accordance with the process and timing of God’s law.

Maybe you have had a severe illness. Let us say you have “hovered at death’s door,” as they say. Then you slowly improved, and here you are today, fit and healthy. I can just imagine that when you recovered someone told you, “It’s a miracle!” Not necessarily. God’s providence was again at work.

Let me offer an illustration that should be familiar to most city dwellers. I missed the entrance to the expressway and wandered all around parts of San Francisco I had never seen before. Finally, I got back to where I wanted to be, got on the expressway, and arrived at the airport with no time to spare. It was a miracle that I caught my plane! Miracle? Not so. Just a loose use of a word that is rarely employed in its authentic meaning. That was no more a miracle than the recovery from tonsillitis. Now, I can hear somebody say, “He doesn’t even believe in miracles!” But I do believe in miracles, and that is why it is worthwhile to define the term.

If the surgeon who reacted so arrogantly to the praise attributed to God were writing this article, you would be wasting your time to continue reading. But I have credentials in this matter. I am a Bible-believing, evangelical Christian steeped in the doctrines of the Reformed faith. I am absolutely committed to a belief in the sovereignty of God in all things, and because of my understanding of the art and science of medicine, I have a perspective on the process of healing as it ordinarily takes place.

Supernatural Intervention

Having defended my supernaturalism, let us turn our attention to a case study that does circumvent or interrupt God’s natural laws. It is the account of a man who never attended medical school. On one occasion, he encountered a homeless person who had been unable to walk since birth. The man’s heart went out to that disabled individual and, looking the man straight in the eyes, the non-credentialed physician said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”

Of course, this is an excerpt from Acts 3:6, and the unlettered healer was the apostle Peter. The next verses tell us, “And he took him by the right hand, lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he, leaping, stood up, walked and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.” That was a miracle! An apostle uttered those words of healing. It was performed before there was a written New Testament, and the healing was immediate, radical, and demonstrable to those who knew the man when he was disabled. The healing of this lame man was instantaneous, and that is what made it a miracle. However, a miracle is more than a matter of time. It is an act of God produced in unusual circumstances in which he uses means unfamiliar to us but which are perfectly normal expressions of his character. Miracles may be a departure from God’s usual way of acting (as we understand it), but we can never say they contradict God’s nature.

Over the years I have had innumerable people say that I am wrong, that they have witnessed numerous miracles. For example, after I had spoken one night, a woman came to me and said, “God can do anything! … I once knew a woman who went into the hospital to be fitted for a glass eye. The surgeon turned his back to get an instrument, and when he looked back, he found a new eye in the empty pocket where there had been nothing before, and the woman could see!”

I said, “Did you say you knew this woman?”
“No. I knew someone who knows her,” she conceded.
“Well,” I said, “could you tell me who he or she is? I would like to have a conversation with even that person.”
“Well, I don’t really know that person either, but I know someone who knows her.”
“Even so,” I persisted “I would like to meet that person.”
“I don’t really know that person, but she knows someone who knows someone….” And so it goes.

Is It Faith or Faithlessness?

A surprising number of Christians are convinced God will not be believed unless he makes tumors disappear, causes asthma to go away, and pops eyes into empty sockets. But the Gospel is accepted by God-given faith, not by the guarantee that you will never be sick, or, if you are, that you will be miraculously healed. God is the Lord of healing, of growing, of weather, of transportation, and of every other process. Yet people don’t expect vegetables without plowing. They don’t expect levitation instead of getting in a car and turning a key-even for extraordinarily good and exceptional reasons.

Although God could do all of this, Christian airline pilots do not fly straight into a thunderstorm after asking God for a safe corridor, although he could give them such safety. We do not have public services and ask God to remove all criminals, prostitutes, and pornographers from our midst, although he could do that too. God could eliminate AIDS from our planet. While we pray for a speedy discovery of successful treatment, I must do all I can to employ medical science in its task, as all health care professionals must do.

We live in a fallen world and the afflictions of our bodies and souls are the result of that fall (not the immediate work of Satan). Disease and death are “givens” in this fallen world. They are the expectation; all will be straightened out only after the return of Jesus Christ-and not before. God is sovereign. By “sovereignty” I mean that God is in total control of this universe, at all times. If you and I could determine human circumstances by our “faith” (as it is called), God would not be sovereign, and I do not think, indeed, that he would be God. He did not create us and drop us down here, withdrawing control to see how we would make out. He does not act capriciously nor arbitrarily. It is all in line with the grand plan that you and I can only see in pieces now but will see in its completeness in the future.

Presumptuous Christian writers claim to know God’s intent, such as the author of the book that insists, “God wants you well.” Who says so? Why should he want you well when he did not want the apostle Paul well? Paul apparently had a serious eye disease to which he refers in his letters to the young churches. And indeed, Paul asked God to remove his thorn in the flesh several times. But God chose not to do so. Timothy, Paul’s protégé, had something in the way of a gastrointestinal complaint. Paul didn’t respond with the command, “Be healed!” Instead, he told Timothy to stop drinking only water and to drink a little wine!

Affliction is part of the Christian’s life just as much as the nonbeliever’s (sometimes more so). The proper response of Christians to affliction is not to demand healing but rather to witness to the world that through the grace of God a Christian is able to accept affliction, trusting in the sovereignty, grace, and mercy of God in time, knowing that all of these things will be removed in eternity.

Soon after the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus himself began to perform miracles. And those miracles, no doubt, authenticated Christ’s claims and his mission. Thereafter, he invested his twelve apostles with these same healing capabilities in order to authenticate this “new” religion, which we call Christianity. But after serving their purpose, these gifts ceased. With the completion of the canon of Scripture, the total revelation of God has been given (that is, not all that can be known about God, but all that God has decided to let us in on).

If miracles were commonplace, they would cease to be miracles. And I repeat what I said earlier: It is always God who does the healing, but he does not regularly do so in a miraculous way. He heals providentially. God can be, and should be, glorified when healing of illness takes place. But he should also be glorified when healing does not take place-and even when death ensues, in spite of the pain and grief it may cause. I don’t say this flippantly. I lost my own son to a rock-climbing accident, and I have learned how essential the doctrine of God’s sovereignty is in such circumstances. God was greatly glorified by that tragedy in ways I could have never predicted.

Miracles, then, were the credentials of Christ and the apostles, to whom he gave the gift of healing. And one can assume, I think, that the cessation of these gifts came at the end of the apostolic age. A few biblical statements would seem to promise, at first glance, that God will do whatever we ask of him. Obviously, though, these cannot be taken as absolute promises in an unconditional sense, because, if this were true, God could not possibly be sovereign. Such passages must be analyzed in light of other passages. For instance, we read in John 15:7, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you” (NASB). Nevertheless, there is a condition to this promise, given in 1 John: “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (5:14, NASB).

When a faith healer commands God to perform a miracle, in the absence of a prayer that says, “thy will be done,” it is, as far as I am concerned, the most rank form of arrogance. No doubt some have said that it is the will of God for every affliction of man to be healed, but you know that this could not possibly be true. Otherwise, we would have to conclude that God falls far short of his plans.

But if faith healing is really accomplished by faith, why is a mediator (the faith healer acting in a priestly role) necessary? Why are the healings often either invisible or said to have occurred over a long period of time? I want to see a person with one leg suddenly (“immediately”) have two. In fact, I want to see a person cold, flat-out dead, get up and walk. Now it is not that I want to see these miracles take place just to satisfy my own curiosity. I want to see them happen in such a way that there is no praise attributed to the faith healer. And I want to see it done in a situation that is not a carnival. Now if all of those conditions were in place, I suspect that a healing service would occur very much in private.

Did I Have Enough Faith?

I was once the president of an evangelical organization which hired an investigative writer to look into some cults and into some specific faith healers. Our investigator traveled to a southwestern city where a healing campaign had been advertised some weeks in advance. Adjacent to the huge tent into which thousands would pour for services was a smaller tent. For the whole week prior to the services, those who had physical infirmities came to this smaller tent in order to be screened by associates of the healer. The associates’ job was to pick the proper specimens for their “chief” to heal on television. They chose people with such conditions as asthma, which has a very strong emotional overlay. They dealt with hysterical people, and with those who were very open to the power of suggestion. With others, they tried to see if they could find samples of psychosomatic illness that could be altered by suggestion.

Among those who applied for healing was an elderly Christian gentleman who lived out on the prairie. His vision was becoming dim, and he most likely was developing cataracts. The only lighting in the little cabin where he lived was a kerosene lamp. He was a devout Christian, read his Bible daily-or tried to. Unfortunately, his sight had deteriorated to the point where he could no longer read. On the night of his appearance before the healer, the old man was led into the meeting which had the atmosphere of a sideshow. The faith healer said, “Well, Pop, you can’t see anymore. You’ve gotten old; you can’t even see with your glasses. Your vision is failing.” Then he reached over and took off the old man’s spectacles, threw them on the platform, stamped on them, and broke them. He then handed the elderly gentleman a large-print Bible, which under the lights necessary for television in those days, enabled the gentleman to read John 3:16 out loud, to the astonishment and applause of the audience.

The elderly gentleman praised God, the healer praised God, the audience praised God, and the old man went back to his dimly lit cabin and could not find his Bible, because his glasses were destroyed. The man went back to the healer, but was told the most discouraging thing a godly man could possibly hear: “You didn’t have enough faith, or the healing would have stuck.”

Now, obviously, this makes two classes of Christians: those who have enough faith to be healed-the first-class Christians-and those who don’t have enough faith to be healed-they, of course, are second-class. There is great poverty in that kind of religion. One’s willpower, not divine grace, becomes the basis for faith and life.

Biblical Christianity is different: It does not allow us to peek into the hidden workings of God to determine his purposes in all suffering. “Who sinned,” the disciples asked Jesus, “this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned … but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:2-3). Then Jesus, the Great Healer, did the work of opening the man’s eyes-not because the man had fulfilled some “work of faith,” but because Jesus is the Messiah who gives sight to the blind.

http://www.modernreformation.org/default.php?page=articledisplay&var1=ArtRead&var2=616&var3=main

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