THE FAITH PREACHER

STARTING AMAZING GRACE CHURCH

2011-12-24T18:14:00.001-08:00

I will be starting Amazing Grace Church in 2012 just as soon as the Lord provides a place for us to start holding services.

The church will be non-denominational.

The Lord has impressed upon my heart to make no pledge but to preach and teach His Word without compromise and to minister to the spiritual needs of the people that He sends my way.

I have no vision to build a large church. I care nothing for building programs. Im not even interested in having a praise and worship team.

Im just going to preach the Word and pray for the folks and let God bless His work as He wills.

I have no money and no support but I have a bible and a heart for souls.

Last time, I started a church in my house with four or five people and a $300 offering. Ten years later we had grown and built a 500 seat sanctuary on 18 acres of land.

This time will be different. Keeping it simple!

MY FIRST YOUTUBE

2011-11-02T06:02:00.000-07:00

203

2011-10-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

The New Me

THE LIES THAT BIND......by MichaEL Adams

2011-10-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

The lies that bind...

It's difficult to explain the whole concept of 'The Word of Faith' to someone not caught up in the mess that some ministers have made out of the Bible...Think of it as having a hundred dollars meant to feed your kids and someone tells you that if you spent that hundred dollars on lottery tickets that you'd be guaranteed to win millions...

...I know it sounds gullible, and it is, but in the words of a master sales person who knows his/her Bible, they can make the impossible sound possible, the implausible within reach...If only they believed...Not what the Bible says, mind you, what they say the Bible means...They'll throw out Mark 11:24, Hebrews 11:1 and every other scripture that promises you can have whatever it is you want by simply believing it and people buy into this Fairy Tale hook, line, and sinker.

Why?

Because we want to believe...We want to think that we can grab that brass ring without stretching forth a hand to grab it, that we can just say a few words, repeating them over and over again in the hopes that all of our financial, medical, personal needs will be met by a God who has nothing better to do than to drop a couple of grand in your pocket so that you can go out and eat at a nice restaurant, buy clothes that represent success...Faith...Prosperity.

The reality is a little more bitter...Ken Copeland, one of the 'Giants' in the whole Word of Faith movement, once gave a special seminar to the students at Rhema, explaining, with the Bible as backup, that since we were studying to be ministers, men and women of God, that we were doing Gods work and because of this we didn't need to divide our time with that pesky little thing called employment...That we'd be provided all of our needs because we were the chosen, we were the future Apostles and Prophets who would go out and preach this (Then) relatively new interpretation of the scriptures...And believe me when I tell you that, upon hearing this man, a man who'd told us how he'd believed God would give him an airplane and he was given that plane...Granted, it was given to him by his father, a wealthy man in his own right, but, hey...Faith is Faith...It sounded good, it sounded tempting, and most of all it sounded scriptural.

But I had a wife and son that depended upon me, and I honestly didn't think I had that kind of Faith in me...But a lot of my fellow students did and went out, quit their jobs and began that treacherous walk of Faith...And within three months, most of those same people were out of their apartments, their homes, and sent packing back to where they came from because they were broke, because they'd been given a promise from someone who claimed to be spreading the word of God, the 'Word of Faith'...And they were blameless in the tragedies that ended many persons Faith because they just didn't believe enough...They weren't really chosen of God, they simply stepped out of the plan God had for their lives and tried to slip into a role they weren't meant to be in...

...The rich, the wealthy who have the money for medical expenses, for homes too big for them, who have a car for every day of the week because the gullible send them money they don't have can afford to be judgmental, can stand behind the pulpit and say pretty much whatever they want with impunity and rarely ever be held accountable for their actions, for their lies, for their deceptions.

I guess I'm luckier than most...That isn't to say I didn't lose a lot because of the Word of Faith debacle...I lost my family, I lost more money than I'd care to think about, I even lost my Faith for a while, my direction in life because I, like so many others, got caught up in the fever of Faith...I was guilty of believing blindly and had to pay the price. For me, I suppose I only lost what would have eventually been gone from my life in the first place because I turned my back on the Ministry, on what I'd learned at Rhema, and the friends I thought I had, well, they saw me as a pariah, an outcast...A heretic.

I liked that concept because the blinders had been taken off and I could once again look at the Bible with a fresh point of view...There is now, this world, a time where we're meant to work, we're meant to create, to grow, to live, to experience all that we can because life is far too short to sit around and follow false Dogma...I do believe that all of our needs can and will be met, that sometimes we need help to have things provided for us and miracles do happen...They've happened to and for me many times and I've never taken them for granted...Many a day has come when I had nothing, no money, no home, no direction, but I was always led to safety in one way or another...Sometimes it meant admitting I was wrong, admitting that I was weak, admitting that I needed help and I'd set pride aside and reach out a hand, a heart, and I'd be given a chance to change my life, change the direction I'd been led down.

I don't hate Rhema, I don't begrudge them what they taught us...One of the first things Hagin said to us was that if we simply believed what he was saying because he was saying it, then we were idiots...We needed to check out the scriptures for ourselves.

I did...And as a result I made it through Rhema, not unscathed, not without some pain, some loss and more heartache than I thought I could survive at the time, but wiser...I don't simply believe something because someone tells it to me...I don't blindly follow another human being because human beings are fallible, human beings can lie, can deceive, even when they don't mean to, even when they really believe what they're saying because it worked for them.

Because their father gave them an airplane...Because people who never had the advantage of an education, Biblical or traditional, want to believe in a series of lies, believe in the easy money.

I have to admit, this is a bit personal for me...Not because I've lost this or that, what I've lost I've been able to replace and the love I thought I had, wasn't...No, it's because my father, a man who believes, who has 'Faith', has lost his entire life savings, all of it, because someone told him to believe...And he did...Not because he wanted more for himself, no, he wanted to help out his children, to provide for his grandchildren...His motives were good, honorable...But they've cost him more than just his money.

They've very nearly cost him his Faith.

And that's all he really has left in this world.

There's an old saying: 'If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is...' This goes for the man or woman who is promising you the moon, promising you health, wealth and wisdom...If you give unto them...Give, they say, and it shall be given unto you.

Sometimes.

Not all that often.

Yeah...It's personal.

.

HOW I LOST 80 POUNDS

2011-09-27T05:37:00.000-07:00

This time last year, I was fat, drunk, depressed and on anti-depressants. I weighed 286 pounds and drank a whole bottle of Bourbon almost every single night.

I now weigh 206 pounds. I have lost a total of 80 pounds and lost 50 of it from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

In 2008 I lost my church. I had started it in my living room with four people ten years earlier, and had just built a brand new building that could seat over 500 people when things started to unravel for me. (people were leaving in droves because I went from preaching the Prosperity Gospel to the True Gospel)

I lost my church, lost my faith, suffered financial ruin, one of my sons was diagnosed with a brain tumor and the other son ruptured his spleen. All of my friends vanished. My truck got re-poed. (my sons are both well, thank God)

So, I turned to drinking and food for comfort. I went from about 225 to 286, looked horrible, felt horrible, couldn't breathe, couldn't sleep, and couldn't fit into any of my cloths. I was drinking until I passed out. It was the only way that I could sleep. I was also seeing a shrink for depression, OCD, and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

About this time last year, I started experiencing what I would call my Charley Sheen Days. I lost my mind and started acting completely out of character, embarrassing myself and my family. My insurance quit covering my meds, so I quit all of my anti-depressants cold turkey.

Then, around the first of this year, 2011, I just woke up one day and didn't feel like drinking anymore. I just quit. God sovereignly took the desire and need for alcohol away from me. My faith and will power had NOTHING to do with it. I had NO faith, and I had NO will power. It was God alone.

Next, someone told me about an easy diet. It was: No seconds, no sweets, no snacks, except for on days that started with a S. Easy enough! So I followed this plan loosely from about New Years till Memorial Day, and along with walking, lost 21 pounds.

On Memorial Day, I was cleaning carpet for a customer and as usual, I was sweating like an ice cube in a fire. My customer offered me a glass of water, and I turned it down because I had some DIET Mtn Dew in the truck. I drank Diet Mtn Dew all day long.

She said, "Sonny if you will quit drinking DIET drinks, you will lose 10 pounds in a week" so I did. I quit drinking All DIET SODAS and lost 15 pounds in one week! It worked!

So, after losing an additional 15 pounds, I began jogging. Now I HATED running. I had been forced to run when I was in the Marines and hated it with a passion. But, I started jogging slowly, and forced myself to start praying as I ran.

I had been unable to pray for almost three years, but foreced myself to pray as I ran. Six laps would make three miles, so I dedicated each lap for a certain person or situation to pray for on each lap.

Then I tweeked my diet. I began to eat ONE main meal a day, usually in the evening with my family. I ate whatever Coni cooked or brought home.....BUT.....only one serving. If I got hungry during the day, then I would eat a bag of grapes or cherries, or some other fruit.

I have lost 80 pounds. I am off of all my medications. I am off of anti-depressants. I am off of my blood pressure meds. I jog at least three miles per day. I eat one main meal, with fruit snacks when Im hungry. I do lots of push ups and sit ups. I sleep like a baby and feel AMAZING!!!!!

So basically here is my routine:

I MAKE myself run three miles a day, seven days a week.

I eat one main meal per day, anything that is served, one serving.

I eat fruit whenever Im REALLY hungry.

I NEVER drink DIET SODA! I get MIO drops and put them in water.

I pray when I run, religiously! Ha ha, pun intended.

I rarely drink any booze. I did have a swallow of Tequila when I was in Arizona, and I had a swallow of Vodka at the Lake on the Fourth of July, but I just dont have the desire to drink....plus I dont want the calories!

This is my lifestyle. I intend to keep this routine everyday for the rest of my life. The Docs and experts, the trainers and gurus can say whatever they want to say, My Plan works for Me, and Im sticking to it!

THIS TIME LAST YEAR

2011-09-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

This time last year, I weighed 286 pounds, I was drinking a large bottle of Evan Williams Bourbon almost every night,I was being treated by two shrinks, I could not feel God and I wanted to die. I was acting completely out of character, saying and doing things that I would have never done before in a million years.

But God has delievered me! And He did it sovereignly by His power without the help of man. I had very little to do with it. It has been a God Thing.

Since this time last year, I have quit drinking, I have lost 65 pounds, I have come off of every single medication that I was on, I have quit seeing the shrinks and I have my faith in God restored. God did all of this. It was NOT through a preacher, it was NOT through the help and support of my friends, it was NOT because of my faith or my willpower.

It was ALL God 100%, and to God be the Glory. NO man helped me. NO friend helped me. NO program helped me. NO doctor helped me. NO preacher helped me. God Himself has saved me from drinking, depression, gluttony and He is bringing me out of the Great and Terrible Wilderness all by Himself!

I just wanted to thank God for all that He has done for me! Sola Gratia

WHY DO YOUNG PEOPLE DIE?

2011-08-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

My daughter Jennifer died when when she was just 14 years old. My father died in his thirties. As a former pastor, I did the funeral of a teenage church member.

Some of us have lost children and grandchildren. We have all asked the question, "Why God"? and there seem to be no answers. The death of a young person is always tragic and especially painful.

I was listening to a preacher on the radio yesterday while I was jogging and he made a statement that really blessed my heart tremendously. In fact, what he said comforted me greatly! But what comforts me might make others mad or even sadder but hopefully it will bring someone suffering some peace.

First he quoted some Scriptures that proclaim that our deaths glorify God. He mentioned the one in Psalms that says precious in the eyes of the Lord are the deaths of His saints. He mentioned the fact that Jesus told Peter that Peter's death would glorify Christ.

Then he went on to quote a missionary by the name of Jim Elliot. I'm not sure of the exact quote but it went something like this: My God is in the business of populating Heaven, and He don't want it to be just full of old folks!"

That really made me feel good! I'm not sure how true that is, but the thought of my daughter still being 14 when I get to Heaven thrills me! The thought of seeing my Dad at 38 is exciting, like in the movie "Field of Dreams"

I do know that when Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus on the mount of transfiguration, that the disciples did not ask Jesus who those two teenagers were! They knew exactly who Moses and Elijah were. Poor Lazarus recognized his earthly master instantly.

Some people believe that when a young person dies that God was taken by surprise. Some people believe that Satan is sovereign. I do not. I believe that our exact number of days has been previously determined by God, and that we will not live one moment longer or die one moment sooner. No matter the cause of death, the moment cannot be avoided.

Psalms says that our days have been written and measured. Hebrews says that we have been "appointed" once to die.

A man was asked at his darling wife's funeral if he was going to be be mad at God. He said that he would not be mad at God for three reasons:

1) He said, I wouldnt bring her back from Heaven even if I could.
2) God does not make mistakes.
3) I am going to be with her sooner or later anyway.

All believers have this blessed hope, that God has everything all worked out, and that one day, we will all be reunited on the other side. Maybe then our questions will be answered, and maybe then we will no longer care.

IF YOU STRUGGLE WITH DEPRESSION AND DISCOURAGEMENT, THIS MAY HELP

2011-08-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, and struggle with constant discouragement and depression, then this might help you:

I did this daily for years as a pastor, but quit when I lost my church. I started back when my Mother passed away and it has helped me tremendously.

I went to the Dollar Store and bought a note pad, and sat down at the kitchen table one morning, opened my bible up, and began writing down some of the Psalms. I wrote out Psalms 3, parts of 18, Psalms 23, Psalms 91, and Psalms 112. You can also write out your favorite Psalms or Scriptures that mean a lot to you.

Then, every single morning like clock-work, I read what I have written down OUT-LOUD as a prayer. If there are people around then I whisper it. If I'm alone then I just it out loud.

Reading God's Word out loud does wonders for me. I hear it better than when I'm just reading silently. Romans 10:17 says that Faith cometh by HEARING. nothing quite like YOU hearing YOU speaking God's Word.

Also, this is a very easy and natural way to memorize Scripture without trying to memorize it. If you wrote out a few pages of Scriptures, and did this everyday, then you would have much of it memorized in a couple of months.

People ask me all the time how I am able to quote so many passages and this is my secret! Another good way to do this is to get a new bible, and to high-light all of the Scriptures that mean something to you, and to simply read them out loud everyday.

PRAYING. Praying helps me to get a load off of mind. I also started jogging everyday. I used to HATE running with a passion, but just got tired of being fat and overweight. I now run three miles a day, seven days a week. I pray when I run. I pray about everything that I can think of.

Well, I have lost 61 pounds doing this! Plus, my life is so full of storms and trials that this routine has become my ESCAPE!

So, maybe some of these things will work for you as they have worked for me. Try it. become OCD and legalistic about it and enjoy the benefits. You reap what you sow. Its a good routine and a healthy addiction.

MIRACLES FOR SALE: DERREN BROWN

2011-05-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND THE DAY WITH THE ICONIC BRITISH ILLUSIONIST DERREN BROWN IN DALLAS LAST DECEMBER AS HE WAS FILMING A DOCUMENTARY AND EXPOSE OF FAITH HEALING.

THE PROGRAM AIRED EASTER MONDAY IN THE UK AND I CAN ONLY FIND BITS AND PIECES OF THE LINKS ON YOU TUBE, SO I CANNOT POST IT AT THIS TIME. I BELIEVE THAT I AM IN PART 5.

YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE THIS LINK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYjgeayfYPI OR GOOGLE MIRACLES FOR SALE BY DERREN BROWN ON YOU TUBE.

IT IS NOT AN ATTACK ON CHRISTIANITY OR ON HEALING, BUT IT IS AN EXPOSE ABOUT FRAUDELANT FAITH HEALING. PLEASE SHARE IT WITH OTHERS

SO, ARE YOU REALLY A WORD OF FAITH MAN OR WOMEN? YOU REALLY BELIEVE IT?

2011-04-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

WELL, IF YOU ARE A TRUE, HARD CORE WORD OF FAITH PERSON, AND BELIEVE IN THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE, THEN I GUESS YOU NEVER TAKE MEDICINE, GO TO DOCTORS, WEAR GLASSES, TAKE OUT LOANS AT THE BANK OR GET FINANCING.

YOU DO NOT NEED MEDICATION OR GLASSES OR A WHEELCHAIR BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE HEALED. YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR HEALING. SO NOW THERE IS NO USE IN GOING BACK TO THE DOCTOR, OR TAKING ANOTHER DROP OF MEDICINE.

ALL OF YOUR NEEDS ARE MET, ALL OF YOUR BILLS ARE PAID BECAUSE YOU ARE A TITHER AND HAVE CLAIMED GOD AS YOUR BANKER. THEREFORE, YOUR HOUSE IS PAID OFF, YOUR CAR IS PAID OFF, AND YOU NEVER BORROW MONEY, BECAUSE YOU WERE MADE RICH AT CALVARY. YOU WOULD NEVER TAKE A LOAN OUT FOR A NEW CAR OR HOUSE! ABSOLUTELY NOT! YOU SIMPLY SPEAK THESE NEEDS AND DESIRES INTO EXISTENCE. YOU USE YOUR FAITH LIKE A TOOL. YOU WORK THE WORD.

YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU POSSES WHAT YOU CONFESS, RIGHT NOW, THIS MOMENT. THEREFORE YOU FEEL NO PAIN. YOU HAVE NO LACK. YOUR ICEBOX IS FULL OF FOOD. YOUR GAS TANK IS FULL OF GAS. YOU NO LONGER NEED HEALTH INSURANCE OR CAR INSURANCE, BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE IN AND CONFESS THE 91ST PSALM.

YOU NEVER GO TO THE BASEMENT DURING TORNADO WEATHER, BECAUSE YOU ARE A WORD PERSON. YOU BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE YOU CONFESS THE SCRIPTURES, THAT YOU ARE INVINCIBLE. SO YOU HAVE NO FEAR OVER THE WEATHER. IN FACT, YOU CHANGE THE WEATHER. YOU COMMAND THE WAVES AND THE SEAS TO OBEY YOU, JUST LIKE THEY OBEYED JESUS.

YOU ARE ANOINTED AND WALK IN MIRACLES, SIGNS AND WONDERS. PEOPLE ARE HEALED IN YOUR PRESENCE. YOU RUIN FUNERALS BY RAISING THE DEAD. YOU WALK THE HALLS OF THE MENTAL WARDS AND HOSPICE UNITS SPEAKING THE COMMAND OF FAITH, AND THE BEDS EMPTY. YOU WALK THE HALLS OF THE REHABILITATION CENTERS, AND PARAPLEGICS HOP RIGHT OUT OF BED. AMPUTEES GROW ARMS AND LEGS. PEOPLE WITH DOWNS SYNDROME ARE INSTANTLY MADE NORMAL IN EVERY WAY.

WHY? BECAUSE YOU HAVE FAITH AND OPERATE JUST LIKE GOD OPERATES. YOU CREATE JUST LIKE GOD CREATES. YOU SPEAK ALL OF THESE THINGS INTO EXISTENCE. YOU ARE IN CONTROL. GOD HAS MADE YOU HIS TOP ENFORCER ON THIS PLANET. HE HAS PUT YOU IN CHARGE OF EVERYTHING. GOD IS UP THERE RESTING WHILE YOU WALK IN ABSOLUTE MASTERY AND DOMINION.

YOU ARE FEARLESS. WHOLE. WELL. FINANCIALLY RICH. OFF OF ALL MEDICATIONS. HAVE NO RECEDING HAIRLINES OR CAVITIES. YOU NEVER TAKE YOUR PETS TO THE VET, BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE THAT YOUR PETS ARE REDEEMED FROM THE CURSE.

YOU HAVE RISEN FAR ABOVE MOST PEOPLE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST. YOU HAVE A LEG UP. YOU HAVE INSIDE INFORMATION. YOU PRAY IN TONGUES, AND KNOW EVERYTHING BEFORE IT HAPPENS. NOTHING EVER SURPRISES YOU. NOTHING BAD OR NEGATIVE EVER HAPPENS IN YOUR LIFE OR YOUR FAMILY, BECAUSE YOU ARE SPEAKING THE WORD.

YOU HAVE THROWN YOUR CONTACT LENS AWAY, YOUR EYE GLASSES AWAY, YOU NEVER HAVE PAIN OR SYMPTOMS, BECAUSE YOU ARE REDEEMED FROM ALL OF THESE THINGS. THEY ARE BUT LYING VANITIES. FALSE SYMPTOMS. THEY WILL ALL GO AWAY IF YOU DON'T SPEAK THEM. YOU HAVE ABSOLUTE COMMAND AND CONTROL OVER THE DEVIL YOURSELF. YOU DON'T EVEN BOTHER GOD MOST OF THE TIME CAUSE YOU CAN HANDLE IT WITH YOUR FAITH AND WORDS. YOU HAVE BECOME THE GOD OF THIS WORLD. JUST A LITTLE LOWER THAN GOD HIMSELF. JUST A TAD.

ALL OF THE TERRIBLE THINGS GOING ON AROUND YOU, SIMPLY DISAPPEAR AND VANISH IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU SPEAK TO THEM IN FAITH. DEMONS OBEY YOU. LACK OBEYS YOU. GOD ANSWERS EVERY SINGLE PRAYER IN THE POSITIVE. HE ALWAYS MAKE THINGS WORK OUT THE WAY YOU WANT IT.

YOU ARE HAPPY, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT GOD HAS MADE YOU SOVEREIGN IN YOUR LIFE. YOU WANT IT? YOU CLAIM IT. YOU SPEAK IT AND THEN IT APPEARS. YOU ARE HAPPY, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO GO THROUGH LIVE HEALTHY AND WEALTHY. HE WANTS YOU TO DRIVE THE NICEST CARS, BUILD THE BIGGEST HOUSE, ENJOY THE FINEST VACATIONS. GOD IS JUST ITCHING TO POUR OUT HEAVEN ONTO YOU NOW!

WHAT IS THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT?

2011-04-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

31 FACTS ABOUT THE WORD OF FAITH

2011-03-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

+++++

The following are a few facts about the dangerous and deceptive Word of Faith Movement which is sweeping the Body of Christ with it’s lies and faulty theology:

1) The Word of Faith heresy is a hybrid religion that is a blend of New Age ideas and Charismatic excesses.

2) It was founded by a Baptist Preacher that was heavily influenced by the mind science teachers of his day including Mary Baker Eddy. He brought in many New Age and Mind Science teachings and blended them with scripture twisted out of context.

3) The Word of Faith Theology was further developed by a man that claimed at least eight visitations from Jesus Christ. In each of these visits this preacher was given extra revelation and extra biblical insight.

4) This preacher boasted for years that he walked in Divine health although he was being treated for heart disease with medication.

5) This preacher’s message was a blend of the Word of God and his visions. He often taught the Word of God in light of his visions.

6) This is very similar to the Prophet Joseph Smith that claimed extra revelation through visits from Jesus and God as he founded the Mormon church.

7) Most of the highest regarded Word of Faith teachers have not been to a legitimate seminary. Most of them were self taught from listening to tapes from other Word of Faith teachers.

8) The Word of Faith Movement is anchored on one passage of scripture that is found in Mark 11:23-24. In this passage Jesus used a common, everyday Jewish hyperbole to teach his inner circle Apostles to believe in the power of God. The Word of Faith preachers have distorted the Greek text and the meaning of this passage to build an entire religion that revolves around faith and words as a means to obtain health and wealth.

9) Although the Word of Faith leaders do extensive teaching on faith and healing, it does not bear fruit in their own lives. Many of them died of tumors, cancer and heart disease.

10) Although the Word of Faith teachers love to minister from the 91st Psalm about God’s prophetic protection of the Messiah, they themselves live in constant fear and have numerous body guards and ushers.

11) The Word of Faith Message is centered on the prosperity scriptures that were meant for Israel under the Old Covenant. They emphasis tithing and sowing seeds as a means to obtain wealth. The Word of Faith Movement is obsessed with wealth and materialism and the worship of money.

12) The Word of Faith leaders teach that Jesus was wealthy although the scripture is very clear that he was not.

13) The Word of Faith leaders place thousands of well meaning believers under extreme pressure and condemnation by telling them outlandish and half true testimonies.

14) The Word of Faith leaders do an enormous amount of teaching on submission to authority, walking in love, and staying away from being offended. This produces a fearful cult like atmosphere in their churches. It keeps people from expressing hurts and concerns. It makes people feel like they cannot leave their church for any reason.

15) Many of the prominent Word of Faith teachers live the lifestyles of the rich and famous and flaunt it as a testimony of God’s favor while the people that are sending in their money are regarded as nothing.

16) The Word of Faith ministers are dishonest with scripture, often completely distorting it to rhyme with their doctrines.

17) had to edit, can't remember why!

18) Word of Faith ministers love to boast and brag about their faith and what their faith has done for them.

19) That is because it is called the Word of FAITH. It is a religion that revolves around faith instead of a religion that has faith in God. They teach faith in faith and faith in words.

20) The Word of Faith leaders teach that we are little gods and that we can act and perform much as God can. This also is a distortion of scripture and another thing that the Word of Faith has in common with the Mormons.
21) Word of Faith theology rejects the blood of Jesus as the sufficient atonement for our sins.

22) Word of Faith theology teaches that Jesus did not use His Divinity while on the earth while the Bible teaches that He was fully God and in total control at every moment.

23) The Word of Faith Movement teaches that words spoken from a human have inherent and creative power of their own.

24) Word of Faith teaches that Jesus said that you will have what you say, which is not what He said.

25) The Word of Faith theology depends on the King James translation of Mark 11:23-24

26) The same passage is found also in Matthew 21, and is worded quite differently, causing all the faith formulas based on Mark 11:23-24 to be out of whack.

27) The Word of Faith is humanism. It puts man in charge and God in the backseat.

28) The Word of Faith Movement misrepresents the character of Job.

29) The Word of Faith takes numerous passages from the New Testament and completely butchers them to fit their doctrine.

30) The Word of Faith creates fear, bondage, and a distorted unbiblical viewpoint of God.

31) The Word of Faith emphasises success and prosperity while Jesus stressed suffering and humility.

I will think of hundreds of other things after I post this, but these 31 facts are indeed facts. The Word of Faith is a cult because it is led by people claiming special insight and revelation that is unorthodox. They also attempt to control their subjects with fear, manipulation and bullying.
The Word of Faith is the Doctrine of Devils. It is an evil message that kills people and wrecks lives.

Please do not be afraid to look at the evidence. I was too afraid to examine the evidence because I wanted things my way. The Word of Faith put me in charge of my own life, and I liked that. But when I got up the courage to begin to read and study, God opened my eyes with truth and freedom. I am no longer in the cult!

WHY I LEFT THE WORD OF FAITH AND RHEMA

2011-03-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

My name is John Edwards, and I was a Faith Preacher for ten years and one month. My wife and I attended and graduated from the premiere word of faith seminary in the world. During school I had the opportunity of working for some of the most famous names in the word of faith movement.
We both graduated from school and returned to the Birmingham area and started a charismatic word of faith church in our living room. We had four people at our first service and took up a $300 offering. Over the years, we moved our church to several locations before building our first building on 18 acres of land in Clay, Alabama. Our church had around 300 active members although less than a hundred would attend on any given Sunday. Over all we estimate that we had at least 2,000 members come and go over that ten year period if not more. Charismatic churches we found have extremely high turn over. It was my observation that we would often attract people that had been church members at just about every other charismatic church in town.
I never really liked pastoring because of the politics and constant drama that went on. I loved to teach, visit with people in the hospital, and do the actual work of the ministry, but I hated all the other stuff that goes with it. I stayed frustrated, depressed and I was always discouraged.
As a word of faith Christian, I did all the things that the word of faith teaches. I confessed the Word. I talked in line with the Word. I called things that be not as though they were. I had written out "My Vision" and confessed it out loud almost everyday, all fourteen pages of it. I prayed in tongues for hours. I read books and listened to hundreds, if not to thousands of Cd's by the prominent word of faith teachers. I went to seminars, revivals, classes and to all sorts of healing meetings, increase meetings, Holy Ghost meetings, Holy laughter meetings and even to numerous early morning prayer meetings. It was a tradition at our church to meet at four in the morning to pray for two hours. For many years I prayed, believed and confessed miracles, signs and wonders for our ministry. But not much happened along those lines. In fact, I buried a lot of people over those years, including my daughter that died of a brain tumor at the age of fourteen. I was constantly perplexed that the message of faith and healing that I was preaching did not seem to work in the lives of the congregation. It seemed like we had all of the same experiences, trials and tribulations as the other church folks around town. I was for sure that there should be a clear distinction between the people of the Word and the denominational people. We had revelation knowledge of the Word. We had a leg up on the Body of Christ. We had the Holy Ghost, prayed in tongues and most of all we had the word of faith message that was full of God's victory, prosperity and healing power. But there was really no difference between us and them. By them, I am referring to the Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Assembly of God churches that we as word of faith people thought were missing out. I mocked their teachings and beliefs for years. I learned it from my word of faith teachers and peers. I continued the tradition.
About a year and a half ago and good friend from Tulsa sent me a CD teaching on pride. I hated it. It really bothered me a lot and got me to thinking and praying which is sometimes a dangerous thing to do! I had ministry business to attend to in Indianapolis and in Michigan, so I must have listened to that Cd a dozen times. It convicted me of self. It convicted me of pride. It opened my eyes to some of my motives. More than anything, it revealed to me that I had an enormous ego that could never, ever be content.
I realized that over the years, that I had transformed from being on fire for God to being on fire for me. Everything was about me. My vision, my church, my success, my reputation, my dream, my church, my services, my anointing, my, my, my, me, me ,me. It had become all about me, but how did this happen?
Everything in my life revolved around the prosperity of my vision and things that I wanted. I took out my note book and took a look at my confessions. They were all about me and my vision. Things that I wanted. It shocked me at how my relationship with God had become all about prosperity and what I could "believe" God for. My life had become full of faith formulas, confessions, mechanics and legalism.
As I studied, prayed and meditated, I could find nothing that I was doing wrong. I was just becoming a product of what I had been teaching for years. I had become humanistic. My view of God had become inward instead of God-ward. I began to re-examine my doctrines and word of faith teachings and realized that I had deceived myself into thinking that I was in control of my life and circumstances. I had taught and believed that I could control everything with my faith and confession. So I began to revisit these teachings and do a more in depth study. I started listening to ministers that I would have mocked a year before.
Over that year I believe that I have identified FIVE MAIN AREAS of erroneous teaching that are the very foundations of the word of faith movement. I would like to share those five with you now if you are interested. If not, then dont read any further. It is not my intention to destroy anyone's faith. I just know and realize that there is some serious error in the word of faith teachings that I must address, partly because I taught this message for many years to thousands of people.

Area of Error #1 Confession Obsession

The thing that most attracted me to the word of faith message is that it gave me control of my life. It gave me a say in what was happening to me. It gave me a say in my future. The word of faith message is anchored on the idea that every word spoken from your mouth has a creative force or nature of it's own. WOF teaches that words have power, and that when they are spoken in faith that they will come to pass exactly as they were spoken. The same principal will also work in reverse. Talking negative, or talking fear will produce negative things in life. If you go around talking health, then you will get health. If you go around talking defeat, then you will be defeated. The problem is that many people take this teaching to the extreme and end up in total bondage. I had a friend on staff that is a good example. He took this teaching to it's limits. One day he called in sick. The next day he showed up at work and I asked him what had been wrong with him. (I found out that he had had a cist removed from his jaw the day before.) He would not answer me. He was afraid that if he said it, he would have it! He already had it! Another friend came to church with a metal splinter in his eye. His eye was swollen shut, but he was going around and telling everyone that nothing was wrong with his eye. Insane, but that is what this teaching will do to a person. They become superstitious and legalistic. What's worse is they become confession police, always monitoring and correcting everyone elses confession. Here are a few of the common catch words and phrases that are popular in the word of faith culture:
Hung by the tongue
You can have what you say
You will have what you say
You possess what you confess
If you say it, you will have it.
You better not say it!
Don't say it, you're claiming it!
Where does this teaching come from? Not the Bible! I will be the very first to say that words are powerful and important. The Word of God is clear on that. But the word of faith teaches that you can function like God by speaking faith and creating things, and that is NOT in the Bible. That is witchcraft and humanism. That is New Age and Christian Science. Word of faith people take a passage in Mark 11:23 and try to interpret it in a way that is unscriptural. In that passage, in the King James Version, at the tail end of it, Jesus says: "He shall HAVE WHATSOEVER HE SAITH". That one clause, at the end of that verse, is the whole premises of the word of faith teaching on confession. He shall have WHATSOEVER HE SAITH. WOF teachers tell us that that will work for the good or for the bad. Positive or negative, you will have what you say. But there are many problems with this doctrine and I would like to share a few of them with you if I may.
1) This was a common expression in Jewish culture. The "Mountain" would be referred in today's language as "red tape". Jesus was using an hyperbole (exaggeration) of moving a mountain to teach the disciples that nothing is possible with God. This was a common expression among Jewish rabbis, and the common man of that day would not have taken it literally. (besides, has anyone ever moved a real mountain by speaking to it?)
2) If this was a literal commandment and spiritual law, then there would be extensive teaching on it by Jesus and it would be extensively taught in the Epistles to the Church. Surely if Jesus meant that everything that we spoke would come to pass that, he would have issued many warnings and guidelines!
3) If you read this same passage in Matthew, it is worded a little differently. In addition to that, this particular verse is translated differently in dozens of other good Bible translations. Faith teachers have taught extensively and exhaustively on this one clause of Mark 11:23, and their doctrine rides on the exact wording of the KJV.
4) It simply does not work. A while back I was cleaning out my garage and ran across a sealed envelope. I opened it up and found a list of things that I was "speaking and confessing" into my life. None of it had come to pass. How discouraged I was!
Think about it. If I could have what I say, I would either be dead or extremely rich by now, and so would you. I have heard many rich and ungodly people make negative statements and still prosper. I have buried many people that had a good confession.
5) It creates a "little God" mentality. Believing that you can have what you say puts you in charge of your life. It makes you feel in control. The Bible is very clear that God is in control, and that the ocean, stars, Kings and animals obey His voice. Romans 8:28 Eph 1:11 Prov 21:1 Acts 2:23-2-23 and hundreds of others scriptures prove that God is the Sovereign Creator and controller of events, not man.
I have seen first hand the discouragement and disappointment that this teaching has caused church folks. One girl came up to me and said that her favorite football team would win because she was "speaking it". Her team was blown out the next day. I wonder what effect that had on her faith? I could write of many more situations and cases where people were confessing and speaking and did not receive.
Of course the word of faith has the perfect answer on this: 1) you did not believe, or 2) you had sin in your life. How convenient to the faith teacher, and how devastating to the Christian.
6) Go back to Mark chapter 10, and you will see a great example of Jesus saying "NO".
7) There are many so called "bad confessions" in the Bible. Jesus and Paul made numerous statements that would fall short of word of faith standards today. Jesus always told it like it was. He never denied the circumstance. Paul went for chapters complaining about his circumstances. So did David.
I made a word of faith pastor so mad one day that he will not speak to me. He was yelling in the phone about how you can have what you say! So I said to him, write down three things that you want to happen in church this Sunday, and if they come to pass then you are right and I am wrong. Here is what he was believing for:
1) At least 100 people in the service
2) That everyone that came would be saved and instantly healed.
3) That they would receive a $10,000 offering.
I told him to call me Sunday night if these things manifested. They did not, and he has not called me since. Of course the word of faith has an answer to this too, that other people's will was involved. But other people's will is also involved in bank loans, pay raises and other things that they confess. I know another fellow that firmly believes in the confession brings possession message. He makes confessions of prosperity all the time and gets new cars and homes. But he also comes from a wealthy family that gives to him all the time. My faith would work like that too if my parents were rich!
Words are important. But they do not create. Only God can create. This notion of us being able to frame our world with our words is humanism. This teaching attempts to elevate man and lower God. long is the list of famous faith preachers that died sick. Their confession did not help them.

Area of Error #2 Greed and Materialism

The word of faith message has been dubbed as the Prosperity Gospel, Name it Claim It, Health and Wealth, Tag it bag it and a dozen other labels. Why? Because if you turn on your TV this Sunday you will be bombarded with prosperity teaching by faith preachers wearing fancy suits, fine jewelry and flying their own jets. They will claim that these are the blessings of God and that you too can wear the same clothes and fly the same jets. Before you read any further, pick up your Bible and read First Timothy chapter six out loud to your self. The Bible speaks plainly about greed and chasing wealth. God forbids it. It is idolatry.
The main reason that this message is working for the preacher on TV is that they are soliciting your money as seed for your blessing. It is misrepresenting the Word of God.
These ministers will tell you that Jesus was rich, and that He wants you rich too. But lets look at some facts:
1) Jesus was born into poverty. His mother had to offer a turtle dove as a sin offering because she could not afford a lamb.
2) Jesus was a carpenter. If Jesus had been a land owner he would have been a farmer. In Bible days, carpenters were peasants. It was the lowliest of trades. It would be like shining shoes at a bus station today.
Most of the prosperity teaching that the word of faith ministers teach on is drawn out of the Old Testament. That is because the New Testament does not promise material wealth and prosperity. The New Testament promises trials and hardships that will refine your faith. In 2nd Corinthians 8 & 9, Paul is taking up an offering for the poor saints. He does not rebuke them for being poor. Jesus never promised money and earthly riches. He did promise that He would meet our needs. Our needs are clothing, food and water, not $300, 000 mansions, gold, jets and sports cars.
In the Old Covenant God promised Israel material wealth and riches if they would obey and serve Him. It did not work. God then dissolved that Old Covenant based on works and law, and started a New Covenant based on faith and grace. The New Testament is spiritual. It is full of spiritual promises and blessings to the church. Now we have absolute forgiveness, right standing, peace, joy and fellowship with God. We are now promised eternal life! It is a better covenant established on better promises.
I know many word of faith ministers that are extremely money minded. It comes out in their teaching and in their lifestyle. Word of faith churches are constantly having "Increase Seminars", "Prosperity Seminars" and they sell hundreds of CDs on how to obtain wealth and riches. I think that it is sickening to the heart of God. I know that this teaching and lifestyle of the TV ministers is a stench in the nostrils of the world. Even sinners despise this message of greed.
There are many examples of Godly people in the Bible that were poor. Even the Apostle John spent his last days in poverty at a labor camp. But today the word of faith preachers are raisng money for jets.

Area of Error #3 Bogus Claims of Miracle Healings

I am against all sickness. Everytime I get sick, I pray and ask for healing. My wife is a Hospice Nurse. I believe in healing. Everytime I preach at a church, I lay hands on the sick, anoint them with oil and ask God to heal. But to be honest, I have not seen any of these miracle healings that word of faith people proclaim night and day. I have been to so many healing crusades that I cannot even count them all. I have been to see and hear just about every famous and renown faith healer in action. I have even assisted in some of these meetings and have been backstage. I have never seen or witnessed a healing miracle. Many people send me emails about miracles that they have seen or heard about, but they almost always include a doctor and medicine. Let me give you my definition of a miracle healing:
1) The sickness has to be one that will not go away on its on.
2) It has to be organic in nature, such as mental retardation, downs syndrome, total blindness from birth, terminal terminal cancer, confirmed AIDS, or an serious injury that will not heal such as missing limbs or severe burns. Or birth defects.
3) The miracle healing has to take place at the moment of prayer, just like in the Bible. No doctors. No medicine. just prayer right there in the healing line. When Jesus and the Apostles healed, it was instantaneous, without chemo or doctors helping. (I am thankful for doctors and nurses)
4) The healing has to be verified by a doctor, and has to last. The dictionary defines a miracle as an event or an occurence that defies scientific laws.
These miracle healings do not take place anymore as they did in the Bible days for the simple reason that those miracles were performed by Jesus and His Apostles. Many word of faith ministers claim these gifts of faith, healing and miracles but there is no actual evidence to support their claims. I have asked and asked for MRI's, X-rays and physician's statements but to no avail.
I do believe that God can heal and does heal. I do believe that He can do a miracle and still does them from time to time. But if you believe the claims and testimonies of today's word of faith ministers, they are healing on the same level as Jesus and they simply are not. They are misleading the sick and wrecking their faith.
The charismatic word of faith church has been plagued and dupped by hundreds of fakes and charlatans over the years. It is a culture where manipulation, peer pressure and lies prosper among the desperate and gullible. I have witnessed many sick people get their hopes up for a miracle just to return home sick and confused.
I do not believe that the sign gifts are in operation in the Church today. If I am wrong, and they are in operation, then they have lost a lot of their power, and are in no way as powerful as they were in the early church. Of course. the word of faith has an answer to that: 1) they didnt have faith 2) they were in sin.
It is evident that the sign gifts were for the Jews, which seek a sign. Acts 2:22 John 4:48 John 6:30. God always spoke to Israel through signs. There are three time slots in the Bible where God did multiple miracles through the hands of men:
1) Moses and the Exodus
2) The Prophets prior to the Captivity
3) The establishment of the New Testament Church by Jesus and His Apostles.
These signs gifts not only verified the Gospel, but validated the Apostles that God would later use to pen Holy Scripture.
As you read on down the chronological time line of the New Testament, you read less and less of miracles and healings. Even Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his OFTEN INFIRMITIES. He did not instruct him to confess healing scriptures or to send him a seed offering for his breakthrough. Others in the New Testament got sick and were not healed through miracles. Even Paul was stoned and had to heal up over time. Galatians 4:13-14 Paul was also unable to heal Epaphroditus through the gifts, but said the healing was the mercy of God.
Word of faith ministers teach that bodily healing is in the Atonement. I always wondered if that were the case, it would seem that when someone got saved that they would be instantly healed. I mean, if the sin is forgiven, why is the sickness still there? I believe that God heals according to His will and that He works through prayer, but I do not believe that the word of faith ministers operate in the same sign gifts that the Apostles did.

Area of Error #4 A Fixation on Faith

This may be the worse reason. The Word of Faith exalts the Faith Message above the salvation message and Jesus. Faith is elevated. Faith is taught. faith becomes an idol. It is called the Word of Faith, and the Faith Message for a reason. Faith preachers preach and teach on the subject of faith more than they teach on anything else! They teach faith as a tool to receive blessings and to obtain things. They do not teach faith as in Christ, but as a formula. Look at any word of faith book table and you will see stacks of Cds series such as:
1) How to make your Faith work
2) How to have great Faith
3) The A, B, C,s of Faith
4) The Building Blocks of Faith
5) How to release your Faith
6) How to get faith
7) The 1, 2, 3's of Faith
8) How to write your own ticket with God.
9) Faith, the key to victory
10) Faith for Miracles..........I could go on and on and on. I used to teach faith about three times a month. It was exciting and fun to teach. Impossible to pastor. I spent many hours trying to explain to church members why it was not working.
What the Faith Message has done is to turn faith in God into a myriad of formulas and spiritual laws. Word of faith teachers take every little verse that mentions faith and puts them into legalistic boxes. In the Word, Jesus commented on peoples faith all the time, but it was their faith and belief in HIM that he was speaking of. Not their mechanics and formulas. Jesus responded to people in different ways at different times. He was responding to their FAITH IN HIM, not to their faith as a cosmic force or energy. These people that came to Jesus for healing had not been listening to teaching CDs on how to make your faith work. They just approached Jesus as they were, with no formulas and mechanics and got healed.
Faith is a trusting in God, not a tool. It is not a force but a relationship and a belief in God.
The word of faith focuses on faith, not on salvation. Not on character. Not on seperation. Not on dying to ones self, Not on service. Not on holiness. It is a message that revolves around the desires of "Me"! It is all about me! My faith. My healing. My prosperity.
The word of faith message promises that God will answer all of our prayers, in the positive, if we will only have faith. But in 1 John 5:14-15 the Will of God is involved, not just our desires. I find it interesting, that in every single one of the mighty faith scriptures such as Mark 11:23-24 and John 15:7 that Jesus was teaching his Apostles in private. He told THEM in John 14:14 that if THEY asked anything in His Name that He would do it. Faith preachers teach that this specific promise is for all of us, that Jesus will do anything that we ask in faith. You and I both know that we have asked for many things that we did not get! One prominent faith teacher claimed that in 40 years, he received every single thing that he had asked for in prayer. I cannot believe that. That has heaped so much condemnation on people that have not had some prayers answered.
If you were to listen to the entire New Testament out loud on a Cd player, you would hear a different message than the one being taught by the word of faith. by listening to the Word of God in context, I realized that I had pulled many passages out of their setting and built formulas out of them. Paul had some prayers go unanswered. remember his thorn in the flesh? Word of faith people will say that it was up to Paul to use his authority as a believer to drive the thorn away, but seeing how he was the one that wrote the most on the subject, I dont think that was what was going on. God was teaching Paul to rely on His Grace in the midst of the attacks of satan.
As I began to come out of the word of faith movement someone shipped me a crate full of books and Cds by ministers that taught Reformed Theology. As read and listened, I saw a different image of God than the one that I had received from the faith message. Word of faith ministers rareley, if ever, teach on Sovereign Grace, the Sovereignty of God, Election or Predestination. These Doctrines are heavily laced throughout the entire Bible and are irrefutable by honest students of the Word. It does not fit with the word of faith message. The word of faith message puts man in charge of his life and circumstances. In the word of faith it is up to me to govern my world and circumstances through my faith and words. That is what humanism is all about, replacing God with Man.

Area of Error #5 Extra Biblical Revelation

The main founder of the word of faith movement claimed to have had several one on one meetings with the Lord Jesus Christ, and his followers believe him. I do not. The entire word of faith message was formed and broadcasted by this one man that claims to have had many face to face meetings with Jesus. In these meetings he was personally taught the scriptures by the Lord Himself, often gaining key insights on scriptures and the mechanics of faith.
It has been charged by many experts and scholars that this man plagiarized the writings of another preacher in New England that was reportedly influenced by much of the New Age and Christian Science teaching of his day. This minister even attended a college that was famous around the world as a hot bed of New Thought and Eastern Mysticism. Although the minister himself denounced these movements, he constantly taught these same ideas in his sermons using the same catch words and ideology of the cults. He even remarked that all the teaching of Mary Baker Eddy needed was the Blood of Jesus. All of these writings and ideas were then passed on to millions through the teachings of one man. This man often shared his visions. He would tell people that they did not have to accept them, but that did not stop him from sharing what he claimed Jesus said. In one vision. This man claimed that Jesus had transported him to Heaven where he was anointed with a very special healing anointing, transfered from Christ, and that sick people would be healed "IF" they believed the vision. In another vision, this man was told that if people did not receive what he said when he was "in the Spirit" that they would die.
I simply do not believe that these visions happened, and there is no requirement for me to believe in them. In fact, Paul tells us not to receive any other Gospel in Galatians 1:6-9. His visions have theological holes in them, and they do not bear witness with my spirit. The word of faith is another message than the one in the Bible.
The word of faith has been studied and rejected by the Church's most esteemed scholars, theologians and ministers. The word of faith is not found in the writings of the Church Fathers. It is unorthodox. The word of faith can only be crafted by taking scattered scriptures and twisting them to fit through one passage of scripture: Mark 11:23.
Word of faith ministers ignore mountains of Bible passages, even entire books of the Bible, such as Job. Why? They have to. The word of faith does not fit in with the whole counsel God's Word. It is a teaching of half truths and the redefining of terms. Many of the passages critical to word of faith teaching are taken out of their context and setting. Others passages are completely butchered to line them up with word of faith doctrines.

I could write for days about all of the spiritual abuse that I have seen and experienced in this movement. I define it as a CULT in that it based on claims of a man that claimed extra-revelation from God. It is a movement that has it's roots all the way back to the Garden of Eden when satan told Eve that she could be like God.

MY DAY WITH DERREN BROWN

2011-03-02T10:39:00.000-08:00

ONE DAY I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM A LADY IN LONDON REQUESTING ME FOR AN INTERVIEW. SHE SAID THAT SHE WOULD BE ARRIVING IN TEXAS THE NEXT DAY TO BEGIN WORK ON A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT AND THAT SHE WANTED TO TALK TO ME.

SO THE NEXT NIGHT SHE CALLED AND ASKED MY HOW CLOSE I WAS TO DALLAS. I REPLIED THAT I WAS TWELVE HOURS WAY BY DRIVING AND TWO HOURS AWAY BY FLYING. SHE THEN ASKED ME IF IF SHE COULD FLY ME INTO DALLAS FOR AN INTERVIEW. OF COURSE I SAID THAT I WOULD BE DELIGHTED.

THE NEXT MORNING SHE SENT ME A ROUND TRIP AIRLINE TICKET VIA EMAIL AND WHEN I PRESENTED IT TO THE TICKET COUNTER THEY ISSUED ME A BOARDING PASS AND I FLEW TO DALLAS. (I WILL ADMIT THAT I WAS A LITTLE HESITANT AND DOUBTFUL IF THIS WAS FOR REAL, AND WAS HAPPILY SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS LEGITIMATE!)

WELL, I HAVE BEEN TO DALLAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF TIMES, BUT HAD NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE DEALEY PLAZA WHERE JFK WAS ASSASSINATED. THE FIRST THING THAT I DID UPON ARRIVAL WAS ASK THE TAXI DRIVER TO TAKE ME THERE WHICH HE DID. HE HAD TAKEN SO MANY PEOPLE THERE THAT HE WAS PRETTY EXPERT IN ALL THE HISTORY, FACTS AND CONSPIRACIES.

ONCE I SAW THE PLACE FOR MYSELF, I AM QUITE SURE THAT A SINGLE SNIPER COULD HAVE PULLED IT OFF. IN REAL LIFE IT ALL CLOSED IN, LIKE A CRAP SHOOT. ANY MARINE COULD HAVE MADE THAT SHOT, ALTHOUGH I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE GUN MAM.

BACK TO MY STORY.......

WHEN I ARRIVED IN DALLAS I WAS DELIGHTED TO FIND OUT THAT THEY HAD PUT ME UP IN A REALLY NICE HIGH RISE HOTEL, WITH FLOOR TO CEILING WINDOWS WITH A VIEW. BUT MY HOST, THE LADY THAT HAD CALLED ME, WAS TIED UP IN PRODUCTION AND TOLD ME TO SLEEP IN AND THAT A DRIVER WOULD PICK ME UP IN THE MORNING TO FOLM THE INTERVIEW.

THE NEXT MORNING A DRIVER CAME BY THE HOTEL AND TOOK ME TO A LARGE BUILDING DOWNTOWN AND INTRODUCED ME TO MY HOST. SHE WAS EVERY FRIENDLY, AND PRETTY, AND WE HAD A LONG TALK ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES IN THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT AND ABOUT FAITH HEALING.

AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, SHE INTERRUPTED ME AND TOLD ME THAT DERREN WOULD BE COMING DOWN TO GET ME FOR THE INTERVIEW. THAT WAS A SHOCK TO ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT I WAS BEING INTERVIEWED BY HER! SO, A FEW MINUTES LATER DERREN BROWN WALKED UP TO ME, INTRODUCED HIMSELF AND THANKED ME FOR FLYING IN ON SHORT NOTICE.

I HAD NO CLUE WHATSOEVER WHO DERREN BROWN WAS. I HAD NEVER HEARD OF HIM IN MY LIFE. BUT HE WAS SUPER COOL AND DOWN TO EARTH AND MADE ME FEEL VERY WELCOMED. HE TOOK MY UPSTAIRS TO A LARGE LIBRARY ROOM WHICH WAS PACKED FULL TELEVISION PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT AND A FILMING CREW. THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO ME!

NEXT THING I KNOW, A LADY STARTED DOING MY HAIR AND MAKEUP! THEN I JUST SAT THERE WITH DERREN CHIT CHATTING FOR A FEW MINUTES UNTIL THE CAMERAS STARTING ROLLING JUST LIKE IN HOLLYWOOD.

THEN THE INTERVIEW BEGAN, WHICH LASTED ABOUT AN HOUR, WITH DERREN ASKING ME ALL KINDS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH HEALING, MY DAUGHTER'S DEATH, AND THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT IN GENERAL. I EVEN DEMO STARTED HOW YOU CAN HEAL AND PERSON INSTANTLY BY GRABBING HIM BY THE HEAD AND YELLING JESUS AT HIM!

AFTER THE INTERVIEW, DERREN AND I HAD A LONG CHAT ABOUT FAITH HEALING AND TELEVANGELIST, AND THE CREW KEPT OF FILMING IT.

AFTERWARDS, WE HAD LUNCH, AND I SHARED WITH HIM SEVERAL STORIES ABOUT SUPERNATURAL CLAIMS THAT PEOPLE I KNOW HAVE HAD, HE WAS FASCINATED AND PAID CLOSE ATTENTION. AFTER LUNCH HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD A SUCCESSFUL TELEVISION SHOW IN THE UK, AND HE WROTE DOWN HIS NAME AND WEB SITE ON SOME PAPER FOR ME.

THEN HE INVITED ME TO ATTEND A REHEARSAL FOR A SHOW THAT HE WAS DOING IN A THEATER. WHAT HE HAD DONE, WAS TRAINED AN UNSAVED ATHEIST ON HOW TO BE A FAITH HEALER, AND HAD ADVERTISED IN DALLAS THAT A FAITH HEALER WAS IN TOWN TO DO A MIRACLE CRUSADE. THE CRUSADE WAS IN A FEW DAYS AND DERREN WANTED ME TO WATCH AND CRITIQUE THE REHEARSAL.

HIS POINT WAS TO PROVE THAT ANYONE CAN USE ILLUSION AND MIND TRICKS TO GET THE SAME RESULTS AS THE TELEVANGELIST SUCH AS BENNY HINN. THIS MADE ME SOMEWHAT UNCOMFORTABLE AT FIRST. I WANTED NO PART IN DECEIVING INNOCENT PEOPLE THAT WOULD SHOW UP IN HOPES OF BEING HEALED. DERREN ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS NOT TO HURT ANYONE, BUT TO EXPOSE THE FRAUDS BY PROVING THAT ANYONE COULD BE MANIPULATED AND DECEIVED.

SO, I WENT WITH HIM TO A THEATER AND WATCHED REHEARSAL. I COULD TELL RIGHT AWAY THAT DERREN HAD DONE HIS RESEARCH AND THAT HE HAD BEEN WATCHING A LOT OF FAITH HEALERS IN ACTION! THEY HAD WRITTEN A SCRIPT FULL OF CLICHES AND TESTIMONIES THAT SOUNDED JUST LIKE A HUNDRED SIGNS AND WONDERS MEETINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN TO MYSELF.

THROUGHOUT THE REHEARSAL, DERREN WOULD ASK ME ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS, AND I DID A LITTLE COACHING OF THE PREACHER TO BE. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN WATCHING HOW MUCH ATTENTION TO DETAIL THAT THE CAST AND DERREN WERE MAKING.

AFTER REHEARSAL, I RODE WITH DERREN BACK TO THE HOTEL TO CATCH MY TAXI BACK TO THE AIRPORT. WE HAD A NICE DISCUSSION ABOUT RELIGION, DNA, EVOLUTION AND ILLUSIONS. IT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION AND WE DID GO BACK AND FORTH WITH OUR OPINIONS WITHOUT ANY ANGER OR STRIFE.

ONCE I GOT BACK HOME TO BIRMINGHAM THAT NIGHT, I GOOGLED DERREN BROWN ON THE INTERNET AND WAS REALLY SURPRISED AT HOW FAMOUS THAT HE WAS IN THE UK! I HAD NO IDEA! AND IM GLAD, BECAUSE HAD I KNOWN THAT HE WAS A VERY FAMOUS ILLUSIONIST AND MAGICIAN, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN MYSELF!

BUT I WILL SAY THIS ABOUT DERREN BROWN. HE WAS A EXTREMELY CORDIAL AND DOWN TO EARTH GUY, FAR NICER THAN ANY OF THE CELEBRITY WORD OF FAITH PREACHERS THAT I HAD EVER MET IN THE MINISTRY. FAR NICER!

IF I STARTED A NEW BUSINESS TOMORROW BY DANNY HOWELL

2011-02-19T08:21:00.000-08:00

IF I STARTED A NEW BUSINESS TOMORROW

If I were a non-Christian and I wanted to start a new, quick and profitable business tomorrow, it would be a Word of Faith/Seeker church. There are so many pros! (I'll deal with the cons later.) I guarantee you this business would be recession proof. Any takers? What about you? Do you want to start one too? All it takes is a little effort and desire to become rich and famous over night. No experience required. No selling toothpaste to your friends. No inventories. Just a little elbow grease and you're up and running, strait from your car, living room or garage.

And most important: NO TAXES!!! Just be sure to get that non-profit status ASAP. Who wouldn't want a business that didn't have to pay taxes?

Okay, let me show you how I'd do it.

"But," you say, "If you weren't a Christian, why would you start a church?"

I'd say, "Most of these men aren't Christians either, so what's the difference?"

I'm sure within one year I'd be able to quit my full-time job and pimp, I mean preach, full time. Don't you agree.

Let me show you how I'd do it. First, I'd rent a shack somewhere and put up REVIVAL FIRE signs all over town. That always works to get the ball rolling. Or, if I knew a lot disgruntled Christians, I'd start the thing in my living room. You can choose which option works best for you. Also, I'd be sure to watch Christian TV a lot to get the jargon down pat.

Second, I'd call myself Prophet or Apostle so and so. People respond to fake authority such as this.

Once I get a crowd, I'd get everyone whipped up in a frenzy and do the healing thing. I'd get someone to testify that they feel better, etc. I'd specialize in phychosymatic healings that can not be documented. That's the way the big-timers do it. I'd burn a lot of Cd's of my best messages and sell them like crazy.

Now that I have a reputation as a man of power and miracles, I'd lay the tithing law down heavy on my followers. Yep, the one in Malachi about people being under a curse if they don't pay tithes off their gross income. That's the fastest way to start you cashflow. Don't forget to mention special offerings and gifts to yourself as their Spiritual Covering. Not only will your church budget explode, so will your own personal bank account.

What a business!

"But," you protest, "Shouldn't a preacher know the Word of God and have a college degree?"

I'd say, "Yes he should. But WOF/Seeker guys only use the Word to support their false teachings."

I'd recommend memorizing prosperity and healing passages only. Hey, just make up stuff, allegorize, twist and spiritualize the rest of the bible. People in this type of church will never know the difference. I'd talk about myself a lot, my embellishments, I mean, accomplishments and tell everyone what a great guy I am. By now, they're all mesmerized and believe every word I say. I'd be sure to talk about money all the time, especially the seed-faith doctrine. (BTW: This doctrine only works for those who teach it.)

The meat of my message would be the carrot-on-a-stick approach. Keep the flock busy running around so much that they won't have time to think for themselves. I'd preach guilt-laden messages to keep them burdened down with false guilt and shame. I'd never preach on grace! Never! I'd talk about the gospel sometimes, but I wouldn't preach it. (They might get saved and leave.) I'd mostly preach man-centered messages, and brag a lot. I'd be sure to bash other nonspiritual churches and label them as dead, dry or sinful.

I'd be sure to cast a vision of my new business, I mean church. No, this isn't biblical, but who cares. I'm in charge and if they don't like it, they can get out! They're taking up someone else's seat and parking spot anyhow. And they probably don't tithe either.

When casting a vision, make it so big that their mind will be blown by the magnitude of your imagination, I mean vision from God. The bigger, the better. Trust me on this one.

Now that my pyramid business is growing, I'd start satellite campuses and get a nice cut off these franchises. I'd be sure to make my brand very alluring. Just like the big boys.

Now that I'm on TV and travelling around the world, I'd get my idiots to buy me a personal jet. You wouldn't expect me to travel with the common folk, right?

By now, I have mansions, nice cars, a large bank account. What a plan. Look at all the pros.

Now the real questions is this: Do you see the cons?

http://freedomfromwolves.blogspot.com/2010/08/marjoe-gortner-religion-is-business.html

EX-WORD OF FAITH LADY FROM CALIFORNIA

2011-02-18T05:04:00.000-08:00

Life After Word Of Faith: What To Expect

If you have recently left a word of faith church that you attended for years, you will experience a very dark season. By dark I mean finding your way from deception to the truth. Word of faith churches have very deceptive demonic forces operating within them. You will be forced to face the truth about your former pastor and many friends and family members who you love and respect. Most of these people are good people who are deceived, however, you will likely cut off communication with most of them which will leave you feeling alone and confused. You will also be forced to face everything within you that allowed yourself to be deceived. Here is my "ex-word of faith testimony":

I was a very dedicated word of faither for 8 years. I didn't grow up in the church so it was the only exposure I had to the things of God. After I left, I questioned everything that I ever learned in church. I felt lost. I became cynical. I didn't know who Jesus truly was. I had no idea what it meant to be saved and if anyone would have asked me I would not have been able to tell them. I went through what can only be described as de-programming. I literally felt like I had no identity during that year. Every day I watched Justin Peter's DVD's so I could flush out the lies that I believed and learn what the truth was. I lost the only "church family" that I had known. I became an alcoholic. I stopped reading the bible because I had no idea how to study it correctly. I stopped praying. I didn't trust anyone. I was angry beyond belief. I cried everyday. I was mad at God. I found error in everything that was taught from a pulpit even if it was being taught in context. Buzz words and cliches triggered me to the point where I felt like I was being violated. I cringed around people from my ex-word of faith church when I saw them in the community. I lost my best friend for several months because she is a word of faith minister and I couldn't believe that she refused to hear the truth after I warned her. People gossiped about me after I left. Thankfully I left on good terms so I was not hung out to dry but people still assumed the worst. I have not been able to fully commit to a church. I cant imagine ever serving in a department at a church ever again.
I almost lost my faith.

The good news is, two years later I am almost completely healed. When people sound like word of faither's, my blood no longer boils. I am now able to rightly divide the word. It takes time but you WILL recover. If possible, find a support group and a good counselor. You have left a cult and need help processing what you have been through. You have been changed forever. You will never be the same type of Christian that you once were, and it takes time to develop a new identity in Christ. You will be better...spiritually healthy and sane. You won't feel like a failure every time your positive confession fails. You won't feel like your Pastor is the only perfect Christian in the world. You will no longer fear and serve MAN. You will come to know God in His sovereignty. You will meet true Christians who's only goal is to live for Christ...not for looks, money, houses and cars. You will BE healthy spiritually. There is no greater gift.

SHUTTING DOWN MY CHURCH

2011-02-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

I SPENT MOST OF 2008 CORRECTING THE ERROR THAT I HAD BEEN TEACHING MY CHURCH MEMBERS FOR TEN YEARS. A GOOD MANY OF THEM WERE UPSET AND LEFT, EVEN WHEN I WOULD MEET WITH THEM ONE ON ONE AND WALK THEM THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE TO SHOW THEM WHY THE WORD OF FAITH WAS WRONG.

I WOULD RE-TEACH THE SAME SCRIPTURES IN THEIR ORIGINAL SETTINGS AND CONTEXT BUT IT DIDN'T MATTER, THEY REFUSED TO SEE THE ERROR. THE FAITH MESSAGE OFFERS CONTROL, AND MY NEW TEACHING WAS TAKING THE CONTROL OUT OF THEIR HANDS.

ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS I BEGAN TEACHING REFORMED THEOLOGY, ALSO KNOWN AS CALVINISM OR PRE-DESTINATION. THIS WAS THE EASIEST TEACHING THAT I HAD EVER DONE AS A PASTOR. INSTEAD OF HAVING TO SPIN THE SCRIPTURE TO MAKE THE FAITH MESSAGE FIT, THE DOCTRINES OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE, IN CONTEXT AND OBVIOUSLY SOUND.

GRADUALLY THAT SAME YEAR, I BEGAN TO CHANGE MY TEACHING AND BELIEFS CONCERNING THE CHARISMATIC ELEMENTS OF THE FAITH MESSAGE, IN PARTICULAR SPEAKING IN TONGUES. THE MORE I STUDIED OBJECTIVELY AND PRAYED, THE MORE ERROR I FOUND IN THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT.

NATURALLY, MAKING A COMPLETE, RADICAL ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DEGREE CHANGE IN DOCTRINE MADE A LOT OF WAVES AND WEEK BY WEEK FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS LEFT. I CAN'T REALLY BLAME THEM, AND I HOLD NO HARD FEELINGS AGAINST THEM, EXCEPT THAT SOME OF THEM NEVER GAVE ME A CHANCE TO HEAR ME OUT.

I CURRENTLY ATTEND A PCA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE TOWN THAT I LIVE IN. TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, IF MY PASTOR GOT UP SUNDAY MORNING AND STARTED TEACHING THE FAITH MESSAGE AND SPEAKING IN TONGUES, I WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE OUT THE DOOR! AT LIGHT SPEED, AND I WOULD NEVER RETURN!

AS ATTENDANCE BEGAN TO DWINDLE, SO DID THE TITHES AND OFFERINGS. BY THE SUMMER OF 2008, I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO RECEIVE A SALARY. MY WIFE CONI HAD BEEN TRYING TO START A NEW CAREER IN THE HAIR STYLING INDUSTRY, AND HAD TO START LOOKING FOR A NURSING JOB AGAIN.

SOMEHOW I KEPT BELIEVING THAT GOD WOULD REPLACE THE CHURCH MEMBERS THAT LEFT WITH NEW ONES TO PICK UP THE SLACK. I EVEN CHANGED THE NAME OF THE CHURCH TO HILLSIDE BAPTIST, BUT IT DIDN'T DO ANY GOOD. NOTHING I TRIED FROM MY OLD BAG OF TRICKS AND CRAZY IDEAS SEEMED TO WORK. HERE WE WERE IN AN EXPENSIVE NEW BUILDING, THE ECONOMY WAS CRASHING, GAS WAS OVER $4 A GALLON, AND THE FOLKS HAD QUIT GIVING.

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I HAD TO CUT WAS OUR MISSIONARIES. THE CHURCH HAD BEEN SUPPORTING SEVERAL MISSIONARIES IN AFRICA AND ASIA WITH FULL-TIME SALARIES. I HAD TO LAY EVERYONE OF THEM OFF. THAT WAS A BIG BLOW TO MY HEART BECAUSE THOSE MISSIONARIES WERE WORKING SO HARD TO REACH VARIOUS PEOPLE GROUPS WITH THE GOSPEL.

BY THE TIME THE FALL HAD ARRIVED, ABOUT HALF OF MY CHURCH MEMBERS HAD QUIT, ALL OF MY PASTORAL STAFF HAD QUIT EXCEPT FOR ONE, MY BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND QUIT ALONG WITH SEVERAL DEACONS. ONE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THE OFFERING BROUGHT IN JUST $20, AND CONI HAD GIVEN TEN OF THAT.

THAT NIGHT SOME OF THE DEACONS HELD A MEETING WITH ME. I HAD ALREADY HAD A DREAM ABOUT IT. IN MY DREAM, THE DEACONS HAD KICKED OPEN MY OFFICE DOOR, THREW A BLANKET OVER ME, AND BEAT ME UP. WELL, THAT IS BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MEETING THAT NIGHT. THE DEACONS WANTED TO CLOSE THE DOORS OF THE CHURCH AND SELL IT.

I WENT HOME AND BROKE THE NEWS TO CONI. SHE WAS OVERJOYED! BEING THE PASTOR OF A CHARISMATIC WORD OF FAITH CHURCH HAD TAKEN ITS TOLL ON THE WHOLE FAMILY. DAY AFTER DAY, WEEK AFTER WEEK OF DEALING WITH CHURCH DRAMA, CHURCH POLITICS AND THE STRESS OF THE LIFESTYLE HAD WORN US OUT.

MY WIFE BEGGED ME TO QUIT. SHE WANTED OUT. DEEP INSIDE I WANTED OUT TOO. I WAS TERRIBLE BURNED OUT, WOUNDED, EMOTIONALLY DRAINED AND STRESSED OUT LIKE NEVER BEFORE. HAVING STARTED A CHURCH FROM SCRATCH, BURYING A DAUGHTER, EXPERIENCING THE UPS AND DOWNS OF PASTORING A CHURCH THAT WAS A REVOLVING DOOR, DOING FUNERALS, MARRIAGE COUNSELING AND CHANGING MY ENTIRE BELIEF SYSTEM HAD BROKEN ME.

WE FIGURED OUT, BASED ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP RECORDS AND TITHING RECORDS, THAT WE HAD PASTORED APPROXIMATELY THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE CLAY-TRUSSVILLE COMMUNITY OVER THE PREVIOUS TEN YEARS. THAT IS A LOT OF FOLKS COMING AND GOING. EVERY TIME A MEMBER LEFT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, TORE MY GUTS UP. TO ME IT WAS LIKE GETTING DUMPED BY A GIRLFRIEND. IT WAS ALWAYS PAINFUL AND GUT WRENCHING TO HAVE PEOPLE LEAVE.

THE STRESS PASTORING A CHURCH, THE PRESSURE OF A BUILDING PROGRAM, AND THE TURMOIL OF CHANGING MY TEACHING WHILE PEOPLE I LOVED LEFT IN DROVES EVENTUALLY DROVE ME TO DRINKING. I STARTED DRINKING EVERY NIGHT UNTIL I PASSED OUT. IT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT MADE ME FEEL GOOD, AND THE ONLY WAY THAT I COULD SLEEP. I HAD NO FRIENDS LEFT, MY VISION WAS DYING, AND EVERYTHING THAT I HAD BELIEVED IN WAS GONE.

THE NEXT SUNDAY I ANNOUNCED TO THE CHURCH THAT I WAS GOING TO SELL THE BUILDING AND TAKE A BREAK FROM PASTORING. AMAZINGLY, I WAS VERY SURPRISED AT HOW MANY OF THE REMAINING SIXTY OF SO CHURCH MEMBERS CAME UP TO ME AND EXPRESSED THEIR GRATITUDE AT CHANGE IN MY TEACHING. I EVEN HAD A FEW PEOPLE TELL ME THAT THEY NEVER BOUGHT INTO THE FAITH MESSAGE IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT JUST ATTENDED MY CHURCH BECAUSE THEY KNEW I CARED ABOUT THEM.

BUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT SEEMED LIKE THE GENERAL MOOD AND CONSENSUS OF THE CHURCH FOLKS WAS TO SHUT IT DOWN. I WOULD HAVE NEVER QUIT, BUT I FELT LIKE GOD AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS AGAINST ME. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT I WAS RIGHT, I DID FEEL ABANDONED BY GOD AND FORSAKEN.

IT ONLY TOOK ME A FEW DAYS TO FIND ANOTHER CHURCH TO RENT THE BUILDING AND MAKE THE PAYMENTS, AND WE HAD OUR LAST SERVICE IN OCTOBER, ALMOST A YEAR TO THE DAY FROM WHEN WE HAD HAD OUR GRAND OPENING IN THE NEW BUILDING. LEAVING THE CHURCH THAT DAY, I FELT LIKE THE WEIGHT OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE HAD BEEN LIFTED OFF OF MY SHOULDERS. I ALSO FELT LIKE I HAD DIED INSIDE.

NO ROOM FOR GOD

2011-02-16T10:57:00.001-08:00

IN WORD OF FAITH THEOLOGY, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. TO THEM, THE PROMISES OF GOD, NO MATTER WHAT THE CONTEXT, ARE THE ABSOLUTE WILL OF GOD. IF GOD EVER SAID IT, THEN YOU CAN HAVE IT IF YOU CAN BELIEVE GOD FOR IT. NO MATTER WHO HE SAID IT TO OR WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE IN THE BIBLE.

IN WORD OF FAITH THEOLOGY, GOD HAS PLACED EVERYTHING IN THE HANDS OF MAN. MAN IS IN CHARGE. GOD SITS UP THERE IN HEAVEN, WITH FAITH FORMULAS IN PLACE FOR US TO OPERATE IN, AND THE REST IS UP TO US. GOD HAS HANDED EVERYTHING OVER TO THE CHURCH, AND NOW IT IS UP TO THE CHURCH TO RUN EVERYTHING DOWN HERE ON THE EARTH WHILE GOD RUNS THINGS IN HEAVEN.

IN THE WORD OF FAITH, YOU NEED NOT ASK GOD FOR ANYTHING. THEY TEACH THAT HE HAS ALREADY PROVIDED FOR US IN THE ATONEMENT. HEALING AND PROSPERITY ARE IN THE ATONEMENT AND ALL WE HAVE TO IS TO SPEAK FORTH THE BLESSING JUST AS MOSES WAS TO SPEAK FORTH THE WATER FROM THE ROCK.

WHEN PEOPLE DIE IN CAR ACCIDENTS, TORNADOES, AIR PLANE CRASHES, IT IS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT WALKING IN FAITH OR OBEYING THE HOLY SPIRIT. TO THEM, IT IS ALWAYS GOD'S PERFECT WILL FOR ALL OF US TO LIVE LONG HAPPY LIVES OF 120 YEARS. THEY MUST NOT HAVE HAD THEIR SPIRITUAL ANTENNAS UP. THEY MUST HAVE MISSED IT. NEVER MIND THAT JESUS SAID THAT NOT EVEN A SPARROW SHALL FALL TO THE GROUND APART FROM THE WILL OF GOD.

IN WORD OF FAITH THEOLOGY, IT IS NEVER GOD'S WILL FOR YOU TO BE SICK. THEY CLAIM EXODUS 15;26 AS THEIR PROOF:

Exodus 15:26 (King James Version)

26And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee

NEVER MIND THAT THIS PROMISE WAS FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AS THEY WERE EXITING EGYPT. IN THE WORD OF FAITH, CONTEXT NEVER MATTERS. IT NEVER MATTERS AT ALL.

IN THE WORD OF FAITH, IT IS ALWAYS GOD'S WILL FOR YOU TO BE RICH AND PROSPEROUS, AND THEY CLAIM DEUTERONOMY 28:1-14 AS THEIR PROOF TEXT. NEVER MIND THAT GOD WAS TALKING TO ISRAEL, AND THAT ISRAEL HAD A PHYSICAL COVENANT WITH GOD BECAUSE THEY HAD NO PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE AND SONSHIP AS WE DO IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

THERE ARE MANY PLACES THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE WHERE GOD'S PREVIOUS WORD WAS NOT HIS WILL AT OTHER SPECIFIC TIMES. JESUS DID NOT LIVE A LONG LIFE. MARY LOST HER FIRST BORN TO A HOMICIDE. PAUL WAS DID NOT EXPERIENCE A LIFE OF LUXURY AND PROSPERITY. HE SUFFERED SICKNESS, TRAGEDY, SHIPWRECK, WAS STONED, TOSSED TO THE LIONS, IMPRISONED, HORSE WHIPPED, AND FINALLY WHACKED.

THERE ARE MANY CASES OF GODLY OBEDIENT PEOPLE IN BOTH TESTAMENTS OF THE BIBLE THAT SUFFERED SICKNESS AND HARDSHIP ALTHOUGH THEY WERE SERVING GOD. REMEMBER JOB? ELIJAH? JOHN THE BAPTIST? JACOB? JOSEPH? MOSES? JEREMIAH? ABEL? EZEKIEL? ISAIAH? DAVID? ALL OF THESE PEOPLE SUFFERED.

LOOK AT THE LIFE OF JESUS. HE OBVIOUSLY DID NOT ENJOY ALL THE PROSPERITY AND BLESSINGS THAT HE DIED FOR. HE WAS UNDER CONSTANT PERSONAL ATTACK, HAD TO ESCAPE BEING THROWN OFF A CLIFF, WAS RIDICULED, CRIED, WEPT, GOT TIRED, WAS HUNGRY, THIRSTY, NO PILLOW FOR HIS HEAD, BETRAYED BY ALL OF HIS FRIENDS, WHIPPED AND HUNG NAKED ON A CROSS. NOPE. HE MISSED OUT ON ALL THE PROSPERITY AND INCREASE MEETINGS.

GOD NEVER PROMISED US A LIFE WITH NO PAIN AND SUFFERING. HE PROMISED TO MEET OUR NEED. WHAT ARE OUR NEEDS? FOOD, WATER, SHELTER, CLOTHING. THOSE ARE OUR NEEDS. $500,000 HOUSES, Land Rovers, ROLEX WATCHES, DESIGNER CLOTHES AND HD WIDE SCREEN TV'S ARE NOT OUR NEEDS.

THE WORD OF FAITH THEOLOGY ATTEMPTS TO TRUMP MAN'S WILL ABOVE THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, BUT THAT CANNOT HAPPEN. GOD ALWAYS GETS HIS WAY. EVEN JESUS KNEW THAT IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE WHEN HE ASKED GOD'S WILL TO BE DONE, AND NOT HIS OWN. PERHAPS JESUS SHOULD HAVE READ KENNETH HAGIN'S BOOK: "HOW TO WRITE YOUR OWN TICKET WITH GOD"? POOR JESUS. POOR PAUL. THEY REALLY MISSED OUT ON THE BLESSINGS OF GOD.

THE DOMINOES START FALLING

2011-02-16T09:56:00.001-08:00

THE MORE QUESTIONS I ASKED, THE MORE I PRAYED, THE MORE RESEARCH I DID, THE MORE I STUDIED, THE MORE I BECAME CONVINCED THAT I SIMPLY DID NOT BELIEVE THAT KENNETH HAGIN'S TEACHING WAS TRUTH. ALMOST OVER NIGHT I WAS CONVINCED THAT ALL OF KENNETH HAGINS TEACHINGS WERE IN ERROR AND I NO LONGER ACCEPTED ANY OF HIS VISIONS.

ONCE I WAS CONVINCED THAT KENNETH HAGIN'S VISIONS WERE BOGUS, THEN IN MY MIND ALL OF HIS TEACHING WAS WRONG. THAT CREATED A DOMINO EFFECT. STARTING WITH KENNETH HAGIN, THE FIRST DOMINO IN MY WORD OF FAITH BELIEFS, MY OTHER BELIEFS STARTED TO FALL RAPIDLY.

FOR FOURTEEN YEARS I HAD BASED MUCH OF MY THEOLOGY AND BELIEF SYSTEM ABOUT GOD, JESUS, FAITH AND CHURCH UPON KENNETH HAGIN'S TEACHINGS, WHICH HE CLAIMED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED DIRECTLY FROM CHRIST. IN MY RESEARCH, I RAN ACROSS A FORMER WORD OF FAITH TEACHER THAT HAD PIECE BY PIECE DISSECTED EACH OF KENNETH HAGIN'S VISIONS PLAY BY PLAY IN LIGHT OF SCRIPTURE. HIS ARTICLE CONVINCED ME BEYOND ALL DOUBT THAT I HAD BEEN DECEIVED.

IF HAGIN'S VISIONS WERE WRONG, THEN HIS TEACHING WAS WRONG. IF HIS TEACHING WAS WRONG THEM MY BELIEFS AND THEOLOGY WERE WRONG. IF MY TEACHING WAS WRONG THEN I WAS WRONG AND IN TURN I HAD TAUGHT ERROR AND DECEPTION TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS FROM THE PULPIT, TO THE TELEVISION, TO THE MISSION FIELD.

IN LIGHT OF THIS REVELATION, I WAS FORCED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT EVERY DOCTRINE AND TEACHING THAT I HAD BELIEVED FROM THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT. ONE BY ONE EACH DOCTRINE FELL AND KNOCKED OVER ANOTHER ONE, JUST LIKE DOMINOES.

I WAS DEEPLY DISTURBED. I WAS CONFUSED AND DISORIENTED. I ATTEMPTED TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS WITH SEVERAL RHEMA GRADS THAT HAD BECOME MY MENTORS AND FRIENDS. I WAS MET WITH INSTANT ANGER AND HOSTILITY. ONE DAY I SENT AN EMAIL TO THE DIRECTOR OF RHEMA BIBLE TRAINING CENTER AND TO ALL OF THE WORD OF FAITH MINISTERS AND FRIENDS THAT I HAD COME TO KNOW OVER THE YEARS.

IN THE EMAIL, SENT TO THE DIRECTOR OF RHEMA, I ASKED FORTY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT KENNETH HAGIN'S VISIONS, HIS PLAGIARISM, AND THE GLARING ERRORS AND HOLES THAT I HAD FOUND. THE DIRECTOR SENT ME AN EMAIL BACK ASKING ME TO REMOVE HIM FROM MY EMAIL LIST AND TO MAIL IN MY RMAI CREDENTIALS. RHEMA THEN REMOVED MY CHURCH WEB SITE FROM THEIR WEBSITE.

ONE OF THE REGIONAL DIRECTORS FROM RHEMA CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE AT THE CHURCH. AFTER TWO STRAIGHT DAYS OF BOMBARDING HIM QUESTIONS, HE LOST HIS TEMPER AND WENT OFF ON ME AT MY KITCHEN TABLE. HE POINTED HIS FINGER AT ME AND CHEWED ME OUT IN A LOUD AND ANGRY VOICE.

ANOTHER RHEMA DIRECTOR HERE IN ALABAMA EMAILED ME THAT I WAS DECEIVED AND A FALSE TEACHER. THAT WAS THE USUAL ANSWER. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS OFFENDED AND DECEIVED, BUT NO ONE COULD OR WOULD ANSWER MY QUESTIONS.

THEY ALL STOOD BEHIND KENNETH HAGIN AS AN UNQUESTIONED PROPHET OF THE LORD. AT THIS POINT I BEGAN TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS WITH MY CHURCH CONGREGATION, AND THIS IS WHERE THE REAL FUN AND GAMES BEGAN.

FROM DECEMBER OF 2007, SHORTLY AFTER MOVING INTO OUR BRAND NEW DREAM COME TRUE BUILDING, UNTIL I WAS FORCED OUT OF THE CHURCH I HAD STARTED IN MY LIVING ROOM, I SPENT EACH SERVICE TEACHING THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT I HAD BEEN TEACHING MY CHURCH FOR TEN YEARS.

I DISTINCTIVELY REMEMBER LOOKING INTO THE EYES OF A CERTAIN CHURCH MEMBER, AND SEEING THE PAIN AND CONFUSION. I REMEMBER THINKING THAT I WAS SORRY TO BE DOING THIS TO HIM, TO BE DESTROYING HIS BELIEF SYSTEM, BUT MY LOVE FOR HIM AND THE TRUTH KEPT ME GOING.

I SPENT THE FIRST FEW WEEKS UNDOING ALL OF THE ERROR I HAD TAUGHT ABOUT FAITH AND CONFESSION, IN PARTICULARLY ALONG THE LINES OF MARK 11;22-24 AND THE CREATIVE POWER OF WORDS. THIS WAS DEVASTATING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.

I THEN MOVED ON TO EXPOSING ALL OF THE ERROR OF THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL, PROVING FROM THE SCRIPTURES THAT IT WAS A GREEDY MESSAGE TAKEN COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTEXT. I WENT AS FAR AS NAMING NAMES OF POPULAR WORD OF FAITH TEACHERS THAT I USED TO ADMIRE AND QUOTE. I BLUNTLY CALLED THEM FALSE TEACHERS AND SAID THAT THEY WERE DEAD WRONG.

THIS UPSET ONE FAMILY IN PARTICULAR, WHICH HAD BEEN TRAVELING WITH A VERY POPULAR FAITH PREACHER ON THE ROAD. HE WAS THEIR NEW FAVORITE, AND THEY HAD BECOME PARTNERS AND CO-WORKERS IN HIS CRUSADE. I USED NUMEROUS QUOTATIONS FROM THE FAITH PREACHERS AND COMPARED THEIR TEACHINGS TO THE TEACHINGS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

THIS ENTIRE FAMILY BECAME EVERY UPSET AND LEFT THE CHURCH. OTHERS BEGAN TO FOLLOW, AND A SORT OF MASS EXODUS OCCURRED. I WAS TEACHING AGAINST WHAT THEY HAD BECOME HARD CORE BELIEVERS OF THEMSELVES. I WAS UPSETTING THE ECOSYSTEM, KNOCKING OVER THE SACRED COWS OF OUR TEACHING. IT WAS AS PAINFUL TO ME AS IT WAS TO THEM, BUT I HAD TO CORRECT MY TEACHING AND EXPOSE ERROR NO MATTER WHAT THE COST WAS.

AND COST ME IT DID, ALMOST EVERYTHING, AND ALL OF MY FRIENDS, MY CAREER, MY MINISTRY, MY HOUSE, MY FINANCES, MY REPUTATION, MY BELOVED TOYOTA TUNDRA, THE NEW BUILDING, ALL OF MY SECURITY, AND EVERYTHING I HAD WORKED DAY AND NIGHT FOR FOR FOURTEEN LONG YEARS.

QUESTIONING KENNETH HAGIN'S FAITH FORMULA

2011-02-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

THE MAJORITY OF KENNETH HAGIN'S TEACHING IS BASED UPON MARK 11;22-24:

Mark 11:22-24 (King James Version)

22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them

IN FACT, THIS SINGLE PASSAGE IS THE VERY BACKBONE AND CORE FOUNDATION OF THE ENTIRE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT. IT IS WHAT THE ENTIRE FAITH TEACHING WORLD REVOLVES AROUND. THIS PASSAGE, IN THE KING JAMES VERSION, CONTAINS THE FAITH FORMULA FOR GETTING YOUR EVERY PRAYER ANSWERED IN THE POSITIVE. HERE IS THE FORMULA IN A NUTSHELL:

1) HAVE FAITH LIKE GOD HAS FAITH.

2) CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT IT WILL COME TO PASS.

3) WHEN YOU ASK GOD FOR SOMETHING, YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED IT. NOT THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE IT TOMORROW OR NEXT WEEK, BUT YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE THE ANSWER RIGHT THIS SECOND, JUST AS IF YOU WERE SEEING IT.

4) EVERYTHING THAT YOU THINK, SAY OR DO MUST BE LINED UP WITH THIS FORMULA. BECAUSE, YOUR FAITH HAS CREATIVE POWER JUST LIKE GOD, AND YOUR WORDS ARE THE CONTAINERS OF THAT CREATIVE POWER.

NOW FOR THE MOST PART, THIS FAITH FORMULA CAN ONLY BE DERIVED FROM THE KING JAMES VERSION OF THE BIBLE, WHICH IS THE ONLY VERSION KENNETH HAGIN TAUGHT FROM. THIS FORMULA MUST BE FOLLOWED PRECISELY, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WIGGLE ROOM FOR ERROR. ONE BAD CONFESSION OR DOUBT CAN WRECK THE RECIPE.

ESPECIALLY CRITICAL TO KENNETH HAGIN'S TEACHING IS THE LAST CLAUSE OF MARK 11:23 IN THE KING JAMES VERSION:

he shall have whatsoever he saith.

IN HIS TEACHING OF THIS PASSAGE, KENNETH HAGIN TAUGHT THAT JESUS TOLD HIM THAT THE EMPHASIS IS MORE ON THE SAYING THAN THE BELIEVING. (APPARENTLY JESUS SPEAKS SHAKESPEAREAN ENGLISH)

BUT THIS PRECISE FORMULA FOR FAITH READS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY IN OTHER TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE, AND EVEN IN MATTHEW'S ACCOUNT OF WHAT JESUS SAID:

Matthew 21:21-22 (New International Version, ©2010)

21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

TO MY KNOWLEDGE, KENNETH HAGIN NEVER TAUGHT FAITH FROM THIS PASSAGE. IT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN OTHER TRANSLATIONS AS WELL, THUS THROWING OFF THE EXACT MECHANICS OF THE FAITH FORMULA HAGIN TAUGHT. IN THE KING JAMES VERSION OF MATTHEW, JESUS SAID "BELIEVING" WHICH IS CURRENT OR PRESENT TENSE, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN IN MARK WHERE HE SAID TO BELIEVE PAST TENSE. FOR EXAMPLE:

Matthew 21:21-22 (New International Version, ©2010)

21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

IN MATTHEW, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THE ANSWER AS IF YOU HAVE IT. IT ALSO ONLY MENTION THE WORD "SAY" ONE TIME, WHERE AS IN MARK JESUS USES THE WORD THREE TIMES. SO, EVEN IN SCRIPTURE, THE FORMULA IS NOT IRON CLAD AND AS PRECISE AS HAGIN TAUGHT IT, BUT REMEMBER, HAGIN CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN PERSONALLY SCHOOLED BY JESUS OF NAZARETH.

IN DOING FURTHER RESEARCH ABOUT MARK 11:22-24, I RAN ACROSS ALL KINDS OF OTHER EXPLANATIONS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE. ONE COMMON FACT IS THAT THE EXPRESSION ABOUT "MOVING A MOUNTAIN" WAS A COMMON HYPERBOLE THAT RABBI'S USED IN THE DAYS OF CHRIST. IT WAS A PARABLE WAY OF TALKING ABOUT GOD DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE THROUGH THE POWER OF PRAYER.

DID JESUS INTEND TO MEAN THIS TEACHING TO BE AN EXACT FORMULA ABOUT HOW TO USE YOUR FAITH AS A TOOL? DOES THE FORMULA REQUIRE TO BE ACTED UPON IN MINUTE DETAIL? YES, IF YOU BELIEVE KENNETH HAGIN'S TEACHINGS AND VISIONS. KENNETH HAGIN CLAIMS THAT CHRIST TAUGHT HIM THESE PRINCIPLES, AS A FORMULA, IN A VISION.

YOU MAY GOOGLE THE FOLLOWING TEACHING BY KENNETH HAGIN: "HOW TO WRITE YOUR OWN TICKET WITH GOD"

IN THIS BOOK, HAGIN CLAIMS THAT JESUS SAT DOWN ON HIS BED AND GAVE HIM A FAITH FORMULA SERMON THAT IF USED BY A BELIEVER, THAT THE BELIEVER COULD RECEIVE ANYTHING HE WANTED FROM GO BY FOLLOWING FOUR PRINCIPLES. IS THIS NOT ADDING TO THE GOSPEL? IS THIS NOT ADDING TO THE WORD OF GOD? DID THE APOSTLE PAUL NOT WARN:

Galatians 1:6-9 (King James Version)

6I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

8But 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.

9As 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.

DID NOT KENNETH HAGIN CLAIM TO HAVE RECEIVED SPECIAL INSIGHT AND REVELATION FROM JESUS CHRIST? IN HIS BOOK, "HOW TO WRITE YOUR OWN TICKET WITH GOD", IS HAGIN NOT INDEED ADDING TO THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST? HE MOST CERTAINLY DID! THIS IS IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE WORD OF GOD!

JESUS'S TEACHING ABOUT FAITH IN MARK 11:22-24 CANNOT BE TAKEN AS A LITERAL, ABSOLUTE, DOGMATIC, FAITH FORMULA. JESUS HIMSELF WAS UNDOUBTEDLY USING A POPULAR IDIOM AND HYPERBOLE IN THE FACT THAT HE SAID THE MOUNTAIN WOULD MOVE. OBVIOUSLY THE DISCIPLES KNEW THAT JESUS WAS SIMPLY USING A TEACHING ILLUSTRATION.

HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED, THAT THERE IS NO SPECIFIC, SPECIALIZED TEACHING BY ANY APOSTLE IN THE EPISTLES THAT YOUR WORDS CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS? PAUL EVEN USED THE EXPRESSION: "EVEN IF I HAD ALL FAITH, AND COULD MOVE MOUNTAINS".

BUT ACCORDING TO KENNETH HAGIN, JESUS TAUGHT THAT THE POWER OF PRAYER AND FAITH MUST BE FOLLOWED IN A FORMULA, A FORMULA THAT IS MORE CORRECT IN MARK 11:22-24 THAN IN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE BIBLE.

THE PROBLEM WITH THIS TEACHING IS THAT IT PUTS THE EMPHASIS ON THE FORMULA AND NOT IN CHRIST. PEOPLE GET ALL HUNG UP AND CONDEMNED IN THE EXACT MECHANICS OF THIS TEACHING IN THEIR ATTEMPT TO GET HEALED AND FALL INTO CONDEMNATION WHEN IT DOES NOT WORK FOR THEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND DECEPTIVE TEACHING. FAITH ITS SELF BECOMES THAT OBJECT AND GOAL, AND NOT JESUS OR GOD'S WILL.

IT'S LIKE WORKING A RUBICS CUBE TO GET YOUR HEALING, WORK THE FAITH FORMULA OUT AND YOU WILL LIVE. IT'S ALL UP TO YOU TO WORK THE FORMULA. A, B, C, 1, 2, 3

SWIRLING DOUBTS ABOUT KENNETH HAGIN

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AFTER I RETURNED HOME FROM MICHIGAN, MY DOUBTS ABOUT KENNETH HAGIN, HIS TEACHINGS, AND HIS VISIONS BEGAN TO SWIRL AROUND IN MY HEAD LIKE A HURRICANE. I ALREADY HAVE A TOUCH OF OBSESSIVE, COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR CONCERNING RELIGION, SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THESE DOUBTS REALLY GOT A HOLD OF ME.

FIRST, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A STRANGE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAD SHORTLY AFTER WE HAD BOUGHT THE CHURCH PROPERTY AND MOVED OUR OFFICES INTO THE GUEST HOUSE. I HAD BEEN SURFING THE WEB, LOOKING UP KENNETH HAGIN ON GOOGLE, AS I FREQUENTLY DID. I WAS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW SERMONS, STORIES OR BITS OF INFORMATION ABOUT HIM.

NOW ANYONE THAT HAS EVER GOOGLED KENNETH HAGIN WILL FIND OUT IN A HURRY THAT THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF BLOGS, WEB SITES, VIDEOS, YOU TUBES AND SUCH THAT ATTACK HIM AND HIS TEACHING, BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. THESE ARTICLES HAD ALWAYS GREATLY BOTHERED ME AND I WOULD ALWAYS TRY TO AVOID THEM. BUT ONE AFTERNOON I STARTED READING THEM.

I GOT A SICK, TWISTED, AWFUL FEELING IN MY STOMACH. I BECAME UPSET. ALL OF THESE THEOLOGIANS, EXPERTS, WRITERS, MINISTERS AND FORMER WORD OF FAITH PEOPLE WERE SHOOTING ALL KINDS OF HOLES IN BOTH HAGIN'S TEACHINGS AND TESTIMONIES. THIS REALLY BOTHERED ME. MOST EVERYTHING THAT I BELIEVED ABOUT GOD AND THE BIBLE HAD BEEN INFLUENCED BY KENNETH HAGINS TEACHINGS.

THEN SUDDENLY A THOUGHT FLASHED THROUGH MY MIND: "ONE DAY YOU WILL ATTACK KENNETH HAGIN'S TEACHING MORE THAN ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET". OF COURSE I DISMISSED THIS AS THE DEVIL. BUT I REMEMBERED IT. IT SCARED ME. WAS IT THE VOICE OF GOD? WAS IT MY CONFUSION SPEAKING? MY SUBCONSCIOUS? I HAVE NO IDEA!

I BEGAN TO ASK GOD TO OPEN MY EYES IF I WAS IN DECEPTION. WAS KENNETH HAGIN A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD? DID HE REALLY MEET JESUS FACE TO FACE IN EIGHT SEPERATE TEACHING VISIONS? DID KENNETH HAGIN REALLY VISIT JESUS UP IN FRONT OF THE THRONE ROOM OF GOD ALMIGHTY? DID JESUS CHRIST REALLY LAY HIS HANDS ON KENNETH HAGIN TO GIVE HIM A SPECIAL HEALING ANOINTING? DOD ANGELS REALLY APPEAR TO HIM? HAD KENNETH HAGIN REALLY HEARD THE AUDIBLE VOICE OF GOD ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS?

HAD I EVER SEEN KENNETH HAGIN HEAL ANYONE? HAD I EVER SEEN HIM PREFORM A REAL MIRACLE? KENNETH HAGIN HAD ALWAYS TESTIFIED THAT HE HAD BEEN BORN WITH A DEFORMED HEART AND A RARE INCURABLE BLOOD DISEASE, AND THAT HE WAS HEALED BY ACTING ON MARK 11:24 AFTER BEING TAUGHT HOW TO OPERATE IN FAITH BY JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. BUT HAD I EVER EVEN HEARD OF THE TRUE DIAGNOSIS AND NAME OF THE DISEASE?

HAD I EVER SEEN MEDICAL REPORTS OR DOCTORS TESTIMONY ABOUT THIS HEALING MIRACLE? WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE BLOOD DISEASE? HE HAD SAID THAT HIS BLOOD WAS WATERY AND ORANGE. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM? HAD I EVER HEARD ANY EYE WITNESSES TESTIFY TO THIS MIRACLE? ANY DOCTORS? ANY PUBLISHED MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION? NO!

WHAT ABOUT THE PLAGIARISM CHARGES AND DENIALS? IT WAS AND IS A KNOWN FACT THAT KENNETH HAGIN PLAGIARIZED THE NEW AGE WRITINGS OF EW KENYON AND CLAIMED TO HAVE RECEIVED THEM FROM THE SPIRIT OF GOD. I KNOW THAT HE WAS SUED BY KENYON'S DAUGHTER OVER THIS, AND THAT THEY SETTLED OUT OF COURT, BUT WHY DID HAGIN NEVER CLEAR THIS UP PUBLICLY? I HAD SEEN THE SIDE BY SIDE EVIDENCE MANY TIMES. HAD KENNETH HAGIN OUT RIGHT LIED?

WHAT ABOUT KENNETH HAGIN'S CLAIMS TO HAVE WALKED IN DIVINE HEALTH AND NEVER BEING SICK? I HAD A FRIEND THAT WAS A PHARMACY TECH AT ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL IN TUKLSA, THAT WAS ALSO A FELLOW RHEMA GRAD. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD FILLED KENNETH HAGIN'S HEART MEDICINE FOR YEARS AT THE PHARMACY. SO, WAS KENNETH HAGIN BEING MISLEADING IN HIS TEACHING ABOUT WALKING IN DIVINE HEALTH?

I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT KENNETH HAGIN'S WIFE WAS TREATED FOR CANCER FOR YEARS. WHY DIDN'T THAT SPECIAL HEALING ANOINTING WORK FOR HER? WHY HAD I NOT SEEN ANY HEALINGS AND MIRACLES IN ANY OF THE HUNDREDS OF SERVICES AND CLASSES THAT I ATTENDED FOR FOURTEEN YEARS? WHY WOULDN'T KENNETH HAGIN TALK TO ME AND CONI AFTER OUR DAUGHTER JENNIFER DIED OF A BRAIN TUMOR? WHY DID SO MANY CLOSE ASSOCIATES AND FAMILY MEMBERS OF KENNETH HAGIN GET CANCER AND DIE JUST LIKE REGUALR FOLKS IF HAGIN HAD THIS SPECIAL ANOINTING?

THE QUESTIONS WERE SWIRLING, I COULD NOT SLEEP, AND NO ONE AT RHEMA WOULD ANSWER MY QUESTIONS.

GETTING OUT OF THE WORD OF FAITH

2011-02-16T07:04:00.000-08:00

MANY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME ABOUT HOW AND WHY I LEFT THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT. I GET ASKED THAT A LOT. ALMOST EVERYDAY, EITHER THROUGH EMAILS OR IN PERSON.

IT WAS A GRADUAL PROCESS THAT HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER WE HAD JUST BUILT AND MOVED INTO A NEW CHURCH BUILDING THAT WE HAD BEEN DREAMING ABOUT FOR YEARS. WE MOVED IN OCTOBER 2007, AND SOON AFTERWORDS EVERYTHING THAT I BELIEVED AND TAUGHT BEGAN TO CHANGE. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, I WENT FROM BEING A WORD OF FAITH PASTOR AND TEACHER, TO BELIEVING THAT MOST EVERYTHING THAT I HAD TAUGHT WAS WRONG.

IT BEGAN WITH A SERMON CD THAT A FELLOW RHEMA GRAD HAD SENT ME. HE HAD DONE A SERMON SERIES ON PRIDE AND MOTIVES AND WANTED ME TO HEAR IT. I CAN REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE I WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I LISTENED TO THAT MESSAGE. I WAS IN MY BELOVED TOYOTA TUNDRA, DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY 17 IN HELENA, ALABAMA.

THE MESSAGE BOTHERED ME GREATLY. IT HIT SOME NERVES AND MADE ME UNCOMFORTABLE. LATER IN THE WEEK, MY PASTOR'S FATHER WAS KILLED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN INDIANAPOLIS. I DROVE TO THE FUNERAL AND KEPT LISTENING TO THAT CD.

THE MESSAGE MADE ME FEEL CONVICTED ABOUT ALL OF MY MOTIVES. WHY WAS I BUILDING A CHURCH? WHY WAS I PREACHING THE PROSPERITY MESSAGE? WHY WAS I IN THE MINISTRY? WHY DID I BELIEVE THE MESSAGE THAT I WAS PREACHING? WHY DID I WANT THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE TO BE TRUE? WHY WAS I MAKING ALL THESE FAITH CONFESSIONS ABOUT MINISTRY, MONEY, PROMOTION AND FAVOR?

I ATTENDED MY PASTOR'S FATHER'S FUNERAL IN INDIANAPOLIS, AND ENDED UP DRIVING TO MICHIGAN TO VISIT A CHURCH MEMBER OF MINE THAT HAD BEEN UP THERE VISITING FRIENDS. SHE HAD TAKEN SICK, AND WAS IN THE HOSPITAL UP THERE SO I WENT UP THERE TO VISIT HER AND JUST KEPT LISTENING TO THAT CD AND THINKING ABOUT MY MOTIVES.

MOST EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FAITH MESSAGE IS ABOUT GETTING STUFF. HEALTH, WEALTH, FAVOR, PROMOTION, SUCCESS, INCREASE, PROSPERITY, HEALING, FAME, FORTUNE, RECOGNITION, HARVEST, VISION. IT HAD DEVELOPED A THINKING IN MY MIND THAT EVERYTHING REVOLVED AROUND ME AND WHAT I COULD GET. I WAS SOWING SEED TO GET STUFF. I WAS MAKING FAITH CONFESSIONS TO GET STUFF. I WAS USING MY FAITH LIKE A TOOL TO GET STUFF. AND SO WAS EVERYONE AROUND ME.

SO WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THAT I ASKED? ALL I WAS DOING IS PRACTICING THE TEACHINGS THAT I LEARNED FROM KENNETH HAGIN, WHO HAD RECEIVED HIS TEACHINGS DIRECTLY FROM JESUS. ALL OF A SUDDEN, SOMETHING ABOUT THE MESSAGE JUST DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT ANYMORE. SUDDENLY, I FELT WRONG INSIDE. I JUST KEPT THINKING, IM JUST FOLLOWING THE WORD. IM JUST DOING WHAT THE WORD SAYS TO DO. OR WAS I?

HAD I BEEN FOLLOWING THE WORD OF GOD, OR HAD I BEEN FOLLOWING WHAT A MAN SAID THE WORD SAID? MOST OF MY BELIEFS, THINKING AND THEOLOGY HAD BEEN SHAPED BY THE TEACHINGS OF KENNETH HAGIN. AND A GREAT PART OF HIS TEACHING WAS BASED ON HIS INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE, ALONG WITH HIS CLAIMED VISIONS OF JESUS.

I HAD HELD KENNETH HAGIN'S TEACHINGS ABOVE ALL OTHER PREACHERS IN THE WORLD. AFTER ALL, HIM AND JESUS HAD HAD A SPECIAL ONE OF A KIND, FACE TO FACE RELATIONSHIP, JUST AS MOSES HAD HAD WITH GOD. JESUS HAD PERSONALLY TAUGHT KENNETH HAGIN ALL ABOUT FAITH, HEALING, PROSPERITY AND THE BELIEVER'S AUTHORITY. THEY HAD HUNG OUT TOGETHER EIGHT DIFFERENT TIMES. KENNETH HAGIN HAD BEEN FACE TO FACE WITH JESUS CHRIST AND HAD EVEN BEEN UP TO HEAVEN AND RECEIVED A SPECIAL HEALING ANOINTING FROM THE LORD!

................OR HAD HE?

I STARTED TO DOUBT KENNETH HAGINS CLAIMS ALL AT ONCE. I ASKED MY PASTOR FRIENDS, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KENNTH HAGIN AND JOSEPH SMITH OF THE MORMONS? BOTH CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN TAUGHT BY JESUS FACE TO FACE. THEY RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT JOSEPH SMITH DEVIATED WITH THE GOSPEL PLAN OF SALVATION AND ADDED TO THE GOSPEL, BUT THAT HAGIN HAD STAYED WITH THE WORD.

TRUE TO A DEGREE, BUT DID HAGIN STAY WITH THE WORD WHEN IT CAME TO WHAT HE SAID JESUS HAD TAUGHT HIM ABOUT FAITH, PROSPERITY AND OTHER SUBJECTS? KENNETH HAGIN HAD ALL KINDS OF OPINIONS AND REVELATION ABOUT CERTAIN KEY WORD OF FAITH TEACHINGS THAT HE CLAIMED HE RECEIVED FROM CHRIST. WASN'T THIS THE SAME AS HAVING "EXTRA-REVELATION'?

LEARNING HOW TO TALK THE FAITH TALK

2011-02-15T11:22:00.001-08:00

Proverbs 18:21 (King James Version)

21Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

YOUR FIRST FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS IN A WORD OF FAITH CHURCH CAN BE QUITE A SHOCK, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU FIND OUT THAT THE WORD OF FAITH CULTURE HAS IT'S VERY OWN LANGUAGE. I CALL IT "FAITH TALK" WHILE OTHERS CALL IT SUPERSTITION.

YOU SEE, WORD OF FAITH PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THEIR MOUTH WILL COME TO PASS JUST LIKE MAGIC. THEY TEACH AND BELIEVE THAT WE HUMANS CAN CREATE BY SPEAKING FORTH THE FAITH WHICH IS IN OUR HEARTS.

I HAD A NEW LADY IN MY FORMER WORD OF FAITH CHURCH TELL ME ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE THAT SHE HAD HAD. SHE DRANK OR ATE SOMETHING THAT GAVE HER AN ALLERGIC REACTION CAUSING HER LIPS TO SWELL. WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT CHURCH, SEVERAL OF THE CHURCH MEMBERS ASKED HER HOW SHE FELT. WHEN SHE ANSWERED THAT HER TONGUE WAS SWOLLEN AND THAT SHE WAS HAVING AN ALLERGIC REACTION, SHE WAS GREETED WITH A CHORUS OF REBUKES!

DON'T SAY THAT! DON'T CLAIM THAT! DON'T CONFESS THAT! DON'T SPEAK THAT! THE THOUGH BEING THAT IF YOU SAY SOMETHING OR ADMIT A CIRCUMSTANCE THAT THAT SITUATION WILL STICK. "HUNG BY THE TONGUE" IS A FAVORITE WORD OF FAITH CLICHE. IF YOU VERBALLY CONFESS WHAT YOU BODY IS FEELING, OR WHAT YOUR CHECK BOOK IS SAYING, THEN BY SAYING IT OUT LOUD THEN YOU ARE CLAIMING IT AND CAUSING IT TO HAPPEN.

WE HAD A DEACON IN OUR CHURCH THAT SHOWED UP ONE NIGHT WITH HIS EYE SWOLLEN SHUT FROM A WORK INJURY. EVERYONE KEPT ASKING HIM WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIS EYE, BUT ALL HE WOULD SAY IS THAT HE WAS HEALED BY THE STRIPES OF JESUS. WELL, IF HE WAS HEALED BY THE STRIPES OF JESUS, THEN WHY WAS HIS EYE SWOLLEN SHUT?

WORD OF FAITH PEOPLE HAVE A WARPED WAY OF THINKING. THEY CAN BE SICK, BUT WILL ONLY SAY THAT THEY ARE HEALED, AS IF SAYING THAT THEY ARE SICK WILL MAKE THEM SICK WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE SICK! THE SAME WAY WITH FINANCES. IF THEY ARE BROKE THEY WILL SAY THAT THEY ARE RICH BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID THAT IF THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE BROKE THEN THEY WILL BE BROKE WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE ALREADY BROKE.

REMEMBER, IN THE WORD OF FAITH THEOLOGY AND WAY OF THINKING, FAITH IS ALWAYS PRESENT TENSE AND FAITH AND HOPE ARE NOT THE SAME THING. IF YOU HOPE FOR SOMETHING, THAT MEANS THAT YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE IT NOW, AND IN THE WORD OF FAITH, FAITH WILL ONLY WORK IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE IT NOW.

SO, LEARNING TO ORALLY NAVIGATE YOUR WAY THROUGH A WORD OF FAITH CONVERSATION CAN BE WORSE THAT TRYING TO ANSWER A POLITICALLY INCORRECT ANSWER. YOU CANNOT SAY THAT YOU ARE SICK. YOU CANNOT SAY, "ONE DAY I WILL BE HEALED". YOU CANNOT SAY "I AM BROKE". YOU CANNOT SAY THAT "ONE DAY I WILL BE RICH." YOU MUST TALK IN LINE WITH THE FAITH FORMULA AT ALL TIMES. JUST ONE SLIP UP AND YOU WILL BE SICK OR BROKE OR RUIN YOUR PRAYERS WITH A STATEMENT OF UNBELIEF!

FUNNY THOUGH, JESUS NOR ANY APOSTLE NEVER TALKED LIKE THIS! JESUS ALWAYS TOLD IT LIKE IT WAS. SO DID PAUL. SO DID DAVID, ABRAHAM, PETER, JOHN, JOB, EZEKIEL AND EVEN GOD. YOU WILL NEVER FIND A PLACE IN THE BIBLE WHERE JESUS DENIED THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SAYING WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE DOES NOT CAUSE IT TO HAPPEN! IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED!

GIVING TO GET

2011-02-15T07:15:00.001-08:00

Luke 6:38 (King James Version)

38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

SOWING AND REAPING FOR MONEY IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TEACHINGS WITHIN THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE. I HAVE HEARD HUNDREDS OF SERMONS AND TESTIMONIES ABOUT THIS PRINCIPLE OVER THE YEARS AND HAVE DONE MORE THAN MY FAIR SHARE OF TEACHING ABOUT IT AS WELL. IT MADE ME GREEDY. IT TAINTED ALL OF MY MOTIVES.

THE PRINCIPLE IS THIS, EVERY TIME YOU SOW YOU REAP A HARVEST. IF YOU SOW MONEY, YOU REAP MONEY. IF YOU SOW FRIENDSHIP THEN YOU REAP FRIENDSHIP. JUST AS YOU WOULD SOW AN APPLE SEED FOR MORE APPLES, IF YOU WILL DO THE SAME WITH YOUR MONEY THEN YOU WILL REAP A MONEY HARVEST.

THIS TEACHING CAN BE HEARD IN JUST ABOUT EVERY WORD OF FAITH CHURCH SERVICE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. THERE IS A LOT OF TRUTH TO IT, BUT IT IS NOT THE TRUTH. THE WORD OF FAITH IS BAD ABOUT CHERRY PICKING CERTAIN SCRIPTURES AND TURING THEM INTO RELIGIONS IN THEMSELVES.

I ONCE GAVE RICHARD SCRUSHY A FIFTY DOLLAR BILL IN A CARD. (RICHARD SCRUSHY WAS THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF HEALTHSOUTH, A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL COMPANY THAT HE HAD STARTED THAT MADE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS) A FEW YEARS LATER, RICHARD WROTE ME A CHECK FOR $50,000 DOLLARS, WHICH I USED TO PAY FOR BRICKS FOR MY CHURCH BUILDING.

SO, WAS THIS A RESULT OF SOWING AND REAPING, OR JUST A RE-PAYMENT OF A KIND ACT? EITHER WAY IT WORKED, AND I HAVE A HUNDRED PERSONAL TESTIMONIES SIMILAR TO THIS ONE. ONE TIME AS A WORD OF FAITH PASTOR, I ASKED FOR VOLUNTEERS TO COME FORWARD AT CHURCH ONE MORNING. I DIDN'T SAY WHAT THEY WOULD BE VOLUNTEERING FOR BUT I ASKED FOR FIVE PEOPLE.

IT WAS LIKE PULLING TEETH, OR MAKING A KIDS TAKE A BATH, BUT FINALLY FIVE PEOPLE CAME FORWARD TO THE ALTAR. I GAVE EACH ONE OF THEM A CRISP ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL AS SEED FOR MYSELF. OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I HAD A NICE HARVEST! THE MONEY AND BLESSINGS CAME POURING IN!

THE PROBLEM AND DANGER WITH THIS TEACHING IS THAT IT CAN CAUSE A PERSON'S MOTIVES TO GET MIXED UP AND CORRUPTED. YOU CAN DEVELOP A MIND SET OF GIVING TO GET, INSTEAD OF GIVING TO BLESS. WHAT CAN START OUT AS A SIMPLE PRINCIPLE TO BLESS OTHERS CAN TURN INTO A GREEDY OBSESSION.

I HAVE SEEN MANY A GOOD CHRISTIAN BECOME ALL WRAPPED UP INTO PROSPERITY TEACHING AND TURN INTO PEOPLE THAT CAUSE OTHER FOLKS TO RUN AWAY FROM QUICKER THAN AN AMWAY SALESMAN. AFTER MONTHS AND YEARS OF THIS TEACHING, IT NO LONGER IS ABOUT BLESSING YOUR FELLOW MAN, BUT ABOUT BUILDING UP YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS AND SEEING HOW MUCH STUFF U=YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT WAS JESUS'S INTENTION TO LAY OUT A GET RICH SCHEME WHEN HE TAUGHT THIS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, HE WASN'T EVEN TALKING ABOUT MONEY. HE WAS TALKING ABOUT GIVING AND SHARING WITH OTHERS. YET THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL HAD TURNED THIS INTO A MARKETING GADGET.

TURN ON CHRISTIAN TELEVISION TODAY AND YOU WILL HEAR TELEVANGELIST TALKING ABOUT SOWING A FINANCIAL SEED INTO THEIR MINISTRIES SO THAT YOU CAN RECEIVE A MIRACLE OR A BLESSING FROM GOD. MICHAEL MURDOCK IS PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS WITH THIS TYPE OF TEACHING TODAY. HE HAS TAKEN ORAL ROBERT'S PLACE IN THE SEED TIME AND HARVEST SCAM.

IT PRODUCES A CYCLE. PREACHERS ASK YOU TO SOW A SEED INTO THEIR MINISTRY, PROMISING YOU A SUPERNATURAL HARVEST OF THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU NEED FROM GOD. ACCORDING TO THEM, IF YOU SOW A GOOD SEED INTO THEIR GOOD GROUND, THEN YOUR HEALING OR MARITAL BLESSING IS JUST AHEAD. HAVE A BAD MARRIAGE? HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS? HAVE LACK? THEN SOW A FINANCIAL SEED AND GOD WILL GIVE YOU A BREAKTHROUGH HARVEST.

THIS IS BOTH TWISTING THE SCRIPTURE FOR GAIN, AND TAKING WHAT JESUS SAID TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL THAN WHAT HE PROMISED. JESUS NEVER SAID TO SOW A MONEY SEED IF YOU NEED A HEALING. JESUS NEVER SAID TO SOW A FINANCIAL BLESSING INTO A MINISTRY TO SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE. JESUS SIMPLY SAID TO GIVE AND THAT YOU WOULD RECEIVE, AND HE WAS NOT NECESSARILY TALKING ABOUT MONEY.

I HAD A POLICE OFFICER FRIEND THAT BECAME HEAVILY INVOLVED IN A WORD OF FAITH CHURCH HERE IN BIRMINGHAM. HE WAS A BABY CHRISTIAN, ON FIRE FOR GOD, AND EXCITED ABOUT HIS NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST. HE WAS A SOUL WINNER AND A WITNESS. AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS OF INTENSE PROSPERITY TEACHING, HE BECAME A MISERY TO BE AROUND. EVERYTHING ABOUT HIS CONVERSATION BECAME ABOUT MATERIAL BLESSINGS.

GOD IS GOOD! HE GAVE ME A CRUISE! GOD IS GOOD, HE GAVE ME A NEW CAR! GOD IS GOOD, HE GAVE ME A HOUSE! GOD IS GOOD, HE GAVE ME A NEW MOTORCYCLE. HIS WHOLE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST AND ALL OF HIS TESTIMONIES BECAME ABOUT MONEY AND THINGS.

I HAVE A FEW WORD OF FAITH PREACHER FRIENDS THAT I CANNOT STAND TO BE AROUND. ALL THEY TALK ABOUT IS GETTING STUFF, SUCCESS, PROMOTION, INCREASE, FAVOR, FINANCES. WHERE DID JESUS GO? JESUS AND PAUL PREACHED AGAINST THE LOVE OF MONEY REPEATEDLY. BUT THIS TYPE OF TEACHING CORRUPTS.

ONE DAY, TOWARDS THE END OF MY WORD OF FAITH DAYS, I REMEMBER DROPPING SOME MONEY INTO A DONATION BUCKET AT A GAS STATION FOR A CRIPPLED TEENAGER. THE FIRST THOUGH THAT POPPED INTO MY MIND WAS.....WHEN WILL I GET A RETURN? HOW TERRIBLE? BUT THAT IS THE MIND SET OF THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT, AND HOW IT CAN TWIST ALL OF YOUR THINKING OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

WHAT THE HECK IS THE WORD OF FAITH ANYHOW?

2011-02-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

SO WHAT THE HECK IS THE WORD OF FAITH YOU ASK? MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM ALTHOUGH THEY RECOGNIZE THE TEACHING UNDER OTHER NAMES SUCH AS THE FAITH MESSAGE, THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL, THE HEALTH AND WEALTH GOSPEL OR EVEN as THE NAME IT CLAIM IT TEACHING.

JUST FLIP ON YOUR TELEVISION SET AND CHANCES ARE THAT YOU WILL RUN ACROSS SOME SLICK HAIRED SMILING TELEVANGELIST PREACHING ABOUT HOW GOD WANTS YOU TO BE HEALED AND RICH AND YOU HAVE FOUND A WORD OF FAITH PREACHER PROCLAIMING THE WORD OF FAITH.

ALTHOUGH IT USED TO BE CONSIDERED AS HERESY AND ERROR, TELEVANGELIST SUCH AS JOEL OSTEEN, BENNY HINN AND JOYCE MEYER HAVE MADE IT A POPULAR MESSAGE THAT HAS WORKED ITS WAY INTO MOST EVERY MAINSTREAM CHURCH AND BOOKSTORE.

BASICALLY THE FAITH MESSAGE TEACHES THAT ALL OF THE PROMISES OF GOD CAN BE YOURS IN THIS LIFE NOW IF YOU WILL JUST HAVE FAITH AND CLAIM THE PROMISES OF GOD BY SPEAKING THEM OR CONFESSING THEM OUT LOUD. IN THE WORD OF FAITH THEOLOGY, (WHICH I TAUGHT FOR FOURTEEN YEARS) EVERY PROMISE IN THE BIBLE IS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TODAY, NO MATTER WHAT THE CONTEXT.

(MANY OF THE POPULAR SCRIPTURES THAT FAITH PREACHERS LIKE TO USE ARE OFTEN TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT, AND AWAY FROM THEIR SETTING AND INTENDED MEANINGS)

GOD WANTS YOU HEALED. GOD WANTS YOU WELL. GOD WANTS YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL, RICH, DIVINELY PROTECTED AT ALL TIMES, WITHOUT LACK, WITHOUT SICKNESS, VICTORIOUS, AND TO ENJOY A LONG LIFE FOR ALL THAT WILL BELIEVE AND CONFESS THE WORD. IN WORD OF FAITH TEACHING, IT IS NEVER GOD'S WILL FOR YOU TO BE SICK, OR TO HAVE ANY LACK OF MONEY, OR TO HAVE A TRAGEDY OR A CIRCUMSTANCE THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM BEING HAPPY.

THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE TEACHES THAT GOD'S WORD IS GOD'S WILL IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE, AND THAT THE WILL AND SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IS NEVER THE QUESTION. THE FAITH MESSAGE TEACHES THAT IT IS ALWAYS GOD'S WILL FOR YOU TO BE PROTECTED, LIVE A LONG LIFE, TO BE HEALTHY AND TO HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY.

(NEVER MIND THE FACT THAT JESUS DIED YOUNG, ALMOST ALL OF THE APOSTLES WERE KILLED, AND THAT PAUL EXPERIENCED SICKNESS, TRAGEDY AND LACK THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE)

THE ENTIRE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE HINGES ON THE FOLLOWING TWO PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE:

Mark 11:22-24 (King James Version)

22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

AND...............

Romans 10:9-10 (King James Version)

9That 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.

10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

SEE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN BELIEVING IN YOUR HEART AND CONFESSING WITH YOUR MOUTH? THAT IS THE "FAITH FORMULA" OF THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE. IF YOU WILL BELIEVE GOD'S WORD WITH YOUR HEART, AND CONFESS IT WITH YOUR MOUTH, THEN ALL OF GOD'S BLESSINGS AND PROMISES WILL MANIFEST IN YOUR LIFE! (GOD'S WILL IS NEVER IN QUESTION)

OF COURSE MOST NORMAL PEOPLE DESIRE TO BE HEALTHY AND HAVE ALL OF THE MONEY THAT THEY NEED. MOST PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE A LONG HAPPY LIFE WITH NO CAR WRECKS, PLANE CRASHES OR TORNADOES. EVERYONE WANTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND LIVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE. SO THIS IS THE APPEAL OF THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE: YOU HAVE WITHIN YOURSELVES THE PROMISE, THE ABILITY AND THE POWER TO HAVE HEALTH AND WEALTH JUST BY BELIEVING IT AND SPEAKING IT.

PEOPLE DESIRE TO HAVE CONTROL IN THEIR LIVES. THIS MESSAGE OFFERS CONTROL TO THE BELIEVER. IT IS ALMOST THE SAME EXACT MESSAGE AND TEACHING THAT IS BEING TAUGHT IN NEW AGE CIRCLES. FOR INSTANCE, GOOGLE THE POPULAR NEW AGE BOOK: "THE SECRET" AND YOU WILL QUICKLY DISCOVER THAT IT IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE FAITH MESSAGE THAT IS BEING TAUGHT ON TELEVISION.

SUCCESS. HEALTH. SELF-EMPOWERMENT. WEALTH. PROMOTION, FAVOR, WISDOM, ALL AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, OR SHOULD I SAY YOUR LIPS, JUST BY BELIEVING AND SPEAKING.

IT'S NOT JUST A COINCIDENCE THAT THERE ARE SO MANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE NEW AGE TEACHING AND THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE ONCE YOU DO SOME RESEARCH AND FIND OUT THAT THEY COME FROM THE SAME SOURCES!

TODAY'S WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE, AS IT IS TAUGHT BY MOST POPULAR TELEVANGELIST, IS IN LARGE PART A RESULT OF THE TEACHING OF THE LATE KENNETH E. HAGIN, THE FATHER OF THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE. KENNETH HAGIN'S TEACHING IS HEAVILY BASED UPON TWO SOURCES:

1) HIS CLAIMED EIGHT VISITATIONS WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. FACE TO FACE, WHERE JESUS TAUGHT HIM ABOUT FAITH.

AND......

2) HIS PLAGIARISM OF EW KENYON, WHO WAS A FREE WILL BAPTIST PREACHER THAT WAS AN AVID STUDENT OF THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT THAT HEAVILY INFLUENCED HIS WRITINGS.

EW KENYON ATTENDED THE EMERSON SCHOOL OF ORATORY IN BOSTON, WHICH WAS THE HOT BED FOR THE NEW AGE, NEW THOUGHT AND METAPHYSICAL TEACHING MOVEMENTS IN NEW ENGLAND OF HIS DAY. KENYON ATTENDED MANY OF THESE LECTURES AND BLENDED THE NEW AGE TEACHING WITH THE GOSPEL.

KENNETH HAGIN TOOK SEVERAL PARTS OF KENYON'S BOOKS AND REPUBLISHED THEM AS THE AUTHOR. HAGIN WAS EVENTUALLY SUED BY KENYON'S DAUGHTER AND SETTLED OUT OF COURT. THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES OF THIS PLAGIARISM ALL OVER THE INTERNET. THE NEW AGE AND NEW THOUGHT CONCEPTS ARE WOVEN DEEPLY INTO KENYON'S WRITINGS AND FURTHER DUPLICATED IN KENNETH HAGIN'S PREACHING.

ADD TO THIS THE SPECIAL REVELATION THAT KENNETH HAGIN CLAIMED TO HAVE RECEIVED FACE TO FACE FROM JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF, AND YOU HAVE TODAY'S POPULAR WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT!

KENNETH HAGIN'S NEW GOSPEL HAS SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE AND IS NOW CONSIDERED MAINSTREAM ON SUCH CHRISTIAN TELEVISION NETWORKS AS TBN AND CAN BE FOUND IN ALMOST ANY CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE. JOEL OSTEEN'S FATHER, THE LATE JOHN OSTEEN, WAS A CLOSE FRIEND AND DISCIPLE OF KENNETH HAGIN, AND HAGIN'S TEACHINGS ARE LACED THROUGHOUT OSTEEN'S USER FRIENDLY MESSAGE.

SO WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH THIS TEACHING? PLENTY! MORE LATER!

IS HEALING AND FINANCES INCLUDED IN THE ATONEMENT?

2011-02-14T09:38:00.001-08:00

Isaiah 53:4-5 (King James Version)

4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Matthew 8:17 (King James Version)

17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

1 Peter 2:24 (King James Version)

24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

THE WORD OF FAITH PREACHERS TEACH THAT WHEN JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS ON THE CROSS, THAT HE ALSO WAS DYING FOR OUR HEALTH AND FINANCES. MANY POPULAR FAITH PREACHERS SAY THAT WHEN JESUS TOOK CARE OF THE SIN PROBLEM ON CALVARY, THAT HE ALSO TOOK CARE OF OUR SICKNESSES AND FINANCIAL NEEDS THERE TOO.

I USED TO PREACH THAT AS SOON AS YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED FOR YOUR HEALING JUST AS YOU BELIEVE THAT HE DIED FOR YOUR SINS THEN YOUR HEALING WOULD MANIFEST IMMEDIATELY. "WHEN YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS WANTS YOU HEALED JUST LIKE HE WANTS TO FORGIVE YOU, AS MUCH AS YOU BELIEVE THAT TWO PLUS TWO EQUALS FOUR, THEN YOU WILL BE HEALED" IS WHAT I USED TO SAY.

OF COURSE THIS TYPE OF TEACHING IS ERRONEOUS AND BRINGS NEEDLESS CONDEMNATION TO THE SICK AND AFFLICTED THAT HAVE TRUSTED GOD WITH THEIR SALVATION. I HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES WHEN THIS MESSAGE IS TAUGHT AND FEEL TREMENDOUS GUILT AND RESPONSIBILITY NOW FOR HAVING MADE ANYONE FEEL THAT WAY.

KENNETH COPELAND WOULD ALWAYS SAY THAT GOD HAS ALREADY DONE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR HEALING AND FINANCES WHEN HE SENT JESUS TO DIE FOR YOUR SINS. BUT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH THIS? NO IT DOES NOT!

ALTHOUGH SIN IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS TODAY, JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS AND NOT FOR OUR PHYSICAL HEALING AND BANK ACCOUNTS. IN ISAIAH THE PROPHET WAS LOOKING TO CALVARY AND POINTING TO THE FUTURE THAT CHRIST THE MESSIAH WOULD DIED FOR OUR SPIRITUAL HEALING.

IN MATTHEW, THE WRITER SAYS THAT THIS WAS FULFILLED AS JESUS WALKED ABOUT HEALING PEOPLE FROM THEIR PHYSICAL AILMENTS, AND MENTIONS NOTHING ABOUT THE ATONEMENT. IN FIRST PETER, THE CONTEXT OF THE VERSE FROM ISAIAH IS CONCERNING FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY, IF JESUS HAD DIED FOR OUR SICKNESSES AND FINANCES, THEN AS SOON AS SOMEONE HEARS THE GOSPEL AND ACCEPTS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR, AND BECOMES BORN AGAIN, THEN JUST AS THEIR SINS ARE FORGIVEN INSTANTLY, THEY WOULD ALSO EXPERIENCE PHYSICAL HEALING FOR ALL SICKNESS AS WELL AND FINANCES AT THE MOMENT OF CONVERSION!

BUT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A PARAPLEGIC OR TRULY BLIND PERSON GET HEALED AT CONVERSION. NOR AFTERWARDS. NEITHER HAVE I EVER WITNESSED A LOST PERSONS BILLFOLD SWELL UP AS THEY SAY THE SINNER'S PRAYER! NO, JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS, NOT FOR OUR MUTUAL FUNDS AND HANGNAILS.

THIS IS JUST SIMPLY YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE ERROR THAT IS BEING TAUGHT IN WORD OF FAITH CIRCLES, THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME BY SELF-TAUGHT FAITH PREACHERS, MOST OF WHOM HAVE NEVER HAD A LICK OF A PROFESSIONAL THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION. MOST FAITH PREACHERS OUT THERE HAVE BEEN SELF EDUCATED, PRIMARILY BY LISTENING TO OR TRAINING UNDER OTHER FAITH PREACHERS, WHOM THEMSELVES HAVE NEVER ATTENDED ANY SORT OF DENOMINATIONAL SEMINARY.

THE RESULT IS MASSES OF INNOCENT AND WELL MEANING BELIEVERS FEELING UTTERLY CONDEMNED OVER THEIR SEEMING LACK OF FAITH. THEY ARE TAUGHT THAT THE PROBLEM RECEIVING THEIR HEALING IS ALWAYS ON THEIR END, THAT GOD IS JUST BUSTING AT THE SEEMS TO GRANT HEALING, IF ONLY THEY WOULD EXERCISE A WEE BIT MORE FAITH.

ARE WE STILL SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THE OLD TESTAMENT?

2011-02-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

Romans 10:4 (New Living Translation)

4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.[a] As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

Galatians 2:16 (New Living Translation)

16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”[a]

THE HEALER COMES TO TOWN

2011-02-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

AFTER OUR BIG TRIP TO LOUISIANA, AND AFTER MUCH ARM TWISTING AND BEGGING, I WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE THE FAITH HEALER TO COME TO MY CHURCH FOR A WEEK LONG REVIVAL. HE AGREED TO COME, SET A DATE, AND NOW IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO GO TO WORK BUILDING UP THE EXCITEMENT OF THE MEETING.

I DIDN'T KNOW IT THEN, BUT WHAT I WAS DOING WAS "STACKING THE DECK", OR "GETTING THE CROWD READY" FOR THE FAITH HEALER. I SPENT THE NEXT FEW CHURCH SERVICES TELLING MY CONGREGATION ALL ABOUT THIS PREACHER, HOW HE LIVED IN A SWAMP, HOW HE COULD GET ANYONE SAVED, NO MATTER WHO, AND THAT HE COULD GET ANYONE HEALED ON THE SPOT INSTANTLY.

I EVEN STOOD UP THOSE SEVENTEEN MEN THAT I HAD TOOK WITH ME ON THE TRIP TO TESTIFY AT HOW ANOINTED THE FAITH HEALER WAS, AND ABOUT HOW THEY WERE EXCITED TO HAVE HIM COMING TO DO A REVIVAL.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW FOR A FACT: IF YOU ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE THAT PEOPLE WILL GET SAVED AND HEALED INSTANTLY, YOU WILL DRAW A REALLY BIG CROWD THAT IS TINGLING WITH EXCITEMENT AND FAITH. THE FOLKS WILL GET INTO A SORT OF FRENZY. THEIR ADRENALIN WILL BE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH, AS WELL AS THEIR EMOTIONS AND HOPES.

I DID NOT DO ANY OF THIS TO MANIPULATE PEOPLES FAITH OR HOPE. I DID IT NATURALLY. NO ONE COACHED ME TO DO IT, AND NO ONE TRAINED ME TO DO IT IN A CLASS. IT WAS JUST THAT I KNEW THAT IF YOU COULD GET FOLKS PUMPED UP, THEN THEY WOULD RESPOND.

AND RESPOND THEY DID. WE HAD THE BIGGEST CROWD IN CHURCH HISTORY WITH NOT EVEN ROOM FOR A CHURCH MOUSE. IT WAS JAMMED PACK. I HAD PROMISED FOLKS THAT MY FRIEND COULD GET THEIR LOVED ONES SAVED AND HEALED, INSTANTLY.

CHURCH PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT YOU TELL THEM, AND MOST PEOPLE IN GENERAL WILL DO ANYTHING THAT YOU TELL THEM IF YOU SAY IT THE RIGHT WAY. ADD TO THIS THAT A GOOD MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE DRAWN TO THE HEALTH AND WEALTH GOSPEL ARE SICK AND BROKE AS WELL AS GULLIBLE. PLUS, MANY WELL MEANING PEOPLE IN THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT WILL SWALLOW JUST ABOUT ANYTHING HOOK, LINE AND SINKER.

DURING THE FIRST SERVICE, MY FRIENDS ASKED EVERYONE TO COME FORWARD THAT HAD SICKNESS OR PAIN IN THEIR BODY. SIXTY NINE PEOPLE CAME FORWARD FOR PRAYER, AND SIXTY EIGHT PEOPLE STATED THAT THEY WERE HEALED AFTER MY FRIEND PRAYED FOR THEM.

ONLY ONE TEENAGE GIRL SAID THAT SHE WAS NO BETTER. ONE ELDERLY MAN CLAIMED HEALING FROM HAVING TO USE A WALKER, BUT HE WAS USING THE WALKER THE NEXT NIGHT. A LADY BLIND IN ONE EYE CLAIMED TO BE ABLE TO SEE LIGHT AFTER BEING PRAYED FOR.

NOW MY FRIEND HAD SOME SPECIAL WAYS OF GETTING FOLKS HEALED. AND HE WAS GREAT WITH HEADACHES, TOOTHACHES AND BACKACHES. USUALLY HE WOULD ASK IF ANYONE IN THE CROWD HAD ONE OF THESE SYMPTOMS (ANYTIME YOU HAVE 500 PEOPLE IN A ROOM, YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY OF FOLKS WITH HEADACHES, HURTING LEFT ANKLES, BURNING SENSATIONS IN THEIR EARS ETC).

WHEN THE PERSON WOULD COME FORWARD WITH THE DESCRIBED AILMENT, MY PREACHER FRIEND WOULD CHAT WITH HIM FOR A MOMENT, THE AS QUICK AS A VIPER HE WOULD REACH OUT, GRAB THE PERSON BY THE HEAD AND NECK AND YELL: JESUS! MOST OF THE TIME THE PERSON FELL BACK AND THEN CLAIMED TO BE HEALED. SIMPLE AS THAT!

THE FAITH HEALER

2011-02-08T16:09:00.001-08:00

I KEPT HEARING STORIES FROM FELLOW PREACHERS ABOUT AN EVANGELIST IN LOUISIANA THAT WAS GETTING FOLKS SAVED AND HEALED LEFT AND RIGHT. ONE PASTOR IN PARTICULAR HAD HIM IN HIS CHURCH SEVERAL TIMES AND WOULD CALL ME AND JUST GO ON AND ON ABOUT HOW POWERFULLY ANOINTED THIS FELLOW WAS. HE WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING VERY ECCENTRIC, FLAMBOYANT AND UNORTHODOX.

AFTER ABOUT TWO YEARS OF HEARING ABOUT THIS GUY I WAS INVITED TO A MEET AND GREAT THAT THE EVANGELISTIC WAS HOSTING FOR OTHER WORD OF FAITH MINISTERS TO GET TO KNOW HIM. IT WAS AT SOME FAR OFF IN THE WOODS RETREAT WITH ABOUT EIGHTY OTHER FAITH PREACHERS AND PLENTY OF FOOD.

I MET THE GUY AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS DEMEANOR AND WARMNESS IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT HE WAS VERY FUNNY AND ENTERTAINING. WE SWAPPED TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND BEGAN TO CHAT QUITE A BIT ON THE PHONE OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. WE BECAME FAST FRIENDS AND I FELT VERY DRAWN TO HIM AS IF THERE WAS SOME DIVINE CONNECTION.

ONE DAY ON WHIM I GOT ANOTHER ONE OF MY CRAZY IDEAS, AND CALLED HIM UP TO SEE IF I COULD BRING MY STAFF OVER TO HIS HOUSE IN LOUISIANA TO SPEND THE WEEKEND. LEGEND HAD IT THAT HE LIVED IN A SWAMP ALL ALONE AND THAT HE ONLY LEFT HOME TO HUNT OR PREACH AND WHEN HE DID HE FLEW HIS OWN AIRPLANE.

THE PREACHER AGREED AND THEN I GOT ANOTHER CRAZY IDEA TO INVITE MOST OF THE DEACONS AT THE EDGE TO GO WITH US. I CALLED THE PREACHER AND HE AGREED TO HAVE SEVENTEEN OF US DOWN FOR A WEEKEND.

WHEN WE ARRIVED IN LOUISIANA IN SEVERAL PICK UP TRUCKLOADS, WE WERE GREETED WITH SOME OF THE COLDEST WEATHER IN THAT STATES HISTORY. IT WAS NINE DEGREES. BUT MY FRIEND HAD A HOUSE FULL OF FOOD AND A LARGE FIREPLACE WITH PLENTY OF ROOM FOR MY POSSE.

NOW THIS PREACHER FRIEND OF MINE WAS QUITE THE EVANGELIST. HE COULD GET JUST ABOUT ANYBODY INSTANTLY HEALED OR SAVED, NO MATTER WHO THEY WERE OR WHERE THEY WERE. HE WOULD WITNESS IN A BATHROOM OR A BURGER KING AND LED PEOPLE TO CHRIST ANS GET THEM HEALED ON THE SPOT. HE WAS EXTREMELY PERSONABLE AND LIKABLE AND COULD MAKE YOU LAUGH OR CRY WITH HIS STORIES.

THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP WAS THAT I WANTED MY CHURCH MEN TO HEAR ALL OF THESE EXCITING STORIES ABOUT SOUL WINNING AND HEALING. HE MADE IT SO REAL, SO FUNNY AND SO EASY TO DO. MY GUYS GOT REALLY, REALLY FIRED UP AND IT WAS PROBABLY THE BEST MEN'S CHURCH MEETING THAT I HAVE EVER BEEN A PART OF TO THIS DAY.

USING YOUR FAITH LIKE A TOOL

2011-02-08T15:48:00.001-08:00

I REFER TO THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT SIMPLY AS THE FAITH MESSAGE. THAT'S BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS: A MESSAGE ABOUT FAITH. NOT FAITH AS IN TRUSTING GOD, OR HAVING FAITH IN GOD, BUT IT IS ABOUT HOW TO USE FAITH TO GET STUFF. IN OTHER WORDS, INSTEAD OF FAITH BEING ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP, FAITH BECOMES A TOOL THAT YOU USE.

IT IS VERY EASY TO GET SWEPT AWAY INTO THE FAITH MESSAGE AND TO GET CAUGHT UP INTO ALL THE FORMULAS AND MECHANICS. I HAVE SEEN MANY, MANY CHRISTIANS START OUT IN THE FAITH MOVEMENT OF FIRE FOR GOD BUT THEN BECOMING OBSESSED WITH FAITH AS A TOOL.

MOST OF THE TEACHING IN THE FAITH MESSAGE IS ABOUT HOW TO GET FAITH AND HOW TO USE IT. AND MOST OF THE EMPHASIS IS ABOUT USING YOUR FAITH TO GET MATERIAL THINGS, OR TO GET YOUR OWN WAY IN LIFE.

GOD'S WILL, PLAN OR SOVEREIGNTY IS RARELY A CONSIDERATION. THE RELATIONSHIP BEGINS TO FADE AWAY. IT BECOMES ABOUT THE STUFF. HEALING. MONEY, PROMOTION, RECOGNITION, FAME, SUCCESS, MATERIALISM, HOUSES, NICER CARS, BIGGER CROWDS. THE STRONGER YOUR FAITHIS, THE MORE STUFF YOU CAN GET FROM GOD.

I SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH OTHER FAITH PREACHERS. MOST OF THE CONVERSATION WAS ALMOST ALWAYS ABOUT FAITH AS A TOOL, OR GETTING MORE STUFF. HAVING MORE, AND GETTING MORE WERE SIGNS OF ONE'S FAITH. IF YOU HAD A LITTLE CHURCH, OR AN INEXPENSIVE CAR, THEN YOU HAD SMALL FAITH. IF YOU HAD A LARGE CHURCH AND A LEXUS, THEN YOU HAD BIG FAITH.

IN THE FAITH MOVEMENT, FAITH IS ALWAYS MEASURED BY THE THINGS YOU OWN AND THE SUCCESS THAT YOU HAVE. HEALTH, WEALTH AND STANDING, ALL THE FRUITS OF HAVING FAITH. I HAVE HEARD A HUNDRED DIFFERENT FAITH PREACHERS BOAST ABOUT HOW THEY HAD ACHIEVED SUCCESS AND PROSPERED BY "BELIEVING" GOD. IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT THEIR FAITH AND SELDOM ABOUT GOD'S SIMPLE GOODNESS OR HIS SOVEREIGNTY.

BUSY WRITING MY FIRST BOOK

2011-02-01T04:54:00.000-08:00

I HAVE BEEN SPENDING MOST OF MY FREE TIME WORKING ON MY FIRST BOOK, "THE FAITH PREACHER" AND HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT 20 CHAPTERS SO FAR. THE MORE I WRITE, THE MORE I REMEMBER!

IT IS ABOUT MY JOURNEY INTO AND OUT FROM THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT AND COVERS ABOUT FOURTEEN YEARS OF MY LIFE AND EXPERIENCES AS A FAITH PREACHER.

I HAD THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE FINISHED IN A WEEK OT TWO BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS BOOK IN MY HEAD FOR OVER TWO YEARS, BUT I HAVE BEEN ADDING THINGS HERE AND THERE AS I REMEMBER CERTAIN TEACHINGS AND EXPERIENCES.

BASICALLY IT BEGINS WHEN I WAS A POLICE OFFICER HOOKED ON KENNETH HAGIN TAPES, MY SCHOOL YEARS AT RHEMA BIBLE TRAINING CENTER, MY DAYS AS THE PASTOR OF THE EDGE IN BIRMINGHAM, AND HOW GOD OPENED MY EYES TO THE MASS DECEPTION OF THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL.

IT IS A "TELL ALL", BUT IT IS NOT VINDICTIVE NOR DISTASTEFUL, JUST DESCRIBING WHAT I SAW, FELT AND EXPERIENCED AS A RHEMA STUDENT, AS A SECURITY OFFICER AT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY, AND AS A WORD OF FAITH PASTOR AND TEACHER FOR TEN YEARS AT A CHURCH I STARTED IN MY HOUSE. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOW GOD BROUGHT ME BACK TO THE TRUTH.

SO, I HAVE BEEN AND WILL BE PRETTY BUSY WITH THIS PROJECT. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IM DOING! IM JUST TELLING MY STORY, IN MY WORDS. I HAVE NO EDITOR. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH IT WHEN IM DONE. BUT IM ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH WITH IT AND HAVING FUN. (THAT RHYMED)

GETTING MY MAIL READ

2011-01-31T17:21:00.000-08:00

8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 1 CORINTHIANS 12

THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE CHARISMATIC PENTECOSTAL CHURCH. BY THAT I MEAN THAT THEY BELIEVE IN, TEACH ABOUT AND MOVE IN ALL OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AS MENTIONED IN ABOVE FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 12.

IT IS VERY COMMON IN WORD OF FAITH CHURCH SERVICES AND MEETINGS TO GET YOUR MAIL READ. THAT IS WHEN YOU GET CALLED OUT OF YOUR PEW BY THE PREACHER, OR WHEN YOU GET PRAYED FOR IN THE MINISTRY PORTION OF THE SERVICE, AND THE PREACHER SPEAKS A WORD FOR YOU THAT IS DIRECTLY FROM GOD.

WE CALLED IT GETTING YOUR MAIL READ. IN MOST CASES, WITHOUT PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, THE PREACHER WOULD BE ABLE TO TELL YOU ABOUT CERTAIN EVENTS PAST OF PRESENT IN YOUR LIFE WITH HIM HAVING ANY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF IT BEFORE.

OR MAYBE THE PREACHER WILL HOLLER OUT A SPECIFIC SYMPTOM OF SICKNESS, OR A CERTAIN PAIN IN THE BODY, AND SOMEONE WOULD COME FORWARD AS BEING THE ONE SUFFERING SO THAT THEY COULD BE PRAYED FOR.

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. I CAN SHOW UP AT MOST ANY CHARISMATIC CHURCH SERVICE, AND NO MATTER WHO THE PREACHER IS, HE OR SHE WILL HAVE A "WORD" FOR ME. I DONT KNOW WHY THAT IS, BUT PROPHETS ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME, AND THEY HAVE BEEN RIGHT AND WRONG AT TIMES.

OK, LETS TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THESE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND I WILL TRY TO EXPLAIN THEM AS I LEARNED THEM FORM KENNETH HAGIN.

WORD OF WISDOM: THE ABILITY TO ADVISE OR KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING IN THE PRESENT OR FUTURE

WORD OF KNOWLEDGE: TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EVENTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES PAST OR PRESENT

YOU CAN READ CHAPTERS 9 AND 10 OF FIRST SAMUEL TO SEE HOW THESE GIFTS OPERATED IN THE PROPHET SAMUEL IN HIS DEALINGS WITH SAUL.

FAITH: THIS IS THE ABILITY TO HAVE SPECIAL FAITH IN SPECIAL SITUATIONS WHEN ORDINARY FAITH IS NOT ENOUGH.

GIFTS OF HEALING: NOTICE THAT IT IS THE GIFTS AND NOT THE GIFT. THE ABILITY TO HEAL THE SICK

WORKING OF MIRACLES: THIS IS THE ABILITY TO WORK MIRACLES, SUCH AS RAISING THE DEAD, OR CHANGING WATER INTO WINE

PROPHECY: THE ABILITY TO SEE INTO THE FUTURE

DISCERNING OF SPIRITS: THE ABILITY TO SEE ANGELS AND DEMONS

DIVERSE KINDS OF TONGUES: THE ABILITY TO SPEAK IN A UNKNOWN TONGUE

INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES: THE ABILITY TO TRANSLATE THOSE UNKNOWN TONGUES INTO MESSAGES FROM GOD.

THERE ARE NINE SEPARATE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT, THREE OF THEM SAY SOMETHING, THREE OF THEM DO SOMETHING, THREE OF THEM KNOW SOMETHING.

THESE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE SUPPOSED TO MANIFEST AS THE SPIRIT WILLS, AND IN MANY WORD OF FAITH MEETINGS, THE SPIRIT WAS USUALLY WILLING.

AN EXAMPLE. ONE DAY, A POLICE FRIEND OF MINE BEGGED ME TO GO HEAR A LADY PROPHET. I DID NOT WANT TO GO, BUT I WAS IN THE TURMOIL OF DECIDING WEATHER OR NOT TO START MY CHURCH, THE EDGE. I HAD SEVERAL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS PULLING ON ME AND I WAS CONFUSED.

WELL, AFTER THE LADY'S SERMON, SHE CALLED PEOPLE FORWARD FOR INDIVIDUAL PRAYER. WHEN SHE GOT TO ME, SHE GRABBED MY HANDS AND STARTED TO "READ MY MAIL". IT WAS AS IF SHE COULD SEE INTO MY HEART AND READ MY MIND. SHE TOLD ME EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON IN MY LIFE AND THEN GAVE ME SOME DIRECTION.

THIS WAS WORD OF KNOWLEDGE, WORD OF WISDOM AND PROPHECY OPERATING AT THE SAME TIME. NOW, DID SHE KNOW THIS BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD? OR HAD SHE BEEN TALKING TO MY FRIEND WHO WAS PRIVY TO MY SITUATION? GOOD QUESTION. MORE ABOUT THIS LATER.

AT ANY RATE, KENNETH HAGIN AND MANY OF MY FELLOW WORD OF FAITH PREACHERS WERE AMAZINGLY GIFTED ALONG THESE LINES, AND MANY REGARDED KENNETH HAGIN AS A TRUE PROPHET THAT COULD SEE INTO THE FUTURE AS WELL AS INTO THE PAST. A PROPHET IS A "SEER". HE CAN SEE INTO THE SPIRIT REALM.

NOTE: AS I LATER LEARNED, THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF TRICKS TO DOING THESE THINGS IN THE NATURAL, THOUGH COLD READING AND THE POWER OF SUGGESTION, AS WELL AS BY FINDING OUT BITS OF INFORMATION ABOUT A PERSON THROUGH A PASTOR OR PEOPLE PLANTED IN THE AUDITORIUM. ALSO, THERE ARE FAMILIAR SPIRITS!

GETTING TURNED ON TO THE WORD

2011-01-29T07:05:00.001-08:00

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 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 GALATIANS 1:6-8

AFTER READING MY FIRST KENNETH HAGIN BOOK I HAD TO KNOW MORE. I LIKED WHAT I WAS READING, IT GAVE ME HOPE THAT GOD WOULD SPARE MY WIFE FROM HAVING HIV OR AIDS AND I WANTED TO LEARN MORE.

BEING A POLICE OFFICER CAN BE A VERY BORING JOB AT TIMES. IT CAN GET VERY ROUTINE AND MONOTONOUS, WITH LONG PERIODS OF TIME BETWEEN HOT CALLS AND EXCITEMENT. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS, I DROVE TO A LOCAL CHURCH THAT I KNEW WAS AFFILIATED WITH RHEMA AND KENNETH HAGIN. IT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL WORD O FAITH CHURCH
AND THE PASTOR THERE WAS A FORMER POLICE OFFICER, SO I FELT A CONNECTION.

THEY HAD A BOOKSTORE THAT SOLD ALL KINDS OF KENNET HAGIN TAPES AND BOOKS. I HAD BROUGHT MY TAPE PLAYER FROM HOME, AND BOUGHT TWO TAPE SERIES BY KENNETH HAGIN. ONE WAS CALLED "REDEEMED FROM THE CURSE" AND THE SECOND WAS CALLED "THE BELIEVER'S AUTHORITY".

WITH MUCH EXCITEMENT I POPPED IN THE FIRST TAPE FROM "THE BELIEVER'S AUTHORITY" AND STARTED TO LISTEN INTENTLY. (IM A GOOD LISTENER)

IN THE BELIEVER'S AUTHORITY SERIES, KENNETH HAGIN CLAIMED THAT HE HAD SOME VISIONS WHERE JESUS APPEARED TO HIM FOR SOME LONG DISCUSSIONS AND DEBATES. HE TALKED ABOUT ONE PARTICULAR VISION IN WHICH A LITTLE DEMON APPEARED BETWEEN HIM AND JESUS, LET OUT A SMOKE SCREEN AND MADE A BUNCH OF RACKET. HAGIN SAID THAT THE DEMON WAS BLOCKING HIS VIEW OF JESUS AND DROWNING OUT HIS WORDS.

HAGIN RELATED THAT HE WAS PERPLEXED WITH THE SITUATION AND WAS UPSET THAT JESUS DID NOTHING TO STOP THE DEVIL. FINALLY, HAGIN CLAIMS THAT HE TOOK AUTHORITY OF THE DEMON, REBUKED HIM, AND AS A RESULT THE LITTLE DEMON COWERED DOWN AND RAN AWAY.

AT THIS POINT JESUS THANKS HAGIN FOR REBUKING THE DEVIL, EXPLAINS THAT HE (JESUS) HAD BEEN UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE DEVIL FOR HAGIN BECAUSE HE (CHRIST) HAD ALREADY DELEGATED THAT AUTHORITY TO THE CHURCH, AND THAT IT WAS NOW THE CHURCHES RESPONSIBILITY TO BOSS THE DEVIL AROUND.

AT THIS POINT HAGIN CLAIMS HE AND JESUS WENT ROUND AND ROUND OVER THIS ISSUE AND THAT FINALLY HAGIN INSISTED THAT JESUS BACK UP HIS TEACHING WITH SOME SCRIPTURE. JESUS THEN GIVES HAGIN SEVERAL SCRIPTURES THAT SEEM TO PROVE HIS POINT AND THEN HAGIN CONCEDES TO JESUS THAT JESUS IS RIGHT.

ACTUALLY, HEARING ALL OF THIS SICKENED ME. MY STOMACH GOT UPSET AND I STARTED GETTING SOME STRANGE VIBES ABOUT KENNETH HAGIN, HIS VISIONS AND HIS TESTIMONIES. I STOPPED LISTENING TO HIS TAPES FOR A FEW DAYS, THEN THOUGHT, WELL, WHO'S TO SAY IT DIDNT HAPPEN?

LITTLE DID I REALIZE THE SUBTLE IF NOT BLATANT DECEPTION THAT WAS TAKING PLACE IN MY LIFE. LITTLE DID I REALIZE THE ENORMITY OF HAGINS CLAIMS. IN THESE TEACHINGS, HAGIN, JUST LIKE JOSEPH SMITH OF THE MORMONS, WAS CLAIMING EXTRA REVELATION VIA DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH GOD THE SON.

BUT I WAS GETTING HOOKED. HAGIN'S TEACHING WAS THRILLING, EXCITING, FIRED ME UP AND GAVE PROMISE. IT PROMISED ME THAT IF I HAD FAITH, THAT MY FAMILY AND I COULD LIVE IN PERFECT HEALTH, BECOME WEALTHY, HAVE NO TRAGEDY IN OUR LIVES, AND EXPERIENCE THE SUPER DUPER POWER OF A LIVING GOD IN OUR LIVES.

AND SO THE SEDUCTION OF MY HEART AND SOUL BEGAN.

NEGATIVE WORD OF FAITH EXPERIENCE BY PASTOR ED BERNARD

2011-01-28T18:23:00.000-08:00

You asked if any of us had had a negative experience with the faith-healers. I did. After my wife left the kids and I, I went to several such churches, seeking a "miracle." In other words, I wanted to hear someone tell me she was coming back. I remember to in particular. One guy, this silly little geek, brought me up to the front of the church, knowing my situation, leaned over and prayed, then suddenly shot straight up with a big grin on his face, and shouted out, "God has told me she is coming back!" Then he giggled. I so desperately wanted to believe him, that I told my soon to be ex-wife. Apparently God had not said the same to her. If I had been a little less experienced, it would have devastated me. It sure as hell didn't help. Then, I had one old boy lay hands on my expecting me to fall to the floor. He almost gave me a concussion in the process. And there were others. Let me give you one other example that didn't involve me. I was working in a Christian book store (this was when my ex-wife was running around with that fool.) A woman walked into the bookstore desperately looking for a book. I asked her what she wanted to know. She said that she knew a lady who's mother was dying. She took her to a "prophetess" who proclaimed at an open meeting that her mother would be healed. Well, she died. So she was looking for a book that would justify what had happened. I told her that we had no such book, and if there was one, I wouldn't sell it at the store. I always wondered what happened to the young lady who's mom had died

THE BIG SPLASH

2011-01-28T18:01:00.001-08:00

MY FIRST CONTACT WITH KENNETH HAGIN AND THE WORD OF FAITH WAS BACK IN 1994 WHEN I WAS A BIRMINGHAM POLICE OFFICER. MY WIFE, CONI, WAS A REGISTERED NURSE AT ST VINCENTS HOSPITAL AND WORKING ON THE NIGHT SHIFT. SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH OUR YOUNGEST SON BRIAN, WHO IS SIXTEEN AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING. ONE NIGHT SHE WAS CARING FOR AN AIDS PATIENT. I MEAN AIDS, NOT JUST HIV, BUT FULL BLOWN AIDS WITH SORES AND BLEEDING.

ONE NIGHT AS SHE PASSED HIS ROOM, SHE NOTICED THAT THE TUBE FROM HIS IV HAD COME LOSE AND HAD FALLEN OUT AND ONTO THE FLOOR. BEING PREGNANT, SHE STOOPED DOWN AWKWARDLY TO GRAB THE TUBE, AND WHEN SHE DID IT FLIPPED UP AND THE FLUID STILL INSIDE TH TUBE SPLASHED ACROSS HER OPEN EYES.

SHE WAS SO STUNNED AND AFRAID THAT SHE DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME TO LATER IN THE DAY WHEN I WAS AT WORK. I WAS IN TH POLICE GYM WORKING OUT WHEN SHE CALLED ME SOBBING INTO TH PHONE. I THOUGHT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO THE KIDS. AFTER A FEW MORE HYSTERICAL MINUTES, CONI WAS FINALLY ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

AS I HEARD THE NEWS, MY HEART SANK AND FEAR TOOK OVER. I COULD IMAGINE HAVING A WIFE AND A NEW BORN BABY WITH HIV. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH AND SAID ABOUT A FIVE SECOND PRAYER TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD. I HAD BEEN TERRIBLY BACK SLIDDEN FOR MANY YEARS. I HAD NOT BEEN TO CHURCH MUCH OR READ THE BIBLE IN AT LEAST TEN YEARS.

ABOUT THE ONLY TIME THAT I EVER PRAYED WAS WHEN RESPONDING TO A HOT CALL AS A POLICE OFFICER. IF IT WAS A DANGEROUS SOUNDING CALL, I WOULD MAKE ALL KINDS OF PROMISES TO GOD ABOUT GETTING BACK INTO CHURCH, BUT AS SOON AS THINGS WERE UNDER CONTROL ON THE CALL, I WOULD QUICKLY FORGET MY OATHS AND PROMISES.

BUT THIS TIME I WAS SERIOUS AS A HEART ATTACK. FROM THEN TO NOW, I HAVE STAYED IN MY BIBLE, STAYED IN CHURCH AND PRAYED. (NOT THAT ANY OF THAT MEANS ANYTHING, OUR SALVATION ID OF GOD AND BASED ON GRACE AND NOT OUR EFFORTS)

i IMMEDIATELY STARTED ATTENDING A BAPTIST CHURCH, AND NEARLY JOINED BUT CONI WOULDN'T LET ME. SHE FELT TH BAPTIST CHURCH WAS JUST TO DRY AND DEAD DURING PRAISE AND WORSHIP. IN ONE PARTICULAR SERVICE, A WOMAN GOT UP AND SANG A WONDERFULLY ANOINTED SONG, AND WHEN IT WAS OVER THERE WERE ONLY A FEW SCATTERED AMENS, AND NOT THE AISLE RUNNING SHOUTING PEW JUMPING ENTHUSIASM OF THE ASSEMBLY GOD CHURCHES THAT SHE GREW UP IN.

I STOOD UP IN ROLL CALL, AND IN FRONT OF ALL OF MY POLICE OFFICERS, I ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS NOW SERVING GOD AND WOULD BE MAKING SOME CHANGES IN MY LIFE. NO ONE SAID ANYTHING.

A SHORT TIME LATER, ONE OF THE LEGENDARY POLICE OFFICERS OF MY PRECINCT APPROACHED ME IN THE FOYER OF THE STATION. KNOWING ABOUT MY WIFE HAVING BEEN EXPOSED TO THE HIV VIRUS, AND HAVING TO UNDERGO BLOOD TESTING, HE HANDED ME A BOOK ABOUT DIVINE HEALING BY KENNETH E HAGIN.

AS SOON AS I SAW THE NAME ON THE BOOK I HAD SOME ALARMS GO OFF IN MY GUT, BUT I WAS DESPERATE FOR MY WIFE TO BE HEALED, SO I SAID, WHAT THE HECK, I'LL READ IT. AT LEAST THIS GUY BELIEVED IN HEALING, AND THE BAPTIST OFFERED MY NO REAL HOPE, ONLY THAT GOD WOULD HEAL MY WIFE OF IT WAS HIS WILL, AND THAT HE WOULDNT IF IT WASNT.

SO, I TOOK THAT BOOK OVER TO MY MOMS HOUSE AFTER WORK (SHE LIVED NEAR THE PRECINCT) AND I LAID ACROSS HER BED, AND READ EVERY SINGLE WORD OF THAT BOOK. I LIKED WHAT HE WAS SAYING. AND THE FIRST IMPRESSION THAT I GOT FROM READING IT WAS, WHY HAVE I HEARD BAD THINGS ABOUT THIS GUY? EVERYTHING HE IS SAYING HE CAN BACK UP WITH THE BIBLE.

AND SO IT BEGAN.

TESTIMONY OF RHEMA GRAD AND FORMER RHEMA EMPLOYEE ADAM KRAUSE

2011-01-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

I remember one particular eye-opening experience I had during my second year as a student at Rhema Bible Training Center. It was February, during the week of the annual Winter Bible Seminar held on Rhema’s Broken Arrow campus, and I came down with a horrifying bout of bronchitis and pneumonia complicated by the asthma I have always had. I was supposed to be helping “usher” the WBS services (which is code for providing a large blanket of security for the Hagins and other VIPS), but I was extremely sick, nearly unable to breathe because of the excruciating pain in my chest and lungs. It was so bad, that at times, I just wanted to die because it hurt so badly. I could not lie down because I wouldn’t be able to breathe at all, nor could I move around very much without triggering an asthma attack, so I had to sit my ass down on my couch, not move, and try to sleep at night sitting up. It’s ridiculous, but I actually felt guilty that I was sick and couldn’t go to the meetings to fulfill my “obligation” to the Hagins. We were taught at Rhema, both subtly and blatantly, to honor the “anointing” and the “anointed men and women of God” – we were taught to worship the Hagins. Because of this “hero worship” state of mind I was in, I felt that I was letting the Hagins down by getting sick and being unable to attend the meetings (even though I’m sure they didn’t have a clue who I was). Of course, I avoided going to the hospital because I thought I could beat it “by faith” (but it was probably because of the fact I didn’t have health insurance!)

The week prior, I had just finished Doug Jones’ divine healing class, in which he laid out 7 or 10 or some number of methods for obtaining divine healing from God. Thinking this was the devil making me sick to destroy my faith, I pulled out my class notes, and beginning with the first method covered in class, systematically began to “exercise” my faith to get my healing. Over the course of 4 or 5 days, I tried and retried every single method Doug covered in his class, from laying my own hands on myself to putting cooking oil on my head to rebuking the devil to praying in tongues – and much more. Needless to say, I didn’t get any better. In fact, I kept getting worse. I began to blackout at times and have strange dream-like hallucinations, probably due to the lack of oxygen getting to my brain because of the extreme difficulty I had breathing.

Finally, one morning when I literally felt like I was dying, I summoned what little strength I had left and drove myself to an urgent care clinic. The doctors and nurses were very sympathetic; they gave me some medication to relax the bronchial spasms and open my airways, put me on oxygen for a few hours, told me politely but firmly that I was in bad shape and that I should have come in a long time ago, and then sent me home with some big gun antibiotics. Looking back I realize I was being so foolish. What an idiot I was, thinking I could “get healed” on my own. I was severely ill and probably could have died if I had let it go any further. I should have gone to the doctor days earlier than I did.

After the antibiotics did their job and I was well, I began reflecting on the whole ordeal. I knew that it wasn’t because I didn’t have enough faith that I didn’t get my divine healing – or that I thought that it was up to God whether he healed me or not. We were taught at Rhema that God always wanted us physically healthy, and that if we happened to get sick, it was entirely up to us to align ourselves with “God’s will” and get ourselves healed – and I believed every word of it. I sincerely believed that by performing those 7 or 10 methods, that I would get healed without any medical assistance. Every night I expected to wake up the next morning completely well. None of those methods, supposed truths mined straight out of the Word of God, made me better. Not even for a moment did I feel like it was working and I was getting better. But that didn’t matter to me, because I was taught to ignore my “deceptive” feelings and only “go by faith”. The only reason I got well was because I reached my breaking point, finally went to the hospital and got medicine. There was nothing supernatural about it whatsoever – nothing.

That was the first of many ordeals that directly targeted my foundation of faith, severely shaking my belief system. The fact is what I was taught about faith and healing at Rhema is dead wrong. I don’t doubt that God is able to heal a physical body (if he couldn’t what kind of God would he be?) but I do not believe that we have much, if any, influence over whether he does or does not. Furthermore, it is quite obvious that he does not intervene when it comes to sickness and disease more often than he does. Where human disease and suffering is concerned today, it seems that this God who heals is quite absent, and remains quite silent.

If you are reading this and still believe the Word of Faith message, you will interpret this story to mean that the devil has won and successfully tricked me into believing that God doesn’t heal today. The truth is just the opposite. I once was blind, but now I see. Over the course of many years, through a series of circumstances and interventions, my eyes have been opened to the truth about the Word of Faith movement. No longer am I deluded into thinking I can manipulate God’s arm through formulas and the “force of faith”. No longer do I so arrogantly believe that I am so important to God that I have a right to demand that he give me what I want. No longer do I foolishly think that I have the ability to exercise complete control over life’s circumstances with my thoughts and my words. God is God, and he will do what he pleases. I, well, I am only a man.

Adam G. Krause

PROLOGUE TO MY BOOK, "THE FAITH PREACHER"

2011-01-28T07:40:00.001-08:00

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE DAY THAT MY DAUGHTER DIED. I CAN REMEMBER EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT DAY AND NIGHT WITH VIVID DETAIL AND CLARITY AS IF IT WERE YESTERDAY. IM SURE THAT ANY OTHER PARENT THAT HAS LOST A CHILD CAN DO THE SAME.

IT WAS JUNE 16TH, 2000 ON A FRIDAY. I WAS THE PASTOR OF A WORD OF FAITH CHURCH NAMED "THE EDGE" THAT MY WIFE CONI AND I HAS JUST STARTED A FEW WEEKS BEFORE. WE HAD JUST MOVED INTO A SMALL YELLOW CHURCH HOUSE IN GRAYSON VALLEY, A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

I HAD BEEN UP AT THE NEW CHURCH PRAYING AND CONFESSING THE WORD OF GOD OVER THE CHURCH MEMBERS AND MY FAMILY. IT HAD STARTED TO THUNDERSTORM HEAVILY, SO I WAS TRAPPED IN THE CHURCH. AFTER THE RAIN LET UP, I GOT INTO MY CAR AND DROVE THE MILE OR TWO BACK TO OUR HOUSE, TOTALLY PUMPED UP AND ON FIRE FOR GOD.

THE WEEK BEFORE WE HAD BEGUN A HEALING REVIVAL AT THE EDGE. I WAS TEACHING THE CONGREGATION ALL OF THE HEALING SCRIPTURES FROM GENESIS TO REVELATIONS AND WAS PRAYING FOR THE SICK AT THE SERVICES. I WAS VERY EXCITED. DIVINE HEALING AND FAITH WERE MY FAVORITE TOPICS TO TEACH ABOUT.

ALL THAT WEEK I HAD BEEN LISTENING TO SOME TEACHING TAPES BY ONE OF MY FORMER SEMINARY TEACHERS NAMED KEITH MOORE. HE HAD DONE A SERIES ON THE 91ST PSALM ABOUT GOD'S DIVINE PROTECTION AND DELIVERANCE. AS I DROVE HOME I WAS LISTENING TO HIM TEACH FROM THE SCRIPTURE THAT SAYS THAT WITH EVERY TEMPTATION THAT GOD WOULD PROVIDE AN ESCAPE. (KEITH MOORE INCLUDED TRIALS IN THIS)

I DISTINCTIVELY REMEMBER DRIVING AROUND THE CURVE OF MY CUL-DE-SAC REJOICING TO GOD THAT HE HAD OPENED MY EYES TO SUCH A GREAT MESSAGE. I HAD BEEN STUDYING THE WORD OF FAITH FOR FOUR YEARS, AND I WAS MORE EXCITED ABOUT IT THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN MY WHOLE LIFE. I WAS UTTERLY CONSUMED WITH ITS TEACHINGS AND FELT EXTREMELY FORTUNATE AND BLESSED TO HAVE STUMBLED UPON THIS INCREDIBLE MESSAGE OF HEALTH, WEALTH AND FAITH.

I WAS JUST SO EXCITED THAT GOD HAD GIVEN ME ALL OF THIS AWESOME REVELATION KNOWLEDGE AND WANTED TO SPREAD WHAT I WAS LEARNING ABOUT FAITH AND HEALING TO THE WHOLE WORLD. I TRULY FELT SORRY FOR ALL THE CHURCHES AND DENOMINATIONS THAT WERE BLIND TO THESE WONDERFUL TRUTHS. I HAD TO FIGHT BACK THE TEMPTATION TO FEEL SUPERIOR TO THOSE THAT WERE NOT SO ENLIGHTENED AS I.

LITTLE DID I KNOW AT THAT MOMENT, THAT MY FOURTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER JENNIFER WOULD DIE OF A MASSIVE MALIGNANT BRAIN TUMOR IN JUST A FEW HOURS. IN JUST A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, I WOULD BE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE AMBULANCE THAT WAS RUSHING MY DAUGHTER TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL WHERE SHE WOULD DIE.

EX-WORD OF FAITH TESTIMONY: BOB SCRUGGS

2011-01-27T10:28:00.000-08:00

WORD OF FAITH NONSENSE: ANOTHER EX-WORD OF FAITH TESTIMONY

I've read many of your articles concerning the false prosperity prophets we have today and thank you for exposing them on your web site or You Tube. I would like to point out that this is nothing new, my first exposure to this false teaching was back in 1954 at a Pentecostal church. I left the hospital, recovering from a severe burn accident with my arms infected and was in great pain. A friend of the family started taking me to several Pentecostal healing services in the Washington, DC area. When there were no results the preachers blamed my lack of faith etc,. The friend also took me to a faith healer and tent evangelist Jack Coe, who turned out to be another false teacher, died a year later of polio.I just could not understand why God would not heal me. I was thirteen, saved and thought, based on the teachings I was getting that I did have enough faith to be healed . Several preachers looked at my swollen arms would pray and then say â€œyou have to have faithâ€ , then walk away leaving me feeling like I had no faith and questioned my salvation because of the "Fire And Brimstone " teaching being taught. After months of pain I did recover even though the healing wasn’t instant. GOD was working in my life in spite of the spiritual leadership and false hope I was getting. It was years later that I realized what "JESUS" meant when HE said "My Grace Is Sufficient For You" but the Pentecostal preachers left more scars on me than my burns did.

While attending these loud, out of order and scary services, the pastor would bring in special anointed evangelist that traveled around going from church to church, "preying" on the people, usually on a Friday night (pay day) preaching the same nonsense that you see today. The pay me so God can bless you ministers. Even though I did not attend these services often, one night several years later, just before going into the Marines, the preacher said that "GOD" was going to give a special blessing to all those that would give $100, then $50, then $25. Since I'd just been paid (I cleared around $45 a week) and was leaving home in a few days, I felt I could give $25.00. People lined up with their money in hand, the preacher laid his hand forcefully on their foreheads and they would fall down with the "Catchers " behind them. When it came to my turn I was preparedÂ to fall down, which I did, not because of the so called power of the preacher but because everyone else was falling, as I laid there I even looked around to see if others got up so I could. What a hair raising experience, I stayed away from these â€œ fake" signs and wonders" for years.

Many years later I got involved with a prison ministry. I was to meet my mentor inside a prison for my first volunteer bible study but he did not show up and I had to conduct the bible study on my own. I had never done this before, was unprepared and couldn't wait to it was over. When I walked out of the prison I felt miserable thinking I let God down, but He gave me the desire and compassion for this type of ministry. I was determined to learn what the bible teaches instead of relying on what someone else was teaching in church or on TV and ask the Lord to help me. I really felt inadequate for the task but found that the Holy Spirit really does the work, I have to be willing. I started going to this prison every week and after awhile started conducting bible study's in several prisons. Of the many laymen volunteers that taught " God's Word ", none ever had there names in "Lightsâ€ , asked for money to go to more prisons or portrayed The Lord as some personal benefactor that needs an intercessor (them) to answer prayers. They all talked of forgiveness, personal responsibility, obedience, love, that the Lord is with us through it all, not that He will ALWAYS heal, ALWAYS prosper but that He will ALWAYS be with you. - NO- COPELAND- HINN-PARSEY-ROBERTS, ETC. , no offerings or preach the "WORD OF FAITH" movement . If they had, I doubt if they would have gotten out alive. Which brings up the point, if the "WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT" is correct, it would be easy to convince the lost to come aboard the gravy train, obtain wealth and health. The problem is that only the preachers are prospering by preaching this evil deception. How many inmates would continue to come to the bible studies if they were told they could get wealth and out of prison sooner if they would accept the word of faith gospel and quickly found out it was a lie. Of course, most of these Word of Faith ministers do not go to prisons, partly because they wont get any money there. It is bad enough that some of these preachers raise millions of dollars for themselves, and give precious little to anyone, any organization or ministry in need, but they are puffed up with their own self-importance, some threaten to curse anyone who dare speak against them or disagree with their message and they clearly are teaching a gospel other than that in the bible. The true gospel should and is being taken throughout the world with the same results as the first apostles had, sharing the salvation message and people coming to know Jesus Christ as their personal savior and His plan of salvation. Most of these men and women of God struggle financially, are in a position to help many if they had proper funding but get $0 from these pay me so God will bless/heal you people.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was that a person doesn't have to be cleaver with "GODS WORD" but to teach the basic salvation principles, encouragement, and that great "LOVE OF GOD" and how through "Grace Are We Saved By Faith". I also learned to trust "GODS WORD", LUKE 22:35 NIV JESUS told the disciples "When I Sent You Without Purse, Bag Or Sandals, Did You Lack Anything?" "Nothing" They answered. I had just started a cleaning business to support my family but I did learn to trust God for my needs and my business grew over time and gave me the opportunity to devote more time to the ministry not with a lot of excess or instant wealth but we made enough to meet my needs. Once I was ask to take over a ministry at a brig at a military base that was over 50 miles away. Not really being able to afford it I prayed that God would provide my needs, and He never let me down. Have you noticed that the Word Of Faith preachers want your support money before they go to the next conference?

"Signs And Wonders"- "Fire Conferences" ... Think about this, if I put up posters in the prisons saying there is going to be a special "Signs and Wondersâ€ Conference, would the inmates think that this was a ticket to a magic or freak show? If it was called a "Fire Conference" would the warden greet me with armed guards stating that it’s against state law to start fires or bring explosions in prisons. These terms are misleading.

There comes a time in ministry and our personal lives that we ask ourselves is God's Word real and does it really work? In my years of prison ministry I've seen hundreds come to the simple salvation message with changed lives and with future hope. Not by a fancy sermon or cleaver words but of bringing the words of our Savior Jesus and letting the Holy Spirit do His work. "THE TRUTH Will SET YOU FREE" to the lost. Never did anyone receiving Jesus Salvation Message ever fall backwards, roll on the floor, make animal noises, act insane, or jerk around as you see from the Pentecostal and TV preachers.

What of all the miracles that we hear so much about from the "TV FALSE PROPHETS". I'm convinced that God does miracles in all our lives but that He's the one who deserves the credit, these people talked as if God needs their help and we must go through them for God to act and usually for a price. While in the prison ministry I saw many subtle signs of Gods intervention, I saw lives changed, hope, forgiveness, restoration, understanding, and above all â€“ new â€œheartsâ€ . The Holy Spirit does give a new conscience, I experienced it and saw it in many. Only God can change someone mind and heart without indoctrination. The biggest response I ever received for salvation was when I did not want to go, it was a cold rainy night and I was in a bad mood and not prepared but went out of obedience. I was shown it is definitely God, not me.,One night I came home during an ice/snow storm and was hit from behind at a stop light. Since I was prayed for by the guys and was doing Gods work I was a bit disappointed that I got hit and had slight injuries that is when we really need to trust The Lord when things go bad.The biggest miracle I personally witnessed was when a murderer had accepted the gospel message and ask Christ in his life, regardless of my inadequacies. I had volunteered at a county jail as an assistant chaplain that housed about 2000 prisoners and had about 40 requests a day to see me. On one occasion I went to a special security cell and noticed the person name on the request form had been on the nightly news several weeks before. He had murdered his mother-in-law in front of his wife and kids while high on drugs. Well, this just did not set well with me, I pre-judged him and kept my visit short no "Love Of Christ Here". Later I was really convicted of my sin and letting down Jesus. I went home and ask the Lord to forgive me for judging him, being in a bad mood and not showing the love I needed to show and besides, that is what I was there for, to try to bring others to the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

The next day I went to visit him and ask the guard to let me take him out of the cell to the chaplains office. The guard refused since he was considered very violent and had to be watched 24 hours a day and besides, he said the inmate was twice my size and he could he not be responsible for my safety. I said that God will protect me and something like "This Is God's Business ". He went up the chain of command to get permission and I was able to bring him to the office. The first thing I did was to apologize for not being the Christian that I should have been the day before and for pre-judging him. I ask his forgiveness he was shocked. I gave him some coffee and treats I snuck in. He ask me what kind of sentence he could expect and I told him most likely the electric chair in a few years. He stated that he wanted to die for his crime and ask if God could forgive him. I ask him if he ever heard about King David the giant killer and about his life etc. Even though he was responsible for taken a life God forgave him ! I found that most inmates knew very little about the Bible but most have heard about certain evens in the Bible such as King David.

We discussed Jesus plan of salvation and read scripture and prayed for the Lords Forgiveness. Holding my hands he accepted Jesus into his heart. Was this just a jailhouse conversion or was it real? I know it was real by his response to the simple salvation message, the look in his eyes and his countenance change. The chaplain in charge also saw the change in this mans life and arranged with the sheriff office to allow him to attend bible studies with other inmates without deputy escorts. Now that is a miracle!

As I watch these "False Prophets" on TV always raising money for their ministries, their false prophecies, lavish lifestyles etc, I see the same repeats of the 1950's except they have have a much larger audience to deceive due to the world wide TV coverage they are one of the delusions that God has sent for those who do not know Gods Word. These preachers know what they are doing, laughing their way to the bank and gathering followers the ones that do not know Jesus or are just ignorant of Gods Word and continue to search for Signs And Wonders, etc. following these "False Christ" just as Jesus said they would in the last days.

I'm retired now and as I look back I wonder, as many of us do, did I do enough? Did I fail Jesus because I wasn’t cleaver with my bible study, not a great speaker, what more could/should have I done? I guess we all evaluate what we should have done, but I do know this by teaching God's Word as instructed by Jesus we can't go wrong, we are His disciples and His word proves that if God could use me with all my flaws He can use anybody. I've been reluctant to write this article for various reasons. First, I don't take any credit for what the Lord has done in my life or to make it appear that I'm this great man of faith. Rather, I hope that others might realize that Jesus is working in their life as He did mine, perhaps bringing His subtle caring ways to the surface in your life. Think about this, when I started in the prison ministry I was still a federal prisoner on probation, had to get permission from the prison warden to visit any state or federal facility due to having spent several months at came Fed after losing a tax case. They rarely allow this. Yes, God can use anybody! Comments Welcome!

The prisons that I conducted bible studies were : Virginia Department Of Corrections-- Fairfax Detention Center-- Quantico Marine Base Fairfax, Va- Fairfax, Va- Marine Brig Quantico

Yours In Christ
Bob Scruggs

THE RHEMA PYRAMID

2011-01-26T10:35:00.001-08:00

JUST BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE PYRAMID SYSTEM OF THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT AND THE THINGS I SAW AND LEARNED AT RHEMA BIBLE TRAINING CENTER. I ATTENDED RHEMA FROM 1996 THROUGH 1998 WHEN WORD OF FAITH FOUNDER AND GURU KENNETH HAGIN WAS STILL TEACHING THERE. (HE LATER DIED FROM HEART DISEASE AFTER PREACHING FAITH, HEALING AND DIVINE HEALTH FOR NEARLY 70 YEARS)

WHILE I WAS AT RHEMA, AND WHILE I WAS IN THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT, THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TEACHING AND PRESSURE TO CONTINUOUSLY GIVE MONEY INTO THE SYSTEM. I WILL NEVER FORGET BEING A POOR, BROKE RHEMA STUDENT, SEARCHING FOR CHANGE IN THE SOFA FOR GAS AND DIAPERS, AND THE CONTINUOUS PRESSURE TO GIVE MONEY.

PROSPERITY, TITHING, GIVING, AND SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY WERE EMPHASIZED HEAVILY IN CLASSES AND CHURCH SERVICES. I REMEMBER, ONE OF OUR MAIN TEACHERS, KEITH MOORE, WEARING EXPENSIVE POWER SUITS TO CLASS EVERYDAY, AS WELL AS DRIVING DIFFERENT EXPENSIVE LUXURY OR SPORTS CAR TO CLASS EVERYDAY. KEITH MOORE WAS THE MAIN TEACHER AT RHEMA WHEN IT CAME TO MONEY AND HEALING, WHICH ARE TWO IDOLS OF THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT.

I REMEMBER ALL OF THE RULES AND RUDENESS OF THE STAFF AND EMPLOYEES, THE CONSTANT ADMONISHMENTS TO SERVE WITHOUT QUESTION, WITHOUT OFFENSE. I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER HOW KENNTH HAGIN WOULD CONSTANTLY LINK TITHING WITH FAITH, MIRACLES AND GOD'S BLESSINGS AND JUDGEMENT. I REMEMBER SEEING HIS FAMILY DRIVING THEIR FANCY CARS AND EVEN HIS GRANDSON DRIVING A LEXUS ON THE SIDEWALK TO SAVE WALKING TO THE DOOR. (BUT IF YOU JAY WALKED, AN USHER WOULD YELL AT YOU)

I REMEMBER THE CONSTANT AND CONTINUOUS PREACHING AND TEACHING ON ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE IN THE AREAS OF SERVING AND GIVING. I WAS SO SCARED NOT TO TITHE, THAT NO MATTER HOW BAD WE WERE SUFFERING, I WOULD PAY MY TITHE FIRST SO THAT I WOULDN'T BE CURSED. AND I WOULD ADD A LITTLE MORE TO MY TITHE JUST IN CASE I MADE AN ACCOUNTING ERROR.

WHEN SPECIAL SPEAKERS WOULD COME, THERE WAS ALWAYS AN ENORMOUS PULL AND PRESSURE TO GIVE MONEY. ONE NIGHT WE HAD A SPECIAL OFFERING. ONE OF OUR INSTRUCTORS, MARK REDMAN GOT UP THERE ARE PROPHESIED THAT THERE WAS A SPECIAL ANOINTING IN THE HOUSE, AND THAT IF WE WOULD SOW A SEED, THAT GOD WOULD MEET OUR NEEDS AND GIVE US A MIRACULOUS BREAKTHROUGH.

THE PLACE WENT INTO A FRENZY. ALL THOSE POOR SUFFERING STUDENTS WERE DIGGING DEEP AND RUNNING UP TO THE ALTAR TO THROW THEIR MONEY DOWN. AFTER THE PULL FOR MONEY WAS OVER, THERE WERE PILES OF CASH AND COINS ALL OVER THE STAGE. PILES OF IT. I HAVE SEEN SIMILAR SCENES SUCH AS THIS AT OTHER TIMES AT RHEMA, AS WELL AS IN OTHER WORD OF FAITH MEETINGS. THE RICH GOT RICHER, THE POOR GOT POORER. A PYRAMID.

ONE TIME A FAMOUS PROSPERITY PREACHER, LEROY THOMPSON, CAME TO RHEMA AND BEGAN TO TEACH US ANOTHER TITHING TRICK. IT WAS CALLED "PULLING THE LEVER". WE WERE TO ALL SHOUT IN UNISON, "MONEY COMETH, TO ME NOW" IN A LOUD VOICE. IT WOULD GET SO LOUD IN THERE YOU WOULD THINK THAT YOU WERE AT CAMERON INDOOR STADIUM WATCHING DUKE PLAY UNC IN BASKETBALL. (IF YOU WANT TO SEE A VIDEO, GOOGLE LEROY THOMPSON OR MONEY COMETH)

AS I LOOK BACK, I FIND IT SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT I HAD BEEN SO DECEIVED INTO THINKING THAT THIS CRAP WAS OF GOD. I WAS DECEIVED, AS ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT GET SUCKERED INTO THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT. (I WILL ADMIT, THAT EVEN AT RHEMA, I OFTEN GOT A SICK FEELING IN THE PIT OF MY STOMACH AT THE THINGS I SAW)

MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT. THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT IS A BIG TIME MONEY RACKET. IT'S LEADERS WILL TELL YOU THAT IF YOU GIVE INTO THEIR MINISTRIES, THAT THE SAME FINANCIAL BLESSINGS AND MIRACLES THAT THEY ENJOY WILL BE YOURS. I BELIEVED IT. KEITH MOORE WOULD SAY IN CLASS (AND ON TV TODAY), HEY, DON'T GET OFFENDED, IM JUST A LITTLE AHEAD OF YOU IN THE LINE, YOU DAY IS COMING!)

WHAT A CROCK. THIS MESSAGE OF GREED IS SO DECEPTIVE, AND IT RUNS DIRECTLY OPPOSITE OF WHAT IS TAUGHT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. IT IS CHURCH GONE WILD. AN ABOMINATION. AND IT STILL AMAZES ME THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT I STILL KNOW WRAPPED UP IN THIS CULT, WORKING THEIR FINGERS TO A BONE, AND BLEEDING LIKE AN WOUNDED ANIMAL FINANCIALLY, LIVING IN FEAR, AFRAID TO COME OUT.

DOES FAITH HEALING WORK?

2011-01-26T08:29:00.001-08:00

DOES FAITH HEALING REALLY WORK? AND WHAT IS FAITH HEALING? FAITH HEALING IS THE BELIEF THAT IF YOU HAVE FAITH IN GOD, THAT YOU CAN BE HEALED FROM SICKNESS OR DISEASE. JESUS SAID, "ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVES" AND THE GOSPELS ARE FULL OF EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE GETTING HEALED BY BELIEVING IN JESUS.

TIME AFTER TIME, JESUS USED THE EXPRESSION, "ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH BE IT DONE UNTO YOU" OR SOMETHING LIKE, "THY FAITH HAS HEALED THEE". BUT, THE QUESTION REMAINS, DOES IT STILL WORK TODAY? MANY PEOPLE CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HEALED BUT MOST OF THEM CANNOT PROVE THAT THEY WERE HEALED BY FAITH ALONE. MOST PEOPLE THAT CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN HEALED ALSO USED DOCTORS, MEDICINE AND HAD TREATMENTS IN ADDITION TO PRAYER.

MUCH OF TODAY'S FAITH HEALING, IS BASED UPON TEACHING BY TODAY FAITH PREACHERS AND TEACHERS OF THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT. FAITH PREACHERS SUCH AS KENNETH HAGIN (WHO DIED SICK) HAVE COUNTLESS SERMON CD'S ON HOW TO BE HEALED, HOW TO USE YOUR FAITH, THE A,B,C'S OF FAITH, FAITH MADE SIMPLE, HOW TO USE TURN FAITH LOOSE, HOW TO CLAIM YOUR HEALING, ETC. ETC. THE AMOUNT OF TEACHING IS ALMOST ENDLESS. BUT DOES IT WORK?

I THINK ONE PROBLEM IN THE ARENA OF FAITH HEALING AND FAITH TEACHING IS THAT FAITH IS OFTEN TAUGHT TO BE THE OBJECT INSTEAD OF THE LORD HIMSELF. THEY TEACH FAITH AS A FORCE, OR A FORMULA, OR AS THING IN OF ITS'SELF. I THINK THAT WHEN JESUS WAS REFERRING TO PEOPLE'S FAITH IN THE GOSPELS, THAT HE WAS REFERRING TO THEIR BELIEF IN HIM, AND NOT A POWER OR FORCE THAT THEY MUSTERED UP. THEY HAVE MADE FAITH A SCIENCE.

IN OTHER WORDS, FAITH PREACHERS FOCUS IN ON FAITH, INSTEAD OF ON GOD. FOR EXAMPLE, A FORK IS A MEANS TO EAT A STEAK WHICH IS THE OBJECT OF YOUR DESIRE AT DINNER. YOU DO NOT GET ALL CAUGHT UP INTO THE MAJESTY OF YOUR FORK, IT'S JUST SOMETHING YOU USED TO EAT THE STEAK WITH. THE STEAK IS THE OBJECT AND THE FOCUS, NOT THE FORK. IT WOULD BE STUPID TO FOCUS ON THE FORK, STUDY THE FORK, WORSHIP THE FORK, HOLD SEMINARS ON THE FORK.

BUT FAITH PREACHERS FOR YEARS HAVE DEVELOPED A MYRIAD OF FORMULAS ABOUT AND AROUND FAITH AS SOMETHING SEPARATE FROM GOD. ALL FAITH IS, IS A BELIEF. A CONVICTION. A STRONG PERSUASION. IT IS NOT A FORCE FIELD, NOT A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA, NOT A FEELING. FAITH COMES FROM GOD OR FROM HIS WORD. FAITH IS A GIFT.

SO, DOES FAITH HEALING WORK? I DO NOT KNOW. I DO KNOW THAT GOD CAN AND DOES HEAL PEOPLE, BUT I HAVE NOT REALLY SEEN MANY PEOPLE GET HEALED FROM JUST HAVING FAITH IN GOD. I CERTAINLY DO NOT BELIEVE IN TODAYS FAITH HEALING TELEVANGELIST SUCH AS BENNY HINN OR TODD BENTLEY. I BELIEVE THEY ARE SHOWMAN, AND THEY CANNOT PRODUCE A SINGLE VERIFIABLE HEALING MIRACLE IN THEIR MINISTRY, NOT A SINGLE ONE.

AS A FORMER WORD OF FAITH PREACHER AND PASTOR MYSELF, I WITNESSED NUMEROUS PEOPLE ATTEMPT TO BELIEVE GOD FOR THEIR HEALINGS AND DIE. OF COURSE THE FAITH PREACHERS WILL BLAME IT ON THEIR LACK OF FAITH, DOUBTS, SECRET SINS OR THAT THEY WERE HAVING A NEGATIVE CONFESSION. BUT JESUS HEALED FOLKS IN THE GOSPELS THAT WERE FILLED WITH DOUBTS, UNSAVED, AND EVEN IN LUKE 4:40 HE HEALED A WHOLE CITY.

IT'S INTERESTING THAT JESUS NEVER PREACHED A SERMON ABOUT HEALING. PAUL NEVER PREACHED OR TAUGHT A SERMON ABOUT HEALING. JAMES SAID THAT IF YOU ARE SICK, TO CALL THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH, HAVE THEM ANOINT YOU WITH OIL, AND THAT THE "ELDERS" PRAYER OF FAITH WOULD HEAL THE SICK, AND THE LORD WILL RAISE THEM UP. SOME GREEK SCHOLARS SAY THAT THIS TYPE OF SICKNESS REFERS TO EXHAUSTION, AND NOT TO DISEASE.

IT IS OBVIOUS THAT IT WAS EASIER FOR FOLKS IN THE MINISTRY OF JESUS TO HAVE FAITH AND TO BE HEALED. HECK, THEY WERE WATCHING JESUS DO MIRACLES LEFT AND RIGHT WITH THEIR OWN EYES! HOW HARD WAS THAT TO BELIEVE? QUITE DIFFERENT NOW, WITH NO JESUS TO SEE STRETCHING OUT HIS HEALING HAND. OF COURSE, THE FAITH TEACHERS WILL SAY THAT THE WRITTEN WORD IS THE SAME.

I DO BELIEVE IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. I BELIEVE THAT HE CAN EMPOWER SOMEONE TO BELIEVE AND TO BE HEALED, BUT I HAVE WITNESSED MANY A GODLY MAN AND WOMAN DIE DESPITE THEIR FAITH AND EFFORTS TO BE HEALED. HAVE YOU? IM SURE OF ONE THING: OF GOD WANTS YOU HERE, YOU WILL BE HERE. IF HE WANTS YOU THERE, YOU WILL PASS ON. SOME WILL DISAGREE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL.

THE USER FRIENDLY GOD

2011-01-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

MY PASTOR PREACHED A GOOD SERMON TODAY ABOUT OUR VIEWPOINTS ABOUT GOD AND HOW IT IS SOMETIMES HARD FOR US NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS TO RECONCILE THE SEEMINGLY ANGRY HARSH GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WITH THE LOVING FORGIVING GOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. HE EVEN READ A QUOTE FROM THE FAMOUS ATHEIST RICHARD DAWKINS IN WHICH DAWKINS DESCRIBED GOD AS BEING GRUMPY, IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE, LEGALISTIC, ANGRY AND CHILDISH.

AS A FORMER WORD OF FAITH PREACHER AND TEACHER MYSELF, I OFTEN AVOIDED THE HUNDREDS OF PASSAGES IN THE BIBLE THAT TALKED ABOUT GOD'S ANGER WITH SIN, HIS WRATH, HIS DISCIPLINE, HIS ANGER, HIS JEALOUSY AND HIS JUDGEMENT. AS MOST PREACHERS OF THE USER FRIENDLY GOSPEL TODAY, I STEERED CLEAR OF THESE DISTURBING PASSAGES TO TEACH PRIMARILY FROM THE WARM AND FUZZY SCRIPTURES.

MOST USER FRIENDLY PREACHERS TODAY ARE AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT THE "OTHER SIDE" OF GOD. THEY WANT ONLY TO PREACH ABOUT GOD WANTING TO BLESS YOU AND IMPROVE YOUR LIFE. THEY PREACH ON HEALTH, WEALTH, PROSPERITY AND MANY OF THEIR SERMONS ARE GEARED ALONG THE AREA OF SELF-HELP. WATCH ANY BROADCAST OF POPULAR TELEVANGELIST JOEL OSTEEN AND YOU WILL QUICKLY SEE WHAT I MEAN.

THE GOD HE AND MANY OTHERS PREACH TODAY IS ONLY CONCERNED WITH YOU BEING A SUCCESS IN LIFE, YOU HAVING A REWARDING CAREER, GETTING OUT OF DEBT, LOSING WEIGHT, HAVING A FULFILLING AND ROMANTIC MARRIAGE AND WALKING IN DIVINE HEALTH, WEALTH AND SUPERNATURAL FAVOR. IT HAS BECOME A GOSPEL OF ME, AND THE GOD OF THE BIBLE HAS TURNED INTO A LIFE COACH AND A FINANCIAL PLANNER.

THE TRUTH IS, THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT HAS NOT CHANGED. THANKFULLY, JESUS BORE OUR SINS ON THE CROSS AND REMOVED THE SIN THAT SEPARATED US FROM GOD, BUT GOD IS STILL GOD, AND GOD SHOULD BE GREATLY FEARED. TODAY'S POPULAR USER FRIENDLY PREACHERS AND USER FRIENDLY CHURCHES HAVE REDUCED GOD TO AN OLD DRINKING BUDDY.

BUT GOD IS STILL GOD. HE IS ALMIGHTY. GOD IS A GOD OF LOVE BUT HE IS ALSO STILL A GOD OF WRATH. HE IS A GOD OF PEACE BUT HE IS ALSO STILL A GOD OF ANGER. HE IS A MERCIFUL GOD BUT HE STILL IS VENGEFUL. GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS BUT HE IS STILL SOVEREIGN AND IN CONTROL. HE IS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WHO MEETS OUR NEEDS, BUT HE IS STILL A FIRM DISCIPLINARIAN.

GOD'S CHARACTER AND ATTRIBUTES DID NOT CHANGE WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT. HE REMAINS THE SAME. HE SHOULD STILL BE FEARED. HE SHOULD STILL BE REVERED AND HE IS STILL IN CONTROL. BECAUSE OF THE THIS TYPE OF USER FRIENDLY PREACHING THAT IS SO POPULAR, ESPECIALLY ON TELEVISION AND IN THE MEGA CHURCHES, THE CHURCH HAS LOST A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RESPECT AND FEAR OF GOD.

I COULD PLAY SOME OF MY OLD SERMON CD'S, AND PLAY A FEW STATEMENTS FROM SOME FRED PRICE AND KENNETH HAGIN SERMONS THAT WOULD MAKE YOU CRINGE. AS A FORMER BELIEVER AND PREACHER OF THE USER FRIENDLY GOSPEL, I HAD LOST THE FEAR AND TERROR OF GOD. MY HUMANISTIC WORLD VIEW OF GOD HAD SHRUNK HIM IN MY MIND TO A HAPPY OLD GRANDDADDY THAT WANTED TO DOTE ON ME AND SPOIL ME WITH ALL OF MY HEARTS DESIRES. BUY WAS I WRONG.

AMAZING GRACE

2011-01-21T10:09:00.001-08:00

I SPEND A LOT OF TIME READING THE BIBLE EVERYDAY, OR LISTENING TO IT ON MY MP3. IM NOT SURE HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT, BUT I HAVE READ IT AND HEARD IT MANY TIMES OVER. I HAVE LOST COUNT. EVERY TIME I SIT ON THE TOILET, I READ IT. MANY TIMES I WILL LISTEN TO IT ALL WEEK ON MY MP3.

IM NOT SAYING THIS TO BRAG, OR TO BOAST AS BEING SUPER SPIRITUAL, BECAUSE I WILL GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU THAT IM A CONSTANT SINNER, WITH A WICKED HEART, AN EVIL MIND, AND IM FULL OF FLAWS AND CONTRADICTIONS. I DONT NEED TO BE WARNED ABOUT THE DEVIL, JOHN EDWARDS IS MORE THAN I CAN HANDLE. HE GIVES ME MOST OF MY TROUBLES.

MY POINT IS THIS: EVEN THE NEW TESTAMENT IS CRAMMED FULL OF RULES, COMMANDS, WARNINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS. PEOPLE SAY THAT CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP, AND NOT ABOUT RULES, BUT THEY NEED TO READ THEIR NEW TESTAMENT. IT IS FULL OF RULES. I HAVE COME TO THE REALIZATION, THAT AFTER 48 YEARS AS A HUMAN, THAT I CANNOT POSSIBLY FOLLOW OR OBEY THE NEW TESTAMENT.

THE HARDER I TRY, THE HARDER I FALL. I HAVE DONE SOME OF MY WORST SINNING ON THE DAYS I DID MY MOST PRAYING. MY INTENTIONS ALWAYS FALL SHORT NO MATTER HOW RESOLUTE THEY ARE. I FIND MY MOTIVES ARE WRONG MUCH OF THE TIME.

SO, MY CONCLUSION IS THAT WE ARE EITHER ALL UNDER THE AMAZING GRACE OF GOD, OR WE ARE ALL DAMNED. I RECENTLY HAD A PENTECOSTAL TELL ME THAT GRACE IS OVER RATED! HE IS IN A CHURCH THAT PREACHES HEAVILY ON RIGHTEOUS LIVING, WHICH THE BIBLE DOES DEMAND, BUT WHAT HE FAILS TO SEE IS THAT ALL OF OUR BEST EFFORTS ARE USELESS. WE CAN NEVER EARN GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY. NEVER.

Galatians 2:16 (New Living Translation)

16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

I BELIEVE THAT WE AS BELIEVERS ARE UNDER GOD'S GRACE ALL OF THE TIME. WE HAVE TO BE, FOR NONE OF US IS PERFECT, NONE OF US DOES RIGHT, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, INTENTIONALLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. I EVEN SIN IN MY DREAMS. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT ANY OF US CAN KEEP ALL THOSE RULES, EVEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. NO WAY. (I REALIZE YOU MAY THINK YOUR PASTOR OR GRANDMOTHER ARE PERFECT, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THEY ARE AS ROTTEN AS I AM)

Ephesians 2:8-9 (New Living Translation)

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

MY THOUGHT IS THAT IF YOU CANNOT EARN SALVATION, THEN YOU CAN NOT MAINTAIN IT EITHER. IT'S ALL GOD'S GRACE ALL THE WAY, 24/7 WITHOUT EXCEPTION. IM AMAZED AT HOW MANY BELIEVERS I TALK TO THINK THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING GOOD STANDING WITH GOD BY NOT DOING, NOT TOUCHING, NOT SAYING. I COULD BE BOUND IN A STRAIGHT JACKET, WEARING A BIT, MY HEAD IN A CAGE, IN A CELL, BLIND FOLDED, AND I WOULD STILL WILLINGLY SIN.

IM GLAD THAT MY SALVATION IS BASED ON GOD AND NOT ON MYSELF, BECAUSE IF IT IS BASED ON MY PERFORMANCE, THAN I AM DOOMED.

Amazing Grace Lyrics

John Newton (1725-1807)
Stanza 6 anon.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun

WHAT WILL HEAVEN BE LIKE?

2011-01-14T06:17:00.000-08:00

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT HEAVEN WILL BE LIKE? I GUESS THAT MOST BELIEVERS DO. DO YOU THINK THAT IT IS A REAL PHYSICAL PLACE, SUCH AS A PLANET? OR DO YOU THINK THAT IT IS A DREAMY SPIRITUAL PLACE? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE GETS THEIR OWN MANSIONS? DO WE BECOME ANGELS WITH WINGS? WILL WE KNOW OUR LOVED ONES?

IT'S AMAZING TO ME HOW LITTLE INFORMATION THAT THERE IS IN THE BIBLE. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT GOD IS IN THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING AND CREATING A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH. BUT MANY BELIEVERS HAVE VARIOUS IDEAS ABOUT WHAT HEAVEN WILL BE LIKE, AND I HAVE A FEW OF MY OWN TO SHARE.

JESUS NEVER SAID THAT WE WOULD HAVE OUR OWN MANSION IN HEAVEN. IN THE KING JAMES VERSION, THE TRANSLATORS USED THE FRENCH WORD FOR ROOMS WHEN JESUS SAID THAT IN MY FATHERS HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS. THE CORRECT RENDERING WOULD BE IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE THERE ARE MANY ROOMS.

I LIKEN THAT TO A NICE CRUISE SHIP, THAT HAS EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE ON BOARD, WHICH IS ONE "HOUSE" SO TO SPEAK WITH MANY STATEROOMS. OR LIKE A GIANT CASINO IN LAS VEGAS, A MASSIVE STRUCTURE WITH A WHOLE CITY INSIDE SURROUNDED BY MANY NICE ROOMS.

THE BIBLE IS VERY CLEAR THAT WE WILL KNOW ONE ANOTHER. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE ANYONE COULD HAVE BELIEVED OTHERWISE. JESUS KNEW MOSES AND ELIJAH, EVEN THE RICH MAN THAT DIED RECOGNIZED ABRAHAM AND HAD MEMORY OF HIS LIVING BROTHERS UPON THE EARTH.

THERE IS NO SCRIPTURE IN THE BIBLE THAT SAYS THAT WE BECOME ANGELS IN HEAVEN, NOT A SINGLE ONE. PEOPLE REMAIN PEOPLE. POOR LAZARUS DID NOT SPROUT WINGS WHEN HE DIED. IT IS INTERESTING THAT JESUS COMMENTED THAT WHEN LAZARUS DIED THAT ANGELS CARRIED HIM TO HEAVEN. ALSO PAUL SAID, THAT TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY WAS TO BE PRESENT WITH CHRIST.

I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT HEAVEN IS A PLANET SOMEWHERE. THERE ARE MANY CLUES IN THE SCRIPTURE THAT IT IS. ONE THEOLOGIAN HAS WRITTEN A WHOLE BOOK ABOUT SATURN BEING PLANET HEAVEN, AND SHE MAKES A STRONG AND INTERESTING CASE FOR IT.

IT IS CLEAR TO ME, THAT THE NEW JERUSALEM IS WHERE JESUS LIVES, AND THAT FOR THE MOST PART, ALL OF US BELIEVERS WILL LIVE ON THE NEW EARTH. I ALSO BELIEVE FROM MY STUDIES, THAT THE BELIEVING JEWS WILL THEN INHERIT AND OCCUPY THEIR PROMISED LAND IN THE NEW EARTH.

I BELIEVE THAT LIFE HERE ON EARTH, WITH JOBS, ANIMALS, CITIES, CULTURE, FAMILIES, FRIENDS, ETC IS JUST A FALLEN REFLECTION OF WHAT ALREADY EXIST IN HEAVEN. THE BIBLE LISTS MANY THINGS IN HEAVEN THAT WE HAVE DOWN HERE ON THE EARTH SUCH AS HORSES, TREES, RIVERS, BUILDINGS AND FOOD.

TO ME, NEW JERUSALEM IS DESCRIBED AS A MASSIVE STAR LIKE PLANET THAT IS SOMEHOW CONNECTED TO THE NEW EARTH. ALL OF THE COLORS DESCRIBED IN THE WALLS OF THE HEAVENLY CITY SOUNDS TO ME LIKE A PRIMITIVE DESCRIPTION OF NEON LIGHTS. HOW WOULD A PROPHET DESCRIBE LAS VEGAS OR MANHATTAN AT NIGHT TO OTHERS THAT HAD NEVER SEEN ELECTRICAL LIGHTS?

MAYBE I AM ALL WRONG. MAYBE I AM RIGHT. WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS ABOUT HEAVEN?

The Kitchen

2011-01-13T08:34:00.001-08:00

BACK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WHEN WE BUILT THE CHURCH THAT I PASTORED, THEY DESIGNED IT WITH A NICE LARGE KITCHEN RIGHT OFF OF THE SANCTUARY. IT HAD A ROLL UP SERVICE WINDOW AND THE IDEA WAS TO HAVE FAMILY DINNER ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AND TO SERVE SNACKS ON MOVIE NIGHTS OR DURING YOUTH EVENTS.

BUT ONCE WE MOVED IN, AND I REALIZED HOW TRASHED THE SANCTUARY WOULD BECOME, WITH SPILLS, STAINS AND ODORS, I OUTLAWED ITS USE EXCEPT FOR HANGING OUT AND DRINKING COFFEE IN IT BEFORE AND AFTER CHURCH. CHURCH FOLKS CAN TRASH A BRAND NEW FACILITY OVERNIGHT, AND MANY TIMES IT WAS LEFT UP TO MYSELF, MY WIFE AND A COUPLE OF LADIES TO DO ALL THE CLEANING.

SO I HAD THIS IDEA TO START HAVING "KITCHEN FELLOWSHIPS" ON MONDAY NIGHTS. I INVITED THE FOLKS TO BRING SOME SNACKS AND TOLD THEM THAT IT WOULD JUST BE A CHANCE TO HANG OUT, TALK, SHARE AND PRAY. WE STARTED HAVING GREAT TURNOUTS FOR IT, AND IT QUICKLY BECAME MY FAVORITE SERVICE OF THE WEEK.

FOLKS WOULD JUST SHOW UP, MAKE THE COFFEE, SIT AROUND AND CHAT. THERE WERE NO PREACHINGS OR SERMONS BY THE PASTOR. PEOPLE JUST SHARED WHAT WAS ON THEIR HEARTS, ASKED QUESTIONS AND HUNG OUT TOGETHER.

SOME OF THOSE KITCHEN MEETINGS WOULD LAST FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND I WILL HAVE TO SAY THAT MORE TEARS FLOWED IN THERE THAN THEY EVER WERE IN THAT FANCY AUDITORIUM. SOMETHING ABOUT THE NON-CHURCHY ATMOSPHERE, BEING IN A HOME STYLE KITCHEN, JUST SEEMED TO BE MORE COZY AND INTIMATE.

I REALLY ENJOYED IT A LOT, AND I BELIEVE THE ONES THAT WERE COMING FOUND IT TO BE A GREAT STRESS RELIEVER, TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR PROBLEMS, HURTS AND DREAMS WITH A SMALL GROUP OF CHURCH FRIENDS. I LOVED IT.

BUT AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS, IT JUST STARTED DRYING UP. FEWER AND FEWER FOLKS WERE COMING SO I SHUT THE MONDAY MEETINGS DOWN. PAYING FOR POWER AND BLOCKING OUT YET ANOTHER NIGHT OF MY LIFE FOR THE CHURCH DIDN'T SEEM TO BE WORTH THE TRADE OFF ANYMORE. LIGHTS AND AIR FOR THREE HOURS IN A PLACE LIKE THAT DOES COST MONEY.

OH WELL, JUST HAD THAT ON MY MIND.

DREAMING ABOUT OBAMA

2011-01-12T11:40:00.001-08:00

I HAVE BEEN HAVING RANDOM DREAMS ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA EVERY SINCE HIS CAMPAIGN. REALLY WEIRD AND RANDOM DREAMS THAT MAKE NO SENSE AT ALL. MY CHURCH FRIENDS SAY THAT THE REASON I DREAM ABOUT HIM IS BECAUSE I AM SUPPOSED TO PRAY FOR HIM, WHICH I OFTEN DO ALREADY.

EVERY TIME I DREAM ABOUT HIM WE ARE FRIENDS. NOTHING PROPHETIC OR PROFOUND. IM NOT CHARISMATIC. I AM NOT PENTECOSTAL, BUT I DO HAVE STRANGE DREAMS ABOUT PEOPLE THAT COME TRUE FROM TIME TO TIME, OFTEN IN VERY UNCANNY WAYS.

IN MY FIRST DREAM, WE WERE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. HE INVITED ME INTO A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE AND ASKED ME TO LED A BIBLE STUDY. THAT WAS BACK WHEN I WAS A PASTOR. HE HAD HIS BIBLE WITH HIM AND SAID THAT HE WANTED TO HAVE A BIBLE STUDY.

IN ANOTHER DREAM, WE WERE WALKING AROUND IN LONDON TOGETHER, DOWN A STREET, AND A DOUBLE DECKER TOUR BUS TURNED IN FRONT OF US AND EVERYBODY STARTED SHOUTING AT HIM AND CHEERING. HE SAID, "THAT HAPPENS ALL OF THE TIME", AND WE JUST KEPT TALKING. I REMEMBER THINKING IN MY DREAM, "I BET IT DOES".

IN ONE DREAM, WE WERE LAYING ON THE DECK OF THE RIVER BOAT TOUR IN CHICAGO. THE ONE THAT GIVES THE TOURS OF CHICAGO FROM THE RIVER THERE. WE WERE CHATTING ABOUT ALL OF OUR FAVORITE MOVIES AND TELEVISION SHOWS. I HAVE BEEN ON THAT BOAT BEFORE AS WELL AS IN LONDON A FEW TIMES.

ANOTHER TIME, I DREAMED THAT WE WERE STANDING OUTSIDE OF SOME BALL PARK. A STADIUM. HE WAS ASKING ME ABOUT SOMETHING, WANTING MY OPINION. ALL I SAID WAS, "YOUR THE DAMN PRESIDENT, WHAT THE HELL DO I KNOW". I BELIEVE WE WERE ALSO TALKING ABOUT BASEBALL CARDS.

I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF OTHER DREAMS ABOUT OBAMA BUT DON'T REMEMBER THEM. BUT I HAD ONE LAST WEEK. WE WERE FLYING IN THIS NEW PRESIDENTIAL JET AND IT COULD DO ALL KINDS OF EVASIVE MANEUVERS. WE WERE FLYING IN BETWEEN SKYSCRAPERS, ON OUR WAY TO CALIFORNIA. ( I RECENTLY MADE A FLIGHT TO DALLAS)

THEN WE MADE A LANDING OUT IN TEXAS. WE LEFT THE AIRPORT AND RODE OUT TO A OLD BLACK LADIES HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY. SHE WAS SICK, AND HE WENT THERE TO VISIT WITH HER FOR A FEW MINUTES. THEN WE ENDED UP AT SOME HOTEL AT A CONVENTION.RANDOM.

OH WELL, THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE ABOUT THOSE CRAZY DREAMS!

UPDATE: on the night of march 1st, I dreamed I was walking across a grassy area by a parking lot near a McDonald or some convenience store. I saw Obama walking to his car, without the Secret Service. I was carrying a huge folder full of emails and sticky notes and it spilled out onto the ground. Obama then walked over to me and helped me pick everything up. We had a friendly chat. I was wanting to fuss at him from being away from his security team. Random huh?

CHARLATAN AND SHOWBOATING PREACHERS: WHERE DID IT ALL BEGIN?

2011-01-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

FOR MANY YEARS FAKE PENTECOSTAL PREACHERS HAVE BEEN MAKING FORTUNES AND FAME WITH SHOWBOATING THEATRICS AND SNAKE OIL SALESMAN ANTICS THAT ARE JUST AS WIDESPREAD ON CHRISTIAN TELEVISION AS THEY WERE ON THE SAWDUST TRAIL UNDER THE BIG TENTS. MODERN DAY TELEVANGELIST SUCH AS BENNY HINN, TODD BENTLEY AND OTHER PENTECOSTAL PREACHERS ARE RAKING IN BIG TIME MONEY JUST LIKE ELMER GANTRY DID IN THE OLD MOVIE CLASSIC.

MY QUESTION IS WHERE DID IT AL BEGIN? WHO WAS THE FIRST PREACHER TO CAPITALIZE ON THE SICK AND DESPERATE WITH MIRACLE CLAIMS AND STAGE ACTS? FRAUDULENT FAITH HEALERS HAVE BEEN MAKING THE ROUNDS IN RECORD NUMBERS EVERY SINCE WORLD WAR TWO WHEN AS MANY AS 200 WELL KNOWN EVANGELIST TRAVELED FROM CITY TO CITY WITH THEIR SPRAWLING TENTS DURING THE FAMOUS HEALING REVIVAL THAT LASTED FROM 1947 UNTIL 1958.

THESE QUACKS WERE SOON REPLACED BY THE TELEVANGELIST AND HAVE TAKEN OVER VIRTUALLY EVERY CHRISTIAN TELEVISION STATION MOST NOTABLE TBN. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO TODD BENTLEY MADE A BIG SPLASH ON GODTV WITH IS CHARLATAN ACT ON LAKELAND FLORIDA. YOU CAN GOOGLE HIM AND SEE FOR YOURSELF THAT HE COULD PUT ON QUITE A SHOW.

I GUESS THE FIRST TENT PREACHER TO MAKE IT BIG IN THIS FASHION WAS PROBABLY ORAL ROBERTS. HE WAS PRETTY TAME COMPARED TO HIS COLLEAGUES SUCH AS WILLIAM BRANHAM AND A.A. ALLAN, BUT NEVERTHELESS HE MADE A HUGE FORTUNE WITH FAITH HEALING AND PROSPERITY PREACHING THAT MORPHED FROM THE TENT TO THE TELEVISION SCREEN.

BY DOING RESEARCH ABOUT CHARISMATIC CHURCH HISTORY, I HAVE READ THAT ONE OF THE FIRST SHOWMAN TO PERVERT THE FAITHFUL WAS A FRENCH HYPNOTIST NAMED ANTON MESMER. HE WOULD HYPNOTIZE CHURCH MEMBERS AND PUT THEM INTO TRANCES AND THUS CREATED THE POPULAR "SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT" BUSINESS IN THE CHURCH TODAY.

THEN WE HAD PENTECOSTAL PREACHER RODNEY HOWARD BROWNE TRAVELING ALL OVER THE WORLD MAKING PEOPLE FALL IN THE FLOOR AND LAUGH HYSTERICALLY AND GAINED THE NICK NAME OF THE HOLY GHOST BAR TENDER. HE WAS STILL PRETTY BIG BACK IN MY DAYS IN THE WORD OF FAITH SIGNS AND BLUNDERS MEETINGS. MANY OTHER PREACHERS ADOPTED HIS TACTICS AND ANTICS OF POWER OF SUGGESTION AND MANIPULATION AND HAVE MADE GOOD AT THE BANK.

ALL OF THESE FAMOUS PREACHERS HAD A REAL GIFT FOR DRAMA, OUTRAGEOUS CLAIMS, THEATRICS AND HAD THE OLD SNAKE OIL SALESMAN ROUTINE DOWN PAT. THE SNAKE OIL SALESMAN WOULD TRAVEL TOWN TO TOWN IN HIS WAGON, SET UP STAGE AND PUT ON A VERY ENTERTAINING AND CONVINCING SHOW.

THESE CHARLATANS ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON. THEY KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY FOR THE SUPERNATURAL, DESPERATE FOR A SIGN FROM GOD, IN SEARCH OF MIRACLES AND GULLIBLE AS HELL. ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS ARE STILL AROUND TODAY NO MATTER HOW SMART AND EDUCATED PEOPLE HAVE BECOME.

THE RECENT TODD BENTLEY DEBACLE IN LAKELAND, FLORIDA IS ABUNDANT PROOF. HE WAS SO GOOD AND TALENTED THAT MOST LEADERS OF THE CHARISMATIC CHURCH ENDORSED HIM WHOLEHEARTEDLY. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER TO MOST PEOPLE IF THESE CHARACTERS ARE FOR REAL OR NOT. ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN DE-BUNKED AND EXPOSED MANY TIMES OVER, BUT THE FAITHFUL ARE STILL FLOCKING TO THEIR FEET.

IM JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW ALL OF THIS BEGAN. I HAVE BEEN READING THE GOSPELS AND BOOK OF ACTS FOR YEARS, AND I CANNOT FIND ANY EXAMPLES OF JESUS AND THE APOSTLES ENGAGED IN THEATRICS AND SHOWBOATING. I SEE NO PASSAGES IN THE BIBLE TELLING ABOUT JESUS BLOWING ON THE CROWD TO MAKE THEM FALL OUT, OR ANY PLACE WHERE HE SLUNG HIS ROBE AT FOLKS TO MAKE THEM FALL OUT.

I SEE NO ILLUSTRATIONS OF JESUS OR THE APOSTLES PREACHING ON THE SUBJECTS OF PROSPERITY OR HEALING. I CAN FIND NO RECORD OF JESUS PREACHING ON THE DOCTRINE OF DIVINE HEALING, NO EXAMPLES OF TELETHONS TO RAISE MILLIONS, I READ NOWHERE OF JESUS AND HIS STAFF FLYING AROUND IN JETS OR DRIVING LAND ROVERS.

YET SINCERE CHRISTIANS BY THE MILLIONS ARE PUMPING THEIR CASH INTO THIS CULTURE OF DECEPTION. IS IT GREED? FEAR? DESPERATION? IS IT ALL OUT IGNORANCE? IS IT THE SILENCE OF RIGHTEOUS MINISTERS THAT ARE AFRAID TO POINT THESE GUYS OUT? IS IT RIGHT THAT MILLIONS OF HURTING PEOPLE ARE BEING ROBBED OUT OF THEIR MONEY AND FAITH?

GETTING INTO SHAPE DURING COMMERCIAL BREAKS

2011-01-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

THIS IS THE TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN EVERY GYM IN THE NATION IS PACKED WITH PEOPLE WORKING OUT TO LOSE WEIGHT, GET INTO SHAPE AND MAKE GOOD ON THEIR NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM WILL BE RIGHT BACK ON THE SOFA WATCHING TELEVISION AND STUFFING THEIR PIE HOLES WITHIN SIX WEEKS. THEN THE LINES TO THE POPULAR MACHINES WILL BE GONE.

I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF VARIOUS GYMS AND I NEVER WAS ABLE TO KEEP FAITHFUL AT GOING. MONEY WAS SOMETIMES THE ISSUE AS WELL AS TIME CONFLICTS. ANOTHER BAD THING ABOUT GOING TO THE GYM IS HAVING TO GET READY TO GO, DRESSING RIGHT, AND DRIVING THERE. IT CAN BE A HUGE TIME WASTER. WHO WANTS TO FIX THEIR HAIR JUST TO WORKOUT? PLUS IF YOU RUN INTO A FRIEND, YOU MIGHT GET YOUR EARS TALKED OFF FOR AN HOUR.

PLUS AT THE POPULAR GYMS, THERE IS ALWAYS THE LINES TO THE GOOD MACHINES OR A WAIT TO HOP ON THE TREADMILL. AND YOU HAVE TO LAY DOWN OR SIT IN SOMEONES SWEAT. THEN THERE IS THE SHAME OF HAVING TO REDUCE THE WEIGHT AFTER A COLLEGE KID FINISHES AHEAD OF YOU. I HATE THE GYM.

I WATCHED A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT SOME PRISON INMATES THAT WERE IN THE ARYIAN BROTHERHOOD GANG. THEY WERE SO MEAN AND VIOLENT THAT THEY WERE CONFINED TO THEIR PRISON CELLS AND WERE NOT ALLOWED TO EXERCISE WITH THE WEIGHTS IN THE YARD. THAT DIDN'T KEEP THEM FROM GETTING PUMPED UP AND MASSIVE. THEY CAME UP WITH NUMEROUS RESISTANCE EXERCISES AND CALISTHENICS THAT WORKED JUST AS GOOD AS THE BARBELLS.

I READ THAT NFL FOOTBALL GREAT HERSCHEL WALKER NEVER LIFTED WEIGHTS. INSTEAD HE SAYS THAT AS HE GREW UP WATCHING TELEVISION THAT HE WOULD DO PUSH UPS AND SIT UPS DURING THE COMMERCIALS. HE WOULD MAX OUT ON PUSH UPS ONE COMMERCIAL AND THEN MAX ON SIT UPS THE NEXT. HE GOT UP TO 1,500 PER WORK OUT AND CONTINUES THAT REGIMEN TODAY.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO JOIN A GYM TO GET INTO SHAPE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS WORK OUT DURING COMMERCIAL BREAKS WHILE WATCHING TV WITH YOUR FAMILY AT NIGHT. LAST YEAR I STARTED DOING PUSH UPS ONE COMMERCIAL, THEN DUMBBELL CURLS DURING THE NEXT. I WORKED UP TO DOING 200 A NIGHT. THEN I QUIT. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I QUIT?

SO LAST DECEMBER 1ST I STARTED BACK TO MY PRISON CELL WORKOUTS DURING TV COMMERCIALS. MY WIFE AND I LOVE WATCHING OLD MOVIES ON TURNER CLASSICS SO WE GET TO HANG OUT TOGETHER INSTEAD OF WASTING TWO HOURS DRIVING TO THE GYM AND WORKING OUT. BUT THIS TIME I HAVE ADDED SEVERAL MORE EXERCISES TO MY ROUTINE.

DURING A COMMERCIAL BREAK, I CAN DO MAX PUSH UPS, DUMBBELL CURLS, INCLINE PUSH UPS, DIPS WITH A CHAIR AND SIT UPS. I CAN ALSO ALTERNATE BY DASHING TO THE GARAGE AND PUMPING OUT A SET ON THE SOLOFLEX. I NEVER HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE OR SPEND A DIME. IT'S A FREE WORK OUT. I DO THIS MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAYS. ON ODD DAYS I GO OUTSIDE AND WALK A COUPLE OF MILES. SOMETIMES I JOG, BUT I HATE RUNNING. I TRY TO MIX IT UP.

SO, I HAVE LOST RIGHT AT 30 POUNDS SINCE DECEMBER 1ST. I FEEL COMPLETELY BETTER. MY JEANS ARE FALLING OFF MY RUMP AND I CAN FIT BACK INTO MY WARDROBE. PLUS I SLEEP MUCH BETTER AT NIGHT. MY DIET IS AS FOLLOWS: NO SECONDS, NO SWEETS, NO SNACKS, EXCEPT FOR DAYS THAT START WITH AN 'S'

WILL GOD EVER LEAD YOU TO MAKE MISTAKES?

2010-12-30T08:28:00.001-08:00

DO YOU THINK THAT GOD WOULD EVER LEAD YOU INTO MAKING MAJOR MISTAKES? AS A CALVINIST (SOMEONE THAT BELIEVES GOD IS IN TOTAL CONTROL AND ORDAINS ALL EVENTS) I DO. SOME OF THE GREATEST MISTAKES AND BLUNDERS THAT I HAVE EVER MADE HAVE BEEN WHEN I WAS TOTALLY CONVINCED THAT I WAS FOLLOWING GOD. OR WAS I FOLLOWING WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR? I HAVE WRECKED MY LIFE THINKING THAT GOD WAS TALKING TO ME. OR HAVE I?

DID JESUS EVER MAKE ANY MISTAKES? I DO KNOW THAT HE HIRED A CROOKED ACCOUNTANT NAMED JUDAS AFTER PRAYING ALL NIGHT ABOUT IT. TALK ABOUT A BAD HIRE! I GUESS MAYBE JESUS DID HEAR FROM GOD. ACCORDING TO ACTS 4:28-29 THE WHOLE BETRAYAL AND CRUCIFIXION WAS ORCHESTRATED THROUGH GOD. WAS IT A MISTAKE FOR JESUS TO HEAD FOR JERUSALEM FOR THE PASSOVER? I THINK NOT.

PROBABLY THE TWO BIGGEST MISTAKES THAT I HAVE EVER MADE WERE AFTER I MADE DECISIONS AFTER WEEKS IF NOT MONTHS OF PRAYER. MY BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER WAS LEAVING A SUCCESSFUL JOB AS A POLICE OFFICER TO ATTEND SEMINARY. I WISH I COULD HIT THE RE-DO BUTTON ON THAT ONE! I LOVED BEING A POLICE OFFICER BUT THOUGHT I WAS HEARING FROM GOD AND LEFT TO ATTEND A SEMINARY FOUNDED BY A PROPHET THAT CLAIMED TO HAVE VISITATIONS FROM JESUS. (WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?)

MY NEXT BIGGEST MISTAKE WAS BUILDING A NEW CHURCH THAT WOULD SEAT 500 PEOPLE WHEN I WAS ALREADY IN A FREE BUILDING WITH MORE PEOPLE THAN I COULD HANDLE AS IT WAS. MAYBE I DIDN'T HEAR FROM GOD AT ALL ON THAT ONE. ALL THAT FAITH AND PROSPERITY TEACHING ABOUT INCREASE AND BELIEVING GOD FOR BIGGER AND BETTER AND BEST PROBABLY WARPED ME. INDEED IT DID. IT MADE ME GREEDY AND LUSTFUL.HAVING SEVERAL PROPHETS TELL ME GOD WAS TELLING THEM THAT I SHOULD BUILD IT PROBABLY HELPED.

I LOOK BACK AND WONDER HOW IN THE WORLD COULD I HAVE BEEN SO DECEIVED AND CAUGHT UP INTO THAT BOGUS TEACHING FOR SO LONG? WHAT MADE ME THINK THAT IT WAS OF GOD? ANY PREACHER CAN MAKE THE BIBLE SAY ANYTHING THAT HE WANTS TO PROVE A POINT. I ADMIT THAT I WAS FOLLOWING A CERTAIN MAN AND HIS VISIONS AND REVELATIONS. I NOW KNOW THAT I WAS BEING FOOLISH. JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE CLAIMS TO BE HEARING FROM GOD, AND JUST BECAUSE YOU GET THE WARM FUZZIES AND MULTIPLE CONFIRMATIONS MEANS NOTHING.

DEEP IN MY HEART I BELIEVE GOD LED ME INTO THIS SERIES OF FAILURES IN ORDER TO USE ME IN SOME CAPACITY. AT LEAST THAT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER! I GUESS SOME GOOD CAME OUT OF IT EVEN THOUGH IT RUINED ME FINANCIALLY FOR YEARS TO COME. BUT IT FREAKING SUCKS. I WISH I HAD BEEN SMARTER AND WISER. I WISH MY DAD HAD BEEN ALIVE TO KICK MY ASS AND TALK SOME SENSE INTO ME.

OH WELL. MAYBE ROMANS 8:28 IS CORRECT. AFTER ALL, IT IS GOD WHO WORKS "ALL THINGS" ACCORDING TO HIS GOOD WILL AND PLEASURE. EPHESIANS 1:11 MAYBE THINGS WILL TURN OUT BETTER. I SURE HOPE SO.

THINGS TO EXPECT WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR WORD OF FAITH CHURCH

2010-12-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

IF YOU HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING LEAVING THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED TO EXPECT. IT CAN BE A VERY TUMULTUOUS AND TRYING TIME SIMILAR TO A DEATH IN THE FAMILY OR A DIVORCE. IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO LEAVE, BUT YOU CAN LEAVE AND SURVIVE. HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AND HOW TO DEAL WITH IT:

1) EXPECT ANGER AND THREATS. WHEN I FIRST BEGAN TO QUESTION MY FELLOW WORD OF FAITH PASTORS AND LEADERS ABOUT KENNETH HAGIN'S TEACHINGS AND CLAIMS, I WAS MET WITH A FIERCE STORM OF ANGER AND THREATS. MOST PEOPLE THAT ARE DECEIVED INTO A CULT WILL BE THREATENED AND OSTRACIZED IMMEDIATELY.

YOUR PASTOR AND CHURCH FRIENDS WILL AUTOMATICALLY TELL YOU THAT YOU WILL BE CURSED AND THAT BAD THINGS WILL START HAPPENING TO YOU. THIS IS A COMMON MANIPULATION TACTIC FOUND IN ALL CULTS. FEAR, THREATS AND INTIMIDATION. AT ONE VERY LARGE WORD OF FAITH CHURCH IN BIRMINGHAM, A SPECIAL PROPHET WAS BROUGHT IN FROM CALIFORNIA TO PROCLAIM THAT EVERYONE THAT HAD LEFT THAT CHURCH WOULD BE DEAD BY NEW YEARS. NO ONE DIED.

YOUR WORD OF FAITH PASTOR WILL PROBABLY BAN PEOPLE FROM SOCIALIZING AND FELLOW-SHIPPING WITH YOU FROM THE PULPIT. HE MAY NOT USE YOUR NAME, BUT HE WILL MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE CONGREGATION WHO HE IS TALKING ABOUT. HE WILL WARN YOUR FRIENDS THAT YOUR UNBELIEF AND OFFENSE WILL BE CONTAGIOUS, THUS IMPEDING THE FLOW OF GOD'S BLESSING INTO YOUR LIFE.

KENNETH HAGIN HIMSELF USED TO TELL STORY AFTER STORY OF PEOPLE THAT DIED OR GOT SICK BECAUSE THEY WENT AGAINST HIM. PEOPLE DIE AND GET SICK NO MATTER WHAT. HE DIED HIMSELF AFTER YEARS OF HEART DISEASE EVEN THOUGH HE PROCLAIMED TO WALK IN DIVINE HEALTH. EVERYONE DIES. MOST PEOPLE GET SICK. IT'S A PART OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

2) EXPECT THE SILENT TREATMENT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER EMAILING THE DIRECTOR OF RHEMA AN EMAIL CONTAINING 40 LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS ABOUT KENNETH HAGIN'S THEOLOGY, VISIONS AND SICKNESSES, I WAS ASKED TO STOP EMAILING AND TO TURN IN MY CREDENTIALS. MY FELLOW RMAI PASTOR FRIENDS DID MUCH THE SAME, AND ONE OF THEM TOLD ME THAT I WAS DECEIVED BECAUSE I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT KENNETH HAGIN WAS A PROPHET.

THIS IS VERY COMMON. YOUR CHURCH FRIENDS AND LEADERS WILL NOT CALL YOU OR CHECK ON YOU. THEY WILL IMMEDIATELY WRITE YOU OFF AS BEING OFFENDED. FEAR NOT, IT WILL NOT BE LONG BEFORE YOU FIND NEW FRIENDS. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! AND YOU ARE NOT CRAZY!

3) EXPECT TO BE DISILLUSIONED WITH CHURCH AND CHRISTIANITY. BECAUSE OF THIS BLOG, I GET MANY LETTERS AND PHONE CALLS FROM PREACHERS AND CHURCH MEMBERS THAT EXPRESS TOTAL DISILLUSIONMENT WITH CHURCH AND RELIGION. THIS IS NORMAL. IT WILL PASS. I TOO WENT THROUGH A ROUGH PATCH OF DOUBTING GOD, DOUBTING THE BIBLE AND DISTRUST OF ALL PREACHERS.

IT IS TOTALLY NORMAL TO FEEL LIKE YOUR WHOLE WORLD AND YOUR FAITH HAS BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AND IN DISARRAY. BUT TAKE HEART, GOD WILL SLOWLY PICK UP THE BROKEN PIECES AND PUT YOU BACK TOGETHER AGAIN EVEN STRONGER THAN BEFORE. THIS MAY TAKE A LONG TIME FOR SOME PEOPLE. EVEN TODAY, MOST OF MY FORMER WORD OF FAITH FRIENDS AND PREACHERS ARE NOT INVOLVED IN A CHURCH AT ALL. YOU MAY FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TOTALLY LOST YOUR MIND, BUT THE FACT IS THAT YOU ARE FINDING IT AGAIN.

IN FACT, I KNOW SOME FORMER WORD OF FAITH PREACHERS THAT HAVE ALL BUT LEFT THE FAITH ENTIRELY. THAT IS NORMAL. AFTER BEING LIED TO, DECEIVED, STOLEN FROM AND CHEATED, IT IS A NORMAL REACTION TO RESIST CHURCH. AFTER BASING ALL OF YOUR FAITH AND DREAMS UPON SCRIPTURE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT, IT OFTEN TAKES A LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO GET DE-PROGRAMMED AND BACK ON TRACK.

4) EXPECT CONFUSION AND HEART ACHE. I MYSELF HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS, EVEN IN FINANCES. WHEN I TOLD MY CHURCH THAT I HAD ABANDONED THE WORD OF FAITH THEOLOGY, I LOST EVERYTHING. I LOST MY CHURCH, MOST OF MY FRIENDS, MY JOB, MY HOUSE, MY SAVINGS, MY INCOME AND MY SELF-ESTEEM. I WENT UNDER AND AM STILL PAYING THE PRICE EVERYDAY.

IF YOU ARE A PREACHER, YOU MAY EXPERIENCE THIS TOO. YOU WILL FEEL LIKE GOD HAS ABANDONED YOU AND FAILED YOU. YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT AS YOU BEGIN TO MAKE NEW RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PREACHERS AND OTHER BELIEVERS, EXPECT THEM TO HOLD YOU AT ARMS LENGTH. THIS IS NORMAL. MOST OF YOUR NEW CHURCH FRIENDS AND MINISTER FRIENDS WILL BE VERY MISTRUSTING OF YOU.

THIS WAS A BIG DEAL TO ME. AS I MET OTHER MINISTERS, IT WAS QUICKLY APPARENT THAT I WOULD HAVE NO PLACE OF MINISTRY IN THEIR CHURCHES. AND MOST ANYTHING YOU SAY WILL BE JUDGED IN THE LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT YOU WERE ONCE DECEIVED. SO THE BEST THING THAT I CAN SAY, IS TOO KEEP A LOW PROFILE WHEN MEETING NEW PEOPLE.

THANKFULLY, THROUGH MY BLOG AND WEBSITE, I QUICKLY BUILT UP A WHOLE NEW CIRCLE OF FRIENDS THAT HAD COME OUT OF THE WORD OF FAITH. WE EMAIL AND PHONE EACH OTHER FREQUENTLY. MOST OF US CAN RELATE TO EACH OTHER. IN THIS CIRCLE, YOU WILL FIND NO JUDGMENT OR BLAME.

5) EXPECT THE DOMINO EFFECT. IT IS VERY COMMON FOR PEOPLE COMING OUT OF THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT TO EXPERIENCE THE DOMINO EFFECT. IN OTHER WORDS, ONCE YOUR WORD OF FAITH BELIEFS BEGIN TO FALL IT WILL CAUSE OTHER BELIEFS TO FALL ALSO. I AM SPEAKING IN PARTICULARLY OF CHARISMATIC BELIEFS SUCH AS PRAYING IN TONGUES, SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

THIS IS NORMAL. ONCE YOU REALIZE THAT MUCH OF WHAT YOUR WERE TAUGHT IN THE WORD OF FAITH WAS WRONG, YOU BEGIN TO QUESTION EVERYTHING. SOME PEOPLE DO NOT EXPERIENCE THIS DOMINO EFFECT, BUT MY WIFE AND I DID. IF KENNETH HAGIN WAS WRONG ABOUT SO MANY DOCTRINES, WHY TRUST HIM ON ANYTHING?

6)EXPECT CRITICISM. ONCE YOU LEAVE THE WORD OF FAITH, OR THE SO CALLED FAITH MESSAGE, ANYTIME YOU SPEAK UP AGAINST IT YOU WILL BE LECTURED AND CRITICIZED. YOU WILL BE TOLD BY MANY NOT TO "TOUCH GOD'S ANOINTED". YOU WILL BE JUDGED HARSHLY BY THOSE WITHIN AND WITHOUT. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT MOST CHRISTIANS HAVE NO THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION AND HAVE NO CONCEPT OF WARNING OTHERS ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS.

OBSERVATION. I WAS TOLD BY SEVERAL WORD OF FAITH PEOPLE THAT I WOULD PROBABLY WIND UP IN A CHURCH THAT EXPOUSED AND ADHERED TO REFORMED THEOLOGY AND I DID. A READER OF MY BLOG HUNG A BAG FULL OF JOHN PIPER AND RC SPROUL SERMON CD'S ON MY CHURCH OFFICE DOOR. NATURALLY I LISTENED TO THEM ALL FOR WEEKS.

REFORMED THEOLOGY IS 180 DEGREES OPPOSITE OF WORD OF FAITH TEACHING. INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THE BELIEVER AND THE BLESSINGS, IT FOCUSES ON THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD AND THE SMALLNESS OF MAN. GOD BECOMES THE FOCUS OF THE TEACHING INSTEAD OF THE BELIEVER. THIS HELPED ME A GREAT DEAL, ALTHOUGH IT TOOK MANY MONTHS FOR THIS TO HELP DEPROGRAM MY TWISTED THINKING. IT STILL IS.

THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH STARTED OUT AS REFORMED BUT HAS DRIFTED AWAY FROM ITS FOUNDATION OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES. BUT MANY BAPTIST CHURCHES ARE TURNING BACK TO THEIR THEOLOGICAL ROOTS. THE MAIN DENOMINATION THAT TEACHES REFORMED THEOLOGY AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IS THE PCA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. THAT IS THE KIND OF CHURCH THAT I ATTEND. OTHER DENOMINATIONS ARE REFORMED, BUT IM NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THEM. IN FACT 85% OF ALL CHRISTIANS IN COLONIAL AMERICA WERE REFORMED.

THE FOLLOWING IS A PARTIAL LIST OF PREACHERS THAT YOU CAN GOOGLE AND LISTEN TO THEIR SERMONS IF YOU ARE INTERESTED:

CHARLES SPURGEON
JONATHAN EDWARDS
JOHN MACARTHER
JAMES MACDONALD
RC SPROUL
JOHN PIPER
J.VERNON MCGEE
AW PINK

ALL OF THESE GUYS ARE EXCELLENT.

7) TIME. HEALING TAKES TIME. DON'T EXPECT TO SNAP RIGHT OUT OF THIS. IT IS A JOURNEY, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS BLOG THAT WILL LISTEN TO YOU AND HELP. DON'T GIVE UP! GOD WILL TAKE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND USE THEM TO HELP MULTITUDES OF OTHERS, AND WILL HEAL YOU OVER TIME IN THE PROCESS. DON'T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF. ONE OF MY BIGGEST HURDLES IS GETTING OVER THE ANGER AT MYSELF FOR BEING DECEIVED. THAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART,DEEP REGRET.

"DON'T SPEAK IT" !!!!!!!!!!

2010-12-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

ANYONE THAT HAS SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME IN A WORD OF FAITH CHURCH, WILL QUICKLY NOTICE THAT WOFERS ARE OBSESSED AND SUPERSTITIOUS ABOUT THE WORDS THEY SPEAK. IT OFTEN TAKES SEVERAL MONTHS FOR A NEW WOFER TO CATCH ON TO THE FACT THAT WOFERS BELIEVE THAT EVERY SINGLE WORD THAT YOU SPEAK WILL COME TO PASS.

SOME WOFERS, THAT HAVE SPENT MANY YEARS IN THIS STRANGE DENOMINATION STILL HAVE MUCH TROUBLE WITH THEIR " FAITH FILLED CONFESSION". IT IS NOT UNCOMMON AT ALL FOR FELLOW WOFERS TO ADMONISH EACH OTHER ABOUT NOT SPEAKING CERTAIN THINGS. YOU NEVER CALL YOUR CAR A WRECK BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL THEN HAVE A CAR WRECK.

AND DON'T SAY THAT YOUR HOUSE IS A WRECK BECAUSE THAT WILL CAUSE A TORNADO TO BLOW IT AWAY. DON'T SAY ANYTHING LIKE: "THAT JUST KILLS ME" BECAUSE YOUR SUDDEN DEATH AND DEMISE WILL BE JUST AROUND THE CORNER. DON'T SAY "IM BROKE" BECAUSE THEN YOU WILL SURELY GO BANKRUPT OR HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND BREAK YOUR NECK.

MY SON WAS OFTEN REPRIMANDED BY HIS CHILDREN'S PASTOR FOR USING THE EXPRESSION: "LAUGHING MY HEAD OFF". I GUESS ALL THE FOLKS ON FACEBOOK THAT USE THE EXPRESSION LMAO WILL SOON LOSE THEIR ASSES! YES, WOFERS REALLY BELIEVE LIKE THAT, EVEN TO THE POINT THAT THEY WILL RARELY ADMIT THAT THEY ARE SICK. WOFER CHILDREN ARE BRAINWASHED BY THEIR ROBOT PARENTS AND MINISTERS THAT WHATEVER THEY SAY WITH THEIR WORDS WILL MATERIALIZE.

THIS TYPE OF ERRONEOUS AND SUPERSTITIOUS TEACHING COMES FROM A MISGUIDED UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES IN MARK 11:22-24:

Mark 11:22-24 (King James Version)

22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

WORD OF FAITH PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THIS COMMON JEWISH IDIOM AND HYPERBOLE AND TURNED IT INTO AN IRON CLAD LEGALISTIC FORMULA FOR CREATING HEALTH, WEALTH AND CHANGING THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES IN LIFE. ACCORDING TO WORD OF FAITH THEOLOGY, WE CAN OPERATE MUCH LIKE GOD BY SPEAKING THINGS INTO EXISTENCE WITH OUR FAITH FILLED WORDS. THEY ALSO BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN BRING DISASTER, TRAGEDY, SICKNESS AND HARDSHIP UPON YOUR LIFE BY SPEAKING NEGATIVELY, EVEN IF WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS THE TRUTH.

WORD OF FAITH PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT SPEAKING SCRIPTURES OUT LOUD WILL CAUSE THE PROMISE IN THE SCRIPTURE TO MANIFEST. TROUBLE IS THAT THEY PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH SCRIPTURE TO CONFESS AND THEY ARE USUALLY THE OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES TO ISRAEL CONCERNING MATERIAL PROSPERITY AND DIVINE HEALTH. (WOFERS ARE OBSESSED WITH MONEY)

YOU PROBABLY WILL NOT EVER HEAR A TRUE WOFER SPEAKING AND CLAIMING THE HUMILITY SCRIPTURES, THE SELF DENIAL SCRIPTURES, THE SCRIPTURES PROMISING AFFLICTION AND PERSECUTION. NOPE, THEY TEND TO STICK WITH THE ONES THAT WILL KEEP THEM HAPPY. THEY EVEN OVER LOOK THAT FACT THAT GOD, JESUS, THE PATRIARCHS, THE PROPHETS, THE APOSTLES AND PAUL HIMSELF NEVER HESITATED TO STATE FACTS OR TO ADMIT PROBLEMS OR FAILURES.

WOFERS ARE BRAINWASHED THAT THEY MUST ALWAYS SPEAK IN LINE WITH GOD'S WORD NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE IN REALITY, AND THAT IF THEY MAINTAIN THEIR POSITIVE CONFESSION THEN VICTORY WILL ALWAYS BE WON. THIS SOUNDS REALLY GOOD, AND JOEL OSTEEN AND JOYCE MEYERS HAVE MADE A HOLLYWOOD FORTUNE OFF OF THIS TEACHING, BUT SADLY IT DOES NOT WORK. IN FACT, IT TURNS WELL MEANING PEOPLE INTO SUPERSTITIOUS, LEGALISTIC, FEARFUL, ROBOTS THAT CANNOT EVEN COMMUNICATE WITH REAL PEOPLE ANY LONGER.

I COULD WRITE FOR HOURS ABOUT BOTH HUMOROUS AND HEART BREAKING EXAMPLES OF HOW WOFERS HAVE BEEN HELD IN TERRIBLE FEAR AND BONDAGE TO THIS FALSE TEACHING. I HAVE ALSO HEARD MANY A TESTIMONY OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN REBUKED, THREATENED AND LECTURED BY FELLOW WOFER CHURCH FRIENDS AND MINISTERS FOR SAYING THE WRONG THING.

SADLY, MANY TIMES WORD OF FAITH PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED NEED, PAIN AND EVEN DEATH BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO TERRIFIED TO SPEAK OR SAY THE TRUTH ABOUT THEIR SYMPTOMS OR CIRCUMSTANCES. IT IS VERY TRAGIC THAT SOMEONE WITH A BLAZING FEVER WILL NOT SAY THAT HE HAS A BLAZING FEVER, BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT BY SAYING HE HAS A BLAZING FEVER WILL CAUSE HIM TO HAVE A BLAZING FEVER WHEN IN FACT HE ALREADY HAS A BLAZING FEVER.

I KNOW COUNTLESS STORIES OF POOR WOFERS THAT WERE AFRAID OF GOD'S WRATH OR SATANIC ATTACK BY SPEAKING THE TRUTH. BABY WOFERS ARE EVEN PUBLICLY REBUKED FOR EVER ADMITTING A NEED OR CIRCUMSTANCE. "CALLING THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS THEY WERE" HAS BEEN TAKEN FAR BEYOND IT'S BIBLICAL CONTEXT AND BROUGHT GREAT HARM TO MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. PARENTS HAVE EVEN ALLOWED THEIR OWN CHILDREN TO SUFFER BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID TO UTTER THE FOLLOWING WORDS TO A DOCTOR: "MY CHILD IS SICK".

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MISAPPLICATION OF SCRIPTURE AND MUST BE EXPOSED AS THE HERESY THAT IT IS. WORD OF FAITH, A BONDAGE AND FEAR PRODUCING RELIGION THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED AND EXCISED FROM THE BODY OF CHRIST. AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, IF THERE WAS ANY TRUTH TO THAT SUPERSTITIOUS TEACHING, I WOULD EITHER BE A BILLIONAIRE OR DEAD BY NOW.

IS IT THE "ANOINTING" OR ADRENANLINE?

2010-12-15T06:45:00.000-08:00

THERE IS MUCH TALK ABOUT THE "ANOINTING" IN BOTH CHARISMATIC AND WORD OF FAITH CIRCLES. WHEN I WAS AT RHEMA BIBLE TRAINING CENTER, AND STUDYING UNDER KENNETH HAGIN, I HEARD ABOUT THE ANOINTING CONTINUOUSLY. I WAS TAUGHT THAT THE ANOINTING WAS THE POWER OF GOD TO HEAL, PROSPER AND PREFORM MIRACLES. MANY TIMES I WAS CONFUSED BETWEEN WHAT WAS THE ANOINTING, WAS IT THE HOLY SPIRIT OR THE POWER OF GOD, OR ONE IN THE SAME?

HAVING BEEN A PENTECOSTAL FAITH PREACHER FOR MANY YEARS, I HAVE HAD HUNDREDS OF EXPERIENCES SEEING PREACHERS LAY HANDS ON INDIVIDUALS CLAIMING THAT THEY WERE ANOINTED BY GOD HIMSELF TO HEAL AND IMPART BLESSINGS. I HAVE MADE THAT CLAIM MYSELF ON MANY OCCASIONS. I HAVE SEEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FALL "UNDER THE ANOINTING" WHEN BEING PRAYED FOR.

ON MANY OCCASIONS I MYSELF WHEN PRAYING FOR PEOPLE, OR BEING PRAYED FOR HAVE FELT A WARM TANGIBLE FEELING FLOW THROUGH MY BODY ALMOST LIKE ELECTRICITY. I HAVE HAD PEOPLE TESTIFY THAT WHEN I PRAYED FOR THEM THAT THEY FELT THE POWER OF GOD ZAP THEM AND THAT THEY WERE INSTANTLY HEALED.

THE FIRST TIME A SIGNS AND WONDERS PREACHER LAID HANDS ON ME I FELT SOMETHING TOO. I ALSO WENT DOWN AND RECEIVED AN INSTANT HEALING FROM SOME SWOLLEN GLANDS THAT I HAD HAD IN MY NECK THAT WERE BOTHERING ME. MY WIFE HAS LAID HANDS ON MANY PEOPLE THAT FELL OUT WITH A TOUCH AND CLAIMED HEALINGS OR TRANCES.

ONE TIME I TOOK MY MOTHER FORWARD TO BE PRAYED FOR BY KENNETH HAGIN. AS WE STOOD WAITING FOR HIM TO PRAY, MY MOM WAS SWAYING AND SHAKING. THEN SHE GOT ZAPPED, GOT UP LAUGHING AND SINGING THE REST OF THE NIGHT CLAIMING TO BE HEALED. I SAW A NIGHT AND DAY CHANGE IN HER AND WAS AMAZED. I THOUGHT THAT FINALLY, AFTER MANY YEARS THAT SHE HAD FINALLY BEEN HEALED AND SET FREE.

BUT THE NEXT MORNING, SHE WOKE UP IN THE EXACT SAME PITIFUL CONDITION THAT SHE HAD BEEN IN FOR YEARS. SHE WAS GRUMPY, DEPRESSED AND SULLEN. THE HEALING AND THE FEELINGS HAD FLED. THIS HAPPENS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. THEY GET PRAYED FOR, FEEL GREAT, THEN START HURTING AGAIN IN A FEW HOURS WHEN THEY GET HOME.

MY WIFE HAD A PATIENT THAT HAD STAGE 4 CANCER. SHE WAS REALLY BAD OFF. SHE THEN WENT TO GET PRAYED FOR BY TELEVANGELIST JESS DUPLANTIS. SHE TESTIFIED THAT AS SOON AS HE LAID HANDS ON HER, THAT SHE WENT DOWN UNDER THE POWER, AND SAW STARS AND BRIGHT FLASHES OF LIGHT. WE WERE SO EXCITED FOR HER, BUT SHE DIED THAT NEXT WEEK. SHE HAD NOT BEEN HEALED DESPITE HER EXPERIENCES AND FEELINGS.

THESE SITUATIONS HAVE CAUSED ME TO QUESTION A LOT OF THE EXPERIENCES AND TEACHING THAT I HAD AND RECEIVED AS A CHARISMATIC PENTECOSTAL WORD OF FAITHER. WAS ALL OF THIS PENTECOSTAL STUFF REALLY THE ANOINTING? WAS IT TRULY THE POWER OF GOD IN PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION? OR WAS IT SIMPLY ADRENALINE AND POWER OF SUGGESTION?

I KNOW THAT MANY TIMES WHEN I HAVE BEEN SUDDENLY FRIGHTENED OR SCARED OUT OF MY WITS, THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCE AN ADRENALINE RUSH. THIS HAPPENED A LOT WHEN I WAS A POLICEMAN. ON MY WAY TO A HOT AND DANGEROUS CALL, MY HEART WOULD POUND AND MY STOMACH WOULD BE DOING FLIP FLOPS. BY THE TIME I WAS ON THE SCENE I WOULD BE TOTALLY AMPED AND JACKED UP. I COULD FIGHT FIVE MEN AND WIN, I COULD CHASE 18 YEAR OLD CAR THIEVES DOWN ON FOOT.

WHEN ENDORPHINS ARE RELEASED INTO OUR SYSTEMS, PAIN CAN DISAPPEAR, INCREDIBLE STRENGTH CAN RISE UP, AND FEAR CAN VANISH. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO US ALL AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. PEOPLE HAVE DONE AMAZING AND INCREDIBLE FEATS OF HEROISM AND STRENGTH UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AN ADRENALIN AND ENDORPHINS. PAIN WILL ACTUALLY LEAVE THE BODY FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.

I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF GOD. I BELIEVE THAT HE STILL DOES WONDERFUL THINGS AND ANSWERS THE PRAYERS OF HIS CHILDREN. BUT I AM BEGINNING TO BELIEVE THAT MOST OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED AS A CHARISMATIC WAS NOT THE ANOINTING, BUT RATHER ADRENALINE. SADLY, MANY PREACHERS ARE ACUTELY AWARE OF THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF ADRENALINE.

MANY PREACHERS ARE EXPERTS AT PLAYING ON PEOPLES PSYCHE AND EMOTIONS TO CAPITALIZE AND MANIPULATE ON THIS. ALREADY WHEN A SICK OR HURTING PERSON IS ATTENDING A HEALING OR MIRACLE SERVICE THEY ARE EXCITED. THEN THE MOOD MUSIC BEGINS. THE SINGING, THE SWAYING ONLY CAUSES THE ENDORPHINS TO BE RELEASED. THEN COMES THE ANOINTED MAN OF GOD WITH HIS INSPIRING AND EXCITING MESSAGE FULL OF PROMISES, BOLD CLAIMS AND TESTIMONIES.

AFTER AN HOUR OR SO OF PRE-CONDITIONING, THE SICK PERSON IS CALLED FORWARD TO BE PRAYED FOR. BY THIS TIME THE ADRENALINE AND ENDORPHINS ARE REALLY AMPED UP. GETTING UP IN FRONT OF A CROWD ALONE HEIGHTENS THE SENSES. THEN WHEN THE PREACHER TOUCHES THE SICK PERSON, THERE IS A PSYCHOSOMATIC EFFECT THAT CAUSES AN ADRENALINE RUSH.

BECAUSE THE SICK PERSON HAS WITNESSED MANY OF THEIR FELLOW CONGREGANTS FALL TO THE FLOOR WHEN PRAYED FOR, THEY AUTOMATICALLY DO THE SAME. LEARNED BEHAVIOR. PEER PRESSURE. FEAR OF NOT PLEASING THE PREACHER. SO DOWN THEY GO, ADRENALIN RUSH OR NOT. OF COURSE, MOST OF THE TIME THEY FEEL INSTANTLY AND AMAZINGLY BETTER AND TESTIFY OF IT. SO CONTINUOUS THE CYCLE. THE CYCLE OF MANIPULATION AND DECEPTION.

MORE OFTEN OR NOT, THE SICK PERSON WILL FEEL MUCH BETTER, OR EVEN COMPLETELY HEALED UNTIL THE ADRENALINE WEARS OFF. THEN THE PAIN AND SYMPTOMS RETURN JUST AS BEFORE. AFTER THAT FOLLOWS DISAPPOINTMENT, DOUBT,FEAR AND MOST SADLY, SELF CONDEMNATION. THOUSANDS ARE THE SAD TESTIMONY OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS CYCLE. THE PERSON WILL CONTINUE TO FEEL CONDEMNED AS HE IS TAUGHT BY THE PREACHER THAT THE SICKNESS RETURNED BECAUSE OF A LACK OF FAITH OR UNBELIEF.

TELL ME. IF THIS IS TRULY THE ANOINTING, THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD IN MANIFESTATION, WOULDN'T AMAZING MIRACLES OF ALL SORTS HAPPEN? WOULDN'T AMPUTEES RECEIVE LIMBS, THE BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, THE RETARDED AND PARAPLEGIC INSTANTLY HEALED? THE BURN VICTIM GET NEW SKIN? THE MENTALLY INSANE CURED? DEFORMITIES DISAPPEAR? OF COURSE, NONE OF THESE MANIFESTATIONS EVER OCCUR. JUST TOOTH ACHES, BACKACHES AND TUMMY ACHES ARE HEALED. THERE ARE NEVER EVEN ANY TRUE MIRACLES OF THIS SORT.

THIS IS A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST. I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE MANY,MANY SINCERE PENTECOSTAL, CHARISMATIC, WORD OF FAITH PREACHERS OUT THERE THAT HAVE HONEST HEARTS AND SINCERE MOTIVES. I KNOW THAT I DID. THE PROBLEM AND TROUBLE IS THAT MOST OF THE TECHNIQUES THAT FAITH PREACHERS USES HAVE BEEN LEARNED BY WATCHING CHARLATANS AND CON ARTIST. PREACHERS MIRROR AND IMITATE SUCCESSFUL PREACHERS. I KNOW I DID.

SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, CERTAIN PREACHERS BEGAN TO INCORPORATE SHOWMANSHIP AND SNAKE OIL SALESMANSHIP INTO THEIR HEALING MEETINGS. WATCHING AN OLD BLACK AND WHITE FILM OF FAITH HEALER A.A.ALLAN IS NO DIFFERENT THAT WATCHING THE OLD SNAKE OIL SALESMAN PITCH HIS CURE ALL MEDICINE FROM HIS WAGON. IT IS PURE DECEPTION AND MANIPULATION. NOWHERE IN SCRIPTURE DO YOU FIND JESUS OR THE APOSTLES SHOWBOATING.

SINCERE CHRISTIANS NEED TO BE WARNED AND EDUCATED. MANY MILLIONS OF INNOCENT SICK PEOPLE ARE BEING CONNED OUT OF THEIR FAITH AND THEIR MONEY THROUGH THESE AGE OLD TACTICS. IT HAS SHIPWRECKED THE CHILD LIKE FAITH OF INNUMERABLE PERSONS. I THINK THAT IT IS A TERRIBLE AND WICKED SIN TO PLAY ON SICK PEOPLES EMOTIONS AND GET RICH DOING IT.

HOW TO DO FAITH HEALING

2010-12-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

I WAS IN THE FAITH HEALING BUSINESS FOR FOURTEEN YEARS. I LAID HANDS ON THE SICK AND PRAYED FOR THEIR HEALING ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT I PREACHED. AS A PASTOR FOR TEN YEARS, I INVITED THE SICK UP FOR PRAYER BEFORE EVERY SERVICE. IN ALL I PRAYED FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

PEOPLE ASK ME ALL OF THE TIME IF I HAVE EVER SEEN ANY REAL HEALING MIRACLES AND I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAVE NOT, EXCEPT FOR TWO PEOPLE THAT I CAN THINK OF, AND THOSE TWO WERE HEALED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AND NOT INSTANTLY. IN THE BIBLE, JESUS AND THE APOSTLES HEALED EVERY DISEASE INSTANTLY THROUGH TOUCH OR PRAYER. LUKE 4:40.

IN TODAY'S FAITH HEALING BUSINESS, IT'S MOSTLY HYPE AND SHOWMANSHIP. AND IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE GETTING HEALED ARE THE ONES WITH PAIN OR CONDITIONS THAT YOU CANNOT SEE. AS A "FAITH HEALER" I PRAYED FOR LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE INSTANTLY HEALED OF SUCH THINGS AS BACK PAIN, TOOTHACHES, FEVERS, HEADACHES, TUMMY ACHES, AND SUCH, BUT I NEVER SAW ANY REAL MIRACLE SUCH AS LIMBS APPEARING OR PARAPLEGICS JUMPING UP TO RUN.

IN TODAY'S HEALING MEETINGS RUN BY SUCH FAITH HEALERS AS BENNY HINN YOU WILL SEE AND HEAR MANY PEOPLE TESTIFY THAT THEY WERE HEALED OF ALL SORTS OF THINGS, BUT YOU WILL NEVER SEE ANYONE HEALED OF THE HARD AND VISIBLE CASES. YOU WILL NOT SEE TRULY BLIND NOR DEAF PEOPLE HEALED, YOU WILL NOT SEE ANYONE WITH DOWNS SYNDROME HEALED. YOU WILL NOT SEE AN AMPUTEE GET HIS LEGS BACK OR SOMEONE WITH BURN SCAR TISSUE HEALED.

ALL YOU WILL SEE IS PEOPLE GETTING HEALED OF MINOR AILMENTS. EVEN THE ONES THAT CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HEALED OF TERMINAL CANCER AND AIDS WILL ADMIT THAT THERE WAS SOME FORM OF MEDICAL TREATMENT, SURGERY OR MEDICINE INVOLVED. IF YOU ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS, DO THE RESEARCH AND CHECK WITH THE MEDICAL RECORDS, YOU WILL FIND THAT NONE OF THESE PEOPLE CAN PROVE THAT THEY WERE HEALED INSTANTANEOUSLY BY A MAN.

IT IS VERY EASY TO GET PEOPLE HEALED OF MINOR ACHES AND PAINS, OR EVEN SEVERE ACHES AND PAINS. THERE IS AN OLD FAITH HEALING TRICK TO IT THAT WORKS LIKE A CHARM. I HAVE TALKED TO HYPNOTIST AND SHOWMAN THAT CAN DO THE SAME THING. SO, IF SOMEONE GETS PRAYED FOR BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING BACK PAIN OR A HEADACHE, WHAT IS IT THAT THE FAITH HEALER DOES THAT WORKS?

A FEW YEARS AGO I BECAME GREAT FRIENDS WITH A TRAVELING FAITH HEALER. HE WOULD PRAY FOR ALMOST ANYONE AND THEY WOULD GET HEALED AND TESTIFY, SOMETIMES WITH TEARS AND LAUGHTER THAT THEY WERE HEALED. AND THEY WERE NOT LYING! AS WE GREW CLOSER, I BEGAN TO TRAVEL TO DIFFERENT TOWNS AND CHURCHES WHERE MY FAITH HEALING FRIEND WAS HOLDING HEALING MEETINGS. I TRAVELED ALL OVER THE PLACE TO WATCH. I WANTED TO GET PEOPLE HEALED.

AS TIME WENT ON I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT THIS PREACHER USED THE EXACT SAME TACTICS AND THEATRICS IN EACH CHURCH. HE WOULD STAND UP THERE AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR OF "MOOD MUSIC" AND BOLDLY PROCLAIM THAT GOD WAS ABOUT TO HEAL PEOPLE. THEN HE WOULD SHARE SEVERAL STORIES AND TESTIMONIES ABOUT FOLKS THAT HE HAD PRAYED FOR THAT WERE HEALED. THIS WOULD ALWAYS CAUSE GREAT EXCITEMENT AND EXPECTATION IN THE CROWD.

AFTER A WHILE OF THIS, HE WOULD CALL CERTAIN FOLKS FORWARD FROM THE CROWD. AS THEY WOULD COME FORWARD, HE WOULD BEGIN TO ASK THEM SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR CONDITION AND WEATHER OR NOT THEY BELIEVED THAT WHEN HE LAID HANDS ON THEM THAT THEY WOULD BE HEALED.

THEN SUDDENLY, IN A FLASH, HE WOULD GRAB THEM BY THE NECK, OR THE HEAD, OR THE SHOULDERS AND YELL OUT 'JESUS' IN A VERY LOUD AND COMMANDING VOICE. ALMOST ALWAYS THE PERSON WOULD FALL BACK IN SHOCK, THEN GET UP AND PROCLAIM THAT THEY WERE HEALED AND FELT NO PAIN. IF HE PRAYED FOR 50 PEOPLE, HE DID THIS 50 TIMES IN A ROW. I ONLY SAW ONE TIME WHERE A YOUNG LADY WALKED AWAY NOT HEALED.

ONE NIGHT AFTER ONE OF HIS MIRACLE MEETINGS, I TRIED OUT ONE OF HIS TRICKS. A YOUNG LADY CAME UP TO ME TO ASK FOR HEALING. FOR SOME REASON SHE HAD NOT COME UP IN THE HEALING SERVICE. WHEN I ASKED HER WHAT WAS WRONG SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD HAD SEVERE NECK PAIN IN HER NECK BECAUSE OF AN INJURY SHE HAD SUFFERED IN A CAR WRECK.

JUST AS SHE WAS TELLING HER STORY, LIKE A RATTLESNAKE, I ON PURPOSE GRABBED HER BY THE HEAD AND SHOUTED 'JESUS'. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT SCARED THE HELL OUT OF HER AND SHE STAGGERED BACK. THEN SHE STARTED SAYING THAT THE PAIN WAS GONE AND THAT SHE FELT WONDERFUL! IT WORKED! THE FAITH HEALING TACTIC WORKED! AND I NEVER DID IT AGAIN.

WHY? BECAUSE THAT WASN'T THE POWER OF GOD, IT WAS MANIPULATION BY ME. ALL I DID WAS SCARE THE LIVING HELL OUT OF HER BY SUDDENLY GRABBING HER. SHE WAS ALREADY AMPED UP BECAUSE OF THE CHURCH SERVICE. SHE WAS ALREADY NERVOUS JUST COMING UP TO ME, THE MAN OF GOD. AND WHEN I GRABBED HER, ADRENALIN WAS RELEASED INTO HER NERVOUS SYSTEM ALONG WITH ENDORPHINS. THESE CHEMICALS, WHICH ARE RELEASED NATURALLY WHEN WE ARE SCARED OR SHOCKED, AND CAN TEMPORARILY RELIEVE PAIN.

IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT MOST OF WHAT I HAD SINCERELY THOUGHT WAS THE 'ANOINTING', WAS NOT THE ANOINTING. IT WAS SIMPLY ADRENALIN BEING MANIPULATED. FAITH HEALERS KNOW THIS. IT IS A TRICK OF THE TRADE AND IT WORKS WELL. THIS SAME FAITH HEALER, AS WE WERE DRIVING AWAY, ADMITTED TO ME THAT MOST OF WHAT HE DID WAS "MENTAL". WHAT A SHAME. AND HE KNEW IT. THAT IS DECEPTION. THAT IS FRAUD.

THE MORE I STUDIED, OBSERVED AND INVESTIGATED FAITH HEALERS, THE MORE OF THIS I BECAME AWARE OF. IT IS WIDESPREAD. IT IS AN OLD AND PROVEN TRICK, AND IT CAN GENERATE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY AND FAME. A LOT OF WHAT PEOPLE CLAIM TO FEEL AT THESE MEETINGS IS MAYBE NOT THE HOLY GHOST AT ALL, BUT THE EXCITEMENT, EUPHORIA AND SUDDEN RELEASE OF ADRENALIN.

BE CAUTIOUS AND WEARY OF ANY FAITH HEALER. EVEN THE ONES THAT ARE SINCERE ARE SIMPLY DUPLICATING AND MIRRORING WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED THROUGH OTHER FAITH HEALERS, MANY WHO ARE CHARLATANS AND NO MORE ANOINTED THAN A TOILET SEAT. NONE OF THESE POPULAR FAITH HEALERS HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OF ONE SINGLE MIRACLE HEALING. NOT A SHRED.

GROWING UP AUBURN

2010-12-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

I HAVE BEEN AN AUBURN TIGER FOOTBALL FAN FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. AND THAT IS A MIRACLE, BECAUSE I GREW UP DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE BEAR BRYANT YEARS AT ALABAMA. I ENDURED THE NINE GAME LOSING STREAK AND THE BARFIELD YEARS. I WAS AUBURN BEFORE AUBURN WAS COOL.

MY FIRST AUBURN MEMORY WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. ALL OF US LITTLE KIDS CHOSE SIDES DURING RECESS AND LINED UP ON OPPOSING SIDES OF THE SCHOOL GYM YELLING WAR EAGLE AND ROLL TIDE AT EACH OTHER. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. IT STILL HAPPENS AT FAMILY FUNCTIONS, CHURCH, WORK AND PLAY.

MY ORIGINAL REASON FOR CHOOSING AUBURN WAS BECAUSE OF THE TIGER MASCOT AND THE COOL ORANGE AND BLUE COLORS. THEN OVER THE YEARS THEY WON MY HEART BY BEING THE UNDERDOG. ALL OF MY LIFE I HAVE BEEN THE UNDERDOG AND I CAN RELATE TO THE TIGERS.

YOU SEE, THE STATE OF ALABAMA IS THE WORLD CAPITAL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. IT IS THE MIDDLE EAST, GROUND ZERO AND MECCA OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. NO RIVALRY NOWHERE ON THIS PLANET CAN COMPARE, AND I HAVE BEEN JUST ABOUT ALL OVER THIS WORLD AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.

IN ALABAMA, FOOTBALL RIVALS JESUS AS THE MAIN RELIGION, AND ABOUT 65% OF THE POPULATIONS ROOTS AGAINST US. AUBURN HAS ALWAYS HAD TO PLAY THE ROLE OF LITTLE BROTHER TO ALABAMA, MOSTLY BECAUSE BAMA HAD THE FORTUNE OF HAVING BEAR BRYANT AS A COACH, AND PARTLY BECAUSE TUSCALOOSA IS JUST A 45 MINUTE DRIVE FROM BIRMINGHAM.

SO TO BE AN AUBURN FAN IN THIS STATE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE HEART AND SOUL. EVERYTHING IS SLANTED TOWARDS ALABAMA. THEY ARE THE MEDIA DARLINGS. THE GET PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT. THEY STAY IN THE SPOTLIGHT. THEY GET ALL THE LUCKY BREAKS. AND AUBURN HAS BEATEN THEIR ASS NUMEROUS TIMES IN SPITE OF THE ODDS. THE MEDIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN BIASED. AUBURN HAS BEEN SCREWED OUT OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS SEVERAL TIMES BY THESE MEDIA VOTERS. 1983, 1993, 2004, AUBURN WAS THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.

ALABAMA FANS HATE OUR GUTS. THEY ARE OBNOXIOUS, RUDE, ARROGANT AND SPOILED ASS ROTTEN. IT HAS BEEN SAID BY MANY OUTSIDERS THAT ALABAMA HAS THE WORST WINNERS AND SOREST LOSER FANS IN SPORTS AND I BELIEVE IT. NO MATTER HOW MIGHTY THE CRIMSON TIDE ROLLS, ALWAYS, THE TIGERS ARE THERE TO WHOOP THEIR ASS AND MAKE LIFE MISERABLE.

THINGS HAVE DRASTICALLY CHANGED OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS. AFTER BEING FORCED TO PLAY THE IRON BOWL IN ALABAMA'S SECOND HOME FIELD OF LEGION FIELD, AUBURN NOW GETS TO PLAY THE GAME AT HOME EVERY OTHER YEAR. AUBURN NOW GETS THE PLEASURE OF DOMINATING THE TIDE IN TUSCALOOSER TOO, WITH A 7-1 RECORD THERE. IN FACT, AUBURN HAS WON 8 OR THE LAST 11 IRON BOWLS, AND HAS JUST GONE 13-0 FOR THE SECOND TIME IN SIX YEARS.

I LOVE IT WHEN THE LITTLE GUY WINS IN LIFE. I NEVER WAS A BAND WAGON TYPE OF PERSON. I LIKE TO TAKE THE LESS TRAVELED PATH. JUST PART OF MY NON-CONFORMIST REBELLIOUS NATURE I SUPPOSE. BUT AFTER A LIFETIME OF TAUNTING, TEASING AND RAGGING BY MILLIONS OF BAMMERS, WE ARE NOW IN OUR FINEST HOUR. AND I WILL ENJOY IT JUST AS MUCH AS BAMMER ENJOYED THEIRS YEAR LAST YEAR.

IT HAS BEEN A GREAT YEAR FOR THE AUBURN TIGERS. UNDEFEATED, NUMBER ONE IN THE NATION, WINNERS OF THE GREATEST COMEBACK FROM BEHIND VICTORY IN IRON BOWL HISTORY, CHAMPIONS OF THE TOUGHEST FOOTBALL CONFERENCE IN THE LAND, AND ABOUT TO GET A THIRD HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER. WAR DAMN EAGLE. IT'S GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER!

IS YOUR GOD IN CONTROL? MINE IS!

2010-12-03T13:56:00.000-08:00

Of God's Eternal Decree

I. God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;[1] yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,[2] nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.[3]

II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions;[4] yet has He not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.[5]

III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels[6] are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.[7]

IV. These angels and men, thus predestinated, and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.[8]

V. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, has chosen, in Christ, unto everlasting glory,[9] out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto;[10] and all to the praise of His glorious grace.[11]

VI. As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto.[12] Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,[13] are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,[14] and kept by His power, through faith, unto salvation.[15] Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectAually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.[16]

PLEASE SOMEBODY! PROVE ME WRONG! I WANT TO BE WRONG!

2010-12-02T12:49:00.001-08:00

I WAS A FAITH HEALING TONGUE TALKING NAME IT CLAIM IT HEALTH WEALTH CHARISMATIC WORD OF FAITH PENTECOSTAL PREACHER FOR A TOTAL OF FOURTEEN YEARS. TEN OF THOSE YEARS AS THE SENIOR PASTOR OF A WORD OF FAITH CHURCH WHERE I TAUGHT THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE AND LAYED HANDS ON THE SICK AND AFFLICTED EVERY SUNDAY AND WEDNESDAY. NEVER SAW A MIRACLE OR TRUE HEALING OF A REAL DISEASE. (MAYBE ONE, TREATMENT INVOLVED)

I BELIEVED IN THE SIGNS AND WONDERS, THE MIRACLES, THE FAITH HEALINGS, THE TELEVANGELIST, THE FAITH MESSAGE, THE PROSPERITY MESSAGE, THE CHARISMATIC EXPERIENCE HOOK, LINE AND SINKER. I PREACHED IT IN CHURCH, HELD HEALING MEETINGS, WENT ON MISSION TRIPS TO EUROPE AND AFRICA, PREACHED ON TELEVISION AND PRAYED FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO GET SAVED, HEALED AND FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.

IN 2007, GOD BEGAN TO OPEN MY EYES, MY HEART AND MY MIND TO ALL THE ERROR, FALSE TEACHING AND HOKINESS THAT I HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN. LIKE A BLIND MAN GETTING HIS SIGHT, I BEGAN TO SEE ALL KINDS OF BAD TEACHING, MANIPULATION, FRAUD, DECEIT, LIES, GREED, PEER PRESSURE AND OUT RIGHT FAKERY.

I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO BLOW THE WHISTLE, TO REPENT OF MY ERRORS, TO CONFRONT AND QUESTION MY LEADERS AND TO CORRECT MY TEACHINGS FROM THE PULPIT. IN TURN, I WAS KICKED OUT OF RHEMA BY THEIR DIRECTOR, DEFROCKED, LOST MY CREDENTIALS, LOST MY CHURCH, LOST MY CAREER, LOST MY HOUSE, LOST MY TRUCK, LOST MY SAVINGS AND LOST ABOUT EVERY SINGLE FRIEND IN THE WORLD.

BUT HERE IS ALL THAT I AM ASKING FROM THE FAITH PREACHERS AND FAITH PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE IN AND PROCLAIM ALL OF THESE MIRACLES, SIGNS AND WONDERS: PROVE IT. PROVE ONE SINGLE HEALING MIRACLE. PROVE IT. MAKE ME A BELIEVER. I WANT TO BE WRONG. I WANT TO SEE MIRACLES. I WANT TO SEE PEOPLE GET GENUINELY HEALED IN THESE MEETINGS.

I WANT TO SEE AMPUTEES GET THEIR LIMBS BACK. I WANT TO SEE BLIND EYES OPEN, DEAF EARS HEAR, CRIPPLED CHILDREN WALK. I WANT TO SEE BURN VICTIMS GET THEIR BABY SKIN BACK. I WANT TO SEE PARAPLEGICS RISE UP AND WALK! I WANT TO SEE RETARDED CHILDREN HEALED. I TRULY WANT TO BE WRONG! SO SHOW ME THE EVIDENCE. PROVE IT. SHOW ME THE MEDICAL BEFORE AND AFTER DOCUMENTATION. MAKE ME A LIAR. MAKE ME WRONG.

I DO BELIEVE THAT GOD HEALS AND ANSWERS PRAYERS. I JUST DO NOT BELIEVE THAT HE DOES IT THROUGH FAITH PREACHERS, FAITH HEALERS OR BY THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE. AND IM STILL WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO PROVE OTHERWISE.

MY MOTIVE: TO BE A FAITH HEALER AND TENT PREACHER

2010-12-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

PEOPLE ASK ME ALL THE TIME IF I AM CALLED TO PREACH. THEY ASK ME HOW COME I HAD A CHURCH FOR TEN YEARS AND NOW I DON'T. OTHERS ASK ME WHY I EVER WENT TO SEMINARY AND WHY I EVER STARTED A CHURCH IF I WASN'T CALLED TO PREACH. I GET ASKED THESE QUESTIONS A LOT FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE. I GET TIRED OF IT BUT IT MAKES ME WONDER MYSELF.

I GUESS THAT I HAD TWO MOTIVES FOR LEAVING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ATTEND BIBLE COLLEGE. THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON WAS THAT I WANTED TO GET AND HAVE MORE FAITH. KENNETH HAGIN WAS THE WORLD'S MOST PROMINENT AND FAMOUS FAITH PREACHER, SO I WANTED TO LEARN FROM HIM. I ALSO HAD A DESIRE TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE HEALED. I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO PRAY FOR SICK PEOPLE AND SEE GOD HEAL THEM INSTANTLY.

LISTENING TO KENNETH HAGIN SERMONS ON CD FOR YEARS AT A TIME REALLY STIRRED ME UP ABOUT BEING ABLE TO LIVE A LIFE OF FAITH, POWER AND MIRACLES. THOSE SERMONS INSPIRED ME. I BECAME A GREAT FAN AND STUDENT OF KENNETH HAGIN AND OTHER FAMOUS TENT PREACHERS AND FAITH HEALERS.

ONE OF MY DREAMS WAS TO BUY MY OWN TENT, AND TRAVEL ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND ALL OVER THE WORLD TO DO HEALING MEETINGS. I WANTED TO SEE GOD HEAL PEOPLE. I FIGURED THAT IF I WAS AT RHEMA, AND AROUND KENNETH HAGIN ALL THE TIME THAT THE GIFT WOULD RUB OFF. WHILE I WAS AT RHEMA, I ALSO WORKED SECURITY FOR ORAL ROBERTS AND HIS SON RICHARD. I WAS AROUND FAITH HEALERS AND FAITH PREACHERS 24/7.

WHILE ON GUARD DUTY AT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY, I WOULD SPEND ALL OF MY TIME LISTENING TO SERMONS AND WATCHING OLD BLACK AND WHITE FILMS OF THE FAITH HEALERS. I EVEN HAD THE KEY TO ORAL ROBERTS PERSONAL KEEPSAKES ROOM. IN IT HE KEPT HIS SOUVENIRS AND ORIGINAL MICROPHONES FROM HIS TENT PREACHING DAYS. I WOULD SNEAK IN THERE AT NIGHT AND HANDLE EVERYTHING WITH MY HANDS AND PRAY.

WELL, TOWARDS THE END OF RHEMA, I MAILED OUT DOZENS OF MY ONLY SERMON THAT I HAD TAPED IN CLASS. IT WAS CALLED "BE LIKE Dexter". (I LATER RE-PREACHED IT AS A PASTOR AND IT BECAME MY ALL TIME REQUESTED) WELL, I MAILED OUT THOSE TAPES AND EXPECTED A WAVE OF INVITATIONS TO COME AND PREACH THE WORD OF FAITH WITH MIRACLES, SIGNS AND WONDERS. IM STILL WAITING ON THAT FIRST CALL. NO ONE EVER CALLED.

IT SOON DAWNED ON ME THAT BECAUSE I HAD BEEN TO RHEMA, THAT I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING WITH ALL OF THIS ENORMOUS KNOWLEDGE THAT I HAD GAINED, SO I FIGURED THAT I WOULD GO BACK TO ALABAMA AND START A CHURCH FOR REDNECKS TO TEACH THEM EVERYTHING I HAD LEARNED FROM KENNETH HAGIN. AND I DID. IT LASTED FOR TEN YEARS IF YOU COUNT THE TIME WE SPENT HAVING CHURCH IN OUR HOUSE TILL I WAS RUN OFF IN 2008.

YOU SEE, IN 2007 I BEGAN TO CHANGE JUST ABOUT ALL OF MY BELIEFS AND TEACHING. IN SHORT, I WENT FROM PENTECOSTAL TO PRESBYTERIAN IN ABOUT A SIX MONTH PERIOD. MANY OF THE FAMILIES OF THE CHURCH BECAME UPSET AND LEFT. EVENTUALLY MOST OF DEACONS AND ALL OF MY BOARD TURNED ON ME AND BEGAN TO WORK IN THE BACKGROUND TO SHUT THINGS DOWN.

SO, I FIND MYSELF TWO YEARS REMOVED FROM BEING A PASTOR. DO I FEEL CALLED TO PREACH? NO. DO I HAVE A DESIRE TO BE IN THE MINISTRY? NO. DO I WANT TO START ANOTHER CHURCH? HELL NO. I STILL LIKE HELPING PEOPLE. I DO WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS AND HOSPITAL VISITS. PEOPLE STILL CALL ME AND WRITE ME EVERYDAY FOR STUFF, EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE ASSUMES THAT I AM HORRIBLE BACKSLID CAUSE I CUSS, DRINK WHISKEY AND TALK CRUDE.

ALL I KNOW IS THAT I SUCK AT BEING SAVED. I REALLY DO SUCK AT IT. BUT I LOVE THE LORD AND SOME OF HIS PEOPLE. IM PRETTY BURNED OUT ON THE CHURCH SCENE, BUT I AM HANGING IN THERE. HECK, IF GOD WANTS ME TO DO SOMETHING, HE KNOWS WHERE I AM. IM SURE NOT RUNNING AWAY FROM HIM OR ANYTHING ELSE. BESIDES, IM HAPPY BEING A REGULAR REDNECK THAT DRINKS WHISKEY ON GAMEDAY AND GOES TO CHURCH SUNDAY. IM HERE IF HE WANTS ME.

SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT?

2010-11-30T07:08:00.001-08:00

BEING SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT IS ONE OF THE MOST FAVORITE PAST TIMES OF THE CHARISMATIC CHURCH. ONE WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO WATCH A HEALING LINE OR PRAYER LINE AT YOUR TYPICAL CHARISMATIC CHURCH WITHOUT WITNESSING THE PREACHER LAY HANDS ON A CHURCH MEMBER WHO THEN FALLS BACK INTO THE ARMS OF A WAITING USHER.

IF YOU HAVE NEVER WITNESSED BEING SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT, THEN GOOGLE BENNY HINN AND WATCH HIM IN ACTION. HE IS PROBABLY THE VERY BEST AT THIS BOGUS SIGN AND BLUNDER. CHARISMATICS BELIEVE THAT BEING SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT IS THE POWER OF GOD COMING OVER YOU TO KNOCK YOU OUT. THEY BELIEVE THAT THE ANOINTING IS TRANSFERRED FROM THE PREACHER TO THE PERSON BEING PRAYED FOR, AND THEN THE POWER OF GOD RENDERS THEM UNCONSCIOUS.

AS A FORMER PENTECOSTAL CHARISMATIC WORD OF FAITH PREACHER MYSELF, I HAVE HUNDREDS OF EXPERIENCES ALONG THIS LINE. I HAD ALWAYS QUESTIONED IT, EVEN WHEN PEOPLE FELL OUT UNDER MY TOUCH. SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT, AS PRACTICED AND TAUGHT BY PREACHERS IN CHARISMATIC CHURCHES, HAS ABSOLUTELY NO BIBLICAL BASIS WHATSOEVER.

THIS PRACTICE BECAME POPULAR IN CHARISMATIC CIRCLES AFTER FRENCH HYPNOTIST ANTON MESMER INTRODUCED IT INTO CHURCH MEETINGS. HE WAS ABLE TO PUT PEOPLE INTO TRANCES. IN THE CHARISMATIC CHURCHES, IT IS COMMON FOR THE PREACHER TO LAY HANDS ON A CHURCH MEMBER AND THEN THE CHURCH MEMBER FALL INTO A TRANCE.

BUT THERE ARE NO EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE OF JESUS OR THE APOSTLES LAYING HANDS ON FOLKS AND HAVING THEM FALL DOWN UNDER THE POWER. JESUS DID NOT HAVE THE APOSTLES CATCHING FOLKS AS HE PRAYED FOR THEM. THERE ARE NO BIBLE EXAMPLES OF JESUS THROWING HIS ROBE INTO A CROWD TO MAKE THEM FALL DOWN.

THIS IS SIMPLY A LEARNED BEHAVIOR, POWER OF SUGGESTION, MASS HYSTERIA PENTECOSTAL SACRED COW, BUT HAS NO BASIS IN SCRIPTURE. IT'S JUST A PART OF THE CHARISMATIC, PENTECOSTAL WORD OF FAITH CULTURE. ITS PART OF THE CHURCH SERVICE JUST LIKE SINGING "JUST AS I AM" IN A BAPTIST CHURCH.

IF BEING SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT WAS LEGITIMATE, IM SURE PEOPLE BEING PRAYED FOR WOULD BUCKLE AT THE KNEES AND FALL STRAIGHT DOWN IF THEY WERE TRULY BEING ZAPPED. GOD WOULDN'T NEED DEACONS AND USHERS TO CATCH FOLKS. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST FAKED ACT IN A CHURCH SERVICE, GOING ALONG WITH THE SHOW, ACTING LIKE YOU ARE BEING KNOCKED OUT BY GOD.

I HAVE BEEN PUSHED, GRABBED, FUSSED AT TO "RECEIVE", MANIPULATED AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE BY PREACHERS THAT WERE TRYING TO GET ME TO FALL UNDER THEIR POWER. ITS A PEER PRESSURE THING, NO ONE WANTS TO LOOK UN-YIELDED, NO ONE WANTS TO MAKE TH PREACHER LOOK BAD, SO THEY JUST FALL BACK INTO THE WAITING ARMS OF THE USHER.

I KNOW PEOPLE CLAIM TO FEEL SOMETHING SOMETIMES, BUT IM SURE WHAT THEY FEEL IS ADRENALIN. ANYTIME YOU GET CALLED OUT IN FRONT OF A CROWD YOUR GONNA GET PUMPED. YOU'RE GONNA GET AMPED. THEN WHEN THE PREACHER TOUCHES YOU, YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN PRE-CONDITIONED TO FEEL SOMETHING AND FALL OUT.

SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT? WHAT SPIRIT? IT'S NOT IN THE BIBLE, AS PRACTICED IN CHURCHES TODAY. I THING ITS JUST LIKE SANTA CLAUS AND THE EASTER BUNNY, JUST ONE MORE THING TO GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION OFF OF JESUS, AND ONTO SELF.

MAN CAVE

2010-11-29T12:47:00.001-08:00

EVERY MAN NEEDS A MAN CAVE. A ROOM OF HIS OWN. SOMEWHERE TO HIDE. A PLACE TO HAVE HIS FRIENDS OVER TO. A REFUGE FROM WORK AND THE DRAMA OF LIFE. A SAFE PLACE. A HAVEN OF REST.

A FEW YEARS AGO, ACTUALLY THREE HOUSES AGO, MY SWEET WIFE BUILT ME THE ULTIMATE MAN CAVE IN THE BASEMENT OF OUR FORMER HOUSE. SHE DID IT AS A SURPRISE WHILE I WAS AWAY AT AN AUBURN GAME. I CAME HOME, AND SHE HAD TRANSFORMED A BASEMENT BEDROOM INTO MY LITTLE PLACE OF PARADISE.

ODDLY, SHE COMPLETELY DECORATED IT IN AFRICAN SAFARI. (LITTLE DID EITHER OF US KNOW THAT WE WOULD BE MAKING A MISSION TRIP TO KENYA LATER ON) THE MAN CAVE BECAME MY MOVIE ROOM, MY FOOTBALL WATCHING ROOM, MY OFFICE AND PRAYER CLOSET. I EVEN KEPT MY GREAT DANE DOWN THERE MOST OF THE TIME.

I HAD COUCHES AND SOFAS FOR FRIENDS, ALL OF MY JUNK ON THE WALLS THAT MY WIFE HAD FORBIDDEN IN THE HOUSE, ALL OF MY TOYS, MY WEIGHTS AND SOLOFLEX. IT WAS THE ONE PLACE IN THE WORLD WHERE I COULD HIDE AND RELAX WITH NO OUTSIDE PRESSURES. IT WAS MY QUITE PLACE, UNLESS FRIENDS WERE OVER.

MY WIFE IS CURRENTLY BUILDING ME A NEW MAN CAVE. MOSTLY BECAUSE SHE HAS COMMANDEERED THE DEN WITH THE BIG TV AND ALSO OUR BEDROOM. THIS COMPUTER IS IN MY SON'S ROOM AND I HAVE TO SNEAK ON HERE WHEN HE IS AWAY. I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO HANG ALL OF MY MARILYN MONROE WALL HANGINGS AND PORTRAITS IN HIS ROOM, AS WELL AS MY AUBURN MEMORABILIA. I HAVE HAD NO PLACE TO CALL HOME.

WHEN WE WERE WITH THE CHURCH, WE HAD A PARSONAGE WITH A NICE GUESTHOUSE. I USED THE GUESTHOUSE FOR A COMBINATION MAN ROOM AND CHURCH OFFICES. IT WAS COOL CAUSE IT HAD A NICE SWIMMING POOL THAT YOU COULD JUMP IN AFTER WORKING OUT. BUT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO PRIVACY. HAVE YOU EVER LIVED IN A PARSONAGE BEFORE? ITS LIKE THERE IS A GIANT NEON SIGN EXCLAIMING: "OPEN 24/7, JUST WALK ON IN" WITH THOSE SEARCH LIGHTS THEY USE IN CAR LOTS AND AIR RAIDS.

SO NOW, IN A FEW MORE DAYS AS MY DARLING WIFE IS ABLE, I WILL ONCE AGAIN HAVE MY OWN ROOM. FULL OF WEIGHTS, MY OWN TV WITHOUT ENDLESS EPISODES OF REAL HOUSE WIVES, MY OWN STARLET WALL HANGINGS, MY OWN SWEATY SOFA, MY OWN FRIDGE AND ALL OF MY AUBURN STUFF. I CAN'T WAIT!

THE IRON BOWL. ALL OUT WAR, ALL YEAR LONG.

2010-11-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

I WATCHED MY 47TH IRON BOWL YESTERDAY. IM TIRED OF IT TOO. SOMETIMES I WISHED I LIVED IN OREGON OR WASHINGTON, SOMEPLACE WHERE COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS A PASTIME AND NOT A SACRED RELIGION. IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA, ALABAMA AND AUBURN FOOTBALL IS THE MAIN RELIGION. MORE PRAYERS ARE PRAYED DURING THAT FOUR HOUR WAR THAN IN ALL THE SUNDAYS OF THE YEAR COMBINED.

THE IRON BOWL IS THE MOST INTENSE RIVALRY IN ALL OF SPORTS AND IN ALL OF THE WORLD. IT IS FAR BIGGER THAN THE OHIO STATE VS MICHIGAN GAME, AND MORE EMOTIONAL AND INTENSE THAN THE DUKE VS CAROLINA OR RED SOX VS YANKEES RIVALRIES. THE IRON BOWL IS ALL OUT WAR, FAMILY AGAINST FAMILY MEMBER, BEST FRIEND AGAINST BEST FRIEND, PARENTS VERSUS CHILDREN.

ALABAMA AND AUBURN FANS LIVE TOGETHER, SLEEP TOGETHER, EAT TOGETHER, CHURCH TOGETHER, WORK TOGETHER AND FIGHT LIKE HELL 365 DAYS A YEAR. UP IN MICHIGAN AND OHIO, THE FANS LIVE IN SEPARATE STATES AND DO NOT HAVE TO BREATH EACH OTHERS AIR 24/7. DOWN HERE, IN THE MIDDLE EAST OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL, THE GROUND ZERO OF ALL SPORTS, THE IRON BOWL IS FOUGHT OVER EVERY SINGLE DAY.

THERE HAS BEEN THOUSANDS OF FAMILY FIGHTS, FIST FIGHTS AND EVEN HOMICIDES OVER THIS GAME. IT COMES UP IN CHURCH SERMONS. IT COMES UP AT THE WATER COOLER. ALABAMA AND AUBURN STICKERS, FLAGS AND TAGS CAN BE FOUND ON ABOUT 75% OF EVERY VEHICLE IN THE STATE. EVERY THIRD HOUSE IN MY SUBDIVISION FLYS EITHER AN ALABAMA FLAG OR AN AUBURN ONE.

I DON'T KNOW WHY IT IS SUCH A BIG DEAL. IT'S REALLY JUST A SILLY MEANINGLESS GAME PLAYED BY MOSTLY TEENAGERS OR TWENTY YEAR OLDS, BUT EVEN THE ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THIS STATE GET INTO IT. I KNOW THAT IN MY FAMILY, MY SON IS A TWO TIME ALABAMA GRAD, MY LANDLORD IS AN FORMER TIDE QUARTERBACK, MY SON DATED A ALABAMA QUARTERBACK'S DAUGHTER FOR YEARS BUT HE CATCHES HELL FROM ME EVERYDAY OF THE YEAR.

ONE THING THAT I HAVE NOTICED. ALABAMA AND AUBURN FANS FOR THE MOST PART DO NOT RESPECT OR ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR RIVALS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. TIGER FANS COULD CARELESS THAT ALABAMA CLAIMS 13 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, OR THAT ALABAMA HAS A LEAD IN THE SERIES. AND ALABAMA FANS WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AUBURN HAS DOMINATED THE SERIES OF LATE, WINNING EIGHT OF THE LAST ELEVEN IRON BOWLS AND GOING 7-1 IN BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM.

EACH SCHOOLS FANS ACCUSE THE OTHER SIDE OF CONTINUOUS CHEATING AND BOTH SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN ON MULTIPLE PROBATIONS. I BELIEVE ALABAMA HAS HAD TO FORFEIT OR VACATE AROUND 30 GAMES SINCE GENE STALLINGS WAS COACH. BOTH TEAMS HAVE BEEN ROCKED BY SCANDALS AND ENJOY SEEING EACH OTHER INVESTIGATED AND SANCTIONED.

I GUESS NO REAL AUBURN FAN EVER TRULY WANTS ALABAMA TO WIN ANY GAME EVER, AND IM SURE THAT THE ALABAMA FANS FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT AUBURN. I HAVE BEEN TO DOZENS OF GAMES AT BOTH VENUES AND THE LOUDEST CHEERS ARE ALWAYS WHEN IT IS ANNOUNCED THAT THE RIVAL IS LOSING. WE WANT EACH OTHER TO LOSE. WE DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER ONE BIT. IT'S A FAMILY THANG. MAYBE IT'S ALL WE HAVE EVER HAD IN THIS STATE TO BE PROUD OF?

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MINISTRY AND CLAIMS OF KENNETH E HAGIN

2010-11-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

JUST BEFORE I WAS KICKED OUT OF RHEMA, I SENT AN EMAIL TO THE DIRECTOR OF RHEMA BIBLE TRAINING CENTER THAT CONSISTED OF 40 QUESTIONS THAT I HAD ABOUT KENNETH HAGIN'S TEACHINGS AND THE WORD OF FAITH MESSAGE IN GENERAL. THE DIRECTOR, WHO IS STILL THERE, REFUSED TO ANSWER ANY OF MY QUESTIONS AND ASKED ME TO STOP EMAILING HIM.

I STILL HAVE MANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS AND HAVE COME UP WITH A FEW MORE. NO ONE AT RHEMA SEEMS TO HAVE THE INTEGRITY OR THE ABILITY TO ANSWER ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS. MOST EVERY RHEMA GRAD THAT I HAVE TALKED WITH SINCE MY DISMISSAL HAS BEEN UNABLE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. HERE ARE A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS, ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF NEW ONES:

1) KENNETH HAGIN CLAIMED THAT HE HAD EIGHT ONE ON ONE VISIONS WITH JESUS CHRIST ALONG WITH A TRIP OR TWO TO HEAVEN AND THREE TRIPS TO HELL'S GATES. IN ONE PARTICULAR TRIP TO HEAVEN, KENNETH HAGIN CLAIMS THAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF TOUCHED THE PALMS OF HIS HANDS AND GAVE HIM A SPECIAL HEALING ANOINTING TO CURE DISEASES.

ALSO ON THIS SAME EXCURSION INTO THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM, KENNETH HAGIN CLAIMS THAT HE SAW THE THRONE OF ALMIGHTY GOD AND THE OUTLINE OF HIM ON THE THRONE. HE WAS TOLD NOT TO LOOK, BUT I GUESS KENNETH HAGIN COULD SEE GOD WITH HIS PEREFFIAL VISION. BUT THE BIBLE SAYS:

1 Timothy 6:16 (King James Version)

16Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

THERE ARE SEVERAL SCRIPTURES IN THE BIBLE ABOUT GOD BEING INVISIBLE. DO INVISIBLE SPIRITS HAVE OUTLINES? JESUS TOLD THE PHARISEES THAT THEY HAD NOT SEEN GOD NOR SEEN HIS SHAPE. WORD OF FAITH TELEVANGELIST JESSE DUPLANTIS ALSO CLAIMED A TRIP TO HEAVEN IN WHICH HE SAW GOD'S FINGER MOVE. MY QUESTION IS, IS THE BIBLE RIGHT, OR IS KENNETH HAGIN RIGHT?

2)WHILE IN HEAVEN, JESUS TOUCHED THE PALMS OF KENNETH HAGIN'S HANDS AND TOLD HIM THAT IF ANYONE WOULD BELIEVE THAT HE WAS ANOINTED BY JESUS, THEN THEY WOULD BE HEALED. KENNETH HAGIN'S SISTER, BROTHER-IN-LAW AND MANY OF HIS STUDENTS DIED OF CANCER. KENNETH HAGIN'S OWN WIFE BATTLED CANCER FOR MANY YEARS. I HAD CLASSMATES AT RHEMA THAT HAGIN LAID HANDS ON THAT DIED. WHY DIDN'T THIS ANOINTING WORK?

3) OVER THE YEARS I LISTENED TO KENNETH HAGIN SHARE HIS TESTIMONY ABOUT BEING HEALED FROM A DEFORMED HEART, AN INCURABLE BLOOD DISEASE AND PARALYSE. MY QUESTION IS, DOES ANYONE KNOW THE MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY FOR THESE CONDITIONS? WAS THERE OR IS THERE ANY MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION? WERE THERE ANY WITNESSES? HAS ANY DOCTORS EVER STEPPED FORWARD TO GIVE TESTIMONY ABOUT THIS MIRACLE HEALING?

4) OVER THE YEARS, KENNETH HAGIN MADE SEVERAL CLAIMS THAT HE HAD WALKED IN DIVINE HEALTH AND THAT INSTEAD OF TAKING MEDICINE HE JUST DOUBLED UP ON THE WORD. BUT I HAVE A FRIEND THAT WAS A PHARMACY TECH AT ST FRANCIS HOSPITAL IN TULSA THAT WOULD FILL KENNETH HAGIN'S HEART MEDS REGULARLY. WAS KENNETH HAGIN BEING TRUTHFUL ABOUT HIS HEALTH, OR WAS HE MISLEADING THE MASSES AND OFFERING FALSE TESTIMONY? ACCORDING TO MULIPLE REPORTS, HAGIN SUFFERED FROM HEART DISEASE FOR YEARS.

5) DURING WINTER BIBLE SEMINAR IN 2003, KENNETH HAGIN GAVE A VERY LENGTHY PROPHECY CONCERING THINGS THAT WOULD COME TO PASS FROM THAT POINT IN TIME THROUGH 2007. RHEMA LATER PUBLISHED PORTIONS OF THIS DETAILED PROPHECY ON THEIR WEB SITE, BUT IT WAS EDITIED. WHY WOULD RHEMA EDIT THE PROPHET'S WORDS? THAT SAME WEEK, KENNETH HAGIN WENT ON HIS "IM NOT GONNA DIE IN 5 YEARS" ROUTINE AND CLAIMED THAT HE WOULD LIVE 135 YEARS. HE DIED THAT YEAR.

6) DURING THE 1990'S, KENNETH HAGIN CONDUCTED A SERIES OF SPECIAL MEETINGS WHICH HE CALLED HOLY GHOST MEETINGS. DURING THESE MEETINGS, WHICH I ATTENDED SEVERAL OF THEM, HAGIN CLAIMED THAT HE WOULD HAVE A POWERFUL AND SPECIAL TANGIBLE ANOINTING THAT WOULD AFFECT EVERYONE WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE. IF THIS WAS REALLY THE POWER OF GOD IN MANIFESTATION, WHY WERE THERE NO MIRACLES OR HEALINGS? ALL I SAW WAS A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN MASS HYSTERIA ROLLING AROUND ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING. IF THESE PEOPLE WERE REALLY GETTING SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT, WOULDNT THEY BE GETTING KNOCKED OVER WITH A REAL POWER INSTEAD OF EASING BACK AND "FALLING"?

7) WHY HAS RHEMA NOT RECEIVED ITS ACCREDITATION? I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A FELLOW RHEMA GRAD THAT PART OF THE REASON IS BECAUSE OF ALL THE PLAGIARISM KENNETH HAGIN DID. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT KENNETH HAGIN PUBLISHED QUITE A BIT OF EW KENYON'S WRITINGS AND CLAIMED THAT HE RECEIVED THEM BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD. I HAVE HEARD THAT RHEMA SETTLED OUT OF COURT AND THAT KENYON'S DAUGHTER SAID THAT IT WAS NOW OK. DOES ANYONE IN AUTHORITY HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS MATTER?

8) KENNETH HAGIN SPENT DECADES TESTIFYING ABOUT INUMERABLE HEALINGS, MIRACLES, SIGNS AND WONDERS THAT GOD HAD DONE THROUGH HIM. I PERSONALLY SAT IN DOZENS OF HIS MEETINGS AS WELL AS IN HIS CLASSES AT RHEMA AND WITNESSED HIM LAY HANDS ON AND PRAY FOR MANY PEOPLE. I NEVER SAW A SINGLE MIRACLE OR HEALING TAKE PLACE. WHERE DID THE POWER OF THE 40'S AND 50' RUN OFF TO?

THESE ARE JUST A HANDFUL OF QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE IN AUTHORITY TO ANSWER. MANY RHEMA AND HAGIN APOLOGIST WRITE ME VIA EMAIL BUT CAN OFFER NO CREDIBLE INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THESE MATTERS.

YOU CAN WATCH SOME OF THAT KENNETH HAGIN PROPHECY HERE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLjyUeFZc5g&feature=player_embedded#!

FAITH BREAKERS

2010-11-17T13:26:00.001-08:00

John 14:13-14 (New King James Version)

¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask^a]">[a] anything in My name, I will do it.

JESUS WAS ADDRESSING HIS DISCIPLES WHEN HE SPOKE THESE WORDS TO THEM. IN A LAST MINUTE SPEECH, JESUS WAS INSTRUCTING HIS FOUNDING APOSTLES JUST PRIOR TO HIS ARREST ON THE EVE OF HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS.

MANY FAITH PREACHERS HAVE TOLD US THAT THIS PROMISE IS FOR US TODAY, BUT IS IT? IS THIS A PROMISE THAT EVERY BELIEVER CAN STAND ON, OR WAS IT GIVEN TO THE APOSTLES WHO JESUS HAD HAND PICKED TO ESTABLISH HIS CHURCH AND TO LATER WRITE SCRIPTURE?

THE PROMISE IS THAT IF WE ASK ANYTHING THAT HE WILL DO IT. ANYTHING. THERE ARE NO CONDITIONS IN THIS SCRIPTURE, NONE. NO FAITH, NO TITHING, NO NOTHING. OF COURSE ANY HONEST MAN WOULD CONFESS THAT HE HAS ASKED GOD FOR MANY THINGS IN HIS LIFE FOR HIMSELF AND FOR OTHERS THAT DID NOT COME TO PASS.

ALTHOUGH GOD HAS ANSWERED MANY PRAYERS FOR ME, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY THAT HAVE GONE UNANSWERED. WAS IT BECAUSE OF MY LACK OF FAITH? WAS THERE SIN IN MY LIFE? DID I ASK AMISS?

WORD OF FAITH PREACHERS TEACH EXTENSIVELY FROM PASSAGES SUCH AS THIS ONE IN ORDER TO PROVE THAT WE CAN GET ANYTHING THAT WE WANT OR NEED FROM GOD BY JUST ASKING AND BELIEVING. AS A RESULT, MANY PEOPLE HAVE ACTED UPON THESE TEACHINGS AND HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED AND DISILLUSIONED.

WHEN READING THE PROMISES OF GOD, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE NOTE ABOUT WHO THE PEOPLE IN THE PROMISE ARE. WHO IS GOD TALKING TO? WHO IS JESUS TALKING TO? WHO IS THE WRITER TALKING TO? WHAT IS THE BACK-STORY AND BACKGROUND?

ONE POPULAR TEACHING IN THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT IS THAT GOD HAS PROMISED US THAT WE CAN LIVE FOR 120 YEARS. KEITH MOORE, GLORIA COPLAND AND KENNETH HAGIN TAUGHT HOT AND HEAVY ON THIS MISAPPLIED SCRIPTURE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. BUT GOD WAS CLEARLY TELLING US THAT MANKIND ONLY HAD 120 YEARS BEFORE HE WOULD DESTROY THE EARTH WITH A FLOOD.

ANOTHER SCRIPTURE THAT PEOPLE LOVE TO QUOTE AND CLAIM IS THE ONE IN JEREMIAH WHERE GOD SAYS THAT HE KNOWS THE PLANS THAT HE HAS FOR ISRAEL, PLANS TO PROSPER AND NOT FOR EVIL, TO GIVE THEM AN EXPECTED END. CHRISTIANS POST THIS ONE OF THEIR FACEBOOK WALLS AND REFRIGERATORS DAILY, BUT IT DOES NOT APPLY TO THE CHURCH.

THIS PASSAGE, ALONG WITH THE ONE IN ISAIAH THAT SAYS NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST YOU SHALL PROSPER WERE PROMISES MADE TO ISRAEL UNDER THE CONDITION THAT THAT NATION WOULD REPENT. THESE ARE NOT PROMISES TO THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS PROMISED GREAT SUFFERING, TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS ALONG WITH PERSECUTIONS.

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL YOU ASK? THE MORE PEOPLE ARE MISLEAD BY ERRONEOUS TEACHING, WHICH IS RAMPANT IN CHARISMATIC AND WORD OF FAITH CIRCLES, THE MORE LIKELY THEY ARE TO LOSE FAITH WHEN THE PROMISES APPEAR TO FALL. I ALMOST LOST MY FAITH OVER THIS, AND I AM HARDLY ALONE.

ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE IS PHILIPPIANS 4:19 "BUT MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL OF YOUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS". THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE YOUR NEEDS? IS A HOUSE WORTH HALF A MILLION DOLLARS A NEED? IS A $500 TRUCK PAYMENT A NEED? IS A BOOB JOB A NEED? WE NEED FOOD, WATER AND SHELTER, NOT MC MANSIONS, LAND ROVERS AND ROLEX'S.

AS A WORD OF FAITH PREACHER FOR TEN YEARS, I PREACHED ALL OF THE POPULAR OUT OF CONTEXT FAITH PROMISES IN THE BIBLE. ONE OF MY FAVORITES WAS THE 91ST PSALM. IT HAS ABOUT 16 DIFFERENT PROMISES FOR HEALTH, HEALING, DELIVERANCE AND LONG LIFE IN IT. BUT WHO IS THE PSALM ADDRESSED TO? TO ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS? THE CHURCH? OR IS IT A PSALM TO JESUS?

THIS PSALM IS VERY CONDITIONAL. IT ONLY WORKS IF YOU KEEP VERSE ONE. YOU HAVE TO DWELL IN THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH. IF YOU CAN DO THAT, THEN NO HARM WILL COME TO YOU. BUT NO BODY CAN LIVE LIKE THAT. WE ALL SCREW UP AND SIN EVEN WHEN WE TRY OUR BEST.

MY FOURTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAD THIS PSALM MEMORIZED. SHE KNEW IT BY HEART AND WAS A SWEET LITTLE GIRL, BUT SHE STILL DIED OF A BRAIN TUMOR. I ALSO HAD AT LEAST THREE OTHER TEENAGERS IN MY WORD OF FAITH CHURCH THAT DIED TRAGICALLY. THEY ALL KNEW THIS PSALM. EVEN ONE OF THEM THAT DIED ASKED ME ABOUT THIS PSALM JUST AFTER A DIFFERENT TEENAGER HAD DIED. IT WAS VERY UPSETTING TO OUR YOUTH.

CHERRY PICKING SCRIPTURES, AND PREACHING PASSAGES OUT OF CONTEXT CAN DO A LOT OF HARM. IT DAMAGES PEOPLE'S FAITH WHEN THEY STAND ON THE WORD AND FALL. OVER TIME THEY CAN EVEN LOSE ALL FAITH IN GOD AND IN THE BIBLE.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN READING THE BIBLE AND WHEN LISTENING TO SERMONS, TO GET THE FULL CONTEXT AND BACK STORY OF THE PASSAGE. EVEN THE SCRIPTURE THAT SAYS THAT ALL OF THE PROMISES OF GOD ARE YES AND AMEN MUST BE READ IN THE PROPER CONTEXT OR A FALSE FAITH CAN BE DEVELOPED.

FAITH BREAKERS: SCRIPTURES THAT PEOPLE STAND ON THAT WERE NEVER MEANT FOR THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.

CAM NEWTON SMEAR CAMPAIGN AND THE MISLEADING MEDIA

2010-11-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A MISTRUST OF THE MEDIA. THEY REPORT NEWS ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN AGENDAS. THIS IS TRUE IN THE SPORTS ARENA AS WELL AS IN POLITICS.

I NEVER EVER TRUST MNBC WHEN IT COMES TO TELLING THE TRUTH, AND IM JUST AS LEARY OF SOME OF THE FOX NEWS REPORTING AS WELL. STORIES ARE REPORTED WITH SO MUCH SPIN THAT IT'S HARD TO TELL WHAT IS ACTUAL FACT AND WHAT IS OPINION.

I DON'T HAVE TO LOOK ANY FURTHER THAN RIGHT HERE IN MY OWN HOME STATE WITH THE MEDIA FEEDING FRENZY OVER AUBURN QUARTERBACK CAM NEWTON. NO MATTER HOW MANY OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES BY PEOPLE THAT ARE IN AUTHORITY, ESPN, FOXSOUTH AND THE CRIMSON TIDE SPIN MACHINE WJOX KEEP ON REPORTING AND REBROADCASTING THE SAME OLD SKETCHY UNFOUNDED RUMORS. JUST THE WORDING OF THE REPORTING IT'S SELF IS PRESUMED GUILT.

FORMER MISSISSIPPI STATE QUARTERBACK JOHN BOND CLAIMS THAT KENNY ROGERS OFFERED TO SHOP CAM NEWTON FOR $180. THEN KENNY ROGERS COMES OUT ON RADIO AND SAYS HE HASN'T TALKED TO JOHN BOND IN 25 YEARS. JOHN BOND HIMSELF HAS CHANGED HIS STORY 4 TIMES. MISSISSIPPI STATE HAS CHANGED THEIR STORY.

ALL OF THESE ALLEGATIONS HAVE BEEN KNOWN BY AUBURN, MISSISSIPPI STATE, AND SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE OFFICIALS AND THE NCAA FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. AUBURN, WITH THEIR NCAA COMPLIANCE OFFICER HAD ALREADY COMPLETED A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF THE ALLEGATIONS AND THE FACTS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. AUBURN, AND THE SEC HAVE CLEARED CAM NEWTON TO PLAY.

ALL WE HAVE IS A COUPLE OF SHADY REPORTERS THAT KEEPING CLAIMING THAT THEY HAVE SOURCES AND WITNESSES. THESE SAME TWO REPORTERS, ESPN'S JOE SCHAD AND FOXSOUTH THAYER EVANS HAVE BEEN FEEDING THIS MEDIA FRENZY WITH A LOT OF UNFOUNDED INNUENDO. EVEN THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HAS HAD TO RELEASE STATEMENTS THAT THE ACADEMIC ALLEGATIONS ABOUT CAM NEWTONS GRADES WERE UNTRUTHFUL.

UNTIL SOME ONE IN AUTHORITY HAS SOME DAMN CREDIBLE EVIDENCE OF A SMOKING GUN, I DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING THAT THEY ARE SAYING. APPARENTLY THE POWERS TO BE HAVE NO CONCERN OVER THESE ALLEGATIONS. THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A SMEAR CAMPAIGN BY A COUPLE OF JILTED COACHES.

NO ONE SAW THIS COMING. NO ONE KNEW THAT CAM NEWTON WOULD BECOME THE MOST EXCITING AND DOMINATING COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER IN YEARS. NO ONE EXPECTED THE AUBURN TIGERS TO RISE TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN SO EASILY.

THERE ARE A LOT OF JEALOUS COACHES, PROGRAMS AND FAN BASES OUT THERE. FEAR, ENVY AND REVENGE ARE ALWAYS GREAT MOTIVES IN A SMEAR CAMPAIGN. TO ME IT SOUNDS LIKE A BUNCH OF SOUR GRAPES. TO CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE, YOU ARE GONNA HAVE TO "SHOW ME THE MONEY"

THE PREACHER'S KIDS

2010-11-09T06:40:00.000-08:00

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE ABOUT HOW BAD THE PREACHER'S KID IS? I GREW UP HEARING IT. I REMEMBER WORKING THE DOOR OF A POPULAR NIGHTCLUB AS A POLICE OFFICER, AND CHECKING THE ID OF A CELEBRITY PASTOR'S DAUGHTER AND PASSING JUDGMENT ON HER, HER CHURCH AND HER DAD.

I HAVE OFTEN HEARD STORIES ABOUT MINISTERS KIDS BEING THE WORST BEHAVED, BEING SPOILED BRATS, BEING NAUGHTY AND REBELLIOUS. I ALWAYS WONDERED HOW KIDS THAT WERE RAISED 24/7 IN CHURCH AND UNDER THE ROOF OF A PASTOR COULD TURN OUT SO BAD.

THEN I RAISED THREE KIDS AS A PASTOR OF A CHURCH MYSELF AND CAME TO VIEW THIS DILEMMA FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE. I NOW HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ABOUT THIS PHENOMENON AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME OBSERVATIONS BASED ON A FEW OF OUR EXPERIENCES.

WE HAD THIS LADY IN OUR CHURCH THAT WAS VERY DOMINEERING. SHE WAS LOUD, OPINIONATED, MAN HANDLED HER HUSBAND OPENLY AND HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER HER OWN KIDS. YET EVERY SINGLE TIME MY SON STEPPED ACROSS HER STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR, SHE WOULD NOT HESITATE TO CHEW HIS ASS OUT IN FRONT OF ANYONE WITHIN EAR SHOT.

I HAD THIS CERTAIN DEACON THAT WAS A CLASSIC CHURCH WHINER. HE WAS NEVER HAPPY AND VOICED HIS COMPLAINTS VIRTUALLY EVERY TIME HE SAW ME. HIS BIGGEST COMPLAINT WAS ABOUT MY YOUNGEST SON. APPARENTLY MY SON WAS RAIDING THE SNACK BAR ON A REGULAR BASIS. IM TALKING ABOUT CANDY, BUBBLE GUM AND AN OCCASIONAL COKE.

NEVER MIND THAT HE WAS OFTEN TRAPPED WITH NO FOOD FOR HOURS ON END WHILE HIS MOM AND DAD WERE TRAPPED WITH SOME CHURCH FAMILY GOING THROUGH A MARITAL CRISIS. NEVER MIND THAT HE DIDN'T GET SUPPER BECAUSE CHURCH MEMBERS HAD ONCE AGAIN INVADED OUR HOME AT DINNER TIME WITH THEIR PROBLEMS.

BUT MY SON'S GRAND LARCENY WAS MORE THAN THIS WHINY DEACON COULD BEAR. NOT ONLY DID HE VERBALLY CHASTISE MY SON EVERY SINGLE SERVICE, BUT HE WOULD CALL ME EVERY CHANCE HE GOT TO COMPLAIN. NEVER MIND THAT HIS WIFE AND KIDS WERE DRAMA QUEENS AND THE SOURCE OF MULTIPLE CHURCH GOSSIP.

HAD ANOTHER DEACON THAT TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO SPANK MY SON IN PUBLIC FOR BEING A LOUD AND PLAYFUL KID. NEVER MIND THAT HIS GRANDKIDS WERE UNCONTROLLABLE BRATS. MY SON ALSO RECEIVED A PUBLIC SPANKING BY ANOTHER WOMAN IN THE CHURCH FOR MISBEHAVING.

LOOKING BACK, I SINCERELY REGRET ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN TO MY SON. IF I COULD REWIND THE CLOCK, I WOULD HAVE HANDLED THESE SITUATIONS MUCH DIFFERENTLY. BUT NOW THE SCARS OF THESE INCIDENTS AND A HUNDRED MORE ARE BRANDED INTO MY CHILDREN'S MINDS AND THEY HAVE NO DESIRE TO PARTICIPATE IN CHURCH. I DON'T BLAME THEM.

PREACHER'S CHILDREN ARE HELD TO A MUCH HIGHER STANDARD THAN OTHER KIDS ARE. THE PREACHER'S KID HAS TO BE PERFECT 24/7 AT HOME, AT SCHOOL AND AT PLAY. AND ESPECIALLY AT CHURCH. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO ROOM FOR ERROR. AND PARENTS WILL BE QUICK TO QUOTE YOU THE VERSE ABOUT PASTORS RULING THEIR CHILDREN WELL.

THE PROBLEM IS OFTEN THAT THE PASTOR AND HIS WIFE ARE SWAMPED BEFORE AND AFTER CHURCH WITH PEOPLE BEGGING FOR ATTENTION. PASTOR'S KIDS ARE OFTEN THE LAST KIDS PICKED UP FROM THE NURSERY, AND ARE OFTEN EVEN LEFT BEHIND AT CHURCH BECAUSE THE PASTOR AND HIS WIFE HAVE BEEN BOMBARDED BY NEEDY, CLINGY CHURCH MEMBERS FOR THE LAST TWO OR THREE HOURS.

PASTOR'S KIDS ARE OFTEN ROBBED OF CRITICAL FAMILY TIME BECAUSE OF THEIR PARENTS DEMANDING SCHEDULE. THE PASTOR IS REQUIRED TO BE AT ALL CHURCH MEMBERS FAMILY FUNCTIONS, BALL GAMES, RECITALS, BIRTHDAY PARTIES, GRADUATIONS AND OFTEN THE MINISTER IS FORCED TO MISS HIS OWN KIDS SPECIAL EVENTS BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE OF KEEPING THE FOLKS AT CHURCH HAPPY.

PASTORS KNOW THAT IF THEY DO NOT PUT THE CHURCH FOLKS FIRST, THAT THERE WILL BE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES. CHURCH MEMBERS WILL QUICKLY TAKE OFFENSE AND STOP GIVING, STOP ATTENDING, AND BEGIN SPREADING THE OFFENSE THROUGH OUT THE CHURCH. THIS IS THE CYCLE THAT HAPPENS IN MANY MINISTER'S HOMES EACH WEEK. THE MINISTER'S OWN CHILDREN ARE OFTEN NEGLECTED IN ORDER TO PACIFY THE EVER NEEDY CHURCH MEMBER.

I HAVE TALKED TO MANY PREACHER'S KIDS WHEN THEIR PARENTS WERE NOT AROUND. RECENTLY I WAS DOING A SEMINAR AT A VERY LARGE CHURCH. THE MINISTER'S SON WAS VENTING OUT HIS FRUSTRATIONS TO ME ABOUT HOW BAD IT SUCKED LIVING UNDER ALL THE CHURCH PRESSURE AND EXPECTATIONS.

HIS PARENTS THEN ENTERED THE ROOM AND BEGAN LISTENING. INSTEAD OF APPRECIATING THE COMPLAINTS OF THEIR CHILD, THEY IMMEDIATELY JUMPED IN TRYING TO TELL THEIR SON HOW MUCH FUN IT WAS TO BE THE PASTOR'S KID. IT WAS REALLY SAD. THE THINGS PARENTS ENDURE FOR A PAYCHECK AND JOB SECURITY.

FOLLOWING A FALSE PROPHET

2010-11-08T05:29:00.001-08:00
AS A LONGTIME FOLLOWER AND DISCIPLE OF KENNETH E HAGIN, I HAD ALWAYS FELT THAT I HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INSIDE INFORMATION. I THOUGH THAT WE AS WORD OF FAITH PEOPLE HAD A LEG UP ON THE REST OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.

BECAUSE KENNETH E HAGIN HAD VISITED MANY TIMES WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, I BELIEVED THAT HE WAS THE MOST INSIGHTFUL AND CORRECT OF ALL THE PREACHERS IN THE WORLD.

AFTER ALL, HE HAD BEEN VISITED BY JESUS OF NAZARETH NO LESS THAN EIGHT SEPARATE TIMES. SOME OF THESE VISITS LASTED FOR HOURS. IN ONE OF THEM, CHRIST HIMSELF SAT DOWN ON THE SIDE OF HIS BED AND GAVE HIM A SPECIAL SERMON ON HOW WE AS BELIEVERS CAN GET ANYTHING WE WANT FROM GOD AT ANYTIME.

KENNETH E HAGIN HAD ALREADY MADE THREE TRIPS TO HELL, AND AT LEAST TWO TRIPS TO HEAVEN, MAYBE MORE. AND ONE TIME, UP IN HEAVEN, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF PERSONALLY LAID HANDS ON HIM AND TRANSFERRED A SPECIAL HEALING ANOINTING.

KENNETH E HAGIN ALSO HAD LOTS OF VISITS FROM ANGELS AND EVEN RECEIVED MESSAGES FROM THEM. HE ALSO SAW DEMONS. ON ONE OCCASION, KENNETH E HAGIN GOT INTO A SPARRING MATCH WITH JESUS ABOUT SCRIPTURE.

IF ALL OF THIS IS NOT ENOUGH, KENNETH E HAGIN OFTEN HEARD THE AUDIBLE VOICE OF GOD, AND EVEN SAW THE OUTLINE OF GOD HIMSELF, SITTING ON THE THRONE IN HEAVEN. AMAZING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD IS INVISIBLE.

NOT TO WORRY, JESUS HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH KENNETH E HAGIN ABOUT SCRIPTURE, HOW TO GET RICH, HOW TO DRIVE OUT DEMONS, AND EVEN DISCUSSED POLITICS ABOUT PRESIDENT EISENHOWER. REMARKABLE.

SO, HAVING THIS INCREDIBLE MAN AS MY SCHOOL TEACHER, I BELIEVED THAT HE HAD SPECIAL INSIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD. THIS MAN WAS SPECIAL. HE HAD ROUTINE AUDIENCES WITH JESUS CHRIST. EVEN GOT CARRIED AWAY IN THE SPIRIT WITH HIM, UP IN THE CEILING OF THE TULSA CONVENTION CENTER.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, THAT FOR FOURTEEN YEARS, I LISTENED TO EVERY SERMON AND TEACHING CD THAT I COULD FIND. I WENT TO ALL OF HIS MEETINGS THAT I COULD POSSIBLE ATTEND. I LEFT MY SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS A POLICE OFFICER TO ATTEND HIS SCHOOL. I SAT IN CLASS, RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM FOR TWO YEARS, ALMOST EVERYDAY, HANGING ONTO HIS EVERY WORD.

BECAUSE KENNETH E HAGIN HAD HAD AS MANY OR MORE NOW A DAY MIRACLE ENCOUNTERS WITH GOD AND JESUS AS THE APOSTLE PAUL, I FELT LIKE EVERYTHING THAT HE TAUGHT ABOUT THE BIBLE WAS MORE RIGHT THAN ANY OTHER PREACHER. AS FAR AS I WAS CONCERNED, KENNETH E HAGIN WAS THE NUMBER ONE PROPHET AND PREACHER SINCE THE APOSTLE PAUL. I BELIEVED IN EVERYTHING THAT HE SAID AND TAUGHT.

SADLY, I AM NOT ALONE. MANY MILLIONS OF INNOCENT AND GULLIBLE PEOPLE THAT ARE HUNGRY FOR GOD AND DESPERATE FOR HIS TOUCH ARE EASILY DECEIVED INTO FOLLOWING THE TEACHINGS OF SELF PROCLAIMED PROPHETS AND APOSTLES. IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE. I WAS A MARINE WITH A SECURITY CLEARANCE. I HAD BEEN A POLICE OFFICER.

PEOPLE ARE EASILY DECEIVED. BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU START HEARING A PREACHER TALKING ABOUT MEETING WITH JESUS ONE ON ONE. BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHO YOU LISTEN TO. IT CAN MESS UP YOUR WHOLE LIFE, AND TAKE YEARS TO RECOVER AND RECUPERATE FROM IT.

BECAUSE I FELL HOOK, LINE AND SINKER TO THIS MAN'S TEACHINGS AND THEOLOGY, IM NOT SURE WHAT TO BELIEVE ANYMORE. I HAVE BEEN DECEIVED. I HAVE BEEN DUPED. AND WHAT IS EVEN WORSE IS THAT KENNETH E HAGIN HAS HUNDREDS OF PREACHERS AND TEACHERS THAT BLINDLY FOLLOW, SUPPORT AND DEFEND HIM AT ANY COST.

I FIND MYSELF EXTREMELY LEARY OF ALL PREACHERS, ALL CHURCHES AND MOST DOCTRINES. I KNOW LONGER CAN BELIEVE JUST FOR THE SAKE OF BELIEVING. I MUST THROW INNOCENCE ASIDE, AND BE A DETECTIVE, TURNING UP EVERY STONE AND FLIPPING OVER EVERY LEAF. MY JOY AND INNOCENCE HAS A CHILD OF GOD IS GONE,PERHAPS FOREVER.

TEACHING THE BIBLE THE WRONG WAY

2010-11-07T17:00:00.001-08:00

MOST OF THE PREACHERS THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH IN THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT WOULD PREACH AND TEACH TOPICAL SERMONS. THIS IS HOW I LEARNED TO PREACH MYSELF FROM KENNETH HAGIN AT RHEMA BIBLE COLLEGE.

CHARISMATIC WORD OF FAITH PREACHERS LOVE TO PICK A TOPIC OR SUBJECT SUCH AS FAITH OR HEALING, AND THEN START IN GENESIS AND GO ALL THE WAY TO REVELATION CHERRY PICKING SCRIPTURES FOR THEIR PROOF TEXTS.

THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I DID IT FOR TEN YEARS AS A PASTOR AND TEACHER. I WOULD GET STIRRED UP ABOUT A SUBJECT, SUCH AS PROSPERITY OR BELIEVER'S AUTHORITY, AND THEN HOP SCOTCH ALL OVER THE BIBLE TO PROVE MY POINTS.

THIS TYPE OF INCORRECT TEACHING IS THE FAST ROUTE TO HERESY, FALSE DOCTRINE AND ERROR. YOU CANNOT JUST TAKE PASSAGES OUT OF THEIR CONTEXT, AWAY FROM THEIR SETTING AND EVEN OUT OF THEIR TESTAMENT JUST TO PROVE A POINT. WHAT A SCRIPTURE TEACHES IN ONE PLACE MAY TAKE ON AN ENTIRLEY DIFFERENT MEANING WHEN TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT.

WORD OF FAITH PREACHERS LOVE TO TAKE OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES TO ISRAEL AND APPLY THEM TO THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH AND THIS CREATES ERROR. ONE MUST ALWAYS BE CAREFUL TO EXAMINE EXACTLY WHO THE PASSAGE IS ADDRESSING, AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE TEXT.

AN EXAMPLE. PREACHERS LOVE TO QUOTE THE PASSAGE FROM ISAIAH 54:17 THAT "NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST YOU SHALL PROSPER" AND PREACH THAT NOTHING THAT COMES OUR WAY WILL LAST OR BE HARMFUL. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. IN THIS PASSAGE, ISAIAH IS ADDRESSING THE NATION OF ISRAEL, AND NOT THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER.

PEOPLE GET DISILLUSIONED WHEN THEY ARE TAUGHT SCRIPTURE OUT OF CONTEXT. IT HURTS THEIR FAITH IN GOD WHEN THEY ARE TOLD TO STAND ON CERTAIN SCRIPTURES THAT WERE NEVER INTENDED FOR THEM TO STAND UPON.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND ACCURATE TEACHING OF THE WORD IS WHEN A MINISTER TAKES A BOOK OF THE BIBLE, SUCH AS GALATIANS, AND STARTS WITH THE BACKGROUND, THE CULTURE, THE BACK STORY, AND THEN PROCEEDS TO TEACH THE WHOLE BOOK VERSE BY VERSE.

IN THIS MANNER ALL OF THE SCRIPTURE AND THE TEACHING REMAINS IN CONTEXT AT ALL TIMES. THE BIBLE INTERPRETS THE BIBLE AND THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN IN SUCH A MANNER TO ADDRESS DIFFERENT PEOPLE GROUPS AT DIFFERENT TIMES. THE OLD TESTAMENT IS PRIMARILY ADDRESSED TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL. MUCH OF IT ONLY APPLIES TO ISRAEL.

THE NEW TESTAMENT EPISTLES ARE WRITTEN TO THE CHURCH. IT SUPERSEDES EVERYTHING. IT IS THE PART OF THE BIBLE THAT IS FOR THE CHRISTIAN TODAY.

ANOTHER INTERESTING POINT AND OBSERVATION IS THAT OUR NEW TESTAMENT EPISTLES HAVE BEEN ARRAIGNED FROM FIRST CORINTHIANS TO REVELATIONS ACCORDING TO SIZE AND LENGTH. THIS ARRANGEMENT CAN OFTEN CAUSE CONFUSION IN DOCTRINE AND CONTEXT.

TO BEST BE UNDERSTOOD, THE NEW TESTAMENT SHOULD BE READ AND STUDIED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. MUCH EASIER TO GO WITH THE FLOW OF THE CHURCH AND THE WRITERS. THE FOLLOWING IS THE CORRECT CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:

1. James; 2. I Thessalonians; 3. II Thessalonians; 4. I Corinthians; 5. II Corinthians; 6. Galatians; 7. Romans; 8. Matthew's Gospel; 9. Luke's Gospel; 10. Philemon; 11. Colossians; 12. Ephesians; 13. Mark's Gospel; 14. Philippians; 15. The Acts of the Apostles; 16. I Timothy; 17. Titus; 18. I Peter; 19. Hebrews; 20. II Peter; 21. Jude; 22. II Timothy; 23. John's Gospel; 24. I John; 25. II John; 26. III John; and 27. Revelation.

BEING AN EX-PREACHER

2010-11-05T06:21:00.001-07:00

I AM AN EX-PREACHER. FOR TEN YEARS I MINISTERED AT A CHARISMATIC, PENTECOSTAL, WORD OF FAITH CHURCH IN ALABAMA, A CHURCH THAT MY WIFE AND I STARTED IN OUR DEN WITH FOUR PEOPLE ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1998.

I WAS SHOWN THE DOOR IN OCTOBER OF 2008 BY SOME DISGRUNTLED DEACONS AND BOARD MEMBERS BECAUSE I HAD MADE A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN MY THEOLOGY. IN SIX MONTHS TIME I WENT FROM BEING CHARISMATIC WORD OF FAITH TO BAPTIST AND PAID THE PRICE.

(THEY ACTUALLY HAD NO AUTHORITY, AND I COULD HAVE BOOTED THEIR ASSES OUT AND KEPT GOING, BUT WE WERE TERRIBLY BURNED OUT ON THE CONSTANT DRAMA AND POLITICS) 1,400 MINSTERS LEAVE THE MINISTRY EACH MONTH. IT IS A BRUTAL OCCUPATION, MADE A LIVING HELL BY CHURCH FOLKS.

NOW I AM A BUSINESSMAN, STRUGGLING TO START MY OWN COMPANY IN THIS BROKEN ECONOMY. I OWN A SMALL, ONE MAN CARPET AND UPHOLSTERY CLEANING SERVICE IN ALABAMA. I REALLY ENJOY IT MORE THAN I DID BEING A PASTOR.

INEVITABLY, MY PAST AS A PREACHER COMES BACK TO HAUNT ME EVERYDAY. LIKE A DEEP DARK SECRET THAT KEEPS GETTING EXPOSED NO MATTER HOW I TRY TO HIDE IT. USUALLY IT IS THE RESULT OF NORMAL CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN MYSELF AND CUSTOMERS, OR WITH NEW FRIENDS, OR BY RUNNING INTO OLD FRIENDS AND FORMER CHURCH MEMBERS THAT CONTACT ME ON A DAILY BASIS.

ALMOST EVERYDAY SOMEONE WANTS TO KNOW WHY I AM NO LONGER IN THE MINISTRY. EVERYDAY I HAVE TO REPEAT THE SAME OLD STORY, AND TO BE TRUTHFUL, IM GETTING SICK OF IT. IM BEGINNING TO TELL MY NEW FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS THAT I AM JUST A RETIRED POLICE OFFICER. (I DID TAKE EARLY RETIREMENT TO ATTEND RHEMA BIBLE COLLEGE IN OKLAHOMA)

WHEN YOU ARE A FORMER MINISTER, YOU GET JUDGED, CRITICIZED AND HELD TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD THAN OTHER PEOPLE DO. WHEN MOST FOLKS FIND OUT THAT I USED TO BE A PREACHER, THEY IMMEDIATELY ASSUME THAT I DID SOMETHING WRONG TO GET RUN OFF. (I LIKE TO SHOCK FOLKS BY TELLING THEM I WAS SLEEPING WITH MY PRAISE & WORSHIP LEADER)

PREACHERS ARE FAMOUS FOR HAVING SEXUAL SIN OR STEALING CHURCH MONEY. THAT IS USUALLY THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT COMES TO A PERSON'S MIND. I MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG. THEY ALWAYS ASK ME TWENTY FIVE QUESTIONS AND THEN START ACTING DIFFERENT IN FRONT OF ME. USUALLY THEIR FACE STARTS TWITCHING AND THEY GET NERVOUS.

THAT IS WHAT I TRULY DESPISE. I DETEST IT WHEN SOMEONE IMMEDIATELY CHANGES THEIR DEMEANOR AND CONVERSATION AS IF THEY CAN SUDDENLY NO LONGER BE THEMSELVES. THEY START APOLOGIZING FOR CUSSING OR DRINKING, OR FOR NOT GOING TO CHURCH. THEY START RAILING ABOUT WHY THEY NO LONGER ATTEND CHURCH. (I DON'T EITHER)

OTHERS LAUNCH INTO A LONG DISCOURSE ABOUT HOW I AM RUNNING FROM MY CALLING AND THAT I NEED TO REPENT AND GET BACK INTO THE MINISTRY. I GET LECTURED ABOUT THIS ABOUT TWICE A WEEK. THEY BASE THEIR ARGUMENT ON A MISQUOTED SCRIPTURE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT ABOUT THE GIFTS AND CALLINGS OF GOD BEING WITHOUT REPENTANCE.

ACTUALLY THAT PASSAGE HAS ZERO TO DO WITH BEING CALLED TO THE MINISTRY, BUT BIBLE THUMPERS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS ABOUT MISAPPLYING SCRIPTURE TO BACK UP THEIR OPINIONS. THIS ONE IS ABOUT THE SALVATION OF ISRAEL STILL BEING ON THE TABLE WITH GOD.

BUT, BEING A FORMER PREACHER HAS MANY SURPRISING ADVANTAGES DESPITE FOLKS THAT KEEP TRYING TO HOLD ME TO THEIR OWN STANDARD. I HAVE FOUND THAT I GET MANY MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH HARD TIMES IN THEIR LIVES.

BECAUSE IT IS ASSUMED THAT I AM BACKSLID, AWAY FROM GOD, AND THAT I PROBABLY GOT RUN OFF FOR DOING SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG, PEOPLE TEND TO TRUST ME MORE WITH THEIR SHORTCOMINGS. ESPECIALLY WOMEN. FOR SOME REASON, WOMEN COME TO ME EVERY SINGLE DAY WITH THEIR PROBLEMS AND HURTS. I ALWAYS LISTEN, I NEVER JUDGE.

FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT IS EASIER TO TALK TO SOMEONE THAT HAS FALLEN, OR BEEN THROUGH TREMENDOUS DIFFICULTY. THEY CAN IDENTIFY MORE WITH ME THAN THEY CAN THEIR PERFECT PASTOR THAT IS ALWAYS SMILING ON A PEDESTAL. THEIR PASTOR, IN THEIR EYES, IS PURE AND WHOLESOME AND WOULD BE APPALLED AT THEIR PROBLEMS OR STRUGGLE. THEY FEEL LIKE THEIR PASTOR MIGHT FUSS AT THEM, BE DISAPPOINTED AT THEM OR JUDGE THEM.

BECAUSE I CUSS FROM TIME TO TIME, DRINK BOURBON FROM TIME TO TIME AND ACT A LITTLE WILD AND CRAZY, THEY FEEL LIKE I WILL NOT CONDEMN OR JUDGE THEM BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT I AM NO BIBLE THUMPING SUPERMAN. IM JUST LIKE THEY ARE, IMPERFECT. MY TRANSPARENCY PUTS THEM AT EASE.

AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT MY HONESTY AND OPENNESS THAT MAKES PREACHERS AND SELF RIGHTEOUS CHURCH FOLKS MAD AS HELL. PREACHERS ARE OFTEN TERRIFIED OF ME. I APPALL PEOPLE THAT HAVE A HAUGHTY OPINION OF THEMSELVES. TO BE HONEST, ITS NOT RIGHT, BUT NOTHING MAKES ME HAPPIER! (SEEMS LIKE JESUS ENJOYED RILING UP THE PHARISEES)

THE HONEST TRUTH IS THAT I HAVE NO DESIRE TO BE A PREACHER, I FEEL NO CALLING, NO GUILT, NO PULLING WHATSOEVER. IF GOD WANTED ME TO BE PREACHING, THEN I AM SURE THAT HE WOULD BE NICE ENOUGH TO LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT. IM MUCH HAPPIER NOW AWAY FROM THE CHURCH. THERE IS NO PRESSURE, AND GOD USES ME MORE NOW THAN HE DID THEN, EVEN IF IT MAKES CHURCH FOLKS MADDER THAN HELL. GOOD!

MOVE THE AUBURN GEORGIA GAME TO LABOR DAY

2010-11-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

THE AUBURN GEORGIA GAME IS PROBABLY THE CLOSEST AND CLASSIEST OF ALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL RIVALRIES. THE SERIES IS USUALLY TIED OR JUST ONE OR TWO GAMES FROM BEING SO. MOST OF THE GAMES ARE CLOSE, AND THE VISITING TEAM USUALLY WINS.

BUT THIS GAME NEEDS TO BE MADE THE SEASON OPENER FOR BOTH FOOTBALL TEAMS. IT SHOULD BE PLAYED ON MONDAY NIGHT OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVERY YEAR INSTEAD OF RIGHT BEFORE THE LAST GAME.

EVERY YEAR, AUBURN IS FORCED TO PLAY A VERY PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL GAME WITH THEIR BIGGEST RIVALS BACK TO BACK. THEY PLAY GEORGIA THEN ALABAMA. USUALLY AUBURN IS SO BEAT UP PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY SPENT THAT BAMA GETS A YEARLY ADVANTAGE.

COULD YOU IMAGINE IF ALABAMA HAD TO PLAY TENNESSEE AND THEN AUBURN BACK TO BACK EVERY YEAR? IM SURE THAT IT WOULD ALWAYS IMPACT THE IRON BOWL. INSTEAD, ALABAMA HAS THE YEARLY LUXURY OF SPACING OUT THEIR BIGGEST TWO RIVALRIES WHILE AUBURN DOES NOT. AUBURN ALWAYS HAS TO LIMP INTO THE IRON BOWL BLACK AND BLUE FROM THE GEORGIA GAME.

HAVING THE AUBURN VS GEORGIA GAME AS THE SEASON OPENER WOULD BE FAR MORE EXCITING AND COLORFUL THAN OPENING UP WITH LOUISIANA-MONROE OR SOME OTHER DIRECTIONAL SCHOOL. ID RATHER LOSE TO GEORGIA IN A SQUEAKER THAN TO LINE UP AND PLAY A MEANINGLESS GAME. THE AUBURN GEORGIA GAME AS A SEASON OPENER WOULD BE A TRADITION THAT WOULD BENEFIT BOTH SCHOOLS.

JOBS I LOVED AND HATED PART TWO

2010-10-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

THE JOB I HATED THE MOST WAS BEING A PASTOR. WELL, I LOVED MANY PARTS OF IT, AND LOVED MOST OF THE PEOPLE, BUT OF ALL OF MY CAREERS, THIS ONE HAS LEFT A VERY BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH.

MY WIFE AND I STARTED A CHURCH IN OUR LIVING ROOM IN 1999. WE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM SEMINARY OUT IN OKLAHOMA.

WE DID NOT HAVE ONE DIME AND HAD NO PLACE TO MEET OR ANY HELP. I JUST CALLED EVERYONE I KNEW, INVITED THEM TO CHURCH IN MY HOUSE AND 4 PEOPLE SHOWED UP!

WHEN THE CHURCH WAS SHUT DOWN, WE HAD BOUGHT 18 ACRES NEXT TO THREE SCHOOLS, BUILT A 500 SEAT BUILDING, AND HAD OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN ASSETS. WE MOVED INTO OUR NEW BUILDING IN OCTOBER OF 2007, AND SHUT IT DOWN ONE YEAR LATER. IT WAS A VERY BAD YEAR. FACT: 1, 400 MINISTERS LEAVE THE MINISTRY EVERY SINGLE MONTH.

FOR ME, BEING A PASTOR WAS A NIGHTMARE AND A PRESSURE COOKER. I JUST COULD NOT HANDLE ALL THE DRAMA, POLITICS, BACKSTABBING AND HAVING TO WEAR 30 DIFFERENT HATS AND BE PERFECT AT THEM ALL. I WAS A HEALER, A PREACHER, MARRIAGE COUNSELOR, BUSINESS MAN, ACCOUNTANT, GRASS CUTTER, JANITOR, VISIONARY, REFEREE, SALESMAN, ARBITRATOR, LIVED IN A FISH BOWL AND HAD TO COME UP WITH A GLORIOUS MESSAGE TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK.

IT HAD ITS PERKS THOUGH. I WAS A MINIATURE CELEBRITY IN MY OWN LITTLE WORLD, PEOPLE WOULD STAND IN LINE TO HUG MY NECK AND SHAKE MY HAND. I GOT THE V.I.P. TREATMENT EVERYWHERE I WENT. PEOPLE BOUGHT ME REALLY NICE GIFTS, DETAILED MY TRUCK EVERY WEEK, PAID ALL OF MY BILLS, SENT ME ON DREAM VACATIONS, AND KISSED MY ASS DAY AND NIGHT. I STILL HAVE BOXES OF LETTERS AND CARDS FROM HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TELLING ME THAT IM THE BEST PASTOR THAT THEY EVER HAD.

THEN THERE WERE MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, PEOPLE CALLING AND BEATING ON MY DOOR ALL HOURS, NO PRIVACY, NO LOYALTY, NO SPACE, NO FREE TIME, NO ROOM FOR ERROR, EVER. I COULD NEVER BE MYSELF. I HAD TO BE PERFECT AND LIVE UP TO AND BEYOND EXPECTATIONS. (IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO ACT STRANGE AS HELL AROUND YOU, TELL THEM YOU ARE A PREACHER. THEY WILL GET FACIAL TWITCHES, START COUGHING, AND MAKING ALL KINDS OF EXCUSES ABOUT THEMSELVES)

ON A CURIOUS NOTE, BECAUSE I WAS A WORD OF FAITH PREACHER, THAT BELIEVED GOD WANTED TO HEAL EVERYONE, I COULD NEVER BE SICK. AND I NEVER WAS. I WENT TEN YEARS WITHOUT THE FLU OR ANY ILLNESSES. YOU SIMPLY CANNOT PREACH THE HEALTH AND WEALTH GOSPEL SICK AND BROKE. PRESSURE!

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY, REALLY BOTHERED ME WAS THAT MY CHURCH WAS A REVOLVING DOOR. I NEVER HAD TROUBLE GETTING PEOPLE TO JOIN, BUT KEEPING THEM THERE WAS ANOTHER STORY. LOOKING BACK ON CHURCH RECORDS, VISITOR CARDS AND MEMBERSHIP ROLLS, WE WENT THROUGH ABOUT THREE THOUSAND CHURCH MEMBERS IN TEN YEARS. 90% FROM ME BEING A TOTAL CONTROL FREAK, DICTATOR, AND EITHER PISSING FOLKS OFF WITH MY SERMONS OR FROM KIDDING AROUND TOO MUCH.

CHARISMATIC CHURCHES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING EXTREMELY HIGH TURNOVER. MANY CHARISMATICS ARE UNSTABLE PEOPLE TO START WITH. THEY TEND TO LIVE OFF OF AND FOLLOW THEIR EMOTIONS. THEY HEAR FROM GOD EVERYDAY, AND GOD CHANGES HIS MIND EVERYDAY. AND I HAD MORE THAN MY FAIR SHARE OF KOOKS, LOONS AND TROUBLE MAKERS. THEY ALL CLAIM THAT GOD TALKS TO THEM.

ANOTHER FLAW WAS AND IS MY PERSONALITY. I CAN COME ACROSS AS A REAL ASS, WHICH IN MANY WAYS I AM. HAVING BEEN A MARINE AND A POLICE OFFICER, IM USED TO TAKING CHARGE, TAKING NAMES AND KICKING ASS. THAT COMBINED WITH MY DARK, TWISTED SENSE OF HUMOR TENDED TO PUT A LOT OF PEOPLE OFF. I WAS VERY UNCONVENTIONAL AND NON CONFORMIST FROM THE PULPIT, AND HAD A TENDENCY AND TALENT FOR SHOCKING THE HELL OUT OF PEOPLE. ( I LOVED WATCHING WOMEN'S JAWS DROP WIDE OPEN AND SEEING MEN TURN BLOOD RED)

OH WELL, IT WAS A RICH LEARNING EXPERIENCE! I LEARNED A LOT OF LESSONS THAT I WOULD PROBABLY REPEAT TODAY. I JUST CANT HELP MYSELF. I DO BETTER AWAY FROM PEOPLE. THAT'S WHY I LOVE MY LATEST CAREER SO MUCH. IN MY CARPET CLEANING BUSINESS, IM USUALLY ALONE WITH A HOUSEWIFE THAT IS EXCITED FOR ME TO BE THERE. I DO A GOOD JOB, KNOWING THAT I ONLY HAVE TO PLEASE ONE PERSON. IN AN HOUR OR TWO, I AM OUT THE DOOR AND BOTH OR US ARE HAPPY.

JOBS I LOVED AND HATED

2010-10-28T11:50:00.001-07:00

IN MY LIFE SO FAR I HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW CAREER CHANGES. SOME OF THEM WERE ON PURPOSE AND SOME JUST HAPPENED.

I STARTED OUT JOINING THE MARINE CORPS AND ABSOLUTELY HATED EVERY MOMENT OF IT. IT WAS A JOB OF NECESSITY. I WAS DRIFTING IN AND OUT OF COLLEGE AND HAD NO GOALS AND NO RESPONSIBILITY.

I WENT TO MARINE BOOT CAMP AT PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA THEN TO COMMUNICATIONS SCHOOL IN TWENTY-NINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA. I WAS THEN STATIONED AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA WITH A SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT THAT ROTATED BETWEEN THE STATES AND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.

IT WAS MOSTLY HORRIBLE LIVING CONDITIONS. WE WERE DIRT POOR AND LIVED IN TRAILERS THAT HAD NO AIR CONDITIONING, NASTY RENTAL FURNITURE AND ALL THE RED NECK WHITE TRASH TRAILER PARK DRAMA TO LAST A LIFE TIME. I HATED BEING IN THE CORPS, BUT PROUD THAT I WAS AND AM A MARINE. IT IS THE MOST DECORATED AND ELITE FIGHTING FORCE IN THE WORLD, AND BY FAR THE TOUGHEST.

WHILE IN THE MARINES I DID TWO DEPLOYMENTS TO THE MEDITERRANEAN AND GOT TO SEE A LOT OF EUROPE AND AFRICA, BUT MISSED MY OLDEST SON LEARNING TO WALK AND TALK, AND MISSED THE BIRTH OF MY DAUGHTER. I DIDN'T SEE HER UNTIL SHE WAS THREE MONTHS OLD, AND MY SON DIDN'T KNOW WHO THE HELL I WAS. MADE ME WEEP WITH REGRET. IT WAS A MISERABLE FOUR YEARS, AND I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A CONCENTRATION CAMP THE WHOLE TIME.

AS SOON AS I GOT MY HONORABLE DISCHARGED I RACED BACK HOME TO ALABAMA WITH MY YOUNG WIFE AND TWO BABIES. I APPLIED AT ALL THE POLICE DEPTS, FIRE DEPTS AND AT THE POSTAL SERVICE. THE ONLY FOLKS THAT WOULD HIRE ME WAS THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE. PROBLEM WAS, I GOT HOME IN JUNE AND HAD TO WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER TO START THE ACADEMY.

SO I WENT AND FOUND A TEMPORARY JOB CLEANING CARPET WITH STANLEY STEEMER. IT WAS A FREAKING BLAST! OF ALL THE JOBS THAT I HAVE EVER HAD, WORKING THERE WAS JUST SO MUCH FUN. IT OFFERED ME A CHANCE TO BE IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS, MEET ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE SOCIAL SPECTRUM, AND IT PROVIDED ALL KINDS OF MISCHIEVOUS ADVENTURES AND FUNNY STORIES. WHAT MADE IT EVEN FUNNER WAS THAT IT WAS THE ONLY TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN WORK PARTNERS WITH MY BROTHER HANK.

THEN CAME MY EIGHT YEARS WITH THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT. I WORKED PATROL AT EAST PRECINCT FOR MOST OF THAT TIME. I ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF PARTNERS BECAUSE I USUALLY WAS ASSIGNED TO A ONE MAN CAR. I WORKED THIS ONE BEAT, CAR 228, IN AIRPORT HILLS ALL BY MYSELF. IT WAS DRUG HOUSE INFESTED AND CUT OFF FROM THE REST OF THE POLICE BECAUSE IT BORDERED THE AIRPORT, TARRANT CITY, AND THE COUNTY. DANGEROUS AS HELL.

I NEVER COULD GET BACKUP VERY FAST THERE SO I HAD TO WORK EXTREMELY CAREFUL AND USE ALL OF MY GUT INSTINCTS. I POUNDED THAT BEAT AS HARD AS I COULD, AND WAS AS RELENTLESS AS POSSIBLE. BY THE END OF MY TOUR THERE, IT GOT TO WHERE I JUST ABOUT GAVE UP TRYING. INSTEAD OF ME FOLLOWING AND STALKING THE DRUG DEALERS, THEY WERE FOLLOWING ME.

BUT BEING A BIRMINGHAM POLICE OFFICER WAS JUST SO DAMN EXCITING. I HAD MAJOR FUN JUST ABOUT EVERYDAY. I WORKED WITH A LOT OF CRAZY AS HELL PEOPLE THAT I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT BEFORE. THANKFULLY I WAS NEVER SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND WAS NEVER PUT INTO JAIL MYSELF. (TO HEAR SOME FUN POLICE STORIES, SCROLL DOWN TO MY BEST SELLERS POST AND LISTEN TO "BE LIKE DEXTER" AND "10-33".

IN 1996 I GOT THE HAIR-BRAIN STUPID ASS IDIOT IDEA TO TAKE EARLY RETIREMENT FROM THE FORCE SO THAT I COULD UPROOT MAY FAMILY OF FIVE AND ATTEND SEMINARY IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA. IT WAS PROBABLY THE SINGLE BIGGEST MISTAKE THAT I HAVE EVER MADE IN LIFE, ONE THAT WHEN IM DRINKING I SULK OVER THE MOST. (GOD I WISH SOMEONE HAD TRIED TO STOP ME)

BUT WHILE I WAS THERE, I GOT MY SECOND FAVORITE JOB THAT I HAVE EVER HAD, WORKING SECURITY FOR ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND MAKING ALMOST AS GOOD AS I DID WITH BIRMINGHAM. IT WAS A GREAT PLACE TO BE A PO PO. NO CRIME. MOSTLY SEMINARY STUDENTS, AND MOST OF THEM WERE FEMALE.

I WAS ALREADY SMITTEN WITH THE WHOLE FAITH HEALING THING AND HERE I WAS WORKING SECURITY FOR ORAL ROBERTS, HIS FAMILY AND BEING SECURITY FOR SUCH WORD OF FAITH GIANTS AS KENNETH COPELAND AND JOYCE MEYER. I WAS IN HOG HEAVEN. EVERYONE ON THE SECURITY WAS A FORMER POLICE OFFICER AND MOST OF THEM WERE SEMINARY STUDENTS. 95% OF MY JOB WAS TO SIT AROUND AND DEBATE THE BIBLE AND TELL POLICE STORIES, AND WORK OUT.

BY THE WAY, I WAS THE SMALLEST GUY ON THE SECURITY TEAM. I WAS 6'1 247 AND WAS THE BABY. WE EVEN WERE ABLE TO LIFT WEIGHTS AND RUN ON THE CLOCK AS WELL AS HAVE AN OFF CAMPUS LUNCH HOUR OR TWO. SKATE JOB. IT WAS SO FUN. THE HOTTEST CALL WE GOT WAS A NAKED WOMAN SWIMMING IN THE STUDENT APARTMENTS, AND THE ONLY SHOOTING WE RESPONDED TO WAS WHEN SOMEONE SHOT THEIR NEIGHBOR'S CAT.

WELL I GUESS THAT MAYBE TOMORROW I WILL WRITE SOME MORE ABOUT MY FAVORITE AND LEAST FAVORITE JOBS. MY FINGERS ARE TIRED OF TYPING. IF ONLY I COULD TYPE AS LONG AS I CAN TALK. THEN AGAIN I DO NOT TYPE, I JUST SORT OF HUNT AND PECK. MAKE MY KIDS LAUGH.

ELEVATING THE TITHE TO THE LEVEL OF THE CROSS

2010-10-27T14:13:00.001-07:00

MANY OF THE WORD OF FAITH PREACHERS THAT I KNOW PERSONALLY, AND MOST OF THE TELEVANGELIST PREACH ON TITHING AND PROSPERITY JUST AS MUCH IF NOT MORE AS THEY DO THE CROSS OF JESUS.

I CHALLENGE ANYONE WITH AN OPEN MIND AND AN OPEN HEART TO GOOGLE RHEMA, WORD OF FAITH, TBN, PROSPERITY GOSPEL, KENNETH HAGIN, KENNETH COPELAND OR ANY OTHER FAITH PREACHER AND LISTEN TO THEIR SERMONS AND WATCH THEIR VIDEOS.

THESE PREACHERS ARE OBSESSED WITH MONEY, TITHING, MATERIALISM AND GREED. KENNETH HAGIN AND ORAL ROBERTS GOT THE PROSPERITY BALL ROLLING, AND NOW A HOST OF HUNDREDS HAVE ADDED TO IT TO FORM A NEW HYBRID CHRISTIANITY THAT EXALTS SUCCESS AND SELF.

I ATTENDED BOTH RHEMA BIBLE COLLEGE AND RHEMA BIBLE CHURCH AND WAS FED A STEADY OVERFLOWING DIET OF THIS TEACHING. IT WAS NIGHT AND DAY. AS A STUDENT AT RHEMA, I WAS TAUGHT EXTENSIVELY ABOUT TITHING AND PROSPERITY, MAINLY FROM KENNETH HAGIN AND KEITH MOORE. IT SOMEHOW MADE VIRTUALLY EVERY SERMON AND EVERY CLASS.

OF COURSE THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE JUST TRYING TO GET US POOR FOLKS TO PROSPER. FAITH TEACHERS TELL THEIR CONGREGANTS THAT THEY NEED TO LIVE A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL LIFESTYLE IN ORDER TO BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS AND TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO CHRIST.

BUT I HAVE SEEN MANY OF THESE PROSPERITY PREACHERS HOUSES, SEEN THEIR VERY EXPENSIVE CARS, CLOTHS, JEWELERY, BOY TOYS, PLASTIC SURGERY AND LIFESTYLES. KENNETH HAGIN LIVED IN A LARGE EXPENSIVE HOUSE ON THE SOUTHERN N HILLS COUNTRY CLUB.

RHEMA CLASS TEACHER KEITH MOORE WOULD DRIVE A DIFFERENT HIGH DOLLAR LUXURY CAR TO SCHOOL EVERYDAY, AND TALK ABOUT ALL OF HIS PLAY TOYS, HIS JET AND ABOUT HOW HE PAID PEOPLE TO WASH AND WAX HIS VEHICLES.

I HAVE BEEN INSIDE THE HOMES OF SEVERAL FAMOUS AND LOCAL WORD OF FAITH PASTORS AND TEACHERS. THEY ARE FREAKING LOADED LIKE ROCK STARS. THEY HAVE COLLECTORS ITEMS, AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, SPORTS CARS, EVERYTHING THAT YOU WOULD SEE IN A MOVIE STARS HOUSE.

WHY? THEY SAY ITS BECAUSE THEY ARE TITHERS. BUT THE TRUTH IS, THEY ARE SO RICH AND WEALTHY BECAUSE THEY PREACH THE TITHE SO HARD AND HEAVY THAT THEY ARE ROLLING IN THE CASH. I MYSELF WAS JUST A SMALL TIME PROSPERITY TEACHER IN A TWO HUNDRED MEMBER CHURCH, BUT I LED THE LIFESTYLE OF A DOCTOR OR LAWYER.

BECAUSE I PREACHED A SEPARATE SERMON ON TITHING VIRTUALLY EVERY SERVICE (WHICH IS THE WOF NORM), MOST OF MY CONGREGATION TITHED AND GAVE OFFERINGS, MANY TIMES THAT THEY COULD NOT AFFORD. PEOPLE WOULD COME UP TO ME ROUTINELY AND PUT WADS OF CASH AND CHECKS INTO MY POCKET OR INTO MY HANDS.

I WAS SENT ON LUXURIOUS VACATIONS TO MAUI, LONDON, THE CARIBBEAN, AND TO THE BEACH AND MOUNTAINS ALL OF THE TIME. MONEY WAS NEVER AN ISSUE. WHY? BECAUSE IN WORD OF FAITH CHURCHES, TITHING, AND GIVING EXTRA IS POUNDED FROM THE PULPIT 24/7.

I CAN RIGHT NOW QUOTE BY HEART ALMOST EVERY SCRIPTURE IN THE BIBLE CONTAINING MONEY. I LEARNED THIS BY HEARING IT FROM THE FAITH PREACHERS DAY AND NIGHT. I WAS JUST MIRRORING WHAT I WAS TAUGHT. I LEARNED IT FROM THE TEACHING AND PASTORAL STAFF AT BOTH RHEMA BIBLE CHURCH AND COLLEGE.

THE WORD OF FAITH HAS CREATED ITS OWN SUB CULTURE WITHIN THE CHURCH, AND BUILT IT ON THE BROKE AND SUFFERING CHURCH MEMBER. I REMEMBER SITTING ON TROPICAL BEACHES, SIPPING MAI TAI'S AND FEELING GUILTY FOR ALL THE STRUGGLING FOLKS BACK HOME THAT WERE MAKING IT ALL POSSIBLE.

ALL OF THIS FALSE TEACHING WAS STARTED BY BAPTIST PREACHER EW KENYON. IT WAS FURTHER DEVELOPED BY ORAL ROBERTS (I WAS SECURITY FOR THE ROBERTS FAMILY AND FOR ORU) AND KENNETH HAGIN. THEY GOT THEIR EYES OFF OF JESUS AND OFF OF THE CROSS, AND WORSE YET, THEY GOT THEIR EYES OFF OF GOD'S PEOPLE.

THE FOLLOWING IS A PARTIAL LIST OF PROSPERITY PREACHERS LIVING VERY HIGH OFF THE HOG AND DISGUISING IT AS BEING AN EXAMPLE TO THE FLOCK:
JOYCE MEYER
JOEL OSTEEN
MICHAEL MURDOCK
SCOTT WEBB
KENNETH COPELAND
GLORIA COPELAND
CASEY THREAT
BENNY HINN
PAUL CROUCH
EDDIE LONG
NORMAN ROBERTSON
KEITH MOORE
CREFLO A DOLLAR
MARK BREEZE
PAULA WHITE
CHARLES CAPPS
KENNETH HAGIN (DIED OF HEART DISEASE)
ORAL ROBERTS (DIED SICK)
JESSE DUPLANTIS
FREDERICK KC PRICE

THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THEM. GOOGLE YOUR LOCAL WORD OF FAITH CHURCH, OR GO TO WWW.RHEMA.ORG, AND LISTEN IN ON THE SERMONS. MOST OF WHAT YOU WILL HEAR HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH JESUS, BUT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH BECOMING A SUCCESS IN LIFE.

MY FIRST TIME STORM CHASING

2010-10-27T05:08:00.001-07:00
I WENT STORM CHASING FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY. WELL SORT OF. MY FORMER POLICE PARTNER, STEVE LAMPLEY CAME BY AND PICKED ME UP FOR A BUSINESS MEETING IN GADSDEN, ALABAMA.

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAD ALREADY BEEN PUTTING OUT TORNADO WATCHES FOR MOST OF ALABAMA, AND THE INTERSTATE I 59 CORRIDOR IS DEFINITELY TORNADO ALLEY.

I59 RUNS FROM TUSCALOOSA TO FORT PAYNE AND HAS A LONG, LONG HISTORY OF BEING THE FAVORITE ROUTE FOR MANY A TORNADO. I KNEW THAT WITH GOOD TIMING THAT OUR BUSINESS TRIP MIGHT BECOME MORE THAN A BUSINESS TRIP.

STEVE HAD HIS WIFE TRACEY WITH HIM AND WE HAD TO DROP HER OFF AT WORK IN SNEAD, ALABAMA. SNEAD HAS BEEN TORE UP BEFORE. WE DROPPED HER OFF AND PROCEEDED BACK ROADS THROUGH SEVERAL TOWNS THAT ARE NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING BEEN WIPED OUT BY F-5 TORNADOES.

BY THIS TIME THE WARNINGS WERE OUT, AND THE SIRENS WERE BLARING ALL THE WAY FROM SNEAD TO GADSDEN. ON THE WAY WE PASSED THROUGH BOAZ AND ALTOONA, SCENES OF DEADLY MASSIVE TORNADOES IN THE PAST. I GUESS MOST FOLKS DO NOT REALIZE JUST HOW MANY TORNADOES ALABAMA HAS, BUT WE PROBABLY HAVE JUST AS MANY AS OKLAHOMA AND KANSAS.

OUR TROUBLE IN STORM CHASING IS THAT WE HAVE VERY LARGE HILLS, SMALL MOUNTAINS AND TALL TREES EVERYWHERE, SO YOU CANNOT ALWAYS GET A GLIMPSE OF A TORNADO UNLESS ITS RIGHT ON TOP OF YA. ITS NOT LIKE OKLAHOMA OR KANSES WHERE IT IS FLAT, DESOLATE WITH MIDGET TREES.

AS WE ARRIVED IN GADSDEN, THE SKY DARKENED AND THE SIRENS WERE BLARING. THEY EVEN HAD A VOICE WARNING FROM LOUD SPEAKERS YELLING FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS PRETTY SCARY, BUT STEVE WAS TRYING TO DO THE OPPOSITE.

AS WE WERE DRIVING EAST ON 278, THE RADIO KEPT SAYING THAT THE TORNADO WAS EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE. THEY WERE ANNOUNCING LANDMARKS AND WE COULD SEE EVERY SINGLE THING THAT THEY WERE DESCRIBING EXCEPT FOR THE TORNADO.

THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, STEVE YELLED OUT: "THERE IT IS!"
WITH SHOCK AND FEAR I ANSWERED: "WHAT?"
STEVE: "THE TORNADO!"
I SAID: "WHERE?
HE SAID: "RIGHT BEHIND US!"

NEEDLESS TO SAY I ABOUT POOPED MY PANTS AS I TURNED IN MY SEAT. I WAS SHAKING FROM HEAD TO TOE AND HALF WANTED TO SEE IT AND HALF WANTED TO RUN TO A FRAIDY HOLE. I WAS TERRIFIED AND THINKING ABOUT HOW FOOLISH I HAD BEEN TO WANT TO GO STORM CHASING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

BUT AS WE GOT TURNED AROUND, ALL WE COULD SEE WAS THE WALL CLOUD. WE TRIED TO GET INTO A POSITION TO AVOID IT AND FILM AT THE SAME TIME. IT WAS THEN THAT STEVE REALIZED THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN HIS VIDEO CAMERA.

WELL, ALL WE SAW WAS THIS BIG OMINOUS WALL CLOUD AND FELT SOME STRONG WIND. WE NEVER SAW THE FUNNEL. THANK GOD. I WAS RELIEVED BUT STEVE WAS SORELY DISAPPOINTED. SO, WE DROVE ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AND MET OUR FRIEND CHRISTELLA AND HAD OUR BIG BUSINESS MEETING AT THE EAST GADSDEN PIZZA HUT.

AFTER THE MEETING (I WAS BUSY WATCHING JAMES SPANN ON TV) WE DROVE BACK TO SHELBY COUNTY, AND HEARD TORNADO WARNING SIRENS THE WHOLE DRIVE BACK. FUNNY THING, WE NEVER SAW A DROP OF RAIN THE WHOLE TRIP, AND NEVER HEARD ONE SINGLE RUMBLE OF THUNDER. BUMMER.

JUST RAMBLING AROUND IN BORA BORA TODAY

2010-10-26T06:36:00.001-07:00

JUST RAMBLING AROUND. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED FOR DAYS AND UNABLE TO WORK. MY WIFE'S VOLKSWAGEN JETTA QUIT RUNNING FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME LAST WEEK. WHAT A LEMON. WE COULD HAVE BOUGHT THREE MERCEDES FOR THE MONEY WE HAVE SPENT ON THAT HEAP.

ANYHOW, WAS TAKING HER TO WORK FRIDAY AND MY WORK TRUCK BROKE DOWN. I NEED A NEW REAR END. IT SUCKS NOT BEING ABLE TO GET OUT THERE AND HUSTLE UP SOME MONEY.

ITS TIMES LIKE THIS THAT MAKE ME QUESTION GOD'S PROVISION. ALL THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, FINANCIAL HELP, TUITION, CARS AND HELP WE HAVE SOWN AND IT SEEMS ALL FOR NAUGHT. WE ALWAYS GAVE A LOT, BUT IT NEVER SEEMS TO COME BACK.

THE WEATHER IS SUPPOSED TO GET REALLY BAD TODAY IN ALABAMA. TORNADER SEASON IS HERE. FALL IN ALABAMA MEANS SEVERE WEATHER. SPRING IS ROUND ONE, AND FALL IS ROUND TWO. I ENJOY THE STORMS THOUGH. I LIKE TRACKING THEM AND CHASING. I HAVE RODE OUT TWO HURRICANES AND SEEN THREE TORNADERS IN MY LIFE.

MY AUBURN FOOTBALL TEAM IS NUMBER ONE IN THE NATION. I BET NICK SABAN NEVER SAW THIS COMING. I HEAR HE IS DRINKING HEAVILY THESE DAYS. AMAZING HOW THINGS CAN CHANGE IN THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL LANDSCAPE IN A MATTER OF MONTHS. CAM NEWTON, THE AUBURN QB, WILL TAKE THAT HEISMAN IF HE STAYS HEALTHY. IF ONLY THE TIGERS HAD A MEDIOCRE DEFENSE? THE IRON BOWL WILL BE MASSIVE THIS YEAR. ARMAGEDDON.

IM STILL SEARCHING FOR A CHURCH, BUT IM GETTING TIRED OF LOOKING. THE ONLY REASON THAT I GO IS TO BE A SYMBOL OF STRENGTH TO MY FAMILY. IM SO BURNED OUT AND SICK OF THE CHURCH SCENE. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. ID LIKE TO FIND ONE OF THOSE SIMPLE ORGANIC HOUSE CHURCHES. ID START ONE MYSELF BUT DONT WANT FOLKS IN MY HOUSE. BEEN THERE DONE THAT. MY WIFE WOULD LEAVE ME!

IM TRYING TO GET THE OLD TESTAMENT DOWNLOADED ON MY MP3. I QUIT LISTENING TO POP SERMONS A YEAR AGO AND WENT ON A BINGE WHERE I ONLY LISTENED TO THE NEW TESTAMENT FOR MONTHS. I TRIED TO LISTEN TO IT ONCE A WEEK. ACTUALLY, I WOULD LISTEN TO THE EPISTLES ONCE A WEEK. SOMEHOW I LOST MATTHEW THROUGH ROMANS. LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING THE WARS, SEX AND DRAMA IN THE OT. ITS A RACY, VIOLENT BOOK TO SAY THE LEAST.

FACE BOOK. TO STAY ON THERE OR TO DEACTIVATE MY ACCOUNT? IM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. I ENJOY CUTTING UP ON THERE, AND MEETING NEW FOLKS, BUT ALSO GET TIRED OF THE DRAMA I SEEM TO CREATE EACH DAY. SOME PEOPLE GET REALLY UPTIGHT WHEN YOU ASK HARD QUESTIONS. EVERY TIME I GET OFF OF IT, MY MAIL BOX FILLS UP WITH PEOPLE ASKING ME TO COME BACK. THEN AS SOON AS I DO I GET MASS DELETED THE FIRST TIME I OPEN MY MOUTH. HAHA. I NEED A TALK SHOW.

I HAVE A BEST FRIEND IN TENNESSEE THAT IS ALSO A FORMER CHARISMATIC PENTECOSTAL WORD OF FAITH PREACHER. HE IS SHIPWRECKED AND DOUBTING THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. I HAVE MEET MANY VICTIMS OF THAT FALSE MOVEMENT THAT HAVE LOST ALL OF THEIR FAITH. HE WILL BE OK. SOME WILL NEVER RECOVER. BEWARE OF FOLLOWING A PROPHET THAT CLAIMS TO HAVE HUNG AROUND WITH JESUS CHRIST FOR BIBLE STUDIES. THEY CLAIM A CORNER ON THE MARKET AND CAN SPIN WHATEVER THEY WANT.

IM STILL DOING MY THREE MILES OF CARDIO EVERY DAY. I HAVE TWO ROUTES THAT I TAKE WHERE I LIVE. ONE OF THE GOES UP HILL FOR 1.5 MILES TO A WATER TOWER, THEN ITS DOWN HILL BACK TO MY HOUSE. DIETS SUCK. I HAVE BEEN ON AND OFF OF THEM FOR ALL OF MY ADULT LIFE, SO IM JUST GONNA EAT WHAT I WANT AND DO CARDIO AN HOUR DAY. I HAVE LOST 75 POUNDS ABOUT 6 TIMES.

GOING TO GADSDEN LATER TODAY TO ATTEND A BUSINESS MEETING. I HAVE AN EX POLICE PARTNER THAT IS MAKING ALL KINDS OF MONEY SELLING "PORTALS" THAT YOU CAN USE TO BUY STRAIGHT FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO AVOID GETTING RAPED BY BEST BUYS OR SOME OTHER RETAIL GIANT. YOU CAN GET A TWO THOUSAND DOLLAR WIDE SCREEN FOR UNDER A GRAND THROUGH THE PORTAL. HE HAS MADE SO MUCH MONEY THAT HE HAS QUIT HIS BUSINESS.

IT WAS GREAT HEARING FROM SOME READERS THIS WEEK! I ENJOY IT SO MUCH WHEN MY READERS STOP BY AND SAY HELLO INSTEAD OF JUST BEING WINDOW LICKERS!

SO LONG, FROM BORA BORA...........IN MY MIND, AND IN MY HEART!

HOW YOU CAN MEMORIZE LARGE AMOUNTS OF THE BIBLE

2010-10-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

I HAVE DISCOVERED A RATHER EASY AND SIMPLE WAY TO MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE WITHOUT REALLY TRYING TO. I DEVELOPED IT AS A WORD OF FAITH PASTOR BY GOING OVER THE SAME SCRIPTURES OVER AND OVER IN MY SERMONS.

1) GO TO WALMART OR SOME BOOK STORE AND BUY YOURSELF A PLAIN JANE NON DESCRIPTIVE UGLY BIBLE.

2) WHILE YOU ATE THERE, BUY YOURSELF A YELLOW HIGHLIGHTER.

3) LOOK UP THE BIBLE VERSE THAT YOU WANT TO COMMIT TO ETERNAL MEMORY AND HIGH LIGHT IT.

4) EVERYDAY, OPEN UP YOUR BIBLE AND READ THAT HIGHLIGHTED SCRIPTURE OUT-LOUD TO YOURSELF.

5) EVERY WEEK, ADD ANOTHER SCRIPTURE, HIGH LIGHT IT, AND READ IT OUT-LOUD AS YOU DID THE FIRST ONE, AND READ THE FIRST ONE OUT-LOUD WHEN YOU DO.

6) EVERY WEEK ADD AT LEAST ONE SCRIPTURE TO YOUR COLLECTION, AND EVERY DAY READ THOSE SCRIPTURES OUT-LOUD.

BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, YOU WILL HAVE EASILY MEMORIZED AT LEAST 50 VERSES OF SCRIPTURE. AFTER FIVE YEARS OF DOING THIS YOU CAN MEMORIZE 250 SCRIPTURES. KEEP REVIEWING THESE SCRIPTURES OUT-LOUD EVERY DAY.

IT ONLY TOOK ME ABOUT 30-45 MINUTES TO DO THIS, BUT I DID IT MOST EVERYDAY. I DID NOT TRY TO MEMORIZE THEM, BUT AFTER A WHILE I COULD QUOTE NUMEROUS SCRIPTURES FROM HEART.

THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPRESSIVE IN A BIBLE DEBATE AS TO BE ABLE TO QUOTE ABOUT 25 SCRIPTURES IN RAPID FIRE DURING AN ARGUMENT. I STILL LIKE TO DO THIS WHEN I PLAY DEVILS ADVOCATE DURING DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS WITH PREACHERS! FUN.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MAY ONLY BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE BIBLE THROUGH YOUR MEMORY. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE LIBERALS IN THIS COUNTRY WILL ONE DAY OUTLAW IT.