Praying in the Spirit Reveals Mysteries?

1. A church in Texas has a 4 million dollar aquarium.

2. Stupid Tweets- Bill Winston

3. Praying in the Spirit reveals mysteries?

4. Joseph Prince says "God blesses everything we touch."

 

 

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Are They Preaching the Gospel at Bethel?

The gospel "is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes," (Ro. 1:16). The apostle Paul makes it clear that it is the power of God, not that it only contains power so that we could somehow make it powerless.
For example, Paul tells the Philippians:

Philippians 1:14-18 (ESV) And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

So whether the gospel was preached from false motives or pure, Paul rejoices that the gospel is preached. Why? Because the gospel is power. The Holy Spirit connects Himself with the preaching of the gospel and saves sinners. The Spirit is always present with the preaching of the gospel.
Why is it then that preachers like Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church in Redding California teach that in order for the gospel to have power, it must accompany signs and wonders? Is this biblical, or does Vallotton and others like him take passages that talk about signs and wonders out of context?
In this podcast episode I review a sermon that Valloton preached at Bethel called "The Gospel of Power." We also look at an article by "Let Us Reason called " "The Purpose of Signs and Wonders." Enjoy!

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What Does Joseph Prince Believe About Suffering?

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24 Heretical Teachings of the Word of Faith Movement

WARNING: LISTENING THE STATEMENTS MADE BY THESE TEACHERS MAY CAUSE SOUL TWITCHING AND OR SPIRITUAL NAUSEA. TO CLEANSE YOUR MIND WITH THE GOSPEL GO HERE AND HERE.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

The Health, wealth, and Prosperity Gospel is directly linked to the Word of Faith Movement. Both go hand in hand. Although there are Prosperity Teachers who are not Word of Faith, there are no Word of Faith Teachers that do not teach the Prosperity Gospel. Sadly, Word of Faith prosperity teaching has had global consequences. Thanks to many of the teachers in this post, this demonic "gospel" has made its way Around the world through venues Such as TBN and God TV. The most blasphemous statement these people make is that the Christian is a "little god." If you know anyone involved in the Word of Faith Movement, or the Prosperity Gospel, please direct them to this post.
Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

1. God used the "force of faith" to create the universe.

2. God is six feet tall and has a hand span of about nine inches.

3. Heaven is a planet, and earth is the carbon copy of heaven.

4. Adam was created a "little god."

5. Because Adam was a "little god" he had super powers.

6. When Adam sinned he handed his godhood over to Satan, making Satan the god of this world.

7. God was left on the outside, desperately seeking a way to get back into the earth realm.

8. This made God the "biggest failure" in all the Bible.

9. God could be involved in this earth realm only by permission.

10. This left God seeking people such as Abraham to "allow Him" to work (His plan, if those He asked would allow, was to bring a Messiah into the world to take back His authority from Satan).

11. Those He invited into His plan didn't have to accept if they didn't want to, and God could do nothing about it (poor God!).

12. Using the "force of faith," God began to speak the Messiah into existence through the prophets, and finally Jesus ("the spoken Word") was born.

13. However, contrary to some, Jesus never claimed to be God.

14. Jesus had a big house and wore designer clothes.

15. We know He was rich because Judas stole money from "the bag."

16. Jesus was so rich that while He was on the cross the soldiers gambled for His clothes.

17. While on the cross Jesus took on the nature Satan.

18. At the cross God was no longer Jesus’ Father.

19. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins not on the cross, but in hell.

20. In hell, Jesus became the first born again man (in other words Jesus needed to be saved).

21. God spoke into the bowels of hell and resurrected Christ, defeating Satan and taking back His authority.

22. Now because of the work of Christ every Christian is a "little god."

23. As "little gods" we no longer have to be poor, but are to live in health, wealth, and prosperity.

24. As "little gods" we no longer have to pray "thy will be done."

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Joseph Prince Denies God's Sovereignty

In a video of a sermon excerpt by Joseph Prince, Prince tries to make the protection God provides his people in Psalm 91 all encompassing. In other words, a promise of 24 hour protection from every form of disease, pestilence, and destruction that God sends on the earth. Not only does he make "arrow" in verse 5 to mean missile (yep, as in military weapons) he also quotes John G Lake who said if one was born again, they were incarnate "I want you to hear what Jesus said about himself. God was in Christ, wasn’t He? An incarnation. God is in you, an incarnation, if you were born again. you are incarnate" (John G. Lake, His Life, His Sermons, His Boldness of Faith, 1995, Kenneth Copeland Publications).
Evidently Prince believes this and other blasphemous statements by Lake since he calls him a "great man of God. The point that Prince makes in this sermon is that Believers have the promise of God's protection 24/7.

Suffering is ordained by God

What is not taken into consideration however, is that God does ordain suffering for His children. The Bible is replete with passages on suffering persecution, temptation, and various trials. Christ is even mentioned as our model for suffering- Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Prince seems to be saying that Psalm 91 promises God will never allow any suffering to come upon His children.

What about our persecuted brothers and sisters in the Middle East?

Yet what about our brothers and sisters right now undergoing tremendous suffering in the Middle East? "I am gravely concerned about the physical safety of several minority groups in Iraq, including Christians, Shia, Shabaks, Turkmen, Yazidis and others who are being persecuted on the grounds of their religion and ethnicity", said the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Rita Izsák.
"Reliable information indicates that religious minorities are being targeted and their members subjected to abductions, killings or the confiscation of their property by extremist groups,"
Right now Christians are being killed and tortured all over the Middle East and other parts of the world. ISIS is beheading children, raping women, and killing scores of Christians in Iraq. They are also warning Christians to convert or be massacred. At the same time, ISIS jihadists are crucifying Christians and others in Syria, and the bloody civil war in Syria has left 170,000 dead and created millions of refugees fleeing for safety. Are these brothers and sisters being abandoned by God? Are they not under the protection of God like Prince says every Christian is? Yes this Psalm does promise protection, but often God allows, and even brings suffering and persecution into the lives of His children for their good and His glory (James 1:2-4; Phil 1:29).

The death of Peter

The death of Peter tells us three things about suffering:

John 21:18-19 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."
1. The purpose of the way Peter was to die was for the glory of God
2. The glory of God took priority over the suffering Peter endured in death
3. Peter’s death was ordained by God

God is not running this world?

But the most disturbing statement comes at around the 17.46 min. mark of the clip where Prince states, "God is not running this world. If God were running this world there would be no hospitals. If God were running this world there would be no need for missiles and weapons."

This is classic Word of Faith theology, which, in case I haven't mentioned it before, is heresy.

The Bible makes it clear that God is running the world, contrary to what Prince and other Word of Faith preachers teach. Let's look at some passages of Scripture that make this clear.

Psalms 115:3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

In case someone would say, "Yes, but notice the verse says He does all He pleases in the heavens," there's Psalms 135:6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

Daniel 4:34-35 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"

Notice in this passage, that God does "according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth." This means that nothing is outside of the realm of God's control. He is sovereign over everything. This control even covers calamities including war.
The Prophet Jeremiah saw the destruction of his people by the hand of God through King Nebuchadnezzar and this is what he lamented:

Lamentations 2:11 My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city.

Yet he saw where this destruction ultimately came from when he said:

Lamentations 3:37-38 Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?

Amos 3:6 Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?

We live in perilous times. War, famine, and pestilence is is all over the news. The first hurricane to hit Hawaii in 22 years is about to blow. A second one follows close behind. Earthquakes are being reported in various places, and the worst outbreak of the Ebola virus in History has taken some 900 lives in West Africa. Yet God is in control. He is sovereign over every event. Shame on Prince, and any Pastor for that matter, for not teaching the absolute sovereignty of God to their people.

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Stupid Tweets: Paula White and Demonic Spirits

Here is another stupid tweet from another Word of Faith heretic. Paula White is the Senior "pastor" of New Destiny Christian Center. Her being a "pastor" is a problem in itself but that's for another post. She also hosts a television show called Paula White Today, produced by Paula White Ministries that has aired on networks such as Black Entertainment Television and Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Casting out sinful spirits

In her tweet she mentions two sins: procrastination and carelessness, but she doesn't call them sins. She calls them spirits. So according to Paula and many other Charismatics what the Bible calls sins such as lust, greed, slander, gossip etc. are really demonic spirits that the Christian has to rebuke in order to be delivered from them. Charismatics who teach this would say that these are genuine sins, but they are caused by demonic spirits. In other words, if you have a problem with lust, that sin in your life is caused by the demon of lust who possesses you and entices you to engage in lustful activities.

 

Nonsense!

 

However, nowhere in the Bible will you find such nonsense. The Scriptures implore the Christian to walk in a manor worthy of his or her calling. The sin that resides in us is not caused by an evil spirit but by an evil heart. Jesus makes it clear that our evil desires come from us:

Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

James tells us that the temptations to sin starts with our own desires residing within:

James 1:14-15 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

See any reference to demonic spirits? Paul tells us to put to death sinful, earthly things lurking within us:

Colossians 3:5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

God does allow Satan to bring physical suffering in our lives but nowhere in the Bible can you find demonic spirits with certain sins attached to them.

 

In this video you will hear "apostle" Cindy Jacobs rebuking the spirits of lust and homosexuality.

 

 

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Stupid Tweets: Jerry Savelle

Here is another stupid tweet from another Word of Faith heretic.

First Jesus came to set us free from the penalty and power of sin. Certainly sin is bondage: John 8:34 Jesus answered them, " Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

Those in bondage to sin cannot submit to God:Romans 8:7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God 's law; indeed, it cannot.

Jesus also came to set us free from the penalty of sin: Romans 3:23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God 's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

But unfortunately this is not what Jerry is talking about when he talks about bondage. Jerry’s idea of bondage is a bondage of sickness, or poverty, negative circumstances, negative thinking etc. Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel proponents would have us believe that God does not want us to be in the bondage of sickness and poverty as you can see by the rest of the tweet.

 

 

Second, what is an "enjoyable' rewarding, and satisfying life" for the Christian? Is it freedom from worldly troubles? Jesus said we can expect troubles: John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

 

Is it freedom from suffering?

 

Paul makes it clear that the Christian will suffer: Romans 8:16-18 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

 

How about freedom from poverty?

 

Although having wealth is not a sin many Christians during the time of the Apostles were slaves and the Apostles themselves were poor. When the Apostle Paul was speaking to the Corinthians about the generosity of the Macedonian Christians he said: 2 Corinthians 8:2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. Notice how he used joy and poverty in the same sentence. Their poverty was extreme and yet they had great joy!

The true "enjoying, rewarding, and satisfying life" for the Christian is found first in knowing that we have been forgiven, and second, knowing that we stand perfectly righteous before a Holy God.

Because Christ has absorbed in Himself on the cross all of the wrath that our sins deserve we are freely forgiven by God.

Because Christ kept all of the demands of God’s Law on our behalf (as our substitute) God freely imputed the righteousness of Christ to our account! We stand before God as those who have obeyed the entire Law of God perfectly because Christ obeyed in our place.

The Word of Faith, Prosperity message can never be rewarding or satisfying because because it's main focus is the here and now and rarely if ever speaks of eternity.

Here is a great article from CRI on the Word of Faith movement.

 

 

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Strange Fire Pre ShowSteven Long 10/13/13

The Strange Fire Conference is coming up in a couple of days (Oct 13-16). This conference focuses on the practice of the charismatic movement and asks the question, "Are the practices of the charismatic movement Biblical?" More importantly, are they blaspheming the Holy Spirit and offering strange fire unto the Lord?(Leviticus 10:1-2)

The video below demonstrates some of the absolute silliness present within this movement. Though this is an older video practices such as this is still present among many charismatics.




The conference will feature Keynote speakers such as John McArthur, R.C. Sproul, Phil Johnson, Steve Lawson, and Conrad Mbewe of Zambia. There are several sessions throughout each day as well as Q & A panels. The conference is sold out but you can download the app from iTunes here where the sessions will be live streamed.