The Charles Finney Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Pelagianism & Evangelical Manipulation

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Charles G. Finney (1792-1875) was the father of "Revivalism" in America, the most prominent preacher of the Second Great Awakening, and in many ways the father of modern Evangelicalism in America. He is often considered the predecessor of American Evangelists/Revivalists like D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday and Billy Graham. He was a successful lawyer who became a Christian as a young man and decided to use his considerable powers of persuasion to begin preaching, in spite of having little theological training.

 

If you've ever heard a preacher give an impassioned, emotionally manipulative sermon that ends with an irresistible plea to come forward and somehow make a decision to become a Christian, you've witnessed the lasting impact of Charles Finney. If you've ever felt that the church was ineffective in building God's Kingdom and what we really need is a big 'ole revival, you've been influenced by Finney. 

In overly simplistic terms, Finney was guilty of a form of "Pelagianism," which means he over-emphasized man's free will so much that the sovereignty of God (and God's ability to save) was virtually ignored. Finney believed that Christians could accomplish God's work by simply using their determination, so much so in fact, that he practically left God out of the equation:

 "A revival is not a miracle according to another definition of the term "miracle” — something above the powers of nature. There is nothing in religion beyond the ordinary powers of nature. It consists entirely in the right exercise of the powers of nature. It is just that, and nothing else. When mankind become religious, they are not enabled to put forth exertions which they were unable before to put forth. They only exert powers which they had before, in a different way, and use them for the glory of God. A revival is not a miracle, nor dependent on a miracle, in any sense. It is a purely philosophical result of the right use of the constituted means — as much so as any other effect produced by the application of means." -Charles Finney, (Lectures on Revival, Lecture 1, 11)

Worse than that, was Finney's unorthodox view of the atonement of Christ. Finney didn't believe in the substitutionary atonement, instead he believed that Christ's death on the cross was simply demonstrating obedience to God. Since Jesus was obedient enough to go all the way to death on the cross, we should do likewise. Christ didn't so much accomplish something on the cross (pay for our sins) as He was setting a good example for us to follow. This alters the meaning of the Gospel completely! This view of the atonement is usually called the "Moral Influence" theory. Not only did Finney believe that the "moral influence" theory of the atonement was the chief way of understanding the cross; he explicitly denied the substitutionary atonement, which he said:

"assumes that the atonement was a literal payment of a debt, which we have seen does not consist with the nature of the atonement ... It is true, that the atonement, of itself, does not secure the salvation of any one" -Charles G. Finney (Systematic Theology p.217).

If you've ever felt worn out and frustrated by the "do more, try harder" version of Christianity, this shocking news about Finney's beliefs might help you to understand what has gone wrong in much of American Evangelicalism. 

 

The following articles and videos are from various writers, theologians and pastors who all agree that Charles G. Finney had a number of very questionable beliefs, and it would do the church much good to carefully consider how Finney's ideas contrast with Holy Scripture. 

The Disturbing Legacy of Charles Finney by Michael Horton

Charles Finney’s Influence on American Evangelicalism-Exposing Charles Finney's Heretical Teachings by Bob DeWaay

Charles Finney's Influence on American Evangelicalism Radio Broadcast with Bob DeWaay

The Pelagian Controversy by R. C. Sproul

Charles G. Finney: Heretic or Man of God (Part one) by Richard Belcher

Charles G. Finney: Heretic or Man of God (Part two) by Richard Belcher

Charles G. Finney: Heretic or Man of God (Part three) by Richard Belcher

Finney: The Aftermath by Monte E. Wilson

A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing: How Charles Finney's Theology Ravaged the Evangelical Movement by Phil Johnson

Charles Finney The Father of American Evangelicalism lecture by Jeremy Rhode

Walther Versus Finney by Dr. Tom Baker

Charles G. Finney: How Theology Affects Understanding of Revival by Iain H. Murray

The Heresies of Charles Finney (Part one) by John Cereghin

The False Teachers: Pelagius by Tim Challies

  Charles G. Finney: How Theology Affects Understanding of Revival

 

Check out the new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!

Bill Johnson: The Presence of God or Demons in Church?

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Here’s a detailed (and disturbing) video of the false teaching from Bill Johnson’s popular YouTube video called “Presence of God by Bill Johnson”

Check out the new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!

Bethel's Delusions of Grandeur-Impervious to the Realities of the Carr Fire

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The User's Guide to Postmodern "Emergent" Christianity

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     Step one is essential: "Get in the loop!" What does this mean, you ask? Well, this thought pattern is almost everything you'll need to stay clueless within the confines of Postmodern Christianity. Once you start thinking this way, you'll never get out of "the loop." It goes like this:

     "Mean, angry, narrow-minded and judgmental people are bad, and whatever they believe is instantly invalidated by the fact that they are judgmental, narrow-minded, angry and mean. I get to decide if, and when, they are mean, angry, narrow-minded and judgmental."

     Once you're safely in this loop you won't need to carefully consider the truth claims of another believer with their precious little Bible verses. And, thankfully, you'll never have to learn anything about the theology and creeds that have been passed down for almost two thousand years. Remember, there are still old-fashioned Christians who believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, and they are mean, angry, narrow-minded and judgmental. These dinosaurs want to conduct church the same old way and cling to antiquated beliefs that are out of step with today's social climate. You can easily ignore these people if you're "in the loop." Before you know it, you will have completely dehumanized them and it won't even faze you that you've been the judgmental one all along! 

 

      To follow step two, say something like this: "That may be true for you, but it's not true for me." In days of old, this was only used for superficial matters, like one's preference of Mary Ann over Ginger. But nowadays this simplistic catch phrase serves a vital new purpose: it enables anyone to ignore God's Word with impunity. It used to be that a Christian couldn't just go around rearranging and reinterpreting the Bible, but now it's easy! You may substitute similar catch phrases like "I just feel like it's not wrong for me" or you can even quote that great Bible verse: "What is truth? asked Pilate..."

      Step three, in case you haven't already figured it out, is this: Don't take the Bible very serious at all, just give it lip-service. I know, I know, this sounds extreme, but remember this is Postmodern Christianity. Postmodernity is a belief system that says that no belief system is true. It's absolutely certain that nothing is absolutely certain. The Bible is full of absolute truth claims, that's why it's so exclusive, hateful and out-of-date. However, you will still need to make reference to it on occasion, so it's good to have some overly simplistic proof-texts handy. "Thou shall not judge" is the all-time most popular proof-text, so feel free to use it as often as you want. Just remember not to read the entire passage in the actual Bible, otherwise you'll see what Jesus really meant. You can even misquote it like this: "Who are we to judge?" or "Only God can judge-that's not my job!"

 

      The Bible has clear rules about what is right and wrong, so you will need to avoid all of that. Remember, people generally hate God's rules, so you need to stay on their side; instead, make those Bible thumping "traditional" Christians seem like the real problem, i.e. they're bad because they think they're better than anyone else. You must ignore the fact that true Bible-believing Christians don't think they're better than anyone else, they are simply pointing to the unchangeable truth of God's Word as the only ultimate authority. Furthermore, the Gospel itself is only "Good News" because Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins... and we couldn't even have sins unless we were guilty of breaking God's commandments... and since God Himself gave us His commandments we are clearly guilty and in need of a Savior.... do you see how this all falls apart if you start reading the Bible? You'll just turn into a regular Christian-ugh!

     Instead of that, keep it simple and just say something like "I believe the way of Jesus is love" or "I believe God just wants everyone to be happy in their own way." Nobody's going to argue with that, right? For more ideas on how to misquote God's Word, just listen to any interview with Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, Tony Jones or any of the hip new emergent leaders. With a good dose of sincerity and direct eye contact (plus some emotional background music), you can say almost anything in the name of Jesus!

     Finally, when in doubt, always prefer ambiguity over certainty and truth. Ambiguity is the magic glue that holds Postmodern Christianity together. What does this mean? I don't know, what do you think it means? Is it possible that the ambiguity of uncertainty is really just the context from within which our sense of community can emerge? I don't know, I'm just asking the question, because the beauty of relationship reveals itself through the self-discovery process, as we all find personal meaning collectively and individually. I'm not saying that anyone's version of truth is right or wrong; I'm just asking questions so that a dialogue can be established. Maybe there's a better way, a way where all of our collective narratives can form a cohesive, yet multi-faceted story. Maybe this new meta-narrative can lead us to a place where fear and hatred will be replaced by mystery, beauty, and ongoing book sales. A place with well-attended conferences and substantial speaking fees, a place of extensive radio and T.V. interviews and, ultimately, a regular guest position with Oprah. We must dream. We must hope. We must never reach any conclusions.

(See how easy this is?)

 

Now get out there and confuse everyone! You can do it!! 

Here's a great episode of Fighting for the Faith to help you understand Postmodernism better: A Beginner's Guide to Post-Modernity

Check out this article (with a TON of links) from the Berean Examiner: Postmodern Christianity's End Game?

For a serious look at the "Emerging/Postmodern" church, please watch this extensive video:

For an extensive and serious understanding of Postmodernism please listen to this audio book from Professor Stephen Hicks:

(Thanks to the folks at Pyromaniacs for the memes)

Check out the new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!

 

 

Kris Vallotton: "We Shouldn't Confess Our Sins to Each Other"

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Bethel "pastor" Kris Vallotton thinks it would be wrong to confess our sins to each other, because that would "create a culture where we are always looking for what is wrong with each other." Instead, Vallotton says we should look for the "goodness, the GODness, the gifts that God has given us."

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
— James 5: 16

Kris Vallotton says that sometimes his group of disciples had to invent sins because they really didn't have any sins to confess that week. While it is not necessary to spell out the specifics of our sins, we should always be willing to "confess our sins to one another." Kris Vallotton teaches a twisted form of theology that believes "we just don't know how good we are." Check out this article and video to learn more: The (False) Gospel According to Moana.

“But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
— 1 John 1: 7-10

Here is one of the things that Jesus instructed us to ask for in the Lord's prayer:

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
— Matthew 6: 12

Why would Jesus want us to ask for forgiveness? Doesn't Jesus want us to look for the GODness in each other??

Check out the new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!

We Remember: The Charismatic Day of Infamy, June 23rd, 2008

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It's the ten year anniversary of June 23, 2008: "The Charismatic Day of Infamy," but you are NOT supposed to know about it (or even talk about it). 

If everyone knew about what happened on this day (and stopped making excuses for it) a whole bunch of false teachers would put their tail between their legs, pack up their bags and go home. The "New Apostolic Reformation," the "Signs and Wonders Movement," the Hyper-Charismatic Movement (whatever it's being called at the moment) should not even exist. 

Here's a video showing part of what happened on live television that day:

The "Super Apostles" were so proud of themselves that day; they could hardly believe that they were even gathered together at the same place. C. Peter Wagner (who does the official "commissioning" here) is the man who made up the name "New Apostolic Reformation" and then appointed himself God's leader of it. Other important "Super Apostles" on stage were Bill Johnson, Rick Joyner, Che Ahn, John and Carol Arnott, and the Super Star of the whole, messed up day: Todd Bentley.

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These men were all gathered in Lakeland, Florida, to officially "commission" Todd Bentley to become part of the "Super Apostle" club. This is what the founder of the New Apostolic Reformation, C. Peter Wagner, said:

"I take the apostolic authority that God has given me and I decree to you, Todd Bentley:

  • Your power will increase.

  • Your authority will increase.

  • Your favor will increase.

  • Your influence will increase.

  • I also decree that a new supernatural strength will flow through this ministry.

  • A new life-force will penetrate this move of God.

  • Government will be established to set things in their proper order.

  • God will pour out a higher level of discernment to distinguish truth from error.

  • New relationships will surface to open the gates for the future!"

  • And rainbow-colored unicorns will spread golden pixie-dust and shift the atmosphere!! (Okay, I made up that last sentence...)

But within two months Todd Bentley's "revival" completely fell apart and these men were proven horribly wrong; they were proven to be false prophets on television for all the world to see!

  • Todd Bentley was having an affair with a woman from the church and abandoned his wife and children.

  • He was also found to be a fraud who couldn't provide any evidence for his claimed "healings" on national television.

  • And, it was revealed that he was showing up to these "revival" meetings drunk, as he went on stage and told elaborate stories about raising people from the dead, kicking people in the face and having regular contact with an angel named "Emma."

Here's Bentley telling the audience to call down angels at the Lakeland "Revival:"

 

 

ALL of these "Super Apostles" claim to hear directly from God and claim to have special "powers" and "anointings." They claim that they are part of a new and better church-not like the old, stuffy Bible-focused churches. They claim to "move in the prophetic" and some even claim to be "seers" who can predict the future. Rick Joyner claims to go to heaven on a regular basis-he evens claims to talk to the original (real) apostles, and he claims they wish they were him! Why didn't God tell any of these people the truth about Todd Bentley?

They were 100% wrong about Todd Bentley, and they were clueless about it! They stood up on that stage like blathering buffoons, talking all about how great Todd Bentley was, and all about the great things that were going to happen. Stacy Campbell even went through the trouble to hiss like a snake as she violently jerked her head back and forth, while she "prophesied over" Todd Bentley:

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A few years later, Todd's new wife (the woman he had an affair with) showed that she could hiss and shake her head, too.

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C. Peter Wagner should have tried to disband this New Apostolic Reformation, but he didn't; instead, he made excuses for what happened. Rick Joyner and Bill Johnson should have admitted that they don't really hear directly from God, but instead they decided to take Todd Bentley under their wing and tried to "restore" him to ministry. You can read more about this (and see more videos of the entire bizarre "commissioning") here: Grace to You.

These men and woman have all proven that they do not know what they're doing.

They do not know what they're talking about.

They do not rightly handle God's Word.

They do NOT speak for God.

 

 

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

— 1 John 4: 1

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”

— 1 Corinthians 14: 33

“An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?”

— Jeremiah 5: 30-31

“And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken.”

— Ezekiel 22: 28

“Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity
to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.”

— Lamentations 2: 14

“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

— Matthew 24: 24

Lastly, it needs to said that not all Charismatics and Pentecostals are in agreement with the leaders in these videos (The NAR leaders). They've fought against the ideas in "The New Apostolic Reformation" and they are to be commended for that. Unfortunately, their voice is largely being drowned out by the much more prominent and popular leaders who've declared themselves the Super Apostles. God help us all to be faithful to His Word, and to ignore the teachings of men.

Here are few more articles about this event:

Here's recent case where Todd Bentley claims to be raising the dead with absolutely no proof: My Phone Conversation With TMU RE: Bentley's Resurrection Claim (Audio)

Here are some things the Super Apostles do NOT want you to know: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know

"Smart phone prophet" Shawn Bolz and Todd Bentley together at "Azusa Now" in April 2016:

Here's a recent video showing Bill Johnson endorsing his good friend Todd Bentley:

A Corporate Pilot Tells the Truth About Jesse Duplantis (and Kenneth Copeland)

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Jesse Duplantis and Kenneth Copeland are two of the biggest Word of Faith teachers in the world. They both expect their gullible followers to buy them numerous private jets "for the Lord."

Here's a video from a pilot who is very familiar with the world of corporate jets, who tells the unvarnished truth about these clowns:

Andy Stanley's "Aftermath" Series: Rejecting the Bible to Foster Faith?

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(The "aftermath" of this sermon series should be the complete rejection of Andy Stanley's heretical teaching) 

(The "aftermath" of this sermon series should be the complete rejection of Andy Stanley's heretical teaching) 

In Andy Stanley's latest series, called "Aftermath," he suggests that Christians can unhinge their faith from the Bible while attaching their faith to the historically reliable resurrection of Christ (which is something we learn about from the Bible). Along with propagating doubt in God's Word, Andy Stanley is teaching a modern version of Marcionism, which is an ancient heresy that eliminates the Old Testament. Here are some recent articles that explain this in greater detail:

Andy Stanley's Modern Marcionism by Wesley Hill

Moralistic Therapeutic Marcionism by Rod Dreher

Marcion and Getting Unhitched from the Old Testament by Kevin DeYoung

 

Here are some direct quotes from this truly bizarre and confusing "sermon" series:

“Jesus’s most devout first-century followers never owned a Bible, never read a Bible, they couldn’t have read the Bible if there was a Bible because most of them couldn’t read and there was no Bible to read. And yet, these men and woman turned the world upside down, they’re the reason we’re here today worshipping Jesus but they never held a Bible because there was no Bible until the fourth century. Why are you so quickly persuaded to walk away from faith because of a book that didn’t exist when Christianity began?”
— Andy Stanley, Aftermath Part 1, April 14, 2018
“In order to remain irresistible, I noticed something we needed to address. And it had nothing to do with how we do church, it had everything to do with how we talk about the Bible, and specifically what we point to as the foundation of faith, which for most Christians, unfortunately, is the Bible. ”
— Andy Stanley, Aftermath Part 1, April 14, 2018
“Many of you-I’m in this group-we were raised to believe that the foundation of our faith is the Bible; that as the Bible goes, so goes our faith, and if some of it’s not true then none of it can be trusted; it’s a house of cards.”
— Andy Stanley, Aftermath Part 1, April 14, 2018
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It only took about ten minutes into the first sermon for Stanley to dismantle the authority of the Bible and give high praise to the sincerity and intelligence of atheists like Sam Harris, but then he spends the rest of the "sermon" talking about the ministry of Jesus and the early church while quoting from the Bible. But the obvious question should be: why is he using the Bible at all? 

Here is an excellent podcast from Matthew Garnett that carefully dissects the flawed and dangerous content of the first sermon, which was called Aftermath Part 1: Stand Alone:

Andy Stanley: "Christians Created the Bible" In Layman's Terms by Matthew Garnett

 

Here are some more direct quotes:

“The first-century Christians had a very different kind of foundation for their faith than many of us have. Many of us were raised to believe that the foundation of our belief is the Bible, but they didn’t have a Bible, the Bible wouldn’t come until the early fourth century. What they based their faith on was an event-specifically the resurrection of Jesus, and this should be the reason we choose to follow as well.”
— Andy Stanley, Aftermath Part 2, April 21, 2018
“When Paul’s eyes were opened he had extraordinary clarity around the incompatibility of the Old and New Testaments.”
— Andy Stanley, Aftermath Part 2, April 21, 2018
“The Bible teaches that God mostly loves Jews AND the Bible teaches that God loves everybody; they are two incompatible covenants. ”
— Andy Stanley, Aftermath Part 2, April 21, 2018
“I’m telling you, you take Old Testament values and imperatives and you mix them with New (Testament values and imperatives), you end up with a mess, and you end up with a message that unnecessarily drives people away from the Gospel. And once upon a time this wasn’t all that big of a deal, because once upon a time nobody knew that much about the Bible and they couldn’t find out much about the Bible unless they went to a library, but now everybody is one click away from whatever information they need to dismiss their faith, including your children and grandchildren.”
— Andy Stanley, Aftermath Part 2, April 21, 2018
“(On the public display of the Ten Commandments:) Jews aren’t for this, and it’s their law. You don’t see Jewish groups saying ‘We need the Ten Commandments on the courthouse lawn!’ Jewish people are like: ‘It’s over, it’s over...’ and the Christians are like: ‘No! It’s not over, we wanna keep it alive!’ And the Jewish people are like ‘I don’t think you’ve read it carefully.’ Cause they’re smarter than us about THEIR scripture.”
— Andy Stanley, Aftermath Part 2, April 21, 2018
“The gig is up. The truth is out there. We can’t hide anymore. So let me be super honest: We can’t hide behind the Ten Commandments anymore because everybody has discovered that the Ten Commandments aren’t the only commandments; the Ten Commandments are the table of contents for the whole Jewish law.”
— Andy Stanley, Aftermath Part 2, April 21, 2018
“Originally in my notes I was gonna put a screen up here that said ‘In other words that means thou shalt not obey the ten commandments,’ but I knew someone would take a picture of that and it would define me for the rest of my life, so I’m not gonna put that up there...”
— Andy Stanley, Aftermath Part 3, April 28, 2018

Here is a terrific video from Chris Rosebrough reviewing Andy Stanley's third sermon in the series called Aftermath Part 3: Not Difficult:

 

This latest series from Andy Stanley is not much different than some of the other disturbing things he has been teaching for years. For much more information see: 

The Andy Stanley Cornucopia of False Teaching, Fast Talking & Postmodern Ambiguity

The Creepy, Drunk and Weird "Encounter Gospel" GIF Gallery!

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In my previous episodes of "The Encounter Gospel" I explained the fortune-telling ("prophetic") version, and then the Hypnotic Worship "Encounter Gospel." With this episode you can simply watch... and learn! Click on any one of the GIFs to watch more. Also, it might be a fun to watch this together as a family next Halloween (if your kids are old enough)!

(Documented Fraud) Todd Bentley Giving John and Carol Arnott an "Encounter"

(Documented Fraud) Todd Bentley Giving John and Carol Arnott an "Encounter"

Che Ahn giving this woman "an encounter"

Che Ahn giving this woman "an encounter"

Rodney Howard-Browne spreads a laughing "Encounter" with God in the nineties

Rodney Howard-Browne spreads a laughing "Encounter" with God in the nineties

Rodney Howard-Browne keeps Giving People "Encounters" today

Rodney Howard-Browne keeps Giving People "Encounters" today

Stacey Campbell having "an encounter" (John & Carol Arnott standing by, Hoping they don't get punched)

Stacey Campbell having "an encounter" (John & Carol Arnott standing by, Hoping they don't get punched)

Randy Clark Giving Todd Bentley an "Encounter" (and falsely prophesying About him and his "great" ministry)

Randy Clark Giving Todd Bentley an "Encounter" (and falsely prophesying About him and his "great" ministry)

Randy Clark giving this woman a screaming in pain "encounter"

Randy Clark giving this woman a screaming in pain "encounter"

Heidi Baker having one of her many drunken "encounters"

Heidi Baker having one of her many drunken "encounters"

Lou Engle Can give the whole room a "rock back and forth Encounter!"

Lou Engle Can give the whole room a "rock back and forth Encounter!"

An "Encounter" at Mike Bickle's International House of Prayer (IHOP) 

An "Encounter" at Mike Bickle's International House of Prayer (IHOP) 

Multiple "encounters" at Bethel Church

Multiple "encounters" at Bethel Church

For the truly adventurous, you can give people an Encounter they'll never forget! Watch Heidi Baker transfer a demon at Bethel Church on iBethelTV for all the world to see!

We just looked at Heidi Baker imparting some kind of demonic spirit, so we might as well study the outright Voodoo Festival at Rick Joyner's Morningstar Ministries:

If you're feeling left out on all the fun, there's a good chance you'll see plenty of "encounters" at the Toronto Blessing Reunion Show coming up this April! Buy your tickets soon!!

"Judas Helped Me Get There" Worst Sermon Ever??

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Here's another useful (and frustrating) sermon review from BezelT3. This episode features a "sermon" from "pastors" Adam and Candice Smithyman, who also make money as "dream mentors."

Here's Todd White Contradicting, Yelling, Electrocuting and Bragging

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Here's Todd White contradicting himself about the way of salvation; on one hand he says that "we don't get anyone saved," but then he says that he can get people saved by claiming them with his super powerful words. He says "I can actually claim somebody that doesn't believe and there's no way for them to get out of it." This is utterly bizarre and confusing:

 

Here's Todd White, the highly-paid professional speaker, partnering with his "mentor and spiritual father," the ridiculous prosperity preacher Kenneth Copeland (seen with his good friend and fellow prosperity preacher Jesse Duplantis). Todd White talks about how God requires us to be "uncomfortable in order for this Christian life to work right," while Copeland and Duplantis desire comfort so much that they require their own private jets:

 

Here's Todd White, the highly-paid professional speaker, yelling a lot and telling God what He must do. "Right now!! Right now!! Right now!! Right now!!" seems to be the magic catchphrase: 

 

Here's Todd White, the highly-paid professional speaker, telling people stories that are... "shocking:"

 

Here's Todd White, the highly paid professional speaker, literally bragging about how good he is. How does he know how good he is? Because he lives with himself! Do not question this highly paid professional speaker:

“They tie up heavy loads, burdens that are hard to carry, and place them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to help them. They do all their works to be seen by people. They make their phylacteries wide and lengthen the fringes of their garments. They love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, the greetings in the marketplaces, and being called “Rabbi” by the people.”
— Jesus talking about the Pharisees in Matthew 23: 4-7
“You cannot serve God and mammon. Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things, and they were scoffing at Him.”
— Luke 16: 13-14
“And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Luke 18: 9-14

Wanna know how much money Todd White actually makes? In 2015 it was OVER $600,000!! 

Here's an article with details on Todd's obscene income: Todd White: How Much Money Does He Actually Make?

 Here’s a giant compilation of articles about Todd White: The Todd White Cornucopia of False Teaching 

 

Dr. Michael Brown on Mushy Carl Lentz: Clear As Mud

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Pastor Carl Lentz of Hillsong NYC recently appeared on The View where he utterly failed to give a direct answer to Joy Behar's direct question about abortion. Interestingly enough, he was able to give a clear and direct answer to the immorality of racism just a moment later. This is an example of Lentz doing the thing he's very good at:

Maintaining the largest possible audience by stating the most popular position, while avoiding clear answers on unpopular positions. 

In response to the complete failure of Carl Lentz, Dr. Michael Brown did the thing he's proven himself very good at doing:

Providing cover for a fellow Christian celebrity, while simultaneously trying to sound like a balanced and neutral mediator.

As a side note, this happened two years ago regarding a questionable Hillsong "Silent Night" video: Follow Up to Sleazy Silent Night

 

PLEASE read (and share) this important article (with links to more articles) from Church Watch Central:

Brown Lends Lentz a Spine?

Here's a great podcast from Matthew Garnett on this same topic: Carl Lentz Sells Out the Babies and the Evangelicals

For further research, here's another article about Carl Lentz NOT clearly proclaiming the Gospel while trying to increase his audience size: Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Biffs It on Oprah's SuperSoul Sunday

Here's a great teaching video from "Bezel Triple 3:"

 

Here's a LOT more information about Brian Houston (Carl Lentz's mentor and senior Pastor) and his Hillsong church: "The Brian Houston & Hillsong Cornucopia of False Doctrine,  Abuse, Obfuscation & Money Generation"

For those of you who think it's mean and unloving to criticize Hillsong, Carl Lentz (or any other popular teacher) here's a list of Bible verses to consider: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.

If you're having a knee-jerk reaction to try and defend Carl Lentz or Hillsong, check out: Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs.

Finally, here's an important article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.

The Kenneth Copeland Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Word of Faith Sorcery and Big Piles of Money

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Kenneth Copeland is a Word of Faith (WOF) superstar and has been able to maintain an air of credibility for 50 years, in spite of having done and said some really crazy and heretical things in a very open format. He is the king of the "Prosperity Gospel" and is proud of it. 

Here are a few videos easily found on YouTube:

“The more you get to be like Me, the more they’re going to think that way of you. But I didn’t claim I was God; I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was in Me. Hallelujah. That’s what you’re doing.”
— Kenneth Copeland giving a "prophetic word" as Jesus in the Believer's Voice of Victory Magazine, February 1987
“The Spirit of God spoke to me and He said, ‘Son, realize this. Now follow me in this and don’t let your tradition trip you up.’ He said, ‘Think this way—a twice-born man whipped Satan in his own domain.’ And I threw my Bible down … like that. I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘A born-again man defeated Satan, the firstborn of many brethren defeated him.’ He said, ‘You are the very image, the very copy of that one.’ I said, ‘Well now you don’t mean, you couldn’t dare mean, that I could have done the same thing?’ He said, ‘Oh yeah, if you’d had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did, you could’ve done the same thing, ‘cause you’re a reborn man too.”
— Sourced from a tape: Substitution and Identification, 1989 Dated: 18th August 1999
“Because of his sinless life, Jesus walked in perfect dominion. God did whatever he asked, NOT because he was God’s son, but because he held the position of a righteous man. But that was Jesus, you say. But the Bible says that through our believing on Him, we have been given the same position of righteousness with God that Jesus has.”
— Kenneth Copeland in the Believer's Voice of Victory Magazine, September 1995
“By getting the Word deep into your spirit and speaking it boldly out your mouth, you release spiritual power to change things in the natural circumstances.”
— Kenneth Copeland in The Power of the Tongue, Published in 1996

Here are a few examples of the prosperity teaching from Kenneth Copeland in his own magazine:

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A Kenneth Copeland Meme From Facebook

A Kenneth Copeland Meme From Facebook

Whether or not he has taught heresy is simply a matter of watching him say heretical things in his own videos, books, recordings and interviews. What really needs to be understood is that a whole cluster of wrong assertions and assumptions are at the foundation of a "Copelandish" system: the Word of Faith belief system. Some essential Word of Faith beliefs are:

  • The atonement of Christ doesn't "just" give us salvation, it also guarantees healing, wholeness and prosperity. This is the Health & Wealth gospel.
  • Jesus lived His life as an example of a man totally submitted to God the Father (or "in right relationship") and when we live in total submission we will perform like Jesus. Jesus didn't die on the cross because we were unable to atone for our own sins so much as Jesus lived a life of victory that we can (and should) emulate.
  • God spoke the universe into existence by using "the power of words." We, too, can create things using the power of words. (This ability to "speak things into being" is essentially a form of sorcery, but WOF people strongly disagree). 
  • God is lowered and Man is elevated.

Before Bill Johnson, Brian Houston, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Todd White and most of today's WOF pastors and teachers, there was a series of people with specific new (and false) beliefs that took over a growing segment of the church. The most prominent of these people was Kenneth Hagin, who is usually considered the "father" of WOF teaching, although he actually plagiarized much of "his" teaching from E. W. Kenyon (See the book "A Different Gospel" by D. R. McConnell and the book "The Word Faith Controversy" by Robert M. Bowman Jr.). WOF people often refer to Hagin as "Dad Hagin." Since Hagin died in 2003, Kenneth Copeland has essentially taken over the role of senior leader of the WOF "movement" (which isn't exactly a movement because of how loosely it's organized, but it has to be called something).

Here is Kenneth Copeland explaining how he completely indoctrinated himself in the Word of Faith teachings of Kenneth Hagin:

This is from Kenneth Copeland's "Voice of Victory" Magazine

This is from Kenneth Copeland's "Voice of Victory" Magazine

More about Kenneth Hagin: The Kenneth Hagin Festival of Demonic Idiocy

Some other prominent WOF teachers are Fred Price, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Robert Tilton, Marilyn Hickey, Rod Parsley, T. D. Jakes, Jim Bakker, John Avanzini, Pat Robertson, Morris Cerullo, Paula White, and the late Paul and Jan Crouch (founders of TBN). Not all of these people believe exactly the same things, but they share many core WOF beliefs. 

Recently, Copeland had a 50 year celebration of Word of Faith false teaching:

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As a young adult, Copeland had a career as a professional pilot and, briefly, as a recording artist on Imperial Records where he had a minor hit record in 1957. In the fall of 1967, he enrolled in the then brand new Oral Roberts University, where he soon became the pilot and chauffeur for Oral Roberts (an early WOF superstar).

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Here's a video that shows Kenneth Copeland teaching heresy in the past and very recently:

 

Here is WOF superstar, Benny Hinn, quoting Oral Roberts:

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Kenneth and Gloria Copeland started their ministry (KCM) in 1967 and it's been continuing for 50 years.

 

The following articles show the true nature of Copeland's teachings and influence. These are from a number of different sources and perspectives, but they all agree that Kenneth Copeland is a False Teacher who should be avoided at all costs:

Word of Faith Superstar Kenneth Copeland Proven 100% WRONG (and Nobody Cares) from The Museum of Idolatry

Ken Copeland: God Gave Us Private Jets Because You Can't Talk to God in Coach from The Museum of Idolatry

Depraved Copeland Sets Satanic Snare for Christians from The Museum of Idolatry

Kenneth Copeland’s Living Legacy of Heresy by Costi Hinn

Wealth of Kenneth Copeland and Family Scrutinized from the The Ledger newspaper, July, 2008

Lifestyles of the Tele-Evangelist: Kenneth Copeland from InPlainSite.org

The Harmful Teachings of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland by Cedric Hohnstadt

Many Articles About Kenneth Copeland from Deception in the Church

Kenneth Copeland’s False Teachings and False Gospel Message from Berean Perspective Apologetics 

Our Experiences With Kenneth Copeland from Ex Word of Faith

Analysis: Copeland's Religious Empire Benefits His Family from USA Today

 

Just for fun...

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-This article by Steven Kozar

Proof That Dr. Michael Brown Has a Gullible Audience

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  • Brown always tells people that he has no time to research any of the false teachers he associates with, but he claims to be a great scholar/expert who can be trusted because of all the important research he does and all the knowledge he has.
  • Brown claims that he has no time to research Benny Hinn, but he wrote an entire book that refuted "Strange Fire" by John MacArthur, which has tons of documentation of Benny Hinn's false teaching. Did Brown not even read the book that he tried to refute? How can anyone actually fall for this?
  • Brown claims that "he'll look into it" whenever a caller gets through to him and provides information about the false teachers he associates with, but then he never does anything. Ever.
  • Brown claims that he follows the vital Reformation principle of Sola Scriptura (Latin for "Only the Bible" or "Scripture Alone"), yet he constantly points to the need for new prophetic words. If we need new words from God doesn't that mean that the Bible Alone isn't good enough?
  • Brown claims that he is following the practice of Sola Scripture when he allows, supports and encourages ridiculous "words from the Lord" from people like Jennifer LeClaire, Bill Johnson, etc. Brown claims that these "words from the Lord" are actually from God, but they're not "the word of God." Huh? Is there really a new category called "sort of" God's Word??
  • Brown teaches that when a "prophet" gets a "word from Lord" that is totally wrong, it doesn't mean they're a false prophet, it means "they're a prophet who prophesied falsely." 
  • When confronted with the fact that he supports false teachers he never compares the teachings of those people to scripture, instead he attacks the person supplying him with information, or he quickly changes the subject to cessationism.
  • Brown eventually ends up saying something like "You're wrong about these people I associate with. I know them and they love the Lord. They aren't false teachers because I say so." What he's really saying is that everyone should simply trust him and not look to God's Word as our final authority.
  • Brown deletes comments from people who provide specific evidence of false teachers like Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson and Jennifer LeClaire, but then he says that these "heresy hunters" provide no evidence! As long as Dr. Brown's fans stay within his tightly controlled fantasy world they can continue believing that false teachers like Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson and Jennifer LeClaire are not a problem. This is delusional thinking being perpetuated by a dominating and controlling leader. 
  • Brown spends a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter telling people over and over and over that he has no time to look into the false teachings of people like Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson, Jennifer LeClaire, etc... But he obviously does have time! He uses all of that time telling people that he has no time! A person has to be very gullible to fall for that silly argument.
  • Brown often makes the claim that the bloggers who criticize him are anonymous people with no accountability, so they can be ignored. People like me, Steven Kozar. Or @Aspree. Or Phil Johnson. Or Anthony Wade. Or Chris Rosebrough. Or Marsha West. Or Chris Rice... you know, "anonymous."
  • Brown tells people that he has no time to answer questions in detail (because he's so important and so busy), so he recommends that people call his radio show, but once a person gets on his show with tough questions he interrupts and dominates the conversation. Anyone who thinks he has fair and open dialogue with his guests is truly gullible. Just take out a stopwatch and compare much time Brown talks (and interrupts) compared to how much time a guest can speak (before getting cut off).
  • Here's audio of Dr. Michael Brown talking over Chris Rosebrough like the bully that he often is: Chris from Grand Forks calls Michael Brown about the Sneaky Squid Spirit
  • Here's an article (with audio) about Dr. Brown cutting off Anthony Wade, a guest that was invited on the Line of Fire only to be bullied by Dr. Brown: Dr Brown’s lack of discernment exposed by a discerning former AOG Pastor. 
  • Brown makes it look like he's fair and equitable on his Facebook page, but he deletes comments that make him look bad. We have a lot of screenshots that prove this: 
These comments were deleted by Dr. Brown, and then the entire post was deleted

These comments were deleted by Dr. Brown, and then the entire post was deleted

These challenging comments were deleted by Dr. Brown. 

These challenging comments were deleted by Dr. Brown.

 

These challenging comments were deleted by Dr. Michael Brown, then the entire post was deleted

These challenging comments were deleted by Dr. Michael Brown, then the entire post was deleted

After Dr. Brown deletes comments he says he had to delete them because they were so libelous, angry or somehow out-of-line. Nobody will know what these people actually said because he deleted them!

Dr. Brown Made This Comment But Then Later Deleted the entire Post.

Dr. Brown Made This Comment But Then Later Deleted the entire Post.

 

After deleting an entire post full of challenging comments (some of which are shown above), Dr. Brown wrote this new post where he attacked "self-appointed heresy hunters" and then blocked more comments:

Here you can see that Dr. Brown blocked me after my initially comments

Here you can see that Dr. Brown blocked me after my initially comments

 

Dr. Brown adamantly supports some very dangerous false teachers. Here's a VERY disturbing video of Dr. Brown's close friends that he refuses to watch or acknowledge:

Dr. Michael Brown is buddies with Sid Roth, who has the credibility of Shaggy from Scooby Doo:

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Dr. Michael Brown does NOT want you to look at this: Dr. Michael Brown Ruins His Credibility on His Own Facebook Wall, Then Deletes All the Evidence

For a more detailed analysis of Michael Brown (and his recent radio show about the New Apostolic Reformation), check out this discussion between Chris Rosebrough, @Aspree and Steven Kozar on Fighting For The Faith: Mutiny Against Dr. Michael Brown

The Dr. Michael Brown Checklist of Manipulation

Here's an article from Assemblies of God Minister Anthony Wade: Why Dr. Brown Has No Credibility

...and here's another: Gatekeeper of False Teachings-- Dr. Michael Brown

For those who think it's mean, judgmental and un-loving to criticize Dr. Michael Brown (or any other teacher, pastor or leader) here's something just for you: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.

If you're having a knee-jerk reaction to try and defend Dr. Michael Brown, check out: Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs.

Finally, here's an article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.

Todd White Has a Gigantic Mansion, Now He Wants YOU to Buy Him This $19 Million Mega-Church!

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Todd White wants to raise $19 million to buy a gigantic mega-church, complete with auditorium, football field, Christian school and cafe. Todd portrays himself as a "street preacher" who demonstrates the Power and Love of Jesus all day long, but he's really just another money-grubbing evangelist who has disguised the get-rich schemes of Kenneth Copeland and Robert Morris under his dreadlocks and blue jeans. Here's his promo video: 

Todd wants to convince everyone to send him money because the "Smart Phone Prophet" Shawn Bolz got a direct revelation from God about this new land acquisition. For perpetuating this scheme, Shawn can be assured of a very profitable and ongoing speaking gig if this deal goes through. 

In the video, Todd says, "God has told me to multiply my heart." Hmmm, I guess it would be too obvious if he said, "God told me to multiply my bank account and real estate holdings..."

Here's a photo of Todd White's obscenely large and extravagant mansion:

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Wanna know how much money Todd White actually makes? In 2015 it was OVER $600,000!! 

Here's an article with details on Todd's obscene income: Todd White: How Much Money Does He Actually Make?

 

 

 

Todd White is learning how to make the really big bucks from the experts:

Todd White radically encountered the Holy Spirit at a Benny Hinn meeting, where he felt electricity "like he was plugged into a light socket," and the ushers on either side of Todd White were thrown "three feet in the air and about ten feet back."

Todd White says that he "can claim someone for God and there's no way for them to get out of it:"

 

2 Corinthians 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.”

1 Thessalonians 2:5  “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness.”

Acts 20:28-31  “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.”

1 Timothy 6:5  “...and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.”

Matthew 6:24  “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Check out this giant compilation of articles about Todd White:

The Todd White Cornucopia of False Teaching

Todd White is part of a gigantic, shape-shifting, loosely-knit movement known as The New Apostolic Reformation

This article by Steven Kozar; check out his new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!

Crooked Televangelists Never Die, They Just Descend Further Down the Rabbit Hole of Deceit

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Here's another informative (and funny!) video from YouTube teacher "BezelT3"

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Brian Houston: Used Car Salesman Pushing the Hillsong Brand

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On July 6th, 2017, Brian Houston wrote an article for an Australian News site. In this article, he shows himself to be a "used car salesman" who is just pushing his Hillsong brand under the guise of being a pastor who cares about the entire country of Australia. Let's take a look at what he wrote and analyze it; Houston's words are in bold, and my comments will be in italics and in parentheses. -Steven Kozar

 

 

THE census results that revealed a small drop in the number of people calling themselves “Christian”, and less people identifying themselves as being affiliated with any religion, should be a wake-up call for the Christian church across Australia.

While these results were not unexpected, the census also showed the changing social values our country is facing including a rise in the number of people following the Muslim faith.

Again, this is not surprising, as it is clear that Australia’s immigration policies are having an impact on the texture and makeup of our society. Yet as a Christian pastor it does concern me that what I see as the foundations of our community — the values that bring us together — are being diminished, and the faith that has shaped our nation for so long is declining.

While many Australians are not practising Christians and value, as I do, the many different cultures that form our country, I believe the vast majority also want a strong sense of national identity and don’t want to lose those features that make us unique. (This appears to be an attempt to say to the non-Christians in his audience: "Hey! We're really nice; not like those Muslims. If you won't become a Christian, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me continue growing this Hillsong monster across the country; it makes us unique!")

At the same time, Australians are concerned at the extremism they see overseas and are fearful that recent events in Australia make us vulnerable to a similar path.

The Christian church can — and should — play a significant role in reshaping our national identity and providing Australians with hope, love, peace and faith. I am convinced that, just as Christianity was the solution to the greatest human issues 2000 years ago, so it is to this day. (This is one of many examples where Houston turns the Christian Church into a vague and charitable entity for the purpose of increasing brand acceptance to his targeted demographic. How, specifically, is the Christian Church offering a solution to the greatest human issues? What is the solution he speaks of? Who knows? He never proclaims the actual Gospel message. )

The recent census figures show that many Australians are understandably disenchanted by church child abuse scandals (This is coming from the guy who protected his pedophile father, Frank Houston) and the perceived irrelevance of formalised religion. At the same time we are seeing an increasing demonising of Christianity for holding firm to 2000-year-old biblical perspectives on societal issues such as sexuality, marriage and the inherent value of human life.

But are we witnessing the demise of Christianity and the church in our country? I don’t believe so. Despite these census statistics there are life-giving churches all over the country that are growing, youthful, and clearly meeting the very real needs of people. (Here's where Brian Houston defines his brand: Life-giving. Growing. Youthful. Meeting the Very Real Needs of People. No Old People Allowed. Take Your Hymnals and Your Wheelchairs and Just Go Away.)

The gospel message is timeless and should not be tampered with; but for the church, the methods simply must change to keep pace with society’s desperate cry for authenticity and a deeper meaning in life. The Christian message is one of love and acceptance, and must replace the sense of hatred, fear and cynicism that the world is experiencing at the moment.  (It should surprise no one that Houston fails to articulate any Gospel message at all. "The gospel message is one of love and acceptance?" No Brian, that's the message of postmodern pop culture; that's the message of a spineless frontman trying to win the approval of the most gullible members of society. The Gospel is about how Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of mankind. If society is actually crying out for authenticity, as you claim, how is the Hillsong brand helping? By putting on even bigger spectacles in even larger auditoriums with even cooler "pastors," who have bad theology but dress like primping rock stars? THAT'S the Hillsong solution to society's deepest needs? Brian Houston IS the problem! Hillsong is a heavily-marketed corporate entity pretending to be a church, and hurting untold thousands of people with a false Gospel message.)

 

In my experience, as I engage with everyday Australians in cafes, airports, or shopping malls, people at large are not anti-God; they are anti hypocrisy, irrelevance, and ‘tired’ old religion that has compromised on issues of morality and Christian distinctives. (This is the Hillsong pitch: "You don't like hypocrites? Neither does Hillsong! You don't like 'tired' old religion? Neither does Hillsong! Wow, it sounds like our church is perfect for you, doesn't it?! Now, what's it gonna take to get you to drive this church off the lot today?")

We, the church in Australia, are stewards of a message desperately needed in these complex days. The good news of Jesus Christ is a message of life and hope and the New Testament points to a God who is for us and not against us. In a world of extremism, tension, hatred, horror and sheer evil, the Australian church, no matter what the persuasion, is desperately needed in this country. But are we recognising societal needs and focusing on bringing life-giving answers? Sadly, often the answer is no. People need community and a real sense of belonging. People need hope. You can live a certain amount of time without food — a lot less time without water — but we were never designed to live without hope. (Once again, Houston mentions nothing of the redemption that Jesus provided by His death on the cross. Instead, he tells everyone about the need for hope that we all share. Yes, we all need hope, but Houston is not providing real hope, he's selling the Word of Faith and New Apostolic Reformation bucket of bolts that takes money from people and gives them nothing in return. The "community" of Hillsong is not based on the true fellowship that the Christian Church provides, because Hillsong is not a real Christian Church. Btw, yes I know, I know, there are some actual Christians involved in Hillsong...)

People are tired of religion with form but without substance, with ritual but without relevance — that is what people are shunning. People are scared because of the evil we constantly witness on the news — in the name of religion. (Hillsong, like every cool new Mega-Church, claims to be "real" and "relevant" but those are just catch-phrases, and a growing number of people are abandoning these "churches," as they figure out that this is a bait and switch sales pitch. This is a marketing gimmick, and it works for a while, just like any multi-level marketing organization. Hillsong constantly hypes itself, uses hyped-up rock bands with laser light shows and has hyped-up "pastors" preaching a positive-thinking/prosperity message that tickles itching ears. And of course, it always contrasts itself against crusty old "religion." You don't like religion? Neither does Hillsong!...)

The "Life-Giving" LASERS OF HILLSONG

The "Life-Giving" LASERS OF HILLSONG

 

No matter what the denomination or name above our doors, the Australian church that believes in Jesus Christ, must show more commitment to the real issues. We must help people to find a sense of belonging, meet physical and spiritual needs, and speak life-giving messages that connect with people’s everyday lives.  (So, Brian says that churches must "show more commitment to real issues." That's quite a sentence, coming from the master of hype, marketing and Prosperity Pimping. What does he leave out, again? The Gospel message. Jesus did not die on the cross to just help people "find a place of belonging," so we can "speak life-giving messages" of prosperity and earthly success. Oh wait, the Gospel message doesn't "connect with people's everyday lives," nevermind...)

With a 2017 worldview and a first-century message, the church in Australia will continue to be an active, effective, and dynamic part of the heart and fabric of this wonderful country. (This is a real audacious sales job; it's completely backward and upside down. This is putting a cheap, but shiney paint job on a broken-down rust bucket. A "2017 worldview?" What does that even mean? And he says that Hillsong has a "first-century message?" Really?? When did the first-century church use stadiums, rock bands with laser-light shows, TV shows and Word of Faith heretical teaching based on sorcery, selfishness and power-grabbing businessmen sporting perfectly groomed beard stubble in place of sacrificial and pastoral shepherding? When did the first-century church abandon the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and replace it with a Naked Cowboy?

When did the first-century church go to bars with pop superstars to down shots and start to take off their clothes? When did the first-century church have "pastors" like these? (yes, these are Hillsong "pastors"):

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Let’s keep our distinctive traditions, Eucharist or biblical values but recognise the times we now live in and bring to people the answers they desperately need.  (This sounds like a politician fumbling for words and desperately trying to come across as broadminded and knowledgeable while saying nothing of any substance. "Eucharist?" How does that even fit within that sentence?? Come on Brian, you can afford a good ghost-writer; I suggest you hire someone who can construct fully functional sentences.)

I’m a believer. The church in Australia has the perfect message for a deeply troubled world in 2017. We just cannot afford to make the methods more sacred than the message. (Translation: "We've got this giant Hillsong thing figured out, and I'm getting filthy rich as a result, so you better let us keep expanding like a giant blob of rancid bread dough across this great country.")

Read and research more about Brian Houston and the Hillsong Brand: The Brian Houston & Hillsong Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Abuse, Obfuscation & Money Generation

Here are a whole bunch of episodes of Fighting for the Faith where Brian Houston's "sermons" are compared to true Christian doctrine from the Bible: Fighting for the Faith

Tired of Mega-Church Mobsters and the Evangelical Industrial Complex? Read A Manifesto of Christian Discernment

The User's Guide to Postmodern "Emergent" Christianity

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     Step one is essential: "Get in the loop!" What does this mean, you ask? Well, this thought pattern is almost everything you'll need to stay clueless within the confines of Postmodern Christianity. Once you start thinking this way, you'll never get out of "the loop." It goes like this:

     "Mean, angry, narrow-minded and judgmental people are bad, and whatever they believe is instantly invalidated by the fact that they are judgmental, narrow-minded, angry and mean. I get to decide if, and when, they are mean, angry, narrow-minded and judgmental."

     Once you're safely in this loop you won't need to carefully consider the truth claims of another believer with their precious little Bible verses. And, thankfully, you'll never have to learn anything about the theology and creeds that have been passed down for almost two thousand years. Remember, there are still old-fashioned Christians who believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, and they are mean, angry, narrow-minded and judgmental. These dinosaurs want to conduct church the same old way and cling to antiquated beliefs that are out of step with today's social climate. You can easily ignore these people if you're "in the loop." Before you know it, you will have completely dehumanized them and it won't even faze you that you've been the judgmental one all along! 

 

      To follow step two, say something like this: "That may be true for you, but it's not true for me." In days of old, this was only used for superficial matters, like one's preference of Mary Ann over Ginger. But nowadays this simplistic catch phrase serves a vital new purpose: it enables anyone to ignore God's Word with impunity. It used to be that a Christian couldn't just go around rearranging and reinterpreting the Bible, but now it's easy! You may substitute similar catch phrases like "I just feel like it's not wrong for me" or you can even quote that great Bible verse: "What is truth? asked Pilate..."

      Step three, in case you haven't already figured it out, is this: Don't take the Bible very serious at all, just give it lip-service. I know, I know, this sounds extreme, but remember this is Postmodern Christianity. Postmodernity is a belief system that says that no belief system is true. It's absolutely certain that nothing is absolutely certain. The Bible is full of absolute truth claims, that's why it's so exclusive, hateful and out-of-date. However, you will still need to make reference to it on occasion, so it's good to have some overly simplistic proof-texts handy. "Thou shall not judge" is the all-time most popular proof-text, so feel free to use it as often as you want. Just remember not to read the entire passage in the actual Bible, otherwise you'll see what Jesus really meant. You can even misquote it like this: "Who are we to judge?" or "Only God can judge-that's not my job!"

 

      The Bible has clear rules about what is right and wrong, so you will need to avoid all of that. Remember, people generally hate God's rules, so you need to stay on their side; instead, make those Bible thumping "traditional" Christians seem like the real problem, i.e. they're bad because they think they're better than anyone else. You must ignore the fact that true Bible-believing Christians don't think they're better than anyone else, they are simply pointing to the unchangeable truth of God's Word as the only ultimate authority. Furthermore, the Gospel itself is only "Good News" because Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins... and we couldn't even have sins unless we were guilty of breaking God's commandments... and since God Himself gave us His commandments we are clearly guilty and in need of a Savior.... do you see how this all falls apart if you start reading the Bible? You'll just turn into a regular Christian-ugh!

     Instead of that, keep it simple and just say something like "I believe the way of Jesus is love" or "I believe God just wants everyone to be happy in their own way." Nobody's going to argue with that, right? For more ideas on how to misquote God's Word, just listen to any interview with Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, Tony Jones or any of the hip new emergent leaders. With a good dose of sincerity and direct eye contact (plus some emotional background music), you can say almost anything in the name of Jesus!

     Finally, when in doubt, always prefer ambiguity over certainty and truth. Ambiguity is the magic glue that holds Postmodern Christianity together. What does this mean? I don't know, what do you think it means? Is it possible that the ambiguity of uncertainty is really just the context from within which our sense of community can emerge? I don't know, I'm just asking the question, because the beauty of relationship reveals itself through the self-discovery process, as we all find personal meaning collectively and individually. I'm not saying that anyone's version of truth is right or wrong; I'm just asking questions so that a dialogue can be established. Maybe there's a better way, a way where all of our collective narratives can form a cohesive, yet multi-faceted story. Maybe this new meta-narrative can lead us to a place where fear and hatred will be replaced by mystery, beauty, and ongoing book sales. A place with well-attended conferences and substantial speaking fees, a place of extensive radio and T.V. interviews and, ultimately, a regular guest position with Oprah. We must dream. We must hope. We must never reach any conclusions.

(See how easy this is?)

 

Now get out there and confuse everyone! You can do it!! 

Here's a great episode of Fighting for the Faith to help you understand Postmodernism better: A Beginner's Guide to Post-Modernity

Check out this article (with a TON of links) from the Berean Examiner: Postmodern Christianity's End Game?

For a serious look at the "Emerging/Postmodern" church, please watch this extensive video:

For an extensive and serious understanding of Postmodernism please listen to this audio book from Professor Stephen Hicks:

(Thanks to the folks at Pyromaniacs for the memes)

 

 

"Getting Wasted with the Holy Spirit" at Bethel Redding

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Here's part three of a series of articles from Holly Pivec about her visit to Bill Johnson's Bethel Church:

"Getting Wasted with the Holy Spirit" at Bethel Redding

“There are only three rules in this class. Rule 1: Get drunk. Rule 2: Stay drunk. Rule 3: Get other people drunk.”
— Sunday School Teacher at Bethel Redding

 

This kind of teaching is common among New Apostolic Reformation false teachers. Here's Patricia King in a very disturbing video: "In Jesus Name, The Bar is Open!"

Patricia King and Bill Johnson have much in common. Here's a brand new advertisement from Patricia King's XP Media Company that is selling Bill Johnson's useless $59.00 "class:"

For further reading and research on the very dangerous teachings of Bill Johnson:

The Bill Johnson Cornucopia of False Teaching, Bible-Twisting and General Absurdity

Rob Bell is No Victim by Marcia Montenegro

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Here's a brief guest post by Marcia Montenegro:

An article by John Pavlovitz about Rob Bell criticizes Christian critics of Bell for being unloving towards Rob Bell. I agree we should not be “unloving” towards anyone, including Rob Bell. But I think this is a "straw man" argument and serves only to make light of Bell's steady drift from the historic Christian faith. The article describes it as this:

"He deviated. He dared to ask questions. He challenged the status quo. He moved against the grain."

Bell went much further than just “deviating” and "asking questions." That was not the problem. What Bell did was question the truth of God's word as well as some major doctrines. In fact, I think Christians were slow to recognize problems with Bell, starting with his book, "Velvet Elvis." It took a long time for voices to be heard and even then, it was not that many. Yet Pavlovitz's article makes Bell sound like a victim:

"As so often happens in the modern Church, he was intentionally and mercilessly pushed to the margins of the Christian community, just a few feet from irrelevance. There he would be left to languish for a few months before hopefully dissolving into obscurity."

I don't think Bell was treated “mercilessly.” What happened is that as Bell continued his drift from sound doctrine, many churches and conferences no longer wanted to book him. Well, that is a consequence of Bell's choices and ideas. It's on him.

The article denies that Bell is “softening the Gospel” or denying orthodox doctrine. Rather,

"Bell’s been doing something very brave. Something many pastors overseeing churches in this country would never do, but many in their congregations wish they would do. He’s admitting the real questions that surface in the excavation of deep faith. He’s looking to separate what in this religion is of God and what is of people. He’s asking why we believe what we believe, and asking believers to do the same."

Bell's words and actions indicate a rejection of the Christian faith as delivered one for all to the saints. This is not being "brave." I have tracked this since “Velvet Elvis” through NOOMA videos and his recent participation with uber New Ager Deepak Chopra.

Serious red flags appeared in Bell's first book, “Velvet Elvis." For example, Bell gives a positive recommendation of Ken Wilber and advises his readers to take 3 months to read Wilber's book, “A Theory of Everything” (which I've read). Wilber, an admitted Perennialist, is a nondualist and the architect of Integral Spirituality, which is mostly based in Eastern spirituality (especially Buddhism). What Christian would positively point anyone to Ken Wilber, whose beliefs have influenced many to his kind of anti-Christian worldview?

There were other red flags in the book, including misinterpretation of Scripture, but Bell's advocacy of Wilber was the most startling and most disturbing to me.

The article continues to bring Bell's critics to task for “destroying” Bell. Again, I repeat that I am against any harsh or unloving treatment of anyone, and I admit some may have been this way toward Bell. However, any articles I read critiquing Bell were not harsh towards Bell but rather expressed grave concerns about Bell's ever-changing theology that was spinning rapidly away from sound doctrine.

Not only that, Christians were and are concerned with Bell's influence on the church and on younger Christians, and that concern has been validated. The Emergent movement, of whom Bell was a spokesperson and leader, has considerably damaged the church in such a way that those influenced now question absolute truth, the Bible as God's word (Bell denied the Bible as God's word years ago), that we can know anything for certain, the doctrine of hell, how people are redeemed, the nature of Christ (which is rather panentheistic in “Love Wins”), and other core beliefs of the faith.

This attack on Bell's critics reminds me of William P. Young stating, with no evidence at all, that critics of his book "The Shack," did not read it. It's a way to deflect attention from the author's theological problems onto those pointing them out.       -Marcia Montenegro

 

ROB BELL'S LOVE WINS: AN EVALUATION BY MARCIA MONTENEGRO

Please check out Marcia's extensive website for more information: Christian Answers for the New Age

Here's a GREAT video that carefully examines the "Postmodern/Emergent Church" movement:

Here's a fascinating interview between Marcia Montenegro & Steve Kozar: Marcia Montenegro: Astrologer Overtaken by the Love of God

Check out the review of Rob Bell's new book on the podcast In Layman's Terms

 

Just for fun...