Todd White- How to Read Your(self into the) Bible
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Todd White: he IS the Bible!!
Read MoreA Blog by Steven Kozar
“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 Hyper-Charismatic House of Cards: Let It Fall and Be Free
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If you've been a part of a church that adheres to some of the "New Apostolic Reformation/Signs and Wonders" teachings, there's a good chance that you have nagging doubts and concerns that keep popping up from somewhere in the back of your mind.
That's actually good.
For example, you've been told something like this: The Christian who gets baptized in the Holy Spirit, speaks in tongues and then... jumps aboard the hyper-charismatic NAR/Signs & Wonders bandwagon, will get a bunch of things that "regular" Christians don't have. You've gone to a lot of services, conferences & revival meetings so you can get "the anointing," and you've read a lot of "anointed" books and watched a lot of "anointed" TV and video presentations. And now you're supposed to have more. More blessings; more power; more prosperity; more confidence; more effectiveness; more intimacy with God... on top of that you've been taught to keep asking God for more because God is waiting to see how hungry and desperate you are before He does anything more.
But admit it, you don't really have more of those things. In fact, you probably have more questions, more confusion, and more doubts.
- You've heard these teachers prophesy about things that didn't come true at all.
- You've been promised things that you didn't receive.
- You've "sowed financial seeds" into ministries with zero results.
- You've used the "power of your words" to claim things that you never got.
- You've been given "prophetic words" that were basically just cheap fortune-telling tricks (without the crystal ball).
- You've tried to "speak things into existence" with zero success, but you're afraid to say anything because you've been taught that you'd be making things even worse if you speak about it.
- You've been told that God really really really wants to make all your dreams come true. Really.
- You were supposed to have something "activated" (faith; understanding; miracles; anointing...) but nothing actually happened. Nagging doubts are all that got "activated."
- There was supposed to be a "shift in the atmosphere" but you're not even sure what that means.
- You've been told about the gigantic new "move of the spirit" that's right around the corner... for a decade or two (or three) now.
- You've been told that being a Christian is all about finding your Destiny So You Can Change The World. How's that working for you? Are you exhausted and disillusioned yet?
- You've been wondering why the people on stage have all of these amazing stories to tell, but God hasn't done those things in your life. "What's wrong with me?" is a common thought of yours.
- You've got a stack of books and/or DVDs that claim to give you the magic formula that leads to more. But only the person selling those things got more... of your money.
On top of these personal difficulties and inconsistencies, you've watched men and women who were supposed to be great spiritual leaders prove themselves to be regular sinners with all of their divorces, financial scandals and confusing teachings that seem to get made up on the spot. These are the people who claim to have great power because they get "built up in the Holy Spirit" by speaking in tongues, and they know the secret key to "resist the devil" and get radical results. Bill Johnson even claims that he can change the atmosphere of a room just by walking in the door. They know exactly how to brag about their amazing walk with God while maintaining a facade of humility.
But lets be honest. These are people just telling stories on a stage; they're really professional speakers. They have little to no proof of all the amazing things they claim to have done. All the miracles happen somewhere else (and nobody takes a video). These people are very good at telling compelling stories. They are very good at sounding humble as they attract and retain more followers for themselves. "Aw shucks, it's all the Lord; but He works through me a lot more than He does through you" is the overall attitude.
- These kind of false teachers have to keep propping each other up with endorsements and guest speaking invitations for each other.
- They have to keep talking about the new and better thing (that they just invented), so that you'll continue showing up for the next meeting or conference.
- They have to use and repeat spiritual sounding catch-phrases, in order to replace the sound teachings of scripture.
- They have to have yet another "greatest conference ever" (until the next one) so that they can make money by selling more tickets and books.
- They require an audience full of gullible and emotionally dependent people. "Just Trust Us" is the underlying theme to everything they say and do.
- They have to promote all this stuff with very expensive and manipulative video commercials that constantly tug at your heartstrings.
- The one thing they can't have is this: you realizing that your ears are getting tickled, while your soul is being drained.
It's a house of cards.
You've been tricked. You've been sold a bill of goods. You've been bamboozled.
Now it's time to move on and find rest. Rest in the true freedom that comes from the unaltered Gospel: Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins. You've been forgiven of your sins, not because of anything you've done, but because Jesus took your place on the cross. You can stop trying to be more desperate to show God how serious you are (yet again). You can stop trying to be more passionate than you were the last time you mustered up a bunch of passion. You can stop trying so hard to feel something to convince yourself of God's presence. You can stop wondering why you still haven't gotten your "breakthrough." You can stop trying to get a "fresh word from the Lord." You can stop trying to figure out your Destiny so you can Change The World.
God does not require these things from you, and He never has. You've been ensnared by the teachings of men.
So here's the bottom line to this article: If you're confused by all the stuff you've been taught, start reading your Bible again, and stop listening to all the people who've been telling you these things. Just take a little time off and see what happens. Here's a truly radical idea: read entire books of the New Testament all of the way through (most of them are really short). If God's Word is actually God's Word, then He will you use it to speak to you. Stop trying to hear God's voice in your constantly changing imagination; the Word of God is unchanging and it's outside of you, and that's a very good thing. Clear out all the false teachings that have cluttered up your mind and discover the simple Gospel message.
He's given you His Word, now simply read it and be free!
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”
“Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”
“If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”
“And yet some people actually imagine that the revelation in God’s Word is not enough to meet our needs. They think that God from time to time carries on an actual conversation with them, chatting with them, satisfying their doubts, testifying to His love for them, promising them support and blessings. As a result, their emotions soar; they are full of bubbling joy that is mixed with self-confidence and a high opinion of themselves. The foundation for these feelings, however, does not lie within the Bible itself, but instead rests on the sudden creations of their imaginations. These people are clearly deluded. God’s Word is for all of us and each of us; He does not need to give particular messages to particular people.”
If you found this interesting and thought-provoking, you might also enjoy the following articles:
Assertions and Assumptions are NOT the Foundation of the Church
Cognitive Dissonance and the Silly Putty Jesus
The false teachers who have invaded many of the Pentecostal and charismatic churches do NOT want you to know about The Charismatic Day of Infamy!
-This article by Steven Kozar
Michael Brown: More Proof He's Part of the (So-Called) New Apostolic Reformation
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Dr. Michael Brown is a very smart man. He knows exactly what the New Apostolic Reformation is but, like fellow NARpostle Bill Johnson, he wants everyone to believe he's not really a part of the NAR. Instead, he wants us to believe it's a fictional movement that was invented by its critics (that's why he calls it the "so-called" NAR). In the following article, he is clearly shown to be a key player in the NAR:
Further Evidence of Michael Brown’s Ties With the NAR by Churchwatch Central
The Word of Faith Cornucopia of False Doctrine
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Kenneth Hagin ("DAD" Hagin)
The Word of Faith movement is the predecessor to the New Apostolic Reformation and the two movements share a lot of overlapping beliefs. The Word of Faith (WOF) movement developed in the 1940's & 50's under the teachings of E.W. Kenyon, Kenneth Hagin (who plagiarized Kenyon), Oral Roberts, A.A. Allen, T.L. Osborn, William Branham and others. Like the NAR, the WOF never had an official leader or official statement of beliefs, so it is difficult to determine exactly when it started or exactly what it taught. And like today's New Apostolic Reformation it has been a "moving target" that could morph and rearrange itself in order to avoid critical analysis. The WOF emphasis on guaranteed physical healing & prosperity and the "power of our words/positive confession" teachings are largely being continued by many NAR teachers. Perhaps the most prominent WOF teacher still active today is Kenneth Copeland, who learned directly from Oral Roberts and studied at (the then newly formed) Oral Roberts University in the 1960's. It could also be argued that Joel Osteen is the most prominent WOF teacher active today, since the core of most of his teaching is WOF doctrine. Joyce Meyer is another extremely popular WOF teacher (See article: Is Joyce Meyer Word of Faith?), as well as Benny Hinn.
In a nutshell, there is little practical difference between the older heretical teachings of Kenneth Hagin and Oral Roberts and the newer "Super Pastors" like Bill Johnson and Brian Houston; it's more a difference in style, approach & emphasis. In fact, Benny Hinn recently made a special appearance at Bill Johnson's church:
Benny Hinn with Bill and benni Johnson in 2017
Here's a brief video showing Bill Johnson, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland and Todd White all teaching the WOF idea that Jesus needed to be "born again:"
False teachers are always dressing up their bad doctrine with new catch-phrases and new "direct revelations from God," but the resulting beliefs end up directing our attention away from the finished work of Christ and focusing on ourselves and the teachings of men.
Here's a really great summary of the Word of Faith movement in seven minutes:
If you want to understand all the false doctrine in today's "Pop Evangelical" churches (especially the New Apostolic Reformation), you really need to research the Word of Faith movement that brought us to where we are today. Here are a number of articles that will shed light on this important topic:
What's Wrong with the Word of Faith Movement (Part One)
What's Wrong with the Word of Faith Movement (Part Two)
Word of Faith Movement (with many links) from Berean Research
Three Errors of the "Word of Faith" Preaching by Josh Buice
Prosperity Gospel Born in the USA
Word-Faith Movement Profile by Watchman Fellowship
WOF Sacred Cow #1: Jesus Was Very Wealthy by Discernment Ministries International
WOF Sacred Cow #2: Jesus Ministered Only As a Man by Discernment Ministries International
WOF Sacred Cow #3: Jesus Died Spiritually by Discernment Ministries International
WOF Sacred Cow #4: The Laws of Faith & Confession by Discernment Ministries International
WOF Sacred Cow #5: It Is God's Will To Always Heal by Discernment Ministries International
Physical Healing and the Atonement-Is it Always God's Will to Heal Now?
That Time God Destroyed Oral Roberts' Healing Tent, And He Made a Point by Pulpit and Pen
4 Ways the Prosperity Gospel Twists Christianity by Jeff Sanders
10 Ways the Word of Faith Movement Went Wrong (Written by a Charismatic pastor who still somehow loves the WOF teachers he studied)
Compilation of Word Faith articles from Deception in the Church
The Demotion of Christ & Exaltation of Man by Discernment Ministries International
Justin Peters has some of the best lectures on the history & teachings of the Word of Faith movement; here is one of his many YouTube videos:
This video (3 hours long), produced by Keith Thompson of Reformed Apologetics Ministries, documents the errors and origins of Word of Faith teachings:
Just for fun: At Long Last: Toyota Releases A Car That Runs On Positive Faith Declarations
-This article by Steven Kozar
Are There New Apostles on Earth Today? WWUTT Video
/One of the "New Apostolic Reformation" beliefs that should be completely rejected is the ridiculous claim that there are apostles living today that are equivalent to the original (real) Apostles from the New Testament. Here's a quick little WWUTT video on this topic:
Further reading on the apostolic/prophetic office today:
Is God Restoring the Offices of Apostle and Prophet in the Church Today?
Are There Still Apostles Today?
Apostles and Prophets and the Foundation of the Church
Here are a LOT of additional resources about The New Apostolic Reformation (this is probably the most extensive compilation of NAR material anywhere on the internet):
Has Your Church Fallen for the Lies of the N.A.R.?
The New Apostolic Reformation Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Dominionism, Charismania and Deception (there are 30 links here to extensive articles, interviews and programs-do your homework!)
The Bill Johnson Cornucopia of False Teaching, Bible-Twisting, and General Absurdity
The Rick Joyner Cornucopia of False Teaching, Bible-Twisting and and Overall Wackiness
The New Apostolic Reformation Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Dominionism, Charismania and Deception
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The "New Apostolic Reformation" is a loosely knit association of churches and ministries with no absolute statement of beliefs or specifically defined doctrine. In this regard, it is true that the NAR is not a global conspiracy that is secretly holding meetings and making plans to dominate the world. On the other hand, there are millions and millions of people around the world who are unaware that their church or favorite ministry has all or most of the characteristics of the NAR. There's a good chance that a person holding to all, or most, of the NAR beliefs doesn't know that they've subscribed to those beliefs because they think it's just "ordinary Christianity."
C. Peter Wagner (1930-2016) invented the term "New Apostolic Reformation" and then pronounced himself God's appointed leader of it:
“I needed a name … For a couple of years I experimented with ‘Post denominationalism’. The name I have settled on for the movement is the New Apostolic Reformation.” (Source: C. Peter Wagner, The New Apostolic Churches, Ventura CA; Regal, 1998, p. 18.)
Wagner presided over the commissioning ceremony of fraudulent preacher, Todd Bentley, at the "Lakeland Revival" in 2008. This is the day that the New Apostolic Reformation was at its most glorious and self-congratulatory peak. This day turned out to be The Charismatic Day of Infamy, and all of its "Super Apostles" were proven to be incompetent, unqualified and full of hot air.
This loosely knit association of churches and ministries has much in common with the Latter Rain movement and the Word of Faith movement. Supernatural Signs & Wonders; Dominionism; Joel's Army; The 7 Mountain Mandate; Third Wave Revivalism; Mike Bickle's IHOP; Bill Johnson's Bethel Church, The Hillsong Media Empire, Rick Joyner's MorningStar Ministries, Todd White's Lifestyle Christianity, Che Ahn's Harvest International Ministries, Randy Clark's Global Awakening, Lou Engle's The Call, John & Carol Arnott's Catch the Fire/Toronto Blessing,... these ministries share much of the same theology and so they all a part of this shape-shifting movement in one way or another. It is gobbling up churches and deceiving millions around the world.
N.A.R. "Founder" C. Peter Wagner
Some key beliefs of the NAR are:
We've entered a "2nd Apostolic Age" that is marked by increasing Signs & Wonders. In order for the Church to accomplish its mission, we need to be under "Apostolic Alignment," which means that God will fully function once the new instructions from these new apostles and prophets are obeyed.
Christians should somehow take over the world in a way that's never happened before; the "7 Mountain Mandate" is the means for this to happen. Christians now have a great "Destiny" to achieve as royalty on the earth. We are to "Bring heaven to earth."
The Holy Spirit has introduced new demands that aren't taught in the Bible; fresh "Revival" is His new emphasis, so ongoing meetings, conventions and lengthy worship sessions are needed with rock bands, smoke machines and emotional speakers (who tend to yell a lot). The institution of the Christian Church is not nearly as important as this new move of God. We are told to constantly ask for more: "More Lord... more." (One thing for sure: there are always more and more conferences to attend.)
Jesus is the example for us to duplicate-in fact, we should literally be doing "greater works than Him." This means we should all expect to raise the dead and heal anyone we want to at anytime. There are no leaders in the NAR who are actually doing these things, but they make great claims of having extraordinary power and ability. And if you buy their books/DVDs/conference tickets they promise to give you the "secret formula." This is the Theology of Glory, as opposed to the Theology of the Cross.
A great end time harvest/outpouring will occur once we battle enough demons, perform enough miracles and unify under these new Apostles, (who tend to yell a lot). There is supposed to be a "billion soul harvest" according to many in the NAR, although the Bible only speaks of an end time falling away defined by great signs and wonders.
Although God is giving new revelation to his Prophets/Apostles they will make many mistakes in the process and that's okay, but following the Bible too closely makes you a "religious" and narrow-minded Pharisee. In the NAR, using your mind is generally bad but having a mystical and subjective experience is very good.
In this new movement, we are to give people an Encounter with God, because the simple Gospel message is not enough. People need to see the power of God with their very eyes in order to believe (this is why we should be supernatural acts for people all the time). They do not need to understand the nature of their sin and their need for a Savior, however, as much as they need to know their identity as "sons and daughters of the King." So, fundamentally, conversion is a matter of finally understanding how special and lovable we are, not understanding how our sin deserves the wrath of God which Jesus took upon Himself on the cross.
Here are a number of different articles from different theological and denominational backgrounds that all agree that the "New Apostolic Reformation" isn't new, isn't apostolic and isn't a reformation:
Resource: What Is the New Apostolic Reformation? (Many links and articles) by Church Watch Central
New Apostolic Reformation 101-Interview with Holly Pivec and Chris Rosebrough
Debunking the False Kenotic Christology of the NAR by Chris Rosebrough
List of Direct Quotes from C. Peter Wagner by The Zedekiah List
Chuck Pierce Speaking Directly for God-Add This to Your Bible at the Museum of Idolatry
The New Apostolic Reformation by Apologetics Index
Interview With Sandy Simpson (with more links and info.) by Echo Zoe Radio
The Roots and Fruits of the New Apostolic Reformation by Bob Dewaay
The Changing of the Apostolic Guard: 13 Names to Watch by Holly Pivec
The C. Peter Wagner $400 Apostolic Bargain!! at the Museum of Idolatry
The Apostles Who Don't Do Anything by Grace to You
Interview With Caryl Matrisciana: New Apostolic Reformation by Amy Spreeman
Dominionism and The NAR by Berean Research
Apostles and Prophets are the Foundation of the Church by Bob Dewaay
Heidi Baker's Demonic Impartation at Bethel Church
The New Apostolic Church Movement by Let Us Reason
What Is The New Apostolic Reformation? by Got Questions
Do Miracles, Signs and Wonders Create Faith? by Robert Liichow
Christianity Today Should Correct Heidi Baker NAR Story by Talk To Action
Debunking the Seven Mountains Mandate and the NAR by Chris Rosebrough
What's Wrong With the Passion (NAR)"Translation" Bible?
The New Apostolic End Times Scripture by Steven Kozar
C. Peter Wagner's Apostolic Movement on Issues, Etc.
The Apostolic and Prophetic Movement by Keith Gibson
Why I Must Speak Out Against the NAR and Bethel Church by Tony Miano
The Latter Rain Movement on Issues, Etc.
The NAR: A Warning About Latter Day Apostles by Orrel Steinkamp
What Is Dominionism? by Apprising
I Refuse to Believe Bob Jones-I'm Staying Home by Steven Kozar
What Is The NAR? by Asleep No More
C. Peter Wagner Spins the NAR by Herescope
The NAR-You Will Know Them by Their Nuts by Church Watch Central
HAW and WOF NARpostles by Church Watch Central
The New Order of the Latter Rain by Spirit Watch
Quick Thoughts: What is the Seven Mountain Mandate? by Lyndon Unger
The Six Hallmarks of a NAR church by Berean Examiner
Todd White-How to Read Your(self into the) Bible by Steven Kozar
Magic Charms Enchant Apostolic-Prophetic Movement by Holly Pivec
The Charismatic Day of Infamy (The NAR doesn't want you to know about) by Steven Kozar
How to Spot a NAR Book by Holly Pivec
The Spiritual Map of George Otis and the NAR by Doug Evans
C. Peter Wagner Resource Page by Beyond Grace (multiple articles & links)
The Grip of the Cult-like New Apostolic Reformation by Famine in the Land
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
“Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”
Here are some shocking things that NAR leaders don't want you to know. And here is an article that will help you see past all the layers of deception in the church.
The NAR "Super Apostles" don't want you to know about their involvement in the Charismatic Day of Infamy.
This is from the global harvest ministries (C. peter wagner) website
This article by Steven Kozar; check out his new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!