Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth! #8

Here we are back for the second half of the fourth week of this blog entitled "Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth!" We've been discussing who we can and can't trust in mainstream evangelism today. Today is on the negative and we'll be focusing on Joyce Meyer. In case you missed the first few weeks worth of entries I do suggest that you go back and read them as well when you're finished here.

            We can all agree that we live in a generation and culture(if you're in America) of easy believism where people have the ability to get their message out to millions with just the click of a mouse. With that said, there is a slew of theological information at our fingertips. One quick google search and you can get commentary and scripture interpretation from Billy Graham to Benny Hinn and everything in between. With so many choices and the deceitfulness of our own hearts we're apt to listen to whomever we "like" or whomever our friends listen to or whatever makes us feel good. In light of this reality let us be diligent in determining who we let speak into our life! Every heretic speaks some truth sometimes or no one would listen. My goal over the next few months is to do two blogs a week, both critiquing prominent evangelicals in our day, one on someone who is trustworthy, someone who rightly divides the Word, someone who doesn't twist the scriptures, and the other on someone who is untrustworthy, possibly deceived, and even possibly an apostate, who for filthy lucre, distorts the Gospel. Let me say up front that there may be some of these critiques that you absolutely agree with and some you may vehemently reject and at times you may think that I'm being judgmental, harsh, or you may even think I'm crazy but I challenge you to research the Word and the person and then decide. I will praise some of these men and I will reject others, it's not personal but as a Pastor with a Pastor's heart I feel compelled to protect the flock from wolves and to lead the flock to spiritual food that will equip them for this life and the next, that is the sole intent behind these blog entries! Lets get started!

This week's untrustworthy Evangelical is Joyce Meyer.

Once again we are still focusing on the WoF(word of faith) movement and the fanatical and heretical prosperity gospel that has ravaged the Evangelical landscape of the American church. With Kenneth Hagin's influence as he plagurized EW Kenyon's work and brought this heresy that's born in the "American dream gospel" to the limelight, he has left behind many followers and teachers of this deceptive message that plays upon man's sinful nature and his need for self gratification and one of those is Joyce Meyer. Meyer hides behind her "self-empowerment" message directed especially to women and tries to minimize scrutiny by distancing herself from her roots in the WoF movement. She tends to say things that sound biblical and sound good but if you understand her motive and foundation from which they flow you'll see that they're anti-biblical at their core. For example, she may say something like "God wants the best for you," which in essence is true but that doesn't mean he wants to bless you financially but from her foundation that's what she probably means. I'd say the same thing, God does want the best for you but from my foundation rooted in God's sovereignty that means he wants to glorify himself in you no matter what path that takes. 

Though she tries to maneuver around her theological foundation it still remains, she got her PhD from Life Christian University which holds to the WoF message and has other graduates such as Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn! She still endorses LCU! Though ones education isn't always evident of what they believe let's look at a list of recorded herisies taught by Joyce Meyer from www.bereanresearch.org.

1. Jesus stopped being the Son of God: 

    “He could have helped himself up until the point where he said I commend my spirit into your hands, at that point he couldn’t do nothing for himself anymore. He had become sin, he was no longer the Son of God. He was sin.” (http://storage.carm.org/joycemeyer/joyce-meyer-Jesus-became-sin-stopped-being-son-of-God.mp3)

Response:  This is heresy.  Jesus did not ever stop becoming the son of God.  Essentially what she is saying is that Jesus stopped being divine, the eternal son, second person of the Trinity. This is an attack on the very nature of Christ and it is a dangerous false teaching.  Joyce Meyer needs to repent and retract this statement.  There is no place in Scripture that says Jesus stopped being the son of God.  She’s adding to the word of God and placing in the hearts and minds of listeners false doctrine.

2. Jesus was born again:  

“The minute that blood sacrifice was accepted Jesus was the first human being that was ever born again,” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neKsa_74w7k&feature=related)

Response:  This is just plain wrong.  Being born again means to be saved from the wrath of God for a person’s sins (Eph. 2:1-3), to have a new birth (John 3:3), and to be regenerated (2 Cor. 5:17).  Mrs. Meyer is simply wrong biblically.  Why does she teach this?  It can only be because she has bought into many of the errors of the Positive Confession movement where many say that Jesus lost his divine nature, went to hell, finished the atonement in hell, and was born again!  These are serious errors.

3. Jesus paid for our sins in hell:  

“He became our sacrifice and died on the cross. He did not stay dead. He was in the grave three days. During that time he entered hell, where you and I deserve to go (legally) because of our sin. He paid the price there.” (The most important decision you’ll ever make, by Joyce Meyer, second printing, may 1993, page 35)

Response:  This is blatantly wrong.  Jesus did not pay the price of our redemption in hell.  He paid the price on the cross.  It was finished on the cross when he said, “It is finished,” (John 19:30).  Also, consider the following verses:

Col. 1:20, “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

Col. 2:14, “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

1 Pet. 2:24, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

4. Jesus went to hell in our place and was tormented:  

“Jesus paid on the cross and went to hell in my place. Then as God had promised, on the third day Jesus rose from the dead. The scene in the spirit realm went something like this: God rose up from his throne and said to demon powers tormenting the sinless son of God, ‘let him go.’ Then the resurrection power of Almighty God went through hell and filled Jesus. On earth his grave where they had buried him was filled with light as the power of God filled his body. He was resurrected from the dead — the first born again man.” (The most important decision you’ll ever make, by Joyce Meyer, second printing, may 1993, page 36)

Response:  Where does she get this entirely fictitious dialogue between God and the demon powers?  It is made up, not founded in scripture, and mistakenly assumes that Jesus went to hell, the place of torment and suffering after he died on the cross.  The Bible does not teach any such thing.  However, it does say that Jesus descended into the lower parts of the earth (Eph. 4:9).  This can mean that Jesus was physically buried, or that Jesus went to Hades to inform those who had already died about who he was and what he did on the cross, or it can be referring to his incarnation as is contrasted with his ascending into heaven (Eph. 4:10).  But there is simply no reason to believe that Jesus suffered in hell and finished the atonement there.  See response to Quote 1.

5. If you don’t believe Jesus went to hell, you cannot be saved:   

“His spirit went to hell because that is where we deserve to go… There is no hope of anyone going to heaven unless they believe this truth.” (The most important decision you’ll ever make, by Joyce Meyer, second printing, may 1993, page 37)

Response:  This is an amazingly bad statement on her part.  She is saying that you cannot be saved from your sins unless you believe that Jesus went to  hell where we deserve to go.  This is a false modification of the gospel which is found in 1 Cor. 15:1-4 and states that the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  Nowhere in scripture are we told to believe that Jesus suffered for us in hell or that he went there.   This is not only wrong, it is heretical.

6. We are called little gods:  

“I was listening to a set of tapes by one man and he explained it like this..this kind of gets the point across…he said why do people have such a fit about God calling his creation, his creation, his man not his whole creation, but his man, little gods? If he’s God what’s he going to call them but the God kind? I mean if you as a human being have a baby you call it a human kind. If if [sic] cattle has another cattle they call it cattle kind. I mean what is God supposed to call ’em? Doesn’t the Bible say we are created in his image? Now you understand I am not saying you are god with a capital G. That is not the issue here so don’t go trying to stone me or yell blasphemy at me.” “The Bible says right here John 10:34…’and Jesus answered is it not written in your law I say we are gods.’ So men are called God’s by the law…”(Joyce Meyer). (www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrP3OLCH9GI&feature=related)

Response:  In this clip she goes on to quote John 10:34 where Jesus says to the Pharisees “you are gods,” which is a quote from Psalm 82:6, which is an imprecatory Psalm of condemnation for the unrighteous judges.  Psalm 82:7 says, “nevertheless you will die like men.”  She then turned to Psalm 82 and went through it.  The video stopped, so I do not know what she would have said about the next, all-important verse.

7. Joyce Meyer said she is not a sinner:  

“I am not poor. I am not miserable and I am not a sinner. That is a lie from the pit of hell. That is what I were and if I still was then Jesus died in vain. I’m going to tell you something folks. I didn’t stop sinning until I finally got it through my thick head I wasn’t a sinner anymore. And the religious world thinks that’s heresy and they want to hang you for it. But the Bible says that I am righteous and I can’t be righteous and be a sinner at the same time.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dmHJdM63hk)

Response:  Mrs. Meyer needs a lesson in basic biblical theology.  1 John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”  Notice that John the apostle says “we.”  He includes himself with sinners.  Also, Paul said in Rom. 7:19-20, 24, “For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me…24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”  Is Joyce Meyer better in Christian character than John and Paul?  I think not.  Mrs. Meyer fails to recognize her own sinfulness, and so mistakenly denies her own sinfulness.  I can only conclude that this false teaching comes from pride because it certainly isn’t biblical.

8. The host of hell were literally on Jesus and were laughing:  

“They were having the biggest party that had ever been had. They had my Jesus in the floor and they were standing on his back jumping up and down laughing. And he had become sin. Don’t you think that God was pacing, wanting to put a stop to what was going on? All the host of hell were upon him. Upon him. Up on him. The angels were in agony.  All the creation is groaning. All the host of hell was upon him. Up on him. They got on him. They got him down in the floor and got on him and they were laughing and mocking. Ha ha ha ha. You trusted God and look where you ended up. You thought he’d save you and get you off that cross. He didn’t, ha ha ha.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNfOaxIcOMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNfOaxIcOM)

Response:  Where did she get this – in the sacred Book of Joycemeyeronomy?  It is certainly not in the Bible, and yet she has no problem teaching it as an authoritative truth.  Does she not know that the Bible says not to exceed what is written (1 Cor. 4:6)?  She has done exactly that.  She is in grave error and has violated God’s word that says that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and finished the atonement on the cross (John 19:30) – not in hell at the hands of demons!  There is no way demons were literally standing ‘on’ Jesus.  Meyer is in gross error!

9. Joyce Meyer gets revelation knowledge:  

“The Bible can’t even find any way to explain this. Not really that is why you have got to get it by revelation. There are no words to explain what I am telling you. I have got to just trust God that he is putting it into your spirit like he put it into mine.” (http://storage.carm.org/audio/joycemeyer/joyce-meyer-revelation-knowledge.mp3)

Response:  Revelation knowledge?  Is she on par with the apostles who received revelation knowledge from God himself?  Or how about the Old Testament prophets?  Does she, like them, also receive revelation knowledge from God?  If so, how would we know if it were true or not? The answer is simple:  we test what she says against Scripture, and it is obvious that she is getting a lot of things from somewhere else that contradict the word of God.

10. Joyce Meyer is a "pastor"

As unpopular as it might be to say, Joyce Meyer is wrong for occupying the position of a preacher of God’s word.  Not only does she preach false doctrines, but she also functions as a preacher by teaching God’s word, exegeting it, applying it, and telling people what to believe – in public.  She is out of place for doing this.  She speaks as a minister of the gospel teaching with authority.

I'm sure that some that read this may listen to or even like Meyer and her message as it can be very appealing in it's positivity. 

I pray you'll do your research and understand her foundation and how twisted her theology and doctrines are to the true Gospel. God bless!

Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth! #7

Here we are back after a break last week leading up to Christmas. This is the fourth week of this blog entitled "Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth!" We've been discussing who we can and can't trust in mainstream evangelism today. Today is on the positive and we'll be focusing on John Piper. In case you missed the first few weeks worth of entries I do suggest that you go back and read them as well when you're finished here.

            We can all agree that we live in a generation and culture(if you're in America) of easy believism where people have the ability to get their message out to millions with just the click of a mouse. With that said, there is a slew of theological information at our fingertips. One quick google search and you can get commentary and scripture interpretation from Billy Graham to Benny Hinn and everything in between. With so many choices and the deceitfulness of our own hearts we're apt to listen to whomever we "like" or whomever our friends listen to or whatever makes us feel good. In light of this reality let us be diligent in determining who we let speak into our life! Every heretic speaks some truth sometimes or no one would listen. My goal over the next few months is to do two blogs a week, both critiquing prominent evangelicals in our day, one on someone who is trustworthy, someone who rightly divides the Word, someone who doesn't twist the scriptures, and the other on someone who is untrustworthy, possibly deceived, and even possibly an apostate, who for filthy lucre, distorts the Gospel. Let me say up front that there may be some of these critiques that you absolutely agree with and some you may vehemently reject and at times you may think that I'm being judgmental, harsh, or you may even think I'm crazy but I challenge you to research the Word and the person and then decide. I will praise some of these men and I will reject others, it's not personal but as a Pastor with a Pastor's heart I feel compelled to protect the flock from wolves and to lead the flock to spiritual food that will equip them for this life and the next, that is the sole intent behind these blog entries! Lets get started!

This week's trustworthy Evangelical is Dr. John Piper.

John Piper is well known for what he calls "Christian Hedonism" which is essentially complete joy and adoration in and of Christ. He is now Pastor Emeritus at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minnesota and director and founder of Desiring God. Many of his works and literature can be found at www.desiringgod.org along with his popular podcast "Ask Pastor John." Here is a little of his biographical history according to www.desiringgod.org.

       John Piper was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Bill and Ruth Piper January 11, 1946. When John and his older sister were still small, the family moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where John spent his growing-up years. His father was an itinerant evangelist, and his mother died in 1974 in a bus accident while visiting Israel.

In 1980, sensing an irresistible call of the Lord to preach, John became the senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he ministered for almost 33 years.

Desiring God began inauspiciously in 1994 when John handed off the church’s tape ministry to his assistant, Jon Bloom.

What started with tapes and John’s books, Desiring God has blossomed into an international web ministry with 12,000+ free resources and 3.5+million monthly users. Today, John serves as lead teacher for the ministry.

Piper is also chancellor of Bethlem college in Minneapolis. 

Some of his best know works are "Don't Waste Your Life," "Pierced By The Word," and my favorite, "Spectacular Sins." 

Piper's most famous quote is "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" and so that God's highest pursuit ("his glory") and man's deepest and most durable happiness come together in one pursuit—namely, the pursuit of joy in God.

There are a few things that I personally disagree with concerning Piper's doctrines but on foundational truths he is definitely someone in the Evangelical limelight that we can trust as he rightly divides the Word of Truth!

God bless!

Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth! #6

Here we are back for the third week of this blog entitled "Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth!" We've been discussing who we can and can't trust in mainstream evangelism today. Today is on the negative and we'll be focusing on Jesse Duplantis. In case you missed the first two weeks worth of entries and this week's positive on R.C. Sproul, I do suggest that you go back and read them as well when you're finished here.

          This is the third entry concerning untrustworthy evangelicals and todays, last week's, and a few more untrustworthy entries will consists of contemporary prosperity and word-of-faith preachers who were greatly influenced by the two main architects of this movements theology, Kenneth Hagin Sr.(Daddy Hagin) and Oral Roberts and one such person is Jesse Duplantis.

            We can all agree that we live in a generation and culture(if you're in America) of easy believism where people have the ability to get their message out to millions with just the click of a mouse. With that said, there is a slew of theological information at our fingertips. One quick google search and you can get commentary and scripture interpretation from Billy Graham to Benny Hinn and everything in between. With so many choices and the deceitfulness of our own hearts we're apt to listen to whomever we "like" or whomever our friends listen to or whatever makes us feel good. In light of this reality let us be diligent in determining who we let speak into our life! Every heretic speaks some truth sometimes or no one would listen. My goal over the next few months is to do two blogs a week, both critiquing prominent evangelicals in our day, one on someone who is trustworthy, someone who rightly divides the Word, someone who doesn't twist the scriptures, and the other on someone who is untrustworthy, possibly deceived, and even possibly an apostate, who for filthy lucre, distorts the Gospel. Let me say up front that there may be some of these critiques that you absolutely agree with and some you may vehemently reject and at times you may think that I'm being judgmental, harsh, or you may even think I'm crazy but I challenge you to research the Word and the person and then decide. I will praise some of these men and I will reject others, it's not personal but as a Pastor with a Pastor's heart I feel compelled to protect the flock from wolves and to lead the flock to spiritual food that will equip them for this life and the next, that is the sole intent behind these blog entries! Lets get started!

Jesse Duplantis is a WoF(word of faith) prosperity gospel evangelist whom you've probably caught a glimpse of as you channel surf past TBN on the television. He's best known for his comedic style and extravagant lifestyle and is a close friend with last week's untrustworthy Evangelical, Kenneth Copeland. His heresy isn't just spread through his preaching but it's also in print in books such as "Close Encounters of the God Kind."

Let's get to the point, let's list known heresies credited to Jesse Duplantis.......

- Duplantis uses Genesis 2:7 the same way Copeland does and proclaims that we are "little god's" with the power to "speak" things into existence.

- He claims this power is evident in Genesis as he infers that when God brought the animals to Adam to be named that they were dead and Adam was the one who "breathed" life into them, thus giving Adam diety status.

- Another aspect of Duplantis' heresy concerning this is the statement he's made concerning God's omniscience (knowing all). He claims that God didn't know what he had created and that Adam had to explain it to him. His basis? The fact that he's known smart, creative people who created things by accident! Wow! Comparing the all knowing, all powerful God with fallen man, that always results in good theology! I hope you can hear my sarcasm!

- Claims to have been carried by a chariot to heaven where he talked with Jesus, Abraham, and David. He even said that David told him he regretted writing some of the Psalms! That's believing in the "God Breathed," infallible, perfect Word of God right?

- To top off the trip to heaven experience, Duplantis said that he sensed Jesus was sad so he asked him what was wrong and Jesus' reply was "I need you boy." Yes, you read that correctly.

- The last one, though heretical, is down right rediculous. Duplantis claims that giraffes were made with left over parts from other animals! That's why they look so strange. Trust me, I'm not making this up! Yet he's failed to do his research on the majestic animal as science has proven how precise they are constructed and that it's a natural wonder that they don't pass out from an overflow of blood to the brain when they bend over. Their 25 pound heart is made strong to pump blood to their brain and their jugular veins have one way valves blocking flow when they lower their heads! That's God's perfect work in action, not just left over parts! 

I pray this has been helpful and enlightening. God bless. See

Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth! #5

Here we are back for the third week of this blog entitled "Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth!" We've been discussing who we can and can't trust in mainstream evangelism today. Today is on the positive and we'll be focusing on R.C. Sproul. In case you missed the first two weeks worth of entries I do suggest that you go back and read them as well when you're finished here.

            We can all agree that we live in a generation and culture(if you're in America) of easy believism where people have the ability to get their message out to millions with just the click of a mouse. With that said, there is a slew of theological information at our fingertips. One quick google search and you can get commentary and scripture interpretation from Billy Graham to Benny Hinn and everything in between. With so many choices and the deceitfulness of our own hearts we're apt to listen to whomever we "like" or whomever our friends listen to or whatever makes us feel good. In light of this reality let us be diligent in determining who we let speak into our life! Every heretic speaks some truth sometimes or no one would listen. My goal over the next few months is to do two blogs a week, both critiquing prominent evangelicals in our day, one on someone who is trustworthy, someone who rightly divides the Word, someone who doesn't twist the scriptures, and the other on someone who is untrustworthy, possibly deceived, and even possibly an apostate, who for filthy lucre, distorts the Gospel. Let me say up front that there may be some of these critiques that you absolutely agree with and some you may vehemently reject and at times you may think that I'm being judgmental, harsh, or you may even think I'm crazy but I challenge you to research the Word and the person and then decide. I will praise some of these men and I will reject others, it's not personal but as a Pastor with a Pastor's heart I feel compelled to protect the flock from wolves and to lead the flock to spiritual food that will equip them for this life and the next, that is the sole intent behind these blog entries! Lets get started!

This week's trustworthy Evangelical is Dr. R.C. Sproul.

Dr. Sproul has been in the forefront of mainstream reformed theology over the past five decades. His education includes
degrees from Westminster College, Pennsylvania (BA, 1961), Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary (M.Div, 1964), the Free University of Amsterdam (Drs., 1969), and Whitefield Theological Seminary (PhD, 2001). He has taught at numerous colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Mississippi, and Knox Theological Seminary in Ft. Lauderdale.

Dr. Sproul is chairman and founder of Ligonier Ministries(www.ligonier.org). host of "Renewing Your Mind" radio broadcast, founder of RefNet(www.RefNet.fm) which is a Christian internet radio station, as well as the author of several book which includes such works as "The Holiness of God" and "Not a Chance: The Myth of Chance in Modern Science and Cosmology," as well as being Co-Pastor at St. Andrews Chapel in Sanford, FL.

As well as Dr. James White(the positive from last week) Dr. Sproul is one of my favorite apologists even though they have differing approaches. Dr. White uses presuppositionalism while Dr. Sproul uses the Thomistic approach of "classical apologetics." Many of Dr. Sproul's lectures can be found on YouTube as well as Ligonier where you can also find "Renewing Your Mind" as well as blog entries.

With Dr. Sproul's classical approach you'll be floored by his insight using logic and reason. I pray you'll give him a listen and there's no doubt that your faith will be strengthened. God bless. if

Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth! #4

          Here we are back for the second week of this blog. In case you missed the first three entries I do suggest that you go back and read them as well when you're finished here.

          This is the second entry concerning untrustworthy evangelicals and todays and the next few untrustworthy entries will consists of contemporary prosperity and word-of-faith preachers who were greatly influenced by the two main architects of this movements theology, Kenneth Hagin Sr.(Daddy Hagin) and Oral Roberts.  Today I want to focus on the heresy of Kenneth Copeland!

            We can all agree that we live in a generation and culture(if you're in America) of easy believism where people have the ability to get their message out to millions with just the click of a mouse. With that said, there is a slew of theological information at our fingertips. One quick google search and you can get commentary and scripture interpretation from Billy Graham to Benny Hinn and everything in between. With so many choices and the deceitfulness of our own hearts we're apt to listen to whomever we "like" or whomever our friends listen to or whatever makes us feel good. In light of this reality let us be diligent in determining who we let speak into our life! Every heretic speaks some truth sometimes or no one would listen. My goal over the next few months is to do two blogs a week, both critiquing prominent evangelicals in our day, one on someone who is trustworthy, someone who rightly divides the Word, someone who doesn't twist the scriptures, and the other on someone who is untrustworthy, possibly deceived, and even possibly an apostate, who for filthy lucre, distorts the Gospel. Let me say up front that there may be some of these critiques that you absolutely agree with and some you may vehemently reject and at times you may think that I'm being judgmental, harsh, or you may even think I'm crazy but I challenge you to research the Word and the person and then decide. I will praise some of these men and I will reject others, it's not personal but as a Pastor with a Pastor's heart I feel compelled to protect the flock from wolves and to lead the flock to spiritual food that will equip them for this life and the next, that is the sole intent behind these blog entries! Lets get started!

            If you've watched any "christian" T.V. such as TBN or Daystar then you've seen and heard of Kenneth Copeland. He has that iconic televangelist hair and bright white smile but let's be honest, there's very little Gospel or truth in the theology and message of Copeland. I don't want to focus too much on Copeland as a person but focus on the matter at hand, his heresy and what makes him untrustworthy. Kenneth Copeland is the spiritual son of the two dominant architects of the "prosperity" "word-of-faith" movements, Kenneth "daddy" Hagin Sr. and Oral Roberts, you've probably heard of the latter. Copeland has spewed this gospel-less message for decades and is quite wealthy because of it. 

             Let's get to the point his ministry is built entirely on the foundational belief that you can claim health and wealth by speaking it into existence by faith. Heresy! Worth an estimated $700 million you could say he's doing well lying to unsuspected people searching the airwaves for answers. 

              Copeland's Heresies -

1.) Claims that Jesus never claimed to be God.

2.) Is quoted as saying "the biggest failure in the Bible is God! Claimed that God was on the outside looking in when Satan deceived Eve in the Garden and had to concoct a plan to get back into his own creation. This is completely unbiblical and undermines the sovereignty of God!

3.) Teaches that we are "little gods" which is prevalent teaching in many heretical cults such as Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses and distorts Genesis 1:27 to make it believable.

4.) He gives false prophecies.

5.) Claims to have the same creative power of God in word-of-faith.

            If Copeland's on the T.V. turn it off and pray for him! Thank God for discernment and the direction of the Word of God! May we consistently rightly divide the Word of God and allow it to determine who's truthful and who's a heretic. God Bless!

“God’s reason for creating Adam was His desire to reproduce Himself…He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God even.” (Kenneth Copeland, Following the Faith of Abraham I (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1989), tape #01-3001, side 1.

“I was shocked when I found out who the biggest failure in the Bible actually is…The biggest one in the whole Bible is God…Now, the reason you don’t think of God as a failure is He never said He’s a failure. And you’re not a failure till you say you’re one.” (Kenneth Copeland, Praise-a-Thon program on TBN (April 1988). He also said, “Adam committed high treason; and at that point, all the dominion and authority God had given to him was handed over to Satan. Suddenly, God was on the outside looking in…After Adam’s fall, God found Himself in a peculiar position…God needed an avenue back into the earth…God laid out His proposition and Abram accepted it. It gave God access to the earth and gave man access to God..Technically, if God ever broke the Covenant, He would have to destroy Himself.” (Kenneth Copeland, Our Covenant with God (Fort Worth, TX: KCP Publications, 1987), 8-11 passim.

What Blasphemy!

“God’s on the outside looking in. He doesn’t have any legal entree into the earth. The thing don’t belong to Him. You see how sassy the Devil was in the presence of God in the book of Job? God said, Where have you been? Wasn’t any of God’s business. He [Satan] didn’t even have to answer if he didn’t want to ..God didn’t argue with him a bit! You see, this is the position that God’s been in…Might say, ‘Well, if God’s running things He’s doing a lousy job of it.” He hadn’t been running ‘em, except when He’s just got, you know, a little bit of a chance.” (Kenneth Copeland, Image of God in You III (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1989), audiotape #01-1403, side 1.

Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth! #3

         Here we are back for the second week of this blog. In case you missed the first two entries I do suggest that you go back and read them as well when you're finished here.

            We can all agree that we live in a generation and culture(if you're in America) of easy believism where people have the ability to get their message out to millions with just the click of a mouse. With that said, there is a slew of theological information at our fingertips. One quick google search and you can get commentary and scripture interpretation from Billy Graham to Benny Hinn and everything in between. With so many choices and the deceitfulness of our own hearts we're apt to listen to whomever we "like" or whomever our friends listen to or whatever makes us feel good. In light of this reality let us be diligent in determining who we let speak into our life! Every heretic speaks some truth sometimes or no one would listen. My goal over the next few months is to do two blogs a week, both critiquing prominent evangelicals in our day, one on someone who is trustworthy, someone who rightly divides the Word, someone who doesn't twist the scriptures, and the other on someone who is untrustworthy, possibly deceived, and even possibly an apostate, who for filthy lucre, distorts the Gospel. Let me say up front that there may be some of these critiques that you absolutely agree with and some you may vehemently reject and at times you may think that I'm being judgmental, harsh, or you may even think I'm crazy but I challenge you to research the Word and the person and then decide. I will praise some of these men and I will reject others, it's not personal but as a Pastor with a Pastor's heart I feel compelled to protect the flock from wolves and to lead the flock to spiritual food that will equip them for this life and the next, that is the sole intent behind these blog entries! Lets get started!

This week's trustworthy Evangelical is Dr. James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries.

The name may not ring a bell, you may have never heard of Dr. White, he's not found on TBN or any mainstream source, but I decided that the first two trustworthy men in this series of blogs would be the two men that have had the most influence on my spiritual walk and theological perspective and last week we covered Dr. John MacArthur and now Dr. James White.

Dr. White is probably the best apologist for the Christian faith and the Reformed perspective that I've had the privilege of listening to. As an apologist he is an accomplished debater, participating in over 140+ publicly moderated debates in churches, mosques, and other forums across the globe! Dr. White has debated such topics as......
"Is the Trinity Biblical?"
"Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation?"
"Can Men Become God's?"
"Is The New Testament Reliable?"
"Who Controls Salvation?"
Dr. White has debated Mormons, Unitarians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islamic apologists, Atheists, and more. All of his recorded debates are available at www.aomin.org. Dr. White also does a podcast twice a week which can be found at www.sermonaudio.com.

Dr. White is a professor, having taught Greek, Systematic Theology, and various topics in the field of apologetics. He has authored or contributed to more than twenty four books, including The King James Only Controversy, The Forgotten Trinity, The Potter’s Freedom, and The God Who Justifies. He is a scholar in textual criticism and is a consultant for the Lockman foundation which publishes the NASB English translation of the scriptures.  Dr. White is currently working on another PhD. in textual studies as he examines P45(early papyrus document of the New Testament). As well as being director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, being a published apologist, and an accomplished debater, Dr. White is also an Elder at Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church (sermons and teachings from Dr. White which includes Church History can be found at www.prbc.org).

In my opinion Dr. White is the most consistent Christian apologist with a deep love for the Word, Christ, and the Church! There's a peace in listening as Dr. White exegetes the text of scripture from the original Greek. If you have questions, are unsettled concerning doctrine, or are looking for direction on how to answer a Mormon, Jehovah's Witness, or Muslim then Dr. White is someone you need to watch, listen to, and read. God bless.