Who Can We Trust? Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth! #12

          Here we are back for the second blog of week six. We've been discussing who we can and can't trust in mainstream evangelism today.

           

           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!

     Today's untrustworthy Evangelical is Paula White.

     While each untrustworthy Evangelical we've addressed is extremely dangerous to Christian orthodoxy Paula White brings a strange twist to the discussion. White seems to have assumed the role of spiritual advisor to the President of the United States, Donald Trump! If that's not a reason to address heresy then I'm not sure when the right time to do so would be. As a Christian, we should be trembling to think that a heretic who doesn't know the truth of the Gospel, being born-again, the concept of the trinity, and other foundational truths of the Christian belief supposedly led President Trump to Jesus and is currently by his side as a spiritual counselor! White is another on the list of the prosperity, WoF, charismatic movement born under E.W. Kenyon and Kenneth Hagin. Let's take a look at some of White's toxic false doctrines.......

-  **HERESY** Claims that Jesus Christ is NOT the only begotten son of God but is the first fruit....... One of the earliest heresies which was addressed at the counsel of Nicea! ....... John 3:16???

-  **HERESY** Holds to the "little gods" concept we've covered in previous posts such as Kenneth Copeland.

- Believes in the "sow your seed" false doctrine "give to get" prosperity gospel.

- Holds to the belief that Jesus died a sinner, went to Hell and suffered until God made him the first fruit!

-Paula White made the following statement on TBN on 10/30/07 from a women's convention in Orlando, FL.

"Anyone who tells you to deny your self is from Satan."

The Bible clearly teaches the opposite of this.

Matt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

The sad thing is that the congregation at the conference gave Paula White a standing ovation!  These types of statements are a mainstay among Word of Faith false teachers.

When you don't give money, it shows that you have the devil's nature. (Benny Hinn, Praise-a-thon (TBN), recorded 4/21/91)"Poverty is from the devil and that God wants all Christians prosperous." (Benny Hinn, TBN, 11/6/90)
God has displeasure in poverty. (Fred Price, Ever Increasing Faith, recorded 11/16/90)
"The basic principle of the Christian life is to know that God put our sin, sickness, disease, sorrow, grief, and poverty on Jesus at Calvary," he asserts. "For Him to put any of this on us now would be a miscarriage of justice." (Kenneth Copeland, The Troublemaker, 6.)
Being poor is a sin. (Robert Tilton, Success in Life, recorded 12/2/90)
The only time people were poor in the Bible is when they were under a curse. (Robert Tilton, Success in Life, recorded 12/2/90)

      I pray that you continue to grow in the Word of God and research who you let speak into your life and who you allow to "teach" you concerning the Word. You alone will answer to God himself for your walk. God bless!