Friends With the World

Friends With the World

Many of us have heard about the myriad of churches who went “woke” during the Covid lockdowns.  The person I am addressing today is just one of many who joined the “woke” crowd.  However, there have been issues with him for many years.

Sadly, I used to listen to him occasionally.  I liked how his messages gave me a “feel good” sensation.  They were always positive and uplifting.  Once I began the quest to be a Berean, those feelings changed very quickly.

I am speaking about Joel Osteen.  Besides preaching the prosperity gospel, which is “another” gospel, as mentioned in Galatians 1, Osteen also believes gay people will go to heaven.  We should find it troubling that he was on Oprah’s show, for people of the world will never embrace those who preach the uncompromised truths of scripture.

Something else Joel mentions is how he “stays in his own lane.”  That goes completely against scripture.  Rather than staying in our own lane, we are to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Matthew 16:24-26, ESV)

Here are some videos which address the doctrinal problems with Joel Osteen’s preaching.

Pastor Joel Osteen to Oprah: Homosexuality Is Sin — But Gay People Will Get Into Heaven (yahoo.com)

“I Would Go To A Homosexual Marriage” – Joel Osteen (FALSE TEACHER) – EXPOSING CHARLATANS – YouTube

Joel Osteen: False Teacher? 12 Concerns | w/ Voddie Baucham, John MacArthur, Justin Peters – YouTube

Pastor Joel Osteen Responds to Criticism | Oprah’s Next Chapter | Oprah Winfrey Network – YouTube

While I only focused on Joel Osteen in this devotion, there are many other famous “preachers” who have been on TV shows like Oprah or Piers Morgan, just to name a couple.  Whenever we see someone who is a “preacher” suddenly appearing on popular, secular shows, this should be a huge warning flag to us to avoid them.

In James 4:4, we are called adulteresses when we become friends with the world.  Not only that, but we are warned that those who are friends with the world become an enemy of God. As we await the return of our Blessed Savior and Lord, the last thing we want to do is something which causes us to become an enemy of God.  

What About False Prophecies Today?

What About False Prophecies Today?

Before we look into the next false teacher, I want to start with a scripture from the Old Testament.

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22, ESV)

Now let’s look at a false prophecy that was spoken within the last couple of years.

(1) Judgment Is Executed on COVID-19: by Kenneth Copeland – YouTube

Now some may say, “But we are still waiting for this prophecy to come true, so it’s not really a false prophecy.”  This video will explain the fallacy of that statement:

Copeland and Covid 

In one video that I can’t find now, after declaring Covid done and gone, Copeland asked the Lord to send a vaccine.  What???  If Covid is done, why do we need any vaccine?  This is a clear example of the double-minded man, mentioned in James 1:8.

This next video shows Copeland doing a communion demonstration that is quite disturbing.  You don’t even need to watch the whole thing to get the gist of the error he is teaching here.

(1) Did Kenneth Copeland Really Do That?!?! – YouTube 

Kenneth Copeland’s Living Legacy of Heresy

Justin Peters does a fabulous job in exposing false teachers, keeping a very humble and loving attitude as he does.  Disclaimer:  Justin Peters is also a Calvinist, so while I believe he is biblical in his approach to expose false teachers, I will not listen to him preach because of the errors I see with the Calvinist doctrine.  This next video is one done by Justin.  It is rather lengthy, but very good if you are interested in looking further into the dangers of the teachings by Kenneth Copelend.     
 

My Direct Personal Plea to Kenneth Copeland – YouTube 

There are many self-proclaiming prophets who are on television.  Sadly, what they “prophesy” does not come true, and yet they continue on, like nothing was wrong with what they said.  What did Jesus say about this?   

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22-24, KJV)

A Response to Modalism

A Response to Modalism

I mentioned in my previous devotion about the concept of Modalism being new to me.  As I watched one of the videos in the previous devotion, it was still hard for me to fully understand the error of what they were saying.  That is why I searched for something I could read on the topic.  The deception is so hard to catch because they say it so smoothly!  As I dug in a bit deeper on the concept of Modalism, I wanted to share what I learned in hopes that it will also help you to better understand why it is a heretical teaching.  I hope it will also equip you to be able to dialog with others about it.

In the article I linked in the previous devotion, they gave a very simple example of what Modalism is.  God the Father is represented in the Old Testament, Jesus Christ is in the gospels, and the Holy Spirit is the One who is active since Jesus returned to heaven.  According to Modalism, they cannot all exist at the same time.  

We only need one Bible verse to prove the heresy of this belief.  However, I came up with three verses to dispel this belief.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26, ESV, emphasis added)  Who is “us” and “our?”  If only God the Father was active at that time, He would have said, “I am going to make man in My image.”

16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and the saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17, NASB)

In the above verse, we see Jesus, who is being baptized.  Next, we see the Holy Spirit, descending on Him as a dove.  Finally, the voice of God the Father speaks, calling Jesus “His beloved Son.”  This is one more proof that obliterates the teaching of Modalism.

1 John 5:8 tells us there are three who bear witness on earth: the Spirit, and the water (God the Father), and the blood (Jesus), and these three are one.

I hope this helps you to understand the concept of Modalism and why it is so dangerous.

© 2022, Stacy R. Miller

Is Modalism Biblical or Heretical?

Is Modalism Biblical or Heretical?

I have been focusing on the false teachers whom I have followed.  Today, I want to talk about TD Jakes and Steven Furtick.  I read one book by TD Jakes.  I have only watched him a couple of times.  I have only seen Steven Furtick a couple of times, but it was enough to make me dig deeper into what he teaches.

This is a video that teaches the difference between Modalism and believing in the Trinity.  It is the first I have heard on this topic, and I found it quite insightful.

TD Jakes and Steven Furtick Affirm Modalism & Deny The Trinity – YouTube

Here is an article that discusses it in more detail:

Modalism: What is it? What are its tenets? Is it biblical? | carm.org

Modalism denies the Trinity. However, when Jesus was baptized, we saw the 3 equal parts of the Godhead. Jesus, the One being baptized. The Spirit descended on Him as a dove. God the Father spoke and said, “This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.”

TD Jakes also embraces many New Age philosophies, as well as the Prosperity Gospel.

The Truth About TD Jakes (False Teacher Exposed) – YouTube

Here are a few clips showing the heresy of Steven Furtick.

Steven Furtick admits he has doubts Jesus is the Son of God – YouTube

Steven Furtick Says He Is a God & Moses Was The I AM – YouTube

In this video, Furtick actually declares that he is God Almighty.  The whole clip is informative, but his declaration of being God is around 1:55.

Steven Furtick says “I am God almighty!” – YouTube

It is disheartening to see people like this speaking to huge congregations.  We are seeing the warnings of Jesus from Matthew 24 fulfilled right before our eyes.  Many are being deceived and led astray.  

Oh Lord, let this be an impetus for us to dig deeper into the Word so we know how to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Amen.

© 2022, Stacy R. Miller

What Would You Call Them?

What Would You Call Them?

What would you call someone who said that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah?  Think about it for a minute before moving to the next paragraph.

Would you call them a heretic or a false teacher?  I think both of those words would be appropriate.

The person I mention today is someone I followed for years.  I watched his TV shows, taking notes on many, if not most, of his sermons.  We bought the complete package on a topic that made him very rich back in 2014, but I digress.

The person I am speaking of can come across as biblically sound, if you don’t closely test what he says against the Word.  You only need to hear about 25 seconds to pick up on a couple of really big errors.

Pastor John Hagee Denies Jesus As Messiah – YouTube

In the story of the woman at the well, she told Jesus “I know Messiah is coming.”  Jesus responded by telling her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:25-26) More examples of where Jesus admitted He was Messiah/Christ are found in Mark 14:61-62; Matthew 16:16, 17, 20; Luke 24:25-27.

This video covers some more disturbing things about the teachings of John Hagee.

The False Theology of John Hagee – YouTube

I remember watching him when he was talking about the blood moons.  We also bought the complete package on that topic.  He made millions off this topic alone, selling over 390,000 of the books by 2014.  As I watched him preach on this topic, I was intrigued, but I was also disturbed by it.  It was like he was trying to work up the congregation when he would yell, “Something is about to happen!”  The way he said it came across like he was intimating that the Lord was coming back — you could tell it by the excited responses of the congregation.  While he wasn’t “date setting,” it still gave me an angst in my spirit.  If the blood moons were actually a sign of anything, I would have to say it was the judgment of God.  Our world has seemingly spiraled out of control in the last few years.

So back to my original question — What would you call someone who said Jesus never came to be Messiah and/or never claimed to be the Messiah?  I would call them a false teacher.

Beware of John Hagee.  While 90% of what he says may be truth, the other 10% can be spiritually deadly.  Sadly, this is how it is with most false teachers.  That is why we must test their words against the Word of God.

© 2022, Stacy R. Miller

Are Healing Crusades Biblical?

Are Healing Crusades Biblical?

In continuing the series on many of the false teachers I used to follow, I want to focus today on Benny Hinn.  I used to be a huge fan of his, reading many of his books, and watching him on television nearly every day.  One book, “Good Morning, Holy Spirit,” stayed on my shelf for a few decades because I thought it was a really good book.

Now that I have become a Berean, I see some serious errors with Benny Hinn.  First, in the above mentioned book, the title alone is unbiblical.  Nowhere in scripture are we taught to pray to the Holy Spirit.  Rather, we are told to pray to the Father, in the Name of Jesus.

But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6, NASB)

Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven…’ (Matthew 6:9, NASB)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6, NASB)  The implication here is God the Father.

In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. (John 16:23, NASB)

Instead of praying to the Holy Spirit, we are commanded to pray IN the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, and do not quench the Spirit.  (Jude 1:20, Galatians 5:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:19)

Another thing that I didn’t connect until just a few years ago is the idea of healing crusades, which is what Benny Hinn was well-known for back in the 1980s and 1990s.  For healings to take place in the manner that Hinn would promote, he had to be walking in the gift of healing.  However, when looking at scripture, we see in 1 Corinthians 12:9 that it mentions the gifts of healings.  Notice the ‘s’ on gifts and healings.  As I studied this deeper, I learned that the ‘s’ means they are used as God wills.  So God is in control of when the gift of healing is in operation.  Just because you have that gift doesn’t mean it is always in operation in your life.  It is only as God wills.  So how do we explain the many miracle or healing crusades we have seen throughout the years?  Based on scripture, we can see they are not biblical.

Benny Hinn is also a prosperity preacher.

Benny Hinn False Prophet – YouTube

Notice in the above video, it mentions him saying we are gods.  This is a common teaching among the prosperity teachers.  I will address this in a later video.

Supposedly, he has repented of his false teachings.  I saw a few videos on this topic.  Since I quit watching him years ago, I don’t know if he stayed true to his repentance for preaching the prosperity gospel.

#FORGIVE ME FOR MY FALSE TEACHINGS ” -#PASTOR BENNY HINN – YouTube

Benny Hinn Admits Going Too Far With Prosperity Preaching, Says No More Private Jet – YouTube 

By sharing many of the false teachers I used to follow, my prayer is that it opens the eyes of people who are currently following false teachers, leading them to become Bereans — always searching the scriptures to see if what they are being taught is actually biblical truth.

© 2022, Stacy R. Miller

Coming Out From False Teaching

Coming Out From False Teaching

I attended an Assembly of God church for at least thirty years.  During that time, I got caught up in many of the popular teachings.  Because I wasn’t a true Berean at that time, I wasn’t studying to show myself approved (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15)  The scriptures give us a mandate to test everything. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)  This command includes testing prophecies.  John commanded us to test the spirits to see whether they are really from God. (1 John 4:1)  The implication here is that we must be well-grounded in the Word to be able to test and discern if a teaching is truly biblical.  

Though I knew a lot of the Word back then, I was naive enough to believe someone’s word as “gospel” simply because they came in the Name of the Lord.  However, scripture tells us that many will come in the Name of the Lord or as angel of light. (Matthew 24:5; 2 Corinthians 11:14-15) Sadly, being naive like that, I believed many of the popular, false teachers of that day.  I am still bearing some spiritual scars from those false beliefs becoming so deeply ingrained within me.  It is very hard to break those chains and that mode of thinking when you have practiced it for years.

I want to use my own personal experience in this area to show how critical it is for us to be Bereans, testing what we are told with scripture to see if it is actually true.  In this series, I am going to name the false teachers, sharing what they said, then comparing it with scripture, in hopes that it will show you how deceptive and sneaky they are with their tactics.

For those who feel it is wrong of me to bring up names, there are examples in scripture where Paul called false teachers by name. “…having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of who are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:19-20, NKJV)

“And their message will spread like cancer.  Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth…” (2 Timothy 17-18, NKJV)

Paul even called out Peter and Barnabas in Galatians 2:11-20.

“Take no part in unfruitful works of darkness, but rather, expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11, ESV)

I am going to start with a clip from many years ago.  I use this one because I remember watching it when it was on TV.  It is Suzanne Hinn, wife of Benny Hinn, who was very popular back then.  I remember thinking she was “off her rocker,” but seeing it again, actually makes me sick to my stomach.  You only need to hear the first 25 seconds to capture how vile this teaching was.

Suzanne Hinn – Holy Ghost Enema – YouTube

I will end with that video for today.  In coming days, I will show on more videos of false teachers, comparing their words against scripture.  I will be focusing on many whom I used to follow.  Sadly, I even taught some of the things they taught.  I am so grateful for the Lord’s mercy, forgiveness, and patience with me as He began to reveal to me the dangerous path on which I had been embarking.

© 2022, Stacy R. Miller