WORD

TO THE

wHYS 

 

With the usual back & forth, cut & thrust & occasional parry that accompany blogs such as this one, come the inevitable questions about why I’m doing what I’m doing & the true definition of what is commonly identified as discernment ministry. I have to say again, as I have said formerly, that what I write & publish on this blog is not a ministry per se. Neither am I a discerner. Rather, it is God’s Word that discerns. Scripture is the discerner & the truth of this engrafted Word must be received with meekness, because it & it alone is able to save our souls. (James 1:21). Biblical discernment is not for a few, but rather, it is the responsibility of all believers, everywhere, at all times. I’m reminded of words from The Book of Job, ‘For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.’. The writer of Hebrews states, ‘For The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.’ (Hebrews 4:12). Therefore, it would follow that if there were any discerning to be done, it will have to be done in the light of Scripture. This & this alone is the benchmark that has been set by God. His Word is the only reliable litmus test for those who will read, believe & apply it. His Word is forever settled in heaven (Psalms 119:89). His word is a lamp to our feet & a light to our path (Psalms 119:105) & I guarantee that the flame of His truth does not flicker in the way that some would have us believe. 

In many respects, those who follow mainstream Charismatic teachings coming out of The USA, believe that they have a higher regard for Scripture than the traditionalists & denominationalised they look down upon. They believe that they have revelation knowledge as opposed to the sense knowledge possessed by other believers. As I write this article in retrospect, I can see quite clearly that it simply does not matter who says what by way of objection. They are sold out to the word of faith system, no matter how faulty their tentative hermeneutic. 

This is one of the many, many problems with a non-exegetical experience led subjectivity. Simply put, it’s a very bad case of theological indigestion. 

When believers lend more credence to experience rather than the truth of The Scriptures, whether it be theirs or that of someone else, they’re on a path to trouble. What’s worse is the fact that those who advocate a non-exegetical experience led subjectivity, will always be careful to tell their devotees that they shouldn’t seek after an experience & then they proceed to lead them into an experience afterall. There is no true barometer, not in the biblical sense anyway. What has developed right under our noses is a gross caricature of The Church & this ethereal counterfeit, shamelessly masquerades as the faith once delivered to the saints, but, my dear brethren, I can tell you most sincerely that it is not. Our answers will only be found in The Scriptures. God’s Word is A Word to The Whys. 

In light of what The Bible says concerning error, I would ask my Charismatic friends & detractors to answer the fundamental questions being put to them. I answer their questions, but sadly they either cannot or will not answer mine. 

Much Charismatic rhetoric bears a quality that’s often found within the teaching of groups such as The Watchtower Society or the Mormon cult. It’s an otherness that only becomes apparent when examined in the light of a genuine orthodoxy. However, this otherness is very attractive. Be careful though. I’m not talking about comparing the teachings of men to a Church tradition. I’m talking about comparing said teachings to what Scripture actually says. I have often thought that at times it’s almost as if some leaders within the movement have deliberately courted controversy by actively kicking against the pricks of convention. This is then dubbed as revelation. 

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:10-11). 

The Bereans didn’t search the Scriptures in order to see whether those words Paul preached were there, they searched in order to see whether those things he preached were so. There’s a marked difference in that. 

It isn’t difficult to ask people to turn to certain places in their Bibles & read the words on the page, with no proper treatment of the passage or passages in question, except when it suits the individual preaching or teaching. Furthermore, with so many differing translations & versions available, it’s easier than ever to hop, skip & jump between readings & formulate whatever teaching you want to, whilst claiming that what’s being taught is biblical simply because the words were taken from a Bible. Such are the tactics of the pseudo-exegetes of our time. 

When it suits their purpose, they will use Greek or Hebrew. When it suits their purpose, they will examine context. When it suits their purpose, they will appeal to Church history. When it suits their purpose, they will find a Bible version, paraphrase or translation that says & supports whatever they want it to. When it suits their purpose, they will claim that The Lord has spoken to them audibly. This is an untenable, but all too common bad habit among Pentecostals & Charismatics. 

In this, I’m reminded of an old comedy sketch by Morecambe & Wise, featuring Andre Previn. Many in Charismatic & Pentecostal leadership are playing some of the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. However, what we face now is not a comedy sketch. It’s a tragedy. At a very basic level, what we have is a scenario in which man is putting words into the mouth of God. Brethren, these things ought not to be so. 

Over the years I have watched the leading lights within Pentecostalism & Charismania build upon the false foundation laid by false apostles & false prophets. Their chief corner stone is not The Lord Jesus Christ. Orthodoxy seems to have been shelved adjacent to a conveniently open window, out of which it has been deliberately & continuously nudged. Why? Because orthodoxy is boring? Because orthodoxy is so unfashionably last century? Because orthodoxy is associated with stuffy old scholarly men, whose insistence on a right division of God’s Word makes them the object of ridicule? Logical argument good, theological argument bad? 

When I see & hear what passes for exegesis nowadays, I flinch. My stomach turns with every twist & spin placed on God’s Word. Moreover, with each successive generation of men & ministries purporting to bring us a fresh & new insights from The Word, there are also countless others who shamelessly ape them. Because of this, I have asked a lot of questions. Because of this, there has been a lot of silence. 

The core doctrines of our faith are Apostolic. The Apostles received said doctrine from The Lord Jesus Christ Himself. However, with the popularity of certain men & certain ministries, parts of The Church have leaned towards the writings, recordings & beliefs of word of faith leadership & in this they have become almost Patristic. These heretics have become the new Church Fathers & they are making a comfortable living at it. Today we see doctrine being rapidly replaced by spiritual laws & principles that bear more resemblance to that which is found within metaphysical cults & mind science religions, than they do to anything found within Holy Writ. WHY? The answer is in The Scriptures. The Bible has A Word to The Whys. 

Of course, Charismatics & Pentecostals will claim that they are indeed adhering to The Word. Which word? Whose word? Those of my friends with whom I regularly speak about these things, spend more time filtering Scripture through the lenses their leaders provide, rather than coming to an understanding of Scripture itself, as it is. WHY? The Bible is revelation, yet my Charismatic & Pentecostal friends & detractors will contend that The Word in its written form is the basis for revelation knowledge. There’s a less than subtle difference between these two statements, but I recognise its source. For them, God’s Word isn’t revelation knowledge per se, but rather it contains it. I’m less interested in what certain men have to say about Scripture & more interested in what Scripture itself has to say, particularly when the aforementioned regurgitate demonstrably false teaching & notable heresies. 

It is a sad indictment that those who claim to know & hold to the truth, are too lily livered to stand against this onslaught of falsehood. Among Charismatics & Pentecostals however, the sufficiency of Scripture has been side-lined in favour of so called revelation & this is a dangerous substitute for what God has already said. If it is indeed the case that The Word in its written form is only the basis for revelation knowledge, there is no need to study it. It will not matter what the original languages state, what history accords or what context The Scriptures are in. Why? So called revelation rises above & beyond these things, apparently. The ramifications of this belief & its tendency to take people beyond Scripture is an enormous danger. God’s Word has the answers. The Bible is A Word to The Whys. 

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds (Hebrews 1:1-2). 

Nowhere in Scripture do we find the prescribed & primary teachings of movements such as the word of faith, unless we’re being warned concerning them. Despite the claims of certain men in certain ministries that Martin Luther’s revelation concerning the just living by faith, began a restoration of a lost truth to The Church, there is no evidence to support this. Others, such as The Waldensians, The Lollards & The Hussites, held to a belief in new birth & believer’s baptism. Faith in Christ alone for salvation, apart from works, yes. Faith as a spiritual force released through words that have creative power, no. Yet multiplied millions believe these things to be true. WHY? Fundamental doctrine is officially old hat. WHY? Because we have moved away from Scripture. God’s Word is A Word to The Whys. 

Be careful brethren, because much of what we believe to be & have been taught emphatically is meat, is not. I don’t believe that it actually qualifies as milk. Beyond this, a significant portion of the blended, spoon-fed teaching that drips from the teats of much of modern Charismatic & Pentecostal ministry, is nothing more or less than formula. I mean this quite literally. All of it comes, of course, at a price & for your love gift of any amount, you can have it. 

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry (2^nd Timothy 3:16-4:5). 

The Bible has the answers. Scripture is A Word to The Whys. The words of men, however, have come to dominate & muddy doctrinal waters. Why? A supreme lack of proper biblical leadership & scriptural discipleship within The Church has given rise to a myriad of satellite & para-church ministries, all of which are claiming to preach & teach The Word. They travel the world, constitute broadcasts on radio & television, transcribe their sermons into books & produce glossy magazines. They encourage you to partner with them, to follow them, to believe them & of course, they encourage you to donate. What a sweet deal. There’s no need for you to read or study God’s Word, because they will do all of the hard work for you. All you have to do is sit back, relax, press play & drink it all in. Why?  

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not (2^nd Peter 2:1-3). 

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11). 

We’re very good at wanting the love to abound, but we’re rubbish when it comes to knowledge & judgement, or discernment. These are not mutually exclusive elements of our walk with God & if we are not spending time with God’s Word, or being taught it correctly, we lay ourselves open to error & heresy. Our discernment begins & ends with The Scriptures. 

The revelation knowledge that’s so eloquently harped on about by popular figures in Charismatic & Pentecostal leadership, is nothing more than a subtle mixture of lies & mysticism. It isn’t the faith once delivered to the saints. It is what I like to call, Gnostianity. This is not what Scripture teaches. This is not the doctrine of Christ. This is not our Apostolic faith. We have to get back to The Bible. The Bible is A Word to The Whys.

 

copyright Ó by david Samuel Parkins mmxvii all rights reserved.

no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

 

P r e y

Without

Ceasing

prosperity mythology & the systematic robbery of the saints

 -2-

There are those in the ministry of The Church at large who love the people of God. Those who lay their lives down for their congregations, who labour in God’s Word & endeavour to feed the flock of God. They fear The Lord & take their call to service very seriously. However, there are also those in the ministry who bear none of these qualities whatsoever. They are wicked, lying, deceitful, false & self-seeking abusers of God’s people Scammers, who seem to hop, skip & jump their merry way through life without a care in the world. They’re getting away with crimes akin to murder. We willingly engage in attempting to name & shame groups like The Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists or The Watchtower when it comes to that which is false. We point out their doctrinal unorthodoxy & questionable orthopraxy without hesitation. Yet within our own ranks there are men who steal, kill & destroy. They are heretics. We tolerate them. We laud & applaud them. We fawn over them. We hang on their every word without a second thought & send them cash donations.   

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works (2^nd Corinthians 11:12-15). 

The Apostles Peter & Paul said some hard words to The Church & in this, I believe they took their lead from Christ Himself. Jesus said to His disciples, ‘..Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?’ (John 6:70). Lord, is it I? Lord, is it I? He told His disciples quite clearly, ‘..Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me’ (Matthew 26:21). Lord, is it I? Lord, is it I? He informed Peter that ‘..this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice’ (Matthew 26:34). I can just imagine the chorus of protests, but Jesus was right. Hard though it was for those men to hear, He said it & what’s more, He said it to their faces. Lord is it I? Lord is it I? Lord, will you stop verily-verilying & just tell us, please!! 

Of course, Mr. Iscariot knew full well what he’d arranged in return for thirty pieces of silver, but he donned his cloak of maliciousness & joined in with the other disciples anyway. ‘Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.’ (Matthew 26:25). Don’t tell me that men of this ilk don’t know that what they’re perpetrating & perpetuating, is pure falsehood. They know & Jesus knows. Like Judas, they’re in it for the money & they make a fair show in the flesh. ‘But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived (2^nd Timothy 3:13). 

When Paul was leaving Ephesus, he called the Elders of The Church to him & gave them an impassioned speech, saying, ‘For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them’ (Acts 20:29-30). That isn’t an off the cuff remark. There were men who were right there, listening to Paul speak. Men who knew that he was speaking about them, but they hugged his neck before he left, they kissed him & patted him on the back all the same. They were chomping at the bit, waiting for him to go so that they could attend to their own agendas. 

Just like The Lord Jesus Who had said, ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.’ (Matthew 7:15-20), the Apostle Paul speaks the truth to these Ephesian elders & he speaks it to their faces. He gives them an I told you so statement for reference, then lo & behold, when The Lord Jesus Christ Himself drops them a line in Revelation 2, it seems that some of the elders had taken Paul’s strong words of Apostolic admonition. 

The Apostle Peter gave no quarter either. He had heard The Lord speak those words concerning false prophets & told The Church quite clearly, ‘... there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.’ (2^nd Peter 2:1-3). Lord, is it I? Lord, is it I? Peter is telling it straight as he writes his epistle, inspired by The Holy Spirit. 

Despite these & other warnings given to us in God’s Word, some still find ourselves dazzled & hypnotised by men & women who make extravagant claims to & even more extravagant demands of us. Just like Judas, it seems that everything comes down to money. Do you want to be blessed? It’ll cost you. Just sow a seed! Do you want to be healed? It’ll cost you. Just sow a seed! Do you want the latest revelation? It’ll cost you. Just sow a seed! Do you want to be a part of what God is doing? It’ll cost you. Just sow a seed! Go to the ‘phone with your credit card details & it’s all yours! 

Do you know what it means to be viewed & treated as a mere commodity? Do you know what it is to be viewed & treated as little more than a means to an end? If you have fallen for the myth of the prosperity message, you do indeed. 

The topic of prosperity is a biblical one. It’s biblical in that Scripture contains references to it. However, does The Bible teach us that God will bless us financially in return for our giving money? Does The Bible teach us a law of prosperity? No, it does not. If we listen to some proponents of that message today, we will have another impression though. We will be told something completely different to that which Scripture actually says. These men & women preach & teach a false gospel. They are greedy dogs who are never satisfied & they will lie to you in order to tease money out of your pocket into theirs. Covetousness. Feigned words. Merchandising. 

This is their stock in trade & yet despite the wagging finger of God throughout His Word, hundreds, thousands & millions of believers fall for the rhetoric of these evil, seductive, deceitful workers. They fall for it hook, line, sinker, fisherman, boots n’all. 

I really like what Paul says to the Corinthians in his second epistle to them. He tells them straight, declaring, ‘…what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion…’ (2^nd Corinthians 11:12a). What was it that the Apostle was doing & was determined to continue doing? What was the occasion or opportunity that he wanted to ‘..cut off..’ from the infamous ‘..them..’ he refers to? This theme is threaded throughout his epistle. This appears time & time again as he hints at, alludes to & then bluntly points these individuals out as false apostles, deceitful workers & ministers of satan himself. How unloving & judgemental of Paul. I had another look at what the Apostle stated before making his statements in verses 12-15. 

Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things. Have I committed an offense in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.  (2^nd Corinthians 11:1-11). 

It’s after these statements that Paul says ‘..y’know what you Saints down there in good old Corrie, I love you lots & I do what I do & will continue to do what I do in order to chop the legs out from under those lot you’ve been giving your tithes, offerings, time, attention & energy to, so that they end up even as we are..’. Extremely bad paraphrase, mine. 

Those who we listen to more readily that we do to God ordained leadership, are not jealous over us with a godly jealousy. They are not. It’s my opinion that Paul said the same things that he’d said to the Ephesian eldership, to every church he established; ‘..guys, as soon as I’m out the of here, I know that there are going to be wolves sniffing around the door & some of you are going to go nuts too..’. Again, the extremely bad paraphrase is mine. He spoke to the Galatians concerning another gospel. Here, he admonishes the Corinthian saints concerning another Jesus, another spirit & another gospel. Didn’t they stop to check out who was teaching & what was being taught? Didn’t anyone ask questions? Didn’t they remember anything Paul had said? Even today, folk can hear truth in the morning, heresy in the evening, but cannot tell the difference. 

Paul reiterates what his manner of life had demonstrated & it is diametrically opposed to that of the so called super apostles who had swept through town, captivating the hearts & minds of those willing to listen. Where are those who will swing the crosier in order to fend off predators today? Where are those who will oversee their flocks & see off internal power struggles, or see the wolf coming & stand to defend the sheep instead of running like a cowardly hireling? It is a travesty, an indictment, a shame & a disgrace that there seem to be more wolves than ever, attempting to steal, kill & destroy & fewer shepherds than ever, who will jealously guard the flocks over which The Lord has made them overseers. 

Paul continues to pour his heart out, saying, ‘..I won you to Christ, I won you for Christ. You lot are in danger of becoming a bunch of nutcases & going down the same road as Eve if you allow yourselves to be deceived by the devil into abandoning the simplicity that you’ve found in Jesus. Why do you put up with these idiots who preach such demonstrably false claptrap..’. Yes, the paraphrasing is shameful, I know. 

Paul continues, ‘..when these blokes come along teaching & preaching another completely different Jesus, another completely different spirit & another completely different gospel, y’all willingly roll over, nod away & put up with it. Goodness me, what’s wrong with you? I’m not in any way, shape, form or fashion inferior to those flimsy charlatans & even though I might be a bit rough in the way I speak, there’s nowt wrong with what I know & teach..’. By the way, when Paul refers to these men as ‘..the chiefest apostles..’, it isn’t a compliment. 

Just stop & think for a moment. Stop & think about what The Holy Spirit is saying through Paul to the Corinthians & to us by extension. The very same thing has happened in our day & age because we’re just as foolish. Because of our itching ears, we like to hear new things. Doctrine is so boring & study is so inconveniently time consuming. Prayer is so labour intensive. If only there were some way of simplifying the whole process so that we didn’t have to put as much time & energy into everything. 

Before you & I know it, we’re reading books & watching DVDs by popular teachers, with popular teachings, offering their keys to unlocking the things of God & steps to guaranteed success. All of these principles are available for a love gift of any amount. Just go to the ‘phone or pop your money into an envelope & God will bless you thirty, sixty or a hundredfold. Covetousness. What’s even more distressing is the fact that we’re blinded to their avarice by our own! We drift away from sound, biblical Doctrine & we begin consuming the detritus of men & women who simply don’t care for the flock of God & see The Church as a means to an end. 

Most of these people couldn’t run a hotdog stand outside in the street, but they can readily employ theatrics, wax lyrical & drizzle their eloquence in order to rinse a few quid out of the you & I. Feigned words. Lies. Paul tells The Church at Corinth, ‘..we’re not like those lot, we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.’. 

He then goes on to catalogue the difference between himself, a true Apostle & those others; the super apostles. He says, ‘..have I done something wrong by going without so that you can be lifted up & so that I could preach the Gospel to you for nothing? I feel as if it was robbery to accept money from churches just so that I could continue serving you & even when I was there & needed stuff I didn’t raise an offering. As a matter of fact, the guys down the road in Macedonia sorted me out, not you. I didn’t give anyone a bill. No one reimbursed me. I wasn’t a burden then & I never will be. Hand on heart, no one is going to top me or stop me blowing my trumpet because of my track record. Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows I do!’. 

The super apostles then & the false teachers now, are exactly the same. They are diametrically opposed to true Apostleship. They exalt themselves, they don’t preach the Gospel freely, they’re chargeable to all men wherever they go. They don’t consider it robbery to take their extortionate wages or exploit their compensation packages. Indeed, they view it as a right & a privilege. They are a financial burden, because when the money slows down or stops coming in altogether, it’s you they reach out to. Their dear friends & dear partners have to bail them out. Why don’t they practise what they preach? If what they teach & preach is true, they ought to believe God instead of sending out begging letters & making appeals for cash. Why don’t they sell their houses & downsize? Why don’t they sell their aircraft? They’re making merchandise. 

After saying all of that, Paul quite clearly makes his statement, telling the Corinthians that he does what he does & will continue to do what he does, in order to remove opportunity from those who seek the opportunity to equate themselves with true Apostolic ministry. Sadly, there are few who will do this today. We bear with these fools & suffer their insufferable deceits gladly. We give them occasion. We believe their boasts with no proof whatsoever of their validity & we give them our money. As long as we allow ourselves to be victimised, lied to, robbed blind, manipulated & deceived, these people will continue to prey without ceasing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

copyright Ó by david Samuel Parkins mmxvii all rights reserved.

no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser