Have Faith In

GOD

 (based on conversations I have had with professing christians)

-part five-

 

what faith isn’t:

(or so the bible says)

One of the most important lessons I have learned since leaving the word of faith movement is this; verses strung together from The Bible do not automatically qualify a teaching as biblical. We’re told in the book of Job, “For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.” (Job 34:3). The Apostle John tells us, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1^st John 4:1). Luke records Paul’s words to the elders in Ephesus, where the Apostle says, “ Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 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. Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:28-31 a).

Not least of all, we have the words of The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” & “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”(Matthew 7:15 & Matthew 10:16). These verses are just a few examples of the warnings that we are constantly given throughout Scripture concerning the diligence we are exhorted to employ in the pursuit of truth & doctrinal purity. Without these biblical parameters, we will quickly run into trouble & often into things much worse.

¹ 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. ² And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. ³ 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).

Are truth & doctrinal purity the aims of the word of faith movement? Leaders may say that it is, but I see no evidence in support of that. Is the propagation of The Gospel the objective of the word of faith movement? Followers may say that it is, but I see no evidence in support of that either. Does the word of faith movement exist to perpetuate itself, enrich its leaders & swell its numbers? Leaders & followers alike will sing out a resounding no, but I have to say yes, based on biblical evidence, personal experience & current observation.

The word of faith mindset is dissident. Although the entire movement itself cannot be accurately identified as an independent cult, it certainly bears similar psychological & emotional tendencies. These inclinations have permeated ministries, churches & even whole denominations. It happily drifts beyond accepted orthodoxy & turns into what I’ve come to describe as christianity plus. These things will be packaged as new perspectives or variations on themes. This is what has happened to our simple, innocent, childlike trust in God. It was pumped full of metaphysical steroids & it has morphed into a creature that is unrecognisable as the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude v 3).

Why don’t we revisit Hebrews 11 to find out, if nothing else, what faith isn’t. Is it a creative force, used by God? Is it a spiritual principle to be adhered to for guaranteed success? Is it an ethereal power released by words that are believed in the heart? Let’s look.

I always recommend that folk read the first ten chapters of the book of Hebrews before they dive into chapter eleven. The writer is speaking to a group of people who were considering going back under the law. Given the content & subject matter, some of the recipients of this epistle may even have been priests who had become disciples. However, this particular point is solely a matter of my own personal opinion. Luke tells us, “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:7).

“The author states it repeatedly. He urges the Jewish Christians to hold fast the confession which they have made in Jesus as Messiah and Saviour. Their Jewish neighbours have urged them to give up Christ and Christianity and to come back to Judaism. The Judaizers tried to make Jews out of Gentile Christians and to fasten Judaism upon Christianity with a purely sacramental type of religion as the result. Paul won freedom for evangelical and spiritual Christianity against the Judaizers as shown in the Corinthian Epistles, Galatians, and Romans. The Gnostics in subtle fashion tried to dilute Christianity with their philosophy and esoteric mysteries and here again Paul won his fight for the supremacy of Christ over all these.. But in Hebrews the author is battling to stop a stampede from Christ back to Judaism, a revolt (apostasy) in truth from the living God. These Jews argued that the prophets were superior to Jesus, the law [that] came by the ministry of angels [&] Moses was greater than Jesus, and Aaron than Jesus. The author turns the argument on the Jews and boldly champions the Glory of Jesus as superior at every point to all that Judaism had, as God's Son and man's Saviour, the crown and glory of the Old Testament prophecy, the hope of mankind. It is the first great apologetic for Christianity and has never been surpassed.”

The Epistle to The Hebrews, Word Pictures in The New Testament by A. T. Robertson A.M., D.D., LL.D., Litt.D.

³² But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; ³³ partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. ³⁴ For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. ³⁵ Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. ³⁶ For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. ³⁷ For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. ³⁸ Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. ³⁹ But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:32-39).

¹ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

In chapters one to ten, the author details the superiority of The Lord Jesus Christ to the prophets; to angels; to Moses; to the sacrificial system; to the sabbath; to the priesthood. These things had been foregone by the Hebrews in order to embrace Christ as Messiah.

They had been warned “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:28-30). With these truths in view, the writer goes on into what we call chapter eleven.

Please forgive me for unceremoniously bursting the first of several bubbles here, but I have to tell you that Hebrews 11:1 is not a definition or explanation of the nature of faith as a law or as a force. It is a declaration. It is a summary of what these believers had done in accepting Jesus as their Messiah, just as others had before & would in future. Faith is the substance or underpinning of hope. Faith is not a mystical superpower that gives materiality to our hoped for desires in order to bring them to fruition.

The writer of the epistle frames the things hoped for quite clearly. “And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Hebrews 3:5-6). & “And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:” (Hebrews 6:11).

¹⁸ that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: ¹⁹ which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; (Hebrews 6:18-19).

¹⁹ For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God (Hebrews 7:19).

Prominent word of faith teachers have opted to use a secular definition of the words substance & evidence, instead of simply allowing the text to do what it does best, all by itself. They will emphasise the words substance of things & evidence of things, which interrupts the continuity of the narrative & turns it in another direction altogether. Faith is therefore connected to things. Material things. Ethereal things. Things just beyond the grasp such as healing or prosperity. The law or force of faith draws these things to you & brings them into possession. Hope, we are told, is future tense. It is like a dream because it is immaterial. It has no substance. Faith, it is said, is present tense. Faith is now. It takes the inconsequential quality of hope & makes it substantive, bringing it into reality. This is not what the text is saying at all. The writer is driving home the truth that these believers have placed their faith in Christ & that their faith underpins, supports & platforms the hope that is within them (1^st Peter 3:15).

Remember the words of Paul to the Romans, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans 8:24-25). Faith is the basis & conviction of our hope. It is not a metaphysical law or force that was used by God, or can be used by anybody else. The Lord inspired this epistle to canonise the finished work of Christ, His cross & their dominance over all that had gone before.

The greatest danger that I can see is this; word of faith teaching seeks to establish who the believer is & what they can do, rather than substantiate Who The Lord Jesus Christ is & what He has done. It is all about Him; it is not about us. the sooner we realise this, the better.

² For by it the elders obtained a good report (Hebrews 11:2).

It strikes me that few have stopped to ask which elders the writer is referring to here. This is partly because the word of faith devotee is usually swept away to verses in the book of Numbers, which state, “And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:32-33). There you have it. An evil report is the opposite of a good report. These people had a poor image of themselves & that is why their report was evil. It was not a confession of faith. However, this is a leap of logic & what we have said about that; just because an argument is logically sound does not necessarily mean that it’s theo-logically sound. It isn’t enough for a teaching to make sense. It has to be true. It has to be so (Acts 17:11). Herein lies the rub.  

The good report that is spoken of in Hebrews 11 is not solely to do with those who went & spied out the land of Canaan. Read the rest of the chapter & you will see this. Instead, it is a commendation that The Lord gave to those who believed in Him. They obtained a good report. The same commendation these Hebrew believers would receive. “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40).

The writer is not making a statement about the power of the force or law of faith. There is no such thing. Instead, it is an encouragement to remain faithful just as God has been faithful. The good report they obtained from The Lord was a Divine attestation. We will come to see the importance of this.

³ Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3).

This verse has been the subject of much wrangling. It has been suggested that this is proof positive that God created the universe by using His faith; the God kind of faith. This is not so & by paying attention to what is actually said in the text, we will skilfully avoid a series of serious errors.

The Bible does not say that the worlds were framed by faith. Remember how the writer began this epistle, with the words “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; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Hebrews 1:1-3). Hold on, we’re not done. The writer of Hebrews continues speaking of Christ, quoting The Psalms & Isaiah, saying, “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;  and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” (Hebrews 1:10-12).

¹ In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. ² The same was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3).

¹⁶ for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: ¹⁷ and he is before all things, and by him all things consist (Colossians 1:16-17).

Christ as The Father’s agent in creation, as His Word in the mouths of the prophets who foretold His coming. Faith in Christ as The Governor & Divine sustainer of all in the created order. This is The Messiah the Hebrews had come to trust & believe in. The undisputed, undefeated, heavyweight King of Kings & Lord of Lords. The Alpha & Omega. The Beginning & the end.

³ knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. ⁵ For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: ⁶ whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: ⁷ but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2^nd Peter 3:3-7).

Put to bed, the ridiculous notion that our eternal omniscient God needed faith. He is almighty. His agent in creation was His Word & that Word is Jesus Christ, King & Messiah. That is what the Hebrews & we by extension understand by faith. Scripture shows us this conclusively. God did not use a confession of His God kind of faith to speak creation into existence & there is no way that our tiny minds can possibly comprehend The Godhead at work in the formation of the universe we are still endeavouring to explore. Let’s stick to what The Bible says & avoid what it does not. Faith is not a law. Faith is not a force. Faith is our response.

⁴ By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh (Hebrews 11:4).

The Genesis narrative tells us [that] “..in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.” (Genesis 4:3-5).

Cain brought a meal offering & Abel brought an animal offering. Notice this; The Lord had respect to Abel as well as his offering, not just the animal sacrifice he brought. The text continues, “And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” (Genesis 4:6-7). It was not just the offerings these men brought before The Lord; it was also their lives lived before Him.

Far from showing Abel wielding the awesome power of the God Kind of faith, or enhancing a spiritual law, Scripture is demonstrating that Abel’s life was attested to By God Himself. He obtained witness that he was righteous. His brother planted produce & wasn’t necessarily there continually tending to what he had deposited. However, Abel would have been with his flocks constantly (Proverbs 27:23). Cain murdered his brother in what I can only imagine was a fit of Jealous rage (Matthew 5:22) & Abel’s blood cried out to God from the ground that it was seeping into (Genesis 4:10). The blood speaks. Jesus testified of him, calling him & his innocent blood righteous (Matthew 23:25). Yet, in the presence of God, the Holy & Precious Blood of The Lord Jesus Christ speaks for all who believe in Him (Hebrews 12:24). The writer of this epistle is encouraging the Hebrew believers to remain faithful to Him who had called them, obtain the witness of God & have their gifts attested to because they please Him.

⁵ By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. ⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:5-6). 

I’m reminded of the words of Jesus, Who said, “..No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62). The Hebrews were in danger of this. If they abandoned their faith, cast away their confidence & drew back, they would not please God. The elders pleased Him & He testified to that. His creation pleased Him because He said that it was good & His Word, Who is Christ pleased Him & he attested to that also (Matthew 3:17). Abel pleased Him & He bore witness to this. The Hebrews are being encouraged to do the same, by faith. So now we come to Enoch. His walk with God was a walk of faith. The text isn’t saying that Enoch was somehow so proficient in his use of faith that he simply crossed over into the next life. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24). There is something more theological here. Remember the writer’s admonition in the previous chapter. “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” (Hebrews 10:37). The faithful Hebrews & all believers by extension, can look forward to being caught away, as Enoch was in a type, when Christ returns. Enoch pleased Him. He had that testimony before God took him. The writer reproved the Hebrews to do the same. Faith is not a force. Faith is not a law. Faith is a lifestyle.

 

 

End of Part Five

 

 

 

copyright © by david Samuel Parkins mmxxv all rights reserved.

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   Have Faith In

GOD

 (based on conversations I have had with professing christians)

-part four-

 

what faith means:

(or so they say)

 

Have you ever heard of the irresistible force paradox? If an immovable object meets an unstoppable force, something’s got to give. At least, that’s what Frank Sinatra sang. The construction of modern word of faith teaching presents faith as both an immovable object & an  unstoppable force. Indeed, Paul tells Corinth & us by extension, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1^st Corinthians 15:58) & again “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.” (2^nd Corinthians 1:24). Is this what faith means? Our word of faith friends will tell us that it is, but in our eagerness, haven’t we missed some vital aspects concerning a true & living faith in God, in Christ & in His word?

Not least of all, we must return to The Scriptures afresh. Because if our view of our God, The Lord Jesus Christ & His Word are wrong, we will soon find ourselves in uncharted waters & there is no telling what those waters are infested with. Take heart weary reader, this will not take long. Rather than conduct a long & drawn out forensic examination of word of faith doctrine, we can simply take a biblical sledgehammer to it. Word of faith rhetoric is paper thin. It is a mile wide, but mere millimetres deep. It is highly unstable & dangerously incendiary. But it continues to insinuate its way into the main body of christian doctrine & casually rub shoulders with orthodoxy all too easily. Only in The Millennium can we expect to see the wolf & the lamb laying down together, yet this deadly set up & state of affairs occurs every time false doctrine remains unchallenged with The Church. The lamb may believe it’s raining, but in reality, it is the drooling of the wolves surrounding it.

Before we attempt to go any further, we need to recognise the role that we have played in this scenario. If there weren’t individuals like us, prepared to believe what’s being taught, our situation would be very different indeed. At a very basic level, the problem we began with was a concerning lack of biblical literacy on our part. I didn’t say that the Bible wasn’t being read. I didn’t say that The Bible wasn’t loved. I didn’t say that The Bible wasn’t believed. I’m saying that a proper biblical exegesis wasn’t being viewed as a vital part of our discipleship. As I stated previously, in our first meeting on this subject; the ill-informed & the ill-prepared [are] equally susceptible to the attractive propositions offered by word of faith mythology. Faith teaching [fills] the vacuum created by our ignorance. With little or nothing in the way of strong, orthodox, biblical theology to compare it to or combat it with, many of us blindly followed the instructions given to us on the tin of Charismatic goodies.

At the inception of The Church “..they that gladly received [Peter’s] word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:41-42). The Apostles taught the people what Jesus taught them. That was their doctrine. Their instructions from Christ were “ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:” (Matthew 28:19-20a). We seem to have strayed from the path. But who has led us awry? Whose drumbeat did we march to? Whose pied piping made us dance? I’m glad you asked, so I’ll tell you.

Men & women in the ministry were claiming to have been gifted with supernatural & superhuman abilities, granted to them by none other than The Holy Spirit Himself. Men & women waving their hands & their coats, displaying their amazing spiritual powers, one of which seemed to be making a whole heap of cash. These heroes of the faith & their exploits rivalled those of men & women in Hebrews chapter eleven. Well, every champion needs an origin story. How does a person go from being a mild mannered & simple individual, to a superhuman or supernatural powerhouse?

Perhaps a sickly man or woman is dramatically healed of their terminal disease in a demonstration of God’s miraculous power & is then called into the healing ministry, being commissioned personally by The Lord Jesus Christ Himself in a series of glorious visitations? Is this what faith means?

Perhaps a deeply poverty stricken man or woman receives direct revelations from The Lord concerning principles for prosperity & they somehow manage to use these universal laws that have been revealed to them, becoming rich beyond measure as they effortlessly manipulate the power of their apparent blessing? Is this what faith means? 

Perhaps a prayerful but powerless man or woman, seeking The Lord about their apparent inadequacy, finds themselves overwhelmed by tangible currents of something akin to electricity & from that moment forward, they are infused with a power or ability that they did not possess previously? Is this what faith means? 

Whichever way we may choose to cut it, we have the same circumstance constantly & consistently repeating itself within parts of the modern Church. The leading actors of the word of faith movement begin at the other end of the scale to their present embodiments. They who were weak are now supernaturally strong. Is this what faith means? They who were poor are now unequivocally rich. Is this what faith means? They who were sick are now healing dynamos. Is this what faith means? How do they claim to have achieved their status? By faith, of course. Is this what faith means? 

You will be promised that you can be the same as them if you listen to, follow & obey their instructions. Before you know it, the doctrine of the Apostles, which they received from Christ Himself, is the furthest thing from your mind. Instead, you’ll find yourself eating up every word that proceeds from the mouths of these teachers. With your newly found faith you’ll be able to turn stones to bread, conquer kingdoms & realise your own godhood. What a very sorry state of affairs we have found ourselves in. 

If you’re reading this article & you are on this unbiblical treadmill, you must seriously consider what you’re doing & what you’re believing. I remember reading book after book, attending service after service, watching video after video & listening to cassette tape message after cassette tape message, in which the pursuit of the God kind of faith was the primary objective. At the time, I was convinced that that was the only way forward, but I later discovered that I was very, very wrong. 

We have to look again at the shaky foundations of this movement. We have to look again at the pattern that exists, at present, among those in the Bible-twisting-confession-claiming-believing-coat-swinging-arm-waving-kicking-punching-slapping-blowing-barking-howling-rolling-word-of-faith contingent of The Church. 

During my tenure within charismania, there was a lot of teaching & preaching. There were a multitude of books & articles written. There was an assortment of special meetings convened, all themed around the subject of the faith message. However, in typical charismatic fashion, solid biblical exegesis was very thin on the ground unless it served the preacher’s purpose. Not that that mattered to the majority of ministers, ministries or those being ministered to. Everyone wanted revival & a tremendous move of The Holy Spirit. Of course, we were told that in order for us to be an effective part of that wave, move or restoration, we would have to be taught about the law or force of the God kind of faith. So, where did we begin? We started with some so called specialists. In they came, brandishing their particular & peculiar set of knowledge & skills. We were told their origin stories, their personal experiences. They taught us their interpretation of The Bible. They laid their hands on us for divine impartation. They left with pockets full of our cash, smiling as they did so. They did it all by faith, of course. We clung to the grindstone, pressed in & worked the word. 

“Do not become discouraged because the truth [as they teach it] does not dawn on your spirits all at once. But keep meditating on the facts of [their interpretation of] the Word. The more you meditate on that which is written [in their many overpriced & heavily plagiarised books], And the more you meditate on that which is said [by them about God’s Word] as one shall speak under the anointing and the inspiration of the Spirit, then little by little it will become real to you. And as on the inside of you, in your spirit, in your inner man, it takes shape and form [said no Scripture anywhere!], it will reshape your own spirit, until you'll no longer be a weakling, spiritually, [what a pity The Lord slipped up when He told Paul “ ..My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness..”] but you shall become strong, and be able to stand, and do the works the Lord has called you unto, and rule and reign and dominate in life, as a king by Jesus Christ. So do not turn away [buy more of our overpriced & heavily plagiarised books] even because you do not fully understand or see [because there’s actually nothing there]. But let your mind be open and your spirit be receptive [remain highly suggestive & deeply impressionable] and say thou, "O blessed Holy Spirit, unveil the truth unto my spirit [which He has already done in the closed canon of Scripture], that I may stand in the fullness of the provision of my Father, For He is my Father [because I have His DNA?]. I love Him and He loves me." And so you will become that which He has ordained that you should become [a little god?], and rise up to the level of the full privileges, and rights, and authority, and dominion of a [Branhamite manifest] son of God. Rejoice and be glad, and speak forth the Word of Faith [y a w n]. Speak unto those circumstances that have you bound. And command them to leave, and so you shall be loosed. Speak unto the storm that appears on the horizon of your life, and say, [y   a   w   n] "Peace be still," and there will be calm. Learn what [we say] is yours, and act upon it. And it shall become yours in reality. Thank you, Lord Jesus!

Prophecy given by Kenneth E. Hagin October 19, 1980, RHEMA Bible Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma (emphasis & parentheses added)

These & many other so called words from The Lord form the backbone & the parameters within which word of faith teaching takes root, grows & eventually blossoms. It is only when one steps outside of this framework & views it in the pure illumination of The Scriptures, that its cracks appear. Until then, word of faith doctrine is a false light. To the uninitiated, the sales pitch is subtle. The product is attractive. The cost appears to be minimal. It’s all about you, even though it ought to be all about him. However, in an abstract, backward & roundabout way it becomes about him, by being about you, because you’re exactly like him. Poor old God. He just can’t tell the difference between you! Remember that “..as he is, so are we in this world.” (1^st John 4:17b). We’ll ignore the sixteen & a half verses before this one, as well as the four after it.

“God made man His understudy [chapter please?]. He made him king [verse please?], to rule over everything that had life. Man was master [not a servant son?]. Man lived in the realm of God [no, he didn’t, he lived on the Earth]. He lived on terms of equality with God [no, he didn’t. Man would have to possess every Divine attribute for that to be true!]. God is a faith God [no, He isn’t. God alone is God]. All He had to do was simply say, "Let there be light" (Gen. 1:3), and there was light [yes, because He is Almighty!]. God created everything except man by speaking it into existence. He's a faith God [I refer the gentleman to the response I gave moments ago]. Now, God made man a faith man [Genesis 2:26?], because man belongs to God's class [in a classless society?]. A faith man lives in the creative realm of God [so what did man create?]. This is the end of the weakness message [never heard that one]! Man lost his place by high treason against God. He lost his dominion over all the works of God's hands. He lost his dominion in the fall. With the fall went his dominion over his spirit and soul [what about his body?]. But, my friends, if one is a thinker or a student of history [or incredibly naive], one knows universal man has ever yearned for the return of his lost dominion. Here's one of the most tremendous facts we have to face: There never has been a primitive people found upon the face of the earth who have not yet yearned for dominion [like the nazis?]. Not a single primitive people has been found who did not have a golden past where they had dominion, and a golden future where dominion was going to be restored [yep, just like the nazis]. That is the tradition of universal man.”

Kenneth Hagin Copyright © 1981 RHEMA Bible Church, AKA Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved (emphasis & parentheses added)

Forgive me, but it is only when these things are viewed in the cold light of day, they can be seen for what they really are. Riddle me this; what is the success v failure rate among those who embrace these doctrines & practise them? Balance that against those who embrace these doctrines & teach them. I’ll give you three guesses which way the scales tip. Not your way or mine, but theirs. What are their reasons or excuses for their triumphs & our tragedies? Well, we’re obviously not using the right kind of faith. Apparently, there is sense knowledge faith & revelation faith. The human kind of faith & the God kind of faith. If you use the wrong type of faith, you’ll fail. However, if you learn how to use the right type of faith, you will become like God Himself, but with a little ‘g’. Like Christ, you’ll become [an]  “..absolute Monarch of the laws that govern the Universe.”

“Faith has never been given a square deal by the Church [then surely very few have ever been born again & even fewer please God], yet it has given birth to all of man's greatest achievements. Woolworth had faith in five and ten cent pieces and left behind him a fortune of $60,000,000 and stores at every crossroad. Ford had faith in a low-priced automobile that every man could afford to buy [two examples from the world of business do not prove the point, after the fact. What about Nikola Tesla? What about Thomas Edison? Oh no, they had failures didn’t they]. Faith is the greatest element in advanced civilization [then why haven’t they managed to cure the common cold!]. As human faith gives birth to such achievements in the natural realm, so the believer's faith in the Father and His Word gives birth to spiritual achievements [for instance?]. The preacher who has faith in the message that he is giving, finds that the Word produces faith results in the hearts of the men who hear him [if his teaching is correct]. He has faith in the Word, that God is in it and back of it [if his teaching is correct]. He has faith in humanity, that it will respond to the thing he is giving [his faith should be in God & in The Gospel, if that is indeed what he’s preaching]. He has faith in Love, the Jesus kind of Love. He believes it is the solution of every human problem, and the family that practices love produces the highest type of Christian character [not read much church history then, eh?]. It was a great day in my own life when I discovered that God was a Faith God [He isn’t]. I knew He was a Love God [He is]. I Knew He was a Righteous God, an Omnipotent God, an Omniscient God [He is]; when I found He was primarily a Faith God [found this how?]I saw that it was natural for us, as His children, to walk by faith.”

The Two Kinds of Faith Copyright © Kenyon’s Gospel Publishing Society 1981 (emphasis & parentheses added)

Is this really what faith means? I say again [that] we must return to The Scriptures afresh. Because if our view of our God, The Lord Jesus Christ & His Word are wrong, we will soon find ourselves in uncharted waters & there is no telling what those waters are infested with.

²⁵ But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster (Galatians 3:25).

The word of faith movement has thrown down the gauntlet. Its claims to superiority, dominance & authority are truly unfounded. Now that we have faith, we no longer need the old schoolmaster of the law & its traditions. Neither do we need the complexities & entanglements of a proper theology, because The letter killeth (2^nd Corinthians 3:6). Interestingly enough, those who denounce a formal theological education will scramble to use the title Dr. or Ph.D & plaster the moniker everywhere they can, with every given opportunity. We’re encouraged by them to freewheel our way through The Bible, ripping the text out of all reasonable context, claiming revelation knowledge & insight into biblical principles. Now that faith has come, we can take our place as supermen & do exploits. Is this what faith means?

¹ Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; ² but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. ³ Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: (Galatians 4:1-3).

Apparently, The God kind of faith will move us from the place of spiritual childhood into maturity. Until we do this, we will never enjoy the rights & privileges that we’re entitled to. We will be held back by our old schoolmasters & their tutelage, never rising up above the elements of the world, by faith of course.

⁸ But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; (Romans 10:8).

If the chief promoters of the word of faith movement are correct in what they teach & preach, the world should be a very different place. The dominion decreed; the power desired; the prosperity declared, should have swept through society in a whirlwind of revival. But these things have not happened. There are popular preachers with huge ministries & mega churches, all promoting their books, programming & conventions. They all claim to preach the word of faith & live by its principles, but they do not.

In our next meeting we will conclude by going full circle & examining the basic, faulty premise that this movement has as its foundation. With close to half a billion people claiming to be of the charismatic persuasion, why are there so few for whom it works? The success stories are at the top, yet these same people do not practise what they preach. If it isn’t good enough for them, doesn’t that tell you something? Furthermore, doesn’t it make you wonder & ask the question; is this what faith really means?

 

 

 

 

 

copyright © by David Samuel Parkins mmxxv 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

 

 

Have Faith In

GOD

 (based on conversations I have had with professing christians)

-part three-

 

what faith does:

(or so they say)

 

The face of western christianity is changing rapidly. This is nothing new & it didn’t begin yesterday. It’s happening nevertheless. Neither will it stop anytime soon. These agents of transformation are not amoral or neutral. They are deliberate & they are definite. Perhaps the most visible & audible of these changes has been the word of faith message & the movement that has grown up around it. Gone are the days of itinerant nondescript ministers, who were few & far between, visiting church fellowships as gifted speakers, with their new & unfamiliar doctrine. Some of these teachers drew enough of a following to start their own churches & organise their own conferences, dedicated to their particular system of beliefs. Others founded their own institutions & seats of learning. Christian schools. Bible colleges. Universities. Hospitals. Some pioneered radio & television stations.

If we were to ask these individuals how these things were done & by what means they were accomplished, what would be their answer? Was it more luck than judgement? Was it acumen or expertise? Was it drive & charisma? Was it blind ambition? In my opinion, it’s a subtle mixture of all of those elements, coupled with some opportunism. However, I can almost guarantee that despite my belief, their answer will be something like this; we did it all, by faith. With a little humility, of course. “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith” (Romans 5:17).

On the surface, there isn’t a problem with anyone claiming this, if they mean a biblical trust in & obedience to The Lord. However, given the evidence that the word of faith movement has supplied to us & to the world, it would not be unreasonable to conclude that they mean the use of the law or force of faith. They mean the God kind of faith. Their faith conquered. Their faith overcame. Their faith dominated. It developed & grew from a mustard seed into a mountain moving phenomenon. Afterall, don’t forget [that] “…If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”. (Mark 9:23).

As we follow the narrative of a robust & powerful faith, cutting a swathe through every challenge that it faces, like a hot knife through butter, we may become excited & encouraged. Can we really expect to win every battle, triumph in every circumstance & overcome every obstacle, as we fight the good fight of faith (1^st Timothy 6:12)? Is this what faith does? Apparently so, or so we’re told.

The force of faith, when used correctly, allows the believer to swashbuckle their way through life & emerge victorious every single time. Faith is our evidence. There is no defeat, because there is no failure in God. There is no lack, because there is no insufficiency in God. There is no disease, because there is no infirmity in God. A couple of questions ought to arise here, but they’ll be mown down with a conveniently misinterpreted verse of Scripture. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1^st John 5:4). The God kind of faith doesn’t stop to think, ask questions or take a breath. You couldn’t stop such an irresistible force, could you?

For every endeavour of faith that we’re told about, there has to be a word that the man or woman of faith has heard. Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). You’d be hard pressed to find verses of Scripture that specifically promise the projects, aims & ambitions that word of faith leaders use their faith to achieve. So how does their God kind of faith work under these circumstances, if faith comes by hearing? They must have a different kind of word.

In our New Testament there are two words translated ‘word’. One is logos (loggos), which is the written word. The other is rhema (rayma), which is the spoken word. This is much simpler than it sounds. However, when it’s taught by certain parties, it can appear that one is superior to the other. If I see you in the street and say ‘hello’, that is a rhema word because I spoke it to you. However, if I left you a note saying 'hello’, that is a logos word. Inevitably, prominent word of faith teachers have told their congregants, listeners, adherents & students that The Lord said something to them. It may have been an audible voice. It may have been a personal prophecy. It may even have been a vision or trip to heaven & a full blown conversation with The Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Either way, it conveniently circumnavigates the need to supply Scripture as proof that what they’re doing is biblical. Based on what they claim The Lord had said to them, they then applied their faith, confessed it with their mouths & received the desired results. We won’t mention the subtle solicitation of donations from faithful followers, the compulsory purchases of ministry materials or the fees often charged for teachers to make personal appearances.

Of course, any word of faith proponent will say that we’re not to seek experiences, but rather, stick to The Word. This is reverse psychology. If the follower has similar encounters to the leader, they feel just as spiritual & equally as powerful. It also reinforces our belief in the means & methodology we’re being taught. Let me give you a couple of examples.

“Rhema Bible Training College began with a quickened word spoken by my dad, Kenneth E. Hagin. When Dad received the mandate, "Go teach My people faith", that was a rhema word to him of what to do in ministry..[Hagin Jnr continues]..I often heard him pray, "Lord, how am I going to get this message out? I'm just one man." His answer came during Campmeeting 1973. Dad said under the inspiration of the Spirit, "We're going to start a Bible school!" When he said that, I had a rhema word inside of me—Lynette and I were to help Dad start the school. Those rhema words gave the direction of how to get the faith message out and fulfil the mandate..[because there are no verses or passages concerning starting Bible colleges]..Dad didn't want to put his name on the school. When we discussed what to call it, he suggested "Rhema" based on a message Roy Hicks [a fellow minister & personal friend of the Hagins] taught at Campmeeting. We chose the name Rhema Bible Training College because it is purpose driven, not personality driven. And it's still not personality driven! It was founded on the principles of the infallible Word of God, learning how to be led by the Spirit, and knowing the authority of the believer—while zeroing in on the practical aspects of ministry.”

Kenneth W. Hagin Copyright © 2024 Kenneth Hagin Ministries  (emphasis added)

It’s commendable that Kenneth E. Hagin ‘didn’t want his name on the school’, however, the church attached to Rhema is also known as Kenneth Hagin Ministries. They must have forgotten to remove his name from there. Our next example is in the same vein.

“In his long career as a religion peddler, [Oral] Roberts claimed to talk directly to God and Jesus. In 1963, he built his Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma after he said God instructed him to do so. In 1977, Roberts had a vision of a 900-foot Jesus who told him there was an urgent need to erect the City of Faith Medical and Research Center. Roberts raised the funds for the hospital [$250,000,000], though it didn’t stay open long [from 1981 to 1989]. In 1983, God again contacted Roberts to tell him that he wanted him to find a cure for cancer. No such cure has been reported. In 1987, Roberts reported that God was threatening to call him home [who did this guy think he was?! Moses?! Exodus 4:24-26] unless his followers forked up millions so he could maintain his [ego driven vanity project] fundamentalist empire. Though he was criticized heavily for using that tactic, the faithful came through and donated what he needed.

by Tommi Avicolli-Mecca, 2009, Beyond Chron (emphasis added) 

It’s interesting to me that a famous healing evangelist was sanctioned to find a medical cure for cancer. Why didn’t The Lord simply heal the disease. Nevertheless, that was the rhema word that Oral Roberts laid claim to.

Of course, we’ll be told that even a word from The Lord will not benefit us unless we mix it with faith (Hebrews 4:2). There are however two primary dangers here. We will begin to ignore the importance of God’s written Word. We will also begin to interpret the written Word in the light of these supposed rhema words. If any of this sounds vaguely familiar, consider the oral tradition of the Pharisees.

They revered Moses, but happily set him aside in favour of their man-made oral traditions. The Lord Jesus lambasted them for this; “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” (Mark 7:9). This is not what a wholesome & biblical faith does. But it is all too common throughout the word of faith movement. Whatever the leader says, is the true interpretation. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21). Be careful. Speak life, not death, because you’ll have what you say. Really? Is that what this verse means? Well, it does if Dr. so & so with his bought doctor-of-divinity-degree says that is what The Lord told him. Bypass the correct interpretation because someone wants to sew his theology together, like the fig leave leaves of old.

The faith of the word of faith movement is willing to ignore Scripture despite its plain reading & accept random interpretation as revelation. “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;”. (2^nd Corinthians 4:13).

The God kind of faith is a law or force that is fuelled by the words of the movements leaders, not by God’s Word.

Despite their rhetoric, these teachers are not interested in you or I pursuing the truth of The Scriptures, but rather, their interpretation of it. This will be reinforced by a berating of bonafide theologians & even insisting that The Lord Jesus Christ Himself had appeared to them, saying, “..Sometimes your theology needs upending..”. If indeed The Lord Jesus had appeared & said that, He was right, because their theology is dead wrong.

This also means that faith teaching & everything associated with it has redefined what is scriptural & what is not. With a huge concentration on The New Testament & an over spiritualisation of The Old, word of faith teachers are forced to twist every text they choose, into something unrecognisable. Let me save you some pain & anguish reader. The Lord is not going to honour something that He did not promise in the first place. In reality you’re not actually exercising faith at all, never mind the God kind. However, I do believe that The Lord has compassion on the ignorant (Hebrews 5:2). Trust me, I have been there.

Whether you view your glass as half full or half empty, the truth is that the receptacle has been deliberately over engineered. You’re so close to getting your breakthrough. Like Peter, you’re encouraged to step out in faith because you have a rhema word. Like the disciples who had toiled all night & caught nothing, at Christ’s word they dropped their nets on the other side. Like the man born blind, who when he was told to, went & washed in the pool of Siloam. The list goes on & on until sooner or later, there you are. The word of faith movement is teaching that you & I can use the law or force of faith arbitrarily. This seems to have more in common with what could be classed as enchantment than anything else. The Bible becomes a spell book. The Name of The Lord becomes a magic wand. Followers become sorcerer’s apprentices.

These leaders act as if they’re in a Marvel Comics movie, with super-powers & special effects. In reality, their performances are more akin to The Wizard of Oz, with the brainless, the heartless & the cowardly, leading the clueless!

The most important element in the word of faith system, is ensuring that adherents are in the constant, endless cycle of mining Scripture for promises, making verbal confessions & then believing that they receive. Once you’re aboard their treadmill, you feel as if you’re going somewhere even though you are not. Movement & progress are not the same thing. All you need is a regular shot in the arm.

“Think of having faith in your own faith! Think of the thrill of having your own prayers answered!.. This should be the normal experience of every one of you.. Your faith may be developed until it becomes a mighty force. That was the dream of the Father for you. The Word will build up your sense of righteousness. I know of nothing that is needed more than this. When we become conscious that we are righteous, we will not think of our weaknesses and failings.. The effect of righteousness on your heart is a new quietness and a new type of faith.. You know that you are a master of circumstances. You know that you are a master of demons. You have moved out of the restless atmosphere of fear and doubt, into the quiet waters of victory. You have become a master where you served as a slave. You are a conqueror where you suffered defeat. You walk in the light where you walked in darkness. He is not a subject, a slave. He has passed out of that class into the class of a master. They no longer walk as natural men. They belong to the love class, the miracle class. They are in the Jesus class. They have graduated from the lower class. They are the men and women who have attained unto the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, and have become full-grown men unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. They have their own faith. They are established in the truth. The Word is real to them.” It's all about YOU!!

Identification - E. W Kenyon (emphasis added)

*Although I will speak more about E. W. Kenyon later, I remind the reader that there is a reasonable review of him, his teachings & his influence on word of faith doctrine put forward in part in our article ‘Betrayal: A Clarion Call to The Faith Once Delivered’, published in this blog, in March of 2016.

Because of the nature of word of faith teaching, its extremes & the extra biblical claims it makes, there are two serious elements up for our consideration. These are, a radically over realised eschatology at best or full blown heresy at worst. Sadly, it would seem that these two constituent parts have merged somewhat & this mixture is highly volatile. When you tell an individual that they are in God’s class of being, that they’re exactly like Christ & possess Divine DNA, that is dangerous. When you tell an individual that their words are as powerful as God’s when spoken in faith, that they’re little gods & that they can literally have whatever they say, it is unsafe. When you tell an individual that their god-like faith gives them dominion, makes them like God & allows them to be everything that He Himself is, that is heresy & blasphemy. Yet these things are taught. They are believed. They are confessed. They are practised. As well this, our word of faith friends will wheel out the usual suspects as proof positive that they are correct in their assertions. Apparently, this is what faith does.

²⁵ And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, ²⁶ and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, ²⁷ when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. ²⁸ For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole (Mark 5:25-28).

⁴⁶ And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimeus, the son of Timeus, sat by the highway side begging. ⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁸ And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁹ And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. ⁵⁰ And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. ⁵² And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way (Mark 10:46-52).

⁸ And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked: ⁹ the same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰ said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked (Acts 10:8-10).

The faith of the word of faith movement stretches back to man in creation for its image of dominion. It spans & scans both testaments, picking individuals who seem to have embraced it & utilised its power. Let me try to explain, while attempting to keep a straight face.

God demonstrated the proficiency of the God kind of faith in the beginning, didn’t He? He spoke faith filled words & created everything didn’t He? He trained men how to use the God kind of faith, didn’t He? He taught Abel, the elders & Enoch the principles of faith, didn’t He? (chortle).

Abraham learned how to be strong in faith, didn’t he? Joseph realised his dreams & brought them into reality by faith, didn’t he? Moses defeated Jannes & Jambres, then parted the Red Sea by faith, didn’t he? Using the law of faith David demolished Goliath with a stone from his sling & separated the giant’s head from its shoulders with the big man’s own sword, didn’t he? (snigger).

Then apparently, we had a masterclass in the proper operation of the force of faith from The Lord Jesus Christ Himself! He laid aside His deity & entered the human race, didn’t He? He lived for thirty years, learning to use the God kind of faith, didn’t He? After His baptism & temptation, Christ began ministry as a man anointed by The Holy Spirit & armed with faith, didn’t He? He constantly demonstrated this as He healed the sick, cleansed lepers, opened blind eyes, cast out demons & raised the dead, didn’t He? Finally, as His crucifixion approached, Jesus gave His disciples [& us by extension] the key to & secret of the law or force of faith, didn’t He? (titter).

²² And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ²³ For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. ²⁴ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them (Mark 11:22-24). 

After decades of these things being taught concerning faith, how much progress have they actually added to The Church or to the cause of Christ & The Gospel? The leaders of the movement have fared very well indeed. They will claim that their designer clothing, expansive properties, high end automobiles, executive aeroplanes, expensive jewellery & reams of cold hard cash, are a testament to them having learned to use the law of faith successfully. All of this is put forward as a testimony of what faith does, but in reality, it is a clear statement of man’s attempt to become a super-hero. To have faith in God, is one thing. To have the God kind of faith, is quite another.

 

 

End of Part Three

 

 

 

 

copyright © by David Samuel Parkins mmxxv 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