| | Issues and Controversies | In addition to our Statement of Beliefs, the following represents an alphabetical list of my thoughts on, understandings of, and positions concerning, various issues, teachings, doctrines, and controversies. Disclaimer: Reasonable people can disagree. I fellowship with ministers that I respect who disagree with me on some of these issues. For the purpose of this list, I just call 'em as I see 'em. Additions are made to this list as my time permits: | -A- Authority, Spiritual God occupies the position of ultimate spiritual authority. After Christ's resurrection, the Lord said that " . . . All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Mat. 28:18 NIV). Therefore, all spiritual authority is exercised by Christ and through Christ. Yet Christ compared himself to a man taking a far journey, and delegating authority to his servants to use until he returned: "For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch." (Mat. 13:34). I believe there is a solid scriptural argument to be made that all Christians walk in a certain amount of spiritual authority that is delegated to them by Jesus Christ. " The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV). However, I do not believe this delegated spiritual authority can be exercised promiscuously, or at will. I believe this authority is powerful, effective, and unstoppable ONLY when it is exercised in prayer within the guidelines of God's will as expressed in Scripture. For instance, the prayers of a genuine healing evangelist can bring healing to multitudes, but not to everyone. Some are healed, and some are not. Although I believe it is God's will for all to walk in healing and health, if healing prayers or power could be exercised at will, then all healing evangelists would have 100% success in praying for the sick. Since no healing evangelist has 100% success, clearly no healing evangelist is able to exercise healing power at his own will. Genuine spiritual authority, in my opinion, can be exercised only in within scriptural limitations. Spiritual authority operates in a manner similar to the operation of spiritual gifts--working only as the Holy Spirit wills: "All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." (I Cor. 12:11). In other words, you can exercise spiritual authority only in instances in which what you are asking is clearly scriptural, and if and only if you have the leading of the Lord to do so. | -B- Branham, William Based on what I have read from materials about William Branham by Gordon Lindsay, Kenneth Hagin, and Roberts Liardon, I believe that Brother Branham began as a genuine prophet sent from God. I believe his gift and anointing was real. I have spoken with people who knew Branham and his ministry well. One person said that as long as Gordon Lindsay managed Branham's ministry meetings, Branham stayed true. Brother Lindsay was very protective of Branham. Lindsay surrounded Branham with sound men of God. For instance, when Branham would preach a series of meetings in the evenings, Lindsay would schedule F.F. Bosworth or T.L. Osborn to preach sessions during the day. As long as Branham was continuously exposed to sound doctrine and scriptural preaching, it reinforced the same in Branham, and his teachings and revelations remained pure. Once Lindsay's own ministry grew to the point that it required his full-time attention and he left Branham's ministry, Branham began going downhill. His "revelations" and teaching became unscriptural and bizarre, and within a few years he died discredited and disgraced. I believe a Christian can be blessed by viewing for instance Roberts Liardon's "God's Generals" video of Branham. It provides a balanced presentation of the strengths and weaknesses of William Branham. It gives a video clip of Branham's prophetic gift and we can learn by observing this gift in operation. But I warn people in the strongest possible terms not to read Branham's later books and writings--they are full of slivers of truth mixed with tons of error and confusion. Some ministers who sat under William Branham seem to me to have inherited portions of his spiritual mantle. Unfortunately, most of them also inherited his extremes. | -C- Confession--Positive/Negative I believe in "positive confession" only in a very limited sense. I do not believe that human words contain power. There is only one power, that is, the power of God. He releases His power as He sees fit. I do not believe that human words have creative power. Nor do I believe that we can "speak things into existence." I believe that it pleases God when we have a positive outlook on life. We should speak positively of His limitlessness and of His presence being with us in every difficulty. I believe "positive confession" works only in the sense that it helps us remain in an attitude of trust and faith towards God. Positive confession helps us to remain focused on believing in His absolute wisdom, faithfulness, and ability to heal us, provide for us, protect us, and deliver us in every situation. I reject the concept that human beings can, at will, release God's power through their own words. However, I believe that when a Christian is living uprightly, adhering to sound doctrine, and speaks out a command in faith, sometimes God will sovereignly choose to release His power as though the words were His Own. But such close collaboration between a human and the Almighty God, as you see in the ministries of the Apostles and Prophets of the Bible, requires a walk of great humility, uncompromising holiness, and stedfast obedience to scripture. Additionally, the person giving a command of faith must be commanding something that not only agrees with Scripture, but also agrees with God's specific will for the situation involved. These two criteria, must also be accompanied by God's SPECIFIC leading. If any of these criteria are missing, then the "command of faith" will produce results that are sporadic or none at all. | -D- Dominionist Theology This is an error built upon the proposition that before Christ returns, believers will develop into an extremely advanced state of spiritual authority and power. Thus empowered, Christians will overcome all sicknesses and put all of the works of the Devil under our feet. Dominionists believe that even whole governments will be taken over and run by the righteous. Fruther, adherents to Dominionist Theology claim that modern-day apostles will create some sort of world-wide spiritual government that will purify the world and the Church to the point where the Church will be "without spot or wrinkle." I see no scriptural basis for this teaching, and I flatly reject it. Dominionist Theology goes by a number of other names including Kingdom Now, and Manifested Sons of God. Divine Healing Divine healing is the recovery from, or healing of, any of a wide range of medical problems, health conditions, sicknesses, diseases, genetic defects, injuries, etc., due to the supernatural intervention of God. Divine healing, which I believe is an entirely biblical concept, is an act of God's grace which sometimes comes in response to a person's faith or trust in God for healing. However, divine healing also is sometimes initiated entirely by God, with seemingly little or no faith of the individual involved. I believe a person can approach God for physical healing based on promises in scripture such as "ask and it shall be given you," and "Whatsoever ye shall ask the father in my name, He will give it you." Many times, as we place our stedfast faith and trust in the Lord, He will respond by an exercise of His healing power. I do not believe that divine healing is in the atonement. Nor do I believe that perfect healing and health is already accomplished fact at Calvary. I believe that healing comes, as does salvation and all other blessings of God, by faith through grace. Divine Health Proponents of "Divine Health" claim that every believer can experience absolutely perfect health from the cradle (or from the moment they are born-again) to the grave. They believe that believers who place their faith in God for Divine Health need never experiencing sickness, disease, or medical problems of any kind. I believe that through a combination of diet, exercise, obeying the scriptures, and trusting God, believers can be largely free of sickness and disease. I know of no Pentecostal, Charismatic, or Word of Faith preacher in the last 100 years who ever attained a state of "Divine Health." In fact, by listening to various preachers for the last 30 years, I have noted that many who preach Divine Health, have been unable themselves to walk in it. Please understand that as I mention these people by name, I do not intend this as a personal attack on anyone. Nor do I question their integrity. However, I believe facts speak for themselves. And I believe we need to live in the realm of reality. For example: - Kenneth Copeland has spoken on several occasisons of suffering for decades with severe back problems which caused him sometimes to cancel healing meetings in which he had planned to pray for the sick. During those decades, can we truthfully claim that he walked in "divine health?" He has also mentioned being afflicted with another persistent condition.
- Gloria Copeland, according to Kenneth, has a medical condition that was never healed inspite of repeated prayers, and years of "releasing her faith." She now keeps this condition in check by taking a nutritional or vitamin supplement. I note also that she wears eyeglasses now when reading her Bible as she preaches in healing meetings. While wearing glasses, and controling a condition through vitamins, can we really say this is a woman who walks in "divine health?"
- Kenneth Hagin Sr. was indeed healed of a heart condition as a teenager, and he enjoyed decades of mostly good health. However, I have been told by people close to him that he had several "heart episodes" over the years in which his heart gave him trouble and he had to seek medical help. Thankfully, he believed God and was eventually healed or he recovered from these "episodes." But is this "divine health?" Other members of the Hagin family have experienced various bouts of sickness, including cancer, and Craig Hagin--Brother Hagin's grandson--had to have a brain tumor surgically removed, even though the Hagin's had prayed and claimed his healing.
- Betty Price, Fred Price's wife, had surgery for colon cancer, and as I recall, she also had a hip joint replaced at the same time.
- John G. Lake, a mighty man of God and a strong believer in healing, lost his wife at an early age due to sickness. I believe he also lost a second wife to sickness.
- Smith Wigglesworth suffered with a long season of passing kidney stones. And Rev. George Stormont--who knew Wigglesworth for years--claimed that Brother Wigglesworth made it a practice to put his patent leather shoes on in the morning, and to never take them off until he prepared for bed at the end of the day. Smith explained his practice to Stormont stating that he did so because if he took his shoes off during the day, "I might catch cold." Thus did this great man of faith readily admit that he was capable of experiencing sickness and disease. If you will click on this link, you can listen to Brother Stormont tell the story in his own words.
- R. W. Schambach, has laid hands on multitudes of people and seen them healed, but suffered with heart problems and had to have bypass surgery some years back.
- Jack Coe died in his mid-30's from an attack of polio.
- A.A. Allen died in the prime of life due to cirrhosis of the liver.
- Oral Roberts preached healing, but also experienced numerous health problems over the years including a heart attack. Sometimes he was divinely healed of these afflictions. Sometimes recovery came only as the result of medical attention or even surgery.
- Charles and Frances Hunter have experienced a number of medical problems and surgeries.
The list literally goes on, and on, and on. Please do not misunderstand me! I do not question at all the integrity of any of these ministers. All of them are men and women of God whom I believe had (or have) valid ministries. My point is this: None of them can legitimately claim to have walked in the Divine Health that some of them preach. That is, entirely free from all sickness and medical conditions. When pressed, some of these individuals will admit, "Well, I've walked in Divine Health for years--except for [some other disease or condition]." But Divine Health, by definition, is the absolute absence of sickness or disease. These may have experienced God's healing touch many times, and they may have been in good health, but none of these have walked in actual Divine Health. In serving as a pastor, I have seen many instances in which the claims of ministers walking in "Divine Health" has done great damage. Specifically, it sets an impossibly high standard. Then when a believer walks with the Lord and becomes sick, he is devestated. He believes that he has failed God, or that God has abandoned him. Some even think that God doesn't love them as much as He loves this or that minister. Believers experiencing sickness can come under condemnation. Some even stumble so badly that they turn away from believing God at all for Divine Healing. I find no scriptural support for the teaching of Divine Health. Nor can I find anyone who has ever experienced it. | -E- Elijah List The "Elijah List" is an internet website that claims to be a source for prophecies from Christian prophets. I would be thrilled if I could read the articles and prophecies on this list, and endorse at least the majority of them. Sadly, I cannot. God was very gracious to me in preparing me for prohetic ministry. He opened a door for me to learn directly from a genuine prophet who stood the test of time, namely Sister Goodwin. Then the Lord brought me over into prophetic ministry, and I have operated in a pure prophetic anointing for over 20 years. I also know several individuals who have long-established prophetic ministries that are scriptural and pure. Prophetic ministry is not a theory to me. It is a fact. I am grieved when I read the articles and prophecies presented on the Elijah List. Almost none of it bears any similarity to genuine, and scriptural, prophetic ministry. I recommend that believers avoid this website. | -F- Five-Fold Ministry I believe that the "five-fold ministry" of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers have continued from the days of the Early Church to today. (Ephesians 4:10-12). I believe however that the Apostles and Prophets of the Early Church served in a function that is no longer true of Apostles and Prophets today. Namely, they were the foundation layers of the Church, along with Christ being the Chief Cornerstone. (Eph. 2:20). In the days of the Early Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ was fully revealed, the Body of Christ was established, the canon of Scripture was completed, and thus the "foundation" was laid. Apostles and Prophets today do not write Scripture, and their visions and revelations are not to be considered equal to scripture. Their teachings and actions are not beyond questioning. Apostles today remain "foundation layers" not by establishing new doctrine, but by laying the foundation for new churches and ministries to be built in areas of the world or of society in which the Gospel has never before fully taken root. To this end, I believe God grants signs, wonders, and miracles to accompany the ministries of apostles (and to the other offices of the 5-fold ministry). Having said that, I must also add that I believe that false apostles and false prophets greatly outnumber the real ones in our day. Many of these false apostles and false prophets simply have taken these titles to hype their own ministries and to stroke their own egos. Most operate in no real spiritual power. However, numerous Christian ministers claim to be apostles and prophets. But by their teachings and actions, they show that they are false ministers, not true ones. These individuals do indeed show forth impressive "signs, wonders, and miracles" sometimes, which indicates a supernatural inspiration to their ministries. I believe such individuals are false apostles and false prophets who ignorantly work miracles through "the Spirit of Error" (I John 4:6), and receive revelations through "seducing spirits." (I Tim. 4:1). I do not believe in, and refuse to be a part of, any attempt to establish some sort of world-wide Apostolic and Prophetic hierarchy that would seek to dominate the local church and the Body of Christ. | | -G- | -H- Hagin, Kenneth (Sr). I believe Kenneth Hagin Sr. was a genuine minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But I do not believe he was infallible. I believe his testimony of being healed from terminal conditions as a teenager. I believe his prophecies and visions were genuine spiritual experiences from the Holy Spirit. But I also believe these visions must be examined within the whole counsel of God as expressed in the Bible. In one vision, the Lord Jesus explained to Hagin that people could receive from God whatever they asked for, if they would: "Say it"--confessing the applicable promise of God. "Do it"--acting on that promise to the extent of their ability. "Receive it"--receive the manifestation of their prayer request. "Tell it"--share the testimony so others can be encouraged to believe. Do I believe this formula will work? ABSOLUTELY! I believe it will work in the very same way that Christ's direct words will work when he said, "Ask and it will be given you." However, there are three major qualifying restrictions on this promise. One, you can not ask in faith for God to give you something that is sin. You can not lust after another man's wife, and "release your faith" for God to cause that woman to divorce her husband, and marry you. Why? Because that is adultery. Actually, such a request ivolves at least three sins: adultery, theft, and covetousness. You can not use your faith to get God to give you sin. God does not have sin. If you want sin, you will have to go pray to the Devil--and he will give you plenty of sin. Two, you can not ask in faith for God to further your own disobedience. God does not bless disobedience. that are given to us in other portions of Scripture. As I understand his biography, shortly after his miraculous healing, Brother Hagin began preaching what came to be known as the "faith message." He preached his original faith message for perhaps the first ten years of his ministry. He became friends with the Rev. and Mrs. J.R. Goodwin in 1938, and the friendship became a lifelong one. I knew Sister Goodwin in her final years, and am close friends with the Goodwins' son, Dr. Charles Goodwin. From what I have been told by the Goodwins, I think I see Kenneth Hagin's "faith message" in a little bit of a different light than most people do. I make the case extensively in my article, "Kenneth Hagin's Two Faith Message Formats." But I will summarize the gist of it here. After Hagin had befriended J.R. Goodwin, and had been in ministry for several years, he encountered the writings of E.W. Kenyon. Hagin saw many similarities between Kenyon's teachings on faith, and his own. However, Kenyon's writings contained a number of teachings that had been known, and rejected by Wigglesworth, Howard Carter, and many other early Pentecostals. Dad Goodwin also rejected Kenyon's unique teachings. At some point, Hagin began adopting some of Kenyon's teachings, and presented them alongside his own. However, when he ministered for the Goodwins, he preached the "faith message" without the Kenyonisms. To me, this demonstrated the fact that the "faith message" is not dependant on Kenyon's teachings. I believe the Scriptures support the core teachings of Kenneth Hagin's original "faith message"--the message he preached originally, and at the Goodwins' church, which contained no Kenyonisms. I have included into my sermons certain principles from the Word of Faith message that I believe to be scriptural. I do not embrace the unique teachings of E.W. Kenyon. | | -I- | | -J- | -K- | -L- Laughing in the Spirit Proponents and opponents both will be unhappy with me, because both sides are telling only part of the truth: It is a historical fact that what we call Laughing in the Spirit occurred in numerous meetings throughout the First Great Awakening (1730 - 1740), and in the Second Great Awakening (1790 - 1840). This manifestation occurred frequently in meetings held by legitimate, orthodox ministers. Although this can be a genuine spiritual manifestation inspired by the Holy Spirit, it can also be psychologically induced. When Laughing in the Spirit is a genuine manifestation inspired by the Holy Spirit, it can bring refreshing and great blessing. I find no clear example in scripture of this manifestation. I believe if the Holy Spirit moves in this manner in a service, we should flow with Him, and allow Him to move however He desires to move. I believe servcies should be built around the clear preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and if the Holy Spirit moves in special manifestations, we should accommodate them in a decent and orderly way. I do not believe in attempting to conjure up Laughing in the Spirit or any other spiritual manifestation. Nor do I believe in "leading people into" this experience. Either God moves in this manner, or He does not. If He inspires this, then yield to it and accommodate it. If He does not move in this manner, don't try to conjure it up. I do not believe Laughing in the Spirit is a sign of great spirituality, of "yielding to the Lord," or conclusive proof of receiving a spiritual blessing. Nor when it occurs do I believe it is a sign of a ministry being "anointed." Only fruit borne over time is the proof of having truly received, and such fruit is also the only valid proof of the legitimacy of a ministry. Sometimes Laughing in the Spirit will come upon an individual after a season of prayer as a sign from the Lord that their prayers have prevailed, and thus serves as a sign to the believer that God is in the process of answering their prayer.
| | -M- | | -N- | | -O- | -P- Pensecola Revival I never attended any services in Pensecola during the revival. I visited a conference held at ORU in 1999 or 2000 held by John Kilpatrick, Steve Hill, Lindell Cooley and others from the Pensecola Revival. In the day meetings for full-time ministers, the team presented a scriptural message of revival, in what I believe was a humble spirit. In the evening public services, a clear message of Christ and revival was preached by Steve Hill. I saw nothing in the message or services that was out of order. I can not comment on manifestations people claimed to have witnessed at the church in Pensecola that hosted the revival--I did not see them. I went forward during an altar call in the meetings held at ORU by the Pensecola ministers. Hands were laid on me by volunteers, not by any well-known minister. I went back to my hotel room, humbled myself before God, and received a deep refreshing and renewal from Him. Receiving my prophetic anointing preceeded this conference by at least 10 years. I do not believe I received a gift, ministry, or anointing at this conference. I received however, a profound reviving in God. | | -Q- | | -R- | | -S- Spiritual Death of Jesus Christ A common teaching in our midst today is what is referred to as "Jesus' Spiritual Death," or "the Spiritual Death of Christ." The crux of this teaching is the idea that Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption by dying both physically and spiritually. Proponents teach that Jesus Christ accomplished part of our redemption through physical suffering on the Cross, and then by further suffering spiritually by dying, going to Hell, and suffering tormet at the hands of Satan for three days. Although I minister with, for, and among, individuals and groups that embrace this teaching, I do not believe this. Spiritual Warfare In a general sense, a Christian's walk is one of non-stop spiritual warfare. However, I find no scriptural support for most of the "spiritual warfare" teachings that are commonly taught today. We have no record of Jesus binding territorial spirits over geographical areas. We see Christ regularly praying TO God, but we never see him pray AGAINST evil spirits over cities, villages, or countries. Paul writes, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph. 6:12). Some interpret this to mean that we are to go on the offensive, and somehow agressively attack evil spirits in Satan's kingdom. However, we can find no example in Scripture of Christ or any apostle engaging in prayer combats against evil spirits other than those that were possessing a victim. Rather than offensive, I believe the spiritual warfare in which we engage is a DEFENSIVE one. Namely, God has given us His word, and Satan is constantly coming against us with temptations, deception, and other tools to get us to disobey God. I believe our warfare consists exclusively of choosing to obey God's word, and choosing to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual armor and warfare involves us rebuking and resisting the tools and wiles that Satan uses to try to talk us into disobedience to God. I find no Bible support for the idea that a Christian can "pull down [spiritual] strongholds." Spiritual strongholds can be pulled down, but this happens not by us "exercising authority" over them. Only God can pull down a spiritual stronghold, and He does so in our lives, in our ministries, and in our behalf, only as we continue obeying Him fully, walking in faith, love, and obedience to His word and to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Much of what is commonly done in supposedly conducting "spiritual warfare" through intercession, by "binding the devil," and in "exercising authority" over "principalities and powers," in my opinion, is nothing more than religious traditions based on ignorance of scripture. | -T- Toronto Blessing "Toronto Blessing" is a reference to the revival that broke out in John Arnott's ministry in Toronto Canada in 1994. I have never been to services at this church, or in meetings held by Rev. Arnott, and do not know him. In any revival men have the opportunity to inject their own thoughts and agendas. Although I believe there may have been a sliver of truth, and a certain amount of the Spirit of God, in the "Toronto Blessing," I must advise caution concerning services and ministries that trace their origins back to this revival. The "Toronto Blessing" deviated from scripture in a number of teachings and practices, and a number of erroneous teachings have come from individuals involved in this revival. | | -U- | | -V- | -W- Word of Faith The term "Word of Faith" refers to a movement started primarily by Kenneth E. Hagin. The movement is grouped around a set of concepts related to the believer's spiritual authority, how faith operates, and receiving answers to prayer from God. I agree with the core premise of the Word of Faith Message. Namely, God gives us many exceeding great and precious promises in His Word, and He invites us to believe Him for the fulfillment of them. I believe we should accept His invitation, and believe Him for every spiritual and earthly blessing He offers. However, in my opinion, a large part of the Word of Faith message is presented using theologically incorrect language and reasoning. I agree with theologian Derek Vreeland's opinions, expressed in his paper, "Reconstructing Word of Faith Theology." He states: Word of faith teaching is not a heresy to be obliterated, but a theologically premature movement that needs significant reconstruction. Word of faith theology is within the bounds of orthodoxy because of its historical roots in Holiness/Pentecostalism and its exaltation of the biblical authority. These elements provide a sufficient theological foundation to seek correction and not condemnation.
The Word of Faith Movement is but one of many branches of Charismatic/Pentecostal Christianity that has blessed the world. I do not consider myself to be a member of any particular "camp" or "branch." I see myself as an independant Spirit-filled Christian. As such, I am at liberty to sift through the teachings of each group. I can accept the sound teachings of each branch and camp, and am not obligated to embrace erroneous and extreme teachings--regardless of the group from which such teachings come. | | -X- | | -Y- | | -Z- | | More issues and controversies will be addressed in a brief manner on this page as time permits. | .................................................................................................................................................................................. |
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