Pseudo Christian Religions that are Incompatible with this Website
This article will examine doctrinal errors commonly found in pseudo-Christian religious sects, what is wrong with their views, and why those views are entirely incompatible with the Bible and the mission statement of this Christian ministry.
This article draws on the following article:
Jude 3: Contending for the Faith, Nike Insights
The people and doctrines identified in the video accompanying this article who are incompatible include the following famous preachers:
- Joel Osteen
- Benny Hinn
- Kenneth Copeland
- Gloria Copeland
- Kreflo Dollar
- Miles Monroe
- Paul Crouch
- D.S. Mundell
- Mormons (who all intend to eventually become gods of their own)
What all of the above preachers or faiths have in common is a doctrine called “Word of Faith”, Prosperity Gospel, and Name-it-and-claim it Gospel. They also have in common that their ministries are primarily television/media ministries, and they often speak on Sunday on the TV. Its very difficult, in fact, to find ANY preacher on TV who doesn’t embrace the false teachings described in this article or in the video accompanying this article! This may be because the cost of a national television ministry is so exhorbitant that those who conduct it must hyper-focus on money at the expense of biblical fidelity.
The main audience for this “spiritual junk food” is a theologically ignorant and often poor audience, who are desperate for sustenance and don’t read their bible. They have been spiritually dumbed down, just like the legal dumbing down that allows government and lawyers to exploit them through the illegal enforcement and misrepresentation of the income tax (Form #11.302). Thus, they are a ripe audience to have their property “harvested” by shysters who are just as desperate as they are for money. This is why we focus so much on theological and legal education on this website:
“My [God’s] people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
[Hosea 4:6, Bible, NKJV]
The following video explains that people who have been spiritually dumbed down become “religious drifters” who are fickle, selfish, and abuse “smorgasboard religion” as a solution to their personal or economic needs:
The Bible warns us about this approach with the following:
“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.”
[1 Tim. 6:9, Bible, NKJV]
One of our favorite entertainers has made a PROFESSION out of making fun of the above types of pastors or faiths. You can watch his Youtube videos at:
Our favorite of all of his videos is the following
Our aversion to the Prosperity Gospel is why we put the following provisions in our Member Agreement:
“3. I consider justice and truth more important than personal profit or material wealth or personal security.”
[Member Agreement, Form #01.001, Section 1.1, Item 3]“1. I am not pursuing membership for financial, political, or commercial reasons. I do not seek prosperity in joining this ministry. Jesus did not have commercial motivations and neither do I. Jesus said in Matt. 6:21 and Luke 12:34 that where a man’s treasure is, there his heart will be also, and my treasure isn’t on this Earth and isn’t found in any government “benefit” or commercial franchise.”
[Member Agreement, Form #01.001, Section 1.2, Item 1]
If we hadn’t put the above provisions in our Member Agreement, Form #01.001, we would have attracted selfish-malcontents who would find any excuse they could to blame us if they didn’t achieve material prosperity or lack of suffering from our materials. The government LOVES to use these people as “weapons of mass destruction” and witnesses against political enemies they don’t like.
False teaching, preaching, or prophesy is mentioned in at least 24 of the New Testament’s 27 books. And perhaps the subject of false witness is more relevant today, with the hijacking of fractions of Protestantism to substitute the “prosperity gospel”, AKA “health and wealth gospel”, AKA “name it and claim it gospel”, AKA “New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) gospel”, AKA “Word of Faith gospel”, etc. to rob the Church blind.
Numerous huckster pastors are lining up to join the multimillionaire club by selling health, wealth, and life enhancement to dumbed-down millions of gullible attendees who actually believe that health can be bought and prosperity can miraculously be grown from “seed” money.
A brief peek at doctrine variances with regard to 1) God, 2) Jesus, 3) faith, and 4) the gospel is revealing. The minutes-and-seconds location in the video below is provided in brackets as evidence for each of the below points. The Speaker is Justin Peters of Grace to You.
Note the repeating themes in the above video:
- The pseudo religions mentioned all have in common that they lack a clear understanding of the sovereignty of God.
- The pseudo religions replace the sovereignty of God with the sovereignty of the individual.
- The pseudo religions SOUND Christian but really aren’t.
- The pseudo religions essentially make Jesus into a liability insurance salesman from the wrath of hell but deny the Sovereignty that ALLOWS him to offer that insurance.
- The pseudo religions are all mystical and pagan in origin, as described in the following article:
https://famguardian.org/Subjects/Spirituality/Articles/UnlimitedLiabilityUniverse.htm - The pseudo religions substitute prosperity and health for salvation as the goal of becoming a Christian.
- The “prosperity and health” aspect of what they offer, in legal terms, is classified as “property”. They seek property by participating, and in that sense, religion is more of a commercial exchange and a legal transaction for them, than it is an act of genuine faith or trust in God.
- The “prosperity and health” aspect of what they offer also constitutes in effect a “bribe” to disobey God’s laws. The Bible condemns this approach in Acts 8:14-25.
Given that a major theme of our materials is the abuse of franchises, the reader should note that at minute 40:17 in the above video, Miles Monroe boldly tells listeners that they can “license” God to enslave and control him! This is EXACTLY the technique the GOVERNMENT abuses to enslave and control the people! How arrogant can you be! It is also the technique that God uses to punish violators of His law in Deut. 28:43-51, in which He turns the disobedient into borrowers to DESTROY them. Monroe says that:
“Prayer is man giving God license to interfere in Earth’s affairs.”
[Miles Monroe]
Franchises involve loans of absolutely owned property. Licenses he speaks of are a type of franchise. In order to institute a franchise, you MUST absolutely and privately own property. Of the entire EARTH and everything on it as well as the Heavens as property, the Bible says
“The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.” [Psalm 89:11],
Thus, man has no property that he can control or “license” God with! For more on franchises, see:
Government Instituted Slavery Using Franchises, Form #05.030
https://sedm.org/Forms/05-MemLaw/Franchises.pdf
Now we are going to discuss the differences in TERMINOLOGY between this ministry and the pagan pseudo Christians described in the above video.
____________________________________
(1) GOD
Word of Faith religions believe that since everything reproduces after its own kind, and God created us, then we are “little gods” [26:18 – 28:07]. They further assert that we can speak things into existence as God did in Genesis, chapter 1 [16:03, 17:15].
We believe that there is only one God.
“one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.” Ephesians 4:6
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men . . .” 1 Timothy 2:5
“yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things . . .” 1 Corinthians 8:6
We do not believe in the same God!
(2) JESUS
Word of Faith religions believe that Philippians 2:7 states that the incarnated Jesus set aside his divinity and was a mortal man, and thus had to be born again [55:58]. Jesus is just an ordinary man [53:15], and man is elevated to the same level as Jesus [48:42].
We believe Jesus was God before the foundation of the world, and has never changed.
“For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Colossians 2:9
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
We do not believe in the same Jesus!
(3) FAITH
Word of Faith religions believe that faith is a tool to get what we want (doctrine of “positive confession”) [23:40], and that bad health and lack of prosperity are signs of lack of faith.
We believe that through faith, we are made right with God.
“For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves . . .” Ephesians 2:8
“And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, . . .” Hebrews 11:6
We do not believe in the same faith!
(4) GOSPEL
Word of Faith religions believe that mankind is basically good, and therefore there is no need to confront people with sin. Sin is softened in all messaging [37:12, 39:02]
We know that the Bible teaches that man was not right with God after sin entered the world through Adam. God said repeatedly that unredeemed man is basically bad.
Isaiah:
“All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way”
“we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. We all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have carried us away”
Jeremiah:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked”
Paul, the Apostle:
“There is none righteous, no, not even one.”
“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
The reason that evangelists spend more time on the topic of sin than on any other part of the gospel is that they understand that conviction leads to repentance. The gospel, absent the theme of fallen mankind, is no gospel at all !
We do not believe in the same gospel !
Also, The true gospel does not promise healing on this side of Heaven [36:06]
You must believe in the right Jesus [54:39]
Word of Faith religions deny the atonement of Christ [55:10]
Jesus established one church (Matthew 16:18). But His church soon began fractioning (1 Timothy 4:1-3) as mankind departed from the faith – apostasy. God ordained faith; but religions are created by man. Don Blackwell “sees thousands of churches”, and he explains, “Why Are There So Many Churches ?” The 1960’s emergence of Charismatic religion placed its adherents on a slippery doctrinal slope. No authority polices Charismatic organizations. Thus Charismatic religion presented a new foundation that was especially ripe for abuse. And that abuse ripened as false teaching created multiple gods, faiths, and gospels.
Idols created by the hands of men were supplemented by false gods created by the minds of men.
Their misguided minds were plunged into darkness. (Romans 1:21b)
These people have exchanged God’s truth for a lie. (Romans 1:25a)
Christianity’s center of mass is shifting from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere. A century ago, 80 percent of Christians lived in North America and Europe, compared with under 40 percent today. Charismatics are particularly dominant in some of the world’s poorest regions due to its prosperity message that clearly resonates with the poor. Charismatic religion established in America less than five decades ago is being exported to Africa, Latin America, and South America. Sean Demars stated in American Gospel, “We are exporting the very worst of what Christianity has to offer.”
| According to Dr. Storm Brooks, Christians accept the historical Christ as presented in the Gospels. Christians believe Jesus is God; Charismatics believe they are “little gods”. We simply don’t serve the same Jesus.True Christians place their faith in the Christ of Scriptures. The object of Christian faith is our Lord Jesus Christ, not faith in feelings or faith in feverish experiences [see 27:19 at this link] common to that group. Faith is not a feeling, but a confidence in the Christ of Calvary.Christians trust in the doing and dying of Christ; Charismatics trust in the work of the “spirit” within the heart of man . . . that is, the creative work of the “spirit” within the heart. In this way, they are like Catholics. They look within the heart of man as the locus of salvation; we look outside of ourselves to the accomplishments of Another at Calvary as the locus of salvation.We believe in the Christ that died for our sins at the cross; Charismatics believe in a creative Jesus living within the heart that changes them so they can be accepted by God; that is, change is the basis of justification. We believe in a Jesus that justifies us because of our faith in His accomplishments. Charismatics seek a different salvation. The Charismatic wants to be saved from poverty and sickness, thus, their health and wealth gospel. True Christians seek to be saved from penalty of sin and the power of sin. The gospel saves a man from his own sins of idolatry and lusts for power. The Charismatic wants to be saved from troubles, trials, and tribulations. Charismatics serve a different Spirit. Christians believe that we are regenerated by the Spirit and seek to be filled with the fruits of the Spirit, “Love, joy, . . . self control.” Wild-eyed Charismatics believe in the spirit of the mob; that is, in a frenzied, furious, hysterical spirit with outbursts of passionate mania . . . and not the Spirit that leads to self-control. Authority: Christians seek to live under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Scripture. The highest authority among Charismatics is their personal feelings and experiences. All heresy or false teaching either adds to or subtracts from the gospel. |
Financially patronizing godless retail establishments or godless organizations contends AGAINST the faith. Voting for anti-God candidates contends AGAINST the faith. Validating or lending legitimacy to false religions contends AGAINST the faith. Weak teaching, leading to a theological dumbing down, has led to widespread dulling of discernment. Globally, millions have been drawn into every wind of doctrine –
“infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
Many of these millions are leaving orthodox Christian houses of worship to join assemblies preaching and practicing false religions. The vortex of the false promises of health, wealth, and your best life now are sucking millions into a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof is death (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). See:
Corruption Within Modern Christianity, Form #08.012
https://sedm.org/Forms/08-PolicyDocs/CorrModernChristianity.pdf
John MacArthur points out in his grand message, “Appeal to Charismatic Friends”, that “the contemporary style of music is the entry point for Charismatic theology into churches.” But churches with a strong, scripture-based doctrinal foundation resist embracing Charismatic-sourced music. “And because the music doesn’t come in, the perverted theology doesn’t either.” Music represents “the seductive entry point” of error.
The bible in Jude 1:3b calls us to contend for the faith:
I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. (Jude 1:3b)
In the sense that it is used here, “contend“ is translated from the Greek, “epagonizomai”, meaning “to struggle for”. And Jude clearly indicates that the faith was entrusted to believers for safekeeping and sustainment. Jude wrote his letter to defend faith against false teachers which were rising in churches, and thus is especially relevant to us today.
Not wanting to take any part in advancing a false Jesus or a false gospel, some pastors are standing against leading theologically weak people into “a form of godliness that denies its power” to save. These highly commendable pastors serve as outstanding examples of contending for the faith:
Costi Hinn
David Henneke
Justin Peters
It is appointed unto each generation to contend for the faith. We cannot contend for the living of long ago or to future generations, nor can other generations contend for our generation.
Today’s believer is often unaware of the great debt we owe to the Reformers. The monk, Martin Luther, witnessed continuing unbiblical abuses in the Catholic Church with respect to forgiveness of sin and the sale of indulgences. Luther’s actions in 1571 contended for the faith, initiating the Protestant Reformation.
Protestant Reformation gave us the 5 Solae – gratia, fide, Christus, scriptura, and deo Gloria – a very short summary of orthodox Christian Doctrine. That doctrine had been set forth fifteen centuries earlier, but God used men like Martin Luther to recover the gospel of Salvation by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, all to the glory of God alone !
For a response to this article by Pastor Brook Stockton of Nike Insights, a subsite of Family Guardian, See:
Lastly, we further describe the failings of the Prosperity Gospel in the following document for those who wish to investigate further:
Laws of the Bible, Litigation Tool #09.001, Section 7.9: The Prosperity Gospel: All Blessings and No Curses or Discipline
https://sedm.org/Litigation/09-Reference/LawsOfTheBible.pdf