A Blog by Steven Kozar
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
Here's another CCM Song Critique by Jorge Rodriguez at Faithful Stewardship. Please, please, please keep in mind that these articles are examining the meaning and theology of the lyrics-NOT critiquing the intentions or sincerity of the songwriters/performers:
I Wanna Go Back by David Dunn Reviewed at Faithful Stewardship Blog
I have a confession to make: I used to be a feminist.
You’d never think that if you looked at me now. I willfully submit to the authority of my husband, my pastor and the inerrant Word of God. The thought of being a stay-at-home mother when my husband and I are blessed with children fills me with joy, and I am highly satisfied with the vocation that I have been called to fulfill. So how in the world was I ever a feminist?
Let’s turn back the clock a few years…
It was the Fall of 2011, and I was entering my first year of college at a small Evangelical Christian University in the Midwest. I was young, nervous and impressionable. Never before had I been forced to defend my beliefs, my faith or even what I had in my lunchbox. To put it simply, I had grown up in a bubble of protection. Due to this, I had never come into contact with the harshness of reality and its many challenges. My goals and aspirations were filled with a zeal to help those around me. I was majoring in Music Education with the goal of teaching elementary school students. My hope was to help children discover the same comfort and healing that I had found through music. Actually, it was my over-developed sense of empathy and compassion that became the very snares that entangled me in Feminism in the first place.
With the invention of social media my generation has ditched private journals in favor of exposing their hearts to the entire world. So many of my friends and classmates created blogs to chronicle their struggles and triumphs at college. I felt the need to do the same. I chose the website Tumblr as my platform not knowing that I had just thrown myself wholeheartedly into a feminist stronghold. As I fell down the rabbit hole of Tumblr I was introduced to ideas I had never heard before. Shrodinger’s rapist, the gender pay gap, the evil patriarchy, rape culture, toxic masculinity, fragile masculinity, the glass ceiling, intersectionality, the male gaze, manspreading, mansplaining, the pink tax, safe spaces, LGBTQ+ rights and so on and so forth.
I was appalled at the perceived injustices that went unchecked. How could these things happen in a civilized society? How could I stay silent and not fight when my sisters were actively being oppressed? I had to help. To my credit, I had never heard these arguments or issues before. My parents had never taught me about such things because they weren’t issues we were faced with. My bubble of protection had shielded me from such rhetoric a little too well, and I quickly found myself in an echo chamber.
While I was drinking from the ideological firehose of Tumblr I encountered a completely different sub-sect of feminism at college. This is the hybrid known as Christian Feminism. A majority of my friends at school were just as curious about Feminism and the siren song of Social Justice as I was. In our quest to learn more, we found self-proclaimed Christian Feminists like Jory Micah and Nadia Bolz-Webber. Through them, we learned about the fight to break the stained glass ceiling, the sexism of the Apostle Paul and the abusive men who barred women from the pastoral office. I was hooked. Aside from being pro-life, I considered myself fully aligned with the goals of feminism and nobody could tell me otherwise. And then God sent two men into my life who challenged everything.
When I met Joshua Rosebrough on the dark and dreary night of November 17th, 2013, I had no idea what I was in for. He was funny, charming, witty, handsome and a bit eccentric, but what stood out the most was how confident he was in his convictions. While he showed me he was knowledgeable about Church history and Christian doctrine, he was not entirely familiar with Christian feminism. I quickly realized that he was NOT a feminist, but I was dead set on converting him. I didn’t know it at the time, but my beliefs drove him to plumb the depths of the internet for answers about feminist ideology. During the time we were getting to know one another, he began to ask questions about what it was I believed.
Feminists are not unfamiliar with controversy. Oftentimes those who openly oppose feminism don’t hide their disdain and are usually vying for a fight rather than an open and honest discussion. These interactions become less an intellectual conversation and more like guerrilla warfare. I had become so battle hardened in the trenches of the internet that I had begun to believe that those who opposed feminism had no compassion or love for their neighbor. It was this jaded mindset that left me utterly defenseless when Josh would ask me simple questions. It wasn’t so much the questions themselves that disarmed me but rather the way in which he asked them. He wasn’t trying to win an argument. He wasn’t trying to destroy me. He honestly wanted to know and understand my opinions.
As he continued to learn more behind the scenes his questions became more focused. We had made it a habit of civilly discussing our ideological differences, but then he started asking follow up questions that called everything I thought I knew into question. He had already won my trust and respect so I couldn’t openly dismiss his ideas. I had to defend my ideology, but the more I tried the more holes he poked in it. Before long the pillars of secular feminism began to fall one by one. Yet, I faithfully clung to the tenants of Christian feminism.
As my relationship with Josh grew I found myself regularly joining his family for dinner. I knew that his father, Chris, ran an online Christian radio station where he discussed popular preachers in the evangelical church. However, I had never listened to it myself. Much to my dismay, he would often joke about female pastors and openly refer to them as heretics. I was scandalized. What was worse was that he would quote the writings of the Apostle Paul. Didn’t he know that those were just cultural norms that had long passed their expiration date? How could he be so callous against women who had been called by the Holy Spirit into the ministry? I reluctantly resigned myself to the idea that if I continued to date Josh I would just have to endure his father’s bigotry towards women in ministry. I told myself that it was a small price to pay for a boyfriend who I really liked.
I began to do a little research on Chris Rosebrough and his infamous Fighting for the Faith radio program. The stories he covered seemed so outlandish that I thought they couldn’t be real, but they were. I was hooked. Listening to FFtF became a daily ritual, and the more I listened the more I learned. In the same way that my secular views had been shaken, I found my beliefs regarding Christian feminism being called into question. Time and time again Chris would cite the writings of the Apostle Paul and make the claim that women who called themselves pastors were in direct violation of scripture. The cornerstone of Christian feminism is to forcibly separate the writings of Paul from the ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus never explicitly forbade women from assuming the holy office of Pastor, but Paul clearly does in 1st Timothy and 1st Corinthians.
Listening to FFtF forced me to question my interpretation of scripture. Was it truly “God-breathed” as Chris loved to claim by citing 2 Timothy? Or was it merely a collection of antiquated writings that had long expired with their authors? The more I questioned certain passages, the more I found that reading to call the rest of Scripture into question as well. I had one of two options. Either it was all true or none of it was true. Chris kept dragging me back to the cross and pointing me to Jesus. I quickly came to understand that the authority of scripture was built upon Christ’s claim to be God in human flesh, a claim that He proved by dying and raising Himself from the grave. Based upon this criteria the only logical choice I could make was to affirm the authority of all scripture. Much to the chagrin of my feminist beliefs, this invariably included the writings of Paul. Since Scripture was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and Christ and the Spirit are part of the same Triune God, I could no longer claim that Christ was silent on the topic of female pastors.
My brain now knew that women couldn’t be Pastors, but my sinful heart continued to rebel. Why would God allow women to feel the call of ministry if they were never meant to be Pastors? How could He allow them to be hurt like this? In my confusion and anger over this issue I decided not to ask either of the Rosebrough men for guidance. I needed to discover the answer on my own. I scoured the internet for resources on this subject. Podcasts, books, articles and lectures began to consume my free time. I was starving for the truth. Eventually, I stumbled upon the doctrine of vocation as understood by Lutherans. This was my breaking point.
So much of evangelicalism is built upon the idea that good works done unto neighbors must be a grand gesture. People are constantly told to “change the world” through their works. Dig wells in Africa, build houses in Mexico, feed orphans in India and so on. What often ends up happening is that the immediate neighbors you’ve been called to serve around you are forgotten. While digging wells in Africa is legitimately a good work for your neighbor, it is wrongfully conflated as the best work you can do.
It was in this same line of teaching that I was made to believe that your feelings dictated to you what your calling or “Purpose” in life would be. I heard all kinds of lessons telling me that what you enjoyed and were naturally gifted with would show you God’s path for your life. Conversely, the Lutheran podcasts were saying that your neighbors determined your vocation. It went a little something like this. Do you have parents? Serve them respectfully and honor them as their son or daughter. Do you have a husband? Serve him faithfully as his wife. Do you have a wife? Serve her lovingly as her husband. Do you have children? Serve them by caring for their needs as their parent.
What’s even more beautiful is that the scriptures clearly outline what those vocations entail. Suddenly the path before me was clear. I didn’t have to travel to far off lands or magically pick the right career path to fulfill a shadowy dream destiny. I could serve my neighbor every day in a million different ways because my neighbor was already in my home.
Throughout my study of vocations I came to the realization that men and women have had very different vocations from the beginning of creation. Nowhere was this more clear than in the account of the Fall. When sin entered the world God did not give the same punishments to our first parents. Adam, like all men to follow, was cursed with toil and work, but Eve was cursed differently. Most people only remember half of Eve’s curse, namely the pain of childbirth, but she was also told that her desire would be to rule over her husband, but that he would be her lord. This difference in curse opened my eyes to a new possibility that my feminist ideals had never allowed me to consider. If men and women are cursed differently, then perhaps we are called differently as well.
As Christians, we are all called to die to our sinful flesh and serve our neighbor, but with different curses the sinful desires of men and women are different too. A man may sin against his neighbor and family by shirking his responsibility to teach and instruct them in the faith, but a woman can sin against her neighbors by taking that responsibility upon herself. Not only does she enable the man’s sin when she usurps his place, she is also succumbing to her sinful desire to rule over her husband. Instead, the woman who wishes to serve her neighbor dies to her sinful desire for power and influence, and then calls the men around her to fulfill their God-given vocation even though it is difficult.
Armed with this new understanding of vocation, I began to ask myself what the vocation of Pastor would entail. Thankfully I found again that I could turn to the Scriptures for the clear definition. 1 Timothy tells us that a Pastor “must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” While there are many women today who could easily meet many of these standards, no woman could ever be the “Husband of one wife,” regardless of what the world proclaims. If this passage wasn’t damning enough to the ideology of Christian feminism then 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 mercilessly drove the point home:
“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”
This passage is nothing short of kryptonite for Christian feminist doctrine. Rationally, this clear text should clear up any and all arguments on the matter, but the mental gymnastics of post-modernity knows no limits. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul easily refuted the modern argument that this mandate was nothing more than a cultural norm. The one phrase that so many pastors conveniently skip over are the words “As in all the churches of the saints…” This singular phrase was the final nail in the coffin. My argumentation that a woman’s desire to be a Pastor was God given was obliterated. A woman becoming a Pastor is nothing short of her succumbing to the curse in Genesis and blatantly disregarding Paul’s clear teachings.
Feminism claims that it doesn’t hate men but spent an awful lot of time telling me that everything wrong in the world was a direct result of their actions. I was told to be independent, and in my independence show the world that I didn’t need patriarchs in my life. I was told that they would domineer and control my life. Yet, thanks to these two patriarchs, I was saved from Christian feminism. They were kind. They were gentle. They lovingly told me the truth and showed me the grace and mercy of Jesus where I had none before.
Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for this patriarchy.
True Story:
In the 1990's my wife and me had three young children and we were in financial trouble; my income as an artist was very inconsistent. We were invited to become Amway distributors by a family member who knew we were the kind of "go-getters" who could really "make things happen."
I was very skeptical at first, but I eventually gave into the promise of "multiple streams of residual income." In the late 1990's we heard (and fell for) "The Dream Destiny Thingy." This is years before it crept into (and devoured) much of the church. It's a bunch of assumptions that go something like this:
"God brought you here today for a reason; it's not an accident that you're in this meeting today. The reason you're struggling financially is because you don't have a dream-it's not because you don't have money! Once you have a big enough dream, the money will follow. Amway is just the business vehicle; this is really about changing people's lives by getting them to pursue their dreams."
They would pray in the meetings like this:
"Thank you God that you've given each of us the ability to dream. Help us to chase our dreams, discover our destiny and make a real difference in people's lives. In Jesus name, Amen."
We were taught about the power of using the right words to speak things into existence. We had to be positive all the time because being negative would attract negative results. (Years later, I would go on to research and refute this Word of Faith false doctrine.)
Large Amway conventions are the ultimate gig for motivational speakers and other performers, and most of the really big guns were there, helping to prop up the illusion that Amway was a great opportunity for anyone willing to work hard and stick to it. Zig Ziglar, Robert Kiyosaki, John Maxwell and other big name speakers have all done the Amway gig; people would even write books praising the Amway opportunity because they knew thousands of distributors would buy them; it was a built-in audience of niche consumers. I tried not to notice how none of these people making money by praising Amway actually joined up and became Amway distributors themselves.
But the best speakers in the Amway business weren't the "professional" speakers, they were the "regular folks" who worked hard and had made it to the level of Diamond (or higher). These "regular folks" would convince the socks off of anyone that you could make it happen. "You just need to really buy into the system and do everything your leaders tell you to do; your success is guaranteed!" "If your dream is big enough, the facts don't count!" The most convincing Diamond speakers would come from another organization and speak at your meeting to help you grow your business. "Wow, these people are so nice and giving of their time" you would think. Plus, they would always start by praising your leaders and telling you how lucky you were to have the leadership that you had in your own organization.
Eventually, I learned that all of these Diamond (and above) speakers were getting giant speaking fees. They weren't giving their time, they were selling their time. If you were getting $10,000 for an hour and a half speech, do you think you could praise whoever was writing your check? On top of the very convincing speakers, they had amazing videos with powerful music and emotionally charged stories to tear at your heartstrings. The use of multimedia was incredibly effective, especially in a stadium full of like-minded people who all believed.
We were even told that if you went to the next big meeting it "would really build up your belief." A more honest way of saying it would be "if you go to this big meeting you'll be convinced to stick around long enough for us to make money off of you for a little while longer because you'll be emotionally convinced that this business is great!"
This Isn't a Dream, It's a Nightmare!
In short, we spent 4 years trying to build an Amway business and lost about $40,000 in the process. We did everything we were supposed to do-everything!
I know all about mind control techniques because I experienced them first hand.
I know what it's like to be emotionally manipulated because I experienced it first hand.
I know about turning the Christian faith into a vehicle that promises to make your dreams come true because I experienced it first hand.
On top of all that, we started going to a large "positive confession" charismatic church as a result of this new outlook on our faith. We prayed and prayed and prayed... and prayed: "God please help us build this great business so we can be financially free and help others..."
But God didn't answer. We had to figure out the hard way that we were being scammed.
You see, in most Amway businesses, all of the emphasis is on "the system," which had 3 components (called "tools"): Books, CDs and Functions. We would buy and read the positive self-help type books (a new one every month); we would buy and listen to a motivational CD every week (or more if you were really committed, like us), and we would buy a ticket to a different function every single month.
No matter what.
This is how they could build such large and compliant organizations. This is simply a type of thought-control. Some of the teaching was actually decent business/success type material, but overall, the system kept people in the business and in the dark. Sure there were always people quitting, but there were always new people to replace the quitters. And there was tremendous profit to be made on each and every book, CD and ticket; that's where the upline distributors were making most of their money. It was all in secret and a lot of it was cash under the table, so these hucksters weren't even paying tax on all their income. After the internet became popular, Amway's seedy underbelly couldn't hide so easily, and it has never gotten back to its original multi-billion dollar American heyday (much of Amway's growth has been in foreign countries in the past 15 years).
The Evangelical Industrial Complex has copied many of the very things that have worked so well in Amway:
Tell people that Christianity is all about getting your Dreams and realizing your Destiny. Check.
Tell people that having lots of money is a good thing that God wants for you (so you can help others, of course). Check.
Tell people to only listen to positive messages about success and prosperity. Check.
Tell people that they can speak things into existence because words have power. Check.
Ignore the people continually quitting and leaving, because they get replaced by new and different people just as fast. Check.
Get people to "experience life change" by learning self-help and relationship-building techniques, but don't emphasis repentance and the forgiveness of sins. Check.
The guy on the stage is making money off the people in the seats. Check.
The guy on the stage is promising you things you'll never actually get (in the name of God). Check.
After you don't get what you were promised you're told to have more faith and try harder (and buy the latest book). Check.
The visiting speaker (pastor) praises the local leader (pastor) and gets a fat speaking fee (plus sells his books in the lobby). Check. (handy tip: It's not a speaker fee if it comes from a "free-will offering")
Use music, lights and multimedia/video to emotionally manipulate like-minded people who desperately want to believe. Check.
Wait a minute, is this Amway or a Mega-Church we're talking about??
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
For further research on this topic:
The Seeker-Friendly, Purpose-Driven Cornucopia of False Doctrine
FYI, Here is an excellent website with details about the Amway tool scam:
Also, just to be clear, I have no ill feelings towards those in my upline who were taken in by this "business" and who probably lost even more money than I did. God help us all. -Steven Kozar
This article by Steven Kozar; check out his new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!
The following quotes from Charisma Magazine editor Jennifer LeClaire are all real, except for one that is totally fabricated. Remember, Dr. Michael Brown fully endorses Jennifer LeClaire and has gone to great lengths to protect her from criticism. Have fun guessing, and we hope you don't get nightmares from reading this:
1. "I believe people can release witchcraft word curses against you. I more than believe it, I know it because my inbox is full of them every week. People curse me, my family, my ministry and more with the wicked words of their mouth—most of the times these are Christians. A witchcraft word curse from a Christian, I believe, is more powerful than any curse from a witch because a believer's words carry an anointing."
2. "New Testament prophets consumed with the spirit of Jezebel continue to release fearful death threats in the form of judgments and curses that are not from God. Ashtoreth and Baal were married. So these spirits often share one another's characteristics. We must discern what we are dealing with. The prophets of Jezebel were puppets, probably among her messengers of doom."
3. "The Holy Spirit showed me that we are entering a season of shifting atmospheres, because the witchcraft spirit of Jezebel is merging with the spirit of religion. It's time to get prepared for the prophetic battle that will enable us to secure God's victory, but we cannot grow weary and become complacent. Jezebel is more patient, most of the time, than we are. We can curse our victory before it is secured-by our negative words."
4. "There was a prophet-killing spirit on the loose that had successfully muted the voice of true prophets and turned them into spiritual eunuchs. Without any true power or authority of their own, eunuchs live vicariously through Jezebel and draw their strength from the approval of Jezebel-or more specifically those flowing in a Jezebel spirit-rather than the approval of God."
5. "After this squid spirit attacked my friend, I went to her home to help her battle it. The attack was severe, but when I laid hands on her and commanded the squid to be bound, the most violent symptoms would cease. Of course, when you stand in the gap, you often take a hit. That squid spirit started stalking me. I ended up with a migraine during the battle—a manifestation of that mind control spirit—and was attacked in my mind for days afterwards."
6. "The Holy Spirit showed me that many times witchcraft against your mind can cause you to focus so much on the symptoms attacking your body that you can't extend your faith to receive God's healing power. In other words, if you aren't careful, when witchcraft attacks your mind you will wind up speaking and thinking about the infirmity rather than speaking and thinking about your healing, allowing the enemy to maintain the stronghold."
Learn more about Jennifer Leclaire, Dr. Michael Brown and the "Sneaky Squid Spirit" on this fascinating episode of Fighting for the Faith: The Calamari Discord
Dr. Michael Brown Ruins His Credibility on His Own Facebook Wall, Then Deletes All the Evidence
Dr. Michael Brown (Sort of) Approves of These "Fine Christians..." Watch at your Own Risk!
"Beware of the Sneaky Squid Spirit" Says Jennifer LeClaire!
Jennifer LeClaire's Hypocritical Goofy Prophetic Pimping
For those of you who think it's mean and un-loving to criticize Jennifer LeClaire (or any other popular teacher) here's a list of Bible verses to consider: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.
Finally, here's an important article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.
On May 5th, 2017, Dr. Michael Brown interviewed Jennifer LeClaire on his call-in radio show "The Line of Fire," and after the interview segment was finished Chris Rosebrough called the show to ask Dr. Brown some tough questions about Jennifer LeClaire and her "Sneaky Squid Spirit." There was a brief and interesting exchange between the two men.
I (Steven Kozar) wrote a blog post about the exchange where I said this about Dr. Michael Brown: "He's a hyper-charismatic cheerleader with a big microphone and a very gullible audience." (Here's the full blog post with audio of the "Sneaky Squid Spirit" exchange between Dr. Brown and Chris Rosebrough: Michael Brown Can't Defend "Sneaky Squid Spirit"-Repeatedly Changes the Subject)
Dr. Brown decided to make light of my quote and garner support from his Facebook friends by posting this:
I decided to comment on Dr. Brown's Facebook page and ask him some serious questions; here's a screenshot of my first comment plus a few more. I figured that as long as I might get through to a few Dr. Brown fans, I'd add two of my articles; by now some other people were starting to ask Dr. Brown some really good questions and make their own comments:
Chris Rice, A.K.A .The Museum Boy, really took Dr. Brown to task about the "Sneaky Squid Spirit." Also, notice how William George Metz's comment has been removed:
Here's where Dr. Brown responds to us; he starts with Chris Rice and really "steps in it" right from the start. His comment about studying God's Word (in Hebrew no less!) all the time is self-refuting: he's on Facebook responding to his own comments, but he says he studies God's Word (in Hebrew!) all the time. How can he write books, speak at conferences, host a daily radio show... when he's studying God's Word (in Hebrew!) all the time? This is just a deflection technique; he's got time to do some research on false teachers, but he's choosing not to. Dr. Brown has decided to make himself a multimedia personality who speaks out on a number of different topics; he's not just a Bible scholar who spends all of his time on that one thing. Instead of studying God's Word (in Hebrew!) he wrote a post on his Facebook wall to poke fun at me, and then he went on Facebook to defend his actions, and then he says he has NO TIME to research any of the false teachers he's partnering with and/or defending. Remember, this is the guy who wants everyone to trust him because he's such a good scholar.
Next, he says he went on Benny Hinn's show one time (but hey, haven't we all?) and anyway, how can he possibly have a clue what Benny Hinn teaches? Next he confirms his continued support for Jennifer LeClaire's "Sneaky Squid Spirit" saying that no chapter and verse in the Bible speaks against the Sneaky Squid Spirit, so who are we to question Jennifer LeClaire? Remember, Dr. Brown believes that a "Word from the Lord" is 100% from God, but it's not the "Word of God." Got it? (Neither does anyone else who isn't brain dead yet.)
We could finish the article right here, because he's already destroyed his own credibility, but he's going to "step in it" even deeper before he finally abandons ship and deletes everything.
First, let's think about what Dr. Brown says about the "Sneaky Squid Spirit." Brown says "As for a sneaky squid spirit, first, I haven't heard Jennifer's actual words; I only heard what Chris (Rosebrough) represented. Second, on the face of it, I can't say if it's false or true... Please give me a chapter and verse that tells me to say there is no such thing."
Chris Rice and I take about one minute to find and post a response with Jennifer LeClaire's ridiculous article from Charisma's website, the same website that Brown writes for. So Brown acts like he just doesn't have enough information (I guess he has not yet heard of "Google") and then he goes on to defend the Sneaky Squid Spirit because... (he actually said this): Scripture doesn't tell him that there's no such thing. Seriously, let that sink in for a moment. This man writes (many) books, hosts a daily call-in radio show and is the Grand Poo Ba of the College of Supernatural Wizardry or whatever it's called. Chris Rice rightly ridicules his idiotic argument by asking: "What's to stop me from saying there's a big purple demon named Larry who gives atomic wedgies? Under your standard I might be right, since the Bible doesn't speak against big purple demons named Larry who give atomic wedgies."
Dr. Brown digs himself into an even deeper hole by telling Chris Rice that he has to prove from Scripture that the Sneaky Squid Spirit isn't real. Really. Brown makes one of his craziest comments here: "There are many unusual creatures described in the Bible, so based on sola scriptura, I can't say either way." This is the ranting of a delusional person. This is so incoherent that it's breathtaking. Brown is basically saying, "because of sola scriptura (Bible Only) we should believe in something that isn't in the Bible."
Dr. Brown goes on to use a tactic that displays his lack of confidence in this conversation: he starts referring to other important scholars who have absolutely nothing to do with this Sneaky Squid Spirit discussion. I couldn't fit the whole exchange on one page, but here's most of it. Chris Rice has the last comment to which Dr. Brown doesn't reply to:
Now let's take a look at how Dr. Brown answered my initial comment (and he also responds as the older, more mature "bully" to Kevin Much's comment):
No surprise here: Dr. Brown brings up cessationism right away, even though I said this "has nothing to do with cessationism, but you always divert people's attention to that topic." I call this tactic "The Dr. Michael Brown Death Spiral." Crocodiles are not good at fighting on land, so they attack their prey in or near the water and drag them under. Then the crocodile starts violently spinning around under water, and quickly kills its prey. Dr. Brown wants to pull his "prey" into a cessationist battle whenever possible, because he's a highly skilled debater who knows how to "win" that battle. (Obviously, I'm not saying he's a violent person-I'm just using that as an analogy.) He then says "I rarely go after other believers on my radio show." Except for all the time he spends convincing everyone how terribly wrong cessationists are, that is. He brings up the Strange Fire book, and then tells me how he's been correcting errors in the charismatic camp for 40+ years. So he doesn't "go after believers" and he's really busy studying the Scriptures (in Hebrew!) all the time, but he's also been correcting a lot of errors in his own movement. I believe him when he says he's been addressing some errors, but the NAR movement (that he's right in the middle of) is a doctrinal train wreck, where any Christ-centered, Gospel-centric preaching is a rare exception.
Now Dr. Brown gets to the one thing he may have been entirely correct about: I don't know how much money Heidi Baker makes, and she may not actually be getting rich off the church. She's a really bad false teacher (for sure), but I honestly have no information about her income. Sorry if I lumped her in wrongly with the others, as I was lumping together a bunch of NAR people he has associated with and made general claims about all of them in my comment.
UPDATE! As of January 2018:
Here's a PDF of Heidi Baker's Iris Global Ministries Financial statement from 2013: Form 990
It looks like Iris Global Ministries does a lot of good work in helping the poor, but Heidi and her husband Rolland, are making a very nice income from their ministry. If you add up all of their income it comes to $219,703. Here are a couple screenshots:
It's very interesting that Michael Brown ignored my comment about these people twisting Scripture, and he didn't refute the idea that all the other people I mentioned were getting rich off the church. In fact, he didn't remove my article about Kris Vallotton being a prosperity preacher for the entire time that this post was public. My guess is that he knows most of these people are somewhat shady, but for some reason he doesn't say anything. He called my comment "libelous" but he didn't refute most of it, just the "Heidi Baker getting rich"part. By the way, I do wonder how Heidi Baker can be living such a "sacrificial life" among the poorest of the poor (in Mozambique, no less!) when she's also on the speaking circuit for much of the year...
Here's Heidi Baker doing whatever it is she does:
Before we go on to reveal more of Dr. Brown's blundering, let's talk about the little man in Dr. Brown's closet: Benny Hinn.
Dr. Brown has been avoiding, obfuscating and deflecting ever since he was on Benny's TV show. Here's the thing Dr. Michael Brown really hopes you don't know: he wrote a book against John MacArthur's book called "Strange Fire," which is a book packed with information about Benny Hinn. Brown's book was written specifically to refute the book "Strange Fire," it's called "Authentic Fire."
Do you think he read the book that he refuted? Of course-he had to read MacArthur's book!
Chapter 8 of MacArthur's book is called "Fake Healings and False Hopes" and it's largely about Benny Hinn. Here are some jpegs I took of the pages that refer to Benny Hinn and the false Word of Faith teaching he espouses:
Those are 17 pages with a lot of specific information about Benny Hinn. But Dr. Michael Brown says he doesn't know anything about Benny Hinn. He says it over and over and over. Oh, and by the way, chapter 8 has 69 different footnotes; lots of primary source information about the little man in Michael Brown's closet: Benny Hinn.
He really looks bad in this next comment to Martin Kantola; Brown says "I'm not here to defend or attack Benny Hinn. Next?" That's a combination of a bully tactic and a deflection tactic. Then Chris Rice asks him a similar question.
Then I specifically address the fact that he already knows what Benny Hinn teaches because he already read the Strange Fire book. Brown will attempt to answer me (without actually answering me) and then he'll delete my comment, and then just delete the whole post...
Here's Brown's answer to my comment. I went to bed and so this came while I was asleep; when I woke up my comments were gone, so this is a screenshot from my iPhone/email:
Basically, Dr. Brown ignores the essence of my question and says the same stuff he always says.
"I'm too busy to do any research on any of the people I associate with. (But I'm a really great scholar and expert for 40+ years.)"
"It's not my calling to be a 'heresy hunter' so I don't have to obey the Bible's clear instructions to 'test the spirits' and 'hold fast to sound doctrine' and 'exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict' and 'remove the evil person from among you...'" (Find these verses and many more HERE)
"Since I am unable to do lots and lots of research, I, therefore, can't do any research. Not even 15 minutes of research."
Here's a screenshot of him going to great lengths to explain how he can never watch or read anything anyone sends him (Una Carapleades was asking Dr. Brown to watch THIS 15 minute video):
Dr. Brown also had a dialogue with our own @Aspree, and his tactics were the same. Let's take a look:
Here's how Dr. Brown responded to Amy:
Dr. Brown is very clear that he supports the people that we were bringing to his attention (some more than others); especially people like Heidi Baker, Jennifer LeClaire and Bill Johnson. He then goes on to say that we are the real problem. Amy asks him a more specific question before he gives his last reply to her (sorry for the low-resolution jpeg, it's all I could get):
Wow. He ends by saying "Again, I am NOT here to say whose ministries I like or do not like." This is a classic straw man argument; nobody asked him to tell us which ministries he "likes" as if we were chatting about our favorite flavor of ice cream! He can't say "I refuse to compare the teachings of these people to Scripture" because then he would be in big trouble, so he makes it sound like this whole discussion was about expressing personal preferences over minor issues. Dr. Brown gives many excuses, but the end result is that he knows and approves of certain people and you just have to trust him.
Dr. Michael Brown refuses to look at any information that might threaten his currently held beliefs-he even tries to hide that information from his followers. But he wants everyone else to read his books and trust whatever he says. He suggests that if a video shows really bad things about one of his friends it must be a "misleading compilation." So when these false teachers say ridiculous and heretical things on video (from their own Youtube Channels and TV shows) it makes no difference.
Dr. Brown's entire post was deleted in the middle of the night. All of his followers were spared from having their great leader exposed as a man full of contradictions and excuses. A few days later, Dr. Brown wrote a new post all about "heresy hunters" and this time he was quick to block me from commenting after just 13 minutes.
I was able to make a few comments before my comments were removed and I was blocked (special thanks to Jeff Klock for his amazing comments!):
Here are two more intelligent comments that Dr. Brown quickly deleted (and there's good old Jeff Klock, "defending" Dr. Brown some more):
Here's how he treated Phil Johnson on Twitter around the same time:
Hopefully, the people who truly want to be discerning Bereans will find all of this information helpful. If all you ever see is Dr. Michael Brown's highly controlled Facebook feed (Twitter is similar), or if all you ever listen to is his highly controlled radio show, you're not getting the full picture.
It's time to stop listening to this man and return to a careful evaluation of everyone's teaching against the only trustworthy standard: God's Holy Word-The Bible.
Postscript: Dr. Brown is now busy telling his gullible listeners on his Line of Fire radio show that critics demanded he "condemn Jennifer LeClaire to Hell." This is yet another strawman argument. Nobody told Dr. Michael Brown to condemn anybody to Hell. Of course, his audience might believe him, since he deleted what we actually said. He also wants his gullible listeners to think we're "anonymous bloggers full of hate; religious Pharisees" you know, me, @Aspree, Chris Rice and Chris Rosebrough, Phil Johnson, Marsha West, Anthony Wade... anonymous. He also claims that Jonathan Edwards would support the NAR/Signs & Wonders/Hyper-Charismatic movement. “And yet some people actually imagine that the revelation in God’s Word is not enough to meet our needs. They think that God from time to time carries on an actual conversation with them, chatting with them, satisfying their doubts, testifying to His love for them, promising them support and blessings. As a result, their emotions soar; they are full of bubbling joy that is mixed with self-confidence and a high opinion of themselves. The foundation for these feelings, however, does not lie within the Bible itself, but instead rests on the sudden creations of their imaginations. These people are clearly deluded. God’s Word is for all of us and each of us; He does not need to give particular messages to particular people.” -Jonathan Edwards
Here are more articles and videos to consider (with many more links):
Does This String of Incredible Coincidences Connect Dr. Michael Brown to the NAR?
Michael Brown Can't Defend "Sneaky Squid Spirit"-Repeatedly Changes the Subject
Dr. Michael Brown (Sort of) Approves of These "Fine Christians..." Watch at your Own Risk!
Why Michael Brown & Friends are Right and Everyone Else is Wrong?
Gatekeeper of False Teachings-- Dr. Michael Brown
Pharisees and False Teachers: A Modern Day Look at the Crooks Christ Couldn’t Stand
Phil Johnson rebukes Dr Michael Brown.
The Dr. Michael Brown Checklist of Manipulation
Does Michael Brown Know More About Benny Hinn Than He Lets On?
Sneaky Squids and Sola Scriptura
Dr. Michael Brown probably doesn't want you to listen to this episode of Fighting for the Faith: Calamari Discord
-This article by Steven KozarMany people are leaving the New Apostolic Reformation/Signs & Wonders/Hyper-Charismatic churches and telling their stories; you can read about them here: Leaving The NAR
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
— 1 John 4: 1
“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”
— 1 Corinthians 14: 33
“An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?”
— Jeremiah 5: 30-31
“And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken.”
— Ezekiel 22: 28
“Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity
to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.”
— Lamentations 2: 14
“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”
— Matthew 24: 24
This article by Steven Kozar; check out his new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!
Here's a blog post from Bethel Church's Senior Associate Leader (next to lead pastor Bill Johnson):
8 Signs of a Wealthy Mindset by Kris Vallotton
If you want to tickle itching ears with a prosperity/Word of Faith message it helps if you can talk out of both sides of your mouth. Vallotton is an expert. He begins his article by saying:
"Do you know that God wants you to be wealthy? It may be contrary to what we’re usually taught in the church, but I believe that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing in your life, and it’s how we are made to live as children of the living King! Think about it, if your Dad rules the world, then you are royalty on this earth and have access to everything He has access to."
This is the same old Word of Faith/prosperity Gospel that has ruined millions of lives around the world, right? But then he says this:
"I want to make sure you’re understanding that I’m not talking about being rich. Although fruit of a wealth mindset is living in abundance, wealth is much bigger than simply having a lot of money."
Wait... I thought he just said that God wants us to be wealthy? This is where he starts talking about a thing he calls a "wealthy mindset." So is this about monetary wealth or isn't it? Yes. No. Depends on which sentence you read. Vallotton then says this:
"Wealth is a “can do” attitude, a “more than enough” mindset, and a “nothing is impossible” belief system. How do you know the mark of a wealth mindset? It displays itself through radical generosity, extraordinary compassion, sacrificial giving, and profound humility. Wealth is always thankful, never jealous, doesn’t brag, celebrates others and looks to the future with hope."
Doesn't that last sentence sound kind of like a Bible verse? Only the Bible uses the word "love" where Kris Vallotton uses the word "wealth."
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
— 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Why in the world is he exchanging the Bible's clear teaching about love for a make-believe statement about wealth? Because Vallotton (like his buddy, Bill Johnson) is just another prosperity preacher. He doesn't care about mixing up words or teachings; he's got an agenda. He then goes on to list 8 things to determine if you have a poverty mindset or a wealthy mindset:
1. Poverty lives for today, wealth leaves a legacy.
2. Poverty finds a problem in every opportunity; while wealth finds an opportunity in every problem.
3. Poverty feels entitled, while wealth feels empowered.
4. Poverty fears the future, while wealth makes history.
5. Poverty blames others for their condition, while wealth takes responsibility for things that aren’t their fault.
6. Poverty asks, “What are you going to do for me?” Wealth asks, “Who is worthy of my investment?”
7. Poverty hangs around with other disgruntled people who validate their accusations. Wealthy people surround themselves with other powerful influencers.
8. Poverty votes for candidates that increase their entitlements. Wealth elects officials who will sacrifice today’s comfort for tomorrow’s children.
Although Vallotton's teaching doesn't make it clear which comes first, a good attitude or a big pile of money, he is clearly teaching that wealthy people are better people. Wealthy people have good morals and good attitudes. Does the Bible teach this?
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.”
— James 5: 1-5
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
“And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”
“Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
After he tells his readers to carefully consider his 8 points, he says this:
"I know that God wants to encounter you in the way you think about his abundant provision in your life! Invite Him in to speak to you about the ways He wants to pour out His resources in your life."
So, now that you know (for sure) that God wants you to be wealthy, you just need to invite God into the situation. God wants you to be wealthy, but His hands are tied until you do your part. For the icing on this heresy cake Vallotton takes a Bible verse and mangles it to be about our need to have a wealth mentality; he concludes with this:
"As it says in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” I believe God wants to transform the way you think about this topic!"
Wow.
Kris Vallotton actually wants (gullible) people to believe that Romans 12: 2 is about how God wants us to be wealthy, but we need to change how we think in order for this to happen.
Really?!
The problem with this world is that nobody wants to be wealthy enough, so God wants to transform how we think about it??
News flash for Kris Vallotton: When the Bible tells us not to conform to the pattern of this world it means this: Do not conform to the pattern of this world!
Here's Kris bragging about his new sports car on Facebook:
2 Peter 2:1-3 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”
Romans 16:18 “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”
2 Corinthians 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.”
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”
The day after Kris Vallotton posted this article Benny Hinn was all over the news, because federal investigators were searching his offices. Benny Hinn is a huge prosperity preacher and Kris Vallotton is following in his footsteps. Hinn was an honored guest speaker at Vallotton's Bethel Church earlier this year. Here's Benny Hinn and Vallotton's co-pastors, Bill and Benni Johnson:
Here's another CCM Song Critique by Jorge Rodriguez at Faithful Stewardship. Please, please, please keep in mind that these articles are examining the meaning and theology of the lyrics-NOT critiquing the intentions or sincerity of the songwriters/performers:
Oh My Soul By Casting Crowns Reviewed at Faithful Stewardship Blog
Todd White: he IS the Bible!!
Read More
Two of America's biggest and most influential Evangelical megachurch "rock star" pastors have officially jumped the shark and joined forces with full-on "prosperity pimp" Bill Winston.
These guys pass themselves off as Bible-teaching pastors, but they have proven (yet again) that it's all about the money. Word of Faith teaching has no place in a real, Christ-centered, Christian church.
Here's an article about this pathetic excuse for "leadership" and "business training" from our friends at Pulpit and Pen:
Steven Furtick Goes Full-On Prosperity by Jeff Maples
For an extra-large dose of irony, here's a full-page advertisement from Christianity Today Magazine (May 2016) from the (poorly named) Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability:
"You can trust us! Why? Because we took out this expensive ad that says you can trust us!"
The Steven Furtick Cornucopia of False Teaching, Egomania and Hair Gel
Bill Winston, Steven Furtick and Craig Groeschel do NOT want you to read this: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know!
Here's an absolutely fascinating interview with Benny Hinn's nephew, Costi Hinn. Costi went from being an insider in his world-famous uncle's ministry to being just a "regular" Bible-teaching pastor. Please listen and share this episode with your friends who need to hear the real Gospel message!
Costi Hinn
Here is the website for Costi Hinn's church: Mission Bible Church
Here is the media ministry website for Mission Bible Church: Equip the Saint
Costi Hinn's articles on Pulpit and Pen: Pulpit and Pen
His Twitter handle is: @costiwhinn
Here are some of the articles that were mentioned in this podcast:
A Very Confused "Word of Faith" Man Writes Me An Email
Cognitive Dissonance and the Silly Putty Jesus
The Hyper-Charismatic House of Cards: Let It Fall and Be Free
Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know!
Benny Hinn Waves Jacket at Hospital-Instantly Heals Everyone
The Word of Faith Cornucopia of False Doctrine
The Bill Johnson Cornucopia of False Teaching, Bible-Twisting and General Absurdity
Charles G. Finney (1792-1875) was the father of "Revivalism" in America, the most prominent preacher of the Second Great Awakening, and in many ways the father of modern Evangelicalism in America. He is often considered the predecessor of American Evangelists/Revivalists like D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday and Billy Graham. He was a successful lawyer who became a Christian as a young man and decided to use his considerable powers of persuasion to begin preaching, in spite of having little theological training.
If you've ever heard a preacher give an impassioned, emotionally manipulative sermon that ends with an irresistible plea to come forward and somehow make a decision to become a Christian, you've witnessed the lasting impact of Charles Finney. If you've ever felt that the church was ineffective in building God's Kingdom and what we really need is a big 'ole revival, you've been influenced by Finney.
In overly simplistic terms, Finney was guilty of a form of "Pelagianism," which means he over-emphasized man's free will so much that the sovereignty of God (and God's ability to save) was virtually ignored. Finney believed that Christians could accomplish God's work by simply using their determination, so much so in fact, that he practically left God out of the equation:
"A revival is not a miracle according to another definition of the term "miracle” — something above the powers of nature. There is nothing in religion beyond the ordinary powers of nature. It consists entirely in the right exercise of the powers of nature. It is just that, and nothing else. When mankind become religious, they are not enabled to put forth exertions which they were unable before to put forth. They only exert powers which they had before, in a different way, and use them for the glory of God. A revival is not a miracle, nor dependent on a miracle, in any sense. It is a purely philosophical result of the right use of the constituted means — as much so as any other effect produced by the application of means." -Charles Finney, (Lectures on Revival, Lecture 1, 11)
Worse than that, was Finney's unorthodox view of the atonement of Christ. Finney didn't believe in the substitutionary atonement, instead he believed that Christ's death on the cross was simply demonstrating obedience to God. Since Jesus was obedient enough to go all the way to death on the cross, we should do likewise. Christ didn't so much accomplish something on the cross (pay for our sins) as He was setting a good example for us to follow. This alters the meaning of the Gospel completely! This view of the atonement is usually called the "Moral Influence" theory. Not only did Finney believe that the "moral influence" theory of the atonement was the chief way of understanding the cross; he explicitly denied the substitutionary atonement, which he said:
"assumes that the atonement was a literal payment of a debt, which we have seen does not consist with the nature of the atonement ... It is true, that the atonement, of itself, does not secure the salvation of any one" -Charles G. Finney (Systematic Theology p.217).
If you've ever felt worn out and frustrated by the "do more, try harder" version of Christianity, this shocking news about Finney's beliefs might help you to understand what has gone wrong in much of American Evangelicalism.
The following articles and videos are from various writers, theologians and pastors who all agree that Charles G. Finney had a number of very questionable beliefs, and it would do the church much good to carefully consider how Finney's ideas contrast with Holy Scripture.
The Disturbing Legacy of Charles Finney by Michael Horton
Charles Finney's Influence on American Evangelicalism Radio Broadcast with Bob DeWaay
The Pelagian Controversy by R. C. Sproul
Charles G. Finney: Heretic or Man of God (Part one) by Richard Belcher
Charles G. Finney: Heretic or Man of God (Part two) by Richard Belcher
Charles G. Finney: Heretic or Man of God (Part three) by Richard Belcher
Finney: The Aftermath by Monte E. Wilson
Charles Finney The Father of American Evangelicalism lecture by Jeremy Rhode
Walther Versus Finney by Dr. Tom Baker
Charles G. Finney: How Theology Affects Understanding of Revival by Iain H. Murray
The Heresies of Charles Finney (Part one) by John Cereghin
The False Teachers: Pelagius by Tim Challies
Charles G. Finney: How Theology Affects Understanding of Revival
-This article by Steven Kozar
Read this amazing first-hand account from a homeschool mom who dared to confront the hyper-charismatic superstar, Todd White:
Todd White Flees Rebuke of Woman, Threatens to Call Police by Cindy McCann in Pulpit & Pen
Read more about this false teacher:
The Todd White Cornucopia of False Teaching
Todd White is part of the New Apostolic Reformation: The New Apostolic Reformation Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Dominionism, Charismania and Deception
For those who think it's mean, judgmental and un-loving to criticize Todd White (or any other popular teacher) here's something just for you: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.
If you're having a knee-jerk reaction to try and defend Todd White, check out: Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs.
Finally, here's an article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.
Our "fearless friend," Elliott Nesch, took two of his children and went to visit Elevation Church a few months ago; this is the article he wrote about that experience:
Our Recent "Worship Experience" at Elevation Church
For further reading and research:
The Steven Furtick Cornucopia of False Teaching, Egomania and Hair Gel
The Seeker-Friendly, Purpose-Driven Cornucopia of False Doctrine
The "attractional" church model is so common that it's practically the norm; most Christians have assumed that it is the only valid way to "do church" nowadays, or they don't even know that other legitimate options exist. What is it? Simply put, this model of church starts with the idea that "normal" church is unattractive and can't bring in new people, so exciting new ideas must be implemented in order to get people in the door. Once people show up for the attractive and entertaining aspects, they'll eventually hear a gospel message and they'll "accept Jesus in their hearts" (or something to that effect).
This philosophy makes a number of assertions and assumptions right from the start:
Robert Schuller (1926-2015) is probably the man most responsible for establishing the Attractional, Seeker-Friendly, Purpose-Driven church model; although a case could be made that Henry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969) really laid the foundation. Schuller removed many of the "negative" aspects of Christianity like Christ dying on the cross to atone for our sin, hell, God's anger and God's wrath; and replaced it with the Positive Thinking philosophy he borrowed directly from his mentor, Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993). Here's an article with more detail: Robert Schuller and The Seeker Sensitive Church-The Roots and Fruits of Robert Schuller's Version of Theological Liberalism by Bob DeWaay
At a very fundamental level, Schuller believed that because modern people didn't care about their eternal salvation anymore, the church should reach them by appealing to the things that did matter to them; things like their self-esteem and their earthly success and happiness.
“The church must develop a theology for mission. I don’t think it’s done that. I accept John 3:16 as a good one if people have a fear of hell. Maybe they have, but I find a lot of secular people haven’t. At what point can I find a button to push so that I can reach them? I think their desire for self-esteem is that button.”
“I don’t think anything has been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality and hence counterproductive to the evangelistic enterprise than the unchristian, uncouth strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition.”
A New Reformation? The Christian Research Institute Examines the Theology of Robert Schuller
After Schuller established the Crystal Cathedral and his T.V. Show "The Hour of Power" there were two young pastors who took his ideas and implemented them on an even larger scale: Bill Hybels and Rick Warren. Both of these men learned about growing a church directly from Schuller when they were starting their new churches. Although Schuller was often viewed with skepticism by many Evangelicals (because he had so clearly altered and reduced the Gospel message), both Hybels and Warren have maintained more mainstream reputations as genuine Evangelicals and have escaped much scrutiny. But when examined more carefully, the Mega-Church/Attractional model they brought to full fruition in Willow Creek Church (Hybels) and Saddleback Church (Warren) is not really an orthodox, Biblical Church; it's a strange hybrid that ends up creating more problems than it solves.
Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, attended Robert Schuller's "Institute for Church Growth" in 1979 while Warren was in his last year of seminary. In a 2002 interview for Christianity Today Magazine, Kay Warren said this of their visit to the institute: "He (Schuller) had a profound effect on Rick. We were captivated by his positive appeal to non-believers. I never looked back." (Christianity Today, Nov. 18, 2002) Rick Warren, however, has been strangely silent about the obvious influence that Schuller has had on him.
A big problem with the Mega-Church message is that it's a watered-down and neutered message. This Christianity is focused on meeting the "felt needs" of people, but the Gospel message is about how Christ gave His life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He didn't die on the cross to give us purpose or make us successful. The true and complete Gospel must be preached so that people can hear the Word of God and can understand the weight of their sin; it's only from that point that people have the opportunity to repent and have their sins forgiven. In the worse case, "Mega-Church" scenario, the message confuses people into thinking that becoming a Christian is simply "accepting" Jesus so that He can make you more complete, or more satisfied. As an example of this, Rick Warren had a chance to preach a gospel message to a gigantic audience at a TED Talk in 2008, but he choose to preach a feel-good, non-Christian message instead:
“So the good life is not about looking good, feeling good, or having the goods. It’s about being good and doing good. The bottom line is that God gets pleasure watching you be you. Why? He made you. And when you do what you are made to do, He goes, ‘That’s my boy.’ ‘That’s my girl.’ You are using the talent and the ability that God gave you. So my advice to you is look at what is in your hand, your identity, your influence, your income. And say, ‘It’s not about me; it’s about making the world a better place. Thank you.”
(Here's the complete TED Talk given by Rick Warren in February, 2006)
Here's an example of Andy Stanley freely admitting that he uses "attractional" messages to get people to attend his Mega-Church:
“People are not on a truth quest; they are on a happiness quest. They will continue to attend your church - even if they don’t share your beliefs - as long as they find the content engaging and helpful.”
One of the most striking characteristics of the Attractive, Seeker-Friendly church is the constant emphasis on LEADERSHIP. This is not surprising, since much of the philosophy behind this church model is not based on the Bible-it's based on business principles. The non-Christian business guru Peter Drucker (1909-2005) has probably had more influence on this idea of church than any single pastor. Read: Peter Drucker's Mega-Church Legacy. Both Hybels and Warren refer to Drucker as their primary mentor. Here's a quote from Bill Hybels book "Courageous Leadership" that clearly portrays his near-idolatry of leadership:
“I believe that the great tragedy of the church in our time has been its failure to recognize the importance of the spiritual gift of leadership. It appears to me that only a fraction of pastors worldwide are exercising the spiritual gift of leadership, organizing the church around it, and deploying church members through it. The results, in terms of church growth and worldwide spiritual impact, are staggering.”
The following articles are from various people coming from various theological backgrounds who all agree that the "attractional" "seeker-friendly" "purpose-driven" church model should be reconsidered:
Redefining the Church-The Church Growth Movement's Unbiblical Definition of the Church by Bob DeWaay
Straight Talk About the Seeker Church Movement by Grace to You Ministries
Schuller Planted, Hybels Watered, Warren (Peter Drucker) Gives The Increase by Orrel Steinkamp
Many Articles about the Unbiblical Nature of the Church Growth Movement by Deception in the Church
The Problems With The Purpose-Driven Definition of a Christ Follower
Why I Left Your Seeker-Friendly Church
Seeker Movement on Critical Issues Commentary Radio (5 different shows)
Celebrity Pastor is Not a Biblical Church Office by Elliott Nesch
Bill Hybels Talks About Popeye (Much) More Than Jesus in the Museum of Idolatry
Bill Hybels: "God Uses a Re-Crafted Schedule to Transform Lives" in the Museum of Idolatry
The Andy Stanley Cornucopia of False Teaching, Fast Talking and Postmodern Ambiguity
Seeker-Sensual Church Growth (Fighting for the Faith Episode with Rosebrough, Kozar and Spreeman)
Purpose Driven Dismantling of Christianity by Marsha West
The following video from our friend Elliot Nesch, is probably the most careful and comprehensive examination of the mega-church model available on the internet. This is three hours of very important material; every Christian should watch this (and then watch it again!):
The following two videos are based on the excellent "White Horse Inn" radio program:
-This article by Steven Kozar
From the intro: Holy Spirit Uses Smart Phone to Help Shawn Bolz Do Cold Readings
"The Shack" Movie: The Beast Behind The Beauty by Marcia Montenegro
What's at The Back of the Shack? A Look at William P. Young's The Shack by Marcia Montenegro
Shack Ebola Virus Outbreak 2 on Fighting for the Faith
What Does The Shack Really Teach? “Lies We Believe About God” Tells Us by Tim Challies
Lifeway VS the SBC: Thom Rainer’s Fight to Promote The Shack by Pulpit and Pen
"The Shack" to Be the Next Blasphemous Blockbuster [VIDEO] by Berean Examiner
Why I Won't Be Seeing (or Reviewing) The Shack by Tim Challies
"Burning Down The Shack" book review by Tim Challies
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Shack? by Wayne Jacobsen (article defending The Shack)
Beth Moore is a mainstream Evangelical superstar who speaks with an impassioned frenzy that inspires many women to become fanatical followers. She is not (officially) a pastor or theologian, but she serves both of those functions for millions and millions of people in the church. She first gained popularity in the 1990's when her theology was viewed as middle-of-the-road, Bible-based, Baptist teaching, but her teaching has become more mystical and subjective over the years. Beth Moore sometimes refers to her own direct conversations with God in order to establish and validate her teachings, and she emphasizes unity in the church over sound teaching about important doctrinal matters. Moore has partnered with and endorsed Word of Faith false teachers like Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen and Christine Cain, and she is featured prominently on TBN:
Because she has established herself as solid and dependable (partly through very good and consistent marketing), she is rarely questioned by Evangelicals, who believe a brand name Christian author must be speaking the truth.
The following articles are from different Christians who are coming from different theological perspectives, but they all agree that Beth Moore's teachings are not totally trustworthy and Biblical, and in some cases, she is teaching ideas that go directly against God's Word:
The Mailbag: What did you think of Beth Moore’s “A Letter to My Brothers”? by Michelle Lesle
Why Your Pastor Should Say “No More to Beth Moore” by Delivered By Grace
Beth Moore Predicts God Will Unite All Sectors of Christendom-Pulpit and Pen
Beth Moore's Strangely Disappearing Tweet: A Discernment Lesson by The End Time
Beth Moore's Illicit Tent of Meeting (includes Video Lecture) by Bob DeWaay
Beth Moore-False Teacher by The King's Dale
Beth Moore Analysis by Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
Multiple Beth Moore Articles by Berean Research
Breaking Free from Beth Moore and Her "Try Hard" Theology by Lisa Nunley
Beth Moore Displays the Subtle Deception of False Teachings by 828 Ministries
Straightening Out Beth Moore on Discernment by Apprising Ministries
The Teachings of Beth Moore and Living Proof Ministries on Issues, Etc.
Multiple Articles About Beth Moore by Apprising Ministries
Multiple Articles About Beth Moore by The End Time
Multiple Articles About Beth Moore by Apostasy Watch
Goodbye, Beth Moore (with links to more articles) by Guarding the Deposit
Many Episodes of Fighting for the Faith featuring Beth Moore
For further reading and research:
Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs
Assertions and Assumptions are NOT the Foundation of the Church
The Gigantic Problem Beneath the Really Big Problem
A Manifesto of Christian Discernment
This article by Steven Kozar; check out his new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!
A Very Confused "Word of Faith" Man Writes Me an Email
From the intro: Holy Spirit Uses Smart Phone to Help Shawn Bolz Do Cold Readings
For further reading on this topic:
Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know!
The Hyper-Charismatic House of Cards-Let It Fall and Be Free
The Word of Faith Cornucopia of False Doctrine
Assertions are Assumptions are NOT the Foundation of the Church
YouTube Bible teacher "BezelT3" (who has a TON of great teaching videos!) does an excellent job of scrutinizing the Mega-Church message from Dave Ramsey & Company in this video:
Here's another CCM Song Critique by Jorge Rodriguez at Faithful Stewardship. Please, please, please keep in mind that these articles are examining the meaning and theology of the lyrics-NOT critiquing the intentions or sincerity of the songwriters/performers:
"Giants Fall" By Francesca Battistelli by Faithful Stewardship Blog
We will maintain a healthy skepticism towards all the big-name leaders in the church. No matter how famous a Christian celebrity might be, we refuse to be gullible just because someone has become a "brand name."
We will check everything any pastor/teacher says against God's Word, and when it comes to the most powerful, multimillionaire "Super Pastors," we will assume the worst until convinced otherwise.
"Pastor" David Hughes
We refuse to be impressed or motivated by storytelling, drama and entertainment. God and His written Word is the only acceptable focus of a worship service-not the manipulations of men. We will not tolerate idiotic stunts in order to "bring the unsaved to church." We will not tolerate false humility and claims of direct revelation from any pastor/teacher. Any pastor/teacher that claims to hear "something new" directly from God will be immediately disqualified. No second chances.
We don't need you. We understand that you need a constant influx of new and gullible listeners, but we refuse to participate.
"Pastor" Steven Furtick
A pulpit and a microphone should only be used to direct attention to Christ, not towards a pastor who loves the attention of an audience. A large church platform does not give any pastor the right to amass power and enlarge their bank account. Pastors must tell the truth, all the time-not just when it advances their career.
"Pastor" ED YOUNG JR.
Stop telling people "it's all about Jesus" when you actually talk more about yourself and your ideas.
Stop bragging about how much you're doing for God.
Stop bragging about how great your church is.
Stop bragging about how you started out with just a few people meeting in your living room and "now we have (x) number of people coming!"
Stop bragging about the guest speaker-he's a sinner, too. (We know you just want to get invited to his church so you can make a pile of money.)
Stop bragging about your best-selling book.
Stop bragging about your celebrity friends.
"Pastor" Eddie Long (who died mysteriously)
Pastor, you're a sinner that deserves God's wrath, just like the rest of us. Jesus took the punishment we deserve upon Himself to set us free from sin and death; you didn't do anything. Either tell us about the true Gospel or we will go elsewhere, with zero regrets.
We are all on equal footing; no pastor should be getting rich from his parishioners. (Read: A Biblical Guide to the Prosperity Gospel)
You are not a rock star, you're a servant of Jesus Christ.
You are not a CEO, you're a servant of Jesus Christ.
You are not a motivational speaker, you're a servant of Jesus Christ.
The ridiculous and obscene mansion of "Pastor" T. D. Jakes
Any pastor/teacher who misuses the Bible should be removed from ministry. Period. We realize that this rarely takes place, but we will work towards that goal, as much as possible.
Pastors:
Stop taking Bible verses out of context to support your own personal agenda.
Stop spending so much time putting on a good show each Sunday that you're not studying the Bible.
Stop emphasizing leadership skills as if you were running a large corporation; you're cheapening the church and starving your sheep.
Stop using marketing gimmicks and promotional tricks to imitate a genuine work of God.
Stop apologizing for the Bible while you pander to newcomers who aren't being told the full story of their sin and need for salvation.
Stop embarrassing us by trying to be cool, relevant and modern. Just preach the Word.
Stop thinking that nobody will show up if you don't tickle people's ears to get them in the door.
Stop relying on musicians to create a fake "Holy Spirit;" you should be more concerned about the Biblical training (and eternal fate) of these musicians rather than just using them as part of the Sunday morning "show."
Stop giving motivational speeches that promise success in the name of God.
Stop telling people to tithe in order to get God to do something. God is sovereign.
Stop using tithing as a false promise of guaranteed prosperity to your parishioners and as a means to fill your own wallet. If you didn't have such an expensive "church" to run, you wouldn't need so much money.
Stop manipulating people-start serving them.
Stop pointing to yourself-point to Jesus.
Stop referring to your own thoughts and ideas-start referring to God's Word alone.
Stop putting people under the burden of the Law-point people to the freedom that only the Gospel brings.
In Conclusion,
We will seek out the pastor who faithfully serves God and proclaims repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name. God's Word alone will be our guide. It will be our joy to serve faithfully under a real, Biblical pastor, no matter what. God help us all, in the great name of Jesus.
Titus 1:7-11 “For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.”
James 3: 1 "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness."
Titus 2:1 “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.”
2 Timothy 4:1-4 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
2 Timothy 4:16 "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
Romans 16:18 “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”
2 Corinthians 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.”
This article by Steven Kozar; check out his new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!
© Steven Kozar for Pirate Christian Media & Messed Up Church. Read a little about Steve on "Kozar's Korner." Prints of his paintings are available on our Bakesale and on his art website stevenkozar.com.
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