We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. A.W. Tozer
Therefore let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth. --Basil of Caesarea
Once you learn to discern, there's no going back. You will begin to spot the lie everywhere it appears.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service. 1 Timothy 1:12

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Rick Joyner’s Hubris


Rick Joyner is a typical Word of Faith false prophet.  In my September 17th RAAH I linked to an article about Joyner’s claim of visiting heaven.  Today, this article was in my email from The Berean Call; a perfect example of the garbage Joyner spouts.

RICK JOYNER SAYS SOME CHRISTIANS CAN CURE EBOLA SIMPLY THROUGH THEIR PRESENCE 

On [the September 11, 2014] "Prophetic Perspective on Current Events" program, Rick Joyner recounted the eight hours he spent in Heaven recently, as well as the regular face-to-face encounters he has been having with Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, and the Prophet Elijah.

During his recent visit, Joyner learned that there is no Ebola virus in Heaven and that Christians are capable of taking authority over the disease here on earth. In fact, there are certain people who are given "total authority over Ebola," allowing them to cure people infected with the disease simply by being in their presence.

"Somebody with Ebola, they come into the room, the Ebola is gone," Joyner said. "That person is healed. It cannot live, cannot exist in their presence." All Christians will one day have this same power, Joyner said, revealing that he even had a vision of children clearing entire regions of radiation simply through prayer.


[TBC: It is instructive when a secular group such as "Right Wing Watch" shows concern regarding the false teaching of individuals such as Rick Joyner. Yet, the concern of believers seems muted when Joyner makes such outrageous and unbiblical claims. In Wandering Stars: Contending for the Faith with the New Apostles and Prophets, Keith Gibson points out that Joyner in Overcoming Evil in the Last Days "impugns the motives of those who would dare to be concerned about false teaching creeping into the church, and writes, 'Although this spirit usually comes in the guise of protecting the sheep, the truth, or the Lord's glory, it is an evil, critical spirit that will always end up causing division and destruction'." (Overcoming Evil in the Last Days, 2003 Destiny Image Publishers, pp. 144-45).] 

13 comments:

Jon Gleason said...

Well, Rick, if you have this ability you really ought to go to Africa, start visiting around, and take care of this. Should only take a month or so to stamp it out, I would hope, but however long it takes.

I'll contribute to your return airfare if it works.

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Jon,

I'll also contribute to Joyner's journey!

Anonymous said...

Sadly, these heretic "healers" never seem to go out and HEAL all of Africa's (and now the United States "EBOLA" victims )....or a whole children's hospital. Just pretend badly faked up "healings" on a stage from 7 - 8 p.m. And the fooled flock always leaves wallet lightened blamed for their lack of "faith" as the cause of their illness. Not the hucksters lies.

Anonymous said...

Rick Joyner has made a huge impression on much of the church system. His teachings infiltrated the church I came out of several years ago and is still alive and well in their Baptist walls. All of the "extra Biblical" revelation has caused much damage concerning individuals who ascribe to "Sola Scriptura" and I for one, was spiritually abused by many of the "churched."

While attending, a man from Iowa was listed in the bulletin quite often who claimed to be an "evangelist," and I did not know much about him until the women began to "praise his glory." This man was invited on a weekly basis to "counsel" individuals with their problems of living and many were flocking to him to has their problems resolved, mostly women. We had an Assembly of God pastor at that time, who was a product of the Toronto blessing (I have chosen to call it the Toronto cursing for all of the pride and elitism, and abominable manifestations that came out of it, with spiritual abuse as its final fruit). This former drug user/prison inmate, now turned evangelist, said that during his time with god (a god), his spirit left his body, and as he was looking down on all of those "sinners down there," he formed a love for them and this is when he knew that he was "called" to evangelism.

Soon, these women were speaking of their grandiose visions and dreams they were having interpreted. Two of those women used the "dream card" on me to control and manipulate me into coming back to that cult, I mean church system. And after a short time in our church, he had such an influence over the congregation, that many of them were having visits to "the third heaven." In addition to this, his "river movement" poured over into the youth group where he led an expedition to California to "witness" there.

First the women, then the youth, and the men just sat there and did and said nothing....absolutely nothing. Maybe they were too busy trying to be funny with their cute pundits desiring to be "liked" and "looked up to for being "cool"", instead of praying and desiring/teaching the truth of God's Word. The truth of God's Word has been whored for a popularity contest and a three ringed circus of "God spoke to me syndrome, wild visions (including their heaven trips with no airline fare), and dream interpretations."

The craziness of it all....and when I chose not to accept any of this nor participate in this Gnosticism....my name was ripped off of the church mailbox by someone in church, I was told by one of the women that "I did not know anything because she was a Christian longer than me", these women lied and slandered my reputation in the church and community, this church system eliminated my name from their "church directory list, their birthday list and the anniversary list, but did leave my husband's name on the directory list, just no spouse attached.

It took me over three years to heal from this system who claims to love Jesus, but not those who chose the mystical/gnostic path, for the hatred from a church goer far exceeds the hatred from a believer and follower of Jesus Christ who chooses not to attend a 501c. 3 church.

And the pastor who said many of us have a "jezebel spirit" for not believing in these false doctrines, was caught in sexual sins (lusting after and soliciting favors from several church women) of his own that were kept in "secret" by church leadership for several years.

And these people claim to love Jesus more than anyone else......Guess the Bible doesn't really matter in many churches anymore.

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Anonymous,

What you describe is how quickly an assembly can turn into a cult when worshiping a man instead of God.

We had one of those "Toronto cursing" wolves come as a pastor to a church we attended. It caused a church split due to those who panted after him. I spent the year helping to oust him. Unfortunately, with the split came many more in house squabbles to where I finally took my family out.

These types of "pastors" don't want to be corrected. You can only throw them out or leave if the congregation wants to follow him.

Anonymous said...

So sorry to hear that about your former assembly. I agree with your observations concerning the clergy/leadership systems as many are steeped in pride and discount any Scripture verses that confirm these extra Biblical revelations as falsehoods. The leadership in my former church chose to use mass media marketing resources as their religious foundation for truth, such as Charisma Magazine for example.

The pastor and his family, as well as leadership, looked down on the rest of us as "less spiritual", and in need of "spiritual mothers and fathers." The pastor's wife was also boasted as a great "prophetess" with many of the women visiting her to have their dreams "interpreted."

I heard this phrase from several within this particular congregation, "When those unbelievers see what I have (their faith in Jesus), they will want it too." But I am sorry Glen, however, having been so hurt by the pastor, leadership, and several laity members, I can boldly reassure those around me that "there is absolutely nothing they have, that I will ever want."
The vanity of it all.

Please just give me the Bible, thank-you very much.

Dr. Bob said...

About Rick Joyner's claim that there are people in whose presence Ebola is cured: I am a biomedical engineer (PhD) and scientist who has followed the Word of Faith movement, for many years. For about a year now, I have been commanding pain to leave people who I approach on the street, who are limping or whatever. To their shock and amazement, their pain leaves, instantly. I am not especially gifted in healing, but only continue to read and believe exactly what the Bible says about the Power of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts and continue to read and listen to the materials of those who believe what the Bible says about believers having authority over disease, having supernatural gifts, about healing the sick, cleansing the lepers and raising the dead. No, I haven't seen the dead raised yet; but, the healings that I have ministered and seen with my own eyes, and felt as I ministered to myself, feeling pain immediately leave, keep me hopeful. Having experienced what I have so far, although I have not witnessed it personally, I believe that what Rick says is possible, because "All things are possible TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE."
There is an aeronautical engineer in my church who had a severe stroke, with symptoms for weeks being right-arm paralysis, lack of sensation in his right hand and the inability to write his name. He came to our church healing school on a Wednesday night; and after 20 minutes was completely healed. He has not had a problem since then.
Speaking as a scientist and engineer who has investigated divine healing for many years, who has experienced these things, personally. May I suggest that you do more research, before deciding that these things are impossible. You might want to start at the website of an international Christian organization of doctors, called the World Christian Doctors Network. They have documented evidence of divine healing. You may also want to investigate the findings of the Chinese Medicine-less Hospital. Also, type "Street Healing" in Youtube's search engine and look at videos of the following ministers healing on the street: Tom Fischer, Pete Cabrera, and Todd White. May the Lord bless you to experience the reality of his healing Power. Bob

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

I'll tell you what, Bob, if you give me medical evidence that the people you healed actually had a medical issue, and provide evidence that these people had an immediate release from pain or the medical issue, then perhaps I'll actually believe the story. The problem is, all I've ever seen are anecdotes - and that isn't proof.

Oh, and your "appeal to authority" by citing all the degrees people have has no basis in the discussion. Your cited degrees in biomedical science or an aeronautical engineer does not make one an authority of theological matters.

If you are following the Word of Faith movement, then satan will show you false signs and wonders.

Dr. Bob said...

Glenn, did you ever go to the World Christian Doctors Network site to see the evidence? Also, the only evidence that Jesus and the apostles had was anecdotal. There was no tangible medical evidence. That being the case, do you believe that the record in the Bible is true?

Dr. Bob said...

Glenn, to answer you about my needing to show medical evidence of pain or the cessation of pain: Have you ever seen any medical doctor IN HIS PRACTICE, provide scientific proof or evidence of a patient's pain or release from pain? Name any practicing physician that you trust who has a test that he commonly uses as evidence of a patient's release from pain. Also, please as a spiritual or biblical authority or expert, please prove that in the Word of Faith movement that satan is showing false signs and wonders. First, I doubt if you can show satan, to begin with, let alone his doing a false sign or wonder. Even if you should be able to prove that a sign or wonder is false, how can you be sure that it is satan doing it and that the supposed or apparent or not so apparent sign or wonder is just merely a manifestation of the false belief in the believer? Regarding using degrees as an appeal to authority, at symposia scientists with degrees report to and believe each other all the time without having to prove what they are reporting on the spot. I believe that your approach to divine healing falls in the category that "a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." Actually, as much as any doctor normally does, I have ways of testing the intensity of the pain of a person in pain. Even if you heard the testimony of a patient and the doctor in a doctors' office, for specific types of pain, there is no scientific test in that office that can prove without a shadow of a doubt that the patient really has or was released from the pain. So, virtually any test you personally could see with your own eyes or test results that you could have in your hand about pain, is not provable any way, unless you personally can feel it. In normal medical practice and clinical conditions, the doctor, you or I must rely on the report of the patient, alone. Contrary to what you personally would require as proof, doctors accept the patient's word for it about their having or not having pain, all the time. If you really, really want to know the truth and not just hold on to your preconceived, doctrinally-biased beliefs, why don't you apply do diligence and really dig for the proof yourself. Or, have you? Or, do you really want to approach divine healing with an unbiased attitude to begin with? How much effort have you personally spent looking for scientific proof or disproof of divine healing? How many hours would you estimate that you have spent? Have you had enough unbiased diligence to even look into the research and papers funded by the National Institutes of Health? Again, before you wrote the last time, did you go to the World Christian Doctors Network to see the clinical evidence of many cases?

Dr. Bob said...

Finally, Glenn, since you are so rigorous in your demand for medical evidence for pain, before as you were writing that comment, which specific medical/scientific tests as evidence for pain or cessation of pain were you thinking about requiring?

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Dr. Bob,

Can you please read where I say do not post your comment more than once?

No, I'm not looking at any internet site to verify such stuff. As if I'm supposed to believe it because it is on the Internet?

No, the incidents of Jesus and the Apostles is NOT anecdotal It is the Word of God. If you think it is anecdotal, then that demonstrates your low view of Scripture.

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Dr. Bob,

The Word of Faith has been proven to be a heresy by multitudes of evidence. If it is heresy, God is not working with them, so therefore any false signs and wonders have to come from Satan. After all, the Mormons have also claimed signs, wonders, and healings.

The research has been done by many, many other people. I don't have time.

End of discussion, because you want to believe fraud and I refuse to accept it. Good day, sir.