A busy week for reports of false teachers/teachings. It’s difficult to know where to start, but there is so much apostasy in the Church that it must really grieve our Lord.
The Foursquare Gospel Church, which is too charismatic for my tastes, was founded by false teacher Aimee Semple McPherson (yep, the one whose grave Benny Hinn visits for an “anointing”). She was one of the original faith (“fake”) healers. The Smithsonian blog had a very interesting article about her. Seriously, I can’t understand why any Christian can be a member of a church founded under such aberrant and false teachings. But then again, I can’t understand why Benny Hinn has followers.
In the past I’ve read about various assemblies who use “praise bands” will often have unbelievers in such bands. I find this abhorrent - that pagans are leading Christians in worship and that Christians don’t have a problem with it! The Gospel Coalition has a good article about this subject.
I came across a new site, Spirit of Error, exposing much about the New Apostolic Reformation and IHOP, and why they are a movement of false teachers and false prophets. First, just like any other cult, they now have their own Bible version which gives support to their false teachings. Spirit of Error has so far published four parts of a study of “The Passion Translation.” You’ll find part one here, part two here, part three here, and part four here.
The individual who “translated” this Bible version, Brian Simmons, is a self-proclaimed apostle in the NAR movement. Sprit of Error has a series of articles exposing him for what he really is. Part one is here, part two here, and part three here.
Holly has another article exposing the lies Simmons uses to pretend he doesn’t claim to be an apostle.
The NAR is a dangerous movement. Beware.
Erin Benziger actually watched some IHOP live stream, and she had this to say about it:
I tuned in briefly last night to IHOP's (that's International House of Prayer, not pancakes—pancakes would be better) 24/7 "prayer and worship" live stream. When I finally awoke from my mind-numbingly-repetitive-music-induced trance early this morning, I had two thoughts. The first was, "Wow, I hope that's not what music is like in Heaven, because if it is, count me out." The second was, "Wow, the Great Deceiver surely is good at what he does."
By the grace of God, I see and hear what is sung and taught at IHOP and it never even crosses my mind to entertain it as viable, true, biblical worship and teaching. Yet, there are many who are involved in IHOP or movements like it or those who if not involved directly, at the very least acknowledge it as a legitimate expression of Christianity. The key words then in that first sentence are "by the grace of God." By the grace of God, I've not been deceived by the wacky, unbiblical teachings of IHOP. By the grace of God I, as an unregenerate, false convert college freshman, found myself repulsed by one professor's required reading of Richard Foster's Streams of Living Water when many of my classmates were enraptured by the same book. By the grace of God I later was saved out of the seeker-driven mindset that I could look and act like the world, love and treasure my sin and still call myself a Christian. By the grace of God.
By that same grace of God, then, there will be those who will be saved out of the dangerous, deceptive IHOP movement. You see, the Great Deceiver may be good at what he does, but the Savior is greater. Satan knows his time is running short, and there will soon come a day when he will never again deceive a human soul. Until that time, let us Christians be about proclaiming the gospel of salvation that is found in Jesus Christ. Let us do all we can to pull men from the fire of these devilish deceptions. [Link gone by 9/14/20]
I’ve never been a dogmatic proponent of the need for a pastor to attend seminary, because I think someone who really studies on his own can get the same training. I also think that the type of person who would study on his own to get said training is few and far between! While there have been many good pastors throughout the centuries who didn’t attend such schools, today’s self-proclaimed ministers of the Faith have nothing in common with them. The Cripplegate has an excellent article using Joel Osteen as an example of what happens in the modern Church when someone with no training becomes a “pastor.”
Well, we’ve all heard by now of the latest Supreme Court decisions about same-sex fake marriage. The support from various apostate bodies for homosexuality is another example of how quickly we are headed to the end times. I’ve previously reported about the homosexual-supporting United Church of Christ, ELCA Lutheran Church, Episcopal Church, and the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), as well as many United Methodist assemblies. But the National Cathedral in Washington DC has outdone all of them with their celebration of the Supreme Court decisions. They held a huge “prayer service” to celebrate, with their bells tolling the demise of real marriage. Dean Hall of that body said the ruling should “serve as a call for Christians to embrace religious marriage equally.” Many local “Christian” church leaders joined the service, which also had African drums pounding the death knell for real marriage. These so-called Christian leaders/pastors are in reality wolves out to destroy the sheep. The Bible is very clear about what God says about homosexuality, and He is certainly not pleased with those who blasphemously use His name to support same-sex fake marriage.
Remember Jimmy Carter - the worst U.S. president up until Barak Obama? He has long had a history of teaching contrary to the Bible, all the while claiming to be a Christian and Bible teacher. He recently demonstrated his ignorance of Scripture by twisting Galatians 3:28 to “prove” that women should be church leaders, and that the Catholic Church should allow women in the priesthood. After all, he says, all religions should promote gender equality. And here all this time I thought we did.
