Bits and Pieces

How about a very thought-provoking article about Jewish theological connection to the Gospel of John!

Joining Forces With People In The Ecumenical Movement For The Sake Of Unity Can Cause Spiritual Harm.

Answering the Muslim “Lost Aramaic” Argument.

How Bill Gothard got his cult of followers going, regardless of his horrid Bible teachings.

False teacher/false apostle Kathryn Krick gets her worshipers demon-possessed just being by her.  Beyond Kathryn Krick: The Hidden Danger of "Subtle" NAR Teachings

Speaking of Tongues…

There are no such things as “generational curses.”

The Catholic Church has too many leaders supporting all that is unholy. This priest is another  perfect example.

Catholics in Spain are seeking to help the invaders!!!!  “What is keeping the migrants in Ceuta? The answer in large part is a collection of non-profit organizations, some backed by the Spanish government and the Catholic Church, which continue providing the invaders with food, supplies and encouragement that if they persist, they will be allowed to remain in Spanish territory, then travel to Spain and then across Europe.”  I guess the Catholic Church has forgotten about obeying the law.  Worse yet is the Bishop of Cueta claiming that these illegal Muslim invaders are just “Missionaries of Hope that Widen Our Hearts.”

Ah, The Chosen is soooooooo NOT Christ-like. Proving the heretical and blasphemous series is from  Satan.

If missionaries encountered Alcoholics Anonymous. The word “alcoholic” was invented to claim that drunkenness is an illness and everyone bought into the claim to absolve drunks from personal responsibility. the inventor also invented the AA “religion.”  Demonic. 

Institute in Basic Life Principles

IBLP was/is Bill Gothard’s legalistic and bible-twisting organization for which I had gathered a lot off articles exposing. (His Advanced Training Institute—ATI—is included.)

I have a nice 3” 3-ring binder about 2/3 full. It begins with my request for information about IBLP from Midwest Christian Outreach, which is a Christian Apologetics and Counter Cult Ministry in Lombard, IL. They sent me copies of article they had in their journals as well as other articles from other discernment ministries.

Following these are articles I wrote examining his Basic and Advanced Seminar textbooks, which I late posted on my blog as well as sending to Bill Gothard.

Then there are lots more articles from various ministries and more material from MCO. 

Most of the rest of the publications are print-outs of articles from Recovering Grace Ministries, which has wonderful examinations of Gothard’s teachings and help for those leaving Gothardism.

I would really like to send this binder of articles to someone who would be interested in learning about IBLP/Bill Gothard or maybe someone who knows people involved with IBLP and  would find the information helpful to lead them out of it.

If you are interested in acquiring this data, let me know and I will be happy to ship it off to you. Just email me at jude3.gctwm@yahoo.com

Bill Gothard’s book, 7 Basic Needs of a Wife

I have been examining the poor teaching in this book, the way in which Bill Gothard twists Scripture, etc.

I have made 10 posts about this book, beginning a year ago, and could continue with a few more, but I decided to just leave what I have.

As I noted on my first post about this book: One of my blog followers sent me a box of publications by Bill Gothard’s IBLP and other personal teachings quite a while back. So much has gone on in my life that I totally forgot about that box. Recently I came across the box and began looking at the material; oh what a lot to examine and expose!!!

Well I’m having less and less time for blogging and I decided Gothard will only be very small part of my exposing of false teachings because there is just tooooooo much! So I will dispose of the most of the material material and leave Gothard pretty much behind.

Examining a Gothard Book, Part 10

This post continues examining Chapter 5: To Be Cleansed Within, of Bill Gothard’s book, 7 Basic Needs of a Wife. This is part two of this examination and continues the topic of “Cleansing Wives of Lies.”

I can never measure up.

This lie comes from the false idea that we are to compare ourselves with other people and measure up to their expectation of us. If we measure ourselves by other people, we will always find those who we believe are smarter, prettier, or more talented that we are. This will produce self-rejection and discouragement in us.

Greatness is not determined by how many people serve us but by how many people allow us to serve them. (pg.52)

Mr. Gothard started out good with we will always find those who we believe are smarter, prettier, or more talented that we are. But then he says this knowledge “will produce self-rejection and discouragement in us.” This may happen with self-centered people but everyone else should just accept the facts—that there are people who ARE smarter, better looking and more talented than we are aand move on. Also, we shouldn’t be thinking about how we can be great.

I am not worth anything.

When we believe this lie, we separate ourselves from the great works that God has planned for us to achieve. God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou tamest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations “ (Jeremiah 1:5). God has placed such a great worth on you that if you were the only one in the world, He would have sent His son to die for your sins so that you could have eternal life with Him. (pg.52)

So if a woman says to herself that she isn’t worth anything, can she really separate herself from whatever God has planned for her—does she really have that power?!? The chosen text says God ordained Jeremiah as a prophet—is this what the woman is to expect of herself? Of course not!! What if God doesn’t have anything special at all for the woman except for her to live her life in obedience to Him? The last statement about “great worth” is ridiculous because she would NEVER be the only person in the world!! Too much hyperbole.

The Bible passages Gothard uses are, as usual for him, out of context. John 14:12 and John 15:16 are directed ONLY to his apostles!!!!

I must hide my faults

The lie that if we reveal our faults, people will despise us. The opposite is true. People admire those who confess their faults, because they also have faults; therefore they realize the courage and humility that it takes to acknowledge them.

A second lie is thinking that we can hide our faults. They usually come out in ways that we are not aware of but that others notice. These are called “blind spots” in our lives. God has so designed life that everything we do in secret will become known, either during our lifetime or at the final judgement. (Pg.53)

If we tell everyone our faults it will sound like we are bragging about them. It also isn’t necessary to tell others all our faults; if they can’t help us fix our faults, why tell them? Some faults can indeed be hidden—such as sinful thoughts.

For “proving” his teaching here, Gothard cites three Bible passages; out of context, of course:

Proverbs 28:13, James 5:16 and Luke 12:2 (I’ll let you look them up). Proverbs is about dealing with God, not mankind. James could be supportive but, again, not all faults must be told to others. Finally, Luke is about between us and God for the most part. What if what I’m hiding is that I’m a spy for America in a foreign land—think of all the spies during WWII who helped win the war!

I think that, for the most part, the rest of Gothard’s “lies that wives believe” have essentially correct responses—although he does like to take Bible passages out of context.

Towards the end of this chapter Gothard approaches the idea of fear being a sin. He writes, “Wives are prone to fear.” I have to say this: HUSBANDS are also prone to fear. ALL people are prone to fear in various ways and/or situations. But I don’t think anyone is prone to fear 100% of the time.

Here’s an example of Gothard’s claims:

Fears are especially damaging to women, because they cause her hormonal balance to be upset and thus trigger a cascade of other physical and emotional problems. Fear does particular damage to a wife’s respiratory system. This results in a variety of disease symptoms. If these are treated with drugs, new symptoms will occur. Thus the root causes must be resolved. (Pg.59)

Okay, I googled these claims and found nothing about fear affecting hormonal balance.  One who is suffering from constant anxiety and fear can affect breathing and the resulting problems, HOWEVER, this would have to be continuous and not occasional fears of various things. So fear is healthy in many situations in that it leads to more caution. To label all fear as problematic is just plain wrong!

Next, Gothard writes this:

Every wrong decision can usually be traced to a fear that in turn was based on a lie. (pg.59)

WRONG!! Many wrong decisions may be traced to a fear of something but most are made by being uninformed/ignorant on the topic bringing about the wrong decision!

Next: All fears can be traced back to a lack of genuine love, because “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). Love is concerned only about giving. Fear comes when we focus on getting. (pg.59)

Another absurd abuse of Scripture. If I fear driving in a blizzard, is that because of a lack of love? I was afraid with every-single one of the 43 parachute jumps I made while a paratrooper in the Army. Is that due to a lack of love? What about fear of going into combat—Is that a lack of love? 

The rest of the chapter deals with various fears and how they are wrong, proving Gothard has no clue.

Examining a Gothard Book, Part 9

This post examines Chapter 5: To Be Cleansed Within, of Bill Gothard’s book, 7 Basic Needs of a Wife. This is part one of this examination.

The Cleansing That a Wife Needs (page 50)

The first cleansing that a wife needs is in the thoughts of her heart and soul. David prayed, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). 

I would say that the husband needs the same “cleansing.”

Many wives come into a marriage with a load of painful memories, false ideas, lies from Satan, and unbiblical presuppositions. When new situations come up, a wife will refer back to all these untruths for direction and continue making unwise decisions and damaging responses. This only adds to her problems.

Wow, sounds the same as for a husband! It actually sounds the same for every human being!! So does Gothard have a book to fix husbands? His next paragraph cites Romans 12:1-2 as being for all believers, so he gets good points for that.

There can be several sources from which these lies come. A primary source is from unclean music that promotes lies through its lyrics and its sound.

Since so many legalists have virtually declared that music other than hymns match this description, Gothard should give examples.

Each time this music is listened to, it establishes strongholds of deception in the heart of the listener.

Really? “Each time.” So, what if someone listens to something and decides it isn’t proper, do they now have a “stronghold” of deception in their heart? What if someone is listening to this music for research purposes and in the process of transcribing the lyrics they have to listen to it multiple times times? Do they now have a stronger “stronghold”?

Other lies come from love novels, sensual reading material, and false philosophies.

Not all “love novels” (i.e. romance novels) are full of lies. I’ve read several Jane Austen books to my wife and didn’t seem to find lies in them. What defines “sensual” reading materials? What false philosophies? Gothard’s teachings are one huge false philosophy!

Cleansing Wives of Lies

Jesus stated that Satan is a liar and the father of lies, and that there is no truth in him. His goal is to get all Christians to believe his lies. Women are especially susceptible to believing lies and must be cleansed from them by God’s truth. Here are some lies that wives believe: (pg.50)

So women are more susceptible to believing lies?!? By what research? Want to see lots of men believing lies? Look no further than the Democrat Party, or the Mormon Church, or the Catholic Church for that matter.

I am not good enough.

This lie is based on the false premise that we can generate enough goodness to be acceptable in the eyes of God and other people. Being “good enough” does not come by our own efforts but by the power of God working in and through us! (pg.51)

Wow, I’ve known many men (husbands) who believe that lie. But mostly I see this as not good enough in other people’s eyes; insecurity among others. Gothard’s response becomes Romans 7:18 and Philippians 2:13, which are fine.

I am ugly

This lie is base on the idea that beauty is determined by outward features. The truth is that beauty is determined by the inward character qualities of the heart, especially gratefulness, joyfulness, kindness, compassion, generosity, and attentiveness. (pg.51)

Gothard is confusing two kinds of beauty. There is indeed a beauty of appearance (e.g. beauty contests) as well as an inward beauty. A woman can have both or neither. But the inward beauty does NOT change the outward appearance. If one is outwardly ugly, it is not a lie to believe that. Gothard’s citing “God’s Truth” (Prov.31:30; 1 Pet.3:3-4; 1 Sam. 16:7; and Prov. 15:13) addresses the inward beauty more so than outward beauty. Whether Gothard wants to admit it, men tend to first look at the outward beauty before desiring to learn the inward beauty. So don’t say it is a lie if an ugly woman (or man) believes they are indeed ugly.

I am a failure

The first lie in this statement is that we can achieve our own success. The second lie is that we can evaluate our own success or failure. The third lie is that we will be judged by our success rather than by our faithfulness. (pg.51)

Gothard’s first lie is that we can’t achieve our own success. Hard workers achieve their own success. His second lie is that we can’t evaluate our own success or failure. All one has to do is to look at their achievements to determine their success or failure. His third lie is that we won’t be judged by our success vs our faithfulness; the world judges you by BOTH. Gothard seems to think people judge their own success or failure according to God instead of man, but when a man or woman says they are a failure, they are 99% of the time talking about success or failure according to mankind’s judgment, or even their own.

Personal failures can help us realize that we should not be working for our own ambitions but rather for the benefit of God’s kingdom and the welfare of other people. (pg.52)

Why can’t we be working for both?!?! Personal success for being able to provide for family and for God? Gothard’s first response is Jeremiah 45:5 as applying to the individual, but in context God is only speaking to Baruch; typical Gothard taking text out of context. His second out of context passage is Joshua 1:8, which is addressed only to Joshua. Can it be applied to everyone as an example of how God works? If so, then explain the many Christians out of work, unable to support their families, etc?

I will continue this examination in a future post.

Examining a Gothard Book, Part 8

This post examines Chapter 4: To Be Valued and Cherished!, of of Bill Gothard’s book, 7 Basic Needs of a Wife. 

Bill Gothard starts this chapter with a small test he gave to pastors (I’d be surprised if this was a true incident). He wanted them to write answers to the question, What things can your wife do for you that no other woman can do? He said most were embarrassed to have empty sheets of paper. Okay, so let’s see what Gothard gives as the answers to that question.

1. Have the Power of One-Accord Prayer (pg.40). Without citing a passage, he states: When the 120 believers were in one place and in one accord, the power of God came upon them and they carried out supernatural deeds. The same results will be experienced whenever two or more believers pray with one-accord agreement.

Acts 1:15—23 is when 120 believers listen to Peter’s teachings and then selected a replacement for Judas.  There is NOTHING about anyone being in “one accord” or anyone carrying out “supernatural deeds.” If you continue to Chapter 2 and assume the same 120 are being discussed, again there is no mention of any “supernatural deeds,” but it does have them speaking in different languages. Where are the deeds? The point Gothard is trying to make is that husband and wife in one accord” prayer will have “success of their lives, marriage, children, health, family, and ministry to others.

I hate to say this, but “one-accord” prayers don’t guarantee the success of anything.

Then his sidebar says, The potential of the one-accord prayer of a married couple is beyond what most husbands realize. When two are in one-accord agreement on an important matter, God releases supernatural powering order to solve the crises in the family. If two of you shall agree and pray in faith, it shall be done unto you.

Where in Scripture does it say this?!?!? There is no such promise!

2.  Protect Your Name and Reputation (pg.41). “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1). There are many ways that your wife will protect your name and your reputation. She knows your blind spots. She also has keen discernment into the motives of men and women who want to gain your favor.

So every man’s wife can discern the motives of those who want to gain her husband’s favor?!?

When it comes to financial investments, it is very important that both of you be in total agreement. God will show your wife dangers that you will not see.

Really? God will show things to the wife but not to the husband?

3. Give You Pleasure Without Guilt (pg.41). The subject here, of course, is sex and affairs can’t give pleasure without guilt. I won’t disagree with this.

4. Meet Basic Needs in Your Children (pg.42). For the most part this section is common sense. The he says this, without any references to back up his claim: [C]hildren from broken families have twice as much asthma as children from stable home. So broken homes cause asthma in children?

Gothard then talks about the need to cherish only your wife (I agree) but sidesteps with “Safeguards in Selecting Secretaries.” (pg.44) Then he gives seven ways to do this (pg.45-46):

1. Make sure that she is not likely to look to you to meet her emotional needs. That’s sort of a difficult thing to do when “selecting” a secretary. This sort of thing comes out later.

2. Make sure that your wife meets, interviews, and approves your secretary. Sorry, but if one is looking for a secretary he wants qualification, not wife approval. Gothard says, Technically, a secretary is working for your wife, because she is doing things to assist you that you wife is not able to do.  Balderdash. She is working for the man who hired her, period. On the sidebar Gothard writes, The scope of responsibilities of the Proverbs 31 wife extends to the maidens who served in the household. This should include the secretary who assists her husband. WRONG! That is not even hinted at in Proverbs 31.

3. Keep your relationship with your secretary on a business level at all times. That should go without saying. 

4. Make sure that your wife can call you without going through your secretary.  OKAY.

5. Make sure that you never ask your secretary to meet your personal needs or do tasks that your wife normally does.  Again, that should go without saying, but his sidebar regarding this loses common sense: Osteoporosis is a condition of bone deterioration. Calcium and other minerals are leached from the bones leaving holes like those seen in Swiss cheese. Millions of women suffer from this disease, which is primarily caused by envy: “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” (Proverbs 14:30). Apparently Gothard thinks metaphors don’t exist as he disregards actual medical science.

6. Make sure that your secretary is committed to the success of your marriage.  How can you ensure this when selecting a secretary? Your secretary must help you make your wife and home your priority. She can do this by shielding you from unnecessary interruptions, helping you keep appointments with your wife, and guarding you from temptations of moral impurity.

Wrong. First, one might just have a male secretary! Second, it is not the secretary’s business to do any of this!!!

7.Make sure that you praise your wife to your secretary and never discuss your marital problems with her.  I agree you shouldn’t discuss marital—or family—problems with a secretary but why should you secretary have to listen to you praising your wife all the time?!?!

As usual with Mr. Gothard, Scripture is twisted and his opinions/beliefs are to be adhered to without common sense.  Next time we’ll look at Chapter 5, To Be Cleansed Within!

Examining a Gothard Book, Part 7

This post is part five of examining Chapter 3: To Inspire Mighty Men! of Bill Gothard’s book, 7 Basic Needs of a Wife. 

With the last post I ended with number 16 of Gothard’s 21 “secrets for successful child rearing.”

Seventeenth secret: Passion for Discipleship. (pg.36): The passion of a mighty man of valor must be to win people to Christ and to train them in the forty-nine commands of Christ. “He that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30), …

Does Gothard ever use a passage in context? He couldn’t use this if it wasn’t in KJV. Let’s look at the FULL verse in a modern translation.

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.” (NIV)

The point is saving lives, which “souls” in the KJV means. It has nothing to do with winning people to Christ. I’m afraid to ask what his 49 commands are and how twists Scripture to find them.

…and “they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).

In actuality this passage is discussing Israel’s pending destruction. It could be used as an analogy, though.

If a son or daughter is not actively reaching out to people and making disciples, he or she will see no reason to be different from the world.

Not everyone has the gift or the ability to “actively” make disciples on a continuing basis. MOST people try making disciples while in the workplace or out in the world, not on a full-time basis.

In order to find potential disciples, we must find ways to meet them. One excellent way is to bring the poor into your house for a special meal to honor them.

So only the poor are worth inviting into your home for a special meal? Is it really safe nowadays, especially, to be inviting strangers into your house? Just think about it.

Eighteenth secret: Personal Vows (pg.36). Just one important note: Vows must bd carefully made and must be based on Scripture. A vow is affirming a command of Scripture before our human intellect has an opportunity to rationalize it away. Examples would be a vow not to drink liquor or not to be intimate before marriage.

Nineteenth secret: “Passage” to Adulthood (pg.36). Adulthood begins for a boy after his twelfth year and for a girl other twelfth birthday. A special celebration should be conducted to honor this special time. Thereafter, a son or a daughter must be respected and treated like a young adult. 

Here Gothard is taking a page from the Jews: bat/bar mitzvah by 13 for boys and 12 for girls. Christians don’t have such rules. In reality, it’s best to say 15-16 would be called young adults but for most cities/states under 16 is consider juvenile while 16 and up can be tried as adults.

Twentieth secret: Biblical Belief System (pg.37). Here is where Gothard mentions bat/bar mitzvah as when the young people memorize the first five books of Moses. Then he says, As believers we have been give a new law system consisting of Christ’s forty-nine commands. We must not only learn these by heart and live them out, but we must teach them to others. These commands must be the belief system of our heart.

Now, I’m sure he probably lists the so-called 49 commands of Christ but I haven’t come across it and I’d really like to know where he gets them!!!

Twenty-first secret: Courtship Commitment (pg.37). The problem with so-called courtship, and we tried it, is that no two families seem to have the same idea. Some, like Gothard, can be very legalistic and start as young as 15 years old.  Gothard says a young man is prepared for marriage before letting the girl know of his intentions. I have to disagree. I’ll use myself as an example. I began dating my wife while I was still in the Army (I was 22 and she 18) and after I became a civilian six months later I let her know of my intent to marry her—we weren’t officially engaged for another 10 months. However, After getting out of the Army I had to find work and a place to live and have some money saved up. According to Gothard I should have waited until essentially our engagement before letting her know of my intentions!  My son and his wife began courting with intent to marriage while he was apprenticing in a trade and was living at home! So he wasn’t prepared yet they were engaged during this time; they didn’t marry until he had a job and an apartment. Gothard demanding his methods is nonsensical.

And thus ends Chapter 3 of this book.