by Two Former Word of Faith/NAR leaders
When you believe you are loved then it’s easy to love. Seems simple. But love in a cultish group is always linked to performance so tightly that one only gets it when they are approved. Love is withheld when something displeases those with the power to dispense it. I hear all the time how people are shunned, ignored and otherwise made to know the displeasure they are cursed because they have the gall to actually speak to me. Yes, because I left the group, people who are still associated with it mostly avoid me. Some will be pleasant as long as no one else from the cult is looking. Others have crossed the line and have decided our friendship was not contained in the four walls of the building we had been in together, but they are paying for it.For the longest time as I was putting the pieces together and seeing the lies, manipulation, odd practices and horrible doctrine I was involved in, I was a mess. Sure, people could be told “you know how unstable he was why would anyone want to follow him out of such a great church, with a great pastor, great revelation, great anointing etc etc”? Word of Faith preachers always shift the blame on others because it makes them look good. The
Guilty. I would come home and want to throw a piece of furniture through the window. I had just endured another service where the railing, selfish ambition and scripture twisting of the mental patient, I once called pastor, had been inflicted on those who had the misfortune of ever darkening the doors of that place.
Thugs masquerading as godly leaders. I have been around many leaders in these movements and can tell you most of them could go from the pulpit to running a crime syndicate with little down time.
But of course, they’ve got a better game going. They not only have the backing of some boss over them, but they can also invoke the protection of God for themselves, no matter what they do. God has their back because they are His anointed ones. In fact, they are so anointed they don’t even need God. They’ve received so many “words" and “impartations" and always occupy the “level” right above where anyone else is spiritually; it’s a wonder their pee doesn’t glow in the dark. Or does it?
They are uber spiritual and so authorized to speak for God that some of these guys
As long as one can be convinced the accurate prophet’s words would have come to pass were it not for strife in their life, they will stay hooked. Not to mention the word curses against them, not enough unity, weak faith, or the dying person deciding they didn’t care what God wanted. They were going to heaven even though the “word” that came forth promising a full recovery here and now, with a “live and not die” thrown in for good measure.
Yes, I am being sarcastic. It’s the only thing keeping me from screaming and crying over the people who have been crushed by this kind of thing. I know people were told to leave mates because their spouse wanted to go to a church that didn’t have a
I know people, who because they were rejected by this kind of leader, feel rejected of God. The sickest thing is that it is our own fault. I know up to this point it seems I want to blame the leaders in these movements for everything. Look at it like a fisherman. He throws out the lure, and the fish are attracted to it. I believe there are at least two roots that cause one to be attracted to this mess.
1.) Adherents to Word-Faith/NAR doctrines do not believe in the sufficiency of scripture.
2.) They are drawn to these groups because of their own lustful appetites.
Sufficiency of Scripture.
Most will say they believe in the bible, but how many times have they been delivered from the spirit of fear? A dozen? Or a dozen times a year? How many special miracle break trough financial anointings does one need?
Instead of believing the bible is enough, people are busy, confessing, tithing, giving offerings, running, rolling, vision seeing, laughing, and boot licking.
It’s a scam. People are conned everyday by this message. It’s carrot and stick and they’ve been getting the stick. The only one getting any carrot is the guy holding the stick.
Instead of simply trusting Jesus and relying on His word, people run to the false prophet instead. They want a quick fix. They want to believe in the man behind the pulpit, instead of the Eternal Son of God who, not only has the answer to life's problems, is the answer!
People want special insight and revelation, not usually found in the bible. If it's not in the bible, how can it be trusted? It's sad. The further one goes down this road of prophet chasing, the further one strays from Christ and His word. The ditch is inevitable. Meanwhile, the man of gawd is exalted, not God.
Drawn away by their own lusts.
People are attracted to the so-called faith message because they think there's something in it for them. They may want a bigger house, new car, perfect health or whatever. All of this nonsense is designed to take the focus off Christ and on to the prophet. The prophet is maximized, and Christ is minimized or delegated to an errand boy. On the way to the show, the bible and gospel message is left in the trash can with chip bags and drink bottles.
In this sense, the victim of the faith message turns into a volunteer of the same. One is victimized by the lies and turns into a promoter of this false gospel. The volunteer also becomes an inabler of the deluded preacher, keeping the cycle rolling. The intoxicated volunteer blindly runs into the service expecting money to fall out of the sky. If money did fall out of the sky in these services, I can guarantee you that the prophet would get it all. His thugs would see to that! And the people would all applaud.
The message promises more bigger and greater things. Meanwhile, one is chained deeper into the group without realizing they are in bondage. "It’s all good," the preacher says. No matter how many bones you have to spit out, or how badly the chains rub the skin raw.
Calling things as they are.
During our many years in the Word of Faith and NAR, people were promoted as godly that were ghastly. The direction, course, vision and foundation of this movement is cracked, whacked and hijacked. Voodoo curses had nothing on the blessing and curse, touch not, speak not system of the cultic Word of Faith or New Apostolic group.
Pull the right lever is always the subliminal message. Be in the right meeting and never miss one. Grease the mighty man’s hand with a 100 dollar greeting. These thoughts run around the minds of their adherents, taking them on a roller coaster ride that never ends. The only way off is to jump off when the machine slows down enough for a safe landing.
He’s got your blessing, can relieve your stressing, but you better not be messing with anything he doesn’t approve. If he didn’t say it first or repeat it second you better not think it and never be caught saying it. Listen to him, watch him, read his notes on a subject and don’t dare pick up a bible without his filter in place to run those pesky contradicting verses through.
We've seen people push, strive, run, jump, fall, roll, laugh, scream, cry, weep, enlarge their nose for the paying through. More is always on the way is the lie that keeps the hand on the pump. The truth is more is on the way for the predators.
Coming to Jesus and finding rest is not what pleases the man o’ gawd best.
He wants his followers hungry, he wants them thirsty, he wants them begging for more of his whatever it is. They must come panting, happy, and expecting -- and they must have booty.
They bring gifts constantly before these clowns. Never mind the word bribe fits better in the text and in the practice. Favoritism is the rule. Nepotism is the ruler in these circles.
The truth will make you free.
If God is not the author of confusion, who is telling so many people so many different things? If the prophet, healer or pastor laid out his plans to be a covetous, greedy, adulterous whoremonger beforehand would he get the same support he gets after he's caught carrying out those plans? Pre-Restoration now! But wait! They actually already have it. They’ve preached a perverted loyalty that makes sure there is always a large pool of emasculated men and weak willed women who will blindly stand with their man o’ gawd no matter what. He could stand on the platform with the severed head of their dearest loved one and have them shouting “ as the Lord lives and you live I’ll never leave you!!” by the end of the service.
Unchained from Wolves
If you've unwittingly become a victim and volunteer for false teachers, there is hope. Understand you do not need a guru, life coach or mentor who calls himself a man or woman of gawd. You need Christ. You need the simple gospel message that Christ died for your sins. Repent and you will receive the forgiveness of those sins. Read your bible and pray. Trust in the savior of the world for everything pertaining to life and godliness. No doubt we are living in the last days. It is becoming harder and harder to find a church that preaches truth. Trusting in Christ alone is more important now than ever because the wolves are becoming more and more predominate in the so-called visible church.
Ask him to unchain you from wolves. He did it for us.
Further reading: http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/10/01/the-black-church-and-the-prosperity-gospel/
Also, a clip from Walter Martin: http://apprising.org/2012/08/11/dr-walter-martin-on-the-cult-of-word-faith/
No comments:
Post a Comment