THE WORD FAITH MOVEMENT

The World, the Word & You! Broadcast
Commentary by Dennis L. Finnan

"ARE YOU AWARE THERE IS A DEADLY CANCER RAGING IN YOUR BODY? IF YOU’RE A CHRISTIAN TODAY, AND A MEMBER OF ‘THE BODY OF CHRIST,’ THIS CANCER IS ABOUT TO EAT UP AND DESTROY ITS FOUNDATION IN THE LIVES OF MANY OF ITS MEMBERS UNLESS, YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!"

I opened the broadcast with that startling and controversial statement. I said that the ‘Body of Christ,’ was being eaten up with a deadly cancer of sorts. The disease of cancer many know is a unique disease, for it is really the body itself gone wild, and as a result the wayward cells ruin and destroy the order and symmetry of the body’s healthy existence. Well, friend, the same thing is happening now in the very "Body of Christ," the Church. We are witnessing a subtle but forceful "cancer," growing within it, that has gone wild and as a result is ruining and destroying the faith of many Christians, and impeding the true outreach of God’s "Good News Gospel," to needy souls. What is this cancer penetrating the Church today? The answer is THE WORD FAITH MOVEMENT, and in a moment after one more pause for music, I’ll give you some startling facts and truths that should sufficiently alarm you to begin protecting yourself and your loved ones from its deadly harm.

If you turn on your television these days to any Christian broadcasting, you most likely be confronted with a dynamic TV personality and a large audience. This TV "preacher" will most likely be one of the new WORD FAITH MOVEMENT teachers that today permeate the airwaves spouting a message that is being accepted in droves by multitudes of people claiming to be Christians or seeking to be one. In fact, the Word Faith Movement now has become the most popular and accepted teaching of the "Charismatic" emphasis of the faith ever to have touched the lives of people worldwide. It is estimated that tens of millions of people every day are watching and thirstily "drinking in" the wild new claims, the absurd personal experiences, and the myriad of false teachings of this new breed of teacher. With their seductive claims, we are witnessing what I believe may be the "ruination" of the Church of Jesus Christ on earth, unless true Bible-believing Christians from all denominations do something about it!

Furthermore, failure to stand up and respond to it, may actually bring the din of God’s judgment upon us! Now you need to know the truth about the WORD FAITH MOVEMENT, even if it hurts! For on today’s broadcast, I’m going mention names and identify what they are teaching and how false and dangerous it is for you to even consider their ideas. So, don’t get your gander up, unless you can deny any of these things, which you can’t. So let’s begin.

First of all, who’s involved in this WORD FAITH MOVEMENT? Well to begin it is a new teaching and emphasis that has departed from "the faith once delivered to the saints." Today Word-Faith teachers are numerous and popular. Men like Kenneth Hagin, Sr. and Jr., Kenneth Copeland, Charles Capps, Robert Tilton, John Osteen, Frederick K.C. Price, Benny Hinn, Paul Yonggi Cho, Paul Crouch, John Avanzini, Marylyn Hickey, Morris Cerullo, T.L. Osborn, and Jerry Savelle are but a few of the most popular teachers of this NEW movement within professing Christianity today. These men and women, with the help of television broadcasting networks such as the Trinity Broadcasting Network beam out by cable and satellite, a false gospel from the new kingdom of the cults, that seriously borders on gross heresy of the worst kind, and what’s most appalling of all ¾ true Christians have been either virtually silent about it, or have given approval of these teachers and their deceiving messages from God!

In addition to television broadcasts, there are scores of books, tapes and magazines that line the bookshelves of compromised Christian outlets which should know better than to sell this religious "slop," ¾ that denigrates God, denies essential Bibles truths, and leads many of its unsuspecting followers to temporal disdain for biblical truths, and even to eternal ruin for those who’ve embraced it! Now that’s a long and strong statement, but after you hear me out, if you’re a true Christian who believes the Bible, you’ll have to agree. Here’s why!

The WORD FAITH MOVEMENT if we have to give it a foundational beginning has its present day roots in the teachings of Kenneth Hagin, Sr. who is the "father," of its popular and lucrative acceptance today. The flagship Church, the Rhema Bible Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma that espouses its teachings is led by Kenneth Hagin Sr.’s son. There, teachings come forth that if one examines the historic truths of the Christian faith, can see they corrupt the very heart of the Gospel message and deface the doctrine of God and Christ. The errors of the WORD FAITH MOVEMENT are well documented and considered "serious heresy," even by many some charismatic leaders today. Yet, the church as a whole is strangely silent, as tens of millions listen to and soon embrace the doctrinal corruptness of these teachers and their cultic message. Now you must ask, "what exactly is their message, and why is it wrong?" For simplicity sake, the Word Faith Movement message can be outlined as follows:

The WORD FAITH MOVEMENT TEACHES …

1. THE HUMAN MIND AND TONGUE CONTAINS A SUPERNATURAL ABILITY OR POWER. These teachers proclaim that the very words one may speak can harvest or harness a "divine force," that can heal, produce wealth, bring success in anything and in other ways, influence or control even the environment. According to the Word Faith teachers, God is obligated to automatically respond to accomplish and obey any literal "words" uttered in this faith by believers knowing this truth. Frederick K.C. Price like the others states: "God has created the universe by speaking it into existence. He has given that same ability to you in word form." According to this teaching, God is reduced to a cosmic servant-bellhop subject to the word formulas of his fallen creatures who think they sit on the throne of the universe. A second popular teaching that comes forth in various form is…

2. EVERY WORD-FAITH BELIEVER IS ACTUALLY A GOD OR A POTENTIAL GOD. Word faith teachers tell their followers they are unique beings who are in the "God-class," and thus become workers of the supernatural, able to supernaturally perform anything they wish according to their "faith." Kenneth Hagin says, "Man was created on terms of equality with God…he lives on terms equal with God." " The believer is called Christ, that’s who we are, we’re Christ!" Charles Capps says, "Adam was an exact duplication of God’s kind!" Morris Cerullo says, "…you’re not looking at Morris Cerullo you’re looking at God. You’re looking at Jesus!" Robert Tilton says, "The Spirit of God is upon me the same way the Spirit of God was upon the Lord Jesus Christ." Friends, this is not an isolated case of a slip of a tongue. The Word Faith Movement claims that its followers are little-gods. However, true Christianity NEVER teaches us that we are either equal to God or Jesus Christ or even a part of the Godhead! This teaching emanates from and is propagated by the metaphysical Cults. Now a third teaching that comes forth from these proclaimers is…

3. GOD GIVES HIS ANOINTED TEACHERS SPECIAL REVELATIONS THAT REVEAL HIS ONGOING TEACHINGS. Every Word-faith teacher "claims," God speaks to them by special revelation and has given them the newly revealed truths to bring to His people. Men like Kenneth Hagin Sr.,& Jr. Kenneth Copeland, Charles Capps, Robert Tilton, Benny Hinn and the others ¾ all claim to receive regular physical or spiritual appearances of God the Father, Jesus Christ and or angels to personally instruct them in this newly revealed faith. In Jerry Sevelle’s prosperity series we are told: "The revelation knowledge in this set was given to Brother Sevelle supernaturally by God." Robert Tilton claims, "God directed me by the Holy Spirit to write certain things to you…I have learned on Him for every word." Charles Capps boasted, " The Word of the Lord came to me saying…" Every single teacher in this cultic faith movement proclaim special revelation from God. This friend, is one of the marks of a cult who say today they receive "extra-biblical revelation" that leads us into new teachings outside the Bible. Now here’s a forth error promoted by the WORD FAITH MOVEMENT …

4. ALL SICKNESS, POVERTY, AND LACK OF SUCCESS IS NOT GOD’S WILL FOR FOLLOWERS. Word-faith teachers constantly condemn any and all Christians who suffer any form of disease, deformity, poverty, and or failure in business or life, because God wants them to be healthy and well, and prospering in everything they desire to do. Failure is due to a "lack of faith, and acceptance" of their messages and teachings.
Robert Tilton says, "Jesus came to deliver humanity from failure and to bring us into success." Kenneth Hagin says, "Christians should have super-prosperity and super-success." "Sickness and disease are of Satan…It is not the will of God for Christians to be ill."
Frederick K.C. Price boasted he doesn’t allow sickness in his home, he has banned it by the power within him. He further states the reason he drives a Rolls Royce is he is following in the footsteps of Jesus. Friend, these teachers who have step outside the truths of the Bible are nothing short of "hucksters," who under the banner of "Jesus is Lord" are funneling the offerings of their followers into their own pockets to prove their false doctrine of the health, wealth and prosperity Gospel. Now there’s more. We also hear from their lips the teaching that …

5. SPIRIT GUIDES ARE HERE TO SERVE FOLLOWERS REQUESTS AND GUIDE THEM INTO ALL NEW TRUTH. Almost all of the Word Faith Movement teachers I mentioned today teach that the angelic world is waiting to serve followers and do their bidding at their "positive-faith" commands. Gloria Copeland and Charles Capps says God revealed to them that each follower has some 40,000 to 72,000 angels assigned to each one to do their bidding and follow their every "faith" command. Frederick K.C. Price again waxes corruptly, "Yes, you are in control! So if man is in control, who no longer has it? God!" Kenneth Hagin says, "Turn your order in! Send the ministering spirits out to get it by saying, ‘Go ministering spirits, and cause the money to come.’" Hagin claims that he gets regular visions and appearances of God, angels and Jesus…at least eight visits so far from Jesus. Now continuing along in the false teachings of this cultic movement we discover that…

6. SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES AND MANIFESTATIONS ARE TO BE TRUSTED MORE THAN BIBLICAL TEACHINGS OF THE BIBLE AND HISTORIC CHRISTIANITY. Here is where the greatest danger lies, as these false teachers following earlier Charismatic teachings, lead their followers away from God’s revealed and lasting truths into new revelations, teachings and experiences that contradict the Bible’s plain teachings. When one chooses to depart from that which is revealed in God’s Word to follow new revelatory teachings based on "experiences" ¾ Satanic delusions are rampant.
This is the case more so in the Word Faith Movement that any other aberrant religious teaching today. Of course all of this new WORD FAITH MOVEMENT’S teachings are not new. In fact, they originate from the very source that produced the metaphysical cults today we know such as Christian Science, Mormonism, Mind Science or New Thought. These cultic systems of teachings are found in these revelations just discussed.

Now these are just some of the major promotions that go on in the public teaching ministries of the WORD FAITH MOVEMENT. As a result, they lead Christians away from God’s truth into the realm of sinful error and Satanic delusion. Actually, the modern father of the Faith Movement was E. W. Kenyon and the roots of this man’s earlier teachings may be traced to his personal background in the metaphysical cults, specifically "New Thought" and "Christian Science." The result today, is a corrupt mixture of a pinch of biblical truth, mixed with tons of Satanic delusion! Yes, occultic magic and the "Faith principles" of today Word-Faith teachers are remarkably similar. Now specifically what’s wrong with the WORD FAITH MOVEMENT today?

Here in a nutshell is a quick overview of their heretical false teaching and gross errors:

THE WORD FAITH MOVEMENT'S MAJOR HERESY:

1. THE DEIFICATION OF MAN - Man is God, a metaphysical part of God, and is therefore an exact and true replica of God. But this is Satan’s lie from the Garden of Eden, "you shall be as God." (Gen 3:5; Isa 40:25-26;)

2. THE DEMOTION OF GOD & CHRIST - God is reduced to be subservient to man, and Jesus Himself is reduced to a fallen cosmic pawn. The most heretical teaching so far is that Jesus Christ lost his divinity after the crucifixion and became one in nature with Satan and that Satan dragged Jesus down to Hell and tortured him there. Christ had to be born again a God man in Hell to be rescued. Furthermore Kenneth Hagin Sr. teaches that Christ, in a special revelation, even denied His own divinity while on earth! Benny Hinn stated: "Had not the Holy Spirit been with Christ he would have sinned… would never have made it." (Isa.46:9-10; John 1:1,14; Col 1:16-18; Acts 4:12)

3. THE DEIFICATION OF SATAN - This teaching comes forth that Satan is not just a god of this world, but a God who commands Heaven itself and the Godhead is powerless over his control and dominion of the earth. Kenneth Copeland teaches that Jesus was made obedient to Satan, took the devil’s nature and was tormented by demons, totally powerless to stop it. He further went on to say "[CHRIST] had to sneak into this world around the god of this world [Satan] that was blocken every way that He could."(Isa. 14:12-15)

4. THE DENIAL OF SALVATION BY GRACE - Even this classic and fundamental doctrine of the true Church has been denied. Benny Hinn is quoted as saying, "Christians confessing they are a sinner saved by grace only insults God with such garbage."

Friends, what I’m telling you is serious business! This is what is essentially going on and given full approval by the true professing Church. Television networks like Trinity Broadcasting Network and other Christian communication outlets are now filling the airwaves with these new Pseudo-Christian cultic teachers. Just because they use the name of Jesus, just because they operate within the realm of the world of Christianity by having access to Christian publishers and their outlets doesn’t make them right and of God! The consequences of this false WORD FAITH MOVEMENT is serious and alarming. Million of people, if not tens of millions, are being led astray and away from Bible truth into "experience-oriented" beliefs that will take unsuspecting new followers down to Hell, and true but ignorant Christians into a life of spiritual harm, defeat and shame on the Judgment Day of the Lord. I tell you it’s time to stand up and speak out. I believe just as the early church formed Councils to meet and declare and define the false teachers of their day and their teachings the same, we need our Biblical seminaries, dynamic and popular true Bible teachers and the like to do the same. Also, our Christian publishers and their publishing outlets need to deny these new cultic proclaimers access to the Church public through their ministries. Yes, friend we need verbal, open condemnation of them and their "doctrines of demons" revelations.

So I ask you? Where are God’s Shepherds and voices? Why are they silent? I encourage you to call upon the pastors of your churches to teach about this subject to warn followers to avoid and stay away from this false teaching. I encourage you to visit your local Christian bookstore and lovingly but firmly ask them why are the carrying the books, literature and magazines of these new cultic teachers? I ask you to write to your favorite Bible College and Seminary and ask why are they silent on this growing religious cancer? Unless we do this, I foresee that the true Church of Jesus Christ, its body on earth today will suffer the ravages of this cancer growth now accepted and promoted among us. I know these are harsh words, and I confess it’s not easy for me to say this because in the midst of all this terrible error and deceit are many good Christian people. But, they need to come out of this nonsense and stand for the "old truths and walk on the old paths wherein is the good way."

Friend, I’ve spoken these things to you because you need to know the truth. I’ve not quoted the Biblical refutations to these errors only for lack of time, but it should be apparent that one can easily refute it by looking at your own true Church doctrinal statements. Please do so too!

Meanwhile it will be my prayer that God will wake up the sleeping church to protect itself from the growing errors and false teachings permeating the Church today.

Friend, God never intended Christianity to be based on or promoted by experientialism, or extra-biblical revelation outside of the finished work Christ and the Bible. We have all that is necessary for truth and faith, and we are commanded to test the spirits of teachers and their words by God’s Word ( 1 John 4:1). If one does so, today’s WORD FAITH MOVEMENT falls in the dust of God’s sharp edged sword. The WORD FAITH MOVEMENT is false, it is cultic, it is error to an immense degree that will lead many to the ruin of their finances, to poor health and eventually the inability to truly trust God and His Word. Moreover it will lead the unsaved who embrace this as their faith, only to find it a trap-door to an eternal Hell! I know as a result of speaking out, I will be vilified and condemned, but as God’s servant under His command and the consequences of the Shepherd’s calling, here I stand and I can say no more. Please take time to study this issue further. Begin by obtaining a cassette copy of this broadcast or a printed booklet of it, to familiarize yourself with these errors. Then do some serious study. I recommend two books. The first is "Christianity in Crisis," by Hank Hanegraaff, President of the Christian Research Institute, published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene Oregon, and a small but very concise book "The Facts on the Faith Movement," by Drs’ John Ankerberg and John Weldon also published by Harvest House Publishers. Both of these well documented books will further identify these errors, and these aberrant statements made by the WORD FAITH teachers, and much more give you a sure Biblical rebuttal for your personal satisfaction. May God add His blessing for Jesus sake. Amen.