Angus Buchan, Benny Hinn and God TV
Angus Buchan, Benny Hinn, and God TV
I recently read an article written by Prof. Johan Malan in which he expresses his concerns about Angus Buchan. He says, amongst other things, the following in his article “Spiritual Deception, Revival and Angus Buchan – Prof. Johan Malan, South Africa (May 2010)” he says:
“It is obvious that the South African revival preacher, Angus Buchan, does have a relationship with Jesus Christ as his Saviour and experiences Him as a living reality in his life. He also exhorts thousands of people to repent, and helps families to reconcile with each other, which is praiseworthy.
On the other hand, worried voices are being heard that he reveals great ignorance on various aspects of biblical doctrines – to such an extent that he has embarked on the way of kingdom theology, the ecumenical movement, and even the promotion of dubious signs and wonders. On certain occasions he has made positive comments on false prophets such as Benny Hinn and Kathryn Kuhlman. His perceived ignorance on these matters is disturbing and even bewildering. . . .
The other questions relate to the kingdom deception which Angus proclaims to the crowds. How can he, according to his own insight, promise people that South Africa and Zimbabwe will be completely restored? In this regard he acts contrary to Jesus Christ Himself, who said that in the end-time there will be great tribulation such as has never been on earth (Matthew. 24:21).
Someone who correctly understands the biblical message on the end-time would warn his followers against a time of great spiritual and moral falling away, while also mentioning the possibility of the persecution and rejection of evangelical Christians.
These matters are not part of Angus’s message. Neither does he proclaim the blessed hope of the rapture to Christians to encourage them to remain steadfast until the Lord Jesus takes us away to our heavenly home (1 Thessalonians. 4:16-18). The fact that so many people stream to the meetings of Angus is proof of the lack of leadership which the whites in South Africa experience in both the political and religious fields.
They are looking for somebody to come and lead the Boers. Even some of the Israel groups (British Israelism, or White Theology supporters) allege that Prophet Van Rensburg has referred to a leader who would lead the Boers to a Boer state where they can be free from domination by the blacks. Could this perhaps be the reason for the popularity that Angus enjoys? . . .
He cannot even remotely be mentioned in the same vein as a revival preacher such as Andrew Murray. It is in fact highly questionable whether the movement which he describes as a revival indeed qualifies to be defined as such.”
If multitudes of men stream to the revival meetings of Angus Buchan because they hanker for a leader who can lead them to their “promised land” then I must add that their meetings, in the spiritual sense of the word, was a dismal failure from the very beginning, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of men have attended them in the past few years.
Motive plays an extremely important role in God’s economy of revivals. A wrong motive will never move God’s hand to send a revival. I doubt very strongly whether He would send a revival when the motive is to find a leader who’s able to take the South African Boers to their “promised land” of hope and glory and peace and prosperity.
In many cases in the past revivals blossomed when circumstances were very hazardous and life-threatening. The motive of the Christians who prayed for these revivals was not for God to alleviate their suffering or even restore them to a place of safety. Their only motive was for God to convict men, women, and children of their sins and their lost status, and to call them to a biblically grounded repentance and a firm faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15).
But isn’t that Angus Buchan’s main objective, to call a spade a spade (name the sins of his Mighty Men and those of our fellow countrymen)? That may be true but what is his motive?
To dangle a carrot of hope, love, joy, peace and a prosperous future (God’s Kingdom in this life here and now) in front of his Mighty Men’s noses and tell them that this is what God promises when you stop sleeping with your secretary, stop cheating the receiver of revenue, kneel before your wife to plead for her forgiveness, is not revival.
Neither is it when he teaches them that they are the manifest sons (and daughters) of God in Romans 8:19. It is not even the Gospel according to Jesus Christ. Repentance with the intent to improve your material and even physical welfare in this world tends to focus the eyes on self and its selfish needs.
Rory and Wendy Alec of God TV who has aired many of Angus Buchan’s Mighty Men Conferences are also constantly dangling a carrot of prosperity in front of their viewers’ noses. At the moment they are in alert mode and desperately in need of a “BREAKTHROUGH” in their finances to “break the chains” of their huge budget deficit and are pleading with their viewers to donate “sacrificially.”
To get them to put their hands even deeper into their pockets they have been using world-renown preachers such as Benny Hinn, Steve Munsey, and Cindy Jacobs to tell the viewers that their own breakthrough will only come when they give their money sacrificially.
The same old message is on their lips every time you tune into God TV: “God will honour and prosper you ONLY when you sow a seed sacrificially.”
Benny Hinn bravely asserted that God’s promises for you will only come to fruition when you sow your seed in faith.
That’s an infamous lie from the pit of hell because God says: “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” (2 Corinthians 1:20). These promises do not pertain to temporary things such as health, wealth (riches), prosperity and a country free from crime, corruption, and poverty.
“The promises of God which are made through Christ, relate to the pardon of sin to the penitent; the sanctification of his people: support in temptation and trial; guidance in perplexity; peace in death, and eternal glory beyond the grave. All of these are made through a Redeemer, and none of these shall fail.” (Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)
One of their major drawing cards to get you to donate £1,000 (+- R10,000), €1,000 (+-1 R11,000), or $1,500 (+- R11,000) is to recognize your generosity by putting your name on a foundation stone in their broadcast center. When you donate £30,000 (+- R330,000) €30,000 (+- R280,000), $50,000 (+- R380,000) or more they will place a Mezuzah with your name on it in one of the seven doorways in their Broadcast Centre.
Woe to you South Africans; your European, American, and English God TV families have a much better chance than you of having their names placed on a Mezuzah in one of the seven doorways in God TV’s Broadcast Centre.
Their currencies are much stronger than your rand. Rest assured, if your name is written in the Book of Life because you have sincerely and truly repented of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ and His Gospel (as the Scriptures say and not as God TV says) your eternal life is secure.
You don’t need your name to be engraved on a plaque or foundation stone in Rory and Wendy Allen’s Broadcast Centre because you have given them R300,000 or more to allegedly help them spread the Gospel throughout the world. Moreover, you needn’t pay a single cent for your name to be written in the Book of Life because God’s salvation is free.
It is a gift to those who receive it by faith through Jesus Christ who has paid the full price for all of your sins and transgressions. If anyone teaches you otherwise and says that you must pay something in order to receive God’s blessings, they are perpetuating the abominable lie of the Roman Catholic heretic, Johann Tetzel, who said:
As soon as the gold in the casket rings; the rescued soul to heaven springs [So wie das Geld im Kasten klingt; die Seele aus dem Fegfeuer springt]
How many people who watch God TV are getting the wrong impression about the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Patti Roberts, the ex-wife of Richard Roberts, became very disillusioned with her father in law, Oral Roberts’ “seed of faith” gospel. She called Al Bush, the President of the Oral Roberts Evangelical Association to express her grave concern.
Al, in the forty shows that we taped last year, how many times did we give people the plan of salvation?
The plan of salvation? Gosh Patti, I don’t know. I’m, sure we must have given it to them at least once.
And how many times did we give them the principles of Seed-Faith?
He laughed. Patti, you know the answer to that. We give the principles of Seed-Faith on every show. What’s this all about?
Al, in the letters that you received from viewers, how many of them thought that maybe if they gave money to Oral, they had bought a little place in the Kingdom? How many may have thought that swayed God’s opinion about their eternal destiny?
He didn’t answer for a long time. When he finally replied he lowered his voice and said soberly and a bit hesitantly, A whole lot of them did Patti. (1) (Emphasis added)
Having heard again and again and again that the giving of money sacrificially or sowing a seed in abundance opens the door to God’s blessings, many of God TV’s viewers have already been led to believe that your giving opens the door to God’s salvation and his eternal heaven.
Many donors may already have their names engraved on a foundation stone or a Mezuzah in God TV’s Broadcast Centre, but how many of them have their names written in the Book of Life? Nevertheless, I was surprised to see that when Jesus (a counterfeit Jesus) sent his disciples out to preach the Gospel He told them exactly the same things I heard on God TV. Jesus said:
When you enter a city the first thing you must do, is to tell people they need a miraculous breakthrough in their lives. Some need a breakthrough in their family lives; they need their marriages to be healed, their wayward and rebellious children who have run away from their homes to return to mom and dad.
Others need breakthroughs in their dwindling businesses and finances and to take back from Satan what he had robbed them of. Still others need a desperate breakthrough in their health.
Don’t forget to blow the shofar like Steve Munsey on God TV because the shofar, as you know, opens heavens windows wide open when it is blown. Don’t feel bad about not knowing how to blow the shofar. Here is a recording of someone who is a professional shofar blower. All you need to do is to put your lips to the shofar and do some clever mimicking while you play the recording.
But here’s the punch line. Tell them I will ONLY, I repeat, ONLY grant them their breakthrough in the areas of their health, family lives and businesses when they donate huge amounts of money to you so that you may preach the Gospel. Make sure to tell them that everyone who does not donate sacrificially will receive zilch, nada, no breakthroughs form Me whatsoever. Also tell them that their names will be engraved on a foundation stone when they donate 30 000 denarii / shekels or more.
I cannot recall precisely where I read the above in the Bible but what I did find is the following:
He was telling them, "The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest. Get going! See, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Don't carry a wallet, a traveling bag, or sandals, and don't greet anyone on the way. "Whatever house you go into, first say, 'May there be peace in this house.' If a peaceful person lives there, your greeting of peace will remain with him. But if that's not the case, your greeting will come back to you. Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the worker deserves his pay. Don't move from house to house. "Whenever you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat whatever they serve you, (Luke 10:2-8 ISV) Then he said to them, "When I sent you out without a wallet, traveling bag, or sandals, you didn't lack anything, did you?" They replied, "Nothing at all." (Luke 22:35 ISV).
In the very next verse, Jesus actually commanded them to take a purse and a sword with them so that they may defend themselves on their long evangelical journeys and also fend for themselves when they needed to buy provisions.
But He never taught them to ask for money in exchange for prayers or the blowing of the shofar so that the donators may receive a so-called breakthrough in their lives. Consider the widow who cast two mites into the temple treasury and whom Jesus honoured as the biggest giver.
Now Jesus looked up and saw rich people dropping their gifts into the offering box. Then he saw a destitute widow drop in two small copper coins. He said, "Truly I tell you, this destitute widow has dropped in more than all of them. For all the others contributed to the offering out of their surplus, but she, in her poverty, dropped in everything she had to live on." (Luke 21:1-4 ISV)
She didn’t cast in all that she had into the treasury to receive a blessing, a breakthrough, a ten-fold or hundred-fold in return or whatever Word of Faith nonsense and lies. She simply obeyed God because she loved Him. What about Jesus’ warning in Matthew 6:3-5?
But when you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be done in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." "And whenever you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their full reward! (Matthew 6:3-5 ISV)
Now, let’s refocus on Angus Buchan, known for his appearances on God TV and his messages of revival. While it is true that God has the power to transform our nation into a peaceful haven, this should not be the primary reason for seeking revival. The true motive for revival lies in reconciling with an infinitely holy God, who will neither withdraw nor revoke His righteous judgments against those who choose not to repent and believe, as outlined in the Scriptures.
As professor Malan indicated, Angus Buchan’s entire teaching is focused on the advancement of the Dominionist doctrine which promotes the idea that every single position of high ranking in politics, the economy, health, education, the media, and art must be occupied by “Christians” before Jesus can return.
This is definitely not what Jesus taught. Jesus has already given his hope, peace, and joy to his followers but it is a joy and a peace that his Holy Spirit has entrenched in their innermost beings and nothing can take it away, not even the severest circumstances and persecution.
On the other hand, the peace the world gives, of which Jesus said He does not give, is contingent upon peace treaties, compromises, and flimsy promises and we know how easy these so-called peace treaties can be broken. Yes, it is also true that something that looks like a revival may occur but the question is: from whence does it come – from God or the deceiver who disguises him as an angel of light?
God honours but a single motive when believers pray for a revival and that is “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18 KJV).
The word “revival” implies that there once was spiritual life, growth and dynamism but has waned or teetered to a lifeless corpse which needs to be resurrected unto a dynamic life in Jesus Christ.
To the messenger of the church in Sardis, write: The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says this: "I know your works. You are known for being alive, but you are dead." (Revelation 3:1 ISV)
Prof. Malan finds Angus Buchan’s positive comments on false prophets like Benny Hinn and Kathryn Kuhlman disturbing and even bewildering. Personally, I think that Angus Buchan fits the Word of Faith and prosperity cult like a glove.
He may have indicated in the past that he has no aspirations to make money but is quite prepared to speak highly of Benny Hinn and Rory and Wendy Alec whose doctrine of salvation is steeped in the prosperity cult.
Angus Buchan may have a relationship with Jesus Christ as his Saviour and experience Him as a living reality and exhort people to repent but then again Benny Hinn and Rory and Wendy Allen claim to have the same relationship with Jesus Christ and that they too are reaching billions with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
If Angus Buchan was so concerned about lost souls, he would at least warn Benny Hinn of his false doctrines and Rory and Wendy Allen of promoting his false doctrines on their God TV.
Angus Buchan would at least have been deeply concerned about the millions of viewers who are being misled by God TV. Let us now look at some of the heresies Benny Hinn has proclaimed in the past.
“I am a ‘little messiah’ walking on earth,” (2)
If Angus Buchan has made positive comments on Benny Hinn, as Prof. Malan says, then he is praising and revering a false Messiah. In my opinion, Angus Buchan should retract his positive testimonials of Benny Hinn in public because Hinn’s infamous claim is not only an affront to Jesus Christ but he (Buchan) is leading many people astray by encouraging them to follow a false Messiah.
The Moreleta Park DRC favours the very same kind of policy which is to mollycoddle their Hinn-followers instead of warning them against him so as not to rock the boat. Here is a few other Hinn-claims-to-fame.
God came from heaven, became a man, made man into little gods, went back to heaven as a man. He faces the Father as a man. I face devils as the son of God…. Quit your nonsense! What else are you? If you say, I am, you’re saying I’m a part of Him, right? Is he God? Are you His offspring? Are you His children? You can’t be human! You can’t! You can’t! God didn’t give birth to flesh…. You said, “Well, that’s heresy.” No, that’s your crazy brain saying that. (3)
Perhaps Angus Buchan and Rory and Wendy Alec would like to tell us whether they agree with Benny Hinn (whom they adore so much) when he blasphemously demoted Jesus Christ to a sinner (which implies that like any other sinner He was lost and needed to be born-again).
And let me add this: Had the Holy Spirit not been with Jesus, He would have sinned. That’s right, it was the Holy Spirit that was the power that kept Him pure. He was not only sent from heaven, but He was called the Son of Man and as such, He was capable of sinning . . . Without the Holy Ghost, Jesus would have never have made it . . . Can you imagine Christ headed for the grave, knowing He would remain there forever if the Holy Ghost would change His mind about raising Him from the dead? (4).
My, you know, whoosh! The Holy Ghost is just showing me some stuff. I’m getting dizzy! I’m telling you the truth-it’s, it’s just heavy right now on me…. He’s [referring to Jesus] in the underworld now. God isn’t there, the Holy Ghost isn’t there, and the Bible says He was begotten. Do you know what the word begotten means? It means reborn. Do you want another shocker?
Have you been begotten? So was He. Don’t let anyone deceive you. Jesus was reborn. You say, “What are you talking about?” . . . He was reborn. He had to be reborn…. If He was not reborn, I could not be reborn. Jesus was born again…. If He was not reborn, I would never be reborn. How can I face Jesus and say, “Jesus, you went through everything I’ve gone through, except the new birth?” (6) (Emphasis added)
Masonry declares the same heresy.
Jesus of Nazareth had attained a level of consciousness, of perfection, that has been called by various names: cosmic consciousness, soul regeneration, philosophic initiation, spiritual illumination, Brahmic splendor, Christ-consciousness. (7) (Emphasis added).
Benny Hinn’s “whooshy” extraterrestrial revelation is not only blatant blasphemy but an outright rejection of the entire Levitical sacrificial system in the Old Testament which unequivocally proves that in the sin offering and all the other offerings the animals had to be without blemish, indicating that the One who’s “once for all offering” was eventually ratified on the cross, had to be and actually was sinless.
If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering. (Leviticus 4:3).
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
If Jesus’ purity (sinlessness) was attributable to the Holy Spirit and not his own pure and sinless nature, it follows that every believer who has the Spirit of God indwelling his/her innermost being is also sinless. (1 John 1:8).
The title Son of Man does not mean that Jesus was capable of sinning. Had He in the very slightest been capable of sinning He would never have been able to pay the penalty for our sins. TheSon of Man simply means that He identified Himself with mankind to the very uttermost, even to the extent that His Father “made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Some interpret this as Him being made a sinner for us in the real sense of the word, but again this is not what is meant here. It simply means that God made his Son to be a sin-offering for us in which His Father treated Him like a sinner. Not only mighty men like Angus Buchan are in close cahoots with Benny Hinn and his blasphemous doctrines.
What about Chuck Missler? Has he “miss-ler-ed” the boat as well? His “seed of faith” was so important that Rory and Wendy Alec made a special announcement when they received his sacrificial offering toward the “spreading of the Gospel according to Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Joyce Meyer, Billy Graham, Peter Wagner, John Hagee, Joel Osteen and a host of other spiritual “VIP’s”.”
GOD TV’s viewers seem to be so hooked on the lie that their own “breakthrough” in the area of their finances, businesses, and families will come when they give sacrificially that they don’t care a hoot about sound biblical doctrines.
In God TV’s headquarters in Jerusalem Rory and Wendy Alec have set up a so-called uppermost room and a holy of holies chamber with a stone altar on which they place every “seed offering” they receive from their viewers in the form of a reddish colored sheet of paper.
The “altar” is also the focal point of their “prayers” which are frequently uttered in another tongue. No one ever interprets these so-called tongues which is yet another act of disobedience on the part of God TV. (1 Corinthians 14:27). What is the real purpose of the so-called “altar” in God TV’s headquarters in Jerusalem? It cannot possibly be a replica of an Old Testament altar because God forbad the Israelites to build an altar from hewn stone.
And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. (Exodus 20:25)
The so-called altar in GOD TV’s headquarters is not a prayer altar but an occult “point of contact.” The “point of contact” paraphernalia (prayer cloths, handkerchiefs, photographs, prayer sheets, hems from garments, holy oil, shofars) are used to release the power to create wealth and to receive your breakthrough.
Oral Roberts claimed that the “point of contact” was the “greatest discovery” he had ever made” (5). By sending in their prayer sheets (in this case printed reddish colored A4 sheets) the viewers establish a point of contact when each sheet is placed on the “altar” and when Rory and Wendy Alec and others lay their hands on the heap of paper sheets to release the power of affluence. Dave Hunt wrote:
Rituals are of no value. Rituals work in magic and magic [is] demonic; witch doctors have certain rituals they go through, sacramentalism is related to the rituals. The idea that a ritual has some spiritual value and power just is contrary both to common sense and to the Word of God. For example, it’s closely related to scapulars and medals. I have a scapular that I keep in the Bible to show people, on one end of it, it says, whosoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.
Well, two problems, 1) if you believe Christ paid the penalty for your sins, you don’t need a scapular. What kind of a God delivers you from eternal fire because you wear a scapular. It’s like the fetishes and so forth in the pagan world. So, a ritual to exorcise demons is the same. What is this, impress demons? Are they impressed that you go through some ritual, or does God’s power depend upon you going through some ritual? Where in the Bible does it say that God’s power can be released by some ritual?
Now you have the same idea with many of the so-called faith teachers, you know, touch my hand, this is a point of contact and even Oral Roberts had people light candles, you know, he lit the red candle while they lit the green candle, and this starts miracles flowing. What kind of a God releases his power because you go through some ritual? So we know, first of all, that the ritual isn’t right. (Emphasis added)
Millions of people are being misled and deceived by God TV. Are you one of the deceived?
Acts 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
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- (1) Patti Roberts, Ashes to Gold (Word Books, 1985), p. 122
- (2) Benny Hinn, “Praise-a-Thon” program on TBN, 6 November 1990.
- (3) Benny Hinn, “Our Position in Christ # 2 – The Word Made Flesh (Orlando: Orlando Christian Center 1991) videotape # 2555, emphasis added. See also Hinn’s claim that believers are “little messiahs” or “little gods” on the “Praise-a-Thon” program on TBN (6 November 1990).
- (4) Benny Hinn, Good Morning, Holy Spirit (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990), 135-36, emphasis added. In the seventh printing, certain unannounced changes were made in the text in response to criticism from CRI so that the passage now reads (changes emphasized): “And let me add this: Had the Holy Spirit not been with Jesus, He may have likely sinned. That’s right. It was the Holy Spirit who was the power that kept Him pure. He was not only sent from heaven, but He was called the Son of Man-and as such He was capable of sinning. . . . Without the Holy Ghost, Jesus may have never made it.” The “Can you imagine.. .” sentence was deleted entirely. But even with the changes, Christ is still made out to depend on the Holy Spirit to keep Him from sinning, thus denying Christ the sinlessness that is an essential attribute of God.
- (5) Benny Hinn, “Our Position ‘In Christ,’ Part 1” (Orlando, FL: Orlando Christian Center, 1991), videotape.
- (6) Oral Roberts Best Sermons and Stories (Tulsa, OK: Oral Roberts, 1956), 46: 101
- (7) Lynn F. Perkins, The Meaning of Masonry (CSA Press, 1971), p. 32
Source: removed from the internet
Critics… lol. Which critic doesn’t condemn himself? Did the Lord not say, through Paul, TOO-CLEARLY-TO-BE-MISUNDERSTOOD, “Therefore, you have no excuse—every one of you who judges. For when you pass judgment on another person, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, practice the very same things.” (Rom 2:1 ISV)
Yep, it’s funny. What’s just as funny is how quickly we all do it without even thinking about it!
BTW, when I have confronted people with this _all encompassing_ truth (for not one of us in not guilty of this hypocrisy), in response to their judging, TO THE MAN, every single one of them, EVERY TIME, says, “I do not!” LOL (I think it’s hilarious but I really try not to laugh because that really offends them!)
Sometimes I have the audacity to say, “Oh, God’s a liar and not you, huh?” Not often, though. As much as people hate being confronted with Romans 2:1, they hate the second point even more! Imagine if I laughed at them and then accused them of calling God a liar. (I’ve been told I can be rather abrasive. Yet, I’ve never heard one person say they think Jesus was abrasive when He told the Pharisees, “If I say I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you but I do know Him and keep His Word.” I find it remarkable how everyone pretends Jesus is always sweet and nice and we’re so “unchristian” if we aren’t. I’ve told many they’re confusing love with Southern Hospitality. Southern Hospitality will play the hypocrite much faster than love will.)
My point is to the author. Your criticism of the people you condemn should slap you in the face. WE ALL ERR. Yes, too many preachers beg for money; too many people are greedy and too many people seem to not trust God when things get tight, but who do you think you’re fooling with your pretense that you’re better? I’ll give you a hint. The guy in the mirror and those who hate the same people you hate. 😉
Please bear with me as I point out a very blatant show of ignorance AND UNBELIEF in your remarks:
“Benny Hinn bravely asserted that God’s promises for you will only come to fruition when you sow your seed in faith. That’s an infamous lie from the pit of hell because God says: “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” (2Co 1:20 KJV). These promises do not pertain to temporary things such as health, wealth (riches), prosperity and a country free from crime, corruption, and poverty.”
While I heartily endorse your use of that particular Scripture as the basis of ALL OF GOD’S REDEMPTION (and NOT OUR GIVING), your ENORMOUS error in faulting Benny for insisting that faith is required shows you’ve got one of the most serious errors in rudimentary gospel understanding you could POSSIBLY have! YOUR BIBLE (NOT just Benny’s) SAYS: WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD! NOTE the “by us” tagged on the end of that Scripture? DUH. Engage your brain, friend. HOW IN THE WORLD ARE THE PROMISES OF GOD “by us”? Because it’s OUR FAITH that is the ONLY THING that guarantees them. Your Bible says “whosoever will may come.” Now, how smart does one have to be to figure out why those who ARE NOT COMING AREN’T? Uh… is it not because they REFUSE TO BELIEVE? Did someone tear out Romans 11 from your Bible? Let me give you a few verses, again in the ISV:
Rom 11:19 Then you will say, “Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted in.”
Rom 11:20 That’s right! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you remain only because of faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid!
Rom 11:21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly will not spare you, either.
Now, you may be so badly perverted in your doctrine that that’s “too deep” for you to understand, but considering the simplicity of the words in 2Cor 1:20 and Rom 11:1-21 AND Heb 11:6, I think such misunderstanding really ought to leave you RED-FACED that you actually made this post without catching the error! I have to attribute it to the fuzzy brain factor we all get into when we fall into the Romans 2:1 malady! 😉
Let me wrap up by making my point on the necessity of faith another way. If it’s “IMPOSSIBLE” to please God without faith, there is NOTHING to God more important because GOD IS DISPLEASED WITH ANYTHING LESS THAN FAITH!
Is this rocket science to you? I think not. I think that when we hate others for believing more of the Bible than we do, it causes a disconnect in common sense and the resultant errors in judgment are God’s way of saying, “You need to be a bit more circumspect here, son.”
BTW, I won’t be going to the other pages because I can tell by the titles you’ve shot yourself in the foot there too and are entirely too stubborn to listen to correction.
What an amazing God we serve. I like the statement, “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing ever occurred to God?” What HAS occurred to me is that one of God’s priorities for us in this life is to learn to bear with others’ errors. What’s made this so obvious is that everyone has so many and this time is clearly preparation for LIVING FOREVER TOGETHER! Isn’t it ludicrous to think we’re going to go from constant criticism of other Christians to 100% acceptance? Or is this not something that you consider because you’re too busy criticizing other Christians? 😉
Gary Sellars
It is obvious that you know very little, if anything, of the difference between criticism and discernment. Allow me to explain. Your diatribe and rudeness is a typical example of criticism. Now let’s look at what the Bible says about discernment and God’s command to judge ALL THINGS righteously.
Your serious error is two-fold.
1) You don’t have a clue what Romans 2:1 means.
2) You don’t have an inkling of an understanding what the WOF heretics, like Benny Hinn mean by faith.
First of all Paul, who wrote Romans, does not say that we should not judge, period. He says that we have no right to judge others while we do the very same things. Having noticed that you are prone to misunderstanding Scripture, let me explain this to you using this simple example. I can’t tell anyone that smoking is a sin when I am a walking chimney myself. I can only tell others that smoking is a sin when I had repented of my filthy habit and stopped smoking. For your information this is what the clause “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” in Matthew 7:5 means.
Furthermore, Paul says that immature Christians do not judge righteously. Their immaturity (especially in their misunderstanding/misrepresentation of Scripture) withholds them from judging righteously.
The word “krino” (judge) in Romans 2:1 and “anakrino” in 1 Corinthians 2:15 – although they have the same root – have different meanings.
κρίνω
krinō
kree’-no
Properly to distinguish, that is, decide (mentally or judicially); by implication to try, condemn, punish: – avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.
ἀνακρίνω
anakrinō
an-ak-ree’-no
From G303 and G2919; properly to scrutinize, that is, (by implication) investigate, interrogate, determine: – ask, question, discern, examine, judge, search.
There is a vast difference between judging a person and judging his teaching and doctrine. What you have done in your diatribe was to judge me personally. Your concluding remark proves that you know very little about the gift of discernment when you loosely link it to error. You said:
False doctrines are not just a bunch of wishy-washy errors. They are punishable by death (eternal death). Once again, this is what the writer of Romans 2:1 also has to say about “to learn to bear with others’ errors.”
Moreover, Paul says that we should judge those who are in the church and not bother to judge those who are not part of the church.
OK, so let’s do just that to see whether your bid to defend Benny Hinn’s faith as supposedly being in accordance with “WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD!” is feasible.
Let’s begin with these humdinger examples of the “faith” of the super modern-day apostles.
Anyone who is reluctant to judge these God dishonoring heresies and garrbage with the severity it deserves, is either not saved or his/her relationship with God is truly very murky.
So, as you can see there’s faith and then there’s faith. I can assure you that the “faith” Benny Hinn and his cohorts practice, is not true faith but shamanism at its very best.
Please make sure you have your facts in order before you venture to comment here again.
You know. I do not pride myself in being a Luke warm christian. I need to read God’s word more and you know what makes me realise this. Thanks all. It’s all this bickering, backbiting, ungodly knit picking and pointing fingers. I’m not perfect I admit. But what ounce of goodness or positivity or Godliness has this string of black smearing achieved? Sigh. We all can so in a finite and detailed way flesh out and search for problems with an almost sinful glee on our face but what tell me what has it done for mankind? So some people have found hope in a gospel preached by imperfect man and all you do is trash it. WHAT IS THE POINT. You belong in Hollywood cos surely this is your perfect sphere to exert influence. Sighh
Believing (?)
Next time you go on your knees to pray, ask Jesus, “Why did you warn us to take heed that no one deceive us?” (Matthew 24:4).
Believing wrote: >>You know. I do not pride myself in being a Luke warm christian. I need to read God’s word more…<<
You are right Believing. You need to read and read…
Dear Believing (in what, I don’t know)
>> I do not pride myself in being a Luke warm christian.
Just a little fact to present you: A luke warm Christian is not a Christian. God says “So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16
You say you are not proud of loving the world (Satan) more than Jesus Christ, well what are you going to do about it? Reading the bible more is actually not going to solve your problem you clearly know you need Jesus. What you need salvation. Getting on your knees and asking Jesus Christ to save you from your luke warm life because you are lost and need to be saved, repenting of your sin and asking Jesus Christ to make you new will surely turn you from a ‘acting’ Christian into a genuine one. once you are saved you then need to obey God and follow what He has to say in scipture, if you don’t then you are back to square one.
Then once you have done this, pick up your bible and start reading.
I really hope you understand that we love you and will pray for you to find salvation through Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Thanks for stirring up the flickering flame to keep contending for the real faith, against all the heresies…it’s increasingly difficult! Truly, only a remnant…
I all humility realising my own need to keep fighting for holiness, I keep wondering why the need for holiness is never preached… the incident of Bileam & Balak seems to keep playing itself out.
Has holiness and the call to it ever been attractive, or regarded as “loving”? Has it ever drawn the masses? Has it ever sold anything? Made any money? Created any popularity? I haven’t seen it. The Bible indicates clearly how unpopular it is and increasingly so to the end. Why does a Jay (Eden) not clear up his image into one of holiness? How many famous people portray holiness?… be ye holy for I AM holy…but the are so willing to do an uncomfortable horseride in the name of Peace…claiming to do so in the name of God and for God….Many will claim Peace Peace…I have not come to bring peace – said Jesus!!!!!
Me thinks I smell many dead and decaying rats and unfortunately we read here how many who have been caught in the traps are yelling at Deborah and the other’s call to truth SO YOU CAN BE SET FREE FROM THAT UNHOLY TRAP IF YOU WILL, LIKE WE ALL HAVE TO DAILY, CRUCIFY OUR FLESH, THAT MEANS LAY DOWN OUR PRIDE, AND REALISE SATANT HAS BEEN KICKED OUT OF HEAVEN SATING…”I shall be like God”….unfortunately the cheese that draws us into the trap contains poison, but we only taste the cream and don’t realise that something that tastes so good can be so deadly.
Keep it up Deborah.