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DO YOU REALLY WANT TO JOIN THE RALLY?
Saturday, 06 August 2011
by Jackie Alnor
Apostasy Alert.org
Christians around the world reacted in such shock that the media would dare to label the Norway terrorist a “fundamentalist Christian,” when in fact he was a hate-filled degenerate with no connections to the Christian faith whatsoever. But these allegations did not come out of a vacuum.
There are voices in the “Christian” media chanting slogans all over the public airwaves calling for Christians to rise up and take dominion over the entire world. There are groups that gather in large numbers at political prayer gatherings chanting affirmations such as: “We’re taking back the world for Christ” “We’re the head and not the tail”- and the world takes notice. Preachers in mega-churches are telling their congregations to “take back what the devil stole” in the marketplace, economics, entertainment, politics, and everywhere in society.
This chatter that permeates social media is bringing persecution upon all professing Christians who get labeled as one of them – especially when all streams in this polluted river join together for a show of force and unity. But where did this cocky collective Christian attitude originate that appears to the onlooking public as a threat to their freedoms? Besides from the prince of the power of the air, it comes from his agents who have wormed themselves into the professing church and seek to climb to the top of the heap.
Unbelievers cannot differentiate between Islam’s professed aim to dominate the planet and the boastings of professing Christians who are boldly proclaiming that they’re the ones who will rule the world and create Christ’s kingdom on earth before He returns.
Hitching their star to a presidential candidate, such as Texas Governor Rick Perry, the Joel’s Army visionaries are trying to position themselves to expand their power base. The Response (name of the prayer rally in Houston for America on behalf of Perry’s potential presidential bid) is an attempt of the Mother Harlot to ride the Beast of secular power. The new “Holy Roman Empire” is to rise again!
JOEL’S ARMY ON THE MARCH
There have been many efforts over the past couple of decades by Joel’s Army leaders to capture a critical mass of people and rally the troops behind them. A leading “prophet” in the movement is Bill Hamon, founder of Christian International Ministries in Florida. He calls the current effort to bring people together “the Saints Movement” in an ongoing effort to achieve what he calls “the restoration process” of the Church – the idea of restoring secular authority back to the Church that was once held by the Roman Catholic Church.
In an interview with The Voice Magazine, he describes where he believes we are now in the restoration process.
“We are at the prophetic-apostolic. The prophetic movement of the 80s brought in the prophet. And in the 90s it was the apostle. Now we have all five ascension gifts fully restored. Now we can get busy, working, training, equipping, and activating the saints to demonstrate the Kingdom of God…Now it’s the whole Body of Christ arising and demonstrating the supernatural. We will see the Body of Christ coming forth in the Saints Movement. We’ve crossed over the Jordan. The moment you cross over Jordan you’re going into warfare. As fanatical as it may sound to fundamental evangelical Christians, the Church is destined to subdue all things and put all things under Christ’s feet before He actually literally returns from heaven…The Church is being prepared now for the next moves of God. After the Saints Movement will be the Army of the Lord Movement. The next movement after that will be the Kingdom Establishment Movement.”
[Source: http://www.thevoicemagazine.com/ApoMoments_BillHamon.htm ]
The only thing holding them back, according to Hamon, is the belief in the Rapture.
“Rapture teaching is one of the most faith deadening teachings ever preached. It has the most neutralizing affect on a Christian’s aggressive growth process…If you don’t have a big comprehensive vision, both restorationally and eternally, then what motivation is there to do much except try to win a few souls to get a big reward in heaven?”
At the same time “The Response” is taking place in Houston, the Roman Catholic Church is holding a prayer rally in Maryland. Called “The Summer of Mercy,” sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington and the Archdiocese of Baltimore, this Catholic event also includes Protestants coming together with them under the pro-life cause. http://summerofmercy.com/
The website announcing the Summer of Mercy event, shares the testimony of a person who attended the last one a decade ago:
“We (Catholics and Protestants) prayed together… rallied together… sang together… processed together… attended church services together. It was peaceful and it was prayerful unity. In response to what the Holy Spirit is doing in this hour, we are inviting Christians and people of good will from all across America to come to Germantown, Maryland and be involved in the Summer of Mercy 2.0. Our desire is to see a sovereign God powerfully move, shift history, bring awakening to our nation and end abortion. Join us July 30 though August 7, for this historic season of prayerful and prophetic witness in Maryland. We will be having; 24/7 prayer and worship, inspiring evening rallies with national political and Christian leaders and cutting edge public events.”
Protestants and Catholics together, united in prayer and power to “shift history” – Is that the purpose of the body of Christ today? Jesus told His disciples, “they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” [Matt. 24:9] and the Apostle Paul wrote, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” [Phil. 3:20]
POO-POO PROPHET
So-called prophet Bob Jones is one referred to in the circles of dominion-seeking “Protestants.” Leaders like Rick Joyner of MorningStar and Mike Bickle of IHOP point to him as the one who gave them their marching orders. Jones blatantly teaches the Joel’s Army idea that the end-times church will go to war with the world and come out on top before the Lord’s return. How odd that Jones is still admired when he was exposed as the pervert he is years ago when he used his “prophetic office” to molest women.
Jones claims to be taken up to heaven on a regular basis. On one occasion, he described his heavenly garments as diapers. “I had a pamper on,” Jones told Mike Bickle who was interviewing him. “And I really messed it good. It was running down both my legs. And the Lord had ahold of my hand and I was a bawlin and a squallin…And so it was like the angels come and changed my pamper and washed me up and the next thing I knew I was back in bed.”
Jones revealed where he gets his marching orders in the 2008 Shepherd’s Rod publication. He wrote, “In our own ministry, we have been emphasizing the importance of honoring healing revivalists such as A. A. Allen, John Alexander Dowie, John G. Lake, William Branham and others. Some of these have been the most dishonored individuals of the 20th century Church, yet used most notably in soul winning and the miraculous. Our adversary has effectively attempted to neutralize the testimony of these individuals as forerunners by overly emphasizing their shortcomings and weaknesses. Even so, the Lord is allowing a body of people to recognize the pioneering influence these individuals conveyed in order to position us to carry forward the unfinished commissions.”
[For background on these “healing revivalists,” see my article on “God’s Generals” at: http://www.apostasyalert.org/generals.htm.%5D
These men did indeed have dishonored lives that included homosexuality, alcoholism, false doctrine, denial of the deity of Christ, and unverified claims of healings. Before joining with these groups in their prayer/political rallies, a Christian needs to pay heed to the warnings of the discernment ministries against associating with errant brothers.
Mike Bickle may put disclaimers on his website, denying that he believes in the Joel’s Army teachings, but that would carry more weight if he would apologize to the church for promoting them in the past. After all he published the writings promoting Joel’s Army by men like Bob Jones and Paul Cain in his newsletters when he was their pastor overseeing the “Kansas City Prophets.”
But he and Joyner and the other associates of the New Apostolic Reformation have picked up the mantles of the “unfinished commissions” and are vying for the top positions in the end-times army. Their slogan to take back America has caught on with the apostate lukewarm church with the help of the “Christian” TV networks and the compromising broadcasters who have joined hands with them by appearing on their networks without pointing out their errors.
The war has begun, and the persecution of the true saints is at hand.
I believe that the 66 books of the Bible is the divine Word of God.
Those who subtract from the 66, end up with an incomplete knowledge of God. Those in this camp, isolate verses to create their own theology or pet views. Or they focus only on one book like Acts, or Revelation and like to ignore the epistles which are full of warnings to the church. Ignoring the Old Testament deprives one of the richness of learning about the Patriarchs and learning about God’s power and sovereignty.
Those who add to scripture do so in various ways. One way is to read the gnostic books that were rejected long ago. The seduction that one has found secret answers outside of scripture is very bewitching. But as I watch those who pay heed to these writings I see them falling away from the simplicity that is in Christ, and ridicule those who cling to the canon as narrow and unsophisticated. They use John 3:12 as a verse to say that others do not understand heavenly things like they do. Eve desired this knowledge so long ago, she thought it would make her wise and like God. But the opposite happened. She doubted God by listening to the serpent who asked, ” Did God really say?”
Another way people add to scripture is to prophesy from their hearts and minds, but they tell fables and their predictions do not come true. The Bible is clear…do not listen to them for they do not speak for God.
******
ASSAULT ON BIBLE PROVES ITS DIVINE INSPIRATION (Friday Church News Notes, July 15, 2011, http://www.wayoflife.org
The broad assault on the Bible today is a fulfillment of prophecy and therefore an evidence that the Bible is true. 2 Timothy 3:7-8 warns that even professing Christians will join in the assault. They will be ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, and in fact, will resist the truth (2 Tim. 3:7-8).
This is a perfect description of Christian higher education today, even among “evangelicals” (as we have documented in the book New Evangelicalism). The typical seminary takes a syncretistic approach, having a tolerant attitude toward a wide assortment of “theologies” and enthusiastically entertaining an endless stream of ancient and end-times heresies, while despising any dogmatic approach to doctrine and attacking those who hold the Bible as the infallibly inspired Word of God.
Christianity Today recently published an article questioning the historicity of Adam and Eve and pretending that it doesn’t matter one way or the other. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 prophesies that end-times Christians will trade sound doctrine for fables and will be led in this diabolical business by heaps of teachers who are willing to scratch people’s ears with new things. Peter prophesied that many will teach damnable heresies, even attacking the person and character of Christ; and by their false teaching and sensual lifestyle they will bring great reproach upon Christianity (2 Peter 2:1-2).
Peter also prophesied that at the end of the age there will be widespread unbelief toward the global flood and the second coming of Christ; there will be scoffing and flagrant rejection of God’s moral laws (2 Peter 3:3-6). The apostasy, which began in the days of the apostles, will grow in intensity as the church age progresses (2 Timothy 3:13).
These amazing 2,000-year-old prophecies, which are precise and detailed, give a perfect description of conditions in our day. This would not be possible apart from divine inspiration.
Some years back, I thought that the New Apostolic Reformation led by C. Peter Wagner would remain a fringe cult. I was wrong. So very wrong.
Listen to a ten minute video of Brannon Howse. I agree with everything he says. The link is below. It is titled:
GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, RICK PERRY BASES CALL FOR NATIONAL PRAYER ON JOEL’S ARMY CULT?
http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-tube/video.php?videoid=4450
Then read:
On September 28, 2009, at 1:40 p.m., God’s messengers visited Rick Perry.
source HERE
On this day, the Lord’s messengers arrived in the form of two Texas pastors, Tom Schlueter of Arlington and Bob Long of San Marcos, who called on Perry in the governor’s office inside the state Capitol. Schlueter and Long both oversee small congregations, but they are more than just pastors. They consider themselves modern-day apostles and prophets, blessed with the same gifts as Old Testament prophets or New Testament apostles.
The pastors told Perry of God’s grand plan for Texas. A chain of powerful prophecies had proclaimed that Texas was “The Prophet State,” anointed by God to lead the United States into revival and Godly government. And the governor would have a special role.
The day before the meeting, Schlueter had received a prophetic message from Chuck Pierce, an influential prophet from Denton, Texas. God had apparently commanded Schlueter—through Pierce—to “pray by lifting the hand of the one I show you that is in the place of civil rule.”
Gov. Perry, it seemed.
Schlueter had prayed before his congregation: “Lord Jesus I bring to you today Gov. Perry. … I am just bringing you his hand and I pray Lord that he will grasp ahold of it. For if he does you will use him mightily.”
And grasp ahold the governor did. At the end of their meeting, Perry asked the two pastors to pray over him. As the pastors would later recount, the Lord spoke prophetically as Schlueter laid his hands on Perry, their heads bowed before a painting of the Battle of the Alamo. Schlueter “declared over [Perry] that there was a leadership role beyond Texas and that Texas had a role beyond what people understand,” Long later told his congregation.
So you have to wonder: Is Rick Perry God’s man for president?
Schlueter, Long and other prayer warriors in a little-known but increasingly influential movement at the periphery of American Christianity seem to think so. The movement is called the New Apostolic Reformation. Believers fashion themselves modern-day prophets and apostles. They have taken Pentecostalism, with its emphasis on ecstatic worship and the supernatural, and given it an adrenaline shot.
The movement’s top prophets and apostles believe they have a direct line to God. Through them, they say, He communicates specific instructions and warnings. When mankind fails to heed the prophecies, the results can be catastrophic: earthquakes in Japan, terrorist attacks in New York, and economic collapse. On the other hand, they believe their God-given decrees have ended mad cow disease in Germany and produced rain in drought-stricken Texas.
Their beliefs can tend toward the bizarre. Some consider Freemasonry a “demonic stronghold” tantamount to witchcraft. The Democratic Party, one prominent member believes, is controlled by Jezebel and three lesser demons. Some prophets even claim to have seen demons at public meetings. They’ve taken biblical literalism to an extreme. In Texas, they engage in elaborate ceremonies involving branding irons, plumb lines and stakes inscribed with biblical passages driven into the earth of every Texas county.
If they simply professed unusual beliefs, movement leaders wouldn’t be remarkable. But what makes the New Apostolic Reformation movement so potent is its growing fascination with infiltrating politics and government. The new prophets and apostles believe Christians—certain Christians—are destined to not just take “dominion” over government, but stealthily climb to the commanding heights of what they term the “Seven Mountains” of society, including the media and the arts and entertainment world. They believe they’re intended to lord over it all. As a first step, they’re leading an “army of God” to commandeer civilian government.
In Rick Perry, they may have found their vessel. And the interest appears to be mutual.
In all the media attention surrounding Perry’s flirtation with a run for the presidency, the governor’s budding relationship with the leaders of the New Apostolic Reformation movement has largely escaped notice. But perhaps not for long. Perry has given self-proclaimed prophets and apostles leading roles in The Response, a much-publicized Christians-only prayer rally that Perry is organizing at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Aug. 6.
The Response has engendered widespread criticism of its deliberate blurring of church and state and for the involvement of the American Family Association, labeled a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its leadership’s homophobic and anti-Muslim statements. But it’s the involvement of New Apostolic leaders that’s more telling about Perry’s convictions and campaign strategy.
Eight members of The Response “leadership team” are affiliated with the New Apostolic Reformation movement. They’re employed or associated with groups like TheCall or the International House of Prayer (IHOP), Kansas City-based organizations at the forefront of the movement. The long list of The Response’s official endorsers—posted on the event’s website—reads like a Who’s Who of the apostolic-prophetic crowd, including movement founder C. Peter Wagner.
In a recent interview with the Observer, Schlueter explained that The Response is divinely inspired. “The government of our nation was basically founded on biblical principles,” he says. “When you have a governmental leader call a time of fasting and prayer, I believe that there has been a significant shift in our understanding as far as who is ultimately in charge of our nation—which we believe God is.”
Perry certainly knows how to speak the language of the new apostles. The genesis of The Response, Perry says, comes from the Book of Joel, an obscure slice of the Old Testament that’s popular with the apostolic crowd.
“With the economy in trouble, communities in crisis and people adrift in a sea of moral relativism, we need God’s help,” Perry says in a video message on The Response website. “That’s why I’m calling on Americans to pray and fast like Jesus did and as God called the Israelites to do in the Book of Joel.”
The reference to Joel likely wasn’t lost on Perry’s target audience. Prominent movement leaders strike the same note. Lou Engle, who runs TheCall, told a Dallas-area Assemblies of God congregation in April that “His answer in times of crisis is Joel 2.”
Mike Bickle, a jock-turned-pastor who runs the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, a sort of command headquarters and university for young End Times enthusiasts, taught a 12-part series on Joel last year.
The Book of Joel describes a crippling drought and economic crisis—sound familiar?—in the land of Judah. The calamities, in Joel’s time and ours, are “sent by God to cause a wicked, oppressive, and rebellious nation to repent,” Bickle told his students.
To secure God’s blessing, Joel commands the people to gather in “sacred assembly” to pray, fast, and repent.
More ominously, Bickle teaches that Joel is an “instruction manual” for the imminent End Times. It is “essential to help equip people to be prepared for the unique dynamics occurring in the years leading up to Jesus’ return,” he has said.
The views espoused by Bickle, Engle and other movement leaders occupy the radical fringe of Christian fundamentalism. Their beliefs may seem bizarre even to many conservative evangelicals. Yet Perry has a knack for finding the forefront of conservative grassroots. Prayer warriors, apostles and prophets are filled with righteous energy and an increasing appetite for power in the secular political world. Their zeal and affiliation with charismatic independent churches, the fastest-growing subset of American Christianity, offers obvious benefits for Perry if he runs for president.
There are enormous political risks, too. Mainstream voters may be put off by the movement’s extreme views or discomfited by talk of self-proclaimed prophets “infiltrating” government.
Catherine Frazier, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, wouldn’t respond to specific questions but wrote in an email, “The Response event is about coming together in prayer to seek wisdom and guidance from God to the challenges that confront our nation. That is where the governor’s focus is, and he welcomes those that wish to join him in this common cause.”
For the moment, Perry’s relationship with the New Apostles is little known. Few in Texas GOP circles say they’ve ever heard of them. “I wish I could help you,” said Steve Munisteri, the state Republican Party chair. “I’ve never even heard of that movement.”
“For the most part I don’t know them,” said Cathie Adams, former head of the Texas Eagle Forum and a veteran conservative activist.
Nonetheless, Perry may be counting on apostles and prophets to help propel him to the White House. And they hope Perry will lead them out of the wilderness into the promised land.
Listen closely to Perry’s recent public statements and you’ll occasionally hear him uttering New Apostle code words. In June, Perry defended himself against Texas critics on Fox News, telling host Neil Cavuto that “a prophet is generally not loved in their hometown.”
It seemed an odd comment. It’s the rare politician who compares himself to a prophet, and many viewers likely passed it off as a flub. But to the members of a radical new Christian movement, the remark made perfect sense.
The phrase “New Apostolic Reformation” comes from the movement’s intellectual godfather, C. Peter Wagner, who has called it, a bit vaingloriously, “the most radical change in the way of doing Christianity since the Protestant Reformation.”
Boasting aside, Wagner is an important figure in evangelical circles. He helped formulate the “church growth” model, a blueprint for worship that helped spawn modern mega-churches and international missions. In the 1990s, he turned away from the humdrum business of “harvesting souls” in mega-churches and embarked on a more revolutionary project.
He began promoting the notion that God is raising up modern-day prophets and apostles vested with extraordinary authority to bring about social transformation and usher in the Kingdom of God.
In 2006, Wagner published Apostles Today: Biblical Government for Biblical Power, in which he declared a “Second Apostolic Age.” The first age had occurred after Jesus’ biblical resurrection, when his apostles traveled Christendom spreading the gospel. Commissioned by Jesus himself, the 12 apostles acted as His agents. The second apostolic age, Wagner announced, began “around the year 2001.”
“Apostles,” he wrote, “are the generals in the army of God.”
One of the primary tasks of the new prophets and apostles is to hear God’s will and then act on it. Sometimes this means changing the world supernaturally. Wagner tells of the time in October 2001 when, at a huge prayer conference in Germany, he “decreed that mad cow disease would come to an end in Europe and the UK.” As it turned out, the last reported case of human mad cow disease had occurred the day before. “I am not implying that I have any inherent supernatural power,” Wagner wrote. “I am implying that when apostles hear the word of God clearly and when they decree His will, history can change.”
Claims of such powers are rife among Wagner’s followers. Cindy Jacobs—a self-described “respected prophet” and Wagner protégée who runs a Dallas-area group called Generals International—claims to have predicted the recent earthquakes in Japan. “God had warned us that shaking was coming,” she wrote in Charisma magazine, an organ for the movement. “This doesn’t mean that it was His desire for it to happen, but more of the biblical fulfillment that He doesn’t do anything without first warning through His servants.”
There is, of course, a corollary to these predictive abilities: Horrible things happen when advice goes unheeded.
Last year Jacobs warned that if America didn’t return to biblical values and support Israel, God would cause a “tumbling of the economy and dark days will come,” according to Charisma. To drive the point home, Jacobs and other right-wing allies—including The Response organizers Lou Engle and California pastor Jim Garlow—organized a 40-day “Pray and Act” effort in the lead-up to the 2010 elections.
Unlike other radical religious groups, the New Apostles believe political activism is part of their divine mission. “Whereas their spiritual forefathers in the Pentecostal movement would have eschewed involvement in politics, the New Apostles believe they have a divine mandate to rescue a decaying American society,” said Margaret Poloma, a practicing Pentecostal and professor of sociology at the University of Akron. “Their apostolic vision is to usher in the Kingdom of God.”
“Where does God stop and they begin?” she asks. “I don’t think they know the difference.”
Poloma is one of the few academics who has closely studied the apostolic movement. It’s largely escaped notice, in part, because it lacks the traditional structures of either politics or religion, says Rachel Tabachnick, a researcher who has covered the movement extensively for Talk2Action.org, a left-leaning site that covers the religious right.
“It’s fairly recent and it just doesn’t fit into people’s pre-conceived notions,” she says. “They can’t get their head around something that isn’t denominational.”
The movement operates through a loose but interlocking array of churches, ministries, councils and seminaries—many of them in Texas. But mostly it holds together through the friendships and alliances of its prophets and apostles.
The Response itself seems patterned on TheCall, day-long worship and prayer rallies usually laced with anti-gay and anti-abortion messages. TheCall—also the name of a Kansas City-based organization—is led by Lou Engle, an apostle who looks a bit like Mr. Magoo and has the unnerving habit of rocking back and forth while shouting at his audience in a raspy voice. (Engle is also closely associated with the International House of Prayer—, Mike Bickle’s 24/7 prayer center in Kansas City.) Engle frequently mobilizes his followers in the service of earthly causes, holding raucous prayer events in California to help pass Prop 8, the anti-gay marriage initiative, and making an appearance in Uganda last year to lend aid to those trying to pass a law that would have imposed the death penalty on homosexuals. But Engle’s larger aim is Christian control of government.
“The church’s vocation is to rule history with God,” he has said. “We are called into the very image of the Trinity himself, that we are to be His friends and partners for world dominion.”
“It sounds so fringe but yet it’s not fringe,” Tabachnick says. “They’ve been working with Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, Sam Brownback, and now Rick Perry. … They are becoming much more politically noticeable.”
Some of the fiercest critics of the New Apostolic Reformation come from within the Pentecostal and charismatic world. The Assemblies of God Church, the largest organized Pentecostal denomination, specifically repudiated self-proclaimed prophets and apostles in 2000, calling their creed a “deviant teaching” that could rapidly “become dictatorial, presumptuous, and carnal.”
Assemblies authorities also rejected the notion that the church is supposed to assume dominion over earthly institutions, labeling it “unscriptural triumphalism.”
The New Apostles talk about taking dominion over American society in pastoral terms. They refer to the “Seven Mountains” of society: family, religion, arts and entertainment, media, government, education, and business. These are the nerve centers of society that God (or his people) must control.
Asked about the meaning of the Seven Mountains, Schlueter says, “God’s kingdom just can’t be expressed on Sunday morning for two hours. God’s kingdom has to be expressed in media and government and education. It’s not like our goal is to have a Bible on every child’s desk. That’s not the goal. The goal is to hopefully have everyone acknowledge that God’s in charge of us regardless.”
But climbing those mountains sounds a little more specific on Sunday mornings. Schlueter has bragged to his congregation of meetings with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, state Sen. Brian Birdwell, and the Arlington City Council. He recently told a church in Victoria that state Rep. Phil King, a conservative Republican from Weatherford, had allowed him to use King’s office at the Capitol to make calls and organize.
“We’re going to influence it,” Schlueter told his congregation. “We’re going to infiltrate it, not run from it. I know why God’s doing what he’s doing … He’s just simply saying, ‘Tom I’ve given you authority in a governmental authority, and I need you to infiltrate the governmental mountain. Just do it, it’s no big deal.’ I was talking with [a member of the congregation] the other day. She’s going to start infiltrating. A very simple process. She’s going to join the Republican Party, start going to all their meetings. Some [members] are already doing that.”
Doug Stringer, a relatively low-profile apostle, is one of the movement’s more complex figures—and one of the few people associated with The Response who returned my calls. His assignment for The Response: mobilizing the faithful from around the nation. Though he’s friendly with the governor and spoke at the state GOP convention, Stringer says he’s a political independent, “morally conservative” but with a “heart for social justice.”
Stringer runs Somebody Cares America, a nonprofit combining evangelism with charitable assistance to the indigent and victims of natural disasters. In 2009, Perry recognized Stringer in his State of the State address for his role in providing aid to Texans devastated by Hurricane Ike.
Stringer’s message is that The Response will be apolitical, non-partisan, even ecumenical. The goal, he says, is to “pray for personal repentance and corporate repentance on behalf of the church, not against anybody else.”
I ask him about his involvement with the Texas Apostolic Prayer Network, which is overseen by Schlueter. Six of the nine people listed as network “advisors” are involved in The Response, including Stringer, Cindy Jacobs and Waco pastor Ramiro Peña. The Texas group is part of a larger 50-state network of prophets, apostles and prayer intercessors called the Heartland Apostolic Network, which itself overlaps with the Reformation Prayer Network run by Jacobs. The Texas Apostolic Prayer Network is further subdivided into sixteen regions, each with its own director.
Some of these groups’ beliefs and activities will be startling, even to many conservative evangelicals. For example, in 2010 Texas prayer warriors visited every Masonic lodge in the state attempting to cast out the demon Baal, whom they believe controls Freemasonry. At each site, the warriors read a decree—written in legalese—divorcing Baal from the “People of God” and recited a lengthy prayer referring to Freemasonry as “witchcraft.”
Asked whether he shares these views, Stringer launches into a long treatise about secrecy during which he manages to lump together Mormonism, Freemasonry and college fraternities.
“I think there has been a lot of damage and polarization over decades because of the influence of some areas of Freemasonry that have been corrupted,” he says. “In fact, if you look at the original founder of the Mormon Church, Joseph Smith, he had a huge influence by Masonry. Bottom-line, anything that is so secretive that has to be hidden in darkness … is not biblical. The Bible says that everything needs to be brought to the light. That’s why I would never be part of a fraternity, like on campus.”
Why would Perry throw in with this crowd?
One possible answer is that he’s an opportunistic politician running for president who’s trying to get right, if not with Jesus, with a particular slice of the GOP base.
Perry himself may have the gift of foresight. He seems preternaturally capable of spotting The Next Big Thing and positioning himself as an authentic leader of grassroots movements before they overtake other politicians. Think of the prescient way he hitched his political future to the Tea Party. In 2009 Perry spoke at a Tax Day protest and infamously flirted with Texas secession. At the time it seemed crazy. In retrospect it seems brilliant.
Now, he’s made common cause with increasingly influential fundamentalists from the bleeding fringe of American Christianity at a time when the political influence of mainstream evangelicals seems to be fading.
For decades evangelicals have been key to Republican presidential victories, but much has changed since George W. Bush named Jesus as his favorite philosopher at an Iowa debate during the 2000 presidential campaign. There is much turbulence among evangelicals. There’s no undisputed leader, a Jerry Falwell or a Pat Robertson, to bring the “tribes”—to use Stringer’s phrase—together. So you go where the momentum is. There is palpable excitement in the prayer movement and among the New Apostles that the nation is on the cusp of a major spiritual and political revival.
“On an exciting note, we are in the beginning stages of the Third Great Awakening,” Jacobs told Trinity Church in Cedar Hill earlier this year. (Trinity’s pastor, Jim Hennesy, is also an apostle and endorser of The Response. Trinity is probably best known for its annual Halloween “Hell House” that tries to scare teens into accepting Jesus.) “We are seeing revivals pop up all over the United States. … Fires are breaking out all over the place. And we are going to see great things happening.”
Moreover, various media outlets have documented a possible coalescing of religious-right leaders around Perry’s candidacy. Time magazine reported on a June conference call among major evangelical leaders, including religious historian David Barton and San Antonio pastor John Hagee, in which they “agreed that Rick Perry would be their preferred candidate if he entered the race,” according to the magazine.
Journalist Tabachnick says politicians are attracted to the apostolic movement because of the valuable organizational structure and databases the leadership has built.
“I believe it’s because they’ve built such a tremendous communication network,” she says, pointing to the 50-state prayer networks plugged into churches and ministries. “They found ways to work that didn’t involve the institutional structures that many denominations have. They don’t have big offices, headquarters. They work more like a political campaign.”
But if the apostles present a broad organizing opportunity, the political risks for Perry are equally large.
In 2008 GOP nominee John McCain was forced to reject Hagee’s endorsement after media scrutiny of the pastor’s anti-Catholic comments. Similarly, Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign nearly fell apart when voters saw video of controversial sermons by the candidate’s pastor, Jeremiah Wright. If anything, Perry is venturing even further into the spiritual wilderness. The faith of the New Apostles will be unfamiliar, strange, and scary to many Americans.
Consider Alice Patterson. She’s in charge of mobilizing churches in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma for The Response. A field director for the Texas Christian Coalition in the 1990s, she’s now a significant figure in apostolic circles and runs a San Antonio-based organization called Justice at the Gate.
Patterson, citing teachings by Cindy Jacobs, Chuck Pierce and Lou Engle, has written that the Democratic Party is controlled by “an invisible network of evil comprising an unholy structure” unleashed by the biblical figure Jezebel.
Patterson claims to have seen demons with her own eyes. In 2009, at a prophetic meeting in Houston, Patterson says she saw the figure of Jezebel and “saw Jezebel’s skirt lifted to expose tiny Baal, Asherah, and a few other spirits. There they were—small, cowering, trembling little spirits that were only ankle high on Jezebel’s skinny legs.”
Those revelations are contained in Patterson’s 2010 book Bridging the Racial and Political Divide: How Godly Politics Can Transform a Nation. Patterson’s aim, as she makes clear in her book, is getting black and brown evangelicals to vote Republican and support conservative causes. A major emphasis among the New Apostles is racial reconciliation and recruitment of minorities and women. The apostolic prayer networks often perform elaborate ceremonies in which participants dress up in historical garb and repent for racial sins.
The formula—overcoming racism to achieve multiracial fundamentalism—has caught on in the apostolic movement. Some term the approach the “Rainbow Right,” and in fact The Response has a high quotient of African-Americans, Latinos and Asian-Americans in leadership positions.
Lou Engle, for example, is making a big push to recruit black activists into the anti-abortion ranks. “We’re looking for the new breed of black prophets to arise and forgive us our baggage,” he said at Trinity Assemblies of God, “and then lead us out of victimization and into the healing of a nation, to stop the shedding of innocent blood.”
Rick Perry is a white southern conservative male who may end up running against a black president. It doesn’t take a prophet to see that he could use friends like these.
There’s one other possible reason for Perry’s flirtation with the apostles, and it has nothing to do with politics. He could be a true believer.
Perry has never been shy about proclaiming his faith. He was raised a Methodist and still occasionally attends Austin’s genteel Tarrytown United Methodist Church. But according to an October 2010 story in the Austin American-Statesman, he now spends more Sundays at West Austin’s Lake Hills Church, a non-denominational evangelical church that features a rock band and pop-culture references. The more effusive approach to religion clearly appealed to Perry. “They dunk,” Perry told the American-Statesman. “Methodists sprinkle.”
Still, attending an evangelical church is a long way from believing in modern-day apostles and demons in plain sight. Could Perry actually buy into this stuff?
He’s certainly convinced the movement’s leaders. “He’s a very deep man of faith and I know that sometimes causes problems for people because they think he’s making decisions based on his faith,” Schlueter says. He pauses a beat. “Well, I hope so.”
But the danger of associating with extremists is apparent even to Schlueter, the man who took God’s message to Perry in September 2009. “It could be political suicide to do what he’s doing,” Schlueter says. “Man, this is the last thing he’d want to do if it were concerning a presidential bid. It could be very risky.”
Way of Life reviews The Alpha Course and offers alternate courses. I glady reprint this because I was recently invited to attend this course by a Catholic. This person said that he “could feel the giggles” coming on while attending….hhmmm.
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The Alpha course, “a short practical introduction to the Christian faith,” grew out of a study program started in the 1970s by Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), one of the largest and most influential Anglican parishes. It is located at the heart of London’s most exclusive shopping district, Knightsbridge, and is just down the street from the world famous Harrods department store (owned by the father of Dodi al-Fayed, who was killed in the auto crash with Princess Diana in September 1997).
The program consists of 15 sessions and runs for ten weeks. It covers such basic topics as who is Jesus and why did He die, how and why should I read the Bible, why and how do I pray, how does God guide us, and what about the church? The course has been extremely successful among Anglican parishes, so much so that some churches that had been closed were reopened.
In 1991, the Alpha program was revised by Nicky Gumbel, one of the pastors of HTB, for use in other churches. Since then Alpha has crossed denominational lines and has grown rapidly. Only 600 people attended the courses in 1991, but by 1996, that number had exploded to 250,000 per year. By 1997, it increased to 500,000 participants worldwide. It is estimated that 15 million people have taken the course as of 2011. The materials are being used in 163 countries and have been translated into nearly 50 languages.
The Alpha program has also grown rapidly in North America and has been promoted by Jack Hayford, Robert Schuller, J.I. Packer, Luis Palau, Rick Warren, and many other well-known Christian leaders.
Christianity Today for Nov. 12, 2001, called the Alpha Course “the fastest-growing adult education program in the country.” More than 4,200 churches in the U.S. use the curriculum.
Many have asked me about Alpha, and I offer the following warnings.
ALPHA’S DOCTRINAL WEAKNESS IS EVIDENT IN ITS WIDE ECUMENICAL APPEAL
Alpha has achieved wide ecumenical appeal. Nicky Gumbel of Holy Trinity Brompton stated the ecumenical philosophy of the HTB in these words: “We need to unite … there has been some comment which is not helpful to unity. Let us drop that and get on. It is wonderful that the movement of the Spirit will always bring churches together. He is doing that right across the denominations and within the traditions … we are seeing Roman Catholics coming now … Nobody is suspicious of anybody else … People are no longer ‘labelling’ themselves or others. I long for the day when we drop all these labels and just regard ourselves as Christians with a commission from Jesus Christ” (Renewal, May 1995, p. 16).
Alpha has even been accepted by the Roman Catholic Church. In the February 1997 issue of Alpha News, the lead article was titled “Archbishop praises Alpha on Pope visit as Catholic church hosts conferences.” It noted that Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey praised the Alpha course in a speech in Rome during his official visit with Pope John Paul II in December of that year. In May 1997, more than 400 Catholic leaders attended an Alpha conference in Westminster Cathedral in London, to be trained in conducting Alpha courses in Catholic parishes. The meeting received the blessing of Cardinal Basil Hume, the highest Catholic official in England (Alpha News, February 1997, p. 1). The courses were so popular with the Catholics that many other Alpha training conferences were scheduled for Catholic venues. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, Catholics and Protestants both are using Alpha. Two Catholic churches (Church of the Resurrection and St. Gerard’s) are meeting with Fortwilliam Park and Rosemary Presbyterian churches and with St. Peter’s Church of Ireland “for prayer and training” (The Burning Bush, February 1998). Alpha was endorsed by the archbishop of Baltimore, Cardinal William Keeler (“Education through Alpha,” The Ledger, Lakeland, Florida, March 13, 1999, p. D3). One of the largest Alpha conferences in the United States took place March 18-19, 1999, at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Winter Springs, Florida. It was attended by 600 people.
The Alpha program has achieved this ecumenical acceptance because it is doctrinally weak. It refers to salvation, the cross, the death of Christ, etc., in such a general way that false doctrine is not refuted. It says salvation is by grace, for instance, but it does not say that salvation is by grace ALONE by faith ALONE through the blood of Christ ALONE without works or sacraments. It refers to the Bible as God’s Word in a general sense, but it does not explain that the Bible is truly God’s inerrant, infallible, supernatural Word that must be reverenced and obeyed in every detail, that the Bible ALONE is the authority for faith and practice. It refers to Christ’s death on the cross, but does not plainly explain the vicarious atonement that was required for man’s salvation. It refers to man’s need, but it does not describe man as a totally depraved nature sinner. If Alpha were that specific, it is certain it would not be ecumenically popular in this apostate hour.
ALPHA PROMOTES CHARISMATIC CONFUSION
It is important to understand that the explosion of Holy Trinity Brompton’s (HTB) Alpha program coincides with that church’s involvement in the “Toronto Blessing” or the “Laughing Revival” since 1994.
Among those who attended the Laughing Revival in Toronto in 1994 from England was Eleanor Mumford, wife of Pastor John Mumford of the Southwest London Vineyard. Upon her arrival back in England, she testified of her experiences in Toronto and the Laughing Revival broke out in the Vineyard congregation, both in the general services and in various house meetings. One of these meetings in May 1994, was attended by Nicky Gumbel, the aforementioned Anglican priest from Holy Trinity Brompton who popularized the Alpha program. At the house meeting, Eleanor Mumford told of her experiences in Toronto and “invited the Holy Spirit to come.” The moment she did that, strange things began to happen. One person was thrown across the room and lay on the floor howling and laughing, “making the most incredible noise.” Another man lay on the floor “prophesying.” Some appeared to be drunken. Gumbel testified that he had an experience “like massive electricity going through my body.” Gumbel got himself together and rushed to a meeting at Holy Trinity Brompton, where he apologized for being late. When he closed that meeting with prayer and said, “Lord, thank you so much for all you are doing and we pray you’ll send your Spirit,” the same strange phenomena were again manifested. One of those present lay on the floor with his feet in the air and started laughing like a hyena. (This information is gathered from material I collected on my visit to HTB in 1997.)
When Sandy Millar, vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, found out about the spiritual slayings of Gumbel and other HTB people, he and the other leaders invited Eleanor Mumford to speak at both the morning and evening Sunday services on May 29. When Mrs. Mumford finished speaking, she invited the Holy Spirit to come. The Laughing Revival broke out in HTB and the mainline British newspapers quickly broadcast it to the nation. On May 31, Millar and the pastoral director from HTB flew to Toronto to examine the “Toronto Blessing” firsthand. Thus, the Alpha program’s explosion into international popularity coincides with Holy Trinity Brompton becoming a British headquarters for the unscriptural Laughing (or Drunken) Revival.
There is also a connection between Holy Trinity Brompton and the confusion that is being perpetrated by the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida. In January 1995, a Pentecostal evangelist named Steve Hill was on his way back to the States from a missionary trip. Stopping over in London, he stayed with a charismatic Roman Catholic couple who open their home for visitors. Hearing of the happenings at Holy Trinity Brompton, Hill sought out Sandy Millar and requested that he lay hands on him. When Millar acquiesced, Hill was knocked down. This is how Hill describes it:
I stepped over bodies to get to the pastor. When Sandy touched me I fell to the ground (I don’t ever do that) … I was like a kid at a Toys ‘R’ Us … Then I got up and ran up to a couple and said, ‘Pray for me, hey man this is good.’ They touched me and wham! I went back down. Some of you God is going to hit in a powerful way. If you are hungry get prayed for a dozen times (Steve Hill, Father’s Day Video, Brownsville Assemblies of God Church).
Six months passed after Hill experienced a touch from the Laughing Revival spirit. On June 18, 1995, he was preaching in the Brownsville Assembly of God near Pensacola, Florida, when the Laughing or Drunken Revival broke out in what would become its greatest arena to date. John Kilpatrick, pastor of the Brownsville church, fell to the floor and lay there for almost four hours. “When I hit that floor, it felt like I weighed 10,000 pounds. I knew something supernatural was happening” (Kilpatrick, Charisma, June 1996). He has been so “drunk” that he could not drive himself home.
The “Pensacola Outpouring,” as it has been called by many Charismatics, has connections with the Laughing Revival in Toronto not only via Hill’s contact with HTB in London, England, but even more directly through visits of its members to Toronto. For several weeks before June 18, many members from the Brownsville Assembly of God had traveled to the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church to participate in the Laughing Revival. Just before he became the music leader at the Brownsville Assembly of God, Lindel Cooley attended the Toronto Laughing Revival meetings. The wife of Brownsville Assembly pastor, John Kilpatrick, visited Toronto two times accompanied by the wife of one of the church officers (Dr. Herb Babcock, former member of Brownsville AOG, “That’s How They Do It in Toronto!” The End Times, March-April 1997, p. 8). Also, prior to the June 18 breakout of the Laughing Revival in Brownsville, a film featuring the “Toronto Blessing” was shown in the church.
The close connection between Toronto, Brownsville, and Holy Trinity Brompton is evident, and it is this type of unscriptural, subjective, hunger-for-the-miraculous approach to Christianity that is being promoted by the Alpha program.
The Alpha course itself is permeated with Charismatic error. About half-way through the 10-week program, the leaders conduct “Holy Spirit Day” or even have a “Holy Spirit Weekend Away.” The purpose is to bring the participants into a Charismatic experience. Note that the focus is on the Holy Spirit rather than upon Jesus Christ. The leader “takes them through the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit” and prays for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. Those who take the courses are urged to open themselves to the “slaying in the spirit” and other unscriptural experiences associated with the Charismatic movement. They “shake like a leaf in the wind” and experience “glowing all over” and “liquid heat.” The participants are taught that “tongues speaking” can be learned. They are taught to expect extra-biblical revelations from God through dreams and “words of knowledge.” One of the Alpha sessions deals with the question, “Does God Heal Today?” It is treated from a Charismatic-Pentecostal perspective. In the book Questions of Life (pp. 140-144), Gumbel says “tongues” can be used in worship, in prayer under pressure, and in intercessory prayer for other people. He treats “tongues” as a prayer language that Christians should exercise privately, and he claims that tongues must be “learned” through “perseverance.” He develops doctrine through human reasoning rather than through sound exegesis of the Word of God: “Languages take time to develop. Most of us start with a very limited vocabulary. Gradually it develops. Tongues are like that. It takes time to develop the gift. Don’t give up” (Gumbel, Questions of Life, p. 147). Nowhere in the New Testament do we see the Christians learning how to speak in tongues!
Nicky Gumbel was powerfully influenced by John Wimber, and there are many references to Wimber in Alpha material. In a video series, Gumbel traces his call to evangelism to a 1982 incident in which he received prayer from Wimber. As Wimber laid hands on him, “He experienced such supernatural power that he had to call out for it to stop.” Wimber also gave a “word of knowledge” that Gumbel had a gift of “telling others.”
John Wimber (1934-1997) was the founder of the Vineyard Association, comprised today of some 600 churches worldwide. In the mid-1970s, Wimber became affiliated with Fuller Theological Seminary and was strongly influenced by Fuller professor C. Peter Wagner, a pragmatic church growth expert. In analyzing church planting models, Wagner seems to be as impressed by “success” as with doctrinal purity. If a methodology “works” it has value, regardless of whether or not it is scriptural. Wimber applied this type of pragmatism to the practical side of Christian life and ministry. He focused more on experience and feeling than on doctrine. He warned against “worshipping the book” and mocked those who judge everything strictly by the Bible, saying they have “God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Book” (Wimber, as cited in Counterfeit Revival, p. 109). On another occasion Wimber warned against being “too rigid” and “too heavily oriented to the written Word” (Ibid.). One would say something like that only if he were attempting to promote things that were not in accordance with the Word of God. The Psalmist said the written Word “is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105). It is impossible to be too strongly oriented toward the Bible! The Wimber mindset leaves one open to spiritual delusion. If the Holy Spirit operates contrary to the Word of God, there is no way to discern between the true Spirit and false spirits. This subtle undermining of biblical authority is one reason why strange and unscriptural things such as the Laughing Revival and the prophetic movement have swept through the Vineyard Association.
Wimber taught a course on “Signs, Wonders, and Church Growth” at Fuller Seminary in the early 1980s. Later he traveled to many parts of the world with his “signs and wonders” crusades, promoting his doctrine that the Christian life and ministry should be accompanied by experiential miracles to be authentic, that miracles produce faith. In his popular books Power Evangelism and Power Healing, Wimber promoted this idea: “Clearly the early Christians had an openness to the power of the Spirit, which resulted in signs and wonders and church growth. If we want to be like the early church, we too need to open to the Holy Spirit’s power” (Wimber, Power Evangelism, p. 31). In reality, kingdom power and the manifestation of the sons of God in glory will be enjoyed only when Christ returns, and we who live in this present world must patiently hope for those events (Rom. 8:23-25). Wimber did not deny Christ’s coming or the power that will be manifest at that time, but he also taught his followers to expect kingdom power now. This carnal enthusiasm for the miraculous is the climate required for the manifestation of a Laughing Revival and other End Times error.
It is John Wimber’s pragmatic, experience-oriented, subjective approach to Christianity that is promoted through the Alpha program.
Pastor Paul Fitton makes the following observation in his report on Alpha: “The Alpha Course is being used to prime the pump, to condition the thinking of church people to accept the teachings and phenomena which we associate with the Toronto Blessing — phenomena which have no anchorage in Scripture; doctrines which otherwise would be rejected out of hand. These phenomena are unbiblical. There is no ground in Scripture upon which to anchor them. The Alpha course in its philosophy is New Age. It relies heavily upon experience; in practice it leads to experiences which are rooted in the occult: if they are calling down the spirit and they are possessed by that spirit, and that spirit is not the Spirit of God, then they have opened their minds to other spirits, to evil spirits” (Fitton, “The Alpha Course: Is It Bible Based or Hell Inspired?” Australian Beacon, February 1998).
EVANGELISTIC BIBLE STUDIES: REJECT THE ALPHA PROGRAM BUT NOT THE ALPHA CONCEPT
While the Alpha program itself is very dangerous because of its weak doctrinal content and its ecumenical/charismatic philosophy, and while we sound the loudest possible warning against participation in it (see our article “The Alpha Course” at the Evangelism section of the End Times Apostasy Database at the Way of Life web site); at the same time, the underlying concept is very interesting and could be used to good advantage by Bible-believing churches. Call them “Basic Christianity Bible Studies,” or “Basic Bible Truths,” or whatever other name is feasible. Evangelistic home Bible studies can be one of the most effective means for teaching the gospel in the careful, systematic way that is necessary for grounding people. The basic concept of Alpha is to provide a series of studies on the gospel and basic Christianity in a context that is casual, that allows the teacher to build a relationship with the students and that allows the unsaved to relax and ask any questions that might be necessary to enable them to understand Bible truth.
The liberal ecumenical churches are achieving great success with this approach, because many people do have questions about the Bible and are willing to attend the sessions. There is no reason why Bible-believing churches cannot take a similar tack but provide a truly sound Scriptural answer to people. The details and logistics of the program can be approached in many different ways according to the desires of the leaders and the requirements of the particular situation.
A similar approach can be used by Bible-believing churches to advertise a series of Bible studies conducted in homes or at the church or some other location. Any knowledgeable preacher could design a series of basic Bible studies that cover the Gospel, then other basic aspects of the Christian life, such as the Bible, prayer, and the church. It would not be difficult for a preacher to write his own series of basic lessons for the Bible studies, but there are also many developed courses that could be used for this.
SALVATION BIBLE BASICS by Pastor Doug Hammett, [Lehigh Valley Baptist Church, 4702 Colebook Ave., Emmaus, PA. 610-965-4700 (church), pastor@lvbaptist.org (e-mail), http://www.lvbaptist.org (web site).] This consists of four in-depth lessons on Bible salvation. A strong foundation is laid by defining sin from God’s perspective and helping the sinner to see his lost condition before God. In Lesson Four, Repentance and Faith are carefully explained. It is very unusual for an evangelistic Bible study to go into repentance as thoroughly as this one does. A simple chart helps illustrate the Bible truths. “Bible Basics is the backbone of our evangelism. We approach visitors, friends and people in door to door outreach offering a four-week, one-hour-a-week personal Bible Study. Our statistics break down to 1/2 of those that complete the study get saved, 85% of those that get saved are baptized into the church, 90% of those are here one year later faithfully serving. That book is available through our church.”
Another possibility is BASIC BIBLE TRUTHS by Lester Hutson [Berean Baptist Church, 10250 North Freeway, Houston, TX 77037. 281-447-8484 (voice), 800-555-9098 (orders), 281-999-0308 (fax), info@berean-houston.org (e-mail), http://www.berean-houston.org (web site)]. This consists of six lessons that carefully and systemically guide the seeker through the truths of the Gospel. It lacks a clear presentation of repentance, but this can be added by the teacher.
WON BY ONE is another course that can be used for evangelistic Bible studies. It can also be used for basic discipleship. The first section has 13 lessons on Bible doctrines: the Scriptures, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, the Devil, the Creation, Sin, Repentance, Faith, Salvation, the Second Coming of Christ, Heaven, and Hell. The second section contains instructions for Believers, and deals with things such as assurance of salvation, Christian victory, separation from the world and false teaching, the church, and the believer’s witness for Christ. [Bible Press, 6585 NW 6th Dr., Des Moines, IA 50313. 515-289-1090 (voice), http://www.biblepress.net, biblepress@juno.com] Pastor John Mincy, Antioch Baptist Church, Antioch, California, gives the following testimony: “We have used the ‘Won By One’ Bible study booklet for years and have seen many saved and discipled. It has been the most effective evangelistic tool, and the large majority of those who finish the course stay and serve in the local church.”
*update on Won by One submitted to me by Mel Lacock
I appreciate your kind words on your website concerning Won by One. You will probably want to make contact changes etc. since it is no longer published by Bible Press but by Fox Creek Printing, 435 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville, SC, 29609. website www.wonbyonebiblestudy.com
WHAT’S NEXT? by Charles T. Shoemaker [Church Planting America, P.O. Box 37887, Jacksonville, Fl 32236] was recommended to us by Serge Lapare as follows: “I’ve been using a booklet called ‘What’s Next’ since 1993. I’ve had very good success with it. I’ve had several people realize they weren’t saved after teaching the first lesson on salvation. I’ve had many people dedicate themselves to separate from the world after teaching the lesson on separation. I’ve had at least a dozen people in the last two years alone become effective soul winners as a result of the lesson on soul winning. I’ve added many scriptures to my copy of the booklet over the years, but the basic booklet is easy to teach from and easy for new Christians to understand. It’s not too long, so it won’t overwhelm the new convert.”
ONE YEAR DISCIPLESHIP COURSE by David Cloud [Way of Life Literature, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143] The first few lessons of this course can be used effectively as an evangelistic Bible study course. The titles of these lessons are Repentance, Faith, The Gospel, Baptism, and Eternal Security.
1. EVANGELISTIC BIBLE STUDIES CAN BE USED AS FOLLOW-UP FOR MASS EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGNS (house to house literature distribution, radio broadcasts, etc.). Include a brochure announcing a course such as “Basic Christianity Bible Studies” or “Basic Bible Truths.” Instead of trying to get people to pray a sinner’s prayer before they understand the gospel, focus instead on getting the interested ones involved in a series of Bible studies where a relationship can be established and they can be dealt with carefully. This is what the apostle Paul did. He preached the gospel to the masses, then took the interested ones aside and instructed them more carefully in the things of God (Acts 17:34; 18:5-11).
2. EVANGELISTIC BIBLE STUDIES CAN BE USED TO TARGET SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS. Bible studies can be conducted in different neighborhoods by various men and women in the church and thus greatly expand the congregation’s outreach. We are not talking about “cell groups.” The evangelistic Bible studies have the goal of getting people saved and brought into the membership of the church (and incorporated into the full life of the church, including the regular services).
3. EVANGELISTIC BIBLE STUDIES CAN BE USED TARGET SPECIFIC GROUPS OF PEOPLE. Basic Bible Studies can be geared to specific groups, such as women, teenagers, foreigners, professionals, uneducated, deaf, etc. By offering Bible studies for a particular group, the church can focus on their special needs in a way that cannot be done during regular church services or Sunday School. For example, in American cities today there are large numbers of immigrants and visitors and students from other countries and cultures. They often need special consideration when the Gospel is communicated to them. Oftentimes they do not speak English well. It is not uncommon for them to be completely ignorant of the gospel or even of the most basic facts of the Bible and Christianity. The typical “Romans Road” gospel presentation will often be insufficient. They need to be taught the very basics of biblical truth, such as creation, the fall of man, the character of God, and the uniqueness of the Bible, before they can understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. All of that can be taught out of Romans, of course, because Romans itself begins with creation and the fall of man, but this is not what most people do when they present the “Romans Road.” Many immigrants and foreign visitors will not be familiar with any of the terms of the gospel, such as sin and repentance and grace and faith. Unless those terms are carefully explained, they will “hear” the gospel, but they will not understand it. Too much of the soul-winning activity in North America is simply too shallow and hurried. Missionaries who work in other parts of the world understand this and develop ways of teaching the gospel effectively to their people, but too often personal workers in North America approach foreigners without proper knowledge of how they think and how to reach them. They try to reach them exactly as they would someone who has grown up in the Bible-belt of the United States, and they wonder why it doesn’t work. Involving select groups of people in Bible studies that are geared to their needs and that are led by people who understand them can solve many of these problems.
4. EVANGELISTIC BIBLE STUDIES CAN BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EVANGELISTIC REVIVAL MEETINGS. It is said that only about 5% of people making professions at large (mass or city-wide) revivals go on to become active church members. Of course, one would suppose the percentage to be higher in local church revivals. Still, the percentage of those who don’t “stick” is appallingly high in all types of evangelistic programs today. There are many reasons for this, one of the chief being that scores of those making professions do not truly understand the gospel and are, therefore, not committing themselves to Christ in biblical repentance and faith. It’s one thing to say, “Yea, I’ll go along with that; it sounds good; I’ll pray that prayer,” and quite another to be truly born again of the Spirit of God. If most of those coming forward in revivals were strongly encouraged to commit themselves to a six- or ten- or twelve- week Bible study course and if godly, mature church members faithfully taught the course, we can only imagine that the lasting fruit of our meetings would be ten-fold greater than would otherwise be the case.
The Formation of a Revolution
Governor Rick Perry’s The Response prayer rally already has support from self-proclaimed prophets and apostles like Cindy Jacobs, Mike Bickle, Che Ahn, Doug Stringer, John Benefiel, and Jay Swallow, and now we can add one of the most prominent leaders of the New Apostolic Reformation to the list of endorsers: C. Peter Wagner.[1]
Background information:
Part 1: IHOP is starting to feel its Dominion oats
Part 2: IHOP: International House of Political Action
Last week C. Peter Wagner added his name to the list of The Response prayer rally endorsers.[2] This has the effect of putting the full weight of his New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) behind Texas Governor Rick Perry and his potential bid for president. The “Kansas City Prophets” via their IHOP movement was already a primary backer of this quasi-political “prayer event.” But now, with Wagner’s high-profile endorsement, the event takes on new significance. Wagner’s presence indicates the marshaling of forces of his Seven Mountains Army behind a potential presidential candidate.
For the full story:
Answer: Throughout his ministry Dr. Schuller has been outspoken in warning his listeners about the dangers of negative thinking.
The Faulty Gospel of Robert Schuller
by Joseph P. Gudel
‘Why would any Christian write an article criticizing Dr. Schuller? Isn’t this being negative? Isn’t this being unloving?’ These and similar questions are raised automatically by many people whenever one Christian criticizes another Christian; especially when the one criticized is as notable and well-liked as Dr. Robert Schuller.
I believe the first question raised above will be answered as we examine the content of Dr. Schuller’s theology. To test or criticize someone whose teachings are aberrational is not being negative; in fact the Bible commands us to do this. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica, he told them to “test all things; hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).
The question still remains: “Is this unloving?” The most unloving thing that we could do would be to close our eyes and turn our backs as untold numbers of people are being led astray by false teaching. To critique a Christian who has erred from the truth is the most loving thing we could do for him. The Apostle James wrote: “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).
DR. SCHULLER’S THEOLOGY
Dr. Schuller has stated many times throughout his many years of ministry that his one goal, his main desire, is to reach the masses of unchurched people. When he and his wife first arrived in California, they wondered how they could build a church from scratch.
Who would come to our church?… Looking at some statistics, it was very plain that half the people in the U.S. had no religious affiliation. Our answer then came quickly and clearly. The unchurched thousands– this was our opportunity. We would have to impress and win the people who, for one reason or another, had never before been interested in organized religion 1.
So Dr. Schuller believes that his calling is that of a missionary. “My ministry has, for over thirty years, been a mission to the unbelievers.” 2 And as we are about to see, he does not believe that the way to reach them is by proclaiming the gospel.
How does Dr. Schuller believe we can reach the nonbelievers most effectively? The most important thing is to find out what they want! He did this for several years at the beginning of his California ministry. And what did he discover? He found out that nonbelievers wanted to have their emotional needs met: they did not want to hear about the Bible or about their need for forgiveness of sins and salvation.
As a missionary, I find the hope of respectful contact is based on a “human-need” approach rather than a theological attack …. The non-churched who have no vital belief in a relationship with God will spurn, reject, or simply ignore the theologian, church spokesperson, preacher, or missionary who approaches with Bible in hand, theology on the brain and the lips, and expects nonreligious persons to suspend their doubts and swallow the theocentric assertions as fact. 3
POSSIBILITY THINKING VS. NEGATIVE THINKING
Since Dr. Schuller will not preach the gospel from the pulpit, nor teach from the Bible, what then is the message he propagates? Los Angeles Times staff writer Bella Stumbo, after an extended interview with Dr. Schuller, wrote: “In short, Robert Schuller believes that God placed him on this Earth to preach possibility thinking.” 4
Anyone who is familiar with Dr. Schuller’s writings or who has listened to him speak will realize that this is not an exaggeration.
Throughout his ministry Dr. Schuller has been outspoken in warning his listeners about the dangers of negative thinking. He asks his audience to consider “that dirty ten-letter-word ‘impossible.’ When uttered aloud, this word is devastating in its effect. Thinking stops. Progress is halted.” 5 Elsewhere he states: “Whatever you do, never verbalize a negative emotion.” 6
The gospel that he wants to share with his unchurched audience is that they can do anything that they want to, that everything is possible for a “possibility thinker.”
There is no problem or situation that cannot be solved. 7
… success awaits the man who will “never say never.” 8
… this is what I think our ministry is all about. Helping people realize they can become more than they ever thought they could be! 9
To underscore just how vitally important this message is, Dr. Schuller once wrote: “I believe in positive thinking. It is almost as important as the resurrection of Jesus Christ” 10 In addition, the titles to some of his books are revealing: Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking, You Can Become the Person You Want to Be, It’s Possible, and Become a Possibility Thinker Now…
The Gospel of Success
Closely connected with his emphasis on “possibility thinking” is his teaching concerning success. Dr. Schuller believes that God wants us to succeed in whatever we do.
God’s will for you is clear…. God wants you to succeed. He has promised to “crown your efforts with success… (Prov. 3:6) 11
Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, mines of ore that have never been discovered and is waiting to make millionaires out of simple farm boy? Take Christ as your Partner and give Him a chance to work the miracle He promised: “I am come that you might have life — and have it more abundantly.”12
If you fail, you do so because you choose to fail! 13
Although in recent years Dr. Schuller has somewhat tempered this teaching, it is still one of his major tenets.
Self-Esteem: A New Reformation
The prime focus of Dr. Schuller’s ministry today concerns the self-esteem of the individual. This was reflected in most of his earlier books, but was never specifically formulated until 1982, when he wrote Self-Esteem: The New Reformation. Dr. Schuller believes that virtually every problem a person has, every ill that plagues society, all sin and evil in the world, is a result of people having low self-esteem. Therefore, our greatest need is to have our self-esteem increased.
Self-esteem then, or “pride in being a human being,” is the single greatest need facing the human race today. 14
I strongly suggest that self-love is the ultimate will of man that what you really want more than anything else in the world is the awareness that you are a worthy person. 15
Do not fear pride: the easiest job God has is to humble us. God’s almost impossible task is to keep us believing every hour of every day how great we are as his sons and daughters on planet earth. 16
According to Schuller, in order to reach the multitudes of nonbelievers today, a new reformation is needed, a reformation based on building up their self-esteem. This reformation must be anthropocentric, that is, man-centered, not theocentric, or God-centered. Indeed, Dr. Schuller believes that classical theology seriously errs in insisting that all theology be centered around God instead of around man. 17
The Bible
One might legitimately ask why Dr. Schuller believes classical theology errs so gravely. His answer: Luther and Calvin were listening to the wrong person! He asks the following rhetorical question: Luther and Calvin, we know, looked to the Book of Romans in the Bible for their primary inspiration. Were they, unknowingly, possessed more by the spirit of St. Paul than by the Spirit of Jesus Christ? Are we not on safer grounds if we look to our Lord’s words to launch our reformation? 18
The implication is that what Jesus said in the gospels overrides everything else in the in Bible. For Schuller then, some parts of the Bible (i.e., what Jesus said as recorded in the gospels) have more authority than other areas of the Bible. In other parts of Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, Dr. Schuller is more explicit.
But can anything be above the Scriptures? Yet, the Eternal Word transcends the written Word. Christ is the Word made flesh. Christ is the Lord over the Scriptures; the Scriptures are not Lord over Christ . . . The Bible must not compete with the Lord for the seat of glory. We are “saved by the blood,” not “by the Book.” We believe in the holy Trinity, not a holy Quadrangle. 19
Christ must be, at all times, Lord over the Scriptures. 20
Sin and Man’s Nature
For Dr. Schuller sin, a subject he does not like to discuss, has a definition very different from the one most Christians give.
I am convinced that the deepest of all human needs is salvation from sin and hell …. We come now to the problem of semantics. What do I mean by sin? Answer: Any human condition or act that robs God of glory by stripping one of his children of their right to divine dignity. I could offer another complementing answer, “Sin is that deep lack of trust that separates me from God and leaves me with a sense of shame and unworthiness.” I can offer still another answer: “Sin is any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem. ” 21
Any analysis of “sin” or “evil”… that fails to seethe lack of self-dignity as the core of the problem will prove to be too shallow. 22 Classical Reformed Theology declares that we are conceived and born rebellious sinners. But that answer is too shallow.It ignores the tough question: Why should love-needing persons resist, rebel against, and reject beautiful love? The answer? We are born nontrusting. Deep down we feel we are not good enough to approach a holy God. 23
By implication then, man is basically good according to Dr. Schuller. His only problem is that he was born with a disability: this disability, or original sin, is a low self-esteem or lack of trust. 24
If only we could love ourselves enough to dare approach God …. But we feel too unworthy. So one layer of negative behavior is laid upon another until we emerge as rebellious sinners. But our rebellion is a reaction, not our nature. By nature we are fearful, not bad. Original sin is not a mean streak; it is a nontrusting inclination …. do not say that the central core of the human soul is wickedness. If this wereso, then truly, the human being is totally depraved. But positive Christianity does not hold to human depravity, but to human inability. 25
Dr. Schuller does not believe or teach that we are ultimately responsible for our sins. He attempts to distinguish between what he calls “Adam’s Sin” and “Original Sin.” Adam, created sinless, knew better. Only he deserved a sermon on sin, because he alone had a choice. Adam “… made a choice, he chose. He knew better. His children, however, were born with a disadvantage. They didn’t have that choice.” 26
Because we are basically fearful, but not bad, and because we need to have our self. esteem lifted, Jesus never criticized people or called them sinners, according to Dr. Schuller. Instead, he always tried to uplift them.
He never did call them “sinners.” He saw great possibilities in each of these men. How He tried to give them the sense of self-worth and dignity that they deserved! After all, they were human beings, descendants of God. 27
Christ always tried to give man’s self-image a boost. When he met immoral people He never called them sinners. Never! 28
He believed in the dignity of the individual. So He never called a person a sinner. He always saw the individual as a saint. 29
So Dr. Schuller believes that if Jesus never called people sinners, then he won’t either.
Man and Glory
The end result that Dr. Schuller hopes to accomplish is to show everyone that they are all children of God because they are all made in His image. “The Fatherhood of God is built into our subconscious,” 30 all we really need is enough self-esteem to accept this fact. But it does not stop there. Because “we were created to be princes and princesses,” 31 we have an innate “thirst for glory.” 32 Dr. Schuller believes that “what we need is a theology of salvation that begins and ends with a recognition of every person’s hunger for glory.”33 “The Christian faith and life is a gospel designed to glorify human beings for the greater glory of God.” 34 The final goal is that “we can pray, ‘Our Father in heaven, honorable is our name.'” 35
Salvation and the Gospel
In concluding our examination of Dr. Schuller’s theology we must see what he has to say about salvation and the gospel. First of all, he stresses that people will not respond to the gospel until they recognize that they are worthy of God. “The unsaved person cannot perceive himself as worthy of ‘divine grace’ and hence rejects it.” 36 In fact, Dr. Schuller believes that the ultimate sin is in feeling unworthy about yourself: “the most serious sin is the one that causes me to say, ‘I am unworthy. I may have no claim to divine sonship if you examine me at my worst.”‘ 37
Dr. Schuller believes, then, that God wants to build up man’s self-esteem and restore the lost glory that is our inherent right as children of God, as people “Created to be princes and princesses.” 38 “God’s ultimate objective is to turn you and me into self-confident persons.” 39
In accord with this, Dr. Schuller believes that any proclamation of the gospel that puts “a person down before it attempts to lift him up” is dangerous. 40 He goes on to state that “you are not preaching the Gospel unless you make people happy, because the Gospel is good news.” 41
Finally, what is salvation in Schuller’s opinion? What does it mean to be “born again”?
What does it mean to be saved? It means to be permanently lifted from sin (psychological self-abuse with all of its consequences as seen above) and shame to self-esteem and its God glorifying human need-meeting, constructive, and creative consequences. 42
Salvation is defined as rescue from shame to glory. 43
To be born again means that we must be changed from a negative to a positive self-image — from inferiority to self-esteem, from fear to love. from doubt to trust. 44
And what is the real effect of being saved? “Glory restored is the real fruit of salvation.” 45
A BIBLICAL CRITIQUE
A Faulty Foundation
A building is only as strong as its foundation, and every argument stands or falls on its premise’s). In Dr. Schuller’s case we can readily see that his entire ministry is based upon a defective premise. What is it? He has knowingly based and structured his theology on what people wanted to hear! It began with him going from door to door, asking people what type of church they would like to attend. 46 It has continued to this day, albeit more sophisticatedly, with Dr. Schuller hiring firms like the Gallup Poll to conduct surveys on such pertinent topics as self-esteem of the American people. 47 Instead of asking himself what the people needed, he asked what they wanted. Sometimes these two are in agreement, but more often they are not. Instead of listening to the people, or even to himself, he should have asked God what the people needed and how he could help them obtain it!
Imagine someone like the prophet Jonah going to Nineveh and telling the people only the good things that they wanted to hear. After all, he could have reasoned, they would never listen to some foreigner preaching negative sermons. Why, none of the Ninevites even believed in the Jewish Scriptures. The result of this type of approach would have meant the destruction of Nineveh and all of its inhabitants.
A theology based upon opinion polls rather upon God’s Word is a direct fulfillment of what the Apostle Paul warned against: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.” (2 Tim. 4:3).
Possibility Thinking
The teaching advanced by Dr. Schuller is clear. You can be whatever you want to be, all you have to do is believe in yourself. Any and every problem you encounter can be overcome, just never quit. “Set your goal, define your role, and pay your toll.” 48 “What you can conceive, you can achieve.” 49 And above all, never verbalize a negative thought or admit that something is impossible.
As we have seen, the teaching of “possibility thinking” is a cornerstone of Dr. Schuller’s theology. And in and of itself, there is nothing wrong with this. After all, there are many biblical verses which affirm this. For example:
For nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37).
And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can.’ All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).
There are several problems, however, with how Dr. Schuller presents this. First of all, his emphasis is virtually indistinguishable from the same type of teachings given in secular circles (e.g., Dale Carnegie’s Hot to Win Friends and Influence People). The only difference is that Dr. Schuller builds his message within a theistic framework. The problem lies in the fact that the biblical promises of God’s help apply only to those people who have a living relationship with God; that is, people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But Dr. Schuller admits that the main group of people he is trying to reach are non-Christians! Therefore, his “possibility thinking” teachings from the Bible really would not apply to them.
Second, in teaching that we can do anything that we can dream of, Dr. Schuller totally ignores the fact that we do have limitations. All of us are limited by our own natural abilities and by outside influences over which we have no control.
A final flaw in this type of teaching is that there are times when we must say unpleasant things or “verbalize negative emotions.” According to Dr. Schuller. the Apostle Peter would probably be one of the world’s greatest possibility thinkers. Why? Remember when Jesus began to tell his disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things and be killed (cf. Matt. 16:21f)? What was Peter’s reaction? He took Jesus aside and lectured Him on the dangers of negative thinking.
And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You” (Matt. 16:22).
We all know the rest of the story, Jesus rebuked Peter for not setting his “mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Elsewhere, Jesus actually commands us, under certain conditions, to verbalize negative emotions. “Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3).
The danger of Dr. Schuller’s teaching on “possibility thinking” is that he only shows one side of the coin and thus distorts God’s message.
The Gospel of Success
In attempting to marshal together biblical evidence to back his claims that God wants us to succeed in whatever we do, Dr. Schuller has taken one verse after another out of context. For example: “God’s will for you is clear …. God wants you to succeed. He has promised to ‘crown your efforts with success!”‘ (Prov. 3:6). 50
It is no accident that Dr. Schuller quotes Proverbs 3:6 from The Living Bible, which is a paraphrase, not a translation. Proverbs 3:6, according to the Hebrew Masoretic text, reads: “In all thy ways acknowledge Him. And he will direct thy paths.” 51 The Hebrew word for “direct” is “yashar,” meaning “To go straight or direct in the way” or “to make (a way) straight” 52 Thus God is promising to guide us as we walk with Him, not to make us succeed in everything we do.
Many examples could be cited to show Dr. Schuller’s frequent distortion of scriptural passages in order to justify his theological positions. For instance. what does Dr. Schuller say Jesus really meant when He taught His disciples to pray for their “daily bread” (Matt. 6:11)?
“Give us our daily bread.” What does the word bread mean? Bread refers to life’s basic needs. God doesn’t promise that we will get the dessert, but he does promise that we will have the crust…. What is the crust that God offers? We call it possibility thinking. 53
“Give us this day our daily bread.” God will give us what we need. And what is that? It is creative, inspiring, possibility-pregnant ideas. 54
Dr. Schuller is guilty of even more blatant distortion when he equates the “rivers of living water” Jesus referred to in John 7:38 with self-esteem.
And I can feel the self-esteem rising all around me and within me. “Rivers of living water shall flow from the inmost being of anyone who believes in me” (John 7:38, TLB). I’ll really feel good about myself. 55
Did Jesus really equate “rivers of living water” with “self-esteem”? The Apostle John (who I think was in a better position to tell us what Jesus meant than Dr. Schuller is) tells us exactly what Jesus was saying: “But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39).
More examples could be cited showing how Dr. Schuller takes verses out of context and distorts their meaning, but these will suffice.
One of the most lamentable aspects of Dr. Schuller’s “Gospel of Success” is in the effect it can have on people who genuinely try but fail. For people like this I cannot think of anything more pernicious than to tell them that “if you fail, you do so because you choose to fail.” 56 William Kirk Kilpatrick, associate professor of educational psychology at Boston College, makes the following observation:
If you lead people to believe that by the power of their mind they can become rich and change their life, and if in fact that doesn’t happen, not only are they going to feel frustration but also more guilt for not having enough faith. 57
Christians may oftentimes be successful in their earthly endeavors, but God has not promised this to us. In fact, many of the greatest men and women of faith were total failures in the world’s eyes (cf. Heb. 11:35-40). Worldly success may be a byproduct of obedience to God, but it should never be our primary goal.
Self-Esteem: A New Reformation?
We must first address the question, is it wrong to have high self-esteem? The biblical answer is no! In the book of Genesis we are told that man was created in God’s own image (Gen. 1:26-27). In other places the Scriptures state that “we are the temple of the living God” (2 Cor. 6:16), and that we are “sons and daughters” of God (2 Cor. 6:18). In Eph. 2:10, we are told that “we are His workmanship.” The word “workmanship” comes from the Greek word “poiema” from which we get our English word “poem”. Just as a poem is an artistic expression of the poet, so we are artistic expressions of God. How unique and special is each person? When a baby is conceived,
it will be a combination of the genetic content of one of the mother’s 400 ova with those of one of, say, 360 million spermatozoa released at the same time. The child you conceived might have been any one of about 144 billion distinct human beings, assuming that all of the spermatozoa really had an equal chance to fertilize that ovum. The slightest difference in the timing of the sex act would have tipped the odds in favor of a different spermatozoa — and resulted in a different child. No other couple could produce a child identical to yours. 58
Truly King David was right when he proclaimed: “I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14).
There must be a proper balance in our evaluation of man. We need to see ourselves as God sees us. How does God view man?
He sees us as beings of tremendous value and worth. In John 3:16 the word “so” is often overlooked: God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for our sins, that we could be reconciled with him.
Once again, however, there is a flip-side to the coin. God sees us as His creation (not as His peers) who have willingly rebelled against Him. Dr. Schuller rejects this fact in his evaluation. He believes that the greatest need of man is having his self-esteem built up, 59 therefore we should never say anything derogatory about man. Man’s main goal, he believes, should be seeking to have his self-esteem built up high enough that he can respond to God’s love. The only reason people do not accept God is because they have a low self-esteem and thus fear Him. 60
The main question is, “Is Dr. Schuller’s analysis of man’s problem correct?” We will consider the scriptural answer to this in the following sections dealing with “Man’s Nature” and “Jesus and Sinners.” Right now, though, I believe that simply by looking at the evidence before us we can see that Dr. Schuller’s logic is faulty.
Lewis Smedes, a professor at Fuller Seminary and the author of Love Within Limits, makes the following cogent observation:
I have seen a hit man of the Mafia who says “I feel very good about myself.” I have talked to prostitutes who have felt very good about themselves, and I’m not judging them, but I have talked to saints who felt very badly about themselves. The crux in this whole business is not whether we feel good about ourselves, though that is important, but what is the truth about ourselves? 61
If Dr. Schuller is correct, if the only reason we run from God is because we have a low self-esteem and fear Him, then people who have a high self-esteem should all become Christians and also should not sin anymore! But we know from practical experience that this is not the case.
William Kirk Kilpatrick states that a high self-esteem often inhibits people from coming to God:
Like the rich man who will have such a hard time getting into heaven, his riches protect him from the knowledge of how utterly dependent on God he is. In the same way the man who is brimful of self-esteem is unable to see how utterly broken he is, how we all are. 62
It is both interesting and significant that recent psychological studies have confirmed what the Bible has always taught: man’s problem is not low self-esteem but rather pride. While at times this is expressed in low self-esteem it is also very often manifested as an inflated self-image. Dr. David Myers, a professor of psychology at Dr. Schuller’s alma mater, Hope College, comments on this in his article, “The Inflated Self .”
[What an intriguing irony it is that so many Christian writers are now echoing the old prophets of humanistic psychology at the very time that research psychologists are amassing new data concerning the pervasiveness of pride. Indeed it is the orthodox theologians, not the humanistic psychologists, who seem closest to the truth that is glimpsed by social psychology. 63
Church history also refutes Dr. Schuller’s teaching on self-esteem. He believes that we are entering a “new age of church growth” and that the only way the Church can succeed is to build up people’s allegedly low self-esteem. 64 Dr. Schuller must answer a significant question: why didn’t the early Church preach a theology of self-esteem? They were virtually surrounded by nonbelievers, people whose greatest need, according to Dr. Schuller, was to have their self-esteem lifted. However, the early Church followed the example of Paul, and preached “Christ and Him crucified” not any gospel of self-esteem (e.g., 1 Cor. 2:2; 1:18,23; Rom. 3:10-18). We find no examples in the preaching of the apostles that man’s basic problem was a low self-esteem. Instead we find that it is a need for forgiveness of his sins.
An Anthropocentric Theology?
As we have seen, Dr. Schuller believes that the Reformers seriously erred in centering their theology around God instead of around man. The verse people like Dr. Schuller usually cite to support that teaching is Mark 12:31, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Their argument is that we must first learn to love ourselves, to have our own self-esteem built up, and only then can we love others.
But what is the context of this verse? A scribe came up to Jesus and asked Him what was the greatest commandment.
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
‘The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
Two things stand out from Jesus’ words. The first is that, according to Jesus, our theology must be primarily God-centered, not man-centered, because the first commandment was to love God with everything we have. The second thing that stands out is that we were not commanded to love ourselves. We are commanded to love our neighbor just as we love ourselves. This agrees with what the Apostle Paul wrote: “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it” (Eph. 5:29).
In truth, a theology that is centered around man inseparably becomes a not-so-subtle attempt at self-worship. A theology that is based on self-esteem is really only a new narcissism. In Beyond Personality which was first published at the same time Dr. Schuller was an undergraduate at Hope College, C.S. Lewis succinctly critiqued and destroyed any attempt at a theology based on man’s self-esteem.
Christ will indeed give you a real personally: but you must not go to Him for the sake of that. As long as your own personality is what you are bothering about you are not going to Him at all. The very first step is to try to forget about the self altogether. Your real, new self (which is Christ’s and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him …. Look for yourself. and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in. 65
Pride
A long with telling us that our greatest need is a high self-esteem and that our theology must be man-centered, Dr. Schuller has also said that we do not have to worry about pride.
Do not fear pride: the easiest job God has is to humble us. 66
But the Bible warns believers against pride and exhorts Christians to practice humility as a safeguard against pride:
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling (Prov. 16:18).
… and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5).
In the book of Isaiah we find that Lucifer, the “star of the morning,” was cast down from his eminent position because of the great pride that he possessed (Isa. 14:10-14). His end result was to be “thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit” (v. 15).
The Bible
One of the reasons Dr. Schuller has drawn so much criticism is that his theology and teachings are not based on the Bible. In fact, as we have just seen, they are oftentimes diametrically opposed to what the Bible says in context. He believes that Jesus’ words are the only safe basis within which we can build any theological framework. 67 In one place in Self-Esteem: The New Reformation he writes:
A simple and very wise man once said: “If you really want to know a person’s deepest desire and most conscientious concern, study, if you can, his unvarnished prayers. Stealthily approach him in his intimate closet and try to overhear what he is really praying about passionately.” 68
I think that this is excellent advice. To find out what our view of the Bible should be, we will look at what Jesus said about Scripture, and we will begin by looking at one of the most passionate prayers Jesus ever uttered, His prayer to His Father, just before His passion and death.
In John 17 Jesus is praying for His disciples, whom He will soon be leaving, He asks His Father to: “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth” (John 17:7).
Jesus evidently believed that all of God’s word is truth, not just part of it! Just before this. Jesus stated that he had guarded His disciples and that none of them had perished except Judas, “the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (verse 12). Again, Jesus plainly, believed that whatever the Scriptures said would take place, would.
In John 10:35 Jesus stated that “the Scripture cannot be broken.” In Matt. 5:18 He said “until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.”
Dr. Schuller’s grave error is that he attempts to make a dichotomy between Jesus’ words and the rest of the Bible. He claims to base his teachings and his hope for “new reformation” on what Jesus said. In reality, he simply accepts the sayings of Jesus that he agrees with and ignores the rest!
Sin
Perhaps the most insidious aspect of Dr. Schuller’s teaching method is the way he redefines biblical terms at will. A prime example of this is how he redefines sin. According to Dr. Schuller, sin is anything that robs us of our “divine dignity” or, sin is a “deep lack of trust.” 69 According to the Bible, though, sin is rebellion and lawlessness on man’s part.
… sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4).
All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17).
Jesus gave another definition of sin. He said that when the Holy Spirit came, He would convict the world “concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me” (John 16:9). Thus sin is defined as any refusal to believe in Jesus.
Dr. Schuller believes that we should never discuss people’s sins, because to do so would be an insult to their dignity. R.C. Sproul addresses this type of attitude in his book In Search of Dignity:
There is a road to redemption where every human being has dignity. Many reject this road because they think Christianity destroys self-esteem, disparaging human value with woeful denunciations of the evil of man. Preachers rail against corruption, calling man a wretched sinner. Did not David cry out, “I am a worm and not a man” and Job grovel in the dust moaning, “I hate myself”?
These grim statements make it seem that Christianity has a low view of human dignity. But the point often overlooked is that the character of sinfulness in no way diminishes the worth of persons. It is because God takes sin seriously . . . .
By taking sin seriously we take man seriously. Evil may mar the divine image and cloud its brilliance, but it cannot destroy it. The image can be defaced, but it can never be erased. The most obscene symbol in human history is the cross: yet in its ugliness it remains the most eloquent testimony to human dignity. 70
If we Christians, especially the leaders who are shepherds in the Church, are ever going to help anyone, we must start by being honest. This means that we do not close our eyes to mankind’s true condition. We need to have the courage to speak “the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).
Man’s Nature
What is man’s true condition? Dr. Schuller believes that man is basically good. “By nature we are fearful, not bad.” 71 What does the Bible say?
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jer.17:9).
There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless: there is none who does good, there is not even one (Rom. 3:10-12).
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh (Rom.7:18).
Jesus and Sinners
Perhaps one of the most incredible statements Dr. Schuller has ever made is that Jesus never called anyone a sinner. He reasons that if Jesus never called people sinners, then neither should he. This is a perfect example of how Dr. Schuller picks and chooses from among the words of Jesus, accepting only what he likes and leaving the rest. Did Jesus ever call people sinners? Yes, many times.
I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins (John 8:24).
He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her (John 8:7).
And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).
Jesus knew what type of a heart each person had (cf. John 2:24-25). If they were genuinely repentant for their sins, He would forgive them and then lift them up. But if they were hardhearted and antagonistic, Jesus would speak very harshly to them. Dr. Schuller does not believe this: “Jesus, when he confronted secular unbelievers as well as conspicuous sinners, still refrained from insulting or embarrassing them. He left their dignity intact.” 72
Once again Dr. Schuller purposely ignores the parts of the Bible that he finds distasteful.
You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. . . (John 8:44)
Woe to you, blind guides . . . Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness (Matt. 23:16, 27)
Dr. Karl Menninger, a renowned psychiatrist and the head of the Menninger Clinic, wrote a book over ten years ago entitled Whatever Became of Sin? His thesis was that the reason so many people are confused and lost is because people no longer think of themselves as sinners. He concluded that if we really want to help people, then we should “tell it like it is,” we should point out their sin to them so they can turn from it and be healed.
Some clergymen prefer pastoral counseling of individuals to the pulpit function. But the latter is a greater opportunity to both heal and prevent. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, indeed. and there is much prevention to be done for large numbers of people who hunger and thirst after direction toward righteousness. Clergymen have a golden opportunity to prevent some of the accumulated misapprehensions, guilt, aggressive action, and other roots of later mental suffering and mental disease.
How? Preach! Tell it like it is. Say it from the pulpit. Cry it from the housetops. 73
Man’s greatest need is not to have his self-esteem built up or to have his “lost glory” restored. His greatest need is to have his sins forgiven and thus be reconciled to God! The joy of forgiveness and of restored fellowship with our Creator is the greatest joy man can experience. The person whose has been forgiven can then sing out with King David:
Happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is pardoned. Happy is the man unto whom the Lord counteth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile (Ps. 32:1-2).
To avoid mentioning sin is to preach a distorted Gospel. R.C. Sproul eloquently summarizes this as follows:
The preacher who smiles benignly from his pulpit, assuring us that “God accepts you just the way you are” tells a monstrous lie. He sugarcoats the gospel of love with saccharine grace. God does not accept the arrogant; He turns His back to the impenitent. He maintains love toward His fallen creatures, inviting them back to restored fellowship, but strings are securely attached as we must come on bended knee. 74
Man and Glory
Many times throughout his writings Dr. Schuller asserts that we are all children of God. Is that what the Bible teaches? No, the Bible teaches that we are God’s creation, it does not state that we are His children by nature. Because we have rebelled willingly against God, we are “by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3). Only by asking Jesus into our lives do we become adopted children of God: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12; also cf. Romans 8:15,23; Galatians 4:5).
There are some Scriptures referring to the glory believers will possess (e.g., Col. 3:4; Rom. 9:23; John 17:22). However, any “glory” ascribed to believers is glory derived from Jesus Christ and is a reflection of the divine glory.
Because of his misunderstanding of man’s nature and man’s greatest need, Dr. Schuller has developed a doctrine that teaches the glorification of the human being.
Christianity with its doctrine of salvation is a faith designed by God for the glory of the human being for the greater glory of God. 75 Because of this we can pray, “O God, I am great.” 76
It is no coincidence that Dr. Schuller rarely cites Scripture passages to buttress his teachings. The reason is twofold: he does not believe in the total authority of the Bible, and (as this article demonstrates) the Bible often contradicts what he teaches! What do the Scriptures tell us about glory? Is it something we deserve because “we were created to be princes and princesses?” 77 Or is it something that only God deserves? The Bible is explicit on this.
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen (Rom. 11:36).
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased (Luke 2:14).
I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another (Isa. 42:8).
What can we boast of, then? What can we glory in? The Bible tells us to “glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3). Elsewhere the Bible states “But he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord” (2 Cor. 10:17; also cf. Gal. 6:14; Acts 12:23; Jer. 9:23-24).
It is at this point that Dr. Schuller crosses the line from harmful teaching to blasphemy. He states: “And we can pray, ‘Our Father in heaven, honorable is our name.'” 78 He has gone to the extreme. He has attempted to lift man up to the level of God!
The highest pinnacle of pride and deception is to attempt to deify oneself. This is what Lucifer did; he said “I will make myself like the Most High” (Isa. 14:14). We cannot place ourselves on the same level as the Creator of the universe. We can never place our name on the same level as God’s name!
This is not the only time Dr. Schuller has done this. At other times he has attempted to lower God to man’s level. He writes: “God’s need for glory compels him to redeem his children from shame to glory.” 79
God does not “need” glory; as the Creator of the universe He already possesses all glory! And God is not “compelled” to do anything. Whatever He does it is because He has chosen to do it, not because He is compelled to do it. As the God-man, Jesus Christ is intrinsically worthy of all honor and glory (Rev. 5:12). However, on the Phil Donahue show Dr. Schuller attempted to portray Jesus as being an egotist.
But the cross sanctifies the ego trip. That’s very significant. In other words, Jesus had an ego. He said, “I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.” Wow, what an ego trip He was on. 80
This type of teaching is indefensible blasphemy. Jesus “humbled Himself” by His Incarnation (Phil. 2:8). We are told that “though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). To talk of Jesus, the eternal God made flesh, as being on an ego trip is heresy!
Is Man Worthy?
Dr. Schuller teaches that nonbelievers do not respond to God because they do not feel worthy of Him. His goal is to tell people that they are worthy of God: “The most serious sin is the one that causes me to say, “I am unworthy. I may have no claim to divine sonship if you examine me at my worst.'” 81
The truth of the matter is that even at our very best we are still unworthy of God. Jesus said: “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done”‘ (Luke 17:10).
A story from Jesus’ life also illustrates this. A Roman centurion came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his servant. Jesus agreed to go with him and heal his servant, but the centurion replied: “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Matt. 8:8).
What was Jesus’ reaction? Did He say “Don’t you know it’s a sin to feel unworthy? Why of course you’re worthy of Me, after all you were born to be a prince! Don’t have such low self-esteem.” No. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (Matt. 8:10).
God accepts us only because of one thing: what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary (Rom. 5:9; 1 John 1:7). He does not accept us because of our self-worth, or because of any works that we do (Eph. 2:8-9; Isa. 64:6).
The Gospel
In proclaiming the Gospel, Dr. Schuller believes you must never put another person down. “In fact, you are not preaching the Gospel unless you make people happy, because the Gospel is good news.” 82
The mistake Dr. Schuller makes is assuming that everyone who hears the Gospel has an open and receptive heart. If they do, then they will likely respond to it happily. But many people have no desire at all to change their lives.
What was the reaction when Peter and John preached the Gospel before the Sanhedrin? The Jewish leaders were “cut to the heart” (Acts 5:33). How did the Jewish leaders respond when Stephen proclaimed the Gospel? Likewise, they were “cut to the heart” and began “gnashing their teeth at him” (Acts 7:54). When Paul preached the Gospel in Jerusalem, a riot broke out (Acts 22).
These responses were not because Peter and John and Stephen and Paul were preaching “possibility thinking.” The people were not “cut to the heart” because they were told that they were children of God and deserved to have their lost glory restored. Why were all of these people offended? Because of the “offense of the cross” (Gal. 5:11).
The Apostle Paul proclaimed: “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). To the Jews this was “a stumbling block.” To the Gentiles it was “foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:23), and to Dr. Schuller it would be insulting (if he is consistent with his own teachings) because it reminds people of their sins!
There are many times when we have to point out something negative to people before we can help them. Alcoholics Anonymous has had tremendous success in helping alcoholics quit drinking because they have used a biblical principle: before they can help an individual quit drinking, he must first admit that he has a problem. Only after he admits that he is an alcoholic can he be helped.
It is much the same with the Gospel: there are many negative aspects to it. First of all, you are a sinner. Second, there is nothing that you can do to help yourself. And finally, if you are not helped, you are going to hell. If these things are not pointed out to the nonbeliever, then the Gospel has not been presented.
But someone might ask, “What about the testimonies of people who have been converted through Dr. Schuller’s ministry?” It is true that there are testimonies of people who have come to the Lord by reading his books or hearing him on television. But it is also true that there are many nonChristians who have felt better about themselves after listening to Dr. Schuller, but were totally unaware of the fact that they are lost sinners who are destined for hell unless they accept Jesus Christ! Michael Nason, in his biography on Dr. Schuller, records several such “testimonies”:
Although I am of the Jewish faith, you have helped me to realize that through God and love all things are possible. 83
“We’re Jewish,” the gentleman said. “In fact, our son is a rabbi, but we love to watch you, Dr. Schuller . . . 84
The terrible tragedy is that there are untold thousands of nonbelievers who think they know what Christianity is all about because they watch the “Hour of Power” or have read one or more of Dr. Schuller’s books, yet who have never heard the true gospel.
Salvation
As we have seen, Dr. Schuller believes that salvation is being rescued “from shame to glory.” 85 For him being “born again” means to “be changed from a negative to a positive self-image — from inferiority to self-esteem, from fear to love, from doubt to trust.” 86 Dr. Schuller’s problem is that he has (as he often does) confused an effect with its cause. Salvation, or being “born again,” gives us a basis for a high self-esteem and to have a greater love and trust. However, salvation is not a synonym for self-esteem. According to the Bible the new birth is a spiritual phenomenon, not a psychological one John 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3-5).
What is the “real fruit” of salvation? It is not a restoration of our pride and glory. Rather, it is a restoration of our fellowship with God. It means that we now have a living relationship with our Maker and have been saved from the punishment that we justly deserved.
A PARABLE
A modern-day, adapted version of Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18:10-14) will aptly conclude our study of Robert Schuller’s “New Reformation.”
Two men went up into the church to pray, one a possibility thinker, the other a negative thinker. The possibility thinker stood and was praying thus to himself, “God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: people with low self-esteem, people who think they are unworthy of You, or even like this negative thinker. I think only positive thoughts for I was created to be a prince, I am worthy of glory, honorable is our name!”
But the negative thinker, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner.” I tell you, the negative thinker went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
NOTES
1. Robert H. Schuller, Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking (Old Tappan, NJ: Spire Books, 1967), p. 20.
2. Robert H. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1982), p. 12.
3. Ibid.
4. Bella Stumbo, “Schuller: The Gospel of Success” Los Angeles Times, 29 May 1983, part 1, p.24.
5. Robert H. Schuller, You Can Become the Person You Want to Be (New York: Pillar Books, 1973), p. 65.
6. Ibid., p. 39.
7. Robert H. Schuller, It’s Possible (New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1978), p. 28.
8. Schuller, Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking, p. 189.
9. Stumbo, “Schuller: The Gospel of Success”, loc. cit.
10. Michael Nason and Donna Nason, Robert Schuller: The Inside Story (Waco: Word Books,, 1983), p. 152.
11. Robert H. Schuller, Daily Power Thoughts (Irvine, CA: Harvest House Publishers, n.d.), p. May 29.
12. Schuller. Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking, p. 112.
13. Schuller, It’s Possible. p. 29.
14. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 19.
15. Robert H. Schuller, Self-Love: The Dynamic Force of Success (New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1969). p. 21.
16. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 57.
17. Ibid., p. 64.
18. Ibid., p. 39.
19. Ibid., p. 45.
20. Ibid., p. 136.
21. Ibid., p. 14.
22. Ibid., p. 15.
23. Ibid., pp. 63, 64.
24. Ibid., p. 67.
25. Ibid., pp. 66, 67.
26. “Self-Love: How Far? How Biblical How Healthy?” Eternity, February 1979, p. 23. Also cf. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 127.
27. Schuller, Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking, p. 209.
28. Schuller, Self-Love: The Dynamic Force of Success, pp. 87, 88.
29. Schuller, Daily Power Thoughts, p. March 23.
30. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 54.
31. Ibid., p. 52.
32. Ibid., p. 39.
33. Ibid., pp. 26, 27.
34. Ibid., p. 140.
35. Ibid., p. 69.
36. Ibid., p. 16.
37. Ibid., p. 98.
38. Ibid., p. 52.
39. Ibid., p. 80.
40. Ibid., p. 127.
41. Robert H. Schuller, Your Future is Your Friend, (New Canaan, NJ: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1964), p. 18.
42. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 99.
43. Ibid., p. 151.
44. Ibid., p. 68.
45. Ibid.. p. 161.
46. Nason and Nason, Robert Schuller: The Inside Story, p. 59.
47. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 17.
48. Nason and Nason, Robert Schuller: The lnside Story, p. 171.
49. Stumbo, “Schuller: The Gospel of Success”, loc. cit.
50. Schuller, Daily Power Thoughts, p. May 29.
51. The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1955), p. 987.
52. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L Archer, Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Workbook of the Old Testament, Vol. I (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980, p. 417.
53. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 80.
54. Ibid., p. 82.
55. Ibid., p. 80.
56. Schuller, It’s Possible, loc. cit.
57. Jon Trott, and William Kirk Kilpatrick, “The Psychological Connection”, Cornerstone, Vol. 12., Issue 68, p. 18.
58. Roberts Rugh and Landrum B. Shettles, From Conception to Birth: The Drama of Life’s Beginnings, (New York: Harper and Row, 1971), p. 18.
59. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 19.
60. Ibid.. pp. 15, 16.
61. “Self-Love: How Far? How Biblical? How Healthy?”, loc. cit.
62. Trott and Kilpatrick, “The Psychological Connection”, loc. cit.
63. David G. Myers “The Inflated Self,” The Christian Century, 1 December 1982, p. 1226.
64. “Self-Love: How Far? How Biblical? How Healthy?”, p. 24.
65. C.S., Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1943), p. 190.
66. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 57.
67. Ibid., p. 39.
68. Ibid., p. 46.
69. Ibid., p. 14.
70. R.C. Sproul, In Search of Dignity (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1983), p. 95.
71. Schuller. Self-Esteem The New Reformation, p. 67.
72. Ibid, p. 72.
73. Karl Menninger, Whatever Became Of Sin, (New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1973), p. 228.
74. Sproul, In Search of Dignity, pp. 56, 57.
75. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 80.
76. Schuller, Daily Power Thoughts, p. January 24.
77. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 52.
78. Ibid., p. 69.
79. Ibid., p. 140.
80. Donahue Transcript #08120,12 August 1980, p. 10.
81. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 98.
82. Schuller, Your Future is Your Friend, loc. cit.
83. Nason and Nason, Robert Schuller: The Inside Story, p. 147.
84. Ibid., p. 187.
85. Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 151.
86. Ibid., p. 68.
Mr. Gudel is a contributing editor to the Christian Research Journal
This article was first read by Mr. Gudel by invitation of the Evangelical Theological Society at their West Coast Conference in April of 1982.
A PROFILE
ROBERT SCHULLER
by Joseph P. Gudel
Born in 1926 to an Iowan family of Dutch descent, Robert Schuller was reared in the Reformed Church in America. He decided to become a minister at the age of five, and after graduating from high school he received the necessary training at Hope College and Western Theological Seminary. The newly ordained Rev. Schuller entered the pastorate in 1951 at Hope Church in Chicago, which over the next four years grew from 38 to 400 members. In 1955 his denomination sent him to Orange County, California to establish a new church there. After trying unsuccessfully to rent numerous facilities, the 28-year-old Schuller finally rented the Orange County Drive-In Theater for Sunday mornings. A congregation in cars slowly grew, until by the second year they could afford to build a small chapel. Rev. Schuller (he did not receive his honorary doctorate until many years later) also continued to preach at the drive-in theater, because many people preferred to worship in their cars. During these first two years, Rev. Schuller went from door to door inviting people to come to his church, and asking them what type of church they would like to attend. According to his intimate friend Michael Nason,
To his surprise he found that most people didn’t even know the difference between the Old and New Testaments and couldn’t care less …. That’s when he realized that giving Bible studies on Sunday morning during a worship service would turn off most of the unchurched people entirely… Then he asked the people what sort of a church they would want to attend. They wanted light, beauty, tranquility, beautiful music, friendly people, programs that suited their needs, sermons that weren’t boring — better yet, sermons that weren’t even sermons! They wanted a place where they could feel comfortable..:. He decided at that point that he would never again use his pulpit as a teaching platform. (Michael Nason and Donna Nason, Robert Schuller: The Inside Story (Waco: Word Books, 1983, p. 21)
It was at this time that he began to see his church as a mission, a place where non-Christians would feel comfortable enough to come in and then later accept Jesus. How would he do this? By preaching only positive things! Dr. Schuller credits close friend and fellow Reformed Church in America minister Dr. Norman Vincent Peale “with fine tuning his own positive faith and laying the foundation for his own Possibility Thinking that was to come.” (Ibid., p. 61) In September of 1959 groundbreaking ceremonies were held at the location of the present church property in Garden Grove, California. The next fall the congregation, with a membership of 700 people, moved into its new church budding. Rev. Schuller’s two churches were now combined into one. In July of 1966 construction began, on a 14-story “tower of hope” which was completed the following year. A 90-foot high cross that would light up at night was placed at the top of the 162-foot tower. In 1970 Dr. Schuller began what has become the most widely watched televised church service in the nation, Hour of Power. In 1975 construction began on a new sanctuary, and on September 14, 1980 the world famous Crystal Cathedral was officially opened for worship. All in all, Dr. Schuller’s many accomplishments are remarkable. From preaching to 50 cars from the roof of a drive-in snack bar, he has built up a congregation of over ten thousand members in a church that cost over 20 million dollars. Hour of Power is seen in over 175 cities with an audience of two to four million people. He receives between thirty and forty thousand letters a week and has a mailing list of over one million people. He has authored 19 books, several of them national best sellers. Since 1970 more than twenty thousand church leaders have attended Dr. Schuller’s “Institute for Successful Church Leadership.” Indeed, few people in the church today have had an impact comparable to that of Dr. Schuller.
Permission is granted for reproduction by the publisher of the Christian Research Journal (Spring 1985, pages 16-25).
Source http://issuesetcarchive.org/issues_site/resource/archives/gudel2.htm
From Deception Bytes
The new Apostolic Reformation (NAR) sprang from the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement. They claim that they have been given authority to lay the foundation for the “new” global church. They believe they are restored apostles called and ordained by God to be the government for the emerging “New Order” church. In order to maintain this governance they stress strict obedience and submission to them in all matters. They claim they hear directly from God, and many claim that Jesus visits them in person. Like the true biblical apostles who established the early church, these so called restored apostles believe they are called to lay the foundation and government for the new Kingdom (one world church). Their goal is complete and utter control of the church and subjugatation of its current governance to them. They want power, dominion and total control. They truly believe that the world is awaiting fulfillment of a take over by a militant church (Joel’s Army) that will arise, govern and dominate the world politically and spiritually. This is a highly organized group with a global agenda. It has been well thought out, well strategized, and will be implemented with military precision. The grid is in place – our future is planned.
We know from the Word of God that there will be a one world church and a one world government. This one world government and church is not God’s. We know that the end of days will be marked by deep deception and lying signs and wonders. In fact, the Bible says that the Antichrist will call fire down from Heaven. The Bible also says that God will send a powerful delusion to those that did not love the Truth so that they will believe a lie. If your only basis by which to judge whether a person or ministry is from God are signs and wonders then sadly enough you are already deceived.
Below are some of the teachings and beliefs of these self styled apostles.
· They believe that God is restoring the office of prophet and apostles to the church
· Claim that they alone have the power and authority to execute the plans and purposes of God
· Believe they are building a new foundation for a global church.
· Believe they will literally establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth
· Believe in a coming “civil war” in the church where they will overcome all (true Christian) opposition.
· Place an inordinate emphasis on angels and the supernatural
· Claim extra biblical revelations that can not be scripturally proven ( progressive revelation)
· Claim that God is doing a “new thing”
· Frequently say that those not accepting their heretical teaching are “Putting God in a box”
· Teach that we should never question their authority.
· They use the term “Touch not God’s anointed” frequently when questions are raised.
· They peg those that question their authority as bound by religion, legalistic, divisive, narrow minded, rebellious, and demonic
· Place a greater emphasis on dreams, visions and extra-biblical revelation than they do on the word of God
· They believe they will be the corporate incarnation of Christ
· They believe they will execute judgment upon those who oppose them (up to and including death).
· They believe in a one world religion operating in sync with a one world government.
· They believe in complete unity and believe that there is nothing they can not accomplish through this unity.
· They believe they can bring Heaven down to earth (Yoism- see link below for more information) (http://herescope.blogspot.com/2006/05/yoism-creating-heaven-on-earth.html)
· They believe that we will be perfected here on earth
· They believe in aggressively organizing small group networks
· They believe in the organization of apostles under pre-eminent apostles
· They believe that ALL local churches must be under the authority of a regional or trans-local apostle
· They believe each city must have an apostle- men given extraordinary authority in spiritual matters over the other Christian leaders in the same city
· They consider themselves divine, little gods and equal to Christ ( although they loosely veil this)
· They believe they will attain perfection on earth
· They consider themselves the “Defenders of the Faith”
· Place a great deal of emphasis on mysticism and hidden knowledge ( Gnosis)
· Do not believe in the rapture (or believe the wicked are the ones that will be ruptured)
· Stress unity over doctrine and reject the literal interpretation of the Bible
Full article HERE
In Seattle we already have the swearing pastor Mark Driscoll and the New Age Metaphysical pastor Rodney Romney…..this is embarrassing enough I thought….. but no…..now we also have this.
Pastors at a Renton ministry have found a new calling behind the bar.
Turning water into wine is almost as surprising as turning pastors into bartenders.
“If you say, ‘Hey, did you hear that those Lutherans are serving beer down there in Renton?’ All of a sudden, people go, ‘Really? Really? Great!’ And a window is opened that was never opened before,” said Gretchen Mertes.
Mertus is among the Lutheran pastors called to serve – beer and wine, that is – at Luther’s Table.
“They didn’t train me to do this in seminary, I tell you what,” she said.
The new café isn’t limited to Lutherans, but it’s run by the Outreach Ministry of St. Matthews Church. The idea is to provide a caring gathering place where people can share chardonnay and gripes.
“So you got laid off. You’re in good company,” said Mertus.
The cafe is the brainchild of Mertus, who left her clerical collar at home but not her purple Converse shoes.
“I marry and bury — weddings and funerals, baptisms and preach,” she said.
When you belly up to the bar at Luther’s Table, you won’t find a Bible.
“oh, heavens, no,” said Bishop Chris Boerger.
There are just brews and pews.
“This is a place for the church to be, not arm-twist,” Boerger said.
The ministry sees Luther’s Table as a way to carry on Martin Luther’s tradition of reflecting on studies with students over food and beer.
“Luther would have rejoiced over it,” the bishop said.
The pastors not only have tradition on their side, but also a stained glass Jesus from the old Renton Lutheran Church watching over them.
“We love to say that he’s ordering two beers, please,” said Mertus.
Luther’s Table is holding its grand opening this coming Saturday with live music, kids’ activities and giveaways.
Money raised at the restaurant is put toward developing the ministry.
Many of us have been researching and keeping an eye on Rick Warren. His background reveals connections with C. Peter Wagner, a self-proclaimed apostle, and new-age and self-help guru Robert Schuller, for starters.
When a root is nourished by contaminated water, it will grow into a poisonous plant. Now we are seeing the true fruit of Rick Warren and it is on display for all to see and hear. ” He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
On Rick Warren’s Health Seminar.
From m’kayla’s korner comes this very important article about Rick Warren.
| I was very happy to find a testimony from someone who had first hand knowledge of the goings on at this seminar. It is so important to the church that we get the truth out there. Please pay attention if you still think Warren is a Christian. This is only one thing he has his hand in. There are others and he is proving to be quite dangerous. Thanks to Jennifer, Ponderings from Patmos. For Reference See Weight Loss at All Costs and A Purpose Driven Whatever |
full link here.
http://mkayla.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/on-rick-warrens-health-seminar/#comments
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