Wolves in Sheeps Clothing.
List of False Christian Movements and Leaders & Preachers
(Information and many quotes are from various website sources)
The lists of names in this blog are not necessarily people who are not saved but they are people that do not preach sound doctrine and in doing so, the are classified as False Teachers.
Some of these movements overlap with others and have elements that are similar.
Word Faith teachers:
They believe that we are god’s with a small “g”. That we can speak things into existence.
Word Faith is also linked to The Prosperity Gospel. If you are sick or poor, it is your own fault because you have the ability to “name it and claim it”. Or as others say “Blab it and grab it”.
The more you give in material wealth the more God will give you in return.
This was known at one time as seed faith. Plant your seed by giving money and watch it grow.
In the 1970s, United Methodist preacher Oral Roberts pioneered a principle he called "seed faith." It uses the familiar concept of planting (sowing) and harvesting (reaping), coupled with misapplied and misinterpreted Scriptures, in order to encourage financial support toward a particular Christian ministry (in this case, his own!).
This "seed" teaching, adopted by some Charismatic Protestant ministries, helped give birth to the greater Word of Faith movement.
The logic of this belief is deceptively simple. It is taught that giving money to a religious cause is like planting a seed towards God. Those who contribute will receive blessings from the Eternal in direct proportion to the amount of money they give (or 'sow').
Question: "Is the Word of Faith movement biblical?"
Answer: Word of Faith teaching is unbiblical. It is not a denomination and is not a formal church, it is a movement.
It is a movement that is influenced by many high-profile pastors and teachers such as Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Paul and Jan Crouch and many more.
The Word of Faith movement grew out of the Pentecostal movement in the late 20th century. Its founder was E. W. Kenyon, who studied the
metaphysical New Thought teachings of Phineas Quimby. This was known as Mind Science, where the phrase, "name it and claim it" originated.
It was combined with Pentecostal teachings, resulting in a mixture of regular Christian doctrine and mysticism. Kenneth Hagin, also studied under E. W. Kenyon and made the Word of Faith movement what it is today.
Word of Faith movement is the belief in the "force of faith." It is believed the speaking of words can manipulate the faith-force, and thus actually create what they believe Scripture promises, (health and wealth).
This is where the term Health and Wealth Gospel or Prosperity Gospel originated.
Individual faith is believed to operate independently of God's Sovereign will and that God Himself is subject to our faith. This makes us into god’s
ourselves and as god’s we have the power to speak things into existence and have control over our own circumstances and other things.
The theology of Word Faith just strays further and further from Scripture: it claims that God created human beings in His literal, physical image as little gods. Before the fall, humans had the potential to call things into existence by using the faith-force. After the fall, humans took on Satan's nature and lost the ability to call things into existence. In order to correct this situation, Jesus Christ gave up His divinity and became a man, died spiritually, took Satan's nature upon Himself, went to hell, was born again, and rose from the dead with God's nature. After this, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to replicate the Incarnation in believers so they could become little gods as God had originally intended.
Illness, sin, and failure are the result of a lack of faith, and are remedied by confession and claiming God's promises for oneself into existence.
Simply put, the Word of Faith movement exalts man to god-status and reduces God to man-status. Needless to say, this is a false representation of what Christianity is all about. Obviously, Word of Faith teaching does not take into account what is found in Scripture.
Personal revelation is the source of this belief, not Scripture, which is just one more proof of its heretical nature.
Teaching is not based on Sola Scriptura, not on scripture alone but it is based on personal revelation and experience plus scripture.
We can counter the Word of Faith teaching by reading the Bible?
God alone is the Sovereign Creator of the Universe and does not need faith.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
1Ti 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
God is the object of faith. God is spirit and does not have a physical body.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Man was created in the image of God but this does not make him a little god or divine.
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
Only God has a divine nature, Christ is Eternal, the Only Begotten Son, and the only incarnation of God.
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily Colossians 2:9.
The Word of Faith movement is deceiving countless people, causing them to grasp after a way of life and faith that is not biblical. At its core is the same lie Satan has been telling since the Garden: The very first lie.
Genesis 3:5 “You shall be as God” .
Sadly, those who buy into the Word of Faith movement are still listening to him. Our hope is in the Lord, not in our own words, not even in our own faith.
Psa 33:20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
Psa 33:21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
Psa 33:22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
Our faith comes from God in the first place and is not something we create for ourselves.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
So, be wary of the Word of Faith movement and any church that aligns itself with Word of Faith teachings.
Below is a list of people that adhere to this teaching.
JOHN AVANZINI,
REINHARD BONNKE,
JUANITA BYNUM,
CHARLES CAPPS,
BRIAN CARN,
MORRIS CERULLO,
DAVID YONGGI CHO,
KIM CLEMENT
TODD COONTZ,
KENNETH & GLORIA COPELAND,
PAUL & Jan CROUCH
CREFLO & TAFFY DOLLAR,
JOHN ALEXANDER DOWIE,
JESSE DUPLANTIS
STEVEN FURTICK,
JOHN HAGEE,
MARILYN HICKEY,
BENNY HINN,
LARRY HUCH,
T.D. JAKES,
KATHRYN KUHLMAN,
BOB LARSON,
ROBERTS LIARDON,
EDDIE LONG,
JOYCE MEYER,
MYLES MUNROE,
MIKE MURDOCK,
JOEL OSTEEN,
ROD PARSLEY,
PETER POPOFF,
FRED PRICE,
JOSEPH PRINCE,
PHINEAS QUIMBY,
DENNIS ROJAS,
ORAL ROBERTS,
RICHARD ROBERTS,
PAT ROBERTSON ,
JAMES ROBISON,
R.W. SHAMBACH,
LEROY THOMPSON,
ROBERT TILTON,
PAULA WHITE,
ANDREW WOMMACK,
ED YOUNG JR
HILLSONG Promotes Word of Faith people such as, JOEL OLSTEEN, JOYCE MEYER, TD JAKES, etc
Video’s on Word of Faith
Part 1: http://www.banner.org.uk/wof/wells1.html
Part 2a: http://www.banner.org.uk/wof/wells2a.html
Part 2b: http://www.banner.org.uk/wof/wells2b.html
Part 3: http://www.banner.org.uk/wof/wells3.html
Part 4: http://www.banner.org.uk/wof/wells4a.html
The New Apostolic Reformation NAR
Question: "What is the New Apostolic Reformation?"
Answer: The New Apostolic Reformation, or NAR, like Word Faith, it is an unbiblical religious movement that emphasizes experiential Christianity.
Experience over Scripture, mysticism over doctrine, and modern-day “apostles” over the plain text of the Bible.
Of particular distinction in the New Apostolic Reformation are the role and power of spiritual leaders and miracle-workers, the reception of “new”
revelations from God, an over-emphasis on spiritual warfare, and a pursuit of cultural and political control in society. The seeking of signs and wonders in the NAR is always accompanied by blatant false doctrine.
Growth in the New Apostolic Reformation is driven primarily through small groups and church planting, often completely independent of a church.
Thousands of believers, believe the teachings of the New Apostolic Reformation. Popular teachers associated with the New Apostolic Reformation include C. Peter Wagner, Rick Joyner, and Kim Clement.
What is being taught according to the New Apostolic Reformation?
God began to restore prophets and apostles over the last thirty to forty years.
In the New Apostolic Reformation, apostles are seen as the highest of all spiritual leaders, being specially empowered by God.
True maturity and unity, per the New Apostolic Reformation, is only found in those who submit to the leadership of their apostles. According to this teaching, as the church unifies behind the apostles, these leaders will develop greater and greater supernatural powers. Eventually, this will include the ability to perform mass healings and suspend the laws of physics. These signs are meant to encourage a massive wave of converts to Christianity. These apostles are also destined to be recipients of a great wealth transfer (in the end times), which will enable the church to establish God’s kingdom on earth.
Prophets in the New Apostolic Reformation are almost as important as apostles. These people have been empowered to receive “new” revelations from God that will aid the church in establishing dominion.
This is in spite of the scripture Hebrews 1:1
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
In other words, there is no new revelation from God, we have all that we need in the Bible.
According to the New Apostolic Reformation, only prophets, and occasionally apostles, can obtain new revelations. Evangelists, pastors, and teachers cannot. The prophets’ new revelations are crucial to overcoming the world, and the success of the church depends on the apostles following through on the information prophets provide. Most of their prophecies are extremely vague and easy to re-interpret, and the New Apostolic Reformation is willing to modify them, since they set no standard of infallibility for themselves.
In other words, if they prophecy something and it does not come to pass, so what, they are only human.
Again this is in spite of scripture like.
Deuteronomy 18:22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
Spiritual warfare, according to the New Apostolic Reformation, is meant to resolve worldly concerns. For example, economic troubles or health problems in a particular city are seen as the result of a demonic spirit’s influence. Prayer, research into the specific name of that demon, and other spiritual disciplines are then applied in an effort to combat this presence. This is necessary not only for the health of the region, but also because the church cannot take “dominion” over that area until the demonic control has been lifted.
It is known as Coming against Territorial Spirits.
See Blog 4 www.jeffreyunsworth.wixsite.com/teleiosbibleblogs Coming against Territorial Spirits.
Biblically, there are major problems with the New Apostolic Reformation. Claiming that Christians have access to certain spiritual gifts is one thing, but their distinctive approach to the role of apostles and prophets is a stretch from what is found in the Bible. More to the point, the office of apostle requires traits that are impossible today. For example, true apostles must be personal eyewitnesses of the risen Christ
(1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:7–8), specifically designated as apostles by Jesus (Galatians 1:1; Acts 1:2; Luke 6:13), and
already verified by miraculous signs (Matthew 10:1; 2 Corinthians 12:2; Acts 5:12).
The idea of new revelations from God, especially those that come in the form of vague, easily reinterpreted mysteries, runs counter to the idea of a faith delivered “once for all” to mankind (Jude 1:3).
The fact that New Apostolic Reformation prophecies frequently turn out to be false suggests a false spirit behind those predictions (Deuteronomy 18:22).
The same holds true for miracles: the ideological father of the movement, C. Peter Wagner, decreed the end of European Mad Cow disease in 2001 and the disease is still being diagnosed and treated over a decade later.
The tendency of the New Apostolic Reformation to treat spiritual warfare as a type of Christianized voodoo is not only unbiblical, but dangerous.
Though it uses the word new, the New Apostolic Reformation is actually a reworking of a very common, very old approach. Since the beginning of Christianity, various groups have claimed to have a “new revelation” from God to correct all of the errors of the present world. These movements
contend that “real” spirituality or maturity or truth is found only by those who listen to their leadership. Some of these sects, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormonism, endure and become religions in their own right. Others fade away.
Much of what the New Apostolic Reformation teaches has at least some basis in Scripture, albeit carried much further than the Bible intends. That, however, still makes those doctrines unbiblical, and Christians should flatly reject the New Apostolic Reformation’s teachings and those who choose to be associated with it.
List of teachers in the New Apostolic Reformation.
JUSTIN ABRAHAM (New Age Mystic / (NAR / Occult)
ENOCH ADEBOYE (Extra-Biblical, Mysticism, False Prophet, Faulty Biblical Exegesis)
CHEE AHN (NAR / False Prophet / Signs & Wonders)
A.A. ALLEN
CAROL ARNOTT (NAR / False Prophets),
JOHN ARNOTT (NAR / False Prophets)
DIONNY BAEZ (NAR / Bethel / False Prophet)
HEIDI BAKER (NAR / Bethel / False Prophet),
JIM BAKKER (NAR / False Prophet)
GEORGIAN BANOV (NAR / False Prophet),
WINNIE BANOV (NAR / False Prophet)
TODD BENTLEY (NAR / LATTER RAIN)
MIKE BICKLE - Issue: 107 (False Prophet / (NAR)
WILLIAM BRANHAM [1909-1966] - (NAR
RODNEY HOWARD BROWNE (WOF / Holy Laughter / NAR )
PAUL CAIN (NAR , MORRIS CERULLO (WOF / NAR / False Prophet)
MARK CHIRONNA ( (NAR / False Prophet) ,
ANDY CLARK (NAR)
IAN CLAYTON (New Age Mystic / Occult Practices / Son of Thunder NAR)
KIM CLEMENT [1956-2016] (NAR / False Prophet / WOF)
JOHN CROWDER - (NAR / Latter Rain),
JOHN ECKARDT (NAR / False Prophet)
GENE EDWARDS, LOU ENGLE - (NAR / False Prophet),
CHARLES FINNEY
Francis Frangipane (NAR,
BILL HAMON (NAR /
STEVE HILL (NAR),
CINDY JACOBS (NAR), MIKE JACOBS (NAR)
JESUS CULTURE MOVEMENT FROM BETHEL CHURCH (NAR)
BILL JOHNSON - Bethel Church (NAR / Latter Rain)
IAN JOHNSON (NAR ,
BOB JONES [1930-2014] (NAR ,
RICK JOYNER - Issue 71 / (NAR
JOHN P. KELLY (NAR ,
JOHN KILPATRICK (NAR
PATRICIA KING (False Prophet / Mysticism / Occult Teachings / NAR / Latter Rain)
GUILLERMO MALDONADO (False Signs & Wonders / NAR
CLARENCE MCCLENDON (WOF / NAR,
JOSHUA MILLS (NAR)
CHUCK PIERCE (NAR,
DENNIS ROJAS (NAR
SID ROTH - (NAR,
TOMMY TENNEY (NAR),
CHOO THOMAS [1939-2013] (NAR
KRIS VALLOTTON - (NAR)
C.PETER WAGNER [1930-2016] (Founder of: NAR / False Prophet / Self Proclaimed Apostle),
LANCE WALLNAU (NAR),
KATHIE WALTERS (NAR,
TODD WHITE (NAR)
JOHN WIMBER (NAR)
Question: "What is the emerging / emergent church movement?"
Answer: The emerging, or emergent, church movement says that as times and culture changes, a new church should emerge in response. The church must change with the times and it must fit in with what is happening in our societies.
When laws change then the churches teaching must change with it.
The emerging / emergent church movement falls into line with basic post-modernist thinking—it is about experience over reason, subjectivity over objectivity, spirituality over religion, images over words, outward over inward, feelings over truth. These are reactions to modernism and are thought to be necessary in order to actively engage contemporary culture. This movement is still fairly new, though, so there is not yet a standard method of "doing" church amongst the groups choosing to take a post-modern mindset. In fact, the emerging church rejects any standard methodology for doing anything.
Therefore, there is a huge range of how far groups take a post-modernist approach to Christianity.
Some groups go only a little way in order to impact their community for Christ, and remain biblically sound. Most groups, however, embrace post-modernist thinking, which eventually this leads to a very liberal, loose translation of the Bible. This, in turn, lends to liberal doctrine and theology.
We see this in changed thinking on women’s roles in society and the church.
We see it in the churches acceptance of gender and same sex relationships and same sex marriage.
For example, because experience is valued more highly than reason, truth becomes relative. Relativism opens up all kinds of problems, as it destroys the standard that the Bible contains absolute truth, negating the belief that biblical truth can be absolute. If the Bible is not our source for absolute truth, and personal experience is allowed to define and interpret what truth actually is, a saving faith in Jesus Christ is rendered meaningless.
Another area where the emerging / emergent church movement has become anti-biblical is its focus on ecumenism and inter faith. Unity among people coming from different religious backgrounds and diversity in the expression of corporate worship are strong focuses of the emergent church movement. Being ecumenical means that compromise is taking place, and this results in a watering down of Scripture in favour of not offending an apostate. This is in direct opposition to passages such as Revelation 2:14-17, Jesus' letter to the church of Pergamum, in which the Church is warned against tolerating those who teach false doctrine.
False doctrine seems to abound within the emerging / emergent church movement, though, as stated previously, not within every group espousing emerging / emergent church beliefs. Because of this, care must be taken when deciding whether or not to become involved with an emergent church group. We all need to take heed of Matthew 7:15-20, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.
Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."
While seeking new ways to witness to a changing culture is admirable, utilizing ways which compromise the Truth of the Gospel in any way is
nothing more than promoting false doctrine and leading others away from Christ instead of to Him.
Some prominent Leaders in the Emergent Church
Rob Bell,
John Burke,
Tony Jones,
Dan Kimball,
Joel McClure,
Brian McLaren,
Doug Pagitt,
Mark Scandrette,
Dave Sutton,
Karen Ward,
Dallas Willard,
Dieter Xander,
Seeker Sensitive Church.
Basically, the seeker-sensitive church tries to reach out to the unsaved person by making the church experience as comfortable, inviting, and non threatening to him as possible. The hope is that the person will believe in the gospel. The idea behind the concept is to get as many unsaved people through the door as possible, and the church leadership are willing to use nearly any means to accomplish that goal.
Theatrics and musical entertainment are the norm in the church service, to keep the unsaved person from getting bored as he does with
traditional churches. State-of-the-art technology in lighting and sound are common components of the seeker-sensitive churches, especially the larger ones.
This usually leads to a watered down Gospel, leaving sin and repentance out of the message. The elimination of preaching an eternal hell and an easy believism Gospel.
Come to Jesus and he will sort everything out for you.
This kind of Gospel may produce professors but not possessors of
Jesus Christ.
On the contrary, the unsaved person should never feel “at home” in church, which is the body of Christ.
The preaching and teaching of truth should make him feel very uncomfortable as he, hopefully, realizes the state of his soul, comes to know the existence of hell, and recognizes his need for the Saviour. This discomfort is what brings people to Christ, and those who attempt to do away with discomfort are not being loving. In fact, just the opposite is true. If we love someone, we want him to know the truth about sin, death, and salvation so we can help him avoid an eternity in hell.
According to Paul, when an unbeliever enters the church and the Word of God is preached expositionally (taught directly from the Scriptures), he will be convicted and called into account for his sin. The secrets of his heart are disclosed as he confesses and repents of his sin; this leads him to humble himself and worship the God who has provided the sacrifice for his salvation.
Seeker Sensitive preachers like the ones below taught and continue to teach this kind of thing.
Robert Schuller,
Henry Emerson Fosdick,
Norman Vincent Peale.
All these three are dead now and the new ones are people like:
Rick Warren,
Bill Hybels,
Joel Osteen ,
Larry Lamb ,
Jack Hayford ,
Andy Stanley ,
Brian Houston ,
Jerry Falwell,
John Wimber,
Peter Wagner.
New Age Religion.
What exactly is the New Age?
Well it is difficult to pin down. The New Age is actually a mixture of beliefs and practices. Each New Ager picks whatever assortment of beliefs fits his appetite.
All is liberally seasoned with self-centeredness. It's really a Have-It-Your-Way religion – thus its modern appeal. Anything goes.
Although there are many branches of New Age thought – ranging from meditation to firewalking and levitation, yoga, alternative medicine – they stem from an ancient Eastern roots. The roots of the New Age tree spread around the globe to India. One might think that the desperate, degraded human condition of a land dominated by Hinduism would speak louder than words about the truth of the religion. But New Agers seem blind to the contradiction.
Instead, the typical New Ager believes:
· God is in everything (pantheism)
· All things are one (monism)
· Man is God
· Mind creates reality
One’s own experience validates the truth
New Agers do not believe in evil. Therefore, they do not accept man's problem as separation by sin from God. Instead, they believe that each of us has forgotten his or her own divinity. Therefore, the New Age solution is to seek "higher consciousness" through meditation, breathing
exercises, yoga, diet, crystals, channelling. spirit guides, and more.
Each of these diverse practices has the same purpose: to awaken the god in man. This is the old lie of Satan from Genesis 3, “You shall be as gods”.
While these practices may seem too far out to pose much of a threat to those abiding in the truth, Christians need to be on guard.
It is like the occult web.
See Blog 133. https://jeffreyunsworth.wixsite.com/teleiosbibleblogs/133-occult-practices
In the past twenty years, New Age influence has been steadily creeping into our culture in schools, corporations, and doctors’ offices.
Since Star Wars, movies have become dominated by New Age spirituality . Reincarnation, karma, the cosmic consciousness – all these once obscure ideas have become commonplace.
A true understanding of New Age practices makes one thing clear:
Eastern practices cannot be blended into Christianity to produce something better.
See Blog 87. https://jeffreyunsworth.wixsite.com/teleiosbibleblogs/87-influences-from-the-east
New Agers are Universalists, believing that all paths lead to God. They fault Christians for being intolerant and narrow-minded. But God's word anticipates this:
Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The teaching of New Age seem harmless on the surface but they are like the strands on a spiders web, the outer strands tempt you in until you are stuck.
Just like the occult.
Professing Christians that teach New Age.
Deepak Chopra,
Eckhart Tolle,
Oprah Winfrey,
Rick Warren,
Brian McLaren,
Richard Foster,
Tony Campolo,
Eugene Peterson,
Dan Kimball,
Bruce Wilkinson,
Robert Schuller,
Brennan Manning.
These are only a few.
Twenty-seven percent of Americans identify as “spiritual but not religious including 35 percent of Protestant Christians.
This is one of the fast growing spiritual-religious demographics in the West right now.
Not only do 62 percent of the general public hold at least one of these New Age beliefs, 61 percent of professing Christians held one as well.
Deut 18: 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
The way to recognise any teacher of any of these things, is by checking it by the Word of God.
Our Christian faith is based on the foundation of the Apostles.
Just like the Berean’s in the Bible.
Acts 17:11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
