Uncertain Hope (Mark #3)

The soul that is in distress is also in bondage!

If a person's distress can be perpetuated by a religious promoter, that promoter can be reasonably sure of keeping a distressed soul in continued and ever increasing bondage. The religious charlatan, therefore, must be very careful never to produce a final cure. Rather he must push certainty up into an unrealizable future in order to keep needy souls continually striving today.

We ought not to be surprised, therefore, that a nearly universal characteristic of the cults of our time is their insistence that one can never be sure of eternal life while in this world. The issue of salvation is never settled. The follower lives in constant fear that he has not done enough, given enough, prayed enough, worshiped enough to be sure of salvation.

One suspects that because of all of this that the cults are really not talking about salvation at all, but rather are pushing religious philosophies tied to a set of unrealizable goals in the name of which they can extract every kind of sacrifice from their hapless followers.

The atheist, Robert Ingersoll, came close to describing leadership in programs like this when he said, "A preacher is one who is willing to take care of your affairs in the next world providing you will support him in this one." This is a cynical but apt description of the false religious leader who is not really interested in producing the assurance of salvation. He would be out of business very quickly if he set people free. His support would cease.

The cult promoters being interested only in the fulfillment of their lust for power, money, or satisfaction, are very careful to extract from their followers a response today in return for a promise which can only be fulfilled tomorrow. Uncertainty is a favourite cult weapon. It would hardly be possible to promote a successful cult if one offered the assurance of salvation or any sure hope of eternal life based upon the finished work of another.

The wonderful promise of the New Testament is in contrast to all of this. The Bible promises to the believing Christian that he is the possessor of a certain salvation. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice" (1 Peter 1:3-6).

The Christian is "sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13). He is the possessor of hope, both sure and steadfast (Hebrews 6:19).

The cultists make no such promise. Because they are interested in producing perpetual obligation as against spiritual freedom, they keep their followers in the hopeless bondage of a continually insecure relationship with God. For the member of the cult there is always more to do, more to pay, and his hope of blessing in eternal life is a will-o'-the-wisp that can never be certainly realized in this life. A hope so uncertain is hardly a hope at all.

A thoughtful person who examines the preaching and writing of the cults carefully is almost certain to sense a frustrating indefiniteness. He is being strung along, beguiled up a primrose path to nowhere.

A common characteristic of the cults is that they are devoid of a theological structure that offers to anyone a sure salvation. It would be unthinkable for them to ever say in the words of Scripture, "for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

What a blessed contrast we have to this trembling cultic fear in the words of this same Apostle Paul, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Timothy 1:12).

Paul's absolute certainty of eternal life is revealed in the many statements of confidence that he expressed as to his sure hope of heaven.

Please read the following Scriptures: (2 Cor. 5:1), (Phil. 1:23), (Phil. 3:20-21), (Col. 1:13), (Col. 3:4), (1 Thes. 4:17).

By contrast to the obscure future that is the best the cult can offer, Paul brightly tells us that Christ "hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel" (2 Tim. 1:10).

We may be very sure that the promoter of a false religion who is interested in producing dependence upon himself as against freedom that comes through faith in Christ would never pass on to his followers the words of Christ, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand" (John 10:27-29).

It is interesting to note that the verse immediately following this promise says, "Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him." Natural men, even in the realm of religious leadership, will do anything to destroy the perfect confidence that a relationship with Jesus Christ brings to a life. The reason is very clear, they traffic in anxiety.

The person who is anxious is also exploitable. To make him fearful is the design of these religious leaders so that they may use fear to create dependence upon the religious view that they are promoting. Cult gathering places are populated by frightened people who live in terror of falling into the disfavour of their religious establishment. Our modern society is not without many tragic wrecks of humanity whose psychic nature has been shattered, their confidence destroyed as a result of a previous total involvement in a false religion.

To any such, we happily repeat the wonderful promise, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).


(from Know the Marks of Cults - The 12 basic errors of false religion by Dave Breese)

A False Basis of Salvation (Mark #2)

What must I do to be saved? Deep within his heart, virtually every person on earth is asking this question first phrased by the Philippian jailer. Man is born with an unquenchable longing for eternal life and a home in heaven that will never pass away. Millions may never admit to this longing but, nevertheless, within each soul is the constantly pressing desire for a secure eternal reality, a hope that goes beyond the grave.

This longing for reality is the fuel that energizes the growth of most of the cults in existence today. Because they are involved in some form of exploitation, the cults without exception obscure the truth and offer salvation on some other basis than that of a free gift that comes to us by the grace of Jesus Christ.

What is the true basis of salvation?

The clear teaching of the New Testament Scriptures is that eternal salvation comes to a believer solely as a result of faith in Jesus Christ. The New Testament Scriptures declare again and again this sublime Christian truth.

Please read the following Scriptures: (Rom. 5:1), (Rom. 3:25), (Rom. 3:28), (Rom. 4:4-5), (Gal. 2:16), (Eph. 2:8-9).

These and many other clear declarations of the New Testament positively establish the basis of salvation to be the finished work of Christ alone and our faith in that work. By contrast, Scripture teaches that all other forms of supposed salvation, based on human efforts are cursed by God. "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, "The just shall live by faith.'" (Galatians 3:10-11).

How wonderful is the message of the Gospel of the grace of God that is presented to us in Holy Scripture! A person is able to come to Jesus Christ without money, without human works, without vast promises concerning the future and accept salvation which was entirely purchased for him on the cross. When he comes in humble faith, he receives the gift of God which is eternal life. And it is exactly this, a free gift. When he believes the Gospel, he receives eternal life and is justified in the sight of God.

To be justified, of course, means to be declared righteous. This is a legal change in the attitude of God toward the sinner and depends on the saving act of Jesus Christ which is entirely independent of the individual experience of the believer. The wonderful change which may result in a believer's life is not itself salvation but rather the human and variable result of that saving faith. Eternal salvation comes to the believer because of imputed righteousness. Imputed righteousness is righteousness that is placed to his account in heaven.

During the course of a Christian's life, he may develop a wonderful degree of personal righteousness. In this, he will have the powerful help of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. The true believer will work toward perfect holiness in the fear of God under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Personal righteousness is not, however, the basis of his salvation. He is saved on the basis of imputed righteousness. This comes to him as a free gift, being purchased by the enormous cost of the finished work of Christ on Calvary's cross. The Christian is saved, not because of his own works, but because of the saving work of Jesus Christ when Christ the Saviour died, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). The total benefits of Calvary come to the believer on the basis of grace. It is the grace of God that brings salvation.

No message is more viciously attacked by the cult promoters of our present world than the Gospel of the grace of God. Those who would promote slavish religious systems are infuriated at the gracious offer of Jesus Christ to bring His life into the sin-darkened soul and to do it without any form of payment. It is absolutely maddening to the professional religious promoters that God saves individuals freely, by grace alone.

No false religion in the world can possibly survive unless it is able to destroy the Gospel of the grace of God and introduce or encourage a system of human works as a basis of salvation. There is not room in the same world for the Pauleen message of "justification by faith without the deeds of the law" and the cultic religionist with his perverted gospel. Every cult in the world preaches "another gospel" and is therefore cursed of God.

Nevertheless, the promoters of the cults continue to press their malignant doctrines of some other way of salvation besides faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

One of the most popular alternative doctrines of salvation is that of salvation by membership. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God clearly announces that the only saved people are those who are members of this increasingly shaky religious establishment. Pseudo Christianity in many forms has frequently announced that "there is no salvation outside of the church," meaning of course their religious syndicate. Failure to keep this membership intact incurs the damnation of the the soul.

Others offer even stranger salvation promises such as salvation by sublime association. New Krishna devotees are told to associate with saintly persons who are free from the entanglement of material nature.

Another alternative to the way of faith is the cult doctrine of salvation by works. In many of these religious programs, what a person believes is of little consequence; it is what he does that counts. The versions of this works doctrine are many. Some emphasize years of service, weekly hours spent in work, the giving of money, the practice of strange incantations, the reciting of chants; the list is endless. There is an immense number of possible obligations to which the soul enslaves itself when it turns from the divine offer of salvation by faith alone.

The pathetic followers of the Jehovah's Witnesses are told that the basis of judgment at the end of the thousand years will be solely the works that they perform during the millennium.

The Christian Scientists are asked to believe that salvation consists of being saved from the illusions and delusions of mortal sense...the sense of becoming sick and dying.

In the early days of Mormonism, the Mormon women accepted the staggering involvement in polygamy because they became convinced that their salvation depended on it.

The Unitarians believe in salvation by character, holding that man will find the road that leads to peace and brotherhood through development of "moral values and spiritual insights."

The follower of Theosophy holds that man is saved by working out his own "karma" or law works. What he is now is the result of previous works and what he is to become is the result of his present works.

The list is seemingly endless of those who are pursuing inner light, perfect realization, transcendental thoughts, or other baseless notions as the hope of salvation. All of these human works must inevitably lead to despair.

By contrast to all of this we need to hear again the finality of the words of Paul, "If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Galatians 2:21). Proud men who still retain confidence in their ability to do good things that will be pleasing to God and produce salvation need again to hear the words of Jesus Christ, "None of you keepeth the law" (John 7:19).

There is no question but that every false cult will lead finally to human despair, death, and hell. Millions could be saved from this spiritual reality if they would turn in simple confidence to the promise of Scripture, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). Few scenes are more tragic than that of a benighted soul pursuing a false hope of salvation when Jesus Christ offers all of this as a free gift.

(From Know the Marks of Cults - the twelve basic errors of false religion by Dave Breese)

Extra-Biblical Revelation (Mark #1)

How to cope with the cults? There are so many of them ... all different. Who has time to study all their weird doctrines in order to refute them? Here is a better way. No need to get bogged down in the details of this or that cult. No need to debate fine points in the original Greek and Hebrew. No need to fight over the interpretation of obscure passages of scripture?

Each cult is guilty of one or more certain characteristic doctrinal errors. Once you know what these typical errors are, you can know what's basically wrong with a cult, whatever weird or seemingly rational form it may take. Awareness of these characteristics can help you spot creeping errors among true Christians too...and maybe save you from going astray.

How has God revealed Himself?

The Christian answer to that question is that God has revealed Himself "on many occasions in diverse manners" in days gone by. In these last days however He has revealed Himself fully and finally to us in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible, the Word of God (see Hebrews 1:1-2).

The Word of God is, therefore, God's final and complete revelation, and this revelation can be supplanted by no other. The cults have no such commitment, believing in the heretical doctrine of extra-biblical revelation. They claim that God has spoken and recorded words, through whatever medium since He gave us the New Testament Scriptures. They assert that God speaks or has spoken outside or apart from the Bible.

The first and most typical characteristic of a cult is that it claims for its authority some revelation apart from the clear statements of the Word of God. Most cults claim to respect the teachings of the Bible. Many even attribute divine inspiration to Holy Scripture. They then quickly announce their real confidence in some subsequent revelation that in effect cancels the teaching of the Bible in favour of a more authoritative new thing which they claim God has spoken subsequently. They are therefore claiming that the Bible is only a part of the verbal revelation of God and that He has spoken or does speak in a manner that is extra-biblical, apart from Scripture.

Sometimes this extra-biblical revelation comes in the form of a "divinely inspired leader." Many religions have invested divine authority in the person of a visible individual who speaks infallibly, his words have the same or higher authority than Holy Scripture. Some of these religions have made their leaders equal with God.

From "Brother Julius" in Brooklyn to a spiritual temple in Los Angeles, the cults continue to press for a better revelation than the Word of God. William Branham, in his Word to the Bride, said, "One night as I was seeking the Lord, the Holy Spirit told me to pick up my pen and write. As I grasped the pen to write, His Spirit gave me a message for the church. I want to bring it to you...It has to do with the Word and the bride."

The God of the Bible, knowing that this would be the case in the future of the Church, very clearly declares His Word, the Scriptures, to be final and unsupercedable revelation. After giving us 66 books in the Old and New Testaments, the Holy Spirit directed the Apostle John to categorically close the verbal revelation of God at the conclusion of the Bible, saying, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man should take away from the words of the book of this prophesy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life" (Rev. 22:18-19).

Clearly then, we have in Scripture a dreadful curse placed upon anyone who presumes to present a new verbal revelation from God.

In a frantic attempt at rationalization, some cultists say, "Well, our revelation did not come from the word of man but from a higher source." The Mormons' claim to the coming of an angel is an illustration of this.

As if foreseeing this the Apostle Paul wrote, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again. 'If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed'" (Galations 1:8-9).

It is true that in biblical times the Word was carried to man by angels (Hebrews 2:2). We are told, however, that the revelation of Jesus Christ supersedes this. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 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" (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Christ is better than the angels, and all of the angels of God are commanded to worship Him. The final words of Scripture, therefore, "the revelation of Jesus Christ," can never be superseded by the ministry of angels. This is why Jesus Christ advised His disciples and us to "continue in My word" (John 8:31). Our present age is also well advised to heed the words of the Father, "This is my beloved Son...hear ye Him" (Matthew 17:5).

It is a cardinal doctrine of Christianity that final truth, the ultimate word is resident in Jesus Christ. Indeed, the Scripture is itself even stronger than that, saying, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).

Final truth therefore is the Person, the Word, and the work of Jesus Christ. No subsequent revelation as to the nature of truth can supecede the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is simply impossible for there to be a greater revelation than that of Christ in this universe or any other under the God who made this and all possible universes.

One frequent device of a cult is to lend creedance to its own writings by placing them parallel to the Scriptures and then moving them up to a greater authority. The Krishna cult, the modern followers of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, grasp for authority in the minds of the foolish. They place their arcane and mysterious writings on a par with the Word of God.

A word of admonition is therefore in order. The Christian believes the Bible to be the final and only verbal revelation of God. Believing this, he must give himself to the study of the Word of God with a higher degree of intensity than ever before. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17)

(from Know the Marks of Cults - The 12 basic errors of false religion by Dave Breese)

The Amazing Story Behind "AMAZING GRACE"

...and how it relates to you and me.

From the world-wide TV coverage of the Olympic Games to the platform of the acceptance speech of the President of the United States, to the smallest church in the rural backwoods, - everywhere - we hear the strains of "Amazing Grace." Where in the world did we get this song? How does its story relate to you and me?

The story of John Newton is truly the story behind "Amazing Grace." One would be hard pressed to imagine. let alone to live, a blasphemous life equal to Newton's early years. Had I not read the accounts written by his own hand, I would not have believed them.

Death took his saintly mother in July 1732, when John was thirteen days from his seventh birthday. He writes, "Almost her whole employment was the care of my education. At not more than three years of age she herself taught me English. When I was four years old I could read with propriety in any common book. She stored my memory with many valuable pieces, chapters and portions of Scripture, hymns and poems."

After her death, and with only three years of formal schooling, Newton went to sea with his father, the captain of a merchant ship. From that day Newton began a decline into rebellion and degradation that lasted until his twenty-fourth year. His willful and wanton disregard for all that is right and holy led him into a life plagued with despair, dangers at sea, abuse, public floggings, destitution, depression, near drownings and miraculous escapes. Newton's misfortunes were largely the result of his own choosing -- except, that is, for the miraculous escapes.

On one occasion Newton became employed by a slave trader in North Africa. Newton soon fell sick, was unable to care for himself, and nearly starved to death. He was so ill that the slaves in chains pitied him, sharing their meager portions with him. Yet, he still remained stubbornly wicked, and in his degeneracy, tried to influence others to live as he did.

During those years, Newton often entered into a state of spiritual awakening. Consequently those times were short-lived, and he invariably lapsed into a more wicked and loathsome direction.

Even in his youth he became almost inexplicably, the captain of a slave ship, landing at least one load of his human cargo in Charleston, South Carolina. It is reported that at times he was so wretched that even his crew regarded him as little more than an animal. Once he fell overboard and his ship's crew refused to drop a boat to him. Instead they threw a harpoon at him, with which they dragged him back into the ship. He seemed oblivious to the plight of the poor black souls chained in the hold of his ship.

A harrowing experience at sea was used of the Lord to cause young Newton to seriously consider his standing before a holy God. After being at sea for several months with a load of lumber, livestock and beeswax, the ship ran into a violent storm. So severe was the gale that the otherwise seaworthy vessel was in danger of sinking. When the livestock were washed overboard, the crew tied themselves to the ship to keep from being swept into the sea. For four weeks, because of damage to the ship, the sailors despaired of life. Most of their waking hours were spent at the pumps to lighten the ship of water she had taken on. Rations were so low the men feared starvation. When they finally reached a port in Ireland, Newton began a sincere effort to become right with God.

Sometime later, at age twenty-three, Newton found himself on a small island off the coast of North Africa. He had contracted an illness that left him burning with fever, miserable and listless. He wrote, "Weak and almost delirious, I arose from my bed and crept to a secluded part of the island; there I found a renewed liberty to pray. I made no more resolves, but cast myself before the Lord to do with me as He should please. I was enabled to hope and believe in a crucified Saviour. The burden was removed from my conscience." From that hour, according to his autobiography, Newton began to improve both physically and spiritually.

During that experience Newton became acutely aware of four things taught in the Bible.

(1) I must realize that in my present condition I am a sinner before God.

"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
"As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10).

(2) I cannot save myself from eternal punishment in hell.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
"As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

(3) Christ has paid for my sins and my punishment with His death on the cross.

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him (Jesus) should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

(4) I must accept His crucifixion as payment for my sins, personally.

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).
"But as many as received Him (Christ), to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12).

Two years later John Newton married his teenage sweetheart. During the following fourteen years, he continued studying for the ministry, and at age thirty-nine, became a pastor in Olney, England. In 1779 Newton published a hymnal "The Olney Hymns" in which he placed 281 of his own works, including "Amazing Grace." The melody that is so familiar to us is a traditional American melody published as early as 1831.

The next time you hear the hauntingly beautiful "Amazing Grace," remember that you, too, can experience the same saving grace as John Newton. In fact, you can do that right now! Just read over the Scriptures listed above, bow your head wherever you are, and ask Christ to come into your heart and be your Saviour.

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound,

that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found;

was blind but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear;

and grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear,

the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come.

'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

and grace will lead me home.

John Newton died in 1807 at eighty-two years of age. Before his death he left with his executors his epitaph -- written sometime before -- to be etched on a plain marble slab and mounted near his burial place. The first portion is as follows:

John Newton, clerk,

once an infidel and libertine,

a servant of slaves in Africa,

was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour,

Jesus Christ

preserved, restored, pardoned,

and appointed to preach the faith

he had long laboured to destroy.

(by Lindsay Terry)

If you have trusted Christ as your personal Saviour as a result of reading this, and you want further help in the decision you have made or if you have more questions about the Christian faith, please contact us by e-mail or visit http://www.emmanuelbarrie.org.

We Are Bound By The Scriptures

God's Will Is Important

The fact this question must even be raised is itself an indictment of the Faith Movement. James tells us that considering God's will is important (4:13-16) as does Jesus (John 6:38; 7:17; Matthew 6:10; Luke 22:42), Paul (Romans 12:2), and Peter, who, far from disregarding the concept of God's will, emphasizes that we are not to live for "evil human desires," but to "live the rest of [our] earthly life...for the will of God" (1 Peter 4:2).

But Faith teachers allow virtually no room for the will of God in those specific areas that they believe offer absolute promises conditioned only on "faith," such as the hundredfold return, physical healing, etc. Thus, the issue becomes only one of "lack" of faith -- not God's will. Here, Faith teachers hold out their "faith to believe" as genuine wisdom, but the Bible rejects their premises (James 3:13-16; 4:13-16; c.f. Proverbs 27:1; Luke 12:18-20; 13:35).

Although some in the Faith camp even teach that it is a sin to say, "If it be God's will," the following Scriptures prove that those who teach this are wrong:

1. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8)
2. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground (Psalm 143:10)
3. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil (James 4:15-16).

Thus: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14).

In his confrontation with the Church of Rome, Martin Luther confessed that unless he were otherwise "convinced by the testimonies of the Holy Scriptures or evident reason," he was "bound by the Scriptures" to maintain the principles of the Reformation. It was "neither safe nor right" to act against his conscience in this regard. For Luther, Scripture stood above all experience and above extra-biblical claims to divine revelation -- and for this stand the church owes him an immeasurable debt. In a similar manner, when examining the Faith Movement, the Scriptures alone must be our standard -- not experience or new claims of divine revelation.

Throughout church history various councils have been convened in order to examine controversial issues, test new teachings or interpretations, and protect the Church from heresy, presenting to the world true Christian faith.

(From The Facts on the Faith Movement by John Ankerberg & John Weldon)

The Grand Poo-Bah Says: "You Have Been Warned!"

You may be currently attending a church in your neighbourhood that has recently come to town to set-up shop. If you were to ask the leadership of this church if they are part of the Faith Movement, they will likely deny it because the Faith Movement has been receiving a large amount of negative publicity through print and visual media. It is not difficult to find books written by reputable Bible scholars on the subject of the Faith Movement and its false teachings (which are many).

There are a few easy ways to know for certain if you are involved with a Faith Movement church:

The first way is the name of the church. Most Faith Movement churches have the word "faith" in their name minus their denomination. A few examples would be Faith Alive, Faith Assembly, House of Faith -- you get the idea. The main branch of the Faith Movement in Canada is Victory Churches International. The one which operates in Barrie, Ontario is called Barrie Victory Centre. Victory is the key word that you need to be aware of here in Canada. These churches promote Kenneth and Gloria Copeland as well as the teachings of other Faith Movement figures. This church is part of the New Apostolic Movement which has its roots in Pentecostalism but you will notice that the denomination is left out of the church's name. This is very deceitful and misleading for Christians who are looking for a true Christian church. Their belief system is the same as the Faith Movement with a few different false teachings thrown in such as the existence of modern-day apostles. There is no scripture to support this belief.

The second way you can know if you are attending a Faith Movement church is the "health and wealth" gospel. This is a cornerstone trade-mark of the Faith Movement. It is based on misinterpreted Scripture and is nothing more than a get-rich-quick scheme for the leaders.

The third way to know if you are attending a Faith Movement church is to carefully observe if they promote the key figures in the Faith Movement such as Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyers. For a complete list of televangelists who are promoting these teachings, view our List of False Teachers to the right of this blog. If any of these names are being promoted in your weekly bulletin or on posters around the church, rest assured you are involved in a Faith Movement church whether they admit to it or not.

It is very easy for unsuspecting Christians to be drawn to these "churches". The deception is very clever because they use all the familiar Christian terminology with their own little twists included. It is very subtle and hard to detect unless you are a Bible scholar or a well-read Christian. Hank Hanegraaff says the Faith Movement is "a shell of truth stuffed with lies."

The truth is out there! If you are concerned that you may be in a Faith Movement church where false teachings are espoused, here are a couple of suggestions to help you:

1. Read the eleven previous blogs starting with Monday, October 27. This will give you a good overview of the various teachings promoted by the Faith Movement.
2. Read "Christianity in Crisis" by Hank Hanegraaff which should be available at your local Christian bookstore or it can be ordered through Chapters or at http://www.equip.org/.

On a recent trip to Florida, I saw an interesting quote on a full-sized billboard which read "Remember, if you find yourself going in the wrong direction, Christ accepts 'U'-turns."

Scriptures Correct the Faith Teachings!

Virtually every book in the Bible tells Christians that they are going to suffer in this life -- from persecution, various trials, and also from God's own will. Nevertheless, the Apostle Peter says that we are to "rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ" (1 Peter 4:13). He even connects suffering to the will of God: "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good" (1 Peter 4:19). The Apostle Paul refers to "the Kingdom of God for which you are suffering" and tells us we can expect problems and troubles until Christ returns (2 Thessalonians 1:5-7).

Peter further tells us that we are not alone in our sufferings, for Christians "throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings" (1 Peter 5:9), and Paul, far from calling poverty "an evil spirit" to be removed by word-faith power, naturally assumes its existence (1 Timothy 5:16). And perhaps even more important, nowhere does he naturally assume the existence of prosperity, wealth, and success for Christians with the "faith."

Nevertheless Robert Tilton and others say that believers who properly exercise faith and confession never need have problems or troubles in life again. But didn't Jesus say in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble"?

Kenneth Hagin says that he never confesses his doubts: "I never talk sickness...I never talk disease...I never talk failure...I never talk about what the devil has done. I'm not interested in his works." Further, he even confesses that he would not tell the truth in order to maintain a positive attitude: "But if I had a headache, I wouldn't tell anybody. And if somebody asked me how I was feeling, I would say, 'I'm fine, thank you.' I would speak the right WORDS, because Jesus said in Mark 11:23, 'He shall have whatsoever he saith.'" And , "I wouldn't tell anybody if I had a doubt-thought, or a fear-thought. I wouldn't accept it. I wouldn't tell somebody if the thought came to me..." But doesn't the Bible tell us that we are to "speak the truth in love" to one another (Ephesians 4:15)?

And isn't the Bible full of "negative confessions" by Jesus, the apostles, and all the prophets? Didn't Jesus say that "each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34)?

The Faith teachers say "Never confess fear." But the Apostle Paul himself confessed, "For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be...I fear there may be quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger...arrogance and disorder. I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented..." (2 Corinthians 12:20-21).

The Faith teachers claim that we should: "never confess trouble" or Satan's ability to hinder us. But the Apostle Paul says that he wished to visit the Thessalonians, "yet Satan thwarted us" (1 Thessalonians 3:5-7).

Throughout the New Testament we find statements such as the following: "Death is at work in us"; "Outwardly we are wasting away"; "We were under great pressure far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death" (see 2 Corinthians 1:8-9; 2:4; 4:8-12, 16; 5:4).

The truth is that the Bible is full of what the Faith Movement would call "negative confessions" and yet they are the words of godly apostles and prophets -- men of great faith. If the faith teachings are true, how can this be so?

(From The Facts on the Faith Movement by John Ankerberg & John Weldon)