“The Word of Faith: What’s The Fuss About?”

[emekrus]

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, THE WORD OF FAITH, WHICH WE PREACH”—Romans 10: 8

I had attended Church meetings right from my childhood. But suffice to say, that for all those many years, I never knew what true Christianity was really all about. Until I heard the testimonies of my cousin-Prince Aniobi- who got into a denomination that preaches the WORD OF FAITH…

Who eventually got baptized in the Holy Ghost, and started practicing what he was taught as a lifestyle. And as a result, the testimonies he always shared with me, each time we got in contact, were totally dumbfounding and staggering. Yet they were very true. In fact, the evidences were undeniable.

So eventually, with time, as God will have it, I finally decided to give my life totally to God and toe the line of faith- for the rest of my life. And like my cousin, I joined the same denomination he worships at. After my first meeting in the branch I worshiped, we were informed of the Foundation Class. Where we would receive the baptism in the Holy Ghost, with the Biblical evidence of speaking in Other Tongues…

I excitedly went for it, with great expectations. After the Holy Ghost baptismal class and prayer sessions, I received the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other Tongues- along with others.
And like my cousin, as I continued attending the services and applying all I was hearing, I started duplicating the same results my cousin was getting…

I started living a sickness free, hospital free and drug free life. I started daring the things I could never dare before then, and coming out of all of them victorious by the special grace of God.

The few folks that are very close to me, who saw how I lived my life by faith, and eventually followed suit, started duplicating my testimonies-by the grace of God- especially in their health.

One of such person that is still actively living in the same testimony of perfect health till date, is my lovely wife to be- my fiancée. And by the special grace of God, I’m still enjoying a sickness free, hospital free and drug free life-amongst several other miraculous testimonies till date…

But that is not to say, I never had some challenging situations that God allowed to strengthen my faith in him. I had gotten several trying times, but the Lord God has always been faithful to give me a way out of all of them.
Because just as my Pastor-Dr. David Oyedepo- says, “It is scriptural to be challenged, but it is unscriptural to be defeated”.

In my country, many Christians are getting access to this supernatural lifestyle (the lifestyle of faith) on a daily basis, and are eternally grateful to God for it.

But eventually, since the Lord led me to start ministering the word of Righteousness and Faith- that he has given me- in the Internet, I have been (and still) aghast and bewildered at many “supposed believers” reactions to the Word of Faith.

Any biblical truth that is related to the Word of Faith, has continually received a great bashing. Yet the entire Bible- Both old and new testament- speaks of only one thing, and that is- THE WORD OF FAITH.

The other time, as I shared a message on prosperity from the revelation the Lord gave me, I received several bashing. In short, one of those commentator- with an unscriptural zeal- went as far as saying; “Give to receive garbage, is just that- garbage”.

As she wrote that, I quickly pointed out the implication of what her comment was insinuating. I pointed out to her that by making such a statement, she had inadvertently said Jesus was preaching garbage…

Because Jesus personally said; “Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bossom…” (Luke 6:38).

As she saw this hard cold truth, she just put up a baseless defense and from that time, she had been avoiding my posts. Though, I couldn’t careless, if someone avoids me for saying the truth.

If the whole gospel is to be summarized in a three word phrase, it is going to be “Word Of Faith” as the Apostle Paul rightly called it in our opening scripture (Rom 10:8).

What baffles me the most about these folks that kick against the Word of Faith -that is totally scriptural-is that they wholeheartedly believe and adhere to many anti-scriptural doctrines.

Most of them who believe that by their kicking against The Word of Faith, are the Holiest, are the meanest people you could ever converse with. From what I have observed, most of them have long tongue- which is definitely not a holy virtue.

Hence, by this article, I’m here to clear the air concerning what the Word of Faith is truly about and what it is not. I’m here to point out clearly and boldly that the Word of Faith is absolutely scriptural. As can be seen in the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ; The Acts of The Apostles; The Epistles of Paul the Apostle and the rest…

The entire book of Philippians, Galatians and Hebrews are dedicated to the Word of Faith. In short, Jesus reacted disappointingly to unbelief. The scriptures says, “He could not do much mighty works in a particular city as a result of the people’s unbelief” (Matt 13:58).

From scriptures, it is very clear that one of the greatest sin against God is unbelief. It was what made God to destroy most of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. Especially those that went to spy out the Promised Land and brought back unbelieving reports to God (Numbers 14).

Misconceptions About The Word Of Faith

Many people are against The Word of Faith Movement as a result of some misconceptions. For some, they believe the preachers of the Word of Faith are self-exalting. But on the contrary, that’s not it. Instead, when the preachers share their testimonies, they do so to encourage your faith…

When a Word of Faith Practitioner, charges the afflicted not to confess the bad situation they’re going through, they are in essence trying to help the brother or sister trust the LORD for speedy intervention.

The Word of Faith Practitioner, is never in any way meaning that he/she never goes through any challenge. But they are in essence telling you that whatever contrary situation you’re going through, is not the best of God for you (if it is, then you must ensure God told you so)…

They are only trying to lend a helping hand by trying to stir up your faith with their words. Even when some of the words are provocative, they only want to provoke you into a kind of righteous indignation, so you can quickly come out of the affliction.

I have personally seen these kind of righteous and lovely rebukes, work great and speedy miracles in the lives of some of my friends; as I charged them amidst their afflictions- and they are righteously provoked.

I can go on and on talking about the humongous benefits of the Word of Faith Movement, only that I want to be as concise as possible.

So in conclusion, I want to exhort that, if you have been having anything against The Word of Faith- probably out of misconceptions- quickly desist from it. Because to have or say anything against The Word of Faith, is to be speaking against the entire scriptures…

It is to be speaking against Jesus and His Holy Spirit- who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

Agreed-there are many fakes as much as there are so many genuine practitioners. But be that as it may, it is not a yardstick to holistically discredit the Word and the supernatural manifestations of the Almighty God. To do that, is to be falling into one of the most proliferating end time sin; which is, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5).

May you never fall into this trap in the mighty name of Jesus! May the Lord help your understanding and faith in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!

Remain Blessed!

Emeke Odili

 

[Angelina]

Hello emekrus,
This "name it and claim it" theology believes that personal success is a measure of Godliness. WoF advocates use God's word as a central part of their desire to prosper through the force of faith alone. This leaves out the will of God and the nature of his sovereignty for our lives. Such theology concentrates primarily on our health, wealth and success.

The bible teaches us that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". Hebrews 11:1 How does that weigh up as being in the will of God when Woffers are the masters of their own ship?


Shalom!

 

[OzSpen]

I have personally seen these kind of righteous and lovely rebukes, work great and speedy miracles in the lives of some of my friends; as I charged them amidst their afflictions- and they are righteously provoked.

I can go on and on talking about the humongous benefits of the Word of Faith Movement, only that I want to be as concise as possible.

So in conclusion, I want to exhort that, if you have been having anything against The Word of Faith- probably out of misconceptions- quickly desist from it. Because to have or say anything against The Word of Faith, is to be speaking against the entire scriptures…

It is to be speaking against Jesus and His Holy Spirit- who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

Agreed-there are many fakes as much as there are so many genuine practitioners. But be that as it may, it is not a yardstick to holistically discredit the Word and the supernatural manifestations of the Almighty God. To do that, is to be falling into one of the most proliferating end time sin; which is, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5).

May you never fall into this trap in the mighty name of Jesus! May the Lord help your understanding and faith in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!

Remain Blessed!

Emeke Odili

Emeke,

I find that to be a blackmail threat. I don't buy into it because of the humongous damage I have seen done to the Christian community by this kind of teaching. Also Scripture exhorts me to check out what I hear taught by the Word of Faith Movement and how it lines up with Scripture (Acts 17:11).

What is wrong with the Word of Faith movement? Here are some quotes from a leader of that movement, Kenneth E. Hagin Sr. (who died in 2003 at the age of 86). He advocated the Word of Faith or Positive Confession movement with these kinds of statements:

• “Did you ever stop to think about having faith in your own faith? Evidently God had faith in His faith, because He spoke words of faith and they came to pass. . . In other words, having faith in your words is having faith in your faith. That’s what you’ve got to learn to do to get things from God: Have faith in your faith” (Hagin 1980a:4-5).
• Hebrews 4:14 states, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess” (NIV) Hagin uses this verse to claim that “The scriptural law is this: Our confessions rule us. In other words, you are what you say.” (Hagin 1974: 160).
• “Don’t pray it; say it” (Hagin 1979:78).
• “Our lips can make us millionaires or keep us paupers. Our lips can make us victors or keep us captives” (Hagin 1974:168).
• “What we have to do is correct ourselves and speak in line with the Word. To tell you the real truth about it, what I confess, I possess. And that is all I will ever possess” (Hagin 1974:171). Do you get it? ‘What I confess, I possess,’ says Hagin.
• Hagin uses Rom. 10:8 to justify his belief that “If you want to wait and possess your petition first, and then confess it, you're wrong. You've got the cart before the horse. You'll never get what you desire from God that way. You have to believe the promises in God's Word are true for you, confess them for yourself; then you possess them. That is as true with salvation as it is with all the promises of God” (Hagin 1974:171).
• “If you are defeated, you are defeated with your own lips” (Hagin 1980b:10).

What is unbiblical about this kind of teaching demonstrates what is unbiblical about the Word of Faith Movement.

Works consulted

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1974. Faith Bible Study Guide. Available at: http://www.ekklesia.lt/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Kenneth-E-Hagin-Bible-Faith-Study-Guide.pdf (Accessed 11 January 2016).

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1979. What To Do When Faith Seems Weak and Victory Lost, Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Tulsa, OK.

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1980a. Having Faith in Your Faith, Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Tulsa, OK.

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1980b. You Can Have What You Say, Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Tulsa, OK.

 

[emekrus]

Emeke,

I find that to be a blackmail threat. I don't buy into it because of the humongous damage I have seen done to the Christian community by this kind of teaching. Also Scripture exhorts me to check out what I hear taught by the Word of Faith Movement and how it lines up with Scripture (Acts 17:11).

What is wrong with the Word of Faith movement? Here are some quotes from a leader of that movement, Kenneth E. Hagin Sr. (who died in 2003 at the age of 86). He advocated the Word of Faith or Positive Confession movement with these kinds of statements:

• “Did you ever stop to think about having faith in your own faith? Evidently God had faith in His faith, because He spoke words of faith and they came to pass. . . In other words, having faith in your words is having faith in your faith. That’s what you’ve got to learn to do to get things from God: Have faith in your faith” (Hagin 1980a:4-5).
• Hebrews 4:14 states, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess” (NIV) Hagin uses this verse to claim that “The scriptural law is this: Our confessions rule us. In other words, you are what you say.” (Hagin 1974: 160).
• “Don’t pray it; say it” (Hagin 1979:78).
• “Our lips can make us millionaires or keep us paupers. Our lips can make us victors or keep us captives” (Hagin 1974:168).
• “What we have to do is correct ourselves and speak in line with the Word. To tell you the real truth about it, what I confess, I possess. And that is all I will ever possess” (Hagin 1974:171). Do you get it? ‘What I confess, I possess,’ says Hagin.
• Hagin uses Rom. 10:8 to justify his belief that “If you want to wait and possess your petition first, and then confess it, you're wrong. You've got the cart before the horse. You'll never get what you desire from God that way. You have to believe the promises in God's Word are true for you, confess them for yourself; then you possess them. That is as true with salvation as it is with all the promises of God” (Hagin 1974:171).
• “If you are defeated, you are defeated with your own lips” (Hagin 1980b:10).

What is unbiblical about this kind of teaching demonstrates what is unbiblical about the Word of Faith Movement.

Works consulted

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1974. Faith Bible Study Guide. Available at: http://www.ekklesia.lt/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Kenneth-E-Hagin-Bible-Faith-Study-Guide.pdf (Accessed 11 January 2016).

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1979. What To Do When Faith Seems Weak and Victory Lost, Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Tulsa, OK.

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1980a. Having Faith in Your Faith, Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Tulsa, OK.

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1980b. You Can Have What You Say, Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Tulsa, OK.

Well, Mr. Ozspen, what do you have to say about the testimonies I shared in my post.

 

[emekrus]

Hello emekrus,
This "name it and claim it" theology believes that personal success is a measure of Godliness. WoF advocates use God's word as a central part of their desire to prosper through the force of faith alone. This leaves out the will of God and the nature of his sovereignty for our lives. Such theology concentrates primarily on our health, wealth and success.

The bible teaches us that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". Hebrews 11:1 How does that weigh up as being in the will of God when Woffers are the masters of their own ship?


Shalom!

Again, that's a misconception. The Word of Faith practitioner is not claiming to be the masters of their ships. They do acknowlede God's will as entrenched in the scriptures. We believe God does not go contrary to his will as entrenched in the Bible.

But we also let God's will prevail in our lives after we've prayed and clearly heard from God that the affliction is born out of his own sovereignty- mostly for an utopian Ideal. But we don't just accept anything contrary to the written word of God as God's sovereign will. We have to hear God specifically say so to us, and if we diligently ask him, he will let us know. And by so doing, we'll not ignorantly accept the oppression of the devil as God's sovereign will.

Such was the case of the great man of God-David Yonggi Cho- From south Korea. Once upon a time, he took ill, and while he was ill, he started confessing his healing and refusing to accept that he was sick. As he continued, things remained unchanged, but yet he won't still settle for sickness. Until eventually God specifically told him, that he wasn't going to heal him then, for a reason, but that rather, he would heal him in 10 years time. As the man of God heard that, he didn't have any choice than accept the sovereign will of God.

Then truly as God will have it, in Ten years time, God started his healing process until he was completely healed. And currently, he has one of the largest congregation in the world.

So Angelina, the Word of Faith practitioner, does not wrestle with God over his sovereign will, as many people presumes. But however, they don't accept any and every affliction as God's sovereign will without clearly confirming from God.

Remain Blessed!

Emeke

 

[OzSpen]

Well, Mr. Ozspen, what do you have to say about the testimonies I shared in my post.

Testimonies, based on the error taught by Kenneth E Hagin Sr, promote error. Mormons and JWs give testimonies. Testimonies are dangerous when the teaching is false.

What are the errors in the examples I gave of Kenneth Hagin's teaching?

I am concerned about the Word of Faith’s false teaching, led by Kenneth E Hagin, for these reasons:

• I understand it is idolatry because it promotes faith in a god of metaphysics and not the Lord God of the universe, as revealed in the Christian Scriptures. The problem relates to the fact that biblical language for God is used, but the theology taught is that of metaphysics.

• God is sovereign and does not obey human laws. Psalm 115:3 (NIV)states, “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him”. See also Dan. 4:34-35 and Eph. 1:11.

• The Almighty God is a person and not a principle. If we speak of the “force of faith” (Kenneth Copeland 2012), it sounds more like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars who manipulated the “good side of the force” with mind control.

• Exodus. 20:7 (NIV) states, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” The "force of faith" seems to me to be taking the Lord’s name in vain.

• Human beings are creatures and not the Creator. Who are we to create healing and prosperity through the words we speak? That is the responsibility of the sovereign Lord God.

• A. W. Tozer wrote that “what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us…. The gravest question before the Church is always God Himself” (Tozer 1961:1). Positive confession exalts human beings with the “creative powers” of the word of faith. It’s a poor view of the nature of God, claiming that we can manipulate God by the words we speak. Back in 1988 when Dan McConnell wrote his critique of the Word of Faith Movement he made a sound assessment: “Creation is from the Father; through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. Man is a creature and no creature in the Bible is ever accorded creative powers: no man, no angel, no devil, no animal” (McConnell 1988:145).

• Faith theology in its positive confession twists the relationship between God’s Word and His will. The universe is not held together by spiritual laws, but by God Himself (see Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17). The Word of God is not an independent force that manipulates God.

• Faith theology is based on an erroneous translation of Mark 11:22 by translating it as a subjective genitive: “Have the faith of God” (‘The God Kind of Faith’, Kenneth E. Hagin). New Testament Greek scholar, C.E.B. Cranfield, has called this translation as a subjective genitive, “have the sort of faith God has,” a “monstrosity of exegesis” (Cranfield 1959:361). “Have faith in God,” an objective genitive, is the correct translation. God is not granting godhood to us (i.e. have the faith of God) but we are exhorted to have faith in the person of God Himself. Renowned Greek scholar of the 20th century, A. T. Robertson, agrees that the translation ought to be, “Have faith in God.” He refers us to other examples in Gal. 2:26; Rom. 3:22, 26 (Robertson 1930:361).

In speaking of the context of Mark 11:23, Kenneth E. Hagin stated, “You can have what you say” (1974:117). See also Hagin (1979:3; 1980:3-4). Hagin’s teaching and that of the Word of Faith are erroneous when compared with Scripture.

• Faith theology reduces faith to an abstract human concept – positive mental attitude or positive confession.

• Dan McConnell affirms Charles Farah’s charge that this is “charismatic humanism” (McConnell 1988:146). This is revealed in Hagin’s phrase, “having faith in your faith” (1980, book title).

Oz


Works consulted

Copeland, K 2012. The Force of Faith. Harrison House Publishers, Tulsa, OK.

Cranfield, C. E. B. 1958, The Gospel According to Saint Mark, Cambridge University Press, London.

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1974, Bible Faith Study Course, Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Tulsa, OK.

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1979, Words, Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Tulsa, OK.

Hagin Sr., K. E. 1980, Having Faith in Your Faith, Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Tulsa, OK.

McConnell, D. R. 1988, A Different Gospel, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts.

Robertson, A. T. 1930, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. 1, Broadman Press, Nashville, Tennessee.

Tozer, A. W. 1961, The Knowledge of the Holy, Harper & Row, Publishers, San Francisco.

 

[Angelina]

Again, that's a misconception. The Word of Faith practitioner is not claiming to be the masters of their ships. They do acknowlede God's will as entrenched in the scriptures. We believe God does not go contrary to his will as entrenched in the Bible.

But we also let God's will prevail in our lives after we've prayed and clearly heard from God that the affliction is born out of his own sovereignty- mostly for an utopian Ideal. But we don't just accept anything contrary to the written word of God as God's sovereign will. We have to hear God specifically say so to us, and if we diligently ask him, he will let us know. And by so doing, we'll not ignorantly accept the oppression of the devil as God's sovereign will.

Such was the case of the great man of God-David Yonggi Cho- From south Korea. Once upon a time, he took ill, and while he was ill, he started confessing his healing and refusing to accept that he was sick. As he continued, things remained unchanged, but yet he won't still settle for sickness. Until eventually God specifically told him, that he wasn't going to heal him then, for a reason, but that rather, he would heal him in 10 years time. As the man of God heard that, he didn't have any choice than accept the sovereign will of God.

Then truly as God will have it, in Ten years time, God started his healing process until he was completely healed. And currently, he has one of the largest congregation in the world.

So Angelina, the Word of Faith practitioner, does not wrestle with God over his sovereign will, as many people presumes. But however, they don't accept any and every affliction as God's sovereign will without clearly confirming from God.

Remain Blessed!

Emeke

Greetings Emeke,
I am from a Pentecostal background so don't think that I do not believe in faith that can move mountains. I believe in healing and I also in miracles but these things are partly based on Gods word by faith and his divine will for our lives.

Lets take a look at the example you gave us of Mr Cho. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment and ordered to pay $4.67 million in fines due to being found guilty of embezzling $12 million dollars in Church funds.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/david.yonggi.cho.money.sex.power.and.the.perils.of.church.leadership/36083.htm

I have no doubt that Mr Cho began on the right path, however, this particular doctrine of
faith does not hold any accountability towards God but rather concentrates on the principles of Gods word for personal gain.

God's word is powerful and it does not come back empty-handed. Take for instance: the Book written by Rhonda Byrnes who is not a Christian. She wrote the book called "The Secret". She uses the same principles that Woffers use based on the Word of God but Instead of giving God the glory for her success, she acknowledges the universe as the primary source of these powers.

Shalom!

1 Timothy 6
9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.


11 But you, man of God, run from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, endurance, and gentleness.12 Fight the good fight for the faith;take hold of eternal life
that you were called to and have made a good confession about in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all, and of Christ Jesus, who gave a good confession before Pontius Pilate, I charge you 14 to keep the command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[OzSpen]

In #6 I wrote:

Renowned Greek scholar of the 20th century, A. T. Robertson, agrees that the translation ought to be, “Have faith in God.” He refers us to other examples in Gal. 2:26; Rom. 3:22, 26 (Robertson 1930:361).

The citation is accurate from A T Robertson and his referring to Gal. 2:26; Rom. 3:22, 26. However, the problem is that Galatians 2 only has 21 verses. It seems that Dr Robertson could have inadvertently used Gal 2:26 when he meant Gal 2:16 which reads, "know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified".

We have faith in God/Jesus Christ and NOT the faith of God/Jesus Christ.

Or, it could be referring to Gal 2:15, "I live by faith in the Son of God". It is NOT, "I live by faith of the Son of God".

Oz

 

[emekrus]

One thing I find so ridiculous of the Christians I converse with online is that, each time someone's good teaching is cited, people always go out to dig out their errors instead of their virtuous deeds. Meanwhile, if these same individuals, should honestly dig on themselves they will have gazillion of errors that they won't even want anyone anywhere to hear of.

I just quoted a virtuous man of God-Yonggi Cho, and of all the great things the Lord has used him to do in south Korea, the only thing that can be discovered about him, is only the errors. Which of course, may be true or not. This kind of attitude that I see mostly in online conversation, kind of nauseates me, and I feel like taking it to the gutters.

Now Kenneth Hagin is being labelled metaphysical, with demonic theology. Yet Kenneth .E Hagin in his lifetime, was one of the most right living Christian that ever lived.
He lived right, and as a result of his relationship with God, God honored his ministry with divers signs and wonders.

While on the other hand, people prefer only the 'supposed' good Christian teachings that mainly denies the power of God. But just as Ken Wood said in his book, "The Supernatural Christian"; "To just be good without power, is not far from being good for nothing" (Paraphrased).

 

[Angelina]

One thing I find so ridiculous of the Christians I converse with online is that, each time someone's good teaching is cited, people always go out to dig out their errors instead of their virtuous deeds. Meanwhile, if these same individuals, should honestly dig on themselves they will have gazillion of errors that they won't even want anyone anywhere to hear of.

I just quoted a virtuous man of God-Yonggi Cho, and of all the great things the Lord has used him to do in south Korea, the only thing that can be discovered about him, is only the errors. Which of course, may be true or not. This kind of attitude that I see mostly in online conversation, kind of nauseates me, and I feel like taking it to the gutters.

Hi Emeke,
Virtuous deeds don't count for much when you are a well known leader, representing God, responsible for one of the largest Churches in the world and have been caught up in charges that question your credibility. "On Sunday, Cho told his Yoido congregation that his conviction was the hardest day of his 50 years of ministry, and said, "God forbid, if God calls me back today, I will still be able to go to the Kingdom of God," reports The Gospel Herald, which notes other details of the 78-year-old's Sunday sermon.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2014/february/founder-of-worlds-largest-megachurch-convicted-cho-yoido.html

Why would he question his "entering the Kingdom of God" if he had done nothing wrong? :huh:

My point was however, that the Word of Faith doctrine does not hold any accountability towards God but rather concentrates on the principles of Gods word for personal gain...

BLess ya!

 

[Barrd]

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, THE WORD OF FAITH, WHICH WE PREACH”—Romans 10: 8

I had attended Church meetings right from my childhood. But suffice to say, that for all those many years, I never knew what true Christianity was really all about. Until I heard the testimonies of my cousin-Prince Aniobi- who got into a denomination that preaches the WORD OF FAITH…

Who eventually got baptized in the Holy Ghost, and started practicing what he was taught as a lifestyle. And as a result, the testimonies he always shared with me, each time we got in contact, were totally dumbfounding and staggering. Yet they were very true. In fact, the evidences were undeniable.

So eventually, with time, as God will have it, I finally decided to give my life totally to God and toe the line of faith- for the rest of my life. And like my cousin, I joined the same denomination he worships at. After my first meeting in the branch I worshiped, we were informed of the Foundation Class. Where we would receive the baptism in the Holy Ghost, with the Biblical evidence of speaking in Other Tongues…

I excitedly went for it, with great expectations. After the Holy Ghost baptismal class and prayer sessions, I received the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other Tongues- along with others.
And like my cousin, as I continued attending the services and applying all I was hearing, I started duplicating the same results my cousin was getting…

I started living a sickness free, hospital free and drug free life. I started daring the things I could never dare before then, and coming out of all of them victorious by the special grace of God.

The few folks that are very close to me, who saw how I lived my life by faith, and eventually followed suit, started duplicating my testimonies-by the grace of God- especially in their health.

One of such person that is still actively living in the same testimony of perfect health till date, is my lovely wife to be- my fiancée. And by the special grace of God, I’m still enjoying a sickness free, hospital free and drug free life-amongst several other miraculous testimonies till date…

But that is not to say, I never had some challenging situations that God allowed to strengthen my faith in him. I had gotten several trying times, but the Lord God has always been faithful to give me a way out of all of them.
Because just as my Pastor-Dr. David Oyedepo- says, “It is scriptural to be challenged, but it is unscriptural to be defeated”.

In my country, many Christians are getting access to this supernatural lifestyle (the lifestyle of faith) on a daily basis, and are eternally grateful to God for it.

But eventually, since the Lord led me to start ministering the word of Righteousness and Faith- that he has given me- in the Internet, I have been (and still) aghast and bewildered at many “supposed believers” reactions to the Word of Faith.

Any biblical truth that is related to the Word of Faith, has continually received a great bashing. Yet the entire Bible- Both old and new testament- speaks of only one thing, and that is- THE WORD OF FAITH.

The other time, as I shared a message on prosperity from the revelation the Lord gave me, I received several bashing. In short, one of those commentator- with an unscriptural zeal- went as far as saying; “Give to receive garbage, is just that- garbage”.

As she wrote that, I quickly pointed out the implication of what her comment was insinuating. I pointed out to her that by making such a statement, she had inadvertently said Jesus was preaching garbage…

Because Jesus personally said; “Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bossom…” (Luke 6:38).

As she saw this hard cold truth, she just put up a baseless defense and from that time, she had been avoiding my posts. Though, I couldn’t careless, if someone avoids me for saying the truth.

If the whole gospel is to be summarized in a three word phrase, it is going to be “Word Of Faith” as the Apostle Paul rightly called it in our opening scripture (Rom 10:8).

What baffles me the most about these folks that kick against the Word of Faith -that is totally scriptural-is that they wholeheartedly believe and adhere to many anti-scriptural doctrines.

Most of them who believe that by their kicking against The Word of Faith, are the Holiest, are the meanest people you could ever converse with. From what I have observed, most of them have long tongue- which is definitely not a holy virtue.

Hence, by this article, I’m here to clear the air concerning what the Word of Faith is truly about and what it is not. I’m here to point out clearly and boldly that the Word of Faith is absolutely scriptural. As can be seen in the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ; The Acts of The Apostles; The Epistles of Paul the Apostle and the rest…

The entire book of Philippians, Galatians and Hebrews are dedicated to the Word of Faith. In short, Jesus reacted disappointingly to unbelief. The scriptures says, “He could not do much mighty works in a particular city as a result of the people’s unbelief” (Matt 13:58).

From scriptures, it is very clear that one of the greatest sin against God is unbelief. It was what made God to destroy most of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. Especially those that went to spy out the Promised Land and brought back unbelieving reports to God (Numbers 14).

Misconceptions About The Word Of Faith

Many people are against The Word of Faith Movement as a result of some misconceptions. For some, they believe the preachers of the Word of Faith are self-exalting. But on the contrary, that’s not it. Instead, when the preachers share their testimonies, they do so to encourage your faith…

When a Word of Faith Practitioner, charges the afflicted not to confess the bad situation they’re going through, they are in essence trying to help the brother or sister trust the LORD for speedy intervention.

The Word of Faith Practitioner, is never in any way meaning that he/she never goes through any challenge. But they are in essence telling you that whatever contrary situation you’re going through, is not the best of God for you (if it is, then you must ensure God told you so)…

They are only trying to lend a helping hand by trying to stir up your faith with their words. Even when some of the words are provocative, they only want to provoke you into a kind of righteous indignation, so you can quickly come out of the affliction.

I have personally seen these kind of righteous and lovely rebukes, work great and speedy miracles in the lives of some of my friends; as I charged them amidst their afflictions- and they are righteously provoked.

I can go on and on talking about the humongous benefits of the Word of Faith Movement, only that I want to be as concise as possible.

So in conclusion, I want to exhort that, if you have been having anything against The Word of Faith- probably out of misconceptions- quickly desist from it. Because to have or say anything against The Word of Faith, is to be speaking against the entire scriptures…

It is to be speaking against Jesus and His Holy Spirit- who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

Agreed-there are many fakes as much as there are so many genuine practitioners. But be that as it may, it is not a yardstick to holistically discredit the Word and the supernatural manifestations of the Almighty God. To do that, is to be falling into one of the most proliferating end time sin; which is, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5).

May you never fall into this trap in the mighty name of Jesus! May the Lord help your understanding and faith in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!

Remain Blessed!

Emeke Odili

So, I guess the Poor Widow just didn't have enough faith.
Oh, wait...

I guess every Christian who isn't living in million dollar mansions with vacation getaways in the mountains or on the beach, driving expensive brand new cars, flying their own personal jets, wearing designer clothes, etc...just doesn't have enough faith?
Or maybe they just don't know how to manipulate the gullible.
Could it be that these guys are guilty of making God's House of Prayer into a Den of Thieves?

 

[emekrus]

So, I guess the Poor Widow just didn't have enough faith.
Oh, wait...

I guess every Christian who isn't living in million dollar mansions with vacation getaways in the mountains or on the beach, driving expensive brand new cars, flying their own personal jets, wearing designer clothes, etc...just doesn't have enough faith?
Or maybe they just don't know how to manipulate the gullible.
Could it be that these guys are guilty of making God's House of Prayer into a Den of Thieves?

No Ma. That's not what we mean. Your insinuation as well as that of many others is just a misconception of what the word of faith practitioners are preaching about prosperity. Although so many baby Christians in the faith do have such notions. But that's absolutely not true.

I for one, I do preach about prosperity, but yet I still do encounter financial challenges from time to time. I have believed God for financial supply and seen him faithfully supply beyond my wildest imaginations.

Yet I don't use God's supply for extravagant living. I use God's supply for his work- such as I'm involved now online. I use God's supply to show love to others that are in need. As a matter of fact, I spend less on my self and more on the things of God and on others.

For instance, some years back, God supplied me over a million, yet I barely was managed to by a TV set in my apartment. I only managed to by a few clothes. In short, as I write now, most of my clothes are worn out, yet I still believe I'm very rich because of what the word of God says.

I know deep down my spirit, that as I continue to walk with Lord in obedience, I'll have enough, not only for myself, but also for the gospel and others.

Just like my Pastor, Dr. David Oyedepo, by divine providence, he has been sponsoring countless numbers of people in school. By divine providence, God used him to establish a Church of Fifty thounsand seating capacity. And presently, the Church is embarking on a 100 thousand seating capacity, stadium-like cathedral in other to accommodate the humongous revival that the Lord is presently giving the Church.

So what the Word of Faith believes about prosperity, is that, God blesses his Children to be a blessing to others. Just the same way he did to Abraham.

 

[Barrd]

No Ma. That's not what we mean. Your insinuation as well as that of many others is just a misconception of what the word of faith practitioners are preaching about prosperity. Although so many baby Christians in the faith do have such notions. But that's absolutely not true.

I for one, I do preach about prosperity, but yet I still do encounter financial challenges from time to time. I have believed God for financial supply and seen him faithfully supply beyond my wildest imaginations.

Yet I don't use God's supply for extravagant living. I use God's supply for his work- such as I'm involved now online. I use God's supply to show love to others that are in need. As a matter of fact, I spend less on my self and more on the things of God and on others.

For instance, some years back, God supplied me over a million, yet I barely was managed to by a TV set in my apartment. I only managed to by a few clothes. In short, as I write now, most of my clothes are worn out, yet I still believe I'm very rich because of what the word of God says.

I know deep down my spirit, that as I continue to walk with Lord in obedience, I'll have enough, not only for myself, but also for the gospel and others.

Just like my Pastor, Dr. David Oyedepo, by divine providence, he has been sponsoring countless numbers of people in school. By divine providence, God used him to establish a Church of Fifty thounsand seating capacity. And presently, the Church is embarking on a 100 thousand seating capacity, stadium-like cathedral in other to accommodate the humongous revival that the Lord is presently giving the Church.

So what the Word of Faith believes about prosperity, is that, God blesses his Children to be a blessing to others. Just the same way he did to Abraham.

Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

A couple of Bible characters come to mind.
Ananais and Sapphira, who died trying to hang on to their wealth
The rich young ruler, who missed the Kingdom of Heaven rather than give up his
The poor widow at the Temple with her two mites

1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Obviously, this chasing after wealth is not scriptural...