WHY I LEFT THE WORD OF FAITH AND RHEMA by John Edwards
https://ucministries.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/on-the-word-of-faith-heresy-by-john-edwards/
31 FACTS ABOUT THE WORD OF FAITH by John Edwards.
The following are a few facts about the dangerous and deceptive Word of Faith Movement which is sweeping the Body of Christ with it’s lies and faulty theology:
1) The Word of Faith heresy is a hybrid religion that is a blend of New Age ideas and Charismatic excesses.
2) It was founded by a Baptist Preacher that was heavily influenced by the mind science teachers of his day including Mary Baker Eddy. He brought in many New Age and Mind Science teachings and blended them with scripture twisted out of context.
3) The Word of Faith Theology was further developed by a man that claimed at least eight visitations from Jesus Christ. In each of these visits this preacher was given extra revelation and extra biblical insight.
4) This preacher boasted for years that he walked in Divine health although he was being treated for heart disease with medication.
5) This preacher’s message was a blend of the Word of God and his visions. He often taught the Word of God in light of his visions.
6) This is very similar to the Prophet Joseph Smith that claimed extra revelation through visits from Jesus and God as he founded the Mormon church.
7) Most of the highest regarded Word of Faith teachers have not been to a legitimate seminary. Most of them were self taught from listening to tapes from other Word of Faith teachers.
8) The Word of Faith Movement is anchored on one passage of scripture that is found in Mark 11:23-24. In this passage Jesus used a common, everyday Jewish hyperbole to teach his inner circle Apostles to believe in the power of God. The Word of Faith preachers have distorted the Greek text and the meaning of this passage to build an entire religion that revolves around faith and words as a means to obtain health and wealth.
9) Although the Word of Faith leaders do extensive teaching on faith and healing, it does not bear fruit in their own lives. Many of them died of tumors, cancer and heart disease.
10) Although the Word of Faith teachers love to minister from the 91st Psalm about God’s prophetic protection of the Messiah, they themselves live in constant fear and have numerous body guards and ushers.
11) The Word of Faith Message is centered on the prosperity scriptures that were meant for Israel under the Old Covenant. They emphasis tithing and sowing seeds as a means to obtain wealth. The Word of Faith Movement is obsessed with wealth and materialism and the worship of money.
12) The Word of Faith leaders teach that Jesus was wealthy although the scripture is very clear that he was not.
13) The Word of Faith leaders place thousands of well meaning believers under extreme pressure and condemnation by telling them outlandish and half true testimonies.
14) The Word of Faith leaders do an enormous amount of teaching on submission to authority, walking in love, and staying away from being offended. This produces a fearful cult like atmosphere in their churches. It keeps people from expressing hurts and concerns. It makes people feel like they cannot leave their church for any reason.
15) Many of the prominent Word of Faith teachers live the lifestyles of the rich and famous and flaunt it as a testimony of God’s favor while the people that are sending in their money are regarded as nothing.
16) The Word of Faith ministers are dishonest with scripture, often completely distorting it to rhyme with their doctrines.
18) Word of Faith ministers love to boast and brag about their faith and what their faith has done for them.
19) That is because it is called the Word of FAITH. It is a religion that revolves around faith instead of a religion that has faith in God. They teach faith in faith and faith in words.
20) The Word of Faith leaders teach that we are little gods and that we can act and perform much as God can. This also is a distortion of scripture and another thing that the Word of Faith has in common with the Mormons.
21) Word of Faith theology rejects the blood of Jesus as the sufficient atonement for our sins.
22) Word of Faith theology teaches that Jesus did not use His Divinity while on the earth while the Bible teaches that He was fully God and in total control at every moment.
23) The Word of Faith Movement teaches that words spoken from a human have inherent and creative power of their own.
24) Word of Faith teaches that Jesus said that you will have what you say, which is not what He said.
25) The Word of Faith theology depends on the King James translation of Mark 11:23-24
26) The same passage is found also in Matthew 21, and is worded quite differently, causing all the faith formulas based on Mark 11:23-24 to be out of whack.
27) The Word of Faith is humanism. It puts man in charge and God in the backseat.
28) The Word of Faith Movement misrepresents the character of Job.
29) The Word of Faith takes numerous passages from the New Testament and completely butchers them to fit their doctrine.
30) The Word of Faith creates fear, bondage, and a distorted unbiblical viewpoint of God.
31) The Word of Faith emphasises success and prosperity while Jesus stressed suffering and humility.
I will think of hundreds of other things after I post this, but these 31 facts are indeed facts. The Word of Faith is a cult because it is led by people claiming special insight and revelation that is unorthodox. They also attempt to control their subjects with fear, manipulation and bullying.
The Word of Faith is the Doctrine of Devils. It is an evil message that kills people and wrecks lives.
Please do not be afraid to look at the evidence. I was too afraid to examine the evidence because I wanted things my way. The Word of Faith put me in charge of my own life, and I liked that. But when I got up the courage to begin to read and study, God opened my eyes with truth and freedom. I am no longer in the cult!
Point 17) is missing from the article. Not sure of the reason.