Tag Archive: deception

I Need Taller Boots (or a Big Shovel)

This article is about properly processing profound preaching.

You saw what I just did there, right? The alliteration with the “pr” sound? It’s one of a number of techniques used in sermons to make the message seem more profound, more deep. Other techniques are to add corresponding background music, strategic pausing, rhythmic verbal pacing, and instructions to “turn to your neighbor and say…”, and even sprinkling in some impressive Greek and Hebrew.

Rhyming seems to have a similar effect. Here’s an example I heard recently: “You’re not a loser, you’re a chooser!” Well, since you put it that way, Amen! That’s certainly an easier way to stamp a message on the brain than something less succinct and memorable like, “In spite of your mistakes, shortcomings and even failures, you can still be an achiever in life because you can control the decisions you make for yourself that can impact your short- and long-term success.” Snore. Both statements are true and can inspire. But rhyming packs more punch, doesn’t it?

Rhyming, alliteration, tone and voice inflections, even background music to set the mood – all of these are powerful tools in effective communication. Generally, they draw added attention and emphasis to a presenter’s point. Sometimes I use alliteration and rhyming in my article titles and content for that same purpose. (Hmm, how can I add music to my blog posts?) Even if I didn’t, there’s still nothing wrong with it.

Except if the message itself is powerful enough without all the bells and whistles. Or worse, if it’s done with ulterior motives. If they’re done out of tradition, as we see in historically Black denominations, or just out of an individual preacher’s personal style, there’s no problem with that. But often such techniques are used in some Christian circles specifically in order to make a message appear more real and true, as though God’s Word actually needs help.

Some of these preachers use these techniques to illicit more head nods, Amens, hand-waving and other outward affirmations – get this – even if, or especially if, what’s being said is not quite biblically right. They are used for the specific purpose of tapping into the hearers’ emotions more than their intellect. Not always to the exclusion of the intellect, but to have the emotions more than the intellect be what makes the hearer decide how profound, how deep, how true the preacher’s message is. “How was church yesterday?” “Oh, pastor was on point!” “That’s great! What was his message about?” “I don’t really remember, but he had me dancing in the aisles!”

Please don’t misunderstand me. Let me say again that there’s nothing inherently wrong with using various techniques to heighten emotion, particularly when it’s warranted. If a preacher wants to shout at the top of his lungs that “Christ is risen!”, then – praise God! – I’ma shout it, too, if I want. Not because the Gospel needs our help to have real meaning, but because shouting can be a completely organic, Holy Spirit-generated response to an everlastingly awesome truth. He is risen, indeed! PRAISE JESUS!!

It’s just that shouting it – or rhyming it, or adding music to it – doesn’t make it true. And not shouting it, or not nodding to it, or not saying Amen on cue, doesn’t make it less true. It’s true because it’s true. And that makes it profound and deep without all the clever oratory and musical accompaniment.

What’s more, the degree to which a hearer is or is not outwardly demonstrative has absolutely nothing to do with how spiritual or unspiritual they really are. I know too many believers who show little emotion during a powerful sermon but who demonstrate the truths of God’s Word through the fruit they consistently bear in their daily walk with Christ. And I know too many other people who are quick to dance in the aisles at church as if they weren’t just dancing at the pole at the club the night before.

But I digress.

Sometimes people respond outwardly to a technique-filled sermon because they feel they have to. As I discuss in my article, The Emperor has no Clothes, nobody wants to appear like they don’t “get it.” That’s where the “taller boots” come in. “I must need taller boots,” a person might think, “because this sounds so deep, and everybody’s amen-ing and waving their hands, but I don’t understand a word of it.” Especially after the preacher has a habit of saying things like, “Come on, somebody!” or “Y’all ain’t hearing me!” or “You’re not ready for this!” or “I know this is going to sound crazy but…”

Sometimes taller boots are in order. Sometimes a sermon or message can honestly be over our heads. That’s okay, because it’s nothing that a follow-up email to the pastor requesting further explanation, or more personal reading and study, along with prayer for the Holy Spirit’s illumination, can’t fix. Many portions of the Bible are hard to understand. They are very profound, they are very deep. So, kudos to any preacher who can break it down, and to any hearer whose boots are already tall enough to grasp it or who desires taller boots. It’s worth the extra elbow grease.

But we all know, there are too many preachers who just simply fake the funk. They want so much to be affirmed. They work so desperately to lead a big church. They need so badly to be better than their peers (e.g., “Preachers of L.A.” and “Preachers of Detroit”). They desire so strongly to be invited to the table of the “Big Dogs” like T.D. Jakes or Creflo Dollar. So they rely heavily on clever techniques to prove they are spiritually profound, able to wax “elephants,” just as “anointed” as the competition (and isn’t that sad), and just as able to move people to dance in the aisles with their tithes in hand.

In my genuine passion, I’m using repetition myself right now to help me get my own point across. So, again, my problem is not that techniques are being used. My problem is that too often the motive behind the use of them is self-serving. I get no personal benefit with my use of technique here. Can we say the same for some of these preachers out there?

One of the worst self-serving techniques is changing the Word of God, twisting it just enough – or outright butchering it – to give people what they want to hear instead of what God has for them to hear. The goal is self-serving because it gets more people to go to your church, which equates ultimately to more money.

But greed isn’t the only motivation for these preachers. Pride causes them to try to come up with a new “revelation” (gimmick) so that they’ll seem hyper-anointed and untouchable in scholarly biblical knowledge. Or they’ll invent new doctrine by taking Holy Scripture out of context to fit what they’re doing in their personal lives.

Jamal Bryant, pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore, did this shortly after his adultery was exposed. He preached a sermon entitled, “I’m Still the Man,” (on YouTube) based on when the prophet Nathan told King David, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7 NIV) after David’s adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband. Bryant took a moment of harsh rebuke against David from God’s Word and turned it around into our modern-day euphemism, “You the man!” Uh, Jamal, did you read the whole story (starting at verse 1)? Nathan was not paying David a compliment!

Tourè Roberts, pastor of One Church in Hollywood, justified divorcing his wife of almost 20 years by twisting the scripture that says, “What God has put together, let no man put asunder” into the point that it wasn’t God who put him and his first wife together, so he wasn’t disobeying. Shortly thereafter, he then married Sarah Jakes this past fall, borrowing from his new, mega-famous father-in-law TD Jakes’ bizarre interpretation from the creation story about how Tourè and Sarah were soul mates from before the foundation of the world. Sarah was his rib, while his first wife was just a place holder. (My husband’s internet radio show, “What Does the Bible Say?”, did a four-part series entitled “Tourè Roberts’ Soul Mates Message from Hell,” which you can listen to at http://www.latalkradio.com/Bible.php and scroll down to the October 26 – November 16, 2014 archived broadcasts.)

Creflo Dollar, pastor of World Changers International in Atlanta, is particularly notorious for waxing elephants with wildly unbiblical doctrine – so much so that my husband, who watches him and TD Jakes almost daily and records their programs regularly, has dubbed Dollar’s show, “Word Changers.” Over the years Dollar has preached that the tithe is the “covenant connector” between God and believers (oh yeah, and then there’s the Cross, too), that God has to bless us with material “stuff,” and most lately that believers’ sins don’t block God’s blessings since there’s no condemnation in Christ. He is such an engaging speaker, and he delivers his messages as if this crap is obviously true, how could you not “get it.” Dollar knows psychology (I think he has a degree in it) and if you’re not careful, he’ll make you think the problem is, not his false teaching, but you.

But I’m here to tell you, you don’t need taller boots, you need a big shovel to dig yourself out of that mess. The shovel is the Word of God, your Bible. As hard as much of it may be to understand, we Christians have to stop being afraid of it or lazy with it. The Bible is not as hard to read and grasp as we allow ourselves to think, and as some of these preachers want us to believe. Put more trust and confidence in the reading comprehension skills the Good Lord gave you, that we all started learning in Kindergarten, and that you use every waking moment in every other area of your life where reading is involved.

Forgive me if I’m being condescending, and I know that reading and writing don’t have to be everybody’s favorite things like they are mine. But I urge all of us to give ourselves more credit when it comes to understanding the Bible, comprehending its principles for practical Christian thinking and living even in the 21st Century, and becoming increasingly able to distinguish between biblical truth and false doctrine.

False doctrine is dangerous. It can provide immediate gratification but no preparation when fear, doubt or difficult times come. And they will come. It can give you a false sense of hope so that, when you learn the hard way that you’ve been knee-deep in profound crap, you might abandon the faith altogether because you haven’t been given any real direction on how to get out of it. It gives you a distorted view of Almighty God, so that you see Him more as your magic genie than as your merciful Lord. This can then lead you to being a bad witness to non-believers, only fueling their reasons for continuing to reject Jesus.

How is it that critics of the Gospel can see right through these manipulative preachers and so many of us can’t? Why do we keep our Bibles closed but put all our trust in this preachers? They’re only dangling carrots with their empty promises of prosperity, deliverance, “your best life now,” “purpose,” “destiny” and “becoming who you are in Christ.” And yet, time after time after time, the masses cling to their every word in spite of the fact that there’s no lasting joy or peace for the vast majority of them, even though they keep hoping beyond hope that this year will finally be their “season.”

Besides, how can I “become” what I already “am” in Christ? And how can I block my “destiny” when by definition I’m already destined for it? And what in the world does “walking in purpose” even mean? We have only one purpose as Christians: to glorify God on this earth. These trendy, New Millennium buzz words in the Christian church are nothing more than a smokescreen over an agenda to glorify our own dreams, our own empowerment, our own greatness – and, of course, the mighty men and women of God who so profoundly bestowed upon us such great revelations.

And that’s idolatry.

Or maybe it’s me who doesn’t “get it.” Maybe I’m the one who needs taller boots. Nope, not even for a moment should I think that. I’m no Bible snob, I have no formal training, I have no special insight into Scripture. I’ve just been reading the Bible throughout my Christian life, studying it for research and writing purposes, asking questions about things I don’t understand (still have to do that), measuring everything anybody else says by it (including my pastor husband at his insistence), and seeing the Lord confirm it over and over again. Every time I read it, I get something new out of it. Not new revelation, because all Scripture is already thoroughly profitable (2 Timothy 3:15-17); but new illumination, new insight, new growth. I just read it and practice it as best as I can. What’s so special or hard about that?

If we’re not careful, or if our own hearts are focused more on getting from God than on giving to Him, we’re more than just knee-deep in the crap of profound false doctrine. We’re in quicksand.

When you find yourself sinking fast in quicksand, you need a long and sturdy lifeline, and somebody strong and steady enough themselves to be able to help pull you out. I promise you, it’s not yet another “deep” but empty pep talk from some self-impressed preacher with a knack for working a crowd and giving them everything they want to hear but very little of what they really need. You’ll feel good and motivated for a minute, until life hits during the week and you’re back to square one, needing that emotional fix that’s waiting for your return, and your tithe, each and every Sunday.

Let the Holy Bible be your lifeline. Let God’s precious Word be your “fix.” You don’t need to wait for Sunday’s “deep” sermon to be nourished and encouraged during the week. Most of us have more than one Bible at our disposal 24/7, including tablet and smartphone apps. Just read it. Regularly. And consistently. You’ll soon see just how much of it you really can understand. Biblical principles, hundreds of fulfilled prophecies, awesome miracles, valuable life lessons, the resurrection of Jesus, the sweet story of the Gospel, and the anticipation of eternal life with God in heaven – all of the Bible is profound enough without preachers adding their superfluous dramatics and doctrinal twists.

The love of God, His majesty and power, His compassion and grace, His immeasurable wisdom, and His magnificent plan for the redemption of mankind through Jesus Christ are plainly and simply presented in the Bible. Any preacher who knowingly and willfully changes it should be avoided and exposed unless and until he repents.

Perhaps my next article will be about judging.

In the meantime, maybe you can start your reading habit with the following passages: Acts 17:11; Romans 16:17-18; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Timothy 6:2c-3:10; 2 Timothy 3:1-7; 3:15-17; 4:1-4. Then, read the Gospel of John or Luke, the Book of Acts, and/or the Book of Romans.

I welcome your comments, except if they’re purposely offensive and resort to calling me out of my name because I’ve made you mad but you have no better way to refute what I’m saying.

Thank you to my sister in the Lord, Denice Todd, for letting me borrow “I need taller boots” for the title of this article. I began writing this article before I became aware of Tourè Roberts’ (pastor of One Church in Hollywood) Resurrection Day sermon, which you can see and hear on YouTube.

NOprah

Some people have just way too much power. Oprah Winfrey is one of them. When Oprah speaks, people listen. The problem is who is listening.

I’m talking about Christians here. Who is listening is who is giving her the power; and the more who listen, the more power she’s given and the more liberty she takes. In fact, Beliefnet.com (an ecumenical website) did an informal survey that found that, out of its 6,600 respondents, a whopping 33% said Oprah Winfrey had “a more profound impact” on their spiritual lives than their pastors and priests. From a biblical perspective, that’s unacceptable.

It doesn’t matter that Oprah said “I am a Christian” or that the Black Christian News Network (BCNN) has defended her claim. The “faith” Oprah professes to believe in is not the faith of Jesus Christ as set forth in God’s Word, the Bible. Hers is a New Age “gospel” that has wormed its way into homes via the television and gained control first over gullible women (see 2 Timothy 3:6-7) and now everyone who doesn’t know their Bible.

It’s one thing to be successful, rich and influential in the secular world. But when that power draws in Christians, now I’m upset. Oprah has infiltrated the Christian Church, and we continue to let her do it.

You see, after decades of first winning over housewives and then building a formidable, billion-dollar, multifaceted media empire, in recent years Oprah has expanded into a real spiritual leader who has been able to make the likes of T.D. Jakes and Joel Osteen — mega-stars with mega Christian followings — actually tip-toe around the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And the more they tip-toe, the more she gives them a platform.

At the same time they’re tip-toeing, and while Oprah’s influence over Christians grows every day, you have the likes of the Preachers of L.A. and their baffoonery undermining the Gospel in a different way. That’s a topic for another whole blog article, but it’s enough to say for now that there is a war raging against biblical Christianity on several different but simultaneous fronts, made possible in huge part by gullible Christians in love with Oprah.

How can I be so sure that’s what’s happening? Well, I’m not the only one who sees it. Read this 2011 Huffington Post article, “How Oprah Became America’s Pastor.”  Yes, you read that right: Oprah has been called “America’s pastor”! This article explains when and how Opray Winfrey has arrived to the point of being considered a spiritual leader and not just a media mogul.

I won’t duplicate what you can read for yourself in that article, but I will say that stumbling upon it in the course of my research only served to confirm what is already easy to observe about Oprah’s infiltration into the Christian Church.

Think about it. The only possible reason why Oprah would give T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen or any other professing Christian a platform in the first place is because of their watered-down “gospel.” When the true Gospel is preached, it brings conviction for sin, with either of two results: angry rejection or a soul like the 3,000 who, after being cut to the heart by Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-39), said, Brothers, what shall we do? and then became born-again. If Oprah’s buddies Jakes and Osteen were preaching the true Gospel of salvation from hell, Oprah would either stop giving them a platform (like she did to that young lady on her show years prior who was professing Jesus as the only way), or start using more of her platform to spread the Good News herself. If the true Gospel were being preached to Oprah Winfrey, then she would either reject them or reject her New Age beliefs. At least by now.

Instead, she has done neither and in fact has in effect morphed the two messages together. Oprah readily aligns herself with Jakes and Osteen because, apparently, she is comfortable with their message. And sadly, so must they be with hers. I can’t help but believe they must think they can win her over to Christ. But what’s happened instead is that their compromising has weakened their message into something that’s no longer a match against her power and influence. A message that’s about God’s love to save one’s life more than one’s soul. A message that is so contrary to Holy Scripture yet so compatible with Oprah’s own pre-conceived spiritual worldview. In other words, their messages overlap enough to make for a mutually comfortable partnership. And I believe they overlapped long before Oprah’s “Life Class,” “Next Chapter” or “Super Soul Sunday” were ever first conceived.

All Oprah had to do in 2012 was say, “I am a Christian.” Apparently, that was enough for Jakes and Osteen to partner with her, for BCNN to defend her, and for Christians to blindly empower her. Because when she speaks, people listen, no questions asked. It’s Oprah, after all.

I told you I was upset. Aren’t you? There is so much evidence even on Oprah’s own platforms that what she defines as “a Christian” is worlds apart from — not what Jakes and Osteen present, but what the Bible clearly says. Her so-called “christianity” is really a New Age distortion that says God is an impersonal “force” that (not Who) is “in” all things, and our goal as spiritual beings is to tap into the “god” in each of us.

Furthermore, even more than she endorses Jakes and Osteen, Oprah endorses New Age authors such as Deepak Chopra, Eckert Tolle, Marianne Williamson and The Secret‘s Rhonda Byrne. They all teach heretical and occultic principles that put people at the center of their own universe where there is no sin, no doctrine, no heaven or hell, Jesus didn’t come to die on the cross, man made God in his image and not the other way around, and you yourself have divine power to create your own reality here on earth. What Osteen might call “Your Best Life Now” as evidenced by what Jakes would call your own “Instinct.”

This cannot be over-stated. If Oprah were truly a born-again, blood-bought, new creature in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit would not allow her to be comfortable partnering with Deepak Chopra for their “21 Days of Meditation” program. Chopra is globally famous as a New Age guru who, at best, preaches a different “Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians 1:8-9; 1 Timothy 6:3-4). At worst, his teachings are occultic because they encourage practices such as the Law of Attraction, which is popular in witchcraft.

To be fair, maybe as a babe in Christ (if she truly is in Christ at all), Oprah just doesn’t know better yet. Perhaps she’s excused, then. But then what’s Jakes’ and Osteen’s excuse? They are supposedly Bible experts, right? Have they not read those same three passages — 2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians 1:8-9; 1 Timothy 6:3-4 — along with 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:11; and 2 John 1:10-11, just to name a few warnings they could have shared with Oprah? At least by now?

I literally gasped out loud recently when, while scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, I came upon the post of a precious sister in The Lord about how she was enjoying following Oprah’s and Chopra’s “21 Days of Meditation” program. My friend qualified her participation by saying in effect that she was using Jesus Christ as her focus for the daily meditation exercises.

Unfortunately, that does not make it okay. That’s like putting a square peg in a round hole. If you force it, something has to give or break, and somebody’s going to get hurt. Christianity and the occult are polar opposites, and so much so that you can’t morph the two together in hopes that everybody will just get along.

So, I immediately prayed about how to handle my friend’s post (see Why I’m Reluctant) and felt compelled not to just let it be. Of course, I had a choice to either make a public comment or send her a private message. I chose to comment publicly for the sake of her many Facebook friends and followers who might accept it because she accepts it. I kept it simple and just said that her post almost brought me to tears (it really did), and then I put “Ephesians 5:11.” I didn’t quote the verse but just gave its address.

Within minutes, my comment had been deleted. That’s okay because, if nothing else, at least my precious sister saw it and hopefully already knew or looked up Ephesians 5:11, which says: Have nothing to do with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather expose them. And maybe she didn’t bother looking it up, in which case I’m still at peace because all I can do is present it. It’s up to you what you do or don’t do with it.

Maybe she just doesn’t know better either. People can genuinely just not know.

And that’s why I’m writing this article.

If you don’t know that, biblically speaking, it is wrong for Christians to affirm Oprah Winfrey as a spiritual leader even if Jakes and Osteen mistakenly have; and if you don’t know that Oprah adheres to New Age beliefs; and if you don’t know that New Age doctrine is anti-biblical and heretical; and if you don’t know that Jakes and Osteen have a compromised, watered-down, let’s-not-ruffle-Oprah’s-feathers kind of message that condones rather than exposes her and Chopra’s false teachings, consider yourself now informed.

To really help you see the danger of following Oprah Winfrey as a spiritual leader or why it’s wrong for Jakes, Osteen, you or me to compromise our faith for the sake of showing social tolerance, if you’re really serious, please look at the below Scriptures and consider them in their proper contexts on your own. It’s up to you now what you will do with God’s Word about Oprah Winfrey. Choose this day whom you will serve: those who follow and empower Oprah, or those who follow and serve the one true and living God, Jesus Christ?

John 14:6 — Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 — Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 — But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

Galatians 1:6-9 — I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

Ephesians 5:8-12 — For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

2 Peter 2:1-3 — But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

2 John 1:7-11 — I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.

Please leave a comment and I will endeavor to reply as soon as possible.

“Abracadabra!”: Serious Errors of the “Decree & Declare” Doctrine – Part 1

We usually associate the word “abracadabra” with (supposedly) harmless magic tricks. But do you know its origins? Do you know what it means?

Do you realize that for the same function a magician will say, “Abracadabra!” to pull a rabbit out of a hat, Christians will say, “I decree and declare!” to conjure up their own supernatural experiences?

And no wonder! “Abracadabra” is a real word with a real meaning: “I create as I speak” (Aramaic), or “It came to pass as it was spoken” (Hebrew). If you don’t see the parallel here with the “you have what you say” practice among Christians’ trying to literally speak their wants, dreams and desires into existence, then you refuse to see it, or you’re willfully biblically ignorant.

I don’t mean to be insulting or unduly harsh, but this is serious. There’s just so much “decreeing and declaring” going on in the church these days — just the latest version of the age-old false doctrine of the Word Faith movement that insists “naming and claiming,” “blabbing and grabbing,” “confessing and possessing” and similar “positive confession” in the name of Jesus will supposedly change one’s circumstances. We have to be careful not to practice anything as followers of Christ without knowing for ourselves whether or not we should, and why.

The fact that pastors and television preachers are the ones teaching us to speak “positivity” over our circumstances, as they dangle in front of us enticing carrots of health, wealth and prosperity, is not enough to make the practice okay. We have to think for our own selves so no one can lead us into a cleverly disguised trap — a trap filled with dashed hopes of a better life now, but in reality having no meaningful, eternal impact for saving lost souls or storing up treasures in heaven.

That’s why I want to share with you some of the serious errors of the “Decree & Declare” doctrine. In this Part 1, I briefly show how “decreeing and declaring” is akin to certain false religions, cults and abominable occultish practices. In Part 2, Lord willing, I will look at seven Scriptures that proponents of “decreeing and declaring” use to try to support the practice among Christians, and how they take those Scriptures horribly out of context.

Read through this article and the next with an objective (unbiased) mind. Check me out against the Scriptures offered, but in their proper context. Pray the Holy Spirit will illuminate for you His Word on the subject. If you feel I’m the one in error, tell me in the spirit of brotherly Christian love for the sake of unity in the truth. At the very least, if you read this to the end, consider yourself informed and therefore accountable for what you do with it, especially if you practice “decreeing and declaring.”

“Decreeing & Declaring” is Akin to the Occult

In New Testament times and today, Gnosticism was and is a false, cultic religion that mixes distorted elements of Christianity with mythology and mysticism. How does this relate to the topic at hand? Because an ancient Gnostic sect used the word “abracadabra” as a magical incantation to invoke “friendly” spirits for healing and deliverance.

How many times have Christians, wanting to invoke the Holy Spirit, “decreed and declared” healing and deliverance?!

I suspect a lot of “decreeing and declaring” Christians don’t realize, the idea that our words have power to literally make positive things happen in our lives is not new, and not unique to Christian circles. It’s really just an extension of the metaphysical idea the Gnostics and others have had, that man’s thoughts have power to literally bring things into being. No doubt you’ve noticed, “Positive Thinking” is commonly talked about and advised in various secular fields as well, including medical and mental health, advanced education, self-improvement and business. Furthermore, it is foundational to the teachings of other false religions and New Age movements besides Gnosticism, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Christian Science, Science of Mind and Unity, among others.

“Decreeing and declaring” among Christians is very similar to this same principle of “positive thinking” and extends it to the practice of “positive confessing.” Now, “confession” really does mean speaking in agreement with what God has already said. But the problem comes in when the practice of saying what God has said (and when did He ever say to decree and declare cars, houses, wealth, etc.?) becomes like a formula a person puts into practice in order to get what they want for themselves in this life. Christians are being taught and are encouraging others to practice “decreeing and declaring” things and being told that God has to — has to — do it.

The fact that this practice is couched in Christian terms, with “In Jesus’ Name” tacked on at the end, does not legitimize it. It’s still “abracadabra.” Saying things for the purpose of “I create as I speak” or “It came to pass as it was spoken” is a form of divination and witchcraft, which God considers abominable and is clearly something for His people to avoid (Deuteronomy 18:10-14).

If we Christians go around “decreeing and declaring” positive things over our lives the same way a magician says, “Abracadabra!” or a cancer-stricken mind-sciencer says, “I am well! I am well!” or a Buddhist watching CNN (do they?) says, “Inner peace! Inner peace!”, we are disobeying our Heavenly Father. Such utterances and the meditations associated with them are incantations by Godless people. We should want to be so in line with our Lord that we avoid doing anything that looks even close to what they do when what they do is clearly and vehemently forbidden.

In closing this Part 1, I’m reminded of the movie I saw for the first time just today (God’s providence!) called “Now You See Me.” One of the characters said something like this: “Magic is about deception, but it’s designed for entertainment and fun.” Isn’t that part of its deception? To make us think it’s harmless fun? Since when is deception fun? And in the context of serious biblical concerns (versus planning a surprise party), since when is deception harmless? It is no accident that the real meaning of the magic word “abracadabra” is very similar to the “you have what you say” mentality of the doctrine of “Decreeing & Declaring.”

So, stop it.

Please leave your comments and I will reply at my earliest opportunity. Part 2 will look at Scriptures proponents take way out of context to prove “Decreeing & Declaring” is for Christians, starting with Job 22:28 which says, Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways (NJV).

 

7 Reasons Why Truth Really Matters

A comic tells the story of how one night when they were kids, he and his brother kept jumping on the bed despite their father’s repeated warnings. Of course, the predictable happens: the bed finally breaks. Startled, Dad rushes to their room, sees the broken bed and demands an explanation.

“Dad, a strange man came through the window while we were trying to sleep. And he kept jumping on the bed ‘til it broke. And then he ran away.”

“But you don’t have a window!”

“Oh, he brought that with him!”

It’s not hard to imagine what that father could have thought about his kids at that moment. Quick thinkers, yes. Creative, yes. Clever? Maybe. Smart? No way!

What does our Heavenly Father think of us when we lie? We might be as quick-thinking, creative and clever as we want to be, but only a fool thinks he can fool God. Of course, any of us can stumble and lie, and most of us aren’t actually thinking, “Oh, I can fool Almighty God.” But still, only a fool forgets that God is always watching.

Okay, sure, the truth hurts sometimes. The truth tends to expose fault, error or weakness, and when it exposes us, who really wants to face it? Whether by denying it, twisting it, covering it up, or pretending it’s not important, we’re all intimidated by it at some level. It’s okay to “keep it 100” in life…but not so much when it messes with our comfort zones.

Still, we can’t get away from the fact that truth really does matter, and only the fool thinks it doesn’t.

It’s one thing not to know the truth, or to not be aware of the truth in any given situation or context. It’s entirely something else to not value the truth. Only a fool devalues the truth. Whereas the wise person will appreciate the truth by seeking it out, loving it, keeping it close and standing up for it, the fool will ignore it, deny it, twist it, embellish it, pervert it or in some other way reject it.

Does this sound too strong? It’s only to arrest our (I’m including myself) attention to just how much, and why, truth really matters. If we are like those kids in that crucial moment of truth-or-lie decision, and God is like their father demanding accountability, is it not foolish for us to think we can pull the wool over our Father’s eyes? Is it not foolish to think we can avoid accountability by lying before the very One who already knows the truth? Is it not foolish and prideful to think our cleverness provides more security than our Father’s own loving mercy?

But the real truth is, there’s so much more to truth than just the painful side of it once it catches up with us. With a biblical understanding of “truth” – a word used at least 234 times in God’s Word – we will actually want to seek it out in every area of belief, attitude, purpose and conduct of life:

  • Truth in heart attitude.
  • Truth in daily living.
  • Truth in relationships.
  • Truth in serving.
  • Truth in good works.
  • Truth in worship.
  • Truth in witnessing.
  • Truth in Christian doctrine.
  • Truth in one’s own faith in Jesus Christ.

We need a more balanced understanding. The truth hurts sometimes, yes. But it also blesses and, if nothing else, God hates the alternative. Here are seven reasons why truth – God’s truth – really matters:

1. God’s Word, the Bible, is Truth.
Jesus said to the Father in heaven, Your word is truth (John 17:17b). The Bible is God’s truth because it consists of the inspired thoughts, words, commandments and prophecies from the mind and heart of Almighty God Himself; and it is profitable for equipping us to live godly in an ungodly world (2 Timothy 3:16-17ff). In light of that, the Bible is clearly mankind’s only reliable guiding help for every aspect of life as a follower of Jesus. That’s why reading the Bible is foundational to knowing how to – and that you can – operate in the truth with confidence.

2. Truth is trustworthy.
The Lord is our God of truth who cannot lie (Deuteronomy 32:4; Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:1-2). Everything He does is true and consistent (Psalm 19:9; 25:10; 33:4; 57:10; 85:10; 89:14; 96:13; Isaiah 25:1). His truth endures forever (Ps 117:2; 119:160; 146:6). How comforting to know that God’s truth is one of the most powerful things we can lay hold to in this life.

3. Truth saves us.
John 17:17 infers that believers are sanctified by the truth. Plus, Jesus told Pilate, Everyone that is of the truth hears My voice (John 18:37). Why His voice? Because not only is Jesus the very embodiment of truth (John 1:14), He is the only embodiment of it because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Therefore, only those who accept Jesus accept the Truth, and only those who accept the Truth receive salvation onto eternal life (John 14:6 with John 1:14,17; 16:13; Exodus 34:6).

4. Truth protects us.
Truth is the very first piece of the whole armor of God that Christians are to put on (Ephesians 6:14-17). Also, the upright person who speaks the truth in his heart will abide with the heavenly Father (Psalm 15:1-2). Even the greatest kind of love, love that never fails, protects our joy because it rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6; Zechariah 8:16; John 4:24; Romans 2:8; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; 1 Timothy 4:6; 6:35; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 4:3-4; 1 Peter 1:22).

5. God hates lying.
Our Heavenly Father literally hates the alternative to truth: lying (e.g., Psalm 119:163; Proverbs 12:22). And so should we (Proverbs 13:5). That’s because no lie is of the truth (1 John 2:21), because the devil, in whom there is no truth, is the father of lying (John 8:44), and God tells us not to give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). I can’t help but think in particular of all the wolves in sheep’s clothing today who go about deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13) by false doctrines that tickle the ears and fill their own bellies but emaciate the soul.

6. Lying brings worse consequences.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14; cf. Galatains 6:7). In the long-term, truth, even when it hurts, is so much easier to deal with than the complicated chain of lies each previous lie requires – not to mention the consequences God promises will follow (Psalms 63:11; Proverbs 12:19; 19:5). Anyone who practices lying, especially the lie that God doesn’t exist, faces consequences for eternity (Psalms 101:7). Sins, including lies, often result in calamities (e.g., Isaiah. 59; Acts 5:1-11). But all liars are among those who shall have their part in the lake of fire that burns forever (Revelation 21:8).

7. Truth sets us free.
Jesus said, If you continue in My word, then you are My disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32). The truth – the real truth – offers freedom! Freedom to rest in truth’s saving grace! Freedom to rely on God’s protection in all earthly and spiritual matters of truth! Freedom to think, live and grow by the guiding wisdom of truth! Freedom to share the truth with others! Freedom to defend it! Freedom to search out the truth even when “keeping it 100” pushes against the boundaries of our comfort zones! Freedom to love the truth even when it hurts, knowing that God is still, in all things, forever faithful!

Let’s be wise and always value the truth in every area of life. I’m reminding myself, too. And I’m just telling the truth. Even though it hurts sometimes, truth is not some horrible or some cheap thing for us to avoid, twist, cover up, or toss aside but to love, seek out, possess, keep close. Truth has its blessings, and God honors the truth in us infinitely more than our creativity, cleverness or ability to think quick on our feet.

“Truth is so obscure in our times and falsehood is so established, unless we love the truth we cannot know it.” — Blaise Pascal.

It’s worth repeating:  Truth really matters, and only the fool thinks it doesn’t.

Am I the only one who needs a regular reminder about the value of truth? Please leave a comment.