THE CHURCH MILITANT
Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse.
Tim Ryan, Democratic congressman from the rough and tumble Youngstown, Ohio area has had his book "A Mindful Nation" published by the foremost New Age publisher, Hay House, Inc., whose founder Louise Hay, is a new age teacher of "positive affirmations" as shown in:
Decide for yourself if the nine omens given to ancient Israel are applicable to America. Are there universal principles that apply to America in particular as they did to Israel? Why not the rest of the world? If 2012 was to be the end of the world, why are we still here in 2013? Why aren't the New Testament warnings, and the warnings of Jesus Himself, of the signs of the end not more believable and applicable if Christians are living under the New Covenant, and Cahn is a Messianic Two Testament Yeshua believer? Or does the Old Testament and other Jewish writings carry more weight with Cahn in this matter? Messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn explains his book, "The Harbinger":
Since about January 2011, the emergent Doug Pagitt of Solomon's Porch and the "Yoga Sanctuary" in Minneapolis, Minnesota has been in dialogue and conversation, (as emergents are known for), with Messianic Jews and non-Messianic Jews, such as rabbi Joseph Edelheit, and as shown in a previous post of ours of the 2006 YouTube video about "Synagogue 3000" at:
This was first reported by Apprising.org here: http://apprising.org/2011/02/03/doug-pagitt-excited-about-interfaith-powwows-at-solomons-porch/.
We are adding the applicable YouTube videos of Pagitt, Edelheit from Pagitt Radio on the "Progressive Radio" station (Love 105) in Minneapolis, for the world's edification and information to show the willingness of "Christian" and Jewish emergents to mesh their commonalities, if any, and if possible. The desire for these is "engagement" in an ecumenical sense to counter religious extremism in its varied forms, making "religion work through religious leaders who bring 'vision' to the text of Scripture", and "finding a new way of being religious", without giving up true Christianity and true Judaism as they interpret them, as heard here:
Edelheit's problem with Christmas submerging Hanukkah in an "assumed" Christian culture:
We have been maintaining that Jews still hold to their Judaism even if they "accept" Yeshua in the Messianic congregations, in that they deny the divinity and humanity of Jesus, deny the Trinity, claim that the Messiah must be a man, and Jesus Christ's identification with the Father as one, problematic. Here is the proof:
Reference is made to the 2011 article at http://jewishisrael.ning.com/profiles/blogs/tourism-ministry-promotes, wherein this statement is reported to have been made by Samuel Smadja, Israeli Messianic pastor to former state senator Henry Eugene "Hank" Erwin, Jr. of Alabama: (bold is ours):
"So, it was no surprise to see former Republican State Senator Henry Eugene "Hank" Erwin, Jr. of Alabama standing in front of the NRB Israeli exhibit and interviewing Israeli messianic pastor Samuel Smadja, who explained in great detail the obstacles involved in bringing Jews to Jesus. Excerpt: (As a reputed quote from Smadja): "The second obstacle is the deity of the messiah. The concept of the trinity or the concept of a messiah who is fully god and fully man is not a known concept for the Jewish people. They believe in a man as the messiah…That's why Paul, every time he writes to the Jewish people, puts an emphasis on the deity of the messiah. And we all agree that christ was not crucified because of his healing or his teaching. He was crucified only because he said, "me and my father are one" and that was the obstacle for the Jewish people, and that's still the obstacle until today".
It is certainly proper for Christians to support Israel and the Jewish people, to identify with them, and to be actively against the "New Semitism", as has been historically the norm in America for the most part, where the proof of such is borne out by survivors of the Holocaust who settled here for the freedoms they lost in Europe and the Middle East. Granted, there may now be liberal elements in the Christian world in America who side with Palestinians and the creation of a Palestinian state inside Israel as their own view on what might be called "justice", despite the Palestinians' history of terrorism.
However, it is not true among most conservative Christians that they subscribe to a type of anti-Semitic and racist "replacement theology", whereby the Church is seen as totally replacing Israel's inheritance and promises. Rather, among most conservative Christians, the Church and Israel are seen as two distinct, co-existing entities, with their own unique heritage and understanding of the Scriptures, but not as adversaries. Most conservative Christians nevertheless, understandably and correctly view Israel as for the most part still rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior and as one of the three persons of the Trinity, with Israel and most Jews still hostile to Christians. That is, except for the Messianics who are still in the early stages of a kind of "ecumenical" fusion of Christianity and Judaism, which is offensive to both conservative Christians and conservative Jews, who see elements of heresy, mysticism, legalism, and universalism not as positive progress.
The "New Semitism" should not in any way place an urgent mandate or requirement on Christians to renounce Christian beliefs, and/or adopt Judaism or Messianic/Hebraic Judaism, just because Jesus was a Jew, or that the apostles were Jews, or that our Christian faith appears to be based on Judaism in whole or in part. So, there should be some caution when considering the following ministry which purports to support Israel on the face of it, but which is actively seeking the religious, political, and spiritual involvement of Christians and Christian churches. Discernment should be exercised with this and any other ministry which has ecumenical endeavors, associations with dominionist, New Apostolic Reformation individuals and ministries, and Kingdom Now adherents of the Word of Faith movement, which would by nature of their philosophies and theologies, diminish and suppress the true gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God in the Bible for the sake of their self-described urgent and righteous causes.
It is also disappointing that a ministry like this makes no mention of Christian persecution around the world, killing of Christians in Arab/Muslim countries, confiscation and destruction of Christian owned property in these same countries, the fining and jailing of Christian homeschooling parents in Europe, and their children being turned over to the German Jugendamt for brainwashing. It is our opinion thatnotwithstanding the plight of Jews and Israel, the plight of persecuted Christians should also be "proclaimed to the nations". UPDATE: Independently of PJTN, Ms. Moore has been appointed to the United Nations as special envoy to Middle Eastern affairs, as reported in the Nashville Scene, http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2011/10/27/laurie-cardoza-moore-appointed-un-special-envoy. In this article from October 27, 2011, it describes that at the UN, she serves in her capacity as the "World Council of Independent Christian Churches (WCICC) Special Non-Governmental Representative to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations". In her words: "With so many organizations dedicated to humanitarian issues and human rights, it is imperative for all Bible believing Christians to help ensure that the UN respects the Judeo/Christian values as much as those of all of its 194 members. We live at a time when a 'new' anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world and Christians are being massacred by radical Islamic extremists. Unfortunately, world organizations have forgotten that the UN was created in response to Hitler and Europe's genocide against the Jewish people with the Holocaust. When my presence is seen in the UN, I hope it is immediately understood that I represent over 55 million Christians and Jews who believe in the promises God made." What is the WCICC? It is identified on its website http://www.wcicc.org/ as "a fellowship of churches, pastors, ministries, Christian schools and individual members in seventy-nine nations around the world. We provide a platform to independent churches that are deprived of the collective support and the privileges of mainline denominations. We encourage member churches to preserve our Christian heritage, and separation from doctrinal impurity. The WCICC provides direction to churches and members for faithful adherence to the Word of God". WCICC's Doctrinal Statement is very conservatively Christian: http://www.wcicc.org/doctrine.html. But, in addition, "As a member of the World Council of Independent Christian churches you have direct access to the ministries listed below. This group of annex ministriesand related ministries of the World Council of Independent Christian Churches are here to assist you in your ministry". Listed among these "annex ministries" is the:
International Alliance of Independent Messianic Congregations and Synagogueshttp://www.iamcs.org/, A Ministry of the World Council of Independent Christian Churches, which clearly states its:
"MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of the International Alliance of Independent Messianic Congregations and Synagogues is to renew the World Council of Independent Christian Churches commitment to the Jewish people and the Nation Israel.The World Council of Independent Christian Churches is committed to covenant partnership with Messianic Congregations internationally. Our mission is accomplished as we foster covenant membership with Messianic Congregations internationally whom share a Biblical understanding and belief in Yeshua the Mashiach/Jesus Christ. VISION STATEMENT: The vision of the International Alliance of Independent Messianic Congregations and Synagogues is to restoreJewish Origins of Christianity to the Protestant Evangelical Church.The World Council of Independent Christian Churches is committed to a Biblical understanding of orthodoxy and orthopraxy within the doctrinal framework of Jewish Origins. The International Alliance of Independent Messianic Congregations and Synagogues seeks to restore orthodoxy and orthopraxy within the doctrinal framework of Jewish Origins of the Christian Faith to both Messianic Congregations and Gentile Churches". Why should it be necessary to "restore Jewish origins" to Protestant churches? For what purpose? If Ms. Cardoza-Moore and Dr. Lupoli of WCICC are so actively pushing for the cause of truth and the exposure of this new anti-semitism coming from Muslims and allegedly from the Christian community at large, is part of the cure to transform evangelical Protestant churches into Messianic/Hebraic congregations as the key to fighting Muslim/Palestinian extremism and terrorism? If most Christians already believe in the rights of Jews and Israel to exist, why should our churches have to be Judaized if they already identify with Israel's and the Jewish peoples' rights to exist?
Laurie Cardoza-Moore is the founder of PJTN and works with rabbis, Christian leaders, and Joseph Farah of World Net Daily. This is her profile as seen on the website for PJTN, http://www.pjtn.org/:
LAURIE CARDOZA MOORE
"FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT - PJTN"
"With over twenty years experience in media, Laurie has been part of over 500 film and video productions as spokeswoman, on-screen talent and producer. At PJTN, Laurie shares her expertise through radio & television interviews and in briefings with media and Church leaders. Her primary engagement tool is film production and interviews. Laurie is an accomplished advocate who has represented issues related to families, women, children, faith and country.
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Laurie’s career faced a turning point on 9/11 when she decided to focus her media and lobbying expertise on American security and Israel.
Laurie has active ties to leaders and activists alike throughout the media, governmental and faith communities in the US and Israel.
After founding PJTN in 2005, Laurie co-produced ‘Lest We Forget’, a documentary short that was a featured selection at the Liberty Film Festival. The film focuses on the history of Islamofacism and the war that the US and Israel wage against it today.
In 2007, Laurie co-produced the music video, ‘The Forgotten People’, which screened at the 11th Annual Hollywood Film Festival. It is a cry from the grave as six million Jews remind us to never forget the horrors of the holocaust and warn of the new one on the horizon.
Based on the success of the music video, she also PJTN’s first feature-length documentary that traces the roots of anti-Semitism and rise of a “new” anti-Semitism — a coalition of the far right, the left, and radical Islam.
As host of PJTN’s Evening of Prayer & Action at the NRB (National Religious Broadcasters Convention), Laurie stewards the donations at PJTN to impact the over 6,000 Christian global media participants in attendance. Because of PJTN, more Christians know how to recognize and act against the ‘new’ anti-Semitism." Ms. Moore at the National Religious Broadcasters:
and also:
The Moores have produced a film "The Forgotten People" documentary, and this is the trailer:
Here is the story and testimony of Lisa Buldo, health coach, http://lisabuldo.com/, who unfortunately has apparently not yet found the real Jesus Christ of the Bible and who is yet deceived by heretical and occultic Word of Faith and Messianic/Hebraic influences, which is a clear indication she is still under the influence of Satanic mystical "signs and wonders", coupled with "personal extra-biblical revelations" not originating from God but instead Satan. This is not much different from the addiction she once had to New Age mediums and psychics, which her Catholicism failed to help her out of.
Let's pray that she comes to a realization that the Bible contains all there is to know about God, and that the Holy Spirit works through the revealed Word of God in the Bible, not through charismatic/pentecostal "signs and wonders" or the likes of those affiliated with TBN, who are in fact "Christianized" soothsayers, mediums and psychics deceiving millions. Let's also pray that she eventually becomes as outspoken about the truth of the Bible and is willing to expose everything she is currently involved in as being false and misleading. As for now, she is so deceived that she is unknowingly doing Satan's work herself and deceiving many with her teachings which have been distorted and twisted by her associations.
Here is her testimony on YouTube, presented by Torahlife.TV, part of Torah Life Ministries http://torahlifeministries.org here:
and her testimony on Paul Crouch's heretical "Word of Faith" TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network):
Here are the Crouchs in all their prosperity gospel glory:
The same TBN where she is the moderator of the "Joy in Our Town" program:
Lisa Buldo has a revelation about death where you "transition, but never stop breathing", in this YouTube video entitled "You Never Really Die":
Lisa Buldo has an indirect revelation through a friend as seen here on the YouTube video entitled "I AM-A Powerful Revelation From God" which she interpreted as "I AM lives in you, the kingdom of God lives in you", a blasphemy, plus instructions from her about positive and negative confession, all of which is pure Word of Faith heresy. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that "I AM" lives in us; only a believer in Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit living in him. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that the Kingdom of God lives in us, even if we are believers. The Kingdom of God will be established by Christ, when Christ comes again to reign and rule, and not a moment sooner, despite all the Kingdom Now theology being promoted by Word of Faith heretics, and it certainly will not be set up inside a believer.
Here in the video below, Buldo discusses "healthy eating" with the heretical Word of Faith pastrix Paula White who went to Rome with Benny Hinn, and stayed in the same hotel with him. See Apprising-www.apprising.org for many posts about Paula White acting unbiblically as a pastrix, as here:
"God's Learning Channel", http://www.godslearningchannel.com/site/index.php, founded by Al and Tommie Cooper, is decidedly pro-Israel. So are most Christians and this blog. However, as Christians, we are called to separate fact from fiction, biblical truth from error and heresy, even if it risks being branded as anti-Semitic by Jews, Christians, and others just because we are not deceived and dare to speak out about such deception.
Nor is belief in "replacement theology" all that common as GLC portrays. Most Christians do believe that they, as Gentile believers in Christ as Savior, have been "grafted into" the tree (Romans 11:17-32), that some branches have been pruned out (unbelieving Jews), and that the tree of life is not Judaism or Israel, but life in Christ, the second person of the Trinity, which Messianic Jews and Jews in general have a problem with.
Likewise, the Messianic/Hebraic movement broadbrushes law, confusing Mosaic law with Rabbinic law, mystical ancient Jewish writings, and the Torah, treating the latter three as inspired and authoritative, and thus on an equal par with the Bible, and even then, only a Bible translated in a non-Greek, non-Western format, e.g., the Jewish Bible and/or the Jewish New Testament.
As followers of the real biblical (and yes, ethnically Jewish) Jesus Christ, we can and should be able to easily discern and expose that the Messianic "Yeshua", is yet another powerless, man-crafted and false Christ, stripped of His divine (as well as human) nature and authority, relegated to a secondary status to Jewish laws, writings and customs, and who suits perfectly the type and character of an end times "earthly" (or carnal, if you will) Messiah who will be the head of a one world visible "congregation" in preparation for the anti-Christ.
It is a Christ fabricated in the back room gnostic "conversations"of mixed Jewish and "neo-evangelical" emergent minds, who in their great combined wisdom, have created an absolutely dangerous theological syncretism that never existed before, and which portends and prepares the kingdom on earth, not of, by, or for Christ despite their claims as being such, but a kingdom of, by and for the anointed, inspired few to rule over people who they view as being a lot less wise and a lot more sinful. Meanwhile, those they have deceived will be diverted from the real Jesus Christ of the Bible as inadequate to complete the burdensome task of completing your sanctification. Such is the case with yet another ministry which is presented as being "from God" and a "channel of learning": http://www.godslearningchannel.com/site/aboutus.php.
Here is an unedited snippet from their website. See if you can detect and discern the errors therein:
"Many Christians today try to deny the Jewish origins or inherent "Jewishness" of the Christian faith. They fail to acknowledge that their Messiah, Jesus Himself, was Jewish and obeyed the Torah. Any doctrine that states, "The church has replaced the Jewish people as the Chosen Ones," is called Replacement Theology. GLC stands firmly against this unbiblical and anti-Semitic doctrine. Biblically, the church is grafted into the family of Israel by Christ as heirs according to the promise (see Galatians 3:29; Ephesians 3:6). So, if we be brothers and sisters of Israel, let us stand with Her! Let us continually pray for the peace of Jerusalem!"
Our answer is Hebrews 11-The people of faith which made them righteous.
That righteousness did not save all the Jewish people from their sins by imputation. Nor did these patriarchs look to an earthly kingdom, but rather to a heavenly one, as in Hebrews 11:16-"But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."
Jack Hayford is running the "King's University" in Los Angeles, California, http://thekingsjewishvoice.org, offering Messianic Jewish studies.
In these videos of an interview with Hayford, pioneer of the mega-church movement, mention is made of his song "Majesty", a dominionist, Kingdom-now worship song, reflective of his dominionist theology, which meshes with the "Christian Zionism" of John Hagee and the charismaticism, mysticism, and Zionism of the Messianic/Hebraic Roots movement. We also get to hear about his demonology and other beliefs which descends from Aimee Semple McPherson.
We also see the connection of Hayford to the founder of the dominionist New Apostolic Reformation, C. Peter Wagner:
J. Beard of Biblical Discernment Ministries exposes who Jack Hayford is. This is his article in its entirety. Bold letters/words are ours for emphasis. YouTube video at Vineyard church is inserted by us for evidence of the Wimber connection.
Jack Hayford General Teachings/Activities
- Jack Hayford (born 1934) is the hyper-charismatic pastor of The Church on the Way, The First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, California. Hayford started the church in 1969 with 18 people; it is now the largest Foursquare Church (Pentecostal) in the U.S. -- about 9,000 members (of which about 80% speak in tongues as a prayer language, according to Hayford) with weekly attendance between 8,500 and 10,000. Hayford promotes the "four-square" doctrines of Pentecostalism -- that Jesus is Savior, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Coming King. He also teaches the false doctrine that healing is promised in the atonement (Charisma, June 1992). Pat Boone is an elder in Hayford's church, and Trinity Broadcasting Network's (TBN) heretical founders, Paul and Jan Crouch, are members. Hayford has authored more than two dozen books, and is also a prolific "hymn" writer, composing more than 400 popular charismatic "gospel" songs, including "Majesty" (which promotes the false charismatic "Kingdom Now" philosophy in which Christians are thought to be able to exercise kingdom authority over sickness and the devil in this present hour).
Hayford's teaching can be heard nationwide through his "Living Way" radio and television ministries. The half-hour weekday radio program was started in 1981 (originally titled, "FreeWay") and is now heard in over 40 states and in several foreign countries. In 1989, Living Way began a Sunday morning "live" broadcast of the church services from The Church On The Way. The now one-hour Sunday television program was started in 1977 and is seen in all 50 states on TBN (as well as in Canada and South Africa). Also on its 24 acre campus, the Church on the Way operates The King's College, The King's Seminary, and the Jack W. Hayford School of Pastoral Nurture.
Hayford writes in A Man's Worship and Witness (p. 80) that since the inception of The Church on the Way 25 years ago, over 40,000 "decisions for Christ" have been made at his church, more than 30 churches have been planted elsewhere, and over 100 pastors and church leaders have gone out to serve in other places. Also, Hayford claims to have given over $20 million to "serve human needs and spread the Gospel" throughout the world.
- Foursquare was founded in 1923 by flamboyant, twice-divorced Pentecostal female preacher Aimee Semple McPherson. (In a 1990 sermon about McPherson's ministry, Hayford defended her on the grounds that "she certainly should not be viewed as one who 'bounced' from marriage to marriage," and that in his view, her ministry was validated by the fact that "a half-century later, the devil still hates her sufficiently to spray lying venom on her memory.") In a 3/93 Charisma magazine article, Hayford says Foursquare was "one of the first to fully embrace the charismatic movement as being a legitimate movement of the Spirit." Yet, Foursquare teaches physical healing in the atonement, "Spirit-slaying," spiritual warfare/demon-deliverance, tongues-speaking, signs & wonders evangelism, extra-revelatory prophecy, etc., etc. In the face of mounting criticism, Hayford now admits to a more flexible attitude. In his latest book, he also refrains from demanding tongues as a proof of Spirit baptism, and instead presents "spiritual language" as a "divine and desirable provision to assist every believer ..." [still error though]. (Reported in the 8/17/92, Christianity Today; the 3/15/93, Calvary Contender; and the 3/8/93, Christian News.)
- Evidence abounds of Hayford's hyper-charismatic, ecumenical, and occultic tendencies: (Reported in the 11/1/89 and 9/15/91, Calvary Contenders; and the 12/91, CIB Bulletin.)
(a) Hayford spoke at the 1989 Billy Graham/Lausanne II conference (with John Wimber, David Yonggi Cho, and Dick Eastman), and has appeared at other ecumenical events such as Robert Schuller "success" conferences. [Hayford also endorsed Schuller's 1996 autobiography -- Prayer: My Soul's Adventure With God.]
(b) In 10/91, Hayford visited Sydney, Australia with John Wimber (the "signs & wonders," Church Growth, Power Evangelism, Vineyard Movement founder and leader who died in 1997) to hold a "holiness conference" (a number of Catholic priests also spoke at the conference).
Here Hayford speaks at a Vineyard church:
(c) In the 10/91 issue of Charisma magazine, Hayford relates a vision of seeing Jesus seated in heaven and then rising from the throne. Hayford states: "As the anointing caught in the folds of His garments, it began to splash out and fall over the church." Jesus then supposedly said, "I am beginning to rise now in preparation for my second coming. Those who will rise with me will share in this double portion of anointing."
- Charismatic Bible Ministries (CBM) was founded in 1986 by hyper-charismatic Oral Roberts. Jack Hayford was one of the original officers and trustees of CBM. (Others included such hyper-charismatics as Richard Roberts, Kenneth Copeland, David Yonggi Cho, Charles Capps, Morris Cerullo, Paul Crouch, Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Charles and Frances Hunter, Robert Tilton, Casey Treat, John Osteen, Earl Paulk, Fred K.C. Price, Tommy Reid, Stephen Strang, and Lester Sumrall.) CBM conducts leadership conferences for its charismatic coalition, many of whom espouse dominion theology tenets. CBM's slogan is "Love and Unity through Signs and Wonders." When people look to signs and wonders to produce love and unity, they will find themselves united with everything that appears miraculous regardless of the source (Vengeance is Ours, pp. 125-127).
- Paul Crouch, the founder of the blasphemous Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), is a member in good standing at the Hayford-pastored Church on the Way. Crouch publishes the monthly newsletter Praise the Lord . I think it's fair to assume that Hayford is in agreement with Crouch's theology, or else as his pastor, Hayford would correct Crouch and discipline him if necessary. The following are quotes from the 3/93 Praise the Lord newsletter: (All emphases in the original.)
(a) "I love a good fight! ... who the REAL enemy is! ... the heretic hunters [e.g., Martin Bobgan] ... searching endlessly for some new flaw in doctrine, picking, picking, picking some new splinter of error from the eyes ..."
(b) "... the many documented miracles under Kathryn Kuhlman's ministry and, of course, Benny Hinn's present-day ministry. ... if there is no power -- no healings -- no miracles in a church or ministry, the only thing left to do is to develop a new theology to justify their [the "heretic hunters"] pitiful, spiritually barren lives and ministry!" [Kuhlman was one of the first of many "stage show healers," in effect, blazing the trail for the Benny Hinn's and Oral Roberts of today.]
(c) "If miracles really did cease at 90 A.D. ... the heretic hunters were right! If we are not 'little Gods,' we will apologize to you in front of ten thousand times ten thousand before the Crystal Sea!" [Hayford has taught the "little gods" heresy himself, specifically in a message first recorded in 1979 (titled "Marching Against Mammon") and rebroadcast on a on a 10/2/86 Living Way radio program.]
(d) "A host of evil spirits ... responsible for much, if not most, of the personal difficulties, spiritual pressures and aggravated forms of evil that characterize our modern social order. ... this constant and fiendish disruption of the human social order is explained only by the mass activity behind the scenes of a vast, well organized host of wicked spirits under the control of their master prince. ... When will YOU take back everything Satan has stolen from you by bluff, bluster, lying and deceit? ... Say it with me -- 'Satan, I bind YOUR EVIL WORKS in Jesus' name.' Say it with me, 'I claim my healing, in Jesus' name; I take back what is mine, in Jesus' name!'" ["Name-It-and-Claim-It"/demon-deliverance].
(e) "If and when we finally lay down these petty doctrinal and traditional differences and JOIN TOGETHER as an awesome UNITED body and force, all hell will finally retreat into the abyss, and, together, we will bring back the king! ... When will we realize that the enforcement of Christ's Victory is UP TO US? " [Dominion Now theology].
(f) "Some of you have, indeed, grasped this truth and victory -- Glory! Some of you have repossessed your rightful ownership and possessions. ... Praise the Lord, David's God is teaching our hands to war too! Soon our enemy will be destroyed! Soon our enemy will have to yield even his remaining strongholds. Together, we are: 'Destroying the works of the Devil' -- just as Jesus commanded us to do." [Charismatic spiritual warfare]
- Hayford is an endorser/participant in the National Evangelistic Census (NEC), a Kingwood, Texas charismatic/ecumenical ministry to "turn the nation back to God by winning our city to Jesus." NEC sponsors an annual one day "census"/global neighborhood survey where teams of two go door-to-door asking questions from a form and presenting the "gospel"; an NEC brochure predicts: "The angels in heaven will be shouting when the goal of 25 million souls are reported won to Jesus in one day!" (Among other endorsers are the Evangelical Free Church of America, Youth With a Mission, Campus Crusade for Christ, and A.D. 2000 & Beyond Movement, as well as charismatic-loonies John Osteen, John Hagee, Charles and Frances Hunter, Frederick K.C. Price, Morris Cerullo, Marilyn Hickey, Dick Eastman, and Richard Roberts.)
- Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright fasted 40 days during the summer of 1994, during which he claims to have received a "prophecy from God" that a mighty revival is coming. He then issued a call for hundreds of liberals, charismatics, and new-evangelicals to gather in Orlando 12/5/94-12/7/94 to fast and pray for revival. An Invitation Committee made up of a hodgepodge of 72 liberals, new evangelicals, and charismatics was formed. Included were: Robert Schuller, Charles Colson, E.V. Hill, Jack Hayford, James Dobson, W.A. Criswell, Charles Stanley, Paul Crouch, Luis Palau, Bill Gothard, Pat Robertson, Kay Arthur, and Larry Burkett. CCC's Bill Bright cites "a great sense of urgency to link arms and unitedly call upon God for help in the spirit of King Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. 20)." This ecumenical "linking" is in the "spirit of Jehoshaphat" indeed, but the Jehoshaphat of 2 Chr. 18 (instead of 2 Chr. 20) where he "linked" with wicked King Ahab and incurred the wrath of God. (Reported in the 11/15/94, Calvary Contender.) [Another three-day "Fasting & Prayer" conference was held in 11/95 in Los Angeles; it attracted 3,500 "evangelicals" and charismatics. The Invitation/Host Committee for this event included most of those listed above, plus Dick Eastman, Chuck Smith, Bill McCartney (Promise Keepers), Tim and Beverly LaHaye, Shirley Dobson, Paul Cedar (E-Free), Ted Engstrom (World Vision), Joseph Stowell (Moody), and Joseph Aldrich (Multnomah). A third conference was held 11/14/96-11/16/96 in St. Louis. New additions to the Host Committee included Max Lucado, Henry Blackaby, Loren Cunningham (YWAM), Greg Laurie, Dennis Rainey, Randy Phillips (Promise Keepers), Josh McDowell, D. James Kennedy, Howard Hendricks, and Neil Anderson. Conferences were also held in 1997 and 1998.]
- Eugene Peterson's The Message has swept into Christian bookstores, homes, and churches from coast to coast. In the first four months after its mid-July, 1993 release, 100,000 copies of this "New Testament in contemporary English" were printed by NavPress and 70,000 books were sold. Apparently, most readers were delighted: "The Message is so good it leaves me breathless," wrote popular New Age author Madeleine L'Engle in her endorsement. Jack Hayford has also endorsed The Message: "The Message is certainly destined to become a devotional classic, not to mention a powerful pastoral tool."
But The Message teaches a different gospel and a different morality than the Bible (as well as a worldly/warm fuzzy view of life)! For example, The Message translates Jesus' statement in John 14:28, "The Father is the goal and purpose of my life," versus the Bible's "... The Father is greater than I." In l Cor. 6:18-20, the words "sexual immorality" are deleted and the words "avoids commitment and intimacy" are added. (One could conclude that now "commitment and intimacy," not marriage, set the boundaries for acceptable sex.) In Rom. 1:26-27, the words "God gave them over ..." are deleted and words that qualify homosexuality are added (a loophole is provided for committed homosexuals who "love" each other; thus lust becomes the sin, not the choosing of a same-sex partner). There are hundreds of examples like these in The Message.
Peterson himself, in his introduction to The Message, says, "This version of the New Testament in a contemporary idiom keeps the language of The Message current and fresh and understandable in the same language in which we do our shopping, talk with our friends, worry about world affairs, and teach our children their table manners ..." This all sounds like an excuse for "dumbing-down" Scripture to match our culture's downward trends. Should we then rewrite God's holy Scriptures to fit our more shallow and worldly communications? And what does it say about a man like Jack Hayford when he endorses it as an authentic translation of the Bible rather than as Peterson's personal, politically correct interpretation? (Also endorsing The Message were Warren Wiersbe and J.I. Packer.) [Adapted from "What Kind of Message is THE MESSAGE, an article by Berit Kjos.]
- In the Foursquare World Advance magazine of Jan-Feb '94, when asked why he was among a group of evangelical Christian "leaders" who met with President Clinton on 10/18/93 at a private breakfast in the White House (since Clinton is pro-abortion and pro-homosexual), Hayford said he respects the office of the presidency and "Finally, I believe in the power of presence. Just my being there would leave a deposit of some sort." He also said he has "deep love" for Clinton as "a human being," and views Clinton as "a personable, devoted public servant." Indeed! And it's what Clinton is devoted to that should be denounced by all real Christians. [Among the other attendees with Hayford were social radical and pantheist Tony Campolo, church growth movement guru and psychologizer Bill Hybels (who stayed overnight at the White House and helped Clinton set the agenda), and the psychologized president of Taylor University Jay Kesler.] (Reported in the 4/94, Lofton Letter .) [Later, in a congregational report, Hayford expressed his conviction regarding the "clarity of President Clinton's commitment to Jesus Christ," and said he was convinced that Clinton was indeed a believer! (6/20/94, Christian News).]
- Promise Keepers is the gigantic new (1991) "men's movement" among professing evangelical Christians. Its roots are Catholic and charismatic to the core. PK's contradictory stand on homosexuality; its promotion of secular psychology; its unscriptural feminizing of men; its depiction of Jesus as a "phallic messiah" tempted to perform homosexual acts; and its ecumenical and unbiblical teachings should dissuade any true Christian from participating. Promise Keepers is proving to be one of the most ungodly and misleading movements in the annals of Christian history. Nevertheless, Hayford is a promoter of this ecumenical, charismatic, psychologized men's movement. Hayford is on PK's board of directors and has spoken at major events for Promise Keepers every year since PK's inception. (He also patterns the men's program at The Church On The Way after the PK model.) On 5/14/94, Hayford spoke at a regional Promise Keepers conference in Anaheim, California. During his message, Hayford gave three reasons why God required circumcision in the Old Testament:
"[1] God wants to touch your very identity as a man; [2] He wants to reach out and touch your secret and private parts. This enables Him to better perform surgery on the heart; [3] God wants to touch man's creative parts. This represents the idea that since God has touched our creative parts, we as God's people need to be creative in our witnessing to others."
Hayford also spoke at the PK "1996 National Clergy Conference" (2/13/96-2/15/96) in Atlanta's Georgia Dome stadium. The theme for the conference was "Fan the Flame," because McCartney (PK's founder) believes "God wants to bring revival to His church through its clergy" (2/26/96, Christian News, p. 10). The purpose of this gathering, according to McCartney, was to "tear the hearts of pastors wide open so that a single leadership can be produced." He had hoped to "bring as many as 100,000 ministers and priests of all races together" (7/1/95, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, p. C8). [Actual attendance was 38,914, which represented all 50 states and more than a dozen foreign countries; 600 in attendance were Roman Catholic priests!] At the beginning of the conference, Hayford was speaking and trying to influence everyone to "dance in the Lord," an unscriptural routine favored by the fanatical wing of Pentecostal charismaticism. Hayford said he learned the dance in Africa, and later the Lord spoke to him directly saying, "May I have this dance?" He then began doing an African folkdance around the podium, suggestive of the dances associated with heathen witch-doctoring.
- Hayford's psychological teachings are less chronicled than his charismatic doctrines, but they nevertheless are prominent. Hayford is a frequent guest on Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family radio program, and he endorses many of the newly published books by "Christian" psychologists as they come to market.
- In the Church on the Way's Mission Statement, Hayford espouses the following about tongues-speaking and spiritual warfare (from the Living Way Ministries Internet web site -- 8/6/96):
(a) "Vitality of the Spiritual Language -- The biblical exercise of Holy Spirit enabled supernatural utterance is vital for prayer, praise, intercession, and edification and is a desirable and an available resource for every believer." (Emphasis added.) [Hayford offers to sell the book The Beauty of Spiritual Language, and a 2-tape cassette album titled "The Holy Spirit: The Great Psychiatrist"!]
(b) "Committed to Spiritual Warfare -- The reality of the invisible realm of spiritual conflict demands biblical confrontation through prayer and ministry with discernment and love; that the triumph of Calvary is not minimized, but applied by such means." (Emphasis added.) [Hayford offers to sell the book Prayer is Invading the Impossible, and a 2-tape cassette album titled "Resisting the Devil."]
- In endorsing ecumenical evangelist Luis Palau's 1991 book Say Yes!, Hayford says: "There are many practical reasons for supporting the ministry of Luis Palau: his fidelity to the truth, his constancy of passion for the lost, and his integrity in personal life ... the evidence of God's sovereign choice to anoint and use this man mightily at this crucial juncture in church history." (Palau is a Catholic sympathizer whose ecumenical message is heavily diluted with pop psychology and Arminian easy-believism -- hardly God's "sovereign choice.") [Hayford has also taken part with Palau in the annual ecumenical/charismatic/ Catholic-accommodating March For Jesus campaigns.]
- Hayford has endorsed Catholic-sympathizer Chuck Colson's book, The Body: Being Light in Darkness (which is also endorsed by Jerry Falwell, J.I. Packer, Pat Robertson, Bill Hybels, Carl Henry, and Cardinal O'Connor). Colson, ever ecumenical, praises the Catholic chain of command, and includes the Catholic Church as a part of the body of Christ. He also says, "the body of Christ, in all its diversity, is created with Baptist feet, charismatic hands, and Catholic ears -- Fall with their eyes on Jesus." In blindly praising the Roman Catholic church Colson says it, "to its great credit, does call heretics to account." Indeed she does, having burned more than a million at the stake! (4/93, Berean Call).
Hayford also writes: "Redeeming worship centers on the Lord's Table. Whether your tradition celebrates it as Communion, Eucharist, the Mass, or the Lord's Supper, we are all called to this centerpiece of Christian worship" (Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper, p. 19). Historically, the Roman Catholic mass has been recognized by Bible believers as blatant blasphemy, Yet, today, Hayford teaches that this false view of Christian worship is approved by God and proper for all Christians to accept.
- Almost all of the major apostate religious organizations (including a large Roman Catholic contingent) had representatives/participants at Orlando '95 (North American [charismatic] Congress on the Holy Spirit and World Evangelization.) A Catholic bishop led one session. There was also conga-style aisle-dancing by the Haitian Catholics during the evening worship sessions. Others "praised God" by dancing around the convention center waving open umbrellas, signifying that the invisible rain of the Holy Spirit was falling. Of the 8,000 attending, over half were charismatic Catholics. The 10/95 Charisma said, "Charismatics abandoned their theological differences ... at least for four days. ... Today millions of Catholics, including Pope John Paul II's personal preacher ... have joined ranks with charismatics." A Catholic priest added, "This is the greatest ecumenical movement in the Christian church." Some of the hyper-charismatic teachers at Orlando '95 were Pat Robertson, Benny Hinn, Jack Hayford, Marilyn Hickey, and Paul Crouch.
- Hayford also has a strange idea of what constitutes true worship of God (although not strange by charismatic standards):
"Let Holy Spirit-filled worship be a blend of our highest thoughts and our deepest feelings so that the goal of true worship be reached: the reshaping of our lives." (Emphases added.)
Wrong! The goal of worship is not the reshaping of our lives. True worship focuses on God, the object of worship, as worthy of all glory and honor and power and obedience for Who He is, regardless of what we are. If we were perfect in every way we would still be unworthy of Him. It is not worship, but Scripture which is useful for reshaping our lives (2 Tim. 3:16-17). For Hayford and others of the charismatic ilk, Scripture is fast giving way to experience as the standard upon which to base belief. Nowhere in Scripture are we told that the goal of worship is the reshaping of our lives. That is just self-centeredness. [Source: Comments/Essays in The Answer To Happiness, Health, and Fulfillment in Life: The Holy Bible (with Selected Writings by Leading Inspirational Authors.] [Comments excerpted/adapted from Media Spotlight, Vol. 14 (1993), No. 1.]
- Rave is a dance movement from Europe in which teens take designer drugs, use virtual-reality devices, and dance (usually alone) away the night and early mornings hours to repetitive techno-pop dance music. Often there is no lighting except for strobes and lasers. "Christian" rave parties have been adopted by several youth ministries worldwide (including Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel movement). In April of 1997, Hayford's Church on the Way sponsored its second rave concert.
