I believe in miracles. I have experienced many, but can we
allow ourselves to be influenced by the miraculous claims of the Word of Faith
(WoF) and the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movements, and should we allow
their claims to influence our beliefs? Certainly not! There are demonic
miracles and the power of suggestion. Also, an unbiblical understanding of the
Scriptures encourages false reports about miracles. The WoF ministers believe
that their words have the power to bring about miracles. Therefore, they might falsely
claim that they have already been healed, convinced that their false claims
will bring about a miracle. Consequently, Joel Osteen had taught:
·
It's not enough to just think it, something
happens when we speak. You have to prophesy your future. You can personalize
yours. But let me give you some generic things that should be on your decree. I
am strong. I am healthy. I am in shape. I weigh what I'm supposed to weigh. I
am full of energy. I am passionate. I am talented. I am secure. I am valuable.
I am confident. I have a good personality. People like me. I am fun to be
around. I am happy. I enjoy my life. I am a person of excellence. I am full of
integrity. I am successful. I am prosperous. My future is bright. My children
are mighty in the land. My legacy will live on to inspire future generations. I
run with purpose in every step. I am blessed. I am victorious.
https://sermons.love/joel-osteen/81-joel-osteen-your-words-become-your-reality.html
According to WoF Minister Osteen, it doesn’t matter if these
affirmations are true. Instead, such affirmations will make these claims true:
·
“Our words are vital in bringing our dreams to
pass. It’s not enough to simply see it by faith or in your imagination. You
have to begin speaking words of faith over your life. Your words have enormous
creative power. The moment you speak something out, you give birth to it.” “Just look in the mirror and say ‘I am
strong, I am healthy. I’m rising to new levels, I’m excited about my future.’
When you say that, it may not be true. You may not be very healthy today, or
maybe you don’t have a lot of things to look forward to, but Scripture tells us
in Romans we have to call the things that are not as if they already were.” (Christian
Research Journal (CRJ), Hunter)
Scripture never gives us the license to play fast-and-loose
with the truth. All truth is God’s truth. It belongs to Him, and we are not at
liberty to tamper with it. He tells us that He requires truth in the depths of
our being:
·
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. (Psalm 51:6)
We must speak and think accurately about ourselves:
·
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among
you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think
with sober judgment... (Romans 12:3)
Our Lord wants us to reside in the light. Using our tongues
to distort the truth is simply not part of His program. Telling others that we
don’t have cancer, when we do, is a refusal to walk in His light. It will also
bring disrepute upon the church! Even pious lying will destroy friendship and
fellowship if we cannot trust what our brother is telling us! Besides, it
coerces everyone to wear this mask of piety.
Instead, our tongues must be servants of the light – the
truth of God. Therefore, they must always speak the truth, as James had
instructed:
·
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow
we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make
a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is
your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes
away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do
this or that." But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is
evil. (James 4:13-16)
When we use our tongues in a presumptuous manner by claiming
that we will get rich through trading or that we will obtain a certain blessing
that is not Scripturally guaranteed, we speak evil and “boast in arrogance.”
What we say must always conform to the truth. According to James, we are a mere
“vapor.” Therefore, we are in no position to make arrogant claims about the
future, as one NAR minister had declared: “No one will leave this crusade
unchanged!”
Osteen and other Word of Faith (WoF) preachers claim that
Romans 4:17 gives us the authority to speak things into existence as God had
done:
·
God, who gives life to the dead and calls those
things which do not exist as though they did.
Indeed, God has the power to speak things into existence. However,
there is nothing in this verse to suggest that we are endowed with such power.
Instead, James claims that we are as insubstantial as mist. Prosperity
preachers also resort to Proverbs 18:21 to prove that we have been given this
power:
· The tongue has
the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
However, this verse falls far short of affirming that our
tongues have the supernatural power to call things into existence. Yes,
the tongue does have “the power of life and death,” but this is a
psychological, interpersonal power. Our words can build people up or tear them
down. We should instruct others in the way of truth not the way of deceit.
2 comments:
Well said. I have seen these deceptions for over 50 years. Many have left the faith when their claims have not materialized.
That's my concern! Even though they profess much of the same, there is no patience and waiting in faith. Instead, you're supposed to have everything right now. It's a very different faith. Instead of humbling asking God, these folks are declaring that they already have it. Little concern whether or not it accords with God's plans for our lives.
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