04/10/99 
Inner-City Christian Discernment Ministry

 

Rod Parsley's "Whopper"

ICCDM has contacted Mr. Parsley regarding the testimony he shared in his latest mailing (April 2, 1999).  In his Mothers Day appeal he states the following testimony: (the bold type has been added by ICCDM)

   One year ago, on Mother's Day, as I was ministering, I could feel a mother's faith pulling on my heart.  In the middle of the service, I asked for that mother who could believe for a miracle to stand up.
    A little mother named Gina jumped up. . .the Holy Spirit spoke through me and said, "Anything you ask me for today, I will grant it." "I want my son set free of sin and sickness." Now Gina had not seen her son for 12 yearsHe was a professed homosexual, a heroin addict, a crack addict, and a male prostitute on the street of Washington D.C. He was committing crimes to support his drug habits and he was dying from AIDS. Three months later, she got a call from her boy.  He was waved, and filled with the Holy Ghost!  And there is more: he has experienced a MIRACLE HEALING from AIDS!  He was dying with full-blown AIDS, and now he is completely healed and set free by God's power! My friends, receive the word of the Lord.  God is no respecter of persons!  What God has done for Gina, He will do for you and your lost loved ones.

ICCDM is of the opinion that this testimony, like so many others shared by Charismatic extremist ministries is untrue.   Here we are told the following concerning "Gina's" son - 
        She has not seen him in 12 years
        He is a homosexual
        He is a heroin addict
        He is a crack cocaine addict
        He is a male prostitute
        He is involved in criminal activities
        He has full-blown AIDS
        He is dying from AIDS
A central feature to most of these mythical stories is that the person is always shown to be in the worst possible condition imaginable (which makes their miracle so much greater in the readers eyes . . . and thus the minister involved so much more "anointed" than the reader.
Then due to Parsley's sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, he yields himself to become a channel for the spirit to speak through and "Gina" is given cart blanche to ask for whatever she wanted, and as a mother she asks that her son be set free from "sin and sickness."
Three months later, she gets a call and her son is now 
     Saved
      Filled with the Spirit
              TOTALLY HEALED FROM AIDS
    There are several things which DEMAND clarity.  To begin with ICCDM wants to know either Gina's address and/or phone number so she can be contacted.   Then we want her son's address and phone number so he can be contacted.
    My wife and I worked with inner-city women who are HIV-Positive for many years (1989-1995) and we know that medical and social service records are kept by all HIV positive people due to their medical needs, and social service benefits they can receive.
    In other words, if this man got totally healed from AIDS via God's miraculous power - then there will be medical records (1) proving his HIV status and now (2) proving that he is HIV free.  Why not supply this information?
    It would be a great encouragement to others who are struggling with AIDS to know that God does totally heal people with AIDS.  In fact, according to Parsley, He is no respecter of persons, i.e. He did it for Gina's son, He is now obligated to do it for all people! Which means the HIV-positive sister we took to a Benny Hinn "miracle meeting" would have been healed . . . we buried she shortly after that meeting, her hopes were crushed, and she died blaming herself.
    This is a twisting of Scripture.  The context of Acts 10:34 is that God saves both Jew and Gentile, He does not respect ethnicity in regards to salvation. 
    The verse does not mean that if God does something to or for one person, He is obligated to do the same to any or all others in similar circumstances.   The Bible is filled with unique, one time actions by God to or for one individual that were never repeated.
    To teach Acts 10:34 in the manner Parsley does is not only poor scholarship, but is devastating in the lives of those who "stand upon that promise" for their family members.  When these folks do not get the same result that another believer got they often end up 
(1) feeling guilty because they lacked faith to manifest the "promise" for their loved one(s)
(2)  struggling with anger or bitterness at God because He "failed" keep His Word (according to their defective understanding)
    When these failures occur, it is ALWAYS the fault of the person and NEVER the fault of the preacher who mislead the person by twisting the Scriptures.
    Until Mr. Parsley's ministry can supply the simple information we have requested it is our position that he has lied about this story for the purposes of building himself up in the eyes of his readers and possibly trying to "build faith" in the readers heart by telling this tall tale. God does not use made up stories and fraudulent means to build faith, He uses His Word (Romans 10:17).
    ICCDM will keep you appraised of what transpires regarding our inquiry.
 
 
 

[ Home ] [ Bookstore ] [ Charismania ] [ Theology ] [ Search ] [ Feedback ] [ Contents ] [ Current Craziness ] [ I'm free, now what? ] [ Statement of Faith ] [ Our Story ] [ ICCDM Products ] [ Great Links ] [ Teaching Aids ] [ Today's Revival ] [ Growth Texts ] [ Tax Issues ] [ Greek Gems ] [ Rod Parsley ] [ The Cults ] [ E.W. Kenyon ] [ Cambridge ] [ The Fathers ] [ Statement of Faith ] [ Where's The Outrage? ] [ The "Fear" Tactic ] [ BOOK REVIEWS ] [ SUPPORT ICCDM ] [ The Apostolic Move ] [ forum ]
Send mail to Bliichow@juno.com or Bob Liichow on earthlink 
with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 1998 Inner-City Christian Discernment Ministry
Last modified: April 10, 1999