The New Emails
I have noticed some new directions in emails to DITC from 2000 to the present, some good and some bad. First the bad.
THE BAD
The arguments I used to receive against the information presented on DITC were generally as follows:
(1) Don't judge.
(2) Don't touch the Lord's anointed.
(3) Gameliel's argument - let them be and it will either succeed or
fail on their own.
(4) You don't understand the "anointing", you need to get it from someone
in the movement.
(5) There is a great end times revival happening, you need to be involved.
(6) There is new revelation beyond what is written.
(7) Stop analyzing so much.
(8) There are foundational apostles and prophets today and you need
to come under their authority.
(9) You can speak what you want into existence with the force of faith.
(10) You need to give more weight to the testimonies.
(11) Don't put God in a box.
(12) If you question the leadership of the Third Wave you may end up
cursed.
(13) I prayed for the power to come on my life, and it did. You
ought to try it.
(14) I got healed, therefore the ministry of the person whose crusade
I attended must be legitimate.
(15) So and so had a vision and went to heaven, saw dead people, etc.
so you should listen to them.
I won't get into these arguments here as I have demolished all these arguments and more in our booklet called "What Should I Say" available here:
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/booklet/booklet.html
The above arguments are still being used, especially the "don't judge" argument. Some of the above arguments are loosely based on Scripture, though a misinterpretation of it taught by Third Wave leaders. But the new emails are beginning to veer away from these arguments into waters I can only describe as brainless, on one hand, and cultic on the other. Because I cannot get permission from the authors to post actual negative emails, I will try to synopsize what is being sent to DITC as a defense for the Third Wave. This new direction should shock any true believer into the realization that the Third Wave is nothing less than a worldwide cult, given the emails I have been receiving since 2000. I get piles of email each week. About 50% are negative in some way. Here are some of the new "arguments" I am getting on a regular basis:
(1) Though I agree with some things you said, you are harsh and unloving in your "tone".
When I ask for specifics about how I was "harsh" they can never come up with direct references in articles, but simply broad brush what I am doing by making this kind of statement. I remind them the order of the verse that says "speak the truth in love". I am not here to speak lovely things, but to speak the (1) truth in (2) love. The most loving thing you can do is to warn a deceived person away from destruction. The most unloving thing you can do is to downplay the truth to gain someone's friendship or admiration. Sugar coating the truth never saved anyone. Those who think I'm harsh would have felt the same way about the substance of what Jesus or Paul taught, in fact many turned away from the truth then because they couldn't deal with objective truth, which always seems harsh to those who are trapped in sin.
A major reason people are truly saved is when they come to realize a fear of God and His judgment. You can't "woo" people to Christ by only focusing on the love of God, but you must also warn them away from sin, death and hell. You cannot get people to stop following false teachers by simply teaching concepts. You must actually take what the Bible says and apply it directly to people and situations today for people to make the connection. Our faith must be practical. We must not only be hearers of the Word but doers of it. Paul warned the churches about specific individuals through Timothy. The prophets warned of other false prophets by name. Heretics must be rejected. If that seems "harsh" to people, then they don't understand the biblical examples. We are to be unleavened, separate from false teaching and heresy. We are to get away from false prophets. We are to warn them and rebuke them in the hope that they will repent, but we are to make it clear that they are not a part of the true Church while they remain unrepentant. This may seem "harsh" but it is the very best thing for them, the only way they may actually be saved, return to orthodoxy. I have always tried to keep needless remarks out of my articles, and focus on the facts and the teaching of the Word. I am not perfect, but my tone the the tone of those who have articles on my site has always been one of trying to help people. It has never been one of tearing down or trying to ruin people's ministries based on anything other than the core doctrines of the Faith and how they are being dismantled.
(2) Everything you are saying about Benny Hinn is a lie. All your quotes are made up.
This is probably the number one argument I am receiving of late, almost on a daily basis, so those who think this way must be getting this argument from the false teachers themselves. I'm sorry, but this shows a loss of brain cells! All one has to do is look up the quotes in the articles on our site, and almost all our articles have chapter and verse references, both for the Third Wave leaders quotes from their writings and tapes, but also from the Bible. The fact that those writing us these kinds of emails will not do the research themselves tells me that they idolize their leaders instead of obeying Christ, that they parrot back whatever they are told to believe, and that they have no desire to check out the facts but would rather live in a fantasy world. These are the people who, from my experience, are basically beyond help. Only through repentance and renouncing their ties to these Third Wave cultists can they have any hope of learning the truth. They are "willfully ignorant" of the facts that are set out in detail for them. And, by the way, I am no Stephen Speilberg or George Lucas. I can't do CGI animation and cannot make people like Benny Hinn say what I want him to say on video or audio. Even if I could, why bother? The things people like Hinn say and do are far beyond what I would even make up myself. We simply quote the false teachers and compare what they say to the Bible. This is not rocket science.
(3) Here is a prophecy by so and so. You need to obey this word.
Every "prophecy" must be evaluated by the highest authority in the life of the Christian, that is the written Word of God. If it is not biblical, does not square with the facts, is not in line with the revealed character of God in His Word, and, if predictive, does not come true in every detail, then it is to be disregarded. Any true prophesy today originates in the written Word, which we are not to go beyond according to Paul. The Holy Spirit speaks through His Word, which is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, able to pierce down to the bones and marrow of any subject. God is leading and guiding His Church today, as well as individual Christians, but not apart from His written Word. He uses what is written to guide us today. Dreams and visions must be tested, and from my experience very few dreams and visions today meet biblical criteria. Where is the outcry for people who claim to be prophets to shut up and repent when they are proven to be false? There are no foundational Apostles or foundational prophets today. Any true prophesy will always originate and must be tested by the whole teaching of the written Word of God.
(4) You are obviously demonic. You are Satan.
This is also a regular subject of my emails these days, and what a nice way to open a conversation! I am saving all the emails calling me names like "the devil", "Satan", "demonic", "of another spirit" to show Third Wave leaders, because they are obviously teaching this to their followers. I have been called this in emails, to my face, and behind my back as well. This is simply taking the self-righteous "you may be saved but don't have the baptism of the Holy Spirit" of hyper-Pentecostalism one mile further. If I am Satan, then why do I want to help people get away from false prophets and come back to the core doctrines of the Faith? Why do I endure this type of persecution gladly for the sake of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who gave His all for me on Calvary? Why do I continue to preach the Gospel and have letters from all over the world telling how my web site has brought them to salvation, brought them back to the truth, and helped them grow to maturity in Christ? If I am demonic, then why would I even have this web site? I love the truth and that is what I stand for with millions of other true believers. We refuse to be misled, refuse to mix our theology, refuse to have any other "anointing" than the Spirit of Jesus Christ, refuse to follow false apostles, false prophets, false Christs, false teachers--heretics. If you want to know who is blaspheming God these days, then read this article:
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/blasphemers.html
I am glad to be called names for the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of the Truth, for the sake of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I stand for His Word, His Truth, His commands. I love Him, therefore I obey His commands. One of them is to try to pull people from the fire who are being burned. I will continue this ministry as long as I live because as a Christian it is my job, and if you are a believer it is your job to stand for the Truth also. You may not be called to discernment or apologetics ministry, but we are all called to be overcomers and to not be ashamed of the Gospel.
(5) You need to stop putting down your brothers in the Lord.
Those who teach against the core doctrines of the Faith are not my brothers in the Lord. They are rejected heretics. If they want to be my brother in the Lord, they must repent of their false beliefs and practices publicly, turn from their wicked ways, and humbly follow Christ and His Word. For now they are outside the scope of orthodox biblical Christianity. They are not my brothers. This is why I warn people against them.
THE GOOD
Please read just a small sampling of the encouraging emails we have received. We receive sometimes hundreds per week and I try to answer them all. I give people at least two or three chances to be reasonable, and continue my conversation if they are willing to actually talk over the issues. I have had people change their minds and lives, and in some cases have written to me years later to repent of denouncing me and what I am doing to try to help Christians everywhere. I have to block some people who continue to send emails if they are not listening at all and continue using the above bogus arguments and abusive language after they have been shown to be in error from the Word. I tell them to read the 900+ articles on our site if they want to see what is going on in the Church today.
Fortunately we get about 50% positive emails from virtually every country in the world. Testimonies of people being delivered from deception, false teaching, false prophecy, and even demons is common. People are being saved, discipled, and are growing in their faith. Many of them turn right around to try to help others, and in some cases end up standing directly against what is going on in their church that is against the Word. This has been encouraging. My materials such as books and videos are being used all over the world to bring people back to the sacred truths of the Scripture and the teachings of the Apostles and prophets. We have such a wealth and resource on this site, and I can't really take credit for it. My contribution has been minor compared to some of the faithful Christians who have written excellent articles and produced other materials we carry. DITC has simply provided a kind of "Reader's Digest" of the best articles and materials out there to help in the fight against heresy in the Church.
CONCLUSION
The apostasy is here, and many are falling away. It can be easy to get discouraged and think that you are the only person left with your head screwed on the right way. But don't give up. Never surrender! Elijah was reminded of the 7000 faithful ones in Israel by the Lord, and I am reminding you of the millions of true believers who are in the unity of the Faith with you and me. Those who promote an ecumenical "unity" are not promoting the unity of the Faith. Walk with Jesus Christ everyday with your everyday cross. Crucify your "self" to the things of the world, the flesh and the devil and gain life through death, through Christ!
