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The God of the Bible
versus the god of MLM
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Power of the Tongue
"Confess it and possess it", "name it and claim it", "blab it and grab it" "speak it into existence" "snared by the word"—are just a few of the sayings that reveal the god of MLM’s teachings on the function and role of words spoken aloud. MLM members are taught to program their minds with "success doctrine" and to speak only "positive". In the MLM vocabulary, "positive" is defined as any person, thought, word, deed, event or circumstance that promotes the MLM agenda. Similarly, "negative" is anything that stands in the way of MLM(including the Truth of God’s Word). MLM believers are taught to refine their skills in a practice known as ‘self-talk’—in which the devotee engages in endless, repetitive verbalization(aloud or internalized) of positive affirmations to build up self-esteem or vivid word-pictures of a desired outcome. The god of MLM has extracted and adapted these teachings from a hodge-podge of occultic metaphysical practices that present themselves today as the Word of Faith movement. The leading expositors of these teachings are included on the book list of recommended reading published by the MLM leadership. The teachings of Kenneth Copeland, Charles Capps, Don Gossett and other well-known thought leaders in the Word-Faith movement all enjoy a seat at the MLM training table. The Word -Faith teachings, with their focus on greed and materialism—constitute the ‘religion of choice’ for the god of MLM. To properly understand the inherent dangers of the god of MLM’s use of these teachings, a brief summary of key Word-Faith doctrines is helpful. The following is a concise summary of teachings compiled by Biblical Discernment Ministries in Bedford, Indiana, Rick Miesel, editor, at http://rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/ Used with permission of the editor. 1. Faith is a force that both God and man can use: "Faith is a force just like electricity or gravity" (Copeland), and it is the substance out of which God creates whatever is (Capps). God uses faith, and so may we in exactly the same way in order to produce the same results through obedience to the same "laws of faith" (Capps) that God applied in creation. "You have the same ability [as God has] dwelling or residing on the inside of you" (Capps). "We have all the capabilities of God. We have His faith" (Copeland). 2. Faith's force is released by speaking words: "Words are the most powerful thing in the universe" because they "are containers" that "carry faith or fear and they produce after their kind" (Capps). God operates by these very same laws. "God had faith in His own words ... God had faith in His faith, because He spoke words of faith and they came to pass. That faith force was transported by words ... the God-kind-of-faith ... is released by the words of your mouth" (Hagin). "Creative power was in God's mouth. It is in your mouth also" (Capps). 3. Man is a "little god" in God's class: "Man was designed or created by God to be the god of this world" (Tilton, Hagin, Capps). "Adam was the god of this world ... [but he] sold out to Satan, and Satan became the god of this world" (Hagin). "We were created to be gods over the earth, but remember to spell it with a little 'g'" (Tilton, Hagin, Capps). "Adam was created in God's class ... to rule as a god ... by speaking words" (Copeland). "Man was created in the God class ... We are a class of gods ... God himself spawned us from His innermost being ... We are in God; so that makes us part of God (2 Cor 5:17)" (Copeland). 4. Anyone--occultist or Christian--can use the faith force: Because man is a little god "in God's class: very capable of operating on the same level of faith as God" (Capps), and "because all men are spirit beings" (Hagin), therefore anyone , whether Christian or pagan, can release this"faith force" by speaking words if he only believes in his words as God believes in His (Hagin). "God is a faith God. God releases His faith in Words, [and we must do the same:] ... "Everything you say [positive or negative] will come to pass" (Capps). "Spiritual things are created by WORDS. Even natural, physical things are created by WORDS" (Hagin). 5. You get what you confess : The vital key is confessing , or speaking aloud, and thereby, releasing the force of faith. "You get what you say" (Hagin, Hunter). "Only by mouth confession can faith power be released, allowing tremendous things to happen" (Cho). "Remember, the key to receiving the desires of your heart is to make the words of your mouth agree with what you want" (Copeland). "Whatever comes out of your mouth shall be produced in your life" (Tilton). "They're [his two children] 30-some years of age today, and I don't believe I prayed more than half a dozen times for both of them in all these years. Why? Because you can have what you say--and I had already said it!" (Hagin). 6. Never make a negative confession: The tongue "can kill you, or it can release the life of God within you ... whether you believe right or wrong, it is still the law" (Capps). There is power in "the evil fourth dimension" (Cho). If you confess sickness you get it, if you confess health you get it; whatever you say you get" (Hagin). "Faith is as a seed ... you plant it by speaking it" (Capps). "The spoken word ... releases power--power for good or power for evil" (Bashan). Therefore, it is very important never to speak anything negative but only to make a positive confession--hence the name of the Positive Confession movement" ~ Why a Christian should reject Positive Confession doctrine Boiled down to its empirical minimum, the Word Faith teachings on Positive Confession present man as God, with the ability of God to create or destroy—with words and faith in words as the engine of creation/destruction. It would be difficult to imagine a heresy more offensive to Almighty God than one which elevated fallen man to the status of ‘Co-Creator’. 1. It is Doctrinal heresy with no Biblical Foundation - Positive Confession leaders have a wrong view of faith: Instead of trust in God as its object, it is a metaphysical force they trust. They have a wrong view of God: He is not sufficient in Himself, but can only do what He does by using this universal faith-force in obedience to certain cosmic laws. They have a wrong view of man: He is a little god in God's class who has the same powers as God and can use the same force of faith by obedience to the same laws that God also must obey. They also have a wrong view of redemption and the cross of Christ. 2. It is clearly rooted in the Occult Word-Faith teachers have a dark ancestry—traced back to groups like Christian Science, Swedenborgianism, Theosophy, Science of Mind, and New Thought--not to classical Pentecostalism. It reveals that at their very core, Word-Faith teachings are corrupt. Their undeniable derivation is cultish, not Christian. The sad truth is that the gospel proclaimed by the Word-Faith movement is not the gospel of the New Testament. Word-Faith doctrine is a mongrel system, a blend of mysticism, dualism, and gnosticism that borrows generously from the teachings of the metaphysical cults. The Word-Faith movement may be the most dangerous false system that has grown out of the charismatic movement so far, because so many charismatics are unsure of the finality of Scripture (Charismatic Chaos , p. 290)." ~ The following is excerpted from "positive Confession and the Word-Faith Movement" an article compiled by Clete Hux. D.R. McConnell, in his book, "A Different Gospel," directly traces the origin the spiritual laws taught in positive confession to the metaphysics of E.W. Kenyon, a man of 50-60 years ago whose theology was that of Pentecostal Christian Science.( A Different Gospel, pp. 3-56).McConnell records Kenneth Copeland in "The Laws of Prosperity," ( p.98, 101), saying, "You can have what you say! In fact, what you are saying is exactly what you are getting now. If you are living in poverty and lack and want,change what you are saying. It will change what you have... Discipline your vocabulary... God will be obligated to meet your needs because of His word... If you stand firmly on this, your needs will be met." (Ibid, p.173). McConnell further states, that E.W. Kenyon's New Thought classmate, Ralph Waldo Trine, attributes the confession of prosperity to "occult power." He says that "Trine believed that thought is a force, and it has occult power of unknown proportions when rightly used and wisely directed." (Ibid, p.174). The usage of occult powers is, of course, a practice thatthe Faith teachers would publicly reject. And of course, this is not to say that MLM leaders who offer these teachings are occultists. They are teachers who may never have thought through the implications of the practices they advocate. They may be unaware of the similarities between certain aspects of positive confession and occultic practices. Nevertheless, the similarities do exist, and these practices are neither Biblical or Christian. John Ankerberg's issue of "News and Views," June 1988, p.1, reports that these words are used in religious rituals to influence both the spirit world and the material world. The report quotes occult magician David Conway discussing the power of magical words to affect these worlds: "Unseparable from magical speculation about words is the theory of vibrations, which supposes that certain sounds have a powerful acoustic impact on both the spiritual and astral worlds... Like the spiritual world and astral plane can in some circumstances be affected by sound, so that verbal magic may be said to derive its power not only from the idea contained in certain words, but from the peculiar vibrations these words create when spoken." ("Magic: an Occult Primer", pp.74-75). Occultists, of course, have long claimed the true innernature of man is powerful, capable of exercising divine ability. This is why New Age practitioner Benjamin Creme says, for example, "One doesn't pray to oneself, one prays to the God within. The thing is to learn to invoke that energy which is the energy of God. Prayer and worship as we know it today will gradually die out and men will be trained to invoke the (inner) power of deity." ("The Reappearance of Christ and the Masters of Wisdom" pp. 135-136, parenthesis mine) The reason that positive confessionists, like the occultists, can place so much emphasis on the inner man and his divine power is that they think the believer is a god. Kenneth Copeland says, "You don't have a god in you, you are one" (Copeland's sermon tape "The Force of Love"). And Kenneth Hagin says, "The believer is as much an incarnation of God as Jesus Christ." (Hagin, "Word of Faith", p.14). It can help or hurt a close friend or a total stranger by what one says, but to treat words as if they were some "star wars" type weapon by which one alters or manipulates reality is not biblical, but occultic. If one could change reality by the power of words spoken, then that would put man on the same level with God. This is exactly what teachers of the "positive confession," or word-faith movement, claim. ~ There is no God but God Exodus 9:14 "...there is none like me (God) in all the earth." Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that he should lie;neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" Isaiah 43:10 "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." Isaiah 44:6 "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."
God’s View of Man’s Tongue The Word of God has quite a different view on ‘The Power of the Tongue’ compared to the heretical teachings of the MLM training system. To develop a broad understanding of how God views man’s ‘power tongue’, look at Matthew 15:17-19: Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: Note particularly verse 18—that the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart. Now look at what God has to say about man’s heart in Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? The heart—the center of man’s being from which the issues of life flow—is desperately and hopelessly wicked. The tongue of man, far from being a power tool, is more akin to a ‘roto-rooter’ that is about as easy to control. That’s why most of the Scripture that deals with the tongue or spoken word focuses on either 1) the many misuses and their consequences or 2) instructions on how to profitably use the tongue to glorify God. Notice these verses that paint a picture of the many ways that man misuses his tongue:
The Evil Tongue Jas 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. . Mt 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. Lu 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. The Flattering Tongue Ps 12:3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Pr 20:19 ¶ He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. Pr 26:28 ¶ A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin. The Wagging Tongue Pr 10:19 ¶ In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. Pr 14:23 ¶ In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury. Pr 29:11 ¶ A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards. The Bragging Tongue 2Pe 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. The Covetous Tongue 2Pe 2:3 ¶ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 2Pe 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. The Slandering Tongue Jas 4:11 ¶ Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. Ps 101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. The Talebearing Tongue Le 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. Pr 17:9 ¶ He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. Pr 18:8 ¶ The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Consider the Contrast with God’s Voice Ps 29:3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. Ps 29:4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. Ps 29:5 The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. . Ps 29:7 The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. Ps 29:8 The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. Ps 29:9 The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. How to use your tongue correctly Look at God’s instructions on how to use our tongue: The Bridled Tongue Pr 13:3 ¶ He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. Pr 21:23 ¶ Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 1Pe 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile The Quiet Tongue Pr 10:19 ¶ In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. Pr 11:12 ¶ He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace. Pr 17:28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. Pr 17:27 ¶ He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. The Wise Tongue Pr 25:11 ¶ A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Ec 10:12 ¶ The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. Ec 12:11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. The Soft Tongue Pr 25:15 ¶ By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. Pr 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. Pr 15:1 ¶ A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
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