Christians need to beware of calling ministers heretics and false prophets. Did you know that if you do a web search of any nationally recognized preacher, there will be people who talk negative of them?
Jesus talked about false prophets coming in the last days. However, I'm convinced that what most Christians call false prophets are not. It is very dangerous spiritually to call a preacher false because you don't agree with a doctrine that isn't essential to salvation.
To quote a website as proof that a preacher is bogus is ridiculous. I've seen people take one sentence a preacher says and exploit it.
As a example I will use two controversial preachers: Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland.
Benny Hinn has a worldwide healing ministry and is rich. It is a fact that Benny Hinn has never been charged by the police as a fraud. It is a fact no accusations against him have been proved. I'm not gonna argue personal opinions about him. I'm talking facts. Benny Hinn teaches that God still heals and believes it is God's will to heal everyone. Now I believe that also, but lets say Benny Hinn is wrong. Let's say that that is a scriptual error. That does not make him a heretic. Please don't post comments saying he calls himself a healer and is stealing money. You have never heard him call himself the healer and cannot provide any proved reference that he steals money...that would be a lie. That would make him a heretic. Just because a preacher is rich doesn't mean he is stealing. My point is if he was wrong on his doctrine concerning healing that doen't make him a heretic. That just means he's missing it in a area. Does he believe in the Lordship of Christ; the plan of redemption; the one way of salvation? Yes he does. He has led millions to Christ.
Look at Kenneth Copeland. The internet is always calling him a heretic who believes we are literal Gods. I know that is a distortion of his teaching. He has said specifically that we are not Deity. He means that we are God's children and have authority on earth as God does in heaven. They also call him a heretic because he preaches biblical prosperity. Lets say he is completely wrong in those areas... that doesn't make him a heretic. If he has the biggest house in America, that doesn't make him a heretic. That just means his missing it in that area. He believes in salvation through Christ only; the trinity; the integrity of the Word of God.
A heretic is one who claims to be a Christian, but leads them away from Christ. A false prophet is one who turns people toward themselves. A false prophet says they speak for God, but don't speak His voice. It is a strange voice that speaks for themselves or the devil. If you are leading people to Christ, teaching the fundamental things of the Bible, giving God the glory, how can you be a heretic? If your definition of a heretic is anyone who promotes divine healing, speaks in tongues, and believes in prosperity that is sad. It would be just as wrong, but in accordance to your definition, if they called you a heretic for not believing in it.
I know there are false prophets, even some in the name of Christianity. I just thing we need to examine them more closely before throwing rocks at every accusation. CNN and Fox News are not even close to the gospel. They want to bring down every ministry that is rich because money makes you more effective. The world news is influenced by Satan, have you noticed they never speak positive things about us Christians unless you claim to be a gay one. At minimum, at least check out there website, look at there tenants, and read a article or two. Most of the Christians we speak against we shouldn't be speaking against. Most negative information we get is third and forth party and we don't verify it.
Do you want to know what heretic Christianity is? Heretic Christianity is Joseph Smith and the Church of Latter Day Saints. It is Charles Russel and the Jehovah's Witness. The KKK are heretics. Buddha, Mohammad, Confucius, and Gandhi are false prophets. And yes those preachers who can only prophecy how much money you have and should give it them, they bogus two. The problem is we falsely clump the legit with them.
I said all this to say quit calling preachers heretics even if they are wrong in certain areas. We all miss it in certain areas. I have not found a perfect church, denomination, or preacher yet. We are imperfect vessels who serve a perfect God. As long a be believe the core things of of the Word of God lets get along and be willing to be corrected if we are missing it.
Jesus talked about false prophets coming in the last days. However, I'm convinced that what most Christians call false prophets are not. It is very dangerous spiritually to call a preacher false because you don't agree with a doctrine that isn't essential to salvation.
To quote a website as proof that a preacher is bogus is ridiculous. I've seen people take one sentence a preacher says and exploit it.
As a example I will use two controversial preachers: Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland.
Benny Hinn has a worldwide healing ministry and is rich. It is a fact that Benny Hinn has never been charged by the police as a fraud. It is a fact no accusations against him have been proved. I'm not gonna argue personal opinions about him. I'm talking facts. Benny Hinn teaches that God still heals and believes it is God's will to heal everyone. Now I believe that also, but lets say Benny Hinn is wrong. Let's say that that is a scriptual error. That does not make him a heretic. Please don't post comments saying he calls himself a healer and is stealing money. You have never heard him call himself the healer and cannot provide any proved reference that he steals money...that would be a lie. That would make him a heretic. Just because a preacher is rich doesn't mean he is stealing. My point is if he was wrong on his doctrine concerning healing that doen't make him a heretic. That just means he's missing it in a area. Does he believe in the Lordship of Christ; the plan of redemption; the one way of salvation? Yes he does. He has led millions to Christ.
Look at Kenneth Copeland. The internet is always calling him a heretic who believes we are literal Gods. I know that is a distortion of his teaching. He has said specifically that we are not Deity. He means that we are God's children and have authority on earth as God does in heaven. They also call him a heretic because he preaches biblical prosperity. Lets say he is completely wrong in those areas... that doesn't make him a heretic. If he has the biggest house in America, that doesn't make him a heretic. That just means his missing it in that area. He believes in salvation through Christ only; the trinity; the integrity of the Word of God.
A heretic is one who claims to be a Christian, but leads them away from Christ. A false prophet is one who turns people toward themselves. A false prophet says they speak for God, but don't speak His voice. It is a strange voice that speaks for themselves or the devil. If you are leading people to Christ, teaching the fundamental things of the Bible, giving God the glory, how can you be a heretic? If your definition of a heretic is anyone who promotes divine healing, speaks in tongues, and believes in prosperity that is sad. It would be just as wrong, but in accordance to your definition, if they called you a heretic for not believing in it.
I know there are false prophets, even some in the name of Christianity. I just thing we need to examine them more closely before throwing rocks at every accusation. CNN and Fox News are not even close to the gospel. They want to bring down every ministry that is rich because money makes you more effective. The world news is influenced by Satan, have you noticed they never speak positive things about us Christians unless you claim to be a gay one. At minimum, at least check out there website, look at there tenants, and read a article or two. Most of the Christians we speak against we shouldn't be speaking against. Most negative information we get is third and forth party and we don't verify it.
Do you want to know what heretic Christianity is? Heretic Christianity is Joseph Smith and the Church of Latter Day Saints. It is Charles Russel and the Jehovah's Witness. The KKK are heretics. Buddha, Mohammad, Confucius, and Gandhi are false prophets. And yes those preachers who can only prophecy how much money you have and should give it them, they bogus two. The problem is we falsely clump the legit with them.
I said all this to say quit calling preachers heretics even if they are wrong in certain areas. We all miss it in certain areas. I have not found a perfect church, denomination, or preacher yet. We are imperfect vessels who serve a perfect God. As long a be believe the core things of of the Word of God lets get along and be willing to be corrected if we are missing it.
