Some 'word faith' comments

I'm reading an article about Joyce Meyer and the 'word faith movement'. I watched and enjoyed some of these preachers, and quoted from a couple of Joyce Meyers' books in my booklet. But I didn't know then that some of their basic beliefs or doctrines were so unscriptural, so I'll probably have to change a small bit of my booklet in that regard. (Particularly the section about what you speak.)

So here are some of the troublesome beliefs or doctrine in a nutshell, from the article linked above:

1. God creates by using His faith through the power of spoken words.
2. Man is a “little god” capable of creating in the same fashion as did God.
3. Man,
   through faith-filled words, creates or causes to come to pass that
   which is spoken. Thus by one’s spoken words health/healing and
   wealth/prosperity are created.
4. Jesus earned our redemption, not on the cross, but in hell.

My response to these is as follows.

1. I don't know how God creates, He's God and I'm not. I know the Genesis account says that 'God said, let there be light' and there was light and he saw that it was good, etc. But I'm pretty sure it is more than just spoken words, as we know it, that He uses in creation.

2. While it's obvious man has some creative ability, I think it might be more proper to say we have some focusing ability, and the ability to push things around that have already been created; but in the end God is the Creator.

3. My current opinion is that you can't have 'faith-filled words' if there's emotional turmoil or conflict. More on this in another post, probably, and when I update the booklet. I think there's more 'power' in the emotion than in the actual spoken words. Something said in anger can have quite a different impact than something spoken in a neutral emotional state. But it still ties into focus AND that God is the Creator.

(In the Law of Attraction arena, it's generally referred to as 'the Universe' -- but 'the Universe' is basically neutral and uncaring and generally impersonal, whereas the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is both caring and personal.)

4. This one I hadn't heard any of the 'word faith' preachers preach, or I'd have turned them off immediately. One could only preach and/or believe that if they hadn't read the Bible and/or didn't believe it is the Word of God.

So I want to go on the record as saying (typing) that I believe that the Holy Bible is the Word of God, and I believe that Jesus / Yeshua is His only begotten Son, born in the flesh and rose again from the grave on the 3rd day. I believe all of the 'essential doctrines of the Christian faith'.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is for today and didn't leave believers high & dry after the Apostles died. But I've never spoken in tongues and have never seen or heard anyone (really) speak in tongues, but that doesn't mean there aren't those who do.

More in another message.

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