I received a comment from Pastor Eugene Smith of Orlando City Church (a friend of Pastor Wendell). I will post his comment here with my response in block quotes. You can see the original post here: http://www.doctrinetalk.com/?page_id=2.
Click on the link below to see the whole post…its pretty long.
Tags: Pastor Eugene Smith, Wendell Smith
Introduction:
One of the most important things we need to do as Christians is keep our doctrine pure. This was heavily taught by both Christ and the Apostles:
Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Mt 16:6
Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Mt 16:12 (see Matthew 16)
As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 1 Timothy 1:3
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 1 Timothy 4:16
These are but a few scriptures of many warning us to keep our doctrine pure. Paul even says keeping our doctrine pure will save us and those who hear us (1 Timothy 4:16).
The Dangers of False Doctrine:
When Jesus warned the Apostles about the Pharisees, He didn’t warn of the physical harm they would bring, He warned of the leaven of their doctrines. Most people today scoff at people who discuss doctrines, saying “the letter of the law kills” or accuse those who desire pure doctrine of bringing division. I need to remind them that Jesus claimed to bring a sword, and that sword wasn’t literal Matthew 10:34.
It’s interesting that He uses the term “leaven.” Leaven is a small amount of yeast (or some other leavening agent) that goes into dough and has a permeating effect, and it affects the entire loaf. This is the same picture 2 Peter 2:1 gives of the teaching of false teachers. They secretly bring in destructive heresies. Secret destructive heresies permeate through an assembly of people in a hidden way and cause destruction, soul destruction.
Many Christians put up with leavened doctrine because of all the “good things” they can point to in the false teacher. Secret destructive heresies can be hidden behind flattering words and good works.
Our doctrines are considered important by Jesus because the doctrine taught by Scripture defines God, Christ, salvation, ethics, sin and all things a person needs for faith and life:
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:15-17
I believe it was A.W. Tozer who said “to live right we have to think right, to think right we have to be taught right”. If our doctrine is incorrect we will live those doctrines out. If we believe false things about God, then our faith is in an object that is not God and our faith is lost on an object we have created. Just like the Israelites who by their imagination made a golden calf and called it God…just because they called it God didn’t make it God.
How can we keep our doctrine pure if we rely on false teachers for our doctrine? How do we know we sit under false teachers if we do not have pure doctrine?
Stay tuned for part 2 – What are the biblical charateristics of false teachers and the “secret destructive heresies”.
Tags: False Teachers
One issue has come up a few times on this blog several times – eternal security. More specifically Calvinism vs. Armenianism. One of the things I notice about the discussion of Calvinism vs. Armenianism is how both sides agree the scriptures used are valid, but they interpret the scriptures differently. The interpretation is determined on the presuppositions brought to the table by each viewpoint. The assumptions about God’s sovereignty and man’s free will seem to me to be the two issues that determine how the scriptures will be read.
These are the points I would like to address to start the discussion on Calvinism vs. Armenianism. To summarize where I am at, I believe the scriptures elude to something in the middle of the two views. I don’t think God makes the choice of salvation for us, but I also don’t think we come seeking God on our own. We must be drug to the cross by God, then we are to make a choice to accept or reject the offering of salvation given to us by our Father in Heaven through His Son. I will post on the total depravity of man and the question if we do have a choice or a say in salvation. Do we have the opportunity to accept or reject the work on the cross.
In the next few days I will research this out more and submit my findings to for all your comments. As I say, I am not a scholar so I expect to be corrected in my views on the subject (through scripture of course). This blog will probably be a place where my lack of spiritual education on this subject will be evident, but hopefully refined.
Tags: Calvinism, Salvation, Sovereignty
John Piper is a pastor in Minneapolis, MN and author of many good books like “Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood“.
Watch it at the link below:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ukcV-xtU3hc
Hat tip: Andy – through my sister…
Tags: John Piper, The Prosperity Gospel
http://www.thecity.org/bookstore/the_book_of_james
The Book of James read by Dr. Wendell Smith.
Receive spiritual strength, insights for living, and great encouragement as you listen to the Book of James the Apostle, paraphrased and read by Dr. Wendell Smith. This Bible book of practical instruction for living the Christian life will come alive to you as you listen and meditate on God’s Word.
Honorary doctorate put to good use…
Tags: Wendell Smith
I was listening to a message from Zac Poonen called “How to Escape Deception” (click here to download and listen to the sermon) where he talks about different biblical warnings of deception.
I highly recommend the sermon, it was great.
One thing he said really made me think. He talked about this quote from Jesus:
 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24 4:5
What Zac Poonen suggested was that when Jesus said “many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ” they would not be professing to be the Christ, but they are saying Jesus is Christ.
I always thought it meant something like this, “many shall come in my name, claiming they are the Christ”. The problem is Jesus said they will claim “I am Christ” – does he mean they will profess Jesus to be Christ. He said this too:
Many will say to Me in that day, :Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! Matthew 7:22-24
Does anyone have an opinion about this? The way Zac Poonen describes it makes sense in light of all the false teachers who claim that Jesus is the Christ, but teach a false gospel (the prosperity message, Mormons, Jehovah Witness, word of faith). I don’t want to believe Zac’s interpretation because it already fits into my beliefs on these false teachers, I want to know if it is true.
I am interested to hear your thoughts!
Tags: Deception, False Teachers
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This is a post from Daniel, a friend of mine who got this reply from an elder (I think) of the City Church. I think it is an important letter, showing the City Church to be a “word of faith” church and the subjective nature of their doctrines. All comments below are by Daniel.
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Ed Decker is a City Church pastor and president of “Saints Alive in Jesus”, a web-based ministry to Mormons and Freemasons. Last month I wrote Ed a letter and sent him a copy of a CD that I had made. The CD contained audio bytes of false “Word of Faith” teachings by City Church leaders. He responded a few weeks later with an email.
Click this link to listen to the Podcast that I made into a CD for Ed Decker City Church Word of Faith Podcast. This Podcast very plainly shows that the senior leadership at the City are teaching “Word of Faith” heresy.
I have posted the email below, and my comments are in block quotes.
======= BEGIN EMAIL =======
Dear Daniel,
Thanks for your letter, CD and concern. I am sorry to be so long in getting back to you, but have been out of the country since the 1st week of March and just returned .
******** ****** my son ***** wife handles much of my ministry mail for me and commented that she and **** know you and have high regard for you..
I have listened to the CD and reviewed some other materials I have regarding the City Church and the subject.
Before I joined the Church about 12 years ago and became one of its pastors, I listened to Pastor Wendell speak, always with an apologists ear and after a year, felt he was one of the most balanced, biblically correct ministers I had ever sat under. I still do….
In 12 years I have heard all the other pastors in the church preach and only a very few times heard something I would think to be out of biblical context or once, incorrect doctrine. Â Each time I would privately speak to that pastor and the issue would be quickly resolved. Â At no time did I ever have to speak to Wendell.
I have personally written about  “Word Faith” heresies in my book, Fast facts on False teachings. While I have done a pretty good job of exposing the false teachers, there are Word Faith Teachers who do teach it within Biblical context and Wendell Smith is one of those.
This is circular reasoning. Heresy cannot be taught within a “Biblical context” no matter how charismatic and charming the speaker may be.
Your short clip of his talking about living in the blessings of God misses the point of the full 45 minutes of his message. I prefer living in the blessings of God instead of the curses that Christ broke from us.
This is true, I did crop the message to show the doctinal error. However, even if I had left the message intact, the erroneous teachings were replete. No matter how you cut this message up it is full of false doctrine ! !
Wendell teaches about Biblical prosperity, with a purpose that is not of self but of the Kingdom of God and others. A quick word count showed me today that there are over 500 verses dealing with Prosperity, blessings reaping and faith and only about 21 about poverty.
Why do all the prosperity teachers do a word count on money? Wendell did the same thing with his letter to Craig. This really does not prove any point concerning prosperity.
Here are a few of the scriptures that Wendell uses when speaking about prosperity with a purpose…
3 John 2-3
 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. NKJV
Tim 6: 18-19Â Let them do good, that they be rich in good works , ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. NKJV
[This is the story of Don Ostrom's life. A life of great abundance, great faith to speak God's word boldly and the heart of God to keep giving away that which God gives him.]
Don Ostrom preached “I gave $5 dollars and the next week God gave me $20, thats when I decided to begin obeying the Holy Spirit”.
2 Cor 9:8-9 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” NKJV
Just yesterday, Pastor Jude spoke at the Plateau Campus on sowing and reaping and the key sermon word was the word, ‘and’ between the two and the need for us to realize that we need patience between the sowing and the reaping.
Jude is the most confused Word Faith false teacher of the three. His message on the “Law of Faith” is the most blasphemous new-age “preaching” I have ever heard (well, maybe Benny and Kenny are a little worse, but not by much)
I noticed that in your clip of Don going to pray and speak his word of faith over that building he needed to sell and the actual sale was 15 months…… and still Don gave the Lord the victory in the matter.
Actually, Don advises against praying in his message. He says that we should not pray but “speak” . He did not give God the glory in this matter. He gave his own words of faith the glory.
I personally would rather be a man standing on the word of faith and speaking positive words of my confession than a man who stands on the word of doubt and speaking negative confessions.. I speak abundance in zeal, faith, health, finances, not lack….
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away
I do tread the waters of the abundant life the Lord has blessed me with carefully, always taking joy and peace at whatever condition I find myself in.
Having had a heart attack, several strokes, run over by a metro bus, poisoned twice, shot at, beaten up, and dealing with just the frailty of my ‘latter’ years, I smile in everything, giving thanks to the One who keeps me up and going…
By the way, the one key to the great prosperity that one sees at the City Church, isn’t hype preached from the pulpit, but the application of some of the basic tenets of strong faith, just to name a few: like Prayer, Bible reading and paying tithes.. the paying of tithing opens the storehouses of heaven, if one is to believe that the Bible is God’s word and once that principle is in place through obedience, prosperity follows and when that is applied to the “good works” of the Kingdom, more blessings emerge as one’s soul prospers and that is the way the folks at TCC live life…
As to the ” Word-Faith’ people who come to the church, Marilyn Hickey taught me to really understand the furniture of the Tabernacle so that I was able to apply its significance to my own ministry. She never asked me to name or claim anything.
She is still a false teacher and should be reproved as such.
Kenneth Hagin preached for a week on healing and some terrible, painful scar tissue that held me in constant pain from removal of my right lung disappeared as he casually touched my shoulder as he walked by.. He didn’t ask me to speak the scar tissue from my body.
I wonder if Joseph Smith were alive today and touched his shoulder, would he still blindly defend him like he does “Papa” Hagin? Kennith Hagin was the most blatant false teacher of his time and Ed is defending him based on a subjective “sign”.
I have become very careful how I criticize others within the body of Christ. Some I know to steer clear from, others I let the Lord deal with.
This letter helps to show what leaders at the City really believe concerning doctrine and faith. This letter plus the one that was sent to Craig by Wendell should make it pretty clear that the City does not care too much for Biblical truth, but are rather satisfied with the shallowness and hype of the “Word Faith” movement.
God Bless You,
Ed Decker
Email Daniel . . . LoveJesus@mac.com.
Tags: Ed Decker
I was reading over a discussion at a site called Monday Morning Insight. They found the City Business Church blog and started talking about how blogging about a church is inherently unbiblical.
I thought the comments were really good, especially when Johnpaul (the founder of the City Business Church blog) got involved in the discussion. Their back-and-forth really got me thinking about this blog and the responsibility I have toward God.
My question is, if we are to not blog about the things we have gone through and the problems we see – then what is the biblical response we should have? Where are people to go who are genuinely seeking information on these pastors and churches? You find no doctrinal information on their web site, no real substance about doctrine preached from the pulpit…so what are we a mega-churchgoers to do when the doctrines of these churches are obscured?
Is using the internet as a forum to discuss these things a sin?
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