What is seed faith?
Promoters of the false “prosperity gospel” and Word of Faith movement often like to talk about “seeding,” “seed faith offerings,” and “hundred-fold returns.” A seed faith offering is money given in faith that God will multiply it and return it to the giver. The more money you give—and the more faith you have—the more money…
Is being drunk in the Spirit a biblical experience?
Nowhere in the Bible does it say to be drunk in the Spirit. When the Bible speaks of being drunk, it always has a negative connotation. The only place in Scripture that alludes to the idea of “spiritual drunkenness” is Isaiah 29:9-14, and it refers to God’s judgment upon sin and apostasy. Some leaders in…
What is prophetic worship?
Prophetic worship is a trending activity within the Charismatic movement that combines spontaneous music, dance, and other art forms to present a “new” word from God. The word prophetic in this context means “hearing God in your heart and communicating what He says.” To prophesy is to speak (or sing) by “inspiration.” Sometimes the music…
What is the baptism of love?
The “baptism of love” is spoken of in Charismatic culture, and the concept is promoted by the Bethel Church of Redding, California. The idea behind the teaching of the “baptism of love” is that believers need to seek an experience of intimacy with God that surpasses knowledge of Him. In addition to being baptized with…
What does it mean to decree and declare?
In some circles, to “decree and declare” something is to powerfully speak it into existence. This phraseology has Pentecostal/Charismatic roots and is much like the “positive confession” teaching. Those involved in the “decree and declare” movement claim that if someone decrees or declares something, then it will happen. To “declare” is to state (out loud)…
What is the anointing?
Some Pentecostal and Charismatic churches preach about having a “new anointing.” This new anointing is said to be a new outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit on the lives of believers specifically to help them experience more power, more joy, and more holiness. While there is plenty in the Bible about anointing, teaching Christians to seek…
What is holy magic hair?
The holy magic hair (HMH) doctrine is the rather sarcastic name given to the teaching that long, uncut hair on a woman provides her with supernatural power, protection, and authority. This aberrant teaching has gained momentum in the Apostolic, Holiness, and Oneness groups within Pentecostalism. The holy magic hair doctrine is based largely on 1…
Are faith healers for real?
There is no doubt that God has the power to heal anyone at any time. The question is whether He chooses to do so through those who are called “faith healers.” These individuals typically convince their audiences that God wants them to be well and that through their faith—and usually a financial offering—God will reward…
Is pleading the blood of Jesus biblical?
“Pleading the blood of Jesus” in prayer is a teaching common in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles. When people speak of “pleading the blood of Jesus in prayer,” they are referring to the practice of claiming the power of Christ over any and every problem by using the phrase “I plead the blood of Jesus over…
Are Christians “little gods”?
Some theological systems, such as Mormonism, teach the heresy that people can become gods in their own right. Roman Catholicism teaches what it calls the divinization of men: “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods” (The Catechism…