REVrant 37.1 - New Life Church Embraces Prophecy - One More "Formula" to Confuse People and Make Christians Look Goofy

New Life Church embraces prophecy - The Denver Post.

Regular attenders at FBC know that I am very passionate about addressing the “formula” obsession in current American evangelicalism.  The masses seem to be searching for THE formula to get a more direct and efficient connection to God.  If only we can establish this connection – by praying the right prayer (i.e., of Jabez), or reading the right book, or applying the principles of “Your Best Life Now” -then…we will theoretically be able to get information and instructions and blessings from God that other people aren’t getting because they don’t know or are not using the formula.

Connect this to the linked article about the New Life Church in Colorado Springs (of Ted Haggard fame) – the new Sr. Pastor – Brady Boyd – is telling people that everyone has been “uniquely hard-wired to hear the voice of God.”  How is that?  Well, if you really want to know, Boyd and his teachers will instruct you how to become a “modern prophet” in your own life.  Yes, they are actually offering training to the whole congregation, suggesting that everyone can access this gift or ability.  You can “foresee your future” and “hear directly from God.”  If you “learn to hear it,” you will be dialed in to the right channel and God will speak directly to you about YOUR life.

According to the article, they had some guest speaker/pastors – who know how to do this – describe what God told them specifically about some of the pastors and leaders of New Life Church.  Including a single pastor being told that a wife would be joining him in the future to serve in ministry together with him.

Where do I start?

First, this is a form of the ancient heretical philosophy of “Gnosticism.”  The Gnostics believed they “knew” things that other people didn’t for one reason – God was telling them stuff he wasn’t telling others.  Gnostic comes form the Greek word, “gnosis,” which means “to know.”

Second, the “gift of prophecy” is not a gift that was ever given to everyone within a church body.  The Bible stresses that the gifts are distributed with diversity and makes it clear that not all have the same gift.  Further, the idea that there are those who possess the gift of “foretelling” the future in our day makes no sense, unless the people who tell the future are 100% accurate in everything they say.  If they are wrong once, the Bible calls them false prophets.  I’m guessing that the loophole used by the New Life guys is that if it doesn’t go as the “prophet” said, he just didn’t hear God clearly.  That’s not allowed with the Biblical gift of prophecy.  I personally don’t believe God is distributing this gift in our era for one main reason – we have the Bible.  Which leads me to the next concern I have.

Third, the net effect of this kind of nonsense is a diminishing of the written revelation of God in His Word.  God has already spoken - through His Word.  But if you are constantly listening for new stuff, and exciting stuff, and specific stuff about YOU, then the Bible falls by the wayside.  The Bible gets a demotion, because the new stuff is so much hotter!  There is no Biblical mandate to Christians to prophetically analyze their specific future.  Kind of an interesting Proverb came to mind – “Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”  I hear the New Life guys suggesting…”no, you actually can know what a day may bring forth…if God tells you.”

Fourth, there is an inherent narcissism in this quest to figure out what God is saying about…YOU!  Hey, why bother about all that stuff God says about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, when I can have God focus on me?  This direction in ministry at New Life seems to be fueled by a self-centered societal and cultural drift away from the majesty of God to the “majesty of man.”  That they can’t see this is stunning and very discouraging.

Fifth, and finally, this kind of goofy non-Biblical claptrap makes  evangelicals look delusional and even “cult-LIKE.”  I didn’t say New Life IS a cult.  But it’s LIKE what cults do.  They begin to base their operations on things God is specifically telling them to do.  (Like the Mormon polygamists we’ve been reading about in the news.)  Don’t misunderstand.  I believe God speaks to us – by His Spirit and through His Word.  But God is not in the business of handing out specific information about your daily life on a daily basis.  If you hope to figure out the formula to make this happen, you’re going to be greatly disappointed.  It will NOT happen. 

I had hoped that New Life Church would have a “new life” in the aftermath of their two tragedies – Haggard and the shootings – but this is a discouraging development.  And of course, the media loves to tell stories like this.  

Comments

[Anna Thorne]

That's disgusting. I hope that single pastor is smart enough not to believe them; if he does believe them then he has my sympathy for how that "knowledge" will affect his relationships with women from now on, especially if he really doesn't end up getting married. Hopefully the attendees of this church have other friends who are more firmly grounded than they and who can convince them this is nonsense....of course that won't be an easy task, considering what you pointed out about peoples' obsession with self. Oh boy.

[IAD316]

Good job, MHR. Very well-written, articulate summary of what's wrong in this situation. Everyone in the entire church can have the gift of prophecy? That would make it less of a "gift," wouldn't it? When everyone can do exactly the same thing, there's nothing really special about it. "Ooh, look at Billy. He breathes air. Isn't that special? I hear he can digest complex carbohydrates too." To quote from Pixar's 'The Incredibles,' -- "If everybody's special, NObody's special."

Last night we finished a lesson book with our high school-age AWANA club on knowing God's will. My summary was that, for the most part, we already know what God's will is -- if we're willing to break down life's situations into small enough chunks. He wants me to be honest. Be a good steward of my material possessions. Love my wife faithfully. Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with Him. Be kind to others in word and deed. Pray without ceasing. Rejoice evermore. Be content. You get the idea. For the most part, I can discern His will in any given situation by focusing attention on being faithful in those "little things." I don't need fiery writing in the sky. I have inspired writing in The Book.

[betsyb]

MHR...This approach to teaching people to prophsey seems strikingly similar to attempts to "teach" people to speak in tongues. If this is the pattern, my guess (not prophesy!) is that people in this who do not begin "prophesying" will feel like second class Christians and will either "fake" their gift or will feel guilty because they don't have it. The fruit of this approach is not glory to God, but disillusionment.

I differ from you, MHR, in that I do believe that all of the gifts of the Spirit are still active to this day. They were used by God to demonstrate His power and authority to the cynical, superstitious, unrepentant, and unbelieving...and they still are...particularly in cultures where the Gospel has not been preached. All of the major and minor prophets had God's Word (the Torah) available to them, yet God chose a person to speak to Israel His behalf...to get their attention. And He's given us His Holy Spirit to speak to/with us today....that still small voice. However, as you said, the penalty (death) for claiming to be a prophet and being a false prophet was steep....so it's nothing to be taken lightly...nor to be sought, for that matter.

Knowing God, I believe , entails knowing about God, through His Word, and knowing His spirit, though communication with Him through prayer and meditation. You can read a book about a person and know how they think, but you have to spend time with them to truly know them. However, I think that there are tests for anything that is "heard" from God. Whatever He says will always 1) be consistent with His Word, 2) the truth, 3) for the edification of the body, 4)4) communicated to others in humility, and 5) it brings Glory to God. Anything else would just be noise.

[Stacey Peterson]

I wish stuff like this didn't get coverage in the news - just another thing I feel we have to fight against as Christians. Thanks for your well-spoken analysis of why this is just plain wrong.

Seems like everyone is selling a formula these days, and if they really worked, would so many people still be searching? Reminds me of Donald Miller's "Searching for God Knows What," where he takes class on Christian writing and the instructor tells him all about the formula to follow for a best-seller.