The Author’s Books

Apostasy! is Released (New Book)

Apostasy! The Word-Faith Doctrinal Deception is released today on Amazon.com in print and Kindle editions.

Apostasy! is the result of several years of research and teaching concerning the doctrinal heritage of the Word of Faith movement. Numerous churches are finding themselves dealing with doctrines that have no biblical basis. They are, instead, the product of carefully corroborated and systematized “new” doctrinal distinctions that are aimed at the financial empowerment of the teachers of this movement.
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Many believers are hearing such doctrines from their church pulpits without awareness of their sources.
This book seeks to track the origination of these add-on doctrines and to reveal how their acceptance will alter systematic theology. Poor doctrines do not merely stick to the roof where they are preached: they infiltrate every dependent area of theology and create a truly heretical off-shoot of the historic Christian faith.
The Word of Faith, at its full fruition, teaches that God is not the all-powerful creator in his own accord, Jesus did not come to Earth as God incarnate, salvation was purchased in the Lake of Fire rather than on a cross, and that God can be forced to give man anything he commands. Sixteen chapters will reveal these, and many other exceptional errors in the movement’s dogma, each demonstrated by documented and footnoted quotes of the most famous of the Word-Faith teachers.
If you have found yourself scratching your head as to the origins of some of these “new” doctrinal positions, this book will lead you to their sources and the biblical rebuttal.
Available soon at other major retailers, Google books and E-books.
See all books from the author here.

Apostasy! The Word-Faith Doctrinal Deception (Released Soon)

On (or around) January 20, 2012, the upcoming book by author Jeff Kluttz, Apostasy!, will be released. This work is an examination of the men and women who have propagated the “Word Faith” doctrinal position that has so aggressively taken root in many of today’s charismatic churches. Many who serve the Lord in these churches are utterly unaware as to the sources of the doctrines they are hearing espoused from their local church pulpits. This work traces the sources of such doctrines as well as the new systematic theology which it naturally produces.
Error gives birth to error.  If a foundational tenet of a group’s doctrine is compromised, necessarily all following dogma will follow suit.  The Word-Faith premise is dangerous, flawed and unbiblical- even by the testimony of its teachers.

RELEASE:

Apostasy is creeping into the church from televisions, books and star-personality tours of rich and blasphemous self-proclaimed prophets of God; many of whom are the most famous pastors and teachers in the U.S.  These counterfeit shepherds teach that faith is a material substance more powerful than God, accessible to all men, and capable of creating anything man’s heart can desire by the mere utterance of faith-filled-words.  This doctrine has leached into all areas of the theological systems of what are known as “Word of Faith” churches.  Virtually every major area of systematic theology in this movement has been taken captive by the repercussions of this primordial error.

In this heresy, God is limited. Man is unlimited. Satan fills a necessary role in atonement for sin. Health, wealth, power and all means of temptation are heralded as virtues of the faith while millions empty their bank accounts for the promise of such ambition.

Preying on the poor and desperate, this movement is systematically fulfilling biblical prophesies concerning a latter-day apostasy within Christendom.
The book will be available here, at Returningking.com, or at the Author’s Amazon.com Page, once available to the public.

“The Storefront Saints Show” “Apostasy!” Interview

I was priviledged to have an extensive interview with Pastor David Catoe and Jeff Lege of Fresh Spring Baptist Church in Angleton, Texas concerning my upcoming book, Apostasy! on “The Storefront Saints Show.”

Apostasy!, which will be released soon, is a book concerning the turning from the true faith of the Word of Faith community.  This book is aimed at people who are involved in the Word of Faith, yet know that something is wrong with what they are hearing from such pulpits.  It is my hope that tonight’s interview will give a very brief introduction to the book for those who have been patiently awaiting its release.

Direct Link: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18633140

(Video begins after about 20 seconds of opening graphic) (You must hit “play” after advertisement)

Argument For A Future Literal Kingdom of Christ

The following is an excerpt from the author’s book, The Return of the King: A Prophetic Timeline of End-Time Events. If you find articles in this category interesting, consider purchasing the book to read the entire work!

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The following excerpt is from Chapter 8 of The Return of the King. This chapter makes a very short argument concerning the literality of a literal Messianic Kingdom on the earth after the time of Christ’s return.  6 times in the book of Revelation a period of “one thousand years” are referred to, during which Satan is bound and the righteous rule with Christ.  Much debate is leveled at the nature of “the kingdom of God” in modern theological circles; many times completely ignoring the existence of a “literal kingdom” argument for one manifestation of that kingdom program.
While the author uncompromisingly agrees that “the kingdom of God” includes a “spiritual kingdom” aspect – he also asserts that it includes a “literal kingdom” aspect in which Christ will literally fulfill many dozens of prophecies which speak to Him as reigning on David’s throne, as having the nations to succumb to his rule and having even the animal kingdom in subjection to him during this one thousand year period.  Those wishing to discount this position have some very hard questions to answer about the nature of how prophecy has been fulfilled thus far.
Is prophecy normally fulfilled literally or figuratively?  Did Mary have a virgin birth?  Was he a son?  Did she name him Jesus?  Was he “called great?”  Was he “the son of the Most High?”  No one ever argues the literality of fulfillment of these statements.  Yet, does not the same proclamation (Luke 1:32) also note that he will rule on David’s throne?  If the son is literal should not the throne he sits on also be considered to possibly be literal in the same sentiment?  If not, then by what logical reason does one swerve from literal to metaphorical interpretive methods- in some cases – from within a single sentence in order to come up with an interpretation that precludes a literal kingdom of Christ?
Today’s post marks that challenge for your consideration.
Chapter 8:  Prophecies Concerning The Messianic Kingdom
It is the belief of some groups that the idea of a messianic kingdom (or “millennial kingdom” – a literal one-thousand year reign of Christ on earth) is a product of the book of Revelation only.  This belief frequently stems from the idea that the book of Revelation is metaphorical in its content and should not be taken literally.  Thus, some reject the idea of a literal messianic kingdom on earth because of their lack of literal understanding of the book of Revelation.  Amillennialism, for example, teaches that the one thousand year reign of Christ referenced in Revelation 20 is a figurative kingdom which began upon Christ’s resurrection.  However, even outside of the book of Revelation there are many biblical prophesies that can only literally be fulfilled at a future date; specifically, a date incorporating a literal millennial reign of Christ.  The understanding that a literal millennial kingdom provides a biblical explanation for prophecies which otherwise must be explained away should lend much credibility to the literal interpretation of the one thousand year kingdom in the book of Revelation.
This chapter will demonstrate from writings other than the book of Revelation that the millennial kingdom noted in Revelation refers to a literal kingdom of Christ upon the earth rather than a figurative one.  The basis for this position is the numerous Old Testament prophesies that remain unfulfilled in their entirety, which can only be fulfilled in the context of a millennial kingdom, such as a prophecy concerning a literal coming King in Israel.

Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

While this text has rightly been interpreted as a messianic prophecy, or a prophecy concerning the coming of Messiah, what is missed by many is the observation that this prophecy has not yet been fulfilled in its entirety.  It cannot be literally fulfilled outside of an earthly kingdom of Christ.  While Christ did come as Messiah, he has not fully done so in the manner described in this, and numerous other texts.
Verse 6 notes particularly that, “the government will be on his shoulders.”  Many properly maintain that Christ has established his kingship and that he rules the universe from the father’s right hand in Heaven.  While this assertion is certainly valid, it does not do justice to the language used in Isaiah concerning the nature of the unique kingdom prophesied.  Christ’s spiritual kingdom is not a complete fulfillment of the text.  Specifically, “the government” is referenced to be on his shoulders.  And, by reading the text as a whole, the government is further stipulated to refer to a human, earthly government; specifically the government of David, Israel’s most glorious and celebrated king.  Christ, throughout the whole of human history, has not had a governmental position of any kind.  While he was exalted to the father’s right hand, this position could not be rightly understood to be a governmental position within the kingdom of David.  In the millennium however, he will be an absolute monarch of a literal earthly kingdom from a throne in Israel; David’s throne.  The government “shall be on his shoulder.”  Isaiah, a Jewish prophet writing to a Jewish audience, specifically references that “unto us” a child is born and “to us” a son is given.  The “us” in the text is Isaiah and his people; Israel.  Surely Christ was born unto Israel.  He was born unto a literal Israel, not a spiritual one.  To that end, in keeping with the literal understanding of Israel in the text, one must also understand a literal government to be referred to.  Specifically, “the government” refers to the government of literal Israel which is referenced in the text.
Verse 7 notes, “of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.”  This government is demonstrated further to be the same government as that of David, who was a literal Israeli king.  “Upon the throne of David” specifies the same throne as that of the historical king.  Jesus, the universally understood “child” of this prophecy, has not sat upon David’s throne in any capacity nor for any amount of time at this point in history.  There has, in fact, been an end to that which was formerly understood as the fulfillment of this prophecy.  David’s throne has been vacant for thousands of years.  Israel today is not a monarchy and does not have an heir of David upon a throne in rule of the nation, yet the text indicates his kingdom will be on David’s throne, for all time thereafter.
To that end, considering this text literally throughout, this prophecy has not been fulfilled.  Yet it shall be in the millennial kingdom, when Christ, David’s human offspring, will take his throne forever over Israel.
David’s throne was not a metaphorical throne in scripture, but a tangible one.  This literal, tangible throne is the very throne the prophecy notes that Christ will rule over.  Verse 7 states, “He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom.”  Since when was Christ’s sitting at the right hand of God equated with the throne of David?  Truly, Jesus rules over the universe even now, but not from the throne of David in Israel.  The prophecy does not speak of a breadth of government which includes the former throne of David.  It speaks of a literal rule from the very throne of David.  For this prophecy to be fulfilled, then, Christ must return physically and establish himself as king over David’s throne in Israel.
Jeremiah also speaks very tangibly concerning a coming literal descendant of David for an eternal reign.

Jeremiah 33:14-21
14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15 “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.’ 17 For this is what the LORD says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18 nor will the priests, who are Levites, ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.'”
19 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the LORD says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant–and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me–can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne.

God’s covenant to David, known as the Davidic covenant, is outlined in this text.
In verse 15, a coming “righteous Branch” is noted to sprout from David’s line who will do what is just and right.  This righteous branch is understood universally, among all differing eschatological views, to refer to a literal descendant; Christ.  Christ was a historical descendant of David through his mother Mary.  Yet, many of those who interpret verse 15 literally must quickly change to a metaphorical interpretation for verse 17 if they are to presume a literal kingdom is not referred to, for verse 17 states, “David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.”  If the offspring is literal, then the kingdom must also be understood literally.  Jeremiah speaks of a literal offspring of David who will sit on the literal throne of David’s government; the “throne of the house of Israel.”
Verse 18 continues and speaks of a tangible priestly office which will not “ever fail to have a man to stand before me” and give daily offerings.
Here, one should note that the substance of these offerings should not be equated with a return to the sacrificial system of the Old Testament.  The final sacrifice for sins has been offered by Christ, and there will never be a return to a substitutionary atonement system outside of Christ.  Yet, there will be a new variety of Temple worship which will exist in the millennial kingdom.  The nature of that system and these offerings will be discussed in chapter nine.
It is the author’s unconditional conclusion that without a literal millennial kingdom, the promises concerning the Davidic covenant would have been broken by God.  While some promises of God are conditional, being promised under certain circumstances, this particular promise is not.  In fact, God gives an utterly uncompromising certainty as to the unconditional nature of his promise in verses 20-21:

‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant–and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me–can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne.

Or, stated another way, “unless someone can make the day and night cease” God promises that his covenant with David will not be broken.  Clearly, this is not exemplary of a conditional covenant, but an unconditional one.  God speaks clearly what he will do.
For thousands of years, Israel has had none of these promises in a literal form.  The starting point of this promise must be understood to refer to a future date.  The literal interpretation of Revelation 20 provides the only biblical source of a historical fulfillment of these prophetic texts.
Even further clarification can be found in Luke 1, as an angel prophesies to Mary concerning her coming child.

Luke 1:30-33
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

God reiterates the Davidic covenant in his promise to Mary, spoken through an angel.
Her son will be given the throne of David.  He will reign over Israel forever.  His kingdom shall never end.
The only way to escape the reality of a literal coming kingdom of Christ from this series of texts is to use a symbolic interpretation of David’s throne in each of them.  In such cases, it is commonly claimed that the throne of David is spiritualized, his reign over Israel is a spiritual Israel (the church) and that his kingdom refers to the kingdom of Heaven rather than a literal earthly kingdom.  Yet, those who hold to this position must come to terms with heaven being equated to “David’s throne” in these texts, which has no biblical legitimacy.  Heaven is God’s throne, not David’s.  For one to be given David’s throne, one must be understood to be given a literal throne because David’s throne was tangible and historical.
The first rule of biblical interpretation once again comes into necessary consideration.  That rule states roughly, “When the literal sense of scripture makes sense, seek no other sense, but take every word at its literal meaning.”  Understandably, there are times when the literal sense does not make sense, such as when a metaphor is clearly used.  For example, when Jesus said, “you are the light of the world,” a plain literal sense does not make sense.[1] Surely Jesus is not saying that his disciples are literal “lights,” but is making a figurative point.  The context clearly indicates that he is being figurative, because he speaks to his disciples rather than a group of candles.
Yet, there are no immediate contextual reasons that the “throne of David” prophesies must be metaphorized.  They are simply stated truths in a very natural and factual discourse.  Thus, the literal interpretation of the above texts should serve as one’s only interpretation.  The throne of David is literal.  It is the throne of kingship over Israel.  The reign of David over Israel is historical and factual.  This future King will indeed be a governmental ruler.  The kingdom is understood as literal in scripture.  To that end, the millennial kingdom, or the messianic kingdom, will be the literal fulfillment of prophecy.
Another area of scripture demanding a literal millennial kingdom is that area which describes the land which was promised to Abraham’s descendants.  Once again, the literal sense of the text makes common sense.  It is not clearly metaphorical, but refers to literal real estate.
Originally, the Lord stated to Abraham,

Genesis 15:18-21
18 … “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates– 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”

Once again an unconditional promise is noted, “to your descendants I give this land.”  Indeed, God did give vast real estate to Israel.  No one quibbles over the fact that God’s statement was referring to literal lands.  Yet, the specific boundaries noted in the text do not equate to the boundaries settled by Israel at any point in history.  The boundaries, stated as being “from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates,” are somewhat debatable, especially in light of which river is referred to in Egypt.  Yet, the Euphrates is clearly known and universally understood as the eastern boundary of this covenant land.  Without unnecessary debate over the western boundary, Israel has never in her history occupied the land which is described.  The nearest portion of the Euphrates river is hundreds of miles from its closest portion of historical Israel.  Since the promise is unconditional, it must be understood to be a yet unrealized prophecy, or one must understand a symbolic interpretation by which the prophesy should mean something else.  However, since Israel did in fact receive a land allotment from the Lord, one should understand a literal land description was being given in the text.  To spiritualize it is to be unfaithful to the common sense reading of the text.
Still another necessary observation from Old Testament texts which require a future millennial kingdom are the numerous texts which speak of a way of life which simply does not, and cannot exist on the earth outside of a fundamental change on the earth.  Part of that fundamental change requires the seat of the earth’s legal system to flow from Israel, as noted in Isaiah 2.

Isaiah 2:2-4
2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Isaiah speaks in chapter two of a world that is virtually inconceivable outside of a literal millennial reign, with Christ himself as King.  Clearly, the “last days” are referenced as the timing when “all nations will stream” to the mountain of the Lord’s temple.  And, in this future world, (as “the last days” certainly reflect no past world) “the law will go out from Zion,” or Israel, and the Lord himself will “judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many people.”
If this text speaks not of a millennial kingdom of the Lord Christ upon the earth, precisely what does it speak of?  One cannot argue that it speaks of Heaven as a “spiritualized” kingdom.  How will disputes exist in Heaven where there is no sin nature from which a dispute must originate?  And, how can it be the earth which the Lord will settle disputes unless indeed the Lord is the King on earth?  Indeed he will.  And, under what other circumstance could it possibly be stated on earth that nations would no longer train for war, unless all nations are unified under a singular righteous King?  Clearly Isaiah 2 speaks also of a situation that can only refer to a literal millennial reign.
Isaiah 11 speaks of a wolf lying with a lamb and a calf, lion and yearling together with a small child leading them.  It speaks of infants playing with snakes and no harm coming to them.  These attributes, all concerning a life on this earth unknown to anyone since Adam and Eve, clearly depict a new Kingdom on earth, where indeed things are uniquely changed on a fundamental level.  Changes of such profundity have never been observed within the parameters of a human government, regardless of how charitable.  Isaiah speaks of changes in the very conduct of nature itself, which insist on deistic intervention into the very nature of life on earth as it is known.
More attributes concerning the millennial kingdom will be observed in chapter nine.  As for this chapter, let it be understood that there are numerous scenarios in scripture which can only be fulfilled in a literal millennial kingdom.  When Christ returns, he will return as King of Israel, and the earth.  Israel will in fact be the capital city of the entire earth.  Jesus, the King, will settle disputes from the literal throne of his father David.  And, the God-King will change the very makeup of nature, so that even the wild animals will submit to his authority.

[1] Matthew 5:14

How We Got Here

The following is an excerpt from the author’s upcoming book, Apostasy!  This book will be based largely on the resarch work in the Wolves in Wool series on this blog.


How We Got Here

The gospel message is – and always has been – by Christ, from Christ and for Christ.  At any point this understanding is corrupted, apostasy is sure to follow.  If salvation is not by Christ, then it is by some other means which will ultimately take Christ’s place as the author and sustainer of salvation.  The most obvious example of this is the Roman Catholic Church, which after corrupting its gospel to a sacramental and sacerdotal system of works, became more important than Christ’s own work in the church’s now-corrupt doctrine of salvation.  Continue reading

Apostasy!

The following is a public preview of the introductory chapter to the author’s upcoming book, Apostasy! This book will be based largely on the resarch work in the Wolves in Wool series on this blog.


A cancer is spreading at an alarming rate in the modern church.  It expresses a heretical doctrine which exchanges the glory of the gospel of Christ for temporal gains that were once known as the very temptations of man.  Heresy has become mainstream in an enormous population of Christendom.  Sadly, much of the church today is too biblical illiterate to notice.  The concept of orthodoxy has been given over to a competitive attitude by which doctrine is relegated to a local flavor.  While heresy has always existed in the church, never has there been a time when “exotic and unfamiliar” were considered the creative virtues of preaching that they are today.  The past few hundred years have been celebrated as times when enigmatic and incomprehensible creeds have been taken to task by a doctrinally savvy congregation and errors reproved by the biblical preaching of proven men of God.  The tables seem to have turned entirely.  In today’s religious circles it is old-school holdouts with the audacity to cling to the scriptures who are in the minority.  It is a truly remnant church today which continues to preserve sound biblical fundamentals at the persistent ridicule of a new majority of doctrinal thrill-seekers.

They scream dissent from untold thousands of books, television networks and millions of websites.  Entire supposedly “Christian” publishing houses have abandoned their former scriptural faith principles in favor of new proposals which, frankly, move more books off of store shelves.  Christian bookstores, devoted more to their bottom line than the Lord’s, have likewise lifted not one finger in any measurable way to dissuade them.  Countless modern congregations have jumped an entire generational cog; with an old-guard too tired or unwilling to fight for doctrinal purity and a new, younger work force that will only bother to show up if things are considered hip, novel, and decidedly not-too-biblical.  Bereans are sparse; having been rapidly replaced by giddy, temperamental consumer-types who crave the latest “star” pastor’s deposition over the eyewitness testimonies of the apostles.  The recipe for the modern pulpiteer calls for less scriptural content and more bizarre showmanship, to the extent of being positively juvenile.

Evangelicalism is in sincere trouble.  Authentic Christians are relegated to a tireless search to find a church that preaches the Bible at all, as today’s pulpits more commonly stream self-help infomercials which refuse to mention, let alone offer remedy for man’s greatest issue: sin and man’s need for redemption.  Churches have redefined ministry and missions in the image of public service fraternities.  The gospel being proclaimed in so many supposedly “thriving” congregations is shallow enough to disappoint a Unitarian.  Reminiscent are Jesus’ words to the church in Sardis, “You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”[1]

Fueling these trends are a growing number of pastors who have committed themselves to unadulterated apostasy on the grounds that it produces the desired results.  This new breed of pseudo-theologian teaches, through contrived and corrupt exegetical processes, things which in some cases completely reverse the truths of scripture.  Man is instructed not on his depravity and need for salvation, but on his alleged posture of value before God’s grateful eye.  Christ is presented not as the crucified lamb but the exemplary enabler of human potential.  Scripture is not promoted as the inspired testimony of God by which men are convicted, redeemed and trained for His eternal service, but the means by which they can learn the secrets of acquiring their best life now.

While such a dire state of the church is heart breaking to those who love her, it is not something which has taken the student of God’s word by surprise.  This emerging apostasy has been articulately forewarned in scripture; a word of caution to each generation that the roots of their faith will be challenged from within at a future juncture.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (ESV)
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Surely such times are now at hand.  Paul could not have more articulately portrayed the state of the modern church.  The tested and proven methodology of starting new churches today is to send a group of surveyors into a neighborhood to determine the type of church that neighborhood would want to support.  We are, in effect, asking the lost to dictate the function of the church.  We may as well be determining which fast food franchise to inject into a business center.  With the platform for church growth being the edification of everything people want to hear, the church has become nothing more than another consumer-oriented business.  To the upwardly mobile, churches promise a leadership role in the renovation of culture.  They are assured to be doing the work of Christ simply because they engage themselves in the types of things that Jesus did.  To the poor and lowly is a promise of redemption; not from sin, but from the poverty which has stricken them due to their lack of “proper application” of God’s Word.  To the ill is the promise of God’s full earthly reversal of their sicknesses, if only they will learn how to properly ask him.  The church has become utterly user-friendly, offering carefully researched theological products which are in demand by the intended congregational target.

Numerous are the magical prayer books which give the correct formulas for invoking God’s response to one’s request, as if He were a cosmic genie who must only be suitably addressed for his magic to work.  At the end of this process, man has taken the role of deity, dictating his will to an obedient subordinate; and God himself is that humble servant.  With cleverly orchestrated theological arguments which attempt to make this doctrine seem biblical, these false teachers have relegated man to a place of power, success and great personal glory, while almighty God becomes nothing more than a grand enabler of man’s creative capacity.  Shortly, even Shirley McClain will be pleased to join one of our mainstream mega-church congregations.

In the charismatic world, the “Word of Faith” movement represents the largest organized purveyor of these types of consumer-oriented doctrines.  This work will focus specific attention to this movement in the hopes of illuminating the truths of scripture as a warning to the millions who are being systematically indoctrinated by this group.  Through religious television networks and an increasing number of local congregations buying into the sheer hype, the Word of Faith movement has generated non-stop sensationalistic and un-verifiable claims that challenge everything the world has ever identified as orthodox faith.   This work is not an attempt to engage heresy in debate, but to reveal it to individual readers for what it is.  The true church must understand the nature of what she will battle in the coming days and years.  These groups are steadily permeating the wheat field with tares while a lost and dying world is being cross-evangelized by false apostles utterly incapable of presenting the true gospel; for they do not know it themselves.

The end result of this counterfeit ministry will be an ever increasing wake of souls who are either happily deceived and relegated to an eternity of death, or are so damaged from their failed foray into “religion” that they write off Christ entirely as a charlatan who must be of the same essence as his phony ministers.  Too often the deceived think they have experienced the fullness of Christ’s grace and find it lacking.  Sadly, many walk away from anything with the Name of Christ attached to it from that point forward.

To that end, the responsibility of identifying and preaching against false doctrines is of major importance to those who live to affirm and defend the teachings of scripture.  While scripture clearly indicates that an apostasy waits the latter days, it nevertheless demands the faithful of Christ to contend earnestly for the truth which transcends all times and cultures.

As Jude warns,

Jude 1:3-4 (ESV)
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.


[1] Revelation 3:1

 


[1]
Revelation 3:1

The Spirit World: Conclusion

This entry is part 23 of 23 in the series The Spirit World

Conclusion

(This is a continuation of The Spirit World book series. This post assumes the prerequisite reading of earlier posts in the series.)

The ultimate question asked of student and teacher alike upon completion of a body of study in scripture should always be, “what shall my response be?”  For this particular work there are multiple possible answers which should be contemplated, each depending upon the reader’s position in Christ.  Those who do not ascribe Christ as the uncontested Lord of their lives have one necessary response to consider, while those who know Christ have several thoughts to ponder. 

This chapter entails notes of encouragement from the author and will be written in the first person as his private appeal to each group. Continue reading

The Spirit World: Ch. 20 (The Great White Throne)

This entry is part 22 of 23 in the series The Spirit World

The Great White Throne

(This is a continuation of The Spirit World book series. This post assumes the prerequisite reading of earlier posts in the series.)

With the fullness of the righteous dead accounted for, one remaining category of resurrection and judgment remains.  From the beginning of time there has been no resurrection or judgment appointed for the unrighteous.  They have been relegated to Abaddon, within Hades, awaiting a final judgment which will determine their stature in the eternal lake of fire.  This final assignment of the unrighteous is noted also in Revelation 20. Continue reading

“The Resurrections and Judgments” Vlog Series Now Available

For twenty weeks ReturningKing.com has been releasing the author’s The Spirit World book one chapter at a time.  Very soon this book will be complete in its online free distribution.  The Spirit World systematically traces the abodes of the departed spirits of men and angels throughout scripture.  It examines the nature of Sheol/Hades, the Abyss, the Lake of Fire and numerous other spiritual “containers” which are referenced and described in scripture. 

The second half of the spirit world is concerned with the transference of people from one spiritual abode to another.  In short, it is primarily concerned with the resurrections and the judgments of all mankind as detailed in scripture.

The author recently completed a sermon series at his home church entitled The Resurrections and Judgments which is an oral presentation of the same general material as the second half of The Spirit World.

That series has since been uploaded (unedited) and is now available as a vlog series on our Video Courses page where this video teaching series and others are being regularly added to ReturningKing.com as a extension of our teaching ministries. 

The scripture teaches a fascinating journey, separate for the believer and the unbeliever, involving a very methodical and procedural resurrection and judgment for every human being throughout history.  The scriptures teach that all who have ever lived will one day reconstitute and rise from the dead; some to everlasting life, and some to shame and contempt.  The Resurrections and Judgments series details that process in six sermons which are designed to be heard in order.  We hope you will have an opportunity to listen.

The Spirit World: Ch. 19 (The Judgment of Believers)

This entry is part 21 of 23 in the series The Spirit World

The Judgment of Believers

(This is a continuation of The Spirit World book series. This post assumes the prerequisite reading of earlier posts in the series.)

It was noted earlier that the process of resurrection is always followed by a judgment for the group which has been raised.  Judgments are of two general categories in scripture.  There is a type of judgment for the righteous and a type of judgment for the unrighteous, each having different criteria and characteristics.  Continue reading

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