Thanks for writing. Dont trust me. Now, one could take that too far. They did bad things, and no amount of awesomeness in the lives of their children can turn their crimes into blessings. The spontaneous baptism how-to guide describes its purpose as to "pull off our part in God's miracle.". And as Im reading your comments. The problem is not, and has never been, the people. But some times enjoys listening to fellows like Furtick and TD Jakes knowing the doctrine and error in the ministry itself. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.. I am not lifting up Furtick, rather just contending for the faith. But I dont want to follow a false teacher. This has honestly been the best Ive read about the subject. According to Christian Headlines, Steven Furtick, senior pastor and founder of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, spoke Sunday from Luke 5:1-11 about Jesus asking Simon Peter to become his disciple. He bares his heart in vs 2-14 as an example for what it means to fix our eyes on Jesus. In light of Furticks false teaching, this might simply be a big mistake, and not a lie but its worth noting when asking whether Furtick is a trustworthy Christian leader. That way we avoid arguments about one persons opinions being more correct than another persons opinions. No, its simple as hearing; In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 1:13.These scripture tell us God uses faith, as faith is action, or acting on after that you heard the word of truth. Theres no question that all three persons are God. And when you get born again youve got that resurrection power but then youve gotta get that soul in agreement to where it sees it. I am then always in the middle of each passage and then God is not being served. The miracles of Jesus bore witness to His identity as the Son of God, but the people in Nazareth had rejected Him. Elevation Church was founded by Furtick in 2006 with just fourteen members. Paul wrote a whole bunch of books in the New Testament, right? One of the things cited for Elevation Churchs growth is the atmosphere surrounding baptisms. It is fascinating to watch in slow motion and magnified. Acts 18:8 Larry Stevens Furtick, age 60, died June 05, 2013 at home in Charlotte, NC surrounded by his family. To suggest that God is not all-powerful goes against 3500 years of biblical witness, every bit of Judaic and Christian belief, and hundreds of verses of Scripture, both Old and New Testament. Youre gonna have to get to a place where what you believe in your heart is more real than what a doctor says, more real than what your body says. So, to recap what you said; While its true that our faith can prompt God to act, our lack of faith cannot prevent Him from acting if He wants to. He created laws, then needed to break them because He didnt foresee the circumstances that would require Him to break the law. That God might use Furtick is easy to understand. Does being wrong confidently wrong mean hes not saved? He has three children with his wife Holly named Abbey, Elijah and Graham. Ill ask you straight out: do you believe that your own lack of faith in God PREVENTS HIM from anything at all? I cant turn my back on those who come to me for help and many are looking for answers who will never send me an email. Let me know if you need a hand getting started. There is only one God, and He never created anything like Himself so we cant say that He is like an egg, or an apple, or the sun, or whatever. When we elevate people who lead others astray whether accidentally or by false teaching we risk the lives of our friends and family, both now and into eternity. It is mankind's total depravity that renders us incapable of keeping . Of course, those are entirely irrelevant as to whether hes a false teacher. As he says of lack of faith; So that if mighty works be not wrought in us, it is not for want of power or grace in Christ, but for want of faith in us Jesus said the HolySpirit proceeds from the Father. Post the video showing Seven stating this and 2 or more to find this man is misleading before you accusing. Does that make sense? All of the Bible? His claim was that Jesus COULD NOT heal those people because of His unbelief that He had the power, and wanted to use it, but COULD NOT. Learn a little Greek. A reasonable conclusion from the text might be that Jesus did fewer miracles there because fewer people, not believing in Him, came to Him to be healed. The family resides in a 16,000 square foot mansion which is located at 433 Lochaven Road, Waxhaw, NC. The Father and Son are obviously, clearly, biblically, and logically distinct from one another. When Steven Furtick started Elevation Church in early 2006, he had just 14 members.Fast-forward 7 years, the average attendance is reported as 11,719 people, as the success of Elevation Church has exceeded all expectations.The popularity of the church, along with the associated merchandising and book deals, has allowed Furtick to build the mansion of his dreams in Weddington, North Carolina. I have no insight into his heart, and couldnt know his intentions. Thats part of the reason people like Furtick have a huge audience. Thats the reason that so many of the warnings in the New Testament say to not be deceived: to avoid that, we must know the gospel. Remember, Christ had no beginning (Hebrews 7:3), the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit are eternal beings, they always existed! I have 1 simple question, 1st question for now what is the 1 and only way to heaven? False teachers often try to make us read the Bible to see how God is trying to bless us. However: when someone claims to hold to orthodox, biblical, historical Christian doctrine but then makes clear public statements of modalism, its obvious that theyre not teaching what they claim to teach. Have a great day! THAT is the purpose of this article: to help people understand that Steven Furtick is not a trustworthy teacher of Scripture. Heres the point: the text does not say that Jesus ability to work miracles was in connection with, or in proportion to, or directly dependent on their state of mind. Im sorry to hear about your crisis of faith, truly. Second, as pointed out in the article, Furtick has a degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I is the first person, You is the second person, They is the third person. Regular Christians always get to be healed, but Paul was a special case. The friction literally removes rough burrs and the heat of friction causes the metal to be molded to fill in the gaps left by the removed metal. Now I pay attention more to the words spoken by pastors and dont just take everything they say as being true. I have felt conviction over singing their music because it supports their ministry, which clearly teaches some wrong theology. God can and does use faithful people, unfaithful people, and even wicked people for His own purposes. Ive never heard a Word of Faith teacher suggest that anyone COULD think too highly of themselves. Theres a technical and legal side to this, too. Even Sproul (who you quoted earlier) does so by saying The circumstances by which God the Holy Spirit unleashed [Christs] power were not available there, because there was a judgment of God on the town of Nazareth. The blood of Jesus is far superior to the blood of animal sacrifices in the eyes of God, so much so that sacrifice of animals ceased being acceptable to him since the completion of the atoning work of his Son on the cross, Hebrews 9:11-14 But it and the other quotes slide perilously close. Is anything too hard for me? Have a great day! Sarah didnt have faith that God could give her a son, but He did anyway. My children hear them and see them and agree sometimes and dont see the pitfalls. Elevation pastor is not wrong at all. As for asking if I agree with him, that God broke the law for love, have you forgotten, I already shared earlier about that (look above); The context doesnt suggest that God lost any ability due to Israels actions the context tells us that God responded as He said He would. Paul wanted to be healed, but lacked sufficient faith. Here are a few other special cases that people try to plead: Its clear that you feel comfortable suggesting that the apostle Paul knew less about following Jesus than you do. Unfortunately, thats not the case with everyone. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Clear and simply put. I agree with you that Furtick genuinely believes what he is teaching so my heart breaks. Its CRUCIAL that we avoid going further than God went in making claims about Him. That notwithstanding, i believe as a human, we should be able to sieve what we are being told, take the good and ignore the evil. Those things might include speaking in a foreign tongue, or healing, or something as simple as gaining insight into how to explain the gospel to someone. Theres no way around this, Kathleen. They got married in 2002 and founded the Elevation Church in 2006. This passage carries with it two specific kinds of punishments: plagues for those who add to it, and eternal condemnation for those who take away from it. The doctrine of the Trinity comes from the Bible. As for; , our lack of faith cannot prevent Him from acting if He wants to, is partly right, as the word says he wants to,; Furtick misquotes the passage. Jakes, some of whom have also been criticized for . Let me know how I can help, because I want to help. I'm proud to be your son.". We CAN say, with some confidence, that those who led them astray were probably not born again they were trying to pervert the gospel. He cant bear fruit if he remains a baby. Also as Christians, let us be humble and love one another. Christianity seems pretty boring (to some people) after listening to false teachers explain that God doesnt judge them, that God wants them to be rich, that they have the power inside themselves to live an amazing life, and so on. The little gods doctrine is, quite simply, heresy. The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. Because of the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things. . As apologists it can be tough not to throw stones when we see raw contradictions to scriptures. It seems really important to avoid gossip about people, and to be fair and gracious in our assessments. the gospel is being preached , judge not lest ye be judged . Fodder for another discussion, maybe. All things are in general possible to God (Matthew 19:26), but then it is to him that believes as to the particulars, Mk. I was also intrigued by the Baptist form of preaching, energetic compared to Catholic masses. As Paul notes, our glorified bodies will be just like His so, as far as Scripture is concerned, Jesus still has a body at this moment. I appreciate you. Jesus decision to heal some and not others might be confusing to you, but its not illogical and its certainly not unbiblical and it certainly isnt addressed in 1 Corinthians 14. I said you were BEING irresponsible. Thank you for writing this. But not only did God NOT break the Law, the Law wasn't even abolished. What must I do to be saved,believe. Its interesting that two verses after Paul wrote that, he wrote this: For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Furtick is simply pouring his own meaning into the words you might hear at the church you grew up in. But, I also do not agree nor do I know where you get, I suggest that Paul knew less about following Jesus than I. I also did not initiate the idea Paul needed to be humbled, as I got that from Paul, who said that about himself; Lest I should be exalted above measure at the beginning of verse, 2 Corinthians 12:7 and to make it clear, he then repeated, Lest I should be exalted above measure again at the end of same verse. I know that his command leads to eternal life. Just as a manipulating womanizer can say true things, false teachers can be kind, sincere, morally upright people. It seems we agree. I am changing forms. I do applaud those who have obtained these things legitimately. The problem is what the people teach, and the damage done to both believers and non-believers alike. why would you call me irresponsible? Im not making a mountain out of a molehill here, Thomas. But seems you are conflating the two things, that of, God showing (demonstration) of who he is and the people receiving of said power through faith .. Do you see what I mean? Thanks for a good conversation so far. Furtick taught that there are things Jesus CANNOT DO. I actually tell how life really is and tell my own fears and struggles that people can actually relate to. Herein, you will see beautiful Pictures Of Pastor Steven Furtick And His Family. Deuteronomy 6:4 Isaiah 61:1 Matthew 28:19 Mark 1:9-11 Luke 1:35 John 5:21-23; 14:10, 16 Romans 8:9-11 1 Corinthians 8:6 2 Corinthians 13:14 Hebrews 1:8-10 James 2:19. In other words, God mostly withheld His power from the stiff-necked people who held Jesus in contempt.. One thing that even the son of God cant do. Nationality: American: Fluently Speaks: English: Ethnicity: White: Profession(s) Teacher, Author, Entrepreneur: Award(s) Under Research: Family Details . That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. , I came back to this discussion because of a recent email on this subject, so I read your last statement again. Spring, Texas, United States View. Paul was unaware that God could heal him, so he was never healed. Nothing He could have done would have made them believe, for they had hardened their hearts against the revelation that they had enjoyed. All Rights Reserved. As Paul taught the Romans (Ch. He did not make us multiple personality beings, but made us in HIS image. Second, its the kind of claim that cant be tested, so its safe from those who would question it. But we know Christ is near and and LTrain is close to his reward," read Pastor Furtick's message earlier in the day that he had titled "Dad's final round with ALS. Oneness has God interacting with Himself, as if He were three separate people. It's not so much guilt by association, it's guilt by subjugation. Ive removed the link you provided, in case any would be tempted to go and listen to him. Its not a surprise that Andrew Wommack agrees with false teachers like Steven Furtick and Myles Munroe, as he too teaches contrary to Scripture. According to a post from Reformation Charlotte, a group of evangelists, journalists and apologists in North Carolina, a recent sermon from Furtick - a pastor at Elevation Church - shows that he has rejected the orthodox view of the Trinity and instead is embracing modalism, where God is one person who has revealed himself in three forms at separate times. These are only a few of the many, many passages that show that the Father and Son are not the same person. Accept it and leave the rest to Father God. Paul was talking about PEOPLE exercising gifts improperly in church and CREATING chaos, which clearly would not be from God. The Holy Spirit is working in your hearts, and part of that process is seeing through the fantasies put forward by wolves in sheeps clothing. Do you agree with him when he says that God is a molecular structure that fills all in all, and that thats what it means to say that Christ was from the beginning? Frankly, I doubt it. Do you know of any instances he may have snuck that in a sermon? The only thing I remember I was taught about the Trinity , is that as a human being we cant understand it. If you just read the website, you might think hes right on track right? God, in, I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. That would be the Father, Son, and Spirit who would be considered separate, not one. =). I just came to this discussion after hearing an amazing worship song on You Tube from Elevation Worship. God has given us great promises in His Word, including promises of health and wholeness, as Jesus died on the cross to redeem us from sin and sickness. Modalism is the unbiblical idea that there is one God who is only one person and that when we see the Father, Son, and Spirit, we are seeing three different manifestations of the same single person. Instead, Christ could not do many miracles because the circumstances under which the Lord readily shows Himself were not present.. I think your all wrong you all a I have religious spirit like the Pharisees because Pastor Steve speak the truth and you cant handle the truth -you water down the word of truth make hard -this is my opinion Shame on all you all one you be judges for accusing your brother in Christ instead of support him -you you dont look good pick part everything that you dont like only have itching ears you are like your father the devil may God help you all. May it never be! I find it no surprise people such as yourself, doing anything to rip apart a man who is chosen by Father God to bring millions and millions of people to Jesus Christ, as he has done with Pastor Furtick. New to your work. When you read Jesus words in context, you will see that He wasnt saying to not judge. He says a lot of things that are true, of course but he also promotes unbiblical falsehoods.