by Rex Rouis

Word of Faith is normally associated with what is called “the faith movement.” The term is taken from Romans 10:8-10:

“But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”–that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, (9) that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (10) for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Word of Faith shares several beliefs with many other Pentecostal and Charismatic groups but its main distinction is its emphasis on Words and Faith, hence, ‘Word of Faith’.

Words Are Important Because

Confessing God’s word as a way of growing faith in one’s heart is also an important aspect of Word of Faith theology

Faith Is Important Because
  • Faith is required to please God

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

  • Faith comes to us from God

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the (spoken) word of Christ. Romans 10:17

  • Faith is required to receive from God

But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, James 1:6,7

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. Hebrews 11:1 – Holman Christian Standard Bible

The relationship of Words and Faith is as follows
  • God speaks Words (as recorded in the Bible – the Word)
  • We receive and believe His Word
  • We speak and act on His Word in Faith
  • He confirms His Word with ‘signs following’
  • We receive the benefit of His Word

And although Word of Faith theology puts importance on the authority of man, the majority of the emphasis is placed on the authority of God’s Word, and the speaking of that Word. Basically, once fallen man has been restored (by faith) to his rightful place (salvation) he has the privilege to use faith (in His word) for other benefits. Everything comes through faith, and faith only comes through understanding and obeying His Word. Faith begins where the will of God is known, and the will of God is known only through His Word.

Other Word of Faith attributes
  • Believing in your heart and speaking with your mouth
  • The authority of man as a restored believer
  • Faith is the sole power of prayer
  • Confession of God’s Word to build faith in one’s heart
  • The New Birth makes us a ‘new creature in Christ’
  • New Creation Realities – what we are ‘In Christ’
  • The Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of ‘speaking in tongues’
  • The Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Work of the Holy Spirit have not ceased but are still evident today
  • Healing is a core aspect of salvation, purchased by Christ on the Cross
  • Deliverance is a core aspect of salvation, purchased by Christ on the Cross
  • Prosperity is a core aspect of salvation, purchased by Christ on the Cross
  • Prayer to the Father in Jesus Name

kenneth-e-hagin-sqThe movement is commonly attributed to the teachings of Kenneth E Hagin and those who have sprouted from his ministry. The teachings of the group have been picked up by the Charismatic movement of the 70s and 80s, and to some extent by the prophetic groups.

While most of the attention comes from the teaching about healing and prosperity, the most significant teachings are actually in the areas of speaking our faith, our relationship with the Father, new creation realities, and the renewed interest in the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Again, the most important feature of Word of Faith theology is the relationship of words to faith, and faith back to words.

Word of Faith Under Attack

The movement came under attack in the early 90s when two books, ‘Christianity In Crisis’ by Hank Hanegraaff and ‘A Different Gospel’ by D.R. McConnell were published. At one point, as a result of these books, the group was being labeled a “cult.” Several Christian magazines became involved and many people began to take sides. Eventually, this all died down and all talk of it being a cult faded away as the accusations were deemed as unreasonable exaggerations of what mainstream Word of Faith people believe and teach.

I know this from personal experience. Since 1978 I have been exposed to the Word of Faith movement and acquainted with many of its leaders. I know personally that many of the quotations included in the above books were taken wildly out of context and do not represent mainstream Word of Faith concepts. When I would read a statement of what we are purported to believe, I would think to myself, “Wow, we don’t believe that; I don’t know anybody who believes that.” Let me give an example from the Bible of this very thing. Jesus said the following statement concerning His body, using the temple as an analogy.

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. John 2:19-22

At the time, nobody fully understood the statement, but the Pharisees did not even try to understand. Instead, they chose to use their own false interpretation of the statement in an attempt to discredit Him. In humility of heart they could easily have asked Him about it. Instead, this is what the Pharisees said at the so-called trial.

Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'” Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent. Mark 14:57-59

Imagine a book about the life of Jesus written by a Pharisee of His time. What kind of distortions would it have? What kind of wild accusations would it be filled with? How many more quotations would be taken out of context? This is exactly what these books on the Word of Faith movement are filled with. They were eventually discredited in many circles. CRI, the group headed by Hank Hanegraaff, fell into disrepute as a result of these kinds of attacks. The Word of Faith movement continues to grow and prosper, and is on the leading edge of evangelism around the world. How we respond to what we do not understand is determined by the condition of our heart. True belief is at its base a moral decision.

Most attackers have a Cessationist Theological background. Cessationist Theology for the most part does not believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, miracles, healings, or any of the other Charismatic beliefs and practices. That is why most Cessationists think that Pentecostal denominations are as a whole cults. They only see things one way and that is their way. Add to this the misunderstanding of ‘speaking faith’ and you have a real battle on your hands. They see in Word of Faith theology the embodiment of Pentecostal experientialism and emotionalism, capitalist financial excesses, and new age ‘force beliefs.’ It is none of this.

There Are Word of Faith Excesses

That is not to say that Word of Faith does not have people with excessive view points and teachings. For instance, with regard to healing, some individuals promote the refusal of doctors, or for that matter any medical attention. Hagin and other leaders of the faith movement have always rejected this sort of extreme thinking.

True Bible confession is meant solely for producing the faith necessary to manifest the will of God.

Another false Word of Faith notion is the belief that one can ‘confess’ whatever they want into this world. True Bible confession is meant solely for producing the faith necessary to manifest the will of God, not the carnal will of man. True Bible faith is based on the known will of God – “faith begins when the will of God is known.” Confession of anything else will not work, no matter how many times you ‘speak it out.’ A book like ‘You Can Write Your Own Ticket With God’ by Kenneth E. Hagin was written within the context of a submissive will that is obedient to the will of God, and an understanding that the universe of available things you can ‘write your own ticket’ for is limited to the written promises in the Bible. Confessing for a quick million dollars or somebody else’s wife is ridiculous (although it has been done, more times than I care to think). There are ditches on either side of any road, especially God’s narrow road of faith.

You Need To Determine For Yourself What You Believe

We will all stand before God one day and answer for the things done and said in this body. Please read the Bible for yourself and determine what you believe. See – Speak the Word Only? You Be the Judge

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Acts 11:10,11

See ‘Reconstructing Word of Faith Theology‘ by Derek E. Vreeland
And‘What’s Right About the Faith Movement’ by Jon Ruthven
And

On the Cessation of the Charismata – Jon Ruthven
The God-Kind of Faith – Part 1 – Troy J. Edwards
The God-Kind of Faith – Part 2 – Troy J. Edwards
Does God Have Faith? – McIntyre
The Faith of God (God-kind of Faith) – Smythe
His Name On Our Lips Brings Healing – Kenyon
Food For the Inner Man – George Mueller

Kenneth E. Hagin Faith Articles

Do Gods Promises Cover What You Want?
The God-Kind of Love Forgives

Comments

  1. Excellent article. I am a WoF apologist and I have documented many examples of logical fallacies and misrepresentations from WoF opponents. I disagree however regarding your assertion that “this all died down”, as Justin Peters and others have done a ton of videos over the past few years that have garnered hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. Now he had Benny Hinn’s nephew Costi alongside him promoting John MacArthur’s cessationist/Calvinist viewpoint. There is still a need for Charismatic and WoF apologetics because everywhere we go the critics follow. I would love to discuss these matters with you via email. You can find my contact info on the About Me page of my blog or just comment on my YouTube channel for Jew and Greek. Blessings

    -Rod Saunders

  2. Some quoted statements from prominent Word of Faith teachers are reckless and unjustified in – any – context.

    1. Author

      Bobby – I agree. So what? I don’t follow individuals, prominent or not. What does the Bible say to you about the concepts of faith and speaking that faith? Forget about others, some get it right, and some go too far. And, some go nowhere. It doesn’t matter.

      You are expected to read the Bible and believe for yourself. Believing is an awesome responsibility. Those around us and our eternity depend on getting it right. Read the Bible for what ‘it’ says and seek God. At first, even He might sound a little reckless. What if he told you to go out and fight a Goliath with only two small stones? Would you do it? Could you do it? The people in the Bible did it. And the world made fun of them.

      I am not defending stupid things said by prominent people. It is my intent on this site to search for the truth where ever it may lead. Some people I like for some things and some I do not. There are those in every camp. Nobody has this whole thing worked out correctly. Anybody that says that they do is dangerous. Read the Bible and listen to the Holy Spirit. It is the only thing you can trust. God bless you. Rex

  3. I do have time. And I have taken careful time to read the material. I have also carefully read books, listened to tapes and even attended meetings held by Word of Faith teachers. (I used to endorse them.)

    The majority of them are involved in serious error, deadly error, that points hearers to a program of formula-guided action rather than to the good news of life in Christ. Many have made themselves rich on the backs of willingly duped donors. Your empty protests cannot change reality.

    1. Author

      Bobby – I don’t care what some teach. I believe in the issues covered in this article, and on this site. There are some slight differences in the authors but that is okay. I don’t think anybody has this totally figured out yet. I know I don’t.

      I knew Kenneth E. Hagin Sr. personally. I have been in this for almost 40 years. He was clean, lived in a moderate house, and was the most balanced of all. He heard from God and I respect him. I have served my current church for almost 20 years. My Pastor is clean, service oriented, and we see many healings.

      Faith is not formula guided. It is based on a personal relationship with God, and faith comes from a personal ‘hearing’ from God. A hearing consistent with the Bible and in response to a promise.

      God bless you but I do not want to argue. I love to discuss the issues but will not argue or respond to accusations. Rex

    2. The thing is – salvation in it’s simplicity is formulaic
      Believe – in the Lord Jesus and on His sacrifice
      Receive – eternal life

      As it pertains to the word of faith “movement” people see the simplicity of the message and some disdain it without understanding the work involved in believing.

      Believing is more than recitation and espousal – it’s letting go, shedding all hindrances and all encumbrances to the relationship that provides access to the promises. It’s a personal relationship that speaks the personal experience of truth rather than relating a formed opinion.

  4. You have accused the authors of certain books of misrepresentation. You claim they are quoting out of context and falsely labeling, as heretics, those they quote. Your charges are very strong, and yet you give no specific examples. The books you refer to are loaded with direct references to specific sources.

    Now either certain Word of Faith leaders have spoken heresy, or their accusers are guilty of false accusations. You are choosing to support the Word of Faith leaders. And you purport to do this without any of the documentation and explanation of Hanegraaff and McConnell.

    You owe your readers, Hanegraaff and McConnell and those you defend specific reasons for your position. (It is annoying to write responsibly, but it is also professional, ethical and biblical.)

    1. Author

      Bobby – No I do not have to give details. I don’t owe anything to anybody.

      The books mention a few points about which I also share concern, but mostly they are full of distortions, things out of context, and flat out lies. I do not have time for the specifics, and if that sounds like a cop-out, well I am sorry. That is the way it is. I do not have time to go over that old stuff again.

      I am reluctant to make negative comments about others’ beliefs and writings but I felt I had to in this instance. Thanks for commenting though. Rex

  5. Geb said something awesome… Look to Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith.
    People can twist the meaning o words all day. but His (Jesus) actions spoke the word he was communicating to the disciples and us. He spoke to the tree we speak the tree. He SAID speak to the mountain – speak to the mountain.

  6. faith believees

    faith speaks

    faith hears

    faith sees

    faith gives

    faith receives

    faith pleases God

    faith is righteousness, for what is not of faith is sin

    faith conquers all in all

  7. Thanks dad for your teachings on faith. God richly bless you so much. AMEN

  8. One of the great generals of Faith in our time, profound teachings. Praise the LORD.

  9. Charlie, being Pentecostal/Charismatic doesn’t help or save, We are called and told in the bible to look into Christ Jesus.the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:1,2). I also would like to mention that there is no wrong in brother Kenneth E Hagin teachings and testimony. It is impossible to please or receive from God without faith. But some take and twist the word to serve their own motive and mislead other innocent people. This is not new thing, the devil tried it against Jesus in the wilderness and uses the same technique. .
    I encourage you to reassess where your faith stands and enjoy the blessings and joy available to us from our Father by receiving Jesus Christ and the key is faith in the Word of God. (James 1:6,7).

  10. Boy oh boy, for people that disagree with/ are against this movement, they sure spend a lot of time focusing on it!

    For Charlie (see comment below): ‘Sola scriptura’ is not in the ‘scriptura’! You need the scripture AND the Spirit! Here are just a FEW of the things the SCRIPTURE says about the Spirit;
    It is the Spirit that convicts of sin righteousness and judgement, we are born again by the Spirit, by the Spirit we cry out Abba Father, the Spirit glorifies Jesus by taking what the Father gives to the Son and giving it to us, it is the Spirit that gives life (while the letter kills), the scriptures themselves are God-breathed (and as a theology student you know that the Old Testament word for Spirit is breath).

    If you have no relationship in reality/personal experience with God through the Holy Spirit, then according to these (and other scriptures) how can you have relationship with GOD?

    You talk about heterodoxy- fine what about heteropraxis! Jesus taught and DID. The Apostles taught and DID, the other disciples and deacons taught and DID. And by DO I refer to a lifestyle that was morally and miraculously consistent with the idea that GOD is real enough to respond in visible ways when people approach Him through FAITH based on the WORDS that He spoke and inspired.

    Forget the “Word of Faith movement.” Rather face up to the question, What do YOU believe about the Holy Spirit in your personal experience AND consistent with SCRIPTURE? It will be much more helpful for your own spiritual life and relationship with God than communicating out of anger and disappointment with people.

  11. Author

    Devin – Thank you for your gracious words. Walking the balanced middle is always more difficult than the excitement of the extreme, no matter what it is. But the power is in the balanced middle of the Word of God. The simple Word of God is much stronger than any singular extreme viewpoint. The power of God is real. The will of God is good. And the incredible work that Jesus did within all those who receive Him, through His Death, Burial, and Resurrection, cannot be overemphasized. God bless

  12. Hank Hanegraaff has taken the teachings of the faith ministers and twisted and perverted them without mercy.

    J Vernon Mcgee was completely anti chariasmatic.

  13. Author

    Adoni – Thank you and God bless you. It is crazy. We are not defending a denomination or a ‘camp’. We are teaching, explaining, and defending the Word of God to the best of our abilities. We are not trying to say that others are wrong. We are just trying to say what we believe based on what we read. Simple enough and clear enough.

  14. I came across your website as I am a supporter of the Word of Faith movement and though I have knowledge of the different scriptures that support Prosperity, Finance, etc… I was never one to quote them off the top of my head. Your list is very comprehensive and I like how it shows OUR responsibility as well as the REASON for prosperity is to BE a blessing to others. If we fail to be good stewards of wealth, God cannot entrust us with much and I believe THAT’S where part of the failures of the “name it claim it” comes in as they start giving and claiming for greed and God says “That’s not my will.” Of course, like all things of faith, that’s a fine line.

    I have a relative that is hardcore against the teachings of the Word of Faith movement because he does believe it’s false doctrine and, essentially, a cult. While some of my personal experiences with teachers in the movement have made me more cautious and weary of certain preachers, I can’t help but see that ultimately, our guide is the Bible and that is what the Word of Faith movement points back to.

    I grew up in a conservative Baptist environment, but due to my early childhood faith and love of the word of God, I did not believe every wind of doctrine, but only what I could see proven in the word of God. I did not understand the “cessation” theology as I didn’t see anywhere in the Bible where it said the period of the gifts would pass. I encountered numerous traumas and tragedies in my preteen years and suffered from clinical depression for 7 years, but I overcame it by the Word of God and by purely believing that what GOD said about me and my situations were MORE TRUE than my experience, feelings, or thoughts. This was before I got reacquainted with ANY charismatic movements. Throughout that time, God often asked me to walk by supernatural faith to believe for what others thought were impossible, gave me words of knowledge about my friends and situations around me, etc… It was only in college when I became exposed to the gifts of the Holy Spirit that I understood what I was operating in were “called” gifts of the Holy Spirit.

    I have found it is easy to lose faith if you place faith in a movement. People fail and there’s no such thing as perfect theology. There are many questions that we have that will not be answered until we get to heaven. I refuse to major on the minors and argue about things that do not pertain to salvation (ie: predestination vs. free-will, pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib rapture, etc…) Ultimately, we have to go back to the WORD of God, not experience or teachings or feelings, as our guide for Truth.

    I used to be anti-charismatic and a supporter of Hank Hannegraff. I even met him in person and went to hear him speak. After that ONE experience, I stopped listening to him or supporting his ministry because what I had seen oozing out of him was pride. Pride is one thing that can blind us to what the word of God clearly says because our prides are hurt to find we were wrong and pride leads us to look for what supports our own beliefs rather than the objective truth.

    With regards to the Charismatic movement and their excesses, “Test the spirits and test every word of prophesy” We can speak from our thoughts and feelings and believe it’s God. If we do not test and make sure it lines up with the word of God and lines up with what God is speaking to us, then the failure is OURS and not just the speakers.

    Thank you for your website. Please continue to quote the word and do what you do.

    1. am pastor markson of charity church of God from kenya Africa my request is to have me my fellowship and my small ministry to extend your service to us by assisting us with teaching materials for my fellowship to grow and we shall give a testimony together with glory and praise his name who sent us to this very mission happy to hear from you soon yours in christ
      PASTOR
      MARKSON

  15. Certainly, “the promises of God are the will of God” but not all promises are for all people. God is Sovereign and gives what He will to whom He will. What is manifested in our lives is what God wills for us as individuals.

    Let me ask this question of WordFaith-ers. What if the Will of God for your life is not what you had personally hoped for? Do you have faith enough in God’s plan for you to abide by it and follow it even if you had wished for something somewhat different?

    1. Author

      Todd,
      What determines one’s blessing, having faith or it being the will of God? What if it were both? What if having faith was the evidence of the will of God – God’s approval? If that were the case, then all you would need, and all that God would need to look for, is faith. I believe that is exactly the case.

      Faith is not something you choose, it is imparted. If you believe that faith is imparted, and if you believe that it is imparted from God, then there cannot be any conflict between one’s faith and God’s will. The creation of faith in the heart would be the coming together of our living in Him, and Him living in us.

      So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the (spoken) word of God. Romans 10:17
      If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7

      The promises of God are the will of God, and they all are yes and amen in God’s heart and plan, but the plan of God and the will of God must first be believed to become a reality. The prayer of faith brings God’s Heavenly reality into this world. That is its intent and purpose.

      Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Matthew 6:10

      Jesus never mentions the will of God, as the reason for receiving a miracle. He states over and over that it was their faith that made them whole. The woman with the issue of blood even determined within her own heart the how and when of her own miracle. How bold! How trusting! How pleasing to God!

      And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

      So here is the point. Healing for an individual is the will of God. All the promises are the will of God, but they are only received by faith. Just because it’s the will of God is not sufficient. It must also be believed and received. It takes faith and prayer to set in motion – “Thy will be done on earth as it is (already) in Heaven”. God gives to all but only those who believe receive. God’s love only works through the way of faith.

      God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not die but will have eternal life. John 3:16 God’s Word Translation

      Faith releases the will of God. That very statement offends people. They say, “God surely does not need to be released”! He does if He set it up that way. His good will is released the moment someone trusts Him for it. And the ability to trust is received the moment the conditions of the promise are met. What a beautiful foolproof system God has created.

      You asked – What if the will of God is different than what is hoped for? No problem, it’ll be figured it out during the seeking process – the abiding in Him and Him in you. Wishing and desire must transform into Bible based hope, and that must be made real by faith, imparted by God’s witness. It’s God’s way. God’s plan must be sought after and found before you to be able to abide in it. The open-ended whatever way does nobody any good, God or man.

  16. You forgot 2 key values of The Word of Faith movement.
    “Planting a Seed” – Which means giving your money to some huckster like Hagin so he can build a 24,000 sq. ft house.
    And condemnation for anything in your life that is not working out, because you must not have a strong enough faith and you must not be “planting enough seeds”

    1. Author

      Mitch,

      First, Kenneth E Hagin lived in a normal house in a normal neighborhood. I have been there. Sure, there have been excesses but not by him. And second, about the condemnation thing, read the Gospels, Jesus was tough on those who did not have faith. He took it as a personal affront to God Himself to not trust Him and His Word. There are also plenty of references to ‘Planting a Seed’ in the Bible. I did not focus on it because I do not believe it was a core issue with Kenneth E Hagin, and I did not want to distract from the main issues. I knew there would be those who would get fixated on it to the exclusion of all else. There are excesses in all groups and on all sides of an issue, including greed and religious whining victimhood.

      You have way too much baggage. People that feel compelled to send sarcastic negative comments have issues themselves. The Word works, the requirement of faith is real, the power of faith is real, and faith in God will put you on a road to blessing and health. You will still have struggles, but that is what faith is for. Get over all of it.

  17. Hi there, You have done a great job. I will certainly digg it and for my part recommend to my friends. I’m sure they will be benefited from this website.

  18. The mechanic cant fix it:
    “The Bible is clear. God requires faith in the heart, a faith that is to be spoken by the mouth – Word of Faith. There are many other less important tenants to Word of Faith theology but this is the base concept”
    Yes, you are correct but the word “Faith” has been distorted and twisted to mean I want it, By Faith I demand it because GOD wants me to have it (or something like that) and then GOD gives it to you because you demand it in “faith”..There are so many things wrong with the doctrine that the Kenneth Copelands, Creflo (cant get enough) Dollars and others spew out there I dont even know where to start..And yes, ITS A CULT…PERIOD…Why?? hmmm let me see…We are GODS…We can command things into existence by “Faith”..Sounds familiar..Then the serpent said to EVE when you eat of the fruit YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD…For starters..So many other reasons I dont have enough room here..RUN from this cult..They seek to exploit you for $$$$$!!!

    1. Author

      John, we were made in the image of God, then, unfortunately, we ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which made us somehow more like God (‘..like one of us’ Gen 3:22), then on the Cross Jesus made us the ‘righteousness of God in Christ,’ and finally on the Day of Pentecost we were filled with the promised Holy Spirit. How much closer to God can you get – when you walk in the light as He is in the light?’

      Sure, there can be excesses. There is error on both sides of any issue, but the fact remains – God’s will for us only comes through active faith in Him. Not some ‘whatever comes’ Reformed quasi-spiritual mentality.

      Jesus cursed a fig tree, and later when it was brought to His attention, He said that they (us) could do more than that, even to the moving of the mountain on which they were standing. I am not pushing a prosperity doctrine here, but God said a whole lot about giving and receiving, and being blessed. Stop fighting the blessings of God; it is a false humility and a counterfeit spirituality.

      Jesus said very plainly, “If you live in Me and My words live in you, ask whatever YOU WISH, and it will be done for you. In this is my Father glorified.” You can’t have Bible faith outside of God’s will. It is God’s fail-safe system for blessing His children. And, it is His only way.

  19. Wow, its interesting to me how many people are totally against what is called the word of faith movement! and they call it a cult! I love the bible and believe what it says. If the bible tell me that without faith it is impossible to please him! then I am required to find out how to get faith. I think its a fare question! I have only found out that THE BIBLE tells me that Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God! ROMANS 10:17 that’s one of the ways we please God!

  20. Author

    Sorry Charlie,

    The Bible is clear. God requires faith in the heart, a faith that is to be spoken by the mouth – Word of Faith. There are many other less important tenants to Word of Faith theology but this is the base concept. Again, it is all about the Word of God being believed in the heart and spoken by the mouth. The promises of God are the will of God, and once they are received into the heart (heard) and believed, they are rightfully manifested in our life.

    McConnell’s book is full of distortions, and you do not know the ‘movement’ from the inside. I don’t know anybody who actually believes what he says we believe. And we are not doing anything to ‘uphold the gifts’. They need no upholding.

    Jesus was the first and best ‘faith preacher’. He taught faith and He demanded faith. Religious people have always had a hard time with that. They took His words and distorted them just as people take words and distort them today. Some religious thought is just theological cover for doubt. Faith in God is active, not passive, and it takes much consistent effort. It is a ‘narrow road’ walk. It was then and it still is that way today.

    1. When I was 31 yrs old the Lord spoke to me and my husband about going to Rhema Bible School, I was childless and had been seeking God 12 yrs for a baby. I went to a Fertility doctor who told me I could never conceive because my fallopian tubes were destroyed from years of yeast infections, The doctor told me not to try or hope for conception , but the Lord spoke loudly in my heart and said ” I Am your Hope”, and I began to find scriptures that promised me children and began to confess them over my life. I was PG by the end of the first yr. of school!! Brother Hagin taught us how much God loves us and that there was life and death in the power of the tongue, also never to speak evil of one of Gods children.

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