Joice Meyer? International School of Ministry (ISOM)

Post by **_Jason Down with the King** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:20 pm

My friend's church has bible school classes, so i went to their website..

http://www.coastalchurch.org/ministries/BibleSchool.asp

I went through the instructors and only recognized Joice Meyer, and was alarmed becuase i know she is part of the word of faith teaching...so I typed in some of the other names into google and added word of faith to my search and quite a few showed up.

I'm going to show a list of these teachers, and I would really apprecate if anyone knows anything about these people. My hunch is that they are not solid teachers, and seems to be word of faith. Also does anyone know about this Bible School...International School of Ministry (ISOM)???

DVD instructors include Rev. John Bevere, Rev. Bayless Conley, Dr. LaMar Boschman, Dr. Dick Eastman, Dr. Terry Law, Rev. Larry Stockstill, Dr. Marilyn Hickey, Dr. Reinhard Bonnke, Dr. Jack Hayford, Dr. Ed Cole, Dr. Joyce Meyer, Rev. Brian Houston, Billy Hornsby, Dr. T.L. Osborn, Rev. Wayne Meyers and more.

So, do you think my friend should not take the course, or to stay in it, but be very carefull with theyre teaching?

I havent been to her church, but it SEEMS like a good church, and she wants to help out and get involved in the minisrty.
what should I suggest to her?

Thanks!
God Bless

Jason

Post by **_schoel** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:47 am

Jason,
I live in Denver and am familiar with Marilyn Hickey as she founded a large church here (Orchard Christian Center). Her daughter and son-in-law are the current "pastors" but Marilyn Hickey's ministry operates in close conjuction with the church. I wouldn't recommend her teaching nor that church as both are steeped in the Word of Faith heresy. She also supports highly questionable people like Benny Hinn.

Marilyn Hickey shows her Prosperity/Word of Faith bent throughout her ministries web site, but especially in the free articles at http://www.mhmin.org/ch-resource/mh-index.htm

As for the church, read the final bullet point on their "What we believe" page here http://www.orcconline.org/aboutus.htm

I would add that while a mature Christian may come away from teaching like this unscathed, why not invest your time into solid Biblical teaching instead.

Post by **_Roger** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 11:06 am

Schoel,

Could you please give a brief description of what this"word of faith" thing is you are talking about. This is the first I've heard of it.

Thank you,

Roger

Post by **_schoel** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 11:54 am

Roger,

The phrase Word of Faith has come to label a false teaching circulating in the church that emphasizes the following:

- a metaphysical idea that individuals can speak things into existence through the power of their own faith.
- an emphasis that the cross of Christ provided not only atonement but complete physical wellness, financial blessing and favor in this world for Christians.

This false teaching isn't monolithic, but contains many who adopt different degrees of the ideas. There are a few teachers who teach this blatantly and unashamedly, but much of the teaching regarding this heresy comes from teachers and leaders who've adopted some of the principles without thinking about what it really means or whether it lines up with a solid exegesis of Scripture.

Humourously, the adoption of this false teaching has caused some to conclude that Paul and Jesus were both living materially wealthy lives while on earth because they were "naming and claiming" the material blessings of God.

Tragically, this false teaching moves faith away from Christ for those who adopt it.

IMHO, these two verses describe the core of this false teaching and those teaching it
- 2 Timothy 4:3,4
- Phillipians 3:18-19

See this link for more details
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/w00.html#wordf

Post by **_john b** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 12:34 pm

I've also heard "word of faith" teaching described as the belief that:

Faith is a force, and words are the containers of that force, so the words you speak out determine your reality because faith changes things.

I think this is far from good Biblical interpretation.
Steve has a 4 part lecture on this on The Narrow Path site under: Topical Lectures: Word of Faith.

Post by **_Jason Down with the King** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 12:36 pm

Schoel,
I read the "what we believe" like you recommended and it's classic "word of faith". Thank you for the information.

Roger,
I'm just gonna add to Schoels answer that the teaching of "word of faith" is very popular right now. It was founded by Kennith Hagin, and probably the person most responsible for popularizing it today would be Kennith Copeland. and also Benny Hinn. They teach that faith is a force, and if you can tap into this force you can create your reality, and they say even God is subject to the force of faith, so he must obey you if you speak the "words of faith". They say things like if you get sick and die from cancer, you didnt have enough faith to get healed, or if your in poverty, you can become wealthy from, confessing and possesing, or blabbing and grabbing.
They get this idea from Deut 28. Where it lists the curses of sin, they say sickness and poverty are in the curses, and that Jesus died so we are lifted from those curses, so Jesus died so I can be rich and healthy,
Also Isaiah 53..."by his stripes were healed"
They say see...part of the atonement is that Jesus dies so we are healed (phisically).

Steve has a series on word of faith under his topical lectures, if you would like a very thorough idea of what word of faith is, and a refuting of their teaching, i would recommend it.

If anyone knows more about some of these other teachers I listed on my opening post, or about the school (ISOM). I'm still interested on knowing more about them.

Thanks,
Jason

_dulcimerpete · Post by **_dulcimerpete** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 12:37 pm

For more on this you could also listen to Steve's 4 talks on the subject (look for the Word of Faith listing in the Topical Lectures section at www.thenarrowpath.com).

Peace,

pete b

Post by **_john b** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 1:13 pm

Also, I think Steve did a 4 part topical lecture .... just messin' around

cause 3 of us said that same thing...

Sorry Jason, I'm not real familiar w/ most of those people...besides Joyce Meyer.

Post by **_Roger** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:03 pm

Thank you all for your information......I hardly ever listen to any of these people mentioned so I am not aware of what they are saying. If this is what they are preaching it surely doesn't sound like what the word of God presents to us.

Roger

Post by **_STEVE7150** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:28 pm

It's not like it's just made up stuff ,it's more like a certain way of interpreting scripture. Like when Jesus said "daughter YOUR faith has healed you" or "I have'nt found FAITH like this in all of Israel" or Mark 11.24 "Whatever things you ask when you pray BELIEVE that you receive them and you will have them."
They do use a lot of scripture and they use Isaiah 55 to believe that God's word will not return void even if it's spoken by a believer.
However i think they do not use all of scripture just the parts that seem to support their theology.