Word-Faith Movement, page 7

CONFESSION AND HEALTH
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As pointed out near the beginning of our study, Word-Faith theology states that using the force of faith one can use the power of words to predestine his own future. One domain where this cultic formula is applied to by Word-Faith teachers entails health, sickness and disease. Let's now take note of the following verses:

Death and life are in the power of the tongue... (Proverbs 18:21 NKJV)

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:4,5 NKJV, see also 1 Peter 2:24)

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities; And bore our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16,17 NKJV)

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I do to My Father. (John 14:12 NKJV)

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus... (Hebrews 3:1 NKJV)

Employing the "force of faith" prescription coupled with the verses above, Word-Faith leaders attempt to sanction divine physical healing for all Christians who possess adequate faith. If a believer is feeling sick, then he should deny his symptoms and speak positive words of faith. Word-Faith leaders suggest that if a Christian has an incurable disease or is permanently handicapped, then he lacks faith and is living outside God's will. T.D. Jakes alleges:

"It's what you say to yourself that gets you healed. If you say that you won't be healed, you won't be healed. If you say that you are broke, you will stay broke. Oh! But I came to serve notice on the Devil. The Bible says, 'The power of life and death is in the tongue.' Slap somebody and say, 'You better speak to yourself.' " (T.D. Jakes, "Seize The Moment", Woman Thou Art Loosed, 2000 Atlanta, Georgia)

According to Joel Osteen, with a smile, he says we should:

"Start calling in divine health....You may have sickness in your body; you need to call in health. Words are like seeds; they have creative power." (Joel Osteen, "Speaking Faith Filled Words", Tape # 223, 2004)

While it is true that the tongue may have potential to have positive or negative effects on ourselves and other people (feelings, self-image, convictions, attitudes, for example), what T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and other Word-Faith teachers fail to understand is that there are limitations to the power of the tongue. Nowhere does the Word of God support the notion that believers in Christ have the ability to create divine health using the powers of the tongue.

Perhaps this brand of cultic mythology may operate in the man-made classic show, "I Dream of Jeannie", but in the real world created by God, the Lord did not give man such powers. It is ironic that Word-Faith teachers discourage believers from viewing cultic media (television, movies, etc.), yet they themselves subscribe to similar heresies.
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A deeper evaluation of Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:16,17 and 1 Peter 2:24 will reveal that these passages reflect both spiritual and physical healing. Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 are referring to spiritual healing via salvation. On account that these verses are speaking of Christ's crucifixion on the cross, enduring punishment and bearing ours sins, Christians are thus healed spiritually from a spiritually sick condition (sin).

Now on the other hand ....the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4 indicates physical healing; and Matthew 8:16,17 is its fulfillment that occurred during the healing ministry of Jesus prior to the atonement. Thus, physical healing is not a guarantee today.

Although believers may experience physical healing based on their faith and God's sovereign choice, the aforesaid verses are not related to assured divine physical healing in today's church age. Contrary to the Faith Movement's claims, God does not always heal every believer. The complete expanse of healing that was purchased in the atonement will not be experienced until after the resurrection and glorification
(Rom. 8:22-25, 1 Cor. 15:42-43, 51-54, Phil. 3:20-21, Rev. 21:4).

The Word-Faith camp disagrees with this author's viewpoint, however; alluding to John 14:12 as basis for divine healing for every believer who has enough faith. If Christ was referring to physical healing in this verse, then what "greater works" feasibly could be accomplished than those done by Jesus (raising the dead, for ex.)? In proper context, this verse does not mean "greater works" in divine power, but of the believers' Great Commission of becoming witnesses throughout the world; preaching the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). The theme of this verse is spiritual rather than physical miracles.
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Hebrews 3:1 is another verse that Word-Faith teachers refer to for their support of divine healing through positive confession. They contend that by speaking positive words of divine healing, Jesus is obligated to obey our confessions since He is the "Apostle and High Priest of our confession." Contrary to their teachings, however, this verse does not support the idea that Christ is required to obey our confessions. In this verse, "of our confession" means that Jesus is the center of our confession of faith in the gospel, both in personal belief and open attestation (2 Cor. 9:13, 1 Tim. 6:12,13, Heb. 4:14; 10:23).

As the Word-Faith teachers promote their false doctrine of divine healing, they conveniently disregard scriptures that clearly indicate that some of God's most devoted saints endured physical illnesses. Two cases in point are:

Galatians 4:13-15 (NKJV) - You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

1 Tim. 5:23 (NKJV) - No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities.

The two passages above plainly illustrate that the apostle Paul and Timothy suffered from physical ailments. While Paul's condition is not explicit, some believe he was suffering from malaria (Source: The MacArthur Study Bible, Page 1795). And it should be interesting to note that Luke was Paul's personal physician (Col. 4:14, The MacArthur Study Bible, Page 1840). In reference to Timothy, it is apparent that he suffered from a stomach ailment as well as other recurrent infirmities.

With that said, it is appropriate to ask, "Where is the Word-Faith teachers' "positive confession" theology? The answer is simple. Nowhere in the Bible does God's Word indicate that these men of god ever began "confessing" their healing. Did the apostle Paul and Timothy lack faith? Absolutely not!

It is very alarming that Word-faith teachers are promoting this heretical doctrine; and it is an injustice to Christ that they also suggest that believers who do not experience physical healing are lacking faith. Such implications illustrate contempt against God and touch the scale of insensitivity to the highest degree ....or perhaps the lowest. Envision how a handicapped or terminally ill person -- someone who needs our love the most -- would react when told that he cannot glorify God and their condition is their fault due to a lack of faith. This type of teaching does not come from God, but from Satan's ministers -- the gods of lies, cruelty and all kinds of corruption.
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CONFESSION AND WEALTH
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Another domain where the cultic formula of the "force of faith-positive confession" theology is applied to by Word-Faith teachers entails the gospel of wealth; aka the prosperity gospel. The several passages below are among a multitude of others that they utilize to suggest that it is God's will for every believer to be financially rich.

So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." (2 Chronicles 20:20 NKJV)

But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?" (Mark 6:37 NKJV)

So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or fathers or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time---houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions---and in the age to come, eternal life. (Mark 10:29,30 NKJV)

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
(Luke 6:38 NKJV)

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14 NKJV)

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Cor. 8:9 NKJV)

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. (Eph. 3:20 NKJV)

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19 NKJV)

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
(3 John 2 NKJV)

Employing these passages, Word-Faith proponents brashly claim that if a believer lives in poverty, then he/she lacks faith and is living outside the will of God. According to John Hagee, "Poverty is caused by sin and disobeying the Word of God."
(John Hagee, TBN, April 16, 1993)

Jesse Duplantis states, "If you're not anointed, poverty will follow you all the days of your life."
(Jesse Duplantis, "Voice of the Covenant", Page 5)

In their ambitious efforts to prove and promote their gospel of wealth, many Word-Faith teachers often announce with trumpets how God has prospered them with financial and material riches. "We are King's Kids!" they boast. It is claimed that they receive much on account that they give much to the ministry and to those in need. And like the Pharisees, they exhibit their works to make themselves appear sacrificing and spiritual (Luke 16:14-15).

As pointed out in the Book of Luke, honorable works are not always an indicator of truth and godliness. Even Judas, who was one of Jesus' closest disciples, pretended to care for the poor while he was stealing money from Christ. Judas' regard for the needy was nothing more than pretense that was exhibited to cloak his love for money (John 12:5,6).

Similarly, in today's church age, the Word-Faith camp ....under a veil of pretense, is employing double-dealing tactics (Psalm 12: 2-4) that involves theft by deception. Thus, their prosperity does not come via God's blessings, but by the Satanic strategy of fleecing the flock (James 5:1-6, 2 Peter 2:1-3). They donate "some" money and resources to the poor while grasping much for themselves in order to build their own kingdoms and live a life of luxury. In the words of Benny Hinn:

"Years ago they used to preach, 'O we are going to walk on streets of gold.' I would say, 'I don't need gold up there. I've got to have it down here." (TBN, April 2, 1991)

Sadly, his followers support and cheer him on, completely incognizant that they are caught in a web of deceit. Lets now examine the passages above and expose the perversities and scams that Word-Faith teachers exercise in order to extract money for financial gain.
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The Word-Faith teachers allude to and use 2 Chronicles 20:20 as a psychological ploy to gain trust from their congregations. They promise their followers prosperity if they trust their "man of God" and sow a monetary "seed of faith." In the words of John Avanzini:

"I'm telling you if you'll believe the prophet you will prosper. Don't wait until you hear something that makes sense to you. But if you will right now, right now hear the prophet, go to the phone; get on the line and say, 'I'm believing for miracle debt cancellation. I'm believing the man of God...I'm giving the $100 seed. I'm planting a $100 seed and with that $100 seed, I'm believing it's going to bring forth a harvest to get me totally, completely out of debt.'" (John Avanzini, LeSea Miracle Telethon, May 3, 2004)

The Hebrew word for "prosper" is "tsa'leach." In the context of this verse, it means to "overcome." Thus, in light of the entire chapter, this passage does not portray a promise of debt cancellation or any other type of financial gain. It was, however, God's promise of victory (to overcome) to the nation of Israel in a forthcoming military campaign (v 21).

In a deranged attempt to make this verse fit her agenda and solicit biblical countenance to Avanzini's claims, Marilyn Hickey makes the following statement:

"If you have been fighting too long without a breakthrough and your ready for a change, then it's time to sow a "Battle Seed" for the victory you need. Just pick up the phone and call the number on the screen and say, 'I want to sow a 'Battle Seed' for the victory I need." (Marilyn Hickey, Marilyn Hickey Show, June 18, 2004)

Such outrageous interpretations by Word-Faith teachers exemplify reckless handling of the scriptures. Instead of properly reading and teaching the text in its correct context, they distort God's Word in a manner that makes it subjective to one's personal agenda or preconceived notions.
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