Volume Eighteen – March 2007
By Michael C. Gaudiosi - The Noble Berean
 ROMANS
4:17 - (As it is written, I have
made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even
God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as
though they were.
This passage of scripture is pretty clear and
straightforward. There could be no possible way to misquote or take
this verse out of context. So my question is...why is this verse of
scripture always misquoted and taken out of context, especially by the
Word of Faith preachers on TV? The answer is simple, because
misquoted; this verse becomes the bedrock of the Word of Faith
Movement!
Next question is, how is it misquoted? Simple, the Word of Faith
preachers claim that WE can call those things which be not as
though they were! I have heard Joyce Meyer say it; I have also heard
Rod Parsley say it recently on his Breakthrough TV program. I have
also heard Paula White say it; in fact here is a quote from Paula
herself:
“Your
imagination is more powerful than your reality. That’s why God says in
Romans Chapter four verse seventeen call those things that are not as
though they were” (Daystar Fall Share-a-Thon 9/29/06)
Romans 4:17 in no way states that we can speak to things that do not
exist and call them into being! It says that GOD quickens the
dead and calls those things which be not as though they were! But, no
matter, it still gets taken out of context and misquoted! I always
notice they leave out the “quickeneth the dead” part
when they read this verse! If WE can call those things that are
not as though they were, then WE should be able to quicken the
dead as well!
It doesn’t end there! Rod Parsley has been making some pretty bold
statements on his website, which he claims came from the Lord.
However, the question must still be asked…did God REALLY speak
to Rod Parsley? The fact that Parsley is a very influential minister
and has a huge church and a global television ministry does not mean
that God is speaking to him! We must search the scriptures for
ourselves and see if God really is speaking to Rod. If the Bereans
searched scripture to confirm the apostle Paul’s claims (Acts 17:11),
then we must also search scripture to confirm Rod Parsley’s claims!
This is directly from Rod Parsley’s website page titled: “The
Miracle of the Resurrection Seed:
https://www.breakthrough.net/Resseed2007/index.asp”
Here is what Parsley claims the Lord said to him: “On Easter,
you commemorate when I gave my best on Calvary. This Easter, I want
you to commemorate when I gave my best my Son by giving me your best.”
What Parsley believes the Lord is “saying” here is since He gave His
best offering, which is His Son, this Easter, we are to bring our best
offering to God. One of the biggest errors of the Word of Faith
Movement’s teaching is the constant need for continual works and
sacrifices. Case in point, here is more from Rod Parsley’s website:
“Every
Easter since that time, we have celebrated the Resurrection Seed with
a special offering — giving our very best offering of the year, to
honor God’s sacrifice of His very best. And each year, God responds
with an outpouring of miracles!
Apparently the offering of Jesus Christ on the cross for the atonement
of sin is not enough! According to Rod Parsley, we have to give a
financial offering to Him to honor His death, burial and resurrection.
There is absolutely no dollar amount we could ever offer to God that
would even compare! The only thing we could ever give to God is our
lives as living sacrifices.
Romans 12:1 - I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
I
also watched Rod Parsleys Breakthrough program where he mentions this
“Resurrection seed” by claiming God “told him” there are
120 people that can give a Resurrection seed offering of $8,500,
and when they do God will give them “a creative lifetime income
producing idea!” For the same $8,500 God will
also provide a “stress free home, a year of divine health
and uncommon financial favor!” All this for the low,
low price of $8,500!
He also stated that there are those who can give $1000 or according to
the “original vision” of the “Resurrection seed”
you can give an entire weeks salary! Well, if you can't do
that, Parsley suggests giving a “seed” of $50.00
or $100.00 and he will believe God with you for the rest of
the amount before “Resurrection Sunday on April 8th! Seems he has
all the bases covered! He reminds people to send their prayer requests
along with their “seed” and he will lay it on the altar
and pray for your “breakthrough harvest” to come in! Yet
through all of this, Parsley claims he is not trying to sell miracles,
but rather states “this is the word of the Lord.”
The only problem I have with all of this is:
ROD PARSLEYS CLAIMS MENTIONED ABOVE ARE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND IN
SCRIPTURE!! Not once did Jesus promise a lifetime of income
for a monetary offering, nor did He say that we would have a “stress
free home.” Here is what the Word of the Lord REALLY says:
John 16:33 - These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
James 1:2-4 - My brethren, count it all
joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the
trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her
perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
The Bible is very clear that believers will have trials and
tribulations as long as we are in the world! Even if you give a
trillion dollars to Rod Parsley and his “Miracle of the
Resurrection Seed”, you will still face stress in your home and
trials of many kinds!
SOLA SCRIPTURA – THE SCRIPTURE ALONE!
The typical pattern for the Word of Faith TV preacher is to convince
the unsuspecting TV viewer the offerings from Old Testament Law are
applicable for today’s New Testament Church in the form of a financial
donation. It then becomes a “seed offering” commanded by
God to be given to their TV ministry alone so that the giver can
receive, as Parsley puts it “an outpouring of God’s Miracles!”
I’ve seen it time and time again! They NEVER ONCE ask you to
give an “offering” to your local church. Mostly because they feel
their TV ministry takes top priority over the local church assembly!
Another one of the errors of the Word of Faith Movement (also can be
found in the Charismatic Movement) is that experience is the best
evidence of all. If it works, and people give a testimony about how it
worked for them, then it must be God! What about that? Experience may
be a good teacher at times; also a testimony can be encouraging.
However this is not the way by which truth is measured. No matter
what, the Bible and the Bible alone is our standard!
1 Thessalonians 5:21 - Prove all
things; hold fast that which is good.
Why is that so? If we were to base truth solely on experiences or
feelings, then truth becomes relative. There are no absolutes! One can
say they had a certain experience and say it was from God, and another
can say something totally different about their experience, or
vision…etc and say it was from God, and so on… Ad infinitum! Where
would it end?
For example, I have heard claims from people they were taken to heaven
and saw Jesus and some characters of the Bible. However, each claim
would always conflict, or contradict the others, so whose account is
correct? Can we just assume that all the accounts of their trips to
heaven are the truth? That would not only be foolish, but it would
also be nothing more than blind ignorance of the scriptures!
Remember this: 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 -
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no
great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
According to this passage of scripture, just because it works and it
looks like it came from God does not always mean it came from God!
This is why biblical doctrine is vital! As I mentioned, just because
Rod Parsley has a big church, global television ministry, has been to
the White House and is influential in some areas of politics does not
necessarily mean he actually heard from the Lord!
Please do not let ministry size and influence fool you! Stick with
what you know is rock solid and has never failed: The scriptures…the
REAL Word of the Lord!
Search the Scripture for yourself! SOLA SCRIPTURA! The
Scripture ALONE! May the Lord bless you!
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