Below are several resources that opened my eyes to the truth concerning the New Apostolic Reformation and Word of Faith movements. Tap here to go directly to the resource list.
A Little About My Own Journey
For many years, I was deceived by false teachings and practices from movements known as the Word of Faith (WOF)/prosperity gospel and the Apostolic and Prophetic Movement (also called the New Apostolic Reformation/NAR by some, a term coined by C. Peter Wagner, who is associated with them).
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
Galatians 1:6-8 (ESV)
A few years before God brought me to the truth, the seeming cognitive dissonance between reality, God’s truth and what I was taught began to take its toll. This increased my search for truth, leading me to study God’s Word in context.
In 2019, I began to see more clearly than ever how things I had previously learned did not line up with God’s Word or His character as revealed in the Bible. Especially in the more well-known ministries, the focus seemed to be on seeing signs, wonders and miracles, moving in spiritual gifts, and receiving prophetic words, visions and dreams. Exalting God, learning from the Scriptures, denying ourselves, living holy lives and reaching people with the Gospel of Christ were not the main thing.
It seemed to be far more about us than about God, more about experiencing or feeling something as we worshiped than about worshiping God because He was worthy of it. The Word of God was rarely studied or presented in its context, resulting in the twisting of the Scriptures.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)
The Bible was said to be sufficient, and yet this was not being walked out in practice. Instead encounters, prophecy, visions and dreams were highlighted and helped direct our lives, along with unbiblical spiritual warfare and prayer formulas, wrongly spiritualizing numbers and symbols, positive confession, decreeing and declaring, etc. This grieved my heart.
Of course, there are people in these movements who seem to be truly after the heart of God but are simply deceived. I find myself praying often for them, that just as God opened my eyes to the truth, He would open theirs. I pray they will love Christ, the Gospel and His Word enough to receive the truth and the Gospel as it is biblically, despite all they might have to give up in walking it out—knowing how much I have had to sacrifice in this journey myself. The Lord is worthy of it!
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.”
Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV)
Helpful Resources
In my search for truth, I found both the testimonies of others’ experiences as well as apologetic books, videos and teachings which helped me study the Scripture even more in depth. I then discovered the film American Gospel and my eyes were further opened.
Below are links to many of these resources:
Books
- God, Greed and the (Prosperity) Gospel: How Truth Overwhelms a Life Built on Lies by Costi Hinn
- Health, Wealth & Happiness: How the Prosperity Gospel Overshadows the Gospel of Christ by David W. Jones
- Prophetic Masquerade: Learn to Use the Word of God to Unmask the Wolves Among the Sheep by Kevin Kleint
Movies, Podcasts, YouTube
- American Gospel – Christ Alone: YouTube, short version | Digital Streaming & DVD
- Former NAR Prophet Dawn Hill’s Testimony: Part 1 | Part 2 (YouTube)
- Defecting from Bethel (Podcast): Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Apple Podcast Version Here
- Deflecting from Bethel (YouTube): Part 1
- Are There Scriptures That Support Word of Faith and New Age? (YouTube)
- The True Roots of Word of Faith and Law of Attraction (YouTube)
- The Truth About the Passion “Translation” (YouTube)
Articles
- New Apostolic Reformation Kryptonite — Truths that are “Kryptonite” to destructive doctrines that have crept into the church.
- Did a False Teacher Heal You? — Is there truth to a claim of healing by a false teacher?
- Does a Christian Have Authority to Decree and Declare Things Over Their Lives? — Why decreeing and declaring is not biblical.
- How to View Claims About Visions and Dreams — Would such an experience deny “Sola Scriptura?” It depends.
- Invalid Reasons for Staying in a Church You Know Teaches False Doctrine
- NAR Recovery Roadmap — via Costi Hinn and For the Gospel Ministries
- Often Forgotten Scriptures You Need to Know — “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching…” 2 Timothy 4:3
Should Your Church Sing Jesus Culture and Bethel Music? — Five reasons not to, even regarding songs that might be doctrinally sound. - Why I Must Oppose the New Apostolic Reformation — Legitimate reasons not to be silent about this issue.
The following are articles I’ve written:
- Discerning True from False in the Messages Influencing Us
- Fear Is Not the Opposite of Faith
- Prophetic Masquerade: Using God’s Word to Discern True and False Teaching (Book Review)
- The True Meaning of Ezekiel 37’s Valley of Dry Bones
- The False Word of Faith Gospel Versus the Gospel of Christ
Disclaimer: The inclusion of any book, video or other link on this page (or anywhere else on the IPFJ website) does not mean I agree with and/or endorse everything the author, creator or speaker says, writes, believes or stands for 100%.
