Mike Desario’s ministry is proof that just because someone is intense at communicating a message doesn’t mean their message is true.
(At the bottom of this page is the Testimony by Tommy Miner who was delivered from this dangerous cult.)
Mike Desario is now dead and presumably unrepentant and in hell and yet his cult and false teachings live on. Beware!
In short: Desario and his prey view salvation as their own departure from sin, to stop all sinning, as they claim. They view repentance as turning from sin instead of first and foremost turning TO God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Jesus seems to be edited out of His own salvation plan. After all, we can stop all sinning by ourselves so why do we need the Lamb of God? They hyper-over emphasize turning from sin out of its context and never mention how Jesus commanded us to love the LORD with all of our heart mind and strength (Matthew 22:37-39). Remember, holiness is not the way to Jesus – Jesus is the way to holiness (John 3:30). Why do they ignore and hide this? Why is there a complete ignoring of loving God as Christ commanded (Matthew 22:37-40). These are antichrists who are not in love with the LORD but rather full of self, full of self aggrandizement, self-love, self-righteousness, and vain glory. That’s the fruit of Desario’s followers. The spirit of antichrist possesses them and this is clear in that they have rejected Christ by elevating themselves as their own “savior” from sin instead of the nail-scarred risen Savior. Jesus Christ is not in their salvation plan – until after they earn or merit being with Him due to their own “natural ability” to turn from sin. Desario’s salvation plan is all about them overcoming sin – without Jesus. A sinner cannot save a sinner – if that were the case, WHY did Jesus bother coming to the earth? Only the sin-less One can save and forgive the sinner – (Matthew 9:6). ALL of our own righteousnesses are as filthy rags in His holy eyes (Isaiah 64:6). Our posture of heart concerning approaching God is “God be merciful to me a sinner” and not self-righteously coming to Him with “Okay God, I overcame all sin without You and so now I’m worthy, here I am.”
“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” Luke 18:13
Attention: Just because men have the ability not to sin does not make you your own savior and does not negate your need for the one Savior – Jesus Christ! You are not deep or some spiritual hero because you now realize that the Bible makes no excuse for any sinning (Romans 6:1-2; 2 Corinthians 7:1). If it took Mike Desario to inform you of this basic Bible truth (no excuses for sin), that’s because previous to listening to Desario, you refused to repent and read God’s Word honestly for yourself. But Mike has poisoned the bread of Heaven, the Word of God, with much leaven. And we know that it takes only “A little leaven”, a little false doctrine, to poison, to affect, to ruin a whole person and damn their eternal soul to hell.
“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Galatians 5:9
Because ALL of our own righteousness are as “filthy rags,” sinners cannot save themselves by obeying God (Isaiah 64:6). It was Christ Jesus from Heaven who came into the world to save sinners. No one else in history qualified (Ezekiel 22:30).
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15
One will observe the gross silence, the absolute absence of any cult member of Mike Desario proclaiming their great praise and gratefulness for the saving, sheer mercy of God in saving them through the blood of Jesus Christ. No, they are focused on themselves, pretending to be sinless while they live in sin, the worst sin – self-righteousness. They openly reject the perfect sacrifice of the Savior.
Sin is overcome by the disciple’s submission to the LORD, to the daily cross… by the divinely enabling grace of Christ and not by human effort (Romans 6:14). Desario never says this. Run for your life. This guy, while pointing out one error, is committing many more himself. Read and obey God’s Word for yourself.
Overcoming all sin – yes, and yet, it’s not possible by way of the flesh but rather only by the divinely instituted cross prescription, cross life, the crucified life – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus being re-enacted in the life of the believer daily (Romans 6; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20, etc.). Overcoming all sin does not come by self-will. Paul said “by the GRACE of God I am what I am.” (1 Corinthians 15:10) “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)
There is no cross in Desario’s message … no surrender = death and burial…. and then Christ reigning in our lives which alone pleases God and brings His overcoming victory (Romans 6).
The most immediate indication the discerning disciple will notice is that complete lack of joy in Desario. Jeremiah tells us that God’s Word, in the hearts of His people, produces “the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” (Jeremiah 15:16) Where’s the joy, the smile?
On his website, Mike Desario wrote the following, much of which is true and yet there’s poison in the pond, there are erroneous presumptions made:
“The Original Saints believed and taught that you MUST come clean with God in Repentance BEFORE the Holy Spirit would indwell. No one was ‘Saved in sin or did any early Saint teach that man was Born in Sin. They understood that man possessed free and unhindered ability to Obey God and DO what was Right. Most of professing Christianity today is under a massive System of Error that has negated genuine repentance and substituted it with a wretched man profession that keeps them in slavery to their sin. Our web site is dedicated to exposing these errors and pulling down the Strongholds so others may come to a Knowledge of the truth and escape the snare of the devil before it’s too late.” Mike Desario
Let’s break this down, piece by piece. I’ve indented his words:
Firstly we can observe that the name of Jesus, Christ, or the Son of God appear nowhere in this mission statement of Desario.
“The Original Saints believed and taught that you MUST come clean with God in Repentance BEFORE the Holy Spirit would indwell.” Desario
Repenting is essential (Luke 13:3, etc.).
“No one was ‘Saved in sin or did any early Saint teach that man was Born in Sin.” Desario
If there is no sin nature or inherent sin, iniquity working within fallen man, that means that sin is not sin, that it had and has no death, no evil and didn’t harm the human family. Mike’s statement begs the question as to why the Bible uses the words “were by nature the children of wrath.” (Ephesians 2:3) “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Ephesians 2:3) Also, why did Jesus command those who would follow Him to deny self if there is nothing to deny? Why the cross – the crucified life He prescribed if there’s nothing that needs to die, to be crucified? (Luke 9:23-24) WHY did Paul teach that the believer must “put off the old man” if there is no “old man” in us to “put off”? (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:8-10)
“They understood that man possessed free and unhindered ability to Obey God and DO what was Right.” Mike Desario
Notice how he seems to deify man’s obedience as the saving factor instead of Christ being the only Savior. He capitalized “Obey.” Our faith, repentance, or obedience do not save us. Only the LORD Himself can save us. No man can save himself.
“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:22
Obedience is essential and yet without love for Him, God is not pleased with our rote, mechanical obedience….. if it’s not coming out of our love for Him. Many times we here this verse slammed
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15
Okay so let’s say we are striving to obey Christ. Is Jesus going to save us if we don’t love Him? Are we dwelling on and hearing anything about actually, literally loving Jesus, from our hearts, “in spirit and in truth”? (John 4:23-24)
“IF ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15
Have you ever noticed the “If” of this statement by our LORD Jesus?
Okay, reread the words of Jesus above and see what comes first in the sentence— “love,” or keeping His commands? “IF you love me, keep my commandments” says Jesus (John 14:15).
Of these words of Christ, one source notes:
“Let’s break down the key elements (of John 14:15):
Love for Jesus:
Jesus is emphasizing the importance of love. The context of this statement is Jesus speaking to His disciples during the Last Supper, preparing them for His impending departure. Love is a central theme in Jesus’ teachings.
Obedience as an Expression of Love:
Jesus connects love with obedience. Keeping His commandments is presented as a tangible way to express love for Him. This implies that genuine love for Jesus is not just a matter of sentiment or emotion but is expressed through actions and obedience.
The Relationship Between Love and Commandments:
Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly emphasizes the connection between love and following His commandments. For example, in John 15:10, Jesus says, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”
The Role of Commandments:
Jesus’ commandments, in this context, refer to His teachings and instructions. These include moral and ethical principles, as well as guidance on how to live in alignment with God’s will.
In summary, Jesus is teaching that true love for Him involves more than just emotional attachment or verbal expressions. It involves active obedience to His teachings and commandments. This concept aligns with the broader biblical understanding that love and obedience are intertwined. For believers, expressing love for Jesus is inseparable from a life of obedience to His teachings and a commitment to following His example.”
“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” 1 John 2:5
Matthew 7:20-23 The Judgment
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know (discern) them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and IN THY NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:20-23
“Natural Ability”
If we could come to and serve God in our own “natural ability”, why did Jesus come? It is suspected that Mike Desario taught a version of Charles Finney’s “natural ability” doctrine which rightly claims that man has the God-given ability to obey Him. Yet, it’s not man’s “natural ability” but rather the grace, the divine influence and empowerment of God, that enables man to overcome sin (1 Corinthians 15:10). This doctrine seems to be antichrist in that it moves the attention and glory off of Christ and onto man.
“Most of professing Christianity today is under a massive System of Error that has negated genuine repentance and substituted it with a wretched man profession that keeps them in slavery to their sin.” Desario
Repentance and faith are the starting place with God (Acts 20:21) and yet repentance does not remove the inward bent toward sin (Romans 7). Repentance, faith, then abiding with Christ via the cross seems to more fully depict the salvation of Christ. The cross is what’s missing – the daily crucified life (Luke 9:23-24). Denying an inward bent does nothing to negate or do away with it. Reckoning with the flesh by crucifying it is essential to overcoming (Romans 6). Denying this inward “old man” that wants to do evil is not the biblical answer. Paul said he had to “keep under” his body, another name for “old man” or “the flesh.” (1 Corinthians 9:27) The flesh cannot be cast out, it must be crucified and denying it exists is paramount to attempting to cast it out.
Mike Desario rejected the concept of a substitutionary sacrifice. If substitutionary atonement is not correct that means no one came to stand in the gap, right? Is 59:16; Ez 22:30. Such a teaching is antichrist. We cannot atone for our own sins. Jesus alone did that (2 Corinthians 5:19, 21; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 John 2:1-2, etc.). Beware of “the spirit of antichrist.” (1 John 2:18)
The Bible uses the term “true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24) and so we know there is a feigned holiness. Satan only counterfeits the real. Beware. There is a self-dependent, fake, counterfeit holiness being spread by devils like Mike Desario (who’s dead now) and the dupes who have gullibly bought the lies. There is no holiness outside of the cross life (Luke 9:23-24; John 12:23-25; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; 5:24, etc.). Mike never taught the cross which means he taught another gospel, a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). Jesus conquered sin and death by dying (Hebrews 2:14-15).
Beware of this fake holiness cult which teaches to trust in your own ability to overcome sin instead of the divinely enabling grace of Christ (Romans 6:14).
Overcome all sin? Yes.
Doing it outside of oneness (abiding relationship) with Christ? NO!
The fake holiness cult members never speak of seeking the face of and knowing Christ (relationship John 17:3; Philippians 3:10), the crucified life (daily cross), the grace of God, the mercy or love of God. These are all cardinal components of the original Gospel.
“True holiness” is brought out by GOD, as His disciple humbles himself, consenting to his own death that Christ might reign…. The Crucified Life Jesus calls us to.
Mike Desario did NOT preach the cross – the crucified life (Luke 9:23-24; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20, etc.). The cross is the divine prescription for overcoming all sin and any other message is “another gospel.” (Galatians 1:6-9)
Mike Desario (holdingfirmly / standinginthegap), who is now deceased and in hell, was very adamant about what he taught – much of what is truth mixed with deadly heresy. We can conclude that it’s unlearned, self-righteous people who have bought the package Satan handed out through this false teacher. Many of those who bought into these lies are the modern street preachers. Regrettably, their fruit is nasty as is no surprise because the root determines the fruit.
“But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 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.” 2 Corinthians 11:12-15
Many have bought into lies due to being persuaded by a good communicator. Instead of hearkening to the LORD – the full counsel of His Word, they place their allegiance in a mere man because he sounds like he knows what he is talking about. This is the case with those who’ve been duped by the false teachings of Mike Desario. Discernment needed saints.
Christ is the Center point of the real, original Gospel and not man’s obedience which is a subtle way of the spirit of antichrist to over emphasize our small part, participation! (Colosians 2:18-19) Christ alone can save. Our works don’t save us! Yes God requires our faith and yet that requirement of faith doesn’t save us – GOD ALONE CAN SAVE US! Mike Desario was very obviously a freakish antichrist who is now in hell no doubt.
Satan has an agent for every sector – every type person. In this writer’s opinion, self-righteousness is the sin that causes people to migrate to such a system of false teaching as Desario put forth. In his teachings, Desario is pointing out some things that are true and yet has a convoluted, false theology that is works based – grossly lacking in the faith of Christ (Romans 4:4-5). He catches the ear of those who view themselves as truth-seekers.
Desario and his followers are mean-spirited, stoic, and have no joy. Something’s not right. See Romans 14:17. The fruit of those who have bought this package from hell is anything but joy. Myself and others who stand against this evil system of theology combined have experienced some of the vilest of affliction and attacks from those Christ-denying counterfeits. Beware saints.
SEE IF YOU CAN EVEN BELIEVE THIS!!!!!! (below)
Desario’s delusional disciples are novices who haven’t personally, organically studied God’s Word for themselves. They connected with Desario’s “ministry” and got indoctrinate. They teach that YOU have to “stop all sinning” before Jesus will save you – which puts man in front of God and it utterly heretical. God sanctifies the vessel AFTER He justifies….. the fish is scaled AFTER he’s caught and in the boat …. justification comes before sanctification in the divine economy. Watch this conversation…. If you don’t yet see how deep this delusionment goes, I believe you will after reading this conversation below:
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“Stopping sin is the first part of salvation. The next part is that we get justified which is by our works, not merely by faith. So Todd, you are in error.”
REPLY:
You have openly denied Christ. You have spit in the face of the Almighty (Galatians 2:21). You are utterly deceived and misled by wolves (Finney, Desario, etc). The first part of salvation is Christ’s perfect sacrifice on that cross – “It is finished” – and then GOD’s drawing the sinner to Himself (John 12:32; 19:30; 1 John 4:19). “We love him, because he FIRST loved us.” (1 John 4:19) “WHILE we were yet sinners” Jesus came and died for our sins (Matthew 5:6-8). Sinful men don’t find God – God finds us! God is calling you to come to Him, before it’s too late. If you do truly repent and believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, He will deliver you from being an antichrist (anti = in place of). You’ve replaced the only Savior with the sinful god of self. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10) You are a sinner and fooling no one but yourself to claim otherwise. God sees all your sins and will damn your soul eternally if you don’t come humbly to Jesus, admitting your utter need for Him and that you cannot save yourself (Matthew 5:3; 11:28-30). “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:10 “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Ecclesiastes 7:20
The ability to conquer all sin is the stated will of God and yet that divine ability (Grace = divine ability) does not enter the saved person until he is first saved. So how can someone “stop all sinning” before being saved by grace? Impossible. And, that is unmitigated idolatry, antichrist – putting self before, in place of Christ who alone is Savior and LORD. Repentance is first and foremost turning TO GOD and not turning from sin. If you get these out of order, you are a heretic.
What are we saved from? We are saved from sin and the punishment of it upon repentance and faith and as we abide, remain in Christ after He saves us. Yet, HE saves us, not ourselves. We don’t save ourselves by stopping all sinning. Jesus saves us as and when we obey Him command to “Come unto me.” (Matthew 11:28-30) .If stopping all sinning were a requirement or even possible without Jesus, WHY would He have ever come to die for our sins? (Galatians 2:21)
Remaining in Christ is remaining in Christ (John 15:1-6). Romans 3:25 speaks of “the sins that are PAST” and 1 John 1:7 tells us that we are only washed from sin AS and IF we continue, abide in Christ, walking in His light and not darkness.
Mike Desario’s cultists are extremely arrogant, pride-filled, and unteachable. They will automatically accuse those who don’t buy their goods of being calvinists or eternal securists. Absurd. Repentance, while it is a non-negotiable essential, it doesn’t save us – JESUS saves us. Let’s never lose sight that it is GOD that saves us. And yes GOD saves us WHEN we obey His command to repent and believe…. meditate on that one. If we could save ourselves, why did the Father send His only begotten Son? Desario’s disciples claim that those who don’t see things their way are justifying sin. Not. God gives us the grace (divine enablement) to overcome all sin (2 Corinthians 7:1; Titus 2:11-14, etc.). Read Romans 8:13-14 closely….. “by the Spirit” is key. How does one walk in the Spirit and overcome the sins of the flesh? God’s overcoming power in our lives comes via the cross walk Christ and His apostles taught – Lk 9:23-24; Col 3:3; Gal 2:10; 2 Cor 4:12-12 etc. We are to be dead and buried and Christ, the resurrection and the life, raises us upward out of that state He calls us to (Romans 8:1-14).
Personal responsibility is essential. The Bible is clear on that and yet so is trusting GOD – that HE is able to raise you up out of death and burial. That’s the cross doctrine which is at the center of the Gospel. GOD raises us up in HIS power, not our own. He calls us to die.
WHO rewards those who trust Him with HIS overcoming grace? – “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Desario also taught that no one is saved till they’re in Heaven. That’s partly true. You better get saved or you will not be in Heaven…. that’s another false teaching…. Jesus says “He that believeth HATH (present tense) everlasting life.” (John 6:47) After being initially saved, one must endure to the end, abide in Christ or that person will forfeit salvation (Matthew 10:22; 24:!3; John 15:6; 2 Peter 2:20-21; Hebrews 3:6, 12-14; 10:26-39; Revelation 2:26; 3:5, etc.).
Desario led you to believe that we are responsible for sin and have no reason to live in sin after being saved (true). Yet Desario’s false teachings led you to believe and left you to overcome all sin by yourself….. that you do not need God, not even to be saved, because you can stop ALL sinning BEFORE Jesus saves you and in fact, Jesus saves only those who stop ALL sinning BEFORE they come to Him. Total demonic heresy. This is anti-Christ which means in place of Christ. You have replaced Christ with self, you’ve denied Him, you are denying your utter need for Him, His saving grace…. all because you believe you can stop all sinning without the Son of God.
To those indoctrinated under Mike Desario: You have need of thoroughly studying the whole of Scripture. Desario was a master manipulator, a master at isolating certain truths to the exclusion of the whole of what Holy Scripture says. It takes a whole Bible to make a whole disciple.
The Finney Cult is alive and well today saints. When you understand the false teachings of Charles Finney, you will understand the error promulgated by Desario. I’ve had several people disown me due to pointing out the obvious errors of Charles Finney, an 18th century false teacher who is heralded by many today. Instead of studying and being astute students of pure Holy Scripture, they’ve learned the heresies of Finney, a man who denied the atonement of Christ. And, they are rabid in spreading these cancerous falsehoods. It sounds holy on the surface yet it’s a false holiness that enthrones man while demoting Christ. Perhaps Galatians 3:3 most poignantly exposes the regurgitated errors of Finney that have been passed on by false teachers like Mike Desario.
“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Galatians 3:3
Dear Mike Desario cultist: So, are you made perfect by the flesh or by yielding to Christ and the Holy Spirit granting you His divine enablement? Read it again: “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Galatians 3:3
TRUE REMNANT SAINTS OF CHRIST ARE NOT ONLY SAVED BY GRACE BUT ALSO SANCTIFIED BY GRACE. YES, WE ARE FULLY ACCOUNTABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTIMATE, WORSHIPFUL, OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, AND YET IT’S CHRIST ALONE WHO SAVES AND SANCTIFIES AS WE “abide” in relationship with him (JOHN 15:1-16, ETC.).
God requires repentance and faith to save an individual and yet, it’s CHRIST alone who saves. Though necessary, our obedience doesn’t save us – only God Himself can save. Have we done the mechanics while distancing our Messiah and Savior? We must be careful to never impersonalize salvation. It’s a relationship (John 17:3; Philippians 3:10, etc.). God forgive us for alienating our LORD and Savior in the busy-ness of the mechanics. Christianity is all about knowing, worship, and knowing intimately the LORD. Nothing is more important (Matthew 22:37-39).
WHAT DESARIO IS DOING IS ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT CALVINISTIC ERROR AND YET IN DOING SO BY MISUSING THE WORD OF GOD, HE’S CREATED AN EQUALLY DAMAGING HERESY AND JUST AS GUILTY AS THE WOLVES OF CALVINISM AND HERETICS LIKE CHARLES FINNEY.
Desario’s Dupes
The disciples of Desario often misuse verses like John 8:11 by only quoting half of Christ’s words:
“Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:11
Perhaps we should quote the whole verse. When we do it paints a different picture than those who beat up people with the last part of this verse. FIRST God redeems and forgives and THEN, after that He informs us that we don’t have to live in sin any longer (Romans 6:14).
They use the “go, and sin no more” to push a no-tolerance for any sin. There disposition is such that they feign to be sinless perfection and act as if there is no divine mercy for those who stumble and sin. The whole testimony of Holy Scripture stands against them. 1 John 1:9 anyone?
Jesus didn’t just say “go and sin no more.” No, the Son of God said to the woman caught in adultery “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11) Jesus first forgave her (represents salvation) and then told her she was free not to sin any more.
These vile wolves would have you believe that God is no longer merciful to those He saves! Nonsense. That notion is a doctrine of devils!
“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Psalms 103:10-14
If God is not merciful, we are all in trouble. Thank You LORD Jesus for Your unmerited mercy you died to secure for Your people!
The new covenant in Christ includes mercy through His precious blood (Matthew 26:28). Only the spirit of antichrist would detract from the perfect sacrifice of the Son of God!
“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 8:12
Whenever you speak the BIBLICAL truth of God’s mercy and forgiveness, the demented Desario disciples immediately resort to their attack on your for “justifying sin.” Yet, this doesn’t fly, especially when you’ve written one of the most severe on sin books in existence – Lie of the Ages.
God is “Holy, holy, holy” and there is no justification for sin and yet the LORD is also merciful, gracious, and “ready to forgive.” (Psalms 86:5, 15; Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8) As seen in John 8, the only ones God is going to condemn are those who judge instead of extend the invitation of His blessed mercy! (Revelation 22:17, etc.) This would include the devils perpetrating the evil heresies taught by Mike Desario when he was alive on the earth.
Heart purity and a sinless life emanate only from a holy God and our consenting to the cross and not by human effort alone…. one cannot “stop sinning” until they come to Jesus and He saves them, making them new creatures in Christ. Only then can they put off the old man and put on the new man. There MUST be something to put off …. that inherent sinful nature, otherwise no such language would be in Scripture (Colossians 3).
Perhaps calling these self-righteous, bull headed devils Finney-ites would be the best way to define them. They have created a growing cult of believers in the Christ-denying false teachings of Charles Finney.
DESARIO TAUGHT THE HERESY THAT FALLEN MAN HAS NO INCLINATION TOWARD SIN OR DOES HE HAVE A SIN NATURE. HE TAUGHT THE FALSEHOOD OF FINNEY – THAT MAN’S OWN “NATURAL ABILITY” IS SUFFICENT FOR OVERCOMING SIN AND THEREFORE CHRIST CAME IN VAIN! AGAIN, THIS IS CLEARLY “THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST” THAT INFLUENCED BOTH THESE WOLVES (FINNEY AND DESARIO).
The Bible prescription for overcoming sin (an essential) is not by denying the inward bent of fallen mankind (Romans 7) but rather by dying to self – taking up the cross daily (Luke 9:23-24, etc.). That’s what Christ and His apostles taught.
We overcome sin daily – day by day – by the cross and not our own “natural ability” – a term heretic Charles Finney used. Mike Desario got his false doctrines from Finney.
To understand where Desario and the other modern wolves got these heresies, you will need to look at the false teachings of heretic Charles Finney who is viewed by some as a great “revivalist.” Charles Finney Exposed
One believer writes:
“Holiness is first and foremost agape love. Unconditional love for all, including enemies of us and enemies of God. This over-emphasis on repentance can make us the initiator and God the responder if we are not careful. God is always the initiator.
All who follow Christ abandon all that offends Him (Mark 9:43-49). Holiness is the work of God in a yielded, abiding born again saint (John 15; Romans 8:12-14; 1 Peter 1:15-16, etc.). Holiness, as GOD defines and requires it, is yielding obediently to HIS work in one’s life (Romans 6:3-14). It is a sin to believer YOU can overcome all sin all by your sinful self! Futility! Think about it: When the HOLY Spirit is ruling a person’s yielded life, that vessel will be HOLY (Romans 8:13-14).
BEWARE OF THE COUNTERFEIT HOLINESS MESSAGE – ONE THAT SAYS MAN BECOMES “HOLY” ALL BY HIMSELF – WITHOUT THE LORD – without doing it God’s way. Yes, only those set apart to the LORD will be with Him (Ephesians 5:25-27; Hebrews 12:14). The truth about the essential of holiness – it’s not obtained by a work of the flesh but rather by God Himself in the crucified vessel (Gal 3:3). Any message on holiness that doesn’t include LOVE, loving God, obedience to the daily cross, grace (divine enablement), mercy, and faith, is not according to the original Gospel message (Romans 6:6; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; 5:24; Hebrews 11:6). Mike Desario novices are indoctrinated. They mercilessly over emphasize 1 John 3 while refusing to synthesize it with 1 John 1.
Those being exposed for preaching this Christ-denying, self-exalting false holiness message hate the ones exposing them – because it steals THEIR glory as they vainly believe THEY are earning their way with God.
“That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:29-31
These people do not preach Christ – they preach the merits of self which means they are antichrists who preach “another gospel” and are “accursed.” (2 Corinthians 4:6; Galatians 1:6-9)
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6
One disciple writes:
“These fake holiness folks would have called for the adulteress to be stoned to death if they were asked instead of Jesus in Jn 8:1-10.”
Attempting to be holy in God’s eyes without the working of the grace of God in Christ is pure futility. It never has nor ever will work. Think: How can anyone be holy without He who alone is “Holy, holy, holy”? (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8)
“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Galatians 3:3
Attempting to be holy in God’s eyes without the working of the grace of God in Christ is pure futility. It never has nor ever will work.
Notice the complete lack of joy in the self-righteous, arrogant ones who preach this fake holiness message, this counterfeit, feigned holiness message. That’s completely unlike Jesus. What this – real holiness – always brings real joy!:
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity (holiness); therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of GLADNESS above thy fellows.” Hebrews 1:9
Where’s the joy experienced by those truly in the kingdom of God?
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and JOY in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17
Fake Holiness Deceivers …. Are just like the self-righteous man who went up to pray, who prayers didn’t leave the room he was in. They beat their chest before the LORD in prayer, proclaiming their own “righteousness” – which is as “filthy rags”? (Isaiah 64:6; Luke 18:9-14) | “Two Men Went Up into the Temple to Pray” [podcast]
Divine Justification Denied
Charles Finney and Mike Desario vehemently and heretically denied the atoning blood of Christ and the biblical doctrine of imputed righteousness (Romans 4).
The simple Bible truth: If divine righteousness is not imputed (given to us on the basis of Christ’s perfect sacrifice!), then that means we have to earn it!
Imputed righteousness is biblical, period. Romans 4. There is no righteousness without it being imputed by God to fallen men. Also, biblical righteousness does not mean that such cannot be withdrawn if the recipient refuses to meet the conditions.
Desario and his dupes HATE imputed righteousness (Romans 4). If righteousness isn’t imputed from God to man, by definition and default, that would mean man is earning his own salvation, right?
So these cultist trample the truth of imputed righteousness in order to correct another error (taught by calvinists). Beware of anyone who is willing to deny one biblical truth in order to correct another error.
Yes, God requires the participation of the individual born again believer in an abiding relationship with Jesus, yet Desario’s false system of theology would leave you to believe that it’s ALL up to you and that Christ is not the Savior. But Paul said:
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13
You will never hear Titus 3:5-6 and Romans 4:4-5…… in Mike Desario’s teachings and if you do, it will be spun – the clear meaning will be whitewashed and discounted. Desario is among the vilest of devilish false teachers.
One this is for certain, Mike Desario sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. He’s very adamant about what he is teaching, even though he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a false teacher who has misled many.
The fruit of these heresies taught by Desario produce the nastiest fruit in his disciples. If you’ve encountered them, you know exactly what I mean. This is more proof that he and those misled by him are not of God (Galatians 5:22-23, etc.).
When you compare Desario’s teachings to God’s Word, they don’t check out.
DESARIO IS GOOD AT GOING TO SEED ON CERTAIN TRUTHS, DOUBLING DOWN HARD IN HIS PRESENTATIONS, AND YET BY DOING SO HE VIOLATES OTHER CLEAR, KNOWN BIBLICAL TRUTH, THEREBY PERPETRATING HERESIES.
When a man denies Christ, 99% of the times it’s through his teachings and not by coming out and saying “I reject Christ.” This is exactly what Mike Desario has done.
Mike Desario is the one who trained up a bunch of self righteous novices in our day …. Desario died recently but his videos live on, misleading others. I’ve had personal experience with several of his disciples. They are insulated from hearing the truth due to their indoctrination. As mentioned earlier, his followers are some of the most rude, mean-spirited people you will encounter.
In dealing with those indoctrinated into this cult of self-righteousness, after experiencing their hatred, one will then note their insistence that anyone who disagrees with them is branded an unrepentant sinner who is making excuses for sin. They full of pride, arrogant, and completely unteachable.
The problem is that Mike Desario points out something that is true – that most leaders are making up excuses for sinning BUT then Mike Desario teaches that we can overcome by our own power, the power of our own “natural ability.” Jesus is sparse at best in his theology/view of the Christian life. The man was Satan’s snake.
Overcoming sin is the byproduct of truly knowing and abiding in Christ (John 15:1-6) and those who refuse to abide will be cast into hell (John 15:6). Yet, the emphasis of Scripture is upon Christ and our relationship with the Savior, something Desario intentionally ignored. In Mike Desario’s corrupted theology, it’s all up to the individual, no need to rely upon and abide Christ.
Recently someone asked about Mike Desario.
MY REPLY:
Brother, glad you asked ….. I would stay far away from Mike Desario’s teachings…. he has mislead a whole lot of people with his false teaching and spawned the idea (false notion) that he is somehow in “the know” of the truth no one has previously or presently understands. Every cult leader has this in common. Such a pride-predicated idea is always the foundation or premise for building a cult, which is what Mike Desario did.
Desario’s teachings are especially deceptive because he does use Scripture and yet, he ever so slightly tweaks or twists the verses and truths to his own bent, leaving out a whole lot of other biblical truth that would paint a completely different picture. Manipulation. Most believers are not skilled in God’s Word enough to catch this so we must also rely on the Holy Ghost to discern as John the apostle told us to do (1 John 4:1-6). From the first moment I encountered Desario’s disciples and then looked at small portions of his videos, there was great alarm in my spirit (1 John 4:1).
As mentioned, Desario’s followers violently blame all those who disagree with them as being sin justifiers. Nonsense. Yet, just because someone believes the Bible truth that we are weak and HE is strong – that Christ alone conquered sin on the cross and it’s conquered in our daily lives by the daily cross – doesn’t make that person a justifier of sin. These blinded novices have a hard time when they come against balanced and astute Bible students who use Scripture to dismantle and demolish the Christ-denying lies they peddle.
We are sinners both by being born after our fallen fathers and also by our own choices…. (Romans 3, 5, 7, etc.).
Desario’s style of communication draws those who seemed to want the truth and (correctly) believe that OSAS and calvinism are false …. yet, they are drawn into self-reliance and the deadly sin of self-righteousness (Titus 3:5-7, etc.).
—– RECENTLY: Someone wrote me about heretic Mike Desario:
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“Thank you sir for exposing this error (Desario’s) 🙂 Someone recommended Mike Desario to me but this expose’ has made me think twice. However, even the best teachers can be mistaken about one or two minor details. What really matters is their spirit, that is how we know if they are truly born again or not. Are they holy, or carnal? Whoever made this video is utterly carnal. Sadly, with many men you don’t need to read their “statement of faith”, you can see clearly that they have not been saved from their sin and still walk in darkness.” Lee
RESPONSE:
Hi Lee. Well their doctrine matters most actually (2 John 7-11; Romans 16:17-18; Titus 2:1, etc.) The word “Doctrine” appears 51 times in Holy Scripture (KJB). The heretical falsehoods of Desario are not minor beloved brother. He’s a Christ-denying vile wolf and I have heard his lies and seen the fruit of it in the lives of many. It’s very false and ugly. Walking in Christ’s truth always, without exception, produces the fruit of the Spirit – love! …. “Let God be true and EVERY man a liar.” (Romans 3:4) God bless you today in Jesus!
Another saint who is familiar with this Finney / Desario movement writes:
“God has given us of His Spirit to teach us and to convict us when we get off track but He will test our humility by bringing other brethren to correct us. Do we really want to be conformed to the truth or do we just want to be right? How we respond to correction will prove which is true of us. Embrace humility and crucify pride.
Grace without truth is not of Christ and neither is truth without grace.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of GRACE AND TRUTH.” John 1:14
Well she was as a lot more civil than most of them who believe sinless perfection. I’ll give her that. Lol. She stated as many of them state, “Romans 7 is a picture of Paul struggling with sin under the law. He tells us what the answer is, and it is grace. The answer is Jesus.” But in that very statement they admit there is a struggle. Whether they believe that Paul is talking about the man under law or the man under grace is irrelevant, the fact that Paul admits this struggle (that what he doesn’t want to do he does and what he does want to do he doesn’t do) shows as verse 23 states that there is a LAW at work in his members warring against the law of his mind. That is the sin nature. The curse. If there is no sin nature there is no struggle. We would be able to walk without sin without being regenerated and hence no need for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Plain and simple. The entire creation was cursed. The earth, the animals, and man. The very nature of beasts changed as well as our very nature. There’s no getting around it. So what then is the benefit of this belief? The truth is it does away with grace and brings them back under filthy works. They can say ‘I’ choose not to sin by my own power. When we know we can do nothing unless we are abiding in Him and walking in the power of His Spirit. Romans 8:10 is clear.
And let’s think about this logically, if there was no sin nature then why do we see sin in the youngest of children? Very young children will bite, pull hair, hoard possessions, and lie before they can even speak. Babies born are just the epitome of flesh. I have 5 of them I know!!! Lol and from infanthood we start teaching them to deny their flesh. Even the world does this. Because it is evidenced all around that flesh given free reign will become more and more sinful. Show me one person on this earth who has ever gotten past the age of 1.5 without sinning. Its clear, sin is IN us. But thanks be to God that by the power of His Spirit given to us who believe on Christ He has made a way to overcome. I may have rambled a bit. Sorry. Lol. ?”
Scathing rebuke to an extremely self-righteous man, the following rebuke went forth:
“This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;” Titus 1:13
EVERYONE is under “strong delusion” in your wicked mind, sinner … oh, except you. You cannot save yourself. You better repent now, confess all your sins – that God sees – and cry out to Him to be broken. Your self-righteousness will not enter His holy courts.
“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” Ezekiel 18:30-32
FRUIT: Mike Desario never smiled. He was a bitter heretical prude. Are you the same way sinner? Seems like it. Jesus told us that the crack harlots will be in Heaven before you.
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and JOY in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17
Recently, I sent the following to a Desario dupe:
“You wrongly assume that my communicating God’s Word is to evade personal accountability, to live in sin. Nonsense. No one living is sin will enter glory (Rom 6:1-2; Rev 21:8, etc.). Yet there is much more to learn, beginning perhaps with a much fuller revelation of the divinely enabling grace of God we are to be multiplied in (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18; Heb 13:9, etc.). … some of the nastiest pharisees I’ve ever encountered are the bitter pawns of Mike Desario’s ministry of misery. Jesus had more joy and gladness than anyone who ever walked the earth. Think. Heb 1:9.”
“NOTHING in my hand I bring
simply to Thy cross I cling”
“Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” Matthew 21:31
Touting your own obedience as if that saves you instead of JESUS…. is a dead give away to your self-righteousness which is as filthy rags before a holy God.
You are a law keeper and don’t realize it. You have rejected Christ’s perfect righteousness.
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10
You aren’t overcoming sin and will not till you are truly doornail down…. crucified with Christ. And when you are crucified with Christ, you will live to help others, not heap undue burdens condemnations upon them as did the hell bound religious hypocrites of Christ’s day (Matthew 23).
“For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” James 2:13
You have no mercy because you’ve not been shown divine mercy and will not be till you truly humble your wicked self in true repentance.
Repentance and the cross are foundational to the original Gospel. They come before good works, obedience.
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for REPENTANCE: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Matthew 3:7-10
The fruit of true repentance is good works and yet good works save no one. Christ alone can save. They are merely the produce of truly knowing the LORD – and not that which makes you right with God.
Your problem is not so much desiring to be righteous so much as you are approaching and viewing the LORD in a faulty way… perhaps you have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge (Romans 10). This has fostered a damning self-righteousness in you.
You are not and will not overcome all sin without a true surrender, true repentance, crying “LORD you must increase but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) When this happens, you will be teaching the cross, the crucified life Christ and His holy apostles taught and cease going around indiscriminately condemning others and begin to help, to restore them in “the spirit of meekness.”
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1-2
In your hardened heart, your self-righteousness, you erroneously presume that those who preach salvation by God Himself, by His saving mercy and grace, is justifying sin. Well, if that’s the case, Christ’s apostle Paul sure was in error, right? Now read this slowly …. real slow:
“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:4-5
Quit equating salvation to your own good works. If so you are under the law and only Jesus could keep the law – and He did and nailed it to the cross and took it out of the way (Colossians 2:14-19). WHY did He have to come if we could keep the whole law perfectly, to render perfect obedience? Galatians 2:21….. WHO is your savior? you or Jesus? “without FAITH (not good works) it is impossible to please him.” (Heb 11:6) Where is your faith? is it in your own good works or Christ, the only One to keep the whole law, nail it to the cross, took it out of the way, and upon repentance and faith in Him, one is justified? “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2 If you don’t truly LOVE Jesus and have a heart after the LORD, all your “worship” is for self, idioloatry, and futility, dead religion. Salvation is Jesus Christ plus nothing. Repent and believe (Acts 20:21).
Testimony by Tommy Miner – Who was Delivered from the Desario Cult and Heresies
“I was a disciple of Mike Desario for many years, and made many videos, and blogs as well as Facebook posts, teaching pretty much all he taught. I was attacking everyone who did not agree with me, telling them I don’t sin, I am pure, and of course that they are preaching for sin and disobedience. I have since been enlightened and left his group after he passed away. I was put in charge of the group to be the leader, but my conscience and the way I idolized Mike and his teachings has taken me out in the wilderness, to test all I thought I knew about truth.
Yes, Mike had truth mixed with error, you could not really correct him, or he would get upset, and he had a very proud spirit—as well as myself and his followers. I was full of self, pride, wrong judgments, and attacked all who disagreed with us regarding when the sin stops, how you make yourself pure to be saved, and that I don’t sin anymore, which was a lie!
I have been reading your teachings and have a lot of error to come out of before I start another ministry. I never grew in faith, just being constantly told I had arrived—I was pure now, I was holy now, and I was perfect, and IF I willfully sinned again I was toast, according to a very wicked woman I was in fellowship with for about a year. Now this isn’t about gossip, but this woman is on Facebook, has a blog, and preaches: one willful sin after conversion, and you are going to hell—a one-way ticket—no more mercy, no more forgiveness, just going to hell. There are more like her. I was there and have repented of them all, rebuked some, and now they see me as a false teacher, “changing the word of God.”
Anyway, I am all alone now, living in Kingman, AZ, working full time in the hospital here, and have no real fellowship. I want to find a good church here, many are apostate. I have learned I wasn’t saved, I was full of self and pride, and I forsook the blood of Christ as the only means for my salvation, before and after. Oh yes, I sinned after, and the woman I spoke of would condemn me to hell. I told her she has also failed God. I saw first-hand her hypocrisy, as well as Mikes, and his small group of followers. I finally broke off, who I feel is partaking in a cult and being led by Satan, at least that woman is in her attacking and condemning spirit.
Just wanted to touch base with you, I will continue to grow in my faith, not in my own weak strength, but in the power of His Spirit. I have much to learn now and thank you for all you do for the Lord. Please pray for me to continue in my faith and study, and not to get discouraged by those who teach a works- based salvation … and that if you don’t, you are preaching for sin as Mike liked to say, which is a lie. I feel stronger now over sin, temptation and the Devil, than I did while operating in my own weak human effort.”
More from Tommy
“Amen, I taught works salvation for years, and contended for it all while I was in sin, such as pride, self-righteousness, and thinking I could save myself through all my so-called good works, and boasting I don’t sin anymore, meaning I don’t do the ‘big’ sins, but can get away with the so-called little ones, but pride is right up there with the worse sins. It was such bondage to be in fellowship with so many who would teach as I did, you have to stop sinning to be saved, you have to produce good works to remain saved, and repentance was stopping all sin, cleansing self, and trusting in self to be good enough for Jesus to forgive me and be accepted. Yes it’s a selfish Gospel of demons in my opinion. I now pray for those caught up in it, and when I CAME TO THEM IN LOVE TO POINT THEM TO THE TRUTH, I was cast out as preaching for sin, but in reality they know not the grace of God, and throw in works, where in reality they must merit their own salvation. I now have more power over sin in my life, now that I am not under the law to condemn me, but under the power of HIS grace and Christ in me, to set me free, and teach me to live a godly life free of condemnation!” Tommy
SINLESS PERFECTIONISM: WHOSE Righteousness are You Trusting? [podcast]
Beloved, God found us, in our sins, and saved us into His eternal kingdom! (Romans 5:6-9; 1 John 4:19). We didn’t find Him. He found us! Defusing the iniquity of self-righteousness increases exponentially when we begin learning the biblical doctrine of fallen mankind (Genesis 6:5, 12; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:18; Psalms 39:4-5). All self-righteous religious hypocrites are going to hell (Matthew 21:31). May God save, forgive, and cause us, to bless us to be His authentic disciples. In Jesus’ Name, amen. Paul’s flesh was and our flesh is a constant reminder of the ever momentary need for the cross, burial, […]
The Worst Sin in the Bible!
Let us never underestimate just how merciful God really is, unwilling that “ANY should perish.” (2 Peter 3:9) In fact, all I have to do is look in the mirror to be reminded of the most evil sinner ever born and to realize afresh just how merciful the LORD has been! Read Titus 3:5-7. Have you memorized Ephesians 4:32 According to the Son of God, the definition of a hypocrite is one who stands in judgment of others while he himself has sin in his own life he hasn’t dealt with in repentance before a holy God (Matthew […]
The Riches of His Grace
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” Ephesians 1:7 It’s been said that “God bankrupted Heaven to buy us back to Himself!” “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 2 Corinthians 9:15 Jesus judged sin on the cross so we don’t have to be judged for our sin and so we can experience “the exceeding riches of his gracE” both now and forever (John 12:31-32; Ephesians 1:7; 2:7). The claims of the Father’s justification to redeem mankind could only and exclusively have been satisfied in the perfect […]
Jesus Paid it All [podcast]
“by the sacrifice of himself“ “Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:26 “ALL have sinned” against our God and so our own good works do not atone for our sins (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10, 23; Ephesians 2:8-9, etc.). ONLY Jesus could and did do that for us – make the atonement that brings us back to God. The LORD is “Holy, holy, holy” and therefore takes sin seriously (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). The coming of Jesus to die on that cross reveals how loving […]
Spiritual Formation—A Dangerous Substitute for the Life of Christ [podcast]
Sometimes we think of spiritual formation as formation by the Holy Spirit. Once again. That’s essential. . . . But now I have to say something that may be challenging for you to think about: Spiritual formation is not all by the Holy Spirit. . . . We have to recognize that spiritual formation in us is something that is also done to us by those around us, by ourselves, and by activities which we voluntarily undertake . . .There has to be method.1—Dallas Willard
Aside from the fact that Spiritual Formation incorporates mystical practices into its infrastructure (remove the contemplative aspect and you don’t have “Spiritual Formation” anymore), Spiritual Formation is a works-based substitute for biblical Christianity. Let us explain.
When one becomes born again (“that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9-10), having given his or her life and heart over to Christ as Savior, Jesus Christ says He will come in and live in that surrendered heart:
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:27)
If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11; emphasis added)
When God, through Jesus Christ, is living in us, He begins to do a transforming work in our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:18). Not only does He change us, He also communes with us. In other words, we have fellowship with Him, and He promises never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
This life of God in the believer’s heart is not something we need to conjure up through meditative practices. But if a person does not have this relationship with the Lord, he may seek out ways to feel close to God. This is where Spiritual Formation comes into play. Rather than a surrendered life to Christ (through repentance and faith), the seeking person begins practicing the spiritual disciplines (e.g., prayer, fasting, good works, etc.) with the promise that if he practices these disciplines, he will become more Christ-like.
But merely doing these acts fails to make one feel close to God—something is still missing. And thus, he begins practicing the discipline of silence (or solitude), and now in these altered states of silence, he finally feels connected to God. He now feels complete. What he does not understand is that he has substituted the indwelling of Christ in his heart for a works-based methodology that endangers his spiritual life. Dangerous because these mystical experiences he now engages in appear to be good because they make him feel close to God, but in reality he is being drawn into demonic realms no different than what happens to someone who is practicing transcendental meditation or eastern meditation. Even mystics themselves acknowledge that the contemplative realm is no different than the realm reached by occultists. To understand this more fully, please read Ray Yungen’s book A Time of Departing.
Bottom line, it is not possible to be truly Christ-like without having Christ inside of us because it is His righteousness that is able to change our hearts—we cannot do it without Him. It is His righteousness we need:
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. (Romans 3:22)
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Philippians 3:9)
It is interesting to note that virtually every contemplative teacher has a common theme—they feel dry and empty and want to go “deeper” with God or “become more intimate” with God. But if we have Christ living in us, how can we go any deeper than that? How can we become more intimate than that? And if going deeper and becoming intimate were so important, why is it that none of the disciples or Jesus Himself ever told us to do this? As Larry DeBruyn states:
Why are Christians seeking a divine presence that Jesus promised would abundantly flow in them? . . . Why do they need another voice, another visitation, or another vision? Why are some people unthankfully desirous of “something more” than what God has already given to us? Why is it that some Christians, in the depth of their souls, are not seemingly at rest?2
Is There a “Good” Spiritual Formation?
One of the most common arguments we hear defending Spiritual Formation is that there is a “good” Spiritual Formation done without contemplative prayer. To that we say, we have never yet seen a Spiritual Formation program in a school or a church that doesn’t in some way point people to the contemplative mystics. It might be indirectly, but in every case, if you follow the trail, it will lead you right into the arms of Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and other contemplative teachers.
Think about this common scenario: A Christian college decides to begin a Spiritual Formation course. The instructor has heard some negative things about Richard Foster, Henri Nouwen, and Brennan Manning, and he figures he will teach the class “good Spiritual Formation” and leave those teachers completely out. But he’s going to need a textbook. He turns to a respected institution, Dallas Theological Seminary, and finds a book written by Paul Pettit, Professor in Pastoral and Education Ministries. The book is titled Foundations of Spiritual Formation. The instructor who has found this book to use in his own class may never mention Richard Foster or Dallas Willard, but the textbook he is using does. Within the pages of Pettit’s book is Richard Foster, Philip Yancey, N.T. Wright, Dallas Willard, Thomas Aquinas, Lectio Divina, Ayn Rand, Parker Palmer, Eugene Peterson, J.P. Moreland, Klaus Issler, Bruce Demarerst, Jim Burns, Kenneth Boa and Brother Lawrence’s “practicing God’s presence.” You may not have heard of all these names, but they are all associated with the mystical contemplative prayer movement and the emerging church.
Another example of this is Donald Whitney’s book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Whitney is former Associate Professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and currently at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. While his book does not promote contemplative mysticism, he says that Richard Foster has “done much good”3 in the area of Christian spirituality (which we believe is blatantly untrue).
Our point is that even if there is a sincere attempt to teach Spiritual Formation and stay away from the mystical side, we contend that it cannot be successfully accomplished because it will always lead back to the ones who have brought it to the church in the first place.
Spiritual formation is sweeping throughout Christianity today. It’s no wonder when the majority of Christian leaders have either endorsed the movement or given it a silent pass. For instance, in Chuck Swindoll’s book So You Want to Be Like Christ: 8 Essential Disciplines to Get You There, Swindoll favorably quotes Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. Swindoll calls Celebration of Discipline a “meaningful work”4 and Willard’s book The Spirit of the Disciplines “excellent work.”5 In chapter three, ”Silence and Solitude,” Swindoll talks about “digging for secrets . . . that will deepen our intimacy with God.”6 Quoting the contemplative poster-verse Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” Swindoll says the verse is a call to the “discipline of silence.”7 As other contemplative proponents have done, he has taken this verse very much out of context.
Roger Oakland sums it up:
The Spiritual Formation movement . . . teaches people that this is how they can become more intimate with God and truly hear His voice. Even Christian leaders with longstanding reputations of teaching God’s word seem to be succumbing. . . .
We are reconciled to God only through his “death” (the atonement for sin), and we are presented “holy and unblameable and unreproveable” when we belong to Him through rebirth. It has nothing to do with works, rituals, or mystical experiences. It is Christ’s life in the converted believer that transforms him.8
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10
What Christians need is not a method or program or ritual or practice that will supposedly connect them to God. What we need is to be “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30) and Christ in us. And He has promised His Spirit “will guide [us] into all truth” (John 16:13).
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” 1 Corinthians 1:30
In Colossians 1:9, the apostle Paul tells the saints that he was praying for them that they “might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” He was praying that they would have discernment (“spiritual understanding”). He said that God, the Father, has made us “partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (vs 12) and had “delivered us from the power of darkness [i.e., power of deception]” (vs. 13). But what was the key to having this wisdom and spiritual understanding and being delivered from the power of darkness? Paul tells us in that same chapter. He calls it “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (vs. 26). What is that mystery? Verse 27 says: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (emphasis added).
For those wanting to get involved with the Spiritual Formation movement (i.e., contemplative, spiritual direction), consider the “direction” you will actually be going.
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. (Colossians 1:21-23)
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2: 8-10)
This article is an extract from the Lighthouse Trails booklet, Is Your Church Doing Spiritual Formation? (Important Reasons Why They Shouldn’t). To order this booklet, click here.
Endnotes:
1. Dallas Willard, “Spiritual Formation: What it is, and How it is Done” (https://dwillard.org/resources/articles/spiritual-formation-what-it-is-and-how-it-is-done).
2. Larry DeBruyn, “God’s Present of His Presence” (https://www.guardinghisflock.org/gods-present-of-his-presence/ ).
3. Donald Whitney, “Doctrine and Devotion: A Reunion Devoutly to be Desired” (http://web.archive.org/web/20080828052145/http://biblicalspirituality.org/devotion.html).
4. Chuck Swindoll, So You Want to Be Like Christ: 8 Essential Disciplines to Get You There (Nashville, TN:W Publishing Group, a div. of Thomas Nelson, 2005), p. 15.
5. Ibid., p. 13.
6. Ibid., p. 55.
7. Ibid.
8. Roger Oakland, Faith Undone (Eureka, MT: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, 2007), pp. 91-92.
This has been an extract from our booklet Is Your Church Doing Spiritual Formation? (Important Reasons Why It Shouldn’t). To order this booklet, click here.
The Dangers of Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines
The Dangers of Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines A Critique of Dallas Willard and The Spirit of the Disciplines by Bob DeWaayPractices called “spiritual disciplines” that are deemed necessary for “spiritual formation” have entered evangelicalism. Recent encounters with this teaching narrated to me by friends caused me to investigate these practices. The first experience involved my friend and co-worker Ryan Habbena who went back to seminary to finish his masters degree. Here is his experience in his own words: I recently took a seminary course on the book of Luke. It was a summer intensive and was one of only […]
SHOCKING List of Spiritual Formation Ministries
More Catholic Witchcraft Infiltrating the Apostate Seminaries, Ministries, and Churches “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:1-2 WHAT is spiritual formation / contemplative prayer or centering prayer? Spiritual formation/contemplative prayer/spirituality is just another self-centered, Christ-denying, self-righteous, works-based, occultic, pagan lie from hell! Seminaries teach it and now many churches today are practicing new age witchcraft called contemplative prayer, or centering Prayer which is part of spiritual formation. […]
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Ephesians 1:4
Holiness comes by the Savior in self denial (death and burial – the cross), not by self will or effort. Surrender is the cross – “NOT my will but thine be done” (Lk. 22:42) and “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). We surrender to Christ by saying “Not my will but thine be done” dear Lord, by Your grace and the deliberate act of my own will I submit to the cross, the crucified life – where You alone reign supreme in this vessel (Luke 22:42; Galatians 2:20, etc.). I love You LORD Jesus! You must increase but I must decrease! (John 3:30)
Holiness, not happiness, is the divine command, the chief purpose and end of Christ’s salvation.
Of holiness, one disciple writes:
“Holiness speaks more to nature than it does conduct. Good conduct is the spontaneous byproduct of the new nature of the new creation man thru the cross and death to the old nature. We are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-18). To preach holiness as conduct without the new nature thru the cross understanding is legalism. Holiness is actually derived from ‘wholeness’ meaning the thorough transformation of the whole tripartite man (1 Thess 5:23). So many of these ‘holiness’ preachers are preaching nothing but conduct under law. Law arouses sinful passions and causes sin to increase and was given in order to provoke transgressions (Rom 7:5; 5:20; Gal 3:21). They are enemies of the cross!”
Holiness comes by way of the cross, not by way of the flesh. Just as sin was conquered by the cross of Christ, so sin in the life of the saint is conquered by the daily cross – the crucified life (Luke 9:23-24; Romans 6; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.). It’s time to stop trying harder and to simply die deeper.
NOTICE: When a believer or group of believers backslides, they no longer separate from the transgressors who are unrepentant:
Fornication Defiles
“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have (Gr. possessed and wouldn’t repent) his father’s wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:1-2
The Glorious Church Jesus is Returning for [video]
WHAT church/people is Jesus returning for? “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27 “a glorious church” “not having spot (no sin)“ No “wrinkle” “or any such thing” “but that it should be holy and without blemish” WHAT’s the use of talking about end times […]
Can a True Believer Overcome All Sin? [podcast]
Yes. In the church world, there’s an abundance of talk about sin and it comes with the notion, the inflection, the false assumption that somehow, born again believers are relegated to sinning, as if there’s no other choice. Is that true? Is this the biblical perspective? What I want us to do is make sure we are looking at the whole of Scripture and be blessed to gain a godly confidence that our Savior provided a perfect salvation that includes more than just the initial washing away of our sins. This “great grace” that He provided in His “so […]
The Truth about Holiness [podcast]
“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” Exodus 15:11 As we just read, divine “holiness” is “glorious.” Holiness is not what most of us think it is. Holiness in the divine economy is something of great “beauty” and utterly refreshing (Psalms 96:9). It seems that holiness is not merely a divine attribute but rather the divine nature of the Almighty. Are we ready to allow our LORD, who alone is “Holy, holy, holy,” to define what holiness truly is and how He brings it […]
WHEN Jesus declared “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (John 15:16), …. was Jesus speaking here of men who “earned” and paid big money for a degree, a piece of paper from a “higher learning” institution of mere men? No. Read John 15:1-16 and you will see that Jesus alone can choose, call, prepare, and ordain a man to be fruitful in His work. The LORD’s work is to choose, to call, prepare, ordain, purge, and to send for the divine purpose of “fruit …. more fruit… and much fruit” to be born in the lives of those men He is using.
Biblical Case against Seminary: Save Your Money and time – Go to the Savior, Not Seminary!
It should be noted that in God’s Word, where the specific qualifications for elders are given, not one of those descriptions includes having a degree from a higher learning institution. See 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
Seminaries originated with the catholic church—which is where the protestants got it. Sad but true. The curse of seminaries continues today. Beware saints. Seminaries are wolf factories. Think about it, the business model, it’s the denominations who have the seminaries. This is to train their prey to uniformly spread heresies and to build church businesses to collect money whereby those denominations are paid fees and a percentage of every dollar collected. Dallas Theological Seminaries forces enrollees from the beginning to sign a contract that avows them to not teach the biblical doctrine of enduring to the end. The eternal security heresy they peddle ensures much busine$$ success.
“Seminaries originated in the 16th century, primarily as a Roman Catholic response to the Reformation to better train priests, with the first established by St. Charles Borromeo in 1563. The term derives from the Latin seminarium (“seed plot” or “plant nursery”), symbolizing the cultivation of spiritual growth and faith.”
Any man who submits his life to a seminary has openly declared that he wants mere sinful men to train him to do God’s work instead of submitting his life to the LORD Himself—as did all the patriarchs, prophets and apostles—not one of them who was seminary trained (as we know such today). Yes the apostle Paul was formally trained BEFORE he was saved and then denounced all of it—all of his formal training after being saved and in preparation to serve the LORD. Read Philippians 3.
Let me get this straight…. You saved me LORD BUT I’m going to trust sinful men to train me at the seminary (Jeremiah 17:5).
God doesn’t send anyone to seminary. He never once sent any of the patriarchs, prophets, or apostles to seminary. “I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).
Many are led to believe the following lie: “I need to go to seminary if I want to be a preacher, pastor, or in the ministry.” Yes if you want to be just another false prophet, go to seminary. They are wolf factories.
The moment the LORD saves us, we are in His school of the Holy Spirit and Word.
Satan’s centralization of learning, indoctrination: when the source is poisoned, all that flows from that cursed source is poisoned—from the seminaries to the local churches.
YOU HAVE GOD’S WORD, A BIBLE, READ IT FOR YOURSELF.
The question of whether or not we should trust professional clergymen, seminarians and their supposed superior knowledge and understanding.
In Matthew 11:25 , God says that He reveals His truth, truths to even the babes in Christ.
Notice how that “from a child” Timothy knew the “holy scriptures” and the wisdom they give us. Timothy studied and knew and could understand God’s Word as a little “child.” No degreed seminarian needed.
“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:15-17
“Seminaries and Bible colleges absolutely do make men boastful and proud over a fake degree. Jesus calls His people to be servants and nothing more. I also think of Paul when he separated the true disciples from the synagogue because the Jews were in contradiction of the gospel. So he separated them and taught them in the Apostles doctrine (Acts 2:42). He trained them in the whole of the scriptures. And this resulted in the widespread dispersing of the gospel (Acts 19:9-10).” Karen Cochran
Upon saving you, Jesus put His Holy Spirit in you and inducted you into His school of the Holy Ghost and Word (Psalms 119:105). No one needs “Bible college” or “seminary” to read and obey God’s Word (King James Bible). Jesus told no man to “go to Bible college/seminary.” Seminarian and Bible college graduates pridefully boast of their degrees and positions, lording it over others….as if they are superior. Isn’t this where the clergy/laity rankings were furthered? Does this not go diametrically against the teaching of our LORD? Yes it does. See Matthew 20:24-28 and 23:8-12.
Think about it: Seminary trains men to lord it over others, while the preparation for ministry the LORD enacts teaches His elders to go forth as He did —to serve and not to be served (Matthew 20:24-28 and 23:8-12). The whole premise of seminaries is based on a lie—the lie of usurping authority that God never ordained you to have. This further underscores that the author of seminaries is Satan himself. See Isaiah 14:12-15.
“Excellent teaching. Thank you. I think of 2 Timothy 2:21 which tells us how we are made vessels fit for the Master’s use. In that passage nor any other, we don’t see the word seminary. Vessels of honor are purged in the fire of affliction. And sanctified internally by the blood of Christ to bring forth fruit for His glory. This is how we are prepared by the Spirit of God to be used by the Master! No seminary school can do that. It is entirely the work of the Spirit through our ‘obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter: 1:2).” Karen Cochran
Seminaries, seminarians are Satan’s way of controlling the people via their clergy. No group is more famous for this than the Roman religion.
“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” 2 Peter 2:19
Of the seminarian devils who litter the landscape of the American pulpits, Karen Cochran writes:
“And these apostate churches will only hire these wolves in sheep’s clothing Jesus warned us to beware of (Matthew 7:15). Therefore they don’t get men like the Apostles who gave their whole lives to preaching, warning, and teaching Jesus Christ! See Colossians 1:28. Then they died for the sake of Christ. The seminarian wolves of our day only preach about self, the self-life! They could care less about giving all for the sake of Christ!”
Only the cross, the crucified life, can keep us from sin (Romans 6:7; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 10:12). No amount of knowledge, even the truth, can keep us from sin. The truth of the cross Jesus commanded must be applied, obeyed—or you will not walk nor be with Him (Luke 9:23-24; John 8:31-32). The crucified life is something one will rarely if ever hear in seminaries or out of the mouth of seminarians.
Saints, we must follow Jesus. That’s why we have a Bible that He provided (Luke 4:4). We must cease with our idolatrous fascination with certain schools and men who seem to have a deep understanding of things. The idolatry of mere men will not keep us from living in sin.
Are you personally crucified with Christ?
If not, you ARE living in sin.
“He that is dead(crucified with Christ)is freed from sin.” Romans 6:7
Read Romans 6 each morning and obey God. | The Cross Life
One can have the whole Bible memorized and understand it all, and still die and go to hell. You must walk with Christ—live a crucified life of prayer—or you will perish irrevocably in the flames of eternal damnation. Judas walked with Jesus, he saw the miracles and heard His teachings first hand and died and busted hell wide open. The Truth about Judas
Professionalism is poison. There were no professional pastors in the early church. The seminary system is the factory that creates such business men, frauds (2 Peter 2:1-3).
The modern church world is driven by Satan’s seminarians: WHAT has it produced?
Are you a living, breathing epistle, a disciple of Jesus, or just another modern pharisee, a seminarian-deceived fraud who hides in a building while collecting a salary and misleading people to hell?
NO such thing as an “official” seminarian credentialed pastor or preacher in the early church! Beware. Satan’s seminary system exposed.
Notice how the unchanging LORD worked in Paul after He saved him:
“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia (the desert), and returned again unto Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.” Galatians 1:15-18
Jesus is the Savior and Sanctifier—the only One who can prepare and ordain a man to ministry (John 15:16). Only three years later did Paul consult with men—AFTER God had spoken directly to him. The apostles were saved and taught of God, not mere sinful men.
“Despite God’s word commanding men not to boast in their wisdom, and despite being told that ‘not many wise according to the flesh’ are called, today’s evangelical landscape is replete with scribes and pharisees whose default question is, ‘By what authority do you do these things?’ They put their stock in how many credit hours they have obtained at such and such a seminary. Seminary credentials never qualified a man for God’s service, nor does a lack of “formal training” nullify what God approves. Indeed, God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). When God calls anyone to a particular task, it matters not if others approve.” Servus Christi
YOU going trust a sinful seminarian or the only Savior? Hell awaits.
Many today, upon sensing a calling, go to men to be prepared, to seminary. Consequently, they are deceived and then go forth to deceive others (2 Timothy 3:7).
The early church – Acts: On fire, full of the Holy Spirit had no trained seminarians.
Today’s apostate, lukewarm church world: Run into the ground by vatican corrupted, hireling seminarians.
The fruit of the modern churches are Clear proof that Satan is at the root of the seminarians who’ve driven them into apostasy!
“Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.” Jeremiah 48:10
Joel Nelson writes:
“It’s time to get rid of the corrupted clutter of the money-changing seminarian clergy wolves and get back to true, undiluted, uncorrupted, pure worship and fellowship (Acts 2:42-47). Ask yourself: WHAT has the seminary-driven church building based system ever produced to glorify Christ? Do those who attend look like the on-fire-for-Jesus, Holy Ghost filled believers you read about in the books of Acts? Hardly.”
Protestant evangelical seminarians are a fraternal order of vatican-trained soul thieves. They control what is and what is not said to the people. They purposely withhold the truth.
Most modern pastors are in darkness and that’s witnessed by the simple fact that they use and promote Satan’s false “bibles.”
Seminarian “pastors” do not follow Christ but rather they follow what men and devils taught them in seminary.
God is Calling all Seminarian and Bible College Students, Graduates to Repent
Attention seminarian or Bible College student, graduate: Not only does seminary not prepare you to be used of God, it gives you many things to unlearn and costs you much more than just a lot of wasted money. The ONE who saved you (if you are in fact saved) is the only ONE who can sanctify and prepare you to serve HIM. Seminary is at its root, apostasy, a departing from God to mere sinful men. If you claim to be born again and yet run to men to prepare you, there should be great concern (Galatians 1:16-17). PLAIN PROOF: Today’s apostate modern so-called “churches” become as they are – ichabod – by way of the jesuit-trained seminarian hirelings who drove them headlong into that apostasy. Seminiarian Apostasy Busted and Exposed!
Seminarian led churches are designed to create counterfeits. This was Satan’s objective and it’s worked! Run for your life!
Going to seminary is a deliberate work of the flesh—to trust mere sinful men instead of the One you claim saved you. Going to seminary means you are saying “LORD, you saved me but I need mere man to prepare me to serve You because LORD You are not able to do such!” Repentance needed!
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:5-10
“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Isaiah 2:22
“DON’T you dare share the truth about the cross! If you do, God’s people will wreak havoc on my kingdom! I’ve put my preachers in place for decades now so that this explosive message could be hidden! Now don’t you dare spoil my plan!” ~SATAN
SIMPLE QUESTION: Did Jesus ever once call anyone to a “higher learning institution”? No. So, to go the way of the flesh is to depart from God’s way and thereby give oneself over to the deception of Satan himself. Jeremiah 17:4-7 … anyone with an ounce of discernment can see that the visible modern church is apostate and it can only be due to the seminarian icebergs in those pulpits that there is lukewarmness at best in the pew. Such was never the divine intention for the truth church Jesus died to save and sanctify.
JESUS never once taught His disciples how to PREACH yet He did teach them to PRAY. Today, seminaries teach their students to PREACH but not to PRAY. Should we wonder why modern building-based churches are apostate?
Paul denounced his higher learning in order to know and serve Christ truly …. and his education makes today’s lame seminary training look like a kindergarten picnic…. Philippians 3.
“Jesus sent Paul into the seminary in the desert.” Stan Podlacha
ANY local church that requires a seminary degree to be a pastor there, is apostate. Ichabod! LOOK for yourself at the fruit of modern building-based “Christianity” commandeered by seminarians…. apostate, heretical, lukewarm, hell bound! … the fruit of seminaries! You can’t pay money to be prepared by God—you must “pay” by truly repenting, laying down your life, and following Christ in a daily cross walk! you have a Bible! Study it! Memorize Scripture! Obey God!
Genuinely born again truth-seeking disciples will repent today and denounce the sham of “higher learning”—trading it in for a real walk with Christ, full of His Word and Holy Ghost. That’s His only way of using men (John 15).
Professional clergy is a diabolical scheme. seminarians were Satan’s plan from the beginning to replace, to destroy God-ordained organic Bible study by Christians (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16, etc.). The LORD is calling us to repent and return to Acts 2:42 and Colossians 3:16 New Testament living!
SEMINARY is a shortcut and a time waster. Jesus sends men to the cross and to Pentecost—otherwise they are not prepared or sent by Christ, the only Ordainer (John 15:16). They are self-sent.
ANY local church assembly or organization that requires a certificate or degree is carnal, worldly minded and absolutely apostate. The Word says to “know them which labour among you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12), and when you know a man, you know if he is capable to teach God’s pure Word!
NEVER allow some corruptED seminary dupe override the WORD itself and common sense God gave you!
Satan’s Seminaries are a Sham! YOU show me a church “pastored” by one of Satan’s seminarians and I will show you a cold, dead, apostate sham!
History reveals that seminaries and seminarians are a curse. Those churches which require a seminary degree from their pastors are Ichabod, backslidden, lukewarm, and kindling for the fires of hell. Example: It is a historical fact that the methodist church, which was previously on fire via John Wesley only backslid when it began requiring a seminary degree for their pastors. The seminary agenda is not God’s. The enemy has hi-jacked those institutions long ago. Among other errant things, seminarians learn:
“Den of thieves” Marketing—making merchandise of the people (Matthew 21:15-17; 2 Peter 2:1-3)
False doctrines such as “eternal security” and Calvinism (Jude 3-4, etc.).
Traditions of mere sinful men (Matthew 7:13; Colossians 2:8)
Entertainment: How to be “relevant”—Seminarian pastors have traded in the cross to be cool and by doing so are sending themselves and those they mislead to eternal damnation.
Ecumenism which is the amalgamating of true Christians with the antichrist cult of Rome/Catholic church.
Seminaries today manufacture and train cross-less counterfeits to “make merchandise of” that which calls itself the house of God. They are taught and sent out to make their franchise churches into a a “den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:12-17; 2 Peter 2:1-3)
Your education, gifting, seminary degree, title, and church building mean nothing in Christ’s kingdom until laid down and in true repentance you admit your own utter poverty and great, desperate need for the presence mercy, grace, and anointing of God. Repent and denounce it all as Paul did. Read Philippians 3 and obey the LORD by following the apostle Paul’s example. To prepare men, the un-changing Savior sent men to the cross and to Pentecost (baptism with the Holy Spirit). To obtain a seminary degree, a man must sell Christ out for the trinkets of this fleeting world and in doing so, such a counterfeit fraud has sold his eternal soul to the devil and will be used of Satan to mislead and damn the souls of many. Men only get degrees to get a church job and make money. Authentic disciples of Christ allow the Savior who found and saved them to sanctify, teach, and equip them by His Word and Holy Spirit (Acts 4:13, etc.). There is no such thing or example in the New Testament Scriptures of a man of God going to a higher learning institution to learn to serve God. Jesus never sent anyone to a seminary – but rather to the cross and Pentecost (baptism with the Holy Ghost). Seminary is clearly seen in Jeremiah 17:5-7. Grace and Truth Bible School Online
Salvador Cruz writes: “I don’t call anyone my pastor except Jesus Christ….. He’s my one and only Pastor, humans are my brothers and sisters.”
What Salvador Cruz states is Bible: That is exactly what Jesus taught beloved!
“But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:8-12
One disciples writes:
“I have found over the past number of years, as I have ‘answered a call’ from a church to be a pastor or teacher or whatever, I have mostly found that they are looking for the ‘whatever.’ Most of the churches that require a man-given degree are not looking for shepherds to feed the flock of God, but administrators to run the church after their likeness and their own carnal image. Their image by the way is usually the thing they care about most—numbers, programs, and ‘Do we look good?’ etc. No cross. Apostate. Ichabod. I have stayed at none of these churches because, other than running through the list in Timothy or Titus, most churches require no spiritual qualifications such as: Are you born again by the Spirit of God? Have you been baptized in obedience to God’s Word.? Have you made full proof of your ministry? Are you an ambassador for Christ? Do you see the need to equip the saints for ministry? If a church is not satisfied with the words of Jesus, Paul, John the Baptist, Amos, David, Isaiah and Nehemiah, they won’t want the likes of me.”
Read closely the words of Jesus recorded in John 15:16. HE ALONE can ordain you and so we do despite to the Son of God when we seek sinful man’s sham of an “ordination.”
A follower of Jesus writes:
“If God has called you to The Ministry, then God will provide the open door for that ministry. Ministry as it was first given to the Levites in the Old Testament was First a ministry UNTO THE LORD. Our modern age has forgotten that. Not all ministry toward man is pulpit in a church style. All believers have been called to ministry but most are not willing to obey that calling, instead desiring more, they seek the positional style of ministry.”
In the stated qualifications for an elder in the body of Christ, there is no mention of obtaining a degree from the world that claims to be of Christ via a “Christian” seminary (1 Timothy 3). I didn’t even hint that knowing the Word of God isn’t important YET WHO EVER SAID YOU NEED SEMINARY FOR SUCH? Only a lazy fraud feels the need to pay a seminary tens of thousands of dollars to be indoctrinated by devils. BIBLICAL CASE AGAINST SEMINARY: SAVE YOUR MONEY AND TIME—GO TO THE SAVIOR, NOT SEMINARY! Jesus learned the Word without the human and demonic pollution of seminary (John 7:14-16).
SO, you claim JESUS saved you but then denied the Son of God the place of sanctifying you? So, you signed up to pay big money to get mere sinful men in a seminary to teach, prepare, and equip you? Time to repent and return to Christ before it’s too late.
Seminarian sissies use sissy Bibles. The last thing they use is the real Bible —The King James Bible. Counterfeits use catholic corrupted and controlled counterfeit “bibles.”
Scott Boyd writes:
“It was the history surrounding the evil antichrist Catholic Church and how the majority of all the other churches follow many of their antichrist teachings (those of paganism and sun worship customs) instead of following what is clearly taught in the Bible, that sent me down the road of searching for truth. While doing so I completed hundreds of different Bible studies from every denomination I could find and with that said, I found that nearly all of them taught only bits and pieces of watered down Scripture and doctrine, and instead, there were many of the antichrist examples of the Catholic Church in their teachings. Very few actually taught the truth about Scripture. Unless someone does deep research, they will never know the truth because the teachers of false doctrine and deception mix the lies with truth, so it sounds pretty good at first, but they leave out the main substance of the Truth of God’s Word. I have seen this over and over through many studies. It Definitely takes a thorough study of the Bible in order to be able to detect all the false doctrine and deception that is involved in nearly all of the churches.”
Nancy Cote writes:
“Spoken like a true Shepherd being taught to love God’s Word and fear God and NOT man! God, my prayer is that you would bring TRUE repentance and salvation to these cemetery motivational speakers. God is shaking and exposing what is not of His Spirit. WOF, NAR, Seeker Sensitive/Emergent, Southern Baptist etc. I pray that we can get just one true repented heart out of each bunch to call out sin in the camp for what it is.”
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“Some seminaries who indoctrinate with their presupotionalist theology are really bad, but some folks just go to learn about everything that has been taught. Education rather then indoctrination. You don’t need seminary to be anointed but if your gonna teach dogmatic about what Scripture means you should learn a bit about how to get context and such.”
REPLY:
Hi Kevin. God bless you. Inevitably there is definitely going to be indoctrination. There’s actually no reason to waste so much time and money on going to seminary when all the books (NT/OT surveys, etc) can be bought anywhere Christian books are sold. Commentaries are readily available. Simply diligently studying the King James Bible daily is all one needs along with studying with brothers and sister in small groups. This is the stated, divined-revealed design for Christ’s New Testament church and so everything else is counterfeit (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16).
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“It is important to have a degree in theology from a university or Bible college which is recognized that shows you are a man of study… so many fall away and don’t finish their studies including pastors and their wives… It’s the same as saying we hire apprentices only on a construction site until the building crashes.”
REPLY:
No, that is not according to the New Testament but rather mere human reasoning. Among believers we are to “know them which labour among you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12). We have no hint much less instruction to go to a higher learning institute of men. In fact God hates centralizing learning which is what we saw at the tower of Babel in Genesis, right? God scattered. Satan loves centralization because then he can control what is taught such as we see in the demonic public school system. Also, you assume a man can’t study Scripture individually and with the body of Christ in his immediate location. THAT’S exactly what New Testament believers are instructed to do and that the earliest believers did (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:17).
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“Seminaries exist because of what Jesus Christ and his disciples did! They are for the training of leadership for the church!”
RESPONSE:
Seminaries today are not teaching the original Gospel and are in fact bringing in occult teachings such as contemplative prayer which is part of spiritual formation…. which is transcendental meditation … lighthousetrailsresearch.com … We have a Bible and the Holy Ghost….. no need for the training of mere sinful men to do God’s Word.
Satanic Seminarian System What could possibly sound more innocent than a man wanting to serve God going to seminary, right? BEWARE OF THE SEMINARIANS WHO ARE THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES OF OUR DAY! Satan loves to use that which sounds noble and spiritual and yet is not biblical. There are no seminaries in the New Testament! And it’s not biblical for a good reason. God’s Divine wisdom. To protect His body. Let’s stay with the Word saints! SOME of the most pitiful deceivers I’ve ever conversed with have had a so-called “higher education.” In reality, there’s no such thing as […]
Beware of the Vatican Trained Seminarians!
Repenting of the Rebellion of Seminary! HERE’S WHY you don’t hear modern “pastors” (wolves) expose the works-based false religion of catholicism. Don’t expect that seminarian fraud to preach repentance because he’s vatican/jesuit-trained and uses a vatican “bible” that has removed tens of thousands of words from God’s Word – including the essential divine command to REPENT! RUNNNNN!!!!! Some argue that the local churches today are to be patronized and attended. Is that true? What does religious Babylon that God calls us to come out of represent? (Revelation 17-18) What many don’t understand is that Rome, the jesuits specifically, infiltrated the protestant […]
