Beware of John Eldredge and Ransomed Heart Ministries
by David Cloud
John Eldredge, the co-founder of Ransomed Heart ministries and author of The Sacred Romance and Wild at Heart, is a dangerous spiritual guide. He promotes psycho-babble, spending a lot of time talking about “father wounds.” One of his mentors is psychologist Larry Crabb, and he worked with Focus on the Family for 10 years.
He teaches that Jeremiah 17:9 doesn’t apply to a believer and he can therefore follow his heart:
“Too many Christians today are living back in the old covenant. They’ve had Jeremiah 17:9 drilled into them and they walk around believing my heart is deceitfully wicked. Not anymore it’s not. Read the rest of the book. In Jeremiah 31:33, God announces the cure for all that: ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ I will give you a new heart. That’s why Paul says in Romans 2:29, ‘No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly, and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit.’ Sin is not the deepest thing about you. You have a new heart. Did you hear me? Your heart is good. … The Big Lie in the church today is that you are nothing more than ‘a sinner saved by grace.’ You are a lot more than that. You are a new creation in Christ. The New Testament calls you a saint, a holy one, a son of God. In the core of your being you are a good man. Yes, there is a war within us, but it is a civil war. The battle is not between us and God; no, there is a traitor within who wars against the true heart fighting alongside the Spirit of God in us” (Eldredge, Wild at Heart, pp. 133, 134, 144
It is true that God puts a new heart or nature into the believer, but it is not true that the old heart or nature is eradicated. Nowhere does the New Testament say that the believer’s heart is good. The Lord Jesus Christ confirmed that the heart is the source of evil (Mark 7:20-23), and Paul understood that the old nature and propensity to evil is still very much present in the Christian life (Rom. 7:18). The New Testament warns that the heart can be tempted by Satan (Acts 5:3), can be evil and unbelieving (Heb. 3:12), and can be deceived (Jam. 1:26). All of those passages refer to Christians. The only way for the believer to know the right way in life is to follow the Scriptures rather than his own deceptive-prone heart. Everything must be carefully tested because there are great spiritual dangers (Acts 17:11; 2 Cor. 11:1-4; 1 John 4:1).
Eldredge teaches that if church attendance becomes a burden, it can be dropped. “You might even need to give up going to church for a while or reading your Bible” (Eldredge, The Journey of Desire). He claims that a year that he stopped attending church was “one of the most refreshing years of my life.” This is open disobedience to the clear teaching of Scripture (i.e., Acts 2:41-42; Heb. 10:25).
The facilitator’s guide for small-group leaders who use Eldredge’s Wild at Heart videos urges them not to allow any man to dominate the group and to beware of “the doctrine cop” who is zealous about doctrinal purity. This is contrary to Acts 20:27-31; Rom. 16:17; Eph. 4:11-14; 1 Tim. 1:3; Titus 1:9, and many other Scriptures that require teachers to protect the flock from false doctrine.
Eldredge teaches men to listen for God’s leading apart from the Scripture. He claims that God speaks even through carnal, worldly things:
“God is intimately personal with us and he speaks in ways that are peculiar to our own quirky hearts–not just through the Bible, but through the whole creation. To Stasi he speaks through movies. To Craig he speaks through rock and roll. … God’s word to me comes in many ways–through sunsets and friends and films and music and wilderness and books. But he’s got an especially humorous thing going with me and books. I’ll be browsing through a secondhand book shop when out of a thousand volumes one will say, ‘Pick me up’–just like Augustine in his Confessions. Tolle legge–take up and read” (Eldredge, Wild at Heart, p. 200).
This is a recipe for deception and spiritual disaster. Eldredge’s wrongheaded advice leaves men defenseless against the wiles of the devil, “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2).
It is the Bible alone that is the believer’s authority; the Bible alone is the voice of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Peter urges the believer to take heed unto the Scriptures as unto a light in a dark place (2 Pet. 1:19). The dark place is this present world, controlled by the devil and filled with spiritual delusion and danger.
Further, the New Testament repeatedly warns against a love for this present evil world (Rom. 12:2; Titus 2:11-12; Jam. 4:4; 1 Jn. 2:15-17), but this counsel is glaringly absent from Eldredge’s teaching. He has little or no warning about such things as rock & roll, Hollywood, and this world’s literature.
Eldredge’s thesis is that man needs to find his heart and then live by its dictates, but we find absolutely nothing like this anywhere in Scripture. To prove his points he quotes wildly undependable versions such as The Message and consistently misinterprets the Scripture, taking it out of context and reading his own doctrine into it. The Lord Jesus Christ has given believing men their Commission in this present world; it is not to find their hearts but to surrender to His perfect will as it is described in the New Testament Scripture (Romans 12). Christ’s Great Commission is world evangelization (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:44-48; Acts 1:8). This is what we see in the book of Acts.
“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26).
Glamorizing, Romanticizing the Gospel
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The Lying Vanity of “Eternal Security” Busted and Exposed [podcast]
Articles
Nicolaitan Nightmare [podcast]

The Scourge of Beguilers
Controlling, Gaslighting, Manipulating Operatives of Satan Exposed
Conquering and controlling people by deceit has long been the work of deceivers and “There is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). In fact, in this last hour, the Bible tells us that “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse” and “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (2 Timothy 3:13; Revelation 12:12).
“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome (by lies), of the same is he brought in bondage.” 2 Peter 2:19
Why did Jesus say He Hates the Deeds and Doctrine of the Nicolaitans?
“But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” Revelation 2:6
“So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” Revelation 2:15
Jesus told us that He hates the “doctrine” and “deeds of the Nicolaitans” (Revelation 2:6, 15). When we simply break down this word Jesus uses here – “Nicolaitans” – we gain insight into its meaning and what our LORD says He hates. Nico means “to conquer” while laitans means “the laity” which is the people. So, “Nicolaitans” simply means, “to conquer the laity.” This is the doctrine of control that the Master addresses here. In fact, this doctrine and the deeds that accompany it, so infuriate the LORD that it is the only thing that Christ ever went on record to say that He “hates”! Selah!
Beware of this usurpish witchcraft demon that seeks to bring believers under its control through false ministers.
JESUS CHRIST IS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR! NO MERE MAN, NO SINNER DIED FOR YOUR SINS – TO PURCHASE YOU TO HIMSELF! THE DECLARATION OF EVERY ONE OF CHRIST’S TRUE UNDER-SHEPHERDS is – “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.” 2 Corinthians 1:24
The fear and nightmare of nicolaitan wolves is that they will be seen for who they really are. Their nemesis is informed and discerning believers who quickly identify them and mark and expose them as the Bible says to do (Romans 16:17-18).
“For though I should boast somewhat more of our AUTHORITY, which the Lord hath given us for EDIFICATION, and not for your DESTRUCTION, I should not be ashamed:” 2 Corinthians 10:8
“Authority” from the LORD is “given us for edification, and not for your destruction.”
The Holy Ghost would never anoint any of His servants to control or destroy but rather to edify.
YOU BELONG TO JESUS CHRIST: He made you (Colossians 1:16). Then He came for you. JESUS alone died for you – on that cross where the Son of God bore, carried away your sins with His own life blood (Isaiah 53:5; John 1:29). Then He found you when you were a lost sheep. He brought you into His family. You don’t belong to some church or pastor. You belong to the LORD Himself. He is jealous over you (Exodus 34:14; Beware of the controllers, the pastors who are operating in witchcraft and seek to assert undue control over your life.
The apostle Paul espoused the members of the body of Christ to CHRIST Himself and not to Paul!
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband (JESUS!), that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:2
Wolves are very cunning and manipulating. They deceitfully conflate you submitting to them with submitting to God Himself. Not.
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MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“Good morning brother! I’m troubled by this statement I am being told …here it is: ‘You need to submit to leadership and learn humility and not rebuke an elder or pastor or any leader, no matter what you should always go with the direction of leadership.'”
REPLY:
God gave us a Bible in order to grant us discernment… and that our faith and trust and obedience would be in HIM….and in that Bible He warns us repeatedly to beware of such false Nicolaitan (means to conquer the people) wolves (Rev. 2:6, 15). The LORD primarily leads His New Testament church through the Holy Scriptures which were given by the Holy Ghost (2 Timothy 3:15-17, etc.). “THY WORD is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalms 119:105).
The LORD applauds His disciples at Berea for not taking even Christ’s apostle Paul at his word but rather searching the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul was saying was divine truth (Acts 17:10-1; 2 Timothy 3:15-17). 1 John 4:1 says “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
Any man or men saying that you must obey THEM no matter where they lead or what they say are diabolical wolves. Read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.
There are 2 chapters in the book Deceivers and False Prophets Among Us dealing directly and in detail on this Nico-Laitan (means to conquer the people) leadership which Jesus says He hates (Revelation 2:6, 15).
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Articles
A PLACE CALLED HELL [podcast]

How does God’s Word describe hell?
A PLACE CALLED HELL ….. Below is a detailed list of the unending realities of eternal damnation!
Hell is the ultimately judgment of God upon all who refuse to repent and receive Christ and therefore die in sin.
“Let death seize upon them, and let them GO DOWN quick (alive) into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.” Psalms 55:15
Details about hell revealed in God’s Word, the Bible:
- A place of complete consciousness (all feelings)…..Lk. 16:25
- Torment with fire and brimstone…………………………Rev. 14:10
- Weeping and gnashing of teeth……………………….…..Matt. 8:12
- A place of eternal remorse (devastating regret)…..Luke 16:25
- A place of torments…………………………………………..…Luke 16:23
- No rest day or night forever (eternal misery)……….Rev. 14:11
- A furnace of fire with wailing…………………………..….Matt. 13:42
- A place of everlasting burnings…………….…………..Isaiah 33:14
- A lake (ocean) of fire……………………………………..…….Rev. 20:15
- Unquenchable fire (ferocious flames)………..…….……Mark 9:45
- Outer darkness (blinding loneliness)………………….Matt. 22:13
- No 2nd chance to escape (utter hopelessness)……Luke 16:26
- A place of sorrows (seething remorse and despair)….Ps. 18:5
- A place of everlasting destruction……………………..2 Thess. 1:9
Even though sinful man is still looking for life on mars and the moon….. there’s only 3 places, locations that men exist:
“And no man in HEAVEN, nor in EARTH, neither UNDER THE EARTH, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.” Revelation 5:3
1. “in heaven”
2. “in earth”
3. “under the earth” which is where hell is (Matthew 12:40).
Jesus used the words “eternal damnation” to reveal to us that hell if forever, unending (Mark 3:29). The fires of eternal damnation shall feed upon the eternally conscious helpless souls of all who die in sin (Mark 9:43-49).
The reason people preach hell fire and brimstone is because they’re trying to save your eternal soul from hell fire and brimstone. Love!
PREACHING the biblical doctrine of hell, which is the eternal judgment of God, puts a fire behind believers, convicting them to forsake their lives in this world, to deny self, take up the cross and to follow Jesus, to press toward the mark for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2) Are YOU preaching hell – the eternal judgment of God in the domain of the damned reserved for all who die in sin? Please hit share. | Hell
“The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.” Proverbs 15:24
Heavenly Father, please grant to Your children an eternal perspective, in Jesus’ name. Amen dear LORD.
If you don’t think hell is divinely designed to be a loving deterent (motivator) from a merciful God, go read the words of the only Savior recorded in Mark 9:43-49 in the King James Bible. Satan’s new “bibles” removed this all-important passage.
ALL who don’t slow down, take the time to seek and listen to God’s Word, to hear His voice, will have all eternity in hell to burn in conscious misery, in utter fury and remorse to sulk on how they sinned away their day of grace. Going to hell is a choice. It’s irrevocable. There are no do-overs. If you sinned your whole life away, sinned away your day of grace, you will pay for your own sins in hell forever. If you reject the only sacrifice for your many sins – the blood of the LORD and Savior Jesus Christ – the domain of the damned will be your eternal abode. If you aren’t washed in the blood of Jesus and presently serving God, abiding in Christ, you are going straight to hell if you die today. …Don’t you dare share this, unless you want people to be saved…. from eternal hell.
“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” Luke 16:23
“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:11
“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Matthew 25:46
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish (in hell), but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
You soul is eternal and will be conscious for all eternity – either in the bliss and comfort of Heaven or in hell.
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36-37
What’s more important to you than the LORD? Who? What? What organization? What affiliation? What religion, religious affiliation? What family member? What friend? Is it really worth your eternal soul? Is Your Sin Really Worth Going to Hell for?
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
Denying that hell exists changes nothing….
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“Rational and educated people realize that our sun will not last for ever and will self destruct at the end of it life. When that happens it will most likely also destroy all of the planets in our solar system. Sense Hell has always been considered to be located deep within the bowels of the Earth….yeah, right…. it too will be destroyed. So Hell really isn’t for ever. And you’re just making stuff up.”
REPLY:
Hell is forever. Jesus died for our sins. Rational and educated people know basic science reveals that a molten mass is in the middle of the earth which only confirms that God’s Word is truth. God’s Word repeatedly speaks of this reality.
How to be forgiven and saved:
“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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
ALL who seek to hide/cover their sins instead of repenting and forsaking them, will perish. (Proverbs 28:13).
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
There are no “secrets” with God because He sees all.
“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” Romans 2:16
“The secrets of men” are hidden from other men and yet nothing is hidden from God.
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Abiding
Following the Faith of Abraham [podcast]

“There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; ALL came to pass.” Joshua 21:45
The LORD Keeps His Promises to His People
God could trust Abraham:
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Genesis 18:19
Of Abraham who lived by faith, the LORD says “For I know him” and if we love God, like Abraham, we are known of the LORD also.
“But if any man love God, the same is known of him.” 1 Corinthians 8:3
Does the unchanging God ever tell His people to leave where they are and go to another place? Yes.
“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him…” Genesis 12:1-4
Abraham met the condition and God fulfilled His promise. Could the LORD have blessed Abraham had Abraham not trusted and obeyed Him?
“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
“The key is to say ‘Here I am.’ Abraham responded 3 times to God in Gen 22, when God called His name. It was an immediate response of obedience. Did he know exactly why God was calling him? No! It was the posture of his heart. Because of his faithful obedience the Lord knew Abraham was a God fearing man, who only cared about doing God’s will.” Karen Cochran
“And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Genesis 15:6
“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” James 2:23
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-9
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Hebrews 11:8
“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” Luke 17:5
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please forgive my unbelief, which is a sin. Please wash this heart afresh in Your precious blood dear LORD Jesus. Fill my heart with faith, with love, joy, and peace. Please order my every step and be glorified in this life You gave. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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JMuff
May 25, 2023 at 1:06 am
You should read on 4 phases of christian spiritual maturity. I believe you are in Phase 2 :). Everything is black and white. It gives you stability :). Ignore the difficult passages of scripture and cling to the clear cut. Nice and straightforward. 3 comes with frustration and wildrness (often dissulusionment) hang in there! Keep pressing into God.
4 comes with freedom and digging into the deep things of God/Christ and appreciating those who have still to come through those phases. And you will read your article in hindsight perhaps a bit differently. Context becomes far more important.
Maybe there will be a 5th one day… who knows 🙂 The 4th stage is ok with unknowns and some grays. God is the greatest mystery of all. We see in part, one day we shall see in full.
Blessings
Todd
May 25, 2023 at 12:56 pm
I didn’t write that article. A man named David Cloud wrote it. Also, for you to suggest that God is going to change His own Word and add a fifth level of maturity is suspect. Not good. Ps 89:34; Mark 13:31