BEWARE of The Foursquare Church!
By David J. Stewart
"For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake." — Titus 1:10,11
We are living in times of woeful apostasy, when it's becoming increasing difficult to find a decent church. The Charismatic Movement is straight out of the pits of Hell.
The Foursquare Church Embraces Heresy
October 23, 2007
ADVANCE, the official publication of The Foursquare Church, embraces heresy in the September 2007 issue.
In a section of Advance called Famous People of Faith (Interesting tidbits about famous followers of Christ), you will find a favorable reference to G.K. Chesterton..."Chesterton became a Catholic later in life and continued championing Christian values through his life and writings."
Excuse me, did they say Chesterton championed Christian values? I don’t think so! Let me share with you just a few of the false ideas the Catholic, Chesterton, held to and died with I presume...
Church tradition equal to or even above Holy Scripture (the Bible)
The possibility of theistic evolution
A faith-plus-works doctrine of justification (salvation)
The Catholic Church can forgive sins
The Real Presence of Christ in the Mass
Prayers to dead saints for the release of dead loved ones from Purgatory
Writings suggest he did not support the literal inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures
Infallibility of the Pope
Traditional Catholic doctrine of Mary
The veneration of Mary
Immaculate Conception (Mary born without original sin)
Do I really need to say anymore? Why would an evangelical Christian denomination like The Foursquare Church point anyone to such a Biblically confused person as Chesterton. I will say, it is no surprise to me. I suppose The Foursquare Church is not unlike others in the ‘Charismatic Movement’ who embrace the Catholic Church.
SOURCE: http://blog.shanetrammel.com/2007/10/23/the-foursquare-church-embraces-heresy/The Foursquare Church is very ecumenical, as are all apostate religions today. They're more of a social club than a New Testament church. Dancing has no place in the Church because it is worldly. Billy Sunday spent his entire ministry preaching against booze, gambling and dancing. Today's church embraces these evils.
One common denominator of all Pentecostal/Charismatic churches is that they all speak in Charismatic tongues, which is nowhere taught in the Bible. The gift of tongues as recorded in the Bible was ALWAYS a known and established earthly language; and not some unknown jibber-jabber that involves barking, laughing, rolling on the floor like an insane fool and shaming the name of Jesus Christ. Please don't be deceived—Satan is at work anytime you see such nonsense in the name of God.
Unbelievably, the Word of God openly condemns what the Charismatics are doing today; yet people are succored out of their money because of ignorance and a desire for worldliness in the church... "If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?" (1st Corinthians 14:23). The number one thing people say today about Pentecostals and Charismatics is that they are insane lunatics because of the way they bark, howl, oink, laugh, scream, jump around like they have ants-in-their-pants, crawl on the floor and act insane. I'm a born-again Christian and I definitely think they're a bunch of nuts!
More On The Foursquare Church
Jack Hayford is a false prophet!
Jack Hayford (born 1934) is the hyper-charismatic pastor of The Church on the Way, The First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, California. Hayford started the church in 1969 with 18 people; it is now the largest Foursquare Church (Pentecostal) in the U.S. -- about 9,000 members (of which about 80% speak in tongues as a prayer language, according to Hayford) with weekly attendance between 8,500 and 10,000. Hayford promotes the "four-square" doctrines of Pentecostalism -- that Jesus is Savior, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Coming King. He also teaches the false doctrine that healing is promised in the atonement (Charisma, June 1992). Pat Boone is an elder in Hayford's church, and Trinity Broadcasting Network's (TBN) heretical founders, Paul and Jan Crouch, are members. Hayford has authored more than two dozen books, and is also a prolific "hymn" writer, composing more than 400 popular charismatic "gospel" songs, including "Majesty" (which promotes the false charismatic "Kingdom Now" philosophy in which Christians are thought to be able to exercise kingdom authority over sickness and the devil in this present hour).
Hayford's teaching can be heard nationwide through his "Living Way" radio and television ministries. The half-hour weekday radio program was started in 1981 (originally titled, "FreeWay") and is now heard in over 40 states and in several foreign countries. In 1989, Living Way began a Sunday morning "live" broadcast of the church services from The Church On The Way. The now one-hour Sunday television program was started in 1977 and is seen in all 50 states on TBN (as well as in Canada and South Africa). Also on its 24 acre campus, the Church on the Way operates The King's College, The King's Seminary, and the Jack W. Hayford School of Pastoral Nurture.Hayford writes in A Man's Worship and Witness (p. 80) that since the inception of The Church on the Way 25 years ago, over 40,000 "decisions for Christ" have been made at his church, more than 30 churches have been planted elsewhere, and over 100 pastors and church leaders have gone out to serve in other places. Also, Hayford claims to have given over $20 million to "serve human needs and spread the Gospel" throughout the world.
- Foursquare was founded in 1923 by flamboyant, twice-divorced Pentecostal female preacher Aimee Semple McPherson. (In a 1990 sermon about McPherson's ministry, Hayford defended her on the grounds that "she certainly should not be viewed as one who 'bounced' from marriage to marriage," and that in his view, her ministry was validated by the fact that "a half-century later, the devil still hates her sufficiently to spray lying venom on her memory.") In a 3/93 Charisma magazine article, Hayford says Foursquare was "one of the first to fully embrace the charismatic movement as being a legitimate movement of the Spirit." Yet, Foursquare teaches physical healing in the atonement, "Spirit-slaying," spiritual warfare/demon-deliverance, tongues-speaking, signs & wonders evangelism, extra-revelatory prophecy, etc., etc. In the face of mounting criticism, Hayford now admits to a more flexible attitude. In his latest book, he also refrains from demanding tongues as a proof of Spirit baptism, and instead presents "spiritual language" as a "divine and desirable provision to assist every believer ..." [still error though]. (Reported in the 8/17/92, Christianity Today; the 3/15/93, Calvary Contender; and the 3/8/93, Christian News.)
- Evidence abounds of Hayford's hyper-charismatic, ecumenical, and occultic tendencies: (Reported in the 11/1/89 and 9/15/91, Calvary Contenders; and the 12/91, CIB Bulletin.)(a) Hayford spoke at the 1989 Billy Graham/Lausanne II conference (with John Wimber, David Yonggi Cho, and Dick Eastman), and has appeared at other ecumenical events such as Robert Schuller "success" conferences. [Hayford also endorsed Schuller's 1996 autobiography -- Prayer: My Soul's Adventure With God.]
(b) In 10/91, Hayford visited Sydney, Australia with John Wimber (the "signs & wonders," Church Growth, Power Evangelism, Vineyard Movement founder and leader who died in 1997) to hold a "holiness conference" (a number of Catholic priests also spoke at the conference).
(c) In the 10/91 issue of Charisma magazine, Hayford relates a vision of seeing Jesus seated in heaven and then rising from the throne. Hayford states: "As the anointing caught in the folds of His garments, it began to splash out and fall over the church." Jesus then supposedly said, "I am beginning to rise now in preparation for my second coming. Those who will rise with me will share in this double portion of anointing."
(d) Hayford praised Richard Foster for his efforts in bringing together all the streams of the church. (Foster is the head of Renovaré, an international ecumenical organization that espouses the use of guided imagery and visualization as means of obtaining "personal spiritual renewal.")Charismatic Bible Ministries (CBM) was founded in 1986 by hyper-charismatic Oral Roberts. Jack Hayford was one of the original officers and trustees of CBM. (Others included such hyper-charismatics as Richard Roberts, Kenneth Copeland, David Yonggi Cho, Charles Capps, Morris Cerullo, Paul Crouch, Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Charles and Frances Hunter, Robert Tilton, Casey Treat, John Osteen, Earl Paulk, Fred K.C. Price, Tommy Reid, Stephen Strang, and Lester Sumrall.) CBM conducts leadership conferences for its charismatic coalition, many of whom espouse dominion theology tenets. CBM's slogan is "Love and Unity through Signs and Wonders." When people look to signs and wonders to produce love and unity, they will find themselves united with everything that appears miraculous regardless of the source (Vengeance is Ours, pp. 125-127).
Paul Crouch, the founder of the blasphemous Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), is a member in good standing at the Hayford-pastored Church on the Way. Crouch publishes the monthly newsletter Praise the Lord . I think it's fair to assume that Hayford is in agreement with Crouch's theology, or else as his pastor, Hayford would correct Crouch and discipline him if necessary. The following are quotes from the 3/93 Praise the Lord newsletter: (All emphases in the original.)(a) "I love a good fight! ... who the REAL enemy is! ... the heretic hunters [e.g., Martin Bobgan] ... searching endlessly for some new flaw in doctrine, picking, picking, picking some new splinter of error from the eyes ..."
(b) "... the many documented miracles under Kathryn Kuhlman's ministry and, of course, Benny Hinn's present-day ministry. ... if there is no power -- no healings -- no miracles in a church or ministry, the only thing left to do is to develop a new theology to justify their [the "heretic hunters"] pitiful, spiritually barren lives and ministry!" [Kuhlman was one of the first of many "stage show healers," in effect, blazing the trail for the Benny Hinn's and Oral Roberts of today.]
(c) "If miracles really did cease at 90 A.D. ... the heretic hunters were right! If we are not 'little Gods,' we will apologize to you in front of ten thousand times ten thousand before the Crystal Sea!" [Hayford has taught the "little gods" heresy himself, specifically in a message first recorded in 1979 (titled "Marching Against Mammon") and rebroadcast on a on a 10/2/86 Living Way radio program.]
(d) "A host of evil spirits ... responsible for much, if not most, of the personal difficulties, spiritual pressures and aggravated forms of evil that characterize our modern social order. ... this constant and fiendish disruption of the human social order is explained only by the mass activity behind the scenes of a vast, well organized host of wicked spirits under the control of their master prince. ... When will YOU take back everything Satan has stolen from you by bluff, bluster, lying and deceit? ... Say it with me -- 'Satan, I bind YOUR EVIL WORKS in Jesus' name.' Say it with me, 'I claim my healing, in Jesus' name; I take back what is mine, in Jesus' name!'" ["Name-It-and-Claim-It"/demon-deliverance].
(e) "If and when we finally lay down these petty doctrinal and traditional differences and JOIN TOGETHER as an awesome UNITED body and force, all hell will finally retreat into the abyss, and, together, we will bring back the king! ... When will we realize that the enforcement of Christ's Victory is UP TO US? " [Dominion Now theology].
(f) "Some of you have, indeed, grasped this truth and victory -- Glory! Some of you have repossessed your rightful ownership and possessions. ... Praise the Lord, David's God is teaching our hands to war too! Soon our enemy will be destroyed! Soon our enemy will have to yield even his remaining strongholds. Together, we are: 'Destroying the works of the Devil' -- just as Jesus commanded us to do." [Charismatic spiritual warfare]Hayford is an endorser/participant in the National Evangelistic Census (NEC), a Kingwood, Texas charismatic/ecumenical ministry to "turn the nation back to God by winning our city to Jesus." NEC sponsors an annual one day "census"/global neighborhood survey where teams of two go door-to-door asking questions from a form and presenting the "gospel"; an NEC brochure predicts: "The angels in heaven will be shouting when the goal of 25 million souls are reported won to Jesus in one day!" (Among other endorsers are the Evangelical Free Church of America, Youth With a Mission, Campus Crusade for Christ, and A.D. 2000 & Beyond Movement, as well as charismatic-loonies John Osteen, John Hagee, Charles and Frances Hunter, Frederick K.C. Price, Morris Cerullo, Marilyn Hickey, Dick Eastman, and Richard Roberts.)
READ MORE: Jack Hayford - General Teachings/ActivitiesI wouldn't give you a dime for all the Charismatics in the world. They are a corrupted bunch, of the likes of Benny Hinn, Bill Hamon, Pat Roberson, Creflo Dollar, Oral Roberts, Peter Popoff and countless more.
Casting Your Pearl Before Greedy Swine
You can't name one Charismatic televangelist today who doesn't center his ministry around filthy lucre... money, money, money. Sadly, this lust of greed has carried over into most Baptist churches today as well. Nothing is more repulsive than hearing a preacher of the Gospel continually ask for more money. This is unwise and unethical. To give your money to these greedy charlatans is to cast your hard-earned dollars to a bunch of greedy pigs.
Too many pastors are so consumed with making a name for themselves that they're willing to unfairly pressured the people in their ministry to give unwisely. I know a Baptist pastor of a large congregation who pressured all the parents to give their children's college funds to the church. 1st Timothy 5:8 teaches, "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." Biblically, parents are supposed to put their children's college first; NOT the church! If you give your child's college funds to the church, the Bible says you're WORSE than a heathen unsaved person (because even godless heathens look after their kids). Proverb 13:22 states, "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just." So while your pastor and his staff are vacationing in Hawaii or the Holy Land with your child's college tuition money, your child is struggling at a minimum wage job trying to stay afloat financially and is unable to pay for today's ridiculously high tuition costs. I know it makes God angry.
I know another man whose widowed mother signed over the house to her church; but her son had no home of his own. That is just plain idiocy. Parents ought to put their children first!!! This is Biblical.
Do you think the church will provide for your children when financial hard times hit? No, and if they do help it won't be much in comparison to the $400,000 home you could have left to your children instead of the greedy church. It's like a Las Vegas gambling casino... the house always wins! You need to find out how much money a ministry spends to help the needy in comparison to the total amount of contributions. Where does every penny go? You have a right to know. Most ministries won't disclose this information; but instead will simply provide a general breakdown of where the money went (which doesn't tell you much).
According to Forbes, the Salvation Army's top dog, Todd Bassett, took home $175,050 from the "CHARITABLE" organization's donations for the fiscal year ending in 2004. I wonder how many Santa Claus buckets need to be filled to pay Mr. Bassett? I wouldn't give a dime to the Salvation Army. People are so stupid.
As you open your pockets for yet another natural disaster, keep these facts in mind: Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO of the American Red Cross... salary for year ending 06/30/03 was $651,957 plus expenses. Brian Gallagher, President of the United Way receives a $375,000 base salary, plus numerous expense benefits. The average person who donates money to such "charities" makes less than $30,000 a year. So why do people continue to give money to such "non-profit" organizations? It's because it makes them feel like a better person; but you're still the same old dirty, rotten, hell-deserving sinner that Jesus needed to bail out at Calvary. Stop flattering yourself by giving money to the rich (who are smart enough to trick you into thinking you're giving it to the poor). Human psychology is really a study course in human insanity, because mankind's history is a very sad tribute to our idiocy as human beings.
People have this insane idea that anything that give to the church is going to God. No it's not! Read the following Scripture carefully... "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again" (Proverb 19:17). The Bible talks about giving money TO THE POOR; not some wealthy ministry. All we see nowadays on TV are wealthy type, fancy-pants, greedy televangelists, milking innocent naive victims out of their money. Don't you expect a reward from God if you give money to those buzzards! You get what you deserve... NOTHING! Remember, a fool and his money are soon parted! Don't be a fool. Give your money directly to the poor, or to a local organization where you can see firsthand exactly where your money is going.
A lot of souls are going to weep bitter tears of sorrow when they stand before God on Judgment Day, realizing that they donated tens-of-thousands of dollars to support some greedy false prophet who squandered the money. Other will weep that their children suffered needless financial hardships, because their gullible parents gave their college money to a church instead.
The Foursquare Church is of the Devil. As the church is becoming more worldly, so is the world becoming more churchy. Jesus' would have been as upset today over worldly entertainment in our churches as He was 2000 years ago over ministers who turned God's house into a den of thieves, which is certainly the situation today all across the world.
Ye Must Be Born Again! | You Need HIS Righteousness!