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Pastor Rick Joyner is one of Messianic Judaism's greatest enemies. You can find his comments all over the 'net. In 2003 The Refiner's Fire challenged one of his articles article called "Doctrines of Demons" (which has since been removed) that referred directly to Messianic Judaism. Below is our challenge to that particular article. Dear Mr. Joyner: It has come to my attention that you are calling Messianic believers' love of Torah "the doctrine of demons". As a Spirit-filled Messianic believer, I feel compelled to respond to this vicious allegation: To begin with, it is obvious to me that you do not fully understand what a Messianic believer is or what he believes. It is amazing how very similar your allegations sound to those of the Orthodox Jewish anti-missionary websites! Like you, they also stretch the truth and accuse us of using underhanded, subversive tactics to lead their flocks astray. No one who has a personal relationship with his Saviour and knows God's Word intimately can be led astray! What is wrong with teaching someone the Truth? What is wrong with worshipping God the way He WANTS to be worshipped, rather than the way the "church" has decided He's GOING to be worshipped? The church is "milk", Mr. Joyner; they have put God in a box. Even those churches that have good grounding are "missing the mark" because they have chosen to ignore God's original teaching and instruction (Torah) because they have misinterpreted Matthew 5:17-18 where Jesus clearly said that He came not to do away with the Law (Torah), but to fulfill it: Matthew 5:17-18: "Do not think that I came to abolish the [Matt 7:12] Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. What is so hard to understand about those words? Have heaven and earth passed away yet? Has all been accomplished? From the things you've said, it is clear that you are looking at Jesus and the Bible through "church" eyes which totally ignores the Old Covenant (fully 2/3 of God's Holy Word) -- even though God said His Covenant would last forever (and forever doesn't end next Tuesday!). Why would God contradict Himself? Why is it that the church still adheres to the Ten Commandments if God's original teaching and instruction no longer apply? Isaiah 59:21 - "As for Me, this is My [Jer 31:31-34; Rom 11:27] covenant with them," says the LORD: "My [Is 11:2; 32:15; 44:3] Spirit which is upon you, and My [Is 55:11] words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the LORD, "from now and forever." 1 Chronicles 16:15 - Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, Psalm 111:9 - He has sent [Luke 1:68] redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; [Ps 99:3; Luke 1:49] Holy and awesome is His name. As you can see, the "Old Testament" was NOT abolished. God NEVER said to abolish it. Yes, He said He would give us a "new Covenant", but I challenge you to show me in the Bible where God said to abolish His original Word. A "new Covenant" doesn't automatically make obsolete the old teaching, especially when the bearer of the new makes the statement that He came to fulfill, not "do away with".... A better explanation of the above might be that while the COVENANT changed, the TORAH (teaching) did not. Torah has not changed. "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89)." God's provisions have not changed. The penalty for disobedience has not changed; nor have God's promises.
So, what HAS changed?
Taken together, the new covenant still requires a sacrifice, a high priest to mediate on our behalf, an altar, and a sanctuary. The roles, however, are now filled by Yeshua, as He is all these things. (For further information on this subject, please see "Israel: Don't Say "I Didn't Know!") Since you don't like our "Messianism" ("judaizing"), may I remind you that Jesus was a tallit-wearing, feast-keeping, synagogue-attending, kosher Jew (and His REAL, Hebrew Name was Yeshua, which means "God Will Save" or "God is Salvation", whereas the word "Jesus" doesn't connote anything at all -- so, please stop making fun of it). He came to offer Himself as the Final Sacrifice, thus doing away with the need for animal sacrifices, and consequently taking the sin of the world upon His own shoulders. He also did away with the rabbinical, man-made "stuff". He did NOT, however, do away with such things as God's original feasts or anything else that GOD said to do forever. Your article, while dotted with occasional flecks of truth, is saturated with mostly outright lies about our belief system. Much of what you allege about Messianic Judaism is blown out of proportion to the point where it doesn't even resemble Messianic Judaism. (For instance, you said: "They also reject all other names for the Father but Yahweh...." which is untrue of TRUE Messianic congregations. You also take potshots at the fact that we try to follow God's dietary laws and mention that Paul "addressed this issue of dietary legalism with clear and specific teaching..." Well, who was Paul talking to? The JEWS -- people who would never consider touching "unclean foods" because they weren't about to ignore God's Torah -- a Torah God said would last FOREVER and which Yeshua said He did NOT abolish. Paul, like Jesus, was trying to teach these people to rid themselves of man-made traditions, philosophies, and works; not to turn their backs on Torah!) Your many invalid and untrue allegations clearly stem from your "churchy" and carnal mindset which has grossly misinterpreted the Word of God, which I will outline a little later in this message.... Messianic Judaism is closer to the Truth than any other "religion", as we are - to the best of our abilities - trying to sort the Truth from God's Holy Word. We view the entire Bible through a "Hebrew mindset". We believe that Yeshua the Son of God, was God Incarnate; that He was foreshadowed throughout the Tanach ("Old Testament"); that He did NOT "do away with" the Law/Torah (as He clearly stated in Matthew 5:17-18); and that the Bible is ONE CONTINUOUS, God-breathed document, rather than two separate "Testaments" in which the new superseded the old. NOTHING can be added to, or subtracted from that equation! Any Messianic synagogue that makes the Torah or "rabbinical stuff" the center of worship, or in any way implies that Yeshua was Messiah but not God, is completely off God's path! While it is true that some Messianic congregations are turning their backs on the cross, your allegation about "most of them" doing this are inaccurate. Those who would deny Yeshua are obviously among those who have been deceived by the enemy. However, the "elect/elite" whom the Bible talks about will be deceived in the end times includes not only Messianic believers but also church congregations and their leaders -- especially some of those huge, "ear tickling" mega churches with whom you are affiliated, that are only in it for the bucks. The bottom line is, no mere human has all the answers. We must ALL do our best to follow God's Word and not rely on our own limited carnal mindsets. But, tearing apart God's people as you have done is not furthering the Kingdom in any way! Adhering to God's original teaching and instruction is NOT wrong, Mr. Joyner! Ignoring it IS..... Having said all the above, perhaps we should turn out attentions to YOUR teachings and instructions which CLEARLY ARE NOT Biblical: Your "New Apostolic Reformation" and The Apostolic Council of Prophet Elders (a self anointed Council, through book writing and personal contact and association) is a movement that believes can lay hands on people and appoint them as prophets. Isn't that God's job? Where in the Bible does it say we can become self-appointed prophets? Charisma Magazine's Dec. 1998 edition states that "there is even a 'National School of the Prophets Conference', where for $175 you can be trained in the art of 'propheteering', according to C. Peter Wagner, Dutch Sheets, Rick Joyner, Cindy Jacobs, Mike Bickle, Ted Haggard and others who can train us to be 'prophets'." Only God can give one the gift of prophecy, Mr. Joyner! No one has to shell out money to receive that gift as God gives us all His gifts freely and hones those gifts Himself! How arrogant of mere humans to think they can charge anyone to "learn" how to become a prophet! In one of your recent messages you told a congregation: "I don’t believe that there’s a prophet on the face of the earth, a genuine prophet who can be who he’s called to be unless he fits with the rest of the team. Unless he’s properly related with the pastors, the teachers, the evangelists, the apostolic ministries...." My question is: Does God care whether or not someone "fits with the rest of the team"? Did His Biblical prophets "fit in" anywhere? My research into you and your organization has resulted in no written Ecclesiastical Canon or authority that gives your organization such a huge oversight role for the Messianic Churches. It appears that a member's position on the Council is based on how well known they are and by "personal relationship". Obviously this is needed to bring a governing body together, but there is a serious lack of church structure behind your authority. From what I surmise from your teachings, it seems you are right in the middle of a three ring prophetic circus of "super apostles and prophets" as you have dubbed them. According to your teachings (mimicked, no doubt, from the false prophesies of your mentor Paul Cain), there will be "new revelation" of the prior doctrines on salvation and being born again, and it will be given to this new group of "super apostles and prophets". You have also prophesied that the Church will become completely united in a new Church era led by these super apostles and prophets. Mr. Joyner, have you ever read what the Bible says about the "apostate Church" in the end times? Your organization has a large group of prophetic disciples who have, in no uncertain terms, falsely prophesied. For example, a friend of mine said he saw Dutch Sheets, Chuck Pierce and Cindy Jacobs (all on this Council), and Sam Brassfield, one of their disciples, prophesy that the greatest revival in our country was happening right now (this was between January and March 2002 at several conferences in Colorado). They alleged this would start at Springs Harvest Fellowship, and move from the North, South, East and West, and flow from the mountains across the nation, and then around the world. Obviously, none of this happened yet, so what does that say about your "super apostles and prophets"? My friend wrote: I will not call these people "false prophets", but I will call much of what I’ve heard them prophesy to be in great error. This group also does a lot of laying on of hands anointing people as prophets and "slaying them in the spirit". I have seen this first hand and it is “out of control”. There are many people running around in these churches that someone has laid hands on and called them a prophet, and they are not true prophets of God. I see many operating out of pride and many seeking a public venue to express their charismatic gifts. I also have seen a lot of mimicking – where they are all prophesying the same thing. The Lord does not easily hand out such an anointing, and it is not gained through the common schools of Christianity, but is forged in the spiritual wilderness over many years through brokenness and humility. From what I can tell, much of your doctrine is arrogant, self-promoting and potentially dangerous to the Body of Yeshua! You are also a proponent of the "Third Wave doctrine" which is a modern belief that the Holy Spirit is being manifest in a spectacular way -- more than anything seen in Church history -- and that these people are the ones anointed by God to usher in, anoint and govern this spectacular manifestation. Third Wave proponents believe that the First and Second Waves of the Holy Spirit restored the gifts of tongues and healing, but the Third Wave would restore "super apostles and prophets." And of course, the Council and all of their disciples are these "super apostles and prophets", who will do greater works than the prophets of the Old Testament of the early Church -- and of even Jesus! -- because God will save His best wine for last. Your people have prophesied the "great revival" many times over -- and, of course, they are the ones bringing in the "great revival". Have any of you actually read the Bible and the words of Jesus and the Disciples which discusses that the end of days will be marked by a great apostasy as a sign, not a great world wide revival? How could the antichrist come on the scene and dupe the entire world if the world has experienced its greatest a revival that dwarfs the one of the first Century Church? Here is a quote from the Council’s Honorary prophet, Paul Cain, on the "Third Wave": "No prophet or apostle who ever lived equaled the power of these individuals in this great army of the Lord in these last days. No one ever had it; not even Elijah or Peter or Paul or anyone else enjoyed the power that is going to rest upon this great army." Really? Who died and made you guys God? Cain believes this army will take over the socio-political systems of our day. I agree that there will be a great out pouring of God’s spirit during the tribulation and the Gospel will be preached to the ends of the earth with all power and glory, and the Lord’s army will contend against the antichrist, but what Cain is espousing goes way beyond this, to the point of almost saying that they will establish a new kingdom on earth themselves. Paul Cain also prophesied that they will bring in a new era where everyone will be healed of sickness: ". . . all the sick are gonna be healed, the dead are gonna be raised, and nations are gonna turn to God in one day." They also prophesy that these "super prophets and apostles" – which Paul Cain has been dubbed a "eunuch apostle" greater than Paul, will bring in a new government in the Church, and also in state government and in business, led by "market place prophets" and "market place apostles". What in the world are market place apostles and prophets???? They claim that there will be an enormous shift in wealth from sinners to these market place prophets and apostles, and there will be this wonderful new age of prosperity. They will lead the world into this world government prior to the return to Jesus. Do the Third Wave apostles and prophets truly suppose they will hand over to Jesus a world that has been fixed by them? Sorry, Mr. Joyner, but all of this is non-Biblical nonsense.... The "The New Apostolic Reformation" is extremely dangerous, Mr. Joyner. Why? Because, as is clearly evident in your articles, you purport to speak for our Lord and claim to hold the greatest authority over the direction of the Church and the lives of God's people. Your New Age teachings, Mr. Joyner, are scary, to say the least. They are NOT Biblical, and you are deceiving people with a dark and ungodly spirit. YOU are the one who is following a doctrine of demons! So, before you try to drag Messianic Jews and Gentiles through the mud with anymore lies and fabrications, I suggest you get yourself right with God, first. I pray you will consult the Holy Spirit in these matters and allow Him to show you the error of your ways. I pray He will correct ANY of us who are not smack-dab in the middle of His Path! The Refiner's Fire (The above e-mail, which is but one small example of the myriad pastors who speak against the Hebraic faith, was sent in 2003. To date, Rick Joyner has never responded, nor has he stopped making derogatory comments against Messianic Judaism.) |