In his book ‘You The Leader’, Phil Pringle instructs readers how they can make members defend leaders like himself:
“When we’re in the trenches getting fired at, I don’t want soldiers at my side wondering why their leader is being fired upon. People like this can eventually turn their guns on their leader. They imagine the Enemy must have good reason for shooting at their leader, and so they begin firing also.
Once we’ve been in the trenches a few times, we realize who can be trusted under fire. Even if the leader does make a mistake, that is still no reason for those around him or her to attack. I want to know that my team will be loyal to me when the attacks are unjustified, and when they are justified.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 265-266.
If you do not consider this to be a form of mind control, then consider this article:
Not long ago, we learnt that Pringle again spoke at City Harvest Church. It comes to no surprise that Phil Pringle refuses to address any substance to people’s claimsabout C3 Church or City Harvest Church. His entire sermon was grooming CHC members to be soldiers and to fight for God. Here is Pringle again conditioning people to not listen to the world outside of the constructed ‘church’.
Well Pringle, Jesus Christ has this to say about your approach to ministry:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Matthew 23:25
People have indeed seen straight through the facade. In response to Pringle’s behaviour, a commentor from CHC Confessions said,
“Phil Pringle the salesman preacher is insulting the intelligence of CHC members by asking them not to visit websites. When the light comes, darkness flees and it’s obvious the CHC leadership is interested is to keep their members in darkness and ignorance.” – Euphamist Ic, https://www.facebook.com/CHCConfessions/posts/629711277048253?comment_id=6796149&offset=0&total_comments=9, 03/07/2013. (Accessed 04/07/2013.)
Looks like Pringle doesn’t want his poor ‘critic’ with “three followers on twitter” to be heard or have him grow in popularity.
Some obvious questions needs to be asked to Phil Pringle’s involvement with City Harvest Church:
Why does CHC insist in having Phil Pringle as their Advisory Pastor?
Isn’t Phil Pringle more of a liability then an asset?
Is Phil Pringle worth the risk for CHC?
What do you think?
EDIT (04/07/2013): We thought it was appropriate to transcribe Phil Pringle:
“…..He says – take a teaspoon of concrete and harden up! Amen? Man up
Pringle – so I put the harness on and I walk into battle and you know, now,
after 30 years, I feel a little weird if there isn’t a problem.
I feel a little bored – I feel like, this isn’t very exciting. We’ve got no
big issues going on.
You’ve got to get used to the feeling that the christian life is a battle.
You get tempted here, people will criticize you there, things are going to
come at you from behind and in front.
AND by the way, don’t go clicking on all those websites, you know, with
negative stuff on them.
Click on truth, amen, click on the good guys, click on all the C3 churches,
CHC (City Harvest Church) churches – ” upgrade” their ratings, “like” this,
“like” this, “follow” him, “tweet” this, “retweet” that.
There’s such a temptation to go and read the junk, the nonsense. But every
time you “click”, you give another vote for it. You know these guys – don’t
do that! What do you want that in your head for anyway?
These are just some more of the battles, there’s just a little battle over
there.
You and I need to front the battle full on, on the inside of our heart and
say “you know, all these invisible forces that try to attack us, I’m going
to stick up the sheild of faith, it’s not going to get me.
I believe God, we’ll get through this, we’ll get through that, we’ll
overcome this, we’ll beat this thing. I’m going to get over that, this is
going to go back from me, I’m not going under, I’m going over.
As you stick up that shield of faith and start speaking the word of God, you
repel all the fiery darts of the evil one. The only way you get good at
fighting is fighting.
So, if you’re not fighting today, stand up on the inside and say “You know
what? Time for me to get into battle, time for me to join King David in the
stronghold and get in the game.” Source: Phil Pringle, CHC, http://www.chc.org.sg/citytv/videos, English Service Discipleship, 29 Jun – 30 Jun. (Accessed 04/07/2013.)
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
Looks like Pringle would disagree.
CAN SOMEONE SAY THE WORD ‘HYPOCRITE’?
Phil Pringle said recently at his Global Presence Conference 2013,
“In Singapore you will see lots of negative stuff. You will read lots of blogs by Christians as well that are terrible, negative, attacking, all kinds of things and we live in that kind of age.
But I think people are getting a little numb to it now. I saw on some comments on Facebook today about this conference. I’m thinking, “Oh! PLEASE! You know! Get over it in Jesus name! Amen! Get a life! Do something! Win some people to Jesus! You know like- our worst critics and enemies are within our own deal, for goodness sake. Can’t we get it together and discover the things that unite us are far more the things that divide us in Jesus name. Amen!
We’re here to build the church, not tear it down. I’m not gonna get into cat fights with anybody. Amen! I’ll just ignore it, move on.” [Article]
Well the one that seemingly hates to start the cat-fights couldn’t let the fight go. Offended, upset and miserable, Phil Pringle recently stated,
“But I don’t find that all the time. I find some believers who are still very small minded. Very miserable. Very upset. Very offended. very tight about all sorts of things. And often times- this is the tragedy of that, they’re only like twenty five years old!
I’m going, “You’re too young to be this screwed up! You’re too young to be this hard-headed about doctrine- and about- and to get all angry and bitter and tough about- PLEASE! What are you doing?!? Don’t talk about the stuff. BE the stuff. Don’t fight about words like grace. BE GRACIOUS! Amen!”
Source: Phil Pringle, Phil Pringle ‘Grand Designs | Spare Not’, http://www2.myc3church.net/videos/phil-pringle-grand-designs-spare-not-0, C3 Church Oxford Falls, 09/06/2013. (Accessed 11/06/2013.)
We don’t know what’s more pathetic. A sixty year old pastor blowing raspberry’s at doctrinally hard-headed twenty five-year old’s (someone get Pringle a pacifier); or Pringle using his own doctrinally hard head to tear down Christians. Come on Pringle! We’re here to build the church, not tear it down. If you don’t like Christian doctrine Pringle, just ignore Christianity and move on. Christianity would probably have revival if you left.
WHERE’S THE LOVE PRINGLE?
To point out how askew Pringle’s doctrine is, he clearly doesn’t know what a pastor is, what the church is and who actually builds the church. A pastor is called to look after the flock. The church isn’t called to expand or progress. The church is to behave like a pillar and buttress of the truth (1 Timothy 3). It is up to God to grow it.
Furthermore, this audio shows just how much Phil Pringle disregards his own congregation. Phil Pringle would rather have a big church where no one knows him and no one knows each other. What’s sad is Phil Pringle thinks he is actually saving people if he wants a big church. When you watch to the end of the above sermon ask these questions:
Did Phil Pringle preach a gospel message that could lead someone out of their sins and into God’s grace through Jesus’ atoning work on the cross?
Did they know anything about the gospel?
It is not loving at all to give people the impression they are Christian’s if they don’t know the gospel which is the power that saves from hell.
Now that’s “screwed up”!
WHERE’S THE TRUTH PRINGLE?
“Don’t talk about the stuff. BE the stuff. Don’t fight about words like grace. BE GRACIOUS! Amen!”
What’s odd about Pringle’s advice is that it doesn’t make any sense. What is he talking about? Is this how a sixty year old anti-doctrinal pastor responds to young Christians?
And these are twenty five-year old’s! Imagine if Pringle came across someone half their age.
“And when [Jesus] was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Luke 2:42-47
Sounds like Jesus was VERY hard-headed. Maybe Phil Pringle should rebuke Jesus in the name of Jesus while he’s at it. Maybe just like his members, Jesus should conform to the image that Pringle wants them all to be.
At his Global Presence Conference 2013, Phil Pringle got thousands of Christians to financially support Kong Hee’s trial back in Singapore. Pringle did not inform those present what the allegations against Kong Hee and his staff were about.
Below is the video and transcript. Here are some of our observations what Pringle said:
Although Pringle did not want to encourage Christians to financially support Kong Hee’s defense lawyers “under any compulsion or pressure” Phil Pringle laid the pressure on people to give.
He manipulated people into giving by censoring the central facts of Kong Hee’s trial and parading him as an innocent and righteous blood-stained martyr in a pagan world. He did this by comparing Kong Hee’s circumstances to John Bunyan’s and the early church Apostles circumstances.
Using cat-fight and division-like tactics, Pringle used defamatory commentary against Christians who are questioning the integrity of Kong Hee, Sun Ho and himself. After slagging off Christians as ‘enemies’, he called for the church to be unified again around Kong Hee and Sun Ho without explaining why they were being charged. (For someone who thinks that Christians “are getting a little numb” to criticisms now, Pringle makes sure to attack them publicly.)
Pringle twists the Apostle Paul’s words so Christians would close their eyes, ears and minds to the truth. When Pringle said, “Don’t be moved as by as a letter as though from us”, he was referring to 2 Thessalonians 2:2. This is why there IS division. Paul wanted the church to avoid men like Pringle that would twist his words.
The above is not an exhaustive analysis of what Pringle said. We encourage readers to examine and discuss the claims we have made above. We are looking at doing a thorough analysis of Pringle’s special offering message at another time. In the mean time, here is Phil Pringle’s message:
“Oh Jesus! Your Presence™ is heaven to us.
You know I- I want to do a couple more things tonight before we finish. If I can have the lights go up a bit.
Uh- I’m hesitant to do this but I just feel we should. And I don’t want you to feel under any compulsion or pressure or anything like this. And I’ve only ever done this once before in a Presence Conference as to add another offering but I know the costs that are involved in Kong Hee making his defense. It’s not small.
It’s not even six figures. It’s seven and it’s multiples of that for the legal defense and for seven people are charged. not just Kong himself. Happily, two weeks ago, Sun was completely exonerated from all charges against her. [Crowds Applause]
You can be seated. Thank you. Just for a second. I know it’s half past time but we’re cool. It’s ANZAC day.
I would like you just to take a card, an envelope if you’ve got one nearby. And if you’d like to participate in this, I’d like you to consider doing that. Whatever you can do it would be helpful, I know, to them. This will all go completely to Pastor Kong to help with his- costs. He has to pay this week $680,000 I think it is, for his legal fees. He’s covering his whole team’s fees. They have to mount a vigorous defense over three years. Those numbers weigh heavily on- on a person and they have prohibited him from asking his own congregation for any help.
He can not use any of his own church funds. They’ve sold there- they sold the unit they were in. Others have moved to help them in other countries and I would like to think that we can be friends to these people in one of their darkest hours.
We do not face this kind of situation. It’s hard to even imagine it or feel it. But I’ve been on the front page of newspapers. And I’ve been on the six o’clock. And I’ve been on a Current Affair when Mr Hinch was around even then. And I was there. “Shame! Shame!”
And uh- and uh- and it’s- it’s a terrible, terrible feeling. But I- you gotta know that the reason we- this- this- none of this comes cheaply. And I’m not talking cash. Nothing of worth is achieved without some opposition. And you can tell the value of a thing you’re trying to achieve by the level of opposition that you’re getting.
And so- there’s a price for the anointing. There’s a price for the growth of the kingdom of God. And when we’re called to come up with that price- whatever it is- there’s not a disciple or an apostle that didn’t go through some immense contradiction in life. To achieve the things, the scriptures that we read, are penned in blood. There are martyrs all through the centuries and persecuted people. John Bunyan was thrown in prison. I think it was eleven times before he wrote ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. Finally he wrote it.
He figured, “This is why I’m in here”. Hehe! I’m not sure if he ever went back in there but cos he was preaching so ferociously. They just kept throwing him in.
And I think it’s an awesome thing. If one member in the body has suffered. If other members bear the pain as well, a little- and so I would like to do this right now.
One of the things that’s happened- it’s one of the brightest pieces of light in the last three years in this situation- that recently Sun was exonerated because there was insufficient evidence, they said. So there was a public outcry, “Why then in the first place was there any suspension of her office?”
And that was one of the questions asked. And uh- it continues, you know. But that is th- that is a beginning. That is a bright piece of light for- and the press- the last press release I read was uh- halfway positive- and halfway negative. But it uh- it wasn’t as nearly as DAMNING as the others had been.
Let’s pray together and ask God to help us with our giving here to bless our brother. And if you are unable to, pray. If you can, do. Go ahead and let’s uh- be a blessing to Pastor Kong and Sun and the great City Harvest Church. One of the greatest churches in the world without any shadow of a doubt. A church that is changing the ratio of Christian populations in certain countries.
Heavenly father, help us stand with this man and woman you have chosen to serve you and have given you everything. Laid down their lives in so many ways. And Lord we pray as we stand with them here tonight for the blessing of God to rest on our giving, in Jesus name. And every body said, “Amen”. [Camera shot on Kong Hee and Sun Ho praying] Thank you very much. Hallelujah!
You know uh- I knew when we saw the 2014 line-up of speakers for next year, I thought uh, “Pastor Kong is not there. He’s here every year. So I need to ask him”.
[Kong Hee nods ‘yes’, stands up and salutes Pringle to receive applause] Will you at least do one session for us next year? Please! You know. You must do one session for us. [Crowd applauses.]
And I thought, “I want to do that before the end of the night” because exactly what Son said, “Next year when we are here”. That’s one of the greatest statements of faith you’ve heard in this conference. I don’t expect you to fully understand that but because they are facing two trials. One in may and one in August. In Singapore you will see lots of negative stuff. You will read lots of blogs by Christians as well that are terrible, negative, attacking, all kinds of things and we live in that kind of age.
But I think people are getting a little numb to it now. I saw on some comments on Facebook today about this conference. I’m thinking, “Oh! PLEASE! You know! Get over it in Jesus name! Amen! Get a life! Do something! Win some people to Jesus! You know like- our worst critics and enemies are within our own deal, for goodness sake. Can’t we get it together and discover the things that unite us are far more the things that divide us in Jesus name. Amen!
We’re here to build the church, not tear it down. I’m not gonna get into cat fights with anybody. Amen! I’ll just ignore it, move on. Thank you Jesus. “Try the other cheek!” Amen!
It’s all good. Don’t go out there and be moved by these things. Paul had it all the time. Don’t be moved as by as a letter as though from us. People would fake his signature and write letters about the resurrection being over and criticising him. Ridiculous! It’s always been around.
But things like Joey Bonofacio was saying this afternoon, God allows things to shake us. To shake the things that can be shaken so that we’ll lose them and so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain and get stronger. Amen!
That’s why you get shaken. [Crowds applause] Woah!
But be immovable. Be unshakable. Don’t be shaken in mind or troubled in heart by those sort of things. Stand strong. Know what’s right and do that in Jesus name. Amen!”
C3 Ps Kerry Robertson in the clip, dancing behind the cross with a bible and a microphone…
If you DARE criticise C3 or their pastors, Pringle would most likely say this to you as he did to the congregation in C3 San Diego (see the entirety of the comment on ‘C3 TIRADE BRIGADE):
“DON’T you DARE criticize and pull down your pastor or anybody else around here! If you want to do that, just go now! We’re having too much fun to have the critics and the miserable people around! Just leave now! If you want to be a builder then stick around. Most fools criticize and- you know, that’s the fact of the matter. Any fool can criticize and most fools do.” – Phil Pringle, “God Creates With Words” // Dr. Phil Pringle // 02.12.12, Vimeo, http://vimeo.com/37288145, Uploaded by C3 Church San Diego, 22/02/2012.
Well. Christians AND non-Christians had some serious issues with a C3 Church releasing this controversial video. Before progressing to the video, we think it is important for readers to consider how Christian’s should consider the work of Christ and the work He did on His cross.
HOW DOES GOD WANT US TO SEE HIS SONS CROSS?
What’s concerning is that C3 does not appear to care what the writers of the New Testament might think about how C3 depicted Jesus and his crucifixion. By now you might be asking what the New Testament writers say about how we should see the cross.
There are MANY scriptures that point out the importance of the cross. The gospel writers make it the pivotal focus of God’s ministry on earth, portraying the cross as God’s ultimate act of glory and miraculous, sovereign power and providence for the sinner. There is so much to say on this topic. Here is just a glimpse of how we are to highly revere and respect Jesus’ crucifixion,
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” 1 Corinthians 1:17
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Colossians 2:13-15
And finally,
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18, (Emphasis ours.)
With this in mind, only view this video if you can stomach a vile display of youth ‘harleming’ the cross.
This is essentially a ‘sensual’ clip that is a work of the flesh and not a work of the Spirit (Galatians 5). It is not winning people to Christ nor is it helping Christians get along within the body of Christ. This video is not even glorifying God Himself but is bringing shame to his name, work and ministry. In fact, this video will only be causing Christians in C3 Church to stumble and cause them not to revere or respect the power of the cross in it’s entirety if this issue is not dealt with.
THEY’RE MAKING “GOD FAMOUS” HOW?
It appears that C3 Gold Coast does not care about Christians and non-Christians who have a problem with C3’s attitude toward the cross. On youtube, the two top comments on the video say,
“This is the most disrespectful thing I have ever seen.” – Sarah Z, 1 Week ago, (24 Likes) (Accessed 10/03/2013.)
“To the leaders of C3Church: Honestly, don’t you think you should’ve pulled this video off of youtube by now? It’s obvious that your youth group had a lapse in good judgment by posting this; but as leaders, you should’ve known better. So why is this still here? It embarrases Christians and is attracting haters of Christianity to come here and ridicule the Church. Repentance would’ve moved you to pull this video by now.” – Revelision, 6 Days ago, (20 Likes) (Accessed 10/03/2013.)
A non-Christian made the following comment,
“I don’t believe in this kind of thing s and i don’t follow any religion, but man to be honest this is disrespectful for the people who does, and you and your friends should respect it as i should. No one says you can’t talk or discuss about it, but don’t disrespect them like this..” – diegofernando556, 5 days ago, (2 Likes) (Accessed 10/03/2013.)
Sadly, it is clear that C3 Church is bringing shame to God and his church. As a commentor also said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”.
SO WHO ARE THE PASTORS THAT ENDORSED THE VIDEO?
Going by the name C3GC and browsing their youtube channel, it becomes evident that the ‘cross harlem’ was produced by C3 Church Coomera North Gold Coast. If you watched the video you would have noticed the c3 logo was used in the top left corner and the pastor himself was in the clip.
So who are the leaders of this church?
From their own website,
“Kerry & Rhian Robertson are a dynamic husband and wife ministry couple formerly from Christian City Church (C3 Church), Sydney, Australia who were sent out from Pastor Phil Pringle to plant a city influencing church on The Gold Coast.
Kerry D. Robertson
With over 19 years of full time ministry experience, Kerry comes with a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. He is a dynamic communicator that will have you on the edge of your seat. Known for illustrated sermons, dynamic preaching and powerful moves of God. Sort after across Australia and New Zealand to impact audiences in churches, conferences, youth meeting and camps. Through his ministry hundreds come to the Lord each year.
Kerry’s History:
He started out in Auckland, New Zealand as an evangelist, training and equipping churches in evangelism, and then became a Youth Pastor. During this time he hosted a talk back radio show that had approximately 35,000 tune in, and appeared on National Christian TV several times taking a devotional series;
In 2003 Kerry moved with his family to Sydney. He then directed his focus to the heart of the youth on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. As the High Schools Pastor / Evangelist at C3 Church Oxford Falls in 2006 he saw over 51,000 students go through his programmes in schools. He also lectured at the C3 Bible College specifically training future Youth Pastors and Youth Leaders.
After this he moved with his family to what he calls the greatest city in the world ‘The Gold Coast.’
Rhian Robertson
Rhian comes with a wealth of experience and ministry wisdom. She has worked in church administrative roles, in a number of settings, over the last 14 years.
Rhian is a great communicator who is passionate about winning the lost and seeing them released into their callings. She desires to see women released from their past and set free into their destiny.
Rhian loves being a mum to their two beautiful girls, Mikayla (14 years) and Summer (12 years).
Kerry & Rhian have built an incredible church here on the Gold Coast that truly has made a difference in the life’s of the peope that attend. Their desire is to ‘Make God Famous’ right throughout this region.
Kerry & Rhian love people and would love to meet you!!!” – Pastoral Staff, http://www.c3coomera.com/page/Pastoral%20Staff, (Accessed 10/03/2013.)
C3 Coomera and Kerry Robertson shamelessly advertised the event on twitter.
“If you want to be part of a Harlem Shake Video, we are doing a Jesus Vs. the devil version tonight at C3 Coomera. 6pm – Spread the word!” – https://twitter.com/C3ChurchCoomera/status/302985505526648833, 7:39 PM – Feb 16, 2013. (Accessed 11/03/2013.)
It gets worse. Another C3 Pastor endorsed Kerry Robertson’s apostate behaviour. ‘Pastor’ Sam Picken of C3 Church Toronto also promoted C3 Pastor Kerry Robertson’s video.
Who is Sam Picken? Picken says this about himself,
“The vision of one day starting a young, vibrant church in the city of TORONTO has been the topic of our conversation since we met in 2006.
Following this vision from God, We left Australia in ’08 to serve Ps. Lorne & Kelly Tebbutt at C3 Church Calgary. Through this time we witnessed God do incredible things through the C3 Calgary young people and in the establishment of C3 Church Saskatoon.
We believe that Toronto is a city for Christ and that the local church exists to connect people to relationship with Him.
Quite often people describe the church/God as “boring & irrelevant”, no one else but the church is to blame for this.
What if we could do church in a way that reflects God for who He is? Relevant, exciting, creative, bright, powerful, courageous, fun, friendly, loving & accepting… Man, that’s a church I would go to!
A HOUSE FULL OF HIS PRESENCE AND HIS PEOPLE!” – Sam Picken, http://c3toronto.com/index.html#/new-to-c3-/, (Accessed 11/03/2012.)
“What if we could do church that reflects God for who He is?” REFLECTS? You haven’t made your “church/God as “boring & irrelevant” Sam. Don’t you think you have mocked your God and made his cross a joke before the world by promoting such immaturity? Alongside Kerry Robertson, don’t you think you are to blame as the C3 Pastor of your church for promoting a video that offends both Christians and non-Christians? How is this advancing the Christian message? How is this glorifying Christ?
CONCLUSION
The behaviour from Pastor Kerry Robertson and Pastor Sam Picken is both immature and foolish. What should be concerning to readers is the immaturity we are seeing in C3 Church leadership in various churches around the globe. In the name of money, influence, ‘fun’ and ‘relevance’, who is anyone to be offended by their immaturity when Pringle bares his fangs against those hurt or offended? Heaven forbid that Christian’s strive to be mature in Christ and remain steadfast in the name of Christ and His Word! Is it appropriate to offend even non-Christians with this behaviour? Clearly both Christians and non-Christians are categorised by Phil Pringle as “critics”, “miserable people”, “fools” and should “just leave” C3. So who on earth is C3 trying to reach? Relevancy seems to be so heavily pushed that it appears that C3 are of the world but still not even close to it.
Please pray that these young pastors are open to correction and apologise for their behaviour. If you know Kerry and Rhian Robertson, please email or visit them and ask them to repent of this woeful portrayal of Christianity.
These articles are tackling the false Warragamba Dam prophecy made by Phil Pringle. At Presence Conference 2012, C3 aired this Warragamba Dam prophecy twice on video.
THE DELUGE
It’s worth highlighting some articles that were published in 2007 onwards.
Reporters were pointing out how Flannery’s predictions were falling flat. Two years later from 2005, the media and other sources made the following reports. In 2007, news reports recorded Sydney and parts of NSW were deluged.
Bolt’s 2007 article ridiculed Flannery on another topic saying, “And forecasters in the US, meanwhile, downgraded predictions for hurricanes this year; for the second year contradicting claims by noted alarmist Tim Flannery that warming was making hurricanes worse.”
So it is clear that in 2007, (Flannery either taken out of context or not), many predictions Flannery made were wrong. The Australian media weren’t buying his claims. The rains came down and the floods came up. Journalists, bloggers and critics had their say on Flannery, climate change and how his predictions were wrong.
THE DELUSION
So Phil Pringle got a ‘prophecy’. So what? What was the point of broadcasting this twice at Presence Conference 2012? The Dam was brimming with water on the 3rd of March. So revival should have broken out the next day at C3 Church, right?
Not so. Phil Pringle and C3 seemed to link this prophecy to being fulfilled at C3 Presence Conference 2012. (We will examine the faults with this in Part 3.)
We have reason to believe that Pringle WAS involved in the editing process. In our article ‘Who Is The Liar? Phil Pringle Or God?‘, we have a screen grab of a tweet from Pringle saying,
“Can’t believe what our media guys have put 2gether to help with my mssg this wknd”.
This reveals Pringle has a say in how things are presented before being shown at church events. Obviously Pringle would have endorsed the Warragamba Dam Prophecy video before it aired. However, he also may have been with his “media guys” in the editing process.
In a below video snippet captured on the last day of Presence Conference 2012, you will see Pringle clearly pitting the news and Flannery against himself and God – they were wrong, he was right. It seems Pringle’s understanding of this entire escapade is what C3 portrayed in the Warragamba Dam video. We shall dare ask the question in this section: Was this really a reaction to something Phil Pringle doesn’t like OR an opportunity to make Pringle look good? Before tackling this question we need to look at what was said on the last day at Presence Conference 2012.
The Piper Playing The Sniper
On the last day of Presence Conference Pringle showed the prophecy video again. A bit later, Pringle then spoke in reaction to Flannery and the media. It is worth watching Pringle’s behaviour towards Flannery here:
“You’re thinking, you’re going to die. You’re thinking it’s impossible. You’ll never gonna make it through. But He’s got higher and deeper purposes going on, so that you can be a carrier of a power from another world. And the capacity to carry that power into people’s lives means that you need to flow with Him. So that when He tells you to do something ridiculous, like to say- when you’re looking everyday at the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald and saying, “The dam is empty. The dam is empty. We’re never gonna have it again…”
Mr Flannery says, “Guys. The governments paying me a hundred and eighty thousand a year to let you know what’s gonna happen in the future. It’s never ever gonna be full again. So we need to build a one billion dollar desalination plant (which they did build and now is in moth balls), and we need to tax everybody an extra hundred bucks to actually build the thing in Sydney.”
People should come to church. [Applause] People should come to church.
We got greenhouse people predicting all kinds of stuff today. But we need some prophets who are carrying a presence on them that can see into the future. People who can work miracles and break a drought. Who can speak to seas and storms and tsunamis and say “Stop!” Men and women of enormous power.” – Phil Pringle, Presence Conference 2012, Day 4, Day Sermon, Friday, 13/04/2012.
Did Pringle Prophesy Out of Reaction?
Did Pringle hide his prejudices and his own opinions behind the supposed prophecy of God?
Pringle believed that people had said that the Warragamba Dam would never be full again. With the failed predictions in 2007, it seems safe for Pringle at best to prophesy out of reaction that the dam would be full.
He is not happy with Flannery at all. To treat Flannery the way that Pringle did in the conference was VERY rude, critical and condescending. (The irony is Pringle vehemently opposes critics and those who judge him and his ministry. So who is Pringle to now criticise and judge?)
[On a side note, we observed that Pringle used powerful imagery with his words when he referred to the desalination plant as being “in moth balls”. Over the hundred sermons we’ve examined, that turn of phrase seemed foreign to his speech, so we did a quick check to see if Pringle relied on his critics to glean this terminology. We found this:
Malcolm Holland reports in his article Professor Stuart White saying that “the desalination plant “should be put in moth balls until the next severe drought”.” Did Pringle refer to a critic’s comments in his criticism to Flannery?]
Even away from the outburst, Pringle was pitting himself against the “greenhouse people”. He clearly doesn’t like “Greenhouse people predicting all kinds of stuff.” So someone like Pringle had to come along to save the day.
We know that Phil Pringle has strong associations with the Liberal party. He’s expressed his liberal views from the pulpit before. Even in the above snipe, Pringle has shown disdain to the Liberal Party’s opposition. There is a good chance this prophecy was spoken out of irritation and reaction against his politically prejudice views against the “greenhouse people.”
Therefore, one has to ask the question: how could he make the claim he made in 2008?
“That as I was standing here tonight, God spoke to me about a really weird thing. He said, “People have said that the Warragamba Dam will never be full again”.”
The above comment in the prophecy video contradicts his outburst above. How is what God’s said “weird” when Pringle clearly was irritated continually by “the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald and saying, “The dam is empty. The dam is empty. We’re never gonna have it again…”?”
Why would God say “People have said that the Warragamba Dam will never be full again,” when it’s fairly obvious that the media DID ridicule claims that the Warragamba Dam will never be full again? C3’s own media sources they used IN THEIR VIDEO proved this for us. For Pringle to be this narrow minded only highlight’s that he really had a bee in his bonnet; a bone to pick with the political spectrum he often disdains. It seems plausible he prophesied out of reaction against those he didn’t like.
Did Pringle Pridefully Prophesy?
It is evident that Pringle uses the prophecy to elevate himself.
In the above outburst, Pringle personally alludes to himself being the reason people should come to church (he was the one who gave the prophecy). The evidence suggests above that Pringle sincerely believes he broke the drought, otherwise he wouldn’t have said, “we need some prophets who… can work miracles and break a drought”. The connection Pringle made was that ‘prophets’ like himself. can break droughts.
It’s also worth noting that at Presence Conferences and giving messages at his own C3, Pringle does teach people he is some amazing prophet, or even an ‘Elijah’. It is possible, he is glorifyng the fact in his mind that he broke the drought as Elijah did in the scriptures.
This year on the opening night Presence 2012, Pringle aired the Warragamaba Dam video. This only provided another reason why people should give money to ‘prophet’ Pringle.
It becomes quite clear when you watch the prophecy video in his Friday session, that Pringle uses the prophecy to elevate himself and the C3 Movement. Don’t believe us? Watch the sermon here:
We will even further make the claim that this convenient prophecy helped market C3 Church to gullible Christians and churches who were enticed to the Presence 2012 event. Why? We recorded Pringle saying this in 2011.
It makes a lot of sense why Pringle wants C3 to “become more cross-denominational, not parochial about just being C3.” In pushing the video the way Pringle did at his Conference, his motive becomesmore and more questionable. One “motivation that [C3] have” is that other churches and Christians from other churches “get involved in what ]they’re] doing.” Pringle wants C3 Presence Conference to “be a blessing” to other churches alright! On the first Presence 2012 night, Pringle checked what denominations were present.
The question should then be asked: if the prophecy was of God, why is Pringle using it to elevate himself and his movement? Isn’t the Spirit of God behind the utterance of a prophecy meant to point us to Jesus (as Jesus Himself said in John 16 & as Pringle himself said in the sermon above)? Why is this spirit elevating Pringle and C3? Why is this spirit not pointing to Jesus?
THE DELAY
The video said that on the 15th of June 2008, according to Phil, God decided to act out of character. In the Warragamba Dam prophecy video at Presence Conference 2012, (in front of thousands of Christians around Sydney (and online webcasts)), Pringle said:
“… God spoke to me about a really weird thing. He said, “People have said that the Warragamba Dam will never be full again”.” (3:32)
Who exactly was saying “the Warragamba Dam will never be full again” after the deluge the previous year? As we covered in the previous article, no media that C3 covered said straight out “the Warragamba Dam will never be full again”. Flannery was quoted by Sheehan saying, “There’s only two years’ water supply in Warragamba Dam”. So we have Flannery (and his followers?). The above media articles in 2007 put to rest the Warragamba Dam fear.
But Phil Pringle said that God came to him in June 2008. Why?
Why did God delay to give His prophetic message to Pringle? Did Jesus really miss the boat here?
To demonstrate how absurd ‘God’s’ behaviour was to Pringle, observe the timeline in this diagram. This should help explain why ‘God’ delayed his message for so long.
It is rather a convenient prophecy to make don’t you think?
Tim Flannery’s prediction failed the year before. In Part 1 in this series of articles, we demonstrated that C3 mislead people by pitting the media and Flannery against Pringle’s Warragamba Dam prophecy. But when you examine when Pringle ‘prophesied’, there was no media or Flannery to oppose him. The media didn’t believe the predictions. 2007 came about and the rain came instead. Warragamba Dam didn’t dry up. The media criticised Flannery and all moved on… Except Pringle.
As we now see, the timing of this prophecy was very convenient. Instead of prophesying in 2005 when Flannery’s ‘predictions’ were initially made, he waited until 2008, several months after the critics were already having a go at Flannery. Prophet Pringle’s a bit late to the bus don’t you think?
This delay makes the prophecy that ‘God’ gave Pringle pointless and irrelevant. Anyone could say that one day that Warragamba Dam could be full. It doesn’t take a prophet of God to say that.
But this does raise the question: Does that make the media prophetic like Pringle? Of course not. They were on the case BEFORE Pringle prophesied in the first place (see articles above) and continued to do so after he prophesied (in the following articles below).
It seems that the Warragamba Dam prophecy video made Pringle out to be the only one opposing Flannery’s predictions. But all the above articles clearly demonstrate that this is simply not the case. He seemed to speak out of reaction and pride. In light of this information, Pringle’s ‘divine’ prophecy seems almost redundant.
While writing this article, our hands were continually connecting with our foreheads rather forcefully, in utter disbelief. The amount of distortion that occurred in Phil Pringle’s three minute at the C3 Presence Conference 2012 was mind-boggling. The more we examined the video, the more stunned we became in how deceiving this video really was. This is part 1 of a series of 3 articles, addressing the brilliant con artistry of Phil Pringle and the C3 Movement. And when we say con artistry, we really mean it. If anyone can show us how any of this was accidental, we would love to know. E-mail us at c3churchwatch@hotmail.com or feel free to discuss this article below.
C3 PITTING MEDIA & FLANNERY AGAINST PRINGLE’S PROPHECY
At the C3 Presence Conference 2012, Phil Pringle had a video made of himself about a ‘prophecy’ he spluttered on the 15th of June, 2008. In the video, C3 pitted Phil Pringle against the ‘voice of the media’ and Tim Flannery. However, the way they presented the information made it look as though Tim Flannery made the majority of the comments in support of the media. Here is a picture from the video:
We will be looking at the transcript, each snippet (from 1-5) to see if C3 Church gave a correct view of the information they presented and finally looking at a number of sources and a timeline of the prophecy that Pringle gave.
First off, C3 said this about Tim Flannery (3:00):
“In 2005, [Snippet 4B background of ‘article’ appears behind Flannery] Professor Tim Flannery predicted that [snippet 1] Sydney’s dams could be empty in as little as two years due to global warming. [Snippet 2]
Audio excerpt: “Mr Flannery has warned that Sydney will soon be facing extreme difficulties with water.”
[Snippet 3] Climate change expert Tim Flannery has sad that even the rain that falls isn’t actually going to fill [Snippet 4A] Sydney’s dams and river systems. He’s also stated that we are running out of water [Snippet 5]– and time.”
By reading the above transcript, we will demonstrate not only what is wrong with the 6 snippets but what is also untrue with the audio statements. Flannery did not say, “we are running out of water – and time”. Paul Sheehan did. Read ‘Snippet 1’ for more information.
Flannery did not say that, “even the rain that falls isn’t actually going to fill Sydney’s dams and river systems”. While he said something like it – Flannery did not specify that these dams and river system were either Sydney’s dams and river systems or specifically Warragamba Dam. What’s even worse is that this is a quote taken out of context, which will be addressed in ‘Snippet 5’. At best, C3 misrepresented Tim Flannery (Chief Commissioner of the Government’s new Climate Commission), in front of thousands of Christians. Watch the video below at 2:57 to see the ‘prophecy’.
SNIPPET 1
C3 had the snippet alongside the face of Tim Flannery,
“Running out of water – and time
April 25, 2005″
This was the shock-jock title of an article by Paul Sheehan from the Sydney Morning Herald. If there was anything C3 could have used, it could have been Sheehan’s article. This article quotes Flannery saying,
“There’s only two years’ water supply in Warragamba Dam,” says Flannery, “yet Frank Sartor [NSW Minister for Energy and Utilities] is talking about the situation being stable … If the computer models are right then drought conditions will become permanent in eastern Australia.” – Paul Sheehan, Running out of water – and time, http://www.smh.com.au/news/Opinion/Running-out-of-water–and-time/2005/04/24/1114281450815.html, 25/04/2005.
They could have quoted Flannery saying the above. However, C3 didn’t. It was also Sheehan that made the claim,
“The water restrictions now in force in Sydney are never going to be lifted, except after a run of freak conditions, just as Warragamba Dam is never again going to be full unless there is a freak period of high rainfall unlikely to be sustained.” – Paul Sheehan, Running out of water – and time, http://www.smh.com.au/news/Opinion/Running-out-of-water–and-time/2005/04/24/1114281450815.html, 25/04/2005.
Observe how Sheehan used the word ‘unless’ in the above quote. This article is speculative at best. This article did NOT say that the Warragamba dam will be empty. C3 simply grabbed the shock jock title to push their agenda for ‘Prophet’ Pringle’s sake. They distorted information for their gain.
SNIPPET 2
C3 also had up next to Tim Flannery the quote,
“Sydney’s dams dry in just two years.”
This may have been something Tim Flannery said. But once again lets look at the context,
“Leading environmentalist Professor Tim Flannery has warned that Australia is now entering long-term climate change, which could cause longer and more frequent droughts.
He also predicts that the ongoing drought could leave Sydney’s dams dry in just two years.
Professor Flannery, who is the director of the South Australian Museum, has told ABC TV’s Latelinethat global warming is threatening Australia’s chance of returning to a regular rainfall pattern.
“Three major phenomena are depriving Australia of its rainfall,” he said.
“One of them is just simply the shifting weather patterns as the planet warms up, so the tropics are expanding southwards and the winter rainfall zone is sort of dropping off the southern edge of the continent.”
He says the second phenomena is disturbances in the ozone layer.
“That is causing wind speeds around Antarctica to increase and, again, drawing that winter rainfall to the south,” he said.
The third phenomena, which Professor Flannery says is the most worrying, is the recurring El Nino weather pattern.
“That’s occurring as the Pacific Ocean warms up, and we’re seeing much longer El Ninos than we’ve seen before and often now back-to-back el Ninos with very little of the La Nina cycle, the flood cycle, in between,” he said.
Professor Flannery says that all adds up to back-to-back droughts, and if he had a say he would ration water use.
“If you think there’s only a 10 per cent chance that this rainfall deficit’s going to continue for another few years, you’d be pulling out all stops to preserve water,” he said.
The ABC reported Flannery supposedly saying, “ongoing drought could leave Sydney’s dams dry in just two years.” This could be ABC referring to Flannery’s out-of-context claim made on Lateline (read Snippet 3). Or it could be that ABC could be referring too Sheehan’s article. Flannery explains in this article, just like in Landline the importance of the ‘if’.
“If you think there’s only a 10 per cent chance that this rainfall deficit’s going to continue for another few years.”
“Professor Flannery says that if Sydney’s dams dry up, the city’s ground water supply would last just 10 days.”
There is nothing wrong with Flannery giving listeners a probability on drought conditions and hinging possibilities on an ‘if’. If Australia does’t behave resourcefully towards water, we naturally should expect water shortages. After examining the way the interview is conducted – the article comes across as speculative at best, especially with Flannery exploring, “the worst case scenario for Sydney”. Speculation after speculation.
At least with this article, C3 could have possibly claim one news article explored the option that the drought could be prolonged because of global warming. The article however, did not say that the Warragamba Dam would not be filled again. Global warming or not, C3 misquoted an article again. This article was not saying Warragamba Dam was never going to be full again. Once again, they distorted information for their gain. Strike 2.
SNIPPET 3
C3 then published another quote, this time not from Tim Flannery but from the Herald Sun:
“In 2005, Flannery predicted Sydney’s dams could be dry in as little as two years because global warming was drying up the rains, leaving the city “facing extreme difficulties with water””
Here is the context:
“Small problem, though: after so many years of hearing Flannery’s predictions, we’re now able to see if some of the scariest have actually panned out.
“And we’re also able to see if people who bet real money on his advice have cleaned up or been cleaned out.
So before we buy a great green tax from Flannery, whose real expertise is actually in mammology, it may pay to check his record. Ready?
In 2005, Flannery predicted Sydney’s dams could be dry in as little as two years because global warming was drying up the rains, leaving the city “facing extreme difficulties with water”.
Andrew Bolt possibly misquoted Flannery from Lateline. McKew posed a hypothetical question to Flannery:
“MAXINE McKEW: Well, I’m not asking you to be alarmist, but in fact, what would you say is a plausible worst-case scenario that you and, say, other scientists in the Wentworth Group have come to agree on?
TIM FLANNERY: Well, the worst-case scenario for Sydney is that the climate that’s existed for the last seven years continues for another two years. In that case, Sydney will be facing extreme difficulties with water, and of course, large cities are the most vulnerable of all structures to water deficit because you’ve got 4 million people there who need water just for everyday survival, and in the case of Sydney, there’s very few back-up reserves. Sydney’s ground water supplies are only about 13 gigalitres, which is about 10 days’ worth of supply. So there are not many options for Sydney and, of course, without water you can’t make power, you can’t wash, you can’t clean your food, you can’t have industry. So there are some quite severe problems if the current trend continues. I really do hope that that doesn’t happen, but as I say, something will have to change in order for Sydney to get out of that predicted future.” – Landline, Flannery warns on global warming, http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2005/s1389827.htm, 10/06/2005. (Accessed 29/05/2012, Emphasis mine).
Flannery answers the hypothetical. He is speculative in this piece. C3 also ‘reported’ that Flannery said, “Sydney will be facing extreme difficulties with water”. They too, like Bolt, took Flannery out of context.
As you can see, Andrew Bolt from the Herald Sun was also taken out of context by C3 Church. Bolt’s article was criticising Flannery’s ‘prediction’. C3 misquoted Andrew Bolt’s misquote. It’s also worth noting that Bolt’s article was not written between 2005 and 2007. It was written in 2011.
Bolt’s did not write to promote Flannery, rather to criticise him and his prediction. C3 took this critics criticisms against Flannery by misquoting Bolt AND gave the impression that the was written in 2005. C3 used this visual aid along with the other misquotes to mislead Christians to believe their outstanding ‘prophet’ Phil Pringle is powerful against the oppositional media.
Fancy C3 Church twisting the words of a critic to validate Pringle’s office of ‘prophet’. AGAIN, C3 distorted information for their gain. Strike 3.
You’ll notice straight away that C3 grabbed this segment from a blog. The blog is JustMEinT’s General Blog.
We know they grabbed their quote from this blog because it is the same font, same italics, same linkage.
SNIPPET 4B (B for Background)
C3 Church not only twisted the article for their gain, they also used JustMEinT’s General blog article for the background of their portrayal of Tim Flannery and the five snippets in their video. In the below picture, you can see the segment of text C3 used for the background of their video on Pringle’s Warragamba Dam prophecy. The body of text that makes up the background is the following:
“He was chosen for this $3,000 a week (3 days a week) job for his expertise, his communication skills, and his track record in the competitive business of sounding alarms about the dire consequences of our “carbon polluting” ways. His alarms, he claims, are based on an anthropogenic global warming theory that has been confirmed by an overwhelming consensus of scientists to be ninety per cent probable – the implication being that there is only one chance in ten of him being wrong.
But how can his teachings and preaching ever be tested? Most of his apocalyptic prophesies are projected far enough into the future for him to be well and truly beyond accountability when they are proved right or wrong.
When it came to Australia’s rainfall, however, Flannery threw caution to the wind and declared that the apocalypse is now.
Compare the above text from the critics blog to the background of C3’s expose of Flannery and the media.
To make matters worse, the hyperlink on the snippet C3 took, takes you to Andrew Bolt’s article, ‘An excuse from Flannery and his dud prediction’, (written on the 01/03/2012). The link on the snippet takes you to Bolt’s article that is ridiculing Flannery. Strike 3 and 4.
This blog article was also published on the 2nd of March, 2012. This article was NOT written between 2005-2007. This contradicts the C3 report that Flannery (and others?) in 2005, were saying that the Warragamba Dam will never be full again. This article is NOT saying that the Dam will be empty. It is ridiculing Tim Flannery. They visually misrepresented the quote and the slab of text that made up the background.
C3 has no excuse for their distortion and misrepresentation of the facts. They are not afraid to mock, criticise and condemn bloggers and critics. So why are they now stooping lower then those they condemn, twisting their words and articles to elevate the prophetic status of their leader, Phil Pringle? AGAIN, C3 distorted information for their gain.
Who knew C3 Church would twist the words of a blogger and the bloggers article to validate Pringle’s office of ‘prophet’? Strike 5.
SNIPPET 5
C3 quotes,
“even the rain that falls isn’t actually going to fill our dams and our river systems…”
This is a quote from statement C3 used was taken from the ABC show Landline. The transcript reads:
“SALLY SARA: What will it mean for Australian farmers if the predictions of climate change are correct and little is done to stop it? What will that mean for a farmer?
PROFESSOR TIM FLANNERY: We’re already seeing the initial impacts and they include a decline in the winter rainfall zone across southern Australia, which is clearly an impact of climate change, but also a decrease in run-off. Although we’re getting say a 20 per cent decrease in rainfall in some areas of Australia, that’s translating to a 60 per cent decrease in the run-off into the dams and rivers. That’s because the soil is warmer because of global warming and the plants are under more stress and therefore using more moisture. So even the rain that falls isn’t actually going to fill our dams and our river systems, and that’s a real worry for the people in the bush. If that trend continues then I think we’re going to have serious problems, particularly for irrigation.” – Sally Sara, Landline, Interview with Professor Tim Flannery, http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2006/s1844398.htm, First published 11/02/2007. (Emphasis added. Accessed 20/04/2012)
An article that C3 could have used could have been the following:
Instead, we are given distortion after distortion for their gain. Strike 6.
Visual imagery is powerful when handled either correctly or incorrectly. How C3 and Pringle presented the information was deviant at best. Each media snippet was NOT saying (as the video suggested), that the Warragamba dam will never be full again.
Could this be an accident? If it was an accident somehow, C3 and Phil Pringle failed spectacularly. If anyone can prove this was an accident, we would be very keen to hear your take on this. It’s hard to fathom this was an accident at all. It seems more than reasonable to say this was deliberate. (Would C3 honestly think someone would record this video, go through their claims individually with all the hype going on and critically examine the snippets presented?)
We think it is personally safe to say that Phil Pringle and the C3 Movement went out of their way to handle these articles FALSELY to exalt the prophetic office of Phil Pringle.
They disregarded the dates these articles were published and took material out of context for convenience-sake to elevate Pringle before other churches. They wanted to parade their prophet. Instead – they paraded an amazing series of distortions before other church denominations on Presence Conference 2012 open night. But it get’s worse (and more absurd). Get ready for part 2.
Pringle protests that he doesn’t preach the prosperity gospel.
We’ve documented Pringle saying that Jesus died to make people rich. But did you know Pringle also teaches that Jesus was also buried and resurrected to make you rich? Phil Pringle gave this giving sermon on Resurrection Sunday 2012.
He teaches people again to sow money so they can grow money trees (1:36). Using a seed packet analogy, he contradicts the scripture Hebrews 11:1 he used at the start of his talk (2:35 and 3:07). He goes on to say,
“If He [Jesus] can beat death, he can beat the GFC. If He can beat death, He can beat any debts you’ve got in your world. All you gotta know is that it takes the sowing of a seed.” (3:56)
Pringle turns Christ’s death and resurrection into a financial principle in how to get money:
“The reason you and I are here this morning is because one seed was sown and one human life died in the ground and it’s risen again. That exact same principle applies to our giving here this morning. God has such a longing in his heart to bless you.” (4:19)
Finally, Phil Pringle encourages his members to give money as follows:
“And so right now, why don’t you and I get involved in a resurrection offering? A victorious offering! One that rises from the dead! You might say, ‘My finances are dead’. Well, here’s a moment to resurrect them. Here’s an opportunity to take the hold of a principle that God’s put in our hands.” (4:41)
This is not a biblical teaching and is completely disregarding the importance of Christ’s resurrection. Apostle Paul said,
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” Philippians 3:10
Pringle clearly wants to know a Jesus and the principles of the resurrection so he can get money.
Pringle also teaches that money is Christ-like. In fact, it is probably safe to say that Pringle has great difficulty separating Jesus from filthy lucre. As his quote above teaches us: money dies, money becomes victorious and money rises from the dead.
Finally, Pringle prays to God in regards to this offering, “your ways are not our ways”. Who is Phil Pringle trying to deceive here? How is this God’s way? Does God really care about us acknowledging a principle that resurrects our finances? Or does God care about the way His Word is handled?
“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you… After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing?” Galatians 3:1-4, NASB
“But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” Galatians 4:9, NASB
“Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.” Galatians 5:2-10, NASB
The scriptures also say,
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” Titus 3:5, NASB, (Emphasis mine)
Before Pringle ‘lovingly’ bashes his critics (7:22), Pringle once again teaches people at C3 they can earn God’s grace by works. More specifically – if you give money, God gives you access to ‘grace’.
“And as you and I become givers in the kingdom of God, we’re gonna find ourselves accessing this grace. This unbelievable, inexhaustible, unending grace of God. Empowering you to have an abundance for every good work.” (6:57)
Click the time link above to see him make that specific comment or watch him say it in it’s proper context below.
You would have noticed C3 had plastered behind Phil Pringle this ‘scripture’:
“He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5
Was this orchestrated? Was this a coincidence? We can conclude it is very convenient for the scripture to be edited the way it was so Pringle could peddle this false doctrine that clearly contradicted the edited scripture. How is the moral and honest behaviour? Is this not leading people away from fundamental Christianity?
EDIT 05/05/2012: On the 4th of May, Phil Pringle twittered that his “media guys” had put something together to help with his message this coming weekend.
This is insightful for us to understand what goes on behind the scenes. It seems safe to say that Phil Pringle endorses the content in regards to what his “media guys” present in his sermons. With this in mind, it is highly likely that Phil Pringle gave them the distorted Titus 3:5 scripture that read, “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”.
“@philpringle Pr 26:4 Do not answer a fool according 2 his folly, Lest u also b like him.//Wisdom when ur tempted to reply to critics – online & offline” – Phil Pringle, Twitter, Tweetdeck, 29/03/2012 1:29pm.
Someone alerted Chris Rosebrough and Gervase Charmley to Pringle’s tweet saying, “Chris Rosebrough & Gervase Charmley – Perhaps you struck a nerve when critiquing Phil Pringle?” (31/03/2012)
Charmley responded with,
“. . . Listen to critics? Why, that would mean actually having to hear what they’re saying!” – Gervase Charmley, Facebook, 01/04/2012, 6:31 pm.
Even if Pringle isn’t responding to Rosebrough and Charmley, do you think Charmley’s response is an accurate description how Pringle responds to his critics?
