Scriptures say to those who put a price on the Holy Spirit:
“May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” – Apostle Peter, Acts 8:20-24
Mark Kelsey says,
“Obvously ‘Every Woman’ is coming up in a couple of weeks time in ‘Every Woman’s Conference’. And ah- you can also- oh! We want you to register. Men, register for your women. Women, register for yourself and buy a ticket for someone else. And why don’t you- do that? Like the staff did, buy a ticket to someone who can’t afford to go. Who thinks that?
Who thinks there are women out there who want and need revival but maybe can’t afford it- so we can be that to them as well? – Which is great!” – Mark Kelsey, Phil & Chris Pringle – Mars & Venus Part 1, http://www2.myc3church.net/videos/phil-chris-pringle-mars-venus-part-1, Sunday, 10am, 14/10/2012.
What is revival? According to Pringle a revival can be manufactured. When people are in this C3-type-of ‘revival’ they can control people where they sit, shame people into worship, con people to empty their wallets and get them emotionally manipulated.
This is not Christianity. This is a disgraceful sham. Why would C3 encourage Christian’s to ‘buy’ revival for victims who “can’t afford” to be involved in a financial scam? How is scamming people loving? Will they get someone like Kong Hee or Phil Pringle to encourage those who can’t afford revival to empty their bank accounts?
Steve Warren is the C3 pastor of C3 Church Amsterdam. After reading this script, it becomes evident that Steve Warren was either using feigned words to make merchandise of the people present(2Pet 2:3) or demonstrating complete biblical incompetence one who is “deceiving and being deceived” (1Tim 3:13). Why?
In the below transcript, Steve Warren claims God told said, “If you can get people to take a step, I will get them their miracle.”
Would God say this? No. God Himself says the exact opposite.
“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: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? 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? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” Galatians 3:1-5
It is Satan that twists God’s Word (Genesis 3:1; Matthew 4:5). If you examine Satan’s tactics, he chooses subtlety, enticement and grandeur as his method to get people to get what he wants them to do. When tempting Jesus on the temple pinnacle Satan said,
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Matt 4:6
While Satan enticed Jesus to step off the temple so others can see how amazing His faith is, as Steve Warren says, he is enticing the Body of Jesus Christ to “step out of the boat” so others can see how amazing a person’s faith is. What is the difference between Satan’s methods and Steve Warren’s methods?
Steve Warren not only twists Gods Word – he also lies what God says. Elisha did not say to the widow, “You will find your debt cancelled if you just do what the Lord God is saying to you right now”. You will not find Elisha saying this in scripture.
“I just want to spend a few moments positioning ourselves for that breakthrough. It’s what we’re gonna do. We’re going to take up an offering in just a moment. And for some of you here this morning, this offering is going to be the moment that’s going to cause a breakthrough for you. This is our regular offering. You put your tithes and your offerings into this offering. But for some of you this will be a miracle offering. A miracle moment.
Do you know as I’ve prepared this morning, I’ve not been able to escape this fact, that nearly every example of breakthrough in scripture has been preceded by some level or some sort of sacrifice. The healing thing is different. I found an extraordinary grace two weeks ago as we were praying for healing. It’s like – what ever you’ve done, whatever you’ve been through, God’s grace is there. He wants your body fixed up.
But when it comes to break through, very often there is something we have to do to position ourselves to receive the breakthrough. There are some things we have to do to work at breakthrough. So if you’re looking for sort of economic-type breakthrough this morning (Housing, finance or jobs – those sort of things), you may find this morning that God speaks to you about some sort of financial sacrifice that you’re going to have to make.
I’d love it if there was some other way to make this work. I would love it if we can lay hands on people and miracles would just drop into their lives. We will pray. At the end of the service we will pray for everybody and lay hands on them.
And I believe miracles will drop into our lives. But there is something we need to do to unlock that miracle. There is something we need to do to prepare ourselves. And here’s just one story I want to take you through very quickly this morning… [2:48]
[Starts reading out 2 Kings 4:1 Elisha and the Widow]
This was a bad day for that widow. She was in debt. She could see no way out but to sell her sons into slavery. Have you ever been in debt and see no way out? That is exactly what it feels like. It’s slavery. If you’re in a job that you hate and it is not meeting the needs of every week; and feel trapped; feel like there’s no way out; if you get this constant sense of guilt and you don’t know why… Condemning conscience… You feel trapped and you don’t know why…
When you have this dream of your business succeeding… you get it started… Two years have gone by and this dream seems like an impossibility. All you can see is six long, long days of work every single week, working every hour possible. Still you’re earning less money then you did when you were working for someone. And yet you got a dream to franchise your business, have others working for you. It feels like you’re trapped between a dream of a future and the past you don’t want to go back to. Many of you may not be that right now you’re in a desperate situation, but still you’ve got a dream of a future that you want to see come to pass. Your current situation may be absolutely fine. But here this morning, God may just want to plan a dream of something bigger for your life in the future. There is something bigger in my future that (wife’s name) and I want to see.
We’re gonna put it, something that’s sacrificial for us in the offering in just a moment. It’s not because of our lives or because there is anything wrong with our lives right now. But because we have a dream of something bigger that we want to see unlocked. We’re going to give an offering that’s going to cause us to have to walk on water. To- It’s a good place to be.
When Peter got out of the boat he didn’t know the water was going to hold him up. That was no guarantee. He stepped out on one word. Elisha had a word for this widow. He says to her later in this passage, “You will find your debt cancelled if you just do what the Lord God is saying to you right now”.
[Continues reading out 2 Kings 4:1 Elisha and the Widow]
What is your jar of oil here this morning? What is it you’ve got in your hand that’s a lease within the realm of your control that you can do to unlock something from heaven into your life?
[Keeps reading from scripture] “Then he said, “Go borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbours, empty vessels. Do not gather just a few”.”
You need oil? I’m going to need bigger vessels. She had enough oil for the vessel she had. But it wasn’t enough oil to meet the needs of her life. So Elisha goes. It’s not really the oil that is the problem, it’s the vessels that are a problem. Do you know what he says? “Go borrow some. You may not have the capacity in your own mind that seems big enough to contain all that God has for you.”
If you’re sitting here this morning, go “I’ve only got enough faith to keep on going, (undecipherable). That’s why we come to church on a Sunday morning: we borrow one another’s faith. We borrow bigger vessels.
My thinking is so big that when I stand in front of you guys my vision expands. My thinking increases. My capacity grows to contain more. When you sit here week in, week out, it’s okay to absorb, to catch, to borrow the increase capacity of those around you. Or the power of the combined force of a standing shoulder to shoulder. Think bigger when you’re in this atmosphere. You’ve got the oi, but you need the vessel. What am I going to pour it into? He borrows the vessels…
And he says, “And when you have come in you shall shut the door behind you and your sons. Then pour it into all these vessels and set aside the full ones. So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who bought the vessels to her and she poured it out”.
This miracle happened in private. Not even Elisha was in the room. It says she shut the door on him and went into that room with her two sons. It doesn’t matter how much I prayed for you this week. It doesn’t matter how many times we lay our hands on you this morning. It still comes down to the steps you take – here today!
Only you can unlock the miracle in your life. Only you in your private worlds can take the steps necessary for God to create the breakthrough. If you’re having financial troubles and you’re not tithing, I can’t solve that for you. It doesn’t matter how much I pray for you, you’re not going to get your breakthrough. Only you can make that decision privately.
I need to follow the steps the bible tells me to take to live in the goodness of God. I can’t do that for you. I can lend you some faith, you can borrow one of my vessels, you can borrow somebody else’s vessel, but ultimately you’re in a room on your own having to work your miracle, and that’s the sort of church I want: big people! Big enough to work our own solutions- come into the house and we find strength with one another and catch the word of god and go, “I can make this happen. I can do something about this. I can unlock a miracle. I can make life work for me.” You can work your miracle here this morning.
You can take a step and change your life. So she goes into the room… And it says… Somewhere here… I keep losing my place. I’m just so like- I’m ready to lay hands on you all. That’s what it is…
“So she went from him and shut the door…” That’s it! “And she POURED IT OUT!” That’s what she did with the oil! She TOOK the jar, and she BEGAN TO POUR IT OUT! I was trying to miss that bit ‘cos this is the painful bit. She TOOK THE VERY THING THAT SHE NEEDED and she BEGAN TO POUR IT OUT! She thought, “This won’t take very long. There’s not much in that jar”. Then she began to pour, the oil didn’t stop. She expected the jar looking for the magic somewhere, tapping the bottom. Yet it’s solid jar! Where is it coming from? It just kept pouring! She dared not stop!
She was tempted to look in the jar to try work out where this thing’s coming from. To see whether the oil was glowing or some other magic thing was happening. But she dared not stop! She’s gotta keep pouring- something going on here!
When you begin to fill your breakthrough, don’t. stop. pouring! When you feel something go off in your spirit, DON’T STOP AT THAT POINT! When you feel like your giving is starting to cause a breakthrough, DON’T STOP GIVING! When you find yourself in debt, DON’T STOP TITHING!
At that very point, God just might be bringing your breakthrough, DON’T PULL BACK! When you feel victory coming in your spirit, don’t go “OOOOOHH!!! I’m afraid what my life might BE if I’m set free.”
I have seen people trip up over success as much as I have failure. Seems like us guys are wired this way. We seem to be performance driven. And it seems like just at that moment we’re tasting success we trip ourselves up. We’re scared what that success might feel like. You tast victory! You’re tasting that moment of freedom. And you’re tempted to pull back going, “I don’t know this life! This is a new me!”
This is a brand new life. Keep warring at the moment and don’t give up! Keep pushing! Whatever you do, don’t go, “Oh! What are people going to think of me if I become this new person?”
I use to be quiet… diplomatic… I used to make sure there was peace amongst everyone I was with and life was okay. I felt constrained. I felt like wasn’t really me. But life was sort of okay. If I step out and be a new me- start being a confident new me- what are people going to think of me? You begin to pull back. Don’t pull back! KEEP POURING!
At the moment your miracle begins to happen, she moves it from one vessel. She sees it’s starting to overflow. She puts it to the next one. The next one begins to fill. That fills up- and the next one… And the next one… This thing keeps POURING! She doesn’t know what to do with herself.
She’s beginning to get pretty excited! Her sons are getting happy! They don’t know what’s going on! They’re sticking their hands in the pots feeling this oil thinking it’s some magic fluid.
She keeps pouring. She gets to the last vessel. The oil rises and she’s beginning to think ‘What am I going to do now? This can be one very messy house if this thing doesn’t stop pouring. Then just as it gets to the brim- the top, the oil stops.
God will keep on pouring for as long as your capacity is there to handle what He is pouring into your life. You can dream as big as you like this morning! That’s what I am trying to say to you. YOU CAN DREAM- as big as you like, cos God desires to prosper his children. Psalm… 37 or somewhere. He delights in the prosperity of His children. It’s what the bible says.
I want you this morning to feel like the oil of the Holy Ghost is getting on your world. But it’s going to take a step. And only you can decide what that step is.
Sacrificial offering.
Once you’ve given that, you may still need tomorrow to get on the phones of companies that you think, your sort of job might be in. Something like 60% of jobs go before they’re advertised. Last week I said 80%. But I got my facts right during the week. 67% of statistics are made up on the spot, just like that one.
It does require us to do something. You may not be able to buy that house right now. Start looking! It’s a lot of fun, visiting properties you might like to buy to keep the dream alive. Start pushing doors. Sometimes I get people coming to me going, “Steve, I’ve seen this job or I’ve been offered this job. Is it the sort of thing I should take?” I am not the best person to ask. Cos the sort of person I am, that I’ve always been is, I push on absolutely every single door I can possibly imagine. And if it opens, I am walking through. It’s way easier that way.
It’s got a bright potential future and I’m into it. You may need to start pushing doors this week. You may have started a dream of that you not just get out of debt, but you’re able to invest. Open a savings account tomorrow and put one euro in it. It may stay as one euro for the next six months whilst you try to get yourself out of debt, but you would have started to activate something in the possibility of your thinking. You would’ve begun to unlock something in your ‘possibility thinking’. You hear me this morning? Is this making sense?
Elijah meets another widow. This widow, she has a bit of flour as well as the oil. She was doing a little better than this one. Elijah comes to her and says, “Hey, can you make me a cake with that flour and that oil?”. Actually what he says is, “Can I have some water?”.
Don’t you like God the way he sort’ve eases you in gently. He firsts ask for something she knows she can give him. But then he asks her to give him the rest. The truth is it was ‘in the rest’ the miracle came. You will find that your container of flour will not run dry if you make the sacrifice of giving away what you’ve got.
Right after that, her son dies. Elijah prays for her son and her son rises from the dead. You may sow flour this morning but you may reap a resurrection. Your need may not be an economic need. You may have some other needs. But still, something in this offering may be the sort of action that will unlock something of the answer in your life.
I wish it was some other way. But I haven’t discovered it yet. Action is always attached to your breakthrough. So I want us to give some thought to this right now. There are offering cards in your seat. I would only do this on a morning like this, but if you need a- if you don’t have the money on you right now and you want to make an IOU that you know that you can fulfill, you can write that on the card too.
But I want you to believe this morning; as you step out on water, as you give the flour or the oil or you go fishing like Peter, (you walking around the walls of Jericho going, “I am right out here right now. This looks crazy”), I know you’re miracle is going to happen.
God said these words to me this week:
“Steve. If you can get people to take a step, I will get them their miracle.”
Simple sort of process. Not a complicated equation other than a cost to someone. Just step into that zone. And do you know the interesting thing about the widow with the flour, is God said to Elijah, “Go to this widow and she will provide food for you. And I have already told her so.”
We usually read that story as is Elijah was being tough on her. But actually God had already spoken to her. You will know this morning. You will get a sense in your spirit about the sort of step God wants you to take. I’m not here saying you gotta do some sort of action. But I am here to present a challenge: what are you going to do to step out of the boat? How far do you need to go til you hit that measure of peace where God has spoken to me, about what I need to do to create a breakthrough in my world?
So why don’t we just prepare our offering right now?
As soon as we’ve done that, I’m gonna just ask you to come forward. If you’ve got something very specific in mind that you want a breakthrough for here today… We’re going to pray over people.
This stuff is impartational. I may not be able to give you your miracle, but I know when I went down to Presence in Sydney this year, I was telling Pastor Phil some of the things we’ve been seeing happening. And he said, “That got on you when you were in Sydney – it’s transferable”. No one laid hands on me. I had four days (raise hands near his shoulders), in a miracle (does magic fingers) environment. And ever since then I felt like miracles have been (clicks fingers twice) easy. It’s just… There’s miracles hanging in the air at church right now, ready to happen. All we have to do is set in our hearts a decision to engage with that. Amen?
If you need to talk to your husband or wife, that would be a very good idea. If you’re married that is. If you’re not married and you want to be married, just imagine yourself talking to your husband or wife. Activate the spirit of faith. I have known people who have found their marriage partner’s as they’ve given in to some sort of offering.
But Tim Lowe was here with Pastor Phil who gave a story like that. People who have got pregnant who couldn’t get pregnant after giving an offering like this: you may be sowing flour but you may get your resurrection. Amen! Why don’t we take a hold of our offering right now.
Father I pray that you’re anointing right now would fall on our lives, fall on these offerings, incredible miracles will break out of this safe place… I pray for every decision that people have made this morning as I’ve been speaking, things they’ve decided to do to step out. God I pray your hand of the breakthrough will be on those steps of action as they apply for jobs for buying houses. Put things into order to try to get out of debt. Take steps for maybe an emotional or psychological breakthrough. God I pray your hand right now on each one of those steps. Spirit of authority, power… Spirit of God, rest on us right now, in Jesus mighty name… Amen…
Guys, let’s just stay in this atmosphere right now as – If I can ask the host to take up that offering. Let’s just stay in that atmosphere…
…
There is some incredible things going on as we do this.
…
Don’t underestimate the power of what you’re feeling in the presence of god right now.
Friday, I went online to listen to the service two weeks ago. And I tell you, I felt the presence of God – such a strong service. And sitting in my office, I felt it. There have been moments in my life, when I’ve needed a break through, I’ve gone over and over – messages like this. If you download the podcast or get the video or whatever other format this service is out there on, you can continue to get this in your spirit. Believe it every week: My miracle is coming my way.
So if you – if you got something specific you want prayer for, just gonna ask you to come forward right now. [People start getting up] I don’t care if it’s everybody. [Undecipherable] and I are going to pray right now… Any sort of break-through you need… The very least, (if you put something pretty sacrificial in that offering), I certainly want to pray for you.
[Many people now assembled at front]
Some of you today, God has got your future married partner in mind. I get a strong sense some of you are going to find such a personal victory. You were bound by something that is you just need to be free from. I know some of you… Some of you are going to get ridiculously successful… in work.
Start reading the right material to preparing your heart. Don’t ever get glamourised by money. The love of money is the root of all evil. But if you can learn to handle big money, it would be one of the greatest tools to helping build the kingdom of God. Why don’t you reach out to Him right now?
Church, why don’t you begin to pray? Pray for this people here this morning. Amen. I want everybody engaged right now. I want the power of God to fall here this morning. So everybody in this church right now begin to lift up their voices and to call on God. In Jesus name amen… [Starts laying hand on people and praying/blessing them.]
Just ah… gonna pray for you in just a moment. I’ve also got another meeting so I wanna close this one.
Before I pray for these guys here, you may be sitting here this morning. And you may have never have asked Jesus Christ into your life. In just a moment I want to give you a chance to do just that, if you have never asked Jesus into your heart. Who says that, I ask that every eye be closed right now. If you’re here this morning and you’re going, ‘Oh! I’ve never taken that step!’ I want to help you take that step right now.
So if that’s you, can you raise your hand? [Hands raise and he calls out ‘Thankyou! I see that hand!’]
You may actually come to church but you’re just not sure you’re going to heaven- just want to be sure that you’re going to heaven. If that’s you today, why don’t you just raise your hand to [inaudible], ‘I really want to be sure that I’m going to heaven’. Or maybe that you’ve asked Jesus into your life but things with Him haven’t been good recently- gone away from God – you know you need to re-connect with Him today; you need to get your heart right with Him. If that’s you, why don’t you also just raise your hand? Wherever you are, put it in the air and back down again. That’s awesome. Thank you. Who else is there? You know you need to get their heart right with Him. I feel there’s two to three other people today. I’ll give you a chance just to get those things right with Him. Who else is their today? You need to take that step… That’s awesome. Church why don’t we pray together right now…”
[Prays with church, thanks Jesus and everyone applauds with him]
This time we managed to get both visual and audio from Phil Pringle’s Presence Conference 2012 fleece-a-thon.
We encourage people who watch this video to research shamanism. Please compare shamanism to the second half of this video, where Pringle is breaking financial spirits/demons off people as they give him money.
You will also see TV presenter Jamie Malcolm caught in this financial rort.
We have been recording Pringle’s wake of fleecing the masses here:
Below is the transcript of Phil Pringle’s Sunday morning resurrection offering talk.
“Well we’re going to receive our tithes and offerings right now. A resurrection offering. And if you look on your seat, you’ll find a card. And obviously we’ve put out more seats this morning. So if you haven’t got a card and you need one to record credit card details to put in the offering bag, please raise your hand. And an usher will look after you. Just raise it up and wave it around and an usher will make sure you got one. That will be great. Thank you.
There’s an Eftpost machine people use at the end of the service as well. Thank you.
Hebrews chapter eleven and verse one says, ‘Now faith is the substance of things we hope for and the evidence of things we haven’t seen’. James also says that, ‘Faith without works is dead’. So to say, ‘I believe’ but not do anything about that faith is- it’s a faith that doesn’t have any effect on your life or for anybody else’s for that matter. When we come to an offering, that is one of the great acts of faith that you can get involved in.
The Bible talks about giving in exactly the same way as sowing seeds. When Paul talks about giving he talks about sowing seeds, he’s not giving an agricultural lesson, he’s talking about the giving of our finances is exactly the same as putting seeds in your garden out the back. Now if you put no seeds in there, put no seeds in your garden and you say, ‘Lord, I’m praying that I’ll have a great harvest of tomatoes over there and potatoes of here and carrots over there, it doesn’t matter how hard you pray, nothing is going to happen, because there are some basic laws that you’ve got to observe when you’re sowing seed. And that is, number one, you’ve actually got to sow the seed. Put it in the ground. And you can lay hands on it, you can speak to the ground, you can do all kind of things. But faith steps out and actually does something. It actually puts seed in the ground.
Now here’s the thing. That scripture we looked at said, ‘it’s evidence of things not seen’. When you go up to Bunnings Hardware store and you buy a packet of seeds, you say, ‘I want to grow some apple trees’. Okay, so you open up the packet and inside you see all these seeds, but on the outside you see the picture of a tree. And you can say, ‘I thought I was buying a tree’. But you look inside and all you’ve got is seeds. You’re saying, ‘I’ve got ripped off. Bunnings ripped me off’. They didn’t rip you off. They said, ‘You’ve got the potential of that tree inside this packet’. There’s the evidence. You’ve got a vision – evidence, visual evidence – of what’s going to happen in the future if you plant the seed.
And so when you and I step out in faith – and faith is measured, often by the level of our stepping out. Paul goes on and says, ‘Look! If you just plant a few seeds here, that’s all the harvest you’re going to have. But he says, ‘If you sow so abundantly, you sow without restraint, no holding back, you’re going to find yourself reaping a harvest of abundance in your life.’
And I know we live in a world where lot of negative news about finance, economy and housing and jobs today. But we live under a different economy. As soon as you ask Christ in your life, as soon as you put yourself under the government of God, you’ve entered into a totally different realm of economics. And his realms are obviously higher than anything earth’s got [scripture please?]. He’s risen from the dead for goodness sake. If He can beat death, He can beat a GFC. If He can beat death He can beat any debt you’ve got in your world. All you gotta know is that it takes the sowing of a seed.
Even Jesus said about Himself when he died, ‘Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it’s going to remain alone. But if it dies it’s gonna bring forth a lot of fruit’. The reason you and I are here this morning is because one seed was sown. That 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, to liberate you from a lot of the anxieties and stresses that come in a world of economics like we’ve got today. 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 hold of a principle that God’s put in our hands. Step out in faith. Trust Him that that’s going to work just as surely as you putting a seed in the ground at home. This is going to be like that for your life right now. Don’t miss out on the opportunities God puts in our way every week at church. We can take a hold of this and say, ‘You know what? I’m going to break through this week in Jesus name’. Let’s take what we’re giving and get ready to give.
Heavenly Father, right now, what a privilege, what an honour, to celebrate the birth, the death and the resurrection of the greatest life ever lived: Jesus Himself. And we pray here today Lord that as we follow your ways, not our ways, as we opt for obedience, rather than just staying outside in the desert world of people who have never subscribed to the ways of God.
Heavenly Father right now, we come to you with this offering – a generous offering, an offering of faith for a breakthrough in our financial world, for breakthrough in our economics, in our family, in our housing, in our jobs – and we’re believing here today Father that nothing can hold us down in the grave but by the power of your grace, you’ll raise up every area that’s been killed, every area that’s been crucified , every area that’s been dead in our world today, with a mighty victory. In Jesus name.
For a friend in Sydney (a city in which I had no friends until Facebook changed all that), I am venturing into uncharted territory on this blog. C3ChurchWatch is covering the C3 Presence Conference in Sydney Australia. C3 Church is led by Phil Pringle but has a global presence. So check out my friend’s web site. Chances are, there’s an extension of the “movement” near you. (See this map for all the churches connected to C3 in Australia: http://www.c3churchglobal.com/churCch)
The conference has thankfully wrapped up for this year, though as you can see at the beginning of this video, they’re already heavily recruiting for next year’s conference. Steven Furtick was the headliner for Friday the 13th, 2012. I have heard enough of both Pastor Pringle and Pastor Furtick in the past to know that Friday the 13th is an appropriate date for pairing these two. Goodie, goodie… Can’t wait! Here we go:
0:30 Opens with a plug for the hundreds you can spend on the C3 schlock in the “Resource Center”.
0:35 Montage full of sappy music and all the “best lines” from the conference. These guys are like Woody from Toy Story where the same 10 lines come out over and over again if you just pull the string. Montage includes Phil Pringle working the crowd into frenzy so that they can feel some sort of glory cloud, or whatever, descend on them to make them sway and close their eyes and…. Ew! What is that?!
1:27 … Pulling out all the stops I see. Emaciated “Jesus” hanging on cross, live on stage in apparent agony.
3:20 Montage over. Phil Pringle on stage.
3:40 Phil and Laura (Not sure who Laura is in all this) say they’re not tired at all and ready to go for another week. I’m sure they’re just kidding Jake. Don’t have a heart attack. Doing some giveaways now to “delegates”? What are “delegates”? I don’t speak C3 I guess.
4:30 Ovation for the delegates/volunteers. Got it. Apparently part of their volunteer duties was to serve coffee and give hand massages and baklava to attendees in the TLC lounge. Teaching them about taking up the cross I guess… not!
5:28 Laura just announced 1000 already registered for next year. Rather than saying, “Cool, way to go!” Phil Pringle said, “That’s great! Let’s make it 3000 by the end of the night. What do you say?” Reminds me of my days in sales at Dell. They announce deadline for early registration end of May. Price doubles after then. And Phil is showing his great faith by announcing he is booking a bigger place.
7:23 Here is the carrot they used to get people to register today: attendees got their name in a drawing for the prizes. This first giveaway is four nights in a five-star hotel. $300 in spending money vouchers and VIP seats at next year’s conference. Yep, that’s the way to deny the flesh which wars against our spirit.
9:40 Steven Furtick takes the stage.
10:15 Immediately starts praising all the audience for their many worthy qualities. Scratch, scratch, scratch.
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. (1 Timothy 4:3)
10:53 Gets big “Awww” from audience for confessing he missed his daughter’s first steps to be there. Should’ve stayed home, Steven. That’s time better spent.
11:33 Double-entendre. Just had to point out everything he misses being away from home and away from his wife.
12:06 Cues the audience to applaud their Pastor Phil, and his wife, Chris… the… co-… pastor…?
12:31 ”I’ve been thinking, what do I say about ______, [since] it’s the last session of the conference.” That blank ought to be filled with Jesus or God, right? No, he was meditating on what he should say about Pastor Phil. I’m curious how long before I time stamp a new subject before he stops talking about him. He’s got to pay it forward since Steven himself was honored so well by the speakers at his own Code Orange [scheduled] Revival.
13:28 Just getting started honoring Phil with a pithy saying. “God is not the God of either/or; He’s the God of both/and.” Chapter? Verse? Where is that in Scripture?
14:10 Summary so far: Pastor Phil and Chris, both “fun and focused”. I don’t recall that in Paul’s list of qualifications for overseers.
14:15 ”Spirit-led and smart”. A rare quality indeed. Got anything about Jesus? God? Bible? Almost 15 minutes in here.
15:00 Still sucking up to Phil. Now he’s “brilliant”, but not in the underwhelming Aussie sense. Makes joke about the Australian overuse of “brilliant”. Phil has to keep this in mind later as you’ll see at the end.
15:50 Says “Let’s get to it” and grabs Bible. Any bets on how long it takes to read from it?
16:15 Says he prayed for God to “lead him to the message” simultaneously with putting Bible back down. Ironic…
16:40 Moves away from Bible to little book of notes to announce title of message: “The Most Encouraging Message You’ve Never Heard.”
17:08 Segues back somehow to flattering Phil as well Bishop Dale Bronner (Word/Faith heretic), whom I predict he is about to quote.
17:30 ”Opening to Matthew 11:1-11″ he says… He’s reaching for the Bible and….
17:40 Fail. Now telling the audience “The Lord wants to give someone the courage to act.” That’s definitely not in Matthew 11.
17:50 Instructing on how to tell you’ve caught a vision. Is there a fever involved?
18:00 Vision – Action = Daydream. Got it. Now Matthew 11?
18:18 Reading Matthew 11 about John the Baptist in prison, asking “Are you the One?” Doesn’t even blink before making the passage about everyone there in Sydney and their “disappointed expectations.”
20:00 Got to give Pastor Furtick props. He catches that Jesus had announced earlier in Matthew that he was to fulfill the prophecy that he would “set prisoners free” and that John may have been tempted to doubt since that wasn’t happening for him. Not many people bring that up.
20:30 He thought Shawshank Redemption was a warm and endearing picture of prison?! Has he seen the movie?
21:00 Stand-up Comic Interlude (From here forward to be cited as SUCI): “Some of you are sitting next to your disappointed expectation.” Already had one regarding the use of “brilliant” in Australia and regarding missing his wife. So the SUCI count is up to three.
21:38 Talking about Steven’s life now.
22:15 SUCI #4, but sort of fell flat. Win some, lose some.
22:45 SUCI #5
23:00 Segue from Steven’s life to everyone else in audience now. Apparently we’ve all asked the question, “Is this it?” And you always need someone to encourage you.
23:45 First instance of “Turn to someone and say…”
23:50 Rest of passage he ends with “no one greater than John the Baptist” (and mumbles quickly yethteonewhoisleastinthekingdomofheavenisgreaterhthanhe…). Pastor Furtick says Jesus was giving John affirmation and encouragement. Strange. Neither John nor his disciples were even there to hear that. Talk about squishing a passage into a mold to fit your message.
25:50 Clears up that John’s disciples nor John were there. Where’s he going with this?
26:16 Seriously?? “It’s quite possible that Jesus has been talking about you… behind your back.” And may I say that’s some mighty wild speculation you’ve got going on there. Chapter? Verse? Scratch, scratch those itching ears.
26:55 ”Now why would he do that?” So now we’re going to speculate in order to find the possible reason for the fact you already arrived at by speculation. Brilliant. (See what a flexible word that is?)
28:00 ”Here’s my theory.” Okay, that’s not what you’re supposed to preach. [next breath] “1 Corinthians 2:5 says our faith shouldn’t rest in men’s wisdom but in God’s power… Maybe Jesus wanted John’s faith not to rest on how good John was doing, but in how good Jesus was.” Well, yes, that’s certainly true. Why did you say “maybe”? And what does this have to do with God talking behind our backs, and doesn’t obsessing about whether he is or not defeat Pastor Furtick’s own point he’s trying to make now about getting our eyes off of ourselves?
28:28 So much for the brief turn in the right direction. He shifts back… to talking about Steven Furtick. “There have been times in my life…”
29:00 ”God takes away affirmation to take us to a place of deeper affirmation in the Spirit.” Pastor Furtick, how in the world are you extracting this from John 11? Audience loves it though. Scratch, scratch, scratch.
29:50 ”Even though we don’t get to hear everything that Jesus said about John [because] this is a summary.” Where does it say this is a summary? “He says many more things about John. There’s a further discourse in Matthew 11.” (And of course he will not read it. Can’t blame Steven. I don’t think I’ve heard any two people interpret that passage that follows in the same manner. It’s a difficult passage and I don’t blame him for not wanting to tackle it, but a good pastor at least attempts it. Not worth a federal case though.)
30:00 Steven is going to share three affirmative statements that he believes God might be saying behind your back. How in the world does it help me to speculate on what God might be saying behind my back? Wouldn’t it be wise to focus on what we know he already said to me in his Word?!
30:24 ”I felt like the Lord put on my heart to tell somebody today.” Oh now, it’s the Holy Ghost answering machine. God is having trouble getting through to people so he has enlisted the help of Steven Furtick.
30:38 Yikes: “Hear the Word of the Lord; God wanted me to tell somebody…” That’s a bold statement
30:44 Affirmation #1: “You’re doing better than you think you are.” (Please note in link to Pooh bear quote below that I personally think two of these three points are inspired more by Pooh than the Bible.) In Romans 12:3, am I not exhorted not to think of myself more highly than I ought but instead with sober judgment? 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers. Are you saying that our blindness is concerning not being able to see how good we are? But I guess I’d better make a way to get this to jibe with the rest of my Bible, because we’re adding a new book. Steven said this is the “Word of the Lord”.
31:35 SUCI #6
31:50 ”But then you’ve got to tap into that place, when Jesus says to John…” So when I am feeling poorly about my own performance, I need to tap into what Jesus said about John? Wow, this is twisted logic. He’s saying that Jesus had a good reason for not saying these things to John’s face, but is encouraging us to imagine Jesus is saying them about us? So what he’s arguing would have produced inordinate pride in John, we’re somehow going to handle better? And how do you know that those to whom you speak are “doing better than they think”? What if I’m a complete screw up? What if I’m a heretic? What if I’m a serial killer? You have thousands, probably millions, watching this conference. Odds are that you are proclaiming this to some sociopaths of the highest order!
32:30 Long general string of general affirmations proclaiming how very wonderful everyone is in the room. Everyone’s now applauding. Scratch, scratch, scratch. And apparently, if you say it loud enough, it really makes it true.
33:00 Back to Steven’s life. “Pastor Mickey” did better than he thinks because he poured into Stephen when Steven was young and now Mickey is flying all over the world vicariously through Steven Furtick. I don’t know if Pastor Mickey’s going to be bragging about that one on Judgment Day.
34:05 Called the audience a crowd of “world-changers”. Scratch, scratch, scratch.
33:22 SUCI #7 about teenagers being demon-possessed. I have a 14-year-old son and admit that’s actually kind of funny.
33:55 ”Find somebody and touch them and tell them, ‘You’re doing better than you think you are.’” There. My beagle is sleeping at my feet. I just told her. She’s duly affirmed and looks truly peaceful. But that’s actually is what she always looks like. Oh well. Don’t try this on a human, folks. You’ll do more damage than you think you will.
35:00 Getting loud and telling them to “clap by faith”. Really?
35:38 ”I get to preach a lot of places. You’re special!” Really, guys, tell me you’re not going to fall for that, are you? Now moving on to tell Phil Pringle how awesome his church is.
36:30 ”Please receive that from my heart.” He’s speaking of the encouragement, “You’re doing better than you think you are.” So is that from God or from your heart? Which is it? Then quotes but does not give reference. “It’s God’s kindness that leads you to repentance.” Tell us about that kindness please. Why is God so kind? How do we know it? Hint, you find it all in the Bible and it has nothing to do with self-affirmation but is seen on the cross, which actually only affirms our lost state and our need to be saved from our sins.
36:50 Affirmation #2: “You matter more than you think you do.” Scratch, scratch, scratch.
37:00 ”John felt completely discarded. I’m using a little bit of my imagination.” At least you admit it. But is that what you’re called to do as a pastor, to preach your imagination? Immediately also says, “Maybe, I’m reading a little too much into the text.” Yeeeeees. “That’s somebody in here [in the audience].” Bingo. You’ve just arrived at where you’re reading too much into the text.
37:25 Now talking about Steven’s childhood. Trading card story.
39:00 ”It took someone who knew the value to retrieve something that I’d given away too easily. Some of you are giving up on yourself too easily.” My response is only found a few verses before where he started tonight:
“And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38, 39)
39:20 Now talking about our need to go into the “enemy’s camp to retrieve what you gave away too easily”. Wow, this is dangerous ground. Doesn’t this sound a lot like what Jesus did for us already? Where is he getting this from this passage?!
39:28 Assertion after assertion: “You can tell the value of something by the price that was paid for it.” Doesn’t that contradict the story he just told about the baseball cards. Steven didn’t pay much for them, thus disguising the value. And in our case, we are given value by the price paid for us on the Cross, but it doesn’t prove that we were valuable in the first place.
39:38 Steven just said Jesus’ blood was shed for us to prove our worth. /sigh/ Chapter? Verse? Got anything about our sin and the need for atonement?
39:45 ”You have infinite potential, in Jesus name!” Why does everyone keep tagging that onto the end of assertions as if it makes it better? It only makes it more blasphemous.
40:00 Launching into Code Orange testimonial of some sort; a horrible, sad story about boy who died in car accident while his parents were at revival. Ugh, It’s sounds like he turned that poor boy’s funeral into a Steven Furtick pep rally. He even made someone else’s funeral about him. Ick.
41:17 ”Do you want to know what I texted?” Actually, no. Can you tell us about the text in that beautiful leather-bound tome sitting useless on the podium there?
41:30 Story about God talking to him again. Put the bulletin from the funeral into the rocks in the valley where Joshua told the sun to stand still. Interesting. Take it from someone who knows. Pastor Furtick is carrying a whole lot of guilt over the fact that his parents were at his revival and not with their boy when he was killed in a car wreck. He’s acting like someone desperately trying to make some restitution. I know what it’s like to carry misplaced guilt over the death of a child and this man has it in spades. Pray for Pastor Furtick. I keep seeing signs of his heart softening in this sermon. I can’t put my finger on it, but…. something is just a bit different.
42:00 Oh dear, he is apparently trying to convince the parents that their son’s death “counted for something” and did make a difference, because people are starting Bible studies and such because of him. I have some personal experience with families who have lost children and this approach is usually not taken well. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure they don’t want to think God took their son to accomplish some purpose of his. But even if they did, it’s still probably not what they want to hear right after he dies. I understand what he’s trying to do, but I think it could be misguided.
And on a different note, he’s trying to comfort the audience with: “you matter so much more than you think you do.” (Throwing this in for free, but I found that I found a lot of peace when I learned that I matter less than I thought I did. It’s a comfort to know that God is big enough to keep me from screwing everything up. Just sayin’.)
43:00 ”I’m not leaving you [John] in that prison because I’ve forsaken you. I’m leaving you in that prison because you’re so strong; you’re so mighty!” May I point out the obvious here? Jesus left John in that prison because his purpose was not to free people in physical prisons but to free us from our Sin. He did not come to conquer the romans or Herod. He came to conquer death.
43:11 Again, he’s turning it around again to apply it to everyone listening to say that they are exactly like John the Baptist.
43:40 Affirmation (but not really) #3: “It’s less about you than you think it is.” Hmmmmmmm… Is he trying to get the Matt Chandler monkey off his back now? Trying to prove he doesn’t think the Bible is about himself?
Wow, now he’s saying he had to throw that third point in there or you’ll “take this message the wrong way” and is taking the time to mock his first two points. This is one weird schizoid sermon!
44:12 ”He must become greater; I must become less…” Yes… Yes…
44:20 ”Want you to leave this conference on affirmation overload, but we want it to be the right kind of affirmation, otherwise it will backfire.” Like giving ammunition to your critics?
44:45 Now quoting Hebrews 12: “Consider Jesus, who endured such hostility from sinners.” Encouraging the audience to step back and see there’s a bigger picture than your immediate surroundings.
45:00 ”I’ll bet John got his affirmation when he saw him face to face,” says Pastor Furtick. You don’t have to speculate there, Steven. We know that the righteous will be told “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)
45:14 ”The Lord wanted me to tell you…” Again with the Holy Spirit answering machine! The Lord has already told you to proclaim his Word! You’re not doing that, so it’s hard for me to believe that he’s taking the time to speak to you personally when you’re ignoring what he’s already clearly commanded you: “Preach the Word, in season and out.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
45:40 ”Your dream is rotting in prison.” /gasp!/ Not that!
46:00 ”God can do anything in your life.”
46:07 Obligatory sports analogy. Oh my goodness. Is he going to make Jesus, our advocate, the referee challenging the ruling on the field? That’s a terrible analogy.
47:25 ”This is going to be a turning point in someone’s life right now.” Maybe so, but for the better?
47:53 ”Sometimes the official says” (after coaching audience that they need to get ready to get real loud and emotional soon “we’re going to take it through the roof in a second”.) [dramatically] “Upon… further… review… [cue sappy music] the ruling on the field is overturned.” Our situation is only hopeless because we’re looking at it from the wrong angle. Really?! That is NOT the solution for our lost condition proposed by the Bible. The truth is, we are to agree with God that it is hopeless and cry for mercy! Wow…
49:16 ”I believe the divine verdict for somebody tonight is, ‘Upon… further… review’” [music and audience getting louder and louder, and so is Pastor Furtick of course.]
49:30 Whipping up crowd. Band getting louder. Girl in band jumping up and down with arms up in the air, reminding me of high school pep rallies.
49:57 ”In His Presence, anything is possible!” Chapter? Verse? Crowd now “shouting to God with a voice of triumph.” What are they triumphing over and based on what?
50:11 Starts praying, sort of. Thanking him for all the encouragement he’s brought through the message tonight. His eyes are going in the exact same places they were when he was addressing the crowd. Who is he really talking to? Now asserting what God’s voice is telling them right now, and not quoting from God’s Word…
50:40 Wants to pray for specific people. “If you know God is speaking this message specifically to you… shoot your hand in the air and let me pray for you.” What do you want to bet these are going to get carefully counted as people making decisions for Jesus to boost those stats? And upon what are they basing their belief that God is speaking this message to them? Their gut feeling?
51:05 Making “positive confession” over the people with hands raised via recap of three points of message.
51:29 No, here’s the stats they’ll count. He told them to put their hands down and now he wants to pray for those who need a “brand new start with Jesus Christ.” I’ve heard this “gospel presentation” from Pastor Furtick before. The false gospel of the “God of the fresh start, of the second chance.”
52:00 ”Allow me the privilege me pray with you to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the gospel: that He lived the life you couldn’t live; He was sinless. He died the death you should have died.” (Wow, is he going to totally land on his feet here?) “They crucified him. The greatest agony he suffered on the cross; it was not the scourging; it was not the whip. All of that was terrible. It was the separation from his heavenly Father that he had to experience when he said, as we heard this week, ‘My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?’ When he prayed that, he was also making an announcement that because he was forsaken for you, you don’t have to be forsaken ever by your heavenly Father.”
(I have to insert here that this falls short. He did mention that Jesus was sinless but was not clear the he was forsaken because of taking our Sin upon himself and that’s why he was forsaken, because of our sin. And at this point, we don’t even know what a sin is, because the Law hasn’t been preached. As far as we know at this point, a sin is letting our dream rot in prison or not believing God is talking behind our back or something. We have no idea.)
“There’s a divine reunion, and the access to that is by faith, because here’s what happened: when he rose again on the third day (assuming the crowd knows this I guess) there’s a literal bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. It happened. He’s taken into heaven. Now he sits at the right hand of God.” (Covering the apostles creed, but I’ll bet he doesn’t get to the next part, that he will come again to judge the living and the dead.)
“His grace is available to anyone who will repent and believe. That’s it.” (Repent… from… what?! It’s like you’ve given someone the news the Governor commuted their death sentence and they didn’t even know they’d been convicted of a crime!) “To completely trust him with your life, place your faith in him.” No, placing your faith in him is not so much “trusting him with your life” as trust in His life, death and resurrection. I am not capable of perfectly trusting God with my life.
“By Grace you are Saved” (Pulled from context) “If you know you are not in a right relationship with the Lord tonight…” How would they know that? Y’all have done everything there at C3 to make sure that they feel “in tune with God” complete with altered state of consciousness that probably results from the loud repetitive music and rhythmic mantras Furtick cheered from the stage.
Gives instructions for magic prayer to bring them in right relationship with God, of course with “heads bowed, eyes closed” or the prayer won’t work I guess because that’s always part of the procedure. Instructing everyone to pray it out loud together, I guess so those who really need to pray it won’t be embarrassed or so maybe someone will accidentally get saved. Says this prayer will cause them to saved and cleansed and forgiven if they want to give their lives to Jesus Christ. Problem, the Bible says Jesus gave his life for us, not the other way around. And… Salvation, cleansing and forgiveness come, according to God’s Word, from baptism, receiving his body and blood through the Lord’s Supper, and through the proclamation of the gospel:
Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins…” (Acts 22:16)
“For this is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… (Romans 1:16)
54:00 Steven Furtick’s “Sinner’s Prayer”: “Heavenly Father, I come to you now. I confess that I’m a sinner. I need a Savior. I believe you died for me Jesus. I confess you rose again. I ask you now to give me new life. Change my heart. I want to follow you. I want to be like you.”
55:00 Asking crowd to shoot their hand in the air on the count of three (while eyes are still closed) to say they prayed that prayer. Saying he’s not trying to emotionally manipulate. Asks those with hands up to come forward to… altar? There’s an altar? I just see a stage. No manipulation? Furtick keeps prompting and flattering those who come forward for their boldness and the music is continuing to swell.
56:00 ”Come on, come on, run to this altar! Run to Jesus!”
57:05 Starts addressing people who have come forward regarding their “decision” and picks up Bible and tucks under arm. Interesting. Maybe he is just preparing for his exit of the stage. But he takes his Bible. Where’s his tablet he was using? I think that’s still on stage.
58:25 ”Repeat after me: I am a new creation in Jesus Christ; I am a new Creation in Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!” /band swells again/
58:38 Phil Pringle back on stage. Praying for God to fill everyone with the Holy Spirit and with peace and to let them have “an experience that is undeniable”. Yeah, they’ll at least have an experience. And we know that these guys teach you that no one can argue with your “experience”. Pastor Phil doing the thing with the low-talking, forcing everyone’s attention to be fixed on him because they have to strain to hear. Getting ready for a big crescendo. Keeps throwing out buzz words in rhythmic, mesmerizing way:
“Holy Spirit… the Anointing… Power of God from on High… Fills hearts…. And Changes worlds… in Jesus’ name” You can feel… yourself getting… sleepy and… very suggestible. Then says gently, “Hey guys, look this way.” (Still in gentle tone) This totally reminds me of when a hypnotist transitions from bringing the person into the altered state of consciousness to carefully placing whatever suggestion is needed. It will be very interesting to see what Phil Pringle chooses to say next:
Fixed his attention on a particular teen crying next to stage and asking, still rhythmically, why he’s crying. He just wants to be happy. He starts naming, still rhythmically, all the people that are near the stage that love him and that “we all love you. You matter more than you think.” Again addressing another teen. Boy this guy is good. I am mesmerized and I can’t stand the guy.
1:00 Phil Pringle starts singing Beatle’s song for no reason whatsoever, other than the kid saying he’s 17 and the age mentioned in the Beatle’s song is 17. Again, with a soft mesmerizing voice. Then talks to another teen. Why is he picking all the teens? Is that all that came forward? Telling him to stick to his decision, don’t let his friends drag him of. “You’re strong. A very powerful young man.” Mesmerizing, mesmerizing. I’m blissed out just listening to this. The dude freaks me out. How many more minutes of this? I might be catching a plane to Sidney if I’m not careful. Won’t bore you, more of the same. Only addresses the young people that came forward. “Do you feel different after praying that prayer? How do you feel? You feel incredible?! There’s a cartoon called The Incredibles, isn’t there?” How hip and relevant for you to know that, Phil. “They’re powerful. You’re more powerful.” And this imitator of C.S. Lewis’ green witch continued to mesmerize them. We need the stench of Puddleglum’s burning flesh to wake us up here. Wow.
Now flattering a 12-year-old saying he thought he was 18. “Are you a good boy? … Isn’t that nice… you look like a good boy. God’s proud of you. He’s very happy you’re out here tonight.” Wow. He’s now telling them about the “born-again motor” that’s been put inside of them to empower them to do all the things that God wants them to do. Wow, that’s a new one. Haven’t heard that one before.
1:05:25 Fail! Phil Pringle just calls one of his staff members by the wrong name when he calls her up on stage to tell everyone up front to follow her out. Then spends time flattering her to make up for the fact that he forgot her name. She seems to swallow it, laps it up. Ugh!
1:07:15 Band whipping things up again. Crowd goes while. Phil thanks crowd and tells them they’re “stellar”. He pauses before “stellar” because he probably wants to avoid “brilliant” since Steven Furtick so perceptively pointed out that that word has little meaning in Australia. So he pauses before “amazing” too. Probably a little irritated that Steven narrowed his already limited vocabulary of flattery, which he’s doing now, continuing to flatter the crowd. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Just announced a painting (found out later Phil Pringle is selling his own paintings. People ting they’re anointed or something.) is up to $30,000 (silent auction?), announced by Laura. Nice. So glad y’all are making even more money than you’ve already raked in tonight. Talking up next year’s conference, register now. Brags about 21-day fast they went on before this conference.
Okay, gladly that’s all. But I should insert one last disturbing note. I was informed by my friend Mr. Jake Elliot that this particular sermon was actually the bright spot in the whole conference. It was downright orthodox in comparison with what the other speakers put out there the rest of the week. And here is the Pooh Bear Clip I promised. I couldn’t help but be thinking of this particular clip and wondering if this is more where Steven Furtick got the inspiration for this sermon, more so than the Bible.
Chris Rosebrough has once again hit the airwaves on ‘Pirate Christian Radio’, slamming the behaviour of Phil Pringle and Steven Furtick at Presence Conference 2012. Listen to him at ‘Fighting For The Faith’ to critique Steven Furtick pulpit pimping at Presence Conference (12/04/2012) below:
• LCMS Seminary Prof Promotes Lectio Divina
• The Church’s Most Dangerous Enemies
• Steven Furtick Prosperity Pimps for Phil Pringle at Presence 2012
• Good Easter Sermon by Jonathan Hunt
Rosebrough states at the beginning of his program,
“… I’m going to be playing the audio from a video segment where they are- where Phil Pringle is basically getting people geared up to give for a miracle offering. Give money and you’ll receive a miracle. It’s – I mean it is- so, so blatantly obvious and just terrible as to how they are, you know, fleecing the people attending the Presence Conference! And using God as the pretense for it. It’s- it’s- uh-ah-ih- I don’t even want to say it borders on criminal. I think it’s flat-out criminal. I can’t see that this is not a crime in the Kingdom of God, what these men are doing. Steven Furtick and Phil Pringle, both.” – Chris Rosebrough, Fighting For The Faith, http://004f597.netsolhost.com/fftf/F4F041312.mp3, (8:20), 13/04/2012.
When Furtick says at 28:25 on Rosebrough’s show, that Elisha tells the widow in 2Kings 4 to give, Rosebrough responded,
“No! Elisha did NOT tell her to give. Not one red cent. He just lied and blasphemed the name of the one-true God by mis-using his Word, to pimp this people for money.” – Chris Rosebrough, Fighting For The Faith, http://004f597.netsolhost.com/fftf/F4F041312.mp3, (48:30), 13/04/2012.
Rosebrough correctly points out that Elisha asked the woman what was in her house. She said she had the oil. But Rosebrough points that she never gave that oil to Elisha. Instead he instructs her to keep the oil, get large containers and start filling. She was blessed with a miracle. A gift of grace. She did not give to get.
Rosebrough makes this claim about Steven Furtick,
“Steven Furtick is prosperity pimping here, priming the financial pump for Phil Pringle and the Presence Conference. And he’s doing it by mangling God’s Word.” – Chris Rosebrough, Fighting For The Faith, http://004f597.netsolhost.com/fftf/F4F041312.mp3, (46:48), 13/04/2012.
In critiquing Steven Furtick’s offering talk, Chris Rosebrough stated that Furtick’s talk was “unbelievable” and “just blasphemy” (50:00),
Rosebrough picked up on something Furtick said and re-quoted him saying,
“Did you hear that sentence? “I’ve got many things from God that money can’t buy but it started with what I had.” Money. BUY-YOUR-MIRACLE. This isn’t Christianity. This isn’t God, the Holy Spirit speaking through Steven Furtick. That’s a different spirit.” – Chris Rosebrough, Fighting For The Faith, http://004f597.netsolhost.com/fftf/F4F041312.mp3, (53:40), 13/04/2012.
Chris continued and critiqued Christian McCudden, the C3 worship band and the miracle offering promo. Rosebrough exposed the scam of this as it played and summarised the event saying,
“Steven Furtick has turned into a full-blown prosperity pimp, twisting God’s word and priming you know people to give large amounts of money. He’s a now a studious student of the a prosperity pimp, known as Phil Pringle down there in Australia. This is not Christianity. You can’t buy miracles from God. In fact, scripture talks specifically about those who would try to buy miracles from God.” – Chris Rosebrough, Fighting For The Faith, http://004f597.netsolhost.com/fftf/F4F041312.mp3, (1:03:52), 13/04/2012.
Chris Rosebrough highlights that Acts 8:4-24 deals with a similar issue with the C3 Presence Conference 2012. The point of Simon trying to buy the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit from Peter results in Rosebrough stating,
“These people think that they can BUY God’s gifts. Buy. BUY! Purchase God’s miracles. And what’s happened here is that Phil Pringle and Kong Hee and John Bevere and Steven Furtick- well they’ve turned themselves into- well, miracle men who can perform miracles or give miracles for a price. Just give money to them and God will somehow will be impressed. And they can purchase these wonderful gifts of God. God’s mercies and promises can’t be purchased. It shows that, well, Steven Furtick ‘n Kong Hee ‘n Phil Pringle… Well, they’re no different- NO different than Simon the Sorcerer. In fact, I think Peter’s words to Simon the Sorcerer apply perfectly to men like Phil Pringle, Steven Furtick and Kong Hee: “May your silver perish with you because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money. You have neither part nor lot in this matter for your heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord if possible the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity”. That’s right. That’s right – it applies.” – Chris Rosebrough, Fighting For The Faith, http://004f597.netsolhost.com/fftf/F4F041312.mp3, (1:06:45), 13/04/2012.
Some may make the claim, “Who is Chris Rosebrough to make such a claim against such men?” Chris Rosebrough has stated that he will be reviewing the Presence Conference. At the end of his review, we encourage those judging Chris Rosebrough (who criticised these preachers), to consider these questions:
1.Who has proven to be worthy in handling the teachings of God correctly?
2.Who represents the counsel and person of our Lord Jesus accurately?
3.Who then should have a higher or more respected position to judge rightly and correctly?
So far, Pringle unfortunately has proven again and again incompetence in handling God’s Word on C3ChurchWatch (please browse the archives).
Unfortunately, Kong Hee, Steven Furtick, Phil Pringle and John Bevere have disqualified themselves as teachers of Jesus Christ with their dishonesty, bad conduct, bad teaching methods and woeful scripture handling.
If you feel lead, please pray for the C3 Church Movement and the speakers at this Presence Conference. Please also pray for the victims who may have suffered from this ungodly teaching.
Let the preacher do the talking. We were gob-smacked.
Didn’t people realise Pringle was talking about THEM in his meetings in services like they were in? It was THEM that triggered him to talk about how to manipulate people. (Emphasis mine.)
“You know every meeting I’ve been in, THIS PRESENCE. Like, you guys are at a whole new level. There’s no doubt about it. When we’re looking for extra seats in the night meetings. . . And everybody’s like hair-triggered excited. You go to another level of thirst. Suddenly, THE THIRST OF THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU GETS TO YOU. Now I want to tell you something…” – Phil Pringle, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21UnCWm7eO0&feature=player_detailpage#t=9s, 13/04/2012.
This article will look at the Presence Conference 2012 speaker line-up at the Presence Conference website (Phil Pringle, Steven Furtick, Kong Hee, John Bevere). Consider this article as a platter of resources, that can allow people to look at the speakers themselves.
We regret writing so harshly on the speakers. However, the purpose of this article is to warn Christians in love about these men and the dangers of the Presence Conference 2012. Unfortunately, every invited speaker has revealed they are both heretical and dishonest to say the least.
PHIL PRINGLE
Pringle says on his Presence Conference website,
“BE CLEANSED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AND LET A POWER COME UPON YOU THAT WILL CHANGE THIS WORLD”
You will never forget a Presence Conference with Phil Pringle. His sessions on miracles, anointing, vision and freedom are life changing. Phil is the author of 10 books, a speaker, television host, successful artist and President of C3 Global, an international network of nearly 400 churches. He is the Senior Minister of one of Australia’s fastest growing churches, C3 Church and he has spent over 30 years pastoring and equiping hundreds of ministers to plant churches around the world. Phil has seen powerful moves of God and the glory of God filling the atmosphere.
We have made it clear in the past that Phil Pringle is a prosperity preacher and connected to the heretic Kenneth Copeland.
Just like famous heretics Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Hagin, Jess Duplantis, Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland (ministers Pringle likes to be associated with), Pringle also teaches that Jesus went to hell and suggests that Jesus lost his divinity on the cross.
Pringle also manipulates church statistics and words to convince people he is a legitimate Christian minister and to convince Christians to give him money. He’s also convinced people he has churches that aren’t even part of C3 yet and worse – don’t even exist.
He’s made claims that he oversees 1,200 C3 churches or around 500 C3 churches. His website still says he runs 258 churches or oversees around 300. The above blurb says he now has 400 churches. Is Phil Pringle lying to convince anyone to come to his Presence 2012 Conference? You decide.
… and have observed Pringle using the church as a business tool to sell his paintings and merchandise (more will be written about this). He also reveals his motivation to get other Christians and their churches to join his movement.
Finally, we have faithfully demonstrated his ability to twist words and scriptures to convince Christians to BUY their miracles from God at His miracle offerings.
In his own words, Christians must “distrust those who flatter us” as he continually markets and flatters vulnerable Christians be involved in his Presence Conference 2012.
One has to wonder not only what he will preach on this year but what type of speakers he has invited to his conference this year.
STEVEN FURTICK
The C3 Website has a photo of Steven Furtick with a quote next to his face. How can Furtick supposedly state “There is a lost, hurting, broken dying, desperate, sorry world without Christ”, when he himself abuses Christians, sensors the gospel and elevates himself to some type of messianic figure?
If Steve Furtick is indeed saying this, he needs to explain his track record of bad behaviour and appalling teaching. Why does he openly condemn Christians who want to know Jesus? Why did he sensor the gospel at his 2012 Code Orange Revival?
If Christ is so important, then why does he say the church is the answer and not Christ? If the church is the answer, then why does he say that his church is not for people who want to know Jesus? Why was he hostile against the gospel at his revival by sensoring it? If Christ is important at all, why did Furtick cheer Perry Noble on for promoting him as Messiah?
It’s disturbing that Phil Pringle is STILL endorsing Steve Furtick to give him the platform to thousands of Australian Christians. Long-term critic of Steve Furtick, Chris Rosebrough has labeled Steve Furtick and Elevation Church a cult.
Rosebrough also received a personal letter from a member of Steve Furtick’s Elevation Church. They seem to agree with Rosebrough’s assessmnet of Furtick’s church.
After examining the articles that C3ChurchWtach have written, it becomes quite apparent that Furtick is not telling the truth. If you examine the evidence that Rosebrough puts before you, it’s easy to come to the same conclusion – Steve Furtick is not a truthful minister. In fact, it is safe to say that Steven Furtick is creating a
KONG HEE
It should be made known that Kong Hee has been exposed in his country as an alleged plagiarist. This was the blog that exposed Kong Hee,
As ‘Transitioning’ points out, Kong Hee’s publisher has many loopholes in their explanation and says Kong Hee’s “alleged plagiarism issue is no big deal now compared to the CAD probe into CHC’s financial affairs”. This latter issue still seems to be ongoing, Phil Pringle helping in KH’s effort to support his ministry.
In spite of all this, the people Kong Hee endorses are issues themselves (Steve Munsey, John Avanzini, Yonngi Cho, etc).
His use of scripture in his sermons are manipulative and misleading at best, sprinkled with heresy, pagan philosophies and vain imaginings. Kong Hee has proven to be a faithful disciple under Pringle’s prophetic direction and is just as ruthless exploiting those in his church that are unemployed like Pringle.
With this background knowledge, why is Phil Pringle inviting the cult-like leader Kong Hee to speak at this years Presence Conference? He is not faithful to scripture, faithful to the church, faithful to the poor or faithful to the community. Hee is continually misrepresenting Jesus for worldly reasons.
This brings up an important issue regarding Hee’s wife. Kong Hee loves his wife Sun Hee (and fellow pastor at his church).
After much deliberation on what to write about Sun Hee we’ve finally concluded that you can decide for yourself by watching her music video ‘China Wine’. (She is the female singer of this video clip (00:20).)
(Edit 18/04/2012: Kong Hee justified his wife’s role and played down the intelligence of pastors who criticised them both:
“I think the struggle many pastors have is the difficulty to separate her association with me (as a pastor’ wife) and her career as a singer. I agree that if she is a “pastor” or “preacher,” perhaps the video would have been inappropriate. But Sun is not a pastor…
Some [Pastors] said she was promoting free sex and immorality. But any intelligent, objective viewer would know that the whole drama is not about sex; if anything, it portrays the reality of a fallen secular world…”
After examining Kong Hee, his wife and his controversial ministry, one must ask: What kind of message will Kong Hee bring to Presence Conference?
JOHN BEVERE
C3 seems to suggest that Bevere said, “We need men and women who will speak the word of his grace. The word of his power and bring change.” They also mention his books,
“(The Bait of Satan, Drawing Near, Driven by Eternity, The Fear of the Lord and others)”
It’s odd they didn’t mention this ‘grace’ preachers book, “Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing” (2007). The book title says it all; how can you attract (earn) the favor (grace) of God on your life? It’s odd he says we need men and women who “speak the word of his grace” but promotes the exact opposite in his mentioned book.
We’ve discussed Bevere’s doctrine of tithing and his belief that if you submit to leaders like himself, God will make you rich and receive double portions of God’s Spirit. Read it here:
While it is good to biblically submit to Godly authorities, Bevere confuses it and delivers a burden-binding ‘gospel’ message. While his book seems to promote a lot of truth, there are concerns that should be bought to light on his false gospel of salvation-by-submission.
To preach the message of the gospel is the central mission of the church for all people to hear and know about Christ crucified. If anything contrary is added to the gospel or any truth taken away from it, then one must question the legitimate authority of that teacher, prophet or shepherd.
But we can safely say the hidden gnostic principle on ‘honor’, (John Bevere says he has discovered), has made him deviate from the central gospel of salvation.
“I didn’t understand the honor principle. I was in the process of learning. Now I want everyone to know!” – John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 37.
To make matters worse, Bevere reveals he is a word of faith teacher by stating On page 102,
“Simply put, the promises of God are not automatic; they must be acquired by faith.” – John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 102.
What else are we meant to gain if Christ has already “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing” (Eph 1:3)? What else are we to acquire if we are told to “count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:8). What are we to gain that we haven’t gained already?
We will see Bevere is promoting himself, his authority and his gospel of works-by-faith. Paul, in imitating Christ’s authoritative nature (Philippians 2:5-11), uses his Godly apostolic authority in this way towards the Thessalonians (emphasis mine).
“… Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority” Thes 2:6
And as Jesus said (our highest authority),
“Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me.” John 8:54
A quick reading of John Bevere’s book gives a strong impression that Bevere is lacking in humility and loves to be recognised by the world (pg. 34-35, 36, 45). He’s bold enough to claim,
“I learned that day it had nothing to do with me but how I am received as one sent by God. The prisoners valued, honored, esteemed me. The church members said with their body language, “We’ve heard it all. We’ve heard it all. We’ve heard many guest ministers; what do you have to say that’s any different?” The vast difference of results stemmed from one word-honor.” – John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 38.
So Bevere likes to be honored. Like this?
“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,” Luke 20:46
His message through out the book is that God CANNOT bless or favour you unless you earn it through submitting to leaders like himself. Convinced about his faith-by-works message, Bevere shows hostility to Christians who do not submit to church leaders. He attacks biblical reason by convincing Christians that they,”are a people trying to understand Kingdom principles with a democratic mindset.” (Pg. 44.) In saying that the democratic mindset is the problem, he leads us to believe that the honor principle, (which he believes is the key kingdom principle), is the solution to earning God’s grace and blessing. (That’s what this whole book is about.)
“The kingdom of God is not a democracy. So if we relate to God with a democratic mindset we will not connect with Him. We will be without the protection of His authority and can be easily misled. Could this be why Jesus said so many in our generation would be deceived?” – John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 44.
He is saying that the kingdom of God is not characterised by equality. Furthermore, if we relate to God with a mindset of being equal with one another or approach the kingdom of God with a democratic mindset, Bevere says we cannot connect with God. What is the alternative of being democratic that Bevere is insinuating? Dictatorship? Thou-shalt-not-question-me?
Has Bevere not read Paul say the following?
“On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” 1Corinthians 12:22-25
Bevere is also insinuating that Jesus says that many will be deceived by this faulty democratic thinking in regards to the kingdom of God.
No John. People become deceived by following false teachers, leaders and self-proclaiming prophets (pg. 37) like yourself with your false gospel of works. The gospel saves the simpleton. And Christ is the protector of His disciples (John 17:12) and the guardian and true shepherd of His sheep (Psalm 23, John 10). Those who don’t want Jesus chase after false ministers like yourself.
Observe how prejudice and hostile Bevere gets towards Christians who prefer house churches,
“This Western mind-set is the cause for most church splits in America, and why so many people are resorting to home churches. These professing believers do not want to be under the authority established by Jesus Christ Himself.” – John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 45.
Professing believers? Why is he implying they are not under the authority and lordship of Jesus Himself, or even saved? Why is he alluding to them being the ones causing division? Is Bevere not acting as judge concerning trivial things (Colossians 2).
Only those who do no Only those peddling a false gospel with false doctrines based on the traditions of men are causing division. Bevere claims “They lack true New Testament government and accountability” (pg. 45). New Testament government? Like a dictatorship? After all, he’s not teaching about a kingdom based on 1 Corinthians 12. His attack on Christians continue,
“… you find many believers who have been hurt or offended and are therefore disillusioned with church structure. They’ve resorted to home churches in order to live without accountability.” – John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 45.
The proof of his false teaching is constant throughout his book, deviating from scripture and replacing words in scripture with the word ‘honor’ to support the teachings in his book. (eg. replacing words like blessing, time, praise, esteem, submit with honor). This is not how you treat the teachings of God. This ‘man of grace’ starts attacking the gospel of grace. Bevere says,
“There are three benefits for honoring these [abusive] leaders. First, if treated unfairly, our obedience to submit puts our case in the hands of God who will judge justly (see Pet. 2:21-23). If we take matters into our own hands, God steps back and we are on our own, a miserable place to be.” – John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 58.
What does he mean if we react to bad leadership that “God steps back and we are on our own”? What do we do if we are obedient to bad leadership? Why should we be called to submit to bad leadership? Bevere explains,
“Why are we called to do this? To position ourselves to receive a blessing (reward). So when you are mistreated, especially by someone in authority, you can get very excited because you are being set up for a reward.” – John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 58.
Once again, aren’t we already blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ? If we aren’t seeking this blessing in submission, does that mean we are not saved? Is Bevere implying we can lose our salvation since he blurs the lines, scriptures, definitions and contexts? If anyone critiques Bevere or has issues with him speaking at Presence Conference (or any leader speaking at the event), would he even consider them Christian or saved? Bevere makes this claim,
“If you are truly born of the Spirit of God, you will recognize and esteem authority. In fact, show me a person who has no regard for authority and I will show you a person who is not a child of God. It doesn’t matter if he’s prayed the sinner’s prayer and goes to church weekly. He who has no honor in his heart is not saved.” – John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 46.
We can conclude that people who suffer from Oppositional Defiance Disorder cannot ever be saved according to Bevere. However we can agree with Bevere on this.
“There is only one time-I repeat, one time-the bible tells us not to obey an authority; and that is when authority tells us to sin (do something contrary to the written Word of God.” – John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 46.
The issue now is who’s authority we need to submit too; Bevere’s authority or God’s authority? Is Bevere confused or is he enticing us to sin by following a gospel contrary to the one the Apostles preached? The bible teaches us that Satan is the god of this age and even he has authority. Wouldn’t that make those who come under his authority false prophets? False teachers? Perverters of God’s Word? Many will claim to come with an authority and a message of authority. But who is teaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ? The point we’re trying to make is the same point Paul makes.
“… even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” Galatians 1:8-9
To imply Bevere wants to see “men and women who will speak the word of his grace” while promoting a different gospel that damns is clearly hypocritical as his ‘honour principle’ is a different gospel (different message). It was Paul that placed an anathema on those who preached a false gospel like the works-based gospel of the false teachers back in the Galatian province. We suggest any reader takes Bevere’s advice and “not… obey [Bevere’s] authority.” How can his authority cannot be from God if Bevere is not honestly representing the God of the bible?
Just like Phil Pringle, Steven Furtick and Kong Hee, John Bevere is another dishonest minister speaking into the lives of thousands of Christians at Phil Pringle’s Presence Conference 2012.
“… we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:14
Pringle says in his below advert to his church.
“Above all I feel that it’s really important to feed his sheep. And the food for God’s flock is the Word of God. It’s not my thoughts or anything else. It’s the scriptures being brought to life. And that feeds God’s people and builds the church. I think most of the discipling processes, most of the growing processes, most of God speaking to people, etc. even supernatural ministry, can take place through the preaching of God’s Word.” – Phil Pringle, SUNDAY NIGHT CHURCH // DOORS OPEN 5.30pm , Youtube,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZILrlQNqMw, Uploaded by CCCOF on Dec 6, 2011.
It is clear that he is either double-minded on this issue or lying.
Pringle says this truth:
“… if we find ourselves trying to find Scriptures to validate pet theories we are attracted to, we may compromise the power of the Gospel… This approach to Scripture is dangerous. It is a bag of mixed seed.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 213.
However, Pringle promotes that he and others should preach a bag of mixed seed.
“What we preach is what we get. We are farmers sowing seed. If we are unhappy with the harvest we’re reaping, we should sow different seed. If we want different results, we preach different messages.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 215.
Pringle has made it obvious that he comes with a mindset, an agenda to get what he wants from his congregation. From knowing he has an agenda, it is right to conclude that sometimes Pringle, “feeds God’s people” to get what he wants from them. This is manipulation. And Pringle will tell you,
“I don’t approach Sundays with an attitude of, “What message shall I preach?” but rather, “What do we want to achieve in our church at this time?” That desired end result determines what and how I preach. Then, within the particular message, I ask myself, “What am I trying to achieve here? What one thing am I attempting to say? What do I want these people to have or do at the end of this time?’
Then I follow the plan.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, pg. 234.
In other words, he doesn’t trust the bible. He doesn’t trust the Word of God enough to open it and just let the text speak for itself. Pringle says,
“Words and deeds are seeds we sow. As a leader I soften the soil (the hearts) of the people I lead. I remove weeds and pests from the young plant. I arrange the weather, warm, sunny, watery encouragement. Then I harvest the crop fully grown.” – Phil Pringle, The Leadership Files Vol 2, File 38. Seeds, 2002.
In the above quotes, Pringle says it is HIMSELF that preaches. It is him who gives what he wants to get people to do what he wants. How can he say in the video, “And the food for God’s flock is the Word of God. It’s not my thoughts or anything else. It’s the scriptures being brought to life”?
It get’s worse, as Pringle says,
“Often I haven’t even got any idea at all what I’m going to talk about cos I spend most my week gearing up for Sunday morning… So I leave myself kind of free for whatever the Lord wants to lay on my heart for Sunday night.” – Phil Pringle, Your Best Life: 11:05-12:10, 31/01/2009.
With that in mind, the entire video comes across like a facade than an actual portrayal of how Pringle prepares many of his sermons. This is hypocrisy. Jesus said,
“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” – Matthew 6:2
In calling the religious leaders hypokritēs, (ὑποκριτής), Jesus is calling them the “actor, stage player, a dissembler, pretender”. This is exactly how Pringle is behaving in this instance in the above video. He is acting. He is pretending. This isn’t humility. This isn’t honesty. He has the stage. He has got his show.
It should be clear that Pringle:
1. Does not feed his sheep.
2. Preaches messages that are based on his own vain philosophies.
3. Does not rely on the Word of God to disciple Christians and grow Christians.
4. Does not rely on the Word of God to speak to Christians.
Sadly, he has continually demonstrated his ability to mangle and pervert the teachings of God for his own gain. Pringle has a track record of being biblically incompetent. The article below is continually being updated on C3’s bad handling of the bible:
“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Matt 13:22
Josh Kelsey tweets a quote of Pringle,
“”The cross is enough.” @philpringle preaching life into #C3 America pastors.”
If Pringle believed this, why is he bringing Steve Furtick to preach at his Presence Conference 2012? It was Steve Furtick who had issues with Matt Chandler for preaching the correction and the cross.
Why does Pringle hardly preach the cross? Why does he preach more on money and financial miracles, anointings and blessings as a means to obtain Godliness? If “The cross is enough” C3 shouldn’t be saying,
‘“We couldn’t think of anyone better to speak on raising money than our very own Ps Phil Pringle.” – vision2020kl, Smells Like Team Spirit!, http://twitpic.com/5elp15, image modified 21/06/2011 3:28:26PM. (Accessed 22/06/2011)
Pringle advertised over two weeks ago the following (emphasis mine):
“Hey Jurgs and Leanne and the mighty C3 church in San Diego. I can’t wait to be with you on the eleventh and the twelfth of February. We’re gonna have such a fantastic weekend. I’m so excited to be with you, to be in that atmosphere of that mighty church again and to feel all the incredible amazing things that God is doing amongst you. I can’t wait to be bringing the Word of God. I’ve got such a word burning in my heart for our church and for our churches throughout this coming year. And I know that God is going to touch you individually, in your family and in every area of your life, just through a fresh impartation and connection with the power of God over this weekend. So really, make sure you bring all your family and all your friends for a great family blessing, for a great impartation to your finances and into your business and into your market place ministry. I know that this year, C3 San Diego has gone over another threshold into a whole new area of blessing, of being blessed and being a blessing right there in America and throughout the world. I’m believing with you for one of the most incredible weekends we’ve ever had. See you soon! God bless you.” – Phil Pringle, http://www.twitvid.com/KKGF4. (Accessed 16/02/2012.)
If the cross is enough, then why does Philip Pringle focus on this “great impartation” on peoples “finances” and their businesses? Why does he focus on perishable worldly things that never satisfy?
A preacher is meant to go to a church to preach the cross, encouraging Christians to bring their unsaved family and friends. This is so that unbelievers may come to know Jesus. This is not what Pringle has faithfully demonstrated in both his words or actions.
In fact, Pringle seems to go against the teachings of Jesus, proving to be a thorn, choking the gospel that he says he preaches.
C3 Church Watch 