The Prophet, the 'God' and the Heretic
The story is all too common
by Bud Press, Director
Christian Research Service
May 19, 2010
As the story goes, a man studies the writings of popular modern-day prophets, watches their shows on TV, attends their crusades, and mimics their methods. Behind the scenes, the man is groomed and conditioned to carry on the promises of financial prosperity, healing, and prophetic declarations to anyone who would lend an ear. In time, the man would step into the public eye and claim to be a prophet of God.
Thousands come from far and near to see the prophet, standing outside for hours in the rain, heat, and cold. Once inside, they rush to purchase the prophet's DVDs, CDs, shiny trinkets, and autographed books and photos.
Afterwards, they push and shove their way into the auditorium, where the atmosphere is electrically-charged with noise and excitement.
The choir bellows soul-stirring songs through huge amplifiers positioned front and rear of the building. Giant TV screens border each side of the stage.
Assistants and medical personnel stand ready on the main floor. Hurried hearts pound with emotion and anticipation. Restless and tear-filled eyes focus on center-stage, awaiting the prophet's entrance.
Unmoved by the commotion and fanfare, the prophet's bodyguards, catchers, and VIPs file aimlessly from the rear of the stage and take their seats.
But where is the prophet? the crowd wonders.
On cue, the prophet boldly struts to center-stage, groomed and manicured from head to toe, strong-willed and brimming with king-like charm and poise. Shouting and ear-deafening applause fills the auditorium. The prophet grins and prances back-and-forth across his stage, commanding the attention of all, then stops. He lifts his hands high and shouts to announce the grand entrance of a powerful healing presence in the building.
Upon the prophet's command, hundreds rush the stage to claim their healing, to possess a morsel of the prophet's anointing, and to submerge their hearts and minds in the prophet's authority and influence.
Under close scrutiny from the prophet's medical staff, the sick and dying stand in line waiting, hoping to be examined and judged worthy of being chosen to appear in the prophet's presence.
Hundreds come, but few are chosen.
Those who are approved, those who look and sound legitimate, will be used to motivate and stimulate the audience. They anxiously await their turn to gaze into the prophet's eyes, and to be seen and touched by the prophet. When their moment finally arrives, their minds go blank, their bodies go limp, they feel the bolts of electricity surge through their bodies.
And with a breath from the prophet's mouth or wave of his hand, they fall backwards to the stage floor, some softly, others violently, shaking out of control, as if manipulated on strings dangling from a giant, invisible puppeteer.
It is then when the sick and dying are under the prophet's complete control. Eventually, when the adrenalin subsides, when the consuming euphoria fades away, the torment of reality sets in, and the sick and dying depart the crusade in the same manner they arrived...sick and dying.
The story is all too common, but in a different time, and with a different face.
The 'Young' and the 'Master'
You may have seen him on-stage with Benny Hinn, prophesying over people, revealing their innermost thoughts, and pronouncing people healed through his prophetic words. He is Yakim Manasseh Jordan, son of E. (Elijah) Bernard Jordan, the new kid on the hyper-Charismatic block, and rising star within the Word of Faith movement ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkSbORdeZhg ).
Benny Hinn's friendship with E. Bernard Jordan dates back prior to Manasseh Jordan's birth in 1990. At the beginning of a YouTube video titled, Benny Hinn with Manasseh, Prophesying & Healing (2), Hinn claims that E. Bernard Jordan prophesied the birth of Benny Hinn's son, Joshua. In turn, Hinn claims to have prophesied the birth of Manasseh Jordan, by name, to E. Bernard Jordan's wife, Debra ( http://tinyurl.com/24e6lgh ).
Billed in his earlier years as the "Young Prophet," Manasseh Jordan "...began ministering at the tender age of eight and carries with him the quintessence of hope, healing and restoration that is bestowed upon the lives of those he touches" ("About The Prophet," http://tinyurl.com/3x99yc6 ). Continuing,
Over the next several years, he knew then that God had a much BIGGER plan for his life. So he went through extensive and intensive training under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and his father Bishop E Bernard Jordan, for the express purpose of understanding the
prophetic office and ministry. This training has enabled him to move in the realm of accurate prophetic ministry. [Ibid., emp. added]
Part of that "extensive and intensive training" Manasseh received resulted in his being promoted to "Neophyte" in his father's "Prophetic Order of Mar Elijah," ( http://prophetmanassehjordan.blogspot.com/ ). According to E. Bernard Jordan's website, it was 1997 when,
...God began a new thing in the life of Bishop Mar Elijah Bernard Jordan. God gave him a burden to raise up 300 Prophets (termed "Neophytes") before the turn of the New Millennium. Hence, the Prophetic Order of Mar Elijah was born, and 300 Prophets-in-training called "Neophytes" would become the foundation stones.
Mar Elijah flows with the wisdom and insight of the prophet Daniel, of whom the Bible says understood all the sciences. In their time and season, Moses and Joseph also understood the prophetic sciences of their day, enabling them to overcome their obstacles. The Neophytes under The Prophetic Order of Mar Elijah are trained not only to hear the voice of God and articulate it accurately, but are taught scientific ways of mind renewal and development using the Word of God and proven technique sciences. ["About Bishop Jordan," http://tinyurl.com/yb4hkta ]
E. Bernard Jordan, who answers to "His Grace" and "Master Prophet," claims that "He is not one just to give information, but he is also known to create miracles and circumvent events merely by the power of his speech!" (Ibid., http://www.bishopjordan.com/who_we_are/about_jordan.htm ).
But what E. Bernard Jordan truly believes about himself can be summed up in one sentence and one paragraph from his 2006 book, The Laws of Thinking: 20 Secrets to Using the Divine Power of Your Mind to Manifest Prosperity:
WHEN YOU DECLARE 'I AM,' YOU BECOME GOD. [p. 2]
I learned much about my faith and the words of the Lord at the feet of the great Reverend Ike, who was and is as charismatic a man as ever stepped to the front of a church. Rev. Ike understood the paradox of man being god. Once, a parishioner, taken aback by what he saw as Rev. Ike's ego, said, "Reverend Ike thinks he's God!" And Rev. Ike turned and shouted, "No! God thinks He is me!" That's a perfect comeback, but also a perfect message. The idea that there is any separation between you and God is patently false. You are God's expression. He cannot exist on this plane without you. That is why you were created. As the son is the expression of the father, you are the expression of God. You are the same. [Hay House Publishers, Inc., p. 30, emp. added, book on file]
History is filled with men who have claimed to be "God," and the late Rev. Ike (Frederick Eikerenkoetter), was no exception. He believed he was "God," and was also E. Bernard Jordan's mentor.
Furthermore, beginning at 1:32 into a YouTube video titled, Rev. Ike: "You'd better sit down for this one!" Rev. Ike quotes a portion of Isaiah 45:6, applies it to himself, and leaves no doubt as to his belief in his own divinity:
The mark is the absolute realization--I am God! And there is none beside me. It is absolute self-conscious oneness with God. Oh my goodness, such heresy. [ http://tinyurl.com/2875eue ]
Isaiah 45:6 in the King James Version reads: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Rev. Ike's claim to be "God" goes well beyond his sarcastic heresy, it slams head-first into putrid blasphemy of the very God Who gave him life and breath. Yet, his followers laughed and shouted their approval, including E. Bernard Jordan who, at 2:16 into the video, is seen sitting on stage wearing a white clerical collar and gold button on his chest ( http://tinyurl.com/2875eue ).
E. Bernard Jordan sat "at the feet of the great Reverend Ike." Manasseh Jordan "went through extensive and intensive training under" E. Bernard Jordan's leadership. And now,
Through his speaking engagements, both nationally and internationally, Prophet Manasseh reveals phenomenal insight into the universal truths of God. People all over the world have been brought to the sacred truth that they are not victims in life. This whirlwind success is a direct product of the energy and ingenuity of the ambitiously motivated speaker, prophet, CEO - and soon to be, author –Yakim Manasseh Jordan. ["About The Prophet," http://tinyurl.com/3x99yc6 ]
Men and women who claim to be a "god" or "God" are preoccupied with themselves and have an inner-desire to receive worship. Lucifer tried to make himself "like the Most High" but failed miserably and was booted out of heaven (Isaiah 14:11-15). That man can be "like God" is straight from the serpent’s lying tongue in Genesis 3:5.
God's written word puts the deity of man to rest in Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 43:10-13; Isaiah 44:8; Isaiah 45:5-6; Hosea 13:4. Furthermore:
Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me (Isaiah 44:6).
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty"
(Revelation 1:8).
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 22:13).
It can't get any plainer than that. The position of God is reserved for the Biblical Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The God of the Bible is exclusive to all man-made and self-proclaimed "gods." Jesus Christ is the risen Savior, King of kings and Lord of lords, and the only way to salvation. He is exclusive to all self-proclaimed saviors and messiahs. Christianity is exclusive to all man-made religions and belief systems.
Men and women who claim to be deity do so at their own peril.
Missing links
As mentioned above, Benny Hinn's friendship with E. Bernard Jordan dates back prior to Manasseh Jordan's birth in 1990. Because of that, one would think that the years of friendship between Hinn and the Jordan's would be enough for Hinn to link to and recommend Manasseh and E. Bernard on his Benny Hinn Ministries website (especially Manasseh, since he is now a part of Hinn's crusades). But as of this writing, there is no mention of Manasseh or his father on bennyhinn.org .
Out of curiosity, Christian Research Service sent two e-mails to Benny Hinn Ministries on March 5, 2010, and asked why there was no information about Manasseh Jordan on bennyhinn.org and, would Manasseh be joining Benny Hinn in another crusade?
Fifteen days later on March 16, a representative of Benny Hinn Ministries' Customer Service Department replied with the following:
Greetings in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!
We greatly apologize for the inconvenience, however we do not have the information available that you have requested.
Blessings,
Benny Hinn Ministries
Customer Service Department
[END OF REPLY]
Ask simple questions, receive Hinn-ucratic jibber-jabber.
Gold and eyeglasses
Manasseh Jordan's rise in popularity is due in part to Benny Hinn, who has provided his new apprentice with an open stage in his crusades, along with access to untold thousands of Hinn's followers and financial supporters.
For example, towards the end of a YouTube video titled, Prophet Manasseh-Spirit of Prophecy (2), Manasseh interrupts his prophecy over a woman from the audience and directs his attention elsewhere:
Pastor Benny, I have to be obedient. There is someone that is receiving a gold filling in your mouth, right back there; a gold filling is coming into your mouth. The angel of the Lord is filling your mouth with gold, right now. It's coming in the back. Check that back tooth. It's happening.
Manasseh's words could have pertained to any number of people in the audience. But why didn't Manasseh's "angel of the Lord" provide a brand new tooth--instead of a gold filling? The answer is obvious: When the crippled and deaf were brought to Jesus, He didn't create and hand out leg braces and hearing aids--He healed them:
And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and He healed them. So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel (Matthew 15:30-31).
Since Jesus healed completely, had someone come to Him with a toothache, He would have healed the tooth--not fill it with gold, or cap it, or replace a mouth full of bad teeth with dentures. Jesus did nothing halfway.
While the New Testament doesn't record Jesus healing bad teeth, it does record His healing people who were suffering from various diseases and pains. Bad teeth may have been included in those healings.
The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them (Matthew 4:24).
During the same crusade, the aging Paul Crouch, Sr., founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), was among the celebrity VIPs on-stage with Benny Hinn. After Hinn asks Manasseh if God has anything else for any of the pastors on stage, Manasseh focuses his attention on Paul Crouch and tells him that God will grant him a "studio" in the "Middle East," and that the "angel of the Lord" is doing a healing in Crouch's kidney and prostate area ( http://tinyurl.com/2afg8m7 ).
Manasseh Jordan prophesied that God would expand TBN into the Middle East and heal Paul Crouch. But nothing was said about the eyeglasses Crouch was wearing. If Manasseh's god is capable of filling a tooth with gold and healing Crouch's kidney and prostate--in an instant--why wasn't Crouch's vision corrected to 20/20? (Go to http://tinyurl.com/2afg8m7 and begin viewing the video at 4:00).
Paul Crouch, Sr. originated the term "heresy hunter" in the early 1990's, and is one among many within the Word of Faith movement who claims to be a "god." Need proof? Go to http://tinyurl.com/25am5l7 and listen to Benny Hinn, Paul Crouch, Sr., and Kenneth Copeland blaspheme God by announcing their own divinity.
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is the armpit of the hyper-Charismatic movement, and the largest promoter of hyper-heretics on television.
A common theme among faith healers is their ability to "heal" a variety of illnesses through the "power of God," but inability to correct poor eyesight to 20/20--through that same power (refer to "Benny Hinn: A Simple Over-Sight, Perhaps?" at http://www.christianresearchservice.com/BHinn28.htm ).
Furthermore, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPawHsz7KuE and watch Todd Bentley lay hands on people suffering from asthma, terminal liver cancer, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, a grapefruit-size tumor, macular degeneration, a problem with nerves and swollen legs, pain in a gall bladder, and chronic pain from nerve damage. Be sure to review the video again and count the number of people on-stage wearing eyeglasses (at least 11). Todd Bentley's "god" supposedly healed a variety of internal illnesses, but neglected to heal the peoples' eyes and correct their vision to 20/20.
Sound picky? Sound unreasonable? Tell that to those who can't read a book, drive a car, work a job, or cook a meal during their waking hours without their eyeglasses.
Think about it: If Benny Hinn, Manasseh Jordan, Todd Bentley, and others had the Biblical gift of healing, unemployment agencies across the nation would be packed wall-to-wall with optometrists, ophthalmologists, their assistants, and those who manufacture eyeglasses and contact lenses.
Yes, God performs miracles and does heal according to His will. But it is blatantly obvious that He doesn't work through faith healers to perform miraculous healings. Don't fall for the faith healers.
Loud speaking photos
Truth isn't up-for-grabs or However it is perceived. Truth is offensive and doesn't change course in mid-stream. Truth shines light in the midst of darkness, and sets the captive free. Truth should never be compromised or sacrificed for the sake of unity. Truth is backed by solid, irrefutable documentation, and stands on its own. Truth will stand up to intensive investigation.
This year, Christian Research Service spent a considerable amount of time researching Manasseh Jordan and E. Bernard Jordan, and examining E. Bernard's 2006 book, The Laws of Thinking: 20 Secrets to Using the Divine Power of Your Mind to Manifest Prosperity.
While The Laws of Thinking mentions "Jesus" and "Father" and "Holy Spirit," E. Bernard Jordan is a man for all religious seasons, and the seasons combine New Age, Hinduism, Mind Science, Word of Faith, Prosperity, Gnosticism, Mysticism, Universalism, heresy, and blasphemy. With page-after-page-after page of false teachings and blasphemy, reading The Laws of Thinking was a lesson in humility.
E. Bernard Jordan claims to be a "Master Prophet" and "God," and that you can "become God" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub7Gtb1nZXA ). And his son, Manasseh, is one of his staunch supporters (note the links on Manasseh's blog at http://tinyurl.com/274t8l9 ).
Common with all false teachers is their ability to twist a pagan practice into something innocent and acceptable. On page 212 of The Laws of Thinking, E. Bernard Jordan informs the reader that his practice of yoga has nothing to do with worshipping the gods of Hinduism:
...I go to yoga classes to improve my flexibility and my health. Now, ignorant or fearful people will say that when I go to yoga, I am worshipping the Hindu deities. That's wrong. That is not discernment. God is in everything in wholeness...Don't mistake Christianity for God. They are NOT the same! God is all in all, and yoga is not a rejection of Him. [emp. theirs]
Pantheism is the belief that everything is "God" and that "God is all in all" (as E. Bernard teaches). Hinduism is a pantheistic belief system that teaches the existence of thousands of gods. Yoga meditation is designed to unite the yoga practitioner's self with Brahman, one of the many Hindu gods. Since E. Bernard practices yoga and believes he is "God," yoga is acceptable because it does not reject E. Bernard as "God."
Are Christianity and God the same? Jesus Christ is God the Son and the founder of Christianity. In fact, Acts 11:26 informs us that the disciples of Christ were first called Christians in Antioch. Therefore, Biblical Christianity and the Biblical God go hand-in-hand and ARE the same.
Common with all false teachers is blatant contradictions. For example, in a short YouTube video titled, Trailer: Discover INDIA Through The Eyes of The Master Prophet E. Bernard Jordan, Jordan is seen participating in Hindu rituals, receiving a white dot on his forehead, and offering prayer in front of a Hindu shrine or temple ( http://tinyurl.com/39rcr7r ).
Again, E. Bernard claims he doesn't worship Hindu deities. If that is true, perhaps he would care to explain what he is doing in the following photos taken during his trips to India:
Photos are worth a thousand words. E. Bernard Jordan's photos speak louder than his words. Even "ignorant or fearful" people can spot contradictions.
Dots, marks, and chakras
Returning to E. Bernard's Jordan's Discover INDIA video, fast-forward the video to 2:16 and watch as Jordan receives a white dot in the middle of his forehead. Also, in a photo titled "Back to India Trip 3," note that Jordan is dressed in Hindu clothing and sporting a white dot in the middle of his forehead ( http://tinyurl.com/3x4kvyl ). What are the dots and what purpose do they serve?
From his "Hindu Rituals and Routines" blog, Hindu devotee Bharath.K provides the answers in the following excerpts from his article, "Why do we wear marks on the forehead?"
One of the most visible external symbols of Hindu identity is the mark that many of us wear on our forehead. This is called tilak, pottu or bindi. The dot is called 'Kumkum' or 'Bindi', and when worn by men it is called 'Tilak' (mark). Its form and colour vary according to one’s caste, religious sect or the form of the Lord worshipped.
...The wearing of a mark on the forehead is a unique feature associated with Hinduism. Basically, the wearing of Tika invokes a feeling of sacredness on the wearer and on the people with whom the wearer comes into contact. Tilak, or Tika, is also a religious symbol and they reveal the particular God worshipped by the wearer.
...The area in which the mark is applied is between the eyebrows,
called the "Ajna Chakra". This is the point that most schools of Hinduism consider the entry and exit point of our jivaatma (soul). The tilak also represents our third eye (the spiritual eye) a concept closely related to Lord Shiva. [ http://tinyurl.com/2cfcksn , emp. theirs]
Further, after defining the area where the mark (or dot) is applied, Bharath.K explains the significance of the mark and what it links to:
This Ajna Chakra area is often citied [sic] as the seat of thinking, concentration and memory. It is also the area which gets heated during stress and tension. Applying the tilak has a cooling effect, aids concentration and signifies our eternal link with the Supreme Being, known as the Brahman (absolute). [Ibid., http://tinyurl.com/2cfcksn ]
Within Hinduism, there are seven sacred energy centers within the human body called "chakras. According to Hinduism, chakras are located from the crown of the head to the base of the spine ( http://tinyurl.com/2ao23ta ). During the practice of yoga, the chakras may be meditated upon to release energy to obtain "balance" and optimal health.
On page 51 of The Laws of Thinking, E. Bernard Jordan recognizes the chakras as a part of the "Hindu faith," and attempts to combine the seven chakras with certain words significant to Christianity:
...learn to perceive and control your chakras; they are like seven churches within you, each holding a different aspect of the Mystery of God.
On page 52 of The Laws of Thinking, E. Bernard Jordan openly admits that,
Talk about chakras, a principle from a non-Christian faith, may be shocking to some. But this teaching is really nothing more than the Hindu version of an essential cosmic truth that defies religious doctrine.
As far as E. Bernard Jordan is concerned, "God" uses chakras as "entry points into your Spirit," which allows,
Him to speak to various aspects of your self, to deliver grace, revelation and anointing. Get past doctrine and understand how these manifestation points work and what they do for you. [Ibid., p. 52]
Again and again, E. Bernard Jordan demonstrates his own ignorance. His "essential cosmic truth" is in direct contradiction to God's eternal truth, which warns against worshipping or even fiddling around with false gods and the practices of pagan nations:
Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god (Psalm 81:9).
But they mingled with the nations and learned their practices, and served their idols, which became a snare to them (Psalm 106:35-36).
You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me (Exodus 20:3-5).
One important question
Over the years, Christian Research Service has gone to great extremes to contact individuals regarding a variety of important issues. The following letter was e-mailed to Manasseh Jordan, and cc'd to E. Bernard Jordan and Frank Juliano (Public Relations). The letter is self-explanatory, and closes with one important question for Manasseh.
_________________________________________________
April 14, 2010
Yakim Manasseh Jordan
Dear Manasseh:
I have spent a considerable amount of time reviewing your website, blog, and YouTube videos. In preparation for an upcoming article, I would appreciate your taking a few minutes to review the following. Afterwards, I have only one question to ask.
As you know, your father, E. Bernard Jordan, wrote the book, The Laws of Thinking: 20 Secrets to Using the Divine Power of Your Mind to Manifest Prosperity (2006, published by Hay House, Inc.). In it, he teaches that,
-
"WHEN YOU DECLARE 'I AM,' YOU BECOME GOD." (p. 2, emp. theirs)
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"Your purpose is to become god." (p. 14)
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"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS EVIL." (p. 43, emp. theirs)
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On page 51-52, your father teaches the reader how to "perceive" Hinduism's seven chakras (energy centers) within his or her own body.
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"There is no contradiction between God and money. Money is God." (pp. 80-81)
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"God is not interested in becoming the savior of His children." (p. 131)
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"Gabriel is the messenger of God, and he signifies man in his realization and demonstration of his 'I Am' power. He is elevated to conscious and manifest oneness with God. He is a man who will rule the Universe." (p. 135)
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"You must close the Bible and be the Truth of God. Only then will God work through you." (pp. 142-143, emp. theirs).
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"You are meant to be at one with God...you are made of the same stuff as God...Man is God pressed out into flesh." (p. 144)
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"Pride is your mind trying to be God." (p. 164)
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"He's [God] is a master motivator--the Tony Robbins of the cosmos!" (p. 166)
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"Science is God." (p. 187)
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"Money is equal with God." (p. 208)
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On page 212, your father states, "...I go to yoga classes to improve my flexibility and health."
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"Don't mistake Christianity for God. They are NOT the same! God is all in all, and yoga is not a rejection of Him." (p. 212, emp. theirs)
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"Being part of God's kingdom means forgetting about 'having a relationship' with God and taking action. God is not looking for your adoration, but your action!" (p. 214)
Question: Do you agree or disagree with your father?
Thank you, Manasseh. I look forward to your reply at your earliest possible convenience.
Sincerely in Christ,
Bud Press, Director
Christian Research Service
Jude 3
[END OF LETTER]
As of this writing, there has been no reply from Manasseh Jordan, E. Bernard Jordan, or Frank Juliano. Sometimes, a no reply is a reply in and of itself.
Heretics defined
Heretics are a unique breed in and of themselves. Their heretical family tree began with the serpent who lied to Eve in the Garden of Eden. From there, the tree developed a terminal disease that spread from its roots to its trunk, then to its branches. Deeply scarred and heavy laden with rotted fruit, the tree is gasping for breath and destined to be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 7:15-23).
Every heretic has a spiritual father, the serpent, the one who tried to be like God (Isaiah 14:11-15); the one who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden; the one who slithered his way into the hearts of mankind; and the one who tempts men and women into believing that they, too, can be a god or God.
For millennia, heretics have waged a battle against God and the truth of His written word. Like pesky flies, heretics show-up out of nowhere--tasting the wind for the unwary, buzzing around the innocent and gullible, and spreading their spiritual diseases to anyone who would lend an ear and nod their head in approval.
Heretics make their own rules, live by their own standards, fellowship with deceitful spirits, preach doctrines of demons, fabricate lies, masquerade as Christians, pay lip-service to Jesus Christ, and blaspheme the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
To be a part of a heretic's team, you must abide by their agenda, play by their twisted guidelines, place your mind in neutral, love what they love, hate what they hate, submit to their authority, defend them, and question nothing.
Underneath a faint perfume of truth, heretical teachings exude the putrid odor of lies, contradictions, and hypocrisy. Like the cults, heretics condition their followers to believe in their teachings over and above God's written word, the Bible. If allowed, heretics will shipwreck the faith of those with little or no discernment. Given the chance, heretics will drive the unsaved further away from the One Who loves them best, and into the arms of the serpent that hates them the worst.
Heretical teachings are extremely dangerous to the spiritual and mental welfare of anyone searching for the true God of the universe and His eternal truths. While heretics die and are sometimes forgotten, their heresies live on as a deceptive legacy for the next generation of heretics--those destined to be conditioned, groomed, and trained for the next phase of deception.
Heretics were known by God before creation--marked from the beginning--and warned against by the Biblical prophets and apostles. Unless the Biblical guidelines for confession of sin, repentance, and salvation are met, heretics will not enter the kingdom of heaven, but will spend eternity totally separated from God in hell.
The same applies to those who follow heretics and worship their counterfeit "Jesus" (Matthew 23:15; Matthew 25:31-46; John 8:44; Luke 16:23-24; Acts 20:27-31; 1 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 20:10-15).
Once discovered, heretics are to be warned once, twice, then rejected (Titus 3:10-11).
Closing comments
Like the man who turned prophet in the opening paragraphs of this article, Manasseh Jordan has been groomed, conditioned, and deceived by those who came before him. Currently, Manasseh is riding the spiritually dangerous waves of the Word of Faith movement. Should he continue on his present course, the wave will thunder down upon him and bury him under his self-made castle of sand (Matthew 7:24-29).
Before creation, God knew that men would claim to be prophets, and that many false prophets would lure people away from God into serving false gods. Although E. Bernard Jordan claims to be a "Master Prophet" and "God," there is nothing unique about his claims. Others have made the same claims.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 warns that, If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
In the eyes of Jesus Christ, E. Bernard Jordan's claims are nothing but an all too common story--a story destined to be labeled Fiction when he appears before Jesus Christ sitting on the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15).
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© Christian Research Service 2010