For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve. — Rom. 16:18
In January 2015, “Pastrix” Christine Caine, along with an evidently subservient husband, started a “ministry” called Propel Women. The tagline for this “ministry” is “Celebrating Every Woman’s Passion, Purpose, and Potential.”
I’ve looked in the New Testament. I just can’t find any Scriptural support for a ministry goal of “celebrating” women … or men … or anything else. Nope, the singular zenith of the New Testament is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It seems all the New Testament writers exalted Jesus, celebrated Him, and no one else. Let me prove it with just one verse:
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36
From the outset with Caine, the fundamental doctrine of the authority of Scripture is denied. “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet,” (1 Timothy 2:12) comes to us from the apparently misogynistic Apostle Paul. But, since all Scripture is “theopneustos”, or “breathed out by God”, (1 Timothy 3:16) it seems likely that Paul didn’t just make up some arbitrary rule about women in the church. No, God inspired those words. Like it or don’t, we’re to be obedient to Scripture, even the parts we might not like.
If Caine, or the “church” which fallaciously ordained her, held to this doctrine, perhaps her diabolically-inspired influence would be more muted in the church today. Yet, it is the disregard, denial, and disdain for Scripture from which all false teaching and heresy flows. You might recall that incident in Eden where a serpent beguiled, umm, another woman with the query, “Did God say?”
So, it’s no surprise that heresy flows freely from the lips of this modern day, serpent-inspired succubus. Consider the recent Tweet from her ministry:
“Prayer gives you a heart for people, gets the content into your spirit, gives you insight.”
Umm, no. Just no.
Prayer does not give you a heart for people. The soul regenerated by the Holy Spirit is compelled by Him to be obedience to Christ’s second great commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31) The Holy Spirit causes me to love others, resulting, often, in praying for them. Love is a fruit He gives, not a trait He imbues in prayer.
While it’s unclear what “content” gets into your heart by prayer, presumably it’s some divine data downloaded to you. (By way of emphasizing the next point, it will be in bold, italic, capitalized, large font. Please pay attention.)
GOD DOES NOT TALK TO YOU IN PRAYER.
God does not talk to anyone in prayer. Even in the most epic, momentous prayer ever uttered in the history of mankind, Christ’s high priestly prayer, we are not told that God the Father even spoke back to His own Son during or after His supplication. That serves, methinks, as a bit of a clue for us.
Prayer is to be an incessant behavior for the believer, in which we offer praise and thanks to God; it is where we seek forgiveness for the sins of our flesh; it is where we “make our requests known” to Him. As Charles Spurgeon encouraged, “Believer, when you are on your knees, remember you are going to a King. Let your petitions be large.”
Coupled with her notion of the transference of divine “content” during prayer, Caine’s ministry tweet also claims that prayer gives you “insight.” You may know that Caine is a proponent of heretical, new age, mystical contemplative prayer. This wicked teaching promises results such as hearing that “still, small voice.” Unless you are the prophet Elijah, be advised: that still, small voice will not be forthcoming.
Despite Caine’s teaching countless “naïve” listeners otherwise, prayer does not give us content or insight. There is only one place where we get those benefits – Scripture. Caine’s only use of Scripture is to twist it to fit her self-defined desires to perpetuate her emotional-entreating, deceptive teaching. Caine, like so many women “teachers” and authors (I’m thinking Beth Moore, Sarah Young, Priscilla Shirer, Lysa Terkeurst, Joyce Meyer, etc etc), appeals to women through the touchy-feely, warm-fuzzy-seeking basis of emotions.
Our faith, brethren, is not founded on emotions. It is rightly, only, based on the foundational truth of the Gospel. Jesus did not say, “I am the Way, the FEELING, and the Life”. Truth is the basis, and truth is a thing KNOWN, not felt.
“Christianity is a religion of truth. It is based on certain facts of history that concern the revelation of God to His people and His salvation of those people by the work of His Son. Wherever that is forgotten or lost, as it is being lost in our day, Christianity ceases to remain truly Christian and becomes only another rellgiously-oriented self-help program.” James Montgomery Boice
The enemy always attacks God’s Word, His Truth. Just as he did in the Garden, his modus operandi has not changed. He continues to challenge God’s Word and, with increasing ferocity, he is doing it, once again, by appealing to women with falsehoods based on emotions and pride.
It’s easy enough to discern the errors when you know the Truth, and that may be known where it’s always been known. Be Berean.
Search the Scriptures, and beware the wolves!
[Contributed by Bud Ahlheim]
