The Doctrinal Heresy of Healing through the Holy Communion
This is a theological rebuttal to the article "Health And Wholeness Through The Holy Communion" by Joseph Prince, pastor of New Creation Church, Singapore. The article can be found in the August 2004 issue of Solid Rock, a publication of New Creation Church, or viewed at the website www.newcreation.org.sg. Another blogger, Elaine Loh, has provided a more detailed theological rebuttal that can be found over here.In this article, Joseph Prince tries to show his readers that the Holy Communion has the ability to grant divine health to its partakers. Prince wrote in the article:
As long as we are here on earth, our bodies are subject to the ageing process, which is part of the divine sentence. All our bodies are decaying every day. Our brain cells are dying daily.Throughout the entire article, Prince mainly used 1 Corinthians 11:20-22,27-30 as his main Biblical reference. As I read and reread through the entire article a couple of times, I have discovered to my astonishment that Prince absolutely failed to highlight 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, which explains the real purpose of the Holy Communion:
The Holy Communion is God’s solution for us to stop the decay. And even your friends will see the results. They will begin to ask you, “Hey, why do you seem to look younger and younger? You never seem to age!”
One day, when we get to heaven, we will have brand new bodies that never grow old, never tire and never look bad. Meanwhile, the Lord’s Supper is how God helps us offset this process of ageing and walk in divine health. Every time you partake, you are reversing the effects of the curse or divine judgement in your body…
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.When the Apostle Paul wrote this Scriptural passage, he was making reference to the event at Luke 22:19, where it states: “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
The big question to Prince is, if the Holy Communion is intended to provide divine healing, Jesus would have said, “do this to heal your bodies” or “do this in remembrance and it will heal your bodies also.” These alternative phrasings would definitely prove that there is healing in the Holy Communion. Though at the beginning of the article, Prince made clear that he would refer to 1 Corinthians 11, he probably knew that the verses 23-26 will not cast his unscriptural doctrine in a favorable light. Thus he chose to skip these verses entirely altogether.
Even without verses 23-26, Prince has failed to establish a direct relation between healing and the Holy Communion. Prince wrote,
What is it to partake unworthily? Read the rest of verse 29 and you will conclude that if you fail to discern or understand the significance of the Lord’s body, you are eating and drinking in an unworthy manner.The full text of verse 29 is “For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” Prince is implying that the Corinthians failed to recognize the “life-giving effects,” which he took to be “healing, health and wholeness.” However, there is a difference between the phrase “recognizing the body” and “recognizing the benefits of the body.” The former is trying to caution the Christians not to treat the Holy Communion like an ordinary meal by looking towards the atonement of Jesus Christ, while the latter is stressing on the blessings of the atonement.
The Corinthians partook unworthily because they did not recognise that the broken body of the Lord was meant to bring them health and wholeness.
And by treating the Holy Communion as a ritual, they missed out on the blessings. They did not understand the significance of the bread. They did not know why they were partaking. This is what it means to partake unworthily.
The manner in which we partake will determine whether we experience the benefits of the Lord’s body. If our attitude is “it’s just a piece of bread”, then that is what it will be. And we will have robbed ourselves of the life-giving effects of the bread at His Table.
Was the Apostle Paul concerned that the Corinthians were not recognizing the blessings? It seems not. At verses 20-22, the Apostle Paul stated the problem the Corinthians had with the Holy Communion; that they were treating it like an ordinary meal.
When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!The Corinthians were partaking the Holy Communion in a disorderly manner, with some getting drunk while others getting hungry. It is clear that the problem was behavioral. It has nothing to do with recognizing the blessings of the atonement. If the Corinthians had been partaking in an orderly manner, then perhaps Prince’s interpretation might have made more sense.
Prince wrote,
So, it follows that he was telling the Corinthians that they should examine themselves to see if they were eating and drinking in a worthy manner. Nowhere does it say that he told them to examine themselves to see if there was sin intheir lives.I am in agreement with Prince that verse 28 does not state we should examine ourselves for sin. This verse is referring to the atonement of Jesus Christ and our need for a Savior. But I strongly disagree with Prince that Christ’s body was “broken so that our bodies can be made well.” So far, he has not explicitly proven the Scriptural passage indicates that the Holy Communion brings about physical healing.
Prince wrote,
Before you partake, just know that God wants you to “prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2)The verse 3 John 1:2 is taken out of context. It states: “Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” The “I” in this verse is the Apostle John, not God. Therefore, it is referring to John’s will, not God’s will. Furthermore, the phrase “I pray that you may prosper” indicates that the Apostle John desires his friend prospers, not actually stating for a fact that his friend will definitely prosper. Otherwise, John would have wrote something like these words: “I know that you will prosper.”
Prince ended the article with the following words,
See the Lord carrying all your sins and diseases. He took your sins in His body on the cross. See Him taking on His body your physical conditions. If you have a tumour, see the tumour on His body. Whatever disease you might have, see it on His body. It is no longer on you. See His health come on you… Hold the bread in your hand and say this:In the above quote, Prince misinterpreted Isaiah 53:5, which he has taken out of context. This verse also partially reappeared in 1 Peter 2:24. The phrases “transgressions,” “iniquities” and “bore our sins” all shows that the healing is spiritual, not physical.
Thank You Jesus for Your broken body. It is for my healing, my spouse’s healing and my children’s healing. Thank You that by Your stripes, by the beatings You bore, by the lashes which fell on Your back, we are completely healed. I believe and I receive. (Take the bread.)
Next, take the cup in your hand and say this: Thank You Jesus for the new covenant cut in Your blood. Your blood has brought me forgiveness and washed me from every sin. I thank You that Your blood has made me righteous. And as I drink, I celebrate and partake of the inheritance of the righteous, which is preservation, healing, wholeness and prosperity. (Drink the wine.)
I would also like to state that this act of visualization takes the sovereign will of God out of the healing process. It mocks God by saying healing is dependant on the Holy Communion, not on His sovereign will to heal at any time He pleases. This doctrine falsely teaches that our visualizations and rituals are the main factors for the physical healing process.This unscriptural teaching is not too unlike the Roman Catholic doctrine of baptismal regeneration, where water baptism plays a major role in the forgiveness of sins. The false gospel teaches that without water baptism, one cannot be saved. What it fails to consider is that salvation is totally the work of God, not of man-driven rituals. Likewise, the doctrine of healing through the Holy Communion takes away the full glory of healing from God by making Him dependant on rituals. The truth of the matter is, as God can save at any time He pleases, He could also heal at any time He pleases. God does not need man-driven rituals to aid Him in carrying out His will.
posted by beowulf at 6:21 AM
189 Comments:
wow.. thats News.. i suppose i'd never wanna go New Creation again.. haha..
Pastor Prince? I remember vaguely he left my church because he believed many things we didn't. Like this... Healing through Holy Communion... He set up New Creation Church for that. Geez.
Very informative. Thanks for the article.
Where did he get that revelation from?
Why do we need to proclaim the Lord's death until He comes?
I have already provided the answer in my article.
"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.'" (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)
However, I will elaborate a little further.
Why did the Israelites celebrate the Passover? It is to remember the day God passed over the people of Israel when He saw the blood of the lambs on the doorposts.
"When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD , who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.' Then the people bowed down and worshiped." (Exodus 12:25-27)
Why do we Christians not celebrate the Passover today? The answer is because Jesus Christ became our Passover Lamb. The Old Testament ritual of the Passover is abolished with the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ.
"Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." (1 Corinthians 5:7)
Therefore, the Holy Communion becomes the replacement for the Passover upon Christ's death on the cross. It is celebrated to remember the day the blood of Christ redeemed us from God's judgement of sin.
"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Peter 1:18-19)
How do u explains the miracles healing testimonies that had taken place in some pple's lives after they took the holy commuion by faith? I tink u should stop analyzing coz u will never find the answer becoz U r not God! No human can understand the things of God including u! By judging people's church u r actually going against His Church.
If you are taught by your church leaders to “stop analyzing” (read: stop studying the Bible), then it appears there is something very wrong with the teachings of your church. The Scriptures clearly tells us to “watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Timothy 4:16). We are to “test everything. Hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
I am sure many religions other than Christianity have accounts of miracles too. But surely you are not going to vouch for the soundness of their doctrinal teachings based on their miracles? What should we as Christians do then? We should emulate the example of the Bereans who examined the Scriptures to test the teachings of the Apostle Paul. It is written:
“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)
You might also want to take these two biblical warnings into account:
“For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.” (Matthew 24:24)
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)
Hence, let us not be deceived by signs and miracles, but turn to the Word of God.
I agree with this article. As for Joseph Prince. Let me say here that I was from New Creation. My whole family left this church because not only does Joseph Prince not practice what he preaches, this man's character questionable.
Joseph Prince used to tell the church, to check whatever he's preaching against the Word. Well he does not want anyone to do that. My brother did exactly that, he force my brother and his girlfriend to step down from the choir and backup singer, reason being insuborination.
And if you were to really read and check his preachings, normelly he'll ignore the Holy Spirit as if He does not exist.
I also do not blame him. His church has made him into "a golden calf" without him realising it. He has forgotten that the humble is what our Lord wants. The most important of all commandments is to love, what love is there in New Creation. When each time, someone in trouble goes to them and they say "this is not the church's policy." Are we suppose to do this?
James 2:15-16 "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, bewarmed and filled" but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?"
Finally let me end it here with this.
Hebrew 8:11
"None of them shall teach his neighbour, and none his brother, saying "know the Lord" for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them"
Now why was this written? Holy Spirit who dwells within us will reveal all truth. He will teach us all things. I pray that Joseph Prince will stop ignoring Holy Spirit. Don't grieve Him, He's all I've got.
wow.. pastor prince made me believe more in God more. thanks for this post. without this i would not know that God do want us to prosper and be in health. i thank God for Pastor Prince, thanks blogger.
it is strange that when a person was healed in a temple..all the temple worshipers will be there..saying 'this god is powerfuil'... but when a christian was healed during Holy communion..we say 'its of the devil'..
Let me ask you wooQ ... can you stand up there on the pulpit and preach like Joseph Prince? Can you do miracles ?Have you ever won someone to the Lord ?
Then you have no right to say NCC is heresy.. unless you are of the same calibre... just by reading your article help me realise that to you christianity is just a religion..not a relationship.
And reading about your 'Statment of Faith'.. what can i say ? Thats what you believe..that God only 'choose'a few or elect 'shall be saved'..and most of the verse is quote out of context?And the rest 'condemm' to hell.. what a thelogy... your the one thats in Heresy ...
Let me quote what you said.. 'Holy Communion becomes the replacement for the Passover upon Christ's death on the cross. It is celebrated to remember the day the blood of Christ redeemed us from God's judgement of sin.'
Looks like you have omitted what Jesus said in the gospel 'this is MY BODY which is broken for U '
We all agree that blood of Christ redeemed us from God's judgement of sin.
Can you eloborate what 'this is my Body which is broken for you' ?
Well of course if you're from a denomination that dosent believe God's will for you to be healed and stay healthy..what more can i say?
Vincent,
The phrase “this is my Body which is broken for you,” refers to the body of Christ that was crucified on the cross. The body of the Old Testament sacrificial lamb is a type of the body of Christ, foreshadowing the atonement of Christ in the New Testament. As I have explained before, Christ becomes our Passover Lamb that was slain, who fulfilled and abolished the Old Testament ritual of the Passover. So when we partake in the Lord’s Supper, we remember that Christ's body was sacrificed on Calvary and His blood poured out for us.
On the doctrine of election and reprobation, I strongly suggest you devote some time to study the Scriptures instead of condemning my beliefs without citing a single biblical reference. You might want to have a look at the history of Christianity, particularly at the Reformation period and after, where you would find that my theology of predestination is definitely conforming to orthodox and classical Protestant teachings, which is based solely on the Word of God.
At the same time, you might also want to understand the definition of heresy, which may be defined as a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the orthodox teachings of the Christian Church. In this case, we would be referring to classical Protestant teachings. I would challenge you to identify any instance in the history of Christianity where the heresy of “health and wholeness through the Holy Communion” is treated by the Christian Church as orthodox and taught in Bible colleges and seminaries.
During the time when the apostle John was old. The trouble in the church was the invasion of Gnostics, people who did not believe the deity of Christ and the denial of the existence of sin. This is still the problem today.
There is no enemy within the body of Christ. We are all accountable to Him in that day and who are we to judge?
Do you really know what Jesus has done for you?
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
1Co 11:29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1Co 11:30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
Isa 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
As the children of Israel behold the bronze serpent and was healed, so shall those to turn their eyes to Jesus.
If you have been healed through the Holy Communion or simple seeing Jesus as your healer, give all glory to God.
If you haven't experience it, one day you might need it. At that time do not turn away but what ever way that will help you see Jesus as Your healer, use it. God is a sovereign God.
It is interesting that Lew has to resort to empty and redundant rhetoric, especially when I have previously addressed the verses that he has brought up. This reminds me of the saying, “If you tell a lie often enough, people will believe it.” I must admit it’s quite tiring to repeat the same Scriptural proofs over and over again to critics who only seem to be displaying the attitude of putting their fingers in their ears and saying “LALALA… I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”
I do find it worrying that many such Christians embrace a spirit of anti-intellectualism – it is okay not to study the Scriptures properly or not to study at all. And they are proud of this behavior for some unknown reason. Scripture is haphazardly taken out of context and whatever the guy in the slick suit says from the pulpit must be true because… well… it is true.
This observation, not only by me but by many others, clearly shows the spirit of discernment is lacking among these people who are indifferent towards biblical truths. False teachings are not only tolerated but even accepted i.e. Lew’s words: “There is no enemy within the body of Christ.” Obviously, he confuses the visible Church with the invisible Church. Lew can quote from 1 Corinthians about the Holy Communion and tell Christians off for judging but yet totally ignore the verse from the very same epistle that commands us to judge:
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."” – 1 Corinthians 5:12-13
One can only wonder whether the verses that Lew quoted are obtained through serious biblical study or simply accepted unreservedly from his leaders. I would leave it to the readers to judge. And of course, Lew can’t judge since he himself wrote, “Who are we to judge?” =)
You can continue blogging while I continue experiencing my Christ. Being delivered from 5 to 6 motorcycles accidents, delivered from smoking and alcoholism. From someone who left school with only “N” levels. Joined the Navy for 7 years and left with the employment nothing. Jesus restored my life back to me. All I know is Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He eats and drinks with people who have nothing to boast about everything to be ashamed of. Pharisees will watch at the side criticising Him and those He eats with. Guess the Pharisees are still around today.
Though I may not have qualifications like you do but when I read the bible, I always see a good God who loves me despite of my flaws. I was a wretched man transform by His amazing grace.
All you brothers and sisters in Christ out there who are reading this blog: The word of God is to be experienced and not a tool to create divisions. We may be different in views but we are of one Lord and one Spirit and one Father.
Eph 4:1-6
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Shalom brother, shalom.
Lew
"I must admit it’s quite tiring to repeat the same Scriptural proofs over and over again to critics who only seem to be displaying the attitude of putting their fingers in their ears and saying “LALALA… I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”"
I find the above statement so ironic. Isn't that a sign of what you're doing too?
Bloody Christian geek with too much time on his hand...
Lew,
You are clearly attacking a straw man that you put up that have nothing to do with what I wrote. I do not deny that God saves hardened sinners by His grace alone. On the doctrine of grace alone, I absolutely agree with your statement “God who loves me despite of my flaws.”
However, these character flaws are not to be confused with doctrinal flaws. Anyone who carefully study the Scriptures would find many instances where we are exhorted to rebuke doctrinal flaws e.g. Galatians 1:6-9, 1 Timothy 6:3-5, 2 Timothy 4:2, Titus 1:9, Titus 1:10-14. Galatians 2:11-21 clearly shows the apostle Paul opposing Peter who caused others “not to be acting in line with the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14).
When Jesus prayed for unity for all believers in John 17, it is important to note that this unity must be based on truth. In His prayer, Jesus said, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). And as we all know, the gospel of Jesus Christ is based upon how we interpret the Word of God. If you interpret improperly, you may be guilty of preaching a false gospel.
Where the doctrine of salvation is concerned, what could be more important? Or are you perhaps suggesting that we ignore doctrinal truths and simply acknowledge Roman Catholics, Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses as brothers and sisters in Christ?
Therefore, it is quite obvious and in line with the Word of God that it is much better to be divided by TRUTH than to be united by ERROR.
See Bay Song,
I do strongly suggest you back up your accusation with facts. It appears that many of my critics simply regurgitate the standard out-of-context verses without directly addressing my answers and responses. As for me, I would try to directly refute the points that my critics raised. So it appears that your accusation is without any merit at all.
By suggesting I have too much time on my hands, you are insinuating that the study of the Scriptures is not important at all. Surely all Christians would agree that studying the Word of God is extremely important. As the Psalmist wrote, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9)
And of course, through the study of the Scriptures, we are able to “encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9). Perhaps you might want to take the Scriptures a little more seriously rather than adopting such a cavalier attitude. I do not mind if you insult me, but take care not to insult the Word of God that instructs us to “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
From Europe,
Just want to say that I thank God for the day I was introduced to the sermons of Joseph Prince.
Maybe he makes mistakes, is not perfect, etc. But I learned a lot about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I have grown in the Lord! The classical Protestants teachings was not able to help me, because it is also an (European influenced) interpretation of the teachings.
I hope to visit Singaporre and NCC, God bless you!
I have nothing against the people at NCC but a concern over the indoctrination they are receiving which are deviant and in the guise of spiritual benefits. The demonstration of powers does not validate a false teaching.
Miracles can happen in any religion of the world and they too share the same zealous adherents. In Romans 10:2 the Apostle Paul cited the Jews to be zealous for their religion but lacking in knowledge. In Matthew 12:39, Jesus refused to provide them a sign in order to prove his Messianic claim. This is to refute that not at all times signs and wonders are proof that the Lord will validate his truth by that means. The Word of God is more than sufficient to bear witness in itself. Paul admonished Timothy to watch his life and doctrine carefully so that he may save both himself and the hearers (1Tim 4:16). And further he warned that in the last days people will gather around themselves teachers who will teach what their itching ears would like to hear only (2Tim 4:3). On this premise let us establish that all leaders and teachers should be subject to the Word of God and by no means should claim immunity or infallibility for this has plagued the Body of Christ for centuries. A little yeast into the dough can work into the whole dough. Truth sprinkled with specks of un-truth is still falsehood.
Those who are obviously NCC supporters may post valiant defense for the works of NCC. But put your energy rather to the defense of our Lord when his truth is being compromised. You can be so sincere in believing and also be sincerely wrong. Prosperity maybe a benefit of salvation, but that is not the end of it. The over pursuit of health and wealth theology so prevalent in NCC has made sincere Christians to miss the overall purpose of God and that is to redeem lost humanity through his Son. Hence a simple truth such as a communion can turn into a pre-occupation of health doctrines. There is too much concern for self benefit as a measure of salvation rather than faith that overcomes the world. See Hebrews 11.
There is work to do and one of that is to bring down every pretension that pose itself as one from God and expose these errors before they shipwreck sincere faith of many. Leaders who are not subject to reproof are simply overlords in the guise of shepherds. I have seen greater servants of God who are completely submitted to reproof because after all they are just servants of the Master. The formation of large cultic groups always has this element of leader infallibility. Please be careful to accolade such honor to a mere man for it may destroy him. The tree is known by its fruit. The prosperity gospel cannot stand under the true test when it will witness real Christianity in Africa or China. The comfort of 21st century 1st world society have forgotten the roots of Christianity in persecutions, poverty and harassments, all of which are familiar to Apostle Paul and he welcomed it for he said to live is Christ and to die is gain. Now there’s the true measure of treasure, which is in heaven.
About communion partaking that is taken for medicinal purpose, this is an aberrant interpretation of an obvious passage. Whether a little error as simple as this can harm the faithful, the answer is yes. For the focus now shifts from the remembrance of the Lord’s work on Calvary to man-centered concerns which can lead to selfishness. We recently have 2 of our good members who left our church and move into NCC. It was a sad thing because they were leaders of our youth team. They have been teaching that a Christian does not need to ask for forgiveness anymore because they are made righteous! That is a serious error and for that they were rebuked. We realized that they have secretly been attending NCC. Why such divisive teachings crept into the Body of Christ? With a few other strange teachings they kept they were soon exposed. For that they left in haste and would not want to associate with us anymore. These are manners that are not becoming of a brother in Christ. The Lord said, who is not with you is against you. These behaviors of members bear trademarks of cultic activities. To NCC members, it is time to subject every teaching to reproof of the Word of God. If it does not stand under the light of truth, cast it away. Paul says in Romans 12:9, abhor what is evil, cling to what is good
I thank God that He has exposed me to Pastor Prince teachings and sermons. So much revelation this man of God has. May God continues to use Pastor Prince to reveal more and more.
One thing I know.
Once upon a time, I was taught by a traditional church to obey God.
I tried, and when I thought I did the right thing, I felt closer to God and when I fell in to sin, I felt guilty and it made me think I was far away from God.
But after I joined NCC, the preaching of Jesus made me fall in love with Him. He was no more a standard for me to follow, but a Saviour friend.
Now I don't think about obeying God. I just know He loves me and I rest in His love.
I have read Prince writing on the Holy Communion ordinance - making light of the Blood and the Body of our Lord for healing without any support of God's Word. Deception of Satan in errorneous doctrine will be discovered in due time. Beware, be careful, and believe not damnable heresies! Those who wrote so confidently against this warning: Take Heed,lest you be the next to be disappointed with Joseph Prince of NCC.
ANONYMOUS WROTE:
"But after I joined NCC, the preaching of Jesus made me fall in love with Him. He was no more a standard for me to follow, but a Saviour friend."
Yes, you are the third person who made this statement from NCC. Thus, confirmed the teaching of Joseph Prince - "He(Jesus Christ) was no more a standard for me to follow, but a Saviour Friend."
You want a Saviour to secure eternity without the change of heart to follow Him? You sounded like wanting the better of the two worlds, my friend.
Interesting blog indeed, we must be very careful to not be deceived. It is our eternal souls at stake. Let us be very watchful and on our guard. As for me, i will be spending extra time in the word.
P.s i liked the quote "Therefore, it is quite obvious and in line with the Word of God that it is much better to be divided by TRUTH than to be united by ERROR."
It reminds me of Matthew 10:34-36 "Do not suppose that i have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For i have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enimies will be the members of his own houshold'"
God Bless.
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Hi,
Thanks Beowulf for the sharing.
Praise the Lord ! that Lew has found a friend in Jesus ... indeed, what a friend we have in Jesus! =)
There are two ways we can view Beowulf's sharing:
a) He is showing off his theological knowledge, being judgmental and trying to divide the church
b) he shares his conviction of the truths in love, seeking to caution/enlighten his bro and sis ... especially so, when something 'questionable' is taught by some who yields considerable influence as the principal pastor of a large church, charismatic, gifted speaker and persuasive...
I believe Beowulf shared out of (b) and in my view, Beowulf’s understanding and use of scriptures are sound and worthy to take note of.
If there is anything to be gained from this thread of comments .. it is this ..
we must seek to study and understand the Word properly for ourselves ... if find it difficult... attend bible classes taught by teachers who are gifted in the study and teaching of the bible e.g BSF ... not forgetting too that we have the Holy Spirit to help us (Jn 14:26)
Bro' Lew, truly happy for your wonderful relationship with Jesus... you must seek to grow in His Word as well =) ...
" Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk , so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good" 1 Peter 2:2-3
Cheers and God Bless
Agape
Steven
In the first place why do you obey God? What's your motive?
It is the grace of God that leads people to repentence. The doctrine of "you must follow God" makes people obedient in the sight of man but God sees your heart. If you are obeying God outwardly, but you have a desire to sin, God sees that inspite of your actions.
Anyone who exalts their obedience for God above the blood of Jesus is not appreciative of Jesus.
I'm not trying to enjoy sin and Jesus at the same time. I hate to hurt myself (when you sin you hurt yourself).What I'm saying is that Jesus is not another set of Laws for us to keep. He is our Lover. When you love someone, you fulfill the Law.
I'm not perfect, but more I see Jesus's goodeness, more I fall in love with Him. I end up loving Him.
One thing I know. If Pastor Prince is a false prophet, his ministry will not last long, and God will not protect him. One public sin is enough to collapse a church. You don't have to worry. Time will tell.
Hi Anonymous,
Allow me to respond and share with you my understanding …
a) Yes, God sees our inward heart and not outward obedience =) … that’s evident from the gospels and … that’s where the Pharisees and many of us gets into great trouble =( …
b) Jesus has inextricably linked loving Him and obedience …
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15
(see also Lk 6:48-49)
ie. If I say I love Jesus, then I seek to obey what He says … and if I seek to obey Him … I demonstrate my love for Him and vice versa…
c) I also agree with you that “Jesus is not another set of Laws for us to keep” … that is very evident in the book of Romans and Galatians where Paul expounded in great length on the matter …
d) you've shared:“He is our Lover. When you love someone, you fulfill the Law.”
My understanding on this matter is :
“ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Gal 2:21
Read also Romans Chapters 6, 7 and 8.
Ie.
Law is powerless to help us be righteous … because we are inherently sinful … but by Grace through Jesus Christ … because Christ has overcome at the cross …so, we can overcome sin … has the capacity to obey … and be righteous …
Law just served a purpose to show us what is sinful … but cannot help us to overcome sin… only by the grace of what Jesus has done at the cross …can we do so…
e)you've shared: “Anyone who exalts their obedience for God above the blood of Jesus is not appreciative of Jesus.”
I think the connection is like this:
- the blood of Jesus is the atoning grace of Jesus
- which enables us to obey Him from our hearts and to be righteous and
- by this obedience we demonstrate that we love Him
To me… Jesus, is not my 'Lover' … but my Saviour, my Lord and my God! … I love Him for He love us so much as to die on the cross for our sins …
Thank You ! Jesus ... we love You
Cheers and God Bless
Steven
Hey people...can't beleive that some of you are implying that Joseph Prince is not of God!!! WOW just come back from church-London Hillsong and he was speaking-loads of people got saved and met with Jesus!! now wouldn't that be an odd thing for Satan to do-assist in salvations???
Luv ya xx
Dear all,
Can you please go and attend the NCC at least for a month and check out all the bibile scriptures that Ps Prince quotes?
I will gladly read all your rebuttals for his teachings for every sermon. I will also like to know in which of his sermons did he exalt himself and not Jesus.
I am perplexed. There seems to be a prevalent perception among the commentors (non-ncc members) here that NCC-goers are not reading the Living WORD of God. Do you suppose that the average NCC-goers are taking ncc leaders' words blindly as gospel truth?
If you are willing, go and attend ncc for at least a month including their bible studies.
You all speak very "chim" ah.. One thing I know after attending NCC, I was blind and now I see - see Grace which is my Jesus and Jesus is always glorified in every service. May we all increase in the revelation of Jesus Christ.. [v]
Dear All
I really think that miracle divine healing has its place in today christianity.But cannot really confirm whether Holy Communion does minister divine healing
Let's put it this way,if beowulf thinks that holy communion cannot provide divine healing,then don't believe in it.No problem with those who choose to believe that holy communion does minister healing.
Since every true believer does have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them,then let Holy Spirit do the leading?Why argue until the faces turn blue/green /black?
Dear All
God has no time to waste on theology..haha.Looks like majority of people whom Jesus preached to had no theological background.Human lives need to be saved spiritually and physically.He works according to each person faith.God also gives revelations to believers also.
Maybe Jesus does not want to give the relevation of divine healing thru Holy Communion to beowulf as what he has given to Prince,for fear that beowulf might try to "theologize" it and by then many time could have been wasted and many lives have "gone to be the Lord"
Dear All
I think the topic we are discussing is controversial.
In Jesus's time,his works include plenty of healing sessions.I believe that our Lord is still interested to heal His children and bless them with divine healing.
The only controversy is whether Holy Communion is being used by the Lord as a tool to minister divine healing.Well I suggest those who are interested in receiving divine healing may actually follow Prince's teaching.Those who have doubt,don't try it.
After all there is nothing to lose,if any believers who got healed by taking Holy Communion,give praise to God!Amen
What do you think ,HT TAN?Please give comments
Dear All
The world basically offer no hope to people.The world is full of poverty,curses and hatred etc..
So if any preachers can preach a sense of hope and better future for believers who are still living in this wretched world,why not?
If all the bible promises can only be materialized in heaven,then I believe that christians on earth are all wretched beings saved by the grace of God.
No wonder there are christains cursing and swearing on their way to heaven
Ah Fit
i agree with ah fit holy communion does healing .god love us he want us to be heal .
here by i want to give thank to pastor prince because of his book of holy communion i was heal.
you should never allow anonymous posting..
for those who say negative things without first checking and investigating.. I say God bless you..
For those who does not believe in the blessing of God, healing, miracles because of the church background you come from, may all your blessing come on me.
For those who did not want to come to NCC because of some rumours, thank you, please dont come, we have to sit on the floor on Sunday already without you coming.
Let's hear what others say of Pastor Prince too. He has been endorsed by Hillsongs and invited to speak there. That should mean something.
i am not a theologian, and i don't profess to know the Bible as much as beowulf. what i do know is that Christianity is a relationship with our Father God and our Saviour Jesus. different churches may emphasise different things but ultimately, the fruits of the teachings will show themselves in the believer's life.
i've heard many many criticisms against Ps Joseph Prince. i don't intend to defend him, and he certainly doesn't need me to defend him, i believe God is his vindication. i can tell you that in his sermons, the message that never fails to come across is the love of the Father for us, the loveliness of Jesus Christ, and the completeness of His work on the cross. in whatever subject that he is teaching, he brings it all back to the cross. even when he taught on the holy communion, he always emphasised that we are not doing it to get healed. but to remind ourselves of what Christ has done, that He has purchased divine healing for us on the cross.
we can go on and argue about what belongs to a believer through Jesus' death on the cross. but ultimately it's between us and God. some of us believe that we have a right to divine health and wholeness. some of us don't. when we who believe receive, we give all glory to Jesus. He is glorified mightily in our lives. for those who don't believe in divine healing, they will not seek healing and thus remain sick. at times there may be some who try to convince us that divine healing does not exist. question is, which glories the God, to see His children healed and healthy, or to see them sick? whatever it is, we don't have to defend our opinion of how good we believe God is. if we dare to believe that He is that good, His goodness will surely be evident in our lives!
during Jesus' time on earth, the Pharisees who were so knowledgeable in the Bible, did not even realise that the Messiah was right in front of their eyes. so it is possible to know so much, yet don't see the Grace of God when He is looking at them in the face.
i believe i can say for the many who are mature and have sat under Ps Prince's teachings for some time that his teachings not only caused us to be so in love with Jesus, but also so grateful to Him for His sacrifice. we are bold to proclaim His Lordship in our lives, and we know that God is our loving Father who desires all good things for us. Like Jesus said, if our earthly fathers know how to give good things to their children, how much more our heavenly Father?
for those of us blessed to be in NCC, let's be gracious and not react in anger when others voice their beliefs which contradicts what we know, for we know the fruits - righteousness, peace and joy - that we have in us. our lives are a testimony to His goodness. Amen?
for those of you who are wondering about Ps Prince's teachings, whether they are really heresies, why not listen to his sermons for a while and judge for yourself, rather than let others make the judgment for you?
Grace and peace be multiplied to you all, as you grow in the knowledge of God the Father and of Jesus Christ our Lord!
Shalom!
Hi beowulf, thanks for the posting, it really opens up my eyes to how Man can choose to contort whatever that God give as good and make it look so sinister merely due to ignorance of the complete Word of God. Rather than posting a “theological rebuttal” to your “theological rebuttal ” of Health and wholeness through the Holy Communion, I hope to give u an aspect of the Word of God that perhaps u may have overlooked in your zealousness as the Word of God says, it is not good to have zeal without kmnowledge.
I think 1st of all, I need to remind u once again of what is biblical meaning of salvation. Traditionally, we think that salvation mesn escape from hell but in actual fact Salvation in greek comes from the word Souzo which means to save a person holistically i.e in his spirit, soul and body and all that pertain to his well being including his mental sanity, finances, social life, health, marital bliss etc. Thus when a person received health and healing, he is receiving nothing more than a mere part of the bigger ‘package’ of salvation which Jesus died for him on the cross. Jesus the Son of God is an overpayment for our sins! If i amy put it this way: there is so much ‘leftover’ and hence we have our physical healing, financial blessing, mental peace , marital bliss etc that come from the salvation that Christ provides.That will be our starting point.
Now w.r.t to the points ur raised,
1. beowulf said --> “The big question to Prince is, if the Holy Communion is intended to provide divine healing, Jesus would have said, “do this to heal your bodies” or “do this in remembrance and it will heal your bodies also.” These alternative phrasings would definitely prove that there is healing in the Holy Communion. Though at the beginning of the article, Prince made clear that he would refer to 1 Corinthians 11, he probably knew that the verses 23-26 will not cast his unscriptural doctrine in a favorable light. Thus he chose to skip these verses entirely altogether.Even without verses 23-26, Prince has failed to establish a direct relation between healing and the Holy Communion”
My answer:
1cor 11:23-26 says :
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat;[b] this is My body which is broken[c] for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
I will now show u why remembering Jesus is directly linked to healing. The answer is found in Jesus’ answer in John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
When the children of Israel wonder in the wilderness for 40 yrs, they were bitten by venomous snakes and were greatly afflicted and God give Moses the idea to lift the bronze image of the serpent up on a stick and ask all who were afflicted to look at it to be healed(Read Numbers 21) U see Beowulf, Jesus quoted this example of physical healing to demonstrate what it is to be saved and what is the quality of Eternal life. Jesus himself became sin for us on the cross as symbolize by the bronze serpent so that the benefits of not just spiritual healing but not physical healing will come on us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.Divine exchange happens on the cross. Our sin imputed on Jesus body and his righteousness imputed on us and hence all the legitimate blessings whether in health or finance that comes with that imputed righteousness. And that’s what grace means- unmerited favour of God. When a person accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, God’s unmerited favour that was supposed to be on Jesus is poured on the believer. Hence when we take of the Holy Communion which is done in rememberance Jesus, we are in a sense looking to the “bronze serpent” that is lifted up and receive our healing.
The next point I want to make was in response to what u wrote here
2.beowulf said --> But I strongly disagree with Prince that Christ’s body was “broken so that our bodies can be made well.” So far, he has not explicitly proven the Scriptural passage indicates that the Holy Communion brings about physical healing.
My answer:
Let’s refer to a passage in Gospel according to John. John 6:48-58
John 6:48-58 : I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed,[h] and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
Here Jesus specifically talks about the Holy Communion which He instituted on the night before He went to the cross, none of those around Him understand what He is talking about. Jesus in essence is talking about how to gain this eternal life(in greek is Zoe which means Spiritual life, spiritual life does not mean it has to be after death or that it is intangible, the resurrected Christ came back in a spiritual body yet it was tangible). By believing in Him, feeding on all that he has provided on the cross through the Holy communion. I have already proven in the previous chapter that eternal life starts the moment the believer accepts Jesus into his life and it encompass well being of the person , not just escaping hell fire. So here we have linked Holy Communion to healing.
Bro beowulf, I hope u read the Word of God in its entirety and not leave out certain passages that perhaps u are taught or familiar with, only then can u grasp if certain teaching is incorrect or else u would be the one stubbornly in error. Be a good bearean and search up the Word to see if any teaching is correct. The Word of God tells us the Berean did not go about telling everybody if they found out if Paul was right or he was wrong, they found out for their own sake. So I hope u do not accuse not just this pastor prince but other men of God on ur blogs anymore. We know that it is God who cuase a Church to grow and if God anointed certain pastor and u go against them, have u no fear of God?
There are other points u brough up I will reply them also:
3.beowulf wrote --> “In the above quote, Prince misinterpreted Isaiah 53:5, which he has taken out of context. This verse also partially reappeared in 1 Peter 2:24. The phrases “transgressions,” “iniquities” and “bore our sins” all shows that the healing is spiritual, not physical.”
My answer:
So we have to ask ourselves is what Jesus suffered on the cross physical or only spiritual? He suffered not juts physical but emotionally as he is betrayed by Judas and also spiritually as God the Father for the moment on the cross forsake Jesus which is why Jesus cried out “Eloi, Eloi, labasabathani , My God, my God why have u forsaken me” So Isaiah 53 was talking about Jesus suffering that he was broken, chastised and whip with strip so that we can receive not just spiritual peace but physical one also.
4. beowulf -->Likewise, the doctrine of healing through the Holy Communion takes away the full glory of healing from God by making Him dependant on rituals. The truth of the matter is, as God can save at any time He pleases, He could also heal at any time He pleases. God does not need man-driven rituals to aid Him in carrying out His will.
My answer:
It is not God who needs this rituals but Man. We are visual, feeling creatures and God who created us knows that. Hence Jesus likes to use stories to help people visualize, he perform miracles so that people can see the power of God. Read John 10:24-26 By using rituals God give us a tangible things which we can focus our faith even though that faith is on Jesus! It’s perfectly ok, in the old testament God told them to build the tabernacle with the holies and holies, show bread, menorah, the burnt offerings, sin offerings all these point to Jesus. These symbols carry meaning and the more we understand the ritual, the more we understand the message God wants to convey.
I hope I have answered ur questions regarding the Health and Wholeness through Holy Communion. This teaching according to the Word of God is perfectly correct and I believe in the coming days God will reveal more of His Word to the church as the days become more evil to protect and bless the church. I hope bro Beowulf that u sincerely study the Word of God and examine of these teachings, if they are right I hope u will humbly accept them and I believe they will bless u. We are so much taught by theologians from Europe and many times the interpretation is according to European culture. But Jesus is a Jew hence a middle eastern. Their culture is in a sense closer to our Asian culture actually. When something is new it does not mean it is wrong, it could very well be God revealing something new from the Word, we just have to repent in greek means metanoia which means to have a change of mind to accept the teaching. (traditionally we think repent means turning away from sin but it actually all starts in the mind)
ok i have wrote enough, God bless u.
Well, if Jesus has done it all for you, which includes Healing, to believe in Healing by remembering His Work through Communion is not difficult. And don't beowulf, whoever you are, don't flag what you know about God's Will, and God's Will and all that. You want to know what God's Will, look at Jesus. If it ain't God's Will to heal, I think Jesus made a multitude of mistakes healing people when He was here. DUH!
In my opinion, Joseph Prince has made the bible so much simpler to understand that my relationship with Jesus is a thousand times better than it was before! I say...go for it Joseph...negative comments are part and partial of life..especially when you are doing right in spreading God's words. You must be doing something right to get this blogger to post a comment on what ur doing. God bless you even more!
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Pastor Joseph Prince and his faithfulness to Your cause, for the Bible says, "it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:2). Thank You for his personal commitment to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and to the Word of God. Thank You for the love he has for his wife and family demonstrating a stable and healthy family. For the Scripture says of church leadership, "he must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect" (1 Timothy 3:4). Thank You for his thoughtful exposition of Your Word, as he heeds Your call to "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Timothy 4:2). Thank You for his leadership in our church services and the orderly manner in which he leads us, seeking to fulfill the Biblical call that "all things be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40). Thank You for his interest in the flock under his care.
In the powerful name of Jesus and by Your blood we ask You to cover Pastor Joseph Prince with such a powerful anointing.Multiply New Creation Church with a mighty growth and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Draw Pastor Prince into an even deeper relationship with You. Help Pastor Prince to grow spiritually stronger. Bless this very special, anointed servant of Yours. Lord, place Your angels all around this very special servant. Oh Lord we pray in the wonderful name of Jesus. AMEN.
quote ' The phrase “this is my Body which is broken for you,” refers to the body of Christ that was crucified on the cross. The body of the Old Testament sacrificial lamb is a type of the body of Christ, foreshadowing the atonement of Christ in the New Testament. As I have explained before, Christ becomes our Passover Lamb that was slain, who fulfilled and abolished the Old Testament ritual of the Passover. So when we partake in the Lord’s Supper, we remember that Christ's body was sacrificed on Calvary and His blood poured out for us. End quote
I see if thats what you believe and i believe that too.Thats great..
Looks like you taken it out of context and ignor other scriptures regarding the body of Christ......
You seems to forget that Isaiah talks about the body being broken on the cross to carry not just sin but sickness as well.
And in NT there's a verse that says ' BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED...
Now put all these scriptures together plus the one you gave me..you get the complete pictures..unless of course you yourself dont believe God still heals today ?
I pity you and the denomination that you're from !!!
This is my last post..
oh yeah.. i forgot to repeat this line again..
it is strange that when a person was healed in a temple..all the temple worshipers will be there..saying 'this god is powerfuil'... but when a christian was healed during Holy communion..we say 'its of the devil'.
Looks like you are afraid of the devil more than God..
or shld i say... you believe that God heals in the past..but not today..so you are saying.. the devil do heals today..in other religion you say ? Well have you visited one?Saw it with your own eyes?..of course you just heard it ?
So looks like God and the devil change place ?
In past God do miracles (we all agree on that)
but now God stop doing healing business and the devil IS...hmmm looks like you believe that God and the devil SWAP identity..
Here goes all your 'intelectualism'
Wow...
What a long blog.
I only know simple facts. Our abba GOD and LORD JESUS love us. They love me personally. By grace in New Creation Church, my life transformed.
We are in the world. However, we are NOT of this world. Healing in Holy Communion? YES! I experience it. No if, no but and no however.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, Holy Communion is your entitlement. Aren't we blessed in Christ without seeing?
Our Abba GOD and LORD JESUS love us.
Pastor Prince is fantastic! Mark my word, you are going to see New Creation Church becoming the biggest church in Singapore. Yes, even bigger than City Harvest Church. In fact, in a recent poll, Pastor Kong Hee is not as popular as Pastor Prince. It must be because his wife is now a singer in the secular world. Poor man! He doesn't see his wife and kid often. Let's pray for his marriage to survive. Anyway, God bless Pastor Prince!!!
I was just surfing around when I found your blog. I applaud you for your post and reading some of your commentators who disagree with you, (I did not finish all 50) I can only say, please growup and if there is any rebuttal, it should be argued based on bible doctrine.
To those who wrote in defense of Prince, It does not matter if NCC is going to be bigger than CHC, that's beside the point. I don't care if Pastor Prince is going to be bigger than so and so, that's beside the point. If there is anything to be boastful of, please boast about how sound and solid is the doctrine he (Prince) is preaching.
I was given a few CDs of Pastor Prince from a Singaporean friend. I'm relieved there are good people like your goodself who stood your ground and spoke for the TRUTH. All the best to you. :-)
Cheers
Helen
how to boast when you know that everything is by grace alone?
Wow! You all should get a copy of New Creation Church's latest SOLID ROCK magazine. Pay close attention to testimonies of those who attended Pastor Prince's Grace and Favour Seminar at Hillsongs Sydney. They are awesome! Can you imagine Hillsongs people endorsing him like that? He is definitely the Number ONE Pastor from Singapore! We are so blessed to have him as part of the body of Christ. Let's allow Christ to speak to us through this man. His message on the Holy Communion is powerful. So often we have been deceived that Christ only saved us from our sins and not our sicknesses. We have shortchanged ourselves of divine health Christ has purchased for us by His perfect and complete work on the cross. In fact, health is so important that even John had to remind us in 3 John 2 when he prayed we prospered in ALL things and be in HEALTH. Health is repeated apart from ALL things. What a powerful revelation! So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, rise and know who you are in Christ and what does it mean to be a child of God. You are precious and God wants to bless you exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you ask or think. Let His goodness lead you to repentance and renew your mind He is your Heavenly Fathers who desires to give you good things, health included. Don't stay defeated and deceived, but rest in the victory our Saviour has given us so graciously. For it is not the truth that sets you free, but the truth you know that sets you free. Amen!
I am distured by John Lim comments regarding Pastor Joseph Prince are more popular than Pastor Kong Hee in a recent poll and New Creation Church going to be a bigger church than City Harvest Church.
Before I proceed my writing, allow me to introduce myself that I am from New Creation Church. I fully agreed with Helen comments. If there is any rebuttal, it should be argued based on bible doctrine.
It is not Christlike to mention whichever church going to outgrow whichever church and in depth of Pastor wife as a singer. Whether having family time etc.
Lets respect them. Both Pastor Joseph Prince and Pastor Kong Hee are chosen by GOD to grow their churches.
As Pastor Joseph Prince mentioned in one of his sermons "If NCC members going around telling people how good Pastor Joseph Prince is, NCC had FAIL! However, if NCC members going around telling people how good GOD and LORD JESUS are?, New Creation Church have succeed!".
All churches in Singapore will GROW! Not because how good the Pastors are etc. Its GOD and more people knows the truth.
Only the truth THEY KNOW will set them free.
Shalom,
Jason Tan
Yes, I agree with Jason. My apologies if I sounded unchristian. My point is God uses people; without us God will not; without God we cannot. Yes, let's pray for all churches to grow. But we can't deny that some churches like NCC are growing faster than others. I was merely stating a fact. Please don't be offended. I was also rejoicing over a pastor who has made quite an impact in the christian world. By the way, do you know that even Times Bookshop is carrying Pastor Prince's books, CDs and DVDs? I believe he may be the first one in Singapore to do so. Indeed, Pastor Prince is a blessing to the body of Christ. So, Jason, you being a member of NCC should be proud of your pastor. May his tribe increase!
Dear wooQ,
Based on the scripture, it is God prerogative who He choses to heal or not to heal, physically. Communion is not about healing. Its about Christ. How he sacrified Himself for us and we are commended to remember this until He returns. Christians today are shallow and lazy, they prefer to be spoonfed rather than search the scriptures by themselves. It is because of this, they are easily duped to another gospel and many false teachings. I have seen so many rubbish in the charismatics/pentecostal churches. I accepted the Lord 22 years ago and grew up in an AOG church. I have left the AOG church 8 years ago. I got tired of all the emphasis of the Holy spirit and signs and wonders. I prefer the story of the old rugged cross. Paul says he preachers Christ and Christ crucified. The AOG had previously believed in holiness and separation, but alas not anymore. One sure way to test if a Preacherman loves God is to remove his richess, his fanciful dresses, car etc... be careful of rich pastors and elders. Be like Peter, silver and gold have I none.... If your pastor has a big house, a big car,etc... and has a better life financially than you or the poorest person in the church, then you better get out of that church. A true servant of God does not stock up riches on earth.
Uh..oh, too late, healed already. shd have known this earlier. B'cos of holy comm n knowing i'm righteous by Jesus' taking my sin: got healed of stroke, can walk, talk and swing my right arm, n can run fast. Healed of asthma,sinus, psoriasis, migraine, smoking, bad temper, poverty ( he becam poor so i'll be rich; 2 cor8:9). too late about being poor, now i'm so rich, i have to give them away...my Father's rich. Thank God n Jesus!
ah,it's sad to see christians fighting each other.definitely agree with the grace message pastor prince have preach about and regardless of his character flaws,he still is righteous and cleanse from all sins because of JESUS CHRIST. hey,if we look at him,we are looking at pastor prince.im from malaysia and im not from ncc but heck,if someone like me,a sinner can become a new creation and see countless blessings,i dont look at doctrines i look at results.the charismatics scared me with their loud lamentations,i never heard it from ncc. anyway,why fight each other.it'so trivial.if u dont want to believe it,fine.you know,ur own choice.god wont stop u.but for me and my family,im taking whatever god wants for me.my daddy,my jesus,they were there when i needed them,where were this christians who know the bible thru and thru.no where.in fact,i was condemned by the church and look at me now.im free.but i forgive them because jesus died for my sins and made me righteous. hey man,stop being self-righteous. i remember pastor prince says that dont defend him,god's hand is bigger.and btw,the results shows,if he was not of god,then why would his church accelerate in members,prosperity surpass the norm,hmm? i dont care if pastor prince is a lousy character or not,the truth is,the word brings life,and when he preach i feel alive.period.stop fighting people.jesus still loves u all personally.
chiao
I've seen our Lord's hand in all of these. Regardless how you want to argue or be theological right, is the results that is more important. Many people has their opinion on Pastor Prince message but I could boldly said this that I have seen the work of GOd's hand thru "healing thru the Holy Communion" message. I knew because I've sent numerous copies to people in USA. Many American friends of mine, in turn , sent to all those they know. There were testimonies that my friends sent me were all testimonies of healing and made whole by our God, our Lovely Jesus.
In the end, Jesus is the one who gets all the Glory. How can one argue with a blind man who was made well? No one can argue their healing and how God has used Pastor Prince message to reach people who truly need revelations and understanding partaking Holy Communion. I don't think the person who said this messge is a heresay truly understand how God's heart. Afterall, Pastor Prince did not glorified himself, is Jesus that is being glorfied and magnified. All of Christ and none of self.