Originally published November 14, 2014
I study false teachers pretty often. I watch their videos, listen to their sermons, and read their articles. And I’ve noticed that there are some common buzzwords that New Apostolic Reformation* and Seeker-Driven false teachers tend to use over and over again. Naturally, these words are just that: words. Just because you hear your pastor, Sunday School teacher, or favorite Christian celebrity utter one or more of them doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is a heretic. But if you’re constantly hearing these words and phrases, it could be a red flag that you need to vet the person you’re listening to more carefully and see whether or not his or her theology matches up to what the Bible says. So, here, in no particular order are 10 such buzzwords and some of the false teachers who are fond of them:
1. The Glory
“Sometimes as I stand in the glory my hands and feet will begin to drip with supernatural oil, representing the miracle anointing of God.” ~ Joshua Mills
2. In The Natural
“I learned that even when we are in a place of obedience, we often have no way in the natural of knowing for sure whether we are right or wrong.” ~ Joyce Meyer
3. Shaking/Shifting
“If we continue to pray and call out to God, the nation will shift.”
“There is terror in Tampa, Tallahassee and Miami – a ring of terror; but, God has a ring of fire. Shaking, shaking, shaking.” ~ Cindy Jacobs
4. Decree
“Decree and declare… THE FAMINE IS OVER!” ~ T.D. Jakes
5. Declare
“I declare that I am a ‘no lack’ person and receive every blessing You have prepared for me.” ~ Joel Osteen
6. Spirit-man
“Pray always and when you catch your mind trying to reason out a prophetic revelation, let your spirit man rise up and take control.” ~ Jennifer Leclaire
7. Holyspirit
A number of NAR personalities refer to the third Person of the Trinity as “Holyspirit” -as though that were His first name- instead of the Holy Spirit. For example, “Holyspirit said to me the other day…”
It is nearly impossible to isolate a text example of this as a) it is usually verbal and b) search engines always include the word “the” in search results.
8. In the heavenlies
“War in the heavenlies. We can battle against the enemy’s strategies through prayer and declaration of the Word. This wins the battle in the heavenlies before it hits the earth.” ~ Patricia King
9. Come into agreement/alignment
“…the Bible states that God, before time, determined your zip code—that spiritual place and geographical location; when you get into that spot, everything around you will begin to come into alignment.” ~ Cindy Trimm
10. Cast vision
“Sure, I cast vision—but it has taken every staff member and volunteer we have to pull it off.” ~ Perry Noble
What are some common words and phrases
you often hear false teachers use?
Michelle Lesley 