C3 Church Watch has been notified of a rather peculiar incident in the C3 Movement. When a pastor takes the pulpit or stage, what do you think the pastor is required to do? The answer to that question can be read here.
Phil Pringle thinks that if he visits his churches or conferences around the world, people will come to see him paint. As one blogger recorded in 2010:
“I was invited to the C3 Whitehorse 20th Anniversary Celebration evening at C3 Centre by a lovely lady I met at Mannigham Christian Church this week. Phil Pringle painted on stage which was of interest to me. Phil is one the messiest painter I have seen with the exception of the splax effects performances. Phil had more paint on him than on that canvas. They could have auctioned his jeans as well as the painting to raise funds for a laugh.” - Kayleen West, Phil Pringle Paints at C3 Centre, http://kayleenwest.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/phil-pringle-paints-at-c3-centre.html, 28/02/2010. (Accessed 05/03/2013.)
Sometimes when a person jokes about the church their comments can come true. Pastrix Chris Pringle recently informed her followers that her husband Phil Pringle, was painting, “the last supper – live @ C3Brisbane”. While he was splattering away, the screens asked members to place their bids on his painting. While Chris Pringle uploaded the photos to show off her husband and encourage people to bid, someone commented they “would buy those pants” that Pringle was wearing. Pastrix Chris Pringle decided to take a photo of her husbands booty and upload it to instagram saying, “Might start a Pringle jean range”. People continued to comment that they wanted to buy Pringle’s pants… Chris Pringle informing her C3 Brisbane audience that the jeans were sold. If this was all done in jest than we would have thought twice about writing an article on this. The fact that Chris Pringle and the commentors appear serious about buying a ‘pastors’ pants is rather absurd behaviour to say the least.
We now wish to inform you of a group called Pathfinders.
Pathfinders says about itself:
“Pathfinders is the marketplace ministry arm of C3 Church. Equipping our people to thrive in the marketplace is one of the core strands of the C3 Church DNA. This includes people in business, professions, government, education, the arts, sports and entertainment.
Our objectives in Pathfinders are that all of our marketplace people:
1. prosper in their career or business,
2. bring light and life to their work and business environment,
3. bring Godly wisdom and influence to change their corner of the world for God” - http://www.pathfinders.org.au/#/about-us, (Accessed 28/08/2012.)
In C3 Presence Conference this year, it is important to know that C3 targets the rich in their church and financially manipulates them to financially invest in the C3 movement. Strong words? Then you need to watch how cunning Pringle is when he chooses to target people to give money for the building fund here. This link will play this video. (Transcript below.)
Terrence [To audience]: “… But one thing we [C3] are about, (and which I’m sure you know), we’re all about the market place. Now there’s certain people in the House of God which fund the House of God because they do so well and they’re so successful in business that they have the mulah to be able to fund the Kingdom. And one of those kings we have right here is Mr Andrew Tyndale. Come and join us Andrew! How are you today?”
Emma: “We love you Andrew.”
Tyndale: “I’m sure I’m here under false pretences but that’s all right.”
Terrence: “There’s no false pretences here at all. Now Andrew, you look after and head up Pathfinders. Can you tell us a little bit about what Pathfinders is, for those who may not know.”
Tyndale: “Sure! Well Pathfinders is one of the three DNA strands that we have. So we have community partnerships- sorry. Kingdom partnerships, community heroes and the marketplace. So Pathfinders is our marketplace ministry. So that serves people in business skills. It serves them with ah, success skills and empowerment for their job, their career, their- and to make a difference in their world.”
Terrence: “Ooo we like that. So it’s building people up so they can go and make a difference in the community and also in church in their business. Yeah?
Tyndale: “Absolutely! So firstly so that they can thrive. Secondly, so that they can touch people who will never otherwise come to church. And thirdly, so that they can use their influence to change the world for the better.”
Terrence: “Ooh! We like that! So we just had a Pathfinders Conference ah- well you can say meeting just before. Can you tell those who are watching, maybe they’re watching from overseas, and would like to implement a sort of business meeting in their church; how can they get involved with a Pathfinders? Or kick off something like Pathfinders?”
Tyndale: “Well we would encourage everybody in the C3 movement to have a Pathfinders group; a Pathfinders program. And Pastor Phil in fact laid out a program where each pastor who doesn’t yet have a Pathfinders could- should start a business connect group. Start a connect group of business people and really speak into their worlds. Just as a start. And let that kick it off and roll. We have a whole series of programs we’d be very pleased to share. So anybody who’s actually out there in the world watching this, we’d be delighted to share with other churches and really roll the programs out throughout the network.” . . .
Terrence: “Fantastic. Now. I want to inspire people. Cos we normally don’t talk- I mean when we have our business- ah sorry- our building fund, we sort of talk about the numbers that people give to the church. Can you talk about some of the people that come to Pathfinders and how much they contribute to the house of God. Just to inspire people what’s possible?”
Tyndale: “I would but I’d have to kill you.”
Terrence: “Oh Lord! Don’t do that!”
Tyndale: “Look. It’s clear that the largest givers in any building program are the business people, in most cases. And they’re the people who both- both give to begin with and grow in their giving as their career prospers as a result of the giving. So it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. A self-sustaining cycle so that ah- it ultimately- then you get leaders who are drawing other peoples- ah examples for other people to draw them through. And the cycle continues. But ah- for those who are running building programs, you’re business people are the core and the key to it.”
So what’s this got to do with Kong Hee?
Here is a photo of Kong Hee with guest speaker Marcos Witt in Presence Conference 2011. It seems innocent enough.
Until the photographer takes another photo further back. This time Phil Pringle is with the other two.
What was talked about? We don’t know. Going on what Tyndale stated above, there is a good chance Kong Hee would have talked about peoples “success skills and empowerment for their job, their career… and to make a difference in their world.” If this is true then readers need to be concerned that C3 is targeting “people in business, professions, government.” Especially since The Hon. Andrew Stoner MP (Minister for Trade and Investment), is involved with C3 and their Presence Conferences.
Pringle’s behaviour from the beginning of Kong Hee’s investigations to now raises some hairy questions.
If Stoner attended the Pathfinders meeting(s), did Pringle honestly inform Stoner the current status of Kong Hee?
Because we don’t know what was said at the Pathfinders event at Presence, did Pringle state the current circumstances about Kong Hee honestly to those attending? But did Kong Hee speak at Pathfinders in Presence Conference 2010? Did Kong Hee speak at Pathfinders in Presence Conference 2012? Did Pringle honestly give people the facts then at these events if Kong Hee spoke?
Is it possible that people in the Australian government were not aware that Pringle invited a man that was under investigation by Singaporeon authorities for the possible mishandling of about fifty million dollars?
NOTE: ALL SCREEN GRABS WERE TAKEN ON THE 28/08/2012.
PROOF THAT PRINGLE DOES MANIPULATE PEOPLE USING HIS SERMONS
Before reading a CHC article on Pringle, we would like to point out how scheming Pringle is when it comes to approaching Sunday services. He is totally aware on how to control people and say what they want to hear to get what he wants.
“People can become anything under the right conditions.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 267.
“What we preach is what we get. We are farmers sowing seed. If we are unhappy with the harvest we’re reaping, we should sow different seed. If we want different results, we preach different messages.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 215.
“I don’t approach Sundays with an attitude of, “What message shall I preach?” but rather, “What do we want to achieve in our church at this time?” That desired end result determines what and how I preach. Then, within the particular message, I ask myself, “What am I trying to achieve here? What one thing am I attempting to say? What do I want these people to have or do at the end of this time?’
Then I follow the plan.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, pg. 234.
By now, it should be clear that Phil Pringle comes across as a manipulative soothsayer, that will do whatever he can to get what he wants.
CHC members should listen to the critique of the video above. They should be disgusted how badly Pringle manipulates people into giving their hard earned cash to their ‘Elijah’. They should be considered that Pringle unashamedly targets peoples wallets whether they are desperately poor or rich. Also, who can forget how Pringle teaches how to manipulate people into giving money and conforming to his methodologies?
PRINGLE’s REPUGNANT GRACE
Th best way to describe how Pringle treats the grace of God is ‘repugnant’. Repugnant can mean, ‘distasteful, objectionable, or offensive’. Christians should be offended how Pringle abuses the grace of God to manipulate people. In the below article we would like to point people to Pringle’s translation guide, especially how he defines grace and favour as being ‘interchangeable’.
At best, the below sermon is lip service and is nothing but dangerous doctrine and non-Christian teaching. If Pringle is teaching CHC they need to put on God’s favour (grace), then he is cheating them. Why? Because Pringle links God’s ‘Favor’ to fallen works as he has done so in the past. In the past, Pringle has taught we can get grace when we get “a great attitude,” get the “ability to forgive people” get a thankful heart, when we “worship,” “when our hearts are pure,” when you “get yourself ready for the day the set time of favour” and “when you have gone through a trial and you’ve found your whole world getting shaken, but you’ve stayed strong.”
CHC reveals how evil Pringle’s teaching is by saying, “wealth and power are poured out on the people, just as it was poured out on Jesus”. But Jesus was not rich. This is a different Jesus.
If anyone has the audio of this sermon, please email us at c3churchwatch@hotmail.com. In light of all this, CityNews writes:
Phil Pringle: What Being Highly Favored Really Means
Posted on 20 July 2012
Phil Pringle taught City Harvest Church members what favor really is and how to live our lives for God as highly favored ones.
By Annie Wong
“We become highly favored the moment we come to Jesus,” declared Phil Pringle, the senior pastor of C3 Church, Sydney, and the C3 Global Network of Churches, at the weekend services at City Harvest Church. “Once the favor is on us, nothing will take it away. And it will cause us to rise above the difficult circumstances we are in.”
Originally slated to appear in Amsterdam for the opening of a C3 Church there on Jul. 14 and 15, Pringle, who is also the advisory pastor of City Harvest Church, cancelled his appointment to come and encourage the church during its time of trial.
In his message to the church, Pringle proclaimed that the church is highly favored by God. He went on to explain what being a “highly favored one” means. He also encouraged the congregation to dare to “put on” the favor of God in their daily lives.
The Highly Favored Ones
The moment people come to Jesus, they entered into the favor of God and are considered the highly favored ones. This is shown in Ephesians 1:6 which says “To the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us highly favored (accepted) in the Beloved (Jesus).”
He went on to explain that all the wealth and power are poured out on the people, just as it was poured out on Jesus, when they receive the favor of God through Jesus. And when the church has favor, the presence of God is with them.
To illustrate what it means to have favor, Pringle gave the example of how King David looked after Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul, in 2 Samuel 9. When David wanted to bless Saul’s descendants, he found Mephibosheth, the sole survivor of his family, and showed him favor. Even though Mephibosheth was crippled, David had him carried to the palace and brought to the king’s table to eat with him. On top of that, David restored to him the land that belonged to Saul and gave him Saul’s inheritance. Mephibosheth did nothing to deserve all these things, but David showed him favor.
Favor Does Not Equate To A Problem-free Life
However, being highly favored does not mean that life is problem-free, that people will like you or that everything will work out well. “In fact, you will live in a problem-filled life,” smiled Pringle.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, faced great difficulties after the angel appeared before her and proclaimed that she was highly favored by God (Luke 1:28). She could not explain to the people around her or make them believe that her child was from God.
“As soon as the angel said to Mary ‘you are highly favored’, the next thing he said was that ‘God is with you’”. Many times this is what God will says to us—He needs to say it because there will come a time when we don’t feel that He is with us at all,” explained the preacher.
He went on to remind the church that even though Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord (Gen 6:8), he did not manage to make converts out of anyone in the 120 years he spent building the Ark. However, it was because of Noah, the world was saved.
Using the example of Joseph, Pringle also taught the church not to be ashamed of having God’s favor. In Genesis 39:21, Joseph put on the coat given by his father even when he knew his brothers will be angry with him.
“Joseph was more interested in honoring his father than making his brothers happy. The glory of God is not given for us to reject, but for us to put on,” said Pringle.
How To Live A Successful Christian Life?
Pringle shared with the church his belief for a successful Christian life: to have Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and finally to be part of a Church.
Jesus is the first step into the Christian life; to grow in the Spirit, a Christian needs to be in the Holy Spirit, to pray in tongues. Praying in tongues is the gateway to the supernatural, it helps to build the spirit man within the Christian, which then allow him to build others up.
“Don’t be grumblers, or complainers. It’s not difficult to find bad things to say, but it is when we prophesy to the church, we speak strength to the people. The Spirit unifies, so make a choice not to be amongst the complainers and grumblers, but be the one who speak life to others,” taught Pringle.
“We need a fresh supply of new oil, to strengthen us, and to empower us. Even the apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit again and again, and whenever they encountered difficulties and challenges they would cry out to God again,” he reminded the congregation.
“The walk of God is sustainable,” he explained. “Sometimes we may mount up with wings like eagles but we can’t fly forever; we can run but not forever. To walk is what we are called to, every day of our lives. That is sustainable. We may have great experiences, and fly or run sometimes, but God [always] gives us strength to walk everyday.”
At the end of the service, Pringle encouraged the members to activate the power within them by speaking in tongues. The thick presence of God fell, refreshing those cried out for fresh oil in their lives. The advisory pastor also took time to prophesy over the church leaders and different individuals to encourage and strengthen their faith.
Jace Ang, 32, a make-up artist was blessed by Pringle’s presence at CHC. “He is indeed a friend to us. He came at a difficult time even though it was inconvenient, to edify the church and our leaders. We must be open, to receive the challenges that we face.”
Clara Loh, 28, a human resource assistant, felt encouraged by the message. “I feel very blessed and honored to have our advisory pastor preaching in today’s service. I am reminded to speak strength to one another so as to boost each other to be unified as a church, to be a builder of the church.”
Sales manager Hanson Chua 39, was reminded to give honor to God. “Joseph wore the coat despite knowing the ridicule he would face. It is important for us to keep in mind that we must always give honor to God and not to worry so much about what people may say.”
This time we managed to get both visual and audio from Phil Pringle’s Presence Conference 2012 fleece-a-thon.
We encourage people who watch this video to research shamanism. Please compare shamanism to the second half of this video, where Pringle is breaking financial spirits/demons off people as they give him money.
You will also see TV presenter Jamie Malcolm caught in this financial rort.
We have been recording Pringle’s wake of fleecing the masses here:
Jesus said “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt 6:33) and NOT, “seek first 30, 000 easter eggs.” C3 Church came up with an ‘innovative’ way to market and celebrate Christmas this year at their church. Their website advertised an ‘Easter Egg Chopper Drop’.
The C3 Church had attached to the central picture a link to this pdf.
This only goes to show that Phil Pringle and the C3 Movement have converted to Furtickism. This Easter Egg Chopper Drop is not innovative at all. This concept was originally Steven Furtick’s idea. Furtick writes,
“They laughed at us.
Almost everybody did.
The ones who didn’t laugh in our face must have been laughing behind our backs.
And with good reason, mind you.
We were laughing too.
It was a dumb idea, and it shouldn’t have worked.
But it did work.
Last Easter, with a fledgling 2 month old congregation of about 200, we pulled off an Easter event that made headlines.
It involved 50,000 Easter Eggs falling from the sky and thousands of dollars in prizes.
2,500 people showed up.
No one went to the hospital.
No drunk moms pulled each other’s hair out fighting over the prize winning eggs.
And we made a statement to our community:
We’re here to play ball. Happy Easter Charlotte.
We’re going to do it again this year.
The 2nd Annual Elevation Egg Drop.
Bigger and better than before.
You wait and see.
BONUS: This year, we’ve already heard of at least a dozen other churches who are going to do the event in their own cities.
We’ve been able to help many of them.
That makes me thankful.
Thankful that our stupidity is contagious and is going to help lots of other churches reach their communities with their unique (and hopefully better) versions of this Easter Egg Hunt on steroids.
I remember more than one pastor telling me what an unwise move it was.
It had never been done before, and it could flop.
True, but it could also not flop. It could be a monster success, and possibly even catch on all over the country.
Don’t you think every mammoth concept was downright laughable until it was a reality?
Inherent in any vision that has the possibility of really taking off is the possibility of really tanking, right?
Do you even think that maybe if people aren’t laughing at your ideas, you aren’t dreaming big enough?
Abraham and Sarah laughed at God’s idea.
Not a good move, guys.
But understandable.
When you think you have a good idea, and the people you trust are behind it, and you believe the best you can that God is the author of it…
Let people laugh.
Laugh along with ‘em.
And go for it.
The more the idea makes you laugh, the better the chance it’s from God.
If it fails, laugh even harder and learn something from it.
(By the way, the more expensive the failure, the more you’d better learn.)
If it succeeds, laugh at that too.
Because you know that without the blessing of God you would truly be a laughingstock.
“Come and watch as 30,000 chocolate eggs shower down from a helicopter and then hunt them down yourself!”
How much do 30,000 easter eggs cost? And how much would hiring a helicopter be? While people are celebrating this expensive ‘easter event’, remember who is paying for it: the vulnerable, poor and desperate through Pringle’s false teaching. We know he teaches that God wants to bless people financially if they give sacrificially or give money to him to unlock their financial miracle. (See archives)
So why is C3 Church doing this then? This is simply another form of advertising for Phil Pringle’s Presence Conference.
In relation to this advert, another add pops up on the myc3church.net. A massive advert for John bevere attending the C3 Oxford Falls easter services.
They also mention him in their chopper drop flyer,
“Join us for our 10am EASTER SUNDAY service, with guest speaker John Bevere.”
C3 is giving platform to a gnostic teacher who preaches a different gospel. They are rebelling against God’s Word where God says,
“Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.” 2 John 1:9-11
Read about this dangerous teacher in these articles below:
Again, we must ask why C3 is continually promoting these delusional cult-like speakers through their manipulative marketing techniques. Why do they want to be associated with these cult-like messiahs and ‘anointed ones’ who preach false messages and gospels?
This article will look at the Presence Conference 2012 speaker line-up at the Presence Conference website (Phil Pringle, Steven Furtick, Kong Hee, John Bevere). Consider this article as a platter of resources, that can allow people to look at the speakers themselves.
We regret writing so harshly on the speakers. However, the purpose of this article is to warn Christians in love about these men and the dangers of the Presence Conference 2012. Unfortunately, every invited speaker has revealed they are both heretical and dishonest to say the least.
PHIL PRINGLE
Pringle says on his Presence Conference website,
“BE CLEANSED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AND LET A POWER COME UPON YOU THAT WILL CHANGE THIS WORLD”
You will never forget a Presence Conference with Phil Pringle. His sessions on miracles, anointing, vision and freedom are life changing. Phil is the author of 10 books, a speaker, television host, successful artist and President of C3 Global, an international network of nearly 400 churches. He is the Senior Minister of one of Australia’s fastest growing churches, C3 Church and he has spent over 30 years pastoring and equiping hundreds of ministers to plant churches around the world. Phil has seen powerful moves of God and the glory of God filling the atmosphere.
We have made it clear in the past that Phil Pringle is a prosperity preacher and connected to the heretic Kenneth Copeland.
Just like famous heretics Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Hagin, Jess Duplantis, Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland (ministers Pringle likes to be associated with), Pringle also teaches that Jesus went to hell and suggests that Jesus lost his divinity on the cross.
Pringle also manipulates church statistics and words to convince people he is a legitimate Christian minister and to convince Christians to give him money. He’s also convinced people he has churches that aren’t even part of C3 yet and worse – don’t even exist.
He’s made claims that he oversees 1,200 C3 churches or around 500 C3 churches. His website still says he runs 258 churches or oversees around 300. The above blurb says he now has 400 churches. Is Phil Pringle lying to convince anyone to come to his Presence 2012 Conference? You decide.
… and have observed Pringle using the church as a business tool to sell his paintings and merchandise (more will be written about this). He also reveals his motivation to get other Christians and their churches to join his movement.
Finally, we have faithfully demonstrated his ability to twist words and scriptures to convince Christians to BUY their miracles from God at His miracle offerings.
In his own words, Christians must “distrust those who flatter us” as he continually markets and flatters vulnerable Christians be involved in his Presence Conference 2012.
One has to wonder not only what he will preach on this year but what type of speakers he has invited to his conference this year.
STEVEN FURTICK
The C3 Website has a photo of Steven Furtick with a quote next to his face. How can Furtick supposedly state “There is a lost, hurting, broken dying, desperate, sorry world without Christ”, when he himself abuses Christians, sensors the gospel and elevates himself to some type of messianic figure?
If Steve Furtick is indeed saying this, he needs to explain his track record of bad behaviour and appalling teaching. Why does he openly condemn Christians who want to know Jesus? Why did he sensor the gospel at his 2012 Code Orange Revival?
If Christ is so important, then why does he say the church is the answer and not Christ? If the church is the answer, then why does he say that his church is not for people who want to know Jesus? Why was he hostile against the gospel at his revival by sensoring it? If Christ is important at all, why did Furtick cheer Perry Noble on for promoting him as Messiah?
It’s disturbing that Phil Pringle is STILL endorsing Steve Furtick to give him the platform to thousands of Australian Christians. Long-term critic of Steve Furtick, Chris Rosebrough has labeled Steve Furtick and Elevation Church a cult.
Rosebrough also received a personal letter from a member of Steve Furtick’s Elevation Church. They seem to agree with Rosebrough’s assessmnet of Furtick’s church.
After examining the articles that C3ChurchWtach have written, it becomes quite apparent that Furtick is not telling the truth. If you examine the evidence that Rosebrough puts before you, it’s easy to come to the same conclusion – Steve Furtick is not a truthful minister. In fact, it is safe to say that Steven Furtick is creating a
KONG HEE
It should be made known that Kong Hee has been exposed in his country as an alleged plagiarist. This was the blog that exposed Kong Hee,
As ‘Transitioning’ points out, Kong Hee’s publisher has many loopholes in their explanation and says Kong Hee’s “alleged plagiarism issue is no big deal now compared to the CAD probe into CHC’s financial affairs”. This latter issue still seems to be ongoing, Phil Pringle helping in KH’s effort to support his ministry.
In spite of all this, the people Kong Hee endorses are issues themselves (Steve Munsey, John Avanzini, Yonngi Cho, etc).
His use of scripture in his sermons are manipulative and misleading at best, sprinkled with heresy, pagan philosophies and vain imaginings. Kong Hee has proven to be a faithful disciple under Pringle’s prophetic direction and is just as ruthless exploiting those in his church that are unemployed like Pringle.
With this background knowledge, why is Phil Pringle inviting the cult-like leader Kong Hee to speak at this years Presence Conference? He is not faithful to scripture, faithful to the church, faithful to the poor or faithful to the community. Hee is continually misrepresenting Jesus for worldly reasons.
This brings up an important issue regarding Hee’s wife. Kong Hee loves his wife Sun Hee (and fellow pastor at his church).
After much deliberation on what to write about Sun Hee we’ve finally concluded that you can decide for yourself by watching her music video ‘China Wine’. (She is the female singer of this video clip (00:20).)
(Edit 18/04/2012: Kong Hee justified his wife’s role and played down the intelligence of pastors who criticised them both:
“I think the struggle many pastors have is the difficulty to separate her association with me (as a pastor’ wife) and her career as a singer. I agree that if she is a “pastor” or “preacher,” perhaps the video would have been inappropriate. But Sun is not a pastor…
Some [Pastors] said she was promoting free sex and immorality. But any intelligent, objective viewer would know that the whole drama is not about sex; if anything, it portrays the reality of a fallen secular world…”
After examining Kong Hee, his wife and his controversial ministry, one must ask: What kind of message will Kong Hee bring to Presence Conference?
JOHN BEVERE
C3 seems to suggest that Bevere said, “We need men and women who will speak the word of his grace. The word of his power and bring change.” They also mention his books,
“(The Bait of Satan, Drawing Near, Driven by Eternity, The Fear of the Lord and others)”
It’s odd they didn’t mention this ‘grace’ preachers book, “Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing” (2007). The book title says it all; how can you attract (earn) the favor (grace) of God on your life? It’s odd he says we need men and women who “speak the word of his grace” but promotes the exact opposite in his mentioned book.
We’ve discussed Bevere’s doctrine of tithing and his belief that if you submit to leaders like himself, God will make you rich and receive double portions of God’s Spirit. Read it here:
While it is good to biblically submit to Godly authorities, Bevere confuses it and delivers a burden-binding ‘gospel’ message. While his book seems to promote a lot of truth, there are concerns that should be bought to light on his false gospel of salvation-by-submission.
To preach the message of the gospel is the central mission of the church for all people to hear and know about Christ crucified. If anything contrary is added to the gospel or any truth taken away from it, then one must question the legitimate authority of that teacher, prophet or shepherd.
But we can safely say the hidden gnostic principle on ‘honor’, (John Bevere says he has discovered), has made him deviate from the central gospel of salvation.
“I didn’t understand the honor principle. I was in the process of learning. Now I want everyone to know!” - John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 37.
To make matters worse, Bevere reveals he is a word of faith teacher by stating On page 102,
“Simply put, the promises of God are not automatic; they must be acquired by faith.” - John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 102.
What else are we meant to gain if Christ has already “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing” (Eph 1:3)? What else are we to acquire if we are told to ”count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:8). What are we to gain that we haven’t gained already?
We will see Bevere is promoting himself, his authority and his gospel of works-by-faith. Paul, in imitating Christ’s authoritative nature (Philippians 2:5-11), uses his Godly apostolic authority in this way towards the Thessalonians (emphasis mine).
“… Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority” Thes 2:6
And as Jesus said (our highest authority),
“Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me.” John 8:54
A quick reading of John Bevere’s book gives a strong impression that Bevere is lacking in humility and loves to be recognised by the world (pg. 34-35, 36, 45). He’s bold enough to claim,
“I learned that day it had nothing to do with me but how I am received as one sent by God. The prisoners valued, honored, esteemed me. The church members said with their body language, “We’ve heard it all. We’ve heard it all. We’ve heard many guest ministers; what do you have to say that’s any different?” The vast difference of results stemmed from one word-honor.” - John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 38.
So Bevere likes to be honored. Like this?
“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,” Luke 20:46
His message through out the book is that God CANNOT bless or favour you unless you earn it through submitting to leaders like himself. Convinced about his faith-by-works message, Bevere shows hostility to Christians who do not submit to church leaders. He attacks biblical reason by convincing Christians that they,”are a people trying to understand Kingdom principles with a democratic mindset.” (Pg. 44.) In saying that the democratic mindset is the problem, he leads us to believe that the honor principle, (which he believes is the key kingdom principle), is the solution to earning God’s grace and blessing. (That’s what this whole book is about.)
“The kingdom of God is not a democracy. So if we relate to God with a democratic mindset we will not connect with Him. We will be without the protection of His authority and can be easily misled. Could this be why Jesus said so many in our generation would be deceived?” - John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 44.
He is saying that the kingdom of God is not characterised by equality. Furthermore, if we relate to God with a mindset of being equal with one another or approach the kingdom of God with a democratic mindset, Bevere says we cannot connect with God. What is the alternative of being democratic that Bevere is insinuating? Dictatorship? Thou-shalt-not-question-me?
Has Bevere not read Paul say the following?
“On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” 1Corinthians 12:22-25
Bevere is also insinuating that Jesus says that many will be deceived by this faulty democratic thinking in regards to the kingdom of God.
No John. People become deceived by following false teachers, leaders and self-proclaiming prophets (pg. 37) like yourself with your false gospel of works. The gospel saves the simpleton. And Christ is the protector of His disciples (John 17:12) and the guardian and true shepherd of His sheep (Psalm 23, John 10). Those who don’t want Jesus chase after false ministers like yourself.
Observe how prejudice and hostile Bevere gets towards Christians who prefer house churches,
“This Western mind-set is the cause for most church splits in America, and why so many people are resorting to home churches. These professing believers do not want to be under the authority established by Jesus Christ Himself.” - John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 45.
Professing believers? Why is he implying they are not under the authority and lordship of Jesus Himself, or even saved? Why is he alluding to them being the ones causing division? Is Bevere not acting as judge concerning trivial things (Colossians 2).
Only those who do no Only those peddling a false gospel with false doctrines based on the traditions of men are causing division. Bevere claims “They lack true New Testament government and accountability” (pg. 45). New Testament government? Like a dictatorship? After all, he’s not teaching about a kingdom based on 1 Corinthians 12. His attack on Christians continue,
“… you find many believers who have been hurt or offended and are therefore disillusioned with church structure. They’ve resorted to home churches in order to live without accountability.” - John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 45.
The proof of his false teaching is constant throughout his book, deviating from scripture and replacing words in scripture with the word ‘honor’ to support the teachings in his book. (eg. replacing words like blessing, time, praise, esteem, submit with honor). This is not how you treat the teachings of God. This ‘man of grace’ starts attacking the gospel of grace. Bevere says,
“There are three benefits for honoring these [abusive] leaders. First, if treated unfairly, our obedience to submit puts our case in the hands of God who will judge justly (see Pet. 2:21-23). If we take matters into our own hands, God steps back and we are on our own, a miserable place to be.” - John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 58.
What does he mean if we react to bad leadership that “God steps back and we are on our own”? What do we do if we are obedient to bad leadership? Why should we be called to submit to bad leadership? Bevere explains,
“Why are we called to do this? To position ourselves to receive a blessing (reward). So when you are mistreated, especially by someone in authority, you can get very excited because you are being set up for a reward.” - John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 58.
Once again, aren’t we already blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ? If we aren’t seeking this blessing in submission, does that mean we are not saved? Is Bevere implying we can lose our salvation since he blurs the lines, scriptures, definitions and contexts? If anyone critiques Bevere or has issues with him speaking at Presence Conference (or any leader speaking at the event), would he even consider them Christian or saved? Bevere makes this claim,
“If you are truly born of the Spirit of God, you will recognize and esteem authority. In fact, show me a person who has no regard for authority and I will show you a person who is not a child of God. It doesn’t matter if he’s prayed the sinner’s prayer and goes to church weekly. He who has no honor in his heart is not saved.” - John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 46.
We can conclude that people who suffer from Oppositional Defiance Disorder cannot ever be saved according to Bevere. However we can agree with Bevere on this.
“There is only one time-I repeat, one time-the bible tells us not to obey an authority; and that is when authority tells us to sin (do something contrary to the written Word of God.” - John Bevere, Honor’s Reward: How To Attract God’s Favor And Blessing, 2007, pg. 46.
The issue now is who’s authority we need to submit too; Bevere’s authority or God’s authority? Is Bevere confused or is he enticing us to sin by following a gospel contrary to the one the Apostles preached? The bible teaches us that Satan is the god of this age and even he has authority. Wouldn’t that make those who come under his authority false prophets? False teachers? Perverters of God’s Word? Many will claim to come with an authority and a message of authority. But who is teaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ? The point we’re trying to make is the same point Paul makes.
“… even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” Galatians 1:8-9
To imply Bevere wants to see “men and women who will speak the word of his grace” while promoting a different gospel that damns is clearly hypocritical as his ‘honour principle’ is a different gospel (different message). It was Paul that placed an anathema on those who preached a false gospel like the works-based gospel of the false teachers back in the Galatian province. We suggest any reader takes Bevere’s advice and “not… obey [Bevere's] authority.” How can his authority cannot be from God if Bevere is not honestly representing the God of the bible?
Just like Phil Pringle, Steven Furtick and Kong Hee, John Bevere is another dishonest minister speaking into the lives of thousands of Christians at Phil Pringle’s Presence Conference 2012.
“ For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matt 12:35b
Phil Pringle held a leaders meeting on May 2011 after the . He reveals that he uses the Presence Conference as a way of business to sell and promote his works (watch below from 0:06-0:26).
Is Pringle Baiting Churches With Presence Conference To Join His Movement?
Pringle also says,
“We really want to become more cross-denominational, not parochial about just being C3… And it’s so important that we just, you know, spill the banks, go over, lower the wall, let the water run through the city and be a blessing. And not out there just to drag people into- you know- and to get people into and- many people will get involved in what we’re doing and that’s good. But I don’t want that to be the only motivation that we have. I think that if we have the motivation to be a blessing beyond us, that would be a really good- a really good idea.” - Phil Pringle, C3 Leaders Meeting With Phil Pringle – May 2011, Youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgTdtB-ha0s, Uploaded by CCCOF on May 5, 2011.
Would it be right to conclude that the only person who would have that motivation would be the one making the comment?
C3 Church has approached churches in the past secretly to see if they would like to join their movement. We have articles to suggest that C3 is rebranding local churches for it’s own cause, to fulfill the dishonest 2020 Vision of Phil Pringle.
Pringle says that the 2020 Vision is God given and that the vision is about PLANTING 1000 churches by the year 2020, with an average membership of 500 each. If churches join and are branded into the movement – is it fair to conclude that the 2020 Vision is a lie? You decide. Check out these articles.
Click on the podcast link below to listen to Chris Rosebrough biblically critique Phil Pringle. C3 Church Watch gets a mention on his program in relation to our article here:
• Open Letter to Praise Bands
• Patricia King on Supernatural Weddings
• Todd Bentley Shares the Secret to Miracles
• How to Build a Galaxy
• Sermon Review: God Creates With Words by Phil Pringle of C3
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”" Hebrews 13:5
“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach… free from the love of money.” 1 Timothy 3:1-3
“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1Tim 6:10
”But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money…” 2 Timothy 3:1-2
“Those who love money will never have enough.” Ecclesiastes 5:10
“Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” Luke 16:14-15
Leading up to the Kuala Lumpur Conference in 2011 last year, was this advert. Do you think C3 or Phil Pringle care about the scriptures and the words of Jesus?
The below C3 advert starts off with the following:
“Join our panel of Leaders who shine in their fields as they answer questions and share their tips & wisdom to help your team be at their best – an opportunity not to be missed!”
In this promo they advertise Phil Pringle speaking. Do you think Pringle will be preaching “the gospel: Jesus Christ. Beginning and end”? He has did say that “I got no other message then that one.” Do you think they are going to promote Pringle as the representative of Jesus Christ as the head of the C3 movement?
“We couldn’t think of anyone better to speak on raising money than our very own Ps Phil Pringle.” – vision2020kl, Smells Like Team Spirit!, http://twitpic.com/5elp15, image modified 21/06/2011 3:28:26PM. (Accessed 22/06/2011)
NOTE: ALL SCREEN GRABS WERE TAKEN BEFORE THE 22/06/2011.