Six Women Leaders to Avoid by Lee Grady part 2

I saw this the other day and thought of Joyce Leiphon. Each one of these traits I've seen personally in Joyce Leiphon.  Lee Grady is the author and it's lengthy so I'm breaking it up into three parts.  If you want to read the entire article you can find it here:  http://www.charismamag.com/life/women/10176-six-women-leaders-to-avoid?showall=1

3. THE FLIRT I recently took a pastor friend of mine to a conference to hear a visiting woman preacher from another state. Imagine my horror when this lady walked to the podium wearing a dress that looked like it had been sprayed on.
Every curve and crevice on this woman's body was visible to the ogling eyes in the audience. Some of the guys, to their credit, began looking at the floor toward the end of her sermon so they would not commit adultery in their thoughts. I wanted to run to the podium, grab one of those "modesty cloths" they use during prayer times and wrap it around Sister Shapely before anyone else stumbled.
This woman obviously missed the memo about adopting a "professional and sensible dress code" for ministry. Or perhaps she simply ignored the memo because of her own unresolved sexual issues. Somebody should have yanked her off the platform and sent her back to the new believer's class, where godly women teach other women why it's wrong to use their femininity as a sexual weapon.
The flirt disregards sexual boundaries. She hangs around with men alone in the church office, and might even counsel men alone. She may even use sexually charged language or veiled vulgarity in her sermons. (Note: Just because male leaders engage in this behavior does not make it acceptable.)
Women in ministry do not have to wear their hair in a bun or don ankle-length flannel dresses in order to be modest. There's nothing wrong with looking your best. My favorite women leaders usually wear smart pantsuits, tasteful jewelry and comfortable shoes when they preach. They dress like respectable businesswomen—and they command respect from their churches because of it.
4. THE FLAKE God knows we need leaders today who understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But whenever there are revivals of Pentecostal power, the devil always lures some people to unbalanced and unhealthy extremes. In the modern charismatic movement, leaders who misuse the gifts of prophecy or other supernatural phenomena have deceived or irreparably wounded many people.
The flake may have had a legitimate experience with God, but because of pride she begins to believe that her gift is unique. She may even claim special access to God and have frequent visions or dreams that bolster her claims. These experiences might be from God. But if she does not stay grounded in biblical truth and seek accountability in healthy ministry relationships, she may elevate herself to a point where no one can challenge her revelations.
No one who steps out in the supernatural is going to get it right 100 percent of the time. We prophesy in part, and those who use the gift of prophecy are likely to "miss it" from time to time. But the flake will rarely admit to missing it. She will stubbornly contend that she heard from God, even if all the evidence proves otherwise.
It's bad enough when flakes are in the pews because they can cause divisive splits in congregations. But when a flake is elevated to a leadership position, an even bigger disaster looms. That person may veer into extrabiblical methods or outright heresy because she cannot receive correction.
The flake usually has serious unresolved emotional issues. She may be prone to depression, and she might seek unusual spiritual experiences to soothe her damaged emotions. She is always in superspiritual mode and rarely enjoys the normal routines of life. My advice to the flake: Come down to earth!

Six Women Leaders to Avoid by Lee Grady part 1

I saw this the other day and thought of Joyce Leiphon.  Lee Grady is the author and it's lengthy so I'm breaking it up into three parts.  If you want to read the entire article you can find it here:  http://www.charismamag.com/life/women/10176-six-women-leaders-to-avoid?showall=1


A popular female evangelist arrived at an airport and was escorted to the baggage claim area. After she retrieved her luggage she was taken to the passenger pickup lounge where she met her hosts from a local church, who planned to take her in a comfortable van to a nearby hotel so she could rest before speaking at an evening service.
The members of the welcoming team were not prepared for this woman's icy response to their greeting. When they opened the door to the van, she told them bluntly: "I will not ride in that." Then she stormed back into the airport with her entourage. After making inquiries, one of the church staff was informed by the woman's assistant that Her Highness must be transported in a certain type of vehicle.
The stated choices were a Bentley, a Mercedes-Benz or a Lincoln Town Car! Nevermind that Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This regal woman of God insisted on arriving in luxury.
When I heard this story I didn't know whether to start a petition drive or just vomit on the spot. I was outraged, bewildered and nauseated.
For the last seven years I have given my life to help empower and release women leaders in the church. I have dedicated my life to ending gender discrimination—especially when it limits women's spiritual gifts and callings.
Yet when I hear of poor examples of women pastors and preachers, I must confess I fight discouragement. Yes, we need many more trained women church leaders—but we don't need any more bad examples!
In my travels I have observed all kinds of women leaders, some who are stellar role models and others who would do us all a favor if they pursued different careers. If you have aspirations to pursue leadership in ministry at any level, I pray you will avoid becoming like the ones I am about to describe.

1. THE DIVA To this woman, ministry is all about her. She is the star. Surely she started out with genuine passion for God, but today her message is not defined by her unseen prayer life but by what people see on stage. Greed and pride have deceptively lured her into compromise.
She knows how to move a crowd. There is obviously a strong anointing on her life, but it has been subtly fused with a carnal agenda. She can inspire people to success and wow them with her own accomplishments, but there is nothing in her sermon that brings true repentance or brokenness. Her message may be loud, and it can elicit shouts at the altar. But the people don't realize they've been drugged with a spiritual form of cocaine that triggers a religious high but can't bring them closer to Jesus.
The diva is known for her demands. Someone must carry her Bible, her water bottle, her purse and her cell phone. Those who ask her to preach in their church soon learn that she is "high maintenance." She will require the priciest hotel rooms and the biggest offerings—which she will collect with plenty of manipulative arm-twisting.
Her Christian values were once admirable. But the holy fire that burned in her heart a few years ago has been quenched by greed and an addiction to the crowd's approval. She stopped studying the Bible and now focuses more on what she plans to wear at her conferences. She stopped spending time in God's presence and began craving the glow of television lights.
The diva loves grand entrances. She comes into the meeting late and is whisked off the stage as soon as she has delivered her sermon. She doesn't associate with common folks or spend too much time praying for them. A strange atmosphere surrounds her: A mixture of the Holy Spirit's irrevocable gifting and a disturbing aura of self-importance. Only those who are discerning can recognize the difference.
2. THE CONTROL FREAK If you saw the movie The Devil Wears Prada you know the type of leader I am talking about. Unfortunately the main character of that film, the fearsome fashion publisher Miranda Priestly, has a few counterparts in the religious world.
Beware of this woman if she is in any church leadership position. She rules with an iron fist and leaves a trail of wounded bodies behind her. Somehow she missed the elementary Leadership 101 class, which teaches that every Christian leader must learn to serve. To her, authority is about dominating people.
This woman does not know how to delegate. She is not a team player. The control freak believes she knows all the answers, and therefore she must sign off on all decisions, no matter how petty. People line up outside her door night and day to get her approval, and anyone who needs an appointment is first advised to obtain a "weather report" on her shifting moods.


Somehow this woman never took care of her anger issues when she was a young Christian. Now that she has a position of power, no one is brave enough to challenge her ungodly behavior. She surrounds herself with yes-men and yes-women who dislike her authoritarianism but are too intimidated to admit that her ruthless temper is a sin.
The control freak has no peers and doesn't have a relational style. She may claim to have an older mentor (who usually lives in a distant city) but she doesn't open up her life to those who work with her. They are her subjects, and she demands obedience and long hours of work to prove loyalty. Her employees usually resign on a regular basis because of her harsh criticism and abusive words.

Money Cometh and Joyce Leiphon, an Opinon from the Internet

Bring Your Tithes and Offerings into the Whorehouse How could a Prosperity Doctrine make preachers millionaires, and no one question the morality of this doctrine? II Peter 2:3 indicates that because of people's covetousness, false prophets will be able to use feigned words to make merchandise of them. Friends, you can see what we have in the pulpit in these last days. These are not preachers, but pimps! If you study the nature of a pimp, you can then understand the nature of the false preacher. A pimp is a weak, emaciated, effeminate man who, because of his own weak and perverted nature, has refused to be productive in his own right. Having no work ethic, he lives like a parasite and leach off of women who see themselves as rejected, lonely, and unable to function as whole people in society. Their assurance of his approval is directly linked to their ability to give him more wealth. They work themselves to death in order to bring him material possessions, presenting those things to him as their god. This is the same spirit in the mind of the harlot church. People are being instructed to bring their tithe to the preacher in order to experience the manifold blessings of God. They are told that by confessing the Bible over their circumstances and chanting Scriptures, they will get a return on what they have sown into these false ministries. Consequently, we have millions of people being robbed while they wait for the multiplication of what was sown at the preacher’s footstool. They are not giving out of the joy of serving a loving God, they give only as some sort of down payment on what they hope will be a substantial monetary return.

If you sit in admiration of these false preachers, you are being taken for the longest ride in the history of the human race. You can see these telecasts all over the world as people run up to the steps of the altar dropping envelopes of money—money as seed faith offerings— so that they can receive back from that god. It is a travesty to watch people fill out checks and sign their names with the statement “Money cometh to me” over their signatures. In this way they give heed to the false doctrines being espoused by Leroy Thompson. In his book entitled, Money Cometh, Thompson states that as our covenant right, money comes to you based on the blood of Jesus acquiring prosperity for us through His death and resurrection. At minimum, all of this doctrine is stupid! At maximum, it is insane! How many of you reading this book have fallen prey to the filth espoused by these teachers? Even now there may be something rising up in the inner most parts of your being that hates the truth of what I am saying. These ministers feel the same way. In order to protect the deceitfulness of their ways, they hide behind scriptures like “Touch not God’s anointed” or “Do God’s prophets no harm.” If something in you believes that I am judging ‘God’s anointed man for this hour,’ then something in you is bound to the devil. You need to be set free from a spell that was cast on your mind by a sorcerer and a warlock standing in the pulpits and calling themselves ambassadors of Christ. In reality, these men are workers of witchcraft and sorcerers of seduction sent from the devil. One of the most tragic aspects of this Word of Faith movement is that most of the people involved have no idea about the end times, including the rise to power of the Antichrist to rule the world and the existence of a worldwide delusion and a ‘falling away’ from real Christianity. They are blinded by the very doctrine that claims to set them free. As they vigorously seek things to secure their position in this world, like wealth and prosperity, they lose the desire to end the world and see the Kingdom of God come online. The devil is preaching the world into the church so that they will be programmed to fight with him against God in the final battle. This is the ingenious strategy of a rebellious, fallen angel looking for a way to snuff out the longing of Jesus’ people for His appearing. The Bible plainly says that Jesus will appear the second time to those who long for him with all of their hearts. He says you’ll find him if you seek for him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. When you long for His appearing, He will manifest to you. Seeking the things of this world eliminates the appetite necessary to bring the revelation of Christ into your life. We are sitting in the midst of the greatest fall away in the history of mankind, and billions of souls worldwide have no idea what is going on. Their own greed, lust, and desire to have the things of this life choke off the Word and it becomes unfruitful to them. One of the things that choke off the word of God and make it unfruitful in your life is the “cares of this world” and what Jesus called “the deceitfulness of riches.” Through prosperity teachings, you are being led as far away from Christ as the east is from the west. These delusions and false teachings are so evident in the Word of Faith movement that you would have to be almost biblically illiterate to believe them. This is why God says the whole foundation of this movement is built on silly women laden down with all kinds of diverse lusts, ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. The Prosperity market is comprised of people who don’t know or understand the Bible, and since they want “stuff” instead of Jesus, the ministers are able to make a fortune off of their greed and covetousness. Your material possessions will not get you into heaven. As a matter of fact, Jesus told the rich man that if he were going to be made perfect, he would need to sell everything he owned and follow Him. Jesus knows what is in the heart of men. In most cases, those who possess an abundance of wealth, tend to trust in material things and not in God. How have we now changed the Gospel so that the riches are now seen as a sign-off on us following Christ? This is a no-brainer! It is time for those who desire Christ to wake up, follow him, and leave the false teachings of the Word of Faith alone. If the Lord blesses you financially, He will do it based on your level of maturity and your willingness to go forth and do His will at the expense of your own. God is not into hedonism; He is concerned with saving men’s souls from an eternal destruction. Beloved, please wake up.

Joyce Leiphon and Light of the World Church, Should I Leave?

 

 

 

If you see any of these seven warning signs in your church, my advice is to run as fast as you can.
A friend of mine from England recently asked me for counsel regarding a serious dilemma. His pastor had been involved in extramarital affairs, yet the man never stepped down after the scandal. My friend grew increasingly uncomfortable. Then he became alarmed when the embattled pastor announced he was going to lay hands on every church member during a weekend service to impart “special revelation.”
This pastor had a base of loyal fans, but the Sunday crowd was dwindling because people could smell trouble. They knew it wasn’t right for this man to remain in leadership without receiving some serious personal ministry. I advised my friend to run for the door.
I’ve never found a perfect church in all my travels—and it certainly wouldn’t be perfect if I joined it. But there are some churches that deserve to be called unhealthy. While I believe we shouldn’t give up on a church too fast, there are some warning signs that should cause you to stop and ask if you’d be better off finding better pasture.
1. No accountability. There is safety in the multitude of counselors (see Prov. 11:14). There is much less safety—perhaps even danger—when a leader does not bother to seek counsel from a diverse group of his peers, as well as from gray-haired men and women who have the wisdom that comes with experience. If a pastor or church leader isn't open to correction or financial oversight, he is headed for a train wreck. If you stay in that church, you may crash with him.
2. Spiritual elitism. Healthy leaders love the entire body of Christ. Beware of any church that claims “exclusive” revelation or suggests they are superior to other Christians. This is how cults start. There is a large charismatic church in Hungary that began in revival, but the founder began teaching that their church was the only place people could truly be saved. If a pastor ever makes such claims it is time to shake the dust off your feet and move on.
3. Entrenched immorality. The apostle Paul commanded leaders to enforce biblical discipline. This must be handled with gentleness (see Gal. 6:1) but nevertheless with firm resolve, because the enemy wants to infiltrate the church with moral compromise. If a pastor has been involved in adultery or perversion and continues preaching, meanwhile refusing discipline, his unrepentant spirit will infect the entire congregation—and you can expect to see immorality spread throughout the church. Don’t be defiled.
4. An authoritarian spirit. Some leaders develop a dictatorial style and try to control people through manipulation, threats and legalistic demands. I’m amazed at how much spiritual abuse is tolerated in churches today. No pastor is perfect, and we are called to be patient with each other’s faults. But if a church leader is verbally abusive toward his staff or members of his congregation, he is in direct violation of Scripture. The Apostle Paul taught that church leaders should not be "violent" or "quarrelsome" but "self-controlled" and "gentle" (see 1 Tim. 3:2-3). It’s best to find another pastor if yours cannot control his anger.
5. Unbridled greed. Paul made it clear that a leader has no business being in the ministry if he isn’t “free from the love of money” (1 Tim. 3:3, NASB). Yet we have turned that requirement on its head today. We have given greedy charlatans access to the airwaves and allowed them to corrupt the church with a money-focused message. Your pastor does not have to live in poverty, but if he insists on living in luxury—and manipulates people during offering time to squeeze more money out of your wallet to pay for his toys—you are supporting his habit. You should leave.
6. False doctrines and manifestations. A pastor should be open to the Holy Spirit’s spontaneous work, but he or she should also protect the flock from deception. In many segments of the charismatic movement today, bizarre New Age influences have been wholeheartedly embraced—and Christians seem to have thrown away the gift of discernment. If your church is focusing on a particular prophet’s revelations, or is going off on weird tangents—at the expense of solid doctrine—then you should go elsewhere fast.
7. A culture of pride. Some church leaders are so insecure that they manufacture a sense of importance around them in order to function. They surround themselves with security guards, “armor bearers,” handlers and assistants—and never actually build genuine relationships with their church members. They think church is all about their stage performance, so they rely on volume, theatrics, clothes and a grand entrance to impress the crowd rather than just being normal, touchable, accessible servants. If your pastor is building a personality cult rather than a dwelling place for God, run for your life!
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project (themordecaiproject.org). His latest book is Fearless Daughters of the Bible. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. 

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Getting "drunk in the spirit" Joyce Leiphon style!

I'm posting this because I've been part of this "drunk in the spirit", stumbling and bumbling, crawling on the floor, laughing hysterically all the while thinking this was of God.  Joyce Leiphon encourages and leads by example in this behavior.  So the question is:

Question: "Is being drunk in the Spirit a biblical experience?"

Answer: Nowhere in the Bible does it say to be drunk in the Spirit. When the Bible speaks of being drunk, it always has a negative connotation. The only place in Scripture that alludes to the idea of “spiritual drunkenness” is Isaiah 29:9-14, and it refers to God’s judgment upon sin and apostasy.

Some leaders in the Word of Faith movement and churches associated with the Toronto Blessing promote the false idea of being “drunk in the Spirit” or being filled with “drunken glory.” Congregations are instructed to “get drunk,” “take another drink,” and cast off all restraint. Stumbling gaits, slurred speech, falling to the ground and other odd behaviors are “proof” of the work of the Holy Spirit.

The false teachers who promote being drunk in the Spirit point to Acts 2:13 as justification for their aberrant practice. On the day of Pentecost, as the apostles were preaching the gospel, some in the crowd said, “They have had too much wine.” The accusation was obviously a mockery of the apostles, and Peter flatly denies any hint of inebriation (verse 15). Yet today’s Word of Faith teachers take this jest from an ungodly crowd and use it as “evidence” that Peter and the apostles were preaching in a senseless stupor. Such twisting of Scripture not only demeans the apostles, it also dishonors the Holy Spirit.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:15-18).

Paul says that getting drunk is akin to our old way of life with its worldly and self-serving desires. Such behavior is debased and “leads to debauchery” (compare Colossians 1:21; Romans 13:13). The word debauchery is a translation of a Greek word meaning “lawless insolence or unmanageable caprice.” Paul deliberately contrasts the state of drunkenness (a loss of control) with the indwelling of the Spirit of God (a gain of self-control, Galatians 5:23).

God wants every aspect of our lives as believers to be under the complete control of the Holy Spirit. This does not come by drunkenness, and it does not mimic its effects.

Acting drunk and blaming it on the Spirit of God is sin. Those who teach spiritual intoxication are more closely allied with Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and drunkenness, than with the true God of the Bible. Being filled with the Spirit is not some ecstatic or emotionally charged experience. It is not a heavenly high or a spiritual buzz. Being filled with the Spirit is a steady submission of one’s life to the God of glory (1 John 3:24).

The Money Cometh Man Cometh to Ft Pierce to collect more money!

Yes, it's that time of year again.  Now calling himself "Apostle" Leroy Thompson is coming back to Ft Pierce to Light of the World Church (LOTWC) for another money cometh conference January 10, 2013.  I also wanted to point out Joyce Leiphon has a new website, with an audio teaching, by the way, this audio proves she believes she is god and can speak things into being just like God and a few pictures.  The church family photo is of interest.  Since I left 2 years ago, the church family hasn't grown much as I see the same faces. 

Having attended these money making conferences in the past, let me save you some time and money and let you know what to expect. There will be people there from other "Money Cometh" churches in the state. They are expected to support and travel to these conferences if they want the "Money Cometh anointing", so don't be surprised if the church is full.

Bring lots of money! For each service, you will see something strange. People will start bringing money to the platform, stage, pulpit, altar, podium etc. This is a learned behavior and part of the "Money Cometh to Me Now" money game. If you bring a large amount, make sure you put it in Leroy Thompson's hand. He'll give you recognition for your money. Don't be shy about laying your money down even while he's talking, it's ok and expected.

Be prepared to repeat "Money Cometh to Me Now!" 3 times if you want it to really work, you will have to do the "money pull" and shout as loud as you can. It is at this time, some of the cult will run up and down, jump, scream and shout! It's ok if you don't do all this, but be aware, if you don't, you won't get your money, and you will get some looks from the cult members.

Don't expect to meet the "Money Cometh Man" afterwards. He'll have some body guards with him, and will probably be escorted quickly after he gets your money. Don't be surprised to see a guy in dark glasses with a slight buldge in his coat. Yes, I hope he keeps his jacket buttoned and not let you see his Glock in his shoulder holster. Yes, it's true, and yes after all, it's Ft Pierce!

Don't bring your bible as you won't need it. What you need is your money and you will be told you can't be a blessing until you get your money!

Be prepared to see people give thousands of dollars in money they have borrowed, saved and otherwise could not afford to give to a man to build his personal kingdom. Joyce Leiphon herself will give a thousand bucks at each meeting if not more....after all, it takes $10 grand to fly your private jet here and have it parked at the airport for a few days.

Save your time and money, skip the "Money Cometh" conference. Give as Jesus gave. Help your local church, feed someone, clothe someone, love everyone.

New Year's Eve with Joyce Leiphon and LOTWC

This was what expected on New Year's Eve under Joyce Leiphon.  If you didn't participate, you would be missing god and could have an impact on how your year would go.

We would show up several hours before the midnight to set everything up.  Everyone was asked to bring a dish of food to share with the group.  We again were asked by the event coordinator to bring a gift and some money for Joyce.

Joyce would have her man of gawd favorite Money Cometh video playing on the big screen to set the mood.  We'd eat and fellowship, talk about those who didn't show up, and all they'd be missing out.

We would join hands in a circle, read a bunch of scriptures replacing what the word of God with Joyce Leiphon's name as I've covered in previous posts.  We'd go on for maybe 30 minutes or so, then as Joyce would walk around the room praying in tongues, we would follow her every move.  Some of her personal assistants would actually shadow her in case she would lose her balance.  She'd be drunk in the spirit and sometimes would be held up.

We'd do the countdown to midnight......then shout out loud, "Money Cometh to Me Now", sometimes we'd do the "money pull", we'd jump up and down, run around acting as if we were rich.

Yes, her followers would try to be the first to give her money in the new year.  She would recognize those to the rest of the group who gave much money.

Pretty exciting New Year's Eve yes?  Nothing but the money, didn't do much for the lost, the hurting, the poor.  It was all about Joyce Leiphon.

Happy New Year!