THE
PROMISE KEEPERS: SATAN’S LATEST TOOL OF DECEPTION
THEIR FAULTY
FOUNDATION EXPOSED
Article Two in Series
on PK Movement
By
Wayne Camp
Ezekiel 13:14 So will I break down
the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it
down to the ground, so that the foundation
thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall,
and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know
that I am the LORD. (KJV)
PRELIMINARIES
I know of no foundation of any
unscriptural movement that is more unstable than the foundation
on which the Promise Keepers is built. It is pure quicksand. In
the previous issue of TGP&P, I wrote an
introductory article on this movement. In this I mentioned
spending a good deal of time in bookstores researching the matter
to keep from buying the PK books. I finally, however, gave up and
bought several so that I would have the evidence at hand, right
from the horse’s mouth, as is often said. I could have used
that money on better books. But, due to the incredible nature of
some of the things taught in the books published for and by this
organization, I simply felt it was a necessary investment.
Moreover, I want first-hand information, though I could download
most of what I will find from the Internet. In fact, I have
downloaded many pages. I bought the books so that I could confirm
that quotes and charges were correct.
As noted in the title, this article will
deal with the origin, alliances and leaders of The Promise
Keepers. The foundation of this movement is truly laid on the
sand; it is not built on the foundation of the Rock, the Lord
Jesus Christ. The alliances of PKs are truly questionable. We
will look at these alliances in some detail next month. The
leaders and speakers of promise keepers are an absolutely motley
crowd as will be seen in future issues. They range from men who
believe in Divine creation to men who believe in theistic
evolution. They include men who are wildly charismatic to men
that are thoroughly psychological in their approach to
Christianity. They have built on a foundation that is sand and daubed
their walls with untempered morter.
THE
ORIGIN OF PROMISE KEEPERS
"Nothing in the world," he
said, chuckling, "could have ever possibly happened worse,
in the whole world, than for Promise Keepers—this
incredible, significant, undeniably noble movement—to be
spawned out of the Vineyard." (The Christian
Conscience Web Site, Lynn and Sarah Leslie, Web sight address:
http://www.netins.net/showcase/conscience).
These are the words of James Ryle, the
pastor of Bill McCartney, the figurehead leader of Promise
Keepers. Ryle is a Promise Keepers Board Member and participant
in the founding of this movement. The Vineyard to which he refers
is a group of churches called the Association of Vineyard
Keepers. Particularly, the Boulder Valley Vineyard in Longmont,
Colorado, is the congregation of which McCartney is a member and
of which Ryle is pastor. More will be said about Ryle’s
doctrinal stance when we look at the leaders of this movement.
However, it is important to note now that Ryle boldly confesses
that The Promise Keepers was "spawned out of the
Vineyard." Ryle has been the pastor of Bill
McCartney before and during the formative years of PKs. He is
still McCartney’s pastor. As used here the word "spawn"
means "to bring forth, to produce."
It is therefore the contention of Ryle that the Vineyard produced
or brought forth the PKs.
The Dallas/Forth Worth Heritage
(June 1995) had an article by Chris Corbett in which he
chronicled the connection of the Vineyard movement and Promise
Keepers. Corbett wrote,
The Vineyard movement of churches is
controversial even within its Pentecostal base. It has been
labeled "hyper-Pentecostal" by its detractors,
which have included figures such as Chuck Smith of Calvary
Chapel and evangelist David Wilkerson. Currently, the
Vineyard is a major conduit for the "Holy Laughter
Movement" in which those said to be filled with the Holy
Spirit during a meeting might begin laughing uncontrollably,
becoming paralyzed, roar like a lion or howl like a dog.
Dr. A. L Barry, President of the Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, in a letter that was published in
full in Christian News, June 10, 1996, wrote to a church member
who had asked him about Promise Keepers. In that letter Dr. Barry
wrote,
I have watched the PK movement
develop. The background of the movement is important for us
to understand. It traces its theological roots to the
Pentecostal movement. For instance, the magazine of the PK
movement features many advertisements from charismatic and
Pentecostal organizations. The magazine itself is published
by individuals who have been associated with a popular
charismatic magazine called Charisma.
James Holly, M. D., has written an
excellent article in which he said,
Lacking historical and biblical
Christian roots, the leadership of Promise Keepers may have
reflected the New Age and Mormon concept of man becoming a
God by encouraging men to assume a responsibility which
belongs to God. If men can and should be "promise
keepers", then they can and should be little gods. This
is what Joseph Smith taught, and this is what is taught by
some who are embracing Promise Keepers.
Coach Bill McCartney, former head football
coach at the University of Colorado, is credited with founding
the PK movement. Formerly, McCartney was a Roman Catholic, but
had converted to the Vineyard Christian Fellowship and has been a
member since before the founding of PKs.
THE
SPAWNERS OF PROMISE KEEPERS:
THE
VINEYARD MOVEMENT
Since the Vineyard movement is the
movement which "spawned" the PK movement,
it would be beneficial if we look at the Vineyard movement
itself.
This movement was founded by
hyper-charismatic, signs and wonders "healer" John
Wimber. Wimber, and many of his fellow pastors in the movement,
believe that God is giving new revelations for today that should
supersede Scripture. In fact, Bill McCartney often gives what he
claims are direct revelations from God, when speaking to the PK
meetings. Wimber, and McCartney’s pastor, James Ryle, are
self-proclaimed modern-day prophets.
The problem with any movement that is
brought in to being or dominated by such self-proclaimed prophets
is that they can claim to have a revelation from God and they can
take the movement in any direction. The last chapter of
Revelation and chapters 11-14 of I Corinthians make it very clear
that the Bible is the perfect and complete word of God and when
men claim new revelation, they are adding to the word of God.
This is specifically contradictory to the plain teachings of
Scripture.
The Vineyard movement also espouses such
radical views as "spirit slaying," and the
"laughing revival." Eye witnesses to the meetings in
which the laughing phenomenon has been seen report that people
are lying on the floor jerking and shaking. They may be clucking
like a hen, barking like a dog, growling like a lion, or giggling
hysterically. This goes on for long periods of time. There is
nothing godly nor Scriptural about such conduct. It demonic! It
is Satanic!
ARE
CHRISTIANS CALLED UPON TO MAKE PROMISES?
I have just returned from a trip which I
made by myself. During the drive of approximately 1000 miles I
listened to tapes of much of the New Testament. I listened for
edification but I also had an ear open for any admonitions to
Christian to make promises. The basic message of PKs is that to
be a good Christian you must make promises. In the book, What
Makes A Man, the reader is bombarded by Bill McCartney
and the other authors of the book with the idea that you cannot
be a mature Christian without making and keeping certain
promises. I have done searches in Scripture and have listened to
much of the New Testament on tape just recently. I have not found
one place where any inspired writer called upon the Christian to
be a promise keeper. In Scripture the Promise Maker
and Promise Keeper is God, not man. In fact, we are
cautioned against making promises, or vows.
The word promise is found in
the New Testament 43 times. Forty-one times the word has
reference to the promise of God. The two other times have
absolutely nothing to do with Christians making promises. Acts
23:21 has to do with some Jews who were conspiring to kill Paul.
They sought a promise from the chief captain who was guarding him
that he would bring him down to the council so they could kill
him while he was being brought down. II Peter 2:19 refers to
promises made by false teachers. 2 Peter 2:19 While they
promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of
corruption." This sounds amazingly like the leaders
of Promise Keepers and how they promise men they can be liberated
and grow into mature men, or "real men"
as their bumper stickers proclaim.
The word promises appears 13
times in the New Testament and in every instance it refers to the
promises of God. Not one time is it used in an admonition for
Christians to make promises. Not one time does it suggest that
one cannot be a real Christian man unless he makes promises. It
confirms again that the only promise maker and promise keeper in
Scripture is God.
The word promised is found
in the New Testament 14 times. Eleven of those refer to the
promises which God promised. Three times the word is used
otherwise. In Matthew 14:7 it refers to a promise made by Herod
which caused him to have to deliver up the head of John the
Baptist on a silver charger. In Mark 14:11 and Luke 22:6 Judas
promised to betray Christ for 30 pieces of silver.
Absolutely every time the words promise,
promised, and promises are found in Scripture they either
refer to the promises of God or to some evil promise that was
made. Not one time are the words used to refer to promises of
Christians. If making promises is so exceedingly important, one
wonders why Jesus, Paul, and the other preachers and writers of
the New Testament never called on Christian men or women to make
promises.
The whole idea that men must be promise
keepers if they are to be mature, trust- worthy Christians is
without biblical basis. It is found in the reasonings of men, not
in the Word of God. This is another flaw in the foundation of the
PK movement.
THE
EVIDENCE IS CLEAR
The reader can plainly see that the
foundation on which this PK movement is built is dubious, to say
the least. The Lord established his first church on this earth
during his personal ministry. Others were established from that
during the ministry of the apostles. Others have been established
since that time. According to God’s holy and infallible
word, Christ commissioned that church and gave it all the
instructions it needs. There is no mention in the Word of God of
such movements as Promise Keepers. It is extra-scriptural,
unscriptural, and anti-scriptural. It is no wonder the Promise
Keepers organization is permeated with men who claim to have
revelations directly from God. This is how they justify the
existence of Promise Keepers. They cannot justify its origin or
its continuance by the all-sufficient Word of God! When the ax is
laid to the root of the Promise Keepers movement that root is
found to be rotten and twice dead.
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