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https://www.828ministries.com/articles/Dr-Michael-Brown--Enabl-by-Anthony-Wade-Prophet-190904-304.html

September 4, 2019

Dr. Michael Brown -- Enabling Wolves with False Authority Shell Game

By Anthony Wade

Dr. Brown is back trying to stop people from showing any glimpse of discernment over false teaching...

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I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. -- Romans 16:17-18 (ESV)

https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/in-the-line-of-fire/77841-the-right-way-to-disagree-with-spiritual-elders

The link above is to the latest from Dr. Michael Brown entitled "The Right Way to Disagree with Spiritual Elders." Knowing what irks Dr. Brown, I knew this was going to be another exercise of his in entirely missing the point. He opens up referring to himself as an elder in the church and a father in the faith who hates heavy handed leadership. I have little issue with Brown feeling this was a role he should embrace with over four decades of service in the church. The problem is while he claims to disdain threats, intimidation or manipulation he needs to be far more careful in how he presents his political views, which have dominated his ministry for several years now. While carefully couched, Brown always lets you know that he believes Republican is righteous. He speaks about needing to rebuke as an elder when appropriate and again, I agree. The real problem is that he rebukes theories not people. The best example is that he wrote a book on the hyper grace error but refuses to call Joseph Prince, the king of hyper grace, false. It sends a spiritually schizophrenic message to his followers to watch out for specific teachings while refusing to warn them to actually avoid those who engage in those specific teachings. He then reiterates his displeasure with those who use modern methods of communication and critique such as "online", which is funny considering his website. Consider the following quote from this article that leads me to such frustration with Dr. Brown:

"It is a fearful thing to be appointed by God to be an under-shepherd of His flock. He will hold us accountable for every one of His sheep that we impact. And it is even more fearful when we use the Bible (quoting verses like Psalm 105:15, where God says, "Don't touch my anointed") as a cloak for our sinful behavior. May it never be! God forbid we scare our congregants into thinking that divine judgment will fall on them if they dare to differ with us. God forbid we abuse the sacred authority God has given us and use it to fleece or silence the flock." -- Dr. Michael Brown

This paragraph is so true! It should be a fearful thing to be appointed an under shepherd of His flock! It is a horrible twisting of scripture to abuse touch not my anointed! God forbid we should ever scare the sheep into thinking they are in danger of judgment just for disagreeing with us -- you know, with let's say the political party we like. God forbid we abuse the sacred authority to fleece or silence the flock! This is what is so frustrating about Michael Brown. It is clear that he knows better and understands. It is clear he is biblically literate and thoughtful about his role in the church. Yet despite this he will then turn and carry water for the president or the Republican Party or he will call Bill Johnson and Benny Hinn good brothers in the Lord. He just does not get it.

"At the same time, there is a right way and a wrong way to disagree with those whom God has entrusted with spiritual oversight. That is why Hebrews says, "Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you" (Heb. 13:17). Do not make yourself a burden to your leaders. That "would be of no benefit to you." And that's why Paul wrote, "Do not rebuke an older man [or, elder] harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father" (1 Tim. 5:1)." -- Dr. Michael Brown

It is time to expose the little shell game Dr. Brown is engaging in. No one I have seen makes themselves a "burden" to their leaders. I have seen leaders implement the purpose driven church scheme of blessed subtraction to get rid of dissent in their midst. No, what Brown is really talking about is discernment ministries correctly calling out false teachers. That is the real sore spot Brown has. One time when I was a guest on his radio show he was genuinely shocked that I would refer to Bill Johnson as a false teacher and heretic. He even quickly dismissed any talk about his heretical school based on the fact that he himself had taught there. As if that changes what the bible says. Now that Brown has laid the groundwork with the first third of this article sharing reasonable truths, let us see the true hand he wants to play:

"Unfortunately, today, there is a plague of disrespect in our society at large for our elders, and as a culture, we have largely lost sight of what it means to honor others. And that plague has run rampant in the church, especially on the internet. Believers rail against spiritual leaders. They call them out by name and challenge them, as if speaking to a drunken antagonist in a bar. They mock and ridicule and malign, often based on second-hand information (or worse), and almost always based on very biased judgment." -- Dr. Michael Brown

This is wrong to the point of absurdity. Bill Johnson is a heretic and anyone with an ounce of discernment knows this. Benny Hinn likewise is a heretic. They are to be named as Paul named Peter himself when he was behaving hypocritically. Or like when Alexander the Coppersmith, Hymenaeus and Philetus were likewise publicly named. Brown's faux argument is that the people pointing out the heresy are somehow the wrong people to do it. He believes that elders hold elders responsible and lay people should just lay down. Of course we know that most elders will never hold leadership accountable. Mark Driscoll's elders were the ones who said he could steal $200,000 of tithe monies to cheat the NY Times Best Seller list. Do you think that James MacDonald can plunge his church millions of dollars into debt without the complicity of the board? Then you have leader on leader complicity. It was Brian Houston and Robert Morris who allowed Mark Driscoll back into the fold. Tully Tchividjian must have his enablers. Todd Bentley was "restored" by Bill Johnson and Chuck Pierce. This restoration included divorcing his wife and remarrying his former nanny. Rumor has it that James MacDonald is now ready to come back despite millions of dollars in abuse and threatening to plant child pornography on the computer of someone he deemed his enemy. Those events happened this year by the way. Honor is earned Dr. Brown, not an automatic. The problem is the same problem Dr. Brown always has. He conflates voracious wolves with his brethren. It is why he is now reduced to being a political hack and a gatekeeper for heretics. The plague that has run rampant through the church is false teaching and those who enable it; not those willing to expose it as the bible commands.

"They speak without respect, without honor, without humility. They set themselves up as judges and know-it-alls. They alone know best, and all the leaders are a bunch of idiots. "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). I would never want to be in a position where God is resisting me. Caution, caution, my friend. Again, that does not mean we cannot hold sinning leaders accountable. We must. We absolutely, without question, must do it. If we don't, many sheep will be hurt and the Lord's name disgraced. But this must be done in the right way, otherwise we will hurt ourselves and wreak havoc in the body. You see, there are millions of faithful shepherds and leaders, working hard to honor God and help their people. And when we lash out publicly and irresponsibly against specific leaders (even if there's some truth to what we say), we sow seeds of discord and confusion. This too is a dangerous practice." -- Dr. Michael Brown

Brown is a master of bovine excrement. It is not a matter of being a know it all, just someone who knows what the bible says. I want you to just read the first two sentences in this snippet from Brown. In it, he calls people he disagrees with judges, know it alls, who have no honor, respect or humility and then has the nerve to quote a bible verse about resisting the proud? His arrogance and duplicity is staggering. By the way, he just recently wrote an article calling on those in the church to install a filter on their mouths. Physician heal thyself. I have not seen anyone call false teachers idiots. I have seen discernment ministries point out the idiocy of let's say pretending there is a sneaky squid spirit or angels of abundant harvest. Dr. Brown had the owner of these idiocies, Jennifer LeClaire, on his show once where he provided cover for such ridiculousness. Note the silly argument again. He correctly states that corrupt leaders must be held to account but balks at those who do it. Again the wrong people argument. While Dr. Brown is correct that there are countless faithful shepherds and leaders they would never object to the truth beloved. False teachers ruin the cause of Christ and lead people away from solid preaching so why would solid preachers take issue with discernment? They wouldn't. I want us to focus like a laser on this comment from Brown:

"And when we lash out publicly and irresponsibly against specific leaders (even if there's some truth to what we say), we sow seeds of discord and confusion. This too is a dangerous practice."

No, no, a thousand times no. The key verses today spell out quite clearly that division, discord, and confusion come into the body of Christ through false teaching. It goes further to not differentiate between who will expose this teaching but that it must be avoided because they will deceive the hearts of the naïve. To Dr. Brown however, even if there is truth to the accusations, speaking such truth will sow division. That is absolute garbage. There are eternal lives at stake and if you do not have the stomach to stand in the gap for the sheep then get out of the way.

"In what way are we providing pastoral care for those who are now confused? How are we functioning as responsible shepherds? How are we functioning as responsible, loving members of the body when we don't think about the larger effect of our words? What happens to believers who have looked to the very leaders we have bashed and ridiculed? (I'm talking about godly leaders who have made some mistakes, not sexual predators or other sinners.) If we are going to use the internet, we must do so circumspectly." -- Dr. Michael Brown

Are you serious? So, telling the truth and obeying the bible results in the need for pastoral care? All pastoral care must start with and end with biblical truth. Without the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness falls to the floor. If I see someone in the body following Bill Johnson I am compelled by love to warn them of the wolf that they are dancing with. Any confusion is a result of the false doctrine the wolf brings in, not the discernment minister beating them back. Note the difference Brown repeatedly tries to make. That there are some nebulous group of really bad false teachers and then there are those that people think are bad but are really not. He is wrong across the board. Joseph Prince is not a spiritual leader in the church. Jenifer LeClaire is not a spiritual leader in the church. Bill Johnson is not a spiritual leader in the church. Benny Hinn is not a spiritual leader in the church. Mike Bickle is not a spiritual leader in the church,. Are you sensing a theme Doc? Your premise is flawed as ever in assuming voracious wolves devouring the sheep should be afforded the same treatment as brethren. They should not. She should be marked and avoided. They deserve nothing but the working end of the shepherd's rod. I would say you are mixing apples and oranges but that would be an insult to fruit.

"Authority is given by God for a reason, and when we show disdain for spiritual leadership or fashion ourselves as prophets sent to rebuke the entire church world, we descend into spiritual anarchy. To say it once more, sinning leaders must be confronted, and compromised leaders must be held accountable. I ask for that accountability in my own life, and I have practiced it with others -- numerous times. I have lost friends over this -- and much more. So be it. If we love Jesus and care for His integrity, we cannot play games with sacred things. At the same time, even in the midst of my fiercest disagreement with another leader, I will treat that person with respect, even when speaking about them alone with my wife. I'll even speak of them with respect when on my knees in prayer. I will not become an accuser of the brothers (see Revelation 12:10; that is Satan's work). I will not dishonor authority." -- Dr. Michael Brown

This is the third time Dr. Brown feels the need to say that true false leaders must be held to account. This is called a "tell" in that he knows his argument is weak at best and the opposite of the tell. Suddenly, the people speaking the truth to abusive power and biblical inaccuracy are plunging the church into spiritual anarchy? Smells like Dr. Brown is getting quite desperate in his arguments. Behind his hyperbole is a completely untenable position. To speak out of both sides of his mouth by claiming to believe we cannot play games with sacred things when this entire article has done just that? Transparent Dr. Brown. Here is the next laser focus statement:

At the same time, even in the midst of my fiercest disagreement with another leader, I will treat that person with respect, even when speaking about them alone with my wife.

This is not a game Dr. Brown. We are not talking about disagreement with leaders. We are talking about wolves devouring the sheep of the Lord. We are talking about Bill Johnson leading untold numbers to hell while you clap him on the back and say attaboy. We are talking about Benny Hinn preaching prosperity and producing fake healings to fleece the flock while you appear on his show for a week and call him a good brother in the Lord. Wolves do not deserve respect Dr. Brown. So stick your false authority paradigm and poor understanding of Revelation. These people are not my brethren. The accusation is against what they teach.

"Years ago, I had a serious conflict with the leaders of a major denomination, when, in conscience before God, I could not comply with their directives for my life. But when I would talk with Nancy about them in private, late at night in our own home, I would say, "God bless them. I know they are honorable men." I would even do that when I journaled. In that same spirit, I urge you to be careful with your words and your attitudes. We should not be using the internet as a forum for blasting the body of Christ. Unfortunately, we have already descended into a carnal mocking spirit, becoming meanspirited, nasty, vicious and disrespectful. As I wrote on Aug. 14 that we need to install a filter on our lips. Our words do have the power of death and life. With humility before God, then, let us pursue justice and righteousness together. Anarchy and chaos are not from above, and our Father has a proper order for reproving and correcting and disciplining. When we submit to that order, there is protection, there is healing, there is fruit, and there is restoration." -- Dr. Michael Brown

I am not interested in restoring wolves to their pulpits Dr. Brown. I cannot speak to your personal situation except to say it was personal to you. As for mocking, explain to me what Jesus meant when He called the Pharisees white washed tombs or a brood of vipers. Explain to me what Elijah meant when he mocked the Prophets of Baal that maybe their god was relieving himself in the bathroom. People like Jennifer LeClaire deserve nothing but mockery and contempt. If you disagree then go buy her $30 teaching on how to battle marine demons. What do you say to idiots like Kat Kerr and Kenneth Copeland who are claiming credit for crushing Hurricane Dorian as The Bahamas lays in utter ruin? Do you submit to that "order" sir? Is that an authority you must somehow bow down to? Or do you openly rebuke the stupidity? What is meanspirited and nasty are false preachers and teachers claiming they can control hurricanes while the actual hurricane is killing people. I feel badly for you Dr. Brown, I truly do. The bible implores us to finish the race strong and you are not sir. Three out of every four articles you write is about carnal politics and the one out of four that you venture back into church business is trash like this. Stop defending wolves Dr. Brown. Just stop.

Reverend Anthony Wade -- September 4, 2019



Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

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