Naming Names Series: T.D Jakes

[Garland-Green]

Foreword

I've decided to start naming people who claim to be a part of God's elect but who disagree on major doctrines reveled to us by God. Some of these doctrines they teach are very divergent from what the Bible teaches us in how we should be saved, the nature of God and Christ, our own nature and so on. The idea is that it will inspire people to be more careful in who they trust and to examine whether the teachers they listen to are truthful in what they teach.

Should we name names? Yes. Paul for example did so by inspiration of the Holy Spirit when saying;

"Their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some." (2 Timothy 2:17-18.)

He names them by name and where they are mistaken, and the consequence of their error; the faith of some was overthrown.

These teachers will be listed in the subforum Cults, heresies, Pseudepigrapha and other religions to distinguish them from teachers who are more faithful to the Word (Orthodox).

Previous post in the series: Naming Names Series: Benny Hinn  

[Garland-Green]

Thomas Dexter Jakes, Sr. (born June 9, 1957) is a pastor, author and filmmaker. He is the bishop of The Potter's House, a Nondenominational American megachurch. T. D. Jakes' church services and evangelistic sermons are broadcast on The Potter's Touch, which airs on Lightsource.com, the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Black Entertainment Television, the Daystar Television Network and The Word Network.

Other aspects of Jakes' ministry include an annual revival called "MegaFest" that draws more than 300,000 people, an annual women's conference called "Woman Thou Art Loosed", and gospel music recordings.

Jakes was born in South Charleston, West Virginia and grew up in Vandalia, attending local Baptist churches. He spent his teenage years caring for his invalid father and working in local industries. Feeling a call to the ministry, he enrolled in West Virginia State University and began preaching part-time in local churches, but he soon dropped out of the university. He took a job at the local Union Carbide and continued preaching part-time. During this time he met his future wife, Serita Jamison. The couple married in May 1982. In 1982, Jakes became the pastor of the Greater Emanuel Temple of Faith, a small, Montgomery, West Virginia independent Pentecostal church with about ten members. Over the next few years, the church grew, drawing an integrated congregation that helped increase Jakes' renown as a speaker and pastor. He moved the church twice - from Montgomery to Smithers and then to South Charleston, where the congregation grew from about 100 members to over 300. During this time, he began a radio ministry The Master's Plan that ran from 1982-1985. He also became acquainted with Bishop Sherman Watkins, founder of the Higher Ground Always Abounding Assembly (an association of over 200 Pentecostal churches). Watkins ordained Jakes as a minister of the Higher Ground Assembly and encouraged him to start a church in the Charleston, West Virginia area. Jakes also used this time to continue his education by studying through correspondence courses from Friends International Christian University, an unaccredited online university. Jakes completed a B. A. and M.A. in 1990, and a Doctor of Ministry in Religious Studies from Friends International Christian University in 1995.

After the 1990 move to Charleston, as his congregation grew, T. D. Jakes began to focus on the spiritual needs of the women in his church who had been abandoned and abused in their lives. He began a Sunday School class for them, "Woman, Thou Art Loosed," in which he encouraged the women to use their past pain as a foundation for new growth. He later started a similar class for men, which he called "Manpower." In 1993, Jakes self-published his first book, drawing on his experiences working with the women of his congregation. Woman, Thou Art Loosed would become Jakes' signature work and a national religious bestseller. He also began a new television ministry, Get Ready, which aired on Black Entertainment Television and the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Also in 1993, Jakes moved his church yet again, to Cross Lanes, West Virginia.

Source: Wikipedia  

[Garland-Green]

Some Heretic Statements

On the T. D. Jakes Ministries Web site, an older but still accessible version of their Statement of Faith reads, “There is one God, creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and existing in three Manifestations: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Their current doctrinal statement has been altered somewhat to read: “THREE DIMENSIONS OF ONE GOD (1 John 5:7, Matt. 28:19, 1 Tim. 3:16)” — “We believe in one God, who is eternal in His existence, Triune in His Manifestations, being both Father, Son and Holy Ghost AND that He is Sovereign and Absolute in His authority.

The problem lies in the word “manifestation.[1]” Manifestation is a modalistic term often used by Oneness Pentecostals. Modalism views Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as different modes of God’s activity rather than three separate persons.

Jakes was interviewed in August 1998 by Living by the Word (LBTW) ministry. This interview was aired on KKLA 99.5 FM in Los Angeles. During this interview, Jakes said, “We have one God, but He is Father in creation, Son in redemption, and Holy Spirit in regeneration.” This wording is identical to the Oneness Pentecostal view as described by David K. Bernard, pastor of New Life United Pentecostal Church (UPC), in his book The Oneness of God: “A popular explanation of Father, Son and Holy Ghost is that there is one God who has revealed [i.e., manifested] Himself as Father in Creation, Son in redemption and Holy Ghost in regeneration.”

In his interview with LBTW, Jakes also describes the Trinity as a complex issue, saying, “I’m not sure we can totally hold God to a numerical system.” This statement is consistent with his book Anointing Fall on Me: “The concept of the Godhead is a mystery that has baffled Christians for years. With our limited minds we try to comprehend a limitless God. How can we explain one God but three distinct manifestations?” This idea also reflects Bernard’s Oneness Pentecostal views: “We cannot confine God to three or any other number of specific roles and titles.

Self-empowerment

Jakes teach that we have problems because we are victims of our environment or circumstances and minimizes the concept of personal sin. Along with victimization, he emphasizes self-empowerment; we can find the power to pull ourselves out of our problems. Yet Paul taught that all have sinned and come up short before God (Rom.3:23). The way out of our sins is Christ-empowerment, not self-empowerment (Phil. 4:13).

Health and Wealth

He portrays Jesus as being rich in order to justify his wealth. He describes Jesus as having been rich in order to support His disciples and their families during His ministry. Jakes says the myth of the poor Jesus has to be destroyed because it’s holding people back. Indeed, Jesus Christ owns everything and possesses all power, authority, glory, honor, and majesty. In His earthly life, however, He became poor for our sakes (2Cor. 8:9; Matt. 8:20). He laid aside His divine prerogatives and died on the cross, owning nothing, like a common criminal. In fact, archaeological excavations of Nazareth in the 1950s demonstrate that poor agricultural people occupied the village in Jesus’ day.

The ministry’s doctrinal statement makes it clear that Jakes adheres not only to the doctrine of guaranteed wealth for the believer but also guaranteed health: “We believe that it is God’s will to heal and deliver His people today as He did in the days of the first Apostles. It is by the stripes of Jesus that we are healed, delivered and made whole. We have authority over sickness, disease, demons, curses, and every circumstance in life.” This belief is reflected in Woman Thou Art Loosed! “Jesus has promised to set you free from every curse of the past. If you have suffered abuse, please know that He will bring you complete healing.” Biblically, however, our faith does not dictate God’s will; God’s sovereign will dictates our faith (1 John 5:13–14). Healing in the New Testament is not a guarantee, but a benefit of the Atonement. God sometimes answers our prayers with a yes and sometimes with a no. He always answers our prayers according to His will and for our best. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was never removed, even after he asked God three times to remove it (2 Cor. 12:7–10).

Speaking in Tongues a Necessary Sign

In addition to teaching the unbiblical (1 Cor. 12:27–30) classical Pentecostal doctrine that the gift of tongues is the necessary sign of being baptized in the Holy Spirit [2] T. D. Jakes has been observed “slaying people in the Spirit” on a TBN program that was aired on 6 August 1998.

[1] After receiving a PM I have decided to clarify that it is not the word in itself that is the problem, but how someone describes the manifestations (simultaneous or not) is what could make it fall under modalism (seeing as the word "manifestation" is not characteristic [distinctly belonging to] "modalism" at all, rather "modes" and "forms" is).

[2] Doctrinal Statement.

Borrowed in part from equip.org with minor alterations. Citations borrowed are not to be taken as a full out support or validation of all content on this site, or of Hank Hanegraaff. Full article can be found here; link.  

[Anchored in Jehovah]

talk2hand WHAT WE BELIEVE AT A UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH wahmbulance

We believe in the great commission and are endeavoring to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with love, mercy and compassion.

We believe there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). He is the creator of heaven and earth, and of all living beings. He has revealed Himself to humanity as the Father (Creator), as the Son (Savior), and as the Holy Ghost (indwelling Spirit).

We believe in water baptism by immersion in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sin. Through baptism we identify with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:3-6; Colossians 2:11-14; Acts 2:38 )

We believe in the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of speaking in other tongues. (Acts 2:4)

We believe in the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He ministers to His people through tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy; words of knowledge and wisdom, discerning of spirits, faith, working of miracles, healing, helps and government. (Mark 16:15-18; Acts 5:16; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11)

"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24)

We pray together out loud because the Bible says, "... they lifted up their voice to God with one accord..." (Acts 2:24)

We sing with all our hearts because the Bible says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praises." (Psalms 98:4)

We lift our hands in praise because the Bible says, "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord." (Psalms 134:2)

We play musical instruments because the Bible says, "...all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments..." (Psalms 134:2)

We clap and shout unto God because the Bible says, "...O clap your hands all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph." (Psalms 47:1)

We dance in the spirit because the Bible says, "Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with the stringed instruments and organs."
​(Psalms 150:4)

We anoint with oil for divine healing because the Bible says, "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up..." (James 5:14-15)

We allow the operation of spiritual gifts because the Bible says, "Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church...covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues." (1 Corinthians 14:12, 39)  

[Anchored in Jehovah]

Jakes is not someone you should mock. God is watching you. You are a fake Pastor. #Repent.  

[Anchored in Jehovah]

GOD BLESS. IN JESUS NAME. heart  

[Anchored in Jehovah]

Isaiah 40:8 KJV -
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.  

[Anchored in Jehovah]

1 Timothy 5:20 KJV - Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

Galatians 6:1 KJV - Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  

[Garland-Green]

CherryTiara

GOD BLESS. IN JESUS NAME. heart

I suggest looking into whether he, T.D. Jakes said what I quoted, and evaluate him Biblically based on what he is professing to believe.

Revelation 2:2
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.