The Bible cautions believers to be wary of false prophets and teachers. Today, there are men who present themselves as servants of God but their behavior and message are inconsistent with God’s mission. These men underscore the relevance of the warning that the Bible issues. Christians need to safeguard their hearts against corruption. Rick Renner (1990) echoes this warning in his book Merchandising the Anointing: Developing Discernment for the Last Days. This book exposes fake preachers and prophets who mislead their congregations with the goal of making money. These fake preachers present a serious threat to the body of Christ and insult the anointing.
Renner explores how false preachers have infiltrated and are misleading the Christian community. In his examination of the danger that these preachers pose, he presents information about anointing. Defending the Christian faith passionately is one of the issues that the information addresses. Renner challenges believers to be in the forefront of insulating the Christian community and faith from the threat that false preachers pose (Renner, 1990). He cautions that the modern church faces a crisis that requires urgent intervention. The church will only be saved when believers take action to rid it of falsehoods and unbiblical doctrines. Another issue that Renner examines is the need for believers to scrutinize the philosophies and behaviors of preachers. In order to identify false preachers, a thorough scrutiny of behaviors is needed (Renner, 1990). The Bible outlines the fruits that preachers need to display. If a preacher’s behaviors are not in line with these fruits, believers should reject their message. Basically, Renner challenges believers to remain vigilant and watch out for false preachers who are out to mislead and rob.
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Charismatic preachers are able to draw crowds and inspire congregations. However, as Renner cautions, the mere fact that a preacher commands the attention of crowds does not necessarily mean that he is speaking for God. As part of his discussion on the anointing, Renner observes that there are some preachers who despite presenting God’s word, are driven by ill motives (Renner, 1990). For example, there are preachers who simply seek to cause divisions within the church. Believers need to be wary of such preachers. They should institute measures to secure the church against corruption and infiltration by destructive forces. Renner understood that simply listening to the word of God is pointless. He reminds believers that for the church to succeed in its mission, its members must apply the word of God (Renner, 1990). It is particularly critical for believers to rely on God’s word for discerning false preaching and proclaiming the true Gospel of salvation. When he penned his book, Renner must have witnessed the destruction that the church was suffering as a result of false doctrines. In the book, he observes that there are some preachers who are out to pillage and rob their churches (Renner, 1990). They interpret the Bible conveniently to justify their selfish and destructive behaviors. Believers who have been anointed need to stay vigilant and weed out these preachers.
I found Benner’s revelation on the importance of applying Biblical concepts to the Christian journey to be the most important message. He calls on believers to be more than just mere listeners of the word; they need to be doers as well. In this age, there are many false preachers whose campaign of destruction could ruin the church. To ensure that these preachers do not shake the foundations of the Christian community, believers must apply God’s message as presented in the Bible. They need to condemn false teachings and become earnest defenders of the faith. As they preach Christ to the nations, the believers will be doing as God’s word commands.
I have observed firsthand as churches crumble due to false teachings. I understand that in the US and across the world today, many churches are struggling to maintain the purity of God’s message. In my personal life, I have also struggled with the challenge of distinguishing false teachings from messages that are truly inspired by God. Renner’s words have prompted me to recognize that I need to adopt new measures of anointing in my Christian walk. I understand that I need to become a doer of the word instead of merely listening. If I am to witness spiritual growth, I must adopt the teachings that God delivers through his word. I conducted a personal assessment which allowed me to recognize that I have adopted various measures of anointing into my life. For example, I scrutinize teachings carefully to ensure that they are in line with the overall themes of the Bible. When I determine that a particular teaching deviates from Biblical standards, I reject it and warn others about it. I know that I am not immune to the threat of false prophecies and teachings. I also understand that to enhance my immunity to these threats, I need to develop various measures of anointing. Passionately defending my faith and the church is one of the areas which require tremendous investment. While I try to warn others about false teachings, I feel that I am not doing enough. I think that I need to be more confrontational and courageous in my condemnation of false preachers. We live in dangerous times where false preachers are demonstrating serious commitment to destroy the church. If we do not fight these preachers with the authority that God has granted us, the church will surely collapse. Therefore, going forward, I will display greater courage and passion in my defense of the truth and the spirit of Christ.
References
Renner, R. (1990). Merchandising the anointing: developing discernment for these last days.
Tulsa, OK: Rick Renner Ministries.
