From: gerald <gerald@evestamail.com>

Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 12:18:29

To: WalterMartin@mail.serve.com

Subject: WM: RE: WOF

First I want to thank Dave for his open dialog on these subjects. He seems to be the only one trying to answer questions/arguments on this forum for the WOF position, and he probably feels like he is being dumped on. I have written questions I had to Kenneth Copeland Ministries and Lakewood Church but never received a reply so appreciate his notes and any new light he can shed on these discussions.

I appreciate your response in saying that they have backed away from the extremism and they watch carefully what they say. But I still am not clear on what this exactly means. I don’t think it’s a matter of being overzealous, you can be zealous and it not be a problem. Are you saying that he was overzealous by subscribing to wrong doctrine and teachings and has now backed away from them? Can you tell me exactly what Fred Price has backed away from in his teaching? Does he still believe that he has watched people die and it was because of their undeveloped faith, or this is what he has backed away from? Does he now believe that God is not limited in those with disabilities? What is his position on why his wife became sick with cancer? Did Betty Price speak negatively so that she spoke the cancer into existence? If he has backed away from these type of WOF teachings, then I take back what was stated earlier because I was not aware of his new positions. Below are several quotes from a FAQ I downloaded from Fred Price’s Ever Increasing Faith website last year. I will stick with Fred Price, but I have quotes of other WOF teachers who say the same things:

"When you know God’s Word—which is God’s will—and have that Word inside of you, you will find that you don’t have to be sick. It is not God’s will that you go through one day of your life being sick." (FAQ on healing downloaded from Ever Increasing Faith Webpage)

"If you keep talking death, that is what you are going to have. If you keep talking sickness and disease, that is what you are going to have, because you are going to create the reality of them with your own mouth. That is a divine law." (Fred Price, Realm, 29)

"Sometimes a person is not healed because of unbelief. Unbelief is prevalent not only in some sick people but also in people of the pulpit. But they would never consider their weak faith as a possible reason someone did not receive their healing. Of course, if I live outside of the will of God and choose to do my own thing and sow my wild oats, then I am going to throw myself open for demonic oppression and attacks by the devil. But if I walk rightly and in line with the Word of God, I am thoroughly convinced I can be free of sickness and disease."

"And though we may repent of something, we cannot always undo the effects that an action may have already set in motion because, again, what we do (and say) will influence what we experience." (FAQ on healing downloaded from Ever Increasing Faith webpage)

I HAVE A DISEASE AND HAVE PRAYED TO GOD TO BE HEALED, BUT I AM STILL SICK. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

"There is no way I can tell you how long it is going to take because I don’t know where your level of faith is at any particular time in your spiritual growth and development. Neither do I know the nature of your condition. Some conditions require greater faith force to drive them out. Faith is a spiritual force, and it is your faith that drives out the condition. It is not really God that does the healing, and yet it is God, in that God provides the healing power. Even though it is the power of God that does the healing, it is our faith that allows or permits the healing power to flow to and through our bodies. If our faith channels are not big enough to allow enough of that power to flow to the problem in our bodies, then the problem will not disappear instantly. You may have to leave your faith on the condition long enough for your faith to build up enough force to drive that condition out of your body. That is why, in chapter 16 of the gospel of Mark, Jesus said they will recover. The point is, do not be discouraged if you do not see an instant change in your body. The Bible says that one of God’s seven redemptive names is Jehovah Rapha – the Lord that heals you. He said "I am the Lord who heals you" (Exodus 15:26 - NKJV). Whether the manifestation happens instantaneously, or takes some time, the important thing is that you get it. Continue to make your confession of faith until the manifestation comes. You need to say it aloud, but you may have to be careful to whom you say it. Not everybody will understand what you are doing."(FAQ on healing downloaded from Ever Increasing Faith webpage) (underline and bold added for emphasis)

Since Betty Price became sick, was she out of God’s will? Was it because of unbelief or weak faith?

Also I am not clear what you mean when you said they watch carefully what they say now. Could you expand on this matter? Is this so that those who have questions about their doctrine are not able to ask questions about it?

One last item. I feel that these notes are kind of a shotgun method of addressing questions of the WOF teachers. I have read various books and articles on the WOF movement and have come to some conclusions on what they believe, and I am sure other people have as well. Since you attend Fred Price’s church can you provide us with the basics of his doctrine so we can better understand what he teaches currently? I would be interested in his concept of faith (is it a force the same as God used when He spoke the universe into existence?), positive and negative confession, and the atonement (Jesus atoned for all of our sins as well as our sickness?).

Thanks,

Dave wrote 2/16/2000:

Gerald Wrote:

Here Mr. Price is blaming a person's death on their lack of faith or undeveloped faith. Mr. Price has also made the statement that he doesn’t allow sickness in his home, but his wife Betty came down with cancer and went through intensive chemo and radiation because of it. She eventually had to have a hip replacement due to the radiation destroying her hip joint. Mr. Price’s positive confession over his hoe did not work. I’m sure he would say that it was because of his wife’s underdeveloped faith.