Tag Archives: doctrine

Fully Faithless

Mike Winger posted on Facebook, March 27, 2026: 

“Jesus never promised us prosperity in this world.

He promised tribulation and His peace through it.”

That’s half-true and fully faithless. Full-On Faith Fail.

 Yes, Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). But faithless preachers pounce on that single line like it’s the whole sermon and then ghost the rest of what He actually said: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace… But take courage; I have overcome the world.” They turn victory into a defeatist bumper sticker. They recite the problem and call it the promise. That’s not preaching the gospel — that’s dressing up a gospel of suffering in fake humility and calling it deep. 

As Vincent Cheung nailed it in “In This World, We Will Have Victory” (paraphrased): “Jesus didn’t emphasize suffering. He emphasized triumph. The mention of tribulation was only to provide context for the victory. The statement would substantially mean the same thing if He had simply said, ‘In this world, you will have victory,’ or ‘Have courage, for I have overcome the world.’ He even commanded ‘take courage’ so no one could miss the point. Yet these guys camp out on the negative like it’s their favorite doctrine.

Jesus never said, “In the world you will have tribulation — now get used to it, embrace your broke-down car and doctor bills, and call your lack ‘godly suffering.’” No. He sandwiched the tribulation between two massive pillars of victory: peace in Him and courage because He has already overcome the world. The tribulation gets mentioned only to be swallowed alive by the triumph — like a thousand-dollar parking ticket obliterated by a three-trillion-dollar inheritance. To dwell on the negative isn’t humility; it’s rebellion. It’s the reprobate hermeneutic — the perverse habit of faithless religion that seizes problems and ignores promised solutions.” 

And here’s the fun part (because faith should feel victorious, not like a never-ending rain check): Jesus did promise prosperity — real, tangible, this-life prosperity — through His substitutionary atonement. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). That’s not spiritual poetry. That’s cold, hard cash, health, victory, and abundance. 

God has always been the God of overflow: from Eden’s garden party, to Abraham’s gospel of blessing, to Jesus redeeming us from the curse so we walk in the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14). Abraham wasn’t scraping by — he was exceedingly wealthy. The curse included poverty, sickness, and defeat. The blessing is the exact opposite. Boom. 

To say “He never promised us prosperity” is to hate the very nature of the Father who gives lavishly. It’s to call the atonement incomplete. It’s to romanticize suffering the way unbelievers do — turning the cross into an excuse for why your miracles are MIA. That’s a doctrine of demons. The cross was substitutionary so “we” wouldn’t have to carry what Jesus already carried. Only *His* suffering was romantic, because it was purposeful. Ours is usually just the rotten fruit of unbelief. 

Vincent Cheung reminds us in “Our Prosperity in God’s Program” (paraphrased): “Your suffering often hinders God’s program from moving forward. When you suffer, you cause others to suffer. But when God’s people succeed by faith — praying shamelessly for whatever they need and want — His program advances. God succeeds when His people succeed. Refusing prosperity inflicts damage on multitudes. It is stupid.”

Look at 3 John 2: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” The apostle John, under the Holy Spirit, doesn’t merely wish it — he presents it as the normal expectation for souls prospering in truth. Psalm 35:27 says God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. Deuteronomy 28 lists blessings of cities, fields, livestock, children, and victory over enemies as covenant inheritance. Jesus Himself declared, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). The Greek ”perissos” means superabundant, excessive, overflowing. Not pie-in-the-sky afterlife stuff. Life “now,” in the power of the resurrected Christ. 

You’ll twist the Bible to call poverty and sickness “holy” and a “badge of honor.” That’s the seeker-friendly gospel of suffering — it gaslights deprivation as devotion and trains people to feel spiritual through misery. It is perverse. It is a conspiracy against the promises of God. 

Tribulation comes? Sure. From the world, the flesh, and the devil. But the believer doesn’t park there like it’s a scenic overlook. We cheer in the middle of it because faith treats God’s promise as already done — like the walls of Jericho crumbling while we’re still marching and high-fiving. Peace isn’t stoic endurance through endless loss; peace is Satan crushed under our feet now (Romans 16:20). The Christian life is victory from faith to faith, glory to glory, prosperity to prosperity. Anything less is unbelief wearing a fake halo. 

When Jesus sent out the disciples, He commanded them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons (Matthew 10:8). That commission has not been revoked. The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in every believer (Romans 8:11), and He is not on vacation. To claim God wants His people perpetually sick, broke, or oppressed “for His glory” is to blaspheme the Father who “gives good gifts” (Matthew 7:11) and who delights in the prosperity of His servant. Jesus didn’t say we would do less works than Him, but greater. 

God is sovereign over all things, including tribulation. But sovereignty doesn’t mean He authors defeat as the Christian default. Sovereignty means He controls even the attacks of the enemy and turns them for our good (Romans 8:28). Faith is not passive endurance of misery; faith is the active insistence on what God has promised. When tribulation hits — and it will — our response isn’t to quote “Jesus never promised prosperity” like a spiritual participation trophy. Our response is to stand on the full counsel of God and declare, “Because He has overcome the world, I will prosper in all things and be in health, just as my soul prospers.” 

This is why Winger’s half-truth is so sneaky. It offers “peace through tribulation” while quietly pickpocketing the very promises that make that peace possible. Without the promises of prosperity, healing, and victory, “peace through tribulation” becomes mere fatalism — the peace of the graveyard, not resurrection power. It is zombie theology. True biblical peace is the peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7), the peace that guards our hearts because we have made our requests known to God with thanksgiving, believing He gives us what we ask. 

So no, Mike — Jesus didn’t promise us a life of managed disappointment and “peace through it.” He promised us the overcoming life, the abundant life, the rich life — because that’s what His blood purchased. Reject that and you’re not being humble. You’re rejecting the gospel itself. Receive it by faith or keep preaching defeat. There’s no third option. 

Winger’s line is popular because it flatters the flesh. It lets Christians stay spiritual babies, blaming “God’s will” for their lack instead of repenting of unbelief. It sounds humble: “I don’t expect much from God in this life.” Scripture calls that cowardice, not humility. The humble man believes what God has said, no matter how great. The proud man limits God to fit his experience. 

If you’ve been living under this half-truth, it’s time to repent. Stop quoting only the tribulation part like it defines your destiny. Start quoting the victory part as the definition of your identity in Christ. “In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” That overcoming includes prosperity for the advance of your own joy and the kingdom, healing for your own happiness and the display of His mercy, and peace the world cannot give or take away.  The gospel was predestined for your glory.

This is the gospel I preach. This is the faith I defend. Anything less is not the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Let the half-truths be exposed. Let the full truth of Scripture be proclaimed. And let every believer rise up in the name of the Overcomer, prospering in all things for the glory of God. 

Now go confess it, pray in tongues till it burns, and watch the mountains move.

Devil Dogmatics

1 Timothy 4:1-3 NIV

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.”

We are not talking about denying the resurrection of Jesus, the Trinity, or the forgiveness of sins. Instead, we examine denying people their carnal desires for good sex in marriage and good food. Keeping Christian men from penetrating women in marriage is demon business. According to the Good Book, some morons will ditch faith faster than a priest at a strip club, chasing after demon whispers, from those whose consciences are as burnt as last night’s lasagna.

Marriage offers the pleasure of sex and the joy of family. Although God is a God of fertility and family joy, the biblical emphasis in marriage is on sex. Hence, this becomes our basic emphasis. The Bible has an entire book, the Song of Songs, dedicated to this, not family. Think about that. The Spirit of God, who wrote the Bible, gave the high title, “The Song of Songs,” to celebrate the romance and sex between a man and a woman, not to praise Jesus. Your worldview should include this. Christian sex should be world-envied.

These doctrines did not originate from men but from demons. The concept of restricting sex and food was so vile, a demon conceived it. They’re straight from Satan’s playbook. Only a demon would come up with banning burgers and apple pie. God’s all about the bangin’ and the breedin’, but these fools say no, you can’t enjoy your steak or your spouse.

Some have conspired with demons to spread these doctrines, making them human too. This is the opposite of Isaiah 55. These demon thoughts are too low for a human to think it. Only a demon could think it, and by demon manipulation humans think Satan’s thoughts after him.

The passage states these men have seared their souls with a hot iron. These trash have seared their own souls, not from too much sex or food, but from denying it to others. That’s some twisted stuff! This could mean they become perverted after searing their souls, or teaching such doctrines does this, or both. Either way, the horror is the same. I’ve never heard a pastor use the phrase “seared their conscience with a hot iron” in this context. What else do our pastors not tell us?

Not rejecting the resurrection, but rejecting carnal sex and food is so dark, vile, and rebellious it’s labelled a demon doctrine.

From this, we learn demon dogmatics withhold good things meant for Christians. These doctrines oppose the blessings given to God’s elect. God has given good things in creation, in Abraham and in Jesus, but demon dogmatics are designed to snatch and steal this knowledge. The goal is to ensure faith never has a chance to receive them.

Thus, “how much more,” would rejecting good things, such as miracle ministry, faith and the baptism of the Spirit, be demon doctrine. These good things have the blood of Jesus stained on them, and so they would be greater. If withholding sex is demonic, how much more so is withholding healing and miracles, which Jesus’s blood bought? If withholding a juicy steak is devil’s work, imagine what denying healing or miracles means – that’s like Satan on steroids!

Healing is good; it was part of the atonement, and Jesus spent much time healing, when He could have spent more time preaching. As Peter said, Jesus went about doing “good,” healing all oppressed by the devil. Supernatural healing is a very good thing in the Bible.

And so, to teach healing by putting it behind a paywall of, “if God wills it,” is a demon dogmatic. They block healing’s door, like bouncers at a club you can’t get into. Such a thing is so delusional that only a mind as perverted as a demon, could imagine it.

Jesus said, “if you are not with me, then you are against me.” He said this in context of blaspheming a ministry of healing, miracles and casting out demons. It is the ultimate devil dogmatic.

Those who evangelize these doctrines deserve all the harsh rebukes scripture gives them. Cut them out of your life as you would any demon. Demons cannot enjoy God’s good things and out of envy, they use pastors to propagate their dogmatics, keeping you from God’s gifts.

So, if you’re with Jesus, you’re all about the healing, the miracles, the good stuff his blood paid for. If not, you’re with the other team, the one with the horns and pitchforks.

Cast them out. Expose them for who they truly work for.

[1] Grok Ai 2025 personal editing. Grok aided with proof-reading and some witty summaries.

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The Demon Doctrine

“… some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and [doctrines of demons]. 
These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.  
They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. Since everything God created is good..”
(1 Timothy 4:1-4 NLT)

It is interesting that Paul uses such harsh rebukes on a category that many would reserve charity and patience in their arguments. Paul considers this a category of demon doctrines, but many are kind and gentle with such people. Thus, they are kind and gentle with people controlled by demons, teach doctrines from demons and who has no more conscience left. We have never thought such a stance is biblical or intelligent. We agree with Paul those who teach such are to be rebuked sharply.

 Most would understand if Paul said a person who rejects the resurrection or embrace wife swapping has a dead conscience and teaches a “doctrine of demons.”  People tend to think such harsh rebukes are for those who deny major gospel doctrines, or who affirm we should embrace bigger type sins.

However, this is not what the bible teaches. These are not the rules Paul is following in his instruction to Timothy. The category Paul is using is about receiving material good things for this present life. Things that involve giving us pleasure to sight, taste, touch, and smell. Paul mentions doctrines as in plural. However, Paul does not give a comprehensive list, but does mention two things in the category of God giving good material things. The doctrine of demons is about telling people to abstain from good material blessings. Thus there more things that can be classified as a doctrine of demons, but not less than the specific category he addresses.

As just said, the category is about God giving us material things for this life that involve things giving pleasure to our 5 senses. Paul did not say God is giving us spiritual things like eternal life, forgiveness and relationship. We assume the food is good tasting food, otherwise it makes no sense. There is no temptation to say, “don’t eat rotten eggs.” Good food gives pleasure to many sensations and by this brightens the heart of man, as Ecclesiastes says in more than a few ways. Paul mentions if you lack self-control for sex, then get married. Sex is obviously about pleasure. Having a good relationship with your spouse and children is a full on joy to all your sensations and soul. The point is that the category Paul is referring to, has much to do with the material blessings of pleasure, joy and sensations.

When it comes to our relationship with God, it is not a religion of shadows, based on man’s sensations; rather, it is spiritual and intellectual. However, we are not talking about this, but God’s own good pleasure to give us good material pleasure and material things in this life. I will not harp on the fact these material blessings are included in the blessing of Abraham and secured for us by Jesus’ blood. Thus, health, wealth, good sex in marriage, good tasting food have Jesus’ precious blood sprinkled on them. To dismiss them is to dismiss the blood of Jesus.

Some might make the mistake to make this passage all about works verses grace. Or make it about a warning against Gnosticism. These could very well be involved; however, we would have to speculate since the passage does not directly state it; rather, what Paul refers to is more basic and rudimentary.  The issue Paul brings is about the very nature of demons. This is like the difference between appealing to a specific promise of God versus appealing to God’s loving nature, to argue why we should pray and receive. Paul is appealing to the nature of demons. Paul does not give a specific appeal to people being led away by Gnosticism or “works vs grace.” No. The appeal is to demons. Now, demons might use specific errors, like the above, but this is not Paul’s main point. Paul says these people are lead by demons and teach doctrines of demons.

It is about the vile nature of demons. They want to you to suffer. The “nature of Satan” is to steal, kill, lie and destroy. Demons not only want you to suffer the torments of hell, but they want you to suffer in this present life. Acts 10:38 informs us that sickness is a major aspect for how demons what us to suffer in this life. Being sick destroys our ability to experience physical sensations of pleasure; it steals time; it steals our relationships; it steals our money and ultimately our very lives

 Jesus says His nature is to bring us life, joy and abundance. In John 14-16 Jesus says similar things a few times over. One is that the same love that God put on Jesus is now placed on us. In the context of how much Jesus loves us (His nature) He says for us to ask for anything and receive it, and by this our “joy” will be full.  Jesus healed over and over. He gave good tasting wine to a group of people who already empty the wine vats. It is obvious the miracles we ask often deal with the material world, and thus by them increase our pleasure in physical sensations in this present life. Jesus says He wants our joy to be full. In the gospels we know that being full of joy is more than just having our sins forgiven, but being healed of our sickness, raised from the dead, delivered from demons, delivered from storms, having extra good wine for a feast and having so much extra bread you have 12 large baskets left over. This is the nature of Jesus, and Jesus says if you have seen Him, then you have seen the Father.

The nature of demons is to make us suffer. Sometimes this is deceptive because it might be hidden under a layer of something that looks good at first look. Sin can be deceptive at times. It promises a pleasure, but in the end it leads to suffering and then death. The point is that the goal was always to cause us to suffer. This is the nature of demons. They want us to suffer now, and suffer later.

Therefore, a doctrine of demons is a doctrine that limits any good thing God has given us, either for this present life, or the next. The demon doctrine is to remove and restrict these material pleasures and eternal blessings and replace them with suffering, limitations and pain. Those who have teachings that limit or deny God’s health, wealth, favor, increase, miracles and heavenly powers, have aligned themselves with demons. They are liars and their souls are dead.

If a person’s soul is dead, are led by demons and teach doctrines from demons by merely suggesting we limit some pleasurable sensations for our bodies that come from food and sex, then how much more is it a doctrine of demons to deny and resist healing, miracles and the powers of the Spirit, which empower us to experience these good things 100 times more? How much more! And we haven’t even mentioned the horror of denying things like the resurrection.

If the people Paul mentioned were rebuked so harshly, then how much more should things like cessationism be rebuked. If they were led by demons, then cessationism is the very language of demons. If their doctrines were demonic, then cessationism is the very DNA of demons.

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Also, as a side note. Let no one rebuke you for harshly condemning people who limit faith and healing. They deserve the title of “demon doctrines” more than the people Paul was referring to. How can you say you are God’s friend and still hold the hands of people connected to demons? Harsh rebukes is the very least they deserve.

Sola Scripture or Sola Circumstances?

The word of God portrays Christians as wielders of miracle healing power. They can heal the sick in the name of Jesus when no one else can. If they even sneeze “JESUS!” a cripple nearby gets up. This is the one thing that even unbelievers knew about Christians before they learned about our doctrines. But now…not so much. There are indeed churches that teach the word of God on healing, but they have been so diluted by false churches, the anti-healing cults, that Christians are no longer known for healing the sick. In fact, they are known for being sick, and for surrendering to being sick, because it is “the will of God.” They talk about a “God,” but instead of interpreting circumstances by some divine verbal revelation, they regard whatever circumstances they face as the will of this “God”; therefore, their “God” is Circumstances. That is what they worship. It is paganism…
Vincent Cheung.
“A Matter of Public Health.” From the ebook, Contract. 2020. pg 77
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This is a good example when the phrase “will of God” is turned in to pagan worship and into a satanic doctrine.
Let us test this out with sickness. If the phrase, “will of God,” makes you think more about your circumstances, and then from this you decide what you ought to do, rather than directing your mind to God’s verbal public revelation and to an actual command/promise for you to put your faith in,
(such as “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven” James 5:15),
then you are, pragmatically no different than a pagan going to demons on a Ouija board looking for “directions” in your “circumstances.”
This is the essential difference for a Christian with the category of knowledge. God’s revealed truth is the only knowledge of the world, for the Christian. It is the only starting place for knowledge, nothing else. Not human circumstances, not human observations, not science, not you divining human circumstances with a demonic doctrine of “god’s will,” and not David Hume’s empiricism. All of these use a human starting point for knowledge, rather than God’s Word. All of these live by sight rather than by faith.
At the end of the day, the Christian will chose the Scripture alone as their epistemology rather than circumstances, by this we know who belongs to God and those who belong to the world.  By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of the anti-Christ. Those who shout loudest, “sola Scriptura,” are often the ones who out do the Catholics for having more epistemologies than Hindu gods.
With the category of “what I ought to do in this circumstance,” the knowledge given to Christians is found in God’s “commandments and promises”(which are essentially commandments). As with sickness there are clear commands and promises in what to do. There is no amount of creeds, degrees, tradition and human approval that can save you from the accountability and responsibility to obey God’s command to be healed. There is no excuse you can give to evade obeying God. Appealing to a nebulous “will of God,” in your circumstance does not remove your accountability and responsibility from obeying God’s commands. Nothing does.
When God gives precepts in the form of promises, they demonstrate a God who is rich in kindness and love. To be commanded to repent and be saved by our faith in Jesus is such a loving and wonderful kindness from God. The same with healing and with all the wonderful promises of God to help us.
Yet, the great kindness and love of God in giving promises for help does not negate our accountability and responsibility in obeying them.