Editorial Comment: Word of Faith preachers are notorious for inventing their own “gospel”, and in effect, writing their own “bible” to support that “gospel”. Having started on that road of “deception” it is a simple step to then misapply and, in some cases, to re-write history in order to support the misapplication. As Christians we have long since come to accept such practices from within the Islamic world. After all their Qur’an (Q) portrays their “god” (Allah) as the ultimate “deceiver”.
And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers (Q 3:54).
And when those who disbelieve plot against thee (O Muhammad) to wound thee fatally, or to kill thee or to drive thee forth; they plot, but Allah (also) plotteth; and Allah is the best of plotters (Q 8:30).
The Arabic term that is translated into ‘schemed’ or ‘plotted’ is makara which means ‘to deceive’ or ‘to practise cunningness’, and the term that is translated into ‘schemer’ or ‘plotter’ is maaker which means ‘deceiver’ or ‘cunning’.
Q 3:54 and the context say that the Jews deceived to kill Jesus, but Allah deceived them to rescue Jesus from them, and Allah is the biggest deceiver.
See also Q 3:42, 4:142
However such is NOT the case with our God, who is the God of Truth. His Son our Lord Jesus Christ claimed to be “the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE” (John 14:6).
God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).
In his book Christianity in Crisis author Hank Hanegraaff has effectively documented how Kenneth Hagin (pages 32, 67, 70, 73-80), the “father of the word of faith movement”, plagiarised his teaching—both the ideas and in some cases the actual words—from metaphysical teacher Essek William (EW) Kenyon, whose daughter has directly accused the Word of Faith movement of theft of her father’s intellectual property. This practice is prolific among Word of Faith preachers:
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, who steal my words every one from his neighbour (Jer 23:30).
Australia’s Word of Faith “preacher” Col Stringer has likewise been accused of “intellectual theft” by Peter Hogan, publisher and editor of Kings Cross Online—KXOL and author of Australians of Arabia … & Lawrence (1997).
We at CWM and the researcher-author of the following article reserve our comments on the plagiarism charge. What we do say is that Mr Col Stringer appears to have ignored the facts of history in his attempt to write a popular book, which, according to websites that you may access by doing a google search on “Col Stringer – 800 Horsemen”, has resulted in considerable fame and, presumably a great deal of personal financial benefit. We ask you to dispassionately consider the facts and conclusions presented by the author of the following article, former military man, Geoff Pickering and come to your own conclusions. Consider our warning about following Word of Faith preachers such as Colin Stringer who now claims a doctorate, which may be phoney.
Before going to print we contacted Mr Kelvin Crombie ‘Historian and Researcher, focussing on British, Protestant and ANZAC activities in the Land of Israel, 1799 – 1948’. Since 1986 he has been working as a guide in Jerusalem associated with Christ Church, an Anglican Church in the Old City and has led 100 or more tours to Beersheba. Mr Crombie, like ourselves, is very keen to present the details of history accurately as his Anzacs, Empires and Israel’s Restoration, 1798-1948, published in 1998 will bear testimony. In 1993, preliminary to the publishing of his book Kelvin Crombie wrote a number of articles for Australian and New Zealand magazines and a newspaper about the strategic role of the Light Horse the Mounted Rifles and the Anzacs during WW II in the Middle East—and linked their service to the restoration of Israel. One of those articles was published in Queensland, where Mr Col Stringer lives. It is understood that Mr Kelvin Crombie will be visiting Australia towards the end of 2008 and is hoping to meet Colin Stringer. [This is published with Kelvin Crombie’s knowledge and written approval.]
