Faith & Reason Ministries

Faith & Reason Ministries We meet at 10:30 AM Sunday mornings, with a meal and times of worship & teaching as was done in Act chapter 2. We hold Bible studies throughout the week.

We encourage authentic questions and discussion. The earliest Christians met in homes, ate together, worshipped together, and devoted themselves to learning God’s Truth. Acts 2:42
At Faith & Reason Ministries, we meet together, eat together, worship together, and devote ourselves to learning the Truth about God and the Bible, His Word. We encourage discussion and honest questions. We are just regu

lar folks worshipping an amazing God. Think of us as a little bit retro. Like 33AD retro. Join us for breakfast & worship. On Sundays we normally begin with a potluck breakfast, announcements, a time of prayer and worship, followed by the reading of Scripture. Typically there will be additional prayer and worship, followed by the teaching and then concluding with worship. We regularly include communion and baptism. Children’s activities normally occur at the same time as the adult activities. The children will on occasion join the adults for the first prayer and worship time before moving to their own area. They will then have prayer and a Bible lesson followed with fun activities. The children often rejoin the adults at times of communion or baptism.

06/01/2026

Thought for Today, June 1, 2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 22

Hamon’s interpretation of Ephesians 6:10–17. In the previous post we found that Hamon twisted the passage to fit NAR doctrine. Unfortunately, there is more.

Hamon also references speaking in tongues, as it relates to the first part of Ephesians 6:18 (ESV): “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

Hamon states (also page 98): “We can go on the offensive by praying in the spirit language for inner strength and empowerment. Prayer and praise are also weapons of power for the Christian soldier.” Hamon goes on to infer, page 101, that since one person can put 1,000 to flight (see Deuteronomy 32:30)—redefined by Hamon as “1,000 watts of Holy Spirit light power”—and two can put 10,000 to flight, ten can generate one trillion watts of Holy Spirit light power, and one hundred can generate one plus 303 zeros of light power. Hamon adds (page 108), “The gift of a spirit language serves as one’s own built-in hydro-electric power plant.”

It is true that one does find musicians involved in some of ancient Israel’s battles, along with the centrality of prayer. But those songs and prayers confess Israel’s reliance and dependence upon God, not self-pronounced victories. As for tongues, is speaking in tongues described as Hamon does, at any point in the New Testament? No.

Even laying aside the disagreement between non-Pentecostals and Pentecostals, that tongues spoken in Scripture are known human languages, not heavenly ones (which Pentecostals insist is the norm and is arguably inferred in 1 Corinthians 13:1) one finds no such description. Here, the text states “all prayer and supplication,” in other words, asking God, making requests, not issuing decrees, commands, and putting the enemy to flight, as Hamon and the NAR maintain. If supplication implies anything, wouldn’t that be praying from a place of deep humility?

Consider Hezekiah’s prayers when facing obliteration. He lays out the devastating letter before God in the Temple, admitting that what the Assyrians claimed they had done was true. He mentions their blasphemy of the Living God, and looks to God. He doesn’t issue proclamations of victory but waits on God. God does respond. But Hezekiah’s prayer in no way follows what the NAR prescribes.

As we’ve previously discussed, the NAR treats the Bible as a flat book: any Scripture can be taken as prophecy and applied to the end-times and used to justify NAR activity and teachings. That is a dangerous approach to Scripture. As we’ve also seen, the NAR typically elevates signs, wonders, and their self-pronounced “prophetic” words above Scripture. Doing so often leads directly to serious biblical error. One must pay close attention to how NAR “apostles” interpret Scripture.

It is far wiser to take Scripture at face value and in context, rather than placing one’s pronouncements above it, whether those pronouncements come from the religious right via the NAR or the religious left via progressive/inclusivists.

05/30/2026

This Sunday, May 31, we will return to our ongoing series and what was originally scheudoed for last Sunday, May 24, "Your Questions Ansered." We will be looking at the controversial question within our culture in regards to sexual relationships and sexual sins outside of marriage and why some believe that is all ok, in spite of what God states. In that context we will also be looking at gender identity and homosexuality. We will also examine how to respond to God from both sides of that question.

The good news is that through Christ, as believers in Christ, God changes sinful desires, and on the flip side, gives us God's love for those caught in sin, any sin, not just sexual ones.

Remember too, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, meaning people, but principalities and powers, spiritual wickedness in high places.

As always, breakfast will be at 9:45 A.M., the service will start at 10:30 A.M., and the live stream of the sermon will start at 11:00 A.M.

Please join us.

05/29/2026

Thought for Today, May 29, 2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 21

Do we listen to teachers who habitually twist Scripture? In this post, we will look at one passage in detail and see how subtle the NAR Scripture twisting can be.

Ephesians 6:10–17 is the classic passage that deals with the armor of God. For the NAR, and their belief in a literal warfare driven generation of Christians, a generation that transforms the church into its immortal victorious state, the passage is central.

Ephesians 6:10–17 (ESV): Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

How does the NAR interpret the passage? Bill Hamon, in “God’s Weapons of War,” Bloomington: Chosen Books, 2018,* page 98, provides the answer. We will look at his description of all the pieces of the armor except the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

He states: “The helmet of salvation represents our covering by the blood of Jesus. The breastplate of righteousness means our trust is completely in God and our attitude and actions are according to the righteousness of Christ. The belt of truth means we have balanced doctrine and are walking in all presently restored truth. The combat boots mean you are properly prepared to demonstrate the Gospel and ready to march in the army of the Lord. The shield of faith shows you know the Word of God well enough to counteract every false accusation and attack of the enemy.”

If you skim both the Ephesians text and Hamon’s interpretation quickly, you might miss a couple key phrases in Hamon’s interpretation. Take a closer look at his interpretation of the belt of truth and the boots.

First, he adds an NAR catch phrase to the belt: “balanced doctrine… all presently restored truth.” In essence, one must be in full agreement with all the tenets of the NAR, especially that they have the biblically restored prophets and apostles. If one doesn’t subscribe to their apostles and prophets, one is not walking in accord with the NAR belt of truth, one is not in “proper alignment,” one doesn’t have “balanced doctrine.” Rather, one is out of balance, in biblical error, and missing that key piece of armor, the belt of truth. Thus, Hamon twists the biblical text, and thereby changes its meaning.

How Hamon interprets the boots is even worse. The boots mean one is able to demonstrate the gospel—in NAR terms, be able to perform signs and wonders—and be ready to march in the Lord’s army. Is that what the biblical text says? No! The text states that our feet are to be shod with the “readiness given by the gospel of peace.” The gospel of peace is nowhere to be found in Hamon’s warped interpretation nor in the NAR’s “prophetic” view of the days ahead.

We will continue our examination of Hamon’s false, dangerous interpretation in the next post.

*The book had previously been published by Hamon in 2016 by his own organization, titled, “God’s World War III.” One can guess possible reasons for retitling the book, but the text remained the same. The original title is more honest in terms of the NAR’s views of how God, through the church, will wage war against its opponents.

05/27/2026

Thought for Today, May 27, 2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 20

Do we listen to Scripture? Do we follow Scripture or ignore it? Do we adhere to its clear meaning, do we place ourselves underneath Scripture and let it inform us? Or, do we take it and mold it according to our desired interpretations and beliefs?

It is crucial that we take Scripture at face value, in context, and let it inform us. God often uses it to tell us things we’d rather not hear or need to deal with. Through it, we often become aware of our need to change and can then take active steps to live differently.

Hebrews 4:12 (NAU): “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

As it says elsewhere in Hebrews, being disciplined is not fun, but painful. Yet through it, we grow and mature. As we submit ourselves to Scripture, the Holy Spirit works through it to change us, to make us, as believers, more like Jesus Christ.

In contrast, as we’ve seen, the NAR tends to bend Scripture to fit their own agenda and interpretations. One more example, from C. Peter Wagner’s book, “The Great Transfer of Wealth” (pages 88–89 in the edition that I have):

In Revelation chapter two, in the letter to Smyrna, Wagner says that Smyrna is guilty of being under a spirit of parsimony, of living in poverty when they were financially wealthy. How does he know that? Wagner is certain because regarding Smyrna, God says, Revelation 2:9a (NAU), “I know your tribulation and poverty (but you are rich).”

Does that make biblical sense in the context of the suffering, tribulation, and death the church at Smyrna is about to endure? No! Biblically, we also find Smyrna is one of only two of the seven churches in Revelation chapters two and three that God has nothing against. The other is the church at Philadelphia, a church that has “a little power” (Revelation 3:8), not the level of wealth, authority, or influence the NAR typically prophesies.

Do we find any of this in Scripture? No. Wagner’s opinion stands in direct contradiction to Scripture. I keep thinking about the church in Nigeria, a contemporary biblical “Smyrna” in every sense of the word. That church is under severe persecution, where Muslim “extremists” are slaughtering Christians on an ongoing basis. How does Wagner’s take fit with that situation? It doesn’t!

Worse, based on a couple isolated Scripture verses, Wagner declares he is an open theist. Thus, NAR beliefs and practices are based on open theism, that God doesn’t know everything that will happen. That is central to their belief of why the timing of Christ’s return is based on the obedience and actions of the church, rather than on a time set by the Father.

Wagner even goes so far as to state that Jesus’s coming to earth to die for our sins was God’s “plan B.” God’s initial plan was for Adam to choose obedience rather than choosing to sin (C. Peter Wagner, “Dominion,” Shippensburg: Destiny Image Publishers, 2022, page 82). God didn’t know if Adam would obey or not, and when Adam chose to sin, God had to come up with a new plan. The key aspect of Jesus’s death on the cross wasn’t for our salvation, though that is important, but to restore man’s dominion over the earth. Such a view—that Jesus is God’s “plan B”—is nowhere to be found in Scripture, and if anything, diminishes what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Sometimes, the ways in which Scripture is twisted can be quite subtle. In the next post, we will look at one more example of the way the NAR twists Scripture.

05/24/2026

Church did not go as planned today, Sunday, May 24. Pastor James gave a very brief devotional, asking the question: have we truly been captivated by Christ? Do we truly love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength?

Pastor Dave will continue our series next week, with the sermon that had been expected to be presented today.

We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.

05/24/2026

Today, in our ongoing series, "Your Questions Ansered," we will be looking at the controversial question within our culture in regards to sexual relationships and sexual sins outside of marriage and why some believe that is all ok, in spite of what God states. In that context we will also be looking at gender identity and homosexuality. We will also examine how to respond to God from both sides of that question.

The good news is that through Christ, as believers in Christ, God changes sinful desires, and on the flip side, gives us God's love for those caught in sin.

Remember too, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, meaning people, but principalities and powers, spiritual wickedness in high places.

As always, breakfast will be at 9:45 A.M., the service will start at 10:30 A.M., and the live stream of the sermon will start at 11:00 A.M.

Please join us.

05/22/2026

Thought for Today, May 22, 2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 19

Are we captivated by signs and wonders? How do we respond to spiritual gifts, especially those recorded in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14?

If you’ve been around long enough, at some point you’ve probably heard teachings from at least some fundamentalists that after the time of the apostles, the gifts ceased. The Bible had come, and as it is perfect, the so-called sign gifts were no longer needed. They based their position on the last couple of verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. That chapter does not precisely define who or what the “perfect” refers to. Personally, I’d suggest that it most likely refers to the return of Jesus Christ.

Have the gifts ceased? Once more, I’d argue that they have not. Nowhere does Scripture state that they’ve been abolished. Are people sometimes still miraculously healed? Yes. Are people still being delivered from demonic oppression and even possession? Yes. Are dreams and visions still taking place? Yes. The book of Joel even states that in the last days they will increase. One thinks of the many Muslims who’ve had visions and dreams of the real Jesus, visions and dreams that lead to their coming to faith in the genuine Jesus Christ.

In essence the gifts are a normal part of Christian life, neither to be ignored nor magnified, hence the word “normal.” Our focus is to remain on Jesus, not the gifts. Consider: What happened when the seventy Jesus had sent out, returned? They were focused on spiritual gifts, how they had operated in those gifts, the power and authority they had through Jesus Christ.

Luke 10:17 (NAU): “The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’”

How did Jesus respond? Luke 10:20 (NAU): “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

Jesus made it clear that the focus wasn’t to be on what they had done, but on their relationship with Him, specifically their eternal destination, that their names were written in heaven.

Consider Matthew 7:22–23 (NAU): “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

What does that tell us? First, it is possible to perform all sorts of miracles and have deliverance ministries without truly knowing Christ, without being in a real relationship with Him. Second, performing signs and wonders is no guarantee that a person is ministering in the truth of Christ. Third, note how the speakers all focus on “their” ministries, not on Jesus. As Scripture repeatedly warns us, Satan will deceive the world through performing false signs and wonders (see 2 Thessalonians 2:9–10).

That is the big concern with the NAR’s emphasis on signs and wonders. They say the world will come to faith through the performance of signs and wonders. While in the book of Acts signs and wonders confirmed apostolic ministry, Scripture states that the world will ultimately be deceived through (false) signs and wonders. If we are pursuing them for their own sake, we are in grave danger.

Has the Holy Spirit provided spiritual gifts? Yes. Should they be part of our lives? As God directs us, yes. But if they have become our focus, what we are actively pursuing, we are at risk of being deceived by the arrival of false signs and wonders. Better that we stay focused on Jesus Christ, trusting Him to give us the spiritual gifts we need when we need them, and to operate in them accordingly.

05/20/2026

Thought for Today, May 20, 2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 18

What do we make of Hamon’s failed prophecy regarding the timing of Christ’s return? As we saw, he recast it, saying that while his perception was off, what he was sensing was correct. He was aware of God’s moving, it was just that God was moving in a different way. God was about to birth the charismatic movement as rather than having Christ literally return to earth in 1963.

Hamon was not the first Christian leader to reinterpret a failed prophecy regarding Christ’s return. When William Miller’s predictions that Christ would return in 1844 did not materialize, Miller took the rare step of confessing that he was wrong. Subsequently, Ellen White recast that error, declared that Miller was basically correct. God had moved in 1844, that a major event in the heavenly realm had taken place: Jesus had entered the heavenly tabernacle to start cleansing it, known as the investigatory judgment, a key event prior to Christ’s return within Seventh-Day Adventist theology. According to her, while Miller’s perception was off, his underlying point of God doing something major, was correct. Her revision on how to deal with “the great disappointment,” became a key tenet of Seventh-Day Adventism.

Even in NAR terms, with Hamon, we’re not talking about a young prophet’s misstep, of learning to recognize the voice of the Lord, or learning to speak properly. As we’ve seen, NAR authors, including Hamon, are clear that a young prophet will make mistakes. We’re talking about a major series of ongoing prophecies, something even Hamon admits. As mentioned, Charisma magazine named him as the key individual in restoring the prophetic office within the church, of what would become the NAR.

On the other hand, as we are under Christ, given repentance, forgiveness and restoration are possible. One of the difficulties in writing this series of concerns especially as related to the NAR, is remembering to treat others as you’d like them to treat you. Are we, am I, willing to forgive others for their failings, as we seek forgiveness for our own shortcomings?

What makes it tougher is that Hamon is a revered father-figure within the NAR. Arguably no one has had more influence in that movement than he. Nevertheless, regarding the New Apostolic Reformation, where their new prophetic revelations are at the core of their doctrine and teaching—especially Hamon’s—false prophecy is as spiritually deadly as ever. It is made worse by Hamon’s numerous unbiblical end-times prophetic “revelations.”

Generally, one is not to question NAR apostles, prophets, or other leaders. Indeed, the raising of genuine biblical concerns is often seen as a direct attack against the movement’s leaders. That is unlike the New Testament: while a singular complaint is not to be registered against an elder or leader, if two or three come with the same concerning issue, then it needs to be researched and addressed as the situation may dictate. Sinning elders are to be publicly rebuked.

It must be mentioned that not every NAR book goes down these sorts of paths. For example, one example is a book I’ve just gone through by Cindy Jacobs, “Essential Guide to the Prophetic.” In it, she talks about how some end up becoming false prophets, the limits of biblical submission, and the importance of humility. At least in this book (I have several others by her yet to read), unlike Hamon, she does not pronounce judgments against those who reject NAR teachings and beliefs. Unfortunately, as with other NAR authors, she accepts NAR prophetic utterances as truth.

A long-term sobering possibility concerns the great falling away just before the Antichrist is revealed. We saw that the NAR recasts the 2 Thessalonians passage, that the great falling away took place 1,500 years ago. But, what might happen should end-time events not transpire according to NAR prophecies? How would adherents respond?

Overall, the wisest course is to stay away from NAR churches. If currently involved in one, get out. Return to a legitimate charismatic church. When a founding NAR prophet says pastors must ultimately submit to NAR apostolic authority and teachings, or God will judge them by causing many of them to get sick and die prematurely, be cast out of their ministry as Lucifer was, or be devoured, get out. Couple that with the movement’s numerous questionable prophecies—from the prophetic fabrications made by Shawn Bolz to failed predictions that Trump would win the 2020 election—coupled with the documented troubles within IHoPKC, and Bethel, Redding, to cite two NAR church examples, get free.

My deepest wish for NAR leaders would be for them to humble themselves and repent, to jettison their erroneous teachings and beliefs, to set aside their emphasis on signs and wonders along with their view of the exalted church in the end-times; to return Jesus to His rightful place.

Jesus is central. Our life, as Christians, is all about Jesus Christ, what He has done, what He is doing; magnifying and praising Him. It is not about signs and wonders “we” perform, prophecies and pronouncements “we” make. It is not about worldwide ministries that “we” may have, how NAR writers tend to speak of the vastness of their ministries, their giftings, their accomplishments.

It is all about Jesus.

05/18/2026

Thought for Today, May 18, 2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 17

Have we been captivated by the teachings of the NAR? As we have seen, many of their core beliefs generally fall outside what would be considered historical Christian and biblical norms. As discussed, even charismatic denominations officially deny their core teachings. The trouble is that in charismatic denominations where churches are autonomous, NAR teachings can sneak in, and the local church, as happened with Bethel, Redding, then ends up going their own way.

We’ve noted a couple examples of the NAR twisting Scripture, of how core leaders elevate new prophetic words over Scripture. Worse, as we’ve seen, they’ve rewritten the Bible to help it conform to their teachings, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses did with their New World Translation. As discussed before, based on its website, “The Passion Translation” appears to be legitimate. But, upon closer inspection it was dictated by a supposed angel “Passion,” and per Brian Simmons, more chapters and books are yet to be revealed. Many verses vary widely from the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. It is not a viable translation.

As for present-day apostles, God through Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:1 states that an apostle must be one who had personally seen Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 15:8, Jesus appeared to Paul last, as one untimely born. The point is that to be an apostle, one had to have seen Jesus, and that Paul was the last one Jesus appointed as an apostle.*

NAR writers insist there will be prophetic mistakes: they are a natural part of a prophet’s growth in developing their prophetic ministry. In contrast, the biblical requirement for an Old Testament prophet was 100% accuracy (with rare exceptions: if a nation repented after a prophet’s warning of impending judgment, God’s judgment would be averted). Nevertheless, contrary to NAR teachings, God never rescinded that requirement. That raises serious questions about the biblical authenticity of NAR prophets.

It gets much worse. The NAR pronounces God’s judgment against those who either oppose them or who ultimately will not work under them. Bill Hamon, in “The Eternal Church,” Revised Edition, Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers Inc., 2003, page 316, states: “God is demanding manhood of his ministers. Many will become sickly and die an early death because they will not rightly discern the Body of Christ, nor work for its unity…. An independent, self-willed and proud spirit will separate a Christian minister from the Bride of Christ just as it separated lucifer from being a minister of God in His heavenly domain…. The choice is ours to submit, believe, and become one with the whole Body of Christ or to rebel, refuse, stiffen our necks, and be devoured.”

Think about that; let that sink in. Any Christian minister is defined as having a “proud spirit” if they dare disagree with NAR pronouncements. Hamon gives us a choice: submit in obedience, or have God kill you off, in essence turn you from a “Lucifer” into a “Satan,” or be devoured. Does that sound even remotely like biblical New Testament Christianity? No. Rather, doesn’t it precisely mirror the language used by extremist cult groups to control their members?

What is curious is that Hamon admits that for many years he prophesied that Jesus would return in 1963. Did he confess that he was in error? Not exactly. He admitted his perception was off, but that God was indeed moving as he was sensing. God’s underlying action, the one he was sensing, was the forthcoming birthing of the charismatic movement.

As we continue our discussion in the next post, we will find that Hamon is not the first person in church history to reframe a failed prophecy regarding Christ’s return.

*I rejoice that Muslims have been having dreams of the real Jesus, and being directed in their dream where to go to hear the Gospel and become a Christian.

05/16/2026

Please join us tomorrow, May 17, as Pastor Dave continues our series, "Your Questions Answered." We will be looking at another commonly asked question: Who was Cain's Wife?

As always breakfast will be at 9:45 A.M., the service will start at 10:30 A.M., and the live stream of the sermon will begin at 11:00 A.M.

Please join us.

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2096 Nonpareil Road
Sutherlin, OR
97479

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Wednesday 6:30pm - 8pm
Sunday 10:30am - 12pm

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+15414593340

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