A CRITICAL LOOK AT WILLIAM LAU’S MINISTRY - Part II of "A Critical Look at Healing Ministries'.
This series is a spin off of my recent recommendation of a terrific book. I was greatly impressed with Brother William's account of his 8 years in Indonesia, entitled 'Dancing on the Edge of Earth'. The book remains a profound synopsis of the spiritual battle, and how a disciple of Jesus Christ has the upper hand in the battle.
One interesting revelation from the book is how Allopathic medicine in the West models itself after the witch doctors of the East. BOTH charge exhorbitant rates, and provide their ‘patients’ with potients that guarantee additional services (and payments) will be required. (Read the book for details)
There is much more to it than this simple truth however, and a review of this book as well as William’s sermons, reveal some important nuances and potent glitches, that seriously need to be addressed.
A Review of William’s Book & Ministry
This started a few months ago when a friend sent me William's book. I read it through in 2 days. I couldn't put it down.
However, since then, having had time to digest it, and having communicated with the author, I have a better understanding of who he is and what he is trying to do. There are pros and cons. Understandable, as with all of us being utterly human, but that does not provide pretext for continuing error.
Like other ministers, William sees himself on a mission.
It's a good mission to train disciples who can heal and demonstrate the power Christ gave us. Nothing wrong with that. But it’s incomplete. Healing the sick, and casting out demons, is only part of what Christ showed us to do. If we leave out the other parts - problems begin.
In my 50 years as a Christian I have known many ministers whose focus was healing -Many to tremendous effect. Some ministers I knew personally, others from whom I learned things, through their books and talks. The list includes:
1. T.L. Osborne
2. Thurmond Scrivner
3. Norvel Hayes
4. Smith Wigglesworth
5. Victor Paul Wierwille
6. John Crouch
7. John Lake
8. Dave Robeson
9. Carl Fox
10. Paul Santos
11. Emily Dotson
12. Charles Parnham
Keith Ver Steegh
Derek Prince
William Lau’s ministry is not unlike the one I grew up in - in the 70’s, in that he teaches about applying the power in the name of Jesus the Christ. The thing is, William gives the impression that he thinks his activities in the Last Days Church are something either new, or extraordinary. That notion is problematic. When we start to think too highly of ourselves, we run into a litany of temptations. Which may be why William thought he could mock the late great healer - Smith Wigglesworth…
If you listened to his teaching series, you may have heard William take a pot shot at Wigglesworth, citing how he punched someone in the stomach to heal them of cancer. William said to his listeners - to ‘not follow Wigglesworth’s example’. What William is missing, is that Wigglesworth walked by the spirit - by revelation knowledge. No one punches a sick man in the stomach to heal him, except that the Lord by revelation manifestation (word of wisdom) told him to do so. Which is precisely why it had the desired effect of evicting a demon and healing the man. But why mock another minister, especially one as successful as Smith Wigglesworth?
Smith Wigglesworth had a tremendous healing ministry, and evidenced something that seems to be in short supply in William’s ministry – but I’ll get to that..
MISSING CRITICAL DETAILS
I may have not gone far enough in William’s video series, but in his instructions for healing I did not hear him discuss the critical need to be guided at all times by holy spirit. Jesus never did the same thing twice. He healed 5 blind men and each time he did it differently. He was walking by the spirit, i.e. as God directed him.
The Biblical scholar and reverend, Dr. V.P.Weirwille, used to call the 9 manifestations the- ‘eyes and ears of the Church’.
Our walk of the spirit by those 9 manifestations cannot be overemphasized. If we fail to heed the spirit - it can be to the failure of the mission.
(It is essential for a Christian to know that the Bible calls the 9 enablements of the holy spirit – ‘manifestations’.. not ‘gifts’ as William and others erroneously call them, which name suggests that they are ‘not given to all’ or that ‘some men are more ‘gifted’ than others..)
This IS a CRUX of the problem:
When we let ourselves think that we’re doing something ‘extraordinary for the Lord’, we can become so impressed with ourselves, it can lead to the most troubling of all sins - pride.
Pride has consequences.
Of the aforementioned ministers, who walked in as much - or even more power as William had in Indonesia, not all ended well. Out of the list of 12 ministers, FIVE died before their time, having become sick, and not recovering. They had fallen for the error of becoming so impressed with themselves, they wound up afflicted with pride..the deadliest of all Christian faults. No one was able to heal them for one reason - and here it is.. ‘pride discounts repentance’. A prideful man has a great deal of difficulty recognizing his errors. And without repentance, recovery can be impossible.
The writing is on the wall:
In the 1970’s I became a Christian in a ministry whose focus was Biblical research. We were taught how to research the Bible using every available help, from Greek & Hebrew interlinears, concordences, and a great deal of consistently deep studying.
A great deal of attention was paid to the operation of power through the holy spirit enablements. Yet, with all the ‘healing’ that went on- over the years I saw a LOT of people get hurt, get sick, and die. Why? Because when a man walks in power long enough, when they see enough miracles effected by their ministry– they can get puffed up, till pride gets a foothold.
Pride is the antithesis of love. It is a ‘self love’ that carries danger with it.
The Apostle Paul said something that ought to stop all of us in our tracks..:
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations,
there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me,
lest I should be exalted above measure.” II Corinthians 12:7
Read that verse carefully. Do you notice something?..
Paul said in so many words, that to prevent him from becoming too full of himself, .. on account of ‘an abundance of ‘revelations’ – God effected precautions. He allowed Paul to suffer the unjust cruelty of men. Just like Jesus! (Which is how HE learned obedience. *(Hebrews 5:8) And this is what He (God) does for ALL of His children. We are PROMISED persecution if we walk uprightly. II Timothy 3:12)
‘Yea, and all who will live a godly life in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’ II Timothy 3:12
Why does God allow this? THAT is a very important question..
I want to point out to you how God gave ISRAEL EVERYTHING they could ever want.. ‘Prestige’.. ‘Power’, ‘Leaders’.. ‘Wealth’.. Prophets’.. ‘Promises’, Covenants, ‘Land’.. and where did it get Him? They rebelled continuously,.. ‘whoring after other gods.’
IT is my firm opinion that THAT is why when Christ built a ‘Church’, the legacy instead of comfort and substance, became.. a promise of persecution. The template is Jesus who learned ‘obedience’.. not by God’s kind accommodation, but by SUFFERING.
‘Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things that he suffered’. Hebrews 5:8
JESUS WAS THE PIVOT POINT. IT IS THIS VERY REASON THAT ISRAEL REJECTED HIM. THEY WERE EXPECTING IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION - A KING WHO WOULD RULE THE WORLD, WITH THEM AS HIS CONSORTS. INSTEAD THEY GOT ‘A MAN OF SORROWS’. (It is clear that GOD did this, changed the program, to finally have a PEOPLE that would stick fast to Him. Funny isn’t it, that it’s not in prosperity, but in our suffering, that we learn to stay faithful..) And Christ’s church was to follow suit. Any minister that promises his congregation a bed of roses and lots of money, and his ‘best life now’, is an antichrist; a liar; and will pay in that Day.
Now, take Paul: Remember he walked in power, evicted demons, healed, saw many miracles, and walked and talked with Jesus - receiving the greatest revelation to the Church of any man on earth! (The 7 Church Epistles, +the letters to Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews). LOOK at who God would have LOST had it all gone to his head.. So messengers of satan (persecutors) were sent to ‘buffet Paul’.. Why? To keep him humble!
Now, notice the figure of speech in II Corinthians 12:7!. Paul said TWICE… “Lest I should be exalted above measure’ -
‘Repetition’ is a type of figure of speech found in the Bible. ALL figures of speech are designed to draw our attention to a something GOD doesn’t want us to miss..
TWICE Paul said.. “Lest (God forbid) I should become prideful’.
What is the worst thing that could happen to Paul?.. Being assaulted by messengers of satan, persecuted, beaten? NO. God even allowed that. What did He NOT allow? That Paul would become ‘exalted above measure’. WOW!
I wish for you to notice something else..
In the day when we appear before the Lord Jesus Christ, there are some he will turn away from himself, saying ‘I never knew you’.
Who are these?
Are they Christians who will say - ‘But Lord, Didn’t we visit the prisoners in your name? Didn’t we feed the elderly and give our goods to the poor’?
No.
It will be Christians who ‘did MIRACLES in his name’. ‘Who healed the sick, moved mountains, and cast out demons’…
→Could they be graduates of training like that offered by Torben Sondergaard or William Lau?
Are teachers like this leading groups to fail? Showing them how to do only a part of Christ’s work, but leaving out the salient parts.. of a COMPREHENSIVE LEARNING of the SCRIPTURES - and the walk of LOVE?
I Corinthians 13 talks about how we can do all sorts of marvelous things, including speak in tongues, prophesy, move mountains with our faith, even give our body to be burned.. but if we are missing LOVE, we are nothing. NOTHING.. in God’s eyes.
Τίποτα.
Jesus told us that we would do everything he did1. Jesus did not just heal the sick, evict demons, and work miracles. He loved.
His love was demonstrated in ‘healing ALL who came to him’; having compassion on even the ignorant multitudes (that he knew would push for his crucifixion); taking the time for one sheep.. weeping over one man, weeping over Jerusalem – the home of the unbelieving people of God; and laying down his life for the undeserving..
In fact, have you noticed,.. there is nothing Jesus ever did or said, that evokes a sentiment of pride. Nothing. He was (and is) the diametric opposite of satan.
What is it then?
We ought to never forget first of all, that it’s the name that does the miracles. It’s not our own power. As Peter said, ‘Why marvel ye, as if by our own power we made this man to walk’.
At the end of the day, ANYONE can call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.
ANYONE can call upon the name of the Lord and be healed.
ANYONE can use the name of the Lord to evict a demon.
The power is not of ourselves, it is in the name. We just get to use it.
There is no reason to get puffed up because we can DO these things.. They’re not the hardest aspect of what Jesus demonstrated.
CONTINUED IN PART III -
Don’t mimic the Lord in part. Do it all the way.
Do we get to pick and choose who we will help?
Did Jesus ever turn anyone away?
Does in fact the unBiblical system of training disciples explain what the Lord meant in Matthew 7:21 - 23?
John 14:12