Very creative Mville......you got skills man and make your point. If you have ever been in the Radiant Life Church or Turning Point Church System and seen the spiritual abuse and manipulation then these videos are so personal. It is also a great warning to others who do not know. It is great to see you use the same media that Radiant Life Church and Turning Point Church use to manipulate people in a manner that represents the truth of the situations at both churches. Some of the videos are extreme but there is truth in them that is very real. Keep doing waht you do man. These churches are embarrasments to the community and the christian faith.

I recall hearing Tony was Mike and Cyndi's youth pastor, in Portland, Oregon.
While Mike was at Edmonds Church of God he was the youth pastor, then he moved up to Marysville to start TP. He loved telling people that in the beginning of TP he delivered pizzas for a living. That was when Jordan and Chelsey were every young.

Mike talks a good talk, but in reality he is a mere man. No, miracle healings, no thunderous moving of mountains. Oh, I do recall 2 people who claimed they were healed, one was at a fan the flame, the man had parkinson disease, the man ran up and down the aisle and snapped his cane. A month later, he had a new cane. The last time I saw the man he was riding a scooter. Then there is the lupus patient. She was at a youth camp/retreat when she claims she was healed. She stopped all of her meds after seeing her doctor to tell him she was healed. A year later she was having flare ups of the lupus.

Let's face it God has His plans and yes, "He has declared, He has plans to prosper us..." Jer. 29:11, but let's not take it out of context. This was said in a letter for the elders among the exiles and priests, after the false prophet Hananiah died. Mike and all false prophets need to read Jeremiah again, without skipping thru the scriptures to pick what they want. God does have Plans and no man is going to usurp God. Who is the clay, to tell the potter what to make him into?

Tony was Mike and Cindy's youth pastor in Oregon. Because I was never of the 'inner" circle, I am not absolutely positive, but I believe I am correct. I believe Pastor Tony Cunningham would speak of his visits to Washington to help this fledgling church way back in the day. I assumed it was a plant, or that tony had much to do with the success of the church. He took his SOMA curriculum up there, which they adopted and started to indoctinate TPC congregants to. For Tony, it was Thomas Muthee who was his Spiritual leader. He is the big shot Word of Faith teacher from Kenya, Thomas' Prayer Cave (the name of a church he started in Kenya) was written about in C. Peter Wagner's book on the New apostolic Reformation, also referred to as the 3rd Wave of the Holy Spirit. C. Peter Wagner is the self appointed head apostle of the International Coalition of Apostles - a group he spearheaded. This is the direction Tony wanted to take his church. Tony was never open with his agenda to the general congregation. They were blindsided. Thank God for opening their eyes and for being able to get them out from under his teaching. I believe that is why Pastor Mike made himself into Apostle and Pastor Cindy into a Prophet and I believe he is trying to embrace the Kingdom Now Theology doctrine. I have heard inner circle people at TPWOC talk about C. Peter Wagner. The controversial doctrine holds that through the fall of adam and eve, God lost owership of the world to Satan. In the last days, God is raising up a core group of followers(overcomers)who are restoring supernatural powers and the lost offices Apostle and Prophet to regain dominion over the worlds laws, finances, and governments.This ministry of supernatural overcomers will help usher in the second coming of Christ. Maybe that is why Mike is into the prosperity doctrine and pushes Market Place Ministry with teaching how to have the power to produce wealth at SOMA NW business intensive. Can anybody shed some light on what is going on with the direction Pastor( Apostle ) Mike is taking TPWOC! Pastor Mike seems to believe in alot of false doctrines. Like the covering of the Apostle and many other questionable doctrines. Can anybody shed some light on the shepherding(disipleship) movement being carryed out at TPWOC. I know they stress everybody to have a disciple. And one of the red flags is that the only individual ( Pastor Mike) who is not accountable to this shepherding (discipleship) is the leader of the group. Maybe that is why we have spiritual abuse at TPWOC!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2009 04:29PM by buddy.

This is long -- but this is good! This is happening at Turning Point!

Can Christians be Deceived?

Most Christians glibly think we can never be deceived. God will be faithful. He will take care of us when the time comes. He will show us before it is too late. Is this really true or just wishful thinking? Christians are deceived all the time. And this deception will be the most clever, veiled, subtle and attractive deceptions of all time. When someone is deceived, they are tricked. A magician tricks your eye and you are deceived. Do we think the great deception of the last days will be obvious? Satan won’t use something evil to trap us. In fact, by definition, it has to appear so “good” that we are fooled. We see one thing and something else is happening behind the scenes (just like the magician). That is why we are foolish if we take this whole last days “talk” lightly. We had better keep our eyes open and be diligent with the Lord because it won’t be that easy to detect. I can’t tell you how many Christians blithely tell me how the Lord will show them when the time comes. He may, but if you aren’t listening to Him today, what makes you think you will hear Him tomorrow?

You think you can’t be deceived? Look at the millions of Christians in cults. The average Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness comes from a traditional Christian background. I know some personally and there is no doubt they are saved. Yet, they are deceived. Look at how many dear saints innocently attend Word-Faith churches, Vineyards and thousands of other errant movements. Again, read the books by Hunt, Hannegraf and others.

These churches appear to be solid evangelical churches. I have personally attended Word-Faith churches (not just once but for several years), latter rain churches (for several years) and Vineyards. I know that most of the people are born again Christians who really love the Lord. In a “latter rain” church in Connecticut, it was very good 99 percent of the time, but there were very notable exceptions. One Sunday morning the pastor gave a message on Joel’s Army (Joel, Chapter 2) which was a blatant manifest sons of God message and then proceeded to pass out a prophecy by John and Paula Sanford who have strong “New Age” leanings and promote visualization techniques. Later, he promoted a book by Benny Hinn, another Word-Faith advocate. If you don’t know what is wrong with this, you had better do some reading. I told the pastor that to promote a person such as Hinn from the pulpit is an endorsement of Hinn and his ministry. He agreed and that was the last time I went. At the same time, he refused to read Dave Hunt’s books because “it was too negative."

The fact is, many Christians are deceived and have fallen away from sound doctrine and are involved in “unbiblical” practices. The examples are almost too numerous to mention - such as the practice of being “slain in the Spirit”, promoting “words of prophecy as if they were the “word” of God, visualization, healing of memories and many more. A good friend of mine went to a conference and a brother began prophesying over him, telling him things that a normal person would never have known about him. He was so impressed with this “word” but later it turned out that this prophet was a homosexual and a pedophile. So where does some of this prophetic information come from? God or evil spirits? Christians are attending churches such as Word-Faith churches that hold to heretical doctrines and practices. Christians are being lured into social and political action that is a waste of time for anyone whose citizenship is in heaven.

As I mentioned above, I have been intimately involved in Churches (Word-Faith, Vineyard and Latter Rain) that today I would easily recognize as being way off base. But at the time, I saw nothing wrong with them. I trusted the pastors. I enjoyed the worship and the fellowship. I was not negative or looking to find fault. If I had stayed, I may have gradually been swayed to follow their doctrines and practices. But the Lord led me out and opened my eyes. However, I was the exception. I would imagine that most are still there and being drawn further into deception. If Christians can’t guard themselves from deception today, how do they expect to do it in the future when the greatest deception of all time is upon us? So let’s get rid of the myth Christians can’t be deceived. It happens all the time. In fact, most Christians today are snared by the market-driven “mega churches.”

Deception takes place over a life time. That is why the mark of the beast is in two places: on the forehead and on the hand. In addition to being literal, this may refer to what we think and what we do. If our mind is not renewed by the Lord, but filled with the things of the world, you cannot erase a life time of bad programming. Let’s just take one example. Kids today spend three or four hours a day studying in school and then another ten hours watching TV. Not that I am totally against TV, but families today walk in the door and turn on the tube and our mental programming begins. The things that are common on TV today would have been absolutely unheard of twenty or thirty years ago. The morals of the entire world are gradually being changed. We live in a world of stimulation - signals constantly bombarding us through TV, movies, magazines and books, radio, and now, the Internet. Garbage is constantly assaulting our minds, reprogramming us. The things we read, the things we talk about, the way we spend our time - either we are being transformed to the world’s image or the Lord’s. You can’t fake it. Either we are sowing to the spirit or we to the flesh. So many are sure they would make the right choice one day if told they must take the “mark of the beast.” But if they if they haven’t been transformed - had what they think and do changed by the Lord every day year after year, they may be sadly mistaken. Transformation is a life time process sadly missing in the church today. The hand refers to what we do. Is the way we send our time and the things we do under the Lordship of Jesus? Unfortunately, there is little that distinguishes the Christian from the unbeliever in the U.S. today. Only Tribulation will separate the real Christian from the pretender.

Can a Christian “Miss Out”?

Today we talk about God’s unconditional love. We imagine this big benevolent Teddy Bear in the sky who is just dying to hug us because he loves us so unconditionally. Sorry, that just isn’t true. There are conditions. He loves us, true, but it means nothing unless we accept it, believe and obey Him. As Christians our attitude toward the Lord is sometimes cavalier - kind of like an 18 year old who feels like he will live for ever. Salvation depended upon our accepting the free gift, but once saved, we tend to take God for granted. We expect God to bless us, to take care of us and to use us. The thought that we could miss out doesn’t even enter our heads. Yet, I have been around long enough to see plenty of my brothers in Christ - brothers far more gifted than I - fall away from the Lord. I have seen others so used by the Lord when they were young, slip into disuse so that their life today counts for very little when once they were a burning fire.

I have seen best friends fall into sin, and never come back. I have seen the lights in their eyes go out as empty words came out of their mouths. I have seen the most gifted brothers throw their Christian life away for nothing - usually another woman than the wife God gave them. I have seen others fall away. One friend got into psychology and counseling deeper and deeper. He became critical of everyone, even his friends and parents. His problems became everybody’s fault but his. I’ve seen dear brothers divorce and remarry. The second wife would find the Lord, but nothing could get him back. I’ve seen saints sucked into “signs and wonders.” One had a brain tumor. He went on a pilgrimage around the country, to Toronto, Pensacola and back to California trying desperately to find healing.... and died any way. I’ve seen Christians focus on their problems until they were devoured by them. I’ve seen whole churches focus on their problems until devoured by them for without a vision, the people perish.

If you have been around long enough, you have seen Christians grow cold. A real man of God and pastor of a large church in Northern California, who is now with the Lord, was in the first graduating class from Dallas Theological Seminary. He told my friend before he died that of the thirty some original graduates, only three continued on with the Lord over the years. So we think we can’t miss out, but we can. It happens all the time. Have you ever strayed far from the Lord? I have, and it is only His grace that brought me back. I have been a Christian for fifty years and for every one I know that made it back, I have known ten that didn’t. Let’s get real and quit dreaming.

When the servant hid his talents, the Lord didn’t pat him on the head and say that’s okay, don’t worry about it. He threw him into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. LOOK UP. If God is anything, he is a judge, in fact, THE JUDGE. And he is not going to take any excuses in that day for your miserable, unprofitable life. He is going to call us to account for everything done in this body: what we did with our resources, with the gifts He gave us and with how we spent our time - every hour of every day.

We know that God wants to use every one of us. He has given us His life and spiritual gifts. But another major mistake is to think that God will “one day” use us. Time runs out. Old age and death creep up faster than any of us can imagine. Our kids are grown and gone and we are living on Social Security and we barely have the strength to get out of bed in the morning. The Lord has all the time in the world. We don’t. If we aren’t useful to the Lord today, the chances that we will be in the future are slim. A corollary to assuming we can’t miss out is to think we are indispensable - that God needs me. He really doesn’t. If I don’t praise Him, the rocks will. Who am I? If I don’t respond to the work the Lord has for me, He will raise up someone else to do it. I am a fool if I think I’m indispensable. However, if I humbly volunteer and put legs to my faith, He will use me in spite of my weakness and failings. As Jim Elliott, the famous missionary martyred by Auca Indians in Ecuador, said “What shall it profit a man if he gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose?” The time has come to make that decision and let it work through our lives in very practical ways.

I believe God is speaking to us, the last generation of saints to live on the earth before His return. He is going to need our undivided love, attention and obedience like never before in history. We are an integral part of His great plan and purpose. We are His testimony on the earth. We are living proof that the Creator came down, paid the price for our sin and rebellion, and now indwells and transforms us into a corporate testimony - as the world declares “Behold how they love one another.” Above all, we are to be His witnesses - in our personal lives, in our families and in our Christian communities. God can’t witness for Himself but needs two witnesses to try and judge the world. He needs the corporate testimony of the Church and Israel. But if Christians and Jews continue to harden their hearts to God, will He not judge both? We are dreaming if we think God will apply a lower standard to His physical and spiritual people. Most Jews and so-called Christians are in the world and in unbelief. His righteous nature demands judgment of His people before He can judge the world.

What sense do you get of the times that are approaching when you read Matthew 24? Read it now. It is not just of foreboding because of the horror, but of the glory before us. You and I are being called to the Church’s finest hour. It is time to come out of the closet as Christians, to come out of the world, to warn people, to preach the gospel, to be connected with one another. It is time to forsake all distractions and ask the Lord to purify us and free us from the power of the age. It is time to ask the Lord to open our eyes to prophecy, to our true spiritual condition and the condition of the world and the church. This is an Army you must volunteer for. God is calling you, but if you don’t respond, He will move on to someone else. In Revelation 12:11, he declares of the last days believer that “we overcame by the blood of the lamb, by the word of our testimony and we loved not our lives even unto death.” The “last days” Church will find its glory in martyrdom.

The Lord involved me in this ministry over 30 years ago and called me specifically for this ministry on the road from Hartford, Connecticut to White Plains, New York twelve years ago. I would love to have the time to tell you about it in detail some time. But I can’t begin to tell you what He has had to bring me through since then. I have lost just about everything, but the more I lose, the more I find Him, the more I am stripped down for the battle ahead. I volunteered six years ago, but since then He has really dealt with me harshly to get me to this point. At one time, I had three houses, four cars and a motor home. I made as much in one month as most make in a year. Then God blew on it and “poof” it was gone. Stripped of things, I realize how unimportant they are. And sometimes when I wonder if I can go any lower, sure enough, down I go. But the harder it gets, the more I realize it is much better to suffer the loss of all things now so there is nothing to take away, nothing to mourn for. I am so thankful for all He has brought me through because I am a very hard nut to crack. There was no other way. The Lord can only use broken vessels who fall prostrate at His feet. Brothers and sisters, the vessel is nothing. The treasure is everything. And only the mercy of the Lord brings us through those circumstances we need, tailor made for each one of us.

And if He loved me so, I know He will do the same for you. If ever there was a generation that God will demand the ultimate sacrifice from, it is ours.

Deception and apostasy are the hallmark of the final generation. Don’t be surprised. Don’t be discouraged for your salvation draws near.







Go back to Chapter 14



Go back to the beginning


Notice: The Book "Recognizing Deception and Apostasy" was written by Dene McGriff. The original source of the book is located at the web site www.the-tribulation-network.com which operates under the name of "The Tribulation Network" which is owned and operated by Pergamos Ministries. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this book via printed media, in its entirety, without any changes to the original content so long as this Notice accompanies ALL copies distributed. Any web site may link to this article at [www.the-tribulation-network.com] It is requested that you do not copy this article into any web site due to the possibility that we may add or delete to this article at any time. And if you do not have the latest additions to the article, then you would be misrepresenting us.

See below



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/2009 12:10AM by TurningPointReject.

The *healings* at TPc differ from the healings Christ did in a very significant way: Christ's healings were irrefutable. A blind man can now see. A lame man-crippled for his entire life- can now walk. Mike's healings are fraud. And could lead to unnecessary death. If you have been healed, by God, your Dr will be able to verify your healing. Mike is not an apostle-never was, never will be. Anyone who takes any time to investigate Mike's claims of healing will soon find out that they did not occur. When confronted with such information Mike will resort to blaming the "healed" individual for having "doubt" and having a "small faith"...if only they had had a "Great Faith" their healing would have lasted.

Regarding the size of faith: Jesus did not rate faith based on size. He said, If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. Does mustard seed faith sound like great faith? The size of your faith is not important; the object of your faith is. Mike is preaching a false gospel. And the question needs to be asked: What motivates Mike to preach a false gospel? It is simple: Greed and Pride. Mike's gospel says, "Look at me. Look at what I have done. See how great I am. Live your life and while you are at it make sure you honor me." A true Gospel says, "Look at Jesus. See what Jesus has done. He has paid your debt. He now owns your life. Live your life in such a way as to honor Jesus."

Mike and Cyndi first met Tony when they were in high school in Coos Bay Oregon. Tony came to serve as youth pastor at College Park Community Church (Cyndi's father was the senior pastor there at the time). Tony was arrogant even at that point. He turned off many of the people at College Park with his condescension and arrogance. He refused to do simple things like participate in Church work days. Even at that time people used the phrase "cult following" to describe the behaviors of youth and how they related to Tony.

Tony had turned Mike off to church and to ministry while at College Park. So much so that Mike had decided he wanted to pursue Sports Medicine instead of Ministry. Mike was very discouraged because of Tony and his actions. Tony left College Park in June of 1989. He went to Elk Grove California to serve as Youth Pastor. In the mean time a new youth pastor came to College Park and befriended Mike and Cyndi. He encouraged both of them to seek God and to participate in the youth program at College Park as volunteers. Mike and Cyndi went through a time of healing under the leadership of this pastor and soon discovered anew their calling for ministry. I believe Mike studied and graduated from Warner Pacific College in Portland Or. From there Mike served as Youth Pastor at Edmonds Church of God. He then left Edmonds to plant TPCC with two other pastors: Keith T (Mike's Brother in law) and Allen L (the youth pastor who befriended Mike and Cyndi after Tony left Oregon). I am not aware of when and how Tony re-entered Mike's life. Within a year of starting TPCC Allen L left the church because of Tony's control over Mike. Later Keith Trapp left TPCC as well. Jeff B was part of the church from the very beginning as lay person. He came on staff later but, at the time, had no training or degree from any school for ministry.

I do know that by the time TPCC started in 1996 that Tony had re insinuated himself into Mike's life. Mike would call Tony to discuss church planting and the direction TPCC was taking. As a matter of fact, Tony held more sway over the direction and decisions made at TPCC than any of the pastors serving with Mike at the beginning of TPCC. Tony was the defacto leader of TPCC from the very beginning. If Mike thought he should do one thing as the pastor at TPCC and Tony disagreed, then Mike would shift gears and do what Tony thought should be done. From the very beginning of TPCC's life there was a spirit of control and manipulation at work. Anyone who had questions or concerns about church business were looked upon as "trouble makers, dividers and people of disunity". Questioning was not tolerated. Disagreement was discouraged.

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IsI
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2. I agree that we need to be appropriate with our words and keep things in perspective. ATTENDER has dished it right out sometimes with no regards to others. This person still comes off very defensive and in all honesty, I don't really discern that this person is actually trying to "get out" of TPC.
- You, miki, dish it out also. . . ie, the point above. This person is OBVIOUSLY going through hard times, in fact, I KNOW what this person is going through.
TO ALL WHO ARE READING THIS:
For Crying Out Loud! Let's all assume for a minute Attender IS making a decision right now, cut this person some slack! Did you all never, even once, defend TPwoc/TP when you were deciding to leave or not? I know for a fact some of you did. . . I did!
When you make a tough decision it's ok to play devils advocate. . . and, in all fairness, Attender has apologized EVERY time Attender's said something somebody took wrong.
ANYWAY doesn't satin rise up most, right when god starts to do something great (even in peoples lives)?
REGARDLESS of what attender comes off as, please stop attacking this individual. I know for a fact Attender is TRULY debating leaving TP. . . THAT'S A HUGE decision; a life decision. Let's agree to disagree and help this person. Maybe give this person support before they make a devastating change.
Would not our lives been a little easier with support before we left? Mine would have.

thank you.

also, i do not go to TP, never will go to TP again, and have also been hurt by TP tremendously. I AM not defending TP or offender. Just encouraging all to keep telling their stories and support each other. . . including those caught up in a mess, not strong enough to get out, or, feeling led to stay in.

I missed this when it was first posted. Thank you, IsI, for the reminder. Lets each of us contend for attender and others who are still struggling with the sometimes difficult task of having to say goodbye to a place once called home. And as we do lets be gracious and patient. Lets also recognize that there will be those who will not leave TPc no matter what is presented to them. They have too much invested emotionally, personally and spiritually to turn back. This is the sad truth of every cult, every authoritarian church that ever existed.

Attender, I continue to pray for you as you go through your process. Keep seeking the truth.

TPR

I pray that there is peace on this Forum. This is not Turning Point. I think defenses are definately going on high. (including mines). Should we be so afraid to voice our opinions without it being turned into something "bad"? Someone reminded me of this "If you can look at a person with compassion, grace comes in. Thereafter you can understand what/where they are going through." Miki

Found this on deception in the church and how to avoid it.

So how do we recognize deception? How do you recognize a counterfeit dollar bill? They teach bank tellers that the best way to recognize the counterfeit is to know what a real one looks and feels like. Below is a short checklist of how to avoid deception:
· Have a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ yourself. We are responsible for our own spiritual destiny – not depending upon a relative, a pastor, priest, church or program.
· Satan is the Prince of this world. This is his territory and he is the master deceiver! Expect the media, your leaders and others to lie.
· Don’t be afraid to question information and sources. We answer to and are accountable to God alone – not to any person in between. No one will be with us at the judgment seat of Christ.
· Read the Bible and expect the Spirit to enlighten you.
· Be open to see what is happening in the institutional church. If we blindly accept what our Christian teachers tell us, we may be led astray.
· Be open in your mind and heart (because it is ultimately a spiritual matter requiring revelation). We need to have an open heart so God can reveal the truth to us from His Word – not the spun teachings of the establishment sold out to the world and the State. We must be careful whenever we are reading or listening to the professionals. This information is so important we shouldn’t assume we know it all. We had better take a fresh look ourselves instead of taking the “experts” word for it.
· It is not a sin to question our Christian leaders. Bereans were praised by the Apostle Paul for holding up what he said to Scripture. If anyone tells us otherwise, we must be very careful. These are not “God’s anointed” with a corner on the truth! We have access to the same Bible and the same Lord!