Search Results for “beth moore”

Beth Moore doesn’t speak for the church

Posted on March 2, 2023March 2, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Beth Moore speaking at a race conference at Baylor in 2022.

Just out is Beth Moore’s third memoir, “All My Knotted Up Life.” (The first two were Feathers from My Nest: A Mother’s Reflections and Things Pondered: From the Heart of a Lesser Woman.)

Moore is a great oral storyteller and she is also good writer. She has written over 25 Bible studies beginning in 1999 with A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place, three memoirs, a novel, and numerous other books. For most of her publishing life, Moore has been with Lifeway, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. In 2021, when Moore left the publisher, it was stated,

Moore was Lifeway’s best-selling author, with a reach far beyond the SBC to conservative believers of many denominations. Her books and related materials “kept the Nashville-based publisher afloat,” according to Baptist News. At her peak, she generated more than $30 million a year in revenue.

Her current memoir, published by Tyndale, is accompanied by the ubiquitous book tour. Moore is sweeping the south with her book signings. Interest is high in her book’s contents and with that, interest is high on her in general. Her opinion on various topics is being sought. And Beth is happy to give it.

Moore is capitalizing on this widespread interest by speaking up about “white privilege”, “white supremacy”, and “racism” “in the church”. Earlier she jumped on the “misogyny” bandwagon when the #MeToo movement surfaced, and previously jumped on other Christian trends and fads, speaking out on them when they were popular.

From the beginning it must be stated: Beth Moore is a false teacher. Her skill in storytelling, her rough life, and her emotional appeals notwithstanding, when she teaches the Bible, her teaching fails the Berean test. When comparing it to scripture, these things are not so. (Acts 17:11).

‘Groupies’ follow Moore from LPL to LPL. Photo by Free Walking Tour Salzburg on Unsplash

When I attended a Living Proof Live event in 2011 at an 18,000 seat filled arena, I spoke with women in the lobby as we waited to get in. Many of them traveled long distances to hear Beth. Some, I discovered, follow her from venue to venue. One boasted she’d seen Beth at more than 20 LPL events. I’d used the word groupie to describe them in a previous essay, and it’s how some describe themselves, but my concern is her groupies that have heaped Beth up are now a cult – and she is their idol.

Think I’m kidding? Nope. See some of the recent comments about Beth Moore. These aren’t cherry picked. There are frequent comments like this.

Beth Moore’s recent elevation by her ticked-ears followers is a concern. Moore has millions of people whom she influences between social media, interviews, LPL events, and book signings.

Therefore the following issues are important to state:

Beth Moore does not speak for the church.

No one elected Beth Moore spokesman for “the church”. Moore is making numerous allegations, sweeping assertions, and accusations about “the church”. She has not defined the church of which she speaks. Her own church? The Baptist denomination church? The church in America? The global church? The only church of which she should speak is her own. And even then, nasty public accusations are not God-honoring. (Exodus 20:16, 1 Peter 2:1, Proverbs 11:9).

Beth Moore does not speak for the church. Beth Moore does not speak for you. Or me.

1. Making categorical, unqualified and vague accusations that are sweeping in scope causes division.

For example, Moore stated at a recent conference at which she was an invited speaker:

“How do people who claim to love God and place such a high value on Scripture place such a low value on justice?” (Source)

Which people? Where? How can she make such a sweeping claim?

Also: “At that time, such things as the titanic need for criminal justice reform had not even registered with me” (Source).

“What became increasingly and startlingly clear was that our politics informed our faith, rather than our faith informing our politics,” Moore said. (ibid)

“Our”? Whose faith was being informed by politics? Hers? Yours? Her church’s? What are some examples? None are ever given, just constant nebulous assertions.

She did the same in 2018 in a “Letter to My Brothers” which talked of “skewed attitudes.” She asked that her brothers (not named, not defined) “would simply have no tolerance for misogyny and dismissiveness toward women in your spheres of influence.” She talked of being a female leader and having to “work within ‘the system'” (instead of saying ‘I joyously submitted to God’s hierarchical roles for men, women, youths and children? Her church was ‘a system’?).

Her insinuations in the Letter to My Brothers again were vague and unclear. Did she meant the men in her own church, men in the global church, or men everywhere?. Michelle Lesley wrote of the Letter to My Brothers’ unsubstantiated accusations,

How is anyone supposed to agree with or refute the facts of what Beth is saying unless she gives clear explanations and details? What Beth has done in her blog post is to throw out unsubstantiated, generalized accusations against a wide swath of nameless Christian men and churches and she expects us to take her word for it that there’s some epidemic of misogyny across the board in the church.

The Bible says about people like Moore who make unsubstantiated assertions:

Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, (Titus 3:10).

The word factious here (or divisive in other translations) means, according to Strongs-

hairetikós – a factious person, specializing in half-truths and misimpressions “to win others over” to their personal opinion (misguided zeal) – while creating harmful divisions (used only in Tit 3:10).

How aptly this verse applies to Beth Moore! One person tweeted an even more pointed comment after watching her recent woke/racism interview,

“all I saw was emotion with buzz words attached.”

Friends, avoid Beth Moore, because the Bible says-

“You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. (Exodus 23:1).

2. Beth Moore hops onto fads. She copied Joel Osteen’s mantra for a while, copied hearing from God from Henry Blackaby, contemplative prayer, blue bracelets, home altars, lectio divina, #metoo, misogyny, woke, diversity…

Moore is just like the “the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something newer.” (Acts 17:21). Chasing after the latest trend is as old as the hills. And it’s not new to Beth Moore. Whatever’s popular, she goes after with misguided zeal.

3. She variously minimizes or exaggerates herself or her living situation to fit the current atmosphere.

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. (Ephesians 4:25)

In the quote below, Moore used the language of woke, saying that she lived in white privilege,

“I was in a very privileged part of the world and a very privileged part of the church,” she conceded. Awareness of her privilege began to dawn on her just over a decade ago…” (Source).

She was born in 1957. In fact checking her statement about growing up privileged, a word she did not define, according to the 1960 census the median income for her county was $3,100 and her specific city’s was $3,800. That is $38,000 today. Wealthy salary it ain’t. Unemployment was 8.6%, one of the higher unemployment numbers of all the counties in Arkansas. Only 4.3% of female white women completed four years of college at that time. That’s not privilege. It’s poverty, poorness, and/or underprivilege.

She constantly uses language to shape a narrative she wishes a particular audience to resonate with. Moore either exaggerates (the privilege example above) or minimizes it. Here are examples of how she minimizes her situation when it suits her-

We have a tiny little sliver of water not far from us that you could call a creek if you were in a particularly generous mood. It’s got some sand by it that the kids really like. Be blessed that this is not a scratch and sniff picture because the creek doesn’t always smell all that good, especially if it hasn’t rained in a while. But if your nose is slightly stuffy, it can be pretty fun.

Moore was describing the creek that runs through her estate. It’s Spring Creek, and it begins near Waller Tx and runs about 45 miles to drain into the San Jacinto River. It divides Harris and Montgomery County. Spring Creek is the only natural creek in both Harris and Montgomery County. It is known for “its sandy banks, undisturbed natural surroundings, and clean water, and it serves as home to many animals, including deer, otters, raccoons, opossums, and alligators. Many species of fish, including white bass, catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, and bluegill inhabit its waters. It is also known for its occasional Swainson’s warbler sightings and for being the easternmost sighting of the green kingfisher, as well as bald eagles, herons, egrets, and other birds.” (Wikipedia)

Along the way there are many parks and greenways which attract locals and tourists. Spring TX, home to Moore’s church, was named after the river. Hardly the dirty smelly creek she described. At all.

Here’s her description of her home she moved into several years ago:

So, three years to the day later, we’re making it out in these modest woods. These acres would not be beautiful to everybody but they’re beautiful to us. Life has been brand new out here. I won’t kid you. It’s been an adjustment. A lot less eating out. A lot more cooking. A lot more driving to work. The cars stay filthy. The raccoons won’t stay out of the trash. Fed Ex never can find us. But we don’t mind. Because it was time to make a move. For us, it was out where the dawn breaks to the crow of a rooster.

Evokes an image of the Ingalls dirt hut out on the prairie, doesn’t it? What Moore doesn’t tell you is that the Moore Trust property in Tomball TX, are not “modest woods” that “would not be beautiful to everybody.” Her property is a 46 acre forested enclave with its own road, two houses with total of 7 bedrooms and 7 1/2 baths, custom outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, a combined square footage of 6600 sf, and assessed by Harris County TX at over $2 million dollars.

She plays white privilege when it suits her. She plays regular sista when she wants to hide her then-4 houses, large home estate, and flying to her venues on a private jet, even to Australia.

4. Beth Moore is an expert at using political rhetoric to her advantage.

Political rhetoric is deliberately vague. You know the kind, the candidate speeches that roll around every election cycle that fling around words like liberty and freedom and prosperity, that each different person listening has a different idea of its meaning.

“Political language is vague because politicians are shrewd and desire to build a winning coalition of people who hold different views“, said Larry Etheredge of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

That’s Beth Moore. Not desiring to speak unadulterated biblical truth, but to build a coalition of people who hold different views- so as to make merchandise of them (2 Peter 2:3).

Vagueness is why Moore refused to answer when I and other ladies asked her point blank if homosexuality was a sin. It’s why she has never come out in support of the Roe v. Wade overturning, or said clearly that abortion is bad. It’s why she never has to my knowledge taught a Bible lesson on 1 Timothy (you know, the book that says a woman may not preach to men or have authority over them?) It’s exactly why Moore makes vague claims and will never stop making them-

There are also certain advantages in the use of fuzzy concepts and vague boundaries, because they extend the range of options open to a speaker, offering a chance to express many grades of truth and many different attitudes towards propositions without the speaker having to be pinned down to just one position. (Lakoff, “Hedges: A study in meaning and the logic of fuzzy concepts. Eighth Regional Meeting of the Chicago Linguistics Society, 183-228, 1972).

That’s Beth Moore, expressing many grades of truth.

I deliberately chose the above examples of how Beth hops onto fads, chooses vague language, and changes her own narrative to suit the situation, because the facts add up to this conclusion: she cannot be trusted in what she says.

I’ll repeat: Beth Moore cannot be trusted when she speaks. You can’t trust her words.

She is riding a high wave of widespread approval due to the sad and tragic revelations of her autobiography. I empathize with her various tragedies. But remember, many Christian people have had those tragedies and worse, but they do not slander, make sweeping accusations, become hardened and unteachable, and tacitly accept their cult status.

Beth Moore is a false teacher deceiving and being deceived. While she has her reward now, judgment awaits for her many sins. I plead with women reading this, do not give an inch to the false teachers or you will become part of the evil they do:

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned. (2 Peter 2:1-2).

theology

Beth Moore apologizes for making celebrity look so easy

Posted on December 12, 2022December 12, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In this blog I give some warnings and cautions to any sister in Christ whose ministry is growing.

Beth Moore tweeted a thread Saturday apologizing for making platformed Christian celebrity look so easy, and opining that (though) it is actually hard, you, too, can achieve it if you ‘keep at it’ and ‘hang in there’. No exaggeration. Screen shots and links blow.

I’ve written several times about the drastic error of these celebrity evangelical women who traded motherhood for celebrity, leaving kids and hubby behind, taking on the male role while hubby accepts the female. All in the name of “ministry,” when in reality it was just about a feminist career.

Continue reading →

theology

Reformation Day is a good day to talk about the Blood on Beth Moore’s Hands

Posted on October 31, 2022October 31, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

An essay in three sections.

The Reformation and what it stood for
Beth Moore and her failure to teach the truth about Catholicism
What the Bible teaches about leaders failing to preach the true word, and encouragement for those who do

1. What was the Reformation about?

October 31, Reformation Day, is a day when Christians bring to remembrance the old Catholic priest, Martin Luther. His inquiry into the scriptures, his spiritual angst over indulgences (a gross monetization of the faith), dismissal of the theology around purgatory, and his disappointment and despair after his trip to Rome, caused him on October 31, 1517 (traditionally accepted date) to nail 95 Theses to the All Saints’ Church in anticipation of a theological discussion. These theses became the foundation for the ensuing Protestant Reformation. We have been discussing ever since.

In his theses, Martin Luther had said that “It is vain to trust in salvation by indulgence letters, even though the indulgence commissary, or even the pope, were to offer his soul as security.” (Thesis #52).

He also said, “They are the enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid altogether the preaching of the Word of God in some churches in order that indulgences may be preached in others.” (#53).

And, in speaking against the gross accumulation of personal wealth by the Pope, that “The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.” (#62).

The Roman Catholic Church teaches and preaches heresy. Anyone believing the doctrines of Rome is likely not saved. If they do come to true repentance in the true faith, they soon leave the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), because it is not spiritually profitable to remain. The Holy Spirit who indwells the new believer, would not let them stay.

Ex-Catholic and now fervent Protestant Evangelist Mike Gendron, writes,

“Catholic salvation is based on Jesus plus Mary, faith plus works, grace plus merit, Scripture plus tradition and the blood of Jesus plus purgatory. Catholics do not know that any addition to the Gospel is a denial of the sufficiency of Christ (Heb. 7:25). Any addition to the Gospel also nullifies the saving grace of God, which is the only means by which God saves sinners (Romans 11:6). Catholics, who are victims of this deception, need to be evangelized with the true Gospel of grace.”
ABCs of Evangelizing Catholics

2. Beth Moore’s failure to teach the truth about Catholicism

Beth Moore’s 87 year old mother-in-law died a few weeks ago. Any death is sad, but when the person is likely a non-believer, it’s heart rending. The obituary says, “Mary and her husband John were lifelong, devoted Catholics.” If Mary believed RCC dogma, then she did not believe in the necessary elements of the faith.

“Many of the 70 million Catholics in America were born into their religion and have never examined their faith through the lens of Scripture“. ~Mike Gendron

Beth’s mother-in-law Mary Moore was devoted to errant RC dogma. It’s a tragedy that she’s likely not dwelling in peace now or forever. But another tragedy is her daughter-in-law Beth, who proclaimed with certainty that Mary Moore,

“having entered the holy presence” said, “We are greatly consoled she lived to be 87 and is now not only with Jesus but with the two children she’d buried long ago and grieved deeply and daily.”

No. It’s a tragedy that Beth has compromised on this issue, declaring that a “devoted Catholic” has entered the holy presence of God. I hope Mary Moore has, but only due to last minute repentance in true faith. That post about her mother-in-law’s death on Instagram by Beth Moore got over 21,000 likes, and Moore’s Instagram account has over half a million followers. Beth’s influence and reach could have seen Catholics as a mission field.

But she didn’t. She doesn’t. She never has.

Beth’s own errant doctrine, compromising man-pleasing, or just cowardice, for many years has instead ignored the souls of millions she otherwise could have shared the truth with. There is blood on her hands, sadly. No one who believes Rome will see glory, except on Judgment Day, when the Lord will say “Depart from me, I never knew you!” and the same to false teachers like Moore who poison the faith and confuse the naïve.

Catholics are a mission field. They do not need an influential celebrity evangelical to assure them in their error! However, I and others have warned for over a decade now, that Moore teaches that Catholics are part of the true faith. She taught from her 2002 ‘study’, “Believing God” that Jesus lifted her to another dimension and gave her a view of the global church “as he sees it” which included the Catholic Church. She used an example of various denominations with signs to illustrate this ‘vision’, naming the Catholic ‘denomination’ of St. Anne’s Catholic Church. Her mother-in-law was a member of a church named St. Anne Catholic Church, by the way.

In this screen shot from a video, Moore is teaching from her 2002 ‘Believing God’ study that a Catholic church is simply another denomination along with Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran churches etc

In her 2006 Catholic-influenced Mystical DVD “Be Still,” Moore spoke of lines between denominations being erased, insinuating the lines were between Catholic and Protestant. In effect, she was denying the need for the Reformation and rejecting that severe doctrinal differences separate Protestants and Catholics. She said,

“You know, one of the things that time gives us is that it erases the lines in between people so many different sections of the people of God. Because many years later it doesn’t matter any longer that this person was of this practice in the Christian faith and this person of another. Time somehow blurs those lines and we are profoundly moved by the historical narratives of all their lives, of so great a cloud of witnesses; that we can look back on and see what kept them running the race, what kept them running toward the face of Christ at the end of that finish line.”

In 2012 Moore participated in and led an arena full of impressionable youth in a RCC mystical practice called Lectio Divina at the Passion Conference. Clearly, Beth Moore believes that Catholicism is part of the faith, or if she doesn’t believe it, she acts like it is.

In 2020 Moore didn’t insinuate, she outright called Roman Catholicism a denomination of the faith.

I can understand that living with in-laws who are staunch Catholics is hard when you’re an alleged evangelical. I know they scowlingly objected to her quick and ignominious wedding in an off-white dress (Beth’s words). I understand the tensions when the in-laws remained Catholics all their lives, even when moving from Houston to Tomball, changing Churches from one Catholic church to another in a declaration of their continued loyalty to Rome.

I can understand that Beth’s husband, having been raised Catholic and remained attached to it throughout the marriage, was a hard to reach mission field; Moore has often publicly complained about her husband’s lack of interest in her Baptist church or the things of God, like not being inclined to study the word, or leafing through fishing magazines if forced to come where truth is being taught.

And in 2022, confidently writing on her Instagram to half a million followers that her Catholic M-I-L is in the presence of Jesus in heaven.

Opposing satan’s doctrines often brings tension, rejection, and difficulty. Instead of using her reach if not for her family (who knows if she did, God knows) then for at least the women she draws in to her public events and studies. Yet Moore consistently affirms Rome by her affirmations of Catholics being true believers and simply another denomination of the true faith. But it isn’t.

3. What the Bible teaches about leaders failing to preach the true word, and encouragement for those who do

“And now behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all people. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” (Acts 20:25-27).

That’s the Apostle Paul speaking. Other translations say ‘I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God’. As Paul prepared to leave the believers in Ephesus, his conscience was clear. Why? Barnes’ Notes says,

“‘I have not kept back’; I have not been deterred by fear, by the desire of popularity, by the fact that the doctrines of the gospel are unpalatable to people, from declaring them fully. The proper meaning of the word translated here, “I have not shunned” ὑπεστειλάμην hupesteilamēn, is “to disguise any important truth; to withdraw it from public view; to decline publishing it from fear, or an apprehension of the consequences.” –End Barnes’ Notes Commentary

Paul said the same in Acts 18:6, But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.

Hebrews 13:17 reminds us all of the weighty task that leaders have. They will give an account regarding the souls they’d had under their charge. “Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they may do this with joy, not groaning; for this would be unhelpful for you.”

While we learners have an obligation to submit, the leaders/pastors/teachers have an obligation to preach boldly. Paul and Barnabas did, even facing down a hissing mob of Jews who were blasphemously contradicting their teaching. (Acts 13:46). They must offer the entire teaching. An incomplete gospel is no gospel at all. But the whole counsel of God (with nothing added!) is sufficient to save! What glorious Good News!

Finally, we forget, or ignore, the evilness of false teaching. Spurgeon never wavered on proclaiming the truth and never shrank from denouncing the false. He said of the Catholic mass-

“The mass is a mass of abominations, a mass of hell’s own concocting, a crying insult against the Lord of glory. It is not to be spoken of in any terms but those of horror and destestation. Whenever I think of another sacrifice for sin being offered, by whomever it may be presented, I can only regard it as an infamous insult to the perfection of the Savior’s work.” ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

For the leaders who are faithful, you have aspired to a noble task (1 Timothy 3:1), and no doubt if done with persistence, humility, and in truth, will hear our Lord say “Well done good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of the Lord!” (Matthew 25:21). What a day that will be!

Further Resources

Mary Moore Obituary

Is Roman Catholicism biblical? (article, Grace to You)

Evangelizing Roman Catholics with Mike Gendron (video)

The Reformation and the Men Behind it (article, Ligonier)

theology

Six reasons why you should avoid Beth Moore

Posted on October 18, 2022October 18, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

screen shot from a 2020 teaching on Youtube

I have accumulated a list of links to critiques showing why Beth Moore should be avoided. I began it in 2011 when I wrote 2 series on her teachings.

The links in my list are written by me, other women Bible teachers, and by men who are pastors or theologians. The critiques start in 2011 and run through 2022 as of this writing.

Beth Moore’s popularity has remained high and visible throughout her teaching career, 40 years now. She is still negatively influencing women with her bad example.

Universal popularity is a warning sign.

The Bible says in Luke 6:36, Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to treat the false prophets the same way.

Here are reasons to avoid Beth Moore:

1. She claims to receive direct revelation from Jesus. She repeats these ‘conversations’ with his words in quotes. She claims he gives her prophecies apart from what is written in the Bible. She claims he gives her visions. She has said this alleged Jesus told her to go forth and teach these new revelations to people- which makes her a Prophet. All this violates Revelation 22:18-19, Colossians 2:18, among other verses. All this destroys the sufficiency of scripture.

2. Beth Moore partners with wolves and false teachers such as Joyce Meyer, Christine Caine, Joel and Victoria Osteen, and Brian Houston, for a few examples, violating 2 Corinthians 6:14 and 2 John 1:10.

3. Beth Moore teaches and preaches to men, blatantly violating 1 Timothy 2:12.

Moore preaching the Sunday Service in August 2022 at Transformation Church

4. Rather than steadily preach the straight word, Beth Moore jumps on fads and then leaves them when they diminish in popularity, such as saying mantras, home altars, Lectio Divina, Contemplative Spirituality, blue bracelets, and so on. 2 Peter 2:3 comes to mind.

5. Beth Moore doesn’t interpret the Bible correctly, using a standard interpretive technique such as literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic. Instead, she waits for direct revelation or a vision, or cobbles together words out of context- again from supposed direct revelation the ‘Spirit’ gives her, or allegorizes what should be literal, and bases her lessons on those methods. She also uses undignified high emotion and props to distract the audience from these flaws.

6. Beth Moore rejects the biblical roles God has ordained for women, both by example of living functionally as a feminist wife, and explicitly when she rejected and apologized for teaching complementarianism.

These reasons should be enough to warn anyone off a teacher, including and especially Beth Moore. There are better examples of teachers out there to follow, mainly your own pastor, and publicly, Susan Heck, Martha Peace, The Women’s Hope podcast, Brooke Bartz of the Open Hearts in a Closed World conference, (it’s a free, online annual summer conference) and many solid men teachers too numerous to list.

theology

The Continual Trumpet Blast from the Monstrous Regiment of Beth Moore Battle-axes

Posted on August 25, 2022August 25, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In 1558, Scottish Reformer and minister John Knox wrote a treatise called “The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women“. In it, Knox proffered the argument that it was unnatural for women to rule and it was contrary to the Bible.

The archaic word monstruous meant “unnatural” and is often written “monstrous” today, meaning hideous or frightful. Regiment meant rule or government.

In 2011, then-member of Team Pyro Phil Johnson, at his team blog Pyromaniacs, riffed off Knox’s title, posting a blog named, “The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Discernment Divas“. He wrote,

“The following video (40+ minutes) is from the recent Psalm 119 Conference in Keller, TX, sponsored by “Wretched,” featuring Todd (“Freakishly Tall”) Friel. Todd dragged me on stage to discuss the Elephant Room and other issues related to wall-building, biblical discernment, bad discernment ministries, shrill-and-sharp-tongued women who fancy themselves called to ministries of full-time criticism—and a few other interesting topics.”

Sadly, that video is no longer available, but the lengthy comment section is interesting.

Johnson apparently spoke spontaneously at that conference about the influx of women claiming the gift of discernment but not employing it in charitable – or even biblical – ways. He said, and I excerpt some of the comments,

In short, I was referring to those very vocal (mostly, but not all female) self-styled “discernment” specialists who seem to think screeching, angry emotions are as good a response to heresy as carefully reasoned, biblical answers.

The pejorative that was floating in my mind during that conversation with Todd is actually a biblical term: busybodies.

[They] relentlessly pestered me with everything from silly taunts and insults to the crassest sort of slander.

[Their] watchblog-style criticism consisting of raw passion or verbal hysterics instead of rational or biblical arguments…are especially prone to fire off rabid posts and caustic comments without sufficient forethought.

Furthermore, these Discernment Divas tend to be incorrigible when you try to point out that this is not a good thing. In fact, they seem to like to drum up campaigns and comment-flurries and virtual tar-and-feather mobs when anyone questions their technique.

Mr Johnson has a way with words. And he got his point across. That discussion, both at the conference and afterward on his blog, made waves.

Eleven years ago was only a few years after the Year of the Blog, 2003. That was when Google bought Blogger’s platform and made it available to the whole world. WordPress launched that year too.

Anyone and everyone suddenly had a blog and could publish anything they wanted, for better or for worse.

In the Christian realms, people found blogging a wonderful way to propagate Christian principles, theology, practical Christian living ideas, and more. Just being able to publish scripture alone, was a revelation. Yay!

But with great visibility, great foolishness is often revealed.

One who withholds his words has knowledge, And one who has a cool spirit is a person of understanding, says (Proverbs 17:27).

Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent. (Proverbs 17:28).

Fools are fools for a reason. They do not know when to remain silent. When blogs became a thing, there was also a sudden birth of discernment bloggers. People, women included, who misjudged their supposed ‘gift of discernment’ and used their “gift” as an excuse to tear down, destroy, slander, and simply be cruel. They do not display the gifts of the Spirit nor do these people exemplify the virtues of a Godly woman.

This week, G3 Ministries leader and Pastor of Prays Mill Church Josh Buice had an interaction with Beth Moore of Living Proof Ministries. It did not go well. Moore had said in a previous tweet that she was pleased with her vines producing grapes, and “If Jesus is trying to get me to have a crush on him, it’s working.” Hers was a blasphemous statement, and Buice chided Moore for it. THAT is why the interaction devolved immediately. Moore did not take the chiding to heart (shocker). Her followers, for which this essay is titled, dove immediately into mob mentality with screeching that could be heard from pillar to post.

Those were the PG rated responses. Of the defenses I’ve seen this past few weeks, particularly surrounding Beth Moore but also others, I stand amazed at how yet again the Bible is real. I see the verse from Genesis 6:5 brought to life before my very eyes-

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.

I am truly amazed that people who profess Christ would be so free to slander and condescend and make tirades and say such awful things. But of course, most of them only profess, but do not possess the Spirit, and sinners are indeed ugly and sin is indeed rampant.

Instead of being shrieking feminist harridans, instead of unteachable snarks & uncorrectable mockers, instead of slanderers and harpies, women in God’s economy can and should be so much more. We have the Holy Spirit! With His help, we can be what God has called us to be: gracious, modest, wise, hospitable, kind, discreet, humble, respectful…

In one sense, as ugly as it is to read such comments, and as harsh as they are against their intended recipients, these women help me to see the contrast between worldliness and godliness. Not that I need such illustrations to obey God, but their behavior motivates me- in the other direction. Seeing such ugliness on display illustrates the ugliness of sin and the importance of kind speech, the beauty of submission, the elegance of humility.

Virtues that God wants us to cultivate ARE beautiful. They ARE for the common good. I don’t need to test God in this, but trust Him in this.

There is no in between. We can be a crone, or a queen.

theology

The Bible is clear: Women cannot be pastors or teach men. This even includes Beth Moore

Posted on August 10, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Sunday Beth Moore preached again, this time at a Baptist Church in Houston. She described her attendance as not preaching but “serving,” which is disingenuous. It is also a sin. (1 Timothy 2:12, 1 Corinthians 14:34)

Secondly, she chose to embarrass her husband in front of her million-plus followers by calling him out for falling asleep during her sermon. This is a disgrace. (Titus 2:5, 1 Peter 3:2).

Third, she chose to boast that the invitation to (sinfully) preach was from a “prestigious” church. We can plainly see where her heart is.

She is receiving flack for her rebellion on social media and on Youtube. I myself denounced this behavior, saying “she belittled her husband for falling asleep during her message. Ladies, this should not be so. Bible is clear women are not to preach. They’re also to respect their husbands, not publicly embarrass them for a social media anecdote. Moore is a scourge & an embarrassment to us all.”

Of the pushback Moore is receiving, she wrote a reply. She cannot resist. Below is her posted reply to the pushback. I’ll insert my comments in at certain points. Below that is an EXCELLENT video. At the end I’ll write why I am so concerned. Do not be deceived by her seemingly soft words.

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. (Romans 16:17-18 KJV)

BETH MOORE:

This is a cheerfully-written, good-will word to my beloved kin in Christ who deeply disapprove of my accepting a handful of invitations a year from pastors

The frequency of her preaching is not at issue. The sin itself, is.

who graciously ask if I would speak on a Sunday to their congregations.

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY is fooled by her use of the word “speaking.” It’s preaching. And she can call it whatever you want, but God isn’t fooled either.

I need you to know that I hear you. I see your deep commitment to your stand on women’s roles & I admire that you never tire of the subject.

I will never tire of warning women about false teachers. Jude says to. (Jude 1:23)

I acknowledge that, at the end of your open-minded & extensive exegesis of all the NT has to say about women, you hang your hat on the verses telling women to be silent in church. I get it.

But she continues to speak in churches.

I’ve read them once or twice or 500X myself. I too love the Bible. I too have studied it & value it so highly,

A person who spits on the gift and tramples it doesn’t value the gift highly.

I’ll spend my life, God willing, calling people into its pages.

And that is an issue, Moore calls people to its pages but by her ignoring verses that don’t suit her, and by her life, shows women that the Bible does not have to be heeded.

And after my own extensive study of women in the NT, I hang my head covering on verses like Acts 2:17-18,

It’s not a matter of ‘hanging our hat’ on one verse or another. It’s that the untaught and the unstable twist and distort verses, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:16).

& on those where the same Paul who wrote your final word on women references hosts of women who were obviously colaborers in the gospel work

Co-laboring is not preaching or pastoring.

& among the leaders in their churches.

No woman was ever a leader in the churches.

I also burn alive inside with the call of Christ to the great commission.

I pray she repents before she truly learns what burning is.

I could know more stop than you could. All of this is to this point: if my story about Keith Moore falling fast asleep on the front row of a church in full view of the choir while I was bringing a message does not—at the very least—make you grin at my expense,

It was as Keith’s expense. Not hers.

consider hanging up your sheriff’s badge for a few weeks and taking a vacation. Everybody, including me, knows how you feel about women in church. You’ve done your job. We get it. We hear it. We see your commitment to the cause. But take a break.

No. I will never tire of helping women see that Beth Moore and others like her are a danger to their walk, their spiritual life, and to their souls. She wishes we’d stop. But we won’t.

These are sorrowful times. Have a hearty laugh on me. It’s good medicine.

They are sorrowful times because of the influx of preaching, rebellious women like Beth Moore who continue to pollute the church. It is a grief and a pain to me to see it and to help young women overcome the normalization of sin women like Moore have put on them like a millstone.

Now, is the problem of women preaching really that big of a deal? YES.

In 1962, 2% of clergy were women. Now, in 2022, 27% of pastors across the country are women. Fifty percent of students in Master of Divinity programs (a seminary program preparing the student for pastoral ministry), are women. (Source from video below).

It’s been an explosion. What happened? The Second Wave Feminist Movement, that’s what happened.

Culture has bowed the knee to the power of women as promoted by the feminist philosophy, but God’s word has not changed. Women are increasingly intruding into roles God has not designed for them in the church. So much so, that according to a survey in 2017, 80% of Americans are comfortable with the idea of a female pastor.

Women are not to preach to men and they are not to become pastors or elders. The Bible is crystal clear on this.

John Henry at The Gospel of Christ Youtube channel presents the following video. It is well-done. It contains refutations to the ‘what abouts’ such as “What about Deborah?” “What about Sarah Palin or Kamala Harris?” “What about the gifts of the Spirit, aren’t they given to everyone?” “What if I feel the call of God to teach and preach?”

All those questions are answered from scripture, which is clear. Once again, women are not to teach or preach to men.

Women’s roles in the church are valued and important for the health of the local church and the global church. There is no doubt that God used women for His glory. There is no doubt that God used women in all sorts of ways to advance the church – just not a teachers of men or preachers.

The video is 21 minutes long. John Henry at The Gospel of Christ Youtube Channel did a great job of editing, showing the truth is undeniably clear. Every women striding a stage with a Bible in her hand preaching in church or teaching at a conference to men, every women ‘feeling like’ she has a call from God to teach while her husband sits passively by, every women who insists to be ordained and assumes a position not meant for her, is a rebel. Every. Single. One.

We know they are false teachers because they have been told they are rebelling against God’s word. Joyce Meyer has been told. Beth Moore has been told. I know others have been told. They ignore the scriptures they claim to love. Their continued rebellion in the face of correction is a clear signal these women are desirous of personal glory, filling a lust, or otherwise casting aside the Savior in order to errantly continue in their pursuit of sin.

Please take a few minutes to listen.

I have prayed for Beth Moore to repent. I have prayed for many of these rebels. I pray the Lord gives them grace before they die. I have also prayed over women who have contacted me, confused, upset, unsure, thanks to ‘Bible Studies” like Moore’s and others that distort the scriptures, or present a lifestyle unsuitable for their demographic.

I have prayed to Jesus to stop them.

For there are many rebellious people, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of dishonest gain. (Titus 1:10-11).

A women preacher is a woman upsetting whole families. They are empty talkers and deceivers, teaching what they ought not. They confuse the unwary. They draw people away so as to diminish their effectiveness for the kingdom. We cannot ignore these evil people, we must stand opposed to them. We mark them, avoid them, snatch the doubters from the fire, and urge discernment.

PS- Beth Moore is preaching again this Sunday, at Transformation Church.
PPS: Her speaking fees range from $20,000 – $30,000 per.

theology

The Bible is clear: Women cannot be pastors or teach men. This even includes Beth Moore

Posted on August 9, 2022August 10, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Third, she chose to boast that the invitation to (sinfully) preach was from a “prestigious” church. We can plainly see where her heart is.

BETH MOORE:

This is a cheerfully-written, good-will word to my beloved kin in Christ who deeply disapprove of my accepting a handful of invitations a year from pastors

The frequency of her preaching is not at issue. The sin itself, is.

who graciously ask if I would speak on a Sunday to their congregations.

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY is fooled by her use of the word “speaking.” It’s preaching. And she can call it whatever you want, but God isn’t fooled either.

I need you to know that I hear you. I see your deep commitment to your stand on women’s roles & I admire that you never tire of the subject.

I will never tire of warning women about false teachers. Jude says to. (Jude 1:23)

I acknowledge that, at the end of your open-minded & extensive exegesis of all the NT has to say about women, you hang your hat on the verses telling women to be silent in church. I get it.

But she continues to speak in churches.

I’ve read them once or twice or 500X myself. I too love the Bible. I too have studied it & value it so highly,

A person who spits on the gift and tramples it doesn’t value the gift highly.

I’ll spend my life, God willing, calling people into its pages.

And that is an issue, Moore calls people to its pages but by her ignoring verses that don’t suit her, and by her life, shows women that the Bible does not have to be heeded.

And after my own extensive study of women in the NT, I hang my head covering on verses like Acts 2:17-18,

It’s not a matter of ‘hanging our hat’ on one verse or another. It’s that the untaught and the unstable twist and distort verses, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:16).

& on those where the same Paul who wrote your final word on women references hosts of women who were obviously colaborers in the gospel work

Co-laboring is not preaching or pastoring.

& among the leaders in their churches.

No woman was ever a leader in the churches.

I also burn alive inside with the call of Christ to the great commission.

I pray she repents before she truly learns what burning is.

It was as Keith’s expense. Not hers.

No. I will never tire of helping women see that Beth Moore and others like her are a danger to their walk, their spiritual life, and to their souls. She wishes we’d stop. But we won’t.

These are sorrowful times. Have a hearty laugh on me. It’s good medicine.

Now, is the problem of women preaching really that big of a deal? YES.

It’s been an explosion. What happened? The Second Wave Feminist Movement, that’s what happened.

Women are not to preach to men and they are not to become pastors or elders. The Bible is crystal clear on this.

All those questions are answered from scripture, which is clear. Once again, women are not to teach or preach to men.

Please take a few minutes to listen.

I have prayed to Jesus to stop them.

PS- Beth Moore is preaching again this Sunday, at Transformation Church.
PPS: Her speaking fees range from $20,000 – $30,000 per.

adopted son, beth moore, book review, God, jesus, Michael

Book Review: "Things Pondered," Beth Moore’s story of adopting a boy and giving him back

Posted on July 16, 2022July 17, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I wrote the essay below in 2014. Eight years ago is a lifetime on the internet, and many people do not know this about Beth Moore. I publish it again now after a short conversation with a few people on Twitter brought it back to mind. I hope to show:

1. Publicly available information on the internet consistently shows Moore as an unbeliever in what she says and does,

2. Moore talks a lot and writes a lot, but is an expert at obfuscating even the largest and most obvious details about her life. You come away after reading 153 pages of this book more confused about it when you started. See section below about true Christian transparency,

3. As always, my refrain is, though 2.8 million people follow Beth Moore on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, don’t you be one of them. Beth Moore is a false teacher who seeks to disqualify you from the prize.

Continue reading →

theology

Why John MacArthur was right to say “Go Home” about Beth Moore

Posted on April 22, 2022April 23, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

_{The elephant in the room is: Why did the SBC allow Beth Moore to preach, usurp, & be so divisive?}

In 2019 John MacArthur hosted the Truth Matters conference at Grace Community Church. 2019 marked the 50th year he has been pastoring and teaching at that same church, a remarkable achievement for which we have the Holy Spirit to thank.

At the conference there was a Question and Answer session, as there usually is at these things. Todd Friel of Wretched Radio moderated. He explained at one point near the end he was going to have the men on the panel enter a sort of lightning round, requesting one or two word answers to the names Friel would utter.

Continue reading →

theology

Beth Moore Instagram Prayer Tutorial critique

Posted on December 31, 2021January 1, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I heard about Beth Moore’s proposal to offer a video tutorial on prayer. What a coincidence, I thought, I’m taking a class on prayer right now. I wonder what she will be teaching, I asked myself. Would it be worth it to compare the two approaches, The Master’s Seminary’s class I’m in, and Beth Moore’s? Yes, I decided. So that is what this is.

There will be two parts. This first one will explain why I’m doing this, and I’ll look at the pros and cons of Moore’s tutorial.

Part 2 will be summaries of what I have been learning at TMS/ICL from Dr. Brad Klassen, who is leading it. Part 2 is here.

Beth Moore is an Anglican Lay Eucharistic Minister who left the Southern Baptist Convention earlier this year and forsook being a lifetime Baptist. She has been speaking and teaching for about 40 years, and has been publishing books and studies for 30. Her ministry is called Living Proof. She has a wide reach and is incredibly influential.

She is also a false teacher. This has been substantiated numerous times by me, other women, and pastors/theologians, so I won’t go into lengths here. The highlights, or lowlights, of her ministry includes mysticism, rebellion against scripture, denial of the sufficiency of scripture, poor hermeneutic, eisegesis, and pop psychology.

My ministry is to women and it grieves me to see so many women led astray by the Living Proof ministry and Beth Moore’s faulty approach to the Christian life.

Why I do this

1. The Lord gave me a gift of discernment. (1 Corinthians 12:10). We are to use our gifts to edify the body. (1 Corinthians 14:12).

2. There were 3,150 women listening within the first 5 minutes. Three hours later, the number jumped to 21,800. By early morning, 54,300 people had tuned in to either the live video or the posted video afterwards. Just during the time I’m writing this, 20,000 more watched. It’s up to 75,000 views now.

Women were tuning in from Japan, Europe, the UK. Moms were listening with their daughters, wives with their husbands. One said she planned to start a mom’s prayer group. Beth Moore’s reach of false doctrine into the lives of the undiscerning and the unwary is large, global, and permeating. I do what I can within my sphere and use my gifts to combat Moore’s false doctrine and poor biblical example to those with ears to hear.

[I]n Romans 16:17, he warned, “Watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” Avoid, Rebuke, Call Out: To avoid them, you have to know who they are. You can’t avoid somebody if you don’t know who they are. This idea of identifying and avoiding shows up in 1 Corinthians 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14; 2 Timothy 3:5; 2 John 10.” ~John Piper
Should we call out false teachers or ignore them?

Prayer Tutorial: Pros

“It is a well-known fact that all heresy begins with a partial truth.”
Geerhardus Vos, 1902, “The Scriptural Doctrine of the Love of God,” The Presbyterian and Reformed Review 13 (1902): 1-37.

When I write critiques of Beth Moore I invariably receive comments that say she preaches truth. Yes, there is some truth to what she teaches. There were some truths she taught in this lesson. Yet false doctrine doesn’t knock on your door with a tee shirt that says “Heresy here.” It’s subtle, destructive, and spreads like gangrene. It must be addressed.

Moore had some positives in her 45-minute lesson. These are things I agree with and are biblical.

–She emphasized the importance of prayer.
–She noted the need to have an intercessory life.
–She said she starts her prayer with confession of sin so she can be cleansed, and with praise/thanksgiving.
–She said she speaks scriptures back to God and we should combine prayer with scripture.

Moore reaffirms her romantic interest in Jesus

In practical manner, she said we should–
–Set a time to pray and that sticking to it helps develop the habit.
–Pray in the same place each day, for the same reason, hardening a discipline we want to encourage in our Christian life.
–Exclude any possible distractions that would hinder the development of this discipline.
–Pray in expanding spheres. For example, first for your family, then extended family, friends, unknown people, government, missionaries or countries. This pointer reflected the expanding spheres of Acts 1:8 when Jesus said to His disciples to witness to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
–Pray for others to help us remember the global church and guard against self-absorption.

These are the usually taught points for developing a habit of prayer. All good.

Prayer Tutorial Cons: Objectionable Content Ahead

It was great to see the massive interest in the topic. It’s heartening to see so many women clamor to be present at a tutorial on prayer. I don’t think anyone, if asked, would answer a query about their prayer life with “It’s perfect! No need to improve!” We all can do better in praying. But to Whom do we pray? Why do we pray? How do we pray? What does the Bible say about prayer?

These questions were not addressed, or if so, only briefly and offhand. This tutorial was absent of a grounding in scripture. Yes, scripture was mentioned- in general. Only three actual verses with addresses were given as far as I caught. One of those was totally twisted. One other verse was referred to but address not given. This is a poor showing for someone who says she has been a Bible teacher for 40 years and whose entire ministry is founded on promoting biblical literacy.

Who, What, Why, When, Where?

Moore displaying one of her prayer journals

WHO do we pray to? The object of our adoration was not explored. Yet this is where we should begin. Moore could have started, should have begun, with extolling God’s sovereignty, kingliness, sovereign ordination of all things. Positionally showing us as the creature, and He as Creator, signals the foundational point: our dependence on Him. A few verses here – in full, with addresses – would have gone a long way to setting the tone.

WHAT do we pray? She should have continued by teaching about Jesus’ own emphasis on prayer, as seen in Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Matthew 14:23. Jesus is the model for us in all things, since we are to pursue being Christ-like. What did Jesus pray about? How did He answer the disciples’ request in Luke 11:1, ‘Lord teach us to pray’. Moore missed an opportunity to use Jesus as the model, which also would have emphasized why prayer is important, (because it was important to Him). See this quote from from a Dallas Theological Seminary article:

Prayer reveals our priorities in life. “If I examine my prayers from this past week in light of the Great Commandment (Matt 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), how much did my prayers center upon God’s wisdom and power to obey these commands? If I’m honest, my prayers often focus on the physical realities of life with food, clothing, housing, and health. Jesus does not prevent us from praying for these things but reminds us the Father “knows” and “sees” all of our needs (Matt 6:25-32). Jesus challenges us to move beyond seeking and growing anxious over physical realities to focusing our primary efforts and affections on God’s kingdom (Matt 6:33)“.

WHY do we pray? Moore could have talked about the benefits of prayer. There are many, which I’ll address in part 2. But Moore’s sole emphasis seemed to be either that her “method” will help keep the word of God alive/fresh/vivacious in us; or that it satisfies a need God has to delight in us. She said, “He wants His joy to be complete by seeing our joy in Him.” There was no verse given for this statement. God IS complete, whether or not we pray to Him. It’s dangerous to casually state what God wants with no verse attached. We have the mind of Christ but we can’t read the mind of Christ.

The word of God IS alive and always will be. “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating 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.” (Hebrews 4:12).

[The views for her tutorial are up to 80,000 now.]

She so often stated axioms focusing on how much God loves us to pray to Him, it became clear that what she believes keeps the word of God alive in us, is God thinking of His joy in our prayers. The focal point for a relentless 47 minutes was us.

“I love to think of Him looking forward to me getting up [in the morning], I love knowing I’m loved and He wants to spend time with me.”
” ~Beth Moore on why we pray, Instagram Prayer tutorial 12/30/2021

Prayer reveals our view of self in relationship to God and others.
Three ways the content of our prayers exposes our theology

MYSTICISM: The Bible is not enough for Moore

An ongoing issue that I and many others have with Moore’s teaching is that it relies on the mystical. She claims to hear directly from God in various ways, ways that aren’t the written word. Which, if you think about it, is ironic for a ministry founded on the goal of advancing biblical literacy among women. By this point in her career, Moore too often tells you what she claims to have directly received and teaches that. The ways that Moore claims to hear from God outside the Bible are in visions, dreams, pictures in her head, a compelling force, impressions, voices, God telling her, God teaching her, and just plain speaking over her. (Source).

Moore said that she bases the upcoming year her life in Christ, on a verse that the Lord will directly give her.

“I love to see if the Lord will press a verse on my heart, that something will jump out at me a couple of weeks before the New Year. I love watching for Him to tell me what would be a key verse for this next year that will be a theme for the year.” ~Beth Moore, Instagram Prayer tutorial 12/30/2021

Once she receives this verse by direct revelation she adds it to the cover of her spiral prayer book and goes forward with that verse as her keystone. There were several other examples in the short tutorial where Moore said she relies on impressions or ‘leading’ or ‘laying on her heart’. She did not refer to the Bible verses for prayer except in 3 cases. Acts 12, incomplete verse address where the church was praying for Peter in Jail; Psalm 60:11-12, her key verse for last year the Lord mystically gave her; and Psalm 57:7-8. More on that last one at the end.

We don’t listen for the Spirit nor wait for Him to tell us anything that is outside of the Bible. The Bible is closed, there is no more revelation. (Deuteronomy 12:32, Revelation 22:18-19).

Moore’s Christian walk includes in large part waiting for God to drop teachings, advice, and verses into her head as she looks out for signs. This is mysticism, and it colludes God into a walk that diminishes His sovereignty. What happens when the key verse God allegedly gave her doesn’t match up with how her year turned out? She either has to stretch the verse into meanings it doesn’t intrinsically have, or she has to blame God for failing to hold up His part.

Me-me-me; I, I, I

Moore is self-centered. Her teaching method is eisegetically twisting verses to be about us. I wrote in 2011 after seeing her at a Living Proof live for two days, “Beth Moore has a way of explaining the Bible while not really explaining it, exalting God with her words yet diminishing His character at the same time.” I was horrified after she took a section of Deuteronomy exalting the LORD and making it about us. She is still at it. There was just so much talk about self in her tutorial, pointing God to us instead of us looking up to God.

An example of eisegesis from the lesson would be:

Awake, my glory!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
Psalm 57:8

Moore was telling her audience here that she prays upon arising, first thing in the morning. She slides out of bed and onto her knees. She likes the morning time because of the freshness of the day and the potential for a clean slate after she confesses sin. Fine. Then she said, said of that verse, “I love that my praise helps wake up the dawn. It’s figurative language but I just love it.”

Our praise of the Ancient of Days has nothing to do with the dawn’s existence or its rising, or not rising. A commentator explains that verse:

David’s tongue will lead, and his psaltery and harp will follow, in these hymns of praise. I myself will awake, not only, “I will not be dead, and drowsy, and careless, in this work,” but, “I will be in the most lively frame, as one newly awakened out of a refreshing sleep.” He will awake early to this work, early in the morning, to begin the day with God, early in the beginnings of a mercy. When God is coming towards us with his favours we must go forth to meet him with our praises.
~Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible

Women are taught badly if they listen to Beth Moore. Example: One woman said, “I love how you addressed how to discern who to pray for by the leading of the Spirit.” The Bible tells us who to pray for. Here is where Moore could have taught using the actual Bible and not a mystical process. The Bible tells us to pray for one another (James 5:16, Romans 1:9). To pray for pastors and spiritual leaders: (Ephesians 6:19-20), Colossians 4:3). The sick (James 5:14-15). Government leaders, Kings etc (1 Timothy 2:1-3). Our enemies (Matthew 5:44, Acts 7:59, 60). Israel, everyone, ourselves…and so on. We don’t need to look for signs to decide which Bible verse to adopt or wait for a mystical impression to decide who to pray for.

Conclusion

The Instagram Beth Moore Prayer Tutorial had some good points but was laced with enough poison to damage you. Its relentless focus on self, her mystical approach threaded throughout, and the absence of any real Bible teaching makes this Prayer Tutorial from Beth Moore one to skip. Yet 88,000 people have already viewed it, and it’s only 16 hours since she concluded. I pray you remain outside one of those 88,000 souls looking for teaching from Beth Moore.

Tomorrow I’ll write up some of the great things about prayer from the Bible. It’s full of advice, expectation, and model prayers from the hearts and minds of Moses, David, Job, Solomon, Daniel and other Bible men and women.

It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” And He said to them, “When you pray, say:
‘Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
‘Give us each day our daily bread.
‘And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation.'” (Luke 11:1-4)