A reader asked this question the other day, “Do you think, they believe they are doing what God is calling them to do?” In other words, do they know they’re false or do they sincerely believe that they are in the right?
The answer is yes, no, and we can’t know. Let me explain.
In 2011 I was invited to attend a Beth Moore Living Proof Weekend in Charlotte NC. The dear ladies wanted to share with me a female teacher whom they loved and whom they thought would edify me. Curious as to why they were so excited, I went to the weekend experience. I was new to the South and unfamiliar with Beth Moore, even though she was at a height of popularity.
When I returned I wrote up a series reviewing the weekend with my reactions. I requested an appointment with the appropriate church people to share them in private. I certainly did not want to embarrass or antagonize my former church family, but Beth Moore’s teaching was so biblically out of context-twisted, self-absorbed, and legalistic, I couldn’t remain silent. My reactions were my own.
The church’s reaction to my reaction was instantly negative. They were not happy with me. From that point I was labeled a troublemaker, a critical spirit, divisive, and my salvation was questioned. My concerns were not addressed. I was marginalized, and finally at pastoral directive, shunned. It’s a familiar story to many of you. It’s Beth Moore who is divisive, because the result of her teaching is a pile of heaped up followers on one side and marginalized or shunned discerning church women on the other.
At the time in 2011, negative reactions to Beth Moore’s teaching were relatively unheard-of. As mentioned, she was in her height of popularity. Publicly anyway, she seemed universally beloved. I had been in an arena with 12,000 joyous fans shouting praises to Moore, stomping their feet, and singing. I felt like I was the only one shouting to God for help and relief from an oppressively evil atmosphere. (Acts 19:34). I hadn’t found any significant confirmation in my real life spheres, so I went online, which wasn’t a lot more fruitful.
Thank goodness for Pirate Christian Chris Rosebrough, who had reviewed Moore’s Hebrews teaching a few years earlier. The King’s Dale had a few articles, and with those two confirmations plus the Spirit’s gift of discernment to me, I went ahead on my “Avoid Beth Moore” campaign here on my blog, (originally on blogger).
Some years ago, Justin Peters suggested to me that I compile a list of all the reviews of Moore’s teaching, book reviews, and lifestyle critiques, and make a compendium. I did. I call it “All Beth Moore Critiques in One Place.” I include my own writing in the list, and also other women’s essays and reviews, and men/pastors/theologians’. That way, the bulk of the critiques would be in one place for ease of finding, and people would not be able to easily dismiss since there are so many with not all of them written by men. (Dismissing negative reviews of Moore because it was ‘written by a man’ is a common rebuttal, though indefensible).
This week, I went through and checked every link. Some of the links had gone dead, so I found them in the web archive and that’s why some of the links go to a cache. I have centuries-old books on my shelf but 9 year old links are already dead. The internet truly is a temporary repository.
I thought Peters’ was a capital idea, and I add to the list to this day, which has grown to over 70 critiques of Moore’s ‘ministry’ works.
My exhortations since my 2011 introduction to Beth Moore remain the same, “Avoid Beth Moore.” Why? Because she has a healthy amount of followers on her social media platforms, and still gathers a crowd at arenas (when there’s no pandemic). It’s been ten years since my earliest introduction to Beth Moore and during that decade we have seen the ugly and evil fruits of her false ministry. Her influence has been in teaching a terrible hermeneutic, living and promoting a feminist lifestyle, and being an example of usurping that the metaphorical Jezebel in Revelation 2 would probably blush to see. Moore’s form of religion includes false prophesies, new revelation, legalism, Jesus as boyfriend and God as butler, and sadly, how to be a conflict-addicted shrieking harridan (the opposite of what women are called to be, which is to live a quiet life, teaching what is good, and not a busybody).
For people to say Moore just makes a few mistakes, isn’t perfect, or is temporarily off, the answer to that is NO. If a teacher is true, the Spirit will not allow them to continue twisting the precious word of God. He will not allow blasphemy to continue from that teacher’s mouth. He will reprove or correct her. He will do it through the word as she studies, through her pastor or church elders, her friends, or life circumstances that force her take note. The Spirit in a truly converted Christian points to Jesus, not satan. Her errors won’t continue for as long as thirty-plus years, which is how long Moore has been teaching erroneously.
I know that many people have pleaded with Moore to repent, to stop her blasphemies etc, but these pleas have fallen on deaf ears. The Lord has used these failed reproofs to seemingly harden her. She will eventually have to endure the consequences of her life of trading on the good name of Jesus for personal gain. (2 Corinthians 11:15).
Here is a re-posting of my series reacting to my first Beth Moore teaching. It is almost ten years since I wrote the series and a new audience has emerged who may not have come across it. I’ll also post my “All Beth Moore Critiques in One Place” link several times, too. I hope that anyone pausing at this blog long enough to read this will give these exhortations a read and pursue any of the links. Beth Moore is still dangerous, she is still leading many women astray, and it can be said, leading an entire denomination astray, too.
This past June, Blogger/Reviewer Tim Challies reviewed Andrew T. Le Peau’s new book “Write Better.” I’m a writer always looking for ways to hone my craft, and since Challies’ review was glowing, I bought the book. Here is my review.
I spent an overnight in a little cabin on a working farm. I enjoyed the animals, birds, and nature so much. I’m not much of an outdoors person, but the place was so pretty I did spend time outside in the gazebo swing, on the various benches, and in the screened-in porch. There were so many birds, the animals on the farm so beautiful and entertaining, and the flowers and butterflies were charming. I often think in amazement, as I’m sure you do, that God created it all in a few days. He is endlessly fascinating to me when I admire His creation and think of how He spoke it all into existence with the power of His word.
Poet Kay Cude said she felt compelled to write this piece after she happened upon the image and then several days later, happened upon a couple of blog essays about Beth Moore and her narcigesis. Narcigesis is defined, for example, at the site Church and Gospel,
Sometimes when the world is going crazy, the best thing to do is simply read some scripture. Feed on it, be bathed in its refreshing waters of truth, let it wash over you and calm your spirit. On days like these days, when there is so much calamity, I just read. It is different than studying, or searching, or listening, or skimming. I just read His word and He restores me to equilibrium.
“As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.” (Proverbs 25:25) Let His word wash over you as cold water, refreshing you in good news!
Satan is relentless. We see him pursue the Jews in Revelation. He is prophesied to have had most of them killed in the world’s worst holocaust, (Revelation 12) satan then went “to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17). Those will be the Christians. Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy, that’s it. There isn’t an ounce of compassion, love, kindness, or anything in satan. He is all dark, all sin.
It is fall here in north Georgia, and no better place to be. New England is rightly applauded for the foliage display, but the time up there where you can see it is short. The leaves are less vibrant down south due to the milder temps, but the season is gloriously, luxuriantly long. It’s especially sweet because the break from the summer oven temperatures never gets old. Whatever season you enjoy, God is author and manager of it all-
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22).
I’m just in awe of the Lord these days. I sit stunned, day after day, at the news of the hour. We are living in the last days, the end of time. We have been since Jesus ascended and will continue to until the rapture and we are gathered up and glorified.
Therefore in addition to studying the Bible and watching for His return as we are commanded, we also should ponder His plan and providence of His decision to station us here, now, for such a time as this. Whatever time we are living in.