F4F | Jentezen Franklin: Change Your Words Change Your Life?!

Word of Faith Teaching and the Claim That Words Create Reality

Welcome to another installment of fighting for the faith. My name is Chris Roseboro. I am your servant in Jesus Christ. This is the channel that compares what people are saying in the name of God to the Word of God.

So we've covered the the Word of Faith heresy before in several different installments. This one's a little bit unique. We're gonna be listening to Jensen Franklin Talking about how if you want to change your life, you have to change your words.

I mean, this is word-of-faith heresy down the line, but man, this one is really sneaky on one level and like Brazen on another I haven't really quite heard a word-of-faith heresy Sermon quite like this in a while.

So I can say is buckle up. It's gonna be kind of interesting. So let me whirl up the desktop and. And we're going to open up the browser here and we're heading to Free Chapel Gainesville, Georgia and and Jensen Franklin is holding court there change your words change your life and Boy, this twisting of the Prophet Isaiah is Subtle man sometimes I think I've heard it said that the the difference between truth and error is.

It's it's it's so subtle so subtle. It's it's it's not about what's true and false. But but what's true as opposed to what's almost true? This is this is so slick. Oh.

Evil, but that's slick. Here we go. I want you to look with me. In Isaiah 57 and verse 18 I've seen his ways and will heal him.

Okay, so I've already paused it and you know that we've have the closed captioning on I've seen his ways and I'll heal him. Isaiah 57 verse 18 I have seen his ways and I will heal him. Who's the he? Who needs the healing?

You'll note that already we're we're up against the ropes because he's not quoting the text in context. Which generally means you're you're in for a Bible twisting. So let's start off. Shall we by going ahead to Isaiah? 57 the phrase in question is going to be right here in verse 19 creating the fruit of the lips and We're going to see if we can figure out what's going on there but our three rules for sound biblical exegesis are context context and context and Let's see if what we what we can do there because he just jumped right in and what do we got?

And I have seen his ways whose ways. And so it shall be said build up build up prepare the way remove every obstacle from my people's way. For thus says the one who is high and lifted up who inhabits eternity whose name is holy.

I Dwell in the high and holy place and also with him who is of contrite and lowly spirit. All right, that's gonna help us out here. So he's talking about dwelling with those who are contrite and lowly of spirit.

These are those who are the penitent. Those who mourn who weep over their own sins, right? As Christ says the one who exalts himself will be humbled the one who humbles himself will be exalted so you'll night you'll note here that this the the Writer the the translation committee for the ESV think that a good way to name this section of Isaiah's called comfort for the contrite.

I think that's appropriate given what I know about this passage and so God says I will dwell. I dwell in the high in the high and holy place and also with him who is Contrite and lowly spirit to revive the spirit of the lowly to revive the heart of the contrite.

I will not contend forever nor will I always be angry for the spirit would grow faint before me and The breath of life that I made because of the iniquity of his unjust gain. I was angry. I Struck him.

I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him. I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners. Creating the fruit of of the lips.

Peace peace to the far and to the near says Yahweh and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the tossing sea for it cannot be quiet and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace says my God for the wicked.

Okay. So when we put it back in context We see that God is making a distinction between the contrite and lowly of heart as opposed to the wicked and the arrogant. That's the idea here. And so he says I've seen his ways talking about The one who's backslidden.

But he's contrite but I will heal him. I will lead him and restore Comfort to him and his mourners. And then we have a phrase. That's not easy. Creating barra and here it's in its participial form creating the fruit of the lips.

Now keep in mind it says creating the fruit of the lips. What is that? Well, let me give you the cross reference and it'll help. This is a Hebraism. In fact one commentator that I looked at on at this passage in his translation of this text he Translated it as creating praise.

Creating praise that's a good translation by the way, because creating the fruit of the lips is an idiomatic phrase. So what do we do with it? Well Hebrews 13 will help us here. Hebrews 13 is a. Well Hebrews is a book written to Hebrews and and it helps them understand the Old Testament.

Properly it's addressing people with a Hebrew mindset. So let me show you the the text here that I think is helpful. It's verse 15, but we have to put it in context. So so starting verse 7 Hebrews says.

Remember your leaders those who spoke to you the Word of God consider the outcome of their way of life imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever do not be led away by diverse and strange deep Teachings or doctrines right for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.

No, but not by foods which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places By the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach that he endured for here. We have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God.

That is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. So the fruit of lips, there's that phrase again, right.

What is it? It's in this context praise. So when we go back to Isaiah 57 creating praise. So note, there's an interesting thing that occurs in the scriptures and let me let me see if I can hunt this down here.

Isaiah 51. Listen to these words. Then I will teach Transgressors your ways. Sinners will return to you deliver me from blood guilty. No. So God Oh God of my salvation and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

Oh Lord. Open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice or I would give it and you will not be pleased with the burnt offering the sacrifices of God or a broken heart or a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart.

Oh God, you will not despise. So Isaiah 57 here When it says creating the fruit of the lips. It is literally saying that God is promising to the contrite that he will create within them. Praise. Oh Lord open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise.

Hebrews 13 15 Says that the fruit of the lips is praise. God is going to create praise in the mouth of The penitent of the contrite God speaks to them peace peace to the far and to the near and I will heal them.

God is creating within them Praise that's what the Hebrew idiom the fruit of lips means so This is Just simple. Simple understanding here and that's what what you consult a good Bible commentary on it.

And they'll all have a discussion along the lines of the fruit of lips is understood to mean Praise that's what it is. But what Jensen Franklin does here? So he started his sermon by not reading Isaiah 57 18 or 19 in context.

He jumps into the middle of it without explaining the context and here's the reason why he's looking for the phrase Creating the fruit of the lips, but he's gonna twist it just a little bit. And I mean a little bit and that twist is gonna make the biggest difference ever.

So let's let me back this up just a little and let's keep day of 57 and verse 18.

I've seen his ways and will heal him. I Will also lead him and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. Verse 19. I God speaking create the fruit of your lips.

God creating the fruit of Your lips. Now, let me turn the closed captioning off for a second. Isaiah 57 19 Says I create the fruit of the lips. It doesn't say yours. He added the word your and it matters creating the fruit of your lips By him adding the word your which doesn't appear anywhere in the Hebrew.

It doesn't and so let me come back. Okay? Creating barra and. Then we've got this word new creating fruit of the lips and this is Sephatarim and So we've got a problem here. He's added the word your and you're thinking well, that doesn't really matter that much.

Oh it does. It matters a whole hill of beans, you know the difference between heresy and orthodoxy as it comes down to the difference between Biblical Christians and those who buy into the Aryan heresy.

It's one letter in the Greek alphabet. It's an iota. Mm-hmm. So he's added the word your the text doesn't say your. The sex says I Create the fruit of the lips. I create praise. That's what the phrase the Hebrew idiom means.

So we've got a problem here. I'm gonna back this up. I will also lead him and.

Restore comforts to him and to his mourners. Verse 19 God speaking create the fruit of your lips.

Nope, your is not in the text.

Peace peace to him who is far off and to him who is near says the Lord. I will heal him.

Now note he is Jensen. Franklin is not going to go and explain this in context. Explain. Who is it? That's gonna get the healing here. I will heal him. He's just read it out. He wants the words the fruit of your lips.

He's added the word your and watch where he goes with this because he's gonna start inserting things into the biblical text. That are not there. God said I.

Create the word create means to form fashion and mold.

Yeah, but Rob does mean that and create the Hebrew verb bara only God baras. There is no account of human beings barah ing. That's not the way right way to say it. But okay hotter. I.

Listened to what you say. I create form and fashion the fruit of your lips.

Let me back it up because if you weren't paying attention you missed it. He's just he's saying that God is saying in this text whatever you say God will create that is not what this passage says.

God said I Create. The word create means to form fashion and mold like a potter. I Listened to what you say. I create form and fashion the fruit of your lips. No this is sneaky and.

It's totally wrong. That is not what this text says at all.

How do you get God to work in your life?

How do I get God to work. Am I. Is there a way I can activate or Manipulate God so that he'll work in my life. How do you activate God's miracle power? Send 400 bucks to Jennifer LeClaire. I know that by the way.

No.

This is so bad God said. I have linked my creative miraculous power in separately To the words that you speak into your life.

No, God hasn't said that at all. You've twisted a Hebrew idiom and Turned it into this. But God says creating the fruit of the lips talking about creating praise. You're saying that God's going to create whatever my mouth speaks.

That's not what this text says at all. I.

Create whatever you keep speaking again. Isaiah 57 does not teach this. I create a form a fashion. I mold what you constantly consistently pray for. Confess and praise for.

And Praise for I praise for things. Say what?

Whatever you dare to utter the word Fruit means utterance. I create the utterance of your lips. What you speak when you speak it and if you keep holding to that confession. There's a verse in the Bible says hold fast to your confession.

So whatever I speak and hold fast to that confession God will make. And then he references Hebrews 10 23. Does Hebrews 10 23 say that whatever I confess? Whatever I speak whatever I praise for. That God's gonna create.

Nope, so we're gonna take a look at Hebrews chapter 10. So, let's see Hebrews 10 and context. We'll just put it in context. Starting verse 19. Therefore brothers since we have confidence to enter the holy places.

By the blood of Jesus by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain that is through his flesh. And since we have a great priest over the house of God. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from all evil conscience.

From an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful. Let us consider how then to stir up one another to love and good works not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some.

But encouraging one another all the more as you see the day drawing near. So let us hold fast the confession of our hope. That's talking about our faith in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins because Jesus has gone to the cross and bled and died for your sins and mine.

And. Our hope is that we are forgiven and that we have a promise of eternal life in the new earth. Hmm, so now he's twisted Hebrews 10 23 and Isaiah 57 both of them. Demonstrably shown to be a twist. Hold fast to it.

Man has the power to speak to talk to confess. Man is God's only creation that he made that can talk.

No, he's not. Man is God's only creation that he made that can talk. You are aware that angels were created by God, right? And okay, let's do a little more work here and this that Satan himself is a fallen angel.

I Think the devil can talk by the way Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil and after fasting 40 days and 40 nights He was hungry and the tempter came and said to him if you are the Son of God Command these stones to become loaves of bread.

Let's see the tempter came and said From the Greek verb let go if you are the Son of God command these stones to become bread. But he answered is written man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word the proceeds or comes from the mouth of God.

Then the devil took him to the Holy City set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said let go. To him if you are the Son of God throw yourself down for it is written He will command his angels concerning you.

It sounds like the devil's talking to me. What do you think? And what about angels, you know angels can talk to in Revelation 22 I John and the one who heard and saw these things and when I heard and saw them I fell down to worship at the feet of The angel who showed them to me, but he said to me you must not do that.

I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets and with those who keep the words of this book worship God. So note the angel let go he said. Hmm and then he said to me do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is near.

That's odd so Jensen Franklin just said man is God's only creation that he made that can talk. Can you explain then how angels talk and how fallen angels like Satan talk? How is that possible if God only made man to be able to talk.

Something way way wrong here just like God he spoke the world into existence. There's no other creation. The animals can't talk. You say a parrot can it can repeat words? It cannot believe in its heart and speak with its mouth.

I'm not just talking about saying whatever you want. But when you find something in the scripture and you believe it in your heart and then you begin to speak it no matter what? You see I believe this book and what it says greater.

Let let God be true in every man a liar the Bible said.

Yeah, but the Bible does not actually say that what. We can speak things into existence. We're not God and.

Man is the only creation that God made that has the power to talk.

Again, I would beg to differ with you based on biblical texts that show that angels can talk and.

So can the fallen angels to speak. God took speech away from the serpent in the book of Genesis. That's actually not part of the details of Genesis 3 when Satan came in and he borrowed the body of a serpent.

Back then apparently serpents could walk a.

Serpent with legs is called a dragon and they could talk. I'm not I'm not teaching something weird.

Please look at your Bible the serpent said to Eve It could talk and when God cursed it he took he defeated it. He took the legs off and it crawled on its belly and then he took the power to speak away from that devil.

Yeah, let's just take a look at Genesis 3. Shall we? Let me go to my Isaiah tab here Genesis 3. Let's see if it says anything about taking away speech. All right. So we got okay. So Lord God Yahweh Elohim said to the serpent because you have done this Cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field on your belly?

You shall go and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman in between your offspring and her offspring. He shall bruise your head you shall bruise his heel.

Yeah, here's the issue. The text actually doesn't say here that God took away speech from the serpent and Since it was the devil who was behind what the serpent was saying. The devil didn't have any problem talking when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness.

Huh?

If a demons gonna talk he's gonna talk through somebody now.

Says no biblical text. You're making this up Jensen.

They have no legal right to say anything except in your mind through suggestions.

Who says they don't have a legal right to say anything. The devil sure did break any legal rights. You know. And any laws. The pertaining to legal rights when he was tempting Jesus in the wilderness. You don't have to listen to it.

And God took speech away from that serpent, but he has not taken speech away from man.

Yeah, and apparently you can create Reality with your words just the way God did.

Yeah, that's a satanic deception. You are now a composite of everything you've been saying. No, I'm not.

That's just complete falsehood note here then. So are things going terribly for you? Do you have a chronic illness? Are you struggling to pay the bills? Thanks to inflation? Yay inflation and you know things like this right is is is the reason why you have a Chronic illness or having problem paying the bills because this is the composite of all the things that you've been saying about your life.

No. That is a flat-out lie. No biblical text says this.

Change your words and you'll begin to change your life.

This is magic and superstition. This is not biblical doctrine.

If you want to become something different change what you were confessing change what you were saying. God said I gave you two ears and I gave you two eyes.

No, God didn't say I gave you two ears and gave you two eyes. Where does God give us this chastisement?

Sounds like something my mother would say but I only gave you one mouth. He wants you to listen twice as much as you talk and he wants you to watch and see more than you talk. Aren't you thankful God didn't give your husband or wife two mouths like he gave them two ears and two eyes.

Aren't you glad God didn't give you two mouths? Yeah, this is just cringe. Haven't you had enough trouble out of the one mouth that God gave you. Words change the atmosphere of your life. No, they really don't.

Hebrews 13 in verse 5. This is what changed my life. It's.

1315 and watch what he does here because we've already noted how he's twisted Isaiah 57 19 and Here he's going this so he's gonna continue on with his twist where he's added a word to change the meaning of Isaiah 57 19 Here he's gonna keep continue that on and watch what he ends up doing with this.

When I saw in Isaiah 57 19 I create God said I create the fruit of your lips and they know it says I create the fruit of the lips.

Which is a Hebrew idiom for praise in Hebrews 13 and verse 5 says This therefore by him watch this word. Let us continually. It's not that you just talk positive one day because you heard a sermon.

Notice how he's reading into this text the word of faith heresy. This text has nothing to do with the word of faith heresy. It's not because you taught right.

But continually let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God Which is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. That verse changed my life before I ever started pastoring. For each apple I learned a secret.

Just isn't it young the secret.

Are you a Gnostic evangelist?

I learned that the fruit of my lips that God forms and fashions and creates in my future are The words that I praise him. With that the fruit of my lips the praise is the fruit of my lips. And if I will continually pray which is talk Speak to God and and turn to God and praise him for what he's doing that.

That's what he creates and so whatever you're praising God for that's what he creates. That is not what Hebrews 13 15 says we've already been through it and proven. That's the case. So, let me let me give you an example.

All right, so, you know right right here. Let's see if I can get that get this to focus on it. There we go. That is an Aston Martin. Okay, and My son-in-law got me this it's a little small for me I just can't really enjoy it the way I should but so if I wanted a more Life size edition of an Aston Martin.

So what here's a using Jensen Franklin's false theology here I would say something like this Lord. I I just want to thank you I want to thank you for my Aston Martin. I thank you for Oh the plush leather seating.

I I thank you for the Dolby surround sound stereo system. I thank you Lord that this that my Aston Martin is oh I praise you Jesus that my Aston Martin is going to be delivered to my house Without any debt and I will be able to enjoy it debt-free.

Thank you Lord and I praise you for my Aston Martin. I think I'm out of my mind, but that's what he's saying and That's not what this text says. Let me show you again Hebrews 13 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name a Sacrifice of praise it's not saying to praise God for what you want him to create in your life.

The fruit of lips is a sacrifice of praise acknowledging his name. Thanking him for his mercy his grace things like this. Man, this is forms and fashions.

Words are so powerful. No, they're not. God is that the fruit of our lips is called praise.

That's true the that's the the idiom fruit of our lips is.

Referring to pray and the fruit of our lips is what God begins the form and fashion. Whatever. No No No. That is not correct at all. We continually the text say it praise him for and pray.

No, the text does not say whatever. We continually praise him for that. He'll create again Hebrews 13. Let us therefore Go to him outside the camp bear the reproach he endured for here. We have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come through him.

Then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God.

Pray for how many days have you wasted that you've put no seeds of success out there. God I praise you that my steps are ordered. That's right out of the Bible. I praise you that you're leading me and guiding me and the steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord.

I praise you that you're giving me an Aston Martin.

God, I praise you that I know that my God shall supply all my needs according to his riches and glory and you're now notice.

What he's saying here this early. Remember he said how do I activate God's miraculous working power? Answer by praising him. The God will then create the things that I'm praising him for. Another text and this one has a little bit of a bite to it.

We need to find hang on a second here we need to hunt. I don't even know if I there we go. James. James 4. What causes quarrels what causes fights among you? Is it not this that your passions are at war within you?

You desire you don't have so you murder you covet you cannot obtain so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. And I would note here what Jensen Franklin is doing is Teaching you how not to ask God for anything this little formula of his cuts you off from communicating to God so There you are.

You have you have a need maybe you have a chronic illness. You say Oh Lord, I am suffering. I have a chronic illness and Jensen Franklin we go. No, no, you can't say that because your words create reality.

Right. So you can't actually say God I'm suffering from a chronic illness. I'm in pain. Please grant me relief. No, no, no, no, no, no, you know, no Jensen Franklin would have you say Oh Lord I want to thank you that I have perfect health the whole time.

You don't have perfect health at all. You're languishing in pain because of a chronic illness. I thank you that my body is well. Right. This is nonsense. You're not asking God for anything when you do this and it's built off of a false premise.

And here's here's the satanic bit of it and that is as the devil knows full. Well that if you truly ask God for things and you ask him, you know it to have mercy on you. He will. God answers prayer. So what the devil does he comes along?

He creates this fantasy Superstition doctrine that whatever I praise God for then that's the thing that God's gonna create in my life and What the devil ends up doing is cutting you off from communicating and asking God for things.

But James says you do not have because you do not ask. This is satanic. This is cutting you off from being able to ask God for anything and you'll note that the reason why you can't ask is because. Then you'd have to negatively affirm Reality and I've been on this planet long enough and I've been covering false teachers like this long enough.

That I've seen what happens and that is is that people who buy into this false Theology that our words create things and that God is going to create whatever we're praising him for or whatever. We're creating with our own mouths that it not only doesn't work.

It leads to complete despair and here in so guys remember Tammy Faye Baker. Yeah, Tammy Faye Just before she died she died of cancer just before she died. She was on Larry King's you know interview program and Even as she was getting to the end of her life the poor lady Who didn't want to make a negative confession?

It was clear she was gonna be dead within a few days and she did die shortly after her interview with Larry King and she still was believing for a miracle and Refusing to say the truth about what was really going on with her because that would be a quote negative confession.

So what ends up happening you buy into this the inevitable is gonna happen. You're gonna get a chronic illness just something's gonna go wrong, you know with your finances you're gonna hit the trouble and skids and things like this because that's what happens in a sinful and fallen world and Then you're gonna sit there and go.

Oh I praise you Lord that you've already given me the outcome and that you've given me there and he hasn't because you haven't asked him for a thing right and then when things get worse You either you just sit there.

Well Christianity is not true or worse. You double down, you know way Tammy Faye Baker did the way Paul Crouch did right and What ends up happening is is that you die in complete despair or delusions?

But this is not biblical this is really sneaky and subtle and it's false and It's dangerous and it destroys people's lives and it cuts them off from even asking God for the things that they need.

You're setting up resources for me the rest of the year. You're gonna back this up so you can hear this in con. How many days have you wasted that you've put no seeds of?