From the
outset, Jim Green espoused two clearly un-biblical teachings. One teaching was
the belief that Christians could have demons living inside of them. This
teaching, along with their high visibility "Deliverance Ministry"
continues to be one of the main thrusts of their group. They base this teaching
on several unique misinterpretations of Scripture. One concerns Genesis 3:14.
They believe that when God told Satan, "on your belly shall you go, and
dust shall you eat," that the word dust meant mankind. In other words, man
would become the proper food of Satan. [1]
The
teaching that Christians can have demons in them is based squarely on Jim
Green's heretical concept of human nature. In essence, he believes that man has
no real nature of his own: according to this teaching, man possesses wither
God's nature or Satan's. And while he does write about man's nature in
"Son of Dominion: Beast Inside" [pamphlet], he elsewhere excludes any
specifically human nature. For example, in a letter, Jim Green writes, "it
is demons that carry out Satan's works (Ephesians 6), man is merely a vessel
for which demons to work thru. Men are used to express the works of Satan and
of God." This is explained more plainly in "Son of Dominion: Curses
of the Living Dead" [pamphlet]: Through their [Adam and Eve] disobedience,
they accepted Satan's will and nature of death." Thus, in this false
teaching man is an empty vessel either filled with demons or filled with God.
Therefore, any sin a Christian committed would have to be blamed on demons
instead of on the fallen, sinful nature of man. Chapter Seven of Romans is
completely ignored as well as many other important passages such as Galatians
5:19-21 and especially 1 John 1:8-10. [2]
The second
un-biblical teaching the group started with was the "Manifest Sons of
God" teaching [also known as "Dominion" or "Kingdom
Now" teachings]. As a result of this teaching, people committed to
Aggressive Christianity are encouraged to become part of the "Man-Child
Company" or the "Overcomers". Like
many other groups involved in this teaching, they believe that an elite group
of people will move out of the Church and overcome all the enemies of Christ
including even death itself. This elite group will reach a point of sinless
perfection through their total commitment to God, and they will function as a
literal expression or extension of Christ on earth. This will include as yet
unheard of miraculous power as well as acts of judgment such as calling down
fire on God's enemies [who generally turn out to be those against the group].
Consistent
with their adherence to the manifest Sons of God teaching, they also told a
somewhat gnostic belief in three separate levels of
Christianity; that is, that there are thirty-fold Christians (justification),
sixty-fold Christians (santification), and
hundred-fold Christians (glorification). Or alternately, as one long time
member explained it, the thiry-fold Christians are
those who are "merely" saved, sixty-fold Christians are those who
speak in tongues and have the Baptism on the Holy Spirit, while hundred-fold
Christians are the Overcomers, the Manifest Sons of
God. And only those in this elite group are considered to be Sons of God and
the Bride of Christ.
Thus, the
two distinctive and foundational teachings on which the group bases its
ministry end up demolishing the free gift of God's grace to sinners and
resulting in works, bondage, and spiritual pride. The first of these teachings
denies the finished work of Christ is sending God the Holy Spirit to dwell in
every born-again believer. The second not only denies the unique person of
Christ and even the nature of God by confusing or fusing the creature with the
Creator, but it also denies the biblical teaching of salvation. For there is
only "one body…one Spirit…one hope…one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one God" and one "common salvation" [Eph. 4:4-6,
Jude 3] It is the gift of salvation plus nothing else which makes every
born-again believer a Son [capital letters are optional], an Heir, and an Overcomer [see John 1:12, Gal. 4:7, and Rev. 21:7 in light
of 1John 5:4-5]. [3]
For awhile
the Greens and their followers were also very interested in the ministry of
Franklin Hall, another Manifest Sons of God teacher with many bizarre ideas
including some that are pantheistic. The Greens were especially interested in
the fasts he encouraged, although they were already involved in long periods of
fasting. Franklin Hall promotes some fasts lasting over forty days. Both Lila
Green and Mike Brandon of Aggressive Christianity wrote letters to Franklin
Hall praising his work: Lila Green, for example wrote, "We have just
completed a 20 day (without any food) water fast and feel absolutely
wonderful…we have all really benefited from the writings that you produce…"
and Mike Brandon writes, "I just received your booklet, 'Atomic power with
God through prayer and fasting' and I must say this brings much confirmation
concerning this subject of fasting and prayer…Since my pastor received
your book, our entire attitude towards fasting has changed…I leave for
the Philippines to share the message of the Manchild,
God's army, who by fasting and prayer are going to move into the new realm of bodyfelt salvation." [4] Jim Green also teaches as
"new revelations" many doctrines which he has picked up from teachers
such as Franklin Hall.
Several
other teachings both gnostic and strange have
appeared over the years of Jim and Lila Green's Ministry. Although Aggressive
Christianity publishes study booklets which appear to be orthodox in their
teachings, and a statement of faith which also appears orthodox,
"Brigadier General" Green has not retracted any of his earlier false
statements about the Trinity. On one tape for instance, he states: "They
saw the man Jesus walk up and they saw Christ come out of that body and stand
before them in all his radiance. They saw Christ for the first time…All
the other times they saw the man Jesus that walked with them down the shores of
Galilee, and wore an robe…and sandals and got tired and ate food just
like they did. But I tell you things changed when they ascended upon that high
mountain: they saw God revealed. They pulled back the fleshly man of Jesus, and
Christ, that Annointed One, that shining brightness
stood out and they saw Him." [5] In this teaching the person of Christ is
torn apart or, as in the earlier teaching, Jesus the man just becomes a vessel
for the Christ.
This is an
ancient heresy, one at least as old as the warning in 1John 2:22 which says
"who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is
the anti-Christ, the one who denies the Father and the Son."
On another
tape his comments on the importance of the Trinity, a very basic Biblical
teaching about the nature of the true God, are very revealing: So long God's
people have been fighting over doctrine. 'Will I believe God is one,' and the
other side, 'will I believe God is three.' There's a great big battle going on;
they're just killing one another left and right because they think god is one
or three. You know I don't care if God is one, three, sixteen or twenty: God is
still God, and God has a call for us…what difference does it make if He's
one or if He's three; let's just worship and praise Him and serve Him."
[6]
Apart from
their growing number of theological errors, Aggressive Christianity has long
possessed cultic sociological traits; that is, their treatment of members has
the characteristic of a cult. [7] For several years they have isolated their
members from friends and families. Their members work long hours, are
encouraged to participate in unusually long fasts and are cut off from society
in general. They are told that most other Christian churches are compromising
or are part of "Babylon." Most members feel that to leave this group
or disobey its teachings would expose them to being demon possessed and would
of course eliminate their chances of being part of the "overcomers." In fat, many
feel that to leave would place their soul in danger of hell.
As a
result of their "Deliverance Ministry," Aggressive Christianity has
returned to something akin to paganism by attempting to placate the demons they
believe inhabit every object and person. Here we have a clear example of a
false theological doctrine, namely that Born-again Christian can have demons in
them, which has led to isolation as well as great mental and emotional damage.
People in the group are in bondage to the fear of demons, turning away both
objects [such as letters sent to them in the mail] and other people in order to
prevent themselves from being demon possessed. Added to this paranoia is a new
trend in which members actually change their names. This practice apparently
symbolizes their new identities in the group and their total renunciation of
their past, while at the same time serving to further isolate them from other
family members and friends by making contact virtually impossible.
Included
in this return to a more pagan world-view are several occultic
ideas. One of the, is the un-Biblical idea of a "soul tie", and the
group collects and distributes long lists of them. A "soul tie" is
any strong connection members may have with other people or objects, which they
are told must be broken in order to be free from demons and to truly follow
Christ. Other occultic ideas are highlighted by the
fact that Aggressive Christianity provides information on how to send curses
back on those who send the. But whether one is sending or returning curses
[scripturally, the direction is irrelevant], it is the whole process which is occultic.
The group
is led a great deal by numerous prophecies given by Jim and Lila Green.
Recently the effort of this prophetic leading has been to further tear apart
families; this time within their own training camp. At least three families
have been destroyed by "revelations" to the effect that three of the
women were putting their families above God; therefore, the women were
separated from their families. They were given terrible names such as
"Forsaken" and "Barren", their children were expected to
treat them as non-existent, and their husbands felt they must divorce them
which, in fact, two did. The women were given hard labor to perform such as
hauling heavy rocks in a wheel barrow and sawing wood. One woman's husband
would wake her at three o'clock in the morning so she could wash the group's
vans. They were kept in a small shed without windows or heat, and sometimes
they were confined there for up to three days. For several months there was no
way they could bathe or shower, and they were fed
peanut butter sandwiches on stale bread. The Greens told members of the group
not to have any compassion on one of these women because Jesus did not have
compassion for her. This woman was eventually cast out of the group and told
she was going to hell.
Ironically,
those who consider themselves the most committed of Christians [the greens and
other leaders of Aggressive Christianity] have become tormentors and
persecutors of those who after coming out of the group have remained faithful
to Christ and His teachings. It is interesting to note Christ's own words to
His disciples: "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but as
hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service
to God. And these things they will do, because they have not known the Father,
or Me." [John 16:2-3; see also 1John 2:11, 3:15, and 4:20] Indeed, the
Scriptures are clear.
"Come
to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My
yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you
shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is
light." [Matthew 11:28-30]
"The
thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy, I come that they might have
life and might have it abundantly." [John 10:10]
"It
was for freedom that Christ set us free: therefore keep standing firm and do
not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." [Gal. 5:1]
"For
He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the Kingdom
of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
[Col. 1:13, 14]
In Christ
there is abundant life, freedom, and redemption which offers none of these;
Christ offers them all freely. He will not manipulate you with your guilt, but
He will remove it by forgiving your sins and remembering them no more.
