1. THE PRAYER OF AGREEMENT DOCTRINE
   By far, the favorite doctrine of all Word of Faith teachers, used many times by Marilyn Hickey, is found in Matthew 18:19 where the following is stated:

   "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven."
   

   The claim is made by Marilyn Hickey that if two Christians agree about a specific issue, then whatever that agreement might be, it must be accomplished by God according to the wishes of the believers. This is claimed to be the "prayer of agreement" or "bringing our faith into agreement with yours" or "releasing the power of the prayer of agreement". The claim by Marilyn Hickey is that she and her organization will agree with the requests that are made on the prayer sheets sent to her, and that the power of their prayer of agreement will cause those requests to be fulfilled, according to Matthew 18:19.
   
   However, is that what the verse actually says? The premise sounds so good and is based on the Scripture, so how could anyone disagree with that teaching? The difficulty with the Scriptural foundation is that Word of Faith teachers, such as Marilyn Hickey, base their doctrines on "proof" texts which they claim support their beliefs. In many instances the single verse provided appears to confirm the teaching, but on closer examination it is revealed that the verse has been pulled out of the context in which it was given. This is true in the case about the prayer of agreement.
   
   The verse is part of a group of 6 verses, beginning with Matthew 18:15, that comprise a unit. The unit is a teaching by Jesus Christ, so it is imperative that teachers present the verses as He intended and taught. Verse 19 cannot be separated from that unit and must be interpreted within the confines of that unit.
   
   First, what verse 19 is NOT:
   1. Verse 19 has NOTHING to do with requests to God, by a believer, in relation to health, wealth and happiness or any other aspect or desire in their life.
   2. No request is made to God by the individuals in the verses.
   3. The subject of verse 19 is NOT about prayer and prayer is never mentioned.
   4. The two persons of verse 19 are NOT individual Believers making requests for themselves.
   
   Secondly, what verse 19 IS:
   1. It is part of the unit regarding the subject of the DISCIPLINE of sinning Believers, introduced in verse 15.
   2. There are FOUR people in verse 19, not just 2 - there are people who ASK and people who AGREE. God is not asked to agree about any request that is made. The questions are, for what do the people ask, to whom do they ask and to what do they all agree?

   "Again I say to YOU, that if two of YOU agree..."
   The two people referred to by Jesus as "YOU" are two of His disciples who are leaders in the fellowship.
   
   "...about anything that THEY MAY ASK..."
   The people referred to by Jesus as "THEY" are the TWO found in verse 16 and they ask, not of God, but of the other two who are the disciples and leaders in the fellowship.

   So, the passage takes on a new meaning as it is seen that the unit refers to the method and process by which a sinning Believer is confronted by other Believers and the manner in which discipline is to be administered by the leadership of the fellowship. The process is as follows:
   
   
   1. Verse 15 - Sin is recognized by a fellow Believer in the life of another Believer, and that person goes to the sinning individual and confronts that individual regarding the sin. If the sinning person repents, all is forgiven and well. If the sinning person does not repent, then:
      
   2. Verse 16 - The fellow Believer is to take ONE or TWO more other Believers and confront the sinning individual again. If the sinning person repents, all is forgiven and well. If the sinning person does not repent, then:
      
   3. Verse 17 - The entire fellowship is to be told. If the sinning person repents, all is forgiven and well. If the sinning person does not repent, then:
      
   4. Verse 17 - The person is to be exiled from the fellowship. That is the meaning of the binding and loosening on earth (verse 18) that is also taken out of context by Word of Faith and most charismatic teachers. The leadership had the power to exercise discipline and their decision was final when based on the proper application of the disciplinary process. Witnesses were available and testified as to the facts of the case, the words of the sinning Believer were stated and a judiciary decision was made by the leadership of the fellowship, in relation to that person's connection with the fellowship. It was NOT A DECISION IN RELATION TO THE SALVATION OF THE SINNING BELIEVER, but only in relation to their association with the fellowship.
      
   5. Verse 18 is a comment by Christ indicating the authority granted to the leadership of the fellowship in relation to establishing the final judgment against the sinning Believer who refuses to repent. Their decision was binding and their authority was just as great as if God had made the same decision in heaven.
      
   6. Verse 19 - The AGREEMENT is in relation to the process employed in verses 15 through 17 that results in the decision to expel the sinning person from the fellowship. A decision was made after meeting with the sinning person by the TWO individuals who accompanied the first Believer to confront the sinning believer. Their decision was in regards to the disciplinary measures to be applied to the sinning Believer. These TWO individuals then made a request, based on the decision that they made (verse 19), to the other TWO individuals mentioned in the text, the leaders of the fellowship, who are the ones that must AGREE (verse 19) about what the other TWO have ASKED in relation to what disciplinary measures should be taken against the sinning Believer.
      
      It is the TWO Believers who confront the sinning believer who ASK, and it is the two DISCIPLES (to whom Jesus directed the teaching) who must AGREE as to what was asked by the other two. If the principles of discipline were followed correctly and the DISCIPLES (the leadership of the fellowship) agreed as to what the request for discipline required, then the request was granted and carried the same weight as if it had been spoken in heaven by God, based on the authority given to the DISCIPLES in verse 18, regarding the binding and loosening. The binding is the discipline applied and the loosening is the discipline removed when the sinning believer repents and is restored to the fellowship.
      
      So, it is the two or more Believers who ASK the leadership of the fellowship to exercise a certain type of discipline against a sinning believer, and it is the leadership of the fellowship who must AGREE as to how appropriate the request for discipline is, in relation to the sinning Believer. If the leadership AGREE with what the two or more Believers ASK, then the discipline is applied.
      
      There is no "Prayer of Agreement" being taught in these verses. In fact, there is no prayer noted or described at any point. The two or more Believers do not ASK in relation to requests for themselves, but in relation to disciplinary measures to be applied against a sinning believer. The leadership are the ones to AGREE, but they must AGREE, not in relation to personal requests by the two or more believers, but as to the propriety of the request for discipline which the two or more Believers had ASKED in relation to the sinning believer.
   
   Those Christians who continue to accept the teaching of Marilyn Hickey at face value, are lacking in discernment, because they do not search the Scriptures to see if what is being taught is truly what is stated in the Scripture. In the case of the "Prayer of Agreement," people are deceived by the teaching of Marilyn Hickey, because they willfully refuse to read the Scripture to see what it plainly states. Lack of discernment always leads to self-deception.
   
   It is a dangerous thing when teachers misapply the Scripture in order to support their own teachings and attribute to God actions in which He is not involved. Marilyn Hickey, who claims to be an anointed teacher and healer who speaks for God, deliberately ignores the true message of Matthew 18:15-19, preferring to teach a false message regarding the direct words of Jesus Christ, and by such action reveals herself to be a false teacher.
   
   God is not forced, and will not be forced, into fulfilling the desires and requests of Christians based on the "agreement" of two or any number of persons. If one wishes to believe that He does operate on those principles, then the doctrine must be found elsewhere in the Scripture, because it is not taught in Matthew 18:15-19. Those who use this verse to teach that God grants prayer requests of any type based on the "agreement" of two or more Christians, or that it teaches the release of spiritual power regarding some alleged "Prayer of Agreement" teach false doctrine.
   
   The "Prayer of Agreement" doctrine fits in very well with the Word of Faith assertion that the words that Christians speak in faith have power and authority that even God must obey the request that is made. It is taught by them that Christians can create a world unto themselves by learning to use faith and words, and assuming the right faith and the right words are used, God is subject to that faith and to those words. This is seen in the teaching of Kenneth Copeland:

   "Those things are governed by law and the thing that governs those laws are words, say it with me, we've been saying it in our daytime class 'faith filled words', say that, 'faith filled words dominate the laws of death', now say it again 'faith filled words dominate the laws of death'."

   Kenneth Copeland's teaching is that there are certain laws that are superior to God, one of those laws being faith. In fact, the law of faith is so superior, that God had to use faith to create the universe, according to Kenneth Copeland. When it is seen how things begin to tie together in Word of Faith doctrine, then the logical conclusion is inescapable. If there are laws that are superior to God, and Christians can learn how to use those laws, then Christians can at least cause God to supply every want and need, and at best those Christians can become gods themselves, possibly even being superior to the God of the Bible.
   
   Leaving the theological nuances of those doctrines aside and applying them to the practical aspects of Word of Faith teaching, it becomes apparent how the system operates. The core is the Prayer of Agreement. If God is subject to the law of faith and to the law of words, then Christians, agreeing with each other, praying in faith with the right words, can make God into a spiritual genie in which every desire must be fulfilled by Him. When coupled with the "Seed Faith" doctrine, in which money given to a Word of Faith ministry will activate faith, and that money will be multiplied and returned to the giver many times over, then the reality of the goal is seen. Money is the goal and core of virtually every Word of Faith "ministry".
   
   
2. CONTINUING REVELATION
   Continuing revelation is the foundation cornerstone of Word of Faith teaching. Without the claim to continuing revelation, most of the teachings could not be presented as authoritative, since most of the teachings are aberrations of Biblical doctrines.
   
   The claim of special and personal revelations from God allows different and changing doctrines to be introduced into the theological framework of what is being taught. Acceptance of a belief in continuing revelation by the adherent, opens that person to acceptance of virtually any false and heretical doctrine that can be proclaimed by a teacher, who claims to have received a revelation from God. If one chooses to believe in continuing revelation, then one cannot deny as false any revelation claimed by any person. The Bible cannot be used as the judge of a new revelation, because it is part of the old revelation. By definition, a "new" revelation supersedes an "old" revelation and cannot be judged by that which was not known. In a system of continuing revelation, all revelations must be accepted as true regardless of who makes the claim or what the revelation represents. In a system of continuing revelation, any person from the leadership on down to the youngest person can claim to receive a revelation and it cannot be denied, because there is no authority or criteria by which the new can be judged.
   
   A belief in continuing revelation is found in many religions, especially noticeable in Mormonism. In Mormon theology, they hold to the doctrine of the "Living Prophet". The head or president of the Mormon church is the "Living Prophet" and what he may speak in the name of a revelation takes precedence over any other revelation spoken by any dead prophet. New revelations can be spoken, directly contradicting revelations of dead prophets and the new will replace the old, without the church finding it necessary to justify or explain the contradiction.
   
   The same situation occurs within the Word of Faith belief system, in which numerous revelations are claimed by endless numbers of people, many of those revelations contradicting the Scripture. Those new and contradictory "revelations" are accepted at face value, the claimant never having to produce proof that God spoke or having to explain why what they say is different than what God has already said in the Bible.
   
   These new revelations always seem to come at the time when a person decides to establish a ministry of wishes to change the direction or emphasis of the ministry. In the case of Marilyn Hickey, it is stated:

   "At a retreat in Minnesota in 1976, Marilyn felt God speak to her heart, 'I have called you to cover the earth with My Word.'"
   Outpouring, Special Edition 25 years

   Now, to the person who accepts continuing revelation, one is compelled to believe that God chose Marilyn Hickey alone to "...cover the earth with My Word." To the person who does not accept continuing revelation, some serious questions must be asked regarding that claim.
   
   
   1. How did Marilyn Hickey determine that it was God speaking and not the devil or her own inner desire?
      
   2. Did God give her a plan of action on how such a monumental task should be accomplished? Even Jesus Christ did not give his disciples such an impossible task. He did give them a blueprint to follow that would accomplish the task. They were to follow the blueprint, and the results would be accomplished, but they would not accomplish the task by themselves or on their own. The blueprint is as follows:

      "'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"
      Matthew 28:19-20 (NAS)

      The disciples were to make disciples, teaching them to do the same as was commanded by Christ. Those new disciples were to make new disciples and so forth. No one disciple and no one person had the responsibility of covering the earth with God's Word. In today's technological world, communications can be broadcast to any area on the globe and from that standpoint a person could cover the earth with God's word. But that is not an area unique to Marilyn Hickey. There are other people doing a better and more thorough job than she, so what is the uniqueness of her commission that God should assign her the task. She has chosen the method used by countless others, but also in the process she has adopted false doctrine, associated herself with false prophets and made claims to an anointing and power which are self- proclaimed, without confirmation from God.
   
   The great difficulty in relation to Marilyn Hickey and her claims is the same difficulty which is presented by the founders of other religions, groups and organizations who claim to have been visited by God. Joseph Smith claimed to have received revelations from God, translated golden plates, dug out of a mountain, into the Book of Mormon. Mary Baker Eddy established Christian Science on what she claimed were principles that she found in the Bible, but her system of belief is neither Christian nor science. Charles Taze Russell established the Jehovah's Witnesses based on his own teachings and revelations that he claimed, all of which were false. The difficulty present in all of the claims, including those of Marilyn Hickey, is that none of the people presented any proof of the claims that they received. If God spoke to any of them, they could not present proof and God did not present any proof of His presence. Marilyn Hickey claims that she "...felt God speak to her heart...," and out of that statement it is expected that people should simply believe what she said was true and follow without question or confirmation of her supposed calling.
   
   Jesus Christ and the apostles presented their credentials when they made their claims. Jesus Christ made His claim to deity and the apostles made their claim to be commissioned by Jesus Christ. They could all work miracles, raise the dead and speak miraculously in other languages. God announced from heaven that Jesus Christ was His Son.
   
   Current self-proclaimed prophets, apostles and those who claim revelations from God present no credentials. Marilyn Hickey claims that healings occur in her ministry, but like her friends Benny Hinn, Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Copeland Oral Roberts and Richard Roberts, those miracles of healing are always of the invisible type. They are cancers inside the body supposedly diagnosed and then disappear. They are pains in the joints that cannot be seen and are claimed to end. They are tumors, headaches, nausea, pains in the back, pains in the legs, pains in the arms - the list goes on and on of the invisible miracles. Where are the real miracles? How many quadriplegics are made to walk, missing arms and legs restored, missing eyes replaced, Down's syndrome reversed, leprosy cured, massive and acute burns healed in an instant - and how many have been raised from the dead? Benny Hinn claimed that people would be raised from the dead in front of their television sets and made a fool out of himself.
   
   So where are all of these miracles, great manifestations of spiritual power and the "spiritual fireworks" that supposedly occur in the ministry. Why isn't the secular world streaming into the meetings to obtain the healings that are being promised like they did with Jesus Christ? Why doesn't every miracle healing meeting make the media headlines when thousands of the most incredible healings occur and the doctors stand up to present the documentation of the cures and are astounded at what has happened? Well, actually, there are no doctors who stand up to present the proper documentation, because the reality is, there are no revelations from God being given, there are no miracles being performed and there is no spiritual power being manifested.
   
   
3. GENERATIONAL CURSES
   "...visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation..."
   
   Marilyn Hickey uses this partial quote from Exodus 20:5 to establish her theology in relation to her book, Breaking Generational Curses. In her advertisement for the book, Outpouring, October 2001, volume 24, no. 10, pg. 7, she says:

   "You don't have to remain under curses or be bound by generations of physical, spiritual or emotional problems that may have been passed on. Just because your mother had breast cancer, you don't have to! Just because you have three generations of divorce, drugs, poverty, mental illness, child abuse, alcoholism, heart disease, birth defects, diabetes, bad temper, or depression does not mean that it has to dominate your life. You can break the generational curses of your past."

   It sounds like a good premise doesn't it? Use Exodus 20:5 to establish the reality of generational curses, link generational curses to the origin of disease and all manner of unhappiness and then claim that the answer is in God's Word. You can find the answer by doing what Marilyn Hickey says:

   "I will sow this book into your life...Breaking Generational Curses...as you sow a gift of $20 or more into the ministry. It's our way of saying "Thank you" for your support at this crucial time...and a way for me to build your faith for miracle results. I really want you to receive a copy of this book!"

   Well, there other ways to get the book, but regardless it will cost $16.95 plus tax which is essentially a $20 bill. But you could also try to find it at a local public library or a charismatically oriented church library.
   
   The first difficulty with the premise, as stated by Marilyn Hickey, is that it is established by using only part of the verse in Exodus 20:5, the other part of the verse proving that her claims are based on a false foundation. The verse as quoted completely states the case:

   Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
   Exodus 20:5-6 (KJV)

   Moses is speaking the words of the Law to Israel that God had given to him on the top of the mountain. Is it to Israel alone that God is referring to those who hate Him and to those who love Him. If it is to Israel alone that He is speaking, then it is to Israel that the curse is made. If He is speaking not to Israel alone, then all mankind come under the judgment and blessing of God, and there were also those outside the covenant with Israel who Loved God and were justified by Him.
   
   However, that is not the point of the difficulty in Marilyn Hickey's teaching. The difficulty occurs when it is realized just who the curse to the fourth generation is applied. It is applied only to "...THEM THAT HATE ME..." Since that is the case, no generational curse applies to any true Christian individual. Those Christians who are looking in the corners of their family tree to justify their difficulties in life, by basing them on generational curses, fail to understand the reality of salvation in their life and their position as children of God.
   
   The second difficulty with the premise is that it assigns the origin of disease and all types of unhappiness in the lives of believers to the direct judgment of God against another person, and by implication, against the Christian also, who might be somewhere in the third or fourth generation of descent. This is absolutely false teaching, in that the verse states that the curse is against all those of a family descent that hate God only.
   
   Marilyn Hickey would have a person believe that even after becoming a Christian, they can still be under the curse of God as a result of a generational curse having been pronounced on another person. This is also false teaching, because the purpose and result of a person becoming a Christian is the release from the curse of sin and the condemnation by God for sins committed. The Bible is very specific on this point, as the apostle Paul says:

   Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
   Romans 8:1-2

   It is not possible for the true Christian to come under the curse of God. To teach otherwise is to teach false doctrine.
   
   In the life of a true Christian, generational curses are not the cause of disease. Disease is a product of a fallen creation. It affects the Christian and the non-Christian alike. To presume that disease in a Christian is the product of a generational curse is to presume God to be the cause, and is to impugn the nature, character and integrity of God.
   
   It may also not be assumed that the presence of divorce, drugs, poverty, child abuse, alcoholism, bad temper or other non-disease elements, that might affect the life of a Christian, are caused by generational curses. These things are caused by sinful behavior on the part of individuals, and to assume that they are the result of the curse of God is to presume that a person is not truly responsible for those elements in their life. Those elements, through the actions of others, may affect the life of a Christian, but God does not promise immunity from the effects of a fallen world. If those elements are personally present in the personal life of a Christian, then far from looking for an outside influence such as a generational curse, that person should be looking toward the sin inside their own life and dealing with it in the Biblical manner, through confession and the study of God's Word or they should be facing the possibility that they are not a Christian at all.
   
   
4. THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS A PRAYER LANGUAGE
   "One gift is speaking in tongues, a heavenly prayer language through which we can praise God and pray for things according to God's will."
   Outpouring, Special Edition 25th Anniversary, p. 6
   
   This claim is made by virtually all charismatic believers because, for some unknown reason, they assume that a person's native tongue is not sufficient to communicate with God. It is suspected that the real reason the belief is embraced, is that the manifestation of the phenomenon gives an individual a sense of importance, significance and identity that is presumed to place them in a higher level of spirituality than those who do not speak in tongues, and at the same time identifies them as "true" Christians, hopefully confirming in their mind the reality of their salvation, which many charismatics believe that they can lose.
   
   The truth is that the belief in the gift of tongues as a heavenly prayer language is nowhere supported in the Scripture. The definition of the gift of tongues is noted in the Scripture when it was first manifested on the day of Pentecost. At that time the disciples were preaching to the crowds and the Scripture states:

   "And they were all filled with the Holy spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying. 'Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?' And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs--we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.' And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, 'What does this mean?' But others were mocking and saying, 'They are full or sweet wine.'" Acts 2:4-13 (NAS)

   The Scripture provides its own definition of what constitutes the gift of tongues and also gives the primary example.
   
   THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS THE ABILITY TO SPEAK IN A KNOWN, PREEXISTING LANGUAGE NOT PREVIOUSLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE INDIVIDUAL SPEAKING.
   
   There is no expression of a "private prayer language" being presented in the narrative, as each man heard the gospel in his own language as spoken by the apostles. The incident was a public presentation of the gospel, spoken by the apostles in the native tongues of the listeners who were present. The gift of tongues was used to present the gospel message to other human beings, and was not used in any way to speak to God. There is no reference in Scripture where the gift of tongues is used in relation to communication with God. In ALL instances it is used in relation to communication with human beings.
   
   The gift was primarily given to the apostles (but not exclusively as the instruction of the apostle Paul indicates) and was the ability to speak ANY given language at ANY given time when it was necessary to do so, and apparently was active even when not necessarily needed. The gift was given also to the apostle Paul who said:

   "I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue."
   1 Corinthians 14:18-19 (NAS)

   Paul spoke in tongues more than any person because of the nature of his ministry. He travelled the extent of the Mediterranean and could speak the language of any person that he met on his journeys. That is the true gift of tongues and that is why an interpreter is to be present when the gift is used in a church gathering (1 Corinthians 14:27-28) or else the person speaking should remain quiet.
   
   If the gift of tongues is a private prayer language, as Marilyn Hickey states, then how is it that a "private" language is used in public and there is an interpreter to translate that which is "private" between an individual and God. The answer is obvious, because Marilyn Hickey teaches a false doctrine in relation to the gift of tongues and at the same time must ignore the contradictions that her definition creates in relation to the use of the gift in the Scripture.
   
   If the gift of tongues is a "private prayer language" then why is it used in public and why would it be necessary to define how it was used and regulate its use in public worship? If the gift of tongues is the gift of speaking known languages, then the gift that charismatics and Marilyn Hickey claim to have is false. There don't seem to be many charismatic believers who claim to be able to speak any known language, which they have not learned. Like many of the gifts given to the apostles and the early church, the gift of tongues has faded away as the church was established and the Scripture written. This is not to say that God cannot give the same gift to anyone that He chooses, but the reality is that it is not seen today. The reality of charismatic belief is that it embraces a false definition of tongues and practices a false manifestation of the same.
   
   Since the modern day manifestations of the claimed gift of tongues do not adhere to the Biblical model and definition of the true gift of tongues, proponents are forced to define the gift as something other than what is taught in the Scripture. By doing so, they change what the Scripture says and reveals about the gift, substituting something false in the place of that which is true. The assertion that the gift of tongues is a "private prayer language" is a false statement and those who teach such a false doctrine are false teachers.

ANOINTING OIL LETTER
The letter was sent to the recipient after a request was made to be placed on the mailing list. It is not a criticism that Marilyn Hickey Ministries chose to use a form letter for a reply. The ministry is very large and to expect that a personal letter would be sent under her actual signature to every person who requested to be placed on her mailing list would be unrealistic.

The criticism is that the letter was presented as a personal letter from Marilyn Hickey, indicating that the recipient had made special prayer requests, when, in fact, no requests for individual or special prayer were made to Marilyn Hickey Ministries. Next, the letter states what she has wanted to do in relationship to the recipient, although she does not know the recipient, has never met the recipient or even seen the request for inclusion on the mailing list that was made. The person's name is placed in the computer data base and is simply regurgitated and inserted in the proper place in all subsequent mailings, the first name or last name appearing in their respective proper places throughout the letter.

The reality is, the form letter is automatically generated and sent to all persons requesting to be placed on the mailing list and no attempt is made to verify what was specified in the content of that request so that the letter would represent the needs of the person. The letter is deceptive in the fact that it is not a personal letter and the contents should be changed to reflect that fact.

CLICK LETTER TO VIEW

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BLUE CHRISTMAS CANDLE LETTER
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the letter is than manner in which it reserves control over the miracles that are claimed, to coincide with the timing of the ministry of Marilyn Hickey. The requests are to be made to the ministry, and the results will not begin until the day of the previously scheduled meeting. If a person is praying for the salvation of a family member, that member could possibly die before the night of the Miracle Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Marilyn Hickey claims that it is her ministry, and the schedule that she has determined, by which the miracles occur. It is her meetings, her prayer times, her "Tunnel of Faith" gatherings, her agreement in faith with the requests that release the "Miracle Faith" of herself and her organization. God becomes simply the adjunct to her organization and schedule, facilitating the miracles at her request and by her word. This is truly the meaning of the "Word of Faith" terminology; in reality it is speaking the right words to God that compels and requires Him to make the proper response, that response being what is requested of Him rather than what He might desire.

"I want your prayer sheet to be right there in front of us," is written in the letter, giving the illusion that possibly a person's individual prayer sheet will be seen directly by either Marilyn Hickey herself or the other members participating in the Miracle Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. However, that would not be the case. The prayer request might be "right there" meaning on a table or on the floor, "right there in front of us" also meaning on a table or on the floor, but with thousands having been received, they would be bundled and stacked together, none of them being handled individually and the requests being made known.

Again, the miracle does not happen until the time of the service, as the hardened hearts of loved ones will not begin to melt until the Christmas-Eve Unity Candle of Faith is lit.

CLICK LETTER TO VIEW

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PRAYER CLOTH LETTER
The questions are all directed to the self. It is assumed that God exists to do whatever the believer wishes to be done. The question is posed, "What do you want Him to do for you...in 2002?" rather than, What would He want you to do or want you to be?

It is assumed that miracles are to be the normal, every day occurrence in the life of the Christian, and by that assumption, the definition of a miracle is trivialized and those things that are not miracles are assumed to be.

The "Miracle Point of Contact Prayer Cloth" is a talisman; essentially the same as a seer stone, amulet or ring which, in the New Age occult beliefs, have magic power. In the case of Marilyn Hickey's prayer cloth, she again claims that she has some power or anointing, which she claims was given to her by God, that is superior to that of the less important every day Christian believer, and that she can transfer some of that power, or the benefits of that power, by means of touching and praying over a piece of cloth. This cloth becomes the "point of contact" which somehow, by her touch, retains her anointing and then, by the believers touch, transfers that anointing or power to that believer. This is occult belief and is not supported in Scripture.

Believers are empowered for life and service by means of the Holy Spirit, which is given to every believer, and not by means of anointings, "miracle connection(s)" or a "point of contact" through some other person. The Holy Spirit is a sovereign member of the Triune Godhead, given sovereignly by God to whom He chooses and is not subject to and cannot be "called down" or imparted to another believer through actions of faith or prayers by another person. To claim power to do so is to teach false doctrine.

CLICK LETTER TO VIEW

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ANOINTED OIL, MIRACLE OVERFLOW GENERATION ANOINTING
With Oral, Evelyn and Richard Roberts
This amazing offer was made to potential Faith Covenant Partners in Outpouring, Special Edition 2001 and has been repeated since then.

"God put it in my heart to call Oral Roberts and his son Richard to ask them if they would join Sarah and me to form a 'next-generation' prayer circle of faith, believing God for Him to place a 'miracle-overflow Next Generation anointing' on some oil."

"During a particularly powerful prayer time, we fervently laid our hands on some SPECIAL anointing oil...and together, we released our faith for God to impart a MIRACLE-OVERFLOW Next Generation Anointing upon that oil. Now we want to pass it along to YOU, your children, and your grandchildren...as we invite you to become Faith Covenant Partners with us and this ministry of 'Covering the Earth with the Word.'"

"We've taken this oil and blended and prepared it for you to carry with you in a beautiful, gold- colored metal locket..allowing you to bring a MIRACLE-OVERFLOW Next Generation Anointing to everyone you touch...whenever and wherever the need arises." "When you become PARTNERS with a ministry, you ACTIVATE A POWERFUL SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE in your life: the same power of God that is available to that ministry...becomes available to YOU!...You can literally walk in the same anointing they walk in!"

Hold on just a minute! What was that again?
A "MIRACLE-OVERFLOW Next Generation Anointing" upon some oil? Where is that found in the Bible? In what manner can Oral Roberts, Richard Roberts, Marilyn Hickey and Sarah Bowling claim to have some extra special, extraordinary ability to place an "anointing" on some oil that will cause an effect on three generations (the person, their children and their grandchildren)? Where is that found in the Bible?

Now read closely, because it was easy to miss. The oil is not entirely as advertised. Oral, Evelyn, Richard, Marilyn and Sarah anointed SOME oil, but the oil that is being offered to the Faith Covenant Partners is not the pure oil from the anointing, but has been "BLENDED and prepared".

In other words, the small amount of oil that was anointed by them (not very much, perhaps a gallon, maybe more, has been mixed with a much larger amount of NON-ANOINTED oil in order to provide enough for the anticipated numbers that would enlist as Faith Covenant partners and receive their Miracle Oil kit. How much Miracle Oil is in the kit? Possibly an ounce or ounce and a half. Now, assuming that they carried two gallons of Special anointing oil into the meeting where they anointed it with their special blessing, how many ounces were there in the container? Answer: 256 ounces. Enough pure oil for 256 one ounce bottles or 170 one and one-half ounce bottles for new Faith Covenant Partners. But, remember, the oil was BLENDED. In other words, as the oil was BLENDED, it was also diluted. So, when it reached those Faith Covenant partners, it was not the FULL-STRENGTH product that was originally produced. ON DOCTRINE does not know by how much the oil was blended or diluted. It is not possible to know. It is also not possible to know how much oil was initially anointed by the group since it is not stated. However, it does not seem realistic that they went to a parking lot to bless 50 gallon drums of oil.

The next difficulty is in the statement that becoming a Faith Partner with a ministry (Marilyn Hickey's ministry) activates "..A POWERFUL SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE" in a person's life. "...the same power of God that is available to that ministry...becomes available to YOU!...You can literally walk in the same anointing they walk in!"

The problem with the above claim is that it is not found in the Scripture. It is not Biblical doctrine. It is the same fundamentally flawed teaching presented by the Catholic church in their claim to be the divinely inspired organization on earth through which God speaks. This is false teaching at the core. There is no human organization on earth that can claim to speak for God or to be anointed or favored by God over another organization. God does not work through organizations, but works through His church which is the concert of all true Christian believers in the world. It is God's Word, the Scripture, that reveals His words and not any human originated organization or group.

Marilyn Hickey's ministry has no greater or more important an "anointing" than the individual Christian who has been given the Holy Spirit. All Christians are one in Jesus Christ, and the claims to superiority, inherent in the teachings of the Word of Faith promoters, are self-serving and arrogant. Whatever power of God that might be available to Marilyn Hickey is also available to any other Christian in the world without the anointing and teaching of Marilyn Hickey. The implication in the statement is that the person who is not a Faith Covenant Partner is not walking in the important anointing that those in Marilyn Hickey's ministry are walking in, and therefore, by joining as a Faith Partner for $20, $50 or $100 a month, a person can be part of the elite of the anointed. The anointing of the ministry and the power of God is available through Marilyn Hickey's ministry only by becoming a Faith Covenant Partner, and that can only be done by pledging a monthly gift of money. Marilyn Hickey is adopting the old Catholic custom of selling indulgences. She is attempting to sell the power of God and the anointing of God for a monthly pledge of money! The proof is in Marilyn Hickey's own words:

IMAGINE...for less than the price of today's CUP of COFFEE...just 65 cents a day...YOU can tap into the supernatural benefits of ministry partnership in your own life and circumstances...while at the same time you can help change lives for eternity!

That's right! As a Faith Covenant Partner with Marilyn Hickey Ministries-the anointing and blessing that's manifesting in the ministry becomes available to you. You share in the miracles flow of that power as a partner. AND when you consider that with a partner gift of just $20 a month...that's about 65 cents a day...you play a key role in helping Marilyn and Sarah fulfill God's call to "Cover the Earth With the Word." Click here to find out how YOU can tap into the personal benefits of ministry partnership while making a WORLD of difference in other lives...for just pennies a day.
---HOT LIST DISPATCH Marilyn Hickey Ministries - E-mail May 9, 2002