Wandering Stars: A Review

Wandering Stars, Contending For the Faith With the New Apostles and Prophets, by Keith Gibson, Solid Ground Christian Books, Birmingham, Alabama, paperback, 306 pages, 2011, $25 (Note: This book can be purchased from our friends at Personal Freedom Outreach by calling 314/921-9800)

Author Keith Gibson has produced a book on the history, heresies and aberrations of the New Apostolic and Prophetic Movement. In it he takes on every one of their claims. It is comprehensive and meticulously documented. Gibson has researched an incredible amount of material and information from first sources and from the writings and public statements of these heretical teachers themselves. It is interesting to see their own words condemn them. What Gibson exposes is a group of false teachers who are presenting an imaginary and fictitious portrait of God, Christ, the Gospel and the Christian life and who wind up in the end with a diminished God, and a diminished Bible. In doing so they work hard to exalt themselves and themselves alone.

Those in the so called “prophetic” movement use Wayne Grudem’s writings to bolster ideas of fallible prophecies (the modern psychics have a better performance rate and statistical outcome than the modern prophets) Gibson  uses the doctrinal sections of Grudem’s writings like a wrecking ball to demolish the New Apostles and their unbiblical views. At other times Gibson uses the laser of the word to dissect the heresies and pretensions. What they try and present is a mutant and unrecognizable pretend Christianity and Gibson will have none of it.

Some of the chapter titles of this book give us the direction and impact of the author. There are chapters like “Did Jesus Fail?” and “The Dumbing Down of the Church.”

Other provocative chapter titles like “Poor God and Other Heresies” and “Jesus: Your Personal Boyfriend”, along with “The Occultic Mindset of Spiritual Warfare”, tell us exactly where the false teachers are taking us. Their concept of God as a time bound being and dependant on us is  atrocious and unacceptable.

Gibson shows as well the origins of many of the imaginary doctrines put forth by the New Apostolic Reformation and as well  names names without any hesitation. No one is given cover. This is a virtual who’s who of heresy – a heretical hall of shame.

If there is one area that could strengthen this book even more it would be the adding of an index for easy retrieval of names and topics.  One suggestion for the readers would be to create their own index inside the back cover listing names and pages.  It would be a very beneficial investment of time.

I found that some of the illusions and fantasies of the new prophets quoted at length by Gibson are so shocking, so unbelievable, so clearly unbiblical there can be no doubt or hesitation that these “wandering stars” are functioning purely out of their own evil imagination and in accord with their own delusions. They are creating vast numbers of new doctrines never dreamed of or even imagined before which are making Christianity totally unrecognizable. They have cobbled together some kind of spiritualized mutant monster and are trying to say it is the new Christianity. Those that know Scripture know well that the new prophets and apostles are only patching together old destructive heresies including Latter Rain.

On pages 164-176 Gibson wades into the evil fruit produced by what is called the Bride Paradigm. This bizarre nonsense is pushed strongly by  many of the false teachers just as it was in the monasteries of the middle ages.. The Bride Paradigm or Bride Mysticism  has been described in many ways such as “the lovesick Jesus” or “the boyfriend Jesus” or “Jesus with a ravished heart.” Purveyors of this ideas push the metaphor of union with Christ past all bounds and speak of some kind of actual but esoteric marriage and merging with Christ. These fantasies are pushed to such extremes and to the point of even sexual suggestiveness that they are not only disturbing, but raunchy, disgusting and highly objectionable to any reasoning and reasonable person. How, when and where these ideas originated is researched by Gibson as he thoroughly takes apart the false idea of making the “bride of Christ” (which is a corporate metaphor for the church and not for individuals) into some kind of over literalized, romanticized and sexualized concept for individuals beleivers. There are many other metaphors for the church and they must be held in balance. The “bride” concept stresses commitment and submission but this is not all the church is to do and be and thus the need for many figures and metaphors to describe God’s people in full and in balance. A body, a building, a field, saints, priest’s, king’s a nation, a flock, etc., are just a few of those figures with each one addressing different aspects of the Christian life. A reasonable mind would easily see this.

Any small weaknesses that any reader could find in the book would not overcome the relentless documentation, and clear reasoning that Gibson levels against every fictitious teaching and argument put forth by the new heretics. If one is serious about apologetics and confronting error, this book will provide a storehouse of apologetic weapons that really cannot be gain said. Gibson is not shrill but methodical and even as he lays out of what the Bible says in contrast to the error.

I highly recommend purchasing this book. It is a bit pricey but worthwhile no matter.  This is the definitive handbook on the dribble of Wagner, Bickle, Joyner, Cain and the entire good old boys club of self appointed super prophets, miracle workers and pseudo apostles. In the bright light of the Bible these wandering self proclaimed “stars” turn out to be shooting stars that simply fizzle, crash and burn.Ω