Books I Regret Reading
I Believe In Visions by Kenneth E Hagin
My mother has always had a penchant for leaving books in the bathroom. I remember her once saying that a bathroom was a great place to leave a Bible, because people really have their guard down when they’re in the bathroom!
Before the days of smartphones, these bathroom books stood a decent chance of getting read by bathroom visitors. Growing up, I was not immune to bathroom books. I was probably twelve years old when I picked up Kenneth Hagin’s book, I Believe In Visions, from the bathroom counter.
I think this was the first book about spiritual matters I had ever read, aside perhaps from a children’s Bible story book. This book made an impression on me and impacted my views on what Christianity should look like. The following is the book description from Rhema Bible Church’s website:
“In this all-time classic, Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin describes in detail his major visions of Jesus Christ and how they have dramatically influenced his ministry.”
One particular story was ingrained in my memory. I can still see the scene in my mind that Hagin painted for his readers. As a boy he was bedridden, suspended between eternity and this world, ailing from a rare blood disease. His family was worried and praying as Hagin fought for his life. I can still imagine the large farmhouse with a dusty wrap-around porch, great for pacing in prayer.
Hagin claimed that he died, finding himself at the very gates of hell, pursued by some nefarious creature who meant to drag him through those dark doors of doom. But a voice from outside of that place seemed to release his spirit from hell. This happened three times, and between each death experience he could hear his mother screaming prayers from the porch. His Granny was by his side through it all, witnessing the child come in and out of this world, speaking with him after each reemergence to say “I didn’t think you were coming back that time”.
Upon his third visit to the edge of hell, he began to cry out for the Lord Jesus to forgive his sin and save him. He then emerged from hell and reentered his body, still praying as he became alive again. This is what Hagin points to as his conversion experience.
This particular account brings up an unbiblical concept: post-mortem repentance. Hagin affirms again and again in the book that he was truly dead each time he saw hell, saying that he had proof of his actual death at that time. The Bible makes it clear that death is the line which no man can cross without judgment.
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Hebrews 9:27–28, ESV
It is during our earthly life that we either repent and believe unto salvation, or else we will die in our sins and have no hope. (see John 8:20–30)
I grew up thinking that it was possible for someone to experience an encounter with God and repent during their death. I sort of imagined something similar to what Hagin described, an in-between state where briefly the soul was not yet in heaven or hell- perhaps they were in transit to their final destination or perhaps they were conscious as a spiritual being while their bodies were shutting down, not yet fully dead.
It’s an interesting concept, but nothing in scripture seems to support the idea. I believe, in reflection, that I probably had that idea in part due to reading this story at a young age. It obviously had an effect on me, because I only read the book one time, yet I remembered vivid details of the story Hagin told. Upon beginning this blog, I looked up some clips of Hagin telling the story, and I was surprised at how accurate my recollection was.
I would like to give a shout out to Andreas Wiget here for his research into this particular story and the videos on his YouTube channel. He talks specifically about the idea of post-mortem repentance (I will link his videos below, under RESOURCES).
Near-death experiences are something that we know happen. However, actual death with resurrection is truly miraculous. This is what Hagin claims occurred. Perhaps, we could be generous and say that Hagin was actually near death, but not dead-dead when he called out for salvation. We still have things to consider.
Near death experiences make you special.
When someone claims that they have been delivered from death, it gets people excited. Clearly, God wasn’t finished with this person and their calling must be so much greater than someone else who lives life unnoticed by the wiles of the devil.
When I was 1 ½ years old, my mother found me lifeless in our backyard swimming pool. She called out in prayer and I came back to her. She has been telling this story in detail since it happened over 30 years ago.
Now, I realize my story deserves its own explanation and examination. I will definitely get to it at some point in another post. However, my point is this: I have been told before that the devil must have wanted me dead. God had such an amazing plan for my life that Satan was trying to cut it short. When I was a teenager, my pastor told me that very thing. It is an impactful idea that I think many people hold to.
I’m not endorsing this idea. In fact, I think it’s faulty. I in no way think my near death experience proves I’m special. Just so we’re clear!
Not only does Hagin’s book contain his childhood near death experience, but he also writes stories of face to face encounters with Jesus. This too would make someone appear to be very special.
Apparently, he was given information that the world needed and that he couldn’t get from Bible study alone.
Hagin claimed he was commissioned by the risen Christ to “teach my people faith”. This is why the movement he spearheaded is called Word of Faith. Strangely, much of Hagin’s teaching on faith is not in harmony with the scriptures. (I explain a bit on this in the blog post I will link below, under RESOURCES.)
This idea that private visitations from the Lord are happening today is dangerous for 3 obvious reasons:
- It makes us susceptible to being taken in by wolves. These deceivers need only conjure up a story convincing enough to gain our trust in them as a true man or woman of God.
- A great amount of jealousy and despair may inhabit the hearts of those who seek a visitation from the Lord and do not see Him. When people believe that God is not fulfilling a promise to reveal Himself to them, it shipwrecks faith. It creates a caste system of Christianity that is not real.
- Those who do not give up seeking a visit from the Lord will pursue this experience by any means necessary.
This last point often means following unbiblical instructions (from wolves) to alter their consciousness and to accept that their own imagination is the realm of the Spirit of God, in order to create an experience that they can call their visitation from the Lord.
The avenues these seekers take to facilitate an encounter with God are the very methodology of pagans who also seek experience with their spiritual realities.
Things like visualization, breath work, emptying of the mind, and hypnotic music are baptized and called Christian worship. Like a golden calf called YHWH, these things are counterfeits created by those who are deceived and unimpressed with the truth. These practices are not permitted by God and they do not lead to encounters with Jesus. They lead to encountering false Christs and deceptions.
If we look at Matthew 24, we see that the disciples asked Jesus about His coming, and He made it very clear that people would claim to see Him in a private place, but it would be a lie. Jesus compared His second coming to that of lightning that is seen by everyone under the night sky and to circling vultures that make it clear to everyone where a corpse is.
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
Matthew 24:23–28, ESV
If we choose to believe men like Kenneth Hagin who claim that Jesus walked into their dwelling places and spoke with them, we oppose the words of Christ. We have to admit that there are secret comings and goings of the Lord on earth. Or, we can side with the Gnostics who said that Jesus was a spiritual being who didn’t have a body.
Perhaps we can imagine that He comes and goes as He pleases, appearing to men and women on the earth because He is not bound by flesh. When we take this stand, we deny the nail scarred hands that bought us and the bodily resurrection of Christ that gives us hope.
In the end, I can’t in good conscience go on believing that private encounters with Christ on this earth are genuine. The Bible is clear that Jesus is on the throne in heaven and He will come back to earth on a day when all will see Him.
I absolutely regret reading Kenneth E Hagin’s book.
It was a foundation stone under my feet. It was part of my understanding of Christianity years before I began studying my Bible. It colored the way I read scripture and it skewed my ability to discern truth from error.
I think it is important to take an inventory of our influences from time to time. Which stories, teachings, and experiences have colored our view of scripture? Are there influences outside of the Bible that have skewed our ability to rightly discern between the things of God and the things of this world?
I am reminded of the importance of taking the scripture and letting it speak for itself. It is powerful when we can put other influences aside and allow the words of Christ to take dominion over everything else. That is the process of sanctification, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. That is our warfare, destroying the strongholds of false doctrine and the philosophies of the world (See 2 Corinthians 10).
May God bless you and keep you.
Continue to fight the good fight of faith.
RESOURCES
Here is my previous blog post which goes over a few points of Word of Faith teaching:
This is an audio podcast by Dawn Hill, a former NAR prophetess who now does work to help the Body of Christ discern false doctrine. She talks about some of the doctrines of WOF in this podcast episode and also goes over how they have manifested in the NAR movement:
Declaring and Clicking in the Word of Faith
This is an interview that was of great interest to me! The man being interviewed is Danny Jones, a former Rhema Bible College student. He attended Rhema at the same time that my husband was there, and they were friends while attending. Daniel Long of the Long 4 Truth YouTube channel interviews him about his experience at Hagin’s Bible training college and how he eventually found his way out of WOF theology after graduating and becoming an accredited minister under Rhema Bible:
Confessions of a Former Word of Faith Evangelist
Also, here are the videos from Andreas Wiget, examining Hagin’s story and the idea of post-mortem repentance:
Did Kenneth Hagin Really Go to Hell?
Re-Examined: Kenneth Hagin’s False Visit to Hell @Jew and Greek
