Once in a while

even devout and otherwise biblically sound Christians will espouse a false

and dangerous understanding of God.

The Reverend

Ted Haggard is pastor of New Life Church, a "non-denominational,

Bible-believing, charismatic church" in Colorado Springs, Colo. The

church, which claims some 8,700 people who make up the congregation, has

a vibrant ministry and is well known in charismatic circles. Haggard is

also president of "The World Prayer Team," a ministry of the

church.

On Dec. 19,

2002, Haggard wrote on his Web site:

"Early

morning Tuesday, Nov. 26, the Holy Spirit woke me up and spoke into my

spirit. He told me that if we could mobilize one million people to pray

for Saddam Hussein, Saddam would simply leave Iraq, thus avoiding war.

"Then

I saw a series of pictures in my heart: I saw Iraqi moms and dads, I saw

a schoolyard full of Iraqi children, and I saw the spouses of Iraqi military

personnel. As I saw these people, I realized that they would either be

killed or have loved ones killed if we had a war. Then I saw American

scenes: I saw American women whose husbands were in military service weeping,

I saw American children at funerals for their fathers, and I saw pastors

conducting funerals with grieving family members in front of caskets draped

with American flags.

"Don't

get me wrong. I don't believe that if we go to war there will be massive

suffering. The point is, though, that this suffering is unnecessary. If

we pray, God will respond. If we ask, He will intervene. I know that the

United States and its allies will prevail should we go to war. But I know

that the Holy Spirit would rather have Saddam Hussein leave and go into

exile on his own. As you know better than anyone I know, prayer stimulates

the Holy Spirit's activity. If we'll pray as a group for the remainder

of this month and in early January, with enough people participating,

Saddam will simply leave. I know it. I have no doubt."

Then on Jan.

30, Haggard again wrote:

"If we

can motivate over a million Christians to pray for Saddam, God will deal

with him, remove his royal authority, and cause him to leave Iraq."

The problem,

at least the biggest problem with all this, is the phrase, "If we

could mobilize one million people to pray for Saddam Hussein, Saddam would

simply leave Iraq, thus avoiding war." If who could mobilize one

million people? Haggard? Haggard's church members? Who constitutes "we?"

What if "we"

don't mobilize a million people? Then, presumably, Saddam will stay and

the bloodshed will be massive. If Saddam leaves then "we" must

have mobilized million people and "we" get the credit. If there

is war then "we" couldn't get "them" (the other believers)

to pray and it's "their" fault.

Yet, it is

in the character and nature of God to listen to the "one" voice

that calls upon His name. In the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, God says,

"So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand

in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy

it; but I found no one." (Ez. 22:30. NKJV, emphasis mine) Notice

the emphasis on "a man" and "no one?" Not "I

sought for a million ... and did not find them."

One problem

with a theology like this is that it makes God one big terrorist who says,

in essence, "If you don't meet these numerical demands, I will not

bring peace. In fact, the bloodshed will be unimaginable." But what

if "we" mobilize 999,999 people to pray? Oops, sorry, you missed

one! It should come as no surprise that, in this day where numbers rule

and big means better, someone would make the mistake of believing that

God is more moved by the 1,000,000 than he is by the 1.

I understand

that the Rev. Haggard claims that God "told" him these things.

Some will remember that a 900-foot Jesus once "told" Oral Roberts

that if he didn't raise a certain number of millions of dollars, God would

"take him home." God, it seems, says some strange things these

days.

In stark contrast,

St. James wrote, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain,

and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed,

and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." (James

5:16b-18, NIV, emphasis mine)

I commend Haggard

in his efforts to mobilize people to pray during this perilous time. Nevertheless

I must protest the idea that God spoke something to Haggard that would

contradict his own nature and his established pattern in such a dramatic

fashion.

Let the believers

pray. But not for one moment let us deny the power of the righteous "one"

who faithfully prays and whom God answers. Haggard says that there must

be "enough people participating." Fortunately, one righteous

man or one righteous woman is enough.

[Father David

Epps is Rector of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church, which

meets at 10 a.m. Sundays at 4881 E. Hwy 34. He may be contacted at 770-252-2428,

at [email protected] or at www.ctkcec.org.]