Warning Rhonda about NAR & WoF

Tony was crosswalking at Davenport intersection called "Five Points" when he turned to see an older woman sitting in her car, in the parking lot. She waved for Tony to come to her car.

Her name was Rhonda.

Rhonda has been a member of a Southern Baptist Church for many years, but she's become disillusioned as of late because she doesn't find the people in the church to be loving.

"I want to find an apostolic church," she explained.

Rhonda proceeded to tell me about the "teachers" who have convinced her she needs to find an apostolic church: Dutch Sheets, Chuck Pierce, and Jesse Duplantis--some of the who's who of the false N.A.R. and the Word of Faith movements.

I opted not to attack her "teachers," to not lose an opportunity to communicate the gospel to her. As I often do with professing Christians, I took Rhonda through a role-playing scenario. While she said some true things, she did not communicate the gospel to me. We switched roles and I proclaimed the gospel to her.

Rhonda asserted that she agreed with everything I said and that the gospel I shared with her is the gospel she believes.

Giving Rhonda the benefit of the doubt...

"Rhonda, at the risk of offending you, can I share some hard truths with you?" I asked.

"You won't offend me," she insisted.

"Okay," I thought. "Here we go."

I proceed to explain to her why her favorite "teachers" are men she should avoid.

"I think this is why I was supposed to stop and talk to you today," Rhonda said.