Jesse Shamp: Naturalism
Jesse Shamp tells us on the Elijah List here that: I am aware that many successful people in the world do not believe in Jesus as their personal Saviour. Yet, they are aware that their words create something. They understand that words produce positive or negative results. These are Kingdom principles that they have been adopted into the business world. Jesse is not preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ he is preaching "naturalism". Let us examine this further.The teaching he espouses comes Kenneth Hagin and E W Kenyon. It sounds spiritual because it provides an explanation as to how we can activate God in our lives. However, this explanation is totally unbiblical. Whether Jesse Shamp has listened to other supposedly Christian speakers or whether he has listened to psychologists it is not possible to say. What Jesse does say is that we can decree something and it will come to pass. Kenneth Copeland says something similar here when he tells us that By getting the Word deep into your spirit and speaking it boldly out your mouth, you release spiritual power to change things in the natural circumstances. In simple terms you are claiming miracles by your speech. Jesse Stamp claims that this law of miracles can be activated by people claiming no grounding or knowledge of the Christian faith whatsoever. You just need 'faith' in yourself or your words.
If God operated by such laws then they merely become like laws like the Laws of Thermomdynamics or any other natural law and consequently miracles no longer belong in the supernatural realm but to the natural world. This is why it is naturalism as opposed to supernaturalism.In the same article Jesse Shamp says: Jesus was demonstrating the power of the Believer's words, and that we have the same authority and power to speak those things that are not as though they are (Rom. 4:17). This verse actually says: (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. This seems to make no sense with regard to what Jesse is saying. So let's put it into its true context: For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE." Romans 4 16-18 NASB. God made a promise to Abraham. Abraham had to wait for the fulfillment of that promise. He waited in faith for its fulfillment. He did not decree it into being. He did try to bring the promise to fulfillment by getting Sarah's maid pregnant Hagar which only serves to demonstrate that Abraham had no knowledge of the law of decreeing.
At best what Jesse Shamp is saying is foolishness and at worst he is a deceiver. Whichever way one takes it there is no doubting what scripture says: But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2Peter 2 v1 NASB. What Shamp has written simply demonstrates that he is a false teacher.