You have probably already seen the video of Pastor Scott Rodriguez confronting the Word Faith heretic Dayna Muldoon and the non-sense that ensued by her followers afterward. I hope that you have also taken time to read the previous blog post on this site from Pastor Scott pertaining to why he was compelled to do what he did and say what he said. If not, you it would be helpful for you to read that here first.
Before moving on I might just point out what a few others have already noted. That is that just prior to Pastor Scott's remarks, Dayna was "prophesying" over him that God had given her this message about him and such. However, she was visibly shocked when he rebuked her the way that he did. One has to wonder, if she were truly "prophesying" why didn't she know what he was going to do? I do believe that is the smell of lies and deception folks.
In the weeks that followed I have kept in contact with Pastor Scott as both our schedules allowed. He and his family have received several threatening emails, one of which is allegedly from an employee of Mrs. Muldoon's ministry. Pastor Scott has asked that the email be kept private so as to show a Christ-like love towards this individual and also to protect his family and not provoke unwanted controversy. Trust me when I say though that I've read the email and it was laden with threats and curse words.
Then, on May 24, I received this email from Pastor Scott pertaining to a sermon he delivered on May 23 and the text for which he was scheduled to preach 6 months prior.
"Last night we addressed our congregation
concerning Dayna Muldoon. She's decided to stay here across the street a little
longer. We cut some of the instruction unique to our assembly so as not to
confuse anyone w/o knowledge. What's interesting is that we teach verse by
verse, book by book, and we just happened to be on Ezekiel 23. This was
assigned to me 6 months ago - Im amazed at the providence of God"
God's providence never ceases to astound me. Ask yourself, what is most helpful to aid the teaching of your congregation about the dangers of false teachers and how to handle them than actually confronting one who is in your town and attempting to deceive your own people. A wolf in your midst attempting to put on a sheep's wool in order to wreak havoc.
God, in His perfect will, ordained that this woman would do just as she is doing. He allowed it. He did not cause her to sin, but rather, as Pastor Scott points out so well in the sermon, that false teachers are God's judgment against unrepentant people.
That said, I submit to you the sermon by Pastor Scott on Ezekiel 23. Enjoy, and keep praying for Pastor Scott, his family, his church and community, and most of all, that God would show His mercy to Dayna Muldoon by granting her repentance so that she would turn from her sin and trust in Jesus Christ.
Many of you have likely already seen the video that is making it's way around YouTube where Pastor Scott Rodriguez confronts on Word of Faith "preacher" Dayna Muldoon. Many of you are also applauding Pastor Scott but you are curious as to his motives and whether or not he misled her in why he did what he did.
I had a chance to visit with Pastor Scott via email and he was very gracious to answer those questions. I was already in full agreement with what he'd done and now I am even more convinced that his actions were both Biblical, needed, and justified. May God have mercy on those who are deceived by this woman and her un-biblical teachings.
First, here is the video. I apologize in advance if it stops working.
Mrs. Muldoon's ministry is doing their best to have these videos all
removed.
Now, here is the email response from Pastor Scott. Feel free to leave comments below and feel free to disagree with this post or Pastor Scott, however, should the comments include personal attacks that are off topic against Pastor Scott, myself, or even Mrs. Muldoon they will promptly be deleted.
"Brothers, several have been asking for some
backstory/context on these videos. Mrs. Muldoon set her tent up across the
street from our church (it is still there until Sunday 5/20.) I received a call
from one of our people that some families that attend our church were sitting
in her audience. Others were there to pray and share the gospel afterwards with
people leaving. They had been accosted by a young man named Devon, (the
managers son) on the evening before when he overheard one of our young men
talking with someone after the service about the call of Pastor being reserved
for men. I came out at the end of her Saturday night service and spoke with
her, and her manager Dennis about their perspective on what had occurred. They
felt that they were being heckled. I asked what they were preaching in order to
get a better idea about their ministry, and explained to them that we, as a
Gospel preaching church, would be extremely sensitive to a ministry that came off
as strange as hers. She then claimed to be preaching the same message I
described to her: that Christ came in the flesh to die upon a cross for the
sins of man; that he was buried and rose again 3 days later; and that people
are commanded by God the Father to turn from sin and put their faith in His
Son's finished work on the cross in order to be saved; and finally that there
is no other way of salvation. She claimed that this was her message too, but
that she also believed in miracles - which I agreed are still done today
according to the will of God. I shared with her that if she would give me some
materials to look over to her affirm her claims about her message, I would come
back the next day and say a quick word to people from our Church about the need
to refrain from being disruptive, disrespectful, and to hold any questions or
disagreements until after her service to be voiced with her or her leaders.
After some more discussion she said that would be acceptable to her. I came
back the next evening. She didn't call me up as we'd discussed. Had she, I
honestly don't know what I would have said. I sat through about an hour of what I'd classify as normal
charismatic preaching quite off-base, but nothing overly shocking. However,
there was a transition after her message into various fraudulent acts of
"ministering in the "Holy Spirit" that range from her laying
hands on people who would respond by gyrating, shaking, screaming, flapping
arms like being in a strong wind, knocking over chairs, throwing themselves
down (not falling) on the floor. She prophesied over 3 girls that she said were
seated where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were, that would be getting
married in June - she acted as if she knew nothing of their personal lives, but
one of them was the attorney for the ministry that I'd met the night before -
the other two were her friends. She said angels were there and that there could
be voices of angels heard in her music because they followed her wherever she
went. Then she scared a 3 year old little girl when she called her mother up -
girl in arms, and began laying hands all over her body (the Mom's). Finally, I
thought it was over, but she walked up to me where I was seated on the front
row, and began "prophesying". She said, "Young man spit your gum
out and face me". I got up (probably should have just walked out), and she
began telling me how I thought I had come as a peacemaker, but was really there
because God had used the hecklers to get me to her tent because He had
something to give me through her. Then she went on and on saying all kinds of
stuff, including that I said or thought that her ministry was a work of God,
and that she was doing good and trying to help people. That was a lie. I never
led her to believe any such thing. At that point I felt I needed to make it
clear that I didn't agree with her message or ministry, and that's what I tried
to do. Sadly I think it appears more as though some guy got in a prayer line or
requested prayer and then seized on the opportunity - which isn't true. My
greatest desire is to see God's people warned, but I don't feel I did things
perfectly. Here's why: I knew the right thing to do was to seek my Senior
Pastor's approval, but as a matter of convenience I did not. He is a man of
God, and would have helped find a more godly way of approaching this, but in a
moment of passion I acted and entrapped myself. Please don't misunderstand, I
believe once in the circumstance the worse thing I could have done is simply
remained quiet, but I just feel as though Jesus would have done it differently.
So while I stand behind my words to Mrs. Muldoon and would plead with people to
flee from any ministry that replaces the Blood stained Gospel of Jesus Christ
with a pursuit of miracles, I ask
forgiveness of the Lord and my brothers for any way in which I got ahead of the
Spirit of God or acted independently. Finally, please know that I'm not the
bold man some think I am, I'm a man who is inconsistent and struggles with the
fear of man like everyone else - we all desperately need the Cross, myself
included.
P.S. I don't use face book - maybe if people know
that my wife can get some sleep."
I have had this book on my Kindle for a while now, but between moving and settling in to a new pastorate I simply hadn't been able to complete it. That said, it couldn't have come at a better time in my life for me to read this book.
I believe that we, or at least I, tend to affirm with my lips the promises of God but at times with my actions I send a very different message. Sproul really helps bring solid Biblical reminders of who God is and what He has promised, underscored with a reminder of His immutability. That what He decrees, He will do.
The book was such a sweet reminder to me to trust God at all times, and resist Satan's temptation for me to stop believing God and instead believe my desires are best.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from
Reformation Trust Publishing through their Blog for a Free Book Program.
I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have
expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the
Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use
of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
