The pattern involving the current transformation of Greg Locke is transparent...

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Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap." - 1Timothy 3:1-7 (ESV)

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The purpose driven industrial complex is a billion-dollar industry where the primary task is defending the brand at all costs. One thing they abhor is friendly fire. This is where other wolves disparage members for things they deem as petty as doctrinal issues. A perfect example in the past ten years was Mark Driscoll, who thought he did not need the complex as he was extremely popular as the bad boy in modern evangelicalism. This niche sold very well, and he grew his Mars Hill Church beyond more than anyone ever foresaw or dreamed. The problem was he began to believe his own press and become a tyrannical leader as well as stealing over $200,000 in tithe monies to cheat the NY Times Best Seller List. His crash down to earth came a lot quicker than his meteoric ascension and he ran away in the dark of the night to avoid the coming church discipline. Realizing that he needed to reconstruct the bridge he had burned by daring to be critical of Joel Osteen, a crowned jewel of the money-making establishment, Driscoll publicly fell on his sword claiming he was convicted of sinning against Osteen and apologized. After his exodus from Mars Hill, with his apology putting him back in the good graces of the powers that be, Robert Morris and Brian Houston invited Driscoll to speak at large convention events and he was soon able to parlay that into a new church assignment in Arizona. That is how the complex protects the brand.

I say this as the backdrop to a more recent attempt to rehabilitate the image of Greg Locke, the book burning, rabid dominionist pastor from Tennessee. Now dominionism was not his problem as the establishment loves that idolatry. It was not even his sordid marital affair which led to his divorcing his wife of 20 years to marry the church secretary. Heck, everyone does that. It was not even his insistence on staying on the fringes of doctrine with an over-focus on the deliverance and demonology doctrines that plague most of the YouTube false ministries today. No, it was his book telling the truth about the heretic Benny Hinn. Now, Benny may be crazy, a proven false prophet, and has that silly schtick with the magic suit coat that slays hundreds, but the bottom line is he is a money generator - and that makes up for everything else with the complex. Hinn has the same stature as Osteen because they have proven their worth for decades. So, when Locke recently realized his demonology nonsense was small time and the road to real money lie before him on more conventional heresies, he had to bow down to Hinn first in order to rebuild the bridge he burned. Once he did, the complex unleashed the public relations machine through Charisma News to rehabilitate Locke's image as the try to put him on the rocket ship to purpose driven stardom and mega-church wealth. That is why you have seen an outpouring of articles on Greg Locke on Charisma news when prior, he was largely ignored and marginalized. The above link is today's attempt at rehabilitation that borders on the comical, hoping no one notices the absurd hypocrisies. We did, so let us reason once more together.

"In a world filled with clamor and confusion, where the prevailing winds of secularism seek to shake the foundations of faith, the Word of God stands as a steadfast beacon of truth. Led by the Holy Spirit and armed with the scriptures, Pastor Greg Locke discussed the timeless wisdom that guides us, not in passive contemplation, but in active devotion to a life of righteousness at a recent Global Vision Bible Church gathering. Locke shared Paul's Epistle to the church which resonates powerfully with believers today, reminding us of our mission to uphold the gospel's sanctity. Our spiritual journey is not one of mere submission to doctrine, but of understanding the Word, allowing the anointing of the Holy Spirit to illuminate our path." - Charisma News

The sell-job is being laid on pretty thick to start. Greg Locke is armed with scripture? How when he refuses to adhere to the very basics? The key verses today are not suggestions from God. They are indeed the biblical qualifications for the office of pastor, and they are not to be trifled with. When we compromise these, that is when we see all of the pastoral abominations occurring that disparage the way of Christ and cost eternal lives. Now, maybe we can make a cogent excuse here or there, but Locke is disqualified on multiple fronts. Is Greg Locke above reproach? That is ridiculous as he is certainly not. This is the man who preached that people suffering from autism, epilepsy and mental illness were really demon possessed. A more hurtful and stupid statement I have not heard in a long time. He preached this of course because that was his personal brand, deliverance ministry. Yet despite this, Locke talked the tough game without "casting out" a single demon from someone autistic or epileptic. This comes from trying to leverage the bible for prefabricated beliefs. It is called confirmation bias achieved through proof texting. The story of demon possession resulting in seizure activity does not claim that it is the ONLY reason someone might suffer a seizure. There is nothing in the word that makes the claim this person was epileptic. Besides reproach, Locke was unfaithful to his wife, has displayed zero self-control, and is ill tempered. He has preached like a raving lunatic against people who might disagree with him politically. He fails to see why having book burnings in the backyard of his church might be a really bad idea. He is not respectable or hospitable unless you agree with him on politics. The more amusing thing here is the assertion that Greg Locke believes in a life of righteousness through active devotion. His ministry is built upon the ashes of his first marriage and his cheating on his wife with the church secretary. Before anyone starts with the usual nonsense about judgment, forgiveness and the like, try and get into a good bible-based church first because you do not understand the God you claim to serve. Repentance and forgiveness with sin has to do with our walk with God, not our job. The reason he is disqualified from ministry is in the key verses! God said it!

"Walking the Path of Righteousness - As God's children, we are called to be vigilant, discerning the wolves in sheep's clothing who attempt to deceive us with diluted doctrines. The apostle exhorts us, not merely to live by practical applications, but to align our lives with the authoritative Word of God. Our interpretation must mirror the divine truth, not our own whims." - Charisma News

It is simply laughable for such a prolific wolf to be warning people about wolves. I am reminded of when people like Jennifer LeClaire write articles bemoaning false prophets. Greg Locke actually preached and defended from the pulpit of God saying that you cannot be a Christian and vote Democratic in America. Just again a powerfully stupid statement that confers righteousness to his political choices when it does not exist. He has referred to those people as demons who should leave his church, a very odd evangelism plan. Talk about a diluted doctrine designed to deceive us. For someone who gave into his whims when it came to ruining his martial vows before God, he should not be reflecting on such as if he has any authority to do so.

"The Anointing of the Holy Spirit - With hearts attuned to the divine, we recognize the power of the anointing, a force transcending human understanding. Isaiah testifies to the anointing's potency, proclaiming it as the very essence that shatters yokes. In a world where "wokeness" seeks to dominate, we declare that the anointing breaks not only the yoke of bondage but also the misconceptions that cloud our spiritual vision. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed," (Luke 4:18)." - Charisma News

Ever the dominionist, Locke parrots right wing political talking points without realizing he has been conned. "Wokeness" is a political term blown up in right wing think tanks that has no relevance for believers. The Luke citation confirms this. Our job is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, not the Republican Party. Jesus did not care one whit about the politics of this world. He remains uninterested in what we might deem as lesser evils as He implores us to avoid and resist all evil. The blind and captives deal with sin, not politics.

"Confidence Before God - In some cases, a church might employ fear-based tactics, casting shadows of uncertainty upon believers. Yet, the anointing fuels our confidence before the King of kings. The anointing is not mere bravado or arrogance; it is a holy boldness stemming from intimacy with God. This confidence empowers us to approach the throne of grace, unashamed in His presence. "Let us then come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need," (Heb. 4:16)." - Charisma News

Yeah, that kinda sounds arrogant Greg. Our confidence is in Him, not us. Locke and his dominionist buddies think holy boldness is sticking their thumb in the eyes of the lost and blaming them for not behaving like Christians when they cannot even do so. Think about how unbelievably hypocritical it is for Greg Locke to publicly berate sinners when he built his entire "Christian" empire on the unfaithfulness of his first marriage. I know we lose sight of this but that was a covenant agreement he made with God, which is ironic since dominionists spend so much time pretending to be upset that this country is breaking a covenant with God that actually does not exist. God does not anoint what is so not aligned with Him and His word.

"Abiding in Truth - We are urged to abide, to be rooted deeply in Christ. This is not a vague call to lukewarm Christianity, but a clarion call to saturate our lives with the Word of God. As the anointing teaches us, we are granted insight into all truths, and we gain confidence in the veracity of the gospel. We shall not be shaken, for the anointing grounds us firmly in His promises. "But the anointing which you have received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. For as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in Him," (1 John 2:27)." - Charisma News

The Apostle Paul once chastised the Galatians for believing a "different gospel," which of course was no gospel at all. This is a reality we must confront beloved. There are false gospels out there and Greg Locke preaches one. In Greg Locke's gospel, the job of the church is to save society in America through carnal political processes. He can wrap it up in all the false piety he wants to but at the end of the day, he is false. Greg Locke does not abide in the truth of any kind, let alone the word. He has openly preached that COVID, which has killed seven million people, was a hoax. He has preached that George Soros and Bill Gates stole the 2000 election. Now, if you find yourself thinking any of this is remotely true, let alone Christian, then you should be concerned about your own mental health, I mean demon possession. We can have carnal, rational, political disagreement in this country - it is what it was founded on. We cannot have "alternative facts." The sky is blue, and you are not special because you dare to say it is purple. More importantly, none of this nonsense has ANYTHING to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ! Just stop it.

"Bearing Fruits of Righteousness - Let us not overlook the significance of our actions. By our fruits, we are known. If we truly comprehend the righteousness of Christ, if we truly grasp His holiness, then our lives will reflect it. It is not a mere assertion of religious duty but a reflection of our genuine, transformed nature. We are born of Him, bearing the fruits of righteousness as evidence of our regenerated hearts. "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but so much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the One working in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure," (Phil. 2:12-13)." - Charisma News

Beloved, one of the reasons why the actions of Greg Locke disqualify him is that he does not have a moral leg to stand on. He cannot claim to truly comprehend the righteousness of Christ, holiness, or even claim to a have a transformed nature if he so casually discarded the parts about infidelity, divorce and reproach. Again, this is not being unforgiving. My sincere hope is that anyone who made such poor choices would truly repent and seek Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. None of us are above the fray of our sinful nature. This has nothing to do however with thinking the forgiveness of God entitles us to simply slide back into the pastoral ministry as if our choices did not matter and have consequences. The issue is not Greg Locke but rather the cause of Christ and His gospel.

"A Clarion Call to Holiness - In the midst of a world swayed by conflicting ideologies and relativistic truths, the Christian voice speaks resolutely. Believers reject diluted interpretations and divisive teachings, and wholeheartedly seek the anointing of the Holy Spirit that powers them to live lives rooted in righteousness. Our confidence rests not in our own righteousness, but in the transforming power of God's Word. As we stand unwavering, we invite believers to walk in confidence, casting aside fear and allowing the anointing to guide steps toward a life of holiness. The anointing doesn't merely create a fleeting emotional experience; it transforms Christ's disciples into beacons of His light, unashamed before God and unwavering in commitment to uphold His truth." - Charisma News

Greg Locke's entire ministry, platform and success is solely because of divisive teaching. It is in fact his specialty. This entire fluff piece by Charisma is part of a recent and continued effort to rehabilitate the image of Greg Locke now that he has bowed the knee to King Benny. That is a herculean task for those who discern. I would guess the apostate church will lap it up because they always do. Greg Locke as a bastion of pursuing righteousness and obedience is like Carl Lentz lecturing on choosing the right babysitter or Brian Houston scolding about using prescription drugs and alcohol. Please do not twist this. I recently was commenting online, and a Locke defender was insistent I was wrong but the only proof he could offer was a tepid, "you don't know him. He is sincere." Whatever. If your only defense is carnal anecdotes than you have no defense. I would say mark and avoid strictly based on his horrific preaching, arrogance and book burning alone. Mix in the new image problems that the world will correctly see as blatant hypocrisy? Yeah, REALLY mark and avoid.

Reverend Anthony Wade - August 17, 2023

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.