Whopperstopper – to say a thing that is not true even though the statement or declaration is presented as though it were true/infallible.
This article will be comparing the Spirit of scripture to the spirit Yonggi Cho talks about in his book, “The Fourth Dimension”. The reason why we think it is worth quoting from his earlier works is simply because he still peddles this teaching to this day.
We have covered how Yonggi Cho was in the process of obtaining a chair, a desk and bicycle by “faith”. In this article, we will explore how David Yonggi Cho struggled and “overcame” personal issues so that he could operate in faith to acquire these possessions.
To make sense of this article, it is necessary to read our previous articles exposing how David Yonggi Cho has further progressed into a belief system that does not reflect the historic Christian faith.
Review of Fourth Dimension: Ch 1 – Prophet Cho talks to omni-challenged spirit?
Review of Fourth Dimension: Ch 1 – What spirit is leading Prophet Cho?
DECEITFUL FAITH?
According to Yonggi Cho, faith can “take wings and fly away” (pg 5). After writing down the specifics he wanted for his chair, desk and bike to God the previous night, the next morning he said that he “suddenly found that [his] heart was empty” (pg 5). How can he get his faith back to see these things come to pass?
He explains how he found the answer to this issue:
“On that morning while I was reading the Bible, and looking for a particular scripture to speak on, suddenly my eyes fell upon Romans 4:17, “God raises the dead, and calls those things which be not as if they were.” My heart fastened to that scripture, and it began to boil in my heart. I said to myself, “I might as well just call those things which are not as if they were, as if I already had them.” I had received the answer to the problem of how to keep one’s faith.”
Source: David Yong-gi Cho, Incubation: A Law of Faith, The Fourth Dimension (Vol 1), Published: US, Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1979. Pg 5.
There’s a blatant error that Yonggi Cho made in his application of this verse. Yonggi Cho stated that Romans 4:17 says it is “God” that “calls those things which be not as if they were”. So why did Yonggi Cho say, “I might as well just call those things which are not as if they were, as if I already had them”?
Why does Cho have difficulty realising that he is not God?
What’s at odds with his selected verse is the context surrounding Romans 4. If David Yonggi Cho wanted an answer to his conundrum all he needed to do was keep reading further further down (see bold) through the example of Abraham:
“… as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrennessc of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Romans 4:17-25.
So…
How did Abraham grow strong in the faith? By giving “glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised”.
What had God promised to Abraham? He promised to Abraham that he would be “the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.””
By having faith in God’s promise, what did this mean? It meant Abraham’s “faith was “counted to him as righteousness””.
What does Abraham’s faith mean to us? It means we too through faith are, “counted … as righteousness,”and that it, “will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification”.
Instead…
How did David Yonggi Cho grow strong in the faith? By calling those things which are not as if they were, as if he already had them.
What had God promised to Cho? Nothing. Cho demanded his imagination (or a demon) answer his prayers.
By having faith in God’s promise, what did this mean? Nothing. Cho made the desires of his heart more preeminent then God’s promises and perverted the scriptures to fulfill his cause.
What does Cho’s faith mean to us? It means we too can call things into existence through our own words.
See the problem? There are two competing faiths. One is the Christian faith that has been around for millenia, revealed in the scriptures. The other is a New Age shamanistic-like belief system that revolves around your desires and dreams. Cho has erred into practicing paganism, assuming that these revelations have something to do with Christianity and Christ’s Holy Spirit. Nothing could be further from the truth.
A LYING FAITH?
The good thing about reviewing David Yonggi Cho’s book is that he doesn’t communicate the best way at times. We will ‘extend grace’ to him on this shortcoming where necessary. At times, he can badly communicate the subject which in turn exposes issues we see in other Word of Faith cults. This next quote from Cho should highlight something a lot of us see in the Word of Faith cults: boasting and lying in the faith.
Cho continues his above testimony,
“I rushed to our tent church where the people had already begun praying, and after a few songs I started preaching. I expounded that scripture, and then said, “Folks, by the blessings of God I have a desk made of Philippine mahogany, a beautiful chair with an iron frame and rollers on the tips, and a bicycle made in the U.S.A. with gears on the side. Praise God! I’ve received all these things.”
The people just gasped, because they knew that I was absolutely poverty stricken. I was bragging about these things, and they could not believe their ears. In faith I was really praising God, doing just as the Word of God told me to do.
After the service, as I was walking out, three young fellows followed me and said, “Pastor, we want to see those things.”
I was taken aback and frightened, because I had not counted on having to show any of those things. These people were living in a slum area, and once they knew I had lied, it would be my last time to minister there. They would never come back. I was in a terrible situation, so I began to pray to the Lord, “Lord, from the beginning this wasn’t my idea. It was your idea for me to tell it like that. I just obeyed you, and now I’m in a terrible situation. I said it as if I had it, and now how can I explain this?” You’ve got to always help me.””
Source: David Yong-gi Cho, Incubation: A Law of Faith, The Fourth Dimension (Vol 1), Published: US, Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1979. Pg 5-6.
As you can see, error begets error. From the beginning we have exposed every single false leading and false teaching that led Yonggi Cho to believe in his own delusions. Now it’s plain to see that Cho has bought his errors into his pulpit. Thank God that the youth called him out on it and asked him to prove it.
Cho confessed that he “was bragging about these things” and was concerned that, “once they knew [he] had lied, it would be [his] last time to minister there”. The three young fellows wanted proof of Cho’s claims.
This is really important fact to major on. It is not uncommon to witness Word of Faith cult leaders boast and lie within their definition of “faith”. So we have decided to call these lying faith declarations “whopperstoppers“.
What is a whopperstopper? Well no one can question those that make a whopperstopper. The authoritive “faith”-filled claim is to stop everyone from questioning the false claim.
We’ve seen these whopperstoppers performed through Cho’s disciple Phil Pringle. Pringle will often speak up his Presence Conference attendance figures “by faith” in the next year to boost people’s interests and boost attendance for his Conference. The problem is that none can question or fully know if his claim is true or not. Is he advertising? Is he lying? Is he being honest? Or is he “speaking faith”? For many people, the Christian thing to do is not question and simply believe the whopper.
We’ve seen Pringle “speak faith” (lying by ommission) in exaggerating “church plant” figures. What he does not tell people is that he considers a “church plant” to be someone who has the desire to start a church in their heart.
According to Pringle, this is not lying. This is Pringle speaking faith and relying on mysticism to confound those who question him about these figures. We’ve seen Kong Hee pull this “faith lie” as well. It’s a popular and useful technique to mystify and control the masses. It gets people’s attention. And what’s more, it makes them think you have a higher, divine authority than they do.
Cho was not expecting to prove his whopperstopper to the three young individuals and we will cover this deceitful ploy in our next article.
In closing, we have provided scriptures that refute that the Christian faith is a faith that boasts and lies for worldly gain and adoration.
IS FAITH BOASTING OVER WORLDLY GAIN BIBLICAL?
When you look at Paul boast, he often boasts on things that many Word of Faith teachers oppose. Paul boasted about Christ, His saving work and in his weakness or lack.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
“But [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14
Finally, if Cho is “speaking” faith, then how does “bragging” fit into the equation if it is the very thing the “law of faith” silences?
“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.” Romans 3:27
Categories: Yoido Full Gospel Church
I wish I had read this back in 2005. It has led a family member far astray into the occult as it legitimized the use of occult power (visualization, OBE, psychics, etc) if we “christianize” it. This family member still believes they are a christian. Please pray for me, brother.
Honestly, I wish I had more scriptural understanding to counter the claim that visualization is a legitimate activity for people to engage in. If you can direct me to a place where I can learn, I would appreciate it.