John Maxwell is an author, speaker, and former pastor from the USA. Maxwell was born in Garden City, Michigan in 1947 into evangelical Christianity, and followed his father into the ministry. He has "pastored" in Indiana, Ohio, California, and most recently Florida (where he's currently a teaching "pastor," whatever that is), but most of his time was spent pastoring the 3,500-member Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego from 1981-1995. Maxwell has authored a number of books with a primary focus on leadership. Titles include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. His books have sold millions of copies, with some on the NY Times Best Seller List (source). He is founder of The INJOY Group, a company whose main purpose is “to help churches and church leaders to realize their full potential.” He egregiously and audaciously claims to have a “lifelong commitment to evangelism.” Wow. "Evangelism" is one of them words that Maxwell has corrupted entirely from its true Biblical meaning. He has been dubbed as “America’s expert on leadership” and “Dean of Christian Leadership,” by people that don't know the Word of God. Maxwell's laws, qualities and principles are used in both churches and in the corporate world, which reflects the sad state of affairs in 21st century Christiandom, which is almost entirely apostate, majority of which are faithful harlots to the Great Whore of Babylon (Rev 17-18). Maxwell's post-secondary education is entirely through unbiblical, heretical and ungodly prostitute institutions. For his BA degree in Theology he attended Circleville Bible College which is affiliated with the utterly heretical Church of Christ. For his Master of Divinity he attended the utterly heretical and ungodly hyper-charismatic Azusa Pacific University. For his Doctorate of Ministry he attended the notoriously apostate Fuller Theological Seminary. He has also received five honorary Doctorates of Divinity from other deeply compromised, heretical and apostate institutions including the California Graduate School of Theology and Liberty University. So one could say that Maxwell is steeped in his false teachings, perverted doctrines, heretical gospels, humanistic philosophies, psychoheresy, and more.
In Rom 16:17-18 we read,
“Now I beseech you [literally beg you], brethren, MARK them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and AVOID them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
In Ac 20:28-31 the Apostle Paul continues to expound his philosophy of ministry:
"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears."
John Maxwell is such a man to "mark" (expose and warn against) and to "avoid." A "grievous wolf" that perverts God's Word, one of the "many which corrupt the Word of God" (2 Cor 2:17) in our present world. The problem with Maxwell is not necessarily his advice and direction on leadership, but the fact he is a professing Christian and the fact he turns the Bible into humanistic wisdom for secular success. As a professing Christian he mixes in wee bits of truth here and there to appear the successful Christian businessman, which only compounds his egregious teachings concerning Christianity and mixture of Bible and humanism and psychology. Though Maxwell may have some profitable points on leadership, the man must be wholesale rejected because of his heresies and apostasies on the back of professing Christianity, promoting himself as a Christian, but being in fact far from true Biblical Christianity. His teachings do not draw people to Christ but repel them and further, false assurance in their unsaved nature. At no point ever is it ever okay to compromise Biblical obedience for some worldly good (e.g., leadership points). Maxwell is not a true born again believer by any stretch of the imagination, but a false teacher. How do we know this? By the following....
Maxwell’s UnBiblical Teachings, False Doctrine, and Twisting of Scripture to Fit his own Lustful Agenda of Inspirational Leadership, Bigness and Successism.
One of the major issues with Maxwells teachings include his intentional manipulation and wresting of scripture to “teach” his leadership principles, which reveals sinister motives for why he professes Christianity and some allegiance to the Bible. The Word of God does not teach the principles that Maxwell contends it does. He trashes the Bible to get to his narrative. As is the issue with all unregenerate professors of Christianity, he does not understand the true meaning of Scripture, and that is because he is unable to properly and Biblically interpret, considering he does not have the "Spirit of Truth" (Jn 14:17; 15:26; 16:13) dwelling in his inner man (Eph 3:16) who teaches truth to all He indwells (1 Jn 2:20-21, 27).
There are very many issues with John Maxwell, almost unlimited it seems. Practically everything he says and does runs in opposition to Scripture to some degree. His books are loaded with humanistic philosophy, using Scripture wrested to advance his theories. In his seminars he doesn't even mention the Bible or Christ, because he knows it will scare people off. Thats his own words. So he is ashamed of Jesus, compounding the problem of his awful heresy and perversion of Scripture and false teachings.
1. False teaching: Maxwell corrupting and twisting Scripture to fit his narrative. Consider some examples.
(a) Maxwell corrupts 1 Sam 17, the event of David and Goliath. Rather than teaching the truth of what this story really means, he twists it into a lesson of positive thinking. In his book The Winning Attitude, he writes,
“When Goliath came up against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought, He’s so big we can never kill him. David looked at the same giant and thought, He’s so big I can’t miss” (The Winning Attitude, p. 31; emphasis in original).
He completely falls of the rails as to the real reason why the narrator tells us this story. He explains Goliath as illustrative of problems or obstacles in our lives, the Israelite’s reaction as negative thinking, and then David’s reaction as positive thinking. David was optimistic, positive, while the Israelites were pessimistic, negative. But in so doing he completely violates the truth of this passage, and the sound principles of Biblical interpretation regarding historical narrative. Maxwell’s corrupted usage of this passage has nothing to do with why God’s Word tells us this account.
(b) Maxwell corrupts Rom 10:17, which reads,
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Maxwell uses Rom 10:17 to explain how the negative and positive words we hear can either encourage or discourage us (The Winning Attitude, pp. 56-57). How he comes to this conclusion is very much unclear in his discussion. The apostle Paul’s point in Rom 10 has absolutely nothing to do positivity or negativity, and the impact this might have on us being encouraged or discouraged. Paul's concern always was with the truth of God's Word and that its preaching would give rise to faith in God. Misusing Rom 10:7 the way Maxwell does, ignores the actual context, reduces Paul’s words to a mere platitude, and misses the critical meaning of this chapter of God's Word altogether.
(c) Maxwell perverts Matt 21:21 and the doctrine of faith. The passage reads,
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."
Maxwell manipulates this passage to employ that faith in yourself will guarantee success. He claims,
“The only thing that will guarantee the success of a doubtful undertaking is the faith from the beginning that you can do it.” (The Winning Attitude, p. 139)
Maxwell is promoting the idea of faith in self. True faith however is directed towards God, not self. A second issue of this false faith is that the faith is misplaced and not according to Scripture. Faith is believing what God has said in His Word. Faith is according to His will. If the mountain be removed cast into the sea, it would only be because it is God's will. We don't bring it about simply because we believe it and attempt to drum up enough faith for it, which is how Keswick theology manipulates faith. It is clear that Maxwell has been influenced by this false theology. True faith however is according to God's will.
"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:" (1 Jn 5:14)
If something isn't God's will, such as a saint pursuing greater leadership and business progression outside of God's Word (i.e. listening to John Maxwells advice), no amount of me believing it or having “faith” in my ability to do something will be able to bring it about. So how do we know whether something is God's will or not, whether God has willed something? God’s will is fully revealed in His Word—the Bible. If we pray and ask according to the Word of God, we can know God will grant our petitions. This is not to say that we cannot pray for things about which the Bible is silent, but almost everything is addressed in Scripture, whether directly or by principle. We are to "Cast all our care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Pet 5:7). In so doing, and asking according to His will, we must be willing to accept God’s will even if it conflicts with ours.
(d) Maxwell corrupts Pr 23:7, which reads,
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:”
Maxwell continues his habit of corrupting the Word of God by wresting Pr 23:7 out of its context, to make it say something it clearly does not mean. As Maxwell discusses one’s self-image, he comments,
“It is impossible to perform consistently in a manner inconsistent with the way we see ourselves. In other words, we usually act in direct response to our self-image” (The Winning Attitude, pp. 61-62).
What he is writing is a pop psychoheresy concept. This passage of Scripture in Pr 23, has nothing to do with a persons self-image. Pr 23:7 reflects the truth that though one may put on an outward appearance, the inward, true disposition presents the true story. The entire context here, which relays the actual meaning and is completely ignored and rejected by Maxwell to further his own narrative, reads,
"Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee." (Pr 23:6-7)
The "he" of v. 7, the one referred to in "as he thinketh in his heart, so is he," is clearly the "him" mentioned in v. 6 -- " him that hath an evil eye," which is the one with "his dainty meats." This is concluded through the basics of grammar, the antecedent of the pronoun. It should also be clear that this Scripture has nothing to do with "self-image." The teaching here is that a man is truly who he is based upon the thoughts of his heart. And that will reveal itself through outward manifestations (in this case, "an evil eye,"). Though he may appear hospitable ("Eat and drink, saith he to thee"), this is not his true heart about the matter, inwardly he resents you ("his heart is not with thee.") The man is a hypocrite, and the warning here is not to be deceived by hypocrisy. The world is absolutely loaded with hypocrites, including in Christiandom. Most are hypocrites, which reflects their true unregenerate heart. We can know them by their fruit: promotion of error or sin, teaching false doctrine, immoral lives, selfish-glory, etc, things representative of John Maxwell. Later in the book the passage is once again wrested and corrupted out of its meaning by its usage in the recounting of a testimony, claiming it reflects a persons attitude in making a difference (ibid., pp. 132-134).
(e) Maxwell corrupts Pr 29:18, which reads,
"Where there is no vision, the people perish, but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."
When Solomon said "vision," he wasn't implying the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom, or a mental image of what the future will or could be like and then practically working towards that, as it is popularly misused, including by John Maxwell here. In his book The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, Maxwell uses this verse and then asserts, “vision gives team members direction and confidence” (p. 96), when they “look beyond current circumstances...” (p. 95). No instance however in the OT is this word used in this popular way. Not even once. Its not what it means, even though many pervert it and twist it into their own little narrative, including amongst the Independent Baptists (its very commonly used there in this fashion). Rather than first studying what the word "vision" actually means, studying the underlying Hebrew word that God used (chazon), men like Maxwell create their own narrative since the ambiguity of the English term “vision” used in the KJV appears to give room perhaps for it. Ignorance however doesn't fly in God's eyes, espcially not in our day with a wealth of tools at our fingertips for full opportuity to understand. Chazon is primarily used for divine communication, i.e., when a prophet would receive a dream or vision of revelation or oracle. Further i.e., prophecy. This is how the word is used the other 33 times found in the OT, and NOT a single time is it corrupted, perverted and wrested into man's ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom, or a mental image of what the future will or could be like, as is so commonly done by people in our day, including Maxwell.
Take note also of the parallelism in the passage: "Where there is no vision, the people perish, but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." The "no vision" (or prophecy/revelation) is a parallel ("but") contrast to "the law," and the "perish" is a parallel contrasting “happy.” Its obvious that the passage is teaching that people who seek after revelations and prophecies, something new to be heard, will perish, but those who keep the Word of God, God's law, are happy and blessed. This also harmonizes with the rest of Scripture.
Thus this passage, for more than one reason, has absolutely nothing to do with what Maxwell advances.
(f) Maxwell horribly corrupts Num 13-14, concerning Israels failure to enter the Promised Land. And this one is another favourite amongst Bible corrupters and wresters. Maxwell claims that Israel’s failure to enter the Promised Land is illustrative of how “negative thinking limits God and our potential” (The Winning Attitude, p. 122).
To begin with, he is heaped with psychoheresy and neo-evangelicalism with its false notions of “positive thinking” and “negative thinking.” The Bible is 2/3 negative, so does the Word of God "limit God and our potential”? The ministry of the Holy Spirit is almost entirely negative -- convicting, correcting, reproving, rebuking, chastising, etc, so does He "limit God and our potential”?
Maxwell misuses and abuses these passages in Num 13 & 14 to advance his false narrative of anti-negative positive thinking, and in so doing completely denies and rejects the real reason why Israel failed to reap God’s promise. It had absolutely nothing to do with being “positive” or “negative.” Rather, Israel’s failure was due to their refusal to repent, andbelieve. Unbelief was their problem, which means they were unbelievers. "Unbelief" is Only a Characteristic of Unsaved People, Not the Saved. God had repeatedly promised Israel that He was going to give them this land, so there was no question of the authenticity of the promise, which had been given to Abraham in Gen 12:1-3, so the promise constituted God’s inauguration of His relationship with His chosen people through Abraham. In the event of the spies returning from the land, we note the difference between those that were saved (two spies Caleb and Joshua, who truly believed God’s promise and lived by faith), and those that were unsaved (the other spies and the nation of Israel, who did not actually believe God, nor live by faith). These were the only two oeople, besides Moses, that were actually truly converted believers. It is as simple as that. And the lesson is profound. The issue of truly believing God and then obeying God's Word because "the just live by faith" (Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38) resounds throughout the entire Bible. Ones very salvation is fully a function of believing God (Rom 4:1-8).
To reduce the Numbers passage to the categories of positive and negative thinking, rather than belief (saved) and unbelief (unsaved) in God, is to tragically miss the whole point of the passage and neglect a perfect opportunity to teach a very important Biblical doctrine. But Maxwell wouldn't and couldn't get the lesson, nor teach the truth of what that Scripture is saying, since he is an unregenerate false teacher and wolf in sheep's clothing. He is not interested truly in what God has to say, only in how he can manipulate God and His Word to benefit his own selfish life.
Maxwell should give heed to what Jesus says in Mk 8:36-37,
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
2. False teaching: Maxwell's leadership emphasis, teachings and quotes.
All his little inspirational leadership quirks, platitudes, and fortune cookie quotes (though some may be beneficial for business success and on their own may not be wrong), find no place in Scripture or are even remotely tried to principles of Scripture. Here is only a scratch of that surface.
Maxwell quote:
“Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness.”
This is the ecumenical rallying cry of the one world apostate church, which is Rome as the Great Whore, and all other false religions, unscriptural churches, denominations and protestant sects as her harlots. Illustrated in the picture below.
Jesus however said the very opposite will occur with true, regenerate faith,
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.” (Jn 18:15-18)
“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:” (Lk 12:51)
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.” (Matt 10:34-36)
So much the more variance concerning those outside of the household. But heretics and false teachers have the very opposite philosophy. They want to be somebody and that means the less enemies the better.
“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” (Lk 6:26)
Putting family above God is idolatry. The Idolatry of Family - They That Love Their Family More Than Christ, Are Not Worthy of Christ!
How is true happiness found?
By obeying God's Word (which is only possible by true born again believers):
"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." (Jn 13:17)
By bearing Christ's reproach:
"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." (1 Pet 4:14)
By suffering for Christ:
"But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;" (1 Pet 3:
By enduring all things for Christ:
"Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." (Jam 5:11)
Happiness, as mentioned in the above passages, is referring to regenerate saints, not unsaved religious people attempting to practice the Christian life.
Maxwell quote:
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Find that one in Scripture, even just by principle.
Our emphasis in caring should be caring about what God wants. The care-o-meter should be set high for obedience and allegiance to the will and Word of God, not what others think of us.
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecc 12:13)
"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." (Gal 1:10)
Maxwell quote:
"The only one you should compare yourself to is you. Your mission is to become better today than you were yesterday."
The Bible on the other hand tells us to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29), which then means we must compare ourselves to Christ, whether we are obeying His Word and will, and becoming more like Him everyday, or not. This also addresses the second half of the quote. Maxwell (naturally) makes no mention of the Lord Jesus Christ, but its only by His grace that we truly and genuinely improve and grow and become better. But improve and grow in what? Definitely not what Maxwell is referring to here, which would be selfish glory, enhanced positive image in the eyes of others, and business profitableness (his measuring stick and benchmark), but rather growth and improvement in godliness, holiness, and righteousness, which is what the grace of God that saves, does (Ti 2:11-14).
Maxwell quote:
"The best way to help people is to see the best in them."'
Wow. God has a totally different narrative about that. Firstly, there is no good "best" thing in any of us. We are all unrighteous and fade as the leaf. There is no person upon the earth that does good (Rom 3:10-21; Ecc 7:20; Is 64:6; etc). In our unsaved estate, we live in the flesh and according to its lusts, and "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:" (Rom 7:18). Secondly, a true born again believer knows these things and that "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked..." (Jer 17:9), so he doesn't "see the best" in unsaved people, but rather that they are wicked, unrighteous sinners that desperately need Jesus Christ and His salvation. So, thirdly, he helps them, by preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ to them, not give them false hope and delusion of humanistic philanthropy.
John Maxwell is a leader, this is true, a leader in the heresy of succesism. His focus is on being a worldly-geared leader, not a Biblical leader. But in yoking the two, he becomes a spiritual adulterer (Jam 4:4), a prostitute and whore under the condemnation and wrath of God.
God does NOT call us to to be leaders or to be more than we can be, but rather to decrease ourselves that Jesus Christ Himself may increase us that we become spiritually rich and we glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, fulfilling the will of God as found in the Word of God (e.g. Rom 12:1-2). Of course God can bless the true born again believer with success, attributable to God’s favour and the believers sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as he walks in obedience to God's Word, but its never guaranteed. This success is wholly and only linked to one that walks faithfully in the Spirit by the Word of God, and is provided by God to advance the great commission and the truth. But this is entirely different than what Maxwell is teaching and promoting.
He who simply obeys God by obeying the commandments and words of God as found in the Word of God (that is the King James Bible for English folks, not the heretical and ungodly modern English perversions, which is all other versions beside the KJV, which Maxwell embraces, especially the NIV) is successful, no matter what the result. That's how Noah and Abraham got their names included in Heb 11 (Its a good thing that heretics like John Maxwell didn't write that chapter in the Bible!) Poor old Enoch wouldn't have gotten even a second look, would he? In fact, I doubt very much if any of the men or women named in Heb 11 would ever have been invited to speak at a Maxwell Leadership Conference. In that day godly men and women were vilified, marginalized, persecuted and many times killed, and we know with certainty they made very few headlines in the ancient world. But they are glorified in God, and now billions of people can read about it. You see, God never has measured success by how many people's noses you can count, or how many Mercedes are parked in front of the church or how much money you have in your bank account or how many toys you have or clients you cater to. He measures success by one criteria alone and that is by your obedience to the Word of God, which is walking in faith.
"Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. . . . Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." (Rev 22:7, 14-15)
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecc 12:13)
That God measures success by obedience, is noted everywhere in Scripture. Lets consider a few examples amongst many.
The number of people in the ark with Noah and his family was not the emphasis in Scripture. Neither was it Noah's emphasis. We see God's measure of success in what He inspired Moses to write: "Thus did Noah, according to all that God commanded him, so did he." (Gen 6:22).
The very tiny remnant in the days of Jeremiah was never the focus in his dealings or writings. Besides Jeremiah, we count one whole person specifically mentioned as being born again, Ebedmelech the Ethiopian (Jer 39:16-18; cf. Jer 38:7-13). The focus of Jeremiah's book is on his obedience to God's word. That is the ONLY measure of success. He was commanded to go out and preach to the nation of Israel, even though he was told no one would listen or Biblically respond. He obey this, and that is success.
That is why Jesus did not get discouraged when the multitudes that professed to believe in Him and follow Him, packed up and went home in Jn 6:66, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." He knew they had not repented of their sins and genuinely believed to the saving of their soul, and thus had no heart to obey God.
That's why the apostles never gave up when persecution arose and the numbers evaporated, as we note in Acts. They knew the fickleness of the crowds and perceived who had true faith and who didn't.
Since the canonization of Scripture and ending of apostleship, things have not changed. Its the small, despised, Biblical churches that do most, if not all, of the true work of God. We see that in the Book of Revelations, out of the seven local, autonomous churches mentioned in Rev 2-3, only one has a 100% success rate with the Lord Jesus Christ, "the church in Philadelphia" of whom the Lord Jesus declared, "I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. . . . Because thou hast kept the word of my patience," (vv. 7-13). The very opposite of what the world would measure as "successful," God highly exalts this small, hated, despised group of true believers.
The successism people generate a lot of attention typically with the media and noise, but they are so often characterized by ego, error, and emotion, and by excess and extortion. As a rule, "Successism Pollutes" and "Power Corrupts." In 2 Pet 2, we note this behaviour, which is the behaviour of false teachers who are all about big churches or big businesses, worldly progress, the heresy of succesism. As they get bigger and attract more goats, swine and dogs to their barn, whom they are taking advantage of for personal "success," they speak bad of those who are of the truth:
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." (2 Pet 2:1-3)
In all his so-called leadership training, very rarely does Maxwell point out and promote the leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God the Son, the greatest leader that has ever walked the earth. Of course this is not accidental or non-intentional. Maxwell rejects the true Jesus of the Bible, and merely uses the Bible as a crutch or prop to attract professing christians and churches to his shows, material and books. In one of his books, Developing the Leader Within You, he makes no difference between the "Jesus Christ" he has embraced and Hitler, Jim Jones, MLK Jr., and others concerning their leadership abilities. Wow.
“Hitler was a leader and so was Jim Jones. Jesus of Nazareth, Martin Luther King, Jr., Winston Churchill, and John F. Kennedy all were leaders. While their value systems and management abilities were very different, each had followers.” (Source: James C. Georges, Interview in Executive Communications.)
Maxwell makes no effort whatsoever to point out that Jesus was NOT just another leader with better values and superior management skills, but rather puts Him in the class of mere men, some of which were exceedingly evil. The reader is left with the impression that "Jesus of Nazareth" was just another leadership figure like Adolf Hitler or cultist Jim Jones—only with “different” values. Unbelievable. The lengths false teachers go to, to further their own personal agenda and lusts, even at the expense of blaspheming God's name, Whom they allegedly purport to know, is mind boggling. The gates of hell is slammed wide open for ungodly hypocrites such as this.
Enoch's prophetic sermon posted for us in the Book of Jude, is quite fitting indeed:
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage." (Ju 1:14-16)
3. False Teaching: Maxwell is a new age false teacher.
He either implicitly or explicitly endorses various new age teachers and doctrines. In his positive promotion of these blatant heretics and their teachings, professing Christians may not only embrace the material he presents, but also view these teachers and doctrines as harmless. Woe is him that commits such treason. His books also exude the new age heresy of “the power of self,” dressed in religious garb, to further the enemy’s lie that mankind is capable of saving itself if we look inward, instead of to salvation through Christ Jesus alone.
(a) Norman Vincent Peale is one that Maxwell has affinity to. On several occasions in his book The Winning Attitude, Maxwell favourably quotes or refers to Norman Vincent Peale and his book The Power of Positive Thinking. He writes,
“My father has always been a positive influence in my life. Once, while visiting my parents back east, I noticed he was reading Norman Vincent Peale’s book The Power of Positive Thinking. When I noted that he had read this book previously, he replied enthusiastically, ‘Of course! I must keep building my attitude'” (p. 47).
Heresy runs in the family? Like father, like son? It’s pretty sad of the caliber of professing Christians today who can read this heretical and ungodly garbage and consider Peale to be consistent with the Bible. It is tell-tale to their absence of salvation-producing and Holy Spirit-providing, spiritual discernment, and their inability to test the spirits and words of this man with scripture (cf. 1 Jn 4:1; Ac 17:11; 1 Th 5:21). Peales book is absolutely loaded with unbiblical “positive thinking” which many mistakenly think is merely trying to look for the good in every situation. This is not Peale’s “positive thinking.” But even if it were, it's still not Biblical. The Bible encourages us to think truly and biblically—not optimistically. Phil 4:8 says,
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
As already mentioned, the Bible is a very negative book, at least 2/3. God is very often very “negative.” Right out of the starting blocks:
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”(Gen 2:16-17).
And many times Satan is very “positive,” also right out of the starting blocks:
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:” (Gen 3:4).
Another serious issue with this “positive thinking” and “optimistic” philosophy of Peales (if that’s what the book was actually about, which it isn’t), is that it’s utterly unbiblical to encourage this type of behaviour in someone that is not born again, not truly saved, which is practically everyone that reads his heretical new age books. No one has the right to encourage another person to be optimistic unless and until that person has genuinely repented, surrendered, and placed their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Helping a lost person to develop an optimistic attitude will only discourage them from seeing their need for redemption through the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, or create a condition of ignorance. No unsaved and unregenerate person should ever feel optimistic because he is utterly doomed to darkness and unquenchable eternal hell fire without Christ.
The only person that is and can be truly “optimistic” is the one that has acknowledged and repented of his own sins and self, and understands the provision that God has made through the bloody sacrifice of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of calvary. That is the true fruits of “positive thinking” and “optimistic” motivation, but nowhere ever does Peale link these critical things together, not even remotely. Conspicuously, there is a glaring absence of any true gospel being presented in Peale’s book. Thus, even if Peale’s point in his book was truly that of having an optimistic attitude toward life, this still would be completely misguided because of the greater and realistic and eternal need that every person has, and the absolute necessity to recognize that one is entitled to genuine optimism only if one has savingly believed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and thus been born again (Jn 3:3-7).
But optimism towards life is not what the book is actually about. The "Power" of Peale's "Positive Thinking" is possible to “rise above obstacles which ordinarily might defeat you” by “channeling spiritual power through your thoughts.” For Peale, this power is not merely an attitude, but is a real power that resides in us. Peale encourages people to,
“believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” (p. 172).
Peale likens this power in other places as a,
“Higher Power [that] is constantly available. If you open to it, it will rush in like a mighty tide. It is there for anybody under any circumstances or in any conditions.”
This is the ungodly and demonic garbage of new age religion. He is referring to this "higher power" being present not in saved people alone but in any person, even in the condition of being unconverted, unsaved, unbelief. Peale attempts to relate this power to God in the book. Its as if he contrived the ungodly and evil force that he was attempting to philosophize, and then added "God" to the mixture, whom he referred to as "that power. Yield yourself to it—let it flow through you.” In relating this power to God, Peale comments,
“Contact with God establishes within us a flow of the same type of energy that re-creates the world and that renews springtime every year. When in spiritual contact with God through our thought processes, the Divine energy flows through the personality, automatically renewing the original creative act.”
Anyone who is familiar with the awfully heretical and ungodly new age occult philosophy, should recognize this heresy in Peale's writings. For Maxwell to favourably mention Peale in his material is woefully bad, and extremely heretical. It is evil, considering the bad influence this could lead to.
(b) In his writings he frequently refers to new age concepts and terms. Multiple times in his books The Winning Attitude (pp. 57-58, 119ff.) and Becoming a Person of Influence (pp. 8-11), Maxwell uses and discusses the two categories of “positive” and “negative,” such as in positive and negative influence on us and on others, positive and negative words and attitudes, and positive and negative thoughts. But the categories of “positive” and “negative” are impotent to capture a proper understanding of reality vis-à-vis our personal or spiritual lives. Rather, “positive” and “negative” are better suited to a discussion of an energy like electricity. In terms of a discussion of spiritual matters, “positive” and “negative” bespeak more of the ungodly and unBiblical new age and occult philosophy, since these philosophies are used extensively in such literature. The Bible however never speaks in terms of “positive” and “negative” but rather in terms of “true” and “false,” “good” and “evil,” “righteous” and “unrighteous,” “godly” and “ungodly,” “just” and “unjust,” etc. (There are Only Two Classes or Categories of People in God’s Word, Not Three).
(c) Maxwell quotes the new age ungodly positive mental attitude pioneer Napoleon Hill (The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, p. 69). The same concerns exist with this ungodly philosopher as with Norman Vincent Peale, only that Hill is much more overtly Occult. Hill is the author of Think and Grow Rich, one of the most widely read “positive mental attitude” and motivational/successism books. The thrust of the book is that success is a function of one’s attitude. Hill teaches there is a “Supreme Secret” that is the key to life, which is:
“Anything the human mind can believe, the human mind can achieve.”
In other words, the power of the mind is the key alone to whatever is needed in this life. Even worse than this unBiblical heresy is Hill’s testimony as to how he learned this secret (via an Occult vision of a disembodied “Master”). At no point does Maxwell ever warn his readers of these seriously dangerous occult teachings when he references Napoleon Hill, which then makes him one in agreement with Hill, because God says so (Am 3:3).
(d) Another new age mystic that Maxwell embraces is Richard Foster, quoting him in The Winning Attitude (pp. 174-175). And Foster is one seriously heretical new age wolf in sheep's clothing if there ever was. Foster is co-director of Renovaré, an international, New Age, ecumenical organization that emanates from the religious traditions of Quakerism, whose message is that today’s Church is missing out on some wonderful spiritual experiences that can only be found by studying and practicing the “meditative” and “contemplative” lifestyle “of early Christianity.” In actuality, Renovaré espouses the use of the early pagan traditions of guided imagery and visualization, astral projection, “Zen” prayer techniques for meditation (i.e., Buddhism), and Jungian psychology (i.e., a blend of Eastern mysticism and Roman Catholic mystical spiritual tradition, which nicely fits the New Age model), all as means of obtaining “personal spiritual renewal” in the lives of so-called believers.
Foster advocates the Occult teaching of out-of-body experiences. Foster teaches contemplative mystical techniques of meditation. Foster endorses the ungodly and heretical New Age writer Agnes Sanford, author of the book Healing Gifts of the Spirit. which Foster calls "an excellent resource.” Agnes Sanford is a Pantheist. She says, regarding the earth, the sea, the clouds, the birds and the sun,
“All these God made and He made them out of Himself. . . . You see, God is actually in the flowers and the growing grass and all the little chirping, singing things. He made everything out of Himself and somehow He put a part of Himself into everything.”
Sanford appeals to the New Age writer Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s works The Phenomena of Man and The Divine Milieu as authority for her own teachings. Foster even includes himself in the New Age Movement, so a bit more "courageous," but in a time of great apostasy, all heretics are brave. He says,
“We of the New Age can risk going against the tide. Let us with abandon relish the fantasy games of children. Let’s see visions and dream dreams.”
(e) Maxwell also embraces the New Age Psychologist James Allen, quoting him in The Winning Attitude (p. 13). Allen is another positive-thinking new age philosopher who heretically weaves verses from the Bible with New Age and Occult philosophy. In the grand tradition of the New Thought Movement, and in similitude to Napoleon Hill's "Supreme Secret," Allen claims,
“all that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. . . . as a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the lord of his own thought, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he will.”
This is entirely contradictory to the Word of God and runs in Satanic contrast to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Once again, this point on its own, embracing and promoting new age teachers and teachings, proves Maxwell to be a heretic, false teacher and thus false believer.
4. False Teaching: Maxwell is loaded with false doctrines and teachings.
(a) There is a conspicuous absence of the gospel of Christ in any of his teachings and practices, which makes sense when we consider that the true gospel is not what he preaches. He has a mistaken notion of miracles. He embraces various psychological doctrines, including self-esteem psychology and temperaments psychology.
He is really no different than any of the other humanistic, self-motivational, self-help figures that he appears alongside, such as Zig Ziglar, Og Mandino, etc.
(b) Maxwell rejects cessationism and believes in the continuation of sign gifts and miracles. He corrupts Ac 4:30 to say that just as the 1st century apostles had their ministries attended with miracles,
“This must happen in your life” (The Winning Attitude, p. 141).
No, this must NOT “happen in your life”! No true believer should or would expect his life and ministry to be attended with miracles the way the apostle’s lives and ministries were attended with the miraculous. This doesn’t mean God cannot perform a miracle in someone’s life as God sees fit, but Maxwell is missing the significance of the presence of miracles in the ministries of the apostles, including the apostle Paul. Miracles were God’s supernatural intervention in the affairs of humans in order to vindicate His special revelation and messenger. Miracles were proofs of the authenticity of Jesus’ and then by extension, his apostles, message. Throughout Scripture God used special signs and miracles to prove that a given prophet or apostle was speaking in God’s name. God used miracles to vindicate the ministries of Moses, the OT Prophets, the Apostles of Jesus, and most significantly, of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. To teach that any Christian should expect the miraculous in his life is to, at best, dilute the significance of the miracles in the Bible. The miracle (or sign) gifts are only mentioned in the earliest epistles, such as 1 Corinthians. Later books, such as Ephesians and Romans, contain detailed passages on the gifts of the Spirit, but the miracle gifts are not mentioned, though Romans does mention the gift of prophecy. That doesn’t mean prophecy as in foretelling. The Greek word translated “prophecy” means “speaking forth” and does not include new prophecy of the future in this passage but rather forth-telling prophecies already revealed but not yet fulfilled. In that sense, every true born again is a prophet.
(c) Never does Maxwell ever preach the gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere in any of his writings or seminar pep talks. Even when a chapter in his sacrilegious books is dedicated to “The God Above You” (The Winning Attitude, Chapter 14, pp. 169-179), which could mean about anything. As he briefly touches on God’s Word, prayer, and the Holy Spirit, and ones security in this life, at no point does Maxwell clearly link these prerogatives to having eternal life through repentant faith in what Jesus Christ did for mankind on the cross of calvary. This is extremely disturbing. Though he mentions a number of verses from some heretical perversion of the bible, including Paul’s discussion of eternal security in Rom 8, he says very little that could not have been said by some other liberal “Christian” or by someone speaking from a generic religious perspective, as the title of the chapter already alluded to. That is Neo-evangelicalism for you. On the border "Christianity," that could be likened to practically any other religion or cult. Throughout Maxwell’s discussion of the Holy Spirit's power, he characterizes that power as a power to be successful worldly wise rather than a power to live a righteous, godly and holy life in obedience to God's Word, and witness for Christ. This is spiritual adultery, "Christian" whoredom, which means Maxwell is an enemy of God! (Jam 4:4). That conclusion is further reached by all the other elements mentioned in this report. The true grace of God that brings salvation (Ti 2:11) does not lead and teach and direct the child of God to succeed and progress in business but rather to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly and godly in this present world and to look for the appearing of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Ti 2:12-14).
Maxwells false gospel is relegated to merely a change in attitude to help succeed in business and human relationships, rather than promotion of the true gospel that results in a saving relationship with God through the sacrificial atonement of Christ (Phil 3:3-11) and being conformed to the image of Christ through the exigencies of life (cf. Pr 15:31, Phil 3:12-21; Jam 1:2-4).
(d) Maxwell loves psychology, and his writings are laced with pop psychological concepts and methodologies. His book The Winning Attitude promotes Self-esteem Psychology, by assumes a self-image psychology (p. 61 ff.). A major indicator of the false gospel and apostasy that runs rank throughout professing "evangelicalism," is this idea of self-image and self-esteem, which is dangerous and heretical, but plainly indicative of heretical false Christians playing church and feigning their way through life. God isn't mocked. These charlatans have been fed the false gospel of self-fulfillment by the masses of false teachers that dominate their false religion of ungodly lusciousness (Ju 1:4), rather than the true gospel of self-denial. The difference between these two gospels is the difference between heaven and hell, which you can read about here: The True Gospel of Self-Denial and Self-Abandonment vs The False Gospel of Self-Fulfillment. The true Gospel of Christ requires sinners to deny themselves (Matt 16:24-26; Mk 8:34-38; Lk 9:23-26; 13:23-24; 14:25-15:32; Jn 12:24-26; etc) which then leads to a life of self denial (e.g. Rom 12:1-2; Eph 4:12; Cor 5:15-16). John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (Jn 3:30). Paul’s “self-image” deteriorated as he grew closer to Christ. In 1 Cor. 15:9, Paul describes himself as the “least of the apostles.” Later in his life he says that he is the “least of all saints” (Eph. 3:8). Paul understood that true born again believers increased in love for Christ (and thus obedience to God's Word, not in the ways of the world) and an increasing disregard for self.
Maxwell's message is really about, “I must increase and everyone in my way better decrease.” While simultaneously purveying no regard for true Biblical Christianity and obedience to God's Word. No gospel, no cross, no blood, no sin, no repentance, or godliness, no holiness, no righteousness, etc.
Maxwell endorses the apostate Tim LaHaye’s Four Temperaments teachings in The Winning Attitude (p. 54). This unproven psychology is absolute heresy and found absolutely nowhere in Scripture and not even discovered remotely by principle, and very likely not even found in any academic textbook on psychology for that mater. To read and understand this heretical Four Psychological Temperaments, please read Four Temperaments, Astrology & Personality Testing, by Martin and Deidre Bobgan (free ebook here).
Much more could be added here, but this should suffice, proving beyond any shadow of doubt that once again John Maxwell is exposed as a heretic and false teacher.
5. False Teaching: False profession of "salvation," thus a false believer and teacher.
As we close off this first point, we note the main reason why Maxwell is the heretic that he is. Maxwell made a profession of “faith in Christ" at the incredible age of 3, an age when ZERO children have any true understanding of Biblical matters necessary for salvation (such as hell, sin, judgment, fear of God, repentance and faith) and then later "reaffirmed" that commitment when he was 13. This is the diabolical and disastrous false gospel that runs completely through all of evangelicalism, protestantism and much of the rest of Christiandom.
Absolutely no one is saved at the age of 3! This is plain heresy and about as bad as quick prayerism and easy believism can get.
Maxwells Ecumenicalism with Unbiblical Heretics and Apostates.
Maxwell, as we have noted already, takes many unscriptural positions, but also exerts much effort to embrace and promote godless people, organizations and philosophies. The list is extensive but here are some of the more notable ones.
1. Robert Schuller. Not only in close fellowship with Schuller, or preaching in Schuller's Crystal Cathedral in Orange County, CA as a guest pastor, but in fact mentored by Schuller. Maxwell began serving as a guest pastor at the heretical and bankrupt Crystal Cathedral in 2008, and his messages were broadcast on the unbiblical and heretical Hour of Power television program. Robert Schuller of course, as anyone with any level of spiritual discernment knows, was a serious new ager, have your best life now, feel-good motivational heretic, the very definition of a false teacher fulfilling his own belly needs (Rom 16:17-18; Phil 3:18-19). Schuller reinterpreted the doctrines of God’s Word to conform to his heretical self-esteem philosophy. To Schuller, sin is the lack of self-esteem. His false christ is “self-esteem incarnate.” His gospel is to replace negative self-concepts with positive ones, just like Maxwell. To Schuller, man is not a sinner. Schuller is a universalist, believing that all men are the children of God, with corresponds with the fatherhood of God heresy. I wouldn't be surpised one bit if Maxwell also believed in universalism. Schuller hosted the unbiblical, ungodly and heretical Promise Keepers Men Conference 95' (Mar 2-4, 1995) at the Crystal Cathedra where John Maxwell, Jack Hayford, and Randy Phillips were among the keynote speakers. Schuller also spoke at the conference.
2. Roman Catholicism. On the website http://www.success.com, Maxwell had the following to say about Pope Francis:
“Transformational. The guy—just think of the church, and how ruttish it’s been for centuries. This man, you talk about branding, well he’s rebranding the Catholic church, and he’s a great example for leaders to follow.” {Emphasis added]
Words like "Transformational" and "rebranding" are very neo-evangelical and emerging church, and are meant to invoke exaltation of worldly intelligence.
No true born again believer believes this about an antichrist of antichrists, who leads the most apostate and heretical cult in the world of Christiandom, who embrace and promote a completely false and perverted gospel and salvation.
3. Promise Keepers and Focus on the Family. Maxwell “is frequently asked to speak for organizations such as Promise Keepers and Focus on the Family”, and his INJOY Group Inc. so-called “ministry” is listed as a Promise Keepers Ministry Alliance. It is a well documented fact that the Promise Keepers organization is heretical, ecumenical, charismatic, and psychoheretical. It is likewise well known that James Dobson’s Focus on the Family employs a psychological gospel that cannot save and cannot sanctify. Promise Keeper’s roots are Catholic and charismatic to the core. Promise Keepers contradictory stand on homosexuality, promotion of secular psychology, unscriptural feminizing of me, depiction of Jesus as a “phallic messiah” tempted to perform homosexual acts; and its ecumenical and other unbiblical and heretical teachings should dissuade any true born again Christian from participating, but it didn't dissuade John Maxwell. He not only approves, he also teaches for them! Promise Keepers is proving to be one of the most ungodly and misleading movements in the annals of Christian history, and it speaks volumes that Maxwell is invited there and at home with this ungodly organization.
4. Psychologists. True born again Christians reject the man-made, man-centred theory of behaviour modification and psychology, but not John Maxwell; he embraces and promotes such psychoheretical teachings as noted in his book Developing the Leaders Around You, where he endorses behaviourist psychologist Edward Thorndike (p. 124). Although the book is written to “identify and train potential leaders,” Maxwell once again never makes even one mention of the Lord Jesus Christ. This of course is perfectly normal in Maxwells teachings, induced by his shame for Christ and his false, hypocritical and feigning spiritual estate. Evidently, he feels that God is not a worthy reference point for genuine leadership training. Instead of referring to the greatest leader ever, he refers to so-called management experts, advertising experts, marketing specialists, “success” experts, psychologists, and “leadership specialists,” which he does frequently. The Word of God is never quoted even once. Only Moses and Jethro are briefly referred to for their leadership influence. The true and pure gospel of Christ and God's plan of salvation is never alluded to in any way, and yet Maxwell claims to have “the priority of personal commitment to evangelism.”
John Maxwell is a blatant and pathological liar, which means he is an abomination to God (Pr 6:16-17; 12:22) and on the broad path (Matt 7:13-14) that leads to destruction and death in the fires of hell, for "all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Rev 21:8).
5. Neo-evangelicals. Maxwell is in sympathy with and quotes continually and religiously from such persons as neo-evangelical heretic and psychologizers Stuart Briscoe, Billy Graham, Tony Campolo, Chuck Swindoll, Charles Stanley, and of course the ungodly false teacher and church growth guru Rick Warren, all in complete contradiction and disobedience to the Word of God (Rom 16:17-18; 2 Th 3:7, Eph 5:11; 2 Jn 1:9-11).
Maxwell attends and preaches at the exceedingly worldly and evil "Creative Church." In fact, he goes anywhere he is invited, and never at any point would he speak out against any error, sin, heresy, false teaching. He not only doesn't have the spine or balls for it, he is way, way to compromised to ever put God above man. Heretics worship men, not God.
As per normal in the world of ungodly Neo-evangelicalism, a persons unscriptural beliefs or practices, or sinful and immoral lifestyles has apparently no bearing on fellowship. Amongst likely unlimited examples for Maxwell, a recent scandal reminds us further that Maxwell is simply a wolf in sheep's clothing. The Bible tells us that "adulterers" are "unrighteous" and will "not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9-10), which means they are unregenerate, regardless of their lip service to Christianity. They are ungodly, lying, and deceiving hypocrites, and hells gates are blown wide open for these "liars, evil beasts, slow bellies" (Ti 1:12). The Bible also commands separation from such, in very plain terms (Eph 5:5-7; 1 Cor 5:11; 2 Cor 6:14-18). Jeremy Foster is the disgraced megachurch pastor who led an adulterous affair (surprise, surprise) while pastoring the heretical, apostate, ungodly, rock and roll depraved, worldly, outrageously-worse-than-Laodicea so-called Hope City church in Texas. The adultery turned into divorce from his wife, and then into an adulterous remarriage, which is ungodly and unBiblical and ongoing adultery. None of that however stopped John Maxwell from hiring Foster, as a marketing manager of sorts as it appears, or maybe even as COO or CMO of Maxwell Leadership. Yikes. Maxwell is so Biblically minded isn't he. Such a good obedient Christian, Johnny boy is.
The Jeremy Foster's and the John Maxwell's are simply evil beasts that merely exploit Christianity to further their worldly and fleshly causes. Nothing they say or do is actually for the glory of Jesus Christ, whom they unscrupulously exploit and abuse as a superficial crutch for selfish power and riches. Reads just like Balaam doesn't it,
"Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." (Ju 1:11-13 ff.)
And Enoch's preaching exposes these ungodly manipulative sinners even further:
"Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage." (Ju 1:14-16)
There are hundreds if not thousands more heretics and apostates that could be shared whom Maxwell associates with, no strings attached. But we don't need to since the ones above are more than sufficient. They speak for themselves and reveal the utter heresy and apostasy of John Maxwell.
"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Am 3:3)
Saved people actually separate from false teachers, false believers, heretics and the like, because they did that at salvation and then continue to do so after, since "the just live by faith" (Rom 1:17).
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor 6:14-18)
Truly saved peopled do not feed the lusts of their flesh and associate with wicked people, like false teachers. They don’t. They find it distressing and nauseating and abhor even the very thought of it. They actually believe and practice what the bible says, such as:
“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” (Rom 12:9)
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Eph 5:11)
Light doesn’t mix with darkness. It is separate from darkness. Every true born again saint is light, fully light, not partially light. Light abhors darkness. It separates from it, like “God divided the light from the darkness.” (Gen 1:4).
Maxwell is a Methodist by Background, and Methodism, like John Wesley, is Heretical.
Maxwell was the former pastor of the 3,500-member Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, CA, USA during the years 1981-1995. Maxwell serves on the Board of Trustees at Indiana Wesleyan University and has a building named after him there, the Maxwell Center for Business and Leadership.
Thus Maxwell is definitely a Methodist by belief, doctrine and practice, of the Wesleyan faction, which is utterly heretical. John Wesley was a false preofessor and teacher that started the harlot sect of Methodism (Rev 17).
Among the many heresies Methodism believes and teaches, a continuation from its founder, is a rejection of eternal security of salvation and embracement of losing salvation, which is a false gospel. There is only one kind of salvation in the Bible and that is eternal salvation. If you can lose your salvation, then who is doing the saving? We are saved to eternal life, at the moment of our regeneration and justification, it is inseparable from salvation. Eternal life, eternal security, is salvation. Works and grace are mutually exclusive (Rom 11:6) and Scripture is rough on someone who adds works to grace. Thats what the "losing salvation" heresy does. It is a false gospel, and here you can read Biblical Reasoning Why Salvation Can Never Be Lost — The True Gospel of Eternal Life and Security.
Like Wesley, they reject the imputation of Christ's righteousness in justification, which condemns the harlot denomination once again with a false gospel and Wesley as an unsaved heretic (and all others who preach this damnable heresy), since no person has ever been saved without Christ’s imputed righteousness (Rom 4:1-8; Jam 2:23; 2 Cor 5:21).
They continue advancing Wesley's damnable heresy of baptismal regeneration, which, again, proves him to be an unsaved heretic. Baptism has no part in salvation or regeneration, but is a depiction of what occurred in salvation, the repentant sinner's identification with his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The other heresies of Wesley are continued in the Methodist such as his erroneous views on the assurance of salvation, belief in the continuation of the sign gifts (which prepared the way for Pentecostalism), Roman Catholic mysticism, Keswick-type theology and the false doctrine of perfectionism in connection with it.
It was Wesley's heretical sanctification doctrine that formed the foundation of the unscriptural Keswick theology that would come later in the mid 19th century. Wesley taught that the believer can experience “a total death to sin, and an entire renewal in love, and image of God” so that “they are now in such a sense perfect, as not to commit sin, and to be freed from evil thoughts and tempers” (A Plain Account of Christian Perfection). This is referred to as the Methodist “entire sanctification” or "complete sanctification," "perfect love," "full salvation," "second rest." The Methodist Church teaches it as follows:
“Entire sanctification is a state of perfect love, righteousness and true holiness which every regenerate believer may obtain by being delivered from the power of sin . . . this gracious gift may be received in this life both gradually and instantaneously, and should be sought earnestly by every child of God.”
The true believer is delivered from the power of sin at salvation (Rom 6), but the Christian life is one of struggle where we are progressively sanctified to become more like Christ (Rom 7-8).
Wesley was also into Catholic mysticism, embracing the teachings of heretics Thomas à Kempis and Jeremy Taylor and many others.
"In John Wesley’s Christian Library (1750), he writes about mystics such as Macarius of Egypt, Ephrem the Syrian, Madame Guyon, François Fénelon, Ignatius of Loyola, John of Ávila, Francis de Sales, Blaise Pascal, and Antoinette Bourignon. The work reflects the influence of Christian mysticism in Wesley’s ministry from the beginning to the end." (source, bold Emphasis added).
And today we find contemplative mysticism rampant in Methodism.
Whether or not Maxwell believes these things, is neither here or there. He aligns with the denomination and system and therefor adopts the teachings. And Methodism has become utterly heretical and apostate in the 21st century, unsurprising, as noted by this ungodly and evil "church."
Truly saved people however come out of the "great whore," and "mother of harlots and abominations of the earth" (i.e., Roman Catholicism) and from her "harlots" (i.e., all denominations and false churches of the world, e.g. protestant sects, Lutheranism, Methodism, Presbyterianism, Episcopalian, Mennonite denominations, evangelicalism, Reformed Calvinism, etc) (Rev 17:1, 5).
"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." (Rev 18:4-5)
Maxwell Loves Himself, Follows After the Things of the World and Riches, and Purveys the Heresy of Successism.
John Maxwell doesn’t have enemies. He only has friends, and it don’t matter who they are. That is why he gets named World’s Top Leadership Guru by leadershipgurus.net. That is why he is recognized as a best-selling author with over 50 books by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Business Week. That is why he is an Internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker and author who has sold over 18 million books. That is why he is one of 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com’s (an evil organization owned by a wicked devil) 10th anniversary hall of fame. That is why he has the most top ranking leadership books at Amazon.com, the world’s largest book supplier. That is why he has been able to train more than 5 million leaders in 126 countries worldwide as the founder of EQUIP, INJOY Stewardship Services and Maximum Impact Trained.
There is a reason for all that. Jesus makes mention of him as well in Lk 6:26,
“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”
The above was taken from his website, written by the man himself, and it absolutely reeks of self-love and gratification. Of that we have absolutely no doubt. In his rejection of separation (e.g., 2 Cor 6:14-18), he proves himself to be a false believer and denier of God's Word:
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor 6:14-18).
John Maxwell loves himself. He loves to speak of himself and his worldly accomplishments. But in so doing he positively and abundantly reveals how lost, unregenerate and sinful he really is. He is the perfect narcissistic fulfillment of 1 Jn 2:15-17,
“If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
He loves the world. Clearly. He loves following after the lusts of his flesh, the lust of his eyes, and the pride of his life. That is John Maxwell. This is who he is. He is a lover of mammon, who is his master.
But Jesus warned,
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
This passage exposes all those that love money and riches — “they that will be rich” (1 Tim 6:9-10), as unregenerate and unsaved, regardless of their so-called profession of faith, and “Christianity,” and playing church. The Bible easily exposes their counterfeit “faith.” In Maxwell's Bio write-ups, there is not only a glaring absent of anything related to Christianity, nor can one ever read anything even remotely related to a testimony of salvation. Of course any true believer knows the entire reason for such purposeful neglect.
Yet Maxwell carries himself as a professing Christian, in the public spotlight, and that of course has a particular purpose. He is a conservative that on rare occasion throws in some Biblical reference, to keep his “Christian” audience in the ruse. He is a celebrity “conservative,” thats all that he is. These are the fawned-over hero’s of conservatives, evangelical Christians, Protestants and others within Christiandom, or close to it. There is an overlap between his worldview and the worldview of a true Bible believer, hence his popularity in conservatism, amongst so-called Christians. I highly doubt that Maxwell is anything even close to a Christian, but he would shrink his audience if wouldn’t call himself one. God, the Bible, Christianity, is exploited merely as a means to an end. As a crutch. Like Balaam. Like Judas. Actually just like Judas. He, on an ongoing basis, sells Christ for pieces of silver. He does resonate with professing Christians and they listen to, watch, and read him because of his business smarts. Should they? Not if the Word of God is actually their sole authority for faith and practice. But that’s exactly where the issue largely lies, in that the Bible is not actually their sole authority for faith and practice, they just give lip service to it. That is not only evident in who they are attracted to and beguiled by, but also in their truck loads of heresies and sinful practices concerning false doctrine, corruption of Scripture, embracement of counterfeit perversions of Gods Word, immodest and gender indistinctive dress, affection to worldly and ungodly music that masquerades as “Christian” (i.e. CCM, southern gospel, country), other worldliness, no Biblical stance on truth, severely lack understanding what truth is, blown about by all winds of doctrine and followers of strange and diverse doctrines, etc.
What Maxwell really is, is a counterfeit. An imposter and false teacher. One the Bible aptly calls a belly worshipper (Rom 16:18; Phil 3:18-19). His false doctrine exposes his love for self, and not for the Lord Jesus Christ, and Rom 16:17-18 and Phil 3:18-19 reveal his true identity:
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (Rom 16:17-18)
“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” (Phil 3:18-19)
As does 2 Cor 11:12:-15, fitting those who Paul is warning about, to perfection
"But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
Maxwells God is his belly. His love is his belly, but NOT the Lord Jesus Christ. And then he deceives the hearts of the simple by his “good words and fair speeches.” (Rom 16:18). These individuals, which is the vast majority of Christiandom (simple or scorners), are consistently beguiled and deceived by false teachers (Rom 16:17) under whom they sit and feed, which Rom 16:18 speaks to.
Pr 14 warns of the simple:
“The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. . . . The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.” (vv. 15, 18).
So it comes as no surprise that these same simple-minded individuals are deceived by a smooth talking, flattering, effeminate, intellect that intertwines puffs of Biblical truth into his corrupt world view that is in love with the world and mammon. That resonates with people in a religious world largely evil and atheistic, just like Rom 16:18 tells us.
The perfect illustration of Maxwell's love for himself and for riches, and for the things of this world while purveying the heresy of successism, yea indeed the pinnacle of mainstream Big Evas, is to climax with your own Bible. The ungodly, lying, adulterous and false teacher C.I. Scofield did it, MacArthur did it, others have done it, and so must Maxwell. His own Bible! The Maxwell Leadership Bible. Oh how sweet and fitting it is. It was paramount that people read the NKJV through the lens of Maxwell's leadership "wisdom," so a "study Bible" had to be written! No, I think what they heard was chi-ching 🤑🤑. The NKJV is just another ungodly and blasphemous perversion of God's Word, but now that it contains the words of Maxwell, it is a blasphemous commentary.
Conclusion.
John Maxwell is a professing Christian but exposed as a heretic and a false teacher. He has embraced and preaches "another Jesus" and "another gospel" and is led by "another spirit" (2 Cor 11:4). His leadership advice is divorced from the truth of Scripture. In many ways he is kin to Judas, using Christ for his own gain, and then repeatedly betraying Him. He is one who is warned of in 2 Tim 3:5, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:" of whom God commands, "from such turn away."
I would say to John Maxwell,
“O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” (Ac 13:10)
Lest Maxwell comes to true repentance and faith, thus the miraculous new birth, he will hear the following words from the Lord Jesus Christ at his judgment,
"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matt 7:23)
If you like listening to men like John Maxwell, you need to be born again. Seriously. This is the truth. The Bible tells us this: Rom 16:18; Phil 3:18-19. You are not saved because truly saved saints do not follow after the voices of strangers, but the voice of their Shepherd (Jn 10:1-5). Stop playing around with your eternal destiny. Stop deceiving yourself. Stop loving yourself and the lusts of your flesh. Repent. Turn from you, from your sin, from heretics and false teachers such as this, from your pride and refusal to acknowledge your unregenerate estate. Enter the pathway of understanding. Turn from the worldly “wisdom” that might progress your business but only benefits the temporal, unto Godly wisdom that will save your soul and make you a true servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and workman for eternal treasure and reward. God's wrath is upon you, and you under already condemned to death and hell (Jn 3:18, 36).
Fear the Lord,
"Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver." (Ps 50:22).
Listen to the exhortation of the Lord over this very issue:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matt 6:19-21)
You’ve been laying up treasures upon this earth. Full stop. Turn from this, and be born again, by true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and then you can lay up treasures in heaven that actually have eternal value. Stop living for the temporal and seek out the Lord Jesus Christ until He brings you to the place of true repentance. That requires fearing the Lord.
You can never repent or be saved without true and genuine fear of the Lord:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. . . . The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. . . . The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. . . . The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. . . . The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. . . . By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. . . . The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. . . . Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.” (Pr 1:7; 8:13; 9:10; 14:27; 15:33; 16:6; 19:23; Is 2:10)
“Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.” (Ac 13:26)
Those that reject the truth, reject the fear of God and the knowledge of God, are rejecting the call to repentance by the reproof of God the Spirit, and need to LISTEN HERE:
“Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:” (Pr 1:23-29)
Men like Maxwell should give careful heed to what Psalm 49 warns of, that he (and they) are like rich beasts that perish,
[1] "Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
[2] Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
[3] My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
[4] I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
[5] Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
[6] They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
[7] None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
[8] (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
[9] That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
[10] For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
[11] Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
[12] Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
[13] This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
[14] Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
[15] But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
[16] Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
[17] For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
[18] Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
[19] He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
[20] Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish."