The Authority of Doyle Davidson
My esteemed colleague Rod France over at Spiritual Pathways Blog recently wrote that Doyle Davidson has no authority over anyone including his own flesh. On the whole I agree with Rod that Davidson wields lot less authority than he imagines. But I must disagree slightly with the idea that he has no authority.
Doyle Davidson does have authority over those who have submitted themselves to him.
Rom 6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
The word authority as it is translated in the New Testament is the Greek word exousia which means the power of choice or liberty, the power of doing as one pleases. In another context it means the power of rule or government or the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed.
Unfortunately many people at Water of Life have allowed Doyle Davidson to exercise an unhealthy level of power over their lives. Is that the kind of authority or power Jesus spoke of when he taught His disciples?
Mark 10:42-43
But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister (servant) And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
Davidson exercises a worldly type of lordship or authority over the people at Water of Life. This is a great sin and the mark of a false teacher. Paul warned us about such men.
Acts 20:30
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them
Davidson has convinced many people that they must have an apostle to teach them and correct them. Not only is this a false teaching, but we see from Doyle’s own testimony that he searched for an apostle for himself but could not find one.
I saw the need of an apostle in my life. I knew in my heart that I had to have an apostle to get me out of where God had led me to be tempted of the devil. I sought direction from God, and I listened to various speakers. I tried the spirits that they walked in…………
After that day, it became clear in my spirit that I had to only hear from the Lord Jesus. I sought him, believing that he would correct me and deliver me. (From “Everyone Needs an Apostle” by Doyle Davidson – May 7 2007)
So we see that Davidson discovered he didn’t need an apostle to bring him correction after all. All he needed was to hear from the Lord himself. Do you see the contradiction here? Doyle tells you that he can hear from God himself but you need an apostle in order to hear from God. Where in scripture does it say that a born again believer needs an apostle for instruction, reproof, or correction?
Here is the truth that you will not get from Davidson.
1Cor 11:3
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
The head of every man is Christ. Paul does not say the head of every man is an apostle. He does not say the head of every man is a pastor and he certainly doesn’t say the head of every man is Doyle Davidson.
If you are a child of God you are to submit yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ. You can hear His voice yourself. You can obey Him yourself. You can follow His direction for your life.
John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
I see many people who have come out of Water of Life and others who desire to come out but are still in bondage to Davidson and his false doctrines. If you are one of these you need to renounce your association with this man. By submitting to him you have become his disciple and he is still able to exercise a measure of authority or lordship over your life.
1Cor 11:4
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
But submitting to the lordship of Doyle Davidson you have in effect covered your true head, the Lord Jesus Christ. You have dishonored Christ. You have made Jesus a liar by saying “I can’t hear from the Lord except through the apostle Doyle Davidson”
I attended Water of Life church from sometime in 2001 until November of 2003. A few months after I had stopped attending I contacted Doyle who at that time I still considered a friend. I wanted to let him know what I was doing and that the Lord had led me to start my own ministry. I thought he would be happy for me. Instead he went on television that night and told everyone that I had called him looking for a place to preach, which was a lie. He implied that I was in rebellion and said that I wasn’t believing anything.
Since that time we have prospered greatly and our ministry has grown in ways I never could have expected or conceived. I can assure you that no evil has befallen us and no plague has come near our dwelling despite what Doyle Davidson said about me personally. One of the reasons for this is that I never submitted myself to the lordship of Doyle. I was never one of his disciples, therefore he has no authority or power over me. The Lord told me to leave Water of Life and I obeyed. Today it is obvious why the Lord had me leave that place.
If you have come out of Water of Life or would like to come out, I implore you by the Spirit of God to renounce your association with this man. Repent before the Lord and confess your sin of submitting to a man. Take the Bible and ask the Lord to be your teacher.
1John 2:27
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
If you do this, the Lord will forgive you and He will begin to show you the depth of deception under which you have been sitting. You will begin to see things you haven’t been able to see. You will have a greater understanding of God’s word and you will begin to know once again the joy of the Lord and the wonderful liberty we have in Christ alone.
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Steve Lumbley 2007
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