But the Church IS the body of Christ on earth -- His Peace, His Grace, His Wisdom, His Love -- anything else is a counterfeit, having the illusion of value based on the ignorance of the observer.
I would not be too excited about something claiming to be truth but off by a degree or two at the center gaining much influence. Its benefits to souls will be tangential to its errors, I would think.
It's not surprising that the enemy spends a lot of time and effort
counterfeiting
THAT OF GOD WHICH IS MOST POSTENT AND EFFICACIOIUS.
Certainly the enemy works hard to pollute, distract, pervert, sideline, make askew that true I Cor 12-14 Operations of Holy Spirit in our era.
But Holy Spirit will win in the end.
The masses of Islamic conversions via DREAMS, VISIONS, VISITATIONS OF THE RISEN LORD are all Holy Spirit operations. Denial of them doesn't change or tarnish the fact of them a microgram's worth.
God loves to confound the wise with HIS FOOLISHNESS.
I've always thought that the Pentecostal sides and flavors of authentic Christianity were His prime examples of that.
And, in my experience, it's been the unknown, no-name sorts of "insignificant," truly humble prayer warriors, prophetesses etc. who've had the most powerful Holy Spirit impacts on my life and ministry.
The naysayers can rant, pontificate, excoriate, rationalize away, deny, play rubber Bible day in year out and Holy Spirit will just keep on doing all the powerful things He does so well.
And, eternity will reveal it all in good time. Then, the mockery etc. will be met with thunderous silence as the humiliated submit to God's ways, God's priorities and God's Spirit.
There is, however, a very serious hazard to ascribing to satan, or the enemy, things that are truly Holy Spirit birthed.
someone who was "born again"???
Salvation through Christ is neither a fad nor is it unique to the Pentecostal Church, but is a fundamental teaching of Jesus Christ Himself that is universal to ALL Christian doctrine.
Jesus said that anyone who is NOT born again WILL NEVER see the Kingdom of Heaven.
The problem with the Christian Church is that we spend so much time downing each other's doctrine or method of worship and not enough time focusing on what we have in common...our love of G-d. We need to kick that attitude to the curb and really begin to worship the true and living G-d in spirit and in truth. ...no matter if you pray in tongues, bow your head in silence, dance and shout at the top of your lungs. He is the True and Living G-d.