Posted on 12/16/2009 3:23:30 AM PST by Zakeet
Pentecostals have always been the red-headed stepchildren of American Christianity -- holy rollers who were known for speaking in tongues or laughing wildly and even barking like dogs while seized by religious ecstasy, or producing miracle healings on command and handling venomous snakes without fear.
All of that was made possible, of course, by calling on the Holy Spirit -- yet was too embarrassing for sober-sided mainline Protestants and even hellfire Southern Baptists, and incomprehensible to the point of batty for Roman Catholics and other high-church folks.
Or at least it was until Oral Roberts came along.
Roberts, who died Tuesday at 91, was a force in American religious history, a pioneer in mass media evangelism and a mentor -- either directly or by his influence -- to a generation of preachers and politicians who continue to shape American culture and global Christianity. He was second only in popularity and visibility to Billy Graham.
[Snip]
"I think he planted the seeds publicly of what became the charismatic renewal after 1960 because the American public first saw Pentecostalism in their living rooms through his televised tent crusades," Vinson Synan, a historian of Pentecostalism at Pat Robertson's Regent University told Charisma magazine. Jack Hayford, former president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, agreed: "If God had not, in His sovereign will, raised up the ministry of Oral Roberts, the entire charismatic movement might not have occurred."
At his death, however, Roberts also left behind significant questions about the future of Pentecostalism and spirit-filled Christianity.
Even during the latter years of his turbulent career, Oral Roberts came to be known for the kind of spiritual showmanship and financial brinkmanship that gave Pentecostalism the reputation he'd once helped it overcome.
(Excerpt) Read more at politicsdaily.com ...
This book raises some interesting questions about Oral, his ministry, and others like them. It's worth a read IMHO.
American Pentecostalism was greatly damaged by men like Oral Roberts, who spread false doctrines , like the Word of Faith “Prosperity Gospel” and use “point of contact” scams to swindle gullible Christians.
Men like Jack Hayford, and other Pentecostal leaders who seem more sound, yet ignore the damnable heresies of charlatans like Roberts, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Paula White, Marilyn Hickey, and their lot, and have called them “great men and women of God”, rather than carrying out their biblical duty to correct and rebuke them and expose their heresies to the church are even more to blame, IMHO.
If Pentecostal leaders had stood up to the greedy charlatans, they would have been largely rejected, and only caused minor damage. Some might have even repented and turned from preaching lies to preaching the true Gospel.
His mentioning fringe stuff like “divine laughter” and dog barking right up front makes it obvious where he is coming from.
Do TV evangelists teach perfect doctrine. No. Have they become corrupted by the big dollars it takes to run their ministry, perhaps. But they also reach out around the world and touch millions and millions of people who would not otherwise have never heard the gospel. All of Gods servants are imperfect.
But, IMHO, the Pentecostal church is so full of condemnation and legalism. But IMO, virtually every denomination grossly underestimate the Grace and Love of God.
Seems his ministry like to prey on the alzheimer elderly by having them sent 2-3 time a week reminders that their donations were welcome, and that they hadn't been heard from lately.
Him, Jim Baker, and Swagart were all slimeballs.
I grew up in Pentecostal churches, even had one grandparent who went to a snake handling church and we visited occassionally for family reunions. Not one time in my life did I hear someone bark like a dog.
My family did some loo loo stuff while ‘in the spirit’, but that barking just wasn’t one of them. lol
I’m 2/3 of the way through that book. Great reading! I’d highly recommend it to those who know someone being deceived by these false gospels.
Show me ANY church or pastor and I KNOW I can find something wrong with it/him/her.
It’s funny how Christianity gets stereotyped as thinking of itself as having reached ‘perfection’. QUITE the contrary - Christians are Christians BECAUSE they figure out that they’re hopelessly flawed human beings and need a greater power than what’s within them. This goes for pastors and evangelists too.
I am no dedicated fan of any of these evangelists named here, but folks LOVE to twist anything they can that’s been said by these folks and try to turn them into wicked, eeeevil, charlatans.
To these folks: I’d like to see YOU go out and spread the word of God. See how perfectly YOU could do it.
?
Do tell.
Millions of unbelievers watch these greedy clowns on TV and think, “If that is Christianity, I want no part of it.” Whenever a true Christian tries to witness to them, they are likely to think of the greedy charlatans and not listen.
They don't care about spreading the Gospel, and preach very little of it, and the little they preach is rarely pure. They are only seeking more sheep they can fleece.
If God uses their evil intentions for good, and occasionally someone is saved watching their programs, that is to His Glory and confers no more merit to the charlatans, than the treachery of Joseph's brothers conferred to them, event though God used it for good.
They also have also received billions of dollars of offerings that might otherwise have gone to legitimate missionaries and ministries, who would have used those funds to preach the truth of the Gospel.
Catholic charismatics have been around since the late 60s. They usually meet at prayer meetings weekly and some speak in tongues.
“...since the late 60s.”
They’ve “been around” longer than that. ;-)
McArthur’s tome is full of unBiblical ignorance, imho.
Holy Spirit is not at all impressed and continues to do whatever HE wants through the lives of those who truly Love Jesus and take Jesus AT HIS WORD.
Acts 2 is alive and well as are I Cor 12-14 in churches all around the globe.
In South America, Charismania/Pentecostalism is bringing millions into a vibrant RELATIONSHIP with Jesus.
Ditto in China and India and Africa.
In regions of the world where demonic forces are known well instead of denied, folks demand the authentic.
Scripture speaks of folks like McArthur . . .
a form of religion but DENYING THE POWER THEREOF.
EVERY
denomination I know of is
GUILTY of the SAME sorts of stuff Pentecostals/Charismatics are accused of
. . . merely in a DIFFERENT, SOMETIMES MORE WHITEWASHED form.
The double standard is outrageous.
Jack Hayford is a wonderful man of God.
He’s also much more given to admonishing error and excesses privately vs publically.
They’d be more edified by a Sears catalogue.
Disclaimer: I'm not Pentecostal myself but I have friends who are. Some living, some not.
I've never seen or known of any of them "laughing wildly", barking like dogs or handling snakes. One, who was a retired RN, prayed over my injured hand once after wrapping it with a bandage and giving me some aleve. I suppose that might qualify as a "miracle on command" in this guys books because my hand did get better.
Also, Oral Roberts was an evangelical Methodist by denomination, not Pentecostal.
Living here in "Northeastern Oklahoma", I can vouch for the fact that there's much criticism of the Roberts family that sticks, but my goodness... people like this guy ought to at least do some homework before they start revealing their ignorance.
Where does stuff like this come from?
WELL PUT. INDEED!
i GATHER you decline to subtract out the many 10’s of millions
THEY have funneled into mission works around the world.
How convenient for you.
When Oral said he was wrestling with Satan in the living room and asked for money for the hospital, I thought it was time for him to go.
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