Posted on 04/09/2018 8:39:42 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Charismatic-Pentecostal movement finds itself at a critical juncture. On the one hand, our movement is arguably responsible for the greatest ingathering souls in Church history, with well over 500 million new converts in the last 50 years. On the other hand, abuses abound in our midst, from sexual scandals to financial impropriety and from unaccountable prophecies to doctrinal deviances.
It is high time that we do some self-policing. Better that we judge ourselves than be judged by the Lord (see 1 Peter 4:17; 1 Corinthians 11:31-32).
I recently signed up to receive emails from a well-known "prophet," curious to see if he had changed his ways. (In the past, his fundraising methods were infamous.) Immediately, I received this appeal:
_____________________________________________
CLICK HERE TO SOW THE $80.18 for DEUTERONOMY 8:18
(Your urgent response is required)
MIRACLE MONEY is coming, discover WHEN now! PROFITABLE CONNECTIONS are yours, discover WHO now! GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES will be found, discover WHERE now!
_____________________________________________
And it got much worse after this, including stories of people who had suffered serious losses because they failed to respond to the prophet's word. What a horror. More horrible still, I'm sure hundreds or thousands of sincere but gullible believers wrote out checks for $80.18, even if they barely had a dollar to their name.
A critic of the Charismatic-Pentecostal movement, of which I am a joyful, committed part, emailed me a couple of years back. He pleaded with me to watch a segment from a recent broadcast of a famous TV preacher. I watched, and I was shocked. The critic was not exaggerating.
This prominent TV preacher brought a "prophet" onto his program and asked him to receive the offering. The prophet claimed to have received a direct, clear word from the Lord, warning of a major disaster coming that September, which was then just a few weeks off.
The good news was that if you gave an offering of $500, you, your children, and your grandchildren would be protected from this disaster, plus your debts would be cancelled and your body healed. And this was on national (and probably international) Christian TV.
How in the world did the stations allow this to air? And how could this prominent TV preacher allow this to happen on his watch? This is absolutely corrupt in every way.
Aside from the fact that no major disaster happened that September, it is complete manipulation to claim people must give a sacrificial gift to a particular ministry to be protected from a disaster.
What if they simply trusted God to protect them from this impending doom? And what if they could only afford to give $250? Does that mean only half of their family would be protected? Yet people wrote out their checks and donated their hard-earned money, believing the smooth talk of this slick prophet. I'd be surprised if he didn't receive a nice cut of the offering too.
But it's not only prophetic abuses we've had in our midst. One megachurch pastor slept with his brother's wife and fathered a child by her. Years later, that child, who thought he was the megachurch pastor's nephew, took his place as the new pastor of the church, only to find out that his "uncle" was his father. So, the leadership succession in this congregation went from the father to the son born out of adultery and incest.
Another megachurch pastor said that God told him he married the wrong woman. Seven days after his divorce went through, he married his new wife, continuing to minister without interruption. Ironically, it was the pastor who slept with his brother's wife who performed the wedding. May God help us to repent.
I absolutely believe in showing mercy, and I live by the kindness of God 24/7. I'm all for restoration, knowing that our God is a redeemer. And I'm the last one to throw stones at my fallen brothers and sisters, knowing full well that "there go I but for the grace of God."
But will we really see change if we don't preach the cross, don't preach repentance, don't call out sin, and don't call out disobedience? We will really see change if we major on the minors and minor on the majors? If we put personal revelation ahead of the Word of God? If we preach a gospel of financial gain? If we substitute flakiness for fullness? As Derek Prince wisely said, "Do not expect New Testament results without New Testament methods."
I personally believe that the best is yet to come and that what we have seen so far is nothing compared to what is coming in the days ahead – the greatest outpouring of the Spirit in the history of the planet. All the more, then, it is urgent that we get our house in order, that we quit celebrating doctrinal silliness, that we hold our leaders accountable, that we quit manipulating people out of their money, and that we show our Lord that we are ready to go to the next level in Him.
A dying world is watching and waiting. Heaven is looking down with interest. How will we respond? May we no longer play with holy fire. The flames of God are too sacred for silly games.
(Some of the material in this article has been adapted from my new book, Playing with Holy Fire: A Wake-up Call to the Charismatic-Pentecostal Church, just released this week.)
“Ravings of a madman, yes.”
If you are talking about the Koran.
“But John’s Revelations were not accepted for 350 years after they were put to paper.”
That’s not true. Revelation was written by John the apostle and was transmitted to the churches of Asia mentioned in the book while John was still alive. It was received by the church in accordance with its claims as a message from Christ to the churches.
Polycarp was personally mentored by John the apostle and was appointed bishop in Smyrna (one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation) by John. Polycarp mentored Irenaeus who cited Revelation as a Biblical text authored by John the apostle.
Besides Iranaeus, other early church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Melito, and Clement of Alexandria quote from Revelation in their writings.
The Muratorian fragment includes Revelation. And it is dated around 170 because it refers to Pius 1 “most recently in our time” along with his brother as if the writer is a contemporary. This fragment is not a complete list and also references some texts which do not sound like the names of books we recognize as canon today. So some do not consider this document to provide a definitive answer. However, it does show that Revelation was commonly accepted as Biblical at that time.
So, from the time of the apostles until the first church council, Revelation was clearly already in use as a Biblical text. At this first council (Nicea 325) Bibles were in use, but there is no record of discussion of what books were recognized as canon. So it is reasonably assumed that there was no significant debate on this matter.
Councils later included or disputed Revelation as canonical. Ironically, the Council of Laodicea—city of the lukewarm church of Revelation—rejected its canonicity.
Keep in mind that throughout these times the copying and transmitting of sacred texts was extremely difficult. They did not have computers, printers, Internet, or email. Just the ability for diverse groups separated by time and distance to have any degree of agreement is miraculous.
There was a you tube series I saw recently by a pastor who said asking if the gift of tongues is for today was the wrong question.
His conclusion was that the question should be (essentially) *Is what is being practiced today the same thing as the gift of tongues that was evidenced in the NT church?*
I agreed with him completely.
Considering how little what is being claimed to be the gift of tongues follows Scriptural instructions on how the gift is to be expressed, I’d say *No*.
It’s not holy anything.
They can excuse it all they want as *the joy of the Lord*, but what I’ve seen personally has been contrived by the speaker as he worked the crowd.
Oh, yeah, people have so much control over God.
I agree. In fact, I think it’s very unholy. I know you told me what this movement is called, but I always forget it. Tell me again, and I will put it in notes. 😂
Let me sleep on that. I’ll get back to you with the term I may have used.
It wouldn’t be kundalini would it? That is Hinduism.
Well; considering that our FR Catholic friends insist that the 'church' has been CATHOLIC from Day One; John's writings SHOW how screwed up THEIR CHURCH has been since Day; oh; THREE or so!
Seven 'catholic churches' mentioned; ALL teaching EXACTLY what the Apostles taught !!
only until you tire of gently placing a long wooden object, with a cross section of 1.5" by 3.5", along side certain persons cranial containers.
Good Luck!!!
I've long since quit seeking the perfect, and have accepted the fact that it ain't out there.
There is one Perfect; and THAT I'll cling to!
I don't want to miss out; due to my frustration; and strike the rock instead of speaking to it.
Yes, that’s it.
A kundalini spirit has infected the church.
Scary stuff.
If only more people realized what was going on.
It is also written, “For it is by Grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Please answer the question: Nestorians do not recognize the book of Revelations. Are they Christians?
I recall, back in the 70s, in a certain denomination, seeing people fall out, and calling it being slain in the spirit. I always wondered what would happen, if no one was there to catch them, when they fell out? They might suffer serious injury, then probably ask for God’s healing. It always caused me consternation and confusion.
Since God is not the author of confusion, I left, and never went back again. It’s kundalini for sure. I think it comes from Hinduism. I just never knew that, back in the 70s, but we didn’t have the internet back then, and no access to the same information we have today.
I had no accident with Nair. It just fell out naturally, and never grew back. 😇👎
Hallelujah to your witness, Prov1322!
Uh, the content?
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