Bttt.
Great piece Bill. I was a child back in those days of the 70’s and my parents came to know Christ personally through that renewal while in the Catholic church (among a group who were relegated to meeting in the basement of the church). (I was raised well by them and later in life came to receive Christ as well.) They left the Catholic church right after then as did most of their friends.
I think this is a familiar situation that happens throughout church history. Martin Luther and other Protestants had the same type of conversions as they through off the shackles of the old church that became more about money and religion and wanted little to do with Christ.
Look at the status of all those reformers churches -now. They became the thing that their founders despised an now reject truth.
The same thing happened with the churches in the “charismatic movement”. It became about money, power, influence and compromise. These clowns with all their books and mega-churches won’t stand up against anything as sin.
The one thing that remains constant is Christ and his truth. America itself can be lumped in with those churches heading to apostasy. Like Israel - we will probably be handed over to our enemies. But at least Israel has an eternal covenant with God and can count on being restored at some point.
God bless,
Scott
Uhhhhhhhh . . .
there was in the Old Testament . . . some folks who tossed a dead man’s body into a grave of a prophet.
When the new dead body touched the prophet’s bones, the newly dead came back to life.
Nonsense is nonsense.
However, none of us have it all figured out.
The errors and assists to hell in the non-charismatic, non-Pentecostal churches may be less obvious, less flashy, less garish . . .
However, they are AT LEAST
AS DEADLY.
And, as varied and plentiful.
It’s (Past) Time for a Charismatic Reformation
1. Let’s reform our theology. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is God and He is holy. He is not an “it.” He is not a blob, a force, or an innate power. We must stop manipulating Him, commanding Him and throwing Him around.
2. Let’s return to the Bible. The Word of God is the foundation for the Christian experience. Any dramatic experience, no matter how spiritual it seems, must be tested by the Word and the Holy Spirit’s discernment. Visions, dreams, prophecies and encounters with angels must be in line with Scripture. If we don’t test them we could end up spreading deception.
3. It’s time for personal responsibility. We charismatics must stop blaming everything on demons. People are usually the problem.
4. Stop playing games. Spiritual warfare is a reality, but we are not going to win the world to Jesus just by shouting at demonic principalities. We must pray, preach and persevere to see ultimate victory.
5. Stop the foolishness. People who hit, slap or push others during prayer should be asked to sit down until they learn gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
6. End all spiritual extortion now. Christian television ministries must cease and desist from all manipulative fundraising tactics. We must stop giving platforms to ministers who make outlandish claims of supernatural financial returns, especially when Scripture is twisted, deadlines are imposed and the poor are exploited.
7. No more Lone Rangers. Those who claim to be ministers of God—whether they are traveling evangelists, local pastors or heads of ministries—must be accountable to other leaders. Any who refuse to submit their lives to godly discipline should be corrected.
8. Expose the creeps. Churches should start doing background checks on traveling ministers. Preachers who have been hiding criminal records, lying about their past marriages, preying on women or refusing to pay child support should be exposed as charlatans and shunned if they do not repent.
9. Stop faking the anointing. God is God, and He does not need our “help” to manifest Himself. That means we don’t sprinkle glitter on ourselves to suggest God’s glory is with us, hide fake jewels on the floor to prove we are anointed or pull chicken feathers out of our sleeves to pretend angels are in the room. This is lying to the Holy Spirit.
10. Let’s return to purity. We’ve had enough scandals. The charismatic church must develop a system for the restoration of fallen ministers. Those who fall morally can be restored, but they must be willing to submit to a process of healing rather than rushing immediately back into the pulpit.
11. We need humility. Ministers who demand celebrity treatment, require lavish salaries, insist on titles or exhibit aloofness from others are guilty of spiritual pride.
12. No more big shots. Apostles are the bondslaves of Christ, and should be the most impeccable models of humility. True apostles do not wield top-down, hierarchical authority over the church. They serve the church from the bottom up as true servants.
13. Never promote gifts at the expense of character. Those who operate in prophecy, healing and miracles must also exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. And while we continue to encourage the gift of tongues, let’s make sure we don’t treat it like some kind of badge of superiority. The world needs to see our love, not our glossolalia.
14. Hold the prophets accountable. Those who refuse to take responsibility for inaccurate statements should not be given platforms. And “prophets” who live immoral lives don’t deserve a public voice.
15. Let’s make the main thing the main thing. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s anointing is to empower us to reach others. We are at a crossroads today: Either we continue off-course, entertained by our charismatic sideshows, or we throw ourselves into evangelism, church planting, missions, discipleship, and compassionate ministry that helps the poor and fights injustice. Churches that embrace this New Reformation will focus on God’s priorities.
In due time--when the group of KC prophets (...and again the Toronto airport renewal...) --began exalting spiritual experience over sound doctrine and refused the correction gently offered by the recognized elders & leaders, there were (Biblical) partings of the ways.
God blessed John's devotion to ministry and faithfulness to His Word with many verified healings and powerful works of the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, John Wimber personally led many people to personal salvation in Christ -- usually one at a time-- before any of his detractors even knew his name.
I recommend the pastor/author check his church and movement history carefully before painting the memory of Godly men with such a broad brush.
Romans 14:4 might contain a word of wisdom.
I graduated from an Assembly of God college in 1992. I left the Pentecostal / Charismatic movement 12 years ago and have never looked back. I am an ordained Southern Baptist pastor today. I have never once regretted my decision and departure from the movement. I am spiritually stronger today than ever. I have a much greater insight into spiritual truth, with a much greater illumination and understanding into the things of God.
So are the Spiritual Gifts actually active today or not? All that I have ever witnessed, especially by these Charismatic types, have always been emotional frauds. They celebrate false prophets and false prophecy, and they hate you when you challenge them.
My conclusion, as a result of all of this, was “blessed are they who have not seen, and yet still believed”. They are focused on “seeing” God, but not on serving Him.
So what is the conclusion here regarding spiritual gifts? Is such a thing as prophecy, healing, or whatnot, active in this day and age? I tend to think not.
HIMSELF
by A. B. Simpson
Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.
Once ‘twas painful trying, Now ‘tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once ‘twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once ‘twas constant drifting, Now my anchor’s cast.
Once ‘twas busy planning, Now ‘tis trustful prayer;
Once ‘twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once ‘twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once ‘twas constant asking, Now ‘tis ceaseless praise.
Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.
Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He’s mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the vail.
That link about ‘soaking anointing’ was disturbing.
I checked out your website and thought you looked familiar. Today, I went to re-watch a sermon at Moriel.org, The Great Church Robbery, and noticed you are the guy who is introducing him.
Nice to see you here on FR.
Roberts, Copeland, and many others were caught-up in themselves, and named their ministries, and colleges after themselves. I thought this was supposed to be about Yeshua!