Archive for November, 2017
Professional Pulpit Profiteers
The documentary is interesting, though not eye-opening. We are all well aware of the abuses financially, sexually, and otherwise that these “men/women of God” have been involved in and in some cases, continue as though they’ve done nothing wrong. Won’t it be nice when the Lord returns? This kind of chicanery will evaporate like fog on a hot day.
Losing Control in the Name of God?
What would the apostle Paul say about this? He would denounce it, according to what he wrote to the Corinthians and I wish he were here to do exactly that! The prophet of God was always in self-control. How many times did Paul (and other writers), talk about the need for the Christian to be in control of their faculties?
Charismatic Renewal Movement (CRM) in the 1960s
We validate our mystical pursuit of God, claiming that since God is supernatural, we should expect God to “prove” Himself with signs and wonders. This is in spite of the fact that Jesus Himself condemned a generation that sought signs (Matthew 16:4). Of course, those involved in movements that stress signs and wonders deny that they are seeking signs to believe in God as Jesus’ contemporaries did. They would argue that they are simply seeking God, not signs. Because He is supernatural, His Presence (manifestation), should be seen in signs and wonders as normative.
Continue Reading November 28, 2017 at 10:35 AM Leave a comment
Voice of Healing Movement of the 1950’s…
Branham stated he was commissioned by an angel in 1946 and shortly thereafter began his healing ministry with included revivals. Interesting that it was not God who commissioned Branham.
Numerous photos were taken of Branham where either a light (“fire”) above his head or over his shoulder exists. Branham believed that these occurrences were God’s stamp of approval on him and his ministry. So rather than go to Scriptures, he assumed the “sign” as being of God.
New Order of Latter Rain Begins in the 1940’s…
Azusa birthed Pentecostalism and the NOLR movement was actually renounced by Assemblies of God in 1949, but that didn’t stop NOLR. It has continued resolutely because there are always people who want “more” of God and they want it quickly, through mystical and ecstatic experiences rather than the longer tried and true way of reading through His Word daily to gain a greater understanding of who God is and how He works.
Signs, Wonders, Bells and Whistles
The only “ecstatic” experience witnessed as a direct result of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit onto believers in prayer, was the presence of “tongues.” While this subject is hotly debated still today, the truth is in that particular case, the believers were actually speaking in a known tongue (though unknown to them at the time). We know this simply because of the way people responded. While some referred to them as being “drunk,” it wasn’t necessarily due to their actions or the way they walked. It was due to the fact that it seemed to some that they were simply babbling like a drunk person would do. Kenneth Hagin has stated that if people thought they were drunk, they must have been acting drunk (my paraphrase). That’s absolutely not true if we consider the context of those verses.
Something Insidious This Way Grows…
Jesus warns His followers to watch out for false prophets. He was speaking of those who deliberately teach falsely. What is their purpose in being false? These false prophets do what they do for their own selfish gain (2 Peter 2; Acts 20). The Bible treats false prophets and teachers as a reality that will always be with us until the physical return of our Lord and we need to be aware of how they work.
Continue Reading November 20, 2017 at 9:21 AM Leave a comment
What is New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)?
But it needs to be stated that there truly is nothing new under the sun. Things come around again with different names and a slightly different emphasis, therefore they are “new.” The problem with NAR, as with the Emergent Church (they’re more alike than many realize, with the exception of the “signs and wonders” in NAR), and many aspects of the Charismatic Movement has to do with the fact that these groups are really offshoots of other groups from previous times in history. They’re given a modern-day look and feel in an attempt to reach youth especially, but in reality, it’s all been done before.
A Personal Story of Deception
The torment eventually began to subside through the process of fully submitting myself to Jesus again. I could do nothing else but to throw myself into the verse, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) In my efforts to make that happen, I made a conscious decision to resist the devil by literally ignoring the harassment. During that time, I stopped looking up at the sky and simply would not acknowledge the images. I turned away whenever I noticed one of them. I knew that this had happened due to my own actions of allowing witchcraft to remain in my house, and I whole-heartedly repented of it. I read the Bible and filled my mind with the Word every chance I got. I prayed constantly. Then, finally… one day it occurred to me that I hadn’t seen them for a while. It had taken months, but they were gone… Completely gone!
Continue Reading November 16, 2017 at 10:35 AM Leave a comment
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