Posts tagged ‘charismatic movement’
Would You Know God, Pt 1?
The reason “pride goeth before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18), is due solely to the fact that pride replaces fear. The two cannot coexist. It is one or the other. Which lives in you? Which lives in me? We cannot have both. We either want to live in fear of the Lord or we will live in proud ignorance.
Stories, Stories, and More Stories…
Folks, as time progresses and we move closer to the time of Jesus’ return, we must remember that He warned us about the false Christs, the false teachers who would lead many astray (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21). Things would be gearing up to see more and more heretics gaining prominence within Christendom. Because of the way people chase after their “felt needs” today, they are tossed about by every wind of doctrine trying to satiate their itching ears.
God in My Everything?
The more we begin to rely on our emotions and how we feel about something, the less likely we are going to look to God’s Word as the final and absolute authority for life and practice as Christians. This appears to be what Ken Shigematsu (and too many others to count), is doing. His books attempt to draw people away from the truth of the cross and Scripture into the arena of “feelz” using monastic rituals to get us there. He wants us to embrace the type of rituals that many ancient orders used for the express purpose of getting closer to God. Yet, these things are not in Scripture so we should be very concerned.
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.
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.
Growing Ecumenical Deception Taking Hold, Pt 2
We are now being told that we must simply get along and if that means setting even the fundamentals of the faith aside, then so be it. Doing so will apparently allow the world to see that Christians truly love one another and start to see Christianity as authentic, true, and something to embrace. But what will the world be actually taught? Doesn’t sound doctrine do the teaching as well as a graceful and humble demeanor? You can love someone all you want but if you never tell them about the sin in their life that keeps them from God and their need for Jesus, your love means nothing. This push for unity is most certainly moving toward something huge. What is it?
Signs, Wonders, Tongues, and Miracles of Today, Part 3
Jesus used miracles to authenticate His credentials and ministry to the leaders of Israel. They rejected Him in spite of those credentials. Jesus spent His ministry meeting needs of the average person. Miracles mean nothing without actual love for people. Yeah, they can be exciting, noteworthy, and uplifting. The problem though is that miracles in and of themselves do not necessarily convince people that God is God. Often, it takes someone who is willing to spend time with someone, listen to them, and even help them in their need. This is exactly what Jesus did.
Signs, Wonders, Tongues, and Miracles of Today, Part 2
This is the problem with “voices,” signs, wonders, and dreams. How are we to accurately interpret them? In the Old Testament – and even in the New to a certain extent – those folks did not have the Bible to refer to, which is at least why, in a few cases, “fleeces” were used by petitioners to God in prayer. Since there was nothing written down to which worshipers of the One true God could look, God chose – at that time – to use dreams, visions, signs, and wonders. He also used prophets whom He raised up to be His voice to many in the nation of Israel. Because there was nothing written to which those folks of old could refer to, it seems likely that God would have offered some measure of protection from the enemy to keep deception away. This was even done to some extent in the situation with respect to Balaam (cf. Numbers 22). God would only allow the deception to go so far and deliberately kept Balaam from being thoroughly involved in it.
Signs, Wonders, Tongues, and Miracles of Today, Part 1
If you look carefully at the many spiritual movements that are afoot today throughout society, they all seem to have one thing in common, in my opinion. They cause people to turn inward. Admittedly, my involvement in the Charismatic Renewal movement was because I wanted to draw closer to God and I thought that to do that, I needed to learn how to worship properly, speak in tongues, and be around other people who were more sensitive to the workings of the Holy Spirit. In the end, as I look back at that, I fully realize that I was becoming very “me” centered. I wanted the experience of knowing God because I thought that would grant me the power to witness and to live a life that pleased God and brought Him glory. In the end, it didn’t and that’s not from a lack of trying. The reality is that whatever little bit you manage to receive in that movement, it’s never good enough and you must press on for more.
Coming Out of the Box with the Last Reformation?
This is extremely important: Notice they did not seek a “voice,” sign, wonder, or other miracle, to authenticate Paul’s teachings. They went back directly to the Scriptures they had at the time. We are to do the same thing and we have the greater responsibility because we have the entire Canon of Scripture, yet today we are too often told or expected to simply believe a person when they say God has revealed something to them or spoken to them directly. No thank you. I’ll stick with God’s written Word. If it was good enough for the Bereans, it’s most definitely good enough for me.
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