"SIX Really BAD CHARISMATIC DOCTRINES"
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
-by J. Lee Grady
I will never apologize for being a charismatic Christian. I had a
dramatic experience with the Holy Spirit many years ago, and
nobody can talk me out of it. I love the Holy Spirit´s abiding
presence in my life and His supernatural gifts. I love to prophesy,
speak in tongues, pray for the sick and see people changed by
the Spirit´s power.
At the same time, I´m aware that since the charismatic movement
began in the 1960s, people have misused the gifts of the Spirit and
twisted God´s Word to promote strange doctrines or practices.
Seeing these errors never caused me to question the authenticity
of what the Holy Spirit had done in my life. But I knew I had to stay
true to God´s Word and reject any false teachings I encountered.
My simple rule is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22: "But examine
everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from
every form of evil" (NASB). In other words: Eat the meat and spit
out the bones.
As I have traveled throughout the body of Christ in recent years,
I´ve experienced the good, the bad and the ugly. I love God´s
people, and I know there is a healthy remnant of Spirit-filled
churches that are striving to stay grounded in biblical truth. But
I also know we have reached a crossroads. We must clean up
our act. We must jettison any weird doctrines we might have
believed or practiced that are hindering our growth today.
Here are a few of the worst errors that have circulated in our
movement in the past season. You may have others that need
to be added to this list. I believe we are grieving the Holy Spirit
if we continue to practice these things:
1. "Touch not My anointed." Chances are you´ve heard this weird
doctrine based on 1 Chronicles 16:22. In an attempt to discourage
any form of disagreement in the church, insecure leaders tell their
members that if they ever question church authority, they are
"touching the Lord´s anointed" and in danger of God´s judgment.
Let´s call this what it is: spiritual manipulation. It creates worse
problems by ruling out healthy discussion and mutual respect.
Church members end up being abused or controlled - or even
blacklisted because they dare to ask a question.
2. Dual covenant. We charismatics love and respect Israel. Some
of us even incorporate Jewish practices in our worship - such as
wearing prayer shawls, blowing shofars or celebrating Hebraic
feasts. These things can enrich our Christian experience-but
some leaders go too far when they begin to teach that Jews don´t
need to believe in Jesus Christ to experience salvation. They imply
that Jews have special access into heaven simply because of their
ethnic heritage. This is a flagrant contradiction of everything the
New Testament teaches.
3. Inaccessible leadership. In the 1980s, some charismatic
ministries began to teach pastors and traveling ministers that
in order to "protect the anointing," they must stay aloof from people.
Ministers were warned to never make friends in their congregations.
Preachers began the strange practice of skipping worship on Sunday
mornings - and then appearing on the stage only when it was time
for the sermon in order to make a dramatic entrance. Shame on
these people for attempting to justify arrogance. Jesus loved
people, and He made Himself available to them. So should we.
4. Armor-bearers. The same guys who developed item No. 3
started this strange fad. Preachers began the practice of
surrounding themselves with an entourage: one person to carry
the briefcase, another person to carry the Bible, another to carry
the handkerchief. Some preachers hired bodyguards ... and even
food-tasters! The armor-bearers were promised special blessings
if they served preachers who acted like slave-owners. Reminder:
True leaders are servants, not egomaniacs.
5. The hundredfold return. Before his death in 2003, Kenneth
Hagin Sr., the father of the faith movement, rebuked his own
followers for taking prosperity teaching to a silly extreme. In
his book The Midas Touch, he begged preachers to stop
misusing Mark 10:28-30 to suggest that God promises a
hundredfold return on every offering we give. Hagin wrote,
"If the hundredfold return worked literally and mathematically
for everyone who gave in an offering, we would have Christians
walking around with not billions or trillions of dollars, but
quadrillions of dollars!" Hagin taught that the hundredfold
blessing refers to the rewards that come to those who
leave all they have to serve God in ministry.
6. Money cometh. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for giving money
publicly to be seen by others. Yet in the 1990s, some charismatics
got the wild idea that God would release a magical blessing if we
would drop wads of dollar bills at the preacher´s feet while he was
in the middle of his sermon. Leroy Thompson of Louisiana
popularized this flamboyant practice with his infamous 1996
sermon, in which he encouraged people to shout in King
James English, "Money! Cometh to me now!" Then the people
would run to the front of the auditorium to pour cash into his
coffers. The money came, for sure, and more cash-hungry
preachers jumped on the bandwagon. Taking an offering
became a form of exhibitionism, and Christians began viewing
their offerings like lottery scratch-offs.
God requires holiness not just in our behavior but also in our
doctrine. Let´s discard these and any other foolish teachings
that have brought confusion and dishonor to the body of Christ.
-Source-