In the last 20 years a phenomena has taken place in our nation. It is called the "charismatic movement." Charismatic comes from the Greek word for spiritual gifts "charisma." Speaking "in tongues," faith "healing," the terms are used often. Is it scriptural? Is it for us today?
The devil is extremely subtle. He makes that which is not right seem so right and that which is false seem so true. Some of the largest churches in our nation are charismatic churches. Does being large mean their doctrines are right? Seventy thousand people can attend a football game but it does not mean God is present and the activity is spiritual. Why has this movement become so prevalent today?
OUR GENERATION GOES BY FEELINGS
"If it feels good, do it" is the motto of our humanistic, godless society. The liquor and drugs our nation has consumed is all for a "feeling."
2 Peter 2:18-19, "For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage."
Following are some statements from charismatic participants:
1. "I know when I go there I feel good." (That is the same reason people drink, do drugs, and are immoral.) Many Mormons, Hare Krishnas, Buddhists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses feel good in their churches. That does not make their doctrine correct.
2. "Experience and feeling have made it unnecessary to follow doctrine." (Three key watch words in this movement are feeling, experience, and love. More emphasis is put on these than the scriptures.)
3. "I don’t care what the Bible says, I know what I felt." (What a dangerous statement!)
4. "You cannot judge the charismatic experience until you have experienced it." (Taken from the charismatic Reader.)
Correct Bible Position FACT ›—> FAITH ›—> FEELING
(This train can run without feeling) (Bible)
Charismatic Position FEELING ›—> FAITH ›—> FACT
(This train has it all backwards)
OUR GENERATION WANTS UNITY
The United Nations, Hands Across America, World Counsel of Churches, unisex, one world monetary systems, Metric system, etc. reveals the world’s desire to unite. But God is more concerned with holiness than unity. God confounded the languages at Babel to prove that very point. Christian churches are not even to unite with nonbelievers for Easter Services. We are not to be a part of the ecumenical movement.
OUR GENERATION USES JESUS AS A CRUTCH
The television faith shows reveal movie stars, entertainers, and musicians who all became "born again." However, there is no change in their life-style or morals. That is not Bible Christianity. Now we hear of Christian rock groups, Christian movie stars, and Christian comedians. What a farce!
OUR GENERATION IS SCRIPTURALLY IGNORANT
The devil thrives on people’s ignorance of Scripture. When people do not know the truth, it is easy for them to believe a lie. So, the charismatic movement surfaces. They decide what they believe and then try to justify it with scripture. You can prove anything you want to with the Bible if you take it and twist it out of context. That is the same thing cults do! They experience a feeling at church then try to find out what happened to them by looking in the Bible. This is backward!
Charismatics begin with excitement and end with doctrine. We should begin with doctrine and it will produce excitement. "Commit they works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established." The feeling comes later. Serving the Lord makes us feel good, but we serve Him because it is right.
So much of the music being put out by this movement is so shallow that more emphasis is placed on its performance than correct doctrine. Songs such as "I’m feeling mighty fine" and "I just feel like something good is about to happen" reveal the lack of scripture knowledge. What about Job? He lost his family, friends, and finances. I wonder how he felt? He served God anyway.
THERE ARE FOUR MAJOR ERRORS IN THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT:
REVELATION PROPHECY
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
TONGUES
HEALING
Error #1—Revelation Prophecy
This false doctrine teaches that God is not finished revealing Himself to man. They do not believe the Bible is enough! It is not the final authority to them. This is where their dreams and visions come in. "God told me to raise $8 million or He would kill me." How foolish!
Revelation 22:19, "And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
One charismatic said, "God does not restrict this revelation to the Bible or to our ordained ministry. Anyone with an authentic gift of prophecy may speak the very words of God." This is false teaching! The Bible is God revealed to us! We need no "extra" teaching!
One music group claimed their song was word for word inspired by the Holy Spirit. That is a lie!
One leader in this movement, in his book, "The Kingdom Age" claims to have had things revealed to him by God that no one else has ever seen. That is error! Many people caught up in this movement know very little about the Bible, though some are very sincere. Would God reveal extra truth to them if they are not serious enough to study what He has already given them?
Error #2—The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 12:12, "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ."
Paul founded a church at Corinth, a city with 2,000 temple prostitutes. Immorality was mixed in with religious practices and worship. The entire book of First Corinthians was a rebuke from Paul for misbehavior in the church. Notice some of their many problems:
1. Contention - 1 Corinthians 1:10, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
2. Carnality - 1 Corinthians 3:1, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ."
3. Incest - 1 Corinthians 5:1, "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife."
4. Marriage Problems - (1 Corinthians 7)
5. Offending Weaker Brethren - (1 Corinthians 8)
6. Criticism of Paul - (1 Corinthians 9)
7. Appearances (Men had Long Hair—Women had Short Hair) - (1 Corinthians 11)
8. Confusion on Real Love - (1 Corinthians 13)
Most charismatic doctrine is taken from 1 Corinthians, chapters 12 through 14. If you were going to model your life and practice after a church, you would not use Corinth as an example.
The mistake the Corinthians made was that they felt salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit were a separate experience.
AT SALVATION, YOU WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND AT THAT MOMENT RECEIVED YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT!
Colossians 2:6-9, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
WHEN YOU HAVE JESUS, YOU HAVE ALL GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE!
Charismatics claim when the Holy Spirit comes upon you it is evidenced by the gift of tongues. It "proves" you are saved, they say. Why do they choose the gift of tongues to prove they are saved? Why not choose the gift of helps or government? Is it because tongues are more spectacular?
The "feeling" of the Holy Spirit is simply yielding yourself to Him to use you in His service. This is a constant yielding after you are saved.
Ephesians 5:18, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"
Notice some passages where Christians were filled with the Holy Spirit and never once experienced "tongues:"
Acts 4:8, "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,"
Acts 4:31, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness."
Acts 7:55, "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,"
Much attention is given to the Holy Spirit in this movement: "Holy Ghost Revival," "Holy Ghost Crusade," etc. are part of the advertisements. The Holy Spirit never magnifies Himself. He always magnifies Christ.
John 16:7-14, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you."
1 Corinthians 12:1-7, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal."
You do not need to pray for the gift of the Spirit. You received yours when you received Christ. Notice:
1 Corinthians 12:7, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal."
1 Corinthians 12:11-13, "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
Romans 8:9, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Error #3—Tongues
The word "tongue" in scripture simply means "a language." Tongues occurred three times in the book of Acts:
Jerusalem
Acts 2:4-8, "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?"
Samaria (Caesarea)
Acts 10:44-48, "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days."
Asia (World)
Acts 19:6-7 "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve."
These three instances fulfilled the gospel being preached as indicated in Acts 1:8 which says: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
The hearing of languages in one’s own tongue was not an every day occurrence. There is a ten year gap between the tongues in Acts 2 and Acts 10! Notice Acts 11:15-17, which says: "And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" This was not a common occurrence or Peter would not have referred to the first occurrence as "as on us at the beginning."
FIVE COMMON DENOMINATORS
Tongues were always done in the sight of unbelieving Jews.
It was always a known language.
An apostle (there were only twelve) was always present.
It never happened in a church.
It was always followed by Bible teaching.
1 Corinthians Chapter 14
(Remember Paul is correcting error in the church)
1 Corinthians 14:1, "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy."
Paul emphasizes preaching (Prophesying.)
1 Corinthians 14:2, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."
No one could understand what they were saying. Even the Spirit could not tell what they were saying. This was probably a jibber jabber type noise. It was not a known language like Acts describes.
1 Corinthians 14:3-4, "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church."
The tongues they were practicing did not edify the church.
1 Corinthians 14:5, "I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying."
Paul spoke many languages and desired that the Corinthian Church do the same. Again, he emphasizes preaching above languages. An interpreter was to be used if needed.
1 Corinthians 14:6-20, "Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men."
Paul emphasized the importance of helping other Christians by speaking words they could understand. He said they were children in understanding.
1 Corinthians 14:27, "If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret."
Two or three could speak in known tongues, only one at a time, if someone interpreted. It would be acceptable for a missionary to preach in church in German if someone was there to interpret in English.
1 Corinthians 14:28, "But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God."
If an interpreter was not present, the person was to be silent!
1 Corinthians 14:32, "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets."
"I just couldn’t control myself," someone said after jumping a pew and speaking in tongues. That is not scriptural. One of the fruits of the Spirit is temperance of "self-control."
1 Corinthians 14:33, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
Paul called their church service confusion.
1 Corinthians 14:34, "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law."
Women were never speak in tongues in the church. Guess who does ninety percent of the tongue talking in the charismatic movement?
1 Corinthians 14:37, "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord."
"If you think you are spiritual, you’d better listen to what scripture says."
1 Corinthians 14:40, "Let all things be done decently and in order."
God is a God of order. Many charismatic services are full of tongue talking, noisy bands, people "fainting," etc. They are, for the most part, not very orderly.
WHAT WERE SCRIPTURAL TONGUES?
1 Corinthians 14:21-22, "In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe."
The Old Testament explained what these New Testament tongues were:
Isaiah 28:11. "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people." Isaiah 33:19, "Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand."
Deuteronomy 28:15, "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:"
Deuteronomy 28:45-49, "Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever. Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;"
TONGUES WERE A SIGN TO UNSAVED JEWS THAT GOD’S JUDGMENT WAS COMING!
Three thousand Jews were saved at Pentecost because of Peter’s preaching on JUDGMENT TO COME. The Jews had rejected and crucified the Saviour. God convicted them of their sin!
DID JUDGMENT EVER COME?
Yes, it did! In AD 70 King Titus destroyed Jerusalem. No two stones were left on top of each other. Over a million Jewish men were crucified across the hillside. What a devastating judgment!
WHEN DID TONGUES CEASE?
1 Corinthians 13:8, "Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."
Tongues ceased in AD 70 after the judgment came.
Just because someone claims to have spoken in a language does not mean God is the author of it. If tongues were for us today, God would make it very clear in scripture. He never "touches" on essentials in the Christian life. He does not want us assuming doctrine either.
WHAT ARE "TONGUES" TODAY?
Remember, Paul’s letter was to rebuke those early Christians who thought they were spiritual. The Corinthians had come out of a mystical religion that taught when you were in an ecstatic trance God would speak to you. Notice how similar this quote from the charismatic Reader sounds: "There is a well delineated progression of events related to the entrance into orgiastic ecstasy. Ecstasy is seldom, if ever, identifiable in the history of religions as an instantaneous action. The normal process moved along the following lines: quiet meditation, audible or inaudible prayer, reflection upon deity, slow rhythmic chants, dance and/or music may be employed. Drugs or alcohol may also be utilized to assist in inducing the desired state. The state is advanced by an increase in rate of respiration and heartbeat. As the state is intensified and heightened it reaches a climax. That climax may be defined as the state of ecstasy. It is in this state that the prophetic personality receives mental impressions. These impressions take the form of visions or auditions." In other words, the article is saying you can psych yourself up to speaking in tongues.
WHAT EXPLAINS TONGUES TODAY?
Tongues can only be explained by one (or maybe all) of the following:
It is psychologically induced
It is faked
It is of the devil
Tongues have been the devil’s tool for the common denominator in the ecumenical movement. Some Baptists, Catholics, Pentecostals, Mormons, and others claim to have spoken in tongues.
IF TONGUES ARE SO IMPORTANT, WHY DIDN’T JESUS EVER PRACTICE OR TEACH IT?
TESTIMONIES
A man in a heavy metal rock group, steeped in drugs and immorality spoke in tongues. He was unsaved.
The teenage girl sat in the pastor’s office. She was immodestly dressed and could not remember the number of men she had slept with. She told the pastor she could speak in tongues at random. She could turn it on or off whenever she wanted.
A saved teenage boy visited a church. The service never officially began. The band cranked up and people began to sway and lift their hands. Five or six people began speaking in unintelligible languages. There was no preaching. Soon he was approached about going forward to the alter to receive "it." He was never asked if he was saved. The people may have been sincere, but they were side tracked.
TAKE AWAY THE BAND, SOUND SYSTEM, AND WOMEN WHO SPEAK IN "TONGUES" AND YOU WILL KILL THE AVERAGE CHARISMATIC SERVICE!
WHY ARE TONGUES SO SOUGHT AFTER?
Most of these churches do not seek after the gifts of preaching, helps and administration (governments.) These gifts are less spectacular than tongues and healing. Besides, tongues and healing can be faked. The other gifts cannot.
Error #4—Healing
Matthew 7:16, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"
2 Corinthians 11:3, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
1 John 4:1-7, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."
Much of today’s faith healing is fakery or psychosomatic. Adrenalin can be pumped up to the point of giving weak people temporary strength. The faith healers of old, like Kathryn Kuhlman and Marjoe Gortner had lives full of deceit and hypocrisy. Even Pharoah’s magicians were used of the devil to counterfeit miracles.
A charismatic evangelist had a "convert" testify of him raising them from the dead. He never once mentioned Jesus. All he did was brag on the supposed "faith healer."
Charismatic doctrine believes that healing comes with salvation. They use Isaiah 53:5, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." and try to apply it to physical healing. The entire chapter is about salvation-spiritual healing!
IT IS NOT GOD’S WILL FOR EVERYONE TO BE HEALED.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10, "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
If everyone is supposed to be healed, it would be awful for God not to make it clear.
SCRIPTURAL SICKNESS
Scripture teaches that sickness can come for several reasons. It is sometimes God’s judgment for taking the Lord’s supper with known sin in our life (1 Corinthians 11:30). Some sickness is of the devil (as in the case of Job). Other people get sick because they do not properly take care of their body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Jesus said Lazarus’ sickness and death were for God’s glory (John 11:4). So sickness can come from several sources and for different reasons. It is not always God’s judgment nor of the devil!
SCRIPTURAL HEALING
There is one Healer, not many "faith healers." God is the one who heals sickness. What should a Christian do when sick?
1. Examine himself for known sin.
2. Confess any sin revealed. (Not taking proper care of the body is sin, too!)
3. Call for godly leaders to anoint him with oil. James 5:14, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
The oil is only a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s presence. It has no healing power. It is merely a visual aid to help increase faith.
4. If God chooses not to heal through the prayer of godly leaders, then go to a physician. God uses the wisdom and advice of doctors to help bring healing too.
It is not always God’s will to heal. Paul sought healing on three occasions and God replied, "my grace is sufficient for thee." Some people give God more glory having an ailment throughout their life than if they were totally healed. Some examples: Fanny Crosby (blind); Uncle Bud Robinson (epilepsy and speech impediment); Jacob (a limp).
The order in which you seek healing is important. King Asa died a premature death because he sought physicians before seeking the Lord. Notice what 2 Chronicles 16:12-13 says "And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign."
If faith healers can heal, why don’t they go to the hospitals and heal everyone? When they cannot heal the person, they blame it on them "not having enough faith." But Jesus even raised the dead. How can a dead man have faith?
BLASPHEMY?
The "spookiness" of the charismatic movement makes the participants not want to question any thing that someone says happened to them. "If a man said God told him something, it must be so." "If the Holy Spirit told them to jump a pew or scream, then they had to do it." On and on go the quotes. It is not blasphemy to weigh actions attributed to the Holy Spirit by the Scriptures. Jesus never contradicted a Scripture and the Holy Spirit will not either. If the Bible says the devil is the author of confusion, then the Holy Spirit will not cause confusion. Real doctrine and real Christian actions can be tested by the Bible. We are commanded to "try the spirits." Do not be frightened off by people who try to tell you that you are blaspheming by questioning the lack of scripturality behind this modern-day movement.
MANY ERRORS
When a movement is not based on scripture, it will be full of error. Stay in the Word of God and do not get sidetracked. Many aggressive, soulwinning, evangelistic churches have left their first love and are now into tongues and healing. What good does it do to heal a man physically if he will die spiritually without Christ?
THE HARD PART
You can know what is doctrinally correct, but will have a hard time correcting someone involved in the charismatic movement. Why? Because they "know what they felt." Be patient. Let God work through you to reach them. Get them into the Word so it will correct their errors!
SOURCES:
Cassette Series, "The Charasmatic Cult" by Jack Hyles
