Charismatic False Teachings

Charismatic False Teachings
Nothing had done more damage to the people involved in Pentecostal
and Charismatic churches than false teachings related to activities
of the Holy Ghost. The Bible-believing Pentecostals cling clearly to
the Word of God and the sovereign work of the Holy Ghost in each
manifestation of the Spirit. Let's deal with five particular aspects
and try to show the difference between the Biblical foundation and
the Charismatic deception. These five subjects are listed below:

- Fortune Telling Called "Personal Prophesying"

- The Prayer Language Deception

- Paranormal Praying: Casting Spells Misinterpreted As Praying

- Charismatic Worship

- The Charismatic Spirit

Fortune Telling Called "Personal Prophesying"

There is no such thing as private prophecy. The charismatic world
has promoted a false idea of private prophesying for at least two
decades that has now become a nightmare in many churches. Men like
Pat Robertson and Paul Couch, have amassed a fortune and changed the
face of the church with this spirit of fortune-telling. Probably the
greatest force to thrust their television networks into the
limelight has been this false hold on others with personal fortune-
telling, while calling it the gift of prophesy or word of knowledge.
It is as false as Lucifer himself and has no value but to deceive.

The believer is guided in his godly walk by the Holy Scripture and
the personal indwelling of the Holy Ghost, not by private
prophecies. What a Pandora's box it is with ten thousand expressions
of different ideas private prophecies create. Men and women by the
thousands are chasing rainbows because some flaky person uttered
words over them in some ecstatic fashion. I have known a few of
these confused souls. I specially remember one such person who was a
minister. His whole life was controlled by what someone supposedly
prophesied. His ministry was a disaster.

The Bible Is Plain

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well
that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,
until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing
this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of
man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost." (2 Peter 1:19-21).

Apostle Peter had enjoyed the glory of the transfiguration and spoke
of the witness the Father had given of His Son Jesus. Yet, Peter
said, "We have a more sure word of prophecy," and clearly identified
that word as the Bible. Then, he adds fire to the dependable truth
of Scripture by stating, "that no prophecy of the Scripture is of
private interpretation. " In other words prophecy is a gift in the
church and for the church and must not be used to control, direct,
or manipulate people's private lives. The individual is to receive
the Word of God and apply it to themselves. Another person is never
to try to take authority over someone else's life.

Usually, those "private utterances" serve to create a false level of
knowledge on the part of the speaker. It is like the person doing
the fortune telling has some kind of inside knowledge or a special
link to God. There are a multitude of those individuals that go from
weary soul to weary soul uttering their babble. Do not give these
misguided people the privilege of using your ears.

Worse, of course, is the soul that listens to this kind of thinking
and allows the direction of their life to be affected. Every
individual that is "born again" has the person of the Holy Spirit
within them and He is present to give direction and inspiration. The
Holy Ghost takes the Word of God and gives application and guidance.
To even consider the babble of a seer as guidance for the believer's
walk is courting disaster.

These "fortune tellers" usually offer nothing but good words of
assurance, favor, and blessings. Every Christian has all of God's
promises of such blessings, but to give an over emphasis on them
creates a false sense of well-being. The Word of God is correction,
instruction, and often rebuke. Only the honest believer can properly
apply the truth day by day to their life. Ecstatic utterances have
an emotional hold over people that is paranormal.

God Has No Grandchildren

Remember, your Heavenly Father is a personal God who cares for all
of His children equally. He knows your name and keeps a record of
the very hairs on your head. To even consider that you need a seer
or guru to make your decisions or utter ecstatic words at every
crossroad is to bring yourself under bondage, not give you the
Biblical liberty of truth. People who live by this kind of hope are
weary souls always looking for a "word". I've had people say to
me, "Do you have a word for me?" My answer is, "Yes, the Word of
God. Read your Bible and meditate on the Scriptures and you will
have a Word from God." Remember, when you close your Bible, you shut
God's mouth; but when you open it you open His mouth.

The Gifts Are Given To The Church

The gifts of the Holy Ghost are given to the church and function to
give inspiration and power to the "Word of God." The Holy Ghost
never operates outside of Scripture. "And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
(Ephesians 6:17). He has no other sword and to dare suggest these
ecstatic utterances as His voice is to stumble blindly. The gifts
are given to operate for the corporate body and never for private
control over individuals. Yes, they may operate when as few as two
or three gather together, but never to give private direction apart
from plain Bible truths. The gifts of the Holy Ghost will enlighten
truth, magnify Jesus Christ, and provide supernatural wisdom to the
body of the church. Personal application of those truths will always
be an individual's responsibility.

The Lord invites you to "Come now, and let us reason together . . ."
(Isaiah 1:18a). Do not be a couch potato in the church, but know the
will of God for yourself.

The True Gift Of Discernment Or Word Of Knowledge

Do not confuse the false "fortune telling" that I am exposing with
the true gift of "discernment" or even the "word of knowledge". In a
spirit-filled church body, a godly pastor or godly leader in the
church may often know the needs of their struggling members as soon
as the struggle develops. We are indeed to bear one another's
burdens.... Our love for each other will cause us to feel the burden
and to know the care of one another. Incredible ministry of the Holy
Ghost will occur. While there needs to be a senior pastor, there are
often undershepherds among the laity that share the load of the
pastor and do so without ever being independent of Him. In such an
environment the gifts of the Holy Ghost will be manifested. They
will be totally subjective to the Word of God and never invade
private responsibility for each member to find and do the will of
God. The gifts of the Holy Ghost and the body of Christ are
inseparable. What a safe haven for the Lord's disciples and children!

The Prayer Language Deception

One of the key deceptive teachings that was at the foundation of the
Charismatic Wave is what they call their "prayer language." As most
false doctrines are, there is a genuine Biblical truth
about "praying in the Spirit" that has been evident all the back to
Apostle Paul's teaching used to justify these false ideas. Apostle
Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian saints said, "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." (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).

Jude also spoke of this truth when he said, "But, "But ye, beloved,
building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy
Ghost." (Jude 1:20). We also need to look at what Apostle Paul said
to the church at Rome. This is incredible language that shows the
beautiful potential of the Spirit-led and anointed prayer in the
Holy Ghost-filled believer. His words were, "Likewise the Spirit
also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray
for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the
hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans
8:26-27).

There is a true reality of "praying in the Holy Ghost" that the
church should and must understand. The difference between the Bible
truth and the Charismatic deception is very easily understood. In
the Bible message the Holy Ghost is Sovereign and He gives the
utterances to the spirit-filled believer. They cannot and will not
pray in the Holy Ghost at their own will or choice. In the
Charismatic deception the Sovereignty of the Spirit is bypassed and
the whole idea become nothing but human or soulical babble. To even
imagine the very person and powers of the Holy Ghost being subject
to a person claiming to pray in the Spirit when they please is
totally false.

Every work or ministry of the Holy Spirit must be His Sovereign
manifestation. The Bible was given as "Holy men of God spake (wrote)
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (II Peter 1:21). "And when
the day of Pentecost was fully come . . . suddenly there came a
sound from . . . and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as
of fire . . . And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance." (Acts 2:1-4).

Each detail of this inaugurating event was clearly a Sovereign move
of God by His Holy Spirit. The men and women were yielded vessels
and He manifests Himself in them as they made themselves totally
available for God's glory.

All the spiritual gifts of the Holy Ghost are always His gifts. They
are gifts of the Holy Ghost, not gifts of the saints. He possesses
the totality of these spiritual gifts as the word "spiritual" would
certainly require. We are natural creatures until His anointing
rests upon us for His manifestation. Our spirituality is the
outworking of His spiritual gifts and He acts sovereignly each and
every time there is a manifestation of any and all of His gifts.
Speaking in other tongues is certainly no exception.

When you hear people using what they call their "prayer language,"
it is empty and powerless. It is nothing but babble and does nothing
but religious harm to the speaker and the hearers. A religious
experience void of truth creates a religious spirit in everyone
connected to that person or the church or place where it occurs. The
deeper an individual goes into this kind of mystical manifestation,
the more they become bound to all kinds of strange manifestations.
Having watched the Charismatics slide from their early days to the
present has been a picture of growing deception. One of the few
early strange ideas was this simple fact of the unbiblical "prayer
language." Now, the end results is spirits of serpents, insane
drunkedness, apostate doctrines, and a movement driven by the wild
world of devils.

Let's look at what Apostle Paul stated in Romans. "Likewise the
Spirit . . . maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot
be uttered . . . He maketh intercession for the . . . " (Romans 8:26-
27). This sovereign work of the Holy Ghost is indeed His action,
using our spirit and lips to utter His words to the Heavenly Father.
To suggest this can be manipulated by flesh is totally contrary to
His supernatural power.

This is either a work of the Holy Ghost or it is a sheer soulical
and fleshly jargon akin to the babble of a possessed witchdoctor. We
must reject any religious mysticism and cling only to clean Biblical
truth.

Paranormal Praying: Casting Spells Misinterpreted As Praying

The new approach to prayer in our modern churches is little more
than casting spells and using voodoo tricks. Paranormal powers are
available to any soul that will sell out to the deception that works
in the adamic nature. We are spiritual creatures and there are
powers in each of us that can be used for evil or surrendered to God
depending on our heart. Demon spirits are going throughout the earth
seeking whom they may devour. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom
he may devour." (I Peter 5:8). While our Father manifests Himself in
our human spirit, Satan and demons manifest themselves in our soul.

Satan loves to use soulical praying to hinder the true church of
Jesus Christ. The majority of believers have no understanding of
this form of Satan's attack and, consequently, have very little
defense. The modern Charismatic prayer style being manifest at
Toronto, Pensacola, and most Charismatic type churches is nothing
but paranormal deception. Are there powers involved? Absolutely! Do
they get results? Absolutely! But, what kind of results? They get
paranormal results that cannot convert to Jesus Christ or the true
born again experience. The results are the same as the powers being
used and promoted. It is paranormal conversion to a false Jesus that
masquerades as the Lord Jesus Christ.

These groups using paranormal powers of prayer are extremely
militant and approach anyone that disagrees with them in a sharp
judgment of condemnation. This is the first sign that their approach
to prayer is totally false. Biblical prayer is first and foremost a
total surrender to God and His perfect will in any matter named in
our prayer life. When we surrender to God in prayer, we have no need
to force our way in anything. We do not need to try to answer our
own prayers because we trust a Sovereign God.

The god of paranormal praying is not a Sovereign God, but gods that
operate by the whim of the petitioners. These soulical forces use
paranormal powers to create their own answers. They do get results
but, as in all areas of the paranormal world, their answers are
fleeting and turn easily on the persons themselves. Jude described
these powers in his little book of exceptional truths. "Woe unto
them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after
the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of
Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast
with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without
water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without
fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea,
foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved
the blackness of darkness for ever." (Jude 11-13).

Paranormal Prayers Used To Punish The Resisters

The Toronto, Pensacola, and copycat churches are punishing their
resistance by paranormal prayer powers. Some people are actually
being forced to join the deception by these strange forces of the
soul and often demons. Many have called me by phone to share the
strange, depressing powers they have encountered when they resisted
their church's descent into this spiritual nightmare. Apostle Paul
was acquainted with these powers in his day and addressed them
directly. He wrote to the Ephesians, "Put on the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
(Ephesians 6:11-12).

Note that he called these powers "spiritual wickedness in high
places." Study these two words, "spiritual wickedness". "Spiritual"
as used here is different from a positive spiritual idea and is
rather a man ruled by his sinful nature, but in a spiritual form.
The word "wickedness" here is a malicious person using malicious
power to affect others. We have a clear picture of paranormal
spiritual powers used to punish or affect other persons against
their own will. This is an exact copy of casting spells and using
voodoo tricks.

Resist Such Powers By Total Trust In The Blood

Satan cannot cross the blood line of Jesus Christ. He can cast darts
that come in the form of fear, doubt, or depression. Resist these
powers by casting yourself at the complete mercy and grace of Jesus
Christ. Do not answer or fight back, but go on singing in the joy of
the Lord and wait on Him. Remember the rod of Moses was quick to
consume the rod of the magicians of Egypt. It has not changed. God
is still the same faithful Father that watches over you all day and
all night.

Charismatic Worship

"Filled with the Holy Ghost" is a familiar term in the New
Testament, especially in the Book of Acts. On the Day of Pentecost
they were "filled with the Holy Ghost." Peter said later that
day, " . . . and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For
the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are
afar off . . ." (Acts 2:38-39). The devil has imitated this
wonderful experience and some have rejected it, but every great
revival has experienced a sovereign work of the Holy Ghost.

The current Charismatic revival makes much of being filled with the
Holy Ghost. The experience they claim is promoted more like a
drunken stupor than a baptism of the person called the Holy Spirit.
Many solid churches in the past are moving into this insane claim of
possession and impartation. How can people quickly discern the
difference between a wonderful and sovereign work of God and this
deception that is spreading like wildfire? I believe the Holy Spirit
has given this unworthy servant a simple Biblical picture of the
basic difference.

Possession Versus Lordship

Satan wants to possess his subjects and use them at his will. The
Holy Ghost comes to manifest the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our
lives. Satan will control your emotions and titillate your flesh
with wild and uncontrolled excitement. The Holy Ghost is a guest at
your house and will inspire you to worship and praise your Heavenly
Father with sincere obedience. Let me explain as simply as possible
the difference: Satan is a possessor, while our Father will inspire
and anoint us.

Satan Is A Possessor

Anytime a person becomes possessed and falls under a control beyond
their own power, something is wrong. Satan offers his counterfeit
spirits to keep people from the real and sovereign work of God. Any
spirit that makes you act outside of Biblical conduct is to be
rejected. There is absolutely no record of people acting like drunks
in the New Testament church. The critics suggested that in the Book
of Acts, but these men acted more intelligent when they were
baptized in the Holy Ghost, not less intelligent. Remember that the
Jews were overwhelmed because these "Spirit-filled" Galileans were
speaking, "the wonderful works of God" in languages they had never
learned.

The Holy Ghost Wants Lordship For Jesus Christ

"The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet." (I
Corinthians 14:32). On the Day of Pentecost the 120 disciples "began
to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance."
He is a guest at our house and we yield to all His activities
everytime He touches us. We are forbidden to act uncontrolled and
out of order. He commands the church, "Let all things be done
decently and in order." (I Corinthians 14:40). The order He commands
is perfectly described in I Corinthians, chapters 12 and 14.
Biblical Pentecost will make a church powerful, orderly, anointed,
and soul winning. Charismatic nonsense will make a church giddy,
wild, and worldly. Paw Creek is a Classical Pentecostal church and
we soundly reject the devil's substitute.

The Charismatic Spirit - "Soulical Worship verses Spiritual Worship"

A totally new style or method of worship has invaded the church
world. Its appearance may be similar and the people involved are
certainly sincere, but something profound is missing. Mankind is a
trinity of creative beauty, consisting of body, soul, and spirit.
The spirit within this triangle is the very life of God and is the
only avenue by which we can worship and praise the Lord. In an
unsaved person (someone that has not been born again) this life from
God is dead and must be revived by the power of God's Spirit, this
occurs when we are born again.

The soul of each of us is also capable of a form of worship, but it
is the false form and arises from our fallen nature, called the
adamic nature. This realm of our life is the area where the occult
can find _expression and is very active in a witch, wizard, or any
individual that gets involved in familiar spirits. False religions
all operate by influence within the soul and the result is soulical
activity. The worship of this participant is unacceptable to God and
is rejected exactly as Cain's worship was rejected. "And Abel, he
also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.
And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto
Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very
wroth, and his countenance fell." (Genesis 4:4-5).

The most apparent form of this false worship has flooded today's
Charismatic churches. It has also become acceptable in mainline
churches and is usually labeled as "contemporary worship." Often
these churches will have two services, one contemporary, and one
traditional. Usually all standards of dress, platform demeanor,
music styles, etc. has been made totally free. Everything is come as
you are and do as you please. It's the natural man set free to
approach God/god in a clearly soulical atmosphere. Once a church
goes this route, theology becomes a problem and the basic theme
becomes, "God is doing a new thing." In some churches that want to
maintain theology, they will justify the approach "as the end
justifies the means." "We are finally getting the X generation back
in church" would be a familiar response.

This form of worship is going to vary from tradition to tradition.
The Charismatics are mainly the ones I have had to deal with, so let
me explain their style. First, let me describe the real Pentecostal
worship. Speaking in tongues in a classical Pentecostal church is a
very beautiful reality. No person can just speak words in the
Spirit, but must walk humbly and holy before God to be a Spirit-
filled believer. These Spirit-filled believers cannot just speak in
the Spirit, but only speak when the Holy Ghost Himself gives the
utterance. (Acts 2:1-4). Just chattering in some incoherent jargon
is absolutely not acceptable.

Messages may be given by the Spirit, but must be interpreted and the
order of this is clearly defined by Apostle Paul (I Corinthians 14).
When our people worship with hands raised or dance in the aisles, it
is Spirit-inspired, beautiful, and orderly. The worship in a
classical Pentecostal church is beautiful, Christ- honoring, and an
inspiration to everyone in the house. You will never think we act
like pagans and mindless guru worshippers. God never bypasses our
mind, our honorable demeanor, or our orderly respect for the sacred.

Charismatics are usually extremely different. The worshippers often
appear to be in an altered state (trance), with eyes rolled back,
giddy, and even silly. There will likely be a consistent muttering
of incoherent babble. The facial expressions are sugar sweet, but
lacking in purity and Godly simplicity. The flippant way these
worshippers dance about and flip around has the appearance of being
cheap and prissy. Many of these individuals will go into a jerking
or twisting state that lasts for hours and, sometimes, days. One big
characteristic is falling out and becoming so heavy that one cannot
get up and, sometimes, two or more adults cannot lift the person.
Sometimes these worshippers will go into a fetal or birthing
position and act like they are birthing someone, who they label
as "lost souls". These descriptions are certainly incomplete because
the actions in these churches can be bizarre beyond words.

It is possible for a genuine believer to be deceived for a period
and fall into this soulical realm. Evangelicals vary in their
contemporary worship, from the description above to much more
traditional kinds of behavior. The spirit is nevertheless one of
Eastern mysticism, rather than a genuine minister of the Holy Ghost.
When the true ministry of the Holy Ghost is manifest, it will
absolutely be according to the Book of Acts, the ministry of Jesus
Christ in the Gospels, and the twelfth and fourteenth chapters of I
Corinthians. God never departs from His Word and He never acts out
of character with His nature. God's people that genuinely love the
Lord may misdiscern, but they will soon see the truth and go back to
the Book. Jesus said plainly that we must worship Him, "in Spirit
and in truth." "The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou
art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say,
that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus
saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall
neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation
is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the
Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that
worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:19-24).

These two elements are absolute when we come before the God of
Heaven. Soulical worship by unredeemed men will be rejected today
exactly as in the past. Worldly and unclean lives cannot be brought
before God as an acceptable sacrifice. Worship that has rejected the
infallible Bible and all its truth cannot appear before His Holy of
Holies, which is made possible by His Son's Blood. Entertainers
cannot lead you into the realm of Holy Ghost manifested praise and
worship. God has already rejected the majority of today's soulical
religions. He is still receiving, and blessing the humble soul that
has been redeemed and renewed in Spirit. "The Spirit itself beareth
witness with our Spirit" (Romans 8:16) and by His Spirit and His
inspiration in our Spirit we can approach God. "Let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and
find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

You Can Be Free! You Can Be Free!

Any person caught up in these false doctrines needs deliverance. The
first thing to do is to cease every _expression of these ideas.
Second, claim the Blood of Jesus to free you of any bondage that
relates to this activity. Then, stay out of Charismatic New Wave
churches, where these activities are constantly promoted