How to Stay Above Deception Part 16

THE CHURCH REFORMATION

By Apostle Felix

I give you the name Peter, a stone. And this truth of who I am will be the bedrock foundation on which I will build my church—my legislative assembly, and the power of death will not be able to overpower it! Matthew 16: 18

PRESENT DAY CHURCH

The charismatic movement started initially in the United States of America when the clergy started going independent from the mainline denominations, such as Assemblies of God, Pentecostal Holiness, Churchof God etc. The movement gave birth to multiple ministries ran by individuals, and not by a denomination. The movement had its own challenges, especially in the area of doctrine. The denominations had doctrine well regulated unlike the charismatic. The clergy in a denomination are obliged to abide to the doctrinal position of a denomination. Whilst the charismatic, the founder is the embodiment of doctrine.

In yesterday’s devotion, we looked at some of the positive contributions of the charismatic movement. Its flexibility, visionary and self-motivated are some of the positives of charismatic movement. And it has attracted a lot of the young generation because of its dynamism. Leaders in charismatic movements are more under the spot light than those in denominations. Charismatic ministries carry the image of the founder in most cases. They are more man branded than doctrinal branded. They are known by the charisma of the founder than been known by the character of the Word of God.

Let us look at some of the negative contributions:

1. Charisma driven than character driven: The charismatics regard charisma more highly than character. And this approach has caused so much notoriety in the body of Christ. This is when we hear statements like, ‘you cannot correct upwards.’ In other words, you cannot try to speak out when your leader is violating the moral standards of God’s word. The scripture abused to protect the immoral lives of leaders, do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm,’ Psalms 105: 15.

2. Doctrinal Imbalance: The charismatics are good at exalting personal revelations above the revelation as revealed in the Word of God. There is more emphasis on personal experiences on the expense of what the scripture says.

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Timothy 4: 2 – 4

3. Syncretism: In a devotion of 6th March, we defined what syncretism is. It is an attempt to fuse two or more opposing ideologies into one. Due to lack of stability in doctrine, the charismatics are prone to bring their personal persuasions and beliefs into the church and regard such as part of the church doctrine. The church have had such doctrines of men without Biblical clarity that have been accepted as Bible. It is very important then to look at some of those doctrines and teachings that the charismatics may have accepted as part of the Bible. We shall focus on such discrepancies in the next devotions.