How to Stay Above Deception Part 18

TODAY’S CHURCH

By Apostle Felix

As I urged you when I left for Macedonia, I’m asking that you remain in Ephesus to instruct them not to teach or follow the error of deceptive doctrines, nor pay any attention to cultural myths, traditions, or the endless study of genealogies. Those digressions only breed controversies and debates. They are devoid of power that builds up and strengthens the church in the faith of God. 1 Timothy 1: 3, 4

Charismatic Syncretism

Pentecostalism, which started in 20th century had a belief that all Christians should seek a post-conversion experience called “baptism with the Holy Spirit. Pentecostalism emerged among the adherents of the Wesleyan movement, who were evangelical in doctrine. A group from the Wesleyan movement which was Methodist, began seeking an experience the early church on the day of Pentecost had experienced, mentioned in Acts 2: 1. They wanted to experience what the early church experienced beyond the liturgical way of worship in the Methodist church. The seeking yielded resulted when they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with an evidence of speaking in tongues. They had all manner of spiritual manifestations and Pentecostalism was born in 1900.

The emphasis was not theology, but experience. The church had revival but lacked reformation. They disregarded theology, and regarded experience more than doctrine. The charismatic movement, which is independent in its doctrinal persuasion, came and stretched Pentecostal views further. The background of charismatic movement has a lot to do with today’s fluidity in doctrine. The problem is not the desire to see the power in the church, but the imbalance between power and theology. What the church needs is the balance between power and theology. We need a church that will be able to divide the word of correctly, and be able to judge the manifestations, experiences and practices by the written word of God.

Always be eager to present yourself before God as a perfect and mature minister, without shame, as one who correctly explains the Word of Truth. 2 Timothy 2: 15

The problem of the church is the inability to divide the word correctly. We have a lot of mixtures – the past dispensation revelations and the current dispensation revelations. The church is not lacking preachers, but is lacking sound preachers, who are able to correctly divide the word of truth. The preaching of the truth is not in the amount of scriptures quoted and referenced, but the message whose content is Christ.