Common Misunderstandings About the Charismatic Movement

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Dr. Brown addresses common misconceptions, points to common ground we all have as believers, takes your relevant questions, and catches up with key political news. Listen live here 3-4 pm EST, and call into the show at (866) 348 7884 with your questions and comments.

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3 Comments
  1. The Communist’s dialectic:

    Thesis: Church as master of the state
    Antithesis: Church as servant of the state
    Synthesis: Church as conscience of the state

    The Church is the Kingdom of God. The state must be subservient to the Church.

  2. gosh, I really would like to have called in on this one.

    I don’t know if you will ever get to answering this, but here are my questions/contentions with the modern charismatic movement:

    Are the experiences we are seeing lining up with the character, behavior, expectations, and motives of God?

    “Drunk in the Spirit”
    “Holy Laughter”
    Shaking and Convulsing
    etc…

    Are there scriptures that condone behavior in which we are drunken? vs how many scriptures are there that speak about being sober, sober minded?
    Should we ask Christians be loosing control of our faculties?
    (which there is a difference between that an “yielding”, or walking in obedience to the spirit = we are still in control to an extent)

    Also, I question many practices that seem to replicate the manifestations in eastern religions?
    Why do these experiences so closely match?
    Why do these experiences seem to closely match hypnotism?

    Ultimately, for the most part, when we see a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the Bible, we usually see a benefit:
    edification of self or the Church:
    tongues – edifies self (special prayer language) [not to be confused with self glorification]
    prophecy – edifies Church
    healing – edifies individuals
    discernment – tools for ministry to edify the church

    theses gifts Ultimately glorify God
    and many of these things validate to the unbelievers.

    in the eastern manifestations, the effect is “showmanship” (capturing awe)
    smashing of objects (wood, ice, stone) – no benefit to anyone
    incredible feats – poking body with spears, self flagellation, etc
    inebriation and “tranciness” – feeding a fleshly “feeling”
    uncontrollable laughter – bizarre showiness – no benefit to self or body

    I would call these manifestations of “not god” (demonic? self? mind trick?)
    which do not edify God, but really elevate the self in a way that does not glorify God – but draws us towards a “guru”

    I hope you are understanding what I am getting at

    let me know if you ever address these.

  3. Hey James, have you read Jonathan Edwards? They had all the manifestations back in the 1600’s too. He wrote that they didn’t prove it was God, nor did they prove it wasn’t God. You judge by the fruit in people’s lives. His own wife often got “drunk” in the Spirit, and it drew people to her, but only because they knew her and new it was God doing something in her life. And you can read her own words about her experiences. Jonathan asked her to write it up! So if you condemn the manifestations, then it seems you should condemn the Great Awakening. It was filled with them.

    Have you ever cried when you felt the strong presence of the Lord? That’s a manifestation too. Have you felt it so string that it drives you to your knees? Have you felt it so strong that you weep uncontrollably? And then you might shake. Or prophecy. Or see God.

    The point is that things happen to us when God shows up. Think about it.

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