I do think the Apostolic movement in the US is ripe from deception of this kind. Not at the individual or even necessarily the local church level, although it can happen there.
Wickedness is profuse. Saints lack depth and experience. What many perceive to be the Shadow of His Wings, is not so. Some are worship-addicts. They worship for what they get out of it (i.e. catharsis, usually). But when the worship experience doesn't deliver the high they are used to receiving, they move on to a harder form of worship, if you catch my drift.
I have seen all sorts of weird and un-Biblical things in the Apostolic/Pentecostal movement. It is rarely rebuked, even if the elders don't agree with it. They seek to appease and not hurt feelings, but in the process, weak and fragile souls become convinced offering God strange fire is the path to true spirituality. Monkey see, monkey do.
Compare Elijah's worship of God to the Baal worshipers. They performed all sorts of crazy things to get their god's attention. Elijah merely kept pouring water on the sacrifice. His God answered by fire (most likely lightning). Many Apostolic Pentecostals are trying to generate their own fire in worship, thinking it's coming from God, when it's not.
"Study to be quiet" has been erased from many Apostolic Pentecostal Bibles.
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For anyone devoted to His fear:
I know a preacher/pastor from Liberia named Joseph Tarnue. He explained to me one time that in Liberia, if and when anyone was out of order, the minister would stop everything, point out the one acting up, and tell them directly "You are out of order! Be quiet and sit down!".
Ain't enough skin in the USA to handle that kind of rebuke.
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For anyone devoted to His fear:
I didn't discern anything demonic. I felt it was abnormal and didn't fit in with what the man was originally preaching. When he first began talking about the community of believers and how the next generation needs to be trained and discipled and made ready to take their place, I perceived an anointing from the Lord upon it.
But as he continued and began talking about the "circle of life, like this drum", it seemed to me to fall off.
Had I been there, I don't think I would have been overly miffed. I would likely have raised an eyebrow or rolled my eyes a bit, but that would have been about it.
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For anyone devoted to His fear:
The "end justifies the means" has been the credo of so many of the various forms of Christianity so-called in this country and likely abroad, even among the Apostolic Pentecostals.
This desperate, do whatever it takes to get God's attention so He will move and bless is bad theology. God is omniscient. His eyes are upon the righteous. He sees and He knows, and for the Spirit-filled, He is as close as He will and can ever be, this side of Glory.
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For anyone devoted to His fear:
Those types of churches are basically involved witchcraft.
I'm not surprised when they do the hokey pokey, lift their hands while swaying, punching people in the stomach for a healing, or talking to angel guides like William Magical Branham, Smith Wiggles Worthless, and Todd Bent Lee.
/\ what this guy said....
"we" aren't going anywhere and "we" have never done any kind of (un)Holy hokum....
that kind of thing has been around a long time. It aint new. it might be some new iteration but its that same old spirit that's been cheating people for a long time.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
Spirituality is what the bible is all about. That which is born of Spirit is our spirits. I think you are using the wrong term, Ferd.
__________________ ...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
I am glad to see someone from within the Charismatic movement standing against this kind of stuff.
Andrews Strom baptizes in Jesus' name and rebukes charismatics for not obeying Acts 2:38. But he's still trinitarian.
__________________ ...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
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