Charismatic Defects - Part 1

Separate from the positive features and attributes of the Charismatic Movement are the more noticeable poor characteristics inherent within the movement. Some people have described the movement as an experience in need of a theology. It is a young movement traditionally considered to have started in the early 1900’s by those considered not to be intellectuals especially in comparison with mainstream Protestant and Catholic intellectual giants of the calibre of Luther, Calvin, Augustine and Aquinas. Even after 100 years there is a cavity and dearth of high intellectuals within the movement who can give a worthwhile apologia of their beliefs. Is it because the more educated individuals have studied the Scriptures and found that the more orthodox and traditional understandings are actually correct in opposition to an experience-based belief inherent and over-emphasized within the charismatic movement?

The following are some attributes of the movement by Dr J Packer and for the widely read individuals they may notice a few of these characteristics resemble those found amongst cults.

• 1. Elitism - The (unsupported) feeling of those within the movement of being superior to others outside of their movement. Elitist tendencies are reinforced by the restorationist theology, which sees charismatic experience as the New Testament norm for all time and is inevitably judgemental towards non-charismatic Christianity. The claim that those not exhibiting the so-called second baptism of the Holy Spirit gifts or speaking in tongues are not real Christians.
  

• 2. Sectarianism – The absorbing intensity of charismatic fellowship, countrywide and worldwide, can produce a damaging insularity whereby charismatics limit themselves (an sometimes limited by their leaders) to reading only charismatic books, charismatic magazines, hearing only charismatic speakers, fellowshipping only with other charismatics and supporting only charismatic ventures or endeavours.
  

• 3. Emotionalism – Only a fine line divides healthy emotion from unhealthy emotionalism, and any appealing to or playing on emotion crosses that line. Its warmth and liveliness attract highly emotional and disturbed people to its ranks where many find within its ritual emotionalism and insistence of conformity levels of relief from their strains and stresses. Generally, the movement seems to teeter on the edge of emotional self-indulgence in a decidedly dangerous way. As a result there are many victims of this over emotional indulgence.
  

• 4. Anti-intellectualism – The movement preoccupies itself with experience, which observably inhibits the long, hard theological and ethical reflection for which the New Testament letters so plainly call. Without the intellectual rigour and training the result often is naiveté in handling the biblical revelation. Looking for a prophecy when difficult issues arise, rather than embracing the hard grind of prayerful study and analysis. Not maintaining a sense of balance but emphasising certain aspects of faith over others is detrimental to the overall well-being of a Christian. Often the result of this lack of discernment of fact and truth causes the gullible adherents to be led astray by their inept, manipulating charismatic leader.
  

• 5. Illuminism – Sincere but deluded claims to direct divine revelation have been made in the church since the days of the Colossian heretics and the Gnosticizers of the secret knowledge revealed again which manifests more attitudes of elitism. When the charismatic movement stresses the Spirits’ personal leading, and the revival of revelation via prophecy of its certain individuals they become very vulnerable. The person with unhealthy ambitions to be a religious leader, dominating a group by giving them the sense that he is closer to God than they are, can easily climb on the charismatic band-wagon and find there good-hearted, emotionally dependent folk waiting to be impressed by him; so too, the opinionated eccentric can easily invoke the Spirit’s directions when he refused to let his paster stop him disrupting the congregation with his odd ideas.

Ode to Matty

The other day I lost a mate by his own hand. He was a gifted young man and played a mean trumpet in our church band. For the last six years we enjoyed making music together as part of 'The Brass' in praise to our God. He was a man who loved God, who loved to worship Him in music and song, who was a friend to many, who knew his place in God's hands and who also had his own troubles. Those troubles got too much for him to shoulder any longer and we will miss him terribly but glad that he is now face to face with the Glory to whom he so often raised up his voice and horn. May the family he left behind be comforted by our loving God. Let it be so.

David has had these issues to deal with a short time ago and I thought they were very insightful and worth repeating here - thanks Dave.

1. LISTEN: People aren’t necessarily fine. Just because someone looks and seems fine, it doesn’t mean they are. I’ve dealt with several suicides before. All of them are a shock, but some more than others. I’ve heard a statistic that about 80% reveal signs beforehand that suicide is an option. The other 20% are a complete shock to everyone, even those closest to them. I’ve learned over the years that people aren’t what they seem. I’ve learned not to be impressed with the persona that’s put out there. I always try to assume that people are wrestling with fundamental issues and many are carrying a great deal of pain. Hear what they are saying, how they are saying it, body language, anything! Underneath the calm can be a great deal of turbulence.
2. LEAN: Find someone to lean on. Learn how to express what you are going through. Find someone who can listen to your deepest fears and most intense pain. Learn to not be ashamed of yourself and trust someone with your truest self. If you start thinking life isn’t worth living, immediately realize it is a lie. If you start thinking of suicide, for God’s sake, tell someone! If someone asks you if you are, be honest and tell the truth. Life is worth living! Don’t believe the lie. There is help out there! Try talking.
3. LOOSEN UP: Follow your passion. Find out now what you really, really want to do in life and pursue that. Since Nato’s suicide, some people who knew him have actually quit jobs that they hated or are contemplating doing so, figuring correctly that life’s too short to be stuck in something that’s killing their soul! Why stay trapped in a cell to which you hold the key in your own hand? Go for it! Be released!
4. LET IT GO: Money ain’t everything. So what if you are in debt up to your eyeballs! So what if you seem forever to struggle for money. Some people feel so overwhelmed with money problems that they see no way out of the trap and would rather escape the whole world than deal with it. This is related to the point above, but settle it in your heart right now that it doesn’t matter how much or little money you have, joy is the possession of everyone, including you, no matter what size the bank account or the burden of debt.
5. LOVE: Love the one you’re with. I mean really love them. Don’t believe the myth that the grass is greener on the other side. The one you fell in love with years ago might be gone tomorrow. You might be gone tomorrow. Love is the greatest! So do it, and do it now. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Love Lisa. Love your kids. Love them unconditionally. Extravagantly! Stop holding back, being reserved and cautious. Love her like there is no tomorrow.
6. LIVE and LAUGH: Stop and smell the roses. Enjoy life. It isn’t all about working, making money, paying bills, chores, deadlines. It is about life. It is about enjoying the trees, the sunsets, the walks, the drives, the stars, the music, the wine, the people, the movies, whatever. Take it all in. Drink life to the dregs. Live every day as though it were your last. You’re taking life too seriously. Have fun. Enjoy what you have and enjoy what is. I am surrounded by all kinds of things to enjoy and to rejoice in. Gandhi’s mantra was “joy”. In spite of indescribable struggles and hardships, joy characterized his demeanor. Rejoice! Again I say, rejoice!
7. LOSE IT: Don’t put up with the crap. Suddenly, some things are no longer important to those of us left behind. When faced with death or other kinds of great loss, superficialities lose their appeal. Things that waste time and energy and money no longer tempt. Things that are fake are forsaken. It’s time to get real! If you smell crap coming, reject it! If you detect it in yourself, dump it! Hate hypocrisy! Abhor pretension!
8. LEARN: Learn that God is far more mysterious than you give him credit for. You so want to believe silly notions about God because they give you a false sense of security and comfort. Suddenly, this kind of tragedy makes you realize that God and life aren’t as simple as you’d like or thought. God is very unlike you, and his ways are not your ways. He doesn’t subscribe to your neat little packages. You are swimming in an endless, fathomless ocean of profound, beautiful and terrifying mystery!
9. LEAP: Take some chances. Live a life of risk. Do what you’ve always wanted to do. Take that trip. Try a new venture. Start that business! Sell all you have and give to the poor. Whatever it is that you’ve dreamed of doing, give it a shot. Life’s too short to live a life of just dreaming, of caution and inevitably of regret. Take that extraordinary leap of faith. What are you waiting for?
10. LET THEM BE: One of the consistent burdens that you carry are the expectations put upon you by others. Of course, you need to learn to resist carrying other people’s expectations they place upon you, but my point here is that you need to let people be! Don’t thrust your goals for others upon them. Not even your children or wife! Release people from your desires. Let people be free to choose their own destiny, to find themselves, to live as they see fit. Loosen your hold on others. They are already extraordinarily beautiful!

Charismatic Effects

How does one assess or evaluate the Neo-Pentecostal, or, as it is more colloquially termed, the Charismatic Movement. There are two camps with many ardent supporters within each side espousing either the cessationist or restorationist viewpoints. To evaluate any movement purporting to be of God we should be discerning and according to Dr J I Packer there are two tests that can be used.

Credal Test:
Anyone claiming to be Spirit-inspired who fails to confess the incarnation is not of God so they must affirm that the sacrifical death of God's Son cannot be denied and also the Spirit of God leads no one to say cursed be Jesus but leads men rather to sincerely call him Lord. Naturally this sort of credal test applies to all who profess a faith not just charismatics and it is the degree of honour paid by confession, attitude and action to the Son whom God the Father has made Lord.

Moral Test:
Anyone who truly knows and loves God will show it my keeping his commandments, avoiding all sin and loving his brethren in Christ.

Following on from this are quite obvious positive features within the charismatic movement after a biblical assessment:

1. Its stress on personal fellowship with, and devotion to, the living Christ.
2. Its stress on the need to be filled with the Spirit, and to be living a life which one way or another displays the Spirit's power.
3. Its recognition of, and provision for, the necessary emotional dimension - necessary because we are human beings - in apprehending and responding to the love of God in Christ.
4. Its stress on the need to cultivate an open, ardent, constant, whole-hearted habit of prayer.
5. Its stress on the need to cherish and express Christian joy in both speech and song.
6. Its insistence that each Christian be thoroughly involved in the church's worship.
7. Its concern that all Christians be actively involved in ministry; finding and using their gifts, whatever these prove to be, for others' welfare.
8. Its missionary zeal and concern to share Christ.
9. Its awareness of the potential of small groups for prayer, study and ministry.
10. Its stress on the need for church structures to be flexible enough to allow all gifts within a congregation to be fully used.
11. Its experiments in community living; in particular, the establishing of extended families composed of nuclear families who unit to fulfil ministries of shelter and support which no nuclear family on its own could manage.
12. Its cultivation of childlike openness, spontaneity, warmth, and expectancy in relationships with both God and man.

Naturally, not all of these features are present, nor have to be, within all charismatic churches but are common within the movement as a whole.

There are many churches who purposefully do not recognise themselves as being part of the charismatic movement per se but yet display such admirable features.

Problems do arise where there are distortions of these basic characteristics, over-emphasis of certain areas at the compromise of others and more importantly corruption of the interpretation of Scripture, greed and self-promotion.
(See forthcoming post on Charismatic Defects)

Deceitful Prosperity Teaching

John Piper has some good points to read about the deadly and deceitful false teaching - otherwise known as the 'prosperity gospel' but to anyone who has done some real research themselves and have discovered the real truth they will realize that the prosperity doctrine is a path back to atheism.

(H.T. - Justin)

Are you an IF or a THOUGH?

Our faith is always being challenged and we often are reminded (sometimes not nearly enough) that we are frail people who live on a fallen planet. Philip Yancey tells the story of George Everett Ross, who as a pastor said he observed two kinds of faith in his congregation:

One says IF and the other says THOUGH.

One says:

IF everything goes well,
IF my life is prosperous,
IF I am happy,
IF no one I love dies,
IF I am successful,
then I will believe in God, say my prayers, go to church and give what I can afford.

The other says:

THOUGH the cause of evil prosper,
THOUGH I sweat in Gethsemane,
THOUGH I must drink my cup at Calvary
nevertheless, precisely then, I will trust the Lord who made me.

So Job cries: 'Though he slay me, yet will I trust him'.

Intention and Evil

Intention is still a powerful part of some forms of evil, such as terrorism, but to limit evil to cases where the intent is clear is to simplify evil and miss the many cases in which evil is profound but less clear-cut and more elusive. Intent to do wrong may be necessary for a crime, but not for doing evil. Villains are evil by definition, but many who do the worst evil could be described as good citizens rather than villains...Evil may be done by people with no evil intentions; indeed, evil may be done by people with good intentions. Personal virtue is no longer a sufficient barrier to evil...The heart of darkness is a mystery...Just when we think we understand it and have it pegged, it disappears and reemerges in a different guise. With its myriad forms, its infinite capacity to morph between them, and its talent for breaking out where we least expect it, evil never allows us to declare ourselves safe and free.

We can all agree that Hitler was malevolently and malignantly evil. But if we relax after analyzing Nazi evil and thanking God it was so long ago and far away, we will be unprepared for a different form of evil-perhaps democratic, perhaps liberal, perhaps American, perhaps British, certainly surprising, and perhaps close to home. As modern people, we have to face the fact that modernity has made evil as modern as we are, and in doing so it holds a mirror to our thinking and our ways of life. As Einstein warned, "It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man".

Os Guinness - Unspeakable

Evil is like the outbreak of a highly contagious virus that is not containable nor controllable. No matter how much insulation we try to bubble wrap ourselves in for protection we tend to forget that we have already been infected and death the only antidote.