This article first appeared in The Christian Post. The Church at large is reeling from more and more exposure of sin in the lives of its leaders, whose greed, sexual immorality, abusive behavior, and lust for attention have left many weary and wary. Photo by Mic Narra on Unsplash In the charismatic world, the list of problems includes failed “prophecies” from those claiming to speak for God. It’s no wonder that even many continuationists have become gun-shy about the supernatural. To be clear, by “continuationists” (more commonly, charismatics), I mean those who believe the Holy Continue Reading
Charismatics, let’s rethink “word of knowledge”
The ruse is up for popular so-called prophets who use data mining to conjure up what charismatics commonly call “word of knowledge.” Photo by FotoFlo on Unsplash Such fakery shows blasphemous disregard for the work of the Holy Spirit. It also does real harm to real people—and it has for generations. Part of the problem is that we charismatics can be so captivated by the sensational and spectacular we neglect God’s command to test prophetic words (1 Thess. 5:19-22). We are too easily deceived. To help fix that, let’s take a fresh look at what word of knowledge is Continue Reading
The charismatic movement needs drastic reformation
I was raised in a Pentecostal denomination and have attended non-denominational charismatic churches almost all my adult life. Photo by Rachel Coyne on Unsplash I believe the Holy Spirit still distributes supernatural spiritual gifts, and the gift of prophecy supernaturally strengthens, encourages and consoles believers (1 Cor. 14:3). I believe prophets are one of Jesus’ gifts to the church. Along with apostles, evangelists, and teacher/pastors, they help equip, mature, and unify the body of Christ (Eph.4:11-12). That said, I’m deeply disturbed by certain patterns and trends in Continue Reading
What the gift of prophecy is—and what it isn’t
Given the plethora of alleged prophets and prophetic words available at our fingertips these days, it can be difficult to sort out what’s real or fake regarding prophecy. Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash Setting aside Old Testament and apocalyptic prophecy for the moment, let’s look at the spiritual gift of prophecy (see 1 Cor. 12:7-11; Rom. 12:4-7). Prophecy is God speaking to people through people to reveal his present priorities in a personal way. Paul writes, “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy…the person who prophesies Continue Reading