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(Previous questions and answers listed below) |
Question:
Pastor Jay hi im looking to attend a different church. the one I was attending has begun to stray from the Word of God and has been falling in love with chasing signs and wonders,(apostate church). I was wondering what is your stance on the NAR (new apostolic reformation), the prophetic movement, latter rain theology? Would you support the Lakeland "revival", Todd bentley, Bill Johnson, or anybody who teaches a kingdom now theology? God bless, Tom
Answer:
Thanks for the question Tom. Living Hope Church does not hold to, teach or practice the use of sign gifts (signs and wonders). We beleive that these particular gifts (including tongues) were active in the Apostolic age with the infant church, serving a very significant purpose in validating the message of the Gospel to the Jews. We do not believe that there have been progressive "waves" of special manifestations of the Holy Spirit. So much of the activity (Toronto Blessing, Lakeland revival) have not been characteristic of true Biblical revival which emphasizes the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, the purity and authority of God's word and the need for a Godly-sorrow type repentence (2 Corinthians 7). So much emphasis and energy has been put into the display of signs and wonders by some in the radical elements of the Charismatic movement that the dynamic message of the cross which should be the central focus of the church has been delegated to a lesser role in favor of the emotional and sensational often out-of-control human experience (barking like dogs, crawling on hands and knees, uncontrolled laughing, etc.). Couple these with the unChrist-like values and lavish millionaire lifestyles of some of the major players in these movements and one has to wonder who they are trully serving (and who they are fleecing!) I think I know what Jesus would say!
I can't speak with any knowledge about the men that you mentioned, or some of the specific movements you mentioned. All I can do is speak to what Jesus said of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 13-17, and to the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 regarding the need to put less emphasis on the showy gifts and more emphasis on love in the Spirit-filled use of our gifts to one another in the Church. It seems that our carnal flesh is attracted to the sensational, and less to the spiritual disciplines of Holy living through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Pastor J. Jay Williamson
Pastor Jay hi im looking to attend a different church. the one I was attending has begun to stray from the Word of God and has been falling in love with chasing signs and wonders,(apostate church). I was wondering what is your stance on the NAR (new apostolic reformation), the prophetic movement, latter rain theology? Would you support the Lakeland "revival", Todd bentley, Bill Johnson, or anybody who teaches a kingdom now theology? God bless, Tom
Answer:
Thanks for the question Tom. Living Hope Church does not hold to, teach or practice the use of sign gifts (signs and wonders). We beleive that these particular gifts (including tongues) were active in the Apostolic age with the infant church, serving a very significant purpose in validating the message of the Gospel to the Jews. We do not believe that there have been progressive "waves" of special manifestations of the Holy Spirit. So much of the activity (Toronto Blessing, Lakeland revival) have not been characteristic of true Biblical revival which emphasizes the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, the purity and authority of God's word and the need for a Godly-sorrow type repentence (2 Corinthians 7). So much emphasis and energy has been put into the display of signs and wonders by some in the radical elements of the Charismatic movement that the dynamic message of the cross which should be the central focus of the church has been delegated to a lesser role in favor of the emotional and sensational often out-of-control human experience (barking like dogs, crawling on hands and knees, uncontrolled laughing, etc.). Couple these with the unChrist-like values and lavish millionaire lifestyles of some of the major players in these movements and one has to wonder who they are trully serving (and who they are fleecing!) I think I know what Jesus would say!
I can't speak with any knowledge about the men that you mentioned, or some of the specific movements you mentioned. All I can do is speak to what Jesus said of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 13-17, and to the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 regarding the need to put less emphasis on the showy gifts and more emphasis on love in the Spirit-filled use of our gifts to one another in the Church. It seems that our carnal flesh is attracted to the sensational, and less to the spiritual disciplines of Holy living through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Pastor J. Jay Williamson
posted by Pastor Jay Williamson | 4:33 PM
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