The Illusion (part two)
Small errors, draw big problems.
Special note: if you have not read part one, then you might be confused if you continue reading this post. Click below to go back and read it.
When we choose to “cherry-pick” the parts of scripture we like and ignore the other parts as if they do not exist. What remains is a problem for us all. Because, as we start teaching this modified scripture, problems compound and harden like cement in the religious world. As the years pass, these issues often become strongholds of the mind. The people in the charismatic world are no different and will defend their strongholds at all costs as well. This is why teachers and their teachings should be examined more carefully, because errors can last for generations.
The History 🤔
Starting in the 14th Century and lasting until the 17th century. The Renaissance pushed its way through Europe. Like many movements, good and bad things happened. On the good side, the first Bible was mass-printed. However, on the otherside Science and Religion started taking different roads. The science that was once taught in Christian schools was somehow ripped out of reliable Christian hands and placed in non-believer’s hands. From this, Science was starting to get up on a pedestal, and religion was headed for a well-defined locked box.
Then, on the heels of this came the Victorian Age. Many social rules were mandated in a crumbling social world in England and France. But the divide between Science and Religion went to a whole other level. Many Christian groups’ mindsets became more narrow, forcing them to retreat away from Science, abandoning it to the hands of the atheists. So in effect, Science became a god, and Religion became powerless in a locked box guarded by tenured professors. Locking out “unapproved” spiritual realities from the discussion that scripture itself either speaks directly to or hints at.
The reality is, whatever the people of God abandon, the kingdom of darkness will take hold of and fight to keep it. Ancient communities had no problem teaching basic science to the young because they understood that all creation testifies about God. It became a way to study the wonder of God and His complexity hidden in the world.
In effect, the excluded middle I spoke of in the last post started getting stripped from basic Christian understanding during those ages. As an example, the middle (spiritual forces, occult, principalities, etc.) all have an effect on nature. Mark 4:35-41, Mark 11:12-25, Ephesians 2:2, 1 Chronicles 21:15-27 and more. Armed with this understanding, you have options in this world. However, if your background comes from one of the many denominations that exclude the middle, then your mind is forced to do spiritual gymnastics to understand this world.
Not that long ago, I read a post on Reddit that perfectly highlighted the modern issue. The poster grew up in a regular, non-charismatic church. The pastor never spoke or taught on gifting, healing, or anything close to that. So in his mind, whenever he read about miracles in the Bible, he always saw them in the same context as the Lord of the Rings, Narnia, or any of the Marvel movies. In his mind, these were Biblical fantasy, myths, not real, because they were from another age. That is, until he saw a person get healed.
The miracle shocked his worldview, this is because healing, signs, and wonders are trans-rational testimonies that bypass the part of your mind that argues that all this is a myth. In this moment, he was confronted with evidence that can not be ignored.
Modern Problems
It seems to me that in the cycle of time, every couple of generations, darkness adds a new layer to keep us away from the truth of what Jesus came to give us. Now, I am not saying that every person who adds to this is a part of the kingdom of darkness, but I am saying they got used by darkness regaurdless if they know it or not.
John Calvin is the main force behind Cessationism, and some people now call his teachings the doctrine of demons.
This view was considered by a few people before Calvin, but in him, the teaching became much stronger. The most recent supporter of this view is the late John MacArthur.
Why does this Matter?
When you exclude a section of scripture concerning the power, presence, and mission of God on Earth, your mind starts to fill in the void of missing information with rituals, customs, and traditions, all designed to fill and add the value that you think you need. This is spiritual junk food that tastes good, but adds little value.
We in the Charismatic world now sit in a bad place, and a small number of us are just awake enough to see the problem. In my case, I’ve got over 40 years into this. I saw a lot of spiritual stuff in the early years, years connected to the Vineyard. But many of us noticed a shift around 1985. It was also during these years that Wimber was dealing with the issues of Bickle, Deere, and Joyner. Joyner wanted to blend the Vineyard and Morningstar together; thank God it never happened.
Then in 1994, The Toronto Airport Vineyard “outpouring” happened. Many prophetic voices rushed to blame John Wimber for not properly blessing the outpouring, and in their thinking, that this is why the Vineyard was drying up, because “John failed to support the new.” But the truth is, he used wisdom. Some of us now know that this blessing was a train wreck; it became a place for the outpouring of the Hindu Kundalini spirit, which was Randy Clark, who learned it from Rodney Howard-Browne.
Fast forward 40 years to today. The majority of the different “generals” of the Charismatic faith have fallen, exposed for being frauds, sexual predators, and con men. In fact, some are highly suspect of never being a part of the Body from the very start. From these men was laid the foundation for all the Charismatic terminology and teachings that so many use today. This one fact alone has now made me pause and back up, wondering how much we have learned that might not be correct.
This group did not ignore the middle; they redefined it for self-serving purposes with non-biblical terminology that sounds good, but means very little. An example word is the famous term often used at places like Morningstar, “The Religious Spirit.” This term replaced the term Legalism, and I would argue caused more damage overall. This is because, by implication and use of the term, the Religious Spirit has been applied to some people, leaving them in a bad place. Those people have walked away feeling condemned because they are viewed as unclean, inferior, and infected with a demonic spirit. Since leaving Morningstar, I have helped break this bad condemnation off people, with truth, who have spent years under this burden.
In effect, this term, like a few others have been successfully used to control and manipulate the congregation. Yes, this is Cleargy abuse, and it needs to stop.😳
By redefining biblical terms and words with fuzzy, non-biblical Charismatic terminology, you create an illusion, now claimed to be real in people's eyes, and blur the truth itself. This is why EVERYTHING we have been taught in the last 40 years should be re-examined, pondered, and fixed.
The Shaking going on is a Good Thing👍
When the spiritual middle is excluded from the basic worldview, we, by nature, make excuses for why certain things happen or don’t happen. The spiritual world never sleeps, its always planning and working many steps ahead of you or I. It has been planning this moment in history for a long time, making small changes at every level, including Christian education.
By the reports I have heard, MANY of the current Christian colleges of today have quietly become spiritually polluted. I used to think it was horrible to hear of some of the stories coming out of Morningstar University about the number of solid Christian kids who, after leaving, were either in same sex relationship, or left Jesus altogether.
But I now realize the problem was not just centered at that location. The current shaking going on that is exposing everything is also affecting higher-level Christian education, all the way up to seminary. Many such places have become a zone of indoctrination. Click here for the example of Biola University (Evangelical). It’s all become an illusion, fake, made to look real.
It’s time to rebuild on the King of Truth, listen ⬇ and ponder.
What do you think? Do we need a part 3? Let’s hear your thoughts ⤵
Yes, I would love to see a Part 3! Good work! We need to analyze these things so that we see and discern the weakness and failures and don't just condemn but press through for the correction! Then hopefully we all will get a deliverance! Didn't Jesus do that?
Many know thei individual callings, in their areas, but don't know how to work it TOGETHER! So THEY judge (negatively often) everyone not like them! But in a very big world, we need to see beyond that. It will take the Acts of the Holy Spirit! in our current day!