This has been the rave of the town for the past few days. Im not a Cessatnionist or a Charismatic…. I am in some realm in the middle….But this blog isn’t really about me (it kinda is.. but not in this sense)…. I have been worried about the antics done at many Charismatic type churches since about 1990. As a Kid, my mother attended a non-denom church called Calvary Christian in Sacramento Ca. This may seem like publicity.. but it isn’t… This church is probably 85% responsible for me questioning my faith and the church as a whole! I do not recommend it at all… I more so recommend TP the Pastors house.

Anyhow…this is the first church I say what many describe as the Holy ghost experience. People would get up do a touchdown dance, yell, and people would fan them to cool them down. I always thought that was weird, its almost as if they think the Holy spirit is allergic or scared of a fan. How does a fan calm the person down. (I keep getting sidetracked sorry) I didn’t know better so I just stared in amazement, until one day this lady got up in front of me, start doing the two step and a guy grab her hand a spun her like it was a dancing with the stars TV episode. I was appalled, furious, livid, etc. The fainting, tongues, and shimmies I could deal with but not this. So I ask my mother could I stop going to church. To my surprise she agreed.
We went back to that church yrs later (after the church grew tremendously, the Pastor owns a private plane now, etc). During the service he Pastor Rev Goudeaux basically calls me a sinner cuz I have a ear ring and a tattoo, and then mid service… a guy runs to the front of the church and smashes money in the Rev Phillip Goudeaux pocket. I think it was called a love offering! Yea.. that sealed the deal… I was done with church for a while. Luckily I went to Catholic high school years later that got me back interested in religion. The EVIL EMPIRE, did not convert me, but we had religion class ever year and that made me somewhat study the word.

Experiences like these have made me extremely cautious about the whole Charismatic movement. I know a person can’t judge a whole batch by one bad piece of fruit…. But in real world experience… If I eat a piece of fruit for the first time and its horrible… my IQ typically tells me… don’t take another bite. Fast Forward to today. I have a charismatic cousin, that really wants to expose me to the “true” charismatic experience. So I checked it out, listen @DrMichaelLBrown’s radio show. Very intellectual guy, a stark contrast to the mess I saw as a child.

BUT…..I start to use google & youtube…. And then I find out that the Word of faith movement ‘Name it and Claim it’ is associated with charismatic movement, and I come across John Crowder and Howard-Browne. As u can guess,,, my cousin is not to trilled to have to explain this ppls abuses. Congregations breakout into laughter, a guy referencing the Holy Spirit experience with drug filled terms like whacked & hammered.
If you know me (in real life) you know I laugh at everything. And as an expert laugh-ologist… I can testify that 75% of the time I usually laughing at someone expense, at an awkward moment, and it is rarely laughing due to Joy. Laughter is not a great measure to express Joy. And Crowder….speechless!!!!

This is why I loved the Strange Fire conference. I by no means am a Reformed Baptist (you are welcome Calvinist, for me not describing this group with yall term). There are numerous things I disagree with their theology on… and there were slick shots thrown my theological direction to, but overall I think this conference needed to be had. To many times I have heard these response when questions about abuses:

• “We don’t have to address and hunt down error, we are to busy saving souls”
So was the Council of Orange in 529AD, not done in the nature of assuring correct representation of Jesus Christ our Lord? Were they not saving souls or interested in it? Did Paul tell Tim to guard the Gospel!!!! 2 Tim 12-14
Was Martin Luther not trying to offer correction before reformation, or was he to busy saving souls

• “This is being devises, this is the faster growing denom in the Body”
And? Correction is not being devises….correction is an attempt to ensure Christ and the Holy Spirit is represented correctly. Because Witnesses & Mormons claim to worship Jesus.. BUT its not the correct Jesus

• “You cannot put the Holy Spirit in a Box”
Are u serious!
Barking is not self control “Gal 5:22-23”
Laughing is not genuine sign of Joy “Eccle 2:2” “Gal5:22-23”
Referring to being filled with the HS as “Drunk, hammered, whacked” all are drug filled and inspired type descriptions

A perfect example of this is the recent interview with Dr. Michael Brown and Phil Johnson. Dr. Brown would rather defend gifts are for today rather than discuss the errors that were mentioned in conference. No suggestion on a plan to address the issue of error. People can disagree on the extent of error, but the fact that there is mass error has to be addressed. Please Pray that the errors get addressed on a grand scale. If an error is told to millions, the rebuke of the error has to at least attempt to be heard by just as many!!!