Do Charismatic/Pentecostal Christians lack discernment?

[Tamara224]

Hello Tamara, I like your profile picture. You really look like a nice lady.

Thanks, you're sweet.

I suppose you're right, but I've been in enough of these "christian love" threads to know that we had better defend our faith. The people who tell us that we lack discernment are not our friends. And, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Well... I've "known" the guys in this thread for a while now - some of them for several years. I count them as my friends. Even when we disagree with one another on things.

My wife has been employed at Assemblies of God for 14 years, and at present I am in a small Vineyard Charismatic Church. Do you mind if I ask, "What Charismatic Church are you in?"

I was raised going to Pentecostal churches (AoG and Open Bible). My dad was a pastor for a number of years. I don't currently attend a Pentecostal or Charismatic assembly, though, because the ones in my town are pretty unbalanced doctrinally. I'm a member of a Baptist church. But I'm still Charismatic.

 

[Always in His Presence]

so this begs the question...if these folks aren't "charasmatic/sf"...why are they IN this section? Just sayin'?!

because charismatic is a catch all phrase

there are

Catholic Charismatics
Baptist Charismatics
Lutheran Charismatics
Methodist Charismatics
Calvary Chapel Charismatics
even Vineyard Charismatics

each has their own unique slant on what defines Charismatics. There are really good people in each and there are unteachable people in each who think they know better than the other group.

 

[banish'd]

because charismatic is a catch all phrase

there are

Catholic Charismatics
Baptist Charismatics
Lutheran Charismatics
Methodist Charismatics
Calvary Chapel Charismatics
even Vineyard Charismatics

each has their own unique slant on what defines Charismatics. There are really good people in each and there are unteachable people in each who think they know better than the other group.

Hello Balance,

Okay, lets put all these Charismatic denominations in perspective for the people who don't understand us. The common denominator is that they are Charismatics, so they worship Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone). One of the characteristics they share is that they worship directly to God the Father and the Spirit of truth proceedeth from the Father. (no theology required)

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:" (John 15:25-27)

Now speaking for myself with a well developed prayer life, I am partly suspended mentally when I sing along with the worship music, or pray in the Spirit.

One of the requirements for "discernment" is to discriminate mentally which I do not do while praying, or singing in the Spirit. However, during every Charismatic service that I have attended it begins with 30 minutes of praise/worship and contemporary worship music, then 30-35 minutes of sermon, and ends with another 15 minutes of worship music.

During the 30-35 minute sermon I am not partly suspended mentally, and I do fully discern and discriminate what is being preached out of the Bible. The bible verses are up on the large screen for us to follow along with in our own bibles. The preachers are Word of Faith, and most everyone takes notes. There are bible studies during the week. Charismatics usually do not preach down on the other denominations, because there is unity in the Holy Spirit.

 

[Andy S. Wright]

I think one could easily ask if the more critical minded among us (of any denomination) lack humility.

 

[nephilimiyr]

Generally speaking that is?

Generally speaking, not anymore or any less than christians who are not charismatic or Pentecostal, IMHO.

 

[nephilimiyr]

Not many, from my experience. But I believe discernment is coming … thanks in part to YouTube.

~Jim

Changing one thing for the better is worth more than proving a thousand things are wrong.​

YouTube, my favorite website next to this one.

 

[nephilimiyr]

I just brought up the youtube Holy Spirit Hokey Pokey video to show it to one of my family members and my daughter heard it and started laughing and said ..."The God Hokey Pokey" ...she thought it was silly.

My daughter is seven years old and it is blatantly obvious to me that she has more discernment at 7 years old than many adult Charismatic/Pentecostal Christians.

Hmmm, for someone who made a thread titled "Beautiful Freedom" you seem to be contradicting that statement. I thought "The God Hokey Pokey" was humerous as well, but whether those people are lacking discerment isn't for me to judge just because of that video and what it portrayed. Show me those peoples lives, show me their heart, show me what they believe, then maybe I can tell you whether they are discerning correctly or not.

Frankly, those who judge those people as not discerning correctly simply by looking at that video is not discerning correctly.

 

[nephilimiyr]

Generally speaking, Charismatics do not discern "TRUTH" as the lawyers of the bible would, so they may appear to have a lack of discernment to the lawyer type denominations.

For the most part, Charismatics are [Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone)] and don't have the least bit of interest in theology.

:o LOL, what? I don't have the least bit of interest in theology, and neither any of my fellow church members or anyone here in this forum? How long have you been a charismatic? I think it's true that for some they don't make theology a priority as some other people do but that doesn't equate to "least bit of interest".

Before I became a charismatic several years ago I was a theology and doctrine only type guy. Since I became a charismatic I learned that there is more to being a child of God than getting my doctrines and theology correct.

 

[nephilimiyr]

No, they're scared.

Scared to go against leadership or unsound teachings because of percieved submission to authority being submission to God, fear of loosing friends, position or the place to belong to etc etc. You can check the teachigns and example of Christian leaders out against the scriptures as the berean's did. Checking it out is not the problem, what do you do when you realise the church has lost its path, that's the problem!

LOL, yeah, because we all know that Catholics and the Orthodox are perfectly ok with going against the Pope or their Bishops, because they don't care whether they are submissive to the Church or not, all they care about is whether they are discerning correctly or not.

 

[AudioArtist]

Actually it was meant to be funny. Tragically funny, maybe, but funny. The world does not have to make fools of P/C’s … we do it to ourselves ... on YouTube.

~Jim

Changing one thing for the better is worth more than proving a thousand things are wrong.​

We?

What does that mean, on this forum, on threads like this?

Isn't it just a way of mocking the charismatic movement without appearing as bad or critical as 'we' otherwise could?

 

[Always in His Presence]

Biblical Discerment is discerning of spirits, NOT discerning of doctrines, not discerning of theology, not discerning of denominations.

 

[AudioArtist]

Biblical Discerment is discerning of spirits, NOT discerning of doctrines, not discerning of theology, not discerning of denominations.

Yes. It is a supernatural gift, like prophecy.

It's not deeming 'charismatic' things, like people crying, sobbing, groaning, shouting, laughing, or falling to the floor under the immense power of God 'demonic' because we don't like the look of them.

And it's certainly not a free pass to making sarcastic, sly comments about an entire group of fellow Christians.

But - and this comment will wind a lot of people up - the charismatics probably receive the most vile attacks because it's where the most interesting God stuff is currently happening. All God-breathed movements have had the same at first; the Baptists, the methodists, the quakers.

I was just reading about John Wimber. Poor John Wimber... even after he had a stroke and was incredibly weak, his persecutors continued their lies and attacks with more and more vehemence. He returned in kindness, though -and his dying wish was for the Vineyard Church to remember the poor. No wonder folk like Jackie Pullinger and Heider Baker go off to the poorest places on Earth to allow God to work any unusual miracles He wants through them: there's less Christians unknowingly brainwashed by materialism with the idol of 'my correct doctrine' over there telling them it's wrong and 'out of control'.

 

[nephilimiyr]

Biblical Discerment is discerning of spirits, NOT discerning of doctrines, not discerning of theology, not discerning of denominations.

Romans 12:2, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We're not to discern God's will but test and approve. And we do that through renewing our mind to Christ.

 

[probinson]

But - and this comment will wind a lot of people up - the charismatics probably receive the most vile attacks because it's where the most interesting God stuff is currently happening.

Yep. That's why my pastor always says, "More light, more bugs".

 

[Always in His Presence]

Hello Balance,

Okay, lets put all these Charismatic denominations in perspective for the people who don't understand us. The common denominator is that they are Charismatics, so they worship Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone). One of the characteristics they share is that they worship directly to God the Father and the Spirit of truth proceedeth from the Father. (no theology required)

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:" (John 15:25-27)

Now speaking for myself with a well developed prayer life, I am partly suspended mentally when I sing along with the worship music, or pray in the Spirit.

One of the requirements for "discernment" is to discriminate mentally which I do not do while praying, or singing in the Spirit. However, during every Charismatic service that I have attended it begins with 30 minutes of praise/worship and contemporary worship music, then 30-35 minutes of sermon, and ends with another 15 minutes of worship music.

During the 30-35 minute sermon I am not partly suspended mentally, and I do fully discern and discriminate what is being preached out of the Bible. The bible verses are up on the large screen for us to follow along with in our own bibles. The preachers are Word of Faith, and most everyone takes notes. There are bible studies during the week. Charismatics usually do not preach down on the other denominations, because there is unity in the Holy Spirit.

Well, I have only been in ministry 25 years, but Ive never heard of such before. But that diversity is what makes this so interesting.

 

[disciple-ofjesus]

Biblical Discerment is discerning of spirits, NOT discerning of doctrines, not discerning of theology, not discerning of denominations.

amen, well said.

 

[banish'd]

Apparently, the anointing in the San Francisco area is different? I match up perfectly with the worshipers during the Benny Crusades and also with the Terry MacAlmon worship services. The hippie movement during the 70's had a big impact on the charismatics here in California.

I apologize if disturbed anyone .

 

[gratefulgrace]

I always thought so (referring to the OP) when I got involved in the Pentecostal church as a spirit filled Charismatic I was very grateful for my upbringing in the Baptist church where doctrine and scriptural truth mattered more than touch feely experience. Experience is terrific and I would not want to go back but having a strong Biblical foundation that I can measure my experience by is invaluable spiritually. If we throw this out then we get into all the extra biblical revelatory stuff that many are into these days and it will eventurally lead to error and heresy. gg

 

[Gnarwhal]

For the most part I don't think we can generalize all Charismatics, just like I don't think we can generalize that all Baptists are legalistic.

I do think however that there is quite a lack of discernment amongst Charismatics though. I've come across several whom I both know as friends or just merely acquaintances and they don't exercise any discernment at all, following absolutely anything that gets thrown at them without stopping to test it at all.

At this point all I can hope for my friends is that through prayer the Lord will show them what true discernment looks like and they'll exercise it with great wisdom - it's definitely needed in the season we're in now.

 

[lismore]

LOL, yeah, because we all know that Catholics and the Orthodox are perfectly ok with going against the Pope or their Bishops, because they don't care whether they are submissive to the Church or not, all they care about is whether they are discerning correctly or not.

I dont know about Orthodox, but when the Catholics went against the pope and the bishops it was called the Reformation.

If you study the RCC at the time of the Reformation and compare it to the Charismatic church today you will see some similarities. I predict a rise in house fellowships and informal groups as spirit filled believers move back to the basics.

The bible says when we come together 'everyone has' something that 'must' be done for the edification of the body. I repeat 'everyone has', 'must be done'.

1 Corinthians 14:26 NIV
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

One body, many parts. If you dont exercise all the parts the body will not be strong.

Some of the most awesome and wonderful times I have ever had at a meeting was when we met informally at the AOG church, everyone shared a word of encouragement, a song, a scripture. It was amazing how God spoke through this!

No disrespect to anyone, but I dont believe sitting listening to one individual week in, week out, over and over again is particularly healthy spiritually speaking.

Every one of us is a Child of God and can hear from God. We all have soemthing to share with one another. We dont need priests, we are all a royal priesthood, a chosen people