Local AG church

ByTheSpirit

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Local AG had a picture up that said: "Stop waiting on God to speak. He already did in the Bible."

Is this what the AG has become now? I was an AG minister 5 years ago and left because I saw the trend towards cessationism, but man.
 

frienden thalord

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That is the problem . its all about me myself and I syndrome in the churches today.
many teach GOD created all things for our good purpose syndrome.
But all was created FOR HIS GOOD PURPOSE.......we serve GOD , not the other way around.
 
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rocknanchor

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You both swing hard and true. We do tend to remove ourselves from that which rises up in fleshly pursuits.

It is too easy though, wouldn’t you say? The ease at which we strike is how easy it is to lead the weaker along with us. Problem there is, at what degree do we remember to also include an intervening prayer for not only the local, but regional oversight caring for this body?

Sure, we can strike a blow where it needs to, and many times therein deservedly so, but we fail if we don’t bear the fuller light.
 
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quietbloke

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Local AG had a picture up that said: "Stop waiting on God to speak. He already did in the Bible."

Is this what the AG has become now? I was an AG minister 5 years ago and left because I saw the trend towards cessationism, but man.
It's good to meet you. We are not cessationalists but believe that the baptism and gifts of the Spirit and fruit of the Spirit is for today. Looking forward to God moving through us continually.
 
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ByTheSpirit

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It's good to meet you. We are not cessationalists but believe that the baptism and gifts of the Spirit and fruit of the Spirit is for today. Looking forward to God moving through us continually.

I know the AG preachs the gifts, but I am telling you from experience, the only gift I ever saw was Tongues. The last time I preached in the AG the pastor told me not to preach on healing because it would create false hope in the church and people would leave when they didn't get healed. This new quote from a local AG church I fully intended on attending is more of the same. I never thought I would see a Pentecostal assembly say such a thing. Not that the Bible isn't our guide but man, the message their statement conveys is deadly
 
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quietbloke

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I know the AG preachs the gifts, but I am telling you from experience, the only gift I ever saw was Tongues. The last time I preached in the AG the pastor told me not to preach on healing because it would create false hope in the church and people would leave when they didn't get healed. This new quote from a local AG church I fully intended on attending is more of the same. I never thought I would see a Pentecostal assembly say such a thing. Not that the Bible isn't our guide but man, the message their statement conveys is deadly
Have a look at the Assemblies of God website and see what the movement teaches. You will see that it is based on the Scriptures.
 
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ByTheSpirit

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Have a look at the Assemblies of God website and see what the movement teaches. You will see that it is based on the Scriptures.

I think you are missing my point. Again I know what the AG teaches because I went through their ministry school. I have the books, I have the certificate of ministry in home to prove it. But just because the AG teaches something or any denomination for that matter doesn't mean they believe it.

My concern here was to discuss if this is abnormal AG experience around the world. I have attended 5 different AG churches, 3 of which fall into this category, a 4th is very very close (the only time I ever saw gifts in action there was during a missionary visit), the 5th had become a megachurch preaching a watered down gospel.

The AG has a bad reputation for creating some highly questionable ministers and ministries. Jimmy Swaggart, Joel Osteen, Hillsong even (they used to be associated with the AG).

My concern for the movement is they are veering off the true path into a more man based doctrine and theology, hence the "Stop waiting for God to speak, he already did in the Bible" message
 
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quietbloke

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My dear friend. Why would you wish to come on here and say this and dwell on your past rather than moving on in your new stream? You are very welcome here anyway if you want to fellowship and encourage. That's what this place is all about. God bless
 
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ByTheSpirit

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My dear friend. Why would you wish to come on here and say this and dwell on your past rather than moving on in your new stream? You are very welcome here anyway if you want to fellowship and encourage. That's what this place is all about. God bless

You must have missed my question.

Is this a normal AG practice now in their gatherings?

Is this type of message what we normally can expect in an AG assembly?

Again, my experience has been yes. But I have hope that there are some that truly do experience God's power in service.
 
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quietbloke

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You must have missed my question.

Is this a normal AG practice now in their gatherings?

Is this type of message what we normally can expect in an AG assembly?

Again, my experience has been yes. But I have hope that there are some that truly do experience God's power in service.
It's certainly not the type of message or conduct that I have experienced in Assemblies of God for 52 years.
 
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Personally, I've never attended an Assembly of God church. There aren't many Assembly of God churches in my area, only three that I know of right off the top of my head, and they aren't especially close to me. The Church of God (Cleveland), Baptist, and Apostolic Pentecostal churches are more common where I'm from.

In saying that, however, I know the Assemblies of God are (collectively) the world's largest Pentecostal movement, but it does seem to me that they have moved slightly from their Pentecostal roots. I had a cousin who's family attended an Assembly of God church, and she was completely unaware that it was a Pentecostal church. I was quite puzzled that she didn't know, but she told me that she had not once heard the pastor "preaching Pentecost" or any of the Spirit's gifts being practiced, whether it be tongues, interpretation of tongues, anointing and praying for the healing of the sick, or prophecy, etc. My cousin assured me had she witnessed these things she wouldn't have went back because she doesn't believe the Spirit's gifts have continued into the modern church (she's mostly definitely a cessationist). My cousin and her children now go to a Nazarene church.

I've heard talk about the other Assembly of God churches in my neck of the woods, too. I know one of them use to send their saints to "teach" new converts how to speak in tongues, which I most definitely don't agree with. The infilling of the Holy Spirit is a gift from Christ, and tongues is one of Spirit's gifts. It isn't anything that can be taught. And if one does "teach" believers to pray and/or speak in tongues, I would call that blasphemy.

I don't know if the Assemblies of God are drifting towards cessationism or not, because their website insists it still believes the spiritual gifts are for the modern church, and I know they generally require Spirit baptism for ordination. I have read, however, that some Assembly of God pastors and leaders have questioned whether or not if Spirit baptism is always evidenced by tongues. In this matter, it seems some have drifted more to a Charismatic theology. However, the Assemblies of God fellowship still requires Spirit baptism as evidenced by speaking in tongues as a qualification for ordination.

In conclusion, I think it's just the Pentecostal experience isn't preached as strongly or with as much emphasis as it once was in most denominational Pentecostal churches as it use to be, which I'm sure contributes to the churches' slow but gradual drift from its roots. They still believe the gifts are distributed to Christians today, so their not cessationists, it's just their not preaching them or possibly not even receiving them.
 
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