I'm hoping someone out there can relate and help me with this particularly troubling thing in my life right now.
I have this friend, let's call him Gizmo.
Gizmo has been converted for about a year now. He goes to a Church that I used to go to. It's one of those Church, you know, has a catchy name, is getting really big, has loud crazy worship, people are getting on the floor throwing their hands in the air, projectors with lazer shows on the screen, exicting, happening place to be, beautiful people, lots of cash, large staff.......only uses a bible verse to crutch their teachings, is aimed at unsaved and new christians, pumps the babes in Christ full of vitamins and fertilizer, refuses to teach theology or doctrines, never talks about sin, only preaches the "feel good" part of the gospel....you know the church?
So Gizmo has recently been put into a leadership position at this Church, as a prayer leader. One who goes up during the alter calls and prays for others and trys to counsel them. Gizmo tells me this gives him a feeling of authority, like he could see a 90 year old man who's been walking with the lord for 60 years, and counsel him in his walk with the lord.
This is Gizmo, he doesn't know his bible very well, he almost always takes scriptures out of their context to support something, and doesn't believe in context. Skips over the stuff that doesn't "speak to him", as if Paul put "fluff" in his letters to make them longer or something.
He also does this, he has been told he is "especially sensitive to the spirit", by a woman in the Church. He will tell me what he thinks a verse means and finish it by saying, "that wasn't even me talking, that was all the spirit on that one". Also believes he has the spiritual gifts of Discernment (which we will see, he doesn't really know the meaning of), and Wisdom. Gizmo thinks I have the gift of Prophecy (which is funny becuase I don't prophesy, maybe I disern)
Here is the one that scares me, Gizmo says he's get, "a word" for someone. This "word" he says is from God. Usually supported by verses that have nothing to do with the subject of the "word". The "word" has been wrong on a couple of occasions. He is encourage by that same woman to give people the "word", and, " as long as it's out of love, so what if it's wrong, God can still do good with it."
This is where I asked the questions.....
1.What level of authority do you place these "words" on, ie, with scripture, below scripture, higher than scripture. He stumbled all over the place trying to answer.....No answer
2. How do you test the spirit from which you recieve the "word"? He had no clue, so we turned to 1John. He said he'd look into it...
3. What happens if it is wrong? He said, "it's not a big deal".....we turned to Deuteronomy 18:20. He says that doesn't apply to him....
So Gizmo is walking around acting as prophet(and not realizing it), giving people a message from God that could or could not be right. Gizmo is my brother and I'm worried about him.
Anyone have some wisdom, or been through something similar?
I have this friend, let's call him Gizmo.
Gizmo has been converted for about a year now. He goes to a Church that I used to go to. It's one of those Church, you know, has a catchy name, is getting really big, has loud crazy worship, people are getting on the floor throwing their hands in the air, projectors with lazer shows on the screen, exicting, happening place to be, beautiful people, lots of cash, large staff.......only uses a bible verse to crutch their teachings, is aimed at unsaved and new christians, pumps the babes in Christ full of vitamins and fertilizer, refuses to teach theology or doctrines, never talks about sin, only preaches the "feel good" part of the gospel....you know the church?
So Gizmo has recently been put into a leadership position at this Church, as a prayer leader. One who goes up during the alter calls and prays for others and trys to counsel them. Gizmo tells me this gives him a feeling of authority, like he could see a 90 year old man who's been walking with the lord for 60 years, and counsel him in his walk with the lord.
This is Gizmo, he doesn't know his bible very well, he almost always takes scriptures out of their context to support something, and doesn't believe in context. Skips over the stuff that doesn't "speak to him", as if Paul put "fluff" in his letters to make them longer or something.
He also does this, he has been told he is "especially sensitive to the spirit", by a woman in the Church. He will tell me what he thinks a verse means and finish it by saying, "that wasn't even me talking, that was all the spirit on that one". Also believes he has the spiritual gifts of Discernment (which we will see, he doesn't really know the meaning of), and Wisdom. Gizmo thinks I have the gift of Prophecy (which is funny becuase I don't prophesy, maybe I disern)
Here is the one that scares me, Gizmo says he's get, "a word" for someone. This "word" he says is from God. Usually supported by verses that have nothing to do with the subject of the "word". The "word" has been wrong on a couple of occasions. He is encourage by that same woman to give people the "word", and, " as long as it's out of love, so what if it's wrong, God can still do good with it."
This is where I asked the questions.....
1.What level of authority do you place these "words" on, ie, with scripture, below scripture, higher than scripture. He stumbled all over the place trying to answer.....No answer
2. How do you test the spirit from which you recieve the "word"? He had no clue, so we turned to 1John. He said he'd look into it...
3. What happens if it is wrong? He said, "it's not a big deal".....we turned to Deuteronomy 18:20. He says that doesn't apply to him....
So Gizmo is walking around acting as prophet(and not realizing it), giving people a message from God that could or could not be right. Gizmo is my brother and I'm worried about him.
Anyone have some wisdom, or been through something similar?
