Friday, May 12, 2006
Only God knows
I was reading this article in the Minnesota Christian Chronicle where it talks about Johnny Lang being healed by Christ of his addictions. Great, I thought and then read the article. It says, something "supernatural" occurred and he began shaking in his chair. He says, "It's like somebody grabbed my shoulders and shook me forcefully back and forth. Yet at the same time, I felt total peace. I heard Jesus say to me , 'you don't have to have this if you don't want it.' This kind of stuff scares me. I grew up in a church where much shaking, barking, croppy-floppin' and other stuff went on and I really believe as the bible states that God is a God of order and not confusion ( 1 Cor. 14:33). I tend to hear this kind of thing and take caution. I try not to put God in my own little box but I get a little freaked out when I hear stories like these. If God saved Johnny Lang that is awesome and I hope to hear some new rockin' christian tunes from him soon. :o)
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13 comments:
Hey Reegz,
I too attended quite a few services that you speak of. My dad dragged me around. I witnessed the barking like a dog, the supposed healings, the grunting and babbling. Freak show.
Yikes! I'm not alone. Hurray!
I was in a relationship three years ago and lasted around 5 months (much of which was over the summer four hours apart). However, we'd become friends before the relationship, really just talking about doctrinal issues. She was raised charasmatic, so had more of an Armenian view of grace and believed in a very different application of the "spiritual gifts" like speaking in tongues than what I believe to be correct.
To make a long story short, she now goes to Bethlehem Baptist and is happily (last I knew) married to a guy who works for Desiring God ministries and has a child now. The comment that I found really interesting as she was struggling with what she'd grown up with and what she was realizing to be true was, "Everyone would always pray that I would receive the gift of tongues, and I'd pray for it, but it never came, and I couldn't figure out why. If this was such a vital thing, why didn't I have it?"
It's one more example in life where I can look at the mistakes that were made in the process of my first (and only) relationship. There was immaturity, and I didn't have an adequate understanding of God's purpose in our lives in regard to relationships. However, I much prefer to look at how we both grew closer to Christ as a result.
(Okay, so that's a little off the original topic of the charasmatic church, but...it all ties in!)
As a more direct note regarding the charasmatic church...the movement really didn't start until 1900 in Kansas, which makes me wonder: if things like speaking in tongues and other things (like the "shaking, barking, croppy-floppin'") are so vital to the church, why didn't they exist until 1900? Why did they suddenly appear?
Amen! I love your comments Joey. Praise God that He is a God of order and NOT confusion! A lot of times I really believe people just don't study the Word enough to understand what it says about issues like these. :o(
Johnny Mac's "charismatic chaos" was the best I ever heard of. toally recommend it to everyone.
The term "croppy-floppin'" just had me laughing out quiet (my kids are supposed to be sleeping).
Thanks for the laugh!
Come to think of it, I would really like to see someone flop like a croppy. I think it would make my year!
I agree reegz...a lot of it just comes down to studying the Word. Actually, it's probably a little more than that. You can study the Word without actually understanding it and applying it within its context. Many people study I Corinthians and come to a completely different conclusion that I do. They don't take into account Acts 1 (the day of Pentecost), where it specifically says that tongues were a known language spoken by someone to whom that language was not native for the benefit of someone who understood the language (tongue) being spoken. (I hope that makes sense....) They also don't take into consideration that Paul was addressing confusion and chaos in the church throughout I Corinthians. Paul never condones tongues in the sense of what I call "gibberish." I like to use the analogy of polygamy. David had multiple wives. Jacob had two wives and two concubines. Does that make it okay? God never specifically told them they were wrong. Does He have to? Does the Bible have to say, "This is wrong" for it to be wrong? Look at the problems that came from polygamy in both Jacob's and David's lives. The same goes for the misapplication of tongues. I believe that I Cor. 14 does address, in part, "gibberish," and it notes the confusion it brought about. Verse 40, the last verses of the chapter, ends with, "Let all things be done decently and in order." That's the point Paul was making in I Cor. 14. Not, "Here's how to speak in tongues."
People also don't take into consideration the fact that many New Testament churches had people of various languages in the same church. If someone were to get up and say something, they needed someone else to interpret it for those who wouldn't understand so the words meant something to everyone. I believe that this is part of what I Cor. 14 is addressing.
In any event, may we study the Word, but in our studying we must also pray that we understand. We can study all of our lives and never really understand unless the grace of God opens our eyes to understand.
Oh, and I've got to add that giving John MacArthur the name "Johnny Mac" is just great! Makes him sound like a rapper or something. But all joking aside, anything he writes is an automatic candidate on my favorites list.
AMEN! and AMEN! preach it! J.M. said as destructive as their wrong theology is we must pray for our brothers and sisters who are being deceived under such teaching. I am guilty of getting all fired up when I hear this stuff and then the Lord humbles me with grace to love and pray for them too. Kristi and I were talking about "wolves" and how much more worse their judgement will be for leading so many astray (assuming they don't come to true repentance) YIKES I'm terrified for those people when they meet the most Holy Creator...
oh yeah and I can't take credit for naming Johnny Mac his cool nick-name but I love it and use it.
I will totally take the credit for namin' John MacArthur "Johnny Mac" and I agree with anything he writes is a "must read" in my mind! I love all these comments-thanks for taking the time to write about deep truths and searchin' the Word! Amen and Glory to God!
Yes Janie! I agree- a lot of people hung up on that issue. Also, it's sad faith gets measured like that too. I am glad once we are saved we are automatically indwelt by the holy spirit and it's not something we have to ask for. Now, walking in the spirit? May God give me His graces each day that I can walk by his spirit and in His joy! Help Lord!
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