I am a continuist. But if the practices outlined in this video are typical of the charismatic church today, then I totally reject it. What I saw in this video was the stuff we used to look at as false charismata: as blasphemous, the mark of false prophets, pastors and teachers. Nobody with whom I was associated would have had a single thing to do with their like.
I could barely bring myself to watch the examples shown. They made me so angry and I could not understand the level of deception/self-deception among the listeners! What the so-called "prophets" were doing was no different than a psychic parlor show. These were not the gifts of the Holy Spirit: they were merely blasphemous con artist tricks. And not even good ones at that.
When a person is in the presence of manifestations of the Holy Spirit, there is no doubt. These were definitely not that. Now I can understand why people deny the gifts these days. Such a shame. The TRUE gifts are the power of any assembly. And the focus and the glory are all on Christ.
Thanks for sharing this exposé, Teren. I wish I could show you the real thing, but it happens when the Holy Spirit chooses to move in that way, and we don't have cameras around, or audiences sitting there looking for a move. Just praise-filled worshippers who are more interested in genuinely worshipping their God and Savior than in anything else.
Thanks Pastor Adrian. And thanks for sharing your heart as well as considering themes on this video. Mike Winger is not interested at all in making continuest look bad. He has defended some in the past likely to his hurt ratings wise. I have been hearing about this video for over a week now and my first instinct was not to post it because we should probably be focused on Phil 4:8 stuff. Especially in today's climate. But if by a video of this type we esteem His discernment and His realness in the body of Christ, we hopefully can have both.
It is a good thing Servus Christi is no longer making videos, because it would likely qualify having its own thread. And it would cause a lot of heat for sure, but on the cessationist side. I believe Servus was leaning continuous because of his handling of 1 Cor 14. While in the reformed camp i tended to lean toward John Piper's "Christian Hedonism (following Christ by supremely delighting in Him), more than the Jmac side. And Piper is Contineoust. I also like CJ Mahaney before controversy over his chuch broke out. He also is a continueist. I believe my most favorite contueist though is DA Carson. Who, as far as i have read, is the only theologian who divides 1 Cor 11 correctly. A rare bread. And so grateful for his contribution.
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I have heard testimonies of miracles happening in remote villages, by one known to have such gifts. In the West we might be too sophisticated to consider what God can do, and it not provide the best environment to see them. I have seen supernatural awareness of others confessed and accurate. I have even seen a supernatural ability (at a cessationist church...lol) to just about hear and even Invision the thoughts others were having. Not sure if that is a gift, but pretty wild.
There are other situations too that happened with me that seem to suggest a supernatural gift. But if so not exactly sure what to do with it. Looking back it might have been a better road to travel to be like a church counselor or something along those lines. I used to believe (as a cessationist) that prior to the tribulation, an outpouring of visions and dreams etc would happen again. But exegetically tend to see those verses more likely apply to Israel around the 6th seal period. In 2017, I did watch videos every night for a year on rapture dreams. Thinking if God is using dreams today, the rapture might be a good reason for that. I did not see really any convincing dreams. And it just seemed more like if anything supernatural that God was maybe ministering personally with care in people's dreams without them needing to be prophetically accurate. But i did see one woman's rapture dream that was not really about the rapture. She basically laid out in imagery dream form my convictions in how the age of grace ends. She was not making that point herself. But her dream sure did. I don't even think she was aware what the dream was saying. So i find that kind of funny...lol. After 1 year i walk away pretty much with that.
So I try to keep an open mind. A girlfriend a while back learned something she could not know about a friend of mine that she told me after praying. That was not normal. In 2018 I was talking with a friend about something very different and an overwhelming deep sensation (like finally realizing that girl in school has a crush on you aha moment like thing) that we would be the generation to see the rapture. Now I don't profess to be a prophet. I don't actually believe in modern day prophets. But that was unusual for sure. Not just me landing on an idea. It was like when you are working on a complex math problem for days and finally one night it all makes complete sense and you get the answer kind of sensation of clarity. It was so profound i interrupted my friend and just blurted out, "Wow we are going to see the rapture." lol. So I guess we'll see.
I would say (and have before) dear pastor that things like expressed above happened quite a bit while i was at Jmac's church. A church that was almost super cessational. And yet there were several supernatural moments there. I even told them that. That when i was in the Charismatic church i did not see half the things i did supernaturally going on as i did at their cessationist church. They took that as a complement. I kind of believe that Jmac was kind of a closet continueist. Because he truly did believe that his leadership should be "God to the church." He even confessed as much preaching one night. Pretty much, lol, that God told him. Ironic, huh? lol.
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In any event, thanks again for taking the time to check out the video. I will over time too. But i think it is healthy to realize the real climate we are in. With no concern toward how it might make God look. That is on them. We know Him. He knows us. And it is a danger for them, not us, to know the difference. Amen.
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