While its not a pressing issue in my life right now, I am still in the process of sorting out some of the things that I was induced into while being discipled under a third-wave charismatic professed "prophetess."
While most of the Pentecostal experience is not too difficult to denounce as illusions of the mind, some things still haunt me to this day. First of all however, let me say that I was brought out of the Charismatic movement by the grace of God less than a year ago, and have delved into Pentecostal studies for the last year or two. I am entirely familiar with all the theological issues invloved. It is just that I can't seem to sort out this one issue.
Please note that even if it may seem like it, I am not a mystic, just wrestling with what really happened.
I am speaking of prophesies that turned out to be truthfully horrifying. The prophetess I am speaking of, is with the vineyard movement, follows all the lunatics, and is about as "out there" as one can get. She claims continual revelation from God and never stops "seeing things in the spirit."
She has completely departed from orthodoxy, so much so, that I do not hessitate to say that the spirit of the antichrist is deeply involved. I'm not going to get into my theory on the the antichrist's workings in the thirdwave movement, but I will say that they use deceptive concealment and pose to be the true God.
In this mini "school of prophets" that I attended, there would be all kinds of insane things going on. Pentecostals make a fuss about experiences, sometimes I think they rightfully do because they do have them. However, the ones that are not fake are usually demonic. The insane things I am talking about (apart from the demonic visits) is something more objective and verifiable.
Some of the "prophesies" were right on the money. The prophetess knew things (though alot of times they were her own fables) such as specific sins of people that have been committed in the last couple days. One of the people (a practicing student in her class) many times specifically told me what was presently going on in my mind (I'm not joking here).
One girl described in detail my last bowling game and mentioned things only I would know about it (It just so happened that she mentioned the bowling thing very dramatically, and that was the first time I had been bowling in over a year). (No, I'm not joking. Nor am I crazy, these are things that actually happened.)
I'm ashamed to admit it but I also got trapped into the movement and thought that my self deceived notions were really prophesy. Many times I was perfectly accurate however (I don't know how). We were doing "prophetic teams" one night where we would prophesy to people who wanted to "hear" God (I know its a bunch of crap). Someone was deciding if they should go off to college at a certain place. And they had told the two other people on my team what they had been prayfully contemplating. The "prophetess" sent the girl over to us (she knew that the other people knew but I didn't) because she thought that I had a "word" (I found that out later). I knew nothing about what was going on and didn't even know why the girl wanted a "word" (I didn't even really know her). And I described in crisp detail a supposed "vision" that I thought I got of a brick building. I mentioned it being a school, and I gave several other direct supposed "words of knowledge." The other people in the group began weeping (literally, like I'm not exaggerating) because they knew the specifics that I was describing. She went off to the school that I said in my supposed "vision."
That was a few of many things that are hard to explain away as mere coincidence. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was a Christian prior to all this, so my theory on the demonic activity doesn't add up in this situation. Many of these people believe it or not are actual Christians (I trust that the true sheep will be enlightened as I have been one day). So I don't think that God would allow that extent of demonic revelatory information to be working through his true sheep.
I know that even in these things, God remains infinitely wise and has chosen to work through these false prophesies (in a sovereign, effacious sense (even though we were opposed to his will of disposition) for whatever purpose he is accomplishing through them (even if it is these false prophet's preparation for the day of destruction). I believe that any revelatory information must have been from: :wr30: since we were so clearly out of line with his will of disposition).
Many people dismiss the Charismatics because of their ridiculous claims. However, I would be willing to say that though alot of them are false, these people (at least the ones in the third wave movement and the such) really do experience these things. But instead of being from God, they are entirely demonic. It is impossible for me to dismiss the experiences because I have been their in the midst of all that. I'll save more stories for later (although I hate to rehash them because I hate to recall the deceptions of Satan).
What are ya'lls thoughts on all this? Satan does apear as an angel of light and still is alive preaching a false gospel. But praise be to God who in spite of our ignorance delivers us out, not by words of men but by His only true Word.
Rembrandt
While most of the Pentecostal experience is not too difficult to denounce as illusions of the mind, some things still haunt me to this day. First of all however, let me say that I was brought out of the Charismatic movement by the grace of God less than a year ago, and have delved into Pentecostal studies for the last year or two. I am entirely familiar with all the theological issues invloved. It is just that I can't seem to sort out this one issue.
Please note that even if it may seem like it, I am not a mystic, just wrestling with what really happened.
I am speaking of prophesies that turned out to be truthfully horrifying. The prophetess I am speaking of, is with the vineyard movement, follows all the lunatics, and is about as "out there" as one can get. She claims continual revelation from God and never stops "seeing things in the spirit."
She has completely departed from orthodoxy, so much so, that I do not hessitate to say that the spirit of the antichrist is deeply involved. I'm not going to get into my theory on the the antichrist's workings in the thirdwave movement, but I will say that they use deceptive concealment and pose to be the true God.
In this mini "school of prophets" that I attended, there would be all kinds of insane things going on. Pentecostals make a fuss about experiences, sometimes I think they rightfully do because they do have them. However, the ones that are not fake are usually demonic. The insane things I am talking about (apart from the demonic visits) is something more objective and verifiable.
Some of the "prophesies" were right on the money. The prophetess knew things (though alot of times they were her own fables) such as specific sins of people that have been committed in the last couple days. One of the people (a practicing student in her class) many times specifically told me what was presently going on in my mind (I'm not joking here).
One girl described in detail my last bowling game and mentioned things only I would know about it (It just so happened that she mentioned the bowling thing very dramatically, and that was the first time I had been bowling in over a year). (No, I'm not joking. Nor am I crazy, these are things that actually happened.)
I'm ashamed to admit it but I also got trapped into the movement and thought that my self deceived notions were really prophesy. Many times I was perfectly accurate however (I don't know how). We were doing "prophetic teams" one night where we would prophesy to people who wanted to "hear" God (I know its a bunch of crap). Someone was deciding if they should go off to college at a certain place. And they had told the two other people on my team what they had been prayfully contemplating. The "prophetess" sent the girl over to us (she knew that the other people knew but I didn't) because she thought that I had a "word" (I found that out later). I knew nothing about what was going on and didn't even know why the girl wanted a "word" (I didn't even really know her). And I described in crisp detail a supposed "vision" that I thought I got of a brick building. I mentioned it being a school, and I gave several other direct supposed "words of knowledge." The other people in the group began weeping (literally, like I'm not exaggerating) because they knew the specifics that I was describing. She went off to the school that I said in my supposed "vision."
That was a few of many things that are hard to explain away as mere coincidence. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was a Christian prior to all this, so my theory on the demonic activity doesn't add up in this situation. Many of these people believe it or not are actual Christians (I trust that the true sheep will be enlightened as I have been one day). So I don't think that God would allow that extent of demonic revelatory information to be working through his true sheep.
I know that even in these things, God remains infinitely wise and has chosen to work through these false prophesies (in a sovereign, effacious sense (even though we were opposed to his will of disposition) for whatever purpose he is accomplishing through them (even if it is these false prophet's preparation for the day of destruction). I believe that any revelatory information must have been from: :wr30: since we were so clearly out of line with his will of disposition).
Many people dismiss the Charismatics because of their ridiculous claims. However, I would be willing to say that though alot of them are false, these people (at least the ones in the third wave movement and the such) really do experience these things. But instead of being from God, they are entirely demonic. It is impossible for me to dismiss the experiences because I have been their in the midst of all that. I'll save more stories for later (although I hate to rehash them because I hate to recall the deceptions of Satan).
What are ya'lls thoughts on all this? Satan does apear as an angel of light and still is alive preaching a false gospel. But praise be to God who in spite of our ignorance delivers us out, not by words of men but by His only true Word.
Rembrandt
help to explain why some of the "prophecies" were correct. God is testing His church. Also consider Matt 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."
