After last weeks Strange Fire Conference which was attended by many Reformed, one has to wonder how will we respond to the Charismatic movement. The only thing I did not agree with Mac on is that he said that only Reformed were the guardians of the truth and only Reformed had the duty to battle the charismatics. Perhaps I misunderstood Mac incorrectly, but if not remember that even Arminian can battle the Charismatics and are obligated to do so. However many Charismatics come from Arminian theology. So how will you battle the Charismatics? One thing that I have done is that I have posted on FB, Twitter, Blogs, and amazon.com. I have confronted them head on on these sites, and via other means. So how will you battle them? You may also send leaders of Charismatic Churches emails, letters, call them on the phone, or even go on their campus and do some open air preaching and pass out tracts, as what other brothers have done. However this may not be the best approach so proceed with caution.
However I will warn you brothers that if you do this you will be attacked as what someone said of me recently.
You will be accused of being unloving, divisive, combative, argumentative, cultic, and some will even tell you that they do not read books for they only read the Bible, and discredit you for reading John MacArthur and other Biblical authors. So I challenge you brothers to engage in the war on the truth for many souls are at stake.
If you want to help engage in the war on the Charismatics you will need a weapon and Mac is giving out FREE COPIES of this book if you join the GTY mailing list.
http://www.gty.org/products/books/451178
The War on the Charismatic Movement
Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by evangelist6589, Oct 22, 2013.
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Pass out tracts/ open air / evangelize on a Charismatic churches property
0 vote(s)0.0% -
Write Letters, emails, post on blogs, and the like to Charismatics
1 vote(s)16.7% -
Phone and visit Charismatics and warn them of the error of their ways
0 vote(s)0.0% -
Pray weekly for the multitude of souls lost in the movement
5 vote(s)83.3%
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evangelist6589 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Bring a war to their campuses and "do battle" by open air preaching (read: yelling condemnation) pass out tracts, write emails, send letters, and generally be divisive and abrasive. Sounds like a winning plan.
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evangelist6589 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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I guess my suggestion is to avoid becoming guilty of what other’s claim you to be guilty of.
There is a danger to characterize someone as cultic because they do not believe sign gifts have ceased. Although I believe that you are correct in the error presented by the Charismatic movement, I’d urge you to take care. As you know, this has been my major criticism of Mac (although he is one of my favorite preachers) – he tends to demonize opposing views by developing a stereotype based on one extreme in order to build an enemy rather than addressing the enemy at the gate. Personally I believe our greatest weapon is prayer and teaching correct doctrine in our churches.
I wish you the best. -
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evangelist6589 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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evenifigoalone Well-Known Member
I kinda think I wouldn't appreciate someone "campaigning" against MY denomination/theology in the manner suggested here, so I'm not going to do it to anyone else.
Praying, giving out tracts, posting on blogs, etc is one thing...but if someone were to phone me and tell me how wicked and backwards they think Southern baptist church is and how I need to get out of it, I'd probably consider it quite rude...KWIM?
Me, personally, I don't know that I need to "engage" anything. For one, I don't know much about charismatics. And I don't even "engage" catholicism although I'm certainly anything but a catholic. IDK. Not saying you're wrong, guess I just see things a little differently. -
evangelist6589 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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evenifigoalone Well-Known Member
Even the people I used to know who spoke out against catholicism more passionately than I'd care to to believed that some truly saved people were caught up in that, however misguided they may be--the plan of salvation's main requirement is belief in Jesus, after all. -
InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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evangelist6589 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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The issue is whether or not they are dangerous. The answer to that is a solid- YES!
It is a matter of authority. Do we follow the Bible alone or do we follow ecstatic experiences we falsely attribute to the Holy Spirit.
Do we model sanity or do we model chaos for a world that so desperately needs to be led to sanity?
Are we going to make decision based on godly wisdom or based on notions and goose bumps and other such nonsense that we falsely attribute to the Holy Spirit.
Are we going to champion the biblically informed mind or the fickle emotions?
I do not think there is a bigger issue in all of Christianity today. This is probably the most important fight that presents itself today. -
Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. -
evenifigoalone Well-Known Member
Guess I'm just not a big fan of the whole idea of waging some kind of holy war against other Christians/denominations. ._.
I'm not saying people shouldn't be taught better, just...IDK..take care the battle is against spiritual forces rather than against people? It just annoys me how some go about this kind of thing, thinking they have to oust it by force somehow. IDK. They're still our brothers and sisters in Christ, and I'd prefer to treat them with a little more respect. The same way I'd want to be treated if the tables were turned. -
But if we are right that this is a very serious issue, then you don't want to weaken the hands of those who battle against error that is leading the church into darkness, do you?
The language of the Bible about how to approach such error is very clear.
II Corinthians 10:4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. -
evenifigoalone Well-Known Member
I guess my idea of approach is just different. I tend to be more lenient towards alternate-sort beliefs, even if I know I disagree with them. Why? Because people have a right to freedom of religion.
My ideas are more along the lines of, y'know, teaching sound doctrine and praying for it to spread, rather than actively engaging other teachings of theology. Not that it shouldn't be addressed--in fact I encourage the idea of addressing the subject in books and debate. Just...IDK.
How about this, it might be an easier way to explain what I mean: if I wouldn't want something being said or done to me in the name of my theology being dangerous, then I wouldn't do the same to others.
Sound doctrine is important, but if it isn't ultimately done in love then it's meaningless. -
I call Islam a false religion sending millions of people to perdition every year. Now, I am not fond of someone saying the same thing about what I believe to me. HOWEVER, it is still my duty, REGARDLESS of whether or not I want the same things said about me, to SAY IT ABOUT THEM.
What we want said of us cannot be the standard by which we jusdge what we say about others.
Remember, these are not our enemies, these ideas and doctrines- they are God's enemies. And we are his ambassadors charged to call these things what they are in his stead.
Jesus did not mince words. We represent him. We do not speak for ourselves. And winning people over is not always the goal. Defeating error so that it cannot lead others astray in the future is sometimes the goal. That means that we may not win many people over in this generation from a false movement. But if we can obliterate the ideals upon which the movement was built, we are saving countless thousands in the future. -
evenifigoalone Well-Known Member
I see it moreso as God's place than mine, I guess. He will divide the wheat from the tares when the time comes.
I'm not saying not to call a spade a spade. I'm saying they're going to exist whether or not we like it and as much as I might disagree I don't mind letting them have their space, too.
My main complaint here was that some of the methods suggested in the poll seem pretty rude to me.
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