No repentence, no Godly sorrow, no rejection of inward sin. Experience God. "experience the revival" "experience it again!"[ godtv advertisement for Bentley in replays."
It is the 3rd generation of the Charismatic Ecumenical Renewal, in the 1960s. It was established upon the Catholic community receiving the gift of "tongues", which then became a passport into the Evangelical pentecostal world . It was the watershed event that changed 2000 years of Evangelical theology...in that experience became the anchor of faith, trumping Doctrine, which kept the Roman's outside of the camp since Constantine.
Somewhere in this unrepentant and self centered "experience", came the doctrines of prosperity; happiness, health, and well being attaching itself to the positive God experience, and soon became a RIGHT. After all , we are the head, and not the tail! We are the favorites.....and some short 40 years later, it is ALL about experience...and nothing about our part to believe, and turn to Him, for mercy and acceptance.
Repenting, turning from our Death workings inside of us, and outside of us, and then, in broken faith, we trust in God, as our Lord and Master. We no longer lean on experience, but faith, through the Holy writ.
This was at stake, when the CER [ Charismatic Ecumenical Revival} began. Singing in tongues, for perhaps hours, was commonplace. [I remember the end of it.] Then, alas, the gospel was no longer about knowing God, and enduring as an over comer in Him, but an experience!; Apostolic preaching from pulpits became more rare each day. Experience God here!...became the drive of the church, coupled with a numbers game, for more...Numbers meant everything, especially success. This naturally developed into the prophetic experience, and has mimicked revivals of old. Now, with the Bam Man, that's it. Strobe lights will enhance your experience and entertainment, as will small impartations of ancient Imps awaiting to give you a thrill.
Not one verifiable healing, as far as we know....with at least 26 resurrections from the dead claimed. Not one, but you can surely EXPERIENCE the joy of a large crowd, AS IF... the dead were raised. Heavy metal Rock music.....Black nites ; strobes shooting electrically....Karate power on the diseased; shimmering shaking, faster than the eye percieves, and reports of Angels here with us, and Jesus visiting in his majesty, with thundering applause as if He really came, and was going to rapture them.....Right THEN!
Ginny, this is our time at bat. The Lord is looking at what we will do, when the wolf comes to graze among us. Will we be shocked when we discover he is not there for the grass?
ginny rose wrote:
The Bible no longer is the compass. The Bible is now bent into the arena of "My Experience."
This mentality is [i]everywhere[/i] and it so happens that Bentley is the poster boy for the dramatic manifestation of it. You will encounter this concept among folks who know little or nothing of Bentley which will render that more dangerous because it is so subtle. It is an "I think, I believe" doctrine that exists apart from revealed TRUTH as found in the scriptures.
Excellent article, Tom.
ginny rose