A Dangerous Journey – My Wife’s Deliverance from Extreme Pentecostalism (Part 1)

i ususally like to focus and reflect on what is good and pure and true in this Most Holy Faith, and the Church i was raised up in is an Assemblies of God Church. (i got a soft spot for the AoG, but i eschew denominationalism)

but i want to post this, because this brothers warning is so clear, i thought it would be of profit to post it:

"My wife was, until last year, dangerously involved in Bethel and their music. Thanks be to the grace of God, she was able to move away from it and realise what happened to her.
She has decided to write her testimony of this time in the hope that others may realise how dangerous this can be and as a reminder to please not turn of your discernment switches.
Because it is rather long, we have split it into 4 parts. Part 1 is below and the others follow shortly after in separate posts. These have also been published on her blog which is found here."

http://jesuscultureawakening.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-testimony-of-deliverance-from-signs.html?spref=fb

I thought it strange that she "quit" reading the bible

This was her trial. She went through it, and even though there was a period in her life where she seemed to "stop" everything spiritual, this is very normal. How do I know this was a trial, because she obtained a testimony of faith and deliverance.

Elijah, Jonah, when they were in their time of discouragement, them, being as normal human beings as we are today would say to us, "I was so down that I couldn't read the scriptures, I was into myself until the Lord showed me a way out of it."

Thank you Brother and Sister for posting these things where they can help others. Praise GOD that your dear wife has a heart to help others.

So much to quote, but just for sake of brevity - this one point was one I felt stands out -

"- Dying to self and dying to flesh. The entire false spirit movement is characterised by satisfying your own flesh and carnal nature. Rather than bowing down before the Lord, it is about getting as much out as you can for yourself, getting the “anointing” for yourself, getting the “manifestations” for yourself, seeing the signs and wonders for yourself. This is completely the opposite to the life of Jesus Christ, one of complete self sacrifice and in turn the life Christians are to live. We are to beat our body/flesh to make it our slaves (1 Corinthians 9:27)."

This is pandemic, as we had moved so many times and each time had to go from church to church looking for somewhere to fellowship. Even before 2002 when I got a computer - these "experiences" were found in almost every pentecostal church we tried. Never staying more than one visit.

I believe in the gifts and in being Spirit filled, but the part that stood out to me most was the mixing of psychology and spiritism and the departure from His Word - our Only means of knowing the Spiritual perimeters of what is excess or extra-Biblically dangerous. The focus on self and that desire to be 'special' or to experience something that is 'exceptional' that 'the others' don't have is a key and I just feel so proud of your wife for bringing not only this aspect forward but all of it.

LORD Bless her and you for sharing this.

After reading most of the testimony, I thought it strange that she "quit" reading the bible

lovingly and gently, i ask why?

The Word of God is a two edged Sword, and no one wants to get cut in two.

It'll hurt, and the flesh desperately wants to avoid all pain. The flesh seeks pleasure, and excitement, but it does not thirst for Joy and Peace.....let alone Righteousness and Light, and there is only One Author of Joy, Peace, Righteousness and Light, and the Sword of His Testimony is His Word.

Hence, the flesh flees into the darkness. alone and helpless.

but you know, i know, we know, there is a Light, and poor in spirit, we embrace the Light that came into the world.

Thirsty, we drink of the Living Waters.

Hungry, we eat His Flesh.

Unrighteous, we cover ourselves in His Blood.

Jesus, our Mediator, our Savior, our Advocate.