Charismatic burn out

Here is a brief back ground. I grew up at a large charismatic church in St. Louis in the 80's and 90's. My dad was on pastoral staff. Rodney Howard Brown came to the church in 1994 and stayed for many weeks doing the drunken laughter bit. The drunkenness spread into the school that the church also ran that I attended. My dad who was also doing voice over work for Joyce Meyer's radio and TV show at the time started seeing the error and our family left the church the following year. Later I found out my youth pastor was committing adultery with a girl who was a year older than me that attended the youth group and school. He divorced and married the girl and left the ministry.

We started attending another charismatic church and on a youth conference trip, the father of one of the boys allowed us to watch an R rated movie during our stay at the hotel room. I must have been 13 at the time.

Then in 10th grade we moved and I was invited by some band friends to the Word Faith mega church in town. I started playing on the youth praise band team that my friends also played in. The pastor was close friends with prosperity preacher Mike Murdock and had him speak on various occasions at the church. Joel Osteen came to open the new multi million dollar building. By this time I had gone through an intensive ministry training program at the church for 9 months. Adultery by one of the lead children's ministers. At one service the lady who was on staff leading the children's ministry was escorted to her car by the assistant pastors and we never heard from her again. Neither did they say why she was gone. I started questioning things that were going on. Atheists and homosexuals hired to play in the worship band. I left after listening to some Ray Comfort and a number of sermons on sermon index.

That was 10 years ago. So many bad experiences in the Charismatic movement for me that I have really questioned whether it is of God or not. For me the biggest thing is the terrible lack of discernment and toleration of false teaching that seems to be so rampant. One of the latest things that really pushed me farther away was Dr. Browns endorsement and promotion of Bill Johnson(NAR false apostle) on his radio program. In the last 10 years I have developed a love for reformed theology and have seen the difference in my life as I have become less and less Charismatic. Praying in the Spirit for me is going to remain because it builds me up, but I really have gotten burned out in the Charismatic circles. I am seeing a real separation happening. Those who are involved in the NAR and WOF, I am afraid will be in for a rude awakening when persecution hits. I just want to live a simple life for Jesus, loving my wife and kids, being faithful to the truth and God's people.

Judah writes...

" I just want to live a simple life for Jesus, loving my wife and kids, being faithful to the truth and God's people."

And there you have it bro, I think that is what the evil excesses that you spoke of was all about ultimately, to drive the saints out from the hirelings and the wolves. This is a time of separation. Genuine saints cannot stomach the behaviors of these so called leaders and followers. The Body of Christ is out there and it is a beautiful thing to meet them along the ever narrowing path. Our future will not be found behind four walls and the kingdoms of men, it will be found as we are carried along by the wind of the Spirit............bro Frank

I hear you, Judah! It seems that so many believers who claim to be "Spirit-filled" are kooky and weird. Charismatic religion is a strange thing. On the other hand, to truly be born again in Jesus Christ, to love His Word (in daily reading and practice), and being baptized in the Holy Ghost - with genuine signs following, not me or anyone else trying to work something up via hyperemotionalism and/or an abuse of the gifts (usually glossolalia) - that is a taste of heaven on earth.

B. H. Clendennen was a very mature minister (founder of the School of Christ International) who operated in the gifts of the Spirit, but never in a self-serving or bizarre way (like so many who claim to be anointed). His ministry trains the native to reach the native with the Gospel of Christ, and it is a full Gospel in which students seek (and usually receive) the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and are sent forth to evangelize the lost.

When my cup is overflowing I am joyous and more sober minded than ever, not "drunk" or out of control. So many think that in their "charismania" that they can be reckless and even blasphemous (such as Rodney Howard-Browne and numerous other false prophets).

A. B. Simpson (founder of the Christian & Missionary Alliance) was a genuinely Spirit-filled believer, as was A. W. Tozer. Dave Hunt (of the the Berean Call) was a truly Spirit-filled believer who operated in the gifts, but he was quite cautionary against folly and excess, and exposed those who promoted such.

But this seems to be an apostate era, and to find noted Christian leaders who are Spirit-empowered and on a truly even keel are rare and precious in this new millennium. Even some famed churches, reputed to be sound, are in fact led by ministers who preach against the prosperity gospel, yet they themselves are secretly lining their pockets with filthy lucre while their staffers are eking out a living. That is evil, and God sees such iniquity and will judge in His time.

If you can't find a sound fellowship you may need to start your own home Bible study, and see how God leads.

We attended a Sovereign Grace church during the big split over the sexual abuse scandal. Unfortunately there was some worldliness issues from leadership and others that were difficult for me to tolerate. Very Gospel centered preaching and nice doctrinally rich worship songs but I struggle when folks start flaunting alcohol and promoting R rated movies. Sometimes I wish I was a little less sensitive to these things so I could just get along with people but when I start sensing my spirit continually being grieved I know I need to leave.

Very Gospel centered preaching and nice doctrinally rich worship songs but I struggle when folks start flaunting alcohol and promoting R rated movies.

Dear brother,

When the gospel is centred on but its implications are not taught or emphasized you will definitely have Christians seeking their liberties in drink, pleasure and all sorts of worldly pleasures. It is a great deception and modern evangelicals have fallen for it. What they do not know is it brings them in opposition to God's Spirit as He is contrary to the ways of the flesh and the world.

Do not ignore the grieving of the Holy Spirit. He is Holy and will lead you in the right way though it be narrow and "few" follow.