Mind you, Germany had its precursor in in biblical history, where Israel as a whole rejected the visitation of their Messiah and mocked the believers gathered at Pentecost "full of sweet wine"
Later the disciples were driven out of the land but 70 a.D the nation as a whole ceased to exist until 1948, Jerusalem was ravished and the survivors driven into the diaspora.
There are definitely paralells in the history of Germany and Israel. We both experienced God's wrath and the miracuolous withdrawl of his heavy hand.
Even beforehand, though claiming to be the host land of the reformation, German theological scholars promoted "higher bible criticism and polluted the minds of aspiring ministers.
This mean-spirited document had the effect that Pentecostals in Germany in past decades were treated as outcasts by mainstream Evangelicals. Thankfully during the 80 Evangelicals opened up in part to their pentecostal brothers, but the divide still exists and I felt it first hand.
If Satan cannot stop sinners to come to faith he will try to prevent believers to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit in a twofold way. 1) By denouncing and trashing it 2) By counterfeing it and promoting extremes.
There are those who claim to be the guardians of orthodoxy who adhere to a Father, son and Holy Bible trinity and those who always see visions and dreams and pursue the spectacular.
Would that one day the two camps come together and learn from each other, have their errors corrected and embrace Word and Spirit.
Paul commended the Corinthian for the abundance of gifts and reprimanded them for abuse and their lack of grounding in the sriptures. He also harshly rebuked the Galatians that they began in the Spirit and turn to OT legalism. I find it amazing how balanced and unbiased Paul is able to address these things.
And yes, I have to agree that Michael Brown failed to distance himself from Kenneth Copeland, but aren't we Christians a tad to quick to accuse a brother with the sin of association? It goes like "this guy is friend with that guy who spoke at someone elses church who once shook the hand of the pope."
For those interested, here is a Google translation of the so called "Berlin Declaration of 1909"
The undersigned brethren raise their voices in warning against the so-called Pentecostal movement.
1. We have come to the following conclusion before the Lord, after serious joint examination of a vast amount of reliable sources:
a) The movement is inseparable from the movement of Los Angeles, Christiania, Hamburg, Kassel, Grossalmerode. Attempts at denying the connection must fail because of the facts at hand.
b) The so-called Pentecostal movement is not from above but from below; it has many phenomena in common with spiritism. Demons work in her who, cunningly led by Satan, mix lie and truth in order to deceive the children of God. In many cases, the so-called "spiritually gifted" have subsequently proven to be posessed.
c) The personal loyalty and devotion of individual leading brothers and sisters, nor the healings, tongues, prophecies, etc., which accompany the movement, cannot mislead us into believing that this movement originates from below. Such signs are often associated with similar movements been connected, e.g. with Irvingianism, even with "Christianism”, Science” (Christian Science) and Spiritism.
d) The spirit in this movement produces spiritual and physical power effects out, yet it is a false spirit. He revealed himself as such. The grotesque manifestations such as falling, face twitching, shaking, screaming, disgusting loud laughter, etc. appear in gatherings this time as well. We leave it open how much of it is demonic, how much is hysterical or soulish - - such phenomena are not God-worked.
e) The spirit of this movement introduces itself through the Word of God, but pushed it into the background by so-called "prophecies" as referred to in 2 Chronicles 18:18-22.
In general, there is a great danger in these prophecies; as they don't just contain obvious contradictions, but lure brothers and their ministries into slavish dependence on them.
These "Messages" in the way they are transmitted, resemble the utterances of spiritistic mediums. The transmitters are mostly women. This has led at various points in the movement to a situation where, contrary to the clear prophecies of Scripture, women, even young girls, have taken center stage.
2. It is impossible for us to recognize such a movement as a gift from God. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that in these meetings the proclamation of the word of God by its inherent power might still produce some fruit. Inexperienced believers will be deceived by the blessings of the Word, but this does not abrogate the lying character of the whole movement 2 Cor. 11, 4/3/14.
3. The church of God in Germany must acknowledge their negligence that this movement could find so much acceptance. We all bow as partakers in this guilt because of our deficiencies and omissions, especially in respect to intercession. The lack of biblical knowledge and foundation, of holy earnestness and vigilance, a superficial conception of sin and grace, of conversion and rebirth, an arbitrary interpretation of the Bible, a lust for exciting manifestations, the tendency to exaggerate, but above all self-importance - all this paved the way for this movement.
4. Particulary this unbiblical teaching of the so-called "pure heart” proved to be disastrous in many circles and conducive to the so-called Pentecostal movement. It is the error that "indwelling sin" has been rooted out in a pardoned and sanctified Christian (sinless perfection). We stand firm in the truth that the Lord will and can protect his people from stumbling and falling (1 Thess. 5:23; Jud. 24:25; Hebr. 13:21) and that the same have power to rule over sin through the Holy Spirit. But a "pure" heart, which rises beyond Paul’s humble words, that despite God-given, lasting protection: "I am not aware of anything myself, but I am not justified by that", a mortal human cannot posess on earth. Even the most advanced Christian has to bow before God, who alone is the judge of the true state of hearts, cf. 1 Cor. 4.4. "If we say we have no sin, so we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,” 1 John 1:8.
In truth the believer in Christ receives a spotless heart, but the heresy that the heart in itself can attain a state of "sinless perfection” has already brought many of God's children under the curse of insincerity about their sin, deceived them about sins that are still in their minds, in their omissions, or in their falling short of the high standard that God commandments set in their lives.
It cannot be stressed enough to keep our eyes from being clouded by man-made sanctification, or by an imagined doctrine of the removal of our sinful nature. A lack of repentance over one's own obstructs the way to new blessings and brings us under the influence of the enemy. Regretful present-day experience shows that where one claims to have attained a state of sinlessness, the believer can become incapable of admitting mistakes, let alone confessing them. Another sad consequence of this false sanctification teaching is the disparagement of biblical, God-ordained marital union, where conjugal intercourse between husband and wife is rendered incompatible with true sanctification, cf. Genesis 1:28 and Eph. 5.31.
5. Pastor Jonathan Paul is the public leader of this so-called "Pentecostal movement” in Germany. He is also the main representative of the aforehead mentioned rejected unbiblical teachings. We love him as a brother and would him to serve his company of followers in truth. It is painful for us to take a public stand against him. While we talked to him there was no lack of clarifications and admonitions within the narrower and wider circle of brothers. As this all proved to be in vain, we must now for His sake and God's sake hereby declare: We, the undersigned brethren, can no longer as recognize him as leader and teacher of the church of Jesus. We submit him in love, faith and hope to the correcting grace of the Lord.
6. We believe there was only one Pentecost, Acts. 2. We believe in the Holy Spirit who will abide in the church of Jesus for all eternity, cf. John 14:16. We are aware that the church of God did always receive and still needs renewed visitations of grace from the Holy Spirit. The admonition of the apostle applies to each individual: "Be filled with the Spirit!" Ephesians 5:18. The path to this end is and will always be our perfect communion with the crucified, risen and exalted Lord. In him dwells the fullness of incarnate divinity, from whom we take grace upon grace. We're not expecting a new Pentecost; we wait for the return of the Lord.
We hereby ask all our brothers and sisters for the sake our blessed Lord and his cause, which Satan wants to corrupt: Stay away from this movement! Anyone of you who has come under the power of this spirit, renounce it and ask God for forgiveness and deliverance. Do not despair in battles, through
which perhaps some will have to go through. Satan will not easily abandon his dominion.
But assured: The Lord will carry you through! He has already freed many a brother some and wants to give you the true spiritual armor.
Our firm confidence in this difficult time is this: God's people and you, too dear brothers and sisters, who are shocked by these words of us and the facts we presented, will emerge blessed and victorious from these battles! The Lord will give light to the simple and humble and will strengthen and preserve them.
We rely on Jesus, our Arch-Shepherd. If we give to the Lord and his words the room he deserves, he will complete the work of his spirit, that he started so mercifully in Germany to his glorious, God-ordained goal. We rely on Him who says: "My Children and the work of my hands be committed to me!” Isaiah 45:11.
Berlin, September 15, 1909
