It really makes me mad when people say an entire denomination is bad, and everyone in it is bad. And people start supporting that claim.
My church is Vineyard, but we also are starting to lean towards Pentecostal. And what people are claiming ALL Pentecostals do, they don't. My church during worship will shout, but they don't bark or convulse. Yes, some will speak in tongues. But it's not to show off. They don't do it so loud everyone can hear. People should be able to shout and dance with praise without being accused as demonic or heretical.
In Psalms it says make a joyful noise unto the Lord. David danced his praises to God, even when his wife was embarrassed and told him so. He wasn't ashamed. He wasn't afraid to worship God and let everyone know he was. Why is it so different today? Why do people have to sit in their pews quietly? Shouldn't God's love and grace and providing for us make us shout for joy and dance for God? Can't they speak in tongues like they did in Acts?
There may be false teachings floating around, but at the same time, the Holy Spirit is doing a mighty work in places. And sometimes, Satan will make it hard to discern between the two and make them LOOK similar, but they aren't. That's what Satan's good at doing. He makes the lie look pretty darn similar to the truth, and thus we fall for it. That's what happened in the garden. Neither God nor Satan have changed since. But that's why you have to pray and really look at everything before throwing it all away as heretical or demonic.
There ARE gifts of the Spirit. The gifts are not dead. If the gifts were supposed to die with the Apostles, then 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 should never have been written to the Corinthians. I think people forget that a lot of the books of the Bible were letters inspired by God and given to the people.
I now rest my case.
My church is Vineyard, but we also are starting to lean towards Pentecostal. And what people are claiming ALL Pentecostals do, they don't. My church during worship will shout, but they don't bark or convulse. Yes, some will speak in tongues. But it's not to show off. They don't do it so loud everyone can hear. People should be able to shout and dance with praise without being accused as demonic or heretical.
In Psalms it says make a joyful noise unto the Lord. David danced his praises to God, even when his wife was embarrassed and told him so. He wasn't ashamed. He wasn't afraid to worship God and let everyone know he was. Why is it so different today? Why do people have to sit in their pews quietly? Shouldn't God's love and grace and providing for us make us shout for joy and dance for God? Can't they speak in tongues like they did in Acts?
There may be false teachings floating around, but at the same time, the Holy Spirit is doing a mighty work in places. And sometimes, Satan will make it hard to discern between the two and make them LOOK similar, but they aren't. That's what Satan's good at doing. He makes the lie look pretty darn similar to the truth, and thus we fall for it. That's what happened in the garden. Neither God nor Satan have changed since. But that's why you have to pray and really look at everything before throwing it all away as heretical or demonic.
There ARE gifts of the Spirit. The gifts are not dead. If the gifts were supposed to die with the Apostles, then 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 should never have been written to the Corinthians. I think people forget that a lot of the books of the Bible were letters inspired by God and given to the people.
I now rest my case.