I grew up in the 90s and early 2000s church. I’ve seen a lot, being involved in church since I was 9 years old, and especially during my teen years. I led worship for a few years. I was involved in youth ministry. The prophecies from my childhood have come true without me even trying (and in fact, completely forgetting about them until they started to unfold).
I have witnessed truths and lies. I have witnessed the true power and glory of God and the counterfeit. There are things I am witnessing starting to take hold again in the church right now that doomed the sustaining of revival in the 90s and early 2000s. If something isn’t real, it isn’t sustainable. When man puts his spin on things, or tries to harness it, it isn’t sustainable. If something is out of order, it isn’t sustainable. If something is tainted, it isn’t sustainable.
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Let’s not use the American mindset that “God can overcome that if He wants to”, even though He can. Let’s not forget we have a patient God who lets us get things wrong time and time again and prolongs the process. Let’s not forget Israel wandering around in a desert for 40 years. Or Moses not being allowed to enter into the promised land.
God in all His grace and Almighty plan allows things to pan out the way He sees fit. He gives us chance after chance to be obedient. But I want nothing more than to see more and more revival take root, sustainably. I’m a homesteader, after all. And we know what the true meaning and term of sustainability is.
I want the church to get it more right this time than the last time. My hearts cry is to see sanctification within the church more and more with each new wave of revival. And because of that, I feel I need to share my experiences and what the word of God says. Because no one else is talking about it in the mainstream ministry.
I believe sustained revival will happen, as long as the church gets its act together with simple things. And yes, many mainstream pastors and evangelists are guilty of the things I’m about to say. Grace upon grace, friends. But let’s call a spade a spade in love.
I believe we are on the cusp of the next Great Awakening, but great awakenings come out of necessity. When the world gets dark and dreary, even more than it is now, such an awakening will happen. This isn’t a call to the unbelievers, but to the believers. Let’s get our houses ready and in order for when the next Great Awakening begins, because the reality is that the enemy roams and knows more scripture than we do. The church can’t be easily swayed by emotion and outright disobedience to scripture. And many of these things are such small things, yet big things in the kingdom.
Four Current Red Flags to Address
- Emotionalism/Holy Spirit Elevated higher than God
- Disorder in the gifts of the Spirit (hello, tongues)
- Prosperity gospel (the bad kind/greed)
- Vague prophecies (aka, feel good “words”)
I see these things again in the church just as I did in the 90s and 2000s. Why are the issues taking root again? Because there is always a counterfeit. Remember that Satan’s goal is to deceive as many as he can. Yes, even the elect. When we rely on feelings and what we were taught (or learned) instead of reading the Bible for ourselves, it’s a very dirty platform to be on. We must be hearers and doers of the word (James 1:22-25). We must be students of the word on our own time, and also at church.
These things begin happening to make the church look dishonest, disorganized, and filthy. That is what selfish ambition, lack of self-discipline, wayward preachers, and an unclean heart do. Sometimes it’s done unknowingly (in fact, a lot). Other times it’s done very knowingly. This is why it’s important to know the word, not Google the word. This is why you question what you’re taught against the word of God.
Whatever the case, these things must come into order if we are to be the city on a hill shining a light for all to see. I’ve been encouraged over the last couple of weeks to see some newer prophets and evangelists demanding order in their congregations. Let’s see more of that.
There’s a reason Paul wrote letters to churches. Churches have an impact, even now more than ever, but order brings it into a completed state. There’s a reason Paul calls for order in the New Testament churches. Order sets us apart from “the pagans”, witchcraft, and shamanism, because those cultures do very similar things. This has always been the issue with paganism and christianity—paganism and witchcraft can look a lot like “spiritual gifts”.
Just because you may not currently know what the social and religious life of evildoers looks like, doesn’t mean you won’t one day know when days get darker. Let’s learn why order is important now so we don’t have to do a lot of clean up later. Let’s protect the church by walking in obedience now.
So, let’s break it down…
Emotionalism/Holy Spirit Elevation
This is where people get worked up because of emotions, not because of the true presence of the Holy Spirit. Slow your roll, I’m not saying the Spiritual gifts and charismatic churches are emotionalism. But I am saying there’s an extreme. I watched a video the other day of “baptisms” where some guy was literally throwing water in people’s faces and they were flopping around like fish. Not just one person, like fifty people. This is emotionalism. False Holy Spirit. Man-made entertainment. And people blindly fall into it.
This lends very quickly to elevating the presence and experience of the Holy Spirit over the word of God. The Holy Spirit is the helper Jesus left behind when He left earth. The Holy Spirit speaks to us and through us. The Holy Spirit teaches us, especially teaching the word. But God is still Sovereign. The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, but God is still God. Let’s not forget, we still serve a triune God—Father (God), Son (Son of God, Word & Salvation), and Holy Spirit (helper & teacher). The power of God is still in God, His Spirit, and His word. God sent the Holy Spirit in Jesus name (John 14:26). We must serve Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not just constantly on Holy Spirit only. If your pastor isn’t preaching directly from the word, that’s a red flag.
It’s easy for us to only talk about the Holy Spirit in services, especially when we want to experience the tangible presence of God (and we should). But the Holy Spirit is often ushered in best when there is a reverence for the Lord and His Word first.
This leads into the next point…
Disorder in the Gifts of the Spirit
When we elevate Spiritual gifts and experiences over the word and reverence for the Lord, we begin to see disorder and elevation of some spiritual gifts over other spiritual gifts. This is what happened in the church at Corinth, and it happens frequently in the modern church (American influenced, especially). The church at Corinth elevated the gift of tongues. Many American churches today falsely teach that the first evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is the gift of speaking in tongues. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, this wasn’t even taught as theology until the very early 1900s.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. [1 Corinthians 12:27-33 NKJV]
1 Corinthians 12 clearly lays out that not all have the same Spiritual gifts, and that we can earnestly desire different ones. In fact, the one we should earnestly desire is prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1). I can tell you that when I “pray in the Spirit”, I’m not speaking gibberish, and almost never in tongues. More often than not, I’m speaking English, but my spirit has taken over and is praying the most incredible prayers I’ve ever heard, as if I’m not even thinking. Many times in intercession. My spirit prays for things I don’t even understand at times. Things I’ve never even thought about. But I’ve also spoken in “tongues” as well.
Therefore, teaching that the first evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues simply sets people up to either believe they haven’t received the power of the Holy Spirit, or it makes them believe they are speaking in tongues when they are really speaking jibberish (if they did not actually receive the gift of tongues). This is another form of emotionalism, in fact it’s blasphemy if they haven’t really received the gift of tongues.
Furthermore, in today’s online church setting, it can cause confusion with believers and unbelievers watching online. There’s no wonder that cessationism is taking root again. Partially because of Satan, but partially because the church is out of order in regard to Spiritual gifts.
There’s a reason Paul says to earnestly desire the gift of prophecy over tongues. When I was growing up, you didn’t hear groups of people all speaking in tongues at the same time. Ever. Period. It wasn’t until the later 90s when coming off of the Brownsville revival and other spontaneous conferences that happened afterwards.
In church, I knew that if someone was speaking in tongues loudly and there was no interpretation (even from themselves), that the individual should be questioned. In a church setting, Paul clearly lays out that one should speak in tongues, and they or another should have an interpretation. Not all should be speaking in tongues loudly at the same time, and tongues are a sign not for believers, but for unbelievers. Why, then, are we elevating this gift in settings of believers? Even more than prophecy!
How many church services I have been to where people are just speaking loudly in tongues, or people are saying if you aren’t speaking in tongues then you aren’t baptized in the Holy Spirit. This is ludicrous, and unscriptural.
I’m not talking about a group of believers speaking in their personal prayer language simply concentrating on a group of believers. I’m not talking about someone speaking in tongues and then directly after that receiving and giving a word from the Lord. These are very common and scriptural. I am however talking about people just blurting out for no reason and not having any order in the public church setting.
Furthermore, many scriptures talk about the Spirit giving us the words to say in our regular language. An example is when the apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin and they spoke the words the Holy Spirit gave them to speak (real words).
In fact the only place we equate the speaking of tongues with “evidence” of the Holy Spirit is in the book of Acts, that’s it. The rest of the New Testament (in regard to Holy Spirit) is about order, how to use gifts, etc. In the Old Testament (OT), when the Holy Spirit came upon someone, tongues are never once mentioned. Prophecy, however, is mentioned extensively in the OT when the Holy Spirit came upon someone. As was wisdom and knowledge.
There are multiple places throughout the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit rested on someone to accomplish a project, a word, or give them strength to accomplish a goal. In fact, those who knew Daniel knew that he had the Spirit of God within him.
“I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.” [Daniel 5:14 NKJV]
We cannot efficiently influence and edify the body of Christ if we are stuck in emotionalism and elevation of a certain gift. Each of us has different gifts, given as the Lord sees fit, and for the needs of the body. Even the gift we should most desire—prophecy—has been adulterated and abused. It, too, is out of order. We’ll get to that in a second.
Prosperity Gospel & Greed
This is a given, but it’s interesting to see some of the older ministers being brought to the spotlight again when they taught false prosperity gospel decades ago. Does the Lord want you to be prosperous? Absolutely. Does He want you to be scammed into giving $1,000 to a televangelist who makes you feel guilty or plays on your emotions? Not hardly. I’ve even seen this with some modern younger ministers and pastors who play on emotions or projects they are funding. We do serve a God who can do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask for. But we also serve a God that tells us to steward His kingdom well.
We also see this with Pastors who insist on being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars on a yearly basis, while barely paying their workers and helpers, or without giving away money to those in need in their church. Church tithes and offerings quickly turn into just paying for paychecks, not actually being the hands and feet of Jesus. The Bible tells us to take care of the needs of our pastors and leaders, but it does not tell us to make our entire tithes and offerings of a church go towards his or her paycheck. Tithes and offerings are to honor God and do His work, not just pay a paycheck. I’m not paying to hear someone speak, I’m giving up my finances to see that it gets used for the kingdom.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard pastors say “if tithing triggers you, it’s because you’re not self-less enough”. Yeah, no buddy. I simply understand that I’m not paying your paycheck so you can preach on Sunday and Wednesday from a website that put your sermon together for you.
Obviously this isn’t the case for every pastor, so don’t read into it that way. However, we really need to stop telling people they’ve made money an idol when they question where their tithes go. Christ is coming back for a spotless bride.
God wants you to be prosperous, He makes no qualms about this throughout scripture. God wants us to give to the poor, needy, and to take care of the needs of our leaders, or whatever He sets our hearts to give towards. But prosperous doesn’t always just mean finances. He does not want you to be greedy, and He certainly doesn’t ask for tithes and offerings to just pay for paychecks.
Vague Prophecies & False Prophets
Everyone is a prophet now days, which is why I rarely listen to any of them. I’m now seeing more and more “prophecies” and “words” that are just motivational social media posts. It’s like the little inspirational flip desk calendars that give you a new motivational quote for the day. What’s today’s prophecy? Just go to social media or YouTube and someone will tell you.
There are only a few people who flow in the prophetic that I’ve been able to recommend time and time again based on their track record and the way they carry themselves (not arrogantly or with lots of emotion). Those people are Dutch Sheets, John Kilpatrick, Perry Stone, and Jessi Green. There are others I follow and recommend, but these are the ones I go to time and time again, with evidence of the Holy Spirit working through them.
Dutch Sheets is someone that I’ve followed since I was a teenager. His calmness and character shine through time and time again. I began learning how to differentiate falsities in prophecies just by learning from him through his books and videos. He doesn’t have a new word from the Lord everyday of his life like some in my generation do. And while I wholly believe the Lord can speak to you each and everyday, I find it hard to believe that the Lord is giving you a word for the entire internet everyday of your life.
Here are a few warning signs whenever you see or hear prophecies online or in person to large crowds.
- they have an awful track record (none of their prophecies have come true)
- they are very vague and could pertain to just about anything and anyone
- it goes against the word of God
- it is clearly driven by emotion
- making you pay money for a “word”
- manipulating you for or with a “word”
- they have bad Spiritual fruit
- it causes division, and not in a Biblical way
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” [Matthew 7:15-20 NKJV]
Some of the most notable prophets of today have depth to their prophecies. There is no vagueness in their words. They are clear, concise, and able to paint a picture of what they’ve seen or heard. It’s not just a feeling or a sense, it’s truly a word the Lord has given them in a dream, vision, or inward voice.
Prophets can also discern the times. In fact, we all can and should be watchful to discern the times (Romans 13:11, Luke 12:56). But more than anything, we should know the word. Without the word of God and the Holy Spirit, we will easy be persuaded to fall into vagueness, disorderly conduct, greed, and emotionalism.
Is it time for us to simmer down on the online chatter and start clinging to our local church body and fellowship more? If nothing more, can we be more discerning and understand that not every single Christian online has our best interest in mind? Online platforms easily give way to people who want to be in ministry or have a platform, and so they just blabber and talk instead of testing the spirits, or even knowing the Spirit.
Churches get excited when they hear the word “revival” or when they have a “feeling”. I know one church that is extremely emotional, and yet extremely legalistic. It’s not just a charismatic thing, it’s in a lot of churches. They all speak in tongues, prophesy, and shake all over the place on the floor every single Sunday, yet the pastor still deals with sexual sin, the deacons and members still deal with drunkness and lewdness, and the list goes on. All of that moving and shaking should’ve shaken all of that out of them after twenty years of an experience like that with God, shouldn’t it?
I have been in services where my body has tangibly trembled before the Lord. I’m not talking about this. In fact, I think you know this. But whenever there is an outward manifestation of the presence of God, there should be an inward refining of the believer.
Let us filter everything through the word. Let us know that it is of God when we can see experiences happening and changes also happening. Otherwise, if it’s just a bunch of moving and shaking and yelling, it’s emotionalism. But if there is a tangible reverence for the Lord, well, that’s much different. And your church service won’t be like a circus either.
A final word…
The newest “cessationist” movie pulls the worst of the worst videos from past church services or conferences, and this is what they build their argument on, that Spiritual gifts are “not for today”. This is why order is important. Because when order in the church isn’t happening, the church becomes a laughing stock. It becomes more ammunition in the weapon of “God isn’t real”. It makes unbelievers question Christianity from witchcraft, and Jesus from just another religious prophet like the other religions.
Church, we must be set apart. And in order to be set apart, we must adhere to the standards of the Bible. We must follow the word of the Lord clearly and closely. The issues listed above are issues because we believe that God needs our help proving Himself. The reality is that God is Holy and Worthy all on His own, and when the King of Kings walks into a room, order is what makes sense, not chaos.
Change comes from honor. Honor God by obeying the standards He set in place for His kingdom and His church. And if we can honor Him in those things, they make more of an impact for the kingdom than us frivolously and mindlessly sharing and using our gifts the way we want to. After all, it’s not about us, it’s all about Him.
