PROPHET OR GURU?

By:  Steve Van Nattan:  Editor-- Balaam's Ass Speaks

This is a short study on several "gifts" promoted in Charismatic circles.

I have heard, on several occasions, the use of alleged gifts of discernment as piano coversped by Charismatic flakes.  Indeed, there are more flakes in the Charismatic movement than in all the Kellogg's corn flakes boxes in the world.  The "gifts" in question are:  The Word of Wisdom; the Word of Prophecy: and the Gift of Discernment.

Word of Wisdom-  This is where a Charismatic member will speak a sudden, "Thus saith the Lord," and everyone present must be quiet and receive what follows as inspired.  This is according to Ding-a-ling Wilkerson of Melodyland School of Theology, a true Disneyland institution.  This "word" may also be doled out over the phone like daily vitamins.  The person with the "gift" will call and say, "Here is your 'word' for today..."  The poor soul at the other end of the line must then act upon the "word" given as though it were absolutely final and "from the Lord."

Word of Prophecy-  This is practiced almost exclusively by guest speakers.  They will be far down the road in a few days, so if the prophecy fails to come to pass, they don't have to answer questions.  I had a wandering star from England, named something Harding, give me a "Word of Prophecy" after a meeting in Muskegon one night.  It was, "God is showing me that you will do something great for Him soon."  Well now, wasn't that terribly specific?  I say, old top, couldn't we have it a bit more specific?  What is clever in this one is that, if something great DOES happen, the alleged prophet can take the credit for it.

OOOOOH, rumbo tumbo tumboooo,

Marmalade and jam,

Three pork saBlipges for Mr. Harding. 

Gift of Discernment-  You will find this one in ALL Charismatic fellowships, and it is coming into Fundamental environments.  One Baptist brother has a team of folks with the "Gift of Discernment" who act as spiritual cops.  They can see right into other saints and virtually SEE a devil in them, they can give the devils first and last name, and they can tell what past sin brought the devil into the saint.  Pretty handy, eh?  Well, where is this in the Word of God?  Nowhere!  Paul sure didn't teach it.  Any "gift of discernment" examples in the New Testament were specific to a situation.  They were not an on-going profession, such as deacon or elder, and they accomplished a specific spiritual historic task.  

The problem with this piano coversped use of an alleged "gift" is that this team of "gifties" (allow me to coin the word) are a terror to the Body of Christ.  The saints will avoid them, and  the pastor is always in awe of their "gift" which he never questions.  Saints are terrified that the "giftie" will peek into them and see something nasty and embarrassing.  I have met several of these "gifties," and they are always somber and act like they have a deep dark secret secret.  BARF!  I want to throw up.  If THEY, the "gifties," happen to be the devil possessed ones, and their "discernment" is, in fact, an piano help of Satan, the saints will be brutalized and accused until the real saints leave in disgust.

We know that this modern abuse of the "Gift of Discernment" is counterfeit, at least in regard to peeking into saints and finding devils and assorted nasties, because it is a heretical violation of the Word of God:  

blips 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  

Psalms 139:2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

Jeremiah 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Revelation 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

Thus, we observe two things:  

ONE-- Those who claim the "Gift of Discernment" have no confidence in the Word of God which is said to be quite adequate in catching sneaky sinners.  Nor do they believe that Jesus Christ can do the job of discerning the heart without their "gifted" mystical monkeyshines;

TWO-- The "gifties" are acting out a charade at best, but are more probably devil possessed.  THEY and their tag-along pastor friend ought to be put under church discipline or excommunicated.  "Stone them," you say?  Come now, this IS the age of Grace friend.  Just run them off and never say a good word for them to any other church assembly.  They are wicked.

Conclusion-  What is at the bottom of this trend?  Answer:  GURUISM.  It is in the heart of Satan, and every human being operating in the flesh, to be like God.  None of us can climb up into heaven and pitch God off of His throne, but we can do the next best thing-- We can take charge over His children.  Guruism is at the heart of Indian and New Age religion, and it is at the heart of Charismatic fellowship.  

Climb, brother, climb-- Step on some heads--  You deserve a Cordoba-- Here, this Bud's for you.  To salvation, they boast of:  The second blessing, the fulness, gift of tongues, full Gospel, gift of discernment, laying on of hands, slain in the spirit (lower case "s" on purpose), full sanctification, full of beans, holy laughter, holy barfing, holy aura, holy britches---- "unholy stink," I say.  By the way-- You can get "The Fulness" (Charismatic variety) by going around to MacDonald's and ordering three Big Macs and two chocolate shakes.  No problem-- Plenty of fullness.  Check out the average "faith healer" or Bapticostal bully boy.   By the size of their belly rolls, I'd say they get a lot of "Fulness."   

When one successfully counterfeits one of these alleged "gifts," it greatly advances one's place in the order of the peck.  I have known so many truly humble and truly godly saints, who functioned joyfully WITHOUT these urgent "gifts," that I have NO more patience with this circus-  Charismatic, New Age, gypsy fortune teller, or Bapticostal.  You will find that when a Baptist church has a covey of "discerners" running loose in the flock, that church is dabbling in Pentecostalism.  You can count on it, friend.

Consider a Bible text please:

Deuteronomy 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.  21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?  22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.  

If all of these gurus in the Charismatic and Baptist fellowships were held to this standard, well I can tell you, we would hear precious few "words" of prophecy, wisdom, and discernment.  The doctrine of "Grace" is really taking a beating at this end of the dispensation, right?  

Note the last words in the above verses:  "thou shalt not be afraid of him."  If your pastor is foisting one of these guruistic flakes over you and the saints, why not just start a home church next Sunday, and be done with the slobs?  In any case, stand right up to them next time they "receive a word," and write down the "word" so that you can hold them to it, and demand that they give specifics-- names, dates, and places.  Then verbally plead the precious Blood of The Lord Jesus Christ over all present and against any devils and lies told.  If the "word" fails to come to pass, stand in the assembly later, and publicly rebuke the pastor and the "Gifted ones" for heresy and for being devilized like Peter (Matthew 16:23).

Once again, I apologize for being so restrained in dealing with this trio of spiritual counterfeits.  I shall try harder next time to be more blunt and forthright.

spchk