My Christian journey...
1. GARBC Baptist
2. FreeWIll Baptist
3. Pentecostal Holiness
4. The old Christian radio... With speakers such as John MacArthur
Remembering my pastor of the Merrimac Pentecostal Holiness church, who was an evangelist turned preacher. I can remember he always would look up the best evangelists and going to church was a treat as we did not know what God was going to do next. I felt wonderfully revived and very close to God during these years.
Along with the pastor's retirement and the rising of a new generation came something totally different. All generalized under one word... Charisma... In which the church attendance is there... But I fear the dance and the praise is orchestrated... Along with a rock concert feel... And fearing the words of the Lord Jesus Christ...
He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. - Mark 7:6
Hey
@rockytopva
Your path sounds familiar. Mine was similar, only I started out at three and then went to four. I was invited by my sister to the Pentecostal church. She still goes to that same church today, but much less often. I remember when I first began to go to that church, I was struck by the love and compassion of the people there. The members seemed to be genuinely caring. After a while I noticed that the same church had a revolving door. They paid very little attention to the people walking out, and even less on the reasons why. They always put emphasis on the latest "thing" to keep the interest of the current membership. I seen people promised things that God never promised and it just broke them and their faith when it didn't happen. But when it all hinges on having 'enough faith', then the pastor avoids the blame for his false promises. Jesus said that the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains, but not in that church. The pastor would have members bring in unsaved people to hear the Gospel, and would package that up with something in the current events that was going on at that time. I disagreed with that method, but it did get him out of teaching the Bible with any kind on substance. That's what they do. It was very Manson family esc. Holy Ghost goosebumps were to be sought after, and were the standard for truth, not the Bible.
When I became born again, and went without spiritual food for too long, I don't know, I would get depressed and literally nauseous. I needed fed, spiritually, I was hungry. That's when, like you, I started to get into the radio ministry. Alistair Begg and JMac, mostly. I would pick a topic that was currently on my list of Biblical interests, and just start going through whole sermons. I think that I averaged at least one sermon a day for a few years. My first book by JMac was 'Charismatic Chaos'. You may want to check that one out as it gets into many of the doctrines that are in error from that same Charisma that your speaking of.
Anyways, I believe that I now see the baptism with the Holy Spirit for what it truly is, Biblically. And I also see the speaking in tongues (real languages) in a historically accurate way. Anything good that comes from us for the Church is a undeserved gift from God. That's what the gifts mean, the fruit of the Spirit.
The thing that helped me to to put it all into a correct Biblical perspective was understanding one very big error that many false church's rely on to build their false doctrines. If you leave this discussion with only one thing, I hope that it's this. The New Testament begins at the cross, not in Matthew chapter one. In Hebrews, we are told that the Testament is activated when the Testator dies. That's Jesus. And since He rose from the dead, His Testament, or Covenant is a permanent one. Testament means Covenant, Covenant means Testament. So while we call Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the New Testament, each is actually still the Old Testament up until each records the death of Jesus on the cross. There is a transition taking place, promises being fulfilled, all beginning a Pentecost, that must be considered to get an accurate understanding of what was happening at that time. If you're reading the Bible, always try to make a mental note of what time frame you are reading about, either before of after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. This will begin to paint a picture in your minds eye as to what was going on during that transition from the Old Testament, to the New Testament.
Peace
You picked a good radio Pastor to learn from. You may want to check out Alistair Begg also.
