Strange Fire, and those who get burned.

      MacArthur, of whom I must confess I am not a fan has come under fire for the vehemence of the comments he made about the Charismatic movement. As for myself I think he was correct. I was given the opportunity to see the effects of the movement.

.     

 Back in the 70s in the  south Alabama town of Dothan where I was raised in we Had a Charismatic leader. He was the youth minister in one of the larger Baptist Churches. Apparently he began speaking in tongues and telling people he had prophetic gifts. Eventually the leadership figured out what was going on and they fired him. He then broke off and started his own independent Church. With him he took a significant portion of the Churches youth with him.Eventually he began drawing, mostly young people into his congregation from many of the other Churches in town, including the one of which I was a member. Several people I knew became involved Including a cousin of mine and my mother’s best friends son. Gradually this mans claims became more and more grandiose.       

       Eventually he began telling people in the group that God revealed that it was His Will that couples in the group should marry and sayings that God had revealed that others should Separate. In time the inevitable happened the leader of the group began telling women in the group ‘That God had revealed that they should sleep with him. Eventually the congregation rebelled against his Leadership and removed him. But the damage was done. I found that virtually everyone I knew that was In that group was marred by it. One died of Aids, another, my cousin, Died years later still with a bitter disillusionment with Christianity.

    Now I know the objection that will come to this. Not all Charismatics are like this. But the reality is that the Charismatic movement is inconsistent with the great doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Why struggle to understand the scriptures if you can just have a private revelation? I may question your reasoning but how can I question what you say if I believe you are the mouthpiece of God. You become your own personal pope, Joe Smith or Watchtower bible and tract society.