Often we hear statements like, “I don’t wear a label” or “I’m non-denominational”. That sounds spiritual but it certainly doesn’t tell me anything about the person, church or ministry I may be looking into. For example, you’d never reach into a medicine bottle and take whatever was in the bottle without first knowing what was on the label. That’d be risky, wouldn’t it? In the same way, when a person, church or ministry is vague about who they are, what they believe and what they practice… I don’t know about you but they sketch me out. I want to know what’s on the label so I know what I’m getting into. So let’s talk about the label “Charismatic Movement”. If I see that label on the spiritual pill bottle, so to speak, I immediately think of poison; something unhealthy and unwise to partake in.
But … I also want to say this clearly: I believe in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. I believe God still answers prayer, heals, leads, convicts, and fills His people. I’m deeply thankful for men of God like the late Leonard Ravenhill, the late David Wilkerson and current men of God like Carter Conlon, Tim Dilena, and Zac Poonen; men who preach repentance, holiness, the cross of Christ, and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Most of these men sit comfortably within Pentecostalism… but not within the Charismatic Movement; there’s a massive difference. Contrary to what many think, Pentecostals and Charismatics are NOT the same. Pentecostals (and Baptists, etc) hold to Biblical truth while rejecting the nonsense and utter foolishness we so often see within the Charismatic Movement. And just what are the things we see within this Movement that we should reject? Let’s talk about it. But note first that not all Charismatics are spiritual nutjobs; some are solid… but they’re the minority.
1- Charismatics contradict the Word of God
Charismatics will tell you that the Word is above all else but in actual practice they elevate experiences, impressions, prophecies, dreams and visions to a level that rivals and many times even overrides Scripture itself. For example, many years ago a woman who was known as a “prophet” in a church I attended claimed the Holy Spirit showed her that people need deliverance from the “tenth generation, onwards”. I asked her where this was in the Word and she said, “I don’t know; I only know that that’s what the Holy Spirit revealed to me”. I later learned she was living a double life… while claiming special revelation from the Lord. Another woman, just a few years back, said to me, “God once told me to stop reading the Bible for a year so that I could learn to hear His voice like the Apostles”. I called her a false prophetess then and I call her one now. God didn’t tell either of these women these things; they’re delusional… and they’re Charismatics.
My conviction is simple: if it wasn’t taught by Jesus, if it wasn’t taught by the Apostles and if the early church didn’t preach and practice it, it should be rejected, no matter how exciting or supernatural it looks.
Isaiah 8:20 “ To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
2- Charismatics, by and large, embrace the demonic Prosperity Gospel
One of the most embraced teachings in Charismatic circles and Word of Faith circles is the prosperity gospel; the view that God’s primary will is for His people to be financially rich, always healthy and successful if they have “enough faith.” They can be heard saying things like, “I’m healthy, wealthy and wise. I’m highly favoured of the Lord and everything my hand touches is blessed”. They also use terms like, “Sow your seed and name your need” and claim God is obligated to answer our every desire because we’ve given finances into “good soil”. That’s demonic and those teaching it are influenced by devils.
The Prosperity Gospel treats faith as though it’s a means God has given to us to get money, healing, etc rather than to know, obey, and glorify Christ. It selectively takes God’s promises to ancient Israel and ignores passages on suffering, persecution, and self‑denial. They claim we’re “the children of Abraham and Abraham was rich; his promises are now our’s and that includes financial wealth!”. The God of the Prosperity Gospel is a cosmic vending machine and it’s followers are consumers of blessings instead of disciples who take up their cross.
The prosperity gospel is absolute heresy; it’s a distortion of the true gospel that centers on Christ crucified, repentance from sin, holiness of heart and eternal life. Nowhere does the Word guarantee earthly riches and perpetual health. How do I know this? Because we die. That’s how. Simple.
1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. “
3- Charismatics embrace unBiblical and extra-Biblical manifestations (“drunk in the spirit”, so-called “holy laughter”, etc)
While I believe the Holy Spirit can and does move people, convict them, heal them, deliver them, etc, that’s not the same as being “Drunk in the spirit”, laughing like a hyena for hours on end, violent shaking, uncontrollable jerking and sometimes even acting like a literal animal, complete with barking, howling, etc.
These manifestations are either not found in the Word, not normative in the Word or are of demonic origin. Yet, we have intellectuals, pastors, so-called prophets, so-called “apostles”, etc defending these things even when they lead to disorder and draw attention away from Christ and His Word. Charismatics love their insane manifestations and if you bring the Word of God into the discussion, they accuse you of “quenching the Spirit” and some claim you’re “close to blaspheming the Holy Spirit” when you dare question their stumbling around like a drunkard.
The Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is self‑control, not loss of control. Whatever claims to be the Holy Spirit but leads to confusion, disorder or foolishness I’ll never accept as genuine. That said, being “drunk in the spirit”, specifically, is in fact real; and it’s the judgement of God on those who reject the Word. We read in Isaiah that spiritual drunkenness comes on people and on churches so that their eyes may be spiritually shut to the Word:
Isaiah 29:9-11 “Astonish yourselves[b] and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with strong drink! For the Lord has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).”
4- The Charismatic Movement is filled with false teachers and false prophets
A major reason that the Charismatic Movement is so dangerous is due in part to the culture of prophecy and teaching that has grown around it, where celebrity “apostles and prophets” regularly prophesy “in the name of the Lord” that never come to pass. Just think of all of the so-called prophets in the Charismatic Movement who prophesied that Donald Trump would win a second term the first time around. When he didn’t, they said, “Oh. We meant currently; yeah that’s what we meant”. Or what about men like the late Bob Jones of the Kansas City Prophets (IHOP, etc) who’d have women strip naked so he could “prophesy” to them as they “stood bare before the Lord”? Or what about the late Paul Cain, also of the Kansas City Prophets (IHOP, etc) who’d prophesy and was later found to be a drunk and a homosexual who was preying (not pray-ing) on young men? Or what about Todd Bentley who preached at the Lakeland “revival” who was preaching half drunk at times, claiming angels were visiting him and then left his wife for his assistant and engaged in multiple sexually deviant conduct over years and years and years while “in ministry”? Or what about Shawn Bolz, recently caught prophesying after he’d data-mine social media while also being a deviant homosexual? These are just a few examples of false prophets who leading Charismatics defended, protected and held up as “genuine” while at the same time shaming those who spoke out against these wicked men.
The Charismatic Movement is full of false prophets and teachers, including other influential figures such as the late Kenneth Hagin who taught that we, the church, are Christ and who plagiarized the work of E.W Kenyon (the father of the WOF Movement). We also have Kenneth Copeland who once claimed he (Copeland himself) could have saved the world; he claimed that the Spirit of God told him this). Or what about the Toronto Blessing (curse) where people were roaring like lions, shaking like demons and howling like wolves, with some attendees defecating in their pants and calling it “deliverance”?
These so called “apostles and prophets” in the Charismatic Movement promote theological positions that treat faith and words as forces that somehow create reality. They teach believers to claim wealth, health, and success as inherent rights. They tolerate and even encourage unbiblical manifestations and failed prophecies without real repentance or correction. Listen, when these “prophets” can repeatedly be wrong, unscriptural and manipulative yet remain celebrated as “anointed”, it tells me there that this movement is demonic, dangerous and it’s followers are delusional.
Click on this link to see blasphemy in action from the most well known “anointed leaders”: https://www.banner.org.uk/wof/wells1.html
5- I believe in the charisma (gifts) of the Holy Spirit; however, I reject the Charismatic Movement as a whole
I’m not a cessationist. I believe that God can and does heal; I’ve experienced it personally. I’ve witnessed one raising of the dead (Yes, I did; in the hospital; she was brain dead until the Power of God raised her up), saw prophetic words come to pass and have seen God do strange things (strange to my mind) that I can’t explain. God speaks today; I have no doubt about this. When I was approximately 8 years old I was outside playing in the fall leaves. God opened the heavens and called my name twice and it was audible. It never happened again … but when it did happen, I’ve never forgotten that moment and I have no words to express or explain what that was like. Some won’t believe that but that’s OK with me; Samuel heard that audible voice and I heard it just as others have through the years. Rare? Absolutely. Does God still speak in this way? Absolutely. He did in the Old and New Testaments and He does it today. So yes; I firmly believe that God’s Holy Spirit moves in power today. He warns, guides and comforts His people. He still fills His people with His Spirit today; I have no doubt. Yet, God is a God of order and does all things according to His Word. He doesn’t cause people… as we see in the Charismatic Movement … to bark, roar, howl, etc. These things are either fleshly, demonic or both; God isn’t the One causing these things and yet Charismatics put the blame, so to speak, on Him and if you challenge their heretical positions you’re attacked as a “pharisee” and as someone who “doesn’t believe in the power of God”.
I want the Gifts of the Spirit, but I want them governed by Scripture, tested by discernment, and used to exalt Christ; not to build personalities, ministries, or empires.
6- The Charismatic Movement produces goats… not sheep
Charismatic teaching presents suffering, financial lack and sickness as signs of defeat, a lack of faith, or a failure to “claim God’s promises.” Yet, the New Testament repeatedly shows godly believers suffering; physically, financially, socially; all for the sake of Christ and His Gospel. Jesus calls His disciples to take up their cross; He doesn’t call them to seek riches, “divine health” or big ministries.
Any movement that downplays suffering while exalting riches, comfort and “power” is a movement that has redefined the Gospel and that kind of Gospel doesn’t have even a sliver of power to save.
7- The Charismatic Movement’s worship is emotions driven
In most Charismatic churches, you’ll find a strong emotional atmosphere as the setting is all about lighting, music and “feeling God’s Presence”. You’ll notice how a chorus is sung repetitively over and over and over again until it’s more of a chant to a foreign god than the exultation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. No… I don’t want to sing, “Your goodness is running over me” 113 times in a row and I’m not interested in repeating “This is how I fight my battles” while wildly swinging an invisible “sword of the Spirit” into the air. Services in a Charismatic church are all about extended hype, loud repetition, and emotional manipulation. There’s little room for quiet reverence, deep teaching, and sober mindedness. These services have a tendency to equate emotion and excitement with the presence of God. Charismatics are training their followers to seek a feeling rather than God Himself and it shows in their “worship” times.
They hate the old hymns; well, most of the hymns, anyway. Sure they can sing “Nothing but the Blood” but ask them to worship to “Christ is made the sure foundation” or “Here, oh my Lord, I see Thee face to face” and you’ll get a “Huh?” response. They don’t know the great theological truths of the old hymns that are based solely on the great theological truths of Scripture but they can belt out Bethel or Hillsong’s latest and greatest 299 times in 5 minutes until they’re “slain in the Spirit”. It’s nothing more than a quick dopamine fix for the week until they do it all over again next Sunday. Without “feeling the Presence of God” they feel lost, like something is wrong with their walk. It’s a sad spectacle to watch when you see a man raise his hands to God on Sunday and then use that same hand to smash his wife on Monday. And I’m not being metaphorical; I can name some local “worshippers” right here in my city who “praise Jesus” during their Charismatic worship service and then literally go home and assault their spouses. The emotional atmosphere of Charismatic churches is surface deep; it doesn’t do anything other than continue to deceive those who sit in that mess.
8- The Charismatic Movement is all about blabbing and grabbing / naming and claiming
Another disturbing ideology within this movement is it’s emphasis on words. They teach that words create reality in a quasi‑magical way (“Speak it into existence”). Since God spoke and it was so, they reason that they too, as followers of Jesus, can also speak into existence whatever they desire. To them, faith is a force that actually obligates God to act on their behalf. Yet, we know that the word “faith” means to have a firm trust or conviction in a thing or a person. It has nothing to do with “speaking reality into existence”. In fact, they also believe that confessing anything negative (like sickness, lack, etc) is seen as “opening the door” to whatever negative thing you’re speaking. They get you to “renounce” the negative confessions you make and replace those “bad confessions” with good ones. But that’s not faith; that’s the occult and it’s demonic. Biblical faith is trust in the character and promises of God, not some weird mental technique to command things to “come into existence”. Positive confession may change attitudes and it’s not bad in and of itself, but it doesn’t somehow give us creative power over anything. God is sovereign and we’re not. He decides what He wants to give or to take away; we have zero power to “create” anything. Be positive in the sense of saying nice things to your family, friends, etc; but don’t use your words to “call those things that are not as though they were”. That’s a waste of time because it doesn’t work… and it’s demonic. That’s what occult followers do … not Christians.
9- Charismatics hate accountability. They genuinely hate it
A common phrase you’ll hear used in Charismatic churches is “Touch not God’s anointed”, often used as a weapon to prevent calling out a leader who’s in error or even abuse in churches. They use it as a way to silence legitimate concerns about a teaching or someone’s wicked behaviour. The “touch not the Lord’s anointed” line is used as a spiritual threat against those who call for transparency. Thus, a culture is created where leaders are above correction, even when they teach error or live inconsistently. A culture is created where predators and sexual deviants can roam freely in churches, protected by the “Touch not God’s anointed” and “Don’t gossip!” crowd of Charismatics.
The Bible commands us to test all things, to judge doctrine, to warn against false teachers and expose predators and deviants running around freely. Protecting leaders and predators from accountability using spiritual language is unBihlical and ungodly … and yet Charismatics engage in it consistently.
10- There’s a difference between Charismatics and Pentecostals
While I’m not a Charismatic, what I said at the beginning of this post stands; I love men like the late Leonard Ravenhill; he called the church to prayer, revival, and holiness. David Wilkerson preached repentance, the cross, Spirit filled living and the fear of God. Carter Conlon is a true watchman in the church, calling Believers to a life of full surrender. Tim Dilena, who preached at my former church at my invitation, emphasizes Scripture, dependence on the Holy Spirit for empowerment, and a life of constantly trusting and thanking Jesus for all things. Then we have Zac Poonen who teaches practical holiness, humility, a Christ‑centered life and a rejection of false doctrine and worldly gain. These are men who all hold to the reality of the baptism of the Holy Spirit but their preaching, teaching and lives are all Biblical, sound and healthy.
Most of these men we’d consider old-time / Classic Pentecostals; Spirit‑filled, Scripture‑based, Christ‑centered, cross‑carrying Pentecostalism; without the excesses and errors that are so prevalent in the Charismatic Movement.
In closing, I reject the Charismatic Movement; not because I reject the Holy Spirit, but because I reject a movement that long ago abandoned the cross and embraced cash, that tolerates false teaching, allows predators to roam freely, pursues unBiblical manifestations and exalts personalities over Christ. I want everything the Spirit truly gives, but only in the way, and to the extent that’s written in Scripture.
You can continue to defend and support demon possessed “ministers” like Copeland and Hinn; you can continue to promote cash over Christ; you can sing those repetitive choruses over and over again until you’re “slain in the Spirit” … but as for me? Gimme that old time religion! See less
