18 DANGERS OF THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT
by Dr. Ken Matto
(Acts 2:1-4 KJV) {1} And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord
in one place. {2} And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and
it filled all the house where they were sitting. {3} And there appeared unto them cloven tongues
like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. {4} And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
There is probably no greater church demolition movement in the world than the invasion of the
Charismatic movement into the church. All one needs to do to see how evil this movement is, is to
look at the TV ministries such as TBN or Inspiration Network and then listen for a few moments to
the lies and false teachings being spewed with impunity. If you listen to a Charismatic preacher
and compare their teachings to the Bible, you will see how subtle this movement is. The following
verse was used by Satan to tempt and deceive Eve:
(Gen 3:1 KJV) Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God
had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the
garden?
Notice the statement that Satan uses, “Yea, hath God said.” Satan was placing doubt into the
mind of Eve about what God had really said to her. He was placing a confusing statement before
her so he could draw her into a dialogue in which she would lose and eventually plunge the whole
human race into sin and damnation. I want to apply the same principle to the teachings of the
Charismatic movement.
Yea, hath God said that He wants everyone healed of disease?
Yea, hath God said that He wants everyone wealthy?
Yea, hath God said that we can command angels?
Yea, hath God said that we will receive visions?
Yea, hath God said that we must speak in tongues?
Yea, hath God said that He has never closed the canon?
Yea, hath God said that we will receive prophecies from Him outside the Bible?
Yea, hath God said that we will be able to see and cast out demons?
If you have or will search the Scriptures, you will find none of the above questions answered in the
affirmative. We are never to expect more from God than He is willing to give us. This includes
health, material goods, even spiritual illumination. God gives to us according to His will. He may
choose to give one believer a million dollars while another may not even be able to make it from
paycheck to paycheck. He may allow one believer to have excellent health while another one may
be in chronic pain for years. He may choose to grant massive material goods to one believer while
another may live in a small studio apartment. No matter what the situation is, the Charismatic
teachers tell you that you can have more. They build false hope and when their false prophecies
do not come to pass, then people become depressed and blame God that He is not true to his
word while all along they have been horribly deceived by the “Pentecostal Prognosticator.” When
you experience no healing or wealth, they say that you didn’t have enough faith. The danger is
that they deceive people and then blame them for their lies, and their hearers accept it.
I am still waiting for someone in the Charismatic Movement to explain to me how it is that their
pastor gets a six figure salary and drives around in a Mercedes and the ones in the pews can
hardly make it financially and drive a 10 year old car. How does this great inequity of finances
equate to the teaching that God wants everybody wealthy and healthy? The only ones getting
wealthy are the pastors and TV evangelists while the pew warmers sit there and give their last
amount of money for the pastor’s next Mercedes or summer home? Can’t you see you are being
duped? Can’t you see the only one making money is the pastor? How come you are still in poverty
after being in a Charismatic church for 20 years? Sounds to me like the only one getting financially
blessed is the pastor and you have been his chump for 20 years. He has a million dollar home and
you have a small apartment. He has a Mercedes and you have a 10 year old car. So where is your
blessings? They keep harping week after week that God wants to bless you yet you are no better
off today than you were 20 years ago. It sounds like the theology of prosperity is a total lie except
for the pastor. Think about it!
The word “Charismatic” comes from caris (charis) which means “a gift.” It also is the underlying
word for “grace.” There is also another word related to “Charismatic” and that is “Charisma”
carisma which means gift, grace or favor. So the basic meaning of “Charismatic” is one who is
endowed with gifts. This word describes every Christian since every Christian has been given a
legitimate spiritual gift or gifts. Charisma is not a dedicated word for those in the signs and
wonders gospel, in fact, they are exuding false gifts which does not fit the true meaning of
charismatic in relation to the Christian, it is like the Sodomites stealing the word “gay” or the
Roman church stealing the word “catholic.”
It is a worldwide movement
If there is one major tenet of this movement, it is the fact that this movement is world wide in
scope. You can go to any country and find more signs & wonders churches than normal churches.
They normally are the churches with attendance in the thousands. This judgment of God on the
church is well-entrenched all over the world and signals the fact we are very close to the end.
Every church is affected by its teaching
There is no church in the world which is not affected by this judgment. Even the Roman church
with all its present heresies has added another one with the Catholic Charismatic movement. All
churches and denominations have been touched with this movement. There is not one church
which has not addressed the issue of tongues, whether by discussion, acceptance, or refusal.
Every Christian is drawn into the conflict – pro or con
Every Christian on earth has been drawn into the battle since tongues are a worldwide
phenomenon. I do not know one Christian who has not faced the scourge of tongues in some
fashion. It seems years ago we went to church to worship God and learn of Him but presently we
go with battle lines drawn and our defenses ready for the assault. The end result is that some will
be drawn in and deceived and others will stand up and probably be put out.
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Big money – Media ministries either adapt or face financial ruin
The true gospel is funded with nickels and dimes while the tongues gospels are funded with
billions of dollars. If you notice on the major networks, you will not find any or near none
non-tongues ministries which are teaching truth. The big media ministries must continue to push a
palatable gospel so the money continues to flow in. If a ministry teaches the true gospel, they will
normally not be supported by enough listeners to keep them on the air.
It is linked to end time prophecy
In the final days of earth’s existence, the church should not be looking to Israel as the hot bed of
prophecy, they should be looking at the church. The apostasy of the church is the key to end time
prophecy and where we are on the prophetic clock. One of the major passages that the tongues
people use is 1 Corinthians 14 as their proof that tongues are for today. Yet there are 2 verses in
there which give us a time frame (not a date) on the prophetic clock and they are verses 21 & 22.
(1 Cor 14:21-22 KJV) In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak
unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. {22} Wherefore tongues
are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not
for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
These verses are from Isaiah 28 where God prophesies that Judah will be going into captivity by
those who do not speak their language. In other words, a foreign power is going to take them into
captivity. Why did this happen? God had continually sent prophets of their own people to the
nations of Israel and Judah, nevertheless, they did not heed the warnings which the prophets
gave them and continued in their apostasy and the end result was captivity.
What does this have to do with the church today? Since the late 1800’s, the church has
continually been accepting false theories, doctrines, Bible versions, etc., which has caused the
shipwreck of the church in the 20th century right into the 21st century. Since the church has
chosen to remain apostate, God is sending a foreign power to conquer the church. Now let us ask
the question, what would be a foreign power to the Kingdom of God? The answer is obvious, the
Kingdom of Satan. Therefore God is going to allow Satan to come into the churches and
neutralize the true gospel to its own judgment. In 1 Cor. 14:22, God tells us that prophesying are
for those who believe. In other words, a true Christian will be satisfied and fed with the true word
of God when they hear it being preached. Those who are unsaved, will not be satisfied with the
teaching and preaching of the true word of God, rather they want to see a sign like a tongue,
which God says is for unbelievers. The great falling away is well on its way.
Brief History of the Charismatic Movement
The tongues (which means legitimate languages) began on Pentecost and continued through the
end of the first century. When the book of Revelation was complete, all verbal and visual revelation
from God had ceased and the way we now hear from God is through His Word which is
illuminated by the Holy Spirit to our understanding.
In the second century AD, there was a church father named Montanus who believed that tongues
did not cease and therefore passed this belief on to his followers. However, even though the belief
existed, it remained subdued because God did not yet plan to use it to judge the church. In fact, it
was restrained until the early part of the 20th century. There were isolated incidences of tongues
in New England as far back as 1854, in 1879 an Arkansas Holiness Preacher named W. Jethro
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Walthal, in 1890 Daniel Awrey in Delaware, Ohio, in 1899 a preacher named C.M. Hanson of
Dalton, Minnesota, in 1901 there was a tongues phenomenon at Bethel Bible College.
Then in 1906-09 Satan made his move at a place called the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles,
California. The result of this heavy tongue speaking began to spread widely across America and
the world. Preachers and people came from all over America and carried the poison back to their
churches and neighborhoods. In 1914 Satan made his second move in organizing this apostasy
which resulted in the formation of the Assemblies of God. In 1916 they produced their four
distinctions and tongues and baptism in the Holy Spirit were two of them. In fact in their Statement
of Fundamental Truth, number 7, they claim that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit was the normal
experience of all in the early church. Where is their biblical proof for this? They are not speaking
of the believer being baptized in the Holy Spirit upon salvation, they are speaking of tongues.
Even though tongues was spreading across the USA in the early part of the 20th century, it was
not yet accepted in the mainline churches and therefore their audiences were still rather small in
comparison to the Christian population. Then in the 1960’s which was the decade of moral,
spiritual and political decadence, the tongues movement began to escalate and spread like
wildfire and even the mainline churches were now accepting tongues as a legitimate Christian
experience given by God.
Then with the evolution of ministries such as Oral Roberts, E.W. Kenyon, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim &
Tammy Baker, Pat Robertson, Kenneth Hagin, and Ken Copeland gave the tongues movement
international exposure and that was all that was needed for the gullible nature of the natural man
to take over. It was from the teachings of these false preachers that gave rise to many more
tongues churches and denominations, to the point that almost every church that is formed today is
a tongues church.
DANGEROUS TEACHINGS OF THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT
Speak in tongues or you are not saved – It is evidence of the Holy Spirit!
One of the chief tenets of the tongues movement is that you must speak in tongues because it
gives evidence of the Holy Spirit. The evidence of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life is their living for
Christ. If a Christian lives for Christ and begins to love the world less, that is evidence that God is
alive in their life. A person who is filled with the Holy Spirit is a person who is not filled with the
world. (Eph 5:18 KJV) “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”
Speak in tongues or you do not have the Holy Spirit
The fact of the matter is that if a person does not have the Holy Spirit, then they are unsaved.
(Rom 8:9 KJV) “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in
you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. A person is baptized in the
Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation which means their sins are washed away, it does not mean
you speak in unintelligible garble.
Agreement in Prayer
(Mat 18:19 KJV) Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing
that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
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Here is another misinterpretation of the Bible. The above verse has to do with church discipline
and has nothing to do with agreement in prayer. The charismatics believe that if you and someone
else agree on something in prayer, then it will be done. Prayer becomes the command of man to
God. God answers prayer according to His will and not ours. (James 4:15 KJV) For that ye ought
to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Physical Healing
(Isa 53:5 KJV) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Here is probably the second most important teaching of the tongues movement. It is the belief that
God will heal according to the promises in Scripture. All one has to do is have enough faith and
God will do it. Isaiah 53:5 is normally used as the source text for this belief. However, when we
search the Scriptures we find that physical healing is not part of the gospel.
(1 Pet 2:24 KJV) Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
In 1 Peter 2:24 what is the context concerning healing? It is not physical healing in view but rather
the healing is spiritual in nature. Notice it says “we, being dead to sins.” That is the type of healing
the Lord has in view. We have been healed from Spiritual death and resurrected to newness of
life. There is no doubt in my mind that God can heal any and all disease if he chooses to. He has
chosen not to. Some people become sick and die, others become sick and get well again. Even
unbelievers who have no one praying for them, will become healed if it is God’s will to do so.
If physical healing was part of the atonement then every cemetery speaks of the failure of Christ to
attain that part of the atonement. The sign of physical healing was already waning in the time of
Paul.
(Phil 2:25-27 KJV) Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and
companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
{26} For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he
had been sick. {27} For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and
not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
If physical healing was part of the atonement, then why couldn’t Paul just command the sickness
to leave the body of Epaphroditus and heal him? Why did Paul have to wait on God for whether
Epaphroditus would live or die? The answer is simple, because physical healing was never part of
the gospel. So why then did God allow physical healing to occur?
(Mark 16:20 KJV) And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them,
and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
The Lord was confirming the initial push of the gospel with signs and wonders and as the Word
began to spread the signs began to diminish. I have never read anywhere that in the 2nd century
anyone could heal en masse like Paul and Peter did. The true miracles ended in the first century
and only one miracle remains today and that is the miracle of salvation, that a dead sinner can be
raised to newness of life and serve the living God.
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Certain people are “anointed”
I have heard many times the term “anointed” when referring to a Charismatic preacher or some
message which was preached. Every true believer is anointed by the Lord to bring the true gospel
(2 Cor 1:21 KJV) Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
The word “anointed” in this verse carries with it the meaning of “to appoint with the idea of
assigning a task.” God gives us the tasks we are to do. (Eph 2:10 KJV) “For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that
we should walk in them.” There is nothing mysterious about this passage as it states that “the
anointed” are the ones who have tasks to do. That task is sending forth the true gospel.
(1 John 2:27 KJV) But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need
not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth,
and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
The words “anointing” here are the same words “chrisma” which carries with it the meaning that
the believers receive knowledge via the teaching of the Holy Spirit who will teach them all things:
(John 16:13-14 KJV) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will
show you things to come. {14} He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it
unto you.
These promises apply to all true believers and not just a certain few as God has determined that
the church universal will send forth the gospel and not just a few mouthpieces. All Christians are
commanded to be part of the Great Commission and woe unto them who relegate the task unto
others.
God is still giving verbal messages
There are many Christians who believe that the canon is still open and that God is continuing to
give messages. However, this is not true and there is sufficient evidence in Scripture to show that
the canon is closed.
(Deu 4:2 KJV) Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish
ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Every time someone speaks in tongues or receives a so-called prophecy, they are adding to God’s
Word. They will tell you they are not but ask them a simple question. Where is their prophecy or
revelation coming from? Before the Bible was complete, God used visions, prophecies and
tongues to convey His Word. Many of the visions are listed in Scripture such as Joseph’s vision,
Jacob’s vision of the ladder, and others. If a person receives a vision today and it is not from God,
then it must be from Satan.
(Prov 30:6 KJV) Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Those who add to God’s word will be found out to be a liar. On any given Sunday, there are
thousands of Charismatic churches meeting and in every one of them there is always time given to
hear prophecies. If we were able to catalog the hundreds of thousands of prophecies given at all
these churches, we would find that 100% of them would be erroneous unless somebody makes a
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good guess. But the problem is, that if every prophecy, which is supposed to come from God,
does not come to pass, then they are all lies and deceit. It is obvious then, that there are millions
of lies being told in these churches every week which means that Satan is ruling in that
congregation. (Rev 21:8 KJV) “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in
the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
(Rev 22:18-19 KJV) For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written
in this book: {19} And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God
shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which
are written in this book.
Here is the definite proof that the canon is closed and those that add to the Scriptures with their
visions, prophecies and tongues are subject to the plagues in the Bible. This means that if
someone is still subject to the judgment of God, then they are unsaved. When God closed the
book of Revelation, that ended any further revelation from Him as we now go the completed Bible
for our guidance. Tongues and such widens the authority to fit the one who is hearing or speaking.
It goes from the Bible alone to the Bible plus. If God is still giving messages, then every time I
need wisdom or guidance on a subject or situation, I must seek out the person still receiving the
messages from God. This is exactly what the nations of Judah and Israel did. When they needed
direction, they called for the prophets of God and God spoke through them. Therefore, if God is
still giving messages the same way, then I must seek those people out.
Some say that tongues is only speaking Scripture back to God and that is not revelation: Let’s test
it:
A. Romans 3:10 comes from Psalm 14:1-3
B. Romans 3:11-12 comes from Psalm 53:1-3
C. Acts 2:16-21 comes from Joel 2:28-32
Conclusion: Repeated Scripture is Divine Revelation because New Testament books were new
revelation from God. If one reads the New Testament, one will find many quotes from the Old
Testament.
Prosperity
God wants you rich – Jerry Savelle, “It is part of our salvation” 7/2/95 – If material riches are a part
of our salvation, then why are so many Christians all over the world struggling to make a living.
This doctrine that God wants everybody rich is a doctrine of demons because it causes a person
to keep their eyes on the physical things of the world and they never look beyond their lust for
material gain. It also reeks with the works salvation plan. If I give so much, then God will give so
much. It involves a work initiated by man and if Jerry Savelle is right that riches are a part of our
salvation, then his gospel is a works based salvation and therefore he is still in his sins.
Dreams, signs and visions are accepted without hesitation
If there is one thing which no one questions in that movement, it is the dreams and visions which
are taught. This is especially true when the person proclaiming their vision is on national TV on
one of the ministries. The problem is that with visions and dreams the Word of God takes second
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place and all eyes are on the individual with their claim. One such a person is Jesse Duplantis
who on the Ken Copeland Ministry stated he was in heaven 5 hours. This man no doubt received
many oohs and aahs along with a hundred invitations to speak in churches. Let me tell you why
this man is a liar and deceiver. First of all, when John was in heaven, he fell as dead before the
Lord Jesus Christ, did Jesse? Secondly, Satan has the ability to give massive visions for
deception. Does anyone remember Fatima? Thirdly, Paul was not allowed to discuss his journey
into the third heaven, who gave Jesse permission to reveal his? How about the following passage
of Scripture:
(Luke 4:5 KJV) And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the
kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Here is the Lord Jesus Christ in His temptations being shown a vision of all the kingdoms of the
world. Are we forgetting that Satan was trying to deceive God Himself? What makes us think he
will not try to deceive us. This also applies to those who think they went to hell and those who
believe they had out of body experiences including UFO abductions and floating above your body
in an operating room. Satan is giving many visions today and the place where he has the most
success is the Charismatic movement since no one in that movement checks anything out in
Scripture. All they know is Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14, and the rest of the Scripture lies fallow.
Overstresses the power of Satan
Another teaching of the charismatic movement is the overstressing of the power of Satan. I was in
a conference center once having just dropped in to pick up some materials of upcoming events
and I looked inside the auditorium and there was a meeting of Women Aglow Fellowship and I
heard the woman repeating over and over, “I bind you Satan.” If this woman knew her Bible, she
would know that Satan was bound at the cross and has no authority over the believer.
Unfortunately too many ignorant tongues speakers think that demons can indwell a believer. This
is literally to say that Satan has more power than the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells the true
believer and since the Holy Spirit is eternal God, no one or nothing can remove Him from His
children and He doesn’t share an apartment either.
(Mark 3:27 KJV) No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will
first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
This verse teaches that the strong man must be bound and then his house can be plundered.
When Christ went to the cross, He bound Satan in the manner that he cannot prevent any of
God’s elect from becoming saved. This is the binding that has taken place. Satan is helpless
against God’s salvation plan. God has spoiled the house of Satan as He takes His elect from the
kingdom of darkness to His kingdom.
(John 14:30 KJV) Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and
hath nothing in me.
Here is a verse which teaches that Satan has no authority or anything in the Lord Jesus. Since we
are redeemed children of God, Satan has no authority over us at all either. The children of God
should focus on the commission that we have to send forth the gospel and not focus on Satan.
We must keep in mind the biblical truth that Satan is a defeated foe. There are even some
Charismatic churches which pass out buckets so people can puke out the demons. There was one
close to my house which did this. How far from biblical reality has the church gone.
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Their music mimics the world
If there is one characteristic that sets charismatic music apart from traditional godly music, it is the
worldliness of the sound. Christian rock has evolved from the charismatic movement. Many of
them sport long hair, (1 Cor. 11:14) earrings, tattoos, and look no different than the hard rock
bands of the world. There is no reverence in their music as it is designed just to get their hearers
jumping in the seats.
(John 4:24 KJV) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Charismatic music does not minister to the spirit rather it is a sensual music which ministers to the
flesh and that is not worshipping God in spirit. Godly music has a reverent tone to it. Charismatic
music appeals to the emotions and causes people to lose sight of the one they are supposed to
be worshipping. The majority of the time the “artist” is the one who receives the accolades.
Over emphasizes and distorts the doctrine of the Holy Spirit
(John 16:13-14 KJV) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will
show you things to come. {14} He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it
unto you.
The above verse tells us that the mission of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is to teach us
about the Lord Jesus Christ and illuminate the meaning of Scripture. However, the tongues
movement focuses on the Holy Spirit as continually giving tongues and messages today. The Holy
Spirit indwells the believer and equips us for the task of sending forth the gospel. He does not
draw believers to Himself but rather guides the believers into all truth. He is called the Spirit of
truth and therefore since modern tongues are fake, He is definitely not behind them.
It encourages women to usurp authority in the church
(1 Cor 14:34 KJV) Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them
to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
(1 Tim 2:11-15 KJV) Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. {12} But I suffer not a
woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. {13} For Adam was first
formed, then Eve. {14} And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the
transgression. {15} Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith
and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Here is another tenet of rebellion against Scripture. The tongues movement gave rise to women
preachers. No woman has ever been called by God to be a minister or evangelist. He would not
violate His word the way the tongues people do. The women are to be silent in the congregation. If
you ever visit a charismatic congregation, you will see that the women are leading the pack in
shouting and screaming. These women who are pastoring churches or passing themselves off as
evangelists are in absolute rebellion to God’s word. Women like Joyce Meyer, Marilyn Hickey,
Gloria Copeland, and others have called themselves to the ministry. It is obvious in Charismatic
churches that the men are not heads of their households, if they were they would be controlling
their wives and daughters.
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Miracles are glorified and used to authenticate a special calling from God
One of the most evil nets used to draw people to this false movement is the use of false miracles.
False healers like Benny Hinn and Peter Popov have used much trickery to dazzle their
audiences. In fact, in Kenya, 4 people left a hospital to be healed by Benny Hinn at one of his
crusades, and died as a result.
In my hearing on the 700 Club Pat Robertson claimed he raised a dead person but in an interview
he stated he couldn’t remember where or when – Where is the one he supposedly raised? Let us
be honest, you raise someone from the dead and then you have amnesia as to the name of the
person you raised. In tongues churches they have healing services which usually results in
nothing. There are those who have claimed to be healed and in the last days God has allowed
some people to be healed miraculously. Why?
(2 Th 2:11-12 KJV) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie: {12} That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.
God is allowing people to be healed to allow those who want to be deceived to be deceived. In
Matthew 12:39-40, we read:
(Mat 12:39-40 KJV) But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation
seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: {40}
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
In the time when Jesus walked the earth, His generation sought for a sign and He called them evil.
Biblical principles are constant and the same principle applies today, that when someone is
looking for a sign, they are showing they are evil. The Bible states we are to live by faith and not
by sight, (2 Cor 5:7 KJV) (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) but when we seek a tongue or a
miracle we are walking by sight. Walking by sight shows our inclination to worldly things and
friendship with the world is enmity against God. Those who seek signs and wonders are friends of
the world because the extent of their Christianity is their flesh and its satisfaction
(1 John 2:15-16 KJV) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {16} For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Slain in the Spirit (Backward)
One of the most exclusive charismatic events is something called Slain in the Spirit. It is when a
person falls backward which is supposedly triggered by an action of the Holy Spirit. However,
when we look into the Scriptures we find that when backward is mentioned, it is always in
conjunction with judgment. Even the name slain in the spirit is erroneous:
(Rom 8:10 KJV) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness.
The Holy Spirit gives life and does not slay anyone. The slain in the spirit theory does not exist in
Scripture and is another creation of this false movement. This phenomenon gives people the false
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notion that when they fall backward they are somehow endued with some type of divine power
from God. This is another deception of the tongues movement. Below are some Scriptures which
reveal what backward in Scripture is:
(Isa 1:4 KJV) Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are
corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger,
they are gone away backward.
(Isa 28:13 KJV) But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon
precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall
backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
(1 Sam 4:18 KJV) And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from
off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old
man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
(John 18:5-6 KJV) They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And
Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. {6} As soon then as he had said unto them, I am
he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
As we see in these verses wherever the term backward is written, it is pointing toward a judgment.
The Holy Spirit brings life to the believer and not judgment. The believer no longer faces judgment
because of Calvary, therefore slain in the spirit does not fit the Christian testimony. The Christian
testimony is one of life and not death as backward represents.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a separate event
In Charismatic thinking the Baptism in the Holy Ghost is a separate event which means that when
a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit, then they begin to speak in tongues giving evidence of the
Holy Spirit’s presence in their life. The whole essence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the
washing away of our sins. Washing is the substance of the word baptism. A person who becomes
a child of God has their sins washed away at the moment of salvation and is not a future event.
The evidence that a person has the Spirit of God in their life is their spiritual walk in the faith and
not speaking in gibberish as modern tongues are.
(Eph 5:18 KJV) And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
(Rom 8:1-5 KJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. {2} For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath
made me free from the law of sin and death. {3} For what the law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh: {4} That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. {5} For they that are after the flesh do mind the things
of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
A person is filled with the Spirit upon their day of salvation. (Eph 1:3 KJV) “Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ:” As we see in this verse that we have been blessed with ALL spiritual blessings
and God has withheld no part of our spiritual inheritance from us. We see in Eph 5:18 that we are
to be filled with the spirit which is explained in Romans 8:1-5 where we are commanded to walk in
the spirit and not the flesh. We saw that the charismatic movement ministers to the flesh and
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emotions and therefore falls short of walking in the spirit. The Christian is to walk by faith and not
sight. When a person feels that they must speak in tongues to show evidence of the Holy Spirit in
their life, then in essence they are walking by sight and flesh which is totally opposite what the
Christian walk is, but then again what else do you expect from a false movement.
Always preaching joy, happiness, worldly satisfaction, the best things in life, etc.
Another tenet of the charismatic movement is their continual emphasis on the material goods and
happiness. This movement is chief among the elation movements that bring people to state of
euphoria and allows them to keep thinking all is well. These people in the tongues movements
very rarely, if ever, speak on the realities of hell. Instead of warning their people they could be in
danger of hell fire, they are more concerned with them driving a Cadillac. The music does not help
focus on spiritual things as how could one focus on the things of God when you are jumping up
and down like you are at a sports event. This movement avoids the realities of judgment while
keeping their constituents in a constant state of deception.
The charismatic movement is the binding link in the ecumenical movement
The Charismatic movement has strengthened the ecumenical movement. All one has to do is look
at movements like Promise Keepers which does not focus on separation but rather unity at all
costs. They have no problem uniting a Charismatic Catholic and a Charismatic Protestant together
and tell them they are brothers. What about the Creation music festivals, which are nothing more
than religious Woodstocks, where all the Charismatics come together from all kinds of churches
and denominations and what is their commonality? Tongues, signs, and wonders!
The Charismatic Movement disregards the doctrine of separation which the true believer must
adhere to. Any movement in any church which is unbiblical must be avoided by a true believer. Let
us say that someone is in a tongues church and becomes saved, then they must leave that
church because that is being obedient to the Scriptures. It is the same if a person is in a dead
Protestant Church or the Roman Church and they become saved, then they must separate from
those places. 2 Cor. 6:14-18
(Ezek 44:23 KJV) And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane,
and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
The Charismatic movement will never be able to teach anyone the difference between holy and
profane since they are profane which may also be translated worldly.
Tongues are spoken by Satanists
Another serious comparison to the modern tongue speaking must be made. It is the fact that the
same chanting and babbling the tongue speakers do, is being done by witch doctors in Africa and
voo doo witch doctors in the Caribbean. Missionaries have spoken more than once on the similarity
of sounds between tongue speakers and these idol worshippers and voo doo practitioners. Quite
frankly, that would be enough to make me question the practice of tongue speaking and its
source.
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Summary
This treatise was not written for those who choose to remain in this movement, it is written with the
desire to warn those on the outside to stay away from this movement. It is dangerous and
unbiblical and is a movement which represents the judgment of God on the church not the moving
of the Holy Spirit in the last days. Tongues, signs and wonders are part of the great delusion that
God is sending on the church in these final hours. If you have read this treatise and it caused you
to think twice about this movement, then this work has done its job. I pray that the Lord may give
you much spiritual discernment as we head toward the last day.