I have been attending a Charismatic church with my husband.  I saw one of the posts where you mentioned it's sinful.  Is that really so?  We are so confused now if the Charismatic church doesn’t do any good.  So which churches are good, and which should we attend?  Lutheran?  Also, what's the difference between Christian and Catholic?  Catholics pray to God through the mother Mary?  I was told they pray to the same God.

Sincerely,
Where To Next?

Dear Where To Next,

Yes, the Charismatic church is not from God.  The Charismatic movement believes that in order to be saved, you must have the Holy Spirit take control of you and give you spiritual gifts.  They also teach that God still gives people prophecies and visions, even though we have the complete Bible.  Both of these teachings are false and dangerous.  Please read “Lying Wonders” and “Just Gibberish” for further details on that particular religious group.

The Catholic church also isn’t from God because they don’t do what the Bible says (read “Catholics Or Christians?” for some of the reasons why the Catholic church is a false religion).

Many churches profess to serve God, and they profess to love God – but it isn’t enough to say that we love God; our actions must back that up.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (Jhn 14:15)  A faithful person and faithful churches must have the right attitude toward God and the right biblical behavior (Jhn 4:24).

Churches that are faithful are ones that use the Bible and the Bible only.  They don’t add to God’s Word, and they don’t subtract from it (Rev 22:18-19).  They don’t replace God’s teachings with their traditions (Mk 7:8).  The denominational world is very confusing because most churches have replaced sound Bible teachings with manmade traditions.  They hold the Bible in their hand, but these churches don’t do the things that we read about the church doing.  For an in-depth look at the problem, read “Down With Denominationalism”.  If you would like, we would be happy to get you in touch with a congregation in your area that could talk to you about these things further.  If that would be of use, please feel free to e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

What is dangerous about the charismatic church?

Sincerely,
Treading Carefully

Dear Treading Carefully,

The charismatic church teaches that they can perform miracles and that they receive new prophecies and direction from God apart from the Bible.  This is wrong.  We should never add or subtract from God's Word (Rev 22:18-19), and that is exactly what the charismatic movement does.  The Bible teaches that the days of miracles, speaking in tongues, etc. have ceased (read "Three Cheers For Miracles" for more details).  The charismatic movement deceives people for money, power, and prestige... that is dangerous and sinful.

The fourth commandment clearly states to remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy.  Why do so many churches not keep this command?

Sincerely,
For The Fourth

Dear For The Fourth,

The Sabbath was a holy day for the Jews, not for Christians.  The Old Testament has a myriad of laws that are no longer binding in the New Testament: animal sacrifice, clean and unclean foods, and various festivals… just to name a few.  2 Cor 3 is an entire chapter devoted to explaining how the Old Law has been surpassed by the New Law.  2 Cor 3:3 especially clarifies the issue when it states that our law is “not in tables of stone”, a direct reference to the Ten Commandments that were written on stone tablets.

Gal 3:24-25 makes it clear that the Old Law was a tutor to bring mankind to Christ, but now that Christ has come, we are no longer under that tutor.  The Sabbath is a part of that Old Law.  In the New Testament, christians meet on the first day of the week to worship, take the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7), and take up a collection (1 Cor 16:1-2).  In short: different covenants, different days.

The Old Testament law given by Moses was a covenant with the Jews (Deut 5:1-5).  The New Testament law given in Christ is for all of mankind (Acts 2:38-39).

Who changed the law?  God did.

When did it change?  When the church began.

I want to know what spirit most charismatic preachers operate by since they claim to operate in the prophetic ministry.  Some people have said that some of the things they said about them came to pass.  What must I know?  I know a preacher who says he can line up fifty people and give them prophecies.  What is really happening??

Sincerely,
Testing The Spirits

Dear Testing The Spirits,

Charismatic preachers are false teachers that take advantage of the vulnerable and play verbal tricks to come across as prophets.  Many people believe that fortune tellers are able to tell their future… but that doesn’t mean they actually can.  It is all a game of smoke and mirrors meant to deceive.

The charismatic tent meetings that started the charismatic movement (the big tent meetings where people fall over, start randomly speaking gibberish, and supposedly are healed) are infamous for being rigged.  Many journalists have investigated these tent meetings and found that they are specifically designed to work people into a frenzy.  During that frenzy, the evangelists will tell people they are healed, give them a vague fortune cookie prophecy, and the adrenaline of the moment gives some the momentary feeling of being healed and the action of the meeting leaves people thinking they have heard a real prophecy.  There are documented cases of patients going to these meetings and being told that they had been cured of their cancer only to have the doctors diagnose them as terminally ill days later.  Other “healed” people are deceivers planted within the audience that pretend to be sick and throw their crutches away to add to the charade.

The charismatic churches create a highly charged atmosphere that sucks in those vulnerable to false teaching and they are consequently deceived.  They are seeking a cure, purpose to their life, or a religious experience and the false teachers know what to say to grab their attention (2 Tim 4:3).  The faith healers are false teachers, and they will be judged by God for their wicked deceptions (2 Pet 2:1-2).  A teacher is more strictly judged (Jas 3:1), and therefore, these preachers will be held accountable for their lies.  It is our duty to try and undo their deception by bringing the truth to those who have been deceived.

How do you confess to God?  Do you have to confess in church, or can you do it in the comfort of your house?  What if you are not Catholic?  Will He still forgive you?

Sincerely,
Where’s The Priest?

Dear Where’s The Priest,

The Bible teaches that we should confess our sins to God through prayer, and we should ask for forgiveness (1 Jn 1:9).  This is a simple process that can (and should) be done whenever we pray.  Jesus mentioned asking for forgiveness when He taught the disciples to pray (Lk 11:2-4).

The Catholic process of confession is very different from what you read in your Bible.  Catholicism teaches that many sins cannot be forgiven unless a priest hears your confession – this couldn’t be farther from the Bible truth.  Catholicism long ago departed from the Bible; the Catholic religion is based upon manmade teachings and traditions that have gone beyond what God wrote (1 Cor 4:6, Rev 22:18-19).