Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
Somebody isn’t laughing now…
Rodney Howard-Browne, self-styled “Holy Ghost Bartender,” has taken notice of the Strange Fire conference sponsored by Grace to You (October 16-18, 2013). He seems unnerved by the prospect that twenty-first-century charismatic phenomena are going to be examined in light of Scripture. Howard-Browne’s trademark giddiness has gone missing. Recently, he wrote this stream-of-consciousness rant on his Facebook page:
“There is coming a massive attack on the Pentecostal/ Charismatic movement by a group of individuals that don’t believe in the power of the Holy Spirit today – these men do not believe in speaking in tongues or the gifts of the spirit – they think that because of excesses in the church that they have a right to write off the fastest growing sector of Christianity – over 800 million in the earth today – that would be as bad as writing Jesus off because of one of the 12 was Judas Iscariot – if these individuals just adopted Gamaliel’s advice of Acts 5:38-39 that would be fine however they have no fear of God and are in grave danger of blaspheming the Holy Ghost – they think that because the movement has had scandals that have been publicised that this gives them leeway to do what they are doing – however the only reason why it gets the attention is because these individuals are on TV – everywhere I travel I hear of scandals outside of the Pentecostal charismatic realm but these are never publicised because no one knows them – they are calling their exposé strange fire however you better have the alternative if you are going to criticise something as counterfeit you have to produce the real – or else you had better shut up! The only ones who have the right to bring correction are the ones inside the camp not outside!”
All the standard charismatic arguments are summarized there: He says critics of modern charismatic claims are unspiritual people motivated only by rank unbelief. He insists the weight of sheer numbers validates the modern charismatic movement (yet the high percentage of scandalous frauds, philanderers, and false teachers spawned by the movement means nothing). He emphatically declares that those outside the movement are not entitled to criticize charismatic abuses. And of course he includes the killer argument: The critics are people who “have no fear of God and are in grave danger of blaspheming the Holy Ghost.”
In reality, those who tout false prophecies, obscene bodily gyrations, and drunken behavior as gifts of the Holy Spirit are the ones blaspheming Him. In fact, no one is more notorious for that than Rodney Howard-Browne himself. For him to decry blasphemy and pretend to know anything about the fear of God is the very height of arrogant irony.
HT Phil Johnson via Grace to You.
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 
Reblogged this on My Delight and My Counsellors.
The Holy Spirit puts you in your right mind, He does not make you behave like a crazy person,falling all over the floor, convulsing. When Jesus healed the man with the legion of demons, people found the man clothed and in his right mind sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus.
Thanks for sharing this. Connie
Thanks for that reminder. God is no author of confusion.
Critics of the modern charismatic movement are NOT unspiritual people motivated only by rank unbelief.but are spiritual people who’ve actually read 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Reblogged this on Truth2Freedom's Blog.
Wow may the Lord use this much anticipated conference! I was planning to go but it’s already all booked
I am eagerly waiting for the podcasts!!!!!!!!!
Fri June 21 2013
John MacArthur. He is going to have a conference to express concern about ‘strange fire!’ A little hot under the collar there, John??? Are you getting ‘fired up?’
People always call into these Christian talk show programs for validation. They want confirmation for their brand of thought. They are looking for information. They want to know things like, are the manifestations that you hear of in the Charismatic denominations biblical? For example, what about barking like dogs, and being slain in the Spirit, or gold dust?
Well, I’m glad you asked. As a Charismatic, I am not put off by these things. It doesn’t mean that I am comfortable with them all, but I expect strange. And I don’t write them totally off. And there is a reason for it. Partly it is because the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (which is mine, that is, the experience), is strange. Wonderfully strange! But it is so profoundly validating, that one doesn’t notice strange. All one can see is wonderful. This is because to be visited upon by Him in this way, meets with HIS approval. After all, HE is the one who does it.
And you can’t invent it. It is His work, and His working, and it is His seal of affirmation, the bond of love. It is something that witnesses to you that you are thereafter consolidated with Him. And no one, and I emphatically declare, not one, should be without it. This cannot be stated firmly enough.
Well, what does scripture say about those who believe? Signs and wonders will follow. Nuff said. Truly! The baptism in the Holy Spirit is both a sign, and a wonder. And that is an understatement to an unfathomable degree. It is evidence that one has believed. Believe it! And you don’t know love until you have found it. You don’t.
And this occurrence is what conditions one to believe in scripture as it is recorded, because it outfits the one. It comes with a self contained ‘belief set.’ That is why those who have it, think like they do. And if you’ll notice, both strange and wonderful things, things unexplainable, occur within the weaving together of those biblical pages.
And the ‘source,’ is what one has received when one is baptized as those were in the book of Acts. That is why they got it. That is why what happened then, happened. Let me reassure you, it didn’t end then either. I and a host of others will testify too!
But someone said, “But I protest! Being slain in the Spirit, or falling out, is not found in the Bible.”
I say it is. But here is what I would tell you to keep it simple and help you see, even if you can’t find a prime example to relate to. The Holy Spirit is compared to, and in fact called, new wine. The Apostle Paul, to keep it short, said:
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”
Now, if the Holy Spirit is compared to new wine, and Paul said not to be drunk with wine, but he did say to be filled with the Spirit which is repeatedly compared with wine, then….??? Well, yes. It is the same. If you are filled with new wine, then you can expect interesting, to say the least, results.
But if you do not know the Holy Spirit, and neither are known of Him, your mind will not accept these things. What can I say. Either you are in, or you are out. Ishmael, you will notice, was out. He did not inherit the blessing. He got a bad attitude too, and a chip on his shoulder! Yet he had a claim to fame. Don’t let that be all that you have, because you don’t know what you are missing.
I sincerely do not understand.
I hope John MacArthur has lit a fire under the true church. These charismatic wolves need to be totally exposed.