At one time, I visited a particular "Pentecostal" church around the corner from where I was living, in my quest to find somewhere where I could worship, and where I could also be supported during a difficult time. Years later I have not found exactly what I was looking for then, but something fairly close to it. However, one of the things that caused me to move on, continuing my looking, was what happened at a pre-service prayer meeting. I have no problem with "tongues", nor have I have any problem with the interpretation of tongues.
However, after a very short time, with everyone standing round the walls of the room, both the Almighty and I were subjected to such a bedlam and pandemonium of everybody seemingly shouting their heads off with their own boat to paddle, and fortunately I was able to see the clock out of the corner of my eye and breath internal sighs of relief when it was over. I didn't go back to that church. Of course, I do not suggest in any way at all that this goes on in every such church.
I have before, and have also subsequently, been exposed to those who quite openly state that they have the unique appointment from God to go round and point out where you need "deliverance" from particular problems, all of which the "deliverer" apparently has the unique ability to suss out and deal with, on the spot. While I understand from where these people are coming, and the scriptural relevance of casting out of demons when someone is actually possessed, it concerns me that those people are permitted to go around with the blessing of church ministers and elders without their (in my opinion) being properly equipped for the job.
By that, I do not mean that they must have been taught in a theological college, or even in a series of seminars, but that the people concerned should assume that because a thought has entered into their mind that they ought to give it a go, that it is, in fact, God's divine appointment to them to proceed.
Obviously the Holy Spirit is capable of instructing people in matters of the gospel. However those matters evidenced seldom seem to be obedience to what the Word says - often about many things, such as church government and the order that should exist therein. Another not evidenced is the concept of presuming authority from God, a dangerous practice.
All too often, one hears the same hackneyed expressions used, the most frequent ones being that such-and-such should be "bound", and often "consigned to the pit (or abyss)", when in actual fact it is a scriptural impossibility for either of these two things to be done, because such consignment can only happen at the "Second Coming" because until then God's angels and the others are all in the same realm of "Heavenly Places" which is where we are also if we believe what the bible says.
This practice worries me because it is all supposedly being done in God's Name, and if it is impossible for it to be effective, it is being done in vain, yet in the Lord's Name. One is reminded of the scriptures in Exodus and Deuteronomy which state categorically "Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain", and look at what happened to the seven sons of Sceva who went around doing great things until they were attacked by demons they attempted to cast out - and this is recorded in Acts 19....
13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
About four or five years before I sat down to write this, I was attending a church shepherded by a Dr. Graham Twelftree, who was experienced in exorcism. He preached one sunday morning, having been interviewed on this subject for the previous day's paper, and the interview (for once being well reported and accurate) had been on the front page of Adelaide's "Advertiser" newspaper.
Late the week before, there had been a criminal charge laid against a country Victorian group of Christians who had caused the death of a woman from who they were attempting to cast out demons.
Dr. Twelftree in his sermon pointed out two things of biblical concern to him, firstly that scripture records that spiritual healings (that is to say exorcisms) and physical healings (of illness and such) were described in the bible as being restricted mainly to non-believers as a sign to those who might then believe, and they were not blessings for the general availability of the "flock" as and when they wanted them (that is to say "on demand" - the presumptive and arrogant snapping of one's fingers and in effect saying to God, "I'm ready now, go on and do your stuff"), and secondly that we should beware of getting into something we have no idea of how to get out of, as did the sons of Sceva.
Of more recent years, I have discovered the peace that comes with the active participation in a Holy-Spirit driven programme (as opposed to a structured question-and-answer session) where as I recall each of my "stuff-ups" from the past (or even present) when prompted by Him, a repentance is needed there and then to put the matter behind me, and then to let the blood of Christ flow in that area, healing it. There also appears to be little understanding by these people of the need for one also to seek out the person who has been wronged, with a verbal apology, even if it is not accepted by them.
I was disappointed, therefore, when I heard about such a group of people who were ministering in this way, and I found that my scriptural understanding of the false base from which they were working was not welcomed by those ministering. I was put through the painful process of witnessing further false proclamation of much associated with this theology.
One obvious point was that I had been misled as the person concerned had already made up his mind to proceed, and that his request that I might attend might later provide what would seem to be a defacto approval by me for that decision. It also concerned me that although this ministry was being performed in my house, I was not given any opportunity to request that they desisted, and I believe that this was an abuse of my hospitality, and of their usurping their privilege as visitors.
These people, sharing in a cup of tea, unfinished at that moment, suggested that we might pray together, and being my house, I led in an appropriate manner. However, immediately afterwards they started, under the guise of prayer, with their renouncing, binding, and other activities.
I did eventually make my point very clear, but as I see it the problem is the attitude by so many professing to be Christians, of denying the ongoing constant need for self-examination and correction, as the Holy Spirit adjusts us in our walk to become more like that of Christ, which so much scripture tells us we should be doing constantly.
This seems to me to include those who wish to take the lead in this "spiritual warfare" (as it is often called). One has to wonder why these people will not accept the need to exercise humility when scriptural error is pointed out to them, if they are being led by the "right" spirit.
I recognised exactly the same attitude as that encountered by those wishing to debate Mormon theology with those who door-knock, and the evasive ways in which Mormon missionaries push the conversation willy-nilly in the direction they are programmed to. I do not believe that a recitation of a liturgy of almost meaningless expressions is going to improve one's saved state (when scripture is compared with their theories).
In my mind, it is no wonder at all that many people have left the churches, not being able to reconcile the compromise in living and teaching with what the Word actually says. The pity is that few of those who leave, do continue to study and meet in small groups.
I guess it all depends on precisely what one's commitment is, and to whom, and in connection with what, when one accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of one's life. Is it one's whole life? Or is it just one bit, allowing one's personal ego to run the rest? I believe that those ministers of churches who do not preach from the whole Word are largely responsible for such as fall away under those circumstances. I would hate to have that responsibility passed back to me at the day of judgement.
To get back to the title of this essay, I can see with the "buzzwords" and "key phrases" used by these travelling ministers, the extent of the inroads of commercial secular psychology into what should be Christian living, and it greatly worries me that well-meaning folk - who I'm sure are in other ways God-fearing people - should put themselves into the situation where perhaps Christ at judgement might be quite justified in saying to them "I knew you not".
There is a very interesting book written by a pastor Bill Randles called 'Making War in the Heavenlies - A Different Look.' May I suggest you take this link, and then maybe obtain a copy and read it, and see how he clarifies much of this activity as it stands in contradiction of scripture. I first started reading this book a third of the way through 2000.