Passionate worship is delightful to the Lord's heart.

Ed, I think we need to be careful not to promote a church because we like the music. This will line us up with the teachings in that church in the minds of others even if we don't believe in that teaching. It will cause others to go to that church or listen to the teachings of that church and many will believe in those false teachings that you do not believe. Many people are not grounded enough in the Word of God to be able to see the errors of it. Ed, you do not want the enemy to use you to help lead people into error just because you like the music and worship service.

For example, I have seriously been considering attending a church in my area that is good in many ways. In fact, many Pentecostals go there because they cannot find a good Pentecostal church in the area. The church is not considered a Pentecostal church. That part does not bother me because I don't see them preaching against these truths, but they are preaching other errors. I have been praying about whether I should go there. I am really getting convicted that I will be lining myself up with their false beliefs if I make that my church home and start helping them with support.

People are filled with the Holy Spirit at different levels. In other words, some have more filling than others. Ministers totally filled would not have false teaching. Preaching the truth is a lot more important than manifestations of the Spirit. Preaching the truth, to me, shows more proof that someone really has the Holy Spirit than manifestations of the Spirit. We know from Bible warnings that there are false manifestations. We cannot judge a church by their manifestations.

Now just because a minister is preaching a false message or false gospel does not necessarily mean that the manifestations of the Spirit are false. That may be. They may also be real manifestations from the Holy Spirit. The reason I say that is because once God gives these spiritual gifts to people He does not take them away. Even if they do not endure to the end and end up losing their souls, God will not take the gifts away. Therefore, a minister who may not even be saved may be operating in the true gifts. Some of them may be operating in the occult. Of course, many of them are faking things to promote themselves. Many people who have the true gift of speaking in tongues, I believe, will be in hell because they did not endure to the end. Speaking in true tongues from God and operating in other gifts of the Spirit does not guarantee salvation. Many ministers started out right and that is when they got their gifts from God. They then let the enemy come in with his lies and are now deceived and are deceiving many. We do not want to line ourselves up with these things.

You speak much about a powerless gospel, Ed, but there is a lot more to the power of God than His gifts. In fact, I believe the power of the salvation experience is greater by far, hands down, than the power of God healing any sick person. Ministers who preach under the true inspiration of the Holy Spirit will always be preaching the truth. This is a greater proof to me that they have the power of God operating in their lives than healing the sick or speaking in tongues. A minister who lives the gospel by example is showing a greater power of God than a minister who heals the sick and speaks in tongues, but he is living in sin. How many ministers claim to heal the sick and speak in tongues have been living in sin at the same time? We have all seen this. No one is going to get me to believe that these ministers who are living in sin are filled with the Holy Spirit. They may have been at one time. They may even still be manifesting real gifts, but much of the Holy Spirit has departed from them. The Holy Spirit does not like to dwell with sin. The power of the Holy Spirit to keep someone from sin, to me, is a far greater power than speaking in tongues or healing the sick.

A person living in sin is experiencing a powerless gospel even if he has the gifts. A person who does not love is experiencing a powerless gospel even if he has the gifts. A person who does not have correct doctrine is experiencing a powerless gospel even if he has the gifts. A minister preaching a false gospel is experiencing a powerless gospel even if he has the gifts.

Having said this, I see nothing wrong with you visiting churches that you do not agree with, but I do see something wrong with promoting them. I am talking about major errors. I know that no one will have it all right. You have definitely given the impression that you are promoting Bethel. Is there teaching sound? It is much more important that we promote sound doctrine than music and worship service, so that people will not be lead astray. Tweet