The Colossian Heresy Revisited: Has the Prophetic Stream Lost Its Focus?
Has the Contemporary Prophetic Movement Lost Its Focus?
As I sat on the platform and listened to this “big name” guest speaker, I was amazed at how closely what I was hearing coincided with The Colossian Heresy that I had just delineated. This person talked almost exclusively of visions, prophecies and angelic visitations. This individual emphasized the importance of prayer, not for knowing Christ, but as a means of experiencing these sensational phenomena. Jesus certainly was not front and center and I am not even sure if He was mentioned. It was incredible! And it raised the very serious question in my mind, “Has the prophetic movement lost its focus?” Is the “The Colossian Heresy” being repeated?
Suggestions For Not Losing Our Focus
• Keep Jesus at the Center. Do not seek an experience, seek Him. A woman came to William Seymour at the Azusa Street Mission and asked him to pray that she would get the tongues. He replied, “Now see here, Sister Sadie, don’t you go seeking tongues. Seek Jesus. He is the One.” At a time when early Pentecostals were being distracted by sensational, spiritual phenomena and experiences, E. N. Bell, exhorted, “Don’t depend on an experience to keep you. It is not the blessing that keeps you; it is a person, the Lord Himself. You must abide in Christ. God never meant to give us any blessing that would fix us up so we could get along without Him. We must recognize our constant need of the Lord and depend continually on Jesus.”
• Let the Supernatural Happen, Do not try to Make it Happen. When Christians try to make the supernatural happen, they inevitably get in the flesh and open themselves to demonic spirits that are looking for an opportunity to give someone an experience.
• Stay Humble. Do not allow spiritual experiences to become a basis for pride. Avoid an elitist attitude. After observing the collapse of several powerful, front-line ministers because of pride, Gordon Lindsay exhorted, “As one rises higher and higher in spiritual blessing and power, he must ever seek to become lower and lower and lower.” 1 Pet. 5b says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Category: Fall 2005, Pneuma Review, Spirit