Dear Samson,

A word of caution. You’ve begun down the road of non Pentecostal, non charismatic not full gospel teaching that leads to a powerless mundane religion. I do not think that you are completely aware of what that school of thought entails. Before you make the descent I would like for you to examine carefully the ramifications and make a conscious decision of where you expect your faith to lead. If this sounds like I am talking in circles and not making sense then so be it, but it does deserve your careful consideration.

How is your Jesus? What is He like? Is He demanding and distant? Is He intellectual and soulish? Does He place heavy demands on you? Is He legalistic, requiring you to stick to the church traditions. Is He self righteous? Does He place carefully constructed religious systems on you, with rigid adherence to the laws of the religious systems?

If so, you are headed for a spiritually dead life. Here are a few things to watch out for –

#1 Gifts of the Spirit ended when the last apostle died.

#2 Speaking in tongues is least of the gifts and no one has spoken in them for two thousand years.

#3 Prophets are not for today.

#4 There are no revelatory gifts

#5 The church age does not live in Pentecost.

#6 That which is perfect has come so we have all knowledge.

#7 We have perfect understanding and do not see through a glass darkly.

#8 Embrace only those gifts suitable to their doctrine and throw out the rest.

#9 Embrace only the office of the evangelist, pastor, and teacher acknowledging only three out of the five fold ministry listed in Ephesians 4:11.

Pastor Tilson Shumate