It's so easy to get carried away focusing on what we want to see. For Pentecostals, that might be a focus on a touch from God—so very little if any discernment is carried out on what happens in a typical event. But for conservatives, the focus may be around their suspicions that what Pentecostals get up to is not of God. So they end up focussing on the errors, concerned as they are for the truth.
One helpful antidote to a nitpicking attitude is to recognise that there are some phenomena that are simply not conclusive either way. They might be from God, they might not be. We can't tell.
Read more: Word of Faith 04: 9 non-signs: further testing of the spirits
There are lots of horror stories amongst all the positivity and buzz of what goes on in a Word Faith event. I want to share a few with you to introduce the issue, with the eventual aim that we may be able to replace these horrors with genuine love, joy, peace and the fruit, conviction and transformation of the Holy Spirit.
A short-sighted man was slain in the Spirit and then, taking off his glasses, was tested in front of the live audience. He could see perfectly! He even drove home, without his glasses. The next day, though, he was as blind as a bat. Worse than before. What happened?
Read more: Word of Faith 03: Discerning between spirits amongst Word Faith believers: 9 tests
Not many Christians seem to draw strength from Ecclesiastes. It appears to talk about excesses of a somewhat disoriented king, describing the arrogance and futility of pursuing self-indulgence, toil, wealth and honour, and even wisdom. After all that, and describing how everything and everyone meets their death and comes to the same end as the fool, his oft refrain is that everything is vanity and a chasing after the wind.
It's only right at the end that he seems to offer any hope, that the way forward is to "fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) Even that is not really hope, but duty, "for God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Ecc 12:14)
But I believe we can take a lot more from this book. I want to focus on what I'm calling the Ecclesiastes principle of moderation:
Read more: The principle of moderation: applied wisdom in Ecclesiastes
I've recently written on the KJV only controversy, and how to maintain unity in the face of people trusting different translations. It's a great example for helping us think through difficult issues.
Regardless of what you think about the KJV, what I'm concerned about is that it appears to be so easy for people to believe a lie through easily preventable ways. They are not equipped, and so get easily tossed around by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:11-14). So let's do some equipping!
Read more: How can we protect ourselves against believing a lie?
It deeply saddens me that in the midst of a sermon on unity, a preacher felt pushed to apologise for his lack of use of the KJV, as some other people in the church had urged him to use.
I do believe it is right to passionately stand up for what you believe to be the best translation. This is the Word of God on which we ground all our beliefs and actions on (or try to, at least). It's a big deal!
There would be no issue if this was people "being fully convinced (KJV: persuaded) in his own mind" (Romans 14:5, ESV), not passing judgment on others, as Paul in Romans 14 argues. But that's not what is happening.
Read more: Maintaining unity when some are King James Only (or ESV only)