http://www.crosstalk.org

Some of you might think that I pick on the charismatics
too much. Well, if so, its only because I’m concerned
about the impact we make on our world. That’s right,
I said “we.” I’m saved, sanctified and filled with the
holy ghost & I’m on my way to heaven. I have
enjoyed the fruits of the charismatic movement for
many years and I still dance the holy ghost hop when
the spirit moves me. But y’all scare me sometimes.

Today my prayer is that we don’t degenerate into what
I call charismania. I am concerned that we are in danger
of presenting a weakened form of christianity. Some
modern “christian” teaching is nothing more than
religious humanism with a capitalistic flair. We just
can’t keep on elevating man without being in danger
of reducing God. God is in charge and we’re not.

Contrary to one modern doctrine, I am not a little
god, I am merely created in his image. I am in his image,
but I am not the same thing as he is. I am a created being,
but he is the creater of beings. I cannot create, I can only
procreate. I am not like him-- in the sense that he does not
want to be like me, he wants me to be like him,
obviously, there must be a significant difference. I am not
sinless, I am merely forgiven. I am not righteous, yet God
attributes the righteousness of Jesus to me simply because
he is generous, and I am not even generous, because I am
still selfish. I don’t want to be selfish, but I cannot
satisfactorily even control that simple human impulse and
God can control all things, including my uncontrollable
passions.

My prayer is usually for God to do my will. Jesus prayed
that he would do god’s will. He is very different from me.
His ways truly are much higher than my ways. His
thoughts are much higher than my thoughts.

He thinks of everything, I think of me. The only time I can
be elevated to a higher plane is when I think of him,
because he is so much higher than anything I can think
of. I have my own will which God is usually trying to
change, therefore, there must be something wrong with
it, or he’d leave it alone. I change, God does not. As
saint anselm, the archbishop of canterbury from the late
11th century suggested, God is perfect, he could not get
any better. Therefore, if he changed, he could only get
worse. Perfection needs no improvement.

I can’t be like him today, because I must keep changing
until I meet him in the air. Then I shall see him as he is,
and then I shall be like him. “beloved, now are we the
sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like
him; for we shall see him as he is” (1st john 3:2).
Hallelujah, I’m gonna be a chip off the old block, but
right now, I make the negative confession that today,
I am still a plain old blockhead. Any positive confessors
in the audience just shouted “amen.” Might be the first
thing they’ve agreed with? Congratulations, we can both
laugh at me because I refuse to take myself too seriously.
I want to talk about book learnin’, hermenuetics, and the
unsaved reverend iceheart. In the meantime, think about
this. What do seminary graduates
and bootstrap preachers have in common?

For the answers to these questions and more
Dr. Weiss has prepared a program titled
Little gods, Education, & Charismania

The first 100 orders will receive a 10% discount!

Copyright 2005 by Randy Weiss, Ph.D.