AN APPEAL TO THE TEACHERS AND PROPHETS
As more leaders within the Charismatic camp are being charged with abusive leadership, both spiritual and otherwise, those who are strong in teaching gifts are speaking out. Seeing the doctrinal errors and scriptural mishandling from some of these mega ministers, those who are gifted in the teaching of the Word are voicing their concerns about the spiritual malpractices.
As a prophetic voice in the body of Christ, I have found myself drawn to several of these teachers in recent months. The exposures have revealed some glaring deficiencies in sound doctrine concerning the operation of spiritual gifts, as well as the utter lack of accountability for some of these spiritual leaders. I believe God is bringing His teachers forward during this time of examination and exposure, and I think we need to pay attention.
The Remnant Radio guys (Michael Miller, Michael Roundtree, and Josh Lewis) are all teachers who have been covering these issues on their YouTube channel for quite a while. The fact that they are all full-time pastors in local congregations and operate in the spiritual gifts is noteworthy. Unlike some of the well-known cessationist teachers (i.e. Chris Rosebrough, Steven Kozar, and Justin Peters), they are open to the supernatural realm and things that cannot always be explained. I appreciate their candor and willingness to share their own experiences, both positive and negative, and they have consistently shown themselves to be open to correction. I believe they have garnered a large following, not only because of their in-depth scriptural analysis of the issues, but because of the posture of their hearts.
Mike Winger is another popular Bible teacher with over 800,000 subscribers on YouTube and is well known for his thorough research and commitment to scriptural integrity. He has recently begun to expose some leaders on his channel and announced there are more to come. And though Mike has traditionally been fairly harsh on anything prophetic or supernatural, he states he is open to the spiritual gifts and I believe he walks in a genuine fear of the Lord. Previously I may have dismissed his analysis on anything prophetic, but given the season we are in, I want to hear him out. He is not given to clickbait content and is committed to hearing every side of a story. Because he is addressing some very legitimate concerns with a desire to see all the evidence both “for” and “against,” I believe the Lord is going to use him in ways that the broader body of Christ needs.
I share these as some examples of well established teachers in the body of Christ that God is using right now. Because we need them. And I’m sure there are others. And even though those who are more prophetically wired may be offended by some of their arguments, I believe we need to listen with an open heart and weigh things out. We need to hear their feedback and carefully consider their presentations in order to reestablish some sound doctrines and faith practices in the Church. Jesus gave us teachers for a reason (Ephesians 4:11), and I believe they are providing some much needed guardrails that have been missing in the Charismatic stream.
But – there’s a catch in all this…
As much as prophets need to carefully examine their encounters and revelations with scriptural integrity, teachers must view their doctrines through eyes of faith and a personal belief in the supernatural. And as much as the prophetic movement needs to evaluate some of its faith practices and messaging that have gotten off track, so must those who teach be willing to go where their understanding can’t reach and their arguments don’t work. Yes, we need to be grounded in the Word. But without faith in things unseen, we will only be bound to rules that carry no power. If we focus solely on the letter of the law, we will totally miss the Spirit of the law (2 Corinthians 3:6). Without a common conviction in both the necessity of His Word and the power of His Spirit, we will all fail to come to the fullness of God’s truth.
Personally, I find myself somewhere in the middle of these conversations. My prophetic gifting compels me to believe in things that can’t be seen or explained. I’ve experienced too much. I love revelation, and refuse to come under any Pharisaical yoke that insists I have to prove that spiritual encounters are legitimate. And yet, my teaching gift pulls me out of the experiential realm and reminds me to be rightly anchored. It is not a matter of believing in the extraordinary, but knowing where to place its importance. Supernatural experiences should never create doctrines. But biblical foundations should never chain or lock up the supernatural. God’s Word is alive and active. It is not merely a book of laws to keep us accountable. The Living Word came to show us what was possible – but also to anticipate what is impossible. And it’s the tension between these two that we must embrace as necessary, as well as for our good.
I believe the teachers that God will use in this season are those who are truly open to the supernatural realm and the mystery it contains. They will have open hearts as well as open minds, and pursue this in their own personal walk before presuming to know what’s right for others. And the prophets that God will use in this hour will be those who are willing to be corrected. They are those who determine to not be offended, and who care more about the health of the entire Body than just the proof of their own experience (the Holy Spirit doesn’t need to be defended). And the common character trait that will set these teachers and prophets apart from all the others is HUMILITY and a fear of the Lord. It is those teachers and prophets who are humble of heart and willing to serve others that will have the loudest voices and bear the most fruit for the long term.
Ultimately, these ministry exposures are not unto themselves. This is not just about recognizing sin in the camp, but uncovering unbelief and a spirit of pride amongst any and all who claim to be called and gifted by God. He is calling us to humble ourselves before one another so that all may be healed and brought to Truth. He is exposing the cracks and fault lines so that they can be repaired, rebuilt, and reestablished for that which is to come. I believe we can pursue a common goal where both the anchor of His Word and the power of His Spirit can be rightly understood, embraced, and celebrated for the long haul. And not for the sake of our ministries – but for the sake of His Bride.
