Hidden In Him
Well-Known Member
After ten years struggling in AOG churches, I inevitable came to the conclusion that while very friendly and obviously mission minded, the teachings were shallow and faith was predicated on signs and wonders...
I came out of AoG churches as well, and I think their primary problem was a progressive falsifying of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When I first got baptized in the Holy Spirit back in 1986, there were strong moves of God and people manifesting genuine spiritual gifts in the churches I attended. But it dwindled out quickly. Eventually I was where this person appears to have gotten to (I found this in an online search just a minute ago, and it pretty much sums up the reasons why I left):
"I ended up attending AG churches... and just loved it. It felt like the kind of church that was much more in tune with God and a relational experience instead of just going through the actions. They welcomed the Holy Spirit. I loved it.
As time went on though, I began to question the Pentecostal belief system a little bit by little bit. More and more of what were calling miracles just started to seem fake. More and more the speaking in tongues seemed fake. It was the same people all the time and I could almost quote their syllables verbatim when they started jabbering. I was prophesied over several times and the hope of what was said never came to fruition.
What seemed to be happening in my mind was a church that was trying to keep alive a spirit of pentecost and all that goes with it. But the real proof would have been a real miracle where someone re-gained their sight or a deformed limb was restored. You NEVER saw this happen and to this day I've heard a couple stories of similar miracles but no actual proof."
I think the beginnings of modern Pentecostalism were accompanied by FASTING and PRAYER, which is what caused the power to manifest. And I believe it is the absence of prayer that has caused the real gifts to largely cease now.