We named it, we claimed it.
We bound devils and loosed riches, stomped our feet and waved our fists until we were sweaty and hoarse and a little ridiculous.
We stood by our mailboxes and ripped open our bank statements, looking for “supernatural blessings.”
One of them used the butt of his gun to hit my right eye, which has remained blind up till now. My two daughters, Bintu, 9, and Baby, 7, started shouting and pleading with the killers not to kill me since they had already killed their father.
Anybody who has read this column before knows I’m unapologetically charismatic in my theology. I love the Holy Spirit, and I believe the New Testament calls us to make room for manifestations of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul gave guidelines for the gift of prophecy; he saw dramatic healings; he experienced supernatural visions; and he told church leaders not to forbid speaking in tongues (see 1 Corinthians 14:39). Paul was the epitome of charismatic spirituality.
If you see any of these seven warning signs in your church, my advice is to run as fast as you can. A friend of mine from England recently asked me for counsel regarding a serious dilemma. His pastor had been involved in extramarital affairs, yet the man never stepped down after the scandal. My friend grew increasingly uncomfortable. Then he became alarmed when the embattled pastor announced he was going to lay hands on every church member during a weekend service to impart “special revelation.”
