Who are the Assemblies
of God?
The official website of the Assemblies of God
is www.ag.org
Info and Stats - The 2nd largest of the
Pentecostal Bodies are Assemblies of God (2.5 Million in USA) and Churches
of God in Christ (3 million in USA) is the Largest Pentecostal Body in
United States according to Denominations Comparison (Rose
Publishing, 2003). Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), which is
prominent in the South, had 890,000 membership in 1999.
Mead's Handbook of Denominations
(11th Ed. p265) says the following about the Origin and distinctive
characteristics of the Assemblies of God:
"Pentecostalism is a modern American
Christian Movement that emerged out of the Holiness Movement at the turn
of the century. Two key figures in the beginning of Pentecostalism were
Charles Parham (1873-1929), the founder of Bethel Bible College in Topeka,
Kansas, and William Seymour (1870-1922) , an African American Holiness
evangelist from Louisiana. Parham became convinced that the gifts of the
Holy Spirit that were evident in apostolic times are available to
Christians in modern times as well. Of particular interest was speaking
in tongues, the first incident which occurred at Bethel Bible College in
1901 when one of the students, Agnes Ozman, spoke in tongues. It was
concluded, then, that speaking in tongues was the evidence that one had
been baptized by the Holy Spirit, and henceforth came to be the
distinctive doctrine of the Pentecostal Churches, differing them from the
Holiness Groups. For this reason, the experience has been called the
beginning of the modern Pentecostal Movement. Five years later, Seymour,
who had studied at bethel with Parham, led a revival on Azusa Street in
Los Angeles that lasted for several months. This led the ground work for
the Pentecostal Movement spreading across America. Pentecostal Doctrine
came to be known by the term 'FULL GOSPEL' or the 'FOUR SQUARE GOSPEL',
which stresses Christ's ministry as four-fold: Christ the Savior, the
Sanctifier, the Healer, and the Coming King.
Some of the more common Pentecostal or
'Charismatic' Churches that arose out of this movement were: Assemblies of God, Pentecostal Churches, Independent Pentecostal
Churches, Full Gospel Churches, Four-Square Gospel Churches, United
Pentecostal Churches, or 'Jesus Only' (which deny the Trinity); Churches
of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) with 890,000 members in 1999; Church of God
of Prophecy, Apostolic Faith Churches, Church of God in Christ, Elim
Fellowship Churches, Vineyard Churches International (which played a big
role in the founding of The Promise Keepers Movement; Church of the
Living God, and others.
When Founded and By Whom
The Assemblies of God was formed in 1914 when
a group of churches joined together at Hot Springs, Arkansas. Assemblies
of God broke away from the Holiness Churches, because they believed, as
other Pentecostal Churches, that The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was
evidenced by speaking in Tongues. Assemblies of God also did not believe
ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION or SINLESS PERFECTION occurred at this 'Second
Blessing' of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Assemblies of God are
Pentecostal in doctrine, stressing speaking in tongues, divine healing,
women pastors, slain in the Spirit, and their theology is Arminian,
meaning they believe salvation can be lost. They are very ecumenical in
their associations and cooperation, and encourage the use of the newer
Bible versions.
Unlike, their Holiness forefathers, they do not hold to
the strict guidelines on dress, women's hair, make-up, etc. as do other
Holiness Churches. Church services are very informal, avoiding the dry,
formal, ritualistic liturgy of many mainline denominational churches.
Music is more of a contemporary nature, and absent is the dry, old fashion
singing of hymns nowadays. People feel free to dance during the service
and go to the altar when desired, and praise God in a heavenly prayer
language of 'tongues.' Services tend to be very emotional. Emphasis is
put upon Music in Assemblies of God, as well as the preaching.
Local churches are independent in polity and
in conduct of local affairs. The government of the assemblies is an
unusual mixture of Presbyterian and congregational systems. District
officers have a pastoral ministry to all the churches and are responsible
for the promotion of home missions, and each district has a presbytery
that examines and recommends credentialing of ministers. The General
Superintendent and other general church officers serve at the national
headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.
Heresies
There are several Biblical HERESIES which are
prevalent in the Assemblies of God churches. For example: they teach
that you can lose your salvation. They also practice the unbiblical
confusion of speaking in tongues. In addition, the Assemblies of God
(Pentecostals, etc) are known for their hands-on faith-healing services.
One of the biggest wolves in the Assembly of God camp is
Morris Cerullo. Other wolves
within the Assemblies of God religion are John Harris, Jim Bakker, Tammy
Faye Bakker, Byron Klaus, Gene Scott, Bill Hamon, Jimmy Swaggart and Karl Strader
(the tip of the iceberg of many
scoundrels in the Assembly of God denomination who use the sheep for their
own gain). Some of the other ecumenical leaders in the Assemblies of
God mess are Dr. Henry J. Lyons; Billy, Ned
and Franklin Graham; and Robert Tilton to name a few. Elvis Presley
was also a member of the Assemblies of God. Benny Hinn, one of the
most hideous false prophets of our time, is also a member of the Assemblies
of God. Please read Billy graham
exposed.
I plead with you if you are involved with the
Assemblies of God to get out quickly. As listed above, there are MANY
different branches of this wayward group (Pentecostal, Promise Keepers,
etc). I am NOT going to go as far as to call ALL of them a cult, but
Benny Hinn is certainly on his way to
hell. I believe that the Bible draws the line of "cult" at the moment
anyone ADDS something to simple faith in Christ. For example: The
Seventh-Day Adventists are a cult (a false religion) because they ADD the
Sabbath day and good works to faith in Christ, which certainly is NO faith
in Christ. Roman Catholicism is a cult. Lutheranism is a cult.
Episcopal churches are a cult. Greek Eastern Orthodox churches are a
cult. They all ADD the holy communion and baptism to faith in Christ.
So I wouldn't go as far as to say that the Assemblies of God are unsaved,
but they are out on left field doctrinally.
LOSING SALVATION
HERESY
I personally believe that MANY Assemblies of
God followers are NOT saved. There is a serious doctrinal problem with
the belief that you can LOSE YOUR SALVATION. Listen friend, if I
didn't have to do GOOD WORKS to get my salvation, then how can I lose my
salvation by doing BAD WORKS? It's just not good Bible to teach that a
person can lose their salvation! We are saved by God's grace through
childlike faith in the Saviour (Ephesians 2:8-9). To teach that a
person can "fall
from grace" is unscriptural. Just as the physical birth CANNOT be
undone, so likewise the spiritual birth CANNOT be undone. It is heresy
to teach that a person can be born again and then lose that new birth
because of sin or apostasy. The TRUTH is that many people "fall away"
from the things of God because they were never saved to begin with (1st John
2:19). God NEVER disowns one of His own children. Jesus PROMISED
that we would never perish...
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand." —John 10:28
Jesus NEVER said anything about "losing" our
salvation. If we could lose our salvation, don't you think the Bible
would have much more to say about the matter. The FACT is that the
Bible has NOTHING to say about losing one's salvation. Those who "fall
from grace" are those who have rejected the gospel and is so doing have
damned themselves. No believer can ever fall from grace. Once a
person is saved, they are SAVED FOREVER. Then Bible is clear on this
issue of eternal
security.
I sincerely question the salvation of anyone
who believes that they have to MAINTAIN a certain level of spirituality to
remain saved. I simply do NOT believe that such a person is saved.
The Methodist church, United Methodist church, and Free Methodist church all
believe that a person can lose their salvation if they fall away from the
Lord. It is in effect, a "works" salvation. The TRUTH is that
salvation is a FREE gift (Romans 5:15). A gift is received, not
earned. A true "gift" CANNOT be lost or taken away if it was truly a
gift to begin with. God's free gift of eternal life was paid for by
the blood of Jesus Christ. Once we receive that GIFT by faith, it can
NEVER BE LOST! I sincerely question the salvation of the Assemblies of
God. I KNOW I am saved by the grace of God, I do NOT worry about
losing what I had nothing to do with in the first place. Salvation is
of the Lord, not man. Our part is to simply trust.
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
HERESY
In Acts chapter 2, we read that the Apostles
spoke in tongues (languages). Is there a gift of tongues? Yes,
there is a legitimate gift of speaking in tongues, but it is NOT the foolish
jibber-jabber nonsense of the Assemblies of God, and wayward ministers like
Creflo Dollar. The Bible could not be more clear if people would just
read it at face value. Acts 2:6 clearly reads that "...every man heard
them speak in his own language." Did you reads that...IN HIS OWN
LANGUAGE! As the Apostles spoke in tongues, the multitudes of people
from at least sixteen different nations each heard the gospel presented IN
HIS OWN LANGUAGE...
"And they were all amazed and
marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak
Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we
were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in
Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia,
and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and
strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them
speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." -Acts 2:7-11
Notice the phrase in Acts 2:11, "our tongues."
The crowds heard the Apostles preach in their own native tongues, not some
unknown heavenly jibber jabber. There was NEVER any heavenly languages
spoken that no one understood and required an interpreter. There is a
drastic difference between Biblical tongues and the heretical speaking in
tongues of the Assemblies of God churches.
The "speaking in tongues" which the Assemblies
of God and the Pentecostals foolishly practice are UNKNOWN tongues, not
anything found on earth. Supposedly, those unknown tongues can
only be interpreted by ONE spirit-filled member of the congregation.
The Apostle Paul speaks common sense to us Corinthians 14:19...
"Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that
by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown
tongue."
Carnal believers try to imitate the gifts of
the Spirit, but the gifts of God are not given for entertainment as the
Pentecostals use them for. ALL the gifts of God for for ONE purpose,
soul winning. The purpose of the tongues in Acts chapter 2 was to get
people saved (and at least 3,000 people were saved on the day of Pentecost).
Pentecost was a specimen day for all the world to see of what can happen
when God's children pray, trust God, and work together to spread the
gospel. Please note that these Christians were all united in truth,
not error. There were no false religions or liberal churches involved.
It is WRONG for believers to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers or
wayward religions like the Assemblies of God. I would rather be
divided over truth than to be united by error. The Apostle Paul
addressed the carnality of the church at Corinth...
"How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a
psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an
interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying."
The church of Corinth was your first unofficial
Charismatic, Assemblies of God, Pentecostal, Apostolic Faith...church.
They were an entertainment church, much like the Pentecostals churches today
with their musical bands, speaking in tongues, healing services, etc.
It is unfortunate when churches have to deteriorate into entertainment
centers to attract new members. They try to "spectacularize"
Christianity. This is why the Assemblies of God religion is so
popular, it offers a lot of entertainment (a lot of weird entertainment I
might add).
The carnal believers in the Corinthian church
were trying to reproduce the gift of tongues but they weren't in any
spiritual condition to see any gifts of the Spirit. What they needs
was a Billy Sunday revival. 1st Corinthians 3:1 tells us that they
were carnal. This church was in bad shape, a house divided. Some
said they were with Apollos. Others said they were with Paul.
Still other's were claiming to be with Cephas (1st Corinthians 1:12).
They were suing each other, eating meats offered to idols, allowing open
adultery within the church. Should it be any surprise that they were
also caught up in a speaking in tongues heresy. The speaking in
tongues practiced by the Charismatics, Pentecostals and Assemblies of God
are of the devil.
FAITH HEALING
SERVICES (DELIVERANCE)
Listen friend, God's power is not at our
disposal to entertain the masses and get filthy rich.
Morris Cerullo is proof of what I
am saying. Cerullo is a phony, certainly no man of God. There is
a spirit at work indeed, but it is the spirit of Satan. Do you really
believe that God would allow his power to be abused to make a bunch of
sinister ministers filthy rich? No way! Benny Hinn is without a
doubt one of the most famous heretics within the Assemblies of God
organization. The Bible does teach in James chapter 5 that the prayer
of faith shall heal the sick, but this does NOT give anyone a right to
FALSELY use the gift of healing to make MONEY! Ever notice that the
people healing has a headache for 10 years or a bad back for 15 years?
I'd like to see someone get a missing hand back.
Though the Bible does teach us to pray for the
sick, there is NO GUARANTEE that everyone will be healed. These
heretics that teach that Jesus died on the cross to guarantee us physical
healing are loony. Sickness and death are the results of sin. We
cannot escape sickness and death. Though God does sometimes heal the
sick in answer to prayer, it is inevitable that sickness and death will
eventually come knocking at our door to stay.
Please read,
Healer?
Heal Thyself!
Also,
The
Healing Explosion
See,
Faith Healing
Shocking Facts About Assemblies of God Minister, Benny Hinn
Featured in the May 24th / June 8th, 2000 program is a
clip from the Nairobi Crusade where Benny claims to cast out 13 devils
from a Hindu woman. Does this prove Benny Hinn is a man of God? No, it
does not!
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Matthew 7:22,
"Many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in
thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works? And then will I profess unto them, I
never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." |
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Benny Hinn in Nairobi allegedly
casting out 13 devils. Image © 2000 by Benny Hinn Ministries |
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On the June 5th / 9th, 2000, "This is your day"
program, is a tape of a Nashville crusade where Benny fills the
stage with incapacitated young people "slain in the spirit", an
unbiblical and false manifestation of the "fire" of the Holy Spirit
being called from heaven. |
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Benny Hinn in Nashville with a stage
full of incapacitated young people that have been "slain in the spirit." Image © 2000 by Benny Hinn Ministries |
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The August 10th, 2000 "This is your day"
featured an extraordinary clip from the recent Chicago crusade where Benny
Hinn casts the fire of the Spirit on portions of the audience, and
many are "slain," falling in large groups.
SOURCE
