Any time the focus of a Christian conference is not Jesus and what He has done by his atoning death on the cross (for His glory, because He is true to His name) should be a red flag of warning for believers attending.
On M’Kayla’s Korner a video was referenced where a well known ‘worship leader’ was telling a tale of his/her awesome vision which confirms his/her awesomeness. Those talks that make one think: “I want to have a walk like hers,” “I wish God loved me like that,” “wow, he’s really anointed,” etc., should make one sit up, take notice, and ask some difficult questions.
“Just what is being promoted here?”
When individual personalities are held up as “anointed;” enjoy a certain amount of celebrity that is rampant in American Christian culture; given a platform in front of thousands; and then spend the time talking about themselves, one should wonder who is getting the glory. Who am thinking about? Is the Lord Jesus the focus? Or is what He can do for me the focus?
I saw it over and over again in these circles, speakers spending literally hours and hours talking about their own awesome experiences. I attended conferences and meetings where the guest speaker’s ENTIRE time “preaching” was about them: Their experiences, their ministry, their dreams, their visions, their manifestations (and of course their latest book about all of the above).
Jesus was an addendum, a tag line, an after thought. It was almost as if a voice was going to come over the speakers, “For more about Jesus, see Appendix B in your program.”
I’ve gotten a little sarcastic, but it isn’t to be taken lightly. It’s a serious hindrance. The saddest part is that all of this ME-ness and LATEST AWESOME PERSONALITY celebrity-ism is such a weak, weak substitute for a genuine humble dependence on the Glorious Lord Jesus Who never changes and holds the wisdom of the ages.
I’ve seen this too. Basically it’s narcissism and antiChrist. Then you get the feeling that you aren’t so special because “Jesus hasn’t anointed or blessed you like so-and-so.” But this can’t be further from the truth because so-and-so was given over to a reprobate mind.
Not likely anyone caught up in a false gospel is thinking that!
When we accept flattery and a me centered gospel, what is lost is the deep wonder and thankfulness that comes from the understanding of what we once were and what the Lord has done for us, while holding onto the fact that He holds it all together. This keeps Him at the center. This keeps Him at the source so to speak (not in the New Age meaning). It’s a narrow road.
“now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace,”
“you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord;”
“Such were some of you (idolaters, greedy, swindlers); but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God”
The false gospel says “Yeah, but that’s all in the past, and now you are so special, so powerful, so destined, so anointed,” “Your words are creative just like God’s” “Your imagination is god-like and pure” It is conveyed in such a way that dependence on the Lord, abiding in Him, is no longer crucial. He is no longer commanding the universe, we are.
The false gospel would make us believe our will determines the course of our lives and the things around us, but the scripture says we have been bought with a price, and this plays out in very practical ways. The new covenant never relinquished the sovereignty of God. If anything, it brings that sovereignty right into the details and heart of our lives.