Major ... My auntie has belonged to the same independent pentecostal denomination for the last 50+ years.
Never any fresh blood.... titles passed down from ONE man and his wife... and it stayed in the family. Recently
the matriarch passed away... but all the sons remain.
The hypocrisy that overflows from my family is horrifying.... because they hide their sin... they cover it up... don't confess it... deny it... etc, All at the cost of LOOKIING good for the outside world.
My auntie is highly manipulative.... she guilts people into complying with her agenda.... She uses the book of Leviticus and the rest of the Old Testament as a basis for following the LAW... yet she will claim she is saved by Grace.
So... people who drink are going to hell
People who swear are going to hell.
People who smoke are going to hell
People with tattoos are going to hell ( perhaps twice ). HA
The list goes on and on and on.... and on.
Their own success is gleaned from harshly judging others around them.
If this sounds dramatic and unkind.... It is simply the TRUTH.
No one talks about it... I am the ONLY family who has DARED to confront the hypocrisy of this RELIGIOUS sect.
Everyone else just tolerated it and accepted it as oh... well... that's just Auntie so and so.
When I moved back to my home town in 2014.... I lived with this aunt for 3 months... and I couldn't stand being in the same
house... I felt as though I was choking. The condemnation and lack of compassion was staggering... and so... I walked away
and declared that I STAND against everything they represent.
I have been brutally honest here.
I appreciate your "brutal" honesty. I will do the same thing and support it with Biblical truth. That way, if something said bothers you, you can call God at 1-800-TELL-LORD!
The very 1st problem is ---"Pentecostal denomination ....... ONE man and his wife... "!
Please do not take this the wrong way and if anyone reading this thinks I am saying something I am not, BUT many of the small Pentecostal and yes, Baptist churches have Pastors who are not educated in Bible theology. They feel as if God has called them to preach and maybe He has, however, those MEN should then become educated so that they can properly teach the Word of God. That lack of education then always leads to people misinterpreting what God actually said and that leads to false Doctrine.
There are NO Scriptures that say women are allowed to be Pastors....Zero....None!
You said.......
"
My auntie is highly manipulative.... she guilts people into complying with her agenda.... She uses the book of Leviticus and the rest of the Old Testament as a basis for following the LAW... yet she will claim she is saved by Grace."
There again is a woman in charge.
1 Timothy 3:1-3......
"This
is a true saying, If a
man desire the office of a bishop,
he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the
husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ".
In the original Greek, the words, Man, He and husband are all the same word identified as
Male....not Humanity.
Now then......how can you fix this???
You can not!
Only God can deliver them from their deception.
What you are describing is the result of those who are not educated in the Bible but are rooted in what they have been taught and told and what that is, is unbiblical!
I feel like I need to explain what I mean by the Pentecostal Denonination. When I am referring to is those who accept.......
#1. justification, which is the forgiveness of sins that comes from putting faith in Jesus Christ.
#2. sanctification, which was first taught by John Wesley in his “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection” (1766).
Both of those are accepted Christian teaching based on the Bible However in #3 we see the problem..........
#3. The essence of this doctrine is an inner purity of heart and an infusion of power, whereby the believer no longer practices sin.
Now folks, that is not Biblical. Romans 7 teaches us that we struggle with our sin nature until we die.
Romans 7:18....."For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out".
#4. Then there is the 2nd blessing “baptism of the Spirit,” as evidenced by speaking in tongues or other signs.
The Bible teaches us that when we accept Jesus we get all of the Holy Spirit at that very moment. Scripture never commands believers to seek a second blessing after salvation.
Ephesian 1:13......
" And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,".
So then, your family is living in a world of their own creation. They are mixing Grace with Law and believing that do's and don'ts = Salvation. They have fallen into the trap of self righteousness by their ability to do things or not do things according to what they believe the Law said.
What we don't do and what we do has nothing whatsoever to do with our standing before God. We are "Forgiven" of our sin due to the fact that Jesus paid for them with His blood plus Nothing.
That is brutal, but it is the truth. I am sure some will disagree and all I can say is that they should post the Scriptures that support their opinion.
I think that your leaving that environment was your best move. Sometimes we have to chose who we associate with very carefully so that we can maintain our sanity and positive attitude. I hope that this in someway helps you.
I am not trying to attack the Pentecostal denomination. Please do not attempt to debate your disagreements here on this post as it is a personal observation to someone who asked me for an opinion on a personal matter.
