Previous Questions and Answers
Could
you please tell me the difference between evangelicalism and fundamentalism?
Both words once had good meanings. The following definitions are from the
1828 Noah Webster Dictionary. Evangelical = "(Greek -- well, good, to
announce); sound in the doctrines of the gospel, orthodox". Fundamental =
"a leading or primary principle, rule, law or article, which serves as a ground work
of a system (as the fundamentals of the Christian faith)". But things have
changed.
Evangelicalism is now associated with deep compromise, and interested in pleasing people and crowds (they have centered on the part of the definition of only speaking well and good for the most part), instead of pleasing God. II Timothy 4:2-4 warns us to be ready for such a time as this, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Evangelicals do not like to "reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." They try to get people to forsake Bible doctrine which divides people. They classify anything that divides "Christians" as "non-essential doctrines." Promise Keepers, The Purpose Driven Church fad are all in this camp.
Even many in fundamentalism are no longer very fundamental. The very definition points to the primary rule or law, the Bible. When we stop following the articles of the Bible (the doctrines that it teaches), then we are no longer fundamental. Herein lies the problem today. When people decide that they do not want to follow certain things that the Bible teaches, they usually justify their decisions (like Rick Warren justifying the rock music that they play in their church by saying that he did a survey of his people, and that was what they were listening to, anyway, so he was only giving them what they wanted). When leaders make decisions like that, they do not immediately say, "I am no longer a fundamentalist." "I have chosen to not obey Ephesians 5:19, 'Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord', so I am no longer following the articles that the Bible teaches. I am now following what the people want me to say. I have now chosen to only speak that which is good (I am now an evangelical)." The problem is that people do not take that route. They continue to claim to be fundamental while forsaking article after article (doctrine after doctrine) of what the Bible teaches.
Most TV and radio preachers fall into the evangelical camp. One of the reasons is that they are listener supported, instead of local church supported. When you are supported by the listeners, you have to please them. When you are supported by the local church (at least a good Bible-preaching one) you do not have to worry about pleasing people, but God. The local church is to be a pillar of the truth. I Timothy 3:15 says, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." What does a pillar do? It holds up something. What is the something that the local church is charged with holding? The truth. The local church is supported with the tithes and offerings of God's people. It is then charged with upholding God's Word despite the popularity, or lack of popularity of it. "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season..."
The world stage is being set right now for the one world church of the Tribulation Period. For that to happen, people are going to forsake Bible doctrine, so they can all agree to come together in one religious assembly. II Thessalonians 3:3-12 says, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." People are not going to forsake religion when the antichrist comes on the scene -- they are going to embrace religion when he comes -- embrace a religious lie. He is going to oppose the true and living God, and set himself up as "God," and people are going to accept him as such.
How will people ever accept a man as being God? You can thank the Charismatic Movement for setting the stage for the antichrist. The Word of God, the Bible, is not the final authority for Charismatics (which means that they are not fundamental). What is their final authority? Signs, wonders, visions, and prophecies are. When you show them that their practices are not Scriptural, they say, "I do not know about that (what the Bible teaches), but I know what I have experienced!" Their personal experiences are their final authority. Signs and wonders have more weight with them than Scripture verses. And what does that have to do with the antichrist? "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."
Consider the three major things that the Charismatics emphasize: speaking in tongues (prophesying); casting out demons; and doing miracles (healing, wonders, etc.). Now consider what the following verses say when such people stand before God. Matthew 7:22,23 says, "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." They will be told that the Lord NEVER knew them (not that they were saved and then lost, but that they were never saved). Now please read the previous paragraph again. Is it any wonder that people will readily accept the antichrist? The Charismatics have trained people to accept signs and wonders with more weight than the Bible. They have trained people to "break down denominational barriers" (which are actually DOCTRINAL barriers), which means that they have trained people to forsake Bible doctrine.
The Charismatics have control of much of religious broadcasting now, and in many places have by far the biggest churches and the largest incomes. They are becoming a powerful force to prepare the way for the antichrist. The Charismatic Movement is the glue of the one world false church of the Tribulation Period. They are in the evangelical camp. Stay far away from their error, and be a true fundamentalist -- be born again. Repent of your sin and place your faith solely in the Lord Jesus Christ who shed His precious blood for our sin, and then arose victorious from the grave the third day.
