Assemblies of God EXPOSED!

"...there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." -Galatians 1:7

The two largest Pentecostal bodies in The U.S. are Assemblies of God (2.5 Million) and Churches of God in Christ (5.5 million). Churches of God in Christ is the largest Pentecostal body in United States according to Denominations Comparison (Rose Publishing, 2003). Click here for church membership statistics in the U.S. The Church of God, which is more prominent in the South, had a membership of over 1,000,000 in 2002.

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.

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.

Assemblies of God, and other Pentecostal (Full Gospel Churches) hold to historic, orthodox beliefs concerning the Bible as God's Infallible Word; God as Creator and existing in the Trinity; and the Deity of Christ; and the Second coming of Christ.

Below are some the distinctive beliefs of Assemblies of God and how they perhaps differ from other church groups.

Assemblies of God teach that salvation is by grace thru faith in Christ initially, and that salvation is maintained by a life of faithfulness and continuing to 'Believe' in Christ. Assemblies of God believe, as do other Pentecostal Churches, that salvation can be lost. If a born-again believer STOPS believing and turns his back on Christ, the Assemblies of God, as well as other Pentecostal and Holiness bodies, believe salvation can be lost. The Believer, therefore, is kept saved and secure by God....AS LONG AS this believer CONTINUES to believe in the Lord. This differs from Baptists and others who would teach 'UNCONDITIONAL ETERNAL SECURITY' which says the Christian is ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED, and will make it to heaven once he is truly saved whether he stays faithful to the Lord or not.

"....we believe it is possible for a person once saved to turn from God and be lost again.."

Assemblies of God state that they believe in the 'eternal security of the believer', but note, only as long as the 'believer' continues 'believing'. Therefore, Assemblies of God teach that one can have 'assurance' that he is going to heaven as long as he stays faithful to the Lord and KEEPS believing. Backsliding to the point of losing salvation is possible for every person who has been born-again, if this person persists in this unrepentant state.

The website states: "...we believe one who backslides is in danger of losing his salvation if the individual persists in rejecting the Spirit's call to repentance and rejection......We reject any 'once saved, always saved doctrine...."

After stating clearly that a person who at one time truly trusted Christ and was born-again... can end up lost in hell, the following statement is made which seems to say Assemblies of God believe that some born-again Christians are NOT 'true' believers, because it states that 'true believers' always repent and seek forgiveness from the Lord. The website states later on in this section on Security of the Believer:

"Though we may fail and fall, and sometimes sin, the heart of the true believer always regrets, repents, asks forgiveness, and seeks never to sin that way again."

As far as Assurance is concerned, for all practical purposes, the Assemblies of God teaches that one cannot know for sure he is going to make it to heaven until he is actually there, because they teach it is possible for a person to 'lose' salvation after he has been born-again...... if that person continues in an unrepentant backslidden state.

The True Biblical Evidence of Being Spirit-Filled

Every Charismatic/ Pentecostal needs to take a careful look at Acts 9:17-20, because it puts them all to shame...

"And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God."

The first thing that Paul did after he got saved was SOULWINNING! When Paul was filled with the Holy Ghost, he went SOULWINNING! There is NO mention of tongues anywhere surrounding Paul's conversion experience.

Pentecostalism looks and feels good, but is rotten to the core!