Christian shares how greedy and manipulative his former charismatic assembly’s leaders were, including fearmongering the congregation that they could lose their salvation and teaching new age doctrines disguised as “Christianity”.
Hi there, my name is Lee Poskey, and I thank you for sharing some of your valuable time with me.
I was born in 1965 in Anahuac Texas, and raised in a non-religious, divorced household, so I didn’t understand salvation growing up. However, my grandparents were my stability when they were alive during my youth.
At around 20 years of age, I felt the call of God that I desperately needed salvation, but I didn’t know how to be saved. So, upon the advice of a friend, I attended a local baptist assembly and I responded to the preacher’s salvation invitation at the end of the service. I didn’t feel any different after praying the sinner’s prayer, but I remained hungry for the things of God nonetheless. Life was very turbulent for me in those days, and I soon moved to the Houston-Texas area to start life over. With my new start, I was going to now do religion with “punch!”. That’s how I landed at a charismatic assembly, an experience that lasted a year or two.
At first, the repetitive music was exciting, and all of the energy in that place was like being at a carnival. It was a fun place to be, with feel-good messages on health and wealth, and I thought how exciting all of it was compared to other “boring” churches.
I so desperately wanted to fit in the crowd that I decided that I’d had enough, so I just invented my own style of gibberish and declared to everyone that I finally had the gift of tongues.
The gospel, according to them, was that Christ died for us to get the good life now (even though the leaders did teach about Hell). We were taught the standard Arminian doctrine that we could lose our salvation. In that system, being a Christian was a performance-based endeavor, with Christ as co-Saviour.
Moreover, being “slain in the spirit” where people fall down backwards unconsciously upon the touch of the “anointed” leadership of that assembly always seemed to be happening, but it never happened to me. “Tongues” was another one of the most manifested “gifts”, treated like a badge of honor to prove how “anointed” someone is by God. It seemed that everyone in that assembly could effortlessly speak their own heavenly language with ease, except for me. No matter who laid hands on me to receive that gift, or how many times I begged God to please give me the gift of tongues, it just wasn’t happening for me. It became a depressing & frustrating situation to be in.
I so desperately wanted to fit in the crowd that I decided that I’d had enough, so I just invented my own style of gibberish and declared to everyone that I finally had the gift of tongues. But I knew that I was lying, and I felt guilty for being a fraud.
Pastoral elitism was rife in that atmosphere, and the leaders subtly coerced the crowd to trust everything that they said without question. They carried themselves with this convincing act of humility so as to “deserve” whatever they desired. The leadership was also best pals with Jessie Duplantis, who came to our assembly several times to guest preach.
At one point, I was struggling so badly financially that I sought the assembly for financial help. But instead of sympathising with my plight, they were stingy toward me.
We were taught that if you want something, name it and declare it in the name of Jesus. His name was treated like this magic word to get whatever your heart desires. Their doctrines were shallow and new age in every aspect.
Tithing was also heavily encouraged, and the leaders preached about the “importance of tithing in order to get God to bless you in return”. While the leaders lived in luxury, the majority of the congregation appeared to live at below-average income levels.
At one point, I was struggling so badly financially that I sought the assembly for financial help. But instead of sympathising with my plight, they were stingy toward me. They did help with one or two of my small bills (so that it would appear that they did something for me). But the thing that angered me the most about this event was how hypocritical and phony they were. Their stingy attitude about giving money to me was the opposite of their attitude about my giving money to them.
Seeing through their phoniness and hypocrisy was the last straw for me, so I left charismaticism. No one in the congregation bothered with me after I left.
I abandoned church and God for over two decades following that charismatic experience. It wasn’t until 2012 that God called me again, and saved me. Out of the blue, God moved powerfully in my conscience, drawing me to Himself for salvation.
I was undone from within by the Holy Spirit over my need to be forgiven of my sins, and I craved to be reconciled to God. I constantly begged God to save me and forgive all my sins, yet I experienced no relief. I even confessed my sins to the people I had wronged and sinned against in order to “right” my wrongs. Most people forgave me but others remained bitter. Their reactions were something I couldn’t control, so I left the matter with God.
Then one night, while I was driving, I was quickened to the truth of Colossians 2:13 – “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”.
In an instant, God made me understand what the Gospel really meant, that Christ had fully paid for all my sins. Salvation cannot be earned, but it can only be received by faith alone in the finished work of Christ (His death on the cross, burial and resurrection). I exploded in screaming, joyous relief…I’m forgiven! I’m forgiven! I’m really and truly forgiven! As I jumped up and down banging on the headliner of my truck!
God made me spiritually alive that night!
I now rest in the finished work of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
As a result of God placing me into Christ, God has made me to be a fully forgiven, fully sanctified saint, who’s fully the righteousness of God! All, entirely, by the obedience of one, the risen Lord Jesus Christ!!
Praise God!
(Isaiah 61.10, Romans 3.22, 5.17-19, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Colossians 2.13-14, and Hebrews 10.9-14)
This kind of message was something that I’ve never found in any kind of local representation of institutional religion, including the wicked charismatic movement.
I could only find it in God’s Word.
Today, I write articles and post videos on what God teaches me. I do this because it’s my passion, I love sharing this hope that thrives within me. I want everyone to know the freedom and spiritual treasure that only exists in spiritual union with the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
The last time I checked on my former charismatic assembly, it was “closed permanently” (so I’m thankful for that).
If you’re in the charismatic movement, I strongly urge you to leave it now, because it damages everyone who’s involved with it. The charismatic movement is a false religion.
May God give discernment to all of us.
All glory to the risen Lord Jesus Christ, and no glory to us whatsoever!
Lee Poskey
Ex-Charismatics 