Large scale surveys offer information about Pentecostal
beliefs, but they rarely capture the nuances available in posts, testimonies,
and interviews. I am completing work on a book about Counseling Pentecostals
and I came across a post that illustrates several points. What makes it
pertinent to understanding Pentecostal culture is the fact that the person who
posted it holds an M.Div. Degree from a Pentecostal seminary thus, presumably
she learned about eschatology at the graduate level.
2. Pentecostals believe in three comings of
Jesus. Although they only talk about the second coming, there’s an event called
the “rapture,” which means Jesus comes in the air to rescue the saints. The “Second
Coming” occurs later on.
3. There is a literal person called the
antichrist.
4. Christians won’t be left behind to
experience horrible times.
5. Life events line up with interpretations of
bad times. So, events like Covid-19, wearing masks, and being forced to comply
with government restrictions are seen as evidence that the end is near.
6. To avoid all the horrible things coming
soon, readers are encouraged to believe in Jesus. Readers are shamed and
threatened into reposting the message to show they are not ashamed of Jesus.
The threat is that Jesus will deny people who deny him, which is followed by
the message to copy and paste.
I'll add some psychological and counseling notes below the post.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
A friend sent me the following which is a mind-jolting
commentary;
While at Walmart this morning I was observing
all the people walking around in the parking lot. I noticed signs pointing to
the fact that there was only one door we would be allowed to enter, and signs
stating that you must have a mask to enter.
As I watched the people walking around slowly
with their masks on, the Lord asked me a question.
My son, what do you see ?
I immediately saw people as puppets with no
voice. It was as if they were silenced and walking in slow motion.
As I walked up to the door, no longer was it a
Walmart employee but a security guard. This security guard's job was to make
sure a mask was on before you entered. No words were spoken between us at all.
As I walked around the corner there was the
Walmart employee on an iPad marking the fact that I was a number entering the
store. Again no words were spoken.
As I gathered my items, purchased them and
left the store. As I walked out the only exit door, I immediately knew that
people were being groomed for a day that is coming.
There is coming a time when you will have to
receive a mark to buy or sell. Instead of a mask it will be a chip. Instead of
an employee marking you as a number you will have a number. It will be all the
same number, #666 [ ONE WORLD ORDER ].
When I got home I looked up the definition of
what I saw.
Puppet -
a person, party, or state under the control of
another person, group, or power.
I’m thankful that I see what hour we are in.
I’m also thankful that I won’t be here when the Anti Christ is revealed. Yet
I’m saddened for those left behind that will experience those days ahead.
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich
and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their
foreheads:
And that no man might buy or sell, save he
that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath I have
studied the Bible a lot in my life, in many different forms and it really does
always come down to this. I have been hearing about the second coming of Christ
and the events unfolding since I was a kid. The "Mark of the Beast",
microchips, no cash/just plastic, Marshall Law, TOTAL Government
dependency/control. When we are raising a family, working long hours, some two
jobs, lots of things go unnoticed or just get ignored.
No one can comprehend how bad it will be till
it is. We have NEVER been told to stay home, quit work and rely on the
Government. WE are seeing a lot of "firsts" since January. Can our
minds and bodies handle what's coming? Not without God
I wonder what doctor they will have on the
news explaining the rapture and the disappearance of so many people? I won’t be
here for it but it’s just a thought.
While the devil is preparing people for the
Anti Christ, God is preparing people for the Rapture. I don’t know when the
rapture will take place but I do believe it could be soon. And I KNOW that I
won’ be left behind when that trumpet sounds!
I also believe right now that God is giving us
a chance to repent. We need to get the Gospel message out!!! Until the Good
Lord calls me away from this world to go home, I want to make it clear that I
believe in Jesus Christ as the one and only True Lord and Savior. Despite the
fact that I am human, and I fail a lot, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
I believe that He came as a baby, I believe that He died on the cross as a
sacrifice for our sins and that He rose from the dead on the third day and He
is in Heaven preparing a place for all those who believe and trust Him as their
Savior. He loves us all dearly (far more than we deserve) and forgives our sins
when we repent. His Word says John 3:16 "whosoever believeth in Me ,
should not perish but have ever lasting life.”
The Bible also says Matthew 10:33 "But
whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which
art in heaven”.
This is the best challenge I have seen on
Facebook; so, if the Holy Spirit moves you and you’re not ashamed, just copy,
and make this as your status update.
Can I get an Amen for being a believer in God
The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit? Amen! count the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore
and six.
Please get right with Jesus!!
Revelation 13:16-18
Copy & Past if you believe...
____________________________________________________________________
End of Post
Some
things to consider--
The psychological dimensions of the post can have a powerful
effect on religious people.
The mixture of fear and an escape plan compels believers to
move the message along out of fear of being shamed or denying Jesus and thereby
being denied access to eternal life controlled by Jesus.
Terror management theory explains the guidance toward
increased religiosity to avoid not just the threat of death but the threat of a
double death—that is, the loss of eternal life.
Mental health clinicians would do well to appreciate the
kinds of beliefs that lie in the minds of clients, which can inform cognitive
dimensions of fear and anxiety.
__________
There are many theological issues too, but I am not a
religious scholar. I suppose I know enough hermeneutics to say the person hasn’t
interpreted the Bible in either a traditional fundamentalist perspective or an evangelical
perspective. And they certainly appear unaware of progressive theology, biblical
cultures, and literary concepts like metaphors. I know some Pentecostal scholars
and I am sure they would recoil to think their students circulated this type of
message.
I searched on Google and found the post has circulated quite
a bit. One Facebook page, “Judy’s Treasures posted it on 28 July and had 625
likes, 122 comments and 521 shares. The page has nearly 20,000 followers. Some
comments affirmed their faith, others were thankful, and some warned about
voting for a certain candidate in the American election.
Counseling and Consulting with Pentecostals and Charismatics
Understanding Pentecostal and Charismatic worldviews is important to consulting relationships and counseling. See
Counseling and Psychotherapy with Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians
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