Update: Some of the commenters pointed out some pretty big omissions on my part. I’ve added a few to the list and have reworked the example.
If you’ve ever been to a Charismatic church service then you’ll probably have noticed that there are certain words or phrases that get the regulars all riled up. Here’s a list of some of them, and note that they don’t particularly have to make sense in the context they’re used, the mere mention of them alone is enough to elicit passionate responses. I’ll follow the list with an example of the words/phrases as typically used:
- Manifestation
- Atmosphere
- Happenstance
- Anointing
- Intercessor(y)
- Time such as this
- Confession
- Blessings
- Prophetic
- Revelation
- Apostolic
- Revival
- Harvest
- Bind/Loose
- Pour out
It’s not by happenstance that God has chosen a time such as this to call the true intercessors to intercessory prayer that we might bind the enemy and receive the revelation that has been loosed through our prophetic discourse with God and saturate the atmosphere with his anointing, so that through our confession we will receive the manifestation of our blessings which God will pour out upon us through his apostolic witness as we reap our harvest in this end times revival!
B”H
Wow! No mention of phrases like “plant a seed to reap a harvest”? Or “you have to release your faith”?
By: Matt on October 6, 2009
at 12:26 pm
Matt: Nah, those are more typically Word of Faith phrases whereas these are more general to regular Charismatic types. ;-)
By: Nick Norelli on October 6, 2009
at 12:29 pm
Guess those two years at ORU were too much.
By: Matt on October 6, 2009
at 12:34 pm
Matt: I guess so!
By: Nick Norelli on October 6, 2009
at 12:36 pm
You forgot apostolic! I’ve heard that one plenty in some of the charismatic circles I’ve been in. Most of those I’ve heard plenty of (enough to generally shake my head whenever they’re said, even if they are relevant). I’ve not heard happenstance or confession though, maybe those haven’t made their way south yet.
By: mapoulos on October 6, 2009
at 12:37 pm
Sounds like you’ve sat in on one of our church services.
By: Peter on October 6, 2009
at 12:38 pm
“A Time Such as This” is easily substituted by “This Generation”
By: adhunt on October 6, 2009
at 12:40 pm
Nick, I am preaching tonight, thanks for the reminder I’ll be sure to use a few of them tonight, or maybe even borrow your statement ;-)
What about “Revival”?
By: Robert Jimenez on October 6, 2009
at 12:48 pm
“Revival” is huge.
How ’bout “pour”? Apparently when God gives us stuff he pours it out onto us.
Binding and loosing are also big as are rebuking and accepting.
Bryan L
By: Bryan L on October 6, 2009
at 12:58 pm
That last sentence could send a crowd into a frenzy!
By: Brian LePort on October 6, 2009
at 1:00 pm
Mapoulos: Ahh, apostolic! How could I forget that one?!!
Peter: They’re all the same. ;-)
Anthony: Can’t say that I’ve heard “this generation” much in the contexts I worship in. “Time such as this” sounds way more King Jamesy.
Robert: Yes, revival is another I neglected. Let me know how your service goes. I pray that the Spirit manifests himself in a majorly anointed way! :-P
Bryan: Yeah, pour gets used a bit, although I can’t say that I’ve seen folks get worked up when hearing it. Binding and loosing should be on the list though. I’ll revise it.
Brian: Oh, it does! ;-)
By: Nick Norelli on October 6, 2009
at 1:14 pm
We could also figure out how to use them in phrases and sentences:
“To bring an anointing back (from a place)” . . .
“To call down the blessing” etc…
By: adhunt on October 6, 2009
at 1:34 pm
sounds like a bunch of charismatobabble and nonspeak… ;)
i tend to use prophetic a lot.
of course too God is omnipresent but we should desire the manifest presence, no
By: brianfulthorp on October 6, 2009
at 2:02 pm
sounds like a bunch of charismatobabble and nonspeak… ;)
i tend to use prophetic a lot.
of course too God is omnipresent but we should desire the manifest presence, no?
By: brianfulthorp on October 6, 2009
at 2:02 pm
How about ‘money’? I kid I kid…
By: philosophickle on October 6, 2009
at 2:36 pm
Don’t they also like the word “lukewarm”?
By: James Pate on October 6, 2009
at 2:36 pm
Ah, Nick, you’re speaking my language. I used to translate TBN shows for my Baptist friends back in college, good times.
One thing I’ve always noticed over my 20+ years in the Charismatic movement is the combo of English words w/ Greek words that have a “special” meaning. So, I hear phrases like “I received a rhema word” or “this is a kairos time.” You get the idea…
By: danny on October 6, 2009
at 3:18 pm
Anthony: Oh they have all kinds of uses, and as I said, they don’t necessarily even have to make sense in the sentence they’re used in!
Brian: I avoid ‘prophetic’ at all costs because of its particular overuse in my church. And of course we should seek God’s manifest presence!
philosophickle: If you’re talking about the Word of Faith types then you really wouldn’t be kidding. ;-)
James: Can’t say that I’ve heard that get people riled up. Usually it comes as part of a prophetic word of rebuke and folks don’t get too excited about those!
Danny: Ahh, the Greek-English word combos. Now we’re talking! ‘Rhema-word,’ ‘agape-love,’ dynamis-power,’ etc… I’ve heard a whole bunch. The only thing worse is reading from the Amplified Bible! ;-)
By: Nick Norelli on October 6, 2009
at 3:56 pm
I could have sworn that I heard David Cerullo of the Inspiration Network make that very statement earlier today!
By: William Birch on October 7, 2009
at 12:24 am
William: It wouldn’t surprise me in the least. ;-)
By: Nick Norelli on October 7, 2009
at 12:54 am
Nick, in your circles do people use the phrase “believing for…”, as in “I’m believing for healing” or “I’m believing for provision”?
“Press in” is another one that pops up a ton.
By: danny on October 7, 2009
at 10:46 am
Danny: Yes, “believing for” and “press in” are quite common. I can’t think of a Sunday when I don’t hear them. Another one I hear all the time, and you might have heard it as well, is “on today,” as in “I was reading my Bible on today when…”
By: Nick Norelli on October 7, 2009
at 11:47 am
Wow, I’ve never heard that one. How about “wait on” (can you tell charismatics love their verb + preposition constructions?)?
By: danny on October 7, 2009
at 2:15 pm
Danny: I’ve heard “wait on” but I don’t think it’s used with frequency in my parts.
By: Nick Norelli on October 7, 2009
at 7:26 pm