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Thank you so much for posting this. I have been getting increasingly concerned and frustrated by this very same phenomenon occurring in our church. There has been a steady movement toward viewing truth and knowledge as "legalism", and trying to portray those who insist upon it as similar to the Pharisees. I think it's being driven by a desire to avoid taking positions (even though the Bible, and therefore God, clearly does) on sensitive social issues.

And as churches have begun to abandon scriptural truth, they have instead veered off into seeking emotional highs and "signs and wonders." This has resulted in a variety of deceptions creeping in and causing sometimes bizarre practices to take over (see the "Toronto blessing" or "IHOP" in Kansas City, for some of the most extreme examples). When I saw that our church was holding classes in how to become a "prophet", I knew we were in trouble as well.

I pray that pastors and their churches will stop seeking experiences, "wonders", and "new revelation" all the time, and instead return to basic biblical truth.

We must be careful when teaching. Plant seeds by speaking in parables. If the seeds sprout and the person returns with questions, share your knowledge by answering their questions, but don’t share God’s best knowledge with those who are not ready for it. The knowledge of God is very powerful and in the mind of a person with an impure motive, can cause harm. Lead a person to the well, but they must choose to drink.

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

The knowledge of God’s Law is written upon our hearts. If we have a calloused heart it cannot be written upon. Do not judge others as in doing so we callous our own hearts.
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The profound joyous experience of being “One with Jesus” is much as Jesus described the “Joy” of the experience that quickly falls away. ***

Matthew 13:10——

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

***20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”