I believe many claims of God's calling, missions, revivals and visions in this country, if not the Western hemisphere, are in err since especially the charismatic movement about 100 years ago.
I do not claim to be an expert in God's calling, but at least I know to discern which claim is problematic.
Pak Tong had ridiculed some immigrants' claim of God's calling to the States. So I will skip that part of argument here.
The calling, remains the same in all ages and places: to make disciples of Christ. They fail by taking this to the extremes. One extreme is to redefine Christ not as our Lord, but as social eutopia. The other extreme destroys all inter human relationship.
For example, churches that favor reputation and numbers usually wind up a social club seeking center. They may or may not be famous, nor they may be large in numbers. But when it comes down to between God and man, they will choose men 100% over God. Their smarter leaders will know how to sugarcoat it in a way one cannot tell that they are moving away from God. Sometimes these churches are truly struggling between choosing God and man, I can try to tolerate that. However, there are those which show clear sign of departure from God in favor of social activities.
For example, when a Chinese reformed church in Newton, Queens thinks that it's not wrong to blame Samson's sin on God for giving super strength, I left that church since that Bible study where everyone's opinion is right and never return. I will pray for them, but will keep my distance from them for the time being.
Now on the overly "evangelical" types, their focus is to PROCLAIM the Gospel only. There's no consideration on the reactions from recipients. If accepted, good, if not, get lost. Like a businessman who doesn't price tag his merchandise and chase away price shoppers. This is usually practiced by individuals instead of the entire church. I can tolerate these and if they go too extreme, meaning focusing only on their evangelical proclamation and not fellowship of the saints, their insane zeal will cease at some point. It just that when they are lost, it's harder to find them.
Because of the above extremes, they will try to bend the truth. For example, a Chinese church on 96th street do not believe in doing the great commission by our Lord, but they would say "we support" those who preach the Gospel. I also left this church so that I can stand at a distance to say: "I support" those "who support" those who preach the Gospel. A Chinese student church in Stony Brook whose pastor was a female was struggling with her failed marriage against her imagined calling from God had finally succumbed to feminism, concluding that the Apostle Paul despised women and the ministry had fallen apart since.
Now I believe God has calling for me here in America, but this is a tough one. The lessons I've learned and picked up along the way show me that it is going to me one unprecedented, but it will come out as evidence to the power of God.
