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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 1:16:06 PM
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colliefan
Posts: 2168
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From: Raleigh, NC
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quote:
I just think people should be careful about placing judgement on people's personal experiences. I think it's the same as some folks liking rock 'n' roll Christian and some liking bluegrass Christian music. The Bible doesn't say which is right.
There is a vast difference between style of music and experiences that have no foundation in the Word of God.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 1:17:13 PM
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floydette
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Only one time has this happened to me. I had some friends praying for me and a "bolt" of power came through them to me that completely left me weak in the knees. They laid me down, and I simply layed their "recovering" and getting my own physical stength back in order to stand up.
A friend of mine said of her experience that as she was laying there, she was simply enjoying the presence and the ministry of Jesus.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 2:09:43 PM
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wintery
Posts: 917
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Kat_D
quote:
ORIGINAL: wintery
quote:
ORIGINAL: earthless
That explains a lot.
Don't even get me started on the Toronto "Blessing", "Holy" Laughter and the Kansas City "Prophets".
Each one of these three can fill up 100 pages each. Ripe with audio and video clips.
Too bad this thread isn't about KC Prophets, Bickle, Bob Jones and I don't recall seeing anyone on CW discuss these. I thought maybe nobody had heard of them. :)
Well, maybe you'd like to start a couple of new threads, Wintery. I'm sure they'd get a lot of action! 
I'm too shy and not smart enough. But back to the topic, the being "slain" in its mild form, as a practice and a way of seeking an experience, seems to have led to the Toronto mess and Brownsville stuff. In the meeting mentioned in my first post on this, I followed Mr. Kilpatrick around a local church when he ventured around the building seemingly "ministering" to people at random. He was surrounded by the church ushers (I think that's who they were) who looked at me but said nothing as I followed him around the building. I got a close-up look. I just couldn't agree that there was a big God-happening going on. I knew some or most of the ministry team. One of them was so excited he exclaimed "there's a fire burning here tonight!" He really thought so, but I wasn't comfortable with that. I'm uncomfortable with seeing the grabbing of nice old ladies, saying a few words and practically dropping them on the floor. I still don't agree with it and if I could find the ministers now years later, with the hype and hoopla over, I wonder if they might find some agreement with me.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 3:41:54 PM
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elastic
Posts: 2809
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From: NYC
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i'm not really adding to the topic, just relating experiences here.
i grew up in a church that pretty much ended at least every other service with the altar calls that led to people being slain in the spirit....went to church youth camp every year where at the end of every service, yep...the ministers were praying over the masses of crying children who were all seeking to be slain in the spirit. i sought it myself....though to this day it has never happened for real.
the few times i 'fell out' was because i was young, and literally everyone around me was falling. when i was the last person standing, all the people doing the praying came my way and began to pray and press on my head (you know, as they tend to do) and I fell out...not in the spirit at all, but i thought 1. if i don't fall out, they are going to continue to do this to me until i do fall out. and 2. if i don't fall out, all of the other kids will think i'm not a christian. and 3. God must really not like me if he won't allow me to be slain like the rest of them. I even faked the speaking in tongues stuff up until i was 12 or 13 just to feel like i was accepted in my church.
is it real? i can't speak for others, but only for myself. it has never happened to me...and i have always been around it, grew up in it, and it was never something i questioned growing up or thought was weird in any way. in other words, it was just a natural thing that all christians in their churches did. i just assumed that i was flawed as a christian because it wouldn't happen to me 'for real'.
i know this isn't part of the topic, but i suggest you guys watch the documentary "jesus camp". that will give you some idea of the indoctrination i went through as a child.
anyway, i have always desired to be slain in the spirit, just to see what it is like. In all honesty, I will probably never know.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 3:52:33 PM
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earthless
Posts: 4826
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'Jesus Camp' is a very scary documentary. Embarrassing.
My wife's account is nearly identical to yours.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 4:00:11 PM
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Covaan_Meshuga
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quote:
ORIGINAL: elastic
i suggest you guys watch the documentary "jesus camp". that will give you some idea of the indoctrination i went through as a child.
Is that a documentary? Truly, a documentary? I haven't watched it and have not read more than short blurbs on it, but I thought it was about one goony, spaced-out children's camp and nothing more. Is there more to it than that?
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Abiyah
Why does He keep quoting Torah? Doesn't He know He's about to abolish it?
A tree's fruit is obvious; you have to look harder for the worm hole.
G-d has only one natural Son; EVERYONE else is adopted.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 4:05:26 PM
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elastic
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quote:
I thought it was about one goony, spaced-out children's camp and nothing more. Is there more to it than that?
it focuses mainly on one woman and the church camp that she has every year. however, there are camps that are identical or at least veeeeery similar to this one that happen all over the country.
it was scary to watch, especially for me. it brought up a lot of memories...a lot of great and wonderful memories, but sad and hurtful ones as well.
it's a fascinating thing to watch, especially if it's something you are not familiar with or have a curiosity about. i watched it a few times, and the last time i watched it while listening to the commentary.
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"You are so right elastic" ~Qtman
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 4:06:22 PM
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earthless
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Covaan_Meshuga
quote:
ORIGINAL: elastic
i suggest you guys watch the documentary "jesus camp". that will give you some idea of the indoctrination i went through as a child.
Is that a documentary? Truly, a documentary? I haven't watched it and have not read more than short blurbs on it, but I thought it was about one goony, spaced-out children's camp and nothing more. Is there more to it than that?
It's your typical Word of Faith infested church camp. It saddens me that some very sincere and doctrinally sound Pentecostal churches have gone the way of full fledged Word of Faith.
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Probing Today's Religious Movements | Promoting Doctrinal Discernment & Critical Thinking | Providing Reasons for Christian Faith & Ethics
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 4:12:49 PM
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wintery
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elastic, honest words. Thank you.
As far as some saying there is another power at work (while some hold that sometimes it is the work of God) I find it a dreadful thought.
Consider:
2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
So if what is going on is not just hype and emotionalism, or not of God, then we would be on shakey ground here wouldn't we?
When I got in that prayer line to seek this experience (I'll tell you so I don't seem so cerebral), I was thanking God out loud and praying inwardly, "Okay, Lord-sock it to me! Here we go!" or something like that. But, despite a good anointing with oil and about three strong pushes, there I stood.
I didn't really need an experience like being knocked out to increase my faith.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 4:28:41 PM
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Covaan_Meshuga
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quote:
ORIGINAL: wintery
As far as some saying there is another power at work (while some hold that sometimes it is the work of God) I find it a dreadful thought.
The day I unexpectedly found myself inside a church with this going on, I was fully convinced that
(1) It was not of G-d
(2) It was partially excitement, emotional build-up, and imagination on the parts of some
(3) There was some unearthly power in there that was Ugly with a capital U.
In their narthex, what I saw was interesting but unimpressive as people lay on the floor, some looking about. However, when I opened the door to the "sanctuary," electricity hit me, the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end and rippled, and the hair on my head rippled. My first inclination was to run and not look back. The place was intense and nasty.
_____________________________
Abiyah
Why does He keep quoting Torah? Doesn't He know He's about to abolish it?
A tree's fruit is obvious; you have to look harder for the worm hole.
G-d has only one natural Son; EVERYONE else is adopted.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/10/2007 6:49:49 PM
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FurGodWurLivin
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I feel as though I have just been passed on as a fruitcake... I have no urge to defend myself. Rather, I will defend the character of the people that you have maligned by bringing up the KC prophets. I seem to remember Mike Bickle, Bob Jones and several others showed great humility by making a public spectacle of themselves by repenting for the abuses of the prophetic wave that was being ridden in the 1980's. That being said, looking at the fruit of Mike's ministry now, I can positively say that he has found something in the heart of God worth sharing. That is as much as I am willing to say about the whole "Kansas City Prophets" thing.
As for myself, please do not make the mistake of writing off someone you disagree with because of their "church background". I could make a very good case for Toronto, Brownsville, Rodney Howard Browne, and several other revivalists, but that is not my purpose. Always allow God to speak for himself.
Back to the subject at hand, to clarify my position, I am not claiming to simply believe something that isn't in the Bible... because someone else tells you its true. I posted something a while back called "When theological rubber meets a very real road". I enjoyed the post so much that I put it up on my blog as well. There are several topics that the Bible is silent on (pornography, tobacco, drugs, gun ownership, abortion, etc.), that we draw up doctrines to address. For example, pornography gets put into the catagory of sexual immorality. Probably a fair assesment (no pun intended). However, it requires a small leap to say the Bible adressess it. I look at the Bible as the final authority on how we ARE to live. While it does talk quite a bit about what we shouldn't be doing, it is more focused on what we SHOULD be doing. As far as being slain in the spirit, the Bible doesn't place it in either catagory. Is there emotionalism involved? Sometimes... but so did Isaiah's epiphany and just about every other time God is revealed to a human. In fact, Joshua is the only man in the entire Bible to see Jesus glorified and run right at him with sword drawn. Myself, I find that when I am laying down on the ground (usually voluntarily during my own devotional times) I find that I am more relaxed and more focused on dialoguing with God. You might say I was slain in the spirit slowly. As for people who fall down out habit, I don't really give a care... Some people tie their shoes in double knots out of habit, but that doesn't affect me. I would venture a guess that if someone falling over when they get prayed for ruins your time at church, you aren't in church for the right reason. What is all of this to say? WHO CARES?! We can talk about it all day long, but the fact is that God is God and can do what he likes (Exhibit A: Enoch)... If He can and does do what He likes, then we have no hope of fully understanding His actions (because he is inifite). Does He pour out his spirit to the point that people can't stand up? The answer is a resounding yes. He did it when Solomon dedicated the temple. Does He do it all the time? Not usually.
Kat_D,quote:
two controversial guys So was Jesus, if I remember correctly. If controversial means "bad" in your lexicon, then we have no business preaching anything except certain "morality/God wants you happy" kinds of points. Sexual purity is something of a hot topic outside the church... as is tithing... and the ten commandments... and the Sermon on the Mount. I think you get my point.
Earthless, I don't think you mean to come across this way (at least I hope not), but you do have a tendency to come across as very judgemental. Exhibit A: "It's your typical Word of Faith infested church camp." True, Word of Faith movement had its nuts and fruitcakes, just like anything else. Also true, life and death is in the power of the tongue.
Wintery:quote:
How about looking at a charismatic world where a Scriptural basis may be secondary to someone's "experience"? (or dream, vision, "revelation") I'm not talking about that. The Bible is far more authoritative then any secondary revelation. I have said as much on numerous occasions here and in the chatrooms. However there is a definite problem when experience can't even be spoken of as supplemental revelation. Something to bolster biblical study. If someone places more weight on an experience then on the Bible IF THE BIBLE CONTRADICTS IT, then they are on very shaky ground.quote:
Hardly complete or conclusive, bro. The fact that they got in line dispenses with their objections. Never claimed it was. While I disagree that standing in a prayer line constitutes a forgoing of objections, its fine that you think that way. All I was doing was relaying that I have seen people that were completely against it get hit with it. That is not intended to prove or disprove anything. There is a massive difference between getting prayed for to BE "slain in the spirit" and being prayed for and GETTING "slain in the Spirit" as a result. I am currently defending the second option. If you would care to argue the first point, I will agree with you readily. quote:
If liturgical, evangelical and charismatic are the three little pigs, which one would the big bad wolf not get? How does a Christian stand on a firm foundation? By not knowing what we're doing? (don't get riled, I'm being serious.) I am not riled by this at all(even though that is only two "pigs"). Remember Jesus saying something about the "faith of a child"? I'm not saying that you believe anything someone claiming to have studied tells you, what I AM saying is that there are, and will always be, things we don't understand about God (who he is, how he acts, that kind of thing). So as far as not knowing what we are doing, it's called faith.quote:
"spirit world"? "spiritual phenomena"? Do you see that anything, any_thing can be excused and accepted by claiming that we must just accept it without relying on a Scriptural basis. Nope. The question is, does the Bible automatically condemn anything that isn't found in it's pages? If yes, then we need to can all the instruments... except for harps, flutes, and trumpets.quote:
I'm all for what's "real" with a sound reliance on Scripture, and we need discernment for meetings where people may claim all sorts of things that may not be true. If God is touching someone, fine. Omein.quote:
I only mentioned a few items in my earlier post, that was hardly the whole quiver of my experience and involvement in charismatic/non-denom meetings So your argument is just as valid as mine of having seen people fall out who were dead-set against it. Congratulations, welcome to being human.quote:
Surely you'll agree a line has to be drawn somewhere. If someone needs prayer, that is one thing. Lining up to see if God will knock you down is somewhat like standing in line for a theme park ride. Absolutely. As I said, the main thing I am arguing for is that it DOES happen, not when people try to MAKE it happen. That is what I mean when I say "Spiritual phenomena". The main difference between my position and yours is that I have a healthy respect for the unpredictability of the spirit world because it is totally unlike anything to be found in our earthly arena. So the question is, is something false because some people abuse it? Then I guess nobody should be parents. I guess we shouldn't pray (because the Pharisees were long-winded). That is my point. People abuse the gift, but that doesn't change the Spirit. So the question to be answered by Earthless and wintery, IMO, is what are you really talking about? Getting "slain in the spirit" altogether? Or are you talking about people who get in line specifically to BE "slain in the spirit"?
Adam
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I am hyena, Jesus is my Mufasa...
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/13/2007 10:08:09 AM
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wintery
Posts: 917
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From: nw alabama
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quote:
ORIGINAL: FurGodWurLivin
I feel as though I have just been passed on as a fruitcake...
Not at all. Some Third Wave/Charismatic/Apostolic-Prophetic folks just can't discuss these things while you can. So a compliment to you for your efforts.
quote:
ORIGINAL: FurGodWurLivin
Remember Jesus saying something about the "faith of a child"? I'm not saying that you believe anything someone claiming to have studied tells you, what I AM saying is that there are, and will always be, things we don't understand about God (who he is, how he acts, that kind of thing). So as far as not knowing what we are doing, it's called faith.
1 Corinthians 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
We are talking about lining up to fall down on the floor, or into the waiting arms of the catchers. Are you saying we do not understand "how he acts" so we participate in these pep rallys without the minister knowing what is going on and without the participants knowing what is going on? Then there has to be a desire for this experience with a result that is at a minimum performance-based on the part of the minister and the participants. But we do not see this outside of meetings promoting it, as if God is not able to "perform it" elsewhere, where people seek God in sincereity and follow Him without such "signs". I just think it is not about rolling around on the floor.
quote:
ORIGINAL: FurGodWurLivin
As I said, the main thing I am arguing for is that it DOES happen, not when people try to MAKE it happen. That is what I mean when I say "Spiritual phenomena". The main difference between my position and yours is that I have a healthy respect for the unpredictability of the spirit world because it is totally unlike anything to be found in our earthly arena.
Jeremiah 14:14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart.
Jeremiah is loaded up against false prophets and speaks many times about the evil of following one's own imagination. How can we be on guard against this when the barn door is open to an "unknown spirit world"?
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/13/2007 1:07:51 PM
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sunshinesoprano
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ForGod:
Thanks for your post. One of my dearest friends was raised SDA and totally against the Pentecostal thing...until he married one! He was in church one day with his wife and was totally knocked out by the spirit. His wife said it was so funny because this big strong man who had said he'd never be slain was laying in the floor totally out.
I think what you said about MAKING something happen is a really important point.
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Sing, laugh, love, PRAISE!
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/13/2007 2:46:50 PM
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earthless
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Woah.. woah...
There is some major confusion here.
FurGod - Word of Faith is not a legit denomination nor something that is to be respected as such. It is a collection of heretical teachings that came to church circles by E.W. Kenyon.
sunshine - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not confuse Pentecostalism (which is a legit denomination, doctrinally sound on the core essentials) with Word of Faith teachings.
We have officially reached the CRUX of all of my arguments. The problem that so many people have mistakenly linked and mixed Pentecostalism with Word of Faith.
They are not one in the same. Even though WoF has been able to make it inlays more in Pentecostal circles than let's say Baptist ones.
But they are not one in the same and they are not something to be respected. Heretical Word of Faith practices are not the "Pentecostal thing.."
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/13/2007 4:03:34 PM
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PaulPate
Posts: 256
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From: Branford, Florida
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I have read all of the previous posts with much interest. Let me say from the outset that I was raised in what is now referred to as "old line" pentecostalism (Assembly of God). I still believe firmly in what I was taught there and the practices that I saw there. I have never personally been "slain in the Spirit", but I do know many that have been, and I have witnessed it unmistakably. I won't go into the specific instances , but I could. I'm not sure that I know what is being referred to as the "Word of Faith"movement, but I do know that I see abuses of many doctrines going on in several different denominations. As has been adequately stated, the fact that there are abuses does not negate the fact that something is real. In the Assembly of God denomination that I was raised in, there are many churches that have departed from the style of worship that I am comfortable with, and yes, there are some of those abuses going on in some of them. That is because of the fact that the individual churches are autonomous, and though there are certain doctines and ordinances that "must" be adhered to, there is at times more latitude than was really intended by the general Council. notice that I have been careful not to say all. There are still some A/G churches that continue to worship the same as when I was a child sixty years ago. I do not presently attend an A/G church, but I do attend a Church of God (Cleveland TN) that believes and worships the way I do.
Let me end this post by saying, be careful when referring to the works of the Holy Spirit that you do not blspheme Him. I have been around healings, being slain in the Spirit, speaking in tongues, and other acts of the Holy Spirit all of my life, and I still do not understand all of them. I would never go so far as to say they can't be real, even though I am human and there are sometimes doubts.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/13/2007 6:41:52 PM
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Kat_D
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quote:
Let me end this post by saying, be careful when referring to the works of the Holy Spirit that you do not blspheme Him.
32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. - Matthew 12
This verse was aimed at the Pharisees who actually saw Jesus work miracles and then accredited His works to the devil and would only apply to us if we did the same. Unless I missed it, no one here has accredited the works of Jesus Christ to the devil.
1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. -I John 4
When I test the spirit concerning the antics and theatrics of people like Benny Hinn, there is nothing that makes me believe that what he does is "of God."
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~Kat
"...And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes...no more death, sorrow, nor crying."
I weep for those who won't experience this because they have been deceived.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/13/2007 9:41:59 PM
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PaulPate
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i did not say anyone had blasphemed the Holy Spirit. It was just a caution meant in the right spirit.
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/14/2007 3:39:55 AM
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FurGodWurLivin
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From: Kansas City, MO
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quote:
Not at all. Some Third Wave/Charismatic/Apostolic-Prophetic folks just can't discuss these things while you can. So a compliment to you for your efforts. I appreciate the compliment just the same... even if it means I'm no longer being listened to.quote:
We are talking about lining up to fall down on the floor, or into the waiting arms of the catchers. Thank you for the clarification. I agree with you that lining up in a prayer line specifically to BE "slain in the spirit" is wrong... what we "third wave" types would call "abusing the spirit", while more classical Charismatics would call it "being in the flesh".quote:
Are you saying we do not understand "how he acts" so we participate in these pep rallys without the minister knowing what is going on and without the participants knowing what is going on? I'm starting to think I'm being misheard. What I'm saying is that we will have an eternity of discovery into God and His creation on the other side of that void called "death"... seeing as how we will have all that time, I think it would be very foolish to say that we currently understand the spirit world accurately after dedicating maybe 30 years to the study of them. Also, if we are honest, God had people do some really wacky stuff in the Bible. Isaiah had to wander around naked and barefoot for 3 1/2 years as a sign of the Egyptians going into captivity. Jeremiah had to lay on his side of 400+ days in a row because of the sin of Israel. If you can claim to search the mind of God, feel free to go there.quote:
Then there has to be a desire for this experience with a result that is at a minimum performance-based on the part of the minister and the participants. But we do not see this outside of meetings promoting it, as if God is not able to "perform it" elsewhere First off, I'm not saying God is unable to perform it outside of people who want it. Secondly, it is not always true that there is a necessary desire for something to happen before it does. The presupposition to the argument you make is that outward manifestations are invariably based in human emotion or sentiment. Tell that to King Saul when he began prophesying in the middle of the road and took off all his clothes to lay down until nightfall. Now, the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet, but when God rested on the Temple after Solomon prayed and made the sacrifice, the priests could not stand to minister before the Lord. I'm afraid I must also criticize your poor use of "proof-texting" to bring the Bible to your point. The verse you cited is actually used in the Bible as a defense of spiritual gifts... and not declaring that God's will is completely knowable to the human mind. Allow me to quote the passage...quote:
20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.
21 In the law it is written:
“ With men of other tongues and other lips
I will speak to this people;
And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,”
says the Lord.
22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. 23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you. So you see, the message in the passage is the use of spiritual tongues, and not necessarily understanding everything about God.quote:
where people seek God in sincereity and follow Him without such "signs". I think this is a very dangerous statement. First off, I never claimed that churches that don't have many outward manifestations of the spirit don't seek God. I also never said that being slain in the spirit is a necessity to maintaining a relationship with God. What DID I say? I said that sometimes it happens when the spirit rests on a person, sometimes it's emotionalism, and sometimes it's habit. As for following God without seeing signs, bravo for them. The problem in the west is that we believe that the highest form of faith is living void of encounter... to quote the dean of our Bible College.quote:
I just think it is not about rolling around on the floor. Omein. I have never counteracted, nor will I ever refute that statement. That is the whole point of my argument. We are arguing about someone falling on the ground when someone prays for them... who really cares? If the Kingdom of Heaven is about more than eating, drinking, or falling over, why is there such debate about it? We are getting sidetracked by what is a non-issue in our eternal salvation.quote:
Jeremiah is loaded up against false prophets and speaks many times about the evil of following one's own imagination. How can we be on guard against this when the barn door is open to an "unknown spirit world"? How can we claim to worship an all-powerful, infinite God... and then claim we totally understand everything He is and does? The god we are then talking about is the one we have created in our imagination, which is the very thing Jeremiah was warned about. I'm not saying you leave the front door open, I'm saying you look through the peephole before opening it. Until you can prove to me that being slain in the spirit is immoral or sinful, we will keep going around in circles.
Earthless: I did not claim "Word of Faith" as a denomination. Please do not insult my intelligence by claiming that I did make that distinction. Word Of Faith was a set of teachings popularized in the 80's-early 90's. And yes, there are churches centered around this doctrine.quote:
It is a collection of heretical teachings that came to church circles by E.W. Kenyon. Heretical according to whom? You? First off, "Word of Faith" does not deny the deity, humanity, life, death, or resurrection of Christ, so I think the term "heretical" is a bit harsh. Word of Faith is actually an over-literalization of the verse I quoted earlier in James that declares that "life and death are in the power of the tongue". So before we get the tar and feathers to lynch us a heretic, consider what you say. And last time I checked, nobody had equated WoF with Pentecostalism.
quote:
I'm not sure that I know what is being referred to as the "Word of Faith"movement, but I do know that I see abuses of many doctrines going on in several different denominations. As has been adequately stated, the fact that there are abuses does not negate the fact that something is real. Omein. That was the crux of MY point.quote:
I have been around healings, being slain in the Spirit, speaking in tongues, and other acts of the Holy Spirit all of my life, and I still do not understand all of them. I would never go so far as to say they can't be real, even though I am human and there are sometimes doubts. For all who are concerned, this kind of honesty is what I am digging at when I say "an unpredicatble spirit world". If you were to ask me why one person gets healed when another one isn't, I would simply tell you I don't know. If pushed, I might make a few stabs at why not, but it always comes back to "I don't know".
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When I test the spirit concerning the antics and theatrics of people like Benny Hinn, there is nothing that makes me believe that what he does is "of God." And testing the spirit means what in your book? According to John, testing the spirits means that any spirit that does not confess Christ is of the Devil... and Benny actually aims to evangelize people to Christ through his ministry. If testing the spirits means lowering someone's preaching style or the reaction of the audience to our level-eyed scrutiny and sensibilities... then the second coming of Christ will be called heretical by many in the church.
Adam
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I am hyena, Jesus is my Mufasa...
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RE: :: Slain in the Spirit - 8/14/2007 11:22:51 AM
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Kat_D
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