Just yesterday May 6, our church invited a team from another church to take our evening service. This church brought their music team and ministry team members. The meeting was called "Catch the fire" and it was announce to other churches in our locality.
They started the service with contemporary popular Christian songs and we all worshipped together with the usual raising of hands, clapping and rhythmic movements. Nothing wrong with that so far. After a couple of songs the pastor from that church told us to stretch ourselves out to receive more of the Holy Spirit. He encouraged us to switch off our minds and receive more of the Holy Spirit. Then he shouted "Holy Spirit More, more, more, more.... Suddenly many started to giggle, shout, jerk, or shiver. Some fell on the floor. The "Ministry Team" laid hand on people who then mostly manifested similar symptoms. I felt a strange atmosphere enveloped the meeting hall with ca 150 people. Members from the ministry team tried to get in touch with me but I left the hall and went into the corridor. I was aware that something supernatural happened there but I do not think it was from God. As I met other people from our church I commented that I felt perfectly alright with my own mind and do not see the need to switch it off in order to encounter something special. The agreed with me in this but did not think there was anything wrong with what we saw happening that evening.
Later one of our elders saw me in the corridor and asked me what I though about it.
I told him the following:
1)When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, why then do we need an extra filling, as if the indwelling spirit was not enough? If I want draw closer to God, I do it by the known means of prayer, confession of sins, immersion in his word.
James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
2) If you are out for an ecstatic experience, you will get it, but will it be from the Lord. The Israelites had similar ecstatic experience when they danced around the golden calf or when the priests of Baal wanted to invoke Gods appearance.
Ex 32: 25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughing-stock to their enemies.
3) We had this Toronto Blessing in our church for a couple of years and it faded out. I asked him if anything good came out of it in terms of spiritual fruit. We had hardly any souls saved in all the years passed. We had just as many divorces than weddings in our church. We also shrunk in numbers.
4) I asked him if there is any place of the New Testament where it is recommended to seek for such an experience and implement it in our gatherings.
I support the use of the gift of the Spirit and I believe He still heals and performs miracles.
We need the power of the Holy Spirit but I do not believe this power is given for those who are seeking an ecstatic experience.
5) The event in Acts 2 where the Holy Ghost fell was extraordinary, but it was accompanied by Peters urge for repentance.
Acts 2: 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, Save yourselves from this corrupt generation. 41 Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
The elder responded and said that I should not judge what other people experience.
Many receive a wonderful blessing from God.
I am a very black-and-white person.
I am too narrow minded and should be more open minded (so that my brain falls out?)
I told him that I used to be an ardent supported of the TB movement but that it took me years to come to the point where I was able to discern the movement as being soulish at best. I mentioned to him that it was only after the Lord (Yes, the Lord, not Satan) lead me through adversities and suffering that I could come to my senses. Only after I appreciated His cross and his kindness in disciplining me as a son I was given the privilege of discernment of some of these matters. I also mentioned to him that I spent a lot of time researching this matter and be reading books and articles about it. Last not least it was sermons listed on this very website that helped me to see it.
In the end promised to sit down and talk to me about these matters some time.
I am very much alone in this matter in my church although some of our friend and fellows can see my point and are equally sceptical.
I must say that God made it very clear to me and my wife and 4 children that we are to stay in this church as long as possible. I may be one of the few who has this discernment. The ability to discern is not only given me to help me to distance myself from this but also to help others to come out of it. I draw my spiritual food from sources outside our local such as your website and fellowship to likeminded Christians.
I would like to call you reader with discernment to use your gift with all wisdom and compassion on those who are trapped by it.
"Jude 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear— hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."
Did you ever wonder why it took God six days to create the world but his church is nowhere near her supposed bridal beauty after 6000 years of his working? God bears a rotten church for a long time before he judges. He is soooo patient which you us so that we have time to repent. They can only repent if the prophet goes out and warns them.
Hes 37 Ezekiel 33:7
Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.
May God help us in this battle!
Narrowpath
