Wednesday, December 29, 2010

6. Why Are Charismatic Churches The Fastest Growing Churches in the World?

1.  Much Charismatic growth is by attracting Christians from other churches.  Because Charismatic churches place little emphasis on sound doctrine, this breeds an atmosphere of acceptance, which assists numerical growth.

If you never rebuke sin, have worldly attractions, and give people everything they want, you'll see growth, but you won't please God.

Charismaticism weakens churches that are committed to the fundamentals of the faith, while it energises ecumenical liberal, worldly churches.

2.  Numerical growth does not equal God's stamp of approval.  Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and other cults can boast amazing growth statistics, yet their beliefs are very unbiblical.  What about growth of Charismatic churches that hold to the fundamentals of the faith?  Jesus' parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43), mustard seed (13:31, 32), and the leaven (13:33) all predict outward growth in Christendom, but this growth would be accompanied by growth in evil influences (leaven, birds) from within.  Therefore, numerical growth does not mean that God approves all a church's doctrine.  Numerical growth, even by true conversions, can occur amidst false doctrine, e.g. The Corinthian church grew rapidly even though it was full of false doctrine and wrong behaviour.

Many churches claim to be evangelical, but challenge them on:

  1. The 100% inerrancy of Scripture.
  2. The historical, literal accuracy of Genesis 1-11.
  3. The factual nature of Jonah being swallowed by a fish.
  4. The scientific accuracy of a literal creation week, and they show themselves to disbelieve the Bible.
Christ prayed that the Father would sanctify believers through His Word (John 17:17), before He prayed that believers would be one (John 17:21).

If we loudly profess to believe every Bible truth, except where the world and devil are at the moment attacking, we are denying Christ and proving disloyal.  Today's battle against the Bible takes the form of an invasion of new revelations.  This is why Rome can happily endorse the Charismatic movement because Rome also has her new revelations that are contrary to the Bible.  We must be sound in belief, sound in a Godly life, and sound in serving Christ.  (Mick Alexander)

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

5. If Sign/Revelatory Gifts Are Not For Today, and Not From God...

. . . Why Do They Produce Apparently Good Effects in Believers Lives?

Step 1.  Many Charismatics claim to be enriched by speaking in tongues, making prophesies, words of knowledge, casting out of demons and sign gifts etc.  They may have a greater interest in the Bible, prayer, and witnessing.  How could such positive results not be from God?

Step 2.  Any military strategist knows that an enemy will often give up ground in order to gain a greater victory (Joshua 8: 15-21).  Satan is not afraid of prayer, Bible study or bold witness that is contrary to the Word of God, especially when it promotes error and advances his own kingdom.  Satan does strongly oppose genuine prayer, Bible study and gospel preaching when it is done Biblically and in the filling of the Holy Spirit.  Satan is happy to pull back opposition to Bible study, prayer and witness, if he can woo the believer away from Bible decision-making and into experiential decision-making (which is Satan's greater sought after victory).

Step 3.  If a believer moves into experiential decision-making, Satan can withdraw his opposition to Bible study, prayer and witness.  The believer then attributes his advancement in prayer, Bible study and witness to his new tongues experience.  This serves to lure the believer deeper into his experiential decision-making and hence further away from 100% Bible authority only.  Hence, by giving some ground, Satan leads believers into greater deception.  The believer more strongly clings to non-Biblical experiences.

Step 4.  The believer who accepts sign and revelatory gifts is replacing Biblical authority with experiential authorities.  Interpretation of verses becomes heavily weighted towards vindicating his experiences.

Step 5.  People are genuinely saved, they in turn accept the signs and wonders message, and the deception grows.  The basis for Christian fellowship is no longer the Bible, but a common experience such as tongues.  That is why Roman Catholics, liberal protestants, some evangelicals, and heretics unite in ecumenical charismatic fellowship.  Tongues causes divisions in a church, just as it did at the Tower of Babel.

Many Charismatics are not completely certain that their prophecies are from the Lord.  Many are troubled at healings that relapse.  Many Charismatics say that they are Spirit-filled yet live inconsistent lives.

Satan's contest in Eden was to steal Adam's loyalty away from the Word of God ("Yea, hath God saith?") and for him to live independent of God and His Word.

DO CHRISTIANS KNOW WHEN THEY ARE BEING MISLEAD?

No, not always.  In Matthew 16:21-23, Peter in expressing his love for Christ, was deceived by Satan in trying to stop Christ from going to the cross.  Jesus looked past Peter's love and saw Satan leading Peter away from the revealed will of God.  
  1. With the heart one receives or trusts Christ for salvation.
  2. With the will one obeys Christ.
  3. With the mind one abides in Christ.
Heart means:  Intellect, will, affections, loyalties.
Will means:  Action, commitment.
  • Many Christians spend hours in Christian bookshops looking for a book to give them the secret of victorious living.  If they can't find the power of God in a book, they will seek it in an experience.
  • The goal of the Christian life is to remain Spirit-filled.

ARE THERE ANY BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF SATAN GIVING UP SPIRITUAL GROUND IN ORDER TO GAIN SPIRITUAL ADVANTAGES?

  1. Satan offered Christ the world's kingdoms in exchange for Christ's worship.  Matthew 4: 8-10.
  2. Acts 16:16-18 The demonized damsel proclaimed that Paul's team were servants of the Most High God who proclaimed the way of salvation.  Why?  So that the gospel would be associated with the occult.
Many churches have changed from being a lighthouse to a weather vane.  Instead of lighting the way in the darkness, many churches merely turn with whatever fashion or worldly wind blows at the time.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is to take pre-emenence in all things.  The Holy Spirit's job is to reveal and exalt Jesus Christ.  The problem of powerless Christians is due to believers failing to surrender totally to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Living the Christian life is described by:  "Warfare", "fight", "run the race", "yield not", "work out", and "press towards".

 The Christian life is a disciplined life of constant vigilance, taking up the cross daily.  There are no shor tcuts to instant spirituality.

Roman Catholic Charismatics have greater zeal for Mary, Mass, and Papacy, and praying to saints, etc.  If Satan can achieve this, he will stop opposition to Charismatic churches so that apparent growth occurs.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

4. But Why Doesn't God Step In and . . .

. . . Chasten His Children To Woo Them Back To Obedience? (Hebrews 12)

The Holy Spirit and the Word of God continually call the believer to faithfulness and obedience (Phil. 2:12, 13).  Deception and impoverishment are the bitter fruits of turning away from the Word of God.  Sometimes God will allow His children to remain deceived as a chastisement until they turn again in submission to the Word of God.  Their salvation in Christ is secure through Christ's blood sacrifice.  They may serve the Lord faithfully in other areas and even be used successfully by God, but they will miss God's best blessings on earth and they will lose rewards in heaven. 

God will allow believers to choose whether to glorify Christ through submission and obeying Scripture or to rebel.  For dedicated servants of God who put aside the clear revelation of God and embrace new revelations in this life they will be deceived and impoverished, and in the next life they will suffer loss of rewards at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5-10).

Examples of charismatic deception are tongues, false healings, new revelations, words of knowledge spoken about other people, slaying in the "spirit", "Toronto" experience, etc. Consider briefly these two examples:

Slaying People in the Spirit is a Charismatic invention whereby hands are laid on a person's head and they lose consciousness, causing them to fall backwards onto the floor.  THIS IS NOT IN THE BIBLE, so forget it.  Laying hands on people is well known in the occult as a means of transferring demons.  It is more likely demonically influenced and all the more reason why we should avoid this movement.

Surrender of mind and emotions to group pressure.
On entering a Charismatic meeting, we meet many people dancing, throwing arms in the air, speaking in tongues [gibberish], on an emotional high and appearing very happy.  The average Christian realizes that he is not always like this nor is the church from which he has come (which is made to appear dead and lifeless in comparison).  He and his church are made to feel inferior and below what God expects.  He has always had thoughts that his Christian life hasn't always been as good as it ought to have been.  He immediately concludes that these people have a one-shot-sure-fire-answer to spirituality when they ask him if he has been baptised in the Holy Spirit or spoken in tongues [gobble-de-gook].  If he is not careful, he will assume that these people are right, without studying the Bible or without praying the issue through.  He may then agree to speak in tongues, which makes the Charismatics very happy.  He feels much love, acceptance and unity as a result, all because of an experience that he has had.  He then begins his Christian life by making his experience the authority on which he determines spiritual truth, and not the Bible.  He then defends his decision logically by saying what wonderful love and unity these people have and "power" (false albeit).  He asks, "how can they be wrong when they show such qualities?"

3. Why Would God Allow Dedicated Christians To . . .

. . . Continue in Error and Deception to Their Hurt or Spiritual Detriment?

1 Kings 13 reveals that even a dedicated and fearless prophet of God must suffer the consequences when he chooses deception over the clear revelation of God.

An unnamed man of God (v.1) was sent to Bethel "by the Word of the Lord" to prophesy against King Jeroboam and his idolatry (v.1-3).  When the King tried to arrest the prophet, the King's hand withered (v.4, 5).  He begged the man of God to intercede to God to restore his hand (v.6).  The man of God showed mercy, prayed to God and Jeroboam's hand was restored.  Then King Jeroboam offered him a reward (v.7) but the man of God refused (v.3-10).

Why?  He refused to stop for food because the clear revelation of God forbade him from receiving food or drink or retracing his steps (v.9).  So far he had walked in complete obedience to the Word of God.  He had passed the tests of:
  1. Fear because he had boldly carried out his job of proclaiming God's Word to the King.
  2. Compassion/Mercy.  He had not allowed the king's threats to dry up his mercy.  He willingly, lovingly prayed for Jeroboam's hand to be restored without revenge.
  3. The test of faithfulness to God over human favour had been overcome, because he turned down the King's offer of hospitality and reward.
  4. The test of deception, was the final test which he sadly failed.
Why?  God had clearly told him not to receive hospitality, but he rejected the clear revelation of the Word of God for a new revelation, and it cost him his life.

There was an old prophet living nearby who heard about his faithful stand.  The old prophet had lived in compromise at Bethel and invited the man of God home to dine with him (v.11-15). 

The man of God refused saying that he was under strict orders from God not to eat, drink or retrace his steps (v.16, 17).  The old prophet replied in v.18 "I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, bring him back with thee into thine house that he may eat bread and drink water.  But he lied unto him."

Why did he lie?  We are not told:
  1. Maybe he was envious at seeing a true prophet faithfully discharge his duties, when he had lived in compromise.
  2. Maybe he resented the man of God and had a convicted conscience.  
 The old prophet claimed a new revelation from God.  The man of God had to decide:
  1. Would he accept at face value the new revelation, or 
  2. Would he continue to cling to God's previous revelation?
Sadly, the once fearless and faithful prophet succumbed to deception.  And God allowed this to happen to a dedicated man of God.  Why?  Because in our pilgrimage on earth, there will always be the choice to follow the clear teaching of God's Word, or to replace it with the shallow promises, prophecies and deceptions of man.

The man of God retraced his steps back to the home of the old prophet and ate with him (v.19).  Over the meal, the old prophet revealed that because the man of God had disobeyed the Word of God, he would die (v.20-21).  And this is exactly what happened (v.23-26) because a lion slew him in the way.

From this we see that if God allowed a dedicated prophet of God to choose between the clear teaching of the Lord and deception, surely the Lord will let us have this choice today.  Many Christians suffer poor spiritual lives because they give up the Word of God, and embrace teachers who prophesy or give new revelations of their own spirit.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

2. Why Would God Allow Dedicated Christians To . . .

. . . Experience and Give In To Influences That Are Not From Him?


Every moment of his life, the Christian must battle spiritually with the world, the flesh and the devil.  This is part of the maturing process.  All believers are tempted with pride, worry, fear, sin and disobedience.  Does God allow believers to sin?  Yes, of course.

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him".  James 1:12.

The Lord allows us to test every experience by Scripture, or to go by our feelings.  God will allow us to be tempted in all forms.  This includes the temptation to depart from Scripture by believing false revelations.  Signs and wonders can have sources other than God (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10; Revelation 13:13, 14; Matthew 24:24).

Jesus warns four times of deception at the end of the Church age in Matthew 24.

If a Christian swaps the sword of the Spirit, and takes up feelings or human reasoning, he opens himself up to Satan's deception.

Many Christians in unemotional churches know very little Scripture.  In daily struggles with sin and temptation, believers are most vulnerable to the attraction of false instant spirituality.  Rather than live by the Word of God for victory, one may seek the apparent shortcut of tongues, prophecy, power evangelism, healing, etc. as the answer to his problems.

  • Charismatic leaders who criticize Bible teachers who urge careful study of the Bible, are hence criticizing the legitimate spiritual gift of teaching.  They urge charismatics to follow them without questioning their interpretation.  They oppose non-charismatics by asking:  "Who did God use, the educated Pharisees or the simple Apostles?"  They thus forget 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God ... rightly dividing the word of truth".
Along the way we all have difficult times, as seen by Elijah under the Juniper tree (1 Kings 19:4, 5), David fleeing from Saul, Paul's beatings, etc.  Don't seek a quick fix to gain instant spirituality.  The devil offered Jesus a shortcut to earth's kingdoms by avoiding the cross.  The devil will offer us many shortcuts seeming to easily solve our problems.  We must stick to the basics:  study the Word, pray, confess sin, yield to Christ, abide in Christ, and take up the cross daily.  These require work, watching and warfare.

DON'T SWAP THE WORD OF GOD FOR AN EXPERIENCE.

The main damaging side effect of charismaticism is the welcoming and accepting of heretics, apostates, nominal Christians and Roman Catholics into the Church.  A person can pray to Mary, then speak in tongues, thus being accepted into many charismatic fellowships.  Charismatics emphasize unity at the expense of doctrine.

1. Why Would God Allow Dedicated Christians To . . .

. . . Experience the Sign and Revelatory Gifts if they are not from Him?

Some evangelical churches have lapsed into cold, lifeless formalism.  They may be doctrinally right, but they may have lost their fervent love and zeal for God.  If a Pentecostal/Charismatic church has a high regard for the Bible, prayer, soul-winning zeal and a willingness to attempt great things for God, then this fills a void left by less-emotional churches.  Among these good things there resides a deceiving cancer that undermines the good that is being done.  This cancer is the matter of new revelations from God, of tongues, prophecy, words of knowledge, visions or dreams.

Neil Babcox, a former charismatic pastor left the charismatic church because of this issue.  He says, "When a prophet said "Thus said the Lord"", he meant that the very Word of God was being proclaimed, with infallibility, purity and divine authority.  The prophecies that I had spoken and heard others speak paled and diminished to the point of nothingness compared with the Bible".

Ezekiel protested "Thus saith the Lord God, Woe unto the foolish prophets that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!"  Ezekiel 13:3.

Isn't that what we were -- "prophets who had seen nothing?"

When the genuine prophets of God spoke, they spoke with certainty regarding every word.  This finds no parallel today.  The Bible's prophets knew with 100% certainty that they were speaking the very words of God.

"The spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me." Ezekiel 2:2.

Many who prophesy and claim to speak new revelations from God today know in their own hearts that they don't have the certainty of the Bible prophets, yet they continue to speak "new" revelations.

"Then the Lord said unto me, the prophets prophesy lies in my name:  I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them:  they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart".  Jeremiah 14:14.

It is no small thing to claim to speak new revelation from God, given the deception of Mormon prophecy.

This emphasis on new revelation undermines the authority of Scripture.  Dave Hunt rebukes the positive and possibility thinking of Paul Yonggi Cho and Robert Schuller with their occultish visualisation techniques, temptation to power and deification of man which is invading the church.

Charismatics teach that a proper understanding of Scripture does not come through correct interpretation, but through revelation (only to certain leaders), and that these new revelations supplement the Bible, and that these must be accepted as a "great move of God". 
  •  Charismatics often say:  "...we have revelation knowledge as God continues to speak to His people".  This sounds really spiritual, but it is in fact adding to Scripture.
Because the Scriptures are perfect, we cannot add to them.
  • John Wimber states:  "rational control (of the mind) must be forfeited for tongues speaking to occur, for ecstatic worship, for messages from God to be received directly into the mind, and for miraculous healings to happen".
  • Charismatics Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth Hagin's heresies were exposed in "The Agony of Deceit". (available at www.amazon.com)
Kenneth Copeland claimed that Jesus spoke new revelation to him, saying:  "Jesus did not come to earth as God, but only as a man;  Jesus never claimed to be God during His earthly ministry".
  • John White, a famous author, claims that Jesus Christ personally appeared to him on three occasions to give new revelation that would become part of Scripture.
[This is an excellent tool which true Christians can use to quickly identify those who are charlatans claiming to be Christians.  Any one who claims to receive special revelation knowledge, therefore adding to Scripture, or uses the phrase "God told me" can immediately be dismissed as a charlatan and a liar.  The Copelands and the Wimbers of this world need to feel the full wrath of every true Christian today.  They need to be called out publicaly on this issue.]

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Thank You God For 'Blessing' This Blog!

 F. Whitehead said...
I found the last four articles extremely interesting as well as well-researched with respect to Biblical backups to support your position. As I never take anything at face value, I have reviewed all of the Scripture verses mentioned and my blinders have been removed from my eyes. I know now that I am involved in a church that probably has a satanic influence and this frightens me more than I can say. I have read horror stories about people trying to leave churches like these and have actually seen some of my former friends be put out of our church for questionning what the Board and Pastors are doing and teaching. Thank you for posting.
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Anonymous G. Franklin said...
Wow! Wow! Wow! What an eye-opening article! I have been convinced that there has been something wrong in our church for some time but could not get anyone to listen. I have made an appointment to speak to our Pastor right after Christmas.. he needs to explain where he is getting his "spiritual" guidance. Thank you.
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Anonymous M. Dresdin said...
How terrible that so many can be taken in by such an evil! We as Christians need to be more vocal when these charlatans start infiltrating our churches with the hysteria and falling on the floor. In our church it started with the raising of hands and within a few months.. full blown hysteria. We left our church and have found a good Bible-believing one where these goings-on aren't there.

Anonymous Herman Gregory said...
Well-put! I enjoy following your blog and I must say that your insight into this strange and weird world of charismatic pentecostals is mind-opening.

Anonymous Maury Shipton said...
What a frightening thing! This means that the Pentecostal movement could be infiltrated by Satan and hypnotists. This is awful! How do we begin to bring this to an end?
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Anonymous S. C. Roweling said...
This phenomena of the mass hysteria has started to show up in our church here in the Jersey Island (UK). We currently attend an Anglican church but we have a new priest from the U.S. and this started with some of our young people's groups. We are sharing your blog with the Head Diocese here today! Thank you. Delete
Anonymous  
Alice & Byron White said...
We have been following your blog for over a year and really find these last two articles the most disturbing of any that we have read. Our teenage children have started attending a church (not the family one) where this is a common occurrence at every service. We do not understand how this practice has crept into the main stream churches and are at a loss at how to get our children out of this emotional experience that they seem to need.. they started going once a week and now they are involved with something almost every day of the week. Their schoolwork is suffering and all they can talk about is "pastor-says".. thanks for letting us vent!
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Anonymous Marissa de Long said...
Horrible, horrible, horrible! How can this be happening under our very noses. Are we so blind as to feel that we need that excitement each and every week from Church. If this continues, we are lost!
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Anonymous H. & D. Hirams said...
We are completely blown away by your blog. We have been deceived by our Pastor for a number of years and are appalled that this could happen to us. We got disallusioned with our former church and were befriended by some members of the local Victory Church who made us feel loved and wanted. Now, several years later, we can no longer afford our home and have it up for sale. Everything that we have read on your blog has happened to us in some form or another. Please continue writing so that others won't end up where we are now.
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Anonymous Otto Schriber said...
Honestly. How can people be so taken in by something that is so non-biblical in nature. I hope that you can continue to educate people in this area and that more will come to realize the errors of their ways.
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Anonymous Syliva & Thomas Morton said...
We are so thankful to have found your blog this week. We have read it with great interest as our children seem to think that we are "out to lunch" when it comes to what is going on in their church in California. We have sent them the link and hope that they will take the time to read some of the facts and research the verses that you quote.
Monique Drinkwater said...
What an interesting review of "Slain in the Spirit". I was quite taken aback when I looked up the verses quoted and learned that, in fact, God's people always fall forward on their faces and not backwards as goes on in the Pentecostal movements. These Charismatic churches really should get their Biblical facts straight! I had no idea and look forward to reading the next section.
Dave & Marcie Hedben said...
We had no idea that falling down backwards was not of God. Our pastor always has catchers available so that no-one bangs their heads on the ground. We have always thought that our evening services became very hysterical and once one person falls over, everyone else just follows. We have looked up all of the verses and will be discussing this with our small group this evening.
 Graydon Blume said...
Amazing! Where do you find this information? Penetcostals have been falling down on their backs for years and now it's become a "bad" thing? I am sending a link to this blog to our Board because if it is, in fact, true that only forward falling people are being influenced from God, we have a serious problem in our North American churches. I will be very interested to see what else you have to say on this subject.

H. Pathway said...
I have been saying this for years but it's like crying out in the wilderness. My children live for that explosive experience every week and nothing seems to get through to them. I am convinced more than ever that this is a satanic attack on the Christian church and more and more people will be drawn away. I am looking forward to reading the answers to the next question.

Rev. D.G. Browning said...
Great article. It's about time that someone took the time to investigate the "slain in the spirit" garbage that is pervading our church. Keep it up, Grand Poo-Bah!
Dave & Marcie Hedben said...
After having a very heated discussion with our small group, we have come to the conclusion that our church is teaching something that is not Biblical and that this practice should stop. We fully expect to be asked to leave our church as this is one of the cornerstone principles but now having this information directly from Biblical scriptures, we have no alternative but to follow it and not man's interpretation of being "slain in the spirit". We are also now looking into the tongues scriptures as well because you have made some valid points there as well.
M. & G. Shipson said...
We were in a small group this week that was discussing the verses that you outlined regarding being slain in the spirit. We are so appalled that our church has been teaching something so non-biblical and that our eyes were blinded by Satan in this area. If we cannot get our Board and Pastors to see reason, we will have no alternative but to move to a more biblically-based church.
A. Smythe said...
This is incredible! I had no idea that I was involved in a church that is teaching falsehoods. Thank you.
Please feel free to share if you have any personal experiences 
regarding "SATANIC INFLUENCES" in the Penetcostal church.  
'Pentecostal' includes any church where "Speaking in Tongues" 
or being "Slain in the Spirit" is practised.  These are only two of a
long list of problems which are rampant in the Pentecostal church.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Being Slain -- Is It the Work of the Holy Spirit? (4 of 4)

Is it conceivable, in the light of all that we have said, that this mass experience of religious fainting and hysterical convulsions is the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit of God?  We have proven that there is no biblical support for this experience as normative for the Christian believer.  We have shown that its true origins lie either in the realms of suggestion and hypnosis, as proffered by Western psychotherapy, or in the Possession-Trance of ancient Shamanism.  However, the susceptible frame of mind induced in the seekers of this experience opens them up to a dark spiritual realm of which they seem to be completely unaware.  We can only conclude that the spirit by which these people are being 'slain' is not the Holy Spirit of God but some other spirit, for 'God is not the author of confusion but of peace' (1 Cor. 14:33).  Those churches where the phenomenon is practised are being swept up into a supernatural tide of evil where they become shipwrecked on the rocks of ignorance -- ignorance of Church history, ignorance of Scripture, and ignorance of the true work of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We agree wholeheartedly with Seraphim Rose when he writes:

 'It is only foolishness when some "charismatic" apologists presume to compare these childish and hysterical experiences which are open to absolutely everyone, with the Divine revelations accorded to the greatest Apostles, such as Paul on the road to Damascus, or to John the Evangelist on Patmos.  Those Apostles fell down before the true God (without contortions and certainly without laughter), whereas these pseudo-Christians are merely reacting to the presence of an invading spirit, and are worshipping only themselves.  If these "charismatic" experiences are religious experiences at all, then they are pagan religious experiences; and in fact they seem to correspond exactly to the mediumistic initiation experience of spirit-possession, which is caused by an "inner force welling up inside attempting to take control"...  What is involved in these experiences -- when they are genuine and not merely the product of suggestion -- is not merely the development of mediumisticability, but actual possession by a spirit.  These people would seem to be correct in calling themselves "spirit-filled" -- but it is certainly not the holy spirit with which they are filled!
 
What Maria Woodworth-Etter practised was Mesmerism; what Mesmer practised was a Westernized form of Shamanism; and what Shamans practised is Possession-Trance -- and that is what the phenomenon called 'Slain in the Spirit' is all about.  To credit this occult experience to the work of the Holy Spirit is as close to blasphemy as one can get.


EPILOGUE:  The Believer's Response

Christian believers need great patience, perseverance and powers of discernment.  The biblically-ignorant and rebellious churches of today are not discipling followers of Jesus Christ but are instead grooming a new generation of spirit-mediums whose religious experiences differ little from those of countless pagan cults, both ancient and modern.

Those who profess Christianity should refrain from indulging in practices which undermine the essential message of its Founder.  Instead of inducing mass swoonings and hysterical laughter, churches should be cultivating widespread repentance and reverential worship before the present time of God's mercy comes to an end (Rev. 14:14-20; 18:4-24; cf. 2 Cron. 36:15-16).  If the crisis in modern Christianity deepens, the ensuing Divine judgment will defy the powers of the imagination.  (Alan Morrison)

S.I.T.S. - Can it Rightly Be Described As A Revival? (3 of 4)

We have seen that there is no biblical support for the 'Slain in the Spirit' experience, and that its origins are anything but Christian.  Before we examine the claim that the Holy Spirit is the inspiration behind the phenomenon, let us see whether these unusual occurrences could be considered as a 'revival', as is often claimed by its advocates.

A genuine revival of Christian spirituality fosters a profound sense of the awesome holiness of God and a piercing awareness of one's own sin (Isa. 6:5; Job 42:5-6; Lk. 5:8).  It engenders a desire to obey Christ's Law and the teachings of the Apostles whom He appointed, coupled with a humble and orderly partaking in the Lord's Supper (Acts 2:42). 

In contrast with the signs of a genuine Christian revival, we find that being 'Slain in the Spirit' results in a sensual yearning for psycho-religious experiences which then take precedence over Christian spirituality and lead to a rejection of Biblical revelation.  Consequently, the practitioner of this all-consuming ritual rapidly becomes enslaved by its seeming catharsis.  For example, even after many years of having these "charismatic" experiences, we find that a Church of England Bishop is still having to race off to a church in Toronto where he can be found lying 'on the floor roaring like a lion' (Sunday Telegraph, June 19, 1994, p. 5).  That is not spiritual revival -- that is demonic bondage!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Origins of Being 'Slain in the Spirit' (2 of 4)

If there is no support for this experience as bona fide Christian practice, then how are we to identify it?  What is its true origin?  According to the above-mentioned article in the Times, the spate of  'religious fainting' to which it refers has its recent origins in a small church in Toronto, Canada -- hence it has recently been referred to as the 'Toronto Blessing'.  This experience can certainly be transferred from one church to another -- usually through a visit by members of an affected church, or by an influential leader who encourages it during a service.  But that is by no means the real wellspring of this phenomenon, which has always been around in one form or another in the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. In fact, it can be traced back even earlier than the beginnings of Pentecostalism at the turn of this century.

One of the earliest and most notorious advocates of this experience was an itinerant preacher in the so-called 'Holiness Movement', Maria Woodworth-Etter (1844-1924), who also gained a reputation for falsely prophesying that San Francisco would be destroyed by an earthquake in 1890.  In her preaching in the 1880s, she advocated a religious experience which she called 'The Power', and she would often go into a trance during services, standing with her hands raised in the air for more than an hour.  Nicknamed the 'trance-evangelist' and even the 'voodoo priestess', she was often accused of hypnotising people.  And here we come to the very crux of the 'Slain in the Spirit' phenomenon.

What Maria Woodworth-Etter had discovered was the ancient art of hypnotism, the practice of which was first popularised in the West one hundred years earlier by the Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815).  As one researcher of the occult has noted, 'the phenomena that are defined as 'hypnotic' emerged from the faith-healing activities of Mesmer at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries' (James Webb, 'The Occult Establishment', Open Court 1976, p. 352).  Mesmer had developed his pantheistic theory of 'Animal Magnetism', which resulted in the famous faith-healing sessions at his clinic in Paris.  In a major book on the occult (which was originally titled 'The Black Arts'), a description of these sessions reads as follows:

'Mesmer marched about majestically in a pale lilac robe, passing his
 hands over the patient's bodies or touching them with a long
iron wand.   The results varied.  Some patients felt nothing at all,
some felt as if insects were crawling over them, others were
seized with hysterical laughter, convulsions or fits of hiccups. 
Some went into raving delirium, which was called'The Crisis'
and was considered extremely healthful.' 
(Richard Cavandish, 'The Magical Arts', RKP, 1984, p. 180).

In a book significantly entitled 'Three Famous Occultists', a record of Mesmer's clinics by a contemporary historian gives a similar portrayal of his manipulative sessions: 

'Some are calm, tranquil and experience no effect.  Others cough,
spit, feel slight pains, local or general heat, and have sweatings.
  Others, again, are agitated and tormented with convulsions,
These convulsions are remarkable in regard to the number affected
with them, to their duration and force.  They are preceded and
followed by a state of languor or reverie'.
(R.B. Ince, 'Three Famous Occultists', Gilbert Whitehead, 1939,
pp. 87-88).

Sometimes the participants in these sessions would hold hands to form a circle, and it was not uncommon for waves of communal singing to occur.  There is an inescapable comparison here with the phenomena which have so bewitched numerous churches today.  Although its practitioners are ignorant of the fact variations of the 'Mesmeric Crisis' experience are being repeated in Pentecostal-Charismatic meetings throughout the world today.  Repetitive chorus-singing to create an intoxicating atmosphere, the laying on of hands, powerful physical sensations, agitation, hysterical laughter, raving delirium, convulsions, all followed by a deep sleep or state of reverie.  Like its Mesmeric counterpart, this religious experience is induced as the result of the potent suggestions or physical touch (or even the mere presence) of an influential teacher.  Furthermore, it is an experience that is available to anyone who is open to receive it, of whatever religious persuasion, and it has as little to do with Christian spirituality as a Dionysian rite.

However, the true significance of Mesmer's hypnotherapy sessions was well understood by some of his more perceptive contemporaries.  Way back in 1784, the King of France wisely appointed a Commission to examine Mesmer's claims, consisting of reports from two reputable medical bodies:  the Faculty of Medicine of the Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of Medicine.  This commission came to the highly discerning conclusion: 

'That man can act upon man at any time, and almost at will, by striking
his imagination; that the simplest gestures and signs can have the
most  powerful effects; and that the action of man upon
the imagination may be reduced to an art, and conducted
with method, upon subjects who have faith'
(R.B. Ince, op. cit., pp. 107-108).

Mesmer's discovery that his patients could be controlled by his will is acknowledged as being the great foundation-stone of modern hypnotism, as well as exerting a profound influence on succeeding generations of occultists of many traditions, ranging from the Cabbalist magician Eliphas Levi, to the U.S. Spiritualist Movement of the nineteenth century, which had discovered that in the Mesmeric trance a person could readily make contact with discarnate entities or 'spirit-guides' - the significance of which will soon become clear.

When Anton Mesmer discovered, in the late eighteenth century, the rudiments of manipulative hypnotism, the seeds of Western psychotherapy were sown -- a fact which is confirmed by a prominent psychiatrist in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine:

'What is important is the impact and influence [Mesmer] had on
the subsequent development of psychiatry.  It would indeed be no
exaggeration to say that he was one of the world's first psychotherapists'
(J.R.S.M., Vol. 85, no. 7, July 1992, p. 383).

It is Mesmer's crude form of manipulative hypnotherapy which is being practised by the 'deliverance ministries' and 'healing' crusades of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement, through which the strong suggestions and even the mere touch of a powerful teacher can turn the lives of the guillible inside-out.  But the origins of this hypnotically-induced 'Crisis Experience' can be traced back much further than the eighteenth century.  For the hypnotherapists of today have simply rehashed the psychological and spiritist techniques of the ancient Shamans -- the witch-doctors and medicine men of pagan cultures -- in a modern guise.  The New Age scientist, Dr. Fritjof Capra, physics professor at Berkley University, California, reveals that


'Shamans used therapeutic techniques such as group sharing, psycho
drama, dream analysis,  suggestion, hypnosis, guided imagery [visualisation], and
psychadelic therapy for centuries before they were rediscovered
by modern psychologists'.
(Fritjof Capra, 'The Turning Point: Science, Society, and the Rising Culture',
Flamingo/Collins, 1982, p. 337).  [emphasis added]

Just as the Western psychologists are proffering ancient Shamanistic practices in a guise which is more palatible to the uninitiated Westerners, so the professing Christian churches which peddle 'religious fainting' have simply made the Possession-Trance state of Shamanism more readily acceptable to the undiscerning sheep who attend their heated meetings.  These are the true origins of the strange phenomena which are being so widely reported today and which are bringing the Gospel and Church of Jesus Christ into so much disrepute.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

We All Fall Down (1 of 4)

PROLOGUE: The Present Problem

A powerful religious phenomenon appears to be sweeping through many churches across the world.  So marked has this been that extensive comment has even appeared in the national press.  For example, on June 18, 1994 the Times newspaper carried a report headed 'Spread of Hysteria Fad Worries Church', in which it was stated that 'a religious craze that originated in Canada and involves mass fainting and hysterical laughter has crossed the Atlantic to cause growing concern in the Church of England'.  In this article, it was reported that the vicar of a large church in London 'was forced to cancel an evening service of Holy Communion ... because so many of his congregation were lying on the floor'.  Apparently, the service had 'ended in chaos ... as dozens of people burst into spontaneous laughter or tears, trembled and shook or fell to the floor'.  The church's parish newsletter then carried an article about the service under the headline 'Holy Spirit Fever Hits London', in which it described the phenomenon as a 'revival'.

The widespread occurrence of this activity in churches today -- often referred to as being 'Slain in the Spirit' -- requires some careful examination.  When confronted with unusual phenomena which purport to be of Divine origin, the diligent believer will search the Bible to see whether they are compatible with what God has revealed to us.  In view of the publicity which has been given in the media, and the confusion into which so many believers have been thrown on this issue, the questions which must be asked are: 1) What is the Biblical evidence for this phenomenon?  2) What is its true origin?  3) Can this occurrence rightly be described as a 'revival'?  4) Is it really the work of the Holy Spirit?

These are the questions that we will address in this brief paper.

WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE?

To establish if there is any support in the Bible for the experience of being 'Slain in the Spirit', let us examine the texts that have been offered as proof that it is a legitimate Christian practice.  In the Bible, there are a number of people who are spoken of as having fallen down as a result of a spiritual encounter.  These are cited as proof of the 'Slain in the Spirit' experience.  But we must first discover in what manner they fell, what caused it to happen, and whether their falling could be considered as normative for all believers in every era.

For example, proof is sought in the fact that Abram fell into a deep sleep, during which God gave him a revelation about his descendents (Gen. 15:12-21).  But this unique event involving a lone servant of God could hardly be likened to the euphoric, mass Pentecostal-Charismatic experience of being 'Slain in the Spirit', especially as the Scripture says that 'horror and great darkness fell upon him'!  Another alleged proof text involves the pagan soothsayer Balaam, who is said to have 'fallen' while undergoing a visionary experience (Num. 24:4ff).  But this extraordinary event involving the giving of judgmental prophecy can hardly be cited as a normative experience for all believers, as Balaam was not even a believer!  In fact, he is presented by the Apostle Peter as an illustration of the false teachers in the Christian church who pervert the truth of the Gospel (2 Pet. 2:15; cf. Rev. 2:4-15), and he was eventually killed by the children of Israel as an enemy of God (Jos. 13:22).

Another proof text offered is that which tells of Ezekiel having a vision of the Lord in all His glory (Ezk. 1:28).  The prophet was so utterly awestruck and overcome by what he had seen -- a vision too terrible to behold -- that he fell forwards to the ground, prostrate in a state of abject worship.  But this response of a lone man of God cannot possibly be used to support the 'Slain in the Spirit' experience as it is entirely different to what happens in Pentecostal-Charismatic gatherings, where a mass of people simply fall down (usually backwards) in a swoon because of the loaded suggestions and triggering touch of a human being, rather than as a response to the awesome power of God.

It is also important to note that Ezekiel fell forwards on his face.  In the Bible it is only God's enemies who fall backwards when confronted with His naked spiritual power (e.g., Jn. 18:6; cf. Isa. 28:13); whereas the believers in the Bible always fell on their faces in reverential adoration and worship, without a trace of the hysterical laughter or convulsions we see in so many churches today (e.g., Gen. 17:1-3; Jos. 5:13-15; Ezek. 1:28; 43:1-5; 44:4; Mt. 17:5-6; Rev. 1:17; 7:11; 11:16-17).

In the New Testament, Mt. 28:1-4 and Jn. 18:1-6 are cited as Biblical proof of the 'Slain in the Spirit' experience.  But these two cases of falling to the ground are simply the responses of fearful men to Divine power, and have no redemptive or salvific qualities whatsoever -- as the sequel to the second example clearly shows (Jn. 18:12).

The experience of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, as recounted in Acts 9:4 and 26:14, is also offered as proof for the validity of being 'Slain in the Spirit', as also is Paul's 'third heaven' experience in 2 Cor. 12:2.  But these are hardly normative experiences for all believers and there is not a jot of proof that to be 'caught up to the third heaven' is equivalent to the 'Slain in the Spirit' experience.

It is evident that there are no Scriptures supporting the validity of the Pentecostal-Charismatic experience involving 'mass swooning and hysterical laughter' during meetings of worship.  In view of the widespread nature of the phenomenon in professing Christian churches and the fact that there is no sound guidance being given to those seeking it, this is a matter for serious concern.  And that brings us to our next question.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Do We Have Apostles and Prophets Today?

There are some today who claim to be Apostles but they don't meet the criteria set out in Acts 1:15-22 where it says that an Apostle must be someone who was around from the time of John's baptism to Jesus' ascension.  Also, who can honestly say that they have the mark of an Apostle which is signs, wonders and miracles (2 Cor. 12:12)?  Today, these criteria are ignored and people turn to Ephisians 4 for support but there is no support there when this passage is correctly interpreted.

Eph. 4:11-15 talks about Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers.  Apostles and Prophets were particularly special in the early church because God gave them great power and knowledge to establish the church.  They established the church and passed their knowledge on to us in their letters to their churches.  These letters (now part of the New Testament) replaced the need for Apostles and Prophets but of course Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers are still with us today.  A close look at Eph. 4:11-15 shows this:

Eph.4:11-12 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [From these verses we see that God used these men to build the church up.  During those times there was no New Testament, however, the Apostles and Prophets were 'living New Testaments' who taught the infant church and put their God-given knowledge and prophecy into writing which circulated throughout the churches and eventually became part of the Bible.  These men taught with the knowledge they had received directly from God.  The next verse starts with the word 'until' which puts a limit on the time of the work of the fivefold ministry.]

Eph 4:13 UNTIL we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  [The words "until we all reach unity...and become mature" tell us that the fivefold ministry of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers had a time limit and would only be needed until the early church was united and mature.  The next verse starts with 'then' and gives the result of the church coming to maturity.]

Eph. 4:14 THEN we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming [The 'then' in this verse tells us that then (that is, when the church was established and mature) they would no longer be tossed back and forth by false doctrines but would be solid in their faith.  It goes without saying that the early church did reach the point of maturity.  Now, note the word 'instead' which starts the next verse.]

Eph. 4:15 INSTEAD, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.   ['Instead' tells us that, instead of being tossed around by various false doctrines, the mature, early church would reach a point where it would be solid in Christ.  To say this never happened is absurd, to say the least.]

Some argue that we still need Apostles and Prophets because the church has not yet reached maturity and unity and that we have to wait for Jesus to return for that to happen.  However, by saying this they miss the point that the early church is in view here and it most certainly reached maturity and unity in the faith.  If we say that the early church never reached such a state then we are saying that, even under the powerful leadership of the Apostles, they remained immature infants in Christ and were tossed back and forth by false doctrine.  It is also nonsensical to say that "until we all reach unity" refers to the time of Jesus' return as the passage would then be saying, "We will have the fivefold ministry UNTIL Jesus returns when we will all unite and be mature and THEN we will no longer be tossed back and forth by false doctrines but INSTEAD we will grow into Him".  The fact is, we mature as we walk with Jesus and rather than "growing into Him" when He returns we will be immediately changed into His likeness.

Eph. 2:19-20 tells us that the church was built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and the Bible doesn't mention successors for these ministries.  Since the foundation has already been laid, their special ministry is no longer needed.  The knowledge and prophecy they received from God has been passed onto us in the New Testament letters and now churches come to maturity through the Bible and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  There is simply no need to have a continuing line of these unique men [or women].  God gave them special power to establish the church initially and now the Bible contains the knowledge and prophecy that we need to build churches on the foundation that has already been laid.  The passage 1 Cor. 13:8-13 confirms that the completed Bible would be the end of prophecy and knowledge.  In 1 Cor. 13:11 Paul talks about putting away the 'childish' gifts of tongues, prophecy and knowledge and this is because they were only needed in the 'infant' church of His time. (Mick Alexander)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Tongues Have Ceased -- A Brief Summary (8 of 8)

The following is a summary of the various perspectives
of the cessation of tongues.

Many people who speak in tongues say that their experience confirms that it is the Holy Spirit guiding them.  A careful study of the following will show that the gift of tongues has actually ceased.  I would be happy to hear from anyone who can Biblically refute this argument thus showing that the gift of tongues has not ceased, as I have no desire to dishonour the Lord with false doctrine.

1 Cor 13:8 - 10 says that tongues will cease and that prophecy and knowledge will fade and disappear when 'that which is perfect' has come.  What is meant by 'that which is perfect' in 1 Cor 13:10 (KJV)?

  1. 1 Cor 13:8 says that tongues, prophecy and knowledge will cease.  When will they cease?
  2. 1 Cor 13:9-10 says that prophecy and knowledge will cease when "that which is perfect is come."
  3. In Greek, the words "that which" and "perfect" are in the neuter form.  So, "that which is perfect" cannot be referring to Jesus as the words are not masculine. 
  4. When 1 Cor was written, the Bible was incomplete...it was 'in part',  and that is why prophecy and knowledge in 1 Cor 13:9, were said to be 'in part.'  When the Bible was completed, this special, revelatory prophecy and knowledge ceased because all the future prophecy and special knowledge which God wanted us to have was now contained in the Bible.  The word 'perfect' can be translated 'complete' or 'finished' and these words describe our 'that which is perfect' Bible.
The inspired writers of the Bible were given futuristic prophecy and special knowledge.  Futuristic prophecy such as Revelation was given to these men to foretell the things which God wanted to reveal to man.  Supernatural knowledge was needed to explain things like redemption, Christian living, church guidelines, etc.  After these things were recorded in Scripture, this type of prophecy and knowledge ceased so Scripture cannot be added to today.  Normal knowledge will never cease but will continue forever and increase greatly after Jesus' return.  Today, we are encouraged to grow in biblical knowledge and to prophecy in the form of biblical preaching, as in 1 Cor 14:24-25, which saves and edifies souls.

What was the purpose of tongues?
  1. 1 Cor 14:22 says, "Tongues then...are a sign for unbelievers."  The word "then" ("Wherefore" in the KGB) means that this verse is referring back to the previous verse (s.)
  2. 1 Cor 14:21 says that God will speak to "this people".  The New Testament term "this people"  always refers to Jews and the unbelievers being referred to in 1 Cor 14:22 (from Isa 28) were Jews.
  3. In Acts, whenever tongues was used Jews were present.
  4. So, the purpose of tongues was to be a sign to unbelieving Jews.  One sign was to show that salvation was for the Gentiles also (hence the foreign languages).  Clearly, the sign is no longer needed.
  5. Tongues was also a sign of judgment against the Jews.  The quote in 1 Cor 14:21-22 comes from Isaiah 28:11-13 where judgment is pronounced against Israel.  Their Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.
Tongues is nowhere said to be a sign of a Christian being saved through receiving the Holy Spirit, nor is it said to be either a Prayer Language, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, or Tongues of Angels.  These things can only be read into the text.  The Bible only says that tongues was a sign to unbelieving Jews, nothing more.  The first church in Jerusalem was entirely Jewish and they badly needed convincing that Gentiles were part of God's salvation plan as they were fiercely, often violently, opposed to it.  One example in Acts 11 shows this opposition and how tongues was used as a sign to verify that the Gentiles were in God's plan.  Today, we have the Bible to explain the mystery of  the church (Eph 3:1-6).  Tongues, prophecy and knowledge are grouped because they had a limited purpose and when that purpose was served they were removed.

Is 'that which is perfect' Jesus' Second Coming or a believer's eventual state of perfection?

Sometimes "that which is perfect" is interpreted to be the Second Coming or the 'state of perfection' which believers attain when transformed into the likeness of Jesus.  This has serious short-comings such as:
  1. If the three items of 1 Cor 13:8 were not going to cease before we see Jesus, then why does the Bible mention ceasing?  If they were meant to be around to the end, like healing, etc., why would God even bring the matter of ceasing up?
  2. In vs. 9-10, only prophecy and knowledge are spoken of in reference to perfection.  Why?  Simply because they are the very two gifts used since Genesis for the inspired writing of Scripture.  With the completed Bible these 'in part' gifts were withdrawn so today no-one can add to the perfect Word.
  3. There are six items mentioned in the passage 1 Cor 13:8-13.  Of these six, three are said to remain and three are said to cease.  Clearly, if words mean anything, three cease at some point in time while the other three remain beyond that point, until we see Jesus...when faith and hope will also cease.  (see 'Remaining' and 'Ceasing' below).
  4. 1 Cor 13:11 speaks of maturing in the here and now not when Jesus returns.  V. 12 mentions a mirror -- mirrors are for reflection...to see ourselves.  Jam. 1:23-25 connects the perfect Word of God with a mirror and it is through the Bible that we mature and come 'face to face' with our sinful self as it "judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Heb. 4:12).  Also, just as God knows us fully, through the Bible we can fully know His plans and purposes from Genesis to Revelation.
Remaining and Ceasing

1 Cor 13:1-3 uses exaggerated language (hyperbole) to emphasise that love is more important than any gift.  Paul says that even if  he could speak in an angelic tongue, fathom all mysteries, had all knowledge or faith to move mountains but didn't have love then he had nothing.  He didn't say that he could do these things (in v.9 he said that knowledge and prophecy were in part) but that if  he could yet didn't have love then he had nothing.  Vs. 4-8 tells us what love is.

Paul goes on in v.8 to say that tongues, prophecy and knowledge will cease.  Then vs. 9-10 tell us when and vs.11-12 give us the result of having the full revelation of God.  Verse 13, which starts with "and now" (the Amplified Bible says "and so"), is a summation of vs. 1-12.  It sums it all up by saying, "And so [although some gifts will eventually pass away] the greater gifts of faith, hope and love will remain."  The word 'remain' implies that something has been removed and v.8 tells us that tongues, prophecy and knowledge are the things to be removed.  V.13 says that faith, hope and love will remain after this happens.  So clearly there is a time when three gifts disappear and after that time faith, hope and love continue on.

2 Cor 5:7 says, "We live by faith, not by sight."  Heb 11:1 says, "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" and "hope that is seen is no hope at all" (Rom 8:24).  So when we see Jesus, and are made perfect our faith and hope will be fulfilled and then only love will remain. (Eph 4:5-6 say there is only one hope and one faith -- the gift of 1 Cor 12:9 -- and like all gifts it will not continue into eternity.)  From this it can be seen that the timing for the cessation of tongues, prophecy and knowledge is separate from, and before, the time of Jesus' return.  Tongues, prophecy and knowledge were singled out to disappear while faith and hope remain but only until Jesus returns (Note 1 Pet 1:9 and Tit. 2:13).  It is not possible for the three gifts of v. 8 to remain along with our faith and hope.  Why?  Because that would be saying that the things to cease will remain until the things that remain cease. (All other gifts must still be with us as there is no mention of them ceasing.)

There are only two things that are perfect -- Jesus and the Bible.  Because Jesus is ruled out, then only the Bible is left.  However, if there is a third thing which is perfect then it has to:
  1. Be genderless
  2. Be relevant to prophecy and knowledge
  3. Do away with prophecy and knowledge
  4. Be likened to a mirror
  5. Be something through which a believer can mature
  6. Bring us face to face with something
  7. Come before Jesus' return.
I don't think that any stretch of the imagination could come up with a perfect thing, other than the Bible, which meets these criteria.

In Mark 16:15-18, Jesus said that tongues would be one of the signs to follow evangelists as they preached the gospel.  This did occur as Acts shows.  However, about 20 years after Jesus said this, 1 Corinthians was written stating that tongues would cease and this occurred many years later, when the Bible was completed.  The rules of 1 Cor 14 were given because of the abuse of the gift and didn't alter the fact that tongues, being just a sign, was to cease later on.  An unemotional study of the Bible will reveal that tongues has ceased and should be renounced and cut off in the Lord's Name.

This blog and the previous seven blogs beginning with the title "Today's Tongues" have been authored by Bryce Hartin.  His impeccable credentials are as follows:

Bryce Hartin is an ordained Minister of the Gospel, accredited with the Baptist Union of Queensland.

He has undertaken studies at the Sydney Bible Training Institute, Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, U.S.A. and Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto, Canada.

He has travelled extensively, conducting crusades and speaking at conventions throughout Canada, U.S.A., India, South-East Asia and the Middle East, and has ministered in some of the largest churches in these countries.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Regular Fellowship With Demons (7 of 8)

SUPERNATURAL ELEMENT

The more spiritually discerning readers should be able to see that in order to gain acceptance with the masses, the World Church must of necessity have a supernatural element.  Since the God of Heaven would never give His blessing to such a "witch-doctor's brew" as this, then the supernatural element will have to be supplied by Satan -- and it has been.

The supernatural element in this poisonous mixture is Spiritism.  Yes!  The once despised but now respectable cult of Spiritism will, I believe, be the deadliest element in Satan's brew of abominations to seduce Evangelical Christians.

Those of us who have been counselling in the area of the Occult have observed that evil spirits have been progressively extending their influence in the sphere of professing Christianity.  The extension of influence on the part of evil spirits is in exact proportion to the diminishing emphasis on the absolute Authority of the Bible.

THE SNARE

Most tongues speaking people will of course readily agree that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, yet many claim to have new and more timely revelations direct from the Spirit of God.  But I would like to point out here, that it has been our experience that any revelations apart from the written Word can very easily be given by evil spirits, and herein lies the snare, because once we depart from the written Word, we are immediately launched on to the sea of uncertainty and are open to the influence of "deceiving spirits."

A SOLEMN WARNING

Now all thoughtful readers are going to realize that the material that has been set forth here has extremely serious ramifications.  Because of this and knowing what I have observed through counselling tongues-speaking people, I urge all people now in churches where "speaking in tongues" is practiced, to GET OUT, because you are in DANGER!  Find another fellowship somewhere that is free of spiritualistic phenomena.  Even if you have to travel a long distance to attend, it will be well worth both the effort and expense.

To those NOT in tongues-speaking churches, I issue this word of warning.  Because of the rapid spread of this phenomenon, there will eventually come a time when you will be confronted with this matter. [see previous blog comments.]  You will be urged to seek this supposed "gift of tongues."  Well-meaning but deceived people will pressure you to "let your mind go blank" so the Holy Spirit can speak through you.  If you yield to this impulse and relinquish control of your mind, you will eventually discover as thousands are now finding, that it will not be the Holy Spirit that you come in contact with, but an evil spirit, impersonating Him and the end results can be devastating.  It is my prayer that the Lord will give you much wisdom and enable you to avoid the deception that I have outlined here.

THE END RESULTS

After many years of counselling people who have been "slain in the spirit" or "spoken in tongues" or who have been "prayed over in tongues" or "laid hands upon," we have been forced to the conclusion that almost all have problems.  These problems vary greatly.  They include emotional, physical, mental, psychological, moral, social and of course spiritual problems.  These problems have been directly caused by the people concerned coming into contact with demons.  In a large proportion of cases, they have actually come under demonic control.  What begins as a casual contact with demons through speaking in tongues, often progresses to "regular fellowship with demons."

The end result is, as could be expected, most of these people are, in the long term, devastated.  They are lured into a supernatural bondage that can only be broken by supernatural means.  A very high percentage want nothing more to do with Christianity or the Bible.  The human wreckage resulting from this diabolical deception can now be found scattered all across the gray landscape of our society.  Some, after having been hurt so badly, try to pick up the pieces and immerse themselves in worldly pleasure.  Others crack under the pressure and are institutionalized.  Many who come to us seeking help are so tormented by demons that they openly declare that if release cannot be found, then suicide is the only course of action left to them.

My prayer is that godly Pastors and Bible Teachers everywhere will not only "feed the flock of God" but faithfully warn the sheep not to go seeking ecstatic experiences outside what is clearly taught in Scripture.

If we wander from the path of clearly revealed truth, God will not save us from delusion.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

New Inroads of Demonism (6 of 8)

In hypnotism, the subject's personality is set aside and replaced by the personality of another human being.  But in the modern-day tongues movement, the personality of the subject is set aside and replaced with that of an evil spirit.  Both are clearly cases of substituted or displaced personality.  In both cases, the person is constrained by the will of another being to think, say and do things he would not otherwise think, say or do.  Many should be able to see from this what terrible danger Christians put themselves in when they let their minds "go blank" in an effort to get the Holy Spirit to speak through them in tongues.  We have learned in deliverance ministry that evil spirits have no scruples whatever in speaking of sacred things.  In fact, they will go to almost any length to gain the coveted "control" over an individual. 

Some Christians have described various tongues-speaking meetings as "just like being in a seance" as people "fell under the power" or were "slain in the spirit."  The present-day results of these new inroads of demonism are nowhere near as bad as they will be in the future.  The events we now see are simply paving the way for even greater forms of demonic activity.  Satan is now getting people accustomed to spiritistic manifestations as a means of establishing his credentials.  Having done this, I believe we can expect a last great general assault on the human race accompanied by "great signs and wonders." 

Now, as we have already mentioned the spirit speaking through people in today's speaking in tongues is definitely not the Holy Spirit of God, because He simply does not operate in this manner.  The spirit speaking through them is one of the "deceiving spirits" referred to earlier.

The unsuspecting recipient of this supposed "gift of tongues" sincerely believes he has been singled out by a loving God and given a special gift.  The truth is, he is having "fellowship with demons," something strictly forbidden in 1 Cor 10:20. 

Many who give careful attention to what I am saying here will, I am sure, immediately see why I have chosen the subtitle "Spiritism Made Respectable?"  because that is exactly what it is.  The modern-day form of tongues that is spreading so rapidly within the Christian Church seems pure, unadulterated Spiritism!  The spirit uttering this unintelligible gabble is an evil spirit and the person through whom the utterance is made in allowing his body and tongue to be used by this spirit, has, in actual fact, become a "spirit medium."

When given serious thought the conclusions are obvious.

If the spirit speaking in tongues through a person is not the Holy Spirit, then obviously it must be an evil spirit.  If it is an evil spirit then the person concerned is engaged in Spiritism and as I have just stated has himself become a "medium."  It can be readily seen from this, what gigantic deception tongues-speaking people are under.  They have embraced what in reality is an alliance between Christianity and Spiritism.

It would be impossible to exaggerate just how serious a threat this is to the whole body of Christ.  The machinery is now in full operation for the greatest deception of all time, and as this form of deception continues to spread, multiplied millions of people are going to be spiritually and emotionally devastated.

THE BUILDING BLOCKS

If I am correct in my conclusions, we have here the components that will make up the religion of the coming World Church.  These components are Religious Humanism, Spiritism, and Apostate Christianity.  These, I believe, will form the building blocks of which the "coming world church" will be built.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Spiritism Made Respectable (5 of 8)

Now to return to the merger of Spiritism and Christianity.

Until recent times, Spiritism was generally discredited.  Its alleged phenomena were ridiculed and its mediums denounced as impostors.  All this has now changed.  The practice of Spiritism in some form or other has now become acceptable in society, but even more, its emergence in the tongues speaking section of the Church has actually made it respectable.  The way is thus being prepared for new ever-widening spheres of demonic activity and for the supply of new and more efficient human channels through whom these deceiving spirits may operate.  Someone has well said that the partition between the natural and the supernatural is wearing thin in places.  Such is indeed the case.  With the emergence this century of the tongues movement with its powerful emotional hype and its psychic healings, Satan has now created for himself a new source of authority and these teachings, having now gained respectability, open the door very wide for other "doctrines of demons." 

I feel it is highly important that readers should fully understand the strange alliance that has been formed between Christianity and Spiritism.  Any offspring resulting from this union will of course be a hybrid and a demonic one at that, and as I mentioned earlier, Satan would have to be the mastermind behind such massive deception as this.

THE EMOTIONAL HYPE

Another point that I find of interest in this:  after some years of counselling in this field, I have observed that for some mysterious reason, women are more susceptible than men to spiritistic influences.  In view of this fact, I would warn all Christian women to be exceedingly careful and to regard with suspicion every religious movement that is accompanied by an overpowering emotional hype.  Some people, no doubt, will be offended because I have labelled present-day speaking in tongues as Spiritism.  I owe it to such people to give such reasons for doing so.  People who have this supposed "gift of tongues" claim that this is the Holy Spirit speaking through them.  After counselling large numbers of tongues speaking people, I have observed that in about 95% of cases, it is a spirit speaking through them, but it is definitely NOT the Holy Spirit.  The other 5% have proven to be psychosomatic.  Both Scripture and research show that the Holy Spirit does not work in the manner claimed by Charismatics.  Because this is the crucial point on which everything stands or falls, I will endeavour to state it in terms which I hope will be understood by all.

In the spirit realm, there are TWO LAWS, by which spirits operate and when working through human channels: 
  1. The Holy Spirit always requires the active cooperation of the mind.
  2. Evil spirits require passive submission of the mind.  To put this in another way, evil spirits encourage the person to temporarily relinquish control of their mind in order that they can take it over!
It should be pointed out here that we are specifically commanded in Scripture to "gird up the loins of your mind" (1 Pet. 1:13) never to 'let them go blank' or leave them unguarded, as is encouraged by those who promote speaking in tongues.

Many of us when testing tongues have heard blasphemy and filth.  This is to be expected because the spirit speaking through people in today's so-called 'tongues' is a blasphemous spirit.  Evil spirits are of course very careful to conceal their true identity from Charismatic people.  If uncovered, their whole diabolical plan would be doomed to failure.

I am aware that some people are going to think "surely this cannot be so, because many tongues-speaking people are most sincere and they seem so loving and caring" - "surely they couldn't be demon controlled!"  It should be pointed out that demon possession is vastly different in Australia from what it is in, say India or Africa.  In those countries, it is more obvious, but in countries like Australia it is far more sophisticated.  Unless a counsellor is highly experienced, he will not detect it.

It should be borne in mind that demons do not necessarily reside in a person all the time.  After having gained access to a person, they can then come and go if they so desire.  This is clearly shown in Matt. 12:43-45.  We see in this passage that the demon was resident in the man, then left of its own accord, but later returned and brought seven others back with him.  This is precisely what happens with tongues-speaking people.  In their case, relinquishing control of the mind is the door that gives the demons entrance.  However, after having entered, they are then free to come and go as they please.  They are, of course, resident when the person is engaged in tongue speaking but they may then flit off to another deluded soul and utter their filth and blasphemies through him.  Counsellors call these 'shared' demons because they are shared between a number of persons. In a biker gang, the demons are more likely to be resident all the time.

DUAL PERSONALITY

The Lord has also graciously shown us in our research that in many cases of supposed Schizophrenia, it is not a case of split personality but dual personality.  In other words, there are two personalities in the one body, that of the person and also that of one or more resident demons.

There are times when the person is in control and exercises his will but at other times, he is overpowered by a demon who then takes control and exercises his will. 

Non-Christian psychologists who do not believe in the existence of demons and therefore do not understand their workings often mistakenly conclude that the problem is all in the personality of the person.  They sum up most cases of this nature as schizophrenia or split personality, but the correct diagnosis in a very high percentage of cases would be dual personality or demon possession.  It naturally follows from this that there are many people in our mental institutions who should not be there.  Their problem has not been correctly diagnosed and, because of this fact, they are administered mind-bending drugs which only create more misery for the person.

SUBSTITUTED PERSONALITY

Philip Mauro in his book "The Number of Man" (Morgan & Scott Limited, 1910) when speaking of Spiritism describes it as substituted personality.  In the case of tongues-speaking people, we would I think, understand the problem better if I used this term.  What is meant by this is that the true personality of the person is temporarily set aside and replaced by that of a spirit.  Displaced or substituted personality is the essential characteristic of Spiritism.  Now this is exactly what is happening in the tongues movement.  The personality of the man or woman who is the subject of this tongues-speaking experience is temporarily set aside and is replaced by an evil spirit or invisible intelligence which can then exercise varying degrees of control over the mind and the body of the person concerned.

Monday, October 11, 2010

An Analysis of Today's Tongues (4 of 8)

Some of my readers will know that for many years now I have been examining the present day tongues movement and some of the strange phenomenon that accompany it.  This chapter is an attempt to set forth my main findings and to bring them to the attention of Evangelical Christians.  I have felt that an inquiry of this nature was essential because the shock waves from the tongues movement are now affecting the Church worldwide. 

The thing that has given me most cause for concern is the fact that whole sections of the Church have taken on some very disturbing characteristics and are now heading off in a different direction.  If I am correct in the conclusions I have drawn, the Church is heading for a crisis of great magnitude.  People with more thoughtful minds will want to know the nature of this crisis and what they and their families are likely to face in the future.

In examining this subject, we should as far as possible, shut out our own preconceptions, and attempt to analyze the phenomena appearing on the religious scene today.

SPIRITISM IN OUR MIDST

When I embarked on this present inquiry, there was just no way that I would have suspected any connection between Evangelical Christianity and Spiritism.  On the contrary, there appeared to be irreconcilable antagonism between the two.  You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that Satan was embarking on an extremely clever take-over bid.  He is super-imposing Spiritism over Evangelical Christianity, or, to put it another way, he is bringing about a merger between the two.

This will no doubt come as a surprise to many readers because Evangelical Christianity and Spiritism seem so diverse in appearance.  However, if my readers cast their eyes about them, they must surely observe the fact that mysterious forces have arisen and have made inroads into all denominations even the most conservative.

Large numbers of people seem to be shaking off their spiritual lethargy, getting into gear and heading off in some direction but the all important question is what direction?? 

It is now my personal conviction that what we are now witnessing on both the religious and political scenes is what can be expected to characterise this period of time.  A great period of apostasy has been clearly foreshadowed in Scripture (2 Thess. 2:3) and all with a high degree of spiritual discernment will not only see that this is well underway, but rapidly gaining momentum.  I state these things not just to stimulate the interest of readers but to underline the magnitude of what I am saying.

I will endeavour not to press my own conclusions, but rather leave the readers to draw their own conclusions after giving due consideration to the facts I lay before them.

I strongly urge all readers to earnestly seek the Lord in prayer, that He will enable us to understand the significance of the strange phenomena we are now witnessing.  To my mind, it is wholly unprecedented in the history of the church and is leading us all towards a great climax and the Second Coming of the Lord.

"SLOPPY" EXEGESIS

When analysing the present-day tongues movement it is very enlightening to listen carefully to what many of its heralds are prescribing.  Among other things there are material prosperity, exhilarating experiences, total exemption of from all illness and hyper-faith.  It is now my considered opinion that all of these doctrines have not only been taken out of their Biblical context, but have been subjected to an extremely subtle twist in the process.  This I believe is part of a NEW and very sloppy system of interpretation that is in vogue in these last days and will most certainly lead astray all who do not take the time to examine what the Bible really teaches on these important matters.

POISON INJECTED

I feel that it is incumbent upon me to at all times be charitable and to give credit where it is due and I therefore concede that many of the high-profile men in the tongues movement do set forth such doctrines as:  immediate forgiveness for sin, personal salvation, and incorruptible inheritance, assurance of membership in the Body of Christ, and a prepared place in the Father's house.  These doctrines are set before the unsuspecting adherents like a delectable fruit salad but sadly Satan has successfully added a sprinkling of arsenic.  The arsenic is not only in the form of the things previously mentioned such as the prosperity gospel, scintillating experiences and unrestricted healings but in the more frightening form of religious Spiritism.  By religious Spiritism I mean today's gibberish known as 'speaking in tongues.'

All who are capable of making a penetrating analysis of this phenomenon will see that it is one of the most gigantic deceptions ever foisted upon the Church.  In fact it such a stupendous fraud that nothing short of supernatural power could give it acceptance among men.  I often wonder just how great is the power of deception exercised by "that old serpent called the devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world."  Not only has he foisted this deception onto the Church, but has caused it to become immensely popular.

DON'T BE FOOLED!

The subject of Spiritism is of course too large for anything like a thorough consideration here.

Our present object is to point out how Satan has successfully merged it with Evangelical Christianity through the tongues movement and is now using it to shape the thinking of Evangelicals.

At first glance, there would appear to be no relation whatever between Spiritism and Evangelical Christianity.  Because Spiritism actually discredits all the major doctrines of the Christian faith.  However, let it be remember that both Spiritism and Christianity have supernatural elements.

It is when these supernatural elements become merged into one that the deception takes on such gigantic proportions.  It seems that when the masses witness some of these supernatural elements in Christianity, they conclude that it is all of God.  If they do draw this conclusion, it is certain they will come under the influence of ever-increasing degrees of Spiritism from that point in time. 

Now the most striking present day development on the religious scene, is the fact that some church leaders including some men of high profile are not only giving their assent to the tongues movement, but are vouching for the genuineness of all its phenomena.

The average man, of course, does by nature firmly believe in supernatural things.  So Satan has been very carefully to include some of the supernatural elements in the tongues movement, in order to "get in" Mr. and Mrs. Average.  These elements though, when carefully analysed, will be find to be cleverly disguised Spiritism.  We must never lose sight of the fact that Satan is himself a spirit. (Eph. 2:2, 1 Cor. 2:12 and 1 John 4:6).  His various religions will therefore all have a supernatural element.

END-TIME PROPHESY

We should also bear in mind the fact that end-time prophesies place great stress upon the supernatural demonstrations which are to accompany the establishment of the last great religio-commercial system.  We read in 1 Tim. 4:1 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils."  Scripture would seem to indicate that not only will supernatural demonstrations take place, but false doctrines will be supernaturally taught.  In other words, these doctrines will be taught by men who are themselves under the influence of deceiving spirits.  These same men will also have the ability to prophesy, cast out demons and perform wonderful works "in thy name" (Matt. 7:22-23).  I would urge readers to have a good long look at these verses and ask the Lord to give them light on their meaning.

Paul pinpoints the time when that prophesy will be fulfilled.  This will be in the "latter times."  The departure from the faith, about which he gives warning, seems to be well underway.  This end-time apostasy is, I believe, being brought about by deceiving spirits who are putting forth "doctrines of demons" or doctrines originated by demons.  In prophesies such as this, we have unveiled for us the fact that powerful teaching spirits are setting forth doctrines that are specifically designed to cause a departure from the faith and, let it be stressed again, that this will be done supernaturally and therefore will be undetected by the average Christian. 

The Christian Church at this point in time has 3 major problems with which to contend:
  1. The one we have just mentioned, namely, false doctrine, being taught supernaturally.
  2. Witches infiltrating the churches and parachurch organizations.  These also will go undetected until enormous damage has been done.
  3. The unprecedented spread of occult practices among Christians.
Is it any wonder that many thoughtful observers can foresee the total eclipse of Evangelical Christianity?  What we are now witnessing is the disintegration of the Church as an effective organization.  If my understanding of the prophesies in the Book of Revelation is correct, this disintegration must of necessity take place to pave the way for the coming World Church.

SATAN'S TAKE-OVER BID

To put this another way:  Satan has launched a powerful take-over bid aimed at bringing the Church under his control.  Now in order to keep the whole picture in perspective, we must bear in mind the fact that our Lord said "I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."  I take this statement to mean that the church is the Lord's Building, being built by the Lord Himself.  He is the chief Corner-stone and each believer is put in place by the Lord.  Each believer becomes a "living stone" and part of "a holy temple."  So Satan cannot destroy the church as such!  It is a supernatural structure being built by the Lord Himself and is eternal but these facts do not negate Satan's power to destroy the church  as an effective organization and that is where the emphasis needs to be placed.  Satan cannot destroy the Church, but he has the power to render it virtually ineffective and this is exactly what he is in the process of doing right at this point in time.

"UNCHALLENGED ERRORS MULTIPLY."