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(Date Posted:22/04/2008 22:49:11)
I'd like to express my concern for former Rev'rs who get involved with the manifestations of the 'Toronto blessing' such as holy laughter and even the more established 'slaying in the Spirit'. I was prompted to look into this a little after I listened to a recent conversation in the ShoutBox.
It seems to me after this look that such experiences are *at best* merely manifestations of the flesh. Further it seems to me that any organisation which promotes them as being from the Spirit, let alone scriptural or to be desired, has serious deficiencies in their theology and appreciation of scripture.
I've never experienced any of these beyond viewing of videos on YouTube of rallies held by Benny Hinn and Kenneth Hagin - images which I found somewhat disturbing. However, friends whom I respect and who have experienced or seen them at first hand assess such manifestations with terms ranging from 'bringing them closer to God' to demonic. Similarly I've read in Wesley's diaries where some in the crowds to whom he spoke were left in catatonic states which seem to correspond to what we call today 'being slain in the Spirit'. (As I recall, he puzzled over whether it was the work of God or human nature.)
I should also add that I've visited a number of Pentecostal churches and as I said I've never seen such activities so I'm *not* tarring Pentecostal churches per se with this brush.
Now, over the years I've heard a number of scriptures used to justify such experiences and they all seem to be totally wrested out of context and I'm quite unconvinced that such experiences are biblical blessings. I believe that the authors of the NT would in fact dissociate from them as pagan.
My recent reading has, however, flagged close correspondance between these manifestations and a Hindu 'kundalini release'. See e.g., http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/blessing.html. It also has flagged that those seeking such experience are exhorted to effectively 'turn off their minds', something *quite* unscriptural - especially wrt 'testing the spirits'.
I remind those who say, "It must be from God because it brings me closer to Him" that the biblical practice was to rank scripture above experience. Our Rev'r approach, generally ignorant of scripture and ranking experience above scripture, sets us up for accepting 'Toronto blessings' as being from God.
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There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
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, I should say that I do believe that 'Jesus is the ONLY way' and further that there are important differences between "things of a spiritual nature' and 'things of a Spiritual nature'.