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| The Similarity of the Outward Manifestations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kundalini | Toronto Blessing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Briefly,
according to classical literature the signs of an awakened kundalini can be grouped
into: mental signs, vocal signs and physical signs. Mental signs can include visions
that range from ecstatically blissful to terrifyingly frightful. Vocal signs can
include spontaneous vocal expressions that range from singing or reciting mantras
to make various animals sounds such as growling or chirping. Physical signs include
trembling, shaking and spontaneously performing hatha yoga postures and pranayamas.
From a more subjective perspective the more pleasant experiences associated with a kundalini awakening may include: waves of bliss, periods of elation, glimpses of transcendental consciousness. The less pleasant experiences associated with a kundalini awakening may include: trembling, sharp aches in areas associated with the cakras, periods of irrational anxiety, sudden flashes of heat. [Kundalini FAQ: What are the signs of an awakened kundalini?] | The
Kundalini FAQ mentions the following manifestations: singing, reciting mantras,
animal sounds, trembling, shaking, yoga postures, waves of bliss, elation, altered
consciousness, aches, anxiety, and feeling of heat flashes. The counterparts of these manifestations in the Toronto Blessing are found in the table below:
We note immediately that every manifestation mentioned to happen in Kundalini does happen in TB also. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Similarity of the Outward Method | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kundalini | Toronto Blessing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Broadly
speaking there are two radically different direct approaches to awakening kundalini.
One approach requires initiation by a guru and relies upon a technique called
shaktipat, or ``descent of shakti.'' It is variously called: Siddha Mahayoga,
Kundalini Mahayoga or Sahaja Yoga (Spontaneous Yoga)... While not every long-term student ... necessarily shows signs of kundalini awakening it is amazing how many people have had instant awakenings of kundalini through initiation from siddha gurus... [Kundalini FAQ: So how do I awaken kundalini? and the next section] | Shaktipat means ``the descent of power (literally: kundalini)''. The most common form of shaktipat is a touch by the guru on the individual's forehead. This is exactly the method that is used greatly to impart the ``anointing'', for example by Rodney Howard-Browne. This is also the most common way to receive the power. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Contagiousness of the Phenomena | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kundalini | Toronto Blessing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| There is no doubt
that shakti is contagious. The mere presence of a single being whose shakti is
strongly active can awaken the shakti of those around him. Similarly being in
the presence of many people whose shakti is awakened to some degree can awaken
one's own shakti. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: Can one receive shaktipat just by being in the presence of those with awakened shakti?] | The
``anointing'' is known to be contagious by nature and easily transferred from
one to another. John Arnott compared it to a ``spiritual virus''. It also spreads from men to men in macro scale (between towns) and occasionally regionally even in smaller scale (in the midst of a meeting, for example when the members of a group of people keeping anothers by hand fall simultaneously). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Similarity of the Proofs for Validity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kundalini | Toronto Blessing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ultimately
the validity of any spiritual tradition rests in its ability to transform the
beings of its followers. The real value of siddha mahayoga is in transforming
the minds of those who practice it. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: Are these kriyas some sort of self-hypnosis or some sort of New Age phenomenon?] | The
Toronto Blessing advocates say that they cannot understand why these phenomena
are happening. They continue by saying that, however, that the phenomena belong
to a genuine work of the Spirit is clear because of the transformations appearing
as a result in the minds of the believers. So we see that the experience is justified by the same means. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Distributors of the Power | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kundalini | Toronto Blessing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To
continue the analogy, in theory ``anyone on fire'' can give shaktipat, i.e. anyone
who's kundalini is already awakened. The more relevant question is: ``Who should
give shaktipat?''... Giving shaktipat is a science and it is helpful, if not essential, to be instructed in that science... Therefore, it is desirable that the guru be empowered to give shaktipat by his own guru and has been trained in an unbroken lineage back to a great master who was fully aware of the science of shaktipat. In this way some quality control is maintained. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: Who can give shaktipat?] | In
general, TB is known to be easily transferred further from anybody ``already on
fire''. However, usually short courses are held to direct intercessors before
they go on to minister people. The method for distributing the TB anointing is different from the traditional view of Christian intercession. When in the traditional intercession focus is on God and His work needs no control, surveillance or intervention from people, in TB the intercessors are instructed to watch people and their bodily manifestations to know what the spirit is doing. In this way, TB ministry resembles science more than the traditional intercession. In Toronto meetings, usually only appointed ministers are allowed to pray for people. This is because of some quality control. In a sound Christian assembly, all are required and allowed to pray for anothers, not just appointed ministers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Similarity of the Goal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kundalini | Toronto Blessing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kriyas,
literally ``activities'', are spontaneous movements that occur after kundalini
awakening. These include bodily activities such as trembling, shaking and spontaneous
yoga postures; vocal activities such as yelling, or spontaneous chanting and mental
activities such as visions. These kriyas eliminate the blocks to kundalini rising
within the spine or central channel. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: What are kriyas?] Blocks, known as samskaras or impressions, do not just obstruct kundalini, but they embody attachments, conceptions and other mental afflictions that limit the freedom of our consciousness. Left unattended these attachments lead to actions which only reinforce the attachment. For example if we have impressions of anger then we will manifest anger in our activities which only reinforce our impressions. As kundalini rises it will purify the anger and as a result of the purification process the kriyas will occur... It seems more useful to think of kundalini as a natural intelligent force whose natural movement untangles the knots which limit its expression. The garden hose analogy makes another point clear as well. Imagine what happens if the hose is very tangled. Turning up the water pressure may be a very dramatic and perhaps even counter-productive process. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: How do kriyas purify one's consciousness?] | The
common explanation for the ``kriyas'' happening in TB meetings is that the God
is doing some inward work on the people's lives and that it results in the outward
manifestations. Also, more generally, that the touch of the power from God results in the manifestations. Also, one alleged purpose of the manifestations is to remove blocks from people's lives (such that pride, self-control etc.) that sustain the Spirit from moving freely in one's life. So we see that the supposed purpose and reason for the manifestations is -- below the surface of religious terms -- exactly the same. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Similarity of the Requirements for a Receiver | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kundalini | Toronto Blessing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The
unique perspective of Siddha Mahayoga is that because kundalini is an intelligent
force it will, upon awakening, naturally direct the practice of the student. All
that is required is that the student completely surrender to this force. As a
result of kundalini's unfoldment spontaneous purifying movements, called kriyas
will occur... Even to reach the point of simply surrendering to shakti takes some practice for people. Some aids in cultivating surrender are chanting and selfless service. These practices open the heart and make one more susceptible to the influence of shakti. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: So what happens after shaktipat? What's the practice of Siddha Mahayoga?]
Exceptional LINK shows we are not the only ones to notice this Hindu aspect of Charismania: http://www.ncinter.net/~ejt/kundalini.htm | In
Toronto Blessing the receiver is asked to surrender to the ``power of the Holy
Spirit'' and to receive the good work (``purifying kriyas'') of Him without questioning.
So this is exactly the same initial condition that is required for the awakening
of kundalini. Also, chanting spiritual songs is done abundantly in Toronto meetings. This is supposedly to pray to God, but at least as a side-effect it moves people to light trance (this is widely known in the psychology) and so enables one to receive counterfeit spiritual experiences. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EVOLUTION,
HINDUISM,
AND PROCESS MANIFESTATION PRINCIPLE--
Also called "Name it and
Claim it"
Editor: Blessed Quietness Journal-- Here is an example of how this Kundilin process is being used to play the old game called "Blab it and Grab it," Name it and Claim it." This is Brownsville in a worldly model. Please note the process principle, which is common to many seminars and conferences on Toronto Blessing and Renewal ministry training.
Manifestation Activity
Found at: http://hendricks.com/text/manifact.htm
Here is the most powerful activity we have discovered (and use) for creating what you want. Thousands of experiments have been carried out to get this activity into its simplest possible form. It's called the Seven-Minute Manifestation Process.
The Seven-Minute Manifestation Exercise is a radical approach to creating what you want. In it, you align your purpose with the creative power in the universe. The principles and practices in this exercise have helped us to generate abundance in our lives, a plenitude of love, money and well-being and other blessings beyond imagination. Let us know what successes you experience with the Seven-Minute Manifestation Exercise.
You can do the 7-Minute Manifestation Process by reading it here, purchasing an audio tape with the process or, with TrueSpeech, listen to the activity here online.
Hear the 7-Min. Manifestation Process
Download TrueSpeech Audio Player
The Seven-Minute Manifestation Process
This exercise consists of seven parts, lasting one minute each. If you are reading the exercise, read through a section, spend one minute doing the activity, then read the next section and continue. You can do this exercise lying down or sitting, eyes open or closed, whichever is more comfortable for you.
Take a moment to get comfortable.
(Editor: this is devilish)
Minute 1 - Connecting and Accepting
Tune into your essence. Feel your inner body. Resonate with your divine self. See your inner light. Connect with the divine nature of the whole universe, you included. Accept and love yourself exactly as you are. Accept and love all your reality, exactly as it is.
Minute 2 - Review Your Purpose and Several of Your Big Life Goals
State your chosen life purpose in your mind right now. Think about two or three of your most important lifetime goals. Picture yourself successfully achieving them. Feel yourself achieving in your body — how it would actually feel. Continue to review your life purpose and think about two or three of your most important life goals.
Minute 3 - Initiate a Positive Thought Stream
Say positive thoughts, in your mind, about the subjects and things you want to manifest. Put them in the present tense and in a positive sense. For example, "I have a job which adds real value to people's lives while prospering me." Repeat this positive thoughts a few times until you connect with them in your body.
Minute 4 - Initiate a Positive Heart Stream
Think about the things that you are grateful for. Appreciate what's already there in your life. Take a moment to thank some or all of the people who have helped you along the way. Over the next bit of time, open your heart and express your appreciation for what you already have.
Minute 5 - Generate Short-term Goals
Now, create your "to-do" list of your daily, weekly or monthly activities. These are the people to see, calls to make and things to do. We suggest you put the things you least like to do first and take care of them as early as possible. Think about your short-term goals.
Minute 6 - Silent Listening to the Creative
Let all your thoughts go and listen to the creative in you. Be quiet and just listen.
Minute 7 - Reconnect with Source
Tune into your essence again. Feel your connection with the divine essence in the universe. See your inner light. Connect with the divine nature of the whole universe, yourself included. Resonate with your divine self. Accept and love yourself exactly as you are. Accept and love all your reality exactly as it is.
NEXT, WE SEE THE NEW AGE DEMONIC VERSION OF POWER. THE NAME IT AND CLAIM IT DOCTRINE OF THE RHEMA BOYS AND TORONTO BLESSING IS SEEN HERE AS DIRECTLY TAUGHT BY ASCENDED MASTERS, I.E. DEVILS
Message from Archangel Michael-- received by RONNA HERMAN
http://www.metatron.se/amanif.html
ARCHANGEL MICHAEL
USING THE UNIVERSAL LAWS OF MANIFESTATION
Beloved Masters of Light, today I would like to discuss with you the law of manifestation from a more mental and scientific point of view. We will set aside, for the moment, manifestation and co-creation in harmony with Spirit as a part of your divine right and your spiritual heritage.
Many light workers are wondering why they cannot tap into the divine stream of wealth and abundance so they can accomplish their mission and fulfill their dreams. Many are still struggling to survive and meet their everyday obligations while those who operate from a standpoint of greed and power, very obviously in the third dimension, grow richer.
There are universal laws in force, neutral laws, that all must abide by, saints and sinners alike. There were great streams of energy sent forth, aeons ago beyond remembering, by the Elohim, archangels, and co-creators of your universe at the direction of the Prime Creator. Any and all beings who carry within their soul a divine spark of the Creator have the ability to access and create with that electromagnetic or cosmic energy. But you must know the rules and how to tap into that source and make it work for you.
First, you must have the right mind set: you do not have to be spiritual, or good, or have lofty ideals; you can operate from a totally selfish point of view, even a desire to gain power or control of others the laws of manifestation will still work. If you would study or take a closer look at those who have amassed great wealth and power you will see they have a vision, a belief in themselves and their ability to accomplish anything they desire. They begin by gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to make them experts in their field of endeavor.
They spend as much energy and time as it takes to make their dreams a reality; they do not listen to any negative input from others and they do not doubt, even for a moment, their ability to accomplish what they desire and reach their goals. They draw to them those who have like interests and similar aspirations. They have their vision firmly planted in their mind and, day-by-day, moment-by-moment, they do whatever is necessary to bring that vision to fruition.
So, what is the secret? Why do they succeed when many spiritual light workers have such difficulty creating enough abundance to live simply and gracefully so they can concentrate on fulfilling their spiritual mission and assisting others?
You are an electromagnetic force field, by beloved friends; you send out a frequency or vibrations, and those vibrations go forth and connect with like energy waves drawing to you more of the same. And so, if you have been saying affirmations and mantras day and night asking for wealth, if you talk continuously about what you want to accomplish when you have the funds, and yearn with all your heart and soul for abundance and it still is not forthcoming, why? Because you still have those old tapes lurking around in your subconscious mind that say: To be spiritual, I must deny everything in the material world. I must sacrifice by happiness and well-being in order to serve others (the old martyr complex). If I concentrate on my spiritual growth, God will provide on and on.
One moment you are excited and feel you can conquer the world and manifest anything you desire and the next, you begin to doubt yourself again. You say your affirmations for abundance and then allow your busy ego-mind to worry and fret day and night about paying your bills, or getting a new car or a higher paying job.You begrudge paying taxes, or insurance or the dentist, etc., instead of giving thanks and blessing the money that flows through your hands as you meet your obligations or exchange your earnings for the services of others.
Very few of you have the mind set to handle great wealth, even if it did miraculously come to you. What would you do if suddenly you were given several million dollars? Would you hoard it? Would you be anxious about losing it or someone cheating you out of it? Or would you spend it joyfully, creating your dreams and assisting others to create theirs, knowing that your abundance will keep flowing and there will always be enough to meet your needs and desires?
Now we are not talking about abundance making you happy or giving you a sense of fulfillment or about deserving it. Remember, we are talking about the impartial flow of universal substance, and I am sure you have noticed that many of those who are the wealthiest are some of the most miserable, bored and unhappy individuals. But you must give them credit, they do know how to tap into the universal source with their thoughts, desires and determination. They never waver from their goals. They never let anything or anyone stop them or deter them from completing their mission. They envision, they desire, they believe, they act therefore they manifest.
You must begin to focus on the abundance you already have in your life give thanks for it, be joyful about what you have and the good things in your life. Shift your consciousness away from what is wrong with yourself, those around you and the world and begin to see what is right, beautiful and wondrous. You must act as if you are entitled to all the beauty and abundance of the universe and that it is pouring forth in unlimited measure until it begins to happen. We are not saying you are to go out and spend funds that you do no have, but you can begin to see and enjoy the gifts that are available to you many of which require no exchange of funds or energy.
Your thoughts are more powerful than you know, we keep emphasizing this, but you still allow your minds to ramble and to play, over and over, the thoughts of doubt, negativity, fear, guilt etc., which make your affirmations ineffectual or cancel them out. One moment you believe you can accomplish anything you desire and the next you are wallowing in self-doubt and pity. No matter how conscious you become spiritually, if you do not tap into that stream of consciousness with your mental body and mind that allows you to draw to you the energies of manifestation, you will never become a co-creator of abundance on the earth plane.
First, you must be very clear about what it is you want to manifest feel the intensity within your soul-self, not your ego-self. Second, you must be sure that your desires are in harmony with your higher-self; you must surrender to the highest good for yourself and others, realizing that you cannot always see the large picture, and also you do not want to limit your divine Presence as to how your dreams will be manifested. Then you are to listen to that inner voice of intuition - listen for guidance and expect miracles and then take action as the path is revealed to you. When doubt arises, or your ego begins to play the old feelings of unworthiness or guilt, acknowledge and transmute the feelings and turn your thoughts to your goal.
Give thanks for the little miracles that take place, making way for greater and greater gifts to come your way. As you focus more on the positive aspects of your life, you are reinforcing these energies and drawing more of the same to you. You are creating a force field of love, abundance and harmony which no one can disrupt or destroy- only you can dot that. As as you seek more awareness and spiritual harmony, you will find great joy and pleasure from your abundance for you will be in the flow of creation and in balance with all aspects of Universal Law. That is the secret, dear ones.
Now. Let me explain another area of confusion and misinterpretation. It has been said by some that the Earth has moved into the fourth dimension and others say it is just now moving into the fourth dimension. Let me explain this way, everything that manifests in the physical begins to manifest first in the etheric. Just as you are building your etheric light body which will eventually create your physical light body, the same thing is happening with your planet Earth. The Earth´s etheric body has moved into the fourth dimension, but the physical planet is still steeped and mired in the third dimensional experience. However, as the three lower planes of the fourth dimension are cleared this allows us greater access to and interaction with the Earth and humanity and it allows those of you who have lifted your frequencies into the higher fourth dimensions to tap into that more rarefied energy. It is as if you are living in a column of Light (Editor: This is an Alchemy demonic possession principle)- higher frequencies that follow you wherever you go, creating a safe haven, or an island of protection and harmony, while those who still resonate with the lower densities continue in the illusion of chaos, pain and suffering.
As the Earth accesses more and more of the higher frequencies (through the efforts of all of you wonderful, dedicated light workers) and this energy becomes anchored on the physical plane in greater and greater amounts, it will become increasingly more difficult to remain in the third dimensional illusion - mentally, emotionally and physically. And so we are asking you, as Light Warriors (Editor: In the violet flame occult cult), to strengthen your spiritual armor and resolve; to firmly envision your path and the goal you are seeking and to allow no one or no thing to divert you from your mission.
We know that it is difficult to overcome thoughts, habits and traits that you have accumulated over thousands of years, but it is a time of new beginnings, a time to release your old limited viewpoints, doubts and weaknesses. You are MASTERS, you are ascending into a new state of awareness, a new consciousness; you are evolving and returning to your perfected state of joy, balance and harmony; where you will once again glow with the beauty of Spirit as it shines forth for all to see.
Dare to dream, dare to reach for the stars, dare to claim all that the Creator has promised you it is yours for the taking, my beloved ones. But remember, you must experience what you create, so together let us, once again, create an Earth paradise where love, abundance, beauty and harmony abound. I AM Archangel Michael and I bring you these truths.
Channelled by Ronna Herman, a Cosmic Telepath.
Course relating to Jesus as Ascended Master
Note the New Age vocabulary. Note the principle of Manifestation.
JESUS: The Manifestation of the Holy Spirit
Workshop on A COURSE IN MIRACLES
Kenneth Wapnick, Ph.D.
This workshop focuses on the importance of remaining true to our experience of Jesus, while at the same time recognizing that his reality transcends all of these individual experiences. Also discussed in depth is the importance of Jesus as our guide, and the relationship of Jesus to Helen Schucman and to A Course in Miracles itself.
T-31 • five 90-min. tapes • $30
ISBN 0-933291-81-7
AND: A LINK TO A WHITE LIGHT CONNECTION: http://www.upword.com/Creative_Awareness/garden.html
ACCOUNTS
OF BROWNSVILLE ACTIVITY
WHICH ARE HINDU AND YOGIC IN NATURE
"... one of the ministers interrupted the song service to exhort the congregation to "let themselves go" ... "do not think about what you are doing" ... "just give yourselves completely to the `spirit'". My Bible says that we are to "sing with the spirit and with the understanding also." (1 Cor. 14:15) On another occasion the visiting evangelist stopped the song service to say this: "The devil is here tonight and wants to hinder this service. Well, I've got news for him - he has to go. He (the devil) has analyzers here tonight." During the song service this young evangelist glanced at Elmer, Felton and myself on more than one occasion. I am sure we were sticking out like sore thumbs, since we were obviously not taking part in the "wild frenzy" called worship. He (the evangelist) went on to say "If you must analyze, then look at me, look at the musicians and singers, look at the congregation, look at the person to the left of you and to the right of you, and just analyze, analyze, analyze get it out of your system. Now let yourselves go: don't even think about what you are doing, forget about those around you and what they are doing. Release your mind release your spirit and let the mighty river of the "Holy Ghost" take you wherever He wants you to go." I thought to myself ... "I certainly wasn't going to open my spirit up to this "wild, anything goes atmosphere." Jesus said, "Ye worship ye know not what - But the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:22-23) (Revival ... or Satanic Counterfeit?, Jimmy Robbins, 1996)
Howling, screaming, crying or otherwise acting like an animal - "Some pull verses out of context that speak of God roaring like a lion. There are two problems with using verses of this nature: First of all, the Scriptures never say that God will make His own people roar like lions and act like animals; second, in those passages that view God as roaring like a lion, it is always in preparation for judgment, and not blessing. The roaring is against unbelievers. It is never said that He causes believers to roar like lions or bark like dogs. Another passage I have seen defenders use to try to justify the animal actions if Daniel 4, where God made Nebuchadnezzar act like an ox. Here, again, this was not a blessing for Nebuchadnezzar, but a judgment on an unbeliever who saw himself as a god." (The Toronto Phenomenon, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, 1997)
"Falling on the floor (mostly backwards)3 for deep inner healing, preparation for ministry, physical healing, receiving of visions, feeling the love of God. Laughter. Shaking of head, hands, feet and body. Deep bowing. (Brownsville Pensacola" Toronto or not?, Andrew Strom, 1996)
"There is something very wrong and very evil about seeking anything other than Christ our Lord. We shouldn't seek an experience, manifestation, or any type of phenomenon. Simon the "sorcerer" was rebuked by Peter for his evil desire for "the power" to do what Peter and the other apostles were doing. (Acts 8:18-21) The great preacher, Dr. A.B. Simpson said, "You don't need healing; you need the `healer.' You don't need deliverance; you need the `deliverer.' You don't need salvation; you need the `Savior.'" (Revival ... or Satanic Counterfeit?, Jimmy Robbins, 1996)
"In an article in Charisma magazine, "pro-Pensacola" writer Lee Grady described one famous scene from the Brownsville revival which has been videoed and sent out everywhere. This event occurred on August 18, 1995, when 19 year-old Alison Ward got up to give her testimony. Mr. Grady says: "As she spoke, Alison shook in a manner so awkward that a casual observer might think she suffered from cerebral palsy. Then, while trembling violently, she issued a plea so heartfelt that those in the room say they heard God speaking through her. Chocking back tears she said intently: `God is in a hurry. There's not much more time. He aches and He grieves for your spirit.' 4 At that moment Alison fell to the floor. A deafening chorus of moaning and wailing filled the room as people were moved by an almost eerie sense of God's love for lost souls ... Alison's eight-minute testimony, which was captured on videotape, represents the defining moment of this revival." (Brownsville Pensacola" Toronto or not?, Andrew Strom, 1996)
"... one of the ministers interrupted the song service to exhort the congregation to "let themselves go" ... "do not think about what you are doing" ... "just give yourselves completely to the `spirit'". My Bible says that we are to "sing with the spirit and with the understanding also." (1 Cor. 14:15) On another occasion the visiting evangelist stopped the song service to say this: "The devil is here tonight and wants to hinder this service. Well, I've got news for him - he has to go. He (the devil) has analyzers here tonight." During the song service this young evangelist glanced at Elmer, Felton and myself on more than one occasion. I am sure we were sticking out like sore thumbs, since we were obviously not taking part in the "wild frenzy" called worship. He (the evangelist) went on to say "If you must analyze, then look at me, look at the musicians and singers, look at the congregation, look at the person to the left of you and to the right of you, and just analyze, analyze, analyze get it out of your system. Now let yourselves go: don't even think about what you are doing, forget about those around you and what they are doing. Release your mind release your spirit and let the mighty river of the "Holy Ghost" take you wherever He wants you to go." I thought to myself ... "I certainly wasn't going to open my spirit up to this "wild, anything goes atmosphere." Jesus said, "Ye worship ye know not what - But the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:22-23) (Revival ... or Satanic Counterfeit?, Jimmy Robbins, 1996)
"Wouldn't it be great if there was somewhere you could go and just get really filled up with power and love, the love of God? But it doesn't stop there. What happens is, there's a transference of His anointing where, not only do you see it, not only do you experience it for yourself, but you're going to take it home to your people." (John Arnott, Pastor of the Toronto Airport Fellowship, pastor's Meeting, October 19, 1994)
"So we invited everybody and anybody. I mean, we had them all here. I didn't care what their background was. If I heard that they were Christians and they were anointed by the Spirit, we wanted them to come. Maybe we could learn something from them. We had several people here. Understand that I was impacted by Kathryn Kuhlman, I had recently been impacted by Benny Hinn, and certainly by John Wimber. (John Arnott, Pastor of the Toronto Airport Fellowship, Pastor's Meeting, October 19, 1994)
In Toronto Airport Church
"Last week Bishop David Pytches from England was down here on the floor roaring like a lion," says John Arnott, the church's pastor, as he explains how evangelical Christians have swarmed to Toronto like pilgrims to Lourdes.
Theology List: Re: Vineyard/Pensacola [More Like This]
URL: http://www.why.net/users/dgreen/theoarc/theo9611/0082.html
Summary: > Brownsville attributes the link to the Holy Trinity Brompton, and HTB. > church (Holy Vomiting is only
spreading now to some churches), but rather,.
THIS
IS NOT YOUR CLASSIC FUNDAMENTALIST,
BUT THE KUNDALINI PARALLEL IS WELL
EXPOSED BY A CHARISMATIC BIBLE BELIEVER
HOLY TRINITY BROMPTON OF LONDON AND OTHER CHURCHES
The Secular Press Drew My Attention To It
Bill Randles
My interest in the subject of the "Toronto Blessing" first began after reading a Time Magazine article entitled, "Laughing for the Lord." The article was primarily about "revivalist fervor" invading the Church of England. The Anglican Church, as it is also known, being what it is, has never been known for fervor of any kind, at least not in a long time, so the recent happenings there are newsworthy. This is a description of a typical service at Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London.
Though pathetically tiny flocks of Londoners attend many Anglican services, Holy Trinity Brompton has a standing room only turnout of 1,500. Oblivious to the hot, airless sanctuary, the youthful throng buzzes with an anticipation more common at a rock concert or a rugby match. After the usual scripture readings, prayers, and singing, the chairs are cleared away. Curate Nickey Gumbel prays that the Holy Spirit will come upon the congregation. Soon, a woman begins laughing. Others gradually join her with hearty belly laughs. A young worshipper falls to the floor, hands twitching. Another falls, then another and another. Within half an hour, there are bodies everywhere as supplicants sob, shake, roar like lions, and strangest of all, laugh uncontrollably.1
The article in Time called this phenomenon, "The Toronto Blessing." This is what drew my attention to Toronto. There are many other articles in both secular and Christian publications describing similar church situations in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and other places. They are all acknowledging Toronto as the catalyst. The Time Magazine article also linked the "Laughing Revival" to the ministry of Rodney Howard-Browne, who as you will see, plays a pivotal role in what has happened in Toronto. A later chapter will be devoted to Rodney Howard-Browne, and the impact of his ministry. Another secular publication which mentions this manifestation is the British paper, The Daily Mail. In the "femail" section of Friday, September 2, 1994, an article was entitled, "This man has been given the Toronto Blessing. What in God's name is going on?" Allow me to give you a few excerpts from the article,
It is, it must be said, a disquieting sight: The congregation fall where they stand. Others weep uncontrollably. Many shake violently as though having a fit. Visions of angels, huge figures, some with wings, bathed in orange light swim before their eyes. This is the Toronto Blessing...In Britain, no one has espoused the Toronto effect more enthusiastically then the Rt. Rev. David Pytches. [Pytches may be remembered for writing Some Said It Thundered, a defense of the Kansas City Prophets] Pytches, an evangelical, Charismatic enthusiast was one of the first to visit Toronto. He and his wife Mary came back and reported to the Church of England's Holy Trinity Brompton...In recent weeks, hundreds of their large congregation of nearly a thousand have been falling and laughing, groaning, and weeping, barking and making other animal noises. Some roar like lions which may have something to do with the biblical passage that Mary Pytches frequently mentions in connection with the Toronto Blessing_Hosea 11: They will follow the Lord; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling. It was on her visit to Toronto that Mary Pytches heard the roaring and found herself wailing...2
The article goes on to describe the national and even international impact of the experience, and makes the connection to it with the teachings of John Wimber. Then toward the end, the writer makes this insightful observation,
The difference between the present movement and revivals of the 18th century is that the latter were characterized by powerful preaching, a strong sense of self loathing and of repentance, none of which is a feature of the Toronto Blessing or the Charismatic movement from which it came.3
The Christian Media Coverage of Toronto The June, 1994 issue of Charisma, in an article entitled, "Renewal Excites Canadian Churches," described in a strikingly similar way as the secular press, a typical service in the Toronto Airport Vineyard.
The meetings are wildly pentecostal in style, not the type of worship services that normally attract dignified theologians or staid denominational leaders. On a typical evening, dozens of people can be found lying or rolling on the floor, many of them laughing uncontrollably. Many of the participants testify of being healed of sickness or delivered of emotional problems.4
However, Charisma reports that the leaders of the Toronto renewal do not consider themselves to be in a revival in the classic sense of the term. According to Charisma, John Arnott, Pastor of Airport Vineyard told them that exuberant joy is a characteristic of the first phase of revival, but true revival ultimately impacts thousands of unsaved. At this point, the Toronto Renewal has primarily touched Christians. Another Christian publication, a magazine in the United Kingdom, called Alpha wrote a piece in their July, 1994 edition that discussed this called, "Rumours of Revival." Dave Roberts describes the Toronto meetings as, "characterized by literally dozens of people falling "under the power" and laughing uncontrollably. Consistent reports from around the world talk of a state similar to drunkenness, with those affected losing control of their limbs and having to be carried out to cars for their journey home."5
This same article quotes another magazine, Redemption, as saying,
A hallmark of this revival is the emphasis on worship and praise. Missionaries report that the Shekinah glory of the Lord seems to descend on the meetings...The emphasis is on holiness, the desire of the people to praise and worship and the increase in concern for reaching others is genuine.6
There is a glowing article called "Spreading Like Wildfire" written by Eleanor Mumford for Renewal Magazine, July, 1994. Mrs. Mumford is the wife of John Mumford, Senior Pastor of a Vineyard Church in London. She writes:
I have just been on a trip to a church in Toronto. A Baptist pastor who is increasingly involved in what is going on there has written, "There has come a notable renewal and revival of hope, faith and expectation. The spirit of God has been pouring out freedom, joy, and power"...With all this has come a renewing of commitment and a rekindled passion for Jesus and the work of the kingdom...
Mrs. Mumford followed this quote with a glowing personal report of the Toronto Blessing and its impact on her,
I went to Toronto because I have never been slow to go to a party. I also went because I knew I was spiritually bankrupt and I went with tremendous expectancy...There was a beauty on those who were ministering there...These were men and women who had spent 130 days in the company of Jesus. Like Stephan, their faces shone. I saw the power of God poured out in an incredible measure...People are getting freed, and getting healed...Jesus is restoring His joy and His laughter is like medicine to my soul...Jesus is breaking down the barriers of His church...For myself there is a greater love for Jesus than I've ever known, a greater excitement about the kingdom than I ever thought possible.789
Something significant is happening and it has the potential to have a huge worldwide impact. This phenomena won't leave people neutral, for either they will love and appreciate it or distrust and criticize it. The time has come upon us, particularly we who are Charismatic/Pentecostal Christians, when we would be forced to decide what we actually believe. Unfortunately that kind of decision divides. It is hard to find any fault with any experience which causes people to "love Jesus," be set free, or releases the joy of the Lord. Those are the very things I have dedicated my life to. However, we cannot just look at a movement pragmatically and judge its validity solely on the basis of "results." We hear, "Well, it works, it made me love Jesus, it must be of God!" Just because something "works" it doesn't mean that it is of God. In other words, the end doesn't necessarily justify the means. We must look at the principles, the premises underlying any movement at all, in order to even begin to make an objective evaluation. Remember, our Lord told us to Judge all things and hold fast to that which is good. Dare I be the "bad guy" and challenge you to take another, critical look at the "Laughing Revival?" Well, someone has to sooner or later. After all, what do you mean, you have a greater passion for Jesus?
How It All Started In Toronto
The Vineyard itself has been helpful in researching the brief history of this renewal. They have readily made papers available in an attempt to give people a framework in which to interpret what they believe God is doing in their midst. There is a helpful publication entitled "What in the World is Happening to Us?" by Bill Jackson of the Champaign Illinois Vineyard Church. Charisma and Renewal Magazine also provide a summation of how it all started. You can start to understand this renewal by looking at two men, Randy Clark and John Arnott. Randy pastors a Vineyard church in St. Louis and Arnott, the Airport Vineyard in Toronto. Both of them arrived separately at that state that every Christian and for sure every minister can relate to, dissatisfaction with where they were at and hunger for more of God. This is a good, though painful place to be, because I believe God uses it to press us in to seek Him all the more. Pastor Clark told Charisma Magazine, "I felt empty, powerless, and so little anointed, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I knew I was burning out."10
In the summer of 1993, Clark talked with another minister, an associate who had sat under the ministry of Rodney Howard-Browne. Clark's friend told of how he had been revived during the meeting! Again, according to Charisma, Clark said, "What my friend was describing people shaking, falling, laughing_was what I'd seen many years earlier in the Vineyard revivals. I knew this was what I needed."11 Take notice that it wasn't truth, but manifestations that led him to Rodney Howard-Browne.
Clark decided to attend a meeting of Rodney Howard-Browne's but balked when he found out Rodney Howard-Browne would be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Kenneth Hagin Jr's Rhema Bible Church. Clark had theological problems with the Word Faith Movement. However, Clark said that the Lord reproved him for a smug attitude, saying, "You have a denominational Spirit, how badly do you want to be touched afresh?"12 After setting aside his prejudices, Clark went to the meeting and was prayed for to receive a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. When he went back to his church, powerful manifestations began to occur.
In October, 1993, Randy Clark attended a regional meeting of Vineyard Churches in Wisconsin. There the overseer, Happy Leman, asked him to testify. As he did, "powerful demonstrations of God's power broke out at the meeting." Also, according to "What in the World is Happening to Us," another "Limited outbreak [occurred] at the Champaign Vineyard the following Saturday."13
John Arnott
Pastor John Arnott also had experienced a dissatisfaction and was sensing the need for a fresh anointing of the Spirit. His hunger for God's touch took him to Argentina, where he witnessed great spiritual revival, as well as attending the meetings of Benny Hinn. According to "What in the World is Happening to Us" Happy Leman told Arnott the results of Randy Clark's ministry at the conference. Upon hearing this, Arnott arranged a meeting for Clark at his church in Toronto in January, 1994. The meeting was supposed to last less then a week, but instead, has continued to this day. They still meet six days a week. Tens of thousands from all over the world have come to Toronto to "soak" in the presence of God, to "get it" as they say and "get it" they do, taking "it" back to home churches all over the world! Many come to do "carpet time" "soaking" in the "presence of the Lord." Vineyard literature encourages "soaking" which is repeated reception of prayer and exposure to the "Spirit." "What in the World is Happening to Us" advises people in its preface to "Ask for more and more of His Spirit. Keep coming for more-- keep drinking," and "Don't become discouraged if you do not receive as much as another does keep asking for more."14 In another document simply entitled "Toronto June 94 Thoughts" we are advised,
Soaking in the Holy Spirit. It's okay to receive many times of prayer at the same meeting. It is also okay to receive prayer every time we gather. In fact, people seem to receive better and more fully, each successive time. [They relax to the idea]. The more the soaking, the deeper the impact. If you fall over, don't try to get up quickly, lie there and soak.15
Impartation
Impartation seems to be another significant word and I must say, it is impartation that I see as being one of the most alarming aspects of this. By impartation, I mean the ability to pass it on, usually by laying on of hands. This is the strongest and most alarming characteristic of Rodney Howard-Browne and the Toronto Blessing. Mystical experiences are imparted to ministers who return to their churches and revel in this newly found mystical power. The Spirit that is working in this move, won't be limited to the laying on of hands either, many are "getting it" just standing in services, overcome by shaking, laughing, weeping, or whatever other irrational experience. They come out of the meeting dynamically transformed. The impartation is for change and people are changing! Does God change people in this way? There is no truth with which to conform to, just "BAM!" The Spirit hits you and you change? This could be possibly our judgment for discontentment. Like the world_we want change_we are dissatisfied with the status quo. We want something to happen, anything. At times it seems, that the Word of God doesn't satisfy, we are hungry for quail. And God is giving it. Soon, it will be coming out of our noses.
A Lot of This is About Manifestations
A Baptist pastor in Canada, Guy Chevreau, who is a participant in this renewal, was quoted as saying, "What we are talking about here is God's manifest presence, such that He is seen, felt and experienced and folks' lives are getting changed."16 He went on to say about it, "It's redefining the church, reminding us that church shouldn't be boring," and describes the renewal as, "a party with the Lord."17 There is an appeal to those who are discontented, who find that church is boring (?), it needs to be redefined (!?), we aren't lively enough. One of the chief weapons of the false teacher is the use of discontent. People have been conditioned to think that the "Book of Acts" church consisted of one miracle explosion after another and that there was perfect unity and love. They believe that the modern church falls short of that and actually needs to be redefined! The truth is that the church of the Book of Acts was assaulted with heresies and divisions, and the miracles took place over a period of 30 years. By contrast, this "renewal" isn't based on some particular truth being emphasized, but it is being described, qualified, and authenticated by sensuous manifestations, signs and wonders, and quite frankly, in many respects, it is a reaction to boredom!
As Pentecostal, we believe in and have experienced many miracles and divine interventions. We all long for revival and to see God move. We pray with Isaiah, O that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would melt at your presence and that you would do terrible things we weren't expecting! (Rough paraphrase of Isa 64:1). But, when discontent is appealed to time and again, such as "The church isn't united enough, doesn't love enough, is too hung up on doctrine, has head knowledge, but no intimacy and on and on ad nauseam..." eventually, that kind of preaching wears the church down and makes her more vulnerable to whatever new thing that comes along. False fire is offered to the Lord instead of patiently waiting on God for His fire. Who says the church isn't united, anyway? Every true believer is already in the unity of the Spirit. Anytime we get hyped into trying to manufacture what God already gave us (unity), we get further away from God's purpose.
Laughing
An obvious major manifestation associated with this revival is laughter. The laughter is being called "Holy laughter" and scriptures about laughter are being used such as Psalm 126, to verify it. Also, scriptures about joy, in fact more scriptures about joy than laughter because there aren't that many positive scriptures about laughter. Most laughing scriptures are of the "Woe to you who laugh now," variety, or "they laughed him to scorn." The laughter that is exhibited in these revivals needs to be re-examined. In many cases it is interrupting laughter. Reports are coming from all over the world of how the preaching of the Word, communion, or worship are being disrupted by gales of irrational laughter. We are not talking about a laughter based on any particularly funny or humorous notion. There is an irrationality to this laughter, as well as, an uncontrollable element to it. Abandonment is a word that comes to my mind, people are abandoning their common senses, and their critical faculties and giving themselves over to this hilarity.
A pastor, Terry Virgo, describes a service which, presumably, he attended in England,
As he read his opening remarks, the power of God swept through the building, totally unrelated to the words that he had said, which actually were rather serious and solemn. His opening remarks were, "The story of Solomon is one of the most tragic in the whole Bible," this sober comment was greeted by sudden outbursts of hilarious laughter...There was no way we could stop this spontaneous, uninvited laughter...The meeting continued until 11:30 at night with no opportunity for the speaker to preach.18
The "Spirit" which is compelling this seems to be saying, "All of that (preaching the Word of God) is totally irrelevant." Rodney Howard-Browne boasts of preaching on hell and being almost drowned out by the laughter! One of Rodney Howard-Browne's initiates, an Episcopal priest, likes to tell the story of how, after being "blessed" he went home to his Episcopal church and burst out laughing at the most solemn moment of the service, the consecration of the Eucharistic elements. No matter what you may think of liturgical services, any Christian knows that communion is no time for levity. But, he ended up on the floor, laughing so hard! Could this be a mocking spirit? Sent to get us to count the Word of God and communion, and the fear of God, irrelevant? Is this what they mean when they say, "We are past all that (communion and preaching), we want to be intimate with God."
Involuntary Shaking and Other Weird Acts
Though this has been called by some a "laughing revival," laughter is by no means the only or even primary manifestation. The New Life Vineyard Fellowship, pastored by Wes Campbell, has produced what seems to be a newsletter called "Prophet Sharing." Mr. Campbell presented a segment entitled, "Why All the Shaking?" Campbell gives a number of scriptures that validate the phenomena. [It is true that we can "tremble before the Lord." Many times I have seen congregations literally shaking at the preaching of His Word. In God's actual Manifest Presence even the inanimate objects are shaken!] But, Campbell doesn't stop at scripture, in Article II, he gives four General Reasons for the Shaking:19
1. To get our attention.
2. A form of anointing.
3. A visible representation on and in our flesh of what is happening in the spirit world.
4. It is God's sovereign way of choice.
God does want to get people's attention, He can do it in any way that it pleases Him. Regarding a form of anointing? According to scripture, we are anointed. Beware of anyone who wants to tell you that what you already have in Jesus isn't enough. The third is the most incredible and disturbing to me. Why? Because it is probably the best definition of the word Mysticism that I've seen in a long time! The attempt to interpret and interact with the spirit world through the flesh. An extremely dangerous practice, I might add, which opens you up to the spirit world. Openness seems to be a highly valued character trait in this move. The paper, "Toronto June 94 Thoughts" advises you to:
IV. Experience it before trying to analyze it. It's your spirit God is dealing with primarily. In fact, when you are under the anointing, your mind is very clear and aware of what's going on, and that can be a distraction to what He's doing in the Spirit. It does not invalidate the experience.
VII. This is not so much a time of "getting stuff out," more of "getting stuff in." It is probably wise, initially, not to pray in tongues, or English a lot. (That's you ministering out). I found it helpful when I felt the Lord there to just breath in deeply and imagine I am inhaling the Spirit.20
Mike Bickle and Michael Sullivant have produced a paper entitled, "God's Manifest Presence, Understanding the Phenomena that Accompany the Spirit's Ministry." The Vineyard people seem to have a strong motivation to give people as much help as possible in interpreting what they consider to be the move of the Spirit. In a segment entitled "Catalogue of Manifestations" he tells us:
The Hebrew and Biblical model of the unity of personality implies that the Spirit affects the body. At times, the human spirit is so affected by the glory of God, the human body is not capable of containing the intensity of these spiritual encounters and strange physical behaviour results. Sometimes, though certainly not always, the bodily responses are human responses to the spirit's activity and not directly caused by the Holy Spirit. However, this does not imply that they are therefore carnal and should be forbidden.
Following are phenomena that have been observed in contemporary experience: shaking, jerking, loss of bodily strength, heavy breathing, eyes fluttering, lips trembling, oil on the body, changes in skin color, weeping, laughing, "drunkenness," staggering, travailing, dancing, falling, visions, hearing audibly into the spirit realm, inspired utterances-- ie prophecy, tongues, interpretation, angelic visitations, and manifestations, jumping, violent rolling, screaming, wind, heat, electricity, coldness, nausea as discernment of evil, smelling or tasting good and evil presence, tingling, pain in body as discernment of illness, feeling heavy weight or lightness, trances, altered physical state while seeing into the spiritual world, inability to speak normally, disruption of natural realm, ie electrical circuits blown.21
What a list! What are we supposed to do with that? Are they saying that these might be the body's response to God at times, or that they could be the direct activity of God at other times? What about some of them being symptoms of demonization? For instance, electrical circuits being blown (poltergeist, as it is known in some circles). I realize that at one time, that particular phenomena was considered a confirming sign to the ministry of a certain Kansas City Prophet, but I can't believe that it is an example of "the human response to God," nor do I believe that God is blowing fuses just to let us know He is here! A closer look at much of the above mentioned list is more like a description of classic demonization than it is a catalogue of manifestation of the Spirit of God.
Mike Bickle is not, to my knowledge, directly related to the "Toronto Blessing." He is, no doubt, a part of the supporting influence, as a fellow Vineyard pastor. He wrote this paper in the spring of 1994 to explain "widespread occurrences of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit across the United States and Canada."22 No doubt, to give the Body of Christ a theological framework from which to interpret this renewal. Bickle is however, in my opinion, responsible for contributing to the preconditioning necessary to open people up to this phenomena. How? By promoting the infamous Kansas City Prophets. I'll elaborate on that ahead.
Spiritual Drunkenness
A major phenomena associated with and even promoted by this revival, is spiritual drunkenness. "We are partying with God now,"23 according to "What in the World is Happening to Us." The joy of salvation is being subtly reinterpreted along this line:
In the early days of the apostles, as they were searching for a word that would communicate to the Gentiles the ecstasy in having their sins forgiven and being in right relationship with God through the atoning blood of Christ Jesus, they chose the word evanggelion, which we now translate, "gospel" or "good news." It was a completely secular word that was used in reference to the emperor's birthday. It was a holiday, a day of good news. The apostles traveled through the ancient world preaching that the day of God's party had come...We are learning to party in God again...24
The fallacies of this kind of thing should be obvious to all. The apostles weren't ever in the position of trying to find the right word for the message of God, to communicate to the Gentiles. The word gospel came from Jesus Himself. Furthermore, read the apostle's sermons, they proclaimed Jesus as Lord and called for repentance, not, "God's party has come!" But, it sounds so good to a generation who have been conditioned already to see the things of God through such "funloving" glasses. After all, if it's not "fun" it will never sell! No doubt this sensuous theology will have a great appeal to certain segments of the population. Were the disciples spiritually drunk on Pentecost? At least one Vineyard document thinks so:
They [the disciples] would not be accused of being drunk because they were speaking in different languages. They would be accused of such because they were acting like drunks, ie laughing, falling, slurred speech by some, boldness through lack of restraint, etc.25
What can we expect though, when you consider the source of this movement? Remember, it was passed on to Randy Clark and eventually John Arnott through the ministry of Rodney Howard-Browne! This is the man who delights in calling himself, "God's Bartender," invites people to come and drink at "Joel's Place" and promotes spiritual drunkenness. We have all heard the cute testimony in Charismatic circles, "I used to have to get drunk to drown my sorrows, but now that I'm saved, I have the new wine, and I have no sorrows, I feel better now then ever. It's free and it doesn't leave me hung over!" This usually brings a hearty laugh. Is spiritual drunkenness a good thing? How are we to interpret this phenomena? Does Acts 2 or Eph 5:18 teach that the disciples got drunk in the spirit? It was the mockers who suggested that they were drunk, to which Peter immediately replied, These men are not drunk as you suppose...Eph 5:18 is a straightforward command to be not drunk with wine, because of excess, instead be filled with the Spirit! The Biblical admonition is to be sober, alert, watchful, not abandoned, or ecstatic.
Spiritual Drunkenness in the Bible
This is not to say that spiritual drunkenness is an unscriptural phenomena, for the Word of God does acknowledge the reality of such an experience. However, according to the prophets, spiritual drunkenness is to be viewed more as a judgment of God then as a blessing. It is a judgment on an apostate people, a people who are full of worship, This people draws near to me with their lips, but are far from me with their heart.
Isaiah 29:9-14 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Jeremiah 51:37-40 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant. They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps. In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the Lord. I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.
Read the above and be aware! In one sense I strongly agree with some of the spokesmen for this movement, who say that we have entered into a new epoch of the spirit, a kind of fullness of time, or a "kairos." But, the time that has come full, is the time of judgment, the time spoken of in II Thess 2! Now is not the time for drunkenness nor reckless abandon_it is the time for sobriety, and for seriously critical thinking. This is the time for all Christians to decide the absolute basis of our faith. Is it to be the faith once and for all delivered to the saints through the Holy Scriptures? Or, is it the ongoing revelation, the faith of subjective experiences, a kind of evolution of the church where she gets stronger and more Christlike until she "evolves" into the "new man," the man child who will rule the nations? I believe in the cross, the Bible, the power of the Spirit, subjective experiences with God, casting out devils, healing, all of it! But, every subjective experience in God has to be interpreted through the objective revelation God gave us of Himself, in the holy scriptures, once and for all delivered to the saints! The idea that many people are going to be shocked and amazed on judgment day, is the furthest thing from a lot of Charismatic minds.
The Gospel tells us that one day people who cast out devils and prophesied, and did other "wonderful works" are going to be rejected! Why? Depart from me you workers of iniquity [lawlessness]. I never knew you [approved you]. In other words, "Your did your own thing! You pursued with zeal, what you thought was good, your idea of the "power of God." " You know, "Let's use the name of Jesus to cast the devil out of whole cities!" Would that be good? You bet! But, is that a Biblical concept? Did Jesus or the apostles do it? Or, how about, "This guy's a prophet of the Lord, he speaks with authority, 70% of the time he's accurate." Do these modern day "prophets" mean good or evil? I think they mean good! That one who prophesied that on Thursday, June 9th "all evil will be ripped off the earth," wouldn't that be good? Of course! But, is it Biblical? No way! How about when Rodney Howard-Browne touches some rebellious man or woman or teen and they fall to the ground laughing and come up in a swoon, "loving Jesus," "passionate for Jesus." Isn't that good?
You see, there you have it. "Lord, didn't we cast out devils and make war in the heavenlies? Didn't we prophesy? Didn't we do many wonderful works," "Sure you did, but not on my terms!" Therefore, beware, Christians won't be seduced by overt evil, the Deception will be in the area of the good. God's good as opposed to Christianized, humanistic, man centered, mystical good, like what's happening in Toronto. These are no doubt good people, all of them. But, where are they coming from? Why do they think this is revival? To answer these questions, let's go back about 40-50 years and put everything in the proper context.
Appendix: At Holy Trinity Brompton, London Vineyard Church
Some of the manifestations include: prolonged laughter, totally unselfconscious for the most part, and an inexpressible and glorious joy (I Pet 1.8). For some it is prolonged weeping and crying and a sense of conviction and desire for forgiveness, purity and peace with God. For others it seems to be the silent reception of the Spirit of God sometimes leading to falling down and sometimes standing up, sometimes kneeling, sometimes sitting. One vicar was forced to cancel an evening service of Holy Communion and remove chairs from the nave because so many in his congregation were lying on the floor after experiencing the "Toronto Blessing" named after its city of origin. Observers have described scenes where worshippers collapse en masse to the floor and burst out laughing during services.... According to a report in today's Church of England Newspaper, a service at Holy Trinity ended in chaos last weekend as dozens of people burst into spontaneous laughter or tears, trembled and shook or fell to the floor.
MOTHER LODE OF HUMAN DEPRAVITY IN THE CHURCH HOUSE
IS THE LAUGHTER PHENOMENON SCRIPTURAL?
You MUST go here for research: http://www.agape.com/laughter.htm#l0
It is ironic that we have to get right by the help of the folks we once sent missionaries to!! Thank God they have not taken the poisoned cup of devils.
First of all let me state very clearly that there is not one single verse in the Bible which says that when the anointing of the Holy Spirit comes upon a person that person laughs.
Secondly, it is a fallacy to equate the word `Joy' with `Laughter' for the simple reason that these two words have different and distinct root words both in Hebrew as well as in Greek.
In the Old Testament "laughter" was the word "tsechoq" which when interpreted means laughter in pleasure or derision (Strong's). Joy was the word "simchah" which means blithesomeness or glee or gladness (Strong's). In the New Testament there is also a very obvious difference between the words "Joy" and "Laughter" as illustrated in James 4:9......
Be aflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness."
Laughter =gelos, laughter (as a mark of gratification)-Strong's Joy=chara, cheerfulness i.e. calm delight, gladness-Strong's Chara is the same word used for Joy as a member of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22.
As you can see from the above, Laughter belongs more to the realm of the soul or emotions whilst Joy is a AN INNER ATTRIBUTE-one of the nine members of the Fruit of the Spirit which gradually becomes part of our Godly character. More on `Joy' in a moment. For now let us examine some of the Scriptures pertaining to emotional responses in the New Testament.
SCRIPTURAL EXAMPLES OF AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE
Acts 16:33-34
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and REJOICED, believing in God with all his house. Emphasis Mine.
GREEK WORD FOR `REJOICED' ( TRANSLATED JOY IN THE NIV) IS `AGALLIAO' WHICH MEANS TO
EXULT AKIN TO MAKING MERRY, MAKING GLAD OR CELEBRATE- A RESPONSE OF THE HUMAN SOUL.
HAS NO SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE.
Acts 8:39
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.. Emphasis Mine.
THE ROOT WORD OF `REJOICING' HERE IS CHAIRO WHICH MEANS `TO BE CHEERFUL' -AGAIN A PURELY EMOTIONAL RESPONSE.
In the above two examples, there was this mention of `rejoicing' when the jailor and euthopian eunuch were saved. They could have rejoiced by laughing or crying but take note that these were purely spontaneous emotional responses and had no bearing whatsoever on their salvation or spiritual status. In contrast, Rodney Howard-Browne speaks of a SPIRITUAL LAUGHTER which is supposed to start from the flesh and then to be hooked up to the spiritual realm (supposedly to the Holy Spirit). A close look at Figure Number 2 will help you to see the differences between emotional laughter and the Spiritual Laughter advocated by Rodney Howard-Browne.
Let us now `search the Scriptures' to see if there is any evidence to support a Spiritual form of Laughter as advocated by Rodney Howard-Browne.
The word `Laughter' occurs forty times in the Bible.(4) Of the 40 times, 22 refers to Scornful Laughter. Two examples would suffice........
Mark 5:40
40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
Neh 2:19
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
Seven of the remaining Scriptures on laughter are related to Abraham's and Sarah's initial disbelief and ultimate astonishment that God would give them a child in their old age. The remaining references to Laughter still have no relevance to an anointing of the Holy Spirit causing `Spiritual Laughter'. A few examples would suffice.....
Ps 126:1-2
1 When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
Here we have a reference to the Israelites being freed from seventy years of captivity. They rejoiced at their freedom with laughter. It is purely emotional and spontaneous and has no spiritual significance. If you have been freed after ten years of imprisonment, you too would certainly rejoice with laughter.
Job 8:20-21
20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.
Job Chapter 8 verses 20 and 21 are the words of one of Job's comforters who mistakenly felt that Job's misfortunes were due to his sins. If Job were perfect, he goes on to say, he would be laughing instead of being in such a pitiable state. The root word for "he fill" in verse 21 is `male' which means [to] "be full of". Later on in the book of Job you will find that God chided Job's three comforters for being in error.
Eccl 3:4
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
I cannot see how the above verse has anything to do with Rodney Howard-Browne's spiritual laughter.
Luke 6:21
Luke 6:21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Here we have our Lord's Words. But notice that the blessing is on those who weep and not on those who laugh.
Now, here is one Scripture often used by the Laughter Movement to lend support to their spiritual move (and my comments).....
Ps 2:1-5
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Here we have a Scripture which says God laughs.
First of all we must understand that God has emotions like all of us.
Secondly, if you study verses one to three above carefully, you will find that God was laughing at his enemies. Verse 5 says that God "speak unto them in his wrath". Do you pray for a person to receive God's `ANGER'? If this is not scriptural then praying for `Laughter' is also not scriptural.
As you can see, a study of the word `Laughter' from the Bible did not lend any support to any kind of Spiritual Laughter which is supposed to come as a form of anointing from the Holy Spirit. John Wimber himself, a proponent of the laughter movement, was quoted as having said the following......
".........John Wimber, the founder of Vineyard, a network of 600 conservative charismatic congregations around the world, cannot find precedent in the Bible for laughter and falling to the floor." (5)
To stretch the point further, laughter is only one of the manifestations seen in the Rodney Howard-Browne spiritual movement. Where in the world are we going to find Scriptures to support the hosts of manifestations that are being reported all over the world in these laughter meetings?
MANIFESTATIONS REPORTED IN LAUGHTER MEETINGS
1. Laughing, Crying, Shaking, Running around the building (Can you imagine Moses running around Mount Sinai after an encounter with God), Fast dancing, running, etc, followed by collapse (....Some of the things people did with their bodies is amazing), Barking-howling, Trances, Drunkenness, Falling Out, Oinking (this sure sounds strange to me!!!), Being "Hot", Fanning self or blowing, etc...... Article entitled "More on the Revival" by Richard M Riss.
2. Hooting like Owls. Renewal Magazine UK April 1995 issue, page 43.
3. Walking like chickens. Impact Magazine Singapore June/July 1995 Issue, page 2.
4. High Pitch whine reminiscent of a lively horse! Electronic Version of Jesus Army Streetpaper, United Kingdom 12th May 1995.
5. Mooing and Crowing. Book entitled "Signs of Revival" by Patrick Dixon 1994 edition, page 29.
6. Swimming in the spirit-on the back and also breast stroke style! Book entitled "Signs of Revival" By Patrick Dixon 1994 Edition, page 27.
7. Women going through imaginary birth pangs. Witnessed by Phillip Johnson, Internet:phillipj@smartdocs.com
8. Hopping like kangaroos. Signals Prophetic Newsletter @1991-1994, 107 Apricot Street LA 70037, Page 2
[ Note from Editor: BLessed Quietness Journal: Hare Krishna is noted for the "Krishna hop" which is demanded by the guru as a distinct spiritual signal of their maturity. ]
9. Loss of Conciousness. Article entitled "Revival" Richard Riss' Home Page, http://WWW.grmi.org/Richard_Riss/homepage, page 5.
10. Soaring like eagles. An Eyewitness Account by Dr RL Hymers, PO Box 15308, Los Angeles.
11. Hissing and moving like a snake. Article entitled "Toronto Experience" downloaded from Compuserve's Religion/Christianity Forum Library. Contributor 100241,1446.
12. Inability to speak and involuntary body spasms. Video entitled "The Holy Laugh", United Kingdom, 1994.
13. Kung Fu-like stances. Witnessed by KS Loo, Internet:spcsin@pacific.net.sg, Singapore Indoor Stadium 18th Sept 1995.
14. Vomiting in the spirit and holy head-banging. Trumpet Call, May 1995 (Volume 1:8), page 2.
15. Stripping (Taking off Clothes!). Book entitled "Is the Blessing Biblical?" By David Pawson, page 40, Hodder & Stoughton London 1995.
[ Editor: Steve Van Nattan, Blessed Quietness Journal: I also have reports from Derbyshire, UK that the pastor's wife in the Brethren Fellowship there has a "Holy Orgasm" every Sunday morning "on the carpet," much to the amusement of all the men present, and the pastor thinks it is cute. Also, I have reports of "Holy Erections" by men, and of men rubbing their male organ on the wall of the church house for a long period of time, presumably to the point of ejaculation. Also, "Holy Mounting" as one man mounted the pastor's wife from the rear as he roared like a lion. The pastor pulled him off in good godly fashion and set him after someone else. Early in 1997, Pastor Kilpatrick reported a blue haze filled the sanctuary as they were "in the river," and all present smelled a very sweet odor. ]
FOOT-NOTE: MY COMMENTS ARE IN ITALICS
THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION OR ATTRACTION IN A LAUGHTER MEETING APPEARS TO BE THE MANIFESTATIONS NOT JESUS CHRIST. Did you notice that there were no cases of deliverance in Rodney
Howard-Browne's meetings? This is because he calls these manifestations `signs and wonders' implying that they were from God. Even though some of the manifestations could be "fleshly" in nature, the remainder are spiritually mediated and NOT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. "Unholy" Manifestations therefore, are an integral part of Rodney Howard-Browne's Spiritual movement.
LAUGHTER NOT A FRUIT, GIFT OR ATTRIBUTE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CAN BE IMPARTED
Isaiah Chapter 11 verse 2 lists some of the attributes of the Holy Spirit that can be imparted and Laughter is not one of them.......
Isa 11:2
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Laughter is also not one of the nine members of the Fruit of the Spirit....
Gal 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Neither is it one of the Gifts of the Spirit.....
1 Cor 12:8-10
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
SINCE LAUGHTER IS NOT AN ATTRIBUTE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CAN BE IMPARTED OR A GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, OR A [MEMBER OF THE] FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE SO-CALLED `SPIRITUAL LAUGHTER' WHICH IS PART OF THE RODNEY HOWARD-BROWNE MOVEMENT COULD NOT HAVE COME FROM GOD.
WHAT THEN IS THE SOURCE OF THIS "SPIRITUAL LAUGHTER"?
1. CHARLES AND JOHN WESLEY SPOKE OF A LAUGHTER SPIRIT WHICH REQUIRED DELIVERANCE
On Friday, May 9, 1740 Wesley expressed surprise at some who were tormented by Satan in a very strange way. Some people were being suddenly possessed with a Spirit of Laughter which they could not stop at will. It was very painful experience. Wesley could not believe this strange phenomenon until one Sunday he and his brother Charles went to the field to sing psalms. When they were about to begin singing, suddenly, Charles burst out into a loud laughter. "I asked him", says John Wesley, "if he was distracted; and he began to be very angry, and presently after to laugh as loud as he could. Nor could we possibly refrain, though we were ready to tear ourselves to pieces, but we were forced to go home without singing another line.(37)
Wesley and his brother experienced together this strange phenomenon. Twelve days after this incident, John Wesley recorded in his Journal similar occurences: "In the evening such a spirit of laughter was among us, that many were offended. But the attention of all was fixed on poor L-aS-, whom we all knew to be no dissembler. One so violently and variously torn of the devil one did I never see before. Sometimes she laughed till almost strangled, then they broke out into cursing and blaspheming then stamped and struggled with incredible strength, so that four or five could scarcely hold her: Then cried out, "O eternity, eternity! O that I had no soul! O that I had never been born!" At last she faintly called on Christ to help her. And the violence of her pangs ceased."(38) Most of the people who saw this strange happening had no doubt that those involved were not pretending. They simply could not help laughing. But there are always the doubting Thomases. Two people E-th B- and Anne H- were sure that any one can stop laughing at will. When Wesley and the brethren met on a Thursday, these two persons publicly told them that the incident was not genuine, and that the people were just pretending. But something strange happened to them. As Wesley put it: "Friday, 23, God suffered Satan to teach them better. Both of them were suddenly seized in the same manner as the rest, and laughed whether they would or not, almost without ceasing. Thus they continued for two days, a spectacle to all; and were then, upon prayer made for them, delivered in a moment".(39) It is important to note that prayer in the name of Jesus Christ brought instant deliverance to those under the spirit of laughter.
Article entitled "John Wesley the Charismatic" by Robert Aboagye-Mensah, Adwinsa Publication (GH) Ltd 1992, Pages 17 & 18. References: 37.Wesley's Works, Vol. 11, p 271-2 38. Ibid., p272 39. Ibid., p272-3
2. THERE IS SUGGESTION OF A DEMONIC SPIRIT OF LAUGHTER IN JEREMIAH CHAPTER 51....
Jer 51:37-39
37 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for DRAGONS, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.
38 They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps.
39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. Emphasis Mine
The King James Version (above) uses the word "DRAGONS" in verse 37. The word "Dragon" is symbolic of the Devil (Rev 12:9) and dragons here probably refer to evil spirits.
Jer 51:37-39
37 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.
38 They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps.
39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. Emphasis Mine
The corresponding verses above in the New International Version mention "Laughter" (verse 39) as one of the manifestations when "dragons" (or evil spirits) inhabit Babylon.
3 HANK HANEGRAAFF SAYS IT IS DEMONIC AND OCCULTIC....
"Recently the laughter has taken a beastly turn. Now some people who get the Toronto Blessing are beginning to roar like animals as well. To Hank Hanegraaff, who hosts a California radio show as "The Bible Answer Man," such fearsome noise suggests possession by the Devil-and the need for exorcism."(6)
"This does not come from the Holy Spirit, this comes from the unholy spirit and it is dangerous and deadly. To the person who opens a doorway to the occult, it is a very, very, serious issue. It is extremely serious."(7)
4 THERE ARE RECORDS OF 'UNCONTROLLABLE LAUGHTER' IN NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS......
"......R, an Indian saint, daily went into a trance in which one involuntary falls down unconscious and enters a rapturous state of super-conscious bliss, complete with beautiful visions and often involving astral projections. These states could last anywhere from a few minutes to several days and were often accompanied by uncontrollable laughter or weeping..... SBM would transfer what was called "guru's grace" to his followers through physical touch. This "grace" triggered the gradual awakening of the K........ which in turn produced various physical and emotional manifestations. Manifestations included uncontrollable laughing, roaring, barking, hissing, crying, shaking, etc. Some devotees became mute or unconscious. Many felt themselves infused with feeling of great joy and peace and love. At other times the "fire " of K........ was so over-powering that they would find themselves involuntarily hyperventilating to cool themselves down......" SCP NEWSLETTER, FALL 94 (VOLUME 19:2), PAGE 4.
5 THERE ARE ALSO RECORDS OF HYSTERICAL OUTBREAKS OF LAUGHTER IN AFRICA....
OXFORD (ENGLAND): Robert Holden, psychologist and laughter specialist, tells of a bizarre epidemic that began in a rural schoolhouse in the bukoba District of Tanganyika, central Africa. A teacher's banal remark got a couple of children giggling, and pretty soon the entire classroom was chuckling. Those in adjacent classrooms heard laughter through the walls, and began to laugh, and pretty soon everyone-pupils and teachers-were laughing uncontrollably, and school was adjourned. "Remember, virtually none of them had a clue why they were laughing," Holden said in an interview, recounting a report in the Central African Journal of Medicine. "It was delirious laughter turning contagious." Then the children went home laughing and when their parents saw them, they, too, were infected. "Next day, they were all laughing so hard that nobody was able to go to school or work," Holden said. "The entire village was infected. Over a period of two weeks it spread to neighbouring villages. "Finally the Red Cross was called in because people were collapsing from exhaustion and dehydration. There have been similar incidents in Africa, but this was the longest laughter epidemic on record...." The Malay Mail, Friday, November 17th, 1995 page 76.
Last Updated: Wednesday, 06 March, 1996
RICHARD WURMBRAND TEACHES THAT SALVATION IS BELIEF IN THE "I" OF SELF-- THE GOD IN YOU-- THE ATMAN WHO IS THE FALSE CHRIST OF INDIA
Friends, this is absolutely a kick in the stomach. Pastor Wurmbrand, who has blessed thousands with his zeal and devotion to Christ in the past, is now teaching the Hindu teaching of salvation in the Atman, in YOU as a manifestation of the Brahman, Iswara, or, in his case, in the Christ. This is NOT the Christ of the Bible, but is a devil from India. I am sorry to have to put this here, but you MUST be aware that ALL men who teach and stand in a large place before the saints are today suspect until proven innocent. I realize I risk being put there, but never mind, I want YOU to learn self-defense in the Holy Ghost. I give this just as I got it by E-Mail, and thanks to brother Michael A. Drurey for getting it for us.
Subj:
Richard Wurmbrand
Date: 97-06-14 20:14:24 EDT
From: drurey@snet.net (Michael A. Drurey)
To: SteveVanN@aol.com (SteveVanN@aol.com)
Steve this was taken from the first 6 or 7 pages from Victorious Faith
by Richard Wurmbrand. I had forgotten how bad this book really is. The
rest of the book is the same with numerous references to his sympathetic
view of Catholicism. This stuff is straight from the pit.
From Victorious Faith by Richard Wurmbrand
My book is not the expression of opinions and sentiments of a man. I hate stuffy- as well as inspired- sermons in which clergymen express their views and their standpoints. I also hate political rallies at which good or bad opinions are expressed. I would prefer that nobody open his mouth unless he knows a truth, an objective truth.
In times of old, there were men among the Jews called prophets, who, when they wrote or when they spoke, began with the words, "thus spake the Lord".
I write the present book with the full assurance that I am only a voice. Through me, God Himself speaks.
Some will laugh at this assertion at the beginning of a book. [ Editor: Thus... ]
I always like it when people laugh, even at me. Laughter is healthy. Doctors recommend it. There is so little reason to laugh in this world. Why should people not laugh at me? Take it as foolishness if you like, but through this my book, God speaks to you.
How do I know that? Is not God Someone other than me, Someone totally different from me? My means of communication with Him can sometimes work well, but can also be troubled: I might misunderstand Him.
Jesus on the cross cried, "Eli, Eli" (the Hebrew words for "My God, My God"). Those beneath the cross believed they heard the name of the prophet Elijah. Such misunderstandings are daily occurrences.
How then can I have the assurance that what I, Richard Wurmbrand, write is exactly what God wishes me to convey? How did the prophets know?
A great confusion of spheres has taken place. The sphere of grammar and the sphere of religion are different from each other. Every pupil in school, who, when asked to conjugate a verb, replies that God is love and that whosoever believes in Him is born of God, will get a bad mark, even if the teacher is religions. Religion has no place in an examination on grammar.
But neither has grammar any say in religion. In the sphere of practical life we have to conjugate verbs, and for this we need personal pronouns. We have to distinguish between properties: between my house, my book, my wife, and that belonging to another. And so we have to use "I", "you", and "he". But please leave pronouns in the realm of grammar, to which they belong: do not introduce them into religion!
When Jesus Christ met Saul of Tarsus, a great persecutor of the Christians, on the road to Damascus, He asked him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutes" thou Me?" Saul could have answered truthfully, "I never persecuted you. I persecuted your disciples". But Jesus, though omniscient, does not know that He and His disciples are different persons. He feels Himself persecuted as often as His disciple is hurt; He weeps with every disciple who weeps, He rejoices with every disciple who rejoices.
Jesus says that at the last judgment the wicked will hear the reproach, "I have been hungry, sick, or in prison and you did not visit Me". And He then explains that as often as one of
His little brethren suffered hardships, it was He Himself who passed through suffering.
The Lord Jesus is our leader in religion. But He might not pass an examination in grammar because He uses interchangeably the personal pronouns "he" and "I".
The Christian religion consists in becoming inebriated with love. Inebriated men confuse things and persons. The distinction between "I", "you", and "he" disappears. Therefore, when I speak, if I am inebriated with love for God, God speaks through me.
Two thousand years ago Jesus said, "I am the Truth". And for 2,000 years this assertion of His has been falsified and quoted as meaning that Jesus said, "He is the truth". But He never said that He is the truth.
He said, "I am the truth". If you make Him a "he", even with a capital H. you have lost the truth.
What can Jesus, the "he", the God embodied in a carpenter of 2,000 years ago in Palestine, tell you about modern techniques, about socialism, democracy, or military dictatorship, and which of these to prefer, about whether or not we should accept the philosophy of Teilhard de Chardin or the philosophical implications of Einstein's theory, about whether we should be fundamentalists or modernists?
What can Jesus, the man who lived 2,000 years ago in Palestine, tell you about the theory of evolution ? Can He tell you to marry George rather than Steve? Can He guide you in any practical matter?
Jesus never wished to be "he". As a condition for His being the truth, He must always remain an "I". I am the truth, not he is the truth. If I wish to have the truth and to be the truth, Jesus must be for me an "I".
It is not true that He must become an I. He is an I. Luther says, "The Christian is Christ". This is the fact, though you may not realize it yet. When my eyes are opened, I say with St. Paul, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me". Then I become sure of my own thoughts. I write a book, which means that God speaks through my book.
Men of God have always thought like this.
Luther wrote: "I have to distinguish between myself and my calling. I consider myself as the smallest. But my calling is untouchable . . .
Nobody should have a high opinion of his own person, but everyone should mightily praise his calling to the glory of God. Even more. The man who holds the office has not even to prove what he says, he has to be listened to as God Himself".
To become a Christian means to become Christlike. In what sense? Not everybody is a Jew as Jesus was, not everybody a carpenter, not every disciple of His a male. In what sense then can I become like Him ?
He lived a human life with the full assurance that He was right. In His time, like today, there existed hundreds of religions. In Galilee alone many nations and many religions met. He never chose any of these religions. He believed that man must choose His. Palestine was divided into many groups: the Zealots, the Herodians, the Essenes, etc. Jesus never chose among them. He spoke about earthly things, but others had to accept what He said. He never accepted what others said. He knew Himself to be the embodied truth. To be a Christian means to become Christlike, that is, a man without doubts about the message, a man who knows that Christ is not a "he". When this man speaks, Christ speaks.
Putting the realities of spiritual life in human words, I will have to use the personal pronouns, but my words will be transparent. Through them, you must grasp the reality behind them: It is the Lord who tells you "Come unto me". You have to come to him by seeing to it that he is no longer a "he" for you.
I have to make it very clear again. I do not call you to come to him. The sacred words are "Come to Me". Do not come to him, which means, do not have in the future a "he" as an object of worship and do not be content with this.
The whole idea of subject and object is an illusion [ Editor: In Hindi, read, "Maya" ], which has been strengthened in us by linguistic structures. These will oblige me, too, to "misuse" pronouns. But I do so, conscious that what we call the "I" is only a temporary meeting point of different forces, which continually change their intensity and direction. Learn to think outside the categories of "I", "you", and "he" [ Editor: Read, "Empty your mind." ]. The thinker, the thought of, and the act of thinking are one.
There is one all-powerful "I". The ten commandments start with the words "I am God". Within this only God, we live and move and have our being (Acts 17 :28). We form the inward life of God. We are not exterior to Him.
God continually contradicts the notion of an "I" of ours as opposed to His. Jeremiah does not wish to accept the call to become a prophet. He says to God, "I am a child"; but God answers, "Say not, I am a child . . for I am with thee" (Jer. 1:6-8). Significant are the words of God, "Say not I . . . for I . . ." Where His "I" intervenes, the state of our "I" does not count.
Zacharias, when told by the angel that he would have a son, the future John the Baptist, says to the heavenly being, "I am an old man". This objection is cancelled with the words, "I am Gabriel" (Luke 1 :18-19). For a man to speak in terms of an "I" when he hears a voice from heaven is senseless. It again "not 'I', Zacharias, but 'I', the angel".
God calls a man "a fool" (Luke 12 :16-20). This was the man who thought only about his earthly riches. It would have been easy to recognize him as a fool. In three verses of the Bible, he uses the words "I" and "my" nine times, not knowing that this "I" was meant to die on that very night and the "my" to pass into the possession of others.
We will come back to this idea later on. To come to God is just another way of saying to come to yourself, to your real being, to the One whose image and likeness you bear, to the only real "I".
Jesus told St. Catherine of Siena: "I am He who is, you are she who is not".
In my church in Bucharest, I had a Russian member who did not know one word of Romanian, the language in which all services were conducted. He was never absent from church. During the sermon, he would read his Russian New Testament.
I felt a responsibility to him. I called him one day and said, "Look, I am your pastor. I would like to know what you understand from this book. Choose a part of it at your convenience and explain it to me !"
He read to me Chapter 1 of the first epistle to the Corinthians and then interpreted, "The apostle writes that Paul had planted the gospel and a certain Apollo had watered, but God gave the increase. From this he draws the conclusion that neither Paul, nor Apollo are anything, but only God. Now, if St. Paul and Apollo are called just nothings, how much is your worth, Brother Wurmbrand ? God has called the things which are not. Be happy to be just a nothing".
I embraced and congratulated him for understanding the Bible better than I.
Jesus says, "Come unto Me". Accept the call ! Do not be one of the ice-cold hearts which very often are as hard and as unfeeling as the stones of the prison floor on which Jesus might have slept, after being arrested in the garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus says, "Come unto Me!" and not only to pompous Church services. The great inquisitor in Dostoievsky's The Brothers Karamasov said to the Lord, "We have improved upon your work". Jesus in His humility is thankful for improvements.
_______________________
I could not endure any more of this stuff. But if you wanted to read the rest of this book I am sure you could order it. If this is not sufficient let me know.
Best,
Michael A. Drurey
Search the Scriptures
http://www.riconnect.com/sts/
(Acts 17:11 KJV) <JESUS><
Editor: Blessed Quietness Journal
I say this carefully-- According to the fruit Richard Wurmbrand is giving us in the end of his life (It is not how a man beginsbut how he ends that tells us about him), I thus must tell you Richard Wurmbrand has gone from the North to the East (Amos 8:12), and he is a blasphemer and a false prophet. He must be considered a publican and sinner, and his home church and pastor ought to send him out to be physically worked over by Satan, his true god. Wurmbrand has gone to Rome and filled his cup in the recent past, and now he has finished the journey and is now in an Ashram in India as to theology.
We now see that the Hindu Yogic and Kundalini self-worship has reached well beyond the Brownsville and Toronto Blessing people-- Hindu thinking is all around us and in our most Fundamental churches. Watch out for it, and blast it and its teachers every time you see it. Rub it raw, then fill the wound with salt, and rub it in again. What kind of salt are you anyway.
Richard Wurmbrand is a fool for he has said there is no HE who is God.
Psalms 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
Richard Wurmbrand clearly has a devil controlling his mind.
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