Before I move into the meat of this article, I need to establish a base level. First of all I believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are in operation today. I am a living breathing example of a miraculous healing. I am saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of being able to pray in the Spirit (tongues). Second, I believe that the written Word of God is the guideline for everything that must be discerned. Third, visions and dreams, signs and wonders from the Holy Spirit are real, but they are not a flippant occurrence. They are for a divine purpose and are not for personal frills. Do not mistake the fact that it was not Peter’s shadow (Acts 5:12, 15) or Paul’s handkerchiefs (Acts 19:11-12) that healed — it was the Holy Spirit. Fourth, true advancements in the kingdom of God are wrought through humble prayer and fasting. Fifth, I believe in awesome worship music, but only as far as breaking up the fallow ground and not as entertainment. Sixth, so-called being ‘slain in the spirit’ is never recorded even once as a valid experience of any Christian in the New Testament. On top of that, some Pentecostals and Charismatics have gotten so caught up in their emotions that they allow themselves to overshadow the touch of the Holy Spirit and have done some crazy antics. Please read the following two PDF’S:
Slain in the Spirit Invalidity
With all of that said, I am very sad with what I see taking place on the so-called ‘forefront’ of American Christianity. I liken it to a circus. In this Circus Christianity you will find that most of their emphasis is on the sensational, spectacular, eye-catching, out-of-the-box signs and wonders. Their music is designed to appeal to the senses and emotions, not the very roots of one’s sin-sick soul. They want you to have experiences that will keep you coming back, but in reality they lead you in the wrong direction. Yes, you will hear the name of their jesus quite often. But know this, the real Jesus is not only the Living Word, but He is the Written Word. They teach that their jesus is a compass to roughly guide you in the direction you must go. But, the real Jesus is literally a road map that we must pick up our cross and follow.
Let us never forget that the greatest miracle that can take place in any individual’s life is being Born Again. Let’s see what scripture has to say about it:
I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:7 NKJV)
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10 NKJV)
Likewise, the greatest healing that can take place in any individual’s life is also being Born Again. Every other healing or miracle, sign or wonder, cowers to it, even someone being raised from the dead. Granted, someone being raised from the dead may appear much more spectacular because it is highly visible. Unfortunately you cannot see what’s going on inside someone’s spirit when they are born again. The following two verses make it clear that when they refer to healing, it talks about the spiritual and not physical, even though physical healing stems from what Jesus accomplished on the cross:
Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24 NKJV)
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV)
Physical miracles and physical healings for the church are a secondary blessing. Remember, only after Jesus returned to the Father, did the Holy Spirit come and impart such gifts:
Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. The same Spirit gives the gift of healing to someone. He gives someone else the power to perform miracles. (1 Corinthians 12:1, 7, 9-10)
The following verse really puts physical healings and miracles into the proper perspective:
“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.” (Matthew 18:8-9 NKJV)
Jesus even goes on to warn us not to be ‘signs and wonders’ seekers:
But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:39-40 NKJV)
A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed. (Matthew 16:4 NKJV)
During the heyday of circuses, when a circus came into town they would have a parade with blaring music and all of their acts and animals in procession down the main street to where they would set up their tents. This description so rightly fits what we see going on with much of the so-called Christian church today.
I’ve seen things called revivals that are not revivals at all. I’ve seen things called blessings that turn out to be curses. I’ve seen people call themselves prophets who are nothing more than con artists. They love to blur the lines of the truth of the Word and they do this because they find that this fascinates people and attracts them. But look what scripture says:
And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. (Romans 16:17-18 NLT)
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3 NLT)
Paul was only concerned about reaching the lost. He was not concerned about attracting people to his ministry. He would be abhorred if he saw some of the antics that take place in the church today. I am sure that he would be casting out many demonic spirits that have infiltrated today and have appeared as angels of light. Paul shares where his heart really is in his epistles to the Romans and Corinthians:
And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall understand.” (Romans 15:20-21 NKJV)
“Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29 NLT)
It was not the unusual miracles that defined Paul (Acts 19:11). The heart of Paul’s ministry was that he would preach, the Holy Spirit would open up hearts, and the individuals would accept it in belief:
As she (Lydia) listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She and her household were baptized. (Acts 16:14-15 NLT)
As I stated at the start of this article, I am very sad with what I see taking place on the so-called ‘forefront’ of American Christianity. The most toxic of all is contained in the following PDF:
Toxic Message of Bill Johnson and Bethel Church
Click on the following link that gets into more detail about the toxicity of Bethel Church:
http://www.piratechristian.com/messedupchurch/2018/2/10-reasons-why-bethel-redding-is-a-false-church
The Toronto Blessing was a breeding ground for the demonic kundalini spirit which has its roots in eastern religions. It masquerades itself as a false holy spirit in the West. Bill Johnson was enticed to go to Toronto and this kundalini spirit latched onto him. All that one needs to do is read the opening of his best selling book ‘When Heaven Invades Earth’ where he testifies of this. When I read of all this I can’t help but think of the following Scripture:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV)
A good friend of mine read over this article and said, “The power of the Holy Spirit was given for a very specific purpose, to enable us to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ. It wasn’t given to us to make our lives easier; in fact our lives will become more difficult when we become a true witness for Jesus.”
I must agree. Any signs that accompany the salvation message are mainly for validity’s sake to non-believers, and only where the Holy Spirit deems necessary, not as a showcase for believers. The following two verses cements that specific purpose for the power of the Holy Spirit:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NLT)
“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me (the Good News). Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NLT)
Where does all of this leave us? I can only compare it to counterfeit money. You try your hardest to verify that every bill that you receive is not counterfeit. It’s a shame that you have to live your life this way. But we must! If not we will end up with counterfeit bills that could cost us dearly!
The fact that there are many counterfeits out there does not deter me from carrying a bottle of anointing oil on me. If someone is in need of a miracle or healing, I will not hesitate when prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray for them, and believe.
May the body of Christ be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. (Ephesians 4:12b-14 NIV)
Annointing 