I just came across your blog for the first time tonight. I am enjoying your posts and will definitely continue visiting. The only suggestion I would like to mention would be to see more biblical backing on your opinions. I think it would greatly assist in aiding understanding.

I read the article about the Jesus Camp movie. I saw the movie earlier this year. I really didn’t know what to think of it, but I know it made me uncomfortable. I think the most dramatic scene for me was watching children take a hammer and pound away at various items (I can’t remember what they were hammering). I understood it represented freedom from the bondage of sin, but it was still hard to watch, it almost seemed eerie. I don’t know, that’s just my opinion.

Anyway, keep up the work and I look forward to reading your future posts! May God Bless and Keep All!!

All Believers are to be led by the Holy Ghost, and the Scriptures. John even says in his Epistle that any MAN that seeks to override the leading (unction) of the Holy Ghost in your life is the spirit of Anti-Christ, or “false anointing.” I dare say this can also be true of those that have extra-biblical revelation that contradicts the Bible, for they place their word ABOVE the Word of God!

Jesus says in John’s Gospel the 15th chapter that if men fail to abide in Him (Christ) and in His Word (the Bible) then a man will be as a dried up branch, and the Father will pluck him from the tree (Christ.) He will then be gathered by MEN and BURNED.

My conclusion: if a Believer rejects the leading of the Holy Ghost, and won’t follow the Bible, there is an army of wolves out there (all claiming to have “unquestioned authority” something mentioned nowhere in the Bible that I’m aware of) ready to leap in, “play God” in your life…and drag your soul to Hell with false doctrines.

Remember, even Messiah said that the day will come when there be those that seek to kill you (His disciples) will do so fully persuaded they are doing God service.

Brethren…PRAY! Fast, worship Him, READ THE BIBLE! Don’t let any MAN “take authority” over your life, for such are committing the original sin of Satan…they want to be God and lord it over others. Jesus told the Pharisees, “You are of your father, Satan, and Satan’s lusts do you do.”

These have the same desire as the devil…to BE GOD and lord it over others for their own selfish gain (claiming they are obeying God!)

And remember the Word of God…Jesus said in the kingdoms of the heathen (those that know not God) all seek to dominate and lord it over others (Satan’s desire again) but in Christ’s Kingdom is shall NOT be so. He who seeks great approval from God must be the SERVANT (not master) of all. For even Christ came to SERVE not to be served!

Those that demand slavish devotion, insist they have “unquestioned authority” are motivated by Satan, are wolves seeking to feed their own ravenous lusts by raping and fleecing the flock, are “playing God”, are over inflated with pride and ego with their own importance…and per the words of John…are ANTI-CHRIST!

And my personal experience with such men and women is they are ALWAYS hostile to everything the Holy Ghost (and the Bible) have plainly taught me.

Always. They hate God. Period.

They are the enemies of God, clouds without water (false promise bearers) cruel tyrants and opposed to the true Faith.

Which is to say…they are the ringleaders of the “Great Falling Away” that must occur before His Return.

And if you follow them, rejected the leading of God by His Spirit and Word…you will be gathered up as dry branches and burned.

As in, “Depart from Me, be cast into the Lake of Fire prepared to the devil and his angels, for I swear, I never knew you.”

Not my opinion…it’s what the Bible says.

Christ is the head of ALL things to the church (Believers). All means all. So why do these “Apostles” insist they are not under His Headship? Why do they reject the leading of the Holy Ghost and angrily declare as a heretic anyone that sticks to what the Bible says?

Because they want to tear God off His throne so they can be God?

“You are of your father, the devil, and his lusts shall you do,” Jesus said. “But in My Kingdom, the greatest shall be the least servant of all.”

Bud.

I spent many years in a Charismatic denomination which put empasis on being slain in the Spirit, miracles, healings, etc. I myself, have been supernaturally healed and experienced other miracles. I am not speaking against the Spirit of God in the fact that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever; HOWEVER, having said that, Jesus has taught me that it is IMPERATIVE in the time we live in to “Test the Spirits” and to TRUST only in His Word.

In all the years I was in the Charismatic churches, I never saw one person ever fall forward. They almost always fell backward. If we look to Scripture the only example I can think of right now of people falling backward is in John 18:6, when the chief priests and Pharisees came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Bible says,

“As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went BACKWARD, and FELL TO THE GROUND.”

Question: Were these chief priests and Pharisees “slain in the spirit”?

Certainly they were not opening their hearts to Jesus, as they came to arrest Him. So one might say they were in rebellion toward Him, and certainly did not cry out to Him for Salvation.

Take for instance the Toronto/ Brownsville movements. Shaking, laughing, barking etc….is NOT of the Holy Spirit. God is the God of ORDER, NOT confusion.

Check this site out, Shawn.

http://www.cephasministry.com/toronto_brownsville_revival.html

When one repeats a phrase over and over again, they can actually go into an altered state of consciousness. True believers that are not discerning can actually open themselves up to “other spirits” that are demonic.

In our experience, we had an older lady in one church we attended that worked with the youth. She would “see” a “cloud” roll into the back of the church when she had her “alter” time. She would put her hands on our daughter and try to forcible push her back, so she would “feel Jesus” and be “slain in the spirit”.

God has stripped us from an “emotional experience” and we now attend a church that some of our former acquaintances have said, “But they don’t believe in the Holy Spirit.” To which I replied “Yes, they do. They pray and believe God still heals today, they just don’t focus on “Holy Spirit this” and “Holy Spirit that”. God’s Presence is very real in this church and the body is growing.

Those who are looking for “moves” of God or “experiences” can be easily led astray. It is best to stand on His Word.

Mary

I invite you to check out my Spiritual Life article on mihaven called “The Holy Spirit” found here:
http://www.mihaven.com/modules.php?name=spiritual_life&sid=709
It provides Holy Bible scripture(s) that indicate not only do those who are annointed by the Holy Spirit (through Jesus Christ) have the authority to command someone to be healed and authority over evil, but that those who worship with the Holy Spirit upon them are the True Worshippers of God. It also site’s Biblical scripture indicating unforgiveness /serious consiquences to those who come up against the acts of the Holy Spirit.

“To many, seeing this is a shocking experience. How & why is this guy putting his hand in front of someone, and they are falling over? Some resort to calling it fake. Some call it a set-up. Some call it an “emotional reaction.” And some even laugh and mock on it. It’s understandable that one who doesn’t even believe in Jesus Christ, or God would think and comment in such a manner, but Christians too?”

No offense taken. I think we need to earnestly contend for the faith delivered to us from the Apostles. My point was this…..IN CONTEXT, the passage that you are referring to in Acts, Peter says “THIS” (what you see) is the fulfillment of what was said in Joel. I will copy the portion again that shows that this “outpouring” occurs INSIDE the day of the Lord. I believe there is a genuine outpouring coming. It will occur when those who missed the Rapture realize they have been left behind. I am not sure if this will be everyone though, or if Joel’s context speaks to Israel. Here are the verses again.

19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

It seems that the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon all flesh happens within the timeframe that these events are occurring.

God is talking here about the future judgment and restoration of Judah. Any work of the Holy Spirit in this age is to convict of sin and bring individuals to repentance.

One day in 2001, after I just finished reading John McTernan’s book, “God’s FInal Warning to America”, I began to intercede and cry out for revival for America. He gave me Jeremiah 14, 15. Basically, the Lord was saying that because of her sin, America must be judged. The Scriptures make if very clear that in the end times, there will be a great falling away from the faith….not revival.

Blessings,
Mary

The documentary is being released in selected cities and theaters. Visit the official Web site to learn times and locations: http://www.jesuscampthemovie.com/

I’m not sure if your retort addresses what I had said earlier.

I believe in the unchanging charector of the God. I don’t believe it was referring only to the day of Pentecost. To say that would be to say that no one during the Church age would be able to prophecy or for that matter be able to receive any of the gifts of the Spirit. The scripture in Acts 2 repeatedly uses the word last “days”; meaning the age of the gentile or the church age. Remember the book of Acts is describing the beginning of the Church (the bride of Christ). I still agree with you that emotions are easily manipulated especially in the charismatic movement. And charismatic churchs are not for everyone (me included).

Now I’m not a Bible scholar but I still stand on the scripture I quoted earlier (Mathew 9:38-41).

My orginal post was to question what the big deal about this movie was.
I do agree with Holly that (in her most recent post) that if the organizers of this camp believe that there are modern day apostles with unquestionable authority and prophets with the ability to give new doctrinal revelation it deserves to be challenged. I just didn’t see it in that clip (perhaps I missed it).

Thanks Mary, I hope I havn’t come acrossed as glib or disrespectful in any way. I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents (I’m up to 4 cents now)

In HIS grip,
Jeff

16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

First, he says “THIS”, what had happened historically that day on the Day of Pentecost. This does not refer to “future”. Secondly, the context in Joel is within the context of the Day of the Lord. Will there be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit before the Rapture? I used to pray and believe that God would pour out the “latter rain” prior to the Rapture. First of all “the Latter Rain Movement” is part of the THIRD WAVE. It is Dominionism. Then a good Christian friend challenged me to look in the Scriptures to see what they say concerning a great “end time outpouring.” These are the ones I found. They indicate quite the opposite.

1 Tim. 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils

2 Tim. 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2 Thess. 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

Matt. 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Jesus also said (concerning the Spirit) that he will not speak of himself; but shall glorify Christ. (John 16:13).

Much that is done in church today is done in the name of Christ, but has little to do with Him.

Blessings,
Mary