Introducing the issue

There are lots of horror stories amongst all the positivity and buzz of what goes on in a Word Faith event. I want to share a few with you to introduce the issue, with the eventual aim that we may be able to replace these horrors with genuine love, joy, peace and the fruit, conviction and transformation of the Holy Spirit.

A short-sighted man was slain in the Spirit and then, taking off his glasses, was tested in front of the live audience. He could see perfectly! He even drove home, without his glasses. The next day, though, he was as blind as a bat. Worse than before. What happened?

A Christian man retells the story of when his adult daughter went up seeking a blessing in a local church, who "was up-ended supernaturally, feet flying up in the air, landed on the crown of her head and was concussed for 4 days...this was NOT a work of the Holy Spirit."Nader Mikhaiel, 1995, Slaying in the Spirit: The telling Wonder, 165-6. More pointedly, we might ask, what power, then, was behind this event?

A Pentecostal minister was delivered from a demon that was granting him power to cause people to be 'slain in the Spirit'. He had moved powerfully in a Full Gospel church, working miracles, signs and wonders. But he was thinking proudly, on seeing a very sick person "if only I could heal that man". God eventually showed him that he was thinking fleshly thoughts and caused him to rethink his desires for more power. God said to him: "I gave you my Son, what more can you want?" He realised he was wanting more than Jesus offered him. "The fact that Jesus had died for me and had taken away my sins had become a small part of my life, and yet it should have been the dominant part." He goes on to explain "well, after God had shown me these different reasons why I had gone wrong; why I had received a spirit that was not of God; an evil spirit...I still wanted to be rid of that spirit. I asked God's forgiveness for insulting him [for wanting more than Jesus]. I asked him to take that spirit from me. I submitted myself to God. I resisted that spirit and it fled from me."Slaying in the Spirit, 282. What do we make of this testimony?

These are some stories that I've read, but others I've experienced personally. In my personal experience I was in a church where we experienced many healings that reappeared or relapsed. This was led by a very assertive, charismatic preacher. He attributed the relapses to the demon(s) coming back, but he also believed there was not a demon under every bush, but twelve! These faithful, prayerful Christians were readily and actively resisting the devil. So what was going on?

I've also drawn on the experiences of an ex-New Ager. She draws out how many favourite texts of the Word Faith preachers are straight from the New Age textbook. Is that where these ideas and experiences are coming from? How would we be able to test that?

Well these are all experiences, and such experiences need to be tested against the Word to gain any confidence in their origin.

As I've studied this, all these strange phenomena and interpretations of Scripture only started to make sense when I perceived that they were coming from a New Age worldview and practice. Then everything started falling into place.

Our aim here will be to extract ourselves from the New Age track, and only pursue the biblical track. The problem is, it's quite hard to perceive. The devil isn't called a deceiver and the father of lies for nothing! We should expect this. Many Christians believe a mix of both New Age teachings as well as biblical ones.

So, like John when he was helping people to discern the difference between Gnostics and faithful believers, we will be developing some tests, to "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1).

1. Testing the spirits by their nature

There is a measure of power that the devil has, but it's not nearly as much as God's. Remember the signs and wonders God did amongst the Egyptians—the Egyptian magicians were able to copy the water turning to blood (Exodus 7:22), the staff turning into a snake (though theirs got eaten by Moses', Exodus 7:11-12), and making a plague of frogs (Exodus 8:7). But after that, they could do no more (Exodus 8:18-19; 9:11).

Counterfeit miracles would be ones that revert back the next day, or cause all manner of weird phenomena that don't glorify God.

Counterfeit healings are those that don't last. God can heal because he is the healer who made all things and sustains all things. But the Devil tries to mimick these things and can produce what looks like healing, but not actually heal. These are healings that last but one night before the sickness or disease comes back. They can also last longer, and so it can be hard to tell, but generally what is produced is less than 'back to normal'.

When people get 'holy laughter', have you noticed that this is uncontrollable and makes the person detached from those around them, unembarrassed by their excessive laughter? The Holy Spirit is of self-control, and his gifts are controllable. This is not, and it is distracting to the extent that it can and does stop people worshipping and preaching the Word. Isn't that the work of the Devil, to create such distraction? You would think that if it were real joy, that that would be compatible with worship and preaching, fellowship and other godly things. Instead, this stops those activities, and confers no lasting benefit.

Consider it differently. If we brought in a TV and put on a comedy, and made everyone laugh, we would think that a very poor substitute for church—particularly if we were expecting a touch from God, and an opportunity to worship God together, and learn and grow in God. So what makes spontaneous laughter, that is uncontrollable, so much better than watching a comedy?

Instead of assuming something weird is from God, it is wiser to consider the possibility that it might not be from God—it will either stop you from being deceived, or, if you can see it does glorify God, it will allow you to push wholeheartedly into it, instead of wondering and being cautious (or forcing yourself to 'believe').

When people bark and cluck, literally acting like animals in every way—does this not make a mockery of their humanity? In similar manner as the laughter, it is uncontrollable, and heavily distracting, while conferring no lasting benefit. This has been described as barking at the devil, which makes no sense whatsoever, since it in no way scares off any devil, nor is in any way able to cast out a devil. What it is very good at, though, is making a mockery of how God has made us: as humans. So that is another test of phenomena: does it act in line with how God has made us as humans?

This is why I have some thoughts, though I'm not convinced either way, that the common experience of speaking in tongues being essentially babble, could be the counterfeit. The true speaking in tongues is that which was done in Acts, that of speaking in other human languages (Acts 2:6-11). If we consider which one is actually useful and in line with how God has ordered things, it makes sense that the one that is intelligible is from God. It also makes sense that the counterfeit doesn't quite work properly and is unintelligible. It is also a serious point to note that these tongues often accompanied with being 'slain in the Spirit', which we'll deal with in the next point. Guilt by association, if you will.

There's some rather obvious examples too, of people neither having demonic or godly power, and pushing people over to fake being 'slain in the Spirit', or speaking in another language that they already knew how to speak. This is deceptive, however, which may arguably be a fruit of a demon.

In contrast to all of this, the fruit of a true revival, the Brownsville revival, was much repentance and faith. Much weeping and sorrow and turning away from sin, from deep conviction of the Holy Spirit. Read more about that in my book review of Michael L. Brown's first-hand experience there: http://propheticengineering.org/salvation/book-review-of-revival-or-we-die-a-great-awakening-is-our-only-hope-by-michael-l-brown-phd

2. Testing the spirits by the fruit: the results

When we read the Bible, we see no indication whatsoever that people get hurt from Jesus' or the disciples healing. Neither are there indications that people fall over (being 'slain in the Spirit') when they are healed. Some people fall on their face, in full control, in reverent fear Matthew 17:6; Revelation 1:17; Ezekiel 3:23, 42:2-3, 44:4; Numbers 22:31—but none of these are in the context of healing. When people fell to the ground, instead of their faces, this seems to be less controllable. This is because God was judging them (Acts 9:3-4; John 18:6). Yet there are many modern stories of people being hurt when they are slain (seems fitting, that name), and even receiving concussion and being taken to hospital for hitting the floor with their head.

Of course, people take precautions by having a catcher. Again, there is no evidence of teaching or practice of Jesus or his followers needing any catchers, as if the Spirit needed a bit of help to get the healing right. It seems out of character.

So what would we expect from God if he were to heal? There is a simple test. When God heals, he's gentle, kind, compassionate, and in control of the whole situation. They get healed, and they get up and walk. When the Devil attempts to heal, he has little control, and people fall over; act drunk; initially feel better but then later feel just as bad—or worse; and displays other such uncaring, shoddy workmanship.

Knowing this, it would be prudent to note the results at least a week later, rather than whatever happened straight away. When the hype dies down and the preacher has left, what lasts? What was real? Who actually remained healed? That's the fruit—not what you saw immediately, as that is often truly experienced, but nevertheless counterfeited. It doesn't last.

I read a blogger who thought being slain in the Spirit was from God. His best story was about a skeptic who wanted to prove it was all from the Devil who had an experience for himself which turned him around. Instead of actually talking about repentance, though, this skeptic experienced uncontrollable crying. It struck me that this is just the kind of thing that a demon would do: make it look as though genuine conviction was occuring, without actual conviction of sin. Secondly, this skeptic, at the point of crying out to God, was prevented from doing so because their body was bound (catalepsy, a common hypnotic symptom). Because the skeptic thought that the whole thing was fake, and didn't consider the possibility that there could be a counterfeit, he listened to the deceiver who whispered to him that this was God who loved him. His only lasting change was to never doubt the existence of God again. He doesn't speak of any conviction, transformation, love, or humility. Even his intermittent rebelliousness remained. He now doesn't doubt that he is saved—because of an experience that can be replicated by occult hypnotists with relative ease!Michael Bradley, 14/01/2020, Is Being Slain In The Spirit Coming From God?, https://www.bible-knowledge.com/slain-in-the-spirit/

Friends, if that's the best example amongst many of people who have been slain in the Spirit, you need to read up about hypnosis, as well as its contrast, true revival.

Pentecostal Michael L. Brown has examined this closely, and puts the test this way:

Something is wrong. Most of the people are sick when they fall...and sick when they get up. Although the suffering people collapse and shake, the life of God doesn't seem to take. The anointing—or at least what we call the anointing—was strong enough to knock them over, but not strong enough to make them recover. They got their thrill, but they weren't made well. Is this the power of God?John MacArthur, Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship, 2013, p202; quoting Michael L. Brown, Whatever Happened to the Power of God?, 2012, p69

When in doubt, the general question is: does it glorify God? Let's look at that in more detail.

3. Testing the spirits by who it glorifies

So who does it glorify? Well when 'healings' result in falls and concussion, does this not make a mockery of Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals?

When grown men and woman get on all fours and bark like dogs, with all seriousness, does this not make a mockery of their humanity? God didn't make us dogs.

Nader Mikhaiel points out that God's spiritual manifestations are controllable. It's the Devil's that are uncontrollable.Slaying in the Spirit, p96. So when our bodies jerk and shake uncontrollably or have fits of uncontrollable laughter, it makes a mockery of God's handiwork.

When sickness goes, and then comes back, this is a fake and counterfeit healing (this is present much more in some ministries than others). It doesn't glorify the God who heals. If it did, it would show God as incompetent and false. So in fact it makes a mockery of God.

The author of these things can only be demonic in origin, since they don't glorify God in any way and indeed mock God.

This is also why I think it's a possibility that babbling in tongues is counterfeit. It jumbles up speech in a way that then doesn't make sense. It makes a mockery of the God who gave us a tongue to speak and encourage, build up and warn each other, and praise God. However, the key example in Acts shows a group of Christians singing praises in tongues to God in real languages (Acts 2:6-11). That seems quite distinct to the babble we see today that serves very little purpose. Of course, it is said that it serves this purpose and that—but all of that talk is subjective and based on experience. Either way, we need to be able to show how it glorifies God. The Acts church had a very positive and clear example—do you?

4. Test the spirits by what they do in reaction to prayer and praise

It's notable that past Christian leaders found that "fervent prayer" almost always stopped the particular phenomena that was uncontrollable. This strongly suggests these phenomena are against God's will.As experienced by Cartwright and Ps John Farr in Mikhaiel, 242-3.

It is therefore recommended to fervently pray whenever strange phenomena occur, to see what God—or demons—think of it.

As many of these phenomena take our eyes off God and his praise, and praising God is a form of spiritual warfare, it can also be a good idea to fervently worship God in praise. Demons have been known to flee in such a godly atmosphere.

Nevertheless, New Agers will speak highly of Jesus, and so we need to wary that people can even praise Jesus and say things in his name, but still be acting from demonic origin (see also Matthew 7:21-23).

5. Test the spirits by what it focuses on

Have you noticed that people's attention is centered around the phenomena, rather than repentance and surrendered faith? People come from all over the world to see crazy things—but would they come if it were known that people got hit with conviction of sin?

This is why I also think that phenomena of gold dust, and rain on the inside of a place, are not of God. They don't focus people's attention on God. When the dust settles, people are not changed and transformed into God's likeness. When the event finishes, people talk about the phenomena, but not lasting hope in God. These things certainly focus our attention—they mesmerise—but they ultimately distract us from worshipping God and opening his Word.

Oddly enough, an untold story of the Azusa Street 'revival' is that it attracted witches and warlocks and similar ilk due to the New Age practices done there. These people ended up dominating the movement, to the point that William Seymour, considered the Apostle of Pentecostalism, begged his spiritual father Charles Parham to help and restore order. Parham ended up opening a competing mission "to deliver the victims of Azusa street from their awful possessions", denouncing the movement "as a case of 'awful fits and spasms' and of 'holy rollers and hypnotists'."Slaying in the Spirit, 303.

Who does your movement attract? Gawkers and hypnotists? Or repentant people who just want God?

6. Test the spirits by its techniques

Parham also helpfully makes the distinction that the Holy Spirit "does nothing that is unnatural or unseemly, and any strained exertion of body, mind or voice is not the work of the Holy Spirit, but of some familiar spirit."Slaying in the Spirit, 303-4. This is a form of demon.

The "strained exertion" that Parham talks about could be a technique that hypnotists use to weaken the senses. Those who are physically weak are easier to hypnotise.

It may also be a strained voice of a loud and charismatic preacher, which as described earlier, can be instrumental in achieving a convincing, focussed attention.

Interestingly, in a forthcoming article I will describe how a person can be hypnotised. Essentially, there are three main ingredients: repetition, focussed attention, and dulling the senses.

From time to time, people will swear by repetition of a particular prayer as being the answer to all their problems. The prayer of Jabez is supposed to be one of these, and, without really analysing that, could be acting under this banner through its vain repetition (Matthew 6:7-8).

The following year, though, some other prayer technique or spiritual warfare technique will sweep through. Be very wary of the latest technique, because the power is not in the technique, but in God.

In contrast, the Holy Spirit acts through us in accordance with how God has designed us to act. We should be commended for bringing everything back to the Word, using our God-given brains. We shouldn't be acting unnaturally, as if to say that God hasn't made us fit for the work that he's tasked us to do. We should be using our God-given senses and not trying to dull them or ignore what our senses (sight, smell, touch and so on) tell us.

7. Test the spirits by its openness to humility

There is a very disturbing tendency for some Pentecostal groups to attack anyone coming against any cherished theology or practice. They are Pharasaical, judgmental or legalistic. Or all three!

While there is sometimes truth to this, we do need accountability too. We do need correction from time to time.

I note three types of people.

The first type was me when I was younger. I would deduce that something was wrong with what the pastor was saying and would setup a meeting with them to discuss the issue, or write them a letter to discuss later. I would tell them off good! Speaking the truth is love, after all!

That only went well if the pastor already agreed with me. This is judgmentalism. You form a judgment without really listening to them, without hearing their side, and without wanting to. When they don't listen to you, you get upset, because you've already decided that you're clearly right.

Now, for these people, what they need is an older prophetic brother to mentor them. They could learn the ways of the second type that I'll now describe.

The second type has learned that people don't respond well to open rebuke, particularly when you don't have your facts straight! The second type strives to get alongside the people they are ministering to, and understand them deeply before offering 'wisdom' and 'insight'. But once they've deeply understood them, they can deliver incredible wisdom that can produce a harvest of righteousness. The key is to work out how you would want to be treated if someone thought you were wrong. You would want someone to understand where you are at, and then teach you a different way of thinking, and how to get to that way of thinking from where you are now. That requires patient and regular teaching. Rebuke comes when you've agreed together on something and they don't fulfill the agreement. Not straight up. There's much work to do before that point.

The third type is the cynic, who just takes potshots at you from the sidelines, but doesn't engage. These people are fence-sitters, and their shots can be ignored. There's no love in them whatsoever, and their comments are highly likely to be heavily biased and just plain wrong.

This brings out another aspect of the second type that is to be commended. If they can approach you without anger, but instead with compassion, they can overcome biases to give out a balanced take on the situation. However, if they've had bad experiences at, say, a conservative church, and haven't dealt with them, it may colour their wisdom against the good that can come from a conservative understanding. A cynic cannot take anything good from that bad experience. They are overcome with grief, and therefore unstable in their understanding. They'll counsel you to stay well away, and are unable to draw anything good from that side of life.

So there is a judgmentalism, but there is also wisdom. And we need lots of wisdom.

Those who do not have accountability and do not allow criticism can be very controlling. This can lead to forming a personality cult where everyone should be copying exactly what the leader is doing, regardless of their particular gifts or personalities. But criticism needs to be done with wisdom, and I discuss this more in the series 'Criticising Leaders': http://propheticengineering.org/series/criticising-leaders.

In the very first part of this article, we shared a story of a Pentecostal minister who was delivered from a demon that was granting him power to cause people to be 'slain in the Spirit'. The evil spirit had led him to refuse to hear stories of relapses and false prophecies, to only hear what he wanted to hear: success and glory. He couldn't see the people who were dumped for their supposed lack of faith. Closed his ears to them. Closed his ears to his own failures. This is what pride does, and it's not the way of the humble and repentant.

8. Test the spirits with the tests for genuine Christianity in 1 John

John faced a similar threat with Gnostics in the early church. They too were teaching false ideas such as that we can't trust matter, because reality was spiritual. It was perhaps a little bit more obvious because they were also teaching that Jesus wasn't the Christ. But John lists out several tests that are the true marks of a person genuinely saved. They are objective tests, unlike subjective feelings that may or may not be a mark of the Holy Spirit.

Here I'll be changing the words a bit to fit in this modern context.

If we say that we have had a touch from God yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and do not practice the truth (1 John 1:6). "But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) Notice once again the emphasis that when true revival comes, it comes with a marked change in behaviour, which can only come through deep and continuous repentance.

If we say that we've had an experience from God and yet do not keep his commandments, we are lying (1 John 2:4). Rather, if after our experience we long to obey God's word, and do it, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected (1 John 2:5).

If we say that we've had an experience from God but still hate our fellow Christian, we are still in the darkness. The one who loves his fellow Christian resides in the light (1 John 2:9-10).

If someone desires the flesh, lusts with the eye, or is arrogant from material possessions, they are not from the Father, but from the world (1 John 2:16).

If someone comes to us and then goes out from us, they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us (1 John 2:19).

If someone denies that Jesus is the Christ, they are the antichrist (1 John 2:22).

If someone has an experience of God, but does not become like God, they are not pure. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, but Jesus was revealed to take away sins (1 John 3:2-5). The one who practices righteousness is righteous (1 John 3:7).

Do not be surprised if the world hates you. We love our fellow Christians. Even if they are in prison, and we would risk being captured ourselves [this was what was facing Christians at the time], we should help them as that was what Jesus did for us (1 John 3:11-17).

Those who keep God's commandments love God (1 John 5:2-3).

These are all tests of a Christian in general, but they can be helpful for determining strange phenomena and teachings. For example, it has been reported that some spirits trigger people to kiss people of the same and opposite sex. It has even been reported that some men have taken advantage of women who have been under this spell, as they are not in control of themselves. It can be seen that these people (all involved) follow the lust of the flesh, and therefore this phenomena is not of God. It is not an example of the love of God being manifest.

9. Test the spirits by the fruit of the Spirit

If something is wrought by God the fruit of the Spirit will soon be evident: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). It is not enough to say "is this from love?" because in the example above, of people kissing each other, or hugging, that might appear to be love, but it could equally be lust. People may spontaneously laugh, or laugh uncontrollably, but that could be from the joy of the Lord just as much as it could be a distracting counterfeit. You can be at peace, but even people on drugs can feel peaceful—for a time.

So when looking from the perspective of character, give it time. How is it played out over a week? Is there a genuine change in the person, or was this a fleeting phenomena? Did the people on the receiving end feel loved, or was it more of a temporary emotional experience? Did the peace last, or was it just an emotional high?

This presents another argument that when healing relapses quickly, we ought to think: was that the goodness of God? Or was that a temporary hypnotic experience, where perhaps the feeling of pain was taken away from us for a time?

Furthermore, looking from the angle of self-control, it can be argued that when the phenomena is uncontrollable, it may not be from the Holy Spirit. This is not a blanket statement, but if anyone is concerned, such as with stories of people being frozen in place, unable to move even though strong men try and move them, pray for them. You will soon learn whether it was from God or not.

What we can conclude from this

As I keep stating, it's wrong to claim Pentecostals are all operating under a demonic spirit (as many go on to conclude). Nevertheless, it is very clear that there are demonic spirits in operation in many of these strange phenomena. There are many elements to the Word Faith practice that do not glorify God, do not bear the character of God, do not result in good fruit, do not focus on the Word or Jesus, are not open to humility or the will of God. These elements we need to reject.

On the other hand, we should give thanks and praise for the good fruit that has come out from this movement. They can be the most passionate about glorifying God, bearing the fruit of the Spirit in great love and joy in such things as great hospitality and kindness and grace. They talk about Jesus so much, and the things of the world just fade into insignificance: exactly as you'd expect the Holy Spirit to work in a person. They seek God and his will for their life, and eagerly do it—often to a greater extent than I see in my conservative friends.

I've presented two ways to come to God. There is a right way, a reverent and humble way, that can come with expectation and boldness, but remain on bended knee. And I see a lot of that in the Pentecostal church (so, thinking more widely than just Word Faith circles).

However, I see another way too. And whenever you see a healing that relapsed, that's what surely must be a lying sign and wonder. Did Jesus or the disciples ever 'heal' by building up great expectations, creating atmospheric music, and then also experience frequent relapses, having to re-heal people? That doesn't point to God's sovereign power and might. That points to a counterfeit. To a power that can't match the supremacy and goodness of God's healing touch. To a power that makes a mockery of what God can do.

So, I'm calling people to a sharpness of mind and spirit, to discern the good and bad, and be rid of the bad—but not be rid of healings and breakthrough altogether. Therefore, lets develop those skills and restore order in the church in these particular events.

I've attempted to look at all angles to come to these conclusions. I've heard from an ex-New Ager; I've drawn on my own experience of three years with a highly charismatic Pentecostal who experienced many relapsed healings; I've read extremely well researched books on hypnotism, as well as practitioners in the Word Faith movement, and other Pentecostals (so, multiple sides); I've searched the Scriptures on the key texts used (some are available on Prophetic Engineering already, but there's many more to come); I've consulted both Pentecostal and Conservative systematic theologies; I've looked into the worldview behind these things, seeking wisdom for why people interpret things differently and going behind our inherent biases; and I've seen up close how mature believers navigate through this maze, passionately sold out for God and yet remaining deceived about some things (do we all have perfect knowledge?).

Suffice to say, I'm convinced about what I'm saying, not because I'm relying on myself, but because I'm standing on the shoulders of many wise Christians. This is the culmination of several months work from about six years of my own experiences, as well as everyone else's experiences whom I've consulted: "plans fail when there is no counsel, but with abundant advisers they are established." (Proverbs 15:22, NET)

Some Word Faith practitioners have ways of steering clear of New Age influence, and I'm still eager to learn what they do, as it will help others.

What now follows is more specific conclusions based on various areas of our faith and life—but first, we should be sure that we're not writing off a move of God too quickly or easily through merely our own confirmation bias.