Costi Hinn begins his piece with an account of someone who has allegedly been slain in the spirit. At the end of the virtual tour. the person declares: I have heard some Christians say this sort of experience was demonic, while others say it’s just hypnosis. To be honest, I haven’t seen it in the Bible and don’t really know what it is…but I really feel like it’s the Holy Spirit…
In a piece over at Equip the Saint, Hinn follows up by examining what the Bible says about a practice that has become normative in charismatic churches all over the globe. Professing believers must ask themselves the obvious question: Is getting slain in the spirit biblical….or not. Costi Hinn, nephew of Word of Faith prosperity preacher Benny Hinn who’s well known for fake healings, false prophecies and slaying people in the spirit, provides the answer to the question. He writes:
The virtual tour you’ve just read through is taking place all over the world every single week in tens of thousands of charismatic churches, healing crusades, youth groups, kid’s camps, Third Wave revivals, and N.A.R. conferences. Many conservative Christians are scared to death of their children ever going to one of these services but when asked what the issue really is, most cannot explain it but to say, “It’s unbiblical” or “not God.”
We need a better answer than that.
So what exactly does someone mean when they say, “I got slain in the spirit!”? This phrase describes what many believe to be a touch from God that sends them falling to the ground – literally. Those who ardently defend this practice claim that it’s God’s manifest presence in a service that causes people to fall over. According to them, God’s power is usually “imparted” to people by a pastor who lays his hands on them, blows his breath on them, waves his hand, waves his jacket, or shouts a phrase like, “Fire!” or “Touch!” These gestures cause people to go flying in all directions. Sometimes it even occurs when a certain song is sung by the worship band, or because people are overcome with emotion during a portion of the service. Often times those being slain in the spirit will manifest on the ground by making animal sounds, crawling, slithering, shaking, convulsing, weeping, laughing, and experiencing trance-like euphoria. Some say they feel electricity when the pastor touches them, others feel warmth, while others are not able to stand under their own strength for hours afterwards. All of this is believed to be the work of the Holy Spirit as He refreshes and renews spiritually empty and broken people. With over 500 million charismatics, and 1.5 billion Hindus (Kundalini Awakening) practicing slaying people in the spirit, it is no exaggeration to state that at least 2/7 of the entire world has beliefs tied to falling or shaking under the power of some sort of spirit. This is not fringe behavior. This is now mainstream spiritualism and considered highly normative – it’s everywhere.
But does the Bible have any evidence to prove normative activity by the Holy Spirit that causes people to shake, slither, laugh, bark, crawl, or convulse in the church? When God interacts with people in the Bible, does He electrocute them into a seemingly drunken state where speech is slurred and the body uncontrolled? Can a preacher (shouting “FIRE!”) really cause heaven to invade your life on earth? Is there a chance that when some of these charismatic experiences are identical to manifestations found in Hinduism that there is a demonic aspect to it?
The best way to understand the charismatic practice of being slain in the spirit is to understand the position of those who support and practice it.
WHAT DO ‘SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT’ ENTHUSIASTS CLAIM?
First, there are a number of varying claims depending on what charismatic group is explaining them. That in itself proves how much confusion there is surrounding the practice.
Here are several key claims:
- Slain in the spirit experiences are the result of the manifest presence of God the Father.
- Jesus is the one doing the slaying.
- The Holy Spirit is a force that cannot be stopped. When He touches people they fall
- People who are “empty” need to be slain in the spirit to get filled with the Spirit.
- When God touches human flesh, something will happen.
- When heaven touches earth, things shake.
- The power of God is overwhelming. When it shows up, people fall.
To support these general claims and explanations, charismatic enthusiasts use specific Bible passages as proof-texts for being slain in the spirit. Christians who aren’t biblically literate won’t usually notice the interpretive gymnastics being utilized, but when we study what the Bible actually says, the myths behind being slain in the spirit get biblically busted. Continue reading
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“I haven’t seen it in the Bible” ……..?????????that friends, should be the end all! Did Jesus do it? Did the apostles do it? Were we instructed by God to do it? Experience it? Is it biblical?
Which “movement” originated this? Obviously not in the bible, so we can’t say it had it’s origin there! Let’s see how many will come and defend this! Let’s see how much out of context things will have to get to support this patently unbiblical practice! Folks please, read scripture!
Costi did a decent job of explaining this, but left out one factor. In his summary part V “It is demonic” he stops short of the only real biblical conclusion of the end of those who promote (the leaders, more than the participants) this nonsense: the blaspheme of the Holy Spirit has occurred. The Lord Jesus pronounced the final judgment upon those who said that He cast out demons by the “ruler of demons” and later said “but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the age to come.” Matt.12:24; Matt. 12:32. To say that the Holy Spirit is the originator of this “experience” is speaking against Him in that unsanctioned & extra-biblical practices were started by the Spirit of God for which no biblical authority exists. They have to manufactured a lie, which according to them originated with the Holy Spirit (thereby calling Him a liar). Since He is the One that inspired men to write the Word, He is the One being insulted with this lie. The consequences are not just dire or severe, but permanent, without appeal, and irrevocable.
There are many ‘doctrines of demons’ that are held in high regard by the charismatic/pentecostal types, this is just one. Another is their insistence on gibberish being accepted as the Gift of Tongues administered by the Holy Spirit—another example of blaspheme of the Holy Spirit. I’ve never listened to one that did not preach that a man could be saved one day and lost the next, another blaspheme of the Holy Spirit who seals the believer when He regenerates them. And the list goes on. Few, if any, will agree with these conclusions, nonetheless they are offered for your consideration.
Slain in the spirit has become normative. Contemplative prayer has become normative. “Christian” yoga has become normative. Fire tunnels have become normative. Impartations have become normative. And a host of other unbiblical practices that the early church knew nothing of. Its astonishing at what passes for Christianity. Satan has cunningly conspired his “doctrines of demons” and they have been received well by the multitudes. People today seek emotional experiences to verify their spirituality rather than learning what scripture has revealed of Christ and growing in that knowledge. Hence, the susceptibility to being deceived. They prefer lies to truth. They are disciples of false teachers rather than Christ and deny Him with their actions. True believers can plainly see how MANY at the Great White Throne Judgment will be shocked at Jesus’ reply to them, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”
There is an allegation in my city of a preacher creating slain in the spirit experiences with a very small taser in the hand he uses to touch someone’s forehead!
Oh boy! Good thing he’s not using a gun!
He has no fear of the Lord if he is attempting to fool people, claiming it is the power of the Holy Spirit. Woe unto him. But, no doubt, he will indeed fool many, and his fame and following will increase…and his monetary gain as well. Such are the days of deception we’re living in.
He is extraordinarily popular and seems to go unchecked, but God will not be mocked. He will make all things right.
Many will come in Jesus’ name, deceiving many. We live in extremely perilous times indeed.
Manny,
Speaking of perilous times, have you read much about the ‘agenda 2030’? https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld. A comment concerning this on another blog said “It’s long, and from what I read, it appears to be another modern day Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9) in which all people unite to defeat, once and for all, three common enemies: poverty, environmental degredation, and inequality. In doing so, the planet will know peace and common prosperity. It is a Christ-less, Marxist utopia with a cross between industrial socialism of the West and aggrerian communism of Cambodia. It is a counter-proposal to Christ’s reign, ruled by ourselves (or elites who know better than us common people).”
In other words, it is the anti-Christ agenda/system that will come to full fruition in the end times. This is what the ‘liberal left’ are pushing for, and all the wealthy big players are paying for. ‘These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.’ Rev. 17:13
This is pretty good as well – https://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/environment/item/22267-un-agenda-2030-a-recipe-for-global-socialism
Hi Lyn! Yes I’ve heard and read on agenda 2030. I’m going to include a link on the UN which is very telling. Let me know what you think. Also are you familiar with the Fuel Project on You Tube? Because of Q I’ve been watching it.
https://youtu.be/vKj09VVfzik
No, I have not heard about the fuel project. I will check out the video later this evening, thanks brother.
Please let me know what you think!
I just finished watching, I think it reveals a lot of truth about what’s happening both now, and in the past. Of course the globalization of all things is the end goal of these minions of Satan, and time is getting shorter. They are becoming more aggressive in their quest to implement their ‘plan’, and soon all will be forced to either comply or die.
Good stuff, thanks for sharing
Oh I forgot to tell you, we have parts of agenda 2030 already in place here where I live, it’s been implemented through building codes (sustainable development) and environmental mandates. Our state voted for this without telling us the voters! Is it any wonder why the political process in this country is corrupt? And yet people actually believe there’s a left/right political paradigms still in existence! If one thing is true of this current presidency, it has shown the cracks in the system, the truth glaring from within, they’re all bought and paid for, they all lie, remove the rhetoric and it’s the same from both sides. Unfortunately America is not in scripture and when we try to extrapolate it’s pure conjecture. But, given the political climate, the social climate and the economic climate, one can come up with all kinds of scenarios. Economic/social meltdown, we become a dictatorship as in China with a ruling politburo, given the social upheavel this country is suffering from, it could be the tipping point for a civil war, government steps in…… perpetual martial law. Or we implode and become vassals of Europe and the Antichrist. Then again, the UN might become our new White House, and we world citizens beholden to the antichrist. I’m no prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I do read a lot and follow very closely what is unfolding, we are headed for an economic “reset” that will shake the foundation of the world, 1929 multiplied a million times! This in my opinion will lead to the abolishment of our present monetary system and will herald the mark of the beast as spoken of in Revelation. This is not far away, given the conditions in the Middle East, the East, Israel, Africa and the wholesale Great Apostasy occuring in churchianity it doesn’t take much of a prophet to see where we are. Also, notice how “chipping” is becoming more mainstream, it’s being pushed to the front of public conciousnes, by a media that’s completely in bed with the powers that be. This morning I read another story on chipping, this time from Russia, a doctor has implanted himself with 6 chips:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-20/microchips-should-be-used-identification-tool-says-doctor-6-implants
Obviously we are not here yet, but extremely close. Maranatha sister, May our good and gracious God keep His hands on us.
I really appreciate your thoughts Manny, and I cannot say they are ‘far fetched’. Yes, I believe they will collapse the economy, and soon. It isn’t shocking either, we know time is short. We remember the command to watch and pray…
Lyn look what just popped up in the UN!
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=57399#.WZ239YEpDMK
“CERD also called on the Government to ensure that the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are not exercised with the aim of destroying or denying the rights and freedoms of others, and also asked it to provide the necessary guarantees so that such rights are not misused to promote racist hate speech and racist crimes.
Members of CERD are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties”
Wait till that’s applied to Christians for being hateful, intolerant and bigotted!
Imagine that! There is only one race – the human race. Satan has used the mythical ‘racism’ card to incite all kinds of cruelty, violence and killing. Remember the bible says ‘Eve is the mother of all the living’.
Yep, it won’t be long and we will be persecuted severely, some of us will be martyred. We must pray that God will strengthen His people.
Manny, we had Agenda 21 and it morphed into 2030, and correct me if I’m wrong, but all of this is largely coming out of the UN and various NGOs, right? But now we have Vision 2050 and it is being developed by CEOs. How do you see this playing out? Big corps determining…what?
Hey B,
Yes it was originally 2020, but as so many addendums were added it morphed into 2030, here where I live, sustainable development is enforced. You’re correct NGOs are pushing many agendas throughout the world, an infamous one is the Open Border Foundation controlled by George Soros https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org which has led to the demographic crisis in Europe feverishly pushing for a one world government.
As for the 2050 agenda playing out,
“This program seeks to understand the world that we need to create — technically, practically and emotionally — to enable and inspire more sustainable lifestyles.
Efforts to promote sustainable consumption often focus either on incremental product improvements or single points of behavior change. However, products are used within existing infrastructures and use can account for greater impacts than production.
Sustainable lifestyles will require more than improvements to existing product portfolios. By looking at where we live, how we move around and what we eat, we can explore solutions at a systemic level, considering products, infrastructure, technology, business models, behaviors and aspirations.”
Notice the words: behavior, behavior change. Corporations are working hand in hand with NGOs to influence governments (and their populace) to adopt “green” conciousnes through legal and behavior modification. The bottom line is what these corporations care about, but if they can make themselves eco friendly the better.
This the home page for The World Business Council.
http://www.wbcsd.org
I bet if you start searching who the CEOs are you’ll find very interesting connections! Corporate culture will be part and parcel of the antichrist world economy hegemon, lines become blurred these days between corporate and government, for instance corps that deal with national defence have a lot of pull within Congress, same as the corporate financial enteties that fund USA,INC., Goldman Sachs has more ex- alumni in the Halls of DC than any other company, when they leave after tenure most return to some high position within GS. It’s all tied in a circle…….. government, corporate, financial corporate, NGOs.
Hey B,
Interesting read.Notice this really began in 2015……..
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication
“Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
United Nations, 2015
This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom, We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.”
Also notice how 2015 was key:
http://www.wbcsd.org/Overview/Our-members
Knowledge partners
Since 2015, select universities, think tanks and foundations are eligible to join the WBCSD as Knowledge Partners, which is central to designing and scaling up business solutions.
Yale University joined WBCSD as the first Knowledge Partner in 2015, and in 2016 we welcomed Arizona State University.
So, the sustainability issue is their core platform. I remember 25 years ago learning about Maurice Strong. It was 1992 and I was trying to learn more about presidential candidate Bill Clinton. I was given a video tape of a conference in South America put together by Strong and it was all about environmentalism. I wasn’t a Christian at the time, so I was trying to wrap my head around what it all meant. I was clueless. I didn’t get how it was a conspiracy. Of course, now it all makes sense to me, now that God has opened my eyes.
I try to have as little interaction with corps and government as possible. They’re not important to me anyway. lol
Sustainability is the common core, along with social justice.see the following excerpts from August 2015
“Preamble
This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger
freedom. We recognise that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the
greatest global chaIlenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.
All countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan. We are resolved to
free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to
take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient
path. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets which we are announcing today demonstrate the scale and
ambition of this new universal Agenda. They seek to build on the Millennium Development Goals and complete
what these did not achieve. They seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the
empowerment of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of
sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.”
“The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next fifteen years in areas of critical importance for humanity
and the planet:
People
We are detennined to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings
can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment.
Planet
We are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and
production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can
support the needs of the present and future generations.
Prosperity
We are determined to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic,
social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.
Peace
We are determined to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are fi’ee from fear and violence. There can
be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.
Partnership
We are determined to mobilize the means required to implement this Agenda through a revitalised Global
Pm1nership for Sustainable Development, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focussed in pat1icular
on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all countries, all stakeholders and all
people.
The interlinkages and integrated nature of the Sustainable_ Development Goals are of crucial impOliance in ensuring
that the purpose of the new Agenda is realised. If we realize our ambitions across the full extent of the Agenda, the
lives of all will be profoundly improved and our world will be transformed for the better.”
Remember the Antichrist will come as a man of peace, not the beast that he is, he will provide all the answers to the questions asked in the UN manifesto. Gender equality, the environment, poverty, world economy, Universal Peace! Remember, peace, peace, but then disaster!
Remember president Bush and his “no child left behind” and common core education?” Where do you think that came from? My friend all we are seeing transpiring today is neatly written in agenda 2015-2020-2030-2050.
Dear Marsha West
I’m glad I had the opportunity to read Mythbusters: “Slain in the Spirit” Today!
I got caught by the question you raise in this blog post: Is getting slain in the spirit biblical….or not?
In a way, I find the development disturbing, yet as you say, it’s going on in a lot of churches as we write. I understand why many conservation Christians are scared that one of their children attends one of these churches.
I like your idea that we need a better explanation than just “It’s unbiblical” or “not God” because it’s not a good reason.
My favourite part of your blog post was the claims at the end of your blog post because it gave me a clearer understanding of the different ways of practising SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT.
Thanks for giving us your thoughts on this topic.
I’ll share Mythbusters: “Slain in the Spirit” Monday 28. of August on my social media channels.
Best
Edna Davidsen
B, you had asked how corporations influence and bridge governments, here is a very interesting read:
https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/how-the-cia-made-google-e836451a959e
Thanks, Manny. That totally makes sense. I was thinking earlier that it would be so easy for the gov’t to co-opt a corporate database. Let the corp collect all the data, which most consumers have no problem with, and then the gov’t uses it. How much easier when the gov’t funds the corp? ha.
Lol! Exactly!
Want too see where it all comes from?
https://www.iqt.org
There it is my friend! Straight from the horse’s mouth! I have zero doubt this will be instrumental in helping to control people in the near future!
ah, yes; and Vision 2050 is the same thing with more of a globalist veneer to it all. Save the planet through strategic corporate planning revolving around sustainability, eradication of poverty, strength in diversity, and peace. IQT picks up the national/corp partnerships under the guise of national security all the while collecting data with which to steer individuals into the Vision 2050 scheme.
But don’t forget public education. Without that, the people would rebel. But they are instead being brainwashed into Vision 2050 right down the road at your local public school, starting in kindergarten, even the in the “Christian” schools.
Yes B, common core education is straight out of the UN agenda along with the “no child left behind” mantra pushed by Bush and Obama.
Even before common core and no child left behind, it was outcome-based education, which was straight out of Dewey. The enemy has been working for a long time!