03/26/2023
I have seen and had many manifestations of the Holyghost.
And i very much believe in it all.
But this is a legit question being ask here …. Even possibly a good exhortation to the body of Christ !
Read it all ….
Love yall !
Pastor Frank
JERKING, LAUGHING, FALLING DOWN, AND FIRE TUNNELS
By: Jeremiah C. Johnson
In the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement, you will often times see and witness a variety of physical manifestations of the “Holy Spirit” such as: jerking, shaking, laughing, weeping, dancing, drunkenness, falling down, and more.
But how exactly do we know that all these “physical manifestations” are from the “Holy Spirit”? The best answer to this question in my personal opinion is to apply what I call the “Jonathan Edwards Test” to the physical manifestations. He had 5 tests that he used for them:
1. Does it bring honor to the person of Jesus Christ?
2. Does it produce a greater hatred of sin and a greater love for righteousness?
3. Does it produce a greater regard for Scripture?
4. Does it lead people into the truth?
5. Does it produce a greater love for God and man?
You have to sincerely wonder how much of the “physical manifestations of the Holy Spirit” in the Charismatic/Pentecostal movements would survive these tests? What about all our fire tunnels and impartation services? Is all the laughter, crying, shaking, and being “slain in the Spirit” producing any of the five realities mentioned above?
I do not ask as a critic of physical manifestations, but rather as a church leader who has laughed, cried, je**ed, shook, danced, slain in the spirit, and had many power encounters with God. Our church services and revival weekends are often times full of the various expressions of the physical manifestations.
HOWEVER…
I’m increasingly grieved over how easily Charismatic/Pentecostals speak in tongues but yet curse at their spouse. So many are ready prophesy yet they gossip and slander without effort.
I watch many fall (slain in the spirit) during the altar calls but nothing changes. Maybe we should stop falling on the floor if we can’t take it out the door?
I’m shocked at how many in this generation are ready to lay hands on the sick while they are also laying in bed with their boyfriend/girlfriend. Ready to cast out demons publicly while perversion is active internally?
When bodies are shaking in our services but there is no pursuit of holiness- we are in trouble.
When fire tunnels are full and no one is at the prayer meeting- we are in trouble.
When getting impartation prayer replaces discipleship- we are in trouble.
I refuse to shut down the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the physical manifestations at our church and the conferences I lead, yet my heart longs for this generation of Charismatic/Pentecostal believers to marry deliverance to discipleship, to attend the powerful weekend conference but learn how to get in the Word and prayer everyday, to pursue revival but yet realize cultivating a healthy marriage and family greatly pleases the Lord.
For more go to: www.jeremiahjohnson.tv
