Heaven Bound Apostolic Ministries

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07/15/2025

Part 2
A Deeper Look At :
The Failure of Today’s Church

Great—let’s break it down further with real examples and models of churches that are actually doing it differently. Below are seven counterpoints to the earlier failures, showing how some communities are rebuilding trust, depth, and purpose in an age of skepticism.

1. Presence Over Performance: The Church of Stillness
Example: New Monastic Communities & Liturgical Churches (e.g., Anglican, Orthodox, contemplative Catholic movements)

These communities focus on silence, prayer, and sacrament instead of stage production. Their draw isn’t spectacle—it’s substance. They prioritize the presence of God over polished presentations.

Takeaway: In a loud world, sacred stillness is revolutionary. Depth doesn’t require LED walls; it requires space for God to speak.

2. Facing Hard Topics: The Courageous Pulpit
Example: The Table (Oakland, CA), Church of the Resurrection (Kansas City)

These churches don’t dodge controversial issues—they name them and wrestle with them in the light of Scripture. They talk about racial justice, systemic poverty, abuse, and trauma from the pulpit—not just in private conversations.

Takeaway: The church should be the first place people hear hard truths, not the last.

3. Breaking Celebrity Culture: Plural Leadership
Example: Reality SF, The Meeting House (Canada), house church networks

These churches intentionally avoid spotlighting a single superstar pastor. Some rotate preachers. Others decentralize authority. The message? The gospel is not tied to one person’s charisma.

Takeaway: When leadership is shared, the mission becomes collective. It also reduces moral failure fallout.

4. Love Before Judgment: True Inclusion
Example: The Refuge (Colorado), Forefront Church (NYC)

These communities lead with radical welcome—particularly for LGBTQ+ folks, recovering addicts, and people wounded by religion. They don’t treat acceptance and truth as opposites.

Takeaway: You can call people to transformation without weaponizing belonging. Jesus did it constantly.

5. Teaching with Teeth: Deep Theology for Normal People
Example: Bridgetown Church (Portland), The Bible Project, Seminary Now

These groups refuse to dumb down theology. They teach the Bible deeply and clearly—assuming people are hungry for more than just life tips. And they do it accessibly, not academically.

Takeaway: People want to know why they believe, not just what to believe.

6. Creating Real Community: Beyond Sunday Small Talk
Example: Church in a Pub (UK), Dinner Church movement, intentional micro-churches

These churches gather around meals, not pews. They prioritize real conversation, shared pain, and spiritual formation in smaller, intimate settings where people can’t hide behind a crowd.

Takeaway: When church feels like a living room, not a theater, trust grows.

7. Mission First: Church That Moves
Example: The Simple Way (Philadelphia), The Underground Network (Tampa)

These communities don’t ask people to come to church—they take church to the streets, shelters, prisons, and neighborhoods. They flip the institution inside-out. Their success isn’t measured by services attended but lives transformed.

Takeaway: The church isn't a building you go to; it's a people you join in God’s work.

Final Words: Reformation Starts Now
The failure of today’s church is real—but it’s also a wake-up call. We don’t need to scrap the whole thing—we need to rebuild from the bones up, back to what Jesus actually modeled: service, sacrifice, justice, truth, grace, and resurrection power.

The question isn’t whether the church will survive.

The question is: Will it evolve into what it was always meant to be?

Look for part 3—On how to personally live as the church in a broken system.

07/15/2025

Part 1:
The Failure of Today’s Church

Where It’s Falling Short—and Why It Matters

The modern church is at a crossroads. While attendance drops, distrust rises, and younger generations walk away, many church leaders still cling to outdated models, safe sermons, and surface-level solutions. At a time when people are desperate for meaning, connection, and truth, the church often feels absent—or worse, complicit in the confusion.

So what’s gone wrong?

Here’s a hard look at how the church is failing today—and what needs to change if it’s going to matter again.

1. Performance Over Presence
Modern church services often resemble TED Talks with a worship band. Lights, cameras, polished sermons—everything’s designed for maximum engagement. But when form outshines substance, people notice. The spectacle might draw a crowd, but it rarely forms deep, lasting discipleship.

The problem: In chasing relevance, the church has drifted from reverence. It's easy to be entertained; it's harder to be transformed.

2. Silence on Real Issues
Today’s world is full of pain—racism, poverty, mental illness, addiction, abuse, loneliness, and political polarization. And yet, many churches stay silent or play it safe.

The problem: When churches avoid messy issues for fear of offending donors or rocking the boat, they lose moral credibility. Jesus didn’t dodge controversy—he confronted systems of power and injustice head-on.

3. Celebrity Culture
There’s a growing trend of elevating charismatic pastors into brands. Instagram followers, book deals, conference tours—the pastor becomes the product.

The problem: When leaders fall (and many do), entire communities collapse. Church becomes personality-driven instead of Christ-centered. Accountability fades. Humility dies. And faith becomes transactional.

4. Judgment Without Love
Many churches are quick to draw lines—who’s in, who’s out, what behavior is acceptable, what’s not. There’s a long track record of excluding people based on sexuality, gender roles, politics, or lifestyle.

The problem: Truth without grace becomes cruelty. The church was never meant to be a gated club—it was meant to be a healing place for the broken. Instead, many people feel judged at the door and never return.

5. Shallow Teaching
In a culture drowning in content but starving for wisdom, many sermons feel like motivational speeches or vague life advice. “Be nice.” “Have faith.” “Trust God.”

The problem: People don’t need clichés—they need depth. Theology, Scripture, doubt, mystery, suffering—these are hard topics, but necessary ones. The church can’t disciple people with soundbites.

6. Lack of Authentic Community
Small talk, coffee, and forced smiles aren’t real connection. Many churches talk about “community” but don't create space for real vulnerability, struggle, or shared life.

The problem: People want to be known, not managed. A church that doesn’t create room for honesty becomes just another Sunday stop, not a spiritual family.

7. Institution Over Mission
Buildings, budgets, programs, and events often become the focus. Churches measure success by attendance and income, not by impact or faithfulness.

The problem: When preserving the institution becomes more important than pursuing the mission, the church stops serving and starts surviving.

Where Do We Go From Here?
The failures are real—but they’re not final. A better church is possible, but it will require:

Courageous leadership that chooses truth over popularity.

Raw honesty that invites doubt and struggle into the conversation.

Deep discipleship rooted in Scripture, not just emotion.

Radical inclusion that reflects the open arms of Christ.

Service over spectacle, love over image, presence over platform.

The early church grew not because of flashy sermons or perfect people, but because of undeniable love, sacrifice, and spiritual power. That’s still the blueprint. But we’ve drifted.

It’s time to repent—not just individually, but institutionally. The church isn’t a brand or a business. It’s a body. A broken one, yes—but still capable of healing.

The world doesn’t need a cooler church.

It needs a truer one.

Apostle Brian N. Smith, D.D.

04/21/2023

What's in a Name?
4 Times God Changed a Person's Name

Many times, a person’s name holds special meaning. Children today might be named after family members to show respect or to honor their memory. After marriage, a woman usually changes her last name to signify the beginning of the next chapter.

In Biblical times, names were even more intentional, often saying something about that person’s character or their situation. For example, King David’s name means “beloved”, and he was known as the man after God’s own heart.

As a young girl, I was fascinated with names and their meanings. A favorite book on my shelf was A Dictionary of Common Names. So when I started reading through the Bible, I was impressed with how accurate names of people matched their personalities or station in life.

Later on, I began to notice accounts in both the Old and New Testaments where God changed someone’s given name. What, I wondered, would lead God to take this drastic step? I found that in each case, God wanted to instill a new vision for that person’s life, or a new role He wanted them to play in His Kingdom.

Here are 5 people in Scripture who received new names from God:

Abram and Sarai: Becoming parents of a child and a nation
We first read about Abram, a rich landowner who lived in Harran, in Genesis 11. Abram had most everything he could want, except a child. His wife, Sarai, was barren. But God’s will has a way of overriding any human limitations, and He clearly commanded Abram in Genesis 12:

“Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you…” (Genesis 12:1-2).

Abram pulled up stakes and left his home, travelling to a land he’d never seen before. Along the way, God gave more details about His promise, knowing the cry of Abram and Sarai’s heart was to have a child. During another conversation, Abram asked God directly, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless.” God’s answer left no room for doubt, “…a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir” (Genesis 15:4).

Their names changed when God made a covenant concerning their future. God spoke this over Abram, and it concerned Sarai as well:

“You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram,your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you” (Genesis 17:4-6).

“God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her” (Genesis 17:15-16).

In both cases, God chose to refine their names. For example, Abram means “exalted father,” and in Harran as well as on his journey, he played a fatherly kind of role for immediate family such as his nephew Lot. As Abraham, or “father of many nations,” he seeks to fulfill his role of protector to God’s larger family. Sarai, whose name means “princess” becomes Sarah, “my princess,” and grows into a woman who trusts God’s promises rather than scoffing at them in disbelief.

Jacob: From deceiving to devout
Jacob’s birth just seconds after his twin Esau illustrates how accurate his name was. The baby whose name meant “to grasp the heel of” came out literally holding onto his brother’s foot. Coming of age, Jacob’s goal seemed to be getting what Esau was entitled to as the eldest, living out another definition of his name: “supplanter”, or “one who replaces another.”

Many years later, Jacob is about to face his brother after all his trickery, and is afraid Esau will be seeking revenge on him. Genesis 32 tells what happened as he prepared for the meeting:

“That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome” (Genesis 32:22-28).

This new name commemorates Jacob engaging directly with God. But the blessing Israel receives begins a change in him. Over time, he lets go of his need to gain for himself and instead acknowledges the Lordship of God over his life, taking on the stature of patriarch.

Simon: Standing firm for Christ
Imagine going from being one of many fishermen on the sea of Galilee to a pillar of Christ’s church. That is the life change that Peter experienced. His name change came from the Lord Himself. Simon means “he has heard” or “to listen,” probably a good description for someone who spent most of his time out at sea. But everything changed the day his brother Andrew brought Him to meet Jesus.

“Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter)” (John 1:42).

Peter didn’t have any idea at that moment what an amazing role God had in mind for him. But he knew enough to obey Jesus’ call to join Him. A fuller explanation came later on.

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19).

Jesus considered Simon worthy of a tremendous honor, one he would have to grow into. As Peter, he experienced failure and forgiveness, then learned the power of being known and accepted completely by his Savior. Eventually, he lived up to his new name, “rock,” by preaching boldly and helping to build Christ’s church on earth.

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd…” (Acts 2:14).

“Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose (Acts 9:32-34).

Though He has definitely led me through different seasons in my life, God hasn’t ever bestowed a new name on me. But learning about how He has done that for others reminds me of several important truths:

God is in control of my life
God knows me intimately and loves me completely
God has specific work for me to do
God desires to move me out of my past and into a greater future
God wants me to keep my eyes fixed on Him and His plans
No matter what name I may be known by in the world, I want to represent His well.

04/20/2023

The Dominion Mandate: The Greater Commission

A feeling exists among many Christians that the only task or commission given to the people of God is taking the Gospel into all the world. A feeling exists among others that the world of business, science and technology is an evil world and should be avoided by all good Christians. Still others in the body of Christ feel the educational systems, the governmental establishments and the judicial systems of this world are so corrupted by humanistic philosophies they must be abandoned in view of Christ’s challenge to be separate from the world.

All of these feelings among the Christian community have caused the church of Jesus Christ to neglect the first and greatest commission God has given to man. This separatist mentality has caused Christians to compartmentalize their Christianity to the point where their witness is limited to passing out tracts, leading people to Christ and gathering together on a regular basis for strength and spiritual encouragement. It has left many of God’s precious people ill-equipped and powerless to affect their world’s outcome in any direct way.

Some Christians have clothed their “separation mentality” with certain Bible verses or systems of theology. One system says the world is essentially evil; it is going to get worse and worse. Satan and his kingdom are getting stronger and stronger; the Church is getting weaker and weaker, but Christ will come in the nick of time and catch away the faithful few before total darkness covers the earth.

The result of this theology has been devastating to the church. It has caused the church to view the world as its enemy, and many Christians have withdrawn from active involvement in their communities. Some Christians now believe there is nothing for them in this world and their only hope is in the world to come. In other words, it has caused Christians to become remiss concerning the “dominion mandate”.

The Dominion Mandate

When God created man He created him good and gave him a charge that is summarized in Genesis 1:26-28

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
This charge faithfully reflects God’s desire and eternal purpose. God’s desire was to have a man in His image, who would reach a place of maturity and fruitfulness. Some people stop here. They feel the only goal of Christianity is to restore the lost or fallen image of God in terms of character development and fruitfulness. They see Christianity as becoming Christ-like in our attitudes and lifestyle, reaching out and bringing forth some kind of measurable fruit.

God does indeed desire this, but not as an end in itself. God wants man in His image and likeness, but He also wants man to enter into a God-like function. His desire is that man in His image would take dominion over the works of His hands and subdue the earth. Jesus was constantly about His Father’s business (Luke 2:49). The Father’s business involves ruling and reigning and restoring divine order and dominion to all of the created world.

God’s commandment to Adam has never been revoked. Even though Adam sinned and became a slave to sin, God’s plan is that through Christ, dominion would be restored. In Christ man would again be equipped to carry on and fulfill this original commandment given to Adam. God wants a godly offspring who will be fruitful and multiply bringing divine rule and order to every area of life on this planet earth. This includes the world of nature, science, education, law, government and business. All is to be brought into submission under the divine will of God’s eternal purpose.

God’s charge to Adam involves three main concepts. Adam was to be fruitful, he was to subdue and he was to exercise dominion.

Becoming Fruitful

When God gave His mandate to Adam the first challenge was to be fruitful. When God used the word “fruitful” He was not speaking of character development or maturity, He was talking numbers. He wanted Adam with the help of his wife, to “fill up” the earth with godly offspring all reflecting the same image and likeness in which Adam had been created. He wanted the earth to be populated with a godly people living under the government of God all bearing the stamp of God’s image upon them.

God has never been interested in a small family. When He gave the promise of plenteous offspring to the Father of the Faith in Genesis 12:1-3, He was communicating His Father’s heart to this earthly father Abraham. God’s heart gets just as excited about many sons and daughters as Abraham’s did at the thought of offspring as innumerable as the starts of the heavens, the sand of the seashore and the dust of the earth.

God’s desire and plan is not for a “little flock” but that “many sons” be brought to glory. If we, as God’s people, are to meet this challenge then we must focus on the masses of humanity. We must not close ourselves off to the outside world and become introverted where the focus is only upon the maturity and perfection of a few select Christians making up an imagined “Bride Company”. No! WE must hit the streets with the gospel.
We must go out into the highways and hedges. We must reach the unreached masses of humanity. We must do everything we can to see that the gospel goes into “all the world.”

The Early Church saw masses of people turn to the Lord (Acts 2:41; 4:4). They saw
entire communities turned around (Acts 8:6-8). They saw such an influx of people that in
a few years the Christians would make up a majority of the civilized world. We must pick up where the Early Church left off and begin to believe God for these kinds of results.

Subduing the Earth

A second challenge given to Adam was to subdue the earth. The word “subdue” means, “to tread down, conquer, subjugate, bring into subjection”. It is also the root word for the word “footstool”. God was essentially saying to Adam, “I want you to conquer this earth. I want you to bring it into subjection so that all of this earth is corresponding to My will and purpose. I want you to make this earth your footstool.”

God was implying to Adam that this subjection would not be automatic. An enemy is out there. There are forces that must be acknowledged and overcome. Your leadership on this planet will be challenged. There is a wicked one who will contest your right to bear rule and will seek to overcome you. But, Adam, you must subdue him, conquer him and put him under your feet.

God placed Adam in a garden, which He himself had planted. It was a beautiful place in which to dwell. This garden only represented a small part of the earth. God’s desire was that, as Adam was faithful to dress and keep this garden that He had placed in his hands, Adam would be able to extend the borders of the garden, with the help of his faithful offspring, so the whole earth would become a garden of the Lord. This desire of God has not changed. His desire is still to see the earth filled as widely with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory as waters cover the sea.

A subduing ministry involves five things:

1. Making your enemies your footstool.

We know the enemies that must be dealt with are essentially spiritual in nature. This was true with Adam and its true for us, his descendents. Adam failed to subdue his real enemy and was, in fact, subdued himself. But Christ who is the last Adam restored man’s ability to conquer by dealing a mortal wound to the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15; Colossians 2:15). Now as the head of the Church He is seated
waiting until the Church, which is His body, walks out this victory in their experience
(Psalm 110:1-2; Hebrews 10:12-13; Ephesians 1:19-23).

2. Putting your feet on the necks of kings.

Many spiritual kings are to be defeated by the Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against God’s victorious army (Matthew 16:18). God’s promises to His people
have always included the “necks” of their enemies (Genesis 49:8). When kings were conquered by an army, before they were beheaded the conquering people would put their feet on the necks of these kings symbolizing their absolute victory (Joshua
10:24; I Samuel 22:38-41). God wants the Church to put its feet on the neck of kings of darkness (Romans 16:20).

3. Bringing an enemy into servitude.

Subduing an enemy is to force that enemy to serve you rather than you becoming its servant (I Chronicles 28:10; Jeremiah 34:11, 16). There was a time, due to Adam’s fall, that we were the servants of sin, but now God has, through the work of the last Adam, made us to rule over sin (Romans 6:8-23).

4. Driving out all enemies and possessing our full inheritance.

God has given us a rich inheritance. In fact He has given all things for the pleasure of his people (Ephesians 1:9-11; Revelations 21:7). He gave Abraham the entire earth but he had to walk through it and subdue it (Genesis 13:14-17). He gave Israel the whole land of Palestine but they had to go through it and possess it (Numbers 32:20-
22, 29; Joshua 18:1). This involved driving out all the enemies dwelling in the land. Israel failed to drive out all their enemies. They tolerated some because of their perceived strength. They compromised with others because of their own love of ease. But God raised up David to drive out all these well-noted enemies and he extended the borders of the kingdom further than they had ever been extended before (II Samuel 18:11). David drove out the stubborn ones.

Many Christians have begun a good battle against sin in their life, but they have never really reached the dominion stage because they have grown weary in battle and have settled for an incomplete victory. But, praise God! Just because you have lived with
an enemy for a long time does not mean that you have to put up with him forever.

God is returning the spirit of David to His people, which is not tolerant of long-time enemies. God is building in His people a fresh intolerance of sin and its inroads into the lives of people. God is sharpening the instruments of war among the people of God so they can effectively wage war with previously unmolested enemies. The giants are beginning to fall.

5. Treading down enemies.

God clearly told His people that the whole land was theirs (Genesis 13:14-17), but they had to walk through it (Deuteronomy 11:22-25). God told them every place the sole of their foot tread upon would be theirs (Joshua 1:13). God said through His power we would be able to tread down all our enemies (Psalms 60:12; 108:13;
91:13). Jesus specifically gave this power to His disciples (Luke 10:19-20).
The problem with most Christians is they have not realized that all of the land belongs to them. The land of politics is their land. The land of business and enterprise is their land. The land of medical science, technology, space exploration is part and parcel of the land given to them by God. But Christians have been unwilling to place the sole of their foot on this land for fear they might become soiled or contaminated. They have run from the lion and the cobra rather than picking them up by the tail (Psalms 91:13; Exodus 4:4).

God wants the Church to take this mandate to subdue seriously. He wants the Church to be ready to bring the forces of this world into subjection to the will and purpose of God (I Corinthians 15:27-28). The workings of Christ and the power of Christ in our life are designed for this very purpose (Philippians 3:21).

Exercising Dominion

The third aspect of the dominion mandate is the logical outworking of the second. God ultimately wants His people to reign in this life. We are to exercise dominion, not merely over our Sunday School programs and “church ministries” but also over “the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth”. That is pretty inclusive.

The word “dominion” means to take possession of and rule over”. God created Adam to be a king. Even as Christ came to “shatter the forehead of Moab” so He made us to have dominion (Psalm 8:6). The promise to God’s obedient people is they would reign over many nations but those nations would not reign over them (Deuteronomy 15:6). It is clear God’s people are to be the kings and the priests that reign on the earth (Revelations
5:10).

God wants to use His people in this day as a David company to extend His dominion to the ends of the earth. God wants His people to see themselves as kingdom builders concerned about all of life and every area of life. God wants a kingdom that extends from sea to sea (Psalms 72:8) all the while using our place as a means of extending the Gospel to all mankind. Each believer has a mandate to do his or her part. The command given to Adam has never been revoked. It is indeed the Greater Commission.

03/04/2023

A Call for the Discerning of Spirits in This End-Time Revival

Many churches are being invaded with waves of uncontrollable laughter, weeping, falling, shaking, jerking, roaring and other unusual manifestations. Some Christians are participating some are observing others have walked away in disgust that such things could be happening in the name of the Lord.

Leaders are in a quandary, “Is this from God? If it's from God, we don't want to say or do anything against it. If it's not from God, we can't allow it to continue.” They are trying to decide, “Maybe this manifestation is from God, but is that one from Him?” The manifestations that are occurring are of the utmost concern to leaders in the church today.

What is the fruit? Testimonies of outstanding spiritual, emotional and physical transformations are being reported by many who have attended these meetings. Thousands, hungry for more of God's presence in their lives, have been drawn from across the country and from around the world. Hundreds have come out of curiosity, or even as skeptics. To the surprise of their families, friends and even themselves, many of these skeptics have suddenly been overwhelmed with the same manifestations that a moment before they thought were out of order.

There seems to be a true “renewal” by the Holy Spirit in many churches. Believers are receiving a touch from God. Manifestations of true renewal are moving as a fresh breath of God’s Spirit.

In some locations, these meetings have taken on all the characteristics of true historic revival. Believers are openly and unashamedly repenting of their sins and are beginning to live holy lives. Unbelievers are being drawn supernaturally and are falling under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, repenting, and coming to Jesus.

One of the most interesting characteristics of the manifestations that often accompany this move of God is that they seem to be contagious. Many pastors who have come to evaluate these phenomena have received what they judge to be overwhelming, life-changing experiences in the presence of the Lord. They have returned to their own churches and the same manifestations have erupted. Others have returned to their churches with little or no evidence of any change taking place.

One problem has been the believers who have attended these meetings and have attempted to take their experiences back to their own churches without the support of their pastors or elders. In their immaturity, they have judged their own churches to be “missing God,” and have become disruptive in their attitude and behavior.

There are also those who think that their pastor “has lost his mind” in allowing such manifestations to occur. They have come expecting to receive the teaching of the Word and are offended by those who begin to experience manifestations causing distractions and interruptions during the sermon.

Some churches, where these manifestations have occurred, experience an increase in attendance. Other churches have reported loosing a large percentage of their congregations. In many services, the manifestations become so disruptive that it is no longer possible to teach. Some believers are so preoccupied with the manifestations, they no longer want to listen to the Word of God.

Pastors are bewildered as to what to do. They and believers, leaders, associations and denominations have become divided in their opinions regarding these unusual manifestations.

The question has become, “Is this truly a move of God?” A better question would be, “Are these manifestations of God, of the human spirit, or of Satan?”

We feel the answer is, “Yes, this is a move of God. Yes, the manifestations are of God – or of the human spirit – or of Satan.” The same type of physical manifestation can come from three different sources. Now the question becomes, “How can we tell the difference?”

Part of the problem is that many are following the manifestations instead of discerning the moves of God. To discern if a move is truly of the Spirit, we must know it through the Spirit – not through our mental reasoning powers. We can know what is of the Holy Spirit, or from the human flesh, or from an evil spirit, by the operation of the revelation gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the discerning of spirits is probably the most needed but neglected of the nine supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus warned that in these last days “even the elect would be deceived if that were possible.” Why is it not possible? – because of the gift of discerning of spirits.

We need to understand once more what the discerning of spirits is. Often we hear it called the gift of discernment. It’s not that. The Bible refers to this gift as the Discerning of spirits.

Discernment is an operation of human wisdom in the area of the mind. It comes through the reasoning power of the mind. An unbeliever or a carnal Christian can operate in discernment.

The gift of the discerning of, or distinguishing between spirits, is a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit by which we receive supernatural revelation from the Holy Spirit directly into our spirits. It is a “knowing” that comes into our spirits by which we discern the nature of any spirit being manifested.

By its operation, we can discern the presence, nature and function of God, His angels, evil spirits or a human spirit. We can supernaturally know what is of God, what is of the flesh, or of the satanic kingdom. We will not be judging the action but knowing the spirit causing the action.

In this present renewal or revival, leaders must know each manifestation by the Spirit. Then they must operate in the gift of the discerning of spirits. They must operate in the gift of supernatural wisdom to know what to do when the manifestation is from the flesh or demonic in origin.

In some meetings, Joyce and I have watched as people rolled on the floor in deep laughter totally overwhelmed by the joy of the Lord. Truly the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Occasionally, God has supernaturally filled our own mouths with laughter.

In some meetings, we have observed others who were only pretending as they rolled and laughed hysterically on the floor. I remember one young man who would stop, look around to see if he was being noticed, then close his eyes and continue.

Across from the aisle from us in another service, a lady was holding her hands up with her fingers extended. She was repeatedly jerking and violently throwing her upper body forward, and then returning to her upright position. Every few minutes, she would stop “manifesting” and check her beautiful, long, painted fingernails. Even to the point of caressing each one several times to be sure they were still smooth. It would have been funny to watch, if the implications had not been so serious.

It wasn’t hard to discern (in the natural sense) that both these people were seeking to draw attention to themselves. The manifestations they were having were self-induced, conditioned reflexes of the flesh. Some of this type of manifestations are caused by self-seeking demon spirits who are distracting people from receiving what the Spirit of God is doing in that service.

When the “renewal” first started with all of these manifestations, Joyce, my wife, and I decided to attend a meeting in our area. Our desire was to know what God was doing in His church. We put praise cassettes in the player and spent several hours praying in the Spirit as we drove to the meeting. We didn’t talk, or speculate on what we had heard or what we might see. We arrived about thirty minutes before the meeting was to start and approached the door the same time as another lady. Joyce spoke pleasantly to her, but, the lady turned and glared at us hatefully through beady glazed eyes, as if to say, “How dare you speak to me.” She seemed to be in a trance and with each step threw her upper body toward the floor with a spastic jerk.

The manifestations resembled a true manifestation that sometimes comes on those who are being struck by waves of the overwhelming power of God. However, Joyce and I both knew in our spirits that the manifestations this lady was having were not of God. We knew by the gift of the discerning of spirits that this was demonic. The lady needed deliverance.

As we took our seats, we watched as she positioned herself on the second row to be in the middle of what was going to happen. We were curious as to why someone didn't deal with the situation before the service started. Her distracting manifestations continued, and when the singing began, became more violent. They became so distracting that we turned in another direction and closed our eyes trying to stay in an attitude of worship.

When the singing stopped, to our absolute shock, the person in charge of the meeting invited this lady to testify how God was moving so mightily in her life. As she came forward to testify her violent spastic-like actions became even stronger. Her eyes were still glazed as if in a trance, and every word she haltingly said was accompanied by an extreme jerking motion. We could see or discern nothing in her words or actions that brought glory to God. She was a tormented, distorted human being and we were watching the overt behavior of a demon spirit.

There are no words to express the tremendous grief we felt in our spirits. The source of the manifestations was not being discerned through the gifts of the Holy Spirit by those in leadership. Instead, this lady was being held up as an example of true manifestations of the Holy Spirit. People were being encouraged to act just as she was acting.

We quietly left the meeting during a prayer that followed the “testimony.” I will never forget looking at Joyce outside the building. She was shaking from head to foot. We both began to cry out

to God for the people who were so hungry for Him that they had traveled for miles seeking His presence. They were being deceived and fed a counterfeit manifestation because there was no discerning of spirits in operation among the leadership.

Some have come under sharp criticism because, even though they will later admit they didn't feel right in their spirits about certain manifestations, they didn't want to do anything to stop them in case they were wrong. They ask, “What if it’s a true manifestation of the Holy Spirit?”

When we are in a position of leadership in a meeting, sometimes God directs us to put our hands on the person manifesting and say, “What do you say to the shed blood of Jesus?” This question never bothers a person in the spirit of God. It does cause demons to react violently.

We must consider the fact that it’s just as dangerous to say something is of the Holy Spirit if it’s not!

If this move of God is to continue, leaders must eagerly desire, stir up and learn to boldly operate in the revelation gifts of the Holy Spirit. For this move to survive, it must be “pastored” by leaders who know and discern it after the Spirit of God. Isn’t this type of problem what the apostle Paul was addressing when he wrote 1 Corinthians 13 and 14?

Almost all the manifestations of today, including laughter, weeping, falling, shaking, jerking and roaring are historic revival manifestations that have been recorded. Jonathan Edwards and other past leaders have written extensively describing them. They caused the same controversies in their day as they are today.

However, just because these manifestations occurred in past revivals does not necessarily mean that they were, or are from God. Often when the anointing of God becomes the strongest, demons begin to manifest. Isaiah wrote, “The anointing breaks the yoke ...”

In India, where people worship serpents, I have witnessed demons manifesting like serpents. In the name of Jesus, I have commanded the manifestations to stop, and the person has lain there as if unconscious until the end of the preaching. Then I could minister deliverance without distracting from the preaching or from the ministry that followed.

In other parts of Asia where people eat live monkey brains, I have seen demons manifesting like monkeys in the overwhelming presence of God.

In our meetings, when we can have teams trained ahead of time, if a demon starts to manifest and distract during the teaching, I have moved the people's attention to the opposite side of the assembly. Then the workers could quickly move the person to a separate location to minister deliverance. This keeps demons from distracting the people away from what the Spirit of God is doing.

I understand that it's now a common practice in large meetings in Argentina and other South American nations where great revival is being experienced, for trained ushers to remove people who are having demonic manifestations from the main tent. They are taken into another tent where trained teams minister deliverance.

There are times when I have witnessed overt manifestations that I knew by the discerning of spirits were not from God. However, I knew also they were not demonic. They were simply an uncontrolled emotional response from that person’s soul or flesh.

Like Pavlov’s dogs salivating every time he rang the bell, many immature believers have started manifesting by psychological conditioned response. They have witnessed others behaving in a certain way so they have become preconditioned to behaving, or manifesting, in the same way when they feel God's presence. Some traveling ministries have preconditioned certain anticipated responses, or manifestations, by repeatedly telling stories about what has happened in previous meetings.

Many of the manifestations being discussed today have been experienced in our meetings and in the meetings of many others since the early seventies. At times people have fallen in waves under the power of God without us even touching them. In other meetings, almost no one has fallen under the power of God.

At times, some have fallen to the floor and begun to shake or scream violently which is usually a manifestation of deliverance, and others have been gloriously delivered without any outward signs.

Holy laughter began occurring in our meetings in the early eighties. During periods of laughter many remarkable physical healings have taken place, and also deep emotional healings. Many argue, “they are just not comfortable with these manifestations.” No where does the Scripture place our level of comfort as the criteria for what is of God. We must discern in the Spirit if our “discomfort” is from Him, or just a response of our own human nature. Others express fear of the unfamiliar, and strange behavior of the people. Fear of the unknown is basic to our human nature.

In Mark 4, we have the account of Jesus standing in the boat and saying, “Peace, be still!” We know the storm stopped instantly, but read on. Jesus asked the disciples why they were so fearful. Mark goes on to say, “They feared exceedingly.” Did their fear mean what happened was not of God? Of course not.

This type of fear is mentioned again in the next chapter. Jesus had come into contact with the demonized man and cast all the demons into the swine. The man was normal, sitting with Jesus, but what did the people do? Did they rejoice that one of their own had been set free? No! Mark wrote, “They were afraid ... And they began to pray him to depart!” (Mark 5:15,17)
They were so afraid, they prayed Jesus would leave. It’s important that leaders discern the anointing and
learn how to lead others in the anointing of the
moment. There are times when the Holy Spirit will
move in such an overwhelming presence that people
will begin to weep.

Sometimes, many are overwhelmed and are slain in the spirit, falling to the floor under His awesome power, like on the day of the dedication of Solomon's Temple. The glory of God filled the temple and the priests couldn't even stand to minister because of the overwhelming anointing of His presence (1 Kings 8:11).

Other times, we are so overwhelmed by the glory of His presence that everyone is awe struck into stunned silence. Manifestations that are totally “in God's order” at one moment are totally “out of God's order” the next.

The answer is not to forbid all manifestations lest something happens that is “not of God.” Neither is the answer to stand back and let anything happen lest we “touch” what might be anointed of God. In the revival of today, leaders must ask God for the gift of the discerning of spirits to be in operation in every meeting. They must ask God for a following word of wisdom in how to “pastor” the move of God.

We as leaders cannot judge any manifestation by what we think or feel about it in the natural. How often in the past have we been fearful about certain manifestations that we had never experienced in the church of our tradition? I can remember the fear I once had about people who spoke in tongues having been taught that “it was of the devil.”

Some, who are very intellectual, analytical and cerebral in their approach to life, will stand back with a judgmental attitude saying “I just can't understand this so it must not be of God.” The things of the Spirit are foolish to the natural mind (2

Corinthians 2:14). Peter's action of getting out of a boat in the middle of a storm-filled lake was certainly contrary to all that was reasonable and intelligent.

Others say, “God is not the author of confusion,” so these manifestations are certainly not of God. And yet, the book of Acts is full of accounts of manifestations that occurred in the early church. They certainly would not have filled our criteria of what we would judge in the natural to be without confusion.

As balanced spiritual leaders, we must not run to the sensational, being carried about with every wind of doctrine and emotional excess. The church needs the solid teaching of God's Word as never before. The church, in addition to being a place of corporate worship and prayer, must also be the place to make disciples – for equipping believers to do the works of Jesus.

The church must continue to be focused on the continued teaching of God's Word. The greatest example of total saturation miracle evangelism in Paul's ministry was in Ephesus where God worked extraordinary or unusual miracles through the hands of Paul (Acts 19:11). This was predicated by the fact that he taught daily in the school of Tyrannus.

Unusual manifestations must not be shunned. Instead they should confirm the solid teaching and preaching of God's Word. Paul's success in ministry was not because he was in control by his own wisdom or persuasiveness but because of a demonstration of the Spirit and power of God. There were always supernatural, extraordinary manifestations of God's Spirit when Paul taught or preached the Word of God.

We, as spiritual leaders, must be mature, open, eagerly desiring to pastor and lead those entrusted to our spiritual oversight into all that God is saying and doing. At the same time, we must carefully nurture and protect the flocks from grievous wolves that would come with every wind of doctrine. To be such a spiritual leader, we must be men and women of the Spirit. We must know through the Spirit those who labor among us.

We must by faith, with confidence in our own personal relationship with God, know and discern the moves of God and any manifestations by the precious, all important supernatural gift of the discerning of spirits. By faith, we must be confident in our ability to hear from God. We, as under- shepherds, must be willing to lead our flocks with fearless confidence because we know the voice of the Great Shepherd. We must willingly submit to God's direction even if the resultant manifestations

may interrupt our own plans, or take us into uncharted waters beyond the comfort zones of our past experiences.

Spiritual leadership often means “crossing over” into the unknown as was required Moses and Joshua. It often takes the boldness and confidence of a Gideon or a David. It takes a leader who is confident in his or her ability to hear from God because of their own relationship, fellowship and daily communion with Him.

Our style of leadership must not be one of always having to be in control. We should trust Him who is the Head of the church to be in control by His Spirit. At the same time, we should be secure in our anointing and calling so that we will follow the move of the Spirit in every service.

This means we are vulnerable to making a mistake. However, if we are to walk on the supernatural waters of this present move of the Spirit, we must be willing to get out of the comfort zones of our boats. When Peter walked on the water, he may have doubted and begun to sink, but always remember, he was the disciple who walked on the water with Jesus!

As long as we stay in the comfort zones of our boats, we will continue to rationalize and try to understand what is happening with all of these historical, yet unusual manifestations of revival. How much better to ask for, believe, and receive the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit? With these gifts in operation, we will know when to step back and let God be God, and when to lovingly yet forcibly keep each meeting on track with what the Spirit of God is saying and doing.

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