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SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT? WHICH SPIRIT?
A good description of what Church was like in its early years can be found in 1 Corinthians, Chapters 12 and 14:26-33. Due to the work and infilling of GOD’s Holy Spirit, many Fruits and Gifts were present, and many miracles were performed. Because of this, people in general liked what they saw and wanted to be a part of it - who wouldn’t? GOD’s presence was undeniable then, but what about today? It’s not the same. We don’t see the dead raised, or limbs growing back, the blind seeing, the deaf hearing etc. Some charlatans claim to do these things but invariably it’s smoke & mirrors and money seems usually to be the main game. “The coming of the lawless one will be by the working of Satan with all sorts of displays of fake power through signs and wonders that support the lies and use all kinds of wicked deceit on those who don’t love the truth.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
The Bible has many warnings about false teachers and counterfeit spirits, especially in the latter times. “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the chosen.” Matthew 24:24 “The Church will go from having shepherds feeding the sheep to having clowns entertaining the goats” - Charles Spurgeon, 1834-1892. That is a very accurate description of some of what passes for Church today. Some Televangelists are total fraudulent clowns. In some quarters falling backwards and being ‘slain in the spirit’ is common practice, but did this happen in the Bible? Being “Drunk in the Spirit” is another favorite term. It’s claimed that this is what happened on that Day of Pentecost when GOD poured out His Spirit on some 120 believers. Obviously, many were delirious with joy, and some onlookers mistook it for drunkenness because they had no idea what was happening. Unbelievers can also be affected visibly by this modern lying spirit phenomena which makes them ‘drunk’ but many are not convicted genuinely, and may not even return. So what spirit was it? These laughing, drunken fiascos occur in the occult also.
It’s been said that 30% of people can be healed using a placebo, and likewise with prayer for the person, as the illness is psychosomatic in origin. One well known, and very wealthy televangelist can’t provide evidence of one case of healing. He cons his way to fame and fortune. At his ‘healing’ circuses, the genuinely crippled people are taken to the sides of the stage in their wheelchairs, out of sight of the audience. The people who come in a bit wobbly on their feet are given wheelchairs and taken up on the stage. After some pious mumbo jumbo, the ‘cripple’ is told to “get up and walk!” which they do, because they always could. The audience is fooled into believing they’ve just seen a miracle and fill the coffers even more. It’s alleged the same ‘clown’ skims more than $60M a year from the takings.
Discernment is one of the Gifts of GOD’s Spirit and it’s sorely needed these days more than ever. It’s not unusual in some charismatic meetings to see people being “bowled over” by someone ‘bowling’ the Holy Spirit at them. Appalling display. “So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing GOD to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can.” 1 Corinthians 10:14. Avoid liars and fakers like the plague .
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/the