Quack, Quake and Quiver

The following is a transcript of a commentary from the radio show "Stand to Reason," with Gregory Koukl.

Howling in the Church
Gregory Koukl

What is wrong with the "Holy Laughter" movement.

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I listened to a show on KBRT in Southern California yesterday and the discussion was about this new manifestation of the Spirit. I hate saying that, by the way. This supposed manifestation is roaring. It's called roaring in the Spirit. I don't even want to call it that, frankly. Roaring in the Spirit gives too much credibility to it, but that's what it's being called--Christians who allegedly come under the influence of the Holy Spirit and they start making animal noises. Roaring like a lion is an example of it, but I think there are other bizarre manifestations--people who shake and quake and fall down and quiver. I've had a number of calls about this, although the first call that I got I couldn't believe, to be honest with you. I thought, "No way is anybody going to take this seriously."

First it started with laughing in the Spirit. Then it moved now to the roaring in the Spirit and other animal sounds. I'm kind of curious where this is going next. I'm kind of curious to see how much can Christians take. How much will they be willing to label bizarre behavior as from the Spirit? I'm curious.

I listened to a show yesterday and the host was sympathetic, and beyond that a bit defensive--challenging those who would question such a thing. After all, as he mentioned, in Acts 2 people acted in such a way so that others thought they were drunk. You have the Azusa Street revival and other revivals in which there was bizarre behavior going on so, gee, who are we to suggest this might be weird? That seemed to be his response. Maybe he was just asking questions and trying to get the conversation going, playing devil's advocate, I'm not sure. I'm willing to grant that I may have misunderstood it.

But even if that isn't what he meant, there are a lot of people who have called me with these same ideas. Some have defended this thing in the same way. Some have told me about others who have defended it. And the irony is that the burden of proof is somehow pushed and thrust upon those who are a little concerned that this isn't really right. It's kind of like if you think there's something wrong with this then it's up to you to prove it. Ladies and gentlemen, if you make a bizarre spiritual claim the burden of proof is on you, frankly.

It strikes me that saying that howling and roaring and making animal noises "in the Spirit" is an unusual claim. If you are claiming that God is involved with that then it seems to me that it's up to you to prove it. I'm a bit uncomfortable talking about this because even discussing it like this lends some legitimacy to it. It's kind of like saying, Well, let's reflect on this for a moment and see whether this might be okay. Ladies and gentlemen, why would anybody even be tempted to say that people thrashing about making animal noises is an evidence of the movement of God? What has the Body of Christ come to that we look at this kind of behavior and we call it the Holy Spirit? Just on the face of it, doesn't it seem--think, please think--doesn't it seem that if anyone was going to turn people into animals it would not be God? It would be Satan. I mean if I had a choice. Remember the Gadarene demoniac? Thrashing about in the tombs, demon possessed, cutting his body, living like pardon me, an animal? That was demons. Not God.

The only time I can think of God making someone like an animal was Nebuchadnezzer--and that was a judgment of God. If you recall, it was when Nebuchadnezzer came to his senses that he was released from his bovine behavior. Read it in the book of Daniel. He was taking all the glory to himself, not giving praise to God, so God made him into a cow. I mean, he was still Nebuchadnezzer, but he lived like a cow. He went out in the field for seven years (Daniel 4), I believe, and ate grass. His nails grew long. He was an animal. He bellowed and mooed, I imagine. And then he came to his senses, gave God the glory and was restored to his position of authority. Read it, it's right there in Daniel.

Now someone might say, Well, this roaring in the Spirit is giving God the glory. Ladies and gentlemen, doesn't that strike you as bizarre? I'm at a loss for words here. Doesn't it strike you as bizarre that someone says, I give God glory by howling at the moon, roaring like a lion, rolling around and barking. Doesn't that strike you as strange?

What is really stunning about this is it's called "revival". Do you get this? A revival is to return life to something. That's what it means to revive it. In other words, this is an example of us being revived in the Spirit. Our Christian lives were spiritually dead and now we receive spiritual life when we get revived spiritually. Then what happens? We act like animals. That's an evidence of our spiritual revival. That's what Christianity has come to. The Spirit turns you into an animal.

We've talked about this before and I've discussed it a little bit sanely, calmly, intelligently reflected on it. And then I asked myself, What the heck am I doing? Why am I treating this like it's something sane? Let's go back to the Bible for a second. All right? When I read my Bible I find as evidence of spiritual vitality--balance, sanity (remember the Gadarene demoniac). They regained their sanity and became like people rather than like animals once the demons were cast out. I'm not saying here, by the way, that those who do this are filled with demons, I don't know. I'm just saying that it seems like demons are the ones who would be more likely to make us act like animals than God.

In the Bible I see as examples of spiritual vitality thoughtful, careful, meaningful, culturally relevant proclamations of the gospel. I see renewing our minds, order, reasonableness, attractiveness, patterns of submission, faithfully running the race. That's all in there. But now I'm being asked to believe that genuine revival may entail me being overwhelmed so much so that I act like an animal or fall into epileptic fits thrashing about and out of control. Good night! What next? This is all we need as a church. As if the world doesn't have enough to point at to object to, to discredit our witness, now we've got this. Another lunatic fringe to move towards because the simple basic ordinary Christian life is not good enough.

Okay, here is something really bizarre. I'm struggling to find an illustration here that will make the point because bizarre illustrations don't make the point. What is going on is so bizarre but still people accept it. I'm not going to be vulgar for the sake of being vulgar. What if a group of Christians got together and began to urinate in the middle of the church? Every Sunday. After all, the scripture says that from our inner most beings will flow rivers of living water, right? Now, some screw ball is going to find some justification for that kind of thing. I mean, do we really need to call an expert in on this? Does the Bible actually prohibit whizzing in the Spirit? I mean, there is no verse against it. God moves in strange ways. What next?

The problem with giving illustrations like this is that some goof-ball is going to go out and do it, and then he'll give me a phone call and tell me I'm grieving the Spirit, I'm quenching the Spirit. I know people are going to be offended by that illustration--and my apologies--but I choose this bizarre picture to make a point because, frankly, if you choose anything less bizarre somebody might say, Well, maybe. It doesn't sound so bad to me. You have to choose something utterly bizarre to give a clear case example anymore. We used to joke about extreme spiritual manifestations, and our extreme, clear case example was swinging from the chandeliers and barking like dogs because everybody knows that if anybody swung from the chandelier in church and barked like a dog then it would be unacceptable. Now somebody is asking me to accept this.

If we stand back for just a minute, if we just think a minute, if you are offended by that last illustration, why aren't we equally offended when we go to church and people are roaring and yowling and howling like animals and having epileptic fits, and they are attributing this to God. Instead there are some of us who say, boy the Holy Spirit is really moving. Wake up!

Sure, God can do whatever He wants. He even had Isaiah preach nude. Are you going to use that as a proof text for giving a message in your birthday suit next Sunday in church? It seems to me that a reasonable, mature, biblically literate Christian is going to look at this and say, Don't be ridiculous. Don't even suggest that's from God. I hope you're reacting in the same way to my suggestion that there might be something called whizzing in the Spirit. That's offensive. That's blasphemous. If you are concerned about me being a little bit direct or sarcastic, I think it was Paul who said if you want to circumcise yourself to show your spirituality why don't you just cut the whole thing off? That's Galatians 5:12, I believe. So I've got some biblical basis for being a little bit direct.

If you're bugged by the whizzing in the Spirit illustration you ought to be bugged by this because they are both bizarre. Why not snake handlers? What about that? Snake handling is more sane than this. At least you have a verse that directly suggests such a thing in Mark 16. I think the verse is misunderstood and there is some question as to whether it is authentic, but at least you've got a case. You'll handle snakes and not get bit, remember that verse? But the scripture doesn't say that one of the marks of spiritual life, of revival is howling like an animal. I think it's time for Christians to regain their sanity.

Somebody asked me this morning, "What do you think draws people into this?" Desire for the dramatic? The ordinary Christian life is boring. That's why. It's work. The ordinary Christian life is too ordinary. Instead people want to have this dramatic experience allegedly with God. People want to be different. The irony, ladies and gentlemen, is if Christians led the ordinary Christian life they would be different in all of the ways that really matter. When believers get off on tangents like this they are no different than the rest of the world doing loony-toon things. That's just what this is. Loony-toon. You can quote that.

Then you wonder why people think we're nuts! Can you believe it?

(Reproduction permitted for non-commercial use only. ©1995 Gregory Koukl)
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Mr. Koukl wrote this article in 1995 in response to unusual manifestations occurring at the Toronto Blessing(?) meetings which were going on at the time. Looks similar to what goes on at the meetings in Lakeland, FL with Todd Bentley and at MorningStar with Rick Joyner as well as at other places influenced by their group of propheteers. TB and the rest keep saying that God is doing a new thing. It doesn't look new to me (and it doesn't look like the God I serve either.)

To Fight or Not To Fight?

A few days ago, my oldest son, Timothy, and I had a discussion about pacifism that was prompted by a blog he posted back in May on The Time of Day. He said:

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine and I were having a good natured argument about pacifism before a Sunday morning church service. I made some suggestion that Jesus would never have taken up the sword, to which my friend responded (in good humor) "Jesus didn't use the sword because he didn't have the opportunity to."

My first thought was, " 'Jesus didn't use the sword because He didn't have the opportunity to'??? Sure He had the opportunity, but He didn't need to. It was not part of God's plan." But was Jesus showing us that pacifism (which for the sake of our discussion meant "not using force") was better than militarism/use of physical force?

The books of Matthew, Mark and Luke all record that some who were with Jesus at the time of His arrest had swords, and Simon Peter used his to cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. Jesus healed the servant and rebuked Peter saying, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" (John 18:14) Obviously, from this statement, using physical warfare was not what the Father had planned for Jesus to do at that time. Could Jesus have grabbed a sword and successfully defended Himself against being arrested? John records that the soldiers and officials fell to the ground because of the power of His words! He gave convincing evidence that these fully-armed soldiers were not "taking" Him because of their great strength, but that He was "giving" Himself willingly into their hands in spite of His greater strength. So, physical dominion was not His plan for that time.

Are we supposed to follow this example and never fight in the physical realm? What about our country's military forces-are they rebelling against Jesus's example? Pacifism might answer "yes" to these questions, and say that the use of force, warfare, is not right according to the New Testament which records that Christians suffered under occupying forces but did not pick up arms to retaliate. But, what about aggressors like Hitler's Germany or the terrorists of this day? Should we just sit back and allow evil to run rampant when we can do something about it? Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing." What about police forces? They are armed. Do we make them like Barney Fife and take away their bullets? I don't think anyone would see that as a good idea.

So, maybe what we are looking at here should not be pacifism vs. militarism, but spiritual dominionism vs. physical dominionism. There are sectors of Christianity that believe that the Church is supposed to take physical dominion over the earth right now. Some even say that Jesus will not or can not return until the Church is ruling on earth. (For more information, go to http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/07/kicking-kingdom-into-high-gear.html ) Some of these physical dominionists are very outspoken about their ambition to rule the world for Jesus regardless of what it takes-which means, 'if anyone tries to stop us, they are stopping the move of God and we will do what we have to do, even killing those who oppose us, in order to reach our goal.'

I don't think that Jesus told us to conquer the world. He said to go out and make disciples, that is, take spiritual dominion. There may be times when we have to defend ourselves against men of evil purpose, but I do not think Jesus wants us to be the aggressors or to physically take over the earth. As a matter of fact, I think He can handle that all by Himself:

Revelation 19:15,21 "Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations... The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse..."

When Jesus is ready to take physical dominion of the earth, at the time planned by the Father, He will take up His sword and use it! Amen, come quickly Lord Jesus!

Search for The Truth: Links to Critical Information the Church Needs to Know

Several people have asked me for links to websites providing research on the Lakeland meetings with Todd Bentley and also to other issues/topics that are of critical importance to the Church. I have some links in the sidebar of this page which I have found to be very helpful. I do not always agree with everything that the blog authors listed have to say or with the tone in which they deliver their information. I suggest that you pray before watching any video links of Lakeland meetings and ask God for discernment as you study and research.

Also, be aware that some information on Todd Bentley's Fresh Fire ministry website (http://www.freshfire.ca) has been changed--articles removed, names changed in documents, etc. Some of the researchers who have watched the Lakeland saga from the beginning have copies of the original documents which are proof of TB's deceptive practices.

http://www.pjmiller.wordpress.com/
http://www.endtimesprophetic.wordpress.com/
http://www.sheepyweepy.wordpress.com/
http://www.sheepleblog.net/
http://www.christianresearchservice.com/
http://filesfromtoni.blogspot.com/
http://viewfromthewall.blogspot.com/
http://blog.thewaycf.com/
http://www.discernment-ministries.org/
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/
http://www.letusreason.org/
http://www.sliceoflaodicea.com/
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/
http://www.firstplumbline.net/
http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/indexchr.html
http://www.understandthetimes.org/
http://churchwarnings.blogspot.com/
http://thegreycoats.wordpress.com/
http://phillyflash.wordpress.com/
http://signofjonah.wordpress.com/
http://www.discernment.org/

I have not had time to go through each of these sites to check the links that they supply. I may have missed some excellent information or some that really needs to be avoided. Please do as the Bereans did and check the Scriptures to see if the messages/doctrines presented line up with the Word of God.

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11(NIV)

Quotes

GREAT QUOTES-Mostly Sermonindex.net (from email sent by Andrew Strom at revivalschool.com)


"Some say that faith is the gift of God. So is the air, but you have to breathe it; so is bread, but you have to eat it. Some are wanting some miraculous kind of feeling. That is not faith. 'Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God' (Rom 10:17). That is whence faith comes. It is not for me to sit down and wait for faith to come stealing over me with a strong sensation, but is for me to take God at His Word." - D. L. Moody

"Showing mercy to the wolf is showing cruelty to the sheep." - Puritan.

"Adversity doesn't build character; it reveals it."- Anonymous

"I am not permitted to let my love be so merciful as to tolerate and endure false doctrine. When faith and doctrine are concerned and endangered, neither love nor patience are in order.... when these are concerned, neither toleration nor mercy are in order, but only anger, dispute, and destruction -- to be sure, only with the Word of God as our weapon." - Martin Luther.

"To remain divided is sinful! Did not our Lord pray, that they may be one, even as we are one"? (John 17:22). A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, "Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless... Unite, unite!" Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity. Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord's prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel." -Charles H. Spurgeon.

"It is our solemn conviction that where there can be no real spiritual communion there should be no pretence of fellowship. Fellowship with known and vital error is participation in sin." -Charles Spurgeon.

Conspiracy Theory?

So, for those who haven't heard, after a rapid departure due to being exposed as a liar on national television, Todd Bentley is now coming back to the Lakeland meetings for more tall tales and fruitless fables. Before Todd left for his "sabbatical," I wondered if his prophetic apostolic friends had a different agenda in mind. (I know, this will probably sound like "Conspiracy Theory," one of my favorite movies.) But, I really had a feeling that these prophetic apostolic movers and shakers were setting Todd up for a fall. Their behavior at his coronation ceremony seemed too detached for them to really have Todd's best interests at heart. That he left the scene early was not on their agenda, so he is coming back to continue the scripted drama. My theory, for what it's worth, is that the afforementioned p.a.m.s. were letting Todd go extremely far out in the prophetic river to do and say outrageously ridiculous things that even the most naive person could see through, and then they were going to let him sink saying that he was in great error and would not listen to their correction. Of course, they would then be available to pick up the pieces and bring healing to the Body as those who were rooted, grounded and trustworthy in the prophetic, not inexperienced and power-hungry as Todd was. They would be able to offer a "real", deep experience in the "true" river of god and teach about the "authentic" mystical, spiritual, new encounters that god wants the church to come into. They would set themselves up as the ones who could really be trusted with the leadership of the church in the last days. They want to be seen as the knights in shining armor who will rescue the church from the deception of the enemy and lead her to victory and dominion over the world.

(Watch out for the wolves who know how to wear their sheepskin clothing without showing their slips.)

Musings

On Saturday, July 12, 2008, my oldest son married the love of his life in a beautiful outdoor ceremony, and then the happy couple left for a honeymoon in Prince Edward Island in Canada. Congratulations, Timothy and Sarah! May God bless you with wisdom and peace as you start your new life together.


My heart was full of joy and my eyes full of tears when my firstborn son stepped into place to await his bride. As Sarah and her father started down the grassy path towards my waiting son, I noticed the photographer's young daughter playing quietly off to the side. When the little girl saw the bride in her beautiful dress, she stood up and started her own slow walk through the grass keeping pace with Sarah as if she too were a bride on her way to the altar. It did not matter that she was barefooted and that her dress was wrinkled and smudged with dirt from her playing. In her mind, she was the radiant bride on her way to happily ever after. The innocence of the child struck a chord in my heart. She took no thought of the crowd of people who were watching her. She just lived for the moment from her heart. I saw then a picture of how Jesus wants us to live- fully involved in being who we were created to be in the present moment, but ready to go the instant the Bridegroom calls.

Where Are the Listening Ears and Understanding Hearts?

Aida at Forgetting the Former Things has a wonderful post called A Safe Place to Heal that speaks of the need for "safe havens" in each of our lives. I encourage you to read the entire post. She says, "The issues that are hurting us and causing us to lose sleep are never brought up for discussion. Instead, they are continually pushed down where given the right set of circumstances, they can erupt spewing hurt and leaving devastation all around us. I believe that institutions are really not the best place for individuals to experience healing. I believe healing is best accomplished in a relationship where the hurting person is befriended and can experience the comfort of travelling with someone who will support and encourage them in their journey to wholeness."

Unfortunately, in many churches, developing deep relationships is difficult to do. The whole Sunday morning setting is geared more towards lecture/monologue than to discussion/dialogue. Occasionally, you may find a Sunday School class where participation is encouraged, but for the most part, the schedule is designed for a lesson to be presented by the teacher with minimum input from the class. Some churches have started home cell groups or women's ministries or men's ministries to try and encourage fellowship, but often the leaders of the groups have an agenda to be followed that discourages rather than promotes relationship-building. What is the solution? Where can we go to develop the connections that all of us need?

When I was growing up, my mother was a stay-at-home mom like most of the women in our neighborhood. Mom had a group of ladies that she could get together with and confide in. These women took the time to experience life together- making candy or cookies, helping each other with sewing projects, listening to each others' daily frustrations and joys. They had TIME to do these things; they were available to bear one another's burdens. We are so busy today that we tend to put relationship-building at the bottom of our to-do list. I am able to be at home during the day, but all of my neighbors are away at work. My closest non-family friend works long hours during the week, first at her job and then doing volunteer work at the church, so she rarely has time to just get together and talk. My mother lives close, thank God, so I do have her to turn to when I have concerns or struggles that require a listening ear. But, of course, there are some things that are best not discussed with close family members. Where to turn then? I have struggled with severe depression for many years, and last summer, I was close to giving up on everything. I couldn't dump all my troubles on my mother, my husband was busy with his job and my friend was overwhelmed with her own life. So, in an act of desperation, I hired a "friend," also known as a professional counselor. Being able to talk about my deep hurts and knowing that I would be listened to was a great relief. But, isn't it odd to have to pay for a compassionate listener? Where is that safe haven?

Judging or Biblical Discernment?

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

1 John 4:1
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Revelation 2:1,2
To the church in Ephesus,"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false."


There has been much debate in the last few weeks about whether or not the Lakeland, FL meetings with Todd Bentley are a true revival from God or a work of the enemy to lead people away from Jesus Christ and the true gospel. Those who say “don’t judge” are setting themselves and others up for great, and possibly permanent, harm.

I attended Charismatic/Prophetic churches for over 25 years, and I have seen and been deceived by this type of prophetic “ministry” in the past (more than once, unfortunately). There really is no new thing under the sun (Eccl.1:9). Benny Hinn, for example, has claimed just as Todd Bentley has claimed, to have angelic encounters and out-of-body experiences as well as new revelations from God. (See the Let Us Reason Ministries’, March 5, 2001 article entitled “Benny Hinn- Touch, Topple, Tilt!” at http://www.letusreason.org/Wf1.htm )

In 1985, Benny Hinn was a featured speaker at our church’s annual campmeeting. This was the first time that I saw sections of the crowd “fall under the anointing” just from a wave of the preacher’s hand. I felt quite unspiritual because I was still standing. I thought that there must be something wrong with me or that I might not even be saved since I could not feel the Spirit! In following years, I was taught not to question what the leadership said or did-"touch not Mine anointed”- or I would be speaking against God Himself. So, I went along with the crowd and acted like I was just as sensitive to the spirit as they were, while all the time feeling like more and more of a failure because I couldn’t sense the Holy Spirit moving.

About 10 years ago, I attended a prophetic conference at MorningStar Ministries in Charlotte, NC. When one of the worship leaders started clucking and flapping like a chicken, I accepted Rick Joyner’s declaration that she was just “in deep intercession” and that no one should speak against what God was doing. Like good little mindless robots, most of the crowd followed right along, and I felt like I was spiritually ignorant and disobedient because I was questioning.

Time and time again throughout the years, I allowed false prophets and teachers to convince me that I was not hearing from God if I was questioning their teachings. I became severely depressed because I was sure that I would never be a good submitted Christian. I withdrew from church, but I thank God that He continued to draw me to the Bible and that He was able to reach me and restore me through His Word before it was too late.

I am convinced now that the Scriptures must be our foundation and our standard for evaluating everything. If a teaching or experience does not line up with the Word, it is not of God. It does not matter what we feel or think. Jeremiah 17:9 says that man’s heart is deceitful above all things. Our soulish nature is to deceive ourselves and one another. Elevating man’s doctrine or our own feelings or experiences above God’s Word opens us to deception.

The world teaches techniques of deception that are eerily familiar to what we often see in prophetic ministries. (See the following link for a video comparing hypnosis techniques to Todd Bentley’s ministry technique in Lakeland. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysMdkuVukdc )

Christians, God has given us the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God for a reason. He wants us to use it to cut through the enemy’s shroud of lies and bring light to those who are in darkness. Our lives and the lives of those around us may depend upon our faithfulness to wield the Sword as God directs. Keep fighting the good fight!

2 Timothy 2:15 (New International Version)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Hebrews 4:12 (New International Version) For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Why Do People Listen to the Lies of False Prophets?

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

2 Timothy 4:3,4 (NIV)

Myth--a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.

In Lakeland, FL and Charlotte, NC and possibly a city near you, strange fire and doctrines of demons are being embraced by undiscerning churches seeking a new thing from God. Why do people listen to the lies of the false prophets who are spreading this deception?

People want to hear fantastic, exciting stories to be entertained, to escape reality, to feel good. Watching television shows and movies has trained many in this generation to turn off their minds to truth and to accept fiction as fact- the more outrageous, the better. Stories of average people becoming superheroes with special powers, such as Spiderman or Ironman, have become commonplace, so why not flock to see the endowments and exploits of Todd Bentley or other "superprophets"? People are used to celebrities being untruthful, so they just ignore the lies and keep watching in fascination. They suspend belief and reason and are ready and willing to be deceived by the latest "new thing" in town.

Sound doctrine demands too much self-sacrifice and too much discipline for those who insist on being entertained and comfortable. Personal desires must be altered or denied in order to come in line with the will of God. Effort must be expended to search the Scriptures and to try the spirits. Sin must be confronted and confessed. It is much easier to roll around on the floor or bark like a dog than it is to humble oneself before the Lord. And as for preferring one another, forget it. People will fight for the best seats in the house and knock each other down in the race to the altar--not an altar of repentance, but one of "more stuff for me".

My heart goes out to the innocent children and ignorant sinners who are caught up in this spectacle of self-promotion and subterfuge. I pray that God will bring them out of the darkness and deception and into the light of His love. We must do all that we can to spread the truth of God's Word, even if it means that we will be seen as unspiritual troublemakers. Jesus is coming soon, so let us make the most of every opportunity we have to testify of Him.