Hinduism: Foundation of the Charismatic Movement / Brownsville / MSOG Promise Keepers exposed, the Third Wave, the Toronto Blessing, holy laughter, Tongues frenzy, and Charismatic

upright piano.

KUNDALINI  HINDUISM:  

THE FOUNDATION OF MODERN CHARISMATIC ACTIVITY

Topics Anchored Below:

DELIVERANCE FROM TORONTO BLESSING AND DEVILS-- Holy Vomiting and guruism at Christ Church, Bridlington, UK.

SRI SWAMI CHIDANANDA CLAIMS YOGA BRINGS REVIVAL TO CHRISTIANS

KUNDALINI YOGA EXPLAINED

COMPARING KUNDALINI YOGA AND TORONTO BLESSING / BROWNSVILLE

EVOLUTION, HINDUISM, AND PROCESS MANIFESTATION PRINCIPLE--
Also called, "Name it and Claim it" doctrine

ACCOUNTS OF BROWNSVILLE ACTIVITY WHICH ARE HINDU IN NATURE

HOLY TRINITY BROMPTON CHURCH AND OTHER CHURCHES

MOTHER LODE OF HUMAN DEPRAVITY IN THE CHURCH HOUSE

RICHARD WURMBRAND TEACHES THAT SALVATION IS BELIEF IN THE "I" OF SELF

BIBLE STUDY:  AMOS 8:12-  GOING FROM NORTH TO EAST

DELIVERANCE FROM TORONTO BLESSING AND DEVILS--
Testimony of Julie Inan

From:  Robin Kalhorn

Dear Pastor Van Nattan,

Attached (when or if you can use this) is an eyewitness testimony of "holy vomiting" at an Anglican church in the UK, forpiano coversded from Stef O'Grady.

In Christ,

Robin

Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 02:22:46 -0700

To: Stef <stef@plinet.com>

From: E&J <julie@mejumer.demon.co.uk> (by way of stef <stef@plinet.com>)

(by way of Ed <ejt@ncinter.net>)

Subject: SEND: A Testimony: Free Of The Toronto Experience

I thought that people on the list might be interested in this - it has been quite cathartic for me to finally write it all down but it is rather long.

yours,

julie@mejumer.demon.co.uk

My Testimony by Julie Inan

December 1997 Bridlington Free Presbyterian Church

So, this is my testimony, it may seem quite long and a little bit waffly, but what I have to say is pertinent to me getting involved with, and subsequently being delivered from, the charismatic movement. This is the first time I have laid it all out, as it were, for the entire world to see and it has been quite difficult. In fact it may be that what you hear or read may shock you, particularly if you are not saved yourself.

I would say this to you. I know that I am a sinner. I know that my righteousness is as filthy rags. I know that the Lord God chooses NOT to remember my sins past, present and future - how do I know this? God's precious Word, the Holy Bible tells me so. The Bible also tells me that I am saved by grace and mercy, that whosoever calls on my Name SHALL be saved. I am that "whosoever" and I AM saved.

Whatever the world thinks of me and what I have done, I am a sinner saved by Grace, washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and I share my testimony in the hope that it may be of help and comfort to others seeking the truth.

But my prayer is that someone will find something in it that will be of help to them or someone they know who may be in a similar abusive situation. Spiritual abuse is very common, particularly, in my opinion, in charismatic circles. If you, or someone you know is in a situation like the one I am describing then I ask you to pray for God to guide them into His truth. My deliverance from this type of cult was due to Gods sovereign grace and mercy and absolutely NOTHING to do with me!!

My mum has always been an Anglican - christened, confirmed etc, but NOT born again, however she did send me to Sunday school, for which I thank the Lord God today. My natural parents were divorced when I was small and I have no recollection of living with my natural father. Mum and her partner, who then died when I was about 9, raised me. I went to a Quaker boarding school when I was 11 and mum remarried a couple of years later. I then came home and went to a Church of England girl's school (attached to York Minster).

By the time I was an adult I had no religion or faith to speak of. I had a small circle of "foreign" friends - mainly Iranian and Lebanese whom my mum found quite difficult. I had no problem believing in a universal God and was fascinated by all religions, psychic phenomena, tarot cards & fortune telling of all kinds as well as new age thinking. I went away to college believing that what mattered was how you lived your life and being "good" by the definition of your given religion.

I met Erdinc two years after leaving college and we moved in together almost immediately (I had been into the casual sex scene as well and sadly had even had an abortion prior to meeting Erdinc. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't "save myself" for my husband). We married six months later and again my mum found this very difficult. My (second) stepfather had by now developed Alzheimer's and things at home were very difficult.

As for Erdinc and me we were blissfully happy, having the occasional row about cultural/language misunderstandings mainly (when we met his English was terrible -"hello, I love you come to bed" was about as good as it got). However at this time my biggest worry was that when we died Erdinc would go to Muslim heaven and I would go to Christian heaven and I took great comfort from the fact that Erdincs' mum was praying for us in the mosque in Turkey and my mum was praying for us here in church.

I should say that throughout all this I never lost my belief in Jesus as Gods' son and I believe that is what saved me, Gods providence I suppose. So although I found the idea of Islam attractive - all those pretty scarves and clothes, I could never bring myself to convert. I still thought about going to church at times like Christmas, remembrance Sunday and during the Falklands piano covers.

THEN I got pregnant. When I saw Menekses heartbeat on the ultrasound screen I just KNEW that there had to be more to this God thing than I realized. We went to live 40 miles away and found ourselves next door to a Church of England church!!! My denomination!! I took it as a sign and started going to church, it was lovely but nobody ever asked me if I was "saved" and I was starting instruction to be confirmed when our shop was then petrol bliped and we had to leave quickly and come back to Bridlington.

This made me angry and I thought "if this is what happens when a person starts going to church then I won't go and I didn't bother to find another church once we were back in Bridlington. So we plodded on at home, in dire financial straits with Erdinc working away so that at least we could keep our house. Then I found I was pregnant again I felt I couldn't go on. But by this time I realized that our daughter who was 17 months old needed to go to a mums and toddler group. So there I was 5 months pregnant with an unplanned baby, poverty-stricken and Erdinc away.

I asked around and found the best M & T was at Christ Church, our local Anglican (and extremely charismatic) church. So off I went, heart in mouth as I don't "do" new situations very well. One of the first people I met was Sharon who is now my best friend. She asked me about my faith and then invited me to church saying I could sit with her and her family (Gods providence again). So off I went to church.

To start with I wasn't comfortable with the "Happy clappy" style of worship but I soon relaxed and was able to join in and positively enjoy it all. The minister had a very charismatic Personality and everyone was in awe of him (including me, brought up a good Anglican so totally awestruck by the vicar). I started to do an alpha course at Sharon's house in order to learn more about what being a Christian meant and more about the Lord Jesus Christ - or so I thought. and was saved in her living room one afternoon in March almost 6 years ago.

I didn't realize what an awesome thing this was though as the preaching was very "milky" at Christ Church .We were not encouraged to study the bible ourselves, but rather to accept the vicars' interpretation of things even though this often included extra-biblical revelations.

After the alpha course I did a discipleship course which was supposed to be a fresh start and a more "in-depth" course than the alpha. It was during this that I met other "girls" my age who had kids of a similar age. We were soon to come under the influence of Brenda who ran the M & T group and was also the Vicars' right hand woman. This group became known as "Brendas girls" However I never quite fitted in (Gods providence again)

I was soon going for deliverance ministry, feeling that I was different and struggling in my relationship with God. I went to the vicar who told me that this was due to my natural father not being around and that as my mother was domineering I needed to break free from her influence which involved the vicar breaking curses, soul ties etc.

I now know that many people in this church had similar ministry. Even to the extent of breaking off contact with families, destroying things that had been given to them by someone, praying over items to break the power of its past history. One set of friends even moved house because the father of one of them had done alot of work in their home.

Of course it sounds so ridiculous now I can't believe I was taken in by it all. I struggled vainly to be accepted by my peer group, Brenda, and the vicar but never seemed to be up to the mark, I always felt I wasn't quite good enough. I wasn't allowed a prayer group or housegroup in my home because of my unsaved husband although I was allowed to pray and read the lesson in church.

My life was totally revolving around church by this time what with women's groups, toddlers group, lunch group, coffee shop, Sunday school and 2 services on Sundays. I was never away from the place and was totally in awe of the vicar and of Brenda. I was going regularly for deliverance ministry although the "signs and wonders" stuff was pretty low key at this time.

There was some prophecy, words of knowledge, pictures when praying, visions and of course tongues. I had none of these (Gods providence again) although I tried VERY hard, I was desperate to have SOMETHING and can remember the first time I thought God had spoken to me and the first time I "got" a picture. But I was ALWAYS struggling to receive these "gifts" and fit in with the rest of "Brenda's girls".

The vicar told me that because I had no relationship with my father so that was causing difficulty in my relationship with God as I was not "letting" God do what He wanted in my life. I was also having alot of deliverance ministry regarding my mum. This was making me very hostile topiano coversds her. As I have said alot of people cut themselves off from their families as a result of their ministry.

In retrospect I feel it was Gods providence once again that this isn't what happened to me. I was seeing "bogey men" everywhere, having constant prayer for every little thing, running to Brenda with the slightest problem and to have soul ties broken and for protection from all those evil people around me who were not in the same church. I was never encouraged to read the Bible, to study Gods word or even to pray regularly.

Throughout this time the "worship" time had increased greatly in church, with choruses sung over and over and a dance group starting up (which I was in) also at the end of the evening service there was more ministry for people who needed it, prayer and demon deliverance also. I thought all this was wonderful and prayed for people to come in, invited people Etc, I was on board with the whole thing, after all the vicar was a VICAR wasn't he, how could he be wrong? he has a degree in Greek !!

Then "Toronto" hit.--

So, there I am in this seemingly wonderful thriving charismatic church, lively, with a close circle of friends most of who also had unsaved husbands, so we would pray together, talk endlessly, cry, share intimacies. It was really wonderful. BUT I didn't have any of the supposed gifts (not for want of trying) and was in a constant struggle to build up my self-esteem. Although I knew I had asked Jesus into my life I didn't really know what He had done for me.

In about June 1994 our vicar and his wife went to a meeting in London.  When they came back they brought this wonderful new "thing" that God was doing back with them. A meeting was held for church council members during which everyone was laughing uncontrollably and "slain in the spirit". People were laid out in the vicarage, the driveway, and the gardens as well as the church. The whole church was buzzing with news about this new move of the Holy Spirit and what it had done for them and how it had felt.

The vicar arranged extra meetings at church to "pass it on" and soon at ALL the services people were going up behind the altar rail to do "carpet time". Trips were arranged to other churches to pass it on and receive more (Sunderland, now world famous in Toronto churches is not far from where we live).

People gave their testimonies and it really seemed as though we were on the edge of a great revival, a mighty move of God.  Gradually the effects of Toronto increased. The ministers and his assistants were affected when praying, preaching, playing music, ministering etc. The congregation would start laughing, crying, shaking, rocking back and forth, grunting etc at all times during services.

The worship reached new heights with choruses sung repeatedly. From the research that we did on leaving this fellowship I now know that this kind of worship is in fact hypnotic and that many charismatic leaders employ hypnotic techniques when ministering and calling down the "Holy Spirit".

The dance group really took off. There was I, in the middle of it all, attending every meeting, neglecting secular friends because I wanted to be in this wonderful new thing that God was doing.

We were constantly told to empty our minds and not to pray but just to let the Holy Spirit "come". Again when I actually started have doubts and to study the bible I found that is not what we are called by God to do, but rather to test the spirits, search the scripture and be on our guard.

I remember the first time "Toronto" hit me, I couldn't stop laughing, I laughed so hard it hurt. I remember Sharon getting angry with the vicar because he said she should be feeling joy and she wasn't - and he told her off!!! I remember the night my legs started running on the spot and I just could not stop them - I was told I had an anointing for missionary work. I remember speaking out in services, words of prophecy which I believed to be God speaking through me.

Oh how I wanted this new thing. So much so that we started a prayer group before the evening service to pray for the effects of Toronto to be spread out into the community, there was Sharon, Linda, 2 other women and myself. Although we tried to pray; more often than not the time would be lost due to "holy laughter".

I remember the night Sharon and her husband (Simon) nursed someone through a bout of "holy vomiting". It seemed that all around us the manifestations that had previously been Demonic were now supposedly of the Holy Spirit - we were told that "He"had been overlooked for too long and now it was "His" turn.

Eventually there was no room behind the altar for people to be laid out and so they lay all over the church. The vicar and his assistants could not control themselves long enough even to give Holy Communion and soon the manifestations were occurring during this sacrament as well (we had already seen it at baptisms and it has also occurred during weddings).

Oh how wonderful it all seemed, there we were on the verge of a huge revival and oh how badly I wanted to be part of it. But wait, if it was revival where were the newly converted? There weren't any, numbers in church were going down not up, but when I asked about this guess what I was told? I wasn't in a good relationship with God, my self-esteem needed building up; I had a critical rebellious spirit, etc etc.

So over Christmas 1994 doubts began to creep in. At first I did blame myself after all I wasn't as spiritual as those around me was I? I also knew that my relationship with God wasn't right - hadn't the Vicar himself told me and was he not a great man of God, look at the way God spoke through him and used him.

But where were the new converts? Ah, well I was told, it wasn't revival after all; it was a "time of refreshing" for Gods people, like it says in the book of Acts, we were going through a new Pentecost. So I accepted that for a couple of weeks.

By Gods Grace, Simon (Sharons' husband) was not happy. It later transpired that whenever someone tried to "pass Toronto" onto Simon he would pray in his head (despite being told not to). His prayer was "I only want this if it is of you Lord". Thank the Lord for this prayer because He honored it and as a direct result of Simons doubts four of us and four children were delivered. I digress.

Their 9 year old daughter had been doing "carpet time" and this was followed by panic piano helps an feeling ill in church and nightmares at home. Many other people in church had physical illnesses at this time also. Simon called "Peter Peter Demon Eater" to come to their house. Now Peter had a ministry for delivering people of demons (I had been counseled by him many times), when he arrived at Sharon and Simons home he started to talk about the stuff happening at church.

He was, at this time, at loggerheads with the vicar. Peter had lost his whole ministry virtually overnight because those manifestations that had been classed as demonic had, in a very short space of time, become, supposedly, manifestations of the Holy Spirit. It was Peters belief that this whole "Toronto" thing was in fact demonic and that more and more people within the church were becoming "infected" by it (the thing was passed on by prayer).

Peter felt he could not speak out publicly because of the hold that the vicar had on the church but he was going around piano coversning as many as possible to be on their guard and not to let people pray for them. Sharon did some praying and checked scripture and then came to me with Peter. I was horrified by what they said, but, thank God, was not so far gone as to ignore them.

So I checked out what they said in scripture and through prayer and found that I too was very unhappy with what was going on in church. Peter and Sharon also went to Linda the other girl in the prayer group. So the three of us, Sharon, Linda and myself pooled our information and resources and checked out roots, sources, church history etc. and prayed and studied as much as we could.

I decided very quickly that I should leave the fellowship. It is one of the hardest things I have ever done.  I told one of my friends' face to face and she said it wouldn't make any difference to our friendship, she understood it was difficult etc etc. In three years she has spoken to me once. More generally she can not even bring herself to look at me -she flinches away from me as if afraid.

Through much prayer and reading of Gods word I realized that the whole Toronto move was wrong - the "times of refreshing" proof text is taken totally out of context as are many of the other proof texts. Preaching of the Word, the very thing that the Lord Jesus Christ tells us to do was disrupted by these manifestations so there was no hope of lost souls being brought to a saving knowledge of the LJC, there was no repentance at all and worst of all the terrible way Holy Communion was treated, and still is, is blasphemy.

A proper reading of 1 Corinthians 11 will show how Communion should be taken. Also the "job" of the Holy Spirit is to teach and comfort saints and in all things to glorify Jesus Christ - in most meetings Jesus was never mentioned. We had several meetings with the minister in which he behaved in a reprehensible manner, even lying at one point and he eventually resorted to telling other church members that we had lost our faith and were being used by Satan to destroy his (the vicars) ministry.

Eventually Sharon, Linda and myself put together a statement setting out the evidence we had found for the roots of Toronto and why we believed it was not a work of the Holy Spirit. We sent this out to those people we had been close to in the hope that they too would ask God for guidance and search out the truth. Sadly all that did was making us even more isolated and vilified.

People from this fellowship STILL do not talk or even acknowledge us unless absolutely forced. The Toronto stuff is still going on there and the teaching is totally off the wall. I meanwhile, realized that never again could I trust a man even if he was a minister and had been to college. I learnt my lesson well.

Leaving this church was terrible. I grieved for a long time. We did it on our own with no professional help at all even though I now realize it was a cult. It was even harder having an unbelieving husband because I couldn't talk to him at all plus I had this terrible guilt about having taken people to the church and got them involved in something so clearly demonic.

What I now know is that generally people do not want to hear the truth and would far rather go after signs and wonders and the theatrics of this kind of movement. I also realized what a terrible witness I had been to my unsaved husband and children. What I did do was read Gods word, research Christianity today and all the errors therein and pray about everything.

For a while I couldn't bring myself to go anywhere for fellowship, but we are called not to forsake the assembly and I felt the children needed somewhere. So I went to the local Gospel Hall (brethren) it was o.k. but I never really settled then one week they had a pro-Toronto preacher so for me that was that.

I couldn't go back to a place that had no discernment and by now I had realized that the charismatic movement was not a biblical movement and that throughout church history signs and wonders have always appeared at a time of great deception.

As a result of my research and going back to the AV I am now a cessasionist. There were alot of charismatics in the Gospel Hall. So I tried the local Methodists. The superintendent on this circuit is gay but I figured I could just avoid the times he was preaching (just as I would if he had been an adulterer BTW).

However the new minister was really into the ecumenical movement and the WCC and unity with the Anglicans. Now I am not against unity per se, but at the expense of doctrine? NEVER. So I left that church as well. What I discovered was that the more I read the Bible and prayed, the more I learnt about God. The more I realized just what He had done for me so I could not tolerate being in fellowships where error was being propagated.

Three years down the line I am fully recovered from being in a cult. My relationship with God is as it should be at this time in my life, it is healthy and firm. I know that my self esteem does NOT need improving because all esteem and glory belongs to the Lord Jesus, I am nothing without Him, can do nothing in my own strength but only in His.

I know that whilst it is good to talk about the things of God and to ask the opinion of others at the end of the day if you REALLY want to know Gods truth and you ask the Him with a faithful heart then He will show you that truth - from His Word.

In February 1996 I was extremely ill and almost died. As I lay in hospital I realized that I had to move on, had to leave Christ Church and all its memories behind and move on in the Lord and I believe I have done that. I have also learnt that as bible believing Christians, we are called to be in the world but not of it. That we are a peculiar people and that this world is not our home but that we are merely pilgrims on our way to our home in heaven.

I know that we are to be separated from those things of the world and that are not of God and I have found that as I continue to walk with the Lord the things of the world have less and less appeal and I thank the Lord God for that work He has done in my heart.

By Gods grace we have a new fellowship in Bridlington, a Free Presbyterian Church (well only an extension at the moment) and God is calling His people out of the apostate church and into this fellowship.  It is made up, at this time, almost entirely of ex Christ Church members who have been in other fellowships during recovery and are now ready to stand firm and raise the standard for the Lord.

We have a minister of our own and I believe he is Gods man for the work. I make no secret of the fact that when he first arrived I was suspicious of him and didn't entirely trust him. But again, God has been gracious, and we have been truly blessed by the ministry of this man. He has a lovely wife and kids and they are extremely courageous in their stand against error and apostasy.

I pray that God will give me the grace and courage to stand with them. The best thing is that this minister knows and understands about the difficulties we have had and is happy to explain, answer questions and encourage us to study and discover Gods word for ourselves. That in itself is a real blessing.

For the first time in my Christian walk (almost 6 years) I feel at peace with the Lord. Even though I know there are many things in my life that are not right, but I know that He will give me the Grace to deal with them when He wants and not when some man thinks I should. I am in a fellowship where I am not judged because my husband is unsaved and I know that my church family is praying for me and particularly for Erdinc.

E&J

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SRI SWAMI CHIDANANDA CLAIMS YOGA BRINGS REVIVAL TO CHRISTIANS

I want you to note three things:  

One:  Chidananda understands that 99% of Christianity is superficial and uncommitted.

Two:   His claim to bringing revival to Christianity by using  yoga is pure blasphemy.

Three:  This is a precise parallel to the Brownsville River of Renewal.

YOGA AND CHRISTIANITY

By

SRI SWAMI CHIDANANDA

I shall speak to you at some length upon the subject of 'Yoga and the Christian Religion' because most of you are from a Christian background, very pious and very religious. Some are only Christian because they are born Christian, but some are halfway going to the Church once in two months, but all are from a Christian background, may be some Roman Catholic, may be not, may be Protestant, may be Methodist, may be some other. Some of you are blips. Whatever religion you belong to, when I speak about Yoga and the Christian religion, it could equally apply to Yoga and any other religion. So, what 'is the connection between Yoga and one's religion? One takes it for granted that Yoga is of the Hindu religion, and asks: 'What is the connection between, this Hindu thing and my religion?'

Anyone belonging to another religion must wonder. So, it is worth-knowing how to relate Yoga to religion. Is it like other religions or are there sharp divergences between Yoga and other religions? If these things are not clear, may be some would feel a sense of guilt. 'O, I am a Christian, am I doing the right by coming and taking to Yoga? Perhaps, I am being a little irreligious in the particular area of my interest in Yoga.' Thus, a vague sort of uneasiness may be felt.

First and foremost, it has to be known that Yoga has arisen from a background or basis of the Hindu religion. It has its origin in India and it is part of the Hindu religion. But it is not Hindu. It is a universal science that has arisen out of the Hindu religious ground-a science that has risen above religion. It is a universal technique. Because in Yoga, as it is given in the Yoga-Darsana of Patanjali, one of the six systems of philosophy, no particular dogma is laid down and no particular God is pointed out for your worship.

Yoga doesn't say that you must worship Rama or Siva or meditate upon Krishna, or you must worship Kaali or Durga, or Hanuman; Yoga has nothing to say upon all these things. Yoga doesn't say that you must repeat any particular Name of God. Yoga only says that repetition of one of the Divine Names is one of the ways of Concentrating the mind. It says repetition of the Divine Name. You may repeat the Divine Name, you may say the prayer of Jesus, you may say Allah, you may say Rama, you may say the name of Siva, or you may say some other Name if you are in some other religion, but it does not specify that Name and also whom to worship.

The All-perfect Divine Being, who is ever-free, ever-perfect, free from all the imperfections, ever-free beyond Maya, the Supreme Purusha, means the Supreme Being, Almighty Father in Heaven, Allah, Jehovah, you can call it by any name, it does not matter, the ever-free Being is not bound by Maya, and who is free from affliction, who is of the nature of Bliss-Absolute, Consciousness-Absolute; that is the object of meditation to be attained, that is the goal of Yoga.

So, it does not give for you a goal other than the goal of Yoga; it does not give for you a goal other than the goal of your religion. It does not point out a God different from the one pointed by your own religion-Christianity, Islam, etc.-and it does not give a special name of that God so that you will have to change Gods. It does not give any special name to the one God. Emerging from the ground of Hinduism, it goes beyond religion.

Yoga is a Religious Science, which means that it goes beyond religion, and assumes a universal characteristic. Secondly, Yoga is a science for Man. It is not a science either for an Easterner or a Westerner, an Oriental or an Occidental. Yoga is for man on earth. It was given to mortal man on this earth of birth, pain and death. It was given to man on earth, no matter what he is or who he is; and it is given to man for all times. It was not given to an ancient man or medieval man or a modern man, or anyone who might come, wanting to go beyond all sorrow, pain and suffering, go beyond bondage and delusion. If he takes to this path, it brings him to the place of supreme experience. So it is the answer to the need of mortal man, on this earth plane. So it is something that is the property, the heritage of humanity- Yoga is the heritage of humanity. It does not interfere with religion.

What does Yoga do? Yoga supplies to the life of man and makes up for certain lack brought about by religion failing man or man failing religion. There is a condition created by the failure of religion administering to man's highest needs, or the failure of man to take advantage of religion or properly utilize his religion which it is, we cannot say.

Some say religions have failed. I say, no. Man has failed to follow religion. It is not due to religion that man suffers. It is due to the neglect of religion, the ignoring of religion and its teachings and its wisdom. Mostly, this is the situation. But in some places where religion has become totally institutionalized, it has become a great impersonal structure, and lost living contact with the individuals. Under it, then, it becomes barren of real spirit. It becomes only a pattern for dogma and ritual, and ceremony and belief.

You are a Christian; if you say 'I believe in salvation through the blood of Christ'. Yes, I believe, then you are a Christian. You are a very good Christian; so go your way. Do what you like, drink, smoke, break all the ten commandments, but you are a Christian. Religion has come to mean just accepting certain things which an institution has set to be the very heart of religion-a set of dogmas, and if you say you accept all this, then, you are a religious man.

But, then, this is not religion. In each religion there is a certain spiritual content which has direct relevance to that part of you which is your innermost essential being, which is your innermost reality, a true, essential reality, and where religion fails to touch that part of your being, and loses its concern with that, and only concerns itself with the way in which you live, your social life and pattern of your social life, and your domestic life, whether you pay your tithe and whether you attend the Church regularly once in a week, or whether you go through all the various sacraments. You Baptise, and you are Christian. It is interested only in that but not in that highest part of you. It never asks you to question yourself or query 'What is the purpose of my life? Why have I come here? What have I to attain? What is the true meaning of my life? What is my goal?'

In organised religions, the structure does not encourage you to ask these questions, does not insist that you raise these questions and seek an answer and make life a quest of that great goal which you ascertain through the answer. In such case, religion is not ministering to you in depth, while it is ministering to you on the surface. It fails to deal with you in that dimension of your being where you are the real being. Other dimensions are touched and affected, but that dimension is left untouched.

So, when the spiritual content in religion is no longer active, no longer progressive, then that religion has petrified. It is not alive in such cases. Yoga is a wonderful answer because the prime concern of Yoga is the spiritual reality within you, the attainment of the spiritual goal for which you have taken this human birth; that is the prime concern of Yoga. Yoga is the path to God-realization. Yoga is the path of Divine Experience, and the Divine Experience is the heart of religion. Trying to attain God-realization is the very heart, the very essence of religion. That is the inner spiritual core of religion, and where that spiritual core has been neglected and cast aside, and is forgotten, then religion is only there as a great forum; a great structure is there, but inside there is no one living. There are a hundred houses, only a built palace is there, no one is living. It is a deserted palace.

Like that, religion becomes a huge imposing structure with no life; and if such has become the religious life of any person, be he a Christian, a Catholic, a Protestant, a blip, a Parsi, or a Muslim; if such it has become, then Yoga comes as life-giving waters, the living waters to revive that withering, languishing inner spiritual core, that innermost spiritual path that has been neglected and dried away. Yoga comes as the life-giving force. Once again it makes spring into life the spiritual centre of your religion. It makes your religion alive for you. It can make religion alive for anyone, be he a Christian or a Muslim, and it gives back to you the life within your religion. It is the common experience of many people that after Yoga came to them they started being really religious.

After Yoga came to them a Christian became a real devoted Christian, started going to Church, started reading the Bible and trying to find out more interest in the words of Jesus, began to understand the meaning of many  things he is now doing in the name of Christianity, which he otherwise stopped doing because he found it to be meaningless,-'I find no meaning, it is mechanical'. It has no meaning, and once now he has found meaning, he begins to get interested in it. He begins to practise the teachings. Many things which were just meaningless once, become now meaningful.

So one becomes a better Christian. In many cases Yoga has helped a person to find the inner meaning of his religion. He begins to see the reason behind the practice and then he begins to take more interest in his own religion, understand it better than he understood it before. Yoga restores to people whatever religion they may belong to. It restores to people the inner spiritual content of their religion. It restores to people the spiritual life which is the Centre of any real religion, lacking which religion becomes merely an external facade. Yoga restores, makes it alive, makes it green, brings it forth into life. Yoga can be applied to Christianity and to any other religion.

In what way does it differ? That also we shall see. It differs in its refusing to accept the doctrine of 'original sin'. It does not call man a sinner. It may call man a fool but it doesn't call him a sinner. Man is God playing the fool, or, man is God who has lost his way home, wandered away, stumbling and running about in circles. It clears up the path, puts light and puts man on the path again and says, 'go ahead now, go straight to your home'. So it doesn't want you to consider yourself a sinner.

And the other thing is this: Much of Christianity, unfortunately, in certain of its areas, becomes wholly a preoccupation with avoiding hell, trying to avoid hell, and somehow or other slip past the doors of heaven; somehow or other, even if you are not fully qualified for it. Yoga says: 'This is a little childish, you have got something more glorious. Why do you play this game of heaven and hell?' Yoga rejects hell, and Yoga rejects heaven also. Go to the Creator of heaven, the Master of heaven.

Why heaven? Heaven is also a petty desire. You don't want it. 'I want God. I want to experience God, the Supreme Being, the Master of heaven'. Yoga concerns itself with God, not heaven or hell. You can say these are some of the differences, the way that Yoga differs from Christianity. It is where orthodox Christian doctrine differs from Yoga.

Yoga restores the most precious part of religion, which, unfortunately, by and large, is not present. In most of the major religions of the world, except in a microscopic section of people who enter into monastery for all life, the nuns and the monks, who somehow or other concentrate all their life upon this spiritual content, except for them, by and large, normally, the spiritual content is found to be lacking in religion. But since the impact of Yoga over the past fifty years, gradually, we see a very wonderful phenomenon, a revival is taking place in the Christian world, emphasising this inner spiritual aspect, your connection with this Godhead.

There are many such examples. Some of them are working like the apostles. In the early days, some of them were really fired, like Pentecostal inspirations. They are all good signs. Yoga is presently doing that, restoring to religion the religious life of any being. It restores to him the spiritual quality, the spiritual factor and that is the greatest thing that it does. It doesn't disturb your religion. It doesn't contradict your religion. In no way does it contradict anything. It says: 'wherever you are, whatever you are, try to find God, try to live a noble life. Purify yourself of the lower nature.

Shine with virtue. Create in yourself divine qualities and awaken the divine within you, and move topiano coversds God.' That is the central message of Yoga. It can be harmoniously incorporated into any religion and the religious life of any being, any faith to enrich that religion and make it alive and take you topiano coversds the true goal which is the goal of any religion.

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KUNDALINI YOGA EXPLAINED

Balaam's Ass Speaks:  Editor:  I now need to lay the foundation for understanding what Kundalini is and how it works.  It is, along with Tantric Yoga, the most extreme, sensual, and violent manifestation of all of the Hindu disciplines.   Please note the principle of Shaktipat as a method of passing on the powers of Kundalini Yogic spirituality to the new seeker.  This aspect is exactly duplicated in Charismatic, Third Wave, Brownsville, and Toronto Blessing events as the advanced one touches the forehead of the new seeker, precisely as the guru touches the third eye chakra point on the forehead of the new Yogic seeker.

The Path of Kundalini Maha Yoga

By Shri Dhyanyogi Madhusudandasji

Kundalini Maha Yoga

For the past several decades, yoga, which is a spiritual discipline from India, has been a subject of interest to the people of America. I would like to introduce a form of yoga known as Kundalini Maha Yoga. Kundalini Maha Yoga is an ancient universal science, perfected over thoBlipnds of years. It is not a religion Editor:  LIE!!!), but a spiritual practice that brings the experience of lasting inner peace and happiness to individuals of any belief or religious affiliation.

Kundalini Maha Yoga is based on a very simple principle: in every human being there is a source of divine energy. The Sanskrit word for this source of energy is Kundalini. Kundalini is in two states: the dormant state, and the active, aroused, or awakened state.  When this source is dormant, a person leads an incomplete, unfulfilled life. One's understanding of the universe is restricted, and everything is perceived and interpreted according to a limited capacity.

On the other hand, when the source is active, progress is rapid on the path of spiritual evolution. One realizes the full potential of body and mind, attains inner peace, harmony and integration, and ultimately experiences the sublime truth of unity in diversity (Editor:  Preached by PK and piano coversren Wiersbe and many so-called Christian preachers) -- the fact that all life is one and is bound by that divine power called love. The purpose of Kundalini Maha Yoga is to awaken this source of energy if it is dormant, or to intensify the activity if it is already awakened.

Thus, Kundalini Maha Yoga is a direct method for spiritual evolution and as such its importance is obvious. A side benefit of the awakened Kundalini is the automatic healing of diseases of the body and mind by the divine energy.

A powerful yogi awakens the aspirant's Kundalini by a transfer of his or her energy to the aspirant. This process, known as Shaktipat, activates the dormant Kundalini and is like lighting a candle with one that is already lit and glowing. Shakti means power or energy in Sanskrit, and pat means transfer. Thus Shaktipat is transfer of energy.

Some people may have fears about working with the Kundalini, but it is absolutely safe to practice Kundalini Maha Yoga under the guidance of a realized teacher (Editor:  Read, "Demon possessed teacher). By the grace and advice of my Guru, I have given Shaktipat to thoBlipnds of people who have derived immense physical and mental benefits.

Kundalini Maha Yoga and World Peace

During the past decades, scientific developments have taken place at a staggering rate. It is both a joy and surprise to watch the progress of science. However, the storehouse of nature is limitless, and the more we know, the more remains to be known. It is obvious that no one can understand nature fully. We clearly feel the need to increase the power of the intellect, the capacity to comprehend, and generally to develop the potential of the mind to such an extent that capabilities previously unknown become active.

It is also clear that much remains to be accomplished in the area of physical health and the necessity for sound mental health must not be overlooked. Many serious diseases threaten mankind today, and a strong body and mind by themselves do not provide adequate protection.

In spite of our developments, scientific and otherwise, there is much fear, hatred, disharmony, distrust and discrimination among individuals, communities and nations. This has led to the build-up of destructive weapons and the grave possibility of piano covers. The peace we all desire so much has not yet been attained. The basic cause of these problems is that the general level of conscience, consciousness and other spiritual qualities has not evolved to the extent that science has.

We are in a state of unbalanced development, lacking on the spiritual side. Therefore, to attain what is missing -- peace, harmony and brotherhood -- it is necessary to realize that the entire universe is the creation of God, that all life is one, and that all are children of love. This realization is spiritual; it is not intellectual (Editor:  Read, "This realization is not based on final revelation as in the Word of God) comprehension of an ideal.

Spiritual realization and evolution are the only solution to all the problems facing us. Kundalini Maha Yoga is a path for spiritual evolution and a significant tool to help mankind develop on the spiritual plane. It is a way to peace, prosperity, brotherhood and love.

Kundalini, Creation and Spiritual Evolution

Kundalini is the divine energy. She manifests both in the cosmic form, encompassing all of creation, and in the personal form. God creates the universe by producing subtle energies in an act of divine will. This can be compared to the process wherein sparks are generated from a single source of fire. The individual manifestation of Kundalini is like a spark of cosmic Kundalini.

This personal form of Kundalini is responsible for the creation of the individual. In the physiological process of development of the fetus in the mother's womb, the head and brain are formed first. Next, the spinal cord is formed from the nerves that branch from the brain, and at the same time, the trunk is formed. Then the extremities, the hands, and the feet are formed. The totality of the nerve centers in the brain is referred to as the sahasrar chakra. This is the root of the process of creation.

There are six different chakras, nerve centers, in the spinal column. The first center, located at the base of the brain, is the ajna chakra or the spiritual eye (Editor:   Thus, the forehead is touched by  the guru, and the dot is painted on to show the power.  In Charismatic events, this point is touched by the power giver such as Benny Hinn). This center is formed immediately after the sahasrara. Then five different centers which represent five different elements, or tatvas, are formed. The last center formed, the mooladhara chakra, is the furthest from the brain, located near the lower end of the spinal column. The Kundalini thus starts creation at the brain center, progresses downpiano coversd along the spinal column, and completes Her work near the lower end of the spine. After the completion of Her work, She lies dormant there. As long as the Kundalini is dormant, the individual spends an incomplete, unhappy life and perception is limited.

Spiritual evolution is the result of the awakening of the Kundalini and Her uppiano coversd travel from the bottom of the spinal column to the brain center. As She travels uppiano coversd, the individual develops deeper and deeper spiritual insight and life becomes more fulfilling. When the Kundalini completes Her travel to the brain, the individual attains liberation (Editor:  Read, "Devil possession"), understands his or her true identity, and is established in eternal happiness. Thus, an individual's spiritual knowledge is directly dependent on the uppiano coversd progress of the Kundalini.

Many religions accept the concept of a cycle of the universe. Each cycle consists of the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe. When one cycle of the universe is completed, the individual attains liberation. However, with the awakening of the Kundalini, the individual does not have to wait until the end of the cycle to attain liberation. This fact alone underscores the importance of Kundalini Maha Yoga. Spiritual evolution cannot take place unless the Kundalini is awakened.

There are many spiritual disciplines and techniques which do not directly aim at awakening the Kundalini. However, the Kundalini must be aroused if there is to be any degree of spiritual progress. Therefore, if a spiritual discipline is successful, it means the Kundalini has been awakened in at least an indirect way. The practitioner may not be apiano coverse that the progress and experiences are the result of the active Kundalini unless, of course, the discipline aims directly at awakening the Kundalini. However, the Kundalini does keep working and is the source of enlightenment.

Once the Kundalini is awakened through Shaktipat initiation, She does not become dormant except in some very special circumstances. The Kundalini will always try to make Her uppiano coversd passage. She will try to keep the aspirant on the spiritual path by providing the necessary encouragement and protection.

Shaktipat Initiation, Awakening the Kundalini

Kundalini can be awakened by attaining perfection of certain hatha yoga postures called asanas, by certain breathing exercises aimed at controlling the breath called pranayama, by God's grace, by meditation or by intense devotion. Another technique of great importance is Shaktipat, the transmission of energy. A powerful yogi can transmit energy to an aspirant and awaken the Kundalini. This is accomplished in one of four ways: by touch, gaze, sound or thought. The yogi may touch the disciple and transmit energy through physical contact, or gaze at the disciple and energy flows from the yogi's eyes. The yogi may utter words which carry energy or, more subtly, energy can be transferred directly by the yogi's thought or will. The process of Shaktipat can be performed only by those yogis who have gained complete control over the life force, which in Sanskrit is called prana.

Once the Kundalini is awakened, the student may have a variety of experiences: seeing flashes of light or colors, hearing internal sounds of bells ringing or bees humming, spontaneous vibrations or movements of the body, and greater mental peace, to name a few (Editor:  Add orgasm and erections). Different individuals will have different experiences -- there is no definite pattern applicable to everyone. Once the Kundalini is awakened, this fact becomes known through the student's own experiences. If at this stage the student persists in spiritual practices like meditation, then the Kundalini will travel uppiano coversd from the base of the spinal column where She lay dormant before.

During Her uppiano coversd journey through the spinal column, She pierces all the chakras in succession and ultimately reaches the sahasrara. When this happens, the student attains a state of transcendental consciousness called samadhi, understands one's true identity, and is thereby liberated.

During the student's spiritual efforts, the Guru's help is of immense value. Shaktipat initiation creates a subtle bond between the teacher and student that allows the teacher to give fresh impetus to his or her student's Kundalini and eliminate obstructions that may arise.

In my training period of over thirty years, I had contact with many capable yogis. I underwent severe austerities in India at Chitrakut, Girnar, Mount Abu, and in the Himalayas. By the grace of God and according to the power and instructions given by my Guru, I have given Shaktipat to a large number of people in India and the United States. Their Kundalini has been awakened. They have attained peace of mind and good health. They have been led on the spiritual path.

Meditation and Breath

Meditation is the practice of turning the attention from outer apiano coverseness to inner concentration. In the practice of Kundalini Maha Yoga, meditation is much more than a relaxation technique. It is a way of easing resistance to the ascent of the Kundalini energy by quieting the fluctuations of the mind. Of all the forms of meditation, meditation through attention on the breath is the simplest and most direct way to Self-realization.

The aspirant can coordinate and integrate various energies of the nervous system by performing breathing exercises called pranayama in conjunction with meditation. Once this is accomplished, the student easily gains control over the life supporting vital air, the prana, which in turn leads to control over the mind. When the student gains complete control of the mind there is an experience of unique peace and joy. The student realizes the entire world is the creation of one God. When this happens on a large scale, the miseries of the world will end and there will be peace and happiness everywhere.

Physical and Mental Benefits

Self-realization is the ultimate and the most desirable state to be attained, and the awakened Kundalini leads to this state. However, even when the Kundalini is aroused and spiritual evolution is substantially hastened, there is no guarantee that Self-realization will be attained in the current lifetime. Therefore, it is encouraging to know many tangible benefits are gained even during the early states of the awakening and uppiano coversd travel of the Kundalini.

Awakening the Kundalini has a general purifying effect on the body and mind. For example, the aspirant's health improves; the skin and the body become attractive and waste matters decrease substantially; the student feels light and energetic; the mind becomes restful. Diseases of the body and mind are caused by irregularities in the functioning of the prana, which are gradually eliminated once the Kundalini is awakened.

At more advanced levels of the Kundalini's progress the benefits are intensified and encompass more subtle realms (Editor: sexual orgasms and erections). The student achieves peace and mental control, becomes more creative, develops profound understanding of nature and experiences inner joy. The aspirant becomes a strong individual, a complete person who functions in adverse circumstances with great poise, and is able to consciously absorb prana from the universe and direct it to cure physical and mental diseases. Ultimately, the student encounters total reality, the absolute truth, knowledge of the Self.

AND, TO SHOW HOW IT WORKS
IN CHARISMATIC CIRCLES:

Mysteries - Spirit, God, manifestations

http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/sty00127.html

I was over at a friend's house and three other people were there. They told me that I could receive a supernatural manifestation of speaking in tongues if I asked Jesus to baptize me with the Holy Spirit. They placed their hands on me and they prayed for me to receive him (Holy Spirit). After about 8 minutes of this I opened my mouth to speak and the next thing I knew, I was speaking in different languages for about 5 minutes. I've witnessed miracles by the Holy Spirit ever since. I hear this is happening all over the world in these last days.

email: brp8600@omega.uta.edu http://www.nsol.com/home/bpybus

Story Reference: #sty00127

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COMPARING KUNDALINI YOGA AND TORONTO BLESSING / BROWNSVILLE

Written by Antti Huima in August 1996, based on the Kundalini FAQ, the Siddha Mahayoga FAQ, and general knowledge about the so-called Toronto Blessing movement.

The Kundalini FAQs are found from http://www.spiritweb.org.

Abstract. The occult practice of Kundalini [energy] and the Toronto Blessing experience are compared. It is disturbing to note how the at least 1000-years old Kundalini and the contemporary Toronto movement are almost identical in at least the following aspects:

1. the both involve the very same bodily manifestations
2. the both are distributed in the very same way, namely by a touch or by some other method from one already ``in fire'', the phenomena being very contagious.
3. the reason for the bodily manifestations is explained in the both to be the very same. Also the genuinity of the experience is based on identical proofs.
4. the both require the same initial mental etc. conditions for one receiving the power
5. the both consider the transfer of the power to be a central issue and subject to scientific considerations

Purpose. The sole purpose of this document is to piano coversn the individual believers and to encourage them to seek for spiritual wisdom to make a distinction between what is from God and what is not.

As Christians, we must not accept ``spiritual'' experiences and teachings that are not from Bible but from occultic traditions.

It is clear that the Devil tries to mimic the genuine works of God. However, God does not try to mimic the works of the Devil. If there are experiences and practices that are not supported by the God but are common in non-Christian spiritual traditions we should reject them as they are certainly counterfeits.

Note. This document is laid in two columns. The left most column contains quotes from the documents describing Kundalini. The right most column contains the comments of the author, pointing to the indifference between the Kundalini and Toronto Blessing experiences.

Kundalini is at least 1000 years old occult practice. It involves bodily manifestations as a consequence for the ``awakening of an individual's kundalini'' and is related to, for example, Qi Gong (a Chinese occultic tradition).

The Similarity of the Outpiano coversd Manifestations
Kundalini	Toronto Blessing
Briefly, according to classical literature the signs of an awakened kundalini can be grouped into: mental signs, vocal signs and physical signs. Mental signs can include visions that range from ecstatically blissful to terrifyingly frightful. Vocal signs can include spontaneous vocal expressions that range from singing or reciting mantras to make various animals sounds such as growling or chirping. Physical signs include trembling, shaking and spontaneously performing hatha yoga postures and pranayamas. From a more subjective perspective the more pleasant experiences associated with a kundalini awakening may include: waves of bliss, periods of elation, glimpses of transcendental consciousness. The less pleasant experiences associated with a kundalini awakening may include: trembling, sharp aches in areas associated with the cakras, periods of irrational anxiety, sudden flashes of heat. [Kundalini FAQ: What are the signs of an awakened kundalini?]	The Kundalini FAQ mentions the following manifestations: singing, reciting mantras, animal sounds, trembling, shaking, yoga postures, waves of bliss, elation, altered consciousness, aches, anxiety, and feeling of heat flashes. The counterparts of these manifestations in the Toronto Blessing are found in the table below: Manifestation in Kundalini Manifestation in TB singing inspired singing in the spirit reciting mantras other inspired utterances. It is conceivable that while yogists recite mantras, the Christians manifest something more typical to them animal sounds animal sounds trembling trembling shaking shaking yoga postures strange (or prophetical) postures in general; compulsory movements waves of bliss inpiano coversd joy; laughter elation euphoria altered consciousness prophetical glimpses; reception of inpiano coversd understanding of spiritual issues aches pain anxiety weeping; crying; anxiety because of the childhood traumas now being healed [sic] feeling of heat flashes Added by Editor of Balaam's Ass Speaks Orgasm, erection, and ejaculation Odors, auras, and white light feelings of heat or cold in the body _______________________________  Erections in men  and orgasms in  women as reported  in Derbyshire, UK and California  Blue haze in Brownsville and pleasant odors fill room We note immediately that every manifestation mentioned to happen in Kundalini does happen in TB also.
The Similarity of the Outpiano coversd Method
Kundalini	Toronto Blessing
Broadly speaking there are two radically different direct approaches to awakening kundalini. One approach requires initiation by a guru and relies upon a technique called shaktipat, or ``descent of shakti.'' It is variously called: Siddha Mahayoga, Kundalini Mahayoga or Sahaja Yoga (Spontaneous Yoga)... While not every long-term student ... necessarily shows signs of kundalini awakening it is amazing how many people have had instant awakenings of kundalini through initiation from siddha gurus... [Kundalini FAQ: So how do I awaken kundalini? and the next section]	Shaktipat means ``the descent of power (literally: kundalini)''. The most common form of shaktipat is a touch by the guru on the individual's forehead. This is exactly the method that is used greatly to impart the ``anointing'', for example by Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne. This is also the most common way to receive the power.
The Contagiousness of the Phenomena
Kundalini	Toronto Blessing
There is no doubt that shakti is contagious. The mere presence of a single being whose shakti is strongly active can awaken the shakti of those around him. Similarly being in the presence of many people whose shakti is awakened to some degree can awaken one's own shakti. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: Can one receive shaktipat just by being in the presence of those with awakened shakti?]	The ``anointing'' is known to be contagious by nature and easily transferred from one to another. John Arnott compared it to a ``spiritual virus''. It also spreads from men to men in macro scale (between towns) and occasionally regionally even in smaller scale (in the midst of a meeting, for example when the members of a group of people keeping anothers by hand fall simultaneously).
The Similarity of the Proofs for Validity
Kundalini	Toronto Blessing
Ultimately the validity of any spiritual tradition rests in its ability to transform the beings of its followers. The real value of siddha mahayoga is in transforming the minds of those who practice it. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: Are these kriyas some sort of self-hypnosis or some sort of New Age phenomenon?]	The Toronto Blessing advocates say that they cannot understand why these phenomena are happening. They continue by saying that, however, that the phenomena belong to a genuine work of the Spirit is clear because of the transformations appearing as a result in the minds of the believers. So we see that the experience is justified by the same means.
The Distributors of the Power
Kundalini	Toronto Blessing
To continue the analogy, in theory ``anyone on fire'' can give shaktipat, i.e. anyone who's kundalini is already awakened. The more relevant question is: ``Who should give shaktipat?''... Giving shaktipat is a science and it is helpful, if not essential, to be instructed in that science... Therefore, it is desirable that the guru be empowered to give shaktipat by his own guru and has been trained in an unbroken lineage back to a great master who was fully apiano coverse of the science of shaktipat. In this way some quality control is maintained. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: Who can give shaktipat?]	In general, TB is known to be easily transferred further from anybody ``already on fire''. However, usually short courses are held to direct intercessors before they go on to minister people. The method for distributing the TB anointing is different from the traditional view of Christian intercession. When in the traditional intercession focus is on God and His work needs no control, surveillance or intervention from people, in TB the intercessors are instructed to watch people and their bodily manifestations to know what the spirit is doing. In this way, TB ministry resembles science more than the traditional intercession. In Toronto meetings, usually only appointed ministers are allowed to pray for people. This is because of some quality control. In a sound Christian assembly, all are required and allowed to pray for anothers, not just appointed ministers.
The Similarity of the Goal
Kundalini	Toronto Blessing
Kriyas, literally ``activities'', are spontaneous movements that occur after kundalini awakening. These include bodily activities such as trembling, shaking and spontaneous yoga postures; vocal activities such as yelling, or spontaneous chanting and mental activities such as visions. These kriyas eliminate the blocks to kundalini rising within the spine or central channel. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: What are kriyas?] Blocks, known as samskaras or impressions, do not just obstruct kundalini, but they embody attachments, conceptions and other mental afflictions that limit the freedom of our consciousness. Left unattended these attachments lead to actions which only reinforce the attachment. For example if we have impressions of anger then we will manifest anger in our activities which only reinforce our impressions. As kundalini rises it will purify the anger and as a result of the purification process the kriyas will occur... It seems more useful to think of kundalini as a natural intelligent force whose natural movement untangles the knots which limit its expression. The garden hose analogy makes another point clear as well. Imagine what happens if the hose is very tangled. Turning up the water pressure may be a very dramatic and perhaps even counter-productive process. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: How do kriyas purify one's consciousness?]	The common explanation for the ``kriyas'' happening in TB meetings is that the God is doing some inpiano coversd work on the people's lives and that it results in the outpiano coversd manifestations. Also, more generally, that the touch of the power from God results in the manifestations. Also, one alleged purpose of the manifestations is to remove blocks from people's lives (such that pride, self-control etc.) that sustain the Spirit from moving freely in one's life. So we see that the supposed purpose and reason for the manifestations is -- below the surface of religious terms -- exactly the same.
The Similarity of the Requirements for a Receiver
Kundalini	Toronto Blessing
The unique perspective of Siddha Mahayoga is that because kundalini is an intelligent force it will, upon awakening, naturally direct the practice of the student. All that is required is that the student completely surrender to this force. As a result of kundalini's unfoldment spontaneous purifying movements, called kriyas will occur... Even to reach the point of simply surrendering to shakti takes some practice for people. Some aids in cultivating surrender are chanting and selfless service. These practices open the heart and make one more susceptible to the influence of shakti. [Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: So what happens after shaktipat? What's the practice of Siddha Mahayoga?] Exceptional LINK shows we are not the only ones to notice this Hindu aspect of Charismania:  http://www.ncinter.net/~ejt/kundalini.htm Back to top	In Toronto Blessing the receiver is asked to surrender to the ``power of the Holy Spirit'' and to receive the good work (``purifying kriyas'') of Him without questioning. So this is exactly the same initial condition that is required for the awakening of kundalini. Also, chanting spiritual songs is done abundantly in Toronto meetings. This is supposedly to pray to God, but at least as a side-effect it moves people to light trance (this is widely known in the psychology) and so enables one to receive counterfeit spiritual experiences.

EVOLUTION, HINDUISM, AND PROCESS MANIFESTATION PRINCIPLE-- Also called "Name it and Claim it"

Editor: Balaam's Ass Speaks--  Here is an example of how this Kundilin process is being used to play the old game called "Blab it and Grab it,"  Name it and Claim it."  This is Brownsville in a worldly model.  Please note the process principle, which is common to many seminars and conferences on Toronto Blessing and Renewal ministry training.

Manifestation Activity

Found at:   http://hendricks.com/text/manifact.htm

Here is the most powerful activity we have discovered (and use) for creating what you want. ThoBlipnds of experiments have been carried out to get this activity into its simplest possible form. It's called the Seven-Minute Manifestation Process.

The Seven-Minute Manifestation Exercise is a radical approach to creating what you want. In it, you align your purpose with the creative power in the universe. The principles and practices in this exercise have helped us to generate abundance in our lives, a plenitude of love, money and well-being and other blessings beyond imagination. Let us know what successes you experience with the Seven-Minute Manifestation Exercise.

You can do the 7-Minute Manifestation Process by reading it here, purchasing an audio tape with the process or, with TrueSpeech, listen to the activity here online.

Hear the 7-Min. Manifestation Process

Download TrueSpeech Audio Player

The Seven-Minute Manifestation Process

This exercise consists of seven parts, lasting one minute each. If you are reading the exercise, read through a section, spend one minute doing the activity, then read the next section and continue. You can do this exercise lying down or sitting, eyes open or closed, whichever is more comfortable for you.

Take a moment to get comfortable.

Minute 1 - Connecting and Accepting

Tune into your essence. Feel your inner body. Resonate with your divine self. See your inner light. Connect with the divine nature of the whole universe, you included. Accept and love yourself exactly as you are. Accept and love all your reality, exactly as it is.

Minute 2 - Review Your Purpose and Several of Your Big Life Goals

State your chosen life purpose in your mind right now. Think about two or three of your most important lifetime goals. Picture yourself successfully achieving them. Feel yourself achieving in your body — how it would actually feel. Continue to review your life purpose and think about two or three of your most important life goals.

Minute 3 - Initiate a Positive Thought Stream

Say positive thoughts, in your mind, about the subjects and things you want to manifest. Put them in the present tense and in a positive sense. For example, "I have a job which adds real value to people's lives while prospering me." Repeat this positive thoughts a few times until you connect with them in your body.

Minute 4 - Initiate a Positive Heart Stream

Think about the things that you are grateful for. Appreciate what's already there in your life. Take a moment to thank some or all of the people who have helped you along the way. Over the next bit of time, open your heart and express your appreciation for what you already have.

Minute 5 - Generate Short-term Goals

Now, create your "to-do" list of your daily, weekly or monthly activities. These are the people to see, calls to make and things to do. We suggest you put the things you least like to do first and take care of them as early as possible. Think about your short-term goals.

Minute 6 - Silent Listening to the Creative

Let all your thoughts go and listen to the creative in you. Be quiet and just listen.

Minute 7 - Reconnect with Source

Tune into your essence again. Feel your connection with the divine essence in the universe. See your inner light. Connect with the divine nature of the whole universe, yourself included. Resonate with your divine self. Accept and love yourself exactly as you are. Accept and love all your reality exactly as it is.

NEXT, WE SEE THE NEW AGE DEMONIC VERSION OF POWER.  THE NAME IT AND CLAIM IT DOCTRINE OF THE RHEMA BOYS AND TORONTO BLESSING IS SEEN HERE AS DIRECTLY TAUGHT BY ASCENDED MASTERS, I.E. DEVILS

Message from Archangel Michael-- received by RONNA HERMAN

http://www.metatron.se/amanif.html

ARCHANGEL MICHAEL

USING THE UNIVERSAL LAWS OF MANIFESTATION

Beloved Masters of Light, today I would like to discuss with you the law of manifestation from a more mental and scientific point of view. We will set aside, for the moment, manifestation and co-creation in harmony with Spirit as a part of your divine right and your spiritual heritage.

Many light workers are wondering why they cannot tap into the divine stream of wealth and abundance so they can accomplish their mission and fulfill their dreams. Many are still struggling to survive and meet their everyday obligations while those who operate from a standpoint of greed and power, very obviously in the third dimension, grow richer.

There are universal laws in force, neutral laws, that all must abide by, saints and sinners alike. There were great streams of energy sent forth, aeons ago beyond remembering, by the Elohim, archangels, and co-creators of your universe at the direction of the Prime Creator. Any and all beings who carry within their soul a divine spark of the Creator have the ability to access and create with that electromagnetic or cosmic energy. But you must know the rules and how to tap into that source and make it work for you.

First, you must have the right mind set: you do not have to be spiritual, or good, or have lofty ideals; you can operate from a totally selfish point of view, even a desire to gain power or control of others the laws of manifestation will still work. If you would study or take a closer look at those who have amassed great wealth and power you will see they have a vision, a belief in themselves and their ability to accomplish anything they desire. They begin by gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to make them experts in their field of endeavor.

They spend as much energy and time as it takes to make their dreams a reality; they do not listen to any negative input from others and they do not doubt, even for a moment, their ability to accomplish what they desire and reach their goals. They draw to them those who have like interests and similar aspirations. They have their vision firmly planted in their mind and, day-by-day, moment-by-moment, they do whatever is necessary to bring that vision to fruition.

So, what is the secret? Why do they succeed when many spiritual light workers have such difficulty creating enough abundance to live simply and gracefully so they can concentrate on fulfilling their spiritual mission and assisting others?

You are an electromagnetic force field, by beloved friends; you send out a frequency or vibrations, and those vibrations go forth and connect with like energy waves drawing to you more of the same. And so, if you have been saying affirmations and mantras day and night asking for wealth, if you talk continuously about what you want to accomplish when you have the funds, and yearn with all your heart and soul for abundance and it still is not forthcoming, why? Because you still have those old tapes lurking around in your subconscious mind that say: To be spiritual, I must deny everything in the material world. I must sacrifice by happiness and well-being in order to serve others (the old martyr complex). If I concentrate on my spiritual growth, God will provide on and on.

One moment you are excited and feel you can conquer the world and manifest anything you desire and the next, you begin to doubt yourself again. You say your affirmations for abundance and then allow your busy ego-mind to worry and fret day and night about paying your bills, or getting a new car or a higher paying job.You begrudge paying taxes, or insurance or the dentist, etc., instead of giving thanks and blessing the money that flows through your hands as you meet your obligations or exchange your earnings for the services of others.

Very few of you have the mind set to handle great wealth, even if it did miraculously come to you. What would you do if suddenly you were given several million dollars? Would you hoard it? Would you be anxious about losing it or someone cheating you out of it? Or would you spend it joyfully, creating your dreams and assisting others to create theirs, knowing that your abundance will keep flowing and there will always be enough to meet your needs and desires?

Now we are not talking about abundance making you happy or giving you a sense of fulfillment or about deserving it. Remember, we are talking about the impartial flow of universal substance, and I am sure you have noticed that many of those who are the wealthiest are some of the most miserable, bored and unhappy  individuals. But you must give them credit, they do know how to tap into the universal source with their thoughts, desires and determination. They never waver from their goals. They never let anything or anyone stop them or deter them from completing their mission. They envision, they desire, they believe, they act therefore they manifest.

You must begin to focus on the abundance you already have in your life give thanks for it, be joyful about what you have and the good things in your life. Shift your consciousness away from what is wrong with yourself, those around you and the world and begin to see what is right, beautiful and wondrous. You must act as if you are entitled to all the beauty and abundance of the universe and that it is pouring forth in unlimited measure until it begins to happen. We are not saying you are to go out and spend funds that you do no have, but you can begin to see and enjoy the gifts that are available to you many of which require no exchange of funds or energy.

Your thoughts are more powerful than you know, we keep emphasizing this, but you still allow your minds to ramble and to play, over and over, the thoughts of doubt, negativity, fear, guilt etc., which make your affirmations ineffectual or cancel them out. One moment you believe you can accomplish anything you desire and the next you are wallowing in self-doubt and pity. No matter how conscious you become spiritually, if you do not tap into that stream of consciousness with your mental body and mind that allows you to draw to you the energies of manifestation, you will never become a co-creator of abundance on the earth plane.

First, you must be very clear about what it is you want to manifest feel the intensity within your soul-self, not your ego-self. Second, you must be sure that your desires are in harmony with your higher-self; you must surrender to the highest good for yourself and others, realizing that you cannot always see the large picture, and also you do not want to limit your divine Presence as to how your dreams will be manifested. Then you are to listen to that inner voice of intuition - listen for guidance and expect miracles and then take action as the path is revealed to you. When doubt arises, or your ego begins to play the old feelings of unworthiness or guilt, acknowledge and transmute the feelings and turn your thoughts to your goal.

Give thanks for the little miracles that take place, making way for greater and greater gifts to come your way. As you focus more on the positive aspects of your life, you are reinforcing these energies and drawing more of the same to you. You are creating a force field of love, abundance and harmony which no one can disrupt or destroy- only you can dot that. As as you seek more apiano coverseness and spiritual harmony, you will find great joy and pleasure from your abundance for you will be in the flow of creation and in balance with all aspects of Universal Law. That is the secret, dear ones.

Now. Let me explain another area of confusion and misinterpretation. It has been said by some that the Earth has moved into the fourth dimension and others say it is just now moving into the fourth dimension. Let me explain this way, everything that manifests in the physical begins to manifest first in the etheric. Just as you are building your etheric light body which will eventually create your physical light body, the same thing is happening with your planet Earth. The Earth´s etheric body has moved into the fourth dimension, but the physical planet is still steeped and mired in the third dimensional experience. However, as the three lower planes of the fourth dimension are cleared this allows us greater access to and interaction with the Earth and humanity and it allows those of you who have lifted your frequencies into the higher fourth dimensions to tap into that more rarefied energy. It is as if you are living in a column of Light  (Editor:  This is an Alchemy demonic possession principle)- higher frequencies that follow you wherever you go, creating a safe haven, or an island of protection and harmony, while those who still resonate with the lower densities continue in the illusion of upright piano, pain and suffering.

As the Earth accesses more and more of the higher frequencies (through the efforts of all of you wonderful, dedicated light workers) and this energy becomes anchored on the physical plane in greater and greater amounts, it will become increasingly more difficult to remain in the third dimensional illusion - mentally, emotionally and physically. And so we are asking you, as Light piano coversriors (Editor:  In the violet flame occult cult), to strengthen your spiritual armor and resolve; to firmly envision your path and the goal you are seeking and to allow no one or no thing to divert you from your mission.

We know that it is difficult to overcome thoughts, habits and traits that you have accumulated over thoBlipnds of years, but it is a time of new beginnings, a time to release your old limited viewpoints, doubts and weaknesses. You are MASTERS, you are ascending into a new state of apiano coverseness, a new consciousness; you are evolving and returning to your perfected state of joy, balance and harmony; where you will once again glow with the beauty of Spirit as it shines forth for all to see.

Dare to dream, dare to reach for the stars, dare to claim all that the Creator has promised you it is yours for the taking, my beloved ones. But remember, you must experience what you create, so together let us, once again, create an Earth paradise where love, abundance, beauty and harmony abound. I AM Archangel Michael and I bring you these truths.

Channelled by Ronna Herman, a Cosmic Telepath.

Course relating to Jesus as Ascended Master

Note the New Age vocabulary.  Note the principle of Manifestation.

JESUS: The Manifestation of the Holy Spirit

Workshop on A COURSE IN MIRACLES

Kenneth Wapnick, Ph.D.

This workshop focuses on the importance of remaining true to our experience of Jesus, while at the same time recognizing that his reality transcends all of these individual experiences. Also discussed in depth is the importance of Jesus as our guide, and the relationship of Jesus to Helen Schucman and to A Course in Miracles itself.

T-31 • five 90-min. tapes • $30

ISBN 0-933291-81-7

AND:  A LINK TO A WHITE LIGHT CONNECTION: http://www.upword.com/Creative_Apiano coverseness/garden.html

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ACCOUNTS OF BROWNSVILLE ACTIVITY
WHICH ARE HINDU AND YOGIC IN NATURE

"... one of the ministers interrupted the song service to exhort the congregation to "let themselves go" ... "do not think about what you are doing" ... "just give yourselves completely to the `spirit'". My Bible says that we are to "sing with the spirit and with the understanding also." (1 Cor. 14:15) On another occasion the visiting evangelist stopped the song service to say this: "The devil is here tonight and wants to hinder this service. Well, I've got news for him - he has to go. He (the devil) has analyzers here tonight." During the song service this young evangelist glanced at Elmer, Felton and myself on more than one occasion. I am sure we were sticking out like sore thumbs, since we were obviously not taking part in the "wild frenzy" called worship. He (the evangelist) went on to say "If you must analyze, then look at me, look at the musicians and singers, look at the congregation, look at the person to the left of you and to the right of you, and just analyze, analyze, analyze get it out of your system. Now let yourselves go: don't even think about what you are doing, forget about those around you and what they are doing. Release your mind release your spirit and let the mighty river of the "Holy Ghost" take you wherever He wants you to go." I thought to myself ... "I certainly wasn't going to open my spirit up to this "wild, anything goes atmosphere." Jesus said, "Ye worship ye know not what - But the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:22-23) (Revival ... or Satanic Counterfeit?, Jimmy Robbins, 1996)

Howling, screaming, crying or otherwise acting like an animal - "Some pull verses out of context that speak of God roaring like a lion. There are two problems with using verses of this nature: First of all, the Scriptures never say that God will make His own people roar like lions and act like animals; second, in those passages that view God as roaring like a lion, it is always in preparation for judgment, and not blessing. The roaring is against unbelievers. It is never said that He causes believers to roar like lions or bark like dogs. Another passage I have seen defenders use to try to justify the animal actions if Daniel 4, where God made Nebuchadnezzar act like an ox. Here, again, this was not a blessing for Nebuchadnezzar, but a judgment on an unbeliever who saw himself as a god." (The Toronto Phenomenon, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, 1997)

"Falling on the floor (mostly backpiano coversds)3 for deep inner healing, preparation for ministry, physical healing, receiving of visions, feeling the love of God. Laughter. Shaking of head, hands, feet and body. Deep bowing. (Brownsville Pensacola" Toronto or not?, Andrew Strom, 1996)

"There is something very wrong and very evil about seeking anything other than Christ our Lord. We shouldn't seek an experience, manifestation, or any type of phenomenon. Simon the "sorcerer" was rebuked by Peter for his evil desire for "the power" to do what Peter and the other apostles were doing. (Acts 8:18-21) The great preacher, Dr. A.B. Simpson said, "You don't need healing; you need the `healer.' You don't need deliverance; you need the `deliverer.' You don't need salvation; you need the `Savior.'" (Revival ... or Satanic Counterfeit?, Jimmy Robbins, 1996)

"In an article in Charisma magazine, "pro-Pensacola" writer Lee Grady described one famous scene from the Brownsville revival which has been videoed and sent out everywhere. This event occurred on August 18, 1995, when 19 year-old Alison piano coversd got up to give her testimony. Mr. Grady says: "As she spoke, Alison shook in a manner so awkpiano coversd that a casual observer might think she suffered from cerebral palsy. Then, while trembling violently, she issued a plea so heartfelt that those in the room say they heard God speaking through her. Chocking back tears she said intently: `God is in a hurry. There's not much more time. He aches and He grieves for your spirit.' 4 At that moment Alison fell to the floor. A deafening chorus of moaning and wailing filled the room as people were moved by an almost eerie sense of God's love for lost souls ... Alison's eight-minute testimony, which was captured on videotape, represents the defining moment of this revival." (Brownsville Pensacola" Toronto or not?, Andrew Strom, 1996)

"... one of the ministers interrupted the song service to exhort the congregation to "let themselves go" ... "do not think about what you are doing" ... "just give yourselves completely to the `spirit'". My Bible says that we are to "sing with the spirit and with the understanding also." (1 Cor. 14:15) On another occasion the visiting evangelist stopped the song service to say this: "The devil is here tonight and wants to hinder this service. Well, I've got news for him - he has to go. He (the devil) has analyzers here tonight." During the song service this young evangelist glanced at Elmer, Felton and myself on more than one occasion. I am sure we were sticking out like sore thumbs, since we were obviously not taking part in the "wild frenzy" called worship. He (the evangelist) went on to say "If you must analyze, then look at me, look at the musicians and singers, look at the congregation, look at the person to the left of you and to the right of you, and just analyze, analyze, analyze get it out of your system. Now let yourselves go: don't even think about what you are doing, forget about those around you and what they are doing. Release your mind release your spirit and let the mighty river of the "Holy Ghost" take you wherever He wants you to go." I thought to myself ... "I certainly wasn't going to open my spirit up to this "wild, anything goes atmosphere." Jesus said, "Ye worship ye know not what - But the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:22-23) (Revival ... or Satanic Counterfeit?, Jimmy Robbins, 1996)

"Wouldn't it be great if there was somewhere you could go and just get really filled up with power and love, the love of God? But it doesn't stop there. What happens is, there's a transference of His anointing where, not only do you see it, not only do you experience it for yourself, but you're going to take it home to your people." (John Arnott, Pastor of the Toronto Airport Fellowship, pastor's Meeting, October 19, 1994)

"So we invited everybody and anybody. I mean, we had them all here. I didn't care what their background was. If I heard that they were Christians and they were anointed by the Spirit, we wanted them to come. Maybe we could learn something from them. We had several people here. Understand that I was impacted by Kathryn Kuhlman, I had recently been impacted by Benny Hinn, and certainly by John Wimber. (John Arnott, Pastor of the Toronto Airport Fellowship, Pastor's Meeting, October 19, 1994)

In Toronto Airport Church

"Last week Bishop David Pytches from England was down here on the floor roaring like a lion," says John Arnott, the church's pastor, as he explains how evangelical Christians have spiano coversmed to Toronto like pilgrims to Lourdes.

Theology List: Re: Vineyard/Pensacola [More Like This]

URL: http://www.why.net/users/dgreen/theoarc/theo9611/0082.html

Summary: > Brownsville attributes the link to the Holy Trinity Brompton, and HTB. > church (Holy Vomiting is only

spreading now to some churches), but rather,.

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THIS IS NOT YOUR CLASSIC FUNDAMENTALIST,
BUT THE KUNDALINI PARALLEL IS WELL
EXPOSED BY A CHARISMATIC BIBLE BELIEVER

HOLY TRINITY BROMPTON OF LONDON
AND OTHER CHURCHES

The Secular Press Drew My Attention To It

Bill Randles

My interest in the subject of the "Toronto Blessing" first began after reading a Time Magazine article entitled, "Laughing for the Lord." The article was primarily about "revivalist fervor" invading the Church of England. The Anglican Church, as it is also known, being what it is, has never been known for fervor of any kind, at least not in a long time, so the recent happenings there are newsworthy. This is a description of a typical service at Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London.

Though pathetically tiny flocks of Londoners attend many Anglican services, Holy Trinity Brompton has a standing room only turnout of 1,500. Oblivious to the hot, airless sanctuary, the youthful throng buzzes with an anticipation more common at a rock concert or a rugby match. After the usual scripture readings, prayers, and singing, the chairs are cleared away. Curate Nickey Gumbel prays that the Holy Spirit will come upon the congregation. Soon, a woman begins laughing. Others gradually join her with hearty belly laughs. A young worshipper falls to the floor, hands twitching. Another falls, then another and another.  Within half an hour, there are bodies everywhere as supplicants sob, shake, roar like lions, and strangest of all, laugh uncontrollably.1

The article in Time called this phenomenon, "The Toronto Blessing." This is what drew my attention to Toronto. There are many other articles in both secular and Christian publications describing similar church situations in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and other places. They are all acknowledging Toronto as the catalyst. The Time Magazine article also linked the "Laughing Revival" to the ministry of Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne, who as you will see, plays a pivotal role in what has happened in Toronto. A later chapter will be devoted to Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne, and the impact of his ministry.  Another secular publication which mentions this manifestation is the British paper, The Daily Mail. In the "femail" section of Friday, September 2, 1994, an article was entitled, "This man has been given the Toronto Blessing. What in God's name is going on?"  Allow me to give you a few excerpts from the article,

It is, it must be said, a disquieting sight: The congregation fall where they stand. Others weep uncontrollably. Many shake violently as though having a fit. Visions of angels, huge figures, some with wings, bathed in orange light swim before their eyes. This is the Toronto Blessing...In Britain, no one has espoused the Toronto effect more enthusiastically then the Rt. Rev. David Pytches. [Pytches may be remembered for writing Some Said It Thundered, a defense of the Kansas City Prophets] Pytches, an evangelical, Charismatic enthusiast was one of the first to visit Toronto. He and his wife Mary came back and reported to the Church of England's Holy Trinity Brompton...In recent weeks, hundreds of their large congregation of nearly a thoBlipnd have been falling and laughing, groaning, and weeping, barking and making other animal noises. Some roar like lions which may have something to do with the biblical passage that Mary Pytches frequently mentions in connection with the Toronto Blessing_Hosea 11: They will follow the Lord; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling. It was on her visit to Toronto that Mary Pytches heard the roaring and found herself wailing...2

The article goes on to describe the national and even international impact of the experience, and makes the connection to it with the teachings of John Wimber. Then topiano coversd the end, the writer makes this insightful observation,

The difference between the present movement and revivals of the 18th century is that the latter were characterized by powerful preaching, a strong sense of self loathing and of repentance, none of which is a feature of the Toronto Blessing or the Charismatic movement from which it came.3

The Christian Media Coverage of Toronto The June, 1994 issue of Charisma, in an article entitled, "Renewal Excites Canadian Churches," described in a strikingly similar way as the secular press, a typical service in the Toronto Airport Vineyard.

The meetings are wildly pentecostal in style, not the type of worship services that normally attract dignified theologians or staid denominational leaders. On a typical evening, dozens of people can be found lying or rolling on the floor, many of them laughing uncontrollably. Many of the participants testify of being healed of sickness or delivered of emotional problems.4

However, Charisma reports that the leaders of the Toronto renewal do not consider themselves to be in a revival in the classic sense of the term. According to Charisma, John Arnott, Pastor of Airport Vineyard told them that exuberant joy is a characteristic of the first phase of revival, but true revival ultimately impacts thoBlipnds of unsaved. At this point, the Toronto Renewal has primarily touched Christians. Another Christian publication, a magazine in the United Kingdom, called Alpha wrote a piece in their July, 1994 edition that discussed this called, "Rumours of Revival." Dave Roberts describes the Toronto meetings as, "characterized by literally dozens of people falling "under the power" and laughing uncontrollably. Consistent reports from around the world talk of a state similar to drunkenness, with those affected losing control of their limbs and having to be carried out to cars for their journey home."5

This same article quotes another magazine, Redemption, as saying,

A hallmark of this revival is the emphasis on worship and praise. Missionaries report that the Shekinah glory of the Lord seems to descend on the meetings...The emphasis is on holiness, the desire of the people to praise and worship and the increase in concern for reaching others is genuine.6

There is a glowing article called "Spreading Like Wildfire" written by Eleanor Mumford for Renewal Magazine, July, 1994. Mrs. Mumford is the wife of John Mumford, Senior Pastor of a Vineyard Church in London. She writes:

I have just been on a trip to a church in Toronto. A Baptist pastor who is increasingly involved in what is going on there has written, "There has come a notable renewal and revival of hope, faith and expectation. The spirit of God has been pouring out freedom, joy, and power"...With all this has come a renewing of commitment and a rekindled passion for Jesus and the work of the kingdom...

Mrs. Mumford followed this quote with a glowing personal report of the Toronto Blessing and its impact on her,

I went to Toronto because I have never been slow to go to a party. I also went because I knew I was spiritually bankrupt and I went with tremendous expectancy...There was a beauty on those who were ministering there...These were men and women who had spent 130 days in the company of Jesus. Like Stephan, their faces shone. I saw the power of God poured out in an incredible measure...People are getting freed, and getting healed...Jesus is restoring His joy and His laughter is like medicine to my soul...Jesus is breaking down the barriers of His church...For myself there is a greater love for Jesus than I've ever known, a greater excitement about the kingdom than I ever thought possible.789

Something significant is happening and it has the potential to have a huge worldwide impact. This phenomena won't leave people neutral, for either they will love and appreciate it or distrust and criticize it. The time has come upon us, particularly we who are Charismatic/Pentecostal Christians, when we would be forced to decide what we actually believe. Unfortunately that kind of decision divides. It is hard to find any fault with any experience which causes people to "love Jesus," be set free, or releases the joy of the Lord. Those are the very things I have dedicated my life to. However, we cannot just look at a movement pragmatically and judge its validity solely on the basis of "results." We hear, "Well, it works, it made me love Jesus, it must be of God!" Just because something "works" it doesn't mean that it is of God. In other words, the end doesn't necessarily justify the means. We must look at the principles, the premises underlying any movement at all, in order to even begin to make an objective evaluation. Remember, our Lord told us to Judge all things and hold fast to that which is good. Dare I be the "bad guy" and challenge you to take another, critical look at the "Laughing Revival?" Well, someone has to sooner or later. After all, what do you mean, you have a greater passion for Jesus?

How It All Started In Toronto

The Vineyard itself has been helpful in researching the brief history of this renewal. They have readily made papers available in an attempt to give people a framework in which to interpret what they believe God is doing in their midst. There is a helpful publication entitled "What in the World is Happening to Us?" by Bill Jackson of the Champaign Illinois Vineyard Church. Charisma and Renewal Magazine also provide a summation of how it all started. You can start to understand this renewal by looking at two men, Randy Clark and John Arnott. Randy pastors a Vineyard church in St. Louis and Arnott, the Airport Vineyard in Toronto. Both of them arrived separately at that state that every Christian and for sure every minister can relate to, dissatisfaction with where they were at and hunger for more of God. This is a good, though painful place to be, because I believe God uses it to press us in to seek Him all the more. Pastor Clark told Charisma Magazine, "I felt empty, powerless, and so little anointed, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I knew I was burning out."10

In the summer of 1993, Clark talked with another minister, an associate who had sat under the ministry of Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne. Clark's friend told of how he had been revived during the meeting! Again, according to Charisma, Clark said, "What my friend was describing people shaking, falling, laughing_was what I'd seen many years earlier in the Vineyard revivals. I knew this was what I needed."11 Take notice that it wasn't truth, but manifestations that led him to Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne.  

Clark decided to attend a meeting of Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne's but balked when he found out Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne would be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Kenneth Hagin Jr's Rhema Bible Church. Clark had theological problems with the Word Faith Movement. However, Clark said that the Lord reproved him for a smug attitude, saying, "You have a denominational Spirit, how badly do you want to be touched afresh?"12 After setting aside his prejudices, Clark went to the meeting and was prayed for to receive a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. When he went back to his church, powerful manifestations began to occur.

In October, 1993, Randy Clark attended a regional meeting of Vineyard Churches in Wisconsin. There the overseer, Happy Leman, asked him to testify. As he did, "powerful demonstrations of God's power broke out at the meeting." Also, according to "What in the World is Happening to Us," another "Limited outbreak [occurred] at the Champaign Vineyard the following  Saturday."13

John Arnott

Pastor John Arnott also had experienced a dissatisfaction and was sensing the need for a fresh anointing of the Spirit. His hunger for God's touch took him to Argentina, where he witnessed great spiritual revival, as well as attending the meetings of Benny Hinn.  According to "What in the World is Happening to Us" Happy Leman told Arnott the results of Randy Clark's ministry at the conference. Upon hearing this, Arnott arranged a meeting for Clark at his church in Toronto in January, 1994. The meeting was supposed to last less then a week, but instead, has continued to this day. They still meet six days a week. Tens of thoBlipnds from all over the world have come to Toronto to "soak" in the presence of God, to "get it" as they say and "get it" they do, taking "it" back to home churches all over the world! Many come to do "carpet time" "soaking" in the "presence of the Lord." Vineyard literature encourages "soaking" which is repeated reception of prayer and exposure to the "Spirit." "What in the World is Happening to Us" advises people in its preface to "Ask for more and more of His Spirit. Keep coming for more-- keep drinking," and "Don't become discouraged if you do not receive as much as another does keep asking for more."14 In another document simply entitled "Toronto June 94 Thoughts" we are advised,

Soaking in the Holy Spirit. It's okay to receive many times of prayer at the same meeting. It is also okay to receive prayer every time we gather. In fact, people seem to receive better and more fully, each successive time. [They relax to the idea]. The more the soaking, the deeper the impact. If you fall over, don't try to get up quickly, lie there and soak.15

Impartation

Impartation seems to be another significant word and I must say, it is impartation that I see as being one of the most alarming aspects of this. By impartation, I mean the ability to pass it on, usually by laying on of hands. This is the strongest and most alarming characteristic of Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne and the Toronto Blessing. Mystical experiences are imparted to ministers who return to their churches and revel in this newly found mystical power. The Spirit that is working in this move, won't be limited to the laying on of hands either, many are "getting it" just standing in services, overcome by shaking, laughing, weeping, or whatever other irrational experience. They come out of the meeting dynamically transformed. The impartation is for change and people are changing! Does God change people in this way? There is no truth with which to conform to, just "BAM!" The Spirit hits you and you change? This could be possibly our judgment for discontentment. Like the world_we want change_we are dissatisfied with the status quo. We want something to happen, anything. At times it seems, that the Word of God doesn't satisfy, we are hungry for quail. And God is giving it. Soon, it will be coming out of our noses.

A Lot of This is About Manifestations

A Baptist pastor in Canada, Guy Chevreau, who is a participant in this renewal, was quoted as saying, "What we are talking about here is God's manifest presence, such that He is seen, felt and experienced and folks' lives are getting changed."16 He went on to say about it, "It's redefining the church, reminding us that church shouldn't be boring," and describes the renewal as, "a party with the Lord."17 There is an appeal to those who are discontented, who find that church is boring (?), it needs to be redefined (!?), we aren't lively enough. One of the chief weapons of the false teacher is the use of discontent. People have been conditioned to think that the "Book of Acts" church consisted of one miracle explosion after another and that there was perfect unity and love. They believe that the modern church falls short of that and actually needs to be redefined! The truth is that the church of the Book of Acts was assaulted with heresies and divisions, and the miracles took place over a period of 30 years. By contrast, this "renewal" isn't based on some particular truth being emphasized, but it is being described, qualified, and authenticated by sensuous manifestations, signs and wonders, and quite frankly, in many respects, it is a reaction to boredom!

As Pentecostal, we believe in and have experienced many miracles and divine interventions. We all long for revival and to see God move. We pray with Isaiah, O that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would melt at your presence and that you would do terrible things we weren't expecting! (Rough paraphrase of Isa 64:1). But, when discontent is appealed to time and again, such as "The church isn't united enough, doesn't love enough, is too hung up on doctrine, has head knowledge, but no intimacy and on and on ad nauseam..." eventually, that kind of preaching wears the church down and makes her more vulnerable to whatever new thing that comes along. False fire is offered to the Lord instead of patiently waiting on God for His fire. Who says the church isn't united, anyway?  Every true believer is already in the unity of the Spirit. Anytime we get hyped into trying to manufacture what God already gave us (unity), we get further away from God's purpose.

Laughing

An obvious major manifestation associated with this revival is laughter. The laughter is being called "Holy laughter" and scriptures about laughter are being used such as Psalm 126, to verify it. Also, scriptures about joy, in fact more scriptures about joy than laughter because there aren't that many positive scriptures about laughter. Most laughing scriptures are of the "Woe to you who laugh now," variety, or "they laughed him to scorn." The laughter that is exhibited in these revivals needs to be re-examined. In many cases it is interrupting laughter. Reports are coming from all over the world of how the preaching of the Word, communion, or worship are being disrupted by gales of irrational laughter. We are  not talking about a laughter based on any particularly funny or humorous notion. There is an irrationality to this laughter, as well as, an uncontrollable element to it. Abandonment is a word that comes to my mind, people are abandoning their common senses, and their critical faculties and giving themselves over to this hilarity.

A pastor, Terry Virgo, describes a service which, presumably, he attended in England,

As he read his opening remarks, the power of God swept through the building, totally unrelated to the words that he had said, which actually were rather serious and solemn. His opening remarks were, "The story of Solomon is one of the most tragic in the whole Bible," this sober comment was greeted by sudden outbursts of hilarious laughter...There was no way we could stop this spontaneous, uninvited laughter...The meeting continued until 11:30 at night with no opportunity for the speaker to preach.18

The "Spirit" which is compelling this seems to be saying, "All of that (preaching the Word of God) is totally irrelevant." Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne boasts of preaching on hell and being almost drowned out by the laughter! One of Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne's initiates, an Episcopal priest, likes to tell the story of how, after being "blessed" he went home to his Episcopal church and burst out laughing at the most solemn moment of the service, the consecration of the Eucharistic elements. No matter what you may think of liturgical services, any Christian knows that communion is no time for levity. But, he ended up on the floor, laughing so hard! Could this be a mocking spirit? Sent to get us to count the Word of God and communion, and the fear of God, irrelevant? Is this what they mean when they say, "We are past all that (communion and preaching), we want to be intimate with God."

Involuntary Shaking and Other Weird Acts

Though this has been called by some a "laughing revival," laughter is by no means the only or even primary manifestation. The New Life Vineyard Fellowship, pastored by Wes Campbell, has produced what seems to be a newsletter called "Prophet Sharing." Mr. Campbell presented a segment entitled, "Why All the Shaking?" Campbell gives a number of scriptures that validate the phenomena. [It is true that we can "tremble before the Lord."  Many times I have seen congregations literally shaking at the preaching of His Word. In God's actual Manifest Presence even the inanimate objects are shaken!] But, Campbell doesn't stop at scripture, in Article II, he gives four General Reasons for the Shaking:19

1. To get our attention.

2. A form of anointing.

3. A visible representation on and in our flesh of what is happening in the spirit world.

4. It is God's sovereign way of choice.

God does want to get people's attention, He can do it in any way that it pleases Him. Regarding a form of anointing? According to scripture, we are anointed. Bepiano coverse of anyone who wants to tell you that what you already have in Jesus isn't enough. The third is the most incredible and disturbing to me. Why? Because it is probably the best definition of the word Mysticism that I've seen in a long time! The attempt to interpret and interact with the spirit world through the flesh. An extremely dangerous practice, I might add, which opens you up to the spirit world. Openness seems to be a highly valued character trait in this move. The paper, "Toronto June 94 Thoughts" advises you to:

IV. Experience it before trying to analyze it. It's your spirit God is dealing with primarily. In fact, when you are under the anointing, your mind is very clear and apiano coverse of what's going on, and that can be a distraction to what He's doing in the Spirit. It does not invalidate the experience.

VII. This is not so much a time of "getting stuff out," more of "getting stuff in." It is probably wise, initially, not to pray in tongues, or English a lot. (That's you ministering out). I found it helpful when I felt the Lord there to just breath in deeply and imagine I am inhaling the Spirit.20

Mike Bickle and Michael Sullivant have produced a paper entitled, "God's Manifest Presence, Understanding the Phenomena that Accompany the Spirit's Ministry." The Vineyard people seem to have a strong motivation to give people as much help as possible in interpreting what they consider to be the move of the Spirit. In a segment entitled "Catalogue of Manifestations" he tells us:

The blip and Biblical model of the unity of personality implies that the Spirit affects the body. At times, the human spirit is so affected by the glory of God, the human body is not capable of containing the intensity of these spiritual encounters and strange physical behaviour results. Sometimes, though certainly not always, the bodily responses are human responses to the spirit's activity and not directly caused by the Holy Spirit. However, this does not imply that they are therefore carnal and should be forbidden.

Following are phenomena that have been observed in contemporary experience: shaking, jerking, loss of bodily strength, heavy breathing, eyes fluttering, lips trembling, oil on the body, changes in skin color, weeping, laughing, "drunkenness," staggering, travailing, dancing, falling, visions, hearing audibly into the spirit realm, inspired utterances-- ie prophecy, tongues, interpretation, angelic visitations, and manifestations, jumping, violent rolling, screaming, wind, heat, electricity, coldness, nausea as discernment of evil, smelling or tasting good and evil presence, tingling, pain in body as discernment of illness, feeling heavy weight or lightness, trances, altered physical state while seeing into the spiritual world, inability to speak normally, disruption of natural realm, ie electrical circuits blown.21

What a list! What are we supposed to do with that? Are they saying that these might be the body's response to God at times, or that they could be the direct activity of God at other times? What about some of them being symptoms of demonization? For instance, electrical circuits being blown (poltergeist, as it is known in some circles). I realize that at one time, that particular phenomena was considered a confirming sign to the ministry of a certain Kansas City Prophet, but I can't believe that it is an example of "the human response to God," nor do I believe that God is blowing fuses just to let us know He is here! A closer look at much of the above mentioned list is more like a description of classic demonization than it is a catalogue of manifestation of the Spirit of God.

Mike Bickle is not, to my knowledge, directly related to the "Toronto Blessing." He is, no doubt, a part of the supporting influence, as a fellow Vineyard pastor. He wrote this paper in the spring of 1994 to explain "widespread occurrences of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit across the United States and Canada."22 No doubt, to give the Body of Christ a theological framework from which to interpret this renewal. Bickle is however, in my opinion, responsible for contributing to the preconditioning necessary to open people up to this phenomena. How? By promoting the infamous Kansas City Prophets. I'll elaborate on that ahead.

Spiritual Drunkenness

A major phenomena associated with and even promoted by this revival, is spiritual drunkenness. "We are partying with God now,"23 according to "What in the World is Happening to Us." The joy of salvation is being subtly reinterpreted along this line:

In the early days of the apostles, as they were searching for a word that would communicate to the Gentiles the ecstasy in having their sins forgiven and being in right relationship with God through the atoning blood of Christ Jesus, they chose the word evanggelion, which we now translate, "gospel" or "good news." It was a completely secular word that was used in reference to the emperor's birthday. It was a holiday, a day of good news. The apostles traveled through the ancient world preaching that the day of God's party had come...We are learning to party in God again...24

The fallacies of this kind of thing should be obvious to all. The apostles weren't ever in the position of trying to find the right word for the message of God, to communicate to the Gentiles. The word gospel came from Jesus Himself. Furthermore, read the apostle's sermons, they proclaimed Jesus as Lord and called for repentance, not, "God's party has come!" But, it sounds so good to a generation who have been conditioned already to see the things of God through such "funloving" glasses. After all, if it's not "fun" it will never sell! No doubt this sensuous theology will have a great appeal to certain segments of the population. Were the disciples spiritually drunk on Pentecost? At least one Vineyard document thinks so:

They [the disciples] would not be accused of being drunk because they were speaking in different languages. They would be accused of such because they were acting like drunks, ie laughing, falling, slurred speech by some, boldness through lack of restraint, etc.25

What can we expect though, when you consider the source of this movement? Remember, it was passed on to Randy Clark and eventually John Arnott through the ministry of Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne! This is the man who delights in calling himself, "God's Bartender," invites people to come and drink at "Joel's Place" and promotes spiritual drunkenness. We have all heard the cute testimony in Charismatic circles, "I used to have to get drunk to drown my sorrows, but now that I'm saved, I have the new wine, and I have no sorrows, I feel better now then ever. It's free and it doesn't leave me hung over!" This usually brings a hearty laugh. Is spiritual drunkenness a good thing? How are we to interpret this phenomena? Does Acts 2 or Eph 5:18 teach that the disciples got drunk in the spirit? It was the mockers who suggested that they were drunk, to which Peter immediately replied, These men are not drunk as you suppose...Eph 5:18 is a straightforpiano coversd command to be not drunk with wine, because of excess, instead be filled with the Spirit! The Biblical admonition is to be sober, alert, watchful, not abandoned, or ecstatic.

Spiritual Drunkenness in the Bible

This is not to say that spiritual drunkenness is an unscriptural phenomena, for the Word of God does acknowledge the reality of such an experience. However, according to the prophets, spiritual drunkenness is to be viewed more as a judgment of God then as a blessing. It is a judgment on an apostate people, a people who are full of worship, This people draws near to me with their lips, but are far from me with their heart.

Isaiah 29:9-14 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear topiano coversd me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

Jeremiah 51:37-40 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant. They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps. In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the Lord. I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.

Read the above and be apiano coverse! In one sense I strongly agree with some of the spokesmen for this movement, who say that we have entered into a new epoch of the spirit, a kind of fullness of time, or a "kairos." But, the time that has come full, is the time of judgment, the time spoken of in II Thess 2! Now is not the time for drunkenness nor reckless abandon_it is the time for sobriety, and for seriously critical thinking. This is the time for all Christians to decide the absolute basis of our faith. Is it to be the faith once and for all delivered to the saints through the Holy Scriptures? Or, is it the ongoing revelation, the faith of subjective experiences, a kind of evolution of the church where she gets stronger and more Christlike until she "evolves" into the "new man," the man child who will rule the nations? I believe in the cross, the Bible, the power of the Spirit, subjective experiences with God, casting out devils, healing, all of it! But, every subjective experience in God has to be interpreted through the objective revelation God gave us of Himself, in the holy scriptures, once and for all delivered to the saints! The idea that many people are going to be shocked and amazed on judgment day, is the furthest thing from a lot of Charismatic minds.

The Gospel tells us that one day people who cast out devils and prophesied, and did other "wonderful works" are going to be rejected! Why? Depart from me you workers of iniquity [lawlessness]. I never knew you [approved you]. In other words, "Your did your own thing! You pursued with zeal, what you thought was good, your idea of the "power of God." " You know, "Let's use the name of Jesus to cast the devil out of whole cities!" Would that be good? You bet! But, is that a Biblical concept? Did Jesus or the apostles do it? Or, how about, "This guy's a prophet of the Lord, he speaks with authority, 70% of the time he's accurate." Do these modern day "prophets" mean good or evil? I think they mean good! That one who prophesied that on Thursday, June 9th "all evil will be ripped off the earth," wouldn't that be good? Of course! But, is it Biblical? No way! How about when Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne touches some rebellious man or woman or teen and they fall to the ground laughing and come up in a swoon, "loving Jesus," "passionate for Jesus." Isn't that good?

You see, there you have it. "Lord, didn't we cast out devils and make piano covers in the heavenlies? Didn't we prophesy? Didn't we do many wonderful works," "Sure you did, but not on my terms!" Therefore, bepiano coverse, Christians won't be seduced by overt evil, the Deception will be in the area of the good. God's good as opposed to Christianized, humanistic, man centered, mystical good, like what's happening in Toronto. These are no doubt good people, all of them. But, where are they coming from? Why do they think this is revival? To answer these questions, let's go back about 40-50 years and put everything in the proper context.

Appendix:  At Holy Trinity Brompton, London Vineyard Church

Some of the manifestations include: prolonged laughter, totally unselfconscious for the most part, and an inexpressible and glorious joy (I Pet 1.8). For some it is prolonged weeping and crying and a sense of conviction and desire for forgiveness, purity and peace with God. For others it seems to be the silent reception of the Spirit of God sometimes leading to falling down and sometimes standing up, sometimes kneeling, sometimes sitting.  One vicar was forced to cancel an evening service of Holy Communion and remove chairs from the nave because so many in his congregation were lying on the floor after experiencing the "Toronto Blessing" named after its city of origin. Observers have described scenes where worshippers collapse en masse to the floor and burst out laughing during services.... According to a report in today's Church of England Newspaper, a service at Holy Trinity ended in upright piano last weekend as dozens of people burst into spontaneous laughter or tears, trembled and shook or fell to the floor.

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MOTHER LODE OF HUMAN DEPRAVITY IN THE CHURCH HOUSE

IS THE LAUGHTER PHENOMENON SCRIPTURAL?

You MUST go here for research:  http://www.agape.com/laughter.htm#l0

It is ironic that we have to get right by the help of the folks we once sent missionaries to!!  Thank God they have not taken the poisoned cup of devils.

First of all let me state very clearly that there is not one single verse in the Bible which says that when the anointing of the Holy Spirit comes upon a person that person laughs. Secondly, it is a fallacy to equate the word `Joy' with `Laughter' for the simple reason that these two words have different and distinct root words both in blip as well as in Greek.

In the Old Testament "laughter" was the word "tsechoq" which when interpreted means laughter in pleasure or derision (Strong's). Joy was the word "simchah" which means blithesomeness or glee or gladness (Strong's). In the New Testament there is also a very obvious difference between the words "Joy" and "Laughter" as illustrated in James 4:9......

Be aflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness."

Laughter =gelos, laughter (as a mark of gratification)-Strong's Joy=chara, cheerfulness i.e. calm delight, gladness-Strong's Chara is the same word used for Joy as a member of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22.

As you can see from the above, Laughter belongs more to the realm of the soul or emotions whilst Joy is a AN INNER ATTRIBUTE-one of the nine members of the Fruit of the Spirit which gradually becomes part of our Godly character. More on `Joy' in a moment. For now let us examine some of the Scriptures pertaining to emotional responses in the New Testament.

SCRIPTURAL EXAMPLES OF AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

Acts 16:33-34

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and REJOICED, believing in God with all his house. Emphasis Mine.

GREEK WORD FOR `REJOICED' ( TRANSLATED JOY IN THE NIV) IS `AGALLIAO' WHICH MEANS TO

EXULT AKIN TO MAKING MERRY, MAKING GLAD OR CELEBRATE- A RESPONSE OF THE HUMAN SOUL.

HAS NO SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE.

Acts 8:39

39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.. Emphasis Mine.

THE ROOT WORD OF `REJOICING' HERE IS CHAIRO WHICH MEANS `TO BE CHEERFUL' -AGAIN A PURELY EMOTIONAL RESPONSE.

In the above two examples, there was this mention of `rejoicing' when the jailor and euthopian eunuch were saved. They could have rejoiced by laughing or crying but take note that these were purely spontaneous emotional responses and had no bearing whatsoever on their salvation or spiritual status. In contrast, Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne speaks of a SPIRITUAL LAUGHTER which is supposed to start from the flesh and then to be hooked up to the spiritual realm (supposedly to the Holy Spirit). A close look at Figure Number 2 will help you to see the differences between emotional laughter and the Spiritual Laughter advocated by Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne.

Let us now `search the Scriptures' to see if there is any evidence to support a Spiritual form of Laughter as advocated by Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne.

The word `Laughter' occurs forty times in the Bible.(4) Of the 40 times, 22 refers to Scornful Laughter. Two examples would suffice........

Mark 5:40

40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

Neh 2:19

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

Seven of the remaining Scriptures on laughter are related to Abraham's and Sarah's initial disbelief and ultimate astonishment that God would give them a child in their old age. The remaining references to Laughter still have no relevance to an anointing of the Holy Spirit causing `Spiritual Laughter'. A few examples would suffice.....

Ps 126:1-2

1 When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

Here we have a reference to the bliptes being freed from seventy years of captivity. They rejoiced at their freedom with laughter. It is purely emotional and spontaneous and has no spiritual significance. If you have been freed after ten years of imprisonment, you too would certainly rejoice with laughter.

Job 8:20-21

20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

Job Chapter 8 verses 20 and 21 are the words of one of Job's comforters who mistakenly felt that Job's misfortunes were due to his sins. If Job were perfect, he goes on to say, he would be laughing instead of being in such a pitiable state. The root word for "he fill" in verse 21 is `male' which means [to] "be full of". Later on in the book of Job you will find that God chided Job's three comforters for being in error.

Eccl 3:4

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

I cannot see how the above verse has anything to do with Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne's spiritual laughter.

Luke 6:21

Luke 6:21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Here we have our Lord's Words. But notice that the blessing is on those who weep and not on those who laugh.

Now, here is one Scripture often used by the Laughter Movement to lend support to their spiritual move (and my comments).....

Ps 2:1-5

1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Here we have a Scripture which says God laughs.

First of all we must understand that God has emotions like all of us.  

Secondly, if you study verses one to three above carefully, you will find that God was laughing at his enemies. Verse 5 says that God "speak unto them in his wrath". Do you pray for a person to receive God's `ANGER'? If this is not scriptural then praying for `Laughter' is also not scriptural.

As you can see, a study of the word `Laughter' from the Bible did not lend any support to any kind of Spiritual Laughter which is supposed to come as a form of anointing from the Holy Spirit. John Wimber himself, a proponent of the laughter movement, was quoted as having said the following......

".........John Wimber, the founder of Vineyard, a network of 600 conservative charismatic congregations around the world, cannot find precedent in the Bible for laughter and falling to the floor." (5)

To stretch the point further, laughter is only one of the manifestations seen in the Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne spiritual movement. Where in the world are we going to find Scriptures to support the hosts of manifestations that are being reported all over the world in these laughter meetings?

MANIFESTATIONS REPORTED IN LAUGHTER MEETINGS

1.  Laughing, Crying, Shaking, Running around the building (Can you imagine Moses running around Mount Sinai after an encounter with God), Fast dancing, running, etc, followed by collapse (....Some of the things people did with their bodies is amazing), Barking-howling, Trances, Drunkenness, Falling Out, Oinking (this sure sounds strange to me!!!), Being "Hot", Fanning self or blowing, etc...... Article entitled "More on the Revival" by Richard M Riss.

2.  Hooting like Owls.  Renewal Magazine UK April 1995 issue, page 43.

3.  Walking like chickens.  Impact Magazine Singapore June/July 1995 Issue, page 2.

4.  High Pitch whine reminiscent of a lively horse! Electronic Version of Jesus Army Streetpaper, United Kingdom 12th May 1995.

5.  Mooing and Crowing.  Book entitled "Signs of Revival" by Patrick Dixon 1994 edition, page 29.

6.  Swimming in the spirit-on the back and also breast stroke style! Book entitled "Signs of Revival"  By Patrick Dixon 1994 Edition, page 27.

7.  Women going through imaginary birth pangs. Witnessed by Phillip Johnson, Internet:phillipj@smartdocs.com

8.  Hopping like kangaroos.  Signals Prophetic Newsletter @1991-1994, 107 Apricot Street LA 70037, Page 2

[  Note from Editor:  Balaam's Ass Speaks: Hare Krishna is noted for the "Krishna hop" which is demanded by the guru as a distinct spiritual signal of their maturity. ]

9.  Loss of Conciousness.  Article entitled "Revival" Richard Riss' Home Page, http://WWW.grmi.org/Richard_Riss/homepage, page 5.

10.  Soaring like eagles.  An Eyewitness Account by Dr RL Hymers, PO Box 15308, Los Angeles.

11.  Hissing and moving like a snake.  Article entitled "Toronto Experience" downloaded from Compuserve's Religion/Christianity Forum Library. Contributor 100241,1446.

12.  Inability to speak and involuntary body spasms.  Video entitled "The Holy Laugh", United Kingdom, 1994.

13.  Kung Fu-like stances. Witnessed by KS Loo, Internet:spcsin@pacific.net.sg, Singapore Indoor Stadium 18th Sept 1995.

14.  Vomiting in the spirit and holy head-banging. Trumpet Call, May 1995 (Volume 1:8), page 2.

Those visiting this page regarding the topic of Holy Vomiting may continue the study at the previous page.

15.  Stripping (Taking off Clothes!). Book entitled "Is the Blessing Biblical?"  By David Pawson, page 40, Hodder & Stoughton London 1995.

[ Editor:  Steve Van Nattan, Balaam's Ass Speaks:  I also have reports from Derbyshire, UK that the pastor's wife in the Brethren Fellowship there has a "Holy Orgasm" every Sunday morning "on the carpet," much to the amusement of all the men present, and the pastor thinks it is cute.  Also, I have reports of "Holy Erections" by men, and of men rubbing their male organ on the wall of the church house for a long period of time, presumably to the point of ejaculation.  Also, "Holy Mounting" as one man mounted the pastor's wife from the rear as he roared like a lion.  The pastor pulled him off in good godly fashion and set him after someone else.  Early in 1997, Pastor Kilpatrick reported a blue haze filled the sanctuary as they were "in the river,"  and all present smelled a very sweet odor. ]

FOOT-NOTE: MY COMMENTS ARE IN ITALICS

THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION OR ATTRACTION IN A LAUGHTER MEETING APPEARS TO BE THE MANIFESTATIONS NOT JESUS CHRIST. Did you notice that there were no cases of deliverance in Rodney

Hopiano coversd-Browne's meetings? This is because he calls these manifestations `signs and wonders' implying that they were from God. Even though some of the manifestations could be "fleshly" in nature, the remainder are spiritually mediated and NOT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  "Unholy" Manifestations therefore, are an integral part of Rodney Hopiano coversd-Browne's Spiritual movement.

LAUGHTER NOT A FRUIT, GIFT OR ATTRIBUTE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CAN BE IMPARTED

Isaiah Chapter 11 verse 2 lists some of the attributes of the Holy Spirit that can be imparted and Laughter is not one of them.......

Isa 11:2

2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

Laughter is also not one of the nine members of the Fruit of the Spirit....

Gal 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Neither is it one of the Gifts of the Spirit.....

1 Cor 12:8-10

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

SINCE LAUGHTER IS NOT AN ATTRIBUTE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CAN BE IMPARTED OR A GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, OR A [MEMBER OF THE] FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE SO-CALLED `SPIRITUAL LAUGHTER' WHICH IS PART OF THE RODNEY HOpiano coversD-BROWNE MOVEMENT COULD NOT HAVE COME FROM GOD.

WHAT THEN IS THE SOURCE OF THIS "SPIRITUAL LAUGHTER"?

1. CHARLES AND JOHN WESLEY SPOKE OF A LAUGHTER SPIRIT WHICH REQUIRED DELIVERANCE

On Friday, May 9, 1740 Wesley expressed surprise at some who were tormented by Satan in a very strange way. Some people were being suddenly possessed with a Spirit of Laughter which they could not stop at will. It was very painful experience. Wesley could not believe this strange phenomenon until one Sunday he and his brother Charles went to the field to sing psalms. When they were about to begin singing, suddenly, Charles burst out into a loud laughter. "I asked him", says John Wesley, "if he was distracted; and he began to be very angry, and presently after to laugh as loud as he could. Nor could we possibly refrain, though we were ready to tear ourselves to pieces, but we were forced to go home without singing another line.(37)

Wesley and his brother experienced together this strange phenomenon.  Twelve days after this incident, John Wesley recorded in his Journal similar occurences: "In the evening such a spirit of laughter was among us, that many were offended. But the attention of all was fixed on poor L-aS-, whom we all knew to be no dissembler. One so violently and variously torn of the devil one did I never see before. Sometimes she laughed till almost strangled, then they broke out into cursing and blaspheming then stamped and struggled with incredible strength, so that four or five could scarcely hold her: Then cried out, "O eternity, eternity! O that I had no soul! O that I had never been born!" At last she faintly called on Christ to help her. And the violence of her pangs ceased."(38) Most of the people who saw this strange happening had no doubt that those involved were not pretending. They simply could not help laughing. But there are always the doubting Thomases. Two people E-th B- and Anne H- were sure that any one can stop laughing at will. When Wesley and the brethren met on a Thursday, these two persons publicly told them that the incident was not genuine, and that the people were just pretending. But something strange happened to them. As Wesley put it: "Friday, 23, God suffered Satan to teach them better. Both of them were suddenly seized in the same manner as the rest, and laughed whether they would or not, almost without ceasing. Thus they continued for two days, a spectacle to all; and were then, upon prayer made for them, delivered in a moment".(39)  It is important to note that prayer in the name of Jesus Christ brought instant deliverance to those under the spirit of laughter.

Article entitled "John Wesley the Charismatic" by Robert Aboagye-Mensah, Adwinsa Publication (GH) Ltd 1992, Pages 17 & 18.  References: 37.Wesley's Works, Vol. 11, p 271-2  38. Ibid., p272  39. Ibid., p272-3

2.  THERE IS SUGGESTION OF A DEMONIC SPIRIT OF LAUGHTER IN JEREMIAH CHAPTER 51....

Jer 51:37-39

37 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for DRAGONS, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

38 They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps.

39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. Emphasis Mine

The King James Version (above) uses the word "DRAGONS" in verse 37. The word "Dragon" is symbolic of the Devil (Rev 12:9) and dragons here probably refer to evil spirits.

Jer 51:37-39

37 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

38 They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps.

39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. Emphasis Mine

The corresponding verses above in the New International Version mention "Laughter" (verse 39) as one of the manifestations when "dragons" (or evil spirits) inhabit Babylon.

3 HANK HANEGRAAFF SAYS IT IS DEMONIC AND OCCULTIC....

"Recently the laughter has taken a beastly turn. Now some people who get the Toronto Blessing are beginning to roar like animals as well. To Hank Hanegraaff, who hosts a California radio show as "The Bible Answer Man," such fearsome noise suggests possession by the Devil-and the need for exorcism."(6)

"This does not come from the Holy Spirit, this comes from the unholy spirit and it is dangerous and deadly. To the person who opens a doorway to the occult, it is a very, very, serious issue. It is extremely serious."(7)

4 THERE ARE RECORDS OF 'UNCONTROLLABLE LAUGHTER' IN NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS......

"......R, an Indian saint, daily went into a trance in which one involuntary falls down unconscious and enters a rapturous state of super-conscious bliss, complete with beautiful visions and often involving astral projections. These states could last anywhere from a few minutes to several days and were often accompanied by uncontrollable laughter or weeping..... SBM would transfer what was called "guru's grace" to his followers through physical touch. This "grace" triggered the gradual awakening of the K........ which in turn produced various physical and emotional manifestations. Manifestations included uncontrollable laughing, roaring, barking, hissing, crying, shaking, etc. Some devotees became mute or unconscious. Many felt themselves infused with feeling of great joy and peace and love. At other times the "fire " of K........ was so over-powering that they would find themselves involuntarily hyperventilating to cool themselves down......" SCP NEWSLETTER, FALL 94 (VOLUME 19:2), PAGE 4.

5 THERE ARE ALSO RECORDS OF HYSTERICAL OUTBREAKS OF LAUGHTER IN AFRICA....

OXFORD (ENGLAND): Robert Holden, psychologist and laughter specialist, tells of a bizarre epidemic that began in a rural schoolhouse in the bukoba District of Tanganyika, central Africa. A teacher's banal remark got a couple of children giggling, and pretty soon the entire classroom was chuckling. Those in adjacent classrooms heard laughter through the walls, and began to laugh, and pretty soon everyone-pupils and teachers-were laughing uncontrollably, and school was adjourned. "Remember, virtually none of them had a clue why they were laughing," Holden said in an interview, recounting a report in the Central African Journal of Medicine. "It was delirious laughter turning contagious." Then the children went home laughing and when their parents saw them, they, too, were infected. "Next day, they were all laughing so hard that nobody was able to go to school or work," Holden said. "The entire village was infected. Over a period of two weeks it spread to neighbouring villages. "Finally the Red Cross was called in because people were collapsing from exhaustion and dehydration. There have been similar incidents in Africa, but this was the longest laughter epidemic on record...." The Malay Mail, Friday, November 17th, 1995 page 76.

Last Updated: Wednesday, 06 March, 1996

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RICHARD WURMBRAND TEACHES THAT SALVATION IS BELIEF IN THE "I" OF SELF-- THE GOD IN YOU-- THE ATMAN WHO IS THE FALSE CHRIST OF INDIA

Friends, this is absolutely a kick in the stomach.  Pastor Wurmbrand, who has blessed thoBlipnds with his zeal and devotion to Christ in the past, is now teaching the Hindu teaching of salvation in the Atman, in YOU as a manifestation of the Brahman, Ispiano coversa, or, in his case, in the Christ.  This is NOT the Christ of the Bible, but is a devil from India.  I am sorry to have to put this here, but you MUST be apiano coverse that ALL men who teach and stand in a large place before the saints are today suspect until proven innocent.  I realize I risk being put there, but never mind, I want YOU to learn self-defense in the Holy Ghost.  I give this just as I got it by E-Mail, and thanks to brother Michael A. Drurey for getting it for us.

Subj: Richard Wurmbrand
Date: 97-06-14 20:14:24 EDT
From: drurey@snet.net (Michael A. Drurey)
To: SteveVanN@aol.com (SteveVanN@aol.com)

Steve this was taken from the first 6 or 7 pages from Victorious Faith

by Richard Wurmbrand. I had forgotten how bad this book really is. The

rest of the book is the same with numerous references to his sympathetic

view of Catholicism. This stuff is straight from the pit.

From Victorious Faith by Richard Wurmbrand

My book is not the expression of opinions and sentiments of a man. I hate stuffy- as well as inspired- sermons in which clergymen express their views and their standpoints. I also hate political rallies at which good or bad opinions are expressed. I would prefer that nobody open his mouth unless he knows a truth, an objective truth.

In times of old, there were men among the blips called prophets, who, when they wrote or when they spoke, began with the words, "thus spake the Lord".

I write the present book with the full assurance that I am only a voice. Through me, God Himself speaks.

Some will laugh at this assertion at the beginning of a book.  [ Editor:  Thus... ]

I always like it when people laugh, even at me. Laughter is healthy. Doctors recommend it. There is so little reason to laugh in this world. Why should people not laugh at me? Take it as foolishness if you like, but through this my book, God speaks to you.

How do I know that? Is not God Someone other than me, Someone totally different from me? My means of communication with Him can sometimes work well, but can also be troubled: I might misunderstand Him.

Jesus on the cross cried, "Eli, Eli" (the blip words for "My God, My God"). Those beneath the cross believed they heard the name of the prophet Elijah. Such misunderstandings are daily occurrences.

How then can I have the assurance that what I, Richard Wurmbrand, write is exactly what God wishes me to convey? How did the prophets know?

A great confusion of spheres has taken place. The sphere of grammar and the sphere of religion are different from each other. Every pupil in school, who, when asked to conjugate a verb, replies that God is love and that whosoever believes in Him is born of God, will get a bad mark, even if the teacher is religions. Religion has no place in an examination on grammar.

But neither has grammar any say in religion. In the sphere of practical life we have to conjugate verbs, and for this we need personal pronouns. We have to distinguish between properties: between my house, my book, my wife, and that belonging to another. And so we have to use "I", "you", and "he". But please leave pronouns in the realm of grammar, to which they belong: do not introduce them into religion!

When Jesus Christ met Saul of Tarsus, a great persecutor of the Christians, on the road to Damascus, He asked him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutes" thou Me?" Saul could have answered truthfully, "I never persecuted you. I persecuted your disciples". But Jesus, though omniscient, does not know that He and His disciples are different persons. He feels Himself persecuted as often as His disciple is hurt; He weeps with every disciple who weeps, He rejoices with every disciple who rejoices.

Jesus says that at the last judgment the wicked will hear the reproach, "I have been hungry, sick, or in prison and you did not visit Me". And He then explains that as often as one of

 His little brethren suffered hardships, it was He Himself who passed through suffering.

The Lord Jesus is our leader in religion. But He might not pass an examination in grammar because He uses interchangeably the personal pronouns "he" and "I".

The Christian religion consists in becoming inebriated with love.   Inebriated men confuse things and persons. The distinction between "I", "you", and "he" disappears. Therefore, when I speak, if I am inebriated with love for God, God speaks through me.

Two thoBlipnd years ago Jesus said, "I am the Truth". And for 2,000 years this assertion of His has been falsified and quoted as meaning that Jesus said, "He is the truth". But He never said that He is the truth.

He said, "I am the truth". If you make Him a "he", even with a capital H. you have lost the truth.

What can Jesus, the "he", the God embodied in a carpenter of 2,000 years ago in blip, tell you about modern techniques, about socialism, democracy, or military dictatorship, and which of these to prefer, about whether or not we should accept the philosophy of Teilhard de Chardin or the philosophical implications of Einstein's theory, about whether we should be fundamentalists or modernists?

What can Jesus, the man who lived 2,000 years ago in blip, tell you about the theory of evolution ? Can He tell you to marry George rather than Steve? Can He guide you in any practical matter?

Jesus never wished to be "he". As a condition for His being the truth, He must always remain an "I". I am the truth, not he is the truth. If I wish to have the truth and to be the truth, Jesus must be for me an "I".

It is not true that He must become an I. He is an I. Luther says, "The Christian is Christ". This is the fact, though you may not realize it yet. When my eyes are opened, I say with St. Paul, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me". Then I become sure of my own thoughts. I write a book, which means that God speaks through my book.

Men of God have always thought like this.

Luther wrote: "I have to distinguish between myself and my calling. I consider myself as the smallest. But my calling is untouchable . . .

Nobody should have a high opinion of his own person, but everyone should mightily praise his calling to the glory of God. Even more. The man who holds the office has not even to prove what he says, he has to be listened to as God Himself".

To become a Christian means to become Christlike. In what sense? Not everybody is a blip as Jesus was, not everybody a carpenter, not every disciple of His a male. In what sense then can I become like Him ?

He lived a human life with the full assurance that He was right. In His time, like today, there existed hundreds of religions. In Galilee alone many nations and many religions met. He never chose any of these religions. He believed that man must choose His. blip was divided into many groups: the Zealots, the Herodians, the Essenes, etc. Jesus never chose among them. He spoke about earthly things, but others had to accept what He said. He never accepted what others said. He knew Himself to be the embodied truth. To be a Christian means to become Christlike, that is, a man without doubts about the message, a man who knows that Christ is not a "he". When this man speaks, Christ speaks.

Putting the realities of spiritual life in human words, I will have to use the personal pronouns, but my words will be transparent. Through them, you must grasp the reality behind them: It is the Lord who tells you "Come unto me". You have to come to him by seeing to it that he is no longer a "he" for you.

I have to make it very clear again. I do not call you to come to him.  The sacred words are "Come to Me". Do not come to him, which means, do not have in the future a "he" as an object of worship and do not be content with this.

The whole idea of subject and object is an illusion [ Editor:  In Hindi, read, "Maya" ], which has been strengthened in us by linguistic structures. These will oblige me, too, to "misuse" pronouns. But I do so, conscious that what we call the "I" is only a temporary meeting point of different forces, which continually change their intensity and direction. Learn to think outside the categories of "I", "you", and "he" [ Editor:  Read, "Empty your mind." ]. The thinker, the thought of, and the act of thinking are one.

There is one all-powerful "I". The ten commandments start with the words "I am God". Within this only God, we live and move and have our being (Acts 17 :28). We form the inpiano coversd life of God. We are not exterior to Him.

God continually contradicts the notion of an "I" of ours as opposed to His. Jeremiah does not wish to accept the call to become a prophet. He says to God, "I am a child"; but God answers, "Say not, I am a child . . for I am with thee" (Jer. 1:6-8). Significant are the words of God,  "Say not I . . . for I . . ." Where His "I" intervenes, the state of our "I" does not count.

Zacharias, when told by the angel that he would have a son, the future John the Baptist, says to the heavenly being, "I am an old man". This objection is cancelled with the words, "I am Gabriel" (Luke 1 :18-19).   For a man to speak in terms of an "I" when he hears a voice from heaven is senseless. It again "not 'I', Zacharias, but 'I', the angel".

God calls a man "a fool" (Luke 12 :16-20). This was the man who thought only about his earthly riches. It would have been easy to recognize him as a fool. In three verses of the Bible, he uses the words "I" and "my" nine times, not knowing that this "I" was meant to die on that very night and the "my" to pass into the possession of others.

We will come back to this idea later on. To come to God is just another way of saying to come to yourself, to your real being, to the One whose image and likeness you bear, to the only real "I".

Jesus told St. Catherine of Siena: "I am He who is, you are she who is not".

In my church in Bucharest, I had a Russian member who did not know one word of Romanian, the language in which all services were conducted. He was never absent from church. During the sermon, he would read his Russian New Testament.

I felt a responsibility to him. I called him one day and said, "Look, I am your pastor. I would like to know what you understand from this book.  Choose a part of it at your convenience and explain it to me !"

He read to me Chapter 1 of the first epistle to the Corinthians and then interpreted, "The apostle writes that Paul had planted the gospel and a certain Apollo had watered, but God gave the increase. From this he draws the conclusion that neither Paul, nor Apollo are anything, but only God. Now, if St. Paul and Apollo are called just nothings, how much is your worth, Brother Wurmbrand ? God has called the things which are not. Be happy to be just a nothing".

I embraced and congratulated him for understanding the Bible better than I.

Jesus says, "Come unto Me". Accept the call ! Do not be one of the ice-cold hearts which very often are as hard and as unfeeling as the stones of the prison floor on which Jesus might have slept, after being arrested in the garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus says, "Come unto Me!" and not only to pompous Church services. The great inquisitor in Dostoievsky's The Brothers Karamasov said to the Lord, "We have improved upon your work".  Jesus in His humility is thankful for improvements.

_______________________

I could not endure any more of this stuff. But if you wanted to read the rest of this book I am sure you could order it. If this is not sufficient let me know.

Best,

Michael A. Drurey

Search the Scriptures

http://www.riconnect.com/sts/

Email -- drurey@snet.net

(Acts 17:11 KJV) <JESUS><

Editor:  Balaam's Ass Speaks:  

I say this carefully--  According to the fruit Richard Wurmbrand is giving us in the end of his life (It is not how a man beginsbut how he ends that tells us about him), I thus must tell you Richard Wurmbrand has gone from the North to the East (Amos 8:12), and he is a blasphemer and a false prophet.  He must be considered a publican and sinner, and his home church and pastor ought to send him out to be physically worked over by Satan, his true god.  Wurmbrand has gone to Rome and filled his cup in the recent past, and now he has finished the journey and is now in an Ashram in India as to theology.  

We now see that the Hindu Yogic and Kundalini self-worship has reached well beyond the Brownsville and Toronto Blessing people--  Hindu thinking is all around us and in our most Fundamental churches.  Watch out for it, and blast it and its teachers every time you see it.  Rub it raw, then fill the wound with salt, and rub it in again.  What kind of salt are you anyway.

Richard Wurmbrand is a fool for he has said there is no HE who is God.  

Psalms 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

Richard Wurmbrand clearly has a devil controlling his mind.

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LINKS:

Ftuning leverT AND FOREMOST SITE TO RESEARCH THE TORONTO BLESSING AND BROWNSVILLE WITH REGARD TO EASTERN MYSTICISM:  http://www.niksula.cs.hut.fi/~ahuima/toronto/index.html