The Answer in One Word
We have seen that some sincere Christians gradually begin to accept ridiculous manifestations of so-called revival. This occurs because Christians are prepared to accept such expressions. As we have seen, Christians are “prepared” to accept the ridiculous by leaders instilling a fear in them to speak against such manifestations. They are “prepared” by being instructed not to “play it safe.” They are “prepared” by being taught to not cling so closely to their Bibles.
If a Christian does not test “laughing in the Spirit” by whether or not it occurs in the Bible, he will most likely accept it as a genuine phenomenon of the Holy Spirit. If a Christian does not “try the spirits,” testing every form of worship with the Bible, then he will probably accept the “Holy Ghost gun,” or the “Holy Ghost glue.”
But let me ask a sincere question, and then answer it clearly with one word. Suppose you visited a Charismatic church. The preacher is preaching about hell. Suddenly, laughter breaks out. The more the preacher preaches about hell, the more the people laugh (this has actually happened). Those who are laughing, as well as those who are not, believe that what is going on around them is a work of the Holy Spirit. The whole congregation, whether they are actually laughing or not, accept this ridiculous phenomenon. Why do they accept it? How can they “eat it up”?
Now, suppose you approached a garbage dump. Suppose you witnessed a man eating his meal from the garbage dump. How can anyone eat from a garbage dump? People eat from a garbage dump for the same reason that some Christians “eat” from the dump of ridiculous manifestations. A man will eat a maggot-infested meal from the dumpster for the same reason that Christians will accept “laughing in the Spirit,” the “Holy Ghost gun,” or the “Holy Ghost glue.” In one word, the man who eats from a garbage dump and the Christian who accepts the ridiculous does so because of their hunger. Christians accept the ridiculous because they are hungry. They are starving to death. Personally, I would have to, spiritually speaking, be skin and bones before I’d accept “laughing in the Spirit” as a genuine phenomenon of the Holy Spirit. I do not accept “laughing in the Spirit” as genuine for the same reason I do not eat from a garbage dump – I’m not starving to death.
While it is good to have a hunger for righteousness, it is not good to be so hungry as to accept anything. Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Notice, Jesus did not say, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after anything;” He said rather “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.” We are not to be so hungry as to accept anything that comes in the name of religion and revival. Spiritually speaking, I am a picky eater. I am hungry for righteousness, but I am not hungry for anything else. If it is not righteous, I do not want it. If it doesn’t line up with scripture, I do not desire it. If the Holy Spirit within me cautions me about it, I do not need it.
I feel sorry for Christians who entertain ridiculous, non-Biblical manifestations because they are spiritually starving to death. It’s been so long since many such Christians have had a wholesome meal spiritually. It’s been so long since they’ve heard a solid, Bible-based message. Many of them cannot remember the last time they were blessed by simply reading the Bible, or spending time in prayer.
A Warning to Professing Christians
If you profess to be a Christian, and you accept the ridiculous manifestations I have mentioned, I must give you a word of warning. If you think Benny Hinn is a man of God because the crowd falls backward at his beckoning, then you are deceived. If you think a man is a man of God because he prophesies over everybody in the church, without any regard to whether or not his words come to pass, or whether or not his words line up with scripture, then you are deceived.
If you are a professing Christian who accepts such things, I would ask you, with a heart of compassion and concern, to make your calling and election sure (II Peter 1:10). I would ask you to make certain that you are genuinely saved by God’s grace. While a true Christian can be deceived in a certain area, it is also true that a person may be deceived because he is not a Christian. Christ, the good Shepherd, says concerning His sheep, that His sheep know the Shepherd, know the Shepherd’s voice, and will not follow a stranger.
John 10:2-3 – “But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.”
John 10:5 – “And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”
John 10:14 – “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”
John 10:27 – “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
Dear reader, true Christians know the Shepherd’s voice. They will not follow a stranger. The fact that some professing Christians confuse “laughing in the Spirit” with the Shepherd’s voice gives me great concern. I would advise any professing Christian who entertains the likes of Benny Hinn and the manifestations he exhibits to examine his own salvation, to ensure that it is genuine. Christ’s sheep know the difference between the voice of the Shepherd and the voice of the hirling.
