Question: Are being "slain in the Spirit", shaking/convulsing, collapsing, laughing hysterically, etc...?
Scriptural as to the manifestation of the Holy Spirit? Are these actions of God or are they man-made delusions?
Viki, I'm not asking about the validity of the Holy Spirit's manifestations; I'm asking if this is how the Holy Spirit does manifest and if the Bible specifically mentions these experiences.
Answer: I believe that the vast majority of the things we see Pentecostal people doing today are completely false.
I traveled in those circles once upon a time, and I could tell you a lot of stories about man's ability to deceive himself.
When you have pastors who have been equipped with false doctrine and who have very little accountability, and a congregation with weak or no Bible knowledge, the result is an environment where error flourishes. The pastor is put on a pedestal and the modern 'manifestations of the Holy Spirit' are coveted like status symbols---proof that God is with you or that you are really spiritual. Although you will never hear a Pentecostal disagree with the fact that all things need to be tested against Scripture, the fact of the matter is that they simply don't do it. Between their trust in their pastor and their feeble understanding of the Scriptures, Pentecostals remain blissfully and ignorantly content. They assume that they are being ministered to by the Holy Spirit, and that they need nothing more. They can't see that they are actually caught up in a vicious circle of self deception---feeding off of their own emotional and ecstatic expressions.
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