From Holy Spirit to hypnotism to shamanism in 3 weeks

[methinkshe]

My family began attending a small fellowship a couple of months ago. The pastor and His family really radiated the love of Jesus. He spoke of his desire that the church should move forward powerfully in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His sermons were Scripturally based and I had no problem with his teaching. I found the modern worship not totally to my taste, but thought I was just being old-fogeyish. I was never over-keen on overbearing drums and heavy guitar strumming, and singing choruses repetitively but, hey, got to move with the times, I thought. Three weeks ago the Pastor and his family attended a Benny Hinn conference and came back with glowing reports of his powerful ministry.

Last Sunday it seemed to me that the music was deliberately being used to conjure up a mood/atmosphere. Changes in tempo were used to manipulate the congregation into, say, an almost dreamlike state by the repetitive playing and singing of single-concept chorusus and then charge them up with a high tempo, heavy beat song to get people dancing. What I felt were rather pointed comments directed at my family were made about allowing ourselves to "let go" and be "free" in our worship and not mind what other people think, but to dance around the church and wave our hands around. Apparently, some of us were "inhibited" by "spiritual pride" or "self-conciousness" or "a religious spirit". Anyway, this long session of music culminated in people going foward for prayer from the pastor who laid a hand on their forehead, and they fell backwards - although "laid a hand" does not accurately describe what looked to me more like a hefty push. One poor girl who steadfastly stood was told to close her eyes while the pastor was joined by another prayer partner and between them they began to rock her back and forth until, not unnaturally, she fell over. When I got home I did a lot of research on Benny Hinn and was not suprised to discover that the suggestion techniques he uses including music and lighting, which result in mass falling down, are no different to those used by any stage hypnotist - beginning with Mesmer. Our pastor was convinced that it was by the power of the Holy Spirit that people were falling down and twitching convulsively on the floor for up to ten minutes. I urged my family to pray urgently that our Pastor would have his eyes opened to the hypnotic practices employed by Benny Hinn and stop imitating them in our fellowship.

For some reason, this week our Pastor decided to change Sunday morning worship to Friday evening, which meant I couldn't attend because of baby-sitting duties. However, four of my children - 19 yrs upwards, did attend. They had no objections to the worship until about halfway through when the pastor whispered something to the drummer. There followed 10 minutes of steady drumming interspersed by the drummer shouting out from time to time: Jesus! Come spirit! More! More! My children literally shuddered. It was as though, they told me afterwards, they were summoning the Holy Spirit with drumming and shouting - as though the Holy Spirit should or even can be summoned by mere men! It reminded them of an African ritual tribal dance where drumming is used to bring about a trance and summon the spirits until they enter the shaman and he starts speaking through the spirits. They had no doubt that if an African tribesman, accustomed to such rituals, had walked into the church at that moment, and been asked whether he knew what was going on, that he would have had no difficulty in identifying the pastor as the shaman and the drumming as a means of calling up the spirits. He could then have predicted that the shaman would begin to "prophesy" or speak under the influence of the spirits, and onlookers who were touched by him would fall or convulse or manifest other signs of powerful spiritual influences. Which is exactly what happened next in the church when people were called forward to be "prayed" for, lined up, and fell over backwards as the pastor went along the line clappping his hand on their foreheads. One chap (who has apparently been saved for five years and is the worship group leader) found the pastor's fist pushed up into his solar plexus and began making choking sounds. I have watched him do this on several previoous occasions when he has been prayed for. Apparently he is manifesting deliverance from an unclean spirit or some spiritual stronghold.

One of my daughters saw demons manifest and swarm around those being prayed for. Another daughter began shivering even though just ten minutes earlier she had been too warm. My two sons prayed for the Lord to protect them.

How is it possible for believers to be so deceived, for I have no doubt that the Pastor and his family are born again believers?

At the moment none of my family believe the Lord is calling us to leave the fellowship, but rather to pray that the eyes of the Pastor and his family will be opened.

It seems to me that Benny Hinn has a lot to answer for and, sadly, so will our Pastor if he persists with this deviation into hypnotism and shamanism.

Please be warned, dear brothers and sisters.

In Jesus,

Ruth

[sweetycakes]

When I first heard of these things.....the toronto blessing, etc...alarm bells started ringing in my head. People barking like dogs, rolling in the aisles, clucking like chickens, howling like wolves

The assistant pastor at our church went to toronto to a Benny Hinn crusade, and came back with glowing reports.

Well, the resulting disagreement fragmented our church, with a lot of people leaving, including the assistant pastor mentioned above, and setting up their own church.

At the same time, there are Christians I know and respect, including my sister, who is the wife of a pastor, who says that Benny Hinn is ok.

So, I am reluctant to bring any kind of railing accusation against somebody who is a professing Christian teacher. At the same time, I am wary of last days deception, so my personal standpoint at this time is that I wouldn't recommend to any person that he gets involved in any of these things, until we know for sure.....just in case.

I wish someone would clear the issue up for me once and for all, so I could be confident about what I speak regarding these matters.

I was watching Benny Hinn on his TV channel the other week, and I must admit he seemed genuine enough, so I don't want to slander a brother, if that is the case. But if I suspect that false teaching is being used (as I do, because of reports I've heard), then I am extremely wary and concerned.

Someone, please give a final, conclusive assessment on this matter!

[ladypeartree]

only God can give a clear and conclusive answer ....the bible tells us that many will be deceived and no one will know who will be the sheep and who the goats until Jesus Himself separates them.

If it doesnt feel right then BEWARE !

Pray , pray , pray again and watch out for the decievers

[eric]

A very interesting post MTS, and I have no reason to doubt the story. There is hardly a book in the NT, that doesn't warn us to beware of false teachers and false prophets. It's a practice that's getting more common as the end draws near as Paul's letters to Timothy have emphasised. The church is becoming more apostacised as the years roll by and if your pastor has got his finger on the pulse of the bible as you seem to think he has, I reckon it's time that he was approached and be told to stick to the bibical truth and cut out all this charismatic "slain in the spirit" unscriptual rubbish out of his meetings. That is one of the reasons I pulled out the pentecostal church I last attended.

Sorry to be so blunt about it sister Ruth, but but as you said it's all to do with the music, the atmosphere and the man behind the pulpit. Mass hypnosis and mixed with a certain amount of hysterics.

And you are right, the man needs heaps of corporate prayer from his congrgation.

Okay...... load, aim, fire.

[Scarletprayers]

I have nothing to fire at your eric, I agree!

[rtwo]

If you look to the TBN discussion (heresy), one of our new members has provided a long list of very, very enlightening Hinn quotes. If you so far have no reason to doubt his faith, these quotes should serve to settle the matter... they certainly have for me.

[methinkshe]

A very interesting post MTS, and I have no reason to doubt the story. There is hardly a book in the NT, that doesn't warn us to beware of false teachers and false prophets. It's a practice that's getting more common as the end draws near as Paul's letters to Timothy have emphasised. The church is becoming more apostacised as the years roll by and if your pastor has got his finger on the pulse of the bible as you seem to think he has, I reckon it's time that he was approached and be told to stick to the bibical truth and cut out all this charismatic "slain in the spirit" unscriptual rubbish out of his meetings. That is one of the reasons I pulled out the pentecostal church I last attended.

Sorry to be so blunt about it sister Ruth, but but as you said it's all to do with the music, the atmosphere and the man behind the pulpit. Mass hypnosis and mixed with a certain amount of hysterics.

And you are right, the man needs heaps of corporate prayer from his congrgation.

Okay...... load, aim, fire.

Please don't be sorry - your bluntness is refreshing! It is because so many men of God refuse to stand up and be counted and confront these false spirits that they are having such a hay-day in the church. I know that very soon we will have to confront our pastor, and indeed, one of my boys has already done so regarding the "slain in the spirit" stuff but apparently the pastor ran verbal rings round him by quoting Scriptures out of context. I hesitate for the moment because I have not heard the Spirit telling me to confront him, although that day may yet come - and soon. Also I would prefer that the confrontation is done by a man, and I do not have a believing husband. But my boys, although young in the Lord, are reading their Bible's like thirsty men in a desert, and their hearts are strong for Jesus and the truth of God's Word. I pray the Holy Spirit will give one of them the right words to speak to our pastor.

Interestingly, one of my daughters had an amazing dream that same Friday evening, which I am convinced was from the Lord.

She dreamt that she was staying in a holiday cottage with members of the fellowship. There was a common knowledge that every night at 3 a.m. they would suffer a horrific demonic attack. In her dream my daughter sweated in prayer, coming against these attacks in the name of Jesus. And the demons would leave. However, the members of the fellowship (largely led by women because the men appeared to be hovering on the sidelines, just tagging along) would see that the time was nearing 3 a.m. and rise from their beds in panic and say: "Quick, quick, the demons are coming. He have to get down to the River of God" Then they'd rush to this "river" (with my daughter tagging along at a distance) which turned out to be a deep and narrow man-made canal, with high muddy banks. Once there, they'd all jump onto a speed boat and make off down the canal through a barren landscape. But on the way, they'd come across muddy barrages that blocked their way and would have to jump out of the boat and with their bare hands dig away at these barrages, getting filthy in the process. When they returned to the house, it was as though they were drunk, although no alcohol had been consumed. My daughter recalls that in her dream she was so frustrated with their antics because they danced around and shouted and acted drunk, especially the men, and she could get no rest. Night after night the same process was repeated. And my daughter could not understand why they didn't just pray, as she did, to stop these attacks, and why they had to rush to this river/canal.

One of the things that saddens me is that it is a small fellowship of very young-in-the-Lord believers. There is an older couple who take on a lot of eldership responsibilities, but they have been on holiday for the past two weeks when this extra-Biblical stuff has really come to the fore. So there's not much of a congregation left that is not deeply enmired in the same deception as our pastor. I'm trying to seek out those who have not fallen for it, but I think they are very few. Still, "the fervent prayers of a righteous man accomplish much...." hope I've remembered that verse correctly! And hid in Jesus, I and my family are "righteous men and women," and we are certainly praying fervently. Please pray with us.

In Jesus,

Ruth

[ladypeartree]

praying with you sister

[sweetycakes]

If you look to the TBN discussion (heresy), one of our new members has provided a long list of very, very enlightening Hinn quotes. If you so far have no reason to doubt his faith, these quotes should serve to settle the matter... they certainly have for me.

Can you provide a link, please?

Thanks in advance

[Leonard]

Many people mistake hysteria for the Holy Spirit. They believe that an emotionally-charged state IS the Presence of the Spirit. If the Holy Spirit Himself induces such an emotionally charged state, well and good, but simply using TECHNIQUES to induce it, DOES NOT mean the Holy Ghost has shown up!

RE: The Toronto blessing. The senior Pastor there had once quenched a mighty revival by simply being too starchy. He promised the Lord he would never again attempt to quench anything that might be of the Spirit. Well, when people started with the wierd stuff, he should have quenched, he was too unsure of himself, and didn't take action. From reports of folks who have been there, the really wierd, unbiblical stuff (Barking, crawling like snakes, etc) was pretty rare, and the revival was really quite powerful. That does not excuse the Pastor for not being more discerning, but at least it explains a few things.