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I believe this is a first for me. I completely agree with you. Hinn and his ilk are a plague on Christianity.
But I just wanted to correct you that they do not represent all of Charismatic Christianity.
NO, but a very large portion of it. "Represent" is not the right words because it denotes some sort of legitimate representation. "Negative influence" I think would be a better term. Hinn and his ilk negatively influence people in them forming their opinion of Christianity.
Audiences in the entertainment industry KNOW they are being entertained and they pay for that. Audiences at these Beg-a-thons and crusades don't know they are paying big bucks to be conned. They sincerely think they will be touched by the Holy Spirit and then get caught up in the "mass hysteria" that Hinn successfully creates at these events. They see their friends fall over in hysteria (and that's all it is, folks, just garden-variety hysteria) and feel they have to be like their friends so they fall over too and then convince themselves they were "slain" in the spirit.
Fundamentalists in here, most of them anyway--a few like Vizio are enlightened about Hinn's antics--don't realize that it's Hinn and others of his ilk that do more damage to Christianity's already bleeding reputation than the most vocal atheists. Ordinary people watch these circus acts and say, "If that's Christianity I want no part of it." And another million potential converts are lost forever. But fundamentalists stay silent and don't speak out against Hinn and the others because they're afraid to. Hinn has issued a "fatwa" against Christians and everyone else;
"Touch NOT the anointed of the Lord lest pain, suffering and death for you and your families comes upon you" and this terrifies fine Christian folk from opening their mouths against him. He's like a spiritual terrorist. You know these ISIS terrorists who blow things up and fine Muslims refuse to denounce their actions out of fear and out of principle because ISIS is Muslim and they believe it's wrong speak against Islam? Well, Hinn is no different than these terrorists. He just calls himself a Christian instead of a Muslim, that's all.
Most people know the difference between televangelists and the local pastor of the church on the corner. You liberals like to make them into one (and call it Christianity), but they're not.
It's no surprise that Christians are deserting traditional Christianity like rats on a sinking ship, as I and others here have pointed out--what, with fruitcakes like John MacArthur and John Piper manning the pulpits and scaring the few remaining Christians away with their hellfire and brimstone rants.
That's an 8% decline in just 7 years!! Extrapolating out at a conservative 1% for each year we can see Christianity dipping to 40% by 2050 and becoming a fringe cult among a tiny group of holdouts by the end of the century. As it began, so it ends after a 2000 year existence.
But surprise. What is taking its place is Charismatic Christianity--where there are no rules except whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to do, whether it's crawling around on your hands and knees and barking like a dog, or shaking so violently you look like you're having the worst epileptic seizure in medical history, or laughing so hard you pass out from lack of oxygen, or babbling some incoherent nonsense and calling it worshiping God in heavenly language. Someone forgot to remind these people that there's no such thing as "angelic heavenly language" because there's no oxygen in heaven so words cannot travel from angels to God. One look at one of these services and you'll swear the inmates have taken over the asylum. And in a sense I suppose they have. Have a look; advance to 40 seconds in for the real show:
So why the sudden explosion in charismatic attendance?
Quite simply people who bother to get up Sunday morning when they could be sleeping in are tired of just warming a pew seat while a preacher screams at them and a band bangs. They want more participation in the church service and if doing jumping jacks while speaking in tongues fulfills that need, then why not?
Problem is it's uncontrollable; it's complete and total chaos without any restraints. As the song says, "Anything Goes" and if you watch the YouTube clip above you'll see what I mean. Conservatives have called it not the working of the Holy Spirit, but out-and-out demon-possession. Are the conservatives just jealous because charismatic churches have full tithe baskets while theirs are empty? Who can know, but one thing is certain: Christianity is in an identity crisis and a fight for its very survival the likes of which it has never before experienced.
WHAT? Why the sudden explosion? This has been going on since the 50's and the video you present is from 1997...What exactly is your point? Nothing new is going on here. Evangelism has been a mainstay of Christianity for quite awhile now. This is like someone posting a video of a Sony Walkman with a headline, "Electronics Are taking Over" with a video of some dude walking down the street with one on....Btw, I disagree with what I call, "Hogwash Religion Practices"....namely the fake, "give me your money", "Prosperity Gospel" that so many love to "preach" and more love to follow....
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Last edited by Miss Blue; 12-13-2016 at 03:43 PM..
You guys slamming the manifestations of the Holy Spirit have no idea what you're talking about. I was brought up in the Pentecostal church and every now and again, there'd be a minister come to the church who had an anointing, and people used to be slain in the Holy Spirit - the whole Toronto blessing, since 1994, released even crazier stuff, but the shakers and quakers have been doing it all for ages. I was once slain in the spirit (we were encouraged to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues on such 'moves'/occasions), but I think I was pushed, personally - I was young. However, notwithstanding, I've talked to many people who have been slain or manifested and I believe their word is true - it is an involuntary response on their part - it is happening TO them, as Rbbi1 attests. Of course, if you haven't investigated it, or don't believe you will make up anything to convince yourself it's not real, ...and that will carry on into the next life, until it's staring in you in the face, and you still won't believe. Ha, ha.
On one hand, you really seem to have a great point. People are flocking to the exciting experiences over the "empty calories" of junk food Christianity....and avoiding the meat and potatoes of the faith.
But please realize that there is a huge difference between the nonsense that Benny Hinn engages in and other Charismatic Christians. I know Charismatic Christians with a desire to see sound doctrine taught. They are holding to the faith -- but Hinn is not.
I have some agreement with you on this, but you're wrong to call what Benny Hinn does as nonsense. People, with no expectations are being touched by the power of God, and experiencing His reality and presence for the first time in their whole mortal lives - it is a mind-numbing, and humbling experience, as you are taken over by something you had no appreciation of whatsoever. As I say above, I've never had this genuine wave of water / being slain experience, but I have had Holy Spirit induced joy and laughter, at a very low point, when something was required to cut through the spirit that was against me. It was just the oddest - all this negativity and dourness that was meant to bring something/me down, and I was wetting myself laughing.
I will take that, any day, over sound doctrine, especially if you're going to put any of the following into the list: physical/imminent rapture & physical second coming of JC to set up a physical kingdom, original sin, penal substitution / blood sacrifice, submission to 'those in authority' in the church/kingdom, etc.
I do find all the videos posted disturbing. I could not participate in a gathering like that. Why are they KNOCKED DOWN and FALLING BACKWARDS ??? I do not condemn them, but I am very skeptical about God doing it. People go to charismatic meetings because they want a SIGN, some type of manifestation.
Simple. The power of G-d comes at it's enemy, the carnal mind, because no enemy can stand in His presence. As for why they fall backwards...
John 18:3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons
John 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
John 18:5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
John 18:6 As soon then as He had said unto them, I AM HE, THEY WENT BACKWARD, AND FELL TO THE GROUND.
I have some agreement with you on this, but you're wrong to call what Benny Hinn does as nonsense. People, with no expectations are being touched by the power of God, and experiencing His reality and presence for the first time in their whole mortal lives - it is a mind-numbing, and humbling experience, as you are taken over by something you had no appreciation of whatsoever. As I say above, I've never had this genuine wave of water / being slain experience, but I have had Holy Spirit induced joy and laughter, at a very low point, when something was required to cut through the spirit that was against me. It was just the oddest - all this negativity and dourness that was meant to bring something/me down, and I was wetting myself laughing.
I will take that, any day, over sound doctrine, especially if you're going to put any of the following into the list: physical/imminent rapture & physical second coming of JC to set up a physical kingdom, original sin, penal substitution / blood sacrifice, submission to 'those in authority' in the church/kingdom, etc.
Amen. I've felt the joy of the Lord before too. It's to strengthen you, ie. the joy of the Lord is our strength. When we are weak, He is made strong. The most notable time was right after my mother and I got into our car after being told she had terminal cancer. While driving across Indy, it hit me, and I was laughing so hard I was crying, and I put my hand on her stomach and she received it too, and she was laughing so hard she was crying and it was not tears of sadness.
We do not serve a G-d like natural man and we SHOULD be experiencing spiritual things. Peace
You guys slamming the manifestations of the Holy Spirit have no idea what you're talking about. I was brought up in the Pentecostal church and every now and again, there'd be a minister come to the church who had an anointing, and people used to be slain in the Holy Spirit - the whole Toronto blessing, since 1994, released even crazier stuff, but the shakers and quakers have been doing it all for ages. I was once slain in the spirit (we were encouraged to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues on such 'moves'/occasions), but I think I was pushed, personally - I was young. However, notwithstanding, I've talked to many people who have been slain or manifested and I believe their word is true - it is an involuntary response on their part - it is happening TO them, as Rbbi1 attests. Of course, if you haven't investigated it, or don't believe you will make up anything to convince yourself it's not real, ...and that will carry on into the next life, until it's staring in you in the face, and you still won't believe. Ha, ha.
You're forgetting about the millions of people, including myself, who have prayed and prayed and prayed again for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and tongues and have felt nothing....ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I truly wanted the blessing when I was a young Christian and yet the Holy Spirit never came to me. So how do you explain that??
You're forgetting about the millions of people, including myself, who have prayed and prayed and prayed again for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and tongues and have felt nothing....ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I truly wanted the blessing when I was a young Christian and yet the Holy Spirit never came to me. So how do you explain that??
I can't explain it Thrill - I'm just the clay. I've prayed for a lot of stuff and it never happened or I never received it or people didn't get healed. Since Ive moved to a more new age version of spirituality; mainly the concept of non dualism, where each of us is the expression of the Father in our own piece of 3D space, practised 'taking no thought' and being that I AM unconditional love, accepting what comes to me as for me, that I already have all things, my life has been a lot simpler, ...and it is still a roller coaster ride. That is spirituality and faith. And I don't pray much anymore, I.e. asking for stuff, because it doesn't fit the spiritual reality of having all things and not judging things in and out of the corporeal visible realm. Its the I AM where it all springs from, and it's a universal truth, and personally I think it is an anointed truth that will bring peace to a person, when meditated upon.
I haven't had the same experiences as Rbbi1 of manifestations, visitations to heaven and of Jesus. I haven't been slain in the spirit, but none of that is anything to complain about. After bitter experiences following the early Toronto outpouring - not feeling anything - I said to God, something is going to have to change, or I'm done with this. You get people talking about 'the presence of God being tangible, or was in the meeting' and I thought I'm sorry mate, I don't feel it. Well, after having a serious conversation with him sometime in 1994, I have since felt the holy spirit on my body as a 'whoosh'. It often happens when I'm playing piano and singing praise songs or old hymns - it's difficult to just get through the song sometimes as the anointing incapacitates ordinary breathing and speech, for me. Yea , sometimes there's tears as well, as the overwhelming comes.
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Extrapolating out at a conservative 1% for each year we can see Christianity dipping to 40% by 2050 and becoming a fringe cult among a tiny group of holdouts by the end of the century. As it began, so it ends after a 2000 year existence. 
What is taking its place is Charismatic Christianity--where there are no rules except whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to do, whether it's crawling around on your hands and knees and barking like a dog, or shaking so violently you look like you're having the worst epileptic seizure in medical history, or laughing so hard you pass out from lack of oxygen, or babbling some incoherent nonsense and calling it worshiping God in heavenly language. Someone forgot to remind these people that there's no such thing as "angelic heavenly language" because there's no oxygen in heaven so words cannot travel from angels to God. One look at one of these services and you'll swear the inmates have taken over the asylum. And in a sense I suppose they have. Have a look; advance to 40 seconds in for the real show:
Who can know, but one thing is certain: Christianity is in an identity crisis and a fight for its very survival the likes of which it has never before experienced.