Toonces

Hi Toonces, I appreciate your post to me. Please forgive me if I sounded pugnaceous or defensive. That's quite a story you've presented, and I can certainly understand why you felt repulsed. For a short while I was visiting a church in the middle of San Francisco quite like that. The pastor invited a very well known speaker to speak for several days. While this man was speaking, I felt horribly uneasy and it took everything in me to not go running out. (It would have been difficult to get back home, because I didn't drive there!) He had people stirred up into a frenzy which seemed like everything except a move of God. The interesting thing is that when he began speaking in tongues, I, who have spoken in tongues since the first hour I believed, without having any idea of what I was doing or anyone there to prod me, at his tongues I felt a deep repulse and even an anger. I felt they were demonic tongues! That was about six years ago. Very recently, I have been reading things about scams in which this gentleman has been involved. Ask me if I'm surprised.
By the same token, I recently left a church where I had been faithfully going for three years. The minister, a double PHD in neurosurgery and psychiatry, scholar in Hebrew and Aramaic, and all around brilliant person, has begun to teach a heresy that would make your hair stand on end. I went out the door and still grieve over the many good folks that can not see thru his twisted teaching of scripture.
All this to tell you, that I'm painfully awrae of the bizzare and false teachings that are entering into mainsteream christianity these days. However, I refuse to allow their errors to pollute my own communion with the Holy Spirit. It should be no surprise that in these days truth would be adulterated with lies, to confuse and mislead many. But truth will always prevail to those who pursue it, if they do so guided by Godly wisdom and a sincere heart.
I have read many accounts of people raised from the dead, and of course I'm aware that you can't believe everything you read, but I'm also aware that my God is not the God of physical limitations, but a powerful supernatural God.
I very recently met a gentleman who came to our church for an afternooon. A humble and quiet man of northern European extraction, who had been involved in a lucrative business. He left many years ago upon the call of God to Africa, and was returning to rest for a few months with his daughter who lives in our area. This man told us of the miracles of re-creation, empty hospices and raisings from the dead that his ministry team witnesess constantly.
I was later able to spend some time personally speaking with him and his daughter, and I can honestly say that I have no reason in the world to doubt this man. He was not a charlatan there to gain a large offering, nor popularity. But more importantly, I have no reason in the world to doubt my GOD.
Faith movement and all that hoopla aside, Jesus himself was not able to perform many miracles Himself, because of the lack of faith in some people.
Persoanlly, faith has never been easy come for me. I would rather dissect something under a microscope and qualify it's components, than take something "for granted". But I also know that in the final analysis, my intellect will not lead me to greater spiritual heights. My heart will if I let God rule it, instead of it's inherent wickedness. And at this point in my life, when what I see around me in the world hardly brings a hope, I rather err on the side of faith that too much "healthy skepticsm" on the side of unbelief. Sometimes that's the best place that my discernment can take me to.
Love,
Alikat ~♥~