The Christian Walk - a personal testimony

[DannyM]

How exhilarating is it when the Spirit gets hold of you!

I've been to a few revival meetings recently, have overwhelmingly felt the Spirit rushing through me, have witnessed healings, have seen others renewed and regenerated as well as being renewed and regenerated myself. Gone are the doctrinal questions I had of every church I attended - or so it seemed; gone is my scepticism of those who claimed to be drunk on the Spirit; gone is my scepticism of tongues - though I'm still not totally at ease with no interpretations when tongues are spoken; I shall leave it in God's hands, as there is no doubt that I have witnessed wonders at the hands of the Spirit.

In short, I am now renewed by the Spirit. Now the walk seems inevitable and more clear to me, so much more natural. We are all the church. I've learnt to stop getting bogged down with church doctrine. Let me tell you it is a release! God willl deal with any unbiblicalness. When its presence is all around you, I've learnt to just accept and rejoice in the Spirit.

Amen.

[Canuckster1127]

That's wonderful Danny. Glad you're feeling more connected to God and the Spirit. That in the end is more powerful that all the different practices we can attempt.

[DannyM]

That's wonderful Danny. Glad you're feeling more connected to God and the Spirit. That in the end is more powerful that all the different practices we can attempt.

Thanks, Bart! You are so right. It is unbelievable how bogged down and clogged up inside I have been. It's literally like I have been one walking, talking, living breathing blockage in terms of letting the Spirit in. Wow! That's all I can say!

[B. W.]

That's wonderful Danny. Glad you're feeling more connected to God and the Spirit. That in the end is more powerful that all the different practices we can attempt.

Thanks, Bart! You are so right. It is unbelievable how bogged down and clogged up inside I have been. It's literally like I have been one walking, talking, living breathing blockage in terms of letting the Spirit in. Wow! That's all I can say!

Danny!

Freedom in Christ!
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[neo-x]

In short, I am now renewed by the Spirit. Now the walk seems inevitable and more clear to me, so much more natural. We are all the church. I've learnt to stop getting bogged down with church doctrine. Let me tell you it is a release! God willl deal with any unbiblicalness. When its presence is all around you, I've learnt to just accept and rejoice in the Spirit.

Amen, God bless you Bro

[Reactionary]

I believe you. I attended a revival meeting recently (for the first time in my life) and to be honest, I had been skeptical. Then, throughout the day, I gradually felt better and better. There was a confession at the end of the day, where I had an interesting conversation with the priest, and several minutes later, I felt this sudden surge of positive energy. No more fears, no doubts, it felt like the Spirit was there. I don't think it was autosuggestion, as I didn't expect or wish anything. I was glowing for three days, even my friends noticed that. Incredible.

[DannyM]

Danny!

Freedom in Christ!
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Thanks, B.W.!

[DannyM]

I believe you. I attended a revival meeting recently (for the first time in my life) and to be honest, I had been skeptical. Then, throughout the day, I gradually felt better and better. There was a confession at the end of the day, where I had an interesting conversation with the priest, and several minutes later, I felt this sudden surge of positive energy. No more fears, no doubts, it felt like the Spirit was there. I don't think it was autosuggestion, as I didn't expect or wish anything. I was glowing for three days, even my friends noticed that. Incredible.

I hear that! This "sudden surge" I can't help but describe as a massive rush throughout the whole body. I'd been to my first revival on a Tuesday evening, was called up by the pastor, and he told me all my fears practically word for word. He knew the devil had been pulling me this way and that way. He knew that I had been like a wandering nomad hopping from church to church, never being satisfied and always questioning elements of practice in each church. He said, "Open your eyes". And with that floods - FLOODS - of tears came running out; I didn't even know that I was crying. Anyway, the next night (Wednesday) I went back to the church. The moment I started approaching the doors, before the pastor had arrived, my whole body was rushing. At first I was finding it hard to control - breathing was really heavy. But it calmed, and all night long I was on a permanent rush. The Spirit took hold of me and brought a peace to me of which I just can't, and won't attempt to, describe.

Being a naughty boy in the past, I took a lot of ecstacy in my 'raving days.' Well, the 'rush' I used to get from, say, 5 or 6 ecstacy pills was massive, delightful etc. The best way I can describe the rush of the Spirit is to times that ecstacy 'rush' by about a thousand. PossibIy more. I have put 'rush' here in quotations because as far as I'm concerned now, looking back, it was nothing but a pathetic drug-induced stupor. It simply does not compare to the Spirit-induced rush that God has graciously bestowed upon us.

Forgive the crude analogy, but it is the best way I can think of to even begin to try to describe what the Spirit has done with me.

[DannyM]

In short, I am now renewed by the Spirit. Now the walk seems inevitable and more clear to me, so much more natural. We are all the church. I've learnt to stop getting bogged down with church doctrine. Let me tell you it is a release! God willl deal with any unbiblicalness. When its presence is all around you, I've learnt to just accept and rejoice in the Spirit.

Amen, God bless you Bro

Praise Jesus, bro

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[Reactionary]

I hear that! This "sudden surge" I can't help but describe as a massive rush throughout the whole body. I'd been to my first revival on a Tuesday evening, was called up by the pastor, and he told me all my fears practically word for word. He knew the devil had been pulling me this way and that way. He knew that I had been like a wandering nomad hopping from church to church, never being satisfied and always questioning elements of practice in each church. He said, "Open your eyes". And with that floods - FLOODS - of tears came running out; I didn't even know that I was crying. Anyway, the next night (Wednesday) I went back to the church. The moment I started approaching the doors, before the pastor had arrived, my whole body was rushing. At first I was finding it hard to control - breathing was really heavy. But it calmed, and all night long I was on a permanent rush. The Spirit took hold of me and brought a peace to me of which I just can't, and won't attempt to, describe.

Being a naughty boy in the past, I took a lot of ecstacy in my 'raving days.' Well, the 'rush' I used to get of, say, 5 or 6 ecstacy pills was massive, delightful etc. The best way I can describe the rush of the Spirit is to times that ecstacy 'rush' by about 10,000. PossibIy more. I have put 'rush' here in quotations because as far as I'm concerned now, looking back, it was nothing but a pathetic drug-induced stupor. It simply does not compare to the Spirit-induced rush that God has graciously bestowed upon us.

Forgive the crude analogy, but it is the best way I can think of to even begin to try to describe what the Spirit has done with me.

That's a great testimony - I haven't yet gone that far in knowing the Spirit, but hey, I'm still young... In the past I had my mind affected by some substances (I never did drugs, those were unfortunate side effects), and I could feel that it was fake. When a chemical messes with your psyche, it's completely different than a genuine feeling - something that reductionist materialists don't understand. It's like that television analogy - you can alter the picture on a TV set, but that doesn't mean the signal originates from it.

Anyway, I'm glad that you found the right path. I wish some of my friends who have neglected their faith, will eventually realize that the meaning of life is not to get drunk all night long and live in a messy, disorganized way. I certainly try to influence them by setting an example.

Regards

[DannyM]

I haven't yet gone that far in knowing the Spirit, but hey, I'm still young...

Hey, I'm not claiming to know an awful lot about the Spirit. I mean I'm somewhat getting there. But the Spirit sure knows me!

In the past I had my mind affected by some substances (I never did drugs, those were unfortunate side effects), and I could feel that it was fake. When a chemical messes with your psyche, it's completely different than a genuine feeling - something that reductionist materialists don't understand. It's like that television analogy - you can alter the picture on a TV set, but that doesn't mean the signal originates from it.

The materialist reductionist is effectively calling each person who has experienced God/the Spirit either a liar or mentally deranged. This simply will not hold up. But it certainly helps him to avoid the tough questions in life.

God bless

[RickD]

Danny, that story sounds real interesting! Where were the revivals? What is the pastor's name?

[DannyM]

Danny, that story sounds real interesting! Where were the revivals? What is the pastor's name?

North Devon, England, Rick. MB Ministries, who I think are based in Bromley, Kent, England.

Are you going to be a naysayer, Rick? It's all good, my man, as I was a bit of a naysayer a few weeks ago.

Fire away.

Danny

[RickD]

Danny, All I have to go on is the words you have posted. When I read your original post, red flags were flying, and warning alarms were going off in my head. Like I said, all I have to go on is your posted words. I wasn't there, and it may very well could have been God that was working there. But, when I read things like this, my discerning alarm bells ring:

Gone are the doctrinal questions I had of every church I attended

Without correct doctrine, how do we rightly divide the Bible? Are you saying that now the way to determine if a church is biblical is just if "the spirit" is present? Correct or incorrect doctrine has no bearing?

gone is my scepticism of those who claimed to be drunk on the Spirit

I've seen enough Toronto blessings, and holy laughter as well as live attendances in churches where people were "slain in the spirit", to have a very healthy skepticism of anything called "drunk on the Spirit".

These people were "slain in the spirit":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn6FF5nhTSs
Is it really the Holy Spirit?

gone is my scepticism of tongues -

Danny, there have been enough topics here on tongues, that if anything, we should be MORE skeptical about different kinds of "claimed" tongues.

as there is no doubt that I have witnessed wonders at the hands of the Spirit.

There is a doubt in my mind and spirit, that what you have witnessed is not the Spirit of God. It may have been the flesh, or at worst, demonic.

We are all the church.

Who is the church? Anyone "slain in the spirit"?

Danny, I don't want to come off sounding like a buzzkill, for lack of a better term, but I just ask you to pray for discernment in this. I know you are searching for more to your life and a better and closer relationship with God. I just don't know if you really have the discernment to know what you're getting yourself into.

Frankly, I'm surprised no one else has picked up on any of what I've seen in your posts. There is a prominent poster here that is much more experienced in this stuff than I am. I hope he can chime in on this. Danny, what I'm saying here is out of a sincere concern for you as a Brother in Christ. I've had a very close family member get caught up in a really unhealthy environment that was similar to what you have described. She has been out of the environment for many years now, and still struggles with some of the unbiblical things that went on there.

Or, I could be completely wrong, and you really could have experienced God. Please don't jump into this with spiritual blinders on your eyes.

From gotquestions.org:

A believer's focus needs to be Jesus Christ, the "author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), not on oneself, one’s experiences, or even the Holy Spirit. The Toronto Blessing focuses on the last, to the detriment of biblical faith. Believers can have fun, dance, sing, even shout to the Lord. However, when a worship service resembles the dream of a demented schizophrenic and attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit, only one word comes to mind: heresy.

[DannyM]

Rick,

No need for red flags here, brother. I am a little short for time right now, so with more time later I will answer your post word for word. It is worth me mentioning now, though, that you have misunderstood me. For example when I say "gone are the days of keep questioning church doctrine" I am not saying that my inquisitive nature has subsided; I'm merely saying that I have stopped the doctrinal questions that were holding me back from focusing on worshipping God. Take tongues. I know that tongues are real, but I have not found one church where tongues are interpreted as well as spoken. Not one. So instead of keep walking away and hopping from church to church in an apparently fruitless attempt to find 'biblical perfection,' I have now decided to stop and just settle in what I now believe to be my church. And it has done me a power of good. I still have my doubts, and little urges to say things. But they are not salvational issues and I am comfortable.

I'll respond to the rest as soon as possible, Rick.

Danny