Being slain in the Spirit?

[Bible-boy]

In another thread on speaking in tongues Ray Berrian, Brian30755, and I kind of drifted off the main topic and started discussing “being slain in the Spirit.” So rather than continue to hi-jack the speaking in tongues threads I thought that I would start a new thread addressing the topic of “being slain in the Spirit.”

Brian30755 asked me a few questions in the speaking in tongues thread that I did not get to address before it was closed because it had reached the 20 page limit. So here goes:

Originally posted by Brian30755:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Bible-boy): John was taken spiritually (via a vision) and given a view of the exalted Christ, things in heaven, and things that will come to pass here on earth. No one alive on this earth today has had the exact same experience.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian30721:
You know every experience that every person alive on this earth today has had? Are you God?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible-Boy:
No I'm not God. So... who on earth today has been in the presence of the exalted Christ, saw His physical presence, heard His audible voice with their own physical ears? Anyone?


You said John was taken spiritually (via a vision) and given a view of the exalted Christ, things in heaven, and things that will come to pass here on earth.

So, if you are asking me who on earth today has had this experience, I can't answer you, because I am not God. How can you know that no one on this planet has had this experience (unless you are God)? You may think it's unlikely, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I could say "No one on this earth today has ever heard God speak to them", but how would I know for sure?

I already acknowledged that I am not God. That is precisely why I asked the question. I am looking for an answer from someone who can say, “Yes, I have seen the exalted Christ with my own eyes and heard His audible voice with my own ears.” I asked the question here in a forum frequented by people who claim to have had some kind of powerful spiritual experiences. However, the only objective way that we have to verify their claims is to compare them to the experiences documented in the Scripture. If their claims do not line up with and correspond to those documented in Scripture we must at the very least acknowledge that we do not objectively know exactly what happened to them. Then we should likewise admit that we have a guess as to what we think happened and what or who caused it to happen. Finally, we should acknowledge that as such we do not have 100% biblical support sufficient to warrant building a doctrinal position regarding their subjective personal experience(s).

I don’t think anyone alive today has seen the exalted Christ or heard His audible voice with their own ears and I have a sound biblical reason for that belief. However, before I explain that reason I’d like to ask a couple more questions here. The first would be:

1. In reading through the entire Bible what would you say were God’s basic reasons for speaking to men in an audible voice or by means of a Divine vision (by men I mean mankind)?

Originally posted by Brian30755:
I could say "No one on this earth today has ever been healed by the power of God", but how would I be sure.

By the way, how do you know that no one on earth today has ever heard the audible voice of God? Is it because you've never heard anyone say they've heard the audible voice of God? I can pretty much be sure that if someone said they heard God speak to them in an audible voice, you wouldn't believe them anyway.

Let’s discuss my question number 1 above first and see if we can come to an agreement there. Then we can move on to address these questions.

Yours in Christ,

Bible-Boy

[Ed Edwards]

It seems to me you may mean that
I cannot have the experience of holding my
shoes on with velcro for the
Scripture doesn't mention it.
Why can I have the experience of holding
my shoes on with shoe strings - the scripture
doesn't mention that either. In fact, the
Amish don't use shoe strings but use latches
for in the 17th Century (1601-1700) that is
the way they did 'Scriptural things'.
Actually, if we stick to the scripture we
will only wear flip-flops (AKA: sandals).

[tamborine lady]

[img]graemlins/type.gif[/img]

Amen Ed!!! [img]graemlins/thumbs.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Tam

[Ray Berrian]

Bible-boy,

You act like you are telling us this new truth that we should only go by--trust in the Bible as to building our faith. I knew this when I was ten years old and am 52 years beyond that age now. We are Bible-thumpers too! In fact some of us believe in it so much that we studied Greek in preparation for Christian ministry. I doubt if all the laity on this board have believe that much in the Word to learn where the KJV does not give us the exact meaning of Scripture by understanding the original language of the N.T. I do, however, use the KJV in my devotional life.

I used Acts 9 and the early chapters in Revelation to explain how the Lord placed His servants in a nearly unconscious state to corroborate the reality of their human experience as coming from the Lord. There is your sign! Did all the Apostolate experience this phenmenon. No. And it is not a proof of anything in particular. But, sometimes when He wants to get a person's attention and give that one a wonderful blessing this happens.

When people 'punch holes' as it were in the Holy Spirit you can rest assured they have moved themselves that much further away from His mighty Presence.

Do you think some Pentecostals who experience this are merely putting on a show. It sure is not the most dignified position that a person can be in, lying on one's back. I'll guarantee that if it ever happens to you that you will not get up until He wants to let you stand up.

Pastor Hinn sometimes only blows on the people and they fall out under the power. I think he is trying to demonstrate to guys like you that what they are experiencing is not from Hinn's power but via the Holy Spirit. When Peter's shadow healed some people we do not hear the rest of the people saying, "This is not of God." The Lord does what He wants and does not need anyone's permission to move in whatever way He desires.

Some of you try to stuff God in your own preconceived preverbal box and confine His ministy to you regimented ways.

I am also not trying to say to search for such an experience of faith; it is sovereignly ministered by the Lord God.

The experience is not a guide as to how spiritual a person is necessarily. There are Christians who are deeper in the Word who never have had that experience and there are some Christian who are more mature in the faith who do have this experience.

It is folly to say that the two passages that I offered you as Scriptural backing are suggesting that Saul and John were voluntarily bowing in humble adoration of the Lord. No, they were overpowered by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you refuse the testimony of God's sacred Word, what more can I do to convince non-believers in this phenomenon.

[This post is boardering on being off topic of the OP. I'll let it stand, but please no one reply to the stuff about Benny Hinn etc. Otherwise, I am going to use my moderator edit function to remove all off-topic posts from this thread.]

[ December 23, 2005, 03:39 AM: Message edited by: Bible-boy ]

I used to live close to the "Pensacola Outpourring" at Brownsville Assembly of God. We went several times to see what was going on. People were "slain" left and right, no exaggeration. I was close to a few people who were Southern baptist, like me, and "got slain" so I asked them about the experience in detail. One was sorry she did it, felt like it was some uncontrollable force that made her "fall out". Said she was in a dream like but conscious state. The other said while she was "out", the Lord revealed to her audibly the name of her future husband. She wouldnt tell me the name. She is now a lesbian.
The "evangelist" said one night, and I will never forget it - "Look at any page in your Bible. There is way more white than there is black on any page. Just because its not in black doesnt mean its not true." Now I believe that could possibly be true, to an extent, but not like what he was meaning. We see God's character all throught the Bible, and I am sure that He hasnt changed who He is and how He works.
I did a stdy on "slain in the spirit" and the closest thing I could find was people lying prostrate, out of fear and/or awe of the Lord and His power. Those must have been amazing experiences for those people. No one had to "knock them out", God doesnt need someone to do it for Him. And in the cases I remember off the top of my head, they didnt fall backwards, be caught, and covered with a modesty cloth.

[hillclimber]

Being slain in the Spirit.

Isn't that a Morman thing? Or a Pentacostal thing?
It sure isn't anything a Christian/believer should have anything to do with.

[Ray Berrian]

Tater Tot,

You said, ' I was close to a few people who were Southern baptist, like me, and "got slain" so I asked them about the experience in detail. One was sorry she did it, felt like it was some uncontrollable force that made her "fall out". Said she was in a dream like but conscious state.'

This happened to me once in a Christian Bible College in my dorm room. My experience was close to what you noted above, but in my case I felt as though the Lord had pour 'His liquid love into my being.' I remember asking the Lord to give me this experience one more time before my death. To date it has not happened, but I still love Him and witness everyday to those people I meet.

.

[Ray Berrian]

God works/ministers in each of our lives in different ways.

When I was training for the Christian ministry I had a vision of either Satan or one of his demons. If there is one reason you want to flee Hell it should be because of these demonic and hateful looking spirit beings. The face is all I saw with the most evil face you could ever picture in your mind. I took this as not a confirmation of the Lord's desire for me to enter ministry, but to give a fuller understanding of this being--who is the enemy of the Lord.

Another time, in Bible College I had a spiritual dream and I viewed people like walking toward Niagara Falls kind of thing and yet below was an eternal Hell; they were screaming in torment. I woke up and got on my knees and begged God to cleanse me if there was any sin in my life because I did not want to go the direction that many people are headed for--which is Hell.

I did not tell you this to make myself look like a nutbag on the Board, but to give you a glimpse as to how the Lord ministers to different people in unique ways. For the average Christian he probably does not need to do this because of their limited influence in this lost world. But, some who enter ministry have special insights and blessings like 'being slain in the Spirit' as in Act 9 and Revelation 1:17.

I am sure we all would agree that Saul was either walking or riding on an animal when 'he fell to the ground.' He did not say, "Gentlemen, I have just seen this bright light so I am going to get down from this donkey and knee before--well I guess it is God." There were other travelers with Saul as noted in verse 7. This light was clearly supernatural which affected his sight and not only his lack of ability to stand in the Presence of God Almighty.

I guess we should not use the term 'slain in the Spirit' and just explain to people how the Lord ministers to some of His people. The Lord is sovereign in these matters.

Not every one who falls out under the power of the Spirit of God is healed physically speaking. Jesus may or may not heal them, but rest assured they will know that the Lord by His Spirit has touched their lives.

Berrian, Th.D.

[DHK]

Originally posted by Ed Edwards:
It seems to me you may mean that
I cannot have the experience of holding my
shoes on with velcro for the
Scripture doesn't mention it.
Why can I have the experience of holding
my shoes on with shoe strings - the scripture
doesn't mention that either. In fact, the
Amish don't use shoe strings but use latches
for in the 17th Century (1601-1700) that is
the way they did 'Scriptural things'.
Actually, if we stick to the scripture we
will only wear flip-flops (AKA: sandals).

If you think that doing any of those things will either lead you to a greater place of sanctification in your life, or possibly help you on your way to heaven (such as wearing flip flops) then go for it, Ed!! By all means do what is ever necessary for your own spiritual growth even if it is wearing flip flops. Don't ask me to do it. A couple of weeks ago it was minus 25 here. Do they have those temperatures in Palestine?

As for being slain in the Spirit, our poor deluded Charismatic brethren believes that this unbiblical practice helps them along their spiritual road to a better walk with Christ; it makes them "more spiritual." I don't see how wearing flip flops would do that. But then they would have a better chance of making one more spiritual than being slain in the spirit, for at least it isn't unbiblical, it is only extra-biblical.
DHK

[Phillip]

Originally posted by DHK:
As for being slain in the Spirit, our poor deluded Charismatic brethren believes that this unbiblical practice helps them along their spiritual road to a better walk with Christ; it makes them "more spiritual."

Interesting point "better WALK with Christ". When you teach a child to walk, you don't throw them on the floor, backwards. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]