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| Sarah is here in Sioux Falls and things are good. Midori is doing very well at my house and is outwardly happy and affectionate. There are a lot more windows in my house and places to hide. Sarah also seems happier than I've seen her in a long time. I am also happy. Thank you for asking.
I noticed a comment on Sarah's site that asked why she moved. The question was something like, "Why did you move? For a job? For Tim?" I don't know what the author's tone was at this inquiry but let me assure my readers that I am an excellent reason to leave Chicago and start a new career. Many people don't know this, but I poop golden eggs. Golden eggs that grant wishes. How's that for a reason? Feel like moving to Sioux Falls now? Yeah. That's what I thought.
Now if you'll excuse me, it's payday.
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| I lost my job this morning. It was the best job I've ever had and I lost it. The reasons are extremely blurry. I wasn't even allowed to explain myself, nor could I if I wanted to because I couldn't look at the design job I was accused of screwing up. I still don't recall what went wrong or why. I begged my boss for another chance but he would have no part of it. I was marched out the front door, in front of everyone, with a box of my stuff. I cannot remember feeling such humiliation before.
On top of this, I found out that my boss is trying to keep my backed up portfolio files from me. I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't promised me backed up portfolio files upon my employment. I need those files to get another job. Without my last year's work, I will have nothing to show to a future employer. Luckily, I called my awesome ex-manager and he's going to try and salvage the rest of my files and inquire about the CDs my boss stole from my desk. We're planning on meeting very covertly in a parking lot after he gets off. This is what I'm reduced to: sneaking around in order to get the tools I was promised. Needless to say, I feel like a complete loser and am in dire need of prayer.
And speaking of prayer (on a side note), I have had it with people telling me that my faith comes from Google searches. It's like my theology classes and continued personal research count for nothing. I think I'm starting to understand why kids proclaim to be atheists just to tick off Christians (don't worry- I'm not reduced to that yet). No more faith posts on Xanga for me. And for the record, I think evolution coincides perfectly with Christianity. Feel sorry for me all you want because I'm proud of what I believe and any pity felt for me on this matter will be wasted.
Sorry to vent. My dream of owning a home and living in the same town with the woman of my dreams has been put on hold, if not in complete jeopardy. But already today I have been applying to jobs and getting my life in order. In a twisted way, I feel a strange excitement about a new start. The world outside of school is terrifying and adventurous indeed. It's a good thing God is on my side.
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| The following is an actual article from a flyer defending charismatic Christianity by a Pentecostal doctor. What is unique is that it is one of the few pro-charismatic Christian arguments that quotes the Bible. The article is heavily criticized on THIS SITE but I felt it didn't give the author a chance to make her point before attacking her credibility. I invite you to read below and then visit the aforementioned site. At the very least, read the context of the quoted Bible verses for yourself to determine whether or not this is a convincing argument.
"What's Going On? An Extraordinary Visitation of God!"
By Dr. Shirley A. Elenbaas of White Horse Christian Center
Since 1994 there has been an extraordinary visitation of God which is being experienced by Christians around the world. Many people when they experience this very personal touch by God have physical reactions called manifestations of the Holy Spirit. These manifestations have been somewhat controversial and caused many questions among Christians of various religious backgrounds. So that you may have some brief understanding and explanation of some things you may observe or experience, we have prepared this brief informational flyer.
First and foremost, may we urge you to take a "laid back" attitude and not be alarmed by people who are exhibiting strange behavior such as falling over, laughing seemingly uncontrollably, shaking vigorously, weeping, crying or yelling out suddenly, appearing drunk, or temporarily being unable to speak.. Sometimes these manifestations cause observers to be fearful. Throughout history these reactions have been commonly experienced during a visitation from God known as a renewal or revival and only seem strange to us because we have not seen or heard of them ourselves.
Manifestations of the Spirit Are Seen Throughout History:
In such limited space we cannot go into great detail of historical accounts of the phenomena of revival, but we can briefly state that strange and unsettling manifestations of God's presence have gone on throughout Christian history. Manifestations of the Holy Spirit of God have occurred in the 1700's in the ministries of Jonathan Edwards, and George Whitefield, in the United State and in the ministry of John and Charles Wesley in Great Britain. In the 1800's on the Western frontier of the United States, the ministries of James McGready, Barton Stone, and Peter Cartwright all experienced a visitation from God that caused wide spread revival especially in the southern states. The Cane Ridge revival in Kentucky received wide publicity in the newspapers of their day.
Charles Finney was one of America's greatest revivalists. He received great criticism for his "new methods. of evangelist procedures such as altar calls. The Welsh Revival in Wales under Evan Roberts became a world wide phenomena through newspaper accounts while the Azusa Street Revival in California is credited with the beginning of the Pentecostal Revival. Many other events and persons could be named where the Spirit of the Lord moved in such a way that there were great social and life style changes.
What Are Physical Manifestations of the Spirit?
We hear so much about the strange sounds and gestures that people make under the power of the Spirit. What are they and are they real? A brief description of some of the physical manifestations and a Biblical example will help your understanding.
Falling
It is the most common phenomena. People feel weak and find it difficult to continue standing. Those effected find it necessary to lay down and yet remain conscious and aware of what is going on around them. It is best to leave them alone until they are able to get up on their own. We find an example of falling in John 18:6 where Judas and the soldiers came to arrest Jesus and, when Jesus spoke to them, they all jumped back and fell to the ground. They got up shortly and arrested Jesus. In Acts 9:22, 26 Paul fell to the ground on the way to Damascus when he heard a voice from heaven speak to him. Also Ezekiel 3:23; Daniel 8:17.
Laughing
People often laugh for an extended period of time. They seem to be filled with an overwhelming sense of joy and childlike abandon which may be shared by those around them. The Bible in Ecclesiastes 3:4 speaks of "A time to weep and a time to laugh." It seems that God is saying it is a time to laugh. Also Psalm 126; John 17:13.
Drunkenness
A person appears to have had too much alcohol to drink and may stagger, weave back and forth when they are walking, laugh, be unable to speak, or to walk unaided. In Acts 2:13, on the day of Pentecost, Peter exhorts the gathered crowd that the ones they were observing who appeared to be drunk, were not drunk at all but were reacting to the visitation of the Holy Spirit. Also Jeremiah 23:9; .Ephesians 5:18.
Shaking or Jerking
The person may shake Vigorously or jerk suddenly. This is a physical reaction to the presence of God. When Daniel (Daniel 10:7) saw a vision it caused a great trembling or shaking to fall upon the people who were with him. You may have heard of the Quakers and of the Shaker denominations. They got their names from shaking and jerking when the power of God came upon them. Also Habakkuk 3:16; Acts 4:31.
Crying or Weeping
Many people weep in the presence of God. Nehemiah 8:9 tells us of all the people present weeping when they heard the rending of the Bible. Also 2 Chronicles 34:27.
Sudden loud Sounds
Occasionally a person may emit a loud spontaneous noise or sound that is not understood. The sound seems to come in agreement with something said or in reaction to something the person is experiencing by the Holy Spirit. Psalm 35:27; 55:2; Jeremiah 25:30; 4:19; Romans 8:16.
No reactions at all
This does not mean that they are not being touched by God in some deep inner way. No one knows why some people react very strongly some people only a little and others react in quiet inner ways that cannot be seen. It seems that God Himself makes the decision on how an individual will react. People who are experiencing any of the above reactions to the Holy Spirit are not in pain or distress even though it may appear so.
How Do We Know This Is God?
Jonathon Edwards wrote a treatise in 1741 called The Distinguishing Marks of the Spirit of God. He stated that we could recognize God 's hand by five sure distinguishing, scripture evidences"
1. It raises the esteem of Jesus in the community.
2. It works against the Kingdom of Satan.
3. It stimulates a greater regard for the Holy Scriptures.
4. It is marked by a Spirit of Truth.
5. It manifests a renewed love of God and of man.
What Are The Phenomena For?
Some of the reasons for the manifestations that may satisfy the questions of our logical mind are as follows: They are signs of the Lord s presence. God is shaking us to wake us up. To humble us. To anoint us for greater service. To make us aware of His great love for His people. One man deeply involved in the renewal explains it this way God offends the mind to reveal the heart.
By Dr. Shirley A. Elenbaas of White Horse Christian Center.
NOTE: If this article is a false proclamation of any charismatic Christian doctrine or misrepresents the denomination's ideals in any way, please say so. Likewise, if the website's criticism of this article is incorrect, please share what is wrong.
EDIT: HERE is an article attacking the questioning of anti-Pentecostals. If you don't have enough time to read the whole thing, read the conclusion at the bottom. If it neither tries to prove the legitimacy of speaking in tongues nor offer any Biblical insight against anti-Pentecostal questioning, what's the goal here? | | |
| Over the last few weeks, I have been witness to several philosophies and ideas from different people that relate to charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity. Up until now I sort of regarded the idea of "spiritual ecstasy" as a worship preference or a form of worship that catered to people overcoming poverty or other personal crisis. In short, my feelings were, "If that's what you need to praise God then far be it from me to stop you". Although I'll admit I never really took the phenomenon seriously, I have honestly given all who offered their opinions the benefit of the doubt and a chance to make whatever point they have.
I recently (and sadly) inadvertently offended a friend and was surprised at how defensive the situation became. My denomination has had more than its share of fun poked at it and I've never become insulted or taken it personally. Nevertheless, the tension from this situation has stayed with me and has inspired me to research charismatic Christianity more in depth. I figured I needed more education specifically in the areas of glossolalia and other spiritual signs. But I actually found that my premonitions about these practices to be quite well founded and accompanied by some alarming figures as well.
About 25% of the world's Christian community is made up of Pentecostal or charismatic denominations. Different studies estimate anywhere between 22 and 600 million members worldwide. That sole statistic is shocking in itself. The reason for this gargantuan number gap may partly be because most members are in developing countries. It may also be accredited to the church's successful evangelical endeavors paired with a high turnaround for outgoing members. In other words, the denomination is good at attracting members but not very good at keeping them. These facts along with the startling stories from ex-Penecostal websites lead me to question the goals of this church.
Besides questionable statistics and overwhelmingly large amounts of funding, charismatic Christianity confuses me in its overall doctrine. A staple belief is the identification of glossolalia (speaking in tongues) and signs such as healing illnesses as proof of the presence of the Holy Spirit within an individual or a congregation. Glossolalia can take two forms: 1) nonsensical speech that is either interpreted my another congregation member or known to the speaker during private worship or 2) an actual language that the speaker has never actually learned but speaks nonetheless (xenoglossia). It was always my understanding that the latter occurred during the historical Pentecost accounted in Acts but others have interpreted these passages as being the nonsensical kind of glossolalia like the kinds in modern-day Pentecostal services.
Regardless, the need to show or "prove" that God is present does not sit well on my heart. Although the Apostle Paul commands church brethren, "Do not forbid speaking in tongues" (1 Cor 14:39), Paul discourages simultaneous speaking in tongues directed at people rather than God, lest unbelievers think the assembled brethren "mad" (1 Cor 14:23, 27). Therefore, isn't encouraging public displays of spiritual ecstasy contradictory to the Bible? The act of publicly showing your connection to God presents itself to temptations such as power abuse, spiritual dilution, self elevation and narcissism. I found this site's literature interesting to how I feel, although perhaps a bit biased.
I am certain that actual glossolalia has happened and could happen today and I believe in miracles but I still feel like something is wrong here. Why is my spiritual discernment alarm going off? If anyone has any speculation, I'd appreciate it if you'd share. I'd like to review any evidence or personal experience that suggests modern charismatic Christianity is anything but an expanding cult.
EDIT:
To clarify, I understand the history and theory behind charismatic Christianity through several sources of study beyond the links provided. They are only there to reinforce my speculations. I also only refer to this denomination as a "cult" based on the definition of cult which is a religious sect that believes doctrine that isn't mainstream and usually revolve around a charismatic leader. Please don't read into this term using Hollywood stereotypes. It is not my intention to use it disrespectfully. | | |
| 1. Sarah is moving to Sioux Falls this fall!!
• I can hardly wait!
• Job opps are coming in steadily now. It's only a matter of time before she gets one!
• My parents have offered to put her up until she finds an appartment. Be sure to thank your parents for all the wonderful things they do for you!
2. Mike's wedding next month
• Just got back from Chad's wedding- good times.
• I've yet to receive a repetoire of music that I will help to play. Chad and Kevin, help me shake that list out of Mike. We gotta practice.
• I've been promised free beer all night. Play Santa Esmerelda and we've got a deal, Mike.
3. Touching up base boards and laying tile in new home
• Hardwood floors are finally stained and done but it seems like there's always a million little things that need to get done after a big project.
• Cannot find a good place for my bead curtain, lava lamp, Lego collection, etc.
• Don't worry- I refuse to sell them :)
4. The next time I get to eat sushi.
• I love sushi.
• Probably more than you.
• Okay, I'm done. | | |
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