Podcasts about Toronto Blessing

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2022 28:07

Are the gifts of the Holy Spirit for today? Dr. Randy Clark explains how the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today and that they are fully accessible to every believer! He also shares how Christians can step into the flow of the Holy Spirit, specifically in the gift of words of knowledge which is a powerful gift to utilize in healing ministry. Dr. Randy Clark is the overseer of Global Awakening and the Apostolic Network of Global Awakening. He is best known for helping spark the move of God now affectionately labeled “The Toronto Blessing.” Impartation | Faith | Healing | Scripture | Dr. Randy Clark | Spiritual Gifts | Words of Knowledge| Equipping | Prophecy | Kim Maas |The Way of the Kingdom | Prophetic Community

What is Impartation? With Special Guest Dr. Randy Clark - Season 2: Episode 56

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Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2022 27:59

What is impartation? Do we need it, and if so, how do we receive it? In the second part of this three-part series Dr. Randy Clark clears up the misconceptions about impartation and what it means when the power of the Lord comes upon you and stirs up the gifts inside of you. Dr. Clark shares different testimonies of how impartation has affected his own life and the lives of other leaders. He closes by praying impartation for listeners. Dr. Randy Clark is the overseer of Global Awakening and the Apostolic Network of Global Awakening. He is best known for helping spark the move of God now affectionately labeled “The Toronto Blessing.” Impartation | Faith | Hope | Scripture | Dr. Randy Clark | Spiritual Gifts | Friendship | Equipping | Prophecy | Kim Maas |The Way of the Kingdom | Prophetic Community

Healing and Faith with Special Guest Dr. Randy Clark - Season 2: Episode 56

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Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2022 28:34

In the first part of this three-part series, Dr. Randy Clark shares how he started in the healing ministry through his own personal encounter with God as healer. He discusses how he chooses to focus on the healings he has seen as a faith builder for himself and those around him to combat the discouragement of not seeing healing in all circumstances. He continues by equipping listeners on how to have faith for healing and what he believes hinders our faith for healing. Dr. Clark closes this episode by powerfully praying healing over listeners. Dr. Randy Clark is the overseer of Global Awakening and the Apostolic Network of Global Awakening. He is best known for helping spark the move of God now affectionately labeled “The Toronto Blessing."

Bringing the FIRE OF GOD - Rodney Howard Browne

Ladies 4 Jesus

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2022 18:22

Sid Roth interviews Rodney. God used Rodney to help impact the 3 revivals - Toronto Blessing, Brownsville and Smithton Revival. Ladies 4 Jesus.org

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Episode 59 | Let's Talk About: Podcast Heaven Bent w/ Host Tara Jean Stevens

Woman Being

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2022 56:43

Tara Jean Stevens is the host of Frequency Podcast Network's "Heaven Bent," a series that explores charismatic Christianity through an outside lens. The charismatic movement, associated with the Toronto Blessing and Bethel, is most notably recognized for its pursuit of the supernatural - things like miracles, healings, and prophecy. Tara Jean is fiery, she's inquisitive, and and she joins the Woman Beings to talk about her own faith journey and what inspired her to create Heaven Bent. She shares her criticisms of the American church, her hopes, and some of the perspectives gained through creating the series. You don't want to miss this one! Follow Tara Jean: Heaven Bent: https://frequencypodcastnetwork.com/podcasts/heaven-bent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarajeanonline/ Resources Mentioned: Man and His Symbols by C. G. Jung: https://bit.ly/3okNhdq --- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womanbeingpodcast/ Website: https://www.womanbeingcommunity.com/

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038 - Goodbye Great Big AOG! (Leaving Part 8)

I was a Teenage Fundamentalist

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2021 72:45

The time has come...at last! Tune in to hear B&T trigger like MOFOs and tell how they finally left Great Big AOG. This episode makes reference to "The Toronto Blessing" which was discussed in Episode 22: https://iwasateenagefundamentalist.podbean.com/e/episode-022-heaven-bent-with-tara-jean-stevens/ Our links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf Email us: hhandhillsong@gmail.com

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The Father's Love

Reveal

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2021 5:59

The Toronto Blessing

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081 Christa Elane: Toronto Blessing Shapes Early Faith. Sheltered and Homeschooled. Later Sent to Christian School. A Vision Leads to a Cult. She Now Leans Atheist.

Voices of Deconversion

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2021 95:43

* Trigger Warning: Discussions of abuse and rape* Christa Elane is a self described "old Millennial" who has been deconverting for years and now leans atheist. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her spouse and kids. She's a social worker and disability advocate with a passion for Autism acceptance and inclusion. She was raised in a so called "spirit filled' non-denominational Christian church in California. She was a part of the "Toronto Blessing" revival in he 1990s and was in a Christian cult in her teen years in Spokane, Washington. Christa wants to share about her journey out of Christianity and the abuses she witnessed at several churches.

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Episode 2 - The Call with Dick & Maida Ray

The McFalls Vineyard Podcast!

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2021 70:40

In this episode, Josh Ray speaks with Dick & Maida Ray, planting pastors of the Mechanic Falls Vineyard. They talk about their early years of faith, the early days of the first Vineyard Church in Maine, the 90s renewal, the "Toronto Blessing", and much more!

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Ep. 89 – Toronto Blessing

Belief It Or Not

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2021 34:50

This episode is all about the Toronto Blessing. In 1994 at a church by the airport in Toronto revival… arrived. Falling down, rolling around, speaking in tongues, barking like a dog, and turning teeth to gold are some of the strange occurrences that were reported. We talk about the history and how this movement spread. As always we are not experts, we just google this stuff. Hosted by Trevor Poelman and Damien Doepping Support us on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beliefitornot For more info and our references check out https://beliefitornot.wordpress.com/ Support Belief It Or Not Brought to you By: The Sonar Network

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Bringing the FIRE OF GOD - Rodney Howard Browne

Jesus Christ is here NOW!

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2021 18:22

God used Rodney to help impact the 3 revivals - Toronto Blessing, Brownsville and Smithton Revival. Sid Roth interviews him.

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022 - Toronto Blessing & Heaven Bent with Tara Jean Stevens

I was a Teenage Fundamentalist

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2021 60:15

Tara Jean Stevens, the host of the amazing Heaven Bent podcast shares her own history as a teenage fundamentalist and some of the backstories behind her two podcast seasons on the Toronto Blessing and Bethel Church. Our links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf Email us: hhandhillsong@gmail.com

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Deconstruction of Faith Story Part 2 - Episode 4

Confessions of a Christian Kid

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2021 33:08

In this episode, I talk about my experience with Charasmatic Christianity and how my local church impacted me as I was coming out of Legalistic Christianity. The "Toronto Blessing" was in full force. I talk about how my understanding of Love was sorely lacking and how I was confronted with the love of my dad.

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Bible Study with Jairus – Leviticus 9

Bible Study With Jairus

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2021 26:11

Bible Study with Jairus – Leviticus 9 The Threefold Office of Christ in Leviticus 9 My heart was stirred and inspired by Leviticus 9, which begins in verse 1 with the powerful statement that, “On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the Elders of Israel” (English Standard Version). The subsequent parts of Chapter 9 detail Moses' induction of Aaron into the Priesthood and his instructions about the offerings and sacrifices to God, and it ends with the appearance of the Glory of God, which consumes the burnt offering. What stands out in this chapter is how the three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, – which, up until this point, had all been held by Moses, – are divided and appointed to separate people. In Leviticus 9 we see those assignments broken down by Moses in the office of Prophet, Aaron as Priest, and the Elders of Israel as King, all of which work together to demonstrate God's authority and usher His people into His Glory. Each part of the Threefold Office serves a distinct function in the Old Testament, long before the birth of Christ, just as it did during Jesus' earthly ministry, when He ultimately fulfilled these roles. The separation of these offices and their duties is similar to the United States Government's separation of powers into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Moses represents the Prophets that receive God's Law, which can be likened to Congress' legislative responsibilities in establishing laws and the Constitution. Aaron represents the Priests, whose mandate is to interpret, explain, and apply God's Law in the country, comparable to the judicial role the Supreme Court plays. Finally, the Elders of Israel represent the Kings that execute the Law, similar to the executive function undertaken by the President and the Cabinet. The Threefold Office Exemplified in Moses Every Christian should recognize the threefold responsibilities they possess. Like Moses, we ought to draw close to God daily to know His Law and Statutes. Even though we may not experience God's Law in the same way, we should remember Moses' role as a Prophet, who was in direct contact with and received messages from God – with the charge to relay them to others. Although God appointed Aaron as Priest, whose role was to minister to the Lord, especially in the Holy of Holies, Moses also performed these roles, as seen in Numbers 7:89: “And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.” Moses performed the functions of a Priest before Aaron did, and was the one who taught his brother how to be a Priest. The way Moses represented the office of a King can be seen in a couple of ways that are worth noting: first, in how he administered judgement on cases before eventually following his father-in-law's suggestion to appoint officials who were God-fearing and trustworthy men to serve as judges for the people; and second in his role as an Elder, such as when he led the Israelites out of Egypt. The office of King was later transferred to the Elders of Israel when Moses cried out to God that the burden upon him was too heavy and, “the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders” (Numbers 11:25a). Moses possessed within him the three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. He was like a single fruitful seed that grew into a large tree with multiple widespread branches. The roots, branches, and leaves, though they developed from the same seed, performed different functions, just as Moses' roles as Prophet, Priest, and King, while stemming from the same individual, served different purposes for God's plans to yield His Fruit. And just as the responsibility to bear fruit is not put solely on one branch, but is divided between all the branches of the tree, so God allowed Moses to share these responsibilities with others, such as sharing the Priesthood role with Aaron, the Prophet role with the rest of Israel (Numbers 11:29), and the Kingship role with the Elders. The Threefold Office Since the Time of Moses After Moses' death, the threefold offices became increasingly subdivided and specialized, hence only a select few could undertake such responsibilities. For example, only Aaron's descendants could perform the role of the Priesthood. However, a radical shift took place in the New Testament, when everyone could now participate in the roles of Prophets (1 Corinthians 14:31), Priests (1 Peter 2:9) and Kings (our identity as children of the King of Kings), just as Moses did. As Christians charged with these duties, how do we effectively employ the three offices to glorify God in His fullness? Christians are called to prophesy, to recognize and speak God's words into whatever situations people are in. In the role of a Priest, Christians are to draw close to God, pray for others, and offer sacrifices to Him. While bringing the reality of God to others, it is also important to bring others into His presence and help them draw closer to Him as well. Christians are called to Kingship, to display God's authority and power, wherever they go. Returning to our earlier analogy of the small seed that grew into the fruitful tree, in its initial stages, all branches stemmed from the main trunk. However, as the tree grew, these branches continued to split and spread out, and grow further and further away from the trunk. Similarly, the Prophet, Priest, and King roles first branched out from Moses to the people nearest him, such as Aaron (who was both Priest and Prophet according to Exodus 4:16) and Miriam (a Prophetess according to Exodus 15:20). God spoke to them both through dreams and visions, though He only spoke to Moses directly (Exodus 33:11). By the time of the Prophet Elijah, the roles of Priests, Prophets, and Kings had become more distinctive and clearly defined, like branches growing increasingly distant from the main trunk, and each other, as a tree grows. As seen again and again throughout the Bible, the Prophets advised Kings against sin, and evil Kings often attempted to get rid of Prophets. Kings who went against the authority of the Priests were also severely punished by God, clearly seen in the case of King Uzziah, who was a good king who grew prideful and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense, despite knowing this could only done by Priests, and was then struck with leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:19). However, in the case of King David, he also served in the roles of Prophet and Priest. Distinctions and Similarities in the Roles of Priests and Prophets Leviticus 8 informs us that Moses followed God's instructions to prepare Aaron and His sons to be consecrated and ordained for their duties as Priests. This was immediately followed at the beginning of Chapter 9 by Aaron presenting the sin offering, burnt offering and peace offering to the Lord on the eighth day, affirming the close relations between Priesthood, Prophecy, and Kingship. Priesthood leads over the office of the Prophet. Why do we say that? Priests serve and draw close to God, while presenting offerings and sacrifices on behalf of man to Him, allowing God to pardon the sin of man and allowing man to draw close to God. This is the essence of the Law of the Old Testament, which was given through Moses (John 1:17). God first told Moses the Law, but when the Israelites sinned against God by worshipping the golden calf, it was Moses who pleaded with God to not destroy the Israelites by reminding God that He brought them out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand. Moses also asked God, “why should the Egyptians say, ‘with evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth?'” (Exodus 32:12). The Lord then relented from the disaster he had spoken of bringing on the Israelites. This is the role of the Priest, to plead on behalf of the people. Indeed, Prophets also play similar roles, as in the example of Prophet Abraham pleading on behalf of Lot. However, the role of Priests is still higher than that of Prophets, as seen by Prophet Abraham offering sacrifices to Priest Melchizedek. In Leviticus 9, Moses, serving as both a Prophet and Priest, is clearly in a position of leadership over Aaron as both a Priest and a Prophet. There are many overlapping functions of Priests and Prophets, such as knowing God, drawing close to God and man, and using knowledge of God and the Law to serve people by helping them get to know Him more intimately. Jesus serves as another example of a Priest being more important than a Prophet. Jesus is both the high priest (1 Timothy 2:5) and a prophet. Without prophecy, we would not know God and His Law, but without a Priest, the Great High Priest of Jesus mediating between God and man, we would never be able to bridge the gulf created by sin, making Priesthood responsibilities of top priority for believers. Our charge as Priests is to serve as a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). As such, the job of a Priest is to draw man close to God through offering and sacrifice and to serve as a mediator between God and man. In the Old Testament, the daily blood sacrifice only temporarily covered sins, but did not take them away completely. However, Jesus provided the sacrifice required “once for all” when He died on the Cross for our sins (Hebrew 7:27). While Christians are neither Christ nor the Old Testament Priests, we are still duty-bound to intercede on behalf of others who have sinned, praying for them to receive salvation bought through the Blood of Christ. Priests Atone for their Own Sin First Leviticus 9 records the details of the instructions Moses gave Aaron to follow in offering sacrifices when he inducted him into the Priesthood, which sheds light on how we can better serve as Priests to God and our fellow man, and cross-apply these learnings into our roles as Prophets and Kings as well. The first thing that Moses told Aaron to do was to take for himself “a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the Lord” (Leviticus 9:2), which is the first responsibility of a Priest: to use a blemish-free animal to atone for his own sin. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the perfect, blemish-less Sacrificial Lamb that atones for the sins of Christians. Next, Moses instructs Aaron to say to the people of Israel, “take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the Lord is going to appear to you” (Leviticus 9:3-4). The Lord's Glory was to appear to the Israelites. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is called “the radiance of the Glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). For the Glory of God to emanate from man, man needs to be free of sin, as there is no room for sin in a perfect God. In the Old Testament, sin was atoned for through sacrifices, and in the New Testament, Jesus' blood atones for believers' sins. On the one hand, God offered a single sacrifice for all sins for all time through the death of Christ, but on the other hand, our flesh and soul continue to be sinful, which requires daily confession, repentance, and cleansing of sin. This necessitates that we delve deeper to better understand the different aspects of sin atonement through the different sacrifices. Leviticus 9:8-14 details how Aaron presents sacrifice for himself, including: 1) killing the calf of the sin offering, 2) pouring the blood at the base of the altar, 3) burning the fat, kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering on the altar, 4) burning the flesh and skin outside the camp, 5) killing the male lamb for the burnt offering for the Priests, 6) spilling blood against the sides of the altar, 7) piece by piece burning the burnt offering on the altar, and finally, 8) washing the entrails and legs and placing these parts on top of the burnt offering at the altar. These are the details of the sacrifices made by Aaron himself, which are important, as they reflect the many different parts within man's fleshly body and soul that need to be cleansed of sins. While believers have received Christ in our hearts, our hearts are not entirely Holy because there are many parts that have not yet been yielded to Christ. For example, our thoughts, emotions, and self-will are three significant parts of our lives that need to be surrendered to Christ to experience His Grace and forgiveness. Emotional aspects such as unforgiveness, not loving our neighbors as ourselves, hatred, and envy also need to be transformed by the grace of God. Dissecting Ourselves First in Order to Minister to Others The issues of the body, soul, and spirit are often intertwined, which further highlights our need for Christ to be our Great High Priest. In Hebrews 4:12 it says, “for the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The author of the book of Hebrews is using the analogy of the knife the Priest utilizes to dissect the sacrificial animal to describe the Word of God that pierces and examines our innermost being. This dissecting is meant to help us better understand ourselves and better appreciate the saving grace of God. For example, when we first believed in Christ, there were some things that we repented of, but as time goes on, we may be suddenly reminded of an old offence we committed against someone. This could be the prompting of the Holy Spirit that reminds us to deepen our repentance in a particular area. To offer a sacrifice, a Priest needs to understand how to use the knife to dissect the sacrificial animal for the offerings. Before they can treat patients, a doctor must first dissect a cadaver in order to understand the interconnected parts and functions of the body. Similarly, to fulfill the role of a Priest according to the New Testament, we need to be able to dissect ourselves thoroughly, experience the full grace of God, and be transformed from the inside out, in order to be in a healthy position to help others do the same. This is also why Aaron had to first offer sacrifices for himself before he could do so on behalf of the Israelites. Now, we look at how Aaron presented these sacrifices. Once Aaron experienced the dissecting of the sacrifices that he had offered, he was then in a better position to dissect the sacrifices for the other Israelites. In the New Testament, the Priest's role is likened to that of a doctor's, recognizing our own sinful nature and need for a savior, and then helping others to see the same within themselves and turn to God. A person who has not undergone the process of dissecting oneself spiritually would not be able to help other Christians on the same journey. Remember, grace is from God, but different people experience the same grace to different degrees. Leviticus 9:15-21 details the offering of sacrifices done by Aaron on behalf of the Israelites. The details include: 1) killing and offering the calf and lamb for the sin offering, 2) scattering the blood on the altar, 3) cutting the parts to be burnt at the altar, 4) killing and presenting the goat as a sin offering, 5) presenting the grain offering, 6) killing and presenting the ox and ram as a peace offering, 7) throwing the blood against the side of the altar, 8) removing the fatty tail, the fat which covers the entrails, the kidneys, and the long lobe of liver, and then putting them on the breast and burning the fat pieces on the altar, and lastly, 9) using the breast and right thigh as a wave offering. When reading God's word, we need to avoid getting lost in the details of scripture, but instead identify the key learning points from these details. The different parts of the animals presented as sacrifices represent the different problems that people bring to God. If anyone seeks help from us (in our roles as Priests), they may not feel able to fully share their issues. Therefore, we should be able to see beyond their words and understand the situation at a deeper level through the power of the Holy Spirit, which requires the development of yet another area that Christians have access to – the gift of prophecy. Understanding the Gift of Prophecy If God's desire is to cut to the heart of our innermost thoughts and being, this spiritual dissection is achieved not merely through the dismembering and offering of sacrifices, but also through the work of prophecy. God uses His Words, spoken through His Prophets, to divide the issues of men like a knife divides the parts of the sacrifice; not only through His written (Logos) Word, but also through Living (Rhema) Words that release the knife or sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). God's Law and Word were first shared through Moses, and many more of the Old Testament books were written by the Prophets. Even Prophets who did not pen any Books of the Bible still received Rhema Words. If someone claims to be a Prophet but does not possess Rhema, nor have a deep or even supernatural understanding of their own self and others, it is unlikely that they are truly a Prophet. They need to understand the internal workings and even hidden thoughts of people, to allow them to be vulnerable and wholeheartedly entrust their worries to God. Prophets need to know the Logos Word of God, but also possess the Living Word of God. I had the opportunity to participate in Global Awakening's Prophetic Certification Course. Randy Clark, the founder, shared his testimony during one session. At first, Randy did not believe nor accept that the modern Church could still have Prophets. However, things changed when he was praying for a sister in Christ at a Toronto Blessing gathering. His prayer had little impact. One of his fellow travelling companions, a Prophet named Larry Randolph, then offered to pray for the woman. While praying, he prophesied something that the sister had kept secret, causing her to finally open up emotionally and receive the prayer, which went on to have a profound effect on her life. This incident impacted Randy tremendously, and it became the driving force behind his ministry to promote prophecy. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses told the Israelites that the Lord would raise up for them a Prophet like himself from amongst them. Most of the time, it is interpreted that Moses here refers to Jesus Christ, and that He is also a Prophet. However, Moses also said that all the Lord's people can be Prophets (Numbers 11:29). In Acts, Peter quoted the words of Joel's prophecy that, “‘in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). While this shows the presence of Prophets in the New Testament, many traditional Churches are still unable to accept this. Of course, not everyone is called to be a Prophet (1 Corinthians 12:29), but all Christians have the ability to prophesy by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:31). Even though Aaron was a Priest, he was also a Prophet, likened to the Prophet of Moses. In the words of God, Moses was like Aaron's God, and Aaron was like Moses' Prophet. The role of the Prophet links closely to the role of Kingship. For example, King Saul and King David were both appointed by the Prophet Samuel. The functions of Prophets and Priests overlap in many areas and are often interlinked. When both offices are fully developed, a Christian is better able to lead a spirit-filled life and glorify God in all aspects. He or she can be a co-king with Christ and subdue the earth. Leviticus 9:22-24 writes that after Aaron completed the offering ritual, he lifted his hands towards the people and blessed them. The glory of God then appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and pieces of fat on the altar. When the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. This image is glorious. As the Church and Christians use their Prophetic, Priesthood, and Kingship giftings, one day the Glory of God will descend and be seen throughout the Church.

Bible Study with Jairus - 1 Corinthians 3

Bible Study With Jairus

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2021 55:36

Unity and Humility in the Body of Christ. Bible Study with Jairus - 1 Corinthians 3 Have you ever wondered why Paul seems to expect Christians to leave behind spiritual childhood, while Jesus expects Christians to become like little children? Paul asked Christians not to be “infants in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1), yet Jesus commanded us all to “turn and become like children” (Matthew 18:3) Which is it? Does God want us to become mature in Christ, or does he want us to become like little children? The difference between spirit, soul, and body To understand the answer to this question, it's important to understand the difference between the spirit, soul, and body. To grow spiritually, our soul needs to be transformed, but that does not mean our physical self—mind, will, and emotions--remain immature and childish. Our will, along with our IQ and EQ, will continue to grow and develop as we mature. What is important is for us to maintain “child-like innocence” in our hearts. A person controlled by the Holy Spirit should be very innocent. In other words, Jesus calls for our hearts to remain pure like the heart of a child. Paul, on the other hand, encourages us to grow and mature, so that we do not remain immature, like an infant. Our souls need to experience transformation and renewal through Christ. This discussion relates to a correct understanding of the heart, soul, spirit and body, and the ways they are perceived differently by different churches. In the Local Church Movement (LCM), I was taught that a person has three parts – spirit, soul and body. A person's soul consists of his mind, emotions and will. A person's spirit consists of his conscience, fellowship, and intuition. A person's heart consists of the spirit's conscience and the soul's mind, emotions and will. Whether or not these definitions are complete is a discussion for another time. However, by using these definitions, we can focus the discussion on the difference between spirit and soul. The founder of the LCM, Watchman Nee, preached that a person has three parts, spirit, soul and body, while other famous preachers from Chinese Churches hold the viewpoint that the spirit and soul are inseparable. One of the most famous preachers who holds such a viewpoint is Indonesian Pastor Stephen Tong. This discussion is present throughout the Western Christian community, where different theologians hold differing viewpoints. However, for today, we will focus on the differences between the teachings of Pastor Stephen Tong's and those of the LCM. Pastor Stephen Tong denies the three-part being (spirit, soul and body) and claims that spirit and soul are one. This teaching is more in line with the Chinese culture, and hence more widely accepted by Chinese Christians. Because Chinese culture does not differentiate between spirit and soul, many Chinese Christians have been influenced by this teaching. The LCM, on the other hand, believes that Tong's beliefs are not scripturally sound based on mainly two Bible passages. First, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The original Greek text clearly lists the spirit (‘Pneuma'), soul (‘Psuche') and body (‘Soma), which are three distinct words in Greek. Second, Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Again, two distinct Greek words, ‘pneuma' and ‘psuche', were used to describe spirit and soul. From these two passages, spirit and soul are indeed distinct. Pastor Stephen Tong does not agree that Hebrews 4:12 highlights the difference between spirit, soul and body. Instead, he believes that this verse is highlighting the power of God's word in a metaphorical way. Personally, I tend to agree more with the LCM's belief on this topic. Teachings that do not differentiate between the soul and spirit lead believers to identify with their soul but not mature in their spirit. Many first-generation Chinese-American pastors have noticed that first-generation Chinese churches often devolve into a social club, where believers build friendships, share their culture, or even network for business. However, they are often lacking severely in spiritual growth. From my personal observation, this issue may be related to the lack of teaching on the difference between the spirit and the soul. Watchman Nee's nephew wrote a biography of his uncle, in which he admits that their teaching on the spirit life is an important strength of the LCM movement. Though the biographer disagrees with the One-City-One-Church principle of LCM, he admires their emphasis on spirit life. He admits that many other Chinese churches tend to be more worldly in their outlook and behaviors. The LCM is a movement that originated in China but has now spread all over the world. In this discussion, however, I will be mainly referring to the Chinese segment of the LCM movement. Spiritual exercise The LCM teaches that we can grow up spiritually and train our spiritual being through “exercising our spirit.” Just like we strengthen our muscles and increase their functionality through physical exercise, we can grow “spiritual muscles” by exercising our spirits. There are many ways to exercise your spirit. One of the most common ways is to “Call Upon the Name of Jesus” and read God's word meditatively and prayerfully. After I received Christ, these two methods helped me experience tremendous spiritual growth. However, the reputations of these two methods have been tarnished outside of the LCM. For this reason, people outside the LCM have not had the opportunity to reap the benefits of learning and practicing these spiritual disciplines. At LCM meetings, discussions center around spiritual matters, avoiding the problem of “social club” that many other Chinese American churches are facing. Many mainstream American church teachings also adopt the viewpoint that a person has three parts: spirit, soul and body. However, the LCM is unique in several ways. The LCM not only differentiates between spirit and soul, but also between our human spirit and God's spirit. The LCM is unique in its emphasis of practical ways to exercise and strengthen our spirits. The LCM teaches believers to cleanse their consciences, deal with the flesh, and remove external things that suppress the spirit, thereby achieving breakthrough and growth in the spiritual life. Such an emphasis on exercising the spiritual person is something that I have rarely seen in mainstream American churches. Certain methods of spiritual growth, such as meditation and speaking in tongues, are promoted by preachers in both evangelical and Pentecostal churches in the US; however, the majority of believers in the US do not actually incorporate these practices into their daily lives. However, the LCM helps the believers to put these disciplines into rigorous practice. A very important analogy that we can use to illustrate the LCM's teaching is that of an apple tree. An apple tree does not need to try hard and exert extra effort to develop apples. It is part of its nature to grow apples. No matter how hard it tries to grow pears, it will not be able to do it. However, in the growth process, the tree still needs to be cultivated. If weeds are not removed, fertilizer is not used, and branches are not trimmed, the apple tree will not reach its full potential for producing apples. In the same way, a spirit-filled life can be developed through trimming away things that hinder its natural growth, in order to allow our spiritual growth to reach its full potential. Just like weeds and wilted branches hinder the growth of the apple tree, our sin, guilt, and the flesh hinder our spiritual growth. Through the power of the Cross, we can remove these weeds and live an overcoming life that glorifies God. Just like the apple tree's nature is to grow apples, we have Christ's nature within us, enabling us to live out Christ's love, light, holiness and righteousness. Hence, we do not need to ‘make extra effort' to live out these attributes of Christ. But we do need to remove the weeds and wilted branches that hinder the development of the spiritual life. Renewal and transformation of the soul Besides teaching the difference between spirit, soul and body and promoting the exercise of the spiritual man, the LCM also emphasizes the renewal and transformation of the soul. Besides the external factors that can hinder our spiritual growth, such as our sinful, fleshly self, a lot of hindrances also stem from the unrenewed mindset of the soul. As such, the LCM emphasizes the transformation and renewal taught in Romans 12:1. This verse teaches us to offer our bodies as a sacrifice and be transformed through the renewal of our minds. Difficulties encountered in the soul will ultimately affect our spiritual progress and development. For example, when two brothers fight, their conflict is taking place in their souls. Both men harbor feelings of unforgiveness and the unwillingness to compromise and be united in their minds. However, when both are willing to come before the Lord to pray, they exercise their spirit and are ministered to by the Holy Spirit. As they unite their spirit with God's, they recognize that the conflict is taking place in their souls. Through prayer, they exercise their spirits and recognize their ability to forgive and accept each other. As each man repents and both reconcile, the issue that they were fighting over gets resolved. The LCM teaches believers to break free from their natural soul, exercise their spirit, and unite their spirit with the Holy Spirit. Believers in the LCM strongly encourage each other to break free from the natural soul and exercise their spirit-man. It is often said that the soul is the “city of problems,” a place full of problems that are difficult to resolve. However, the spirit is a “city of no problems,” where difficulties faced by the soul can naturally resolve. Pastor Stephen Tong has sharp criticisms for this belief. He believes the LCM overly emphasizes spirituality, neglecting rationality. “I don't know when it started,” he says, “but I do know that the Church in China is facing a catastrophe. Reason is seen as part of the soul, emotion is part of the soul, will is part of the soul. Believers are taught to only be spiritual, and to abandon anything related to the soul. So, everything related to thought and rationality is said to be part of the soul! Since the arrival of this catastrophe, intellectuals have left the church. The church is full of fools. The more anti-knowledge and anti-cultural Christians become, the less they are able to gain a reputable standing in the midst of global changes.[1]” From my personal experience in the LCM, I would counter that the LCM focuses on the transformation and renewal of the soul. The teaching emphasizes that as the spirit grows and changes, its benefits will overflow into the soul for its transformation and renewal. The LCM teaches that transformation in the spiritual realm will naturally lead to renewal of the soul. Hence, to solve problems in the realm of the soul, we would first need to grow in the spiritual life. The LCM also teaches the removal of hindrances such as earthly sins and worldly distractions, so as to allow for the change of the soul. The LCM focuses on the shepherding of one's soul, with special emphasis on helping new believers shepherd their souls and open their hearts to receive the life in the spirit. The LCM teaches us to deny the natural soul life, since that represents our old life apart from Christ. But it does not teach us to deny the functions of the soul, such as the mind, emotions and will. They teach that the stronger our spiritual life is, the more our souls will be transformed. As we lead a spirit-led life, our thoughts will be clearer, our will stronger, and our emotions more filled with love. In my experience, the LCM has never denied rationality. Instead, they encourage believers to diligently study the Bible and other spiritual books. My personal experience of the LCM does not match Pastor Stephen Tong's observations. Tong does not paint a full picture of the LCM's beliefs, and his criticisms are overly harsh. As a result, many Chinese Christians have been discouraged from accepting the good teachings of the LCM. Some drawbacks to the LCM's teachings While we can learn a lot from the LCM's teaching on the spirit and soul, there are limits to the helpfulness of their stance. At times, the LCM neglects the care of the body and soul by over-emphasizing the growth of the spiritual life. For example, the LCM discounts miraculous healings because they believe Charismatics over-emphasize healings to the detriment of spiritual growth. However, many LCM believers struggle with physical pain and do not get the healing that they so desperately need. For example, my wife and I struggled with infertility for 10 years while in the LCM movement. They were not able to help me in terms of praying for a miracle. I had to seek help from the Charismatic movement. There, through the gifts of healing and prophecy, a divine intervention occurred, and God gifted me a miracle baby. Although many miraculous healings from the Charismatic movement may be questionable, my years of observation and learning in the Charismatic movement have led me to believe that more real miracles occur in the Pentecostal movement than in evangelical churches. I have personally witnessed and heard of many miracle healings and other miracles in the Charismatic church. God's word says that “By His wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The LCM teaches believers to exercise their spiritual muscles, but it does not teach believers to exercise their faith to receive miraculous healings through the word of God. Therefore, their spiritual faith muscles remain underdeveloped, and they see few miraculous healings. There are many sick believers in the LCM who do not get the help they need, which is a great loss to the LCM. This loss is not restricted to the LCM, but also exists in many other evangelical churches. After I left the LCM and posted a testimony of the miraculous healing God granted me, I received private messages from believers in the LCM who were sick. They were wondering how I received the miraculous healing. While I could not completely help them resolve their issues, most have admitted that the LCM provided limited help in this area of miraculous healing. Secondly, the LCM also neglects certain areas of the soul. While Pastor Stephen Tong's criticisms of the LCM were too harsh, he has an important point. They often over-emphasized the spirit. From what I have observed, there is indeed an issue of over-spiritualizing things in the LCM. While there, I actively read my Bible, exercised my spirit, and sought spiritual growth. I did indeed encounter major changes in my life. However, my pursuit of spiritual growth did not resolve some issues that arose from within the soul. To a certain extent, the seeking of spiritual growth was an excuse for me to avoid dealing with issues pertaining to the soul. For example, my father and I had issues with expressing our emotions and showing care for others. In my growing up years, I always witnessed my father's coldness towards others and my mother's anger towards him. As I imitated him, I also became a cold, unfeeling individual. After I got married, I realized that the same issue that I'd witnessed between my parents was playing out in my marriage. Arguments between my wife and I often resembled those of my parents. I neglected my wife's feelings, she became angry, and I felt hurt. This vicious cycle continued unabated in my marriage. Coupled with the inability to conceive, my wife and I went through many trials and difficulties. I tried my best to follow what the LCM taught, to diligently grow spiritually: to pray more, read the Bible more and take up my cross. Although it was helpful, it did not completely resolve our problem. We were then led by God to enter the Charismatic church, where we learned about deliverance ministries (casting out of demons) and inner healing ministries. These ministries that the LCM neglected have really helped us. First, with the help of the Charismatic church, we were blessed with a miracle baby, who provided much healing in our marriage. Second, the Charismatic church's teaching about inner healing and casting out demons was very helpful. Through Global Awakening, I took several certified, advanced courses on deliverance, miracle healing, inner healing, and prophetic training. In addition, I read extensively on the topic of inner healing and deliverance ministries. Through practical and hands-on learning experience, I have learned that when we see a cyclical pattern appearing in our lives, repeating through several generations, it is often due to generational curses that require the casting out of demons and inner healing. The Charismatic movement's focus on inner healing and deliverance ministries is often done together with the gift of prophecy, where servants of God receive supernatural revelations from God to help fellow believers who are plagued with issues pertaining to the soul. In January 2016, I attended a prophetic conference in Oregon. While there, I prayed for God to speak to me and give me healing as well. At the conference, I met a believer who was a former member of the LCM. She is Korean and had left the LCM and has attended a Charismatic church for many years. She shared that she left the LCM because of their unbelief in current-day miracles. At her Charismatic church, this sister received an obvious gift of healing and a prophetic gift. I watched her praying for the sick. Rather than asking about the person's condition, she received revelations from God as she spoke to him in tongues. She prayed for me in the same way. After the prayer, she shared that there was conflict between my father and I that drove us apart, and that I needed to forgive him. She also shared that my father was unable to show his love, not because he did not love me, but because he was being spiritually attacked and was bound by generational curses. She added that because I was called by God, Satan was torturing me by punishing my father, hoping that this would stop God's call in me. She told me to forgive my father and pray for him, speaking out about the deepest pain in my entire life, which was hidden in my heart. I had never met her before, nor had I mentioned any of these secrets to her before her prayer. God gradually healed the problems that I was facing. Through receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, deliverance from demons, and healing ministries, God provided the growth that I needed. I would not say that I am completely free of problems, but I do know that I have achieved a breakthrough that I never experienced while in the LCM movement. Many Christians deny the fact of demon influence in Christians' lives. Often, the life of Christ in the believer has not permeated throughout our inner being. Demons can take advantage of areas of our life that Christ has not fully occupied. In the past, I thought that through reading God's word, prayer, and exercising my spiritual man, I would be able to resolve all the issues that I faced. While these disciplines are important and useful in achieving growth in my spirit, they had limited effectiveness in resolving the issues in my soul. Issues of the soul must be managed directly, which the LCM is hesitant to do. For example, the LCM does not provide marriage counseling, since it is associated with issues of the soul. Many people in the LCM have diligently pursued spiritual growth, but still struggle in their souls. The LCM does not recognize the importance of ministries that address the struggle of the soul. For example, the LCM neglects the gift of prophecy, which can effectively minister to the soul. (The LCM does focus on the forth-telling aspect of prophecy, but they do not believe in foretelling the future through prophecy.) In the Charismatic movement, the gift of prophecy is not restricted to predicting what is to come, but also includes visions, dreams, and revelations, helping believers understand the hidden difficulties of their souls. A minister from the LCM shared that in his many years of prophesying (in a forth-telling way), he has never witnessed a scene similar to the one depicted in 1 Corinthians 14:25, where “the secrets of his heart is disclosed, and so falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.” However, this is a common sight in the Charismatic movement. Many times, I've seen a brother fall on his face crying as the secrets of his heart are shared through prophecy. I spent many years in the LCM, where I grew spiritually, increased my Bible knowledge, and received much loving help from many brothers and sisters in Christ. However, I never have met anyone who helped me like the Korean sister in Christ who revealed the secret hidden in my heart. Many in the LCM could benefit greatly from her gift if they were open to it. Many LCM believers continue to bury their problems under the guise of pursuing spiritual growth. Neglected bodily ailments can also negatively affect some believer's spiritual growth. Randy Clark of Toronto Blessings further illustrates the importance of prophetic and deliverance ministries. Randy shared that several generations of men in his family have been involved in promiscuity and other sexual sins. He also sinned in this area, even after accepting Christ as his savior. Even though he had repented, he did not recognize a need to cast out a demon from his life. Eventually, he met some believers with the gift of casting out demons. Through revoking the generational curses and casting out the demons, the spirit of promiscuity was chased away from his household. He then recognized that generational sin in his family was not a coincidence or his own weakness, but a generational curse. He testified that his son and daughters are not continuing in this generational pattern of sin. Another time, at the Toronto Blessing conference, a sister in Christ was unwilling to open up and share her heart, and Randy felt like his prayer was going nowhere. Another prophet, Larry Randolph, offered to give it a try. When Larry started praying, he used the gift of prophecy to speak of what the sister in Christ was keeping inside. As a result, this sister opened her heart and received the encouragement of Randy's ministry. These two examples convinced Randy Clark to strongly promote the ministry of casting out demons and prophecy and to create courses to train others in these areas. I have learned a lot from his courses. In addition, LCM has the tendency to lean towards over-spiritualizing. The LCM denies the physical aspect of heaven, teaching that heaven is a spiritual new Jerusalem, a mutual dwelling place for God and men. After my prophetic gift was activated in 2015, I experienced many visions of heaven, where I have seen architecture with glass, libraries, animals, gardens, many different types of transportation, various houses, fruits and vegetables that are found in heaven. Combining what I have read with the heavenly accounts of other prophets such as Choo Thomas, Kat Kerr and Lai-Wang Xiulan, I realize heaven is a real world, with mountains, seas, plants, houses, activities and gatherings. Heaven contains all the wonderful things of earth. It is not a purely spiritual realm with no physical things. Based on the words of Kat Kerr, heaven is unlike what people think. Many people think of it as flat, but it is round, like earth—just way bigger than the entire galaxy. In my prophetic encounters of heaven, I often saw different sizes of houses: some were small, and some were large. Kat Kerr believes the sizes of our heavenly homes are determined by how we live for Christ on this earth. The LCM also tends towards speaking in absolutes. Pastor Tong shares his critique of the movement: “The faults of the LCM can be summarized in this way: they speak in absolutes about things that are often not absolute.”[2] Personally, I came to know Christ through a LCM church and have been blessed tremendously by them. I may be emotionally biased towards the LCM. I do believe Tong's criticism of them is overly harsh and that he fails to take into consideration the positive teachings there. For example, the LCM invited Pastor Stephen Tong to study their teachings in greater detail, and to have a conversation with the LCM. However, Pastor Stephen refused this invitation. Pastor Stephen Tong made some sarcastic comments about the LCM and was reluctant to humble himself, converse with the LCM, and better understand them. He said that if the first bite tasted bad, he did not need to take a second bite. The LCM's attempts to dialogue with Tong have not reaped positive results. While I cannot completely agree with Pastor Stephen Tong's criticism toward the LCM, I can admit that they have the tendency to perceive things in an absolute manner. The LCM is unwilling to accept the teachings of other Churches, and often does not venture beyond the framework of Watchman Nee's and Witness Lee's teachings. After leaving the LCM and joining the Charismatic movement, I have learned many new Bible truths, which helped me grow in areas that the LCM is weak in. For example, the LCM speaks in absolutes about Christmas. It teaches believers not to celebrate this holiday, since the Christmas holiday originated in the worship of the sun god. They also teach that Jesus was not born in December. The shepherds would not have been out in the field during the middle of December, so Christmas is not the right time of year to celebrate Jesus' birth. Other churches may concur with them on this point. However, according to Choo Thomas' book, “Heaven is So Real,” Jesus celebrated Christmas with her when he appeared to her. Also, American Prophet, Kat Kerr, had thousands of encounters in heaven, where she witnessed the presence of a Christmas town in heaven. In the town, Saint Nicholas was stationed to welcome children who wished to meet Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas used to give children gifts on Christmas, and the legend of Santa Claus is based on his life. I attempted to share such testimonies with believers attending the LCM churches, but they usually reply with a standard answer: “We speak only of the Bible in the LCM.” The LCM is unable to accept prophetic and spiritual gifts; thus, they would rarely accept such testimonies. However, while these testimonies are not from the Bible, they do not deviate from the Bible. In other words, it is extra-biblical but not unbiblical. Those who have been truly saved will one day see for themselves what heaven is like. God has prepared a real world for believers in heaven. Through these two examples about Christmas and heaven, we can see that the understanding of the LCM is limited. All of us have limited understanding, and we need to have humble hearts so we can learn and accept what God wants to communicate to us through other believers and other ministries. When we are unwilling to openly learn from others what God has in mind for us, we are unknowingly perpetuating factions amongst believers. We are claiming, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:12). I love my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ from the LCM, and I know that they follow the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee out of reverence for God, rather than idolizing these two men. Many Chinese churches criticize the LCM for idolizing Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, which the LCM denies. Many churches also criticize the LCM for being the most closed-up faction of Christians. The LCM denies it is a faction of its own. However, when we are unwilling to learn from others, we are naturally creating factions among believers. In effect, they are claiming, “I follow Watchman Nee” or “I follow Witness Lee.” Similarly, many brothers and sisters in Christ from many other Chinese churches are not open to receiving the teachings of the LCM. Due to criticism from famous preachers such as Pastor Stephen Tong, many do not try to understand what God has given us through the LCM, nor do they try to understand the helpful practices that they teach. This is also equivalent to saying, “I follow Pastor Stephen Tong” or “I follow XXX preacher”. I know that there are many Chinese churches that are against the teachings of the LCM and those of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, especially Witness Lee. However, things are not as simple as they seem. I admit Witness Lee is not perfect, but I have learned a lot from his teachings. We need to “rightly explain the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), objectively understanding and analyzing God's word and the teachings of his servants, including Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. It is not wrong to be critical of their teachings. While I do not agree with Pastor Stephen Tong's criticism, I do think he has the right to criticize. Besides criticizing the LCM, Pastor Stephen Tong is also critical of the Charismatic church. Historical differences, as well as conflict between the LCM, the Charismatic church, and other Chinese evangelical churches, have prevented the uniting of the Chinese Church as one. After identifying the issues at hand, the Chinese Churches should learn to accept the differences and learn from each other, thus unifying the Chinese Church as one. Adopting a punitive, critical approach will not solve the issues. God has indeed used the LCM to teach much truth related to spiritual growth. However, if we do not critically examine the strengths and weaknesses of the LCM, many people outside may treat them as heretical and refuse to listen to their teachings. As a result, believers like you and me will suffer. In 2015, God led me to learn from the Charismatic movement. I have discovered that the teachings of the Charismatic Church and those of the LCM can complement each other. My doctoral thesis at the United Theological Seminary discussed this very point. Not only can the Charismatic Church and the LCM help each other, but other Chinese evangelical churches can also benefit from learning from the Charismatic Church and the LCM. For example, the Charismatic church has been criticized for its over-emphasis on gifts and for neglecting the teaching about growth in holiness. This is precisely the area where LCM can be of assistance. The LCM can complement the Charismatic church by teaching on spiritual growth and holiness. However, many Chinese Charismatics have been influenced against Witness Lee by Steven Tong and others. They perceive Witness Lee and the LCM as heresy. Thus, they are not open to his teaching, and they miss out on an important opportunity to grow in their spiritual lives. God has given me many revelations and visions of revival in China. In order for China to usher in this great revival, Chinese Christians need to be unified, especially on doctrinal beliefs. The LCM, Charismatic churches, and other evangelical churches need to work through their historical differences and doctrinal deviations. I believe that we need to work for unity so God can usher in the revival of the church in China. Spirit and Soul Pastor Stephen Tong discussed the issue of the soul and the spirit. He said, “The LCM attributes the mind, will, and emotions to the human ‘soul.' May I ask for a scripture reference that backs up this point? There is no Biblical text that supports such a theological theory. To say that reason, emotion, and will are in the ‘soul,' and that the spirit is not the same as the soul, is completely out of line with the Bible's teachings. God is a spirit. Does God have reason, emotion, and will? Does God have a soul? If reason, emotion, and will are in the soul, and if God is a spirit, does God lack reason, emotion, and will? “In reality,” Tong continues, “God not only has reason, emotion, and will, but his will determines his decrees. God's decrees come from his will, God's love comes from his emotions, and the truth of God's revelation comes from his reason. Therefore, God is the source of reason, the source of emotion, and the source of will. God is not a soul, but a spirit.”[3] Pastor Stephen Tong rejects the separation of soul and spirit, but his argument above is illogical. We will not discuss whether God has a soul. However, humans, as God's creation, do have a living soul (Genesis 2:7). Even though we were formed in the image of God, we are not God. Even if God is a spirit, and not a soul, that does not prove that human souls do not have reason, emotions and will. We have a spiritual body within our physical body. People with prophetic gifts often have the prophetic experience of seeing their spiritual body walking outside of their physical body. Many prophets testify they have seen a spiritual body leave a person's physical body at the moment of his or her death. They saw that these spiritual bodies have arms and legs, just like the physical body. Likewise, there is a spiritual person in our soul-person, and the spiritual person may have the same function as the soul-person. Our spiritual man may also have mind, emotion and will, just as our soul has. Just as we are shadows of God, our souls are the shadows of our spirits. Kat Kerr shared that God clearly told her that his omnipresence has many “layers.” Similarly, humans have many “layers,” just as our soul does. Many prophets have the experiences of being transported. When they are asleep or in a trance or vision, their souls (not just their spirits) are brought to other places to minister. (Philip was even taken into other places physically.) These events take place not only in their spirits, but also in their souls. The mind in our soul recorded these experiences in dreams or visions. I have experienced similar situations multiple times in prophetic dreams. If a human's soul can have many different “layers” that can enter different dimensions of time and space, I suppose there are even more “layers” in a person's spirit, which function similarly. For example, when I am sleeping and having a prophetic dream, I could be brought to a different place, to testify to others about my testimony of having a miracle baby. Not only can I speak to an audience, I can also interact with them, and even see their tears. This is not just a dream, but my spirit and soul being brought to different places to testify. Hence, prophets can shed light on truths that were never known before. Possibly, when a person's spirit matures, more layers can be developed. I understand it is still a mystery to us, just like no one knows where our spirit dwells, even though we all know we have a spirit. However, practically speaking, it is difficult to separate soul and spirit, especially for less mature Christians. A seed contains the life of a tree inside just one seed. The seed can be said to have many “layers,” but is has not fully developed. Paul explained that “The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.” (1 Corinthians 2:15). He also said, “But a soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he is not able to know them because they are discerned spiritually” (1 Corinthians 2:14, Recovery Version). Some Chinese versions of the Bible translate this verse as “soulish man,” but since English does not have a category for “soulish man,” most English translations say, “Natural person.” However, in the original Greek, the word “Soul” modifies the word “man.” While we cannot fully or clearly split the soul and spirit, it is important for us to learn and understand the differences between the two. This is something that Pastor Stephen Tong and many other Chinese preachers have missed, which I believe is a major cause of the tendency towards creating a “social club” in the church. It is a mystery for us to divide the spirit and soul, but we know for sure soul and spirit can be and should be separated in our spiritual experiences. Both the LCM and Charismatic churches, as well as other evangelical churches, preach on the difference between soul, spirit and body. For example, a leader of the Modern Faith Movement, Kenneth Copeland, said, “We are a spirit, we have a soul, we live in a body.” He also focuses on teaching believers to receive healing and develop their faith through the Word of God. John Sandford is a Charismatic leader who specializes in casting out demons and prophecy. He is also a pioneer in deliverance ministries. He has a strong prophetic gift and was considered a prophet in Charismatic circles. Often, in the process of casting out demons and inner healing, he receives prophetic revelations from God. He uses these revelations to help those who are suffering to receive inner healing and be free from demons. He can use his prophetic gift to pinpoint a hidden, secret problem in the soul or find out what demons are inside. Jon Sandford has coined a term, “the slumbering spirit.” Through his many years of ministry in casting out demons and inner healing, John Sandford has learned about the important relationship between a person's spirit and soul. When a child is young, if the child does not get sufficient affection, his spirit will not be able to develop. His emotions and thoughts (in his soul) will develop abnormally. Hence, in his ministry of healing and casting out demons, Sandford would first awaken the slumbering spirit in people, connect with them through their spirit, and slowly awaken their heart and emotions. Then he would be able to heal them. A lot of research has shown that when orphans who live in the orphanage do not receive sufficient hugs, their emotional and mental development is hindered. With sufficient hugs and through allowing them to experience God's love in their spirit, their spirit would slowly become complete. Sandford realized that if people only settled issues of the soul and did not resolve issues of the spirit, it would be challenging to resolve the issues of the soul. This point is similar to the teachings of the LCM, which teaches believers to exercise their spirit and receive God's divine life to renew the soul. However, the LCM misses out on other aspects of John Sandford's teachings, which is using the prophetic gift to reveal the innermost hidden problems of the human soul. Issues relating to the soul are often messy, but God is all-knowing. Through the practice and development of the gift of prophecy, we can work with God to resolve the issues pertaining to the soul. A Korean prophet prophesied over me, saying that God wanted to use me to bring healing to people's spirits, souls, and bodies. He has given me a holistic, wholesome healing ministry. I respond to God's call with a hearty, “Amen,” since God has allowed me to experience this kind of healing in the spirit, soul and body. I want to help others receive the same healing. My father had challenges in building relationships and expressing emotion, which also hindered my own emotional development. Even though I actively pursued spiritual growth and Bible reading in the LCM, they never offered help in the area of emotional development. However, the Charismatic movement's teaching and practice on inner healing, deliverance ministries, prophecy and the encounters with God, brought a greater breakthrough in these areas. My wife and I had a miracle baby, which provided tremendous healing for us emotionally. The LCM focuses on the three-part distinction of spirit, soul and body. It emphasizes the exercise of the spirit and the soul's renewal and transformation but does not focus on physical healing or inner healing and deliverance ministries. While the LCM focuses on the impact of spiritual growth on the soul, it does not focus on recognizing and resolving issues in the soul. It lacks tools in helping people resolve these issues. The LCM also lacks in knowledge and practice pertaining to the gift of prophecy. Pastor Stephen Tong may be right that the LCM over-spiritualizes things, but his own complete denial of the separation of soul and spirit has also affected many believers negatively. His teachings lead to a lack of understanding of the difference between soul and spirit, a lack of spiritual growth and exercise, and the lack of assistance with issues in the soul. My personal experience of the LCM, my interaction with believers influenced by Tong, my subsequent experience with the Charismatic church, Randy Clark's testimony on the gift of prophecy and casting out demons, and the teachings of John Sandford have all influenced and shaped my beliefs. These examples show that there are things to learn from the LCM, the Evangelical Church, and the Charismatic Church. Paul reproached the Corinthian believers for claiming to “belong to Paul, belong to Apollos, belong to Cephas.” At the end of 1 Corinthians 3, Paul writes, “So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). I prayed through this verse meditatively, as taught by the LCM, and the Spirit gave me an inspiration. The Holy Spirit impressed on my heart the words “so let no one boast in men. For all things are yours.” The Holy Spirit highlighted the word “for” in the verse. The reason why we say that “we belong to Paul, we belong to Apollos or, we belong to Cephas” (and the modern Chinese churches equivalent, “we belong to Watchman Nee, we belong to Witness Lee or we belong to Pastor Stephen Tong,” etc.), is because we have not recognized that “all things are yours.” All things are God's. All God's things are for us, and we should be thankful to receive these blessings. Later, when talking about food sacrificed to idols, Paul instructed believers to receive all food from God with thanksgiving. Every denomination has received certain aspects of God's truth. We must practice these aspects of truth, not so our denomination can be superior to others, nor so we can put down another denomination. Instead, we should be filled with gratitude and humility and seek to learn from one another. We should not flippantly judge others as heretics. We should not assume that we ourselves are completely right while others are completely wrong. The Holy Spirit impressed upon me that we should not revere people. Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life, death, the present, the future--all belong to us, who belong to Christ, who belongs to God. Everything works together for the good of those who love God. In the same way, Watchman Nee, Witness Lee, Pastor Stephen Tong—all of these belong to us, and we should learn from each of them. We belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. God has raised up different shepherds and servants, just like He has raised up Paul and Apollos. Each of us are called to different ministries by God. Some are called to plant seeds, some to water, and some to teach God's word, all for the good of believers. If we recognized “the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints” (Ephesians 3:18), we would not be tempted to revere or idolize any man. They all have limitations. However, each of them plays apart in God's kingdom. We should help each other for the benefit of those who love God. If we recognize the goodness of what God wants to share with us through others, we will be able to grow in Christ and not remain spiritually immature. Some remain immature spiritually, because they only accept the teachings of their own denomination instead of learning from others in other ministries. Just like cross-pollination increases the quality of the plants and flowers, “cross-pollination” in the church would help us mature in our spiritual lives. We need to overcome the differences between denominations and learn from each other, so we can leave spiritual infancy far behind. In this message, I have shared about the LCM, the Charismatic church, and other Chinese evangelical churches. We all need to be humble and learn from each other. Many readers or listeners may not be familiar with these three denominations that I have mentioned or with the Chinese church at large. But they can still agree with the principles of humility and unity. In a prophetic dream, the Lord showed two rivers flowing towards convergence. While the Lord did not specify which two rivers these are, I believe that in our generation, different denominations or streams are going to come together, just like river waters that flow towards the ocean. In this way, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). Let us humble ourselves to learn from others in the body of Christ! [1] https://congfang.com/2826/ [2] https://congfang.com/2826/ [3] https://congfang.com/2826/

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243: Charmaine Cooper and the Everywhere God

Halfway There | Christian Testimonies | Spiritual Formation, Growth, and Personal Experiences with God

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2021 54:53

Charmaine Cooper is an author, speaker, and host of the the Char Candid Podcast. Today, Charmaine shares her experience at the Toronto Blessing, her struggle to forgive her father, and why she chose to go to seminary. Charmaine is a dynamic storyteller who saved one of the best stories for last involving hearing God on the dance floor. Charmaine's story reminds us that God is with us everywhere even if we try to avoid him. Listen to Charmaine's story now! Stories Charmaine shared: Born and raised in Toronto, Canada Growing up in a pentecostal family Her parents' divorce and how that affected her Giving her life to Christ at 19 as part of the Toronto blessing Depression after her father refused to see her dying mother The struggle to forgive her father How the Lord used a Ronald Reagan movie to keep her from suicide Writing the adventures of our lives and noting God Getting her masters degree in theology Serving the Persian Christian community How getting a masters of divinity shaped her Great quotes from Charmaine: It's amazing how, in time, the feeling follows the acts of faith. I love seeing how the church is so human and yet God uses them. Just because you're alone, does not mean you need to embrace loneliness. Resources we mentioned: Charmaine's website and podcast Related episodes: Quentin Banks is Free in Christ Forever Kevin White and Audacious Generosity Engel Jones and the Power of Connection The post Charmaine Cooper and the Everywhere God appeared first on Eric Nevins.

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243: Charmaine Cooper and the Everywhere God

Halfway There | Christian Testimonies | Spiritual Formation, Growth, and Personal Experiences with God

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2021 54:53

god eric nevins toronto blessing

Ephesians 5:18: Be Filled with the Spirit: Part Two

Sermons – Covenant Grace Baptist Church

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2021

When I say ‘be filled with the Spirit,’ what comes to mind? You might think of power to do miracles, you might think of having a mystical experience, you might think of the Toronto Blessing. The problem with these conceptions and those like them is that they are extraordinary events that are reserved for the few where the command to be filled with the Spirit is something that is for all Christians to grasp. We continue then this week looking at what Paul means to be filled with the Spirit. Source

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Special Guest: Dr. Randy Clark

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2021 96:45

Welcome to Season 2 of the MOVE FORWARD PODCAST! I have a very special guest who is a mentor and spiritual father to me Dr. Randy Clark. Randy Clark is the founder of Global Awakening, a teaching, healing, and impartation ministry that crosses denominational lines. An in-demand international speaker, he is part of the Apostolic Network of Global Awakening and travels extensively for conferences, international missions, leadership training, and humanitarian aid. He earned his bachelors degree from a Baptist University, Oakland City University 1974, his master's degree in divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY 1977, and will receive his doctor's of ministry degree from United Theological seminary, a United Methodist seminary 2013. Randy was a leader of the Vineyard movement in its early days and served in the Vineyard movement for 17 years, until 2001. He was used of God to begin what was known as the Toronto Blessing, and is best known today for a special grace for impartation that has touched many key leaders around the world who have since become internationally known. Randy and his wife live near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Randy Clark

The Art of Holiness

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2021 72:44

Dr. Randy Clark is an international itinerant minister birthed from a 4-day meeting in Canada, known to many as the "Toronto Blessing." Randy is the founder of Global Awakening, a teaching, healing, and impartation ministry that crosses denominational lines. An in-demand international speaker, he leads the Apostolic Network of Global Awakening and travels extensively for conferences, international missions, leadership training, and humanitarian aid. Randy has a DDiv and DMin from United Theological Seminary, and he and his wife, DeAnne, live in Pennsylvania.

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How the Toronto Blessing helped build America’s most unusual church

The Big Story

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2021 23:23

In 1994, a small Toronto church gave birth to a bizarre spiritual movement that spread across the country and the globe. It was known as the Toronto Blessing, and among its many eventual destinations was a church named Bethel in Redding, California. More than a quarter century later, Bethel is one of the most powerful—and strangest—churches in America, featuring worshipping that has been described as cult-like, flaunting public health orders and claiming evidence of all sorts of supernatural phenomenon. How did this church become so huge? What role did the Toronto Blessing play in its evolution? And how much power do its leaders wield in the United States and beyond? GUEST: Tara Jean Stevens, host and creator of Heaven Bent

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21 | Darren Stott Pt. 2

The Fire Podcast with Ryan Rhodes

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2021 78:50

03.10.21 His father's experience at The Toronto Blessing led to mystical experiences; Having relationships with, and even creating a place for those we disagree with in the Church; Is there such a thing as a fivefold comedian? Darren Stott is the Lead Pastor of Seattle Revival Center, the host of the Supernaturalist Podcast Show and Radio Show, the Vice President (soon to be President) of Renaissance Coalition (Formerly John G Lake's IFM network of churches), and a family man with his face set like flint towards revival. “If you love this podcast, would you please consider one time or monthly support to help us sustain and grow it so that others can be stirred to hunger for more of the REAL Jesus? Thank you!” Support The Fire Podcast Fire Movement is a member of the DYVE Collective family. For more information please visit dyvecollective.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/firemovement/support

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20 | Darren Stott Pt. 1

The Fire Podcast with Ryan Rhodes

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2021 78:08

03.08.21 His father's experience at The Toronto Blessing led to mystical experiences; Having relationships with, and even creating a place for those we disagree with in the Church; Is there such a thing as a fivefold comedian? Darren Stott is the Lead Pastor of Seattle Revival Center, the host of the Supernaturalist Podcast Show and Radio Show, the Vice President (soon to be President) of Renaissance Coalition (Formerly John G Lake's IFM network of churches), and a family man with his face set like flint towards revival. “If you love this podcast, would you please consider one time or monthly support to help us sustain and grow it so that others can be stirred to hunger for more of the REAL Jesus? Thank you!” Support The Fire Podcast Fire Movement is a member of the DYVE Collective family. For more information please visit dyvecollective.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/firemovement/support

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Podcast about the Toronto Blessing Revival

Theology Central

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2021 23:36

In 1994, a small church next to Toronto Pearson International Airport suddenly became one of the city’s “Top Tourist Attractions”. Why did millions of Christians flock from around the world? Was something truly supernatural happening? 25 years later, join Tara Jean Stevens as she revisits the unusual spiritual movement she was a part of as a teenager.

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Ep5_My Friend and Her Fresh Prophetic Voice (Dehavilland Ford)

Being Becky

Play Episode Play 60 sec Highlight Listen Later Nov 18, 2020 41:10

Host Becky Hennesy has a heartwarming chat with her good friend Dehavilland Ford. She is a rising new voice in the realms of the prophetic and racial reconciliation. The insights Dehavilland shares with Becky are critical for the Body of Christ to hear in this hour. In the current struggle for the American church to experience racial reconciliation, Dehavilland explains the Biblical balance between righteousness and justice, the importance of reasoning together with others in the Body of Christ, embracing the concept of deep listening, and why it's a mistake to leave a long-standing relationship over a misunderstanding of each other's cultural background. Dehavilland also shares with Becky her remarkable journey to faith in Jesus. It's a wild ride worth a listen. Born to parents addicted to crack cocaine and other drugs, she was taken from her home and thrust into the foster care system. For four years, she lived with Chris Rock's family (yes that Chris Rock). Her story also includes undergoing a forced name change, searching for personal identity, living in shelters and eventually homeless on a park bench in New York City, experiencing the Toronto Blessing, and much more. Another highlight of their conversation is how Dehavilland discusses the delicate transition from being single in her 30s to instant motherhood after marrying Will Ford who had previous children from a prior marriage. Today Dehavilland and her husband Will operation a ministry called 818 The Sign. It's a global effort with a goal "to raise up a new generation of prophetic leaders by training them not only in the gifts of the spirit, but also in biblical righteousness and justice to tackle the issues facing the hour in which we live."Save the dates! New episodes of the Being Becky podcast release on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Subscribe, write a great review, and share the podcast with your family and friends!Check out 818 The Sign!818 The SignBecky Hennesy is co-lead pastor with her husband Jim at Trinity Church (Cedar Hill, Texas). For more information about Trinity Church:Visit Trinity ChurchFollow Becky on social media!Becky's FacebookBecky's InstagramBecky's Twitter

The Most Evil Person Ever

fire evil toronto blessing

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2020 25:07

Fire tunnels, gold dust, and a mysterious silver fleck. On this season 1 bonus episode: Tara Jean Stevens’ candid conversation with Bruce Vanden Berg. Like Tara Jean, he was once involved with the Toronto Blessing movement. Today, he has fond memories of his time with the church, but there also came a day when he knew … Continue reading "The Most Evil Person Ever"

Dare to Doubt with Alice Grecyzn

The Life After Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2020 123:29

Alice Grecyzn (actress and upcoming author) joins Chuck and Brady to discuss her life after homeschooling as a PK, the Toronto Blessing (a charismatic movement in the 90's), and an almost-wedding pressured upon her by prophecy. Follow her important work helping deconstructors at www.daretodoubt.org. Transitional music by Nightlightr | CDBaby, iTunes, and Spotify Connect with the Life After Podcast & Community here: linktr.ee/thelifeafter

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Toronto #Blessing

Deconversion Therapy

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2020 53:31

Karen tells Bonnie about the great, laughing movement that happened near a Toronto airport. Writhing. Rolling. We can thank the certifiable, dangerous Rodney Howard-Browne for starting what can only be labeled as a Christian niche market that makes sane people want nothing to do with the church. Anyhoo, rate and review us. You'll be blessed.

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Heaven Bent with Tara Jean Stevens

Jesse And Jenna's Messy Podcast Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2020 42:23

Our guest on this podcast is Tara Jean Stevens from The Kevin & Sonia Show with Tara Jean on Kiss 107.5 in Vancouver. Tara Jean is also the host of a fascinating new investigative podcast called Heaven Bent and that's what she is here to talk about. On the Heaven Bent podcast, Tara Jean Stevens charts The Toronto Blessing, a 1994 Christian revival at the Toronto Airport Vineyard church where an unbelievable number of people were affected by prophecies, prayer for healing and speaking in tongues just to name a couple of the oddities. Please welcome TJ!

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The River

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2020 36:52

In 1995, a pastor’s wife from Florida attended ‘Toronto Blessing’ services in Toronto, Canada. Just days after her return, the strange phenomena happening there started happening in her church back home in Brownsville. Was her trip a successful crowd-control reconnaissance mission? On this episode of Heaven Bent, Tara Jean Stevens tracks the spread of this … Continue reading "4: The River"

The Carpet Time

speaking in tongues carpet toronto blessing

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2020 36:56

Even the children fell to the floor, shaking and speaking in tongues. On this episode of Heaven Bent, Tara Jean Stevens explores the strange phenomenon known as “carpet time”. Was something supernatural at play? If not, what else could be going on? And, tracing the fascinating historical roots of the “Toronto Blessing,” we learn about … Continue reading "3: The Carpet Time"

The Gifts of the Spirit

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2020 46:56

They say she heals the deaf and blind. They even say “Mama Heidi” has raised the dead. On this episode of Heaven Bent, Tara Jean Stevens explores the divine healing ministry of Mozambique missionary and Toronto Blessing follower: Heidi Baker. Plus, what does science teach us about “speaking in tongues”? And, birthdates, the names of your children, the description of your childhood home – where does Prophet Shawn Bolz get his ‘words of wisdom’ from? He says it’s the Holy Spirit. His critics say... it’s the internet.

Investigating the Toronto Blessing: A beautiful mystery

The Big Story

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2020 20:52

On January 20th, 1994, strange things started happening at a small Christian church in Toronto, Canada. Worshipers found themselves laughing, shaking, falling, rolling around on the ground. That was only the beginning. How did the church suddenly become one of Toronto’s ‘Top Tourist Attractions’? Was something supernatural truly happening? Did gold teeth miraculously appear in people’s mouths? Tara Jean Stevens was a teenager when this bizarre movement spread from Toronto to her childhood church on the other side of the country. More than 25 years later, her new podcast, Heaven Bent, searches for the truth behind the miracles and explores big questions of faith and feeling. The first episode was released today, and you can find it right here. GUEST: Tara Jean Stevens, host and creator of Heaven Bent

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The Toronto Blessing

Revival Fire

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2019 12:56

The Toronto Blessing Catch the Fire ChurchIn January of 1994, this little church of 360 regular members met on the end of a runway at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. It quickly came to the world's attention as a place where God chose to meet with His people as the Holy Spirit poured out in unprecedented ways. As a result of this divine visitation, the members of what was at that time the Toronto Airport Vineyard were thrust into ministry to thousands of people worldwide. What was originally planned as a series of four meetings exploded into a marathon of nightly services which continued for over a decade. - Copyright ctftoronto.com

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The Lasting Impact of the Toronto Blessing - Unpacking The Mid-90's Renewal with Dr. Caleb Maskell

The Ferment Podcast - Conversations About Worship And Transformation

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2019 69:17

Our host Adam Russell sits down with Dr. Caleb Maskell, a church historian, worship pastor, and return Ferment podcast guest. On this week's episode, they discuss the ongoing impact of the renewal of the mid-1990s, specifically the "Toronto Blessing,” and share personal stories from their own visits to the Toronto Airport Vineyard (now the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship). Dr. Maskell leads the Society of Vineyard Scholars and is the Worship Pastor at Blue Route Vineyard Community Church outside Philadelphia, PA. He holds a PhD from Princeton University, focusing on the history of American Christianity, and has taught at Princeton Theological Seminary and Fordham University. Dr. Maskell is passionate about developing leaders and institutions that will help to produce a healthy, courageous, and hospitable future for the Church in the 21st century. In 2007, he co-planted Elm City Vineyard Church in New Haven, CT with his wife Kathy, who is active in social justice and worked for six years as the U.S. Advocacy Director for Love146 — an international human rights organization working to end child trafficking and exploitation. They currently live in Media, PA with their son Josiah and daughter Emmanuelle.

Randy Clark

The Eric Metaxas Show

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2019 55:37

On today’s Miracle Monday we welcome Randy Clark, who shares incredible accounts of miraculous healing – find out what the “Toronto Blessing” is all about!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

randy clark toronto blessing

Awakening: HOME Series-Part 1. Pastor David Rathel. 07.07.19

Rivertown Church Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2019 44:22

MY LIGHT Romans 13:12 - “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”Ephesians 5:8-148For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”Awakening Lyrics:“As night surrenders to morning, Mercy wash over me. As I sit in the sun with the one who spoke it to be. I am waking up to His love.I am waking up to His peace. I am waking up to His faithfulness to me”MY SIGHT Psalm 119:18“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”Ephesians. 1:18“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.”Acts 26:18 “to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” Revelation 3:18”I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.”(Understand Shame? Naked Dream Wake Up.King no Clothes)MY MOVEThe Great Awakening, 1734-43.Jonathan Edwards & George WhitfieldThe Revivals of 1905-1906. Welsh Revivals Spread, Billy SundayThe Second Great Awakening, 1800-1840.James McGready & Charles FinneyThe Azusa Street Revival, 1906. William J. Seymour, Started Pentecostal Movement & later Charismatic Movement.The Businessmen’s Prayer Revival of 1857-1858.Jeremiah LanphierThe Post-World War II Awakening.Billy Graham, Bill Bright, The Christian Businessmen’s Committee, College RevivalsThe Civil War Revival, 1861-1865. Estimated 300,000 soldiers converted North & SouthThe Charismatic Renewal, 1960s & 70s Jesus Movement. Charismatic Renewal, college campuses, Catholics, Main Denoms.The Urban Revivals, 1875-1885. Dwight L. MoodyThe Mid-1990s Revivals. The Toronto Blessing, Modesto Revival, Brownsville Revival, The Promise Keepers Revival, Henry Blackaby Experiencing God Howard Payne University Acts 3:19-21“Repent therefore… that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”Revelation 3:15-16 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

The Kansas City and Toronto Blessing Connection

Grant and Hope

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2019 23:35

Grant shares some stories about Bob Jones & Mike Bickle related to prophecies from 1984 that pointed to events in Toronto in 1994.

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The Kansas City and Toronto Blessing Connection

Grant and Hope

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2019 565995:31

Grant shares some stories about Bob Jones & Mike Bickle related to prophecies from 1984 that pointed to events in Toronto in 1994.

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Andrew Brunson Shares at Toronto Blessing Anniversary

Charisma News

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2019 3:51

In a surprise appearance at a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Toronto Blessing, Pastor Andrew Brunson spoke openly about the prophetic words and encouragement that sustained him while he was imprisoned in Turkey. Listen to find out more about what he said.

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213: Toronto Blessing 25 Years On

Keeping Up With The Joneses

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2019 29:55

The Toronto Blessing happened in 1994. 25 years ago the Holy Spirit visited this little church at the end of a runway in power and changed millions of lives around the world. This week AJ is back from the 25 year anniversary celebration and spills the beans on her visit there. Also, an update on the important topic of touching while sleeping.

holy spirit toronto blessing

Training Up Power Ministers With Randy Clark

Charisma Connection

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2019 28:22

The world-renowned healing evangelist has now launched Global Awakening Theological Seminary. Clark has partnered with Family of Faith University President Sam Matthews to educate graduate students about the supernatural, fivefold ministry and gifts of the Spirit. Listen as Clark shares how the school started and where it's going, as well as his thoughts on the 25th anniversary of the Toronto Blessing.

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The Toronto Blessing GT 67

Chigwell Christian Fellowship Bible Teaching

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2018 88:30

Although this talk deals specifically with the whole phenomenon of what became known as 'the Toronto blessing' it really covers the whole area of charismatic excess and wrong practice in general. Although clearly affirming the reality and importance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Beresford nevertheless exposes the terrible errors and wrong practises that occur when they are not used in accordance with the teaching of the New Testament concerning them. The refusal to test all things according to scripture, the use of the gifts of the Spirit included, is both at the heart of charismatic error and the main cause of it. This immensely biblical and balancing talk will show you how to know when something is merely charismatic error as opposed to being the genuine moving of the Holy Spirit.

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Your Soul

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2018 50:12

Your Soul Mark 8 ~ Pastor Bill Randles http://www.believersingrace.com Pastor Bill Randles is a Pastor, Bible Teacher and the author of 6 books. Through his books, he has addressed issues in the church such as False prophecy, The Toronto Blessing and The Apostolic Reformation. Join us as Pastor Bill Randles takes us to the scriptures to show us that these events have a prophetic significance and point to the long prophesied "Day of the Lord" for all nations. Pastor Bill Randles was born in 1959 and has served Believers in Grace Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Marion, Iowa, since 1982. He and his wife started the church ministry in their living room. Pastor Bill and his wife, Kristin, live in Marion, Iowa. They have six children: two daughters, Dara and Anna, and four sons, Samuel, Marcus, Ian and Ezra. Their daughters are both married. Dara, the eldest has seven children, and Anna has six. (Their secret plan is to take over the world... shhhhhh!) Pastor Bill Randles also keeps a blog on various topics and studies at www.billrandles.wordpress.com BILL RANDLES BOOKS: Born From Above: An Exposition of John Chapter 3 A Sword on the Land God Remembers: The Visions and Words of the Prophet Zechariah Creation, Fall and the Hope of Redemption: A Commentary on Genesis 1-11 SEE ALL OF PASTOR BILL’S BOOKS

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The Devastation of Sin - Part 2

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2018 47:27

The Devastation of Sin - Part 2 2 Samuel 11-12 ~ Matthew Fanning http://www.believersingrace.com Pastor Bill Randles is a Pastor, Bible Teacher and the author of 6 books. Through his books, he has addressed issues in the church such as False prophecy, The Toronto Blessing and The Apostolic Reformation. Join us as Pastor Bill Randles takes us to the scriptures to show us that these events have a prophetic significance and point to the long prophesied "Day of the Lord" for all nations. Pastor Bill Randles was born in 1959 and has served Believers in Grace Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Marion, Iowa, since 1982. He and his wife started the church ministry in their living room. Pastor Bill and his wife, Kristin, live in Marion, Iowa. They have six children: two daughters, Dara and Anna, and four sons, Samuel, Marcus, Ian and Ezra. Their daughters are both married. Dara, the eldest has seven children, and Anna has six. (Their secret plan is to take over the world... shhhhhh!) Pastor Bill Randles also keeps a blog on various topics and studies at www.billrandles.wordpress.com BILL RANDLES BOOKS: Born From Above: An Exposition of John Chapter 3 A Sword on the Land God Remembers: The Visions and Words of the Prophet Zechariah Creation, Fall and the Hope of Redemption: A Commentary on Genesis 1-11 SEE ALL OF PASTOR BILL’S BOOKS

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The Failure of the Levites

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2018 40:22

The Failure of the Levites Judges 17-18 ~ Pastor Bill Randles http://www.believersingrace.com Pastor Bill Randles is a Pastor, Bible Teacher and the author of 6 books. Through his books, he has addressed issues in the church such as False prophecy, The Toronto Blessing and The Apostolic Reformation. Join us as Pastor Bill Randles takes us to the scriptures to show us that these events have a prophetic significance and point to the long prophesied "Day of the Lord" for all nations. Pastor Bill Randles was born in 1959 and has served Believers in Grace Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Marion, Iowa, since 1982. He and his wife started the church ministry in their living room. Pastor Bill and his wife, Kristin, live in Marion, Iowa. They have six children: two daughters, Dara and Anna, and four sons, Samuel, Marcus, Ian and Ezra. Their daughters are both married. Dara, the eldest has seven children, and Anna has six. (Their secret plan is to take over the world... shhhhhh!) Pastor Bill Randles also keeps a blog on various topics and studies at www.billrandles.wordpress.com BILL RANDLES BOOKS: Born From Above: An Exposition of John Chapter 3 A Sword on the Land God Remembers: The Visions and Words of the Prophet Zechariah Creation, Fall and the Hope of Redemption: A Commentary on Genesis 1-11 SEE ALL OF PASTOR BILL’S BOOKS

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The Devastation of Sin

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2018 38:25

The Devastation of Sin 2 Samuel 11 ~ Matt Fanning ----------------------------------- http://www.believersingrace.com Pastor Bill Randles is a Pastor, Bible Teacher and the author of 6 books. Through his books, he has addressed issues in the church such as False prophecy, The Toronto Blessing and The Apostolic Reformation. Join us as Pastor Bill Randles takes us to the scriptures to show us that these events have a prophetic significance and point to the long prophesied "Day of the Lord" for all nations. Pastor Bill Randles was born in 1959 and has served Believers in Grace Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Marion, Iowa, since 1982. He and his wife started the church ministry in their living room. Pastor Bill and his wife, Kristin, live in Marion, Iowa. They have six children: two daughters, Dara and Anna, and four sons, Samuel, Marcus, Ian and Ezra. Their daughters are both married. Dara, the eldest has seven children, and Anna has six. (Their secret plan is to take over the world... shhhhhh!) Pastor Bill Randles also keeps a blog on various topics and studies at www.billrandles.wordpress.com BILL RANDLES BOOKS: Born From Above: An Exposition of John Chapter 3 A Sword on the Land God Remembers: The Visions and Words of the Prophet Zechariah Creation, Fall and the Hope of Redemption: A Commentary on Genesis 1-11 SEE ALL OF PASTOR BILL’S BOOKS

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Triumphant Death of Samson

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2018 57:27

Triumphant Death of Samson Judges 16 ~ Pastor Bill Randles http://www.believersingrace.com Pastor Bill Randles is a Pastor, Bible Teacher and the author of 6 books. Through his books, he has addressed issues in the church such as False prophecy, The Toronto Blessing and The Apostolic Reformation. Join us as Pastor Bill Randles takes us to the scriptures to show us that these events have a prophetic significance and point to the long prophesied "Day of the Lord" for all nations. Pastor Bill Randles was born in 1959 and has served Believers in Grace Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Marion, Iowa, since 1982. He and his wife started the church ministry in their living room. Pastor Bill and his wife, Kristin, live in Marion, Iowa. They have six children: two daughters, Dara and Anna, and four sons, Samuel, Marcus, Ian and Ezra. Their daughters are both married. Dara, the eldest has seven children, and Anna has six. (Their secret plan is to take over the world... shhhhhh!) Pastor Bill Randles also keeps a blog on various topics and studies at www.billrandles.wordpress.com BILL RANDLES BOOKS: Born From Above: An Exposition of John Chapter 3: https://amzn.to/2kE6TrH A Sword on the Land: https://amzn.to/2J3O6AF God Remembers: The Visions and Words of the Prophet Zechariah: https://amzn.to/2H6OnRq Creation, Fall and the Hope of Redemption: A Commentary on Genesis 1-11: https://amzn.to/2JgWrEm SEE ALL: https://amzn.to/2xvTWt1

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God of Truth and Mercy

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2018 45:20

God of Truth and Mercy Psalm 85 ~ Pastor Bill Randles http://www.believersingrace.com Pastor Bill Randles is a Pastor, Bible Teacher and the author of 6 books. Through his books, he has addressed issues in the church such as False prophecy, The Toronto Blessing and The Apostolic Reformation. Join us as Pastor Bill Randles takes us to the scriptures to show us that these events have a prophetic significance and point to the long prophesied "Day of the Lord" for all nations. Pastor Bill Randles was born in 1959 and has served Believers in Grace Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Marion, Iowa, since 1982. He and his wife started the church ministry in their living room. Pastor Bill and his wife, Kristin, live in Marion, Iowa. They have six children: two daughters, Dara and Anna, and four sons, Samuel, Marcus, Ian and Ezra. Their daughters are both married. Dara, the eldest has seven children, and Anna has six. (Their secret plan is to take over the world... shhhhhh!) Pastor Bill Randles also keeps a blog on various topics and studies at www.billrandles.wordpress.com BILL RANDLES BOOKS: Born From Above: An Exposition of John Chapter 3: https://amzn.to/2kE6TrH A Sword on the Land: https://amzn.to/2J3O6AF God Remembers: The Visions and Words of the Prophet Zechariah: https://amzn.to/2H6OnRq Creation, Fall and the Hope of Redemption: A Commentary on Genesis 1-11: https://amzn.to/2JgWrEm SEE ALL: https://amzn.to/2xvTWt1

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Samson: God's Holy Warrior

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2018 48:15

Samson: God’s Holy Warrior Judges 15-16 ~ Pastor Bill Randles http://www.believersingrace.com Pastor Bill Randles is a Pastor, Bible Teacher and the author of 6 books. Through his books, he has addressed issues in the church such as False prophecy, The Toronto Blessing and The Apostolic Reformation. Join us as Pastor Bill Randles takes us to the scriptures to show us that these events have a prophetic significance and point to the long prophesied "Day of the Lord" for all nations. Pastor Bill Randles was born in 1959 and has served Believers in Grace Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Marion, Iowa, since 1982. He and his wife started the church ministry in their living room. Pastor Bill and his wife, Kristin, live in Marion, Iowa. They have six children: two daughters, Dara and Anna, and four sons, Samuel, Marcus, Ian and Ezra. Their daughters are both married. Dara, the eldest has seven children, and Anna has six. (Their secret plan is to take over the world... shhhhhh!) Pastor Bill Randles also keeps a blog on various topics and studies at www.billrandles.wordpress.com BILL RANDLES BOOKS: Born From Above: An Exposition of John Chapter 3: https://amzn.to/2kE6TrH A Sword on the Land: https://amzn.to/2J3O6AF God Remembers: The Visions and Words of the Prophet Zechariah: https://amzn.to/2H6OnRq Creation, Fall and the Hope of Redemption: A Commentary on Genesis 1-11: https://amzn.to/2JgWrEm SEE ALL: https://amzn.to/2xvTWt1

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Prophecy: Psalm 1 & Psalm 2

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2018 42:36

Prophecy: Psalm 1 & Psalm 2 Pastor Bill Randles http://www.believersingrace.com Pastor Bill Randles is a Pastor, Bible Teacher and the author of 6 books. Through his books, he has addressed issues in the church such as False prophecy, The Toronto Blessing and The Apostolic Reformation. Join us as Pastor Bill Randles takes us to the scriptures to show us that these events have a prophetic significance and point to the long prophesied "Day of the Lord" for all nations. Pastor Bill Randles was born in 1959 and has served Believers in Grace Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Marion, Iowa, since 1982. He and his wife started the church ministry in their living room. Pastor Bill and his wife, Kristin, live in Marion, Iowa. They have six children: two daughters, Dara and Anna, and four sons, Samuel, Marcus, Ian and Ezra. Their daughters are both married. Dara, the eldest has seven children, and Anna has six. (Their secret plan is to take over the world... shhhhhh!) Pastor Bill Randles also keeps a blog on various topics and studies at www.billrandles.wordpress.com BILL RANDLES BOOKS: Born From Above: An Exposition of John Chapter 3: https://amzn.to/2kE6TrH A Sword on the Land: https://amzn.to/2J3O6AF God Remembers: The Visions and Words of the Prophet Zechariah: https://amzn.to/2H6OnRq Creation, Fall and the Hope of Redemption: A Commentary on Genesis 1-11: https://amzn.to/2JgWrEm SEE ALL: https://amzn.to/2xvTWt1

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Samson: The Mighty Bridegroom