There are a lot of websites out there that "cautiously question" all the way to "hatefully deride" manifestations of the Holy Spirit and experiences in the presence of God as we gather to worship Jesus Christ. I get a fair about of links to them from people asking me to check this and that out. Basically there is just a lot of dishonor out there. So I received an email asking about specific manifestations and these websites that dedicate themselves to pointing out the error of such a thing. Love it or hate it, my response is below.

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Back in the days when intellect was the means by which I judged a move of God, I would have viewed reading these sites as due diligence and studying to show myself approved. Now, all they amount to is spiritual pornography, or to put it another way, whenever I read stuff like this, that which was life in me begins to die. It's like poison to your Spirit. To even give place to that which diminishes the life of heaven in you is just flat dangerous.

So why do we read this stuff? Is it a Godly desire to guard ourselves from deception or is it that we still can't come to accept what we don't fully understand? I don't understand the manifestations, but I do know the presence of God. I do know what happens to me when He shows up, when He rests upon a room of believers, when the wind of the Spirit blows into you and you feel the wineskin of your Spirit expand to contain more. The external things that happen, the varied human responses to His presence, they don't remotely distract or dictate what happens because with God all things are possible.

When the presence of God is your highest priority, you'll never have to worry about deception. His presence keeps you from worshipping signs and wonders while giving you the liberty to enjoy them. Gold? Feathers? Oil of Joy? Fire? Healing? Clouds? Gemstones? Angels? They're not God. But they are a part of His world. They're all mentioned in Heaven as seen by Isaiah and John. As His world breaks into this world more and more, the attributes of Heaven are going to become more common. HOWEVER, none of the prophets ever worshipped the attributes of Heaven. They worshipped God.

But to deny the attributes of His world as elements of deception is pure foolishness. Are these things in Heaven? Yes. Jesus taught us to pray that it would be on earth as it is in heaven. If we have any appetite to come into agreement with His heart expressed here, we will be embracing a spirit of deception if we deny the very attributes of the world He wants to make manifest here.

Grace and Peace to you