Where There is Fire, There is Wild Fire....
I went to a fabulous conference last month which focused on the training, demonstration and impartation of spiritual gifts sponsored by Holy Fire Ministries. This meeting was a representation of true spirituality with the Holy Spirit working among us to bring personal revival and stretching our faith. Nothing occurred there that I questioned or doubted as a legitimate manifestation of the Spirit. I loved it, and encourage anyone to partner with my friend and mentor Br. Bert Farias from Holy Fire or attend one of these forums.
However..
While I was there, I was able to talk with many people in my down time, many of whom had a very different spiritual background to myself. There was certainly much made of the power and manifestation of certain "spiritual things" that occurred with some of these folks that I heard of in my private conversations.
In one of these conversations, while we were talking about some of these "weird manifestations", the statement was made "If you want fire in your meetings, there is bound to be some wildfire."
This statement made me think.... hard. At first, I saw it as a reasonable justification for why some really incredible miracles can occur side by side with some seemingly crazy, unedifying unexplainables.
I began to think of the first century church, how shortly after the age of the apostles, religious men began to want to squash any of the "strange happenings" that might occur while the Spirit of God was at work. Tertullian, a man of full of spiritual gifts including prophesying and speaking in tongues, only about 150 years after the apostles snidely called the orthodox church "a church of bishops."
His point was that men had become so "religious" that they would no longer accept the legitimate manifestations of the Holy Ghost.
I began to think of the scriptures and how they foresaw this rejection of spiritual gifts as Paul says "Despise not prophesyings", "Forbid not the speaking in tongues", and "quench not the Spirit." ....
But of course, I could not deny, I have been in meetings where some "wild fire" has taken hold. I could feel it. I would feel an uneasiness in what should be a free and joyous gathering. I've walked out of more than one.
Leviticus 10:1 "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron ... offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not."
So I spoke to Pastor Heald about the statement about wild fire. He had heard it before, and seemed convinced that opening the door to let the Spirit work doesnt necessarily mean you need to keep it open to everything.
I spoke to my friend Leon about it, and he said something very profound. "A fire needs boundaries." Its irresponsible to just start setting fires every place. If you go camping, you set it within the circle of stones for your campfire. If you make one at home, you put in the fireplace with the gate around it.
The scripture sets plain boundaries for the operations of spiritual gifts. They are plain, clear and perfectly reasonable. Orderly.
And I have been in meetings where freedom was encouraged and inhibitions removed just for the sake of more manifestations. Any manifestations.
Now it seems to me we run a dangerous line. Some, in a passion for spiritual vigilance, and perhaps a little religious indignation, quench any move the Spirit may want to make, including ones plainly described in scripture. They will quench any fire, because any fire may be strange fire.
On the other side, you have those who will encourage things to happen, whether they be God, Satan, soulish desire of individuals, group think or the work of charlatans. Desiring something spiritual, they fling the doors open to anything that will show up - incredibly dangerous.
Now, I am a Holy Ghost man. I feel most alive in the presence of God. I am a living man only made alive by Him. I earnestly desire the best gifts. I will not put God in a box or limit what he wants to do. However, what He wants to do will always be congruent with His character. He limits Himself.
For pastors and ministers, I believe it takes a strong leader to hold a true meeting in the Spirit. It takes a living and persistent discernment, the boldness to shut something down that doesn't jive, but ability to not be a control freak. He must live in the freedom prescribed by scripture, gated within the character of God.
Its a tough job. Uncomfortable sometimes.
But its worth it.
I don't think we are resigned to allow strange fire simply because we desire the fire of God. Let us just be strong enough to hold the fire of God alone.
What do you think?
***Reiteration***
In case it wasn't clear, this posting is not in response to spiritual happening and manifestations at the Holy Fire conference. The phrase was simply spoken there in a private conversation. Holy Fire Ministries is doing the work of God, and is active in the true spiritual gifts. Thanks for everything Br. Bert!
(And for those who are not into spiritual gifts to begin with, please don't let this post become a means for an argument or doctrinal dispute. I would rather my postings didn't add to the wild fire of disrespect so prevalent on the internet. Thanks for respecting that.)
However..
While I was there, I was able to talk with many people in my down time, many of whom had a very different spiritual background to myself. There was certainly much made of the power and manifestation of certain "spiritual things" that occurred with some of these folks that I heard of in my private conversations.
In one of these conversations, while we were talking about some of these "weird manifestations", the statement was made "If you want fire in your meetings, there is bound to be some wildfire."
This statement made me think.... hard. At first, I saw it as a reasonable justification for why some really incredible miracles can occur side by side with some seemingly crazy, unedifying unexplainables.
I began to think of the first century church, how shortly after the age of the apostles, religious men began to want to squash any of the "strange happenings" that might occur while the Spirit of God was at work. Tertullian, a man of full of spiritual gifts including prophesying and speaking in tongues, only about 150 years after the apostles snidely called the orthodox church "a church of bishops."
His point was that men had become so "religious" that they would no longer accept the legitimate manifestations of the Holy Ghost.
I began to think of the scriptures and how they foresaw this rejection of spiritual gifts as Paul says "Despise not prophesyings", "Forbid not the speaking in tongues", and "quench not the Spirit." ....
But of course, I could not deny, I have been in meetings where some "wild fire" has taken hold. I could feel it. I would feel an uneasiness in what should be a free and joyous gathering. I've walked out of more than one.
Leviticus 10:1 "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron ... offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not."
So I spoke to Pastor Heald about the statement about wild fire. He had heard it before, and seemed convinced that opening the door to let the Spirit work doesnt necessarily mean you need to keep it open to everything.
I spoke to my friend Leon about it, and he said something very profound. "A fire needs boundaries." Its irresponsible to just start setting fires every place. If you go camping, you set it within the circle of stones for your campfire. If you make one at home, you put in the fireplace with the gate around it.
The scripture sets plain boundaries for the operations of spiritual gifts. They are plain, clear and perfectly reasonable. Orderly.
And I have been in meetings where freedom was encouraged and inhibitions removed just for the sake of more manifestations. Any manifestations.
Now it seems to me we run a dangerous line. Some, in a passion for spiritual vigilance, and perhaps a little religious indignation, quench any move the Spirit may want to make, including ones plainly described in scripture. They will quench any fire, because any fire may be strange fire.
On the other side, you have those who will encourage things to happen, whether they be God, Satan, soulish desire of individuals, group think or the work of charlatans. Desiring something spiritual, they fling the doors open to anything that will show up - incredibly dangerous.
Now, I am a Holy Ghost man. I feel most alive in the presence of God. I am a living man only made alive by Him. I earnestly desire the best gifts. I will not put God in a box or limit what he wants to do. However, what He wants to do will always be congruent with His character. He limits Himself.
For pastors and ministers, I believe it takes a strong leader to hold a true meeting in the Spirit. It takes a living and persistent discernment, the boldness to shut something down that doesn't jive, but ability to not be a control freak. He must live in the freedom prescribed by scripture, gated within the character of God.
Its a tough job. Uncomfortable sometimes.
But its worth it.
I don't think we are resigned to allow strange fire simply because we desire the fire of God. Let us just be strong enough to hold the fire of God alone.
What do you think?
***Reiteration***
In case it wasn't clear, this posting is not in response to spiritual happening and manifestations at the Holy Fire conference. The phrase was simply spoken there in a private conversation. Holy Fire Ministries is doing the work of God, and is active in the true spiritual gifts. Thanks for everything Br. Bert!
(And for those who are not into spiritual gifts to begin with, please don't let this post become a means for an argument or doctrinal dispute. I would rather my postings didn't add to the wild fire of disrespect so prevalent on the internet. Thanks for respecting that.)
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