When I was in Brazil the first time, I went to a Full Gospel church... one where they believed in the gifts of the spirit (1 Cor 12). I traveled with a team (see top video): one with a healing gift, another a preacher with a doctorate in theology, and another a real evangelist. While the worship music played, I prayed in the spiritāmainly because I did not understand the lyrics. This particular night my team decided that one of us would preach, and I would do a time of ministry and the laying on of hands.
Something was a little odd about all that was going on there. From the outside, it looked like a standard Pentecostal worship service. However, as people came forward during the altar call ministry time, there was an excessive amount of speaking in tongues and individuals flopping around on the floor. Honestly, this behavior doesn't usually bother me, but something felt off that night. As I laid hands on people, they began to jump around like pogo sticks, praying in tongues - but they were false tongues. You might be thinking, how do you know the difference if you don't understand tongues? I dunno-- some sort of Holy Spirit insight is all I can say.
After a few of the folks went bouncing off, a young woman came forward and started the pogo sticking along with the false tongues. I simply said, as she went up and down while I laid my hand on her forehead, "I break the spirit of religion in the name of Jesus!" In the spirit, I heard a loud snap, just like a breaking bone, and she hit the concrete floor and lay there under the power of the Holy Ghost. After a few moments, she began praising God; then something even stranger happened: she started to speak in tongues, specifically Holy Spirit tongues. It was beautiful, just beautiful. As she did this, tears streamed down her face to the floor. I continued down the line of bouncing congregants.
After a few minutes she got up and began to speak very loudly and with such authority. The worship team stopped playing, and she gave a short testimony. Through the interpreter, she said. "Brothers and sisters in Christ, I have received this prayer and God has changed me. I know Him now and I didn't know Him like this before. Come, get in line with this pastor (they just can't help themselves :o) ) from the the USA. Don't pray, and don't hop, just receive." That night many religious spirits were broken in the name of Jesus. By the end of the service we had such an amazing turn out that they scheduled a special meeting the next morning for us to minister again.
Formal religion can be tough because there are so many perceived expectations of so called leaders. They must be this and that, gone to school for this and that -- yikes. No wonder we feel separated from them, and worse, less useful to the Kingdom! They have been given the job that is rightfully that of all believers. You don't need to have a degree--thermometers have degrees, and you know where some people put those. You just need to have a heart for the Kingdom of God. Jesus said it is at handāyour hand and His. Jesus said that we could do greater things than He did. SO why aren't we?
Paul Cain, a man I perceive to be a prophet, gave a mighty prophecy about a nameless and faceless generation of workers that would simply be Jesus to a lost and dying world. A generation of sold-out and equipped Christians that would go out and make a difference for Jesus. I don't know about you, but that's what I am looking for--a place to just be me and do His work.
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