Directory of Contemporary Worship Musicians - Way of Life Literature

At the same meeting a woman church staff member led inpublic prayer with these frightful words: “We refuse tocritique with our minds the work that You want to do in ourhearts. We refuse to subject Your work to our little doctrinaltests.”is is the same philosophy that has produced the popularcharismatic saying, “Don’t put God in a box.” If the “box”referred to is human tradition, that saying is true; but moreoen than not, the “box” refers even to the Bible.Such a mindset leaves one open to spiritual delusion. If theHoly Spirit operates contrary to the Scripture in any sensewhatsoever, there is no way to discern between the true Spiritand the false. is subtle undermining of biblical authority isone reason why strange and unscriptural things such as spiritslaying, spiritual drunkenness, “holy laughter,” and imperfectprophesying have been accepted in the Vineyard movement.It is the natural desire of every child of God, of course, to“experience” the Lord and His Word as possible within thebounds of Scripture, but if our experiences are not subjectedto the Bible they can lead to all sorts of error and spiritualdelusion. We desire to see and feel God’s presence, but Godhas ordained that this present life is a life of faith, and faiththat is sight (or feeling or experience) is not faith (Rom. 8:24).Genuine Bible faith is the evidence of “things NOTseen” (Hebrews 11:1). e Lord Jesus Christ pronounced ablessing upon those who simply believe God’s Word withoutthe advantage of sight (John 20:29).By encouraging his followers to seek and expect signs andwonders, by downplaying doctrinal restraints, by promotingthe idea of extra-biblical revelation through dreams andprophesies, through his promotion of sensual concepts ofworship, and by his mystical approach to the Christian life,John Wimber prepared fertile soil for aberrant movementssuch as Rodney Howard-Browne’s “spirit of drunkenness”and Paul Cain’s soothsaying.402