Making Disciples 8

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (James 3:17—NIV)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (I John 4:1)

My wife, Audrey, says that when God is around people will not speak like donkeys but donkeys will speak like people.

There certainly is no evidence whatever in the scriptures that people have ever been inspired by the Spirit of God to make animal sounds. It seems degrading and not in keeping with the dignity and courtesy of the Spirit of Almighty God!

Some have said we should not limit God. I agree wholeheartedly to this. I believe the day will come when the saints do greater works than the Lord Jesus performed on the earth; that man will be in the image of the Lord according to the image revealed in the first chapter of Ezekiel; that man will sit with Christ on the highest throne of creation; that the fruit of the person who is totally obedient to God will compare with that of the faithful Abraham.

I personally believe that the revival that is at hand, as symbolized by the two witnesses of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Revelation, will result in the profession of faith in Christ by the majority of people living on the earth. This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached to every nation for a witness before the time of witnessing has come to an end.

This to me is what it means to not limit God.

But to mean that God is able to make us speak like a dog or roll on the floor is not my idea of drawing on the might and wisdom of the Creator of the galaxies. How do you feel about this?

Didn't Paul command us to interpret if we speak in tongues while there are unlearned in the assembly? How much more then should we refrain from making animal sounds that even animals cannot understand? If I neigh like a horse, is the trumpet giving a certain sound that will lead the army of the Lord into battle? The saints are the riders, not the horses!

None of the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in the New Testament so much as resemble the present manifestations of "renewal."

Haven't we been commanded to test the spirits? Are we to accept uncritically that which is not found in the New Testament either in letter or in spirit and implication?

We wave banners in our own assembly and praise the Lord. Banners are not found in the New Testament. But we are in control of what we are doing and we are heralding the coming of the King, Jesus. We are not yielding ourselves to spirits in the meeting that compel us to laugh uncontrollably.

We will laugh in the Spirit but we will stop when laughing is not appropriate. Sometimes the Spirit fills us with laughter but we remain in control so that all is done decently and in order.

As we have stated, when the Word is being preached, that which creates disciples of the Lord, for someone to break out in laughter, to make animal sounds, or to roll on the floor is neither decent nor orderly.

Saying "the Lord made me do it" reveals an ignorance of the Lord and His ways. The Spirit of the Lord never compels questionable, confusing, disorderly, unscriptural behavior—never! never! never!

Continued.Making Disciples 9