"Slain in the Spirit" - Is it for Real?

As a Christian, I have seen many charlatans, including having gone once to a Benny Hinn event where, sitting in the stands, I watched as they manipulated the seating to make it appear to cameras that the arena was full, and people pushed and shoved each other to be the first down the stars to the floor, where they could get in line to be touched by Benny - if Benny's guards, who were stopping and questioning each potential sick-person-in-need-of-healing, allowed you to.  The air was thick with the power of a spirit in action; only I don't think it was the Holy one...

And yes, I have stood at the prayer altar and felt a pastor try to push me, with two fingers on my chest, back into the arms of someone standing behind me. I stood straight, and kept praying to Jesus that what ever His will was, that I would do. But I wasn't going to lay down for any man. The pastor seemed to get frustrated with me, and moved on.

However, there was once, at an average chapel service at a small church one evening, where services were sincere and open hearted, but somewhat uneventful, and where the sermon hadn't even begun yet, that something happened.

It was still in the middle of worship, and a guitarist had stopped playing. After a few moments, it became obvious that he was sobbing. And then...a few in the congregation began to cry.  I don't know what happened, but within a matter of minutes, several people were sobbing in the congregation...and from there,  some began kneeling in their tears, praying and sobbing....and others went to the side of a crying person, hugging or putting an arm around a shoulder, and began praying for them and with them...and then... I saw someone laying on the floor, and another person, and another, and by this time, almost everyone was praying for someone or crying.  I looked across the heads of praying, crying people, and saw a friend across the room; we caught each other's eyes. We were the only two left standing.

My friend and I smiled at each other across the room, then turned, went to someone nearby crying, and knelt down and prayed.

This all happened in a matter of minutes, but the prayer went on like that for almost two hours. The Sermon didn't even take place. The pastor was sitting down on the steps of the altar, crying and praying too. Something like this had never happened before, and I have never experienced anything like it since.

I do believe it is the first and only time I have truly witnessed slaying in the Spirit.

No, it wasn't mass hysteria. I knew all these people. Some of them didn't even like each other. And although we went on to have many "good" worship services together, this event has not been repeated - because it wasn't a cooked up show and no one would want to try to cook up a mimic.  It was too beautiful in it's simple spontaneity to mess with.  Why would one want to ruin the memory of a night like that by trying to force it to happen again.

But I pray the Lord WILL allow me to experience an event like that again - and again and again - because the feeling of being present during an honest move of the Spirit is too tremendous to describe. I want more of that.

Christians Come Together, Fight Back

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Enough is enough. Christians from all Denominations and across all walks of life are coming together to oppose the progressive legislation that attacks human life, the week and vulnerable, and the family.

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

They call this the "Manhattan Project" because Christian leaders met in Manhattan to discuss and begin this. Essentially, it calls us to civil disobedience if that is need be. It says -

"We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1.the sanctity of human life
2.the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3.the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

Join us - read & sign the Manhattan Declaration at www.manhattandeclaration.org/

More Christian News, Resources and Media at www.christsinternet.com/

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They attacked Palin by burning her Church, but it's Only the Arsonists that are Hurting.

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They can't touch her - no matter how hard they try.

Governor Sarah Palin's home church in Wasilla, Alaska suffered about 1$ million in damage from a fire about 10 pm Friday night. The fire chief has reported that the fire was "definitely suspicious." Fortunately, none of the ten people inside, including two children, were injured.

Wow. The anger directed at Sarah Palin during the campaign was totally out of control - and it seems that many still haven't gotten over it.

What's amazing was all the accusations made by those on the left about how horrid the right was going to be toward Obama. Everyone on the left warned how the right was going to hurt him. But it was Sarah that was the recipient of the greater vicious attacks - and it was due to her Christian world view. Apparently, a lot more people hate Christians than hate people of a different heritage.

But Sarah is said to have faith in "the scriptural passage that what was intended for evil will in some way be used for good."

Her Pastor, Larry Kroon, also told KTUU TV that he's "had a lot worst calls at night. When one of your parishioners dies or loses a child, it's a whole different thing than the building's on fire."

They can't touch her and they can't touch her church. The Palins and the Wasilla Bible Church are above what ever those that hate them try to do. That's because they have Jesus in their hearts. They are doing their best to walk with the Holy Spirit

Give thanks to God for everything - including hard times. Every hard time is an opportunity. Praise God for His goodness.

Please pray protection for Sarah, her family and her church. Please pray that God come against those that would try to hurt them.

But please also pray for those that set the fire. They must have a lot of anger and pain in their hearts to have done something like this. They really need Jesus Christ.

So many people in our country are lost without Jesus Christ. It's the only explanation for the amount of anger they have when confronted with the Holy Spirit indwelling in a person such as Sarah. She's someone they can't touch - at least not that they can see. She doesn't react to their barbs. So they just get angrier and angrier.

Dear God; please continue to Bless Sarah, and give her - our Esther - as well as her husband - her protector - all the strength and wisdom necessary for the job you have set before them.

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