I’m reminded of Paul instructing the church in Corinth to not speak in tongues in the public assembly of the church because if unbelievers were present they’d think these believers were crazy. How much more should something as wild as casting out demons be done in private as a rule/principle! If love is motivating us, we’d not want to publicize anyone’s “dirty laundry”. If “love covers a multitude of sins”, how much more should we seek to cover those who are being delivered from oppression. Of course, Paul’s correction of the selfish misuse of spiritual gifts in no way discounts those spiritual gifts; rather, it actually affirms that God inspires and empowers people to do amazing things though they misuse such spiritual manifestations.
I guess one of the main reasons why guys like Bob Larsen make me angry is that they effectively ‘queer the pitch’ for those who have genuinely been blessed with spiritual gifts, and who are using those gifts properly, in a godly way - not for their own self-aggrandisement and enrichment. Now I have no idea whether Bob Larsen started out with genuine spiritual gifts and then started abusing them, or whether he never really had them in the first place. But the result is the same either way.
What I’m more angry about is the real, actual, documented harm caused by Larsen’s brand of dangerous, theatrical ‘deliverance ministry’ - and here I’m going on the personal testimony of trusted friends as well as the TV shows and reams of internet stories. As you know, I’m strongly agnostic about the existence of ‘real’, ‘personal’ demons. But if a devoutly Christian person believes they have a ‘demon’ of depression, and ‘casting out’ that demon - done sensitively and privately, with real love, and with no ulterior motive (ie to make money) - helps to heal them, then I guess I am okay with that. If their depression lifts, then they are indeed healed. But the lazy, slapdash ‘healings’ proclaimed by Bob Larsen are more likely to make many people’s problems worse, not better.
And that is a truly terrible thing. In fact, causing spiritual and mental harm to God’s precious children, in God’s name - which is what Larsen and his ilk are doing - is about as close to the unforgiveable sin (for of course there is no such thing) as it’s possible to get.
I wish I had your gentle spirit, Sherman. You’re absolutely right to say that it is much better to turn a light on than to curse the darkness. But sometimes the darkness really does need to be cursed.
Thanks Johnny, I appreciate you too, your passion, zeal, and forthrightness is refreshing. I love the body of Christ because He has made us each so different from one another. A symphony takes many different instruments, both the gentleness of the violin, bold notes of the trumpet, and the sometimes violent crash of the symbols! I think sometimes though that it is “we” who feel the need to curse the darkness. Even Jesus exibited this in turning over the tables in the temple courtyard reminding them that the temple was meant to be a house of prayer for all nations. The courtyard was where non-Jews could come to worship God, should have been accepted and loved. But their greed, selling to one another, had pushed out the Gentiles and hindered them from worshipping God. I see this to be parallel to what happens with some ministries where their constant financial appeals and what is often considered financial manipulations keep unbelievers from worshipping God with us. And wacky spirituality sure doesn’t help matters.
It’s a character of love, grace, truth, boldness, faith, joy, that should be the colors of our flag, I think.
It is as we feared, pog. Message posted by a friend of mine on Facebook yesterday:
“20 minutes in and I really can’t take the teenage exorcists (and the father of one of them) seriously (BBC3). What a load of baloney. Who am I kidding; it was more like five minutes in. How does anyone believe this rubbish?”
Yup. Judging by the FB comment this guy is gonna do the cause of Christ not much good at all … Oh well, it doesn’t look like anyone at my workplace has seen it … so I might have escaped …
Congratulations Johnny, I am so pleased for you and your family. Great picture too - looks like you are already enjoying being Rafferty’s step-grandad!
Wow Johnny - that’s such good news and what a lovely photo of you and the bairn Something to celebrate! And hi Al!!! Nice to see you again too (as in the photo!)
That’s very sweet of you. It’s nice to be back too (and I’ll try and keep my nose clean ). Now that Johnny Parker really is a bit of an old teddy bear at heart. Look at him cooing broody over the nipper! -
And he loves his pipe and slippers
And the missus and the nippers,
And he’s happy simply growing old…".
(Well perhaps not the last line - I note the Ramones tee shirt. But ‘Judy is a Punk’ has an almost heritage themed park, almost antiquarian feel to it these days. And Bob Dylan - well he’s just pre-Cambrian )
Thanks so much for your good wishes Steve, Sherman, Al, pog and Dick.
Holding little Raffie in my arms, I am filled with the truth that, just as I love him, and will always do what I can to protect him and support him and help him to become a happy and fulfilled person, so God will do the same for us.
Some of us may have gone astray. God knows I have. But we are always children of God. I know, as surely as I know that I am alive, that God will never turn his back on me, or on anybody.
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