Drunkenness In The Spirit
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Drunkenness In The Spirit
Should We Have Another Drink? Or Should We be Sober and Vigilant?
by Hughie Seaborn
In some earlier writings that I produced as a warning to my friends in the Body of Christ alerting them to errors that I perceived being promoted via the "Toronto Blessing" movement, I seriously questioned the phenomenon of drunkenness in the spirit. After receiving what I believed were warnings from the Lord, I re-evaluated my understanding of this phenomenon. Although never having experienced the condition I accepted the doctrine that promotes spiritual drunkenness. This came about through my association with the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, movements that I had been involved with practically since becoming a Christian.
Because of the influence of the "Toronto Blessing" movement and the excesses that were taking place I studied afresh the Scriptures that have been used to support drunkenness in the spirit and I came to the conclusion that, over a number of years, we have been led astray by the subtlety of wrong doctrine which, by stealth, has evolved into a mature delusion, the very thing that the Bible so clearly and persistently claims will take place in the 'last-days' church. The development of this prophesied deception has proceeded in such a way that even the very elect are in danger of succumbing to its seduction.
What Really Happened?
My re-evaluation of Acts, chapter 2, opened my eyes to see the truth of what happened on the day of Pentecost. Peter and the eleven disciples were not rolling around drunk, unable to stand or speak coherently, as has been claimed by the leadership of the 'spirit-filled' Pentecostal and Charismatic strains of Christianity. The Word specifically proclaims that Peter was standing. He was in an upright position with the chosen eleven. The Word also clearly shows that Peter preached, giving a clear and powerful presentation of the Gospel to the assembled Jewish (circumcised) multitude, resulting in three thousand being saved and baptised that very day.
This harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God was not the fruit of bizarre and ungodly manifestations of the type being promoted in our churches today but it was the result of a clear and precise proclamation of the Gospel by a man, just now, filled with the power of the promised Holy Spirit. It was not an exhibition of ecstatic people being 'fools' for Christ, abandoning all caution and self control to the proverbial wind, that drew the 'international' crowd of perplexed Jewish spectators but it was the sound of a small group of Galileans declaring the wonders of God in the spectator's own languages, languages the Galileans had never learned and, therefore, could not possibly understand.
The Word of God is explicit about what it was that brought the crowd of people together in amazement. It is clearly stated in verse 6 that "a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language." It was not because the disciples were staggering around, slurred of speech, in some kind of drunken stupor exhibiting strange manifestations but it was because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Nothing could be more clear!
The Mockers In The Mob
However, the word does tell us in verse 13 that "others mocking said, These men are full of new wine." We have embraced a fashionable theology of "spiritual drunkenness" based upon the frivolous outburst of a couple of mockers in the crowd who did not understand what was going on and therefore, as other translations record, they made fun of, and sneered at, the disciples.
Somehow, our 'theologians' (?) and 'teachers' have been fooled into placing the emphasis upon what a few mockers in the crowd said 'in jest' rather than upon what the Scriptures plainly give emphasis to. It is clear to see (once your eyes have been opened), that the importance should be placed upon verses 11 and 12 which explain why the crowds from the surrounding nations were perplexed, for Scripture emphatically and deliberately declares, "we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?"
The sign of the disciples being filled with the Holy Spirit was not drunkenness and chaos but it was their speaking in the languages of the represented nations, languages that they had neither learned nor understood, declaring the wonderful works of God. Plain and simple!
Even after exposing this exegetical error and the false teaching that has been presented to us over the years, some continue to endorse the recognized Pentecostal and Charismatic understanding and interpretation of this portion of Scripture. That is, that the disciples were drunk. I am told that it is just my way of interpreting Acts 2:13 that is causing my problem, that I am prejudiced against the "Toronto Blessing" and "Pensacola" movements so, therefore, I will see things in a different and intolerant light. However, there are other Scriptures that advocate that it was because of the disciples speaking in languages that they had never learned that the crowd came together in wonder on the day of Pentecost and not because they were staggering and rolling around 'drunk in the spirit'. The crowd came together, not to witness some outlandish spectacle of drunken and undisciplined disciples, but to hear the disciples actually extolling God in foreign languages that they had never learned. Scripture plainly says so. If the manifestation of drunkenness and strange behaviour were to be the fruit of receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit then Scripture would also plainly say so. But other Scriptures, referring to the day of Pentecost, refute the popular, and egocentric, doctrine of drunkenness and lack of self-control.
The Gentiles Receive The Holy Ghost
In Acts chapter 10 we have the account of the Gospel being taken to the gentiles. The chapter begins by telling us that
"There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band."
Cornelius was a believer in God and had a vision of an angel who instructed him to send to Joppa for Peter "who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved." (Acts 11:14) Cornelius dispatched his servants to Joppa to ask Peter to come to him. Peter, meanwhile, experienced a vision, which was God's way of letting him know that the gentiles were included, with the Jews, in the Gospel of Grace. The Spirit spoke to Peter assuring him that it was appropriate for him to go to Cornelius' house with the servants who, by now, had arrived at his front door. Peter eventually arrives at Cornelius' house with six of his Jewish friends to find an assembled crowd of Cornelius' family and friends eagerly awaiting the message that the angel said he would bring. After preliminaries, Peter preached the Gospel message to the assembly with amazing results. In Acts 10:44-48, we read that,
"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord."
In this passage of Scripture we find that all of the gentiles received the gift of the Holy Ghost. What was the evidence that proved to Peter and his friends that God had poured out His gift of the Holy Ghost upon Cornelius, his family, and his friends, as they accepted the Gospel message? Were they overcome by some intoxicating power which caused them to be 'drunk in the spirit' as the disciples were supposed to have been on the day of Pentecost, or was there some other evidence ? The Word of God, that makes no mistakes, clearly explains how Peter and his fellow Jews knew that the gentiles had received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Verse 46 tells us that
"…..they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God."
No one here at Cornelius' house is accused of being drunk. Peter, and the other Jews with him, did not proclaim, "Look, these people have received the gift of the Holy Ghost for we see them intoxicated and unable to stand or speak as when we received the Holy Ghost in the beginning." There is no evidence of anything unusual taking place, except, simply speaking with tongues and magnifying God (as the disciples had done on the day of Pentecost). If spiritual drunkenness, with all its associated manifestations, is a sign that substantiates one has received the gift of the Holy Spirit then why is it not mentioned in this portion of Scripture? If God intended so much emphasis to be placed upon this aspect of one receiving His precious Gift, then surely something should have been mentioned. But alas, Scripture is silent!
As On Us At The Beginning
But, we might argue, perhaps God was dealing differently on this occasion. Perhaps this wasn't the same as on the day of Pentecost when God first poured out His Holy Spirit upon the disciples. But Scripture assures us that what has happened at Cornelius' house is exactly the same as what happened to the disciples on the day of Pentecost.
As we read on into chapter 11 of the Book of Acts we discover that Peter is in grave trouble. He is being judged by the 'circumcision group' back at Jerusalem for going into the homes of the 'uncircumcised' and eating with them, which was against the Jewish law. They had discovered what Peter and his friends had done, but they did not have the whole story.
Peter had to relate to them the circumstances of Cornelius' vision which prompted him to send for Peter. He then had to describe to them his own vision and how God had made it known to him that the 'uncircumcised' were included in the Gospel of Grace. Verse 18 tells us that
"when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."
How did Peter convince the 'circumcision group' that God had granted Cornelius, his family and his friends 'repentance unto life'? Verse 15 provides us with the answer where Peter related to the 'circumcision group' that
"…..as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning."
Peter claims that the Holy Ghost fell on the household of Cornelius as on the disciples at the beginning. What does "at the beginning" mean? When did the Holy Ghost fall upon Peter and the disciples? On the day of Pentecost!
So we find that, according to the Word of God, this that happened at the household of Cornelius is exactly the same as what happened on the day of Pentecost. But, you will notice, there is no mention of drunkenness in the spirit or any other type of manifestation that would suggest that anything other than the speaking in tongues and glorifying God occurred (the same as what happened on the day of Pentecost). The outcome and manifestation was the same on both occasions. Doesn't it seem odd that drunkenness, which is being promoted today as such an important and significant confirmation of the receiving of the Holy Spirit, is not mentioned in the record of the salvation of Cornelius, the members of his household or his friends?
I would suggest that it is not mentioned because it never happened. Neither at Cornelius' house nor on the day of Pentecost. There is no such gift as 'drunkenness in the spirit'. It is a deception affecting men and women who, because of the subtlety of the incorrect teaching that has been propagated by the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, long for, and expect, some fleshly experience as confirmation that they have received the precious gift of the Holy Ghost, and that they are now in favour with God and acceptable to their peers.
Tragically, good people, who genuinely desire to serve and obey God, have been led astray by a soulish lust for some experience, not satisfied to walk by faith. Galatians 3:14 reminds us that,
"He [that is, Jesus] redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."
God's Word Is Our Guide And Protection
The Word of God has been given to us by God Himself and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 informs us that,
"…..all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
Also in Ephesians 4:13-15 we are encouraged to mature in the Christian life
"…..till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."
In Psalm 119:103-106 we read,
"How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments."
God has given us His Word to instruct us, to correct us and lead us through the perilous path of life that we all must walk. We, as Christians, are expected to read and study the Scriptures so that we might be able to discern the difference between the holy and the profane and be aware of the subtleties of the enemy and his entourage who will come to us in great numbers in the days leading up to the return of Christ. These enemies of the true Church will appear as sheep, as part of the Lord's fold, but they will actually be wolves disguised in sheep's clothing. In Matthew 7:15-16 Jesus Himself warns us,
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits."
They will present themselves as true ministers of the Gospel, but actually they will be servants of Satan. In 2 Corinthians 11-13-15 Paul solemnly warns us,
"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness."
God expects us to stand our ground against the flood of wrong teachings that Scripture promises will come from these false teachers in the days leading up to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 7:24-25 encourages us,
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock."
God desires that we will courageously defend the truth of His Word and expose those who, however respectable and popular they might appear, would come and twist the meaning of Scripture leading the children of God astray. Jude 3 exhorts us,
"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."
In Ephesians 5:11 we are instructed,
"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."
Also in 1 Timothy 6:12 we read,
"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."
The Consequences Of Accepting Wrong Teaching
There are consequences for accepting teaching that is contrary to the Word of God, however slightly contrary that teaching might be. There are serious repercussions to be suffered if one follows false teaching, accepting a lie, however small, in place of God's pure Truth, even unknowingly. Error is always degenerative to the faith of the believer. God has given us His Word for our instruction and guidance and we are to accept it, in its unchangeable and eternal purity, or suffer the penalties.
God will allow us to accept and believe wrong doctrine if that is what we choose to do. In the same way that God will allow us to lie, steal, commit adultery or any other sin, He will also allow us to believe what we choose to believe. God has created us with our own free volition. When we come to the Lord in repentance and submission we are supposed to crucify the flesh and all its lusts, we are supposed to take up our cross and follow Jesus not looking back to the world and all its passions and desires. However, the flesh has to be dealt a death blow each and every day, which is why the Lord Jesus said in Luke 9:23
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
If the flesh is not dealt with daily then there becomes a progressive deterioration in our evaluation of what we consider as being acceptable to God. We have to 'nip these things in the bud' as the saying goes. That is, get rid of this thing, whatever it might be before it blossoms. As James 1:14-15 warns us,
"…every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
In other words, some small thing that is contrary to the will of God, if not resisted, can progressively grow practically without us even being aware of it, eventually leading us to spiritual death.
The same principle applies to accepting wrong doctrine, however slightly wrong. As we continue to accept and tolerate the little errors, we will eventually accept gross error and think that all is well. It's "the little foxes that spoil the vine", we are told in Song Of Solomon 2:14. Also Jeremiah 17:9-10 tells us that
"…..the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."
In the second book of Thessalonians we read something that should sound an alarm in every Christian heart. Scripture constantly warns us to be on our guard against deception, but it is not popular teaching so therefore is not spoken of much from the pulpits these days. The congregations desire messages to soothe the soul and excite the heart, so that's what the leaders give them. However in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 we read the terrible consequences of accepting wrong teaching where it says that,
"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
You will be deceived yet not know it! You will think in your deluded mind that you are walking upon the straight and narrow path with your hand in the Lord's, presuming that all is well. You will accept grossly wrong teachings coming from the supposed servants of the Lord, not able to discern the error of their message, or their true character. Their reputations as men of God and powerful teachers of God's 'truth', not to mention their promotion by your own Pastor, will further conceal the evidence of the delusion and where the path is leading you eternally.
My burning passion to call my brothers and sisters in Pentecostalism to re-evaluate their traditional understanding of Acts chapter 2, and the phenomenon of drunkenness in the spirit that has resulted, has intensified as I watch a growing number of prominent, multi-million dollar ministries today who are promoting obvious, gross error and yet still believe that they are walking the straight and narrow path with the Lord. Worse still, I also see a great multitude of God's children, the sheep of His pasture, who have been given over to a strong delusion, accepting, supporting and propagating the teachings of these ministries. Even as I write the deception is compounding at an alarming rate.
The Progressive Delusion
The Toronto Blessing revival that 'officially' began in 1994 promoted drunkenness in the spirit as one of the main manifestations of the 'new' outpouring of God's Holy Spirit. People like Rodney Howard-Browne helped to spread this false understanding by calling himself the 'Holy Ghost Bartender' and encouraging God's people to "come to Joel's place and have another drink" or "be filled with the new wine." In other words, get drunk, it's permissible.
The day of Pentecost has progressively come to be equated with slurred and incoherent speech, staggering uncontrollably with a stupefied expression and shrieks of unbridled laughter. The outbreak and acceptance of the same manifestations at the Assemblies Of God church at Brownsville, Pensacola, gave respectability to the manifestations and further appeased the fears that most people initially experienced when first confronted with the Toronto Blessing phenomenon.
But as we have noted above in our study, when we accept something that is slightly wrong then it isn't too long before we accept something that is grossly wrong. If, eight or ten years ago, it would have been suggested to you that you would accept, as normal Christian life, the things that are being promoted today, you would have been repulsed. This is indication enough of the subtlety, progression and conditioning of false teaching.
Never A Sober Moment?
In 1997, the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship celebrated its 43rd month of 'renewal' with a conference that lasted four days (from Tuesday to Friday). This is the church from which, it is generally accepted, the Toronto Blessing came forth and spread throughout the Christian world. The promoters of this event gave the conference the blasphemous title, "Have Another Drink - Never A Sober Moment", signifying to the attendees that the focus of the conference would be upon drunkenness in the spirit. And that's exactly what happened.
I visited the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship's Internet home page to see if I could find any details of what happened at the conference. To my amazement I found that the proceedings of the conference had been documented and proudly posted up on their Internet site for all to see. I was absolutely astounded and horrified with what I read and I immediately saw first hand God's Word being fulfilled. It is evident to any discerning Christian that this church has been given over, by God, to a strong delusion and apostasy. I could not believe that the leadership of this church would openly confess to the foolishness and absurdity of what went on for four days, supposedly in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I will share some examples from their documents, asking that you please be aware that these documents have been written by the leadership of the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship and not by some 'Pharisee' who is trying to quench the spirit from within their midst. This is their own writings and the documents are available from their web site for any who would doubt the truthfulness of what I am saying.
An Un-Biblical Name
Firstly, the name "Have Another Drink - Never A Sober Moment" should ring alarm bells in the heart of any Bible believing Christian. Sure, most professing Christians have, over a period of time, accepted and become comfortable with the phrase, "have another drink." But what about "never a sober moment"? Doesn't this strange name for their conference sound a warning in your spirit when you hear it? It should! This is a clear example of the progressive degeneration that God promises He will give people over into if they refuse to receive a love of the truth. They can no longer hear any warnings in the spirit. These people from the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship are advocating that we should come to their conference, get drunk, and never be sober!
This is contrary to God's clear and solemn command which admonishes us to be sober and vigilant, particularly in the last days, for our own spiritual safety. This is not clutching at straws on my behalf, as some would accuse, because God is clear that He condemns not only physical drunkenness, which comes from drinking alcohol, but also spiritual drunkenness which comes from lack of vigilance and opening oneself up to foreign spirits. As there is a physical and a spiritual adultery - both of which are condemned in Scripture, there is a physical and a spiritual drunkenness, both of which are also condemned in Scripture.
Be Sober And Alert
There are a number of words in the original Greek language that have been translated as 'sober' in the English. They are as follows:
Sophron [so'-frone]; safe (sound) in mind, i.e. self-controlled (moderate as to opinion or passion): - discreet, sober, temperate.
Sophroneo [so-fron-eh'-o]; to be of sound mind, i.e. sane, moderate: - be in right mind, be sober minded, soberly.
Sophronizo [so-fron-id'-zo]; to make of sound mind, i.e. (figuratively) to discipline or correct, teach to be sober.
Nephaleos [nay-fal'-eh-os]; or Nephalios [nay-fal'-ee-os]; sober, i.e. circumspect, vigilant.
Nepho [nay'-fo]; to abstain from wine, keep sober, i.e. (figuratively) be discreet, be sober, watch.
As we see from this list, some of the words translated as 'sober' have a meaning that applies to being self controlled, disciplined, vigilant and soberly minded, whereas others have a meaning that applies to drinking of alcohol. By the use of these original Greek words we are able to differentiate between the spiritual and the physical and we find that spiritual drunkenness, along with physical drunkenness from alcohol, is soundly condemned in Scripture. Some pertinent Scripture passages follow:
1 Peter 4:7 "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober (sophroneo), and watch unto prayer."
1 Timothy 3:2-3 "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober (sophron), of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous."
1 Timothy 3:11 "Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober (nephaleos), faithful in all things."
1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober (nepho). For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober (nepho), putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."
1 Peter 1:13-16 "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober (nepho), and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober (nepho), be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
Titus 2:1-8 "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober (nephaleos), grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober (sophronizo), to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded (sophroneo). In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you."
A Tree Is Recognized By Its Fruit
Enough is enough. Whom shall ye serve? The Lord God? Or the promoters of drunkenness in the spirit? The name they chose for their conference gives them away. "Have Another Drink - Never A Sober Moment." It is by their (doctrinal) fruit that Jesus said we should know false teachers and false prophets. For those with eyes to see, the name of their conference clearly indicates wrong doctrine! They have a wrong concept of God and, therefore, have titled their conference with an un-Biblical name. This is ripening fruit, the result of wrong doctrine, the product of a tree, the roots of which are bad. It is not enough that the fruit should have been nipped in the bud, but this tree should be uprooted and cast into a fire!
Matthew 7:15-20 warns us,
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing (looking like Christian teachers), but inwardly they are ferocious wolves (heretics). By their fruit (their teaching - their doctrine) you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit (their doctrine) you will recognize them."
Matthew 12:33-37 also warns of false teaching.
"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree (false teacher) is recognized by its fruit (doctrine). You brood of vipers (false teachers), how can you who are evil say anything good (sound doctrine)? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good (sound doctrine) stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil (false doctrine - heresy) stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word (false doctrine) they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
These Scriptures have also been much abused by the false teachers who are promoting drunkenness in the spirit. "How can these new moves be wrong when we see so much fruit from their ministries?" I am continually asked - fruit being equated with converts. Well, in this logic, the New Age Movement is bearing much fruit and so are the Muslims, the JW's and the Masonic Lodge. However, the fruit spoken of in the above Scriptures is doctrinal! It has nothing to do with whether a person is displaying the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22, nor does it have reference to whether a ministry is gaining a huge following. "For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." This is speaking of false teachers and false prophets bringing forth doctrinal error to lead the children of God astray. They, and their followers, will be called to give an account on the day of judgement. The Scriptures assure us that this will be so.
However, if one wants to appeal to the good fruit that is resulting from these current 'new moves of God' then we must recognize that drunkenness is claimed by Scripture to be a work of the flesh and not of the Spirit of God. Galatians 5:22 lists the fruit of the Spirit, but the previous verses list the works of the flesh, and among the condemned is drunkenness. How much clearer must God be?
Foolishness In The House Of The Lord
As we proceed to read the first couple of paragraphs of the documentation that proudly relates to us what happened at the "Have Another Drink - Never A Sober Moment" conference it is obvious that total acceptance and uncontrolled abandonment to a spirit of drunkenness is the sign to these deluded people that God is pouring out His Holy Spirit afresh and blessing their 43rd month in 'renewal'. This example is verbatim from the Tuesday/Wednesday conference document displayed on their Internet site:
"If anyone had any concern that the Have Another Drink conference this week would get off to a slow start, those fears were quickly squelched. Not five minutes into the week-long festivities, you could see the main speakers stumbling toward the front of the auditorium in a drunken stupor!
Darrel Stott, John Scotland, Peter Jackson and Georgian Banov spent most of the morning session in a pile at the foot of the front row. About 1,500 worshippers flooded into the main sanctuary for the 10:30 a.m. meeting. As TACF celebrated its 43rd month of renewal, the festivities got off to a resounding start. Worship leader Jeremy Sinnott kicked off the morning with several of the renewal favorites as well as some new 'drinking songs' like "Intoxicated" by Chris Roe - a fitting theme for the conference. It was clear that worship, as usual, was going to be a highlight of the conference.
Ian Ross led the meeting in his typical fashion as he plodded along in a daze, trying to put together his thoughts enough to get his welcoming message across. "John asked that we give thought to uh…..something….." was about all the thought he could muster. "I'm so drunk, Janice (his wife) and I got the wrong teeth in this morning!" Trying to collect his thoughts wasn't working too well as Banov, Scotland and Stott were praying for him from their more-or-less prostrate position on the floor in front of him. It was clear from the first session that this was not going to be an average conference at TACF.
Before Darrel Stott came up to speak, John Scotland, from Liverpool, England, was introduced. When asked what his thoughts were on what he expected of the week, he immediately grabbed the microphone and yelled "OOOOOOHHHH" a few times before wobbling off to the side for prayer. We're still checking, but we think he may have actually said something in the five minutes he spent on the stage, but we're not too sure yet!
Darrel Stott, from Seattle, Washington, was an Assemblies of God pastor who innocently took a trip, paid for by his father, to Toronto in early '95 and has never been the same. The intriguing part about Darrel was that although he was in a drunken daze, babbling aimlessly and sounding a lot like George of the Jungle in his sleep, between all of this, he would preach like a Southern Baptist Minister. He would come out with fiery charges to the audience, reminding them of the calling and the power that God is ready to anoint them with, but then returning to his dizzy state of babbling while holding on to the glass podium for dear life. A truly fascinating sight to watch, but the display also reminded us that although what God is doing on the outside may look funny, what He is doing on the inside is quite powerful. He also made a serious comment to the general audience: "If you're pretending to be drunk, knock it off," a good point to make to start the conference off right and a reminder to those who may have come to take advantage of a rather - shall we say - 'loose' week."
Anyone who can read this foolishness and still claim that God is at work in these meetings needs to seriously consider what I have written above in this article regarding delusion.
It is obvious that something is terribly amiss in Christendom when so-called Christian leaders will promote this ridiculous and blasphemous practice instead of standing up in their pulpits and denouncing it plainly for all to hear. God is not mocked, not even by people who have 'innocently' been led astray by these false teachers an false prophets. It's time to get back to the Word of God and seek His face in repentance for the foolishness that has been promoted in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The unsaved blaspheme and mock the true Church of God because of the absurdity and insanity (such as is recorded above) that is being broadcast for all the world to see.
Salt and Light
Sometime during 1996 or 1997, while still attending Cairns Christian Centre (AOG), a visiting pastor testified that he and his wife had visited the Toronto Church and had received a real blessing. He recounted a story to us of a meeting that they had attended where he had become so 'drunk in the spirit' and full of the 'laughter' that his wife had to push him around in a wheel chair. He was unable to walk and could not speak coherently. His wife thought it was quite funny and even took photographs of him in the wheelchair. When they arrived back at the hotel where they were staying, they got into a lift where they encountered a man who was really drunk (not spiritually, but physically) clutching a bottle of alcohol. As he excitedly related his experience to the congregation, the pastor graphically portrayed himself to the people as a drunk attempting to have a conversation with this other drunken person. The real drunk mistook the pastor to be in the same condition as himself. He genuinely mistook him for a drunk.
What has happened to the Scripture that admonishes us to abstain from all appearance of evil? Drunkenness is a curse on our society! Along with drugs, drunkenness is the major evil facing our society today. It is the major evil facing our youth and is responsible for more broken relationships and wrecked homes, in all culture groups, than any other single influence. Shouldn't we be out there helping people to get out of drunkenness - helping them to be free of the curse of drugs, alcohol and drunkenness? Aren't we called to be salt and light in a world that is perishing and going off to hell while we play our silly little games? How could this Pastor possibly be salt to the drunken man in the lift when he couldn't even speak coherently, causing the drunken man in the lift to mistakenly think that he also was drunk on alcohol? How could he possibly be light to the drunken man in the lift when he reflected with his very actions that he supported the evil and darkness of alcoholism? He has becoming salt that has lost its saltiness and light that has lost its illumination. He has also placed a stumbling block in front of a lost soul that Christ died for.
All that the drunks of this world need is an excuse for their actions, something that will appease the voice of their conscience which continues, for a time, to tell them that what they are doing to their lives is wrong. All they need is confirmation that everything is alright when they have squandered their money on alcohol and their family has to go without. All they need is something that will appease their conscience and help them to be comfortable with what they are doing instead of making the effort to listen to what the voice of their conscience says and kick the habit. All they need is a "minister of the Gospel" to give them license and show them that it is acceptable to be a drunken no-hoper.
The words of Jesus, as recorded in three of the Gospels, resound down through 2000 years, and should strike icy fear in the hearts of these foolish people,
"If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!"
Galatians 5:19-23 inform us,
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
God calls drunkenness an act of the sinful nature yet we are being taught by our leaders to say that it is a blessing from the Holy Spirit. "But it is not alcohol" you say. "This is different." Then we are further told to abstain from all appearance of evil. You can not reconcile this behaviour from Scripture!
Anyone who thinks that drunkenness can be made holy or glorified in some way, or that it is acceptable behaviour in the eyes of the Lord, has never had to experience growing up as a child with a drunken parent, or parents, or some other member of the family. They have never witnessed the sheer terror of violence and abuse that goes hand in hand with drunkenness. Perhaps these people grew up in nice homes and have not had the experience of never knowing love coming from a parent because of alcoholism. There are multitudes of women and children in our society today that are only receiving violence and misery, instead of love, from an alcoholic dad or husband. They see their dad, or their husband, drunk each night, staggering around, speaking incoherently and then they are asked come to Church to witness the same actions coming from men and women who supposedly represent God.
How dare we, the Church of Jesus Christ, through our witness and example, give license to the deeds of darkness that are tearing at the very fabric of our society. How dare we put a stumbling block in front of people who have grown up, or are growing up, with an alcoholic parent and we make light of their intolerable experience. What type of witness do we present to these miserable souls when we invite them to join us in our drunkenness? Because of my own tormented childhood I can empathise with what happens when these people encounter someone who is acting drunk. There is suspicion and fear - not laughter and rejoicing. The memories of the horror of their dad would cause these people to run in the other direction.
According to this pastor he was still in a drunken condition the next morning when he awoke. He confessed that when he struggled out of bed he staggered into a wall. And the congregation laughed and thought it was funny. This is the same way that multitudes of children are greeted by their drunken and hung-over fathers first thing every day.
This kind of behaviour is attributed to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is because he has been drinking of the new wine at Joel's bar according to Rodney Howard Brown and his devotees. I believe that this is blasphemy. We are forever cautioned not to speak against this 'new move of God' lest we be guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit by attributing what He is doing to the Devil. It seems to me that people are not so cautious in attributing something that perhaps the Devil is doing to the Holy Spirit. So often I have heard the remark, "I am not sure what is going on, but I don't want to miss out on what is happening, just in case it is the Holy Spirit." And also, "Everybody else is joining in. Surely all these people can't be wrong can they? God wouldn't give you a stone if you ask for bread. Would He?" They are not sure, but, amazingly, they are joining in anyway.
Is There Such A Thing?
Do I believe in "spiritual drunkenness"? I would like to assure you that I do believe in "spiritual drunkenness". I have stated above that I do not believe that there is a 'gift' of spiritual drunkenness coming from the Lord, but I do, however, believe in spiritual drunkenness. But Scripture shows that it is not a gift - it is a curse, coming from God, upon a disobedient and rebellious people - people who have walked away from God's truth to embrace foreign gods like an adulterous wife!
As we have seen from the above Scriptural examples, God is constantly admonishing us to be sober and vigilant.
There is no contradiction in the Word of God. His Word is Truth. For God to tell us that it's acceptable to be in a drunken stupor, unable to think straight or exercise self-control is contradictory to many Scriptures that plainly condemn such practices. If you are looking for justification to support your doctrine of drunkenness in the spirit, then by twisting and stretching Scripture you can make a flimsy appeal to the account of the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 to bolster your claim, however, as I have pointed out in this article, the accounts of Cornelius, his family and his friends as recorded in Acts chapters 10 and 11 do not support drunkenness in the spirit as being a sign that one has received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In the following Scriptural references it is obvious that the promotion of drunkenness in the spirit, uncontrollable laughter and roaring like lions, three manifestations popularly endorsed and propagated by the Toronto Blessing movement, are a curse and not a blessing.
In Isaiah 29:9-10 we read,
"Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered."
Also, in Jeremiah 51:37-45 we find the pertinent Scripture that applies to Babylon. Keep in mind that this Babylon refers to the apostate religious system, the same religious system that will prevail during the Church age and climax in the world wide united 'church', Mystery Babylon, Mother of Harlots.
"Babylon will be a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, an object of horror and scorn, a place where no one lives. Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs. But while they are aroused, I will set out a feast for them and make them drunk, so that they shout with laughter - then sleep forever and not awake," declares the Lord. "I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats. How Sheshach will be captured, the boast of the whole earth seized! What a horror Babylon will be among the nations! The sea will rise over Babylon; its roaring waves will cover her. Her towns will be desolate, a dry and desert land, a land where no one lives, through which no man travels. I will punish Bel in Babylon and make him spew out what he has swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him. And the wall of Babylon will fall. Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the Lord."
In the Book of Revelation we find the same warning to God's people who have been caught up in Babylon, the apostate religious system, at the end of the age.
Revelation 18:1-5 tells us,
"And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."
Come Out Of Her, My People
If you are reading this and have been caught up in the foolishness and deception of the Toronto Blessing or Pensacola movements, you should take heed of the Word of God which clearly denounces the things that are being promoted. You don't have to twist Scripture or take verses out of context to see which way God thinks about these goings on. God is urgently calling His people to repent of their error and come out from within this apostate system. His mercy and pardon is available to all who will heed the call,
"Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues"
The trumpet is sounding and time is running out.
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