July 31, 1997 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - In a June 14 report, "Laughing Revival Comes to Seattle," we noted that the Charismatic Laughing Revival, otherwise known as the "Toronto Blessing" and the "Pensacola Outpouring," has arrived in Seattle, Washington. During visits to the Toronto Vineyard Church in Ontario in 1994, three Seattle pastors received the strange laughter "anointing" and banded together to hold joint weekend meetings to promote the experience they obtained from Toronto. (The Toronto Vineyard Church broke with the Vineyard association in 1995 and is now called the Toronto Airport Church.) They call these weekend meetings the Seattle Revival Center. The pastors are Darrel Stott of Lake Boren Christian Center, Steve Richard of Freedom Life Foursquare, and Wayne Anderson of International Church. They said they "got drunk in the Holy Ghost" in Toronto.

ECUMENICAL UNITY

One of the fruits of this "anointing" has been ecumenical unity and an unwillingness to critique the movement carefully by the Word of God. Charisma magazine noted that "IN A CLIMATE THAT ENCOURAGES UNITY, SOME PASTORS HAVE AVOIDED DISSENSION BY KEEPING PRIVATE THEIR CRITICISM OF THE RENEWAL AND ITS ACCOMPANYING TORONTO BLESSING-TYPE MANIFESTATIONS, which are occurring in some Seattle churches. Few leaders have publicly criticized churches at the forefront of renewal" ("Renewal Movement Sweeps Seattle," Charisma, April 1997, p. 31).

Stott said, "We’re convinced that holding renewal meetings is part of GOD’S PLAN TO PUSH DOWN DENOMINATIONAL WALLS and allow us to work together to reach our city" (Ibid., p. 32).

The call for the destruction of denominational walls fails to observe that a large percentage of denominations and of individual assemblies are apostate and do not preach the faith once delivered to the saints. Do these laughing revival pastors believe God suddenly has lost interest in purity of doctrine? Why would the Lord say so much about doctrinal purity in His Word and then ignore it in practice today by calling for the walls between truth and error to be removed? Timothy was instructed to allow NO OTHER DOCTRINE to be taught at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3). Timothy was given the truth by the Apostles and his job was to hold fast to that very doctrine and to allow absolutely no foreign doctrine to be taught. That is extremely strict, but that is exactly what we are commissioned to do today. We are to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3), referring, of course, to the body of truth delivered to us in the New Testament Scriptures.

I decided to examine the Seattle laughing revival more closely, and at the Seattle Revival Center web site I found some books advertised which contain the testimony of one of the pastors involved, Darrel Stott. I purchased two of these, It’s My Party and I Will Laugh if I Want to and Does the Devil Make Them Do It. The former has a note on the cover which says, "For Drunks Only!" The latter has a note saying, "Warning: For spiritual drunks only! Reading this book can really ‘mess you up!’" The books, of course, are apologetics for the laughing revival. The following is a review of these books.

STRANGE, UNSCRIPTURAL EXPERIENCES

The following is Pastor Stott’s description of his experiences in Toronto in October 1994:

"I walked to the front of the church to a man who was wearing a ministry team tag. He asked me if I wanted prayer and I quickly said, ‘Yes.’

"He said, ‘Sir, you have really been hurt bad. Your heart is full of darts ... let me pull them out.’ He took his hand and began to pull invisible darts out of me. Next, he said I was covered with dust and he took his hands and began to dust me off. I was thinking this is not the way we pray for people.

"A couple of weeks earlier, I walked into our sanctuary and prayed. ‘Lord we have a beautiful new church, new homes are being built around us and yet our church is not growing. Why? I feel like I have been cursed with a curse.’

"Then the man said, ‘Sir, you have been cursed with a curse ... the curse is broken.’ As he prayed, I FELT STRENGTH LEAVE MY LEGS AND I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE FLOOR. It was the first time in my life that I had ever fallen under the anointing. ... THE POWER OF GOD HIT ME ON THE TOP OF MY HEAD AND WENT RIPPING THROUGH MY BODY UNTIL IT HIT MY LEGS AND THEY FLEW UP IN THE AIR. ... Then about fifteen minutes later the power of God hit me again and my legs flew in the air. This happened about six different times. ... Then suddenly the joy of the Lord fell on me and I LAUGHED UNTIL I THOUGHT I WOULD EXPLODE, ROLLING BACK AND FORTH INTO CHAIRS. ...

"I staggered back to Tony, Jerry, and Steve. ... all I knew was that I felt like a drunk and I knew I could not drive the rental car. I was the only one with the insurance. I gave the keys to Steve. ... We had not driven a mile when the joy of the Lord hit me again. My head went to Steve’s lap and then down to the floor and my feet went up in the air. I could barely stand it. I felt like I was going to explode. Then the joy of the Lord hit Steve while he was driving. He quickly pulled the car off the road and jumped out of the car. ... Now Jerry was driving and he went only a very short distance. POW!!!! The joy of the Lord hit Tony in the passenger’s seat. God obviously had sent us Jerry to be our designated driver. ... As WE STAGGERED OUT OF THE CAR and began to walk toward the restaurant, the anointing hit all of us at the same time. We went running for posts to hang on to as we laughed under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We rested for a moment and tried again to approach the restaurant. Again the joy of the Lord hit us! POW! We again grabbed posts and went swinging around them as we laughed. It was obvious we were not going to make it into the restaurant so we piled back into the car. ...

"Let me skip over the rest of the day and take you to what happened in our second service. ... When the speaker began to preach he said he had a very serious sermon and didn’t want any distractions. ... You won’t believe what happened next. I felt a wonderful warm feeling on my head that flowed down my body like I had never experienced before. I felt laughter bubbling in my belly. Then I began to laugh softly and slide down in my chair ... ALL OF A SUDDEN, I DID A FLIP AND FOUND MYSELF WITH MY HEAD ON STEVE AND MY LEGS FLOPPING IN THE AIR. ...

"My father, a Pentecostal preacher for years, used to say, ‘It is better felt than telt.’ ANOTHER JOLT OF THE ANOINTING HIT ME AND I FLIPPED OFF MY FRIEND’S LAPS AND ONTO THE FLOOR. My behavior was not acceptable to the minister preaching. Steve told me later that the same phenomenon was happening all across the room. ...

"Monday night, after arriving back from Niagara Falls, we took some time for Bible study before going to bed. ... All of a sudden, A GIANT EARTHQUAKE TOOK PLACE. I saw the furniture go up in the air and come crashing down ... boom! ... We went to bed and all of a sudden the power of God came into the bedroom and I started shaking. I said, ‘Steve are you awake?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘I think God is here. His presence is all over me.’ ...

"Just before noon, I rode the elevator up to our room. I began to walk down the hall and I HAD A SECOND LARGE EARTHQUAKE. I QUICKLY GRABBED THE WALL AS THE FLOOR BUCKLED IN TWO TO THREE FOOT SWELLS IN FRONT OF ME. I calmed myself and concluded that this might be something spiritual. I walked a few more feet and had a third large earthquake as the halls rolled again at the same magnitude in front of me. When I went back downstairs, I introduced myself to a man who had come to the meetings for his third time. ... I was embarrassed as I TOLD HIM I WAS HAVING EARTHQUAKE PROBLEMS AND FELT LIKE I WAS LOSING MY MIND. He said, ‘Darrel, these floors are concrete and they are about eight inches thick with carpet glued on top of them.’ I said, ‘Yes, I believe that.’ Then he said, ‘LAST NIGHT THE FLOOR IN MY ROOM WAS ROLLING ALL NIGHT LONG.’ I quickly gathered this was a common spiritual manifestation and I felt much better! I think God was trying to tell me He was really going to shake up my life! ...

"Pastor Wayne Anderson had told Steve and me that the ‘pastors’ meeting was the highlight of the week. ... When they invited some pastors to come up and share at the end, I NOTICED MY LEFT HAND BEGAN TO TWITCH AND JERK AND THEN MY ENTIRE BODY TOOK OFF VIBRATING. ... The man doing the moderating said, ‘Would some of you men pick up that man in the black shirt and lay him in the aisle?’ I VAGUELY REMEMBER THEM PICKING ME UP AND LEAVING ME TO SHAKE AND VIBRATE IN THE CENTER AISLE. ... Right from the beginning, Pastor Steve, whom I really ‘tolerated’ before coming to Toronto, began TO TAKE CARE OF ME IN MY DRUNKENNESS. ...

"From the very beginning, I noticed that when I would walk past various Asian people lying on the floor, the anointing would come mightily upon them. Then I had an interesting experience: An Asian man yelled at me from the bookstore not to look at him and when I did, the power and joy of the Lord hit him. ... Earlier in the day I had been downstairs in the men’s restroom where it was cool with very few people. It was what I needed. ... I happily sat down in peace and quiet when suddenly the door burst open and two men entered laughing loudly. ... Immediately, THE POWER OF GOD HIT ONE MAN AT THE URINAL AND HE LET OUT A YELL. I could not resist seeing what was happening. I opened the door a little and watched him yelling, laughing and ‘going’ all over the place. In just a few seconds, the power of God hit the other man in the next stall, and me at the same time. We both began to yell and laugh. ...

"After the evening service, Tony, Steve and I were staggering down the hall back to our rooms. We met two young Asian men and when my eyes met theirs, I was immediately on the floor and so were they. We went rolling and laughing. ... People would crawl over us to get to their rooms. ...

"I came upon some people doing ‘carpet time.’ Across from them was a man wearing a ministry team tag ... this man crawled over by me and touched me on the knee. When he did, SO MUCH POWER WENT THROUGH MY BODY THAT IT SHOCKED ME TO THE POINT THAT IT HURT. ... When I opened my eyes, this man was slowly crawling toward me [again] and there was no way out! I felt just like a little kid who was about to be tickled and could not get away. I folded my arms over my ribs and waited for him to touch me. He crawled over and put both hands on me. ... WHEN HE LIFTED HIS HANDS OFF ME, I GAVE A LITTLE ROLL TO ROLL OUT OF THE CORNER BUT IT WAS LIKE I WAS SHOT OUT OF A SUPERSONIC CANNON. I WENT ROLLING AT SUPER SONIC SPEEDS DOWN THE HALLWAY WITH NO EFFORT AT ALL. I had one thought going through my mind as the brick walls and people whipped past me: ‘A man could get hurt doing this!’ This is the truth. When I came to the main hallway, I turned, as if I were programmed, to the right and continued my rolling for about another hundred feet and crashed under some tables holding coffee pots. I was not the least bit dizzy or tired. There was no effort to it. ...

"I said to Steve, ‘Let’s go find Tony and get him prayed for.’ We looked through the bodies all over the floor until we found Tony with his big smile and red nose. HE WAS NOT ONLY DRUNK IN THE HOLY GHOST BUT HE LOOKED PHYSICALLY DRUNK IN EVERY WAY. I said, ‘Tony, Steve and I met this man with a powerful anointing and you have just got to get prayed for by him!’ Off we went to try the spirit again. I was still not convinced this was God. How could this man send me rolling like that? Tony fell down after being prophesied over. I said, ‘Tony, this is Darrel. Was the word he said over you right on?’ He said it was the best and most accurate word he had at the conference. ‘Tony, do you think it was God?’ He answered, ‘Darrel, I have gone down under the anointing a lot this week, but if there ever were a man that had a word of knowledge for me it was from this man that just prayed for me.’ When Tony said that, it confirmed in my spirit that this was a man of God and what I had experienced was from the Lord. ...

"As I lay on the floor in the Constellation Hotel I began to think about going home. Many people had come up to me and asked how my congregation was going to respond when I arrived home. ... Then I began to think about my wife and children. How would they react when they saw me. IT WOULD BE LIKE HAVING A NEW HUSBAND AND FATHER WHO WAS DISABLED BY THE ANOINTING OF GOD. I WOULD VIBRATE, SHAKE, FALL AND LAUGH FOR NO KNOWN REASON. As I was lying on the floor thinking and praying for them, the man that sent me rolling came and stood over me. He said, ‘Darrel, don’t worry. What you are praying for, God has already taken care of.’ Wow. This man was really reading my mail! ...

"Later on the flight [back home], Steve handed me a note. It read, ‘Darrel, I cannot talk.’ I laughed and said, ‘Oh sure!’ It never dawned on me what he was trying to communicate. Then he wrote another note, ‘Darrel I really cannot talk!’ THE LORD TOOK HIS VOICE AWAY like Zachariah and he was mute for 11 days. ...

"As the luggage began to go around in front of me, the joy of the Lord hit me and I bent over the luggage while shaking and laughing loudly. ... I put in a cassette tape of Vineyard music as we rode along. I WAS STILL JERKING SOFTLY ALL THE WAY HOME. People would drive up beside us and look in the window and watch me jerk. Debbie told me later that she was very concerned and did not know whether to take me home or to the hospital. I lay back and closed my eyes and put a hand of reassurance on her shoulder for some time. I could see tears slowly run down her cheeks as no one spoke. LATER SHE TOLD ME THAT WHEN I TOOK MY HAND OFF HER SHOULDER THE HEAT STAYED FOR A LONG TIME WHERE MY HAND HAD BEEN. Years before the Lord had healed her and when He did, a heat went into her body just like had come from my hand. She recognized the presence of the Lord and began to relax, knowing that whatever had happened to her husband was indeed God. ...

"The next morning, I drove to McDonalds early for breakfast. Coming back to the church, I NOTICED I WAS DRIVING 20 MPH IN A 40 MPH ZONE AND THAT I WAS DRIVING ALL OVER THE ROAD. ... My youth pastor, Trevor Ming, was leading the music. He said, ‘Let’s all stop and have a few moments of silence before the Lord.’ At that moment the joy of the Lord hit me and I DID A SOMERSAULT OFF THE FRONT ROW AND BEGAN TO LAUGH HYSTERICALLY. ... I ENDED UP WITH MY FEET UP IN THE AIR ON THE LAP OF PASTOR WAYNE ANDERSON. Later, as I started drunkenly sharing with my congregation what happened to me in Toronto, I knew they were going to react one way or the other. ... ONE OF THE ELDER’S WIVES, GAIL HOMAN, WAS KNOCKED OUT OF HER CHAIR FOUR TIMES DURING THE SERVICE AND EVEN HAD HER FACE STUCK TO THE FLOOR" (Darrel Stott, It’s My Party and I Will Laugh if I Want to!, Seattle: Seattle Revival Center, 1995).
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Friends, this is a sad and fearful testimony. Pastor Stott, in his desperation, sought help from an unscriptural movement and was deceived by the miraculous things he experienced. The Apostle Paul warned against the uncontrolled pandemonium that is characteristic of the laughing revival. The church at Corinth was involved in abuse of spiritual things and as a result the services were characterized by disorder and confusion. This is precisely what we see in the laughing revival. The Apostle Paul rebuked such things and stated that God does not act this way. He said it is important that everything be done decently and in order, that disorder is not of God and causes the unsaved to think we are crazy (1 Cor. 14:23,29-33,40). The true prophet of God remains in control of himself (verse 32). The Holy Spirit does not throw His people to the ground and give them uncontrollable fits of laughter or cause them to be staggering drunk. That is not how the Bible describes the joy of the Lord or the power of God. We do not see such things in the New Testament apostolic churches described for us in the pages of Scripture. We are to keep the pattern given to us by the Apostles (1 Cor. 11:1-2). When we do so, we are protected from the wildfire which the devil uses to lead people out of the right way, the extraneous signs and wonders which will characterize the end of this age (Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:7-9). The Lord warned that the deception of the last days will be so great, because of signs and wonders, that "if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:24). We believe it is possible for the elect to be deceived, at least temporarily. The Apostle Paul warned the church at Corinth that it was in danger of being deceived by the devil to accept a false spirit (2 Cor. 11:1-4). This is because they were carnal and were not a careful, discerning people.

DRUNK IN THE SPIRIT?

As for the so-called drunkenness in the Spirit, it is nowhere to be found in the Scriptures. Those who promote the laughing revival grossly abuse the passage in Acts chapter 2 in an attempt to prove that the Apostles were drunk in the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This is nonsense. Those who said the disciples were "full of new wine" were the mockers who wanted to debunk the miracle of tongues which was occurring (Acts 2:13). The mockers did not say the disciples were drunken because they were staggering about and slurred in speech and falling to the ground, but because of the many languages which were used to preach the Gospel that day and because they wanted to slander the apostles. In his reply to these mockers, PETER PLAINLY SAID THEY WERE NOT DRUNKEN (Acts 2:15). In Ephesians 5:18 Paul CONTRASTS drunkenness with the filling of the Spirit. The drunk is not in control of himself but is under the power of a foreign substance. In contrast, the Spirit-filled Christian is entirely in control of himself under the direction of the Holy Spirit. There is absolutely no case in the New Testament of the Lord Jesus Christ or the Apostles or early Christians staggering about in a drunken stupor, unable to attend to necessary duties, as those in the laughing revival are experiencing. THE CHRISTIAN IS COMMANDED TO BE SOBER AT ALL TIMES (1 Thess. 5:6,8; 1 Tim. 3:2,11; Titus 1:8; 2:2,4,6; 1 Pet. 1:13; 4:7; 5:8). If for no other reason, I would reject the laughing revival on this basis alone. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

SPIRITUAL DISCOURAGEMENT

Those who accept this strange phenomenon often do so because of desperation. Pastor Stott explains that he was on the verge of complete pastoral "burn out" prior to going to Toronto—

"Adding to my frustration was the fact that I had gone through heart surgery two years earlier, to be followed by back surgery. Recovering from my physical surgeries left me emotionally worn-out. I knew of only one solution: I would not only resign the church, but I would quit the ministry entirely and go into sales. What God had called me to was not happening. I thought I was called to preach, but now I found myself physically, emotionally and spiritually burned out" ("It’s My Party and I Will Laugh if I Want to," Seattle: Seattle Revival Center, 1995, p. 12).

At the urging of some pastor friends and his own father, who is a former Pentecostal preacher, Stott went to Toronto in the fall of 1994. There he experienced incredible things which convinced him God was doing a new work in his life and leading him into new things in his ministry.

This is a common testimony of those who have accepted the laughing revival. They are "burned out," discouraged, sick, downhearted, miserable, dissatisfied with the routine of life, defeated, seemingly barren. In an act of desperation they seek a touch from God in the midst of the laughing revival, and suddenly they have new enthusiasm.

WHERE IS SPIRITUAL VICTORY TO BE FOUND?

Brethren, do not be deceived by the devil’s lie. There are many causes for spiritual discouragement, and there are also proper biblical solutions to this problem, but one of the proper solutions is not the laughing revival. This alleged cure is far worse than the problem!

A CHIEF CAUSE FOR SPIRITUAL DISCOURAGEMENT IS AN UNREGENERATE CONDITION. Many who think of themselves as Christians have never been born again in a biblical sense. They have been baptized and catechised but never regenerated by repentance and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Pastor Stott, who visited a conference at the Toronto Airport Church to seek the laughter anointing, testified that most of the visitors were from Church of England, Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, and Catholic denominations. Those who grow up in such denominations are commonly in the condition just described. The Lord Jesus Christ explained to Nicodemus, a very religious and morally upright man, that he had to be born again or he would never see the kingdom of God (John 3:3,5). Christ explained that there is a birth of water and a birth of the spirit. The water birth is the natural birth. We are born in a sack of water. The spiritual birth is the second birth. It is just as real as the first birth, but it is not physical. The new birth is not a process; it is an event. A person who is born again knows it and can tell you how and when it happened. Christ went on to explain that a person is born again when he places his faith in the fact that the Lord Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). It is that simple, but multitudes have not been taught this simple Bible Gospel and have thereby missed the salvation of God. Instead of confidently trusting the finished work of Christ, these are attempting to help Christ save them through sacraments, priests, churches, good works, keeping the "golden rule," etc. Those who attempt to live the Christian life without having been born again are attempting an exercise in futility, and they usually become discouraged in the process. In such cases, the cure for the spiritual discouragement is to be born again by repenting of one’s sin, rejecting false Christianity, and placing complete trust in the finished work of the blessed Lord Jesus Christ. One needs the testimony of the Apostle Peter: "Thou hast the words of eternal life. And WE BELIEVE AND ARE SURE that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God" (John 6:68-69). This confidence in Christ is genuine saving faith, and from such faith flows a genuine Christian life.

A SECOND CAUSE FOR SPIRITUAL DISCOURAGEMENT IS SIN AND CARNALITY: SPIRITUAL CARELESSNESS, UNCONFESSED SIN, LOVE OF THE WORLD, A DIVIDED HEART. This condition is called backsliding, and it can happen gradually and almost imperceptibly. Sin is allowed to remain unconfessed. Devotion to the Lord wanes. Love for the world enters into the heart. Spiritual zeal and burden dissipates. Bible reading and prayer are no longer a joy. Church attendance becomes a burden. The believers at Ephesus had fallen into this condition, and the Lord Jesus Christ had to warn them that they had left their first love (Rev. 2:4). The solution was to "remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works" (Rev. 2:5). Confess the sin that has been allowed to creep unconfessed into the life. Turn from it, and return to the first works of fellowship with and service to Christ. Whatever is hindering your spiritual purity and zeal, put it away. Put the Bible back into first place in your life. Dedicate your life anew to His service and be busy again witnessing for Him and pleasing Him in all things. Protect your heart from evil influences which have come in to hinder your holiness before God. Walk with the Lord throughout the day in unbroken fellowship. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and confess your sins quickly. It is also important to seek help from your spiritual leaders and from mature and godly believers. "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).

There are many other things involved with having spiritual victory in the Christian life, but the point is that the Bible never offers a strange spiritual experience as victory over spiritual discouragement and impotency. The apostolic churches of the first century had many serious problems. There were all sorts of sins manifest in the believers’ lives. The Apostles never instructed them to experience anything like the things we witness in the laughing revival today. READ THE EPISTLES. THOSE ARE GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL VICTORY; AND, PRAISE THE LORD, WE DON’T NEED ANYTHING ELSE. The Bible is able to make the man of God perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17). THE "SECRET" TO SPIRITUAL VICTORY IS NO SECRET AT ALL. IT IS GROWTH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (2 PETER 1:3-11). Spiritual victory is patiently, day by day, year by year, growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). There is no short cut. There is no promise from God’s Word that we can attain an immediate level of perfection or be placed beyond the normal struggles of life through some strange spiritual experience. All such promises by men today are deceptions.

ANOTHER CAUSE FOR SPIRITUAL DISCOURAGEMENT IS THE NORMAL STRUGGLES OF LIFE. The fact is that God has not promised that the believer will have an experience of perfect victory in this present life. The "normal Christian life," though blessing filled, involves discouragement, trial, difficulty, dryness of soul, pain, sickness, sorrow, conflict, seemingly unanswered prayers, routine, apparent defeat in some instances, even some uncertainty and perplexity. Consider the following verses—

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that THE WHOLE CREATION GROANETH AND TRAVAILETH IN PAIN TOGETHER UNTIL NOW. AND NOT ONLY THEY, BUT OURSELVES ALSO, WHICH HAVE THE FIRSTFRUITS OF THE SPIRIT, EVEN WE OURSELVES GROAN WITHIN OURSELVES, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it" (Romans 8:18-25).

"Wherein ye greatly rejoice, THOUGH NOW FOR A SEASON, IF NEED BE, YE ARE IN HEAVINESS THROUGH MANIFOLD TEMPTATIONS: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6,7).

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, THERE WAS GIVEN TO ME A THORN IN THE FLESH, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN TO BUFFET ME, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. THEREFORE I TAKE PLEASURE IN INFIRMITIES, IN REPROACHES, IN NECESSITIES, IN PERSECUTIONS, IN DISTRESSES FOR CHRIST’S SAKE: FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN AM I STRONG" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

"AS SORROWFUL, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; AS HAVING NOTHING, and yet possessing all things" (2 Corinthians 6:10).

"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of OUR TROUBLE WHICH CAME TO US IN ASIA, THAT WE WERE PRESSED OUT OF MEASURE, ABOVE STRENGTH, INSOMUCH THAT WE DESPAIRED EVEN OF LIFE: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us" (2 Corinthians 1:8-10).

"Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and WAS FULL OF HEAVINESS, because that ye had heard that HE HAD BEEN SICK. For indeed HE WAS SICK NIGH UNTO DEATH: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" (Philippians 2:25-27).

"IS ANY AMONG YOU AFFLICTED? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms" (James 5;13).

"Erastus abode at Corinth: but TROPHIMUS HAVE I LEFT AT MILETUM SICK" (2 Timothy 4:20).

"In WEARINESS AND PAINFULNESS, in watchings often, in HUNGER AND THIRST, in fastings often, in COLD AND NAKEDNESS. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches" (2 Corinthians 11:27,28).

We see from these Scriptures that the normal Christian life is not freedom from trial and struggle. Though redeemed, we are still subject to the pain of this sin-sick world. The perfect victory for which we long is something we hope for, not something we presently experience. When we are in glory and have our resurrection bodies, then we will enjoy the perfect experience for which we so earnestly long. Then we will be eternally free from this sin-crazed world and incessant spiritual warfare and this body of death which drags us down.

The Psalms were written to encourage us in our walk with God, and they show us that we can expect many struggles in our spiritual journey through this life. Psalm 119 is the record of the man of God who loves God’s Word. It is literally filled with trial and struggle. Do not be deceived into thinking that you will be free from this experience.

"My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word" (Psalm 119:25).

"My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word" (Psalm 119:28).

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" (Psalm 119:71).

"Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me? For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes" (Psalm 119:82,83).

"They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts" (Psalm 119:87).

"I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word" (Psalm 119:107).

"My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law" (Psalm 119:109).

"Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights" (Psalm 119:143).

"Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law" (Psalm 119:153).

"I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments" (Psalm 119:176).

Brethren, do not forget God’s promise, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9). God has not promised to remove all of our problems, but to be with us through the problems. We are not saved by sight but by hope. Hebrews describes two kinds of faith which God gives to His people at various times: overcoming (Heb. 11:29-35a) and enduring (Heb. 11:35b-38). It is not our right to demand of God what kind of faith He will give in a particular situation. In the article "My Experience with the Charismatic Movement" (which we published via the Fundamental Baptist News Service on June 17, 1997), I describe a temptation which came to me in an hour of discouragement to seek the Charismatic experience. The temptation to do so is not of God, and the experience is a deception.