"Several years ago I was preaching in West Africa, and a young man was struck by the power of God on the streets right outside the facility I was preaching in. He froze in his tracks and couldn't move. Where is the example of that in the Bible?" - Bert Farias
Besides the subjective commentary attached with this experience, who is to say that it was God at all? Why was the freezing in his tracks necessary? Why would God add to his word about the experience of hearing the gospel preached? Simple answer - He wouldn't.
"There are fewer than 200 miracles in the Bible. Does that mean God is limited to less than 200 miracles among us today?" - Bert Farias
Not at all! Pay close attention now though. The issue is not what God and God cannot do. It is when man adds his own personal swag to it. The bible says to have the elders pray over the sick but that's not radical enough for charismaniacs! No, let's drop kick them off the altar for their healing and then dare to challenge people who have the temerity to question the biblical nature of such nonsense. It is not enough that the bible implores us to godly contentment. The charismaniac must roll around on the ground laughing like an idiot to prove they are more spiritual.
"I've been in meetings when the Spirit of God was in manifestation and believers broke out into great joy and dancing. Where is that in the Bible? There are many professing Christians who don't believe in dancing because they don't see it in the Bible. They don't believe in holy laughter because they don't see it in the Bible. But the Bible commands us to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), and these are examples of what happens when people are filled with the Spirit. In other words, dancing and holy laughter are outflows of being filled with the Holy Spirit. We can be so filled with the Spirit that we are drunk. Well, you can imagine a number of things a drunk person would do when he's under the influence. We are supposed to live that way, peopleunder the influence of the Holy Ghost! That's God's best for us. Glory to God!" - Bert Farias
Great joy and dancing are found throughout the bible! Mixing that in here with things like holy laughter is absurd. The Ephesian verse actually says do not get drunk but instead be filled with the spirit. So being filled with the spirit must be unlike the drunk experience. Hear me well. You cannot be drunk on the Holy Spirit. It runs contrary to the fruits of the spirit! How can you exhibit any self-control if you are drunk! Realize what Farias is saying here. That God's best for us is to stagger around as if we were drunk. How ridiculous. Even at Pentecost when the people accused the new spirit led disciples with being drunk, Peter corrected them. We are supposed to live in step with the word of God through the illumination of scripture provided by the Holy Spirit.
"It's amazing the number of things so-called believers refuse to believe because they can't find them in the Bible. Some don't even believe in playing musical instruments in church because they don't see that practice in the Bible. Entire denominations have been formed from such extreme beliefs." - Bert Farias
And those extreme denominations would be wrong. Just as wrong as the ones who handle snakes because of Mark's gospel account. The extremes are on both sides Bert. Imagine the nerve of insisting that the bible aligns with the "Christian" behavior we experience. Wow.
