Catch the Fire?

This weekend turned out to be very challenging and thought-provoking. A good friend of mine invited me to go with him to a conference entitled "Catch the Fire," which was being held at CBN.  Thankfully, my girlfriend Liz tagged along.  Bill Johnson spoke on Friday, and John Arnott was lined up to preach on Saturday.  I had never heard of Mr. Arnott, but I was curious to see what the hype was all about.  I am not that familiar with Bethel Church, but I knew that most people at my church, New Life Providence, are pretty fond of the movements going on there and also at IHOP.
Now, I will be the first to say that I am young and immature in my faith.  I also try my best to allow different personalities respond to the gospel in different ways, and I believe that is something beautiful about our Savior.  I remember reading something by Bonhoeffer stating that he had witnessed something amazing in Black churches in America when he visited due to their energy.
But, there are some things that I remain very, very skeptical towards within our church. To get an idea of what I am talking about, check this video out.

I am a firm believer in the gifts.  I believe speaking in tongues can be useful in the right situations.  I believe prophesy is important encouragement for the body of Christ.  May we be careful not to forget about the more subtle, humble gifts of the spirit.  The gift of fellowship is essential for the Christian survival.  Communion unifies the body and honors our Savior, and it should not be taken lightly.
This Saturday night, I witnessed women and men hysterically laughing, a ram's horn being blown during prayer, people falling on the ground shaking, a man pretending to knight another young man with an invisible sword, and people chaotically screaming during quiet worship times.
At one point, the facilitator began speaking of a vision she had during worship where she saw the roof of CBN on fire, along with a big bowl of fire water above those flames and the bowl was ready to tip over.  She asked the congregation to grab the bowl and pour its fire water out and into their mouths, and just about everyone did just that.
What I could not help thinking about the entire time I was there was how selfish this ideology was.  For an hour and a half, all I heard were people screaming for "More Holy Spirit! Come! We need more! Overtake us! We want healing! We want You! We want your Holy Spirit more! We can't survive without it! etc."
I don't want to make sweeping generalizations for such a complex and difficult subject, but I do want to say one thing: it is not about you.  Worship is about glorifying our God, not about how his Spirit can make you feel.  The Spirit has become some sort of drug that keeps you going, and each service equates to your fix.
The message of the sermon was, "Why doesn't everyone want this?"

I can tell you why, Mr. Arnott.  People have minds, logic, and rationale.  God created mankind with a conscience and a complex mind unlike any other animal, and we have a right to use it.  In these hyper-sensual moments of "spirituality," countless individuals would rather trade in understanding and contentment with the gospel for an emotional high.
Is the forgiveness of sins or even the thought of prayer not spiritual enough for you?  If prayer is true, we are somehow cosmically and supernaturally talking to a God that loves us despite our rebellious nature.
Not everyone wants "that" because some people understand what it means when God says "blessed are those poor in spirit."  Some people understand that God is not a God of disorder or of chaos.  Some people understand that we are to be content in the Lord, and that the Lord is our prize and possession.  God is not our divine miracle-dispenser.  Pray and have hope, but allow to God to will for his good pleasure.  It is just about us, and it is pure hatred to be the king of our own lives.  


Matthew 7
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’


Test everything.