Chasing Supernatural Highs

I have been wanting to write on this topic for some time. I believe in the supernatural, have even experienced a few visions myself, and was once saved from choking on invisible fumes as the audible voice of God gave me instruction on how to get out of that perilous situation. That was the second time I heard His audible voice. I have also experienced other miracles in my own life. God still performs miracles today, and He still heals today. We cannot put Him a box. But given all these things, some people are so focused on getting a spiritual high off of supernatural manifestations; this can have toxic effects on their relationship with God. It can also open the door for demonic manifestations to be misinterpreted as Holy Ghost manifestations.

I will never forget attending church with my sister one Sunday, about a year after I got saved. People were shaking their hands, trembling, almost doing the Hokey Pokey, and believe me, I have no problem with people dancing and rejoicing in the aisles of a church. What bothered me is this---it was all about an emotional high, people shrieking and howling, jerking, and looking for a wing-ding of a time. I said to myself, something is not quite right here. No one hardly spoke of God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. Music, trembling hands, and running. People said “Do you got the power?” “God is in this place tonight!” Hello. I came in with His Spirit, and I left with Him. People were on an emotional high, and I can say this, I seen the same type of thing in rock concerts I went to before I got saved. Frenzied, emotional, light-headed…but with what spirit? I am talking about very worldly rock music, not Christian rock. *Yet...it happens too.

It was about chasing thrills. It was about an emotional high, and I knew the Holy Spirit was speaking this to me in this church. Some of these manifestations may not be from God. I have gone through several alter calls where hands were laid on me, where I was just flat out pushed unto the floor. If I fall out under the power of God, I want it to be A. because it was really a manifestation of His power flowing into me, and B. not because someone push me unto the floor. Once was I pushed so hard, I actually felled, and my head hit hard on the carpet. Then, I been in services, where people were bursting with so much joy, they took out running, and I did not perceive this to be motivated by an attempt to find a thrill seeking high.

This howling and barking stuff…what is it? Somehow, I cannot picture the early Christians at Antioch, howling and rolling on the floors. Oh yes, you say, 'you see God is doing a new thing'. People kicking their legs gyrating on floors, I have to wonder about that too. I call those meetings “filler meetings”…you know like soybean filling in what is suppose to be meat. Everybody leaves exhilarated, and clueless as to what God said that day or night, but can exclaim “The Holy Ghost showed up (I guess normally He is busy during such meetings doing other tasks) and people felled out under the power of God!” Yippee!!!!!!!!!!

People doing various types of drugs actually provide a good analogy. They go to various homes of fellow drug enthusiasts, get high, then move to next home (meeting). Sometimes it's good stuff with manifestations, and sometimes it simply lacks what is needed to get a sufficient high. Sometimes the music is too soft, too pop, but throw the volume up, and dance to the methodical rhythmic beat, …hotter than you know what in here, and I may just be getting high! Hallelujah!

Being drunk in the Spirit you say, God commanded it. He did, but was He not referring to Him being your “crutch” than something else?

I will never forget the Lord rebuking me one day at a healing meeting. I was a fairly new Christian. I was so scared afterwards I could barely walk to my car, for He made a point to show me my error. The Pastor was at the podium, preaching healing, and then the meeting went into worship and praise. The band started playing and around the second song I thought to myself, “once the music gets going good, and everybody gets worked up, then God can show up, and people will start getting healed.” I mean, just a FEW seconds later, the preacher says “STOP. No one say a word. Musicians, stop playing”. Everything felled quiet. He looks out and says “For some reason God told me to stop the music. I never had this happened before. This is unusual. Well, we are going to obey God. He says to continue without the music”. Besides, turning into Jell-O, I must say it was an awesome demonstration of this man hearing from God, and the Lord was mercifully discreet not to show my ignorance to others. I said to Him “Lord, don’t kill me”. I laugh now recounting it, but God wanted to show me HE DOES NOT NEED ANYTHING OR ANYONE TO MANIFEST HIMSELF...HE DOES NOT NEED MUSIC, ANGELS, OR THE PREACHER…SIMPLY BECAUSE HE IS GOD.

His Spirit is heavy upon me, as I am beginning to weep.