ANCHORS 'AWAY'!

We don't gain a thing when we leave the Biblical standard in the dust. I could provide more specifics about how far off the Word things have gotten. Among these specifics would be my first-hand account of what the worship leader at a well-known renewal center told me a few years ago in my travels—none of my expenses paid.

During this renewal center's meeting, I noticed the main leaders were speaking of people being 'drunk' for as much as a year or two. This was a curious thing to me, so later on after the meeting I privately asked the worship leader (who is no longer at that church now) a few questions. I asked him, "Why do some remain 'drunk' (in the Spirit, presumably) for long periods of time? Do those who experience this tell you what the purpose of this is? Humility can be found for a day or two", I said, "Were they prior alcoholics, or something?" I asked him these questions in search of any reasonable testimony he had heard from people who experienced this. After all, if God is doing something, what was the purpose and result? This, for people who point to the 'fruit' of a spiritual phenomena.

Astoundingly, my friend told my husband and me more than I ever imagined. He told me the leadership of the renewal center there thought anyone who was 'drunk' for long periods of time was slated for major leadership. The longer they were 'drunk' the better, for it was considered a quality of a leader! After a time they should be promoted as leader, he said. While he spoke, the scriptures flashed through my mind of the ethics and qualifications of spiritual authority and leadership as taught by Jesus and as in the epistles, with a big, fat, ZERO for 'drunkeness' in the Spirit.

I don't know if my astonishment showed, but our private conversation was suddenly interrupted by the nearby cacophony of a 'drunk' renewal person at the restaurant we were seated. It was in the wee hours of the morning and we all had to retire, anyhow. Since we did not return there the next day, we did not discuss it again.

With this new information, I was thrust in the middle of a most interesting position. My friend was telling me this as though it were privileged information. My husband and I both understood this. By this we knew that it was a hidden agenda or belief—not for the outside world. This belief of the leaders was not announced publicly when discussing 'drunkeness,' and I could just imagine why!

Since it seemed hidden knowledge, I surmised that any revealing might just lead to public denials from the leaders themselves. Who knows? My friend might get in trouble for telling me! Because there was no Biblical foundation for assuming a leader was made by his manifestation, we could take nothing for granted.

Publicly reporting these things is not always helpful. Since there were other unBiblical quotes out there taken from publicly taped meetings at this controversial renewal center, my private report would make no real difference at all. I tell it now to urge the reader to ask questions themselves when faced with a public display that leaves you wondering. You may be looking at the tip of the iceberg—just before the Titanic hits.

© Copyright 2000  by Teri Lee Earl All Rights Reserved