Somewhere along the line, however, the seemingly harmless experiences change and become dangerous, both from a spiritual and psychological point of view. When people practise occultism, they cross the boundary of the spiritual realm on their own accord, and they enter into the demonic realm. I cannot say exactly where this boundary is, but I know that I crossed it during my spiritual exercises in the Faith movement. This had dire consequences.
But there is Someone Who has crossed the really important spiritual boundary on our behalf. Jesus has created a pathway to God! If we surrender to Him, we may communicate with God in prayer; but if we try to enter the spiritual realm on our own accord, it means throwing away the grace of God; and by thus rebelling against God, we are abandoned to evil beings in the demonic realm.
The Holy Spirit convicts of “sin, righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). In this context, He would convict people of the sin of entering the spiritual realm on their own accord, and the sin of making use of spiritual powers that are not subordinate to Him. He would point to the way of surrender and repentance, which is the only true way of getting to know the righteousness and grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The judgement of the devil shows that his power is limited, and will one day be completely done away with.
The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus (John 16:14). His sword is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). In true revivals, Jesus Christ is glorified and the Bible is the foundation of the things that take place. Where the Holy Spirit is working, basic Biblical truths will be proclaimed — such as our sin before God, and His righteousness in saving those who believe in Him through the atoning work of Christ, and the judgment of Satan and those who refuse to accept Christ. The Holy Spirit may give us an understanding of these things with or without physical manifestations. (Acts 2:1-4 and 2:41).
I do not believe we can say categorically that no one meets God in the Faith movement or in the Toronto Blessing, because God is sovereign and, therefore, He is able to reveal Himself to anyone anywhere. It may also be difficult to state categorically, in certain individual cases, what is the work of the Holy Spirit and what is not. What can be said though, is that the very manifestations that are used as examples of the Holy Spirit’s working in these movements are generally not of the Holy Spirit.
It is important not to get ensnared by a misguided spiritual intoxication that leads away from the Word of God and from spiritual discernment. Whether there are physical manifestations or not, we should always concentrate on the preaching of the Word of God. It is only through the Word of God that we may really know Who Jesus Christ is, and what He has done for us. It is only the type of preaching that is securely anchored in His Word that will be of lasting spiritual value. Revelations, experiences and physical phenomena may just as likely lead you astray as lead you right.
It is vital to have a safe boundary line against occult spiritual dimensions and deceiving experiences. Somewhere or other, you might cross the boundary line at your own peril. At times, amidst the many confusing and exciting experiences of these movements, it may be difficult to say exactly where this line is. Therefore, it is essential to be on the safe side, having a safety fence against occult spirituality. Though the Faith movement and the Toronto Blessing do contain some good points in certain areas, they lack this safety fence. The boundary line against the occult is blurred. This has had dire consequences for people like myself, who have been initiated into the realm of the occult through the practices in these movements.
It may be quite possible that some people, initially, get a knowledge of Christ through these movements. But as long as there are spiritual practices that even as much as border on the occult which are encouraged, then the final condition may be worse than the first for some people. There are those who get successful in the practice of false spirituality. They may never get out of it. Whereas some people seem to find some sort of balance and avoid being too misled and hurt, others are shipwrecked in their faith and their mental and physical health. Therefore, I feel obliged to caution anyone regarding both of these movements.
