Program 34: Slain in the Spirit

Learn the truth behind the modern practice of faith healing.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Hello! I want to give a very warm welcome to all our listeners. I’m your host, Miles Robey.

Dave Wright: And I’m Dave Wright. We’re glad you could join us. If this is your first time tuning in, you’ll notice quite quickly that we very rarely use titles to refer to the Creator. We prefer to use the Father’s personal name, Yahuwah or Yah, as well as the personal name of the Son, Yahushua.

Miles: Today, we’re going to be talking about faith healing and, what is popularly referred to as, being “slain in the spirit.”

It’s a tricky area to touch on because I do believe there are sincere Christians whose faith has been rewarded and whom Yah has blessed with healing through some of these faith healers. However, the spirit manifested by faith healers and those who claim to be “slain in the spirit” is not that of the Holy Spirit of Yah. And I think, as we get into that, it will become clear that this is a movement that is not from Yah.

Dave: Before we go any further, let’s start by defining some terms. The phrase “slain in the spirit” is sometimes referred to as “falling in the spirit” or “resting in the spirit.” It happens most commonly when a minister or faith healer lays hands on someone and he or she falls to the floor.

Miles: I think that’s been called the “touch of power.”

Dave: Right. Now, the assumption is that the minister or faith healer is so filled with the power of the Holy Spirit that when he touches someone else, that person is, in turn, overwhelmed by the presence of the Spirit of Yah and that’s why he or she collapses.

That’s what being “slain” means. The person doesn’t die, just collapses because he or she is completely overwhelmed by the divine presence transferred through the minister or faith healer.

Miles: I’ve actually watched some video footage of this phenomenon. To be honest, it kind of gave me the creeps. But, again, I do believe there are many sincere people caught up in this. They’re not going to participate in something they believe is wrong. What do they base this practice on? Do you know?

Dave: There are a few verses in the Bible that talk about Yah giving someone a vision and he then becomes “as dead.” You’ve got Revelation 1:17 where, when John saw the glorified Christ, he says he “fell at his feet as dead.” Then, you’ve got Ezekiel’s experience where, in chapter 1, he says that when he saw the glory of Yahuwah, he fell on his face.

Daniel, also. In Daniel 8, he says that he was frightened and “fell on his face.” His reaction to the vision in Daniel 10 was that “no strength” was left in him.

So, those are the passages on which they base this practice because clearly, if John, Ezekiel, and Daniel as righteous men and prophets could be overcome with divine glory, we would be, too!

Miles: I know I would be!

Dave: The problem is, when you carefully compare Scripture with Scripture, you realize that the modern practice of being slain in the spirit is actually quite different from what occurred in Bible times. Furthermore, the lives of the various faith healers strongly suggest that the spirit that animates them is not, actually, from Heaven but from an entirely different source.

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul warned about seducing spirits. Would you read it for us, please? It’s found in 1 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 1.

Miles: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”

Dave: When you carefully consider all the evidence, the charismatic teaching of being “slain in the spirit” is one such doctrine of devils.

Now, of course, with Yah, all things are possible.

Miles: Absolutely. I want to be careful here that we don’t go so far as to say that no person has ever been healed by going to a faith healer for help. Or, that no person has ever been overcome by the divine presence to the point of collapsing.

Dave: The Creator is all-powerful. It’s perfectly possible He could, indeed, come upon a person with such force he or she would be overcome.

The problem is not whether or not Yahuwah can do this, but whether such a belief is Biblical, because our beliefs influence our practices. And this practice of going to some (apparently) powerful faith healer and being “slain in the spirit” has exploded in charismatic circles and we have to ask ourselves: is that Biblical?

Miles: Now a moment ago, you said that when you carefully compare Scripture with Scripture, you find that this is not of Yah. Give us an example.

Dave: Well, let’s use an example that charismatic Christians use to defend their practice. It’s found in 2 Chronicles and describes the dedication of Solomon’s temple. Maybe you could read it for us: 2 Chronicles chapter 5, verses 13 to 14.

Miles: “It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahuwah; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Yahuwah, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Yah;

“So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of Yahuwah had filled the house of Yah.”

Dave: Notice there is not a single instance in what you just read that describes someone collapsing under the power of Yah, or even any healing taking place.

Miles: No, just the opposite.

Dave: And, you’d think, if ever there was a time for the power of Yah to be demonstrated in healing His faithful followers, it would be at such a time, right?

Miles: Right. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Looking a few verses earlier, at verse 11, it says: “All the priests that were present were sanctified.”

That’s significant because it was against the Levitical code for any man not in perfect health to serve before Yahuwah. So, of course, none of the priests present would have been seeking healing.

Dave: Or they would not have been there. Good point. Another example from Scripture that charismatics point to in defense of their belief is the story of Yahushua’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Miles: Oh, that’s right! Give me a second to look that up here. It’s in John 17, I think … no, 18. John 18, verses 5 to 6. Yahushua had just asked, “Who are you looking for?”

“They answered him, Yahushua of Nazareth. Yahushua saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.”

Dave: Another passage is the story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, recorded in Acts 9. Why don’t you read that next?

Miles: Okay … that’s in verses 3 to 4. It says: “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”

Yeah … I can see why they quote these verses.

Dave: Sure! But.

Neither the wicked collapsing at Yahushua’s arrest, nor the collapse of Saul can be used to support the modern belief of falling in the Spirit because, as you pointed out earlier, those who approach the various faith healers are typically very sincere-hearted believers whose hearts, to the best of their knowledge, are right with Yah.

Miles: That’s true. And of course, they would have done some heart searching before even going up to the healer, because—obviously—they seek Yah’s blessing.

Dave: Now, as we mentioned earlier, there are a few instances in Scripture where a man of Yah was overcome by heavenly grandeur, glory, and divine power. There is a notable difference between these descriptions and what happens when a person is “slain in the spirit” today.

Miles: What’s that?

Dave: Well, you’ve seen video footage of such occasions you said.

Miles: Right. There’s quite a few on YouTube you can watch.

Dave: I’m going to read a couple of verses and you tell me if you can see the difference.

Miles: All right. Should be interesting.

Dave: Daniel 10, verses 9 to 10, states, quote: “Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.”

Miles: Hmmm. And the next?

Dave: Revelation 1:17. We mentioned it earlier. It says: “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last.”

Miles: Well, I’m not sure what you’re looking for, but one difference I can tell right off is that in modern times, people go straight over backwards. In fact, they usually have a couple of big, burly guys back there to “catch” the person going over backwards.

Dave: Exactly! In Scripture, when a person was overcome by the power and the sheer glory of the divine presence, the direction in which they fell was always forward, onto their faces in an act of worship.

They never collapsed at anything but the divine presence. Not the divine presence in another human being, but the actual presence of the Father, or the son. That’s all.

Miles: And we’re never supposed to collapse in worship at the foot of even the holiest of created beings. I remember, a couple of times, in Revelation, John did that. In Revelation 19, verse 10 as well as chapter 22, verse 9. And each time, the angel immediately corrected him and told him to stop it.

Dave: “See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship Yah.”

Miles: Right! The angel immediately deflected all obeisance to Yahuwah. You certainly don’t see any of these faith healers telling people to “snap out of it!”

Dave: It’s completely different today. When Daniel collapsed, the angel immediately reached out to strengthen him. John, too, was immediately strengthened when he was overcome by the power of Yah.

Miles: I’ve never once seen a charismatic evangelist or faith healer reach out to strengthen those supposedly overcome by the power of Yah. Instead, it looks like they, well, revel in it. They view it as a demonstration of “their” power, an affirmation that they are the spokesman for Yahuwah. It’s almost a pride-thing for them!

Dave: You mentioned how they’ll have men up there to catch those who are “slain” and sometimes, those men themselves will collapse and flop about. It’s all a grand display.

But even with the precaution of having catchers, people have been hurt before by these melodramatic so-called “healings.”

Benny Hinn is an Israeli televangelist who is very famous, worldwide, for his “Miracle Crusades.”

Miles: Oh, yeah! We were talking about how they revel in displays of what they see as “their” power? Well, Hinn doesn’t even touch them. He almost makes a joke of it! He’ll strip off his suit jacket and wave it at them, and they’ll all fall down. He’ll even blow at them. It’s so undignified. Not at all in keeping with the “Meek and Lowly One” that is Scriptures description of Yahushua!

Dave: Well, on September 23, 1986, a woman by the name of Ella Peppard died after receiving injuries at one of his revivals.

Miles: No way! Seriously? What happened?

Dave: Fifteen days before her death, there was a revival she attended. Now, Ms. Peppard was an elderly woman. Eighty-five years old. She was waiting in line to be blessed by Hinn when he struck the man standing in front of her so hard, that the man lost his balance. He flew backward, knocking Ms Peppard down, causing her to break her hip.

Miles: How awful!

Dave: It gets worse. According to NewsOK.com who reported on it, “Instead of offering her medical assistance, Hinn ordered Peppard removed from the stage and placed in a seat near the front of the church … When one usher offered to seek medical aid for Peppard, witnesses said Hinn stopped the usher and said, ‘Leave her alone. God will heal her.’”

Miles: That’s horrible! That is so inconsistent with the way Yahuwah operates.

We’re going to take a quick break and be right back.

* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: I was just thinking about the melodrama that accompanies all these faith healing services. And yet, this sort of thing has been around a long time! In 1851, Charles Hodges wrote, quote:

“There is nothing in the Bible to lead us to regard these bodily affections as the legitimate effects of religious feelings, no such results followed the preaching of Christ or his apostles. We hear of no general outcries, faintings, convulsions, or ravings in the assemblies which they addressed … It is evident that loud outcries and convulsions are inconsistent with these things, and therefore ought to be discouraged. They cannot be from [Yah], for he is not the author of confusion.”

Dave: That’s an excellent point. Robert Liichow was once himself involved in this movement. Now, though, he warns people against it. He asks a really good question. He says, quote: “If God is knocking people down, why do we need to catch them?”

Miles laughs: That’s a good point!

Dave: Liichow goes on to say: “They explain this manifestation as being directly caused by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. If this is so, [is] He … not mighty enough to see to it that those He sovereignly knocks down are unhurt by His blessing? These churches employ catchers because (1) they know people fake falling many times, it is a programmed response. (2) They lack faith in their own stated beliefs. Obviously God is not big enough to safeguard His people.”

Miles: Those are excellent points.

Dave: There’s more. He says, quote: “Also along with the catchers we had sisters … who came along beside or behind the catchers with large sheets of material. Their ministry was to place these sheets over the women’s legs and bodies. Why? Because many times when women would be slain in the spirit they would fall in very immodest positions.

“We had events where [when] some unfortunate women fell their dresses would be hiked up their bodies quite a bit, and their legs would be splayed out at inappropriate angles. When the Lord chose to embarrass His daughters in this manner we had to be there to quickly cover up their shame. Does this really sound like something [Yahuwah Elohim] would do to His daughters?”

Miles: No. No, it really doesn’t.

Dave: In John 8, Yahushua promised, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” [John 8:32]

More and more people who were once actively involved in this movement have broken free of the deception and come out against it. They are now warning others to beware. Mark Haville is one such person. When asked what got him out of it, Haville replied that he simply read the Scriptures.

Miles: Yep. The word of Yah is a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path, if we’ll just pay attention to what it says.

Mike Wright is someone else who no longer believes the Bible supports this practice. He points to another problem with this belief, and that is: peer pressure.

He tells the story of being at a prayer breakfast at which Benny Hinn spoke. Mike was with his mother and, at some point, Hinn prayed for Mike’s mum. In describing the uncomfortable experience later, he said, quote: “Mom was not slain-in-the-spirit, but she told me that – if Benny had tarried longer with his hand pushing her forehead back – she probably would have been. This was her somewhat embarrassed response to the fact that she hadn't been 'faithful enough, or yielded enough, or righteous enough' to have been blessed with this (supposedly) wonderful act of the Holy Spirit.”

Then he adds, quote: “This was my first-hand view of the guilt implicitly – and often explicitly – placed on the seeker/recipient.”

Dave: That’s an excellent point. Pressure is put on the person seeking a blessing or healing to demonstrate a physical response to the power of the Spirit. If they don’t have one, it’s assumed (by both those watching and the individual) that the fault lies with the person for lacking sufficient faith!

Miles: It’s peer pressure brought to bear in the spiritual realm. Wright concluded his observations by saying, quote:

“I could relay over thirty years worth of stories to you, and the conclusion of them all is that we have (unknowingly) participated in a farce – deceived by people who knew better or who should have known better. Having studied [Yah’s] word on the matter exhaustively now, we clearly denounce the teaching of slain-in-the-spirit. Nowhere is the practice found in the bible, and only on the enemies of [Yah] did an overwhelming force come to cause them to fall backwards. In every other case that is specified, men who came into the presence of [Yahuwah] fell willingly forwards, on their face, (in humble worship) – or, … they DIED.”

Dave: Very starkly stated but very true.

Miles: He’s right!

Dave: He is. And remember, most such experiences occur in front of crowds of people, during evangelistic crusades, or whatever. Some are even televised. This really increases the pressure brought to bear to demonstrate that your heart is right with Yahuwah … and, of course, the way this is demonstrated, is by falling down.

Miles: But, as we’ve said all along, a lot of sincere people get swept up in this. So, how does this work? Really.

Dave: Mark Haville, the man mentioned earlier who studied his way to truth just by reading the Bible?

Miles: I remember.

Dave: He was asked in an interview just how it all works. He listed five points that make such faith healings possible.

Number one, he said, is that people are suggestible. When a person is in a suggestible state of mind, or altered state of consciousness, they’re more likely to be influenced by the speaker as well as the reactions of those around them.

Miles: That’s true. You can really see that in some of the YouTube videos of some of these faith healing crusades.

Dave: That’s not all. According to Haville, program leaders deliberately select music that corresponds with a person’s heart rate. The beat in most praise and worship music aligns really well with the cardio-vascular system.

Miles: So, unbeknownst to them, it gets them almost into a trance-state.

Dave: Well, if not that, at least, it makes them more susceptible to being influenced. As Haville points out, entertainers understand the power of group dynamics. And don’t kid yourself: these televangelists are entertainers in a very real sense.

Miles: They really are. This is why comedians and rock stars have opening acts to “warm up the crowd”.

Dave: Group dynamics also work in favor of faith healers. When the expectation of the thousands of people watching is that you will fall when touched on the forehead, most people are going to fall!

Miles: And having bright lights and television cameras right in your face doesn’t help matters either!

Dave: Then, of course, there’s always Neuro-linguistic programming and Eriksonian hypnosis. Repetitive speech patterns and even certain tones of voice can help induce impressionable mindsets.

Miles: Some pastors who’ve studied NLP even boast of their ability to hypnotize their audience!

So it’s hypnosis that makes people think they’re healed?

Dave: That definitely plays a part of it. And, for a period of time, their pain may very well appear to be gone. But follow up studies have revealed that the vast majority of those who at first thought they were healed, were in fact, not.

Charles S. Price held a revival in British Colombia, Canada, in which 350 people believed themselves healed. Six months later, a follow-up study revealed some very disturbing results. Of the 350 people who had believed themselves healed, 301 were still sick, 39 had actually died, and five had gone insane. Only five claimed to still be healed.

Miles: And, of course, those who were still sick now felt an added burden of guilt for not having enough faith to “maintain” their healed state.

Dave: Most likely. It’s very sad. And the loving Father is in none of this. Read 2 Corinthians 11, verses 14 to 15. Let’s see what’s really going on here.

Miles: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

Dave: This is exactly what is happening with this Pentecostal movement: altered states of consciousness, spiritual trances, hypnosis, etc. But, instead of using heathen trappings, they use Christian terminology. They pray to Yahushua, they call for “revival” and tell believers to have “faith. That’s how these Christian gurus clothe occult practices in robes of light! But it’s not from above. It’s from the devil and it is deceiving very sincere people.

Miles: So, we’ve established it’s not Scriptural. But where did it come from?

Dave: Well, faith healing and other overt displays attributed to Holy Ghost power have been around for a long time. The modern practice, though, received a large revival at the Toronto Airport Church, in Toronto, Canada, in 1994.

Paul Goldee was one of the founders of this movement. At first, he honestly thought it was of Yah. However, after seeing some people howl like dogs, or act in animalistic ways while supposedly under the power of the Holy Spirit, he began to question the source.

Miles: Well, yeah! Such undignified displays make a mockery of sacred worship. What does he say?

Dave: In an interview, he warned, quote:

“Today, I would say that this [movement] is something a lot darker … Today, I believe that spirit is a false spirit, a counterfeit spirit and not the Holy Spirit of Scripture. … I would say that this was never a true, genuine manifestation of the Holy Spirit because the fruit of that church is rotten. … The Holy Spirit, by His very name, is Holy. He will not encourage people to do anything unholy.

“People … are made in the image of [Yah]. Why would [Yahuwah] debase humanity by making them get on like animals? If there is anything that is manifested in these meetings contrary to the Holy Scripture, than it is not of [Yahuwah] because [Yah] does not change. … Do not embrace this; do not think that this is a light thing. … This is not of [Yah] … it is a scheme of the devil and … it will bring utter destruction to the men, and the women, and the children who embrace it.”

Miles: Wow. That’s really something, coming from one of those who were part of the original movement. I find it encouraging, though, because clearly anyone who truly desires truth is not going to be left deceived. Yah won’t allow it.

Dave: That’s right. We can trust Yahuwah to reveal the truth, if we are willing to be convinced; if we’re willing to take the time to study the evidence and not just automatically reject everything that contradicts our closely guarded beliefs.

Miles: Following truth “no matter what the cost” often means giving up cherished assumptions when the Holy Spirit reveals that we’ve been wrong. But if we make that surrender, Yah will lead us into the truth just as He promised.

If you have gotten involved with such irrational, emotional displays, please, don’t take our word for it that this is unbiblical. Read Scripture for yourself! Prove all things by the word of Yah. Lay aside that which does not agree with His word and cling to that which is good.

Yahuwah will always satisfy the soul-hunger of anyone longing to be close to Him. Matthew 5, verse 6 says: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

That’s a promise! Claim it! Because the Father stands back of every promise He has ever made and He always keeps His word.

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If Paul truly were an apostate, the ramifications of this are huge! Christian theology is based largely upon the writings of Paul. For a careful analysis of whether Paul was, or was not, an apostate, look for “Paul: False Prophet? Or True Apostle?” on our website at WorldsLastChance.com. That’s “Paul: False Prophet? Or True Apostle?” on WorldsLastChance.com.

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Time to dive into our daily mailbag where we answer questions from listeners … just like you!

Dave: What have you got for today?

Miles: Let’s see. Mutinta Chandala in Lusaka, Zambia writes: “We praise Yahuwah our Father and Yahushua His Son for the good work that you are doing. I am part of a small group that meets in homes every Sabbath day. A beloved sister of our group has been facing much resistance from her family over accepting the Sabbath. They ask her: ‘Why is the Sabbath hardly mentioned in the New Testament, while the other commandments are?’ We would be most grateful if you could help us know the best way to answer this question.”

Dave: First, let me say thank you to Mutinta for writing. Please assure this sister that we have added her and her situation to our prayer list.

As to why the other commandments are mentioned so much more than the Sabbath commandment, that’s actually not true. The Sabbath is mentioned in the Gospels even more frequently than in the books of Moses.

The thing you have to understand, though, is that it is mentioned in the context of the times.

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: The fourth commandment isn’t quoted word-for-word in the gospels, but Sabbath observance was a given! Nobody was questioning the validity of the Sabbath among first-century Jews or even among the early believers. They all worshipped on Sabbath, as demonstrated by the references in Acts to believers going to the synagogue on Sabbaths. There’s wasn’t any need to repeat the command to “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” since everyone already was.

Instead, the issue at stake was always how the Sabbath should be kept. That is what all discussion of the Sabbath focuses on. Again, they were already keeping the Sabbath! Otherwise, they would not have cared so much about the particulars of keeping it “properly.”

Miles: Huh! Never thought of that before. Can you give us a few examples?

Dave: Certainly. Take the Gospel of Luke. Every time Yahushua healed someone on His own initiative, it was on the Sabbath. He was taking the opportunity to demonstrate proper Sabbath observance, that it is always appropriate to help those in need.

Take a look at Matthew 12. Would you start reading in verse 10 for us?

Miles: “Behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? that they might accuse him.”

Dave: That was the whole point! They were trying to accuse the Lord of the Sabbath of breaking the Sabbath!

Miles: Ironic, isn’t it? Okay, uh … “And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days.” [Matthew 12:10-12]

Dave: The thing we have to understand is that Yahushua was faced with a different concept of the Sabbath during his life on earth.

Miles: I’m not sure I follow.

Dave: A rabbinical observance of the Sabbath was a religious change that accommodated the Roman Empire. Remember, amongst the hot-tempered Israelites, the Romans were constantly dealing with rebellions and insurgencies. They feared any Israelite claim to political power that would stir up the already rebellion-prone Israelites.

So, the Jews focused on the letter of the law and set aside the “Son of Man”, Yahushua, who was also “Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Pharisees used rabbinical method to apply the law to all aspects of life. Again, focusing on the letter of the law as seen in the outward life, while rejecting its influence on the heart.

The Sadducees, the class from which the High Priest was always selected, had their own method of doing away with the divine law. They limited the law to what it specifically states, denying the spiritual nature of the divine law.

Miles: So what you’re saying is, both groups appeased the Romans and supported the status quo of Roman rule. They just used different methods.

Dave: Exactly. Yahushua opposed both schools of thought not only in regard to the Sabbath, but in the way they corrupted the divine law as well. He presented himself as the Messiah and refused to accommodate Rome.

The Israelite leaders wanted to maintain their positions of influence. It was fear that led the leaders to reject him. It was in addressing their mistaken interpretations of the law, and teaching true Sabbath observance, that the Saviour repeatedly corrected the Jewish idea of Sabbath-keeping, and in doing so, the Sabbath is referred to more times in the Gospels than any of the other commandments.

Miles: Makes sense.

All right, then! Thank you, Dave. That’s all we’ve got time for today.

If you’ve got questions or comments, we want to hear from you, too. Go to our website at WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. If we can’t cover your question on air, look for it in the Q&As on our website.

* * *Daily Promise: (Laura Lee)

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with your Daily Promise from Yah’s Word.

In high school, my brother got a summer job working construction. Now this wasn’t one of the higher paid jobs held by union workers. This was grunt work for minimum wage. The first thing the construction boss had him do was to dig footings for the foundation of a small building, on a small lot, in a poor part of town. The footings had to be about 30 centimeters deep, and 45 centimeters wide with straight, even sides and a level bottom. It was hot, back-breaking work but he learned a lot.

For a foundation to be stable, it needs to rest on firm, undisturbed soil or, better yet, bedrock. The type of foundation depends, of course, on the size and weight of the building, as well as the kind of soil it is being built on. Foundations for homes are typically no more than 30-60 centimeters deep.

Skyscrapers, however, are another matter entirely! When the Petronas Towers were planned for Kuala Lampur in Malaysia, it was discovered that the soil at the site could not support the weight of the proposed structure. The towers soar 457 meters above the city. That’s one thousand, five hundred feet in the air! So, the builders had to dig down to bedrock. The foundation of steel and concrete went 120 meters into the ground! That’s deep! To date, the Petronas Towers have the deepest foundation of any modern building on earth.

By comparison, consider the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It rises a mind-boggling 2,722 feet above the desert. That is over 829 meters tall! Its foundation has nearly a half a million tons of concrete and steel, and yet it reaches only 50 meters into the ground. That is less than half the 120 meters of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur.

Whether you’re constructing a building, a business, or a life, the foundation you lay is always of the utmost importance.

Isaiah 28 says: “Therefore thus saith the Adonai Yahuwah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”

Yahuwah’s own son, Yahushua, is the believer’s foundation. There is nothing you have ever done, nothing you have ever said, that can destroy that sure, solid, foundation, because it is not based on who you are, but who and what he is: the sinless one, the Saviour of the world, your older brother, and best friend.

We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go, and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Dave: Scripture contains lots of warnings designed to keep us safe. There’s one in 2 Thessalonians, which I think is especially applicable. Would you read it for us? It’s in 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 21 to 22.

Miles: “Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”

Dave: Yahuwah doesn’t want any of us to be deceived. He’s calling Christians today to return to true, Biblical spirituality. A true connection with the Almighty doesn’t come in a noisy group with big showy displays to “prove” to an audience of thousands how “holy” you are!

Miles: It’s so easy to get swept up into the showy displays: the beautiful music, the polished “production.” The show.

But an authentic spiritual experience comes individually. Individually, you have to pray; and, individually, you have to listen for the “still, small voice” speaking to your own heart.

Dave: Listening for the still, small voice is a lesson we need to learn today.

Elijah on Mt. Horeb was taught that Yahuwah was not in the mighty wind that tore at the mountain. He wasn’t in the earthquake that caused the ground to shake. He wasn’t in the raging chaos of a firestorm.

Instead, the Creator of All chose to speak one-on-one with His servant in a still, small voice.

Miles: And He’ll do the same for us!

Dave: He will.

Miles: You don’t need the professional productions, the showy displays. You can go to Him for yourself!

Dave: That’s a lesson we all need to take to heart. Listen, friends, the Father knows the longing of your heart for a close, intimate connection with Him. He’s not going to leave it unsatisfied. That desire was planted in your heart by Him!

Miles: It’s true. And if we, being evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our Heavenly Father give His spirit to those who ask?

I’m reminded of what Scripture says about how Yahushua was able to maintain a close, intimate connection with his Father.

The Gospel of Mark tells us: “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, he went out and departed to a solitary place; and there he prayed.” [Mark 1:35]

You may live in a crowded apartment building. You might be surrounded by non-believing family members. But you, too, can withdraw to your own solitary place.

Maybe your solitary place is your bedroom. Maybe it’s your closet. Maybe it’s a bench in a quiet corner of the park.

Dave: I knew a woman, going through a difficult period in her life, where her quiet place was her car, parked at the far end of a parking lot.

Miles: Whatever works. Maybe the only quiet you can get is locking yourself in the bathroom. Wherever you can carve out a quiet space to focus on and listen to the still small voice, the Father will draw near to you, and speak to you personally.

That’s a promise! And it’s one we need to claim, the closer we get to the end.

Dave: A true, personal experience in the deep things of Yah is very different from the artificiality and melodrama of so much of what passes for spirituality today.

The practice of slaying in the spirit relies heavily upon emotional excitement. Yahuwah doesn’t do that. He appeals to the logic. To reason. In Isaiah, He invites: “Come now, let us reason together.” [Isaiah 1:18]

Truth is logical. It is always consistent and it appeals to the intellect. It’s error that relies on the false force of emotion.

Miles: It reminds me of a statement by Let Us Reason Ministries. In talking about the “slain in the spirit” heresy, they say, quote:

“By pursuing a blessing they have abandoned truth in place of a supernatural experience. This [is] not a Biblical experience but can be a supernatural one. In so doing they have inadvertently become open to deception by accepting this without any testing … People have succumbed to the oldest charade, in their pursuit of a blessing they have abandoned truth in place of a supernatural experience without ever testing the source for Biblical proof.”

Dave: That is very true. Again, divine truth does not rely on emotion. It appeals to the mind. Each one of us need to rationally compare our beliefs, our theology with Scripture.

Don’t compare theology with emotion because the emotional high experienced by spectators at a rock concert is the same sense of oneness and euphoria you can get singing hymns with 2,000 other believers at camp meeting!

Miles: This is a lesson we all need to take to heart. Emotion should never be accepted as proof of anything, let alone something as important as salvation. Salvation requires repentance and faith in Yahuwah, not some ecstatic trance or emotional flight of fancy.

Because, let me tell you, the devil is an expert at manipulating your emotions.

Dave: Well, look at what he did to Yahushua on the cross! The emotional feeling of being rejected by the Father was so great that Yahushua cried out, “My Eloah, My Eloah, why hast thou forsaken Me?”

He was feeling forsaken of Yah! We have to fill our minds with the promises of Yah’s word now.

There is no time in an emergency, to prepare. When the law says: “Comply or die”, what are you going to do? Will you cling to the word of Yah alone, even when every emotion is screaming at you to submit?

Miles: In closing, I want to share just one final thought: when you’ve held certain beliefs for years, when you’ve been raised to believe that a certain body of doctrines is Ultimate Truth, it can feel very scary studying to see if they’re true or not.

A lot of religious organizations will instill fear in their followers. They’ll imply that if you study other ideas, you’ll be stepping on “enchanted ground” and Satan will deceive you.

That’s not true. Satan can never force your will. And Yah wants you to be grounded in your beliefs.

Dave: But you can’t be grounded just listening to someone else. People get favorite preachers they like to listen to, because the preachers repeat what they already believe. That’s not going to ground you in the truth. The only way to be firmly established is to study Yah’s word for yourself. And then His spirit will settle you into the truth and seal you for eternity.

Miles: Thanks, Dave. In closing, I just want to share one final promise. 2 Timothy, chapter 1, verse 12 says: “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”

If you will lay aside all your preconceived ideas and commit the keeping of your soul to Yah, He will make sure that you are never led astray. He will teach you, and He will make sure that you are safe to save.

Join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

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In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.