8. Prayer: Testing the Spirits - Part 3, False Tests of the Spirit

This third of the two part lecture on Testing the Spirits approaches the issues raised by the mysticism of the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movement from a different angle. Rather than approaching prayer and the Holy Spirit from teaching what the Word of God says spiritual prayer is, the Tests of the Spirit – the which spiritual prayer is not, is addressed. In the modern church if it is spiritual, if it is miraculous, if good seemingly results, if conversions result, then it is of God. None of these however is a biblical test of spiritual prayer and the acceptance of the previous list leaves the church open to all sorts of abuses and deception. (When did faith change from our trusting God to our getting God to do our will? When did man begin to place his faith in his ability to conjure up belief? If I can only believer enough then I can get this thing to work.)
God is not what we believe, by Faith we believe what God is as revealed in His Holy Word
God's will is not what we believe, by Faith we believe God's will as revealed in His Holy Word.
God does not do what we believe, rather by Faith we believe what God does as revealed in His Holy Word.
By a word of faith command, God does not do our bidding, rather by faith in the commands of His Holy Word we do His bidding.
Faith is not the ability to get God to act on our behalf, rather by faith we believe that He has acted and is acting on our behalf and trust in His sovereign, good and holy will.
God can do anything, but He doesn't, He only does His good and holy will.