The Real Toronto Blessing

[Willie T]

It's not difficult to make fun of almost anything. Most of you have had your belly laughs about the Wal-Mart videos..... BUT you, yourself, have also walked the isles of that store. Think about that.

The Toronto Blessing has been a magnet for criticism. Many of you have scoffed at it (so have I, when I saw some of the selected films). Yet, for at least the first couple of years, it was not what the stuffy "Christian" ferrets have tried to make it. Yes, I do believe that as time went on, and God was pretty much finished with the work there, men tried (under their own power) to keep it going. And even our own church (The Vineyard) who, at first sponsored it, pulled their backing due to seeing the influence of men's own carnal efforts.

I know there are some serious, thinking people here (not all... but, SOME ), so I thought those people might enjoy seeing the truth about The Toronto Blessing. Use your God-given brain and eyes. Look for the barking dogs... look way in the background of each scene. Try to find the "weird" stuff that, admittedly, DID begin to occur later on. You won't find any of that stuff. You won't see "nuts", all wild-eyed with fanaticism. If you truly look to see God, you will.

Enjoy. (After the first minute, or so, of intro, you may have to do some mouse clicking to <RESUME> it for the full hour.)

 

[Andrew Mason]

Willie T !
Thanks for sharing this, what a powerful video! I sensed his presence as I watched it.

There is a powerful testimony at 29:09. It's one of the most articulate and anointed testimonies of the Holy Spirit healing emotional pain that I can remember hearing.

God wants to visit us with His presence and reach down into the inner most place of our souls and wash away the pain.

It was also neat to see leaders like Che Ahn (44:15) and Lou Engle (46:41) who have since gone on to do mighty things for the Lord.

Again, thanks Willie, God bless.

 

[Willie T]

I ju

Willie T !
Thanks for sharing this, what a powerful video! I sensed his presence as I watched it.

There is a powerful testimony at 29:09. It's one of the most articulate and anointed testimonies of the Holy Spirit healing emotional pain that I can remember hearing.

God wants to visit us with His presence and reach down into the inner most place of our souls and wash away the pain.

It was also neat to see leaders like Che Ahn (44:15) and Lou Engle (46:41) who have since gone on to do mighty things for the Lord.

Again, thanks Willie, God bless.

I just wish I had been able to make it up there.

 

[Blake]

I'm going to make an effort to watch this when I have some down time. I used to scoff at the Toronto Blessing and lump Pentecostalism and any type of "on fire" worship as rampant emotionalism with no spiritual foundation... ten years later I have found myself humbled of these thoughts and consider myself, if I had to label it, a "holiness Christian."

 

[iLOVE]

It's not difficult to make fun of almost anything. Most of you have had your belly laughs about the Wal-Mart videos..... BUT you, yourself, have also walked the isles of that store. Think about that.

The Toronto Blessing has been a magnet for criticism. Many of you have scoffed at it (so have I, when I saw some of the selected films). Yet, for at least the first couple of years, it was not what the stuffy "Christian" ferrets have tried to make it. Yes, I do believe that as time went on, and God was pretty much finished with the work there, men tried (under their own power) to keep it going. And even our own church (The Vineyard) who, at first sponsored it, pulled their backing due to seeing the influence of men's own carnal efforts.

I know there are some serious, thinking people here (not all... but, SOME ), so I thought those people might enjoy seeing the truth about The Toronto Blessing. Use your God-given brain and eyes. Look for the barking dogs... look way in the background of each scene. Try to find the "weird" stuff that, admittedly, DID begin to occur later on. You won't find any of that stuff. You won't see "nuts", all wild-eyed with fanaticism. If you truly look to see God, you will.

Enjoy. (After the first minute, or so, of intro, you may have to do some mouse clicking to <RESUME> it for the full hour.)

Brother Willie T,

I just had to repost this from a previous thread.

When God calls you He appoints you. And when He appoints you He anoints you. And when He anoints you and you are divinely positioned nothing can stop you. Anointing breaks yokes and anointing lifts burdens. Anointing creates excess to GLORY. When a person is anointed - the greater the anointing the greater the move of God in a place. A anointed person opens the heavens and the GLORY of the LORD comes and meets needs in a place. Talent and flesh is not a anointing. It's tinkling brass and sounding cymbal. Sisters and brothers when someone gets up who is anointed you feel the heavens shifting and God comes so low to meet that need. Anointing is empowerment to deal with DEMONIC stuff. Adam didn't need anointing, we need it. That's why when Jesus came He said "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me - He has anointed me." That ANOINTING open the heavens, healed the sick, open blind eyes, raised the dead, multiplied bread, filled boats with fish and so much more! It was His anointing that open the heavens.

 

[Willie T]

I'm going to make an effort to watch this when I have some down time. I used to scoff at the Toronto Blessing and lump Pentecostalism and any type of "on fire" worship as rampant emotionalism with no spiritual foundation... ten years later I have found myself humbled of these thoughts and consider myself, if I had to label it, a "holiness Christian."

If someone had told me, years ago, that I would be a tongue speaking, hand waving, healing dude, I would have laughed them out of the room. Not anymore.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

I started out in the charismatic movement. My wife and I attended the local Full Gospel Church when I was stationed in Gwinn, MI (K.I. Sawyer AFB). We weren't saved then and we thought they were nuts. We politely said 'thank you and good bye' on the way out the door and sped home in my 1974 SS Nova.

Several months later we got saved through the 700 Club. They put us in contact with the pastor of the nutball church we had attended earlier. We gave it another shot, and upon seeing that everything they did was Biblical we stayed. My wife eventually spoke in tongues. I never did receive a dramatic gift but I became well acquainted with the heat, and the shaking, and the drunken feeling, and the weeping with joy in the presence of the Holy Spirit (I'm welling up just thinking about it). God even allowed me to literally see the Holy Spirit descend on the congregation (I think he did that to keep me from bashing the tongues gift).

Anyway, the thing that bothered me about all this was the lack of translating the heavenly experiences with God through the Holy Spirit into the fruit of the Spirit. Not just me, but so many Christians that I knew. I eventually did work out the fruit of the Spirit truths, but not by way of ecstatic experiences with God. I know those are real, and they are awesome, and I wish I could live that way 24/7/365, but the reality of the Christian walk and growing up in Christ for me hasn't included much of those experiences.

I'm watching the video. I'm half way through. I want to get back into this abundant worship of God again. A big part of what drove me away from it was how the movement has been polluted by fakes. Maybe it was already polluted when I got saved in 1986 and I only realized that it already was, or it really did get badly polluted soon after that. Either way, I want to go back to the real stuff and don't want to be around fakes who bring reproach and disrepute on these legitimate experiences with God. And I don't want to forget that these experiences aren't what is bringing me into the maturity of the fruit of the Spirit. Don't get me wrong, I wish every church understood and sought the magnificent power and presence of the Holy Spirit in praise and worship. I'm not bashing that at all.

Oh, and as far as my wife. I really don't know where she's at with the Lord anymore. I really don't.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

If someone had told me, years ago, that I would be a tongue speaking, hand waving, healing dude, I would have laughed them out of the room. Not anymore.

Now you laugh them out of the room, but for a different reason. Am I right? :yes

 

[Blake]

I started out in the charismatic movement. My wife and I attended the local Full Gospel Church when I was stationed in Gwinn, MI (K.I. Sawyer AFB). We weren't saved then and we thought they were nuts. We politely said 'thank you and good bye' on the way out the door and sped home in my 1974 SS Nova.

Several months later we got saved through the 700 Club. They put us in contact with the pastor of the nutball church we had attended earlier. We gave it another shot, and upon seeing that everything they did was Biblical we stayed. My wife eventually spoke in tongues. I never did receive a dramatic gift but I became well acquainted with the heat, and the shaking, and the drunken feeling, and the weeping with joy in the presence of the Holy Spirit (I'm welling up just thinking about it). God even allowed me to literally see the Holy Spirit descend on the congregation (I think he did that to keep me from bashing the tongues gift).

Anyway, the thing that bothered me about all this was the lack of translating the heavenly experiences with God through the Holy Spirit into the fruit of the Spirit. Not just me, but so many Christians that I knew. I eventually did work out the fruit of the Spirit truths, but not by way of ecstatic experiences with God. I know those are real, and they are awesome, and I wish I could live that way 24/7/365, but the reality of the Christian walk and growing up in Christ for me hasn't included much of those experiences.

I'm watching the video. I'm half way through. I want to get back into this abundant worship of God again. A big part of what drove me away from it was how the movement has been polluted by fakes. Maybe it was already polluted when I got saved in 1986 and I only realized that it already was, or it really did get badly polluted soon after that. Either way, I want to go back to the real stuff and don't want to be around fakes who bring reproach and disrepute on these legitimate experiences with God. And I don't want to forget that these experiences aren't what is bringing me into the maturity of the fruit of the Spirit. Don't get me wrong, I wish every church understood and sought the magnificent power and presence of the Holy Spirit in praise and worship. I'm not bashing that at all.

Oh, and as far as my wife. I really don't know where she's at with the Lord anymore. I really don't.

Thank you for your testimony my brother. I love you and God loves you.

I have never received the gift of tongues, either. Other gifts, yes, but never tongues. I started off as a teen in the very same church I go too now, so I understand how you feel. I discredited them and actively spoke against them, saying that their style of worship was irreverent and their altar was no better than a stage where emotionalism was worshiped and not the Lord. I now think that I spoke blasphemy and didn't even realize it, and I would be a liar if I said that I have never worried that I've blasphemed the Holy Spirit. It was easy to discredit back when I was the "frozen chosen."

That aside, and back on to an edifying word, I likewise now fully understand the works of the Spirit. It is evident in my life, and I say this to give God glory, not myself. I weep in the presence. I have fallen under shakes so strong I can hardly stand it, a "fire in my bones". Tears flow when I listen to hymns and songs which speak to me. I once recently had an experience in which I was doing the Lord's work (my heart is telling me not to reveal it in detail) and my heart began to burst with love and fire unlike anything I have ever felt before, a divine love, cradled in the Holy Ghost. I have tears in my eyes now just thinking of it. And what amazes me further is that I was a Christian for many years prior to all of this and never felt such a way. My fire baptism came later... and I know that His work in me has only just begun. Hallelujah.

I thank God for it. I have never seen visions of God nor angels, never laid hands to heal for the Lord, perhaps later I will, or maybe not. But it doesn't matter to me or change a thing. I see a miracle every day when my old heart of stone rejoices at the presence of God. I see a miracle every time I tell old vices "not today."

 

[Eugene]

I have received that which I once preached against as a teacher in a church that believed the gifts were done away with, evidenced by speaking in tongues. Praise God for His patience with me; His mercy endureth for ever. I do not seek gifts, but act upon the need at hand with prayer and trust my Savior to provide the deliverance. I have seen miracles including the dead raised I can't explain, and grace given when I believed there should be none more given me. LORD, what will You have me do? I reckon I'll just take this cup of salvation and drink some more. Thank You Father for Your love that never fails in Jesus' name.

 

[JLB]

I started out in the charismatic movement. My wife and I attended the local Full Gospel Church when I was stationed in Gwinn, MI (K.I. Sawyer AFB). We weren't saved then and we thought they were nuts. We politely said 'thank you and good bye' on the way out the door and sped home in my 1974 SS Nova.

Several months later we got saved through the 700 Club. They put us in contact with the pastor of the nutball church we had attended earlier. We gave it another shot, and upon seeing that everything they did was Biblical we stayed. My wife eventually spoke in tongues. I never did receive a dramatic gift but I became well acquainted with the heat, and the shaking, and the drunken feeling, and the weeping with joy in the presence of the Holy Spirit (I'm welling up just thinking about it). God even allowed me to literally see the Holy Spirit descend on the congregation (I think he did that to keep me from bashing the tongues gift).

Anyway, the thing that bothered me about all this was the lack of translating the heavenly experiences with God through the Holy Spirit into the fruit of the Spirit. Not just me, but so many Christians that I knew. I eventually did work out the fruit of the Spirit truths, but not by way of ecstatic experiences with God. I know those are real, and they are awesome, and I wish I could live that way 24/7/365, but the reality of the Christian walk and growing up in Christ for me hasn't included much of those experiences.

I'm watching the video. I'm half way through. I want to get back into this abundant worship of God again. A big part of what drove me away from it was how the movement has been polluted by fakes. Maybe it was already polluted when I got saved in 1986 and I only realized that it already was, or it really did get badly polluted soon after that. Either way, I want to go back to the real stuff and don't want to be around fakes who bring reproach and disrepute on these legitimate experiences with God. And I don't want to forget that these experiences aren't what is bringing me into the maturity of the fruit of the Spirit. Don't get me wrong, I wish every church understood and sought the magnificent power and presence of the Holy Spirit in praise and worship. I'm not bashing that at all.

Oh, and as far as my wife. I really don't know where she's at with the Lord anymore. I really don't.

Well said !


JLB

PS - I was stationed at Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda, Michigan in 1977.

 

[Adstar]

I will be keeping well away from the Toronto movement.

 

[JLB]

It's not difficult to make fun of almost anything. Most of you have had your belly laughs about the Wal-Mart videos..... BUT you, yourself, have also walked the isles of that store. Think about that.

The Toronto Blessing has been a magnet for criticism. Many of you have scoffed at it (so have I, when I saw some of the selected films). Yet, for at least the first couple of years, it was not what the stuffy "Christian" ferrets have tried to make it. Yes, I do believe that as time went on, and God was pretty much finished with the work there, men tried (under their own power) to keep it going. And even our own church (The Vineyard) who, at first sponsored it, pulled their backing due to seeing the influence of men's own carnal efforts.

I know there are some serious, thinking people here (not all... but, SOME ), so I thought those people might enjoy seeing the truth about The Toronto Blessing. Use your God-given brain and eyes. Look for the barking dogs... look way in the background of each scene. Try to find the "weird" stuff that, admittedly, DID begin to occur later on. You won't find any of that stuff. You won't see "nuts", all wild-eyed with fanaticism. If you truly look to see God, you will.

Enjoy. (After the first minute, or so, of intro, you may have to do some mouse clicking to <RESUME> it for the full hour.)

Thank you Brother, for this post and your explanation.

Most all of the revivals that have taken place in the past, were short lived for this very reason.


The Welsh Revival was another example.

Our Azusa street Revival came out of that, which started right here in Houston, but moved to LA, because of prejudice.


We are so desperate for His outpouring in this Nation...


May He rend the heavens and come down upon the USA again!!!


Please post more Revival topics for discussion!


Thanks, JLB

 

[reba]

2Ch_7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.


We are His people we are called Christians we are not humble we do not pray we hold to our wicked ways we do not seek the Lord... if we did our land would be healed .. He said so...

 

[JLB]

2Ch_7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.


We are His people we are called Christians we are not humble we do not pray we hold to our wicked ways we do not seek the Lord... if we did our land would be healed .. He said so...

Every Revival was birthed by those who pray and repent and cry out to God on behalf of their city or Nation.



JLB

 

[Willie T]

Did you ever notice that revivals never seem to happen quietly and in a "dignified and "orderly manner" by people going through their practiced religious rituals? It seems that "revival" comes to disrupt the stagnant rut we get ourselves into with those very "churchy" things we let worship dissolve into.

 

[JLB]

Did you ever notice that revivals never seem to happen quietly and in a "dignified and "orderly manner" by people going through their practiced religious rituals? It seems that "revival" comes to disrupt the stagnant rut we get ourselves into with those very "churchy" things we let worship dissolve into.

Amen!

I agree!

I would like too add that the revivals in the past would "die out" for one of two reasons.

1. They would be no order and manifestations would become so widespread that the Holy Spirit would become grieved and leave.
2. Order would turn to control and they would try to put the whole revival in a "box" to take control and the Holy Spirit would become grieved and leave.

It is interesting to note that most denominations were started by a move of God, "revival" and would end up as point # 2.

Both cases were the result of a weak and unbalanced leadership.

The Moravian revival, led by Count Zinzendorf and those that lived on his property had a revival with 24 hour round the prayer and intercession that lasted 100 years.

Those that were there, were credited with selling themselves into slavery to take the Gospel to the nations. They would live among the heathen and teach them the ways of Christ, most of which never returned home.

Many at Kansas city have tried to duplicate this work.

Look up Count Zinzendorf and the Moravian revival: True Church community whereby they had all things in common.

The world wide revival that will happen in these last days will be unstoppable and will usher in the return of Jesus Christ as the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached in all the world as a witness!


JLB

 

[Willie T]

I understand, yet I wonder if IHOP really has the correct grasp on the idea.

 

[JLB]

I understand, yet I wonder if IHOP really has the correct grasp on the idea.

Charging "students" to live in an apartment complex called "Hernhut" is just one of the many shortcomings of this movement, beside trying to "sell" the CD's and DVD's.

Trying to recreate that event with a leadership of self appointed prophets and Apostles... was never going to work.

Many were wounded and turned off from that whole "Prophetic" movement.

I think many great lessons were learned as they continue.

Mike Bickle has a pure heart, in my opinion.

Those people love God.



JLB

 

[Willie T]

Charging "students" to live in an apartment complex called "Hernhut" is just one of the many shortcomings of this movement, beside trying to "sell" the CD's and DVD's.

Trying to recreate that event with a leadership of self appointed prophets and Apostles... was never going to work.

Many were wounded and turned off from that whole "Prophetic" movement.

I think many great lessons were learned as they continue.

Mike Bickle has a pure heart, in my opinion.

Those people love God.



JLB

My step mother's children went to school with Mike. They feel the same way about him... on all counts. They love him......... but.....