We do find a few examples in Scripture of God’s presence affecting people’s ability to stand. After Solomon built the first temple to the Lord, the temple “was filled with a cloud.” What was the result? “The priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 5:13–14; 1 Kings 8:10–11 ESV). Also, as in the stories of “sinners” who fell prostrate before being converted in the revival meetings of early evangelicalism, Saul, later called Paul, was traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians and, after experiencing a bright light, “he fell to the ground” (Acts 9:4). Stories like these about Paul and the priests in the temple make me wonder if some of the stories I discussed earlier in the chapter might have been similar experiences, even if they are not as explicit and do not clearly say why the person fell or what caused the person to fall. For example, could it be that “Abram fell on his face” involuntarily before God talked to him (Genesis 17:3 ESV)? This could be a parallel to where Peter and Paul fell into a trance before God spoke to them in visions. It is also possible that when John saw the resurrected Jesus, John “fell at his feet as though dead” involuntarily (Revelation 1:17). As I noted, sometimes the Bible doesn’t say whether the person “fell down” before the Lord on purpose or involuntarily. We don’t always know. We do know, however, that in at least some cases, people could not stand as a result of God’s presence.
Illegitimate Manifestations
All I found in my study of history and the Bible did not, however, cause me to accept that every time a person falls or shakes in a church service they are doing so because of the presence of God. I have come to think that sometimes this is the case—but probably not that often.
Many leaders of historical revivals have been well aware that there were both legitimate and illegitimate manifestations of the Spirit happening in the meetings they led. William Durham was one of them. Durham led a revival in Chicago in the early 1900s that eventually overshadowed the revival at Azusa Street. Durham complained of “fanatics” who would claim that every strange physical manifestation was from God. On the opposite side were fanatics who charged that everything out of the ordinary was from the Devil or demons. Even though Durham did believe that some manifestations were caused by Satan, he did not regard the presence of the fanatics as a reason to reject completely all that happened at revival meetings. Instead, he deemed their presence a sign of spiritual vitality. Expressing this, Durham wrote,
Every great revival attracts not only honest seekers and well-balanced people, but cranks and fanatics. I never saw the exception. Every revivalist of any note has had his troubles with them, and we have had our full share. There is a host of them and they all desire to air their theories or ride their hobbies; but they are no proof that God is not working, but rather prove that He is working.
Like Durham, we don’t have to completely reject or completely accept every strange experience as a manifestation of the presence of God, including falling or shaking. Furthermore, thinking these experiences can come only from God or the Devil is also too limiting. I agree with Durham’s assessment that, in addition, “in many genuine experiences the flesh is allowed to get in some little measure.”9
Peer Pressure
Besides God or the Devil, there are many other reasons a person might shake or fall. For example, a person might shake because that is what they saw someone else do and they, therefore, came to the conclusion that if you are Spirit-filled or experiencing the presence of God, you are supposed to shake. I’m convinced this happened to me.
Alternatively, I’m sure that many people have fallen down in a church service due to peer pressure. Sometimes the peer pressure is subtle—they may have just watched the preacher pray for five people who fell down, and now the preacher is going to pray for them. There is now pressure for them to fall down too. At other times the peer pressure is more evident. I remember one service where the preacher called all the young people to the altar, lined them up, and told them that they were going to fall under the power of God. The pastor proceeded to wave his jacket across the crowd of youth yelling, “Fresh wind!” They fell down, of course. After all, it would have been embarrassing to have been the only person left standing.
Sometimes peer pressure is even literal pressure. One day my wife was visiting another church, and while she was worshipping God in response to the altar call, she noticed that the preacher was walking around and praying for those who had gathered at the altar. He placed his hand on some people’s foreheads and pushed them backward until they fell down. Rather than waiting to see how persistent he would be in his methods, Krista knelt down on the floor so she could escape his ministry, and she continued to worship God.
Other practices found at some revival meetings could be considered forms of peer pressure, even if they are more innocent. For example, some pastors ensure that when they pray for others there are “catchers” behind the people they are praying for. But there are no catchers in the Bible. Even though these pastors mean well by ensuring those who fall down don’t hurt themselves, I have a feeling these catchers are often just as important for the pastor praying, because the catchers indicate to the people being prayed for that they should get ready to fall down . . . but not until the pastor prays for them. Now is a good time to remind ourselves that there are no stories in Scripture where somebody falls under the power of God as someone else is praying for them.
Where Is the Fruit?
Despite certain abuses, I do still recognize that some people will have authentic experiences of God in which their bodies will respond by shaking or falling. The fruit or outcome of such experiences sometimes testifies to their authenticity. During the Great Awakenings, sinners’ experience of falling in services would often lead them to make a decision to follow Jesus Christ. This is a desirable outcome. Positive fruit can also be found among some Christians who have experienced being slain in the Spirit or shaking. One pastor interviewed people about their experiences of being slain in the Spirit, and they described their experiences in this way:
A warm glow, a sweetness, a certain peace. One person said it was “heavenly peace.” Others describe it as “a real faith builder,” or “It really established my confidence.” “It took away my doubts” is another expression that is used to explain its effect. . . . One person said she received a definite answer to prayer that has since affected her whole life. Another spoke of seeing a vision of the Lord. Still another talked of “everything around becoming insignificant,” and another of sensing great love from the Father.10
Sometimes Christians who are averse to falling in the presence of God find themselves swept off their feet and experiencing the Spirit in a way that brings positive results. One non-charismatic Baptist pastor recalled visiting a service at a charismatic church and wrote,
As I stood to receive prayer, I was determined not to fall down as some did, wanting to worship Jesus and invite his presence in my own way. But then my legs completely melted, and I fell backwards to the carpet for several minutes. My mind was still alert, wondering, until convulsions started in my stomach, and I began heaving sobs from the pit of my being. A sense of peace followed my crying in which I knew that I was deeply known, forgiven, and loved in the presence of God. He also used this time to give me insight into my ongoing sin patterns, reassurance that deep emotional wounds were being healed, and reaffirmation of my direction for ministry.11
Similar to the above testimonies, a friend of mine has fallen under the power of God three times in her life. She believes that each time this occurred God was preparing her to face a significant personal challenge. At one point she was feeling anxious due to a major career change she was anticipating. On top of this, her house was not selling and she was moving to an area where the cost of real estate was higher, and some people were questioning the wisdom of her decision to move. Then, one day at the end of a church service, she sensed God’s presence and fell down. When she eventually returned to her feet,
she felt affirmed in God’s love, with her faith strengthened, and with a renewed sense of peace about her career change.
Additional Cautions
Although the previous stories show that some people have had positive experiences after they have trembled or fallen under the power of God, I would never want to suggest that every Christian should seek or expect to have these experiences. If you are ever disappointed that God didn’t knock you over or that you didn’t sense God’s presence to such an extent that you shook, there may be a problem in your heart—it might indicate that you are seeking an experience of God rather than seeking an intimate relationship with God. Don’t feel condemned if you have ever felt this way, though. I know I have had this feeling myself.
I think of Moses and his encounter with God at the burning bush (Exodus 3), and I am reminded that many people in the Bible had intimate and intense encounters with God without losing control of themselves in any way—they didn’t have to shake or fall. Therefore, we should not make the dangerous conclusion that out-of-the-ordinary experiences with God are indicators of our spiritual vitality (more on this in a later chapter). Remember, falling or shaking was not a normal experience for people in the Bible. These experiences are unusual precisely because they are out of the ordinary. So we should not expect them to happen ordinarily or try to manufacture them. Moreover, people who have never experienced shaking or falling should not feel guilty. If God really wanted all Christians to have and expect these experiences, I’m sure God would have made this clearer in the Bible.
Transformed in God’s Presence
Allow me to bring you back to my story from the beginning of this chapter. In light of all that I have said here, how would I now evaluate my experience that evening at church camp? I still remain unconvinced that I have ever fallen down because the Holy Spirit knocked me over. I am fully aware that I was not just open to being slain in the Spirit, but rather, I wanted to fall down at that point in my life. Regardless, one thing I know for sure is that I met with God in those moments and those encounters had a vital role in shaping me into who I am today. During those moments the holiness and majesty of God became real to me, God spoke to me, and my faith and commitment to God increased. In fact, if I had not experienced God in those ways, I don’t know where I would be today.
Aside from my own experiences, I have concluded that at many times in history, people have shaken or fallen down simply because they could no longer stand in the presence of God. This is not quite the same thing as being “slain,” which seems to imply that a person is knocked over by God, but it is consistent with the idea of “falling under the power” of God. At the same time, however, I suspect that many, and perhaps even most, people who claim to have been slain in the Spirit experienced this of their own volition, or because someone pushed them over, or because they believed that was what they were supposed to do. Nevertheless, I do not doubt that in the midst of these experiences, even those people who have caused themselves, out of immaturity, to shake or fall have still experienced the power and presence of God in life-altering ways.
Remember, God is gracious and continues to work despite our immaturity and weaknesses. On account of this, we need to be careful of discrediting other people’s experiences of being slain in the Spirit. Like a musician who is jamming with friends can play the wrong note without being condemned for doing something terrible, in some cases Christians (this was my own experience) need to have permission to relax and occasionally hit the wrong note in order to authentically experience the Holy Spirit. When all is said and done, while we should not seek nor manufacture so-called manifestations of the Spirit, we should welcome legitimate, intense encounters with God’s presence when they come. And if you should ever find yourself reacting to God with shaking or falling, continue to worship God and wait to see what God may want to speak to you in that moment.
Thank you, Lord, that we can experience the Holy Spirit in intense ways that remind us that you are with us. Forgive us if we have ever pretended to experience the Spirit or if we have tried to force experiences of the Spirit upon others. We acknowledge that we cannot control your presence, and we pray that you would continue to pour out your Spirit upon us.
Questions for Reflection or Discussion
1.What in Scripture suggests that, in some instances, a person might respond to the presence of God with trembling or by falling?
2.If you have ever shaken or fallen while worshipping God, what was this experience like for you?
3.How have you felt toward those who experienced the Spirit in ways such as shaking or falling when you weren’t having a similar experience yourself?
4.How do you feel about those who seek to manufacture these experiences of the Spirit rather than allow them to occur as unordinary and uncommon experiences?
5.Why do you suppose the Spirit sometimes seems to overwhelm certain people?
CHAPTER 3
KNOCK, KNOCK.WHO’S THERE?
Hearing God Speak
God told me to marry you.”
No one ever said this to my wife or me, although I suppose it would have made things a little simpler if God had just told us to marry each other, but it is repeated as a running joke at many Christian colleges. The sad thing is that this joke has a basis in reality, because too many times God has supposedly told one person who to marry, but has neglected to tell the other person. And the other person is usually not too thrilled about the idea. Or worse, she has clearly heard God tell her not to marry the first person. Needless to say, in most instances the two people don’t get married, at least not to each other. Perhaps God is confused. Or, more likely, one person has been trying to spiritualize their feelings for the other person.
Perhaps you can remember a time when someone claimed that God told them something, when in reality it seemed that person was trying to impose their will and desires on others. Situations like these can make us skeptical about the whole idea of hearing God speak.
My Own Skepticism
When I was in my early twenties, I came to the conclusion that God doesn’t speak today. Or, if God does speak, it doesn’t happen often. Like many young adults, I was wrestling with major life decisions, like what vocation I should pursue and where I should live after college. As a result, I investigated a number of books about finding God’s will, and I even wrote a paper on that topic in my third year of college. One book I read, Decision Making and the Will of God, really got me thinking. It contained many valuable messages that I still nod my head in agreement with today.
I learned that the Lord doesn’t necessarily want to whisper in my ear what I should do in every situation I face. Instead, God gives me wisdom to help me make decisions. This was accurate biblical teaching: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). Nevertheless, the book also taught me that today God only communicates through the Scripture. The basic idea was that God has said in the Bible all that needs to be said, so the Lord doesn’t need to speak today outside of the Bible. I remember sitting in a classroom one year after I read the book. Standing at the front, the professor smiled and asked, “Have any of you heard God speak to you?” Though I was embarrassed to admit it, I looked down at my desk and answered, “I used to think I had, but now I’m not so sure.”
God Who Speaks
Eventually I had an aha moment. I was reading the Bible and realized that God spoke to the people who wrote the Bible. I reasoned that if God spoke directly to prophets and apostles, God can speak directly to anyone, and God could speak directly to me. After all, God’s nature hasn’t changed. It seems so obvious, but I had missed it, at least for a while.
Throughout the stories of the Bible, God regularly spoke to people. In the first pages of the Scripture, in the story of Adam and Eve, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number’” (Genesis 1:28). Later in Genesis 6:13–15, God said to Noah, “Make yourself an ark of cyp
ress wood.” Exodus 33:11 reports that “the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” When faced with oppression from the Midianites, God told Gideon, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand” (Judges 6:14). The prophet Jeremiah was hesitant to accept God’s call, so God reassured him and said, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ . . . I am with you and will rescue you” (Jeremiah 1:7–8).
In the New Testament, no one locked up God’s lips and threw away the key. At Jesus’ baptism, the Father said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). And in numerous places in the New Testament, we are specifically told that the Holy Spirit was speaking to people. On one occasion, “the Spirit told Philip” to go near a chariot (Acts 8:29). As a result, Philip ended up sharing the gospel with an Ethiopian who was then baptized. In another story, the church in Antioch was worshipping and fasting and “the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul [Paul] for the work to which I have called them’” (Acts 13:2). As a result, Barnabas and Paul set out on their first missionary journey. First Timothy 4:1 warns, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith.” And, in numerous places the book of Revelation advises people to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). The Spirit is not a vague force; the Spirit was and is still personal. And God speaks to us in the person of the Holy Spirit.
I am encouraged to find that God doesn’t communicate only with the holiest or most spiritual people. The Lord spoke to Paul the apostle, despite the fact that before Paul became a Christian he had made plans to travel around killing believers (Acts 9:1–2). Moses actually did murder someone (Exodus 2:11–12). And after the Lord spoke to Gideon, Gideon lacked faith and told God why he shouldn’t be the one to lead Israel (Judges 6:12–15). Even after God gave Gideon a miraculous sign to prove that God was speaking to him, Gideon continued to doubt and asked God to give him two more miraculous signs to convince him that God would do what God had said (Judges 6:36–40). While God might very well have given up in light of Gideon’s lack of trust, God was gracious and still spoke to him. God has spoken to many imperfect people in the past, and today God continues to speak to imperfect people, like you and me.
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