There is another spirit in the land today—other than the "refreshing" we have mentioned previously. This other spirit is requiring that God's people confess their sins, firmly renouncing them. There is a holy awe accompanying the confessing and renouncing as the believers walk in the light of God's Presence.

From our own point of view, these are different spirits. As the pastor of a church I do not wish to judge any other Christian work as being of God or of the devil. I do not believe God is requiring that I make such a decision.

I do know, however, that if I am discipling people by teaching the commandments of Christ and His Apostles, and someone breaks out laughing or begins to roll on the floor, I will lovingly put a stop to it.

I seem to hear the war drums of El Shaddai. I seem to see the warriors on the white stallions parading in review before the Commander in Chief. I believe the invasion of the earth is near. The kings from the East, from the rising of the sun of the Day of the Lord, are waiting for the trumpet that will signal the attack.

God's people with their rapture, rapture, rapture, grace, grace, grace preaching are not at all prepared to ride in the army of the Lord.

And now we have the spectacle of a believer pretending he is a dog and sniffing at people and a lady being told she is free to be a monkey. How can I believe such behavior is coming from the same Spirit that speaks in Joel of the army of the Lord, of the great and terrible Day of the Lord?

These are not the same! This is not the same Kingdom! The present emotional excesses are the inevitable consequence of the shallow, self-serving doctrines and silly, unfruitful religious practices of the Evangelical churches of America throughout the latter part of this century. By silly, unfruitful religious practices I mean jumping up and down next to one's pew in preparation for the "rapture" or the minister dressing like a football player to celebrate the Super Bowl being held that Sunday. He preaches while the congregation listens to the game on their transistor radios.

Can Christ be pleased with our interpretation of discipleship? Will these activities prepare us for the age of moral horrors and horrendous persecution on the horizon? What if the "rapture" is late? It has not come in time to deliver the hundreds of thousands of Christians tortured and killed in our own day—the Christians being tortured and killed while you are reading this essay; the Christians being tortured and killed while the congregation is listening to the Super Bowl during the service.

Can you picture the Apostle Paul leading the Apostle Peter around with a leash while Peter barked like a dog, as is taking place in some Christian assemblings today? Can you imagine the Lord Jesus leading Paul and Peter around on leashes while they barked like dogs and sniffed at people or Mary Magdalene acting like a monkey?

To be continued.