Question for Christians: Is the "Toronto Blessing" demonic?

Question

I once went to a church and when the service was getting real emotional a whole heap of people started bursting out laughing, some were even rolling on the ground laughing, I had never seen this in my life, I completely freaked out and never went back there again, I felt like something was seriously wrong when I was there. I was told this phenomena is called the "Toronto Blessing", in your opinion is this something demonic? please explain your answer, but dont make it too long.

Answer 1

I once went to a church meeting where dr. Rodney Howard-Browne was the speaker. He invoked demons in churchgoers, but nobody was allowed to test those spirits, because the church was full of security guards. It was noticable that the ushers told the audience that nobody was allowed to lay hands on people except Dr. Howard-Browne himself.

Young's Literal Version 1Corinthians14:32, 33 'and the spiritual gift of prophets to prophets are subject, for God is not of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints'.

Young's Literal Version 1John4:1-3 'Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world; in this know ye the spirit of God; every spirit that doth confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is, and every spirit that doth not confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is not;.

According to Rebecca Brown by whose service many Satanists were saved alive, it is that simple.

My rule of thumb is that a tree is known by its fruit. In Dr. Howard-Browne's case, he said in that same service that Ananias and Sapphira died because they didn't give all the money of the property sale to the church. Actually Peter said to Ananias, 'and having been sold, in thy authority was it not?', Acts 5:4. Ananias and his wife didn't die because of stinginess, otherwise the average pastor would have been dead, but because they lied to God. This showed me Dr. Howard-Browne's greed, and greed is idolatry.

Another way to discern easily is if you open a sheep's mouth and you see fangs, then that sheep is not a sheep, but a wolf in sheep clothes. So much for the security guards at Dr. Howard-Browne's church service. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus had 11 disciples with him and they all ran away. One of them first cut off somebody's ear, but Jesus stopped him and put the ear back.

I believe nobody else than Dr. Howard-Browne was allowed to lay hands on anybody else so that the invoked demon would not transfer to the one who was laying on hands, thereby revealing Dr. Howard-Browne for the sorcerer that he was. Laying on of hands is another subject.

There is a gift of discernings of spirits, 1Corinthians12:10. Be welcome to ask any Christian you trust to pray with you for this gift. If the local pastor at that service with Dr. Howard-Browne had this gift, he would have chased Dr. Howard-Browne out of that church when Dr. Howard-Browne invoked the first demon in one of the churchgoers.

To summarise, strange and wonderful things happened in history by the Hand of God, and it is not demonic to laugh or cry or lie on your back in or out of a church service, but a tree gets known by its fruit, and there is a gift of discernings of spirits which is sorely lacking in the churches, because everyone just accepts everything that happens in their church instead of taking the responsibility of which is written in the Bible.

Answer 2

To be quite frank, I've never heard of this "Toronto Blessing" thing. Whether it's "real" or not is really neither here nor there. The fact of the matter, were I in your situation (…and I HAVE been) I wouldn’t let a “church” experience (good or bad) push me away from God. If you don’t like this church, or you feel weird or uneasy in your spirit, go somewhere else but don’t stop going after Him! I DO think you’re doing the right thing by asking questions.

One of the greatest questions I’ve ever heard ANYONE ask is, “Are you gonna let a man, hypocrite or jerk stand between you and God?” Don’t let this one experience sway you away from God. Let it draw you closer to Him and tell Him straight out, “God, I don’t like what happened at this church. I really need you to help me. What is this stuff and what should I do?”

I’m sure God will be okay with you telling Him you don’t like what happened in a church. There are people out there who have said worse things. Besides, He’s a big boy! I think He can handle it. ;-)

Keep asking those questions, my friend! Be Blessed! (sorry for the long reply)

Answer 3

What you encountered was a religious cult known as Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (TACF for short). They are an offspring of christianity and thus hold most of the same beliefs, but their behaviour is odd and overly fanatic, with all members believing to be in direct contact with god and/or the holy spirit. Therefore most christians view this cult as an abomination, where a former christian community has been employed by satan.

Sofar their actions have caused no harm, but there is talk about a 'spiritual war', and that TACF is the coming of gods true church. I personally doubt this will lead to anything serious, as TACF is held together by a single charismatic leader. Eventually he will disappear or lose his courage, and the community will fall back to normality.

Answer 4

I too would ahve done what you did and never gone back to that church. I believe in a little humor and our pastor like to lighten things up with a small joke we can have agood laugh but then it is back to the Bible. I had a similar experience when I went to a church where they danced around waving flags and the such and I was not comfortable with that and I never went back. I do not know that I would cal it demonic but niot the type of service I would want to partakein. I do not agree with it.

Answer 5

romulanbee,
I haven't heard anything about a "Toronto Blessing."

It sounds like something I experienced at a Pentecostal Church where one guy, every service they said, comes down flapping his arms like a chicken. Sure enough he did it when I was there.

There wasn't any point to it. Nothing there was of the Holy Spirit that I saw.

Answer 6

Mass hysteria fueled and perpetuated by organizations like YWAM entrusted with thousands of young teenagers at the most vulnerable, delicate and malleable periods of their lives!

Such is the "Toronto Blessing" ...such manifestations will come and go encouraged by quasi Christian organizations .like YWAM (cults) remain. The YWAM dynastic and incredible doctrines they teach and how they rule with their monarchical hierarchy of leadership all controlled by their very own version of L Ron Hubbard ...a Mr. Cunnignham and company is truly frightening.

Answer 7

I don't know if it is demonic or just taps into some kind of sub-conscious fleshly thing, but glorifying Jesus Christ seems to get left behind when it rolls through...staying away is wise.

Answer 8

Don't let any church emotionally lead you into anything. Let God's Word be the source of all truth. You see them laughing, crying, peeing, skipping, dancing, howling, farting, running....recognize it's not anything the God of the bible's done.

The meaning is most likely well, but it's far from biblical. It most likely got twisted up completely.

Answer 9

I don't think the Toronto Blessing is scriptural. It is anything but.

Answer 10

I don't know.

I have heard about this "phenomenon" and I, as a Christian, am rather skeptical and uncomfortable with the exhibitions I have seen via the media.

It doesn't feel right in my spirit, I know that.