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A new documentary that aims to prove the Holy Spirit is real. (I watched it… twice.)

By September 3, 2014Blog, Feature, Featured

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A month ago I received an email from the publicist of a new documentary called Holy Ghost. Apparently, he’d read my Daily Beast piece about Jesus movies and wanted to talk to me about writing something about the film he was promoting, the Darren Wilson-directed “adventure” about the Spirit of God. After watching the trailer—a three-minute teaser that features Michael W. Smith, Lenny Kravitz, members of the band Korn, pastors, evangelists, worship leaders, and other Christian thinkers—I was interested in possibly writing something for The Daily Beast. After exchanging emails with my editor, I decided to see the movie, perhaps interview Wilson (which I did last Friday), and write something prior to the documentary’s release on Saturday, September 6.

As soon as the publicist sent me a link to the Holy Ghost screener, I started watching it.

For three minutes, I was hooked. Cautiously hooked. But hooked.

It was hard not to be hooked. At the very beginning of the documentary, Wilson, who narrates Holy Ghost, plainly states his lofty reason for making this film: I want to show you something. Something you’ve never seen before. Some say he’s dead. Some say he’s silent. Some say he’s a figment of my imagination. But the Holy Spirit is real, and I’m going to prove it.

That’s what he says. I listened to it 10 times to make sure I heard him correctly. Because even for a director who I suspect leans charismatic in his understanding of God’s spirit (the documentary is somehow connected with Bethel Church), beginning a movie with I’m going to prove the presence of God is real is a mouthful.

It might be a crazy mouthful. Or as Wilson calls it, a “risky” mouthful. But as a hook, it’s brilliant. But you better be able to back it up with content.

As if proving that the Spirit of God existing on Earth wasn’t enough, Wilson goes on to say, I wanna take the greatest risk possible as a filmmaker, to make a move that is completely led by the Holy Spirit… just show up wherever he leads me, find the adventure, and make God famous.

And then, as quickly as I was hooked, I became less hooked. “Led by the Holy Spirit” tends to be little more than jargon when it’s regarding popular culture (click here to read how Wilson defines being “led”).

Inside my head, I started to hear a voice, perhaps it was my own voice or maybe it was the Holy Spirit’s voice–whoever it was, the voice caused me to think, maybe I don’t want to write about this movie for The Daily Beast.

Ignoring the voice, I kept watching.

Now, Holy Ghost features four main story lines (story lines mostly built around locations that the Holy Spirit told Wilson to visit and the people at these locations that the Holy Spirit told Wilson to talk to). In between these featured locations/stories, Wilson inserts clips from celebrities, pastors, theologians, and other Christian leaders talking candidly and passionately about what the Holy Spirit means to them. Those short vignettes are the best part of this documentary. They showcase the diversity of how people think about the Holy Spirit. They feature slightly varied theologies and thoughts and experiences regarding the Holy Spirit. I didn’t agree with everything that people talked about, but I still enjoyed hearing people talk about their understandings about the Holy Spirit.

But the majority of Wilson’s documentary isn’t that kind of commentary. Most of Holy Ghost depicts Wilson seemingly trying really really hard to squeeze some sort of spiritual or miraculous or inspired narrative out of the experiences he and his friends encountered while visiting the locations that the Holy Spirit told them to visit.

And where did the Holy Spirit tell Wilson to go? To Salt Lake City. To Monaco. To a Korn concert.  And to Varanasi, India.

The first locale presented in the film is Salt Lake City. Here, Wilson followed Will Hart and Jamie Galloway around the streets of Salt Lake City. The two ministers walked up to random strangers and prayed for them. Which seems innocent enough, right? I thought so too. But it all became weird very fast.

During the first encounter with a man who is said to suffer from night terrors, Galloway tells the man that he can get rid of those nightmares—SNAP! (he literally snapped)—right now. Galloway told the man that Jesus had saved him from night terrors when he was a kid and then he told him, “[Jesus] gave me special powers to set other people free.”

Galloway grabs the man’s hand/arm (at times, his hand just hovers over the stranger’s hand) and prays: Holy Spirit, I want you to touch my friend, show him you’re really real and break him free from all the haunting spirits that have been assigned to his life. He looks at the stranger. You feel that? The man seems unconvinced. Galloway says, Watch! Still holding/hovering a hand over the man’s hand, Galloway waves his other hand over their joined hands and says, Double it. Double it. The man seems to feel something. Galloway then prays, Holy Ghost, I pray you send your power all the way up his arm as a sign of your love. Thanks Jesus. Feel that?

The stranger says, “My armpit’s cold all of a sudden.”

Galloway says, “Yeah, watch, double it. Double it. More.”

Eventually, after a few doses of Double It praying, the stranger shouts, “Woa! My nipples just got hard.”

Maybe the Holy Spirit does make people’s nipples hard. I had a friend in college who said he sometimes got horny in the presence of God. #TrueStory But hard nipples, like erections, don’t prove God’s presence.

The Holy Spirit did lots of tricks on the streets of Salt Lake City. Hart and Galloway prayed over one young man with a hurting arm. When the Holy Spirit didn’t make the boy’s arm better the first time, they prayed their Double It, Double It prayer over him again. And that didn’t work either. So they prayed Double It again. That third time was a keeper, though it was an awkward keeper.

And that’s why I ended up deciding that I wasn’t going to write about Holy Ghost for The Daily Beast. Because but for the interviews with people about the Holy Spirit and the sincerely told stories/testimonies of how Korn’s Brian and Fieldy found God, Holy Ghost is, in my opinion, filled up with some really awkward moments, moments that include evangelist Todd White praying over an atheist who had a bad back. How did Todd a la the Holy Spirit help the atheist? He/Holy Spirit made one of the man’s legs two inches longer. That’s one of the oldest “Holy Spirit” tricks in the book.

During the moments in Holy Ghost where praying over people or healing people was the intention, the tactics used were the same exact tactics (or nearly the same tactics) that mediums and spiritual healers use. They often made “cold readings”  or suggestions about what the Holy Spirit was saying about people’s ailments, trying to find a story line to jump on or a body part to heal. The only difference between the language and tactics that the pastors used and mediums use was their words were sprinkled with “Jesus.”

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In Varanasi, India—the grand finale location in the documentary—the Holy Spirit told Wilson he was to go and worship Jesus at a spot along the Ganges River where, according to Wilson, worshiping Jesus was “suicide.” Why? Because Wilson said this was where “the militants” were. In fact, one of the cast members says, “This is the most radical places on earth.”

But when singer/worship leader Jake Hamilton started singing about “freedom” (and Jake can sing—he has a powerful soulful voice), rather than killing the Anglo-Saxon man with the guitar, the alleged militants who hated Jesus gathered around and seemed to enjoy the music. How the narrative plays out and is depicted on film, the viewer is left with the impression that, because Wilson, Jake, and the rest of the Christians weren’t beaten to a pulp by militant Hindus and/or militant Buddhists (the “militants” are given little to no context), that it was obviously the Holy Spirit that protected them. Now, maybe what happens in the film is indeed a miracle, something that nobody else had ever attempted without getting killed, but that’s impossible to know. The scene is so filled with narrative flaws/gimmicks, convenient and choppy editing, and a seeming lack of appreciation and knowledge about the culture and the Indian people that this scene all felt like one big emotionally dishonest clip.

Then, amid the Jesus fest that was happening on the banks of the Ganges River, just after the Holy Spirit finished healing another leg, some of the local people who hated Christians more than anything became restless. Because all of a sudden, the narrator declares, “Jake was attacked.” The “attack” happened off camera, of course, and how Jake explains what happens—that amid all of the handshaking that was happening, one man walks up and grabs his arm, which he says seemed “not good”—it remained unclear whether or not the “attack” was an actual attack or just a cultural misunderstanding. But whatever it was, whether it was a real attack or nothing at all, it was used as a movie device, a moment of tension (shaking camera footage to boot) that forced the group to leave where they were—but again, without context or story or video of anything remotely violent. Again, maybe Jake was physically attacked. Maybe, as one of the team members suggested might happen, the natives were getting ready to cut the Christians up into pieces and throw them into the Ganges River. Maybe. But no proof of that is offered. It’s just editorialized. No footage of that is shown. It’s just talked about.

And that is not only emotionally and spiritually dishonest, it’s unfair to the people of Varanasi, India who were there that day.

I had a long list of problems with Holy Ghost. None of those problems involved how people talked about God’s Spirit but rather in how they used God’s spirit, how they attempted to put God’s spirit on display like a magic trick show.

Watch the movie yourself. See what you think. I’ll confess, I could be wrong. Maybe you’ll think the movie is glorious 2-hour display of God’s wonder and presence.

I asked Wilson if he believed that his documentary proved that the presence of God’s spirit was real. He said yes. I disagreed with him. And seemed okay with that.

But having watched Holy Ghost twice and parts of it 4, 5, and even 10 times, and I don’t believe the movie offered one story or event or idea or “proof” that the Holy Spirit was real. The most compelling parts of the movie were when people were talking, telling us what they believed, or how they engaged the spirit of God.

That said, I believe in God’s spirit. I’ve had moments when I believe that I sensed God’s spirit to do something or call somebody or reach out to a stranger. But these moments are personal. Put up on a screen or on display, they wouldn’t prove that God was real, except for me and the person who I called or reached out to or helped. On my Facebook pages (here and here), I asked people about their experiences with the Holy Spirit (the conversation that developed was another reason I decided to not put this up at The Daily Beast). While some people’s stories reflected similar happenings as those depicted in Holy Ghost, the majority of the responses were heartfelt experiences that were personal, sometimes miraculous, but personal, unexplainable, filled with humanity and doubt, and often sent to me via a private message because they wanted to honor their story/experience.

Sometimes I wonder if we Christians, in our attempts to “make God famous” using the Holy Spirit, blaspheme the spirit of God with our showy attempts to perform tricks or prove.

Because how we talk about God matters. How we “use” God’s story is affecting God’s story. As soon as we take our personal engagements with the Spirit of God and showcase them as performances or trickery or emotional rallying calls—regardless if our intentions are good or bad—we are gambling with the story of God. When we say that God directed us in the making of a documentary, that documentary better good. Should it rival Creation? Perhaps, since that’s what we are comparing it to by association. Because that’s how we believe God works, perfectly, beautifully, miraculously, etc. So when our God-inspired products are bad or filled with discrepancies or feel manipulative or don’t back up our big grandiose claims, then we’re doing a disservice to God’s story.

If Holy Ghost was indeed directed/led by the Holy Spirit, it would be a much better documentary. But as is, it feels like a documentary about Christians doing what some Christians do in hopes that Christians will sit for two hours and watch what happens. Which is fine, I suppose. But this documentary isn’t proof of God existing, just proof that Christians exist.

Again, this is just my opinion.

And I could be wrong.

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Matthew Paul Turner

Author Matthew Paul Turner

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Join the discussion 57 Comments

  • dmcd says:

    How can we describe the wind? We see its power, but we cannot see it. John 3, Acts 2.

  • dmcd says:

    How can we describe the wind? We see its power, but we cannot see it. John 3, Acts 2.

  • benbartosik says:

    I’m so glad you’re finally writing about this guy.

  • benbartosik says:

    I’m so glad you’re finally writing about this guy.

  • vegas710 says:

    “Sideshow Holy Spirit” is the very one I grew up with. Just reading about these events makes my stomach hurt. So much desperation and dishonesty.

  • vegas710 says:

    “Sideshow Holy Spirit” is the very one I grew up with. Just reading about these events makes my stomach hurt. So much desperation and dishonesty.

  • Andrew Zook says:

    You’re not wrong. Your misgivings are completely biblical, logical and rightly discerning. Why american christians come up with stuff is beyond me. Simple, mundane things like the sun rising, the blue sky and my child’s smile is all the proof I need of God’s presence. It’s overwhelmingly real…but american christians seem to need another kind of buzz…  thanks for the heads-up. I’ll be avoiding this film like the plague.

  • Andrew Zook says:

    You’re not wrong. Your misgivings are completely biblical, logical and rightly discerning. Why american christians come up with stuff is beyond me. Simple, mundane things like the sun rising, the blue sky and my child’s smile is all the proof I need of God’s presence. It’s overwhelmingly real…but american christians seem to need another kind of buzz…  thanks for the heads-up. I’ll be avoiding this film like the plague.

  • KJenn says:

    This all sounded very familiar, and I see that the same Darren Wilson also made the film “Father of Lights” that a friend made me sit through recently. Very similar feel to this movie, lots of things proclaimed “amazing”, more dodgy leg-lengthening pranks and spooky street prayer, and boldly going into terrifyingly dangerous Indian locations. In one case, “miraculously” a sorcerer wouldn’t come out to talk to them because he was afraid of the Holy Ghost although I felt that if I’d been in the sorcerer’s position it would have been the film crew that put me off. I was promised that the film would encourage me about what “God is doing”. Instead it worried me about what the director was doing and left me feeling sceptical and somehow slightly sick.

  • KJenn says:

    This all sounded very familiar, and I see that the same Darren Wilson also made the film “Father of Lights” that a friend made me sit through recently. Very similar feel to this movie, lots of things proclaimed “amazing”, more dodgy leg-lengthening pranks and spooky street prayer, and boldly going into terrifyingly dangerous Indian locations. In one case, “miraculously” a sorcerer wouldn’t come out to talk to them because he was afraid of the Holy Ghost although I felt that if I’d been in the sorcerer’s position it would have been the film crew that put me off. I was promised that the film would encourage me about what “God is doing”. Instead it worried me about what the director was doing and left me feeling sceptical and somehow slightly sick.

  • Faithfulwatcher says:

    As soon as you see the word “ghost” when describing God, or God’s Holy Spirit, you know the entire essay is false. Ghost refers to someone who is dead, and our Almighty God is very much alive, as He is a LIVING God. Anything that comes directly from God by means of His faithful Son, Jesus Christ, is incorruptibly purposeful and very powerful to the heart of any person.
    These monetarily profit-based assertions as to the very character and power of Almighty God always prove false. God is all about truth, and anything false is an offense to Him, especially when the falsehood is aimed at Him or His Son. Falsehood is dirty, unclean, and should be shunned as per God’s instructions found at  2nd Corinthians 6:14-18.

  • Faithfulwatcher says:

    As soon as you see the word “ghost” when describing God, or God’s Holy Spirit, you know the entire essay is false. Ghost refers to someone who is dead, and our Almighty God is very much alive, as He is a LIVING God. Anything that comes directly from God by means of His faithful Son, Jesus Christ, is incorruptibly purposeful and very powerful to the heart of any person.
    These monetarily profit-based assertions as to the very character and power of Almighty God always prove false. God is all about truth, and anything false is an offense to Him, especially when the falsehood is aimed at Him or His Son. Falsehood is dirty, unclean, and should be shunned as per God’s instructions found at  2nd Corinthians 6:14-18.

  • TraceeFoster says:

    The only way to know that the holy spirit is real is to meet him for yourself, same as if God is real, we can waste time and energy on doing Gods job or we can do what God had purposed for us, good review, I like that you gave your opinion without disrespecting others, I beleive and know the father the son and have the holy spirit myself, I didn’t see the movie because I was not able, but I enjoyed your review.

    • jpskillz says:

      This is probably the best part of Matthew’s post. Him disagreeing with a fellow Believer’s point without being disrespectful in any way.

  • TraceeFoster says:

    The only way to know that the holy spirit is real is to meet him for yourself, same as if God is real, we can waste time and energy on doing Gods job or we can do what God had purposed for us, good review, I like that you gave your opinion without disrespecting others, I beleive and know the father the son and have the holy spirit myself, I didn’t see the movie because I was not able, but I enjoyed your review.

  • AlexMacintyreGore says:

    I have some major issues with this Wilson fellow, nor does he use the true names of our Father and our saviour, also if you do not keep all the ten commandments especially the 4th as it clearly stated in the bible there is no light in you….clearly this should be asked of Wilson if answers incorrectly have nothing further to do with him for the spirit that leads him is quised as good but evil.

  • AlexMacintyreGore says:

    I have some major issues with this Wilson fellow, nor does he use the true names of our Father and our saviour, also if you do not keep all the ten commandments especially the 4th as it clearly stated in the bible there is no light in you….clearly this should be asked of Wilson if answers incorrectly have nothing further to do with him for the spirit that leads him is quised as good but evil.

  • lorymcguire says:

    I have not seen the film, but, I don’t get why everybody seems so offended that the Holy Spirit could do crazy things.  If indeed the Holy Spirit healed a man’s leg or arm or whatever, why is that weird?  Why is God only visible in logical practical things?  When Jesus healed the blind, the mute, the possessed-did He not cause a stir?  Did not some towns even beg him to leave?  As is the case where He sent the legion of demons into the pigs and the pigs killed themselves?  Was that not crazy and weird?  And did He not say that we would do greater things than what He did?  Seems to me that alot of people on this site only have faith in God as long as it makes sense-and that is not what faith is about.  How strange that people that are supposed to believe in a supernatural God do not believe He should be doing supernatural things!

  • lorymcguire says:

    I have not seen the film, but, I don’t get why everybody seems so offended that the Holy Spirit could do crazy things.  If indeed the Holy Spirit healed a man’s leg or arm or whatever, why is that weird?  Why is God only visible in logical practical things?  When Jesus healed the blind, the mute, the possessed-did He not cause a stir?  Did not some towns even beg him to leave?  As is the case where He sent the legion of demons into the pigs and the pigs killed themselves?  Was that not crazy and weird?  And did He not say that we would do greater things than what He did?  Seems to me that alot of people on this site only have faith in God as long as it makes sense-and that is not what faith is about.  How strange that people that are supposed to believe in a supernatural God do not believe He should be doing supernatural things!

  • lorymcguire says:

    Andrew Zook You might want to read my post.

  • lorymcguire says:

    Andrew Zook You might want to read my post.

  • vegas710 says:

    lorymcguire It’s not that he does crazy things, it’s that it always seems to be completely unverifiable. If god indeed heals people, why has it never been to grow a new limb or fix a hairlip? It is always these small, strange, unverifiable “miracles”.

  • vegas710 says:

    lorymcguire It’s not that he does crazy things, it’s that it always seems to be completely unverifiable. If god indeed heals people, why has it never been to grow a new limb or fix a hairlip? It is always these small, strange, unverifiable “miracles”.

  • lorymcguire says:

    vegas710 lorymcguire So you’re saying you’ve never seen this?  My mother got to see a man’s deformed hand become whole before her eyes.  I had a weird bone formation form on my foot that my doctor told me needed to be cut off.  Being the baby that I am, I prayed to God for 2 weeks.  After that time I’ll never forget feeling under the sheets (like I did every morning) and feeling that my foot was flat as a pancake on the top.  My husband couldn’t believe it.  I had to show him both feet!  I also prayed for my daughter’s 104 degree fever that would not go away with baths, Be-Kool pads, and medicine all day and all night.  My only option was to take her to the emergency room-or pray.  I could go on and on with all kinds of crazy stories, not just my own but other people-healed of cancer, autism, back pain, etc.  If you are a believer, you should be experiencing these things, unless, you don’t have faith for God to heal you.  And without faith, you are just being a hypocrite by calling yourself a “Christian.”  I’m so sorry that miracles from God are not a part of your life-maybe you are just giving up too fast?  I don’t know.  Read the Bible and start believing it.  It is powerful.

  • lorymcguire says:

    vegas710 lorymcguire So you’re saying you’ve never seen this?  My mother got to see a man’s deformed hand become whole before her eyes.  I had a weird bone formation form on my foot that my doctor told me needed to be cut off.  Being the baby that I am, I prayed to God for 2 weeks.  After that time I’ll never forget feeling under the sheets (like I did every morning) and feeling that my foot was flat as a pancake on the top.  My husband couldn’t believe it.  I had to show him both feet!  I also prayed for my daughter’s 104 degree fever that would not go away with baths, Be-Kool pads, and medicine all day and all night.  My only option was to take her to the emergency room-or pray.  I could go on and on with all kinds of crazy stories, not just my own but other people-healed of cancer, autism, back pain, etc.  If you are a believer, you should be experiencing these things, unless, you don’t have faith for God to heal you.  And without faith, you are just being a hypocrite by calling yourself a “Christian.”  I’m so sorry that miracles from God are not a part of your life-maybe you are just giving up too fast?  I don’t know.  Read the Bible and start believing it.  It is powerful.

  • vegas710 says:

    lorymcguire vegas710 Yes, I am saying I have never seen it. I saw things I thought were miracles but changed my opinion of events later on. What I’m also saying is that there aren’t medically or scientifically verified miracles. Someone is cured of cancer and no one knows why. The Christian believes God healed him. Maybe he did but we can’t really know that. Personally I found it easier to believe that god did not heal people in those ways because the alternative was that he thoughtfully, purposely allowed millions of other faithful people to suffer and die. I spent years having faith that god would heal my sister and he didn’t. Your assertion that he heals believers as long as they have enough faith is unbiblical and frankly, gross.
    I assure you I’ve read the Bible, I have a BS in biblical studies from a conservative Christian college. I came away with a different understanding than you. Speaking down to people is a terrible way to convince them to believe.

  • vegas710 says:

    lorymcguire vegas710 Yes, I am saying I have never seen it. I saw things I thought were miracles but changed my opinion of events later on. What I’m also saying is that there aren’t medically or scientifically verified miracles. Someone is cured of cancer and no one knows why. The Christian believes God healed him. Maybe he did but we can’t really know that. Personally I found it easier to believe that god did not heal people in those ways because the alternative was that he thoughtfully, purposely allowed millions of other faithful people to suffer and die. I spent years having faith that god would heal my sister and he didn’t. Your assertion that he heals believers as long as they have enough faith is unbiblical and frankly, gross.
    I assure you I’ve read the Bible, I have a BS in biblical studies from a conservative Christian college. I came away with a different understanding than you. Speaking down to people is a terrible way to convince them to believe.

  • vegas710 says:

    lorymcguire Moreover, what I’m really saying is that your idea that the issue people have with the film is that they don’t believe god could do these things is off-base. That’s not what MPT or the commenters have said.

  • vegas710 says:

    lorymcguire Moreover, what I’m really saying is that your idea that the issue people have with the film is that they don’t believe god could do these things is off-base. That’s not what MPT or the commenters have said.

  • lorymcguire says:

    vegas710 lorymcguire I went to a Christian college and found very few Christians, so it doesn’t matter that you got a BS in Biblical studies, based on my experiences.  Nothing personal against you.  I do wonder why it is so offensive to you that I say lack of faith results in lack of miracles.  You can’t verify a miracle-that’s why it’s a miracle.  But there is something you can do.  You can go to your local hospital and find a way to interview doctors about Christians who were supposed to die or some other terrible thing and had people come in and pray for them and then then miracle happened.  Of course they won’t be able to explain it, just that-it happened.  Who can explain a miracle?  Also can’t believe you find it strange that cancer kills so many people.  You already know the link between what we consume with cancer and people don’t care and don’t change their habits.  There is all kinds of research available to us.  Why is this strange?  Also, having had a Christian education background, you also know we live in a fallen world.  Sin is rampant, disease, pain, afflictions.  Those are just a part of life.  But, for those who believe, He can change everything.  It is a matter of belief for me.  If I did not have faith, why would I bother praying?  I know some people might do that but it doesn’t make sense to me.

  • lorymcguire says:

    vegas710 lorymcguire I went to a Christian college and found very few Christians, so it doesn’t matter that you got a BS in Biblical studies, based on my experiences.  Nothing personal against you.  I do wonder why it is so offensive to you that I say lack of faith results in lack of miracles.  You can’t verify a miracle-that’s why it’s a miracle.  But there is something you can do.  You can go to your local hospital and find a way to interview doctors about Christians who were supposed to die or some other terrible thing and had people come in and pray for them and then then miracle happened.  Of course they won’t be able to explain it, just that-it happened.  Who can explain a miracle?  Also can’t believe you find it strange that cancer kills so many people.  You already know the link between what we consume with cancer and people don’t care and don’t change their habits.  There is all kinds of research available to us.  Why is this strange?  Also, having had a Christian education background, you also know we live in a fallen world.  Sin is rampant, disease, pain, afflictions.  Those are just a part of life.  But, for those who believe, He can change everything.  It is a matter of belief for me.  If I did not have faith, why would I bother praying?  I know some people might do that but it doesn’t make sense to me.

  • AlexMacintyreGore says:

    Why is it with all the info out there people still use the incorrect names for our Father and our Messiah? As for the “video” when our Messiah and his disciples healed people it happened first time not 3 or 4 goes to get it right, as for this feeling cold it is quite well documented that Fallen angels cause people to feel “cold” when they are present whereas the people feel warmth while in the presence of the holy spirit.

  • AlexMacintyreGore says:

    Why is it with all the info out there people still use the incorrect names for our Father and our Messiah? As for the “video” when our Messiah and his disciples healed people it happened first time not 3 or 4 goes to get it right, as for this feeling cold it is quite well documented that Fallen angels cause people to feel “cold” when they are present whereas the people feel warmth while in the presence of the holy spirit.

  • vegas710 says:

    lorymcguire vegas710 It’s offensive because it’s not true, it blames those who are suffering and it’s completely unbiblical. 
    My only point with mentioning my degree is that I’ve obviously read the Bible. I find engaging with you to be frustrating and insulting so I will not be leaving further comments.

  • vegas710 says:

    lorymcguire vegas710 It’s offensive because it’s not true, it blames those who are suffering and it’s completely unbiblical. 
    My only point with mentioning my degree is that I’ve obviously read the Bible. I find engaging with you to be frustrating and insulting so I will not be leaving further comments.

  • lorymcguire says:

    vegas710 lorymcguire I did agree with the main commentator that if the movie makers were using the name of the Holy Spirit as if He were another magic show, I would have a huge problem with that, but Matthew P. Turner did say that his experiences with the Holy Spirit have been personal  and not put on display.  The miracles that Jesus did were not all personal, most appeared like they were put on display for large crowds, in fact, that is what drew so many crowds to Him, was hearing of these miracles.         BUT AS FOR YOU, Vegas710, you do seem to have a problem with the fact that God could do those crazy things displayed in the movie.    You yourself said that you prayed for your sister to be healed.  That is really painful for me to hear because in my experience, God always wants to heal.  So, I am imagining that your sister is dead?  Because I’m sure that if she were still alive you wouldn’t have stopped praying.  I prayed for my husband to be healed of asthma for 2 12 yrs.  It was not easy because my husband did not believe.  But, unlike you, I finally got it (after the Holy Spirit brought it to my attention), it wasn’t all about the healing.  I thought it was all about the healing but it wasn’t, that is why I almost gave up after two years.  He had only gotten worse.  But the Holy Spirit showed me one thing:”You can either believe I can heal him ………….or not.”  It was about faithfulness before Him.  When I took my eyes off the healing I so badly wanted for him and focused on seeing as an opportunity to show I could be faithful to God, I had peace, even though he wasn’t getting any better.  So 6 months after that encounter with the Holy Spirit, the healing came.  No more Albuteral, no more Advair, no more breathing treatments.  That was back in June 2006.  Things like this help to intensify my faith.       I don’t understand why you have a problem with faith.  Lack of faith results in lack of miracles.  How is that talking down to anyone.  It’s just the truth.  Why do you have a problem with accepting that God may not (not always the case) heal people that don’t believe in Him?  You are aware that we live in a sinful fallen world full of pain, sickness, affliction, addictions, insanity….well, that’s just life.  But JESUS CHRIST can change all of that in those that want Him to.  But it does take real faith-a faith that doesn’t back down when beat against, a faith that perseveres through the trials of life.  At times it might wither down to a mustard seed, but it’s still real.  And that’s Biblical.  “And He could not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” (Matt. 13:58)

  • lorymcguire says:

    AlexMacintyreGore You might be right about the cold sensation, but I myself have never had a hot or cold feeling when God has healed me so I am not an expert in the area of demons and cold sensations.  I don’t know what you mean by the incorrect names of Father and Messiah, you’d have to be more specific.  As for it always being instantaneous to heal somebody.  I prayed for my husband for 2 1/2 years for him to be healed of asthma.  I prayed every night of every week of every month for about 30 months.  The prayer was not instantaneous, although I have had instantaneous healing as well by the Lord.  I would rather that if someone were praying for me and if they continued to pray for me 3 or 4 times in a matter of minutes, I’d be fine with that.  And sometimes you can’t just pray for someone to be delivered, you have to pray and fast.  Praying and fasting takes time, so I think that Jesus was saying there that not all healings are instantaneous.

  • lorymcguire says:

    AlexMacintyreGore You might be right about the cold sensation, but I myself have never had a hot or cold feeling when God has healed me so I am not an expert in the area of demons and cold sensations.  I don’t know what you mean by the incorrect names of Father and Messiah, you’d have to be more specific.  As for it always being instantaneous to heal somebody.  I prayed for my husband for 2 1/2 years for him to be healed of asthma.  I prayed every night of every week of every month for about 30 months.  The prayer was not instantaneous, although I have had instantaneous healing as well by the Lord.  I would rather that if someone were praying for me and if they continued to pray for me 3 or 4 times in a matter of minutes, I’d be fine with that.  And sometimes you can’t just pray for someone to be delivered, you have to pray and fast.  Praying and fasting takes time, so I think that Jesus was saying there that not all healings are instantaneous.

  • AprilSelenskikh says:

    I am watching the film now. What is confusing is the aspect of mixture. It’s hard to see how it glorifies God to be evangelizing with a high priest of Shiva…there are many similar scenes of cognitive dissonance. Instead of singing “Freedom” why not use a translator to proclaim the gospel message in the local language…so that people CAN be freed. To know that they don’t need to wash in the ganges…to be cleansed…but that Jesus died to cleanse their sins. 

    So- it’s emotional but confusing. Simply put- mixture. Be discerning. 

    1. It is not enough to repeat a prayer by rote…we come in faith…not by repeating words in a moment of excitement. 

    2. This feels New Agey in a way. Love minus truth. Jesus said we would worship Him in spirit AND in truth. 

    3. I would like to see Jesus Christ lifted up much much more. . The Holy Spirit does not speak of himself…but of Jesus. I also feel more respect should go to the native missionaries who labor for years…teaching, preaching and discipling. The Bible says that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. If HE be lifted up – He will draw all men unto Himself. 

    4. There is a big smorgabord of ideas and theologies mixed in…some good…some disturbing. There is a lot of emphasis on “feeling.” “What did you FEEL….Did you FEEL anything?”

    5. I also don’t see praying to the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

    Finally, I’m full Gospel myself. I don’t take issue with spiritual gifts- prophesy, words of knowledge, healings but HOW they are used. Some of the experiences made me sob with joy- like the Korn concert…but then I was left with cognitive dissonance when I realized those “new believers’ (hopefully) were about to go to a very anti-Christ- satan exalting concert. 

    The GOSPEL has power people….just please…discern. 

    I am all for giving God all control…and being led by the Holy Spirit. 

    I feel in my spiritual radar…that something is off. 

    One that has Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and the Word firmly at the center….I don’t see that happening.
    .Please receive this film as a prayerful Berean. 

    I’m not OFFENDED. I am testing the spirits and searching in Scripture. Most of the big cults and heretical movement came through a spirit or an angel. This has historically been a prime channel for “new revelations.”

    There is also an attitude of elitism that is very dangerous. That says….Wow this guys worked for 30 years at getting 4 converts BUT WE got 4 in 30 minutes. I’d like to see the follow up actually and didn’t like hearing that faithful servant being politely bashed.

    • Some Guy says:

      Those were my thoughts and feelings as well. There is a very strong, “Hey everybody! Look at me!” aspect to this man’s “work”. Very self promoting. Like Jesus himself said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” And, “Is it because you’ve seen me that you have believed? How blessed are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!”
      We are called by faith. To verify and “prove” they seek to supplant faith with something that to them would be more tangible. That is what makes me believe this is all misguided. There will never be absolute proof to validate our faith until we die or until Christ returns. All attempts to have absolute proof is absolute folly.

  • AprilSelenskikh says:

    (Edited version)

    I am watching the film now. I am seeing mixture…such as evangelizing with a high priest of Shiva.
    Sharing the Gospel with people as they enter a satanic concert. I am just wondering…will these new believers be given support, food, tool to grow? Or be sent into an overtly satanic concert? I felt VERY concerned for their growth and consciences. 

    1. It is not enough to repeat a prayer by rote…we come in faith…not by repeating words in a moment of excitement. 
    2. This feels New Agey in a way. Love minus truth. Jesus said we would worship Him in spirit AND in truth. 

    3. I would like to see Jesus Christ lifted up much much more. . The Holy Spirit does not speak of himself…but of Jesus. I also feel more respect should go to the native missionaries who labor for years…teaching, preaching and discipling. The Bible says that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. If HE be lifted up – He will draw all men unto Himself. 

    4. There is a big smorgabord of ideas and theologies mixed in…some good…some disturbing. There is a lot of emphasis on “feeling.” “What did you FEEL….Did you FEEL anything?”

    5. I also don’t see praying to the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

    A very mixed bag. One might say “leavened.” 
    I’d like to hear the perspective of local Indian pastors who labor for years in very difficult circumstances. Some of the American actions seemed culturally insensitive or arrogant. 

    Is playing music part of the spiritual warfare belief- so was it believed that by physically being there…some sort of victory had occurred? I kept thinking…OK…now preach the gospel! 

    Their is a simplicity in Christ. We don’t need “new methods” or a “new revelation.” We have Jesus !! And he wants to be made known…! The Holy Spirit is a gift for BELIEVERS- not unbelievers. (Another disturbing error).

  • AprilSelenskikh says:

    (Edited version)

    I am watching the film now. I am seeing mixture…such as evangelizing with a high priest of Shiva.
    Sharing the Gospel with people as they enter a satanic concert. I am just wondering…will these new believers be given support, food, tool to grow? Or be sent into an overtly satanic concert? I felt VERY concerned for their growth and consciences. 

    1. It is not enough to repeat a prayer by rote…we come in faith…not by repeating words in a moment of excitement. 
    2. This feels New Agey in a way. Love minus truth. Jesus said we would worship Him in spirit AND in truth. 

    3. I would like to see Jesus Christ lifted up much much more. . The Holy Spirit does not speak of himself…but of Jesus. I also feel more respect should go to the native missionaries who labor for years…teaching, preaching and discipling. The Bible says that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. If HE be lifted up – He will draw all men unto Himself. 

    4. There is a big smorgabord of ideas and theologies mixed in…some good…some disturbing. There is a lot of emphasis on “feeling.” “What did you FEEL….Did you FEEL anything?”

    5. I also don’t see praying to the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

    A very mixed bag. One might say “leavened.” 
    I’d like to hear the perspective of local Indian pastors who labor for years in very difficult circumstances. Some of the American actions seemed culturally insensitive or arrogant. 

    Is playing music part of the spiritual warfare belief- so was it believed that by physically being there…some sort of victory had occurred? I kept thinking…OK…now preach the gospel! 

    Their is a simplicity in Christ. We don’t need “new methods” or a “new revelation.” We have Jesus !! And he wants to be made known…! The Holy Spirit is a gift for BELIEVERS- not unbelievers. (Another disturbing error).

  • n_paul says:

    AlexMacintyreGore
    Yikes, you didn’t capitalize “Saviour” – how can you claim to be a Christian?

  • n_paul says:

    AlexMacintyreGore
    Yikes, you didn’t capitalize “Saviour” – how can you claim to be a Christian?

  • James says:

    Interesting. Just some stuff to ponder on.

    This movie has generated so much division and rifes amongst Christians from all sides… No wonder we have Jesus telling his disciples not to stop the guy casting out demons in His Name because the guy is actually for them and not against them. And its also no wonder that Paul urged people to end divisions for who indeed is wise and a great debater? Both sides could easily become a stumbling block towards others. Living by rights and flesh, atheists do so as well… what makes those who follow Christ different? Being right does not mean seeking righteousness. If the gospel is the good news… if its life giving and transforming… if it takes away all unrighteousness… where is grumbling complaining slandering and accusing?

    Do you not know love? how then could you know God? Do you think God tries to love or is He love? Did He send His Son to condemn the world? Where is condemnation then? There’s a difference between warnings and condemnation. For one… a single person is never singled out. Woe to you hypocrites/Pharisees/Experts in law! Did Jesus not know the names of those who were false leaders/prophets/unrepentant/sinners? Did Jesus not know who would betray Him? Why does He not single him out then? Why didn’t Jesus named him, why was it seemingly cryptic? Because love never fails and believes the best. Love hurts for and is not hurt by. “Surely not I Rabbi… you have said it yourself” indeed surely not Judas.New testament writers never singles out people in public as false teachers. Paul’s letter to Timothy and his letters to the church were different in content for a reason. Otherwise… Christians with the true Truth and gospel and all the right theology… should be calling down fire to consume the unrepentant? If there is One Judge at the end of the day… how do you judge anyone now except through Christ crucified? The only reason why you would judge someone is because you judge yourselves… not sure where people learnt to do that…Examine self ? Test spirits? Isnt that more along the lines of… hmmm i’m not sure about this movie… or this teaching…. I’ll pray and ask God for guidance and for His Spirit to guide me into Truth…if you aint settled with these guys… pray and intercede when you are all alone in your room! It’s your privilege to do so and believe God will show them and grow in them what they need for His namesake. “Exposing” or “speaking out” in public domains usually have a more unforgiving and misguided spirit tone and if I’m being honest I’m not even sure if its God / Jesus / Holy Spirit who leads such stuff.

  • Without discounting every apparent miracle, I like to compare the claims of what the Holy Spirit does today with what He did in the Bible, especially in Acts. I find the Spirit’s work is much more along the lines of granting true repentance and faith in Jesus than in physical miracles. Satan has quite a few similar counterfeit ‘miracles’ up his sleeves, such as speaking in tongues in some eastern religions and cults. Physical miracles are not the proof. Lives brought to Christ and transformed into His likeness are.

  • Natalie says:

    I love the Holy Spirit. I don’t love when His character is abused like that. The Holy Spirit was given the disciples in Acts 1 so they would be filled with the power of God to go and make disciples. We indeed underestimate the power of the Spirit when we limit that power to be only manifest in miracles. He is the secret keeper of God dwelling in us. He is the Teacher of all Christ taught. He reveals God’s will to us. He initiates our faith. We should find ourselves in deep awe and humility before Him to be used by Him and not the other way around. He is not our tool for miracles and to feel warm and fuzzy. We are his vessels to declare the greatness of God in this world.

    Loved the post Matthew

  • Craig says:

    Thank you for the well written review. I watched the movie with several friends but came away with the same impression you expressed. I was looking for a way to articulate my thoughts with others, this helped a lot. I’d say you are much more right than wrong.

  • Daniel svensen says:

    People said Jesus didn’t achieve enough to prove He was the promised messiah..

  • Anna says:

    Didn’t anyone else notice that the christian guy walking around the streets of India with his guitar “declaring Jesus” never once declared Jesus’ name in any of his songs or conversations with the Indians???
    Of course the Indians loved him! They love any kind of music!! They had no idea he was declaring Jesus Christ because he never actually did!!!!

    • azanty says:

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  • azanty says:

    =======RAHASIA MENHASILKAN UANG BERLIMPAH=========

    =======RATUSAN RIBUH HINGGA JUTAAN RUPIAH======

    DILIRIK TEMPAT PESUGIHAN TAMPA TUMBAL

    Jika Anda sudah capek dan lelah dengan status

    P7 – PERGI PAGI PULANG PETANG PENGHASILAN PAS-PASAN

    dan Anda tidak tahu harus bagaimana untuk meningkatkan

    kondisi finansial Anda… maka saya minta Anda dengarkan saya.

    Mungkin Anda adalah orang

    yang memiliki masalah :

    1.pemikiran tidak karuan

    2.Butuh Uang

    3 Butuh angka togel hasil ritual 100% tembus yang terjamin

    4.ingin buka usaha sendiri

    5 Memiliki Banyak Hutang

    6.Penghasilan Tidak Cukup

    7.selalu gagal setiap ada pekerjaan

    Semua masalah bisa di atasi

    Maka Anda sudah tepat sekali.

    berada di sini

    Anda PENASARAN Dan

    Ingin Tahu Rahasianya?

    LANGSUN AJA HBG BELIAU JANGAN DI RAGUKAN

    KY ARIF DI NO: (082-369-439-555)

    Saya sangat berterimakasih banyak kepada

    KY ARIF punya usaha dan bisa melunasi semua hutang2 saya bakhan saya juga sudah bisa membahagiakan kedua orang tua saya bersama istri saya. itu semua atas bantuan PAK KY yang memberikan sulusi jalang menuju pesugihan mendapatkan uang , sudah banyak paranormal yg saya hubungi tapi tdk pernah membuahkan hasil, sehingga saya mencoba mengikuti ritual pesugihan KY ARIF dan alhamdulillah berhasil dan bagi anda yg ingin seperti saya silahkan HBG BELIAU…!

    DI no 082-369 439 555 KY ARIF jangan percaya sama nomor ritual paranormal yg lain,nomor ritual KY ARIF meman selalu tepat dan terbukti.DAN TANDA TERIMAH KASIH SAYA KEPADA KY ARIF SETIAP

    SAYA DAPAT RUANGAN PASTI SAYA BERKOMENTAR TENTAN

    BELIAU BAGI ANDA YANG INGIN SEPERTI SAYA SILAHKAN HUBUNGI KY ARIF DI NO 082 369 439 555)

  • I couldn’t make it through the movie. I had to stop about 10-15 mins in because it was such a travesty and a blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit never points to Himself, but always points to Christ. And what need do we have as Christians to “make God famous”??? He’s already done that throughout history from Creation to the present. Don’t think so? Pick up the Bible.

    This drivel was nothing more than parlor tricks and new age power of suggestion. Who in their right mind would dare to snap fingers for the Holy Spirit to do something, or command the Holy Spirit to give someone “More or “Double”? This is a clear demotion of the Holy Spirit, who has the same attributes and character of God the Father and God the Son. He is to be just as revered and respected as the other Persons of the Trinity.

    Honestly, if you have to keep saying “I promise,” or “It’s not me, it’s the Holy Spirit (or Jesus)” then it’s probably neither of the two. The Holy Spirit’s operation is clear and undeniable and there is no need to make any statement of the sort.

    Finally, “giving” someone the Holy Spirit without proclaiming the full gospel is putting the cart before the horse. It is the same problem that Jesus Himself encountered, where people needed to see before they believed, and these people cater to it. Jesus told Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

  • bevy4 says:

    I think I’d rather read the Acts of the Apostles. When you mentioned Bethel church although you made the best points possible, I was unconvinced of their being able to prove anything. And Todd is a piece of work! Oh my! I appreciated your thoughtful observations.