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[hillsbororiver]

As I was channel surfing last weekend I came across one of those TV preachers doing the hand on the forehead, felled by the spirit dog and pony show. I wondered, when people faint or lose consciousness do they always fall backward? It is amazing, the preacher performing this whatever one might call it always positions someone directly behind the person on the receiveing end, it struck me enough to do a search on examples in scripture where people "fall backward" my initial thought was that falling backward would not be something to be desired.

I found a couple verses that appear to substantiate my reaction;

Gen 49:17  Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
 
Isa 28:13  But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little; that they might go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken.

Peace,

Joe
 

[OBrenda]

Ah Yes,

The church I was in called it "Slain in the Spirit" 

Being slain in the Spirit is a term related to the Charismatic movement and Pentecostalism which describes a religious phenomenon in which a person enters a state with loss of all motor control over their body and falls to the floor during an event perceived as a personal encounter with God's glory and power, usually associated with occasions of public prayer ministry when the laying on of hands is practiced.

If it was losing all motor control, how is it that they are stiff, no knees bent, arms right at their sides ?

Like the children's book the "Emperors New Clothes" it was only the special people that the Spirit engulfed!

[musicman]

Well they say Mike Tyson found god so that's why he done ended so many fights knocked out on his behind.

[KristaD]

That's really weird because the one time that happened to me at a church everyone went backwards but when they got to me I just folded up straight down on the floor like my legs just gave out under me. Maybe God was keeping me from being snared and taken .
Thanks for sharing that Joe, and very good point Brenda.

[hillsbororiver]

Hi Krista,

That is very interesting that you did not fall backwards and that now you have been called to receive the real Good News!

I love this stuff!

Thanks for sharing your experience,

Joe

[hillsbororiver]

Ah Yes,

The church I was in called it "Slain in the Spirit" 

Being slain in the Spirit is a term related to the Charismatic movement and Pentecostalism which describes a religious phenomenon in which a person enters a state with loss of all motor control over their body and falls to the floor during an event perceived as a personal encounter with God's glory and power, usually associated with occasions of public prayer ministry when the laying on of hands is practiced.

If it was losing all motor control, how is it that they are stiff, no knees bent, arms right at their sides ?

Like the children's book the "Emperors New Clothes" it was only the special people that the Spirit engulfed!

Hi Brenda,

Were you ever "slain?" 

This stuff always seemed bizarre and even rather spooky to me, I really did not spend a lot of time in churches, checked a few out through the years but never felt "at home" in any of them.

I thought I was just too far gone to relate to them.....

Peace,

Joe

[OBrenda]

I have to say No, whenever I went up to be prayed for, I was usually the one left standing.  I went back once but, it was from the preacher pushing my head back, and I allowed my self to fall back. Keep in mind people are usually praying for something in desperation, and have their eyes closed!  If I sensed that I allowed it, then it was my flesh, and not being overcome by the Spirit of God.

I do think that what Krista experienced is more Scriptural, as they use scriptures like when Saul was transformed into Paul on the road to Damascus, or When John fell as one Dead in the book of Revelations!  If one "died" standing up I see one crumpling to the ground like a rag doll, like Krista. 

I think it goes against the law of gravity & physics to fall backwards, without bending your knees? If your eyes are closed and you stiffen your body, you can loose your balance, and someone who pushes your forhead back can make it happen.  Looks like the "Nestea Plunge" to me!

People just really, really want to believe they have been touched by God...

Just my thoughts,
Brenda

[Samson]

Well they say Mike Tyson found god so that's why he done ended so many fights knocked out on his behind.

   The MusicMan strikes again;  ; too bad Mike Tyson didn't fall and hit his head more often, maybe it would have helped, then again, maybe not; 

                                              Samson.

[hillsbororiver]

Hi Brenda,

I find it fascinating that you and Krista did not do the 'fall backward' thing, not that everyone who ever has is cursed through the age but is it more than coincidence that you two did not?

Earlier in the original post here I quoted 2 OT verses, here is something from the NT;

Joh 18:3  Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
 
Joh 18:4  Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
 
Joh 18:5  They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
 
Joh 18:6  As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground.

Perhaps I am making too much of an issue here but from what I am gathering it does not appear that falling backward has a positive connotation, here we have the men who are following the betrayer at the behest of the chief priests falling backward when attempting to snatch the Lord for the selfish gain of all involved in this arrest.

Anyway, I find this kind of stuff very interesting!

Appreciate the responses.

Peace,

Joe

[hillsbororiver]

Well they say Mike Tyson found god so that's why he done ended so many fights knocked out on his behind.

   The MusicMan strikes again;  ; too bad Mike Tyson didn't fall and hit his head more often, maybe it would have helped, then again, maybe not; 

                                              Samson.

 

Ah yes,

The musicman strikes again!

Hey Sampson I tend to think old Mike is one who will need more than a couple knocks on the head to open his eyes, what a sad waste of talent.

Peace,

Joe

[ellie77]

When I went back into the Babylon Church to be bought out,(Thank the Lord) I was going to a number of healing services. The idea of people coming forward to receive prayer and if they did fall backwards,which they did,was that they where being filled with the holy spirit.Usually someone was behind them to catch them and lay them on the floor. Someone would sit beside them until they came out of it.Sometimes a little extra prayer was said to them.When I went forward on the day,and received prayer and the laying on of hands,I just felt a giving way feeling and sort of crumbled. I was pulled aside and sat on a chair,leaning on another woman, who grew rather impatient with me and tried to get me to sit up and be normal.I felt a long way away,dozy and spaced out.
       None of this had anything to do with the Holy Spirit,in my mind and I took a long time to recover.I felt very drained and weak".God is working in you" I was told........
      Now when I look back I see that it is nothing more than a type of hypnosis.It is exactly the same thing,just different words used. The difference being that the Hypnotist puts you under,watches you,gets you to perform,or programs you to ......loose weight......stop whatever....then brings you out of that state to alertness and awareness and makes sure you are O>K>..
       To me, from all I have seen and experienced this type of laying on of hands is just not of God and is really rather dangerous practice altogether.

[jerreye]

I remember back when I was in like the 5th and 6th grade; I went to a Pentecostal based Christian School and once per month or so, my class would get into a circle and singe songs and get prayed for by other students etc. Quite a few times they would have a few students stand behind the others who were being prayed for (to catch them as they fell backwards) and the teacher would tell us to "fall back under the power of the holy spirit". The teacher would always warn not to "fake it"...."just let the power of the holy spirit do it"! Well, every student would eventually fall backwards into the arms of the one behind them..except me! I would ALWAYS be the only one left standing. I just could not let myself fall when I KNEW nothing was "making" me fall. It blows me away to this very day.

These kinds of things would happen to me during church services many times over the years, until I left the whole Babylonian system just a coupe years ago — every time I would walk up to an "alter call", most people would fall back and I would be one of the only ones left standing, if not the ONLY one left standing. I would always wonder why the holy spirit would knock everyone else down in line except me. It made me wonder if I was really "one of them". Well, now I know.

Cheers,
Jeremy

[Dave in Tenn]

This really is proving to be interesting.  I don't guess it 'proves' anything, but it raises some cool questions.

[OBrenda]

Great Scriptures Joe!  
Very Interesting that they fell backwards when trying to arrest Jesus!
Seems to me, to fall backwards involved being pushed away from.

Sounds like some of us that were left standing alone, had some Brothers & Sisters out there standing with us.  

 
Brenda

[Kent]

Joe,

You think that is weird, check out the "Toronto blessing".
It's just plain nuts. Talk about carnal...

[WhoAmI]

I am not defending anything here but I don't agree with this idea that because someone falls backward it is something not right. Fake is involved in everything. And just because someone does not fall it does not mean anything either. You can't say that because someone doesn't fall back or doesn't fall that they are special or something. Would you agree it is better if they fell forward? Or fell to the right side? I mean we could say these people are on the "right hand of God" then right? There are many things that are mysterious or odd to us but it does not mean it is evil or wrong.

Jeff

[Craig]

I don't agree with this idea that because someone falls backward it is something not right.

O.K, I'll say it

If anyone at all stands before these charlatans and falls backwards, forwards, sideways, up, down, left, or right there is something not quite right.

Craig

[KristaD]

Very good point, Craig.
It has bothered me that I actually fell down at all when that man touched me . The whole thing is messed up. It is interesting that some of us seem to have been spared the "falling backward" that has such negative connotations in scriptures but it certainly proves nothing.

[iris]

because someone falls backward it is something not right.

O.K, I'll say it

If anyone at all stands before these charlatans and falls backwards, forwards, sideways, up, down, left, or right there is something not quite right.

Craig

Way to go Craig     

[OBrenda]

Jeff,

There once was a King. Two tailors came to town to see the King in order to Make him "Special Clothes".
Now the Tailors told The King and everybody in the town, that only people who were very smart could see the clothes, and that the clothes would be very expensive!

So when the King put on these special clothes he went into town, so everybody could admire his special clothes! .  All his subjects yelled out their praise to the king as he walked by.  Then this one little boy, who tugged on his mothers dress and yelled out,  Mommy Why is The King Naked? 

And the moral to the story is.....

(We've all been fooled here,...in one way or another)