In the Old Testament, where we find almost all dancing in the Bible, it is associated almost always with military victories. The dances occurred after the victories were over, not in order to get them. There was dancing when the Ark of God was moved to Jerusalem during David’s time, when he danced with all his might. This was a procession or parade. The dancing and general rejoicing was appropriate. The Ark had been locked up for twenty years in a private home and was now being returned to the nation at large. In Jeremiah 31, dancing was promised by God to His people when He would accomplish their long-awaited victory and would bring them into their rest. Dancing is certainly appropriate as an expression of joy over something that one may experience.

This is where this so-called dance theory in church falls down. They are doing it as a performance in front of God’s people instead of spontaneously celebrating some notable victory.

Let’s imagine that a member of a church congregation who had been crippled or paralyzed for many years and who always came to services and church gatherings with a walker, crutches or in a wheelchair was suddenly and totally healed like the beggar of Acts 3 or like Aeneas of Acts 9.
Can you imagine anyone dancing then? Boy, I can! First of all, it would be the healed person himself, just like the beggar who “was walking and leaping and praising God.” His praise and dance would be directly related to his sudden and total healing. His long-term friends and brethren in the church would be overcome with his joy and would join him, you can be sure.

I’ll bet that the beggar and Aeneaus both danced for quite a while after their miraculous return to normal life. Their miracles meant that they were no longer pitiful beggars, dependent on the charity of others. Now, they could join the workforce; maybe start a family; go down to the local marketplace during the day to chat with friends and strangers about the mercy of God, or browse, haggle and buy what they wanted; take a walk along the beach or swim in the sea; walk up to the rooftop on a sultry morning to listen to the local gossip and news; sit in a service on a bench in the midst of the people. No longer did they need anyone to carry them to the begging places. They could look people square in the eye without looking up and the people could look at them without looking down. They could now give alms out of their own means to the crippled beggars they met afterward. They were beyond happy. They were dancing happy. God had given them divine victories worthy of leaping about.

It doesn’t take such dramatically joyful events to make one dance, though. I can see someone who has been freed from destructive sins and addictions happy enough to dance. I know what it is to be free from drunkenness and the unstoppable cravings that drove me from morning to night; to be free from the shame of not knowing what you said or did last night; to pass by a liquor store or a bar and not feel the least pull toward drink is a wonderful thing. No longer was hell my destination. If I feel like singing or even dancing about it, at least I know why I would. Having been given the victory over sins is the sort of thing that we are to sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord about.

Yet, what a marked difference there is between such spontaneous and event-driven joyful expressions and these contrived performances being promoted in services these days. How sad that dance is now a liturgical and practiced formality. The Israelites did not dance except to express happiness over a deliverance wrought by God. There was no hint that it was ever a show of some kind, thought to be imbued with mystical power.

How depressing to know that this sort of dancing is being taught by the likes of Sabrina’s ministry as some sort of warfare over demons or that they think it ushers in God’s Glory. It robs the church of true occasions of joy and leaves them only with imagined victories.

Such pride of human skill cannot be compared to the childlike and joyful expression of the former crippled beggar who sat at the Gate Beautiful.

God is a God of truth, not a God of human contrivances.

I can’t stand “spiritual dancing”. I think it is a total distraction to a worship service and it looks to be pretty self focused rather than God focused.

Also, the African “pagan” dancing has no place in a CHRISTIAN church.

interpretative dancing in worship

Check this false gospel out. (Watch that madness in the video on that front page. War dance?…) That lady used to have this going on at Club New Birth once upon a time. Club New Birth probably still does it, but she left from what I’ve been told, because she felt her “ministry” was too big for one club. Now she’s got a “conference” coming up. Featuring more false teachers than the Lord has willed time to comment on individually.

And Stan, the “conference” will even have a session on “Understanding the Power of the Shofar”. They will also feature some “African dancing” and this is something Job has warned about before.

True, Airbrush Artist. Thanks for pointing that out. One of the guiding principles I use to determine whether an interpretation of any teaching of the apostles (precept) is sound is, “Does it have a precedent (example)?” Thus, for instance, Luke 10:19; Ephesians 6:12 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 which are used widely to teach current spiritual warfare methods to dethrone spirits or to undo their influence over others, fails immediately through lack of example in the ministry of Jesus or His apostles. Therefore, these verses must be teaching something else and in a different context which is lost on them completely due to their false use of them. This is an example of the harm of “Prooftexting” as an exegetical method.

Same can be said for “slaying in the spirit;” “catchers’ ministry”
“drunkenness in the spirit;” “uncontrollable laughter;” “shaking and spasmodic jerking;”
“visualization techniques for entering the third heaven;” “shofars, flags, banners and female interpretative dancing in worship.”

Other practices, such as paying tithes, praying directly to the Holy Spirit or enforcing the calling of brethren in leadership by titles such as “reverend,” “pastor,” “father,” etc. are also wrong, but accepted as legitimate practice by many.

Everyone of these can be dismissed immediately by God’s church because of the lack of both precedent and/or the direct forbidding of them in the apostles’ doctrine.

What does Jesus say about our man-made teachings and practices? “By your tradition, you nullify the Word of God.”

Every time I study the Word of God, then look around at what is taught and practiced in most churches, the wider the gap gets between the two. For a long time, I felt that I was the only one coming to this sad and distressing realization. However, I found in such places as many of these blogs, there are more believers seeing the same thing than I had dared hope for.

I never have been a part of a charismatic Christian organization. For far too long, I never knew nor paid attention to these false doctrines. It looks like many of these teachings can be traced back to “false teachings” that were around during the time of Christ.

I’ve never seen that blog before, but the alarms are going off all over from elect of God who are crying out against what is going on in Lakeland. Brothers like Wally have been all over this for maybe a month or more now, keeping me posted. What I’ve posted is not even 5% of all that could be posted.

No. That’s all happening today, in the days of deception and apostasy.

Exactly!