Kenneth Hagin’s Version of God’s Anointing

At time-stamp 00:37, Hagin, standing at the pulpit states, “Amen? All right, we’ll see what we can do here” and looks down at his Bible as though he is about to start preaching. He barely gets a word out and starts laughing out loud (00:41). The audience responds in kind, returning the laughter.

The term “holy laughter” is associated with uncontrollable laughing that takes over a person during worship services. Often, these folks will fall to the floor, or simply laugh until their sides hurt. It is said that this laughter is a form of God’s blessing on the person.

The laughter and tittering goes on for some time, until at time-stamp 2:57 Hagin simply appears to give up and give in to what he no doubt assumed was the urge of the Holy Spirit to not preach and simply go and start “ministering” to people. As he walks toward the end of the platform, he is met with applause, laughter and approval. The people are waiting for him. He is not going to preach. Has Satan gained a small victory?

Once he begins mingling with the people in the crowd, he stops, stares at them, or taps them on the back of the head or shoulder and you’ll see some go limp or nearly jump in the air then fall over backwards to the ground. All of this is met with hoots and howls.

Finally, at time-stamp 7:59 Mr. Hagin decides to present a mini-lesson on God’s anointing; what it is, how it works, and how to get it. He describes it as “electricity” but a person has to be in the proper frame of mind to receive God’s anointing. Hagin also refers to Elijah and the “double” anointing that was transferred to Elisha. That’s one of the big points Hagin makes; that the anointing is transferable. Again though, a person has to be receptive to it or won’t receive it. The New Age speaks of a “force” that can empower practitioners.

Hagin then quotes Isaiah 10:27 to show that God’s anointing “breaks the yoke” of bondage.

And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat. (ESV)

Hagin equates this with God’s anointing, yet the context (and even the verse itself), shows that it has nothing to do with God’s anointing and everything to do with God judging Israel for their rebellion, but promising to return a remnant to the land after the Assyrian bondage, which God says would not last long (Isaiah 9:4). This occurred with God using Sennacherib initially to chastise the people of Israel and then turned His wrath and judgment on Sennacherib (Assyria), because he had deigned to attack God’s people.

There is nothing here about any “anointing” by God. He simply says that once His chastisement of Israel had run its course, He would break the bondage of the Assyrians who had attacked Israel. He would do so because of His love for Israel as well as His plans and purposes that He would put into effect through that nation.

Hagin however, wants us to believe that God’s anointing – the “electricity” from God – in the form of “holy laughter,” falling on the floor, dancing a jig, or yelling in “tongues” is what God was talking about in Isaiah. This is what many false prophets/teachers do. They yank verses out of context to apply a unique meaning to them that does not square with the totality of God’s Word in its original context.

But let’s shift our focus to the way the people reacted and received what Hagin was dishing out. One person after another seems to simply accept what is coming their way with certainty that it is from God, not Satan. Laughter is contagious and these people are ready to receive.

While the Bible speaks about laughter, there does not appear to be any case in Scripture where God’s Spirit moved on people and they began laughing uncontrollably until they fell down or appeared drunk. Yet, this is the norm within Charismatic circles, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), and Word of Faith. Many point to Acts 2 with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the charge that the disciples were “drunk.” The problem here is that they weren’t acting drunk. They were speaking on languages that were unknown to them but understood by at least some of the people around them. Read that chapter very carefully.

Does the Bible tell us anything that might cast some light on this issue of “holy laughter” and how the people were reacting with Hagin. Can we know without doubt that what they experienced was either of God or not?

First, it’s important to point out that not once on the video did anyone vocalize 1 John 4:1 as the biblical test to determine the veracity of the signs/wonders.

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (1 John 4:1-3 ESV)

The test appears to be simple enough, doesn’t it? Someone – anyone – should have been willing to question the spirit or force behind the laughter, the falling down, the tongues, and everything else. There is nothing on the video that indicates that anyone did that, though it’s possible that some did it silently.

Second, let’s take a brief look at how the people reacted to Hagin. They experienced fits of uncontrollable laughter. They lost control of themselves. Some would argue that they “gave” themselves to God and He moved in them, but to what end? What was accomplished here?

Throughout the New Testament we are told to be “sober-minded” and “vigilant” (1 Peter 5:8). Why? Because Satan seeks to devour us via deception. The Bible warns us to be self-controlled.

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Proverbs 25:28 ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. (1 Peter 4:7 ESV)

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (2 Peter 1:5-7 ESV)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV)

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7 ESV)

But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. (Titus 1:8 ESV)

As much as we can blame Hagin for his unscriptural teaching and antics, the fault also lies with those who simply accept what he teaches without concern for potential error. These people lack discernment. They simply assume that God is among them dolling out signs and wonders, but again, to what end?

The Bible teaches that we are never to simply allow something to take control of us. We are to be in self-control and that only happens when we depend upon God’s Holy Spirit living within us to give us the strength (and discernment), to be in self-control. It means we don’t make hasty decisions and we certainly do not quickly accept some “new” thing that is alleged to be of God without putting it to the test.

If we are truly Christians, God does live within us and because of that, there will be some evidence of His Presence, however small. This will often be seen as an increasing love for our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as for the lost of this world. However, it seems that most of these folks sitting there at the service led by Hagin are there to get what they can get out of it. They want something to make them feel that they are more loving so that they can love God and others better.

The problem? They are focused on themselves, not God. They only think they are focused on God, but in reality, they are no different from those who followed Jesus around solely because He provided food for them when they were hungry.

Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. (John 6:15 ESV)

What’s the other problem? The people wrongly believe that they need to continue to seek God in spite of the fact that authentic Christians already have all they need from God to live godly lives!

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence… (2 Peter 1:3 ESV)

Peter is saying we don’t need anything else. Nothing. Nada. There is nothing additional you have to seek from God in order to grow in your love for God and others. Loving God and others is the essential duty of every authentic Christian and Peter makes it clear that we already have what we need to do that within us.

…by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:4 ESV)

Please note that we are “partakers of the divine nature” in the sense that God now lives within each and every authentic Christian. This is something that Old Testament saints (even Moses), did not have. God works in and through us to accomplish His will that He calls us to perform. Moses certainly had to rely on God every step of the way as do we but he did not have the benefit of having the Holy Spirit within him though God’s Spirit certainly came upon him to help him accomplish what God placed before him to do.

So what do we have to do as Christians? First, we must believe that God actually has given us what we need for “life and godliness” now through His indwelling Spirit. Second, we must appropriate it. How? Through our submission and dependence upon Him to work in and through us, just like Moses did. He depended upon God even when he was tired, afraid, or felt like giving up. In fact, those times caused him to throw himself on God more!

Do you love your spouse or significant other? Do you have to work to conjure up love or does it simply rise to the surface? Sometimes love is stronger than at other times, but for the most part, you should know you love that other person regardless of how you feel. It is evidenced by what you say to them, do for them, and how you treat them, isn’t it? Doesn’t that come naturally to a growing degree because of your professed love for them?

We are too often guilty of trying to conjure up love for God through our emotions instead of our will. This will almost always lead us down the wrong path and gives ample opportunity for Satan to deceive us.

So…how do we live for God, fulfilling His will that He has prepared for us to fulfill and do it in His power?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)

There are things God has earmarked for you to do in His strength. You don’t need to wait until you get power from on high. It’s already here within you if you are His child. It simply needs to grow and will do so as you submit and rely on Him.

To engage this process, there is something you can and should do every day. Start your day with God, His Word, and prayer. You cannot get to know God unless you are willing to read His Word. It is impossible.

If you think you’re going to get to know God without reading His Word, might as well prepare to be deceived, just like many of the folks who were part of the service where Hagin walked around transferring what he said was God’s anointing.

Without God’s Word hidden in our heart, we cannot truly know God and cannot obey Him either. We won’t be able to follow Him intelligently because our emotions will guide us as did Eve’s when she succumbed to the Tempter (Genesis 3).

God wants His people to be self-controlled, filled with love for Him and others, and working to fulfill His will. You cannot do that without a growing, working knowledge of God’s Word. Trust me. I tried to do it for too many years and I have the failures racked up that I will have to answer for when I stand before Him.