“Many years ago, while in the first bloom of our new experience of the supernatural power of God, our city was hosting an annual psychic fair. Psychics and mediums, witches and warlocks, gurus and mystics all came together to spend three days advertising their powers. It was no small fair. It filled one of our city’s largest convention halls. Like the rest of the churches in the city we had a very negative reaction [who wouldn’t?] We believed our job was to pray against this fair and to hopefully confound its power to mislead those who attended.
Interestingly some of our church’s more prophetic women had an idea to take our role much further. They came to the leadership and said, “We want to rent space at the fair and have a “prophecy booth.” We want to offer prophecy from God for free to whoever wants it. We will make sure everyone knows we are doing it by the power of the Holy Spirit and in Jesus’ name. Will our church support it?”
We thought it was a great idea, so we did it. The women took shifts at the booth and prophesied over many people. In the three days of the fair 24 people accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior! All had been accurately prophesied over, the secrets of their hearts had been spoken by a complete stranger, and their minds had been freed to hear the gospel! As well, many of the psychics responded positively to our presence at the fair! They actually thought it was unusual and very cool that a church was interested in the supernatural!! Can anyone say, “Irony?””
Questions for discussion: Let’s talk about this…
- Do you think our church did the right thing by taking part in the Psychic Fair? What are the reasons for doing it? What are the reasons for not doing it?
- Would you be willing to be a part of something like that? Why? Why not?
- What do you think your Christians friends would think of you if you did?
- This kind of power evangelism is the exception to the rule for much of the Western Church. Why do you think that is the case?
- Do you believe that there are certain people who need a spiritual encounter with the power of God in order to become a Christian?
- What strikes you as most significant about this story?
Reluctantly Supernatural: In An Age of Reason 