Going Through the Motions

Even though I have experienced people "borrowing" God-breathed dances many times, I am still not over the fact that praise dancers feel as though it is acceptable to blatantly copy one another. God is THE Creator. We are made in His image and likeness, which means that we each have creative ability within us. When we do not allow the likeness of God to operate in us, we have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.

Simply doing what others have done does not make us effective. Jesus said that we would do greater works than He did. There are pre-qualifiers for proficiency in certain areas of ministry. For example, Simon the Sorcerer became a believer, but thought that he could offer money to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit as witnessed through the apostles. Purchasing prophetic flags, props, an ark of the covenant, streamers, billows, tambourines, and garments does not endow us with the power of the Holy Ghost.

Desiring to get the results of others through dances that we have seen and embrace as our own can also be dangerous, especially when doing it under false pretenses. The Sons of Sceva saw the power with which Paul operated and decided that if Paul could do it, so could they. "Going through the motions" without seeking the Lord can be detrimental to our lives and ministries. The Scripture notes that unusual miracles were worked by God at the hands of Paul. How many dancers see unusual manifestations of the Spirit and then decide to mimic what they saw in an attempt to reproduce the effect? Lord, have mercy! Let us not operate outside of the assignment that the Lord has given us.

Many would argue that the dance is not ours. Several will say that as long as God is glorifed, it should not matter if we copy dances from YouTube, Facebook, or those we see in person. The same people will argue that movement is a ministry. If dance is not merely an activity, but a viable way to minister the Word of God, then the same principles of ministry apply to us as well. We cannot make up special rules and exceptions to justify those who are not willing to consult with the Lord. Though we cannot judge the intents of the hearts of men, the truth is that good intentions can never replace God's intention.

(New King James Version)

Acts 8:18-23
And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

Acts 19:11-17
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.