September 1, 1999 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The following is from the Baptist Sentinel. I do not know the exact date of the original article, but it was the 1970s--

Jurl Mitchell, in the Baptist Trumpet, tells of the following experience:

"The lady looked me straight in the eye and with all of her radiant personality said, ‘Oh, I'm a charismatic Baptist.’ I just grinned and replied, ‘There isn't such a thing as a charismatic Baptist.’ But it was no joke to her and in a few minutes it wasn't to me either. I feel that I aged considerably that day as that woman told me of her work in a local Baptist church; of how they met in ‘secret’ to ‘heal,’ ‘speak in tongues,’ and ‘pray for others to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.’ She told me of how a year ago there were only three ‘charismatic Baptists’ in the church and now there were 40 and the pastor is one of them."

And that’s the way it works, pastor. In virtually every instance I have known where the tongues movement got into a church formerly untainted by it, it came through small prayer groups, or study groups. Suddenly somebody claimed to have an unusual spiritual experience that eventually led to tongues speaking. Thus the movement got into the congregation and contaminated the stream. No matter what explanations were given, the fact remained that a rapidly spreading latter-day heresy had taken another congregation.

Our Baptist churches have assumed through the years that it couldn't happen to us--but so had many other movements that are now involved with the charismatic movement, and it’s creeping our way. Pastor, watch your young people’s activities, your study and prayer groups lest it happen to you. I do not suggest you quit praying, studying, or having young people’s activities. On the contrary, encourage these all you can, but teach your people the truth about these matters, and watch for signs of its appearance. Counsel your young people--teach them.

We are warned in the Scriptures that evil spirits will be heavily at work in the end time. Paul told Timothy, "The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1). This is a very real fact of life in our time and the pastor who doesn’t recognize it is likely to be taken. The tongues movement is a raging fad in our day and no church or church group can consider itself immune from its danger. If the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 14, indicates that it [tongues speaking] had appeal to the flesh above the other spiritual gifts when they were legitimate, then you may be sure that it is a very real danger in our time when the demons are counterfeiting those gifts.

Pastor, feed your flock well. Encourage them in spiritual growth every way you can--but guard them well against demonic counterfeits (The Baptist Sentinel).