July 17, 1996 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Many reports are appearing of supposed revivals in various parts of America and the world. We want revival, but we must be careful in this hour of deep apostasy and doctrinal compromise that we are not deceived by false revivals. Most of that which is pretending to be revival is nothing of the sort.

True revival always results in godliness and truth. That's what revival is all about! True revival will NEVER encourage error. NEVER. The Holy Spirit is the power and source of any true revival, and one of His names is the Spirit of Truth (Jn. 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).

A report appeared in the National & International Religion Report for March 25, 1991, entitled "New England's Quiet Awakening: Spiritual Renewal is Thawing the Cold Northeast." This was reported by J. Lee Grady.

This purported revival, though, is a non-revival. It is simply more charismatic confusion. Consider some excerpts from the report:

"Last April, 600 people from 64 churches took part in a concert of prayer in West Peabody, Mass., one of Boston's northern suburbs. That gathering was a milestone, said [Jeff] Marks [regional director of the Minneapolis, Minn.-based Concerts of Prayer organization], because evangelicals crammed into a Catholic church and prayed with charismatic Catholics. ... Marks noted that there is `a new openness' developing between Catholic renewal groups and Protestants involved in the prayer movement.

"About 25 ministers in the Groton, Conn., area meet together regularly to pray for each other's churches, reported Joe Paskewich, pastor of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Groton.

"Leaders across the region point to the unity being fostered among churches in New England as the most visible sign that a divinely initiated renewal movement is occurring. This type of `John 17 unity,' they hinted, just might be what catches the attention of New Englanders. A major breakthrough, said [Steven] Macchia [a Massachusetts native who fields regular reports from pastors representing the more than 600 churches associated with EANE], took place at Congress '91: The January meeting was the first time charismatic and Pentecostal churches were represented in large numbers at an EANE [Evangelistic Association of New England] event. Dan Betzer, an Assemblies of God pastor and radio preacher from Fort Myers, Fla, was one of the most popular speakers at the conference, Macchia said. `We made it a point to reach out to our charismatic brethren this year and make sure they knew we wanted them to be a part,' he said."

This, my friends, is NOT revival. If charismatic Catholics are truly being revived, they will turn from the deep error of their ways. They will turn from popery, and from Mary, and from rosaries, and from priestcraft, and from the mass, and from forced celibacy, and from all the other errors of Rome. They will also turn from the errors of Pentecostalism. If Protestants are being revived, they will love truth and will call others away from error. But this is not happening. Rather, truth is being tossed aside as "doctrinal prejudices."

Where the Holy Spirit is there is Truth, but that is not the case in this supposed New England awakening.

Winds of error are blowing across this wicked world. Those who have their ecumenical sails raised are receiving the full blast of these false winds. Note the words of Jesus Christ as He looked down the centuries to the hours just prior to His return:

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. ... For there shall arise false Christian, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before." Matt. 24:4,24-25

Christ warned of false doctrine, false prophets, and false miracles. What a perfect picture of our hour. Bible prophecy for the last hours focuses on apostasy and lying wonders. Sadly, that is an accurate picture of charismatic "revival."

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