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[The following material is from O Timothy magazine, Volume 4, Issues 8-9, 1987. Copyright 1987 by David W. Cloud. This material cannot be placed on other BBS or Internet sites. O Timothy is a monthly magazine. Annual subscription is US$20 FOR THE UNITED STATES. Send to Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org (e-mail). The Way of Life Internet web site is http://www.wayoflife.org/.]
THE LATTER DAY RAIN IS ACTUALLY A FLOOD OF APOSTASY!
Copyright 1987, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368. fbns@wayoflife.org (e-mail)
Who Sponsored
the Meeting?
A Birthday Present for Jesus
Who Was There?
Opening Night
Billy Graham Sends His Blessing
Holy Shouting
E.V. Hill
Morning Mass in the Superdome
Prophecies
Strange Things
Pete Fountain and Jesus Christ
Introduced Together
James Robison Says Pope Finest
Representative of Morality in the World
Stacks of Catholic Books
Rosary Beads
Pentecostal Vinson Synan Calls
the Mass a Beautiful Experience
Deception and Tricks in the
Taking of Offerings
Half of the Registrants Stood to
Be Saved
Christians Are to Be Angels of
Light
Spirit Baptism and Slaying in the Spirit
True Languages or Strange Babblings?
Slaying in the Spirit and Other
Strange Phenomena from Azusa Street to Present
Christian Jews Participate in
This Charismatic Conference
Surprises at the Exhibition Area
Quotes from Be Holy, Edited by
Tom Forrest
Should We Fear Being Deceived?
Not Rapture, but Kingdom
Building
Despising Biblical Separation
and Doctrinal Walls
What the Bible Says about
Doctrine
The Bible's Commands of
Separation
This special double-issue of O TIMOTHY is a report on the North American Congress on the Holy Spirit & World Evangelization, the large charismatic conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A., July 22-26, 1987. I had the unusual opportunity to attend this conference with press credentials, and I feel a great urgency to report about the things I saw and heard. It is essential that every Christian be thoroughly settled in his own heart and mind about the charismatic movement. Unquestionably the fastest growing movement within Christendom, the new pentecostalism claims to be a great revival movement from God. Every Christian must therefore make a decision, and especially is this true for Christian leaders.
Is this movement of God? Is it partially of God and partially of man? Is it of the devil? Is it what it claims to be--a latter days revival rain upon the earth? Or is it another form of the apostasy of these last hours?
A close look at the massive conference in New Orleans should settle this question, because the conference represented the mainstream of the charismatic movement at this hour. Roughly 150 of the most influential leaders of the charismatic movement participated--John Wimber, Jane Hansen, Vinson Synan, James Robison, Bob Mumford, Kenneth Copeland, Carl Richardson, David Mainse, Michael Harper, Michael Scanlan, Marilyn Hickey, Peter Hocken, Charles and Frances Hunter ("the Happy Hunters"), Anne Gimenez, Oral Roberts' son, Richard, James Brown, Reinhard Bonnke, Demos Shakarian, and at least one hundred more.
The books that were sold there are the most popular books of the charismatic movement. The more than 200 organizations which participated in the exhibition area represent some of the most popular and influential within the pentecostalism--Youth with a Mission, Oral Roberts University, Dayspring International, Full Gospel Business Men International, Strang Communications Company (publishers of Charisma magazine), Women's Aglow Fellowship, to name but a few.
Most of the "renewal (charismatic) movements" within the various denominations were also there--Baptist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Catholic, Mennonite, Presbyterian & Reformed, Churches of Christ, United Church of Christ, United Methodist, Wesleyan-Holiness. Each of these groups held separate morning sessions during the conference.
No one can say that this conference represented only some extreme part of the charismatic movement. Though there are some charismatics who would not agree with some of the things that went on at this conference, these would be in the minority. For the most part, this conference and all that went on there, IS THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT OF THE 1980s!
If you are in fellowship with the charismatic movement, you are in fellowship with these people, with these activities. The spirit that energized the conference in New Orleans in July, is the very same spirit which energizes charismatic activity throughout the world, in every charismatic house fellowship, in every charismatic church, in every one associated with the charismatic movement. No, I didn't see a spirit in New Orleans! I saw the fingerprints of a spirit, though! I saw the fruit of a spirit. Look with me at these fingerprints and compare them with the fingerprints of the Holy Spirit in inspired Scripture.
CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT HAS BLOSSMED DURING YEARS OF MY CHRISTIAN LIFE
I stand amazed by the way the charismatic movement continues to sweep the world. The movement is blossoming throughout every denomination, in every country. The largest churches in the world now are charismatic. The most rapidly growing Christian movement is the charismatic movement. According to THE WORLD CHRISTIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA, 1982 edition, as of 1980 there were 100 million people in the world who claimed to belong to the charismatic- pentecostal movement (IN THE LATTER DAYS, Vinson Synan, Servant Books, 1984, page 18).
Though it is impossible to pinpoint global figures such as these with preciseness, the author of this particular encyclopedia, David Barrett, has made the most thorough research of Christianity that has ever been made. He spent 10 years visiting 212 countries to gather facts for his encyclopedia (NEW ORLEANS '87 GENERAL CONGRESS HANDBOOK, page 16). Irregardless of the exact figures, no one in Christian work today would deny that the charismatic movement is experiencing exploding growth.
I find it interesting that the neo-pentecostal, or charismatic movement, as it has come to be called, has actually experienced its most outright, unbridled ecumenical tendencies during the years since I have been saved.
It has been during these past fourteen years that the charismatic movement has grown by leaps and bounds within the Roman Catholic church, the Protestant denominations and evangelical groups. Though the modern pentecostal movement is traced by its leaders to the breaking out of "tongues-speaking" phenomena at the turn of the century at a small Bible school in Topeka, Kansas, and to a series of meetings in a small mission in Los Angeles, California (Azusa Street), it was only six years before my conversion that the charismatic movement began to be experienced within the Catholic church.
It is claimed that charismatic experiences within Catholicism occurred first in February, 1967, at Duquesne University in Pittsburg, then quickly spread to Notre Dame University and other Catholic institutions.
Charismatic cells were established in Catholic parishes, and the movement gradually at first, then with great momentum, blossomed. It was in the early 1970s that the Jesus People movement swept America and parts of Europe, a charismatic movement among young people, a movement mostly outside of organized churches. It was also in the early 1970s that Christian rock and folk music began to be popular among these charismatic young people. They played it in their coffee houses and sang it in their house cells, and then this new Contemporary Christian Music, as it came to be called, very quickly worked its way into mainstream Christianity.
The movement grew by leaps and bounds in the Catholic church in the 1970s. In January, 1974, the year after I was saved, 1,000 Catholic charismatics met for a conference in Washington, D.C. In May, 1975, two years after I was converted, 10,000 Catholic charismatics gathered at the Vatican in Rome and received blessing from the pope. Four years after my conversion, in 1977, the year I graduated from Bible school, the large charismatic meeting was held in Kansas City and a Roman Catholic was the leader of the meeting! Many of the 45,000 in attendance were practicing Catholics. Thus the full blossoming of the charismatic movement into a full-fledged ecumenical movement with a strong Catholic population has occurred during the 14 years of my Christian life.
The charismatic movement is sweeping through Asia and forms one of the most serious challenges to our missionary work and that of other fundamental preachers. For this reason I desired to attend the North American Congress on the Holy Spirit & World Evangelization in New Orleans, July 22-26, 1987. This would be the largest conference of this type in this decade, the largest since the massive ecumenical charismatic meeting in Kansas City in 1977. Since the people we serve in Asia and elsewhere through church planting and the printed page are being influenced by this powerful movement, I wanted to see firsthand what is happening within the charismatic movement at this hour so I could report on it, so I could sound an alarm which would not be based on secondhand information.
Through a wonderful series of events things worked out so that I could attend this conference with press credentials through the Fundamental Evangelistic Association (FEA) and FOUNDATION magazine. Brother Dennis Costella of FEA and I attended the conference together. It worked in perfectly with preaching at a Bible conference in California in July and taking care of other important business connected with our literature work and with the Asian Bible translation work. The door was opened and I walked through.
Let me share with you the amazing things that I observed.
NORTH AMERICAN CONGRESS ON THE HOLY SPIRIT & WORLD EVANGELIZATION NEW ORLEANS, JULY 22-26, 1987
WHO SPONSORED THIS MEETING AND WHAT IS THEIR GOAL?
The Congress was sponsored by a group called the North American Renewal Service Committee (NARSC) which was formed after the charismatic meeting in Kansas City in 1977. At New Orleans '87 a Pentecostal, Vinson Synan, was the Congress Chairman, and a Roman Catholic, David F. Sklorenko, Sr., the Director. The steering committee is composed of men and women which represent 40 denominations, ministries and fellowships, including both Baptist, Protestant, Non-denominational and Roman Catholic.
The written goal of the NARSC is "to be able to present to Jesus Christ an absolute majority of the world population as Christians on his 2,000th birthday." (NEW ORLEANS '87 HANDBOOK, Page 13) It is interesting that this is the same goal as that of the Roman Catholic "Evangelization 2000." At the meeting in New Orleans it became obvious that plans had already been laid by the Catholics and non-Catholic charismatics to join hands toward this goal. It is no coincidence that the two goals have been announced at the same time.
This shows, of course, that a large majority of charismatics have come to the point of accepting Roman Catholic charismatics as true born again Christians, even when they point to their baptism and sacraments as the beginning of their salvation. Tom Forrest is the head of the Roman Catholic Evangelization 2000, and in a book he edited entitled BE HOLY, we are told plainly when a Catholic charismatic priest thinks he becomes a true born again Christian:
"[The charismatic experience] is not a second baptism, some new sacramental grace, but rather the renewing of those sacramental graces of Baptism, Confirmation and priestly Ordination that have already made the Holy Spirit present within us." (page 59)
"This river [of the Holy Spirit and salvation] began its flow with our Baptism, and then again with the grace of our Confirmation. This was our first "renewal" in the Holy Spirit, these sacraments of initiation making us new creatures, new sons of God." (page 32)
"We are talking about the baptismal innocence restored to us by Christ, and offered in all the sacraments." (page 25)
The Roman Catholic church's false doctrine of salvation hasn't changed, and the Roman Catholic leaders within the charismatic movement continue to base their salvation on the false hope of baptism, the mass, confession (to a priest), prayers to Mary and "the saints" and the other sacraments of Catholicism. Yes, they speak of faith in Christ and salvation through His grace, but they do not mean by this what the Apostles meant when they preached the one true Gospel.
Catholics--yes even charismatic Catholics--still believe that Christ died on the cross to win salvation, and that this salvation has been given into the hands of the [Catholic] church to be administered to men. Therefore, men are actually saved, according to Catholic theology, through faith in Christ PLUS the sacraments of the church.
This is why, when Catholic charismatics are giving messages, at times it will sound as if they are speaking of the true gospel of eternal, free, secure salvation through faith in Christ's blood alone without admixture of sacraments and works. But at other times they will sound forth the false gospel of salvation through the sacraments. With such a mixed-up, false gospel, it is not difficult for the clever Catholic leaders to sound thoroughly evangelical when they desire to do so. They can speak of salvation through grace alone and really mean what they are saying. The problem is that they define salvation through grace differently than the Bible does!
Salvation by grace to a traditional Catholic is salvation achieved through the grace administered to men through the sacraments--baptism, mass, etc. This confusion lies in the fact that the Catholic gospel is a false MIXTURE of faith plus works, law plus grace, Christ plus sacraments, just as the statement from the book edited by Tom Forrest indicates in plain words. And having read dozens of books by Catholic charismatic leaders, I know that this is what they are teaching. The so-called Catholic charismatic renewal is nothing more nor less than a renewal of love for traditional Catholicism, including the pope, the mass, Mary as Queen of Heaven, the rosary, the saints and the "one, holy Catholic church."
And yet the Bible condemns the Catholic sacramental gospel in no uncertain terms:
"But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." (Acts 15:11)
"So much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed FROM FAITH TO FAITH: as it is written, The just shall live by faith... But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even THE RIGHT EOUSNESS OF GOD WHICH IS BY FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST UNTO ALL AND UPON ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE...
"Being justified FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST... Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law...
"For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works...
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...
"And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more of grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 1:15-17; 3:21,22,24,28; 4:3-6; 11:6)
This is the one true gospel, and there is no room in it whatsoever for the Catholic sacraments. We are saved entirely apart from any church sacraments or works or ordinances, entirely through Christ's blood atonement, entirely through faith alone by grace alone, entirely, wholly, completely, eternally, certainly! What of the false gospel of mixing something else together with this one true gospel of the Grace of Christ?
"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8,9)
Note that it is not only the false gospel which is accursed, but it is "him" who preaches it as well. "Let HIM be accursed." Few today will believe God's Word about this matter, but I trust you, dear reader, will not follow the crowd but will believe God and the words of the Holy Spirit. Any Roman Catholic priest who preaches the traditional Catholic gospel is accursed of God as is the false gospel that he preaches.
For multitudes of professing born again non-Catholics to join hands with those preaching a sacramental gospel to "evangelize" the world is utter confusion. Utter confusion. And this is exactly what the charismatic movement is. If it was not clear before now, the North American Congress on the Holy Spirit & World Evangelization should leave no doubt in the mind of any Bible believer that this is absolute truth.
At the last press conference of the Congress on Saturday, July 25th, the figures given for those who actually registered were approaching 35,000, and Synan said that he felt that it would reach that number counting the walk-in registrants for the last evening. At one press conference it was noted that a worker at the Superdome estimated there were 40,000 in at least one of the evening General Sessions. Of the registrants, the press was told that 50% were Roman Catholic, the next highest percentage group were Non-denominational, while Episcopalians formed the third largest group and the Lutherans the fourth largest.
There is no doubt that the meeting was massive. More than 200 colleges, fellowships, publishers and distributors of religious products and services had space in the huge exhibition hall. One hundred and eight workshops filled the three afternoons of the Congress. Even though these same workshops, for the most part, were given all three afternoons at different time slots, allowing the registrants to visit as many as possible, it was obviously impossible to visit more than a few of these, even to drop in for a few minutes and pick up the literature. The evening General Sessions were a full conference in themselves. They were composed of two sessions lasting from 6:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. The meeting didn't end at 10:00 p.m., though, for the General Sessions were followed each night by the "afterglows" (during which great numbers sought to be "baptized in the Holy Spirit," or sought healing, tongues, etc.) and counseling sessions which lasted often until midnight. There were 25 speakers for the four evening General Sessions, not counting special music, long "worship times," the offerings, prophecies and other activities. One thing can be said for these charismatics: They love their meetings! Can you imagine what the average non-charismatic Westerner would think of a four and a half hour meeting every night for four nights in a row, not to speak of all-day meetings beginning at 9 a.m. and lasting until 5 p.m. the same days!
While the Congress was in progress, a separate meeting was held for young people. It was called Youth Explosion '87 and it was estimated that 5,000 young people were in attendance. A bank of large speakers were set up on both sides of the stage in for this four-day meeting and the youth were fed a relentless diet of rock music, interspersed with entertaining sermons and testimonies by athletes, musicians, Miss Georgia 1987 and youth workers. Sheila Walsh and Russ Taff, two of the top Christian rock musicians, were there and sang with accompanying hard rock music as loud as that played at some secular rock concerts.
One final thing will be mentioned about the size of the meeting. With more than 100 speakers delivering workshops, 25 speakers in the evening sessions, approximately 200 exhibitors and hundreds of books for sale, plus a separate massive youth conference in progress during the Congress means that it is utterly impossible to cover even a portion of the HERESY fostered at this Congress. Keep in mind as you read this report that this meeting was not just a group of extremist charismatics, but represented the mainstream of the charismatic movement. Not all of the big charismatic leaders were present, but most of them were. And what we will share should be enough to convince any Bible believer that this conference and the movement it represents is not on the Bible track. But believe me, the half will not have been told! And yet, if what we do cover does not convince someone of the error of this movement, it is doubtful that a detailed report of every single workshop, every single message, every exhibition booth and every strange activity would convince you.
THE OPENING EVENING OF THE CONGRESS
The first night, Wednesday, July 22nd, Vinson Synan was introduced by Roman Catholic layman Kevin M. Ranaghan, chairman of the 1977 Kansas City Conference. They hugged, and Ranaghan said, "Isn't it a wonderful thing for a Catholic to introduce a pentecostal!" They then hugged again. Ranaghan said Synan has brought together 32-35 streams of Christianity. Synan said there "are 242 million Christians baptized in the Holy Ghost... There is a call to bring Jesus Christ to all nations of the world in our time... The vision God has given is to give Jesus a gift of the majority of the world as Christians... we're praying this Superdome will be a new upper room so the day will come when the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as water covers the seas."
BILLY GRAHAM SENDS HIS BLESSING
That night Billy Graham sent greetings and blessings to the Congress via a video clip which was introduced with much fanfare and shown on the large screens on both sides of the Superdome. A press release gave the text of Graham's address:
"Greetings in the name of the Lord! I would love to be with you today in your great conference. But I am unable to do so because we are involved in a crusade here in Denver, Colorado, which involves really the whole state of Colorado. I rejoice with you at the goals of your North American Congress on the Holy Spirit and World Evangelization. And I thank God for the vital role that your movement is having in bringing about a spiritual awakening in this country. Today it is en couraging to see the Holy Spirit moving in His church across North America and in other parts of the world toward the goal of bringing others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. My prayers are with you that your congress will be greatly blessed of God and used by the Holy Spirit to further the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May God bless you all!!!" (Press release)
Note that Billy Graham's blessing was upon this conference and all of the strange, unscriptural things that went on there.
After watching and hearing Graham's video clip, Catholic Ranaghan led the conference in a prayer for Graham's crusade going on in Colorado. Ranaghan spoke in "tongues" as he led the prayer for Graham's conference over the Superdome PA system, and the huge Superdome was filled with the strange sound of thousands praying in tongues, the first time that would happen during the conference, but certainly not the last! Graham's open approval of the conference was very pleasing to the conference leaders. Synan referred to Graham's message during the Saturday afternoon press conference, saying, "Billy Graham's office said he wanted to come just to be refreshed. We feel that is a breakthrough." By the way, we learned that the pope was behind the meeting, as well. Tom Forrest, the speaker for the closing General Session, said that John Paul II was behind the conference wholeheartedly. Forrest should know since his offices are in Rome across from the Vatican and he is the head of Evangelization 2000 and works directly under the pope's supervision.
Bob Weiner, who also led the Youth Explosion '87, said that a prophecy in 1979 indicated that "more people are going to be saved in the 1980s than all the people saved in the history of the world." This was one of the many indications of the confidence charismatics are placing in prophecies and continuing revelations. He led the crowd in an amazingly confusing time of "holy shouting" which he said would "bring holiness, healing, forgiveness." Thus the auditorium of the immense Superdome was filled for a few moments with 35,000 voices lifted in "holy shouting." It could only be described as mass confusion, yet the Bible says God is not the author of confusion, but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). Weiner said he was taking authority over all fear and used Jeremiah's call, paraphrasing from Jeremiah chapter one and applying it to those present in the meeting.
Weiner also said, "We are going to be changed and be a part of the body of Christ without spot or wrinkle... The Holy Ghost is coming upon us tonight... that through that holiness, that power of the Spirit, we WILL evangelize the world." This statement by Weiner about those present being the body of Christ, the people of God, Christian saints, etc. set the stage for the attitude which would be taken by all the speakers. It was taken for granted that the Congress registrants were the people of God, in spite of the fact that at least 50% were Roman Catholic and a large percentage of the others were from a sacramental-type background whereby salvation is supposedly achieved through a PROCESS, beginning at baptism and being maintained or nurtured through the sacraments of the church.
Statements were made such as "You are sons of God, daughters of God, children of the king." (Carl Richardson) "Let's exercise our authority as a priesthood of believers to pray for these leaders." (Richardson) The prophecies also were spoken as if those present were saved. One illustrates the tone of all of them: "My children, ten years ago I brought you together... above all I brought you together to be one." You can see that all were treated as born again people, as children of God. This assumption on the part of the speakers and Congress leaders that those present were saved people became confusing, to say the least, when on Friday night at least half of the people stood, indicating that they wanted to be saved! We will say more about this.
One of the singers for the first evening, a fourth generation pentecostal, said, "Thank you for opening your spirits up to us." This is one of the most serious errors of the charismatic movement. God warns against spiritual deception and therefore commands, "be sober," "be soberminded." This command which is repeated often in the New Testament is a command to be in full control of one's mind, to be on guard at all times. Those who release control of their minds and facilities are opening themselves to spiritual delusions and are disobeying God. One of the key teachings of the charismatic movement is that in order to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the experience of tongues, the individual must release control of his mind and tongue, to "let go and let God." This is clearly contrary to the warning and command of God.
Dorothy Ranaghan, a Roman Catholic, also spoke Wednesday evening. She said that she hopes to lead her children "to the fullness of salvation." Note the Catholic idea of growing into salvation, of salvation as a process. This was taught and implied often during the Congress and openly promoted in many of the books which were for sale. In those books salvation was called a "process," "a continual redemption," "an adherence to a program of life." Let me quote from a booklet that I purchased at the official conference sales area:
"This kingdom and this salvation... are available to every human being as grace and mercy, and yet at the same time each individual must gain them... through toil and suf fering, through a life lived according to the Gospel, through abnegation and the cross, through the spirit of the beatitudes." (Pope John Paul VI, ON EVANGELIZATION IN THE MODERN WORLD, a message given in Rome, December 8, 1975, pages 6-7)
This is blasphemously wrong. The Christian does not grow into salvation or earn salvation through faithfully holding out in the sacraments and good service, as the Roman Catholic church teaches. We have full, eternal, secure salvation the very moment we place our faith upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement on the Cross of Calvary. More is said about this in the article, "Cursed Additions."
Mrs. Ranaghan referred to Francis Xavier as a great example of evangelistic zeal and self-sacrifice and told how that he knew the Japanese would require that he live a holy life. She said, "He agonized because of the lack of holiness in the lives of Christians of the 16th century." Those who know the real history of Xavier know that he was a traditional Catholic missionary who preached the cursed false sacramental gospel of Rome and who crossed the seas to make converts who would become twofold the children of hell than he, as Jesus said to the Pharisees of His day (Matthew 6).
Ranaghan also challenged the 35,000 charismatics that "We need to touch up our halos," then explained about halos in Roman Catholic iconology (idolatry) and spoke reverently of Catholic "saints". This is the first in what would become a steady steam of traditional Catholic error which was promoted at the conference. Apostate Catholic teaching was everywhere. It was in the bookstores, in the workshops such as the one on "Mary and Pentecost," it was in the Catholic masses which were held in the main floor of the Superdome each morning, it was in the General Sessions in the evening, concluding with the final message being delivered by a Roman Catholic leader, Tom Forrest, whose offices are in Rome across from the Vatican.
The main message of the opening night was brought by the black Baptist preacher, E.V. Hill. Hill certainly makes the rounds in Christian circles! He claims to be a fundamentalist and preaches in some churches which claim to be fundamental. He has preached for Jerry Falwell, for the Southwide Baptist Fellowship and many fundamental churches. Yet he is an ecumenist who is comfortable being on the committee of the National Council of Churches in America, the U.S. arm of the WCC. And now we see him right in the center of one of the largest, most ecumenical charismatic meetings which has ever been held.
Now consider this. E.V. Hill sat for about two and a half hours before he actually got up to speak. What did he see and hear. He listened to the loud babble of tongues during the "worship" times, and the unspeakably confusing time of "holy shouting." He heard rock music as loud as at a secular rock concert, watched the dancing girls of the "drama" teams, heard prophecies which were delivered in the first person as from Jesus Christ Himself, heard a woman Roman Catholic preach about growing in the fullness of salvation and halos and icons and St. Xavier, watched Catholic Kevin Ranaghan and Pentecostal Vinson Synan hug each other twice and speak of how wonderful it is for Catholics and Pentecostals finally to get together. For more than two hours Hill looked out over a crowd of 35,000, half of which were Catholics. After this experience, E.V. Hill walked up to the podium and said what? What should a man say after experiencing such things, a man who claims to be a fundamental Bible-believer, a man who speaks in fundamental Baptist churches? If he were a prophet of God, he would have plenty to say and it wouldn't have been music to the ears of those creating this doctrinal confusion! But what did he say? Hill stood for a moment, calmly looking around, then said, "WOW! If you're not on fire by now, your wood is wet! If your bell isn't ringing, your clapper is broken!"
My friends, I must admit that my wood was wet and my clapper was broken that night! If it wasn't for the fact that I attended this mess to observe with a friend, Dennis Costella of the Fundamental Evangelistic Association, I don't think I would have stayed longer than that first night. Without the fellowship we had together in the Lord during the week, and the prayers together, I don't think I could have! Even though we sat in the press section, we stood out like sore thumbs. Some said they were praying for us and some asked what was wrong with us. When everyone was standing, we were sitting; when the crowd was laughing, we were crying; when they were serious, we were smiling; when they were singing, we were quiet; when they were quiet, we were talking. It was very difficult to be two oddballs among 35,000 VERY enthusiastic charismatic ecumenists. And this did seem to be the case; during the entire length of the conference we did not meet any other people attending who were not in basic sympathy with what was happening, including others with the press. This is because the only reason a true Bible-believer would attend such a meeting would be to report on it and expose it as the dangerous thing that it is. There is no true fellowship between light and darkness.
After E.V. Hill's clever little remarks at the beginning of his message he proceeded to preach a standard, entertaining message about the two aspects of salvation: justification and sanctification. It was a message about the difference between the Christian's standing and his state, his position and his practice. He spoke of being covered with the blood of Christ and saved forever through that blood. Then he placed a handkerchief over the microphone and said that God looked at him like that. God didn't see E.V. Hill, but saw the covering, the blood of Christ. Then he cautiously peaked under the handkerchief which was still hanging over the microphone and said that even though this fact of standing was true, there was the little problem of his walk and practice, and that is a different story. Of course everyone laughed. Hill said, "I'm not what I should be, but, thank God, I'm not what I used to be. I'm getting better! I'm getting better!" Then he said, "Somebody say Amen. You've got to tell these white folks when to say Amen!" Hill is always entertaining.
All of this would have been acceptable preaching had it not been in the context of the mixed multitude Hill was preaching to. Why didn't he make things very, very clear? Why didn't he speak to the crowd? Why didn't he make it clear that he was saying that Catholicism teaches a false gospel and that the Catholics need to learn the truths he was speaking and get saved and come out of the mess of Romanism? Why didn't he have a word to say about the false unity which that mixed multitude was practicing? Why didn't he have a word of warning about the countless errors represented in the doctrinal beliefs of the hundreds of charismatic leaders sitting in that crowd? Why did he not turn to the special section of Catholic leaders and have a few clear words for them, the kind of words that Jesus had for the false teachers of His day (Matthew 23)!
I am saying that what E.V. Hill preached that opening night of Congress '87 was correct. There was nothing wrong doctrinally in his message. It was what he failed to say that revealed the man's mischievous, compromising, self-serving, ecumenical heart. Any fundamental church that will still have E.V. Hill preach after this has no right whatsoever to be called a fundamental church, no right whatsoever. Of course, such churches didn't have any excuse before, since Hill, for all his big talk, took a position on the radical, apostate National Council of Churches and all along has belonged to a denomination which is a member in good standing with the NCC. But after New Orleans '87 there is even less excuse. The man preached in the face of at least 15,000 Roman Catholics and said not one word about the errors of Catholicism by which so many countless multitudes have perished in eternal hell, and had not a word to say about God's command for separation from error. He said he was thrilled by what he saw and heard that fearful night. What a sad, sad testimony.
More than half of the conference attendees were present for the RC mass which was held each morning of the congress from Thursday until Sunday in the Superdome. It began with charismatic renewal music--contemporary folk and rock, then three priests walked in, one holding a Bible over his head and another with his hands held high in the air. The session leader of the one mass we observed was Hal Cohen and the officiating priest, Dennis Phaneuf. Cohen began by lifting his hands, then spoke of the saving waters and renewing of baptism. He said, "Let us praise God through the euchar- ist," then babbled in "tongues," and said "glory to Jesus." The crowd then sang "Lord, pour on us the Spirit of the Lord."
The homily was delivered in a fairly dynamic way. Phaneuf said, "We would be amazed to see how much we agree on our faith and on our reality." He cleverly and deceptively referred to E.V. Hill's statement the night before on position vs. condition, and said, "We are called to holiness, not to gain God's love, but because he has covered us by his blood." That sounded good and true, but the sad fact is that he was saying this right before the abominable mass in which he would claim to consecrate the bread and wine so that it would actually become Jesus Christ and he, the Catholic priest, would then re-sacrifice Christ upon the Roman altar and the people would then receive Jesus afresh. Thus the Roman Catholics believe that they receive Jesus many times, not just once for all. They believe they receive Him when they are baptized, then again when they are confirmed, then daily as they receive the mass and other Catholic sacraments. Thus when Phaneuf said that Catholics are covered by Christ's blood, he did not mean that the Catholic can know and rejoice in the fact that he has eternal salvation and security in Christ, but that the Catholic is covered by Christ's blood as long as he continues faithful in the sacraments of his church. There was a great deal of open deception at this conference, especially on the part of the Catholic leaders. They would use Bible terminology and leave their listeners with the idea that they believed sound Bible truth, whereas they were merely taking terms familiar with Pentecostals and evangelicals and inserting into those terms their own heretical beliefs.
If you do not believe this, please write to us for the study, "Has the Catholic Church Changed," a study of the Vatican II documents--documents which were on sale at the congress in New Orleans, by the way. We also refer you to the quotes from the book that we purchased at the conference which was edited by Tom Forrest, the head of the Catholic Evangelization 2000 and the keynote speaker the last night of the conference. These quotes are printed in this issue of O TIMOTHY in the article, "Quotes From a Book Edited by the Head of Evangelization 2000 and a Main Speaker at New Orleans '87." The Roman Catholic church has not turned from its error, and the charismatic Catholics continue to belief those errors.
The priest giving the homily prior to the mass then preached on four areas of holiness: 1) Honesty, 2) Chastity, 3) Love, and 4) Whole value in the religion of our Lord. In this last point he was speaking of having a balance, of courage and meekness, etc. He said we should look to the saints such as Bernadette, St. Teresa. Then setting the tone for the overwhelming Mariolatry which was promoted at New Orleans '87, the priest said, "The greatest model is Mary." He concluded by saying, "As we seek to evangelize the world as one Christian body, we must remember God has called us to holiness."
The reference to "one Christian body" is highly significant. The Bible never speaks of a one Christian body composed of true Christians and false Christians, of false churches and true, of apostate denominations. Of course, the "one body" this priest was speaking of is none other than the Roman Catholic church itself. It still claims to be the fullness of the body of Christ, and even though non-Catholics are now accepted as separated brethren, note that they are indeed "separated" brethren. Separated from what? Separated from the one true Christian body, the Roman Catholic Church, to which they must be rejoined if they are to experience the fullness of life with Christ. The call still goes out for non-Catholics to be joined to the "head of the church." Christ? No, the pope of Rome, the Vicar of Christ!
The mass was traditional except for the contemporary musical interludes, the tongues and the prophecies. The priest held up a large host and proclaimed, "This is the body of the Lord," then a cup of red wine, saying, "the blood of our Lord." Priests then marched to positions around the Superdome and stationed themselves with the consecrated hosts and distributed them to the people as they were guided from the chairs row by row by the ushers. The priest near us was saying as he handed the host to the people, "The body of Christ; the body of Christ; the body of Christ." During a lull in the line, I asked him if that wafer is the body of Christ. He answered, "Yes, this is the body and blood of our Lord." Meanwhile the other priests were drinking of a yellow, strongly alcoholic wine from cups which had been filled from a pitcher. After and during the mass, prophecies were given. The first was by a woman; the second by a man. The man said, "You have my real body; you have my real blood... Come out of your castles... My people will you open up to me so... I can place within you a steadfast spirit, spiritual life, love, holiness? My beloved, will you answer my call?... for I am here and I am waiting."
Was Jesus Christ really prophesying through this Roman Catholic? Through that prophecy was Jesus Christ actually confirming that the wafers and wine which were being consecrated by the Roman priest were truly His real body and real blood? No, it was false blasphemy. It was so openly blasphemous, in fact, that I experienced "chillbumps." It was frightening to listen to something so obviously of the devil. Much of the charismatic experience is merely a working of the flesh, but something so blasphemous as this was nothing less than demonic.
As the priests were gathering the unused hosts, I asked one what they would do with them., He said they would put them "locked and sealed" in a "tabernacle" of a RC church in the city and later they will be distributed in hospitals and to those who cannot get out. Of course, according to Catholic theology, each of those consecrated wafers was Jesus Christ himself, and Catholics kneel before the tabernacles in their buildings which contain the wafers and pray to them as if they are Jesus. They pray to the wafers, confess sins to the wafers, worship the wafers, and oftentimes carry the wafers in processions, just as the heathen carry around their idols in the little temples. This is gross and foolish idolatry. The mass was closed by having the people stand and sing "Crown Him With Many Crowns." How deceptive to close such a blasphemous and unscriptural event by such a blessed hymn. The entire experience left me emotionally saddened, physically sickened and spiritually drained.
I hope our readers see the significance of the Roman Catholic mass at the center of a massive charismatic meeting. There is nothing in the world of Christendom more blasphemous and false than the Catholic mass. And for 150 of the most popular charismatic leaders and 35,000 charismatic Christians to accept the mass, allowing it to be performed in their midst, is incontrovertible evidence of the apostasy of the charismatic movement itself. As we will mention later in the report, Pentecostal Congress Chairman, Vinson Synan, invited the people to attend the mass Sunday morning and said it was a most beautiful experience. It is time for Christians to awaken out of their sleep and see the charismatic movement for what it is--a way of error which is leading deeper and deeper into apostasy and closer and closer toward Rome, the very seat of apostasy.
Many prophecies were given during the Congress, some supposedly spontaneously during the workshops and denominational meetings, while those given during the general sessions in the superdome in the evenings were controlled and scheduled. Following are quotes from a few of these prophecies. Note that they are in the first person as if God were truly speaking through that person to those present. It should be noted that many present treated these supposed prophecies from Christ in a very light manner, to say the least. As the prophecies were given over the loudspeakers, large numbers of people would be purchasing food at the snackbars, going to the bathrooms, conversing with one another, reading books, etc.
The prophecies were given in the first person as if being spoken by Jesus Christ Himself. If this were indeed true, one would think that those who love Christ would hang on every word. In fact, if this is really Christ speaking afresh through the lips of those present, it would seem that the prophecies would be transcribed, printed, published far and wide with the declaration--"This is Christ speaking today! These are new words from Heaven!"
But no. Actually I believe those present knew in their hearts what we knew from the Scriptures--these supposed prophecies had been composed beforehand and some of them were being read. They were not the actual voice of Christ, but were the thoughts of man. Woe be unto those, though, who spoke such things in the name of Christ as if from Christ, thus adding to the words of the prophecy of the Book which God has indeed given and completed (Revelation 22:18,19). Following are examples of the prophecies which were given all during the Congress. These are transcribed directly from the cassette tape recordings.
"My children, ten years ago I brought you together... again I have brought you together. Above all I brought you together to be one... that those who are depressed and lost... that the power of my spirit will reach through you... that all men will come to know me as Lord..." (Friday night, July 24)
"You have my real body; you have my real blood... Come out of your castles... My peo ple will you open up to me so... I can place within you a steadfast spirit, spiritual life, love, holiness? My beloved, will you answer my call?... for I am here and I am waiting." (Prophecy by a man during the Roman Catholic mass Thursday morning, July 23rd)
"What did you come for? Did you come to be healed? Did you come to hear a great and mighty anointed speaker? Did you come to see manifestations of my Spirit? I say to you that you will, but that isn't why I brought you. I brought you here because I intend to provide you with my power. I intend to provide you again with my com mission, because I have a plan for each one of you. Now listen to me, each one of you. I know you're here. I know where you come from. I know who you are, and I am going to use you... I'm going to change your mind. Are you ready to be changed? Open your hearts to the chang ing power of my Holy Spirit and you will be different and I will be able to use you. I ask you again. Look around, and what do you see? You see brothers in the Lord. You see sisters in the Lord, and you look at empty seats. I don't see empty seats. I see all my hosts; I see all the powers of the heavenly hosts filling this place. Those seats are not empty, saith the Lord. My heavenly hosts are here." (Prophecy given the first night of the conference)
"I am the Lord Jesus Christ... I am the one who stands among the seven lampstands... I am the Lord. I am the Lord of the body... Look to me and I will feed you... guide you... Those who do not know me, I tell you I am Jesus your Savior... renounce your sin and turn to me." (Prophecy given by Catholic or Episcopal priest in Superdome)
"You and I, we both know, that I alone will be the only one who can remove the obstacles that afflict you at this moment. Once more, my children, allow me to refresh you in my love and in my mercy. Surrender to me, my loved ones. I am waiting patiently. Surrender to me. I love you, my children. I want to refresh you. I love you, my children. You are the loved ones of my heart; I love you. Surrender to me; allow me to refresh you. I love you, my children." (Prophecy given after Thursday morning mass by a Roman Catholic woman to the Catholic meeting which was continuing in the Superdome)
"At this time I am pouring out my sanctifying grace upon your hearts, so purify your love for me. I call you to yield anew to the holiness of my spirit in you at this mo ment. Your love for me and for others must be pure." (Another prophecy given by a Roman Cath olic, this time a man, during the Catholic meetings following the mass in the Superdome Thursday morning, July 23)
Were these prophecies of God? No, on Friday night half of this group indicated they were not saved. God is not going to speak in the first person to such a mixed multitude as if they are all born again people. God is speaking today and He is speaking very plainly, but He is speaking through that which He inspired--the Bible. The Bible is perfect, and it is complete. It claims to be able to make the man of God "perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:17). What need, then, do we have of something further if that which we do have is perfect and able to make us complete? The last chapter of the Bible closes with a serious warning that this book of prophecy is not to be added to or subtracted from. This warning is ignored by those who stand today and claim to speak revelation and prophecy in the name of the Lord.
TESTIMONY OF A FORMER CHARISMATIC PASTOR ABOUT PROPHECIES
What did I feel as I heard the prophecies quoted above and dozens and dozens of others during the New Orleans conference? My own feelings are described accurately by a man named Neil Babcox, a man who served as pastor of a Pentecostal church in Illinois until leaving the charismatic movement. Consider the testimony of this man who once gave such prophecies himself and who believed in such things:
"Prophetic messages were quite common at our church. In fact, whenever we assembled to worship, spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy, were foremost in our minds. Even though we followed no prescribed liturgy, there was an unwritten order of worship that always included the opportunity for one to prophesy according to the proportion of his faith (Romans 12:6)...
"Our prophecies seldom if ever predicted the future. Instead they took the form of fervent exhortations or simple words of comfort. Generally they consisted of various biblical phrases and fragments pieced together like a patchwork quilt. Often they focused upon such themes as the imminent return of Christ or God's forgiving love. Most of the time the prophecies were spoken in the first person as if God Himself were addressing us, but occasionally the phrase 'thus saith the Lord' was used even as it was by the prophets of the Bible...
"There was something distinctly romantic about the notion of prophesying. There you are standing in succession to the prophets of the Bible. Samuel and Elijah saw your day coming and were glad. True, your lips are unclean, but they have been touched by a live coal from off the altar. Like Isaiah, you have heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' And you responded, 'Here am I. Send me!'...
"Yes, it was all very romantic. But gradually, what had started as a romantic venture, an idealistic quest for spiritual gifts, was slowly, imperceptibly changing. Into what, I wasn't sure. ALL I KNEW WAS THAT THE EXCITEMENT AND ROMANCE OF PROPHESYING WAS TURNING INTO AN UNEASY SENSE THAT THE PROPHECIES I HEARD, INCLUDING MY OWN, WERE HARDLY WORTHY OF THE NAME. THE IDEA THAT THEY WERE THE WORDS OF THE LIVING GOD WAS BEGINNING TO SEEM PAINFULLY LUDICROUS. Would the romance now become a comedy of errors, or a tragedy, perhaps? At any rate, one thing was certain: this burden of the prophets was becoming a crushing, onerous weight. And I couldn't help wondering if the weight which I was carrying was not the burden of the Lord at all, but some foreign yoke of bondage...
"IN MY CASE THERE WERE FOUR SIMPLE WORDS THAT PLAYED A DECISIVE ROLE IN CHANGING MY HEART: THUS SAITH THE LORD. To me, these were most unsettling words. And the more I comprehended their meaning, the more I understood what the prophets meant when they spoke them and what the Holy Spirit meant when He inspired them, the more unsettling they became...
"'Thus saith the Lord.' WHAT ABUSES I HAD SEEN OF THOSE WORDS! WHAT BITTER FRUIT I HAD SEEN BORN BY MEN AND WOMEN SPEAKING THESE WORDS! I have seen people married on the basis of guidance received from personal prophecies only to be divorced a week later because of a terrible scandal. Many lives have been harmed by such prophetic guidance. What ac tions, what conduct, have been countenanced by a 'thus saith the Lord'...
"The moment of truth came when I HEARD A PROPHECY SPOKEN AT A CHARISMATIC CHURCH I WAS VISITING. I WAS SITTING IN THE CHURCH TRYING TO WORSHIP GOD WHILE DREADING THE APPROACH OF THAT OBLIGATORY MOMENT OF SILENCE WHICH SIGNALED THAT A PROPHECY WAS ABOUT TO BE SPOKEN. THE SILENCE CAME, AND SOON IT WAS BROKEN BY A BOLD AND COMMANDING 'THUS SAITH THE LORD!'
"Those words triggered an immediate reaction. Conviction, like water rising against a dam, began to fill my soul. 'Listen my people...' [the prophesy commenced] Until finally, the dam burst: 'THIS IS NOT MY GOD,' I CRIED WITHIN MY HEART. 'THIS IS NOT MY LORD!" (A SEARCH FOR CHARISMATIC REALITY - ONE MAN'S PILGRIMAGE, pp. 46-59; Neil Babcox, formerly pastor of the Pentecostalist Word of Life Church in Carbondale, Illinois)
What Babcox cried out in his heart that night about the charismatic prophecies, reflect exactly the cry of my own heart as I heard the blasphemous prophecies in New Orleans. This is NOT my Lord and my God speaking! It is NOT the Holy Spirit, but a false spirit. These are hard words to those caught up in this movement, but this is a discernment based on the teaching of the Word of God and the fruit of the charismatic movement, and should not be taken lightly by anyone.
Multitudes of strange happenings and statements occurred during the days of the Congress in New Orleans, far too many to consider in one report, but the following examples give you an idea of what was going on:
Jamie Buckingham, on Thursday night, July 23rd, said, "Anti-aircraft angels are with us tonight." That's a new one, huh?
Pepe Alonso, who led the second general session Friday night, said, "God is doing his thing; praise God!" This illustrates the general tone of disrespect that was evidenced by a great number of the speakers toward God and Jesus Christ. The disrespect I am speaking of is seen in the "Honk if you love Jesus" bumper stickers whereby the name of Jesus is drug through the mud and grit of the highways and brought down to the level of another catchy phrase word. It is also seen in the "Give Jesus a Hand" thing which is popular in many charismatic circles. "Let's give Jesus a hand," the leader says, and everybody claps.
JESUS CHRIST AND PETE FOUNTAIN INTRODUCED TOGETHER
Such disrespect toward the high and holy name of Jesus Christ was brought to new lows at the New Orleans conference. The city of New Orleans, famous for the wicked Mardi Gras festival and its immoral French Quarters and jazz bands, hired the most famous jazz clarinetist in the world, Pete Fountain, with his band, to play a special concert for the charismatics at the conference. The concert was held beside the Mississippi river at a special area near the Mississippi River Walk, a huge commercial mall which has been built along the river. The concert area was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with charismatics (you could tell by their Congress badges and the dove pins that many of them wore) and Pete Fountain and his band were introduced by Vinson Synan and David Sklorenko, Congress Chairman and Director.
You must understand that Pete Fountain and his band do not claim to be Christians. They are jazz entertainers who spend their evenings in the night clubs and bars. Fountain's record album jackets picture him in bars with indecently clothed nightclub singers, and the hard lines and alcoholic puffiness of the faces of the jazz artists who were with Fountain evidenced the kind of lives they live.
It's sad that a strong witness of the saving power of Jesus Christ could not have been given to these men by the congress on evangelism, but rather than proclaim to Fountain that his sin is taking him to hell and that he needs to be saved, many hundreds of charismatic Christians endured the July Louisiana heat to sway and dance to his music. Synan, in introducing this jazz band, had the charismatics "give Pete a hand," and the thousands of people clapped enthusiastically for Pete. I suppose Synan felt he shouldn't leave Jesus out, so he then said, "Now let's give Jesus a hand," and another wild time of clapping and shouting arose from the charismatic crowd.
Do you see what I am saying? Pete Fountain and Jesus Christ should not be introduced together and saluted together! Jesus Christ is the Lord of glory; Pete Fountain is a lost sinner. I am certain that charismatics would take strong exception to what I am saying, but I can discern a thread of degradation of Jesus Christ running throughout the movement. This scene in New Orleans with charismatics giving a hand to an unsaved jazz musician is clear evidence. And if someone objects that this incidence cannot be used to characterize an entire movement, I would remind you that New Orleans '87 was not a small charismatic convention. It was one of the largest ever held and a great number of the most influential leaders were there, together with 35,000 of their followers. New Orleans '87 was representative of the mainstream of the charismatic movement today.
There were many strange things at the Congress labeled with the term "holy." Conference speakers spoke of "holy hilarity," "holy thunder," "holy clapping," "holy shouting." The only thing they left out was "holy smoke," and I suppose you could say there was some of that, too, since some of the charismatic ushers were smoking cigarettes! Such strange activities are the kind of things which gave the pentecostals the label "holy rollers." Even as I was growing up as a boy, the Assemblies of God in my home town had this label and reputation--and for good reason. Their meetings were wild, to say the least! Today, by the way, that same church in Lakeland, Florida, which was small when I was a boy, is the largest church in the entire state of Florida, has its own radio station and television broadcast. And its building and grounds are so unusual and lovely that many come for regular guided tours. The pastor, Karl Strader, was one of the speakers at New Orleans.
But to return to the Pentecostals being known as "holy rollers," there is a historical reason for this. The charismatic movement arose as wildfire from the true revivals of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Though many were being born again and grounded in sound doctrine, others merely desired to seek physical thrills and excitement, and the devil is always ready to give people false experiences. In doing this he keeps these from coming to the truth, and others are confused by the strange happenings.
Thus in the midst of true revival, whereby multitudes were finding Christ and truth, others were experiencing "hallelujah earthquakes, dancing in the spirit, falling out 'under the power,' and catching the 'holy laugh'" (IN THE LATTER DAYS, Vinson Synan, page 45). Thus we see the same strange spirit which controlled the "holy rollers" of the turn of the century, dominates the more sophisticated charismatics of the latter part of the century. The "hallelujah earthquake" and "holy laugh" has moved from the ragged tent and sawdust floor to beautiful multi-million dollar buildings, but the spirit is the same.
THE DEVIL CAN'T UNDERSTAND TONGUES
To continue our theme of strange things at the Congress, we would mention Carl Richardson's testimony. During his message Friday evening, July 24, he said, "This afternoon I sought the Holy Spirit as I never had before and there came a sudden onrush on my heart and I spoke in tongues... that is one language the devil cannot understand. It is the secret language of the Holy Spirit." Where does the Bible say that the devil cannot understand tongues? What new revelation is this? The confusion within the charismatic movement which surrounds tongues speaking is simply amazing. Some teach that tongues will always accompany the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Others teach that tongues speaking is not the evidence of Spirit Baptism, but is something that the believer needs for private worship and prayer. Some teach that charismatic tongues speaking is a language, while others teach that this speaking is not necessarily a language. Most teach that the individual must seek tongues, but some, like James Robison, teach that tongues are not to be sought. During his message on Friday morning, he said, "Let me tell you something, I just bless God my wife never sought tongues. I've got to be honest and say I'd be ashamed of her if she had. My wife sought Jesus. But one day God released tongues." Most charismatics allow tongues in the congregation without interpretation, while others require that any tongues given in the assembly must be interpreted. Then there are the private revelations (that is all it could be called) about tongues, such as Richardson saying that the devil cannot understand tongues. There are strange doctrines like this throughout the charismatic movement because of the acceptance of visions, dreams, prophecies and pri- vate revelations apart from the Bible.
JESUS LOOKING OUT OF BONNKE'S EYES
In speaking of strange charismatic preachers, it would not be right to leave out Rienhard Bonnke, German evangelist who holds large tent meetings in Africa. As the main speaker on Friday evening, he said, "I'm just going to let fly in Jesus' name." He did, too. It was the wildest SHOW and ENTERTAINMENT I have seen in a long time. At one point in his message he asked, "Do you enjoy my preaching?" Then he humbly said, "I enjoy it too." Bonnke told of a time in Africa when he needed a new organ and he and his music minister went to a music shop.
"And my colleague and I walked in a certain music shop. Then, because it was lunchtime, I suppose, the white salesman was there standing in the door, leaning against the wall just smoking a cigarette, you know. In Germany we call these cigarettes 'the devil's macaronis.'... We just looked through the shop... and when I was right at the back of the shop looking at one organ, all of the sudden that face stood in front of me, but this time completely different. He was as white as a sheet. He was shaking. He looked with big eyes into my eyes and he said to me, 'Sir, I can see Jesus in your eyes!' Now I don't know what happened to me; maybe I also turned pale, but to make a long story short, we had revival in the music shop.
And when I left that shop rejoicing, I was still puzzled. I remember walking out and I said to myself, 'This is impossible; how can a total stranger come up to me and say I can see Jesus in your eyes? This is impossible.' It just didn't figure. How can this be? And then the Holy Spirit came and he said to me, 'No problem. Jesus lives in your heart and sometimes he likes to look out of the windows. [laughter, clapping] Hallelujah! hallelujah! And when Jesus looked out of my windows, that man happened to look into my windows, and he got the fright of his life. Hallelujah!"
Revival because a man sees something weird in Bonnke's eyes? Strange, strange things.
HEAD OF DISUNITY GOING TO BE CUT OFF
Rick Olson, speaking to the the Youth Explosion '87 crowd of young people, said they need to become "Holy Spirit terrorists." Then Bob Weiner, in giving a review of the Youth Explosion during the final evening's general session, Saturday, July 25th, said that in 1977 (at the Kansas City congress) they had knocked down the giant of disharmony and disunity in the body of Christ, but they had failed to cut its head off, but now through the influence of the 1987 Congress they were going to cut off its head. The crowds roared and stomped their approval. So we have the foreview of holy spirit terrorists running around cutting off the head of all "disunity and disharmony in the body of Christ." That is referring to destroying all causes of separation among professing Christians, of course, and is fair warning of what these charismatic/ecumenical zealots think about fundamental separatists!
Immediately after some of the loudest rock music I have ever heard, music that shook the massive 75,000-seat Superdome, Jamie Buckingham, on Thursday night, had the people stand IN COMPLETE SILENCE and said, "Let that word go out across the nation tonight that we are one." From horrendously loud "Christian" rock amplified over the Superdome PA system to complete silence. What emotion wrenching experiences!
SATAN'S POWER OVER AMERICA CANCELED
Kenneth Copeland on Thursday night, said, "We are the Holy Ghost family of the Almighty. We are equipped, not equipped for failure. We are the people who elected the last two presidents... Satan is about to be removed from human contact. And you, my brothers and sisters, are the power-packed instruments God is going to use." He then had the crowd SHOUT (while holding hands) "spirit of destruction, come down... we cancel your authority in the name of Jesus by His blood. This nation shall be saved. Do you believe that? Shout Hallelujah!" Where does the Bible say that Christians can remove Satan from human contact and cancel his authority over a nation by merely shouting in unison at a large meeting? This is more strangeness. For this present time the Bible says that the devil is "the god of this world," which is blinding the eyes of those who will not believe the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan is said to be the "prince of the power of the air, THE SPIRIT THAT NOW WORKETH in the children of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). Satan will not be cast down or bound until Christ returns (Revelation 19:11 - 20:4). Copeland's idea of taking "authority" over the devil" was foolishness. The devil was just as free after the shouting and the "binding" quieted down as he was before Copeland cranked it up.
THE POPE THE FINEST REPRESENTATIVE OF MORALITY IN THE WORLD
Speaking of strange statements: James Robison on Friday morning said, "I tell you what, one of the finest moral representatives of morality in this earth right now is the pope. People who know it really believe he is a born again man."
My, my, how blind and foolish can a man become! If the charismatic experience causes men to be so utterly spiritually blind as this, it obviously is not of the Holy Spirit of Truth. The pope bears titles such as "His Holiness," "The Vicar of Christ," "Holy Father," and other names which can only be claimed by the Almighty Triune God Himself. John Paul II brought together leaders from most of the world's heathen religions in Assisi and had them pray with him for peace in the world--praying to the god of fire, to the god of the big thumb, to the god Allah, to the gods Shiva, Ram and the other pantheon of Hindu gods, to the gods of the rivers and sky and trees! John Paul II is so infatuated with the false Mary of Catholicism that he visits the Mary shrines in each country he visits and has embroidered on his garments words in Latin which mean "Totally yours, Mary." John Paul II, in speaking to the World Council of Church leaders last year, said that "we have been incorporated into Christ through our baptism and thus we are already one in baptism." There has never been a saved pope or a moral pope and there is not one in the world today.
There were strange sights and sounds everywhere one turned at New Orleans '87! In my mind's eye I see again the Roman Catholic priest in his floor- length black robe, walking around the Exhibition area carrying a bag with "Jews for Jesus" written on it in large letters. Again I can hear Miss Georgia 1987, Marlesa Ball, giving her testimony of "glorifying the Lord" by singing "Amazing Grace" at the Miss Georgia and Miss America beauty pageant and speaking of how she had influenced the judges for Jesus. Yes, walking around in skimpy bathing suits that the Miss America contestants wear, I'm sure this attractive young lady really influenced the judges for Jesus!
Again I see 5,000 young people being bombarded with ear-splitting rock music as Miss Georgia 1987, Russ Taff, Sheila Walsh and others rocked out for Jesus. I see Roman Catholic priests with their hands uplifted, muttering in tongues, giving prophecies, falling "slain in the Spirit." I see nuns in their habits with hands raised, saying with the same repetition they are accustomed to in praying the Rosary - "Thank you, Jesus' thank you, Jesus' thank you, Jesus; praise you, Jesus; praise you, Jesus; thank you, Jesus."
I recall the large section on the main floor of the Superdome set apart for those in wheelchairs, and the section for the deaf where an interpreter was provided to explain the meeting in sign language, and the section roped off for other kinds of handicapped. Why is this significant? It is significant because the majority of charismatic teachers believe the doctrine that healing--physical healing--is in the atonement and is the possession of every believer who will exercise faith and trust God for that healing. This is what they believe; this is what they teach. James Robison referred to this idea in his message Friday morning: "I believe it is possible to live in health... I think it is possible because Christ did it. And since Christ is our example--and not even Paul--but Christ in us the hope of the glory of God manifest in us, I think it is possible."
Why, even the "Happy Hunters" were there holding their "Healing Exposion" seminar each afternoon! And these charismatic leaders also believe in the power of the prayers of multitudes such as were gathered in New Orleans that week. Why, then, with all of that faith, and all of those charismatic leaders, and supposedly all of that power concentrated in one place--why did only one of the people in the wheelchair section claim healing? And maybe two or three others from the other handicapped sections? Perhaps four out of two hundred or more? And even that one that got out of the wheelchair and claimed a healing had to be helped up the few steps to the speaker's platform after Bonnke preached. It was a pitiful sight, and if there was some sort of healing involved, it certainly was not total.
Consider the message of the one they called "the big gun," Rienhard Bonnke, who preached Friday night on the theme "Signs and Wonders." The entire thrust of this message was that many would be healed and set free that very night. It didn't happen. He had proclaimed,
"When the gospel preached under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it becomes an event... the gospel with signs and wonders. It is a proclamation of the signs and wonders... Throw those crutches down... Tonight, an alcoholic will be set free... Turning the key, turning the key. The miraculous gospel. By preaching it we are setting up the right conditions for the Holy Spirit to move. He is moving here, moving here... The wind is blowing... you will have no benefit until the day you hoist your sail. Hoist your sail; hoist your sail... Hold onto your hat; you will lose it otherwise. Tonight the Lord will blow into your sail. Say amen. Hallelujah! Let's close our eyes. You will be set free now. You will... In the name of Jesus I command you to be set free and receive the Holy Ghost."
Yet when the claims, and the hallelujahs, and the commands that those present be set free and released from every problem--when all the noise and hoopla was over and quiet fell over the Superdome again, those in wheelchairs were still in their wheelchairs; the deaf continued to live in their quiet worlds; the handicapped section was as large as it was when the meetings began. So many went away deeply disappointed after having been worked into a frenzy of trying to have faith to be healed. I am saying there is something very strange here, and not only strange but cruel and false.
I remember how shocked I was when I first visited the book sales area and saw table after table after table of traditional Catholic materials. There were titles such as--
Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents
Queen of Peace: Echo of the Eternal Word (written by one of the priests in the parish of Medjugorje where Mary supposedly has been visiting six young people since 1981)
Is the Virgin Mary Appearing At Medjugorje?
One Lord, One Spirit, One Body (with a drawing of a Catholic cathedral on the cover)
John Paul II Speaks to Religious (Book 1, Book 2, Book 3) Mary at My Side
Experiencing Jesus: Scripture, the Witness of Saints and Mystics, and a Life of Prayer
Contemplating Jesus by priest Robert Faricy
Be Holy: God's First Call to Priests Today
Healing Principles by priest Michael Scanlan
Receiving the Promise: the Spirit's Work of Conversion by priest Thomas Veinandy
On Evangelization In the Modern World by Pope Paul VI Baptism in the Holy Spirit by priest Francis Martin
These were just a very few of the Catholic titles.
We would note here that David Sklorenko, Congress Director, said in a press conference that the books such as those above were approved by the congress workers:
SKLORENKO: I think if I could just answer one thing, to the book store and to the exhi bit area--in fact anybody that has anything to do with the Congress--we've asked them to sign that unity state ment. We want them to really prayerfully read that and if they're going to exhibit here, we wanted them to come only if they can accept the statement. All the books that are in the bookstore are all--to the best that we can do it--reviewed to make sure they're not in any way offensive to the other denominations. In fact, if one is found, we immediately will take it off and not sell the book if anybody finds it offensive.
The books I mentioned and many others equally heretical were there throughout the conference and were still there on Saturday afternoon when Sklorenko gave the testimony we have quoted. It appears, then, that none of the 35,000 registrants and 150 or so speakers found these offensive.
Again I look back in my mind's eye to the rosary beads that Dennis Costella showed me one afternoon. He had been given them at one of the exhibition booths. And of the things promoted at those booths, the official Congress handbook says this: "No exhibits or entertainment will be permitted in the display area without the written authorization of the North American Renewal Service Committee" (NEW ORLEANS '87 GENERAL CONGRESS HANDBOOK, Page 76). Of course, with roughly 17,000 Catholics running around at a conference there are certainly going to be rosary beads.
For those not familiar with Catholicism, rosary beads are used to pray a series of prayers to Mary. There are 53 small beads on the rosary, six larger beads, a cross and a medallion of Mary. Thus if one prayers the full rosary, he will pray 53 prayers to Mary--the same repetitious prayer called the "Hail Mary". Following are the two prayers to Mary which are used when praying the Rosary:
"Hail Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen."
"Hail! Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, O must gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement! O loving! O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ."
As the individual prays around the rosary and comes to the large beads, he is supposed to say the prayer, "Our Father which art in heaven..." and also meditate upon the "15 mysteries of the rosary." These "mysteries" begin with Mary hearing from the angel that she would be the mother of Jesus, and end with the Catholic heresies about Mary being taken into heaven and crowned as Queen by Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Note the photo on the next page from a Catholic publication which promises an indulgence (forgiveness) for those who pray the rosary.
Do you understand this? According to Catholic teaching, and according to the meditations of rosary, Mary was crowned Queen of Heaven by the Triune God! This is utter blasphemy and folly, yet it is a central Catholic dogma which is taught in Catholic cathechisms throughout the world.
On the previous page are photos from a booklet on the rosary that I purchased from the official book tables at the New Orleans conference. The booklet, entitled PRAY THE ROSARY, is a sanctioned Catholic publication with the Imprimatur of a Roman Catholic cardinal, the late Francis Spellman, who was Archbishop of New York. "Imprimatur" is a Latin word meaning "let it be printed," and is the official stamp of approval on all authorized Roman Catholic books. The book was copyrighted in 1973, so it is a post-Vatican II publication. These things clearly show the deep heresy of the rosary and of Catholicism itself. The entire Roman system is built upon error, deception and fables.
And we would emphasize that when we are talking about the mass, the sacraments, the papacy, the Roman priesthood and prayers to Mary, we are not talking about peripheral matters. These are central to salvation and the Christian faith. Many times at the conference in New Orleans--at press conferences, in interviews, during private discussions with participants--we were charged with focusing on non-essential issues when attempting to discuss the Catholic doctrine of the mass, sacraments and the things mentioned above. This is not the case. Rome teaches that there is salvation in these things; Rome teaches that the pope and the priests stand in the stead of Christ and actually become Christ at the mass. These, my friends, are not light matters.
PENTECOSTAL VINSON SYNAN CALLS THE MASS A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE
I recall the repulsion that I experienced in observing the Catholic charismatic mass one morning for the purpose of this report. The experience was utterly unscriptural and demonic; blasphemous. Merely to observe the mass as we did is an intense spiritual battle against the demonic forces present, the demons which have led the Catholic church into these "doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1). Yet in my mind's eye I again see Pentecostal Congress Chairman Vinson Synan standing on the platform the final night of the meeting. I hear him say these amazing words, "If you want to see something beautiful, come see a spirit-filled Catholic mass." He was referring to the final mass of the Congress which was to be held the following Sunday morning in the Superdome. This shows that Synan is not merely biting his tongue about Catholic heresies in order to promote unity; he truly appreciates and loves these apostate things! These Pentecostals and Catholics truly are one in the spirit--but it is not the Holy Spirit.
DECEPTION AND TRICKS IN TAKING THE OFFERINGS
Charles Green, in introducing the offering Thursday evening, said that God had impressed him that the offering should be $200,000 that evening and that he met a man in the parade that morning who told him he was praying God would give $200,000 that night so he "knew it was from the Lord." He then said, "I believe I am authorized to ask this of you tonight... I ask every leader here to have faith and believe and have authority to write a check for $100 for this conference... even if that ministry of yours is in desperate need, plant a seed... and since the number 8 is the number of the new covenant, I am asking each individual to give $8--every human being here... to make a covenant commitment to this congress... give $8. Husbands and wives make your checks out for $16." That's not the way the Holy Spirit led Paul to raise money in the first churches!
Each night of the conference the taking of the offering was led by some clever individual. On Friday night an episcopal layman with the Full Gospel Business Men International took the offering. He said that "Every nickel received tonight is going to lead someone to Jesus. All is going to world evangelization... your money is going to bring some child in Africa... some old lady to Jesus because you have given. We need to get as much as $500,000 to get what we need for this place." The truth was that the offering was going to meet the expenses of that very conference and not for world evangelism. This was a deception, because the people were told that their gifts were going to world evangelism so people could be saved, but actually they were for New Orleans Congress. It was only at the press conference the next day that we learned that the Friday offering was indeed for the Congress, and that the conference expenses of one and one-half million dollars had finally been met. Saturday's offering went to the expenses of holding more conferences in the future, yet the people were left with the idea that the money would be used directly in evangelism. Bob Weiner took the offering the last night of the conference and said, "I want to challenge every person to give at least $20. This is ALL going to world evangelism. Write an IOU to Jesus and put your name and address and make a pledge. Put your zip code and get that amount in within the next 30 to 60 days."
Of all the strange things at this conference, perhaps the strangest was the thing that happened on Friday night, July 24. It was the third night of the meeting, and by then the people not only had attended seven hours of evening sessions, but 12 hours of morning and afternoon sessions, as well. Each evening had a different theme, and the one for Friday was "Signs and Wonders." I can't testify that there were any signs, but there were definitely some wonders! Let me tell you about it.
As we have said, throughout the conference the people were referred to as Christians, saints, children of God, and other terms which would indicate that all present were saved. For instance, Carl Richardson, one of the six speakers on Friday evening, said "You are sons of God, daughters of God, children of the king." He made no qualifications to that statement, even though he knew he was speaking to a mixed multitude at least one-half of which were Roman Catholic. The prophecies, too, were spoken in the first person, as if Jesus Christ himself were speaking, and invariably they would contain statements like this: "My children, I love you. My children, I have purchased you." The 35,000 registrants were considered to be the children of God. Perhaps it was this attitude and presumption on the part of the speakers that resulted in the Gospel not being clearly preached. Or perhaps it was because there were so many different gospels present in the teaching of the leaders that they had decided to tread cautiously so no one would be offended. Whatever the reason, it is a fact that the Gospel was not plainly explained by the speakers in the general sessions nor in any of the workshops that I attended. Rienhard Bonnke's message Friday night is an illustration. Bonnke said it is impossible to put the Gospel in a nutshell.
The exact words were, "Gospel in a nutshell; you must be nuts! The universe is too small to contain the Gospel."
Bonnke is partly right and partly wrong, but when dealing with Bible doctrine, a mixture of truth and error equals error just as a mixture of poison and pure water equals poison. It is true that the Gospel, in all of its great truths and implications is greater than anyone can comprehend. But this does not mean the Gospel cannot be put in a nutshell, in a summarized form so that people can understand it and thereby be saved. The Apostle Paul put the Gospel in a nutshell in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4! But since Bonnke does not believe the Gospel can be summarized this way, I suppose this is why, in the midst of all his ranting and raving and telling of strange stories, he didn't actually get around to preaching the Gospel message clearly and simply.
He said he was preaching the Gospel. He said, "I am an evangelist and I preach the ABC's of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Actually, though, he only referred to the Gospel, and didn't explain what it is. Yes, he said Jesus is the Savior, but that is not a clear presentation of the Gospel. In the midst of the confusion of Christendom today, that statement can mean practically anything! Yes, he said, "I don't want to be in the business of renovation... [man] needs regeneration through the blood of Jesus Christ." But that still is not a plain presentation of the Gospel. What would that statement mean to the average man today? Nothing, because the average man knows nothing about the Bible or who Christ is or what Christ did or what sin is or any of the basic truths of the Gospel. Such statements are not preaching the gospel, but referring to it and are not sufficient if we want people to understand and be saved.
Men must have the Gospel explained to them in a clear manner whereby they can understand it before they can be saved by it. This is why God sent the evangelist Philip into the desert to meet the Ethiopian eunuch, who was reading Isaiah 53 while riding in his chariot. The eunuch admitted to Philip that without a teacher he could not understand what he was reading. No, the statement "regeneration through the blood of Christ" is not a clear explanation of the Gospel that the average unsaved person could understand.
It is not a statement which the average professing Christian today could understand properly. What would Bonnke's statement about regeneration through the blood of Christ mean in the understanding of the average Roman Catholic present that night? It would mean that because of Christ's death on the cross, grace and regeneration can be received through baptism and confirmation and the sacraments of the church! This is what the booklet by Pope Paul VI says:
"The Church is the depository of the Good News... the sources of grace and of God's loving kindness, the path of salvation--all these things have been entrusted to her." (Pope Paul VI, ON EVANGELIZATION IN THE MODERN WORLD, Page 10)
Bonnke did not plainly preach that Jesus Christ came to this earth as the virgin-born Son of God, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to make atonement for our sins through his death and blood, rose from the dead after three days and today, as the glorified and ascended Lord, offers eternal salvation to those who call upon His name in repentance and faith.
That is the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-6; Romans 1-3), but it was not preached.
When Bonnke finished his sermon, he asked for those who felt they needed to be saved to stand. Half of the congregation stood! He seemed surprised and said that he wanted everyone to understand exactly what he was asking. He emphasized that he was asking those to stand who wanted to become Christians, who wanted to be born again, to be saved. The fifteen thousand or more people continued to stand. He then led them in a simple sinner's prayer, and while he was going through it, even ones all around us who weren't standing repeated after him the sinner's prayer.
The next day at the press conference with Vinson Synan and David Sklorenko, Dennis Costella of Fundamental Evangelistic Association asked about the confusion which surrounded the matter of salvation at the conference. Following is the strange answer that Synan gave:
COSTELLA: "In the plenary sessions during the first part of the week, the speakers and all of the officients, everybody has been referring to the congress and the participants continually as being believers, as Christians, the saints, and so forth, you know. Why did, it seemed to me at least, nearly half the congregation last night stand to receive Christ as their Savior and to be born again? Was this response surprising to the leadership of this conference? And not only those who were standing but many of those that were still seated were praying the sinners prayer. I don't understand this."
SYNAN: "It would be sur prising to the Protestants here who understand the language of evangelicalism and the altar call tradition. I think the Catholics, and PROBABLY THE MAJORITY WHO WERE STANDING WERE CATHOLICS, WHO WOULD SEE THIS AS A KIND OF A RENEWAL OF THEIR BAPTISMAL VOWS, OR RECEIVING JESUS TONIGHT LIKE [THEY] DO EVERY SUNDAY...
COSTELLA: "Can I follow up a little bit on that? Well then, wouldn't it seem that something as major as the definition of the gospel itself and what effects or what brings about the conversion of a lost soul to where they are saved, if there is that much difference and misunderstanding among Catholics and Protestants at this congress, wouldn't it be crucial to, not just a workshop but a plenary session to speak definitively as to what the gospel message is so that there isn't this confusion?"
SYNAN: "Well, you know, it took me 52 years to come to my understanding of what Pentecostal theology is. And it probably took Dave [Sklorenko, Roman Catholic Director of the Congress] 48 years to understand what his is. We can't in one night get a crystal clear understanding on the part of everyone, because we come from different traditions."...
COSTELLA: "But the congress won't speak to this seemingly contradiction or misunderstanding to try to clarify that?"
SYNAN: "WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO THAT."
Isn't that amazing! Synan confused the simple preaching of the Gospel and salvation with coming to a full doctrinal understanding of Bible truth, then said that they didn't have time to speak to the misunderstanding and confusion which was obviously present in the minds of a great mass of those attending the conference. It was a conference on world evangelization, but they didn't have time to speak clearly to this confusion. These 35,000 people were being exhorted again and again to go forth in the world and evangelize the world, but at least half of them didn't have a clear understanding in their own minds about their own salvation. What confusion!
Synan was probably correct in his assessment that most of those standing were Catholics. That is because the Roman Catholic church doesn't teach that a person has certain eternal salvation at any one point in time. The Catholic church does not teach that the person can know for sure that he is saved. This is made clear in a book, CATHOLIC AND CHRISTIAN, written by Alan Schreck, a professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, a center for Catholic charismatic activity and a school which had a booth at the Exhibition at New Orleans '87. This book was for sale at the Congress:
"The Catholic Church has always taught that no one can know with absolute certainty in this life whether he or she will be saved." (page 33) It is Rome's false gospel that created much of the confusion at this charismatic conference about personal salvation. Catholics need to have the true gospel preached to them. With their false gospel and uncertainly of personal salvation they certainly are not fitted for evangelizing the world! More is said about this in the article "What Indeed is Catholic Evangelism?"
CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE ANGELS OF LIGHT
Of the many strange things at the conference in New Orleans, one of the strangest was a statement made by Catholic priest, Tom Forrest, in his sermon the final night of the Congress. He referred to 2 Corinthians 11:14 and said, "We must be angels of light." Those words are taken from the tape recording of his sermon. And Forrest did not say this extemporaneously; he was speaking from a prepared text. In this we see the gross ignorance of the Bible among Catholic leaders. 2 Corinthians 11:14 is speaking of the devil and false teachers!
"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
I, for one, will not shout hallelujah when a Catholic priest says we must angels of light! Yet many of the charismatic crowd did. It is as if Forrest's mask of pretended piety fell off for one moment, and he revealed his own identity. Roman Catholic priests are indeed angels of light in the sense of 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. They are ministers of the devil transformed into the ministers of righteousness so as to deceive the people. But note the fearful end of such: "whose end shall be according to their works."
The strangest part in all of this is not the fact that a Catholic priest misquoted Scripture. That is not strange. The strangest part was the response of the 35,000 charismatics at the conference who were listening to Forrest' message, including the hundreds of charismatic leaders, some of whom were sitting on the speaker's platform during this message. There was no indication that anyone noticed or cared about the frightful misquote that Forrest had made. Quite the contrary. By the response to his statement, there was the clear impression that these charismatics were willing and eager to become 2 Corinthians 11 "angels of light"!
There were other many strange things at the North American Congress on the Holy Spirit & World Evangelization. In fact, the whole thing was strange, everything was strange! This is why we have named this report, "Strange Things in New Orleans."
SPIRIT BAPTISM AND SLAYING IN THE SPIRIT
Each night after the general sessions were finished at approximately 10 p.m., the people were invited to go to one of four different areas of the Superdome, according to their felt needs. One area was reserved for those who desired to have counseling about salvation; another area was reserved for those who wanted prayer for physical healing; and yet another of the four areas was for those who desired "the baptism of the Holy Spirit." Because the Superdome is so large, and because it is round and therefore difficult to explain the location of a particular area or room, the four counseling sections were identified by four workers who would be positioned at the proper places around the building and holding large flags of four different colors. Those desiring counseling about salvation were to follow the red flag; those desiring the baptism of the Spirit, the white flag, and so on.
As the final messages of the evenings were brought to a close the people would began to leave their places all over the 75,000-seat auditorium to make their way toward the flag which represented the particular needs each individual felt in his own life. For a while the groups would grow larger as they congregated around the flag-bearers, then the flag-bearers would begin to move away from the main floor while the people would follow along behind in little streams, winding their way up through the levels of that massive complex then out of sight of the main floor as they followed the flag around the corners and into the maze of hallways toward the appointed rooms.
The scene reminded me of the story of the pied piper and how he charmed the children of a village, leading them away to an uncertain destiny through his merry attitude, false promises and the hypnotically pleasant playing of the flute. The charismatics are following a piper, but he is not who they think he is, and he is not who he claims to be. Yet they follow him because they are enchanted by his signs and wonders and promises, his radiant smile; they follow him to an uncertain future.
On Friday night the theme of the evening meetings was "signs and wonders," and after the conclusion of Rienhard Bonnke's message, Dennis Costella and I made our way to the rooms which were assigned to those who desired the charismatic spirit baptism. More strange things awaited us there. I knew about spirit-slaying and had seen photos of this before, but that night was the first time I witnessed it with my own eyes.
First, though, the people were supposedly baptised in the Holy Spirit. Since the charismatic leaders have loosed themselves from the finality of the Bible and believe in continued revelation today through prophecies, tongues, visions and voices, there is little oneness of doctrinal belief among them, even in the experiences and teachings peculiar to the charismatic movement itself--tongues, spirit-baptism, words of knowledge and such.
The doctrinal situation among charismatics is similar to the situation that existed in Israel during the era of the Judges--"In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). This was the reason the time of the Judges was so confusing and strange; this is also the reason why the charismatic movement is so strange. Each one is doing and believing that which seems right in his own eyes, following his eyes, his feelings, his heart, his private revelations or the revelations given to other charismatics--rather than being solidly grounded in the eternally settled Word of God, the Scriptures. Observing this confusion in New Orleans made me praise God afresh for the blessed Holy Bible. It's so wonderful not to be tossed about on the sea of supposed continued revelation! Call me narrow-minded, if you will. Call me closed- minded to new things. I care not. I have the perfect, settled, complete Word of God, the "faith which was ONCE DELIVERED unto the saints, and I rejoice daily in it.
This applies to the doctrine of spirit baptism. Practically every charismatic leader has his own idea of what this is and how and when it is attained. The man who led the spirit baptism group Friday evening of the Congress had the people repeat some things after him, then had them attempt to mutter in a "heavenly prayer language," and finally pronounced the group to have been baptised in the Spirit! I will share with you some of his exact words as they have been transcribed from the tape recording:
"Christian means 'an anointed one.'... Jesus is going to absolutely saturate you, cover you over. The Holy Spirit is going to come upon you tonight. Now, if you are a Christian, you already have the Holy Spirit... Paul says you cannot call Jesus Lord except by the Holy Spirit. So you can't be a Christian unless you have the indwelling Holy Spirit. But in the Bible--and I'm not going to go through all of this tonight; this is an hour and a half teaching--but just take my word for it; you go home and read it. Wherever God empowers His people for action, for service, He always says the Holy Spirit came upon them...
"Now if Jesus Christ needed to be led by the Holy Spirit, if the Lord of lords and the King of kings needed the power of the Holy Spirit, don't you think we do? Amen? Now how do you get this? How do you receive this? Well, you heard Carl [Richardson] to night. He said, 'How do you get it? You ask.' And he read from Luke 11 where Jesus is teaching on prayer. And he said, "I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives." Whether you feel anything, whether you get slain in the spirit, whether anything else happens to you, it doesn't make any difference because when you ask, you receive. Alright? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" It's available to all of those who ask.
"Now, I'm going to pray for you. And then I'm going to ask you to go through a little prayer with me. And what we're going to do, I always like to make certain that people know Jesus, so we are going to pray a little prayer of receiving Jesus and commitment to him. And then we're going to pray a prayer of cleansing, where we ask God to take away any evil in our lives. I want you to know what we're going to do in advance so you are not sur prised. And then we're going to ask God to fill us with his Holy Spirit, to anoint us with Holy Spirit and power, to bap tize us with the Holy Spirit and give us His gifts.
"Now, after we have prayed that prayer, then I am going to let you hear me pray in my heavenly language. Now this is not the same thing as speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is something that the person would do in the congregation. A person might stand up and receive a message from God and speak in a heavenly language so the entire congregation could hear it, but that must be interpreted. You all remember Paul made this statementnt, "Does everybody speak in tongues?" The answer is obvious that everybody does not. But he says in Ephesians 6:18, "Pray with all petitions and pray, at all times in the Spirit." Everybody can have a heavenly language. Now the purpose of that heavenly language is for you to be in direct contact with God by the Holy Spirit. Now what it means is that you can become edified. Your spirit is built up. Sometimes when I don't know what to pray, I'll pray in my heavenly language."
After this, the group leader proceeded to do as he had promised. He led the crowd of two hundred or so people in a simple sinner's prayer, then he had them pray that all evil things and demonic things would be cast out of their lives, finally he led them in requesting that God would give them His Holy Spirit. When the praying was completed, the group leader began babbling in his "heavenly language" which was nothing more than the repetition of several sounds, something which could have been learned and imitated with a little practice, and he urged the people to put their heads back, relax, release control of their tongues and begin to mutter with their tongues--but not to form words and sentences--and believe that God would take control of their tongues and give them, too, a heavenly prayer language. I walked around as this was going on, and stood beside many of the people in different parts of the large room. Not once did I hear anything more than the pitiful, stuttering attempts of these gullible people to imitate the babbling of their leader. Certainly this man, the leader, knew that he was not speaking in a language.
I felt deep sorrow in my heart for these people, who were obviously desiring something real, but were being led by clever, deceived men into error and confusion. I recalled the words of the prophets about the false teachers of the days of Israel's apostasy prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the carrying away captive to Babylon: they were described as blind guides and dumb dogs! How terrible it would be to hire a guide to lead you through dangerous territory and find that he is blind! How useless would be a watchdog that cannot bark! Yet that is the kind of leaders those who enter the charismatic movement have.
TRUE LANGUAGES OR STRANGE BABBLINGS?
What about these tongues? Were any languages being spoken in "tongues" in New Orleans? According to Frank Bartleman, early Pentecostal leader, A.B. Simpson said: "We are to witness before the Lord's return real missionary 'tongues' like those of Pentecost, through which the heathen world shall hear in their own language 'the wonderful works of God,' and this perhaps on a scale of whose vastness we have scarcely dreamed, thousands of missionaries going forth in one last mighty crusade from a united body of believers at home to bear swift witness of the crucified and coming Lord to all nations." (AZUSA STREET, Logos International, page 66)
In those early days of the charismatic movement, the the leaders claimed that the new "tongues" were real earthly languages. In fact, some of the early Pentecostals went to other countries, thinking that upon arrival they would be able to speak to the people of those nations in their own native languages through "tongues." They returned bitterly disappointed!
"Alfred G. Garr and his wife went to the Far East with the conviction that they could preach the gospel in 'the Indian and Chinese languages.' Lucy Farrow went to Africa and returned after seven months during which she was alleged to have preached to the natives in their own 'Kru language.' The German pastor and analyst Oskar Pfister reported the case of a Pentecostal... 'Simon,' who had planned to go to China using tongues for preaching. Numerous other Pentecostal missionaries went abroad believing they had the miraculous ability to speak in the languages of those to whom they were sent.
"These Pentecostal claims were well known at the time. S.C. Todd of the Bible Missionary Society investigated eighteen Pentecostals who went to Japan, China, and India 'expecting to preach to the natives in those countries in their own tongue,' and found that by their own admission 'in no single instance have [they] been able to do so.' As these and other missionaries returned in disappointment and failure, Pentecostals were compelled to rethink their original view of speaking in tongues." (VISION OF THE DISINHERITED: THE MAKING OF AMERICAN PENTECOSTALISM by Robert Mapes Anderson, quoted in SEMINAR ON PENTECOSTALISM by Wilson Ewin, page 40)
The conclusion arrived at by most charismatic leaders was that the "tongues" were not earthly languages, but heavenly languages, and that is the term we heard frequently in New Orleans. But the charismatics do believe definitely that the "tongues" are languages. James Robison, in his message Thursday morning of the conference, said,
"As a matter of fact you can pray in tongues and not pray in the Spirit. Most tongues speaking and praying I hear is not in the Spirit. It's in the flesh. It's accommodating, because so much pressure was heaped on people to conform that they finally give in and begin imitating each other. They don't have a language of the Spirit; they've got tragedy. There's no power; there's no energy; there's no life; there's just a bunch of gibberish! It's very sad."
At the press conference on Saturday, I referred to this statement in questioning Vinson Synan about the tongues which were being spoken at the conference and I asked Synan and Sklorenko if they "believed that much of the unintelligible noises which are being made by the people could be human induced?" This touched a sore spot, and one of those sitting in the press area actually got angry about my statement and said that he did not believe Robison said such a thing. A lady member of the press also took offense at my statement and question and said that she did not believe Robison would say such a thing. They were wrong, but I had not yet transcribed Robison's message from the tape and could not therefore produce the exact quote, only the fact that in general he stated that much tongues speaking is gibberish. After these two individuals calmed down somewhat, Synan then challenged me to prove that the tongues at the conference were not real languages, saying,
SYNAN: If I hear a guy from India speaking Hindi, to me that's unintelligible babbling. It may be a perfectly good language. And how do you know, or how does anyone know, what language these people may be speaking in? I mean, can you prove that?
The answer to Synan's challenge is not difficult. In our church in Asia there are at least ten different mother tongues among the members of the church. When we travel to various countries of Asia, we hear countless different languages. I only understand two of those languages, yet when I hear others, though I do not understand the meaning, I recognize immediately that a real language is being spoken. You can hear the many different words; even a small child has a vocabulary of hundreds of different words in his language. I hear the precise intonation; the sentence and thought structure as phrases, clauses and sentences are started and stopped and new ones are started; the punctuation: sometimes the simple declaration, sometimes the question, sometimes the exclamation.
Every language and all normal speech is composed of these familiar traits.
The "tongues" which were spoken at New Orleans '87 were not languages. They were not earthly languages, nor heavenly languages, nor languages of any sort whatsoever. They were not languages! They were unintelligible mutterings; they were repetitious silliness; they were pathetic attempts to release the control of the tongue and find some promised, divinely-given tongue. But throughout the entire Congress, after hearing countless babblings which were supposed to be the gift of tongues or some heavenly language, not once did I hear a language. And this includes the "tongues" which were spoken by the leaders and speakers of the conference, many of which I have on cassette tape. If these were languages, they were baby "languages"! I say this because there was never more to them than the gooing and gibbering of an infant. I do not say this to be ugly; it is simply the truth, my friends.
SLAYING IN THE SPIRIT AND OTHER STRANGE PHENOMENA FROM AZUSA STREET, 1906, TO NEW ORLEANS, 1987
"Falling under the power" has been a phenomena in the charismatic movement since its origin at the turn of the century, beginning at a little mission on Azusa street in Los Angeles and spreading from there throughout the world. Please understand that it is not non-charismatics who are saying that the present-day charismatic movement is an extension of the phenomena at the "Azusa Street Revival" of 1906 and the early Pentecostal movement which grew out of it. The leaders of today's charismatic movement are tracing their roots back to Azusa Street. Vinson Synan, Congress chairman, wrote the introduction to the book, AZUSA STREET: THE ROOTS OF MODERN-DAY PENTECOST. Synan's Introduction begins:
"Few events have affected modern church history as greatly as the famous Azusa Street revival of 1906-1909, which ushered into being the worldwide twentieth-century pentecostal renewal. From this single revival has issued a movement which by 1980 numbers over 50,000,000 classical pentecostals in uncounted churches and missions in practically every nation of the world. In addition to these pentecostals, there are untold numbers of charismatics in every denomination who can trace at least part of their spiritual heritage to the Azusa Street meeting." (page ix)
That strange "revival" in Los Angeles is considered so important in the eyes of the leaders of today's charismatic movement that it was announced in the AD2000 periodical that "donations are being solicited to restore the house at 216 N. Bonnie Brae, Los Angeles, that played a significant role in the development of Pentecostalism in the United States. It was there, in 1906, that the famous revival began that soon moved to the Azusa Street facility because the Bonnie Brae house was too small to accommodate the crowds. The Azusa Street building no longer stands. Send your tax deductible donations to Pentecostal Heritage..." (AD2000, Volume 1, Number 6, July 22-26, 1987, page 8)
The things which happened at the mission on Azusa street in the early 1900s are happening today in the charismatic movement of the 1980s. This backs up the claim by charismatic leaders such as Vinson Synan that the "spirit of Azusa Street" is the spirit that energizes them today. Perhaps some are wandering why I call the Azusa street revival strange; it is for the same reason that I am titling this report of New Orleans "Strange Happenings." Consider some excerpts from the eyewitness report of the the things which happened at Azusa street:
"Someone would finally get up anointed for the message. All seemed to recognize this and gave way. It might be a child, a woman, or a man...
"Some one might be speaking. Suddenly the Spirit would fall upon the congregation... Men would fall all over the house, like the slain in battle... The scene often resembled a forest of fallen trees...
"Presumptuous men would sometimes come among us. Especially preachers... The breath would be taken from them. Their minds would wander, their brains reel. Things would turn black before their eyes...
"Brother Ansel Post, a Baptist preacher, was sitting on a chair in the middle of the floor one evening in the meeting. Suddenly the Spirit fell upon him. He sprang from his chair, began to praise God in a loud voice in 'tongues,' and ran all over the place...
"... a young lady of refinement was prostrate on the floor for hours, while at times the most heavenly singing would issue from her lips...
"There is much 'slaying power' manifest... Strong men lie for hours under the mighty power of God, cut down like grass." (AZUSA STREET: THE ROOTS OF MODERN-DAY PENTECOST, an eyewitness account by Frank Bartleman, a leader in the 1907 Azusa Street visitation, introduction by Vinson Synan, Logos International, 1980, pages 59- 64)
These are strange things--things which did not happen in the New Testament churches of the first century which were under the leadership of the Lord's Apostles. They are things caused by a spirit other than the Holy Spirit. But these very things happened in New Orleans and are happening at other charismatic meetings and groups across the world. At the spirit baptism meeting Friday night that I have described, the leader proclaimed the people "Spirit baptized." He told them that they had been baptized in the Spirit, and if doubts came later, to cast those doubts away and to believe that they were Spirit baptized because of their prayers that night.