Updated May 26, 2004 (first published February 23, 1996) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -

In July 1987 I attended the North American Congress on the Holy Spirit & World Evangelization in New Orleans with press credentials. There were roughly 40,000 people in attendance, representing 40 denominations. Fifty percent of the attendees were Roman Catholic. A Catholic mass was held each morning, and many Catholic speakers were featured.

The closing message of the Congress was brought by Tom Forrest, a Redemptorist priest based in Rome. Forrest heads up the Roman Catholic Evangelization 2000 program. At New Orleans, Forrest said that he "evangelizes" by walking through the streets of Rome and praying the Rosary for people he passes. Forrest also spoke at the North American Congress held in Indianapolis, August 1990, which this writer attended. At that meeting Forrest said that he praised the Lord for purgatory, because that is the means whereby sin is atoned and purgatory is the only way to go to heaven.

The New Orleans Congress featured a massive 350,000 square-foot exhibition area with exhibits by roughly 200 charismatic and evangelical organizations, including CBN University, Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Fuller Theological Seminary, Jews for Jesus, Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, Oral Roberts University, Reinhard Bonnke Ministries, Strang Communications (publishers of Charisma magazine), U.S. Center for World Mission, Women's Aglow Fellowship, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Youth With A Mission, and Zondervan Publishing House.

I had a conversation one afternoon with one of the workers in this area. His name was Keith and he was with one of the charismatic non-denominational organizations represented. After discussing the gospel and how a person is saved, I shared a little of my own testimony with Keith, explaining that I was born again in the summer of 1973 after having lived a very foolish and wicked life. I then asked him how he could be comfortable in the midst of so much apostasy and false doctrine--such as the morning masses, the Catholic books and teachings, etc.

His answer to this was enlightening. He said, "David, can't you look around and see all the great things God is doing here?"

I told him that the main thing I saw was religious error and spiritual confusion!

He then said this: "David, your problem is that you are filled with the fear of being deceived. You are too afraid of being deceived. You need to relax and trust God more, and open your eyes and see what He is doing."

Should we take Keith's advice?

There are three Bible reasons why I know that Keith's advice is not right, and for these reasons I refuse to follow it:

1. WE MUST FEAR BEING DECEIVED BECAUSE WE CANNOT TRUST OUR NATURAL FACULTIES--OUR FEELINGS, OUR HEARTS, OUR EYES.

The Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it" (Jeremiah 17:9). Thus we cannot trust the thoughts or feelings of our own hearts.

The Bible also warns, "There is a way which SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12). Thus we cannot trust our feelings as to whether something is right or wrong.

We cannot look around and judge things by our own thinking as Keith urged me to do. It is so easy to be deceived if we depend upon our own thinking, our own eyes, our own feelings.

The Bible warns: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; AND LEAN NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Judas lived and labored with the other apostles for three years, and all of that time he was a deceiver and a false Christian. Yet none of the apostles knew it. In fact, it appears that they did not even suspect him. They were deceived.

Great crowds sought after Jesus, desired to listen to His sermons and wanted to make Him their king (John 6:2,15). But when a short time those same people turned from Christ and "walked no more with him" (John 6:66). Jesus knew that the multitudes did not truly believe on Him even though it appeared that they did; this is why He did not commit Himself unto them (John 2:23-25;
6:60-64).

Jesus warned that there would be many false teachers and they will appear to be sheep even though they are wolves (Matt. 7:15-17). The only way to look beyond the sheep’s clothing is to examine their teaching and practice by God’s Word.

Ezekiel was warned by God that many of the Israelites who came to hear him preach, and who seemed to love his preaching, were not sincere. "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not" (Ezekiel 33:31-32).

If we had seen the people sitting before Ezekiel, we would have thought that they loved God. But they didn't, and the only way we know that they didn't was because of the revelation God gave. The Word of God exposed the deception there.

At New Orleans there was indeed a show of piety. There were Bibles, smiles, hugs, hands raised in praise of God, hallelujahs, singing about Jesus. And yet one night half of the crowd raised their hands to indicate they did not know if they were truly saved. More than half the crowd attended the mass every morning, and the rest were blind to the utter apostasy around them.

We must fear being deceived, because it is so easy to be deceived. I do not trust my eyes, my feelings, my heart. I trust only in the revelation of the Word of God as it shines light on the religious world today. And the Word of God says the meeting in New Orleans was apostasy, not revival. The false teaching about salvation and the Holy Spirit and the church and evangelism and holiness identified it as such.

2. WE MUST FEAR BEING DECEIVED BECAUSE THE HOUR IS EXCEEDINGLY DECEPTIVE.

Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24 of the time just preceding His return. One of the characteristics of those last hours will be worldwide theological apostasy. It will be an hour of deep spiritual deception, of false miracles, of error so subtle that even the truly born again people of God will find it difficult to detect the truth from the error.

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. ... And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ... For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24:4,11,24).

In light of the warning of Jesus about these last hours of the church age, I would be foolish if I were not fearful of being deceived.

3. WE MUST FEAR BEING DECEIVED BECAUSE MIRACLES ARE NOT EVIDENCE OF THE HAND OF GOD AT WORK.

The Bible warns that the devil does miracles, and that the end of the age will be characterized by a great display of miracles--false miracles by which multitudes will be deceived.

The Lord Jesus Christ warned of this in Matthew 24:24. "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

There are similar prophecies in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:5-11; 2 Timothy 3:8; and Revelation 13:11-14.

The Lord Jesus warned plainly that there will be many who will call Him Lord and who will do miracles in His name, but they will be false (Matt. 7:21-23).

The emphasis at the conference in New Orleans was signs and wonders, power evangelism, miracle Christianity. There were many things that went on there which some would call miracles--prophecies, possibly a few healings (though I didn’t see any), babblings called "tongues"--and the speakers referred to miracles happening all around the world through the ministries of charismatic preachers.

When the light of the Bible is shined upon the charismatic movement it is shown to be in error. Thus we must not be misled by the “miracles.”

I repeat, I do not trust my eyes, my feelings, my heart. I trust only in the revelation of the Scriptures as it shines light on the religious world today. And the Scriptures tell us that the meeting in New Orleans and the charismatic movement it represented is apostasy, not revival.

No, Keith, your advice is wrong. It is good and wise to fear being deceived.

“The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going” (Prov. 14:15).