Death and Resurrection

Conclusions (Pt 1 of 2): is the charismatic movement a move of God?

This article is part of a series. Please see the base of the page for more details.

A Move of God?

Having reached this point in the review of the development of the charismatic movement we may return to the question posed much earlier in the series: is the charismatic movement a move of God? Was it initiated by the Lord Jesus? Despite all the strange aberrations we have noted, I would still want to affirm very positively its divine origins. I could not deny the work of the Holy Spirit in my own life or in the many hundreds of churches of which I have personal experience.

Through what we call the charismatic movement, the Holy Spirit has brought new life, joy, liberty and a more intimate personal relationship with the Lord Jesus and the Father into the lives of millions of believers. This has to be the work of God. It is certainly not anything that satan would want to do.

The fact that the charismatic movement had no clear-cut beginning causes me to doubt that God has moved in a series of 'waves' at different points during the 20^th Century. I see a continuous process in the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the century. On the first day of 1900, Charles Parnham's students began speaking in tongues, this was followed in 1906 by the stirring events in Azusa Street resulting in the formation of Pentecostal assemblies.

The fact that the charismatic movement had no clear-cut beginning causes me to doubt that God has moved in a series of 'waves' at different points during the 20^th Century.

Gradually throughout the century the recognition of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit has spread across the world. This has brought spiritual awakening in lands where the Gospel had never previously been heard, with vast numbers of new-born believers. It has also brought spiritual renewal in nations that had had the Gospel for centuries and where the Church had become largely inactive due to the onslaught of secularisation.

It was clearly God's intention to reap a mighty harvest during this century in lands which had never before been reached by the Gospel and it was also clearly his intention to renew the flagging belief and spiritual power of the Church where institutionalism and traditionalism had sapped its strength. What we see as fresh 'waves' of the Spirit have in fact been part of the on-going work of the Spirit of God working out his purposes and preparing a great company of believers to withstand the stormy days that lie ahead.

Using Human Strength

The great failing of the charismatic movement has not been in a lack of enthusiasm but in taking over the work of God and trying to do that work in our own strength. It is recorded that Frank Bartlemann, the Azusa Street leader, said that within a few years of the 1906 experience the flesh had taken over from the Spirit. This is really what also happened to the charismatic movement in the latter part of the 20^th Century. Paul's warning to the church in Galatia needs to be heeded today, “After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Gal 3:3).

There are many indications that we have done something similar to the offence caused by Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, who put unauthorised fire ('strange fire' AV) in their censers which they then offered before the Lord with disastrous results (Lev 10:1). When we do such things we are showing a lack of trust in the Lord. We are trying to force the pace and direct the work of God.

Once we begin to move in the flesh and not under the direction and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we open the door to all kinds of alien influences as well as to the things of the flesh such as pride and arrogance. When we take over the work of God we are, in fact, rebelling against him and we grieve the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 63:10 speaks of the terrible consequences of such action, “In his love and mercy he redeemed them...Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.”

This needs to be taken as a serious warning by all who are part of the charismatic movement. If we seriously step outside the will of the Lord he is against us, not for us. It is essential that we should understand both the will of God and his ways because all the evidence points to the fact that the world is moving closer and closer into days of international turmoil and conflict. The moral and spiritual plight of the nations, especially in the West, is desperate.

If we seriously step outside the will of the Lord he is against us, not for us.

But God is actually using this social situation to prepare the way for the Gospel. Never has there been a greater need for the Word of God to be clearly heard among the nations. Never has there been a greater need for the establishment of biblical principles as the guidelines for healthy living, both for individuals and at a corporate level. Yet the influence of the Church in the western nations has never been so weak.

In Britain the Church is under continuous attack from the media who delight to scorn the Gospel and seize every opportunity to mock the faith. The Church of England, as the established Church, holds a unique position which is rapidly being eroded by unbelief and by spiritual and moral corruption from within.

It was obvious to all those who were aware of the tactics of the enemy that as soon as the issue of women priests was over, the next battle would be over the acceptance of homosexual priests, both men and women. When that battle is over the way will be prepared for the ultimate onslaught on biblical belief from the multi-faith lobby.

Battle for the Bible

As Peter Fenwick has rightly said earlier in this series, the real battle today is a battle for the Bible; it is a battle for the soul of Britain. Alongside the battle within the Church and the attacks of a secular media, there is the growing power of Islam. The Muslims are determined to make Britain the first Islamic state in Europe. By the mid-1990s, they had been planting mosques in all the towns and cities of Britain at the rate of one per month for a decade.

During the 1990s Britain celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the war in Europe. That was a battle for physical survival. The battle today is for spiritual survival. The Holy Spirit whom God began to pour out upon all believers on the Day of Pentecost is still active in the world today. As the battle against the enemies of the Gospel intensifies there is a new urgency that the Church should recognise the nature of the battle and understand the reasons why Jesus, shortly before his ascension, told the disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:4-8).

Jesus knew that without the power of the Holy Spirit his followers would not be able to withstand the attacks of the enemy. They had to learn not to rush out in human enthusiasm or to seek after exciting signs and wonders, but faithfully to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus, declaring the way of salvation to all those around them and trusting the Lord of the harvest to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit and enlarge his Kingdom until the Day of the Lord dawned.

Where Tomorrow?

We began this series by saying that the charismatic movement had reached a point beyond crisis and was already beginning to crumble. In Britain by the mid-1990s there was a significant number of ministers who had once exercised charismatic ministries but who later repudiated that term.

There were thousands of church members who left charismatic churches because they had been sickened by the behaviour of leaders who, under the influence of Toronto, each time they began to read Scripture or preach the Word became doubled up as with stomach cramp and fell to the ground in a helpless heap. They were sickened by being told that uncontrollable laughter, barking, roaring, mooing, crowing like a cockerel, shouting, screaming, vomiting, pogo dancing and shadow boxing were all signs of the activity of the Holy Spirit.

They remembered that these same leaders who encouraged these things were saying, only a few years ago, that such activities were clear evidence of the presence of demonic spirits and required deliverance. They had been saddened to see the Holy Spirit ridiculed in TV programmes and tabloid press reports by displays of bizarre activity. They had been dismayed to see the name of the Lord Jesus mocked in the media through the activities of some charismatics.

Jesus knew that without the power of the Holy Spirit his followers would not be able to withstand the attacks of the enemy.

There are those who, like the authors of this book, still hold fast to their belief in the charismata. They believe that the Holy Spirit is present and active among believers today as he was in the days of the early Church and that the gifts of the Spirit are available to all believers. They nevertheless believe that it is high time to ask some fundamental questions concerning our response to the work of the Spirit among us in the British charismatic movement.

If, as we believe, it was God's purpose to renew the Church and revive the nation, has that purpose been achieved? There is no evidence to suggest that the spiritual life of the whole Church has been revitalised and neither is there any evidence of moral or spiritual revival in the nation. Indeed, the moral and spiritual life of both Church and nation are infinitely worse. Scandals concerning adultery, homosexuality and child abuse are regularly revealed and that's only within the Church! In the nation all these things occur plus violence, murder and all kinds of corruption.

So what has gone wrong? The plain and simple answer is that we have turned our back upon the word of God. We have neglected to study the word, we have relegated it to a secondary place in the life of the Church and we have substituted experience, false prophecies, strange revelations, our own opinions and teachings. We have thereby abandoned the truth for the myths and fantasies and teachings of men.

Since 1990, we have been reaping the inevitable reward of the tares that have been sown among us. Although many people are still enjoying the exciting experiences of the latest waves of charismatic chaos, I believe the outlook for the future of the charismatic movement is bleak; the writing is already upon the wall.

1990: A Turning Point

I believe future Church historians will see 1990 as the major turning point in the apostatising of the charismatic movement. This was the time when all the strange, unbiblical teachings which had been current among Pentecostal/charismatics since the Latter Rain Revival of the 1940s were gathered into a complete package and swallowed uncritically by the Church in Britain.

Foremost in the body of this teaching was the expectation of a great revival brought about by signs and wonders. There is no scriptural foundation for such a belief. Indeed, Jesus did not use signs and wonders to astound the crowds and draw them into Kingdom. Quite the reverse, he instructed people whom he had healed to keep quiet about it, not to 'noise it abroad'.

God's purpose to renew the Church and revive the nation has not been achieved because we have turned our backs on the word of God.

The New Testament teaches that signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word, but once we start making the miraculous the chief object of desire - once we start running after signs and wonders - we take the focus away from the centrality of the word of God and the glorifying of the Lord Jesus.

A major problem for us in the West has been the amazing growth of the Church in the poor, non-industrialised nations of the world. In these days of easy travel and rapid communications, many church leaders have been to the poorer nations and seen at first-hand what is happening. They have returned with accounts of multitudes being saved at great open-air meetings with amazing miracles - the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, the lame walking and even the dead being raised.

I myself have seen evidence of all these things in my preaching travels across Africa, China, South East Asia and other parts of the world. I too have brought these stories back and used them to make Westerners jealous by saying that the same things could and should be happening here. These stories have fuelled the longing for revival.

What has happened in Britain has also happened in other Western nations; the deep desire for revival has caused us to run ahead of the timing of the Lord. God has been telling us for many years that he is 'shaking the nations' and that his purpose is to turn the hearts of men and women away from their trust in material things, which is idolatry, to seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.

In the highly secularised, materialistic Western industrialised nations, our whole culture revolves around the acquisition of wealth and the accumulation of material possessions. These things largely determine our position in society and they therefore have a far greater influence upon our values and our minds etc than most of us realise. It is almost impossible to divorce ourselves from the culture of the society in which we live.

A Culture of Idolatry

There is no place in our culture for the God of the Bible; the God who demands our total loyalty and our absolute trust. Western culture is a culture of idolatry and we are adherents, willingly or unwillingly, of that culture. There will be no revival until that idolatrous mindset is broken in the servants of God.

That is why revivals and great spiritual awakenings have always occurred among the poor and the underprivileged - from the days of the early Church to the impoverished nations of today. Soon after the Day of Pentecost, as revival swept through the city of Jerusalem, the rich and the powerful noted with scorn that the apostles were unlearned men, they “realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

Western culture is a culture of idolatry: there is no place in it for the God of the Bible.

The same is true of those who came to Christ in the Wesleyan revival, of the blacks and poor whites who flocked to Azusa Street in 1906 and of the revival that swept through the Welsh mining communities in the same decade.

In the rich Western nations evangelicals have become obsessed with revival and the desire to reproduce what is happening in the poorer nations. What we fail to realise is the vast cultural difference. We cannot compensate for this simply by greater enthusiasm or by turning up the volume of our praise and worship, or even by more earnest intercession. Even confession, repentance, weeping and crying out to God at our meetings will not provide the quick-fix answer for which we are looking and which our quick-fix culture moulds our mindset to expect.

The Key to Revival

The key to revival is in Philippians 3:7-10 where Paul describes how he has renounced the world for the sake of knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord. He considers all worldly values as rubbish so that he may gain not the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or supernatural power to confound unbelievers, but simply that he may “gain Christ and be found in him”. He says, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.” In case anyone should interpret this to mean an exciting experience of having the power to raise the dead, Paul's next words should be noted! He adds, “and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”

The way to life is through death; death to self and the renunciation of the world. There is no other way for the Church in the Western nations to see revival. It may be part of God's plan to allow the Church in the rich industrial nations to die in order to raise a new and purified Church.

The great spiritual awakenings in the poorer nations are not being seen in the West because we are unwilling to meet the cost. We want the excitement of revival without paying the price of the pain and suffering and travail that goes with it. In the poorer nations the great spiritual awakenings are occurring because the Gospel of salvation is being preached, the good news that Christ died for our sins. Multitudes are being saved and the signs and wonders follow. This has been the pattern in past revivals.

But in the Western charismatic churches we are not motivated by the desire to save multitudes going to hell but to have the multitudes come and join us in the excitement of a spiritual spectacular! If they won't come and join us, then we'll have it on our own! Furthermore, if God won't do it for us, then we'll do it ourselves!

This is the tragedy of the Western charismatic movement. We are children of the world rather than the children of God. Our lifestyle is very little different from our unbelieving neighbours; our values are similar to theirs; we read the same newspapers, watch the same TV programmes, follow the same fashions in clothes, food and music; even our charismatic worship sometimes sounds more like a pop concert. We justify this by saying that it helps modern people to feel comfortable and at home in our midst; in other words, that they haven't had to leave the world in order to come into the Church! How different from New Testament teaching! How different from the teaching of the Reformers and the great revivalist preachers.

The great spiritual awakenings in the poorer nations are not being seen in the West because we are unwilling to meet the cost.

The Church in the poor non-industrialised nations is presently thriving and expanding rapidly but there is great danger of spiritual pollution from the West. In these days of worldwide travel and communications the materialistic values of the West may be easily transmitted, especially in the context of the Western nations' economic power and dominance.

Here is a parable. In the early 1980s a West African preacher of extraordinary gifting arose out of a background of grinding poverty. He had an anointed ministry of evangelism and began drawing crowds of up to half a million at his rallies. Thousands responded to the Gospel, giving their lives to Christ, and as they did so there were miraculous healings and many other signs and wonders which were reported in the secular press.

Soon some Westerners got to hear of his ministry and took him on a tour around the rich nations. They poured money into his lap. They taught him the 'prosperity gospel' by which they lived and convinced him that God wanted him rich as a sign to the poor Africans among whom he ministered. He built a great church building; he also built himself a fine home and rode around in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes. He became a great man in his community but he lost his anointing. His ministry of evangelism disappeared.

Next week: Likely consequences if the true and full word of God is not restored to the charismatic movement. Our final article in the series.

Series Information

This article is part of a series, re-publishing the 1995 book ‘Blessing the Church?’, an analysis of the ‘Toronto Blessing’ and a wider critique of the charismatic movement in the late 20^th Century. Click here for previous instalments and to read the editorial background to the series.

We embark upon the final chapter: 'Here Today, Where Tomorrow?'

This article is part of a series – please see the base of the page for more information.

Here Today, Where Tomorrow?

The 20^th Century will surely go down in history as the century of the Holy Spirit, both due to the amazing worldwide expansion of the Pentecostal movement from the beginning of the century and the charismatic renewal which has swept across the world in the second half of the century. But will it be seen as the pure work of God, representing a turning point in world history? Or will it be seen as a missed opportunity, a work of God spoiled by human hands?

It was often a cry of the prophets of Israel that the nation had moved outside the blessing. The people had deviated from the path set before them by God. They had neglected his word, spurned his law and disobeyed his commands. Therefore, the nation was experiencing judgment rather than blessing. They had brought upon themselves the antithesis of blessing clearly foreseen by Moses in the warnings given, “If you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country…” (Deut 28:15-16).

The biblical record of God's relationship with Israel shows that it was always God's delight to bless his people. This is his intention today just as it was when he called Israel to be his people through whom he could reveal himself to the world and establish them as his servant: “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isa 49:6).

The 'Great Commission' given by Jesus to his disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations reaffirmed God's intention (Matt 28:19). His promise to send the Holy Spirit was to enable the Church to carry out his command: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The 20^th Century will surely go down in history as the century of the Holy Spirit…but will it be seen as a pure work of God?

Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

The fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church at the beginning of the 20^th Century, which resulted in the worldwide Pentecostal movement, is a significant milestone enabling us to understand how God is working out his purposes in our times. As the Church has progressed, two things have happened of immense significance.

• The first is that the worldwide Church has grown at a phenomenal rate. The majority of this growth has been in the poorer non-industrial nations. David Barrett in the Encyclopaedia of World Religions records that in 1900 only 17% of Christians were in the non-western nations. By 1988 this had risen to 53% and he estimated that by the year 2000 this would rise to 61% with only 32% in the rich western nations.¹
  
• The second significant fact is that the Holy Spirit has been renewing and revitalising the life of the traditional churches in the western world. This did not begin to happen until the second half of the twentieth century.²
  

It surely cannot be a mere coincidence that throughout this century a combination of disturbing and destructive social, economic and political forces moved with increasing velocity across the world. It was a century of revolution, of war, terrorism and violence, as well as a century of incredible social and technological change which responsible for almost unbelievable upheavals in every continent and in almost every nation: China, Russia, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, every part of Africa, eastern Europe. The political upheavals which have shaken these nations have been matched by the revolutionary social forces that have swept away the foundations of social stability in most of the western nations.³

There are strong links between these events and the kind of eschatological scenario described in Scripture. Jesus gave a number of specific signs which would mark the nearness of his own Second Coming. They are to be found in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. There are additionally many passages both in the New Testament and in the Old Testament prophets that set the scene for the prelude of the 'Day of the Lord' when he will come to judge the nations.

It is not our purpose to elaborate that theme here, but it is relevant to note that world events towards the end of the second millennium began to become increasingly like the biblical eschatological scenario. Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:10 that it is God's intention to use the Church to reveal himself to the whole universe. It is his purpose to prepare a holy people, a people who love him and trust him and who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to declare his word to the nations.

The Holy Spirit is given to the Church to enable the Church to be the Prophet to the world, prepare the way of the Lord and preach the Gospel of salvation with power and authority.

The Holy Spirit is given to the Church for just this purpose, to enable the Church to be the Prophet to the world, to prepare the way of the Lord and to preach the Gospel of salvation with power and authority, with signs and wonders following. But God can only use a purified people. When his people depart from his ways and run after the values of the world, he withdraws his blessing and eventually removes his presence, leaving them unprotected from the onslaught of the enemy.

There are many indications that this is what we have been seeing in the western nations and also in western churches. We urgently need to learn the lessons recorded in the Old Testament.

Blessing and Judgment

The history of Israel follows a constant cycle of blessing and judgment corresponding to the spiritual health of the nation, as measured by the plumb-line of the people's faithfulness to the word of God. Whenever God blessed the nation and a time of peace and prosperity was being enjoyed, it was not long before the people became unfaithful and turned away from God. Then things began to go wrong because the Lord gradually withdrew his blessing and the cover of his protection. Hosea has a telling passage which describes this process. He records what is essentially a lament of the Lord:

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt; you shall acknowledge no God but me, no Saviour except me. I cared for you in the desert, in the land of burning heat. When I fed them they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me. (Hosea 13:4-5)

Hosea was writing shortly before the fall of Samaria and the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel and their exile in Assyria. He rightly interpreted the warning signs as things began to go wrong. He knew that the final tragedy would follow the withdrawal of the protecting hand of God when he finally turned his back upon his people leaving them exposed to their enemies. Ezekiel saw this in a vision of the Spirit of God leaving the temple in Jerusalem. He saw the word ichabod - 'Glory departed' - over the city.

Thus blessing and judgment were always part of Israel's experience and are written across every page of her history. They illustrate important spiritual principles which are valid for all time for those who would be the people of God and who desire to experience his blessing.

When we turn away from the word of God, embracing false teaching and false prophecy, the consequences for the whole nation are serious and may even be disastrous, as in the history of Israel. False teaching and prophecy pollute the spiritual life of the Church, distort our discernment and fail to give moral and spiritual correction to the nation. The political, economic and social life of the nation becomes corrupted and standards fall. The ways of God revealed in the Bible also teach us that God holds his servants, particularly the religious leaders, responsible for the state of the nation.

The British Situation

In Britain through the 1990s, we suffered from the consequences of false prophecy given very publicly by the Kansas City Prophets in 1990. Reference has already been made to this in previous instalments in this series, but it is of sufficient importance to warrant further consideration since this marked a major turning point in the history and direction of the charismatic movement in Britain.

Bob Jones, Paul Cain and John Paul Jackson all proclaimed that a mighty revival would be experienced in Britain in 1990, saying that it would spread across England into Scotland and then across the North Sea and throughout Europe. Paul Cain was even more explicit, stating that the revival would begin in London in October 1990 when John Wimber was due to lead a mission at the Docklands Conference Centre, East London.⁴

False teaching and prophecy pollute the spiritual life of the Church, distort our discernment and fail to give moral and spiritual correction to the nation.

Just as Hananiah's false prophecy (Jer 28) came as a welcome relief from the stern message which Jeremiah had been preaching for a number of years, so this promise of revival came as sweet, enchanting music to the ears of many faithful believers who were longing for revival and had been interceding earnestly for many years. But they were misled. It was a false prophecy. I said so publicly six months before the October conference.5 I had personal contact with all three men, including face-to-face discussions. But the bandwagon was already rolling with, what was by British standards, extraordinary hype.

Tens of thousands flocked to hear these men with a popular message as they travelled across the country touring the provinces before their big London event. By the time of the Docklands Conference expectations were running high and before the end of the week they reached fever pitch, with John Wimber commanding the Holy Spirit to come down. But God did not come upon his people in power like a mighty rushing wind as at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit does not obey the commands of men!

There were many signs that Britain was not yet ready for revival. For a number of years, it had been apparent that God was shaking the nations in order to shake the confidence of mankind in material things and cause the nations to turn to him, the living God, to heed his word and to walk in the paths of righteousness. Then in due time the blessing of God would be poured out upon nations that turned to him. The Scripture underlying this hope was:

In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I win shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory’, says the LORD Almighty. (Haggai 2:6-7)

1990 was too soon for a great revival. The boom years of the 1980s had to be followed by the bust years of the 1990s. The pride and complacency engendered by the success of the greedy acquisitive policies of the 1980s had to be broken. The corruption that accompanied the greed in the commercial and financial institutions had to be exposed. It can now be plainly seen that the seed sown in the 1980s reaped a bitter harvest in the 1990s. But this was all part of God's intention to allow evil to reap its own reward and to bring about a humbling of powerful leaders in the political and business life of the nation.

The exposure of greed and corruption in the 1990s – and since - brought about dramatic revelations much capitalised on by the media, always hungry for sensation. The revelations have included abhorrent sexual activities by politicians and celebrities, failures of banking institutions, financial scandals, huge wage inequalities and impunity enjoyed by many in the corporate and finance sectors.

This has all been part of the shaking of the nation to prepare the way for the Gospel, in just the same way as a farmer prepares the ground to receive the seed so that it may take root and bear fruit, giving an abundant harvest.

Prophecy plays an important part in the preparation for the word of God by giving the spiritual interpretation of physical events. There are numerous examples of this in Scripture, such as Jeremiah's explanation for the withholding of the spring rains (Jer 3:3), and the powerful explanation given by Amos of drought, blight, plagues and other disasters (Amos 4:6-12).

Prophecy plays an important part in the preparation for the word of God by giving the spiritual interpretation of physical events.

It has always been God's intention that his Church should be the Prophet to the nation, declaring his unchangeable word in a changing world and making it applicable to each generation so that the will and purposes of God can be readily understood.

It is the responsibility of those who exercise a prophetic ministry to be the eyes and ears of the Church, to interpret events in accordance with principles laid down in Scripture so that the whole Church can carry out its prophetic function in the nation, turning the people back to God when they have gone astray and leading the nation into the paths of righteousness where the blessing of God will be experienced.

It was for this reason that the Holy Spirit was poured out afresh in the 20^th Century and that New Testament ministries were restored.

Next week: Dr Hill's summation about the Kansas City Prophets.

References

1 Quoted in Rich Christians, Poor Christians by Monica Hill (London, Marshall Pickering 1989), p2. For 2018 figures, click here.

2 Ibid, p60f.

3 See Shaking the Nations by Clifford Hill (Eastbourne, Kingsway, 1995).

4 Reported by Rick Williams at a clergy conference in St Andrew's Chorleywood, 7 March 1990, transcription of tape.

5 Prophecy Today, Vol 6 No 4, July/August 1990.

Series Information

This article is part of a series, re-publishing the 1995 book ‘Blessing the Church?’, an analysis of the ‘Toronto Blessing’ and a wider critique of the charismatic movement in the late 20^th Century. Click here for previous instalments and to read the editorial background to the series.

David Noakes concludes his chapter.

Having provided his own personal testimony about the Toronto phenomenon, David finishes his chapter with some scriptural teaching on discernment.

This article is part of a series. Please see the base of the page for more information.

The Need for Repentance

Reflection upon the history of the charismatic renewal movement as I have experienced it leads me to the conclusion that we began well, but that increasingly we have departed from the purposes of God.

We have done this as a result of having moved progressively farther from an adherence to his word, a process which accelerated alarmingly during the 1980s and 1990s. I believe we are in imminent danger, if the trend is not checked, of reaching a point where we can no longer be said to care about biblical truth, but only about enticing experiences.¹

Repentance is urgently needed in order that God should not finally give us up to the delusion which we seem to desire more than the truth of the word.

The triumphalist teachings of Dominion theology lead inevitably to a post-millennialist view of eschatology; and with this comes also a rejection of the consistent testimony of Scripture concerning God's intention to fulfil all his stated purposes for the nation of Israel. To deny those purposes and to declare the Church to have replaced the descendants of Jacob as the inheritor of all the covenant promises of God makes out his word to be a lie and distorts its testimony.

This issue is of fundamental importance. Taking his farewell of the elders of the Ephesian church, Paul declared, “I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:26-27, NASB).

The charismatic renewal movement began well, but increasingly has departed from the purposes of God.

We can only have a right understanding of the will and purpose of God for the Church in the days in which we live if we accept as truth the whole of the revelation contained in Scripture, but a false hope of revival and rulership here and now has been substituted for the true biblical hope of the Second Coming of Jesus and the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom.

Unbiblical doctrine gives rise to unbiblical expectations and opens the door to increasing error and deception.

Spiritual Discernment

What could and should have saved us from getting to the position we have now reached? I have no doubt in my own mind that the phenomenon of the 'Toronto Blessing' constitutes the next experience of a floodtide of deception such as I was shown at the time of the Kansas City Prophets. What will come next? We are in increasing danger.

We would not have fallen prey to the confusion brought into the Church by successive waves of deception if we had known and applied the principles of spiritual discernment given to us in the pages of Scripture. We have already referred to the test as to whether spiritual activity conforms to God's ways as revealed in the Bible.

When in Toronto, I heard given consistently from the public platform the injunction that people should not feel the need to weigh and test anything that was happening: that it was all from God, who was present in such a powerful way that satan could not gain access. People should therefore 'open up their minds, put down their defences and go with the flow'.

Not only is this utter folly; it is also plain disobedience to the Lord - clearly contradicting the command contained in his word. satan is the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2, RSV) and we can never safely assume on this earth that he is denied access. Therefore, the Church is instructed in all gatherings, particularly where spiritual manifestations are taking place, to be alert and on guard: “Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1 Thess 5:19-22, emphasis added).

What exactly are we testing? Our principal concern is to test the source of origin from which the spiritual activity is proceeding, be it prophecy, tongues, healing, or whatever. Our principal question is: what manner of spirit is operating behind and inspiring this activity? Is it the Holy Spirit? If so, all is well; but if not, we must be on guard and refuse to accept the activity as valid.

We would not have fallen prey to the confusion of successive waves of deception if we had known and applied the principles of spiritual discernment given us in Scripture.

An obvious and immediate test is that of the word of God. Does the utterance, or teaching, or activity conform to the revelation of Scripture? If not, we may dismiss it at once.

We are also commanded to test the spirits and not to be so gullible as to believe that every spirit is from God (1 John 4:1). How may we do this?

Acknowledgment of Jesus

1 John 4:2-3: If a spirit does not acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh it is not from God, but is the spirit of the antichrist.

Learn to Recognise

1 John 2:20-21, 26-27: “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth...I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit just as it has taught you, remain in him.”

Every believer who has received the Holy Spirit has this anointing from the Lord. It has the effect upon us that our own spirits have the capacity to recognise what is true, genuinely from the Lord, and what is not. As Jesus said (John 10:3-5), his sheep know his voice and can distinguish it from a stranger's voice.

Unfortunately, very few believers have been taught to recognise and to respond to the witness of their own spirits within them. Most of us will probably have experienced the sense of the inward lifting or rising of our spirit when something is genuinely from the Lord; and conversely the sense of deadness or heaviness, or even alarm-bells, when the source is not from God.

However, many believers tend to ignore or quench that inner witness, often because they rely on leadership to do all the discerning; or because they think that a trusted minister cannot get it wrong, so their own discernment must be at fault. Anybody can be in error, and we should never take anything for granted.

It is for all Christians to take heed of the inner witness with which the Lord has supplied us; and if we do so, it leads to the safety of the whole Body. This inner witness is often the first indication we receive in any particular situation of whether the Holy Spirit is active, or perhaps simply a human spirit operating in the flesh, or sometimes a demonic spirit. It is of great importance.

It is for all Christians to take heed of the inner witness with which the Lord has supplied us.

Distinguish Between Spirits

1 Corinthians 12:10: The Holy Spirit manifests through believers “the ability to distinguish between spirits”. This is the witness given directly from the Holy Spirit through one or more believers to enable us to identify the spirits operating in a situation, to receive the awareness of what manner of spirit is active.

If it is not from God, then it may be, for example, a lying spirit, an unclean spirit, a seducing spirit, a spirit of pride, or greed, or whatever else may be at work. Through this gift the Holy Spirit reveals to God's people the exact type of demonic activity which is opposing them.

The operation of this gift is of vital importance in any situation of supernatural spiritual activity. Any believer may be used by the Holy Spirit in this way and it is a great mistake to rely solely on the leaders, or for leaders to seek to keep all matters of discernment within their own hands.

Put to the Test

1 Corinthians 14:29: Where prophecy in particular is concerned there must be a careful weighing of what is said. Of all spiritual manifestations, prophecy is potentially both the most valuable and also the most dangerous, because of its great capacity either to edify or to mislead those who hear and receive it as being a direct communication of the mind of God.

The same root word is used as in 1 Corinthians 12:10 - the Greek verb diakrino, meaning 'to distinguish, to make a separation' between true and false. When prophecy is weighed, both the content of what is spoken and the spirit responsible for inspiring the utterance should be put to the test of both the witness of the Holy Spirit and the inner witness of the spirits of those who are present.

Practise Discernment

Finally, we should take notice of Hebrews 5:14: “...solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil”.

Again the verb diakrino is used. God wants all believers to come to maturity, and continual alertness to distinguish what is of God from what is not is a hallmark of a mature believer. Practising discernment in the ways which the Bible reveals should be a way of life for a Christian.

Of all spiritual manifestations, prophecy is potentially both the most valuable and also the most dangerous, because of its great capacity either to edify or mislead.

If these ways of discernment had been taught and practised within the charismatic churches in the way which the Bible instructs and encourages, much deception and difficulty could have been avoided. The hour is late and deception has made deep inroads, but my plea is that we might embrace repentance in these areas while there is yet time.

If we return wholeheartedly to the word of God as final and unquestioned authority in all matters; if we embrace the biblical teaching concerning the nation of Israel; and if we become diligent to distinguish the genuine activity of the Holy Spirit from all other manifestations, then surely the Lord will deliver us from error, and instead of the Ishmael which we have produced, will bring forth for us the Isaac of his original purpose.

Next week: We move on to the final chapter of Blessing the Church?, written by Dr Clifford Hill: ‘Here Today, Where Tomorrow?’

Notes

1 Please note that the original time of writing was 1995.

Series Information

This article is part of a series, re-publishing the 1995 book ‘Blessing the Church?’, an analysis of the ‘Toronto Blessing’ and a wider critique of the charismatic movement in the late 20^th Century. Click here for previous instalments and to read the editorial background to the series.

The significance of Israel’s restoration in the light of world events.

While spending time in north London looking after my mum this summer, I was once again inspired by a verdant overhanging fig tree almost blocking my path as I walked (and ran) around Hampstead Heath. Laden with ripening fruit, it was another reminder of one of the most significant events of our time, largely missed by most people – including Christians.

In speaking to his disciples about Israel’s restoration and of his own return to reign on earth, Jesus said one of the signs of his imminent return was “when the fig tree blossoms…” (Matthew 24:32f) The fig tree is a biblical symbol of Israel.¹

Expectations of Revival

For the past 40 years there have been expectations of revival in Britain. There is certainly a need for one! My understanding is that, along with much trouble and strife, there will be revival in the last days. Joel prophesied that the Spirit would be poured out on all flesh (Joel 2:28). That was partly fulfilled at Pentecost, but its final fulfilment is yet to come, although Asia, Africa, the Far East and South America have already witnessed great outpourings of heavenly rain in recent decades.

But who in the church is preparing for the great revival prophesied for Israel? God has not forgotten them, nor has he replaced them with the Church as some preachers suggest. He has made an everlasting covenant with Israel – with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants.

God’s Faithfulness

Covenants are not meant to be broken; a disciple of Christ who expects God to go back on his word has completely misunderstood his character! If Israel is cut off from God because of unfaithfulness, what chance has the Church with all her backsliding over the centuries – especially in terms of persecution of the Jewish people? No, God will never reject his chosen ones. “Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 31:37).

The New Covenant received by Jeremiah is not addressed to the Church, but only to Israel!

The New Covenant received by Jeremiah is not addressed to the Church, but only to Israel! “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). Earlier in the same chapter, he declares his “everlasting love” for his chosen people whom he vows to restore – to their land, which would once more become fruitful he says: “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow” (v13).

Look at Israel

Christians need to take a closer look at Israel and God’s dealings with his chosen people which enables us to understand what he is doing in the world today. The very existence of the State of Israel is a testimony to the faithfulness of God in keeping his promises. The New Testament tells us that the day will come when all Israel will accept Jesus as Lord and Messiah. Paul writes, “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so, all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:25-26).

Many people in Israel today are secular humanists rather than followers of the faith of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Some 200,000 recently marched through the streets of Tel Aviv in support of Gay Pride. But the fig tree is blossoming: a nation has been rebuilt from a barren wasteland and is now supplying the world with fruit. It is a global leader in technology, using their agricultural genius to help African and other countries, and even using their medical expertise to heal their ‘enemies’ as they tend to the wounds of Syrian soldiers wounded in the civil war that rages on their northern border.

Messianic Jews

The real clue to the future lies in the growing number of Messianic Jews – those who have recognised Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) as their Messiah. Despite the high price paid by Jewish believers in Jesus (being cut off from their families in many cases), they keep ‘coming home’, like the Prodigal Son – not only in Israel but throughout the world.

Yet the fig tree is still only a bud, not yet in full blossom; soon to be laden with fruit, like the one in Hampstead’s Spring Path (pictured).

The Church really does need to ‘watch’ Israel, especially the growth of Messianic Judaism, for it is key to the unfolding events leading up to the second coming of Christ. It is also key to understanding the loving-kindness, forbearance and longsuffering of our God, who watches over his word to see it fulfilled (Jeremiah 1:12).

Yet the fig tree is still only a bud, not yet in full blossom; soon to be laden with fruit.

Dreams and Visions

Sadly, many Christians can’t see what Israel has to do with them; they seem to forget that we worship the God of Israel. Many Jews and Arabs are having dreams and visions of Jesus as he reveals himself to the children of Abraham, as Joseph revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt. This surely underscores the truth that Jesus holds the answer to world peace.

Even on the war front, there are lessons to be learnt. The ongoing tension on the Temple Mount, for instance, needs to be understood as a spiritual battle, representing on a grand scale what Christians are taught to expect in their individual lives.

Ignorance of Israel will leave your faith weakened while knowledge of Israel, even in its present largely unrepentant state, will edify your soul as you realise afresh that you can trust in the One and only Saviour of the world, who is a covenant keeping God who never breaks his promises.

The Budding Fig-tree

Some date the budding of the fig tree from the year 1967, fifty years ago, when Israel recaptured the Old City of Jerusalem for the first time in 2,000 years, thereby ending (in the understanding of some) the ‘trampling down of Jerusalem by the Gentiles’ spoken of by our Lord (Luke 21:24).

The One and only Saviour of the world is a covenant keeping God who never breaks his promises.

It’s an interesting point that 1967 is generally also regarded as the year the Messianic Movement began in earnest, coinciding with the start of the Charismatic Movement that brought a restoration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the old historic churches.

The feast of Pentecost (known to Jews as Shavuot) is still seen in Israel as a celebration of the Law received by Moses, which of course is now ‘written on our hearts’ through the work of the Holy Spirit in accordance with Ezekiel 36:26f. It seems that there is a ‘golden’ thread holding together this Trinitarian truth.

So, in this golden year of celebrations, make sure that ‘Jerusalem the Golden’ lightens up your understanding of the Scriptures and of God’s wonderful – though sometimes mysterious – ways.

References 

¹ Dr Clifford Denton goes a step farther and interprets the budding of the fig tree as a restoration in Israel of the authority to interpret Torah. See, for example 

Resetting our compass from 1985...

The early issues of Prophecy Today in the mid-1980s frequently referred to a ‘move of the Holy Spirit’. They were exciting days. It was the height of the Charismatic Movement. House groups formed in the 1960s and ‘70s had spilled over into meetings in schools and community halls. Celebration events attracted large crowds with loud music and enthusiastic praise.

Party-time

I remember walking into a hall in 1987 with several hundred people singing and dancing and waving flags. The band and a group of singers were repeating a ditty to thunderous applause with increasing physical participation from the crowd, some of whom were swaying in the aisles and others falling down. I said to one of the leaders, “What’s going on here?” He responded, “Don’t worry! The Lord’s having a party!”

I remember thinking at the time, “I hope the Lord has been invited and that he hasn’t already left!” A decade before that, Monica and I were in the East End of London. The 1970s was the formative, more serious time of charismatic renewal. We had 1000 people on a Saturday evening to ‘Prayer, Praise and Healing’ meetings. At that stage we were still singing the great Bible-based hymns of Wesley and Watts, but by the mid-‘80s the musicians were driving the charisma.

Praise was the order of the day. We were marching through the land, re-claiming dominion over the nation. It was known as ‘Dominion Theology’. We bought into the popular teaching of ‘Power Evangelism’. Christians were going to seize control of the airwaves and the political and social systems of the nation in preparation for the second coming of Christ when we would present the Kingdom to him. It was all down to us!

Going Against Fashion

Right from the start of Prophecy Today we found ourselves going against the fashion. The popular teaching did not stand up to careful comparison with the Bible. We didn’t want to curb the enthusiasm of people who were genuinely caught up in the Holy Spirit, but we were aware of the dangers of deception, so we had to warn. We knew that unless the biblical teaching offered to the people was based upon the plumb line of truth in the word of God it would be deception. The devil who deals in lies is careful to present his teaching as close to the truth as possible, otherwise it would fool no one!

"Christians in churches and fellowships that had got caught up in the Renewal Movement were so enjoying their new-found spiritual liberty that they were taking their eye off the wider scene."

We could see that the Christians in churches and fellowships that had got caught up in the Renewal Movement were so enjoying their new-found spiritual liberty (which contrasted to the dead traditionalism they were offered in many churches), that they were taking their eye off the wider scene. A similar thing happened several times in the history of Israel when God sent prophets to draw the people back to the truth of the word of God, so that they could stand against enemy attacks. Isaiah had to warn against danger from the Assyrians and Jeremiah against the Babylonians.

Warnings of Danger

In the 1985 publications of Prophecy Today we warned of great danger coming from two directions – one from within the Western nations and the other from outside. The two dangers we identified were – the increasing confidence of secular humanists, and the rising power of militant fundamentalist Islam.

We saw that the secular humanists’ strategy of undermining the Judaeo-Christian heritage and biblically-based foundations of the nations could destroy the spiritual strength of the Church to stand against a religion that was teaching a very different concept of God. We believed that the peace of the world was under threat and that Christians were unaware. They were enjoying their party celebrations, saying “Peace, Peace,” when God was saying “There is no Peace”.

"Christians were enjoying their party celebrations and saying "Peace, Peace", when God was saying "There is no Peace".

In the lead article of the very first issue of Prophecy Today March/April 1985, I drew attention to the rise of fundamentalist Islam in Libya, Syria, Iran and Pakistan and I said “The threat from militant Islam may one day prove to be greater than the threat from atheist Russian Communism”. Thirty years later the truth of this can be seen on the streets of Paris!

First Issue of Prophecy Today

We rejoiced in the new life that the Renewal Movement was bringing into the Church. We said that God was re-arming his Church for spiritual battle against the onslaught of secularism and false religion. We warned against the failure to discern false biblical teaching which would have disastrous social as well as spiritual consequences.

"In the first issue of Prophecy Today, we rejoiced in the new life that the Renewal Movement was bringing into the Church. We said that God was re-arming his Church for spiritual battle against the onslaught of secularism and false religion."

Sadly, these warnings were not heeded and the Charismatic Movement became increasingly self-centred, with individuals exercising the spiritual gifts for their own self-aggrandisement and self-satisfaction, rather than recognising that the spiritual gifts were given to enable the Church to fulfil the Great Commission. That is the tragedy we have seen played out in the 1980s and ‘90s that has left the traditional churches bereft of the power that God had provided for the great battle he foresaw.

"Sadly, the Charismatic Movement became increasingly self-centred, with individuals exercising the spiritual gifts for their own self-aggrandisement and self-satisfaction, rather than recognising that the spiritual gifts were given to enable the Church to fulfil the Great Commission."

Will we Never Learn?

Today we see the spiritually bankrupt institutional churches with declining congregations selling their buildings for mosques or supermarkets, while the new churches are settling into the same patterns of institutionalisation that brought spiritual ruin to the denominations. Will we never learn? Will we never learn from the history of Israel that disaster always follows failure to heed the warnings God sends to us?

Only God can Heal

We believe God is raising up Prophecy Today at such a time as this, to bring his word to a rebellious generation through the faithful remnant of believers that still exists in the Western nations. We undertake this task, not with any confidence in our own ability, but only with a sense of obedience to God. Only God can heal the nations, and only he can protect his people in times of persecution and give them the spiritual strength to stand firm when all around them is being shaken.

Urgent

God is warning believers that we are moving into the most perilous time in the history of the world, with the nations armed with weapons of mass destruction capable of destroying all life on the planet. There is nothing more urgent than seeking the word of God for our times. That is what we are committed to doing in Prophecy Today, although we undertake this task with fear and trembling.