Why I Left The Tongues Movement - By Alfred H. Pohl

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CHARISMATICS—WHITHER BOUND?

POSTSCRIPT TO SECOND PRINTING

In chapter 16 of this book I refer to the possibility that the modern Pentecostal-Charismatic Movement could be leading its followers into a world ecumenical church. Since that manuscript was written for the first printing much has happened. There is increasing evidence that there is a strong movement toward unity and ecumenicity among both Protestant and Catholic Charismatics. We must ask the question, In the light of current trends, is the Charismatic-Pentecostal Movement leading its people back to Roman Catholicism?

Let's take a quick look at this Movement now under these three headings:

ITS GROWTH, ITS DANGERS, ITS DIRECTION.

THE GROWTH OF THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT

Some Christians recently said to me, "But the Charismatic Movement is dying out!" How misinformed they were! Make no mistake, the Charismatic Movement is not dying out; it is growing! It is not a Movement that we can ignore, hoping that it will go away (the attitude that many have today). It is a religious force that we will have to reckon with. We will have to take a stand either for or against it because great spiritual issues and principles are involved. We must ask ourselves, Is it firmly based and rooted in Scripture? Is it built upon Truth or upon religious experiences?

Many Charismatic conferences have and are being held. Roman Catholic , herans, Baptists, Episcopalians, Mennonites, Presbyterians, United Church members, etc., as well as non-denominational Christians, come together on the basis of the charismatic experience. Not only are there local and national conferences, but also international. The first international Conference of the Charismatic Renewal took place in Kansas City in 1977. It was reported that some 50,000 Charismatics attended. At the "Washington for Jesus Rally" (1980), it is said that 300,000 Pentecostal, Catholic, and non-Catholic Charismatics gathered. Included were leaders from Roman Catholic and a number of Protestant denominations and churches and some well-known Charismatic radio and television personalities. In 1981, "Jesus 81 Rallies" were programmed throughout the world, including Berlin, Germany, and New Jersey, New York.

No, the Charismatic Movement is not dying out. It is growing tremendously! We cannot, must not, ignore it. Many Christians are being caught up in it. They need teaching and direction. Are we providing it?

THE DANGERS OF THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT

FALSE UNITY

A paramount objective of Charismatics appears to be the unity of churches and denominations. Statements made by both Catholic and non-Catholic Charismatics lead to this conclusion. And Pope John Paul II is certainly in agreement. Unity of all churches (under Rome, of course) is one of his main objectives, it appears. Addressing a conference of Charismatic leaders in Rome, he reportedly said, "By your experience of many gifts of the Holy Spirit which are shared also with our separated brothers and sisters, yours is the special joy of growing in a desire for the unity to which the Spirit guides us and in a commitment to the serious task of ecumenism."

But to attain to that unity, Bible doctrine will obviously have to be set aside or else compromised. What kind of unity will result? Not a unity of faith, a unity based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but one that is based on experience—mainly the "tongues speaking" experience.

Charismatics of various beliefs meet and fellowship together, accepting each other as Christians and "loving" each other without giving serious consideration to the unscriptural and soul-destroying doctrines that some adhere to. Are Roman Catholic Charismatics questioned as to whether they have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (not Mary or the church) as their Savior from sin? Is anything said about the worship of Mary instead of the Creator or the Savior (Rom. 1:25)? Why is it that some Roman Catholic Charismatics say that they are more devoted to Mary because of their Charismatic experience? The Scriptures plainly teach that Christian fellowship and love must be based on Truth, not on false doctrines. We should love in the truth (2 Jn. 1; 3 Jn. 1,3-4).

It appears that this "unity" that is being promoted today is a false unity.

It is an endeavor to bring together the saved and the unsaved, the truly born-again believers in Christ and those who merely have a religious profession. According to the Scriptures, this is a false unity. Man says, "Join them." God says, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate" (2 Cor. 6:17). When will we believe and obey?

FALSE REVIVAL

Charismatic activities and growth are considered to be the beginnings of a great worldwide revival. It would indeed be wonderful to see a genuine revival stir God's people everywhere, but is what we see in the modern Charismatic movement a genuine revival from God? The emphasis does not appear to be on the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection as being necessary to save man from his sin, resulting in a "new creature" (2 Cor. 5:17). Following that, there is a transformed lifestyle, such as was exhibited by the Christians at Thessalonica of whom Paul could write, "Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven" (1 Thess. 1:9-10). Rather they appear to put their emphasis upon a "second blessing" teaching, sometimes without a "first blessing" (salvation) experience.

It is primarily a Holy Spirit-centered movement. But the Lord Jesus told us that "when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, Who proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me" (Jn. 15:26), and, "He shall glorify Me" (Jn. 16:14). The Holy Spirit never exalts Himself, but Christ!

Genuine revival is always Christ-centered.

Consider this, too, that the Scriptures warn us that there will be a great "falling away," and apostasy, as we draw near to the Lord's coming (2 Thess. 2:3), and not a worldwide revival. And the Lord Himself said, "When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" (Lk. 18:8).

That does not rule out a genuine revival amongst those of God's people who will stand true to the Scriptures, though greatly outnumbered and persecuted. Church history records that persecution and trials have been spiritually beneficial to those who have remained loyal to Christ and His Gospel and the Holy Scriptures. But that is not to be confused with a great world-wide religious movement toward the unity of many denominations and organizations of varied beliefs and doctrines. That is neither Biblical unity or Biblical revival.

A FALSE CHURCH

False unity and false revival will lead to a false church. This we are warned about in Scripture. The final state of Christendom will be the Laodicean condition—an organization bearing Christ's name but with Christ Himself on the outside—an apostate church (Rev. 3:14-22), not a "revived" or spiritual church. In chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation the Lord refers to this false church, this spiritual "harlot," and pronounces her doom.

A FALSE APPRAISAL OF CHURCH HISTORY

This evident desire for union with the Roman Catholic Church, in spite of her unchanged basic doctrines, indicates a woeful lack of understanding of the Protestant Reformation. David Samuel, in his book Pope or Gospel, wrote,

"`Those who forget their history end up as slaves in the gutter.' Those words, spoken recently by a politician, remained in my mind because they pin-pointed a real weakness of Protestantism today. One of the principal reasons for the drift in the Protestant churches towards Rome is the neglect of history. We shall not understand ourselves, and we shall certainly not understand the Church of Rome, unless we take the trouble to acquaint ourselves with what has happened in the past."

Were Martin Luther and the Reformers wrong? Was the Reformation all a great mistake? Was the blood of the martyrs spilled in vain? Do we now tell evangelical, born-again Christians who came out of the Roman system that they should go back, that all that they experienced was really not necessary—it was all a big mistake? They know better, but do we who still call ourselves Protestants? Make no mistake, the Pentecostal-Charismatic Movement is not Protestant now.

THE DIRECTION OF THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT

Just a few days ago an elderly Christian lady who spends much of her time watching and listening to Charismatic programs on radio and TV said excitedly, "The Catholics are coming!" She meant that Catholics are being converted and saved. But perhaps it is not so much a case of the Catholics coming to our Savior by faith in His finished sacrificial work, but more a case of Protestants going—going back to Rome!

It is now claimed (1983) that there are some 35 million Roman Catholic Charismatics. They have become the predominant force in the Charismatic Movement. The pope has cleverly kept the Catholic Charismatics within his church. He has appointed certain bishops to shepherd them within the church. Continually the Catholic Charismatics are urged to stay in their church. The pope is using this movement to bring the non-Catholic Charismatics into his "fold." And he is apparently succeeding!

Addressing some 10,000 delegates to the third International Conference on the Charismatic Renewal in Rome, the pope said, "The church and the world need what you have—your new joy and enthusiasm. Now go and give it to them."

Dr. Ronald E. Baxter, in his book Charismatic Gift of Tongues, asks the following question,

"Who is receiving whom in this enlarged Charismatic ecumenism? Most astute observers would agree that the present situation is a little like the old adage, `Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly.' To the Roman Catholic hierarchy, the Protestant Charismatics are but separated brethren who need to return to Mother Church. To many leaders in the Charismatic Movement, this might not be a bad idea!"

For some time now Pentecostal-Charismatic leaders have been trying to bring about such a union. A news item from Vienna, Austria, November 9, 1981, as reported in the Western Catholic Reporter, Edmonton, Alberta, stated that, "A high-level ecumenical dialogue with representatives of Pentecostal churches had produced surprisingly large areas of agreement, according to one participant. Father Robert Wister, professor of church history at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, New Jersey, one of the Catholic participants at the meeting, said the discussion ended `with deeper consensus than had been anticipated.' An agreed statement issued at the conclusion of the week-long meeting said, `Roman Catholics discovered that Mary enters into Pentecostal preaching and devotion. The Pentecostals see that the presentation of Mary's intercession in official Roman Catholic teaching does not undermine the one mediatorship of Jesus taught by the Bible'."

There appears to be a compromising of doctrine here to obtain unity. 1 Timothy 2:5 reads, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

A leading instrument in the Pentecostal-Charismatic-Roman Catholic unity movement is the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship. This is not, strictly speaking, an interdenominational fellowship of Christians but is very much a Charismatic organization that requires its officers to be tongues speakers or seekers. This Fellowship is working for unity with Roman Catholics.

The Scriptures plainly warn us of great deception in the last days of the Church: "But evil men and seducers shall become worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou ... in the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:14-15).

We are facing difficult days! Intense spiritual battles are before us.

Grave decisions will have to be made. God's people will be called upon to take a definite stand for Truth and the Scriptures, no doubt at great cost.

We must, though, remember that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand!" (Eph. 6:12,13). Will you and I be found faithful to our Lord Jesus and His Gospel?

I close with the following timely warning written by Mr. Wilson Ewin in his booklet entitled The Spirit of Pentecostal-Charismatic Unity:

"A powerful spirit is moving throughout the labyrinth of Pentecostal-Charismatic renewal. The spirit is the same deceptive voice that spoke in the garden and said, `in the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods ...' (Gen. 3:5). It is the enemy of our Holy God, a rebellious spirit from darkness. The apostle warned of this coming of `ANOTHER SPIRIT' (2 Cor. 11:3-4). And now the voice of that spirit is heard calling for unity and the formation of the end time universal religious complex of John's Revelation.

"But wait! Another voice is calling. However, the appeal is different. In fact, it is strongly opposed to the spirit of unity. The Spirit of God says, `Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partaker of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues' (Rev. 18:4). The reader is left to decide which of the two voices he will obey.

"Upon that decision rests the future of America. Our wicked society is facing the imminent judgment of a Holy God and separation from evil is God's ultimatum for deliverance. It always was. (See 2 Chron. 7:14). It was so with Israel of old when the nation united with evil. And so it is today in a modern parallel. The Spirit of Pentecostal-Charismatic unity is leading untold millions back into the ruin of Romanist falsehood, error, and idolatrous worship. It is the system that God hates and has promised to destroy (Rev. 18:6-24). `Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you' (2 Cor. 6:17)."

CHARISMATICS MOVING EVER FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH

POSTSCRIPT TO THIRD PRINTING

Over six years have elapsed since the Second Printing of this book. Has the Charismatic Movement weakened during that time? Has it renounced its errors and false practices and conformed more closely to the Scriptures?

I wish that I could answer in the affirmative, but I can't. Contrary to what many non-charismatic Christians might think today, the Charismatic Movement is continuing to grow tremendously! And, there is an escalating trend toward false and heretical teaching and unscriptural practices. And beyond this is its bent for ecumenicity—fellowship and unity with other denominations and groups which deny the true Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and which are not "sound in the faith."

CHARISMATIC GROWTH

David W. Cloud, editor of O TIMOTHY magazine, in Vol. 7, Issues 8-9, 1990, wrote informatively as follows:

"At the turn of this century there were no pentecostals in the world. Zero. Even 50 years ago pentecostalism was a very minor part of Christendom. But things are different now! The ten largest churches in the world are charismatic. The only church in the world which claims over 500,000 members is charismatic. The charismatic movement is probably the fastest growing movement which names the name of Christ. The charismatic movement dominates the Christian media in the West, permeates such influential organizations as the Christian Booksellers of America and the Christian Broadcasting Association, and controls much of the Christian television and radio transmission. Some of the largest mission groups are charismatic. Youth With a Mission, with its 21,000 workers (counting short-termers), is an example. The charismatic movement influences society at every strata, from the businessmen to the poorest of the poor in third world nations.

"Statistician David Howard claims that 372 million Christians—one in every five—identifies with the pentecostal- charismatic movement (Press Release, Indianapolis '90, August 16, 1990). He claims that charismatics are growing by 54,000 per day, and that 80% of all conversions are charismatic. These statistics are highly debatable, but there can be no doubt that it is a massive movement" (David Cloud, "Charismatic Confusion in Indianapolis," O TIMOTHY magazine, Way of Life Literature, 1701 Harns Road, Oak Harbor, WA 98277, Vol. 7, Issues 8-9, 1990), pp. 1,2).

Consider also the popularity of large Charismatic conferences. Two of these, sponsored by the North American Renewal Service Committee, were: New Orleans, 1987, and Indianapolis, 1990. The New Orleans Conference attracted about 40,000 and at Indianapolis there were about 25,000 registrants. David W. Cloud gives the following statistics on Indianapolis: "Forty-eight percent of those in attendance were Roman Catholic. Ten percent were non-denominational, nine percent Episcopal, and eight percent Pentecostal.Forty denominations and organizations were involved in the congress, and fifty nations were represented among the speakers and those in attendance.

Roughly 200 speakers participated in the congress, and there were more than 150 exhibitors."

In the light of this spectacular growth of the Charismatic Movement and its influence on Christendom today, we cannot and dare not ignore it. It needs to be carefully examined and evaluated by Scripture—which is our final standard for faith and practice. Numbers or popularity are no proof of God's favor or of the correctness of doctrine (2 Tim. 4:1-4). Consider Jeremiah. In his day when apostasy was rampant in Judah, he stood alone for the truth (Jer. 9:1-9; 26:8-9). He was despised, ridiculed, and persecuted.

But the great majority was WRONG! We are living in a similar time of great apostasy (so prophesied--2 Thess. 2:1-12). Great deception is invading the churches. Let's heed the warning of God's Word: "Let no man deceive you"! (2 Thess. 2:3)

CHARISMATICS AND REVIVAL

Charismatics generally believe that their rapid growth will result in a revival that will prepare the world for Christ's coming. Chairman of the 1990 Indianapolis Congress, Vinson Synan, in his welcoming address said, "We believe that a mighty worldwide renewal and revival in the churches will make the 1990s the greatest decade of evangelization in the history of the church" (O TIMOTHY, Vol. 7, Issues 8-9, 1990).

But we must ask, "Is what we see genuine or counterfeit revival?" Speaking of "the last days" of the church age, the Apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy chapter 3, warns us of "perilous times" ... that men shall have "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away" ... that they would never "come to the knowledge of the truth" ... would "resist the truth" ... would be "reprobate concerning the faith" ... and that "evil men and seducers shall become worse and worse [not better and better], deceiving and being deceived."

Again, in 2 Thessalonians 2, the Apostle warns the church of a "falling away" (v. 3)--a great apostasy that will usher in "that man of sin, the son of perdition ... even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders ... with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

Please note that there will be Satanic "power, signs, and lying wonders" in the last days. Compare that with the "miracles, signs, and wonders" emphasis so prominent in Charismatic circles today.

This scenario that Paul describes is far from that of a worldwide revival!

But Charismatics will dispute this, referring to Acts 2:16-21 where the Apostle Peter speaks of a Spirit outpouring in "the last days." What does Peter mean? Is he contradicting Paul? How can these two prophecies be reconciled?

Briefly, we must remember that Peter is speaking to Israel, and that he is quoting from the Book of , where that prophet describes God's judgment upon unrepentant Israel, but also God's future restoration of that nation to His favor, an outpouring of His Spirit upon them, and great future blessing. To this agree the words of the Old Testament prophets. Please read Ezekiel 39:25-29; Isaiah 32:14-18; Zechariah 2:11-13; Zechariah 12:10.

Paul is in complete agreement with the Old Testament prophets, as he so plainly tells us in Romans chapter 11. Notice particularly verses 25 and 26:

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits: that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved ..."

No, there is no contradiction here when we differentiate between Israel and the Church! Let's not confuse God's wonderful promises to Israel in her "last days" with His prophecies to the Church. For Israel, after much suffering, there awaits a glorious future accompanied, of course, by a great work (outpouring) of the Holy Spirit. For the Church the "last days" will be times of a great "falling away," so much so that the Lord Jesus Himself warned us in Luke 18:8--"When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?"

CHARISMATICS AND TRUTH

To every serious Bible-believing Christian student truth is of paramount importance. When truth is suppressed, displaced, or denied, it becomes a very serious matter. For years the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement has been rather indifferent to this fact. Confused teaching regarding the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as claiming that the Baptism and the Filling of the Holy Spirit are synonymous. They have also put "experience" above the written Word, and they value "tongues speaking" (is it ever questioned or tested to see if it is genuine?) above and beyond what the Bible allows. And they continue to practice being "slain-in-the-spirit" in spite of the fact that there is no New Testament Scripture which shows that Christians in the early church had such experiences. In fact, this practice seems to be more closely related to the occult and the working of evil spirits.

Is there any improvement in the Movement in this area? Obviously not!

Instead, there is a growing toleration of error! For example, there was a time not long ago when Pentecostal people would not think of tolerating or accepting Catholic doctrines, such as the mass. Things are different today.

Hear what a Pentecostal-Charismatic leader, Vinson Synan, chairman of the New Orleans '87 Charismatic Congress said to the non-Catholic participants:

"If you want to see something beautiful, come see a spirit-filled Catholic mass!" What spiritual folly and blindness! There is nothing "beautiful" about false doctrine, especially that taught in the Roman mass. And it certainly is not a "Holy Spirit filled" mass! The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and not the spirit of error (1 Jn. 4:6).

Another example: David DuPlessis, an international Pentecostal leader known as "Mr. Pentecost," in the book A Man Called Mr. Pentecost, describes his experiences as he attended sessions of the 1964 Vatican Council in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, in these words:

"I sat virtually alone as the special mass was celebrated ... I was certain I could feel the fresh breezes of the Holy Spirit in that colorful, yet sadly solemn, and heavily liturgical moment in church history. Yet, as happened every morning during my weeks there, I felt myself melting and breaking, actually weeping openly as the mass unfolded" (David DuPlessis as told to Bob Slosser, A Man Called Mr. Pentecost, Plainfield: Logos International, 1977, p. 215).

Describing a session of the 1975 Congress on the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church, held in St. Peter's Basilica, Mr. DuPlessis said:

"During the celebration of the Eucharist, there was singing with the Spirit, gently, tenderly, reverently and absolutely fitting. It was indeed a Pentecostal service, with Pentecostal manifestations and very evident Pentecostal blessings ... no one had expected such a rich and positive manifestation of a new Pentecost" (A Man Called Mr. Pentecost, p. 239).

Our question is this: If this was indeed a genuine moving of the Holy Spirit, a "new Pentecost," why would the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, choose to thus reveal Himself and bless during the celebration of a heretical Catholic mass?

Today, too, there is a growing trend among Charismatics to emphasize the ministry of "prophets." A generation of "new prophets" is coming on the scene. These new leaders continue to preface their "prophecies" with "thus saith the Lord," "God told me," "God spoke to me," "God's message for you is ..." And thousands are deceived into believing that these "messages" are from God Himself, even as Scripture is. The terrible fact is that so many of these "prophecies" are not accurate, are contrary to Scripture, are counterfeit, leading many unwary souls astray. If these "prophecies" were genuinely from the Lord, Holy Spirit inspired, there would NO error! The fact that there is error at all (some admit up to 35% error and even more) proves that this is not a work of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of truth (Deut. 18:22).

Many strange and bizarre doctrines are either being revived, such as the "Manifest Sons of God" teaching, or are being introduced as a result of new "prophecies." And naturally so, when Scripture is replaced by so-called prophecies, foolish, false, damnable doctrines will result. Remember! The Scriptures warn us repeatedly about false prophets, especially in the last days (Matt. 24:11,24; 2 Pet. 2:1-3; 1 Jn. 4:1).

Beware! There is only one "sure word of prophecy" (1 Pet. 1:19)--the written Word which was "once [for all] delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).

For further information on modern "prophets," see O TIMOTHY magazine, Vol. 7. Issues 8-9, 1990, and Vol. 7. Issue 10, 1990. This is available from Way of Life Literature, 1219 N. Harns Road, Oak Harbor, Washington 98277. See also "Latter Day Prophets—The Kansas City Connection" by Albert James Dager (Media Spotlight, P.O. Box 290, Redmond, Washington 98073).

CHARISMATICS AND ECUMENICITY

There also is an accelerating movement toward ecumenicity, as the previous paragraphs indicate. At New Orleans '87, of the 40,000 present, about one-half were Roman Catholics. At Indianapolis '90, of the roughly 25,000 present, about 48% were Roman Catholics. At these conferences, Charismatics from many denominations, including the Catholics, mingle and fellowship together in an ecumenical unity that is not based on sound Biblical beliefs, but largely on a common "experience," that of "tongues speaking." This is indeed a shaky foundation for fellowship or unity, especially as "tongues speaking" is and can be counterfeited. We must ask: Are these modern "tongues" the same as those referred to in the book of Acts?

Regarding "experience," the Mormons also believe in and experience "tongues speaking," and they also use "experience" to prove that the book of Mormon is true by urging readers to test it by reading till they experience a "burning in the bosom." And Mormons testify to this experience. Question: Does this "burning in the bosom" experience really prove that the book of Mormon is genuine Scripture? I believe not! "Experience" is not a reliable foundation for faith or practice. Yet Charismatics by the millions are building their fellowship and unity upon it. This error will ultimately lead to greater deception, acceptance into fellowship of even non-christian religious organizations, and acceptance of the papacy as the head. It will finally become a part of the Anti-Christ world church (Revelation chapters 17,18).

In Acts chapter 8 we read of a man named Simon who had miraculous powers and had persuaded the Samaritans that he was God's man. They said, "This man is the great power of God" (v. 10). But they were wrong, as verses 18- 24 clearly indicate. The miraculous powers exhibited by this man were Satan's counterfeits. The Samaritans were deceived by this man's ability to perform the miraculous.

The "Miracles, Signs and Wonders" emphasis in the Charismatic Movement today is ensnaring millions. They are basing their faith on "experiences" and not on the Scriptures. Remember that "in the last days ... evil men and seducers shall become worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim. 3:1,13).

Miracles will be prominent in the last days, but they will not necessarily be of God, but Satanic. People will "experience" these things, and be deceived by them (Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:8-12; Rev. 13:11-18). John Wimber and his Vineyard organization is a strong exponent of miracles, signs, and wonders.

These are days of great deception when we need to stand very firmly on the written Word of God. "Let no man deceive you"! (2 Thess. 2:3).

CHARISMATICS AND EVANGELISM

Have charismatics forgotten the true Gospel? Are they preaching "another gospel" (Gal. 1:6-7)? Apparently so. Look at David DuPlessis' statement again:

"I recalled that, in only a few years, the Catholics had already taken the message of Pentecost to ninety-two countries" (A Man Called Mr. Pentecost, p. 243).

Notice that the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:3-4) has been displaced by another message! Christ commanded us to "preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mk. 16:15). Is Mr. DuPlessis accepting the ministry of charismatic Catholics as the proclamation of the genuine Gospel of Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, or is he rejoicing that "another gospel" (charismatic) is be- ing preached? The Lord's command is not just "to preach," or to preach any kind of message, or any kind of doctrine, but to preach "the Gospel." To do anything less is to invite God's' curse (Gal. 1:8-9).

It was "the Gospel" that Paul proclaimed (1 Cor. 2:2; 15:1-4) and of which he was "not ashamed" (Rom. 1:16), and of which he said, "it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ..." But Charismatics are seeking another kind of "power."

Not only are Charismatics replacing the all-important message, "the Gospel," but are failing to "preach the Gospel to every creature." Exceptions are now being made. Just a few years ago the practice was to send missionaries to Catholic countries to evangelize Catholics. Today, instead of evangelizing them they have a tendency to join them and work together alongside them in evangelizing others.

In the Aug.-Sept. 1977 issue of Melodyland Magazine, Ralph Wilkerson, in an article entitled, "Becoming One that the World Might Be Won," wrote about a Charismatic gathering held in Latin America:

"The morning before we left to come home, DuPlessis spoke to us from John 17:21. Later in the meeting, a Roman Catholic priest from Guatemala City spoke in an unknown tongue, and the interpretation was given by an American pilot. ... The interpretation was that the Roman Catholics and Protestants will march together around Latin America demonstrating unity, and once they do this, the world will believe. ... There will be approximately 1,000 teams, with each team made up of a Catholic and a Protestant from Latin America."

Strange? I wonder what kind of "gospel" they will preach?

But this should not really surprise us because back in 1975 David DuPlessis already recognized the Catholic Church as part of Christ's body. Writing about his participation in the 1975 Congress on the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church, in St. Peter's Basilica, he stated: "[We] knew that we were first-hand witnesses to another of the mighty surges that the Lord was more and more frequently sending upon His body, Catholic and Protestant alike" (A Man Called Mr. Pentecost, p. 237).

Today that recognition of the Catholic Church has grown immensely. So, why evangelize the Catholic millions! Just accept them as they are in spiritual darkness and error and work side-by-side with them to convert the world "by the year 2000"! But we MUST ask: To WHAT or to WHOM will they be converted?

In 1 Chronicles 12:32 we read of "men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." In these confusing days we need to "understand" our times. This can only be done by a careful and prayerful study of and dependence on the written Word of God. Psalm 119:130 states:

"The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."

"Forever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled in heaven." (Psa. 119:89)

Helpful Books on the Charismatic Movement