In my book, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity,
I documented the dynamic, miraculous work of the Holy Spirit from the Day of
Pentecost to the present time. I also documented the intensifying of the Holy
Spirit’s work since the turn of the twentieth century, with virtually all
denominations now open to the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, and the formation
of thousands of new Pentecostal and charismatic churches and denominations.
Even as I was
doing the research for that book, however, I was being made aware of the
demonic deceptions that arose in virtually every revival. Thomas Coke, John
Wesley’s colleague and biographer, wrote of how Satan sought to destroy the
great eighteenth century Methodist revival with counterfeit gifts and
manifestations. He also acknowledged that it was not something new.
Those who have
read the accounts of the great revivals of true religion in many parts of
Europe, and in our own country in particular, will easily perceive the sameness
of those devices of Satan whereby he perverts the right ways of the Lord.
The devices
Satan uses again and again in revival are spiritual pride and a neglect of Scripture
for the pursuit of esoteric, spiritual experiences. Coke mentions this in his
biography, saying that Wesley was called upon to oppose several great
deceptions that arose in the revival. According to Coke, one of the deceptions
was,
Attention to dreams,
visions, and men’s own imaginations and feelings, without bringing them to the
only sure test, the oracles of God.
I am a
life-long, committed Pentecostal-Charismatic who values the miraculous and
dynamic work of the Holy Spirit My earliest memories include being in church
meetings where gifts of the Holy Spirit were being manifest and prayer for the
sick was being offered. I remember as a child going with my family to great
healing revivals under the giant tents of Oral Roberts and William Freeman.
I lived through
the great healing revivals of the 1950s, the great Charismatic Renewal of the
1970s (when I was supernaturally called into the ministry), the Word of Faith
revival of the 1980s, the Toronto and Pensacola revivals of the 1990s and the
work of the Holy Spirit since that time.
Yes, I value the
work of the Holy Spirit, but I have learned from experience that all that
glitters is not gold and that Christians, perhaps as never before, need to
listen to the words of Paul who, in II Corinthians 11:13-15, warned,
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan
himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great
thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of
righteousness.
The purpose of this book is not to be critical. The purpose of this book
is to help this generation realize that along with the promised outpouring of
the Holy Spirit in the last days, there are many Scriptural warnings of
wide-spread deception that will also characterize the end times. I see signs
everywhere of this deception, especially in the modern charismatic movement.
It
behooves us, therefore, to be equipped to discern the true from the false, the
real from the fake. As John the Apostle exhorted in I John 4:1,
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they
are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is the Preface to Angels of Light, available from Amazon and my website at www.eddiehyatt.com.
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