Fundamental
Evangelistic Association
selected
articles from:
©FOUNDATION
A MAGAZINE OF BIBLICAL FUNDAMENTALISM
Dennis W. Costella, Editor; Karel Beyer, Production Manager; Matt
Costella,
Copy Editor
M.H. Reynolds, Jr. (1919-1997), Founding Editor
Deceiving and Being Deceived
by Dennis W. Costella
©FOUNDATION Magazine, July-Aug 1996
How Charismatic Leaders are helping pave
the highway to the harlot church
THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT was founded on a
platform based upon a devilish mixture of truth and error. Today, it represents one of the
most deceptive and dangerous movements in the history of the Church -- a fact which most
Christian leaders and individuals either do not know or choose to ignore.
Twisting the Scriptures, adding to the Scriptures and reinterpreting the Scriptures --
yes, the Charismatic Movement does all of these repeatedly, while continuing to affirm
their belief in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Word of God. What the apostate
ecumenical movement has been unable to accomplish in seven decades -- the forging of an
unscriptural church unity -- the Charismatic Movement is doing with unprecedented speed.
God' s people must be warned, and that is the major purpose of this article.
In the providence of God, the Fundamental Evangelistic Association has provided press
credentials for members of our staff and other special representatives which enabled us to
obtain press coverage of most of the major ecumenical, evangelical, charismatic and Roman
Catholic gatherings during the past five decades. We thank God that this documented,
firsthand information has been printed in Foundation Magazine and its
predecessor, F.E.A. NEWS & VIEWS, and widely circulated around the world.
The report which follows carries vitally important information from my press coverage
of three major meetings: the charismatic-sponsored NORTH AMERICAN CONGRESS ON THE HOLY
SPIRIT AND WORLD EVANGELIZATION held July 22-25, 1987, in New Orleans, Louisiana; the
Roman Catholic-sponsored NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE CHARISMATIC RENEWAL IN THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH held May 27-29, 1988, at the University of Notre Dame; and the evangelical
sponsored meeting called LAUSANNE II held in Manila, the Philippines, July 11-20, 1989,
with the theme: CALLING THE WHOLE CHURCH TO TAKE THE WHOLE GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD.
These articles are considerably edited and condensed, but the complete text of each is
available upon request.
In our firsthand report of each of these three conferences, it will be noted that the
names of certain leaders (Pentecostal, charismatic, evangelical and catholic) appear again
and again. Why? Because these leaders are key figures in emphasizing church unity above
sound doctrine. In doing so, they ignore and disobey God's many plain commands to separate
from false teachers and disobedient brethren. In the name of the Holy Spirit, they
actually manifest a false spirit.
Space does not permit us to fully explain here why the charismatic movement presents
such an immediate and overwhelming danger. These dangers have been set forth in detail in
past issues of Foundation [July/Sept. 1987; July/Sept. 1988; and
Oct./Dec. 1988 (on Power Evangelism)]. Again, these articles are also available
upon request. The major reasons for our special concern are briefly set forth as follows:
First, the language of charismatics is predominantly
evangelical rather than liberal; therefore, uninstructed believers are more readily drawn
to their teachings than to those of liberal Protestants and/or Roman Catholics.
Second, charismatics are actually adding to the Word of
God by claiming to receive information, instruction and commands directly from God through
the so-called "revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit" such as tongues,
interpretation of tongues, prophecies, visions, dreams, word of wisdom, word of knowledge,
etc. The charismatic insistence that "all" the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to
the early Church are in operation today automatically leaves the door open for such
dangerous teachings. All such messages are anti-biblical because they are extra-biblical,
and many of them flatly contradict God's instructions in His written Word, the Bible.
Third, the charismatic movement, though claiming to be
evangelical in doctrine, is actually one of the strongest ecumenical forces in our day and
acts as a catalyst in developing an unscriptural unity. Charismatics are willing to work
with anyone who claims to have had the "baptism of the Holy Spirit." As a
result, those who are enticed into accepting the false teachings of the charismatic
movement are immediately subjected to great pressure to work with Roman Catholics,
Orthodox, and liberal Protestants, something evangelicals historically have refused to do.
Fourth, Bible-believing evangelicals, therefore, must not
only separate from Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and liberal Protestants, but they must also
refuse to fellowship with, and warn against, charismatics. Failure to practice Biblical
separation from all these groups endangers the spiritual welfare of any child of God.
The North American Congress on the Holy Spirit and World Evangelization
meeting in New Orleans brought together over 35,000 registrants from some 40 different
denominations and traditions including Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Evangelicals,
Pentecostals and Charismatics from mainline denominational bodies and from independent
groups that would not be necessarily included in the former categories.
Vinson Synan, chairman of the North American Renewal Service Committee which sponsored
this Congress, welcomed participants to "this great conference of
conferences, representing the entire body of Christ in North America." He
said, "Around the turn of the century, the Lord began to pour out His Holy Spirit in
a way unparalleled since the days of the early church. All over the world the gifts and
graces of the Holy Spirit were manifested with signs and wonders following. Although
thousands were blessed and filled with the Holy Spirit, there were many who criticized
this as the work of the enemy. Some said it would blow over soon. And it did. It blew all
over the world!"
Synan continued, "In the decades that followed, these Spirit-filled Pentecostals
went to the far comers of the earth, exalting Jesus Christ and preaching the kingdom of
God. About 1960, the winds of the Holy Spirit began to blow in the mainline Protestant
churches and soon Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists and others were being
baptized in the Holy Spirit and also manifesting spiritual gifts. In 1967, the wind began
to blow in the Roman Catholic Church in one of the mightiest moves of the Holy Spirit in
our day. By the time of the Kansas City Charismatic Conference in 1977, practically every
denomination was touched by this unexpected grace of God."
After presenting glowing figures concerning Pentecostal/charismatic growth, Synan
enunciated the basics of an unprecedented ecumenical evangelistic effort to evangelize the
world by the year 2000. He said, "In the year 2000, if Jesus tarries, the Christians
of the world will celebrate the 2000th birthday of Jesus Christ. It will probably be the
greatest global party and celebration ever held. How wonderful it would be if we, the
Christian community, could present to our Saviour the gift that He would desire the most:
an absolute majority of the population of the world. To do this would require the greatest
revival and outpouring of the Holy Spirit ever seen in the history of the Church ."
Jesus Christ never asked any of His followers to observe His birthday, and the notion
that a combination of Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Ecumenists, Evangelicals, Charismatics
and Pentecostals can give Jesus a 2000th birthday present by winning an absolute majority
of the world to Him is preposterous and unscriptural. Yet, this false concept caught fire
with those present and will no doubt similarly deceive many others who are lacking in
spiritual discernment. Such an ecumenical program of evangelism cannot please Christ nor
will the plea for a great Holy Spirit revival hide the sin of disobedience to the Word.
The plenary session leaders and speakers used every form of oratorical technique
imaginable to bring the crowd to a fervent state of excitement, frivolity and
emotionalism. That is obviously why the participants were there -- for an experience --
and that is what the Congress tried to deliver. The presentation of clear, precise,
biblical truth was definitely NOT what excited the crowd. Instead, it was the thunderous
tirades, the slick theatrics and the standard charismatic rhetoric designed to excite the
emotions and the imaginations of the flesh that generated excitement. The Congress
songleader was a key figure and was masterful in commanding any desired response from the
thousands in the Superdome. Often, following a prolonged singing of repetitious choruses
clearly designed to bring the congregation to a heightened level of emotional
responsiveness, the song leader would cue an outburst of supposed "tongues
praise" which would be turned off just as quickly when the next part of the program
was ready to go. It was obvious that the vast majority of those in attendance were already
adept at "praising God" with upraised hands and with their own particular
"prayer language." What we see as important, however, is that none of this kind
of "canned" responsiveness is even suggested in the Word of God.
Along this same line, one of the more unsettling experiences we had at New Orleans was
our observance of a meeting conducted after one of the evening plenary sessions for those
desiring to be "baptized with the Spirit." .The leader spent some time with
preliminary instructions, lifting from the Scriptures texts that were twisted to teach
that you have to ask for the Spirit, and when you do, you will, without exception, receive
the Spirit as evidenced by your speaking in tongues. Even though pages could be taken up
in this report with the error of such reasoning, we must continue with how this
charismatic leader ministered the "baptism of the Spirit": He first demonstrated
by articulating in a relatively slow and meticulous way (so it could be easily imitated)
his own "prayer language." Then all present were directed to stand and repeat a
prayer requesting the Spirit. Following this, the leader ordered each one to raise his
hands high, lean his head all the way back, close the eyes, and at a given signal, try to
imitate his "prayer tongue" as he uttered it slowly into the microphone.
The big moment finally came! The arms were uplifted, heads were back, eyes were closed
and the signal was given by the leader for them to begin trying to duplicate his tongue as
he prayed (he quipped, this was his way of "priming the pump"). As we looked
over those straining to experience the "baptism" and doing nothing more than
imitating a man who knew how to vocalize strange sounding syllables at the appropriate
time, our hearts went out to them, for from now on, they would look back to this bogus
experience as the day they supposedly received the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues.
"Now some of you will tell yourselves that you were only imitating me," said
the leader afterward, "but don't let the devil make you believe that. You asked for
the Spirit, and God answered your prayer. Your own prayer language will develop and become
more distinctively yours as time goes on...You have been baptized in the Spirit!" How
terribly sad! Can anyone, by any stretch of the imagination, or by any stretch of the
Revelation for that matter, believe this is the way it was in the early Church? Did the
apostles have to "prime the pump" when believers in the early church received
the gift of tongues?
The following examples of confusion and inconsistency can be mentioned only briefly,
but hopefully they will help convey the mood of the New Orleans Congress as well as hint
at the mixed signals received by the participants.
There was the surprising response to Reinhard Bonnke's invitation at the end of his
Friday evening "Signs and Wonders" plenary address for those wanting to be
"born again" to raise their hands -- nearly half of the 35,000 people in
attendance did! Those who had been addressed all week as the people of God and
Spirit-filled believers were now expressing their desire to receive Christ as their
Saviour. The next day, we had the opportunity to ask chairman Vinson Synan how this
phenomenon could be explained. He acknowledged the seeming incongruity and mentioned that
the Congress' s leadership had discussed the matter at length and had come up with the
explanation that nearly all of those who had responded to the "gospel
invitation" were Catholics who misunderstood what was being asked. Synan went on to
explain that they were merely reaffirming their baptismal vows, not "receiving
Christian salvation" as understood by many Protestant groups. We then asked
Synan, in
light of the magnitude of the question at hand -- the salvation of the lost, heaven or
hell at stake -- why the Congress did not devote more effort to make the Gospel' s
definition clear to all so that everyone, including every Catholic, would understand. His
response -- "We didn't have enough time." That is a sad answer.
In 1967, the Charismatic Movement was introduced into the Roman Catholic Church. At
first, it was met with great reticence and some opposition on the part of the Catholic
hierarchy. However, it soon became evident to the Vatican that Rome could use the
Charismatic Movement to its own advantage. This was, of course, to be expected since
charismatic error encouraged Roman Catholics who had supposedly received the baptism of
the Holy Spirit not to separate from that false church as the Bible commands. Instead,
charismatic Catholics began to testify how their Holy Spirit baptism had led them to love
the Mass, the rosary, the sacraments and the church more than ever. Today, the Charismatic
Movement has the full blessing of the Pope and the Roman Catholic magisterium. This fact
was fully confirmed by the events at New Orleans.
In 1977, charismatic leaders from Pentecostal, Charismatic, Ecumenical, Evangelical,
and Roman Catholic churches met together in Kansas City in a first-ever international
gathering of charismatics under the theme "Unity in the Lordship of Jesus." Over
50,000 people attended, and it was hailed by charismatic leaders as "one of the most
significant conferences of the century." This huge gathering, chaired by Roman
Catholic Kevin Ranaghan, repeatedly emphasized the absolute need of unity and played down
the question of doctrine. Prophetic messages, supposedly from God, included such
statements as, "I am going to restore My people and reunite them" and "The
Lord says to you, 'stand in the unity with one another and let nothing tear you
apart.'" Could these have been messages from God? Of course not, for they
contradicted the commands of God's Word.
Writing in the August, 1981 issue of New Covenant, Roman Catholic Kevin
Ranaghan, who
wields a tremendous amount of power in the entire Charismatic Movement and who played such
an important role in both the Kansas City and New Orleans Charismatic Conferences, clearly
sets forth his adherence to traditional Roman Catholic heresies which should reveal the
Scriptural impossibility of joining hands with Roman Catholics in evangelism or any other
project.
Ranaghan said, "We believe that the church of Christ subsists in the Catholic
Church and that she possesses in unique fullness both revelation and the means of
salvation. We are devoted to Scripture, the teaching of the church, the liturgy and
sacraments and the wisdom of our spiritual tradition. We recognize that without our
continual nourishment as sons and daughters of the church, through her many channels of
grace, we will surely wither away. We place our own personal charismatic experience in
this context and in the company of Mary and the saints. With them as guides and models, we
hope to stand as a beacon of truth and love in the midst of late 20th-century fog and
confusion. This is the scope of our life of faith. To say it encompasses less would be
ecumenically and theologically dishonest."
At New Orleans, however, charismatic-Pentecostal leaders left no doubt that they are
firmly committed to an unscriptural, ecumenical program of world evangelization even
though this means joining hands with Roman Catholics, Orthodox and liberal Ecumenicals who
preach a false gospel. To preach the Gospel to every creature is clearly a major
responsibility for every true believer, but attempts to reach the world with a gospel that
requires a united effort with those who preach a false gospel are forbidden by God's Holy
Word and are bound to fail. Nevertheless, charismatics continue to affirm that it is the
Word of God and the Spirit of God that brings them together and that this new unity is an
absolute requirement for the completion of the evangelization of the world and the
preparation of the world for the Kingdom of Christ.
An attempt to link an unscriptural, ecumenical program of world evangelization with the
Holy Spirit was clearly evidenced throughout the meeting, not only by the coupling of
these words in the name of the Congress, but in the statements of practically every
speaker -- Roman Catholic, Ecumenical, Evangelical, Charismatic or Pentecostal.
"Rome-based priest urging Catholics to put 'evangelization' on their
consciences" -- with this caption, one Congress news release introduced information
and quotations from Tom Forrest, the main speaker at the closing Congress session. Forrest
was identified as an American Redemptorist priest, a former missionary in the Philippines,
who had come to this Congress to spark the urgency for evangelization among fellow
Catholics. He outlined the history of an evangelization movement within the Catholic
Church which he directs from Rome. "It's called EVANGELIZATION 2000, and everything
is now receiving guidance from Cardinal Casseroli from the Vatican Secretariat of
Christian Unity in Rome." Forrest outlined a bold, broad program which includes a
Catholic television effort called "Lumen" (Light) 2000; a publication called
"New Evangelization 2000" which will be available in Portuguese, Spanish,
Italian, German, French and English; and a retreat for bishops in 1989, one for priests in
1990 and one for theologians in 1991. Evangelization schools are already underway in each
of the continents, and "The goal of all this is to give Jesus the 2000th birthday
present that He really wants -- a world that is more Christian than not" says
Forrest.
"The time for the push within the Catholic Church for evangelization is right. The
great outpourings of Pentecost have occurred in this country and in this century,"
said Forrest, referring to the outbreak of Pentecostal fervor which took place in
Pentecostal churches in 1900, in mainline Protestant churches in 1960 and in Catholic
groups in 1967. He disassociated himself and Catholic evangelization from any
"hard-sell effort of Bible thumpers going door to door." This statement took on
special significance, when at a later time, Forrest told of his own concept of
evangelization which consisted of his walking down the streets of Rome, praying the rosary
for the needs of those he met or passed.
At a congress press conference, Forrest explained the origin of the Roman Catholic
program Evangelization 2000. He said, "It had to do with a meeting between ourselves
and an Italian movement in the year 1984 where we came up with this idea of giving our
Lord the birthday present He wants. When you really love someone, you give them what they
want for their birthday; you don't give them what you want them to have. Now we are having
the birthday of birthdays. We are having a date that' s coming up that you can't find a
historical parallel for, this date 2000 ... so we decided to write the pope a letter
saying, 'Let's give Jesus a birthday gift He wants and we all know He wants -- more
Christians .... "' Forrest went on to explain that the pope heartily approved this
plan and that the theme was also picked up by the World Council of Churches, resulting in
several ecumenical events culminating in the GLENCOE Dialogue here in the United States;
that in turn, he said, resulted in this New Orleans Congress which he termed "a
unique coming together of all Christians to make a common effort."
Note Forrest's deception concerning the unscriptural unity which was evidenced at New
Orleans. He said, "I was down looking at the booths -- all the exhibitions in the
conference hall -- an incredible diversity of efforts, diverse styles, diverse titles,
diverse techniques and technology being used, but to do the same thing -- evangelize. But
the great fear and the great danger is that they are in competition, and if they are in
competition, they are not in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the unifier. Jesus Christ
is the unifier. But the devil is the divider. So, I see something happening to bring all
these glorious and sincere efforts together in a way that could be unique since the
Reformation -- to find all Christians finally coming up with something that they could
agree to do together, and that is to get together to make Jesus known so that He has the
birthday present that He, Himself wants ... so that's what EVANGELIZATION 2000 is all
about."
This program is also under the direct supervision of the pope himself.
The following guiding principles were written on the cover of an official
"EVANGELIZATION 2000" brochure from the "Office Promoting Decade of
Evangelization 1990-2000": FIRST PRINCIPLE -- "Evangelization 2000 will
carefully follow all guidelines established for its functionings by the Holy See."
SECOND PRINCIPLE -- "No major new decisions or efforts will be undertaken
without prior consultation with the supervising office of the Holy See." It
was obvious to this observer that the Vatican was overseeing Forrest's ministry to the
mixed multitude in New Orleans as well.
Perhaps, for a split second, the Mardi Gras-style mask fell from the face of Forrest as
he concluded his Saturday evening message in stating, "He [God] tells us in Acts 12:7
and 2 Corinthians 11: 14 that we must be angels of light. Say, fellows and girls, that' s
us! Angels of light in this world!" Forrest unwittingly shed some biblical light on
the situation, for 2 Corinthians 11:14 in context unequivocally states: "For such are
false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
How long will it be before true believers wake up to the fact that Roman Catholic
evangelism is not Biblical evangelism? When will God's children realize that the Holy
Spirit is the Unifier of true believers but the Divider of false teachers and true
teachers, false gospels and the one true Gospel?
We asked Forrest during a press conference how he could say that Catholics and
non-Catholics should be cooperative rather than competitive in evangelism when the Roman
Catholic church requires the allegiance of each convert to the centrality of the Roman
church. Forrest replied, in part, "Well, I think that your question is pre-Vatican
II, not post-Vatican... We do not claim today universal and exclusive possession of the
signs that establish us as the true church of Jesus Christ. So, if your church is growing
[due to evangelistic ministry adding to its number] with true Christians, and we see those
signs in your church, and our church is growing, and you see those signs in our church,
then we can celebrate each other' s growth."
Herein lies the tremendous danger and devilish nature of this charismatic conference.
The Roman Catholic leadership presented a deceptively evangelical appearance and used
terminology and methodology that obviously proved alluring to those from evangelical and
Protestant backgrounds. This was calculated to disarm possible critics, and it certainly
worked. The priests, nuns and Catholic layman who led the workshops and addressed the
plenary sessions sounded like old-fashioned, Bible-believers. But the fact remains that
they believed precisely what the Catholic Church requires them to believe.
A central fact concerning the unholy fellowship being promoted by the Charismatic
Movement between Catholicism, Pentecostalism and Evangelicalism/Protestantism must be
understood. It is routinely ignored and even deceitfully denied. However, Romanism
has not changed. Salvation according to the Vatican (before and since Vatican II) is still
resident in the church of which the pope is the head.
Notice the following excerpts from materials and presentations at New Orleans which
corroborate these crucial facts, even though they were carefully camouflaged by
pious-sounding rhetoric. A glaring example would have to be the conclusion to Forrest's
grand finale given at the end of the congress to 40,000 plus: "Let's stop the
competition; let's stop the fighting. We got a devil to fight; what are we fighting each
other for [Catholics and non-Catholics]? ... Let' s stop fooling around; let' s stop the
kid stuff. Let' s go out and do the job [evangelizing the world], and let' s do it the
only way it can be done. Brothers and sisters, let's do it TOGETHER!!!"
The Roman Catholic Church certainly does believe it is the one true church which alone
dispenses the grace whereby the lost are supposedly saved. Yes, much is said about
salvation by "grace alone" among charismatic Catholics, but their theology
defines the church as the means of grace, i.e., salvation is by grace through the
sacraments, not salvation by grace through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is
a vast difference between the two, a difference that necessitated the Reformation and that
is being totally ignored by the Charismatic Movement. Note the following quotes taken from
"On Evangelization In the Modern World," by Pope Paul VI, written ten years
after Vatican II and made available to the New Orleans charismatics:
"Evangelizing is, in fact, the grace and vocation proper to the Church [Roman
Catholic], her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in
order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile
sinners with God and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass..." (p.
8). How does Roman Catholicism teach that grace is received? By faith alone in the
finished work of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:4; Ephesians 2:8, 9)? Oh, no -- Romanism says it
is by faith in the sacraments and the unfinished work of Christ as demonstrated by the
Mass. This is "another gospel," and all who proclaim it and have placed their
hope in it are under God' s curse (Galatians 1:6-9).
The Charismatic Movement is simply a tool for furthering the influence of Catholic
doctrine among non-Christians as well as among non-Catholics in other Christian
traditions. This is crucial to remember. These pious-acting, evangelical-sounding priests
who are running the charismatic/ecumenical show, are NOT renegade priests who have
supposedly received the "baptism of the Holy Ghost" and are now, therefore, at
odds with established Romanism. No, they are old line, hard-nosed Catholic devotees who
know what they are doing, and what they are doing is duping naive evangelicals and
charismatics of all persuasions into believing the battle is over, that the Reformation is
in need of a Spirit-wrought reversal. How wicked!
One moment Catholics -- trusting in a false hope -- are the proper objects of
evangelism. The next moment, they become co-laborers in the harvest field because their
clergy suddenly talk the same language as do the charismatics and the evangelicals. Never
mind the hellish doctrines which underlie Romanism. These priests, who have come straight
from their offices in the Vatican, sound so pious, so evangelical, so intent on
"preaching Christ" to the world; certainly they are our brothers! What
deception!
The one thing the Vatican does NOT want is non-Catholic evangelists heralding far and
wide the fact that there is no salvation in the false system of sacramentalism. The
Charismatic Movement is just what the Roman Catholic Church has needed to neutralize
opposition to its error. The charismatic delusion of forging a unity of churches
which are diametrically opposed to each other when it comes to the basics of how a lost
sinner is saved, has revealed itself to be the dreadful curse of the renewal movement.
Is there a difference between the gospel preached by Roman Catholics and the Gospel we
are commanded to preach by our Lord Jesus Christ?. Of course there is! The gospel of
Romanism repudiates the one true Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus
Christ alone; it substitutes a false gospel which adds baptism, sacraments, works,
prayers, etc. Yet, both Charismatics and Roman Catholics have agreed to ignore this basic
difference and work together in the supposed evangelization of the world by the year 2000.
Said Roman Catholic priest Kenneth Metz, chairman of the National Service Committee of the
Catholic Charismatic Renewal, "We have agreed to acknowledge our differences but
refuse to let them get in the way of what we have in common."
Billy Graham's involvement in this new charismatic Roman Catholic ecumenical
alignment goes back over a period of many years and was reaffirmed by him at New
Orleans. Unable to be present in person, he sent special greetings by means of an audio
tape which was presented to the thousands present. Graham said, "Greetings in the
Name of the Lord. I would love to be with you in your great conference, but I am unable to
do so because we are involved in a crusade here in Denver, Colorado, which involves really
the whole state of Colorado. I rejoice with you at the goals of your North American
Congress on the Holy Spirit and World Evangelization, and I thank God for the vital role
that your movement is having in bringing about a spiritual awakening in this country.
Today, it is encouraging to see the Holy Spirit moving in His church across North America
and in other parts of the world toward the goal of bringing others to a saving knowledge
of Jesus Christ. My prayers are with you that your congress will be greatly blessed of God
and used by the Holy Spirit to further the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
May God bless you all!"
For Billy Graham, the world's leading evangelical, to give such an unqualified
endorsement to a gathering and a movement which joins believers and unbelievers, only
serves as confirmation that his compromises with Catholics and ecumenists, which began in
his crusades years ago, have now resulted in a complete loss of spiritual discernment on
his part. The importance of Billy Graham's public statement of support was not lost to the
charismatic leaders of this congress. Dr. Synan stressed the point in a press conference
that Graham's communique was very significant, for it signified the involvement of
the evangelical branch of the body of Christ in like ministry and purpose with the
charismatics in the decade ahead.
Synan merely echoed what Graham boldly stated himself at Amsterdam '86 when we asked
Graham in a press briefing how so many different groups could come together for ecumenical
evangelism: "Evangelism is about the only word we can unite on ... Our methods would
be different, and there would be debates over even the message sometimes.
But there is no debate over the fact that we need to evangelize ... I think there is an
ecumenicity here that cannot [be gotten] under any other umbrella."
In recent years, charismatic leaders have been deluded into accepting and preaching a
false doctrine which is variously referred to as "Victorious Eschatology,"
"Dominion Theology," "Kingdom Truth," etc. According to this
unscriptural teaching, the believer is not to look for the imminent, any-moment return of
Christ but is rather to join in binding Satan and taking dominion over the world in the
name and authority of the Kingdom. Instead of the Scriptural teaching of the Church being
a suffering, remnant Church in the last days, it is construed to be a triumphant, majority
Church. Instead of asserting the Bible teaching that the last days will be days of
apostasy, charismatics mistakenly claim this will be a time of unparalleled revival. Charismatic
leader Bob Weiner boasted, "We are going out until America is saved and every nation
filled with the Holy Ghost."
Speaking of their ecumenical evangelistic efforts, Vinson Synan, Congress chairman
said, "This will demand a degree of unity and cooperation never before seen among
Christians." Then he commented, "We are to be fishers of men, as Jesus said. The
first job is to catch the fish. They can then be cleaned and sorted out later."
Charmingly stated, but desperately wicked. The Bible is extremely explicit as to the
message used in fishing for men and how those who are redeemed are to be
discipled. The
Charismatic Movement comes up woefully short on both counts.
Near the end of the Congress, Syrian invited all participants to attend the Roman
Catholic Mass to be held on Sunday. He said, "If you Protestants want to see
something different, come and see a Spirit-filled Catholic Mass." We
attended one of these "Spirit-filled" Masses earlier in the week and were met
with Roman traditionalism mixed with a few charismatic wrinkles such as tongues and the
standardized choruses used by all charismatics to excite an emotional responsiveness. In
addition, while the host was actually being dispensed by the priests located throughout
the Superdome to the communicants, a "word of prophecy" was given over
the loud speaker: "You have My real body; you have My real blood..." This was
supposed to be a word directly from Christ Jesus to those who were partaking of the Mass.
Was this the Holy Spirit of God at work? Was this Christ Himself authenticating the pagan,
bloodless sacrifice afresh of the Lord of Glory? Absolutely not! The Mass is a diabolic
denunciation of the finished work of Christ on Calvary's Cross. Protestants should have
been warned to stay away from such a wicked demonstration instead of encouraged to attend.
The 1988 National Conference on the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church
was held at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, May 2729, 1988.
Over 6,800 Charismatic Catholics registered for this conference on evangelism with the
evangelical-sounding theme of "To the Ends of the Earth." An estimated 10,000
people participated in the Sunday mass which brought the conference to its climax.
The Charismatic Movement within the Roman Catholic Church is only 21 years old, tracing
its beginning to a charismatic conference held in 1967 at Duquesne University. At first,
the pope and the Roman Catholic hierarchy were wary of this new movement. However, it soon
became evident that the Charismatic Movement within the Roman Catholic Church was not
going to take people away from their church but was going to build new vigor and
enthusiasm for this false religious system. It was not long before the pope gave his
official public blessing to the Roman Catholic Charismatic Movement during an
international conference in Rome in 1975. As it has done with so many other false
religious teachings during its history, the Roman Catholic Church has been successful in
combining new error with old, and it has now been able to capitalize on the popular but
erroneous charismatic teachings and influences to enhance its own public image and to
further the power and prestige of satanic Romanism.
The importance of this meeting at Notre Dame to the Vatican was indicated by a special
message from Pope John Paul II in which he said that he welcomed this opportunity to
convey his heartfelt greetings and prayerful best wishes "to all who assemble for
this magnificent event." The actual wording of this papal greeting and blessing sent
through the Apostolic Pro Nuncio is so significant that we quote the following portions
verbatim:
"It is the desire of the Holy Father to unite with all of you during this weekend
after Pentecost in yearning for a deep spiritual renewal throughout the entire Body of
Christ. He commends all of you for your intense study of Sacred Scripture, your devotion
and perseverance in prayer and your fervor for the Sacraments of the Church.
"As the apostles gathered with many that first Pentecost, the Successor of
Peter asks all of you to turn to her [Mary] for guidance and support during this year
dedicated to her. To all of you, to the people you represent and to your loved
ones back home, the Holy Father imparts his apostolic blessing, given through the
intercession of the Blessed Mother and the Apostles."
CHARISCENTER USA, a publication of the Catholic Charismatic Movement, included
the following significant statement: "Our attention was drawn to the decorative white
and yellow representation of the papal flag suspended over the center of the stage as
symbolic of that which is over us all, uniting us all." Yes, indeed, the pope is over
all Catholics, including the charismatic Catholics.
We quote from the National Service Committee Mission Statement as follows: "We,
the members of the National Service Committee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the
United States, commit ourselves and call the Catholic charismatic renewal movement to:
Serve God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, by serving the Catholic Church in its primary
mission of evangelization through the power of the Holy Spirit." This statement goes
on to stress a commitment to "developing a life of holiness in a Catholic context of
faith and practice," and to "strengthen the Catholic charismatic movement ...
throughout the world, especially in cooperation with the International Catholic
Charismatic Renewal Office in Rome," and to "relate to and work with other
Catholic organizations and movements serving the mission of the church."
In the Evangelization Workbook prepared for use at the Notre Dame Conference, item two
of the outline on "How to Prepare and Give Your Personal Witness" reads, "Entrust
yourself and your testimony to Mary so that she may intercede for you."
Patti Gallagher Mansfield who prepared and gave this instruction also said in the plenary
session, "Mary should be the one who brings you to Jesus; entrust yourself to her as
you endeavor to be a witness." The morning mass on Saturday emphasized a "Marian
Theme," and at the closing mass on Sunday, which was the climax of the entire
meeting, a large framed photograph of our Lady of Guadalupe was placed in front of the
podium. A woman named Marilyn Kramar (converted to Roman Catholicism 15 years ago from an
Assembly of God Church) led the preliminary proceedings and in the saying of the rosary.
Testimonials were given from different pans of the world where miraculous healings
supposedly took place by simply giving the rosary to the terminally ill. Roman
Catholicism is not Christianity, it is Mariolatry.
A major emphasis is continually placed upon the sacraments. This fact
was continually kept before the participants at Notre Dame. Page 11 of the Evangelization
Workbook in the section titled "How to Witness Door To Door and In Your Daily
Life" says, "Regular celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation,
penance, and growth in holiness is absolutely necessary for every Catholic
evangelist." On page 17, item five under the heading says, "Here are
some ways to continue to develop your relationship with the Lord: SACRAMENTS -- frequent
reception of the Eucharist and regular use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation." For
those who are unfamiliar with the "Sacrament of Reconciliation" it is another
example of the subtle, deceptive word changes Romanism now uses. The "Sacrament of
Reconciliation" was previously called "Confession" which has been the
source of many scandals in the Roman Catholic Church down through the years. The
Conference Program book failed to change "confession" to
"reconciliation" as participants were told that "Priests will also be on
hand to hear confessions."
Who is qualified to participate in the Eucharist? The Conference program explains,
"According to the discipline of the Roman Catholic Church, reception of the Eucharist
is open only to those who believe what the Catholic Church teaches about the Eucharist,
and who are in union with the pastors of the church, in particular with the pope.
Therefore, we ask those who are not Roman Catholic not to receive Communion during the
conference liturgies." One cannot be a Catholic Charismatic evangelist if he is not
in union with the pope!
Another emphasis of the Catholic Charismatic Movement is ecumenism. The Roman Catholic
leader who works directly under the pope and who is in charge of all the programs of
Catholic evangelism is Tom Forrest, a Redemptorist priest. His remarks made to the
Advisory Committee of the National Service Committee in a special leader's meeting make
their ecumenical emphasis extremely clear. Forrest emphasized "the
inseparability of the two 'now' words from God -- evangelization and ecumenism."
He said, "While we, of course, want to evangelize people into the fullness of the
Catholic Church, our efforts must proceed in unity of heart and mind with all those who
share our vision of bringing Jesus to the world. The aim is not to evangelize in teams
together, but rather to become inspired and encouraged together."
Forrest also emphasized the need for acceptance of all who name the name of Christ. He
said, "You don't get into heaven by yourself; you either walk into heaven together or
you don't get in at all." The only negative word given by this leader in the field of
Roman Catholic Evangelism was directed toward those who would have anything at all
negative to say about the Catholic church. Of them Forrest said, "Wouldn't it
be wonderful if all of them [Christians who warn about heretical systems] would just take
a vacation, would all just disappear for a while?!" Yes, that would be a
delight to those preaching a false gospel, but not to God.
This conference had a deceptively "evangelical" character. The way in which
"evangelical"-sounding terminology and techniques were used to prepare the
Catholic conference for evangelizing the community was especially noteworthy. A
presentation by two personable and dynamic lay professors from Stuebenville University,
Chris Noble and Keith Fournier, serves as a case in point. Their address was entitled,
"How to Witness Door to Door and in Your Daily Life." Their presentation
emphasized how to personally share Jesus Christ with others, even giving a step-by-step
presentation to the "unchurched" as to their need of Christ, and how they could
believe and accept Christ as their Saviour, thereby "receiving His life,
forever." Their whole approach sounded incredibly evangelical -- completely unlike
what we ordinarily associate with Roman Catholicism.
A personal interview with these two speakers revealed the new spirit of deception that
is being spread among Catholics to help them feel right at home with their
"evangelical brethren." They would like to make it appear to the latter that
Catholics are saved after all. Tragically, they are having great success with this new
approach. So many Protestants and evangelicals are saying, "Catholicism has changed.
They now talk about Christ and His salvation in the same way we do; they do not need to be
evangelized."
I questioned both men as to what "conversion" means in the Roman Catholic
context, and the following excerpts from their statements are most revealing: Fournier
said, "In the Roman Catholic context, conversion is a process with a beginning and an
end, and for us the beginning needs to be acknowledging that Jesus Christ is Lord,
accepting His atonement on the cross, His death on the cross, the resurrection -- all the
things our evangelical brethren would agree with. As Roman Catholics most of us were
baptized as infants. For us that was a sacrament of initiation into the Christian
community, but we need to internalize that and express that as adults and decide to
embrace our faith. That begins the process of conversion -- at that moment many of our
evangelical brethren would call that a 'born again' or 'saved' experience, which is fine.
As Catholics, we believe that we are saved, we are being saved and we will be saved. In
other words, we are saved by accepting what Christ has done, and the process of conversion
continues as we cooperate with Him and grow in holiness and are transformed. The process
is completed when we go to be with Him."
The problem is, however, that this definition of the New Birth is not in accordance
with the Bible, which teaches that salvation is by faith alone! Catholics can be schooled
in how to use evangelical terminology, but the fact remains that two diametrically opposed
systems of theology, two completely opposite Gospels or ways to be saved, are involved
here. When any condition (and sacramentalism is certainly that) is added to "faith alone"
in the finished work of Christ, then it is no longer Bible salvation.
I asked about the large number of Catholics that are often reported to have gone
forward in response to a "Gospel invitation" at an evangelical or other
non-Catholic meeting (Billy Graham crusades are a prime example) and "become
saved" as the Protestants say. What does the Catholic understand the invitation to
entail?
Their responses were enlightening and important to understand. Fournier indicated that
if an invitation were to be given at this meeting such as, "Everyone who wants to
give their life to Jesus Christ, come forward," most of the people here would,
because "to a Catholic Christian we want to continually give our life to Christ and
respond to two thousand altar calls if it means more of Jesus."
I asked, "But do you understand that this is understood differently by the
Protestant -- he sees this decision as a New Birth experience?" To this Fournier
replied, "The purpose of life is to get more and more of the Holy Spirit and so be
transformed in the image of Christ. And I think Catholics resonate with that ... what
happens is that Catholics who love God, who love the Lord and have decided for Christ,
respond to an altar call. Now the evangelical or Pentecostal brother will say they have
gotten saved. Well, to a Catholic even if you said, 'It' s wonderful you came forward for
salvation' and they said, 'yes, it was great,' they wouldn't agree if you went on to say
to them, 'You weren't saved before, right?' They wouldn't agree with that statement."
It became obvious in our conversations with speakers at the conference that "going
forward" in response to a gospel invitation extended at evangelical or even
fundamental evangelistic meetings means something totally different to the Catholic than
it does to the jubilant non-Catholic believer who welcomes him at the front. To
the Catholic, "receiving Christ" is just another opportunity to renew his
baptismal vows or deepen his appreciation for the Catholic Church which is what he is
taught will provide him with the grace needed to continue in Christ.
Yes, it is easy to get Catholics to respond to the invitation to come forward and
"accept Christ" -- they are encouraged by their own church to do so! That is why
Catholics flock to hear Billy Graham and respond so enthusiastically to his "altar
calls." The priests who send them there know nothing will be said to turn them away
from the errors of the Catholic Church, and in their minds they will in fact only be
deepening their commitment to it by "receiving Christ again" at the crusade.
Christian, it is so important that we understand what the Catholic we are witnessing to
understands when we use biblical terms such as the "new birth," "believing
in Christ," or being "saved" to mention but a few. If we are not careful,
we will neglect to spell out the necessity of trusting only in the finished work of Christ
for salvation and that this requires turning away from trust in any teaching that presents
a Christ whose work of salvation has not been completed -- the latter epitomized in the
Mass! Any exuberance in leading a lost Catholic to Christ may be ill-advised unless we
take the time and the care to make certain they understand what the Bible means when it
says that salvation is by grace, through faith, apart from any work, sacrament, or
institution of man.
The Catholic Charismatic conference held at Notre Dame was a masterful strategy to
prepare Catholics to spread their false religion and at the same time to present
themselves, their church, and their message in a way that fits into the evangelical image.
Do not be deceived, Catholic doctrines have not changed. No matter how proficient someone
might be in using biblical terminology, there still must be the consideration of whether
or not the terms used are in conformity with proper biblical definition. Remember, there
can be only one Gospel!
"Calling the Whole Church to Take the Whole Gospel to the Whole
World" was the ecumenical theme of the Second International Congress on World
Evangelization, held July 11-20, 1989, in Manila, The Philippines. Commonly
referred to as the Lausanne II Conference, it was publicized as being one of the most, if
not THE most, important and influential meetings ever held by evangelicals. It was indeed
big -- 4,336 in attendance. It had a large geographical representation (190 nations), more
than the United Nations. And, it was costly -- 10.5 million dollars!
What every believer must know is that in the name of "evangelicalism,"
extreme pressure was exerted to break down Scriptural walls of separation between truth
and error and to build bridges of understanding and cooperation with the enemies of Christ
and the Gospel. In the name of evangelicalism, the apostate ecumenical movement
(WCC, NCC, CCC, etc.) was promoted. In the name of evangelicalism, cooperation with those
who preach a false gospel ( Roman Catholic, Orthodox, etc.) was advocated. In the name of
evangelicalism, the dangerous doctrines of the Charismatic/power evangelism movement were
openly advocated in this global evangelical gathering.
At Manila, they called it evangelism, but it was not biblical evangelism. Great
emphasis was placed upon social action, ecumenical evangelism, feminist theology,
charismatic gifts, and an openness to change. The sub-theme of this Congress was:
"Proclaim Christ Until He Comes," but so many different eschatological views
were represented that precious prophetic truths could not be clearly presented for fear of
causing division. And, make no mistake about it, the last thing the Lausanne leaders want
is to hinder the unscriptural unity to which they are committed -- a unity based on
compromise, not Scripture. A failure to recognize and delineate the difference between the
Church and the Kingdom produced further confusion.
A Lausanne II fact sheet made the following revealing statement explaining the nature
of the Lausanne movement, stating that it is a "network of Christians committed to
cooperation in world evangelization under the Lausanne Covenant. It has been described by
some leaders as 'ecumenical evangelism' based not on an exclusive, rigid
theological basis; but on an open, inclusive approach to cooperation among Christians with
the widest-possible theological perspective within the Lausanne Covenant."
It was further explained that "The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (LCWE)
is an international committee composed of 80 religious leaders from 45 countries. It is
not an 'organization' with members who 'join,' nor is it a council of official
representatives of churches, denominations or para-church organizations. Members of the
Lausanne Committee are individuals representing only themselves. All committee members are
required to sign the Lausanne Covenant." Key leaders include Billy Graham, Leighton
Ford, Thomas Wang, and Tom Houston, who succeeds Wang as the new International Director.
Houston is the former president of World Vision International.
The Lausanne II Fact Sheet has this to say about the churches and denominations
involved in the Lausanne Movement: "The Lausanne movement is inclusive rather
than exclusive. Individuals who are members of virtually every Christian church
and denomination in the world arc involved in the Lausanne movement. It includes members
of the mainline Protestant denominations that are a part of the World Council of Churches,
such as Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Baptists, Lutherans,
Disciples of Christ, etc. It also includes members of more conservative churches that are
a part of the World Evangelical Fellowship, such as the Christian and Missionary Alliance,
Pentecostals, Conservative Baptists, Independent churches, etc. There are many
parachurch organizations involved in the Lausanne movement, such as Campus Crusade for
Christ, World Vision International, the World Bible Societies, African Enterprise, Youth
with a Mission, Youth for Christ, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, etc."
With considerable emphasis on worldwide evangelization and the "uniqueness of
Christ," how could this conference possibly be considered harmful to the cause of
biblical Christianity? The answer to this question is of utmost importance, and is sadly
being ignored by virtually all who find their fellowship within the evangelical community.
The bitter fruit of this error will become even more apparent as the new course of
Lausanne II evangelicalism leads further and further from the faith of the Bible and
closer to the one world, harlot church of the Antichrist.
Those who attended the Lausanne II conference were continuously bombarded with an
unscriptural philosophy of compromise that will inevitably affect their ministries, and
certainly not for the better. Compromise always ends in disaster, and the Bible plainly
declares that a mixture of truth and error will meet with God' s judgment, not His
blessing.
In the early days of the evangelical movement, its leaders wanted nothing to do with
the theological errors of religious liberals and the humanistic programs of the apostate
ecumenical movement. These early evangelical leaders also warned about the unbiblical and
divisive doctrines of the Pentecostal movement and refused to allow extra-biblical
revelation (prophecies, dreams, visions, etc.) and the claimed verification of God's hand
at work through signs, wonders and the supposed "baptism of the Holy Spirit"
evidenced by "speaking in tongues."
CHARISMATIC BREAKTHROUGH -- The accelerating movement of the Lausanne
Committee toward the apostate ecumenical movement is ominous, but it is nothing new. Its
growing rapprochement with the Roman Catholic Church presents a serious future danger, but
as yet, many evangelicals, especially those saved out of Romanism, are justifiably
refusing cooperation with Roman Catholics. However, the Lausanne Committee's public
promotion of charismatic errors in Manila is the most immediate and potentially
catastrophic danger of all. What began as a trickle at Lausanne I in Switzerland
in 1974 became a torrent at Lausanne II in Manila in 1989. What a change in just
15 years! And, next will come a charismatic tidal wave unless evangelicals recognize the
dangers of the Pentecostal/charismatic/power evangelism teachings and immediately begin
reconstructing Scriptural walls instead of building ecumenical/charismatic/Roman Catholic
bridges.
That this "charismatic breakthrough" was planned and not just accidental is
conclusively demonstrated by two factors. First, remember that, as previously stated,
every speaker and every subject was selected by the Lausanne Committee in advance. Second,
the following statement made by Dr. Leighton Ford, chairman of the Lausanne Committee,
offers conclusive proof that this "charismatic breakthrough" was carefully
planned and welcomed by its top leadership. Dr. Ford said:
"Perhaps one of the historic marks of Lausanne II in Manila will be that
it was where, in a new way, Pentecostal and Charismatic Evangelicals, and non-Pentecostal
and non-Charismatic Evangelicals came together in Christ and covenanted together to
advance His Gospel as never before. If that happens, it would be a major justification for
holding the Congress."
In order to comprehend the new dangers facing evangelicals by the pleas they constantly
hear to "forget our differences and work together," it is necessary to take note
of the history of the Pentecostal/charismatic movement.
The teachings and practices of the early Pentecostals were rejected almost immediately
and completely by all mainline denominations, both evangelical and liberal. As a result,
Pentecostals established their own new churches and denominations. However, in the 1940's,
when evangelicals left the fundamentalist camp, some of the Pentecostal bodies wanted to
become members of the N. A. E., and it was decided at that time to welcome Pentecostal
denominations as members since many felt that the differences that had previously
separated them, especially concerning the Spirit's ministry, were evidently no longer of
sufficient importance to prevent full fellowship.
In the 1960's, another incongruous factor was added when the Charismatic Movement first
made its appearance. There was one major difference between it and the early Pentecostals
-- Charismatic leaders claimed to have new revelations from God which instructed
them to remain in their churches, whether Protestant, Roman Catholic, or Orthodox.
At first, this created some real problems. Dissension resulted and some divisions
occurred. However, with the passage of time and as additional "messages" from
God were delivered by charismatic leaders accompanied by healings and other miraculous
gifts, the movement was accepted by Roman Catholic, Orthodox and most Protestant churches
so that it grew by leaps and bounds -- and is still growing.
The latest development in the Pentecostal/charismatic advance is the movement known as
"Power Evangelism." It was obviously designed by its leaders to promote the
Pentecostal/charismatic errors under a different title so as not to offend individuals and
churches that feel uncomfortable about the Pentecostal/charismatic label but who are
willing to experiment with its unscriptural teachings. The two main leaders of
this new Power Evangelism movement are Dr. Peter Wagner of Fuller Theological Seminary and
Dr. John Wimber, founder and director of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship. Both of these
men were present in Manila and conducted seminars promoting Power Evangelism.
Although a comparatively small percentage of the participants in Manila would have
actually called themselves "charismatic," the impact of key charismatic leaders
delivering plenary addresses and conducting well-attended workshops could hardly be
overestimated. Not only was the charismatic renewal movement set before the conference as
the most successful model of dynamic evangelistic ministry in the world today, but an
appeal was even given to those evangelicals who were not charismatic to seek a Pentecostal
experience. This latter ploy caused no small stir, and rightly so!
On the second day of the conference during the evening plenary session, two addresses
were given, one by Dr. J. I. Packer, who does not personally agree with many of the
charismatic teachings, and the other by Dr. Jack Hayford, a classical
Pentecostal/charismatic leader. Supposedly by having these two speakers, the participants
would be given a "balanced" teaching concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
What actually happened, however, was that Dr. Packer basically gave a good, positive,
Scriptural message on the ministry of the Holy Spirit without once touching on any of the
questions raised by the charismatic teachings. But, when Hayford spoke, he presented these
erroneous teachings in a most attractive, persuasive manner. Make no mistake about it, the
exhortation of this message was for all to experience the "fullness of the
Spirit," and by the supportive illustrations and arguments Hayford used, this
"fullness" was understood as nothing other than the classical Pentecostal
definition.
Before Hayford spoke, a videotape was shown which featured testimonials from
Pentecostals worldwide who had received the "baptism of the Spirit" and who had
embarked on incredibly successful ministries, at least numerically speaking, where signs,
wonders, miracles, etc. became commonplace. The obvious inference was that these were a
necessary requirement to success in evangelistic ministry. Although Hayford claimed later
that his message was not intended to gain converts for the charismatic position, that was
certainly how many perceived it. His message even included a typical Pentecostal
"invitation" at the end where those in the audience were invited to step out and
accept that which they had been afraid of, or skeptical of, and experience the
"fullness of the Spirit."
"Perhaps one of the historic marks of Lausanne II in Manila will be that it
was where, in a new way, Pentecostal and Charismatic Evangelicals, and non-Pentecostal and
non-Charismatic Evangelicals came together .... " Although the response to
Hayford's address was mixed, many old-line evangelicals were greatly upset, and some
predicted that this would split the Lausanne movement and bring it to a grinding halt. Of
course, some non-charismatic evangelicals were already conditioned to be open to variant
theological positions, and, together with the 10 percent Pentecostal representation, they
spoke favorably of Hayford's address. However, the overall tempest was so great that a
special Lausanne executive committee meeting was held to consider the crisis, and a
statement was prepared and read by Leighton Ford the next evening in an attempt to still
the troubled waters. Ford said, "The 'Spirit of Lausanne' also applies to various
issues. Two brothers, both committed to the Lausanne Covenant, were asked to speak on the
same topic -- The Holy Spirit -- Some felt there was a fine balance -- others felt the
program was not balanced. What is Lausanne's position on the Holy Spirit? It is
expressed in paragraph 14 of the Lausanne Covenant -- read last night -- a statement
drafted carefully to recognize differing positions."
We interrupt Ford's statement to quote a portion of paragraph 14 which was read by the
conference in unison early in the plenary session and referred to specifically by Hayford
in his message. The Lausanne Covenant reads, " ... We therefore call upon all
Christians to pray for such a visitation of the sovereign Spirit of God that all his fruit
may appear in all his people and that all his gifts may enrich the body of Christ ....
"
Those who know what the Bible really teaches about the gifts of the Spirit understand
that certain of these were given by God to the early Church only, and they ceased after
the final revelation of God was given in the form of the written Word of God (1
Corinthians 13). On the other hand, the Pentecostal/charismatic movement insists on the
continuance of all these gifts to the present day, even claiming
that God is still giving revelations in addition to the Bible by way of prophecies,
tongues, visions, etc., and that Christians should consider such extrabiblical revelations
as authoritative.
At Manila, the incredible statistics and testimonies of "Power Evangelism"
were set before the participants as the way to get the job done. Sound
doctrine was to be set aside for the time being. Sound doctrine, they were told, will
catch up with reality later. It was also interesting to hear a brother from India who
mentioned in another press conference that every one of the "Power
Evangelism" style miracles of healings, tongues, wonders, signs, etc., can be
duplicated by the heathen native religions of his land! Yes, satanic deceptions abound! If
we are to follow Wimber's counsel that the miraculous determines whether or not God is at
work, then are we to conclude that the miracles in pagan faiths authenticate their
veracity before the one, true God? That is foolishness, but it is a fallacy very close to
that which the charismatics are wanting the world to believe -- if a miracle is worked
under the banner of Christianity, then it must be of God. Not so!
The afternoon conference workshop seminar "Holy Spirit and Evangelization"
was actually a mini-charismatic conference within the Lausanne II conference itself.
Remember, the vast majority of evangelicals present were non-charismatic, yet the emphasis
in this workshop was totally charismatic. Note the following titles of these workshops:
"The Worldwide Holy Spirit Renewal," led by Vinson Synan, Pentecostal leader;
"The Holy Spirit in Church Growth," with Peter Wagner from Fuller Seminary;
"The Holy Spirit's Work in Power Evangelism," with John Wimber; "The Holy
Spirit' s Presence in Worship Produces Evangelism," led by Jack Hayford; "The
Holy Spirit in Two-Thirds World Mass Evangelism," where William Kumuyi recounted how
"Spirit-filled evangelists" drew crowds of from 50,000 to 500,000 through
prophetic gifts and miracles; "Open Session for Reports on Power Evangelism,"
where American Baptist charismatic leader Gary Clark presided; "Spiritual Conquest
Over Evil Spirits," with Marfa and Omar Cabrera, where attenders were taught how to
"take authority" over evil principalities and release "people groups"
in geographical areas so they can "enter the Kingdom of God through new spiritual
birth"; "The Spirit' s Ministry of Healing and Evangelism," led by Paul
Yonggi Cho, charismatic, occultic pastor of the world's largest church in Korea. Top
Pentecostal/charismatic power evangelism leaders did their best to promote their
unscriptural teachings concerning the ministry and gifts of the Holy Spirit. As far as I
could tell, no public word of Scriptural refutation was officially given to the
participants. The charismatic movement received a gigantic boost in Manila!
The Bible characterizes the last days for the Church as being days of devilish
deception. It is our firm conviction that the ecumenical convergence of the main branches
of what is popularly termed "Christianity" today -- the Roman Catholics, the
Evangelicals, the Protestants, the Pentecostals, the Orthodox, etc. -- is rapidly being
realized with the Charismatic Movement acting as the essential catalyst. Yes, the
Charismatic Movement and all associated with it is tremendous in size, wealth and
influence, but by no means does that mean it is of God. How do we know? Its scorn for the
primacy of sound doctrine, its emphasis on fleshly experience, its acceptance of several
gospels that are by definition mutually exclusive, its rejection of biblical truth
concerning the Lord's return, and its predilection for mixing truth with error -- all
these things and more mark this movement as being under God's curse, not His blessing.
God's Word warns that the leaven of demonic doctrine and the abundance of false, deceptive
religious leaders who speak "lies in hypocrisy" would abound in the last days of
the Church Age (Matthew 13:33; 2 Peter 3:1-4; Jude 17-18; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 1 John 2:18-19;
Revelation 3: 14-22; 1 John 4:1). They assume an outward profession that they are
proponents of the Faith, but have in fact departed from it ( 1 Timothy 4:1-2). They do not
abide, or continue in, the doctrine of Christ; they have not God (2 John 9); they have not
the Spirit (Jude 19).
Dear reader, these biblical admonitions and prophetic truths depict the current
situation. The faithful remnant Church is to be watching for the Lord's imminent return,
to be contending earnestly for the Faith, to be doing the work of an evangelist, to be
discerning the doctrines of demons which have gone out into the world, to be standing
fast, and to be separated from whatever is contrary to the Word ( Revelation 3:7-13; Jude
3-4; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Romans 16:17). No believer can possibly please his
Lord if he is identified in the slightest with an ecumenical, Charismatic movement that
scorns the Bible's guidelines for doctrine and ministry. If you have in any way
become associated with or are being influenced by the Charismatic Movement, watch
out -- it is dangerous! Please, dear reader, consider first of all whether or not
you have genuinely trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. If you have, you will
want to please Him by honoring and obeying His perfect and completed Revelation, the
Bible. A careful, prayerful study of that Word will result in the Holy Spirit
leading you into all truth, as well as away from all of Satan's lies.
Dennis W. Costella, the associate editor of Foundation and editor of
Feature Bible Study Guide, has served with the F.E.A. for twenty-five years.
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