When I attended Rhema Bible Training Center in the early 1980’s there was a fresh move of the Spirit combined with rich tevelatory teaching of the Word. That’s the dynamic blend for a sustaining revival. The late Kenneth E. Hagin was in his glory years as I am coming into now. It’s amazing how time flies. To me, Dad Hagin was the foremost prophet and teacher of the last century. The combination of his supernatural ministry of the prophet along with the refreshing, and watering ministry of the teacher provided a tremendous balance that kept things on course.
When Dad moved to heaven in 2003 things began to change in what men called the word of faith movement. It was really just the solid teaching and a return to the integrity of word of God, but there were some abuses and excesses when men perverted the message. Actually, it was already changing before Hagin’s departure to glory. The Lord was leading him to conduct Holy Ghost meetings because churches were getting dry by teaching so much without the move of the Spirit.
TULSA WAS CALLED THE NEW JERUSALEM
Back then Tulsa was like the New Jerusalem. With major ministries such as Oral Roberts, T.L. Osborn and others there, along with so many full gospel churches and Christian businesses, it seemed like the entire city was a Christian city. Now it’s quite different. Listen to this testimony of a friend of mine who is seeking to get out of there.
“It has been a long five years here in Tulsa seeing how ministry machines and man’s machinations have strangled the spirit of the Lord leading to the word of faith movement of the Spirit becoming another dead denomination. When I see the modern day word of faith movement, I see exactly what I see with the established dead denominational Assemblies of God of which I am very familiar from childhood and an uncle heavily involved in it at a senior leader level.
“I’ve seen people get stranded here and rendered outcasts because they would not conform to a desired image and standards. I’ve seen anointed people get sidelined, blacklisted, or chased out. I have reached the point that I may need to move on out of here. Outsiders are clearly not welcomed and “don’t you dare outshine anyone” here because that is a spiritual death sentence here. My heart is grieved with what I have found, and angered to, because it has damaged and is damaging the legacy of Kenneth E. Hagin, Oral Roberts, and other like pioneers who paid a severe price to lead the body of Christ to higher realms of glory. I am open to a relocation should the Lord pave the way.”
I’ve been involved in two major streams of the Spirit in my life — the end of the Charismatic move and then the “word of faith” move, which many today completely dismiss. They are sorely mistaken. In spite of the extremes, in my personal opinion, there isn’t one group who has more light from the word than this group. Men preverted it.
THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE GOSPEL
The greatest threat to the gospel of Christ is not Satan’s power. His power is defeated by the authority and the power of the gospel.
It’s not persecution, because history has proven that the gospel survives and even thrives while under attack.
It’s not dead religion because it offers a life changing relationship through Jesus Christ that can empty the pews of hungry seekers.
Rather, the single greatest threat to the pure gospel is when the spirit of the culture that surrounds it begins to invade it, corrupt it, taint it and twist it.
History confirms this.
For example, the gospel began to spread all throughout Rome and it eventually became an empire in Rome.
The gospel then spread all throughout Greece and it eventually became more of an ideology and a philosophy there.
The gospel then spread all throughout western Europe (post Reformation) and it eventually became a tradition, instead of the primary means for conversion.
Finally, the gospel started spreading in America, the land of opportunity, and it eventually became an enterprise. And that’s exactly where we are at today!
THE END OF THE AMERICAN GOSPEL ENTERPRISE
The exposure of all this in America specifically is just beginning. Scoundrels and scandals will continue to be exposed. Buckle up. Get ready. The fight for Truth has only just begun. God is cleansing His temple to prepare us for His glory and the return of the Lord.
The dominos within the “Who’s who of the Charismatic Zoo” are about to start falling with a loud sound and they will rage against the Peters (Acts 5 and 8) who have been anointed and appointed to expose them, oppose them, and publicly call for their repentance and resignation.
In their defense they will say its false accusations. They will say its bitter and hurt church people who are seeking revenge. They will say its slander coming from people who are allegedly jealous and envious of their ministry prominence and success. In the midst of their full blown delusion, rather than repent because they and their followers believe they are representing Jesus, they will say and do anything to save their personal sandcastle kingdoms they have constructed as a monument to their own name. They will use the full force of their ministry empires and all its many tentacles to go after and silence anyone who dares to stand up to them.
Get ready.
For further content on this theme see our last blog: https://www.holy-fire.org/post/why-churches-must-cultivate-a-culture-of-god-s-presence-and-the-spirit-s-power
Bert Farias' books are forerunners to personal holiness, the move of God and the return of the Lord. They also combat the departure from the faith and the turning away from the truth we are seeing in our day. His recent five-book bundle, written under a fresh anointing, is a forerunner of what the Lord is doing in His church today. His most read books are Cleansing The Temple and The Tumultuous 2020s and Beyond.
The two latest releases, which are so relevant to the time we are living in and the dumbing down of real prayer and the power of true apostolic churches are TONGUES: The Elevation Of A Mystery and ACTS 19: The Blueprint For The New Testament Church
And don't forget to check out our school of prayer.