From a presentation by Jeff Pippenger

We entitled this part of our presentation on Revelation 16, ‘The Miraculous Deception’ where we look at the spirit that is coming out of the mouth of the False Prophet.

"All are to hear the last message of warning. The prophecies in the book of Revelation, chapters 12 to 18, are being fulfilled. In the eighteenth chapter is recorded the very last call to the churches. This call is now to be given. In the nineteenth chapter, the time is pictured when the beast and the false prophet are taken, and cast into a lake of fire. The dragon, who was the instigator of the great rebellion against heaven, is bound, and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. Then follows the resurrection of the wicked and the final destruction of Satan and all the wicked, and the final triumph and reign of Christ in this earth." The Upward Look. 277.

Sister White here is telling us that the present truth message for Adventism today is in chapters 12-18 of Revelation and part of that story is the three-fold make up of modern Babylon which John the Revelator symbolized as the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet.

In Revelation 16, the warning is encapsulated between the 6^th and 7^th plague to make sure that we have Christ’s righteousness on lest we walk naked. The aspect of the Dragon and the Beast and the False Prophet being recorded there for us is emphasizing the religious aspect of those three powers, the religious spirit that will guide the followers of these three different branches of modern Babylon.

We’ve looked at a little bit of the miraculous predictions and miracles taking place in the realm of the Dragon, spiritualism, that’s preparing them for virtually the same kind of mindset about what’s going to take place at the end of the world as is occurring in the domain of the Beast, the Papacy which is being guided by the apparitions of Mary.

We’ve touched on the truth that Sister White says the frogs symbolize the overspreading of the land and we see that these miracles that are taking place in the Beast domain through the apparitions of Mary are around the world. They’ve been going on for many years but they’re increasing and how many are occurring in many different areas.

In this study we’re going to look at the spirit that we believe is guiding the False Prophet, apostate Protestantism in the United States, and Protestantism in the world at large. Primarily located here in Protestant United States as far as its starting point, we’re suggesting that that spirit is the charismatic movement.

This warning in Revelation 16, about the Dragon the Beast and the False Prophet leading the world to Armageddon, is certainly underlined with the theme of the close of probation, being sandwiched in between the testimony of the plagues which take place after human probation closes. This study is a follow up to the study of Daniel 11:40-45, a series entitled, ‘Final Rise and Fall of the King of the North’. One of the most important understandings from that study is that probation is about to close.

We believe that part of the warning message designed by God to awaken His people at the end, is the truth that probation is about to close. Christ is about to finish His work in the Most Holy place. He designed this truth to be understood by His people, not as a scare tactic, but as a reality check, to emphasize the seriousness of the message that we were raised up to proclaim. It is really coming in line now, time is running out and those of us that are going to be among those that give this final warning message have to take seriously every piece of information that the Lord has revealed to us and put it into our experience through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We believe that the final work that we’ll be allowed to do will be medical missionary work. We believe it’s the entering wedge in these final hours and so we don’t want to down play medical missionary work in any way. but in order to contrast the message that we’re emphasizing here with nearness of the close of probation and end time events, with the medical missionary works, we’re going to read a passage where Sister White does mention both of these thoughts, just to emphasize that the focus of our study is on track. Manuscript Releases. vol. 14. 161-164:

"Satan will work the miracles to deceive those who dwell upon the earth. Spiritualism will do its work by causing the dead to be personated."

[and one of those ‘deads’ that’s going to personated, we believe is Mary. Mary is certainly being personated around the world and this is nothing more than a manifestation of spiritualism that is guiding the Catholic adherents to their conclusion at end time events. And we would suggest that if this ‘White Buffalo’ phenomenon ultimately turns back into the White Buffalo Lady, that once again we’ll have a manifestation of a demon presenting himself as some kind of spiritual guide.] Continuing:

"Spiritualism will do its work by causing the dead to be personated. Those religious bodies who refuse to hear God’s messages of warning will be under strong deception, and will unite with the civil power to persecute the saints."

The Protestants in America will be the major players initially in the Sunday Law test that will reject the truths that sustain the Sabbath of the Lord and they’re going to be under strong delusion. Certainly the Sabbath test is going to purge Adventism as well and in fact, Adventism, those who will not stand faithful at the Sunday Law test, will be the first to come totally under this strong delusion. The Spirit of God is, as we speak, being withdrawn from the earth and there are many around us in Adventism and in the fallen churches of Protestantism that no doubt have already, in the Lord’s understanding crossed the line to where they are under deception, delusion and they are fully willing to unite with the civil power to bring about the Sunday Law.

This is a process that’s transpiring. So this is the context in this passage that Sister White’s talking about, and as we’re looking at the spirit that comes out of the mouth of the false prophet, the spiritual side of the False Prophet, we need to remember that it’s political side, the democracy of the United States is where the Sunday Law issue will first be initiated. Its political movement and its spiritual movement are directly related and Sister White here is tying these two together. Continuing:

"Those religious bodies who refuse to hear God’s messages of warning will be under strong deception, and will unite with the civil power to persecute the saints. The Protestant churches will unite with the papal power in persecuting the commandment-keeping people of God. This is that power which constitutes the great system of persecution which will exercise spiritual tyranny over the consciences of men. ‘He had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon: Though professing to be followers of the Lamb of God, men become imbued with the spirit of the dragon. They profess to be meek and humble but they speak and legislate with the spirit of Satan, showing by their actions that they are the opposite of what they profess to be. This lamb-like power unites with the dragon in making war upon those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. And Satan unites with Protestants and papists, acting in consort with them as the god of this world, dictating to men as if they were the subjects of his kingdom, to be handled and governed and controlled as he pleases. ...

"When the last decision has been made, when all have taken sides, either for Christ and the commandments or for the great apostate. God will arise in His power, and the mouths of those who have blasphemed against Him will be forever stopped. Every opposing power will receive its punishment." (Jeremiah 25:30-33, quoted}.

"The foregoing thoughts are just a few which I have written out in a crude way. It is not necessary for me to go into further particulars. I know you will understand these things. The reason why I write thus is that others, who know not what they are about, may come to their senses. The Lord has given each man his appointed work. But the special work called medical missionary work is absorbing so much that the greater and far more essential and important work of giving the message of warning to the world has been hindered. This message is to be proclaimed at our camp meetings and in a most earnest and decided manner. The trumpet is to give a certain sound. And whenever the truth has been proclaimed and people have been awakened and converted to the truth, they are at once to unite in enterprises of charity. Wherever Bible truths have been presented, a work of practical godliness is to be commenced. Wherever a church is established, true missionary work is to be done for the helpless and suffering in that place." Manuscript Releases. vol. 14. 161-164.

Sister White, when speaking about the issues connected with how Protestant America is fully going to disconnect from righteousness and through the Satanic leading of the Dragon power and the Papal power, force the legislators to pass a Sunday Law and begin to persecute God’s people, she says this is the message above the other messages that are important in Adventism that is to be emphasized at our campmeetings and at places where we speak.

We’re not trying to down-play medical missionary work, but we are trying to emphasize that the truths that we’re discussing here are solemn and serious. Some people have placed the three powers of Revelation 16 that lead the world to Armageddon off in the future. What we’re seeking to demonstrate here is that these spiritual influences from these three powers are already actively bringing a catalyst into their own particular movements leading their people to Armageddon as we speak.

You’ll notice when she was speaking about how the Protestants of the United States would unite with civil power, she says ‘those who refuse to hear God’s message of warning will be under strong delusion—and anyone taking the time to look at the condition of Protestant America would realize that they’ve already set themselves up for strong delusion. They’ve developed criteria for identifying prophecy or identifying the truth of the Word of God that is not in agreement with the Word of God. When you don’t have the Word of God as your guide in spiritual matters, you are adrift without a compass and they are already there.

I’d like to demonstrate this is by referring to part of a survey that was done and recorded in The Christian Times. June 13, 1996. The survey was done by the Barma research Group among professed born again Christians and the conclusions of these results are frightening if you understand Biblical Truth the way Seventh-day Adventists understand it. If you know that when Protestant America is about to bring about a Sunday Law, it’s because they are under a delusion and a deception and you know that before that time they have to have prepared themselves for that delusion and deception by turning away from the Word of God. This survey is one piece of evidence that that’s already taken piece.

"A survey by the Barma Research Group found of professed born again Christians brought forth some enlightening conclusions: 87% say their religious beliefs are very important to them, yet 84% of them hold many non-Biblical views; [Now the criteria of what ‘Non-Biblical views’ were in this survey were not Adventist criteria, it’s just overall Protestant criteria, so their non-Biblical views would no doubt be even higher. But the point is, we have almost 9 out of 10 of the Protestants of the United States saying, "It’s very important what my religion means to me’, but that same 9 out of ten hold false doctrine although they say it’s important not to.]

49% [half] believe the devil is not a real being but a symbol of evil; [if you’ve read the final chapters of Great Controversy, you know that one of the things that Satan exults in most is when he has people believing he’s just a symbol of evil and half the Protestants in the United States believe that. They no longer recognize Satan as a living, active evil being that’s in controversy with God.]

39% believe that if a person is generally good or does enough good things in his life they will go to heaven; [They have no concept of obedience or disobedience, it’s just ‘whether you’re good’ and we know that when we’re phrasing things in those terms as human beings, what’s good, is what I think is good. So there is no longer any kind of conviction that’s coming from the Word of God, saying to their soul that they’re walking out of the will of the Lord here.]

30% accept Jesus as a great teacher, but do not believe He came back to life; [Three out of ten Protestants in the United States don’t believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ! They are in for some large deceptions when they believe they are Christians and take some of those most essential truths and can’t bring them into their understanding.]

29% believe Jesus sinned while He lived among men; [it would appear to me if they believe that that they just have not been studying the Bible. One of the conclusions we’re trying to draw here is that Protestant America is no longer studying their Bible.]

29% say there are some sins which God will not forgive; 26% do not believe they have a responsibility to tell others of their beliefs; [I wonder if it isn’t a higher percentage in Adventism today that do not believe they have a responsibility to tell others about their beliefs.]

15% do not believe the Bible is totally accurate; [and if you don’t believe the Bible is totally accurate and you carry it to its logical conclusion, you certainly can’t have faith in the Word of God.

34% said they have read the Bible in the last week. The Christian Times. June 13, 1996. [and the way you understand that statement, brothers and sisters, is 34% of Protestants in the United States, said that within the last week they read the Bible and the other 66% haven’t read it in the last week. So 3 or 4 out of ten Protestant Christians in the United States are reading their Bible on a weekly basis, not a daily basis and the other 66% don’t read their Bible on a weekly basis and yet here we are at a time period when Satan is about to accomplish the most miraculous deception of all time.

The reason that we started here with our study is that we want to look at the influence that is guiding Protestant America and we’re suggesting that influence is the charismatic movement. One branch of the charismatic movement that has been much in the news for quite some years now that we want to look at rather closely is the ‘Holy Laughter’ movement which really began in earnest in Toronto, Canada.

The founders of holy laughter movement, came from a movement in Charismatic Christianity called the Vineyard movement. Please remember that term the ‘Vineyard Movement’, we’re going to tie something in with this later. Sister White said that the frogs symbolize the overspreading of the land. If you watched when the holy laughter movement began in Toronto, it began to spread everywhere. Here is an article after the fact where it had popped up in Australia, and it popped up in England and it began popping up all over the world.

The reason the ‘Toronto Blessing’, this holy laughter movement, began to pop up all around the world is because people from all around the world came to Toronto to have this experience for themselves and then they took it back to the place were they live. Toronto, Canada is a big city, but the number one tourist attraction in Toronto was the Toronto Blessing. People came from all over the world to attend these religious services where holy laughter took place.

An analysis of the holy laughter movement was written by James A. Beverly, who is a theologian from a Christian University in Canada. "Professor Beverly is one of Canada’s leading scholars of contemporary religion. This provocative study of the Vineyard Movement offers a tough but redemptive analysis of the promise and perils of Charismatic Christianity. This report is the place to start for careful investigation of holy laughter and the Toronto blessing. James A Beverly is professor of theology and ethics at Ontario Theological seminary in Toronto, Canada; he has specialized for twenty years in the study of modern religious movements."

So this man is a recognized leader in religious movements in the protestant world and he wrote this book because he wanted to do a study on what was taking place in the Toronto Blessing. He was not a follower of the ‘Vineyard movement’ or the ‘Toronto Blessing, this report is supposed to come to a conclusion about whether or not this movement is of God.

In the book, pg. 68-69, he describes the phenomenon that takes place during the holy laughter movement. We want to read this to you so that you’ll understand what we’re talking about in this charismatic experience. This is not simply the loud music, and the speaking in tongues, and the collapsing on the floor; it’s more.

We’ll just take some snippets from these pages as this expert was analyzing this manifestation that has been sweeping the world:

"At a typical evening rally during ministry time you can expect to see a large number in the crowd ‘slain in the Spirit. People simply falling backwards. ... "Some people dance at this point during the worship. ...

"Occasionally, one or two people will run during the service, these are sometimes called ‘Jesus laps.’

"Weeping is also common. ... "One of the more controversial signs is Holy Laughter. People laugh during various parts of the worship, and this powerful experience of laughter can sweep the entire crowd, even during preaching time. Several times the preaching has been stopped or cut short because of the pervasiveness of the laughter. ...

"Other manifestations have caused even greater bewilderment. For, example, many people in worship engage in high-speed shaking of their hands, arms, or head. Others make various chopping and swinging motions.

"Still others have roared like lions or barked like dogs. I have personally heard both in various meetings. I also heard one man making noises like a cow. Others have reported people oinking like pigs and crowing like roosters. ...

"Frequent examples are also cited of people drunk in the Spirit. At several Airport meetings in January 1995, people gathered to watch a man from Liverpool who was said to be ‘drunk as a skunk." Holy Laughter and the Toronto Blessing, James A. Beverly. 68-69.

Part of the responsibility of deacons in the Toronto Blessing church, is to give people who have become ‘drunk’ in the Lord, rides home, because they’re really drunk. There’s one incident here where a lady left and was drunk for a couple days, so drunk that when she was supposed to be preparing and serving a meal for people that were coming over, she could not walk, she just couldn’t do it.

It’s such an emotional experience; it’s overwhelming you physically have not control of yourself. The leader of this revival is Rodney Howard-Browne, called the Holy Ghost Bartender. Refer to Book.

The conclusion of this study is what’s frightening. What we just read is a brief analysis of what goes on during this religious experience and he’s there investigating it, going there to decide whether you can put the seal of approval on this or not. Here’s some of the things that he points out along his way to come to his conclusion. This is from pg. 136:

"There’s a significant difference in the concept of a modern day Christian Prophet from the concept of an Old Testament Prophet. It is widely assumed by those who believe prophecy still occurs, that such prophets can make mistakes, even false prophecies. In other words, a Christian prophet can make errors just like someone who has the gift of teaching, like a good preacher who has a bad day in the pulpit, of like someone with the gifts of discernment who makes an unwise judgment. In other words, the gift of prophecy today, does not seem to demand inerrancy in prediction.

"Some writers even contend that New Testament prophets make mistakes in prophetic speculation, this perspective, of course, must not be reduced to absurdity. Advocates of modern day prophecy admit that a high rate of false prophecies suggest that someone may have missed his or her calling, likewise all Christian prophets have to be rooted in obedience to Jesus Christ as their share in the gift of prophecy."

What we want to emphasize here is this expert on religious movements in the Protestant world, is professing that a Biblical prophet doesn’t have to be correct all the time. Like our survey says, Protestant Christians are no longer studying the Word of God and they’ve got to the point where they don’t have the protection of demanding that someone that they’re going to receive prophetic information from, has to be 100% correct and 100% in agreement with the Bible.

When Sister White says those religious bodies that will unite with the Papacy in bringing about a Sunday Law will be under strong delusion, when Protestant America has reach a point where they can say a prophet, a modern day prophet, doesn’t have to be correct all the time, they’ve reached a point where this delusion can take place.

Here’s another point that he builds as he’s heading towards his conclusion of the Toronto Blessing: Pg. 149:

"I mentioned earlier that further probing the Toronto Blessing with regard to the Biblical test is necessary. I also suggest that in any such analysis we should not claim that the Vineyard in general is unbiblical, in evangelical Protestant circles one can hardly issue a stronger judgment of group than to say they do not believe the Bible. Since the reformation a consensus has emerged among evangelicals as to what constitutes the heart of Biblical faith.

"A firm commitment to certain Biblical convictions brings fundamental unity with other Christians. In the last several decades there is also recognition of common ground between orthodox Catholics and evangelical Protestants on the core principles of Biblical revelation. The association of Vineyard churches stand in solid agreement with other Christian groups on the central and classic themes of Holy Scripture. Given this, whatever misuse, neglect or misinterpretation of the Bible takes place out of the Toronto Blessing, should be raised in good faith to Vineyard leaders and others. Similarly, Vineyard members and Toronto Blessing participants have every right to speak about their concerns and criticisms in regard to failings concerning scriptures that they observe in other denominational groups."

In other words, this gentleman is reaching the conclusion about whether the holy laughter movement is of God or not, one of the criteria he puts together with a misunderstanding of the requirements of a Biblical prophet, is that he will not hold up a pure doctrinal test from the word of God. He’s accepting the ecumenical solution that there is certain core beliefs that someone has to profess to, and if they do then even if they have a few things that seem out of place to other Christians, it’s no reason to accuse them of being not Christians and therefore no reason to accuse them of not being led by the Lord.

This is the kind of reasoning that this ‘expert’ in the Protestant world is bringing to bear as he analyzes the holy laughter movement. So as he gets to his conclusion whether or not the holy laughter movement is of God, and like he said earlier, people making noises like cows, like pigs, like roosters, doing ‘Jesus laps’, drunk ‘in the lord’. He’s reaching his conclusion, he says this:

"I hope that the multitudes will continue to come to Toronto, for renewal." Pg. 156. He doesn’t want to see this come to an end!

"As much as I’ve been critical of many aspects of holy laughter and the Toronto blessing, I would be disappointed if the renewal meetings shut down." pg. 161.

The surveys are telling us that Protestant America is no longer, using the Word of God as their guide, therefore they are prepared for a deception. And their authorities are looking at manifestations of a spirit that obviously doesn’t bear the credentials of the Divine and they’re accepting this position.

Let me read one more thing; pg. 162: "Fundamentally, neither the Toronto Blessing, nor the holy laughter revival should be understood as something a parallel in the work of God today. Rather both realities are simply two ways among countless others that God uses to manifest His gracious and creative salvitic work through Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Lord. The notion that the holy laughter revival or the Toronto blessing represent something unique, derives more from wishful thinking and an erroneous theology of the spirit that any thing else. One can probably recognize every wonderful aspect of both movements without giving in to the temptation of elitism and self absorption; something that manifests so often in famous renewal movements."

He spent some time to go back over other charismatic so-called revivals that have taken place in history and basically makes a defense that the holy laughter movement is just another time when the Lord is seeking to bring about a revival in His work.

We have here a testimony from a Christian, that was not charismatic, in the Florida area who had an FM radio station. The leader of this movement, Rodney Howard Brown was going to be interviewed on this radio station. This is a testimony of what took place in Jan. (1995) at this radio station when Randy Clark visited.

I want to remind you about how the statues of spiritualism were drinking milk and how quickly this phenomenon swept the world and we need to keep all of this study in the context of the ‘final movements will be rapid ones’. But in regard to the charismatic movement and the influence that it has with Protestant America, we need to recognize that the manifestations that take place within the charismatic movement can happen just as quickly as in the movement of spiritualism.

This particular testimony gives evidence to this. I’m reading is a statement by this non-charismatic FM Christian radio station announcer and it will describe itself; but notice how this experience that accompanies the holy laughter movement came into this radio station.

Dear friend of Christian FM 92;

"I had already put the finishing touches on my first letter of 1995. I really liked it. It was full of optimism and inspirational resolutions for the New Year. It will never make it to the printer. Instead I am compelled to offer you a testimony and witness as to a most remarkable day. I pray that it will serve to encourage those who seek God and terrify those who oppose Him.

"January 6, 1995 began in a rather ordinary way. It was Friday and it has been a busy week but I was looking forward to a slow day. As I was leaving the house I actually told my wife, "There’s not much on my calendar, I may try to take the afternoon off and come home early."

"I had agreed to interview a pastor from St. Louis, Randy Clark, that morning. Randy was the guest speaker at the tabernacle church’s renewal services nightly and since the ‘Tab’ is a good friend of FM 92 and many other area churches were participating in the meetings, we had decided to clear a slot on the morning show for a brief interview.

"My guest was one of the leaders of the so-called Toronto revival. I had read about the Toronto meetings, but frankly, I’ve heard a lot of revival rumors over the years and learned not to pay much attention. Normally I don’t do interviews myself but I was feeling cautious and let the morning guys know I’d be there.

"The interview was innocent enough at first; the subject turned to a discussion of the Holy Spirit’s manifest presence in a meeting as opposed to His presence that dwells within our hearts always. Rather suddenly something began to happen in the control room. It began with Greg; he was seated behind me listening and for shuddering sobs that he attempted to muffle with his hand. It was hard to ignore and Randy paused in mid sentence to comment, "You can’t really see him but God is really dealing with the fellow behind you right now."

"I looked over my shoulder just in time to see Greg loosing control; he stood up only to crash to the floor directly in front of the console, where he lay shaking for several minutes.

"I don’t know if you have ever tried to conduct a radio interview in such circumstances, but let me assure you, I never have. I was mortified, we have always attempted to avoid any extremes at FM 92, so it was difficult to explain to our listeners what was happening.

"I had always known Greg to act like a professional, so I knew something was seriously going on. I did my best to recover the interview under the embarrassing circumstances; I thanked the guest and wrapped it up, and thought of ways to kill Greg later.

"And when we had a guest minister in the station we ask him to pray for the staff. Before Randy Clark left, we asked him to say a word of prayer. We formed a circle and began to pray for the staff one by one. My eyes were shut but I heard a thud and opened them to see Bart Mazzorella prostrate on the floor. He had fallen forward on his face. What amazed me was that Bart was known to be openly skeptical. He simply did not accept such things.

"Within seconds, another, and another staff person went down. Even those that remained standing were clearly shaken. When they prayed for me, I did not fall down; what did happen was an electric sensation shot down my right arm and my right hand began to tremble uncontrollably. My heart pounded as I became aware of the powerful sense of what can only be called God’s manifest presence. Remember, our staff is not primarily charismatic. We are Episcopalian, Nazarene, Evangelical, Pentecostal and a couple of us not quite sure.

"While personally associated with an Assembly of God church, I am quite skeptic when it comes to weird stuff. I don’t watch many evangelists on TV because too often I’m turned off by what I see. This was completely new to us. Randy was scheduled elsewhere so after just a few minutes of prayer, he thanked me graciously and left quickly.

"Our remained in the control room staring at each other wide-eyed and hovering over Bart who still appeared unconscious on the floor. He was completely immobile for over half an hour. There was a sweet atmosphere of worship in the room, so I told someone to put one of those integrative worship CDs on the air while we continued to pray together.

"I thought the atmosphere would abate after a few minutes and return to normal, but instead our prayers grew more and more intense. The room became charged in a way I simply cannot describe. After an hour of this we realized that it was ten thirty, the time we normally share our listener’s needs in prayers.

"I switched on the mike and found myself praying that God would touch every listener in a personal way. After prayer, with great hesitation I added, "This morning God has really been touching our staff so we have been spending the morning praying together. If you are in a situation right now where you’re facing a desperate need, just drop by our studios this morning and we’ll take a minute to pray with you."

"This was the first time we’d ever made such an invitation. This is where everything went haywire. Within a few minutes a few listeners began to arrive. The first person I prayed with was a tall man who shared with me some tremendous needs he was facing. I told him I would agree with him in prayer.

"As I prayed for his needs a voice in my head was saying, ‘It’s a shame you don’t operate in a real spiritual gift of power. Here’s a man who really needs to here from God and you’ve got nothing worth giving him.’ I continued to pray but I was struggling. I reached up with my right hand and touched his shoulder when suddenly he shook and flumped to the floor. He lay there without moving for over two hours. I was shacked and shaken.

"Two others had arrived at this point, staff members were praying with them. Suddenly they began weeping uncontrollably and slumped to the floor. The scene was repeated a dozen times in the next few minutes.

"It didn’t matter who did the praying, whenever we asked of the Lord He immediately responded with a visible power and the same manifestations occurred. I didn’t know whether to be terrified or thrilled but clearly something completely unusual was going on.

"A young man cautiously entered the room and began to tell us he was just happening to be scanning the radio dial when he heard something about prayer. He reported that he was immediately overcome with conviction. Years before he’d been contemplating going into the ministry and he’d attended a couple of years at a Christian college but he had since strayed from God. As a chill of conviction swept him, he felt God suddenly telling him it was now or never. He drove to the station. We prayed with him to receive Christ as Lord and afterward he too slumped to the floor.

"One by one they came; we continued to play praise-oriented music and every hour, sometimes on the half hour, we’d invite people to come. Fairly early in all this we ran out of room. The radio station floor was wall-to-wall bodies; some weeping, some shaking, some completely still. People reported that it was like a heavy lead apron had been places over them. They were unable to get up all they could do was worship God.

"Fortunately our offices are inside the complex at Central Assembly, sp when the crowd began to grow we moved across into the church leaving the radio station literally wall to wall with seekers. Some teachers at __Christian school had heard what was happening and asked to pray for certain children they had been bringing in the room. AS we prayed for the kids, many began to shake and fall on the floor. Some would begin to utter praises to God, others lay completely immobile for periods of over half an hour.

"If you’ve ever tried to make a seven-year-old lay still, you know it’s a miracle. A few simply experienced nothing at all. By now I was convinced that we were experiencing a bona fide movement of God. I had read about such manifestations experiences being common in the revival meetings of great men like Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley. I’d also read of the great campmeeting revivals of the early 1800s where thousands upon thousands experiences being slain. But I never imagined that I would really live to see it.

"The crowd continued to grow and lines began to form. The power of God continued to fall on those coming. It was almost like being in a dream. I would look up and see our staff members eyes red, face puffy, hands trembling with the fire in their eyes and the power of God upon them. I couldn’t believe it was the same people I knew and worked with. In a matter of hours something we never ever dreamed of, much less aspired to, was happening

"The floor in front of the sanctuary was soon covered with men and women, boys and girls. The aisles began to fill as we were pushing aside chairs for more floor space. Usually one of our staff would catch the person as he fell, but on quite a few occasions we were caught by surprise and people fell hard on the floor. Frankly, we had no idea what we were doing. I am not sure I wanted to learn.

"At some point I looked up and saw a local Baptist pastor walk in the door. I must confess that my first though was, oh boy, I’m in trouble. I knew this brother to be a genuine man of God, nevertheless I was concerned about how a fundamental, no nonsense Baptist might take all these goings on. Besides, I didn’t have any explanations to offer.

"I walked up to greet him; he just silently surveyed the room and with a tone of voice just above a whisper said, "This is God. For years I have been praying for revival, This is God."

"Within minutes more local pastors began to arrive, Lutheran, independent, Assembly of God. Word of what was happening spread like wildfire. As the pastors arrived, they were cautious at first, but within just minutes they would often begin to flow in the same ministry. The crowd was growing and pastors began to lay hands on the seekers. Where once again the power of God would manifest and the seeker would often collapse to the ground. It did not seem to matter who did the praying. This was a nameless, faceless, spontaneous move of God. There were no stars, no leaders and frankly, there was no organization. It’s hard to plan for something you have no idea what might happen.

"Eventually, word of what was occurring reached Fred Grew, the Melbourne pastor who had brought Randy Clark to the station earlier that morning. He and Randy along with several other Melbourne pastors jumped in the car and headed down to Marel? beach. At this point we started broadcasting live from the church. As the group from Melbourne arrived, more and more people began to show up asking for prayer. It seemed like there were always more than we could get to.

"Amazingly unchurched, unsaved people were showing up. I got a fresh glimpse of the power of radio as person after person told us. "I’m not really part of any church." A few were skeptical at first and later found themselves kneeling in profound belief.

"Sometimes people would rise up only to frantically announce to us that they had been healed of some physical problem. One woman’s arthritic hands found relief. Neck pains, jaw problems, stomach disorders, and more, were all reported to us as healed.

"We had received at least a dozen verified, credible, reliable comments from people who told us, that when they switched on the radio, they were suddenly, unexpectedly overwhelmed by the presence of God even when they didn’t hear us saying anything. Several told up that the manifest presence of God was so strong in their cars that they were unable to drive and were forced to go off the road.

"This falling aspect of this manifestation was the most visible manifestation, but it was not falling that was important. What was important was the fact that people were raising up with more love for God in their hearts than ever before they were being changed. I’ve lost count of the numbers of people who told me of the change God worked in their lives.

"It’s hard to imagine the impact this had on our staff. It seems like God had almost given me a new staff composed entirely of men and women with tremendous zeal for God. What is occurring in our local churches is even more amazing. My phone is ringing with the calls of excited pastors. At least a dozen area churches from completely different ends of the theological spectrum are already experiencing this powerful movement in their church.

"The leaders of many, many local fellowships have been visiting these churches to check it out and they too are being touched to take it back with them. It’s almost like a tidal wave has hit this area of Florida.

"If you are skeptical, I understand and forgive you. I might have thrown a letter like this one away just a few days ago. I share this only to try and offer a faithful rendition of what really has happened. I only ask that you remain open to whatever God wants to accomplish trough you.

"Christian history is full of accounts of those times when God elected to visit His people. When He has, entire nations have sometimes been affected. I believe you will agree. Our nation is ripe for such a revival. For such a time as this, let us look to God with expectancy."

With warm regards,

I am sincerely yours

John Hamilton general manager

This closing paragraph with this brother mentioned that he believed that the nation is ripe for a revival and in the book that we looked at on Promise Keepers, one of the reasons that this authority hesitated to oppose the holly laughter movement is because he believes the time has come for a revival and as we continue on to look at another aspect of the movement that is moving forward in the United States which we believe is the spirit that comes out of the False Prophet in Revelation 16, we’ll find that one of the pre-conditions for this is that Protestants America, even though it is clearly not using the Bible as its guide any longer, for some reason is expecting a revival. It’s this expectancy of revival without any criteria to define a true revival of God, which is setting them up to receive this strong delusion and strong deception.

This charismatic movement swept this Florida town in one day! Where not only did it sweep it in one day, but it brought about a condition where ecumenism was accomplished instantly, virtually.

This movement in Florida is continuing to go on, you can find this Brownsville revival mentioned in magazines and newspapers. Here is a newspaper article of what is being called the Brownsville revival, which is nothing more than another area that the frog of holy laughter has reached to, and I want to read just a couple of snippets out of this article; this is from March 7, 1997, where the pastor that is involved with leading out with this revival, ahs a couple comments to make about this movement:

"There is also something more a shared sense that America is in moral decline, and a belief preached by other great revivalists through the nations history that God is going to set things right."

You look at these charismatic experiences, incidences that have been spawned from the Vineyard movement and after that from the holy laughter movement and connected with it is this recognition is in moral decline and God is about to bring a revival and this is preparing this condition for protestant America to buy into these supernatural manifestations of an unholy spirit.

Later on this pastor that was leading out says this:

"I believe America is ripe for a revival," said evangelist Stephen Hill, "I believe this is turning into an awakening".

The spirit that guides the False Prophet of Revelation 16 is just as much active in his role of taking its followers to Armageddon as is the apparitions of Mary taking Catholicism to Armageddon and the miracles that are taking place in the spiritualistic realm, the New Age movement leading its followers likewise to Armageddon.

In the Reagan years when we see alliance secretly formed between the United States and the Vatican we see some other breaking down of the walls that were designed to keep church and state apart that took place by movements by Reagan. During that time period we see Jerry Falwell raise up the ‘Moral Majority’ and we see Jerry Falwell in 1989 say that the ‘Moral Majority’ has accomplished its goal.

In 1988, Pat Robertson lost his bid for presidency of the United States, being nominated as the Republican Nominee and in 1989 he formed the Christian Coalition. First during the Reagan years is when this movement between the United States and the Vatican that we discussed in our previous study of Daniel 11 took place. We see a leader of Protestant America, Jerry Falwell, begin a movement that is emphasizing the moral decline of the United States, emphasizing that Protestants of the United States need to work with Catholics of the United States to restore a moral fiber to this country. When Jerry Falwell finally says the ‘Moral Majority’ has accomplished it’s task, we see Pat Robertson raise up the Christian Coalition, which began with 50,000 members, those people who were supporting Pat Robertson in his bid for presidency. Their numbers have doubled every year since 1989, they are the largest polling block in the United States today, the Republicans and Democrats do not have representatives in every voting precinct in the United States, but the Christian Coalition does.

The Christian Coalition in 1994 put their people in Congress and totally changed the makeup of Congress and in the 1996 election, they did not loose any seats, they gained more seats. The analysts that watch Congress today tell us that if those that were put in office by the Christian Coalition would unite with the Catholics that are in Congress, they can pass any law that they want. So we can see the political side of the False Prophet is being solidified and at the same time we see this spirit that comes out of the False Prophet’s mouth is accelerating in its charismatic experience that is designed to bring about unity among the different denominations of Christianity.

We see a movement that we know as the Promise Keepers and we’re going to look at that a little bit in our next presentation.

There is one thing I want you to consider, the founder of the Promise Keepers, Bill McCartney, not only was he a Catholic, but he was converted from being a Catholic into a particular movement in Protestant Christianity and this movement is known as the Vineyard Movement and the Vineyard movement is the identical movement that the holy laughter movement comes from. So there is a connection here that is worth recognizing and considering.