Logan Anderson ~ Editorial “Revival … What is a move of the Holy Spirit? – and what is a manifestation of the Devil?”

Logan Anderson ~ Editorial

"Revival ... What is a move of the Holy Spirit? - and what is a manifestation of the Devil?"

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We live in a world - as far as the 'Enlightened West' is concerned that is enthralled by the mystical and the supernatural ... yet so blindly embracing of secularism and Darwinian humanism.

Hollywood, popular fiction, and the shapers and definers of popular culture 'indoctrinate' us with wizards, vampires, werewolves, mutant superheroes, and every other imaginable manifestation of supernatural or magical expression - yet the Church and anything to do with the true living God is rejected and repelled with the passion and desperation of a Transylvanian peasant holding off a vampire with a silver crucifix and a clove of garlic.

This paradox is confusing and confounding and leaves the Church in a place of struggle, ridicule and compromise. 

So, what is the public perception of a supernatural manifestation that has claims to be of God?  Down through the centuries, as far back as that prophetically foretold day when Peter , in Acts 2:14-  jumped up and declared with a fire of revival surging through him, quoting Joel but with a message for us today ...

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams ...

Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Within a Holy Spirit manifestation context that drew mocking and criticism and claims of drunkenness, Peter confronted the attackers - declared The Truth before them with boldness and fire - and 3000 were added to The Kingdom that very day. 

Over the last 2000 years there have been those who have, at every event and opportunity, attacked and mocked and criticised every move of God - slamming ministries, being used of Satan to sow tares among the wheat, and bringing the name of God and His Church into disrepute ... either from the sidelines with accusing fingers, or from the pulpit through their own counterfeit Holy Spirit ministries and money grabbing ventures.

It is no different today.  Even over the last 100 plus years there have been the attackers and deriders of the Welsh Revival, Asuza Street, John G Lake, Smith Wigglesmith, Kuhlman, Branham, Coe, AA Allen, Latter Rain Movement, Jesus Hippie Revival, etc. etc.

Were all of these ministries perfect?  ... No!  Were some of them doctrinally flawed?  ... some would say 'Yes!'  Were they of God? ... again - some would say 'yes'! and others 'no!'  We need to be aware that God would have us know them by their fruits - not their doctrines ... for many there are who are doctrinally sound in an intellectual sense - but are fruitless in a Godly sense ... and many there are who may not be doctrinally sound - yet with pure heart and love of God can do amazing things in His Name. 1 Corinthians1:27 says:

"But God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong"

What then of outpourings over the last 20 years?  We have had 'Toronto', 'Pensecola' , 'Lakeland' and other revival events that have drawn criticism but are not unique in terms of the expressions and manifestation experienced. As Solomon himself said in Ecclesiastes 1 "... there is nothing new under the sun" The reality is that where ever there is supernatural manifestation there will be demonic counterfeit also.  Moses and the Courts of Pharaoh were evidence of that.  The challenge then is for us to be discerning and to be anchored in The Word.

The thing is ... when we become so obsessed regarding whether someone else's ministry is of God or not of God we somehow can miss out on what God has for us.  There is the story of the five wise and the five foolish virgins found in Matthew 25:1-

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’  “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’  “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

This speaks to me of how those who lack anointing can be so obsessed and distracted by those who do have the anointing that they miss out on the return of the Lord, and are rejected by him.

"We are fast approaching a time when
our very survival will be as a
result of the supernatural grace of God."

Better that we shift our mindsets and paradigms away from the fantasy demonic supernatural of Hollywood etc, reject the lies and propaganda of a cynical and politically controlled and manipulated so called 'free press' , and distance ourselves from those who commentate on any supernatural manifestation of God as Satanic just because it doesn't fit within their closed and 'un-anointed' theology.

As I said in my previous editorial ... any supernatural manifestation is evidence of the spiritual realm.  Remember Satan can only counterfeit the creation of God.  Look at any manifestation - not as a subject of worship - but as an indication that there is an omnipotent spiritual power that is Creator God's alone - place your trust in that and worship Him alone.  Court magicians may come and go - Joseph, Daniel, Moses and others had their share of experiences with them.  When the snakes appeared on the ground before Moses in the courtroom of Pharaoh ... what was the response of Moses? ... it was to confront the counterfeit with the true - and reveal the supernatural power of the True God.

So ... what of the future?  I believe there will be a time, soon in which we must press into, and rely upon the supernatural love and provision of the Holy Spirit like never before.  Acquire the anointing now - build relationship with God - don't become distracted with negativism and criticism from those who might be considered 'foolish virgins' - but immerse yourselves in both the Truth of The Word - as food and nourishment for your soul and the Well of the Holy Ghost - as drink and refreshing for your spirit as those who might be considered 'wise virgins'.

Psalm 91 provides a promise of supernatural covering, protection and provision that every one of us can lay claim to - and I believe will need to for the survival of our very souls for the days that lie ahead.

 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.  If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you,  no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.  “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

To deny the supernatural is to hold the Lord in contempt ... and place oneself into the firing line of death and destruction ...for I believe prophetically that the Lord is saying in this hour the following:

"... that in these days that I am about to do a new thing - and bring a move of my Holy Spirit that will shake the Earth in the spirit as surely as the earth is being shaken in the natural - and awaken my Church from her slumber.

"... and I will bring an outpouring of my Holy Spirit that will drench the earth in the Spirit as surely as the earth is being drenched in the natural - and cleanse and refresh my Church from her fatigue

"... and I will bring a conflagration of fire of my Holy Spirit that will lighten the darkness of the sky as surely as erupting volcanoes and exploding lightning - and will revive my Church from her state of deathly cold and lukewarm indifference, and will purge her of uncleanness."

Acts 13:41 says ... 

'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.'

Isaiah 43:16-19 says ..

This is what the Lord says - he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.   See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

John the Baptist, although a contemporary of his blood cousin Jesus, was really the last of the Old Testament prophets - and signposted the way for others to follow Jesus.  Yet there was a time there near the end of his life when doubt and uncertainty came upon him in his prison cell.  In his thoughts - "was Jesus The One?"  Jesus sent back this communication to him (Luke 7:22-23)

“Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

There has recently been a revival break out in Alabama that has connections in the spirit with Pensacola, Toronto etc.  There will always be those who mock, scorn or condemn ... but echoing the words of Jesus to John the Baptist ... the minister leading this revival, Former Brownsville Revival leader John Kilpatrick, says the blind are seeing, the lame walking and the deaf hearing at what he believes may become another long-running revival.

An account of this revival occurring in Alabama can be accessed by clicking here. 

As for me and my house ... we desire such visitation of God here in this part of the world ... New Zealand with it's shaking, Australia with its drenching, and the other smaller nations on the Pacific Rim of Fire.

Your comments to this editorial feature would be most appreciated.