Of the Spirit or not?

The late Derek Prince who ministered internationally wrote a response to 'manifestations' in the church.

Editor's preamble: The following article has been published partly in response to a discussion thread on 'Kundalini spirits in the church?'

Uproar in the Church

Reports have been coming in from Christian groups in widely separated locations of what appears to be a strange new phenomenon. Believers of different ages and widely different social backgrounds are being overcome by prolonged outbursts of laughter which have no obvious cause. Sometimes they may also act as if they are drunk. Often this laughter appears to be contagious. Those who have experienced it apparently "transmit" it to others. Large groups may be seized by it simultaneously.

Both ministers and lay people from a wide range of denominations have been affected in this way. Some testify that it has had a stimulating effect on their faith and has brought them closer to the Lord. On the other hand, there are those who are skeptical and view this kind of experience as a deception of the enemy. As a result of all this, I am frequently being asked whether I believe that the Holy Spirit at times produces in people prolonged, exuberant and apparently causeless laughter. "I have to believe it," I reply, "because that is how I was saved more than 50 years ago."

In the summer of 1941, I was part of a medical unit of the British Army billeted in a hotel on the North Bay of Scarborough in Yorkshire. The hotel had been gutted of all its furniture and fittings. Our "beds" were simply straw mattresses on the floor. While in Scarborough I had some brief contacts with Pentecostal Christians, who confronted me for the first time with my need to receive Christ as my personal Savior. At that point in my life I was a nominal Anglican, who never voluntarily attended church. I had never before heard of Pentecostals, and I had no idea what they believed or what kind of people they were.

About nine months previously, however, I had started to read the Bible through from beginning to end. I had no religious motive. I regarded the Bible merely as a work of philosophy. As a professional philosopher, I felt it was my academic duty to find out what the Bible had to say. At this point I had come as far as the book of Job-but it had been a dreary task! Confronted in this way with the claims of Christ, however, I decided about 11 o'clock one night to pray "until something happened." I had no idea what I might expect to happen. For about an hour I struggled in vain to form some kind of coherent prayer. Then about midnight I became aware of a presence and I found myself saying to some unknown person what Jacob had said when wrestling with the angel at Peniel: "Unless you bless me, I will not let you go" (Genesis 32:26).

I repeated these words several times with increasing emphasis: "I will not let you go, I will not let you go..." Then I began to say to the same unknown person, "Make me love you more and more". When I got to these last words, I again began to repeat them; "more and more and more..." At this point an invisible power came down over me and I found myself on my back on the floor, with my arms in the air, still saying, "more and more and more...."

After a while my words changed to deep sobbing which rose up from my belly through my lips, shaking my whole body convulsively. The sobs did not proceed out of anything in my conscious mind. I had no special sense of being sinful. After about half an hour, without any act of my volition, the sobbing changed to laughter. I had no more conscious reason for laughing than I had for sobbing. The laughter, like the sobbing, flowed from my belly. At first, it was quite gentle, but it gradually became louder and louder. I had the impression that I was being immersed in a sea of laughter that reverberated around the room.

At this point the soldier who shared the room with me woke up to find me on my back on the floor clothed only in my underwear, with my arms in the air, laughing uproariously. Rising up from his mattress, he walked around me rather helplessly two or three times, keeping at a safe distance. Finally he said, "I don't know what to do with you. I suppose it's no good pouring water over you." An inaudible voice within me responded, "Even water wouldn't put this out!" However, I remembered dimly having heard years earlier in church that men should not blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Contrary to all my natural reasoning, I knew that what was in me was the Holy Spirit. In order not to offend my friend, I rolled over onto my face and laboriously crawled to my mattress. Pulling the blanket over my head, I eventually fell asleep, still laughing-quietly.

Next morning I awoke to an amazing, but objective, fact: I was a totally different person. No longer did vile language flow out of my mouth. Prayer was no longer an effort, it was as natural as breathing. I could not even drink a glass of water without pausing to thank God for it. At six o'clock, as was my usual custom, I went to the pub for a drink. But when I got to the door, my legs "locked." They would not carry me inside the pub. I stood there having an argument with my legs. Then, to my surprise, I realized I was no longer interested in what the pub had to offer. I turned round and walked back to my billet. Back in my billet once again, I opened my Bible to continue reading. At this point, however, I discovered the most amazing change of all. Overnight the Bible had become a completely new book. It was as if there were only two persons in the universe-God and me. The Bible was God speaking directly and personally to me. This has never changed, and it is equally true of the Old Testament and the New.

I opened by chance at Psalm 126:1, 2: "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter..." (KJV). At that point I paused, "That's exactly what happened to me," I thought. "It wasn't I who was laughing. My mouth was being filled with laughter from some other source!" Upon further reflection, I saw that this strange, supernatural laughter was the way that God's people expressed their joy and excitement at being delivered from captivity. Turning back to Job I came across another passage that apparently referred to the same strange phenomenon: "Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man.... Till He fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with shouting for joy" (Job 8:20, 21 KJV Margin)

In this case, too, I saw that the laughter did not proceed from a person's own will, but actually from God Himself. Furthermore, it was a response to the assurance of "not being cast away"-that is, of God's acceptance. As I read on into the Psalms, I made a further discovery: God Himself laughs. Furthermore, God's laughter is not-as we in the West think of it-a reaction to something comical. It is the expression of total triumph over His enemies. When earth's rulers decide to reject God's government, what is God's response? "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision" (Psalm 2:4 KJV).

Again, when the wicked plots against the righteous, God's reaction is the same: "The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming" (Psalm 37:13 KJV). Psalm 59 opens with a vivid description of the evil activities of unregenerate men, but once more the Lord responds in the same way: "But thou, 0 Lord, shalt laugh at them: thou shalt have all the heathen in derision" (Psalm 59:8 KJV). When the righteous see God's inexorable judgment on the wicked, it is natural that they, too, should respond in the same way as God Himself. "The righteous shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him" (Psalm 52:6 KJV).

There was another area, too, in which the Bible shed its light on all that had been happening to me. I came to see the identity of the person I had been asking to bless me. It was Jesus of Nazareth-the same person whom Jacob had encountered at Peniel. Jacob had encountered Him before His incarnation; I had encountered Him after His resurrection. I could find no other way to explain the related passages of scripture. The person whom Jacob encountered was both a man and God-and also an angel, that is, a messenger from God to man. (See Genesis 32:24­30, Hosea 12:3­4) There is only one person in the universe who answers to that description, the one who came to earth in human form as Jesus of Nazareth.

One evening about ten days after my first encounter with the Lord, I was lying on my back on my mattress in the billet and I began to speak an unfamiliar language that sounded to me like Chinese. Once again, I dimly recalled something I had heard in church about "speaking with other tongues." I knew it was connected somehow with the day of Pentecost. At first I spoke timidly and hesitantly, but as I relaxed, the flow of words became free and forceful.

Once again, the initiative did not come from me. I was responding to a powerful inner force that came very specifically like my previous laughter ­ from my belly. The following evening I again found myself speaking an unknown language, but it was obviously different from the language I had been speaking the previous evening. This time I noticed that the words had a very marked poetic rhythm. After a few moments of silence, I began to speak in English, but the words were not of my choosing, and their content was on a level far above that of my own understanding. Also, they seemed to have a rhythm similar to that of the words that I had previously spoken in an unknown language. I concluded that my words in English were an interpretative rendering of what I had previously said in the unknown language.

One brief section of what I said in English remains indelibly impressed upon my memory. In vivid imagery it outlined God's plan for my life. Looking back over more than 50 years, I can see how God's plan has been-and is still being-progressively worked out in my life. In retrospect, too, I have gained a new understanding of my initial experience of supernatural laughter. Unconventional as it was, it proved to be the divinely appointed door through which I entered a lifelong walk of faith. It also had the effect of liberating me from many preconceptions of my background and culture which could have been a barrier to my further spiritual progress.

In Matthew 12:33 Jesus states the most decisive test that must be applied to all forms of spiritual experience: "a tree is known by its fruit." I have to ask myself therefore: What has been the fruit of my strange experience? Is it possible to give an objective answer? Yes, the fruit of that experience has been a life converted from sin to righteousness, from agnostic dabbling in the occult to unshakable faith in Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the Scriptures-a life that has been bringing forth fruit in God's Kingdom for well over 50 years. Certainly that was no transient product of autosuggestion or of some mere emotional extravagance.

From time to time, in the succeeding years, I have received a renewed experience of supernatural laughter. I have also seen other believers touched by God in a similar way, but this has never been a main emphasis of my teaching. Almost invariably I have found that this kind of laughter has a double effect: it is both cleansing and exhilarating. At times it has been accompanied by miracles of physical healing or of deliverance from emotional conditions such as depression.

Exercising Discernment 

My own experience of supernatural laughter took place about midnight in an army billet more than 50 years ago. There now appears to be a widespread eruption of similar manifestations among Christian groups in many different locations. A minister friend has told me of uproarious laughter erupting spontaneously in Siberia among Christians who had no contact with the West. Similar reports have come from parts of Europe.

More recently, various other unconventional manifestations have been reported-including some that are positively bizarre. In Britain, this new move apparently started in London, then spread to various other areas. In the summer of 1992, while I was ministering in Kensington Temple, my wife Ruth received a prophetic utterance which the pastor released her to give to the congregation. The Lord was speaking in the first person. His message began as follows:
 

• I am the Lord. I have decided to visit London. Welcome Me with thanksgiving and praise. Honor Me by your godly conduct....

  Absolutely no glory shalt go to any human being. All the glory is Mine, and I will not share it with anyone.

There are four important points to notice.

First, the Lord declared His own Sovereign decision. It did not depend upon the people of London fulfilling certain conditions. Second, the Lord spoke of "visiting" London. Probably what is taking place at present would most correctly be described as a "visitation." It would be premature to speak of "revival." Third, the response that God requires from His people is "godly conduct." Fourth, all the glory must go to the Lord.

Recently, I have received enquiries from many people-primarily in Britain-asking how we should evaluate these new and unfamiliar developments and how we should respond to them. Up to this time I myself have not been directly exposed to what is taking place. I will therefore limit myself to outlining a number of general principles which would apply in various different situations.

First of all, we need to recognize the fact that when an experience is unconventional-or. even extraordinary-does not necessarily mean that it is not from God. In the Old Testament God required His prophets to do some extraordinary things. Isaiah had to walk naked and barefoot for three years (see Isaiah 20:1­3). Ezekiel was required to lie 390 days on his left side and 40 days on his right side, and then to prepare his food on a fire of cow dung (see Ezekiel 4:4­15).

In the Gospels Jesus Himself healed a deaf mute by spitting and touching his tongue (see Mark 7:32­35). Later, He healed a blind man by making clay from His own spittle and then smearing it on the blind man's eyes (see John 9:6­7). Further on, in the book of Acts, many things that took place in the early church would be considered highly unconventional in much of today's church. It is appropriate, therefore, to approach unusual manifestations with caution, but not with blank, negative skepticism.

Whenever the church moves into the realm of the supernatural, it opens up exciting new possibilities of ministry, but it also exposes us to new forms of danger. The Bible clearly indicates-and church history abundantly confirms-that Satan is fully at home in the supernatural realm and that he prepares special traps and snares for Christians who move into this realm. In particular, in dealing with "the last days," the danger against which the Bible most persistently warns us is that of deception. We are instructed to "test all things; to hold fast that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21),

What sort of people do we need to be if we are to apply the appropriate tests? The answer is in Hebrews 5:14: "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (NIV).

There are two requirements: First, we must continually practice discernment in every situation that we encounter. The old saying, "practice makes perfect," applies in the spiritual realm as much as in the natural. Discernment must become as much a part of our spiritual walk as prayer or church attendance. Second, we must cultivate a diet of solid spiritual food. A superficial acquaintance with a few familiar passages of Scripture is not enough. We must build a solid foundation of the great central doctrines of the Christian faith and learn how they apply to the various situations we encounter. Being a Christian is a full time job!

One critical area for discernment is the division between that which is spiritual and that which is soulish. Unfortunately, for many English readers the reality of this division is obscured by inconsistencies in translation from the original Greek. The Greek word for "spiritual" is pneumatikos formed directly from pneuma, the word for "spirit." Exactly corresponding, the Greek word for "soulish" is psuchikos, formed directly from psuche, the word for "soul."

In English, pneumatikos is always translated "spiritual." Correspondingly, the natural translation for psuchikos would be "soulish." But since this is not a normal English word, various other words are used­e.g. "natural," or "carnal," or "worldly," or "sensual." The problem is that these different translations give the impression that different Greek words are used. They tend to obscure two facts: First, that soulish is an important and distinctive New Testament concept. Second, that the soulish and the spiritual are often in conflict with one another.

The soul is the area in which man's natural reason and emotions function. This is quite different from the way that man's regenerated spirit is designed to function. The contrast-and in fact, the opposition-between the two is clearly brought out in I Corinthians 2:14, 15:
 

• But the natural [soulish] man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, be cause they are spiritually discerned.

  But he who is spiritual judges all things …

The conclusion is clear. Both the spiritual and the soulish man are found among the people of God. The spiritual man is at home in the things of the Holy Spirit and responds appropriately to them. On the other hand, the soulish man cannot apprehend the things of the Holy Spirit, but by his reaction distorts and debases them. The only instrument sharp enough and sensitive enough to distinguish between the spiritual and the soulish is the word of God.
 

• For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two­edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

This is why correct discernment is possible only for Christians who have become mature through regular feeding on the "solid food" of Scripture. The failure to distinguish between the spiritual and the soulish can have disastrous consequences. Speaking of a certain kind of wisdom found among Christians, James says:
 

• This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly [on the earthly plane], sensual [soulish], demonic (James 3:15).

James points out three stages in a disastrous decline. When Christians move out of the realm of the truly spiritual and descend to the earthly, it is then all too easy to move from that to the soulish, and from the soulish to the demonic. Experiences or manifestations which were initially spiritual become an open door for the activity of demons. All too often, however, Christians do not realize that they have passed from the realm of the spiritual through the soulish to the demonic.

Here is one example. Exuberant, hilarious joy can be a precious work of the Holy Spirit. God is delighted when His people delight themselves in Him. He loves a hilarious giver (see II Corinthians 9:7). But sometimes Christians can take their eyes off the Lord and begin to focus on their own subjective experiences. Their goal becomes their own personal enjoyment and their worship becomes a form of entertainment. In the end, true joy is replaced by frivolity and flippancy.

If we take Jesus as our pattern, however, we can find no trace of frivolity or flippancy in Him. Throughout His earthly life He never lost sight of the purpose for which He had come to earth: to save sinful men and women from the eternal agony of the lake of fire. All His teaching was permeated with the solemnity of eternal issues. He wept and He groaned, but He never jested The same seriousness should permeate all that we do as Christians-and never more than when we are worshipping our Savior.

When our religion becomes play, we are on the verge of idolatry. It was said of the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai that "the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play" (Exodus 32:6). They had forgotten the awe­inspiring words that they had heard there from the mouth of God Himself. Their worship became a form of play, and the next stage was demonic-the worship of the golden calf. If our worship takes on the character of play, the result will be no less serious for us today.

Another way that the soulish nature expresses itself is in putting human leaders in a place that is reserved for Jesus alone. It is right to express gratitude and appreciation to human ministers who have helped us, but never to offer them a kind of soulish adulation that borders on idolatry. Years ago I knew a godly and successful pastor in Sweden who had built the largest Pentecostal church in Europe at that time From time to time he would say to his congregation, "Please don't put me on a pedestal-because if you do, God will have to let me fall." In recent years we have seen a whole succession of charismatic personalities who have ended in disaster for the simple reason that they allowed their followers to put them on a pedestal. The Lord is a jealous God. He has said, "I will not give My glory to another" (Isaiah 48:11).

Another danger that threatens those who minister in the supernatural realm is the temptation to use spiritual gifts to manipulate or exploit or dominate people. At one period in my ministry I found myself casting spirits of witchcraft out of church­going people. Eventually I asked the Lord to show me the true nature of witchcraft. I believe that the Lord gave me the following definition: Witchcraft is the attempt to control people and get them to do what you want by the use of any spirit that is not the Holy Spirit.

After I had digested this, the Lord added: And if anyone has a spirit that he can use, it is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, and no one uses God. Today, I tremble inwardly when I see or hear of a person who claims that he has spiritual gifts which he is free to use just as he pleases. It is surely no accident that some of those who have made such claims have ended in serious doctrinal error. I have given above three examples of dangers that result from confusing the soulish with the spiritual, but more could be added. What is important, is to cultivate a sensitivity to this issue, so that we are not deceived into accepting the soulish as if it were spiritual.

Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians:

And this I pray that your love may abound in true knowledge and discernment so that you may distinguish between the things which differ, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ. (Philippians 1:9,10 NAS Margin).

This is a prayer that we especially need to pray at this time, for ourselves and for one another. In Matthew 7:16 Jesus gives a test to be applied to all ministries: "You shall know them by their fruits." Then in verses 17 and 18 He goes on to make a more specific application: "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit."

We need to make a practical application of this teaching of Jesus. Whenever we encounter bad fruit, we must recognize that it was produced by a bad tree. Therefore we need to discern and deal with the bad tree that produced the bad fruit. But we need to go further. We need to recognize the kind of soil that produces bad trees: it is pride. It was pride that caused Satan's downfall from heaven, and pride is the primary weapon that he uses to bring about the downfall of humanity. Therefore the only sure safeguard against deception and error is to cultivate humility.

Here again, Jesus is our pattern for self­humbling. In Philippians 2:5­8 Paul traces the seven successive downward steps that took Jesus from a place of equality with God to the death of a criminal on a cross. Then he continues: "Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him...." Notice the significance of the "Therefore." Jesus was not exalted because He was a favorite Son. He was exalted because He had fulfilled the condition for being exalted-He had humbled Himself.

In Luke 14:11 Jesus affirms this as a general principle that applies throughout the universe: "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." God leaves it to each one of us to make our own decision. Shall we exalt ourselves and be abased? Or shall we humble ourselves and be exalted? If we make the right decision, we can move forward confidently into all that God is doing by His Holy Spirit, without fear of being deceived or going into error.

Unfortunately, however, Christians sometimes interpret some form of supernatural manifestation they have received as a badge of special spirituality. They tend to see themselves as being on a higher spiritual level than others who have not received a similar experience. The end result could be yet another tragic division in the Body of Christ between those who have had a certain kind of supernatural experience and those who have not.

Early in this century something similar resulted from the restoration of the gift of tongues to God's people. Christians were divided between those who spoke in tongues and those who did not. By the mercy of God this particular division is now on the way to being healed. Let us pray that it will not be succeeded by a fresh division over some other supernatural manifestation.

The Fruit We Should Look For 

I have been emphasizing the principle that "a tree is known by its fruit." Logically, therefore, in evaluating the current move in the church, we should ask: If this move is from God, what kind of fruits should we look for? In reply, I would suggest five main kinds of fruit that would authenticate the present move.

1. The Fruit of Repentance

All through the New Testament the first thing that God demanded was not faith, but repentance. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by calling for repentance (see Matthew 3:2). When religious people came to him for baptism, he demanded that they first produce in their lives the fruits of repentance (see Matthew 3:7­8).

The first word that Jesus preached was, "Repent" (see Mark 1:15). He told the multitudes "Unless you repent, you will perish" (Luke 13:3­5). After His resurrection He told His disciples that repentance, first, and then forgiveness of sins should be preached to all nations (see Luke 24:47). On the day of Pentecost the first demand that Peter made of the convicted, but unconverted, multitude was "repent"- then be baptized. (Acts 2:38)

Speaking to the people of Athens, Paul said, "God now commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). Throughout his ministry he required, first repentance toward God, then faith toward Christ. (see Acts 20:21) True repentance is not an emotion, but a decision of the will-a decision to turn away from all sin and unrighteousness and to submit unreservedly to the Lordship of Jesus.

Repentance is the first of the six foundation doctrines listed in Hebrews 6:1­2. Those who have not truly repented can never have a solid foundation for their lives as Christians. Over the years I have counseled hundreds of Christians with various problems in their lives. As a result, I have concluded that at least 50 per cent of the problems in the lives of Christians are due to one simple fact: they have never truly repented.

I believe that a renewed emphasis on repentance is the most urgent need of the contemporary church in the West. To be effective, any move in the church must deal with this issue.

2. Respect for Scripture

A second decisive factor in our lives as Christians is our attitude to Scripture. Jesus called the Scripture "the word of God," and He set His personal seal upon it by five simple words: "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). No amount of "higher criticism" can set aside the plain meaning of these words. If we believe in Jesus then we believe in the Bible. If we do not believe in the Bible, then we do not believe in Jesus.

In Isaiah 66:2 the Lord says: "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word" (NIV). God here combines repentance-a humble and contrite spirit-with faith in His word.

Why should we tremble at God's word? First, because it is the way that God the Father and God the Son come to us and make their home with us (see John 14:23). Second, because God's word will one day be our judge (see John 12:48). From creation onwards, God has worked through two main agents: His word and His Spirit. First, the Spirit of God moved: then God's word went forth (see Genesis 1:2, 3). The result was creation. Ever since then the Spirit and the word have always worked together in harmony. Anything that the Spirit does harmonizes with what the word says. Furthermore, all Scripture is inspired by His Holy Spirit and He never contradicts Himself (see II Timothy 3:16). This means that every kind of spiritual manifestation must be tested by this standard: Is it in harmony with Scripture? If so, we can receive it. If not, we must reject it.

3. Exaltation of Jesus

In John 16:13, 14 Jesus promised His disciples, "When He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth.... He will glorify Me...." Jesus here reveals two important facts about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. First of all, His supreme function is to glorify Jesus. This provides an authoritative test of any spiritual manifestation. Does it focus our attention on Jesus? Does it exalt Jesus?

As soon as human personalities are allowed to take the center of the stage, the Holy Spirit begins to withdraw. The exaltation of human personalities has many times quenched what was originally a genuine move of the Holy Spirit. Then we need to notice that Jesus is careful to emphasize that the Holy Spirit is not an "it" but a "He." When people begin to explain spiritual experience in terms of getting "it," it can easily happen that they get the wrong "it." Jesus is a person and the Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit, as a person, draws believers together around the person of Jesus. When we make a doctrine or an experience the focus of our gathering, we are spiritually "off center."

4. Love for Our Fellow Christians

In John 13:35 Jesus told His followers, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In I Timothy 1:5 Paul said, "The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith" (NAS). Any form of religious activity that does not produce this result, he dismissed as "fruitless discussion."

In I Corinthians 13:2, Paul applied this test to himself: "If I have all the spiritual gifts of power and of revelation, but have not love, I am nothing." Before we apply this test to others, we need to do the same as Paul and apply it to ourselves. We each need to ask: Has my faith made me a loving person? Then-and only then-can we apply this test to the present move in the church. Is it producing Christians who sincerely love one another-regardless of denominational labels? Will it cause the unbelievers to say of these people what the world said of the early church; "See how these Christians love one another?"

5. Loving Concern for the Unreached

In John 4:35, Jesus told His disciples, "Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are white already for harvest." If those words were true even in the time of Jesus, they are certainly more true today. I have been privileged to travel and minister in many nations and I have formed one firm conclusion: We are living in the harvest hour!

Yet, alas, many Christians, who could be working in the harvest fields of the world, are caught in a snare of materialistic self­centeredness. I believe that any genuine move of the Holy Spirit will result in multitudes of new laborers being thrust forth into the world's harvest fields. Otherwise it does not truly reflect the heart of God.

If a significant number of Christians in the current move successfully pass all, or most, of the five tests outlined above, then it is safe to conclude that this is, essentially, a move of God. This does not mean that everyone or everything in it is faultless. God has no faultless people to work with. It is amazing what He can do with weak and fallible people who are truly surrendered to Him.

Copyright Derek Prince Ministries, used with permission.
 

The late Derek Prince was a Christian teacher whose ministry spanned the globe: he went to be home with the Lord in 2003. While serving in the British Army during WW II, he experienced a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ.

The legacy of his work is Derek Prince Ministries whose summary aim was articulated by Derek himself: "Reaching the unreached and teaching the untaught." The current mission statement reads: "Derek Prince Ministries exists to develop disciples of Jesus Christ, through the Bible teaching of Derek Prince. The vision is to reach the peoples of the world, in a language they understand, with the Bible teaching of Derek Prince, using every type of media and all forms of distribution, regardless of the economic means of the recipients."

Links: Derek Prince Ministries (international); Derek Prince Ministries UK.