In recent years I have witnessed an intensifying of the Holy Spirit’s signs and wonders in radical manifestations. These evidences are sometimes phenomenal; many are absolutely impossible to do by human effort. I have seen men with broken-back injuries bend forward, knees straight, knuckles on the floor, then stand erect again totally healed. The spine of one scoliosis victim--with x-rays to prove her healing--twisted until her neck turned completely around. Others appeared to drop dead as if shot by a gun. Some vibrated as if they had been electrocuted. During hands-on ministry bodies may bend backward into positions that are physically impossible. Bizarre-looking as these signs are, the spiritual and physical effects are always positive. Illnesses are healed, minds are calmed, addictions are driven out, joy and hope are restored. People who are under the power of the Spirit frequently have visions of Glory. At the same time, there seems to be no more appropriate word to describe the physical manifestations than the word radical. Please understand, when these things happen they are no more under my control than they are in the people experiencing them.

At a recent meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, a man fell to the floor under the power of God, stiff as an ironing board, feet together, hands at his side, and vibrated as if electrified. In that condition, straight as an arrow, he was propelled feet-first, bumping up the aisle and across the front of the building. Human beings cannot fake such experiences. Another elderly man shook so violently each time I approached him that he was repeatedly thrown from his chair. In that same meeting, a woman who had suffered from clinical depression for most of her life was filled with the Holy Spirit and riotously laughed her way back to normalcy. Admittedly, to all of us these manifestations are unconventional--and to the uninformed they are frightening. Nor am I speaking of hype and soulish emotion. Those are deceptions which I detest.

The effects of the Spirit’s work are twofold: To believers experiencing them, they are causes of great rejoicing. They build faith, establish elevated relationship with God, and open the heart to greater miracles. To unbelievers--and many Christians alike--they are objects of scorn, mockery, and denial. When God encountered a similar rejection of His works by ancient Israel--which Isaiah described as the peoples rejecting the waters of Shiloah that flow softly--God countered by saying that He would flood them up to the neck with the strong and mighty river. Simply said, God warned that He would send more intense signs upon them. The stretching out of His wings would fill the breadth of Immanuels land. What is Immanuels land? Prophetically, it is the church! Immanuel is a specific reference to Jesus. In a parallel way, God is saying to those who reject the current works of His Spirit that they will soon be flooded with demonstrations so massive as to stagger their minds. And these manifestations--compared in size to the Euphrates--will go the full length of the churchs domain.

At the Word, Spirit, Power Conference in Toronto last January with R.T. Kendall and Jack Taylor, literally hundreds of people crashed to the floor under the power of God. Some were piled on top of each other. Wonderfully, many of these later told me of incredible changes the Holy Spirit brought about. I have listened intently to such testimonies but still remained puzzled as to Gods motives. During our February WSP Conference in Houston, Texas, I had a word in which the Lord explained the reason behind these unique exhibitions. I understood Him to say:

The extent of the Holy Spirits radical manifestation is going to parallel the extent of the churchs radical unbelief.

When I heard that I was shocked. If I am correct, God was saying that His demonstrations are going to get more extreme than anything we have yet seen. In effect, the churchs radical unbelief merely challenges Him to become more drastic. The more that modern Christians fight and deny the Spirits visible demonstration, the more determined He becomes to do them.

Had someone told me 50 years ago that I would live to see the extreme manifestations presently being done by the Holy Spirit I would not have believed him. At that early period, there was no room in my theology or my expectation for the signs, wonders, mighty deeds currently taking place. To me, events in the Book of Acts were pages from a closed history. Under no circumstance would the church experience a repeat of such phenomenal events. For the first twenty-seven years of ministry I would have told you point-blank that all such miraculous manifestations were ended. I remember boasting that I would not believe a miracle even if I saw one. God alone knows the rivers of deep repentance I have since swam through because of that ugly attitude.

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Gentle Conquest  April  2002