WHEN EGO
BECOMES
MORE
POWERFUL
THAN
ANOINTING
In 1977,
nearly
thirty
years
after my
ordination,
I had a
revolutionary
encounter
with the
Holy
Spirit
that
changed
my life
in a
number
of ways.
Four
were
these:
1. It
clarified
and
fortified
my
theology.
2. It
identified
me as a
"Kingdom"
believer.
3. It
blew
apart my
church-ideology.
4. It
made me
a threat
to my
denomination.
All four
needed
to
happen.
When the
dust
from
that
explosion
settled,
I
discovered
that in
the
transformation
I had
become a
better
man, a
better
minister,
and a
better
believer.
Biblically,
I had
been
energized
in ways
unknown
before.
The
power of
God came
upon me
as Jesus
promised,
"You
shall be
baptized
with the
Holy
Spirit
not many
days
from now
... you
shall
receive
power
when the
Holy
Spirit
has come
upon
you."
Acts
1:5-8.
That
day, a
young
Spirit-filled
prisoner
in the
Atlanta
Federal
Penitentiary
laid
hands on
my head
and
quoted
Ananias
words to
Saul of
Tarsus:
"Brother
Charles,"
he said,
"The
Lord
Jesus,
who
appeared
to you
on the
road as
you
came,
has sent
me that
you may
receive
your
sight
and be
filled
with the
Holy
Spirit."
Acts
9:17-18.
Not only
was I
"filled
with the
Holy
Spirit"
but will
go to my
grave
still
vibrating
from the
power of
that
awesome
encounter.
A
primary
benefit
of my
spiritual
baptism
was that
I no
longer
confused
denominational
"ideology"
with
genuine,
Biblical
theology.
Like
Saul of
Tarsus,
I too
had
scales
fall
from my
eyes.
The
difference
between
me and
Saul was
that I
did not
know
mine
were
there.
Only
when the
light of
new
truth
flooded
me did I
became
aware of
my
former
darkness.
The
change
was
amazing.
But
others
did not
like the
alterations.
In time
I was
expelled
from my
denomination.
I have
no
regret
about
that
expulsion
or other
changes
the Holy
Spirit
brought
to my
life.
Since
being
freed
from
denominationalism
my years
have
been
blessed
far
beyond
what I
could
"ask or
think."
I gained
far more
than I
lost; my
personal
life and
ministry
have
been
flooded
with
favor.
Next
year I
will be
80 years
old and
am
more
motivated
than I
have
ever
been. My
body is
strong,
my20mind
alert,
and I am
in
constant
ministry
to men
and
women
seeking
the
empowering
of the
Holy
Spirit.
Since my
own
baptism
in the
Spirit I
have had
the
privilege
to
minister
to
thousands
who have
also
received
the
"blessing".
Until my
renewal,
I had
been a "Cessationist
Theologian"–that
is, one
who
believed
the
miraculous
works of
the Holy
Spirit
had
ceased.
That
error
vanished
instantly
when I
experienced
the
power
Jesus
promised.
Let me
illustrate
the
change:
Soon
after my
Spirit-baptism
one of
my
former
church
members
telephoned
me. It
was a
woman in
another
city who
had been
an
alcoholic
for
eighteen
years.
She
desperately
needed
help.
Her
husband
had
divorced
her, her
children
avoided
her, and
her
grandchildren
were
growing
up
without
knowing
her. She
was the
local
"drunk".
As a
cessationist
pastor I
had been
unable
to help
her. My
solution
for such
problems
was
secular
therapy.
Spiritually,
I had
nothing
to
offer.
There
was no
power in
my
ministry.
But that
wonderful
day in a
ten-minute
telephone
deliverance
ministry
the
woman
was
totally
set
free.
Why?
After
leaving
her
church
I had
received
the
power
Jesus
promised.
He said:
"These
signs
will
follow
those
who
believe:
In My
name
they
will
cast out
demons."
Mark
16:17.
On the
authority
of that
promise
the
demon of
addiction
was cast
out.
Alcohol
never
bothered
her
again.
Not only
so, the
woman
was
filled
with the
Holy
Spirit.
For the
first
time in
years,
her life
was
normal.
Excitedly,
she told
her
church
about
the Holy
Spirit
setting
her
free.
Her
alcoholism
was
gone.
She was
a new
woman.
But her
testimony
frightened
them.
The
pastor
(a
cessationist)
had no
theological
explanation
for her
miraculous
"deliverance."
Nor did
he want
to
learn.
Such an
experience
as she
claimed
was not
itemized
in their
"Articles
Of
Faith".
And, as
cessationists
they
didn't
want to
talk
about
such
things.
Church
friends
soon
began
avoiding
her. In
time,
the
woman
was
forced
to leave
the
church
where
she had
been a
member
for
twenty-five
years.
Thankfully,
she
found
another
congregation
that
could
rejoice
in her
Holy
Spirit
rescue.
To her
dying
day, she
lived a
fruitful,
happy--sober--life.
Here is
my
charge
against
that
denomination:
As
cessationist
theologians
they
accepted
her
alcoholism
because
it did
not
challenge
their
theology.
But--they
would
not
accept
her
deliverance.
To do so
required
doctrinal
change.
Rather
than
admit
the Holy
Spirit's
work in
her and
their
own
Scriptural
deficiency,
they
would
rather
let her
perish
in her
drunken
stupor.
How evil
and
uncaring!
Not
surprisingly,
within a
few
years
the
church
was dead
and its
beautiful
building
sold.
What
could
have
been a
power-house
of New
Testament
ministry
was
needlessly
rejected
to
protect
denominational
nonsense.
How can
sensible,
God-fearing
people
who
genuinely
love the
Lord
(and
these
did)
become
so
victimized
by their
own
religious
blindness?
In part,
the
answer
is this:
Churches
and/or
pastors
who
reject
the Holy
Spirit
open
themselves
automatically
to
infestation
by other
spirits.
Religious
spirits
that
fill the
void
ultimately
demand
more
submission
and
assume
more
dictatorial
authority
than
does the
Bible.
False
doctrines
blind
congregations
and
usurp
priority
over
true
theology.
Today, I
have no
ax to
grind,
no rocks
to throw
at any
other
sincere
believer.
Admittedly,
I am at
open war
with
pretenders.
Even so,
I have a
genuine
love for
every
one who
"names
the Name
of
Christ"–Catholic
or
Charismatic,
Methodist
or
Mennonite,
Presbyterian
or
Pentecostal.
With
sixty
years of
preaching
behind
me--and
being
able now
to
better
see
God's
"big
picture,"
I have
absolutely
no
hesitation
to speak
my mind.
God
requires
that I
warn the
erring--or
be
answerable
to Him
for my
disobedience.
That
leaves
me no
choice.
This is
the
concern:
I know
young
men in
denominational
systems
who are
experiencing
the same
God-encounter
as
happened
to me
years
ago.
They are
touched
by the
fire of
the Holy
Spirit
and
suddenly
every
light in
them
turns
on. "Joy
unspeakable
and full
of
glory"
envelopes
them;
their
ministries
burst
into the
flame of
holy
power.
These
men are
experiencing
"Kingdom
authority."
When
that
happens
I want
to hug
them,
love
them--but
I also
want to
weep for
them.
Some
will
become
victimized
by
so-called
orthodoxy.
These
innocent
one are
yet to
learn
that (in
effigy)
Christianized-religion
still
burns
its
opponents
at the
stake.
Please
don’t
think
that I
am
biased
for
preachers
and
against
churches.
Absolutely
not! I
know of
good
churches
that
have
been
mauled
by bad
pastors.
One of
the
largest
full-gospel
churches
in South
Florida
had its
beautiful
property
sold
from
under it
by the
pastor
who
pocketed
millions
of
dollars
and left
the
state.
The law
could
not
touch
him.
But he
will
appear
before
the
Judgement
Seat of
Christ.
May God
have
mercy on
him in
that
day.
In a
more
recent
case I
personally
know a
young
pastor
who
e-mailed
his
Elders
on
Thursday
that he
would
not be
back to
the
church.
On
Friday
he
advised
the
congregation
of the
near-by
location
where he
would be
preaching.
Part of
the
congregation
went
with
him. I
know
these
elders.
They are
godly
men with
whom I
would
gladly
work.
How
could
the
pastor
do that
to them
and the
local
church?
His ego
is
bigger
than his
anointing.
He is a
church-splitter
who
cared
nothing
for the
damage
he
caused
his
former
pastorate.
My heart
goes out
to those
who
follow
such
mis-guided
shepherds.
I have
watched
them
over
decades
and all
of them
have
failed.
Isaiah
wrote:
"For
every
battle
of the
warrior
is with
confused
noise ,
and
garments
rolled
in
blood."
9:5. He
wrote
prophetically
of the
church
era. I
have
lived
long
enough
to see
good men
and
churches
abused.
More
than
they, I
know the
angered,
religious
opposition
the
innocent
ones
will
meet.
Some are
in
denominations,
like my
own,
that
will
desperately
fight
any
resurgence
of
unwanted
Bible
truth.
Again,
like
myself,
these
men will
go
through
mock-trials,
be
defrocked,
have
their
ordinations
cancelled,
lose
their
reputation
and
ninety
percent
of their
friends.
Why does
it
happen?
Why are
some
people
obsessed
with
preventing
other
believers
from
moving
deeper
into the
revelation
of God?
The
answer
is
Phariseeism.
Jesus
encountered
the same
spirit
in His
day and
said,
"Woe to
you
scribes
and
pharisees,
hypocrites!
You shut
up the
Kingdom
of
Heaven
against
men; for
you
neither
go in
yourselves,
nor do
you
allow
those
who are
entering
to go
in."
Matthew
23:13.
It was
to
these,
again,
He said,
"The
Kingdom
of God
shall be
taken
from you
and
given to
a nation
bearing
the
fruits
of it."
Matthew
21:43.
Some
people
who bear
no fruit
still
have th
e
audacity
to
snatch
it from
another
believer's
tree.
About
1790, my
denomination–that
had
known
decades
of
Great
Glory–began
crushing
every
effort
that
supported
foreign
missions
and
evangelism.
Any
change
to its
existing,
medieval
church-practice
was
considered
wrong.
With
that
mind-set,
it went
into a
downward
spiral.
Attempts
to
preserve
its'
life and
vitality
were
negated.
Pastors
who
suggested
innovation
were
silenced.
Today,
this
body of
churches
is in a
crashing
descent
of
unstoppable
defeat.
Can I
prove
that?
Yes. In
1951, I
personally
wrote
more
than
3,000 of
these
churches
pleading
with
them to
recognize
our
state of
decline
and
unitedly
pray for
a
restoration
to the
greatness
of
former
years.
The
request
was not
only
scorned
but
ridiculed.
Today, I
seriously
doubt
you can
find 500
of those
3,000
churches
remaining.
And I am
being
optimistic
with the
number
500.
That
tragic
loss
occurred
in the
mere
sixty
years of
my
ministry.
Church-deaths
came in
epidemic
proportions
and have
practically
wiped-out
the
denomination.
Many of
these
were
historic
congregations.
Before
my
expulsion,
I
preached
what was
probably
the
final
"denominational"
sermon
in a
church
in New
Jersey
that had
been
constituted
in 1715.
John
Hart,
signer
of the
Declaration
of
Independence
is
buried
by the
front
steps.
Dozens
of
Revolutionary
War
soldiers
killed
in
battle
are
interred
beside
the
building.
George
Washington's
Chaplin,
John
Gano,
preached
there. A
short
distance
away, in
Delaware,
is
another,
more
historic
church.
Graves
contain
dates of
people
born in
the
1600's.
The
English-style
brick
building
which
was
there
during
the
American
Revolution
once
housed a
congregation
of
significant
influence
in
Colonial
America.
Today,
it is
dead. I
stood in
its
cemetery
weeping,
realizing
the
tremendous
loss
that had
occurred.
Abraham
Lincoln's
boy-hood
church,
where I
also
visited,
belonged
to this
denomination.
Lincoln
refused
to join
it
because
of its
unrealistic
attitudes.
In some
states,
these
churche
s were
the
oldest
Protestant
bodies
established,
their
pioneer-founders
having
been
first to
arrive
in
Indian
territory.
But,
today,
in those
same
states,
you
cannot
find one
surviving.
Historical
markers
identify
their
sites.
And
yet,
today's
denominational
leadership
insists
nothing
is
wrong.
How
blind!
Some
churches
will
survive,
but not
the
organization.
Behind
loving
hearts
and
genuine,
sincere
smiles,
a
religious
monster
sometimes
holds
control.
That is
true in
numerous
churches
and
denominations.
Tragically,
those
involved
cannot
see this
dragon
working
in
themselves
and will
not
allow
anyone
else to
tell
them.
Pastors
who
attempt
to
rescue
such
churches
and lead
them
back to
truth,
encounter
the
dragon.
The
dragon
is
Phariseeism.
Men who
oppose
it, try
to
expose
it, are
quickly
nailed
to a
cross.
Other
misguided
pastors
join the
crucifixion-mob
thinking
that in
such
killings
"he is
offering
God
service."
John
16:2.
Some,
who
don't
participate
in the
cross-raising,
sit
silently,
saying
nothing
in
defense
of these
men, and
allow
the
killings
to go
unchallenged.
These
are just
as
guilty
as those
holding
the
hammer.
God have
mercy!
Here is
my word
to those
blessed
men and
women
who are
willing
to
preach
the
whole
counsel
of God
and be
"obedient
unto
death:"
Stay
faithful
to God's
Word!
Never
surrender
holy
truth to
human
error.
Be
certain
the
power in
your
ministry
is
anointing
and not
ego.
Better
to
perish
in
allegiance
to God
than
live
under
the
religious
tyranny
of man!
A
hymn-writer
asks
this
all-revealing
question
of you:
Must I
be
carried
to the
skies,
On
flowery
beds of
ease,
While
others
fought
to win
the
prize
And
sailed
through
bloody
sea s?
No! I
must
fight if
I would
reign,
Increase
my
courage
Lord,
I'll
stand
the
test,
endure
the
pain,
Supported
by Thy
Word!
You who
are
willing
to "sail
through
bloody
seas,"
remember
this:
Like
golden
sunlight
follows
a stormy
night,
so, in
the
morning,
Resurrection
will
crown
your
crucifixion
with His
glory.
Jesus
said,
"Be
faithful
unto
death,
and I
will
give you
the
crown of
life."
You can
wear it!
Revelation
2:10.
Psalm
21:3.
Proverbs
4:9.
James
1:12.
Be
certain
your
anointing
remains
greater
than
your
ego!
___
CC
ONE
OF MY
"DAUGHTERS
IN
MINISTRY"
Terri
Morrow,
of
Franklin,
Tennessee,
writes
of her
recent
mission
trip to
the
island
of
Vanuatu
in the
South
Pacific.
Terri
sometimes
travels
to
places
missed
by other
missionaries.
Parts of
Vanuatu
are
inhabited
by
people
wearing
grass-skirts,
loin-cloths–or
no
clothes
at all.
God has
honored
Terri’s
obedience
with a
wonderful
increase
of His
Anointing
and
Glory. I
share
part of
her
letter.
Chas
Dear
Family,
I am
very
excited
to share
the news
about
the
great
things
God has
done!
Once
again, I
stand
amazed
at His
goodness
and
grace.
And this
tim e my
friend
Peggy
Ramey
shared
it with
me. And
what a
joy to
have
her!
What we
saw and
experienced
is
difficult
to pass
on to
you. It
is
larger
than my
ability
to
relate
it-- but
I will
try. I
know you
guys
prayed
for us
and want
to hear.
The
first
healing
was a
young
man in a
Kastum
village.
They
still
practice
witchcraft,
or black
magic,
as far
as I
understand,
and
consult
with the
spirits
of dead
ancestors.
As soon
as Peggy
and I
arrived,
three
men came
carrying
him out.
I
thought
he had a
severe
fracture
that was
protruding
thru the
skin,
but
Peggy,(an
O.R.
nurse)
said it
was some
kind of
infection.
He was
unable
to bear
any
weight
and was
in great
pain.
After
breaking
any
curses
that may
have
been on
him I
released
prayer
for him.
After a
few
minutes
of
prayer
the
wound
erupted
and
started
to drain
out the
infection.
Men in
the
village
were
gathered
around
in
excitement
at
seeing
this
happen.
They
were
scraping
the
drainage
off with
leaves.
His
parents
were
very
grateful.
After
his
healing
an
elderly
man came
to have
his
hearing
healed
and he
got it!
We
tested
it from
good
distances
and it
was in
fact,
healed.
There
was no
worship
and
preaching
as we
would
have in
the U.S.
These
people
don't
know our
"order".
They
heard
God
would
heal so
they
come to
get it.
Afterwards
I
preached.
The
Chief
allowed
it--and
I think
in
itself
that was
quite
extraordinary.
A lady
from the
Cargo
Cult in
another
village
meeting
was one
of the
first
healed.
I was
unaware
of it
until
our
guide
told me.
He said
she was
one of
the
first I
prayed
for. She
came on
a
walking
stick
and left
without
it! On
that
day,
there
were
numerous
healings.
Deafness
was
healed
and I
believe
I saw a
blind
eye
opened.
In one
village,
a woman
who had
lost her
hearing
in one
ear
because
of a
beating
from her
husband
got
healed.
She had
deaf for
18
years.
---It
goes on
and on
and on.
We do
have
video in
one
village
asking
how many
got
healed.
Many
hands
went up.
The deaf
heard,
the
blind
saw, the
lame
walked,
and I
don't
even
know
what
else.
When
some of
the
healings
were
taking
place
there
was so
much
going on
that I
really
am not
sure
what all
happened.
Our
guide,
Morice,
told me
that he
would
gather
and
record
as much
of it as
he
could.
How I
love it
when I
don't
have a
plan.
God
brings
it
together!
The
people
simply
believed
and
received.
They
were
told God
was
healing
people,
so they
came and
got
theirs.
There
were
healings
for the
people
of the
John
Frum
Cargo
Cult and
people
from
Kastum
villages
as well
as
Christians
from
local
churches.
I was
faithful
to ask
most
everyone
I prayed
for if
they
belonged
to Jesus
and 95%
+ said
they
did.
Family,
God is
still
God!
Demons
still
tremble!
Healings
are the
norm! I
would be
glad to
relate
more by
phone if
anyone
wants to
talk. It
is huge,
wild,
exciting,
and more
joyous
than
this bit
or
writing
can
convey.
Thank
you so
much for
your
prayers,
the
money
you gave
towards
the
purchase
of
Bislama
Bibles,
and for
the
reading
glasses.
All were
gratefully
and
gleefully
received.
Lives
are
changed,
forever.
Praise
God for
the body
of
Christ!
Still
and
Always
His,
Terri
