I spoke at a Conference in Tennessee recently and afterward, [dictacted by publisher], a brother long-acknowledged for his prophetic gift, asked that I minister deliverance to those in the congregation suffering from depression. When I gave the opportunity more than 100 people came forward. The Holy Spirit moved in power and some of the same demonic manifestations recorded in the New Testament took place. This large number who experienced new freedom in Christ re-enforced a fact I have strongly suspected:
Many Christians suffer from long-term crises which pass unhindered from one generation to the next. These include such problems as depression, disease, explosive anger, alcoholism, lying, domination, manipulation, and numerous other destructive habits. Few realize these are not unavoidable ancestral “traits” or that they can be stopped.
Since demons and curses are spiritual in nature they can only be corrected by spiritual means. Medical, psychiatric, or other forms of therapy, excellent as they are, may relieve symptoms but not touch sources of spiritually-based problems. Such depths can be penetrated solely by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Years ago, a Christian psycho-therapist who understood only the psychological nature of such problems sat in my office and said, “I have often wished I could reach inside my patients and pull out the offender.” I looked him straight in the eye and said, “You can.”
The foremost question regarding Deliverance Ministry is this one: Did Jesus intend that the modern church continue His work of casting out demons? The answer is found in numerous Scriptures, but one in the Great Commission is primary. Read it carefully:
“Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20.
Jesus clearly expected believers “to the end of the age” to be taught “all things,” maintain the same disciplines, and do the same works, He gave to His original followers. There is no way to avoid the clarity and directness with which He spoke: “Teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Language cannot be more explicit. Yes. Jesus intended that the modern church do the same works as the ancient church. This includes exercising authority over demons and delivering believers from their power. The modern church’s refusal to obey Christ on this point is as inexcusable as disobeying Him on any other.
30% of Jesus recorded ministry was spent in direct conflict with unclean spirits. The modern Church, in contrast, has a near “zero” percent involvement. In consequence, thousands of Christians suffer from problems affecting them mentally, financially, physically, personally, domestically, and in countless other ways. Christians who fail in their commitment are frequently accused of “backsliding” when that is not the problem. The real problem is that the Church oftentimes never gives them the full benefits of the Cross–specifically, deliverance from demons. Jesus never said there would be an “Apostolic Church and a “Post-Apostolic Church” with different practices, teachings, expectations, and achievement. He established one Church; not two, which was to continue unchanged to the “end of the age.” Whether ancient or modern, Christianity must retain the same love, truth, and power.
A young Assemblies of God pastor came to me at a Conference in Florida once and asked if I would minister deliverance to him. I agreed and we went to a private room. This gentleman was a well-groomed college graduate with a successful ministry and family life. That was on the surface but there were other problems underneath. “My ancestors have practiced Druid worship and psychic-powers for generations,” he explained, “I am not participating in any way with witchcraft but I experience torment from its presence in my family. Its darkness constantly hovers over me.” He paused. “I explained the problem to my Presbyters and asked them to minister deliverance to me but they refused. Our doctrine denies that Christians can have demons in their minds or bodies.” I reminded him that none of us have yet been through the Resurrection, our mortal has not yet “put on immortality,” nor our corruptible “put on incorruption” (1 Cor. 15:53,54). Demons can go anywhere sin and disease can go. If Christians are immune to demons they are also immune to sin and sickness. Like it or not, we are still vulnerable to powers of darkness and must fight as Jesus taught. Spiritual warfare is a constant, on-going battle (Eph. 6:10-18).
When I brought the authority of Jesus against his ancestry of Druid worship, astonishing things happened. Demons began speaking out of him in guttural, dog-like growls, contorting his body, changing his appearance into something ugly and grotesque (Mark 1:26; 9:26). Four major spirits were identified. One of those was the spirit of “idiocy.” When we challenged it, the man’s eyes suddenly crossed, his hands became spastic, jerking rigidly, his tongue thickened, turned sideways in his mouth, and be began slobbering with senseless jabbering. In a split-second, he became a full-blown idiot.
The good news is that he was totally delivered; the mental pain was gone forever. But please be aware of this frightening truth: Had this young pastor not received deliverance, the spirits hiding in him would ultimately have destroyed his sanity, ruined his family and ministry, and had him locked away in an asylum. Could that happen to a Born Again pastor? Yes. Absolutely. I have no doubt that asylums needlessly contain many such Christians.
These Questions Are Frequently Asked: Question 1: Can Christians be possessed by demons? No. Christians cannot be possessed by demons. But, Christians can be oppressed by demons. Obviously, that is not true. The New Testament Greek word diamonidzomai, or its English equivalent, “demonized,” has no connotation of the devil’s ownership; it speaks only of one’s susceptibility to demons and their assault.
Question 2: Who should receive Deliverance Ministry? Christians need to be aware that health problems, emotional instability, aggressive or retarded behavior, persistent failures, etc., may be effectively helped through Deliverance Ministry. Wrong attitudes, ideas, habits, are changed and tragedies sometimes averted.
Question 3: How do demons enter a person? Sinful acts, ancestral curses, traumas, participation in occult organizations, occult rites, superstition, are some of the ways demons gain access. Hate-groups, uncontrolled anger, mysticism, provide openings.
Question 4: How is one delivered? Repent of all sin. Forgive everyone. Renounce every occult influence. Surrender to Jesus Christ. Hands should be laid on the person in the Name of Jesus. Rebuke the unclean spirit and command it to go. “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4:7). Demons respond to authority (Acts 3:6; 4:10. Mark 1:23,24). They do not obey emotion and noise, only authority. Fasting helps (Mat. 17:21).
Question 5: Who can provide Deliverance Ministry? Jesus said, “These signs will follow those who believe. In My name they will cast out demons …” Mark 16:17. While every believer is potentially capable of ministering in this authority, not every one is Scripturally informed and prepared.
Question 6: Can demons re-enter a person after they have been cast out? Jesus taught, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first…” (Mat. 12:43-45).
Question 7: How does a person protect himself from demonic re-infestation? Demons can only return to an empty, unprotected “house” (person). They cannot enter someone by mere choice. A wilful act of sin must allow their re-entry. If fear replaces faith, it becomes sinful and provides the demon that needed opportunity. Following deliverance, the person must be filled with the Holy Spirit (and remain so), develop a godly lifestyle, become a student of Scripture, and maintain active, worshipful relationship with the Body of Christ.
Question 8: Are demons able to attack those working in Deliverance Ministry? Jesus said, “Nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19. Demons cannot enter someone by choice; they must have an opening through sin. It is important for those ministering in Deliverance to ask the Holy Spirit’s protection and the covering of Jesus’ blood.
Question 9: Besides Deliverance, what else does a person need for healthy development? Deliverance from a spirit is usually an immediate, instantaneous experience. Renewal of the mind is not. Following deliverance, it is absolutely essential that the person’s mental attitude be corrected, made healthy, godly, and normal. Patterns of pessimism and skepticism must be broken, negativity replaced by positive, constructive, affirmations of faith. The person’s tongue must be brought under control of the Holy Spirit. Follow-up ministry is vital in every case.
Question 10: Is there proof of benefits of Deliverance Ministry in people-groups and individuals? Yes. In Latin America more than 90% of people saved in public crusades stay committed to the Lord. In North America,more than 90% of people saved in such crusades fall-away. The reason for Latin American success is this: Most people saved in Latin meetings are given immediate Deliverance Ministry. Demons are cast out, family curses are broken, attitudes are changed. Hands are laid on new converts to be filled with the Holy Spirit. These go home aflame with the power of God. As a result, 25,000 to 30,000 people are saved in Latin America every day.
Demons are noisy (Mark 1:26, Acts 8:7), and attempt to intimidate their victims and those involved in ministry against them. Many churches prefer to leave their members in such bondage rather than endure the embarassment of demons ugly manifestations.
Testimonies About Deliverance Ministry
Dear Pastor Carrin, We lost our 4 year old daughter in a boating accident in 1993 but knew nothing of the deeper workings and the healing power of the Holy Spirit. My husband and I were both very depressed and angry at God. When you ministered deliverance to us we were “slain in the spirit” for the first time. The Holy Spirit began a healing work in us that has given us a reason to live and worship His Holy Name. A hunger for more of God began in us that summer night–and praise God–the hunger has never been satisfied!! Since that time, we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit operates in our lives. Thank you and God bless you …”
Dear Pastor Charles, I grew up in a home filled with alcohol, hatred and abuse. I cannot remember ever feeling loved or wanted. I attempted suicide twice as a teenager. I have had two failed marriages and have lived forty-three years without one ounce of self-confidence or self-respect. My mother told me God didn’t want someone like me … The night you said for those wanting deliverance to line up at the front my feet got up and took me … As I stood there, while you spoke, my insides began to tremble. But it was a very strange and different feeling. It was like it wasn’t my insides that were trembling but something inside my insides that was trembling. The more you talked the worse the thing in me shook … It felt like a tornado … very, very angry. I could barely hear you say, ‘In the name of Jesus I command you to go!’ That tornado lifted up out of the middle of myself and ripped out of my body with hatred, anger, and despite beyond belief. As it left, I passed out. Brother Charles, let me tell you, by the grace of God, I woke up as God’s little girl who is loved! This thing is so overwhelming to me. Each day I love Jesus more than the day before …”
“Dear Charles, I’m free, I’m free, I’m free! Thank you for being my ‘Ananias.’ I have received my miracle! For 34 years I have been in bondage to a curse of homosexuality and rejection placed on me by my Dad. I had begun to contemplate suicide because I could not handle it any longer. I prayed one last time for God to send me the person that could help me get a ‘break through’–and the rest is history. No one could imagine the pain and suffering I’ve endured in my life but thank God it has been ‘Swallowed up in Victory.’ Charles, the church is so ignorant in this area. The homosexual behavior may be a choice but not the curse. I was five years old when my Dad threatened to castrate me and make me into a girl. I endured this abuse all during my childhood. I had forgiven my Dad years ago but I never could break the curse until now. I not only experienced deliverance but also an inner healing. I now can begin the ministry God has intended for me. I could go on for days! To me my miracle is as great as the lame man walking or the blind seeing … You are free to use my experience to help others …”
“Dear Brother Charles, The first time I came to your meeting in the Spring of ’96 I weighed 86 pounds, suffered from bulimia and anorexia, and vomited as much as 30 times a day. The first night I shook so violently that I could hardly sit there. The next night I left early and went home with fierce thoughts of suicide. Thank God, I returned to the service again. That third night when I met you at the door I tried to speak but my body froze like a pretzel. I could not talk. You took me to a private room with several other women, put your arms around my head and prayed. When you did that, I felt something like hot oil pour down my head and body. One of the women gave me a ‘word of knowledge’ about my suicidal anger the night before. That final, wonderful night I was delivered! After you left, I went to the rest room and looked at myself in the mirror. For the first time I did not see myself as big and ugly. I not only looked normal–I was normal. I want you to know that I have been free ever since.”
The Believer’s Authority Over Demons
1. Matthew 10:1: “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.”
2. Mark 6:13: “And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.”
3. Luke 10:17-19: “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name. And He said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you”.
4. 1 John 4:4: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
5. Acts 16:18: “Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
6. John 14:12: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
7. 1 Peter 5:8-9: “Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion … Resist him, steadfast in the faith …”
8. Matthew 17:18-22: “And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him … Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast him out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief … However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
9. Acts 8:7-8: “For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city.”
10. Ephesians 6:10-13: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
11. II Corinthians 10:3-5: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
All hail the power of Jesus’ Name, let angels prostrate fall! Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all. O that with yonder sacred throng we at His feet may fall, We’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of All
My Baptism-in-the-Spirit occurred in 1977, and within the first year I was introduced to the ministry of Derek Prince. Later, Derek and I met, we became friends, and he preached to my congregation at Grace Fellowship in Boynton Beach, Florida.
Later, Derek invited me to join his ministry team for Pastors’ Conferences in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, et al. Looking back over 61+ years of ministry I can truthfully say that no other minister impacted me as he did.
I was awed by his scholarship in the Word, his love for God, and the power of the Holy Spirit in his personal, hands-on ministry. Derek was a statesman among ministers. Hardly a day now passes that I do not hear a recording of his voice in my house. My wife, Laurie, remains his ardent student and admirer.
Derek died in 2003, was buried in Jerusalem, his adopted home, but his world-wide ministry continues from offices in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am privileged to maintain my contact with DPM through the Chairman of its Board, Arthur Loewy, Sally Fesperman, and other Board members. More importantly, every time I preach, congregations benefit from what I gained from this amazing man. He, “being dead”, still speaks.
During the Second World War, as a young British medical corpsman, Derek was stationed in a North African field hospital. One day he carefully cleansed a wound in the shoulder of a fellow soldier and was applying the bandage when the doctor stopped him. “Let me examine that wound more carefully,” he said, and then inserted an instrument directly into the injury. The soldier let out a yell; the probe had touched something buried deep within the flesh. “Get me the forceps,” the doctor requested. Within a few minutes the foreign object — a piece of shrapnel — was removed, the wound cleansed and the dressing applied. As Derek watched the procedure he was deeply grieved by his error — one that could have cost the other soldier his life. The real injury was not on the surface as he had supposed; it was deep within.
The impact of that incident remained with Derek into his later years. In time, God called him to preach, and began speaking to him about the reality of unclean spirits that were hiding below the surface of believers’ lives. Though it was a truth emphasized by Jesus and clearly explained in the Scripture, most of Christianity did not want to hear Derek’s message about it. Derek pressed on. Not only could he prove it from the teachings of Jesus but he saw it verified in the lives of people who experienced deliverance from demonic power. Lives were changed. Homes were saved. People in the grip of addiction, depression, disease, sin, were set free. But with many Christians that was not sufficient. They wanted no part of it. Derek was severely criticized, at times castigated, for his position. Thankfully, he pressed on.
Let me illustrate. Before the fall of Communism, a Hungarian woman who wanted to study authentic English listened to a Derek Prince teaching tape. She was not a Christian and had no thought of becoming one. Her motive in listening to the cassette was solely to acquire “Cambridge” diction. Before finishing the tape, however, which was on the theme of “Deliverance From Unclean Spirits,” she experienced the power of the Holy Spirit and was set free. Her husband listened and was delivered. They invited their neighbors to listen; these were delivered. From that beginning, an underground-church was born under the very gun-sights of God-hating Communism. That tiny congregation of secret believers began to grow. When it finally came to the surface it became home to more than 10,000 members and grew into the largest full-gospel church in the nation.
This story is not unusual. Twenty years ago, at an interdenominational Conference in Brighton, England, I met numerous Pastors from Africa, Asia, and the Pacific islands, whose ministry had been empowered by Derek Prince. New Zealand is virtually saturated with his ministry. But that is not surprising when we realize that from birth Derek was an international citizen. He was born of British parents in Bangalore, India, and as a five year old, spoke Hindustani and English. That same year, age five, he was sent back to England to a Boarding School. At age ten, Derek began a serious study of Greek and Latin. He would later add to that an understanding of Hebrew, Swahili, and a variety of other European languages.
At age thirteen, Derek’s scholarship gained him admission to England’s distinguished Eton College. Five years later he went to Cambridge as the Senior Scholar of the Year. Still hungry for knowledge, Derek was one of the youngest scholars in the history of Kings College, Cambridge, to hold a Fellowship at the University. His primary study was Philosophy. Academically, he was superior, his family background prestigious, and his future with the University secure. But God had other plans.
When World War II began, Derek left Cambridge and joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. For generations his family’s background was military. His grandfather had been a general in the British Armed Forces and his father was a colonel. After enlisting and having to travel light, Derek took a single “philosophical” work with him — a book he had never read — the Bible. He had grown up in the Church of England but found it offered him no real answers. That disappointment pushed him deeper into secular philosophy for the explanations he sought. Compulsively, he wanted to know “the meaning of life.” Late one night, in his army barracks, after reading much of the Old Testament and having visited a small back-street church, he was miraculously saved. In that same room two weeks later he received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The power of that encounter with God decided the all-important issue of his career: Scripture — not philosophy — had the answers he sought. With that assurance, he gave up the opportunity to return to Cambridge and plunged himself into a pursuit of God. Thankfully, his years of intellectual training and discipline were not wasted; Derek thrust all his mental prowess into exploring the Word of God. Though he would not realize it until years later, his emphasis on Deliverance Ministry — casting out demons — actually had its beginning that day in World War II when he bandaged a soldier’s wound but left the villain within.
The results of Derek’s “exploration of the Word” have been sent around the world in millions of books, cassette tapes, and videos. Hundreds of his radio broadcasts reached all parts of the globe. These included translations into four Chinese dialects: Amoy, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Swatow. Millions of Chinese who knew Derek as Ye Guang-Ming (Clear Light) assumed him to be Oriental. Other broadcasts went out in Mongolian, Arabic, Malagasy, Russian, Samoan, Tongan, Spanish, and English. More than 100 Spanish-language radio stations in Spain and Latin America dispatched his message to 15 nations. Millions of Derek’s teaching cassettes, books, videos, were given away free of charge to spiritually-hungry people around the world. In the U.S., his broadcast was carried by some 115 stations. It was this same wonderful man whose example and in-depth Bible teaching blew my theological-life apart.
In 1995, when I sent word to Derek that I would be unable to be part of his Ministry Team at the Pastors Conference in Turkey, he faxed a message to me saying, “I don’t want you to disobey God but please pray again!” I did and soon joined representatives from some 23 nations at an undisclosed site for the Conference. This was followed by a second Conference for Turkish pastors in a different location. Pastors came from Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel, and numerous other areas. Messages delivered in English were translated into six other languages. Worship songs varied from Turkish to Albanian, Hebrew to Romanian, English, etc. Though the languages were different, everyone knew the songs and each sang in his own tongue. It was beautiful!
Turkey being an Islamic country, it was necessary to carefully protect the identity of the pastors attending and photographs were not permitted. With its population of 65,000,000, Turkey is the world’s largest Moslem nation, and has less than 1,000 Christians in the entire country. Many Pastors were former Moslems who had been converted. An Albanian Pastor and his wife had been instrumental in establishing 27 churches in four years. One of the most stirring moments was a feet-washing service in which former Moslem Arabs washed the feet of Jews, Serbs washed the feet of Croatians, and others from warring nations knelt before one another. This was a scene of weeping, some breaking into wailing, as God healed wounds from their warring past. We all watched with joy as a Pastor from Iraq baptized his eight year old son in the Aegean Sea. Tragically, this father had been warned by our Government that he was targeted for Moslem destruction. Since the two Iraq Wars I have often wondered about him and his precious family.
At Derek’s request, I ministered the first night to all the Evangelists in the meeting, laying on hands, and praying for the Holy Spirit’s imparting of specific gifts. This was a beautiful event with numerous ministers receiving the Spirit’s power in a way that crashed them to the floor. One Turkish pastor, a former Moslem, received such an impacting of power that his body arched from the floor, vibrating him for some forty-five minutes. When Derek began preaching two men carried the man to the only spot available — a hallway — where waiters going from the kitchen to the dinning room had to step over him. These stopped, staring incredulously, knowing they were witnessing the power of God. The Holy Spirit displayed a “sign and wonder” in him that will never be forgotten. One of the waiters got saved.
Being a Christian here in the US is so easy that it has lost much of its meaning. This is not true in other parts of the world. One young Turkish man whom I had met the previous year at Derek’s Conference in Kazakhstan is an example. He was twenty-eight years old, had become a Christian ten years before, and never wavered in his love for Christ. When he renounced the Moslem religion his family disowned him, declared him to be dead, and refused to see him ever again. At the Conference in Turkey when he saw me, he came running across the room hugged me, lifted me from the floor, yelling “Dad! Dad”! Such a transformation from Mohammad to Christ would be impossible without the Holy Spirit’s radical empowering. Thankfully, he had experienced more than “bandage” Christianity.
God only knows how many times in my former ministry I made that horrendous mistake of applying spiritual bandages. God’s accusation against me, as against ancient Israel’s priests, was that I had “healed the hurt of the daughter of God’s people slightly” (Jer. 6:14). I had cleansed and dressed the exterior wounds but had not probed into their injuries and removed the real culprits.
Let me explain. There were numerous instances in my former ministry when church members came to me for help with sin-problems ranging from alcohol to anger, adultery to blasphemy. These were not hardened sinners but genuinely repentant, weeping people who desperately wanted to be free from their own sin and the mutilation it brought. I prayed with the guilty parties and exhorted them not to sin again. I sterilized their wounds and used the best denominational-bandages I had. What more could I do? Like the young medical corpsman, I did not know that I was sending them away with the real cause of destruction still buried in their flesh. All I could do was to say, “Depart in peace, be warmed, and filled” — but without giving them basic Christian ministry.
My worst example of failure is this one. My ministry began in Atlanta in 1949, and in 1962, shortly after leaving that congregation, I read in the newspaper where one of my former members, a quiet, lovely young woman and the daughter of a well-known pastor, had murdered her husband, her three children, and committed suicide. I was numb with grief — grieving for her horrendous crime — but also for my failure to recognize the deadly potential within her. That was years before my baptism in the Spirit or learning about spiritual gifts.
What am I saying? I am confessing that as a pastor, trying to operate intellectually, without the baptism and power of the Holy Spirit, I could not meet my congregation’s needs. I rejected the Holy Spirit’s baptism and gifts, as I had been taught. The “discerning of spirits” gift might have identified the demon within her.
I am not alone in my failure. There are many more pastors preaching in posh pulpits whose ministries are utter failures in the area of genuine spiritual power. Skill, performance, oratory, has replaced the miraculous presence of God.
Like them, my band-aid ministry was an undeniable loss for everyone. During that time I attempted to help a church member with a major drinking problem. I took him from one alcohol-detox center to another. On one occasion, I drove off and left him standing on the steps of a state-operated facility that had refused to admit him. Fortunately, God later took that brother from my congregation and placed him in the care of another pastor who operated in the power of the Holy Spirit. He was miraculously delivered when the spirit of addiction was cast out. The buried shrapnel was removed. From that day forward he remained a clean, active Christian with a lay-ministry that sent thousands of Derek Prince teaching-cassettes around the world.
Today, that brother would not have to go unaided. I have been able to “teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2) who are continuing the ministry. Here is an example from a reader in the U.S:
Dear Charles, You ministered and taught us at Belmont Church, Nashville, and at a small church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Your ministry and anointing have caused the Holy Spirit to rise up in me and my wife so that we now minister emotional healing and deliverance in our church. In one year we saw over 400 people set free by the great power of the Spirit. Charles, it is so amazing! All we have to do is listen to what the Spirit is saying and then say that to the person. We sit back and watch Him work! What an awesome God!!! Charles, what is happening in our lives and the lives of 400 others is all because you taught us the power of the Holy Spirit and how to use it. I am grateful to God for you and your ministry. Thank you for your newsletter, Gentle Conquest. It has been a valuable tool in our ministry and our own personal walk with the Lord… For the next generation, Charles, may God give you the strength of Caleb in your faithfulness to Him. Your servant in Jesus.
Before my Baptism in the Spirit, such a letter was impossible. Thank God!, that has changed. Since my ministerial-renewal and Derek’s teaching, I have seen drug addicts, suicidals, homosexuals, depressives, and people who have been abandoned as hopeless, be set free by the power of God. In every case, removing spiritual shrapnel was necessary for their rescue. Interestingly, the language used in New Testament Greek to identify the charismatic gift of “discerning of spirits” was used anciently as a medical term. It meant to “cut and look below the surface.” Through this wonderful gift (see, 1 Cor. 12:10), a believer is able to see beyond symptoms and identify the underlying cause. The Spirit’s miraculous gifts are indispensable in this type of ministry.
The greatest disappointment I now encounter is with church leaders who close their eyes and deny the plain, straight-forward message of Scripture. When they say, “Charles, those verses no longer apply. That power passed away in the first century. They won’t work today,” et cetera, et cetera, I reply, “It’s too late to tell me that! I am seeing them work!” Though I am now in my 61st year of ministry, I am still eager to learn, to be changed, to increase in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, and to see the Kingdom come in authority.
Author: Charles Carrin
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