Why Are Charismatics Seeing So Little Supernatural Activity?
The belief in the supernatural is becoming a mainstream phenomenon in America.
According to a 2012 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life report, a majority of Americans surveyed believe in supernatural entities, such as angels and demons. These beliefs are held not only by people who claim a Christian viewpoint, but also by others with no religious affiliation. Of the 20 percent of the population dubbed as “nones” (Americans with no specific religious affiliation), 85 percent believe in the reality of demons. The report also revealed the largest growth in the belief of the supernatural is among young adults.
“God created us to be both natural and spiritual beings, so it doesn’t surprise me that, at the same time our culture plunges into materialism and naturalism, there’s a cry for the supernatural,” says Dr. Michael Brown, President of FIRE School Ministries. “And the cry is one which Satan is glad to answer, leading to all kinds of spiritual deception.”
One has only to look at the widespread popularity of supernatural themes in today’s media to recognize its growing influence. These include fantasy-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, Vampires and Werewolf; online games and quizzes such as “What supernatural demon are you?” and the current lineup of primetime TV shows and movies, including such hits as The Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead, The Messenger, Resurrection, Annabelle, etc.
“These games, TV shows and movies are all doorways into the supernatural of the devil,” warns Sid Roth. “We are in the last days and the battle is ferocious.
“The devil is parading the supernatural all over the place and he wants to ensnare this generation of young people and get as many killed as possible. If we don’t show them the power of God, they’ll see the power of the devil.”
Where is the church in all of this? “I feel that we have sort of dumbed-down supernatural experiences in American churches,” says L.A. Marzulli, author of several books on the supernatural.
“We have established a fear of the supernatural because we don’t want to look weird to outsiders, or to each other.”
Roth agrees that the church, especially in America, is going the opposite direction from the supernatural. “
“Churches are moving in the direction of ‘seeker-sensitive’ rather than displaying the supernatural power of God,” Roth says. “Christians have spent years in charismatic circles and have seen very little of the supernatural. They’re in unbelief and don’t even know it. If there isn’t a real supernatural move of God’s Spirit, there’s no hope for the world.”
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