Clearing the Smoke, Fanning the Flames: An Interview with Michael Brown

Pneuma Review speaks with Dr. Michael L. Brown about his story, Playing With Holy Fire, and encouraging the biblical use of spiritual gifts.

PneumaReview.com: Briefly describe your own personal history in the Pentecostal/Charismatic church.

Michael Brown: The Lord saved me in an Italian Pentecostal church in Queens, New York in 1971. That was my first introduction to the gospel, and those dear believers helped pray me into the kingdom. I was an ungodly rebel, yet the Lord burdened them to pray for me, and their prayers were wonderfully answered. I surrendered to Him on December 17, 1971 and was filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues on January 24, 1972.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, I became somewhat skeptical of my Pentecostal roots, joining another church during that time while I went to grad school. But the evidence of Scripture was too strong in favor of the continuation of the gifts, and my life was dramatically impacted again in late 1982 when the Spirit got hold me and brought a fresh outpouring to our congregation. From that time on, I have primarily been in Pentecostal-Charismatic circles, although I work with believers from all segments of the Body.

A highlight of my life was serving as a leader in the Brownsville Revival from 1996-2000. That was a classical, repentance-based revival with full-blown Pentecostal elements.

PneumaReview.com: You have addressed errors in the Pentecostal/Charismatic church before. What prompted you to write a whole book devoted to the subject at this time?

Michael Brown: The last time I wrote an entire book focused on some of our shortcomings and abuses was 1991 (Whatever Happened to the Power of God: Is the Charismatic Church Slain in the Spirit or Down for the Count?). Since then, although I have often addressed issues in our midst, I have not devoted an entire book to the subject.

A few years back, Pastor John MacArthur launched a frontal assault on the Charismatic church with his Strange Fire book and conference (by the same name), yet I felt his criticisms were over the top, throwing out many healthy babies with some unhealthy bathwater, and in response, I wrote Authentic Fire. I also know that his criticisms would largely go unheard by those he most wanted to address. In fact, I believe his conference helped galvanize our movement in certain ways. [Editor’s note: PneumaReview.com covered the Strange Fire book release and conference including reviews by Craig S. Keener, Jon Ruthven, Charles Carrin, Eddie Hyatt, Monte Lee Rice, and Loren Sandford. PneumaReview.com also published reviews of Authentic Fire by William De Arteaga, John King, Daniel Snape, Loren Sandford, and former MacArthur disciple Rob Wilkerson.]

At the same time, I agreed that we were doing a bad job of self-policing, and so, while interacting with editors at Charisma Media about my next book, I proposed this topic, and they were thrilled to have me address it. But to be perfectly honest, I had no plans of writing it. It’s just that I became burdened, and the idea took hold.

And yet here’s the most interesting thing. It is only because the Spirit is moving in such amazing ways around the globe that this book was necessary. It’s the maternity ward that needs to deal with all the new life, not the cemetery. That’s why I start the book talking about the incredible outpouring of the last 100-plus years, and that’s a big reason the book was written: to help prepare for the next, even greater, move of God.

PneumaReview.com: In the book you mention a number of characteristics of charismatic Christians that cause some of them to be very gullible. Please tell our readers what those are.

Michael Brown: Well, there’s a good side and a bad side to this. On the good side, we really believe the Word, and the Word records many strange and unusual events. If God did such out of the ordinary things back then, why not today? We’ve also had some pretty amazing (and even wild) experiences, because of which we’re willing to step out and believe God. That’s a good quality too. Unfortunately, we often exercise very little discernment, failing to test the spirits and failing to use the Word as our guide. Because of that, we are easy prey for the charlatans and the manipulators. We need to do better!

PneumaReview.com: Because of abuses in the exercise of spiritual gifts some Christians want to limit, or do away with, the exercise of spiritual gifts. Explain why this is this not a good course of action.

Michael Brown: It’s never good to be reactionary, to go from one extreme to the other. Some people seem to believe every spirit; others don’t believe the Holy Spirit. Some are gullible; others are cynical. Neither are good! What we need to do is open our hearts fully to the Lord, examine what His Word says, and seek Him for everything He has for us – for His glory, for a dying world, and for our good.

And remember: Paul didn’t deny the reality of the Spirit or His gifts because of abuses in Corinth. Rather, he corrected the errors and encouraged the eager pursuit of the gifts. We should do the same.

PneumaReview.com: In the book you mention a number of very powerful examples of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in action. Can you please tell us about a time when the operation of the gifts of the Spirit affected you personally?

Michael Brown: Before I was a believer, I experienced the deep conviction of the Spirit as people prayed for me, but I had no idea what it was. As a new believer, I was instantly healed of a bad case of hives, which was a wonderful intervention. And once I started preaching, I would often get a sense from the Lord of just what He would do in the meetings, and it would happen just as He showed me.

Early in 1982, when I was in my more skeptical mode, God used a young man to speak to my wife, Nancy, and to me prophetically with uncanny accuracy. That rocked my world. Then the Spirit would often move on me to pray for people, and they would literally be jolted by God’s power – and I mean jolted. I saw this for years, with many dramatically touched.

And there have been amazingly specific prophetic words I have received for others over the years, along with examples of the gift of faith operating in me, when I was able to proclaim something seemingly impossible in advance, and it came to pass as the Lord said.

In the late 1990s, during a critical time in my life, the Lord sent four different leaders to me with prophetic words, with each word dramatically confirming the others and helping me navigate through a storm. I could go on for hours with examples of how I have been used in the gifts and have been a recipient of gifted ministry. I am deeply indebted to the Spirit.

PneumaReview.com: What practical steps can churches take in order to guard against some of the abuses that you have described in the book?

Michael Brown: I would love to see every Pentecostal and Charismatic pastor in the world read this book and take to heart what is written. Let’s major on the major. Let’s learn to do systematic study of the Scriptures. Let’s put away financial manipulation. Let’s determine to serve rather than be served. In the last chapter of the book, I lay out four practical things we can do to be ready for the next great move of the Spirit here in America. I truly believe the best is yet to come.

PneumaReview.com: What can church leaders do to encourage growth in the biblical understanding of contemporary ministry of the Holy Spirit?

Michael Brown: Sadly, many of us have become dependent on the flesh rather than the Spirit. We follow the latest business models. We look at what’s trending. We learn all the methods to grow our churches – yet we forget our roots in the power of the Spirit. If man can grow it, it’s not God.

Of course, I believe in doing things with excellence and learning from whatever models are helpful. But in the end, it is our intimate walks with God that make the difference. It is our hunger for revival that is essential. It is love of the Spirit’s moving that makes the difference.

So, I would encourage that we get our houses in order, we renew our confidence in the gifts and power of the Spirit for today, we learn to walk in harmony with the Spirit’s promptings, and we desperate until the next visitation comes. God will fill us afresh!

Right now, with the first reviews of the book coming in, I must say I’m encouraged to see how many say, “Yes, I was hurt, yes I’ve seen abuses, but I’m committed to walking in the fullness of the Spirit’s power!”

PR