Is there a A Middle Option?
Submitted by theriddles on Tue, 07/15/2008 - 8:46am. To The Evangelical Arminian Web Page.
* Arminianism
* Calvinism
* General
* Hyper-Calvinism
People are often tempted to believe that there is some mediate option which will allow them to avoid the Calvinist/Arminian debate. This inclination comes from a commendable impulse -- to hold fast to Scriptural truth without imposing a man-made system, and avoid being sidetracked in the work of the Gospel by endless doctrinal controversy. These impulses lead people to declare that they are "Biblicist" or that they are both Arminian and Calvinist.
Now, within Calvinist and Arminian frameworks there are many different issues and nuances of dispute. There are systematizers and systemic implications, but there is really only one basic issue: Does God unconditionally choose who will be saved, and who will not? If you believe this you are a Calvinist, if you do not, you are, in the general sense an Arminian. Is it really as simple as that?
Do you believe that your neighbor who died in unbelief was foreordained before the foundation of the world to burn in hell for all eternity? If you can affirm that without blinking, you are a Calvinist. If you simply believe that your neighbor was not chosen, but you were, then you are an inconsistent Calvinist.
I have three sons. If my house were burning down in the middle of the night, and I chose to rescue my oldest and drive off, then I have made a choice about the other two by ignoring them -- a very deadly choice. It is impossible to avoid the moral responsibility associated with intentionally abandoning them in the house. No father who loves his children would ever do this, and yet some are able to sleep at night believing that our Heavenly Father does just this.
If on the other hand you believe that Our Heavenly Father went to the greatest extent by sending his only Son into the burning building to save as many as would follow him out of the fire, then please welcome yourself to the Arminian side. When it boils down, Arminians are simply those who believe that God genuinely wants to save every person from the burning building, just like a fundamentalist believer who is dispensational also believes.
It's just that Calvinists can be intimidating. They can make you feel like everyone since the Reformation was a Calvinist, to be anything other than a Calvinist is suspect, and to proclaim one's self an Arminian is like building your house on sinking sand. Nobody wants that. So why not be neutral? I can't be neutral on whether or not God would rush into the burning building, can you?
Dispensationalists however, believe in a Pretributional Rapture and dismiss the Arminian idea that only those who persevere to the end are saved. KMS
www.livingtruthministry.com
Friday, November 14, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth
This web blog and the focus of our teaching is dispensational in nature. We believe all of the Bible is for us, but not all of the Bible is to us. As such, we also focus on the Apostle Paul who was called to be the Apostle of the Gentiles, and it is in his writings that we find specific instructions for us today as revealed to Paul by the risen Lord, Jesus Christ.
Like Moses and all the prophets in the "Old Testament" who had a specific message to the Nation of Israel, God gave the Apostle Paul a specific message to the Gentiles and Jews during this present dispensation, called the Revelation of the Mystery (Rom. 16:25). This particular teaching is based on "rightly dividing" the Word of Truth — whereby we can, without fail, find exactly where we are in God's plan for mankind and eternity.
We live in a most wonderful time! God, in the sacrificial death of Christ at the cross, has provided for all mankind, without distinction, the opportunity to secure one's own personal salvation — by grace alone! It is a personal decision that has eternal repercussion. God is willing that none perish, and He is long suffering toward that end. What does I Corinthians 4:16 mean and how does this truth apply to the Church which is His Body?
"Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me." Does Paul really mean we are to follow him? Precisely. These are the very words that God inspired Paul to write. It is not Paul's idea that people should follow him, but God's. Why does God want people to follow Paul? It is because God has raised up Paul and made him the apostle to the Gentiles. Before Paul, the Gentiles did not have an apostle. God's attention was directed to Israel ever since God called Abraham out of Chaldea. Not only did God raise up Paul, but he gave him a brand new gospel for the whole world, for Jew and Gentile alike. The instructions for believers in the church, the Body of Christ are found only in the Pauline epistles. The church can learn many truths and important lessons from any part of the Bible, but Paul's epistles are for the Church, the Body.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: but not all scripture is directed to the church the body of Christ for genuine growth in Christ UNLESS IT IS RIGHTLY DIVIDED. Your comments encouraged...KMS-LTM
Like Moses and all the prophets in the "Old Testament" who had a specific message to the Nation of Israel, God gave the Apostle Paul a specific message to the Gentiles and Jews during this present dispensation, called the Revelation of the Mystery (Rom. 16:25). This particular teaching is based on "rightly dividing" the Word of Truth — whereby we can, without fail, find exactly where we are in God's plan for mankind and eternity.
We live in a most wonderful time! God, in the sacrificial death of Christ at the cross, has provided for all mankind, without distinction, the opportunity to secure one's own personal salvation — by grace alone! It is a personal decision that has eternal repercussion. God is willing that none perish, and He is long suffering toward that end. What does I Corinthians 4:16 mean and how does this truth apply to the Church which is His Body?
"Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me." Does Paul really mean we are to follow him? Precisely. These are the very words that God inspired Paul to write. It is not Paul's idea that people should follow him, but God's. Why does God want people to follow Paul? It is because God has raised up Paul and made him the apostle to the Gentiles. Before Paul, the Gentiles did not have an apostle. God's attention was directed to Israel ever since God called Abraham out of Chaldea. Not only did God raise up Paul, but he gave him a brand new gospel for the whole world, for Jew and Gentile alike. The instructions for believers in the church, the Body of Christ are found only in the Pauline epistles. The church can learn many truths and important lessons from any part of the Bible, but Paul's epistles are for the Church, the Body.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: but not all scripture is directed to the church the body of Christ for genuine growth in Christ UNLESS IT IS RIGHTLY DIVIDED. Your comments encouraged...KMS-LTM
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Two Overarching Covenants
Covenant theology views God's revealed Word through the lens of two overarching covenants.
Covenant theology is a system of interpreting the Scriptures on the basis of two covenants: the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. Some covenant theologians specify three covenants: works, redemption, and grace. Covenant theology teaches that God initially made a covenant of works with Adam, promising eternal life for obedience and death for disobedience. Adam failed, and death entered the human race. God, however, moved to resolve man's dilemma by entering into a covenant of grace through which the problem of sin and death would be overcome. Christ is the ultimate mediator of God's covenant of grace. [4]
However, there is a very serious downside to this approach. Hear Dr. Chafer again:
A theology which penetrates no further into Scripture than to discover that in all ages God is immutable in His grace toward penitent sinners, and constructs the idea of a universal church, continuing through the ages, on the one truth of immutable grace, is not only disregarding vast spheres of revelation but is reaping the unavoidable confusion [fog] and misdirection which part-truth engenders. The outworking of divine grace is not standardized, though the Covenant idea of theology would make it so...
A form of Covenant Theology which would thread all of Jehovah's purposes and undertakings upon His one attribute of grace could hardly avoid confusion of mind [fog] in matters related to His varied objectives. Covenant Theology, in consistency with its man-made premise, asserts its inventions respecting an Old Testament church, which, it is claimed, is an integral part of the New Testament Church and on the ground that, since God's grace is one unchanging attribute, its accomplishments must be the realization of one standardized ideal.
A Covenant Theology engenders the notion that there is but one soteriology and one eschatology, and that ecclesiology, such as it is conceived to be, extends from the Garden of Eden to the Great White Throne. The insuperable problems in exegesis which such fanciful suppositions create are easily disposed of by ignoring them.
Covenantism, which has molded the major theological concepts for many generations, recognizes no distinction as to ages, therefore can allow for no distinctions between law and grace. This dominating attitude of Covenantism must account for the utter neglect of life-truth in all their works of theology. No more representative theological dictum from the Covenant viewpoint has been formed than the Westminster Confession of Faith, which valuable and important document recognizes life-truth only to the point of imposing the Ten Commandments on Christians as their sole obligation, this in spite of the teachings of the Pauline Church Epistles which assert that the law was never given to Gentiles or Christians, and that the latter has been saved and delivered from it--actually dead to it (Gal. 2:19). [5]
For additional lucid comments by Chafer, see Dr. Chafer on Covenant Theology complied by Miles J. Stanford.
A Flawed Foundation
For nearly four centuries, the Reformed/Calvinist tradition has faithfully battled the insidious errors of Christian humanism and philosophic indeterminism--the theological foundation of the entire Anglo-Catholic tradition. The Protestant Reformation's rejection of these grossly distorted views laid the groundwork for a more accurate and biblical view of grace and redemption. However, serious flaws still exist in the Calvinist's soteriological emphasis which in turn result in deficient and unscriptural views. [NOTE: These generalizations serve an important purpose but are not meant to suggest that the issues are clearly black and white. I have met several Reformed/Calvinists who favor the more "moderate" views of compatibilism. See Human Freedom and the Sovereignty of God.]
1) The various creeds of the Reformed/Calvinist realm [e.g., Westminster Standards] rightly mention the "corruption" of man's nature. However, the focus of this tradition is overwhelmingly upon transgression of law, individual sins, and justification by imputed righteousness. For example, hear the words of a contemporary "Reformed" Episcopal minister: Romans 5 basically says that we become Christians in essentially the same way we became sinners: By having the merits or demerits of one covenant head imputed to all those who are in him as their representative. The funny thing is that I never hear any complaints about our sin being imputed to the innocent Christ, or Christ's righteousness being imputed to the guilty sinner. We like that just fine. But we don't like Adam's sin being imputed to us. But if we are not to be regarded as in Adam, we cannot be regarded as being in Christ, either, for the principle of imputation is the same.
While this minister is correct as far as he goes; he doesn't go far enough. The curse of Sola Imputation is its failure to see the ontological effects of the Fall upon the First Adam, and subsequently upon us. Their doctrine of so-called "Total Depravity" is not really total!
In the Reformation there was, through grace, a great deliverance. The ground-work of Christianity was recovered; namely, justification by faith. But though this was restored, it was not maintained that the old Adamic man was crucified on the Cross, and hence they only refused the exaction of Popery, but considered the flesh as still before God. Refusing the exaction was right; but the retention of that on which the exaction could be made, the old man was and is the weakness of the Reformation. JBS
Romans 5:13,14 states that "before the law was given, SIN was in the world" and "death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses." God's adding of a legal or forensic dimension (law) to amplify man's responsibility and our understanding of the gravity of depravity does not fully deal with the problem of our SIN. SIN is the source of our sins--it is the fallen, animating life-force ("flesh") inherited from the first Adam. "When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image..." (Genesis 5:3). "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men..." (Romans 5:12).
2) Many Reformed/Calvinists portray humanity's post-Fall, pre-New Birth condition (Total Depravity) as a state of total unconsciousness and passivity rather than separation from God. This erroneous emphasis is reactive in origin and largely baggage carried over from their century-old battle with Roman Catholic and Arminian heresies. Consequently, it creates serious problems relative to: a) the true condition of lost sinners and the preaching of the Gospel, b) differences between the effectual calling, the New Birth, and the role of faith, and c) the believer's relationship to his indwelling nature of sin (flesh).
a) In Ephesians 2:1, the Apostle Paul tells us, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." How is it that the words "dead," "live," and "disobedient" can be used in the same sentence to simultaneously describe our prior lost condition, if the meaning of dead carries the idea of being unconscious or passive. More to the point, Miles Stanford remarks: Their [Reformed/Calvinist] illustration of this total inability [depravity] is a man physically dead, who cannot see, hear, speak or move.
Although the sinner is dead in sins, he is not an unresponsive corpse, he is not annihilated; rather, he is separated from God. He is certainly alive enough to adamantly reject the Saviour! [8]
As mentioned above, the reason our Calvinist brothers overstate their case is due to the manipulative way their (and our) humanistic adversaries have argued in favor of "free will" and their loyalty to defend the biblical truth of the "grace of God." However, this emphasis has proven to progressively causes an imbalance which over time undermines the Scriptural truth of both volition and responsibility. Further, their deficient view of sin opens the door to religious self-righteousness and pride and also closes the door to considering possible error on their part. To suggest that a Calvinist loosen his grip on his theology is like asking King Edward I ("Longshanks") to relinquish control of Scotland.
In time, preaching the Gospel to unconscious sinners makes less and less sense to the logical Calvinist. If he doesn't pull back, he will assuredly slide into hyper-Calvinism and may give up communicating the Good News altogether. But Romans 1:18-23 and others teach us that those who are "dead in transgressions" have retained a level of both consciousness and conscience about God and His creation. His separation from God (spiritual death) and bondage to sin renders him a rebellious inhabitant in a lonely and silent cosmos, a slave to sin and self, but not a cadaver.
b) All Christians who adhere to sovereign grace affirm the truth that "No one can come to Me [Christ] unless the Father who sent Me draws him." (John 6:44). However, Reformed/Calvinists incorrectly view the action of the Father drawing the sinner to the Savior as evidence of regeneration--i.e., the New Birth. No room is allowed for any human response before regeneration, lest some religious humanist get a meritorious 'toe in the door'. Representative of this emphasis Dr. Bob Wright states: Since the Fall of Adam and Eve, all are born spiritually dead in their sin nature, and therefore require regeneration to a life they do not naturally possess.
The doctrine of total depravity states that fallen human nature is morally incapable of responding to the gospel without being caused to do so by divine intervention (1 Cor. 2:12-15). [OK so far] Once the soul is sovereignly regenerated, it willingly responds in saving faith to God's command to repent and believe the gospel, but not before.
He regenerates the human heart, infusing divine life into it, thus enabling the wicked to believe, even though they were formerly enslaved to the habit of rebellion.
God regenerates each elect person so that he or she invariably responds willingly to the gospel. [9]
In spite of many examples from both Old and New Testaments of God controlling the actions of the unregenerate, the Reformed/Calvinists require an "initial infusion of the resurrection life of Christ into the human soul" for John 6:44 to be effective. But think for a moment about the 22nd chapter of Numbers. The false prophet Balaam heard the Lord speak, his ass spoke, and both he and his ass saw an angel all without the benefit of Calvinistic regeneration. Supernatural? yes! New Birth? no. Strangely, while the Calvinist prides himself in being a stalwart defender of God's sovereignty, he limits what God the Father is capable of doing. He erroneously requires that the doctrine of effectual calling be made synonymous with the New Birth. Cannot the Father's enablement of the sinner to "believe the Word in order to accept the Savior" be seen as separate while related, and not confused with the New Birth itself?
c) Given his presuppositions, anemic understanding of sin, and exaggerated view of spiritual death, the Reformed/Calvinist is nearly guaranteed to misinterpret the Apostle Paul's teachings in the New Testament. Often, Paul's epistles are viewed as speaking exclusively to the subject of the believer's justification, while his teaching regarding identification with Christ is ignored, twisted, or treated as an addendum. To help rectify the serious deficiency, the Reformed/Calvinist has invented the doctrine of "Lordship Salvation". The essence of Reformed/Calvinist regeneration is that of change, rather than the biblical view of exchange--the life inherited from the first Adam displaced by the life of the Lord Jesus Christ--the Last Adam. Thus, they claim believers have only one nature (one life changed from old to new) rather than two natures (the old and new, co-resident).
3) The Reformed emphasis in regeneration (drawn from the wrong age) focuses the new-creation Christian largely upon justification and forgiveness of sins. Their concept of sanctification is one of change (amelioration) and the goal is keeping the Ten Commandments--albeit supernaturally. Representative of all Reformed theology, David Wendt quotes Greg Bahnsen as saying,
"There is also a greater confidence to approach God and the glory of the [Israel's] New Covenant is permanent not temporary like that of the Old [Mosaic]. As for power, the New provides 'further and stronger motivation to obey the law', and that obedience is empowered by God."
Due to its erroneous amillennial perspective, Reformed theology to one degree or another sees the Body of Christ fulfilling Israel's New Covenant. Consequently, they attempted to apply the future millennial regeneration promised under that covenant to members of the Body of Christ--now!
To the degree that they embrace law as their "rule of life", they reject the Lord Jesus Christ's teaching via Paul's in his Epistles regarding SIN and identification. In spite of their doctrinal superiority over both Romanists as well as all-flavors of Arminians, the Calvinist's impoverished view of depravity, together with the misapplication of Israel's New Covenant regeneration, seriously cripples believers and twists their understanding of Christ's work of redemption.
From time-to-time, a Calvinist will loosen his grip on his theology or maybe it's the other way around. Reformed pastor Leonard Verduin became suspicious of this deficiency. Regarding the central tenet of the Reformation, he wrote: We meet in Luther, to put it theologically, a very heavy emphasis on the forensic aspect of salvation and a correspondingly light emphasis on the moral aspect. Luther was primarily interested in pardon [for sins], rather than in renewal [of life]. His theology [Reformation] was a theology that addresses itself to the problem of guilt [of sins committed], rather than to the problem of pollution [of life inherited from the first Adam]. There is an imbalance in this theology... [6]
Dr. L. S. Chafer stated it even more precisely:
The holy character of God is the final and only standard by which moral values may be accurately judged. To the one who disregards God, there are no moral standards other than social custom, or the dictates of an uncertain and perverted conscience. And even these, it will be observed, though indirect, failing, and feeble, are nevertheless reflections of the standards of God. Sin is sinful because it is unlike God.
The Larger Catechism (Westminster) declares: "Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of any law of God, given as a rule to the reasonable creature." However, inasmuch as the law of God may not incorporate all that God's character is and inasmuch as anything will be sinful which contradicts God's character, whether expressed in His law or not, this definition is strengthened when the word character is substituted for the word law. It is true that disobedience of God's law is sin, but it does not follow that sin is restricted to disobedience of law.
There is a justification for the fact that the two great doctrines--sin and redemption--go hand in hand. It is sin that has drawn out redemption from the heart of God, and redemption is the only cure for sin. These two realities, in turn, become measurements of each other. Where sin is minimized, redemption is automatically impoverished since its necessity is by so much decreased. The worthy approach to the doctrine of sin is to discover all that is revealed about the sinfulness of sin and then to recognize that God's provided Savior is equal to every demand which sin imposes. It is one of Satan's most effective methods of attack upon the saving work of Christ to soften the voice which is set to proclaim the evil character and effect [and extent] of sin. [7]
Is it any wonder why the Reformed/Calvinist tradition reduces the Christian life to embracing "law as a rule of life"? Since sin is limited to the concept of law-breaking, their antithesis--holiness, take the logical form of law-keeping. Add to that, their reinforcing concept of Millennial regeneration--i.e., law written on the heart, and it all seems so right!
Further, their non-dispensational, even anti-dispensational, bent guarantees a law-bound experience. In their fleshly effort to keep the law, various forms of ascetic discipline or humanistic psychology have been added to facilitate reaching their goal. And thus the popularity and truck loads of Puritan, neo-Puritan, and behavioralist writings.
However, as Paul clearly states, "the strength of sin IS the law". Placing Christians under law only results in a protracted Romans 7 experience or even descent into the dark realms of Romans 2:17-24. MJS
Covenant theology is a system of interpreting the Scriptures on the basis of two covenants: the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. Some covenant theologians specify three covenants: works, redemption, and grace. Covenant theology teaches that God initially made a covenant of works with Adam, promising eternal life for obedience and death for disobedience. Adam failed, and death entered the human race. God, however, moved to resolve man's dilemma by entering into a covenant of grace through which the problem of sin and death would be overcome. Christ is the ultimate mediator of God's covenant of grace. [4]
However, there is a very serious downside to this approach. Hear Dr. Chafer again:
A theology which penetrates no further into Scripture than to discover that in all ages God is immutable in His grace toward penitent sinners, and constructs the idea of a universal church, continuing through the ages, on the one truth of immutable grace, is not only disregarding vast spheres of revelation but is reaping the unavoidable confusion [fog] and misdirection which part-truth engenders. The outworking of divine grace is not standardized, though the Covenant idea of theology would make it so...
A form of Covenant Theology which would thread all of Jehovah's purposes and undertakings upon His one attribute of grace could hardly avoid confusion of mind [fog] in matters related to His varied objectives. Covenant Theology, in consistency with its man-made premise, asserts its inventions respecting an Old Testament church, which, it is claimed, is an integral part of the New Testament Church and on the ground that, since God's grace is one unchanging attribute, its accomplishments must be the realization of one standardized ideal.
A Covenant Theology engenders the notion that there is but one soteriology and one eschatology, and that ecclesiology, such as it is conceived to be, extends from the Garden of Eden to the Great White Throne. The insuperable problems in exegesis which such fanciful suppositions create are easily disposed of by ignoring them.
Covenantism, which has molded the major theological concepts for many generations, recognizes no distinction as to ages, therefore can allow for no distinctions between law and grace. This dominating attitude of Covenantism must account for the utter neglect of life-truth in all their works of theology. No more representative theological dictum from the Covenant viewpoint has been formed than the Westminster Confession of Faith, which valuable and important document recognizes life-truth only to the point of imposing the Ten Commandments on Christians as their sole obligation, this in spite of the teachings of the Pauline Church Epistles which assert that the law was never given to Gentiles or Christians, and that the latter has been saved and delivered from it--actually dead to it (Gal. 2:19). [5]
For additional lucid comments by Chafer, see Dr. Chafer on Covenant Theology complied by Miles J. Stanford.
A Flawed Foundation
For nearly four centuries, the Reformed/Calvinist tradition has faithfully battled the insidious errors of Christian humanism and philosophic indeterminism--the theological foundation of the entire Anglo-Catholic tradition. The Protestant Reformation's rejection of these grossly distorted views laid the groundwork for a more accurate and biblical view of grace and redemption. However, serious flaws still exist in the Calvinist's soteriological emphasis which in turn result in deficient and unscriptural views. [NOTE: These generalizations serve an important purpose but are not meant to suggest that the issues are clearly black and white. I have met several Reformed/Calvinists who favor the more "moderate" views of compatibilism. See Human Freedom and the Sovereignty of God.]
1) The various creeds of the Reformed/Calvinist realm [e.g., Westminster Standards] rightly mention the "corruption" of man's nature. However, the focus of this tradition is overwhelmingly upon transgression of law, individual sins, and justification by imputed righteousness. For example, hear the words of a contemporary "Reformed" Episcopal minister: Romans 5 basically says that we become Christians in essentially the same way we became sinners: By having the merits or demerits of one covenant head imputed to all those who are in him as their representative. The funny thing is that I never hear any complaints about our sin being imputed to the innocent Christ, or Christ's righteousness being imputed to the guilty sinner. We like that just fine. But we don't like Adam's sin being imputed to us. But if we are not to be regarded as in Adam, we cannot be regarded as being in Christ, either, for the principle of imputation is the same.
While this minister is correct as far as he goes; he doesn't go far enough. The curse of Sola Imputation is its failure to see the ontological effects of the Fall upon the First Adam, and subsequently upon us. Their doctrine of so-called "Total Depravity" is not really total!
In the Reformation there was, through grace, a great deliverance. The ground-work of Christianity was recovered; namely, justification by faith. But though this was restored, it was not maintained that the old Adamic man was crucified on the Cross, and hence they only refused the exaction of Popery, but considered the flesh as still before God. Refusing the exaction was right; but the retention of that on which the exaction could be made, the old man was and is the weakness of the Reformation. JBS
Romans 5:13,14 states that "before the law was given, SIN was in the world" and "death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses." God's adding of a legal or forensic dimension (law) to amplify man's responsibility and our understanding of the gravity of depravity does not fully deal with the problem of our SIN. SIN is the source of our sins--it is the fallen, animating life-force ("flesh") inherited from the first Adam. "When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image..." (Genesis 5:3). "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men..." (Romans 5:12).
2) Many Reformed/Calvinists portray humanity's post-Fall, pre-New Birth condition (Total Depravity) as a state of total unconsciousness and passivity rather than separation from God. This erroneous emphasis is reactive in origin and largely baggage carried over from their century-old battle with Roman Catholic and Arminian heresies. Consequently, it creates serious problems relative to: a) the true condition of lost sinners and the preaching of the Gospel, b) differences between the effectual calling, the New Birth, and the role of faith, and c) the believer's relationship to his indwelling nature of sin (flesh).
a) In Ephesians 2:1, the Apostle Paul tells us, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." How is it that the words "dead," "live," and "disobedient" can be used in the same sentence to simultaneously describe our prior lost condition, if the meaning of dead carries the idea of being unconscious or passive. More to the point, Miles Stanford remarks: Their [Reformed/Calvinist] illustration of this total inability [depravity] is a man physically dead, who cannot see, hear, speak or move.
Although the sinner is dead in sins, he is not an unresponsive corpse, he is not annihilated; rather, he is separated from God. He is certainly alive enough to adamantly reject the Saviour! [8]
As mentioned above, the reason our Calvinist brothers overstate their case is due to the manipulative way their (and our) humanistic adversaries have argued in favor of "free will" and their loyalty to defend the biblical truth of the "grace of God." However, this emphasis has proven to progressively causes an imbalance which over time undermines the Scriptural truth of both volition and responsibility. Further, their deficient view of sin opens the door to religious self-righteousness and pride and also closes the door to considering possible error on their part. To suggest that a Calvinist loosen his grip on his theology is like asking King Edward I ("Longshanks") to relinquish control of Scotland.
In time, preaching the Gospel to unconscious sinners makes less and less sense to the logical Calvinist. If he doesn't pull back, he will assuredly slide into hyper-Calvinism and may give up communicating the Good News altogether. But Romans 1:18-23 and others teach us that those who are "dead in transgressions" have retained a level of both consciousness and conscience about God and His creation. His separation from God (spiritual death) and bondage to sin renders him a rebellious inhabitant in a lonely and silent cosmos, a slave to sin and self, but not a cadaver.
b) All Christians who adhere to sovereign grace affirm the truth that "No one can come to Me [Christ] unless the Father who sent Me draws him." (John 6:44). However, Reformed/Calvinists incorrectly view the action of the Father drawing the sinner to the Savior as evidence of regeneration--i.e., the New Birth. No room is allowed for any human response before regeneration, lest some religious humanist get a meritorious 'toe in the door'. Representative of this emphasis Dr. Bob Wright states: Since the Fall of Adam and Eve, all are born spiritually dead in their sin nature, and therefore require regeneration to a life they do not naturally possess.
The doctrine of total depravity states that fallen human nature is morally incapable of responding to the gospel without being caused to do so by divine intervention (1 Cor. 2:12-15). [OK so far] Once the soul is sovereignly regenerated, it willingly responds in saving faith to God's command to repent and believe the gospel, but not before.
He regenerates the human heart, infusing divine life into it, thus enabling the wicked to believe, even though they were formerly enslaved to the habit of rebellion.
God regenerates each elect person so that he or she invariably responds willingly to the gospel. [9]
In spite of many examples from both Old and New Testaments of God controlling the actions of the unregenerate, the Reformed/Calvinists require an "initial infusion of the resurrection life of Christ into the human soul" for John 6:44 to be effective. But think for a moment about the 22nd chapter of Numbers. The false prophet Balaam heard the Lord speak, his ass spoke, and both he and his ass saw an angel all without the benefit of Calvinistic regeneration. Supernatural? yes! New Birth? no. Strangely, while the Calvinist prides himself in being a stalwart defender of God's sovereignty, he limits what God the Father is capable of doing. He erroneously requires that the doctrine of effectual calling be made synonymous with the New Birth. Cannot the Father's enablement of the sinner to "believe the Word in order to accept the Savior" be seen as separate while related, and not confused with the New Birth itself?
c) Given his presuppositions, anemic understanding of sin, and exaggerated view of spiritual death, the Reformed/Calvinist is nearly guaranteed to misinterpret the Apostle Paul's teachings in the New Testament. Often, Paul's epistles are viewed as speaking exclusively to the subject of the believer's justification, while his teaching regarding identification with Christ is ignored, twisted, or treated as an addendum. To help rectify the serious deficiency, the Reformed/Calvinist has invented the doctrine of "Lordship Salvation". The essence of Reformed/Calvinist regeneration is that of change, rather than the biblical view of exchange--the life inherited from the first Adam displaced by the life of the Lord Jesus Christ--the Last Adam. Thus, they claim believers have only one nature (one life changed from old to new) rather than two natures (the old and new, co-resident).
3) The Reformed emphasis in regeneration (drawn from the wrong age) focuses the new-creation Christian largely upon justification and forgiveness of sins. Their concept of sanctification is one of change (amelioration) and the goal is keeping the Ten Commandments--albeit supernaturally. Representative of all Reformed theology, David Wendt quotes Greg Bahnsen as saying,
"There is also a greater confidence to approach God and the glory of the [Israel's] New Covenant is permanent not temporary like that of the Old [Mosaic]. As for power, the New provides 'further and stronger motivation to obey the law', and that obedience is empowered by God."
Due to its erroneous amillennial perspective, Reformed theology to one degree or another sees the Body of Christ fulfilling Israel's New Covenant. Consequently, they attempted to apply the future millennial regeneration promised under that covenant to members of the Body of Christ--now!
To the degree that they embrace law as their "rule of life", they reject the Lord Jesus Christ's teaching via Paul's in his Epistles regarding SIN and identification. In spite of their doctrinal superiority over both Romanists as well as all-flavors of Arminians, the Calvinist's impoverished view of depravity, together with the misapplication of Israel's New Covenant regeneration, seriously cripples believers and twists their understanding of Christ's work of redemption.
From time-to-time, a Calvinist will loosen his grip on his theology or maybe it's the other way around. Reformed pastor Leonard Verduin became suspicious of this deficiency. Regarding the central tenet of the Reformation, he wrote: We meet in Luther, to put it theologically, a very heavy emphasis on the forensic aspect of salvation and a correspondingly light emphasis on the moral aspect. Luther was primarily interested in pardon [for sins], rather than in renewal [of life]. His theology [Reformation] was a theology that addresses itself to the problem of guilt [of sins committed], rather than to the problem of pollution [of life inherited from the first Adam]. There is an imbalance in this theology... [6]
Dr. L. S. Chafer stated it even more precisely:
The holy character of God is the final and only standard by which moral values may be accurately judged. To the one who disregards God, there are no moral standards other than social custom, or the dictates of an uncertain and perverted conscience. And even these, it will be observed, though indirect, failing, and feeble, are nevertheless reflections of the standards of God. Sin is sinful because it is unlike God.
The Larger Catechism (Westminster) declares: "Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of any law of God, given as a rule to the reasonable creature." However, inasmuch as the law of God may not incorporate all that God's character is and inasmuch as anything will be sinful which contradicts God's character, whether expressed in His law or not, this definition is strengthened when the word character is substituted for the word law. It is true that disobedience of God's law is sin, but it does not follow that sin is restricted to disobedience of law.
There is a justification for the fact that the two great doctrines--sin and redemption--go hand in hand. It is sin that has drawn out redemption from the heart of God, and redemption is the only cure for sin. These two realities, in turn, become measurements of each other. Where sin is minimized, redemption is automatically impoverished since its necessity is by so much decreased. The worthy approach to the doctrine of sin is to discover all that is revealed about the sinfulness of sin and then to recognize that God's provided Savior is equal to every demand which sin imposes. It is one of Satan's most effective methods of attack upon the saving work of Christ to soften the voice which is set to proclaim the evil character and effect [and extent] of sin. [7]
Is it any wonder why the Reformed/Calvinist tradition reduces the Christian life to embracing "law as a rule of life"? Since sin is limited to the concept of law-breaking, their antithesis--holiness, take the logical form of law-keeping. Add to that, their reinforcing concept of Millennial regeneration--i.e., law written on the heart, and it all seems so right!
Further, their non-dispensational, even anti-dispensational, bent guarantees a law-bound experience. In their fleshly effort to keep the law, various forms of ascetic discipline or humanistic psychology have been added to facilitate reaching their goal. And thus the popularity and truck loads of Puritan, neo-Puritan, and behavioralist writings.
However, as Paul clearly states, "the strength of sin IS the law". Placing Christians under law only results in a protracted Romans 7 experience or even descent into the dark realms of Romans 2:17-24. MJS
Monday, September 22, 2008
WILL THE EMERGENT CHURCH SUBMERGE YOURS?
by Jan Markell
I was recently contacted to do a radio interview by Elwood McQuaid of Friends of Israel. I have had Elwood on my radio program several times on issues related to Israel. I assumed he, also, wanted to talk about Israel. Wrong. He was troubled about the massive inroads of what is known as the Emergent Church and how little Christians know about it.
So, if the Emergent Church is about to submerge your church, you might not even know it!
I am borrowing some thoughts from my good friend Roger Oakland who I consider an authority on this topic.
Here are some warning signs. There still may be time to stop your church from "submerging" to "Emerging" but only if you act decisively and in union with others in your church who feel the same. A delegation of one or two will never impress church leadership who already think this "new way of doing church" is better than warmed bagels and who have swallowed the Emergent deception. And make no mistake, it is deception.
* Scripture is no longer the ultimate authority as the basis for the Christian faith.
* The centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ is being replaced by humanistic methods promoting church growth and a social gospel.
* More and more emphasis is being placed on building the kingdom of God now and less and less on the warnings of Scripture about the imminent return of Jesus Christ and a coming judgment in the future.
* The teaching that Jesus Christ will rule and reign in a literal millennial period is considered unbiblical and heretical.
* The teaching that the church has taken the place of Israel and Israel has no prophetic significance is often embraced.
* The teaching that the book of Revelation does not refer to the future, but instead has been already fulfilled in the past or is allegorical.
* An experiential mystical form of Christianity begins to be promoted as a method to reach the postmodern generation.
* Ideas are promoted teaching that Christianity needs to be reinvented in order to provide meaning for this generation.
* The pastor may implement an idea called "ancient-future" or "vintage Christianity" claiming that in order to take the church forward, we need to go back in church history and find out what experiences were effective to get people to embrace Christianity.
* While the authority of the Word of God is undermined, images and sensual experiences are promoted as the key to experiencing and knowing God.
* These experiences include icons, candles, incense, liturgy, labyrinths, prayer stations, contemplative prayer, experiencing the sacraments (for Protestants), particularly the sacrament of the Eucharist.
* There seems to be a strong emphasis on ecumenism indicating that a bridge is being established that leads in the direction of unity with the Roman Catholic Church. This will ultimately lead to the one world religion of Revelation.
* Some "evangelical" Protestant leaders are saying that the Reformation went too far. They are reexamining the claims of the "church fathers" saying that communion is more than a symbol and that Jesus actually becomes present in the wafer at communion.
* Some suggest there are many ways to God.
* Members of churches who question or resist the new changes that the pastor is implementing are reprimanded and usually asked to leave. If you are over age 50, your opinion will not even matter.
When some of the following are lauded from the pulpit or Sunday School class, get very nervous: Rob Bell, Doug Pagitt, Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Dallas Willard, Erwin McManus, and many others too numerous to name. You may think it harmless to have a pastor just give a quote from one of these men, but when you understand that they represent the above bullet-points, it should be a huge red flag.
It is imperative you understand this movement and do what you can to not let "Emerging" submerge your church; however, if and when you see it is hopeless to turn the tide, move on to safer ground!
I was recently contacted to do a radio interview by Elwood McQuaid of Friends of Israel. I have had Elwood on my radio program several times on issues related to Israel. I assumed he, also, wanted to talk about Israel. Wrong. He was troubled about the massive inroads of what is known as the Emergent Church and how little Christians know about it.
So, if the Emergent Church is about to submerge your church, you might not even know it!
I am borrowing some thoughts from my good friend Roger Oakland who I consider an authority on this topic.
Here are some warning signs. There still may be time to stop your church from "submerging" to "Emerging" but only if you act decisively and in union with others in your church who feel the same. A delegation of one or two will never impress church leadership who already think this "new way of doing church" is better than warmed bagels and who have swallowed the Emergent deception. And make no mistake, it is deception.
* Scripture is no longer the ultimate authority as the basis for the Christian faith.
* The centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ is being replaced by humanistic methods promoting church growth and a social gospel.
* More and more emphasis is being placed on building the kingdom of God now and less and less on the warnings of Scripture about the imminent return of Jesus Christ and a coming judgment in the future.
* The teaching that Jesus Christ will rule and reign in a literal millennial period is considered unbiblical and heretical.
* The teaching that the church has taken the place of Israel and Israel has no prophetic significance is often embraced.
* The teaching that the book of Revelation does not refer to the future, but instead has been already fulfilled in the past or is allegorical.
* An experiential mystical form of Christianity begins to be promoted as a method to reach the postmodern generation.
* Ideas are promoted teaching that Christianity needs to be reinvented in order to provide meaning for this generation.
* The pastor may implement an idea called "ancient-future" or "vintage Christianity" claiming that in order to take the church forward, we need to go back in church history and find out what experiences were effective to get people to embrace Christianity.
* While the authority of the Word of God is undermined, images and sensual experiences are promoted as the key to experiencing and knowing God.
* These experiences include icons, candles, incense, liturgy, labyrinths, prayer stations, contemplative prayer, experiencing the sacraments (for Protestants), particularly the sacrament of the Eucharist.
* There seems to be a strong emphasis on ecumenism indicating that a bridge is being established that leads in the direction of unity with the Roman Catholic Church. This will ultimately lead to the one world religion of Revelation.
* Some "evangelical" Protestant leaders are saying that the Reformation went too far. They are reexamining the claims of the "church fathers" saying that communion is more than a symbol and that Jesus actually becomes present in the wafer at communion.
* Some suggest there are many ways to God.
* Members of churches who question or resist the new changes that the pastor is implementing are reprimanded and usually asked to leave. If you are over age 50, your opinion will not even matter.
When some of the following are lauded from the pulpit or Sunday School class, get very nervous: Rob Bell, Doug Pagitt, Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Dallas Willard, Erwin McManus, and many others too numerous to name. You may think it harmless to have a pastor just give a quote from one of these men, but when you understand that they represent the above bullet-points, it should be a huge red flag.
It is imperative you understand this movement and do what you can to not let "Emerging" submerge your church; however, if and when you see it is hopeless to turn the tide, move on to safer ground!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
What is the Social Gospel?
Let's all make a note to thank T.A. McMahon of The Berean Call at: www.thebereancall.org for his gripping Newsletter article titled "The Shameful Social Gospel" Vol. XXIII No. 9, September 2008.
Just an excerpt of that article for your reading enjoyment follows:
"The history of the social gospel is, in nearly every case, a sincere attempt by Christians to do those things that they believe will honor God and benefit humanity. In every case, however, the practical working out of "benefiting humanity" has compromised biblical faith and dishonored God. Why is that? God's Word gives no commission to the church to fix the problems of the world. Those who attempt to do so (Rick Warren et all) are starting out under a false premise, "...a way which seemeth right unto a man," not God's way. So where can it go from there? "the end thereof are the ways of death," i.e.., destruction (Proverbs 14:12). Furthermore, the problems of the world are all symptoms. The root cause is sin." (Rick Warren et all) added in parenthesis by KMS.
We cannot tell what is true or false about any organization or its methodologies used to incorporate and promote the gospel by man's methods. All efforts must be viewed through the grid of scripture and proper exegesis, especially in these tumultuous times when few if any Christian "Rightly Divides the Word of Truth correctly." All truth is not God's Truth, and every method void of the Holy Spirit of God will fail regardless of the zealous attempts of the individual, no matter how the gospel is repackaged.
What are your thoughts on the matter?
KMS, www.livingtruthministry.com
Just an excerpt of that article for your reading enjoyment follows:
"The history of the social gospel is, in nearly every case, a sincere attempt by Christians to do those things that they believe will honor God and benefit humanity. In every case, however, the practical working out of "benefiting humanity" has compromised biblical faith and dishonored God. Why is that? God's Word gives no commission to the church to fix the problems of the world. Those who attempt to do so (Rick Warren et all) are starting out under a false premise, "...a way which seemeth right unto a man," not God's way. So where can it go from there? "the end thereof are the ways of death," i.e.., destruction (Proverbs 14:12). Furthermore, the problems of the world are all symptoms. The root cause is sin." (Rick Warren et all) added in parenthesis by KMS.
We cannot tell what is true or false about any organization or its methodologies used to incorporate and promote the gospel by man's methods. All efforts must be viewed through the grid of scripture and proper exegesis, especially in these tumultuous times when few if any Christian "Rightly Divides the Word of Truth correctly." All truth is not God's Truth, and every method void of the Holy Spirit of God will fail regardless of the zealous attempts of the individual, no matter how the gospel is repackaged.
What are your thoughts on the matter?
KMS, www.livingtruthministry.com
Friday, September 12, 2008
Countdown to the Rapture
The seven year period that precedes the second coming of Christ to planet earth is known as the Tribulation, the last 3 & 1/2 years of this period is known as the Great Tribulation. It is also the 70th. week of Daniel chapter 9 It marks the beginning of “ the Day of the Lord”.
What will it be like?
There are many questions that arise which have to do with the timing of the second coming of Christ. Early on in my Christian life I believed the Rapture and the Second Coming were one in the same. Where the confusion came had to do with the interpretation of isolated passages of scripture taken out of context. For instance if you were to read about the Rapture of the church as a post tribulationalists you would expect John 14:3 to be Jesus explaining where the Believers living at the time of His return would be taken: “I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also.”
Would I have to wait until His second coming to earth to be taken to my home in Heaven? What about the verse in Matthew 24:40-42 about two in the field working, one taken, the other left behind, or the two women grinding at the mill, one taken and the other left. Does that speak of the rapture or the second coming?
In order to clear up the confusion that many of these verses taken out of context can result, it is important to do here as well as in any area of study to understand the times in which prophecy was given...to whom...and was the prophecy fulfilled in light of past predictions, or was it a yet future event?
In a few words the Rapture, Tribulation, Second Coming, and the millennial reign of Christ to the Disciples and the Apostles except for Paul was a mystery. But like any mystery...there must be an explanation. Maybe it isn’t possible for the human mind to comprehend all that God has planned and purposed for mankind...maybe some of us care more than others about such things as destiny...and the afterlife. Maybe it’s not fashionable to be puzzled about events that happen as the world turns, seemingly unconnected events yet timed somehow to fulfill the will of God.
What is the safety net God has made available to his Bride, the Church? Is it all wrapped up in a promise only to be deciphered by those who continue to look for His soon return with hope, and not for those who doubt? Does God treat doubt like sin? Or is the study of prophecy a particular exercise that is only meant for a few...who have the time?
I admit there are many questions seemingly unanswered. Also to complicate this, many who have knowledge of the future through a proper study of the rightly divided Word are often ridiculed for thinking they “know it all” when they are asked about areas in which they have expertise. I’m beginning to think that persons who are deceived don’t want to know the truth. That the truth to a deceived person is devastating unless there is a safety net for them to fall into until they get the correct picture in view. I believe Dispensationalism has been given a bad rap by the subjective crowd who continue on their merry way from one “feeling” to the next.
The Charismatic Renewal movement is shredding the truth in evangelical churches at this very moment. The false signs and wonders occurring during this age will intensify and be even more convincing when the Tribulation actually begins. We must concentrate on what the Word of God says about the times in which we are living.
The many questions being raised today have the same root cause as those of the early Church. Look at the problem as it occurred. The Thessalonians were anticipating the Lord’s soon return. They had a general knowledge about His coming, the end of the world, or worlds system, and the consummation of history. They hadn’t been conditioned by the prevailing thoughts of our time like evolution, re-incarnation, and the like. They knew that the world would not go on forever, that it had not always been here or that it would never end as so many actually believe today.
They knew of our Lord’s response to the question asked by the disciples one day, “Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:4). With this question, the disciples revealed that they wisely did not believe in false doctrines about the perpetuity of all things and various views of the uniformity and eternity of nature, which were prevalent in their day and certainly pervasive in our day. You could say that they had honest doubt about the future, and I maintain that the Lord honored their concerns and in a manner of speaking He was thankful for their honesty.
How different it is today, it seems just the opposite: everyone has their own opinion and there are as many theories about creation and life and death overall as there are rivers in America. I maintain that it’s the dispensationalist that rightly divides the word of truth that has his or her feet firmly planted on the sure foundation of time past, time present, and time future, through a proper understanding of God’s plan of the ages.
What do you think?
Your questions are also encouraged. www.livingtruthministry.com
KMS
What will it be like?
There are many questions that arise which have to do with the timing of the second coming of Christ. Early on in my Christian life I believed the Rapture and the Second Coming were one in the same. Where the confusion came had to do with the interpretation of isolated passages of scripture taken out of context. For instance if you were to read about the Rapture of the church as a post tribulationalists you would expect John 14:3 to be Jesus explaining where the Believers living at the time of His return would be taken: “I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also.”
Would I have to wait until His second coming to earth to be taken to my home in Heaven? What about the verse in Matthew 24:40-42 about two in the field working, one taken, the other left behind, or the two women grinding at the mill, one taken and the other left. Does that speak of the rapture or the second coming?
In order to clear up the confusion that many of these verses taken out of context can result, it is important to do here as well as in any area of study to understand the times in which prophecy was given...to whom...and was the prophecy fulfilled in light of past predictions, or was it a yet future event?
In a few words the Rapture, Tribulation, Second Coming, and the millennial reign of Christ to the Disciples and the Apostles except for Paul was a mystery. But like any mystery...there must be an explanation. Maybe it isn’t possible for the human mind to comprehend all that God has planned and purposed for mankind...maybe some of us care more than others about such things as destiny...and the afterlife. Maybe it’s not fashionable to be puzzled about events that happen as the world turns, seemingly unconnected events yet timed somehow to fulfill the will of God.
What is the safety net God has made available to his Bride, the Church? Is it all wrapped up in a promise only to be deciphered by those who continue to look for His soon return with hope, and not for those who doubt? Does God treat doubt like sin? Or is the study of prophecy a particular exercise that is only meant for a few...who have the time?
I admit there are many questions seemingly unanswered. Also to complicate this, many who have knowledge of the future through a proper study of the rightly divided Word are often ridiculed for thinking they “know it all” when they are asked about areas in which they have expertise. I’m beginning to think that persons who are deceived don’t want to know the truth. That the truth to a deceived person is devastating unless there is a safety net for them to fall into until they get the correct picture in view. I believe Dispensationalism has been given a bad rap by the subjective crowd who continue on their merry way from one “feeling” to the next.
The Charismatic Renewal movement is shredding the truth in evangelical churches at this very moment. The false signs and wonders occurring during this age will intensify and be even more convincing when the Tribulation actually begins. We must concentrate on what the Word of God says about the times in which we are living.
The many questions being raised today have the same root cause as those of the early Church. Look at the problem as it occurred. The Thessalonians were anticipating the Lord’s soon return. They had a general knowledge about His coming, the end of the world, or worlds system, and the consummation of history. They hadn’t been conditioned by the prevailing thoughts of our time like evolution, re-incarnation, and the like. They knew that the world would not go on forever, that it had not always been here or that it would never end as so many actually believe today.
They knew of our Lord’s response to the question asked by the disciples one day, “Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:4). With this question, the disciples revealed that they wisely did not believe in false doctrines about the perpetuity of all things and various views of the uniformity and eternity of nature, which were prevalent in their day and certainly pervasive in our day. You could say that they had honest doubt about the future, and I maintain that the Lord honored their concerns and in a manner of speaking He was thankful for their honesty.
How different it is today, it seems just the opposite: everyone has their own opinion and there are as many theories about creation and life and death overall as there are rivers in America. I maintain that it’s the dispensationalist that rightly divides the word of truth that has his or her feet firmly planted on the sure foundation of time past, time present, and time future, through a proper understanding of God’s plan of the ages.
What do you think?
Your questions are also encouraged. www.livingtruthministry.com
KMS
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Need a Spiritual Revival?
Every person on earth begins their life with a sin problem (guilty, condemned, alienated from God). If a person wants to have their life cleaned up spiritually, he can see that accomplished according to God's Word. "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word" (Psalm 119:9). Anyone who will pay close attention to the message of the Scriptures will find therein God's provision of forgiveness and salvation. "Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD — Your salvation according to Your word" (Psalm 119:41).
God's merciful salvation (from sin and unto godliness) is enjoyed by those who call upon Him wholeheartedly. "I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word" (Psalm 119:58).
Every person who has found new life through the Lord's merciful salvation eventually encounters times when a reviving is needed. The difficulties of life seem to choke all spiritual vitality out of us. It is time to call upon the Lord and turn to His word. "I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word" (Psalm 119:107).
Every person who has found new life through the Lord's merciful salvation eventually encounters times when a reviving is needed. The difficulties of life seem to choke all spiritual vitality out of us. It is time to call upon the Lord and turn to His word. "I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word" (Psalm 119:107).
Sometimes, the battle is so intense that our inner man seems to be smashed face down in the dirt. Again, it is time to seek the Lord in His word. "My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word" (Psalm 119:25). Yes, in God's word, we find direction for our lives and replenishing of our lives.
Dear Lord of the Scriptures, I praise You for giving me new life according to Your word. Now, in the afflictions and battles that I face, I ask You to revive me according to Your word.
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and Worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age, while we wait for The Blessed Hope--the glorious appearing of our great God
and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:11-14) www.livingtruthministry.com
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Part Two-In Case You Thought We Forgot.
The Legacy of the “Strategic-level Spiritual Warfare” Teachings of C. Peter Wagner, George Otis Jr. and Ted Haggard that just won’t go away.
Are these men thinking that we all just forgot about the indelible marks of spiritual havoc their teachings and practices have left upon our fair city and the thousands of faithful souls that flocked week-in and week-out to listen to Ted’s gospel of confrontation with demonic powers during New Life’s heyday?
Read part two of T.A. McMan's article about the Contemporary Spiritual Warfare practices that succeeded in building the International Prayer Center on the New Life Church Campus of Colorado Springs.
The Berean Call
McMahon, T.A. May 31, 1997
Part 2 “Spiritual Warfare”
The term "spiritual warfare," as used by most conservative evangelical Christians, is simply a figurative way of describing what takes place every day as they attempt to live their lives in a manner pleasing to God. The very real adversaries on the spiritual battlefield are the world, the flesh, and the devil, and the "good fight" consists of resisting temptation, overcoming personal sin, and being an effective witness for Christ. The figurative language of this term expresses the nature of the literal, temporal struggle in which all believers find themselves. At least, that's what many if not most evangelicals would say. But this view is changing rapidly.
The military metaphor is now being taken quite literally. Prayer has been drafted and retooled with the latest technology. C. Peter Wagner of Fuller Seminary writes, "Thousands of churches have installed prayer rooms, tastefully furnished rooms that include a phone line or two and perhaps a fax machine or a computer for e-mail. These rooms are occupied by intercessors 24 hours a day."1 In many cases these are dedicated "strategic-level spiritual warfare" (SLSW) rooms manned by intercessors engaged in "warfare praying for the cities of the world." From such rooms many of the "strategies" of the new spiritual warfare can be executed.
For example, "spiritual mapping" is considered a critical strategic procedure. It involves creating geographical area maps with markings for all historically and presently significant pagan activities at a particular location. It's claimed that by researching the area's religious history one can learn in detail what brought it into spiritual bondage, and that this specific knowledge can lead to more effective prayer. When historical information is limited or unavailable, direct communication from God closes the gap. "Discernment of spirits is a spiritual gift that is extremely valuable, for through it spiritual cartographers are given special insights by the Holy Spirit."2
Here is one example of how SLSW works, according to Dr. Wagner:
[It] begins by breaking the city down into neighborhoods, manageable geographical areas. In Medellin, Colombia... they have designated 255 neighborhoods. ...Each one...is mapped in detail, showing each lot, what buildings are on the lot, what color house, and the name of the family or families who live there.
The maps are distributed to prayer groups in the city, in other parts of the country and in other countries....If at least three prayer groups report spiritual impressions about a particular household or place, trained workers go right in and solicit specific prayer requests for that house.
Prayer groups outside the city keep in touch through fax machines and computer modems. In Medellin, one of the participating prayer groups was a Baptist General Conference church in the United States. Even though they had no tradition of receiving prophetic words from the Lord, one day the group heard clearly that there was something wrong with a certain vacant lot in the neighborhood they were praying for, and they faxed the information to Medellin. A ministry team visited the lot and found five occult objects cursed and buried by witches to control the neighborhood. They were destroyed and the gospel flowed freely. 3 (Emphasis mine)
SLSW focuses upon demonic activities perceived to be keeping people in bondage and preventing them from hearing and receiving the gospel. Certainly Satan and his minions do all they can to oppose the gospel. But can "five occult objects cursed and buried by witches" prevent the flow of the gospel? And what of "spiritual impressions" received by the above-mentioned noncharismatic Baptists? Was it the Holy Spirit who gave such insights to them, then later directed the ministry team to find, dig up, and destroy the objects?
To accept all of this we would have to go beyond what the Bible teaches and embrace the key doctrine of the spiritual warfare movement: that of territorial spirits.
Territorial spirits are said to be "high-ranking principalities [demons]" which "attempt to keep large numbers of humans ...in spiritual captivity."4 Their control includes nations, cities, neighborhoods, industries, and religious groups. Wagner writes, "Only the Holy Spirit can overcome the territorial spirits, destroy their armor and release the captives under their wicked control."5 Strategic intercession by prayer warriors is brought to bear in situations where evangelistic efforts seem to be unproductive. Wagner recommends in such cases that "strategic-level spiritual warfare might at least be worthy of experimentation. Possibly a strongman [territorial spirit] needs to be bound by the power of the Holy Spirit given to us."6 (Emphasis mine)
Binding territorial spirits is the primary SLSW method of removing demonic control. Wagner and other SLSW proponents contend that Matthew 12:29, 16:19 and 18:18 and Mark 3:27 lay the foundation for power encounters in which ruling demons or principalities are neutralized. Arriving at such an interpretation of those scriptures, however, necessitates reading them with SLSW preconceptions. If Jesus were instructing us in Mark 3:27 to enter Satan's house and bind him in order to prevent his obstruction of the gospel, 1) He failed to follow His own counsel during His "power encounter" with Satan in the desert; 2) His instructions were terribly vague; and 3) none of His disciples bothered with the application.
Incredibly, the rationale offered by some SLSW advocates is that such spiritual warfare teaching was for good reason not specific: Christ's words were for the most part prophetic, and meant for a later time in which the very necessary extrabiblical sources and devices such as libraries, faxes, computers, the internet, etc., would be widely available for waging spiritual warfare.
Although he encourages experimentation with SLSW methods and techniques, Wagner nevertheless issues a warning: "It is foolish, as well as dangerous, to confront the enemy by binding and loosing outside the will of God or outside His timing. ...[C]ertain spiritual powers could be too mighty for us to handle at a certain time and in a certain place."7 Therefore, receptivity to extrabiblical revelation (personally hearing from God—see Part I) is extremely critical and must be nurtured in order for prayer warriors to know: who (by name) the territorial spirits are, what their particular function is, and when they might effectively be bound.
There seems to be no end to what many in SLSW are "hearing from the Spirit." Prayer walking, prayer journeys, prayer expeditions and Marches for Jesus are related forms of spiritual warfare. Leading proponents Steve Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick define prayerwalking as "praying on site with insight."8 Locations are visited by intercessors who have researched the "spiritual" history of each place to determine specific things to pray for, or who have "spiritually discerned" strategic information obtained directly from the Holy Spirit. Prayer journeys usually involve travel to foreign cities, while prayer expeditions are often cross-country hikes taken for the purpose of strategic intercession against the nationwide rule of demonic principalities. Kendrick describes the SLSW attributes of March for Jesus as a joyful public proclamation as well as a "foray into enemy territory. God's enemies retreat as [Jesus] arises in His magnificent processional presence during the march."9
Reading through the popular literature featuring strategic-level spiritual warfare concepts, methods, and techniques has been a perplexing ordeal. Nearly all the authors were found to be terribly sincere, and some select teachings I read were quite insightful, even spiritually convicting. For instance, even the badly flawed books dealing with prayer revealed the shortcomings of my own prayer life. Nevertheless, the new spiritual warfare movement has missed the mark in so many fundamental ways that I believe it must be abandoned by its participants in order to desist from accommodating the strategems of the adversary. Here's why.
Foremost, the concept of spiritual strategy is unbiblical. Strategy is a military term having to do with the science and planning of large-scale military operations. It involves strategems, which Webster defines as "trick[s], scheme[s], or plan[s] for deceiving an enemy in war." Nowhere in God's Word is such an approach applied to the spiritual realm.
Strategy usually entails some form of direct engagement of the enemy. The fundamental tactic of the strategic-level spiritual warfare movement requires power encounters with demons, especially territorial spirits. With the exception in certain instances of the Lord directing deliverance on behalf of the demon-possessed lost, direct confrontation with demons is not the rule for believers. In fact, it is a deadly quicksand of spiritually erroneous effort.
1 John 3:8 tells us that "the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." It is the works; not the devil or his demons. Although Satan's fate was sealed at the Cross, God, for His own purpose, has allowed him to continue until the Lord himself binds him for a time, and then casts him into the eternal Lake of Fire (Rv 20:2-3,10). The works of the devil are lies and deception with which he "hath blinded the minds of them which believe not...the glorious gospel of Christ" (2 Cor 4:4).
Satan's works began in heaven with his own self-deluded lie: "I will be like the most high [God]" (Is 14:14). He brought his deceptions to earth to infect mankind. Adam and Eve were seduced by his lies (Gn 3:1-6), and that has been his modus operandi in every subsequent generation.
Spiritual warfare is not hand-to-hand combat or strategic battle in the heavenlies against spirit entities.
It is contending for the truth, vanquishing false teachings, and resisting the lies. The "wrestling"of Ephesians 6:12 refers to disputations over truth (v 14), not body slamming demons. Our weapon is the "sword of the Spirit [of Truth], which is the [written!] word [rhema] of God" (v 17). Jesus himself used that sword against the devil: "It is written..." (Mt 4:4,6,7,10).
The strongholds of the devil to be pulled down are not literal "terrritories ruled by demons," but Satan's lies, which hold captive the minds ("every thought") of the lost (2 Cor 10:4-5), and can even deceive God's "very elect" (Mt 24:24). Scripture tells us clearly and simply how we are to deal with such strongholds: "...If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn 8:31-32).
Not only has the SLSW movement missed the mark with its unbiblical mission; its militantly aggressive strategy is also dangerously erroneous. The Scriptures determine the manner and mode of dealing with Satan: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (Jas 4:7). Again, that's just what Jesus did (Lk 4:1-13).
Over and over again the Word of God exhorts believers, not to power encounters with demons, but to steadfastness in the faith. Peter, who was no stranger to casting out demons, nevertheless wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom ye resist stedfast in the faith"(1 Pt 5:8). (Emphasis mine)
Many concerned observers of the strategic-level spiritual warfare movement (of which Ted Haggard was a leading proponent at New Life Church) recognize its characteristics as being akin to shamanism (i.e., witch doctoring). Limited space allows only a sampling here. The shaman's world is one of direct daily contact with the spirit realm. The shaman leads his people in spiritually efficacious rituals or public dances/marches to the glory of his spirits. He develops methods and techniques to overcome evil spirits, techniques he receives from good spirits, so he believes. Communication with invisible entities is totally subjective, often experimental, and always pragmatic: if it works it's good medicine. The "good" spirits give the shaman spiritual discernment, enabling him to recognize curse-laden objects and even to "see" evil entities which could be destructive to his village. All such methods, techniques and rituals encompass sorcery and are diametrically opposed to God's way. (Parenthesis added by LTM)
When the Apostle Paul referred to Jannes and Jambres in his second letter to Timothy, the reference seems to be to their involvement in counterfeit signs and wonders in Pharaoh's court. Is Paul telling us that the perilous times in the last days will see pervasive counterfeit spirituality or sorcery? Are we seeing "...a form of godliness" (2Tm 3:5) being dispensed to the sheep by witting or unwitting shepherds of shamanism who, like Pharaoh's magicians, "also resist the truth" (v 8)?
Major elements of the strategic-level spiritual warfare movement's teachings and practices are either foundational to, or heavily incorporated in, many of today's popular programs/ministries.
Of the latter, some of the most influential are the Pensacola revival, Richard Foster's Renovaré, the John Jacobs Power Team, YWAM's Impact World Tour, Neil Anderson's Freedom in Christ seminars, Cindy Jacobs' Generals of Intercession, Dick Eastman's Every Home for Christ, and George Otis, Jr.'s The Sentinel Group.
Pray that the Lord will bring true spiritual discernment to both the leaders and followers of these programs, and to the many others caught up in the same biblical errors. Pray that God will turn them from the way of the shaman and back to His "good way" (Jer 6:16). TBC
Endnotes
1 C. Peter Wagner, Confronting the Powers (Ventura, CA, Regal Books, 1996), 12.
2 C. Peter Wagner, Warfare Prayer (Ventura, CA, Regal Books, 1992), 154.
3 Ibid., 166-167.
4 Confronting, 22.
5 Ibid., 152.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.,155-156.
8 Steve Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick, Prayerwalking (Lake Mary, FL, Creation House, 1993), 15.
9 Ibid., 200.
Your comments regarding this article are encouraged and in every case if there is disagreement please if possible refer to the Bible for verses that validate your point of disagreement. LTM
Are these men thinking that we all just forgot about the indelible marks of spiritual havoc their teachings and practices have left upon our fair city and the thousands of faithful souls that flocked week-in and week-out to listen to Ted’s gospel of confrontation with demonic powers during New Life’s heyday?
Read part two of T.A. McMan's article about the Contemporary Spiritual Warfare practices that succeeded in building the International Prayer Center on the New Life Church Campus of Colorado Springs.
The Berean Call
McMahon, T.A. May 31, 1997
Part 2 “Spiritual Warfare”
The term "spiritual warfare," as used by most conservative evangelical Christians, is simply a figurative way of describing what takes place every day as they attempt to live their lives in a manner pleasing to God. The very real adversaries on the spiritual battlefield are the world, the flesh, and the devil, and the "good fight" consists of resisting temptation, overcoming personal sin, and being an effective witness for Christ. The figurative language of this term expresses the nature of the literal, temporal struggle in which all believers find themselves. At least, that's what many if not most evangelicals would say. But this view is changing rapidly.
The military metaphor is now being taken quite literally. Prayer has been drafted and retooled with the latest technology. C. Peter Wagner of Fuller Seminary writes, "Thousands of churches have installed prayer rooms, tastefully furnished rooms that include a phone line or two and perhaps a fax machine or a computer for e-mail. These rooms are occupied by intercessors 24 hours a day."1 In many cases these are dedicated "strategic-level spiritual warfare" (SLSW) rooms manned by intercessors engaged in "warfare praying for the cities of the world." From such rooms many of the "strategies" of the new spiritual warfare can be executed.
For example, "spiritual mapping" is considered a critical strategic procedure. It involves creating geographical area maps with markings for all historically and presently significant pagan activities at a particular location. It's claimed that by researching the area's religious history one can learn in detail what brought it into spiritual bondage, and that this specific knowledge can lead to more effective prayer. When historical information is limited or unavailable, direct communication from God closes the gap. "Discernment of spirits is a spiritual gift that is extremely valuable, for through it spiritual cartographers are given special insights by the Holy Spirit."2
Here is one example of how SLSW works, according to Dr. Wagner:
[It] begins by breaking the city down into neighborhoods, manageable geographical areas. In Medellin, Colombia... they have designated 255 neighborhoods. ...Each one...is mapped in detail, showing each lot, what buildings are on the lot, what color house, and the name of the family or families who live there.
The maps are distributed to prayer groups in the city, in other parts of the country and in other countries....If at least three prayer groups report spiritual impressions about a particular household or place, trained workers go right in and solicit specific prayer requests for that house.
Prayer groups outside the city keep in touch through fax machines and computer modems. In Medellin, one of the participating prayer groups was a Baptist General Conference church in the United States. Even though they had no tradition of receiving prophetic words from the Lord, one day the group heard clearly that there was something wrong with a certain vacant lot in the neighborhood they were praying for, and they faxed the information to Medellin. A ministry team visited the lot and found five occult objects cursed and buried by witches to control the neighborhood. They were destroyed and the gospel flowed freely. 3 (Emphasis mine)
SLSW focuses upon demonic activities perceived to be keeping people in bondage and preventing them from hearing and receiving the gospel. Certainly Satan and his minions do all they can to oppose the gospel. But can "five occult objects cursed and buried by witches" prevent the flow of the gospel? And what of "spiritual impressions" received by the above-mentioned noncharismatic Baptists? Was it the Holy Spirit who gave such insights to them, then later directed the ministry team to find, dig up, and destroy the objects?
To accept all of this we would have to go beyond what the Bible teaches and embrace the key doctrine of the spiritual warfare movement: that of territorial spirits.
Territorial spirits are said to be "high-ranking principalities [demons]" which "attempt to keep large numbers of humans ...in spiritual captivity."4 Their control includes nations, cities, neighborhoods, industries, and religious groups. Wagner writes, "Only the Holy Spirit can overcome the territorial spirits, destroy their armor and release the captives under their wicked control."5 Strategic intercession by prayer warriors is brought to bear in situations where evangelistic efforts seem to be unproductive. Wagner recommends in such cases that "strategic-level spiritual warfare might at least be worthy of experimentation. Possibly a strongman [territorial spirit] needs to be bound by the power of the Holy Spirit given to us."6 (Emphasis mine)
Binding territorial spirits is the primary SLSW method of removing demonic control. Wagner and other SLSW proponents contend that Matthew 12:29, 16:19 and 18:18 and Mark 3:27 lay the foundation for power encounters in which ruling demons or principalities are neutralized. Arriving at such an interpretation of those scriptures, however, necessitates reading them with SLSW preconceptions. If Jesus were instructing us in Mark 3:27 to enter Satan's house and bind him in order to prevent his obstruction of the gospel, 1) He failed to follow His own counsel during His "power encounter" with Satan in the desert; 2) His instructions were terribly vague; and 3) none of His disciples bothered with the application.
Incredibly, the rationale offered by some SLSW advocates is that such spiritual warfare teaching was for good reason not specific: Christ's words were for the most part prophetic, and meant for a later time in which the very necessary extrabiblical sources and devices such as libraries, faxes, computers, the internet, etc., would be widely available for waging spiritual warfare.
Although he encourages experimentation with SLSW methods and techniques, Wagner nevertheless issues a warning: "It is foolish, as well as dangerous, to confront the enemy by binding and loosing outside the will of God or outside His timing. ...[C]ertain spiritual powers could be too mighty for us to handle at a certain time and in a certain place."7 Therefore, receptivity to extrabiblical revelation (personally hearing from God—see Part I) is extremely critical and must be nurtured in order for prayer warriors to know: who (by name) the territorial spirits are, what their particular function is, and when they might effectively be bound.
There seems to be no end to what many in SLSW are "hearing from the Spirit." Prayer walking, prayer journeys, prayer expeditions and Marches for Jesus are related forms of spiritual warfare. Leading proponents Steve Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick define prayerwalking as "praying on site with insight."8 Locations are visited by intercessors who have researched the "spiritual" history of each place to determine specific things to pray for, or who have "spiritually discerned" strategic information obtained directly from the Holy Spirit. Prayer journeys usually involve travel to foreign cities, while prayer expeditions are often cross-country hikes taken for the purpose of strategic intercession against the nationwide rule of demonic principalities. Kendrick describes the SLSW attributes of March for Jesus as a joyful public proclamation as well as a "foray into enemy territory. God's enemies retreat as [Jesus] arises in His magnificent processional presence during the march."9
Reading through the popular literature featuring strategic-level spiritual warfare concepts, methods, and techniques has been a perplexing ordeal. Nearly all the authors were found to be terribly sincere, and some select teachings I read were quite insightful, even spiritually convicting. For instance, even the badly flawed books dealing with prayer revealed the shortcomings of my own prayer life. Nevertheless, the new spiritual warfare movement has missed the mark in so many fundamental ways that I believe it must be abandoned by its participants in order to desist from accommodating the strategems of the adversary. Here's why.
Foremost, the concept of spiritual strategy is unbiblical. Strategy is a military term having to do with the science and planning of large-scale military operations. It involves strategems, which Webster defines as "trick[s], scheme[s], or plan[s] for deceiving an enemy in war." Nowhere in God's Word is such an approach applied to the spiritual realm.
Strategy usually entails some form of direct engagement of the enemy. The fundamental tactic of the strategic-level spiritual warfare movement requires power encounters with demons, especially territorial spirits. With the exception in certain instances of the Lord directing deliverance on behalf of the demon-possessed lost, direct confrontation with demons is not the rule for believers. In fact, it is a deadly quicksand of spiritually erroneous effort.
1 John 3:8 tells us that "the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." It is the works; not the devil or his demons. Although Satan's fate was sealed at the Cross, God, for His own purpose, has allowed him to continue until the Lord himself binds him for a time, and then casts him into the eternal Lake of Fire (Rv 20:2-3,10). The works of the devil are lies and deception with which he "hath blinded the minds of them which believe not...the glorious gospel of Christ" (2 Cor 4:4).
Satan's works began in heaven with his own self-deluded lie: "I will be like the most high [God]" (Is 14:14). He brought his deceptions to earth to infect mankind. Adam and Eve were seduced by his lies (Gn 3:1-6), and that has been his modus operandi in every subsequent generation.
Spiritual warfare is not hand-to-hand combat or strategic battle in the heavenlies against spirit entities.
It is contending for the truth, vanquishing false teachings, and resisting the lies. The "wrestling"of Ephesians 6:12 refers to disputations over truth (v 14), not body slamming demons. Our weapon is the "sword of the Spirit [of Truth], which is the [written!] word [rhema] of God" (v 17). Jesus himself used that sword against the devil: "It is written..." (Mt 4:4,6,7,10).
The strongholds of the devil to be pulled down are not literal "terrritories ruled by demons," but Satan's lies, which hold captive the minds ("every thought") of the lost (2 Cor 10:4-5), and can even deceive God's "very elect" (Mt 24:24). Scripture tells us clearly and simply how we are to deal with such strongholds: "...If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn 8:31-32).
Not only has the SLSW movement missed the mark with its unbiblical mission; its militantly aggressive strategy is also dangerously erroneous. The Scriptures determine the manner and mode of dealing with Satan: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (Jas 4:7). Again, that's just what Jesus did (Lk 4:1-13).
Over and over again the Word of God exhorts believers, not to power encounters with demons, but to steadfastness in the faith. Peter, who was no stranger to casting out demons, nevertheless wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom ye resist stedfast in the faith"(1 Pt 5:8). (Emphasis mine)
Many concerned observers of the strategic-level spiritual warfare movement (of which Ted Haggard was a leading proponent at New Life Church) recognize its characteristics as being akin to shamanism (i.e., witch doctoring). Limited space allows only a sampling here. The shaman's world is one of direct daily contact with the spirit realm. The shaman leads his people in spiritually efficacious rituals or public dances/marches to the glory of his spirits. He develops methods and techniques to overcome evil spirits, techniques he receives from good spirits, so he believes. Communication with invisible entities is totally subjective, often experimental, and always pragmatic: if it works it's good medicine. The "good" spirits give the shaman spiritual discernment, enabling him to recognize curse-laden objects and even to "see" evil entities which could be destructive to his village. All such methods, techniques and rituals encompass sorcery and are diametrically opposed to God's way. (Parenthesis added by LTM)
When the Apostle Paul referred to Jannes and Jambres in his second letter to Timothy, the reference seems to be to their involvement in counterfeit signs and wonders in Pharaoh's court. Is Paul telling us that the perilous times in the last days will see pervasive counterfeit spirituality or sorcery? Are we seeing "...a form of godliness" (2Tm 3:5) being dispensed to the sheep by witting or unwitting shepherds of shamanism who, like Pharaoh's magicians, "also resist the truth" (v 8)?
Major elements of the strategic-level spiritual warfare movement's teachings and practices are either foundational to, or heavily incorporated in, many of today's popular programs/ministries.
Of the latter, some of the most influential are the Pensacola revival, Richard Foster's Renovaré, the John Jacobs Power Team, YWAM's Impact World Tour, Neil Anderson's Freedom in Christ seminars, Cindy Jacobs' Generals of Intercession, Dick Eastman's Every Home for Christ, and George Otis, Jr.'s The Sentinel Group.
Pray that the Lord will bring true spiritual discernment to both the leaders and followers of these programs, and to the many others caught up in the same biblical errors. Pray that God will turn them from the way of the shaman and back to His "good way" (Jer 6:16). TBC
Endnotes
1 C. Peter Wagner, Confronting the Powers (Ventura, CA, Regal Books, 1996), 12.
2 C. Peter Wagner, Warfare Prayer (Ventura, CA, Regal Books, 1992), 154.
3 Ibid., 166-167.
4 Confronting, 22.
5 Ibid., 152.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.,155-156.
8 Steve Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick, Prayerwalking (Lake Mary, FL, Creation House, 1993), 15.
9 Ibid., 200.
Your comments regarding this article are encouraged and in every case if there is disagreement please if possible refer to the Bible for verses that validate your point of disagreement. LTM
In case you or a friend inquires about "Love Won Out"
This blog entry was submitted as a response to the article posted on the "Pulpit" blog titled:Focus’ Gay Therapy Program Supported by Palin’s Church September 8th, 2008, 5:43 pm by Mark Barna
Leave it to FOTF to get free publicity, and move in with psychological concepts amalgamated with Biblical truth in creating man centered programs to deal with the sin of Homosexuality, reference: “Love Won Out”. Yet if a Church or denomination happens to endorse a program of possible recovery without renouncing homosexuality for what it is; SIN, please be patient and give no bad political press to those who still hold out hope and extend God’s love to the lost, since there is Grace in time of need for every repentant sinner, even though our attempts to reach the disaffected are simply the arm of the flesh.
The Bible is still the only final resource that can be effective in dealing with SIN and the only sure hope of Salvation for all, regardless of color, sexual orientation and even outright unbelief; forgiveness is still found exclusively in the Lord Jesus Christ, not a recovery program. Every Church has its shortcomings, every Church and denomination has its celebrities albeit political, religious and social. Lets keep the errors in judgment made by individuals in Leadership separate from the individuals that attend a particular Church, or who work for reform inside or outside of a Church or denomination, or in the political realm. After all we are all individually accountable for our actions to God alone, not a political party or religious body.
KMS-LTM www.livingtruthministry.com
This blog entry was submitted as a response to the article posted on the "Pulpit" blog titled:Focus’ Gay Therapy Program Supported by Palin’s Church September 8th, 2008, 5:43 pm by Mark Barna
Leave it to FOTF to get free publicity, and move in with psychological concepts amalgamated with Biblical truth in creating man centered programs to deal with the sin of Homosexuality, reference: “Love Won Out”. Yet if a Church or denomination happens to endorse a program of possible recovery without renouncing homosexuality for what it is; SIN, please be patient and give no bad political press to those who still hold out hope and extend God’s love to the lost, since there is Grace in time of need for every repentant sinner, even though our attempts to reach the disaffected are simply the arm of the flesh.
The Bible is still the only final resource that can be effective in dealing with SIN and the only sure hope of Salvation for all, regardless of color, sexual orientation and even outright unbelief; forgiveness is still found exclusively in the Lord Jesus Christ, not a recovery program. Every Church has its shortcomings, every Church and denomination has its celebrities albeit political, religious and social. Lets keep the errors in judgment made by individuals in Leadership separate from the individuals that attend a particular Church, or who work for reform inside or outside of a Church or denomination, or in the political realm. After all we are all individually accountable for our actions to God alone, not a political party or religious body.
KMS-LTM www.livingtruthministry.com
Thursday, September 4, 2008
In Case You Thought We Forgot
This newsletter from the Berean Call may be out of date but it is nevertheless quite true of so called "Contemporary Spiritual Warfare" and the subsequesent development of the "International Prayer Center" here in Colorado Springs through the influence of C.Peter Wagner, George Otis Jr. and the former head of the largest Charasmatic Church in Colorado Springs; Ted Haggard.
THE BEREAN CALL
P.O. Box 7019
Bend, Oregon 97708
May 1997
T.A. McMahon
Worldwide revival is no longer just a hope churning within the hearts of some Christians. An ever increasing multitude are fervently declaring, "It's here now, and the Holy Spirit is doing a new work to guarantee it!"
Influential leaders throughout Christendom are pointing to what they perceive to be firstfruits of the Holy Spirit in preparation for a great outpouring. The laughing phenomenon of the "Toronto Blessing" and the ministry of Rodney Howard Browne, some contend, began the process by restoring joy in the hearts of God's faithful servants. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tens of thousands of pastors received the "imparting of the Spirit" at the Toronto Airport Vineyard and carried it across oceans and continents as well as across numerous denominational lines. Thousands of churches in England were influenced by the movement. Leaders of the Brownsville Assembly of God tell us that it was from an Anglican church on that distant shore that the "imparting" returned to this country and ignited their "Pensacola revival." With the Assemblies of God hierarchy giving enthusiastic approval, Pensacola's "anointing" has spread to a great many of the denomination's churches throughout North America.
During 1995 and 1996 many students on Christian college and seminary campuses took part in what they believed to be "a genuine revival." Christian media, both charismatic and noncharismatic, have fostered the belief that revival is dawning. Recent book titles such as The Coming Revival, Revival Signs: Joining the New Spiritual Awakening, The Hope at Hand, and The Coming World Revival not only testify that this eagerly awaited event is at our door, but point to that which practically guarantees it: prayer.
David Bryant, chairman of the National Prayer Committee and a leader in the Forum for National Revival, writes, "God is stirring up his people to pray specifically, increasingly, and persistently for world revival....He will not let us pray in vain. He has promised to hear and answer us fully. We can prepare for the answers with confidence." 1
Prayer for revival, you can be sure, has been the earnest endeavor of Christians of every generation since the apostolic era. But this generation has taken it to another level. In fact, the leaders in this worldwide prayer effort call it a "strategic" level for doing spiritual warfare.
C. Peter Wagner, professor of missions and church growth at Fuller Theological Seminary's School of World Mission, is a central figure in the promotion of this surprisingly vast and aggressive prayer focused movement. Characterized by Wagner as "radical concepts and practices" and termed "strategic-level spiritual warfare," the approach includes some familiar prayer activities with new labels, along with some unfamiliar applications and some brand-new tasks. The terms "strategic level intercession," "territorial spirits," "spiritual mapping," "tearing down strongholds," "identificational repentance," and "prayerwalking, prayerjourneys, and prayer expeditions" proclaim the militancy of this endeavor. International prayer warriors are taking the fight to the strongholds of Satan. Power encounters with demons are the rule, not the exception, in this spiritual battle for global revival and world evangelization.
If all of these new ideas are, to use Wagner's words, "some of the important things the Spirit is saying to the churches these days," we should indeed take heed and submit to the Holy Spirit's leading. On the other hand, what if most of these new activities are the product of misguided zeal on the part of the movement's leaders and participants?
In this two-part series we will examine the writings and teachings of those who have laid the foundation for the new spiritual warfare. In particular we will focus on C. Peter Wagner's book, Confronting the Powers, which appears to be the most comprehensive defense of this movement which has impacted a wide spectrum of professing Christianity. The book's list of supportive evangelical organizations and individuals is impressive, and includes Bill and Vonette Bright, Campus Crusade, World Prayer Assembly; Ralph Winter, U.S. Center for World Mission; Thomas Wang, Luis Bush, A.D. 2000, Lausanne II; Jack Hayford, Richard Foster and many others.
Be assured that we have just as great a desire as anyone to encourage prayer in the lives of believers and to see those efforts result in genuine revival and the salvation of lost souls. At the same time, we believe it would be a spiritual tragedy of immense proportions if the already hundreds of thousands of sincere Christians now spending valuable time, energy and resources in this new spiritual preoccupation ended up being, at best, unproductive or, at worst, unwitting pawns of the adversary.
Our basic premise in evaluating the strategic-level spiritual warfare (SLSW) movement is to appeal to the Scriptures. Isaiah's admonition still stands: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (8:20). God's inerrant, authoritative and sufficient Word is the only objective basis a believer has for discerning truth in spiritual matters.
In establishing a beachhead for the spiritual warfare movement, Dr. Wagner would not fully agree with the above premise. While he maintains his belief in biblical inerrancy and the absolute authority of the Scriptures, he reasons that there are many extrabiblical resources for spiritual discernment, not the least of which is personally hearing from God. Wagner's entree into the development of SLSW had such a beginning: "While in Manila, the Lord spoke to me in a voice that, although not audible was almost as clear as if it had been: 'I want you to take leadership in the area of territorial spirits."'2 Few believers would deny that God can and does on occasion personally speak to the hearts of His own. While that experience is supported by Scripture, many would argue from the Scriptures that it is the exception rather than the rule in God's everyday guidance of believers. Certainly no doctrine can be established on the basis of one's personal, subjective word from the Lord. Thus, what is of concern is not that Wagner heard from God, but what he heard. Is the doctrine of territorial spirits (to be addressed in Part II) confirmed by God?
Extrabiblical revelation is the cornerstone for the development of most of the doctrines of the new spiritual warfare. Though considered spurious not too long ago by the majority of evangelical, extrabiblical revelation is now regarded by a growing number of leaders as necessary to fulfill God's mandate to the church today. They profess to find support for their belief in the doctrine of rhema. In brief, there are two Greek words in the New Testament which refer to the Word of God: logos and rhema. Although Peter Wagner acknowledges that the two words are used interchangeably, nevertheless he and others promote a distinction foundational to their doctrine: logos designates the written Word of God, while rhema indicates the spoken word of God. Regarding spiritual warfare, rhema, in contrast to _ logos, means receiving valid knowledge about the invisible world "from hearing the voice of God, as He communicates His thoughts directly to us as individuals." Wagner states that "Both forms of the word of God...are valid sources of knowledge, and both should be used, as God directs, to confront the enemy in spiritual warfare." Underscoring the fact that the rhema doctrine is becoming a prominent evangelical teaching, he wrote that he is ...[one] among rapidly increasing numbers of others who believe that a valid source of divine knowledge comes through what some would call "extrabiblical revelation." I daresay that the standard-brand evangelical doctrine of "logos only" that we were taught might now find a place on an "endangered doctrines" list, about to become extinct.4
Dr. Wagner qualifies the above by adding that any such knowledge which contradicts Scripture must be rejected by faithful Christians. While that may shore up the confidence of some, his extrabiblical revelation has many other problems, as we shall see; and the decisive fact remains that it has completely denied the sufficiency of the Bible (2 Tm 3:16-17; Jn 8:31-32; 2 Pt 1:3).
John Wimber, (now deceased) to whom Wagner refers as his mentor in the realm of signs and wonders, is presented as an example of one way in which extrabiblical revelation is authenticated; i.e., by the credibility of those who observe or experience them.5 Dr. Wagner tells of continuous years of suffering from headaches for which no painkiller could bring relief:
Then in 1983, John Wimber received a rhema word from God that the root cause of my headaches had been a demon and that I was to drive it out myself rather than ask someone else to do it for me. I obeyed. I cast out the demon in the name of Jesus, and I have not suffered any such headaches since that day.6
While we do empathize with C. Peter Wagner in regard to his suffering, his example raises many questions of concern. Dr. Wagner-a Christian-had a demon? The demon had a specialty? Wagner drove it out himself? God told John Wimber to tell his friend these things? With no biblical support, that's a great deal to swallow as being from God himself. Moreover, why would Wimber's credibility be put forth as validating the authenticity of this rhema word-from-God testimony? His track record of prophecies is far less than trustworthy. In the early '80s Wimber also had a rhema word from God that He would heal well known Anglican vicar David Watson, suffering from terminal cancer. Some months after Wimber's announcement, Watson succumbed to the disease.
Wagner's example in support of validating extrabiblical revelation reflects some of the teachings basic to the SLSW movement. Since demons are the focus of most of those developing spiritual-warfare strategy, they offer a great deal of information gained from extrabiblical sources. C. Peter Wagner believed he had a demon because John Wimber, Neil Anderson, Fred Dickason, Charles Kraft, Mark Bubeck and nearly all those promoting strategic-level spiritual warfare believe Christians can be demonized.
Those advancing this doctrine admit that the Bible has neither teaching nor example of Christians having demon spirits. Dr. Wagner nevertheless offers extrabiblical evidence such as "personal ministry experience," "a consensus...from others who have ministered in the area of deliverance," having "seen many positive, even dramatic, results in the lives of those Christians who have been delivered from demons," and that "none of [these reasons] contradicts any explicit biblical teaching"7 (Emphasis in the original)
Although Wagner gives no details in his book regarding his self-deliverance, the strategy common to spiritual warfare circles is to ascertain the demon's name for better control purposes and then cast it out. A survey of the most popular SLSW literature reveals that in nearly every case each demon has a name which is indicative of its duty (e.g., Lust, Anger, Rebellion, Deception, Pornography, etc.). So the key, say those experienced in this, is to spiritually discern the name of the demon in order to facilitate a successful deliverance. While Wagner and others admit that methods based upon such spiritual information (often from the demons themselves) should be viewed with suspicion, that hasn't appeared to have slowed down the SLSW proponents. Why? Because they are getting results! On the other hand, as any student of military strategy will tell you, results aren't always what they appear to be.
One of the underlying suppositions of the strategic-level spiritual warfare movement is spiritual pragmatism; i.e., if something seems to produce good results, it must be of God. Trial and error accompanies such thinking. Wagner indicates that experimentation is used by SLSW people as their mode of developing "some of the more radical forms of praying...." 8
Is this how we are to grow spiritually? Search as you may, you won't find this approach in God's Word. Deuteronomy 13 tells us that just because something works, that doesn't indicate it's good. A false prophet getting a true result may simply be the bait to lead a person astray. Subversive ministers of righteousness can be some of Satan's finest (2 Cor 11:14).
Sadly, many who are a part of the spiritual warfare movement will see our concerns as ignorance based on the presumption that we have not "been there, done that." The more charitable participants in SLSW perceive us as either "just not called to the spiritual front lines" or "pitifully blind to the dynamic things the Holy Spirit is doing in our day."
On the contrary, rather than quenching or grieving the Holy Spirit, we are simply trying to point to that which the Spirit of Truth has already made clear in the Scriptures for truly effective spiritual warfare. In Part II we will address more details of this growing spiritual army and its various methods of attempting to win its battle with Satan. TBC
Endnotes =======================
1 David Bryant, The Hope at Hand (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1995), 231
2 C. Peter Wagner, Confronting the Powers (Ventura, CA, Regal Books, 1996) 20
3 Ibid., 52-53
4 Ibid.,55
5 Ibid., 59
6 Ibid., 59
7 Ibid., 86
8 Ibid., 20
A Charismatic Vision of The Church For The New Millennium
The December 1999 issue of Charisma magazine contained a revealing article titled "A Church for the 21st Century" in which author Robert Steams, a Charismatic, describes what he believes the church will look like in the next millennium.
The article's subtitle reads, "As we move into the new millennium, we must renounce old religious ideas and embrace the Holy Spirit's new strategies. Here are 10 ways we must change." This statement, and the subsequent article, says much about Stearns' hopes for the future of Christianity in America and about his attitude (and the attitude of most Charismatics and New Evangelicals) toward that which is defined as "traditional." Notice the following observations: Stearns said the 21st century church will once again hear God's audible voice-"Sadly, many denominations in this century have actually taught that God does not speak anymore—except through the pages of the Bible," he added; he also said the church will "unleash the power of creativity" as it brings forth a generation that will "rise up with new anointing and authority in the creative domain" and "casts off the restraints of the spirit of religion." He said the new church will be a "city church" where all denominational walls are broken down in order to experience unity for the cause of Christ and that "mature spiritual warfare" will be waged against demonic forces.
He also added that the 21st century church will "worship with abandon" and that such worship will especially manifest itself in the area of dance as Americans distance themselves from the "cultural entrapment" of equating dancing with sex.
In a related Charisma article entitled "New Year's Resolutions for a New Millennium," Ted Haggard, pastor of the charismatic New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO, listed ten resolutions that he believes should be embraced by today's Christians as they enter the new millennium. One resolution involves churches purposing to "work together strategically rather than competing." Haggard said much emphasis is already being placed on "unity" and added, "we have more churches working together for the spread of the gospel than ever before. " He cited his own city of ministry as an example of effective ecumenical evangelism: "Here in Colorado Springs churches from virtually every background-Baptist, Presbyterian, Interdenominational, charismatic, Catholic, Methodist, and so on-come together regularly for city-reaching efforts."
Haggard also said believers should resolve to "look to megachurch leadership rather than consensus-forming pacifists to develop city-wide strategy" in the2lst century. Haggard said the visionary mega-church leaders, unlike the "consensus-forming pacifists" who usually lead city-wide networks of churches, possess the sufficient drive and purpose for city-wide church unification. Haggard also urged the church to resolve to follow visionary, courageous leaders' He wrote, "Thankfully, many Christians have rejected the spineless, weak pastors who often dominated our pulpits in past years and have flocked to Christian leaders with courage such as Bill McCartney and James and Shirley Dobson." He continued, "We enjoy Bill Hybles, Joy Dawson, T. D. Jakes, Larry Stockstill, Tommy Barnett, Rick Warren, Chuck Colson, Bill Bennett and others because they are actually saying something; they have backbone."
The ideas, aspirations and strategies of both Steams and Haggard are similarly embraced by millions of New Evangelicals, Charismatics and even some professed Fundamentalists today. While it is true that many church growth tactics, church unity programs and "new strategies of the Holy Spirit" will attract multitudes of people, most of those programs and strategies contradict the teachings of the Word of God and only serve to foster an attitude of irreverence and worldliness that already permeates many churches and ministries today. Christ bought the church with His own blood, and He has called it to be separate from the world and obedient to His Word, regardless of whether or not such obedience fails to attract multitudes of people. The church in the 21st century must practice separation from unbelief and compromise, not infiltration. It must obey the Word of God, not twist It in an attempt to change society or find approval for man's philosophies of witness and ministry. FOUNDATION Magazine - Jan-Feb 2000, pp. 39-40
Don’t be deceived. “Error...is never set forth in its naked deformity, least, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the un-experienced (ridiculous as the expression may seem) more true than truth itself.” (Irenaeus, 4/97 Christian Conscience).
For Living Truth Today
Ken Schmidt
THE BEREAN CALL
P.O. Box 7019
Bend, Oregon 97708
May 1997
T.A. McMahon
Worldwide revival is no longer just a hope churning within the hearts of some Christians. An ever increasing multitude are fervently declaring, "It's here now, and the Holy Spirit is doing a new work to guarantee it!"
Influential leaders throughout Christendom are pointing to what they perceive to be firstfruits of the Holy Spirit in preparation for a great outpouring. The laughing phenomenon of the "Toronto Blessing" and the ministry of Rodney Howard Browne, some contend, began the process by restoring joy in the hearts of God's faithful servants. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tens of thousands of pastors received the "imparting of the Spirit" at the Toronto Airport Vineyard and carried it across oceans and continents as well as across numerous denominational lines. Thousands of churches in England were influenced by the movement. Leaders of the Brownsville Assembly of God tell us that it was from an Anglican church on that distant shore that the "imparting" returned to this country and ignited their "Pensacola revival." With the Assemblies of God hierarchy giving enthusiastic approval, Pensacola's "anointing" has spread to a great many of the denomination's churches throughout North America.
During 1995 and 1996 many students on Christian college and seminary campuses took part in what they believed to be "a genuine revival." Christian media, both charismatic and noncharismatic, have fostered the belief that revival is dawning. Recent book titles such as The Coming Revival, Revival Signs: Joining the New Spiritual Awakening, The Hope at Hand, and The Coming World Revival not only testify that this eagerly awaited event is at our door, but point to that which practically guarantees it: prayer.
David Bryant, chairman of the National Prayer Committee and a leader in the Forum for National Revival, writes, "God is stirring up his people to pray specifically, increasingly, and persistently for world revival....He will not let us pray in vain. He has promised to hear and answer us fully. We can prepare for the answers with confidence." 1
Prayer for revival, you can be sure, has been the earnest endeavor of Christians of every generation since the apostolic era. But this generation has taken it to another level. In fact, the leaders in this worldwide prayer effort call it a "strategic" level for doing spiritual warfare.
C. Peter Wagner, professor of missions and church growth at Fuller Theological Seminary's School of World Mission, is a central figure in the promotion of this surprisingly vast and aggressive prayer focused movement. Characterized by Wagner as "radical concepts and practices" and termed "strategic-level spiritual warfare," the approach includes some familiar prayer activities with new labels, along with some unfamiliar applications and some brand-new tasks. The terms "strategic level intercession," "territorial spirits," "spiritual mapping," "tearing down strongholds," "identificational repentance," and "prayerwalking, prayerjourneys, and prayer expeditions" proclaim the militancy of this endeavor. International prayer warriors are taking the fight to the strongholds of Satan. Power encounters with demons are the rule, not the exception, in this spiritual battle for global revival and world evangelization.
If all of these new ideas are, to use Wagner's words, "some of the important things the Spirit is saying to the churches these days," we should indeed take heed and submit to the Holy Spirit's leading. On the other hand, what if most of these new activities are the product of misguided zeal on the part of the movement's leaders and participants?
In this two-part series we will examine the writings and teachings of those who have laid the foundation for the new spiritual warfare. In particular we will focus on C. Peter Wagner's book, Confronting the Powers, which appears to be the most comprehensive defense of this movement which has impacted a wide spectrum of professing Christianity. The book's list of supportive evangelical organizations and individuals is impressive, and includes Bill and Vonette Bright, Campus Crusade, World Prayer Assembly; Ralph Winter, U.S. Center for World Mission; Thomas Wang, Luis Bush, A.D. 2000, Lausanne II; Jack Hayford, Richard Foster and many others.
Be assured that we have just as great a desire as anyone to encourage prayer in the lives of believers and to see those efforts result in genuine revival and the salvation of lost souls. At the same time, we believe it would be a spiritual tragedy of immense proportions if the already hundreds of thousands of sincere Christians now spending valuable time, energy and resources in this new spiritual preoccupation ended up being, at best, unproductive or, at worst, unwitting pawns of the adversary.
Our basic premise in evaluating the strategic-level spiritual warfare (SLSW) movement is to appeal to the Scriptures. Isaiah's admonition still stands: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (8:20). God's inerrant, authoritative and sufficient Word is the only objective basis a believer has for discerning truth in spiritual matters.
In establishing a beachhead for the spiritual warfare movement, Dr. Wagner would not fully agree with the above premise. While he maintains his belief in biblical inerrancy and the absolute authority of the Scriptures, he reasons that there are many extrabiblical resources for spiritual discernment, not the least of which is personally hearing from God. Wagner's entree into the development of SLSW had such a beginning: "While in Manila, the Lord spoke to me in a voice that, although not audible was almost as clear as if it had been: 'I want you to take leadership in the area of territorial spirits."'2 Few believers would deny that God can and does on occasion personally speak to the hearts of His own. While that experience is supported by Scripture, many would argue from the Scriptures that it is the exception rather than the rule in God's everyday guidance of believers. Certainly no doctrine can be established on the basis of one's personal, subjective word from the Lord. Thus, what is of concern is not that Wagner heard from God, but what he heard. Is the doctrine of territorial spirits (to be addressed in Part II) confirmed by God?
Extrabiblical revelation is the cornerstone for the development of most of the doctrines of the new spiritual warfare. Though considered spurious not too long ago by the majority of evangelical, extrabiblical revelation is now regarded by a growing number of leaders as necessary to fulfill God's mandate to the church today. They profess to find support for their belief in the doctrine of rhema. In brief, there are two Greek words in the New Testament which refer to the Word of God: logos and rhema. Although Peter Wagner acknowledges that the two words are used interchangeably, nevertheless he and others promote a distinction foundational to their doctrine: logos designates the written Word of God, while rhema indicates the spoken word of God. Regarding spiritual warfare, rhema, in contrast to _ logos, means receiving valid knowledge about the invisible world "from hearing the voice of God, as He communicates His thoughts directly to us as individuals." Wagner states that "Both forms of the word of God...are valid sources of knowledge, and both should be used, as God directs, to confront the enemy in spiritual warfare." Underscoring the fact that the rhema doctrine is becoming a prominent evangelical teaching, he wrote that he is ...[one] among rapidly increasing numbers of others who believe that a valid source of divine knowledge comes through what some would call "extrabiblical revelation." I daresay that the standard-brand evangelical doctrine of "logos only" that we were taught might now find a place on an "endangered doctrines" list, about to become extinct.4
Dr. Wagner qualifies the above by adding that any such knowledge which contradicts Scripture must be rejected by faithful Christians. While that may shore up the confidence of some, his extrabiblical revelation has many other problems, as we shall see; and the decisive fact remains that it has completely denied the sufficiency of the Bible (2 Tm 3:16-17; Jn 8:31-32; 2 Pt 1:3).
John Wimber, (now deceased) to whom Wagner refers as his mentor in the realm of signs and wonders, is presented as an example of one way in which extrabiblical revelation is authenticated; i.e., by the credibility of those who observe or experience them.5 Dr. Wagner tells of continuous years of suffering from headaches for which no painkiller could bring relief:
Then in 1983, John Wimber received a rhema word from God that the root cause of my headaches had been a demon and that I was to drive it out myself rather than ask someone else to do it for me. I obeyed. I cast out the demon in the name of Jesus, and I have not suffered any such headaches since that day.6
While we do empathize with C. Peter Wagner in regard to his suffering, his example raises many questions of concern. Dr. Wagner-a Christian-had a demon? The demon had a specialty? Wagner drove it out himself? God told John Wimber to tell his friend these things? With no biblical support, that's a great deal to swallow as being from God himself. Moreover, why would Wimber's credibility be put forth as validating the authenticity of this rhema word-from-God testimony? His track record of prophecies is far less than trustworthy. In the early '80s Wimber also had a rhema word from God that He would heal well known Anglican vicar David Watson, suffering from terminal cancer. Some months after Wimber's announcement, Watson succumbed to the disease.
Wagner's example in support of validating extrabiblical revelation reflects some of the teachings basic to the SLSW movement. Since demons are the focus of most of those developing spiritual-warfare strategy, they offer a great deal of information gained from extrabiblical sources. C. Peter Wagner believed he had a demon because John Wimber, Neil Anderson, Fred Dickason, Charles Kraft, Mark Bubeck and nearly all those promoting strategic-level spiritual warfare believe Christians can be demonized.
Those advancing this doctrine admit that the Bible has neither teaching nor example of Christians having demon spirits. Dr. Wagner nevertheless offers extrabiblical evidence such as "personal ministry experience," "a consensus...from others who have ministered in the area of deliverance," having "seen many positive, even dramatic, results in the lives of those Christians who have been delivered from demons," and that "none of [these reasons] contradicts any explicit biblical teaching"7 (Emphasis in the original)
Although Wagner gives no details in his book regarding his self-deliverance, the strategy common to spiritual warfare circles is to ascertain the demon's name for better control purposes and then cast it out. A survey of the most popular SLSW literature reveals that in nearly every case each demon has a name which is indicative of its duty (e.g., Lust, Anger, Rebellion, Deception, Pornography, etc.). So the key, say those experienced in this, is to spiritually discern the name of the demon in order to facilitate a successful deliverance. While Wagner and others admit that methods based upon such spiritual information (often from the demons themselves) should be viewed with suspicion, that hasn't appeared to have slowed down the SLSW proponents. Why? Because they are getting results! On the other hand, as any student of military strategy will tell you, results aren't always what they appear to be.
One of the underlying suppositions of the strategic-level spiritual warfare movement is spiritual pragmatism; i.e., if something seems to produce good results, it must be of God. Trial and error accompanies such thinking. Wagner indicates that experimentation is used by SLSW people as their mode of developing "some of the more radical forms of praying...." 8
Is this how we are to grow spiritually? Search as you may, you won't find this approach in God's Word. Deuteronomy 13 tells us that just because something works, that doesn't indicate it's good. A false prophet getting a true result may simply be the bait to lead a person astray. Subversive ministers of righteousness can be some of Satan's finest (2 Cor 11:14).
Sadly, many who are a part of the spiritual warfare movement will see our concerns as ignorance based on the presumption that we have not "been there, done that." The more charitable participants in SLSW perceive us as either "just not called to the spiritual front lines" or "pitifully blind to the dynamic things the Holy Spirit is doing in our day."
On the contrary, rather than quenching or grieving the Holy Spirit, we are simply trying to point to that which the Spirit of Truth has already made clear in the Scriptures for truly effective spiritual warfare. In Part II we will address more details of this growing spiritual army and its various methods of attempting to win its battle with Satan. TBC
Endnotes =======================
1 David Bryant, The Hope at Hand (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1995), 231
2 C. Peter Wagner, Confronting the Powers (Ventura, CA, Regal Books, 1996) 20
3 Ibid., 52-53
4 Ibid.,55
5 Ibid., 59
6 Ibid., 59
7 Ibid., 86
8 Ibid., 20
A Charismatic Vision of The Church For The New Millennium
The December 1999 issue of Charisma magazine contained a revealing article titled "A Church for the 21st Century" in which author Robert Steams, a Charismatic, describes what he believes the church will look like in the next millennium.
The article's subtitle reads, "As we move into the new millennium, we must renounce old religious ideas and embrace the Holy Spirit's new strategies. Here are 10 ways we must change." This statement, and the subsequent article, says much about Stearns' hopes for the future of Christianity in America and about his attitude (and the attitude of most Charismatics and New Evangelicals) toward that which is defined as "traditional." Notice the following observations: Stearns said the 21st century church will once again hear God's audible voice-"Sadly, many denominations in this century have actually taught that God does not speak anymore—except through the pages of the Bible," he added; he also said the church will "unleash the power of creativity" as it brings forth a generation that will "rise up with new anointing and authority in the creative domain" and "casts off the restraints of the spirit of religion." He said the new church will be a "city church" where all denominational walls are broken down in order to experience unity for the cause of Christ and that "mature spiritual warfare" will be waged against demonic forces.
He also added that the 21st century church will "worship with abandon" and that such worship will especially manifest itself in the area of dance as Americans distance themselves from the "cultural entrapment" of equating dancing with sex.
In a related Charisma article entitled "New Year's Resolutions for a New Millennium," Ted Haggard, pastor of the charismatic New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO, listed ten resolutions that he believes should be embraced by today's Christians as they enter the new millennium. One resolution involves churches purposing to "work together strategically rather than competing." Haggard said much emphasis is already being placed on "unity" and added, "we have more churches working together for the spread of the gospel than ever before. " He cited his own city of ministry as an example of effective ecumenical evangelism: "Here in Colorado Springs churches from virtually every background-Baptist, Presbyterian, Interdenominational, charismatic, Catholic, Methodist, and so on-come together regularly for city-reaching efforts."
Haggard also said believers should resolve to "look to megachurch leadership rather than consensus-forming pacifists to develop city-wide strategy" in the2lst century. Haggard said the visionary mega-church leaders, unlike the "consensus-forming pacifists" who usually lead city-wide networks of churches, possess the sufficient drive and purpose for city-wide church unification. Haggard also urged the church to resolve to follow visionary, courageous leaders' He wrote, "Thankfully, many Christians have rejected the spineless, weak pastors who often dominated our pulpits in past years and have flocked to Christian leaders with courage such as Bill McCartney and James and Shirley Dobson." He continued, "We enjoy Bill Hybles, Joy Dawson, T. D. Jakes, Larry Stockstill, Tommy Barnett, Rick Warren, Chuck Colson, Bill Bennett and others because they are actually saying something; they have backbone."
The ideas, aspirations and strategies of both Steams and Haggard are similarly embraced by millions of New Evangelicals, Charismatics and even some professed Fundamentalists today. While it is true that many church growth tactics, church unity programs and "new strategies of the Holy Spirit" will attract multitudes of people, most of those programs and strategies contradict the teachings of the Word of God and only serve to foster an attitude of irreverence and worldliness that already permeates many churches and ministries today. Christ bought the church with His own blood, and He has called it to be separate from the world and obedient to His Word, regardless of whether or not such obedience fails to attract multitudes of people. The church in the 21st century must practice separation from unbelief and compromise, not infiltration. It must obey the Word of God, not twist It in an attempt to change society or find approval for man's philosophies of witness and ministry. FOUNDATION Magazine - Jan-Feb 2000, pp. 39-40
Don’t be deceived. “Error...is never set forth in its naked deformity, least, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the un-experienced (ridiculous as the expression may seem) more true than truth itself.” (Irenaeus, 4/97 Christian Conscience).
For Living Truth Today
Ken Schmidt
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Are We Living in The Last Days?
Could ignorance of Biblical Truth and the failure to discern the seducing doctrines of false teachers be two of today’s chief pitfalls plaguing the Church? Are we living in the Last Days?
Could it be our failure to believe that the Bible is true and that it's neglect is the beginning of the great deception, the prelude to the final apostasy in these last days of the “Church age”.
It was Horatius Bonar, a great Saint of the past, who made the following statement in light of the epistle of Jude, “In some ages evil seems to sleep. In the last days it will awake to full life and activity. It will seize every instrument: the press, the pulpit, the platform.” Today evil has taken over the press; it has taken over the pulpit and the platform. Bonar continues; “It will enlist every science and art - music, sculpture, painting, portrait, philosophy-making them all subservient to its development. The multiplication of crimes, contempt of laws, blasphemies-these are the specimens of the energy of evil.”
In this day in which you and I live these are the things that fill our morning newspapers and are the focus of prime time Television news and “entertainment” programs. There is no use recounting ad nauseaum the things that are happening in our contemporary society. We are now in the midst of apostasy.
Is there a remedy? Why not share your thoughts.
KMS
Could it be our failure to believe that the Bible is true and that it's neglect is the beginning of the great deception, the prelude to the final apostasy in these last days of the “Church age”.
It was Horatius Bonar, a great Saint of the past, who made the following statement in light of the epistle of Jude, “In some ages evil seems to sleep. In the last days it will awake to full life and activity. It will seize every instrument: the press, the pulpit, the platform.” Today evil has taken over the press; it has taken over the pulpit and the platform. Bonar continues; “It will enlist every science and art - music, sculpture, painting, portrait, philosophy-making them all subservient to its development. The multiplication of crimes, contempt of laws, blasphemies-these are the specimens of the energy of evil.”
In this day in which you and I live these are the things that fill our morning newspapers and are the focus of prime time Television news and “entertainment” programs. There is no use recounting ad nauseaum the things that are happening in our contemporary society. We are now in the midst of apostasy.
Is there a remedy? Why not share your thoughts.
KMS
Sunday, July 27, 2008
How are you Identified?
Today many of us have been identified by our occupations. Oh he's an Engineer or she' works at WalMart, or my Husband has a Telemarketing business etc.But who are we really? Hopefully alive and well of course and as a good friend and Golf buddy would say before beginning the first round of 9 holes, "Better being topside than on the other alternative, eh Ken" And so it is.
However, as a Believer in Christ we are fully able to proclaim a new creation identity in Him, and are much more than what we do for a living than to be identified by our occupation only. It should be our pre- occupation that identifies us to stranger or family member alike.
Check out a short excerpt from an article on the subject at hand at:http://withchrist.org/MJS/identification.htm. Here you will find a wealth of TRUTH concerning yours and my true Identity.Come back and let's share some thoughts on this important topic after reading this article that encourages us as Believers to Live The Truth Today.
KMS
However, as a Believer in Christ we are fully able to proclaim a new creation identity in Him, and are much more than what we do for a living than to be identified by our occupation only. It should be our pre- occupation that identifies us to stranger or family member alike.
Check out a short excerpt from an article on the subject at hand at:http://withchrist.org/MJS/identification.htm. Here you will find a wealth of TRUTH concerning yours and my true Identity.Come back and let's share some thoughts on this important topic after reading this article that encourages us as Believers to Live The Truth Today.
KMS
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