Fear & the Law

In the past year or so, I have been made aware of what has become a divisive controversy between the cessationists and continuationists.  When I discovered that John MacArthur had written a book, Strange Fire, strongly taking a stand against Charismatics, to me, the controversy reached a new high.  I felt increasingly troubled, as well as perplexed by the divisiveness of it, and so I prayed very specifically about it.  I understood already that some of the revivals and what seemed like strange goings on in the Charismatic camp had been brought to light.  And as I said before, many of these instances, isolated phrases, and short video clips that came into question as not of God, did not in any way describe the entire Charismatic Movement, but were pointed out as "proof" that anyone involved in the Charismatic or Pentecostal movement was off base spiritually and Scripturally.  I found it interesting, though, that I had never yet heard one cessationist be able to convincingly and Biblically point out their arguments that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, with its evidences, have already ceased.  And so my quest to discover what is behind the cessationist beliefs continued in earnest.

 I became deeply interested in this controversy for a few of reasons.  One, I had already seen how divisive it was amongst believers I had fellowshipped with; two, I simply could not truly comprehend how someone could not understand what Scripture clearly and plainly has to teach about the Holy Spirit.  Thirdly, I became more and more convinced that what lay behind this issue may not really be that much of a misunderstanding, or deliberate omission of its Scriptural teaching; but, that its roots were based on a debilitating fear of trusting God in an area that involved taking a much greater risk in our willingness to live the way of the cross.  It is the third reason that I would like to discuss in this blog.

Many years ago, I was faced with exactly the same fear of receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  It wasn't that I didn't believe what Scripture teaches about it;  I knew from the thorough teaching I had been given, and I knew in my heart that it was true, and I never questioned that it wasn't of God.  I had seen people touched by God, and many times had seen and heard them speaking in tongues.  It was nothing out of the ordinary in my Christian experience.  I wasn't afraid of what I had seen, but the real fear lay within my own heart.  I knew in my heart, without question, that if I was to agree to receive this baptism, that somehow, and I didn't know how, it would be life-changing.  Back then, that was a frightening prospect to me.  It was much safer for me to say, "That gift is for those people, not for me."  Besides, I didn't even think I would qualify.  I was just a nobody; not anyone special, just someone who had greatly struggled in her Christian walk, but God had lovingly stepped in, and poured His love upon me, forgave me, and gave me a clean start.  But He definitely wanted more for me, even though I continued to resist His gentle prompts.

 I should have known this, but I never thought about God's "gifts" being always and only "good gifts."  He would never give me something that would be harmful or bad for me.  It would only be "good," and it would glorify Him, and greatly bless me and others.  That is the God I know and am so happy to serve.

 Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 When I did finally agree to receive this baptism in the Holy Spirit, the Lord was so gracious, and He honored my request that I not receive it publicly.  It was accompanied with so much joy from the Lord, that I could hardly contain it. And yes, it definitely was life-changing for me in only good ways, and in so many ways that I could write books about all that has happened since receiving this incredible "gift."  It wasn't until many years later, that I started to meet sincere people who truly believed and had been taught that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not from God, nor is it meant for Christians today.  I was quite shocked and even saddened to hear such things. I tried to explain to them the opposite, and even show them the many Scriptures to support otherwise, but they had been warned not even to listen to opposing views. 

 Many years later, it surfaced again, and this time, I really wanted to know more about what lay behind it.  After praying about it, one morning I woke up and began reading my Bible.  I had turned to Galatians 6. 

 Gal 6:12    As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.Gal 6:13    For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.Gal 6:14    But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.Gal 6:15    For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.Gal 6:16    And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.Gal 6:17    From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

There were other Scriptures I had read earlier that came to me as well.  As I read, it started to make sense to me.  Fear was behind it, but the cover for that fear had to do with the law!  When people resist the Holy Spirit, they turn to the law (you could also call it religion), and use it as a cover to avoid and deflect the real issue of going to the cross and dying to self. The children of Israel did exactly the same thing.  For example, when God required a sacrifice of their heart, they instead, gave Him a minimal sacrifice out of the law that was only a show of the flesh, and not an act from a contrite and repentant heart.

 Isa 29:13    Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

 In the New Testament, Jesus said this about the religious scribes and Pharisees:

 Mat 15:7    Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,Mat 15:8    This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.Mat 15:9   But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

 NOTE:  You will find much more about this throughout Scripture that many people, when they are resisting God's call for a radically changed heart through repentance, or resist a calling, or even the gifts, will instead turn to religion, tradition, and man-made doctrine.  Others will pursue the things of the world and live according to their sinful desires with little to no thought of God’s Word.  To discuss it further would require a separate blog.

 The above Scriptures really rang true for me because I could also relate to it as something I had done before I really knew anything about trusting in a loving God, who desired fellowship and relationship with me.  Before attending Bible School, I was quite young when I started believing this view of the "law," and one that I had to somehow flawlessly follow.  I believed God to be mean-spirited and impossible to please, and so I gave up, and I backslid.  I wouldn't say that I was ever a religious person, but during that time, even though I was backslidden, I clung to the traditions of the law in ways that were predictable and safe, rather than embrace the life-changing way of the cross.  As a result, my beliefs were based on an unhealthy fear of God, rather than wanting to know and serve Him because He loved me.  After Bible School, where God and His Word had come alive for me, I continued an all-out critical and comprehensive search of the law vs. grace and God's love, and spent most of my time in Romans and Galatians, so that I could begin to understand why I had backslid in the first place.

My first understanding is that the law was made to draw us to God so that we would quickly see how, if we couldn't keep the law in its entirety, we couldn't possibly save ourselves.  We would then, out of our hopeless failings, turn to God for our salvation.  I understood this because in my own life, I knew that I was helpless to keep the law, and so I backslid.  I knew I couldn't do anything, in myself, to return to God, and it had to be God who did it all.  And so He did indeed set me free from my own failed efforts, and He brought me to Himself.

Rom 6:14    For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

 So in coming back to Galatians 6, more recently, it became clear to me that persecution and conflict are inevitable when we choose to stop being religious, and we instead, choose to go the way of the cross.  The way of the cross brings an end to self-effort and to living according to our very soulish nature.  It is not an easy way because we will be persuaded by others to forgo the way of the cross, and instead follow ritualistic and religious tradition taught by men.  We will pose a threat to others who, deep down, do not want to go the way of the cross, and are afraid to really follow Jesus in places that are unfamiliar and difficult.  Perhaps not everyone reading this have received the great gifts that come with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, but this doesn't mean they do not exist.  It simply means that, just like we should never be afraid of taking up our cross and following Him, we should never be afraid of seeking Him for this gift, or for any other gifts He would so love to bestow on us.   And this is also not an argument to say that if a person has not received this Baptism in the Holy Spirit that they have not chosen to go the way of the cross.  It is to say that we (all of us) must be careful to examine our own hearts, whether we are seeking to receive these gifts or not, to make sure that we are not avoiding the promptings of the Holy Spirit, or turning away from Him and His Word in its entirety, and instead, turning to the law and traditions of man.

Is the Power of God for Christians Today?

The idea of the power of God has been brought to my mind several times for quite a few months now.  It seems that there are some Christians that do not believe Christians have any power, nor should they.  They don't want to believe this for several reasons.  Perhaps they are afraid of it, and do not understand it.  They think that they can get along fine without anything out of the ordinary happening to them.  Also, they may think that if they go around saying they have power, they think that they will become proud, and this goes against Christian character. What they fail to understand is that the power of God is not given as a personal power for personal reasons, but that it actually allows the Holy Spirit to do great things through us.   This is Christianity 101.  Whatever fruit that is produced in our lives needs to have come from the Holy Spirit in order for it to be legitimate and advance the Kingdom of God in some way.  In other words, everything that happens to us as Christians should really be the evidence of the outworking of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and not a show of our flesh, or our own good works!  It is only God who deserves glory, honor and praise!  There should be nothing there that we take personal credit for.

 People who fail to embrace this power of God seem to be content to just go to church, maybe tithe, read the Bible, pray and hope that God hears them, and that's about it.  It is an orthodox religion that claims to follow the Bible to the letter.  They may be involved in a Bible study, do some good works, maybe witness, and also try not to say or do anything (like swear, lie, cheat, and so on) that wouldn't be appropriate.  Their Christian life is largely unruffled, there is very little or no persecution (and they will often avoid conflict at all costs), and usually they are nice, smiling Christians who wouldn't hurt a fly.  So what is wrong with this picture?

 For one thing, this is a comfortable religion, and one that appeals to the flesh.  If we carefully read Scripture, will we find anything to support taking such a casual stance when it comes to the things of God?  And does this sound like the kind of Christian experience that involves risk-taking, namely, taking up our cross daily and following Jesus?  From my own experience, I have found that the way of the cross is a very hard way, marked with difficulties, perils, persecutions, and attacks from all sides.  If I read Scripture correctly, this should be the normal experience for every Christian!  When we become Bible-believing Christians, it is much more than just getting saved from eternal separation from God; it is an all-out commitment to the One who freely gave His life for us. Anything less than that, then do we really know the God of the Bible, or the Bible itself as well as we think we do?  And are we really sold out for Christ, no matter the personal cost?

 So in this blog, I'd like to talk about the importance of the power of God, and why it is so necessary to not only understand it, but know how to use it in order to walk in victory in our daily lives.  From what I have been able to find in Scripture so far, generally, the power of God is necessary for these three things:  1) salvation, 2) to live the victorious Christian life (over the flesh, the world, and the devil), 3)  for service.  Although, I am already thinking that this could and may work into writing a book about it since there is so much to say, I will try to summarize it as best as I can in this blog.

 To begin, we cannot even be saved without the power of the Holy Spirit:

 Joh 1:12    But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 I know that the NIV has, for some reason, removed the word "power" and exchanged it with "right." But this is not consistent with other texts that amply mention the word "power" in the context of receiving salvation.  Read the next few verses to see what I mean.

 1Th 1:5    For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

 Rom 1:16    For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

 1Co 1:18    For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

 1Co 2:4    And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:1Co 2:5    That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

 1Co 4:20    For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

 2Co 4:7    But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

 Our salvation is solely a supernatural work of God:

 Eph 2:1    And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:Eph 2:3    Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.Eph 2:4    But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,Eph 2:5    Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)Eph 2:6    And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:Eph 2:7    That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.Eph 2:8    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Eph 2:9    Not of works, lest any man should boast.Eph 2:10    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 Power is also given us to be victorious in our Christian life.  It is not enough just to have a head knowledge of the Scriptures.  We are to "know" the power of God in our daily lives. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for not knowing the Scriptures NEITHER did they know the power of God:

 Mar 12:24    And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

 Luk 4:32    And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

 We are given power to rise above the demands of our own sinful and fleshly nature. The Bible doesn't talk about our own "will-power," but Christ's "resurrecting" power in us that gives us the ultimate victory:

 Rom 8:11    But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.Rom 8:12    Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.Rom 8:13    For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.Rom 8:14    For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.Rom 8:15    For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

 In verse 15 above, and also in this next verse, we are given power to overcome fear:

 2Ti 1:7    For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 The next time you are afraid by an unwelcome uneasiness, try quoting the above verse.  Memorize it and use it in your arsenal of Scriptures against the enemy "spirit of fear."

 We are given power to overcome the world:

 1Jn 5:4    For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.1Jn 5:5    Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

 Read all of I John to understand our place in the world as children of God.  Ours is an overcoming faith, only brought about by the Spirit and the power of God.

 We are given power over Satan and all of his demons:

 Luk 10:19    Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

 1Jn 4:3    And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.1Jn 4:4    Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

 Eph 3:10    To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,Eph 3:11    According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:Eph 3:12    In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

 Finally, we are given power for service in the Kingdom.

 Mat 10:1    And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

 Mat 10:5    These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:Mat 10:6    But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.Mat 10:7    And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.Mat 10:8    Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

 Act 1:8    But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 Now we need to read one final passage of Scripture to end the blog.

 2Ti 3:1    This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.2Ti 3:2    For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,2Ti 3:3    Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,2Ti 3:4    Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;2Ti 3:5    Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

We can see that the general attitude of people in the last days will be to turn against the God of the Bible.  We may have read this over many times and thought to ourselves, this must only apply to the unsaved, for they wouldn't know any better.  But it doesn't say that exactly, does it?  No. This is what can happen to any of us if we turn away from the Scriptures and the God of the Bible, so in verse 5, we are warned to turn away from people who do this:  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.  So we must be very careful to NOT DENY THE POWER of God or His Holy Scriptures.

I realize there is much more to say on this very important topic, and I have already eliminated quite a bit, but it's enough for today before it turns into a book!  May God Bless You today for reading this blog.

Evidence of our Faith

After recently becoming aware of the Strange Fire controversy, which involves the cessationists and continuationists, I have been driven anew to the Word of God.  Mainly, I wanted to see if I could find some kind of persuasive evidence of the view that the gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased during the Apostolic age (cessationist views).  When I listened to the transcript of the Strange Fire conference again, John MacArthur tried to explain who the Holy Spirit is, how He functions, and so on.  Both times I have heard him, it didn't make sense to me, perhaps because I don’t remember him expounding on relevant Scripture to back up his points.  And when I began to read his book, I found even less clarity.  All the book seemed to try to accomplish was to capture the fringes of the Charismatic Movement by taking a quote or a story here and there, and then proceed to cast the entire Charismatic/Pentecostal movement into a negative light.  I also questioned his sources, and have since discovered that some of them cannot be trusted as presenting the entire truth of a person or a ministry, but are simply headlining one or two things those in question may have said, and then both the author and his sources sensationalized it.  I found this very disturbing and depressing (definitely unprofitable to me spiritually), and so I have been immersing myself in the Word of God, so that I may be built up spiritually, and discover anew the many truths about the Holy Spirit. 

Many of these truths are not new to me, but, from re-visiting certain and many passages of Scriptures, they have been strengthened.  In fact, I believe the Lord has given me deeper and fuller revelation of His Word than I had before.  So in this blog, I'd like to share some of the passages that clearly show that tangible evidence will follow our works of faith, some of the very same works of faith that have been amply evident in the charismatic and Pentecostal movements.  However, as I have said before, I am not writing in order to choose a side or a denomination.  No earthly denomination has exclusivity on the gifts or the works of the Holy Spirit; rather, Scripture clearly indicates that His works and His gifts are available to ALL BELIEVERS.

The first passage I’d like to highlight is the great commission that Jesus gave every believer:

 Mar 16:15    And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.Mar 16:16    He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.Mar 16:17    And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;Mar 16:18    They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.Mar 16:19    So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.Mar 16:20    And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Please take note of verse 17 -- these signs shall follow THEM THAT BELIEVE. He is not talking strictly to the disciples here.  This is universal to ALL BELIEVERS.  Notice also in verse 20 that it says that the Lord worked with them, and confirming the word with signs following.  Isn't that interesting that He didn't just give them a Bible, and say "go to it."  He worked with them and confirmed His own Word with signs.  Take note that Jesus had already ascended to heaven at this time.  So we can safely say, that when we go in the "power" of the Holy Spirit, and we witness in the "power" of the Holy Spirit, that the work will be of Him and not of us, especially when we see signs that have followed our ministry. 

Note:  I have another blog which will discuss the "power of God.”

Recently, I had been praying for a couple of physical issues I have been overly concerned about (but, nothing serious).  The Lord spoke to me about not praying just when I am afraid, but to pray the "prayer of faith."  We have to release the faith that He gives us in order to see miracles.  Without a release of faith, we prohibit the work of God to answer our prayers.  Immediately, the following verse came to mind:

Jas 5:15  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Why aren't people healed today?  I believe for a few reasons.  One reason is that they are not praying the prayer of faith.  Instead, like me, perhaps they are alarmed at their health or someone else's, and they are praying out of worry and fear, rather than by faith.  Faith is putting confidence in the Lord and His ability and willingness to heal, just as we would initially put our confidence in Him when we are first saved.  These (faith prayers) are the prayers that heal the sick, not some watered down version of it.  I can tell you point blank, that I had a dear uncle, Uncle Albert (who has since passed away), who demonstrated how to pray the prayer of faith.  I can't honestly think of one time he prayed where that prayer didn't materialize into healing.  I have physical proof of a couple of his prayers of faith for my healing.  One of them can be verified in my medical records.  I am forever thankful for the testimony of his life, and I've never met a more humble man who loved God and others with everything he had.  He was a walking and talking man of faith, and he was often heard quoting Scriptures from morning until night, magnifying the Lord in an attitude of praise and worship.  Is it any wonder the Lord heard and answered his prayers?

 As I learned it first-hand from my Uncle Albert, we must realize that the evidence of our faith cannot occur outside of our close and personal relationship to Jesus Christ.  Let's look at the following Scriptures.

 The Word is "living and active":

 Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick [living], and powerful [active], and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

 Note: my brackets indicate the words used in other translations, living and active.

 Jesus and His written Word are one and the same. You cannot have one without the other.  You cannot just read the Bible without the divine revelation of Jesus to make it come alive for you.  You have to be engaged with and have a relationship with the Holy Spirit in order for any of it to come alive for you.  Also, His Word will always confirm who He says He is.

 Joh 1:1    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 Joh 1:14    And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 1Pe 1:23    Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 Rev 19:13    And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

 Recently, I was reading the following Scriptures and I noticed how John introduces his first book (I John).  John writes all that the Father has shown them, and he uses four of the five senses (seeing, hearing, touching, speaking):

 1Jn 1:1    That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;1Jn 1:2    (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)1Jn 1:3    That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.1Jn 1:4    And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

 Notice in verse 2 - the life was manifested, and he saw it and bore witness.  I found this very interesting, since people think of faith as being blind, or something intagible.  But we are only blind to the things of God if we are walking in darkness.  John also talks about this darkness in verse 5 and 6 of the same chapter.  So faith is not something that is blind.  It makes perfect sense it is only blind to us if we are stumbling around in the darkness.  Look at the following verse:

 Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

There is that word evidence again. 

This does not mean we tell God what to do.  It does not mean asserting our willful desire in a prideful way, but it must always be with the faith He gives us and assures us of, and done in a humble and gracious attitude.

 The following Scripture talks about obeying God's command to love Him and love others as ourselves.  Perhaps it is one of the most practical and striking admonishments in the Bible that talks about our own efforts to believe, outside of what the Word teaches.  We turn again to I John:

 1Jn 3:18    My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.1Jn 3:19    And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.1Jn 3:20    For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.1Jn 3:21    Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.1Jn 3:22    And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Look at verse 18 and 19.   We have to do much more than just pay lip service when it comes to loving God and others.  We must act it out and do so according to the truth of God's Word.  If we do our acts by the truth of God's Word and by the faith that HE gives us (see Hebrews 12:2), we are given assurance.  It is in this assurance that HE gives us that we make our petitions, and we can be confident that He hears and will answer us.  This is how I saw my Uncle Albert receive so many direct answers to prayer.  My family and many of my relatives will have similar testimonies to mine – when Uncle Albert prayed, you knew you were going to get an answer! 

 We need to make EVERY EFFORT to live by and act on the faith that we have been given by Jesus (the author and finisher of our faith – see Heb. 12:2).  If we struggle to believe, and we fail to experience the peace of God in our lives, regardless of our circumstances, then we'd better get into prayer and the Word.  And if we are not seeing the results of our faith, then we must ask God why.  Perhaps there is sin in our lives that is causing us to walk around in darkness, and that sin may be the very thing that is the opposite of faith, and that is UNBELIEF.  Unbelief is the result of sin in our lives, and a hardening of our hearts. This is VERY SERIOUS because to God it is an evil thing:

 Heb 3:12    Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.Heb 3:13    But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

 So we see how the evidence of our faith produces tangible results.  Based on Scripture, we should be seeing many miracles in our lives and those around us, and as a result of a close relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.  If we are in a dry and barren desert, and our hearts are filled with discouragement and unbelief, then we better spend more time on our knees and searching the Word, and less time wondering why our prayers aren't being answered. 

May God richly bless you today as you seek His face, spend time in His Word, draw close to Him, and then grow leaps and bounds in your faith, with incredible and tangible results to follow.

Strange Fire Book Review - Sensationalism or Truth?

I shared in the previous blog that I have unwittingly become involved in the Strange Fire controversy, not to take sides between cessationists and continuationists, but because of the damaging conflict it has had the potential to stir within the church world.  I first read Michael Brown's Book, AuthenticFire, and was blessed immeasurably.  I learned so much about the true working of the Holy Spirit around the world today, that I was filled with joy and encouragement.  Now I am reading John MacArthur’s book, Strange Fire, and it is so difficult to plod through, that I am still on Chapter 1, mainly because the spirit and the tone of the book, the many unkind words used towards Christian brethren is so insulting, it is difficult to get beyond the Introduction.  As difficult as it is to read such negative material, I am reading and taking notes as I go, marking down anything that I need to look into further.  In fact, I have spent so much time looking things up, and checking the people and the movement implicated, and further sources about them that I have asked people to pray for me for God's discernment, and the strength to endure reading the book to the end.   

The Introduction literally blew me away with some of the ugly graphic terms the author used regarding what charismatic theology represents to him.  Suffice it to say, that the book does not start out on friendly terms with charismatic believers, and it doesn't get any better.  You do not read very far into the book before you start reading about the founder of Pentecostalism (the spiritual founder of the movement that later led to the Charismatic Movement), Charles Parham.  In Chapter 1, I read with great interest how the movement started. 1  In fact, I was so interested, that I went beyond what MacArthur had said and found other sites that gave the history and biography of Charles Parham.  Not surprisingly, MacArthur paints a very negative picture of Parham.  The other sites I found give a similar history, but definitely arrive at different conclusions about the man and the resulting movement.  One source said that under his ministry, there were 2 million converts!   MacArthur pointed out the weaknesses of the man and the movement, seeing him as flawed, and therefore the whole movement is flawed.  Yet, clearly, the proof is in the pudding.  It would be hard to calculate exactly how many more millions have been saved as a direct result of the ministry of Charles Parham! 

I give this as an example to show you that there are more than one renditions to every story.  And the more I read Strange Fire, the more I began to feel that much of this book is written in a way that is sensational, and highly subjective, based on so much personal opinion that it would seem to take forever to check all the sources provided, and then, like a lawyer, have to deduce how much of it is actually based on substantial proof.  What alerted me to the sensational style of the book is that I used to be in the newspaper business as both an investigative reporter, writer and editor.  I know how the business works.  You do an interview and do some research, and then you take an interesting, almost deviant little piece of information and you build your story around it, largely disregarding the rest of the information you have gathered.  You do this to get the reader's attention.  You build an entire story around one little snippet of information.   While the quote itself may have been said, without providing it in a fuller context, are you really providing the whole truth and nothing but the truth?  It is NEVER acceptable to make generalizations and portray an incomplete picture.  The Bible says that we are to "put away lying."  

Eph 4:25    Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.Eph 4:26    Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:Eph 4:27    Neither give place to the devil. 

What happens when we are angry?  We give place to the devil.  And lying is entering the devil's territory, for he is the father of lies.  Jesus sharply rebuked the Pharisees, declaring these strong words to them: 

Joh 8:44    Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

We must be so careful we do not enter into this enemy camp by being careless with our words. 

Satan brings people into bondage, but Jesus is the truth, and He sets us free: 

Joh 8:32    And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.Joh 8:36    If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. 

It cannot be over-stressed that for Bible-professing Christians, who have truly been supernaturally born again, we have to be extra careful how we treat our brethren, especially in what we say about him/her.   Any time we point out what the Holy Spirit has shown us is the flawed beliefs of another, and it is clearly in violation of Scripture, we have to be careful that we "lovingly" and "humbly" point them to the truth.  Scripture is very clear on how to deal with conflict.  

Gal 6:1    Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.Gal 6:2    Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.Gal 6:3    For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 

Jesus taught that there's a proper protocol to follow when approaching someone who is at fault: 

Mat 18:15    Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.Mat 18:16    But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.Mat 18:17    And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

Yet, it is not indicated anywhere in Strange Fire, which is clearly at odds with an entire denomination, that this has NOT been done according to Scripture!  So what we are dealing with in this book are several problematic ways that these accusations have been handled.  Namely:   Are these quotes providing an overall true picture of half a billion believers, or is it simply pointing out the few that have erred?  Can they or have they been substantiated face to face with the ones being accused? Have these people being accused been given a fair chance to explain themselves, and repent if need be?  And, if they are in error, have they been approached in the true spirit of what the Bible says - (with meekness and humility)?  I did not read anything or anywhere in Strange Fire to indicate this has been done.  If I find it, I will stand corrected.   

I realize also, that this is not to excuse error in ministries.  We have to confess to error when it is pointed out to us as a matter of Biblical principal and church discipline.  Rebuke is necessary, but we must be careful "how" we do this. 

In contrast, the book AuthenticFire, is written with kindness and grace, and fits the right way to handle conflict within the Body.  I believe it is also written according to Biblical principle. 

Tit 1:9    Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. 

There are other strong, important issues that have come to the forefront for me, as a result of becoming aware of the Strange Fire controversy.  I will share these in the blogs to follow. 

 

1  MacArthur, John. Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship, c 2013, pg. 22-29.

Strange Fire Controversy

I don't know how many of you aware, but I just became aware in this past week of a conference and a book called Strange Fire, authored by John MacArthur.  I have pretty much always respected the thorough Biblical works of this man and his ministry, Grace to You, listened to him countless times on the radio, read his books, even downloaded his Grace to You ap.  I have turned to many of his sermons when doing my own research for writing, trusting that his sources lined up with Scripture, and that he was correctly handling the Word of God.  I am thankful for the many resources he has made available to the Body of Christ.

 But, after listening to the over one hour conference prior to the release of his book, Strange Fire, I could actually hardly believe this was the same highly respected ministry claiming such general, potentially damaging, and largely undocumented statements about Christian brethren, which primarily included the Charismatics and Pentecostals.  It is controversial to say the least.  I do not make any claim to be of any particular denomination, other than a member of the Body of Christ, so I was not going to take any "side" on this issue.  My final authority is the Word of God, and my opinions are based on that, not because I am persuaded by any particular denomination, nor do I want to promote one denomination over another.  So I am writing this from the perspective of a (prayerful) observer of this debate looking in, and what I have seen gives me great cause for alarm.

 You can find a transcript of Strange Fire online, as well as the book, Strange Fire.  There are some statements from the Strange Fire conference that immediately raised red flags for me, and, I discovered, had the same effect on many others.  One statement was that, regarding true worship, the Charismatic Movement had brought nothing to add to it in a meaningful way.  The other is that it added nothing to how the Christian community overall interprets the Bible or to sound doctrine.  Strange Fire implied that whatever Scriptural understandings have come have been through a long line of godly preachers and teachers, but not from the Movement. 

 This is to say that half a billion charismatics have done nothing to advance Scriptural understanding?  As I said before, I am not taking sides for the sake of any denomination, but the divisive and negative effects that such broad sweeping words could have on half a billion charismatics (although it is unlikely they are all aware of Strange Fire) is truly staggering, not to mention the millions and millions of others, who are not charismatic, but have been enriched and grown leaps and bounds because of the Movement.  I know of many many people, myself included many years ago, who have attended charismatic meetings and known people of a charismatic persuasion who have added a great deal to the enrichment of worship, and have taught word for word out of the Bible, the teaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

 Suffice it to say, that after reading the entire transcript, and then going online to do further research, I soon discovered the volatile fall-out resulting from this conference.  Some die-hard cessationsists (they believe that the works of the Holy Spirit resulting in miracles, healing, and tongues have ceased at the end of the apostolic age) were branding anyone who even associated with a known charismatic, as a false teacher or false prophet!  Some were being branded as charlatans, false prophets and false teachers!  Some were accused of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit!  Oh my, is this not treading on very dangerous ground?

 There is a right way and a wrong way to approach a brother if he has fallen.  Scripture is very clear on this count:

 Rom 14:10    But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.Rom 14:11    For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.Rom 14:12    So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.Rom 14:13    Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.Rom 14:14    I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.Rom 14:15    But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.Rom 14:16    Let not then your good be evil spoken of:Rom 14:17    For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.Rom 14:18    For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.Rom 14:19    Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

 I became aware of a book that was written in response to Strange Fire, and it is called Authentic Fire, by Dr. Michael Brown.  I read it and found that, overwhelmingly, Dr. Brown demonstrates the right way to handle conflict within the Body of Christ.  He not only addressed the many problematic statements made in Strange Fire, but he did so in a way that was honoring to his brethren, and also honoring to the half a billion charismatics that had been, to put it mildly, cast in a negative light in Strange Fire.  Aside from the way the book, Authentic Fire is written (kindly, thoroughly documented, Biblically, and soundly theological), it was an incredible blessing to see how the Holy Spirit is working in the world today through committed and humble servants, regardless of their particular denominational affiliation (my take: do we honestly think that the Holy Spirit is limited by which denomination He can work with and through?).  And this is the work that really counts, the work that is being done for the cause of Christ, to reach lost souls.

 You may not have been affected personally or in your congregation by this conflict as yet, but please be aware of what is occurring in the Body of Christ, and make it a matter of intense and fervent prayer.  This is a critical time in history for all Bible-believing Christians to band together, not be split apart.  I will be writing more blogs related to this issue in the days to come. May God Bless You, and remember, if you do find yourself in any way affected with this current conflict, to pursue the higher calling of bringing glory to Christ first and foremost in the way that it is handled.