7 Threats From a False Teacher - by Costi Hinn

Found here. My comments in bold.

-------------------------

On the whole, some good information here. But we notice that it seems like Mr. Hinn's complaints are directed specifically to charismatic abuses. We wonder why the abuses of fundamentalists or cessationist evangelicals don't make the list.

We would suggest egregious phrases like,

• If it's not in the Bible, God didn't say it
• If private revelations agree with Scripture, they are needless
• Pastors have been appointed by God to speak to His people
• When we rely on the treasure of God’s Word, then we don’t need anything more

Charismatics are an easy target, since they are much more demonstrative than the typical cessationist conservative evangelical. It's much easier to pretend to not notice when folks backbite, gossip, or are bitter or envious.

Mr. Hinn wants to set up a scenario where believers are to be on the lookout for things people might say. So if they hear, "don't put God in a box," it should trigger a warning to them. Thus, saying something from the below list means a false teacher.

------------------

Christ Plus Mysticism - by John MacArthur

Found here. My comments in bold.

---------------------

Happily, Dr. MacArthur does in fact quote a couple of Scriptures, a refreshing development in a sea of teachers who have no desire to make their case from the Bible.

However, Dr. MacArthur must develop a thesis for us based on his premise. 

1. State the premise
2. document the premise
3. evolve a logical procession of ideas
4. connect his premise and the resultant logic to the object of his thesis
5. reach a conclusion
6. Supply a remedy for the identified problem

Dr. MacArthur skips a few steps.

We should note that there are certainly excesses in some parts of the charismatic camp, as chronicled by Dr. MacArthur, and we are not intending to defend or affirm them. Our observations are confined to Dr. MacArthur's presentation.

-------------------------

Pastoral Concern about Evangelical Prophecy - by: Paul M. Smalley, Joel R. Beeke

Found here. My comments in bold.
-------------------------

The authors manage to quote only a single Scripture. 

And, every bondage the authors are concerned about can happen in any church or believer. Those bondages are not unique to continuationists. Nor are continuationists more prone to them.
------------------------

Bondage to Individual Leaders

The question about the cessation or continuation of special revelation (Um, no. It's the gift of prophecy. That's the Bible term.)

has very practical ramifications for the Christian life, for God’s special revelation carries great authority. When people ascribe that authority to mystical experiences, the results are damaging to their spiritual lives, sometimes tragically so. (Undocumented assertion.)

Here the saints must embrace the balance of biblical wisdom. We must not deny the reality of Christian experience as the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Christianity is not merely a set of prescribed beliefs and behaviors. It is not less than that, but it is more, for it engages the affections of the heart. The saints walk with the living God. Christ is real to the believer, and his Spirit is our indwelling divine companion. However, we also must not fall into experientialism, ascribing divine authority over our faith and obedience to spiritual experiences. The belief that God continues to grant special revelation through personal experience fosters unhealthy experientialism. (The authors offer us a false binary choice: Either we must be cessationist or unhealthy experientialists.)

First, continuationism tends to put people in bondage to individual leaders. (An undocumented assertion. Indeed, we note with irony that cessationists are often beholden to their heroes, like John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, John Calvin, and Jonathan Edwards, whom he quotes below.)

Despite cautions and safeguards in responsible Pentecostal and charismatic churches, if people are convinced that someone has a regular ministry of receiving direct revelations from God, they will ascribe unusual authority to that person. (Again we note the irony.)

They will seek his counsel more fervently, listen to him more attentively, follow his instructions more submissively, and support his ministry more generously. (Like a lot of pastors... cessationist included.)

Granting such a person the title of apostle or prophet aggravates the problem. (Undocumented assertion.)

Though evangelical theologians such as Storms and Grudem labor to redefine prophecy, (Pejorative statement. Perhaps instead they are laboring to correct misconceptions or bad teaching.)

the moment we call someone a prophet, we invoke thoughts of Moses and Elijah in those whose minds are marinated with Scripture. (Undocumented assertion.)

Someone might object that this criticism would also apply to prophets in the first century, thereby indicting God’s wisdom in giving the gift of prophecy then. However, at that time the living apostles could confront and reprove abuses of prophetic ministry, supporting the ruling authority of the church’s elders while directing the churches in how to use prophecy (cf. 1 Thess. 5:12–13, 19–22). (Our first Scriptural reference, left unquoted by the authors:

12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves...

19 ...Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

Do you see anything in these verses that indicate its the job of the apostles to confront and reprove abuses of the prophetic? 

Who is the intended audience of these admonitions? The opening statement:

1Th. 1:1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.    

The church. They are writing to the church. They are telling the church what it should do. The church is to esteem its local leaders. The church is not to quench the Spirit or despise prophecies. The church is to test everything. There is nothing here addressing the duties of apostles, leaders, or elders.)

Salvation by Propitiation - by Kevin DeYoung

Found here. My comments in bold.

-------------------

As is typical for many of these Christian apologists, the author is reluctant to quote Scripture. Only one tangentially related Scripture is quoted.

The author equates salvation with propitiation, but this presumption is never documented. The forgiveness of sins still leaves us dead in the Old Man. It is Christ rising from the dead, victorious over death, where life comes to us via the Holy Spirit. It is by resurrection power we are saved.

-----------------

There are many biblical ways to describe Christian salvation.

Salvation can be understood ritually as a sacrifice, as the expiation of guilt through the death of Christ on the cross.

Salvation can be understood commercially as redemption, as a payment made through the blood of Christ for the debt we owe because of sin.

Salvation can be understood relationally as reconciliation, as the coming together of estranged parties by means of Christ’s at-one-ment.

Salvation can be understood legally as justification, as the declaration that sins have been forgiven and that the sinner stands blameless before God because of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.

(Each of the above might be true in some way, but how does the Bible itself present salvation? We would ask for at least one Bible citation that substantiates any of these points.

In addition, we might quibble with the idea that justification is a legal process. There is no hint that either "justification" or "propitiation" should have any legal connotation at all.)

Pastors Are Special - by Jared C. Wilson

Found here. My comments in bold.
------------------------

This is nothing but aggrandizing the position of pastor to the point of ridiculousness. The below described pastor is not found in the Bible.

And all this is from a self-described church coach. Ho-boy.

----------------

I've been a pastor and I've not been a pastor, and I have to tell you, pastors are special. There is nothing quite like pastoral work, and I've discovered it is sometimes difficult to communicate that effectively to congregations. If you've never been a pastor, you may even suspect all the anxious, recent talk about pastoral stress and burnout and the like is overblown. We've all heard the jokes about how pastors only work one day a week.

There are also plenty of us who have served under or otherwise been led by manipulative, lazy, or even abusive pastors, giving us even more cause to raise an eyebrow about any posture toward ministers other than "keeping them honest." There are certainly too many unqualified men in the pastoral ranks. But I'm convinced the vast majority of pastors are good and faithful men doing their imperfect best to serve the Lord and feed their flocks. And I'm equally convinced that too few church members often think about the burdens and responsibilities that really do make ministry special.

Too few pastors feel secure or free enough to speak this way in public. They fear being judged or dismissed. From my time "on the other side," I can say that I -- and almost every ministerial comrade I opened up to -- felt constantly misunderstood and constantly restrained from confessing it.

Now that I'm not a pastor, I have taken seriously one of my ministerial goals in serving pastors and advocating for pastors. To that end, if you're one of those who thinks pastors whine too much and work too little, I want to share with you some reasons you may not have considered that pastoral work really is different.

1. The qualifications are greater.

Every Christian is called to pursue holiness with the same vigor. No one is exempted from cooperating with the Spirit's work in sanctification. But 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5 all set the bar for pastors higher. (let's quote the passages, since the author seems reluctant to do so:

1Ti. 3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.

Tit. 1:7 Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless — not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

1Pe. 5:1-3 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow-elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers - 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

No mention of pastors anywhere here. Maybe he thinks the pastor is the single "overseer," but he is wrong. The passage in 1 Peter is clear, an elder is a shepherd is an overseer. The church is to be led by elders, not a pastor. 

A pastor is part of the leadership to the extent he is dedicated to the care of the flock. He's not automatically the preacher, the teacher, the head administrator, or the singular man in charge.)

What is Impassibility? Defining a forgotten attribute -by JAMES M. RENIHAN

Found here. My comments in bold.

---------------------------

We must  admit, We've never been exposed to this "doctrine" in the 40 years of our Christian experience. We put the word "doctrine" in quotes since the author doesn't quote a single Scripture in support of this concept. He quotes theologians and statements of confession, but he never opens the Bible. 

It is a mystery how one can explain a doctrine but never quote the Bible it supposedly comes from.

It seems to us this is one of those arcane parsings of theology that has no fruit for the Christian walk. It does not speak to the way of salvation, holiness, or Christian service. It holds no benefit to the worshiper, preacher, or evangelist. It does not come to bear on Christ-likeness, the fellowship of the saints, or even the Gospel itself.

In our opinion, the issue is not even worth discussing.

---------------------

Proposal will unleash technology, help with climate - by Norman A. Bishop

Found here. My comments in bold.
----------------------

This whole thing is completely nuts. 

Essentially, this is a tax on fossil fuel-producing companies, the proceeds of which would be distributed to consumers to offset the increased cost of purchasing fossil fuels. If you're wondering how simply taking money from gas and coal companies and giving to consumers will create jobs, lower carbon emissions, or really do anything at all, go to the head of the class.

I discuss this in more detail here, here, here and here. 
-----------------

Cessationism - Episode 8 -Tongues

Our next Episode in the cessationism series.

Additional Episodes:

• Episode 1, the Perfect.
• Episode 2, the apostles.
• Episode 3, prophecy.
• Episode 4, the closed canon.
• Episode 5, extra biblical reasons.
• Episode 6, only the apostles had all truth.
• Episode 7, there were only limited periods of miracles.
• Episode 8, tongues.
• Episode 9, the work of the Holy Spirit.
• Episode 10, does God speak only through the Scriptures?
• Episode 11, what about impressions?
• Episode 12, what is discernment? 
• Episode 13, the sufficiency of Scripture.
• Episode 14, Was the purpose of miracles restricted to the authentication of the apostles?
• Episode 15, Is revival excluded because of apostasy?
• Episode 16, is prophecy subjective?
• Episode 17, Could only the apostles confer miraculous powers or gifts?
• Episode 18, are charismatics functional cessationists?

Our criteria for the cessationism debate is that the argument must

1. be from the Bible
2. Not appeal to contemporary expressions of charismata
3. Not appeal to silence
4. Not appeal to events or practices of history

That is, any defense of cessationism must be Sola Scriptura.
----------------

Difficult Bible Passages: 2 Kings 2:23-25 - by Bill Muehlenberg

Found here. Very interesting.

There was a commenter that I particularly liked. His comment is at the bottom.
-------------------------------

This is a passage that bothers many people. Some find it to be quite appalling in fact. As Peter Leithart remarks, it is “one of the most controversial passages in Scripture.” The problem is this: it seems that a prophet had some kids punished – if not killed – for just being kids and making a few wisecracks.

Or so it seems. But let’s begin by running with the actual passage:



From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

So what are we to make of Elisha’s curse on these boys? Was he just being a grumpy old man resorting to overkill? Was he so hate-filled and intolerant that he is not able to take a bit of jesting? Many think that the prophet overreacted, and this was not a very godly or loving thing to do.

Well, a number of things can be said about all this, so let me raise seven important points that must be borne in mind. First, consider the context. We first learn about Elisha in 1 Kings 19. There we find the Lord telling Elijah to “anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet” (v. 16).

The first 18 verses of 2 Kings 2 speak of how Elijah’s anointing as prophet is transferred to Elisha, and how Elijah is taken up to heaven. Verses 19-22 record his first miracle: the curing of the water. All this leads up to the story of Elisha and the youth.

Second, consider where this action took place. Bethel was a place of idolatry and rebellion. Leithart reminds us that Bethel was the site of Jeroboam I’s golden calf shrine (1 Kings 12). As Iain Provan remarks: “For the authors of Kings, Bethel is a city that provides the focal point of Israel’s apostasy (cf. 1 Kgs. 12:25-13:34). It is no surprise to find the children adopting a disrespectful attitude towards a prophet.”

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE WELSH REVIVAL OF 1904-06 - By Sam Storms

Found here. An Excellent Article.

On Sunday, Christmas Day, 1904, Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, pastor of Westminster Chapel in downtown London, England, delivered a somewhat unusual sermon. Contrary to his normal practice of expounding a passage of Scripture, he proceeded to tell his people about the remarkable things that the Holy Spirit was doing at that very time in Wales.

G. Campbell Morgan was a perceptive man, a conservative, sane, balanced, and highly respected pastor. Having heard that revival had broken out in Wales, and unwilling to accept anything on hearsay, he personally travelled to Wales to observe firsthand for himself, what, if anything, God was doing. Upon returning, he said this on that Christmas Day in 1904,

“I say to you today, beloved, without any hesitation, that this whole thing is of God, that it is a visitation in which He is making men conscious of Himself, without any human agency” (quoted in S. B. Shaw, The Great Revival in Wales, 78).

Here are ten things we should know about what happened in Wales.

(1) The principal human agent used by God in the Welsh revival was Evan Roberts. Roberts was born on June 8, 1878, and died in 1951. He began working in the coal mines when he was 12, but soon felt the call to study for the ministry. He immersed himself in the study of the Bible. Roberts was 26 years old when revival broke out. He had been praying for it every day for 13 years. Let me mention three things about Roberts.

He had a remarkable encounter with God that served to prepare him for what God was about to do.

“One Friday night last spring, when praying by my bedside before retiring, I was taken up to a great expanse – without time and space. It was communion with God. Before this I had a far-off God. I was frightened that night but never since. So great was my shivering that I rocked the bed, and my brother, being awakened, took hold of me, thinking I was ill. After that experience I was awakened every night, a little after one o’clock. This was most strange, for through the years I slept like a rock, and no disturbance in my room would awaken me. From that hour I was taken up into the divine fellowship for about four hours. What it was I cannot tell you, except that it was divine. About five o’clock I was again allowed to sleep on till about nine. At this time I was again taken up into the same experience as in the earlier hours of the morning until about twelve or one o’clock. . . . This went on for three months” (Shaw, 49).

10 invalid arguments in defense of false teachers - By Rick Becker

Found here. Our comments in bold.

---------------------------

The author appears to be making excuses for his methodology.

Please note that we are not defending any particular person or ministry. Our discussion shall be restricted to the author's presentation.

---------------

Scripture warns us that in the last days some will depart from the faith, and be deceived by evil spirits and teachings of demons. Those who teach false doctrines are not on the fringes of christianity, they are in the center in the form of the Evangelical Industrial Complex. Bethel, Hillsong and other NAR “churches” have infested the visible church like gangrene. Those who are saved from this deception, try to warn their friends and family still caught up in the quagmire of celebrity teachers and false doctrines. When we warn them of the precarious position they are in, they usually resort to arguments we are all familiar with. This post deals with some of those questions.

Do you know them personally ?

It is not necessary to know figures such as Brian Houston or Bill Johnson personally to test their teachings. Those of us who come out of these churches know what it takes to work your way up the hierarchical structure in order to “get to know them personally.” Have they taken the time to get to know the people whose faith has been shipwrecked due to their teachings? (Irony alert. One of the author's talking points below is What have you done for the Lord, which he dismisses as a Red Herring. Yet he uses the same technique to dismiss his adversaries.)

Do they care that their sponsored posts reach millions of naive and biblically illiterate people? Not content with shepherding their own congregations, these hirelings spread their doctrines with impunity. (Sharing their faith? How unbiblical!)

They are not contributing to the body of Christ, but building their own empire. (Undocumented assertion.)

A CLOCK THAT IS 5 MINUTES OFF IS STILL WRONG - By Elizabeth Prata

Found here. Our comments in bold.
---------------------

Doctrinal purity, an impossible standard, is regularly imposed by the Doctrinal Police as they attack those with whom they disagree.

And as is typical for these people, Ms. Prata does not quote a single Scripture.
----------------

Becoming -Sermon Text

Scripture reading: Philippians chapter 3

Become – the process

It’s been more than a year since I last preached here. A different church I’m standing in front of today. Not because of new faces, although there are those. A different church because Holy Spirit has been working in our church.

A recent prayer time Megan prayed for “the more.” Holy Spirit seems to be more here now. There’s more of Him working in us. There’s more of His influence. There’s more of His presence.

Holy Spirit is always present. But He can be more: Lk. 11:9 …how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” More Holy Spirit is something I ask for frequently.

Jentezen Franklin’s church opened the year with a 21-day fast, just like we did. Here’s what he said:  “This coming year—2019—is going to be powerful. It's going to be the year of a thousand times more.”

Anyone mind if I steal this promise for us?

This is important. We have to keep working and praying. We can’t become comfortable. The gains we have made, the hard-fought victories we have won, the lessons we have learned, we need to stand firm in what Father has accomplished here, and not let them be stolen by the enemy.

Help us persevere, not only to victory, but also through it.

I’m going to put up statements like these this morning. They are things that have come from some of my prayer times.

So, I want the more. A move of God. Healings. Salvations. Deliverances. I want the more, the Holy Spirit more, the “thousand times more.” How about you?

If we want the more…

This church must change.

We must make Holy Spirit as welcome here as we can. 6 - Do not quench (1Th. 5:19) or 7 - grieve (Ep. 4:30) or 8 - resist (Ac. 7:51) Holy Spirit.

This church will change.

We must become the husbands and wives and families we He wants us to be. We must become the friends He wants us to be. We must become the ministers of the Gospel He wants us to be. We must become the church He wants us to be.

This church is changing.

We’re becoming something. Something better. Something more conformed to God’s desire. We’re becoming more conformed to Christ. So keep going deeper.

You’re calling us deeper, not for the experience, but for the fellowship with You.

Belong, believe, become. That’s what the elders have been asking us to focus upon. That’s what many of us have been praying for. That is what Father is calling us to. And that’s what the elders asked me to speak about this morning, become.

I intend to call you forth into new levels of faith and vision and holiness. Maybe I can turn your eyes upward a little more. Maybe I can fan into flame a greater sense of purpose in you. I’m hoping that you will be able to say, "Yeah, I get that. It speaks to me. I believe that. I’m on board.”

Say this with me: There’s something going on here… and I want to be a part of it.
***