Media Ignores Terrorized Ex-Gay Church Conference
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Posted:Nov 4, 2005 5:31 am
Last Updated:Oct 15, 2006 12:29 pm 7654 Views
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[TBC: Excerpts from an eyewitness account of a homosexual demonstration
outside a Boston church hosting an ex-gay conference. The personal
account
(along with extensive photo coverage) is from a Massachusetts family
group
seeking to resist the growing homosexual agenda which has found a
favorable
environment in the Northeast.]
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS (OCTOBER 29, 2005) As hundreds of people from
across
Massachusetts came to the Tremont Temple Baptist Church to attend a
widely
acclaimed conference on recovering from homosexuality through a
relationship
with God, angry and enraged homosexual activists converged outside to
intimidate and terrorize them.
The all-day conference, titled "Love Won Out" featured renowned
lecturers,
many of whom had left the homosexual lifestyle and were married in
heterosexual relationships. Major themes included theology and
relationships
with God, as well as practical information for those struggling with
homosexuality or who know people who are in that situation.
But outside, homosexual activists gathered before 8 am and stayed until
that
evening when the conference ended. They were joined by more activists
as the
day went on, including many who apparently came from an anti-war rally
on
the Boston Common.
They did whatever they could to harass and intimidate the attendees,
including waving signs, yelling and screaming, and later they even
brought a
sound truck. Some of the activists went up to a few of the individual
attendees and took close up photos at them, taunting them personally.
The homosexual demonstrators also set up two coffins right in front of
the
church with pro-homosexual epithets written on them.
According to City of Boston officials, they did not have a permit to
demonstrate outside the church, use sound equipment or props, or block
traffic for that purpose.
Boston police, nevertheless, stood aside and allowed the demonstrators
to do
pretty much whatever they wanted. At times they even cooperated with
the
activists, chatting with them, directing traffic for them, and finally
allowing them to completely block the street. The police department
later
informed us that there were no arrests, despite the near-riot behavior
and
the apparent breaking of laws regarding demonstrating without a permit
and
disrupting a religious event.
On the other hand, police were abrupt and unfriendly toward attendees.
As
one woman told us, when she asked the police about the sound truck that
was
disturbing the conference inside: "I asked a very curt, unfriendly
policewoman why they weren't getting the truck to move on the road, why
they
were letting it just sit there, and she snarled there was nothing they
could
do. It must have gone on for at least 10 or 15 minutes, maybe more."
When the police were asked if the demonstrators had a permit, they
refused
to answer. It appeared to people we talked to that the demonstrators
were
given special consideration, to say the least. They did nothing to stop
or
even control what was going on.
Ignored by media.
In the Boston media over the following days, the only reference to this
horrific incident we could find were two sentences buried at the end of
another article, on page B6 [of the Boston Globe]
From Sunday morning's "Boston Globe":
...[S]ome demonstrators stopped outside a conference at the Tremont
Street
Baptist Church that sought to encourage gays and lesbians to become
heterosexuals. Some protesters chanted "Shut it down," and one waved a
sign
that read, "Thank God we're gay."
This was the entirety of the "Boston Globe's" coverage of this
near-riot:
two sentences on page B6, at the end of an article about an anti-war
demonstration that happened the same day. "The Boston Herald" had no
coverage at all on this, nor, to our knowledge, did any of the other
Boston
media
(http://bigchurch.com).
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Author Accuses Christian Publisher of Dabbling in 'New Age'
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Posted:Oct 18, 2005 4:16 pm
Last Updated:Sep 10, 2006 10:57 pm 7442 Views
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(AgapePress) - A leading Christian publisher of youth ministry material
is
being accused of introducing young people to practices rooted in New
Age
Eastern spirituality.
[On September 29] the 2005 National Youth Workers Conference [began] in
Sacramento, California, but not without criticism. The conference is
sponsored by Youth Specialties, a group that one Christian author says
introduces students to labyrinth walks, yoga, and contemplative prayer
practices. For that reason, Cathy Mickels -- co-author of the book
Spiritual Junkfood: The Dumbing Down of Christian Youth -- is advising
youth
workers and parents to distance themselves from the conference and
Youth
Specialties.
"One of their goals, they say, is to know God first-hand as a living
reality. That's why they're putting into contemplative
prayer-type
situations," she explains. "How do we know God first-hand as a living
reality? We read the Word of God because it is God-breathed and it is
God-inspired. [What Youth Specialties is doing] is an undermining of
God's
Word; this is an undermining of the Christian faith."
Mickels also claims Youth Specialties teaches youth pastors to
introduce
students to ancient eastern spiritual practices.
"Nowhere in God's Word does it say that you take on labyrinth
walks,
[or] that you introduce students to yoga or to contemplative prayer
practices where you say a word over and over again to put yourself into
what
Youth Specialties says is a 'semi-conscious state,'" she states. "None
of
these practices are in God's Word."
She says parents and youth workers need to be aware that those who
approve
of putting Christian youth into this semi-conscious state "are the same
people sponsoring this Youth Workers' conference."
Mickels, who is former president of Eagle Forum in the state of
Washington,
contends that Youth Specialties and other evangelical leaders are
"blurring
the lines" between Eastern religions and the Christian faith. "It's
hard to
believe that while Christian parents have been fighting against the
introduction of yoga and Eastern practices into the public schools,
those in
charge of training our Christian youth are introducing the same
principles
into the church."
Among the featured speakers at the Sacramento conference are Mark
Yaconelli,
who is the director of the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project, and
Doug
Fields, the youth pastor at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in
California.
Musicians featured include the Chris Tomlin Band, the David Crowder
Band,
and Jars of Clay (Brown, Agape Press, 9/29/05).
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Rick Warren's Recovery Program
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Posted:Oct 15, 2005 1:49 pm
Last Updated:Mar 31, 2007 4:01 pm 8001 Views
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There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 14:12
I recently attended the Celebrate Recovery Summit 2005 at Saddleback Church in Southern California. The primary purpose of the conference was to train new leaders who would return to their churches and inaugurate the Celebrate Recovery (CR) program. Saddleback’s pastor, Rick Warren, describes CR as “a biblical and balanced program to help people overcome their hurts, habits, and hang-ups...[that is] based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory [emphasis added].” 1
As a long-time critic of psychological counseling and 12-Steps therapies in the church (see The Seduction of Christianity and archived TBC newsletter articles and Q&As), I was pleased to have the opportunity to learn firsthand from those who are leading and/or participating in the program, to better understand what was intended in CR, and to see how it is implemented. What I learned right away was that the 3,000 or so in attendance had a tremendous zeal for the Lord and an unquestionable sincerity in desiring to help those who were struggling with habitual sin. This was my impression in all of my interactions–with individuals, in small groups, in workshop sessions, and in the general worship sessions. The CR Summit lasted three (eight- to nine-hour) days and covered nearly every aspect of Celebrate Recovery.
Nevertheless, other thoughts ran through my mind as I reviewed whether or not I had missed something significant in my previous criticisms of 12-Steps recovery therapies. Is Celebrate Recovery’s 12-Steps program truly different–that is, “biblical and balanced…rather than psychological”–as Rick Warren believes? Furthermore, is he simply naïve when he says in his “Road to Recovery” series of sermons, “In 1935 a couple of guys formulated, based upon the Scriptures, what are now known as the classic twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and used by hundreds of other recovery groups. Twenty million Americans are in a recovery group every week and there are 500,000 recovery groups. The basis is God’s Word [emphasis added].” Or is Celebrate Recovery another alarming example of a way that seems right to a man but one that is turning believers to ways and means other than the Bible to solve their sin-related problems? Let’s consider these questions in light of some A.A. and 12 Steps background information.
To begin with, 12-Steps programs are not just a Saddleback Church issue. Increasing numbers of evangelical churches are sponsoring Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.) meetings and/or creating their own self-help groups based upon A.A.’s 12-Steps principles. Bill Wilson, one of the founders of A.A., created the 12 Steps. Wilson was a habitual drunk who had two life-changing events that he claims helped him achieve sobriety: 1) he was (mis)informed by a doctor that his drinking habit was a disease and was therefore not his fault, and 2) he had an experience (which he viewed as spiritual enlightenment) that convinced him that only “a Power greater than” himself could keep him sober. Attempting to understand his mystical experience, he was led into spiritism, a form of divination condemned in the Scriptures. His official biography indicates that the content of the 12-Steps principles came to him “rapidly” through spirit communication. Certainly not from God.
Celebrate Recovery began 14 years ago at Saddleback and is used in more than 3,500 churches today, making it evangelical Christianity’s most prominent and widely exported 12-Steps church program. Warren considers CR to be “the center of living a purpose-driven life and building a purpose-driven church” and recently announced that Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship would begin implementing CR in every prison where the ministry is functioning.
Celebrate Recovery is a very complex methodology that attempts to bring biblical adjustments to the 12-Steps program originated by A.A. and utilized in numerous other “addiction” recovery programs. The complexity, however, applies to the setting up and implementation of the program as well as to the strict rules that govern its execution. Although there are many problems related to “making it work,” there is only space in this article to address some fundamental issues. Let’s begin with the implications regarding the name of the program.
Reflecting A.A.’s influence upon CR, the term “Recovery” is significant. All those in A.A. are “recovering” alcoholics, who, according to A.A., never completely recover. Recovery is a term that primarily denotes a process of physical healing. A.A. teaches that alcoholism is a disease for which there is no ultimate cure. Although CR rejects A.A.’s view of alcoholism as a disease and calls it sin, the title nevertheless promotes the A.A. concept in contradiction to what the Bible teaches. Sin is not something from which a believer is “in recovery.” Sin is confessed by the sinner and forgiven by God. The believer is cleansed of the sin right then. “I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin” Ps 32:5.
At the 2005 Celebrate Recovery Summit, every speaker introduced himself or herself in the A.A. “recovery” mode, with this “Christianized” difference: “Hi, I’m so and so…and I’m a believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with issues of (alcohol, drug, codependency, sex, or whatever) addiction.” The audience then applauded to affirm the individual for overcoming the “denial” of his or her habitual sin. Not to confess some “addiction” or specific sin struggle raises suspicions of “being in denial.” Throughout the three-day conference, there was never a hint from any of the speakers that anything about A.A., 12 Steps, or CR might not be biblical. Moreover, where Celebrate Recovery programs were not available, those “in recovery” were encouraged to attend A.A. or N.A. meetings.
Rick Warren, on video, reassured the Summit attendees that CR was no man-made therapy. He insisted that CR was based upon the “actual words of Jesus Christ from the eight Beatitudes, which parallel the 12 Steps” and identified his own “Higher Power: His name is Jesus Christ.” I don’t find “Higher Power,” which is a misrepresentation of God, in the Bible. Nor can I fathom why a Bible-believing Christian would want to promote Bill Wilson’s concept and methodology. Why not simply rely on what the Bible teaches?
Is God’s way completely sufficient to set one free from so-called addictions? Did A.A.’s founders provide a more effective way? If so, what did the church do for the nearly 2,000 years prior to Bill Wilson’s “spiritually enlightened” way to recovery? Moreover, if Wilson’s method really works, why are some in the church trying to add Jesus as one’s Higher Power and the Beatitudes to it? On the other hand, if the effectiveness of the 12-Steps program is questionable at best and detrimental to the gospel and to a believer’s life and growth in Christ, why attempt to “Christianize” such a program? It is imperative that all believers ask themselves whether or not they truly believe that the Scriptures and the enablement of God’s Holy Spirit are sufficient for “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Pt 1:3). A rejection of this biblical teaching is the only possible justification for turning to ways the Bible condemns: “the counsel of the ungodly” Ps 1:1 and “a way which seemeth right unto a man.”
How dependent is Celebrate Recovery upon (with minor modifications) A.A.’s 12 Steps? Completely! Those going through CR’s small group take from 12 to 16 months to complete the 12-Steps program. Many go through more than one small group and often become leaders in one while attending others. Without Bill Wilson’s principles, the CR program would be reduced to a handful of misapplied Bible verses. Tragically, the most obvious biblical problem with such an approach to overcoming habitual sins seems to be dismissed by all 12-Steps advocates: the Bible never offers a by-the-numbers self-help methodology for deliverance from sin or for living a sanctified life. God’s way involves obedience to His full counsel and maturity in Christ through the enablement of His Holy Spirit.
Warren’s CR program views the 12 Steps as generally compatible with Scripture yet seeks out verses that appear to biblically reinforce each step. In doing so, however, scriptural interpretations are forced upon concepts that either have no direct relationship to the Bible or that pervert the true interpretation of the scripture intended to support the particular step. CR’s attempt to use the Beatitudes as biblical principles for overcoming habitual sins, for example, is a serious distortion of the Word of God.
Search as you may, you’ll find no commentaries that even hint at such a use of the Beatitudes. Why? Simply because the Beatitudes all have to do with seeking the Kingdom of God and nothing to do with solving an individual’s so-called addictions. Again, why try to legitimize from Scripture Wilson’s “ungodly counsel” from “seducing spirits [bringing] doctrines of devils” 1 Tm 4:1?
Consider, for example, the “Beatitudes justified” first three steps: (1) We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors. That our lives had become unmanageable. “Happy are those who are spiritually poor.” (2) Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.??“Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (3) Made a decision to turn our life and our will over to the care of God (modified from A.A.’s “God as we understood Him” . “Happy are the meek.” This is more than a misdirected attempt to sanctify (in Rick Warren’s words) Bill Wilson’s “biblically vague” 12 Steps.2 It both abuses the Scriptures and reinterprets Wilson.
In these foundational steps, Wilson is summarizing his beliefs based upon his experiences as a “recovering alcoholic.” He felt “powerless” because he believed alcoholism was an incurable disease that consequently made his life “unmanageable.” Since he couldn’t “cure” himself (although millions do without 12-Step or other therapies!), he put his faith in “a power greater than ourselves,” whom he called God, and “understood” Him by fabricating Him out of beliefs discovered in his study of different religions and religious experiences. That’s more than “biblically vague.” It’s a false religion.
So why would Celebrate Recovery or the multitudes of other Christianized 12-Steps groups try to reconcile the Word of God with Wilson’s definitely erroneous and demonically inspired methodology? The deluded response is: “Because it works!” But does it?
Pragmatism is the fuel that powers “the way that seems right” and governs much of what is being lauded in the church today. Not only is this unbiblical, but too often there is nothing beyond enthusiastic testimonials to support the claim that something actually works. The reality for the 12-Steps program of A.A. and N.A. is that there is no research evidence proving that they are more effective than other treatments. Furthermore, the most extensive studies related to “addictions” conclude that most drug and alcohol abusers recover without any psychotherapeutic treatment or self-help therapies.3
The many problems inherent within a Christianized 12-Steps program–and particularly???Celebrate???Recovery–are too numerous for this brief article. Yet, consider these observations: CR is highly promoted as completely biblical and not psychological, yet the key speakers for CR Summit 2005 were clinical psychologists Drs. John Townsend and Henry Cloud. Psychologist David Stoop, the editor of Life Recovery Bible (CR participants’ mandatory paraphrase Bible, polluted with psychotherapy commentary), is a favorite speaker at Saddleback’s CR Large Group meetings. The CR leadership manual advises, “Have Christian psychotherapists volunteer their time to help instruct and support your leaders.”4
CR’s entire program content is marbled with psychobabble such as this “solution” from its Adult of the Chemically Addicted group’s dogmas #x201C;The solution is to become your own loving parent….You will recover the within you, learning to accept and love yourself.”5 This is biblical?! Honoring the psychologically contrived “disorder” of codependency, CR’s Codependency and Christian Living group made this humanistic and biblically false statement: “Jesus taught....A love of self forms the basis for loving others.”6
A.A.’s 12-Steps methodology, along with its antibiblical psychotherapeutic concepts and practices permeates Celebrate Recovery, yet no one at the Summit with whom I spoke seemed concerned. CR’s small group meetings are the antithesis of the way the Bible instructs mature believers to help those young or struggling in the faith to grow. Pastors and elders can be small group leaders, but not for teaching purposes. No leader may biblically instruct or correct but may only affirm the “transparency” of the participant sharing his feelings. “Cross-talk,” or comments by others, are prohibited to allow the freest expression possible. Much of this “expression” reinforces psychotherapeutic myths. The two-hour meetings usually open with the spiritually anemic Serenity Prayer and the recitation of the 12 Steps. Leaders are drawn from those who have completed one or more 12-Step groups. Some leaders work through one “addiction” in a small group while leading another group. It’s not unusual for a leader to put in eight to ten hours in CR functions per week, every week. Serious Bible study and discipleship are not part of the Celebrate Recovery “biblical” emphasis.
Let no one think that presenting these critical concerns about Celebrate Recovery in any way lessens the biblical obligation --Gal 6-- of the church to minister to those struggling with habitual sin. The issue is not whether we should minister, but how we should minister: man’s way or God’s way? Man’s way, or a mixture of biblical teaching and ungodly counsel, is contrary to God’s way. Man’s way leads to death. Applying Scripture to man’s way leads to a slower death, akin to what would result when pure water is added to a toxic drinking fountain. We desperately need to take heed to God’s admonition through the Prophet Jeremiah: “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” Jer 2:13. TBC
endnotes:
Celebrate Recovery Summit 2005 Handbook, 61.
Celebrate Recovery Senior Pastor Support Video, 2003.
The Harvard Mental Health Letter, Vol. 16, No. 12, 1-4; See also: www.stats.org/issuerecord.jsp?issue=true&ID=8.
Celebrate, 31.
Ibid., 342.
Ibid., 350.
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Islamists intend to replace the U.S. Constitution
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Posted:Oct 14, 2005 8:14 am
Last Updated:Mar 31, 2007 3:51 pm 7451 Views
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Only when Americans realize that Islamists intend to replace the U.S. Constitution with Shari'a will they enter final era of war [Excerpts]:
A courageous speech by George W. Bush last week began a new era in what he calls the "war on terror."
To comprehend its full significance requires some background. Islamists(supporters of radical Islam) began their war on the United States in
1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini took power in Iran and later that year his supporters seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
For the next twenty-two years, however, Americans thought they faced merely a criminal problem and failed to see that war had been declared on them. For example, in 1998, when Islamists attacked two U.S. embassies in East
Africa,Washington responded by unleashing detectives, arresting the perpetrators, taking them to New York, assigning them defense lawyers, then convicting and jailing them.
The second era began on September 11, 2001. That evening, President Bush declared a "war against terrorism" and the U.S. government promptly
went into war mode, . . . . Bush did occasionally mention radical Islam -- in fact, as early as nine days after 9/11 -- but not with enough frequency or detail to change perceptions. British prime minister Tony Blair also advanced the discussion in July, when, after the London transport bombings, he focused on "a religious ideology, a strain within the world-wide religion of Islam."
But the third era truly began on Oct. 6 with Bush's speech to the National Endowment for Democracy. He not only gave several names to the force behind terrorism ("Some call this evil Islamic radicalism; others, militant
Jihadism; still others, Islamo-fascism" ), but he provided ample details.
The detailed texture of Bush's speech transforms the official American understanding of who the enemy is, moving it from the superficial and
inadequate notion of "terrorism" to the far deeper concept of "Islamic radicalism." This change has potentially enduring importance if
finally, 26 years later, it convinces polite society to name the enemy.
Despite these many advances, Bush's speech is far from perfect. His quoting the Koran harks back to 2001, when he instructed Muslims about the truenature of their faith; his comment about extremists distorting "the idea of jihad" unfortunately implies that jihad is a good thing.
Most serious, though, is his limiting the "radical Islamic empire" (or caliphate) to just the Spain-to-Indonesia region, for Islamists have a global vision that requires control over non-Muslim countries too -- and
specifically the United States. Their universal ambitions certainly can be stopped, but first they must be understood and resisted.
Only when Americans realize that the Islamists intend to replace the U.S. Constitution with Shari'a will they enter the fourth and final era of this war.
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Bogus Truths
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Posted:Oct 13, 2005 8:32 am
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 7287 Views
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The Times
October 05, 2005
Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible [Excerpts]
By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
THE hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has published a teaching
document
instructing the faithful that some parts of the Bible are not actually
true.
The Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland are warning their
five
million worshippers, as well as any others drawn to the study of
scripture,
that they should not expect "total accuracy" from the Bible.
"We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or
complete historical precision," they say in "The Gift of Scripture."
The document is timely, coming as it does amid the rise of the
religious
Right, in particular in the US.
In their foreword to the teaching document, the two most senior
Catholics of
the land, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster,
and
Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrew's and Edinburgh,
explain its
context.
They say people today are searching for what is worthwhile, what has
real
value, what can be trusted and what is really true (Gledhill, The
[London]
Times Online, October 5, 2005).
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On Harriet Miers
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Posted:Oct 7, 2005 11:05 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 7575 Views
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From what I've gathered from talk radio, etc., Miers has everyone up in arms, simply b/c they cannot pigeonhole her. Well, in my opinion, she seems to be one who will err on the side of the Constitution, not party affiliation. I trust President Bush.
Dr. James Dobson:
"We welcome the president's nomination of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court. He pledged emphatically during his campaign to appoint judges who will interpret the law rather than create it. He also promised to select competent judges who will 'not use the bench to write social policy. To this point, President Bush's appointments to the federal bench appear to have been remarkably consistent with that stated philosophy."
David N. O'Steen, Executive Director - National Right to Life Committee:
"President Bush has an excellent record of appointing judges who recognize the proper role of the courts, which is to interpret the law according to its actual text, and not to legislate from the bench. We believe that Harriet Miers is another nominee who will abide by the text and history of the Constitution."
Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel - American Center for Law and Justice:
"At a time when the High Court is facing some of the most critical issues of the day - including a number of cases dealing directly with abortion and life issues - the person who replaces Justice O'Connor is critical. She [Harriet Miers] is bright, thoughtful, and a consummate professional and I enthusiastically endorse her nomination. Once again, President Bush showed exceptional judgment in naming Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court to replace Justice O'Connor"
Roberta Combs, President - Christian Coalition of America:
"She [Harriet Miers] was the first woman to be elected the Texas State Bar Association President and the first woman to be hired in her law firm and to become President of the law firm. I trust that she will be an excellent addition to the High Court and all Americans will be proud of her."
Dr. Richard Land:
"I'm supporting her because I know this president. There is no issue he is more committed to than turning around the role of judges in this culture and his commitment to strict-constructionist, original- intent jurists. There is no promise he has kept more faithfully."
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WHY I BELIEVE GOD-SANCTIONED TONGUES HAVE CEASED
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Posted:Oct 2, 2005 11:56 am
Last Updated:Mar 31, 2007 4:04 pm 7776 Views
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THROUGH THE GLASS, DARKLY
Paul states in 1 Corinthians that we are incomplete in our knowledge now--incomplete prophecy is all we have [13:9]. Right now we are like --we have unclear, murky, and partial visions of God [13:11]. But when we reach "that which is perfect," [Gal 4:9](the Second Coming)we will then know God as he knows us [13:12].
The Second Coming will replace the times when we cannot see Him clearly--in other words, we cannot prophecy in whole now and we cannot see Him as He is until He comes again.
Paul, in Ephesians [4:9, 16], refers to "meros" as a place or a portion. In 1 Corinthians he has also used "meros" to describe how we see only in part now--full of childish things. But when Christ returns, we will have a perfect sphere of existence--the Kingdom of God. We will see him face to face, putting away the childish things and enjoying the fullness of Him. The full destroys the partial, just as light destroys darkness. The murky glass--or dirty mirror--will be completely purified and we will be able to see everything.
Paul is not prophecying here. He does not know when, exactly, this will happen. He says "But when" [the conditional temporal "hotan" with the subjunctive form of the verb] --[whenever the end] should come [v 10] suggests that Paul didn't know when it would happen. He uses the "light to heavy" arguments practiced by 1st century rabbis.
The "partial sphere" containing prophecies, tongues, knowledge, childishness, mirror's reflection, know in part, faith and hope" is lesser than the coming "perfect" sphere where there is love, face to face revelation, and complete knowing.
1 Cor 12: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
This cannot be prediction, b/c Paul would have been a false prophet. He isn't predicting he will see the complete canon of Scripture and that all would know God even as God knows them, and he is not saying the Corinthians will be alive to soon see Christ face to face. It is one thing to hope, it is another to predict.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Charity is love. Paul is still using the light to heavy theme--We see unclearly now--I know only in part--even though the spiritual gifts are failing-- faith, hope and love remain. Love is greatest b/c only love remains after the Perfect arrives at the Second Coming--there will be no need for faith and hope anymore.
Cor 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy
Again, Paul uses light to heavy--follow love! Love is permanent and will be there even after the other gifts disappear--seek them until they are gone--but there is a better way.
THE REVELATORY GIFTS WERE FAILING
Faith, hope, and love are abiding, but prophecy, tongues, and knowledge are not abiding [13:13]. Earnestly desire (do not despise) these gifts but follow love b/c it will not fail [14:1].
As a rabbi, Paul knew there were two camps in the Jewish teachings: to follow after signs and to follow after wisdom. He teaches by allusion [10:1-15]. Paul speaks more directly to the wisdom camp, b/c they were going to forbid the gift of signs in place of intellectual wisdom and eloquence [1:17-2:2].
7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
Here Paul is saying that even though the gifts were failing the Corinthians, they are still a church of God sanctified in Christ and equal to all who call on His name. The failing of the gifts is experienced by all the churches [1 ]. God "will strengthen" you even though these gifts are declining [1:8]. He is faithful [1:9]. Do not doubt your calling into the fellowship of His [1:9]. Let there be no divisions among you over these things [1:10-11]
Perhaps Paul briefly connected the cessation of revelatory gifts with the nearness of Christ's return, an "unofficial sign" of His nearness [1; 13:8-10; Rom 13:10-13]
THE REVELATORY GIFTS HAVE CEASED
A survey of Scripture reveals that lesser forms of revelations ceased before Corinthians (AD 55) and after to the end of the canon.
Some of this evidence is an argument based on silence--humans are not silent when it comes to gifts. Corinthians discussed them all the time when they had them. Pentecostals cannot remain silent about them now.
SURVEY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Tongues are no longer discussed after 55 AD, when 1 Cor. was written. By 94 AD there is nothing mentioned in the 7 churches of Asia [1:4-3:22]except for a false prophetess, Jezebel [2:20].
AD 49: Paul lists fruits of the Spirit, rather than special gifts [Gal 5:2-23]
AD 51: Timothy brings Paul news about faith and love, not charismata [1 Thess. 3:6]
AD 51: Paul says love is evidence of God's choosing, not special gifts [2 Thess. 1:3-5]
AD 51: 2 Thess 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
AD 53: The unusual is recorded: 12 followers of John the Baptist receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues [known languages] and prophesy [Acts 19:1-7]
AD 55: Paul appeals to the Corinthians' desire to excel in every sign of spirituality to add to their zeal generosity [2 Cor. 8]
AD 55 New birth confirms one is in Christ, not revelatory gifts [2 Cor 5:17]
AD 55 Paul exhorts unto righteousness and holiness, not revelatory gifts [2 Cor 7:1]
AD 56: Only prophecy is mentioned in a way that implies it is rare and the other gifts are not named at all [Rom 12:4-13]
AD 60: There are no revelatory gifts mentioned here--conspicuous in this context--they should be here if important, but there are only a few prophets listed with apostles [Eph 4:2-5:21]
AD 60: Paul could have mentioned revelatory gifts here, but instead refers to false charismata [Col. 2:9-18]
AD 60: Paul doesn't hear about revelatory gifts, nor does he pray for Philemon to receive them [Phil 1:4-7]
AD 62: No revelatory gifts mentioned [Titus 3:1-8]
AD 62: Revelatory giftrs are not part of the requirements for the office of overseer or deacon [1 Tim 3:2-13]
AD 62: Paul exhorted Tinothy to use his gift {ministry? 2 Tim 1:6,7] and uses the example of holy living, not gift seeking.
AD 67: Special gifts are referred to in past tense {Hebrews 2:3-4]
AD 67: Spur one another unto love and good deeds, not tongues [Heb 10:24-25]
AD 67: Peter does not mention these gifts amongst those who share the divine nature--in contrast to the false prophets in the next chapter [2 Pet 1:4-9]
AD 90: God's love is revealed by Christ's sacrifice, not by gifts {1 John 4: 12-17]
AD 90: Evidence of having the Spirit is love and true doctrine {1John 4:12-17)
AD 94: The seven churches in the book of Revelation make no mention of these revelatory gifts at all; only a false prophetess, Jezebel [Rev 19:10]. As I understand it, each church coincides with a time frame in our history--we are now living in the 7th church age.
AD 94:Testimony of Jesus is spirit of prophecy [Rev 19:10]
AD 94: Rev 22:18--do not add to the book. There is no prophecy.
AD 94: Ethical imperatives, not gift seeking [Rev. 22:11]
Satan steps into voids [John 14:30]. False prophets were increasing as the true prophets declined [2 Cor 11:3-12:13]. Many false prophets have gone out into the world [1 Jn 1:4]. So many were false prophets, they left John's church and formed their own, more exciting church [1Jn 2:19]
Paul doesn't mention tongues again in any of his later 12 epistles. Peter doesn't mention them, John doesn't mention them, Jude doesn't mention them. The apostolic fathers never alluded to or hinted at them.
The heretic, Monanus in the mid to late 2nd century AD mentions them, bearing the fruit of false doctrine and prophecy [Deut 18:21-22]. God does not inspire heresy and false prophecy [1 Tim 4:1].
The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD by Titus. The tongues had been a sign to the Jews. Israel ceased to exist shortly after the destruction of the temple. Most of the early church Christians were converted Jews.
Tongues, prophecies, and knowledge were special gifts of revelation. In the context of the Corinthian church, prophets spoke revelation from God [14:24-25]; it was not necessarily predictive [14:3] and it edified the church. Tongues were a sign to unelievers [14:22] and were lesser revleation, needing interpretation [14:23, 28]. knowledge was God-given insight inot God and His truth for the church [12:8,9; 2 Cor 4:6-7]. The order is important--they are arranged according to the clarity of the revelation.
Prophecy and knowledge revealed God and guided the church in matters where they had no scripture. The apostle John is the last known prophet in the NT; the book of Revelation was written sometime in AD 94-96, although some date it earlier.
Although Christ has not yet come, these speacial gifts of revelation have ceased--a fact of history. These revelatory gifts are inferior to the completed canon of Scripture.
Scripture itself testifies that it is able to thoroughly equip the Church and make us wise unto salvation [2 Tim 3:15-17].
The revelatory gifts have ceased and will return only with the two witnesses in Revelation [11:3].
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BLATANT APOSTASY
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Posted:Sep 29, 2005 3:35 pm
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 7710 Views
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INDIAN HILL, OHIO - In an effort to understand and discuss the world's major religions, Horizon Community Church provided a panel discussion
with area guest speakers for five Sundays beginning July 10 and ending Aug. 14.
The idea came from teaching pastor Chad Hovan, who sets the church's program schedule. He had been aware of a similar program at Chicago's Willow Creek Church and he brought the idea to Horizon.
"I think the interest was there partially because of world events," says John Kirby, director of operations and communications for the church. "We wanted our emphasis to be on tolerance-to have a clearer understanding
of Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Christianity and what their members believe."
Adds Hovan, "Our goal was to make this a safe place for people to compare and explore the world's major religions. It is not an inherently Christian service. We want each faith to be given a fair, neutral chance to
present their views, and hopefully in the end we'll understand each other better."
The first Sunday's gathering drew a capacity crowd which came to hear about the beliefs of Islam.
"Those who came discovered a lot more similarities than differences," Kirby said.
[The Berean Call: Professing evangelicals who lovingly embrace false religions of the world in this manner are committing spiritual adultery and are willing accomplices in the delusion and apostasy of the last days prior to the rapture of Christ¹s true Bride, and the subsequent revelation of Anti-("in-the-place-of") christ and his false "christian" church.]
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FALSE WITNESS
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Posted:Sep 27, 2005 6:14 am
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 7574 Views
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Exodus 20:16 - Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Deuteronomy 5:20 - Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. 20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you
Psalms 27:12 - Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
Psalms 35:11 - False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 [/bA false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren
Proverbs 12:17 - He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
Proverbs 14:5 - A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
Proverbs 19:5 - A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
Proverbs 19:9 - A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.
Proverbs 21:28 - A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.
Proverbs 25:18 - A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Matthew 15:19 - For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Matthew 19:18 - He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, [bThou shalt not bear false witness,
Mark 10:19 - Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Luke 18:20 - Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
Romans 13:9 - For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
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George Bush, The Man--Canada Speaks
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Posted:Sep 24, 2005 11:08 am
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2006 9:29 pm 7692 Views
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George Bush, The Man
David Warren.The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, September 11, 2005
There's plenty wrong with America, since you asked.I'm tempted to say
that
the only difference from Canada is that they have a few things right.
That
would be unfair, of course -- I am often pleased to discover things we
still get right.
But one of them would not be disaster preparation. If something
happened
up here, on the scale of Katrina, we wouldn't even have the resources
to
arrive late. We would be waiting for the Americans to come save us, the
same way the government in Louisiana just waved and pointed at
Washington,
D.C. The theory being that, when you're in real trouble, that's where
the
adults live.
And that isn't an exaggeration. Almost everything that has worked in
the
recovery operation along the U.S. Gulf Coast has been military and
National Guard. Within a few days, under several commands, finally
consolidated under the remarkable Lt.-Gen. Russell Honore, it was once
again the U.S. military efficiently cobbling together a recovery
operation
on a scale beyond the capacity of any other earthly institution.
We hardly have a military up here. We have elected one feckless
government
after another that has cut corners until there is nothing substantial
left. We don't have the ability even to transport and equip our few
soldiers. Should disaster strike at home, on a big scale, we become a
Third World country. At which point, our national smugness is of no
avail.
From Democrats and the American Left -- the U.S. equivalent to the
people
who run Canada -- we are still hearing that the disaster in New Orleans
showed that a heartless, white Republican America had abandoned its
underclass.
This is garbage. The great majority of those not evacuated lived in
assisted housing and receive food stamps, prescription medicine and
government supportthrough many other programs. Many have, all their
lives,
expected someone to lift them to safety, without input from themselves.
And the demagogic mayor they elected left, quite literally, hundreds of
transit and school buses that could have driven them out of town parked
in
rows, to be lost in the flood.
Yes, that was insensitive. But it is also the truth; and sooner or
later
we must acknowledge that welfare dependency creates exactly the sort of
haplessness and social degeneration we saw on display, as the
floodwaters
rose. Many suffered terribly, and many died, and one's heart goes out.
But
already the survivors are being put up in new accommodations, and their
various entitlements have been directed to new locations.
The scale of private charity has also been unprecedented. There are yet
no
statistics, but I'll wager the most generous state in the union will
prove
to have been arch-Republican Texas and that, nationally, contributions
in
cash and kind are coming disproportionately from people who vote
Republican. For the world divides into "the mouths" and "the wallets."
The Bush-bashing, both down there and up here, has so far lost touch
with
reality, as to raise questions about the bashers' state of mind.
Consult any authoritative source on how government works in the United
States and you will learn that the U.S. federal government's legal,
constitutional, and institutional responsibility for first response to
Katrina, as to any natural disaster, was zero.
Notwithstanding, President Bush took the prescient step of declaring a
disaster, in order to begin deploying FEMA and other federal assets,
two
full days in advance of the storm fall. In the little time since, he
has
managed to co-ordinate an immense recovery operation -- the largest in
human history -- without invoking martial powers. He has been
sufficiently
presidential to respond, not even once, to the extraordinarily
mendacious
and childish blame-throwing.
One thinks of Kipling's poem If, which I learned to recite as a lad,
and
mention now in the full knowledge that it drives postmodern leftoids
and
gliberals to apoplexy -- as anything that is good, beautiful, or true:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise .
Unlike his critics, Bush is a man, in the full sense presented by these
verses. A fallible man, like all the rest, but a man.
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