Anticipating the Harvest (Palm Sunday, 2015)

Reading One:                         John 3: 31 - 4: 16      Revelation at the well, Sychar @ Samaria

John the Baptizer has just given his testimony about the Son, who was sent to earth by the Heavenly Father. Through Him, God gives the Spirit without limit. Whoever believes in Christ will receive life, while those who reject Him will remain in the wrath of God.

It was not until this year that I realized how the evangelist John has as one major theme: the coming Spirit and the associated world-wide expansion of the Kingdom. No wonder that this Gospel also includes an extensive account of Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Spirit (chapters 14-16).  As we will see in a few examples, John recognizes how Jesus Himself keeps looking beyond the cross to the great harvest from all tribes and nations.

Perhaps John’s choice of words (highlighted in bold print above) at the end of chapter 3 may serve as his introduction to Jesus’ ministry to the Samaritans as recorded in chapter 4.

After a long walk, Jesus sits down at Jacob’s Well in Samaria while his students are going into town to buy some food.  Although Jesus is thirsty and hungry, He is actually more concerned with the spiritual hunger and thirst of the people here, even though they are Samaritans.  (Remember that the Samaritans had been moved into the Jewish land during the exile, and that they were taught from the Torah, the teachings of Moses.  Yet, the Jews hated them for sharing the Promised Land, and had no respect for their limited knowledge and understanding of the Law of God.)

So, when one of the local women comes to the well, Jesus approaches her and asks her for a drink.  He uses this opportunity to share with her and her people the Good News. The Messiah has come, even to Samaria, to bring life.  The promise of the Holy Spirit (the ‘Living Water’) is no longer just for Abraham’s offspring; it is also for Samaritans and other Gentiles!  The times are changing- soon Jerusalem will no longer be the centre of true worship as the Gospel spreads to all the nations!

Reading Two:             John 7: 25-44                        Revelation at the Shelterfest, Jerusalem

Jerusalem:      Already Jesus seems to be “the talk of the town”.  Throughout John’s account, we hear this question, “Who is this man?” While the Samaritans at Sychar had accepted Jesus’ claim that He was the Messiah, the Jews at Jerusalem continue to have discussions and debates on this question.  The religious leaders are trying hard to dismiss the suggestion that Jesus is the Christ (Christ = Messiah), using pressure tactics to prevent the people to follow Him. 

Shelterfest:    It is Sukkot, the festival of shelters. People from all over the map have gathered in Jerusalem, where families are camping for the week in simple shelters made from branches and twigs.  They remember the desert journey, after they had been delivered from Egypt on the way to the Promised Land.  Now, they may have comfortable homes, but during this week they remember that their land is under Roman occupation, and although they have returned from exile, the Kingdom has not yet been restored.  Sukkot is the week-long feast at the end of the harvest season. It is a feast of great joy and high expectations. After the worshipers enter the temple building, they hear the reading of the Hallel (Psalms 113 – 118), and near the end they shake their lulavs (the bundle of green they have brought). 

²⁵ (Hoshannah!) Lord, save us!  Lord, grant us success!

²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
    From the house of the Lord we bless you.
²⁷ The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

up to the horns of the altar.

²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

And then, after reciting Solomon’s prayer for the winter rains (to bless next year’s harvest), there is the climax of the feast: the pouring of the living water. Jewish leaders have called this event, “the greatest expression of Jewish’ joy!”  One of the priests will go down to the Pool of Siloam to fetch a pitcher of living water. On the last day he will go around the altar seven times (while the lulavs are being shaken and Hoshannahs are shouted), before pouring the water from the golden pitcher into the silver bowl.  At that time the crowd is silent: all eyes are on the priest to see the pouring of the water!

Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

What is the self-revelation that Jesus is making? 

I think we can discern several aspects:

1          Come to me!  It’s not the temple or the priests, which are the way to God!

            I am the temple; I am the priest, for I came to sacrifice myself as Lamb of God.

Soon it will be done with sacrificing lambs at the temple of Jerusalem, for Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, had come to take away the sins of the world.

2          I have come to lead you back to God!  This is one of the two expectations for Messiah: to be a spiritual leader, bringing spiritual reformation.  Many recognized this and replied: “He is the promised Prophet!”

3          In the context of Psalm 118 (the hope of restoration of the Kingdom of God) and the prayer of Solomon (David’s Son: the Prince of Peace), as well as the constant shouts “Hoshannah” (Lord, set us free!), there must have been a high expectation, for the Messiah would be the promised Son of David, the King who would restore the Kingdom!

4          The Messiah would not just be king over Israel, but king over the nations!  Again, Jesus exclaims that anyone may come to Him to receive the water of life.  Again, we can look towards the harvest, the feast of First Fruits, next year’s Pentecost, for –as John explains- Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit, who will be poured out on all nations!

Reading Three:          John 12: 12-32          The Hour of Glorification has come

This Sunday is Palm Sunday. Churches over the whole world are remembering how Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah and the Promised Son of David. Even the disciples did not fully understand the event, but the anticipation of the Messiah and the not so distant revelation at the temple must have triggered a quick response.

Did they not shout “Hoshannah, Save us Lord” when this prophet from Galilee stood up to introduce Himself as Savior?  Meanwhile the rumor had spread that this man could even raise the dead (Lazarus @ Bethany)!

So, when people hear of Jesus riding into town, they take palm branches to give him a royal welcome!  And, by fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy, Jesus shows again that he has indeed come as the Messiah, to be their Savior-King!

And, what happens at the end of the parade? For many followers, it may have been a disappointment. And this disappointment will have gotten worse during the following week, for he was not the conquering hero that they hoped for, but a servant, who willingly went to his horrid death, as a sheep goes to the slaughter!  His kingdom was not of this world, and His followers were not to use the sword.

And yet, John shows us another perspective!

The Pharisees exclaim that, “The whole world has gone after him!”

And John shows how some Greeks now want to meet with Jesus.

The disciples seem to think it inconvenient, but Jesus gets excited.

It helps him to look beyond this week of suffering and focus on the harvest!

It empowers Him to go on with the way of ultimate suffering and humiliation so that the Kingdom may be built.  Yes, He will be the precious grain that must die so that the whole world may bear a mighty harvest to the glory of God!

Today

Thank God, Jesus came to accept ridicule and shame, torture and murder to see God’s Kingdom restored.

Thank God that God used the Son of Abraham to extend his blessings to all nations, even to us, and that He promised his Holy Spirit to all people groups!

Thank God that we may know that Jesus lives, and that –by His Spirit- he wants to live in us to keep us close to Father-God.

May His Spirit work in all of us and our loved ones to bring many to welcome Jesus into their hearts and accept him as their Savior-King!

May we be prepared to follow Jesus, even –if that might please Him- to serve him through suffering and death!

May we be encouraged to look at Christ and the apostles, who were not afraid to suffer and to die, as they looked beyond the suffering to see His Kingdom come and to share in the glory of our Lord.

May we always remember that we are (called to be) temples of God, called to dedicate our lives to His service, to worship Him in the communion of saints, and to be his witnesses of truth and love in the communities in which we live and work.

May we share in the excitement to see people from all kinds of people groups interested to discover their identity as children of God and their purpose of serving Him and living in His blessed company- forever!

Amen

Sex and Marriage

While I was a teenager my father took me a couple of times into his study to give me some personal guidance about sex.  He basically warned me to use my developing sexuality only in the context of marriage. These must have been the tensest and most awkward talks we ever had, for him probably just as much as for me.  In the end he gave me a booklet to read. It did not explain to me how it all was supposed to work; such books were in the public library. And because these were ‘dirty books’, I was not allowed to visit the public children’s library.

Some twenty five years later, as a married man, I had to teach about the science of human reproduction, first in Christian high school, and later in a public high school. Yet, it was still very awkward for me to talk with my own children about these things, especially about the moral side of it.  Somehow the old stigmas and taboos came back to mind, even while I tried to be relaxed about it. 

Because it was a cultural-religious taboo, there was little or no public discussion on these issues. At the time I was trying to form a biblical perspective on issues in geography and science. So, I wrote some articles on related topics for the magazine “Reformed Perspective”. When I came to the topic of birth control, however, there was some serious hesitation among the editorial committee. It was the first time somebody publicly wrote about the use of condoms.

I am concerned that the silence of the churches and their leaders has not helped to safeguard a culture of sexual purity but rather it allowed much sexual impurity to come in through the back door.  When the young people began to do the things young people do, it was often hushed up as private sin, which the church should not deal with. Some couples, who were not successful in hiding their sinful acts, were paraded as shameful examples of sinful living.  Yet, I wonder now: was it not unfair or even hypocritical to discipline members after they have committed sins if the church did not first give clear public and private guidance and instruction in these matters?  In my upbringing, sexuality was never openly discussed in meetings of church leaders with parents of teenagers or meetings of church leaders with the teenagers themselves.  Sure, it was supposed to be obvious that premarital sex was sinful, but the rationale was rarely explained or discussed.  (I remember about fifteen years ago how I heard a senior pastor preach on Matthew 1, where the only application seemed to be, “See, we ought not to have sex before marriage.”  Although I agreed with the statement, I was appalled by the outrageous reductionism of this amazing chapter!) And because these things are often still not openly discussed, young people in love tend to just look around to see what their friends are doing and other young people in the church are getting away with.  The elders and parents may guess that ‘something wrong is going on’; meanwhile the youth has decided already what is right for them.

While I was student at (a Christian) teachers’ college, I was looking into these issues. Most of the young people in the church seemed to use the church’s teaching to set restrictions in their lives; “the law” tells us which things are unlawful for us.  Meanwhile, evangelical youth were taught to ask, “In what way can I best serve and please my God?”  It seemed to me and others in my church that the Bible’s “Song of Solomon” was not condemning the idea of running off with a lover- ‘to make love’.  In fact, at that time I understood our Bible teacher to agree that the Bible does not forbid premarital sex (as long as they get married afterwards).  One or two years later, when I lived on my own as a Christian school teacher, my family doctor encouraged me to have sex with my girl friend. When I told him I was a Christian, he replied, “There are so many traumas among young people like you.  I am telling you (as medical expert) to relax and enjoy sex.” I was shocked to get immorality as a medical prescription. I don’t think I seriously considered his advice.  That does not mean that there was no sexual desire which I had to struggle with, but I knew that my friends and closest community would frown upon ‘such loose morals and this helped me to resist temptations in this area.

I am very grateful that I did not heed my doctor’s advice, for God did not intend me to continue the relationship with my girl friend at that time.  So, when He presented to me the bride of His own choosing, Marioka, I could accept her without a tainted past.  Looking back, it is very clear that God orchestrated this new relationship and had protected my purity for it.  When we agreed to pursue a relationship towards marriage, we promised each other not to have sex until our marriage would be consummated.  So, when a few times our intimacy became too strong, we would remind each other of the agreement we had made. Also, when we went together on a trip to western Canada, we took the necessary precautions, so we each brought and used our own tent.

When the day came that we requested our pastor to marry us, he told us he had to ask whether or not we “had slept together”. We could tell him without reservation that we had not.  As far as I remember this was the first time an elder openly asked us about it.  Later I thought: this was wrong.  If the elders were really serious about godly living among the couples in the church, they should have had a meeting with us early on.  Yet, then I wonder: is it possible for a church to guard the purity of their young people without become legalistic and promoting hypocrisy?

About seven years into our marriage I was at a staff Christmas party where I got as present a copy of Keith Green’s biography (No Compromise).  I read it, and I loved it. It finally gave me an intimate look into the walk and talk of evangelical Christians.  Many things appealed to me. Among other things, I was happily surprised to see that Keith, after he became a Christian, decided to move out of his girlfriend’s apartment. At first she thought it was a crazy idea, but Keith told her that God had put it on his heart to marry before they would sleep together again. This amazed me! Keith -as a newborn Christian- had a clear sense of God’s will in holy living while most young people in our church seemed to challenge their leaders and teachers to prove to them that God forbids premarital sex.  Another seven years later we were attending a (Reformed) Baptist church. Here, the teaching was very clear and public: God condemns unholy living of this kind. The pastor told me that when young people challenged him on this point, he would not argue from biblical proof texts but rely on the work of the Spirit.  “Look, if you really seek to do God’s will (rather on insisting to follow your own desire), then go to three most godly people you know, and ask them for advice. Then, without further protestation, you do what they suggest!”

The sad thing is that, whether you’re in Europe or in North America, most churches seem to be silent on the topic. In other words, they do not give any real guidance or direction to their young people. In many churches it is seen as ‘lost ground’, which could never be regained without losing many members.  And in many or most churches, they love to have revival, but not at the cost of seeing more people leave the church.  A few years ago, we had a young woman in our church (in China), Shelley, who publicly announced that unless and after God would provide her with a godly partner in marriage, she would refrain from any sexual activity. I really admire this young woman; without any public support and against her culture, family, and peer pressure, she is committed to follow Christ in every aspect of her life. A Canadian colleague, who regularly visited our church, shared with us her disappointment that, in her efforts for pure living, churches rarely offered any encouragement or support.  So, I wondered, why can we not have a Promise Keepers movement among Christian young people to offer mutual support for those who want to follow Christ all the way and need our encouragement to do so?

Five years ago, a Philippine church planter here in China talked to me about these issues. This was just after they had lost a leader who had gotten pregnant by an unbelieving boy friend.  When I suggested that the Bible does not give clear instructions on premarital sex, he vehemently disagreed. The Bible clearly condemns ‘porneia’, which means the surrendering of sexual purity outside of marriage.  So, after some time I did some research on the Internet and discovered that all but the most liberal critics agree on the meaning of the term.  How come I never learned this in our churches?

The term ‘porneia’ is one of the key terms to know about the Bible’s standard for sexual morality.  It is usually translated as ‘fornication’, but this is an archaic term; most (young) people would not really know its meaning.  The Bible forbids it, but what is the thing that is forbidden?  Part of the problem is that the term meant different things to different people groups at different times.  I found Kyle Harper’s research paper helpful as a guide.

“Porneia: The Making of a Christian Sexual Norm”, Kyle Harper, JBL 131, no. 2(2011): 363-383.

Originally the term referred to prostitution. In the Greco-Roman world it was used for any non-respectable woman, selling sex to make a living.  In that culture it was seen as something good as it satisfied an existing demand without endangering the respectable women in society. (Some scoffers use this original meaning to suggest that Paul only forbids explicit prostitution by women, selling their sexual services.)

After Jewish prophets frequently spoke (by God’s inspiration) of idolatry as spiritual porneia (Israel as God’s bride giving herself to other gods), Hebrew culture began to broaden the meaning of the term.  Although sex with slaves was still exempted, it now applied to all extra-marital sex, committed by females or by males.  And, during the second-temple-era (From the exile until Paul’s death), the literature shows that the term was further broadened to include sex with slaves.

This is the context in which Paul writes. Therefore it makes sense that he advised those who struggled with sexual desires to get married!  In the surrounding Greco-Roman culture the typical advice would have been, “If you have sexual desires, find yourself a prostitute!”

The sad thing is that today the impression is given that only elderly stuck-in-the-mud conservatives still believe that sex outside marriage is condemned by God. But this is not the case! After we took the Alpha course, I read Nicky Gumbel’s book and I listened to the teaching of Nicky and Sila Lee. These Anglican leaders in contemporary ministry agree that sex before marriage is not according to the will of God!  Timothy Keller, who is very reluctant to defend mere traditions if they would hinder seekers to come and listen to the Gospel, makes no excuses either. He sees that the Bible requires us to live in covenant.  “The main condition of marriage is a binding covenant” and “sex is sacred because it constitutes a covenant renewal ceremony.”* Keller agrees that “porneia refers to any other sex other than sex with your own spouse. In other words, while adultery is always fornication, fornication includes premarital sex as well as extramarital sex or adultery.”  Furthermore, he argues that our sexual lifestyle has a direct relationship on what we believe about God.  Intimacy requires a complete whole-life commitment.  In one of his sermons, Keller reminds us that only in the most recent decennia in the enlightened western world have (some) churches stopped teaching that “God forbids extramarital sex”. Those who continue teaching this should not feel they are living at the margins of the church, for ‘the church of all times and places’ is in full agreement on this point!

What has triggered the radical shift in sexual morality, even in fairly conservative churches?

• Undoubtedly, the constant pressure of the secular entertainment industry played a role.  We have been bombarded by stories and images of extramarital sex, so that the Christian tradition suddenly looks alien and archaic. 
• Also, the public and governments’ views of marriage are shifting from the biblical definition (by including same-sex covenants), so that many may wonder what it really means in today’s world to get married.  Perhaps we should begin to think of marriage primarily as a covenant made before the Lord and our Christian community, and not in the first place as an administrative act before the government. Could we thereby lower the threshold of marriage for young couples while increasing its significance? 
• As mentioned earlier, the reluctance of the churches to build a clear case and set a public standard created the situation that allowed this shift to happen. This suggests: we need a reformation!
• Also, the new hermeneutic will be used to relativize the teachings of Paul.  At first glance we might think that Harper also uses extra-biblical sources to find out what Paul is saying, but in this case there is no redefining of Paul’s terms, but rather a confirmation of what the church has always taught!
• Finally, many or most parents refuse to maintain strict guidelines about ‘living in sin’ if it affects their own children. So, the typical response I get about this issue and the issue of Christian young people living with unbelievers is, “Ah, but you must try to understand the youth today!”  This suggests that we must listen to their emotional arguments to move the God-given boundaries.  Apparently, many see it as more important to maintain the peace with our children than to please our Father-God! 

 I would like to call on the churches return to biblical norms; if we do this, we would probably witness true revival where we can see and experience God’s power in a new and greater way!

*The Gospel and Sex, by Tim Keller

http://www.christ2rculture.com/resources/Ministry-Blog/The-Gospel-and-Sex-by-Tim-Keller.pdf

Beauty and the beast

In the previous post we suggested that New Age thinking and teaching is infiltrating the churches on a significant scale. We ended with “The Florida Phenomenon”, promising to evaluate some of the teachings in this movement, which is closely associated with the ‘New Apostolic Reformation’ (NAR).  Recent developments appear to have led to a major split in the evangelical church.  The magazine ‘Christianity Today’ may have downplayed the controversy in favor of the movement, but there are quite a few websites with serious -mostly well documented- criticism about NAR’s teachings and its practices.  And for every page of criticism, there seem to be a hundred readers’ replies, which are either very concerned about the developments or very upset that the movement is being criticized.
 

No More Christmas! (two theological theories)

Two key theories in the movement are (1) the kenosis theory and (2) the dominion theory.  The kenosis theory may have had its origins in the late 19^th century in Gottfried Thomasius, who wrestled with the apparent tension of the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ. He used Philippians 2: 7 (‘Christ emptied himself’; kenoo = to empty out) to propose that Jesus voluntarily gave up (some of) his divine attributes, like his omnipresence and omnipotence.* Adherents to this theory today agree that Christ was both fully human and fully divine, but not at the same time.  In the NAR this is a key doctrine.  “New apostles”, like Bill Johnson of Bethel church (Redding, Fla.) propose that the young Jesus was not divine.  A special anointing of the Spirit (at his baptism in the Jordan River) empowered Jesus to live a sinless life and to do mighty miracles for God.  We, or some of us with the same kind of anointing, can do the same kinds of things.  Therefore -it is suggested- we, too, can and should heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and raise the dead- just as Jesus did.  In fact, some members of the Bethel church have been at a local morgue to try this, and there are stories circulating that some have been raised from the dead.  Christ’s purpose (we are told) was that we should follow Him in doing signs and wonders for God!  The consequences of this teaching should be obvious: Jesus is no longer unique: others –with the same kind of anointing- can achieve the same things!  Does this mean that we, too, can become without sin and acquire divinity…?  This is what the New Age teaches**; Jesus is one of many yogis; others have accomplished the same kinds of things as he!

The dominion theory claims that Adam and Eve lost their dominion over God’s creation.  Consequently, the enemy became the (true) prince of the world.  Through Jesus’ ministry, however, he recovered the kingship, and he gave it to the church. Now it is our task to assure that God’s Kingdom is established on earth.  We should not wait, in confident expectation, for Christ to return to make all things new. He has given us the power to do this, and Christ will not return until we have accomplished it!  If we want Christ to return, we’d better join the “signs and wonders” movement, because this is the way that it will happen! 

Bob DeWaay summarizes Johnson’s message (in his book “When Heaven Invades Earth- a practical guide to a life of miracles”) as follows: “God always wants to do abundant and remarkable miracles but is kept from doing so by the fear and unbelief of the church.  God waits the arrival of specially anointed and enlightened Christians who will enable Him to bring at long last an invasion of heaven to earth before the return of Christ.”

Somehow, when I read the letters of Jesus to the seven churches, it seems that the real Christ has a different message as he warns against false teachings and idolatry, rather than urging us to do signs and wonders!   

Take off that armor! (no more testing)

The evangelical church has always maintained that the Holy Spirit uses the Word, and that we must use the Word to test the spirits to see whether or not they are from God.  If the enemy wants to deceive the church, he must first turn off the alarm systems.  Needless to say, this is what is happening today.  The masses are deceived by sensational reports, but they have little interest in systematic Bible study.  They are like the people of Galilee, who loved to see great miracles while they had little interest in the Word of truth.  Where Bible study is despised and preaching becomes short and shallow, the focus is shifted from the cross of Christ and a transformed life of growing in godliness to involvement in community projects or hyped-up revival meetings.  Apparently, at Bethel church one of the popular sayings is, “God has only nice things to say”; no wonder former members report that the word ‘repentance’ was never used.  Pastor Johnson repeatedly downplays reliance on God’s Word for knowing God and the NAR seems to have little respect for the Bible.  Johnson writes, “Those who feel safe because of their intellectual grasp of Scripture enjoy a false sense of security. None of us has a full grasp of scripture, but we all have the Holy Spirit. He is our common denominator who will always lead us into truth. But to follow Him, we must be willing to follow off the map- to go beyond we know.”

Whereas Paul urges the church to put on the full armor of God so we can stand strong against the devil’s schemes, the “apostles of the new reformation” assure us that the Holy Spirit will always protect us.  We need not worry about deceptive spirits, they seem to suggest, while Paul urges us to be on our guard against the spiritual powers of the darkness!  Where Paul sees demons, the NAR sees only angels of light.  In fact, they talk more about angels than about Jesus Christ; when His name is used, it’s often like a (constantly repeated) mantra.  Johnson argues that heaven has started to invade the earth, and his wife reports how she and her friends drove across Arizona and New Mexico on a mission to wake up angels. They take this serious, so I begin to wonder, “What is going on?  Are they called to mobilize fallen angels or deceiving spirits for the last battle?” 

…12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. 13And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; 14for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.… (Revelation 16)

Some have criticized the movement or its leaders as the anti-Christ (as they reject that Jesus came to earth as the Christ), but the NAR replies: No, the term ‘Christ’ refers to the anointing. Therefore the real anti-Christs are those who are opposed to the anointing, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and its associated miracles!

Embracing the enemy

Once the alarm systems have been turned off, the enemy must convince us that there is no true antithesis. The NAR and their partners are convinced that we must learn from the New Age, because it knows of methods and techniques that can help us to perform mighty signs and wonders. They are convinced that the New Age actually stole most of their techniques from the church, so it is our duty to take it back.  Although the New Age is still seen as an enemy, or at least as competition, the theology and methodology of NAR begins to look very similar to that of the New Age!

There is nothing new under the sun. Marilyn Ferguson wrote thirty five years ago (in her book ‘The Aquarian Conspiracy’) “My definition of Christianity has expanded over the years. After I became involved in meditation, for example, I experienced the vision of Christ more vividly than I ever had through sermons and dogma. You would be surprised, I think, to know how much of the New Age Movement centers on Christ Consciousness Many Christian churches are seeing that direct spiritual experience offers a revitalization for modern Christianity.”  The only new difference is that today these ideas are no longer exceptional; they have become the common perspective of many or most mainstream churches.

Take stock and mobilize your church!

When you scan the Internet, you will find that every popular preacher has been called a false prophet or the antichrist!  For every issue of biblical tension (like: The Bible is the Word of God, yet it was written by humans. Christian faith is God’s gift, while it is our responsibility. We are saved by faith alone, while faith without works cannot save us.), there will be those who emphasize one side of the truth, criticizing those who emphasize the other side.  I, too, have been called a false prophet and a heretic. When the church of Christ is thoroughly divided, only the enemy stands to gain!  Therefore, we must be cautious before we judge. 

And yet, we are called to test the spirits to discern what is in accordance with God’s Word!  We do have many warnings in the Scriptures, and we would be foolish not to heed those just because we hate to slander.  We must also realize that Satan is clever enough to mix in a good dose of walk and talk that looks very genuine. When Jesus was tested in the wilderness, the enemy also started his attacks by quoting from Scripture.  As churches begin to neglect idolatry and pussyfoot around sensitive issues, they will lose the power of God’s presence. When that happens, the members reach out to programs and courses to experience the presence and the power of God.  Yet, this will not work!  It is like Eli’s sons, bringing the ark of God onto the battle ground. 

How are these things impacting your church, and how can we equip and protect the faithful ones?  I can only offer some suggestions.

• ·         Don’t think it does not affect your church. Even the most conservative or orthodox churches has members and groups or courses (inside the church or followed in parachurch organizations) that impact the members in these ways. Just keep your eyes and ears open when it comes to shifting interests and new courses that are offered or embraced!
• ·         Although anything relating to the ‘mystical’ can be used as a portal to the New Age, not everything may be bad in or by itself.  We are leading a course on ‘Experiencing God’, where the warning is always heard to test (what appears to be) the Spirit’s leadings by the Word of God.  Also, we may use ‘lectio divina’ and certain forms of chanting in our worship, but we must be careful when these involve ‘emptying ourselves’ in submission to whatever spirit seeks to enter us or using mantra-like phrases in ongoing repetition. 
• ·         Yoga and TM must always be treated with the greatest suspicion, and just because ‘it feels good’ and ‘it helps me to relax’, this does not mean it pleases God or cannot be used by the enemy to lead us into darkness.  We may pray, ‘lead us not into temptation’, but if we do not heed his warnings and continue to go there, we cannot trust that God will never let us go.
• ·         Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2, among other passages, give us serious warning about real things.  Yet, our Lord reminds us that those who are the true believers (‘the elect’) will remain true to the faith.  Although all the false teachings seem to destroy the Body of Christ, it’s actually the dead or dying church that is swept away. “Where the dead body is, there the vultures will gather!” (Matthew 24: 28)
• ·         Be prepared for backlash. The impact of this (NAR) global movement is so great that many have been charmed by it to such an extent that they may respond in great anger when they see their heroes being criticized.

* Similarly, popular evangelical authors like Philip Yancey, in their efforts to solve the tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, have argued that God has voluntarily given up his omnipotence, taking a real risk in order to give full freedom to human beings in their response to the will of God.  This thinking has further deteriorated into Clark Pinnock’s Open Theism, where one cannot be sure whether or not God’s plans will ever be fulfilled.

**”Autobiography of a Yogi”, by Paramahansa Yogananda

Major sources:

Bob DeWaay         An Invasion of Error, in response to the book “When Heaven Invades Earth”

John Lanagan        The New Age Propensities of Bethel Church’s Bill Johnson,

in response to the book “the Physics of Heaven”

The Last Battle

Canada, 1993-94

When the movie “The Lion King” was released, it became an instant hit, and no wonder. It was beautiful in animation, giving a popular story with great music. Yet, as I was studying and teaching about cultural trends at the time, I saw it as a grand strategy to promote a pantheistic worldview.  It seemed to me that we were being told that the age of reckless hedonism (“There is no environmental problem”) was over. Through shaman Rafiki, we heard the warning of the ancestor’s spirit to take responsibility for the state of the planet.  In the same year I read that native tribes of the Amazon should be seen as “keepers of the flame”.  In their harmonious co-existence with the natural and spiritual world they set an example for humankind today, as we have all but destroyed our common living space.  I shared my concerns about the movie with some colleagues at the Christian high school where I taught at the time.  I got little support; one colleague thought I was suffering from a conspiracy syndrome, and the music teacher had her choir sing the Lion King’s theme song, “The Circle of Life”.

A year earlier, the Alberta government sponsored magazine “Environment Views” had a special issue about religion & environment. The lead article suggested that the church should do what Jesus had done for Jewish culture, and turn it around in a new direction to heal ourselves and our planet.  The first paragraph of the article decried the fact that one Christian pastor had complained about a recent Edmonton ecumenical religious service (on World Environment Day), where all religious leaders were invited to unite in positive thoughts and prayers for the wellbeing of Mother Earth. The pastor had protested that public funds were used to promote neo-paganism.  The author expressed his amazement how Christian leaders of today can still be so stubborn not to unite with “other traditions” and how they still “fail to recognize the legitimacy of earth-based spirituality”.

The Netherlands, 2002?

Meanwhile, one of my own sisters had become a true disciple of the New Age.  She learned about spiritual powers and she consulted with spirits of ancestors and animals. One time, she wrote to the whole family that we should understand the Bible from the ‘proper’ perspective. The ascended Jesus had recently spoken through medium Kim (Michaels?), lamenting that the church had never really understood his message!  We were never meant to separate ourselves from other religions, and we were supposed to discover the god-spirit inside ourselves!  I took the trouble to study “Jesus’ new revelation” and discovered that Kim’s Jesus made no mention of a sacrificial death on the cross.  The death and resurrection of our Lord, always at the heart of the Gospel, was not even mentioned by this ‘ascended Jesus’!  How could any serious Christian with a love for God’s Word believe such nonsense?

Toronto, 1998

After my job at the Christian high school was terminated, I took summer courses Biblical Greek in Toronto.  I was one of two senior students in the course.  The other one was Tony, a Pentecostal brother who was just retired from the Toronto police force.  During the first week of the course it was pretty quiet on campus, but by the second week more courses had started, so lunch time chapel meetings were held.  These would start with Praise & Worship music, and then –after prayer- one of the teachers/professors would deliver a message.  I remember standing beside Tony at the first chapel meeting. I felt like one of God’s chosen frozen, while Tony’s whole body was engaged in worship.  So, I was determined to loosen up and more fully participate in Praise & Worship.            

The next day, however, as my body started to move with the music, I noticed that Tony was standing still. Well, I thought, perhaps he has a bad day or stomach cramps or something.  When it was time for the message, a young woman came to the stage; apparently she taught a course in contemporary worship styles. She told us a story… There once was a girl in Africa with some kind of problem.  I think she was rejected by her village, I don’t quite remember. But, as she stood at the river, the heavens opened and a voice spoke to her, telling her that she was special. She should look for the (divine) power within herself!  As she returned to the village, everybody realized that she had changed…  I was amazed, shocked!  When I looked around, I noticed that a senior Presbyterian pastor was just leaving the room.  I looked at Tony; he was shaking his head.  What was a New Age prophet doing here, at a Christian seminary?  And why was she accepted to teach the church leaders about worship?  Tony was just as upset, and he said, “As soon as I entered the room today, I knew a bad spirit was present!”  Tony and I tried to talk to the seminary leaders and to some students, but we got no support.  Either, they could not or would not see any danger in what was happening!  (In our church -where I was just placed under discipline- they would preach from the pulpit that Pentecostals are not Christians. Yet, Tony had a spirit of discernment that I lacked. I had to hear the message before I realized the presence of the enemy!)

During the nineties, the city of Toronto was also the location for an amazing new phenomenon, initially called “The Toronto Blessing”.  The events associated with the TB were sensational and controversial.  Certain people reportedly had spiritual powers, so that anybody they touched lost (partial) control over their bodies, falling down, hysterically laughing, barking like a dog, etc.  Many people said that it felt liberating and empowering, while others criticized the events, claiming that people who were so touched by “the Spirit” were not changed in any biblical way of repentance and devotion towards God.  Others noted that very similar experiences were never reported in the Bible, while they did exist in ancient demonic practices. The common teaching in Toronto seemed to be, “Don’t pray so much. Rather, empty yourself, and let ‘the Spirit’ fill you.  Don’t try to understand it, just surrender body and mind to the experience!”  Recent converts from Eastern religions and New Age seem to be unanimous in their assertion that the bodily reactions are the same as used in ancient eastern paganism (and the New Age)*. 

South China, 2008

After starting a small church plant, we met a group of young Chinese professionals who lived at Buddha Mountain.  After worshipping with us for some months, they expressed a desire to start a ministry in their own city.  One of them, Maureen**, told us that she had studied at a Bible college in Florida.  Apparently they could not find a house church in their city with 6 million people, so we encouraged them to start a worship group.  We visited them on a monthly basis to offer teaching and advice, but almost a year later we noticed strange reactions from the group.  They kept making comment about my length, and then they shared their excitement: Jack, whom we had baptized earlier, had grown a whole inch in answer to their prayers!  I was surprised and tried to point out that their focus was wrong: It does not matter how tall our bodies are; God wants us to grow spiritually!  The leader insisted that I should not discourage these young Christians. This was part of the course (supplied by the Florida church where she had studied), and in this way, they learned to realize the power of prayer!  We were not convinced, so later we had another meeting with the leaders, voicing our concerns.  Unfortunately, they were determined to continue on their path.  Three or four years later, that church group collapsed. A righteous remnant joined another house group, where the preaching appears to be sound. Last year we met Maureen on the bus; she did not want to talk with us.

Florida

Where did this excitement in answered prayer and this failure to build the church originate? It was only recently that I have learned the background.  Interestingly, “the Florida Phenomenon” (as I shall call it here) has strong links with the Toronto Blessing!  And, despite of serious criticism from reliable sources, the TB’s kind of experiences are gaining popularity in all nations and denominations!  While the movement is growing, most people who have become excited about these manifestations have refused to test these with the Bible.  After I shared some criticism on Facebook, several close Christian friends from various nations and denominations responded like this, “Look how much good these churches are doing, how dare you say something critical about them?”  Dazzled by the massive impact and intrigued by their personal experiences, Christians all over the world have lost all spiritual discernment and refuse to test the spirits at work, to see whether or not they are from God!

What is ‘good’ in the sight of God? And, did not all oppressive utopia movements start with a display of ‘good things’?  Study how Hitler or Mao got to power (giving the masses what they wanted), and how people learned to accept such men as gods, even when the massacre began!  In one more post I hope to examine the teaching behind the Florida Phenomenon. 

*http://web.archive.org/web/20050309020450/http://www.niksula.cs.hut.fi/~ahuima/toronto/kundalini.html

**not her real name