Samaria & Boaz

I am planning to preach on the hope we have in Christ’s return from Titus 2:13.  In my preparation I have been considering verse 14 which explains that Jesus Christ, “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Christ died to 1) purify us for himself and 2) make us purified one zealous for obedience (aso see 2:11-12).  I came across this 1864 testimony which seems to capture this thought beautifully. 

“I thought I must obey the Law, and went to Moses to make terms with him, and he at once knocked me down.  I knew I deserved it, and did not complain.  I prepared myself, and went again, and, with a severer blow, he brought me to the ground a second time.  I was amazed, and entreated him to hear me.  But he drove me away from Sinai, and gave me no satisfaction.  In my despair, I went to Calvary.  There I found One who had pity on me, forgave my sins, and filled my heart with his love.  I looked at him, and his healing mercy penetrated my whole being, and cured the malady within.  Now, I went back to Moses to tell him what had happened.  He smiled on me, shook my hand, and greeted me most lovingly, and he has never knocked me down since.  I go by Calvary to Sinai, and all its thunders are silent” (Parsons, Satan’s Devices and the Believer’s Victory; quoted in Beeke’s, Striving Against Satan).

I appreciate the reminder that we out not forget, as I often do, to return to Sinai after we have been to Calvary to be lovingly greeted by the Law, not driven away.

I am reading Joel Beeke’s book Striving Against Satan, which I have found to be a sober and foundational explanation of the character and work of the Devil.  It is a helpful introduction to demonology.  Yet, while reading last night, Beeke introduced a phrase I found particularly compelling: “Cosmic Exorcism.” It is the phrase he used to explain how Christ “cast out” the devil through his cross, as predicted in John 12:31-32: “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Beeke explains, “Through his life, death, resurrection and ascension, Christ single-handedly broke the power of the oppressor.  Satan lost his suffocating rule over the nations.  The balance of power was turned.  In the Old Testament era, flashes of light appeared in the darkness.  But now, in and through Christ, the light has dawned.  Christ’s abiding light and glory outweigh Satan’s remaining evil and darkness.”

Now I have always affirmed the Devil’s defeat through the cross. But it is interesting to think of this defeat not as a bruising (Gen 3:15), or a destruction (Heb 2:14), or a disarming (Col 2:15); but as an exorcism.  In what sense was he cast out? When a demon is cast out by Jesus (Matt 12:28) he leaves the individual in which he resides.  Where then does Satan reside?  Jesus says that the “ruler or the world” will be cast out.  Now clearly the Devil is present in this world, but his dominion over it, as the dominion of a demon exorcised from a individual, fades continually.  It is as if he has been cast out of it.

It is because of this cosmic exorcism that the Devil’s darkness retreats in the face of the “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor 4:4)  Satan, though a potent foe (1 Peter 5:8) is a leashed dragon (Rev 20:2), a bound strongman (Mark 3:27), awaiting the day in which he will be “cast into the lake of fire … the second death” (Rev 20:14).

The Church grows in Honduras. Is that beautiful beard not a "sign" that I was away from the Mrs. for two weeks?

Living between the Cessationists and the Continuationists is a growing group of evangelicals whose theology of the miraculous is largely defined by their confusion.  They are unwilling to restrict God by believing he no longer gifts miraculously, especially since they find no clear Scripture explaining the temporality of signs and wonders (1 Cor 13:8-12 seems to imply that miraculous gifts will one day “pass away,” but when will that day arrive (at the coming of the “perfect”) is hotly debated.  In fact, it seems that cessationists are becoming less willing to appeal to this passage in defense of their theology; see Richard Gaffin in Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?); and yet the miraculous activity recorded in Scripture does seem to be given largely to the Apostles (e.g. the sick were brought to the Apostles for healing, not to church members; see Acts 5:12-16, 9:36-42).  Hence this doctrinal camp has been cumbersomely labeled “Open, but Cautious.”  As I have mentioned earlier, this theological position most closely describes my own convictions: I am open to the reality that God powerfully works through his church by gifting her with the ability to perform signs and wonders; nonetheless, I am cautious in that we live in the post-apostolic age.  My confusion is largely founded upon three beliefs, of which I will only explain the first in this entry. 

First, I am cautious because Scripture historically describes what has been identified as three miraculous epochs: during the ministry of Moses and the Exodus; during the ministry of Elijah and Elisha; during the ministry of Christ and the Apostles (in fact, it seems that some thought Jesus was Elijah (Mat 16:14) due to the promise that Elijah would return in the great and awesome day of the Lord (Mal 4:5), undoubtedly working his signs and wonders).  Now certainly the miraculous never ceased to occur during the biblical narrative and does not so today. We see amazing and wonderful events in the life of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, Gideon, Samuel, Ezekiel, Daniel etc.  We remember that the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrians so that the soldiers of Israel awoke to an army of corpses (2 Kings 19:35); we remember that God reversed King Hezekiah’s shadow (2 Kings 20:9-11); and even Jeremiah would announce, “You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day” (Jer 32:20).  Nevertheless, it seems during these three epochs God performed the miraculous on a daily basis, whether it was daily manna or daily healing (“now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles” (Acts 5:12)).  At other times, we have a complete absence of the miraculous (e.g. the intertestamental period and Israel’s slavery in Egypt).  In short, the degree of miraculous activity is not constant. Since signs and wonders have waxed and waned among God’s people, I am receptive to the suggestion that the post-apostolic age is a time of waning, which makes me cautious of assuming that the pervasiveness of signs and wonders seen in the book of Acts should continue throughout the church age.

However, the reality of these same miraculous epochs makes me open too.  If there have been three miraculous epochs, what about a fourth?  I must admit that I wonder, with little certainty, whether we are indeed experiencing a new miraculous outpouring.  As I shared in a previous entry, Pentecostals, which accounted for 1 out every 521 professing Christians in 1900 (or 1 million adherents), today account for 1 out of every 4 (or 601 million adherents).  Moreover, Third Waver Peter Wagner planted the first Vineyard Church in 1974; today there are over 1500 worldwide.  Evangelicalism is growing at a amazing worldwide rate of 4.7% (four times that of the world’s population rate of 1.2% and over twice the growth rate of Islam 2.2%).  This growth is largely among those with some degree of charismatic leaning. Therefore, regardless of your convictions on the continuation of miraculous gifts, it undeniable that those who believe they have been miraculously gifted by the Holy Spirit are growing an astounding rate.  For what reason would we be entering a fourth outpouring of signs and wonders?  As we have seen, Peter preached in Acts 2, quoting the prophet Joel, that “in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams (Acts 2:17).” I question whether we are approaching the last days of the Last Days; not due to political and international events, but because Christ has told us that, “this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Mat 24:14). We live close to this day: the day in which the gospel will reached every nation.  The church has never before, except during the apostolic church, given itself to the cause of frontier missions as it has today.  Take for example the Wycliffe Bible Translators who have set a goal to have a translation of the Bible completed or at least begun in all 6912 spoken languages by the year 2025!  They are currently beginning a new language translation program every 5 days (also see the Joshua Project for additional encouraging news from the frontiers)! I openly wonder, and hope, that the return of our savior is within a generation or two and that the current proliferation of miraculous activity is an indication of this event.  I pray and labor and teach and pastor to make his return a reality. 

I am moreover open to the miraculous gifting of the Lord in light of these miraculous epochs because I can find no cessationist in the Bible.  In other words, even though believers lived during times when miraculous activity was waning, they never used that as an argument to suggest that God will not display his power through them another day.  If the reality of miraculous epochs did not lead to cessationists in the Old Testament, why should it do so today?

Thus, I remain cautious, as it should surprise no one if God’s miraculous gifting declines or even disappears, but open, hoping these days may be both unique and ultimate.

It is indeed a miracle that Duke football has a winning record

We have now all studied our cessationsist friends.  Now onto those freaky Charismatics.  It turns out they are doing more that barking and oinking in the spirit at each other.  They are making biblical arguments too.  In fact, not all will try to sell you their healing hanky or ask you to lay your hands of the radio.  There happens to be great diversity among those who believe that the miraculous gifting of the Holy Spirit should be normative in the church today.  This theology began (or re-emerged, depending on your historical preference) in 1901 at the Azusa Street revival: those who emerged from this movement are typically known as Pentecostals and include the Assemblies of God and the Church of God in Christ denominations.  A second theological movement, which began in the 1960’s, has come to be known as the charismatic revival.  Charistmatics have largely avoiding forming new denominations and rather brought their theology to their current churches (many Roman Catholics could be called Charismatics).  Pat Robertson is a leading Charismatic.  A third movement, which has received the ingenuous name, The Third Wave, traces its roots to the 1980’s in Anaheim California under the leadership of Pastor John Wimber (founder of the Vineyard Church planting movement) and Fuller Seminary mission professor Peter Wagner.

The Pentecostals (as well as Charismatics) largely base their ecclesiology on, as their name entails, Pentecost as reported in Acts 2. It is at this Pentecost that the waiting disciples received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5) and were immediately endowed with the ability to speak in “other tongues” (Acts 2:4).  As the commotion became public some of the “devout men” who were in Jerusalem for the feast noticed the disciples peculiar behavior and, “bewildered,” “amazed” and “astonished,” asked how is this happening.  In which others “mockingly” responded, they are drunk. 

Enter Peter to their defense, in which he replies that we cannot possible be drunk because, after all “it is only 9:00 AM (Acts 2:15)” (evidently, even Peter waits till noon).  So how then do we explain the speaking in “other tongues?”  Peter urges us to look at Joel 2, which the prophet had foretold that during the Last Days “God will pour out his Spirit.”  According to the Pentecostals, Peter equates Pentecost with the dawning of the new age or the Last Days as the church received the the pouring out of the Spirit as Jesus promised.  The Last Days are now, the sign of which is the both the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the miraculous gifting of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, the Last Days according to Joel, will be characterized by pervasive miraculous activity through the ministry of the spirit, for which “all flesh” benefit (Acts 2:17), leading to the Pentecostal doctrine of the “prophethood” of all believers.

Additionally, Pentecostals emphasize the current presence of the Davidic kingdom in which Jesus, the Davidic King, was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:21-22) as was David (1 Sam 16:13).  Now Jesus, in his capacity as the Davidic king, has poured out his spirit on the subjects of his kingdom.

Those who trace their theology to the Third Wave movement of Wimber and Wagner are not as focused on the activity at Pentecost as other Continuationists.  Rather, their emphasis is on the filling of the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18) or the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  Now, thankfully, people pray for me all the time.  At times they pray that God would anoint me.  I believe what they are asking the Lord to do is either set me apart for unique service or ministry or empower and equip for a unique service or ministry.

Interestingly, the Bible says that I have already been anointed (and so have you if you are in Christ).  Paul writes in 2 Cor 1:21 that “it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us.” John writes “you have been anointed by the Holy One” and the “anointing that you received from him abides in you” (1 John 2:20, 27). I understand this to mean that God has equipped or empowered us (or the church) to do the ministry given to the church.  The question is how is the empowering/equipping manifested?

This brings the Third Wavers to Jesus who it seems was also anointed by the Holy Spirit (or empowered/equipped for ministry), when he received God’s call to begin his public ministry (of course “Christ” literally means “anointed one;” therefore, in some sense, according to 2 Cor 1:21 God has “christed us”).  Jesus received the Holy Spirit at Baptism (Mat 3:16; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; John 1:32); was led by the Spirit in the desert (Luke 4:1); began his ministry under the Holy Spirit’s leadership (Luke 4:14); preached due to the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18); taught through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2); worshipped and prayed through the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21); performed exorcisms by the Spirit of God (Mat 12:28); healed others through the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38; Luke 4:18; 5:17; 6:19); and even sacrificed himself on the cross through the Spirit (Heb 9:14).

This Jesus, through whom the Holy Spirit so powerfully worked, promised that he would send this spirit to us (John 14:12, 15-17, 16:5-15; 20:22; Acts 1:4-5, 8).  Third Wavers ask, should we then not expect the Holy Spirit to empower us for ministry in the same way he empowered Jesus?  Therefore, we will receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit in order that we may be intrepid in our witness as was the church in Jerusalem when they were “filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31; also Acts 4:8; 1 Peter 1:12).” Or receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit in order that we may be appointed to a unique ministry as was Stephen who was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5). Or receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit in order that we may have “the utterance of knowledge, according to the same spirit … [or] gifts of healings by the one spirit … [or] the working of miracles … [or] prophecy … [or] the ability to distinguish between spirits … [or] various kinds of tongues … [or] the interpretation of tongues (1 Cor 12:8-11).”  We after all, “have been anointed by the Holy One.” And therefore are empowered for service and ministry as was Jesus.

There you have it.  My best summary of these whackos.  I think I liked them better when I thought they were all running around with their fancy holy laughter, slapping each other on the head. So much for stereotypes.

God has blessed us now four times since 2004 by giving us Anastasia, Josiah, Samaria and now Gideon.  A large family by most recent Western standards, though I hope not as large as it will one day be (no, nothing new to report).

I believe, for Scripture teaches, that children are “children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Ps 127:3) and God will bless the man who fears the Lord with a wife who “will be like a fruitful vine within your house” and with children who “will be like olive shoots around your table” (Ps 128:3). I moreover understand that God has commanded us to be fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:28, 9:1, 9:7).

Yet, increasingly so, not all agree. As Al Mohler reports, “within the span of just a few months, two major figures have called for putting a stop to large families — and at least one has suggested making large families illegal.”  For me an important reminder, which hits close to home, that this world remains futilely opposed to God’s will.   

As James put it, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (4:4). 

Dr. Mohler’s article is found at albertmohler.com

Sunset from our porch this week. Absolutely spectacular pink.