"God is Love" and Judging Others

"If there is one thing that our world thinks it knows about God--if our world believes in God at all--it is that he is a loving God. That has not always been the case in human history. Many people have thought of the gods as pretty arbitrary, mean-spirited, whimsical, or even malicious. That is why you have to appease them. Sometimes in the history of the church Christians have placed more emphasis on God's wrath or his sovereignty or his holiness, all themes which are biblical in some degree or another. God's love did not receive as much attention. But today, if people believe in God at all, by and large they find it easy to believe in God's love.

Yet being comfortable with the notion of the love of God has been accompanied by some fairly spongy notions as to what love means. Occasionally you will hear somebody saying something like this: 'It's Christians I don't like. I mean, God is love, and if everybody were just like Jesus, it would be wonderful. Jesus said, "Judge not that you be not judged." You know, if we could all just be nonjudgmental and be loving the way Jesus was loving, then the world would be a better place.' There is an assumption there about the nature of love, isn't there? Love is nonjudgmental, it does not condemn anyone. It lets everybody do whatever they want. That's what love means.

Of course, it is sadly true that sometimes Christians--God help us--are mean. Certainly it is true that Jesus said, 'Do not judge, or you too will be judged' (Matthew 7:1). But when he said this, did he really mean, 'Do not make any morally discriminating judgments?' Why then does he give so many commands about telling the truth? Don't such commands stand as condemnation of lies and liars? Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves: doesn't that constitute an implicit judgment on those who don't? In fact, in the very text where Jesus says, 'Do not judge, or you too will be judged,' he goes on to say just five verses later, 'Do not give to dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs' (Matthew 7:6), which means that somebody has to figure out who the swine are. 

In other words, when Jesus says something as important as 'Do not judge, or you too will be judged,' there is a context to be understood. Jesus, after all, cuts an astonishingly high moral swath through his time. So if people think 'Do not judge, or you too will be judged' means that Jesus is abolishing all morality and leaving all such questions up to the individual, they have not even begun to understand who Jesus is. Jesus does condemn the kind of judgment that is judgmental, self-righteous, or hypocritical. He condemns such judgment repeatedly and roundly. But there is no way on God's green earth that he is condemning moral discernment or the priority of truth. In any case, there is more to God's love, to Jesus's love, than avoiding judgmentalism. 

That means that when we think of God's love, we need to think of God's other attributes too--his holiness, truthfulness, glory (his manifestation of his spectacular being and loveliness), and all the rest--and think through how all of them work together all the time. Sadly, precisely because our culture finds it relatively easy to believe that God is a God of love, we have developed notions of God's love that are disturbingly spongy and sentimental and almost always alienated from the full range of the attributes that make God, God."

- D. A. Carson 

from: http://www.amazon.com/God-Who-There-Finding-Place/dp/0801013720/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367251998&sr=1-1&keywords=the+god+who+is+there

Audio/Video version for free: http://thegospelcoalition.org/thegodwhoisthere

Idolatry Conversation

Over the years there have been many interesting conversations encompassing a myriad of topics in my family's home. Us "kids" have been encouraged by our parents to think extensively from a biblical perspective. Sitting around in our living room talking about these things has become one of my favorite things to do. Lately, a lot of our conversing has stemmed from the lessons that the Lord has been teaching us individually and collectively about the heavy subject of idolatry. It's not exactly a popular topic to talk about if those involved aren't quite up to doing some digging inside themselves with the Holy Spirit, but as I've come to learn, it's so worth the discomfort. 

As the Bible teaches, being unwilling to let go of our idols means that we won't worship the One true God, and that we will have to suffer the devastating (and in many cases, eternal) consequences of putting things and finite people in the place of YHWH (Deuteronomy 5:6-8; Ezekiel 16; Jonah 2:8). Over the passed year I've been spending more time in the Old Testament than I ever have before and it's awakened me to reality. From the very beginning, when Adam and Eve chose to trust the Serpent's analysis of God's commands instead of God's direct word to them, idolatry has corrupted man's relationship with our loving Creator (Genesis 3). Following the Fall is account after account of how Israel, the people God chose to reveal Himself to, stubbornly wandered from safety to follow after created things. In doing so, they were also failing to fulfill their purpose, to show the world who God is and in doing so, call people back to their Father. Instead the Israelites chose to succumb to dehumanizing acts such as bowing to stone and wood, even going so far as to sacrifice their children to another nation's "god." 

In the New Testament, Paul teaches all followers of Christ that idols are actually demons attempting to usurp worship that should rightly be given to God (1 Corinthians 10:1-21). So when Israel was sacrificing their children, giving their "first fruits" (Proverbs 3:9-10) to other gods, they were actually handing it all over to demons. Let the disturbing reality of that sink in for a minute. Think about all of the evil that goes on in this world, the wars, the death, the torture, and realize that all of the evil acts that we commit against each other are actually a delight to these creatures, demons, that rebelled against God. They rejoice in humanity's demise. Now, look at the fact that any form of idolatry, of worshiping and finding our identity in anything other than Jesus, is actually opening ourselves and our lives up to the influence of demons. This is serious stuff here. 

A lot of people tend to forget that idolatry still exists today. Even Christians often think that in the "Western world," which has been committed to naturalism, we don't actually bow down to other gods anymore. For American Christians, our country has supposedly been founded on the faith that we affirm and so we don't need to worry about the actual beliefs and actions of our founders or the leaders that followed after them throughout our history (a view that I find much contention with, but that would take a whole other blog to address, which I might do at some point!). Oh, and we are so far above all of that with our science and advancement in technology. Some might begin to place Jesus Himself on the fringe of their lives, believing that the material world is all that exists. The truth is, however, that idolatry is still very alive and well, thriving gloriously in our societies. Pay attention to how much time you spend doing something without involving God, over and above seeking God and furthering His Kingdom. See what those around you are doggedly holding onto for their sense of safety and security. Whether it be social, spiritual, mental, or physical, there are many things that are not God that people put their hope in. And yes, Christians do this too. It becomes blatantly obvious when you even hint at the fact that someone might want to think about the place they've put something in their lives or wrapped their identities around, that that thing has become an idol to them. Or you might not even be suggesting anything, but expressing your own opinion or a differing view on something and someone will react disproportionately angry to your view. Often, it comes out in a demonization of the opposing view. It is not a pretty sight.

Some of the idols I've come to notice in my own life and in those lives around me span a wide variety of areas. One idol might be an important person in someone's life that they've elevated to a position that that person can't even attempt to fulfill, while another might be a political party or ideology that someone has aligned themselves with. In an affluent country where we can afford to feed all kinds of cravings, yet that is so empty spiritually, it is ridiculously easy to slip everything but God into His place in our hearts and lives. To make an extensive list would really be impossible, given how complicated and complex we are as human beings. But just to give you more of an idea of what kinds of things one might idolize, here is a short list:

• Relationships (Whether it be friendships, romantic, or family)
• Sex
• Jobs
• Money
• Entertainment
• Celebrities
• Comfort
• Knowledge
• Having Control
• Hobbies
• Politics
• "Rights"
• Possessions 
• School
• Morality
• Religious leaders
• A Church
• Ourselves or our view of ourselves

It can be a tricky thing, trying to identify our idols. They like to hide under layers of self-justification and denial. We so desperately want to keep them AND try to follow Jesus, but that isn't possible. It can be very much a tug of war. Yet part of taking up our crosses and following Jesus is the laying down of all of the things that we tried to build our lives around previous to our conversion. And laying all of that down, repenting of our idolatry and dying to a self that violently kicks and screams as it goes down, isn't attractive or comfortable. It's a process that requires submission to our humble Savior and letting Him patiently pull our clenched hands off of the things that we can't see are actually hurting us and keeping us from knowing Him. When we start to see that what God is doing is good, though, it becomes a little easier to agree with the demolition He is doing inside of us. It's also pretty awesome seeing what He's done when it's finished, the trust that's been grown in Him. There are a lot of analogies that authors and theologians have used to describe this process throughout history, so I won't attempt any of my own at this time. That and this whole blog was really meant to be an introduction to a talk that I wanted to point you all to. But if you're interested, take a look at this:

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” 

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Finally, if you want to know more about this idolatry mess, I would seriously recommend you watch this talk by Tim Keller. He is quite gifted at bringing practical understanding to complex theological issues. I learned a lot about idolatry from this talk. Here ya go:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/resources/video/The-Grand-Demythologizer-The-Gospel-and-Idolatry

Idolatry is gravely important to address, in ourselves and in others. Yes, it requires speaking the truth in love when it comes to another person's idolatry. But I would encourage you not to ignore either your own or other's idols. Ignoring them could mean not having a real relationship with your Creator, and it might keep someone you love from knowing Jesus at all. So, in conclusion, keep it all in prayer. Let the Lord lead you in the process and take it  from me, it's much easier to let Him just cut the ties to your idols, than to fight Him about it. It is all very worth it in the end. 

Domination and the Abuse of Authority

Over the years, I've had various experiences with individuals who have the need to dominate or control others. Whether it be that they wanted me to be their friend and nobody else's, or wanted me to confirm a false view of reality that they created, or they needed someone to argue with so that they could prove they were right about something, or even further, they wanted me to be their definition of the conservative, malleable Christian female, eventually it became a pattern that I've contemplated for awhile now. 

Why do certain people feel that they need to dominate or control others? Why can't they function without another human being perceived as "under" them? I tend to think that there isn't just one reason for most people. We are complicated and complex creatures living in a world overtaken by a rebellion against it's Creator. Because this is the reality, the reasons can be due to sin of the controller or sin of those people or circumstances that may have hurt them (or both). Narrowing it down to fault can get pretty tricky. I have come to believe that even if it is the result of another's sin, how we react and what we do with our wounds can either further the pattern or damage of control or lead us to become less controllable (if given to Jesus). 

 In some cases it seems that those who tend to dominate others need to control something outside of themselves because they feel a sense of not being in control inside. Maybe their emotions are unruly. They've been wounded and instead of getting the right help they need to process and heal, they try to distract themselves with the "problems" of those around them. Or it could be that some life circumstance has occurred externally that has caused them to feel unsafe or unstable, so they reach for something that does make them feel safe and in a twisted way, that is to control another person. Another possibility might be that in the absence of submitting one's self to an authority rightfully over them (God), they attempt to claim a power that does not belong to them. 

The passage in Matthew where Jesus uses the indignation of His disciples to teach them (and us) how we are to view authority tends to come to mind often when I attempt to analyze this whole pattern of domination. In this passage (Matthew 20:20-28), the disciples are showing their continuing ignorance of who Jesus actually is as the Messiah. Their cultural assumption, along with most of the Jews at the time, was that the Messiah would be a military King who would overthrow the oppressive Roman government and re-establish Israel as YHWH's chosen people. However, God's ways again prove to be so high above the ways of men. Jesus did have the authority to do all that the Jews desired of the Messiah, but He had a much more important task to accomplish in order to reconcile the whole world to the Father: to teach, serve, die a gruesome death, and rise up three days later having totally annihilated sin, death, and the evil one.  

In verses 25-28, Jesus teaches the disciples that it is the way of Gentiles, sinners, to lord authority over others. Instead, by following His beautiful example, they (and we) are to serve others.  Jesus says in this passage and in others (Matthew 5:1-12) that to be great in the Kingdom of God is to take on a position that to the world would seem lowly. This means that instead of dominating and controlling others, we are to serve them in self-sacrificing love. And later in Philippians, Paul delineates the example of Christ in this area. Because Jesus did not think that being equal with God was something that He should grasp and use to his own advantage, we should humble ourselves and consider other's interests above our own (Philippians 2:1-11). 

Having the example of the servanthood of Jesus, the One who has all authority, helps us to distinguish when someone is either abusing an authority that they actually possess or when they are grasping at an authority that they think they should have but actually have not been given by God. In my experiences with those who try to dominate me or others, I may not always know the exact reasons for their abuse of authority, but I do know that if they are not following Jesus' example, there's something amiss in their actions or words. Also, in the same vein, we are given a way out of being dominated or controlled. If we know that we are submitted to a loving Savior who did not even use His own divine power to dominating ends, then we can look to Him and respond out of love even to a person who wants to degrade us. The controller's actions will ultimately be deflected in a manner that hopefully causes them to question themselves and therefore be given the choice of whether or not to seek to reorient themselves to the example of Jesus. 

Regeneration Of Man and His Emotions

"When God begins that wonderful work of redemption, it is a work on the whole person. Any view of saving grace that does not encompass the totality of humanity is deficient. When the Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, commences the work in time and space, he regenerates the sinner, and the sinner is converted. The act of regeneration is a sovereign act of the Spirit, which empowers once-dead sinners to turn from their sin and embrace the Savior. It is a glorious work. 

In the process of this work the mind, the will, and the emotions all play an important role. We cannot assume that the Spirit works in the mind, the will, and the emotions  with the same measuring stick. We also must assume that the Spirit works in every new birth in exactly the same way. 

For some, the supernatural work of the Spirit on the mind, enlightening them to the truth, is in the forefront. For others, their experience is of the Spirit hammering away at a stubborn will until he finally wins. For others still, their emotions play a very significant role. We dare not think that unless the Spirit pours out so much conviction, or gives this level of understanding or that degree of emotion that a person is not converted. But we also dare not think that regeneration and conversion leave certain parts of our humanity untouched. To one degree or another, conversion impacts the emotions, as well as the mind and the will. 'True faith, in other words, inevitably gives rise to godly desires and emotions....Regeneration always manifests itself in godly desires and emotions.'

Every person who enters the kingdom experiences some degree of being 'poor in spirit' (Matthew 5:3). This is not merely cognitively coming to grips with our spiritual bankruptcy. It is more. It is being awakened to the reality of our destitute and undone condition (Isaiah 6:5; John 16:8). There is an emotional element in realizing we are 'poor in spirit,' undone before a holy God, convicted by the Holy Spirit of our sins. Again, it will differ in degree from conversion to conversion, but it will not differ in kind . 

Once peace with God comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1), there is a joy that is an indispensable part of faith (Matthew 13:44; 1 Peter 1:8). Not all Christians remember the day of their conversion, especially if they've been raised in a Christian home. But with true faith comes a level of joy, peace, satisfaction, and love. The Lord Jesus is precious, the truth of the gospel is satisfying, the forgiveness of our sins brings gratitude, and reconciliation with the Father brings not only legal but also experiential peace. With new eyes and a new heart, the believer sees Christ as beautiful and as the all-satisfying Savior (John 6:35, 68). In regeneration and conversion the emotions have been touched, they have been reclaimed, and now the urban renewal project of the soul begins. 

What happens in the redemptive process? Is God now committed to our nonstop enjoyment and prosperity? Is he governing and ordering the universe for our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness? Thankfully, something much bigger and better than that is going on. I purposely have used words like reclamation , renewal , restoration , and reconstruction . In the redemptive process God begins to restore us to his image. It is a re-creation into the image of the One who is the perfect image of the Father, that is Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:10; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 4:24). 

Remember earlier we said that because we are made in the image of God we have emotions and are to express emotions? The fall ruined our emotional state because it ruined our state altogether. In redemption, God is putting things back into alignment; he is re-creating us in the image of Christ. This process of re-creation again entails every part of our humanity, so that our minds are being renewed (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23; Colossians 3:1-2), our wills are being brought into conformity with God's will (Mark 3:35; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 John 2:17), and our emotions are also being reconstructed, renewed, and realigned (1 John 2:15-17; Ephesians 5:1-2). Love put in our hearts from God through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5) is the seedbed for a whole garden of new affections. 

Consider the nature of the kingdom we have entered. It is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Consider the work of the Spirit as he bears his fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22). Consider what now grieves us (Romans 7:15). Are not these regenerate characteristics, and many more, nothing less than God changing our hearts and realigning our emotions as he progressively works in us? I realize that this point needs far more explanation and even defense. As we have seen and will see, some teach that we can do nothing about emotions. I firmly believe such a view is unbiblical. It is also very harmful because it hinders our Christian growth and development in a very important part of our humanity. It also depreciates the fullness of the work of grace in our lives."  - pgs 53-56

- Brian S. Borgman

from: http://www.amazon.com/Feelings-Faith-Cultivating-Emotions-Christian/dp/1433503638/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365789745&sr=1-1&keywords=feelings+and+faith

Borgman, Brian S. Feelings and Faith: Cultivation Godly Emotions in the Christian Life. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2009.

"Seeing God"

"'No one has ever seen God,' John reminds us (John 1:18). Isn't that what God said in Exodus 33? 'You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live' (Exodus 33:20). Now John adds an exception: 'But the one and only Son who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known' (John 1:18). Do you hear what this text is asking? Do you want to know what God looks like? Look at Jesus. 'No one has ever seen God,' and God in all of his transcendent splendor we still can't see until the last day. But the Word became flesh; God became a human being with the name of Jesus; and we can see him. That is why Jesus later says to one of his own disciples (as we saw earlier in this chapter), 'Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father' (John 14:9). 

Do you want to know what the character of God is like? Study Jesus. Do you want to know what the holiness of God is like? Study Jesus. Do you want to know what the wrath of God is like? Study Jesus. Do you want to know what the forgiveness of God is like? Study Jesus. Do you want to know what the glory of God is like? Study Jesus all the way to the wretched cross. Study Jesus."

- D. A. Carson

from: http://www.amazon.com/The-God-Who-Is-There/dp/0801013720/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1365441409&sr=8-2&keywords=the+god+who+is+there

The Good From Pentecostalism

"At this juncture in history the wider church should treat Pentecostalism not as an adversary but as a challenge to reclaim the fullness of the gospel. While we need to be on guard against certain grave imbalances in this movement, we must try to ascertain what we can learn from the Pentecostal awakening.

First, Pentecostals remind us that there are blessings of the Spirit beyond conversion. People in mainline churches too often appeal simply to baptism or confirmation as assuring them that they have the blessings of the Spirit, not realizing that Pentecost must be an enduring reality in the life of the Christian. 

Second, Pentecostals have rediscovered the vital role of the charismatic gifts for private edification, public worship and the ministry of evangelism. They are wrong to limit the gifts to the nine or twelve referred to in 1 Corinthians 12-14 and to elevate the spectacular gifts above those that seem more ordinary. The story is told that Dave du Plessis at a Presbyterian Conference on Evangelism in Cincinnati (Sept. 1971) reproved another Pentecostal minister who complained that the gifts of the Spirit were not in evidence in a certain unnamed Presbyterian church. Du Plessis took exception to this judgment and proceeded to list gifts that he had observed--none spectacular but nevertheless very important: teaching, hospitality, lowly service, leadership and so on. The spiritual gifts should be seen as tools for ministry rather than radical evidences of having the Spirit. In this light it is not wrong to seek for spiritual gifts, especially the higher gifts that build up the church (1 Corinthians 14:1-5). 

Pentecostalism has also drawn attention to the energizing or empowering work of the Holy Spirit. In the Reformed tradition the emphasis has often been on the Spirit's illuminating work, especially in reference to understanding the Bible. The regenerating and sanctifying work of the Spirit has also received due consideration. But the Spirit not only regenerates and illumines but also energizes and thereby equips the Christian for a missionary vocation. God is not only the loving heavenly Father who forgives but also the power of creative transformation who makes alive that which was dead.

Fourth, Pentecostals teach us that the marks of the church include mission and fellowship (koinonia) as well as Word and sacraments. A church that may have right preaching but lacks the fellowship of love is likely to have only the form and not the content of Christian faith. One reason why Pentecostalism has experienced such spectacular growth is that people are drawn to the fellowship of love that is manifest among many of its adherents. The local Pentecostal congregation is more often than not a family that cares for the physical and material as well as the spiritual needs of its members.

Fifth, Pentecostalism has given poignant expression to the priesthood of all believers. The Reformation had rediscovered this biblical concept but was unable to avoid a heirarchical church in which all major responsibilities are assumed by the pastor. Pentecostals remind us that all Christians share in the ministry of Christ, including laity and women. The question of women in ministry has not been a divisive issue in most Pentecostal churches. The Catholic charismatic theologian Edward O'Connor warns that we must also be alert to the danger of 'paraclericalism' that results in the laity usurping the prerogatives of the pastoral office. 

Sixth, Pentecostalism has powerfully rediscovered the moral dualism of the New Testament: the conflict between Christ and the adversary of God and humanity, the devil or Satan. When this dualism becomes a metaphysical duality between the material and spiritual worlds, however, we see the intrusion of gnosticism into Pentecostal theology. 

Seventh, Pentecostals have succeeded in recovering the role of signs and wonders in the evangelistic ministry of the church. People are brought to faith not only by hearing the Word but also seeing the power of the Word in action (Acts 14:3; Romans 15:18-19; Hebrews 2:4). Yet miraculous signs must never become an end in themselves and must never be regarded as evidences of godliness or authentic faith (cf. Deuteronomy 13:1-5). Jesus himself was not enthusiastic about the quest for signs (Matthew 12:38-39; Luke 11:29; John 4:48).

I cannot go along with many critics of Pentecostalism who score them for classifying Christians on the basis of their level of spiritual maturity. All Christians are justified sinners, but some are making progress toward becoming saints. Paul makes a helpful distinction between babes in Christ and spiritual persons (1 Corinthians 3:1), and we must not discount this important insight. None of us can earn our salvation or make ourselves worthy of God's grace. But we can demonstrate and manifest God's grace in our daily lives, and if we do so we will be rewarded, not because we have achieved a higher level of holiness but because we have been more open to the moving of the Spirit. Even then we can take no credit, since our openness is irrevocably tied to our election. We do good works because we have been separated by God for a life of service. If we cease to do good works we will be judged for having quenched and grieved the Spirit who lives within us and strives to perfect union with Christ.

Finally, Pentecostals give powerful reaffirmation of the evangelical thesis that the most important fact in the Christian life is crossing the divide that separates the state of sin and lostness from the state of grace and redemption. Where they are prone to err is in claiming too much for the Spirit-filled Christian, in identifying the gift of the Spirit with the eschatological fullness of the Spirit. They should pay heed to Karl Barth's keen observation the work of the Spirit in the lives of Christians: 'The love of God which as been shed abroad in their hearts through the Holy Spirit will never be for them a self-evident, settled fact and occurrence.' Yet we must not discount the fact that the decision of faith is something settled and completed even while it is at the same time something to be renewed in daily experience. We have been saved, but we are also still being saved, and we will be saved when Christ comes again in his glory." 

- Donald G. Bloesch

from: http://www.amazon.com/The-Holy-Spirit-Christian-Foundations/dp/0830827552/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1365016474&sr=8-5&keywords=donald+bloesch

Bloesch, Donald G. The Holy Spirit: Works & Gifts. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Cultic Pentecostalism and the Word of Faith Movement

*Note: Just to let you know, Bloesch does speak of other aspects of non-cultic Pentecostalism in his book in a positive light. I don't want you to think he's totally bashing Pentecostals. He treats all teachings about the Holy Spirit fairly. What he says about the Word of Faith Movement is important to know though, because of how popular it is in this country (and how popular it's become in other countries because of it's propagation here). I've seen how this awful teaching has ruined a church and crippled various person's faith. It twists one's relationship with Christ, turning the believer into a little god and God into their servant. 

"Cultic Pentecostalism is still another movement or complex of movements that deserves consideration. I have already alluded to Oneness Pentecostalism, which denies the Trinity and rejects the trinitarian form for baptism, in the United Pentecostal Church baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is a condition for salvation. Speaking in tongues is seen as the prime sign that one is really baptized in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is only a power or influence, not a person. Churches that appeal to new revelations that are often valued over the Bible include the Church of the Living Word, founded by John Robert Stevens, and the United House of Prayer for All People. Stevens teaches that the Bible is outdated and needs to be supplemented by prophecies inspired by the Spirit for our time. 

Much more alluring is the Faith movement in Pentecostalism, also called the Word of Faith and Positive Confession. The movement has its philosophical source in the writings of E. W. Kenyon (1867-1948), who attended the Emerson College of Oratory in Boston, a spawning ground for New Thought ideas. Kenyon began as Congregationalist, then switched to Unitarianism and then to New Thought. He finally ended in Christian Science, but he sought to relate the insights of the so-called metaphysical movement to the burgeoning Pentecostal revival. One of his chief converts was Kenneth Hagan, founder of the Rhema Bible Training Center. Other Pentecostal leaders who teach the faith confession theology include Kenneth Copeland, Fred Price, T. L. Osborn, Joel Osteen, Robert Tilton, Charles Capps, Charles Cowan and Marilyn Hickey. To some degree the Faith philosophy has intruded into the ministries of Paul Crouch, Oral Roberts, and Pat Robertson, though the evangelical note is much more prominent. The Faith movement teaches that the universe runs by spiritual laws, and it is up to us to discover and apply these laws to our own situation. The way to be healed is to confess that we are healed and not waver in this belief. One 'conquers error by denying its verity.' Faith becomes a superhuman effort to alter human consciousness and thereby dispel sickness. As in the New Thought movement, pain is overcome by denying its sensory evidence and affirming the goodness of God and the efficacy of Christ. Fred Price declared in a chapel service at Oral Roberts University (Sept. 19, 1980), 'It's not God who heals you, it's your faith.' We simply need to confess the beneficence of God and then claim this beneficence for our healing. A gnostic element is apparent in this movement, whose adherents regularly 'base their teachings on truths revealed directly by the Spirit, things they "never saw before" in the Bible.' They claim that difficulties are only suffered by Christians when they fail to exercise the laws of faith.'

The Faith movement and indeed the New Thought movement on the whole are not bereft of biblical support. The Psalms urge us to meditate on the law of God (77:12; 119:15; 143:5), which will be a source of healing for us (Proverbs 3:8; 4:20-22). Paul enjoins us to fix our mind on those things that are edifying and uplifting (Romans 8:5-6; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:2). Faith teachers correctly discern the power of thought to affect the way we meet the challenges of life. But they gravely misunderstand the character of faith, which has its basis not in the human will but in God. By contending that health and prosperity follow inevitably from a right faith attitude, they deny the salutary role of cross bearing, which often involves the sacrifice of comforts and goods of this world. They rightly remind us, however, that sickness does not belong in the new order of the kingdom of God, and that the fullness of salvation involves the overcoming of sickness as well as sin. Yet the Bible teaches that we can triumph over sickness inwardly and that physical healing is not the essence of salvation. (cf. Luke 17:11-19)."

- Donald G. Bloesch

from: http://www.amazon.com/The-Holy-Spirit-Christian-Foundations/dp/0830827552/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1365016474&sr=8-5&keywords=donald+bloesch

St. John Chrysostom Easter Homily Circa 400 AD

"Are there any who are devout lovers of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!

Are there any who are grateful servants?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting?
Let them now receive their wages!

If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their due reward;
If any have come after the third hour,
let him with gratitude join in the Feast!
And he that arrived after the sixth hour,
let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.
And if any delayed until the ninth hour,
let him not hesitate; but let him come too.
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.
For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
as well as to him that toiled from the first.

To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.
The deed He honors and the intention He commends.
Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!

First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!
You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!

Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.
He destroyed Hell when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.

Isaiah foretold this when he said,
"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."
Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.

Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.

O death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!

Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!"

http://anglicansonline.org/special/Easter/chrysostom_easter.html

"The Fool Says In His Heart..."

"To change the pace entirely, look at the opening line of Psalm 14: 'Fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God' (14:1). I have a friend in Australia who has a bit of a reputation for talking about Christ with a bluntness that other cultures might find more than a little aggressive. He once gave an address titled 'Atheists Are Fools, and Agnostics Are Cowards.' Whatever you may think of the approach, there is a sense in which my friend is in line with this psalm, which begins: 'Fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God' (14:1). That is so out of line with contemporary perceptions. In some circles shaped by the contemporary 'new atheism,' the fool is the idiot who believes that there is a God.

But look at it from God's perspective. Just grant for a moment that the God of the Bible is the God who is there: who is the fool? This is not written from the point of view of someone who sets himself up in the heritage of Rene Descartes, a sort of Cartesian independence, saying, 'I think I'm in the place where I can evaluate whether God exists and which God it will be.' This is the God who is there, who has named himself and disclosed himself. In his mercy he has come back again and again to save his people, and he keeps promising an even greater deliverance to come. He insists that the reason people do not see this reality is that this side of the fall we human beings suffer from such a deep moral and spiritual corruption that we are blind to the obvious. It is the fool who says in his heart, 'There is no God.' 

This does not mean that no Christian is a fool. What it means is that everyone who has become a Christian started off a fool, and if in this respect we are no longer fools, that too, in the Bible's storyline, is a mark of singular grace. Christians never have the right to say, 'I am smarter than you are,' because Christians deep down know that they can never be more than fools who have been shown forgiveness and grace. We are never more than poor beggars telling other poor beggars where there is bread. But it does us a world of good to hear the Bible's perspective on who is the real fool."

- D. A. Carson

from: http://www.amazon.com/God-Who-There-Finding-Place/dp/0801013720/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364959955&sr=1-1&keywords=the+god+who+is+there

Psalm 14

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
    there is none who does good.

² The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
    to see if there are any who understand,^[a]
    who seek after God.

³ They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
    there is none who does good,
    not even one.

⁴ Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
    who eat up my people as they eat bread
    and do not call upon the Lord?

⁵ There they are in great terror,
    for God is with the generation of the righteous.
⁶ You would shame the plans of the poor,
    but the Lord is his refuge.

⁷ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Brace yourself... "The New Age Movement"

"The New Age is not only a new way of viewing reality but also a new way of life dedicated to the realization of human potential through discovering the secrets that lie dormant in the human psyche. It embraces many seemingly divergent movements, both secular and religious, and is anchored in some respected philosophical traditions. Its doctrines are taught in many churches and cults and have given rise to various experiments in community life, education and holistic health care. The New Age is the tip of an iceberg that I choose to call 'the new spirituality,' which connotes the dawning of a mysticism of the earth that sharply challenges both classical Christian mysticism and biblical, prophetic religion. God in this new perspective is 'the total energy field of the universe' (Alan Watts), 'the flowing river of Nature' (Emerson), 'the Life-Force' (Bergson) or the 'infinite abyss' (Tillich). Those who hew closer to traditional Christian tenets make a place for the Holy Spirit, but he is now depicted as 'the Stream of Life,' 'the germinal power in nature,' 'the power of creativity' or 'the Fire of the Cosmos.' God is generally defined as spirit in the generic sense, since the Trinity is foreign to the greater part of the New Age movement. Jesus is esteemed not because he is the Word made flesh but because he is one of the prime manifestations of the Cosmic Christ--the bond of energy that ties all things together. The message of the new dispensation is that the Cosmic Christ or the Spirit of Life is waiting to be born within us. 

The New Age signifies the convergence of the new science, modern pragmatism, American transcendentalism, German idealism and Eastern mysticism. It also shows traces of gnosticism and Platonism. Among the host of thinkers it draws upon are Ralph Waldo Emerson, William James, Henri Bergson, D. H. Lawrence, Nikos Kazantzakis, Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, Aldous Huxley and Teilhard de Chardin. Theologians who have been attracted to New Age ideas include Matthew Fox, Sam Keen, Morton Kelsey, Geddes MacGregor, Miriam Simos (Starhawk), Charlene Spretnak, Margot Adler, Jay B. McDaniel, Ernest Larkin and Harmon Bro. 

Although not a monolithic movement, the New Age generally holds to the affirmation of life in all its fullness but on the basis of the cultivation of occult powers that accelerate the evolution of the human species to a higher level of existence. New Agers see the world not as a machine but as a living organism. The universe is also sometimes depicted as 'a great thought.' New Age writers often lend support to the Eastern ideas of reincarnation and karma, though they tend to affirm that the law of karma can be overcome through the will to life and power. Whereas the older cult of Spiritualism taught communication with departed spirits, the New Age teaches communication with ascended masters, a higher order of beings, through shamans or channels. While many of the classical mystics envisage the world as a crucible in which we are tested and refined, New Age devotees consider the world filled with infinite possibilities and opportunities or christocentric perspective of biblical religion, New Age spirituality is biocentric (life centered) and holocentric (centered in the whole of reality). Its symbols include the rainbow, the globe, the pyramid, the lotus flower and the crystal. 

This movement encompasses seminars and workshops on creative living, meditation centers, bookstores, retreat houses and religious communities. It also includes a number of cults, among them the I Am movement, the Church Universal and Triumphant, the Collegians International Church, Transcendental Meditation, the Unity School of Christianity, the Aquarian Light Church and the Light of Christ Community Church. A New Age ethos is also discernible in kindred cult movements such as Theosophy, Anthroposophy, New Thought, the Church of Illumination, the Holy Order of MANS, Foundation Faith of the Millennium, the Esalen Institute, Silva Mind Control, the Nirvana Foundation, Eckanker and Scientology. One can even detect convergences with Mormonism, the Unification Church and Swedenborgianism. Communities inspired by a New Age vision include Sparrow Hawk Village, the Findhorn Community, the Lama Foundation, the Tara Center, the Renaissance Community and the Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality of Matthew Fox. In addition, New Age notions have penetrated spiritual renewal movements like Camps Farthest Out, the Disciplined Order of Christ and the Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship. Hannah Hurnard, a Quaker mystic and frequent speaker at Camps Farthest Out for many years, endorses the gnostic idea of preexistent spirits who are struggling to return to unity with God through successive reincarnations. Albert Day, who stands much more forthrightly in the mainstream of Christianity, sees salvation and the kingdom of God as dependent on human effort and ingenuity: 'God needs our sympathy for others. His heart is athrob with loving concern for every troubled, anxious, breaking heart in the world. But what He wants to do for them cannot be done until some human heart offers itself for the deed.'

The New Age teaches neither creation by the will or decree of God nor emanation from the overflowing being of God but progression or evolution toward unity with God. It basically sees God and the world as inseparable. Its metaphysics can be called pantheistic, or better panentheistic, rather than theistic. The human spirit and the Spirit of God are continuous with one another rather than discontinuous. The Spirit no longer resides in the historical Christ or in the Bible but in the inner recesses of the human self. The Holy Spirit is not God in action in biblical history but the 'Slumbering Deep' within us waiting to be discovered. Sacraments are superfluous in this kind of spirituality, since the Spirit encounters us not through external means or signs but immediately, in the depths of our being. The baptism of the Spirit can only mean the alteration of consciousness through meditative techniques, including visualization. Empowerment by the Spirit is at the same time self-empowerment, since God or Spirit is the core of the soul."

- Donald G. Bloesch

from: http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Spirit-Works-Christian-Foundations/dp/0830827552/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364871008&sr=1-7&keywords=donald+bloesch