Clash of the Charismaniacs: Part 3

Does God still heal through the hands of submitted servants? Are all "faith healers" shams and frauds? Certainly there are many false "profits" and prophaliars out there who are making themselves rich off of the hopes and desires of well intentioned but biblically ignorant people. There have always been fakes and frauds (2 Corinthians 11:13) but does the existence of fakes negate or validate the existence of the authentic?

Are scenes like the one depicted in the video above an elaborate hoax perpetrated by countless thousands of deceived saints lead on by their deceiving leaders or is God actually still manifesting Himself supernaturally through the hands of His faithful followers?

I'd love to hear some feedback from you. Leave me a comment. Send me an e-mail (chris@churchquake.net) or tune on this Saturday at 5:30 pm on 100.7 FM or on the web at our "Listen Now" button to the left. Let me know where you come out on this issue and why. Maybe we can learn something about God together and move one step closer to answering Christ's prayer in John 17.

Clash of the Charismaniacs: Part 2

When I was a kid I remember a dynamic young preacher who caught the eye of several pastors in our denominational circle of churches. For a stretch of about 2 years this guy was everywhere; youth camps, revivals, conferences, etc. You couldn't find a church in the Houston area that didn't know who this guy was and who didn't have anything but high praise for his preaching skills and teaching talents. Everybody seemed to love him equally. The older preachers seemed to look to this young man as the leader of the future generation of preachers; the young people seemed to hang on his every word.

Then he was gone. He just dropped off the face of the earth. As I grew into my own pastoral calling I would ask some of the older pastors what happened to this young firebrand. I got vague answers that really didn't answer the question. Finally, one pastor let me know that the young pastor had been "lost" to heresy. It seems not only was he a charismatic speaker he actually had become a Charismatic speaker. The older pastors shook their head sadly when his name was invoked as if a great blow had been struck to the denominational cause.

It is this mentality that drives me to do what I do. I know of many pastors who I love and respect who are more concerned with establishing and maintaining our denominational distinctives than in actually doing what Christ commanded His Body to do; many brethren believe these two purposes to be identical.

As I stated in my last blog entry, I was raised with a cessationist dogma. What I failed to mention is the penalty among pastoral peers when one of our own "falls away" into doctrinal heresy like believing in the modern existence of the gift of tongues. I've seen many godly, gifted preachers turned away by their peers because of doctrinal differences like this. I've seen struggling missionaries turned away because they got a jot or a tittle wrong on their bible doctrine questionaire.

With this pattern displayed for me from my youth up, you can imagine how difficult my personal journey into these doctrinal waters has been. Every question I ask brings my credibility into question in the eyes of many of my peers. Every step I take brings me that much closer to having the heretic card whipped out on me.

That used to bother me greatly. Now, and I say this with no pride or cockiness whatsoever (he that has ears to hear...), I could not care less what others think of me. I'm not boasting or coming from a bad place when I say this. Oh, believe me, I used to say "I don't care" from the darkest pit of despair and depression that a human being can be in without committing suicide. No, I can now say "I don't care" with the spiritual confidence borne from countless hours of praying, seeking, asking and knocking. I know in whom I have believed and that knowledge grows with each passing day.

Like Job, I grew up with a head knowledge of God but very little relational knowledge (Job 42:5). I was raised with a performance based Christianity. As a pastor I was treated more like the coach of a professional sports team than a spiritual leader of a church of Jesus Christ; win here or you're outta here. I was taught to fear my sheep as they had the power to remove me at a moment's notice if I taught or led them into anything they did not like or agree with doctrinally. I was shown by my pastoral peers that if I didn't toe the company line I'd be relegated to second-class citizen status and my name would be uttered in hushed whispers with melancholy head-wagging at pastor's conferences; "Did you hear what happened to Chris Murphy...?"

I share this with you just so you know where I'm coming from when I bring these topics up. I do not see myself as a rabble-rouser or a trouble-maker. My prayer is to be used of God in whatever capacity He sees fit to use me in His kingdom. It just so happens that He wants to use me to ask some questions of His people. Some see my questioning in the same light as the one asked by the serpent in the garden; "Has God really said...". But, for those who are seeking after God...

Does our supernatural God still move supernaturally on the earth today? Is God the great "I WAS" or the great "I AM"? Is the Bible a history book or a handbook? Does God still manifest Himself through His Holy Spirit in "every man" (1 Corinthians 12:7) or has He changed His methods in these "last days" of the church age? These are just some of the questions I have burning within me.

Stay tuned, true believers...you'd better believe there's more to come.

The Clash of the Charismaniacs

Does God still manifest Himself supernaturally through "spiritual gifts" today? Do the gifts of tongues, interpretation of tongues, miracles, healings, and more still exist today or have they been "done away" with the completion of the Bible?

I was raised a cessationist. That's a $5 religious label that identifies those who believe the spiritual gifts displayed in Acts and talked about in many of Paul's writings ceased with the completion of the Bible. The primary biblical evidence cessationists use to prove this doctrine is found in 1 Corinthians 13:10 which reads as follows:

"But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."

The "that which is perfect" of 1 Corinthians 13:10 is universally interpreted as the completed Bible by cessationists; "...that which is in part..." are the spiritual gifts. The larger picture of the cessationist doctrine is the belief that God's use of spiritual gifts like tongues was a temporary proof of His presence and power in the absence of the "perfect" Word of God. With the complete canon in our hands, God's people no longer need tongues and healing miracles; all we need is the Word.

I have preached the cessationist doctrine for decades. I'd meet people who claimed to speak with tongues with skepticism and a cynical "yeah, right" attitude. I viewed those who believed in the contemporary existence of these spiritual gifts as "weird" (at best) or "heretics" (at worst).

Over the years I've seen a lot of ridiculous things performed by people in the name of God that were clearly not of divine origin. I've seen preachers lead an entire congregation in a chaotic march around the auditorium with everyone speaking, screaming and praying in tongues. I've watched a fiddle-playing worship leader "slay" people "in the Spirit" by pointing his instrument at them as he played. The auditorium looked like a Civil War battlefield after he finished the worship service. I've seen in that same service a woman who was "slain in the spirit" raise her hand to receive a door prize that she'd won in a drawing only to lapse right back into her slain state once the prize had been awarded.

If you've been involved in church-life for any length of time, you've seen silliness and foolishness in the name of God.

My question is, does the existence of carnal mimicry prove the cessationist's doctrine? Are these foolish acts proof that God does not use the spiritual manifestations described in Acts and spoken of all over the New Testament? Or, could the existence of these foolish things be a proof that the real deal actually exists? Certainly Satanic mimicry of supernatural manifestations are not unprecedented (Exodus 7:11-12). Is it possible these foolish things are machinations designed to mimic something that actually exists today?

Could it be that the cessationist doctrine is motivated more out of fear of association than of sound Biblical interpretation?

The truth is, I've seen things that I can not explain away. For all of the foolish things that I've seen over the years, I've also seen things that WERE of Divine origin. Things that absolutely obliterated my cessationist doctrine. I've witnessed a woman who was bound with a crippling back problem set free by the healing power of God through the hands of a submitted saint. I've watched men and women who have no hidden agenda or delusions of grandeur perform miraculous acts in the name of Christ and seen with my own eyes the supernatural power of God. I've been in a worship service so powerful that the conclusion of it was heralded by a thunderclap that was heard throughout the entire building on a cloudless day. Just the memory of that brings the tingles.

Could it be that man is guilty of throwing the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to this issue? Could cessationists be guilty of misinterpreting the scriptures because of our fears rather than our desire to "rightly divide the word of truth"? Could it be that God is still empowering submitted saints in supernatural ways?

I'll continue this in the next blog but to conclude this one I'd like to ask one more question in light of Peter's explanation to the question posed to him in Acts 2:12. Peter addresses the courtyard full of curious onlookers who want to know what is going on. Peter's explanation is a not quite verbatim quotation of Joel 2:28-32. Peter's interpretation of Joel 2 is to add the phrase "...in the last days..." (Acts 2:17). His explanation of the events on the Day of Pentecost was the biblical "last days" had arrived and the supernatural manifestations on display that day were the proof.

My question is, if the supernatural manifestations of God were the sign of the last days according to Peter, when did "the last days" end?

Mother's Day Special

We're honored to have Becky Turner from LifeHouse ministries on the air with us on tonight's show. Tune in at 6PM on 100.7 FM in the Houston area or listen live on the ChurchQuake website. We'll be talking about a much needed ministry in our society; the need to minister to women with unplanned crisis pregnancies. Becky has dedicated her life to ministering to mothers and their unborn children in one of the most difficult times of their lives. So, tune in tonight and see if you can be a blessing as well as receive one.

Also, we're expanding our show time. Our new time slot is from 5:30pm to 7pm starting May 17th.

Stay tuned, true believers...there's more to come.

The Gender Wars: Seeking a "Just Weight"

I feel the need to express my passions as they relate to this radio program/blog. Before I do I want to make it clear that I am not attempting to elevate my personal passions above anyone else's; we've all got a story, after all. In fact, as with anyone, my passion towards the church stems from my experiences within the Body of Christ more than my studies about the church.

Very few people truly understands what it is to be a pastor. Most people look at it as a job not unlike a school teacher or an assembly line worker. This view is not limited to the "laity"; even pastors can view it as such. But for the truly God-called shepherd, we understand the emotional commitment that is made for every single one of the sheep placed in our care. When we lose a lamb, it is painful. To lose an entire church, as I did, in a cascade of selfish carnality perfectly masqueraded as spiritual outrage, well, there really are no words to describe that level of personal pain. It goes beyond the sense of professional failure. I equate it to losing your entire familial bloodline in one tragic afternoon.

I am not the first pastor to have terrible experiences in the church setting; unfortunately I won't be the last one either. I recognize God's plan for me required me to travel this particular road. Like Job, I was riddled with the most difficult of our spiritual and emotional maladies to self diagnose, pride and self governance. Truth be told, I still wrestle with these insipid diseases of the soul and God, as always, is actively involved in bringing me to my knees on a regular basis. That said, I also recognize the church-tour God has taken me on has also taught me that He is not very happy with the state of the dis-union within His body.

The passions I have are stirred by the hand of my Creator; of this I have no doubt. My passion for His body is not to raise these debatable issues for the purpose of swaying the public to my opinion. My ultimate goal is to shine the spotlight on the division within the body of Christ with the purpose of teaching people how to seek a "just weight" (Proverbs 11:1) between the ditches of extremism that border the narrow road we are to be traveling on (Matthew 7:14).

We are a people of labels. We enter into most doctrinal arguments with really two primary goals; to establish our opinions, educated or otherwise, normally in a defensive posture and to identify those who disagree with our argument and properly label them. In most great debates there is little room for a moderate view. There are either Calvanists or Armenians, Legalists or Liberals, the right side of the road or the left side. I have come to learn that God is not an extremist...at least from His perspective. He is walking down the middle of that "narrow way" and is asking His people to "follow me".

Division occurs when our opinions and beliefs take priority over our leader's. Mutiny never occurs within submitted crewmen. Wars take place when we stop bending the knee and begin trying to bend others to our way of thinking. The Human spirit is a self-willed spirit and the process of bringing that under submission is a long and (usually) painful one. Killing the flesh is hard because the flesh just doesn't want to die. In fact, when our flesh senses its position as the power broker of our soul is in danger of demotion, like a fatally wounded animal it will fight to the death.

This issue of the woman's role in church isn't about putting women in charge of a church or letting a woman preach a sermon. It is truly about submission to God and His will for us. It is about learning how to yield to Him even when doing so flies in the face of our established beliefs and understanding of His doctrine (Proverbs 3:5b). God did not start the church to raise a race of Bible-believing warriors who will fight anyone and everyone (including family members) who dares to contradict "the faith" (Jude 3). His ultimate desire for us is to raise a race of God-believing praying/worshiping warriors who are submitted to the process of being conformed to the image of the Son, ready at a moment's notice to do whatever the Captain of our souls calls us to do even if it will earn us criticism, labels and worse from our enemies to our own family members (Romans 8:27-31).

Many will take offense to these statements and read into what I am saying as an attack against anyone who does not agree with my belief system. I say to you, nothing could be further from the truth. Is it possible for people with differing opinions on issues like a woman's role in the church to work together in harmony and unity for our King? I believe it is more than possible as long as our personal goals aren't to be proven right in our opinions. The division in the church is a result of the war of opinions between self-governed soulish saints. The division will end once God's people recognize their place in the Kingdom and learn how to completely submit to the King.

Probably the worst thing to happen to God's church is the division between laity and clergy. When educated men began to stand upon the rock of their theological doctorates and ceremonial vestments rather than the rock of Jesus Christ. When shepherds began to separate themselves from the flock in an attempt to elevate their status from servant to head. I believe if you study the doctrines of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:6) you'll find the clergy/laity separation was a key component of what God hated about them.

When we come to understand that we are all ministers of the gospel of God regardless of gender, race, color or creed, then we can begin the process of ending the division and putting an end to the wars among us. It is past time for God's people to learn the basics of submission to the King. This, above all else, is the purpose behind ChurchQuake. God is shaking up the church in an attempt to remove the things made with hands (man's traditions, protocols, procedures, etc) in order to establish His Kingdom on the earth (Hebrews 12:26-28). My desire is to see God HIGH and LIFTED UP in the earth and to be used of my King to put an end to the fighting among ourselves once and for all...if at all possible. This is my passion and my purpose.

So whether you agree or disagree with me on these issues, the ultimate question is, can we still serve our King together? Can we find the healthy balance and stay out of the ditches of extremism? Can we stop labeling those we disagree with and just walk in obedience to God's word (John 13:34-35)? Can we come together as brethren and stop the wars in our members (James 3)? It's a tall order but I believe it is possible (Luke 1:37)...

The Gender Wars: Is The Church A "He-Man Woman-Hater's Club"? (Part 2)

Meet Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, wild animals, healing, wilderness, chastity, and childbirth. Lovely lady, isn't she? Unless you are a professor of Greek/Roman Mythology or have a unique addiction to studying religions of the ancient world, you probably won't recognize this idol or know anything about the goddess it represents. I won't bore you with the details, suffice it to say she figures very prominently in the Word of God in Acts 19. (Roman mythology called Artemis by the name of Diana).

It seems that Paul started a near-riot by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the region of Ephesus. People got saved and began burning their books of magic and other religious paraphernalia (Acts 19:19). This activity brought the religious cultists out in droves to protest against Paul and the fledgling Ephesian church. You can read about what happens in the latter verses of Acts 19.

Space doesn't allow me room to detail the religious practices of Artemis/Diana worship, but a quick perusal of the internet on the subject will show you a couple of interesting things.

One, Ephesus was home to the Temple of Artemis; the Mecca of Artemis worshipers.




Two, Women figured very prominently in the religious practices of the Temple of Artemis. The Priestesses of Artemis held a unique and powerful position in Ephesian society. Young girls were schooled in the dances and rituals of Artemis worship as soon as they were old enough to walk and talk. Suffice it to say, women of the Temple of Artemis were a powerful and influential group; an influence that would have tried to attach itself to the young Ephesian churches.

Three, according to 1 Timothy 1:3-4, young Timothy was left in Ephesus with the explicit instructions to "charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions..."

It is not difficult to imagine the tough time the Ephesian church had with keeping "other doctrines" out of their midst. It is noteworthy to mention Christ's commendation of the Ephesian church for their hatred of the "Nicolaitans" (Revelation 2:6). For more info on who the Nicolaitans might have been (since there's no clear definition in the Word other than this verse) check out this link

So, when you read Acts 19 and pay attention to the reaction of the Artemis worshiping Ephesians toward the newly converted Christians and you mix that with even the most basic knowledge of Artemis/Diana worship rituals, especially as it pertains to women, is it difficult to imagine why Apostle Paul would write the instructions to Pastor Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:11-15?

Gnosticism, with its "fables and endless geneologies", also plays a role in the religious culture of the time. Again space does not allow me to develop this beyond this statement. Paul's invoking of Adam and Eve may have had more to do with the doctrinal battles of the day than it does in evoking the eternal punishment for womankind that most fundamental Christians interpret into that passage.

My point in bringing all of this up is it is vitally important to understand the cultural, religious and social structure of the cities and regions to which these letters were originally addressed. There are many cultural instructions in the scriptures that simply do not apply to our culture and social structure (for example the head covering instructions in 1 Corinthians 11). In short, it is folly to try to impose ancient (or even modern) Middle Eastern cultural laws onto our Western churches.

I find it interesting that my fundamental Baptist brethren in particular (although they are by no means alone in this) can explain away the clearly taught instructions on speaking in and interpreting the gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14 by stating those gifts were for a certain time period and a certain culture while claiming the instructions on women's roles in church from the exact same passage of scripture as timeless and eternal (1 Corinthians 14:34-35).

Of course, one could easily argue that I am guilty of the same action in reverse; namely, I believe tongues are still in effect while arguing the rules for women no longer apply today. As far as the 1 Corinthians 14 passage, I only have to point out the phrase "...as also sayeth the law" in verse 34 and ask the question, which law is Paul referring to, God's or man's? I've found no Old Testament scripture commanding silence and submission to all of womankind so unless someone can produce a passage that I've missed that rules God's law out. That said, can you think of any man-made laws in the Middle Eastern region of the world pertaining to women's roles in society that Paul might have been referring to?

It's not easy to exercise brevity on this topic so I'll wrap this up in the next post. Again, contrary to the opinion of many, I'm really not doing this to sway the masses to my side of the arguments that I bring up. I'm just trying to get the topic out there, invite people to discuss them and hopefully teach God's people how to disagree without being divisive. That said, if the e-mails and calls I've gotten on this topic are any indication, there is a lot of passion and emotion attached to the arguments. That formula normally spells disaster for the unity in the Body of Christ and that is one thing that God can not stand (Revelation 2:6)...