I know I promised I’d leave all talk of false doctrine and deception on my new blog, but I had to share this with y’all. I’ll level with you: I had to restrain myself from laughing when I first saw this. It’s really sad, but c’mon he’s a grown man - he oughta know better.
I was sitting in bed with my Bible this morning, and I couldn’t help but think about the blog. I started the blog with the aim of looking at the things I was learning from Reformed theology, but increasingly I’ve found myself ranting [legitimately] at false doctrine…a lot more than I was talking about Reformed theology. Now I’m not saying that my speaking out against a lot of wrong things in today’s Charismatic and evangelical circles was wrong - this just isn’t the idea with which I started the blog. My solution to this is quite ingenious. In short - I’m starting a second blog.
The new blog is called “The Silly Sheeple Chronicles” [thanks for Bro. Phil Naessens for the name idea], and it will provide me a space to rant and rave to my heart’s discontent, while I can use this blog to discuss theology, and quite frankly, things which really matter. How happy am I? Anyways, by moving all future discussion of false doctrine, I can discuss happier, more joyful things like theology and practical Christian living.
Grace and peace,
Douglas K. Adu-Boahen
I need to stop visiting Lane Chaplin’s new blog, I really do. Each and every time I go there, there is something good [my question at the moment is where does he find it all?].
He got in touch with Dr. James White, and before you know it, Dr. White placed up one of the best cuts from one of his debates I have ever seen, and I’ve seen plenty of them, since I subscribe to his YouTube channel. He did a debate with Calvary Chapel pastor, George Bryson, and here is the closing statement.
Mr. Chaplin says this of the video:
The claims that Calvinism causes people to lose zeal for the proclamation of the Gospel is refuted by the content of this video alone not to mention the abundance of other Calvinistic teachers and preachers who become more concerned with the proclamation as a result of their adherence to Reformed doctrine.
[I wish I could write like that.] Enough talk…except to add, that if you have $5, get the MP3 of the whole debate. It is really, really good - as a James White fan [and a Reformed Baptist], I thoroughly recommend every thing he puts out [including his twice-weekly webcast, The Dividing Line]. Alright, enough talk [for real this time], brace yourself…
HT: Lane Chaplin
Lane Chaplin, the YouTube extraordinaire, said of this video:
For those of you who do not know what this word means regarding Christ, I wanted to post this to help you understand what exactly the gracious Lord has done.
For those of you who do understand the definition of this word, Paul Washer’s comments will strengthen your faith.
For those of you who do not care, may God show mercy to your pathetic, cowardly, ignorant, man-fearing soul.
propitiation (n):
pro·pi·ti·a·tion
\prō-ˌpi-shē-ˈā-shən\
This means the turning away of wrath by an offering. It is similar to expiation but expiation does not carry the nuances involving wrath.
Greek word: ἱλαστήριον hilastērion
defn:
1) relating to an appeasing or expiating, having placating or expiating force, expiatory; a means of appeasing or expiating, a propitiation
1a) used of the cover of the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies, which was sprinkled with the blood of the expiatory victim on the annual day of atonement (this rite signifying that the life of the people, the loss of which they had merited by their sins, was offered to God in the blood as the life of the victim, and that God by this ceremony was appeased and their sins expiated); hence the lid of expiation, the propitiatory
1b) an expiatory sacrifice
1c) a expiatory victim
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;… Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God has set forth to be a PROPITIATION through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
(Rom 3:21; 24-25)
And he is the PROPITIATION for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
(1Jn 2:2)
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the PROPITIATION for our sins.
(1Jn 4:10)
Amen, Mr. C, amen!
I promised myself I’d ignore the happenings going on in Lakeland, until my dad gets back on Monday, but I just have to ask: Is this the demeanor of a man of God? Please watch the whole video before passing any comments:
A little late, I know, but in concurrence with the video series by Dr. Piper, here is Part 3 of the series on the Puritans and the Doctrines of Grace, courtesy of Dr. C. Matthew McMahon:
Limited Atonement
The Atonement of Jesus Christ is not limited in its power to save, but in the extent to which it reaches and will save.
Limited atonement is that fundamental Christian doctrine which states that Jesus Christ came and died for a limited number of people. He did not die, or redeem, every individual for all of time, but for some individuals, i.e. His sheep. This does not mean that the power of His death could not have saved all men. The power and efficacy of His death through one drop of His blood could have saved a million-billion worlds. But the Scripture does not dabble in “possibilities.” It does, though, state that the scope of His death is limited. He died for some people, and secured the salvation of those people through his death which took away their sin and imputed His own righteousness to them. This is something Christ accomplished on the cross alone. It is true, as the Scriptures state, that he died for “all men” (defined) and that God loves “the whole world” (defined). In these cases “all men” does not mean every individual inclusively. Nor does it necessarily follow that Christ died for the whole world because God loves the whole world inclusively. (For a study of these passages see “the all and world passages” in Owen’s Death of Death or in Calvin’s the “all” passages.) Jesus secured the salvation of those for whom He gave his life, and for those God imputes His righteousness upon them. Jesus does not infallibly secure the salvation of all men, for thence, all men would be saved.
As the Maxim goes:
God imposed his wrath due unto, and Christ underwent the pains of hell for either:
1) All of the sins of all men - which means all men are saved.
2) Some of the sins of all men - which means men are still in their sins.
3) All of the sin of some men - which is the biblical position.
Arminians must grapple with the fact that Jesus does His saving on the cross. All those for whom he died will be saved in time and justified by god.
John 6:37-40, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
John 10:15, “As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Acts 20:28, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
Puritan Quotations on Limited Atonement:
“Election is ascribed to God the Father, sanctification to the Spirit and reconciliation to Jesus Christ. This is the chain of salvation and never a link of this chain must be broken. The Son cannot die for them the Father never elected, and the Spirit will never sanctify them whom the Father has not elected nor the Son redeemed.”
Thomas Manton
“Application is the making effectual, in certain men, all those things which Christ has done and does as mediator.”
William Ames
“As for the intention of application, it is rightly said that Christ made satisfaction only for those whom he saved.”
William Ames
“[If Jesus died for all men]…why then, are not all freed from the punishment of all their sins? You will say, “Because of their unbelief; they will not believe.” But his unbelief, is it sin, or not? If not, why should they be punished for it? If it be sin, then Christ underwent the punishment due to it; If this is so, then why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which he died from partaking of the fruit of his death? If he did not, then he did not die for all their sins.”
John Owen
“We are often told that we limit the atonement of Christ, because we say that Christ has not made satisfaction for all men, or all men would be saved. Now, our reply to this is, that, on the other hand, our opponents limit it: we do not. The Arminians say, Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men. They say, “No, certainly not.” We ask them the next question–Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular? They answer, “No.” They are obliged to admit this, if they are consistent. They say, “No, Christ has died that any man may be saved if…” –and then follow certain conditions of salvation. Now, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why, you. You say that Christ did not die so as to secure the salvation of anybody. We beg your pardon, when you say that we limits Christ’s death; we say, “no my dear sir, it is you that do it.” We say Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ’s death not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it.”
Charles Spurgeon
Down here in London, the Lord has blessed with some hot weather. With classes cancelled today due to teacher training, I thought I’d take a break from blogging and studying and go play some football. I came home around 5 to grab a drink, and noticed the DVD case for my favourite documentary, Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism was all twisted and there was no disk inside. At that point, I got worried. I asked my mum what had happened, and she said, “Ask your brother” [usually meaning bad news]. I asked, “Why’s my DVD case all mangled and where’s the DVD?”. My 13-year-old, fashion-drone brother coldly turned and said, “Remember when I asked you for a fiver?” I vaguely remembered him pestering me at 6 in the morning for it to buy credit for his phone, but I refused to give it to him [I was going to buy a new systematic theology...which I did a few days ago]. “What did I tell you about not giving me money when I need it?” [At this point, might I add my brother spends his life calling half the girls in his school...and still has the nerve to ask me to finance his lifestyle]. At this point, I was hot, thirsty and not in the mood for small talk, “Where is the DVD?” Once again, he turned round and just said, “I broke it.”
At that point, I just walked out before it seriously degenerated into a fistfight. I sat downstairs thinking, ”How can someone be so cruel?”. I mean, I did nothing to him [nothing meaningful...] and I end up with a broken DVD which cost me a lot of money. A Scripture then came to mind:
James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness
Once again, my brother is purposely intending to try my short temper, but even in the midst of this, I will still have joy - at least my new systematic survived the lunatic that is my brother, and [to my knowledge] he still didn’t get the £5. Dear brethren, whatever you go through, just it all joy
Grace and peace,
Doug
P.S. Anybody know where I can get a cheap edition of the DVD?
As the eldest son of a Pentecostal preacher, I have the unique advantage of seeing what goes on in those sort of circles from [pretty much] a ringside seat. One of those things going on is something going on in Florida known as “the Lakeland Outpouring”. Continue reading ‘What is Going On Down in Florida??????’
I heard this from the Christian Post via a link on the SermonAudio website:
J.I. Packer, one of the world’s most renowned evangelical theologians, left the Anglican Church of Canada, citing “poisonous liberalism” in the church body.
Packer, 81, who was named one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in the world by Time magazine in 2005, quit the Canadian arm of the global Anglican Communion with 10 other B.C. Anglican clergy last week, he said, according to The Vancouver Sun. They joined the more conservative and orthodox Province of the Southern Cone in South America.
The Oxford-trained theologian said he can no longer serve under Vancouver-area Bishop Michael Ingham, arguing that he “appears heretical.” Ingham had sanctioned in 2002 same-sex blessings in the British Columbia diocese of New Westminster, sparking international uproar.
In recent years, 28 parishes have voted to split from the Anglican Church of Canada, citing the denomination’s departure from Christian orthodox values and Anglican tradition. They have realigned with overseas Anglican provinces.
St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church in Vancouver, which Packer is a long-time member of, left the denomination in February, placing itself under the authority of the Southern Cone province.
John Stackhouse, a professor of theology and culture at Regent College in Vancouver, sees two different bodes forming in Canada with the continual departure of parishes.
“Frankly, we have not seen this sort of thing in Canadian history, and I’m not sure we’ve seen it in Anglican history,” he said, according to The Canadian Press.
“With the significant size of these dissenting groups, and the international support for them … we may see two different bodies in one geographical territory,” he said, noting that Anglican churches traditionally have been determined through geographic, and not ideological, boundaries.
While the controversy has focused on homosexuality, Stackhouse says the issue is about more than sex.
“This is about the fundamental question of how we derive any kind of Christian truth,” he said, according to The Canadian Press.
Packer, who has outlined a conservative Christian theology in his 1973 bestseller Knowing God, described the Bible as “absolute” authority on divine truth and that it clearly describes homosexuality as a grave sin, as reported by The Vancouver Sun.
The Rev. Kevin Dixon, priest at St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Kerrisdale, meanwhile believes Packer is adopting a “literalistic” reading of the Bible.
“It’s important for people to understand that the holy scriptures is a very nuanced document. I think we need to allow people room to come to a new understanding,” said Dixon, the local newspaper reported.
“I have not always held the view that same-sex relationships are consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but now I do.”
Packer argued that top leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada have changed their interpretation of Christianity while he and other conservative Anglicans have remained committed to traditional Anglicanism.
“I’m simply being an old-fashioned mainstream Anglican,” Packer said.
As conservative Anglicans believe the core beliefs of Christianity are being called into question by the Anglican Church of Canada, the small group of parishes that have left may just the first wave, some predict.
“Every diocese in which this (approval of same-sex blessings) has happened – or something like it has happened – churches have split off,” said Stackhouse. “This [issue] is very much in play now; this is not the end game at all.”
Over the weekend the Anglican Network in Canada, a splinter group comprised of parishes now under the authority of the Province of the Southern Cone in South America, held a conference where they welcomed Archbishop Gregory Venables, leader of that southern province. His arrival at the conference stirred controversy as the Anglican Church of Canada told him not to intervene in the country’s affairs. He refused, however, saying the conservative group of Anglicans wanted him there.
Well, it doesn’t surprise me. Packer is a theologian of the highest calibre and obviously his affinity to the Anglican church is way inferior to his superior love for God and His truth. All the best, Dr. Packer
Last time I gave you a bit of background to the scene which I was raised in. Today, I want to give you some history regarding some of the key players in African Pentecostalism. By the way, my consideration will not look at one major denomination, the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, for several reasons. Firstly, the DCLM [which I grew up in] has a clear reputation for being the ‘biblicists’ of African Pentecostalism. Its founder and General Superintendent, Dr. W.F. Kumuyi, a former Professor of Mathematics, has long been the object of scorn from even his own peers for his relentless desire to be 100 per cent Biblical, for which I believe he is to be commended. Secondly, Dr. Kumuyi himself has argued relentlessly against many of the peculiar practices and beliefs among his peers [which I'll document in part 3].With that in mind, let’s look at some of the major denominations among African Pentecostals.
THE CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH
Most Nigerians know something of the CAC. A renewal movement from the Anglican Church, they seceded from the Anglicans due to doctrinal disputes. They rose to prominence during an outbreak of influenza in the year 1919, and the year after came under the influence of an American-based church known as Faith Tabernacle of Philadelphia. The movement, rooted in prayer and Pentecostal-like experiences, finally became a household name in 1930 when one Apostle J.A. Babalola was reputed to have raised a person from the dead, leading to thousands flocking to Ilesa, the home of the movement. The then-Faith Tabernacle of Nigeria then took to itself the name Christ Apostolic Church, by which it is known today. It is known for its vigorous beliefs in Holy Ghost baptism, miracles and offensives against ‘witches and wizards’.
THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD
The RCCG, or Redeemed for short, was founded by a man called Josiah Akindayomi. Originally part of the famous Church Missionary Society, Akindayomi joined the Cherubim and Seraphim movement [long and short - they're a cult. Everyone in African Pentecostalism agrees on that...], however he soon claimed to be hearing voices from God to leave the C and S and begin his own ministry. [As an aside, with the notable expection of DCLM, whose founder was ejected from the Apostolic Faith movement for practicing unsanctioned evangelism and home Bible studies, all APCs start that way...]. In 1952, Akindayomi started a home group called the Glory of God Fellowship, later renamed as the RCCG.
Their real claim to fame is found in Akindayomi’s successor, Pastor Enoch Adeboye. Himself, a lecturer in Applied Mathematics, [it has always interested me how these men are so mightily educated...], Adeboye began as a translator to Akindayomi, before succeeding him after his death. Having met him in person, he is quite a humble and sincere man, yet he is determined to press on the mission of the Church which started with its founder. They engage in prayer and ‘deliverance’ meetings [more often than not done as all-night services] and believe in quite a few peculiar practices [more in Part 3].
THE MOUNTAIN OF FIRE AND MIRACLES MINISTRIES
Now I will try to be impartial at this point, though from the outside, I must say this - THIS GROUP IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS WRONG WITH APCs. The MFMM started in 1998, with its pastor, Dr. D.K. Olukoya, a PhD in Microbiology, is known for his messages which are the classic topic of APCs - the spiritual realm. A relatively young church, MFM has exploded in size, partly due to the fearmongering messages about just about every evil spirit known to man [most of which are made up...]. The movement, known for its emphasis on ‘fire prayers’ has books with such titles as ‘Power against Marine Witchcraft’ and ‘Dealing with Satanic Local Technology’ - and cranks out dozens every year. [Again, how does a man as gifted as Dr. Olukoya, with over 70 accreditable scientific publications to his name, get involved in foolishness like this.
I’ll wrap up there for now. Next time, I will begin looking at the practices and doctrines from a Biblical perspective.
Grace and peace,
YC
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