Three Streams

Dont ask me why, but tonight I dug out a Benny Hinn book  called The Anointingf rom my bookcase (ok so there is still a bit of weeding to be done) . I scanned through some of the chapters and began to think ‘actually some of this stuff is not too bad’. However as I continued reading I soon became aware of some very subtle but serious errors within his teaching. Errors that mark the departure from the true gospel to a false gospel (Gal 1).

Here is one of the more serious errors in his book

“If you decide knowingly and willingly to sin, your justification flies out of the window. Wilful sinning, knowingly and intentionally is not of God. There is no more place for repentance. Simply said, your continued justification is dependent upon obedience.” p 157

 This statement is actually on par with the false gospel that Paul was dealing with in his letter to the Galatians. This is the false gospel of legalism. It is ‘faith in Jesus plus something else equals justifiation’. The bible on the otherhand teaches justification by faith alone on the merits of Christ alone.

According to Benny Hinn a person is justified through continued obedience rather than being justified through the work of Christ. Within this statement there are two serious errors which are cloaked in one truth. Some people will say ‘take the meat and spit out the bones’. In other words take the truth and leave the error. I say this is a poisenous steak, eat it at your own peril.  So what is the one truth and what are the two errors?

Truth: Wilfilly and knowingly sinning is not of God.

Why is this true? Simply because sinning is not of God.

Error number one:Willful sin removes a believer from a place of being justified.

This is simply not the case. Why is this not the case? Simply because all sin is carried out willingly. The new nature within the believer does not want to sin but the flesh does.

^{Gal 5:17}For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Sinning grieves the Holy Spirit and dishonours God but it does not remove a believer from the place of justification.

This leads me to error number two.

Justification is conditional upon obedience.

Let me state this plainly. This is not justification by faith but justification by works. This gospel is condemned by Paul.

^{Gal 1:8}But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

Gal 2:¹⁵“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ ¹⁶know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

^{Gal 5:4}You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

A believer does not lose his justification every time he sins. He needs to be forgiven afresh but he is still justified by grace through faith. Justification is primarily through the work of Christ. Christ’s work is perfect and nothing can bee added to it and nothing can be taken from it. It is not faith that saves us, it is Christ, faith is the instrument by which we receive the benefits and even this faith is a gift.

The problem with Hinn’s book is that it lures people into chasing ‘the anointing’. He is informing them how to ‘get it’. Sadly his gospel is ultimately legalistic and it will end in hopelessness and self delusion for those who embrace it. Believers in Christ who follow Hinn’s teaching, soak yourself in the book of Galatians and the book of Romans and ask God for wisdom and insight to the true gospel.

THE RIVER OF LIFE is RISING!
-by David Wilkerson (June 17)

Even while death stalks on all sides, the river of spiritual life is
rising. And it is healing all it touches.

There is a rising tide of spiritual death in many denominations, as
well as in numerous local churches. People are dying spiritually
for lack of God’s solid Word of truth.

Isn’t it ironic that while in Russia, China and Eastern bloc
Communistic countries people are turning to the Lord with great
spiritual hunger and thirst - while here in America, abortionists,
pornographers and dead denominations are spreading death and
mockery of sacred things?

Thank God, his divine purposes will not be hindered one iota. Even
now the Spirit of the Lord is moving throughout the world. And
here in America, we see pockets of revival and great spiritual hunger.

Are you experiencing more hunger for the Lord and his Word than
ever before? That is the work of the Holy Spirit, as he sovereignly
raises up a holy remnant. Here in New York City, we are
experiencing a flood of God-hungry people who come to church
early and leave late. People from all walks of life are becoming
conformed to the image of Jesus - rich, poor, homeless, from all
nationalities. People are visiting from all over the world, and they
too are witnessing “waters to swim in.”

The river is rising, and it is bringing spiritual life to all it touches. May
it touch you where you are.

-David Wilkerson.

When I first came to know the Lord Jesus Christ I did so through a movement which did not believe in the present day continuation of ’sign’ gifts such as tongues, healings, exorcisms and workings of miracles (1 Cor 12-14). Through my reading of scripture I could see no real evidence that the N.T writers expected the miraculous gifts to pass away. Alongside this observation was a deep conviction that such a view of the scriptures did not reflect the all powerful God of whom  the scriptures clearly speak. For this reason I found myself more at home in the pentecostal and charismatic communities.

However, if those who believe that the gifts have ceased, do so on a faulty premise, many charismatics have created an equally (if not a greater) faulty view of God, the gospel and the gifts. What is this faulty view that I speak of? The faulty view is this;

The gospel needs to be accompanied by signs in wonders in order

1. For people to believe

2. To be revealed as powerful

3. To validate the fact that it is truly from God

This belief system, apart from being false creates problems for charismatics and the wider Christian community. There are three main problems that this type of thinking creates.

• It creates a faulty notion of God. God does not need to perform miracles inorder to get people to believe in Him. He is the one who draws people to himself and he is the one who opens the eyes of the sinner in the first instance. God does not need to use miracles as signs inorder to get people to believe because God does not need to do anything. He is completely sovereign in his dealings with humanity
• It gives people the impression that the gospel is insuffiscient unless accompanied by signs and wonders. This is a terrible deception which undermines the power of the preaching of the cross, the Glory of God and the sufficiency of the completed work of Christ. In this regards those who promote this view within the church may actually find themselves at odds with God!
• It creates an unhealthy obsession with signs and wonders, leads to unrealistic expectations, exaggerated claims of miracles and a culture of delusion and deception. People look for answers in the altar call, the prayer line, the prophetic word or some inner experience. Forever seeking but never finding.Forever hoping against hope they look for answers in the next ‘wave’ or fad which hits the charismatic scene promising answers.  Instead they should look to Christ as the all sufficient one.

If we are going to develop a healthy view of signs and wonders we need to look at all the scriptures that speak about signs and wonders and interpret them in the light of Christ and his gospel.

We need to remember that Christ rebuked those who sought signs and wonders for wrong motives and refused to pander to the request for the miraculous. God is not a magician seeking our approval by jumping through hoops and performing tricks.

Matthew 12:38-40 (New International Version)

 ³⁸Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.”

 ³⁹He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

We also need to remember that miracles do not authenticate a persons ministry. Many who emphasise signs and wonders will find themselves rejected by Christ in the day of judgement. These professors of faith emphasised ministry and miracles but they did not know Christ. Knowledge of Christ is the real issue not so called miracles. If the emphasis of ‘miracles’ eclipses the Christ and his saving work then you are on shaky ground. The charismatic movement continually finds itself in this predicament.

We also need to remember that one of the signs of the end of the age is that false prophets will use signs and wonders to deceive people,

^{Matt 24: 24}For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible. ²⁵See, I have told you ahead of time.

 It concerns me when believers will tolerate false teaching in a leader who is reputed to have ‘power’ on the basis that they have a ‘powerful annointing’. This is back to front. We are not to accept a man with bad theology because he has power. We are to test the source of his power by examining his teaching. Does his teaching faithfully proclaim Christ and his gospel? If not we are not to accept him on the basis of ‘power’. This is foolishness.

So does this make me anti charismatic? Does this mean I ‘deny the bible’? Do I reject the miraculous? Absolutely not. It is my commitment to the bible and the miraculous that causes me to say these things. God is God. The bible is true. God heals the sick. He anoints us with power. However I will embrace the view that does most justice to Christ and His saving work. I will not reject one faulty premise (cessationism) and replace it with another (charismania). I will not limit the power of the gospel in the way that many charismatics do but neither will I deny the miraculous, quench the spirit or despise prophesies but I will test and discern as the bible instructs me to.

^{1 Thess 5:19}Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; ²⁰do not treat prophecies with contempt. ²¹Test everything. Hold on to the good.

A desire to proclaim Your name

A passion to spread Your fame

You help the poor, you heal the lame

Once touched by your Love, we’re never the same

Oh let your love and power fill my life

Help me overcome all sin and strife

May your glorious presence fill my soul

To know your fullness, my highest goal

 To live by your word, to walk in your ways

To dwell in your house, all of my days

Oh Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Your saving work my only boast

Your the One in Three and the Three in One

Your light pours forth brighter than the sun

All creation shouts your praise each day

Sun, moon and stars, your glories display

By grace you call us from darkness to light

Forever secure, in Your love held tight

For those you save, you keep in your power

delivered from sin and satan’s hour

All glory to God and the lamb on the throne

From every nation He’s purchased His own!

Acts 29 hits the UK! This is exciting.

I am heading down to London in June  with a friend for this conference. I am really excited that the Acts 29 network is hitting the UK. I’ll be really excited if Acts 29 churches begin to emerge in Scotland. I think Acts 29 is possibly just the movement that Scotland needs.