Category: Theology

In my apologetics evidence for our biblical faith, The Biblical World View, An Apologetic, I argue that there are different levels of God’s intervention in healing. Today we have miracles galore worldwide done in the name of Yeshua/Jesus. It is less prominent in the West due to skepticism, but it is happening significantly here as well. I recently attended a conference of Global Awakening with Randy Clark where many miracles took place. 

The most astonishing miracle and sign of Gospel confirmation is a creative miracle. Creative miracles range from resurrections from the dead, the most wonderful and astonishing of all, to replacing organs or creating organs where they are missing. Eyes have been created. Blind people have been given sight which in the most amazing cases means that missing eye parts are created instantly. Parts of bones have been created, limbs have grown out, and so much more. In my book, I mention the testimony of Barbara Comiskey, who on her death bed with advanced MS, was instantly healed, flesh put on her calves, and organs recreated. Such creative miracles are described in Craig Keener’s book Miracles, almost 1000 pages of documented evidence. 

Just shy of creative miracles are instant bodily healings of cancer and other debilitating diseases, deaf ears healed from nerve damage conditions, diseases of hearts, lungs, kidneys, livers, and cancers, etc. When these healings are instantaneous, they are really almost in the first category. A miracle is the only reasonable explanation, supernatural intervention. 

The third category of God’s intervention reverses the course of a disease, but the full healing takes place after time of improvement. Some explain this as the body’s own amazing functions kicking in. Stage four cancer that is not instantly healed but which after prayer goes into decline with eventual full remission is an example. This can be the case for heart disease, kidney disease, liver diseases, lung diseases and so many more. Diabetes and high blood pressure are other examples. Doctors who do not believe in God’s healing power will speak of spontaneous remissions or the bodies rejuvenating power. When this process of reversal begins after prayer, we are justified in saying that this shows the intervention of God. 

 

47 years ago, after an honest evaluation of the Scriptures, I concluded that I had been wrong to reject the charismatic gifts of I Cor. 12 and 14 as for today. This was a matter of intellectual honesty. Did I believe that the Bible in context supported a charismatic orientation that would continue between Pentecost (Shavuot) and the Second Coming of Yeshua, or did it support a cessation of these supernatural gifts and manifestations after launching the Yeshua movement and seeing the canon of the Bible established? It was a matter of intellectual honesty. In addition, did I believe in a distinct experience of being immersed in the Spirit, distinct from the salvation experience. Again, a study of the Bible and history convinced me that this distinct experience was essential. It sometimes is simultaneous with being born again, sometimes as part of water immersion and sometimes after that. This was my an intellectual conclusion. What would I do about it?

Shortly after these conclusions, I found myself in ministry to hurting people for whom ordinary counseling was ineffective. I discovered prayer ministry for overcoming strongholds, healing from traumas and releasing from demonic oppression. Many were healed. I found that when I prayed in tongues, I knew much better how to proceed in the counseling and in healing prayers. Then, I also began to pray for people to be filled with the Spirit and prayed to see the gift of speaking in tongues released in them.

As I connected to the charismatic world, I was impacted by men and women who walked powerfully in the gifts of the Spirit and the prophetic. I somehow believed that such levels of gifting were for specially chosen vessels in leadership.  The ordinary or normal believer could expect to prophecy in exhortation and to pray for people with some results, but ministering at a high level of gifting was for special leaders. After all, did not Paul say that in exercising the power gifts, he showed himself to be an apostle? Did we not see the greatest gifting through people who one prophet called “God’s men of power for the hour?” Did I experience some amazing signs and wonders in my own ministry? Yes, but it was periodic. I was not a “power minister” but a teaching and governing minister. 

There were indications that my orientation was skewed. One prophet at a Vineyard conference with John Wimber, preached that God said that He would raise up a last days movement of the people empowered. Signs and wonders and Gospel progress would come from the people and not primarily the leaders. This would be characteristic of the last days before the coming of the Lord, no longer “God’s man of power for the hour.” Yet we drifted back into the understanding that the only special leaders were to walk in great power in a more constant way. 

Recently, I have been challenged by the ministry of Dr. Randy Clark. His writings and the writings of the theologian Dr. Jon Mark Ruthven to which he referred, the late Professor of Theology at Regent University in Virginia Beach, have convinced me finally that this theology of the greater power being mostly limited to those specially chosen leaders was wrong. Rather, a life of miracles in the supernatural power of God though His prophetic gifting in his people should be normative.  

Mark 16:17,18 speaks of the miraculous signs following “those who believe,” and not only specially chosen leaders. The list is astonishing: “that they will drive out demons, speak with new languages, … handle snakes, drink deadly things without harm, lay hands on the sick and they will get well.” 

This text is an addition to Mark 16, in my view an apostolic addition, that summarizes what was believed by the communities of Yeshua’s followers at the end of the first century. 

John 14 is just as clear, “Amen, amen I tell you, he who puts his trust in Me will, the works that I do he will do, and greater than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (TLV)

I can hardly believe how I explained away these texts in my rationalistic period many years ago. I and others taught that the greater works was preaching the Gospel after Pentecost and seeing people born again. We argued that it did not have to do with miraculous works. It is so obvious that in context Yeshua was talking about the same kind of miraculous works that characterized his ministry. These texts say the works were done by those who believe, not only leaders who believe.  Leaders add to these works the ability to establish congregational movements and govern them. 

I recall some years ago our dear prophet leader, David C. Rudolph would release people into accurate prophetic words of knowledge. Yet, somehow, we did not see our people characterized by walking a more supernatural walk in an ongoing way. As I look at the ministry of Dr. Randy Clark, I see him being an instrument to activate many people to believe and walk in such way. Signs and wonders on the cutting edge of preaching and sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom are taking place, especially in Southern Global Christian movements. It is growing here in the West as well, though such power is not widely known. I now believe that the day is coming that we will see the fulfillment of the prophecy giving at the Vineyard some 34 years ago. I want to be part of that fulfillment. In addition, I want to see this in Jewish ministry, in a movement of Gospel power in Israel and the Diaspora.   

We should all be instructed that living in such a way only comes from walking in intimacy with Yeshua, a depth of devotional life individually and corporately. As Yeshua said, it flows from abiding in the Vine. (John 15:1-6). Dr. Randy Clark’s great book Intimacy with God is a great book on walking in intimacy and in the supernatural life of his prophetic leading. 

It was the end of October 1967.  I was in a time of great skepticism as I worked hard on courses in my junior year at Wheaton College.  A chapel forum included the pastor of a nearby church who claimed that the people of his church had received the supernatural gifts of the Spirit and practiced their expression.  Maybe I could find a miracle to confirm faith.  Soon after I found myself on a double-blind date with a new friend.  As we left the women off at the Wheaton College nursing school, we spoke about the chapel speaker.  We both wanted to go, and so we went together in my car the following week for their Sunday evening gathering.   

The church would later grow to over 600 in its evening meeting with many Wheaton students and a handful of professors as well.  At this point in time, the gathering was small, maybe 35 people.  There were tongues and interpretations, prophecy and prayers for healing.  It was a small intimate meeting. The questions loomed.  “Were these people really speaking from a supernatural Spirit?  Is this really I Corinthians 14 in practice?  I attended this church from then until the end of May 1969.   At that time, the church represented what was happening in the early charismatic movement.  It was a movement whose leaders and people were zealous to practice the supernatural gifts of the Spirit and who would regularly manifest tongues, interpretation, prophecy, healing, deliverance, and more.  For those who experienced those exciting days, it was like a return to the book of Acts.

In recent years I have connected to leaders, congregations, and movements of congregations that were zealous to practice the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit and to see miracles.  More recently, I pointed to the famous John Wimber and his Vineyard congregational movement.  His large congregation of 7,000 in Anaheim, California, which I visited in 1989, was notable for the manifestations of the Spirit and even in the very large congregation. This included tongues, interpretation, prophecy, words of knowledge prophecy, amazing healings, and more.  There would also be manifestations of prophecy and healings on the cutting edge of evangelism.  Wimber practice a freer orientation in his large gathering than in our practice where only those who were vetted for maturity would minister publicly in the spoken gifts.

In recent years we have been concerned that our congregations really experience the gifts of the Spirit as a normal part of their life together.  We have invited Sid Roth, Robbie Dawkins, and last year Randy Clark.  I think our last conference in Tikkun America made the greatest gains.  We desire that our congregations’ experience be a supernatural normal.

I have noticed that many congregations that claim to be charismatic or Pentecostal seem to rarely practice public gifts of the Spirit if at all.  They are not manifested in the larger service or in home groups (the house gathering is rightly understood as the context in I Cor. 14).  We see many that do not promote immersion (baptism) in the Holy Spirit on a regular basis.  Perhaps the majority of congregations in Israel are known as charismatic.  However, one senior leader who has been ministering for decades told me that most congregations simply do not practice seeing people immersed in the Spirit by speaking in tongues or the other gifts of the Spirit.  I see this in America too, even with Vineyard congregations that were formerly very oriented to gifts and manifestations.  How can this be?

I have written before on what I call the second law of spiritual thermodynamics.  The general second law of thermodynamics says that the Universe is in a process of entropy increase, meaning that the Universe is using up energy and will come to energy exhaustion.  Unless there is an infusion of energy outside of the Universe, this entropy will lead to the death of the Universe.  In the same way, it seems that individuals and congregations need periodic infusions of the energy of the Holy Spirit.  As one person said, the Bible says we are to “Be being filled by the Holy Spirit” (Eph. 5:18), but we are leaky buckets.   This might be part of the explanation. Unless we are zealous to live Spirit filled, this can indeed happen.

However, I think part of the problem is that leaders have been sold on directions that are producing a sub-normal congregational life.  My sense of this was greatly increased after reading Randy Clarks two books, Baptism in the Spirit, and Intimacy with God through Obedience. The magisterial book The Cessation of the Charismata by John Mark Ruthvan was also an amazing read.

Here is my sense of the reasons.

1. First, many leaders though having had a charismatic experience, baptism in the Spirit and speaking in tongues, just do not know how to impart the experience to others or promote it in their congregations.  They do not have confidence in themselves to promote it.
2. Secondly, many leaders to not have confidence to govern a gathering with charismatic manifestations.  They back off due to their insecurity.  This could be overcome by training under those who are capable in this, but they do not seek out this training. They may give themselves to the excuses in the next reasons given below.  These reasons, however, are not necessarily due to insecurity but may be.
3. It is thought that charismatic manifestations will be a distraction in large gatherings and will turn away seekers who will be confused and put off.  Of course, that may happen but if done in right order with good government, my experience is that this reality really draws people.  There are churches like Wimber’s that had many thousands, and the reality of real words of knowledge and healings drew thousands.
4. Some leaders of large congregations see that what they are doing is drawing large numbers.  The multi-media, upbeat professional type worship, and engaging message with humor draws many.  These services are managed to the minute and all is planed out to perfection.  There just is no space for spiritual manifestations. These are in two groups.  Those who believe that ministry with the gifts is important and foster it in small groups and those who do not foster it at all though they may have experienced immersion in the Spirit and pray in tongues.

My answer to this is that this may be a sociological phenomenon but may not have the last that some think.  When Paul said his preaching was with the manifestation of power so their faith would not rest on the merely human (say psychological and sociological, can we have a superior position than Paul and his instructions in I Cor. 12-14?

I believe that the progress of the Gospel will of course be much greater when we walk out fully the pattern that is in the New Covenant Scriptures. I do want to affirm that the preached word itself does have power to convict and can be effective.  However, this is only one great tool in the Holy Spirit tool box.

Here are some guidelines for change.

1. If you as a leader and are not experiencing the full New Covenant gifts reality in your community, submit to someone who is and learn to foster and govern.
2. While I believe we should make space for gifts in all our gatherings, the way this is done in large gatherings I believe is best done through vetted people who have proven their quality and who minister in submission to moderating elders.  This is a key to success.  In the smaller house gatherings, as Paul says, there is time for all to express themselves in word gifts.
3. Read books that will motivate you so you will not accept “charismatic in name only” as acceptable.
4. Famous Pastor Don Finto, at 92 years old, exhorted us in our Tikkun Israel leaders retreat, to be constantly laying hands on people until we see physical healing, impartation, and soul healing.

I wanted to also say something about prophecy and public tongues that are meant as a spoken word given for interpretation.  I Corinthians does not limit the number of people who can prophecy or give tongues and interpretation.  This would obviously contradict I Cor. 14 which says all can speak in turn. It rather limits us to two or three messages of prophecy or tongues and interpretation at a time.

Paul seems to elevate prophecy for its ability to encourage and convict by supernatural knowledge. Yet, he then notes that tongues with interpretation can really be important was well.  People have asserted that tongues when interpreted is the same thing as prophecy. However, the great Pentecostal scholar, Gordon Fee (my wife Patty’s professor at Wheaton College over 50 years ago) argued that tongues is usually prayer to God and prophecy is a message from God to the people (His Empowering Presence).  My view is that Fee’s analysis of Scripture was correct.  The general sense both in Romans 8 of the Spirit interceding for us beyond what we can speak or comprehend and I Cor. 14 that the one who speaks in tongues speaks mysteries to God, shows that tongues is usually prayer to God.  Fee proves that the phrase praying in the Spirit means praying in tongues.  When tongues and interpretation is exercised in a congregation, the Spirit is searching the deep things of God and expressing the heart of God in prayer beyond mere human ability.  When interpreted it shows this heart of the Spirit and can lift a congregation to great heights in prayer.

It was a strange thing to me as young man to find that classic Pentecostal congregations had tongues and interpretation but few or no prophetic words.  It almost was a culture that was saying that without tongues being spoken first people could not speak by the Spirit. In charismatic circles, prophecy was common but then it was as if their culture was saying why give a public message in tongues since tongues and interpretation were thought to be equivalent to prophecy.  It was as if messages in tongues were superfluous.  Gordon Fee clears up that misunderstanding.  Tongues and interpretation are not superfluous.

I believe we are seeing trends and events today that could mean that we are very close to the return of Yeshua.

I was recently at a convocation-dialogue with 40 key Church leaders and Messianic Jewish leaders, including leaders of Pentecostal denominations and prayer movement leaders.  It was an amazing time.  Our thrust was to see a much more effective growth in Jewish numbers in the Messianic Jewish movement because the increase in the saved remnant is part of what leads all Israel to be saved, to life from the dead (Rom.11:14, 15).   

Other efforts are being made whose leaders see their efforts as carrying eschatological (last days) implications (last days) leading to his return.   First, there is a huge effort to see every people group have the Bible in their language and to be given an adequate witness of the Gospel by 2033.  I believe that the best scholarship places the death and resurrection of Yeshua at Passover/ Firstfruits in the year A. D. 33.  So, it really could be 2000 years.  I don’t believe in date setting but this is an amazing project with an date that is intentional.  Their vision is rooted in our shared understanding that the Gospel of the Kingdom must be preached to every people group before He returns. (Matt. 24:14, 15).

There is also a great move of unity. We may not see it in each local region, but I hope this will change. However, in China or Indonesia or many other regions, the unity is very strong. The World Evangelical Alliance networks 600 million Evangelicals. Four-hundred million are Pentecostal and Charismatic. They agree with the vision of the 2033 project and see completing the task of world evangelism as preceding the Second Coming. They expect more and more revivals to push this forward. However, on the unity front, they see themselves working for John 17:21 unity. The prayer of Yeshua that his followers will be One that the World might believe is seen, and I believe rightly, to be about the Second Coming.

Our part is the emphasis on making Israel jealous, leading to life form the dead (Rom. 11:14, 15).  This is so important. However, we are joined in the other regards.

These are all happy thoughts.  However, there is a sad aspect to last days events that peoples will be given to gross sin which leads to terrible judgments.  The book of Revelation shows this. Some years ago, the great jurist Robert Bork, a nominee for the Supreme Court, wrote Slouching Toward Gomorrah.  It was a profound book that outlined how the culture was defining freedom in terms of allowing more and more debauchery.  Western culture is no longer slowly slouching toward but running headlong to debauchery.  Some debauchery is even being celebrated as a new “wokeness.”  However, this could be a sign. Could revivals hold back this headlong rush? But as Coach McCartney of Promise Keepers said some years ago, there will be revival on a platter of ruin.  We don’t really know for sure.

However, all of this together could indicate that His coming is soon.