WesleyGospel Ministries

As a Pentecostal, I’d like to be able to say that cessationism and eternal security are the reasons why Lawson fell into adultery. But how do you explain Mike Bickle’s fall? He was charismatic. However, both of them did believe in eternal security. But then what about Jimmy Swaggart? He believed in holy living, conditional security, and Assembly of God doctrine. So whether its a Baptist, or a charismatic, or an Assemblies of God preacher: DOCTRINE is not the ultimate reason why these pastors often fall into adultery. This issue has always been, and always will be, PORNOGRAPHY. And until porn is outlawed and made completely unavailable in America like it is in China and many other countries, we will always have this very high-risk situation in the pastoral ministry. Its just that simple. Self-control can only go so far with that. The Catholic Church has required their priests to be celibate ever since they canonized the Bible at the Synod of Hippo. Its not hard to see why. –J.B.

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. –Acts 17:11 (NIV)

Speaking about these things as he does in all of his letters. In which there are some things that are difficult to understand, which the untaught and unstable [who have fallen into error] twist and misinterpret, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. –2 Peter 3:16 (AMP)

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P. C. Nelson, Bible Doctrines (Gospel Publishing House, 2009).

E. S. Williams, Systematic Theology, 3 vols. (Gospel Publishing House, 1953).

Joel Beeke, ed. Reformed Systematic Theology. 4 vols. (Crossway, 2024).

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear…Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” –Exodus 20:18, 20

Any search on YouTube about “trumpets in the sky” will yield a whole bunch of smartphone recordings about this type of angelic trumpet manifestation, with a variety of interpretations. This video comes closest to the sounds I heard on September 16th:

THE WRONG WAY. Ronald Enroth, Churches That Abuse (Zondervan, 1992).

THE RIGHT WAY. Thomas Oden, Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry (HarperOne, 1983). This was a standard textbook on pastoral ministry in the conservative Wesleyan churches. Candy Brown, Testing Prayer: Science and Healing (Harvard, 2012). Sets realistic expectations for divine healing in the church with medical verification along the way.

The Kansas City Star, “Woman says IHOPKC founder groomed, sexually abused her.” (Feb. 7, 2024).

They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. –2 Peter 2:15

Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. –Jude 1:11

There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. –Revelation 2:14

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Hank Hanegraaff, Christianity In Crisis: 21st Century (Thomas Nelson, 2012).

Dave Hunt and T. A. McMahon, The Seduction of Christianity: Spiritual Discernment in the Last Days (Harvest House, 1990).

Andrew Strom, Why I Left the Prophetic Movement (The Revolution, 2012). This stands out to me as the best pro-charismatic critique of prophetic ministry; that and Art Katz’s The Prophetic Call: True and False Prophets (2009).

Archibald Alexander, Thoughts on Religious Experience (Banner of Truth, 1967).

Jack Deere, Why I Am Still Surprised by the Voice of God (Zondervan, 2022).

Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults (Bethany House Publishers, 2003).

Harald Lindstrom, Wesley and Sanctification (Zondervan, 1984).

Robert Peterson, Hell on Trial: The Case for Eternal Punishment (P&R Publishing, 1995).

P. C. Nelson, Bible Doctrines (Gospel Publishing House, 2009).

E. S. Williams, Systematic Theology, 3 vols. (Gospel Publishing House, 1953).

R. A. Torrey, ed. The Fundamentals, 4 vols. (Baker Books, 1994).

Charles Carter, ed. A Contemporary Wesleyan Theology: Biblical, Systematic, Practical. 2 vols. (Zondervan, 1984).

—. The Wesleyan Bible Commentary. 6 vols. (Hendrickson Publishers, 1986).

Vic Reasoner, Fundamental Wesleyan Systematic Theology. 3 vols. (Fundamental Wesleyan Publishers, 2021).

Dr. John R. Rice, Adultery and Sex Perversion (Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1978).

Dr. Hugh Pyle, The Truth About the Homosexuals (Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1978).

Dr. Jeff Amsbaugh, Pay-Per-View: The Double Cost of Pornography (Sword of the Lord Publishers, 2008).

Banner of Truth. The “Puritan Paperbacks” Series.

The Works of John Wesley, 3rd ed. (Baker Books, 1996).

Thomas C. Oden, Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry (HarperOne, 1983). This used to be a standard textbook on pastoral ministry in the conservative Wesleyan churches. Throw out those goofy John Bevere books and read this instead.

—. John Wesley’s Teachings. 4 vols. (Zondervan, 2014).