WesleyGospel Ministries

“I was a stranger and you invited me in.” –Matthew 25:35

Recently, I believe the Lord Jesus graciously gave me a revelation of how to start a house church in an apostolic way, within the 21st century context. And that entails:

1. Open Air Preaching–On State Universities.

2. Open Air Preaching–The Gospel, Being Guided by John Wesley.

3. Using a Stand Alone Sign–Beside Me As I Preach, That Says: “Join Us for Home Bible Study.” And, on this sign, we will have attached to it, a card holder with “True Life Ministries” cards containing our e-mail address. At the bottom of the sign, TRUE LIFE MINISTRIES printed; and under it: wesleygospel.com.

4. Invite Those Who E-Mail Us to Home Bible Study.

I put this idea across my wife and she is in full agreement. But I put it across another loved one, and she disagreed. Why this is I don’t really know. Probably because it doesn’t fit her understanding of going to traditional church on Sunday morning.

The Short “Screening Process” Before Letting Strangers in Your Home

Her main objection was, “Well maybe you should first have a Bible study in a coffee house or some public place to get to know them. Then, after you know them, invite them to your house.” This was really kind of a half-approving statement. And, at first it seemed reasonable to me, but when I rethought it, I realized it does not line up with the New Testament. Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matthew 25:35). He was referring to Christians reaching out to strangers in Christ’s name, as a service to Christ Himself. I think the whole philosophy of “first we’ll meet in a public place and talk, then we’ll meet in our home” is a cloaked kind of unbelief, lack of trust, and lack of faith in Christ’s Word. If you feel compelled to obey Christ’s commandment to invite a stranger into your house, then you should have the faith to believe that He will honor that, and help you do it. But this doesn’t mean there is no “screening process” at all. We’ve made it work before, where we communicate through e-mail with a stranger interested in house church, talk on the phone for half an hour or more, to see what we both believe, what we’re like, see if we’ll get along, etc. By the end of the phone conversation, you pretty much have a feel for what kind of person you’re dealing with. No, you haven’t seen their face yet. But you’ve talked to him or her; and you know where they’re coming from. That should be enough. Anything less than that would be a total lack of faith, in my opinion. Agree on a Bible study time, and then give them your address.

Why Are You Worried About Inviting Strangers Into Your Home?

Where do you draw the line? With the whole public-to-home meeting transition–how many meetings does it take to say, “Oh, I know this person. Now, they are allowed into my house?” Faith is required eventually. Risks must be taken. Are you paranoid, fearful, and worrying all the time that burglars are going to come in unawares, and steal from you? Or sexual offenders or murderers? Then don’t. Take Jesus’ advice, and don’t be so attached to your possessions: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). Which is more important to you? Reaching out to strangers, impacting them with the Gospel, and ushering them into the kingdom of God? OR–being so obsessively worried that somebody’s going to steal something when you’re not looking? Are PEOPLE more important to you than THINGS? Or is it the other way around? If you’re gonna do the house church Bible study thing–then at some point, you’re going to have to make PEOPLE your priority. Stop worrying about your STUFF. Get people saved! Make Christian friends out of those strangers! You won’t be strangers for long if you study the Word together. Discernment and discretion are always advised, but FAITH and RISK-TAKING are also advisable. Especially since the Bible says things like, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it” and “‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full” (Hebrews 13:2, NASB; Luke 14:23).

Each of these books deal with the much needed area of “prophetic accuracy.” They should include some very reliable pointers to avoid “missing God.”

1. Bill Hamon’s Prophets Pitfalls and Principles
2. John Tetsola’s Developing Prophetic Accuracy
3. Cindy Jacobs’ The Voice of God
4. Greg Haslam’s Moving in the Prophetic
5. Leonard Ravenhill’s America is Too Young to Die
6. Sam Storms’ The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Gifts

1. Downtown City Parks. Every city has its own “central park” just like Manhattan. Raleigh, NC has its Moore Square. And many other towns have places like this. Target audience: homeless, beggars, sick, poor people. Sometimes you will find elderly people walking through the park or families.

2. Courthouses. Great environment, especially during the lunch hour, for preaching a “justice of God” type of Gospel message. Justification and repentance makes very much sense in front of a courthouse where criminals are charged and tried before a judge. Somehow Judgment Day just makes more sense in front of a courthouse. Target audience: middle aged lawyers that need to be broken, criminals of all ages–especially the “thugs” and “gangstas”; as well as homeless, beggars, and other inner city employees.

3. State Universities. This is an ideal place to preach the Gospel. Universities are intellectual centers, and a perfect place to spread Christian teachings. Young inquisitive minds of college students, mostly in their early 20s, are trying to find out the meaning of life. At such a time, preaching repentance and conversion through a born again experience, is very ripe. Target audience: college students mainly in their 20s, professors, middle aged commuters, and campus employees. Need some apologetics preparation in the areas of higher Biblical criticism, atheism, Darwinism, and universalism. Josh McDowell’s Evidence That Demands a Verdict and Handbook of Today’s Religions are good; Fritz Ridenour’s So, What’s the Difference?; and Ron Rhodes’ Answering the Objections of Atheists, Agnostics, and Skeptics. Although state universities are public places just like city parks and courthouses, you will need to schedule a time and place for preaching on campus with the Student Activities office, and get a temporary permit from them. Otherwise, the campus police will kick you off campus.

4. Doctor’s Offices or Hospitals. It was recently suggested to me that healing evangelism, at least on a one-to-one basis, might be possible if done in front of a doctor’s office. Provided that you are standing on a public sidewalk, you should have no conflict with the police. Gathering a crowd? I don’t know if that would be possible. Perhaps. I met an old Pentecostal man who regularly prayed for the sick at nursing homes, and he preached, and sung Gospel songs as well. The Gospels and the Book of Acts do not mention doctor’s offices, hospitals, or infirmaries of any kind. This is because they were a Greco-Roman invention. The Jews did not have them, so far as I know. The Jews had doctors, and they used the “balm of Gilead.” But they did not have any hospitals. But as Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, churches and monasteries adopted hospitals into their buildings, and the Catholic saints prayed for the sick, as well as provided medical treatments. (So says the Wikipedia article on “Hospital.”) Perhaps we need to seek and save the sick, in the same way we seek and save the lost. Target audience: sick, crippled, and even hopelessly “incurable” people. The focus would be divine healing prayer, with a Gospel message mixed in.

5. Free Open Air Divine Healing Crusades. This is a new concept I just thought about. It dawned on me today that throughout the history of the church, most occasions of miraculous healing in answer to the prayer for the sick, have been performed in church buildings, hospitals, or tent revivals (healing revivals). In the 1400s, St. Vincent Ferrer healed a man on a platform that he was preaching on in the open air; that would be the equivalent to an outdoor “healing crusade.” My goal is I want to publicize the power of God with signs, wonders, and miracles. Cloistered healings within the confines of a hospital or church building may result in nothing more than “preaching to the choir.” But what about showing miracles to a lost and skeptical world? I don’t think it would be a bad idea to preach and teach on divine healing with a portable microphone on college campuses; in addition to this, have signs and banners propped up that say things like: “Dr. John G. Lake, Miracle Healing Power,” “MIRACLE CRUSADE,” or “Receive God’s Miracle.” Basically, the healing crusade model is probably the best for what I’m trying to do: make a public display of divine healing, glorifying the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the open air to the non-Christian. I can think of no other place better to do free healing crusades than at state universities! No tents would be needed for this. However, that’s always an option.

“Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.’ And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief” (Mark 6:4-6, NASB).

I Get Prepared for Healing Evangelism on the Streets

For the past week or so, I have been getting my faith excited to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. To heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. To preach the Gospel with signs following–ON THE STREETS like Jesus and the apostles. So, finally the opportunity came. I took a shower, dressed up semi-casual, worshiped to a CD, got into the presence of God, read James 1-5, and a little bit of Andrew Murray’s Divine Healing. We did all we could to get our healing-faith heightened for power evangelism on the streets, and to preach the Gospel in the open air. This would be a first for us, for up until now, we had only preached. No prayer for the sick or anything. But I am a Charismatic Christian, I figured, and I need to start acting like it. What advantage do I have over the non-Charismatic? I believe I can work miracles of healing, signs, and wonders, through faith in Jesus, by the laying on of hands! Faith without works is dead, so I figured now was as good a time as any to put this Charismatic faith of mine into practice. I was so excited! I was expecting a healing or two to draw a crowd of 50 to 100 people–and then I would proceed to preach the Gospel of Christ, like John Wesley, and the Great Awakeners: justification by faith, regeneration by the Spirit, and progressive sanctification by obedience to the moral commandments of Christ.

I Preach a Bold Offer of Miracles,
But I Only Get Non-Response and a Beggar Wanting My Money 

So we went down to Moore Square in Raleigh, NC where we live. It was totally an embarrassing disappointment.  After mustering up enough boldness, I shouted, and preached to a group of about 20 people:

“JESUS CHRIST SENT US INTO THE WORLD TO WORK MIRACLES. TO PRAY FOR SIGNS AND WONDERS, AND PRAY FOR THE HEALING OF THE SICK! WE WILL PRAY FOR SIGNS AND WONDERS RIGHT NOW! WE WILL PRAY FOR HEALING!”

I waited for about 15 seconds or so, and a poor homeless lady on the park bench called me over. “Hello. Do you have a sickness I can pray for?” I said. She replied, “Well, I’ve got this cast on my wrist, but it’s alright for now. I was wondering if you might have some spare change?” I said, “No ma’am. Silver and gold I do not have. But I do have healing for you.” She said, “Oh, nevermind. I’ll be alright.” I walked away totally frustrated. Already I was surprised at the lack of curiosity; and the lack of interest among these people. Nobody even seemed remotely interested, in the fact that I was saying MIRACLES could happen right before their eyes! No interest at all. I gave up on that group.

More Unbelief, Non-Response, a Satanist, and a Discourager

And then I walked to the other end of the park square, where there was another group of poor, destitute looking people. I shouted and preached:

“FREE PRAYER FOR MIRACLES OF HEALING IN JESUS’ NAME! YOU DON’T NEED MEDICAL BILLS TO RECEIVE PRAYER FOR HEALING. WHO WILL COME? WHO WILL COME TO RECEIVE THE PRAYER OF FAITH FOR HEALING?! WHO WILL COME TO RECEIVE SIGNS AND WONDERS?! NO CHARGE. NO MONEY NEEDED. JUST FAITH. NO FEE. NO RIP-OFFS. JUST FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. THERE’S GOT TO BE SOMEBODY. THERE’S GOT TO BE SOMEBODY TO RECEIVE PRAYER FOR HEALING.”

In the midst of my baby crying and interrupting, a black man in his thirties, with a walking stick, and a goatee approached me. He totally just questioned, and challenged everything I was doing, trying to discourage me. I said, “Sir. Do you have any sickness you need prayer for?” “No.” “We’re here to pray for the sick,” I said. “Man, everybody here is sick, man what are you talking about?” I tried to explain—but he interjected—“You walk around this park—everybody’s got problems.” I said, “I’m praying that somebody will come and receive some prayer.” Then he said, “Why are you here? Nobody is coming up to you.” He made me angry, and I said some things not worth repeating. (I didn’t cuss. But let’s just say, I was too zealous in my response, and could have got punched in the face.) He left and said, “Don’t be like your forefathers man, don’t be like your forefathers.” Another guy walked by and shouted, “Hail satan!” right in front of my wife and daughter.

WICKED AND PERVERTED GENERATION! I WONDER AT THEIR UNBELIEF!
We have shaken the dust off our feet against Raleigh (Matthew 10:14).
We will go to other cities to preach and heal (Matthew 10:23).

There Still Remains Hope

After being totally embarassed, discouraged, and just defeated–I encouraged myself by watching some of the videos of John Duncan. I want to be like this guy. He is an open air preacher that sometimes includes healing commands in his preaching. I was blessed to have a phone conversation with him a little while back. He is definitely a man of God. I understand his main influences in the area of divine healing are Curry Blake’s Divine Healing Technician Training Manual and John Wimber’s Power Evangelism and Power Healing.

See also: The Moral Laws of Leviticus 18-19

In light of my last article on this subject, let me call to memory that “the law is good if one uses it properly” (1 Timothy 1:8). An improper use of God’s law would be: (1) To teach Christians to keep the ceremonial law of Moses–such as kosher foods, Jewish festivals, the Sabbath Day, circumcision, Jewish manners of dress, etc (Colossians 2:16; Galatians 5:6). (2) To teach Christians to keep the moral law of Christ as a means of earning God’s forgiveness of sins (Romans 3:20; Galatians 5:4). (3) To teach Christians that God is so inflexible and intolerant, that His saving graces will instantly depart from them, and He will cast them into Hell, if they break the smallest of God’s commandments–especially if they are unclear about a certain ethical issue (Romans 14). To call these three things “improper uses” of the law, no doubt, John Wesley would be in full agreement (“The Law Established Through Faith, I,” 3.2).

But, as for the proper use of God’s law, let it suffice to say that it is still good for: (1) Convicting Christians of sins that they are not aware of (Romans 3:20; 7:7). (2) Showing Christians their sinfulness, their spiritual inadequacy, and their need for God’s grace found by faith in Christ crucified (Romans 5:20; Galatians 3:24). (3) To define the love of God, which is the fulfillment of all the law and the prophets, so that a living and saving faith may be experienced as that which produces the fruit of good works (Matthew 22:36-40; Galatians 5:6; James 2:26). (4) Training Christians how to live a holy and saintly life, developing purity, love, humility, obedience to God, self-control, a knowledge of God’s likes and dislikes, personality traits, and character–so that we may “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13; cp. 1 Corinthians 7:19; 9:21; Hebrews 8:10; Revelation 12:17).

Christ’s Commandments in the Gospel of Matthew

1. Do not live on bread alone, but on every word from the mouth of God (4:4).
2. Do not put the Lord your God to the test (4:7).
3. Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only (4:10).
4. Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (4:17).
5. Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men (4:19).

The Sermon on the Mount

6. Be poor in spirit, and yours will be the Kingdom of Heaven (5:3).
7. Mourn, and you will be comforted (5:4).
8. Be gentle, and you will inherit the Earth (5:5).
9. Hunger and thirst for righteousness, and you will be satisfied (5:6).
10. Be merciful, and you will receive mercy (5:7).
11. Be pure in heart, and you will see God (5:8).
12. Be a peacemaker, and you will be called a son of God (5:9).
13. Be persecuted for righteousness, and yours will be the Kingdom of Heaven (5:10).
14. Rejoice when you are persecuted for your faith in Christ, because you are being treated the same way the prophets were treated, and you will have a great reward in Heaven (5:11-12).
15. Do good works, in such a way, that will make other people glorify your Father in Heaven (5:16).
16. Do not think that I came to abolish the law and the prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill (5:17).
17. Live by and teach all of My commandments to others, and you will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven (5:19).
18. Live more righteously than the scribes and Pharisees, or you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (5:20).
19. Do not be hatefully angry with your brother, or you will be guilty before the court (5:22).
20. Do not say, “You dummy!” to your brother, or you will be guilty before the supreme court (5:22).
21. Do not say, “You idiot!” to your brother, or you will be guilty enough to go to Hell fire (5:22).
22. If you are in church, and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave church and go get right with your brother, and then you can go back to church (5:23-24).
23. Make friends with your legal opponent, so you won’t get thrown into jail (5:25).
24. Do not look lustfully at a woman–that is adultery of the heart (5:28).
25. Do not divorce your wife, unless she has committed adultery against you (5:32). Note: Paul added that the circumstance of desertion also justifies a divorce (1 Cor. 7:15).
26. Do not marry a divorced woman–that is adultery (5:32).
27. Do not swear by any oaths–simply say “Yes” or “No” when questioned (5:33-37).
28. Do not resist those who insult you (5:39).
29. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek (5:39).
30. If anyone wants to take your shirt, give him your coat also (5:40).
31. If anyone forces you to walk one mile, be willing to walk two miles (5:41).
32. Give to those who ask from you (5:42).
33. Do not turn away from those who want to borrow from you (5:42).
34. Love your enemies (5:44).
35. Pray for those who persecute you (5:44).
36. Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect (5:48).
37. When you give to the poor, do it secretly (6:1-4).
38. When you pray, do not do it publicly to be seen by people (6:5).
39. When you pray, go into your room alone secretly, and close the door (6:6).
40. When you pray, do not keep on talking like the pagans (6:7).
41. Pray like this (6:9-13):

Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name,
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.

42. Forgive other people when they sin against you, and Your Heavenly Father will forgive your sins (6:14-15).
43. When you fast, do not look depressed or wasted away, like when a religious hypocrite tries to show other people that he is fasting (6:16).
44. When you fast, be sure to wash yourself, so people won’t know you’re fasting (6:17-18).
45. Do not store up for yourself treasures on Earth, but in Heaven (6:19-20).
46. Have generous eyes, then your whole body will be full of light (6:22).
47. Do not be stingy, or you will be full of darkness, and enslaved to money (6:23-24).
48. Do not worry about your life–what you will eat or drink or wear (6:25).
49. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness–and all the food, drink, and clothing you need will be given to you (6:33).
50. Do not worry about tomorrow (6:34).
51. Do not be nitpicky, or people will find fault with you (7:1).
52. Do not preach to anti-Christians, or they will mock you, and hurt you (7:6).
53. Pray for God to give you the Holy Spirit’s presence, fruit, and spiritual gifts (7:7-11).
54. Treat people the way you want to be treated: with God’s righteous love (7:12).
55. If you want to make it to Heaven, then live your life by faith in Christ, and obedience to His commandments (7:13-14).
56. Beware of false prophets; they are the people who prophesy and work miracles in Jesus’ Name, but do not live by His commandments (7:15-23).
57. If you live by Christ’s commandments, then you will be wise, and your faith will endure the trials and tribulations of life (7:24-27).

Commandments for Heavenly-Mindedness

58. Follow Christ, and let the spiritually dead worry about earthly things (8:22). Note: the “spiritually dead” to the ancient Jews were “sinners”; or people who did not live by God’s commandments.
59. The disciples will fast when Christ is in the grave for three days (9:15). Note: Adam Clarke comments that the early Christians mourned the death and burial of Christ every Easter with a forty hour fast. This is probably what is meant by Christ’s saying, “The days will come when the Bridegroom is taken from them, and then they will fast.”
60. Pray for God to send out true healing evangelists into the world, who will preach the Gospel with signs following, and work hard for the salvation of souls (9:35-38).

Commandments for Apostolic Ministry

61. As you go, preach, “The Kingdom of Heaven is near” (10:7).
62. Do not charge money when you heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons–because you received these spiritual gifts for free from God (10:8).
63. On your journey, do not bring any money with you, or any extra clothes; also, don’t bring any shoes, or a walking stick: because God will provide people to support you (10:9-10).
64. Whatever city you enter, find someone who lives for God, and stay at his house until you leave the city (10:11).
65. As you enter the house, give it your greeting, and bless it saying, “Peace be to this house”; but if it turns out the family does not live for God, then take back your blessing of peace (10:12-13).
66. Whoever does not receive you, or listen to your words, as you leave that house or city: shake the dust off your feet (10:14).
67. Be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves (10:16). John Gill comments: “The serpent is a very sharp sighted, cunning creature, and uses various arts and stratagems for its own preservation, and especially of its head; and is so far to be imitated by the followers of Christ, as to make use of all proper methods to preserve themselves from the insults and rage of men, and not expose themselves to unnecessary dangers: and, as much as in them lies, they should be careful to give no just occasion of offence, or irritate, and provoke them to use them ill, and to avoid all snares and traps that are laid for them; and, at the same time, maintain the innocence and harmlessness of the dove, being free from all wicked cunning and craftiness, without rancour, malice, and wrath; not meditating and seeking revenge, but meek and humble in their deportment, leading inoffensive lives, and proceeding in the course of their calling, though liable to many insults, and much oppression.”
68. Beware of men, because they will hand you over to courts of law, scourge you in their religious buildings, and bring you before governors and kings for the sake of the Gospel (10:17-18).
69. When such men hand you over to the authorities, do not worry about what you will say to them, because the Holy Spirit will give you revelation about what to say (10:19-20).
70. The Christian who endures persecution until the end of his life, and holds to his faith in Christ, and keeps His commandments with a clear conscience, will be saved from the eternal punishment of Hell (10:22).
71. If people persecute you in one city, then flee to the next (10:23).

In John Wesley’s sermon “The Law Established Through Faith, I”, he masterfully explains how a Christian is supposed to apply the law of God to his life. This is a crucially important thing, not only for maintaining the true faith that saves from Hell, but for growing in Christian holiness by the Spirit of God. Matthew 7 teaches that only those who do the will of God will make it to Heaven, and this will is expressed in the commandments of Christ. 1 John says over and over that Christians are not saved at all, nor in love, nor in saving faith, unless they consciously keep the commandments of Christ in their lives. This is a dreadfully convicting thing to think about. He explains that Christians must avoid the error of the Pharisees–which was the belief that they could earn their salvation by keeping God’s commandments, even the ceremonial laws of Moses, like circumcisions, and Sabbath days. Christians are also cautioned to avoid the error of the Antinomians–which is the belief (very commonly taught by heretics today) that a simple faith in Christ’s death on the cross for our sins, by which God forgives us, somehow frees us from the obligation to keep God’s commandments, even from the obligation to obey Christ’s commandments! This is taken from certain things that the apostle Paul wrote, such as, “Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14), “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4), and “Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law” (Galatians 3:23-25).

But Wesley shows that Antinomians are all in error, and they don’t interpret correctly what Paul meant by the “law” in these verses. He shows plainly, and I agree with him, that Paul was speaking of the Old Testament concept of salvation, which was similar to the Hindu law of karma (except reincarnation). Under the Old Testament law of Moses, men were saved, and forgiven of their sins, by trying to keep God’s commandments to the best of their ability. If they did not keep God’s commandments, then God would punish them, and Hell would swallow them up. Samuel said, “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15:22). Keeping God’s commandments was better than atoning for sin by animal sacrifices.

But in the New Testament, especially in Hebrews, it shows that animal sacrifices cannot take away the condemnation of a guilty conscience weighed down by sins. Hence salvation by the Old Testament law was a schoolmaster to point us to the guilt-free sacrifice of Christ on the cross–the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He who repents of his sins, and intends to live imperfectly by Christ’s commandments for the rest of his life, has continual need to apply by faith the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of his sins. If I try to obey Christ’s commandments every day, then it is inevitable I will sin by accident, because I am not perfect, as Romans 7 says. When I sin by accident, I immediately turn my eyes of faith to Christ crucified, and understand by faith that my sin has been atoned for, and when I repent through faith in this, God will forgive my sins, and His wrath will be turned away from me, as far as the East is from the West. Hence, a proper faith in Christ crucified, should not lead a Christian to think that he is “free from the law,” in the sense that God does not expect him to live by Christ’s commandments! Paul said, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” (Romans 6:1-2). The reason why Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was so that God could forgive us quicker, we can have peace of mind, and as Christ said, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11, NKJV). This is the New Testament concept of salvation, and if anyone thinks otherwise, then he should expect an intense wrath of God and Hell fire upon the time of his death! Never was Christ’s death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, ever intended to “change the grace of our God into a license for immorality” (Jude 1:4).

Christians will never be perfect, but are urged by Paul to “aim for perfection” (2 Corinthians 13:11). What is the perfect standard? The moral law of God. “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul” (Psalm 19:7). But there has been a change of the law since the New Testament was instituted (Hebrews 7:12). It should be obvious in the plain reading of the New Testament, that the ceremonial law of Moses has been done away with, and that Christians are only bound to keep the moral law, which has been perfectly defined by the commandments of Christ. Empowered by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts through God’s love, Christians are supernaturally enabled by this grace to live by “the righteous requirements of the law” (Romans 8:4). All the Old Testament kosher foods, and ceremonies, are of no concern to the Christian–even keeping the Sabbath Day does not matter (Colossians 2:16). All that matters is living righteously by the commandments of Christ. This should utterly define a true Christian’s life.

God created the first man, Adam, a psycho-physical fusion—a wholistic duality of mind and body (Genesis 2:7).  With humankind, God’s “breath of life” (Hebrew: neshama) also brought about another uniqueness, a self-consciousness, sentient, and sapient being reflecting personality attributes similar to God’s own.  In God’s Creation, Adam (mind and body) was said to be a living being (Hebrew: nefesh khayyah)—often translated soul.

Soul eradication is the error that the unique dimensions of personhood: intellect, emotions, sexuality, volition, etc., which are conjoined with the animating life force inherited from the fallen First Adam, are in sum total: “flesh.”  Thus according to soul eradicationists, the goal of Christian living is to transcend and dwell exclusively “in the spirit,” entirely separated from the “soulish” realm. Accordingly, their interpretation of spiritual growth via the truths of Romans 6-8 leads progressively toward a spirituality that is: anti-intellectual, emotionless, asexual, and passive (“let go, and let God”).  One will often hear that the realm of the senses are “carnal” and that the believer’s “soulishness” must be crucified!

The origin of this erroneous teaching is hard to identify.  The view is held and promoted by a number of individuals and groups (past and present) within the “Christian deeper life” movement—and even some individuals who share an appreciation for the works of Miles J. Stanford.  The error seemed to gain traction with Christian teachers who engage in highly-speculative forms of tripartite anthropology⁽¹⁾—e.g., Watchman Nee, Col. Bob Thieme, etc.  For example, the official website for Nee states the following:

The Tripartite Man – In the early years of his Christian life, Watchman Nee came to see that man is composed of three parts: spirit, soul, and body (1 Thess. 5:23). He came to see that the soul is the personality of man; the body is the outward part of man for contacting the physical world; and the spirit is the inmost part of man for contacting the spiritual world. Since God is Spirit, we must worship and serve Him in our spirit (Rom. 1:9; John 4:24). Believers are regenerated by the Spirit of God in their spirit, the Spirit of God witnesses with their spirit (Rom. 8:16), the Lord Jesus is with their spirit (2 Tim. 4:22), and they are one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). The spirit must be divided from the soul (Heb. 4:12) so that believers can walk, live, and work in their spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25) and be spiritual men (1 Cor. 2:14-15).

So in the view of Nee and his followers, regeneration occurs exclusively in the realm of spirit, a realm separate from soul (human personality).  The ontological wholism evident throughout both OT and NT is missing.  This spirit/soul dichotomy bears an uncomfortable similarity to the spirit/matter antithesis of the ancient Gnostics, who considered the spirit good and matter to be evil, the soul/body distinction of Platonism, or the philosophical idealism found in pantheisitic monism.  Was this a case of West-meets-East in a worst sense of the term?  In short, these views are at odds with the various authors of the NT.⁽²⁾ For Nee, it is highly likely his view were assimilated while under the ministry of T. Austin-Sparks, just prior to the release of Spark’s 1939 polemic on tripartite anthropology, What Is Man?  In the Preface to that book, Sparks makes this startling admission on page 7:

No claim is made to any expert knowledge.  The contents represent more the result of observation and experience amongst Christian people over a wide area during a good number of years, than of study of the subject itself.

And again on page 20:

But may we repeat, before commencing a new chapter, that ours is no academic or technical undertaking.  For this we have neither ability nor inclination.

For any Bible-believing Christian with an appreciation for the veracity of the Written Word of God, Spark’s statements should immediately raise warning flags.  While the tripartite theory of the human being warrants serious consideration, it necessitates scholarly evaluation and grounding in the original Greek texts, not anecdotal speculation based on observation, experience, or both. Disturbingly, trichotomists who claim to have experienced “crucifixion of their soul-life,” often cast a condescending eye or judgmental comment toward those “carnal” brethren whose expressions of intellect, emotions, sexuality, will, etc. differ from their own.  Their claim to “super-spirituality” seems to often result in a highly-sectarian spirit, legalistic attitudes, and division amongst those who love the Lord.  There is something seriously amiss here. Christian growth author, Miles Stanford attempted to counter this erroneous ‘soul-eradication’ view.  In chapter Seven of Position To Person, he wrote:

Your Essential Identity – Your Father, in eternity past, formed you positionally as an individual in His mind. He formed you actually (condition), as a later date, in your mother’s womb. The Fall did not unmake you as that particular person; neither did your new birth unmake you as that same person. What is intrinsic to your personhood you never lose; your identity is eternally the same.

Whatever alteration you pass through in your new birth as to soul and spirit, whatever change awaits your body at the Rapture, you will never lose your essential identity in which your Father conceived you prior to the foundation of the world. 

Further, in Chapter 39 of The Complete Green Letters, he gave this summation:

The following quotation from a message by Norman F. Douty seems to sum up what we have been seeking to share.

When we say that Christ’s life has come into us to displace ours, what do we mean?  We do not mean that this life of the Lord Jesus has come in to displace our personality.  When I speak of our fallen life, I do not mean the human personality as such.  I mean the poison which permeates our personality, the poison of sin which has degraded and defiled and distorted our humanity.

It is not that this new life of the Lord Jesus comes in to take the place of our personality, to take the place of our faculties created by God, but it comes in to take the place of the sinful life which is operating in our personality and employing our faculties.  The vessel is the same, but the contents are different–the same vessel, the same person, the same faculties, but the contents different.  No longer this sinful element, but the very holy nature of the Lord Jesus Christ filling, interpenetrating, permeating.

Our Father is not seeking to abolish us as human beings and have the Lord Jesus replace us.  He is seeking to restore us as human personalities so that we may be the vehicle through which Christ will express Himself.  Therefore you find that whenever God gets hold of a man (or woman), instead of abolishing his personality, He makes it what He intended it to be. Redemption is the recovery of the man, not the destruction of the man.  And when the Lord Jesus in us is brought to the place He is aiming for, there will not be an atom of the old life left, but the man will be left–glorified in union with the Lord Jesus Christ. When it comes to personal tastes (e.g. music, art, food, etc.) or cultural preferences, which do not directly or indirectly violate moral precept, there can be danger in standing in judgment on other believers.  J. B. Stoney wisely wrote:

We as members of the Body of Christ are made for heaven, we are heavenly; not of the earth, though on it.  When this truth first came out, we tried to carry it out in the wrong way, turning away from this thing and that thing in order to be heavenly.  That is legality  (Ministry II:246).

—

(1)  Dichotomist anthropology generally sees soul and spirit as synonyms.  A careful study of the dichotomy vs. trichotomy view warrants familiarity with the literary forms of: synecdoche, parallelism, and synonymity.

(2)  Body, Soul & Life Everlasting: Biblical Anthropology and the Monism-Dualism Debate, John W. Cooper, Eerdmans Publishing, Second Edition, 2000.  Using knowledge of the original languages, Professor Cooper engages in sound argumentation and draws logical conclusions.  The author demonstrates intellectual integrity in approaching the subject.  However, this reference does not represent a ‘blanket’ endorsement for all views of the author.

http://withchrist.org/souleradication.htm

Dream of Tornado with Graduation Ceremony and Flags of Nations

A few nights ago, I dreamed that my dad and I were sitting at a graduation ceremony. I think it was supposed to be a flashback to my 2008 college graduation. But it was not identical. I saw over the stage there were lines that spanned across the entire crowd. On these lines were flags of the nations. They were big flags, but the odd thing was, is the flags were all scrunched up, and you couldn’t see them. I was kind of irritated about this, and wished a big gust of wind might come by, and blow the flags open so I could see them. Something to pass the time; something to look at. But then, more than a mere gust of wind came through.

At first the sky became stormy and foreboding.
Then a powerful stream of wind blew through the open air, causing the flags to open up, and flap furiously.
Then, over top my dad and I, an enormous tornado appeared–a tornado so large and so dream-like, that the “eye of the tornado” was large enough to engulf us all.
End of dream.

Interpretation: Since 2008, God Has Been Punishing the Nations!

This is not my first tornado dream. In the past 3 or 4 years I think I’ve had about 5-6 dreams about tornadoes. And 2 or 3 of those dreams have been of tornadoes that are supernaturally large–tornadoes so large they could only be seen in a dream. 4 years ago, I even remember a dream where I saw tornado so large it reached from Heaven to Earth, or from the ground, to the height of Earth’s blue atmosphere!

But in this particular tornado dream, something was specifically communicated to me: God is punishing the nations for their sins! I looked at the Bible dictionaries about tornadoes, and they directed me to articles on the “whirlwind.” It is a symbol of the judgment of God for sins. But “judgment” is such a vague and undescriptive word–the sense I get is one of PUNISHMENT. Yes, God is a Judge; but as the Judge of the nations, He has revealed to me that since 2008–through the economic recession–God has been PUNISHING the nations for their sins. And AMERICA is first and foremost, because it was the first flag I saw when the winds started to blow. All the nations are economically dependent upon America, and are thus partakers of her sins. GOD IS PUNISHING AMERICA FOR HER SINS. I am also being punished for my sins, and so is my dad, because we were underneath the tornado. The fathers have failed to raise their sons in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The nations have gone their own way and lived like atheists. Now God is punishing them for rejecting His laws and His presence; and by His grace, some will bow the knee to Jesus Christ. Pray for the nations to repent!

GOD PUNISH AMERICA,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
TO REPENT with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, FULL OF SINS
GOD PUNISH AMERICA, My home sweet home
GOD PUNISH AMERICA, My home sweet home.

11/5/11: I just realized after re-reading this article, that the Todd Bentley divorce affair also went down during the 2008 Lakeland healing revival. So also the 2008 onslaught of the economic recession we are currently living in. Among the many sins in America that God is punishing us for–could it be that He is especially punishing the morally lax standards of DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE in the American church? The manifest adultery and godless narcissism? I think so! For my position on divorce and remarriage, which allows for Christian remarriage only under the circumstances of the death of a spouse, the adultery of a spouse, or the desertion of a spouse, see my short e-book Divorce and Remarriage. My view of the issue is basically in agreement with William Heth’s “Remarriage for Adultery or Desertion” in Remarriage After Divorce in Today’s Church: 3 Views. Other than death, adultery, or desertion–I would maintain that there are no other circumstances, that would be Biblically legitimate, for a real Christian to divorce his spouse. So, in other words: if the marriage is rocky, and the husband-wife relationship is strained–it would be THE SIN OF ADULTERY for them to get divorced, simply because they can’t “get along.” What they need in such a circumstance, is to receive Bible-based Christian marriage counseling, and learn how to get along with Biblical guidance.

JOHN WESLEY (Wesleyan Revival Preacher, from 1738 to 1741)

1. Albert Outler’s John Wesley’s Sermons – I will list the sermons Wesley was writing in his study, and preaching from his heart without notes on the streets, during the Wesleyan revival of 1738-1741. According to Timothy L. Smith’s dates.

1738 – Salvation by Faith (Sermon 1)
1739 – The Spirit of Bondage and of Adoption (Sermon 9)
1739 – Free Grace (Sermon 128)
1739-1740 – Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, 1-6 (Sermons 21-26)
1739 – The Great Privilege of Those That Are Born of God (Sermon 19)
1739 – Justification by Faith (Sermon 5)
1739 – Christian Perfection (Sermon 40)
1739 – The Means of Grace (Sermon 16)
1741 – The Marks of the New Birth (Sermon 18)
1741 – True Christianity (Sermon 134)
1741 – The Law Established Through Faith, 1 (Sermon 35)
1741 – The Almost Christian (Sermon 2)
1741 – The Righteousness of Faith (Sermon 6)

2. Steve Harper’s The Way to Heaven
3. Steve Harper’s “Wesleyan Arminianism” in Four Views on Eternal Security
4. Thomas C. Oden’s John Wesley’s Scriptural Christianity, Chapters 6-10
5. Albert Outler’s John Wesley
6. Harald Lindstrom’s Wesley and Sanctification
7. Mildred Wynkoop’s A Theology of Love
8. Mildred Wynkoop’s Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology
9. Adam Clarke’s Clarke’s Christian Theology (Schmul, Chapters 7-13)
10. Samuel Wakefield’s Wakefield’s Christian Theology (Schmul, Book 4, Chapters 8-12; Book 5, Chapters 1-4, 7-8)
11. Kenneth Kinghorn’s John Wesley on Christian Beliefs: The Standard Sermons in Modern English – This excellent compilation of Wesley’s sermons rivals Albert Outler’s, because a lot of them are about the Gospel and sanctification–but they are IN MODERN ENGLISH!

CHARLES FINNEY (Second Great Awakening Preacher, from 1824 to 1831)

Some of the most powerfully anointed revelations into the Gospel of Jesus Christ are found in these pages. Powerful and lawyerly arguments against atheism and other anti-Christian objections are found as well. Learn how to preach what Finney preached during the Second Great Awakening (1824-1831). These books were written by him after his experience of those revivals.

I do want to warn you though: Finney was not a perfect theologian. Among the things that Finney maintained, were: (1) Revival is not a miracle. It is simply the effect of men choosing to repent and live obediently before God. Most would disagree with Finney on this point, and respond that the Holy Spirit is some way influencing the minds and hearts of those saved in a revival. (2) His moral government view of the atonement. Finney maintained that Jesus’ death on the cross was to set a moral example of self-sacrifice to us. Some say that he denied the penal substitutionary view of the atonement: that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. But I don’t think that is an accurate interpretation of Finney. It might be a straw-man argument to say that he denied substitutionary atonement; it seems that he merely had multiple views of the atonement at the same time. (3) Pelagianism. This truly was an error committed by Finney; and his critics are not misinterpreting him. He gives most expressive voice to this doctrine in the latter half of his Systematic Theology. This was probably Finney’s greatest theological failure. He rejected the Arminian view that the Holy Spirit helps Christians to repent, believe, and obey God’s commandments. He affirmed that all of this is possible by mere human ability and strength, especially the obedience to God’s commandments. This is denied emphatically by the apostle Paul in very many ways, in both Romans and Galatians. (4) His denial of Christ’s imputed righteousness to the Christian. This is also an erroneous doctrine of Finney. The apostle Paul taught the perfect righteousness of Christ is legally imputed to the criminal record of Christians (in Romans). Finney explained this away as a Calvinistic invention; a mere excuse for Antinomians to live unholy lives, and simply profess “once saved, always saved.” But I don’t think he understood that imputation is a matter of justification, not of regeneration or sanctification.

For books by Finney, I recommend Lectures on Revivals of Religion and Lectures on Systematic Theology edited by Richard Friedrich of Alethea in Heart Ministries. And anything by Finney from Bethany House Publishers. Anything else by Finney can be found on Amazon.com from other publishers.

Also, I want to add, that there is a lot of revival material from the publishing house called: Dr. Larry Martin‘s River of Revival Ministries or Christian Life Books. Stuff about the theology and history of the Great Awakenings, the Welsh Revival, Azusa Street, the Brownsville Revival, D. L. Moody, Leonard Ravenhill, Pentecostal Pioneers, Billy Sunday, Winkie Pratney, etc.

1. Charles Finney’s Lectures on Revivals of Religion (1835)
2. Charles Finney’s Sermons on Important Subjects (1836)
3. Charles Finney’s Lectures to Professing Christians (1837)
4. Charles Finney’s Lectures on Systematic Theology (1851, 2 vols)
5. Charles Finney’s Sermons on Gospel Themes (1876) – Contains some powerful arguments against Universalism; and has many other good preachings.

As I reflected on the various kinds of atheism and agnosticism–both secular and religious–I went to bed sort of disturbed in my mind. I prayed in tongues and felt God’s presence, and then fell asleep. After several hours of sleep, I had a dream.

I dreamed that I was high up on a porch that was thousands of feet above the ground. I wanted to get down from it. I went to walk to the edge of the porch where there was a tremendously long ladder which went down into oblivion. As I approached the ladder, a bullying boy, began to taunt me and push me aside, because he wanted to use the ladder. Initially I was repulsed at his bullying, but when I saw that he was shoving me so near to this cliff, I backed up and let him have the ladder. It then turned nighttime. I walked down the walkway quite a bit to be in a safe area. As the bully climbed down the ladder, he fell, and got caught in some ropes hanging from the side. He strangled and died.

Then I turned around. Up on a curb there was a guy I remembered from high school. His name was Nathan. He was a nice guy, but he was not a born again saved Christian. He was a Jew, a good Jew, who lived by the Torah, but had not accepted Jesus as his Messiah. I was trying to tell Nathan what happened to the bully, but he was so engaged in thought he wasn’t hearing me. He dived as if into a pool, but went face down on the wooden floor! He died on impact! When I saw this, I looked to the ground and wept, and saw a tear come from my face and fall on a nail on the floor. And I heard the music of a worship song, speaking about how we need Jesus’ presence in our lives.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12).

The bully was an atheist. The Jew was a religious agnostic or practical atheist. The one was mean, the other was nice. But both of their ways led to death, because neither went the way of Christ.