R.T. Kendall's Blog, page 11
November 23, 2013
Walnut Hill Baptist Church with Clive Calver
Walnut Hill Baptist Church (Pastor: Clive Calver)
156 Walnut Hill Rd
Bethel CT 06801
203-796-7373
http://www.walnuthillcc.org/bethel/
8:00 a.m. Traditional Service
9:00 a.m. Contemporary Service
11:00 a.m. Contemporary Service
Providence C.P. Church Hartsville TN
10.50am
November 21, 2013
The God of the Bible 3
The God of the Bible 3
In my book The God of the Bible I deal with four chapters (expositions) from the Book of Daniel – chapters 1, 3, 5 and 6. These were originally sermons preached at Spring Harvest in England – since edited to read better in a book. (That is, I hope they read better!). There is a lot in the book of Daniel I don’t understand, but I think I do understand chapters 1, 3, 5 and 6. In Daniel chapter one we have an account of four young men – Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – who were from the privileged class in Jerusalem who were exiled to Babylon. They were part of the first deportation of the Israelites in 597 B.C. Their first challenge was their diet. They were given the finest foods and wine from the king’s table. But they refused. They opted for what might be called the first recorded high-fiber diet! These men were being true to themselves. As it turned out, they got permission to ‘give it a go’ – to eat their own diet exclusively but be tested at the end of ten days. As it turned out, at the end of ten days ‘they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food’ (Dan.1:15).
The three Hebrews – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – were later put to a greater test. Either they bow down to the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar set up or be thrown into a furnace of fire. But these three young men refused to bow. The king was enraged. He asked, “What god is able to rescue you from my hand?” (Dan.3:15). Their reply sets an example for all of us: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it. . . but even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Dan.3:18). The King James Version says, “But if not” rather than the NIV “even if he does not”. In my book The God of the Bible I call the chapter on Daniel 3 the “’But if not’ faith”. I recall a lady at a prayer meeting in Alabama who asked those present , “Do you have the ‘but if not faith’?”
Do you? Are you prepared to stand for your principles on the basis that God is able to spare you and deliver you – “but if not” – you will not give into the spirit of the age?
One of the curses of the currently popular prosperity teaching is that it encourages people to believe that God will always prosper them in health and wealth. What is lacking in so many of these who teach this is that they neglect to say, “But will you serve God even if He does NOT prosper you?” In other words, where will you stand if you believe that God is able to deliver you, “but if not”?
In my treatment of Daniel 5 I call the chapter “The Party’s Over” when the King Belshazzar trembled seeing the scary but miraculous handwriting on the wall. In Chapter 6 – when Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, the title is “An Open Secret”. The secret to Daniel’s wisdom was his courage and fearlessness in praying when he was commanded not to do so. Nothing could stop him. He was vindicated in the end. But he did not know if he would be! That’s the real test. What if it is likely you WON’T be vindicated for your stand? Would you be equally as faithful?
I believe we are living in a generation that will see many, many people suffer and even die (sometimes with torture) for their faith. I could be one of them. Who knows? Are you willing? Am I? I think so. My fear would not be for myself but for my family. I can only pray that they will be equally courageous when threatened with pain or death if they don’t bow to the ‘god of this world’. I pray this for my son TR. For by grandsons Toby and Timothy. I would rather leave a legacy of fearlessness for the God of the Bible than ten millions dollars tax free.
There is a song we used to sing in Sunday School when I was a child, “Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone’. That chorus influenced me profoundly. Now that I am old (78) I am more determined than ever to be a Daniel, to be like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. I want to be stronger than ever, more rugged than ever, bolder than ever, more fearless than ever. I am not ashamed of the God of the Bible. This is the true God. This is the only God who can do things, make things happen, deliver us and vindicate?
But if he doesn’t, I will not change my preaching. My teaching. Or alter my faith.
Do you have the “but if not” faith?
If you would like a copy, we are offering this book at a reduced price this month.
Do you?
November 16, 2013
Kensington Temple
Dear Friends,
Just to say that we have accepted the Invitation (as suggested by my letter of July 13th) from Colin Dye of Kensington Temple, London, to join their staff from February 1st to July 7th 2014.
But sadly I am now fully booked up for engagements outside KT – both in the UK, Europe and elsewhere. I am grateful for so many invitations of course, but I felt it would be wise to state that we have accepted all we possibly can.
My forthcoming book Holy Fire will be out January 2014. Pastor Jack Hayford, who wrote an amazing Foreword, calls it a ‘landmark book’. I have had 30 endorsements from various Christian leaders and pastors. Please pray that God will use this book, arguably my most significant since I wrote Total Forgiveness.
Louise and I appreciate your continued prayers for us and our family more than anything in the world.
God bless you.
Warmest greetings.
R T Kendall Romans 8:28.
Dear Dr. MacArthur
Dear Dr. MacArthur,
I have admired you as an able writer and speaker for years. I have not only read your book Strange Fire but listened to your talks as well as the panel discussions at your recent conference. I am as reformed theologically as you are and can say we are on the same page when it comes to many issues you address.
I was not prepared however for some of the things you said. I had to reread some parts to be sure you said what I thought you said. First, if your book purports the danger of offending the Holy Spirit with counterfeit worship, I fear you are in greater danger of offending the Holy Spirit by attributing His work to Satan. Does this not worry you? You are risking an awful lot by counting on cessatonism to be totally true. You have tried to turn the hypothetical teaching of cessationism into a dogma.
Second, surprisingly, you imply that my predecessor Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones would agree with you. A major portion of my own book Holy Fire is devoted to what he believed regarding the gifts, the baptism and the immediate witness of the Holy Spirit. He was no cessationist; he loathed cessationism. Nearly every Pentecostal and charismatic in Britain knew he was their friend. Not only that; he has turned more of them into reformed thinkers than anybody in the twentieth century. He would be horrified that you dismiss as demonic all contemporary testimonies of experiencing the direct work of the Spirit. According to you, my own baptism with the Spirit was demonic even though it led me to reformed theology without reading a single word of John Calvin.
Third, to be consistent, if you have got it right, we should counsel new Christians to disregard many Scriptures – e.g. those that encourage us to believe that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb.13:8), that he still shows us when we are on the wrong track (Phil.3:15), that the Holy Spirit cannot speak today as he did to Philip (Acts 8:29) or that we should covet earnestly the best gifts (1 Cor.13:31).
I hope you will consider reading my book. It will do you no harm and, just maybe, you might hear God speak to you in a way you never thought possible. I only pray with all my heart that you have not gone too far already. In the second panel discussion at your conference you actually said, “I know I am wrong somewhere”. If so, who would you listen to? Would you not want to know as soon as possible if you have got it wrong on those matters you are so dogmatic about?
If I knew for sure it would be honoring to God – for the sake of sincere Christians who are fence-straddling on cessationism, I would ask that you and I have a civil debate (presidential style) on the issue of cessationism. Could we pray about this?
– R. T. Kendall
The God of the Bible 2
God of the Bible
I recently had lunch with a retired professor of theology from a well known university in Tennessee. He kindly read my book Holy Fire – to be published shortly. My book Holy Fire is a reply to a book called Strange Fire, which has recently been published. I had asked my professor friend to read my book Holy Fire with the view of making a commendation – which he kindly did. But when we had lunch, following his reading Holy Fire, he said something very interesting to me – for which I was not prepared. ‘You and I have completely opposite world views’.
Really? Yes. But here is what he meant. His ‘God’ is not really the God of the Bible but rather a God that is alien to historic Christianity as revealed in Holy Scripture. I did not realize how liberal this professor has turned out to be. He has clearly opted for a position called ‘open theism’. Open theism is process theology in evangelical dress. Process theology takes the view that God is always doing something new and different. He was doing one thing 2000 years ago, another thing in the 16th century and yet another thing now. This of course is not the God of the Bible but a God who will enable even an atheist to accept!
Years ago I read a book called God in an Age of Atheism. The bottom line is that the person who thought he was an atheist may not be an atheist after all; he merely needs to be acquainted with another way of looking at God – one who does not know the future but only the present. It is virtually pantheism (all is God) although the proponents want to call it panentheism (all is in God). Open theism takes the view that God needs our wisdom to know what to do next. He does not know the future – only the present. We help him decide what to do. Sadly this is what my professor friend believes!
So when he said we have opposite ‘world views’ he is quite right.
I believe in the God the Bible. Do you?
I have to tell you, the true God will not win popularity contests. I am amazed how the world – and some professing Christians – are going mad for open theism. The God of open theism won’t harm a flee, did not create the universe out of nothing, did not send His one and only Son to die on a cross, was not literally raised from the dead on Easter morning, does not send people to hell, does not know the future and as for Jesus coming a second time? Forget it.
The time has come when Christians need to get off the fence. Fence-straddling is what Elijah faced with the people of Israel. Fence-straddling is what you and I face when we look at contemporary Christianity.
This is why I call my expositions from Daniel, John, Acts and Romans The God of the Bible. Kindly read my book and tell me if I described your God – or is it a God who embarrasses you?
If you would like a copy, we are offering this book at a reduced price this month.
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