Posted on 08/26/2015 2:25:08 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The video has now gone viral, providing embarrassment for the charismatic movement and fodder for those who deny that the prophetic gifts are for today.
A self-proclaimed prophet from Scotland disrupted a Sunday morning service on August 16th as Pastor MacArthur stood behind the pulpit, rebuking him for teaching cessationism and for being divisive, announcing that he was a prophet sent by God.
Pastor MacArthur listened quietly before security removed the man, who continued to call for repentance as he was escorted out the door.
Pastor MacArthur then responded like a completely composed, totally unruffled, senior statesman, using humor and assuring the congregants that the security team would handle the intruder with gentleness.
He explained that this uninvited guest claimed that it is heresy to say that spiritual gifts like tongues and prophecy have ceased and he added that, according to 1 Corinthians 14, the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets and if this man were a real prophet, he wouldn't have behaved that way.
Of course, if you read about what the prophets did in the Old Testament and even in the New Testament (see Acts 21:10-11), a disruptive act like this would be quite minor.
But I do believe in principles of order and honor, and Paul did instruct Timothy never to rebuke an older man (or, elder) but rather to appeal to him (see 1 Timothy 5:1). So, however you view this incident, it did make Charismatics look bad.
As Pastor MacArthur continued to speak, he said "it's a sad situation" and "of all the things you could get upset about" — before he was disrupted by a baby crying, leading to more humor and laughter, after which he called on the congregation to stand with him as he read the Word of God before preaching.
Obviously, I have a real problem with the way things happened, bringing reproach to the gifts of the Spirit in the presence of the entire congregation, not to mention the many thousands who have viewed the video since it was posted.
And I've seen some ridiculous online comments posted to other videos like this one: "I heard online that John MacArthur receive[d] the medical RFID chip/mark of the beast and the Holy Spirit left him."
We're supposed to take this stuff seriously?
But there's something else I have a problem with, and I've raised my voice about it for two years now, also reaching out to Pastor MacArthur publicly and privately to discuss or even debate the relevant issues.
I'm speaking about the extreme rhetoric used by my elder brother in his attacks on my colleagues in the Charismatic Movement, including some of the most saintly, Jesus-loving, Word-based, spiritually-minded people I know anywhere in the world.
I'm talking about charges he made loudly and publicly like this: "The Charismatic Movement is largely the reason the church is in the mess that it's in today. In virtually every area where church life is unbiblical, you can attribute it to the Charismatic Movement."
He claimied we have "stolen the Holy Spirit and created a golden calf and they are dancing around the golden calf as if it is the Holy Spirit. . . The charismatic version of the Holy Spirit is that golden calf . . . around which they dance with their dishonoring exercises."
Pastor MacArthur went as far as saying that we attributed "to the Holy Spirit even the work of Satan."
In short, he called the Charismatic Movement "a farce and a scam" that "has not changed into something good," claiming that it represents "the explosive growth of a false church, as dangerous as any cult or heresy that has ever assaulted Christianity." Accordingly, he calls for a "collective war" against these alleged "pervasive abuses on the Spirit of God."
He stated that "Satan's false teachers, marching to the beat of their own illicit desires, gladly propagate his errors. They are spiritual swindlers, con men, crooks, and charlatans."
And, he continued, "By inventing a Holy Spirit of idolatrous imaginations, the modern Charismatic Movement offers strange fire that has done incalculable harm to the body of Christ. Claiming to focus on the third member of the Trinity, it has in fact profaned His name and denigrated His true work." (I document every quote, in context, in Authentic Fire.)
Although I do not know the man from Scotland who disrupted Pastor MacArthur's service, I suspect that what upset him was not so much the doctrine of cessationism but rather the aggressive and divisive way in which Pastor MacArthur has taught it, maligning many of God's choice servants and mocking those who worship the Lord in ways that are unfamiliar to him.
And so, once more, I appeal to my esteemed colleague, who has done so much good for the cause of Christ for so many decades and who has stood like a rock in the midst of spiritual compromise: Dear brother, you were gentle and gracious after that incident in your church. Would to God that you would display that same grace in your public differences with those of us in the Charismatic Movement — more than a half a billion strong — and would to God you would display that same grace and agree to sit down privately and discuss the relevant issues as men of God.
How can that not be to the glory of Jesus' name and to the good of His people?
No. An idiot sent himself and made a fool of himself. I feel sorry for him really. He is deceived.
No sin, unbelief and love of money is why the church is in a mess today. The gifts remain and glorify God. Unbelief does not please God.
I use to listen to John MacArthur when driving to work at a night shift job many years ago. After several months I stopped listening to him for he seemed to preach “unless you agree with how I interpret the Bible, then you are wrong and not a ‘true Christian.’”
Whether this person is or is not a prophet, it will take an examination of what he said and compare it to the Gospels. I believe that God still speaks to us, individually, and that is, in my view ‘prophecy’ especially if it is something to share. Speaking in tongues? That was not gibberish as many folks seem to do today, but it was the ability to speak another known language or the ability to understand a language you didn’t know.
I think that the gifts of the spirit from Romans 12: 3-6 is still valid today:
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Well, I can see the pastor’s point. When people are babbling in nonsense, made-up languages and calling it “speaking in tongues” (and this is accepted by the congregation), and meetings are held where any random person can get up and start prophesying (having never shown any gifts of prophecy, and not having their message vetted), well, that makes the whole movement look foolish and might make some doubt authentic manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
Wouldn't rebuking MacArthur make himself divisive???
I admire Dr Brown and his courage to speak on deadly serious issues.
If I had 10 minutes I would speak to him of all the nutcase people and teachings and behaviors in the nutcase half (2/3?)of the Charismatic world, people he seems to not have too much trouble tolerating. There’s so much bad doctrine and misuse of scripture.
**“unless you agree with how I interpret the Bible, then you are wrong and not a ‘true Christian.’”**
Thus, he is one of the biggest anti-Catholics around.
I had to look up “cessationism:” In Christianity, cessationism is the doctrine that spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophecy and healing ceased with the original twelve apostles.
I listened to Pastor McArthur recently - it was an EXCELLENT sermond regarding homosexuality. He’s a brave man.
I thought the author, Michael Brown, got killed in Ferguson last year?
that was a joke on my part.
And how many people do you see tripping over themselves to have the gift of helps or mercy, like they are for tongues, and now *prophecy*.
The latest fad gift to have is to have a *word of knowledge* or a *prophecy*. It seems that the novelty of tongues has worn off now that so many people do it. And the experience junkies need something new to make themselves feel special.
I am midway between the camps. I do not think what the charismatic movement has become is what the gifts to the early church really were, and I do believe there's a lot of fraud in it.
OTOH, God will do what He's going to do in HIS way in HIS time, and if it includes tongues or prophecy, it will happen.
But this seeking after it is just not going to end well.
And some FRoman Catholics are the biggest anti-Protestants around.
Really....you’re posting this??
I believe we are at the end of ‘the latter days’ and the Rapture and Tribulation are close at hand. Are we not told that ‘in the lattrer days’ these gifts will increase? During the Tribulation Jews will be gifted with these spiritual powers, since the True Spiritual Church, Bride of Christ will be outta here.
We see endless posts of unscriptural adoration and worship of bones and idols, yet want to stifle discussion of what Scripture ACTUALLY tells us.
Sorry, we have hearts open to God, and are led by His Holy Spirit into all Truth. The typical Roman Catholic is just sitting in a pew munching on bread and sipping wine in the hope that it is all true. He/she is hoping that if they can't be good enough here on Earth, that some of their friends and relatives can buy enough candles and say enough vain repetitious words (prayers are directed to God, my FRiend).
But it is not what is taught in Scripture. It is a myth propagated from the pits of Hell. It is designed to keep the pews filled, and lead people to follow Satan's false religion.
“With that many Catholics around the globe, it’s likely you know some of them as relatives, friends, neighbors, or co-workers. Find out what they don’t know—the origin and error of Catholic doctrine—so you can help the Catholics you know out of the darkness and into the light”. ~ John MacArthur
bump
very true
I have no idea about this incident, but it’s a good place to reiterate the question of whether todays churches would recognize a prophet in their midst... I think not.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.