My Testimony

Not long ago, I preached on one of my favorite psalms—Psalm 73. I was struck by the final verse—verse 28—which says, “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” I certainly have a desire to be near God and make Him my refuge at all times, but this verse reminded me that such an effort isn’t just about me. Taking refuge in God should be about others as well; I should seek to do it in order to tell others about His works.

 

In light of this verse, I encouraged my congregation to share their testimonies with others—to tell people about the works that God has accomplished in their lives. I would like to do that very thing in this column today—to share with you my testimony of coming to faith in Christ and to tell of the gracious things that God has done in my years so far.

 

I was born to devout Christian parents whose faith defined every aspect of their lives. They truly “walked the walk.” I remember my brother saying that he came to understand that the Bible is important because he knew our dad woke up earlier than he had to in order to give himself time to read it. My mom and dad taught me the Gospel from the day I was born, and the totality of their lives made that message look so attractive that their witness served as a powerful testimony for me.

 

When I was six years old, then, I came to understand that the Gospel message isn’t just true in some general way—it was telling the very truth about my life. The story about mankind’s rebellion against God and His gracious gift of His own Son to pay for our sins wasn’t just some story about our race—I needed to see my own sinfulness and my own need of a Savior to deliver me from the penalty of my sins. And so, I trusted in Christ as my Savior, believing that His death paid for my sins and that His resurrection assures me of eternal life with God.

 

After trusting in Christ, my experience from then through my teenage years was like that of many young people. I grew in my faith in fits and spurts—sometimes more, sometimes less. This inconsistency came largely because I didn’t develop good habits in spiritual disciplines like reading Scripture and praying. I knew such habits were important, but I didn’t yet understand how desperately I needed them for my spiritual health and well-being. That lesson would not come in full force until my first year of college.

 

After finishing high school, I packed my bags and headed off to the University of Kansas. There, for the first time, I found myself in a setting where my Christian faith was down-right unpopular! Most students wanted nothing to do with the Holy Spirit’s fruit of self-control (Galatians 5:23), preferring instead to feast on—other fruits, shall we say. My philosophy professor saw Christians as his favorite punching bag, consistently using Christians as examples of illogical thinking. My psychology professor confidently announced there was no such thing as sin, that different behaviors simply reflected different brain-states and had absolutely no significance beyond that physical realm.

 

In addition, there was also a confusing dissonance coming from Christian voices around me. The Religion Department touted the Bible, but in a way that was very different from my evangelical upbringing. Then there was Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, who came on campus to protest drag queen fashion shows at the Student Union. Did either of these groups represent Christianity well—and if so, did I want anything to do with this faith?

 

All of these details came together to put me squarely at a fork in the road—was I going to be serious about my devotion to Christ or not? There was no third option—my faith was either going to grow or die. Well, to God’s praise and glory, He had surrounded me with family and new friends who continued to water the seeds of my faith that had been planted first by my parents, then by the Spirit Himself. As a result, that first year of college became a wonderful time of spiritual growth for me. The challenges to my faith were exactly what I needed to come to understand Christ’s statement that “apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).”

 

So God began to undertake a full renovation of my heart, and at the same time He threw-in a renovation of my occupational plans. I went to college as a computer science major with very high aspirations—I wanted to develop the first baseball video game that would allow you to have a bench-clearing brawl! Shooting for the stars, I know! But as my devotion to Christ began to deepen, it became obvious that that goal wasn’t going to leave me very satisfied in life. Perhaps a bit richer, but not very satisfied.

 

As I began to consider something else to pursue, God began to make it clear that He had given me strong skills in language—from understanding how it works to interpreting it to using it as a means of presenting ideas to others. He had also given me an insatiable thirst for studying the Bible and anything else that would shed light on the Bible. With these realities and the affirmation of others, it became clear that pastoral ministry would be an excellent pursuit—one for which there was a great need, and one for which I appeared to be greatly suited.

 

As pastoral ministry has now been my life’s work for 15 years, I want to express my gratitude to God for giving me the honor to serve. I am so thankful for all that He has done through me for His glory from the first day of my life until now. While the world is still waiting for that baseball game with the brawls (I think!), I am so thankful that those in my sphere of influence have not had to wait to hear the Word of God. It is a great honor for me to have shared it with them and to continue doing so. 

Did God get it wrong about Donald Trump?

In the months leading up to the Presidential election, numerous Christians claiming to have the gift of prophecy predicted that President Trump would be re-elected. Among these were:

 

·         Pat Robertson (The 700 Club)

·         Kris Vallotton (Bethel Church, Redding, CA)

·         Jeremiah Johnson (Jeremiah Johnson Ministries)

·         Sid Roth (host of “It’s Supernatural”)

 

Many other lesser-known Christians took to social media to share their own prophecies of a Trump victory. Well, today, on Inauguration Day 2021, we can say clearly that these prophecies did not come to pass. What are to make of this observation? If so many prophets agreed in their prediction yet the prediction was not accurate, a disturbing question arises: did God get it wrong about Donald Trump?

 

Perhaps we should ask a different question: are claims of modern-day prophecy actually legitimate?

 

It is this second question that I want to address in this post, because I believe the answer to that question is “no.” I do not believe that the gift of prophecy is still in operation today. (This position is called “cessationism” since it affirms that spiritual gifts like prophecy, healing, and speaking in tongues ceased at an earlier time in church history. The affirmation that such gifts continue is called “continuationism.” We didn’t get very creative with our titles in this area of theology!) In light of the very public prophecies made by those named above (among others), I invite you to consider with me just what has happened here, and that the problem actually lies with a mistaken belief in the continuation of the gift of prophecy.

 

(NOTE: To their credit, both Kris Vallotton and Jeremiah Johnson have now publicly apologized for their recent prophecies of a Trump win. See https://religionunplugged.com/news/2021/1/12/charismatics-are-at-war-with-each-other-over-failed-prophecies-of-trump-victory)

 

I always approach posts like this with a bit of unease since I am now publicly declaring a disagreement with some people whom I respect and care about. On this issue, that group would include personal friends as well as respected continuationist theologians like Wayne Grudem, Gordon Fee, and Craig Keener. I have been blessed by the ministries of the men just named, so I don’t take disagreement with them lightly; nevertheless, it is where I stand.

 

Since this post seems destined to be rather lengthy, let me give you the outline so you can scroll ahead to later sections if you wish:

 

Why address this question?

1.      The world has heard these prophecies and taken note of their failure

2.      Failed prophecies can weaken the faith of believers

3.      The question of modern-day prophecy has big implications for a local church

 

Why I don’t accept the validity of modern-day prophecy

1.      The fact of failed prophecies

2.      The conviction that Scripture is all we need for doctrine and behavior

 

Why address this question?

 

1. The world has heard these prophecies and taken note of their failure.

 

Do a simple Google search for “failed prophecies about Donald Trump” and you’ll find blog posts, letters to newspapers, and other articles in which non-Christians are gloating over the failure of these prophecies. I fear that serious damage has been done to the credibility of Christianity in the eyes of those who don’t believe.

 

It’s one thing to play the role of pundit and get it wrong. In that role, you are only claiming to have keen personal insight; it is only your reputation that’s on the line. But when you play the role of a prophet, you’re putting God’s reputation on the line as you claim to speak for Him. The esteem that others have for Him will correspondingly take a hit when a prophecy is proven false. I grieve when I read the condescending words of those who mock the Christian faith after observing those who mistakenly think they have heard a prophecy from God.

 

2. Failed prophecies can weaken the faith of believers.

 

I also grieve as I consider what those who believed these prophecies must be thinking. Whenever someone expects God to do one thing but He does another, that person’s faith can be shaken to its core. Sometimes a person’s faith doesn’t survive the disillusionment.

 

A failed prophecy can raise all kinds of faith-weakening questions. Did God not know enough to make the right announcement to His prophets? Did He have a plan in mind but He just wasn’t powerful enough to bring it to pass? Is He not wise enough to communicate to His prophets in an unmistakable way? Any of these questions will lead to a diminishing of God if you let them take root in your mind—but they are all strongly implied in a failed prophecy. If you let them run to their logical conclusion, you end up with a God who doesn’t inspire worship, so consequently, some people just stop worshipping Him.

 

I fear that many believers today just don’t appreciate how serious a claim it is to claim to speak in the name of God. It is a serious business with potentially everlasting consequences. If you claim to give someone a message from God and set them up to have false expectations, you may unwittingly become an accomplice to the unraveling of their faith.

 

3. The question of modern-day prophecy has big implications for a local church.

 

Every local congregation of Christians has to answer the questions, “What should we teach?” and “What should we do?” As a pastor, I want to teach my congregation everything that God has truly revealed. I grieve just knowing that some of my people have never read the entire Bible—if I thought we were missing out on new revelations from God through modern-day prophets, I would be beside myself! Man does not live by bread alone, according to Christ, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4). If God is truly speaking through modern-day prophets, there is no question what a church should do—it should catalogue and study these revelations just the same as we study the words of the prophets of old. A church would be unfaithful and irresponsible to do anything else.

 

The question of modern-day prophecy also has big implications for how a church makes decisions. Imagine the potential difficulties if one part of a congregation expects God to lead the church by means of only one source (the written Scriptures) but another part of the congregation expects God to lead the church by means of two sources (the written Scriptures and modern-day prophets). What happens when the modern-day prophet speaks? How could a church take unified action in that case?

 

Think of it like this: imagine two Colonels in the Army out in the field together leading troops. One Colonel believes the General will only communicate with them through a personal messenger; the other Colonel believes the General may communicate with them through a personal messenger or over the radio. If a message comes over the radio purporting to be from the General, how can the two Colonels take unified action? One of them doesn’t even believe the General intends to communicate that way!

 

You can see how this whole question of communication can present quite a quandary. Thus, it is really a vital question for a church—vital enough that a church really can’t avoid taking a side on the issue. People are claiming to speak new revelations in the name of the Lord, and we have to decide if we’re going to believe them or not.

 

Why I don’t accept the validity of modern-day prophecy

 

1. The fact of failed prophecies

 

These failed prophecies concerning Donald Trump are just the latest failed prophecies from those who claim to have the gift of prophecy today. Interestingly, most continuationists do not dispute that predictions from modern-day prophets have at times failed to come to pass. These instances are usually explained away through appeals to a non-literal interpretation of the prediction, interference with the fulfillment from the demonic realm, or a misunderstanding on the part of the prophet. At least one continuationist theologian (Wayne Grudem) has, since the late 1980’s, attempted to defend the idiosyncratic view that the genuine gift of prophecy in the NT yields prophetic statements that might be a mixture of truth and error! (For an excellent though somewhat technical critique of Grudem’s position, see https://www.tms.edu/m/tmsj2h.pdf)

 

This simple observation about failed prophecies puts modern-day prophecy in very hot water when we consider the test for a true word from God in Deuteronomy 18:21-22:

 

“And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’--

when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”

 

That final statement—“you need not be afraid of him”—must refer to future predictions from this so-called prophet. If the prediction under consideration has already failed to come to pass, then it is obvious that we do not need to heed that word. It would be redundant for God to state what the people would have already learned for themselves.

 

Thus, God was telling the people that they need not fear any later predictions from this person. This observation creates a standard of 100% accuracy for a true prophet of God. If a person claims to be delivering a revelation from God but makes a false prediction even once, he or she is disqualified from being a genuine prophet. This standard is one that modern-day prophets demonstrably have not met; thus, I conclude that the genuine gift of prophecy must not be in operation today.

 

2. The conviction that Scripture is all we need for doctrine and behavior

 

Historic Protestantism has always taken its stand on sola Scriptura—Scripture alone as our authority for doctrine and behavior. This claim about Scripture’s sufficiency for such needs seems only proper in light of statements like 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

 

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete [other translations: adequate, thoroughly equipped, thoroughly furnished], equipped for every good work.”

 

If the written Scriptures are enough revelation to make us adequate and thoroughly equipped for every good work, what need is there for further revelation through prophets today? A defense of continuing revelation can only amount to an affirmation that Scripture is not all the revelation we need to learn what God wants us to know about Him and His plans; that Scripture is not sufficient to allow us to make wise decisions about how we should behave. As I mentioned earlier, if modern-day prophets possess the genuine gift of prophecy, we should be hanging on to their every word in the same way that we seek to hang on to every word of the written Scriptures.

 

If you’re reading this and you’re Protestant, please consider two observations. First, you should already be comfortable with the claim that God ceased to give new revelations during at least one period in the past—the Inter-Testamental Period, those 400 years between the time of Malachi and the ministry of John the Baptist. If God ceased to give new revelations during that time, it should not be shocking to consider that He may have ceased again after the New Testament was completed.

 

Second, consider that many of the doctrinal differences that you as a Protestant have with other groups stem from claims of ongoing revelation. Progressive/Liberal Christians view the Scriptures not as a unique, once-for-all revelation from God but as a time-bound, historically-conditioned record of encounters with God that can still be expected to happen today (and that might correct erroneous viewpoints that Christians held in the past). The Roman Catholic Church teaches that God might still give new, binding, authoritative revelations to the faithful through the Magisterium of the Church. This belief is the source of distinctive Roman Catholic viewpoints on Mary and the saints, among other issues. Then of course there are the pseudo-Christian cults that rely on post-biblical writings or modern-day prophets as sources of revelation. So historic Protestantism has been unique in its emphasis on the sufficiency of Scripture, and I believe this emphasis must be sounded again to correct the misunderstanding of those who would promote a continuation of the gift of prophecy.

 

I realize that what I have written here is not all that could be said on this subject and it won’t settle the matter to everyone’s satisfaction, but this much at least needs to be said in this moment. You may have believed the prophecies about Donald Trump and might be very disillusioned today. Rather than allow your disillusionment to color your thoughts about God, I urge you to consider that what I have said is true—that the fault for failed prophecies lies not with God, but in a very unfortunate misunderstanding about the continuation of the gift of prophecy.