Artificial Intelligence and the Mind of God

The knowledge base of these AI bots is incomprehensibly large, their ability to flow from language to language absolutely stunning, and their speed in responding truly breathtaking. HOW MUCH MORE, then, does this apply to the mind of God? 

Artificial Intelligence and the Mind of God | Articles | The Line of Fire

Our grandson Connor made a very interesting comment when he was a little boy. 

His parents (our daughter and son-in-law) were praying for him when he was fighting some minor illness, asking God to heal him. When nothing immediately happened, he said, “Jesus doesn’t have enough hands to heal everyone.” That was his childlike way of explaining why he wasn’t healed. Jesus only had so many hands with which He could touch the sick. He couldn’t get to everyone.

As much as we can smile at his childlike and innocent faith, we too can limit God in our thinking. 

After all, isn’t it difficult for us to comprehend the fact that right now, all around the world, God is listening intently to every single one of His children praying in a host of different languages, giving full attention to each one? 

We may affirm with our heads that we believe this to be true, but do we really grasp the reality?

Do we really believe that, as I write these words and as you read them, God knows every thought that every human being is thinking (and has ever thought), that He knows every single thing that every human being (and angel and demon) is doing (and has ever done), and that He is interacting with our words and thoughts according to His plan at this very moment?

It is truly mind boggling, completely beyond our understanding. 

But isn’t that the very essence of omniscience, which is literally “the state of knowing everything”? 

Recently, while using AI, I got the tiniest glimpse into the vastness of the mind of God.

In short, we know that we can ask our AI bot a complex question in almost any language, and we get a virtually instant, detailed response. (AI has to be checked because it can be unreliable, but when it is accurate, it is stunning.)

Since my Ph.D. from New York University was in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures (with a focus on ancient languages), I have enjoyed asking Claude, my most frequently used AI bot, some very technical Semitic language questions.

Then, I’ve asked Claude to translate his answer into another ancient dialect, and voila, a second later, there it is. I am always incredibly impressed.

The knowledge base of these AI bots is incomprehensibly large, their ability to flow from language to language absolutely stunning, and their speed in responding truly breathtaking. What’s more, one million of us could ask one million questions to the same AI bot at the same time and we would each get a personalized, instant answer.

How much more, then, does this apply to the mind of God? 

How much more does this apply to the one of whom Paul wrote, 

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!  ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?’  For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:33–36).

As human beings, we can be impressed with the size of a really big person (“He’s more than 7-feet tall!”) or a really big building (“It’s 200 stories high!”) or a really big mountain (“Everest is massive!”).

“Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.” (Isaiah 40:15–17)

Yet at the same time, He knows the number of the hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30) and before a word is even on our tongue, He already knows it (Psalm 139:4).

And as massive as planet earth is to us, it is less than a grain of sand in the scope of our galaxy, which itself is unfathomably large. Yet scientists have discovered more than two trillion galaxies so far. 

We cannot begin to comprehend what this really means.

Yet God knows every star in every galaxy (in fact, He created them) as well as the tiniest, nearly invisible microbe that the world’s most powerful microscope can barely see.

What’s more, this infinite, transcendent God cares about us deeply, even telling the people of Israel in the Old Testament that when they suffered, He suffered with them (see Isaiah 63:9). (At this point, all comparisons to AI cease.)

More remarkably still, He came into our world in the person of His Son to die for our sins – how unimaginable! – and through His Son He says to us, 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

There is a Better Way to Lose Weight Than Ozempic

As someone who battled unhealthy eating habits the first 59 years of my life, I am the last one to criticize someone for trying almost anything to lose weight. These are difficult battles. However. . .

There is a Better Way to Lose Weight Than Ozempic | Articles | The Line of Fire

As someone who battled unhealthy eating habits the first 59 years of my life, I am the last one to criticize someone for trying almost anything to lose weight. 

These are difficult battles, and many of us will take a lifeline wherever we find it. 

So, to repeat, I am the last one to criticize.

The truth be told, outside of using pharmaceuticals, I tried just about every shortcut I could find to help lose weight. There’s even a chapter in the book that my wife Nancy and I wrote, Breaking the Stronghold of Food: How We Conquered Food Addictions and Discovered a New Way of Living,  devoted to listing all the various shortcuts that I tried. It’s titled, “Anti-Fat Cream and the Magic Energy Pill.” Yes, I tried it all!

You might ask, “Anti-fat cream? Are you serious?”

As I explained in our book, when it came to losing weight, I looked for a cheap and easy fix. One pill promised to boost your metabolism while you slept. Wonderful! I could eat what I wanted during the day and take this pill before bedtime and, voila, I’d be thin almost overnight. 

Another pill promised to provide all the fruits and vegetables I needed in one day. Perfect! I could not imagine eating so many fruits and vegetables in a week (or even a month), let alone do it every day. This pill would do the trick!

One time while flying, I was flipping through the airline magazine when I discovered the most amazing thing yet. (This is really embarrassing, but I’m going to tell the story anyway.) It was a special cream that you would apply to the fat parts of your body, and if you did it regularly, the fat would be reduced. I kid you not!

Well, the embarrassing thing is not that I read about this product but that I actually bought it, without telling Nancy. (How in the world could I tell her I did something so stupid?) 

Unfortunately, using this cream was quite uncomfortable, since there was never a really good time to put it on, day or night. It was greasy and would stick to your clothes or pajamas, and since the whole key was to apply it and leave it on, you were stuck for hours with this gooey cream on your legs or stomach or wherever you applied it. I don’t think I even tried it more than a couple of times before realizing how idiotic this was, telling Nancy about it and then throwing it away. What a joke!

And even though I exercised when I was overweight, sometimes very intensely I was looking for a magic exercise solution too, and I took notice of some of the sensational claims that would appear in my email Junk folder, like one that announced:  “60-second morning routine KILLS, High Blood Pressure & Reverses 20 Years of Deadly Belly Fat.” All that in just one minute per day! 

Other emails featured special “tricks” and “secrets” – all yours for just a few bucks. And the same seductive messages were always there: This time, one of these will work for you, even though none of the other gimmicks worked before, even though you’re bypassing the one thing that will work: radically changing your lifestyle! 

The reality is that nothing changed in a lasting way until, by God’s grace and Nancy’s help, I made a radical lifestyle change. (Truly, it was with His gracious help.)

In short, I stopped eating all unhealthy foods and began to eat only healthy foods. (Nancy and I have found the guidelines of Dr. Joel Fuhrman, famous for his “eat to live” message, very sound, transformative, and sustainable.)

That’s how, beginning in August 2014, I was able to lose roughly 100 lbs. in less than 8 months, going from 275 lbs. to 175 lbs. – not by dieting, but by making a radical lifestyle change.

And that’s why today, more than 10 years later, I weigh about 170 lbs. and do heavy workouts with men in their 20s. (I’m 69 right now.) That’s also why my blood work and health are optimal, and, again, by God’s amazing grace, I’m pain free and medication free. (I am not boasting about tomorrow; I’m simply deeply thankful for today.)

To be sure, I know how hard this is. I fought a losing battle for almost 6 decades. I was addicted to chocolate. I was a pizzaholic. I was not the master of my diet; my diet mastered me.

That’s why, to say it once more, I am the last person to criticize or judge. To the contrary, I have both empathy and compassion.!

I simply want to encourage you – with Nancy joining me wholeheartedly – to get to know what is healthy and what is not (please do check out Dr. Fuhrman’s materials). And then, work towards getting rid of the bad stuff (most of the standard American diet is bad!) ingesting only the good stuff. This can radically, dramatically, and lastingly change your life (and I say this as one who travels around the world doing ministry yet is able to sustain this lifestyle).

And for you who are people of faith, if the Lord could help a lifelong chocaholic like me and a self-professed glutton like Nancy, He can help you. We are praying for your success!

Breaking the Stronghold of Food - How We Conquered Food Addictions and Discovered a New Way of Living

Did You Know the Meaning of One Key Word in this Classic Hymn?

We “dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” If we do that very thing, putting our full trust and hope in Him and leaning only on the life-transforming power of His grace, we will never be disappointed or shaken.

Did You Know the Meaning of One Key Word in this Classic Hymn? | Articles | The Line of Fire

If you grew up singing the classic, evangelical hymns, then you surely sang, “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand” written by Edward Mote in 1834. But do you know what one key phrase actually meant when you sang the words, “I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name”? 

I asked A.I. Claude this question and was thrilled with the answer: 

“The phrase "sweetest frame" refers to any human construct, feeling, or experience - even the most pleasant or seemingly reliable ones. In the context of this hymn, "frame" refers to any earthly foundation or support structure, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual."

The writer is expressing that he won't put his ultimate trust in:

Pleasant emotional or spiritual experiences

Even though these things might be "sweet" (good and valuable), the hymn writer is saying they are ultimately insufficient as a foundation for spiritual hope. Instead, he places his complete trust ("wholly lean") on Christ.

This reflects a core Protestant theological principle that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, rather than through human merit or experiences, no matter how positive those might be.

To follow up, I asked Claude, “So ‘frame’ as in part of a building?”

2-in-1  Whatever Happened to the Power of God -and- It’s Time to Rock the Boat

Has God Failed You - Finding Faith When You are Not Even Sure God is Real

Recently, while studying the Psalms about overcoming fear in the midst of devilish attacks, I was struck by how often the Hebrew verb “TO TRUST” came up . . .

Moving from Faith to Trust | Articles | The Line of Fire

How wonderful it is to trust the Lord! As Isaiah proclaimed, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

The Hebrew for “perfect peace” is shalom shalom. No matter what you’re going through, if you truly trust in your God and you are in right relationship with Him, you can have a double dose of His shalom. How wonderful!

As for the Hebrew verb for trust, it speaks of a firm reliance leading to absolute confidence and certainty. 

To paint a picture, it can be terrifying when God says to us, “Close your eyes, take My hand, and jump into thin air. I’ve got you!”

But when we know He is speaking (through the Scriptures and through our own relationship with Him) and when we are certain that He is good and He has our backs, we can jump with perfect peace. “God, I trust You! I’m even going to enjoy the ride!”

Some years ago, a close friend was going through a severe trial of faith . . . 

How to Cope with Rejection for the Gospel

If we are conducting ourselves in a Christlike way, sometimes the uglier things get, the better we are doing our job – and many others are watching too. Keep your composure, walk in grace, and some will come out of darkness into the light. . .

How to Cope with Rejection for the Gospel | Articles | The Line of Fire

Nobody likes rejection. Nobody likes being excluded or put out. 

That’s because God created us to be social people, with families and friends and coworkers and teammates. That’s why it feels good to be appreciated, to be accepted, to be valued, to be honored, to be respected. 

In sharp contrast, rejection stings – often very deeply. 

What happens, then, when our friends or family members or coworkers reject us because of our moral and spiritual convictions? How do we suffer rejection and yet remain emotionally and spiritually healthy? Here are some simple principles that will help you not only to endure rejection but also to thrive and grow in the midst of it.

The first thing you need to remember is that this is not about you. . . 

Seize the Moment - How to Fuel the Fires of Revival

Turn the Tide - How to Ignite A Cultural Awakening

Revival or We Die - A Great Awakening is Our Only Hope

This is the fruit of a real move of God, coupled with solid ministry training. Year in and year out, even decade in and decade out, the fire continues to burn. May the Lord send a fresh wave of revival to His people in America ...and beyond!

The Lasting Fruit of a True Move of God | Articles | The Line of Fire

This past weekend, we celebrated our 25th annual missions conference, thanking God for the amazing testimonies from our faithful workers who have served on the mission field worldwide, often quite sacrificially. 

This missions’ movement was birthed directly out of our ministry school, Brownsville Revival School of Ministry, and then FIRE School of Ministry, which in turn was birthed out of the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida (1995-2000). This is the best answer to the critics who claimed that the fruit of the revival would not last. 

One critic claimed that Brownsville was “not really. . . a revival, but lunatic fringe Christians from other places responding to altar calls,” also referring to it as a “spiritual cesspit.”

A prominent American pastor described the revival as a “mindless, emotional orgy marked by irrational, sensual and fleshly behavior produced by altered states of consciousness, peer pressure, heightened expectation or suggestibility.”

Surely, these emotions would quickly fade!

During the revival, I would say to these critics, “Well, this person has been walking solidly with the Lord now for one full year. What does that indicate about the validity of their conversion?”

The reply would be, “One year? That proves nothing!”

What about several years later, when they graduated from our ministry school with a burning heart to reach the nations? What about several years after that, as they relocated their whole families to serve outside the USA? And what about now, when some of our grads have been on the mission field for 25 years? I would call that lasting fruit!

Eric was a youth pastor who struggled with porn and had to step down from ministry. He visited the Brownsville Revival, experienced deep repentance and complete deliverance, graduated from our ministry school, and has now served on the mission field in Asia with his family for more than 20 years.

Last year, we commissioned one of his daughters to go as a missionary to Japan. This year, we commissioned another daughter to serve in the Philippines. 

Andy and his wife Karyn were powerfully touched in the revival, graduated from our school, and were the very first missionaries to sign up. They have served in Mexico for the last 25 years, continuing to bear great fruit and with all their children serving the Lord.

“We are about to send out a Mexican couple to Asia in 2025; we are super excited about that! We continue to visit the homeless downtown and throughout the streets of Guadalajara, bringing them the Gospel in creative ways from giving food, providing wound care as a nurse, and [more]. . . .

“Has it been worth it? Absolutely 100%. By Life or By Death.  We have had death threats, rocks pelting me in the head, our churches burned down, stranded vehicles in the middle of nowhere, and insects infesting my toes with eggs.  Would we do it all again? Absolutely 100%. Through it all God has been so faithful.  It’s just who He is.”

This is God’s answer to the critics and mockers. 

This is the lasting fruit of a true move of God.

Leann had friends who were powerfully touched in the revival and decided to relocate to Florida and attend our school, enrolling in 2000.

After graduating, she moved with some other grads – mainly single women, like herself – to the Ukraine, where she remains until this day, right in the midst of the war.

“I have seen Jesus do so much in Ukraine in the past twenty-one years, it’s been an adventure and a journey.  Jesus is alive and well, and changing lives across this land. . . .

Ministry began all those years ago, traveling from village to village, gathering all the villagers together, and preaching the Gospel.  Our team saw withered hands restored on several occasions, spines healed, a babushka who was completely hunched over get miraculously healed and start running down the road, as well as deaf ears opened.  Many of those living in villages are elderly and they were so thankful that we came, as they felt forgotten.  We would bring gifts of food and pray with them, they were so touched but the Lord.  Many gave their lives to Jesus in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.”

“There were years of ministry in orphanages, children’s shelters, children’s rehab centers, and children’s camps.  So many children were introduced to the Bible and Jesus through our ministry.  Many of the orphans I knew that were once little are now adults, and some are living their lives for the Lord to this day.  I still have connection with some of those I ministered to 20 years ago. . . .

“I was sharing Jesus recently at a meeting for refugees and an older man named Kolya, in his 60s, was in tears the entire time.  I prayed with him, and he told me his whole life he has been searching for something that is true.  He joined the communist party when he was young and saw that it was empty, he tried lighting candles at the orthodox church and he said it was empty. Now, because he has lost his home and came to our city, he met me and for the first time in his life he heard something that is actually true.  Kolya said ‘I have waited my whole to hear this truth about Jesus.’  He finally found the truth he longed for his entire life in his 60s!”

“I have experienced many hardships since the war began.  But, I know I am in the place where I am supposed to be, and that’s the safest place for me.  Even though we hear explosions every week, sometimes every day.  Even though air raid sirens blare off and on every day.  Even though we have lived without power and water, mobile service, and internet for long periods of time.  I am in the right place.  There is such darkness and hopelessness, but I am here to shine the light of Jesus and help destroy the works of the enemy.”

Leann recently got married, but only after her husband-to-be was miraculously protected while on the frontlines of the very worst part of the war. Now, together, they are serving God courageously in that battle-weary land.

This is the fruit of a real move of God, coupled with solid ministry training. Year-in and year-out, even decade-in and decade-out, the fire continues to burn.

May the Lord send a fresh wave of revival to His people in America and beyond!

The Fire that Never Sleeps - Keys for Sustaining Personal Revival

Authentic Fire: A Response to John MacArthur's 'Strange Fire'

A Time for Holy Fire - Preparing the Way for Divine Visitation

May God grant us a deeper hunger for Him. If we ask for it earnestly, confessing our weakness and shallowness but refusing to quit until He answers us, He will take us deeper. 

A Deeper Spiritual Hunger | Articles | The Line of Fire

There are many promises in the Bible addressed to those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty. 

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) He also said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37). 

In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah cried out, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” (Isaiah 55:1) And the psalmist proclaimed that God “satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Psalm 107:9). 

But are we hungry and thirsty for Him – really and truly?

I have sometimes given ministry school students a test to evaluate their level of love and hunger for God Word. It’s a test I have used on myself, and I’ve found it to be quite revealing.

Get alone with your Bible, without distraction. If you can get on your knees as you read, better still. Then read through Psalm 119 out loud – it’s by far the longest chapter in the Bible, and it extols the Word of God – and see if you feel like a hypocrite. 

I confess that sometimes I have felt like a hypocrite when I have repeated words like these out loud (Psalm 119:14, 20, 54, 72): “I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.” Really?

And, “My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.” Is it?

And, “Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge.” Honestly?

And, “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.” Truly? 

Is this really how we live and feel? Are these really our priorities? 

The Sad State of Contemporary Cessationism

From a biblical viewpoint, cessationism is completely indefensible. And experientially, as the Spirit continues to move powerfully all over the earth, it is becoming harder and harder to defend. Simply pointing to charismatic extremes and errors will not stem the tide of the real, glorious, moving of the Spirit. ..

The Sad State of Contemporary Cessationism | Articles | The Line of Fire

Pastor P. Yesupadam is one of my closest friends in the world and the truest Christian I know. 

But he was not always a follower of Jesus. 

To the contrary, although his father gave him the name Yesupadam, meaning “the foot of Jesus,” he grew up hating that name and hating the caste system of India. That’s because he was born into an untouchable family, suffering terrible deprivation and almost dying of starvation as a boy.

Then, at the age of 11, he was recruited by a radical Maoist communist (called a Naxalite). This gave him a sense of purpose for the first time. Now, he would fight against the caste system, taking from the rich – violently, if needs be – and giving to the poor.

By the time he was in his early 20s, he was considered a lost cause by most who knew him. 

In short, he was an atheist, an alcoholic, and a terrorist.

But his Christian wife and some other believers were praying for him (his marriage was arranged, of course, as per Indian custom), and it was then that God intervened in his life.

As he sat on his chair one afternoon, he saw something in the sky that got his attention, but it was somewhat distant. Then as the vision drew close to him. He realized it was Jesus that he was seeing. Yesupadam saw the pierced and bloody hands, which were now stretched out. And he heard the Lord say, “Son, I have done all this for you. Now, what will you do for me.”

At that moment, Yesupadam was radically and dramatically born again, going out on the street and clapping his hands and shouting, “Have you heard? Jesus died and rose from the dead!”

Since then, he has done more good in more tangible ways than any man I know on the planet, planting 10,000 churches in previously unreached tribal regions in India, raising and educating thousands of orphans and needy children, caring for the elderly and the handicapped, building hospitals, and more. 

And he has replicated his work in other continents as well.

I should also mention that he has been stoned for preaching the gospel, that many, if not most of his workers have been physically attacked for the gospel at least once, and that at least 5 of his pastors have been killed for their faith. 

In fact, in virtually every case, these martyrs were men whom I sent out as well in one of my annual trips to India, commissioning them with Yesupadam to preach the gospel by life or by death.

For the cessationist, though, Yesupadam’s conversion story is bogus, even if, somehow, he is truly saved today. That’s because these cessationists do not believe that the Lord has appeared to anyone since New Testament times. (You may be shocked to hear this, but yes, that is their position.)

Sadly, it is not only Yesupadam’s conversion story that is bogus to the cessationist. Millions of other dramatic testimonies must also be questioned, including the countless Muslims to whom Jesus has appeared in dreams and visions, pointing them to the Scriptures.

To give one case in point, one of the grads from our previous ministry school who has been serving in Iraq for more than a decade, shared this with me firsthand. He met a Muslim woman to whom Jesus had appeared years earlier, telling her to get a Bible. But she had no access to a Bible and didn’t know where to get one.

Years went by, and then she met our missionary. She described to him what Jesus looked like, and he showed her an Arabic Bible, pointing to the description of the risen Christ in Revelation 1. To her absolute shock, that is exactly how she had described the Lord to our grad. Now, when she saw who He was in the Bible, her whole life was rocked.

Once again, the cessationist must protest. “God only speaks through the Bible! The days of dreams and visions have ceased.”

Of course, the Bible itself speaks against that viewpoint categorically, telling us that the Spirit will speak through prophecy, dreams, and visions during the entire period of the last days, meaning from the death and resurrection of Jesus until His return (Acts 2:14-21, 39). 

And Jesus Himself told us that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27; these verbs are present tense and active in the Greek), while Paul wrote of the fellowship we enjoy with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14).

The truth be told, in the time it has taken me to write this article, the Lord has been speaking to His people, leading His people, healing His people, delivering His people, and making Himself known to the lost in innumerable ways. It is a real cause for rejoicing.

For the cessationist, though, this is not a reason to rejoice. Instead, it is a sign of deception, a proof that Satan, not the Spirit, is at work – unless they simply write everything off as make believe or the product of emotionalism.

Today’s hardline cessationist will not even allow for the Holy Spirit to bring a word of comfort to a mourner, unless it is a direct quotation from the Bible. Some even say that we don’t “experience” God in worship or “feel” the Spirit, since God is omnipresent and anything we “feel” is from our emotions.

From a biblical viewpoint, cessationism is completely indefensible. I’m as sure of that as I am of the nose on my face – and it is a conspicuous nose! And experientially, as the Spirit continues to move powerfully all over the earth, it is becoming harder and harder to defend. 

Simply pointing to charismatic extremes and errors will not stem the tide of the real, glorious, moving of the Spirit. By God’s grace, this tide will flood the lives of our cessationist friends too!

That’s why I was not surprised when a caller to my show expressed his shock at the doctrine of cessationism. He was an African Christian newly located to the States. He had no idea that any Christians denied the continuation of the miraculous gifts for today!

That’s also why I plan to write a book to be released in 2026 on the end of cessationism. The doctrine cannot be argued biblically and soon enough, God willing, it will be a forgotten theological relic of the past. 

Thank God for the outpouring of the Spirit!

Playing With Holy Fire - A Wake-Up Call to the Pentecostal-Charismatic Church

A Friendly Invitation to the Speakers at the G3 Cessationist Conference

Let us as leaders have a respectful, face to face discussion, one where we are able to present our views and respond to relevant questions. And rather than try to score points or win a debate, we will present a discussion with the goal of magnifying Jesus, exalting the Word, and building up the people of God.

A Friendly Invitation to the Speakers at the G3 Cessationist Conference | Articles | The Line of Fire

To all the speakers at the G3 Cessationist Conference and to all those who appeared in the Cessationist movie, I want to give you a personal invitation. 

This is not a challenge, and this is not meant to be a provocation. Instead, this is a genuine, heartfelt invitation for the glory of God and the good of His people, an invitation to enter into a serious public dialogue about the cessationist-continuationist controversy. 

Will you please take a moment to read on?

Since 2013, I have offered to debate any of the speakers from the Strange Fire conference on a simple topic: According to the Scriptures, are the gifts of the Spirit – including tongues and prophecy and healing – normative for today? 

To date, none of the speakers responded to my invitation, although I subsequently had debates with Dr. Sam Waldron, Dr. Theodore Zachariades, and (in more limited form) with my friend and colleague Dr. James White.

Last year, at the invitation of Christianity Today, I wrote an article explaining why I was not a cessationist, offering to debate anyone who appeared in the cessationist movie or would be speaking at the conference. Pastor Andrew Rappaport, a Jewish believer in Jesus, like myself, was the only one to respond to the invitation, as he had participated in a previous, smaller cessationist conference and was a supporter of the movie. He actually reached out to churches in Oklahoma near the site of the upcoming cessationist conference area to see if any of them would be willing to host our debate the night the conference ended, but he got no takers.

Hopefully, Andrew and will be able to conduct that debate for the edification of the Church in the days ahead. 

But for now, I want to offer an alternate proposal to any of the G3 speakers or to those who appeared in the movie: Let’s sit down together one on one in a full-length, non-hurried, non-timed discussion where clarity and understanding is our goal.

We will each lay out our positions in a private setting before video cameras, we will make sure we understand one another’s positions, we will have opportunity to challenge one another’s positions in a gracious way and to respond to those challenges. 

Then, we will post the video for free viewing on our respective social media platforms for everyone to watch and evaluate for themselves. 

Recently, on August 20, I did something similar with a brilliant, ultra-Orthodox rabbi. He and I have been engaging in discussion since 2001, exchanging many hundreds of pages of documents and emails over the years along with countless conversations by phone. We’ve also had some limited YouTube interaction, with each of us posting a series of videos where we responded to one another. 

But this was the first time that we sat together and conducted our discussion in public (it amounted to almost four hours of content), where questions were asked of one another and where greater clarification could come. The response to the video has been overwhelmingly positive. People in both the Jewish and Christian community are benefiting greatly by watching this dialogue and witnessing our respectful interaction. 

How much more could we do this as brothers together in the Lord? 

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, I tried to become a cessationist. I didn't want to be Pentecostal or Charismatic anymore for a number of reasons, and I bought books arguing against the Pentecostal-Charismatic position, also dialoguing privately with those who rejected the charismatic gifts for today. 

But the more I studied the Word, the more I was convinced that there was not a stitch of scriptural support for cessationism. 

In fact, it is my belief that there is not a single verse in the Bible that supports the cessationist position and that the doctrine would have been utterly foreign to the Apostles and to the writers of the New Testament. 

My own view is that cessationism is either based on one’s personal spiritual experiences or bad exegesis or faulty theological presuppositions (or all three). 

You, for your part, feel you have very strong and robust Scriptural arguments against my position. You would also question my interpretation of the Word, my theological presuppositions, and my own spiritual experiences.

Fair enough! That’s why we need to have this discussion: the Body of Christ deserves it.

We will not debate contemporary miracles. 

We will simply discuss one question: What does the Bible say?

Surely, you know that the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement is growing rapidly around the world, with an ever-increasing number of Reformed continuationists as well. 

It is my conviction that there is a powerful, glorious wave of the Spirit sweeping the earth that cannot be stopped, mixed with many destructive excesses and even heresies that must be addressed. (For my relevant 2018 book, see here.)

In your view, this is a dangerous movement that is deceiving many that must be confronted as loudly and clearly as possible lest millions of people are led astray. 

Suffice it to say that the stakes are high!

Let us, then, as leaders with platforms in the Body, have a respectful, face-to-face discussion, one where we will be sure that each of us is satisfied that we have been able to present our views and respond to relevant questions. 

I’m more than happy to use the platforms that God has given me to expose viewers to your position, and I hope that you feel sufficiently confident in your point of view that you would be willing to expose your viewers to my position. And I’m happy to come your way to record or to fly you to North Carolina at my expense to record. We have a great studio and our team is ready to go.

And rather than try to score points or win a debate, we will present a discussion between leaders in the Body with the goal of magnifying Jesus, exalting the Word, and building up the people of God. 

Are you in? You can reach out to me here.

Of course, if you are convinced that I am not a brother, I can only pray for God’s grace to flood your hearts afresh. Be assured that I hold no animosity towards you! I do hope, however, that at least one of you will take me up in this invitation. 

May Jesus be glorified and may we all walk in the fullness of the Spirit for today.

Only God is God. The Rest of Us Are Discardable

Could it be that a major reason we don’t see more miraculous outpourings of the Spirit is that we take some of the credit for what God is doing or that we allow people to look to us rather than Him? (God help us to truly get low that all eyes might be on Him...)

Only God is God. The Rest of Us Are Discardable | Article | The Line of Fire

There is only one Creator, only one worthy of adoration and worship, only one whose name will be proclaimed throughout eternity. 

The rest of us are created beings, here for His pleasure and purpose. 

He is eternal. We are here today and gone tomorrow. He is essential. We are dispensable and disposable. 

John the Immerser (the Baptist) understood this, telling the crowds who flocked to his baptism, “‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” (He was speaking here about Jesus.) He continued, “I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” (John 1:30–31)

That was the whole purpose of his ministry: that Jesus might be revealed to Israel. Once that was done, John’s mission was completed. As John explained to his followers, who seemed concerned that Jesus was gaining more followers than he was, “He must increase. I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Spiritual Growth

Artificial Intelligence and the Mind of God

There is a Better Way to Lose Weight Than Ozempic

Did You Know the Meaning of One Key Word in this Classic Hymn?

Moving from Faith to Trust

How to Cope with Rejection for the Gospel

The Lasting Fruit of a True Move of God

A Deeper Spiritual Hunger

The Sad State of Contemporary Cessationism

A Friendly Invitation to the Speakers at the G3 Cessationist Conference

Only God is God. The Rest of Us Are Discardable

God is Moving on Our University Campuses

When Churches 'Grow Fat and Kick'

Knowing the Scriptures and Having the Power of the Spirit Are Two Different Things

Do You Go to a ‘Bible’ Church?

We Dare Not Squander This Moment: An Urgent and Sober Warning

Our Most Powerful Weapons Are Spiritual

Dealing with Sin in the Church: Neither Greasy 'Grace' Nor Haughty 'Holiness'

Now is the Time

Great Is the Mercy of God

Why I Don’t Get into Mudslinging Battles with Destructive Critics

God Gives Grace to the Humble

God Loves Us, But He is Jealous for HIS Glory, Not Ours

A Baptism of Tears

The End of Celebrity Christianity

Great Is the Power of Repentance

We Are Experiencing a Mini-Judgment Day

Judgment Begins with the House of God

A Revival of the Fear of the Lord

Standing on the Solid Rock of Christ

There is No Fear in Love

It’s Important for Christians to Develop a Multigenerational Mentality. Here’s Why.

Only God is God

‘No One Can Change God’s Opinion About You Except You’

When the Holy Spirit Comes, Expect Criticism

The New Mark Driscoll Controversy about the Former Male Stripper at a Church Men’s Conference

Celebrating 48 Years of Marital Bliss

Talk About Carey's Savior

How to Hold to Your Convictions Without Becoming Arrogant

Let God Be True and Every Human Being a Liar: A Word of Encouragement to the Global Prayer Movement

You Are Here for a Purpose