That Good Old Altar Call

As I would sit through many a church service, in many different denominations, it would always intrigue me as to the methods that were used to draw people to the Altar for the 'Altar Call.' The pastor, preacher, teacher or who ever was delivering the service would finish their sermon and then they would do something that kind of surprised me, they begged. They begged for people to come and make a confession towards Christ, to repent and be saved! Now while what they were begging for seemed noble and right it always made me wonder if they just were not being manipulative, either without thinking about it, or with full knowledge.
A good example of someone who used such methods was the one individual that the origination of the Altar call is attributed, Charles G. Finney. Finney employed what ever method necessary to manipulate the will of the individual in order to get them to come forward and make the confession of faith. He had the nervous seat, sinners chair, or what ever you would want to call it, but the point is that he felt that it was necessary to employee manipulation in order to get the job done.

Finney on the Anxious Seat;

“The church has always felt it
necessary to have something of this
kind to answer this very purpose.
In the days of the apostles,
baptism answered this purpose. The
gospel was preached to the people, and
then all those who were willing to be on
the side of Christ, were called out to be
baptized.
It held the place that the anxious
seat does now as a public manifestation
of their determination to be Christians.”
Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1875)

The question is, is this right? Should we manipulate the will of a individual in order to gain a apparent commitment to Christ or should we rely on God who is the one that brings the increase? It seems that Baptism is the place where, those that have come to know Christ, should go in order to make their public profession of faith. There seems to be a given order in the word of God;

Acts 2:38

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ac 2:38). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (1 Co 3:6-7). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

So, this is the pattern that God has prescribed, the order that He would have things done. It appears throughout the Bible that there is no place where manipulative tactics are employed. The Gospel is simply presented and then God does the rest from their. I have known people that have been saved in a number of settings, however it seems that the majority were simply called by God in his timing and not at a emotional event or altar call. Don't get me wrong, this does not mean that the point of conversion could not have been emotional, that emotion somehow makes ones conversion less sincere and genuine. All that I am saying is that the altar call or any other marketing tool or method has very little to do with the actual conversion. It was God moving on the heart in his time. God will and does use the altar call, but is there a better way, a more biblical way?

I found this article on Banner of Truth by Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones and I think He gives a excellent synopsis with regards to this issue. Read on and let me know what you think.

Martyn Lloyd Jones - On the Altar Call


We are to preach the Word, and if we do it properly, there will be a call to a decision that comes in the message, and then we leave it to the Spirit to act upon people
Early in the 1970s Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones was the speaker at a ministers' conference in the USA and at a question session was asked the following question:
Q During recent years, especially in England, among evangelicals of the Reformed faith, there has been a rising criticism of the invitation system as used by Billy Graham and others. Does Scripture justify the use of such public invitations or not?
A. Well, it is difficult to answer this in a brief compass without being misunderstood. Let me answer it like this: The history of this invitation system is one with which you people ought to be more familiar than anyone else, because it began in America. It began in the 1820s; the real originator of it was Charles G. Finney. It led to a great controversy. Asahel Nettleton, a great Calvinist and successful evangelist, never issued an "altar call" nor asked people to come to the "anxious seat." These new methods in the 182Os and were condemned for many reasons by all who took the Reformed position.
One reason is that there is no evidence that this was done in New Testament times, because then they trusted to the power of the Spirit. Peter preaching on the Day of Pentecost under the power of the Spirit, for instance, had no need to call people forward in decision because, as you remember, the people were so moved and affected by the power of the Word and Spirit that they actually interrupted the preacher, crying out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" That has been the traditional Reformed attitude towards this particular matter. The moment you begin to introduce this other element, you are bringing a psychological element. The invitation should be in the message. We believe the Spirit applies the message, so we trust in the power of the Spirit. I personally agree with what has been said in the question. I have never called people forward at the end for this reason; there is a grave danger of people coming forward before they are ready to come forward. We do believe in the work of the Spirit, that He convicts and converts, and He will do His work. There is a danger in bringing people to a "birth," as it were, before they are ready for it.
The Puritans in particular were afraid of what they would call "a temporary faith" or "a false profession." There was a great Puritan, Thomas Shepard, who published a famous series of sermons on The Ten Virgins. The great point of that book was to deal with this problem of a false profession. The foolish virgins thought they were all right. This is a very great danger.
I can sum it up by putting it like this: I feel that this pressure which is put upon people to come forward in decision ultimately is due to a lack of faith in the work and operation of the Holy Spirit. We are to preach the Word, and if we do it properly, there will be a call to a decision that comes in the message, and then we leave it to the Spirit to act upon people. And of course He does. Some may come immediately at the close of the service to see the minister. I think there should always be an indication that the minister will be glad to see anybody who wants to put questions to him or wants further help. But that is a very different thing from putting pressure upon people to come forward. I feel it is wrong to put pressure directly on the will. The order in Scripture seems to be this - the truth is presented to the mind, which moves the heart, and that in turn moves the will.

By D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Men's Roundup and Donald Miller

I just finished reading Donald Miller's book "Blue Like Jazz" in order to know and understand the man D.M., at least know and understand in part. Mr. Miller is to be the key note speaker at CBNW (Christian Brotherhood North West) Men's Roundup this September at Camp Tadmor, just outside of Lebanon Oregon. Traditionally Men's Roundup has been a conservative baptist gathering. In the past they have had speakers such as John MaCarthur, Dr. Earl Radmacher, Bill Glass, Dr. Howard Hendricks, Charles Swindoll and many more. The overriding themes of the events in the past have been centrally focused on the word of God, with the intent of training men up in the way they should go in order that God might be glorified. This years event is going to be a considerable deviation from the theme and purpose of Men's Roundups of the past, that is if the "Reverend"(not) Donald Miller is representative of his book Blue Like Jazz. This particular post on my blog is produced with the intent that those who are attending this years Men's Roundup might be informed with regards to the teaching and character that is represented in Mr. Miller's writing. To be fair, B.L.J. is the only book that I have read of Mr. Miller's up to this point, I have researched and read other of his books only in part.
I am going to be relatively brief in my commentary with Regards to Mr. Miller's book and I am going to use few if any quotations from his book in hopes that you will go out and purchase or borrow a copy of his book to read on your own. If you are going to Men's Roundup this fall or would just like to know exactly who it is that you are going to see and accept teaching from I would strongly recommend that you read some of Mr. Miller's books. If you are concerned about lining the pockets of Mr. Miller then I suggest that, if you can not borrow the book from someone, you go to your local used book store and pick up a inexpensive copy. Please read and discern on your own in order that you might have your skills sharpened in recognizing deceptive teaching and you will have the information first hand.
After having read "Blue Like Jazz" I had rather mixed emotions towards the book, that of pleasure in the sincerity of the author and yet sorrow in the fact that what this brother in Christ has written is simply a radical deviation from the truth of God's word. In one word Mr. Miller's book is syncretistic;

Syncretism:
from Wikipedia; Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term may refer to attempts to merge and analogize several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an underlying unity.

From Chapter 1, pg. 1 B.L.J.

'I once listened to a Indian on television say that God was in the wind and water, and I wondered at how beautiful that was because it meant you could swim in Him or have Him brush your face in a breeze.'

from Wikipedia; Pantheism (Greek: πάν ( 'pan' ) = all and θεός ( 'theos' ) = God) literally means "God is All" and "All is God". It is the view that everything is of an all-encompassing immanent abstract God; or that the universe, or nature, and God are equivalent. More detailed definitions tend to emphasize the idea that natural law, existence, and the universe (the sum total of all that is, was, and shall be) is represented or personified in the theological principle of an abstract 'god'.

While it is true that God does appear to man in a number of forms in the Bible,

Moses and the burning bush Ex. 3,

In his all consuming glory Ex. 33:22,

To Elisha out of the breeze came a small still voice 1 Kings 19:11-13,

And God's exact representation of His nature Immanuel, God with us Christ Heb. 1:1-4

God is not these things, He is a being, three in one, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.
Chapter 1 Page 1 referring to belief of pantheism is the leading paragraph in the book and it truly sets the tone and theme for the entire book. Mr. Miller basically is saying that God is in everything. He is not saying God is present or that He is all seeing but that He is in everything. There is a difference between the books underlying theme that communicates this worldly philosophy and the theme that the Word of God communicates, the theme of a omnipresent God, God all knowing and God all seeing.

Along with the pantheistic nature of Mr. Millers writings the most disturbing element of all is his avoidance of the word of God at almost every point. The few times I saw any reference to scripture was misquotation and eisegesis. It is almost as if Mr. Miller has a phobia towards the word, at least in the accurate exposition of it. I find it a common practice of many false teachers that in order to produce a point they resort to eisegesis, they pull scripture completely out of context or they search paraphrases or watered down versions in order to find scripture that matches up with what they say. Mr. Miller is not exempt from this practice and the few times he does refer to the word it is with this practice!

Chptr 17, pg 201 B.L.J.

'I read a book a long time ago about Mother Teresa. Somebody in the book asked her how she loved so many people? She said "she loved people because they are Jesus, each one of them is Jesus (pantheism)," and this is true because it says so in the Bible.'

Now Mr. Miller never bothers to give any reference to where it says this in the Bible and so I am not certain as to the quotations origin, but if I were to guess I would say it comes from Mt. 25: 40 where it speaks of the saints feeding, clothing and comforting the least of his brethren, now of course it could have come from the beatitudes as well or some other passage that does not immediately come to mind, but Mt. 25 is still my best guess.
The problem is that Christ is not speaking of the poor in general, as in the unsaved poor. Simply put the unsaved are not his brethren, poor, rich or otherwise they are simply the unsaved. Now this is not saying that we should not send aid, comfort or care to the unsaved, rather I am trying to put on display Mr. Miller's methods of teaching.
The point that I am trying to get to is that it is common in B.L.J. for Mr. Miller to avoid any bible at all, when he does quote the Bible his quotations are off the cuff, with no reference or substantiation, kind of ambiguous. Perhaps that is why emergent guru Brian McLaren digs on B.L.J. so much. Brian McLaren is of the mind that ambiguity is good and that the Word of God is ambiguous, it seems that Mr. Miller holds to this belief as well.
Along with the teaching of pantheism, and the seemingly intentional avoidance of scripture, there are other things, a fascination with the profane in people and life in general, pure and simple hedonism and the glorification of a liberal life style. When I say liberal I do not mean in the political sense of the word, what I mean is the justification of living sinfully at the expense of grace.
Also, Mr. Miller seems to have a disrespect, if not a hatred, of the body of Christ as a whole. It seems that he finds opportunity to criticize it at every point that he possibly can. He often compares the actions and attitudes of the unsaved to the actions and attitudes of members of the body of Christ. Perhaps it is out of pure ignorance that he does this, as do many of those who claim to be Christians. What he does not take into account is that those that are of the true body of Christ are not defined by the religious organization or physical body that they belong to. Christ has chosen to come into the heart of the true believer and reside within them. These are the true body, the invisible church, the true church. Only those in whom Christ has chosen to reside, and Christ himself, know who the true church is. In other words it is a heart issue not a public issue, you can not identify the true Christian by the building he or she worships in. This being said, without this knowledge of the true invisible church of God, Mr. Miller slanders the church out of ignorance, I give him the benefit of the doubt here in hopes that the slander is without intent.

In conclusion, what can be said? I do not make this statement lightly, but in end times the Bible says that there will be those that are false teachers that will enter into the church. Mr. Miller, while confessing Christ as his savior, maligns the body of Christ and adheres to worldly philosophy and syncretism as methods to convey his personal and experiential view of what a Christian should be, keeping in mind that, in the mind of the emergent teacher, what a Christian should be is rather ambiguous. So, even Mr. Miller can not define the word Christian, he can only relate to you the story of his experience!
In his writings Mr. Miller does not attempt to be apologetic in his method, he does not hold to the word of God and many times he contradicts or simply twists it to fit his own system of beliefs in order to get his points across. All that he writes about is his own subjective experience, subjective to his opinions and feelings. He does not subject or filter his beliefs through the word of God. While it is true that the things he communicates and relates sounds good, it is always tempered with the fact that it is apart from the word of God, and in this fact I would have to communicate a strong warning of caution, do not get sucked into this, filter what you hear through the word of God. Study and show that you are approved by God, able to handle the word of truth, to cut it straight, be able to discern what is light and darkness, truth and lie. In short, this year at men's roundup you will not hear the word of God, you will hear the word of Donald Miller!;

In the following passages emphasis mine in the highlighted portions of scripture!

2 Tim 4:1-4

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

The New King James Version. 1982 (2 Ti 4:1-4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

You need to heed this stearn warning;

Col. 2:8-10

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Col 2:8-10). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

1 Tim 4:1-10;

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive,2 because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (1 Ti 4:1-10). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

I will let you be the one that determines of what spirit that Donald Miller teaches, but I would make you a few challenges;

1. Find out what the teaching is that you will be receiving at Men's Roundup this year. If you feel so lead, question the leadership of men's roundup as to why such extreme deviation from the pure expositional teaching of the word of God. Do not sell yourself short in this area. We as men of God should crave the word of God, it is what empowers and gives us strength. Donald Miller does not present or represent the word of God. Through the word of God our faith will grow. So, let us avoid fables and wives tails, let the only story that you follow be that of the pure un adulterated word. TELL THE LEADERSHIP AT MEN'S ROUNDUP YOU WANT THE PURE UNADULTERATED WORD OF GOD!!!;

2 Peter 1:16-2:3

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory,  “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

False Prophets and Teachers
2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (2 Pe 1:16-2:3). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

2. Go out and get a copy of B.L.J. or perhaps one of Donald Miller's other writings and learn for yourself by what spirit he teaches;

1 John 4:1-6

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (1 Jn 4:1-6). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

As I have stated before, I would hope that if you have read this blog that you would go out and test Mr. Miller's works for yourself and find out if what I say is accurate, in other words do not be lazy and just take my word for it, test it yourself.

God Bless and God Speed

Robert
Romans 12:1,2

Monkey on My Back!

It may sound odd but I had forgotten that I had written this on my profile, when somebody quoted it it just sounded so profound to me and I wondered who it was that said it. You can not imagine my shock and surprise when I found out that it was me!

"I love mathematics and the sciences
physics
chemistry
astronomy
but my number 1 passion is expositional study of the Word of God. I am addicted,
hooked.
If God's word were a monkey it would be on my back and I would feed until it over took me!"

I did not know that I had it in me and yet this came out of me, or perhaps it came from somewhere deeper. Perhaps this is something that the Spirit of God planted in me and it is so strong that the words that I penned are the best way that I could communicate this desire, this need.

Romans 8:26 says;

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The New King James Version. 1982 (Rom. 8:26-27). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Beyond the statement I penned and for which this blog is named I do not think that I could communicate any stronger a expression towards knowing the true and living savior Immanuel, Jesus Christ. I am nothing and I would hope that I decrease that He might increase, that others might come to know him and bring glory to the one and only true God. I would also pray this for my brothers and sisters in Christ that they would desire to know him in a greater way, to know him in all truth that is framed by his holy scriptures, that He might be all in all and receive all of the glory. Do you have the monkey on your back?
Think about it, selah.
What say you?

Robert

Romans 12:1,2