Category Archives: Assorted Articles

Book review ‘Spiritual Powers’ to ‘liberating grace’

  • “FROM SPIRITUAL POWERS TO LIBERATING GRACE”
  • by Torbjorn Swartling

Shortly after his conversion in the early 1980’s, Swedish student Torbjorn Swartling came under the influence of Word-Faith preacher, Ulf Ekman who had just returned from the United States where he had been studying at Kenneth Hagin’s bible school. This was to lead Torbjorn into what he considered to be ‘the last great Christian revival on earth’ [p18]. However doubts began to surface and for the next years his spiritual life was like a yo-yo – a mixture of ‘highs’ and ‘lows’.

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Tony Campolo to spearhead ‘HISTORY MAKERS’ initiative

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On Saturday 22nd January 2000, the Spires Conference Centre, Belfast played host to the launch of a large ‘ecumenical umbrella organisation’ known as ‘HISTORY MAKERS’. As you read on perhaps a more apt title for this alliance might have been ‘Reformation Wreckers’.

From their own web site we read the following –

1. What if every single student aged 14 and upwards could be given an attractively illustrated, jargon busting [has that expression triggered any alarm bells in you?] copy of St John’s gospel – the key to life and all its fullness.

2. What if young people from every background of denomination [how wide is ‘every’?] might rise to the History Makers Challenge – to see their lives and contribution count.

3. Could all the Christian [note the pre-supposition that ‘all’ the groups involved are ‘Christian’] organisations that reach out [with what for salvation? – God’s Gospel to be preached or Satan’s Sacramentalism to be performed?] to young people collaborate [“can two walk together except they be agreed” Amos 3:3] on a single project for just one year.

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BRENDAN McCARTHY’S ‘ALTERNATIVE DECLARATION’ of fundamental religious principles

Christians in Northern Ireland are being asked to ‘sign up’ to a declaration “of fundamental religious principles” [see Belfast Telegraph 17 April 1999]. This “declaration” has apparently been drawn up by Brendan McCarthy of Omagh Community Church. Before looking at several points contained in the “declaration” I think it would be helpful for people to know a few things about Mr McCarthy. By his own testimony he was raised as a Roman Catholic who in his teenage years had a ‘charismatic’ experience. He has told publicly of  how people from the Protestant churches appeared skeptical at times concerning his ‘conversion’. He studied for the Church of Ireland ministry and back in 1994 was the rector of St Columba’s Church of Ireland church in Omagh. In July of that he year he partnered JESUIT priest John McDade in the Public Debate I organised on the topic ‘Should Protestants and Catholics Worship Together’?

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“Intoxicated”Evangelist [J.John] to Visit Belfast

According to the Belfast Telegraph of 4th December a United Celebration of Christmas being held in Townsend Presbyterian Church on 13th December is to be addressed by a speaker called J JOHN. The July 1997 issue of CHARISMA carried an article on J JOHN and the following are extracts from the article –

‘It’s not everyone whose ministry has been endorsed on the one hand by controversial revivalist preacher Rodney Howard Browne [as the promoter of ‘Holy Laughter’ at the time of ‘Toronto’ he described himself as God’s ‘Holy Ghost Bartender’] and on the other by the Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey. Yet that’s the broad spectrum of support enjoyed by J JOHN, arguably one of Great Britain’s foremost evangelists…. Recently he preached to capacity crowds at Sunderland Christian Centre [a product of ‘Toronto’]…. J JOHN, who is Anglican himself was one of only 2 non-Catholic speakers addressing last year’s charismatic Roman Catholic conference.

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Dr Jack Deere [former assistant to John Wimber] to visit Belfast [12-14 November]

An advert in the Belfast Telegraph has announced that Dr Jack Deere will be speaking at seminars in Fisherwick Presbyterian Church from 12-14 November. [The wife of the Fisherwick minister, Mrs McKelvey spoke favourably a few years ago on local radio of her first hand experience of the so-called ‘blessing’ during her visit to the Toronto Vineyard fellowship].

In a little booklet called ‘John Wimber – Friend or Foe?’ [Published by St Matthias Press, London] we learn some interesting insights into Mr Deere’s pedigree. In chapter 3 called ‘The Signs and Wonders Gospel’ we read details of an interview between Mr Deere and a Christian called Graham Banister who paid $150 [Australian] to attend the March 1990 Sydney Spiritual Warfare Conference. Set out below are some extracts from this chapter:-

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“An Evangelical Celebration” A Time to Celebrate or a Time to Repent?

Unlike “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” (ECT I) and “The Gift of Salvation” (ECT II), a new document entitled “An Evangelical Celebration” (EC) is basically a biblically accurate presentation of the Gospel. In that, EC is eminently commendable and stands in stark contrast to the ECT I and II agreements, which remain under biblical condemnation since those two ecumenical documents give a false gospel.

Nevertheless, it must be questioned by serious Bible believers whether drafting yet another document is the biblical way to address compromise in presenting the Gospel–since following the biblical method is as essential as the Gospel itself. The Apostle Paul’s method in defending the Gospel is like that of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It is to lay a charge against those who teach false doctrine, and in so doing to glorify the Father. After the Apostle pronounces the judgement of God on those who continued in a false gospel, he explained his guideline for doing so, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)

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‘The Gospel of Jesus Christ – An Evangelical Celebration’

On 10 June I received details of the latest ‘agreement’ involving ‘Evangelicals’ to be publicly revealed in the June 14 issue of ‘Christianity  Today’. As I downloaded the details via The Internet I felt that if Solomon were here to day he might be tempted to write, “of making many agreements there is no end” – see Ecclesiastes 12:12. This latest agreement is entitled

‘The Gospel of Jesus Christ – An Evangelical Celebration’

Hereafter I would intend to refer to it as ‘EC’. What is intriguing about this document is that it has been endorsed by a number of ‘Evangelicals’ who signed the controversial ECT 1& 2 documents of 1994 and 1997 [such as Charles Colson, Bill Bright and JI Packer] and ‘Evangelicals’ who publicly challenged and criticised their endorsement of those ECT 1 & 2 documents [such as RC Sproul, John MacArthur and D James Kennedy].

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A Christian Response by Cecil Andrews to “Adventures In Reconciliation” ’29 Catholic Testimonies’

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” [1st Timothy 4:1]

  • THE BACKGROUND

The Belfast Telegraph Churches page of 30th May 1998 carried a photograph of Irish President Mary McAleese together with former Roman Catholic Primate Cahal Daly and Church of Ireland Bishop Harold Miller examining a copy of the newly published book “ADVENTURES IN RECONCILIATION – 29 CATHOLIC TESTIMONIES” and mentioned that the book was on sale in Faith Mission bookshops. The joint editors of the book are Paddy Monagahan and Eugene Boyle who are leading figures in the ‘Evangelical Catholic Initiative’ based in Co.Dublin. It carries a preface by Cahal Daly, a foreword by Rev Ken Newell (Fitzroy Presbyterian Church) and commendations by Sean Brady (Current Roman Catholic Primate of Ireland), Rev Trevor Morrow (Lucan Presbyterian), Bishop Harold Miller, Dr.Ken Wilson (DunLaoghaire Methodist) and Paul Reid (Christian Fellowship Church). All those listed above with ‘Protestant’ connections are of course well known for their fervent ecumenical endeavours.

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News From The Front – December 1996

Dear praying friends,

As the work of “Take Heed” has increased and the profile has heightened I have felt for some time that it would be helpful to me personally to have a group of men with whom I could discuss the work, to whom I could turn for advice and who would be prayerfully committed to the work. To that end I have written to a number of Pastors/Ministers and I hope to be able to give details in my next newsletter of the make-up of what will be called the Council of Reference.

In relation to Newsletters I would plan from 1997 onwards to issue three per year – February, June and October but these may be slightly enlarged as is the case with this issue. Margaret and I send best wishes to you all and trust that these words of 2nd Timothy 2 verse 13 will be of encouragement to you in 1997

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TONY CAMPOLO – SHEDDING LIGHT or SPREADING LEAVEN?

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INTRODUCTION

In Acts chapter 17 verse 11 the Apostle Paul commended the people of Berea because after he had spoken with them he relates how they went home and checked out what he had said against what the scriptures said “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so.” In recent years Tony Campolo has travelled extensively as a convention speaker and Bible teacher. Having read some things that he has written I have adopted the practice of the Bereans and set out below are the findings.

Article in “TEAR TIMES” – Summer 1992

Mr Campolo wrote an article called “Why care for creation?” which was featured in the above magazine issued by “Tear Fund”and I was amazed at the scriptural inaccuracies which it contained. Mr Campolo wrote “When he created the earth God gave men and women the responsibility for caring for the planet. He created the world good, turned it over to us and commanded us to take care of it until he returned again” God’s instructions are found in Genesis 1 verse 28. You will search in vain to find reference to the work being commanded until God returned again for these instructions were given before the fall and before sin and all its consequences entered into the world.

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