CHANGES
Hugo McCord
Changes that "bring back joy to the most miserable of Christians," says an advocate of change, are spreading. "All of a sudden, instead of seeing crappy-looking [sic] faces in church," says a changer, "we’re seeing happy faces."
I. "YOUTH MINISTRIES"
An esteemed Christian medical doctor, a father of three children, is "deeply disturbed" in seeing "parental responsibility for raising children in spiritual matters" being shifted "to the hands of youth ministers." They are "emphasizing emotionalism," he writes, "without tying it to very much doctrine." He continues,
I have been shocked to hear prayers and "sermons" in which Jesus became our buddy--our pal, one with whom we can share jokes, etc.
The holiness and majesty of the Godhead which impressed the doctor in his youth he does not see in today’s youth gatherings. Now, the youth are taught to pray to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit, and even "prayers at the Lord’s table are directed to Jesus." The doctor asks, "What am I missing? Is it proper to pray to Jesus?"
Truly it is sad that some youth ministers think that the old fashioned gospel story is lacking in emotion and excitement, and that they feel compelled to use their talent to supply what they think that the Lord omitted.
We sinful humans ought not to try to be too familiar with the Creator of the universe, calling him "Daddy." Inwardly we ought to tremble in worship, and express our unworthiness, as did Isaiah, "Woe is me!" (6:5). Joking is not to be thought of, but sincere confession of sins is in order (Psalm 32:5; 1 John 1:9).
Prayer normally is to be addressed "to God, even the Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). Abnormally, prayer was addressed to Jesus three times (Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Revelation 22:20). Prayer addressed to Jesus is shown to be abnormal because "God is the head of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:2), and because Jesus said "the Father is greater then I" (John 14:28).
Jesus is not the Father. In one place the English translations mistakenly call him the "Everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6). Though the American Standard Version (1901) has the error in its text, it makes the correction in a footnote: "Heb. Father of Eternity." Isaiah is saying that Jesus is timeless, that he is "the A and the Z, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 1:17; 22:13, FHV).
Jesus is embarrassed when well-meaning people, young or old, call him "Father." In his giving instruction that the word "Father" as a title is not to be conferred on anyone on the earth, he made it clear that he himself does not wear that title: "you have one Father, and he is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9). He taught his disciples to pray, not to himself, but to the Father "in heaven" (Matthew 6:9).
Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit used the same words, "Abba, Father" (Mark 14:36; Galatians 4:6), and all Christians should be so thankful that they are in the divine family, that they are children of the Father, they will "cry, Abba, Father" (Romans8:15). How out of place it is to pray to Jesus as "Father." He is our brother (Romans 8:29), and we both pray to the same Father, "the one God, and Father of all" (Ephesians 4:6). "To us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we to him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him" (1 Corinthians 8:6). The word "children" in Hebrews 2:13 are God’s children, not Jesus’ children, for the children there spoken of are Jesus’ "brothers" (Hebrews 2:11, 17).
Prayer to the Holy Spirit is not only abnormal, but without any biblical backing. Apparently, he, being the third person in the Godhead, and sent by Jesus (John 16:7), wanted to be left in the background as he exalts Christ, for from himself he spoke nothing (John 16:13).
II. "GIGGLING FOR GOD"
A "laughing revival," injected into Acts 2:4, "they began to speak with other tongues," has invaded Oregon. Laughter is a change from "unintelligible sounds" commonly called tongues, but "holy laughter," say its advocates, is not new. They trace it back "to the 1801 Cane Ridge Revival in Bourbon County, Ky.," where "believers laughed, jerked, danced and even barked" (THE OREGONIAN, 10-15-1994).
On October 7, among 200 worshipers at the Hope Presbyterian Church in Portland, Oregon, eleven responded to the altar call for the Spirit to make them laugh:
A woman fell to the altar, as if struck by lightning. She burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter. Seconds later, a man hit the floor. His back arched. He held his stomach. A deep belly laugh came forth.
Soon all 11 rolled on the floor, guffawing. Faces turned red. Some banged the carpeting with their hands, as if they had seen a slapstick movie.
Humor, however, doesn’t prompt these laughers. God does, they say. Many describe their experience as a bubbling inner joy that could not be released by mere words.
The pastor’s wife "crawled on the floor during a hysterical outburst," crying out, "I can’t stand up." Eventually (says the OREGONIAN) she did manage to sit and grab a microphone, saying, "I see Jesus." She continued,
He’s sitting on his throne and he’s laughing with us. He’s laughing. Don’t resist. Laughter is coming out of his mouth. I see it.
At that, a fresh round of howls, hoots and even shrieks erupted from the congregation. "It’s something the world can never give," a participant said, as "he high-stepped a dance on the altar, a grin on his face." He said,
People spend money to have a good time. But this is unspeakable, pure, true, overwhelming and contagious.
At that, the head of a white-haired woman hit his feet with a thud. She had fallen, laughing. One man, his face flushed, had seemingly passed out. He said he was drunk on new wine. "I know what getting drunk is like," he said slowly, slurring his speech. "This is the same thing. The only difference is there is no hangover after it."
Yes, changes come, and a different spirit prevails, but to say it is the Holy Spirit is going "beyond the things that are written" (1 Corinthians 4:6, ASV). One observer puts it this way:
I’m wondering if this will produce more loving and compassionate people who extend a helping hand to neighbors and try to reach out to the people left out in a consumer society. Or is this just going to be a grand old time?