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!

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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.

I recognize the important role of the Catholic Church in standing for the sanctity of life and the meaning of marriage. That’s what makes the recent pronouncement of Pope Francis, allowing priests to “bless” same-sex couples, especially distressing. What act of apostasy will be next?

The Pope Cannot Overrule God | Articles | AskDrBrown

If you have followed my writing and speaking over the decades, you will know that Catholicism has not been a focus of my ministry, either praising it or criticizing it. 

At the same time, I recognize the important role of the Catholic Church in standing for the sanctity of life and the meaning of marriage. That’s what makes the recent pronouncement of Pope Francis, allowing priests to “bless” same-sex couples, especially distressing. 

My Catholic colleague John Zmirak wrote on Tuesday, 

“Today I got one of those emails nobody wants to receive. You know, the ones where a journalist informs you that the leader of your church has authoritatively endorsed grave, unrepented sin; mocked not just timeless and current church teaching but the natural law itself; and opened up faithful clergy to persecution by the State. And by the way, would you like to comment?” (Later in his article, Zmirak references “Pope Francis’ poisonous reign of error.”)

Specifically, quoting from the Washington Times,

“Pope Francis on Monday approved letting priests bless same-sex couples, sparking criticism from conservative Catholics and praise from the LGBTQ community.

“Such blessings would not rise to the level of church-sanctioned same-sex marriages, the Vatican cautioned, but would offer gay Catholics the opportunity to seek God’s mercy without being subjected to ‘an exhaustive moral analysis.’

“The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the declaration, ‘Fiducia supplicans,’ with the pope’s approval but not his signature less than three months after a papal letter said such blessings were possible so long as they ‘do not transmit a wrong conception of marriage.’”

This is not just a step in the wrong direction. It is theological double-talk, spiritual drivel, and a mockery of the Word of God. 

Surely, faithful Catholics around the world will reject this apostate message. 

It has no support in Scripture, in divine morality, or in historic Church tradition, whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant.

And so, rather than try to parse the theological nuances of the Pope’s statement, which in the end helps no one and harms many, let me be straightforward.

No priest or Pope or pastor or spiritual leader can bless something that God Himself does not bless. Their words are empty and void of divine power or authority. They are human utterances and nothing more.

As much as a gay couple may be in love, as much as they may revere the traditions of their Church (at least, some of the traditions), and as much as they may be models of kindness and loyalty, the fact is that male + male or female + female represents a fundamental violation of the meaning of marriage, not to mention a fundamental violation of the nature and purpose of humanity.

How then, can a priest bless a couple whose very relationship goes against the order and plan of God? And, speaking in particular of two gay men, how can a priest, representing the Lord, bless them when the Lord Himself deems their sexual relationship to be something detestable in His sight (Leviticus 18:22) and when Paul says that those who practice such things will be excluded from the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

You might say, “You fundamentalists are always attacking homosexuality. What about adultery? What about other kinds of sexual immorality? What about all you Bible-thumping Christians who are addicted to porn?”

If a Christian leader said, “We are now blessing couples living in adultery,” there would be outrage.

If that leader said, “We are now offering special blessings for all the couples living together out of wedlock,” there would be pushback.

If a church had a weekly porn night where after worship and prayer, the congregants would watch porn, it would set the internet ablaze.

But that is not happening, except perhaps in the case of divorces without biblical justification, followed by illegitimate marriages which are sometimes “blessed” by compromised clergy.

Otherwise, no major Church leaders are sanctioning adultery or fornication or pornography. But some are sanctioning same-sex unions (or, in more compromised settings, same-sex “marriages”). 

It’s the same thing with LGBTQ+ activism in general.

That activism is affecting children in our nursery schools and young adults on our college campuses. It is everywhere in our society, from social media to the world of sports, and from TV and Hollywood to the business world. 

We cannot avoid confronting LGBTQ+ activism and ideology wherever we turn, so we either push back with our own values or we cave in and capitulate.

It’s the same with the Pope’s ridiculous pronouncement. There must be a reply.

The fact that, “Such blessings would not rise to the level of church-sanctioned same-sex marriages” is meaningless. 

The “blessings” would sanction something God does not sanction and give false assurances to the couples involved. And is there a gay Catholic on the planet who would not see this as another step in the direction of the ultimate goal, namely, the full acceptance of gay relationships by the Catholic Church?

As for the notion that these blessings were possible as long as they “do not transmit a wrong conception of marriage,” my response is short and sweet: Are you kidding me?

Really now, is the Pope telling us a gay couple can live together, can be emotionally and physically intimate, and can commit to lifelong faithfulness without transmitting a wrong conception of marriage? What is the big difference between the two – other than the obvious fact that two men or two women cannot marry in God’s sight?

In August, I addressed the Church of England’s decision to allow Anglican clergy to “bless” same-sex couples, yet another apostate step made by this rapidly declining faith group.

What will now happen with the Catholic Church?

That is for Catholics to answer, but without question, this could lead to a major rift of sorts, as the strong, conservative elements of the Church will reject this pronouncement outright, whatever the cost. The effects could be seismic. (As I noted in that August article, it is “progressive” Christianity that is dying; the real gospel is thriving.)

As for the gay Catholic couples who see this as a beacon of hope and a sign of the humanity and compassion of the Church, I don’t pretend to see the world through their eyes, and I don’t claim to understand the pain and the struggle they have endured.

I will just say this, with brokenness, not with triumphalism: I don’t doubt your love for each other. I don’t doubt that part of you really wants to honor the Lord. 

But I can only tell you the truth. God has a better way, and He never intended you to unite with someone of the same sex. 

If you will lay your life before Him, surrendering fully to Jesus as Lord, He will forgive all your sins and give you a fresh new start. 

Can You Be Gay AND Christian? Responding with Love & Truth to Questions About Homosexuality

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Why Reformed Cessationists Should NOT Quote Church History to Support Their Position

Although it is common for my Calvinist, non-charismatic friends to point to church history in support of their cessationist position, it’s really a mistake for them to do so. A big mistake. Church history actually works AGAINST them...

Why Reformed Cessationists Should Not Quote Church History to Support Their Position | Articles | AskDrBrown

Although it is common for my Calvinist, non-charismatic friends to point to church history in support of their cessationist position, it’s really a mistake for them to do so. 

Church history actually works against them.

The first reason is the most obvious. Reformed cessationists, like me, are in the Protestant, rather than Catholic, camp of the church. That means that we believe that, in some very fundamental ways, much of the church lost its way through history, because of which a massive reformation was needed. Many Reformed Christians even argue that Roman Catholics are not Christians at all, meaning that roughly half of all professing Christians today are de facto disqualified.

On what basis, then, does a Reformed cessationist appeal to church history, when so much of that history is rejected from the outset? 

If the argument is that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit which were normative in New Testament times gradually disappeared from church history, what do these cessationists do with Roman Catholic miracles through the centuries? They must reject them as counterfeits or frauds. As a result, they appeal to church history while rejecting large portions of that history that violate their narrative. 

And on what basis can a Reformed cessationist argue against God restoring something that was lost in light of the whole premise of the Reformation? Pentecostals and charismatics believe that, even though there was definitely a decrease in the use of these miraculous gifts at certain points in church history, there is no doubt that they have been powerfully restored in the last 150 years.

Yet it is the very essence of Protestantism to argue that, in much larger ways, things that were part of the early church were subsequently lost to history, only to be recovered by Luther and the other reformers. As British theologian Andrew Wilson rightly noted, 

“this sort of argument - that, since something gradually disappeared from the church over the course of the first two or three centuries, it must therefore be invalid - should strike any five sola Protestant as providing several hostages to fortune.”

As one popular website states, the Reformation slogan, ecclesia reformata, semper reformand, “the church reformed, always being reformed,” is meant to ensure “that our hearts, lives, and practices are being reformed by God’s Word.” That’s what we have been calling for for decades: let us continually reform our practices, beliefs, and attitudes by what is written in the Word. 

A second reason why church history works against Reformed cessationists is that there is clear testimony that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit did not cease with the death of the apostles.

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho (written around 160 A.D.): “For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time.”

Irenaeus of Lyon in Against Heresies (180 A.D.): “For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe, and join themselves to the Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years. . . . We do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages.” 

Basil the Great (350 A.D.): “The Spirit enlightens all, inspires prophets, gives wisdom to lawmakers, consecrates priests, empowers kings, perfects the just, exalts the prudent, is active in gifts of healing, gives life to the dead, frees those in bondage, turns foreigners into adopted sons.”

The position of Augustine (354-430) is often quoted, as he “stated quite specifically that Christians are not to look for continuance of the healing gift” (in the words of Morton Kelsey, Healing and Christianity). He also stated that the gift of tongues had ceased in his Homilies on the First Epistle of John.

But Augustine decidedly changed his views while completing his magnum opus, The City of God. 

“how many miracles were occurring in our own day and which were so like the miracles of old and also how wrong it would be to allow the memory of these marvels of divine power to perish from among our people. It is only two years ago that the keeping of records was begun here in Hippo, and already, at this writing, we have nearly seventy attested miracles.” (City of God, XXII.8, cited in Morton Kelsey, Healing and Christianity.)

And, as I previously mentioned, if church history is used to argue that the gifts dissipated and disappeared, then church history (in contemporary times) proves the opposite. (For a detailed, carefully documented survey of contemporary miracles, see Craig S. Keener, Miracles Today: The Supernatural Work of God in the Modern World; for the larger exegetical and philosophical underpinnings, see Keener, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts.)

A third reason that Reformed cessationists should not cite church history to support their position is that the Calvinistic distinctives of their faith cannot be traced to the earliest church fathers but rather to Augustine, despite some claims to the contrary (conveniently, see here and here). 

I have sometimes heard Reformed teachers claim that Augustine recovered what Paul had taught, meaning that the disciples of the apostles failed to grasp Paul’s teaching and it was only Augustine, three centuries later, who really got it. Consequently, the evidence for Reformed/Calvinist theology is weakened (if not undermined) by the earliest centuries of church history, the very period of history they use to argue that the gifts had ceased.

Fourth, and most fundamentally, Reformed cessationists believe in the sufficiency of Scripture, and while church traditions and creeds can be respected, only the written Word of God has final authority. 

That is my position as well, which is the ultimate reason why I am not a cessationist: not only does the Word of God fail to support cessationism, it consistently supports the continuationist position.

And whereas many cessationists admit that there is no specific verse in the New Testament that states the gifts will cease before the Lord returns, there are quite a few verses that speak of their continuance, including verses that urge us to pursue these gifts earnestly, including 1 Corinthians 14:1: “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” This is a command from the Lord, not a suggestion. (Among many other verses, see also John 14:12; Acts 2:14-21, 39; 1 Corinthians 14:26, 39; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21; James 5:13-16.)

What the Word says alone is more than enough for me, and when you add in the glorious testimony of the Lord’s miraculous acts worldwide today, you have all the proof that you need. 

Let us embrace the Spirit’s work to the glory of Jesus’ name.

Whatever Happens, Don’t Lose Your Grip in God

The same God who promises healing and protection also inspired books like Job to be put in the Bible, where that godly man experienced the opposite of what he had learned to expect...

Whatever Happens, Don’t Lose Your Grip in God | Articles | AskDrBrown

I heard this moving story firsthand in the summer of 1983 at a large gathering of Christian believers. 

The speaker was an internationally respected Bible teacher, and his audience consisted of Christians who believed in the goodness of God, who believed that He still healed and worked miracles today, who believed that He even promised supernatural protection to His children. After all, didn’t the Scriptures state that, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” (Psalm 34:7)? 

That’s what made this whole story all the more profound. It violated the expected narrative.

Having related the divine call to minister internationally with his singing group, this Christian leader then described the group’s successful work in Africa, Europe, and especially behind the Iron Curtain. This was over a period of several years, up until the fall of 1982. Then while working in England, he was given a piece of unbelievable news: his precious wife had been killed in an automobile accident in the States, and now he was left a widower with three children. 

Naturally, he was totally crushed by this report and returned home broken. 

How could it be that he gave himself completely to the work of the Lord, only to have something like this happen in his family? 

In his anguish, he went to see the most prominent faith teacher of the day who spoke these precious words to him: “Son, there are some things we just simply will never understand, and there are no answers for them.” 

But, he added, “You can’t lose your grip in God.” 

Yes, there are some things for which we have no answers, things that seem to make no sense, things that seem to “break the rules,” things that seem even to contradict the Scriptures. But whatever happens and however much disappointment we might endure, one thing is critical. 

We cannot lose our grip in God. We cannot abandon Him.

“But,” you say, “that’s the whole problem. I thought I knew God. I thought I trusted Him. I thought I understood Him. But now I don’t know if anything is real – including Him. I feel like I’m grasping at straws.”

Yes, that is the essence of the problem, and I am not telling you to put your head in the sand or turn off your mind. Quite the contrary. What I’m saying is that the one thing that is constant, no matter what we experience and no matter how we feel, is that God exists and that He is good – eternally and unchangeably good.

On a purely intellectual level, the argument for God is very strong.

Science still cannot explain the origin of the universe or the fact that the universe runs with mathematical precision. 

Science still cannot explain the origin of life, let alone the unique DNA coding that is imprinted on our cells at the moment of conception. (For the record, if you read your own DNA coding out loud at the rate of one letter per second, it would take you almost 100 years to read it all. Yet this coding is written on every single cell in your body – roughly 37 trillion of them!)

So, again, on a purely intellectual level, going through tragedy or loss or disappointment doesn’t change the reality of God’s existence.

But that is not the main point I want to make. 

Instead, what I want to emphasize here is that the same God who gives us wonderful promises in the Bible also guarantees us hardship. 

And pain. And difficulty. And tribulation. 

The same God who promises healing and protection also inspired books like Job to be put in the Bible, where that godly man experienced the opposite of what he had learned to expect.

And this same God inspired verses like this to be put in the Scriptures: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)

Before His crucifixion, Jesus even said this to His inner circle of disciples: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

In this world we will have trouble, and some of it will be inexplicable – at least for the moment, given the limited information we have.

But over time, we will see the faithfulness of God. We will see that the greatest obstacles to our faith can become the greatest opportunities to grow in faith, and that the things that the world or circumstances or Satan intended to destroy us with are the very things that can make us strong.

People will disappoint us. The church will disappoint us. We will disappoint others and ourselves. 

The key thing is that in our darkest moment, when we have lost faith in everyone and everything else, we don’t lose faith in Him – we don’t “lose our grip in God.”

As the years go on, you will see His faithfulness on your behalf. You will watch Him heal the wounds. You will see Him bring life out of death and beauty out of ashes. You will – that is, as long as you don’t abandon Him and throw in the towel.

Weeping may endure for a night – sometimes for a very long night – but joy will come in the morning (see Psalm 30:5). As surely as the sun sets, it will rise again.

This is not cognitive dissonance speaking. 

This is the voice of experience speaking – in my case, the voice of more than five decades as a believer, and, more broadly, the voice of multiplied millions of witnesses over a period of thousands of years.

Lean on that unshakable, unalterable truth. Stake your life on it. Depend on it. Hold on to it as if your life depended on it. 

And when your own faith is weak and your confidence all but gone, just say from your heart, “Father, you’re just going to have to carry me now.” He will!

And during those times of darkness and storm when you cannot see the light, remember all the things He did for you in the past. He is just the same today, and He will see you through.

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

Do debates do any real good? Aren't they more a matter of having polished rhetorical skills than convincing content? And don’t they simply reinforce the beliefs of each opposing side?

Are Religious Debates Fruitful? | Articles | AskDrBrown

For the last 40 years, I have engaged in scores of public debates on religious subjects, sometimes drawing passionate, standing room only crowds. 

But are the debates actually fruitful? Do they bring more heat than light? 

By the end of this week, I will have engaged in two major debates, one in London at a university campus and the other live-streamed from here in the States. The London event was with a Muslim apologist, debating whether Muhammad was prophesied in the Bible. The online event will be with a “Hebrew Israelite” leader, debating who are the legitimate children of Israel. (If you’re on our email list at AskDrBrown.org, you’ll be notified about links where you can watch online.)

Certainly, these events stir a lot of interest and discussion. 

But, to repeat, are they actually fruitful? 

Are these debates more a matter of having polished rhetorical skills than convincing content? And don’t they simply reinforce the beliefs of each opposing side?

Let me first emphasize that public, religious debates are biblical. In fact, Paul himself frequently engaged in them (this was along with his powerful ministry of preaching and healing). 

Here’s just one example out of several that Acts records: 

“Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Messiah had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.” (Acts 17:1–3)

“he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah” (Acts 18:27b–28). 

This indicates, then, that there was a two-fold positive outcome from these public debates. 

The first was that other Jews were hearing the good news about Yeshua the Messiah, based on the Scriptures.

The second was that the faith of those who already believed was greatly strengthened. Apollos’s dynamic, powerful, persuasive arguments were a real encouragement to the other Jewish believers, strengthening their own faith and resolve. They were reassured that they were on the right side.

In my own experience, this second, positive result is of great importance. It encourages my fellow-believers. It gives them confidence that they are standing with the truth. It shows them that there are answers to the objections they commonly hear.

This produces a fresh confidence, courage, and boldness. 

I can also state firsthand that we have seen real changes of heart and mind through these debates as well. Let me share two examples from my debates with rabbis about Jesus, the most frequent subject of my debates over the decades.

Dave Gettleman is the recently retired general manager of the New York Giants and before that, was the general manager of the Carolina Panthers, taking them to the Super Bowl in 2015. As reported in Decision Magazine, 

“A major turning point came in February 2004 when Gettleman, then working for the New York Giants, attended a debate in New York City between Michael Brown, a Messianic Jewish scholar and author, and Jewish Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.

“‘The place was packed, and probably half the people there were Jews,’ Gettleman said. ‘Michael presented the Gospel in such a way that was crystal clear and so compelling that I noticed many looks of concern in the audience.’”

When I met Dave in North Carolina, he shared more details of the story. Prior to the debate he had started attending a Messianic congregation, but he still had many doubts and questions. 

After the debate, the doubts were gone and he knew that Yeshua was the Messiah. He has been a committed follower of the Lord ever since.

Or consider the case of Bernard Starr, PhD, whose bio on the Huffington Post, where he is a frequent contributor, begins with, 

“…a college professor (Professor Emeritus CUNY), psychologist, journalist, and gerontologist. He was formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology and director of a graduate program in gerontology at the City University of New York, Brooklyn College. He is founder, and for 25 years the managing editor, of the cutting-edge Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Springer Publishing Co.); also editor of the Springer Series, Adulthood and Aging and Lifestyles and Issues in Aging.”

The bio ends with this (and note the shift in subject matter towards the end!):

“From 2008–2010 he was president of the Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy and is currently the main United Nations representative for the Institute of Global Education that founded the Mucherla Global School in Mucherla, India. Dr. Starr is co-author of The Starr-Weiner Report on Sex and Sexuality in the Mature Years (Stein and Day and McGraw Hill; also British and German editions). His book Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free, published by Rowman and Littlefield, presents spirituality as a psychology of consciousness. His latest book (expanded edition) is Jesus, Jews, and Anti-Semitism in Art: How Renaissance Art Erased Jesus’ Jewish Identity and How Today’s Artists Are Restoring It. He is also organizer of the art exhibit “Putting Judaism Back in the Picture: Toward Healing the Christian/Jewish Divide.”

Professor Starr was not a religious Jew, being more interested in Eastern spirituality than in traditional Judaism, even spending time in India. 

Apologetics

The Sad State of Contemporary Cessationism

A Friendly Invitation to the Speakers at the G3 Cessationist Conference

The Pope Cannot Overrule God

Why Reformed Cessationists Should NOT Quote Church History to Support Their Position

Whatever Happens, Don’t Lose Your Grip in God

Are Religious Debates Fruitful?

A Heartfelt Thank You to My Atheist Readers

Some Honest Questions for Atheists

The Problem of Suffering, Atheism, and the Killing of Innocent Children

When Bill Maher and Joe Rogan Make the Pro-Life Case

Pastors, You Cannot Be Silent

From Time’s “Is God Dead?” in 1966 to the New York Times’ Call to “Give Up God” Today

Substitutionary Atonement: Jesus Died for Us

Responding to the Latest Christian Leader to Renounce His Faith

Is Our God No Different than the ‘Flying Spaghetti Monster’?

No, it is Not Cognitive Dissonance to Proclaim that God is Good When Things Go Bad

Has God Failed You?

Why Has John Piper’s Son Become a Bible-Bashing Tik-Tok Star?

Why the Hysterical Attack on James White for His Interfaith Dialogue?

Is it Possible to Lose Your Salvation?

Future Sins Forgiven in Advance? The Fundamental Error of Hyper-Grace

The Shocking Truth About the Most Quoted Verse in the Quran