Recently, I acquired the domain CharismaticCalvinist.com and several friends asked me to explain this seemingly oxymoronic combination of words.

The term "Charismatic Calvinist" can probably be attributed to Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hills Church who associated the term with himself at a pastors conference in 2005 according to this wiki article. Another term used to describe this position is Neo-Calvinism or Neo-Reformed. According to one Time's Article, one would get the impression that this is simply Calvinism paired with contemporary Christian music; it more complex than that and frankly, I personally can't stand most contemporary (pop) Christian music, but I digress.

Charismatic Calvinist combines two theological systems of thought. The first is Calvinism, a theology taught by John Calvin which emphasizes a high view of Scripture and the sovereignty of God from which it forms its theological views commonly described by the acronym T.U.L.I.P meaning:

Total Depravity (a.k.a. Total Inability and Original Sin)
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement (a.k.a. Particular Atonement)
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints (a.k.a. Once Saved Always Saved)

The details of Calvinism are beyond the scope of this post but if interested you can read about it here, and here.

Regarding the second component to Charismatic Calvinism, I am NOT speaking about that Pentecostal flavor of Charismatic thought that believes that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a second work of grace that brings power in the life of the believer evidenced by the speaking of tongues. I am also NOT speaking about the charismatic movement having all those bizarre elements like raising of the dead, spiritual barking and laughter, crawling and shaking on the floor, future-telling and other counterfeit nonsense. Side note: a good book to have in hand is Counterfeit Revival by Hank Hanegraff where he documents the danger of this deceptive brand of revivalism. 

What I am referring to by the term charismatic Calvinist is defined by the term, continuationism or non-cessationism. Continuationists maintain that certain gifts of the Holy Spirit have continued to this present age. The opposite of continuationism is cessationism which maintains that gifts of the Holy Spirit like, prophecy, tongues/interpretation, healings, exorcisms, and miracles ceased after the apostolic era since they were needed only to authenticate apostolic authority (Grudem, 1031).

There are varying degrees of continuationism. Some well-known theologians/preachers who are considered to be continuationists are John Piper, Wayne Grudem, Mark Driscoll, Justin Taylor and C.J. Mahaney to name a few. Al Mohler was associated with Neo-Calvinism in the aforementioned Times article but I've not found any personal statement thereof so I am uncertain of this. I won't delve into all the specifics of continuationism. Rather, I'll provide some links to some studies and interviews that should shed some light on this idea.

One well-respected New Testament and theologian in the SBC wrote a paper that does a good job of defining some terms in this blog post. Check this out.

You should also read this interview with Wayne Grudem: Continuationism and Cessationism: An Interview with Dr. Wayne Grudem.

For a good study on "signs and wonders" I would strongly recommend this article by John Piper: Signs and Wonders: Then and Now as well as his fourteen-part sermon series on Are Signs and Wonders for Today?

This should at least get you started in understanding what is meant by the terms: Neo-Calvinism, Neo-Reformed and Charismatic Calvinism.

Finally, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the domain name, CharismaticCalvinist.com, maybe Pastor Driscoll will offer to buy it from me.

Today we see our own slender resources, our poverty in fact; but this is undoubtedly the punishment we deserve, as the reward for our own ingratitude. For God’s riches are not exhausted, nor has his liberality grown less; but we are not worthy of his largess, or capable of receiving all that He generously gives.” (Calvin on 1 Corinthians 14:32; The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, p. 305).

Referenced:

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000.

This is going to be a quick post simply to say that my wife and I are being led adopt two Ethiopian children. We are fairly far into the application process but have much more to do. You can find out more information on our family blog site, www.PachecosInColorado.com. We've also setup a site to follow us in the process at www.AdoptYemiAndAbe.com.

Finally, we also have a Facebook group happening.

See us on Facebook

"Who's more foolish the fool or the fool who follows him?" retorts Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi when called a fool by Han Solo.

We should be asking ourselves the same question. While we tend to associate foolishness with incompetence and stupidity, Scripture does not. The Bible associates foolishness with immorality. Consider the following passage:

The fool has said in his heart, “"There is no God."” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; Psalm 14:1 (my emphasis)

First, the passage does not say that the fool thinks that there is no God. Rather, it says that the fool says in his heart that God does not exist. The distinction is one of knowledge vs. essence. This is not a matter of ignorance for Scripture makes no provision for this (Romans 1:18-32). Rather, this is a matter of outright denial and rebellion. This posture is one that is affirmed by one’s actions; actions that offend God. Put differently, such people insult God to His face. This person’s deeds are “abominable.” In the Hebrew this may be rendered as detestable or repulsive. They are actions which God hates for they directly oppose God’s holiness. Consider Psalm 53:1 which further clarifies this:

The fool has said in his heart, There is no God, They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice (Psalm 53:1).

Here, instead of using the word deeds, the Psalmist uses the word injustice to emphasize a violation of God’s holy standard. So how exactly is this related to Obi-Wan Kenobi?  Recently, I read the following quote from Ravi Zacharias,

"It is a mindless philosophy that assumes that one's private beliefs have nothing to do with public office. Does it make sense to entrust those who are immoral in private with the power to determine the nation's moral issues and, indeed, its destiny? .... The duplicitous soul of a leader can only make a nation more sophisticated in evil." -Ravi Zacharias

When we who call ourselves Christians hire (put into public office) those who openly oppose God’s moral code, we likewise commit a grave injustice. We place our nation under the authority of those who deny and mock the God of Israel to His face by their actions. By compromising our so-called values for a better life, a better economy, a more stable political environment we, as Zacharias asserts, put our nation on a path towards a more sophisticated evil. Proverbs 26:10 warned us in saying,

“Like an archer who wounds everyone, So is he who hires a fool” Proverbs 26:10

Sadly, we are reaping what we sow. Perhaps it is time to repent and confess our own wrongdoing. Perhaps it is time to cry out to God as a community of saints and pray for the plight of our nation and for our President. Perhaps it is time to get out of our anemic mentality and take seriously and respond to God’s cultural mandate to restore our world not by might or by power but by the Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6).

So, then, I ask, “Who's more foolish the fool or the fool who follows him?"

My brother in faith,Chuck, shared this Tozer quote with me. I found it to be profoundly pertinent (prophetic actually) to the state of the Church in America. As you read it, I would advise that you read it as a self-critique; not as a criticism of those not sharing your preferred brand of Christianity.

We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone. Large and influential sections of the world of fundamental Christianity have gone overboard for practices wholly unscriptural, altogether unjustifiable in the light of historic Christian truth and deeply damaging to the inner life of the individual Christian. They have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost. The glowworm has taken the place of the bush that burned and scintillating personalities now answer to the fire that fell at Pentecost.

The fact is that we are not today producing saints. We are making converts to an effete type of Christianity that bears little resemblance to that of the New Testament. The average so-called Bible Christian in our times is but a wretched parody on true sainthood. Yet we put millions of dollars behind movements to perpetuate this degenerate form of religion and attack the man who dares to challenge the wisdom of it.

Clearly we must begin to produce better Christians. We must insist on New Testament sainthood for our converts, nothing less; and we must lead them into a state of heart purity, fiery love, separation from the world and poured-out devotion to the Person of Christ. Only in this way can the low level of spirituality be raised again to where it should be in the light of the Scriptures and of eternal values.

Excerpted from Of God and Men AW Tozer

1. Men who fail to be spiritual leaders in their home.

2. Men who ogle women other than their wives and do not feel shame for having done so.

3. Men who delegate the raising of their children to their wives or youth pastors. 

4. Men who sacrifice their family for financial prosperity or prestige.

5. Men who are biblically illiterate.

6. Men who degrade, minimize or criticize their wives, and particularly in public, in any shape or form whatsoever, jokingly or not.

7. Men who speak badly about their children jokingly or not.

8. Men who compromise honor, integrity and justice for personal gain, or for any reason whatsoever.

9. Men who lack self-discipline and refuse to improve where they are weak.

10. Men who are not sold out for Christ.

Stay tuned, I will elaborate on each point in further posts.

Two years ago, I volunteered to lead my son's Cub Scout Den. The experience has been wonderful for both of us. We are particularly blessed with the program's commitment to teaching religious values. Since our pack is charted by a Christian church/school, we openly and deliberately uphold and stress our Christ-centered values and the principals of our Christian faith.

Our daughter, who is now five-years old has waited longingly for her own scouting program. In fact, on several occasions she expressed this through tears, not being able to put on a uniform and go to her own meetings and events. So, my wife and I started researching Girl Scouts. Now, my purpose is not to blast Girl Scouts; it is a good and well organized program. Sadly, GS is not as diligent in upholding values of faith as Boy Scouts, at least it is not core to their purpose. In fact, they have compromised in areas where Boy Scouts have not. We were disappointed.

As we researched further, we stumbled upon American Heritage Girls (AHG). If there is any doubt as to whether AHG is a faith-based program, I need only quote their statement of faith:

American Heritage Girls is a Christ-centered scouting ministry. The following Statement of Faith applies to all American Heritage Girls Charter Organizations, Adult Members and Adult Leaders.

    We believe that there is One Triune God – Father, Jesus Christ His one and only Son, and the Holy Spirit – Creator of the universe and eternally existent. We believe the Holy Scriptures (Old/New Testament) to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We believe each person is created in His image for the purpose of communing with and worshipping God. We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit who enables us to live a Godly life. We believe that each individual is called to love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength; and to love their neighbors as themselves. We believe that each individual is called to live a life of purity, service, stewardship and integrity.

    Clarity is further provided to the following terms:

    Purity – An AHG member is called to live a life of holiness, being pure of heart, mind, word and deed, reserving sexual activity for the sanctity of marriage; marriage being a lifelong commitment before God between a man and a woman.

    Service – An AHG member is called to become a responsible member of their community and the world through selfless acts, which contribute to the welfare of others.

    Stewardship – An AHG member is called to use their God given time, talents and money wisely.

    Integrity – An AHG member is called to live a moral life, demonstrating the inward motivation to do what is right, regardless of the cost 

AHG has received some excellent testimonials from noteworthy people. I will provide two of them:

"American Heritage Girls provides great opportunities for girls to enjoy outdoor adventures, patriotic and religious programs, skills and leadership training, community service, and a great sense of belonging. I commend the adult leaders who are committed to the mission of ‘building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country.’ And I commend the girls who strengthen their own lives and the lives of their friends through their enthusiastic and loyal participation."
        ~Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States of America

" My staff and I here at Focus on the Family applaud your dedicated efforts to instill integrity in the next generation of women - a mission that’s sorely needed in this day and age. Today’s young women are literally barraged with messages that run contrary to the Judeo-Christian principles so many of us hold dear, so it’s tremendously encouraging to know your organization is standing in the gap to counter those influences. I have no doubt many parents owe you a debt of gratitude for all you’re doing to champion the values they are attempting to teach their daughters."
        ~Dr. James C. Dobson, Founder and Chairman of Focus on the Family

This year Village Seven Presbyterian Church and Evangelical Christian Academy are in the process of chartering an AHG Troop. We are very excited, but nowhere near as excited as our daughter. I hope you will look into AHG and if you live in Colorado Springs you might consider attending the informational meeting about this troop scheduled for May 5, 2009.  You can download the flyer here (Download AHG Flyer).

If you are not in Colorado Springs, I encourage you to look into AHG and if there is not a troop in your area - start one.

"No matter what you come up against, you can stand up for what you believe in and you can make a difference."
Katy, AHG Alumna, 23.

AHG Promotional Video