book review--Is That Really You, God? by Loren Cunningham

hearing unreliable voices and getting the Gospel wrong

As an autobiography of Cunningham's life and how he came to start Youth With A Mission, and how the organization grew, the book is all well and good. If that was all it was, I'd likely have little real problem with it.

But it's not. Worked through it is the notion that there are things we can do to somehow hear God's voice, and ways of determining if what we're hearing (to a loose definition of "hearing") is really God or not. It is these things that I simply cannot buy into, because they simply are not biblical.

One example would be what he calls the Wise Men Principle. "This really is amazing, I thought to myself. It was like the Three Wise Men. They each followed the star--their individual perceptions of God's direction--and in doing so came together to be led to Jesus." (Kindle Locations 1165-1167). "What a great idea! Maybe, in fact, it was God's idea! If so, perhaps I could see the Wise Men Principle I'd just learned in New Zealand work in the lives of young people, where two or more people see the same guiding star at the same time." (Kindle Locations 1301-1303). The account of the magi following the star to Jesus can be found in Matthew 2, and you'll find nothing there or in other parts of the Bible which teaches this Wise Men Principle. The account of the magi was not recorded to tell us to follow stars, literally or metaphorically, but to show us that Jesus is indeed the King.

"I had come as a speaker, but it turned out that I was the one who was learning new ideas on this isolated island. The first came from the New Zealand kids themselves. They had a guidance practice that intrigued me. In their minds they would be "given" a chapter and verse from the Bible without knowing what the reference said; then they would consider whether or not that reading was a special guidance for whatever they were facing. "You'd be surprised how often God uses that as a way to speak," they insisted." (Kindle Locations 1135-1138). Can one even imagine Paul or any real Apostle telling the churches that God would lead them in such a trite, haphazard way? Or that they should read the Scripture in such a way? That isn't hearing the voice of God, that's closer to fortune telling.

Then, there's what I've seen referred to as the Magic 8-Ball way of reading the Bible. "I was sitting quietly praying with my Bible open to Hebrews. Suddenly the words of chapter 12, verses 26 and 27, leaped off the page. "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven...that those things which cannot be shaken may remain" (NASB, italics added). A rock hit the bottom of my stomach. "Oh no! I hope that doesn't mean the ship!" (Kindle Locations 1767-1770). Umm...no, Hebrews 12 had nothing to do with that ship, sir. It was written well before that ship had been constructed, well before you ever planned to make use of it. A look at the context of the verses in question would show you that.

"Yes, God had told us to get a ship, and repeatedly He had confirmed His guidance, using all the ways we had learned for hearing His voice. He used the Wise Men Principle; He used scriptures that He seemed to lift off the pages for us; He used provision of money and people; and that inner conviction--but we had failed in the way we had carried out His guidance. We had subtly turned from the Giver to the gift." (Kindle Locations 1827-1830). There are two things to be learned from this. First, these supposed confirmations are hardly confirmations at all. God can give all these go-ahead signs, but then pull the rug out from under their feet? Is that really God, period?

But instead of wondering if maybe these ways of getting confirmations were really sound, he resorts to the second thing to be gotten from this, what I think of as the Cheap Guilt Trip. A bunch of people who have been trying hard to determine if what they are doing is really what God wants them to do suddenly get broadsided by a guilt-trip of them taking their focus off of God? Is the really God, period?

But this brings up perhaps the biggest error Cunningham makes, an error in regards to the Gospel itself. "My calling was clear: to preach the twin character of the Gospel. Through Jesus Christ it is possible to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves." (Kindle Locations 2099-2100). "Jesus told us there were two important things to do. One was to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength--teaching people to do that is evangelism. The other command was to love our neighbors as ourselves--to take care of people, as much as is in our power to do. These were two sides of the same Gospel: loving God and loving our neighbor." (Kindle Locations 1003-1005).

Those commands, as important as they are, are not the Gospel. Those are commands, laws, things we must do, things we fail to do every day, every hour, every minute, every second. The Gospel is not a command, but the message of God's gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins through the sacrificial death of His Son Jesus Christ. One of the important aspects of the services of the Anglican church I attend is the confession of sins, where we confess "We have not loved you with our whole heart, we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves". It's not an excuse, it's a confession, a reality. For a good look at the division between Law and Gospel, please read The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel (ESV).

And this is not just a matter of semantics. Of course, they let their focus get off of God, and they continued to do that even after their Cheap Guilt Trip, every day and often. When your gospel is a gospel of law, know going in that you're going to fail at it.

But the happy news is, the Gospel is for saved sinners as well as unsaved ones. As Paul said in I Timothy 1:15, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost"

In the end, I cannot recommend this book as a guide to teachings about hearing the voice of God. It's principles and techniques are without sound biblical support. Though they may tack a verse or two on to what they say about the principle or technique, when one looks at the passage they refer to, one sees that they simply don't teach what the principle or technique says. For example, the account of the magi coming to the Christ child does not teach the Wise Men Principle, Isaiah 30:21 says nothing about a "quiet inner voice". And, even more important, the Gospel is made into something we do (law), not something God has done for us (gift).

has YWAM jumped the shark?

My heart was heavy as I traveled Africa, as I thought about my own nation. My prayer became, “Lord, what has gone wrong?” Nearly two thousand years of concentrated missions effort on this continent—how could it result in this? God spoke, simply and with a dawning revelation that would change my understanding of missions and my life calling, fundamentally and permanently. He said, “The devastation you see is the result of a gospel that limits itself to the preaching of salvation.”

Landa Cope, The Old Testament Template for Discipling Nations
(2012-01-22). His Kingdom Come: An Integrated Approach to Discipling the Nations and Fulfilling the Great Commission (Kindle Locations 669-673). YWAM Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Well, if that doesn't sound like Enlow's nonsense, I don't know what does. So, what does she suggest...?

All of a sudden it was as though I were given ears to hear what I had read so many times in my life and never understood. Somewhere between Boise, Idaho, and Omaha, Nebraska, (which is about five days of corn and wheat,) I was driving along and all of a sudden I thought, Whoa! Do you know what that chapter was about? It was about Law! Moses was teaching law. Moses was forming government. A little farther through the corn I thought, Whoa! Do you know what that chapter was about? It was about hygiene! There was a passage on economics. Then one on family and health care. Now another on law, and on it went. The light flashed into my poor little brain. Revelation hit like a laser beam. Moses’ job was to disciple a nation. His job was to teach people who had been slaves for more than three hundred years how to form and run their nation. Moses was to teach Israel God’s principles of government, economics, the family, the priesthood, and every domain of human society. He had forty years in the wilderness to do it, and he had written it all down!
(Kindle Locations 709-717)

And there we go...she wants to put us back under the law.

I discovered that chapter 28 gives us what I call a national inventory. It gives us a way of measuring how our nation is doing. It says if you are experiencing these things, you are being blessed. If you are experiencing those things, you are being cursed. When I drew out the different domains that are blessed when we are following God’s laws, I realized that he talks about the whole of society. So he says, “You will be blessed in the city; you will be blessed in the country.” When I hold American cities up to this, I know we are not being blessed. Our cities are a mess...
(Kindle Locations 901-906).

God says that the weather will be blessed (bad news for California!). He says national debt will be blessed—by lack of it, that is. America is failing on this list. How is your nation doing? God basically says that if you obey this body of laws, your country will be blessed.
(Kindle Locations 916-918)

It's as if she's never read the New Testament.

ga.4.21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? ga.4.22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. ga.4.23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. ga.4.24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.† ga.4.25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.† ga.4.26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. ga.4.27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. ga.4.28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. ga.4.29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. ga.4.30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. ga.4.31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Brown, David; Fausset, A. R.; Jamieson, Robert (2011-06-02). Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary on the Whole Bible (best navigation with Direct Verse Jump) (Kindle Locations 172337-172353). OSNOVA. Kindle Edition.

ro.3.19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.† ro.3.20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Brown, David; Fausset, A. R.; Jamieson, Robert (2011-06-02). Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary on the Whole Bible (best navigation with Direct Verse Jump) (Kindle Locations 170524-170527). OSNOVA. Kindle Edition.

Is Cope right the we could be blessed if we keep this body of laws? Sure. Now, go try.

No, seriously, please try. Try to make your nation, your district, your county, your city, your suburb, your family, or even yourself perfectly keep those laws. Don't pretend that you can do pretty good, and maybe that's good enough, 'cause it ain't. If a person violates one law, then he or she is guilty of all the law.

The truth is, the law was given to us for reasons. Consider what the verse above from Romans says. The law was given, to essentially shut us up. It was given so we could know about our sinfulness, so we can stop boasting of our own righteousness, or excuse our sins. It was not meant as a means to justification, because that is impossible. It was not given as a means for us to earn blessings.

ga.3.21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. ga.3.22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. ga.3.23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. ga.3.24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ga.3.25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. ga.3.26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. ga.3.27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Brown, David; Fausset, A. R.; Jamieson, Robert (2011-06-02). Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary on the Whole Bible (best navigation with Direct Verse Jump) (Kindle Locations 172294-172304). OSNOVA. Kindle Edition.

The Galatian Christians had to deal with those who wanted to put them under the law, by saying that they had to be circumcised. Those like Cope seem to want to do the same, by saying that we have to return to the law in order to have nations be fit for God to bless. Never mind the fact that God spoke those words to a particularly people many long years ago, never mind that the intent of the law was not to make them righteous, but rather to show them sin and make it exceedingly sinful, so that they would repent and believe in the Messiah.

So, has YWAM jumped the shark? Has YWAM crossed the line? Landa Cope is not some little nobody in the grand scheme of things in YWAM, when she talks, people in YWAM listen. When her 'god' tells her that the world's problems are because the church has preached only the Gospel of salvation, what other gospel is there? What else is there, except law?

And this is what Cope is saying we should return to. In order to be blessed as nations, we have to keep all of the law. If that is so, than woe unto us!! Shall any nation, composed of sinful men, fully keep the law? Shall we dare to come to God, wrapped in the rags of our own righteousness, say that we have kept all his commands, and thus demand that He bless us? Is that not what her quid pro quo amounts to?

In Deuteronomy 27:26 God says through Moses, “‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’” Indeed, man is invited by the Law to pronounce a curse upon himself. Only a person engulfed by infernal darkness can believe that the Law will give him no trouble.
C.F.W. Walther (2011-12-29T05:00:00+00:00). The Proper Distinction of Law and Gospel (Kindle Locations 235-238). Pirate Christian Media. Kindle Edition.

Do not be mistaken, Cope is promoting bondage and slavery, the very things that we who believe in Christ have been freed from, just as those who tried to make the Galatians be circumcised were trying to put them back under the bondage of the law.

If this is where YWAM is going, or has gone already, then they are to be rejected by the Christian churches. They are preaching law, they are preaching another gospel, they are preaching a false gospel. And just as Paul told the Galatians, those who preach another Gospel are eternally cursed.

like unto the garden of eden?

Recently while studying the history of a city in California, I came across the specific place and time when Satan seems to have gained entrance. The earliest days in a city's history are very important because one of Satan's main strategies is to interfere with the process of birth. "And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born" (Rev. 12:4).

In this particular town the Christians among the early settlers had gathered together to plan the building of a chapel that would be used alternatively by several compatible congregations, such as Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Baptists. The process was proceeding smoothly until two prominent citizens had a personality conflict. This outburst of petty bickering eventually led to a rupture of the Christian community into two factions. One hundred years later this town is still marked by division and religious controversy.

John Dawson. Taking Our Cities For God - Rev (Kindle Locations 541-547). Kindle Edition.

So, let's see...

Are we to assume that, before this conflict, this particular unnamed town (a city today) must have been something like the Garden of Eden, because Satan had not gained entrance into it until then? It must, then, have been a town of sinless people, perfect in all their ways, probably even walking about in their birthday suits but free of lust and unholy desires? These early settlers must have been on the verge of creating a paradise on Earth until, like the serpent and the apple, these two people had their conflict and paradise was lost?

If you're thinking that it would be ridiculous to assume that, I would agree. But if that is true, then we are to conclude that what Dawson says about this town is ridiculous.

Satan didn't have an entrance into this town? The only way we could believe such a thing is to assume that the early settlers of this town really were sinless. Because if they were sinners, than we must conclude that either Satan and demons were already in the area when the settlers arrived, or they tagged along with the settlers as they traveled overland or by sea, and were well with them before a tree was felled, a board was shaped, a plot was laid, an acre was tilled, a building frame was raised, and a church service was held, let alone a quarrel was started.

And let's be real...the early settlers of this town that became a city were sinners. I don't know who they were, and since Dawson gives no name for this city, I can't really do much research, but since these people were humans, I think I can safely say that whatever else they may have been, they were certainly sinful people, like all people they were born in tresspasses and sin.

As such, then, Satan and his minions wouldn't have had to have waited for this conflict to have had access to the people of this town. While the people may have been religious, I've little doubt that not all the people of the town were Christians. Given that, there is no doubt that demons were about, tempting and influencing people, lost people as well and Christians.

Having considered all that, shall we conclude that Dawson's claims are bogus and ridiculous? I think so.