July 28, 2017
By Cedric Fisher
During the 57th Assemblies of God General Council in Anaheim, California, August 7-11, 2017, the denomination’s membership will vote on Resolution 3. The Resolution is presented as an affirmation that the church should be involved in peace-keeping through conflict resolution. One is compelled to ask why such a resolution is needed. As most denominations, the AoG already has bylaws and leadership positions that promote peace and engage in conflict resolution within the denomination. Apparently, Resolution 3 proposes to involve the membership in the affairs of races, religions, and nations outside the denomination.
The General Council of the Assemblies of God, district councils, and local churches should be involved in conflict resolution between churches, denominations, races, religions, and countries. We believe justice and peacemaking are necessary complements of compassion ministries, and this should be clearly stated in our Constitution. – Resolution 3, 57th General Council, August 7-11, 2017, Anaheim, California.
Some members are deeply concerned that the Resolution will weaken and perhaps obliterate the denominations support for Israel. I believe they have good cause for concern. The leadership has already approved two position papers, “Church Mission and Peacemaking” and “Israel – the Church’s Response,” both which negatively affect Israel. Those position papers are essential to understanding the consequences of passing Resolution 3.
Hi Cedric,
I read the full article and commentary at the LT blog.
All I can say is that any peace, any true peace, can only come through Jesus Christ. We can have no peace with God without receiving Christ as Savior. We can’t have any real peace in our lives otherwise either. There is a superficial peace that the world gives, but only Jesus leaves us with His peace.
Any attempt at ‘world peace’ or any other superficial peace, is futile and artificial. Sure, we need some rules in society to ‘keep the peace’ and so on. But any hope in lasting and true peace without Jesus is a joke. Jesus opened the only way for us to have any peace, peace with God over our sin, and also spiritual peace due to fellowship with Him and the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We then have the fruits of the Spirit and as a result, are able to live peacefully with those around us (at least the church), and are peacemakers in that sense, we seek to forgive, have mercy, live peaceful lives, share the gospel, and so on. Without coming to Christ, no peace is possible. Anyone who hopes in ‘world peace’ without Jesus is a fool. Like the saying goes, “know Jesus, know peace, but no Jesus, no peace!”
And to try to build ‘peace’ between religions is ridiculous! We are to share the gospel with every creature, to the Jew first and then the Gentile, and that is the Great Commission, not ‘build bridges’ between false religions or false ones and the true one. That accomplishes nothing! That just buys into the antichrist agenda for globalism. It is fine to do good works, we are called to have compassion on others. But that can never replace our first calling, which is the Great Commission; evangelism to save the lost by the one true gospel message; that they must come to Christ to be saved and have peace with God. The sacrificial body of Christ alone is the one true bridge to peace with God. Any other human efforts are futile and of the muscle of the flesh. That is not our focus.
“…and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross…” Colossians 1; 20 (that is…all things that are to be reconciled to Him by accepting the offer, see good article on this at Herescope about the heresy related to the Shack).
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” Romans 5; 1
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.” John 14; 27
“To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the message — and to this they were appointed. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
1 Peter 2; 7-9
‘Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.’ Zechariah 4; 6
Perspective is everything, Biblical perspective.
Yes, Israel is in end times Bible prophesy and a good perspective can be found in Romans 9, 10, and 11.
Blessings!
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Dr. Woods Superintendent of the AOG says this active is fake news.
In fact he wrote you a letter refuting it.
Wood did not refute anything. In fact, he did not address the main points, but presented ad hominem. However, we will respond publicly to his letter.
The term “fake news” is inapplicable here. I am not a journalist and I did not present “news.” I presented a commentary based on research verified with many footnotes. Something is not refuted simply because someone declares they refuted it. Further, Wood’s logical fallacies of ad hominem, ad lapidem, and begging the question, did not refute anything. Please consider that no matter how charismatic a leader is, or how great his or her position, one must always heed the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. This is a period of intense and very clever deception and wide spread apostasy. Anti-Semitism is growing at an alarming rate in the secular and religious sectors. Every true Christian should oppose it. We should stand in solidarity with Israel’s right to exist and defend her biblical heritage.
Since humanity has the sin nature, there can’t be world peace. That is why we need the new nature (once the old nature dies) to even be able to live in peace. We need to come to Christ first and receive His finished work on the cross. That is the way peace is made with God. Through that, peace flows outward by our new nature as we become peaceful people of God. By the cross we have peace with God and are able to live in peace with man to the extent that we are saved and have the new nature. But we can’t force them to live in peace with us, they too must come to the cross before they are able to truly be able to live peacefully. That is why we must address the root of the problem; human nature, and not put band aids on the symptoms which heals nothing. Those attempts are superficial on the surface only, artificial solutions, that is all they are proposing with ‘bridge building’ efforts and all the like.
I checked today with an Assembly of God pastor who has access to schedule of this year’s meeting and he is saying there is no such resolution that is being voted on concerning Israel… this is not on this year’s schedule at all.
So, looks like this is fake news. I noticed that you did not cite your source for this claim so you might consider sharing with everyone where exactly this information came from because the Assembly of God does publish to it’s ordained ministers a list of resolutions that will be discussed and voted on and this resolution against Israel that you are reporting is not on the official list.
http://generalcouncil.ag.org Click on Resolutions and scroll down to Resolution 3.
My articles were validated and R3 was withdrawn. Please check the definition of “fake news.” Applying the term to everyone you disagree with is improper.
Hello,
I popped over to take a look at that resolution 3. You click on the tab that says resolutions and the document is opened from there. Before that I happened to also scroll down the page all the way and guess whose face I was met with at the bottom? There is the whole notorious line up hall of fame wolves and their mugshots and the ringleader rick warren! That is material for another article.
Anyway I read the resolution which is on page 8 and there is a lot of emphasis on peace. Obviously the end times will involve the fake ‘world peace’ under globalism and antichrist, and all these things are paving the way. That said, it does not mean we should never try to have anything to do with peace. As Christians, we are called to live peaceful lives and try to live in peace with others and so on as much as possible. We have the source of all true peace; Jesus. The resolution cites many bible verses about Christians and peace and in context these are all great of course.
The article does emphasize some definite wrong directions with this focus on ‘peace.’ I have copied part of the text below in two parts:
“What should be our response to conflict, human
trafficking, slave labor, child exploitation, the homeless, and widows and orphans? ”
This part is fine, we can’t ‘save the world,’ it is fallen and will continue to be so until Jesus does return to reign, but that does not mean the church is to merely fall into a hammock and do nothing. We are called to help such people (the poor, abused, orphans, and so on like a good Samaritan) and there are ample bible verses to prove my point. I feel that this involves helping both those inside and outside the church. This is also how we are ‘the light of the world’ as a witness of Christ and His power at work in us; we do care about the suffering, we are our ‘brother’s keeper,’ and so on. We can’t fix it all, and we don’t bring the kingdom. But that does not mean we should stand by and not care or take action. I read that the early church did these things and so does the church now, charities and taking in orphans is nothing new to the church.
But the problem comes in with the next line:
“The General Council of the Assemblies of God, district councils, and local churches should be involved in conflict resolution between churches, denominations, races, religions, and countries. ”
This drips of ecumenical unity that steps over doctrinal truth in the sense of churches and denominations. True unity is unity around truth, that is what our unity is based on. Races is handled also by the gospel, we get saved and that should end racism for us. Religions will be in conflict, the only way to change that is to evangelize them, share the gospel, if they get saved, they can also live peacefully. But that should be our only concern with a lost world. This is not about getting two bullies on the school yard to shake hands. This is about introducing them to the only one who can save their eternal souls. The rest will be solved as a result. That is the point and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ; we get saved and we have fellowship with God forever and are able to love God first and after that humanity. Then there is the part about countries. The same argument could be made there; there won’t be world peace and good relations between countries because these people are not saved. It does not mean they are at war with all other nations all the time. Not all unsaved are bad to everyone all the time. But the sin nature and fallen world is the problem. And like that schoolyard, fights erupt all the time due to sinful human nature. If anyone begs to differ, good luck on trying to bring in resolutions they think can usher in peace better than the gospel. Faith in action is fine, but we must have the horse before the cart and not vice versa. You start with the gospel. The gospel has spread by the early church and taken over large areas and brought not only salvation, but peace and blessings and progress as a result. When the gospel is no longer honored, trouble moves in. Our school system is but one of a pile of examples. To think that man’s way is better is an insult to the Lord.
This is just plain and simple moving in the direction of involvement with the one world religion, government, and economy under a globalist antichrist.
We know that no two people can even live together in true peace unless they have both submitted to Christ and His ways. So then, how can the world? Only Jesus is the answer. To think that ‘world peace’ can be ushered in without Jesus is a denial of His very work in both the first and second Messianic arrivals, the cross and the restoration of all things based on the cross, the undoing of the curse and fall and sin and devil’s grasp. It is to believe one can sidestep all of this and achieve it by the arm of the flesh rather than by the Spirit. (Exactly what the antichrist will try to claim.) It is Christ’s work at His first arrival only that can save us and Christ’s work at His second arrival only that can ‘save the world’ as a whole in the sense of restoration to paradise as in Revelation. It is faith, and not works in both cases that is our part. We are called to good works, and they are good, it is evidence of our new nature in Christ and His transforming power and points others to Him. But we must keep them in perspective. They won’t ‘change the world’ and ‘make it a better place’ in a general sense. They take the totally wrong approach in their stated resolution. This truly is a tale of two kingdoms, God’s and fallen man’s with sin and the devil. You come out of darkness into His marvelous light. They are separate domains and will never be ‘one.’ At judgment, the sheep go one way and the goats another. We are called to ‘come out of her and be separate’ and this speaks of the world system and culture, sin, etc.
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
Ephesians 2; 13-18
“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!” Isaiah 31; 1
“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; Who proceed down to Egypt Without consulting Me, To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! “Therefore the safety of Pharaoh will be your shame And the shelter in the shadow of Egypt, your humiliation.” Isaiah 30; 1-3
Yep. That purdy much sums it up! Do not turn to the ways of the world to solve the problems of the world.
As for the Israel part, I must have missed something because I could not find anything about that. I imagine Cedric will clarify that in due time like he said when he addresses that letter.
Blessings to all in Christ!
This resolution was withdrawn by its sponsors and no vote was taken.