THE BONDAGE
OF RELIGIOUS
TRADITION
Tradition
can be
Baptist,
Pentecostal,
Episcopalian,
but "Beware
lest anyone
cheat you
... through
the
tradition of
men."
Colossians
2:8.
When
returning to
the U.S. one
time I
arrived at
Miami
International
Airport on a
flight that
brought us
low across
the
Everglades.
A young
woman
sitting at
the window
next to me
was
fascinated
at the sight
of thousands
of tiny
islands and
miles of
water that
spread
across this
part of
Florida.
There was no
sight of
civilization
anywhere;
nothing but
an ocean of
grass and
cypress
trees that
reached to
the horizon.
And then my
eye fell on
a scene that
moved me in
a strange
way. "Look
there," I
spoke to
her, and
pointed to a
particular
island, "Do
you see
that?" She
strained for
a better
view and
then turned
back to me
wide-eyed.
Below us on
an island,
utterly
isolated
from the
rest of the
world, was a
clearing
with a
cluster of
thatched
huts that
could easily
have been a
scene on the
Amazon. The
plane was
low enough
to identify
palm-frond
roofs and
posts of
Indian
chickees on
a small
beach. "That
is a
Seminole
village," I
explained,
"They are
Miccosukees--true
'native'
Americans."
She was
amazed at
the sight.
"How did
they get out
there?!,"
she asked.
"They were
born out
there," I
said, "Some
have
air-boats
but some
still rely
on dug-out
canoes." I
went on,
"Would you
believe
there could
be Indian
children
down there
who have
never seen a
white man's
face--or a
television--or
an
automobile?"
She was
amazed and
kept staring
at the
village
until it was
out of
sight.
Within a few
minutes we
landed in
Miami, a
sprawling,
glittering
metropolis
famous for
every luxury
known to
man. A short
time later I
was on an
elevated
super-
highway
heading
home.
Everything
around me
seemed to
deny what I
had seen
from the
plane
window. But
the picture
would not go
away. It
seemed
impossible
that just a
few miles to
the west,
surrounded
by an ocean
of
saw-grass,
suspended in
a time-warp,
was an
ancient
civilization
that had
changed
little from
the
life-style
of 2,000
years ago. I
was
genuinely
puzzled that
two
radically
opposite
cultures
could exist
only minutes
apart.
My question
to the Lord
was, "How
have they
done it?!
How is it
possible for
the
Miccosukees
to be that
close to the
modern world
and
successfully
resist it?"
That was not
a criticism.
I too am
part Indian
descent--Cherokee
from my
father,
Iroquois
from my
mother--and
I respect my
ancestors’
way of life.
But the
question
kept
stirring my
mind.
God's answer
came in a
surprising
way.
Clearly, I
heard Him
say: "The
spirit that
causes
Indians to
reject
benefits of
the White
Man offers
is the same
spirit that
causes
Christians
to reject
what I
offer." I
held my
breath. The
thought was
astounding.
He
continued,
"It is the
spirit of
tradition.”
Instantly, I
knew what
God meant.
Jesus told
the Jews,
"You reject
the
commandments
of God that
you may keep
your own
traditions."
(Mark 7:9.)
Traditions
survive for
centuries
because the
spirit
working in
them
persuades
people not
to
change--even
if the
change is
beneficial.
Change is
feared. It
is viewed as
loss. For
that reason,
ancient
Seminole
tradition is
hard as
flint. So is
the white
man's.
Whether we
are
struggling
against
Protestant
tradition,
Catholic
tradition,
Seminole
tradition,
ancient or
modern
tradition,
makes no
difference.
The same
spirit takes
advantage of
human
weakness to
operate
through all
of us. Hear
this:
Tradition
freezes us
at our
present
level of
achievement
t. It
prevents us
from moving
forward. The
spirit’s
purpose is
to paralyze
progress.
The loss is
horrendous.
Seminoles
die of
snake-bite
when some of
the best
hospitals in
the world
are just a
short
distance
away.
Tradition
yells at
them, "Don’t
go to the
White Man!
Use your
ancient
medicine!"
During the
American
typhoid-fever
epidemic in
the early
1900's
thousands of
people died
needlessly
because
medical
practice in
that era
still held
the
tradition to
"starve a
fever, feed
a cold."
With food
nearby,
doctors
looking on,
numerous
victims died
of
starvation.
In our own
way, we
Christians
do the same
thing.
Religious
tradition
starves us
from truths
known by
other
Christians
and prevents
our learning
about their
experience
in the Holy
Spirit.
I know. For
years I
suffered
from that
tragic
mind-set. I
was ordained
to the
pastorate in
1949 and for
the first 27
years of
ministry
knew nothing
about the
miraculous
gifts of the
Holy Spirit.
Religious
tradition
kept me from
receiving
truth from
others or
for
discovering
it for
myself.
For nearly
three
decades my
congregations
suffered
tragically
because of
my lack of
knowledge.
During those
years I
never saw a
single
person be
miraculously
delivered
from drug
addiction,
alcoholism,
depression,
sexual
problems, or
other
life-crushing
crises. It
did not
happen. Nor
did I expect
it to. My
answer for
those needs
was secular
therapy--not
God. My
denomination
evangelized
doctrine--not
Jesus. That
neglect
finally
ended in
1977 when
crisis
forced me
into a
deeper
search for
the Holy
Spirit.
After
agonizing
personal
grief, I
finally
stepped out
of a long,
dark tunnel
into the
light of
God’s
Kingdom.
That
transformation
was so
total, so
life-changing,
that I could
never go
back. I
blame no one
but myself
for my
failure. The
Bible
message
about the
baptism and
gifts of the
Holy Spirit
is very
precise and
clear. I
should have
been freed
from
traditional
blindness
much sooner
than I was.
"MORE TRUTH
TO BREAK
FORTH ..."
When the
Pilgrims
fled England
for America
they left
behind one
of the
bright stars
of the
Puritan
movement.
That man was
Pastor John
Robinson who
had guided
them through
years of
political
and
religious
turmoil.
With others,
he had
battled
tradition’s
unrelenting
grip in the
Church of
England. It
was in the
abandonment
of that hope
for change
in Britain
that the
Pilgrims
finally
sailed for
the new
world. The
day of their
departure
Pastor
Robinson
preached a
farewell
address
which is
still a
challenge to
the church
today. He
said:
"I charge
you before
God and
before his
blessed
angels, that
you follow
me no
further than
you have
seen me
follow the
Lord Jesus
Christ. If
God reveal
anything to
you by any
other
instrument
of his
(another
minister),
be as ready
to receive
it as ever
you were to
receive any
truth by my
ministry:
for I am
verily
persuaded, I
am very
confident,
the Lord
hath more
truth yet to
break forth
out of his
holy Word.
For my part,
I cannot
sufficiently
bewail the
condition of
the reformed
churches,
who are come
to a full
stop in
religion and
will go at
present, no
further than
the
instruments
of their
first
reformation.
The
Lutherans
cannot be
drawn to go
beyond what
Luther saw:
whatever
part of his
will our
good God has
imparted and
revealed
unto Calvin,
they will
rather die
than embrace
it. And the
Calvinists,
you see,
stick fast
where they
were left by
that great
man of God;
who yet saw
not all
things. This
is a misery
much to be
lamented;
for though
they were
burning and
shining
lights in
their times,
yet they
penetrated
not into
the whole
counsel of
God: but
were they
now living,
they would
be as
willing to
embrace
further
light, as
that which
they first
received."
(John
Fletcher's
History of
Independency,
Volume 3,
page 69.)
Robinson’s
challenge
for the
Pilgrims to
break with
theological
tradition is
astounding.
Some of the
radical
concepts of
truth and
liberty
which were
later
birthed in
Colonial
America and
became the
cornerstone
of democracy
owe their
conception
to the
principles
of this man.
Pastor
Robinson
clearly saw
the hazard
of religious
and
political
tradition.
But are
there not
benefits to
tradition?
Yes, and
that i s the
reason we
love it.
There are
many
wonderful,
legitimate
expressions
of
tradition.
It can be
very
beautiful.
Tradition is
familiar,
comfortable,
and
predictable.
Because of
that,
religious
tradition
usually
pushes
itself
deeper into
places where
it does not
belong.
Tradition,
like habit,
removes the
necessity of
decision-making.
Making
decisions
requires
mental
energy; life
is simpler
if we do
things by
predetermined
routine. At
the same
time:
Tradition
can only
turn its
eyes on the
past. If it
looks to the
future, it
ceases to be
tradition.
This is
where it
becomes
deadly to
the church.
Like my
Seminole
cousins, we
let
tradition
isolate us
on
denominational
islands and
live far
below our
privilege.
Evangelistically,
we move in
dug-out
canoes when
we could be
s ailing in
the power of
the Holy
Spirit. We
survive on
garfish and
coonti
roots, fight
mosquitoes,
snakes, and
alligators,
when just a
few miles
away are the
bright,
beautiful
lights of
the Kingdom
of God.
Those lights
challenge us
to change.
They tell us
Heaven has
so much more
than
traditionalism
has allowed.
By that I
mean:
The full
Kingdom-message
of the Holy
Spirit’s
miracles,
signs, and
wonders, is
desperately
needed by
the modern
church.
Religious
tradition
has stripped
us of their
benefit.
Those
power-enduing
parts of
Scripture
have been
emasculated
and demoted
to
nothingness
in many
modern
pulpits.
(Mark
16:17,18,
Acts 1:8. I
Corinthians
12-14.)
Thankfully,
believers in
all
Christian
bodies, like
Seminole
children,
are looking
up from
their
islands to
see
magnificent
sights in
the sky.
Supersonic
jets,
passenger
planes,
aircraft, of
every kind
streak
through the
heavens
above them.
At first,
these things
may be
frightening
and people
wonder what
they are. In
the past,
when new
truths have
challenged
the church,
it has
thrown
blankets of
tradition
over its
members and
said "You
don't need
to see that!
You already
have all the
truth. Stay
like you
are!" But
the planes,
like the
call of the
Holy Spirit,
keep
reappearing
day after
day, and
young
Christians
finally
become
determined
to learn the
truth about
them.
Suddenly,
they throw
off the
blankets,
leave their
islands, and
run for the
Light. For
many, the
journey is
difficult,
but the
blessing
gained makes
all other
losses
worthwhile.
Like them,
you too may
discover:
There really
is life
beyond your
island.
Be honest.
Are you
possibly on
a religious
island? Is
there
something
vital you
are missing
in your
Christian
walk? Does
God's light
in the
distance
challenge
you? Go!
Find out
what it
means! Throw
off the
blanket. Run
toward the
Light.
Receive all
the Holy
Spirit has
for you!
Something
really is
lost "behind
the ranges!
Go and find!
Go and
find!" The
discovery
awaiting you
is
phenomenal.
Matthew
15:3. Mark
7:3.
Colossians
2:8. I Peter
1:18. CC
THE
"REFORMATION"
IS NOT OUR
MODEL!
Wonderful as
was the 16th
century
Reformation,
it
absolutely
is not the
model for
the
twenty-first
century
Church. I
caution you
about this
fact for a
number of
important
reasons: In
some
Christian
quarters
there is
almost a
deifying of
the
Reformation
and its
leaders. The
opinions of
Luther,
Calvin,
Zwingli,
Knox, and
others, have
become the
measuring
stick of
Christian
orthodoxy;
the opinions
of these men
are almost
equated with
the
authority of
Scripture.
This
dominating
influence
prevents
many
modern-day
Christians
from hearing
what "the
Spirit is
saying to
the
churches."
Most
Reformed
denominations
reject
spiritual
gifts solely
on the
grounds that
the
Reformers
did not
emphasize
them. The
claim is
then
passionately
defended
that all
miraculous
gifts ended
with the
death of the
Apostles.
With this
mind-set it
is
impossible
for
additional
Scriptural
truth to
penetrate.
While we
thank God
for the
Reformation,
please hear
me
carefully:
In looking
to the past
for a
role-model
we must
return to
Christianity's
first-century
origin. Our
pattern is
the Church
in the Book
of Acts--not
medieval
Europe. No
matter how
good the
Reformed
Churches and
leaders were
in Germany,
Switzerland,
Scotland,
and others,
they were
not the
founders of
Christianity
and can
never become
our pattern.
Where they
differ from
the plain,
straight-forward
message of
Scripture
either in
teaching or
practice, we
must reach
beyond them
and return
to the
Apostolic
example.
Reformed
Theologians
today who
ridicule the
current
works of the
Spirit on
the claim
that
miraculous
gifts ended
in the first
century are
simply
exposing
their
ignorance of
Christian
history.
Christian
writers who
lived in the
second,
third, and
later
centuries,
wrote freely
of the
miraculous
gifts being
active in
their time.
Whom are we
to believe?
Those godly
men who were
there--or
the ones who
came 2,000
years later?
Here are
facts of
Christian
history:
1. Ignatius
(c.33-110),
the third
pastor at
Antioch
whose
ministry
paralleled
the
Apostles,
extending
into the
second
century,
exercised
the gift of
prophecy and
relied upon
its
operation in
the church.
2. Justin
Martyr,
(c.100-165),
wrote that
Christians
in his day
still
possessed
miraculous
"gifts of
the Spirit
of God."
3. Irenaeus
(c.130-200),
recorded
that "We
have heard
of many of
the brethren
who have
foreknowledge
of the
future,
visions and
prophetic
utterances;
others, by
laying on of
hands, heal
the sick and
restore them
to health
... We hear
of many
members of
the church
who have
prophetic
gifts, and,
by the
Spirit speak
with all
kinds of
tongues ..."
4.
Tertullian
(c.160-225),
the greatest
theologian
of his day,
wrote that
new
Christians
should rise
from the
waters of
baptism
expecting
the gifts of
the Spirit
to come upon
them.
Obviously,
the gifts
had not
vanished in
his time.
Quite the
contrary.
The loss of
gifts,
tragically,
would have
implied the
loss of the
church's
source of
power.
5. Eusebius
(c.260-340),
the most
reliable of
the early
Christian
historians,
wrote of
believers in
his day
exercising
all the
spiritual
gifts. Words
of wisdom,
knowledge,
faith,
healings,
tongues, and
numerous
miracles,
were
commonplace
among them.
6. Augustine
(5th
century),
the great
Pastor-Bishop
and writer,
in his early
ministry
denied the
gifts but
happily
acknowledged
his error
when some
seventy
miraculous
healings
occurred in
his
congregations.
In his day,
Christians
still cast
out demons
and
experienced
"falling
under the
power of the
Spirit."
Question:
Did the
gifts
terminate
with the
death of the
Apostles?
Absolutely
not.
Theologians
today who
deny their
reality are
merely
blaming God
for their
own unbelief
and
spiritual
lack. They
find it more
comfortable
to say,
"Don't
believe that
part of the
Bible! The
gifts are
gone! God
took them
away."
Wrong!
Millions of
believers
today are
experiencing
them. Eighty
percent of
conversions
worldwide
are
accomplished
by those
operating in
the gifts of
the Holy
Spirit.
Thankfully,
the
Reformation
restored the
"Word" to
the Church.
The current
Charismatic
Renewal is
restoring
the "works".
The
Reformation
impacted
Europe; the
"Renewal" is
impacting
the
"uttermost
parts of the
earth". The
Reformation
targeted
Catholicism;
the Renewal
is
successfully
targeting
Islam,
Hinduism,
Buddhism,
Communism,
and every
other form
of paganism.
The
Reformers
took the
established
churches of
northern
Europe for
their own.
The Renewal
is
establishing
15,000 new
churches
world-wide
each
week--as
well as
bringing new
life to old
churches.
Both camps,
Reformation
and Renewal,
have good
points and
bad,
failures and
successes.
Both
attracted
extremists
who brought
abortive,
counter-revolts
against
their own
causes. Even
so, each
movement has
been
mightily
used by God.
In the final
word, know
this: God's
assigned
role-model
for Reformed
and Renewal
Churches is
the same:
The first
century
church in
the Book of
Acts.
Scripturally,
there is no
other. CC
SONS IN
MINISTRY!
May 21, 22,
23, 2009
Christ The
Rock Church,
Boca Raton,
Florida.
Nights at
Hampton Inn,
Deerfield
Beach,
Florida, $99
per night,
double
occupancy,
954-481-1221.
Hotel
accommodations
www.greenparkmgmt.com
are limited
and must be
made
directly
with the
hotel. The
cost of
meals and
snacks,
$45.00 must
be paid to
our office
by May 10,
2009.
Continuing
theme: The
Kingdom of
God And My
Place In It!
Daytime
sessions are
for men
endorsed by
Charles
Carrin;
evening
sessions are
open to all.
Come! Expect
the Holy
Spirit’s
empowering!
Return to
your work
renewed and
enlightened.
FEBRUARY 6,
2009. In
recognition
of my 60
years of
ministry and
contributions
to Christian
work, the
Evangelical
Bible
Seminary,
West Palm
Beach,
Florida,
conferred on
me their
highest
degree,
Doctorate of
Divinity. –
Charles
In 2009 I
will speak
monthly at
Christ The
Rock, Boca
Raton,
Florida and
Living
Waters,
Tequesta,
Florida.
Quarterly I
will speak
at the
Healing
Rooms, Coral
Springs,
Florida.
