An Interview With Sam Storms

 

Back in 2008 my blogger friend John Caldwell and I had the opportunity to ask  Dr. Sam Storms some questions. This is the re-post from my old blog.

Bobby
1. Many charismatic Calvinists consider you one of the leaders of this movement. What kind of responses have you received from your book “Convergence: Spiritual Journeys Of A Charismatic Calvinist”?

Sam
The response thus far has been overwhelmingly positive. Several hundred people have written or called thanking me for articulating a view that they’ve long held but were afraid to admit. Of course, there have been a few really negative reviews, as one would expect. Several commented that my description of some personal supernatural experiences in the first four chapters sounded really “weird”. I agree. They were weird! But that doesn’t mean they didn’t happen, or that God wasn’t behind them. Weirdness has never been a category for determining the validity of spiritual experiences. There are countless “weird” experiences narrated in Scripture. And may I suggest that perhaps some of it is deemed weird only because we have so thoroughly abandoned the reality of angels and the supernatural in general and spiritual gifts in particular that any deviation from what we regard as “normal” and “natural” would necessarily be perceived as “weird”. If you have no biblical or theological interpretive grid on the basis of which you not only believe in these kind of phenomena but also pray for and expect them, then I can understand why it would strike a person as “weird” when they hear another Christian relate such experiences.

John Caldwell
2. Many Reformed believers are suspicious of any form of guidance that is not scripture, they are afraid that contemporary use of the prophetic, dreams, visions etc. will in some way take away from the sufficiency of scripture. How would you respond to this concern?

Sam
This concern was voiced to me by Richard Gaffin when we collaborated on the book, Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Four Views (Zondervan). He and others object to the possibility of post-canonical revelation on the grounds that we would be “bound to attend and submit to” it no less than to Scripture. Aside from the fact that this wrongly presupposes that contemporary prophecy yields infallible, Scripture-quality words from God, the problem is one Gaffin himself must face. For were not the Thessalonian Christians, for example, “bound to attend and submit to” (lit., “hold fast”; 1 Thessalonians 5:21) the prophetic words they received, no less than to the Scripture in which this very instruction is found? Evidently, Paul did not fear that their response to the spoken, prophetic word would undermine the ultimate authority or sufficiency of the written revelation (Scripture) that he was in process of sending them. The point is this: non-canonical revelation was not inconsistent with the authority of Scripture then, so why should it be now? This is especially true if contemporary prophecy does not necessarily yield infallible words of God.

Someone might ask, “But how should we in the twentieth-century, in a closed-canonical world, respond to non-canonical revelation?” The answer is, “In the same way Christians responded to it in their first-century, open-canonical world, namely, by evaluating it in light of Scripture” (which was emerging, and therefore partial, for them, but is complete for us). Such revelation would carry for us today the same authority it carried then for them. Furthermore, we are in a much better position today than the early church, for we have the final form of the canon by which to evaluate claims to prophetic revelation. If they were capable of assessing prophetic revelation then (and Paul believed they were; witness his instruction in 1 Corinthians 14:29ff. and 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 to do precisely that), how much more are we today! If anything, contemporary claims of prophetic revelation should be easier to evaluate and respond to than such claims in the first century.

Therefore, if non-canonical revelation was not a threat to the ultimate authority of Scripture in its emerging form, why would it be a threat to Scripture in the latter’s final form? If first-century Christians were obligated to believe and obey Scripture in the open-canonical period, simultaneous with and in the presence of non-canonical prophetic revelation, why would non-canonical revelation in the closed-canonical period of church history pose any more of a threat?

Gaffin argues that contemporary prophecy cannot, in fact, be evaluated by Scripture because of its purported specificity. But this is no more a problem for us today than it would have been for Christians in the first century. Did not they evaluate prophetic revelation in spite of the latter’s specificity and individuality? If they were obedient to Paul’s instruction they certainly did (1 Corinthians 14:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). Why, then, can’t we? And are we not, in fact, better equipped than they to do so insofar as we, unlike them, hold in hand the final form of canonical revelation whereby to make that assessment?

Gaffin and other cessationists believe that to admit the possibility of revelation beyond Scripture unavoidably implies a certain insufficiency in Scripture that needs to be compensated for. But one must ask, “What is Scripture sufficient for?” Certainly, it is sufficient to tell us every theological truth and ethical principle necessary to a life of godliness. Yet Gaffin himself concedes that God reveals himself to individuals in a variety of personal, highly intimate ways. But why would he need to, if Scripture is as exhaustively sufficient as Gaffin elsewhere insists? That God should find it important and helpful to reveal himself to his children in personal and intimate ways bears witness to the fact that the sufficiency of the Bible is not meant to suggest that we need no longer hear from our Heavenly Father or receive particular guidance in areas on which the Bible is silent.

Scripture never claims to supply us with all possible information necessary to make every conceivable decision. Scripture may tell us to preach the gospel to all people, but it does not tell a new missionary in 2008 that God desires his service in Albania rather than Australia. The potential for God speaking beyond Scripture, whether for guidance, exhortation, encouragement, or conviction of sin, poses no threat to the sufficiency that Scripture claims for itself.

Bobby
3. I really enjoyed reading your book,” Signs of the Spirit: An Interpretation Of Jonathan Edwards Religious Affections.” If Edwards were alive today, do you think he would be a cessationist? And do you think he would have approved of renewal movements such as Toronto, Pensacola, and what’s happening in Lakeland, Florida with Todd Bentley?

Sam
Would Edwards be a cessationist if he were alive today? I’d like to think not. I’d like to think that he would take into account the enormous body of material, both exegetical and theological, as well as historical, that would be available to him now and come to a more biblical conclusion.

I think Edwards would respond to Toronto, Pensacola, and Lakeland the same way he responded to what happened in the First Great Awakening in his own day. He would likely acknowledge that “in the main” or “in the general” (that’s his terminology) these are genuine outpourings of the Holy Spirit, but that does not entail endorsing or approving of all the particulars. There will always be extremists and fanatics (in Edwards’ day they were called “enthusiasts” and given to “enthusiasm”) in any outpouring of the Spirit or in a season of renewal. There will always be abuses and mistakes and stumbling blocks because we are frail and fallible and prone to error. But that doesn’t necessarily discredit the legitimacy of the revival as a whole. Edwards would certainly have found many faults in all these current expressions of renewal and he wouldn’t have hesitated to say so publicly. But he would have argued, I believe, that there is a live baby of God’s presence somewhere lurking in the muddy bath waters of human error. Perhaps the best and most thorough way of answering the question is simply to have people read my book “Signs of the Spirit”!

Bobby
4. I love the Word and the Spirit but It seems like we’re in a time where many Charismatic / Prophetic Christians are becoming addicted to the spectacular. As a leader who has experienced the power of God in your own life ( Read Convergence ) Do you see that as a problem and finally do you have any words of caution?

Sam
Yes, far too many are addicted to the spectacular. They hanker after power encounters and experiences that they believe will either mean God loves them in a special way or will elevate them to positions of fame and influence and wealth in the Church. There’s nothing wrong with the spectacular, if by that you mean the God ordained display of signs and wonders. There are plenty of spectacular things in the Book of Acts and I don’t think people were inclined to be addicted (except in the case of Simon Magus in Acts 8 and some in the church at Corinth ). But having said that, I would encourage people to find their fundamental identity and satisfaction and joy in the experience of seeing and knowing and tasting and savoring the all-sufficiency and breath-taking beauty of God as he has made himself known in Jesus Christ. If, in the course and along the way of that pursuit, you encounter a spectacular manifestation of God’s power, wonderful. If not, it’s still wonderful.

 

Can These Bones Live?

 

          I took this picture behind a Church in Germany

Can these bones live? Without prayer the Church in the west as we know it will not survive. We (the Church) must recover our prophetic voice. Our prayerlessness has paralyzed us and we have very little spiritual power. As a whole, we have become conformed to the world and we are presently in retreat. Politicians cannot fix our present dilemma so we must rediscover the power of God in prayer. 

During the pandemic, God lead the Church into a forced sabbath. We’ve been given time to reflect on our depth of commitment to the values of the Kingdom. We must ask the question of ourselves; do we value the Kingdom of God more than Church as usual? We can emerge from this season in the power of the Spirit or just go back to a form of godliness that denies God’s transforming power.

God has given us time to reset and reengage the culture with spiritual power. This will require us to return to the ancient paths of prayer and holiness. We can no longer look to the Supreme court or politicians to get us out of the cultural chaos we find ourselves in. Jesus came out of his wilderness testing in the power of the Spirit. The question is, will we? God is going to raise up an “exceedingly great” spiritual army during these chaotic days. Our LORD still has a remnant in the western Church, those who have not bowed to political correctness or to cultural idols. May Jesus restore his Church in our day.

“The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and placed me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. 2 He made me walk all around among them. I realized there were a great many bones in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said to him, “Sovereign Lord, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Lord’s message. 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live. 6 I will put tendons on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied— I heard a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 As I watched, I saw tendons on them, then muscles appeared, and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath in them.

9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath,—prophesy, son of man—and say to the breath: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.” – (Ezekiel 37:1-10 NET Bible)

Storm Clouds Are Approaching

 

(I originally posted this article on another blog back in 2020. The Storm is upon us now. It's time to wake up and make intercessory prayer a priority.)

Storm clouds are approaching America at a rapid speed. The time is now to allow the LORD to examine our hearts. It’s time to turn from our willful disobedience to God. It’s time to return to Jesus. Much of the Church in America has compromised with spiritual darkness. We have allowed the values of our culture to shape our thinking.

While we must stand up for justice, we must not align ourselves with movements with dark spiritual roots. Riots in our streets, pestilence, and anarchy abound. Civil war seems to be a real possibility as foreign enemies could take advantage of this situation. God is not the author of this chaos.

Those who follow Jesus have a responsibility to seek and pursue peace. But compromising with evil is never the answer. Christians are to live out the gospel and stand in the gap. The gap is an opening in the wall of an ancient city. Walls were to keep out foreign invaders.

The Watchmen were there to fill in the opening caused by an attack by an enemy. And to be lookouts on behalf of the city. We stand in the gap today by praying for the protection of our cities - and God’s mercy. Without repentance in the church, we can do very little to help the world around us.

“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” – Ezekiel 22:30

Overcoming Evil

 

“Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” So he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.” – Luke 10:17-20 NET

Jesus has sealed his cosmic victory over the forces of evil through his death, burial, and resurrection from the dead. When demons are being cast out, the devil is cast down. Satan (the satan) is not a personal name – it’s a title. The New Testament refers to this leader of the demonic realm as the devil. He is an accuser, slanderer, and adversary of God’s people. He seeks to obstruct, oppose, divide, and wage war on the world.

One way the devil wages war with us is with godless ideologies, that result in the persecution of believers all over the planet. His agenda is carried out through ethnic and territorial conflict. He is behind war, disease, death, and extreme poverty in this world.

The present turmoil in America is demonically inspired and led by the ancient serpent himself. The lines between good and evil in the political battle between the right and the left are sometimes blurred.

Marxism is atheistic at its core. The devil’s mission is to lead all nation’s astray and into chaos, and Carl Marx was one of his evil apostles. Excessive materialism or crony capitalism can be just as dangerous to our souls, but it is much more subtle. But freedom (even with its abuses) is always preferable to an Orwellian society.

While the serpent has lost the war with God over the world – we still must fight him until Christ returns. Scholars often refer to the “already and not yet of the Kingdom.” Even though the devil has been defeated – he still takes people captive to do his will. He has been dethroned but still engages in guerilla warfare on this planet. When someone turns to Christ they leave the realm of spiritual darkness that he leads to becoming children of the light – led by King Jesus.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” – Rev. 12:11 KJV

If you are reading this then you are being called to wage war against the fallen one and his army. But how do we fight? We overcome our ancient foe through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony while living a surrendered life. We learn to pray and oppose evil and injustice in all its forms. We proclaim and live the gospel of the Kingdom and seek the reconciliation of people to God. We love our neighbor as ourselves and speak the truth about God’s moral and ethical commands, which can only be lived out through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Those who seek social change through destructive acts are being led astray by the evil one. As Christians in America, we must pause and ask ourselves; are we seeking God for a spiritual solution or a political one to the turmoil we are presently in?

Let’s pray for God to change the hearts of our enemies. While we demonstrate the love of God to our neighbors.

The Watchman

 

My Dad served in the Navy during World War Two. After basic training, he was assigned to patrol the beaches of California at night. Japanese submarines were known to be off the coast. Consequently, diligence and alertness were required of those on Shore Patrol. One of his additional duties was to guard a checkpoint on a Naval Base in San Diego. As a Seaman second-class, he had the authority to refuse to let anyone (no matter their rank) without proper documentation through his gate. One day an officer tried to get through the checkpoint without his ID. Even though the officer threatened my Dad with court-martial, he refused to let him enter. My Father had to draw his weapon. The highly agitated officer did not want to comply with the command of his subordinate. The incident was investigated, and my Dad was fully exonerated.

Seaman second-class Sparks (who later became first-class} was later assigned to The USS Lexington aircraft carrier in the Pacific. One of his jobs on his ship was as a night watchman. And on one particular night, he saw a Bible on a table open to Isaiah chapter 21. Below are some of the verses from the chapter:

“For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman;
let him announce what he sees…” (Isaiah 21:6 ESV)

“Then he who saw cried out:
“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
whole nights.” (Isaiah 21:8 ESV)

“…Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.” (Isiah 21: 11-12 KJV)

While reading the Bible, my Dad realized that he was a watchman that night.

As followers of Jesus, he calls us to “watch and pray” (Matthew 26:40.) God has given us much more spiritual authority than most of us realize. We should never let fear back us down from our assignment as prayer warriors.

“And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.” – Ezekial 22:30

A spiritual Watchman watches out for the welfare of others through intercessory prayer. Just like a military sentry, we must remain at our post in prayer – spiritually alert on behalf of others. When a person, Church, or nation starts drifting away from God, we become vulnerable to the enemy’s attack. A Watchmen’s call is to warn those we are spiritually responsible for and to pray for revival.

God calls some to stand watch over Nations, geographical regions, cities, and Churches. We all have different assignments. But the Lord expects all of us to pray for those in positions of authority(1 Timothy 2:1-4.) Those who watch and pray sometimes receive revelation or spiritual insights before conflict arises. Such spiritually sensitive people should be accountable to elders in a local Church. It’s important to share with leadership what you believe the Lord is revealing to you. Then leave it to the elders to pray over. It’s their responsibility to accept or reject your guidance.

As we engage in intercessory prayer, we become sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. And God may reveal to us the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11.) I believe God gives us insight so that we can pray God’s kingdom into the situation. As a person of prayer, you can influence the culture around you – if you are diligent and refuse to give up. God is sovereign, but there are some things he will not do until we ask him ( James 4:2-3.)

Our goal is to become discerning, not suspicious. And discernment comes from time spent with God in prayer. Knowing and obeying Scripture is essential to our roles as prayer warriors. We must embrace a wartime mentality while realizing that we are at war with spiritual entities, not people. Philosophies and ideologies that contradict God’s truth are weapons that the adversary uses to destroy societies.

No matter the sphere of spiritual influence that God assigns you, know that your prayers on behalf of others will make a difference.