Thanks Dennis. That is an excellent format that Pastor JD has them placed into such note form. Appreciate it brother. 
Earlier I had a question if Pastor JD is Charismatic. This term seems to infer what we associate with it today where the Charismatic camp runs amuck with meaning. The cessationist proper view sees Acts 2 as a transition in the church and not a norm. Just as Christ ascended once…so the spirit came upon the church uniquely (as Joel predicted) inaugurally (meaning the book of Acts is showing how the events in how God was interacting with the first century church). Cessationist proper persepctives would see that since Christ had to go to the Father to send the Helper, when anyone receives Christ, they also received His Spirit (which seems to relate to regeneration–for without which one is not born again). Romans 8:9 gives a sense to this.
As I look at Pastor JD’s teachings on this in the past, it is good to see that he does his level and honest best to bring understanding. Amen.
Pastor JD seems to have the cessationist understanding about being baptized in the Holy Spirit at conversion. So in that sense, Pastor JD seems to be more inline with cessationist perspective on the Holy Spirit baptism. Whereas Charismatic circles tend to view a later baptism in the Holy Spirit. In that sense, Pastor JD is in line with cessationist perspective of Acts.
Cessationists do not believe that the gifts of the spirit have stopped today. All spiritual gifts are fully functioning today in the body of Christ, except what are known as “sign gifts.” Or gifts God gave during the 1st century chruch authenticating a New Testament being written. In church history, those sign gifts have been noted to have phased out. But all other gifts are understood by cessationsits to be in full bloom in the believers life today. Amen.
Believing in what is understood in scholarship as “sign gifts,” tongues would typically be one of them. This would classically categorize Pastor JD in line with Charismatic thought. I would like to note at this point that as a cessationist myself, I do believe there are brothers and sisters like Pastor JD who take a much more responsible approach to understand how gifts work in the more responsible wing of charismatic gift beliefs.
For example, please note in 1 Cor 11 the following passge:
17 Now in giving this next instruction I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better, but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together [m]as a church, I hear that [n]divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. 19 For there also have to be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. 20 Therefore when you come together it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, 21 for when you eat, each one takes his own supper first; and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.
When we see verses on either side of verse 19 we can see that both are negative connotations. The broader context of the chapter and book of course does demonstrate Paul’s proclivity to sarcasm. I have always heard verse 19 to me: we must have factions or heresy to know who is correct. Yet from the context it seems to be a part of Paul’s criticism.
I am from the reformed perspective that likes a verse like 19 to affirm somewhat bullish behavior in the church. Even so, to this degree that if God grants a sense of leadership roughshod to win over the layperson, then providentially God has proven roughshod rule to be “approved” in their roughshod behavior. Admittedly it is an odd phrasing.
I bring this up because D.A. Carson is the only commentary I have found bold enough to consider this as part of Paul’s sarcasm. Whereas the church at large has pretty much affirmed vs 19 as “literal.” D.A. Carson does not. And he maps out clearly why its not. I believe this is a great use of biblical discernment. D.A. Carson is a Charismatic of the responsible school. Amen.
So I bring that up to demonstrate that even though I do not see the “sign gifts” in operation today, I try to extend charity where views like this can differ.
Lastly, Pastor JD does have a continuous or Charismatic understanding of the sign gifts such as miracles and healing and prophesy.
The concern today regarding prophesy would be if the insight given a person today about prophesy works the same as it did in the first century. From best I can tell all these gifts are mentioned in the context of “as scripture is still being written.” Prophecy would have with it the sense of supernatural insight God Himself is providing the believer in relation to scripture. It may surprise some to know I do think there is a sense in which God does provide the church with insight in prophecy today. But I would see that in contrast to its function in the first century (because the Canon was not complete yet).
Because prophecy in the 1st century would be supernatural abilities to discern or to speak forth what would not be clearly known or understood in relation to the overall sense of prophecy unfolding in Christ, prophesy gift would function in this way in the local church. However, once the Canon is closed, I would see the word of God being the final authority.
The way I would understand supernatural insight from God today prophetically would be insight God would assist in the believer when looking at scripture or even related events in society. For example, Pastor JD’s concern about the vax I believe would be God granting Pastor JD insight into concerns. How accurate and relevant might be debatable. But it would be similar to God allowing believers today to make sense of things going on today as nearing the tribulation. I believe this ability to see sensitively like so is of His Spirit. I would not categorize it so much as a gift as I would see it as the Father’s character toward His church. Like a Father telling his child not to play in traffic. It would be “sensible” for the Father to impart this insight because of what time it is. Although I would extend this understanding to God likely granting some specific focus on this or that, while others focuses on some other things too. But again I would not see them as gifts like the first century. But more like graces because of what time in history the church finds herself.
There is no reason to overlay the book of revelation with the same spiritual gift in which it had already been canonized, is how I see it. This would more or less be the cessationist view. I believe it it great that many watchers weigh-in with their thoughts and concerns. I believe we have to be extra careful with views like COP28, rapture dates, and theories about potential occurances. When I share my views, it is always from my own convictions. I appreciate Pastor JD sharing from his own convictions. I believe it is healthy in the body of Christ to have pause if believing in supernatural gifts of prophecy as current, not to blend them with our convictions with too much ease. I say this as a cessationist. But we have seen these sorts of blends potentially ascerted as potentially more than conviction in the watcher world (sometimes its an epidemic). When coming from someone like me, its a random persons view. When coming from the public, it is of higher account–all the far more reason for caution. Amen. Blessings.
