PyroManiac has been at the game of charismatic-bating. Citing examples of clearly erroneous prophecy he implies but then denies arguing that the charismatic gifts have ceased - although one gets the feeling that is coming up next! The comments were not as voluminous as I thought they would be, but one of them tickled me pink:

"If I remember correctly, Martin Lloyd Jones believed in the gifts for today. C.J. Mahaney, Adrian Warnock, John Piper, highly respected men believe in the gifts for today. I don't see any of these guys going off on strange tangents with weird words of prophecy."

To see my name in a list of such greats as the rest of these men made my year! It is absolutely fearsome the way that blogging can take an obscure preacher from London and, at least in the mind of one commentator, place him in a list like that! Perhaps I should stop blogging now before I lead someone seriously astray!

Anyway, on the subject of prophecy, I have little to add to what I already said in my cessationism debate with Jollyblogger, in which he totally capitulated whilst listing all our previous posts in the following manner (I think his tongue was somewhat in his cheek at the time!).

If you read Adrian's post you see that he references a prophecy that was given in reference to C. H. Spurgeon. In a private IM conversation with Adrian I told him that I give up, he wins. After all, in theological debate a Spurgeon quote settles any issue. A Spurgeon quote is like four aces in poker, its like sinking a sixty foot putt for eagle on the 18th at Augusta (or St. Andrews) to win the Masters (British Open), its Michael Jordan's buzzer beater that defeats the Jazz in the NBA finals - in short, a Spurgeon quote settles any theological argument.

Actually David did go on to make some interesting points, and the conclusion we came to was that just as there are indeed extreme charismatics (the loonies?) there are also moderate cessationists who at least recognize that God is real and active today and it is possible to experience him in some way. I will be interested to find out if pyromaniac is what I call an extreme cessationist or not.

I fear for some today that they might find themselves directly opposing the teaching of the bible which in the ESV says: So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:39 ) and speaks of those "having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power" (2 Tim 3:5)