Our home of nearly 30 years, Hilltop Acres Ranch, is truly a wonderful place to live and we thank our Lord for the "grace and peace" we find here, not to mention the pileated woodpeckers and deer.
This little fellow was about 30 feet from our house nestled in the grass.
AN OPEN LETTER TO GRACE BELIEVERS EVERYWHERE:
It was July 12th
2002 that Carol was hit head-on by a ten passenger van and was
hospitalized for the next 19 days and bedridden at our home the next
seven weeks. What Pastor C. Richard Jordan was preaching during that
time was not a high priority item for me, except that during that July,
people from our church came home with Jordan’s teaching that Jesus did
not know he was the Son of God until the Father told him in Luke 3, that
Jesus did not exhibit any of the attributes of God during His earthly
ministry, and that Christ is not omniscient even today.
You cannot imagine my shock or chagrin
that Pastor Jordan would put such a confused representation of Kenotic
Theology forth at a conference attended by both lost and saved, young
and old, babes and mature, and send my folks back to me with these
heretical ideas.
With respect to this subject I have now
studied what has been written by Lewis Sperry Chafer, Oliver B. Greene,
R.A. Torrey, Hugh McIntosh, H.C. Thiessen, probably three dozen
commentaries and several theological dictionaries. Unquestionably, no
writer says about the Kenosis what Pastor Jordan is saying, but perhaps
a more appropriate question I have is the one you alluded to in you
letter: why is this a subject preached at bible conferences? Are we as
the Athenians of Acts 17.21 or is there acceptance of Open View Theology
in Pastor Jordan’s future? What good did Pastor Jordan would think
could possibly come from such problematical teaching?
A.A. Milne has Winnie-the-Pooh describe
himself as a "bear of very little brain" which is a description I feel
comfortable in sharing: meanwhile, in my more than twenty years of
pulpit ministry I have never felt it appropriate to teach anything that
would confuse people over the person and deity of our precious Lord
Jesus Christ and I simply cannot imagine why Pastor Jordan would send my
people back home to me with the idea that Jesus had to find out he was
the Son of God in Luke 3.22 when Christ clearly knew it in Luke 2.49,
that Jesus exhibited none of the attributes of God in the four gospels
and worst of all, that my Savior doesn’t have omniscience even today.
Simple minded me: I see Jesus doing
things that exhibit deity in all four gospels, and I see no reason in
the world to stand in any pulpit anywhere and say that he did not.
On top of that, you cannot teach the
words “emptied himself” from a King James Bible, but even if you rely on
‘the Greek,’ or a translation such as the NASV which does use those
words, did He not humble Himself at the cross, not at the incarnation?
And again, is it not terribly intemperate to raise these sorts of
issues, so as to minister questions?
Like you, I see a tremendous
inappropriateness to all this, but now that Pastor Jordan and his
attention seeking wanna-be's have preached this far and wide, we are
stuck with dealing with the problem they has created. It is good that
you urge patience; but his message went out to hundreds and was dropped
in my lap by people who heard him teach it and wrongly assumed that I
would agree with anything Pastor Jordan taught since we were such good
friends. It is good that you suggest interacting in writing, but tapes
of this deleterious message with its pernicious doctrines are already
all over America, and now his friends are preaching this same message on
the internet. You are so right to suggest restraint but the heretical
cat has already been let out of the bag. Where was the wisdom and
restraint that Pastor C. Richard Jordan should have exhibited in his
sermon topic selection and its appropriateness for general audiences?
The more I study what has been written
about Philippians 2.3-6 the more my head hurts. Some of what you sent
was new to me and having read it, I again agree with you that it is a
subject that requires patient prayerful study. This is a subject that
should not be treated in the flippant manner of Pastor Jordan, (“Wait,
son, there is something else for you to know about” as Pastor Jordan has
God the Father saying in his message “When Did Christ Learn the
Mystery”) and certainly is not a subject appropriate for bible
conferences (and perhaps Pastor Jordan sensed that when he said “If I
was getting that across to you, you couldn’t be looking at me that
blank” or “Can you grasp some of that in your mind without being a
heretic?”).
Men of stature, men of character, men of
integrity admit when they have erred and endeavor to do better. Pastor
Jordan now resorts to name calling and avoiding dealing with the mess he
created with his own intemperate impertinent flippant irreverent
inappropriate message. Our opponents wrongly say “You people make too
much of Paul” but thanks to Pastor Jordan they can now say “You make too
little of Christ,” or, "You teach Christ as a lesser god" and they'd be
right.
When I disagreed with the teachings that Pastor Jordan exposed our people to, he and his ring-kissers heard about it, even though I had never once mentioned him by name. Since then the attack on me has been relentless and scurrilous. Pastor Jordan refuses to speak to me, answer my emails or the four letters I sent him or my request to air this allout in a public forum. In a manner most Machiavellian, Pastor Jordan avoids the doctrinal ussue and avoids me, while his Grace Gestapo levels incessant person attack on me, thereby intimidating anyone that would disagree with the doctrinal issues they created.
Pastor Terence D. McLean
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Just
before our recent trip to Georgia, I received a series of emails from a
white pastor, and the point of those emails was to inform me that blacks
are welcome in his church, which I never doubted. Yet I was portrayed in
those emails as being a terrible scoundrel for having said that I would
like to locate and help black leadership, not simply black membership.
It is fascinating to me that I was thinking of a black pastor, a
graduate of DBI with a wonderful and successful ministry in Valdosta
Georgia, but a white pastor 250 miles north in Chattanooga Tennessee and
just 10 miles from Rossville Georgia, took it as a threat to his
ministry. That pastor attacked me, lied to me, told me that the emails
that he had sent me were really from someone else, an anonymous someone
else, and then after he had done all the damage he could prior to my
July 15th meeting, he sent this apology...
As you read the letter above,
ask yourself, why did this brother have a temper problem and why was he
angry. Sister Carol and I were here in Ohio minding our own business,
getting ready for our trip and had had no contact with this Pastor in
over a year. His temper, his anger were the product of something,
though, weren't they? And he was angry and tempestuous enough to send me
four very nasty emails laced with unkind remarks, all stemming from the
fact that I had said in a Sunday meeting at Grace Bible Fellowship here
in Ohio, that there are still race issues in this country of ours and
that there needs to be some black leadership in the grace movement...
and what is an absolute hoot is that I was thinking of Valdosta Georgia
and not Rossville/Chattanooga.
Billy Sunday famously said: When you throw a rock at a pack of dogs, the one that yelps is the one you hit.
And while I can accept the apology you read above, the gentleman has lost my trust and respect, as you might suppose.
...and so, we press on and all I can think to say in summation is that Pastor Atwood and the men who preach at his conferences no doubt deserve each other and every one of them will tell you what a bad guy I am.
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ALL HAT, NO COWBOY “The policy of the Grace Unity Conference is, ‘Nobody is right and nobody is wrong.’” What kind of idiot would make such a statement and then gather Calvinists with Armenians, deity-deniers and Bible-correctors, 28ers and 9ers, Romans 10:9-10ers with I Corinthians 15:1-4ers, and make it policy that nobody is wrong? There are proponents of Luke 16 being a parable on this list, there are fellows who are racists as well as some who merely teach racist doctrine on this list, and there are more than a few on this list who are little more than loud-mouthed hot dogs. And the policy is that nobody is wrong? Is Rodney King in charge of this thing? Or maybe Mickey and Minnie Mouse? But one thing every fellow on this list has in common: each and every one of them is willing to compromise on the King James Bible being God’s perfectly preserved words. No one should ever think these men are “King James Only” because we now have the evidence that they don’t care. Mark them and have no fellowship. Publicity for this bad joke conference of cowards says: “Having a mutual foundation for the Grace Unity Conferences far outweighs the problems of allowing all sorts of different bibles with the disunity among these bibles.” Really…. unity over the Bible? Where have we heard that before? These idiots think they can unite without agreement as to the final authority in all matters of faith, practice and doctrine? The “Featured Guest Speaker” (Les Feldick) is a man who disparages and corrects the King James Bible continually, and these fools are going to sit there and let him do it. And since he is the featured speaker, does not that testify to his biblical infidelity being not only acceptable, but preferred over being a King James Bible-believer? This collection of wanna-be wimps will deal with four topics which were chosen by these geniuses who think that nobody is wrong. If nobody is wrong, why bother? If nobody is wrong, why not just separate the white people from the black people and have separate-but-equal group hugs while singing Kumbya. After all, “disunity among the bibles” cannot be allowed to get in the way of an opportunity to visit the Mouse in Orlando and speak at a conference with such a famous TV preacher and Bible-corrector. You folks that live in Orlando need to get out the mustard and ketchup because the hot dogs are coming to your town, honey. You’ve got a fellow on the list above who read a poem about hearing the bells in Christmas day to his “church” and then wrapped up the meeting by telling them Jesus’ life is their pattern. You’ve got a fellow on this list that does not want to see black men/women with white men/women and teaches segregation. You’ve got a fellow on this list who says Jesus laid aside ALL His attributes of deity in the gospels. You’ve got a fellow on this list that has two bodies of Christ. You’ve got a fellow on this list that cusses from his pulpit. You’ve got a fellow on this list who told me Romans 8:1 and Romans 5:11 are wrong in the King James Bible, which was the last time I let him tell me anything. But let’s not talk about any of the real issues that divide us. Let’s not have an open forum and debate. Let’s not kick out the racists. Let’s not rid ourselves of the phony fakers who don’t even prepare their own sermons, preferring to preach warmed over pottage taken from web sites. Let’s pretend as if there is no issue over whether Christ had any attributes of deity during His earthly ministry. At the same time, we must give these stupid fools credit for getting one thing right: they do know the best way to find their version of unity is to get rid of the King James Bible believing Christians and have a conference of cowards, compromisers and infidels. If you haven’t been invited to attend or preach at this mess, good for you.
He that cometh preacheth another Jesus whom we have not preached... II Corinthians 11:4 We all know, there are many aberrant groups teaching heresy with respect to the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here are some examples of the damnable teachings that are out there, as Satan has “blinded the minds of them which believe not”
WORLD WIDE CHURCH OF GOD (Herbert W. Armstrong):“Jesus
Christ himself will never be quantitatively equal with God”
“His father is God: they are two separate persons.”
Quotations from “What it Means to be Equal with God” pages
21-22, 43.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE (Mary Baker Eddy) “Jesus is the human man
and Christ is the divine idea.” “If there had never
existed such a person as the Galilean Prophet, it would make
no difference.
Quotations from “Science Health and the Scriptures” page
473, First Church of Christ Scientist page 318-319.
JEHOVAH WITNESSES (Judge Rutherford & Charles Taze Russell)
“Michael the archangel is no other than the only-begotten
son of God, now Jesus Christ.”
Quotation from “New Heaven New Earth” page 30. MORMONISM (Joseph Smith, Brigham Young): “By obedience and devotion he attained to the pinnacle of intelligence which ranked him as a God.” Quotation from “Mormon Doctrine” page 172.
WAY INTERNATIONAL (Victor Paul Wierwille): “Jesus Christ was
the son of God but not God the son.”
Quotation from “Jesus Christ is Not God” page 16. UNIFICATION CHURCH (Sun Yung Moon) “As a man Jesus was not different from us.” “He can by no means be called God” Quotations from “Divine Principle” page 210-212.
When we encounter people who have been victimized by such teaching, we try to get them saved, but in order to do that we much open our Bibles and show them that Jesus was worthy to die for their sins because Jesus Christ is God, the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Christ’s deity is the central doctrine of Christianity. To demonstrate the deity of Christ to the victims of cults most generally we page through the four gospels to demonstrate Christ’s miracle-working power, His omniscience as He even knows what people are thinking, His resurrection from the dead with victory over death, hell and the grave. Most all of us have taken evangelistic or “soul-winning” courses which all include a lesson on how to demonstrate the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please consider trying to show the JW at your door that Jesus is God...without using Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How would you show Christ’s deity to those nice Mormon boys on their bicycles if you could never once refer to the four gospels? Or the Moonie selling flowers at the airport? Or the World Widers trying to take over your church? Pastor C. Richard Jordan, Grace School of the Bible, pastor of the Shorewood Bible Church in Chicago, would have you to believe that Christ had none of the attributes of deity in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. If you believe that and support that teaching, how then do you witness the deity of Christ to cult members? More importantly, why would you not recognize that what Pastor Jordan and his followers are teaching and believing is really no different from what the Christ-denying cults teach and believe? Here are some examples: "Jesus Christ, now get this terminology in your mind: Jesus Christ, voluntarily, of His own free will, laid aside the free and independent exercise of all of His attributes as God." "And He said, "I wont use my power, my ability as God." "He makes the choice to lay aside the independent exercise of His Deity in order to become a man." "He lived in total dependence on the will and the word of His Father and He said, ‘Without what the father tells me, I can do nothing.’" "He’s living in total dependence even today. Even now, in what God the Father communicated to him." "You know when He learned about the mystery? He learned it when He was set at the Father’s right hand in the third heavens, far above all heavens, right there when He ascended up into the heavens and sat at the Father’s right hand, educated in the prophetic program, there came a time when the fall of Israel took place and the wrath of God is ready to be poured out and the Father says "Wait Son, there is something else for you to know about...and He took Him up above all heavens and revealed to Him the wonderful finality of the revelation of all that God accomplished at Calvary." Quotations from Pastor C. Richard Jordan’s message "When Did Christ Learn the Mystery." A tape and transcript of this message has been sent to more than 150 people and is available to you free by request. Watch for it on our website as well. Pastor C. Richard Jordan may be dispensational and may know the mystery, but it is apparent he does not know Christ. Can Pastor Jordan be saved when he does not know Christ according to the scriptures, as Paul twice requires in I Corinthians 15:1-4? And if you attend Shorewood Bible Church or go to one of the conferences affiliated with Pastor Jordan, should you not attend just as you would go to a Kingdom Hall or a Christian Science Reading Room: to present the deity of Christ and pray that souls would be saved? How can you say that it is acceptable to support Pastor Jordan’s church or school or conferences when you would not say that about any other cultic teacher who denies Christ’s deity? As much as I might have personal affection for Pastor Jordan and his followers as people, the enemy of my Saviour’s deity is an enemy of the gospel of Christ and must be declared Anathema. If your pastor fellowships with Pastor Jordan is your pastor a heretic as well, or just a coward? And what about you? Have you thought about the Judgement Seat of Christ lately? You want to tell Him then that this business about Pastor Jordan and the deity of Christ really didn’t matter? Terence D. McLean
This letter has never been answered... Dear Pastor Richard Jordan, the Elders of Shorewood Bible Church and any/all other interested parties. Let’s clear the air once and for all. Let's hear what Pastor C. Richard Jordan has to say about Christ giving up all His deity attributes. Let's hear Terence D. McLean answer that Christ did not surrender all His deity in the gospels and hear the answer to such verses as Mark 13:32. Hear Pastor C. Richard Jordan teach what he believes about racial prophecy. Hear Terence D. McLean refute what he believes to be ignorant racist dogma. Anytime, Anywhere We propose an all day meeting, with enough notice that everyone who wants to can attend. We willpay for the expenses of the meeting at a site Pastor Jordan is welcome to select (within reason), and at a time mutually agreeable. Our only stipulations are that nothing be done in secret, so secret meetings behind closed doors (as Alex Kurz suggested), but out in the open with cameras and tape recorders running. 1. Pastor C. Richard Jordan, Grace School of the Bible, Shorewood Bible Church in Chicago, has taught that "Jesus Christ, voluntarily, of His own free will, laid aside the free and independent exercise of all of His attributes as God" and that "He’s (Christ’s) living in total dependence even today, even now, in what God the Father communicated to Him." Terence D. McLean believes what Pastor Jordan has taught us is dangerous heresy, liberal Kenotic theology that cannot be taught from the King James text. 2. Pastor Jordan has taught us that what Noah said to his three sons is a "racial prophecy" still in operation even now, thereby placing limits on blacks, whites and yellow to this very day. Pastor McLean believes that what Pastor Jordan teaches in his Grace School of the Bible is the same shameful racist dogma taught by the KKK, Aryan Nation, and others laboring in ignorant traditions, and has not place in grace teaching. 3. Pastor Jordan has taught us that I Timothy 3:16 is about us as members of the body of Christ rather than about Christ Himself. McLean believes that Pastor Jordan continues to denigrate Christ and to elevate humanity, again as the expense of the King James text. 4. We propose spending three hours on the first topic, two hours on the second and one hour on the third, with a final hour for questions from the audience. Further, we will provide audio tapes and transcripts of Pastor Jordan’s heretical message entitled "When Did Christ Learn The Mystery?" Finally, we will also provide the audio tapes of the Grace School of the Bible classes taught by Pastor Jordan in which Jordan teaches racism and bible doctrine. Do not allow Pastor Jordan to hide behind a King James Bible which he clearly does not believe. Do not allow Pastor Jordan to get away with obfuscating his liberal agenda. Do not allow Pastor Jordan to get away with introducing heresy into the grace movement. Let’s get this out in the open once and for all so that Pastor Jordan can get back to his shopping at the mall. Let’s get this settled so the grace movement can discard Pastor Jordan into the scrap heap of liberal heresy and return to fidelity to the King James Bible. Have Pastor Jordan give us a call at 1-888-KJV-1769. We have called him several times and he never returns our calls. Have Pastor Jordan drop me a note at Box 87, Alpha Oh, 45301. We sent four letters to him which he failed to answer. Thank you. Terence D. McLean Romans 16:17-18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
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