Calvary Chapel/Chuck Smith

[Mantis]

So I have to give credit to Calvary chapel for their radio program. It has helped me through this lone christian experience until I started attending church. And I still enjoy the preaching on CSN. I do not agree with their pre-trib rapture doctrine but no church has everything correct. But recently I learned that Chuck Smith(the founder of Calvary Chapels) had set a date for Jesus' return. Like in the 80's or something then he moved the date a couple of times when he didn't come on his date. Does not this make him a false prophet? Would that not make all of his doctrine not worth listening to? I just can't believe a man of God, that preached Jesus would claim a date of his return.

 

[farouk]

So I have to give credit to Calvary chapel for their radio program. It has helped me through this lone christian experience until I started attending church. And I still enjoy the preaching on CSN. I do not agree with their pre-trib rapture doctrine but no church has everything correct. But recently I learned that Chuck Smith(the founder of Calvary Chapels) had set a date for Jesus' return. Like in the 80's or something then he moved the date a couple of times when he didn't come on his date. Does not this make him a false prophet? Would that not make all of his doctrine not worth listening to? I just can't believe a man of God, that preached Jesus would claim a date of his return.

@Mantis If the Bible itself does not give a date for it, then why should we, right?

 

[Mantis]

@Mantis If the Bible itself does not give a date for it, then why should we, right?

Yes correct. I think we have to be very careful of false teachers these days.

 

[farouk]

Yes correct. I think we have to be very careful of false teachers these days.

@Mantis Indeed so; :Thy word is truth" (John 17.17), not men with a following...

 

[marks]

So I have to give credit to Calvary chapel for their radio program. It has helped me through this lone christian experience until I started attending church. And I still enjoy the preaching on CSN. I do not agree with their pre-trib rapture doctrine but no church has everything correct. But recently I learned that Chuck Smith(the founder of Calvary Chapels) had set a date for Jesus' return. Like in the 80's or something then he moved the date a couple of times when he didn't come on his date. Does not this make him a false prophet? Would that not make all of his doctrine not worth listening to? I just can't believe a man of God, that preached Jesus would claim a date of his return.

I was there at the time. I was rather surprised! He said that we wouldn't know the day or the hour, but he thought he had it down to within the next couple of months. I forget exactly what year, it was Christmastime, early 80's. If I remember right, he modified it slightly once, and then dropped it, realizing this wasn't the best idea.

He also in his later years reversed his position on eternal security based on his observations of Charles Templeton. We always need keep in mind, people are just people.

But I believe Chuck was chosen by God from birth to be used as he was. He never had alcohol a single time in his life, never touched drug, barely even took an aspirin, made a serious commitment to God at age 12, which was borne out throughout the remainder of his long life.

Much love!

 

[Mantis]

I was there at the time. I was rather surprised! He said that we wouldn't know the day or the hour, but he thought he had it down to within the next couple of months. I forget exactly what year, it was Christmastime, early 80's. If I remember right, he modified it slightly once, and then dropped it, realizing this wasn't the best idea.

He also in his later years reversed his position on eternal security based on his observations of Charles Templeton. We always need keep in mind, people are just people.

But I believe Chuck was chosen by God from birth to be used as he was. He never had alcohol a single time in his life, never touched drug, barely even took an aspirin, made a serious commitment to God at age 12, which was borne out throughout the remainder of his long life.

Much love!

Yeah obviously God blessed his ministry greatly. I just can’t believe he set a date.

 

[TEXBOW]

Yeah obviously God blessed his ministry greatly. I just can’t believe he set a date.

I've listened to exactly what Chuck said and he never said he prophesied the date. He was not saying that the Lord told him a date. He like you and I have our own beliefs about prophetic scripture. I agree not the best idea coming from a Pastor but he did make a distinction between prophecy and his understanding of world events at the time.
Mike Winger (search on Youtube) did a video on this very subject about Chuck. As great as Chuck was he put his pants on every day just like we do. He was a devoted man and I continue to listen to his expository sermons on a podcast to this day.

 

[Mantis]

I've listened to exactly what Chuck said and he never said he prophesied the date. He was not saying that the Lord told him a date. He like you and I have our own beliefs about prophetic scripture. I agree not the best idea coming from a Pastor but he did make a distinction between prophecy and his understanding of world events at the time.
Mike Winger (search on Youtube) did a video on this very subject about Chuck. As great as Chuck was he put his pants on every day just like we do. He was a devoted man and I continue to listen to his expository sermons on a podcast to this day.

Oh well that makes a difference for sure. If it was not “prophecy” then obviously it is an assumption from his studies. I like that he was not claiming that this was a prophetic date.

 

[farouk]

I was there at the time. I was rather surprised! He said that we wouldn't know the day or the hour, but he thought he had it down to within the next couple of months. I forget exactly what year, it was Christmastime, early 80's. If I remember right, he modified it slightly once, and then dropped it, realizing this wasn't the best idea.

He also in his later years reversed his position on eternal security based on his observations of Charles Templeton. We always need keep in mind, people are just people.

But I believe Chuck was chosen by God from birth to be used as he was. He never had alcohol a single time in his life, never touched drug, barely even took an aspirin, made a serious commitment to God at age 12, which was borne out throughout the remainder of his long life.

Much love!

@marks As regards Templeton, it doesn't change the doctrine at all. Like, if Templeton turned away from the faith, it would indicate he never truly believed (whatever he professed), rather than introducing any idea that the truly saved today can be lost tomorrow.

 

[marks]

@marks As regards Templeton, it doesn't change the doctrine at all. Like, if Templeton turned away from the faith, it would indicate he never truly believed (whatever he professed), rather than introducing any idea that the truly saved today can be lost tomorrow.

When I read what Mr. Templeton had to say for himself, he turned away because he began to learn what what the Bible teaches, and knew he didn't believe those things. He was an excellent orator, and presented the Gospel well, but himself, he did not believe.

Much love!

 

[Enoch111]

@marks As regards Templeton, it doesn't change the doctrine at all. Like, if Templeton turned away from the faith, it would indicate he never truly believed (whatever he professed), rather than introducing any idea that the truly saved today can be lost tomorrow.

I would agree. Templeton may simply have been a false professor presenting himself as a Christian. That does not change the doctrine of eternal security. I am familiar with Calvary Chapels, but never had much involvement with Chuck Smith or those churches. In any event Chuck should have been fully aware that no one should be setting dates (especially after what happened with the Millerites). Not too long ago blood moons were all the rage, but you do not hear about them now. The truth is that we are very close to the reign of the Antichrist because the NWO (now called "The Great Reset") is in full swing, following which will come the Second Coming of Christ.

 

[TEXBOW]

I would agree. Templeton may simply have been a false professor presenting himself as a Christian. That does not change the doctrine of eternal security. I am familiar with Calvary Chapels, but never had much involvement with Chuck Smith or those churches. In any event Chuck should have been fully aware that no one should be setting dates (especially after what happened with the Millerites). Not too long ago blood moons were all the rage, but you do not hear about them now. The truth is that we are very close to the reign of the Antichrist because the NWO (now called "The Great Reset") is in full swing, following which will come the Second Coming of Christ.

It seemed to me that Chuck let his disgust with the direction of our society influence his reasoning that the rapture had to be soon. Chuck would really be disgusted today. Chuck's generation saw a great contrast in social norms and behavior. America was a very different place when he was a very young man. I really enjoy Chuck's expository teaching of each book. Great to listen to while driving.

 

[Berserk]

I would agree. Templeton may simply have been a false professor presenting himself as a Christian.

Where did you get the false idea Templeton was a professor? He was co-founder of Youth for Christ and, back in the early 1950s, was widely considered to have more potential as a mass evangelist than his good friend, Billy Graham. He even once raised the dead, though in his later atheist years he thought there must be natural explanation for this resuscitation from death. He lost his faith over issues like the alleged Genesis creation myth vs. evolution.

Enoch: "That does not change the doctrine of eternal security."

A damaging heresy that has created many a nominal Chrisian! I still remember the altar call given by a Baptist evangelist in the largest Baptist church in the city of my youth. He bellowed, ''If you walk down this aisle and accept Christ as your Savior and Lord, you can curse Gof to His face when you leave this place, and you'll still be saved!"