|
OCC Recommends
- Christian Counseling Degree |
|
|
|
| ||
HOME
vouche for the biblical orthodoxy or beliefs of
any of the ministries or companies that have ads that appear on this site.]
Updated 5/16/08
WARNING: THOUGH EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO READ THE ARTICLES ON THIS WEB SITE, IT IS WRITTEN PRIMARILY FOR THE GREATER EVANGELICAL CHURCH. WE DON'T EXPECT NON-CHRISTIANS TO ADHERE TO THE WORD OF GOD...BUT CHRISTIAN, ARE YOU 'ALLERGIC' TO BIBLICAL & SPIRITUAL CONVICTION? HAVE YOU BEEN "CONDITIONED" TO RECEIVE ONLY A "SWEET" AND "EASY" WORD THAT MUST ALWAYS MAKE YOU "FEEL GOOD"? ARE YOU TRULY FOLLOWING JESUS OR ARE YOU BOWING TO A "SYSTEM," A "FORMULA," OR ARE YOU IDOLIZING SOME CHURCH OR LEADER? THE HOUR IS EXTREMELY LATE. MOST OF THE CHURCH WANTS TO HAVE THEIR EARS TICKLED, WHICH IS WHY GOD WANTS US TO BE DIRECT CONCERNING THE SIN AND APOSTASY THAT HAS INFECTED MOST OF THE CHURCH.
A VOICE CRYING FROM THE WILDERNESS... PROCLAIMING:
PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD!
THE GREAT DAY OF THE LORD IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!!!
BUT THE HOUR IS COMING, AND NOW IS, WHEN TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH; FOR THE FATHER IS SEEKING SUCH TO WORSHIP HIM. GOD IS A SPIRIT: AND THEY THAT WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.
John 4:23,24
"We are told to love one another as Christ has loved us. Pop psychology trivializes that command by equating it with a 'positive' attitude. Forgotten is the first duty of love: to speak the truth (Ephesians 4:15). Real love does not flatter or soothe when correction is needed but [rather] points out the error which is blinding and harming the loved one. Christ said, 'As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent' (Revelation 3:19). Instead, the idea is now current that love excludes rebuke, ignores the truth, and seeks unity at any price. Only disaster can result." Dave Hunt
OUR LORD JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES WARNED US EXPRESSLY ABOUT WHAT THE BODY OF CHRIST WOULD GO THROUGH IN THESE LAST DAYS:
SEE THAT NOT ANY LEADS YOU ASTRAY. FOR MANY WILL COME IN MY NAME, SAYING, I AM THE CHRIST AND THEY WILL CAUSE MANY TO BE LED ASTRAY...AND THEN MANY WILL BE ENSNARED.... AND MANY FALSE PROPHETS WILL BE RAISED AND WILL CAUSE MANY TO ERR... AND BECAUSE LAWLESSNESS SHALL HAVE BEEN MULTIPLIED, THE LOVE OF MANY WILL GROW COLD. Matthew 24:4,5,10,11,12
Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition [the Antichrist]).
2nd Thess. 2:3 Amplified
Realize that this next shocking BIBLE prophecy is the general description of the CHURCH in these last days:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY IS FIGHTING FOR IT'S LIFE:
WE ARE COMPELLED BY CHRIST AND HIS WORD TO:
...Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Tim. 3:1-7 & 4:2-4 KJ
SOUND THE TRUMPET IN THE CAMP!
We may be only months away in America from losing the right to preach the full Gospel of Christ as hate-filled, ( ie: 'Dobson editing radio show to avoid 'hate crimes' laws') Christian-hating groups in and out of government, work like demons to destroy our rights and label Biblical truths as "hate speech." WHERE ARE OUR EVANGELICAL "LEADERS"(whom so many idolize) AND WHY ARE SO FEW OF THEM, PREACHING SO LITTLE GOSPEL TRUTH WHEN SO MUCH OF THE CHURCH IS FALLING AWAY FROM THE LIFE-CHANGING POWER OF THE AUTHENTIC GOSPEL???
AMERICA WAS FOUNDED AS A CHRISTIAN NATION AND WITH ULTIMATE FERVOR, GOD IS NOW WARNING AMERICA AND ALL OF CHRISTENDOM TO REPENT OF HER GROSS SINS:
IF MY PEOPLE, WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, AND PRAY, AND SEEK MY FACE, AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS; THEN WILL I HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR LAND.
II Chronicles 7:14
Many religious FRAUDS, CHARLATANS and DECEIVED CHRISTIANS (ie: APOSTATES & PRETENDERS), are preaching and spreading an APOSTATE MIXTURE of various kinds that is preying upon a self-centered, self-indulgent, decadent and worldly, Western church. These consumately deceived pretenders and charlatan's antics and words, are INCREASING the hatred toward ALL born-again Christians. Christian-haters abound and love to label us ALL as being "hateful, crazy, bigots" because some of us still believe in the true Gospel and the supreme Truth of God's Word. Hate towards Christians has become an acceptable sport worldwide, as we seem to be the only group (much like the Jews of 1930's Germany) not to deserve tolerance and constitutional rights. However, those Christians who display obvious bizarre religious behavior and who preach a FALSE and COUNTERFEIT form of Christianity, are inadvertently encouraging this kind of hatred and discrimination against all of us. Most of the "Faith Movement" TV "ministries," seem to be RELIGIOUSLY INSANE and project a CULTISH, FIERCE AND SELF-ENTITLED SUPERIORITY, which causes them to disparage anyone who dares to tell them the truth and call them to repentance! Many Bible-believing people believe (as I do) that there are several counterfeit streams of spiritual deception or 'apostasy' (def: a militant falling away from true, biblical Faith in Jesus and His Word, and the application thereof) within the greater evangelical church today, which is what the Apostle Paul warned us would have to come before Jesus would return.
Neo-evangelicals, (compare to the term "neo-con", really meaning of "neo" being false or phony, I use interchangeably with 'pseudo-evangelical') dominate the evangelical church today, whose beliefs are grounded more in psychology, the idolatry of certain "leaders" and pop philosophy than in the Bible. Extremely subtly, they act and believe that their faith is mostly about projecting the right "POSITIVE IMAGE" and resulting in an acceptable (self-righteous) PEDIGREE; whose religious, hypocritical snobbery, also offends most non-believers and all genuine followers of Jesus. They tend to practice a "christianized" form of political correctness. I also call them "MUPPIES", Modern Urban Pharisees, as many of them closely resemble "christianized" versions of 'yuppies'. Muppies inadvertently tend to think and behave like types of neo-Calvinists; believing and behaving as though their particular superior lot in life, is because they have been especially "chosen" by God, as opposed to those of "lesser classes." Their services tend to resemble slick infomercials, (or Spirit-less dead religion) as many pseudo-churches strive to copy the newest style of "doing church," rather than striving to please, love, and worship Jesus, in SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH!
____________________________________________
Welcome!
If you've not already realized it, this is a 'tough love' discernment site, primarily written for evangelicals of all walks and denominations. It is an open 'wake up call' to repent of a rising tide of erroneous teaching and doctrines found in the greater evangelical church today. IT IS NOT A SITE FOR THE FAINT OF HEART OR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN "PEACE AT ANY COST" OR THAT 'CHRISTIAN LOVE' MEANS NEVER CONFRONTING OTHERS OR "JUDGING" CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES; THEIR FRUITS AND THEIR BELIEFS! IF WE DON'T DISCERN AND IDENTIFY GROSS ERROR WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THESE LAST DAYS, WE WILL BE LED ASTRAY! WE ARE COMMANDED TO "MARK THEM" (identify as kindly as possible) THOSE WHO PREACH AND TEACH DANGEROUS HERESY! This ministry thoroughly believes that we are in the last of the last days of the church age and that the extreme apostasy (falling away from the truth of the Gospel, the Bible, and godly principles that undergird our freedoms and liberties) is now cresting, as Satan begins his final assault against the bride of Christ and the ultimate de-humanization and destruction of MOST of mankind. WE ARE COMPELLED TO PROCLAIM THIS OUT OF SINCERE LOVE FOR JESUS, HIS WORD, AND ANYONE WHO HAS 'EARS TO HEAR'. WE PRAY THAT ALL WHO CLAIM HIM AS SAVIOR AND ARE CONVICTED BY THESE WORDS WILL REPENT OF THEIR SINS AND BE RESTORED! WE CONDEMN NO ONE! GOD'S SAVING GRACE IS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE
SHOULD WE AND MAJOR MINISTRIES LIKE 'DECEPTION IN THE CHURCH', EXPOSE ERRANT MINISTERS AND THEIR FALSE TEACHINGS? IS IT BIBLICAL AND NECESSARY TO DO SO? How is it that we are in one accord with ministries such as 'Deception in the Church,' Dave Hunt, 'Pawcreek', John Ankerberg, and many others? (I am not saying that they agree with everything that we state) We do address the major streams of deception, heresy and apostasy, which have ushered in the dominating "doctrines" and dogmas, which are DESTROYING evangelical Christendom today. In obedience to God's Word, we identify the erroneous doctrines and many of the teachers of those doctrines.
Most Christians and ministries, are clueless to the fact that many churches, denominations, and entire popular movements are in the depths of falling away (definition of "apostasy") from the Truth and power of the Gospel and is instead embracing evil doctrines that will merge all religions under one evil consortium under the coming Antichrist. For more documentation, please read some of these articles from the website: 'Deception in the Church.'
Can true Christian 'salt and light' still be found in groups of believers? Are there churches that strive to truly worship Jesus in Spirit and in Truth? Hopefully yes, but those devoted Christians and ministries are under increasing spiritual attack from the world and even from within what may call itself the "church." Some believe that "the Christian church in America has become largely irrelevant," says professor, judge, minister and author Earl A. Clampett Jr. "It has lost its salt and light. It has surrendered its witness to the world at large." We may be only months away in America from losing the right to preach the full Gospel of Christ. Please read the following scriptures, which continue the basis of this website ministry:
John Ankerberg Ministries is one of two major ministries that God has used to inspire this ministry (Dave Hunt being the other) to pursue Biblical Truth and apply it to our time.
This video (and it's whole series) fully captures the vital Truth that the church and the world need to hear about these last days:
At the end of this video, other Ankerberg videos and other ministries' videos are available for viewing.
God's Truth, His Presence; the simplicity, beauty, and power of following and abiding IN Jesus, has been lost in most churches. The precious Oil of the Holy Ghost is in great shortage in the church because people are forsaking Jesus and His marvelous Word and replacing Jesus with their own selfish agendas, formulas, schemes and idols! Half-baked, Spirit-less converts cannot go forth and make disciples as Jesus commands us to.
AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE. John 8:32
JESUS SAID TO HIM, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME." John 14:6
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction...By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words... II Peter 2:1-3
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matt 7:15
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Acts 20:29
...BREAK UP THE FALLOW GROUND for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes... Hosea 10:12
"Christ calls men to carry a cross; we call them to have fun in His name.... He calls them to holiness; we call them to a cheap and tawdry happiness that would have been rejected with scorn by the least of the Stoic philosophers... The contemporary moral climate does not favor a faith as tough and fibrous as that taught by our Lord and His apostles. The delicate, brittle saints being produced in our religious hothouses today are hardly to be compared with the committed, expendable believers who once gave their witness among men. And the fault lies with our leaders. They are too timid to tell the people all the truth. They are now asking men to give to God that which costs them nothing.
Our churches are filled (or one-quarter filled) with a soft breed of Christian that must be fed on a diet of harmless fun to keep them interested. About theology they know little. No wonder their moral and spiritual constitution is so frail. Such can only be called weak adherents of a faith they never really understood."
A. W. Tozer (via The Christian Expositor)
"Truth becomes the sacrifice:
When absolutism is out, and relativism is in;
When obedience is out, and pragmatism is in;
When teaching is out, and dialogue is in;
When thus saith the Lord is out, and consensus of opinion is in; When using Scripture to judge right and wrong is out, and unity with tolerance at all costs is in; When the narrow way is out, and the broad way is in." (Tamara Hartzell, In The Name of Purpose: Sacrificing Truth on the Altar of Unity) found at: Berit Kjos ministry site
________________________________________________
Though this web site constitutes an open call to repentance for the greater evangelical body of believers, we must first proclaim the tremendous grace and forgiveness that is available to all of those who repent of their sins, compromises, and idols, and who then seek, and follow Jesus. The supernatural grace, love, transformation power, and Presence of God, has been lost in most churches. The real power of the Gospel (Jesus) completely changes a person from the inside out. Very little of this kind of spiritual Jesus power is found in churches that systematically compromise His Truth, disobey the Lord and His Word and thus quench the work of the Spirit of God in their midst. It is impossible to please God without simple faith and truly walk with Him without knowing Him THROUGH HIS SPIRIT AND HIS TRUTH! For those who are already offended by this as being "judgmental, critical, unloving or unchristian," please read what the Bible teaches concerning how Christians MUST judge RIGHTEOUSLY and discern truth from error. This includes identifying the error and those who teach the error.
To any Christian with the least bit of spiritual discernment, much of what is being preached today (let alone practiced), constitutes a mixture of man-made philosophy, marketing and either a complete neglect and understanding of the scriptures OR the practice of using hand-picked scriptures, which they then twist and overly accentuate to fit their particular brand of designer christianity (the erroneous; make no judgments/ positive only "gospel" predominates most of evangelical Christendom that is in error today). However, there are major and popular, "evangelical christian" movements and denominations that are preaching a completely DIFFERENT, NEW AGE "gospel." My plea is to evangelicals who should know better than to fall for counterfeit christianity and unbiblical doctrines, in any form. The most dangerous and self indulgent movement of all is known as the "Word of Faith Movement." Both of these dangerous infectious strains in Christendom, mix in their counterfeit, New Age mystical doctrines with biblical, Christian doctrines, which makes them particularly stealthy and dangerous.
"I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel. Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you [with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not].
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)! As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!" Galatians 1:6-9 Amplified
_______________________________________________
FIVE MAJOR DISTORTIONS FOUND IN APOSTATE CHURCHES:
First, the church is a place where all must feel welcome. This is what Jesus taught.
Second, anything that causes disharmony in the church goes against what Jesus wants for the church and must be avoided.
Third, since doctrine is divisive, we must de-emphasize this and emphasize things that bring harmony.
Forth, the focus of Jesus in the New Testament was love and unity. Jesus prayed that his disciples would all be in unity. Paul said the greatest of all things was love. These things bring harmony into the church.
Fifth, therefore we must focus on these two things above all else, love and unity
source: Christian Arsenal
__________________________________________________
The Apostle Paul DID NOT PREACH: "Health and wealth" or "self esteem" psychology; he did not hire slick performers to appeal to their worldly senses nor assuage their guilt to make them feel good; Paul did not preach "seed faith" or any other kind of "faith formula", nor did he focus upon money at all. Paul definitely didn't preach that there must be peace and unity in the church AT ANY COST! Paul also didn't go door to door polling the populace as to what kind of religion they might be willing to participate in ("Christian marketing" as created by Bill Hybels and Willow Creek). Robert Shuller heavily influenced Rick Warren and Bill Hybels and their brands of pop-designer, seeker Christianity. Former New Age guru claims that Shuller has shamelessly aligned himself with New Age gurus and their philosophies and are now staging a consortium to further "rethink" (PERVERT AND COMPROMISE EVEN MORE) the Gospel. Warren Smith says:
"From my perspective as a former New Age follower, I believe that Robert Schuller's mission has always been to 'rethink' and 'change' biblical Christianity into something 'new' – as in New Age/New Spirituality," he says."
Paul DID NOT COMPROMISE GOD'S WORD! Paul did not hold back preaching the Word of God for fear of offending "seekers" and pagans but rather preached GOD'S WORD (JESUS the Revealed Word of God) and God anointed his message with great power! Paul preached Christ Jesus, through the power of the Holy Ghost! Paul suffered greatly for the privelege to preach to the lost of his day and was betrayed by many. Paul didn't preach in order to start a pop movement and yet his preaching changed lives and the whole world forever. The Apostle Paul would be thrown out of most modern churches today because most of them have fallen away from the Truth of the one and only Gospel and would not receive a preacher like Paul! Most modern "professional clergy" defer to the rich and affluent families within their churches, in order to keep their "careers". Paul confronted people with God's Truth! He even had to rebuke the Apostle Peter TO HIS FACE, IN FRONT OF OTHER BELIEVERS (how "embarrassed and belittled" Peter must have felt)! (Galations 2:11) Knowing this, how could we possibly take license to pervert the Gospel into an instrument of personal gain and self-egrandisement or add and change it in any way? How could we forsake to call those to repentance and to expose error and even evil amongst us, if even an apostle who walked with Jesus was not beyond rebuke and correction? Peter later praised Paul's teaching in his epistle: 2 Peter 3:15-17
Jesus intimates that He IS the ultimate Truth, and Life and that there is no other way to God except through HIM because Jesus is the full embodiment of God. This statement is as controversial today as it was when He revealed just who He is. Christians must not be intimidated for believing this core doctrine of Christ. We must lovingly contend for the Truth of the Gospel. That is why that we MUST confront and expose: grossly unbiblical teaching, superstition disguised as doctrine, as well as neo-gnosticism and mysticism in the church. Not to mention Jungian and various types of psychology disguised as Christian therapy and doctrine. Psychology and forms of psychotherapy have eclipsed biblical counseling, prayer, and spiritual deliverance in most evangelical churches, as the authentic power and authority of God has either been lost or abandoned in most churches.
Strong delusion ( COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANITY, as prophesied by Jesus and His Apostles) has brainwashed (bewitched) many in the greater evangelical church, which makes identifying dangerous error- even apostasy and those who proclaim it, an unpleasant calling. FOUR WAYS EVANGELICALS ARE BEING DECEIVED
It is "politically incorrect" these days to identify well known, even famous ministers who practice or preach dangerously erroneous doctrines- BUT it is totally BIBLICAL and necessary to LOVINGLY call those who preach grievous error- even a different gospel, to repentance. Especially those who operate in a FALSE ANOINTING, who are identified easily by how much they brag about how "anointed" they are and how they dwell upon spiritual manifestations to validate their "ministries"! Other discernment ministries call these spiritual manifestations of the 'Counterfeit Revival'. MANY ARE EASILY OFFENDED WHEN THEIR PARTICULAR SACRED COW OR IDOL IS "GORED." Paul compels discerners of the God's Word to:
"...MARK THEM which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which we 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!" Romans 16:17,18
I realize that the first impression that most evangelicals will have of this site is "if you proclaim that Christians rightly should focus on Jesus, why are you so fixed upon judging others, speculating about conspiracies of evil and even openly criticizing political leaders?"
The most deeply held, yet unspoken religion found in today's "evangelical" churches, is based upon a complete perversion of scripture: "judge not lest ye be judged." This has been translated in the modern church as "don't judge anyone," although when we are also commanded to JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY (CONDEMNING NO ONE)! 'RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT' AND 'CONDEMNATION' ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from each other! Modern "positivism", the forerunner of political correctness, does not recognize a difference between righteous judgment and condemnation or judgmentalism, which is a preoccupation of making erroneous judgments, which is also prevelant in the church body today. Political correctness (hyper-judgmentalism and condemnation designed to bring society into bondage) is a major front of the spirit of Antichrist, which is particularly at war against Christ and His true followers. Bible-believing, Jesus-loving, obedient Christians MUST lovingly stand up for the truth because the "Emergent Church" is quickly becoming DANGEROUSLY 'Universalist Unitarian' in thought and deed.
This site constitutes an open call to repentance for the greater Evangelical church- a call to Biblical orthodoxy, particularly love and devotion to Jesus! We utilize spiritual and Biblical discernment and believe that all that we state here is righteous, biblical judgment, not condemnation. We withdraw our love from no one, which doesn't mean that we accept their sinful, and/or idolatrous lifestyles. There is a distinct difference between righteous judgment and condemnation. We condemn no one, nor seek to denigrate anyone. WE LOVE EVERYONE, AND ARE COMMANDED TO BE KIND TO ALL PEOPLE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE AND PREACH THE SINCERE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL!
We address many heresies now present in the greater evangelical church. This apostasy within the church is not a new thing, nor is the need to identify it and address it directly, as did the Apostle Paul throughout all of his epistles.
Are there current popular ministries, doctrines and belief systems being preached today, which constitute this kind of apostasy? Are many popular ministries mixing the real Gospel with other dangerous beliefs and doctrines? Have some ministries created a "different gospel" than the one that Paul preached? Our ministry is not the only one to proclaim that there is rampant apostasy within the church but please ask God to reveal it to you! The answer is the adherence to God's Word and complete obedience and loving abandon to Jesus! Any preaching or teaching that is motivated to appease or please mankind is NOT pleasing to God:
Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).
Galatians 1:10 (Amplified)
The scripture clearly proclaims that we are to know and preach the Truth without compromise and and are never to indulge in the worldly (PC) practice to please (not offend, pay homage, compromise core beliefs, tickle ears of) non-Christians and marginal believers.
Under the guise of a phony kind of "love" and "peace" at all costs, many evangelicals have been brainwashed through liberal preaching and even leftist ideology, to mindlessly patter their mantra: that we must "never judge" but that is NOT what the Bible teaches at all. Major portions of the New Testament are corrective in nature and correction is badly needed in the church. Jesus explicitly exposed sin and called people to repentance. Jesus particularly warned us as to how intense the falling away from the truth would be in the last days and we are called to preach His Truth.
Political correctness (ie: "liberalism," which is now a broad front for the spirit of antichrist) in the world and in the church and general worldliness, has deceived many who now believe that the Gospel should only make us "feel good" about ourselves. The idolatrous emphasis of false Christian "unity" and the elimination of "divisive doctrines" is ravaging the church. So when they sense the conviction of the Holy Spirit and His Truth, they merely reject Him, because spiritual conviction makes them "feel bad." Many are being "inoculated" with a highly compromised "gospel", a dangerous mixture of worldly concepts with some figments of the Gospel, which only prevents them from receiving the real Jesus of the Bible. What I call a 'designer jesus' and 'designer christianity' is being propagated by most of the mainline denominations and pop movements, that at best preach an unbalanced gospel message, which accentuates THEIR specific brand of christianity (...having a form of Godliness but denying the power therof). Many of these focus mainly upon what "jesus" can do for them, rather than turning away from their sins and following the real Jesus of the Bible. They have created a man centered religion rather than surrender to the real Jesus centered Gospel. They are seeking God's blessings (mostly in the form of material "blessings" and worldly "SUCCESS") but are NOT truly seeking God. They want what God has to offer them but not God Himself. They put the proverbial 'cart' before the 'horse' because God commands that we seek ONLY JESUS and HIS righteousness! This is the reason that the authentic power, deliverance, and the Presence of God is not found in most of these movements. They create religious methodology, formula and mythology that may resemble certain portions of scripture but fail miserably in establishing and maintaining a deep relationship with Jesus. They all long to accentuate "christian positivism" and elevate (idolize) it above all else. The worst of these adepts rejects everything that does not mesh with the "christianity" which they have created in their own vain imaginations. They usually demonize and reject anyone who criticizes their brand of "christianity" and have become 'true (brainwashed) believers' void of true spiritual power and are allergic to genuine spiritual conviction. The "seeker" based movement is highly representative of this type. They tend to be very shallow in the things of God and His Word and allergic to the Spirit of God and His conviction. They are taught to be wary of "fundamentalists" who preach the Word and a different interpretation than the shallow and spiritless one, which they are taught. Many of these are now in "seeker" churches, where the basic Gospel is usually preached, but then mixed with all sorts of psychologically based babel. In the place of genuine spiritual fruit, the acceptance of a worldly type of social gospel that yields a shallow kind of Christian activism is the outcome. Association with a pagan rock star like 'Bono' is an example that I heard Bill Hybels brag about while visiting Willow Creek (A church created on the basis of Marketing and giving the "unchurched" what they want) on an Easter Sunday morning. The sermon was chock full of a Spirit-less social gospel and void of the power and glory of God's Presence. Not that I expected much different from a pop "seeker" preacher who was groomed by his guru, Robert Shuller, the inheritor of Norman Vincent Peale's mantle, which Shuller merely relabled: "possiblity thinking."
The concept of the "power of positive thinking" is not completely evil but rather, it is an extremely subtle way in which to raise the power of the mind and secret knowledge (gnosis) up over spiritual and Biblical precepts, the latter being much more powerful and also in obedience to Jesus and His word. Norman Vincent Peale and his protege, Robert Shuller popularized this phony "positive" belief system that has preempted, co-opted, and replaced the real Gospel in many churches and has infected almost all of Christendom because it is basically a "christianized" form of political correctness. Shuller teaches a type of "christian" philosophy that denies the very cornerstone of Christianity, which is to identify sin and error and call those sinners to repentance. The worst thing about Shullerism, is that it misleads (bewitches) Christians into believing that we can create reality simply by being positive and eliminating any "negative" thinking (vastly different than living by faith in Jesus alone). This 'mind over matter' formula is NOT Christianity at all but rather a form of shamanism (witchcraft) when carried to the full extent. It becomes a self-deception that inflates self, rather than crucifying self.
The "seeker" church movement, invented by Bill Hybels and supercharged by the 'Purpose driven Church'" manifesto, has institutionalized Shuller/ Peale "positivism", and inoculates its followers with it, to the point where most of them have marginal to neglegiable spiritual and biblical discernment. Any commentary that seems the least bit "negative" or "fundamentalist" to these compromised adepts, is condemned. Satan loves to inspire Christians to prefer to be spiritually, Biblically blind and deceived and to feel superior to "negative fundamentalists"! Satan loves to nurture bandwagon pop movements that idolize guru-like SUCCESSFUL leaders, to whom their followers bow their hearts and minds in blind obedience. These "CHRISTIAN LEADERS" EVEN BETRAY CHRIST FOR "WORLD PEACE", by joining with and appeasing Muslims. Satan just loves to see the Gospel co-opted and transformed into a shallow, Spirit-less pop movement that leads it's adepts away from a deep spiritual and Biblical transforming faith; into an idolatrous pop movement that soothes their sensual appetites (for entertainment) and assuages their guilt (makes them feel "good" about themselves through the teaching of pseudo-christian psycho-babel).
Christians who really know Jesus and His Word, learn to praise Him for sending spiritual conviction and correction, (which often "feels" painful!) true followers of Jesus, usually repent, get cleansed and restored to Him. When we get things right with God- it is only then that we can experience his supernatural Presence in the form of His peace and love for which there is no substitute.
CONTINUE READING: PAGE 2
| ||||
| |||||
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Site Tools |
|
|
|
|
|
Verse of the Day |
|
|
