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Topic: The Emergent Church
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helpforhomeschoolers
Advanced Member
Member # 15
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posted
Dear God thank you for allowing me to be a fundamentalist and may I never "get with the program" according to McLaren's concept of getting with the program!
This guy is unreal!
Thanks David for posting this audio.
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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helpforhomeschoolers
Advanced Member
Member # 15
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posted
Deb (SoftTouch) and I have been posting on this David. This stuff is very scary to me because I have lived through an occultic background.
It is the introduction of pagan and even occultic practices into the church. Some churches are literally practicing transendental mediation which is very scary and opens the mind to all kinds of potential for demonic assault.
I know someone on another board who went to a Bible study where the pastor led them in what I could only describe as channeling!!!
2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
I see this as the progressive apostasy that began with pentecostalism and WOF, continued into what we have called the pragmatic church movement and is now progressing further into what looks a lot to me like Kaballah or mysticism.
It is very scary. I believe that it is the place that the Western professing church needs to find eccumenical union with the Eastern religions of Hindu and Budhism.
No we cannot deny that ours is a supernatural faith; we cannot deny the gifts of the Spirit, but we must always always be watching and be aware because the Spirit of GOD does not contradict the scipture; does not exalt Himself but testifies of CHRIST!!!
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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KnowHim
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Member # 1
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posted
The Emergent Church: A Dangerous Fad or Solid New Movement?
If you're over age 35, your spiritual health may be at risk in that new "church movements" are focusing in on primarily "GenXrs."
You may not have even heard of the latest, the "Emergent Church" or "Emerging Church." Many today are looking for a new "methodology," "new wave," or "new thing God is doing." I ask, "What is wrong with the old way?" Apparently just the Bible is no longer sufficient.
Some say the "Emergent Church" (EC) is the next step beyond the "seeker movement." Leaders of the EC say they have answers for our generation even though it focuses on experience much more than the Bible. But leaders of the movement insist that in our fast-changing culture, something is happening. What was once a Christian nation with a Judeo-Christian worldview is becoming a post Christian, unchurched, unreached nation.
There is arising in our midst new generations without any Christian influence, and thus we must re-think everything we have done with Christianity over many centuries. Part of what they say is true and their evangelistic fervor is genuine no doubt.
Defining the EC is a little bit like nailing jello to the wall, but here goes anyway. It relies heavily on mysticism, a great danger to believers of all denominations. Some leaders will tell you that you cannot know truth. An EC service will often meet in homes, and will rely on extra-biblical paraphernalia, extra-sensory images, sounds, smells of candles and incense, silence, mystical meditation, making the sign of the cross, touching icons, statues of saints, rosary beads for Protestants, liturgy, yoga-like deep breathing, contemplative prayer, and sacraments--all for a full sensory immersion with the divine. In other words, they are looking for an encounter with the Lord using all their senses. Worship is stressed, but some would say more than the Word.
They borrow liturgical practices from the Orthodox, Lutheran, and Catholic Church and heavily from the traditions and views of Catholic Church Fathers.
It would seem to me that if the Bible were being taught, the extra-biblical paraphernalia, extra-sensory images, sounds, smells, etc., would hardly be necessary, but maybe I'm make much ado about nothing.
The most visible leader is Brian McClaren whose book, "A Generous Orthodoxy" has caught on all over. In it he states that, "The Christian faith should become a welcome friend to other religions of the world, and not a threat.” He states in the book that not all people need to be Christians to follow Jesus. Some may be able to be "Buddhist or Hindu followers of Jesus." He also states that, "God is interested in not only saving us from consequences after this life but in saving us from injustice, oppression, greed, and war, in this life." He was uninvited as a speaker at the Kentucky Baptist Convention when leaders learned McClaren suggested that people could be saved without being Christians.
Others either in the EC movement or supportive of it include Robert Schuller, Richard Foster, Brennan Manning, Dan Kimball, Dallas Willard, Bruce Wilkinson, Eugene Peterson, John Ortberg, John Eldredge, Dr. Robert Webber, Tony Campolo, and dozens of lesser-known people. Others such as Rick Warren and Bill Hybels give credibility to the EC movement, although their churches cannot be called “Emergent.”
While the movement is ecumenical and attracts numbers and particularly youthful followers, it hardly seems biblical when so much involves the extra-biblical.
There is a predicted “end time falling away” in the Bible, when people stop heeding sound doctrine and want their ears tickled. I think candles, incense, yoga-like deep breathing, and more must qualify somehow in the ear-tickling category. I’ve never been called old fashioned, but I’m looking for a church that just preaches from the Bible, has no fluff, no praise band with gals in mini-skirts, no balloons coming down from the ceiling, and no dogs jumping through hoops. In my neck of the woods, they’re very scarce because “methods” now must be used to grow little First Baptist Church into a mega-church the size of Willow Creek.
It’s a new day for the church, and I fear not a happy one.
(Visit the “ Spiritual Deception ” category of my Web site for related information.)
(Jan is founder/director of Olive Tree Ministries, Inc. To receive her e-mail alerts or print newsletter, visit her Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org . She is a Contributing Editor to Omega Letter Intelligence Digest.)
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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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KnowHim
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Member # 1
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posted
I was just wondering what eveyone knows or thinks about The Emergent Church and Brian McLaren. I believe we have had a lot of this preached on this message board.
I have some good new audio on this and will post the link as soon as I get it online.
Just to get this started I found the below:
"He that is not zealous against error, is not likely to be zealous for Truth." J.C. Ryle
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The Emerging Church
"The point we need to focus on right now is this: Do we not see the Lord prompting men like Dr. John MacArthur to correctly point out that Evangelical Christianity is fighting for its very life. But for now I wonder, can we afford to almost rule out the spiritual side of our faith while we waste our time arguing about some nebulous concept of essential doctrines as opposed to non-essential ones ?
Could it be that while we're caught up in discussions about whether cessationism is true or not true, perhaps we are in danger of forgetting that at least this much is true: Christianity is a supernatural faith and whether or not God is using certain gifts or not is really not the main point at this critical time.
Could it actually be possible God the Holy Spirit may be trying to alert our Lord's Church to a pagan cult which has been growing right under our very noses where even their own pastors aren't being told the whole truth by these Emergent leaders they trust? Man can become God; I know I've heard that somewhere before. Ah yes, here it is: Genesis 3:5 - Ye shall be as gods. Where are the voices being raised against this oldest lie in the Book? And why are these men being allowed to teach as Evangelicals at the Zondervan"
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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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