In part 1 of this 2 part series, Marsha West makes the case that liberals are responsible for the moral meltdown in America and offers six things serious Christians must do to turn back the clock. She writes:
Liberals, not pro-family and religious conservatives, have brought us the culture of death and destruction. They are the ones who insist that all mention of God and the scriptures be removed from the public square through their misinterpretation of the First Amendment.
Many Christians do not realize that they live in the middle of a mission field. Former Roman Catholic T.A. McMahon of The Berean Call enlightens his readers regarding the dogma and false gospel of the Roman Catholic Church. He conveys his concern over the fact that few believers recognize the eternal consequences of this false gospel, and thus may fail to evangelize their Roman Catholic friends.
(Ken Silva – Apprising Ministries) As Apprising Ministries continues our monitoring of trends along the Internet Front we’re seeing syncretism slithering into the mainstream such that evidenced by Prophet-Leader Steven Furtick Descends Down To Word Faith Heretic Rod Parsley.
Just remember now, we don’t make up the happenings in apostatizing evangelicalism, we only cover them. Why did I choose to mention prophet-leader Steven Furtick you might wonder; because often he has told us that Craig Groeschel is his pastor, that’s why.
And because you need to understand that there’s a new evangelical magisterium, which in my opinion, can’t wait until men like John MacArthur are out of their way. If you’ve been paying attention then you’ll know the two Elephant Rooms tipped their hand.
For example, in Elephant Room Curator James MacDonald Points Us To A Couple Of Conferences Of Interest I showed you where MacDonald wanted us to be aware of NewSpring Leadership Conference of ER1 vet Perry Noble as well as the Resurgence R12 Conference.
More on that in a moment, but first, did you know that both Perry Noble and Craig Groeschel are contributing authors at the Resurgence blog, which is aligned with the Acts 29 Network where ER1 vet Matt Chandler is now president? Well, they are; just click on their names.
Now let’s look at the lineup for that aforementioned R12 conference and we’ll see ER1 vet Graig Laurie, ER co-hosts James MacDonald and Mark Driscoll, along with Craig Groeschel:
Steven Aden, senior counsel with the Alliance Defending Freedom, identifies the fact that women who have an abortion may experience many repercussions. Among other things, abortion has been linked to suicide. Consequently, the state of South Dakota is doing everything it can to inform pregnant women that there are options other than abortion. Aden writes:
In March 2011, South Dakota’s Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed the Abortion Informed Consent Statute into law. Although the constitutionality of the law was immediately challenged, and Planned Parenthood recoiled at the thought of mothers being informed of all the dangers abortion poses for them (in addition to the child), the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that all major provisions of the law can stand.
Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis addresses the rumor that noted Bible scholar R.C. Sproul has changed his mind about Genesis and now agrees with the stand taken by AiG. He writes:
Over the years, I have had many people tell me that they asked their pastor or other Christian leaders whether they believed in six literal days of creation. They would tell me the answer was often “yes” and therefore these leaders (apparently) agreed with Answers in Genesis. But sadly, these leaders may not agree with AiG’s stand on six literal days, young earth, no death and disease before sin, etc. How is that possible?
Mike Leake, associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Jasper, Indiana, is not convinced by the unbiblical Word-faith teaching that God wishes everyone to be healthy, happy and prosperous. He writes:
If you are not familiar with the prosperity “gospel” turn on your television and watch TBN for about 15 minutes. There you will be exposed to the damnable teaching that what the gospel is really about is securing our health, wealth, and happiness and our best life now.
Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice-President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, believes we have become “a generation mired in fake love and fake war.” Moore addresses the root of the disturbing increase in addiction to pornography and video games in today’s electronic society:
If you’re addicted to sugar or tequila or heroin you want more and more of that substance. But porn and video games both are built on novelty, on the quest for newer and different experiences. That’s why you rarely find a man addicted to a single pornographic image. He’s entrapped in an ever-expanding kaleidoscope.
Ken Connor, chairman of the Center for a Just Society, tackles the question of whether or not a person can be liberal and a Christian at the same time. Ken sees liberal Christianity as a “social club” that undermines the truth that has motivated so much good work, and wonders if it even is worth saving.
Days after the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado, many continue to grapple with the heinous display of evil that was presented by now-identified shooter, James Holmes. Writing only hours after the event, Albert Mohler offered words that must stand as a critical reminder:
Christians know that God is sovereign, and that nothing is outside of his control. We also know that he allows evil to exist, and human beings to commit moral atrocities. We cannot allow the sovereignty of God to be denied and evil allowed its independent existence. Source
In the midst of this trial, then, Denny Burk shares a story that does exalt the perfect sovereignty of God.
(Marsha West – Christian Research Network)
The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is. — Winston Churchill
Where I found truth, there found I my God, who is the truth itself. — Augustine
Almost anything is possible if one has the power to change the definition of words. Take for example the word truth. Once upon a time truth had a clear concise meaning. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary (M-WD) defines truth as “the body of true statements and propositions. Truth is the ‘state of being the case.'” In other words, it is a fact. A fact is something that actually exists, or an actual occurrence. M-WD defines In truth as in accordance with facts. “Facts are stubborn things,” said John Adams, “and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
In our post-modern culture a number of people have come to believe that there is no absolute truth. For them all truth is relative. M-WD defines relativism thusly: “A theory that knowledge is relative to the limited nature of the mind and the conditions of knowing (b) a view that ethical truths depend on the individuals and groups holding them.” The relativist will declare, “What’s true for you is not true for me” also “no one can know anything for sure.” For the relativist there is no universal moral truth, only what each individual perceives as truth. We all have our own truth, they say, and it is intolerant to push our views on others.
Surprisingly a growing number of self-professed Christians embrace the concept of moral relativism even though doing one’s own thing is patently unbiblical.
“What is truth?” Pontius Pilot asked Jesus prior to sending Him to the cross. In this instance Jesus chose to remain silent, but on other occasions He addressed the truth question head-on. For instance, He stated “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). Anyone who rejects Jesus Christ will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven — ever.
Truthful means “telling or disposed to tell the truth.” Truth defines what a person believes in. It is not abstract, like a feeling or an idea. Jesus declared, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). “Your word” is the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. Take the time to read it “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32).
Ask yourself this question, professed Christian: If there is no absolute truth as the moral relativist claim, then why did the Apostle John assert, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17)?
Liberal ideologues redefine words to help advance a religious, political, environmental, scientific or social agenda. Never mind that to do so is to pervert the truth. Their motto is “The end justifies the means” or to be more precise: Do whatever it is you must in order to get the result you want, regardless of the methods used. “It does not matter whether these methods are legal or illegal, fair or foul, kind or cruel, truth or lies, democratic or dictatorial, good or evil.”
The cults are infamous for perverting historically accepted biblical terms. “Is it any wonder then,” said the late Christian apologist/polemicist Dr. Walter Martin in The Riddle of Semantics, “that orthodox Christians feel called upon to openly denounce such perversions of clearly defined and historically accepted biblical terminology, and claim that the cults have no rights — scholastically, biblically, or linguistically — to redefine biblical terms as they do?” (Source)
Oh that more evangelical Christians would feel called upon to denounce cultists who bastardize Christianity. Likewise, politicians are infamous for taking a word and twisting it into a pretzel. Even a former president of the United States did some fancy word twisting when he thought it would get him off the hook. You may recall how Bill Clinton stunned the nation during the Monica Lewinsky probe when he stated under oath:
If the — if he — if ‘is’ means is and never has been, that is not — that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement….Now, if someone had asked me on that day, are you having any kind of sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky, that is, asked me a question in the present tense, I would have said no. And it would have been completely true.
In an age of moral relativism there’s no virtue in honesty. In fact, being dishonest, underhanded, unfaithful, unashamed and unrepentant is commonplace among our elected officials – even worse, those who profess a belief in Jesus Christ! It is a sad day when our Christian clergy and Church leadership blatantly sin and exhibit no remorse and only repent when others compel them to.
When it comes to perverting the intended meaning of words unscrupulous radical gay activists are sharper than a dual blade saw. They know all too well that if they’re going to achieve the acceptance they yearn for, they must manipulate words that are a stumbling block to their cause…which is to make same-sex sex appear as normal as, well, normal heterosexual sex.
For example, homosexuals have fought to prohibit thought on the question of whether or not sodomy is normal. Anyone who dares to take the position that sodomy is unnatural is accused of spreading hate. Even our once free press is no longer free to be critical of homosexuality for fear of the Lavender Police coming down on them. Not surprisingly the gay activists that are supposedly all about tolerance go mute when the media smears a gay conservative or a Christian leader.
Before radical homosexuals stripped “normal” of its original definition, it meant “occurring naturally.” This leads one to wonder: If a practice goes against nature, is it normal or abnormal? Common sense dictates that man on man/woman on woman sex is not only abnormal it is in fact a sexual perversion. I can report that this is true because the M-WD defines perversion as “an aberrant sexual practice or interest especially when habitual.”
If we can’t trust M-WD to give accurate word definitions, we’re doomed! So, in order to mainstream homosexuality gays and lesbians have had to resort to perverting the meaning of words. And to avoid hurting a homosexual person’s feelings, a large number of people (including people of faith) have all but waved the white flag of surrender.
The reason I bring up homosexuality is not to attack gays and lesbians, as I will certainly be accused of, but to show that liberals have had huge success in changing vocabulary and terminology to normalize aberrant behavior. Other examples of this are fanatical feminist fruitloops who’ve been pushing to change the meaning of the word “prostitute” to “sex-worker.” And then there are the pathological perverts whose primary sexual preference is for prepubescent boys and girls insisting on replacing the term pedophilia with the softer sounding “intergenerational sex.”
Moving back to the cults, as I pointed out the cults are masterful at word manipulation as stated by Dr. Martin:
If the reader consults the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, published by the Unity School of Christianity, he will see the masterpiece of redefinition for himself. For in this particular volume, Unity has redefined exhaustively many of the cardinal terms of biblical theology, much as Mary Baker Eddy did in her Glossary of Terms in the book Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures. The reader will be positively amazed to find what has happened to biblical history, the person of Adam, the concept of human sin, spiritual depravity, and eternal judgment. One thing, however, will emerge very clearly from this study: Unity may use the terminology of the Bible, but by no stretch of the imagination can the redefinition be equated with the thing itself. (Source)
To put it bluntly, cultists lie. M-WD defines liar thusly: to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive. 2: to create a false or misleading impression.
Change agents intentionally create a false impression. And as I said, liberal ideologues redefine words to help advance a religious, political, environmental, scientific or social agenda.
For the liberal elites (the news media, politicians, jurists, attorneys, radical homosexuals, rabid feminists, Hollywood, environmental extremists, scientists, educators, even some religious leaders) words are whatever they say they are!
Most Americans have been asleep at the wheel while powerful far left ideologues work ’round the clock to create words in his or her own image. Before long we’ll all be echoing “One Nation Under Liberals.” However, for them to accomplish their desired goals they must first obliterate truth. Dr. Martin warned of the dangers of perverting semantics:
The problem of semantics has always played an important part in human affairs, for by its use or abuse, whichever the case may be, entire churches, thrones, and governments have been erected, sustained, or overthrown. The late George Orwell’s stirring novel 1984, in which he points out that the redefinition of common political terms can lead to slavery when it is allowed to pass unchallenged by a lethargic populace, is a classic illustration of the dangers of perverted semantics. It should be of no particular surprise to any student of world history that trick terminology is a powerful propaganda weapon. (Source)
The lethargic populace seems not to realize what some sly devils have been doing. And if the populace is aware of what’s going on they seem not to understand the dangers of perverted semantics. People had better come out of their stupor before it’s too late.
Resources:
Adapted from Words Are Whatever I Say They Are
Copyright by Marsha West, 2012. All rights reserved.
(Ken Silva – Apprising Ministries) Well…when you don’t really believe in the all-suffiency of God’s infallible, inerrant, Word in the Bible, then you’ll send out tweets about “sermon” series like what follows.
Apprising Ministries has told you, e.g. in ER Curator James MacDonald Points Us To Conferences of Interest, that Steven Furtick considers Groeschel his “pastor.”
The fact is Craig Groeschel, approached by apostate Doug Pagitt concerning what would become the Emerging Church, is a Lieutenant General in the Seeker driven camp.
Just a bit ago Groeschel would tweet:
(source)
Following that hash tag we eventually find the latest bait and switch technique employed by Groeschel and his LifeChurch.tv megachurch gathering :
(source)
Ah yes, what better way to bring people closer to God than to read your own meanings into secular movies and practicing narcigesis while reading yourself into Scripture:
Many in the ex-gay world would disagree with what Mr. Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, stated in the following report from The New York Times:
The ex-gay movement has been convulsed as the leader of Exodus, in a series of public statements and a speech to the group’s annual meeting last week, renounced some of the movement’s core beliefs. Alan Chambers, 40, the president, declared that there was no cure for homosexuality and that “reparative therapy” offered false hopes to gays and could even be harmful. His statements have led to charges of heresy and a growing schism within the network.
Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, reminds us that “Only God can call a true minister, and only He can grant the minister the gifts necessary for service. Dr. Mohler begins his piece:
Has God called you to ministry? Though all Christians are called to serve the cause of Christ, God calls certain persons to serve the Church as pastors and other ministers. Writing to young Timothy, the Apostle Paul confirmed that if a man aspires to be a pastor, “it is a fine work he aspires to do.” [I Timothy 3:1, NASB] Likewise, it is a high honor to be called of God into the ministry of the Church. How do you know if God is calling you?
By Toni S. Brown
What is the Gospel?
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4
And this is the gospel, nothing else. But not according to many prominent leaders and teachers in the visible church, namely the influential Dr. Tim Keller, whose “gospel” needs to be examined in light of the scriptures.
The below video link was posted in my last article and I post it again here to illustrate the desperate need of the Lord’s church to heed the warnings of scripture and examine what is being said by prominent, professing pastors in the church:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrB0GpfyHEw
According to Dr. Keller, the gospel is not “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow” Hebrews 4:12. Keller refers to the Hebrews 4:12 gospel as “a magic bullet that doesn’t work anymore.” So we must ask: What is the gospel according to Dr. Tim Keller?
The below excerpt from a speech given by Keller at an “Entrepreneurs’ Forum” held at his main downtown campus of the Redeemer Network illustrates his understanding of why Christ died:
“Conservative churches say ‘this world is not our home and it’s gonna burn up eventually and what really matters is saving souls so evangelism and discipleship and saving souls are what is important’. And we try to say that it’s the other way around almost. That the purpose of salvation is to renew creation. That this world is good and if you see it that way, then the old paradigm- if you’re going to put your money and your time and your effort as a Christian into doing God’s work in the world, you wanna save souls which means the only purpose of your ministry and your effort is to increase the tribe, increase the number of Christians. In the past Christians have tended to do things that only Christians would be interested in and only Christians would give to. I mean who else besides a Christian would give money to get something started that’s going to win many, many people to Christ? Just pretty much only Christians. BUT, when you have something that’s going to improve the schools in a particular city for everybody; when you have a venture that’s going to reweave creation physically, that’s going to deal with health problems, that’s going to deal with poverty. When Christians do that – out of their theology – they do that effectively because they’re dealing with the common good and you’re going to find that all kinds of non-Christians are not only going to invest in that and want to partner with you in that but a lot of them are also going to be attracted to the gospel because of that.” (excerpt source: Jonathan Cousar, member of Redeemer NYC 19 yrs.)
According to Tim Keller, Christ died to make the world a better place. But this is false, as Paul makes clear the true and sole purpose of the birth, death and resurrection of Christ:
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Timothy 1:15
Keller exalts and clearly serves the world, admonishing all Christians to do the same; but Jesus said:
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me first. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:18-19
Keller goes even further to pervert the true gospel when he tells his audience churches that focus on “soul winning” just want to “increase their tribe.” This is blasphemy, plain and simple, as scripture proclaims:
“I say unto you, that likewise the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner that repents.” Luke 15:6
Tim Keller teaches that the church’s mission is to reweave creation physically by way of social action that promotes the common good, but Christ said:
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16
It is extremely important to take note of Dr. Keller’s proclamation that the world is good; of course, as anyone who has ever opened a Bible will tell you, that is patently false: Again, thus saith the Lord:
“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.” 1 John 5:19
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
“Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4
Keller teaches that social action for the common good will attract unbelievers to the gospel, but scripture says otherwise:
“But the natural man receiveth not the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are only spiritually discerned.”
1 Corinthians 2:15
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4: 1-4
“They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:5-6
In his essay titled “Leading the Secular to Christ”, Keller makes this statement:
“I couldn’t agree more that post-modern people come to Christ through processes, through relationships, through mini-decisions, through ‘trying Christianity on.’ Christianity must be attractive to people before they will sit still for a presentation of intellectual credibility.”
No. There are no “mini-decisions” and certainly no dressing rooms for “trying Christianity on:”
“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you, your children and all who are far off-for all whom the LORD our God will call.” Acts 2:37-39
Keller teaches that the gospel preached must be “attractive” and must be appealing to the unbelieving world……
“Now great crowds accompanied Him, and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me is not worthy to be my disciple.” Luke 14:25-27
“When many of his followers heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that they were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? And he said, This is why I told you that “no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his followers turned back and no longer walked with him.” John 6:60,65,66
And what are we to make of Keller’s insistence on an intellectually credible message?
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should lose its power. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, and it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” 1 Corinthians 1:17-21
“It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is no help at all: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” John 6:63
One thing is abundantly clear, Tim Keller does not preach the gospel of Christ, and has little interest is “saving souls”, as demonstrated above in his own words! The below excerpt from an email I received after the first two articles were published with the BTWN network perfectly illustrates this, as well as the dire need to confront and expose men who have “crept in unawares”:
“I am very interested in this topic because I have a Christian friend whose family member attends Redeemer in NYC. This family member found out that they have a terminal illness and their Christian family was very concerned and started talking to them about the Lord and the gospel just to make sure they were saved. This person had no clue what they were talking about! They did not understand biblical truth having been steeped in Keller’s teachings.”
So… what is the point and purpose of his “ministry”?
He is a change agent.
Related
The Gospel According to Tim Keller: The Marxist
Research:
More on Tim Keller here
Published with permission www.judeonefour.com
Sex-selected abortion is a procedure that allows a pregnant woman to choose the sex of her child. If she has conceived a girl but prefers a boy, she has the option to abort the baby girl. There is no law prohibiting this procedure. Americans now must decide whether or not choosing the sex of a child is a woman’s right. Marsha West addresses this issue head on.
The Baptist Press reports:
Forget “his” and “hers.” Sweden has introduced a new, gender-neutral pronoun: “hen.”
The word was added to the online version of the country’s National Encyclopedia days after International Women’s Day.
But now, activists want to push the matter to its natural and logical conclusion. They want to abolish gender altogether, and construct a utopian, gender neutral society. They’re intent on raising up a new generation of children who’ve been freed from the limitations of stereotyped gender roles.
On 20 May 2012, Dr. Alvin Plantinga gave a presentation on the relation between Science and Religion. Daniel Chew had the opportunity to attend and report on this event. He writes:
Plantinga’s presentation basically deals with the perceived conflict between Science and Religion, especially on the topic of Evolution. His thesis is that there is no conflict between evolution as a science eviscerated from its materialistic philosophy, and “mere Christianity.” Plantinga defines “mere Christianity” along the lines of C.S. Lewis and locates it in the Apostles’ Creed, probably having some version of the Vincentian Canon in mind (ubique, semper, omnibus).
Charles C. W. Cooke, an editorial associate for National Review, reports that research indicates that there are more homosexuals divorcing than one may think. He writes:
Announcing the results of his long-term “evolution” on the subject last week, President Obama revived the debate over gay marriage. In the widespread discussion, however, there is one question that’s rarely asked: How interested are gay couples in getting married?