Commentary, analysis and opinion.

God’s Opinion of You Lasts Forever

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American televangelist Joyce Meyer has a large number of devoted fans, not only in America, but also worldwide. Joyce’s critics claim she is a false teacher who has charmed tens of thousands of unsuspecting Christians into Word of Faith heresy. Marsha West is one such critic. She writes:

A Christian friend of mine is reading one of Joyce Meyer’s books. If you haven’t heard of Meyer, she is a popular health and wealth author/radio & TV teacher/conference speaker who believes God is our sugar daddy. The evangelist has been criticized for her “conspicuously prosperous lifestyle.” According to my friend, Joyce’s books are “uplifting.” She didn’t like hearing that some of her favorite author’s teaching is theological heresy. To my friend’s way of thinking, if a book makes you feel good, doctrine isn’t all that important.

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What the Bible Really Still Says About Homosexuality

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Kevin DeYoung, Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church, dismantles an article written by Catholic priest Daniel Helminiak wherein it is asserted that “nowhere does the Bible actually oppose homosexuality.” DeYoung writes:

On Tuesday afternoon, CNN ran an article on its Belief Blog by Catholic priest (sort of) Daniel Helminiak entitled “My Take: What the Bible really says about homosexuality.” The article is amazing for including so many bad arguments in so little space. A quick trip through the piece will show you what I mean.

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People of Faith Must Join the Fight to Preserve Normal Marriage

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Changing the definition of marriage will have long term implications. Marsha West urges those who are opposed to same-sex marriage to join the fight to preserve biblical marriage. She writes:

In an effort to destroy the definition of marriage in America, President Obama abruptly announced that he is in favor of same-sex marriage. This came as no big surprise as he had already decided that the Department of Justice would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that defines marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman. Likewise he repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that prohibited openly gay men and lesbians from serving in the military. The president left many scratching their heads asking why he didn’t wait until after the election to make the announcement.

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Sex Sells, Even in Christian Bookstores

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The Christian Post reports:

There’s been no shortage of Christian books on the topic of sex in recent months, and Christians across the United States are buying them up in order to spice up their marriages.

DeeperCalling Media (DCM), an online Christian bookstore supplier and Christian product retailer, reports “sizzling sex book sales” among Christian bookstores, indicating that Christians are not as “prude” as they are sometimes thought to be.

“We have been astounded by the marked increase in the sales of Christian Books on the topics of Sex. It’s clear that in tough economic times people are seeking ways to improve their lives through better relationships with those closest to them,” said Joe Kerr, marketing manager for DCM, in a statement.

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Five Reasons Christians Should Continue to Oppose Gay Marriage

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Kevin DeYoung, Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church and Council Member of The Gospel Coalition, urges Christians not to go silent on the same-sex marriage issue. He writes:

Yesterday, to no one’s surprise, President Obama revealed in an interview that after some “evolution” he has “concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”

The temptation, then, is for Christians go silent and give up the marriage fight: “It’s no use staying in this battle,” we think to ourselves. “We don’t have to change our personal position. We’ll keep speaking the truth and upholding the Bible in our churches, but getting worked up over gay marriage in the public square is counter productive. It’s a waste of time. It makes us look bad. It ruins our witness. And we’ve already lost. Time to throw in the towel.” I understand that temptation. It is an easier way. But I do not think it is the right way, the God glorifying way, or the way of love.

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When Paul Sent the Celebrity Pastor

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Kevin DeYoung, Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church and a Council Member of The Gospel Coalition, wrestles with what it means to be a “celebrity pastor.” Could Christians be misguided in their allegiance to specific teachers and leaders? He writes:

Here is a verse that caught my attention yesterday: “With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel” (2 Cor. 8:18).

There are many things we’d like to know, but don’t know about this verse.

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Christianity and Liberalism

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1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:1-10, NASB

I spent the last several days away from email, the Internet, work, et cetera, and simply rested and spent time with family with the intent of taking up right where I left off on our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount when I returned. However, before we get back to that, I would like to share some insights from some time I spent in the solitude of study and quiet I had during my “downtime.” Part of that time was spent in reading J. Gresham Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism, which was published in 1923. I have not quite finished it yet, but I made good progress. Some of you I know have read it because you recommended the book to me. For those who don’t know, Machen’s thesis in the book was to address the encroachment of Liberal theology in his day, which was taking over the Northern Presbyterian Church in the United States to the point that the Seminary at Princeton was preparing to “liberalize.” His thesis for this magnificent book is that “Liberal Christianity” and Christianity are two different religions. View article →

Oprah Still Insists She is a Christian

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Oprah Winfrey once again has declared herself to be a Christian, and many of her fans believe her. Examining Oprah’s own words, Marsha West exposes how Oprah’s profession contradicts the truths of Scripture.

Oprah has consistently, and unapologetically, rejected an essential tenet of the Christian faith: There is only one path to God, through the Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus stated unequivocally, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Yet Oprah rejects Christ’s own words while at the same time declaring: “I’m Christian!”

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Evolution Pushed in Roman Catholic Bibles for Latin America

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Ken Ham of Answers In Genesis, a ministry that seeks to provide answers to questions surrounding the book of Genesis and creation, brings to light a Roman Catholic Bible, written in Spanish, that is the “official” Bible used in Latin American countries. This Spanish Bible maintains that evolution is a fact, something Ken Ham disputes. He writes:

The universe, say the authors in their introduction, took “millions and billions of years” to form. After the authors describe how evolutionary ideas came about, they write, “Where are we trying to get with this? Simply that a vision of the world in evolution fits perfectly with the Christian notion of time and of the ‘ages’ of history.”

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Kay Warren Preaches at Controversial Crystal Cathedral

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The Christian Post reports that Kay Warren recently delivered a sermon at the Crystal Cathedral at two Sunday Services.

Until his retirement in 2010 after 55 years in the pulpit, controversial preacher Dr. Robert Schuller held the prestigious position of Founding Pastor of the famed Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA. Schuller was also the host of the Hour of Power televangelism broadcast with a worldwide audience of over 20 million viewers.

Robert Schuller is known for his positive, uplifting message. The late Christian apologist Dr. Walter Martin coined the phrase “gospel of self-esteem” to describe Schuller’s teaching. Schuller’s message conveniently left out man’s sinful nature and need for a Savior and instead focused on man’s need for “self-dignity.” Indeed, Schuller’s overarching message could be viewed as a type of “new liberalism.”

In his piece, “The Root of This New Downgrade No-Controversy,” Pastor Ken Silva quotes Dr. John MacArthur as saying just that:

And I’ll tell you, how do you know it’s the new liberalism? Because you can’t stop a seeker-friendly movement, because it’s going to be redefined, it’s going to be redefined, it’s going to be redefined… It’s relentlessly being redefined because the culture changes so fast in a media-driven society. It changes so fast!…

You know, Schuller is the architect of this. Robert Schuller is the absolute father. The grandfather of the movement, who was a little bit below the radar, was Norman Vincent Peale. Norman Vincent Peale is a classic liberal. The primary impact that Norman Vincent Peale has had on the world is through his leading disciple, Robert Schuller, who said to me, “I can sign the confession of my denomination and makes the words mean anything I want them to mean.” Well, that’s classic neo-orthodoxy—or liberalism (whichever).

Source

Robert Schuller claims to have launched the megachurch movement through his Church Growth Institute, and his website has included Rick Warren at the top of the list of pastors who were mentored there:

We are the home of the world’s first Church Growth Institute, launching the mega-church movement in the 20th century. Tens of thousands of pastors, including famous graduates Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Bishop Blake, Walt Kallestad, and Sundo Kim of Korea, were mentored here. Source

Interestingly, in a 2002 Christianity Today article, Kay Warren acknowledged the influence that Robert Schuller had on both her and her husband:

During his last year in seminary, he and Kay drove west to visit Robert Schuller’s Institute for Church Growth. “We had a very stony ride out to the conference,” she says, because such nontraditional ministry scared her to death. Schuller, though, won them over. “He had a profound influence on Rick,” Kay says. “We were captivated by his positive appeal to nonbelievers. I never looked back.” Source

One may wonder why, as part of the Southern Baptist Convention, Kay Warren would be found preaching in a church that has long propagated false teaching. Yet, the above evidence seems to offer a more than adequate explanation.

Is Transhumanism 'Inevitable'?

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David Yonke, religion editor of The Toledo Blade, reports on a lecture that outlined the subject of transhumanism, the use of technological means to modify the human species with the intention of improving the human condition. The lecture was given by Rev. Mark Douglas, a Presbyterian minister, theologian, ethicist, and professor at Columbia Theological Seminary. It pointed out that transhumanism raises many religious, ethical and practical concerns. View article →

Dr. Martin Erdmann offers a more orthodox view on the subject in his 2011 article, “Creating a Posthuman New Breed.” View article →

All For Gaia: Earth Day and Total Transformation for a Post-Christian World

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On Sunday, 22 April, millions of Americans celebrated the environmental holiday Earth Day. But what exactly is being celebrated on Earth Day? It is not a stretch to say that most Americans are unaware of its pagan roots. The truth is, Earth Day isn’t so much about saving the planet from the “ravages of mankind” as it is a day to worship Gaia, also known as the Universal Mother. Carl Teichrib of Forcing Change uproots what Earth Day really represents and why Christians should think twice before they join in the festivities and “offer sacrifices of ‘good works’ to the planet.” View article →

Al Mohler on the Challenge of Same-Sex Unions

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Dr. Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, offers the Church an important teaching. He writes:

In the world but not of the world? From the very beginning, the church has faced the challenge of responding to external events, trends, ideologies, and controversies. By definition, the church does not get to choose these challenges, but they have been thrust upon Christians by the world. The question always comes down to this: What now?

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An Invasion of Error: A Review of Bill Johnson's "When Heaven Invades Earth"

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In a recent article and interview, Bob DeWaay offers a detailed review of Bill Johnson’s book, When Heaven Invades Earth. DeWaay demonstrates that Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA, and a key figure in the movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation, “has departed from orthodox Christian teaching in many serious ways.” DeWaay illustrates how Bill Johnson pushes spiritual experiences, special knowledge (not found in Scripture), and points out that Johnson offers detailed formulas for performing miracles. View article →

For Shame—Speech Crimes and Ideology

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Dr. Peter Jones, Director of truthXchange and Adjunct Professor of New Testament at Westminster Seminary, examines the new character of shame. In today’s culture, shaming is used to “punish speech against the new reigning orthodoxy of politically correct relativism, rather than to condemn personally reprehensible moral acts.” He writes,

Fifteen years ago James Twitchel’s For Shame: The Loss of Common Decency in American Culture argued for the socially redeeming character of shame: “Shame is the basis of individual responsibility… It is where decency comes from… shame inhibits behavior — that’s the point. It retards action, it increases reticence, it invokes self censorship. Its final object is not banishment, but reintegration.”

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Jesus: The Illumined Illuminator

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By Marsha West

Contemporary Christianity is following “every wind of doctrine” in spite of the fact that the Bible warns about taking this route. Self-professed Christ followers no longer “endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Tim. 4:3).

Regrettably, many believers have embraced neo-Gnosticism.

One of the many obstacles the first century Church faced was Gnosticism, a heresy that held that salvation was only available to those who possessed the hidden truths of Christ.  GotQuestions.com explains Gnosticism thusly:

Christian Gnosticism is the belief that one must have a “gnosis” (from Greek “Gnosko,” to know) or inner knowledge which is mystical knowledge obtained only after one has been properly initiated. Only a few can possess this mystical knowledge, limiting the number of those “in the know”. … Gnosticism today seems to provide a lot of the form and color for the New Age portrait of Jesus where Jesus is seen as the illumined Illuminator: one who serves as a cosmic catalyst for others’ awakening. As such it is as false and heretical as the Gnosticism of the first century and needs to be roundly condemned for the heresy that it is.

Let’s face it. Being “in the know” gives a person an exaggerated feeling of self-importance. Even mature believers, who should know better, are seeking the so-called hidden truths of Christ.  How does one go about uncovering these “truths”?  By way of Catholic mysticism, which has its roots in Gnosticism.

A decade ago who would have dreamed that scores of evangelicals would even consider being involved in monastic disciplines.  One such discipline evangelicals have borrowed is contemplative or centering prayer.  This meditative practice was introduced by the Desert Fathers. It entails going to a quiet place to clear one’s mind of all outside interference so that God’s voice can be heard. But in order to connect with God on a deeper level the practitioner must repeat a word (mantra) over and over until he/she falls into an altered state of consciousness.  Once this is achieved the practitioner will allegedly feel God’s presence and then seek His guidance.

Evangelicals also participate in Lectio Divina or divine reading.  Lectio Divina involves Scripture reading, meditation and prayer. Its purpose is to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of the scriptures.

Christians have been initiated into monastic mysticism through reading the books of priests such as William Meninger, Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, Brennan Manning, Henri Nouwen and Brother Lawrence.  Likewise, Richard Foster and Dallas Willard are driving evangelicals into Catholic mysticism.

The Apostle Paul warned the Body of Christ about the Gnostics. He told them “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? (2 Cor. 6:14).

Clearly, God does not wish His people to involve themselves in any sort of unrighteousness. Yet many Christians are participating in the very things God condemns. They’re not going to God for their marching orders; instead they’re participating in practices found in false religions. Endeavoring to seek God on a deeper level they’re falling into sin.

Christians have got to start taking the Bible seriously. Scripture teaches that Satan and his minions are highly intelligent beings with supernatural powers. What is more, Satan comes to us as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:14). Hence, undiscerning, biblically illiterate believers are easily bamboozled.

So here’s the bottom line: Neo-Gnosticism is evil. Christian that involves themselves in practices that stem from unscriptural practices, such as the ones described above, will not find a deeper spiritual experience with God. In fact, just the opposite will result.

Related:

The Gnostic Gospel—Dr. Peter Jones’ lecture

Psalm 46:10 Does Not Teach Centering/Contemplative Prayer—Pastor Ken Silva

Research

Spiritual Formation

Discernment

Copyright by Marsha West, 2012. All rights reserved.

False Conversions Are the Suicide of the Church, Pastor Warns

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The Christian Post reports:

False conversions are a serious problem that could lead not only to the “suicide of the church” but also to the defaming of God’s name, an evangelical pastor warned.

Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., told some 8,000 ministers Tuesday at the Together for the Gospel conference that he fears there are thousands, if not millions, of people in churches who are not truly converted.

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Secular Humanism Fizzles; Cosmic Humanism Flourishes

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Writing in the Christian Post blogs, Marsha West maintains that secular humanism is on the way out. This atheistic, anti-religious belief system has caused spiritual deprivation. As a result a large number of people have moved on to Cosmic Humanism. Cosmic Humanism is a pantheistic worldview which holds to the notion that God is all, all is God. The cosmic humanist believes humanity is evolving, moving upward toward an age of higher consciousness where we will experience “cosmic unity.” View article →

Theater Church

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Pastor Larry DeBruyn of Guarding His Flock Ministries brings you a look at the root of the attractional and emerging approach to worshiptainment over at Apprising Ministries.   View article →

Obama: Jesus is 'A Son of God' Who Knew 'Doubt' and 'Fear'

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On 4 April, the White House hosted its annual Easter Prayer Breakfast. CNS News reports on an interesting choice of words from President Obama:

Speaking to a group of Christian clergy at the Easter Prayer Breakfast he hosted at the White House on Wednesday, President Barack Obama referred to Jesus Christ as “a son of God.”

“It’s an opportunity for us to reflect on the triumph of the resurrection, and to give thanks for the all-important gift of grace,” Obama said of Easter, which is this Sunday. “And for me, and I’m sure for some of you, it’s also a chance to remember the tremendous sacrifice that led up to that day, and all that Christ endured–not just as a Son of God, but as a human being.”

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Denny Burk, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Boyce College, also shared his thoughts on the President’s speech. Burk, however, focuses on a different consideration:

In his remarks this morning at the White House Easter Prayer Breakfast, President Obama reflected on Jesus’ suffering and said that Jesus experienced “doubt” and “fear” in the same way that we do. Of course the Bible does teach that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are and that He is therefore able to sympathize with us (Heb. 4:15). But does that mean that He himself doubted God and feared death?

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Christianity in Crisis? A Response to Andrew Sullivan

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Trevin Wax of The Gospel Coalition responds to a recent Newsweek story, Christianity in Crisis. He writes:

Newsweek’s cover story, written by popular author Andrew Sullivan, encourages Americans to “forget the church” and just “follow Jesus.” According to Sullivan:

We inhabit a polity now saturated with religion. On one side, the Republican base is made up of evangelical Protestants who believe that religion must consume and influence every aspect of public life. On the other side, the last Democratic primary had candidates profess their faith in public forums, and more recently President Obama appeared at the National Prayer Breakfast, invoking Jesus to defend his plan for universal health care. The crisis of Christianity is perhaps best captured in the new meaning of the word “secular.” It once meant belief in separating the spheres of faith and politics; it now means, for many, simply atheism. The ability to be faithful in a religious space and reasonable in a political one has atrophied before our eyes.

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Traveling Evangelist Sammy Nuckolls Accused of Filming More Women Undressing

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Apprising Ministries takes no pleasure in bringing you a story like this one. The reason it’s necessary is actually twofold.

First, unfortunately you’ll see that what was once thought of as an isolated incident by Nuckolls, apparently wasn’t at all.

Secondly, it’s my opinion, this is an example of the fruit of years of watered down preaching within mainstream evangelicalism. View article →