By Marsha West
In part 2 of her series, Marsha West addresses some of the flaws in the “family values” movement. One such flaw is the cleverly contrived manipulation tactics conservative leaders, i.e. evangelicals, resort to in their effort to raise money to “take back America.” Notable evangelicals and so-called Christian musical artists have no qualms about appearing on stage with apostates for some “cause” or another. In this piece Marsha reveals the names of some of the prominent professing Christians who are partnering with apostates, even heretics, in the culture war.
Before the term pro-family was hijacked by liberals (evangelical was also hijacked) supporters were largely made up from conservative Protestants, Roman Catholics, Mennonites, Mormons, Muslims, and Jews, naming just a few. For the sake of the country, religious conservatives agreed to set aside their differences and pull together a grass roots movement of concerned citizens. These folks put their money where their mouth is in an all out effort to win elections. Their hope was that the politicians they elected would return America to “one nation under God.” Unfortunately, it didn’t much matter to pro-family leaders (LIE-celebs) which god their supporters bowed to as long as participants held conservative values and went to the polls.
A recent example of conservatives uniting to win elections is the 2014 national election. To the surprise of many, Republicans won in a landslide. Now that the GOP has been given a mandate it’ll be interesting to see if pitiable capitulating conservative politicians will get anything done or if they’ll continue to cling to their fear of man.
But this series (Part 1) is not about pitiable capitulating conservative politicians – we pretty much know what we can expect from them if recent history is an indicator. What it’s about is pitiable capitulating LIE-celebs who believe that the only way to cure America of its social ills is to join forces with other religions (ecumenical ventures) to fight the encroachment of Secular Humanism into the culture. Seems like a selfless goal, doesn’t it? But the problem is that when Christians unite with other religions, politicians, entertainers, cultists, and knowingly prop up false teachers, guess what happens? Compromise! And when Christians compromise for any reason, the gospel gets compromised. As a result, the waters have become muddied and evangelicalism has lost its distinctiveness.
Evangelical No More
I don’t believe for one minute that the Lord would have those who say they represent Him resort to cleverly contrived manipulation tactics to accomplish His work. The God I serve would never condone the maneuvering that goes on behind the scenes to get people to part with their money. And as I stated earlier, many LIE-celebs call themselves Christians, when what they actually are is GOP political operatives. So – if one wishes to know who keeps these schemers in business, you need only to look in the mirror.
Pro-family groups could not stay in business without the low information evangelical (LIE) giving his/her time talent and treasure to “good causes.” Many people send money to these groups out of the goodness of their hearts. The reason I mention giving is this: God may not be on board with His people financially supporting organizations simply because they label themselves “Christian.” Doesn’t the Bible make it clear that believers are to be good stewards of the money the Lord has entrusted to them? With this thought in mind, I suggest there are “Christian” organizations that shouldn’t receive one penny of support from God’s people – but there are groups that should. It’s up to the giver to be discerning! If there’s any doubt, don’t hand your money out!
Returning to the point I was making before I got off onto giving: the cause of the collapse of evangelicalism. Who’s responsible and how did it happen? According to Mike Ratliff:
In our day the primary enemies that seeks to once again eclipse the gospel are seemingly diverse so-called churches and church movements such as the Purpose Driven paradigm or seeker-sensitivity and gospel contextualization, which remove essential parts of the gospel in order to not offend the “unchurched.” Then there is the Emergent church, which has taken on a definite New Age spiritualism bent. The movers and shakers in this movement consistently deny sola fide and sola scriptura as essentials for the gospel and the health of the church. Instead, they pursue a complete redefinition of every part of Christianity to suit their eclectic tastes. Then we have a complete implosion and collapse of what used be called Evangelical Christianity as leader after leader buys into the newest fads, such as contemplative prayer, in order to remain “culturally relevant” at the cost of their Christian genuineness. (emphasis added – Source)
I should take at least a paragraph or two to fill you in on the prominent groups that have become mainstream thanks in large part to LIE-celebs joining forces with pretty much anyone with a checkbook willing to plunk down money to fund their pet causes. For example, pro-family leader Gary Bauer is on the Board of Directors of Christians United for Israel, a lobby group headed by Word of Faith (WoF) televangelist John Hagee. (Hagee’s behind the Blood Moon lunacy.) WoF/name it and claim it theology is rife with heresy! So would God bless a union such as this? I rather doubt it, even if it is pro-Israel.
In his piece Ratliff addresses the Purpose Driven/seeker sensitive and Emergent movements, so I’ll tackle them now and later provide more information on WoF leaders as well as the New Apostolic Reformation/Third Wave/Latter Rain (NAR). NAR is a movement many are unfamiliar with.
For decades we’ve been seeing the advent of pragmatism in the Church, i.e., “whatever works” to get the folks to come to come to church. Most evangelicals are aware of this by now because a large number of churches have implemented the premiere pragmatic model: Purpose Driven Church. The book became a best-seller and was soon followed-up with Purpose Driven Life. I’ve written numerous articles to expose Rick Warren’s apostasy, so I won’t take up space here. What’s important to understand is Warren’s PEACE Plan is all about joining with other religions to bring about global peace. His plan is supposed to solve the five biggest problems in the world: spiritual emptiness; lack of godly leaders; poverty; disease; lack of education. But is what he’s attempting to do even biblical? Bible expositor Stan Way is of the opinion that:
Doing good is part of ‘loving our neighbor’. It seems to me that we need to be careful because ‘making a better world’ can distract us from preaching the gospel and discipling believers. My observation is that by properly discipling Christians in the faith contributes to the betterment of society. But, this is a byproduct of Christian discipleship, not its primary goal. Christian compassion should make us want to see human suffering relieved whenever that’s possible; while at the same time we hold the conviction that when Christ returns he’ll make all things new. (With permission)
For those who want to expand their knowledge of plan check out Kjos Ministries.
Seeker-driven pragmatism of faux Christianity has many goals, one of them being to create more palatable churches for unchurched Chad and Misty. Seeker churches go to ridiculous lengths to see that visitors aren’t “offended.” In their view, the traditional churches that allow the pastor to exposit Scripture are turn offs to Chad and Misty. I mean, how boring can you get! Seekers are also turned off by liturgy in the service; likewise by hymns, as today’s paying customers attendees prefer contemporary music to the old hymns. To please people, liturgy has been scrapped and the songs mimic the modern culture. There’s no question that the visible Church has moved from God-centered to a man-centered worship.
The Emergent/emerging/emergence Church is joined at the hip with the Purpose Driven/seeker-sensitive/pragmatic Church. Some are calling this assortment of beliefs “seeker-mergent” (S-M). The S-M folks are steeped in unbiblical Roman Catholic mysticism as well as New Age/New Thought “spirituality.” And the reason for this is that some S-M leaders claim a shift is taking place in the Church and that “everything must change.” Do they look to the Bible for guidance? No!
Because this movement is ever changing it is difficult to define, as its many names implies. What it boils down to is that participants are disillusioned with the traditional Church. As such, they’ve decided to throw off the shackles of historic orthodox Christianity, toss the creeds and confessions, and experience God in a whole new way (which is not the way Jesus prescribes in the Bible). In my experience, many S-Ms see themselves as highly evolved (enlightened) human beings. They’ve been given hidden knowledge that (what they deem) “flat-earth fundamentalists” are not privy to. Since they’re the ones “in the know,” “fundies” must get a grip on reality (theirs), get with the program, and change. And we have changed — big time. The change resulted in evangelical’s willingness to dive into Roman Catholic mysticism via Spiritual Formation. Without getting too far afield, this process, called disciplines, encourages believers to indulge in a variety of extrabiblical meditative practices such as contemplative/centering prayer (CP). The important thing to “get” is that the “new way of doing Church” mirrors the very thing the early church struggled against – false teachers who were spreading their Gnostic heresy. Examination of S-M organizations will bring to light their unbiblical beliefs. Any success they enjoy certainly can’t be from God.
As the S-M model continues muddying the waters, do not be surprised to see LIE-celebs join hands to sing My Sweet Lord with “brothers and sisters” from other world religions; likewise with social justice Christians (who deny God’s gospel) …cultists…New Agers…wiccans…wizards and whatnot. It should be noted that the lord in George Harrison’s song is not the Lord God Almighty of Scripture.
Are They Really That…Naive?
“Apostle” Bill Johnson of Bethel Church, Redding CA
Previously I pointed out how pro-family leader Gary Bauer joined forces with a notorious false teacher. Bauer is not alone – not by a long shot. In October of 2014, the president of American Family Association (AFA), Tim Wildmon, interviewed Bethel Church’s pastor (and grievous wolf) Bill Johnson on American Family Radio to promote Johnson’s new book Experience the Impossible: Simple Ways to Unleash Heaven’s Power on Earth. Wildmon has also interviewed NAR leaders such as Rick Joyner, Rod Parsley and Heidi Baker. Amazingly, Wildmon remains unaware that these people are what Christ referred to as ravenous wolves. So – isn’t it his responsibility to vet potential guests? One can only surmise that either he shares Apostle Bill’s unbiblical Third Wave (currently called NAR) theology or he hasn’t bothered to carefully examine what the Bible describes as the “teaching of demons.” (1 Tim. 4:1) I mean, does it not seem odd that Wildmon would pitch a book to his audience that is clearly unbiblical? For someone of his stature to promote false teachers is the height of irresponsibility.
Now, I’m not singling out Tim Wildmon. He’s not the only LIE-celeb who props up “Super Apostles” Bill Johnson, Rick Joyner and the like. Plenty of other pro-family groups have united with false teachers on important moral issues. (See links below) In this day and time it’s not uncommon for LIE-celebs, including Christian musical artists, to appear on stage with apostates for some “cause” or another. The reason I continue hammering AFA is that in their zeal to “Reclaim America” they’ve chosen to dance with the devil. In some cases they even pray with wolves! Mr. Wildmon, God doesn’t hear the prayers of apostates.
Anyway, there’s no sense dwelling on a topic I previously covered in The Religious Right unites with Religious Renegades, Part 1. In it I—gasp!—“name names.” I also made it clear that:
Even though the Christian Right (CR) often shares a stage with controversial groups/persons it does not mean that they necessarily share their views; what it does mean however is that when controversial groups/persons are invited to participate in a CR event, it appears that they endorse these groups/persons. It grieves me to say this–and I’ll get a lot of flak for it–but many professing Christians seem to have little or no problem partnering with false teachers and cultists, perhaps because these groups/persons are useful in furthering their political causes.
It’s important to note that there are many bona fide Christian and non-Christian organizations and individuals that need—and should receive—our prayers, our encouragement, and our financial support. Personally, because of what I do it seems some of the sites, where owner/editors have enough courage to publish articles like this one, are deserving of support. Perform due diligence and help them if you are so inclined. If your research leads to something that smells fishy, hold onto your money.
I’ll close with this warning from Christian apologist Ken Silva concerning who we relate to in our Christian walk:
Today I appeal to you to awaken from this Lunacy in the Lord’s Name, a narcissistic nightmare being falsely portrayed as Christianity. If you have been taken in by these deceiving man-pleasers having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power; now you need to avoid such people (2 Timothy 3:5). Friend, I beseech you to pick up the Bible and check these things out for yourself. You need to understand that time is running out and you are playing a game with your life that has eternal stakes.
In the Lord I admonish you to forget that convoluted conversation within the Emerging Church; turn away from those sinner sensitive Purpose Driven/Seeker Driven musings, and run from the prideful prophets of Word Faith heresy before you end up right back in the bondage of the apostate Church of Rome along with all the rest of them. Do you really think the Protestant Reformation was wrong; because in order to follow these fools this is what you are going to have to believe. (Source)
Resources:
Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, with NAR “Apostle” Rick Joyner
Focus on the Family Gives Bono a Platform – Another Example Where 2 +2 Don’t Add Up –According to Christian researcher Berit Kjos, “U2’s 2005 tour was aimed at joining all religions into a unified global spirituality. To emphasize the coming solidarity, the word “COEXIST” was featured on a giant screen. The capital “C” pointed to the Islamic crescent, the “X” symbolized the Jewish Star of David, and the “T” was a reminder of the Christian cross. Bono led massive crowds in a vibrant chant: “Jesus, Jew, Mohammed—It’s True!”
Catholic Jeb Bush hired an adviser with extensive ties to the religious right–Jay Sekulow’s son, Jordan.
Next Great Awakening Tour, hosted by Jim Garlow and David Barton, visited sights of the First and Second Great Awakenings in America. The tour featured Lance Wallnau, chief promoter of the controversial NAR doctrine, the 7 Mountain strategy of taking Dominion. Other guests included Speaker Newt Gingrich, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. Rick Santorum, Rep. Bob McEwen, and Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins.
NAR Critic Slams James Dobson and ‘Pro-Family Leaders’ for ‘Giving Credibility to False Teachers’ (Far-left site. Enter at your own risk.)
NAR “Apostle” Rick Joyner’s Morning Star Ministries promotes 2015 conferences featuring Janet Folger Porter, Rep. Louie Gohmert, and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin – Porter and Boykin promote NAR.
Janet Porter Dropped From Worldview Radio Because Of Her Ties To “Whacked Out Folks” (Far-left site. Enter at your own risk.)
Charismania Embraces Glenn Beck—NAR “Super Apostle” Chuck Pierce offered Mormon pro-family leader, political pundit, commentator and New Age Mormon Glenn Beck a “new mantle for the future” because of his stand with the nation of Israel.
LIE-Celebs Capitulate
Russell Moore, Rick Warren, N. T. Wright visit Pope Francis —Puff piece by Christianity Today
Lee Strobel promotes Emerging Church leader Erwin McManus
Lee Strobel promotes Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren
Popular Southern Baptist Bible teacher Beth Moore unites with Word of Faith heretic Joyce Meyer
Francis Chan spoke at IHOP’s Onething conference where he declared “I love Mike Bickle.” Bickle is a false prophet.
Kirk Cameron invited New Age Mormon Glenn Beck to get the word out about his film “Monumental”
Joel Rosenberg was invited to speak at the 2010 Break Forth Canada Conference, promoted the conference on his blog, and shared a stage with those in the emerging/contemplative camp including New Age sympathizer and Emergent guru Leonard Sweet and universalist and author of The Shack, William P. Young.
James MacDonald, Mark Driscoll unite with T.D. Jakes and claim Jakes is a Trinitarian
Ravi Zacharias Praises Word of Faith Preacher Joyce Meyer
John Piper On Rick Warren: Invitation to “Hang Out” Or An Endorsement?
Steven Furtick as Televangelist at Lakewood Church of Joel Osteen
SBC Pastor’s Conference 2014 With Rick Warren, Francis Chan, and James MacDonald
World Vision, Christian organization? – Part 1—WV capitulates to homosexual activists and then they change their mind.
Copyright by Marsha West, 2015. All rights reserved.