"Christians" - The New Useful Idiots
Wow, what perilous time we are living in! Below is an article by Carl Teichrib from Forcing Change. The article deals directly with the notion that most "Christians" really cannot defend their faith and/or give an answer for why they believe what they believe? The sad fact(s) is that notion is pretty much right on the money. Sadly, less than 10% of professing "Christians" have a biblical worldview or know the first thing regarding apologetics. And, those opposed to Christianity ... exploit this weakness of Christians perfectly. So, what are we to do? Well, most of the Christian community is sticking their heads in the sand and waving the banner of political correctness. Those who are willing to stand on biblical truth are met with intense efforts to be marginalized and tossed out as right-wing nuts. I encourage you to read the article below and take what Carl has to say and examine it against the authority of scripture. I understand that if you already classify yourself as "Emergent" you might have a problem with the whole authoritative scripture thing ... considering you do not hold up the entire Bible as the inspired word of God ... I encourage those of you that fall into this bucket to reconsider 2 Timothy 3:16 which states "All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness". And those of you who are trying to build an apologetic foundation ... may the following scripture(s) be an encouragement to you:
2 Corinthians 10:5 - "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
2 Timothy 2:10 - "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Matthew 28:19,20 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."
2 Timothy 4:2 - "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."
Colossians 2:8 - "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are truly living in perilous times ... And, us Biblical Christians, have a tremendous opportunity to do a mighty work for our Lord. May none of us waste another day sitting on the sidelines. I exhort you, I exhort myself, to get in the game ... eternity is at stake (Acts 17:30,31). Enjoy the article from Carl below:
Checking Our Brains At The Door
Spiritual Appeasement in the Age of Emergence
NOTE: The Emergent church movement is sweeping through modern Christendom. Many articles and a few books have been written critical of this movement, for there are numerous problems associated with it. Conversely, there are valid points attached to the movement that need to be considered – this article does touch on that. However, the primary purpose of this report is to wrestle with the underlying currents that drive the Emergent mood.
Another important point is the language: the words Emergence and Emergent are often used synonymously. There is a difference: Emergence refers to the larger context of global change. Emergent is the new Christian reaction to this world shift.
Finally, there are various degrees attached to this church movement, making it difficult (and dangerous) to use a single brush stroke when dealing with this issue. This does not negate "contending for the faith," it does mean, however, that we must be careful when attaching labels.
With a playful grin the moderator asked the four church panelists to fill in the blank; "Jesus loves me this I know, for the _______ tells me so." Silence from the stage: The air in the auditorium thickened as more than 200 church leaders and laypeople found themselves squirming: How would this question be answered? Nervous giggles could be heard. People shifted in their chairs…a few coughed. One of the panel members, an inner-city pastor, made a mock attempt to leave the stage. Finally, one of the four – an Anglican minister –unapologetically announced; Of course, the Bible tells me so! With the dam now breached, the others found their voices: The Bible plus church traditions, explained the second panelist. "Family…and community," countered the next speaker. The last on the stage summed it up; "All of the above."
So why was this such a ticklish issue? Consider the setting: An auditorium full of Christian leaders who had just been told that Emergent Christianity would be marked by the "end of authority" and the death of Sola Scriptura (the Scriptures alone). And the general feeling was that this should be embraced, not mourned. Indeed, the unofficial theme of this one-day event, titled "The Great Emergence," centered on the question; what is our authority?
Here lies the heart of the matter: Authority. This is important to understand, as it eclipses the various attachments to the movement. Hence, the Emergent church isn't just about worship styles, community or relationship building, social justice, experienced-based spirituality, or the resurgence of monasticism and ancient practices. True, all of these components can be found in the Emergent movement, but in order to understand the real drivers that give it direction, we have to focus on the challenge to authority.
How Time Flies - On the last day of October 2009, my wife and I attended The Great Emergence seminar in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The keynote speaker was Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why.
A feisty woman in her senior years, Tickle is a dynamic communicator who is very knowledgeable regarding key historical changes. Her premise, as presented in her book and explained to the Winnipeg audience, is that Christianity undergoes a major upheaval approximately every 500 years.
For simplicity purposes, Tickle refers to this as a 500-year "rummage sale" – a period where Christendom re-evaluates what is important and "sells off" what is no longer relevant. The last rummage sale, Tickle explained, was the Great Reformation of the 1500s. Before that it was the Great Schism of 1051, with its splitting of Christendom into Western and Eastern lines. Approximately five hundred before that was the Council of Chalcedon, which defined Jesus Christ as "one in person, who is both divine and human." And of course, five centuries previous had witnessed the ministry of Jesus Christ, and the birth of the Early Church as it ruptured from Temple Judaism. Tickle called this the Great Transformation.
(View the rest of the article by clicking here or visiting www.forcing change.org)
