MICHAEL DOWD AND DOUG PAGITT OF THE EMERGING CHURCH

Great article and information regarding the latest deception making its way into the church and sweeping across our nation.  Ken Silva does a great job in documenting and calling attention to the apostasy that we are all seeing within the church today.  I would encourage you to check out his website at http://apprising.org/.  In the meantime, prayerfully consider the information below - Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things ... Romans 1:22 - 23

MICHAEL DOWD AND DOUG PAGITT OF THE EMERGING CHURCH

The Lord be praised that He has seen fit to open the door for Apprising Ministries to have become one of the leading voices against the sinfully ecumenical Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church, a neo-liberal cult now operating within mainstream evangelicalism.


Its primary legacy is that through its core doctrine of corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM), masquerading as spurious Spiritual Formation ala Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster and his spiritual twin Dallas Willard, the Emergent Church leaders have been quite successful in taking the focus off proper Christian spirituality; and instead putting it upon mere subjective feelings.


While this was going on, circa the late 90′s, foolish evangelical leaders made the tragic decision to begin using these warped and toxic teachings within their own Young Adult and Youth ministries; and thereby opening them to a veritable who’s who of heresy, including the unholy EC trinity of apostates, Living Spiritual Teacher and EC guru Brian McLaren, universalist EC pastor Doug Pagitt, and his friend Tony Jones, the progressive “theologian in residence” at Solomon’s Porch headed by Pagitt.


You should know that this upgraded Emerging Church 2.0 now has in place its new postmodern form of “big tent” Progressive Christianity—a Liberalism 2.0—sometimes referred to as Emergence Christianity. Here’s another example of the fetid fruit of this counter-Reformation spirituality that’s now spread deeply into squishy evanjellyfish through the evolution of this postmodern liberalism.


In posts like Michael Dowd & Spencer Burke—Integrity And Evolutionary Christianity (Part 2), Michael Dowd And Science Fiction Christianity, and Mental Off-Roading Radio With Doug Pagitt And Michael Dowd I’ve introduced you to Rev. Michael Dowd, whom I first brought to your attention in Jesus Died For Our Reptilian Brain.


Now I point you to his The Advent of Evolutionary Christianity blog and Dowd’s post Doug Pagitt: Postmodern Evangelicalism Emerging:


(Online source)


But as I told Michael Dowd, whether it goes online or not, is:



(Online source)


Dowd goes on to tell us information, which only serves to further confirm these men worship a god other than the on true and living God of the Bible:



(Online source)


Straight in line with my article Toxic Theology Of Doug Pagitt, Pagitt’s far from right concerning the Christian faith. As one reviewer of one of the books written by Doug Pagitt, specifically A Christianity Worth Believing: Hope-filled, Open-armed, Alive-and-well Faith for the Left Out, Left Behind, and Let Down in us All i.e. universalism, put it:


What Christianity has Pagitt presented us? We are taught that sin isn’t a serious issue, that Jesus was simply an example of what we’re meant to do, that the crucifixion wasn’t necessary in the long run, that the afterlife isn’t important, and that we can learn a lot more from holistic medicine than we can the Bible. At what point does this become Christianity? How can this be Christianity? The role of Christ is diminished and our role with God is simply played out in a post-modern ideal that borders along pantheism. You can call it spirituality, but you can’t call it Christianity. (Online source)


Um yeah, Iguess other than that, this would be a good book for your evangelical Youth and Young Adults to read, eh. O, and Fuller Theological Seminary thinks that’s a-ok as well, which you can see from Fuller Seminary Promoting Emerging Church Heretic Doug Pagitt. And how about the “Christianity” taught by Michael Dowd; try the following from his key presentation “Evolutionize Your Life: Heaven Is Coming Home To Reality” where Dowd dreams:


[F]rankly, I don’t know of any Christian, Muslim, or Jew, that is genuinely appreciative of their sinful nature; and yet, that’s what an evolutionary understanding gives us. Is we can have appreciation [of it]… And you’ve got these hundreds of differing, competing, contrdictory, stories about what God said or did; that if you interpret God as a Person, you can’t make sense of those.


But when you understand, from an evolutionary perspective, that all cultures have personified Reality; either Reality as a whole—or some significant aspect of Reality. And personification is one of the things that our brains do…when we remember that “God” is a sacred, meaningful, personification—not a person—all of a sudden, not only does that make sense of all the world’s religious traditions—and their differences—but it also allows us to see that there’s no conflict between science and religion… Nothing is driving young people away from God—away from a right relationship with Reality—faster, and further, than the Bible.


I tell you now in the Lord, if you actually think what you just read is even remotely Christian, then you seriously need to have your spiritual head examined. This includes Doug Pagitt who’s spiritually obtuse enough to say of heretical his apostate friend Michael Dowd:


I like what he’s up to…he’s written a book called, Thank God for Evolution and his argument is that there’s this big thing going on in the larger story of the cosmos and that it’s not at all inconsistent with Christianity; it’s not all inconsistent with the Hebrew faith, it’s not at all inconsistent with the other great faiths of the world.


Did you catch that; Pagitt likes “what [Dowd's] up to”; and, rather amazingly, in addition he apparently even thinks that what I just showed you above from Dowd’s teachings is “not at all inconsistent with Christianity.” In closing this, for now, Dowd’s concept of “God” is as an impersonal force i.e. Reality evolving as the universe. Do I think Doug Pagitt has become a evolutionary pantheist like Michael Dowd; no, at least not yet.


But I will say, it’s well past time for evangelical leaders to grow a spiritual spine and start pinning down these leaders in the Emerging Church like Doug Pagitt—published by evangelical publishing houses—as to what they actually believe. If not, then their own reality is going to involve sailing upon some very rough spiritual waters…

Emergent Church Leaders Promote Evolutionary Spirituality - The Crosstalk Blog

Emergent Church Leaders Promote Evolutionary Spirituality - The Crosstalk Blog

Emergent Church Leaders Promote Evolutionary Spirituality
Posted by Ingrid Schlueter in Emergent Church, New Spirituality on December 23rd, 2010 32 responses

Emergent Church leaders Sally Morgenthaler, Spencer Burke, Doug Pagitt and Brian McLaren are joining “Evolutionary Evangelist” Michael Dowd in the promotion of evolutionary spirituality, long taught by leading New Age gurus like Barbara Marx Hubbard. Dowd sent out this press release yesterday about the new project.


DECEMBER 22, 2010 – This Christmas season, bestselling author and evolutionary evangelist Rev. Michael Dowd is having an online revival of sorts, and pitching what may be the biggest tent yet for fellow Christians who embrace evolution and honor science: EvolutionaryChristianity.com.


As a sequel to his breakthrough book Thank God for Evolution (Viking/Plume), Rev. Dowd is hosting and producing a living library of free podcasts and live panels with preeminent Christians on the leading edge of science and religion, where mythic beliefs and measurable reality collide.

 “The New Atheists and scriptural literalists are not the only games in town,” says Dowd. “In contrast to Richard Dawkins’ God-less universe, tens of millions of us in the middle celebrate both Jesus and Darwin. For us, religious faith is strengthened by what God is revealing through science.”


Dowd will speak one-on-one with 38 religious and scientific luminaries representing Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Progressives, and both Integral and Emerging Church leaders about “how science can deepen faith, not threaten it.”


The historic dialogues, titled, The Advent of Evolutionary Christianity: Conversations at the Leading Edge of Faith, explore the emergence of a new form of religious experience that reveres what God is revealing through science and embraces all of creation. Dowd will talk with some of the most respected names in science and religion — Nobel laureates and Templeton Prize-winners among them.


His guests also include Brian McLaren, named by Time magazine as one of America’s 25 most influential evangelicals; Catholic theologian John Haught and Brown University biologist Ken Miller, both key witnesses for the plaintiff at the 2005 Dover ‘intelligent design’ trial; Wired magazine co-founder Kevin Kelly; Ian Lawton, pastor of the Michigan church that recently made national news for removing its cross; Sister Joan Chittister, co-chair of the U.N. Global Peace Initiative of Women; and Sister Gail Worcelo, co-founder of Green Mountain Monastery with Thomas Berry; Bishop John Shelby Spong, whose books on evolving faith have sold more than a million copies; Matthew Fox, defrocked by now Pope Benedict XVI for embracing Creation Spirituality; Paul Smith, a veteran pastor who was kicked out of the Southern Baptist Convention for blessing gay unions; and 30 other evolutionary Christians.


In the spirit of the season, Dowd and his guests are giving away free access to all the interviews. The daily dialogues were launched December 4 on EvolutionaryChristianity.com, and will continue through January 14. Already more than ten thousand Christians from around the world, including hundreds of clergy, have found the site, with many joining the conversation.


“For far too long the public debate has been a battle of extremes,” says Rev. Dowd. “After nearly a decade on the road sharing the good news of evolution, I felt called to convene a coalition of Christian leaders who embrace scientific evidence as divine communication. By focusing on values and perspectives that we all share, rather than on our differences, we are discovering extraordinary common ground. There’s more than one way to be an evolutionary Christian, but what we all share are deep-time eyes and a global heart.”


From January 15 through February 1, Dowd will host six live online seminars with an internet audience of tens of thousands who can ask questions of the panelists. In February, transcripts of all the dialogues and panel discussions will be made available to the public, along with study guides for churches, seminaries, and school boards.


A recent Gallup poll reveals that four in ten Americans still believe that “God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so,” or what Dowd dubs “denial about the reality of deep time and our real history.”


Dowd believes that now is the time to help fellow Christians relate to their faith within the context of a universe that he exclaims is “far more glorious and inspiring than anyone living thousands of years ago could have possibly imagined—even prophets!”


Rev. Dowd has come a long way since handing out anti-evolution tracts in his early 20s. Today, he and his wife Connie Barlow, a science writer, are itinerant evolutionary evangelists proclaiming a gospel billions of years old.


The unorthodox missionaries have spoken to more than eleven hundred audiences, from Baptists to Buddhists, about how science and religion can enjoy a happy marriage. The Dodge Sprinter they call home travels North America with a clear message on both sides, the Jesus and Darwin fishes kissing, a graphic Dowd says gets them “a lot of smiles and a few gestures.”


Dowd’s first book, EarthSpirit: A handbook for nurturing an ecological Christianity, was one of the first attempts to look appreciatively at biblical Christianity in light of what scientists have discovered about the universe.


His most recent, Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World, was endorsed by six Nobel Prize-winning scientists and by religious leaders across the spectrum.


Meanwhile, Barbara Marx Hubbard and her New Spirituality friends are promoting their upcoming Shift Retreat where they are also going to be addressing evolutionary spirituality. This is where all the teaching on evolution was eventually headed–not into atheism, but to this global spirituality with man at the center and on the throne. As Hubbard declares in her demonic retelling of the book of Revelation, those who will not participate will face judgment day. Doug Pagitt, Brian McLaren, Spencer Burke, Sally Morgenthaler and anyone who legitimizes them by participating with them in their conferences, books, and online seminars are helping to promote the doctrines of demons. Those who refuse to come out from among these men and women and stay clean from their lies are participants in with them.

"The Great Falling Away" - Emergent / Apostate Church - 2 Timothy 4:3,4

"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

By Carl Teichrib - http://www.forcingchange.org/

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)

Emergent Church - Part 3/3

Chapter 7 - Undefining Knowledge - The Epistemology of the EC (PGS 135-156)

• EPISTEMOLOGY: Theory of Knowledge
• addresses the following questions:
• What is knowledge?
• How is knowledge acquired?
• EMERGENT CHURCH EPISTEMOLOGY
• rejection of absolutes and a world of cause and effect
• believe in a socially constructed world in which our beliefs create the "worlds" in which we live.
• "Coherentism"
• BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN EPISTEMOLOGY
• knowledge of salvation and reconciliation is revealed in the Bible.
• Scripture is foundational for knowledge of salvation, of God, and of the world in which we live.

Chapter 8 - Undefining the Kingdom of God (pgs 157-178)

• THE EC "KINGDOM of GOD"
• equals joining God and building an earthly paradise now
• logical conclusion when looking at their eschatology
• all things are coming together in a future paradise
• repackaged Liberalism through the Social Gospel and Mystical Spirituality
• people must find a way to make this world a better place while waiting for it to be perfected as they move forward toward a future paradise.
• THE BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN "KINGDOM of GOD"
• The king will return to judge the disobedient
• He is a threat to all who do not obey the laws or commandments
• reward and blessing for those who believe in Him

Chapter 9 - Emergence Theory: The Philosophical Source of Emergent Theology (pgs 179-181)

• Jurgen Moltmann plus Ken Wilber = EMERGENT
• Moltmann; Emergent source of eschatology
• Wilber; Emergent source of philosophy
• Wilber's Philosophy - The Mystical Darwin
• Upward Spiral - everything is evolving into something better
• Holistic (spiritual and physical) concept of evolution
• Spiral Dynamics - the world evolves into a physical / spiritual paradise over time.
• Who is Ken Wilber?
• neo-Buddhist
• Philosophy = pagan and Christian concepts into one unified spirituality
• created his own language that works with his ideas and concepts
• has his roots in Hegel
• The EC ... nothing special or unique
• rejection of Scripture
• looked at Hegel as its prophet
• EXAMPLE - The Mormon Church - rejected scripture and looked to Joseph Smith as its prophet.

Emergent Church - Part 2/3

Chapter Four - Undefining Theology (pgs 73-94)

• DECONSTRUCTION - removing the meaning of words
• The EC embrace contradictions
• words are fluid
• definitions morph due to experiences, they do not hold to any meaning
• beneficial to have beliefs that are incompatible
• WHY? Because believing in both sides will evolve or synthesize into a better belief.
• truth and meaning are experienced rather than known
• KNOWLEDGE
• General Revelation: our 5 senses and rational mind
• utilization of logic to learn
• economy, industry, and scientific achievements are based upon general revelation.
• Specific Revelation: revealed only through SCRIPTURE
• spoken to the world through human mediators (prophets/Jesus Christ)
• God's plan for salvation and reconciliation only through SPECIFIC REVELATION.
• MYSTICISM (focus and emphasis)
• spirituality by experience - truth and meaning are found through experience and not specific revelation (DECONSTRUCTION)
• Problem: mystical experience(s) always lead to idolatry and damnation - not the God revealed in scripture.
• Old-Fashioned pagan mysticism repackaged

Chapter Five - Undefining the Bible and Preaching (pgs 95-114)

• EMERGENT CHURCH PERSPECTIVE
• rejection of the idea that we should utilize our minds, logic, and reason to understand the scripture
• scripture does not convey a fixed meaning determined by the biblical, Holy Spirit-inspired authors.
• The EC seek meaning and revelation through spiritual experiences pursued together, in community with others.
• BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
• God has commanded us to study, understand, and believe His words and to obey His commands
• God holds us accountable to understand the meaning of His words.
• The means by which the Christian grows in sanctification and holiness is to better understand and believe the word of God.

Chapter Six - Undefining the Means of Grace (pgs 115-134)

• EMERGENT CHURCH PERSPECTIVE
• reject boundaries and definitions - freestyle approach - every congregation designs for themselves what measures they take to approach God.
• Paganism repackaged
• pursuit of mysticism
• focus on spiritual experiences in order to come to God and grow spiritually
• Many means of grace - same types of influences that infected the Catholic Church - eventually leading to the Reformation
• Buzzword(s) = "Spiritual Disciplines" and "Lost Secrets"
• BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
• Jesus Christ, equally God, lived, died, and was raised from the dead
• His body ascended into heaven
• sinless man Jesus Christ, paid our debt of sin with His death on the cross.
• acceptance an belief results in reconciliation with God.
• Confidently approach God and offer our requests to Him through prayer.
• All was recorded in a book by real human beings
• Interpreted as literal history

Emergent Church - Part 1/3

The Emergent Church: Undefining Christianity - by Bob DeWaay

Chapter One - The Road to Paradise Imagined (pgs 13-30)

• Acts 17:30, 31 - The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
• Acts 17:30, 31 speak(s) of a literal and future judgment - this notion is rejected by the EC.
• God's words (inspired scripture) are not used as logical boundaries for humanity in the eyes of the EC
• Bedrock of Belief System = ESCHATOLOGY
• The EC has a "hopeful and positive view of God's engagement in the world."
• God is the future, drawing everything to himself
• God is still creating and we can be "co-creators" of the world with God.
• Post-Modern Framework (Deconstruct Christianity)
• No definitions; that creates categories
• Categories involve Boundaries
• Boundaries keep people out
• Theology of "HOPE" versus Theology of "DESPAIR"
• Francis Schaeffer (theology of despair): people are despaired because they had no hope of knowing the truth about God, about man, and about the universe.
• Jurgen Moltmann (theology of hope): based upon the philosophies of Georg Hegel - a Marxist Idealist.
• Hegel Philosophy: deny absolutes, consider that everything evolves, incompatible opposites - such as good and evil, combine for an improved 3rd option - "The Third Way".
• Moltmann applied philosophies of Hegel to theology and eschatology.
• Instead of judgment (no consideration of scripture) the entire world was evolving towards paradise - leaving evil behind ... Theology of Hope.
• Theology of Hope is based upon the idea that history is not in the direction of divine judgment, but is headed toward the "Kingdom of God" on earth with universal participation.
• Humanity cannot know that is true until the future
• The Holy Bible is NOT viewed as the inerrant word of God
• The EC DENIES that we can know what the Holy Bible really means.
• All of this captures the Post-Modern attitude
• Emergent / Post-Modern Philosophy
• denies the objectivity of 1) Historic Knowledge and 2) Present Knowledge
• but asserts the objectivity of 1) Future Knowledge

Chapter Two - Undefining God's Mission (pgs 31-50)

• EMERGENT MISSION (tends to undefined and EC leaders are in disagreement)
• Improve society now
• They borrow their beliefs/practices from Catholic Liberalism
• Christianity's mission is to make the world a tangible "paradise now"
• The term "MISSIONAL" describes the idea that any works that make the world a better place brings humanity toward the ideal future.
• Missional for the EC is to find a more generous 3rd Way - not liberal, not conservative
• Anything that makes the world a better place is a worthy mission - the only mission that DOES NOT make sense is the preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins so that humanity can avoid a literal, future judgment.
• The EC is trying to help God's dreams come true
• The EC embraces the "SOCIAL GOSPEL"
• The individual/person on the mission determines its meaning - not the Bible
• Saving planet earth is essential
• The Cross: there is no clear meaning regarding the cross or the resurrection. Therefore, the "mission" is undefined and must be discovered.
• SPECIFICALLY DENY: a mission of proclaiming and escape from God's coming wrath - the EC DOES NOT believe in a pending future judgment.
• BIBLICAL MISSION (gotta be fair and balanced these days)
• Preach and Teach the Gospel / spread the "Good News" of Jesus Christ
• Why is it such good news? - because it provides us sinners with a certain escape from the wrath of God

Chapter Three - Undefining Christian Thinking (pgs 51-72)

• 2 Timothy 3:7 - always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
• The EC holds to the position that it is absurd to believe that an author's words can convey the thoughts that he intends the reader to understand. Therefore, the reader is free to give whatever meaning he/she desires to the authors words.
• The emphasis for the EC is on experience(s)
• "Words don't have meaning ... experiences do"
• Spiritual experiences in a group setting are what lead to "Christian" thinking
• The EC EMBRACE MYSTICISM - truth is experienced rather than understood.
• This belief allows the EC and its followers to have liberation from the restraints of definition(s)
• The definitions are from flawed, narrow-minded Christian theologians
• The EC reject propositional truth and embrace religious existentialism - they do not want the conversation to "divide" humanity.
• The EC REJECT theological methods that make any type of distinction
• Agreement vs Disagreement
• Win vs Loss
• Good vs Bad
• Orthodoxy vs Heresy

Emergent Church - Introduction

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." - 2 Timothy 4:3,4

I recently completed a comprehensive book by Bob DeWaay focused on "un-masking" the Emergent Church. I was one of the many who have struggled to understand their message, but DeWaay and his book "The Emergent Church - Undefining Christianity" have sharpened the lens in which I view the apostate church of the 21st century. DeWaay has done a great job in teasing out many of its origins, belief systems, and points of interest surrounding this movement. I say all of this because I recently completed teaching a Biblical Worldview course and when I mentioned the Emergent Church ... I was met with many different reactions - confusion, frustration, bewilderment, and even anger.

So, like any good teacher, I went to find a resource that could help the class. DeWaay's book was my "go-to" publication. God has truly equipped Pastor DeWaay regarding this movement/topic and his writings are critical in trying to grasp what the Emergent Church is all about. He has spoken and had conversations with many of their leaders, attended their conferences, and debated them in a public forum. In my opinion, other than the Holy Scriptures, there is no better resource than Bob DeWaay and his ministry. You can search on your own at Critical Issues Commentary or visit the web page of Twin City Fellowship.

I knew that there was no way that the class would read 200 pages of academically intense material in a matter of 12 days . . . but, DeWaay has done something in this book that allows for even the most novice of researchers to begin to get a handle on the Emergent Church. DeWaay has proceeded each chapter with an "abstract" describing and detailing the main points that you are about to read.

What I did for our class was to put the abstracts into outline form. By doing this, it allowed for each participant to have some type of resource in their hands regarding the Emergent Church. What they have done with the information or are doing with it now is between them and our Lord. Anyway, I spoke with Pastor DeWaay to see if he was agreeable to having me post the outline on this site ... he agreed and here we are! I apologize for the long lead-in, but it was necessary. What I will be doing is posting 2 to 3 chapter outlines from his book within each entry. I pray that this will benefit someone and that you will join in the fight to proclaim TRUTH and fight against the heresy that among us all.

Blessings -

GutCheck Ministries

Emergent Church - Pastor Bob Dewaay discusses a recent conference

mp3 Audio

Church before Culture - Brannon Howse

Below is an article from Brannon Howse that explains a new book, "Already Gone" by Ken Ham. The basis of the book, is that many of children are not walking away from the faith in college, but in reality have left the faith or checked out during adolescence - they are indeed already gone! Ham's book could not have come at a better time. He does a great job in sounding the warning bell for the churches within America. The question is - will anybody listen and try to bend the trend?


That question brings me to my next thought . . . does the modern church of today even know what is going on? I was once a part of an "Evangelical" mega-church. It was great . . . I could grab a latte at the church coffee shop, buy the latest "cutting edge" book on how to be a christian, listen to the worship concert (to get you in the mood), open service with the most current NOOMA clip (that really tugged on the emotional heartstrings), and then proceed to get 22 minutes of self help from a "pastor" who was aided by 5 different versions of scripture.


The only thing missing was the true gospel message of Jesus Christ. Now, to be fair, we would get half the gospel message - the warm, fuzzy, loving half - BUT, the part about sin, judgement, and wrath were left out (those topics tended to offend and hurt numbers - which would effect the latest building campaign - which was necessary to spread the above mentioned "gospel message"). And, from what I have come to discover - half a gospel equals no gospel at all . . . just like half a christian equals no christian at all (see REVEAL STUDY at http://www.revealnow.com/storypage.asp?pageID=5) Question? - should that suprise anyone? The truth of sin and the depravity of man didn't fit in nicely with the latest Purpose Driven or Externally Focused church movement. In its haste to be relevant, the modern church of today has been lead astray. It brings to mind the words of II Timothy 4:3,4 - "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."
- Gutcheck Ministries


My friend and Worldview Weekend speaker Ken Ham has written an excellent book with Britt Beemer and Todd Hillard entitled, Already Gone: Why your kids will quit church and what you can do to stop it. Ham worked with a professional pollster to survey those who went to church every week or nearly every week and they deliberately polled conservative congregations, not liberal ones. Let me share some highlights from their book that confirm that the church needs to be reclaimed before we even attempt to reclaim the culture.

· A mass exodus is underway. Most youth of today will not be coming to church tomorrow. Nationwide polls and denominational reports are showing that the next generation is calling it quits on the traditional church. And it's not just happening on the nominal fringe; it's happening at the core of the faith.

· Only 11 percent of those who have left the Church did so during the college years. Almost 90 percent of them were lost in middle school and high school. By the time they got to college they were already gone! About 40 percent are leaving the Church during elementary and middle school years!

· If you look around in your church today, two-thirds of those who are sitting among us have already left in their hearts; it will only take a couple years before their bodies are absent as well.

· The numbers indicate that Sunday school actually didn't do anything to help them develop a Christian worldview...The brutal conclusion is that, on the whole, the Sunday school programs of today are statistical failures. · Part of the concern is that the mere existence of youth ministry and Sunday school allows parents to shrug off their responsibility as the primary teachers, mentors, and pastors to their family.[1][1] http://www.worldviewtimes.com/article.php/articleid-5294/Brannon-Howse/Brannon-Howse

The Third Way

In a recent class discussion, many questions were raised regarding the role(s) of government, church, and how Christians should interpret/react to the changing of culture of today??? Below, is just a snapshot of some thoughts/notes (in rough outline form) that were shared in class. Bottomline - God created specific institutions and man (because he is sinful) is destroying those institutions. We are truly in a spiritual battle and the only way to make sense of any of this, is to turn to the One who is sovreign. We, as BIBLICAL CHRISTIANS, must stand up - we must do our duty and occupy until He returns. Here is the Million Dollar Question - are you ready and willing for what it will take to stand for Biblical truth, to stand for Jesus - in a world that is raging against Him?

- Gutcheck Ministries

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW APPLICATION - The Third Way
God Created Institutions
· Civil Government
· Family Government
· Church Government
Institutions Destroying America
· Apostate / Emergent Church
· Educational Establishment
· Occultism / Pagan Spirituality
· Government/Corporate Complex
America and its connection to Saul Alinsky
· Concept from Georg Hegel
1.Opinion versus Opinion
2. Must have conflict / agitation
3. Through conflict / agitation comes reform or change
4. The two “opinions” merge
5. This merge is known as “The Third Way” – what was wanted all along.
· Karl Marx studied Hegel at Berlin University
· Saul Alinsky detailed this philosophy in his book “Rules for Radicals” – dedicated to Satan
1. President Obama taught the philosophies of ALINSKY for four years as a community organizer in Chicago
2. David Alinsky (son) praised Obama during the campaign for implementing the strategies of his father.
The “HOOK”
· The APOSTATE CHURCH (pagan spirituality and mysticism)
1. The Emergent Church
2. Social Gospel
3. The Religious Left
· Application of HEGEL to the spiritual realm – remember, Marx was an atheist – the spiritual realm did not apply to him.
1. Good versus Evil (opinion versus opinion)
2. Agitation to produce reform
3. Compromise – “The Third Way” or the third option

· RESULTS
1. No literal hell
2. An upward “spiritual evolution”
3. Ushering in of God’s kingdom here on earth – “Dominion Theory” “Kingdom-Now Theology”
4. COMMUNITARIANISM – the blending together of COMMUNISM, HUMANISM, ATHEISM, and SOCIALISM; emphasizing the need to balance individual rights and interests with that of the community as a whole, and that individuals are shaped by the cultures and values of their communities.
THE END GAME
· Persecution of the “REMNANT” by the APOSTATE CHURCH
· Lays the foundation for a (1) One-World Government, (2) One-World Economic System, and (3) One World Religious System.

http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/