If it’s true that
the Bible is God’s Word, shouldn’t what He says matter to those who
believe in Him? Evidently not because many people who say they “love
the Lord” have no clue what’s in the Bible – and clearly they don’t
care to find out!
A number of
professed Christians ignore what was written by the apostles and
others who sat under Christ’s teaching and put their trust in human
opinions and unreliable sources. More on this in a moment.
If God did not
reveal Himself through the prophets and those who penned the Old and
New Testaments, and the Bible is simply a collection of fascinating
morality tales, myths and fables, what source are people to draw from
in their quest to know the one true God?
Let’s say the
Gospels were made up, as the unbeliever claims, how, then, will the
person who has given his or her life to Christ know anything at all
about Him? Moreover, if the Bible is merely a book of fables, when
Jesus was tested by the devil, why did He quote from Deuteronomy 6:6,
6:13, 8:3 and 10:20? Because the Word of God is the source of power
against the enemies of God! Even the Son of God wielded the “sword of
the spirit, which is the word of God” against the evil one! “It is
written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that
proceeds out of the mouth of God’” (Mat. 4:4). The words that proceed
out of the mouth of God are in the Bible! God’s word is the bread of
life! It is nourishment for the soul! You can’t fight evil forces
without arming yourself for battle!
The way you do that is explained here.
Make no mistake.
Rulers of darkness are the driving force behind theological
liberalism. Paul warned, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”
(Eph. 6:12). These counterfeit Christians are relentless in their plan
to deconstruct historical, orthodox Christianity. They want to mold
Christianity into a one size fits all religion that appeals to
everyone. To be successful they must refashion the Jesus of the Bible
into a tolerant, all-inclusive Savior who condemns no one. Sound
familiar?
Progressive
Christians abhor the Bible’s “oppressive morality.” Not even God has
the right to tell them how to live their lives, especially when it
comes to free expression, or what the Bible deems deviant behavior.
They’re mantra is “God wants me to be happy, halleluiah!”
Books that put a
positive spin on the cults, the occult, New Age spirituality, Eastern
mysticism, homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals transgenders, and what not
are available through online Christian outlets as well as in walk-in
stores. Here’s a point to ponder: So-called Christian publishing
houses are the largest suppliers of outright heresy. Oddly, Christian
publishers and outlets are responsible (or should I say irresponsible)
for much of the apostasy because they give false teachers a platform
for what simply equates to heresy!
Listen to what
Peter Jones says in his article, “Evangelism Highjacked by Closet
Theological Liberals”:
“I write, so
to speak, from the belly of this beast, attending the National
Pastors' Conference, sponsored by Zondervan and Intervarsity Press,
which is taking place in San Diego, February 9-14, 2009. It is amazing
to see how these once faithful publishers of evangelical orthodoxy are
now consistently and deliberately launching a massive but subtle
attack against the "Fundamentals" for which Evangelicalism stood
courageously against liberalism in the past.”
A word of warning
about Christian bookstores. Bibles are sold in every color, shape and
size, in translations that are supposedly “accurate” “up-to- date” and
“easy to read.” If you don’t know what you’re buying, be careful! Many
Bible translations are highly unorthodox, hence they’re unfit for
Christian consumption! Albert Mohler, President of Baptist Theological
Seminary, cautions that the translation a person chooses is “what they
will have in their minds and what they will hide in their hearts."
Unorthodox material can lead ignorant souls into cults and apostate
Christianity -- and this is tragic!
Visit just about
any Christian bookstore (CB) and you’ll see display cases and shelves
stocked with spiritual merchandise, including jewelry, figurines,
framed pictures, greeting cards, calendars, posters, music – you name
it they stock it. But what’s disconcerting about these stores is that
they also stock books that not only attack the
fundamentals of the faith, some of the books contain out and out
heresy! Christian publishers and storeowners have a responsibility to
examine the material they sell!
Let me provide a
few examples of many that could be cited. So-called Christian
publishing houses publish books that purport Word of Faith theology
(prosperity gospel) that are distributed to Christian retailers. You
ask, “What’s wrong with the prosperity gospel?” Well for one thing,
prosperity preachers hold to the decidedly unorthodox view of
Scripture that faith is a force. Faith teachers say that faith is
controlled through words and by uttering the right words, or the right
formula, you can have what you want. Adherents call it making a
"positive confession." Confess you’re healthy and you can overcome
disease. Confess you’re a millionaire and it will happen. Just name it
and claim it! That, my friends, is heresy.
One of the most
popular prosperity preachers is Joel Osteen. If you’re a fan of
Joel’s, please don‘t stop reading -- just hear me out. I realize that
it’s hard to believe that Rev. Osteen would steer you wrong. But don’t
be fooled by his humble demeanor, his neatly coiffed hair and dazzling
smile. Listen to what he says about faith in his best-selling book,
“Your Best Life Now”:
“You have to
begin speaking words of faith over your life. Your words have enormous
creative power. The moment you speak something out, you give birth to
it. This is a spiritual principle, and it works whether what you’re
saying is good or bad, positive or negative.”
[1]
This so-called
spiritual principle is “the law of attraction.” New Age guru, Rhonda
Byrnes, author of “The Secret” believes “you create your life through
your thoughts.” Joel believes the same thing! Those who choose to read
his books, attend or watch his church service on TV are sitting under
a false teacher!
Joel Osteen is not
alone. The Rev. T. D. Jakes is a spiritual advisor to President Obama.
He has been labeled a “black Billy Graham.” Yet Rev. Jakes teaches
something Billy never taught:
“Jesus was a
rich man. He had to have been, in order to have supported his
disciples and their families during his ministry.”[2]
Funny, but the
Bible tells us that Jesus "had nowhere to lay His head."
John Avanzini also
believes Jesus was rich:
"...Jesus
lived in great prosperity..."
[3]
Trend-setting
Jesus wore designer clothes:
“Why do you
need to know that” asks Avanzini. “Because until you know that Jesus
was prosperous, you won't be either. You may have His kindness, you
may have His gentleness, you may have all His other attributes, but
you'll never have His prosperity."
Televangelist
Benny Hinn is “sick and tired of hearing about streets of gold.” He
says he doesn’t need gold in heaven: (My comments are in brackets)
“I gotta have
it now. [Rev. Greedy is worth millions.] I mean, when I get to glory,
all my bills will be paid, brother. I won’t have bills in glory. I
gotta have it here. [So send him your hard earned money!] You say,
‘Well, Benny Hinn, isn’t it wonderful to have streets of gold in
heaven?’ Well, of course, but if I hear the thing one more time of how
it will be and how it was, I’m gonna kick somebody.” [Hopefully
Benny did not follow through on his threat.]
[4]
In her book “The
Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make” Joyce Meyer writes this
heresy:
“During that
time He [Jesus] entered hell, where you and I deserved to go (legally)
because of our sin. He paid the price there. ...no plan was too
extreme. ... Jesus said on the cross and in hell.” she continues....
God rose up from His throne and said to demon powers tormenting the
sinless Son of God, 'Let Him go.' Then the resurrection power of
Almighty God went through hell and filled Jesus. ...He was resurrected
from the dead - the first born-again man.
[5]
Admittedly some of
Joyce’s teaching is biblical, however her teaching on the Atonement,
which is a central doctrine of the faith, is heretical. Why would
Jesus Christ, who is God, need to be born again in hell? The Bible
clearly teaches that it is mere mortals who must be born again! The
cross is where Jesus' atoning work for mankind was completed! In John
19:30 Jesus said: “It is finished…and gave up the ghost." That His
work was finished is also evidenced in Paul’s words in Col. 1:20:
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to
reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be
things in earth, or things in heaven.”
What Joyce Meyer
teaches is clearly Word of Faith theology.
This is just a
taste of prosperity teaching. You can listen to these men and women
‘til the cows come home and you will not hear one of them utter that
followers of Jesus Christ are to deny themselves and take up their
cross. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mat. 16:24). But
that’s just Jesus.
Here is a partial
list of other word-faith apostates:
Kenneth Hagin,
Charles Capps, Oral Roberts, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Paul and Jan
Crouch, John Hagee, Rod Parsley, Todd Bentley, Paula White, Fred
Price, Jerry Savelle, Robert Tilton, Marilyn Hickey, Morris Cerullo,
Miles Munroe, Jesse Duplantis, Steve Munsey, Ken Clement and Ed Young.
(For more on word-faith teachers follow the link at the end of this
column)
Frankly, I’m
surprised Oprah Winfrey’s book club recommendations aren’t displayed
in CB windows. Whatever Oprah recommends becomes an overnight
best-seller and rakes in mega bucks. In fact, hordes of “Christians”
run right out and buy Oprah’s book club picks. A few years ago she
pushed Neal Donald Walsh’s blasphemous “Conversations With God” on her
show and the book sold millions and made Walsh a household name! Last
year Oprah promoted the New Age Bible, “A Course in Miracles,” a
“self-study spiritual thought system that teaches the way to Universal
Love through Forgiveness.” (For more on ACIM follow the link at the
end of this column)
My point is that
if Christian booksellers think nothing of prominently displaying
alleged miracle worker Benny Hinn’s books, then it would be perfectly
appropriate to offer “A Course in Miracles.”
I would be remiss
if I failed to mention William P. Young’s mega-selling book “The
Shack.” Like ACIM, some church groups use it as a “Bible” study. But
is “The Shack” based on sound biblical principles? I hate to be the
bearer of bad tidings but the answer is a resounding No!
In “The Shack”
Young presents a new understanding of the Christian faith under the
guise of fiction. Here’s how Pastor Gary Gilley of Southern View
Chapel sums up Young’s book in his online book review:
“The Shack,
while occasionally getting things right is, in the end, a dangerous
piece of fiction. It undermines Scripture and the church, presents at
best a mutilated gospel, misrepresents the biblical teachings
concerning the Godhead and offers a New Age understanding of God and
the universe. This is not a great novel to explain tragedy and pain.
It is a misleading work which will confuse many and lead others
astray.”[6]
Gilley’s not alone
in his analysis of “The Shack.” There are a whole host of pastors and
scholars who have written articles to express their concerns about it.
Some Christian radio hosts have devoted entire broadcasts to the book.
And the consensus is that it must not be looked at as “a novel to be
enjoyed.” In his May 26, 2008 radio broadcast Albert Mohler warned his
listeners that the book is "deeply subversive," "scripturally
incorrect" and contains “undiluted heresy.” (Listen
here)
Now, if the
anti-Shack folks are right in their assessment of the book’s contents,
wouldn’t it be prudent for CBs that choose to sell the controversial
book to at least post a disclaimer?
A disclaimer
should also be posted next to books by
Emerging/Emergent Church (ECM) proponents as these men and women
have been roundly criticized for their unorthodox views. The Christian
Post reported:
“The Emerging
Church movement is seeking to revitalise the faith but may end up
severing Christ's church from the Word of God, says one Reformed
Presbyterian pastor and theologian.
"’If churches
embracing the principle of Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone) fail to
understand and address the concerns voiced in the Emerging Church
conversation, we may lose an entire generation of professing
believers,’ says the Rev Rutledge Etheridge, an adjunct professor of
systematic theology at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
(RPTS) in Pittsburgh and pastor of Providence Reformed Presbyterian
Church.
“According to
Etheridge, the Emerging Church movement – known for flexible
methodology and efforts to be culturally relevant – seeks to glean the
good from Christianity's past while painting a fresh picture of the
faith today. Those familiar with the movement say its members seek to
live their faith in what they believe to be a "postmodern" society,
while its leaders are often critical of traditional evangelical
churches and often place high value on good works or social activism.”[7]
To put it plainly,
ECM is not the Christianity of the New Testament. The leaders in the
“conversation” denigrate the Word of God. Moreover, they do not preach
the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is but one gospel and Paul
clearly lays it out in 1 Cor. 15:
“Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye
are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye
have believed in vain” (1 Cor. 15:1,2).
Many ECM leaders
are wolves with razor sharp canines masquerading as harmless lambs.
Beware! “For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2
Cor. 14).
Lighthouse Trails Research has a plethora of information on ECM. I
found the following quotes on LTR’s website:
"I stopped reading
from the approved evangelical reading list and began to distance
myself from the evangelical agenda. I discovered new authors and new
voices at the bookstore-
Thomas Merton,
Henri Nouwen and
St. Teresa of Avila. The more I read, the more intrigued I became.
Contemplative spirituality seemed to open up a whole new way for
me to understand and experience God. I was deeply moved by works like
The Cloud of Unknowing, The Dark Night of the Soul and the Early
Writings of the Desert Fathers." —Spencer
Burke, The Ooze
"Some of the
values of the emerging church are an emphasis on emotions, global
outlook, a rise in the use of arts, and a rise in mysticism and
spirituality."—Josh Reich
ECM does not hold
to the authority of Scripture, hence they are careless in their
handling of it. They’re all about political liberalism with a social
gospel, pluralism, and universalism. As I pointed out in my article,
“Emergent Church Spreading Spiritual Cancer”:
“The
movement…is emerging away from orthodox Christianity, spreading its
spiritual cancer throughout the globe. ECM change agents have made
inroads into evangelicalism, big time. What they preach is a
counterfeit social gospel. They say they bring a "message of peace."
Their hope is to make Christianity more palatable to the world. Sounds
altruistic, doesn't it? But don't believe it! In order to accomplish
their lofty goal, the shifters must first repackage the Church.”[8]
Here’s a partial
list of prominent voices in ECM:
N.T. Wright, John
Howard Yoder, Stanley Hauerwas, Ryan Bolger, Wilbert Shenk, Brian
McLaren, Rob Bell, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Erwin McManus, Dan
Kimball, Scot McKnight, Elizabeth O’Connor, Nancey Murphy, Leonard
Sweet, Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Donald Miller and Phyllis
Tickle.
Certainly some
Christian bookstore employees are sincere Christians. To them I say:
Defending the faith is a duty! Jude urges Christians to “earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude
1:3). Apostasy is rampant in the contemporary church. Selling
heretical books that lead people away from Christ only contributes to
the problem.
Jude also warns
against false teachers and leaders who undermine the faith:
“For there are
certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus
Christ” (Jude 1:4).
What I’ve covered
here is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to be said
about all the garbage sold by so-called Christian publishing companies
and bookstores. My desire is not to condemn them; only to bring to
light some disturbing trends and to expose a few apostates.
What are your thoughts on this article?
Footnotes:
1.
Hank Speaks Out – Archives:
The Secret/Word of Faith Movement/Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century
2. John Avanzini, “Was Jesus Poor?”--Believer's Voice
of Victory, Jan. 1996, p. 8
3. Kaylois Henry, “Bishop Jakes Is Ready. Are
You?”--The Dallas Observer magazine, June 20-26, 1996, p. 22
4. Benny Hinn, Praise the Lord broadcast, Nov. 8th
1990—Audiotape
5. The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make—By
Joyce Meyer, 1991 edition, p. 35-36
6.
The Shack Book Review--By Gary Gilley
7.
Emerging Church movement threatens church foundation, says pastor--By
Eric Young, Christian Post
8. “Emergent
Church Spreading Spiritual Cancer”—By Marsha West
Further
study:
1 -
Pagan books
sold through online Christian outlets—Source: Bud Press, Christian
Research Service
2 -
Word of
Faith movement
3 -
A Course In Miracles
4 -
The Shack: Interview with William P. Young. In the interview Paul
Young denies the substitutionary atonement.
5 -
Emerging/Emergent Church Movement
6 -
Contemplative Prayer
