Mars Hill Pastor Ditches 'Emerging' Label for Jesus

nikolai42 »

Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:22 pm Agree: 10   Disagree: 1

Quote by 29thCOA:

"find it quite disturbing myself to see Christians defaulting to labels that have but one purpose.... to defame and to silence by building the case with groups of believers into a modern day version of the label heretic, and then dismissing everything anyone says that they can stick that label on.

My personal experience has shown me that people who resort to the afrementioned tactics as well as being dismissive while showing no interest or intellectual honesty by actually examining what is being said, tend to have very weak beliefs. They rely on a herd menatality of commonly accepted doctrines, and then surround themselves with people who do nothing but agree with them.

This so called emergent church is scary to fundamentalists who have forgotten how to think on thier own and to challenge their own faith with God and in Jesus Christ. If a person is solid n their walk and relationship with God, they would follow what the bible says about judging others (labels and groups) and be Berans themselves."

The church today, COA, is seriously lacking - and that includes the Emergent church. If you judge the emergent church by scripture it comes up woefully short. Here's just one example. Paul said this to the Corinthians :

For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:15-17

What this means is that the church on both an individual and a corporate level is NOT supposed to be appealing to the world. It means that one who is in Christ will not be "attractive" to those who are not. But to those who are truly in Christ (and know the doctrine), they will be attracted and attractive to others in Christ. The emergent church wants the praises of the world by becoming "relevant" to the modern generation. Instead of relying on the old foundational Truth, they think it has to be repackaged. At the least, that is lack of faith and will do nothing for a lost world. At worst, it is love of the world and will continue to infect the church and reinforce the world's belief that the Christian church is no different from the rest of society. The church wants to "attract" the worldand make the gospel "relevant" - thus trying to APPEAL to the world rather than convict it (i.e. be the savor of death unto death that it should be). But then, if it really isn't of Christ, then we shouldn't be surprised to begin with because it will only appeal to its own anyway.

'Conspirators' Plot New Ways to Be Christian

nikolai42 »

Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:12 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Quote from story:

"Under the banner of “The New Conspirators Conference,” attendees will contemplate what “God is conspiring” through the new generation of Christian leaders to make His kingdom relevant in a rapidly changing world."

God is conspiring to make His kingdom relevant??? I don't know whether to laugh or scream!?!

Probe Puts Prosperity Teachings Under Critical Eye

nikolai42 »

Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:34 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

kbeach...that is certainly true. A good point that should be heeded by all who are thinking about giving to a ministry. But it seems to me that this whole prosperity gospel problem in Christianity has become one-sided. Yes, the preachers who pump the poison out on the airwaves and in their books will have the greater judgment - far greater, I'm sure - but that doesn't alleviate the responsibility of the hearer to judge for him or herself what is sound preaching and what isn't. The real problem is larger than prosperity gospel ministers, it's a lack of discernment in the professing Body of Christ in general. If believers didn't buy into the message, the problem would be MUCH smaller as there would be far less opportunity for these men to make merchandise of other mens' souls. It's most often because of the same greed in the heart of the giver that draws them to this message. While the leadership is woefully lacking in Modern Western Christianity as a whole, the individual believers are lacking at least as much. The thing is, it's much easier to point the finger at someone else than to admit that you (referring to those that point fingers after having been scammed by a religious huckster) are at least partially to blame by seeking for riches rather than seeking first the Kingdom of God (after which all things become yours).

The problem is massive and the prosperity gospel ministers are just one of the symptoms.

Churches Urged to be More Artist-Friendly, Transform Culture

nikolai42 »

Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:37 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

Quote from story :
"“A journalist name Steve Turner noted that when Time magazine compiled a list of the 100 most significant people in the twentieth-century for art and entertainment, there were only five who have shown any public sign of the Christian faith,” co-organizer David Taylor, arts pastor at Hope Chapel in Austin, Texas, highlighted to The Christian Post."

Why does the church really want recognition from TIME magazine? At the very least, the world's tastes need to be transformed before they will even acknowledge truly God-honoring art. And for art to "transform {the} culture in a biblical way" or "advance the kingdom of God" is a little like expecting someone's reflection in a mirror to actually change the way they really look.

Christian Publisher Transitions to Eco-Friendly Bibles

nikolai42 »

Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:20 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

Why is this an issue? If people kept bibles (like they did years ago), then all we'd need is one or two good, leatherbound bibles and that would be it. Good stewards? Just don't throw the bibles out! If they made bibles like they used to, they'd keep longer and disposal wouldn't be an issue.

Brian McLaren: Postmodern Christianity Understood as Story

nikolai42 »

Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:17 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Look who's preaching now, J4M! Amen!!!!

Brian McLaren: Postmodern Christianity Understood as Story

nikolai42 »

Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:11 am Agree: 4   Disagree: 0

I should have included the previous paragraph :

"He suggested that the mainline become more flexible in practice while evangelicals “loosen up” on some of their doctrinal system."

His making doctrine and practice unconnected (if not unrelated) is one more indication that the bottom line for him is number of people and acceptability of the message to the most people. Or at least modifying the standard so that enough people can achieve it that people start "coming back".

Brian McLaren: Postmodern Christianity Understood as Story

nikolai42 »

Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:02 am Agree: 3   Disagree: 1

Quote from story : “What I’m noticing is when we stop preaching Christianity as a religion…and we start inviting people to be followers Jesus and present Jesus and His way as part of this beautiful story of the Kingdom of God, a lot of our Christians who have left are drawn back,” he said.

Even if nothing else is wrong, that paragraph is very telling. MacLaren admits that the whole movement that is pushed today is based - not on truth, but on numbers. Since many people aren't going to church, that must mean there is something wrong. Instead of focusing on the message, it's the target audience that is in view. That is the underlying idea of "postmodern Christianity" - relevance to the hearer, not a primary interest in the Truth. That bears NO resemblance to ANYTHING Jesus ever did, or commanded the disciples to do. And it bears NO resemblance to ANY of the messages ANY of the disciples or apostles are recorded to have given. In short, it is a reconstruction of a belief system to suit as many people as possible. Success is based on popularity, not on adherence to the letter AND spirit of the gospel.

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Matthew 10:14 (KJV)

I wonder if MacLaren would rewrite that verse to say this:

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, change the way you teach to gain as many followers as you can.
(PostModern Revised Version?)