Does Rick Warren want you to be centered this Christmas in the contemplative way? By his current promotion of contemplative pastor Peter Scazzero, it appears Warren is not opposed to it. This Christmas, Scazzero is telling his followers on his blog how to be centered by doing a spiritual practice called slowing. This includes things like:

-intentionally driving in the slow lane
-choosing the longest line at the store
-sitting longer over a meal
-taking a longer shower
-breathing relaxation
-using the “palms up, palms down” method of the contemplation method
-intentionally chewing your food slower

These tortoise-like, snail pace practices, Scazzero teaches, will help you experience the presence of God. [Scazzero will be speaking at one of Saddleback Churches upcoming conferences in 2010.]

Read more here.

“The servant of God earns half a doctorate through illness”
– Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatius of Loyola was ‘the founder of the militantly pro-Roman Catholic Church spiritual Gestapo Unit known as the Jesuits‘ [1]. To quote Ignatius would indicate an approval of his teachings and practices. Many well known contemplative writers, teachers of mysticism, and spiritual directors do this often. But last week, this was the quote that Rick Warren, America’s favorite evangelical pastor, saw fit to place on his Twitter account, for all to see.

More here:

RICK WARREN ON IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
http://apprising.org/2009/12/21/rick-warren-on-ignatius-of-loyola/

WHO IS IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA?
http://apprising.org/2008/12/13/who-is-ignatius-of-loyola/

Saddleback Church is having a conference called Radicals, which is 10 conferences in one.

Here is conference #8:

8. Developing Emotionally Healthy Leadership with Pastor Peter Scazzero

The overall health of any church or ministry depends primarily on the emotional and spiritual health of its leadership. In fact, the key to successful spiritual leadership has much more to do with the leader’s internal life than with the leader’s expertise, gifts, or experience. Learn how to minister out of who you are and not what you do.

The link at the above description leads us to more details:

Peter Scazzero is the founder and senior pastor of New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, New York City–a large, multiracial, international church with over sixty-five countries represented. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell (MDiv) and Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin in marriage and family), he is also the author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (Nelson, 2006), The Emotionally Healthy Church: Expanded (Zondervan, 2010), and The Daily Office (WCA, 2009). Pete, along with his wife, Geri, are co-founders of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, a groundbreaking ministry that integrates emotional health and contemplative spirituality to pastors, leaders and local churches. For more information, visit www.emotionallyhealthy.org
-pastors.com

Why is Rick Warren promoting such an obvious proponent of Roman Catholicism?

On his blog, Scazzero writes how he recently spent four days with the Trappists at the St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer Massachusetts for his annual retreat with the 70+ monks who live there. Also on his blog, Peter Scazzero teaches contemplative practices such as the Prayer of Examen (Ignatius Loyola), the “Rule of Life”, the power of silence, and the Daily Offices. His latest blog entry is about 10 ways to be centered this Christmas:

Remaining Centered This Christmas
http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/blog/?p=544

In step number two, he tells his readers:

2. Your first work is to be contemplative before God (to be with him).

Our goal during this season is to lead people to Jesus and help them center on him. But you cannot bring people where you have not gone in God. We are not CEOs or even preachers first. We are called to be contemplatives first (Psalm 27:4). Above all else, cultivate a pure heart before God, loving him.

Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, in her book, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform us (IVP), introduces a creative, unique spiritual practice called slowing. This includes things like: intentionally driving in the slow lane, choosing the longest line at the store, sitting longer over a meal, or taking a longer shower. “Slowing,” she writes, “is a way to counter our culture’s mandate to tend to the bottom line, to move it or lose it, to constantly be on the go. It is a way we honor our limits and the fact that God is found in the present moment.”

As you can see by taking a quick glance at the table of contents, Calhoun’s book which Scazzero elevates is completely contemplative. This chapter by Calhoun on the spiritual practice called slowing that Scazzero refers to can be read HERE.

In this chapter, the directions for this practice include breathing relaxation and using the “palms up, palms down” method of the contemplation method. It also involves intentionally chewing your food slower or taking longer showers to be in the presence of God.

These practices all completely negate the complete work of Jesus to gain us access into the presence of God through the blood of His Son, the perfect lamb who died in our place so that we could have a right relationship with the Father.

By giving Peter Scazzero a platform to speak at one of his Saddleback conferences, Rick Warren is the pied piper who is leading his flock back over the bridge to the church of Rome.

But this comes as no surprise, as Lighthouse Trails Research has already told us:

One of the authors in the Saddleback Spiritual Growth Center is Adele Ahlberg Calhoun author of Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (the one Saddleback is recommending). The book is promoting mantra meditation, giving detailed instructions on several types of contemplative practices. In addition, the author quotes from many New Age sympathizers and New Age contemplatives. In Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Ahlberg Calhoun encourages the use of centering prayer, breath prayers, contemplative prayer, labyrinths, palms-up, palms-down exercises, and recommends for further reading a who’s who of mystics. One of those she lists is Tilden Edwards (p. 62). Edwards, the founder of the Shalem Prayer Institute, said that contemplative prayer is the bridge between Christianity and Eastern religion. 1 The Shalem center is a hub of New Age spirituality with an emphasis on the divinity in all. In her book, Ahlberg Calhoun also calls Basil Pennington one of her “spiritual tutor[s].” It was Pennington who stated:

We should not hesitate to take the fruit of the age-old wisdom of the East and “capture” it for Christ. Indeed, those of us who are in ministry should make the necessary effort to acquaint ourselves with as many of these Eastern techniques as possible.

By turning to Ahlberg Calhoun, along with the other contemplative authors, Saddleback is promoting methods of prayer that will bring spiritually tragic results in the long run to those who embrace these non-biblical approaches to God. Rick Warren, wittingly or unwittingly, has placed his church in the sphere of Karl Rahner, the mystic who said “The Christian of the future will be a mystic or he will not exist at all.”2

-Rick Warren Promotes and Endorses Contemplative Spirituality
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/warrentwo.htm

There is no longer any speck of doubt that Rick Warren and his empire is responsible for helping to build a major bridge over the muddy convergence of the different streams of contemplative spirituality, Roman Catholic mysticism, and Eastern religions.

*RELATED:

RICK WARREN WANTS US TO KNOW PETER SCAZZERO
http://apprising.org/2009/12/15/rick-warren-wants-us-to-know-peter-scazzero/

Emotional Healthy Spirituality and Willow Creek Partner to Spread Contemplative Spirituality
by Mike Stanwood
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=1148

HOME TO ROME
by Roger Oakland
http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c60.shtml

The Emerging Church: Another Road to Rome
Commentary by Roger Oakland
http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c46.shtml

VIDEO:
Emerging Church The Road to Rome – Roger Oakland
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2354082808894087473#

I recently discovered a declining church in our area has looked to my former church for some sort of help.  I listened to podcasts, and the meetings were very interesting.  The direction seems to be a slow take-over by my former church.  *If* this melding happens, the small 50 member church will be under the authority of the eldership of my former church.  They will also get a new name, and no one can answer for sure who will own the paid off property from this little church.  Another issue is that this little church with it’s long history, has a Christian school that appears to be doing pretty well. 

I found a podcast of a meeting also on my former church’s site, and combining all podcasts available (for transparency), I hear a few concerns.  First, a church is down to 50 and that is deemed a failure. This is now an emergency according to both parties (actually, there’s some 3rd party involved) and because of this, the small church must be lead by the larger church.   I hear on the podcasts that the small church is going to get 3 pastors, at least one from my former church, one from outside (I think…it’s different) and the 3rd may currently be in leadership of the small church.  I am not clear on this exactly, but there is not a vote or anything really (they mentioned a vote of affirmation…).  The smaller church is likely going to get a name change, and the arrangements for the school are going to change.  One woman was very foward in asking why this little church wasn’t contacting former members who had left for help or relying and waiting on God instead of going to a big church to come in and run things.  Others have asked why my former church elders have to be in authority rather than the pastors and leadership at their site.  The leadership of the smaller church keeps mentioning (in podcast) the pastor who will be teaching there not from my former church who they like but have not met…but like him because people who have met him like him.  Uh…okay. 

Seems my former church is bringing a team over???and so is the outside pastor guy no one has met from the little church.  So, there will be familes coming in and becoming a part of the whole thing. The three parts joined are to make decisions, but of course, my former church elders are really the ones with authority.

I really feel very bad for this little church.  What say does the congregation have?  The focus is so much on outreach to the community with growth as the hoped end.  However, I only heard the word “worship” mentioned by one woman talking about how the little church has family worship.  The mention of glory to God, focus on Christ, being bible centered is not a factor.  It’s all business.  Sad.

Daily Bible Study Acts 9 Daily Bible Study Acts 9 Daily Bible Study Acts 9 Bible

Daily Truth Bible Study  Acts 9:22-43   Let us continue to follow what God is doing in the Church during its formation. How does this compare with what is happening in the “church” today?

Verse 22 tells us that Saul/Paul confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus proving that Jesus is the Christ. Now we know that it was not the lesser of the Jews he was confounding because, in every other situation we have seen, the leadership of the Jews is always out in front of the confrontation. It was true in the very beginning. The Jews who were leading the battle against Jesus were the leadership and that continued. So do not think that Saul/Paul was sneaking around and talking to the lowest level of Jew only. He was confounding the leadership and proving that Jesus was indeed who He had said He was.

How did Saul/Paul do this? I would say that he did it the same way he continued to do it throughout his ministry. He taught that Jesus is the Son of God who died, rose, and ascended to be with the Father. He taught that there is salvation in no other name except Jesus. This is the same message Paul taught throughout his ministry. The power of God was also involved without question. God’s power was at work to accomplish His purpose. Saul/Paul was only as able as God made him to be.

Now, I would like to combat the thought popular today that “since modern people do not want to hear about doctrine, we need to be relevant to them and meet them where they live”. This type of thinking is bankrupt. It implies that God and His word is not relevant unless man gives it the right to be. This is an abomination! God is Holy, Holy, Holy. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-encompassing. He determines what is relevant.

The “relevance to the world” crowd are working from the belief that man is sovereign in determining whether or not he will accept God. They may not admit it but it is true. Why else would a person think it necessary to the relevant to a group in order to tell the group what it needs to hear? They are trying to get the group’s approval or buy-in.

We have already covered the fact that God is sovereign and determines those who will be saved and is justified in doing so. God predetermines and calls those who will be saved unto Himself. This is why God is always relevant. People need to hear the truth so the elect will come to God in repentance (which is a sign they are the elect). 

Saul/Paul could talk the talk and reason with the educated. He was a well-educated pharisee before his conversion. If he had wanted, he could have argued Jewish beliefs all day long. As an educated man, he could have also argued Roman politics and world events. He did not do this however. He preached Christ alone as the savior of the world.

Next, look at verse 23. After many days, the Jews plotted to kill him. Here we go again. Not much has changed. The Jews realized they were in trouble of loosing their hold over the people. Saul/Paul’s message threatened to undo their religious system. Their hardened hearts were not capable of repenting (apparently) and thus they planned to kill the messenger so as to remove the problem.

Wow, what a religion! They could not win the argument with facts and they did not apparently have a great deal of faith in their religion so they plotted to kill Saul/Paul to quiet him.

What does this tell you about Saul/Paul and his message. There was real power there. If not, would the Jews desire to kill? Maybe. Saul/Paul’s message was considered blasphemous to them. However, watch how they planned to kill him. They were not planning to walk up to him and kill him publicly. They waited at the gates to catch him. This may suggest the Jews were not acting with the popular opinion of the population of the area.

Regardless of the exact reason for their plans, Saul/Paul was not to be stopped. God made a way for his escape. Saul/Paul was a force to be feared by the Jews. He carried the message of redemption to his part of the world.  

Baptist Bible Brian McLaren Christianity Church Emerging Church Emergent Church Conservative Creation Discernment Doug Pagitt Evolution Faith Fundamentalist God Gospel Intelligent Design James McDonald Jesus Christ John MacArthur Joel Osteen John Piper Liberal Logic Relevance Missions New Age New Testament Old Testament Paul Washer Politics Post-modern Purpose Driven Religion Rick Warren Rob Bell Scripture Spiritual Theology Truth Inspirational Intellectual Calvinist Orthodox Bible Study Bible Study Theology Doctrine Daily Truth Calvinist Calvinist Calvinist Baptist Bible Brian McLaren Christianity Church Emerging Church Emergent Church Conservative Creation Discernment Doug Pagitt Evolution Faith Fundamentalist God Gospel Intelligent Design James McDonald Jesus Christ John MacArthur Joel Osteen John Piper Liberal Logic Relevance Missions New Age New Testament Old Testament Paul Washer Politics Post-modern Purpose Driven Religion Rick Warren Rob Bell Scripture Spiritual Theology Truth Inspirational Intellectual Calvinist Orthodox Baptist Bible Brian McLaren Christianity Church Emerging Church Emergent Church Conservative Creation Discernment Doug Pagitt Faith Fundamentalist God Gospel Intelligent Design James McDonald Jesus Christ John MacArthur Joel Osteen John Piper Liberal Logic Relevance Missions New Age New Testament Old Testament Paul Washer Politics Post-modern Purpose Driven Religion Rick Warren Rob Bell Scripture Spiritual Theology Truth Inspirational Intellectual Calvinist Orthodox Bible Study Bible Study Bible Study Christian Christianity Religion Religion Religion Reigion Grace Grace Grace Hope Hope Hope Change Change Change  Doctrine Doctrine Bible Bible Bible Relevant Relevant Relevance Post-Modern Church Truth Truth Truth Truth Truth Emergent Church Emerging Church Emergent Church Emerging Church Emerging Church Discernment Discernment Discernment Discernment Discernment Discernment Soteriology Apologetics Hermeneutics Soteriology Apologetics Hermeneutics Soteriology Apologetics Hermeneutics Peace Mercy Grace Peace Mercy Grace Apologetics, Hermeneutics, Soteriology, Mercy, Grace, Peace, Hope, Change, Bible Study Perry Noble Perry Noble Perry Noble Perry Noble Perry Noble Perry Noble Perry Noble Mark Driscoll Mark Driscoll Mark Driscoll Mark Driscoll Mark Driscoll Mark Driscoll Perry Noble

Check out the latest blog from Pastor CEO Perry Noble at http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/12/14/this-sh_t-is-awesome/. Read the article and ask yourself why this man is a pastor of a church? The filth and warped logic coming from Perry Noble is nothing but pure rebellion and sin. Perry Noble scoffs at the Scriptures and openly brings reproach upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I’m not sure which Jesus Perry Noble follows, but my Jesus warned us against using filthy speech (Col 3:8) and living in the culture that the world promotes all around us (1 John 2:14-16).

If you want to build a great church then go after the people that no one else wants!  That’s what Jesus did…and because of that we are included in HIS Kingdom.  Quite often something will happen in our church that will remind me that, though we are far from perfect, we are going after the people that I believe Jesus would have gone after…

So…the other day in our children’s area this happened…

A first time visitor (probably around 9 or 10 years old) walked into our 4th-5th grade room in KidSpring at our Anderson campus and was BLOWN away!

He looked at the children’s worker who met him at the door, and, after looking around the room he said, “you guys have a wii?”

“Yep,” she said.

“And you guys have a PSIII?” he said!

“Yes sir, we sure do,” she replied.

“And we can play these for free?”  He asked.

“Yep,” she answered.

Then he turned to his friend and said out loud, “This Sh_t is awesome!”

Now I am quite sure that makes some of you very uncomfortable; after all, you don’t want the cussing kids coming into church and messing up your perfect child.

However…after hearing this story from one of our children’s staff I was INCREDIBLY pumped up because I thought, “THAT is why we do church!”  I know many churches would not want a kid like that…but we do because HE MATTERS TO JESUS…even though his behavior is not perfect!(source)

Don’t you want your children going to NewSpring? Maybe when they get old enough to go to FUSE, Brad Cooper will have them saying “BAMF” see: My concern with Brad Cooper from NewSpring Church and Brad Cooper’s twisted defense for cussing. Before that they can follow the NewSpring Children’s minister life coach Pudge Huckaby and learn all the bonuses of listening to filthy rap music in order to see the love of Jesus see: The sour fruit of Perry Noble: NewSpring Children’s minister defends his love of filthy rap music!

The filth pouring from this The Seeker-Sensitive Purpose Driven Church for the Carnal Nature of Mankind is shameful. May god convict Perry Noble so that he will repent of this sin and stop making a mockery of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Perry Noble and all from NewSpring Church who reads this blog need to ponder the following:

1 ^aTherefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;

2   and ^awalk in love, just as Christ also ^bloved ¹you and ^cgave Himself up for us, an ^doffering and a sacrifice to God ²as a ^efragrant aroma.

3 But ^aimmorality ¹or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among ²saints;

4   and there must be no ^afilthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which ^bare not fitting, but rather ^cgiving of thanks.

5   For this you know with certainty, that ^ano ¹immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom ^bof Christ and God.

6 ^aLet no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things ^bthe wrath of God comes upon ^cthe sons of disobedience.

7   Therefore do not be ^apartakers with them;

8   for ^ayou were formerly ^bdarkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as ^cchildren of Light

9   (for ^athe fruit of the Light consists in all ^bgoodness and righteousness and truth),

10   ^1atrying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

11   ^aDo not participate in the unfruitful ^bdeeds of ^cdarkness, but instead even ^1dexpose them;

12   for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.

13   But all things become visible ^awhen they are ¹exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

14   For this reason ¹it says,

“^aAwake, sleeper,

And arise from ^bthe dead,

And Christ ^cwill shine on you.”

15 Therefore ¹be careful how you ^awalk, not ^bas unwise men but as wise,

16   ^1amaking the most of your time, because ^bthe days are evil.

17   So then do not be foolish, but ^aunderstand what the will of the Lord is.

18   And ^ado not get drunk with wine, ¹for that is ^bdissipation, but be ^cfilled with the Spirit,

19   ^aspeaking to ¹one another in ^bpsalms and ^chymns and spiritual ^dsongs, ^esinging and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

20   ^aalways giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to ^1bGod, even the Father;

21   ^1aand be subject to one another in the ^2bfear of Christ. ^[1]

^aRom 14:15; Col 3:14

^bJohn 13:34; Rom 8:37

¹One early ms reads us

^cJohn 6:51; Rom 4:25; Gal 2:20; Eph 5:25

^dHeb 7:27; 9:14; 10:10, 12

²Lit for an odor of fragrance

^eEx 29:18, 25; 2 Cor 2:14

^aCol 3:5

¹Lit and all

²Or holy ones

^aMatt 12:34; Eph 4:29; Col 3:8

^bRom 1:28

^cEph 5:20

^a1 Cor 6:9; Col 3:5

¹I.e. one who commits sexual immorality

^bCol 1:13

^aCol 2:8

^bRom 1:18; Col 3:6

^cEph 2:2

^aEph 3:6

^aEph 2:2

^bActs 26:18; Col 1:12f

^cJohn 12:36; Rom 13:12

^aGal 5:22

^bRom 15:14

¹Lit proving what

^aRom 12:2

^a1 Cor 5:9; 2 Cor 6:14

^bRom 13:12

^cActs 26:18; Col 1:12f

¹Or reprove

^d1 Tim 5:20

^aJohn 3:20f

¹Or reproved

¹Or He

^aIs 26:19; 51:17; 52:1; 60:1; Rom 13:11

^bEph 2:1

^cLuke 1:78f

¹Lit look carefully

^aEph 5:2

^bCol 4:5

¹Lit redeeming the time

^aCol 4:5

^bGal 1:4; Eph 6:13

^aRom 12:2; Col 1:9; 1 Thess 4:3

^aProv 20:1; 23:31f; Rom 13:13; 1 Cor 5:11; 1 Thess 5:7

¹Lit in which is

^bTitus 1:6; 1 Pet 4:4

^cLuke 1:15

^aCol 3:16

¹Or yourselves

^b1 Cor 14:26

^cActs 16:25

^dRev 5:9

^e1 Cor 14:15

^aRom 1:8; Eph 5:4; Col 3:17

¹Lit the God and Father

^b1 Cor 15:24

¹Lit being subject

^aGal 5:13; Phil 2:3; 1 Pet 5:5

²Or reverence

^b2 Cor 5:11

^[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Eph 5:1-21). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

KEN SILVA AND CATHLIMERGENT NETWORK

By Ken Silva pastor-teacher Dec 11, 2009 on Apprising Ministries Blog

Let me say at the outset this is a nondenominational blog.  I’ve been reading Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life which might sound like a self-help book, but it’s not.

Whereas self-help books tell you purpose, essential change or course correction in life comes from within, the point of view here is you’re not here by accident.  Your purpose in life has already been individually thought out and finding it happens, not by looking within, but surrendering to something larger than yourself.

It’s also deals with community as good as any book I’ve read.  One reason, as the book devotes a chapter, is we are here to belong.  Because, through belonging, we learn and put in practice the seven characteristics of fellowship which are to:

• Share our true feeling (authenticity)
• Encourage one other (mutuality)
• Support each other (sympathy)
• Forgive each other (mercy)
• Speak the truth in love (honesty)
• Admit our weaknesses (humility)
• Make group a priority (frequency)

Although it could be read faster, the book is meant to be read and considered a chapter a day for 40 days  because 40 days is considered a time spiritually significant for  transformation.

There have been 133,000,000 blogs indexed by Technorati since 2002.  They have been read by 346,000,000 people since 2008.  There are 900,000 blog posts within any given 24 hour period.  Positive perceptions of a company increase by 36% if they have a blog on their web site.

With numbers so large, it may seem no individual blog really matters.  I believe just the opposite.  It’s significant proof of our need to belong and commitment to fellowship.  So, if you blog or you read blogs, keep it up and keep the seven characteristics in mind.

Perry Noble, lead vocalist pastor of NewSpring Church, says that the Christian who wants to go deeper into God’s Word is a “jackass.” He also quotes John Maxwell telling us the following pietistic foolishness that supposedly “most Christians are educated way beyond their level of obedience anyway.”source

Click PERRY NOBLE SAYS YOU’RE A JACKASS to be read the whole article by Pastor Ken Silva

RICK WARREN RADICALIS

By Ken Silva pastor-teacher from The Apprising Ministries Blog

I am truly at a loss for words at the lack of care coming from NewSpring Church concerning James Duncan from  Pajama Pages over the harassment put on him by some at NewSpring Church. Instead of reaching out and truly trying to resolve this issue, NewSpring releases a post http://www.newspring.cc/blog/an-announcement-to-the-newspring-church-family which basically moves the blame away from NewSpring Church. Please read Holy rage at the ‘Spring to see what some at NewSpring did to Mr. James Duncan. It is evident that Mr. Duncan tried to contact Perry Noble only to be ignored by NewSpring Church. All of this could have been stopped months ago if NewSpring Church actually cared about people rather than their perceived image.

I tried to contact a staff member today that I used to talk to from the Greenville Campus  in hopes that he/she would go to Perry Noble concerning this matter.  At the very least, the people of NewSpring should demand that Perry Noble publicly state that all such slanderous and/or criminal attacks upon Mr. Duncan be stopped immediately!

I am asking the people who attend NewSpring Church to contact NewSpring Church to join me and demand that Senior Pastor Perry Noble publicly apologize to James Duncan and his family. If NewSpring Church had taken the time to talk to James Duncan and allow him to speak with Perry Noble this could have been stopped, therefore NewSpring Church is responsible for what happened to James Duncan.

NewSpring Church and Perry Noble should be reaching out to Mr. Duncan over what has happened to him and his family. Instead of trying to paint James Duncan as a greedy evil man, Perry Noble and NewSpring Church should be concerned about his well being and should be there to correct the wrongs done to Mr. Duncan and his family. This shows everyone the arrogance and pride that has consumed the hearts of Perry Noble and NewSpring’s leadership.

All this mess aside, regardless of who is right and wrong, Perry Noble – as a pastor – should be concerned and seeking peace in this matter. NewSpring Church should be taking bold steps to ensure that no NewSpring staff member, member, or volunteer is harassing Mr. Duncan or any other person who disagrees with Perry Noble and NewSpring Church. Perry Noble should echo this from the stage, his blog, and on NewSpring Church’s home page to show the people of NewSpring that he does not condone these actions by some NewSpring people.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NASB)

^13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
² If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
³ And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
⁵ does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
⁶ does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
¹³ But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 (NASB)

^3:1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
² An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
³ not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
⁴ He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
⁵ (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),
⁶ and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.
⁷ And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

In a year where we’re more interested in the best deals and with more reason to be, here’s a snapshot of where we’ll look this holiday season before we hit the stores (according to Deloitte)

40% turn to print

29% look at flyers

27% check out websites focused on holiday deals

24% go to retailers’ websites

Newspapers, magazines and flyers are still the most popular.  The internet is not far behind and growing faster while print and flyers slowly decline.  This means we’ll do more shopping online than ever before we buy offline.

Many x-mas info and retailers sites now have connections to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, MomsLikeMe , TriangleMom2Mom and MyBlackFridayDeals.  This means we’ll go to stores with more recommendations, reviews and advice from others and we’ll be more certain about what we’re going to buy. We’ll feel more satisfied about having made smarter decisions. We’ll spend less time in crowded stores.

This means this holiday season the two biggest purchase drivers, word on mouth and content on the web, will be put to use more often and in more measurable ways.  Kasey Lobaugh, a principle at Deloitte’s retail practice says “if you send out a URL on Twitter, you know how many people clicked on that URL.”

And it costs a whole lot less than print and flyers for manufacturers to know a lot more about what it takes to find advocates for their brands.

This means we should expect to see manufacturers offer great deals that we actually want for many more Xmas’  because it’s more affordable and consumers will reward the ones who do a good job at it with more business.

Happy shopping this holiday season where ever your journey, online or offline, takes you.

I Don’t Know why we are slaves to our desire for control.

I do know, it is better to be flying on inspiration than digging for certainty.

I am enjoying the feeling of being hungry today.

RECIPE FOR SPIRITUAL DISASTER
by Ken Silva

First you begin with a great big bowl full of years of shallow self-centered “what does this verse mean to me” Bible studies. Next stir in a large measure of biblical illiteracy, while adding a small dose of the yeast of refusing to refute error; and make sure to blend in more than a moderate proportion of women pastors.

Then add to the mix an unhealthy amount of “let’s make church an entertaining experience” smoothly blended together with tasty man-centered “tell ‘em what they want to hear.” Now ignore at your leisure; let the bitter batter fester until completely dense, then frost with critical-reasoning skills killing contemplative spirituality, and finally, dabble on top just a touch of postmodern pudding in its embrace of “mystery and ambiguity.”

SOURCE:

http://apprising.org/2009/12/recipe-for-spiritual-disaster/

A Review of the Manhattan Declarationby Dr. Michael Horton

The Manhattan Declaration, released November 20, 2009, firmly yet winsomely takes the stand in defense of truths that are increasingly undermined in contemporary Western societies, including our own.  Drafted by Princeton law professor Robert George and evangelical leaders Chuck Colson and Timothy George, this declaration focuses on three issues: (1) the inherent dignity and rights of each human life (including the unborn) by virtue of being created in God’s image; (2) the integrity of marriage as a union of one man and one woman, and (3) religious liberty, also anchored in the image of God.

There is a lot of wisdom in this document.  For one, it does not breathe the vitriol that is often too common on the religious right and left.  In this declaration one will find more light than heat, yet a sense of personal concern for the humaneness of the common culture, even for those who are pursuing antithetical agendas.  May this more thoughtful approach to public engagement become more characteristic!

The framers wisely appeal to natural law as well as to Scripture and its revealed doctrines.  After all, these three issues are grounded in creation.  They are deliverances of the law that God inscribed on every human conscience, not of the gospel that God announced beforehand through his prophets and fulfilled in his incarnate Son’s life, death, and resurrection.

However, it is just for that reason that I stumbled over a few references to the gospel in this declaration.  It took me back to the old days of “Evangelicals and Catholics Together,” when I joined others in raising concerns with Chuck Colson, Richard John Neuhaus, J. I. Packer, and others that this 1996 document announced agreement on the gospel while recognizing remaining disagreement over justification, merit, and the like. Many true and wonderful things were affirmed in that ECT document, but the gospel without “justification through faith alone apart from works” is, as I said then, like chocolate chip cookies without the chips.

To Cont. Reading

In pondering the contrast between modern ministry methodologies and the actual Word of God:

1. Would God have preserved Sodom, if only they had a “be a better you” book?

2. Was Nineveh spared, because Jonah preached, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life?”

3. Were the early churches in shambles, at Paul’s death, because he was not purpose-driven?

4. Was God threatening the churches of Asia Minor, because their leadership principles were lacking?

Asinine! The depth of meaning from each of the above reveals weightier matters nearly lost in preaching today. The lessons contain not the accomplishments made by the schemes of man, but by the Hand of the Lord.

“…’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit’, says the LORD Almighty.” Zec 4:6

1. God knew Sodom as a city of brazen wickedness (Gen 13:13). “The people were guilty of the most notorious crimes and addicted to the most scandalous and unnatural lusts” (John Gill). Their sin was most glaring and grievous before the Lord God (Gen 18:20). No matter the greatness of the city’s sin, God was still willing to spare it with as little as 10 righteous God-fearing citizens. The city failed to produce even 10. God did not grant them principles to better their life or a means to improve their nature. Though he spared Lot’s family, God simply destroyed the city with no message, no hope, and no warning.

Lost Message – God abhors sin and will destroy, without mercy, all that violate their conscience by ardently persisting in it (Rom 1:16-32). In the same way, the earth, and all creation, will be one day violently destroyed with fire and therefore by, through, and because of the Grace of God Christians should love holy and godly in this present evil age (2 Pet 3:10-11, Titus 2:11-12).

2. God told Jonah go to Nineveh and “cry against the city” for “their wickedness has come up before me” (Jon 1:2). The city was a violent place. Jonah’s message, “Because of your great wickedness, you have 40 days until your great city will be overthrown” (Jon 3:4). Though His mercy is clearly seen, there was no message of His love. God did not comfort or encourage the Ninevites nor did He articulate their worth, but His anger. They were struck by the blunt edge of a solemn admonition. The God of all creation was personally displeased (Jon 3:9). They repented and turned to God in humility. God spared the city from His judgment by granting them a warning against their great sin, which they heeded (Jon 3:10).

Lost Message – God will speak strong words of correction and rebuke when he is displeased (Heb 12:5-6). These reprimands are intended to bring repentance, a turning or returning to Him (2 Cor 7:10-11, 2 Tim 3:16) and correction for our souls (Prov 3:11, Heb 12:9). God rebukes those He loves (Rev 3:19).

3. Paul preached an offensive (Gal 5:11) and illogical message (1 Cor 1:18) that stirred disdain from his culture and violent anger from the religious community (Acts 13:50). God established his purpose with the revelation he received from no man (Gal 1:11-16). In addition, the fledgling church struggled to survive as Christians were attacked with gruesome Roman persecution. That which remained, in times of peace, was picked over by false ministers (2 Cor 11:13) who crept in to subvert the Truth (2 Pet 2:1).

Lost Message – All who live Godly will suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12). There is no escaping the true costly selfless Biblical Christianity seen in the lives of Stephen, Peter, James, Paul and all others “who loved not their lives unto death” (John 12:25, Rev 12:11).

4. The churches of Asia Minor were strongly chastised by the Lord for forsaking their first love (Rev 2:4-5), possessing a lax attitude that tolerated preaching that led His people into sexual sin and idolatry (Rev 2:14 & 20) and maintaining religious practice, but remaining indifferent to it (Rev 3:15-16).

Lost Message – The Lord Jesus was neither impressed nor concerned with the organizational savvy of church leadership. He was not aroused to remove the source of spiritual light from their midst (Rev 2:5), because of a lack of influence. He was sovereignly disturbed by the passivity; which allowed the teaching that led His people into whoredom with the world (Rev 2:14, 15 & 20). He becomes fiercely displeased with the general unfaithfulness of His bride and will repay all according to their deeds (Rev 2:23).

God is a jealous God (2 Cor 11:2) for we are his purchased possession (Eph 1:14) and therefore tempting the Lord God ultimately brings strong retribution (1 Cor 10:9).

The absence of these pivotal and basic doctrinal messages has left Christ’s church impotent against the devastation of sin and the spirit of the world. The incessant and unbalanced heralding of God’s love has created a society of rebels with no fear of God. The profuse delivery of self-centered, man-centered, non-challenging, flesh-friendly, superficial and baseless lectures lay partially to blame for the masses of religious consumers possessing “itchy-ears” (2 Tim 4:3).

In coping with the loss of Divine power, the carnal and apostate have developed clever devices to overcome the lack of Christian influence in the post-modern world. While one may argue, “Observe our numbers, see our leadership and judge our success”, the proper defense should rather be, “Observe our devotion, see our passion and judge our fruit.”

Those who will not heed these warnings will grow weary of this Cry For Repentance, but there is only one answer for the gross error of this Laodicean age:

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chron 7:14

I propose that something be added to the Manhattan Declaration, something that is woefully missing. While I agree that Christians must stand up for Jesus Christ and the standards that are laid forth in scripture. I believe that the government is often at odds with our Christian standards. However, despite what Focus on the Family says “represent the foundation of our faith and the pivot point from which everything else flows. This is the bedrock. If we can’t agree on these areas of doctrine, everything else will be of reduced value”. (emphasis added)

These four areas are:

1. The sanctity of human life.
2. The sanctity of marriage.
3. The protection of religious liberty.
4. The rejection of unjust laws.

While I agree that these are very important issues, these are

not

the bedrock of our faith. The bedrock of our faith has to do with who Jesus is (Christology) and what He did on our behalf in Salvation (Soteriology) and how He would have us follow Him as a result (Christianity).

Now, I know that I am not a wordsmith like the ones who crafted this document, so I do not believe that I will do this justice. But for a first draft I would propose something like this:

We believe that Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine, God Himself coming in the flesh 2000 years ago, making His dwelling among us. He lived as a human, being tempted in every way as we are, but without sin. He was hungry, and thirsty. He had emotions, and felt pain. He showed Himself as fully God by performing supernatural miracles, including healing many infirm and raising people from the dead. He taught with authority, speaking the very words of God. Ultimately, he showed He was both in His passion, death, and resurrection. No one took His life from Him, he laid it down, and had the authority to take it up again. He did, three days later, and He lives forever, seated at the right hand of the Father, ever making intercession for us. He dwells with us today by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. One day, He will come again in power to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will have no end.

This Christ came and provided this sacrifice that was sufficient for all mankind, but it is only efficient for those who, regenerated by the Spirit of God, respond in repentance from sin and faith towards God. The act of salvation from start to finish is an act of God, it is not of works, lest any one should boast. Salvation is an act of God towards an individual, and those He saves become a part of a universal body of Christ. The grace that God gives us in salvation transforms us into new creations, the old is gone and the new has come. We are no longer slaves to sin, but willing bondservants of Christ. We no longer live by the flesh, but we live by the Spirit. We no longer must obey our flesh and the desires thereof, but we can live holy and righteous lives in this body by the power of the Holy Spirit. While we have these new lives, and we understand that we have been changed, we also still realize that we can take no pride in our own righteousness, for we understand that it is only in Christ that we are righteousness.

On this earth, these individuals gather in houses of faith all over the earth to celebrate the life of Christ and their life in Christ. These houses of faith have people in them at all places in their life journey. Some people are converted by the power of Jesus Christ, others trust in their religious works and church membership to save them. The Bible, God’s perfect and Holy Word, clearly teaches that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone, and that good works are a sign of true conversion, rather than a requirement to be converted. In other words, people who are saved do good works because Christ has saved them, and understand they add no merit to their salvation in performing them. We are Justified by faith, meaning we are declared not guilty. No amount of prayers, religious service, or religious sacraments add to our righteousness. Not performing religious acts do not cause us to spend time in hell or in purgatory. Christ’s blood has sufficient merit to save us entirely.

That being said, we are called as Christians to live in this world as those who have compassion towards others as Christ had. This means in practical terms that we proclaim the Gospel while we live the Gospel. We have been blessed with the Freedom of Religion and the Freedom of Speech for over 200 years in this country, which has recently been threatened by legislation involving ‘hate’ speech, or speech that is offensive for certain groups. While we believe it is our right to proclaim the whole council of God, and will continue to do so despite prosecution by our government, we believe it is also our duty to minister the love of Christ to people, regardless of their faith or non-faith, who are less fortunate in the US and around the world. Christians for years have been those who have shown love by ministering by giving food, clothing, and housing. Many hospitals and educational institutions were founded by Christians with Christian principles. These institutions are staffed by a wide variety of people, some of whom consider their lives call to minister the love of Christ through charity without any prejudice.

As a result in our shared faith in Christ, we understand that we must live in this world as Christians first, and as members of our countries second. Therefore, we believe that our lives are to be dictated by Biblical principles and Biblical laws which supersede any law made by man. Of late, their have been laws made in this country that have directly or indirectly flown in the face of Biblical standards. They are enumerated in the following paragraphs, and we sign on to this document with this Marshall Amendment, in agreement with the principle that we must obey God rather than man, and that, while we desire to live in peace, and we honor the king, we must Honor Christ above all, and to do so requires that we stand against these clear violations of our Christ-given conscience and the law of God.

This is my proposal, and if something like this was added that would describe the Gospel and Christianity in this manner, I would be able to add my signature to the document. I understand that many of the mainline signatories would have to drop their names, because while they claim the Christian faith, it does not claim them if there is a belief that anything but Christ alone saves us.

The Troubling Aspects of the Manhattan Declaration

11/23/2009 – James White

Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family. We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.

These words conclude the Manhattan Declaration, promulgated November 20, 2009. There is much in this document that any serious-minded Christian not only can agree with, but simply must agree with. There is no question that the forces of secularism are moving quickly, under the guise of “social advancement” and “equal rights,” to attack, denigrate, and, in their highest hopes and aspirations, relegate the Christian worldview to the trash heap of history. Evil men, and women, hold positions of power in Western societies, and since it is inevitably true that the Christian witness enrages those who love the darkness (John 7:7), they are doing all they can to subvert and silence that witness which so exposes their consciences. The general statements of the document relating to life, abortion, marriage, sexuality, and religious liberty, are well stated and timely. There is something reassuring in realizing that the concerns we have had are shared across a broad spectrum.

But there are a number of troubling things that I cannot get past in examining this document and considering its implications. When I see some of the leading ecumenists in the forefront of the documents’ production, I am made uneasy, and for good reason. Great damage has been done to the cause of Christ by those who have sought to promote the Kingdom by compromising the gospel, the only power given to the church that can change hearts, and hence change societies. By relegating the gospel to a matter of opinion and difference, but not something that defines the Christian faith, these ecumenists have left their followers with a cause without power, a quest without a solution. And though their open-mindedness fits better with our current post-modern culture, from a biblical perspective, they have truly betrayed the apostolic example.

This document presents a Christianity ostensibly based upon bare Trinitarianism. I listened to Chuck Colson speak on the Hugh Hewitt program this afternoon. He made it very clear that this is, in fact, a theological document, despite the assertions of others that it is not. He was asked why Jews, Mormons, and others, were not invited to sign the document. He said they were not asked because this is a specifically Christian statement, quoting from the Christian scriptures. Once again we are led to the inevitable conclusion that “Christian” then is “Trinitarianism plus agreed upon historical truths such as the crucifixion and resurrection, but, most importantly, without any gospel content.” It does no good to muddle this discussion with “Well, what about the medieval church” questions, since we are talking about a day and age when the issues are well known. We are not talking about a dark period of biblical ignorance. There is more light available today than ever before. And for many, the gospel is simply no longer part of the “non-negotiables.”

But I am left confused by the inconsistency of the document. Mormons are not invited. Understandable, given that the LDS faith is the most polytheistic faith I’ve ever encountered. Trinitarians only need apply. I can fully understand that. So…why are we told toward the end of this Declaration that Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote from an explicitly Christian perspective? A brief visit to Martin Luther King’s writings will reveal he was hardly orthodox even using the limited definition utilized by this Declaration. For example, writing in a paper while in seminary, Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

The orthodox attempt to explain the divinity of Jesus in terms of an inherent metaphysical substance within him seems to me quite inadaquate. To say that the Christ, whose example of living we are bid to follow, is divine in an ontological sense is actually harmful and detrimental. To invest this Christ with such supernatural qualities makes the rejoinder: “Oh, well, he had a better chance for that kind of life than we can possible have.” In other words, one could easily use this as a means to hide behind behind his failures. So that the orthodox view of the divinity of Christ is in my mind quite readily denied.

So why put forth King as explicitly Christian, but not invite the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who would “quite readily deny” the deity of Christ as well? Perhaps a document that identifies Papal actions as explicitly Christian actions can be excused for its inherent self-contradiction.

There is no question that all believers need to think seriously about the issues raised by this declaration. But what is the only solution to these issues? Is the solution to be found in presenting a unified front that implicitly says “the gospel does not unite us, but that is not important enough to divide us”? I do not think so. What is the only power given to the church to change hearts and minds? United political power? Or the gospel that is trampled under foot by every Roman Catholic priest when he “re-presents” the sacrifice of Christ upon the Roman altar, pretending to be a priest, an “alter Christus”? Am I glad when a Roman clergyman calls abortion murder? Of course. But it exhibits a real confusion, and not a small amount of cowardice, it seems, to stop identifying the man’s false gospel and false teaching simply because you are glad to have a few more on the “right” side of a vitally important social issue.

This takes me back to my original response to the ECT document. I have seen so many re-organize their priorities in light of having made “common cause” with those who have a false gospel all in the name of doing social good. I am glad Rome retains elements of God’s truth and morality. But when did being good or moral bring one salvation, as if anyone is ever truly good, or truly moral?

These are the matters that truly concern me about the Manhattan Declaration. Why does God have the right to determine human sexuality, marriage, and to define life itself? It all goes back to the gospel, does it not? If we are going to give a consistent, clear answer to our culture, we dare not find our power in a false unity that overshadows the gospel and cripples our witness.

For some time I’ve noticed a disturbing tend with some of these Purpose Driven and Emergent guys substituting the phrase Christ Follower in the place of Christian. Chris of Fighting of the Faith does excellent job picking part this methodology in the sermon review here.

November 19, 2009

No Christians Allowed??

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      • • Seeker Driven Pastor Answers the Question, “Are Mormons Christians?”
        • Archbishop of Canterbury Claims Higher Taxes Would Be Good for Society
        • The Parable of the Talents is NOT About Time Management
        • Sermon Review, “No Christians Allowed” by Bill Maye of Brick City Community Church, Sanford, NC

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My wife sent me a link to this disturbing video tonight. I can not express my feelings of grief, pity, anger, and sorrow that filled my heart as I watched this child perform like a puppet on a string. These people encouraging this should be ashamed. This is not something I find amusing because it is sickening the extremes some preachers will go to just to rake in the people and cash. These people in this video do not care how this will effect this child in the future. This is a mockery of the preaching of the gospel bringing reproach upon the name of the Lord.

1 But ^afalse prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be ^bfalse teachers ^camong you, who will ^dsecretly introduce ^edestructive heresies, even ^fdenying the ^gMaster who ^hbought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

2   Many will follow their ^asensuality, and because of them ^bthe way of the truth will be ^cmaligned;

3    and in their ^agreed they will ^bexploit you with ^cfalse words; ^dtheir judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. ^[1]

^b2 Cor 11:13

^cMatt 7:15; 1 Tim 4:1

^dGal 2:4; Jude 4

^e1 Cor 11:19; Gal 5:20

^fJude 4

^gRev 6:10

^h1 Cor 6:20

^aGen 19:5ff; 2 Pet 2:7, 18; Jude 4

^bActs 16:17; 22:4; 24:14

^cRom 2:24

^a1 Tim 6:5; 2 Pet 2:14; Jude 16

^b2 Cor 2:17; 1 Thess 2:5

^cRom 16:18; 2 Pet 1:16

^dDeut 32:35

^[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (2 Pe 2:1-3). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.