There is a lot of controversy about The Harbinger, the best-selling book by Jonathan Cahn. I have discussed this book in previous random posts (under the label “Cahn, Jonathan), but more and more is coming out about Cahn himself and his aberrant beliefs. Apprising Ministries has been following the subject, so my links will take you to that site. The first article I’d like you to read has a claim by Cahn that God used “spiritual wingnut” Jim Bakker to launch his book. The next article tells about Cahn’s claim that he’s been blessed by Bakker’s mentoring. The last article demonstrates more of Cahn’s association with Word of Faith heretics, as well as showing how Cahn will not correct those who see him as a prophet. I think discernment would tell us to avoid any teachings by Jonathan Cahn.
Seeker-sensitive goatherd Steven Furtick has become buddies with Word of Faith heretic Rod Parsley. Parsley considers Furtick to be “one of the nations most influential young leaders.” I think this idea is really scary. Apprising Ministries demonstrates that Furtick is becoming a “quasi-Word Faith preacher.” For those who doubt that Rod Parsley is a heretic, I suggest this post by Apprising Ministries.
Tim Challies has posted a review of Mike and Debi Pearl’s book, To Train Up a Child. This is a book I previously reviewed, but you might find Challies’ report to be worthwhile. Meanwhile, Recovering Grace did their own review of the book Challies previously reported on, Debi Pearl’s “Created to Be His Help Meet.” The Pearls are definitely teachers to avoid.
In the news last week was a report about a Jackson, MS, church [link gone by 12/16/16] who would not allow a black couple to be married there. This is totally unbiblical and unChristlike racism. The pastor of the church was told that if he conducted the wedding there, he would lose his position. I understand that the pastor, Stan Weatherford, was interested in giving the couple a controversy-free wedding, however, I have to condemn him for not defying the members who were racists. I think the proper thing for him to have done was to either defy them (and I would think the couple would go along with it - at least if it was me, I would) and hold the wedding ceremony there, or else resign his position. The racists won the battle. If Weatherford had done the ceremony there, the racists would have been exposed and excommunicated until they repented. The big question I have is, will Weatherford preach against racism? Will he require repentance of the racists? Apparently there are enough members of that assembly who would have supported Weatherford had he done the ceremony there. This goes to show that our shepherds should not allow themselves to be intimidated against doing what is right.
“Vision Casting” seems to be the rage among many of the seeker-sensitive and emergent leaders. They have a “vision” for the direction of their church and if you don’t agree, well then, as Mark Driscoll has said, they need to be thrown off the bus. Ken Silva has a good article about the unbiblical nature of “vision casting.”
Recovering Grace blog is testimonies from former Gothardites, i.e., those involved with IBLP. There are so many excellent testimonies telling of the cult-like teachings of this organization that it is difficult to choose what to tell you about. I have posted some previously. “Why I Reject IBLP” is a good one to read to understand the depths of spiritual damage which happens in groups like this.
Lifeway Christian Resources bookstores is an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. It is they who are responsible for publishing Beth Moore’s false teachings while pulling the movie “Courageous” because of language issues. The SBC rejected the 2001 NIV Bible because of its gender-neutral translations, yet Lifeway continues to sell it. When questions were raised about this issue, Lifeway simply stated that people have to trust its trustees to determine what they sell in their stores. Um, yeah; I’m supposed to trust people to decide what is appropriate when they are very inconsistent. They sell boatloads of false teaching by Beth Moore and yet refuse to sell a movie because of questionable language (and it isn’t the really foul stuff, either), but they will sell a liberal translation Bible.
Seeker-sensitive and emergent churches have claimed that Paul taught the use of worldly ways to draw people to hear the Gospel. They claim this based on 1 Corinthians 9:22b, where Paul says, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” Was Paul really a pragmatist? Pastor Larry DeBruyn presents an excellent biblical argument against that idea.
Finally, Apprising Ministries exposes the mysticism of Henry Blackaby’s “Experiencing God.”
2 comments:
Interesting choice for an image.
Woud you care to explain?
The point of the image is that apostates and heretics, as well as other false teachers, don't want to accept the Bible as written and whine and cry when you point that out.
Non-believers who like to cite the Bible out of context to attack Christians, also whine that they don't want to believe the Bible.
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