Church Personality Disorder?

It there were such a thing as "corporate" multiple personality disorder, it would seem the Church has one.  Out of one side of the Church's mouth, the Church says man is a sinner.  Out of the other side of the Church's mouth, man is said to be sick.  Is it possible to deny the doctrine of sin by calling sin sickness and still be preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Sermons, Bible study literature, and books by beloved Christian authors are filled with euphemisms for sin.  A fornicator may be called to repentance, but if he is sick then he is no sinner.  Instead, he is an addict.

David Tyler & Kurt Grady, Deceptive Diagnosis: When Sin is Called Sickness, p.13

Songs of Pablum Rather Than Meat

Last week, Friday evening the 6th and Saturday morning the 7th, we attended an “Intelligent Faith” apologetics conference held in the local “Willow Creek Wannabe” church in Cedar Rapids.  Both sessions were opened by a young woman leading the audience singing “Jesus Culture” songs.  For those who aren’t aware, Jesus Culture is a group of musicians subscribing to some really bizarre theology, including claiming that God spoke to them and gave them their mission.  They spawned out of Bill Johnson’s Bethel Church In Redding, CA, an assembly rife with false teachings and charismania.

The fact that any Christian church would allow people to bring in Jesus Culture songs shows just how non-discerning they are.  Assuming they don’t know who Jesus Culture is, all one has to do is look at the lyrics to determine they are nothing but spiritual junk food.  Having these songs performed at an apologetics conference was quite surprising.  Of course, I’m sure that the men putting on the conference (Frank Turek, John Stewart, and J. Warner Wallace) had no idea what this particular assembly was like, so I can’t fault them.

With all this introduction, let’s now look at the two songs.  The first one is “Your Love Never Fails.”

Nothing can separate

Even if I ran away

Your love never fails

I know I still make mistakes

But You have new mercies for me everyday

Your love never fails

You stay the same through the ages

Your love never changes

There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning

And when the oceans rage

I don't have to be afraid

Because I know that You love me

Your love never fails

The wind is strong and the water's deep

But I'm not alone in these open seas

Cause Your love never fails

The chasm is far too wide

I never thought I'd reach the other side

But Your love never fails

You make, all things, work together for my good

Can anyone tell who is the subject of this song?  One has to assume that, because of the supposed Christian context, they are talking to either God the Father or Jesus Christ.  However, this song could be sung by anyone of any faith about their own god, or it could be a girl speaking of her boyfriend.  In fact, it is one of those “Jesus is my boyfriend” genre.   If someone wants to use this song for personal devotion, fine and dandy; but to use it for corporate worship is wrong-headed.  I think the music was intended to drive the emotions.

A commenter also pointed out that the lyrics say "I still make mistakes," while they should be saying "I still sin."  So many Christians today are afraid of that word, "sin."

The next song is “Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful,” lyrics originally by Keith Green.  Now, I did just a bit of color-coding to demonstrate the mindless repetition.  Notice the light blue lyrics are sung four times, the purple twice, and the pink once. 

Oh Lord, You're beautiful

Your face is all I seek

For when Your eyes are on this child

Your grace abounds to me

Oh Lord, You're beautiful

Your face is all I seek

For when Your eyes are on this child

Your grace abounds to me

I wanna to take Your word and shine it all around

But first help me to just, live it Lord

And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown

For my reward is giving glory to You

Oh Lord, please light the fire
That once burned bright and clear
Replace the lamp of my first love
That burns with holy fear

I want to take Your word and shine it all around

But first help me just to live Lord

And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown

For my reward is giving glory to You

Oh Lord, You're beautiful

Your face is all I seek

For when Your eyes are on this child

Your grace abounds to me

Oh Lord, You're beautiful

Your face is all I seek

For when Your eyes are on this child

your grace abounds to me

These seven “verses” could be reduced to just three for the same message, but then there wouldn’t be time to work up the emotions.  Notice the focus is all about “me"; overall the lyrics are quite vacuous.  And, like the first song, it could be used by any religious person directed at their own “Lord,” such as “Lord Krishna.”

Realize first and foremost that songs sung in our church assemblies are teaching the congregations just as much as are the sermons.  Most people don’t seem to understand that.  This fact makes it important that we have “meat” in our songs rather than “pablum.”

In my opinion, if this is the fare your assembly brings in, walk out the door and find a church assembly where they feed meat.  Otherwise you will never mature in the faith.

What Bold Prayer Is Not

Boldness at the throne of grace is not presumption.  Confidence is not cheek.  I emphasize this because there are those who seem to think that it is the hallmark of spirituality, and of assurance of salvation, that one should pray to God with an easy, glib familiarity, which is an utter denial of what is taught here [Eph. 3:14-15] and throughout Scripture.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Unsearchable Riches of Christ: An Exposition of Ephesians 3, p.113

Random Aberrations, Apostasies, and Heresies

Well ladies and gents, it is time for another episode of providing you with information as to what to avoid in the realm of false teachings, and providing you with resources to respond to such teachings when you come across them.  I have to give a hat-tip to Erin Benziger for pointing me towards the first five items.

A “pastor” who affirms homosexuality now believes in polyamory.  Once you’ve rebelled against God in regards to what marriage is, then there really is nothing stopping you from affirming any and all perverse unions as being right and proper.

For those “old earth” creationists, here is another reason to believe what the Bible actually says about the days of Genesis 1.

Goatherd Ed Young is playing off the pornographic “Fifty Shades of Gray” with a book titled “Fifty Shades of They,” and apparently will be doing a sermon about it [link gone by 7/12/18] this weekend where he will “baptize” a copy of “Fifty Shades of Grey.”  So, will baptizing the book clean it up? The man never seems to be able to pass up a chance to use sex as a subject for his antics.

An interesting article about the violation of the 2nd Commandment by Sarah Young and Ann Voskamp.

Can you believe such false teachings as “90 Minutes in Heaven” is being made into a movie by Family Christian Stores?   I have to agree with Erin Benziger when she says “This is such a bad idea. Such a horrible, terrible idea.”  Family Christian Stores long ago became minefields of almost every imaginable false teachings, and now will spread such garbage to even larger audiences.

When discussion the issue of same-sex fake marriage the subject of polygamy often comes up.  I’ve previously written why God’s view of marriage cannot include polygamy — contrary to Mormon theology.   This week I came across this old article from Answers in Genesis which gives another viewpoint confirming God’s intent for one-man/one-woman unions.

Entertainer Katy Perry, who I’ve never bothered to watch or hear, has stated that, just before her Super Bowl performance of a song promoting lesbianism, she actually got a word from God — a direct revelation telling her that her performance was going to be okay.

“I was praying and I got a word from God and he says, ‘You got this and I got you,’” Perry said. “And then I was on top of the lion and a guy — a  random guy — looked at me with a headset that I’d never communicated with before. He looked me straight in the eyes and said ‘You got this.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s God confirming I can do this!’”

Katy also “tweeted” a message that day, citing Psalm 118:24.   I did not see her performance, but from reports it sounds like it was fairly raunchy, especially when one reads the lyrics of the song.   While she grew up in a Christian home, Katy claims she is not a Christian.  Since she rebels against God with her lack of faith in Christ and her promotion of homosexuality, I think it is very safe to say that, contrary to Katy’s claims, she did NOT hear from God.

A friend pointed me to this abomination pretending to be Christian teaching for children.  Right off the bat I have to point out that it violates the commandment against making images of God; their “God” looks like Santa Claus.  I saw a lot of trivialization of the Christian faith and its teachings; it is nothing more than simplistic religious entertainment. I wonder how many churches, and Christian families, will buy into this?

I wonder if there is a connection between the “GO! Join the Story” reported in the previous paragraph and “The Story” Bible version?  It wouldn’t surprise me.  I wrote an article about “The Story” three years ago, demonstrating some of the dangers of this version.  This month’s issue of The Berean Call newsletter has an article examining more serious problems with this “Bible.”

If you are not knowledgable on what the Jehovah’s Witnesses cult teaches, you may find “Why I’m Not a Jehovah’s Witness” to be a good primer.

Lastly, Andy Stanley has a new book.  As with so much of his teaching lately, it is subtly dangerous.  However, even more dangerous is his beliefs about how a Christians should respond to being asked to provide services for a fake marriage:  Evangelical pastor Andy Stanley leads North Point Ministries, the second largest church in the U.S. He told me he finds it "offensive that Christians would leverage faith to support the Kansas law." He said, "Serving people we don't see eye to eye with is the essence of Christianity. Jesus died for a world with which he didn't see eye to eye. If a bakery doesn't want to sell its products to a gay couple, it's their business. Literally. But leave Jesus out of it.”   No, Jesus is very much a part of it.  Nowhere in the Bible does He even hint at condoning participating in sinful activities.

Saved By Grace

It is a bad day in the life of any Christian when he forgets his origin, when he forgets “the hole of the pit out of which he has been rigged.”  This does not mean that we should look perpetually backwards and become morbid, and for ever be reminding ourselves of our sins.  The essence of the Christian position is that we should always realize that it is by grace we are saved, that we are what we are solely and entirely by the grace of God.  If we fail to do do we shall lose the element of  thanksgiving and praise in our Christian witness.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Unsearchable Riches of Christ: An Exposition of Ephesians 3, pp.53-54

Contradiction

Is Deception Always Sinful?

I’m going to stick my head out with this opinion piece!

Many people have problems with the fact that the Hebrew midwives lied to the Egyptian officials about why the Hebrew babies weren’t killed.  They also have a problem with Rahab lying to protect the Israelite spies.  People insist that these people sinned; that the Bible praises their actions but never says it was okay for them to sin.

Throughout Scripture, lying is condemned because it brings harm to people in some way or another.  There is a commandment against bearing “false witness.”  But does this mean all lying is sinful?  

I think when saving innocent lives it could better be called deception.  As a combat engineer I learned how to deceive the enemy by camouflage so as to save the lives of those hidden; was that sinful lying?  A famous event to deceive enemies was when, in World War II, the British used a body fixed up as an officer with “secret” documents to simulate a victim of a downed aircraft (an excellent movie based on the story is, “The Man Who Never Was”); the documents misled the Germans as to where an invasion would take place, thereby saving many lives — was that sinful lying?   Also during WWII, many Christians lied to the Nazis so as to hide and protect Jews; was that sinful?  Deception is a well-known tactic in warfare for saving lives by tricking the enemy, but is it sinful?

I could go on with many incidents where deception — lying to the enemy — has saved countless lives.  Such events are not rebelling against God, rather they are honoring God by protecting man - who is made in God’s image.

I believe God is a just and merciful God.  When it comes to “deception,” there is the “spirit of the law” which makes ordinary lying that causes harm definitely sinful, while deception to protect innocent lives is NOT sinful.

Therefore, I do not think God would charge the Hebrew midwives or Rahab with the sin of lying.

Another Bad “Worship” Song

We were taught a new “worship song” yesterday, “Your Great Name,” by Krissy Nordhoff and Michael Neale of “The People’s Church” in Franklin, TN.  As the lyrics went on the overhead, I immediately had problems with them.  AND I wondered, “Where is the discernment?”

As with most new songs, there is a “feel-good” aspect to this song.  Are all the lyrics in this song bad?  No - the chorus is fine.   Which is why the song is dangerous.  Let’s look at the lyrics, and then I’ll explain the problem in case you missed it.

Lost are saved, find their way

At the sound of Your great name

All condemned, feel no shame

At the sound of Your great name

Every fear has no place

At the sound of Your great name

The enemy, he has to leave

At the sound of Your great name

Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us

Son of God and Man

You are high and lifted up, that all the world

Will praise Your great name

All the weak find their strength

At the sound of Your great name

Hungry souls receive grace

At the sound of Your great name

The fatherless, they find their rest

At the sound of Your great name

Sick are healed and the dead are raised

At the sound of Your great name

Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us

Son of God and Man

You are high and lifted up, that all the world

Will praise Your great name, oh, Your great name

Redeemer, My Healer, Lord Almighty

My Savior, Defender, You are my King

Redeemer, My Healer, Lord Almighty

My Savior, Defender, You are my King

Jesus, the name of Jesus

You are high and lifted up and all the world

Will praise Your great name

Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us

Son of God and Man

You are high and lifted up, all the world

Will praise Your great name

Your great name, Your great name

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

“Lost are saved, find their way at  the sound of Your great name.”  REALLY?  People are saved just by hearing the name of Christ?  They don’t have to hear the Gospel, nor repent, nor believe that Jesus died for them?  All they have to do is hear His name?

“All condemned, feel no shame at the sound of Your great name.”  Those who are condemned - I.e., the unsaved - feel no shame?  Even Christians should feel shame for the sins they commit, even though forgiven.

“Every fear has no place at the sound of Your great name.”  REALLY?  There is no place for fear in combat just because someone hears the name of Jesus?  The unbeliever has no fear of death just because he hears the name of Jesus?   There is no place for fear just because the name of Jesus is heard?

“The enemy, he has to leave at the sound of Your great name.”  REALLY?  Assuming the “enemy” is the devil, can an unbeliever just say “Jesus” and the devil will leave?  There is no magical property in the name of Jesus.

Do you get the point?  Do you see the problem?  Look at the rest of the lyrics applying the same questions and you will see it is nothing less than false teaching about what just hearing Jesus’ name will do.

If our “worship leaders” would quit using “radio songs” for congregational singing, a lot of this problem would disappear.  With so many theologically sound songs to use, there is absolutely no excuse to be promoting such tripe.

Do You Have the Courage?

Those who want to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come into conflict with it.

Titus Brandsma, martyr who died at Dachau in 1942. 
Cited in the book, "The Homosexual Agenda," by Alan Sears & Craig Osten, p.205

Random Aberrations, Apostasies, and Heresies

Another collection today!

I had to be amused about this article.  President Obama can’t understand why REAL Christians can’t accept his claim of being a Christian.  Let’s see: could it be that he spent 20 years in an assembly of the United Church of Christ - the most heretical and aberrant denomination still claiming to be Christian?  Could it be that the “pastor” he sat under for 20 years taught racism?  Could it be because his “pastor” taught Black Liberation Theology?  Could it be because he is 100% pro-homosexual behavior and has fought to establish same-sex fake marriage?  Could it be his rabid protection and promotion of abortion?  Could it be his support for Islam?  What about all these reasons and more?  The man abuses Scripture when he does mention Christian teachings!  Mr. Obama has no understanding of the Christian faith, promotes heretical theology and rebellion against God and he wonders why his claim to be a Christian is questioned?!?!?!?

A major story in the news this past week is the mega-church in Nashville whose “pastor” Stan Mitchell has decided to embrace same-sex fake marriage as well as homosexual behavior in general.  He claims to “sense the presence of God.”  So not only has he led his congregation into apostasy, but he blasphemes God while he’s at it.  Denny Burke points out that his church really transitioned to this point three years ago due to being “bereft of biblical ecclesiology.”  Larry Tomczak has an excellent “Word of Warning to a Gay-approving Nashville Church and Beyond.”  I especially like Larry’s opening statement by Adolf Hitler.

The sad thing is that those who practice homosexual behavior while maintaining that they are Christians is becoming the norm.   These people think rebelling against God is okay.

I can’t think of a much more blasphemous sculpture than one which claims to be a homeless “Jesus” sleeping on a bench.  Of course the local PCUSA “pastor” is excited about it.  What can you expect from an apostate denomination?  Oh, and you’ll be excited to know that the Pope commissioned it to go to Rome!!  Pure idolatry.

Yet another article explaining what the Bible really means when it says, “Judge not that ye be not judged.”

“Let’s Stop Singing These 10 Worship Songs.”  I can think of a lot more to add to this list!  In a discussion about worship songs with a friend, he said, “When you feed kids milk it’s hard to wean them...even harder when an industry is built up around the milk products.”  He was so right on target.

Some quick memes to learn what Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen teach.

One of the heretical teachings from the Word of Faith teachers is that Jesus was actually made into sin while on the Cross.  The Cripplegate has an excellent article to refute such nonsense.

Many of these same heretics claim that dead heretics appear to them in dreams.

Finally, the station which hosts a huge number of these WoF heretics is the subject of a scandal, which really doesn’t surprise me.  These people are only in it for the millions of dollars the swindle out of their deceived followers.