Random Aberrations, Apostasies, and Heresies

It has been a very hectic week for me, with half my time being elsewhere but home.  When I have been home, before the rain hit the last couple days, I’ve been spending lots of time in the yard doing “spring cleaning” and helping my wife get the gardens in shape and new trees planted, etc.  Then I’ve also been involved with internet discussions with a Jehovah’s Witness and an atheist.  I really have some drafts of articles started that sometime I want to get finished and posted, and I also want to get more time on another chapter review of “New Age Bible Versions.”  Until such time, I will continue to post citations I find worthwhile for provoking thought!  For now, here is another episode of “RAAH.”

Andy Stanley has again demonstrated that he is NOT qualified to be a pastor.

Jen Hatmaker is 100% pro-perversion.  Avoid her like the plague.  (Another report)

Another Methodist “pastor” “weds” a same-sex couple.  Oh, the “pastor” is a woman.  If history is any example for us, the UMC will not discipline this woman. 

The Cold Hard Facts on Cults

IHOP’s Catholic connection.

Continuationism is not a non-essential doctrinal issue — Part 2.

“Church by the Glades” has no idea what worship of God is.  Do they ever have anything there besides entertainment?

Just over 5 years ago I wrote an article about the false nature of the so-called “generational curses.”  Well, Mennoknight is now doing series about the topic, and here is part one.

The whole idea of “vision casting” is unbiblical nonsense, which is why so many mega-church “pastors” like it.  The leaders of LifeWay Research, as well as SBC president Ronnie Floyd, are staunch proponents of this ideology.

New Apostolic Reformation:  The apostles who don’t do anything.

Ten Word of Faith Doctrines Weighed Against Scripture.

WOW!!  Just WOW!  Talk about false teaching!!!!

So is the Gospel Coalition heading towards affirming perverse sexual desires?

Bono is a favorite “Christian” singer.  But is he really Christian?  He doesn’t appear to be.  Yet he’s held up as a model.  The article also gives some good information about Eugene Peterson — another one to avoid.

The Clear Word “Bible” was developed for the Seventh-day Adventist cult, so it is rife with adjustments and additions to fit their theology.  Here’s what it does to the Atonement.

False teacher Bill Hybels and Popeye.

Justin Peters has an excellent examination of “The Message” non-Bible.

Let’s lighten up now with some good satire.  The Babylon Bee takes on T.D. Jakes.  Then they nail the modern “cool worship leaders”.  I had a good chuckle to see the swipe taken at the “wildly unbiblical” book, “Wild at Heart.”  If you are as tired of the “Footprint in the Sand” story as I am, then you’ll enjoy this one.  Jen Hatmaker didn’t get left out either.  Finally, the foolishness of Richard Dawkins is tackled.

Random Stuff

I have been collecting a lot of items this past week, so put on your sunglasses and get ready for much darkness to be exposed!

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.”