It has been quite a while since I last posted. I hope none of you have been breathlessly waiting for me…well I guess those who were waiting breathlessly won’t be around to read anything anymore. Moment of silence please…
I want to make this post brief. So here I go.
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron” – Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-2.
I just finished reading the book New Evangelicalism: The New World Order by Paul Smith, brother of Calvary Chapel founder Chuck Smith. I highly recommend it. In the book Smith meticulously traces the history of the founding and fall of Fuller Theological Seminary, which allowed an admitted non-Christian Peter Drucker to teach and went on to mentor a young Rick Warren. Warren learned Drucker’s lessons well and effectively applied those lessons in his Purpose-Driven Church paradigm, which the Southern Baptist Convention, right along with most other denominations, sucked up and promoted without exercising even the slightest degree of discernment. This was the logical step following Fuller Seminary’s rejection of the inerrancy of Scripture that began in the early sixties.
Following the turn from Biblical Ecclesiology (what the Bible teaches about the Church, it’s function and purpose) and Biblical sufficiency, the logical conclusion to the rejection of Biblical inerrancy, churches were left adrift, and the constant need to reinvent themselves in order to keep the masses interested left church leaders and the masses sensing that something was missing. Indeed there was. However, the void left by the removal of healthy biblical teaching offered the perfect opportunity for the next phase of Satan’s plan to destroy or at least weaken the Lord’s Church. Enter the Emerging/Emergent church “conversation”.
The Emergent Church leaders have successfully lead many even further away from the truth that can only be found in God’s written, inerrant word with the sparkly, shiny trinkets of Satan’s lies. Instead of healthy, biblical teaching (doctrine, there, I said it) the Emergent leaders have offered a return to Catholic mystics, Eastern religions such as Yoga and yogic meditation, Zen Buddhist philosophy, gnostic inspired Christologies, and the gospel of psychological therapies; I’m okay, your okay. Now light the incense, breathe and recite your mantra.
The quote from Paul’s message applies to these teachers. They have had their conscience seared as with a branding iron having fallen head first for the doctrine of demons. They have been “take(n) captive through philosophy and empty deception” (Col. 2:8) and in turn have willfully led others into the same black hole of deceit.
Here is my main objective. I want to provide some names for you to watch for and from whose teaching and writings we need to flee. Please don’t write me nasty letters (like that’s not gonna happen) if a name of someone you like appears on the list. I also won’t accept names of those I’ve missed, but thanks in advance for for the heads up.
So, here goes. Beware of these people(in no certain order because they are all equally wrong):
Rick Warren
Tony Campolo
Phyllis Tickle
Brian McLaren
Rob Bell
Tony Jones
Doug Pagitt
Dan Kimble
John Burke
Joel McClure
Dallas Willard
Dieter Xander
William Paul Young (author of the heretical book The Shack)
I know there are more. Guys like Mark Driscoll are very, very iffy. But I can’t put everybody on here.
I am a simple pastor attempting to correctly handle God’s word (2 Tim. 2:15). I believe I have a responsibility to try and warn as many sheep concerning the most popular wolves occupying positions of authority in the Church. Consider this as my attempt to fulfill my duty for the love of the Bride of Christ.
I pray this helps.
stevespurlin.com 
It is a time in my 27 years following Christ that I’ve not seen. It saddens and sickens my heart seeing the decay of His church. Yet He promised He would return for a spotless bride. We must not allow what we see to dishearten our souls, and prevent us from standing true to His words. We must also obey His word in Hebrews 10:25 ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is;’ perhaps it will be those who do not bow the knee to Baal who will help lead those cloaked in this terrible deception out of it, and thus sparing them from the awful consequences. Till then we pray, pray, pray.
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Good word. Thanks for reading and hold on to the word.
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Thank you for the truth and standing up for it. We also have a Pastor that teaches the truth and goes through the bible systematically. He steps on toes but that is what God’s Word does. Praise for the few good pastors still living.
In Christ,
Helene
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Helene, thank you for your kind words. I pray that God will continue to bless yo, your family, church family and pastor.
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Is it so disheartening to see the beginning to what has been fortold? So few see the Lords purpose and promise in the events unfolding. We were given as much as we could grasp by the Lords living word. All that we needed to discern the truth. This time must come to pass so delight in the signs that you are about to see. For few have even begun to imagine the wonders that are written and are about to pass. Strengthen that which remains and is about to die.
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Thomas, it is bitter sweet, if I may use that phrase. On the one hand what we see is once again displaying the fact that God’s Word is %100 accurate and reliable. On the other hand it is disheartening to see a nation and people with such blessings simply through them away and to watch as the Church goes down with the ship because she doesn’t know and understand the truth of God’s word.
Thanks for reading.
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Thomas, thanks for the encouraging words. God bless.
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Your welcome.
Hope must be based on a promise that has the authority of being kept.
Please feel free to e-mail me anytime.
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It must be difficult to put yourself out there as a target. I admire you for standing up for the truth. I go to a Sothern Baptist Church and I am involved in the Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention as well as their Associations. Rick Warren is very highly regarded and you will receive negative feedback from your naming him as an apostate. I must confess I have not followed nor looked into what Warren believes, but I do agree with you on the disregard for biblical truth within our churches.
I am struggling myself to present the truth about such things as creation vs. evolution, and the necessity of remaining true to the literal meaning of scripture. We have failed to put biblical truth ahead of “scientific truth.” If Genesis 1-11 is not true then how can you rely on the rest of scripture as being true?
Doctrine is a dirty word today as you indicated, but God reveals his Doctrine through the events of history. If we fail to believe in the events of history as truth then we fail to understand God and His purposes for History.
Thanks for speaking out.
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Joe, thank you for the kind words. I’ve been out of pocket lately and apparently this blog has made a small impact. God bless.
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Thanks Joe. I pray that God will bless you as you grow in His word.
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Have you read Julia Duin’s book, “Quitting Church?” I have and highly recommend it. A lot of people who have attended church for 20+ years are just fed up with all the nonsense and have decided to bail. They have not given up their faith.
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Joe, I have not read it but I will look for it. Thanks for the input. Eric Barger has a message he gave I believe is called divorced from the church. I think his website is http://www.ericbarger.com
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