PowerToStand Ministries

Henri Nouwen Concerns

2010-09-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

Henri Nouwen is popular among many in the church today and mention of his writings and statements seem to be at an all time high. Many first heard of Nouwen when Rick Warren quoted him in The Purpose-Driven Life (p. 269). Francis Chan quoted him in Crazy Love and I've heard his name a lot lately in the writings and sermons of many in the postmodern circles of the church.

What's the attraction, I wondered as I read some of his stuff and then it hit me. Nouwen serves as a source of introduction to contemplative practices of the new spiritual formation teachings. Many in the church seem enamored with this idea of going “deeper” through certain prayer practices and other rituals like Lectio Divina and rituals borrowed from the Desert Fathers and Roman Catholicism.

Rick Warren tweeted Nouwen just a few days ago (http://www.crosstalkblog.com/2010/09/rick-warren-tweets-new-age-mystic-henri-nouwen/ ) and so I thought I'd provide any who would be interested with some quotes representing some of Nouwen's troubling teachings.

My hope and prayer is that leaders and layman alike in this fellowship will seek their counsel and wisdom from the Bible as opposed to the writings of a man like Henri Nouwen. Consider these items:

In Nouwen's last book, Sabbatical Journey, page 51, 1998 Hardcover Edition, Nouwen wrote:

"Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God's house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to God."

Here's some other troubling statements and beliefs:

“Prayer is soul work because our souls are those sacred centers where all is one, ... It is in the heart of God that we can come to the full realization of the unity of all that is.” (From Bread for the Journey)

"a place for everyone in heaven"
(Life of the Beloved - p. 53)

"to become the Beloved, we must claim it" Nouwen says we are all the chosen ones. (Life of the Beloved)

"The God who dwells in our inner sanctuary is the same as the one who dwells in the inner sanctuary of each human being." Here and Now by Henri Nouwen; page 22

These statements sound strikingly similar to the famous quote by New Age priestess Marianne Williamson which basically talked about the glory of God being in everyone. Of course, the source of these teachings are the same and the deception is mightily working as some in the chruch claim that these writers are inspirational in what they are saying.

Henri Nouwen himself promoted Thomas Merton, Taoist Philosopher Chvang Tzu, the writings of the Desert Fathers, Teilhard de Chardin(Catholic priest who believed Jesus would not return in person but rather as a cosmic Christ), and Hindu Spiritual Writer Eknath Eswaran.
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/nouwen.htm

Ray Yungen writes:

“Nouwen's endorsement of a book by Hindu spiritual teacher Eknath Easwaran, teaching mantra meditation, further illustrates his universalistic sympathies. On the back cover, Nouwen stated, "This book has helped me a great deal."

Nouwen also wrote the foreword to a book that mixes Christianity with Hindu spirituality, in which he says:

“[T]he author shows a wonderful openness to the gifts of Buddhism, Hinduism and Moslem religion. He discovers their great wisdom for the spiritual life of the Christian ... Ryan [the author] went to India to learn from spiritual traditions other than his own. He brought home many treasures and offers them to us in the book.”

Nouwen apparently took these approaches seriously himself. In his book, The Way of the Heart, he advised his readers:

“The quiet repetition of a single word can help us to descend with the mind into the heart ... This way of simple prayer ... opens us to God's active presence.”

But what God's "active presence" taught him, unfortunately, stood more in line with classic Hinduism than classic evangelical Christianity

from “Henri Nouwen and Buddhism”
by Ray Yungen (Excerpt from A Time of Departing, 2nd ed.).
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/nouwenbuddhism.htm

Mike Oppenheimer from Let Us Reason Ministries writes:

“Henri Nouwen, a promoter of contemplative prayer and a universalist is referenced by Rick Warren in his book Purpose Driven Life (page 269). Henri Nouwen - “Through the discipline of contemplative prayer, Christian leaders have to learn to listen to the voice of love ... For Christian leadership to be truly fruitful in the future, a movement from the moral to the mystical is required” (In the Name of Jesus, p. 6,31-32). We should expect more Biblical discernment from national leaders.” http://www.letusreason.org/current73.htm

beloved, I think you can see why I'm concerned. These quotes were offered for your perusal and it is my prayer that folks won't be misled by dangerous teachers like Henri Nouwen.

Entire Sermon on Temple/Mosque Visits Up!

2010-09-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

At long last, the entire sermon sharing the reasons behind my concerns on this trend of Hindu temple/Muslim Mosque Visits in the FGBC is up and running on Youtube. Log on to hear and see why I believe that this practice is not beneficial. This sermon was delivered to the congregation of Garden City Grace Brethren Church on Wednesday PM service 3 weeks ago. I believe it contains the "other side' of the issue from a shepherd's perspective. feel free to comment and in fact i especially urge those who disagree to contact me personally at powertostand@yahoo.com or by phone at 540-904-5420. What needs to happen is dialogue and the freedom to share different viewpoints on this issue.

Log on to our Youtube channel to view this sermon and stay tuned for Part Two, the final part, up in a week or two. Blessings, Steve Mitchell

GO TO: http://www.youtube.com/user/powertostand

OR log on to Youtube and type "fgbc temples" in the search window and log on to the top segment. It'll guide you to the rest...

Part 1 of an Important Sermon Posted

2010-09-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

It's up, at long last. Funny how “tweenagers” can video a clip of themselves chewing gum and singing the latest Justin Bieber hit and just hit “post” or some other such magic button and they can get broad-casted globally in minutes...And it takes us literally hours to post the first 15 minute clip of an important sermon.

But, as stated earlier, “It's Up” and I'm referring to Part 1 of a sermon delivered at Garden City GBC in Roanoke, Virginia two weeks ago entitled “Concerns about Temple/Mosque Visits”. You can watch here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/powertostand

or here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/powertostand#p/a/u/0/gkQ5wpfsM2I

Folks, I welcome your comments and input concerning this issue and I have tried to cogently and concisely share my concerns with this practice being used not only in the FGBC but a growing number of denominations as well. Please receive the information in this sermon as a plea for discernment and a sharing of my concerns. Hopefully, you will see that I have tried speaking the truth in love.

Parts 2-4 will be up in the next few days. If you are informed by what you see, consider bookmarking our Youtube page and this blog.

In Christ, Steve

Having the Right Heart on 9/11

2010-09-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

I just want to encourage everyone reading this that we need to be praying for Muslims on this and every day hereafter that they may be saved by the grace and mercy offered them in Jesus Christ.

We need to distance ourselves from anything that smacks of the possible Koran burning in Florida in favor of interceding for the salvation of Muslims worldwide.

Rather than seeking to needlessly inflame millions by impetuous actions, we need to pray for the opportunity to speak the truth in love to our Muslim friends and neighbors. That means the gospel, folks.

Acceptable attitudes toward Muslims can include disagreement with the tenets of Islam and vigorous dialogue but not participating in hateful speech or abrasive actions.

While I celebrate the right and freedom everyone has to worship how and what they please, I still reserve the right to disagree with their viewpoints and need not placate their views and demands by softening my stance on what I perceive to be the dangers of a false religion.

This “pastor” in Florida has the right to do what he is doing but I distance myself from this vulgar display in such sensitive times.

I stand in protest to the “Ground Zero Mosque” and Imam Rauf and I celebrate the rights of Americans and Muslims who will stand tomorrow in peaceful protest. I will pray for Rauf and the Muslims who support his version of an impetuous, abrasive, and vulgar decision of actually going through with building this place of worship on a plot of ground that means so much to this country.

Does “pastor” Jones have the right to burn Korans on 9/11? Yes, but I pray he refrains from doing so and does not succeed. Does Imam Rauf have the right to build his mosque on such meaningful soil? Yes. But I pray fervently that he does not succeed.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, we live in troubled times that require discernment, knowledge of the truth, and love for both our fellow believers and people of any faith; Love that tells the truth with no compromise and love that expresses itself in fervent prayer and bold witness.

Pray...

Prayer Requests from the "Star City"

2010-09-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings in Christ Jesus from Roanoke, VA: "Star City of the South",

Mahalo Nui Loa (Thank you very much in Hawaiian) for all the prayers and intercession for my family, ministry, and myself. The body of Christ has been precious in their agape love at this time in my life.
Here's some additional prayer requests for your consideration:

Please pray for our Blue Ridge district youth rally at Camp Tuk-A-way this Sunday Sept. 12th. Pray for salvation and rededication for our young people.

Pray for our Monday night Bible study in our living room. Slowly growing and we saw our first salvation last night. Awesome! Pray for continuing effective outreach to Roanoke and beyond.

Pray for our Hindu/ Muslim Outreach plan. The Hindu phase kicks off later this month with our first copies of the Bible 9along with a clear presentation of the gospel) being sent to gurus around the globe. This outreach involves getting the Word of God directly into the hands of Hindu spiritual teachers without taking people into their temples. Please pray for the gospel witness to boldly shine in this endeavor. The Muslim phase kicks off in November (Lord willing). If you want to get involved as an individual or a church please call me at 540-904-5420.

Pray for my wife and I's mission to India next summer. There's a lot of work to be done and opportunities for evangelism.

Please Pray for effectiveness in evangelism with the local Jehovah's Witness rep coming to meet me Thursday AM.

Please pray for continued follow-up with young people who prayed to receive Jesus this past summer at camp.

Please continue to pray for my leukemia (CLL) as find out this Friday whether or not I will be taking chemotherapy.

Pray for the continued gospel/discernment outreach with Power To Stand Ministries.

Pray for the churches and pastors of the Blue Ridge district to boldly proclaim the saving message of Jesus Christ and the efforts for discipleship in our churches.

Pray for the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health issues in our flocks.

Pray for your role in taking the Word to the world!

In Christ, Steve

Vital Sites

2010-09-09T05:31:00.000-07:00

I'm celebrating the freedom to share information as I offer anyone interested the addresses to what I consider some excellent sites that help enhance our discernment and pastoral ministry. Here are a few that have blessed me immensely. Enjoy:

http://www.foi.org/

http://www.ariel.org/

http://www.moriel.org/Moriel_USA/Moriel_USA.html

http://www.letusreason.org/

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/

http://herescope.blogspot.com/

Blessings, Steve

You Might Wanna Read This...Now.

2010-09-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

Aloha everyone,
feels great to be featured back on the FGBC blog page because I love this fellowship and am concerned about a few issues.i value the freedom we have to share our concerns with one another and this blog page is a great forum to engage in dialogue and discussion about a variety of issues.i have shared of late some of my concerns regarding the trend of Temple and Mosque visitation being conducted at our conferences.i would love to hear from many of you and there are a variety of venues to do this. One is here on this blog or Please visit our Youtube page:

http://www.youtube.com/user/powertostand

On there you will find a short clip outlining some missiological concerns and in a few days there will be a thorough sermon posted on the temple/Mosque visit issues.

For all readers, a reminder. I and a very few others have merely shared CONCERNS we have with this trend and are not attempting to legislate anyone's liberty. Please receive our CONCERNS as speaking the truth in love with no disrespect to the people involved. Here's to the freedom to discuss these things in the body of Christ. feel free to contact me for more discussion and i urge you if you are one of several who I've been told are really ticked at me. Let's talk calmly and coolly.i am interested in your perspective as well.

In Christ, Steve Mitchell www.powertostand.com powertostand@yahoo.com

Urgent Plea from an Indian Christian Woman

2010-07-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

An Urgent Plea From an Indian Christian Woman

My name is Supriya Mitchell and I am an Indian woman who was born and raised in Pune, India. I now live in Virginia but still have friends and family back home that I visit as much as I can. Although I was raised in a Christian home, I was taken to Hindu temples by our maid who was and still is a follower of Hinduism when I was a little girl. I love much of my Indian culture but also am burdened for so many of my people who worship false gods. I know the religions of my homeland from seeing them first-hand, and I hope my perspective helps in this matter. I am thankful that the true God preserved and protected me from many of the evils associated with following Hindu gods or the god of Islam.

The reason I am writing this is that I am here to plead with all my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ NOT to VISIT TEMPLES or MOSQUES. I have seen the things in temples that you all may not even think about. I have seen people getting possessed. As a little girl I have witnessed lots of Hindus and Muslims coming to the exorcist who had his little place next to my house and it is still bone chilling to think about it. I have heard the demon voice coming out of those people and so you can see why I am concerned with this practice of taking Christians and even groups where some may not even be true believers into these pagan places of demon worship. The leaders of the youth conference are aware that some who attend Momentum may not yet know Christ and so they preach the gospel to them and urge them to make sure they really know Him. But then, a large group of these young people will be taken into a temple or mosque when they may still not even be saved. Some hearts may be open to possession or oppression by the evil spirits being worshiped there. This is so dangerous and is heavy on my heart.

This is one of the reasons I am so concerned about these visits. I am pleading with you all not to go and send the people of your church or your kids into such a dangerous place where DEMONS are worshiped. Right before conference last year I called one of the leaders of these temple trips and was told that those trips were already planned and could not be canceled. Well, that was a year ago, and the decision has been made again to take conference goers of both the youth and adult conference into these places again. It is a burden in my heart for God's people and I plead with you all not to go. There are many other ways you can learn about Hinduism but caution needs to be taken. Going to temples or mosques and doing what they require is not necessary.

Just remember, coming from an Indian perspective that even removing your shoes is a worship to their gods ; removing shoes is respecting their gods. It clearly says in 1 Cor.10:14-33 not to fellowship with demons or do things that are known to be pagan. I have also been informed that in some trips in the past there was a buffet laid out for the people who visited the temples to eat after the tour. What is the reason to eat food offered to idols when the Bible says not to and there are many Indian restaurants to eat Indian food? This practice is definitely associated with dedication to false gods .All that food has been dedicated to whatever god or goddess is prayed to in there.

Please understand that I know we need to reach out for ethnic people and it so awesome and very exciting to learn about other cultures. But there are other ways to do it besides going in to their places of worship and actually doing rituals that mean something Hindu or Islamic . My suggestion is to make friends with Hindus and Muslims and just talk about Jesus and share the Gospel. There are many places and ways that we can do that that do not involve compromising our faith in Jesus Christ.
PLEASE I plead with you NOT to VISIT the TEMPLES.

for more info, please watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtw-a7D6jm8
In Christ, Supriya Mitchell Contact me at supriya_smile@hotmail.com

Alert! Stop Temple/Mosque Visits!

2010-07-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Aloha & Greetings in the Name of the Lord Jesus,

My name is Steven Mitchell and I pastor the Garden City Grace Brethren Church in Roanoke, Virginia.

At week's end, the Grace Brethren's Celebrate 2010 Conference and Momentum Youth Conference will be in full swing and I am praying for a blessed time for all in attendance.

There is one event, however, that is being offered at both conferences concerning GBIM's Reaching Ethnic America campaign and this is the leading of tours to a Hindu temple and the possibility of visiting a Muslim mosque. These practices are of extreme concern for a growing number of people within the FGBC and I believe that it has reached the point where a loving warning is in order if you plan to attend these tours.

As a missionary who has spent time in India and is married to an Indian wife, my heart is really in this plea for discernment. Dear believer, please don't go into these pagan places of worship! Don't remove your shoes, eat a temple meal, or don the Muslim headdress (hijab) because these practices have religious significance to these false beliefs.

Please watch this Youtube clip where a friend and I lay out our concerns more fully:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtw-a7D6jm8

If you want more info and some more detailed discussion and talking points concerning the further danger of these temple/mosque visits, please visit our blog at this address and read the three-part series about this practice that is gaining momentum in the FGBC.

http://powertostand.blogspot.com/2009/11/plea-to-stop-visiting-templesmosques.html
http://powertostand.blogspot.com/2009/11/plea-to-stop-visiting-templesmosques_09.html
http://powertostand.blogspot.com/2009/11/plea-to-stop-visiting-templesmosques_23.html

Finally, I urge you upon viewing these articles of concern to be safe and refrain from anything that calls itself a “total immersion experience” into Hinduism or any other false religion(This is a quote from the latest issue of GBIM's Kairos magazine advertising the Cincinnati temple trip after Celebrate 2010). The Bible is clear that we, as God's people, ought not to participate in any aspect of pagan worship or religious practice ( 1 Corinthians 10:19-20).

Dear readers, please consider these concerns from my heart of hearts. Pastors, lovingly view the evidence and exhort your people accordingly. Parents, be wise concerning the potential dangers of this practice for your young people. Young people, dare to be different and stand against trends that would cause you in any way to compromise your stand with Jesus Christ. Beloved, be immersed in God's Word and you will have the discernment He provides to guide and protect you and help you worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

May the Lord bless you richly,

Steve Mitchell
Feel free to call me at 540-904-5420 or
Contact me at powertostand@yahoo.com

An Addendum To Temple/Mosque Visitation Concerns

2009-11-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

Several things need to be noted concerning this trend of visiting Hindu temples and Muslim Mosques. it's no secret that some in our fellowship have been vocal about this practice and actively leading teams of adults and young people into these pagan places of worship in the name of trying to give people a "heart for the soil" of a lost person's soul.

I have spoken with the main leader of this practice in the FGBC at length about my concerns and made it clear that we disagreed about this issue. I think it's a terrible idea with potential and actual spiritual hazards and he absolutely sees the whole thing differently.I will continue to oppose this practice and he will continue to promote it.

I was cleared to have my blog posted on the FGBC website and was told that my concerns were valid about many of the issues I wrote about.

I was also cleared to post a series of articles on my objections to Temple/Mosque visitations under the condition that I did not mention specific names of those I disagreed with and used a cordial tone. Those at the website KNEW that I was going to post these concerns and gave me the go-ahead to do so.

Upon returning from India I posted the first part of my series and pretty much the very day that my second part went up, my blog was pulled from the FGBC blog page. I did not remove it. It was PULLED.

I had a phone conversation where I was told that what I had done was disappointing and apparently several in the FGBC were "upset" that I had disagreed with this practice.No actual address or citation of my actual writings were made to me. The issues were not dealt with but I was told that others were giving flack and getting flack over what I posted at some level unknown to me but there it is! The "powers that be" in the FGBC have deemed my concerns controversial and too hot to handle for the blog page.

Please understand, folks, that I am not trying to be edgy or controversial but was actually encouraged for a very short time that we had a fellowship wherein we could openly dialogue and even respectfully disagree with one another without the fear of being unreasonably censored or pulled from our respective slots on the blog page...or so it seemed.

I leave you with two things: 1) I think that this does not bode well for this fellowship in that this seems to be a clear case of information control going on. 2)I will continue to post freely on this blog if I feel the need to share concerns with whoever else may be concerned about what they see happening in the church today.

A Plea to Stop Visiting Temples/Mosques, Part 3: Answering Five Final Objections

2009-11-23T06:37:00.000-08:00

Greetings, everyone and sorry for the delay but a lot has been happening. As promised, here are the second five actual and anticipated objections to my concerns about Temple/Mosque visit tours currently being conducted by some in our fellowship. This is also the last article about this phenomenon unless further developments occur. I am praying that many will heed these concerns and that we could relegate this hazardous practice to the past. Here they be…

Objection 6: “But my temple visit was so powerful, so moving, so out of the box. Now I pray fervently for these people like never before. I really learned about their lostness and saw it first hand.”

This may be a genuine response but re-think this for a moment. Was there any other way to be so burdened? The answer must be yes because most missionaries and intercessors for Hindus and Muslims didn’t receive this burden from going to a temple or a mosque Many receive it in prayer or a classroom or a moving sermon…or a trip to India. Just get off the plane here and you will immediately see all you need to know about Hinduism and the religions of India without ever setting foot in any temple. You will know what it is like to be vexed within when you see life here (as was Paul in Athens, Acts 17).My point is that while you may be forever changed by this experience rethink through and make sure your shoe removal or hijab donning might not have been the best and certainly not the only way to be moved for these dear folks.

Objection 7: “But the church needs this practice in order to wake up.”

The church needs to be biblical and honoring to the true God and there are other ways for this to happen.

Objection 8: “Steve, is your objection to these temple tours based on a belief in the sacred\secular distinction?”

Partially, yes. I know that this argument has been less than accepted by many lately due to the onset of more and more postmodern thinking but consider the truth that God definitely deemed certain things “holy” and other things “profane”. Pagan practices were actually and remain “abominations” before a holy God. There are other activities that fall into the categories of being foolish and unwise. Either way you slice it, these visits may involve some measure of willful/unwillful, knowing/unknowing participation in sinful practices. I definitely believe this involves that but let each one be convinced by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit what they do and say. As for my counsel, don’t even risk the danger of being on the wrong side of this issue.

Objection 9: “What then, do you suggest, is the best way to go about witnessing to Hindus and Muslims?”

Share a bold and loving testimony with Hindus in the parking lot of their temple or street witness to them. Make friends with your local restaurant owners, waiters, gas station attendants and grocery store owners, and businessmen who are from these locales. I have had great conversations with Indians at home and abroad and a powerful testimony to them is a kind explanation to them as to why you cannot go into their places of worship. What an open door to share about the holiness of the true God and His Son, Jesus Christ. In India I refuse to enter temples or even say the customary greeting “Namaste” because of its spiritual implications (“Namaste” literally means “My spiritual atman (“god-self”) bows in reverence to your spiritual atman.”). Although it is a customary greeting we have an open door of opportunity for why we give a hearty hug or handshake instead.

Objection 10: “Steve, aren’t you just being an ill-informed, reactionary , preachy, etc…?”

This last reaction is an imagined one as everyone with whom I’m spoken with on this matter has been courteous and respectful but trust me, the answer may very well be “Yes”. I could be totally wrong with my concerns but I don’t believe so. I have seen and done many things in the nation of India since 1999 and even married into it with my beloved wife Supriya, who hails from Maharashtra, India. We are united in our concerns that, at the very least, these temple/mosque visits are not the best way to go about evangelizing Hindus and Muslims and may even be dangerous in terms of participating in a practice that compromises the Christian faith and sends a wrongful message to Indian believers and non believers alike. Of course these concerns apply to all religious backgrounds involved in these visits.

So, in conclusion, these are my thoughts about temple visits. My advice: “Don’t do it!” and really think about why it isn’t a good idea. This is a “for-the-record” series of blog posts and I encourage you to be vividly biblical on this and whatever proposals and practices come down the pike, even from respected persons in our own fellowship of churches.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this, and thank you so much to those who have already responded.

A Plea to Stop Visiting Temples/Mosques, Part 2: Answering Five Objections

2009-11-09T07:49:00.000-08:00

A Plea to Stop Visiting Temples/Mosques, Pt. 2: Answering Five Objections

I have dialogued at length about this issue with some in the FGBC including one of the main leaders of these temple trips. We have had fervent exchanges and good discussion but my concerns have been dismissed as reactionary and not based in any kind of real justifiable vantage point. These activities will continue unless others begin to speak out I am sure but I feel it necessary to answer a few counterpoints that have been raised to my concerns. Most of these were actually raised and some are anticipated but there are more than what I answer here. Let these “Top 10” suffice with this part being the first five. I feature the objection followed by my response. I let you the reader decide what is valid and worthy of your time and attention here.

Objection 1: “This is an example of what Paul did by “being all things to all men” and reminiscent of his visit to the Areopagus in Acts 17”.

Paul visited synagogues and was taken to Mars Hill where he clearly preached the gospel to those who were there. He even told the Areopagites of God’s requirement that all men everywhere needed to repent ( Acts 17:30). Everywhere Paul went he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ which directly opposed the false worship that was going on in these places. Participants in these temple visits, to my knowledge, are going to “learn about the Hindu or Muslim faith” and in the initial ventures from Momentum 2007, they were told specifically not to witness but to be observers only which is not the same intent Paul had for being found in those places. Paul also did not capitulate or compromise by participating in any form of pagan practice in order to gain entry to these places. Shoe removal and hijabs are a form of participation or at least send a message of mutual acknowledgment to some validity of the “faiths” being learned from.

Objection 2: “This practice is a “fast-track” that is worth weeks of classroom lectures to help people “see the soil” of the lost world and “get a heart” for those enslaved to foolish false religion.”

This sounds noble and pragmatically practical. How could anyone argue with the impact something like a temple visit has on Christians who see this, especially for the first time? My response is this: Is there any other way someone can receive a burden to pray for and evangelize Hindus and Muslims other than actually having to go visit their temples? YES. Is this temple/mosque visitation the only way someone can really “get a heart” for these lost souls? NO. There are other better safer ways for this to happen that don’t involve any sort of compromise or reverence to a false faith. Yes, one can learn about tenets of these religions in a classroom and it can be a tool that God uses to impart holy concern for these folks. A personal visit is an “in your face” activity but not necessarily the best one and I would caution even becoming too familiar with foreign religions in any case. You don’t have to actually do what they do. You don’t have to be familiar with the tenets of Hinduism or Islam to pray for and witness to people in those religions. Here’s the best way to get a heart for Hindus and Muslims: Pray this way: “Father, please give me a burden for those lost and on their way to hell who are trapped in any form of false worship.” Watch what He’ll do. I became a missionary to India because of praying like that, not visiting pagan temples. God can impart His burden for Hindus, Muslims, Jains, and Sikhs without these visits.

Objection 3: “Steve, there is no such thing as an actual pagan place or anywhere that’s forbidden ground for a Christian to go in. The geography of what is found inside or outside the temple belongs to the Lord and we need not be afraid of “evil places’ or temple grounds.”

While this is technically correct, the practice of removing our shoes or donning a hijab or any custom we have to do to enter these places sends the message to these adherents that we do indeed consider their temple or mosque “sacred space”. We are showing respect for what they do there which is worship a false god or goddess who is really a demonic spirit. Why would we do this? God does not have mutual respect for any other “faith” and doesn’t want His people displaying any form of veneration or acknowledgment to any other false beliefs. Israel was told “all the gods of the nations are idols”( Ps. 96:5) and they were not to do anything that smacked of or was actual pagan practice. we are to be separate from these things and I assure you this sends a greater testimony to those dear folks that any mutual acknowledgment of their “faith”.

Objection 4: “We need to extend the right to all people to worship as they please.”

Yes we do but we shouldn’t do anything that compromises or encourages what they are doing by acknowledging their practices as sacred or valid in any way.

Objection 5: “This practice of temple/mosque visitation was first suggested by an Indian believer.”

This may be true but there are a lot of unbiblical and unwise things suggested by leaders of any background. There are many more Indian believers who would object to what’s going on with these visits if made aware of this practice. Just because the idea is Indian in origin means nothing and a lot of what has been suggested and implemented in the name of contextualization and evangelism is unbiblical and borders on erroneous activity that is actually syncretistic in practice. There is no real weight to this argument.

There’s five objections to my objection to the practice of temple/mosque visitation. I leave them for your consideration and ask you to stay tuned for the conclusion of this series of posts where I will present five final objections and my responses.

Read and share as the Lord leads.

A Plea to Stop Visiting Temples/Mosques, Part 1

2009-11-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

A Plea From India Concerning the Danger of Temple/Mosque Visits

Aloha and greetings from Pune, India. I am writing this blog post with a renewed sense of urgency after my first week of being back in beloved India. One can’t help but be moved and vexed within when walking through this city give over to idols, temples, and masjids(Muslim Mosques) are everywhere. Demons are being frequently and reverently worshipped with great fervor. Indian Hinduism and Islam for that matter is frightening to behold and staggering in terms of how many people are devotees.

A recent trend seems to be catching on in our fellowship that involves taking young people and adult conference goers into Hindu, Jain, and Sikh temples as well as Muslim mosques. The FGBC have begun to do this with vigor and trips are offered as part of the Equip and Momentum conferences in the future. The leaders of this activity in our fellowship even offer to come to your local church and lead visits to these places in your area. In the initial 2007 online articles about this practice among our youth at Momentum, it was clearly mentioned that they were told not to witness as they went to these various sites of pagan worship. One wonders how this can then be termed an “outreach” but the real danger is the actual undertaking and what it involves for our young people and other well-meaning Christians when they decide to venture into a Hindu temple or Muslim mosque. I want to share some vital concerns about why I believe that this practice is a terrible idea for Christians to participate in.

Concerns with Hindu temple visits are based on my missionary experience in India living among Hindus and surrounded by their places of worship in the Mumbai slums and the city of Pune from whence I am writing this post. Here’s what everyone should consider when they enter temple grounds. First, know this. If you remove your shoes, as is the requirement for entry to any Hindu temple worldwide, you are already engaging in a worship ritual laden with significance. The world outside every Hindu temple is actually worshipped as a goddess but the dust of the outside world is considered profane and since it accumulates on the feet of the worshipper, the shoes must be removed as an acknowledgement of the contamination of the outside world and the “holiness” of the sacred ground inside the temple. Shoe removal is not merely for sanitations sake, it is considered the first ritual of worship to whatever god or goddess resides in the temple. Christian, you are already capitulating to a false religion by removing your shoes. One article published online about 2009 Momentums recent temple visits emphasized that fact that this group were “learners of the Hindu faith (with bare feet)”. Is this what we want said of our youth at Momentum?

One may counter that there is no significance to the temple visit if the visitor doesn’t actually believe in the god or goddess inside but I would ask you to understand that the message sent to your Hindu host or temple guide is that you revere the temple site itself as “sacred ground” and have a mutual respect for the worship that happens there. Dear believer, shoe removal to enter the Hindu temple is not only already a participation in part of the purification rites but a bad testimony that sends a message that you agree with your host that their temple is sacred ground. I trust you can already see the compromise I’m referring to here and why I believe it best to not enter Hindu, Jain or Sikh temples.

Concerns with visits to the masjid, or Muslim mosque involve some of the same aspects. Shoe removal also sends the message that you have a respect for the sacredness of Islam and the presence of Allah. A second major issue involves the requirement of Mosque visitors concerning women who MUST wear the hijab or head covering. This is symbolic on two fronts: the submission of a woman to Muslim men and reverence in the presence of Allah. Why would a Christian ever want to participate in this ritual or send the message to unbelievers that there is a mutual respect for their religion? Understand me here, we respect everyone’s right to worship what or who they want BUT we cannot capitulate to those false religions by entering their places of worship and taking part in the rituals they require because they are laden with so much significance and most of this is unknown to those participating in this trend of temple and mosque tourism. It was both concerning and heartbreaking to see pictures posted of young girls at Momentum smiling while wearing hijabs. It sends a wrongful message to be sure and I think this whole thing needs reconsidered.

I have talked to the main leader involved with introducing this practice to the FGBC and my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. My wife, who is an Indian, and a Christian was taken to temples as a child by her Hindu maid and is very familiar with what happens there. She was shocked that Christians in the US were taking tours of these places and many Indian believers can’t ever see a good reason to reenter those places after being saved from the clutches of the demons being worshipped therein. So if you want a third reason that this is a bad idea, take the fact that it could very well stumble brothers and sisters in Christ in India who watch with bewilderment at the church going into these places

A final concern I have with these temple/mosque visits is based on the fact that is very observable here in India. Devotees to the false gods (including Allah) and goddesses, in some cases, experience demonic possession as they engage in their worship. Muslims actually conduct exorcisms on people they believe are controlled by “D’jinn” or evil spirits. Sometimes this happens in the course of Islamic worship and the sight of it leaves no doubt to the discerning Christian that these are demonic occurrences. Similarly and probably more widespread are the definite demonization of Hindu devotees in their temples who sometimes ask for the gods to possess them and demons seem ready to comply. In the awesome book Death of a Guru, the author Rabi Maharaj clearly states the “spiritual oppression” and demonic powers he felt while visiting a temple after his conversion (he went there to see his mother). Being a former guru and Hindu devotee, he knew all too well the danger of demonic powers in places where these evil spirits were being worshipped.

Demonic possession is not something I believe may befall a believer in Jesus Christ but why risk the chance of taking a young person, new believer, or even someone who may be unsaved at one of these conferences directly into the place where these activities are being practiced? I believe that if someone ever gets oppressed severely or even demonized because they are unsaved in one of these temple tour groups, this whole foolish practice will be abandoned.

Dear ones, this concludes part one of my concerns about the FGBC participating in this new trend that I believe both to be unbiblical and spiritually dangerous. I have made the case that their really seems to be no reason to enter these places as the requirements for entry already demand that someone begin to participate in the pagan worship being done there. Shoe removal and hijabs are laden with religious significance and it causes the visitor to already be compromising and capitulating, in a way actually participating in aspects of pagan worship. It sends the wrong message and is a bad testimony to some Indian believers. Finally, demonic forces are at work in these places and it isn’t wise to lead teams of mixed maturities (or young people in the faith) into potentially risky situations.

Please consider these assertions as a plea from the heart of someone whose wife and himself love Indians, Hindu , Muslim, and otherwise and has spent considerable time among them and sadly is all too familiar with some of their worship practices.

Parents please reconsider allowing your young person to participate in this risky experiment.

Pastors, is it really a good thing for your congregation to be entertaining?

Please receive these concerns in the heart and tone in which they are written and stay tune for part two where I will answer some of the objections raised to these concerns.

Feel free to let fly your commentary…

Aloha from India!

2009-10-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Aloha from Pune, India!

This is just a short dispatch to remind everyone to pray for this nation and it's inhabitants like their lives depended on it...

I will return home to Roanoke, Virginia, burdens in tow ready to post on Oct. 28th. Man, I need a de-brief!

In Christ, Steve and family

Postmodernism: Eden Revisited

2009-10-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

I'm at an internet cafe in Detroit on a layover for what will be a 19 hour flight to Mumbai, India. I'm thinking about postmodernism. Is it for real? are we really there yet? Is this a "postmodern age"?

Then it hits me. We've been there before and are experiencing a resurgence of an incessant questioning of truth and the knowability of absolute truth in human history. Oh yeah, this is an old problem. I revisit Bereshith, the book of beginnings:

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"2 And the woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.'"4 And the serpent said to the woman, "You surely shall not die!5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

There's the attitude and the spirit behind much of the attacks on the truth of God's Word today, even from some who claim to be believers. The person who first questioned God's Word, with cunning craftiness and wicked malice, did it in Gan-Eden, the garden God planted, a little more than six thousand years ago...

Urgently Needed? FGBC In India!

2009-09-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

In 1897, the ancestors of what is now the Grace Brethren met in Johnstown, Pennsylvania for what could be considered the first “Foreign Missions”-oriented conference. Brother J. C. Mackey was endorsed and commended to go to India with a burden to reach the lost and maybe even plant a church there.

Dr. David Plaster writes these sad words: “This endorsement evidently was as far as Brother Mackey ever got on his way to India” (Finding Our Focus, p. 83).

1897: good intentions, foreign mission fervor, a heart for India, yet , as they say, the rest is history…

He never went. He never made it. To my knowledge, we still have no official work in India to this day.

This blog entry might be for someone reading out there. Maybe you’ve been earnestly praying about where the Lord is leading you for His service. This may be a little shove to make you move. Pray to God even now if He may be calling you to go short-term or long-term while we are gifted with today.

He is coming soon! India is ripe for the harvest! More dispatches to come from this nation in need...

India 2009! Almost Time to GO...

2009-09-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

India 2009! Almost Time to GO…

I feel it. The slow rumbling that seems to be building in my heart of hearts. Anticipation, dread, extreme rush, quiet joy, and a real and ever-present burden on my soul seem to collide and coexist all at once as I think of my journey coming up in a week and a half. Yes, folks time for my bi-annual trip to the great nation of India where my mind always gets blown and my body is put to the test of endurance.

Anyone who’s been to India any number of times knows the feelings I’m describing. In the midst of the hassle of packing and prep, there’s an excitement that just won’t let up. For me the reason is twofold: One facet is the idea of seeing my bride and baby girl after their two month time in India visiting family. Secondly, I feel called to preach the gospel there and encourage the believers, some of them living in true adversity. I want to teach them and tell them to hang on because Jesus may be coming soon! This is a message for India, America, and every nation on Earth.

I’ll spend almost a month there, Lord willing, sharing and venturing between two mega-cities in central India, Mumbai and Pune (which is my wife’s hometown). 20 million people live in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and about 4 million live in the rising IT center of Pune, 3 hours east from Mumbai. There will be crowds, heat, traffic, and a host of sights and sounds that will be both welcome and hair-raising and I am praying for the clarity to be able to take it all in and use it as fuel for this flaming heart to serve God and see souls saved.

The mega civilization that is India is only mentioned once in all of scripture (Esther 1:1) but is implicit in the vast references to the “nations” whose people can be saved by repenting and believing in Jesus Christ as their only true savior (See all the references to nations in just the Revelation alone: 5:8-10, 7:9, 10:11, 13:7, 14:6, 15:4, 19:15,21:24-26). Nations of course are made up of people, individuals for whom Christ died on the cross, being the penal substitute for their sins, and rose again conquering death for everyone who believes on Him! How can we not be excited and fired up to be a part of God’s plan to reach people and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19-20) seeing them “called out” from every conceivable culture and lifestyle and translated into the “kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:13). In the end we’ll all rejoice to see people from every tribe, tongue, and nation singing worship and praise to the triune God for eternity!

What part will you play in this unfolding adventure known as the Christian life? Who has God burdened you to reach out to today?

Thanks for reading, praying, and, as the Lord leads, GOING!

FGBC/Emergent Compatibility?, Part 9:A Final Word

2009-09-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is the 9th and final blog post in this series asking the question: IS THE GRACE BRETHREN STATEMENT OF FAITH COMPATIBLE WITH EMERGENT THEOLOGY?

A Final Word

The FGBC Statement of Faith is a good collection of highlights as found in God’s revealed Word. When I say “wiggle room” I mean there will always be places where the devil and deceivers will attempt to insert falsehood and error. Our Statement is not infallible but I believe it to be a good guide pointing people back to the Scriptures, where I believe all of these issues are addressed. If we want to be biblical, then that is our established grid through which we filter and discern every doctrine and practice with the aid of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2).

Is there freedom? Yes, and I relish it especially in areas of music and outreach as long as biblical lines aren’t crossed. But some of the doctrines and practices, far too many, of emerging church and emergent theology definitely cross the line where the Bible, discernment, and just plain Godly wisdom are concerned. In these cases, we can only identify them as compromises.

At one time, there weren’t many questions that we weren’t at least confident were answered in Scripture and I believe that the danger of postmodernism and mysticism is the questioning of God’s Word, or the outright denial of its sufficiency. We need to reject the popular trend of having to re-think, re-imagine, or repaint the Faith. We definitely need to steer clear of unbiblical mystical paths for prayer and guidance. We must identify those among us who seem to be pointing people that way. We must warn them in accordance with God’s Word, which will never change. Truth is knowable (1) and Gods Word is clear and sufficient in the areas we are needful (2 Tim. 3: 16,17). We are therefore to do what it says and refute those who oppose and contradict sound doctrine (Titus 1:5-9). A statement of faith is merely a helpful collection of key points that ideally should uphold the teachings of Scripture and the key areas of content of our faith. I think ours does.

If we are truly committed to resisting false teaching, “test all things” (1 Thess. 5:21), and not waivering in the face of these new and unsound doctrines, then we will also, I believe, be fulfilling God’s plan for us as biblical believers. That would result in God-honoring, boldly proclaiming, God- pleasing Grace Brethren men and women whose Statement of Faith would not be just another contract but a FULL VOLUME proclamation of our convictions in accordance with God’s Word. What glorious changes would be wrought then! Are you ready?

Thanks for reading this lengthy series. Feel free to comment and critique with gentlenss and self-control. Stay tuned for more, Lord willing...

(1) “Can we truly understand the scriptures as believers? Apparently so: Our Lord said – “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His Own” (John 16:13).
The Bible clearly tells us that if we have the Holy Spirit in us: then we can understand what has been written:
1 Cor. 2:12 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given us by God.”
Ro 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

FGBC/Emergent Compatibility?, Part 8: The Ordinances & the Rest

2009-09-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

This is Part 8 of a blog post asking the question: IS THE GRACE BRETHREN STATEMENT OF FAITH COMPATIBLE WITH EMERGENT THEOLOGY?

What We Believe About Our Ordinances:

Our ordinances are also distinctive as compared to much of what’s being practiced in emerging and emergent churches today (and, for that matter, most other churches and denominations worldwide).

ORDINANCES…(1) baptism of believers by triune immersion (Matt. 28:19) and (2) the threefold communion service, consisting of the washing of the saints' feet (John 13:1-17)

Most emergents wouldn’t agree with triune immersion. Many do not observe threefold communion and again there is the prevalence of viewing the Mass or Eucharist as having validity, which we would reject because of its heresy in Christology.

What About the Rest?

Many emergents would probably give at least a cursory agreement with the stated beliefs in the rest of our Statement of Faith (The Holy Spirit, The Church, etc.). Many teach about the Trinity and there being one true God but there is not uniform agreement on these things and, in some cases, beyond the scope of citing in this work, error abounds in these areas as well (Ex. Erwin McManus’ redefinition of major aspects of the Christian faith (1)).

Many other areas are not in agreement with what the Bible says and subsequently what we lean on in our Statement of Faith. Just looking at the collection of essays from key leaders in the emergent church as laid out in An Emergent Manifesto Of Hope, we can see the following aberrant teachings: a false view of the kingdom ( (e.g. pp.80-81),a lack of concern for spiritual conversion—the true gospel (pp. 35-37, 49, 100), Egalitarianism (pp. 42,175-188), Rejection of original sin/sin nature (p. 43), Inclusivism (pp. 44, 49-50; 190-198), Rejection of sola fide (pp. 82, 159; 194-195), Rejection of sola scriptura (pp. 154-156), the inability to understand God due to our subjectivity (p. 156), and “Orthoparadoxy”—chapter 17.(2).

As we’ve seen, many elements of emergent and emerging theology don’t pass the test and therefore should be resisted on the grounds of the teachings of God’s Word, discernment, and conviction given us by the Holy Spirit.

(1) http://lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=209&more=1&c=1
(2) An Emergent Manifesto of Hope compiled by Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt as reviewed by Gary Gilley: http://www.svchapel.org/Resources/BookReviews/book_reviews.asp?ID=351

FGBC/Emergent Compatibility?, Part 7: The Hereafter

2009-09-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

This is Part 7 of a blog post asking the question: IS THE GRACE BRETHREN STATEMENT OF FAITH COMPATIBLE WITH EMERGENT THEOLOGY?

What We Believe About the Hereafter:

12. FUTURE LIFE. …The judgment and condemnation of unbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15), the eternal life of the saved (John 3:16), and the eternal punishment of the lost (Matt. 25:46; Rev. 20:15).

Doug Pagitt refuses to even answer the question posed to him concerning what happens to a Muslim when they die, and he doesn’t believe Heaven is actually a place (1).

Hell is definitely in question among many in the emergent church. McLaren questions the eternality of Hell and the very character of a God who would punish the wicked that way (2).
Bell believes we bring hell to earth by our actions (3), and hell is full of forgiven people (4). He also says we bring heaven to earth in a social gospel leaning sort of way (5).

I do not mean to broad brush, but these are popular perspectives believed by more and more in these circles and I don’t see any compatibility in these areas that are major to me.

(1) http://podcast.wayofthemasterradio.com/audio/podcasts/1007/WOTMR-10-22-07-Hour1.mp3 http://www.vibist.com/?p=26, http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2007/11/doug-pagitt-on-forevermore-life.html
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/2638/Todd_Friel http://www.apprising.org/archives/2008/01/doug_pagitt_sha.html
(2) http://www.understandthetimes.org/ec/ecmclaren.shtml http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2006/05/brian_mclarens.html
(3) Velvet Elvis, p. 146-148
(4) Ibid.
(5) In Velvet Elvis, Bell says, “famine, debt, oppression, loneliness, despair, death, slaughter–they are all hell on earth. Jesus’ desire for his followers is that they live in such a way that they bring heaven to earth” (p. 148).

FGBC/Emergent Compatibilty?, Part 6: Salvation

2009-09-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

This is Part 6 of a blog post asking the question: IS THE GRACE BRETHREN STATEMENT OF FAITH COMPATIBLE WITH EMERGENT THEOLOGY?

What We Believe About Salvation:

5. MAN. … The necessity of the new birth for his salvation (John 3:35).

When McLaren says he endeavors to see people become “disciples” while remaining in their Hindu and Buddhist contexts as “followers of Jesus”(1), that is problematic to me. He questions major aspects of the gospel (2) There is a push to affirm truth in all religions and the glory of God present in all people whether they are saved or not. Leonard Sweet calls this “flickers of the sacred” that might even be in Hindus (3). Merton and Nouwen who are loved by many emergents say similar things. Some emergents, like Doug Pagitt, espouse a universalism of sorts (4)
A recent trend as outlined in some of the essays in An Emergent Manifesto of Hope is that clear teaching and preaching of the gospel is an impure attempt to subjugate people to our belief system in the church (5).

I see no real compatibility in this area.

(1) "I must add, though, that I don't believe making disciples must equal making adherents to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many (not all!) circumstances to help people become followers of Jesus and remain within their Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish contexts."—Brian McLaren http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newmissiology.htm
“McLaren says that's why congregations in the "emergent church" movement focus more on social action than trying to convert people to Christianity.
McLaren says that if people are "happy being Muslim, or Buddhist or Jewish or atheist," he doesn't think it's right to try to "shoe-horn them out of their religion" into Christianity.” http://www.thepath.fm/news/newsitem.cfm?id=24885
(2) http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/08/enemies_of_the.html
(3) http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac23.htm and read his online book Quantum Spirituality at www.leonardsweet.com
(4) http://www.apprising.org/archives/2008/01/doug_pagitt_sha.html
(5) http://christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/2096/Bob_DeWaay

FGBC/Emergent Compatibility?, Part 5: The End Times

2009-09-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

This is Part 5 of a blog post asking the question: IS THE GRACE BRETHREN STATEMENT OF FAITH COMPATIBLE WITH EMERGENT THEOLOGY?

What We Believe About The End Times:

11. SECOND COMING. The personal, visible, and imminent return of Christ to remove His church from the earth (1 Thess. 4:16-17) before the tribulation (1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 3:10), and afterward to descend with the Church to establish His millennial kingdom upon the earth (Rev. 19:11-20:6).

I do not think most emergents would agree with our perspective at all. The truth is that many emergents are not looking for any rapture. Bell teaches that the rapture is an “escape theory” and is not in view in 1 Thess 4:16-17(1). McLaren despises Dispensational Theology (2). Many emergents believe that we are to “go green” and take care of the earth and have a somewhat dominionist view of what will happen in the end times. Most reject a Dispensational Premillenial view as outlined in our Statement of Faith.

(1) Read http://davecrow.wordpress.com/ as well as Velvet Elvis
(2) A Generous Orthodoxy p. 267-269

FGBC/Emergent Compatibility?, Part 4: Jesus Christ

2009-09-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

This is Part 4 of a blog post asking the question: IS THE GRACE BRETHREN STATEMENT OF FAITH COMPATIBLE WITH EMERGENT THEOLOGY?

What We Believe About Jesus Christ:

“His preexistence and Deity (John 1:13)”, “sinless life (Heb. 4:15)”, and the resurrection would be affirmed by many if not most in the emerging/ent church but things get a bit less certain when we talk about His “incarnation by virgin birth (John 1:14; Matthew 1:18-23).”
Influential Rob Bell is the only one I’m aware of coming from the angle that belief in Christ’s virgin birth is not necessarily an essential. His statement in Velvet Elvis is one of the worst I have ever read but many emergents love that book. (1)

What about Christ’s “substitutionary death (2 Cor. 5:21)”? This precious doctrine, especially in the area of penal substitution and propitiation, is under attack by McLaren and some others in the emergent movement. McLaren calls the cross “false advertising” for God (2). Many protest the violence that the Cross represents and it doesn’t fit in with their repainted version of the Father who requires the blood of His Son to be shed for the remission of our sins.

Concerning the character of Jesus Christ, many emergents have a completely re-worked picture of Christ, His message, and His ministry. Just read McLaren’s The Secret Message of Jesus (3) and you’ll see the concern here. Dwight J. Friesen says: “Jesus did not announce ideas or call people to certain beliefs as much as he invited people to follow him into a way of being in the world.”(4). What? Similarly, Donald Miller says: “If we hold that Jesus wanted us to "believe" certain ideas or "do" certain things in order to be a Christian, we are holding to heresy.”(5). I think we need to definitely believe certain things to be truly saved (Jn. 8:24).

Many emergents are promoting worship of the Eucharistic “Jesus” of the Catholic Mass (6). Is this an accurate doctrine of His person and work? Is He continually even today being re-sacrificed in the Mass?

This is not the Jesus Christ we point others to in our Statement of Faith.

(1) Velvet Elvis, pg.26
(2) http://www.apprising.org/archives/2008/02/brian_mclaren_a_21.html
http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_print.php?cdate=2005-06-30)
http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/08/enemies_of_the.html
http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/05/evangelicals_at.html
“False advertising” quote: http://www.enteuxis.org/leifh/bleedingpurple21b.mp3
(3) http://www.svchapel.org/Resources/BookReviews/book_reviews.asp?ID=316
(4) An Emergent Manifesto of Hope p. 201 - 212
(5) Donald Miller writes: “If we hold that Jesus wanted us to "believe" certain ideas or "do" certain things in order to be a Christian, we are holding to heresy. In that bar on Hawthorne, I finished the last paragraph and felt a kind of sickness at the thought of whether or not I was telling the truth. But after further consideration, and after rewriting the book, I realized the formulaic version of Christianity was irrational, and for that matter, unbiblical.” http://www.donaldmillerwords.com/searching.php
(6) Eucharistic Adoration in the Emerging Church: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=330&more=1&c=1
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=323&more=1&c=1

FGBC/Emergent Compatibility?, Part 3: The Triune God

2009-09-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

This is Part 3 of a blog post asking the question: IS THE GRACE BRETHREN STATEMENT OF FAITH COMPATIBLE WITH EMERGENT THEOLOGY?

What We Believe About the Triune God:

2. THE ONE TRUE GOD. Existing eternally as three persons the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22; Matthew 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).

Ours is a good statement reflecting sound doctrine about the nature of our Holy God. Many emergents believe and teach the Trinity and most aspects of God’s character but many of these concepts are re-worked or mingled with pagan ideas. The result is a “god” who in some cases is not recognizable as the God of the Bible.

Erwin McManus promotes Greg Boyd who is an open theist (1) and beckons us to be co-creators with God in his writings (2) or “Co- (re) creators” as Pagitt suggests (3). What God is this?

Can we connect with Him through unbiblical mystical practices or would the God of Scripture that we uphold detest these practices?

Bell redefines the holiness of God, which messes with our biblical understanding of this important attribute (4). McLaren speaks of an instance in which he himself was interconnected to God and all things in mystical terms described as the ultimate “We” (5). This again smacks of a panentheistic view (6).

Pagitt says: “The idea that there is a necessary distinction of…creation from creator is being reconsidered.” (7). Others like Spencer Burke are embracing panentheism (God is in all things) and doesn’t view God as a person.(8)

Many emergents are pursuing relationship and spirituality through unbiblical teaching and practice.

These are not compatible with the view of God we are referring to in our Statement of Faith.

(1) McManus not only promotes some in the emerging church movement but lends his support of open theist Greg Boyd as well. Here’s an important warning about that by Jim Brown:
“I warned that Erwin McManus, a leader of the Emergent Church movement was headlining “Student Life” events across the U-S. McManus has endorsed a book promoting open theism, a theology which calls into question the sovereignty of God, denies His omniscience, and is gaining a foothold in many “evangelical” seminaries today. That alone, I believe, should concern parents, youth pastors and churches that are sending their teenagers to attend conferences led by the Los Angeles pastor and author.” http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/08/darwining_down.html
(2) http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/09/erwin_mcmanusas.html
http://lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=209&more=1&c=1
http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/06/erwin_mcmanus_p.html
(3) "God also invites us to be re-created and to join the work of God as co-(re)creators." Doug Pagitt Church Re-Imagined, p. 185.
(4) http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php?ArticleID=3101
(5) McLaren describes this mystical experience in A Generous Orthodoxy p. 199
(6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panentheism
(7) Listening To The Beliefs Of Emerging Churches, p. 142.
(8) http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/08/emergent_church_22.html

FGBC/Emergent Compatibility?, Part 2: The Faith

2009-09-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is Part 2 of a blog post asking the question: IS THE GRACE BRETHREN STATEMENT OF FAITH COMPATIBLE WITH EMERGENT THEOLOGY?

What We Believe Concerning “The Faith”:

The Statement of Faith is the “current expression of a never ending effort to clarify an understanding of the primary doctrines we accept.” It’s obvious what is meant: we are always seeking to be clear on what we believe through Godly pursuit of biblical study and this has nothing to do with the prevalent emergent belief that God’s revelation is so mysterious that we cannot actually know whether we can hold an orthodox view or not. Brian McLaren questions the entire belief of whether we can actually arrive at and hold truly orthodox beliefs and practice. (1)

Rob Bell believes that we cannot really ever know what the Bible is actually saying and we cannot interpret it correctly: to take the Bible for “what it says” is “warped and toxic” (2) Bell also says that doctrine must flex and morph with each emerging generation (3) like springs on a trampoline.
Doug Pagitt believes that doctrine is not fixed and therefore not ever really settled as to its trustworthiness and that the gospel can actually be embedded in other religious contexts (4). He says things like “what we believe is not timeless” and that our theology will be “ever-changing”, believing that the church is to function as “cauldrons of theological imagination.”(5).

So the question is begged: Is our faith once for all delivered to us as the Bible says (Jude 3), or must we rethink and rework everything in accordance with every shifting generation? Pagitt admits: “ I realize that for many people, this kind of understanding and faith can seem weak, soft, unprincipled, or otherwise dangerous.”(6) I couldn’t have assessed it better myself! He also states and many believe this: “The Emergent imagination is at its most basic level a call to friendship–friendship with God, with one another, and with the world.” (7)

These emergent beliefs are not compatible with our Statement of Faith.

(1) McLaren’s A Generous Orthodoxy is, in its entirety, a questioning of the veracity of the claim that we can really have a true orthodox Christian faith.
(2) Velvet Elvis, p. 053-054
(3) Ibid. p. 022-028
(4) See Pagitt’s essay “The Emerging Church and Embodied theology” in Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches (gen. Ed. Robert Webber) and read this: http://www.apprising.org/archives/2008/01/doug_pagitt_sha.html
(5) Ibid on the essay
(6) Ibid p. 133
(7) Doug Pagitt from An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, p. 18, 19

FGBC/Emergent Compatibility?, Pt. 1: The Bible

2009-09-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

Presentation of the Evidence

I believe that many aspects of the abovementioned emergent theological beliefs compromise or even oppose biblical revelation of truth. Since our Statement of Faith is biblical in scope and focus I do not see a compatibility with these areas of emergent theology. Consider these things:

What We Believe About the Bible:

Section One. Covenant. The sovereign congregations…are united in accepting the Holy Scriptures as the sole guide and authority in all matters of faith, doctrine and practice.
Section Two. Statement of Faith. … The Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, Inc., believing the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible to be the infallible rule of faith and of practice…
1. THE BIBLE. The Word of God, the sixty-six Books of the Old and New Testaments, verbally inspired in all parts, and therefore wholly without error as originally given of God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).

Many teachers of emergent theology often question the veracity of the Bible as we’ve all heard it taught or currently understand it. Many assert that we need to “re-think” virtually everything we know and therefore everything we do in order to reach this postmodern generation. While I commend many for trying to be effective in reaching this generation, much of their proposals and methods are unbiblical in content and execution. Most emergents would agree that the Bible has merit but again to varying degrees of adherence concerning our ability to correctly interpret and arrive at what the Bible is actually saying in a given passage.
Do we need to “rediscover the Bible as a human product” as Rob Bell asks (1) or view it as “story” (2) or its revelations as mere “conversation” that needs reworked and refashioned with every new emerging community of faith? (3)

Our Covenant states that the Bible is our “sole guide and authority in all matters of faith, doctrine and practice” and our Statement of Faith concurs. If one reads the offerings of the emergent and mystical teachers like Bell we can only conclude that the Bible is taken as one way to follow and connect with God. He suggests that it is impossible to do what the Bible says in any sort of objective manner and implies that no one can actually correctly interpret it (4). With the exception of Mark Driscoll (who is not "emergent" but could be considered emerging) who refers to himself as a “devoted biblicist” (5), most of the other teachers in the emergent church look to a variety of other faith traditions, rituals and sources for their patterns of spirituality (6). Many follow the writings of false teachers like Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen (7) and the teachings of the Desert Fathers which were mystical explorations resulting in all kinds of unbiblical errors in doctrine and practice. There is much experimentation in Contemplative mysticism (8), meditative prayer techniques, and various other alleged means of gaining truth about God.

One is hard-pressed to see a compatibility with even this initial area between our adherence to the Scriptures and the emergent view of where truth comes from and through what sources and practices God speaks.
Brian McLaren believes the Bible is only “uniquely authoritative for Christians.”(9) Tony Jones has stated that the Bible is “a (expletive deleted) scary book.” (10) And doesn’t even see a need for a statement of faith (11)
Taking all this into account, I do not see any real compatibility between the emergent teachings and our covenant and Statement of Faith in this vital area. Many areas of emergent theology directly oppose or contradict the Scriptures so there remains no compatibility.

(1) http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/01/rob_bell_fails.html (see also: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/november/12.36.html)
(2) http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c55.shtml
(3) This includes Rob Bell’s assertion that doctrines are springy like trampoline springs and must be stretchy and able to morph while being wrestled with in every new generation. Read about this is Velvet Elvis p. 022-028
(4) Velvet Elvis, p. 053-054
(5) From Driscoll’s essay “The Emerging Church and Biblicist Theology” in Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches (gen. Ed. Robert Webber), p. 21
(6) This includes Roman Catholic rituals like Lectio Divina, stations of the cross, icon worship, medieval monasticism, and rituals like Labyrinths http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/03/emergent_church_29.html, More on Labyrinths: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/labyrinth.htm http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_7494893?source=rv http://www.christiananswersforthenewage.org/Articles_Meditation.html
(7) http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac23.htm
(8) Roger Oakland says it well: “Contemplative spirituality provides a mystical formula also known as “spiritual formation” in order to get closer to Jesus. The problem is that this state of silence achieved is similar to that which is reached through eastern meditation, and the realm reached is not the presence of God but the possible presence of demons. The Bible is very clear in it’s warning against practicing divination, which uses mystical methods to conjure up the spirit world. Yet, a growing number of evangelical churches are incorporating contemplative into their church body.” http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c73.shtml
(9) http://www.anewkindofchristian.com/archives/000406.html)
(10) http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php?&ArticleID=1742
(11) From a Relevant Magazine interview in which Tony Jones is asked:
RM: Emergent doesn’t have a doctrine, but what are some of the key principles that hold you together?”
Jones: Just this morning, we came out with an anti-statement of faith that explains why we don’t have a statement of faith. I’d say that one of the core principles or convictions is that the very nature of theology is one of conversation and dialogue, not one of setting boundaries and safeguards from elusive historic orthodoxy. http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/12/tony_jones_and.html

Aloha! & A Question of Compatibility, Introduction

2009-09-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome, everyone, to the first series of entries on the Power To Stand Ministries blog space! I trust you will be edified and challenged to think biblically about these special topics that were raised in one long article a year and a half ago. Since then, our fellowship has gone through many changes and some might even think that asking this question and dealing with the details is outdated and of no current usefulness to our ministries and churches. If that is the case, in your view, please share accordingly, but otherwise, enjoy the entries and feel free to comment on these areas that I and some others deem to be still very much in need of discussion and biblical assessment.

This is a 10-part series (which means this introduction + nine more entries) and each entry will be added over time as we encounter the various issues covered in our Statement of Faith. Only two entries are on the long side and one being this first one because it is an intro that traces the course for the following blog entries, some of which are bite-size and far more manageable. All entries will include bibliographical notes and links to articles for further study. Soldier on, friends, and comment with great vigor as free men (Ladies are welcome, too)!

Let’s light this candle…

A Question of Compatibility: Thoughts on the FGBC Statement of Faith and Emergent Theology
By Steve Mitchell
Pastor, Garden City Grace Brethren Church/ Director, Power To Stand Ministries
Respectfully Submitted: March A.D. 2008

Greetings in the Name of the Lord Jesus. The question has been posed:

IS THE GRACE BRETHREN STATEMENT OF FAITH COMPATIBLE WITH EMERGENT THEOLOGY?

And this is an attempt to answer that query.

Defining Our Direction

The task ahead is a formidable one and cannot be wrapped up in any neat and tidy way in the space allotted but let us do our best to get at the root of this issue by defining the elements we’re dealing with.

On “Emergent Theology”:

When we speak of emerging church doctrine and practice or emergent theology (1) we have a wide range of features and factors in view. Doubtless some will already point out my usage of emerging and emergent as not being the same thing and I recognize this. For this project we will take the teachings that are most often associated with the idea of the emergent/ing arms of today’s church. Teachings from the Emergent Village (2), various publications (3), Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Dan Kimball, Spencer Burke, etc. come to mind the quickest because they are commonly identified with emergent or emerging church doctrines. Pastors like Dan Kimball and Mark Driscoll are more conservative in their theologies but identify with being emerging or emergent nonetheless and promote the others mentioned and named. Mystics like Rob Bell and Erwin McManus would not receive the label of emergent but nonetheless feature these other teachers at their churches in some cases and would be considered representative of postmodern ministry. We will try to look at this body of doctrines through their writings as representative of the direction emergent theology is heading.

These are the WHOs we will limit ourselves to looking at and the WHATs are the various teachings these and others generally hold in the movement (4). This is not uniform and there are great degrees of agreement and disagreement within these circles but for our purposes, we will deal with just a few of the elements of emergent theology centered on:

1) The idea that “re-thinking”, “re-imagining” needs to be undertaken in virtually every area of ministry in the Church and insistence that we cannot arrive at true orthodox belief and praxis. This often involves a “Neo liberal” questioning of certain truths.
2) Ecumenical beliefs pointing to Roman Catholicism and related religions (5)
3) Practice and promotion of Mysticism in its eastern, medieval, and Roman Catholic contexts (6).
4) Reduction of the gospel and the faith to “story” rather than propositional truth (7) and the introduction of a resurging social gospel in many cases (8).
5) Theological liberalism (9) including ideas borrowed from earlier liberal theologians like “emergent evolution”, “theology as conversation”, “sacredness of the person”, “progressive revelation”, etc. Basically a “repainted liberalism has joined postmodern skepticism” (10).
6) Tenets of universalism (11) (everybody will be saved) and Inclusivism (12) as far as the gospel is concerned. These often come with an entirely new set of ideas concerning of the “Kingdom of God” (13).

These beliefs, while not uniform, are prevalent and regarded as distinctive that help some to separate those who would call themselves emergent or emerging from the rest of the church. We will deal primarily with the beliefs being brought to the church through these specific teachers realizing that there is a wide range of adherence and non-adherence from church to church and person to person. Because these men are adamantly proclaiming these doctrines, we will cite these teachers and teachings in comparison or contrast with the tenets of our Statement of Faith.

On the FGBC Statement of Faith (Quotations, whole or in part, as found on: http://www.fgbc.org/whoarewe/covenant-and-statement-of-faith.cfm will be italicized)

We assume the following:

1) The Statement of Faith is biblical in that it points to the Holy Scriptures as the basis for its beliefs. Both our covenant and the intro of the Statement of Faith point to “The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.”
2) The Statement of Faith leaves some “wiggle room” because of what is not specifically outlined. While clearly presenting biblical perspectives in the key areas, certain non-essential issues are vague or not clearly outlined. These could easily be exploited and worked around in an emergent context.
3) I am not proposing we alter or add to the existing statement to accommodate our changing times. Freedom and “wiggle room” are corresponding realities, so we work with what we’ve got. Basically, we are asking if these major areas of emergent doctrine are biblical and therefore compatible with the tenets of our Statement of Faith?
4) Our format only allows a partial examination of the tenets of our Statement Of Faith. Only the major areas of disagreement will be highlighted.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerging_church
(2) http://www.emergentvillage.com/about-information/values-and-practices
(3) Books which outline key tenets of what it means to be “emerging” or “emergent”: Listening To the Beliefs of Emerging Churches: Five Perspectives, general editor: Robert Webber, A Generous Orthodoxy and The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren, The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity For New Generations and They Like Jesus But Not The Church by Dan Kimball, Velvet Elvis and Sex God by Rob Bell, Church Re-Imagined and Re-Imagining Spiritual Formation by Doug Pagitt, Ancient-Future Faith by Robert Webber, and many others.
(4) A thorough checklist of emergent concerns can be found at: http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c40.shtml
(5) See http://pro-gospel.org/x2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=1 , and also the Emergent Village website: “We are committed to honor and serve the church in all its forms – Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal, Anabaptist. We practice “deep ecclesiology” – rather than favoring some forms of the church and critiquing or rejecting others, we see that every form of the church has both weaknesses and strengths, both liabilities and potential.” (http://www.emergentvillage.com/about-information/values-and-practices ).
(6) http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c53.shtml ,
(7)http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080218/31238_Brian_McLaren:_Postmodern_Christianity_Understood_as_Story.htm
(8) http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/02/emergent_church_20.html
(9) Bob DeWaay’s excellent article http://www.cicministry.org/commentary/issue87.htm
(10) “McLaren and others of the postmodern ilk have erected a sophisticated system of doubts that are expressed in various versions of relativism. These are debated in academic circles and call into question the possibility of knowledge that goes beyond our language or cultural identities. Some even question if any human communication is valid (and write books to “communicate” this idea).” (Ibid.).
(11) http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/07/the_emergent_ro.html
(12) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusivism
(13) Read Gary Gilley’s fabulous work: http://svchapel.org/Resources/articles/read_articles.asp?ID=139
http://svchapel.org/Resources/articles/read_articles.asp?ID=140
http://svchapel.org/Resources/articles/read_articles.asp?ID=141