Additional   Titles

THE APOSTATE CHURCH

A SENSORY CIRCUS

By Paul Proctor

NewsWithViews.com
I came across an article recently on the Kjos      Ministries web site that dealt with the religion of Islam being presented      at some of today's Christian churches across America as a response to the      tragic events of September 11th. The example the author gave was Willow      Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. In his commentary,      written for "Voice of the Martyrs", Dr. Tom White told of a      Muslim named Faisal Hammouda who addressed the congregation at Willow      Creek.
HAVE WE SHAMED THE FACE OF JESUS? http://www.persecution.com/editorial/index.cfm?editorialID=10 The church's pastor, Bill Hybels, is quite accustomed      to playing the role of       facilitator when bringing opposing groups together at his church for      dialog. In the fall of 2000 it was an unrepentant Bill Clinton that      appeared before evangelical leaders at Willow Creek to seek their      forgiveness and support before the Democratic Convention. In the spring of      2001 it was a forum of the world's largest religions gathering at Willow      Creek for dialog. The goal of such meetings is unity and a hope that      opposing positions can reach a consensus of understanding by focusing not      on each other's differences but on each other's similarities and common      ground. (thesis + antithesis =synthesis)...the "Hegelian      Dialectic".
      What many beguiled believers do not understand about this Muslim's       appearance at Willow Creek is that it is not Islam, the Koran, Mohammed or      even the Gospel of Christ that Bill Hybels is promoting here but a      consensus process developed over two hundred years ago by a transitional      Marxist named Georg William Friedreich Hegel. I doubt very seriously that      anyone who hears a Muslim preach from the pulpit of Willow Creek or any      other seeker-sensitive church will convert to Islam. What many Christians      WILL learn from such meetings is this:
(1) Absolute unity is more important than absolute      truth.
      (2) Feelings and fellowship are more important than faith and facts.
      (3) "Love" is measured not by one's loyalty to Christ and      obedience to His Word but by one's loyalty to the group and conformity to      the consensus. This system of "group-think" subverts the      conscience of each individual and forces them, through dialog and      compromise, to accept the unacceptable for the "common good".      They call it the "Will of God". Historians call it the Hegelian      Dialectic. I call it socialism.
      The modus operandi of today's Apostate church consists of members and       prospective members surrendering their personal convictions and absolutes      to the consensus process and compromising those values when necessary to      win the support and approval of the group. (Peer pressure) The real damage      to the church occurs when believers learn that it is      "Christ-like" to accommodate, honor and accept those who reject      the Word of God which results in human relationships taking precedence      over one's relationship to Christ. If you see nothing wrong with this then      you may want to revisit a few helpful scriptures like John 14:6, 2nd      Corinthians 6:14-17 and Matthew 10:34-37 for a better understanding.
       When Christians compromise truth to unify with an opposing group (those      claiming a different god, religion, doctrine or belief), casual observers      are left to conclude that there really must not be any difference between      the two. The end result is that all become spiritual casualties deferring      to the will of a facilitator who subtly manipulates the dialog between      opposing positions to achieve a predetermined outcome...a contrived      consensus of which neither party is privy to. It's all about achieving the unity of a one-world      religion, a universal brotherhood that is fraudulently promoted as      "Christian unity" and called "ecumenism". But beware      of ecumenical movements and events like "Promise Keepers" and      "Women of Faith", where, just like Willow Creek, fun, feelings,      fellowship, fabulous music and Freudian psychology are used to teach the      global gospel of "tolerance, diversity and unity"...all in the      name of Jesus. Though appearing to be innocent and spiritually healthy      many of these productions and events actually undermine the gospel by      appealing to the flesh and emotions of attendees using a lot of Christian      celebrities, humor, boisterous music, romantic stories, sentimentality,      tears (and believe it or not) even the visual stimulation of those who      come forward to make "decisions".
      You see my friends...it is one's faith that should stir one's feelings and      the Word of God that should stir one's faith, not the other way around. If      your faith becomes dependent upon feelings and emotions triggered by the      stimuli of some staged event, (music, skits, humor, romantic stories,      sentimentality, tears and the excitement of being with crowds and      celebrities) then emotion will always lead the way in your Christian walk.      This excludes the Word of God, deafens the conscience to the Voice of the      Holy Spirit and opens the door to all kinds of satanic deception. The      proper order of these things should be: (1) Hearing (or reading) the Word...
      (2) Then faith...
      (3) Then feelings that express that faith through word or deed.
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing      by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)
If you reverse this process you risk becoming the      pawn of every medicine show that rolls through town. "Writing for the      November-December 1999 issue of Psycho-Heresy Awareness       Letter, Debbie Dewart gives her impression of the 1999 Woman of Faith       conference in Anaheim, California, where nearly 20,000 attendees paid $50      each and 1,500 more paid $25 to watch from overflow areas via television.      She noted that:...'the presentation [by "celebrity" Christian      women] was primarily entertainment directed toward the senses. There was      no...intensive teaching from any text of Scripture, and no mention of sin,      repentance, or man's depravity as presented in the Bible....Instead of      sound doctrine, believers are fed the "junk food" of      contemporary psychotherapy, couched in Christian terminology that deceives      the unwary." - The Berean Call Not only that but once the music stops, the lights go      out, the crowd       disperses and the excitement wanes, many will take home with them books      and tapes purchased at these events that are full of humanist doctrine,      new-age philosophy, Freudian psychology, occult practices and socialist      ideals that in reality contradict the Word of God and oppose the very One      these facilitators claim to serve! You cannot understand today's heretical      movements, organizations and the corruption behind them until you detach      yourself from their emotional influence and investigate them objectively      with information and testimonials that their founders, promoters and      supporters do not provide. Simply attending a sensory circus to have a      good time with your friends does not enable the average individual to see      what goes on behind the curtain.
      Related Articles:
The People's Church...A Wayward Vessel http://etherzone.com/2000/proc081800.html Hegelian Dialectic & The New World Order http://etherzone.com/2001/proc121101.shtml The Unholy Alliance -Christianity & The NWO http://www.rense.com/general20/unholy.htm The Changing Church http://www.crossroad.to/News/Church/contents.html      

 

©       Paul Proctor, All Rights Reserved

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Paul Proctor, a rural resident of the Volunteer      state and seasoned veteran of the country music industry, retired from      showbiz in the late 1990's to dedicate himself to addressing important      social issues from a distinctly biblical perspective. As a freelance      writer and regular columnist for Ether Zone (http://etherzone.com)      he extols the wisdom and truths of scripture through commentary and      insight on current events.
      Paul's articles can be found on various news and opinion sites across the      internet. He can be reached by email at watchman@usa.com Published in the March 7, 2002 issue of Ether Zone.  Copyright ©       1997 - 2002 Ether      Zone.

 

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