Last week it was reported that Brian McLaren and other emergent church leaders are celebrating Ramadan with Muslims. WorldnetDaily has an article on this new trend and notes that McLaren is not fasting for the salvation of his Muslim neighbors, but rather to join them in an act of community and solidarity.

In case you missed it, here is Dr. John MacArthur in an interview called, The Case Against the R-Rated Church: Language in the Pulpit.

HT: Puritan Fellowship

While introducing the video, where one can view the “sermonette” preached by Driscoll at the apostate church of Robert Schuller, online apologetics and discernment ministry DefCon informs us:

First, I recognize that there are those who will read this that will immediately judge my statements while at the same time stating, “JUDGE NOT!” Second, I know that Driscollites will probably show up en masse to defend their champion while deliberately overlooking Biblical commands to point out error.

Sadly, there are few opportunities for those who claim to be ministers of the gospel to make a stand that will impact millions. This is because the gospel OFFENDS and the listener to the Word of God will be brought under conviction of the Holy Spirit. The conviction will bring a conviction of sin and then it will bring transformation from an old creature to a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Recently, one man was given that opportunity to give a clear explanation of the gospel and the consequences of not believing the truth as proclaimed in the Word of God. That man was Mark Driscoll AND HE FAILED MISERABLY!…

Today emerging church leader Brian McLaren begins his fast for Ramadan. In this short piece, containing a must-hear clip from Fighting for the Faith by Chris Rosebrough, you’ll see from Scripture why this is absolutely wrong. And further, you’ll find proof that the non-gospels preached by McLaren and his disciple Rob Bell are virtually identical that spread by liberals like Marcus Borg.

A look at an ongoing shift in the theology of the Emerging Church toward panentheism, with a flawed theosis (deification of man) ala Eastern Orthodoxy, particularly evident with Brian McLaren.

This short post, containing an excellent clip from Chris Rosebrough’s Fighting for the Faith program, notes the striking similarities in Bell’s work with that of unbelieving liberals like Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan.

Pastor John Chisham is challenging other biblical preachers to speak out during the October Christianity 21 Conference in Edina, Minnesota. Christianity 21 is no ordinary Christian conference. Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones want you to know it will offer the following:

Toward this end we are providing on-site, free-of-charge personal coaches in the areas of Spiritual Direction, Natural Health, Sexual Health, Professional Development and Job Pursuit. Also available are group sessions of yoga and a publishing seminar. In addition, the facility will serve as a living Art Gallery.

So when does the Christianity part begin? You know, the part about the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Somewhere among the sexual health workshops (whatever those are), the sweating pastors on yoga mats and the cheese sculptors in the “living Art gallery”, is there any mention of lost souls on their way to an eternal hell without Jesus? Or is hell just a construct of modernity, now outmoded in this über-cool postmodern age?

It looks like Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt could use a good dose of biblical preaching, and Pastor Chisham is challenging Minnesota area preachers to provide it during the conference.

I received the following press release today.

Austin, MN – Aug. 19, 2009 – A new resource is available to those who want to look more closely at the Christian book they’re reading. “Clear as a Bell” is a new e-book that holds the first chapter of “Jesus Wants to Save Christians,” by Rob Bell and Don Golden, up to the light of Scripture. Carefully written by experienced teacher Chris Jensen, the e-book offers Christians a new way to read faith-based materials.

“Without page-by-page, paragraph-by-paragraph analysis, it’s easy for us to assume that the Christian book we’re reading is in line with biblical truth,” says Jensen. “The e-book format allows readers to view the authors’ text and my analyses in tandem, creating a virtual conference between myself and the authors.” Jensen’s hope is that this format will become “the gold standard” for providing necessary feedback to Christian authors and provide valuable insight to readers.

“Most Christians agree that only the Bible is perfect and without flaw,” says Jensen, “so everything we humans write will be flawed to some degree. Unfortunately, though, we typically don’t consume ‘Christian materials’ with any kind of criticism at all.” Jensen believes we should bring “a healthy skepticism” to everything we read, listen to, and view, and that we should be always testing the media we consume against the truth of God’s Word, lest we fall into error. “To stay clear of false teaching,” he says, “we must take this matter of Christian media seriously.”

Having evaluated thousands of essays for his English classes, Jensen is now applying his critical eye to the popular Christian teachings of our day. Last February, he began posting his observations in the form of open letters on his blog, “the red pen” (www.redpen.org). To date, he has received very favorable feedback from visitors, in respect to the content of his analysis, and to the manner in which he shared his observations with Bell and Golden.

“Jesus said that I am to love my neighbor as myself,” says Jensen. “If I am going to be critical of the work of others, I must attend to the matter with loving prayer and the utmost care, lest my intended readers, the authors to whom I’m writing, stop reading and listening altogether.”

To access the free e-book, “Clear as a Bell,” simply follow the download instructions at www.redpen.org.

 Lighthouse Trails Research offers chapter 11 of the book A “Wonderful” Deception by Warren Smith; more detail here.

Right in line with Ingrid’s previous post we have this.

There’s an on-going shift in the theology of the emerging church, consistant with others practicing contemplative spirituality, to doctrine of panentheism (all-in-God). In this article of a continuing series we will see why the EC isn’t concerned with the penal substitutionary atonement.

Because of growing popularity of apostles of unbelief in the emerging church Christians are faced with reimagined arguments, which originated within liberal theology, against the inspiration and authority of Scripture.

This article presents a concise, and correct, approach to the Bible as God’s Word.

A short look at an important verse and some thoughts about how it applies to the visible church right now.

 This recent article by brother Sandy Simpson of Deception In The Church, “Comments on Jon Middendorf’s “Emerging Theology” M7 Conference Session Audio.” Simpson is dead-on-target as he begins: 

It is very important to start this article by pointing out that (1) the term “Emerging Theology” is oxymoronic and (2) a better term for what Middendorf is repeating from the teachings of Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet, Eddie Gibbs, Ryan Bolger and many other Emergents should have been called “Emerging Beliefs” or “Emerging Orthopraxy”.  

The reason the term “Emerging Theology” is an oxymoron is that true Biblical Theology is not “emerging” but continuing.  The true body of Christ is not making up new “theologies” to suit the times or postmodern thought.  Postmodernism has its origins in a Satanic worldview practiced by the devil himself.  In fact we need to reeducate people to think Biblically, objectively and to believe in objective truth…

HT: Concerned Nazarenes

A look at an aspect of the Gospel, which is missing from the message spread in the visible church, particularly that of Outlaw Preachers and the emerging church.

As Chris Rosebrough of Pirate Christian Radio posts a sermon by Martin Luther dealing with a critical subject in the church today he says:

Note: I am dedicating this sermon to the “Outlaw Preachers” who have so arrogantly and vaingloriously turned the grace of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ into a license to sin. (Prov 26:11) May Christ grant them repentance unto the forgiveness of sins for their wicked and lawless preaching, because Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords has stated unequivocally that “He hates the work of the Nicolaitans.”

In this short post you’ll be given a clear and concise picture of what has largely already happened within mainstream evangelicalism. Sadly, the nightmare is only beginning.

 John Chisham, pastor of River of Life Alliance Church, discusses a post by leading emerging church theologian Tony Jones where Jones wrote:

If you are one who thinks that homosexual sex is sinful, can you please explain to me WHY a gay or lesbian person who is in a long-term, monogamous relationship would not be able to wholeheartedly follow Christ?

My only stipulation is this: You may not quote one of the six verses in scripture that mentions homosexuality. Instead, you must use theological and/or philosophical arguments…

This article by Chisham, who knows Jones personally, is a response to the above from Jones. Pastor Chisham begins by asking a couple of very important questions:

Why does somebody who calls himself a Christian desire to throw out the scripture in answering a question of this nature? How can one have a Christian theological argument not supported by the Bible?…

If you’ve been paying attention you will have noticed a growing acceptance within mainstream evangelicalism of emerging church teachers like Rob Bell, and with it, an opening up to practices of contemplative spirituality.

Using the examples of  a new breed called “Outlaw Preachers,” contemplative practices encouraged at the state level of the SBC, and a video clip of “Bishop” Katharine Jefferts Schori, in this post you’ll get a vivid glimpse at some of what is likely already in the Young Adult and Youth ministries of your local church.

Just because those under the spell of Rob Bell, and there are more then you think, refuse to look at the facts doesn’t mean they aren’t there as you’ll see here.