For several years, I had the belief everything thing "supernatural" that happens within the context of a worship service was a sure sign that God was doing something special in the midst of the church body. I've had the privilege of participating in some incredible services throughout our country and I have experienced many unexplainable things which have served to make changes in my life. With that said, let me preface this week's blog by stating that I am fully embracing of the supernatural God and the result of His Holy Spirit suddenly coming upon His people in power and glory; however, I have also come to understand that even in the church setting not all that is supernatural is of God, even though it is coined as being in the Name of the Lord. Several questions need to be asked. "Is God the only Being that is capable of 'supernaturally" manifesting?" "Just because something takes place within the four walls of the church, does that mean it is 'off limits' to demonic influence?" "If there are manifestations, are the qualifications of their origin based on it being a 'supernatural occurrence' or is there some tangible way that God has given us to measure the world of the supernatural?" Finally, "What does the Bible have to say about supernatural activity in the last days and who will be impacted by those influences?" Because this is such an extensive subject, I will have to address it in two parts. Additionally, I have posted several links that discuss some of the documented claims and quotes concerning various leaders.
A few weeks ago, I addressed the issues concerning the Seeker-Sensitive and Emergent church movements. One of the problems that those branches of theological belief promote is a man-centered emphasis on worship. There is however an extreme that rests on the other end of the worship spectrum and it is quickly infiltrating the more charismatic and Spirit-filled churches. The name of this movement falls under the guise of many terms: New Apostolic Reformation, Extreme Prophetic Movement, Latter Rain and the Apostolic Alignment. The draw to these movements are the seemingly incredible manifestations which are present during times of worship. For those who are sincerely hungry for an encounter with the Living God, the power and presence that exists in many of the gatherings of this movement draw individuals to a greater awareness of the realm of the supernatural. I admit, it is easy to be awed by such power, presence, and manifestation, but if one investigates the leadership of this movement and examine the claims they have made, one can find that the worship they are promoting is anything but Biblical!
The concern I have, which is often missed by many in Scripture, is found in Jesus' warning to His disciples in Matthew 24. Consider the context of this discussion. The disciples ask Jesus about the "last days" and His response begins with "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in MY NAME claiming I am the Christ and deceive many" (Matthew 24: 4-5). First of all, Jesus is talking to those who already know Him and He is telling them to "watch out" from being deceived. Secondly, he explains the nature of this deception as being that those who will deceive will look a lot like the Lord to the point of being a convincing, spitting image of Christ. The result is that "many WILL be deceived." The entire context of Matthew 24 and 25 is that Christ is speaking to His disciples as to what they need to look for and to watch out for in the last days.Scripture also indicates that in the last days that there will be a great falling away in which people will gather themselves around false prophets and teachers who will "SECRETLY INTRODUCE destructive heresies..." (2 Peter 2). In other words, this deception will not be blatant but a subtle and gradual progression toward embracing heretical teachings.
A few months ago, I was asked to lead worship at a small gathering of believers who were hosting a special speaker from a church in the area that was experiencing the "glory" in their service. He spoke of the manifestations of "manna" and "gold dust" as well as a story about a small church he visited in which a form of "stigmata" appeared on the walls of the building. He then explained that one of his mentors, Rick Joyner of Morning Star Ministries, had an incredible thing happen to him. Joyner was "bi-located" one weekend. He claimed that Joyner was at two different places at the same time in separate parts of the country. He was teaching at his church and attending a conference simultaneously. He proof-texted this idea with using 1 Corinthians 5:3 as meaning that since Paul wasn't physically with the Corinthians, he was with them literally present with them via his "spirit." The pastor then described his own unique journey of "flying" through the cosmos with an angel who was giving him "special revelation." He said he asked God, "Why are you doing this?" And God replied, "Because I know you like it."He also explained that we tend to think that things like "astral-projection" are works of the devil but in reality, they were God's first and now the church was once again claiming what was rightfully theirs.
I will not dispute whether these supernatural events are happening, but I will dispute the Biblical premise for them. For instance, my question about the "manna" is simple---"Why?" Manna in the Old Testament pointed to the Bread of Life who in its fulfillment is Jesus. Jesus said "I am the Bread of Life which has come down from heaven." Sorry to say, but as a Christian, we have all the "manna" we will ever need and do not have need for a reappearance of the substitute. The most common explanation for "gold dust" in these circles is "because God is shaking the heavens." What is interesting about this Biblical phrase is that it is a METAPHOR for God's judgment in the earth not a blessing for His people! The most shocking aspect of listening to this area pastor was not only the subscribing to the idea of things like remote location exercises and astral-projection, but also that he admittedly announced that these were works of the devil that originated in God.
As people are getting caught up in the supernatural manifestations, they appear to be missing the bigger picture that is promoting a worship that is bent on deception. Within these circles, the "angelic" realm holds a high place. In one recent revival, which organizations such as Morning Star, International House of Prayer, and C. Peter Wagner Ministries have openly promoted, it is a well documented that those overseeing the services (Todd Bentley and Bob Jones), were receiving instructions from the angel "Emma." One such claim by Bentley was that he had to receive revelation through Emma because she had to serve as a mediator between Christ and man in order for man to understand the things of God. Again, I am not disputing as to whether or not these things have happened. In fact, I'm inclined to believe that they have. But if we consider the foundations of this current teaching and the lack of Biblical support for their claims, one has to question the origin of these manifestations.
In essence, this new wave of teaching is based on a simple premise: you can ascend to Godhood. These teachers continually promote the idea of "spiritual elitism" and are continuing to receive "new revelation" which can only be interpreted through the "New Apostleship." Unless you are "spiritual" you cannot understand these "deeper truths and secrets" which the kingdom of God holds. With a heavy emphasis on an Old Testament paradigm, these teachers grossly misinterpret Scripture and make no excuses for submitting "new truths" that have come from Scripture. Christian brothers and sisters, BE WARNED! Paul said that "if we or an ANGEL FROM HEAVEN should preach a gospel other than the one preached to you, let him be eternally condemned" (Galatians 1:8). And what is that Gospel? Does it promote a "spiritual elitism" that seeks supernatural signs and wonders which serve no purpose in advancing the kingdom of God but rather line the pockets of preachers and teachers who claim "We are the ones who have the answers?" Is it a gospel that says "we can HAVE his glory" even though the Bible says "I am the Lord and I will not share my glory with another?" (Is. 42:8). Is it a gospel that promotes the invitation of the "angelic" to be present and noticed through premonitions, orbs, and blue flames during "worship" when it is God that is to be the One on the center stage? No, I believe the gospel based upon truth! The Spirit of God will not lead His people into a place where they feel they are spiritually elite and carry a "dominionist " attitude. Instead, true worship breeds humility, submissiveness, selflessness, and a sense of complete abandonment to one's self.
Theologically speaking, we cannot become "more spiritual." We either are or we are not. The truth is, to become "spiritual" is not in being privileged to experience all sorts of "heavenly things." Jesus told Thomas, who was bent on seeing the manifestations of the heavenly Jesus, "blessed are they that HAVE NOT SEEN, and yet have believed" (John 20:29). The sure sign of being more "spiritual" is the fact that faith, which is believing and NOT seeing, is growing. A worship that deceives is one promotes "ascent" to spirituality; rather, worship should promote a "descent" of our lives that cries out with all of our hearts "He must become more and I must become less" (John 3:30).
Links:
http://www.thebereancall.org/node/6794
http://www.etpv.org/2003/angho.html
http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/todd-bentleys-and-prophet-bob-jones-angel-emma/
http://www.discerningtheworld.com/2009/10/27/patricia-king-and-the-blue-flame-of-the-cosmic-christ/#more-6641http://beyondgrace.blogspot.com/2008/03/great-transfer-of-wealth.html
https://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/category/new-apostolic-reformation-nar/page/30/
https://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/category/c-peter-wagner/
http://sheepyweepy.wordpress.com/category/astral-projection/
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Moving Beyond Vanilla Worship
This week's blog contains a snippet of the book that I have been working on over the last few months:
Over the last century, the America culture has redefined what worship once was. To many, worship surrounds the idea of what a church practices during the song service. Although we may call the service in its totality a “worship service,” we have carefully compartmentalized the various aspects of church life to encompass their own individual meanings. In other words, we have our “praise and worship,” sermon, offering, occasional attention to the ordinances of the church, and if time allows, prayer that extends longer than just the opening of the service, offertory, and concluding blessing. Enter the doors of any evangelical church (which includes some of the predominate Pentecostal denominations as the gifts of the Spirit in which they claim to be their distinction is seldom ever exercised in the public setting) and you will find the similar format, similar songs and music styles, similar preaching emphasis, and a similar push to become a more relevant community to the world around them. It has become a conglomeration of the Willow Creek, Saddleback, Purpose Driven Life, John Maxwell’s and George Barna’s church growth strategies that have shaped the face of contemporary worship as we know it today. To a God who offers us more than the “Thirty-One Flavors” of the typical church setting, the Body of Christ has remained content to indulge themselves America’s favorite flavor of worship: Evangelical vanilla.
Over the last century, the America culture has redefined what worship once was. To many, worship surrounds the idea of what a church practices during the song service. Although we may call the service in its totality a “worship service,” we have carefully compartmentalized the various aspects of church life to encompass their own individual meanings. In other words, we have our “praise and worship,” sermon, offering, occasional attention to the ordinances of the church, and if time allows, prayer that extends longer than just the opening of the service, offertory, and concluding blessing. Enter the doors of any evangelical church (which includes some of the predominate Pentecostal denominations as the gifts of the Spirit in which they claim to be their distinction is seldom ever exercised in the public setting) and you will find the similar format, similar songs and music styles, similar preaching emphasis, and a similar push to become a more relevant community to the world around them. It has become a conglomeration of the Willow Creek, Saddleback, Purpose Driven Life, John Maxwell’s and George Barna’s church growth strategies that have shaped the face of contemporary worship as we know it today. To a God who offers us more than the “Thirty-One Flavors” of the typical church setting, the Body of Christ has remained content to indulge themselves America’s favorite flavor of worship: Evangelical vanilla.
What does this metaphoric example have to do with the subject of worship? Doesn’t the idea of having a simple vanilla approach to worship seem like a great idea as the church can add it’s toppings to make it their own unique flavor? This is the problem with Evangelical Vanilla! It’s the taking of the pure flavor of worship and adding things to it in order to change the taste and make it more appealing to the human palate.
Worship must first and foremost be centered upon the Lord and be relational to Him in order for it to be genuine. For some reason, the church has shied away from allowing the unbridled expression of worship to take place in the midst of their services in fear of offending those in attendance. If I am not mistaking, the last time I checked Scripture, it suggested that God is the one who determines how He is to be approached and worshiped. Somehow we have turned that around and created a worship that suits our ideas and preferences. We have taken the purity of vanilla and decided to mix in our own flavors in the attempt to make the worship experience more palatable for our taste. This is the beauty of evangelical vanilla. It can be best described as a special formulation of complex flavors blended into a rich, traditional vanilla-like mixture resulting in the perfect concoction that will appeal to any appetite.
What is too often mixed up in the theological thought processes of many in church leadership is in the vast difference between “relevance” and “relational.” Unfortunately, what many churches are considering to be relevant is in actuality an attempt to become more relational to those in the world. The real question is in asking ourselves, “Is worship something that those in the world can find either relevant or relational for their lives?” Are we as the Body of Christ doing unbelievers a great disservice by allowing them to feel as if they are participating in the worship of a holy God when their hearts are far from Him? When the purpose of the worship service is particularly geared to be a bridge to allow unbelievers to experience worship in a non-threatening environment, what in reality are we doing? We’re focused on pleasing the world, glorifying our church, and receiving praise from outsiders! We’re striving to be the relevant church that has made a name for itself in the community because of the way we do church. This is not the prescribed formula found throughout Scripture. The church in the first century was hated by the world. They didn’t make the monotheistic worship of Christianity appeal to the polytheistic worship of the pagans. It wasn’t their worship that drew the masses to come to Christ. It was the power of the Holy Spirit working through their lives as they brought the message of the Gospel outside of the four walls of the church.
Monday, June 13, 2011
When God's Glory Becomes Ours
Over the last few weeks I have been involved in a weight loss program that takes a radical approach to maintaining a healthy lifestyle diet in the way that God intended us to use food. So far, I must say that the physical results have been incredible as I have lost some weight but more importantly, I feel significantly more healthy. Because I have fully embraced this new way of life, I have also taken the time to do additional research about the food industry and what we have accepted as being a part of the "normal" American diet. It is shocking to discover that many things which we allow our bodies to consume are actually destroying us rather than producing nutrition that maintains the very life which God has given us. Through this process, the Lord has revealed a truth to me that has brought great conviction and a new perspective in my worship of Him.
There has been a lot of talk over the last few years about the "glory of God." As we worship, we often cry out for the Lord to "Show us Your glory" or we want to "be in the glory." Many of the songs we sing reflect this idea and when we consider the "glory of God" coming down on His people, we often visualize the Old Testament temple where the cloud came down and consumed the Holy of Holies. In reality, we already have the "glory of God" among us as it exists in Jesus Christ in us "the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). What we are really asking for is God's "manifest presence" to not only be made known within us but also among us. We want the tangible and supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit to be made known in the midst of His people. Although we could agree that these moments are not everyday occurrences, we still desire these moments each time that we come into the presence of the Lord. The questions, however, should be "Can this happen more than it does and if it can, what is preventing it from happening?"
By this time, you're probably confused as I have started talking about a diet and am now shifting my thoughts toward the glory of God. I would be too had not God revealed to me an incredible connection between these two thoughts. If you consider the passages of the Old Testament where the glory of God manifested in the midst of His people, you will find a common thread. Whether we are looking at the tabernacle or temple (Lev. 9, 2 Chron. 5-7), God's manifest presence did not "just appear;" rather, it was because there were certain preparations that had to be made in order for the sacrifice of worship to be pleasing to the Lord. Great care was taken in making sure that the temple (or tabernacle) was what God commanded it to be. Problems arose for Israel when they neglected the temple and began to institute worship that was outside of the standards that God has set forth.
In 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16, Paul makes incredible statements---we are the "temple of the Living God!" Additionally, Paul makes it clear that we "are not our own" and we were "bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23). We may believe this theologically, but do we actually believe this practically? The problem is that we have to! Worship cannot be just a "theological pursuit." It must translate into the everyday practices of life. Somewhere along the way we have developed the idea that when it comes to certain things in life, "I have the right to decide what I do and when I do it!" Had the Israelites believed that the temple was "their temple" and the God was only a guest who had to put up with whatever accommodations they prepared, we may have never known of the "glory" that was so beautifully displayed in the Old Testament.
When we begin to adopt a mindset that I can treat God's temple however I please, I take what is His glory--my life in Christ---and I make it my own. If that's the case, why would God want to display His glory through my life if I am bent on treating it with such contempt? "Oh come on Jay, you're sounding quite legalistic in all of this. You mean to tell me that I should consider God in what I eat, drink, watch, listen, and participate in? What about His grace?" Would you allow someone to come into your house and do what they want? Why do we do the same to God? The grace of God is the fact that He has allowed us to live in the house He created for Himself to dwell in. We should be living life as if we are the visitor in the temple of the human body. If like the priests of the Old Testament, we make the necessary preparations in our temple, what do you think the result would be? It's not that God does not want to make Himself manifest in our lives, it just at times, He can't. He has declared "I will not yield my glory to another" (Is. 48:11).
God's will for our lives is simple: that He may be glorified in us. Romans 12:1-2 states "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God---this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world (making yourself the lord of your life), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. THEN, you will be able to test and approve what God's will is---his good, pleasing, and perfect will." When we finally realize that we are "not our own" and that we are the "temple of the Holy Spirit." we can begin to live a life that truly reflects the "glory" of God. Just like the temple of the Old Testament, when the pattern of our life is in accordance with what God has demanded, it is in that place where His glory will fall upon us. As for those milkshakes and chocolate candy bars, consider asking God what He wants you to put in His temple. After all, we are more than just spirit, we are flesh and stewards of the flesh and blood we have been give. Perhaps the greatest act of worship unto the Lord is for us to actually live as our lives as not our own and to have absolutely no rights unto ourselves.
There has been a lot of talk over the last few years about the "glory of God." As we worship, we often cry out for the Lord to "Show us Your glory" or we want to "be in the glory." Many of the songs we sing reflect this idea and when we consider the "glory of God" coming down on His people, we often visualize the Old Testament temple where the cloud came down and consumed the Holy of Holies. In reality, we already have the "glory of God" among us as it exists in Jesus Christ in us "the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). What we are really asking for is God's "manifest presence" to not only be made known within us but also among us. We want the tangible and supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit to be made known in the midst of His people. Although we could agree that these moments are not everyday occurrences, we still desire these moments each time that we come into the presence of the Lord. The questions, however, should be "Can this happen more than it does and if it can, what is preventing it from happening?"
By this time, you're probably confused as I have started talking about a diet and am now shifting my thoughts toward the glory of God. I would be too had not God revealed to me an incredible connection between these two thoughts. If you consider the passages of the Old Testament where the glory of God manifested in the midst of His people, you will find a common thread. Whether we are looking at the tabernacle or temple (Lev. 9, 2 Chron. 5-7), God's manifest presence did not "just appear;" rather, it was because there were certain preparations that had to be made in order for the sacrifice of worship to be pleasing to the Lord. Great care was taken in making sure that the temple (or tabernacle) was what God commanded it to be. Problems arose for Israel when they neglected the temple and began to institute worship that was outside of the standards that God has set forth.
In 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16, Paul makes incredible statements---we are the "temple of the Living God!" Additionally, Paul makes it clear that we "are not our own" and we were "bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23). We may believe this theologically, but do we actually believe this practically? The problem is that we have to! Worship cannot be just a "theological pursuit." It must translate into the everyday practices of life. Somewhere along the way we have developed the idea that when it comes to certain things in life, "I have the right to decide what I do and when I do it!" Had the Israelites believed that the temple was "their temple" and the God was only a guest who had to put up with whatever accommodations they prepared, we may have never known of the "glory" that was so beautifully displayed in the Old Testament.
When we begin to adopt a mindset that I can treat God's temple however I please, I take what is His glory--my life in Christ---and I make it my own. If that's the case, why would God want to display His glory through my life if I am bent on treating it with such contempt? "Oh come on Jay, you're sounding quite legalistic in all of this. You mean to tell me that I should consider God in what I eat, drink, watch, listen, and participate in? What about His grace?" Would you allow someone to come into your house and do what they want? Why do we do the same to God? The grace of God is the fact that He has allowed us to live in the house He created for Himself to dwell in. We should be living life as if we are the visitor in the temple of the human body. If like the priests of the Old Testament, we make the necessary preparations in our temple, what do you think the result would be? It's not that God does not want to make Himself manifest in our lives, it just at times, He can't. He has declared "I will not yield my glory to another" (Is. 48:11).
God's will for our lives is simple: that He may be glorified in us. Romans 12:1-2 states "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God---this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world (making yourself the lord of your life), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. THEN, you will be able to test and approve what God's will is---his good, pleasing, and perfect will." When we finally realize that we are "not our own" and that we are the "temple of the Holy Spirit." we can begin to live a life that truly reflects the "glory" of God. Just like the temple of the Old Testament, when the pattern of our life is in accordance with what God has demanded, it is in that place where His glory will fall upon us. As for those milkshakes and chocolate candy bars, consider asking God what He wants you to put in His temple. After all, we are more than just spirit, we are flesh and stewards of the flesh and blood we have been give. Perhaps the greatest act of worship unto the Lord is for us to actually live as our lives as not our own and to have absolutely no rights unto ourselves.
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Gospel According to Rob Doesn't Ring a Bell
I am amazed at the way in which our world gravitates to "trends." In fear of dating myself, I admit that I remember things like "flight-pants,swatches,Gass shoes, drive-in movies, 8-tracks, and pong." Some fads simply fade away without any significant affect upon society. Others, however, can dangerously affect the lives of people who give into the superficial excitement that drives the fad. Remember the Atkin's Diet? Thalidomide? Saccharine? These revolutionary ideas that helped us to lose weight, eliminate morning sickness, and to be able to enjoy a soft drink without sugar has resulted in serious health consequences for many. Beyond the things which have robbed our pockets and stolen from our health, there are trends of an even more dangerous nature----the trend to redefine worship.
Currently, Christianity is facing a crisis in the area of Evangelical belief as it is being challenged by two predominate movements of theology. The first, called the New Apostolic Reformation, places an ultimate emphasis on man being able to ascend to godhood by subscribing to the deeper teachings of the new "apostles" who have been given new revelation from God (or angels). These are the C.Peter Wagners, Rick Joyners, Mike Bickles , and Bob Jones' of the church world. Their theology is heavily gnostic and concentrates on a new age methodology of worship. Perhaps in the future, I will discuss the affect that this movement is having upon the church.
The other, which is perhaps the more dangerous of the two, is the Emergent church. The two biggest proponents of this movement are Brian McClaren and Rob Bell. These men have sought to redefine the essence of Christian worship. Rob Bell has recently written the book Love Wins which has received much press including a cover piece for Time Magazine. The crux of the Emergent church's theology is based upon "relevant truth" as opposed the traditional view of "absolute truth" of God's Word. An example of this is in Bell's comments in Time where he believes that God is so loving that He could not possibly send anyone to hell. He speculates the idea that all of humanity will be in heaven regardless of what they have believed in this life. The Bible for Rob Bell is to be taken as a "what it means to me" mentality as opposed to "what it means to God" mentality. In Bell's book Velvet Elvis, Rob explains that "truth" is like a trampoline that can be stretched in order to fit our context of life. In essence, worship for the emergent church is based upon one's own idea of God, what one believes to be truth for one's life to be, and that the idea of "hell" is nothing more that a scare tactic or the bad consequences of life. Is it no wonder why the Emergent Church is growing at an incredible rate?
I shudder to think of where this will eventually lead thousands of well intending people who have followed a religion based on the fancy opinions of a few men rather than the truth of the Word of God. The very premise of worship is that "true worshipers" are ones that worship the Lord "in spirit" and "in truth" (John 4:23-24). Has Bell not read the accounts of the Old Testament which shows the wrath of God upon Israel for subscribing to their own ideas for worship? Beyond that, what has the Emergent church done with the cross of Christ? Paul warned against the attempt to use "human wisdom" in preaching the Gospel, "lest the cross be emptied of its power" (1 Corinthians 1:17). And yet, this is exactly what Bell has done. In his eyes, the love of God would not and could not create people to only send them to hell. The cross only serves as a "get out of hell free card" for all of humanity. The problem with that reasoning is that it is impossible for us to truly worship God. If God has already made it so that everyone will ultimately choose Him, then we have been stripped of the very thing that fuels our worship-----the choice to choose God. If all of humanity cannot forsake God, have all of our sins automatically forgiven, and live as we please on this earth, why would God even bother creating a humanity to inhabit a fallen world? So what if I don't choose God now? After all, according to Bell, I can choose Him after I die where I will find that I have been forced to love Him. If God forces His salvation and worship of Him upon us, then is God truly "loving us?" Can't you picture it now? Every Muslim who committed an act of terrorism in the name of Allah is now enjoying the peaceful afterlife in the arms of Jesus, even though they never acknowledged His sacrifice and hated the very thought of what He came to do? Yet, this is the trend of the day. A worship of a God that fits our way of thinking. If this is the case, what exactly did Jesus come to do and why did he have to die on a cross if there was no threat of us being eternally separated from the One who loves us?
Worship is based on a relationship of choosing. God chose us but did not have to. We can choose God but we do not have to. This is the "love" that is present in the relationship. Two individuals who are worlds apart and at odds with each other have chosen to intimately unite. We became separated from God as his enemy and objects of his wrath (Ephesians 2) due to our sin. Yet God, knowing the impossible distance of reconciliation, paid the price to open the way for us to cross the bridge of impossibility. His "love" is the fact that He gave His Son so that I could come back into relationship with Him. My love, is making the choice while still in this world where I can either choose to worship Him or reject Him. The Gospel according to Rob just doesn't ring a bell when I look at the idea of love as it relates to a worship relationship with Jesus Christ.
Currently, Christianity is facing a crisis in the area of Evangelical belief as it is being challenged by two predominate movements of theology. The first, called the New Apostolic Reformation, places an ultimate emphasis on man being able to ascend to godhood by subscribing to the deeper teachings of the new "apostles" who have been given new revelation from God (or angels). These are the C.Peter Wagners, Rick Joyners, Mike Bickles , and Bob Jones' of the church world. Their theology is heavily gnostic and concentrates on a new age methodology of worship. Perhaps in the future, I will discuss the affect that this movement is having upon the church.
The other, which is perhaps the more dangerous of the two, is the Emergent church. The two biggest proponents of this movement are Brian McClaren and Rob Bell. These men have sought to redefine the essence of Christian worship. Rob Bell has recently written the book Love Wins which has received much press including a cover piece for Time Magazine. The crux of the Emergent church's theology is based upon "relevant truth" as opposed the traditional view of "absolute truth" of God's Word. An example of this is in Bell's comments in Time where he believes that God is so loving that He could not possibly send anyone to hell. He speculates the idea that all of humanity will be in heaven regardless of what they have believed in this life. The Bible for Rob Bell is to be taken as a "what it means to me" mentality as opposed to "what it means to God" mentality. In Bell's book Velvet Elvis, Rob explains that "truth" is like a trampoline that can be stretched in order to fit our context of life. In essence, worship for the emergent church is based upon one's own idea of God, what one believes to be truth for one's life to be, and that the idea of "hell" is nothing more that a scare tactic or the bad consequences of life. Is it no wonder why the Emergent Church is growing at an incredible rate?
I shudder to think of where this will eventually lead thousands of well intending people who have followed a religion based on the fancy opinions of a few men rather than the truth of the Word of God. The very premise of worship is that "true worshipers" are ones that worship the Lord "in spirit" and "in truth" (John 4:23-24). Has Bell not read the accounts of the Old Testament which shows the wrath of God upon Israel for subscribing to their own ideas for worship? Beyond that, what has the Emergent church done with the cross of Christ? Paul warned against the attempt to use "human wisdom" in preaching the Gospel, "lest the cross be emptied of its power" (1 Corinthians 1:17). And yet, this is exactly what Bell has done. In his eyes, the love of God would not and could not create people to only send them to hell. The cross only serves as a "get out of hell free card" for all of humanity. The problem with that reasoning is that it is impossible for us to truly worship God. If God has already made it so that everyone will ultimately choose Him, then we have been stripped of the very thing that fuels our worship-----the choice to choose God. If all of humanity cannot forsake God, have all of our sins automatically forgiven, and live as we please on this earth, why would God even bother creating a humanity to inhabit a fallen world? So what if I don't choose God now? After all, according to Bell, I can choose Him after I die where I will find that I have been forced to love Him. If God forces His salvation and worship of Him upon us, then is God truly "loving us?" Can't you picture it now? Every Muslim who committed an act of terrorism in the name of Allah is now enjoying the peaceful afterlife in the arms of Jesus, even though they never acknowledged His sacrifice and hated the very thought of what He came to do? Yet, this is the trend of the day. A worship of a God that fits our way of thinking. If this is the case, what exactly did Jesus come to do and why did he have to die on a cross if there was no threat of us being eternally separated from the One who loves us?
Worship is based on a relationship of choosing. God chose us but did not have to. We can choose God but we do not have to. This is the "love" that is present in the relationship. Two individuals who are worlds apart and at odds with each other have chosen to intimately unite. We became separated from God as his enemy and objects of his wrath (Ephesians 2) due to our sin. Yet God, knowing the impossible distance of reconciliation, paid the price to open the way for us to cross the bridge of impossibility. His "love" is the fact that He gave His Son so that I could come back into relationship with Him. My love, is making the choice while still in this world where I can either choose to worship Him or reject Him. The Gospel according to Rob just doesn't ring a bell when I look at the idea of love as it relates to a worship relationship with Jesus Christ.
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