PEACE, Really? Part 1

Rick Warren has become one of the most influential pastor’s in America. He has even been termed “America’s Pastor”. But what does he really teach? And most importantly, is he biblical?
When Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life” burst on to the Christian scene, it rocked the world. It almost instantly became the New York Times number 1 national bestseller. But what was he teaching and was it biblical? And should we follow it. Although we may review the actual book at some point we are not here to discuss it now. However, I will say that his book was very seeker sensitive and contained a very unbiblical gospel. In recent days, Rick Warren become more and more emergent as the movement has become more prevalent.


Recently Rick Warren has unveiled a new plan through which he wishes to begin a new reformation throughout the world. It is called, The PEACE plan. PEACE is an acronym for which each letter stands for a solution to what he sees as the five big problems in the world. Unfortunately what he sees as the big problems of the world don’t deal with the root issue at play in the world, sin. Since he does give five problems and five solutions I am only going to deal with two in this post.


The first big problem that Rick Warren sees in the world is Spiritual Emptiness. This term is completely overused and it really doesn’t describe the true problem. Humans do not have a problem with “spiritual emptiness” but they have sin problem. We don’t need some emptiness in our hearts filled; we need our hearts, which are filthy, wretched, and foul, cleansed and renewed by God who can only do this through our repentance and faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.


Warren’s solution to this problem is the first letter of peace: Promote Reconciliation. Although this phrase is not inherently wrong, but we need to look at what Warren means by Promote Reconciliation. On his website he makes it abundantly clear that he is referring mainly to reconciliation between men. This however is not the main issue which needs to be dealt with. The true need of reconciliation is between God and man. This is accomplished only through Christ’s atoning work on the cross. Once the reconciliation between man and God is accomplished the minor issue of men to men reconciliation will take care of itself.



Bottom Line: Ephesians 2:16 “and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

Note from Noah:

An important facet to discuss when addressing the need for reconciliation exists in the fact that different people will attain different positions in life. Life is not "fair" normally when man tries to be fair, major issues arise. Communism/Socialism is a big attempt that parades under the façade of fairness, but in reality represents a totally unjust system. While it is true that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" (The Unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America) and that "The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all." (Proverbs 22:2) The key to this view that is that God gives and takes away. In the book of Proverbs we find numerous examples of the importance of diligence and a good work ethic. "But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:4-6) This passage of prophecy from Isaiah depicts a time of true, complete reconciliation, a kind that on Jesus can bring, not man.

The Clipboard: Lessons from Skiing

Last week I had the privilege of visiting a friend's grandma's lake house. Almost every morning we would take a morning water skiing/wake boarding run. Why did we sacrifice sleep and the chance of getting a complete breakfast? The "glassy" water which you glide smoothly across once you cut out of the boat's wake. Once other boats get onto the lake the water begins to get choppy and unpleasant to some.

One time our boat plowed through the wake of another boat sending a short series of waves which I had to go over. They family was surprised I was able to calmly ski over the obstacles like they barely existed. I realized that by learning to water ski and almost exclusively water skiing on the Ohio river, I had naturally learned to handle the wakes of boats and even barges! Because I had been inserted or literally dragged into rough water from the beginning my performance level "accidentally" is higher than normal.

On the other side of the spectrum, snow skiing has provided me with a slightly different experience. When I began snow skiing, the people I skied with were very cautious and safety minded and every time we hit the slopes we would slowly warm ourselves up on the green slopes. However, a few years later I started skiing with people who had experience out west. The combination of being in an group of athletic, more risk-taking guys I was forced to bump up my skills and level of courage. While other groups enjoyed the opportunity to socialize and talk while other people in their group were coming down the mountain, we were striving slide over the maximum amount snow in a day.

Home schooling instincts kicking in. What lessons can I glean from my experience and apply to my life? First, if we are placed in a tough situation realize the advantages down the road, such as being able to outrun, outwit, outlast your opponents and/or friends. Whether the "rough water" is represented as a difficult piano piece, a "boring" book, or difficult physical activity, persevere through it with determination. Secondly, sometime we need someone to encourage us to "kick it up a notch." For example, if you start running for exercise, find someone who can run farther and faster than you can.


The Bottom Line: Get into rough waters* and, if needed, acquire someone who can spur you on in pursuing your quest.



*A Generation for Truth, it's authors, and/or affiliates disclaim any impacts, injuries ( minor, major, silly and/or serious), accidents, stress, and/or death of either mental physical, and/or spiritual implications resulting from taking the advice provided in this article. Any actions you take after reading this article are to be performed at your own risk. Also, success is not guaranteed. A Generation for Truth, it's authors, and/or affiliates disclaim any loss of self-esteem resulting from reading the aforesaid sentence.

Moral Absolutes

Moral absolutes vs. no absolutes. Depending on your background a battle summarized as, Decarte vs. Nietche, Western thought vs. Eastern thought, and God and His legions of angels vs. Lucifer and his horde of demons. I would like to address the existence moral absolutes by examining the fact by the three ways we can know truth, experience, reason (or logic), and revelation. Because of the advances of post-modernism and people desiring to do whatever they want, many people believe that my generation will provide the soldiers in a final stand, the last battle, or epilogue of the war for truth. I feel a need to reach out to my peers and equip them to face the conflicts that will arise in their classrooms, work places, and, unfortunately, their churches.

Experience:
Doubting Thomas example. Post-modern people sometimes feel that you can dictate your own truth and what is wrong to you can be right to me. For instance, I could say that a tennis ball is bright orange, but Aaron could say that the tennis ball is yellow. The law of non-contradiction says that we cannot both be right, however, some people would say that we can both be right. By using our five senses we can discern truth. In the case of Thomas the disciple, upon seeing Christ he wanted physical evidence, he wanted confirmation.

“Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”” (John 20: 24-27)

Reasoning:
Logically we can deduce that absolutes exist. To begin with, if you say that there are no absolutes, you have just stated an absolute. However, because logic resides in a mental state, many people disregard it’s validity, even Christians. Why? For Christians, reasoning alone allows the opportunity to rationalize any action or behavior. Secular minded people do not like logic because it requires people to systematically through an idea and when people carefully think through an issue sometimes they figure out how foolish an idea really is, i.e. global warming. “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” (Proverbs 25:2)

Revelation:
Revelation provides the most accurate and infallible source of truth. “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17b) However, it requires faith to be considered credible. Currently, the Bible exists as the most readily available ways of obtaining revelation since the Bible is the inspired Word of God. It also provides truth that will always over rule experience and reason if it comes to a fight over who’s right. Using the Bible as the final word on any matter is incredibly vital no matter who and where you are in the world.

Is the Emergent Church post-modern? Do they deny absolutes? As with all issues each promoter or church requires a case by case examination. For instance, Brian Mclaren, claims that he is not post-modern because the meaning of post-modern has been simplified too much. The main goal of this article focuses on showing proof of absolutes. The best evidence of moral absolutes lies in the fact that God always keeps His promises.

Bottom Line: “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. (Genesis 17:7)

A Generation For Truth Podcast Episode 3

In this episode we discuss the Kingdom Dominion Theology of the EC.

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The Clipboard: Brain Mclaren's Gospel

I was at the library the other day and on a whim, I searched for books by Brian Mclaren. Normally, when I am about to critique someone or their ideas I like to read their ideas in context before I throw my words out of my mouth and a foot enters the void. I looked at The Secret Message of Jesus and I am still working on Everything Must Change, but these books explain why Mr. Mclaren advocates a social gospel. In his introduction he says that there are three kinds of people who read his books, People who are...

1. Converts to his teachings.



2. Curious about his teaching.



3. Critics of his teachings

I would place my self in between 2 & 3. Why? I am interested in what he has to say, but I am critical of his ideas. Like a well trained debater he has pre-empted his opposition and is very kind to them throughout the entire book. Initially, he used to believe in the standard gospel, but was influenced by a friend to adopt a social gospel/kingdom dominion viewpoint.
Why is the message of Jesus a "secret?" Mainly because Jesus speaks in parables and metaphors. Such as "born again" (John 3:1-8) and "living water" (John 4: 10-15). But that is a just a small point compared to why Mclaren believes in a social gospel/kingdom dominion.

In Chapter 11: The Open Secret, Mclaren relates to a significant conversation at a restaurant. During this lunch, Brian Mclaren was asked what he believed the gospel to be by a friend who claimed that most people had the gospel wrong. He replied by quoting Paul about justification, salvation, and Christ dying for our sins. Mr. Mclaren then asks his friend what he believed the gospel to be, expecting heresy. His friend answered with,"The kingdom of God is at hand. That was Jesus' message. Don't you think we should let Jesus tell us what the gospel is?"

"Some would say that we have exchanged "Christianity" for "Paulinity." Christianity was about the kingdom of God coming to earth for everyone, they would say. Paulinity is about about a select few escaping earth and going to heaven after they die. (The Secret Message of Jesus, pg. 91)"

He goes on to say later in the chapter:

"But the question remains: if Paul doesn't use the exact same language with the similar frequency, how does he translate Jesus' message into his own, new situation?(The Secret Message of Jesus, pg. 95)"

Aaron covered a lot of the issues regarding kingdom dominion in his post on Thursday so I will not expound on the in depth issues so as not to bore you with redundancy. However, one issue begs of discussion. Paulinity vs. Christianity. In II Timothy 3: 16-17 it says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." The key phrase is that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God." Does it say that only certain parts of the Canon represent truth? No, the entire Bible is completely infallible.

For a detailed review, which covers a lot of Mclaren's ideas that are presented in The Secret Message of Jesus, click here.

The Bottom Line: "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14: 7)

Kingdom Dominion Theology

The word kingdom in the New Testament is written over seventy times. Most of those uses are describing "The Kingdom of God" or "The Kingdom of Christ". Obviously this concept is an important doctrine in the Bible. But how does God describe his kingdom? How is it brought into being and what is our role in the Kingdom? Unfortunately, what the emergents would have us believe is false.



As we discussed in our last podcast a major portion of the emergent's doctrine is the use of the social gospel. Believing that by doing good, helping the poor, and fighting aids you are spreading the gospel, has influenced much of what their ministries are all about. However this idea has also influenced another big part of their ministries, Kingdom Dominion Theology. Kingdom Dominion Theology is the doctrine whereby we, human beings, bring God's kingdom here to this earth. There are many different groups who offer various ways to cause this, but the method the EC promotes is the social gospel.



Clearly the doctrine of Kingdom Dominion is contrary to scripture. The entire book of Revelation is the prophetic telling of Christ's coming and establishing his own kingdom. John 18:36 says, Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” When Jesus said his kingdom was not of this world he did not mean that his kingdom would never be a part of this earth. He merely meant that for right now his kingdom is not on this earth. But why is that? God's kingdom and our world are two completely different places. One is a sin cursed fallen world where Satan is the prince of the power of the air. The other is a holy unblemished realm where Christ is the king. When saying that we must bring the kingdom to this earth, the EC is saying that we must make the world a better place. This however cannot be accomplished. We as sinful fallen human beings cannot bring this world to the perfection it once was. The book of Revelation is the account of Christ destroying the earth by fire in order to create a new heaven and new earth which will be completely without sin and death.



A major reason many of the EC leaders believe that we must bring this kingdom to the earth, is that they have a faulty understanding of heaven. Many have adopted the mindset that heaven is not a place; it is a state of mind. in doing this they completely disregard John 14:2-3 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. By diminishing the idea of heaven they completely demolish the faith. Like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Paul is saying here that if Christ didn't rise from the dead, then there will be no Resurrection and our faith is in vain.



Many of the emergents will point to what we call the Lord's prayer which states, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, the kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." They will say, "see, we should be praying for his kingdom to come and for his will to be done on earth". In reality all this verse is saying is that we are to pray that Jesus will bring his kingdom, not for us to bring it for him.



Bottom line: 1 Corinthians 15:24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

A Generation For Truth Podcast Episode 2

Today we are talking about the social gospel and how the Emergents have replaced the true gospel with this heresy.

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The Social Gospel

"Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary" - Francis of Assisi. This quote is a source of controversy, mainly over whether he actually said this or not. However, in this article I am not going to be dealing with the what Francis of Assisi did or did not say, but rather the idea promoted in the alleged quote. The Emergent Church promotes the "social gospel." Aaron will address "kingdom dominion" which deals with social gospel as well. As a debater, I like to define my terms:

Social gospel - That the gospel is ending poverty, solving AIDs, and helping out people is preaching the gospel. This philosophy entails thinking that Jesus dying for our sins and the Ten Commandments are secondary to to "helping" people.

The key word is social. As in socialism. When the social gospel began to gain momentum, many of the people behind the social gospel would have also been considered progressivists . These people observed poverty brought on by evil capitalists who owned factories and mines. So they promoted big government, labor rights, and socialistic ideas like a welfare state. Before we go any farther, I want to make it clear that I do not relish the idea of having eight-year olds working in coal mines and that some of the factory owners took advantage of their workers. On the other hand, teenagers, the reason why you cannot get a job till you are fifteen or sixteen is because of these people who instituted child labor laws. The free market represents the best economic model and the more the government messes with it, the more off kilter it gets. FDR's New Deal legislation and many other socialistic government programs have created a major bill for myself, you, and your decedents. And for those of who do not enjoy school and learning, the social gospel people/progressivists pushed for more enforced school attendance. All of these measures were an effort to improve the moral lives of fellow citizens.

Many people claim that environment and wealth dictates one's moral standing. They are absolutely wrong. If money plus nice neighborhoods equal strong moral values, what happened in Hollywood? Every moment you turn around, some celebrity is in rehab or court. If you live in Cincinnati, you lost the majority of your pro football team to low moral standards, even though these guys get paid a ton and can live in a good neighborhood in they wanted to. No, morals begin and end with someone taking a personal stand and deciding that they will choose the path of truth.

The Emergent Church takes the alleged Francis of Assisi quote quite literally, they feel that saving the world is all that is necessary for evangelism. But we are commanded to preach the gospel, not promote energy efficient lightbulbs in hope that people will desire God. Think about it, if I drive a hybrid, do you think my friends will say something like, "Noah, you drive a hybrid and you try to save the world. What motivates you to do this? I want the passion that is with in you too." I highly doubt that, although I wouldn't mind the great gas mileage. (By the way, I do not own a hybrid.)

I do not want to discourage people from living a life of service and high moral standards, but rather the opposite. Live a life that is pleasing to God, one of integrity, humility, and love. For instance, during the summer my church is in charge of a community service coalition. Churches throughout the area join together to volunteer and serve the community, from painting buildings, running a completely free car wash, and gratis yard sale. But our church firmly believes in preaching the true gospel as well. Help out your community, but do not rely on your service work alone to spread the gospel.

The Bottom Line: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." - II Corinthians 11: 13-15

A Generation for Truth Podcast Episode 1

Here is the first episode of our podcast. In this episode we give an overview of the emergent church and then discuss contextualization. This is my first attempt at a podcast so the editing might be a little choppy. Also some of the quality is a little bad on Noah's end.








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