Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Elephant Room 2 Features Trinity Denier T.D. Jakes As A Keynote Speaker

Posted by Christine Pack

I would love to love the Elephant Room, I really would.  Elephant Room?, you say. Never heard of it. Well, in a nutshell, the Elephant Room is meant to be sort of a roundtable discussion group for Christian brainiacs. The first Elephant Room was held March 2011, and the one I'm discussing here is the upcoming Elephant Room 2, which is scheduled to be held January 2012. Elephant Room 2 is facilitated by two members of The Gospel Coalition, a group that, according to its website, is committed to the purity of the gospel. Seriously, what's not to like about that? Coming out of the vapidness of the seeker sensitive, "doctrine lite" model of church, as I did, I was primed to love something like the Elephant Room. So what's the problem? Well, there is the ongoing issue of Mark Driscoll (who is one of the facilitators), but besides that, look at who one of the keynote speakers will be:


That's right, the very popular T.D. Jakes. What's wrong with that? Well, T.D. Jakes holds to the Oneness Pentecostal view, which is a heresy that denies the biblical view of the Trinity. From T.D. Jakes' website for his church (The Potter's House):


Yes, the doctrine of the Trinity is deep theological waters, but Christian leaders must line up with Scripture in this area (which is a foundational belief of orthodox Christianity), because not to do so is to wander into heresy, and take others there with you.
"Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." James 3:1
Elephant Room 2 might seem like a great idea in theory, but don't forget, Communism also has a way of looking good on paper but playing itself out in disastrous ways when implemented in real life. And remember, as bad as Communism is, it can only kill men's bodies, not their souls. A wrong understanding of the Trinity (as in Oneness Pentacostalism) can damn souls eternally.

What will happen in Elephant Room 2?  Will T.D. Jakes be confronted with truth and exhorted to repent from his heretical views? Will he then go to his many, many followers in humble sorrow over representing God wrongly, and teach his followers the truth about the Trinity? Or will there be a carefully nuanced discussion that will be allowed to stand, unchallenged, and which does not clarify the proper view of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?

We'll have to tune in and see.




 Additional Resources 

Why Is Oneness Pentecostalism Heresy? Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (There are 30 segments in total in this excellent series, but 1-10 is a good start, and the rest can be found on YouTube)

James MacDonald Digs Deeper Hole For the Elephant Room

T.D. Jakes' Modalism is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

James MacDonald, T.D. Jakes and Postmodern Obfuscation

Oneness-Pentecostals vs. Christians

Is Nicene Christianity That Important? An historical-ecumenical note

Mark Driscoll and Pornographic Divination

Who Should I Contact At The Gospel Coalition If I Have Concerns?
Posted by at
Labels:

Sunday, September 25, 2011

"180" (The Movie)

Posted by Christine Pack

It is often said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Friends, for that reason, this recently released movie is a MUST WATCH because, for one thing, in viewing it you will come to understand that very few young people today even know who Adolf Hitler was.

Also, after you have watched this short, 30 minute movie, I want you to ask yourself these questions: Do you think the world has learned the lesson of the Holocaust? What about America, have they learned the lesson?

Please, watch this movie, and then forward it to anyone that you think might benefit from watching it.

VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: Please note that there are graphic images in this movie that are not suitable for younger children.




 Additional Resources 

Buy 10 Copies of "180" (The Movie) for Just $10 ($1 per copy)

Karma Just Doesn't Cut It
Posted by at
Labels:

Monday, September 19, 2011

Rob Bell's Co-Pastor Shane Hipps Says He Can't Know For Certain About Heaven or Hell

Posted by Christine Pack
“I have never died, so I don’t have a theological position on heaven or hell, I can only entertain theological possibilities.” - Shane Hipps
Shane Hipps, co-pastor of Rob Bell's church (Mars Hill in Grand Rapids, MI), has recently written the following blog post (entire post can be read here).


So a pastor of a church claims that he can't have an opinion on anything (and he specifically mentions heaven and hell) which he hasn't directly experienced.

This is without a doubt a very postmodern statement. And by postmodern, I mean a statement that advances the idea that truth cannot be known. The postmodern view is that different cultures at different times have had different truths which are true for them, but there is a general push back among postmoderns against the idea of subjective truth outside of us that is true for all cultures, at all times. Universal truths, if you will. Postmoderns believe that we can guess about truth, talk about truth, we can postulate, pontificate, and philosophize about what, in fact, truth is, but no-one can really claim to know for a fact what truth is.

This mindset is certainly the battlefield of our generation. But is this thinking biblical? No, in fact, this is not the biblical understanding of truth. To paraphrase Paul Washer, one of the great preachers of our day,  truth is not a what, but a Who:
 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’.” John 14:6
For those who don't know why this should matter to them, it's because our youth have been relentlessly targeted by the Emergent Church Movement, a dangerous, heretical movement that is flowing unchecked into our churches, mostly through our youth groups. Christian parents: even if you have never heard of Rob Bell (or his co-pastor Shane Hipps), just ask your kids. Because I can almost guarantee you that even if they haven't read Bell's books or watched his NOOMA videos, their friends have. And why is this frightening? Because Rob Bell is a big, big, BIG leader in a new movement sweeping through our young people today called "Christian Universalism." Yes, you read that right, and yes, "Christian Universalism" is an oxymoron (like "jumbo shrimp" or "virtual reality").  But nonetheless, with leaders like Rob Bell and Shane Hipps leading the way, many of today's church-going youth have slowly been seduced into believing this false teaching, usually using Colossians 1:19-20 (out of context, of course) as their "proof-text."

As Todd Friel of Wretched Radio/TV recently pointed out on a great video clip, Rob Bell should have never become a problem, not if our pastors and leaders had been willing to do the hard thing, and step up and name names and call out false teachers before they - and their heresies - became full-blown.  But most of them didn't, sad to say, and the result of this has been that false teachers, like Bell and now Hipps, two postmodern hipsters who have always made it their goal to be culturally relevant and thus appeal to the youth, have captured an entire generation of young people with their damning heresies. Brothers and sisters, and especially, Christian parents: Let's please try to get ahead of this one so that we will be equipped and ready to answer back to their lies.

In closing, I will point out that leaders in the Emergent Church Movement were not as straightforward about their views when they first burst onto the Christian scene 20 years ago. And due to their relentless cultural relevance and clever marketing, they rapidly became extremely popular among churchgoing youth. But let me go on the record here in stating that the Emergent Church Movement have now been unmasked. In dribs and drabs, they have come clean about their theology. They are now on the record, and we know where they stand: they believe in Universal Reconciliation (a fancy way of saying they believe that all paths lead to God), and they are teaching this to our kids. I therefore urge all parents reading this post to make sure they are taking an active role in safeguarding their kids against Rob Bell's (and Shane Hipp's) false teaching. We must heed the exhortation from Scripture not to simply hand the instruction of our children over to others but to actively take responsibility, as parents, in biblically guiding, teaching and discipling our own children:
"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." (Deut 6:6-9)

 Additional Resources 

How Important Is The Inerrancy of Scripture?







Posted by at
Labels:

Friday, September 16, 2011

Pastor Tim Keller Recommends A Book By A Female "Pastor?"

Posted by Christine Pack
"But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet." 1 Timothy 2:12  
Why in the world would Tim Keller, a supposedly conservative reformed pastor, give an endorsement to a woman "pastor?" Since when did Presbyterian pastors of the PCA persuasion start thinking that it is okay for women to pastor churches? Or did I miss something? Shouldn't he be calling her to repentance?

In full disclosure, I will admit that the Presbyterian-PCA's are near and dear to my heart. My own father is a Presbyterian elder, and in my view they are a sister church to my own denomination (Reformed Baptist). My children attend a school which is closely affiliated with a Presbyterian PCA church. So I am truly and deeply grieved to see a Presbyterian PCA pastor (Tim Keller of The Gospel Coalition and Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan) moving toward what has long been the theologically liberal position about women in leadership.




 Additional Resources 

Tim Keller on Whether or Not Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Jews are Saved After Death

Tim Keller Recommends The Alpha Course

The Gospel Coalition Needs To Set Its House In Order

Who Can I Contact At The Gospel Coalition?

Former Redeemer Member Writes an Article: Tim Keller and Social Justice

Tim Keller Teaching Lectio Divina, Mind-Emptying Mantra Meditation (by mystic Jan Johnson) at Redeemer

Tim Keller's "Trained Spiritual Director" Jan Johnson Recommends Mystic Richard Foster and Mystic Ignatius Loyola
Posted by at
Labels:

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Warning About "Jesus Is My Girlfriend/Boyfriend" Songs

Posted by Christine Pack

I woke up the other morning hearing this song when my clock radio alarm went off:



As my radio is typically set on the local Christian radio channel, my first thought was, oh dear, I've somehow bumped the radio and it's on another station. After groggily assessing the station was, indeed, accurately calibrated, I listened to the rest of the song. Some of the lyrics to the song (Hold Me featuring tobyMac) are below:
(I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me)
(I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me)
(I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me)
(I love, I love, I love, I love the way You, the way Ya, the way Ya)
I've had a long day I just wanna relax
Don't have time for my friends, no time to chit-chat
Problems at my job, wonderin' what to do
I know I should be working, but I'm thinking of You and
Just when I feel this crazy world is gonna bring me down
That's when Your smile comes around
Oo, I love the way You hold me, by my side You'll always be
You take each and everyday, make it special in some way
I love the way You hold me, in Your arms I'll always be
You take each and everyday, make it special in some way
I love You more than the words in my brain can express
I can't imagine even loving You less
Lord, I love the way You hold me
So I did a little internet searching about this song, mainly to find out if it bothered anyone else the way it had bothered me. Sure enough, my buddy Todd Friel over at Wretched Radio had already addressed my concerns about this song. So I'll just let his comments (below) stand in their entirety:





 Additional Resources 


Posted by at
Labels:

Monday, September 12, 2011

"God" Is Talking to Mark Driscoll Again.....

Posted by Christine Pack


For those with serious concerns about the direction Mark Driscoll is taking, please feel free to contact any of his colleagues here at The Gospel Coalition.


 Additional Resources 

Contemplative Spirituality and Tim Keller

Matt Chandler and Curious Decisions

Mark Driscoll and Pornographic Divination

Mark Driscoll: The Face of Contemplative Calvinism

Mystical Calvinists?

Personal Words From God? by Bob DeWaay (part 1)

Personal Words From God? by Bob DeWaay (part 2)
Posted by at
Labels:

Who Can I Contact At The Gospel Coalition If I Have Concerns?

Posted by Christine Pack

With respect to our recent post by Mike Ratliff (The Gospel Coalition Needs To Set Its House in Order), which was a post written in response to one of Pastor Tim Keller's answers in an interview about the way of salvation, anyone with concerns should address their questions to any of the current Council Members of The Gospel Coalition.

For right or wrong, I just don't think men like having women come to them with these kinds of concerns. But I am more than happy to publish Mike's loving, but firm, biblical exhortation for Tim Keller's colleagues to do what should be done here, and that is come alongside Keller and exhort him to doctrinal purity. This is not about Tim Keller. This is about the gospel. The Gospel Coalition, as per their name, are all about coalescing around the gospel, right? So let's see that happen. Here are the men, their names and how to reach them. I don't think anyone is advocating for separation from Pastor Tim Keller at this point; what we are saying is that there is some concern about his appearing to waffle on his response to the question of whether or not Hindus, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs can be saved. These are Keller's colleagues, these are the men who need to be coming alongside Keller and exhorting, rebuking, correcting, etc. And really, they should be doing so in loving concern! Instead of providing cover in an article which give a response that is tepid, at best.







 Additional Resources 

Tim Keller on Whether or Not Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Jews are Saved After Death

Former Redeemer Member Writes an Article: Tim Keller and Social Justice

Tim Keller Teaching Lectio Divina, Mind-Emptying Mantra Meditation (by mystic Jan Johnson) at Redeemer

Tim Keller's "Trained Spiritual Director" Jan Johnson Recommends Mystic Richard Foster and Mystic Ignatius Loyola
Posted by at
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)