Confusion in the camp-A Review of Brannon Howse Christian Worldview Network and a word of caution
This will be a long post because I have a lot to say so here goes.-
When I first stumbled on Brannon Howse Christian Worldview Network I was actually happy to see what seemed to be a bevy of writers with discernment all gathered together in one place.
Bob DeWaay has some great articles on exposing things Emergent as well as Purpose Driven. Ken Silva as well has been a friend and a brother in the Lord and writes some very good article's. Ken actually wrote the forward to my book as well.
Im starting to see a shift at Christian Worldview Network and I know longer use them as a reliable source of discernment article's.
Here's why-
First lets start with a article from my friends at Lighthouse Trails which will set this up.
Here is the article-
Emerging Church Confusion - What Does it Really Mean?
When it comes to the emerging church, Christian leaders seem to lack understanding and discernment. Some books and several articles have now been written about the emerging church, and interestingly, nearly all of them lack the most important element -the emerging church (which incorporates the teachings of the Emergent leaders: McLaren, Pagitt, Kimball, etc.) is a conduit for mysticism and is heading right into the arms of Catholicism and eventually a universal interfaith church. Many feel that the real problems with the emerging church are centered around methodology (e.g., how much lighting to have, where to hold church services, and what to wear while attending them, etc.) Such distraction from the true concerns is like telling a neighbor that his dog is tearing up the garden when his house is burning down and his children are inside.The emerging church is fundamentally mystical as can easily be seen by the leaders who feed the emerging movement a steady diet of contemplative spirituality. Leonard Sweet, one of the emerging church movement's most prolific leaders explains the role of mysticism in the emerging church:
Mysticism, once cast to the sidelines of the Christian tradition, is now situated in postmodernist culture near the center.... In the words of one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century, Jesuit philosopher of religion/dogmatist Karl Rahner, "The Christian of tomorrow will be a mystic, one who has experienced something, or he will be nothing." [Mysticism] is metaphysics arrived at through mindbody experiences. Mysticism begins in experience; it ends in theology. (p. 160, ATOD)Another influential emerging church leader is Spencer Burke, director of The Ooze. He explains his views on mysticism as well:
I was struck by the incredible wisdom that could be found apart from the "approved" evangelical reading list. A Trappist monk, [Thomas] Merton gave me a new appreciation for the meaning of community. His New Man and New Seeds of Contemplation touched my heart in ways other religious books had not. Not long afterward my thinking was stretched again, this time by Thich Nhat Hanh--a Buddhist monk ... Hanh's Living Buddha, Living Christ gave me insight into Jesus from an Eastern perspective. (p. 157. ATOD) While many try to minimize the seriousness of the emerging church movement, we hope you can see where this is all going. Some say that Emergent has some problems, but emerging church is ok for the most part. But here is how it works. Emerging spirituality (which ultimately proclaims the divinity of man) has been around since the Garden of Eden when the serpent said to Eve, ye shall be as gods, and later when Lucifer said, I will be like the most High God. Emergent came on the scene when some business men (i.e., Leadership Network) launched Brian McLaren, Dan Kimball, Mark Driscoll and some others and capsulated emerging spirituality within the confines of these young leaders. Leadership Network teamed up with business guru Peter Drucker and a successful publishing house, and wham, a formula for success - the Emergent movement was birthed. These new young leaders (then called the Young Leaders Network) in turn produced books, seminars, websites, blogs, and "conversations" that bore the fruit of the current emerging church movement. And because the true premise of this movement is grounded in mysticism and Ancient Wisdom, many are grasping hold of something that has been here all along. Emergent or emerging, whatever term you want to use ... it's heading in the same direction, and that is away from the Cross. Some may say, "But there are positive attributes to the emerging church movement." Yet would you drink a glass of mountain spring water if it had only a drop or two of cyanide? Not if you didn't want to get very, very sick. Jesus Christ made it clear in Scripture that we are to cling to truth. HE is truth, and He is the only way to salvation. Divination (doing a ritual or performing some method in order to gain some information or "hear God"), which is the same premise as contemplative mysticism, is forbidden by God in the Bible. Salvation, and a relationship with Jesus Christ, is free. He already paid the price for us with His blood. When we accept His gift, we will have eternal life. If we reject it, we will not. And that is something to think about.
end of article-
Now I will be adding links from Christian Worldview Network for you to make up your own minds but I do not endorse that site or suggest anyone go there for solid information.
Compare the above article with this article from CWN-
this article is from Jason Carlson-
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/1645/Jason_Carlson
Josh McDowell recently endorsed Dan Kimbals new book " I Like Jesus but not the Church:: (coming out in November 2007).
Dan is Emergent and promotes occult rituals such as the labyrinth.
But yet doesn't CWN speak out against Emergent??
I know it can be very confusing.
Here is a solid review of Dans new book.
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/theylikejesus.htm
Now here is a review (kinda) of Dans new book.
Or is this perhaps Shawn doing damage control?.
You decide.
Keep in mind Seans statement here "You may disagree with parts of They Like Jesus but not the Church, but this is a provocative book that must not be ignored"
Here is the review
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/1687/Sean_McDowell
It is also well documented that David Jeremiah once a very solid Bible teacher now promotes and continues to promote Emergent teachers like Erwin McManus among others and receives endorsements by new age sympathizer's such as Ken Blanchard.
Captured by Grace Discusses Henri Nouwen and includes endorsement by Ken Blanchard
Documentation is here.
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/misguidedshepherds.htm
Erwin McManus who by the way CWN writer Ken Silva speaks out against on a regular basis.
Confused?
How can you both partner with Emergents and new agers and then speak out on them as well.
Its well documented as well that AFA Tim Wildmon continues to sell Emergent books in his bookstore.
Here is the documentation.
http://www.christianresearchservice.com/bookstores7.htm
I actually found Dans Kimballs new book here its just not for sale yet.
Ive thought a lot about the confusion here at this organization and as I searched scripture I wondered if they had fallen into a trap because of the money involved in selling Christian stuff?
Do you ever wonder why Paul had a regular job?
And no it wasnt selling holy hankies.
Paul made tents.
Lets look at some scripture.
1 Corinthians 9:19 "This means I am not bound to obey people just because they pay me, yet I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ."
Actually read the entire chapter Paul gave up his rights and worked a regular job so that he wouldnt have to itch some ears and could still preach with boldness. He was not bound by supporting himself by preaching.
We also know that Paul helped support those with him as well with his job
Now lets look at Acts 20:30
""Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves."
When we make a living selling Christian things we are at the mercy of a very waining and fickle audience.
Why is this?
2 Thess 2:3 states "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,"
The great falling away as we know is happening now.
People are going to be confronted with some very hard choices, perhaps losing all their audience if they continue to preach the truth of the word of God.
Will they get other jobs?
Or will they fall away?
Only time can tell.
Not that my endorsement means anything but I would suggest you really think about using Christian Worldview Network as a source of reliable information in these end times.
Pray for them that they would not continue to be deceived and compromise for what seems to be for money.
When I first stumbled on Brannon Howse Christian Worldview Network I was actually happy to see what seemed to be a bevy of writers with discernment all gathered together in one place.
Bob DeWaay has some great articles on exposing things Emergent as well as Purpose Driven. Ken Silva as well has been a friend and a brother in the Lord and writes some very good article's. Ken actually wrote the forward to my book as well.
Im starting to see a shift at Christian Worldview Network and I know longer use them as a reliable source of discernment article's.
Here's why-
First lets start with a article from my friends at Lighthouse Trails which will set this up.
Here is the article-
Emerging Church Confusion - What Does it Really Mean?
When it comes to the emerging church, Christian leaders seem to lack understanding and discernment. Some books and several articles have now been written about the emerging church, and interestingly, nearly all of them lack the most important element -the emerging church (which incorporates the teachings of the Emergent leaders: McLaren, Pagitt, Kimball, etc.) is a conduit for mysticism and is heading right into the arms of Catholicism and eventually a universal interfaith church. Many feel that the real problems with the emerging church are centered around methodology (e.g., how much lighting to have, where to hold church services, and what to wear while attending them, etc.) Such distraction from the true concerns is like telling a neighbor that his dog is tearing up the garden when his house is burning down and his children are inside.The emerging church is fundamentally mystical as can easily be seen by the leaders who feed the emerging movement a steady diet of contemplative spirituality. Leonard Sweet, one of the emerging church movement's most prolific leaders explains the role of mysticism in the emerging church:
Mysticism, once cast to the sidelines of the Christian tradition, is now situated in postmodernist culture near the center.... In the words of one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century, Jesuit philosopher of religion/dogmatist Karl Rahner, "The Christian of tomorrow will be a mystic, one who has experienced something, or he will be nothing." [Mysticism] is metaphysics arrived at through mindbody experiences. Mysticism begins in experience; it ends in theology. (p. 160, ATOD)Another influential emerging church leader is Spencer Burke, director of The Ooze. He explains his views on mysticism as well:
I was struck by the incredible wisdom that could be found apart from the "approved" evangelical reading list. A Trappist monk, [Thomas] Merton gave me a new appreciation for the meaning of community. His New Man and New Seeds of Contemplation touched my heart in ways other religious books had not. Not long afterward my thinking was stretched again, this time by Thich Nhat Hanh--a Buddhist monk ... Hanh's Living Buddha, Living Christ gave me insight into Jesus from an Eastern perspective. (p. 157. ATOD) While many try to minimize the seriousness of the emerging church movement, we hope you can see where this is all going. Some say that Emergent has some problems, but emerging church is ok for the most part. But here is how it works. Emerging spirituality (which ultimately proclaims the divinity of man) has been around since the Garden of Eden when the serpent said to Eve, ye shall be as gods, and later when Lucifer said, I will be like the most High God. Emergent came on the scene when some business men (i.e., Leadership Network) launched Brian McLaren, Dan Kimball, Mark Driscoll and some others and capsulated emerging spirituality within the confines of these young leaders. Leadership Network teamed up with business guru Peter Drucker and a successful publishing house, and wham, a formula for success - the Emergent movement was birthed. These new young leaders (then called the Young Leaders Network) in turn produced books, seminars, websites, blogs, and "conversations" that bore the fruit of the current emerging church movement. And because the true premise of this movement is grounded in mysticism and Ancient Wisdom, many are grasping hold of something that has been here all along. Emergent or emerging, whatever term you want to use ... it's heading in the same direction, and that is away from the Cross. Some may say, "But there are positive attributes to the emerging church movement." Yet would you drink a glass of mountain spring water if it had only a drop or two of cyanide? Not if you didn't want to get very, very sick. Jesus Christ made it clear in Scripture that we are to cling to truth. HE is truth, and He is the only way to salvation. Divination (doing a ritual or performing some method in order to gain some information or "hear God"), which is the same premise as contemplative mysticism, is forbidden by God in the Bible. Salvation, and a relationship with Jesus Christ, is free. He already paid the price for us with His blood. When we accept His gift, we will have eternal life. If we reject it, we will not. And that is something to think about.
end of article-
Now I will be adding links from Christian Worldview Network for you to make up your own minds but I do not endorse that site or suggest anyone go there for solid information.
Compare the above article with this article from CWN-
this article is from Jason Carlson-
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/1645/Jason_Carlson
Josh McDowell recently endorsed Dan Kimbals new book " I Like Jesus but not the Church:: (coming out in November 2007).
Dan is Emergent and promotes occult rituals such as the labyrinth.
But yet doesn't CWN speak out against Emergent??
I know it can be very confusing.
Here is a solid review of Dans new book.
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/theylikejesus.htm
Now here is a review (kinda) of Dans new book.
Or is this perhaps Shawn doing damage control?.
You decide.
Keep in mind Seans statement here "You may disagree with parts of They Like Jesus but not the Church, but this is a provocative book that must not be ignored"
Here is the review
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/1687/Sean_McDowell
It is also well documented that David Jeremiah once a very solid Bible teacher now promotes and continues to promote Emergent teachers like Erwin McManus among others and receives endorsements by new age sympathizer's such as Ken Blanchard.
Captured by Grace Discusses Henri Nouwen and includes endorsement by Ken Blanchard
Documentation is here.
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/misguidedshepherds.htm
Erwin McManus who by the way CWN writer Ken Silva speaks out against on a regular basis.
Confused?
How can you both partner with Emergents and new agers and then speak out on them as well.
Its well documented as well that AFA Tim Wildmon continues to sell Emergent books in his bookstore.
Here is the documentation.
http://www.christianresearchservice.com/bookstores7.htm
I actually found Dans Kimballs new book here its just not for sale yet.
Ive thought a lot about the confusion here at this organization and as I searched scripture I wondered if they had fallen into a trap because of the money involved in selling Christian stuff?
Do you ever wonder why Paul had a regular job?
And no it wasnt selling holy hankies.
Paul made tents.
Lets look at some scripture.
1 Corinthians 9:19 "This means I am not bound to obey people just because they pay me, yet I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ."
Actually read the entire chapter Paul gave up his rights and worked a regular job so that he wouldnt have to itch some ears and could still preach with boldness. He was not bound by supporting himself by preaching.
We also know that Paul helped support those with him as well with his job
Now lets look at Acts 20:30
""Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves."
When we make a living selling Christian things we are at the mercy of a very waining and fickle audience.
Why is this?
2 Thess 2:3 states "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,"
The great falling away as we know is happening now.
People are going to be confronted with some very hard choices, perhaps losing all their audience if they continue to preach the truth of the word of God.
Will they get other jobs?
Or will they fall away?
Only time can tell.
Not that my endorsement means anything but I would suggest you really think about using Christian Worldview Network as a source of reliable information in these end times.
Pray for them that they would not continue to be deceived and compromise for what seems to be for money.
posted by Tim Wirth | 7:10 PM
1 Comments:
A little leaven ....
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