THE CHANGING CHURCH

Is The Mantel Of Christianity Dropping From The United States and Europe?

 

Religion Today - January 18, 2000 - Leaders of most denominations agree that Asia, Africa,and Latin America will become the faith's "centers of gravity" as rapid growth continues there, Cox News Service said. "The Gospel is no longer in Western captivity," David Garrison of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board said. "It's every bit at home in Beijing or Shanghai as in Atlanta or Dallas."

Statistics bear the observation out. One-third of Roman Catholic cardinals are from developing nations, and Asia and Africa each has more members in the College of Cardinals than does the United States. Anglican bishops from Asia and Africa outnumbered those from the United States at last year's Lambeth Conference, and almost 60% of Protestants and 66% of the world's charismatic and Pentecostal Christians live in Latin America, Fox News said.

America has become a mission field for some international churches. Korean missionaries are evangelizing America's Korean population, Jung Joo Park, pastor of Hanbit Korean Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, said. "We first received the Gospel through American missionaries. Now the case is reversed." There are about twice the number of Presbyterian churches in Korea as there are in the United States, he said.

According to Midnight Call November 1999 p 31 Evangelicals are a mini minority in Europe: France .63%, Spain .79%, Portugal .95% and Germany 1.6%, in Comparison China claims 5% and African country Kenya 34% evangelicals. [Roman Catholics, not considered evangelicals, are 75% in Europe]

Every Saturday the Tampa Tribune gives us a full page of Faith & Values which is part of the programming taking place today. "We Discovered The God Within. That's Why We Need God. Because We ARE GOD. God Gives Me The Ability To Create My OWN Godliness." In need of a spiritual lift without the church doctrine, Joanne and Ed created a God that fills their divinity wish list. In this new wave of religion, people eshew traditions and adapt God to fit their needs. Traditionalists worried the '60s might kill off God. Instead, the era seems to have uncorked a freedom floating ether of spirituality. More than 30 years later, a steady 95% of Americans say they believe in God, more than any other Western country.. and about half think the nation is in the midst of a religious revival...

"This should be called the ME-lennium," said Rev. Joan Brown Campbell.. The typical bustling mega church looks like McLean Bible Church in Virginia, which offers a menu of customer-driven worship groups - grief recovery, sexual addiction, post-abortion recovery - even as it proposes unforgiving theology; "The Bible is inerrant and infallible," says the church's mission statement... Another example of devotees in an apartment in Arlington, Va: they listen to a tape played by Ed Asner. "You are defining yourself," God's voice tells Walsh, who plays the confused but persistent questioner. "Every act is a self-definition. All your life they told you that God created you. Well, I tell you this: YOU CREATED GOD.

LONDON (AFP) January 20, 2000- A London religious broadcasting station Friday launched what it claimed was the first-ever Internet confessional, enabling repentant sinners to use their computers to confess their misdeeds online.

Premier Christian Radio described its site, www.theconfessor.co.uk, as "an opportunity for confession and repentance -- by the grace of God, there is a real possibility that the time spent here (on the Internet site) will have real healing consequences."

Peter Kerridge, managing director of Premier Christian Radio, said: "This is between you and God, and your privacy is totally respected." The confessions cannot be accessed or stored, the organizers reassured
their estimated audience of some 200,000. (http://www.arabia.com/article/0,1690,ArabiaLife-11284,00.html)

LONDON (ENI February 1, 2000). An internet website where users are invited to confess their sins has received about 60 000 "hits" or visits by computer-users around the world, with more than one million pages accessed in less than two weeks, according to the organisers. The website - www.theconfessor.co.uk - was launched on 20 January as an offshoot of Premier Christian Radio, an ecumenical station broadcasting in the London area.

THE PROPHECY POST, January 1, 2000 -(excerpt) "[Speaking of the Toronto Blesssing, Alice] "was at one of those services and saw a teenager just out of the blue start forcing a laughter right in the middle of the sermon and then he started seizuring or violently shaking while he was laughing. It really alarmed me and I was worried that my 9-year old son David would get freaked because was up in the balcony where this teen was. So I ran upstairs and saw two prayer team people praying over him. I went over to him also and put my hand on the back of his neck because I wanted to support it since he was laying right on the stairs. It was piping hot! This scene went on for about 15-20 minutes and these two prayer people just up and left him while he was still laughing and shaking. I sensed that the Holy Spirit wanted me to pray for him so I started speaking peace over him and pleaded the blood of Jesus over him. He stopped instantly! This sent red lights all over my spirit and flesh about what I just observed. I went over to the pastor later and tried to talk to him about the teen and he thought the whole manifestation scene was "cool." I couldn't believe what I was seeing here.

I have seen enough to make my skin crawl and I'm grateful that my husband didn't believe in this stuff either. We had been serving in the church's cafe for about 2 and half years so there were times when there were special guest appearances and we opened the cafe for those times. A number of prayer team people would come downstairs and get into their chanting and conjuring until they all started howling like wolves - and it would go on for over 20 minutes. It was really scary.

Last October we finally left the church. We are not ready to get into another church because we just don't trust anyone anymore. We have been in the spirit-filled churches for the last 13 years and have seen the Holy Spirit move as according to Scripture, but now it seems these churches are jumping on the bandwagon for "revival". I think my husband sort of gave up and is not interested much in finding some place to get involved and worship... I will also be willing to share my experiences to help people understand that THIS IS A DEFINITE COUNTERFEIT.

BWA Leader Reaches Out Ecumenically To Catholics & Charimatics

Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Denton Lotz says: "All of our denominations need a re-examination. When Pope John XXIII called for opening windows' he shook the foundations of Catholic ecclesiology and did open the windows of the Vatican to new ideas and more cooperative relations with other [sic] Christians. In the same way, we need a Baptist opening of the windows, not only to let the old and worn air out, but to allow a fresh flowing of the Holy Spirit in our midst." (Bapt. World) Lotz said there are 500 million charismatics in the world and the Christian Church has to come to terms with this movement. He said "We must open ourselves up to new things that the Spirit would have us do." The Southern Baptist Convention is a main member of the apostate BWA.

Moody Bible Institute's Jan. 31 - Feb. 5 - Founder's Week conference features new-evangelical or ecumenical speakers. Included are: John MacArthur, Greg Laurie, Crawford Loritts, Joseph Stowell, David Jeremiah, Bruce Fong, Joni E. Tada, and E.K. Bailey. Last year's roster included Luis Palau, Bill Hybels, and Franklin Graham.

The following is part of a reply (1997) by Bro. David Cloud, to a Dr. James Dobson defender. "I fully understand your thoughts about Dr. Dobson. He has done much good, and I will gladly and readily acknowledge that. I have often prayed for him. You gave an excellent list of some of his accomplishments, which have benefited many people. In my estimation, though, Dobson's error is not a matter of failing in one or two matters. His error strikes at the very heart of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of many concerns I have about his ministry, my chief concern is that he refuses to clearly identify the Gospel and refuses to warn of false gospels. That is why he can be so widely popular among Roman Catholics, members of liberal denominational churches, etc.

On Oct. 12, 1995, I wrote to him and asked two questions: (1) What is the Gospel, and (2) has he ever warned of the false Roman Catholic sacramental gospel, and if not, why? I said, 'The eternal destiny of millions of people depends on whether Roman Catholic doctrine is correct. Could you plainly state Focus on the Family's position? Do you believe the Roman Catholic gospel is biblical? Has Focus on the Family ever issued a statement warning its listeners of false gospels and identifying the same?'" After a couple of weeks Bro. Cloud received a letter dated Oct. 26 from Diane Passno, V-P of
Ministry Correspondence, Focus on the Family, not answering his questions, but attacking his motives and ministry. He adds: "I realize that many who could benefit from my preaching are 'turned off' because I mention key evangelical leaders in a negative manner, and they therefore refuse to listen to what I say.

I can assure you that the temptation to refrain from dealing with these men directly is always very powerful. I could have a much larger ministry, humanly speaking, and it would be much easier for me if I could deal with issues of ecumenism and compromise in a general sense and not name names. The problem is that I must name the names of those who are leading the way in the various compromises if people are to understand what I am saying and who I am warning of.

A general warning is insufficient. When I name a man, it is because he is a leader, and he illustrates the particular error about which the Lord has urged me to lift the voice." [Bro. Cloud has a 351-page book, Evangelicals & Rome with a directory of 100 Evangelical and Charismatic leaders and organizations that are ecumenically yoked with Rome. Check his Website:
http://wayoflife.org/~dcloud

A January 15, 2000, Huntsville Times article began: "Where will you find a Catholic priest speaking in a [So.] Baptist Church, with music being performed by Seventh Day Adventists and members of a Church of Christ? At the Festival of Christian Unity for the Great Jubilee Service.[T]he Christian community will gather for a time of worship and praise at First Baptist Church on Jan. 23." Organizers hope this will be the beginning of a new ecumenical movement here. The Catholic speaker said it is not only important that the Christian "streams" of Roman Catholicism, Orthodox, Protestant and Evangelicals/Pentecostals come together for dialogue, but that they do so with people from all of the world's major religions or "we will never have peace." An SDA pastor said: "It is our hope that all barriers of divisiveness will be moved, and we will focus on the things that unite us and draw us together." God's holy Word commands separation from cultists and false-gospel adherents. "It is better to be divided by truth than united in error."

The remarks below are adapted from a discussion of this question by Dr. Clay Nuttall (1/8 Shepherd's Staff). History demonstrates that apostasy occurs over a period of time and not overnight. You have heard it said "a church is only two pastors away from liberalism." The first pastor comes to soften it up and the next to lead it into apostasy. There are many ways to identify churches, etc., that are moving toward modernism, but those on that road don't want to hear warnings from friends. They thus move toward apostasy because they are willing to be led there.

Men won't face the obvious even when you show them that their denomination gives credence to such liberal doctrines as no literal heaven, hell or fire. They turn on faithful warners and make it a personal matter rather than dealing with the false doctrine. They call us "unloving" and "mean spirited." How does one get to apostasy? Judges 2:10 says "there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel."

Life Action Ministries is a sponsor of a May 23-27 Heart-Cry for Revival conference in Asheville, NC (1/2 Moody). Luther Rice Seminary (SBC) is also a sponsor. Charismatics (e.g., Richard Owen Roberts, son of Oral) are listed as participants. Evidence of Life Action's new-evangelical course was seen in its April 1994 Spirit of Revival, as reported in the 6/1/94 CC.

(Messengers of Christ Ministries, "Earnestly Contending for the Faith; Exposing Deception in Politically Correct Churches" - http://cnview.com/ E-Mail: andy@cnview.com.)

A son of Unification Church leader Sun Myung Moon, Young Jin Moon, fell to his death from the seventeenth floor of a Reno, Nevada hotel, Oct. 27 (1/10 C. Today). It was ruled a suicide, but Moon says God allowed his son to die as a sacrifice. Last year, Nan-sook Hong caused intense media attention with her expose of her former marriage to Moon's oldest son, Hyo Jin. She charged him with physical abuse, adultery, cocaine addiction, alcoholism, and neglect of their children (11/16/98 Chr. Today). She accused Sun Myung Moon of adultery, and complicity in his son's behavior.

Issues In New Testament Studies Is Symposium Focus At Southeastern

By Debbie Moore

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (Baptist Press) -Fifteen world-renowned biblical scholars are scheduled to converge on the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary campus in April to re-examine three widely held beliefs in New Testament studies.

David Alan Black, professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern and organizer of the "Symposium on New Testament Studies: A Time for Reappraisal," said "three cans of worms" will be opened during the conference. "In each of these [issues], we're calling into question popularly held beliefs."

Discussion topics planned for the April 6-7 conference on the seminary's Wake Forest, N.C., campus will focus on the order in which the gospels were written, commonly referred to as the synoptic problem; textual criticism, also known as the King James-only controversy; and the authorship of Hebrews in the New Testament. For example, with the synoptic problem, most scholars believe the Book of Mark, the second gospel by placement in the New Testament, is without doubt the earliest written of the four gospels.

While a case can be made for that view, Black said, there are also difficulties with it and there are alternative views that need a hearing. "That's why we have invited William Farmer," a professor at the University of Dallas and the leading proponent for Matthew as the earliest written gospel. Black said that during the first four centuries A.D. the church fathers "were unanimous that the earliest gospel was Matthew's, not Mark," and Matthew is "the only view that comports with early Christian history."

Another of the conference's topics, textual criticism, otherwise known as the King James Version debate, "is still a very fiery debate in some circles," Black said. One of the issues to be discussed is the place of the Byzantine text in New Testament textual criticism, which "some scholars reject out of hand and others exalt to a place of primacy." Black said the third issue addressed in the symposium, the authorship of the book of Hebrews, generally has three perspectives: Apollos, Luke or the traditionally held view of Pauline authorship.

The symposium's keynote speakers for each of the three topics include: "The Synoptic Problem," Craig Blomberg, professor of New Testament, Denver Theological Seminary; "The Authorship of Hebrews," Simon Kistemaker, professor of New Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Miss.; "New Testament Textual Criticism," Eldon Jay Epp, of Lexington, Mass., who is a world-renowned scholar in the area of textual criticism and a retired professor from Case-Western Reserve University.

Following each session's keynote address, three speakers, each representing differing views, will present their cases for discussion, followed by a response from the keynote speakers. Other scheduled conference speakers include Moises Silva, professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Mass.; Grant Osborne, professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Ill.; Lincoln Hurst, associate professor of religious studies, University of California at Davis; Scott McKnight, professor of New Testament, North Park College, Chicago; and J. K. Elliott, professor of New
Testament, University of Leeds, Great Britain.

"Anybody who knows New Testament studies will realize we have an excellent lineup of the very best scholars in this field," Black said. The study of theology and the New Testament, Black said, often comes down to an intersection of faith and reason, with the student or researcher typically driving a wedge between faith and reason or between faith and criticism. However, he said, "[I]t's no longer a question of faith or reason. It's a question of either a reasonable faith or a faithless reason."

Black said that revisiting some of these issues, on which some pastors and lay leaders may be strongly opinionated, encourages students of God's Word to decide for themselves. "At Southeastern, we are engaged in scholarship at the highest level," Black said. "That's one of the reasons we want to hold this conference. We are engaging the major issues in New Testament studies today, yet we don't sacrifice academic credibility just because our hearts have a passion for the gospel. We're attempting a balance." (http://www.BaptistPress.org/)

Pentecostals Embrace 'Divine' Dentistry

ORANGEVILLE, CA - Los Angeles Times - January 30, 2000 - ".. Christian believers are proclaiming a new and goldly gold rush in the Sacramento Valley: The Holy Spirit, they claim, is miraculously transforming porcelain crowns and silver fillings into gold... never mind that they can't seem to prove it... gold dust and other claimed miracles.. proof of a powerful "move of God.".. An estimated 500 million charismatics and Pentecostals worldwide who make up Christianity's fastest-growing segment.. Pastor Rich Oliver draws back his lif and displays a glittering gold crown he says God gave him in March. However, dental records show his previous dentist put the crown in on April 29, 1991... nonetheless he touts his congregation's "gold rush" and lines up church members to tell how God changed their teeth - and lives.. Rev. Oliver.. runs a school to teach people how to minister in miracles. (The Tampa Tribune, January 30, 2000)

Charisma Magazine, February 2000 - Breaking the Baptist mold.. In February, Harvest Church in Beavercreek, Ohio, chose Jim Martin to lead them to new spiritual discoveries that are sure to include the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Martin who has credentials with the Church of God.. but raised Southern Baptist, isn't soft-pedaling his message to his hungry spiritual cousins..

What you don't know about the Last Days: These men will tell you! Good News behind the News - International Prophecy Conference 2000 in Orlando, Florida. Jack Van Impe, Morris Cerullo, Hal Lindsey, Grant Jeffrey, Perry Stone, John Bevere, Ray Brubaker, Joe Van Koevering, Zola Levitt, Chuck Missler, J.R. Church, Gary Kah, and Bill Cloud. What a mix on April 5 - 8, 2000. $150 per person. (Charisma Magazine, February 2000)

Building the church of the 21st century. The Holy Spirit is establishing his new government in the church today. The Church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Come and receive your marching orders as the apostolic Church arises around the world! I want to personally invite apostolic leaders, pastors and their teams to this strategic gathering - C - Peter Wagner (Postcard from Global Harvest Ministries)

In Charisma January 2000 Global Harvest advertises an interesting page, listing their seminars for the year and the titles tell tales [all seminars include Peter Wagner and his group]:

1) Deliverance Seminar, 2) Apostolic Church Arising, 3) National School of Prophets [Mike Bickle, Paul Caine, Jack Deere, Rick Joyner..], 4) Developing Local Church Prayer Ministry [National leaders], 5) World Congress on Deliverance [Charles Kraft, Wagners, Pierce, Eckhardt, Jacobs, Daniels, Hammond, Hayward, Horrobin, Stevens], 6) The Future War of the Church: Moving the Army of God to the Frontline ?? [Both Wagners, Pierce, Choza, Eckhardt, Hamon, Jacobs, Daniels, Sheets, Neuenschwander] , 7) Advanced Deliverance Seminar, 8) Power Evangelism: Restoring the Evangelistc Gift to the Body of Christ with Signs and Wonders [Wagners, Marilyn Hickey, Pierce, international leaders]. (Partial list of conferences according to them).

The first thing that I noticed was the upside down green cross in the top.

And as we studied the picture: A sword goes right through the WORD of God. How fitting their symbolism is, considering what has been happening in the Assembly of God lately. They are telling it as it is. Death to the Word.