We have recently learned by way of a number of trustworthy people of a fairly large Pentecostal church now synergizing with this increasingly popular "Emerging Church" movement.
This Pentecostal church had been for years a United Pentecostal Church assembly, teaching and preaching the old fashioned ways of Pentecost. This includes standards of holiness, the Oneness of God, and the centralpoint of our foundational salvation experience, the necessity of Water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. The proclaimed "Acts 2:38" Experience.
It was told to us that this church has adopted the fusion of becoming either a pattern of, or simply merging its practices and ways into this "Emerging Church" movement.
Whether this is 100% accurate, whether it is true or not, what is fact, is that they have recently "dropped" their teachings and ways of standards of modesty in a way they have never before. Many faithful saints have found refuge elswhere.
And whethere or not it is true that this particular assembly has adopted and embraced the "Emerging Church" movement into their current church lifestyle, it is undoubtedly a frightening number among the Christian world that have already embraced this movement and it's practices.
So what's the main motive and public announcement of this movement's core value and outreach point? The direction and overall atmosphere continues to be one of "global invitation into love". A Utopian vision of love not just to the "internal" saints of God, but to everyone, without exclusion. No one's excluded.
So, what's wrong with that?
When we have seen and heard the interviews with prominent leaders of the Emerging Church movement, the central focal point appears to be a motivation of "love". It is deemed an "all inclusive" gospel, much like Bishop Carlton Pearson (Prominent gospel singer, TV preacher and pastor of New Dimensions and former pastor of Higher Dimensions), who only a few years ago was denouned of his standing, license and membership by the National Association of Evangelics and World Bishops Council WBC, is taking the large churches by storm in another related movement called the "Emerging Church".
THE PROBLEM IS that it goes against the fabric of scripture in an effort to become effective in raising the numbers of members.
What is more dangerous; A flat out lie, or a lie mixed with truth?
SOME GOOD THINGS. The practices and policies of the Emerging Church movement are, in essence, good! We wholeheartedly agree with the active forward progression of what results they are after. It is not only a good thing, but in today's society of rapid lifestyle, it is imperative that we BREAK TRADITION and the old starchy structure of an ancient (and unbiblical we confidently add) structure of the Catholic church system. In politics, the way we as Apostolics have "done our thing" is parallel to what is called, "Eliteism"
This "Eliteism" is defined sharply by Wikipedia as,
"Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals who supposedly form an elite — a select group of people with, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most weight or those who view their own views as so; whose views and/or actions are most likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern.[1] Alternatively, the term elitism may be used to describe a situation in which power is concentrated in the hands of a limited number of people."
Yes, the MINISTRY (All five distinct gifts and roles are needed, by the way) are anointed and appointed to "govern" the Body of Christ but not in the way it is being done today. They are to govern in the way of service AND EQUIPPING. Ephesians 4:11-12, "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;".
The ministry, leadership and elders are not gifted and put in the body of Christ to "work and get retirement funds". But we as ministers and leaders are simply to feed and equip the saints so that THEY may serve and fight and minister. We as ministers are TRAINERS, not executives in an upper elite company looking down on our subserviant workers!
So, on that note, the Emerging Church movement really does have a grasp on this concept. That we need to mellow out, stop being tie-wearing, starchy cardboard elitists that don't and cant' relate to everyone else. A sort of an "all inclusive welcome" that "we're together in this"."We're all in the same boat and we can do it, together." This is good and absolutely this is right! Well, "almost" right.
However... as we once heard a message, ALMOST RIGHT, IS ALWAYS WRONG!
This movement turns GRACE into DISGRACE. It not only changes and morphs the methods, but in its ignorance and lack of pure godly motive, also CHANGES THE MESSAGE.
It would have been a fantastic movement if they were to simply STOP at changing the methods. But instead, they totally let down not only standards of modesty, but the intrigal, foundational message that we stand on for truth, the actual Acts 2:38 message of salvation and the Oneness of God.
Here for your own viewing are key points that make the Emerging Church something beyond simply "reaching out" and welcoming everyone and making them feel comfortable, into something out of very words that Satan himself utters. (By the way, it is creepy and a very scary thought, how that our current Obama administration has ALREADY put together and in motion the "One World Religion" that has been preached about and spoken about for years. Can you guess it's focal, main message??? It is parallel to this "Emerging Church" perspective!
CLICK NOW TO READ THESE ABSOLUTELY SCARY YET TRUE POINTS
OF THE EMERGING CHURCH MOVEMENT...
