15 Comments

  1. Elizabeth Bennett

    What helps me the most in these corrupt days is reading the entire Bible in one yr. every yr. Three chapters in the O.T. in the a.m. and then one chapter in the evening. It has given me peace of mind that I would not have otherwise. My church is not perfect but it is small, traditional and non-emergent. The main goal of the pastor is to win souls for the Lord. Since most of my grandchildren are with their missionary parents far away God’s Word is a comfort to me as I live alone in CA. It is disheartening to me to try to explain what the emergent church is to Christians who are not aware of what is happening or else are skeptical or do not believe what I tell them.

  2. Iva

    I’m so glad that you posted about your search and how the Lord was doing a work in your heart. It was so encouraging to hear that you and your husband have found a church! God bless you both for staying true to the Lord through your trials.

  3. Shannon Cannariato

    Thank you, T.I. Miller,
    For mentioning that applauding the “worship team” indicates entertainment, NOT true reverent worship.
    My husband and I have been on a four year search for a new church, as the Lord called us out of the church we had attended for 15 years. As the Lord sharpened my discernment (through deep study of His Word, and the help of discernment sites such as this), the “worship” music began to be intolerable to me…it grieved my soul to the core. I felt like an alien, as those around me clapped, cheered, and other antics, after each song. Then, the pastor’s “teaching” began to be confusing to me…it seemed like he never really got to the point. In hindsight, the Lord was doing a spiritual surgery on my heart, separating my heart from this “family” I had loved for 15 years.
    We have since found (at last, thank You Lord!) a church that teaches expositionally, and the music is REVERENT. Even though it was heart-rending to leave so many friends behind, it was well worth it to be where the Lord has us now. Soli Deo Gloria!

  4. Chas

    From the article:

    “Suffice it to say, there is an unusual power to transform lives for the better when the Cross is preached and the doctrines of repentance, justification by grace through faith, and being born and renewed of the Holy Spirit are expounded upon. “

    I agree, provided the concepts of “repentance”, “justification”, etc. are properly taught. Often they are not, especially when the word “repentance” comes up. The biggest single, most specific issue I see in the church at large is the complete misunderstanding of “repentance” in justification. So many false doctrines have been built upon the same key error. Well-known, high-profile individuals such as John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, John Piper and many others continue to teach that repentance in salvation means “turning from sin” when it means no such thing. “Repentance” simply means “a change of mind”. In justification it means to change one’s mind about one’s need for salvation; that one cannot do anything to save one’s self. Essentially, repentance means to turn from unbelief to belief in Christ’s sacrifice for sin, applying it to one’s self and resting in Him. No “turning from sin” is required for justification or for receiving eternal life. Paul wrote:

    “To the one who does NOT work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.” (Bold, mine.)

    Those who teach “lordship salvation”–with its false definition of repentance–have continued to double down on their false turn-from-sins-to-be-saved gospel, leading many to despair (if they really admit what turning from sin entails, and that they can never do it completely), to pride (if they convince themselves that their life has “improved” significantly according to some subjective, arbitrary standard), or–if they are already a believer–to doubt, confusion, and “shipwreck as regards the faith”.

    As long as the poison of lordship salvation is allowed in the Church, the Spirit will be grieved, the Church will continue to be weak and the spread of the Gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone will be seriously hindered. It’s appalling that so many pastor/teachers who know better are reluctant focus on the issue.

  5. T. I. Miller

    Is Aaron the the first professional clergyman to go seeker friendly? Aaron does a survey of the grumbling murmurings of the people. He surveyed their complaints and their fleshly desires. They wanted to toss Moses aside and make a new god to follow.
    Aaron caters to their godless desires and creates an idol, a golden calf to replace Moses and God.
    This golden calf is a type of every single false teaching that the professional clergy let it into the church. They violate Gal. 1:6-9 because of verse 10 (they) “are now seeking the favor of men NOT God”. They replace loyalty to God, above all else, with loyalty to the pastor and the congregation. Do they love the seat of honor more than God? What are they feeding the sheep?
    Can every member define, understand and explain the difference between justification and sanctification?
    No they cannot, but they do know the new seeker friendly happy clappy songs.
    When the congregation applauds the worship team that’s entertainment not worship. A little golden calf here and a little golden calf over there, no big deal to the seeker friendly pastor.

  6. Iva

    The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit…and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12.)
    ‘Pastors’ who view pornography and ‘pastors’ who preach ‘another gospel’ are NOT pastors but wolves. Only in their minds are they ‘at the top rung of the ladder’. They need to repent and humble themselves before God for they do not have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
    The article asked: ‘Who is to blame?’
    Each and every person who has left the Gospel behind and replaced it with apostasy, including the ‘new spirituality’ movement. When we meet the Lord, we can not blame the pastor because we chose to believe a lie rather than the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2: 10-11.)
    Because, ‘the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and the word of God has discerned the thoughts and intents of the hearts.
    People need to read the Bible and be reminded of those who will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God.
    (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)…and those who preach another gospel, let them be accused. (Galatians 1:8-9.)
    Because the word of God is alive, it’s active, and discerns our hearts and intents…
    This is a power article and as you say, CLING to the Gospel!

  7. Iva

    God is our refuge, Shirley. The ‘church’ is scary and it is hard to find a church that stands by the Gospel of Christ, and for many it is impossible. But God is a very present help in trouble.
    I, too, believe we are in the last days…false prophets will arise and deceive many…and if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived. Matthew 24.

  8. Iva

    You certainly are not alone in needing to ‘continually preach the Gospel to yourself’, Shannon! We stand strong because of the Gospel! God will keep us strong for He is our strength. God bless you!

  9. Gary Gutshall

    Now that ladies and gentlemen, is why Mr. & Mrs. D. have such an outstanding, insightful ministry. I once was actually sitting in a Church membership class while the Pastor said how in their Church name, “the word -Baptist- is small”. Humm… Along with that he said they are affiliated with Converge. I just had to write that little word down and do some research… Since then I have a couple reams of printed paper on the Missional and seeker sensitive movement relating to how the Church is getting their ears tickled in the modern day downgrade. In lovingly talking to the associate Pastor, he was ok with the seeker sensitive model. We have since found a small, rare, Whole Council of God, expositional (not topical) preaching Church.

    Also mentioned in a previous post a couple other fine sources for discernment, neglecting it was a given that Lighthouse Trails sets the standard. A daily check for me. 🙂

  10. Shannon Cannariato

    Thank you for this article! It is encouraging to know that I’m not the only one who needs to continually preach the Gospel to myself! By the Gospel, I have new life…it is ALWAYS good news…so it bears repeating, every day until He calls me home!

  11. Shirley Roy

    This is so true, I came out of drugs and living with rock bands, drugs and was saved during the Jesus Movement at Calvary Chapel with Chuck Smith. It was a healing experience for me and I now love and follow Jesus. I have been attacked by leaders I respected and told my testimony was a lie, I have been ridiculed, I was raped by a church leader but he was caught and the whole thing was on the Internet on scandals in that church, God healed me. The church has become scary to me, it’s hard to find a church that’s not into the seeker friendly movement, Kundalini, teaching Yoga and more. I believe it is the last days.

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