Faith Undone

1/A New Kind of Church
Leaders of the emerging church say drastic changes must take
place because the church can no longer be effective with old ways
and an old church. We need a new kind of Christianity if we are
going to make a difference in people€s lives and the world around
us. But just what is this new kind of Christianity?
2/The Birth of the Emerging Church
Contrary to what many believe, the current emerging church
movement was not initiated by a group of disillusioned young
people. In reality, the movement was largely the inspiration of a
successful business guru whose ideas on an emerging church were
catapulted into existence by other successful businessmen, and
thus it became the influential religious force it is today. Backed by
multi-million dollar corporations and entities, its very core has
been influenced dramatically by those with mystical affinities.
3/A €œNew€ Faith for the 21st Century
The Word of God is under attack. According to emerging
church leaders, the Bible is not so much for truth and doctrine
as it is for hopes, ideas, and participation. In other words, don€t
use the Bible as a means of theology or absolute truth and
standards by which to live; rather than the Bible molding the
Christian€s life, let the Christian€s life mold the Bible.
4/Riding the Emerging Church Wave
How far is this new kind of church willing to go to reach its objective?
Emerging church proponents say there is a new wave taking place
and we have to hop on. The wave is a Vintage Christianity, which in
reality is an experience-based religion. Experiences must be
implemented in order to attract both Christians and non-Christians
alike; we must appeal to this postmodern generation with its hunger
for experience, rituals, and mysticism.5/Rituals from the Past
The emerging church embraces multi-sensory worship. While
many are bewildered why their churches are darkening their
sanctuaries, setting up prayer stations with candles, incense,
and icons, the promoters of the emerging church movement say
they know exactly what they are doing by practicing mysticism
through music, rituals, and worship and offering stimulating
images for a spiritual experience.
6/Ancient-Future Path to Rome
Leaders of the emerging church say the ideas and beliefs of the
early church fathers (100 AD to 600AD) are important and
these teachings from the past will bring spiritual transformation
and success to churches in the 21st century.
7/When West Meets East
Contemplative spirituality (i.e., mysticism) is to the emerging
church what the wind is to a sail boat. Without it, there is no
momentum, and it is woven into the very fabric of the emerging
church€s ambience. In order to understand why this is so
important, we must first understand the dynamics of
contemplative spirituality.
8/Monks, Mystics, and the Ancient Wisdom
The emerging church is embracing contemplative spirituality
and what is called the ancient wisdom. While appearing to be
Christian because of the altered terminology, in actuality, it is
occult based and New Age.
9/The Evangelization of Eucharistic Adoration
The Roman Catholic Church has a plan to establish the
Kingdom of God here on Earth and win the world to the
Roman Catholic Jesus€"the Eucharistic Christ. It is believed
the €œtriumph of the Eucharist€ will be accomplished when the
world (including the separated brethren) come under the rule
and reign of Rome and the Eucharistic Jesus. The presence of
€œChrist€ in the Eucharist is the second coming, Roman Catholic
style. The emerging church is a bridge to Rome.
10/The Kingdom of God on Earth
The Bible says that Jesus Christ will establish His kingdom
when He returns to Earth. But today a theology called Kingdom
Now or Dominionism is permeating the walls of Christianity,
and the emerging church movement is taking this heretical
belief full speed into the next generation. With the idea that
the church can establish the Kingdom of God before Christ
returns and essentially turn our world into a Christian world,
this belief system has literally changed the way countless
Christians view the world and go about their Christian living.
What most of them don€t realize is this Kingdom of God on
Earth mindset is an all out effort by Satan to merge together
the religions of the world and thus negate the gospel message.
11/The Undoing of Faith
The fruit of the emerging church includes: changes in views on
sexuality (homosexuality acceptance and tantra, a mixture of
mysticism and sex), the desire by emerging leaders to stop
identifying with Christianity, eradicating the gap between good
and evil (the very goal of Satan€s religion, the New Age), and
developing a new missiology which says keep your own religion,
just add Jesus. This truly is the undoing of Christian faith.
12/A Slaughterhouse Religion?
If someone said that emerging church leaders don€t like the
Cross, many would cry out, €œYes, they do. I€ve heard them talk
about Jesus and the Cross.€ But while this may be true, there is
an underlying theme building momentum in the emerging church
that says, €œJesus going to the Cross was an example of sacrifice
and service that we should follow. But the idea that God would
send His Son to a violent death for the sins of mankind€"well
that is not who God is. He would never do that!€ This mindset
negates the very atonement on which biblical Christianity rests.
13/A New Reformation?
Faith Undone shows that the nature of the emerging church€s new
reformation is anything but new, and when it comes to pass could
bear violence and persecution on those who defend the Bible as
the true and literal Word of God. This is a heavy chapter that
will zero in on what this new emerging reformation will look like.
14/Or An End-Time Deception
The Bible says that in the last days Satan will deceive the whole
world with doctrines of demons and seducing spirits. The
question must be asked, is the emerging church spirituality part
of this great falling away? And just what are the earmarks of
a church that has become part of this end-time deception?
Epilogue: Is There Hope for the Church?