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| Some people try to fit in with the Andy Stanley/Craig Groeschel clown ministry model. |
Apostasy is falling away from the Christian faith, predicted in the pastoral epistles and 2 Thessalonians.
KJV 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith [verb form of apostasy], giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
KJV 2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
KJV 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away [apostasy] first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
A Baptist is opposed to infant faith and infant baptism, most of all to baptismal regeneration. Baptists and associated groups always use immersion.
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| Many Lutheran pastors are ga-ga over Rick Warren. Why? |
Andy Stanley and Rick Warren are both Baptists, but they avoid the term like herpes. They think their confession of faith might hinder the numerical growth of their congregations, so they hide what they believe.
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| Crypto-Babtist Andy Stanley sold a bunch of WELS workers on attending his worship conference. Glende's pal, Ski, blogged about the awesome worship at Northpoint Community Church. |
Andy Stanley has a big D-Day event for dedicating babies, which includes a designated professional photographer. Apparently that is their imitation or mockery of infant baptism. Imitation is sincerest form of flattery, but out of place with Biblical doctrine.
What does a congregation believe or not believe? My friend wanted his baby baptized at an Evangelical Free congregation. The minister said, "We do not believe in infant baptism, but we will baptize babies for those who wish."
Doctrine and practice merge, so a church's practice says more about its beliefs than any formal statement. How many WELS congregations have "Christian Academies" that are really day-care businesses for the pastor's wife and friends?
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| "Jesus is my rice," says WELS Church and Changer Jeff Gunn. |
First, the name goes. Robert Schuller pioneered this by making his Dutch Reformed congregation "Garden Grove Community Church." All the big Fuller clones have community churches or oddball names that avoid the term church.
Next, the statement of faith turns generic. As David Becker wrote in Christian News, Time of Grace is completely generic, fitting the nickname I gave it long ago - Time of Generic Grace. Is it Lutheran? No one could accuse them of Lutheran doctrine. The TV show is listed as Mark Jeske on Daystar, and Mark Jeske never stops promoting Mark Jeske.
I gave up matching all the WELS congregations with Rick Warren generic confessions. That is one certain sign of apostasy. A congregation wants to be LCMS or WELS or something else for the base of members, but they are nothing distinctive for the general population.
The apostates answer, "But look at how well we do!" Yes, they are skilled at turning large populations into indifferent worshipers of the Old Adam, excellent preparation for Unitarian-Universalism.
Bishop Katie sent a Tweet where she rejoiced over finding former members of Jeske's congregation (where she worked with Ski) at Granger Community Church (where she and Ski were learning how to "do church," something missing at Mequon).
The big laugh--or sob--will be the populations of all these generic emergent churches leaving Holy Mother Synod. The strength of the current generation is leaving quickly because those Lutherans were raised on a catechism (not Kuske's) and taught something of substance.
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| May you prosper like Schuller, may you leave an indelible bad impression on everyone, and may you take your minions down the same road to perdition. |
