Posted on 08/09/2005 7:26:27 AM PDT by SirLinksalot
Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy is Destroying the Church
When over four thousand people gathered for the Lead Like Jesus Conference in Louisville, Kentucky last year and thousands more watched by satellite in churches across the country, there was nothing but approval and applause from Christian leaders and the media. These events are being held several times a year and are attended by nationally known Christian speakers like Max Lucado, Rick Warren and Henry Blackaby. In fact, Rick Warren is on the board of Ken Blanchard's Lead Like Jesus organization. The stated purpose of the conferences is to help people become leaders by following the leadership habits of Jesus Christ. The purpose is not one of evangelism, but rather teaching the traits of Jesus to help others achieve personal success.
Given the near complete absence of emphasis and concern over sound doctrine in evangelical churches today, is it any surprise that conferences like this are allowing a platform for New Spirituality proponents within the heart of once Bible preaching churches? During the famous Downgrade Controversy among believers in England in the 1870's, famous London preacher Charles H. Spurgeon took a courageous stand for sound doctrine in the face of false teaching that was coming into the Baptist churches of his day. Today, pastors like Max Lucado invite the false teachers into their churches to teach Christians how to “Lead Like Jesus”. We've come a long way, baby.
Ken Blanchard's Lead Like Jesus Conferences are a case and point. A look at the Board of Directors for the organization is instructive. Besides Rick Warren's familiar face, we have Laurie Beth Jones, author of several books including Jesus CEO: Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership. She is a corporate leadership coach and she travels the world telling business leaders how to be more effective and “spiritual”. There is a problem, however. To be featured as a speaker at Christian conferences, Laurie keeps some rather strange company. Laurie was a featured speaker at the 1998 and 2003 Business and Consciousness Conferences. This is the same conference that featured the occult author and New Age guru Barbara Marx Hubbard. Hubbard channeled a demonic retelling of the book of Revelation that turns the Last Judgment into a mockery where those who oppose world peace and tolerance are the goats, and those who embrace her occult spirituality are the sheep. She says that those who oppose this new spirituality are a cancer that must be cut out of humanity. (That would be you and me as blood-washed believers.) At the very same conference was none other than long time occult teacher Matthew Fox, author of The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, who is currently calling for a “New Reformation” of spirituality where the recognition of the Divine within will be worldwide in scope and transformational for society. Those are just two who spoke at the same conference with Laurie Beth Jones. What does Laurie believe that she would willingly have her photo featured on the Business and Consciousness website along with information for Shamanic healing, achieving altered states of consciousness and Sacred Sexuality? Why would Ken Blanchard have her on his board of directors for Lead Like Jesus unless he too believes the same things or has no problem with them? (I have pointed out Ken Blanchard's numerous New Age ties in a previous column. His endorsement of Vijay Eswaren's In The Sphere of Silence, published on June 4, continues to be featured on the book's website.) Ken remains silent as these questions have been raised.
Laurie, like most who are undermining biblical teachings despises doctrine. On her website she
states this:
------------------------------------------
First, we must remember what unites us rather than what divides us, and cast aside doctrines
and tribal beliefs—the we're-better-than-you-stuff. We don't need to lose our traditions
but we do need to gain the understanding that Jesus did not come to set up a new religion,
but to teach us about the individual connections we each have with God.”
Laurie Beth Jones www.jesusceo.com
-------------------------------------------------
Laurie's mission isn't teaching sound, biblical doctrine and sharing the Gospel, but as it says on her website header, to “recognize, promote and inspire divine connection in myself and in others.” This would explain why Laurie can float and cross pollinate so easily between conferences of those who promote the doctrines of anti-Christ and those who claim to be evangelicals.
So where are the Christian pastors who see what Laurie Beth Jones and Ken Blanchard are doing? Where is the deep concern for truth here? Why does Rick Warren who is also on this same board not see one of his purposes as contending for the faith? Where is the passionate and fiery love for Christ and His church that led so many martyrs to early and terrible deaths? Why is there a Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy among nationally known leaders like Max Lucado who invite this right into their church? Thousands of spiritual leaders in San Antonio have been invited to attend a free breakfast for the Lead Like Jesus Conference, drawing even more under the influence of Ken Blanchard and Laurie Beth Jones. The need for watchmen on the wall in this hour is desperate.
CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE REST
Might want to use this link instead:
http://www.worldviewweekend.com/secure/cwnetwork/print.php?ArticleID=192
"bump" to finish later...quite thought-provoking, isn't it?!
Yeah, let's put away all that Bible-stuff that causes debates and focus more on the frilly-goodness that no one takes any issue with!
Straight and narrow is the path and few there be who find it.
Lexington, KY
Yes--and as the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy(2Timothy4:3,4)
For the time will come when men willnot put up with sound
doctrine>Instead ,to suit thei rown desires,they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.They will turn their ears away from the truth,and turn aside to myths"Sounds like this silly woman has proven Paul to be prophetic.
These people are the reason that we have the mess in the church that we have, from homosexuals in the pulpit, to new agers running ministry outreaches.
We need a good old fashioned Gideon's Revival (one where we lose 30,000, and par down to the 300).
Disgusting spirit of apostasy.
Jesus wondered if there would any faithful would remain when HE returns. We will remain, but it appears we will soon be a reviled minority.
bttt
The "commercialization" of the Church.....is what really bothers me......sometimes I find myself wondering whether it's just a big ponzi scheme.......
The purpose is not one of evangelism, but rather teaching the traits of Jesus to help others achieve personal success.
It ain't about gettin', it's about giving and serving.
Folks,
I think the problem is that the church is losing its focus on timeless principles and embracing Fadishness. Too many fads really. Count them ---> WWJD bracelets and jewelry ( without understanding what WWJD really means), The Prayer of Jabez ( which was so cool a few years back only to disappear later), newspaper eschatology, etc. etc. etc.
We've got to go back to basics folks. It ain't easy because it requires discipline. But thats the problem with Christianity today. We've been bitten by the 30 second sound byte bug.
The biography of Billy Sunday has a picture of him talking to Mae West. My pastor's father preached in the same pulpit once used by Billy Sunday. And, I listen to my pastor preach every Sunday.
That does not mean I find Mae West as an acceptable Christian lifestyle. Madonna, the wretched singer, not The Madonna, could be today's Mae West, and I find her uterly repulsive.
I hate writers who use condemnation by association.
You know what? The writer of the article posts on the same web as the Satanists!
The article is about "Christian" speakers endorsing multiple New Age books and/or being New Agers themselves.
If Billy Sunday endorsed Helena Blavatsky books, that's a huge problem. If Billy Sunday participated in half-gospel half-New Age seminars with Helena Blavatsky's friends, that's a problem.
By the way, Rick Warren was actually a big part of the latest Live8 concert agenda, which did star Madonna! But that was more about a marxist social gospel than New Age spirituality though, so people aren't criticizing him so much for that poor choice.
So the problem isn't casual association with the world's lefty rock or business management stars as you imply. It's about Christians embracing the New Spirituality, and New Agers who embrace Christianity just enough to fool our weak Christian leaders and their Biblically illiterate flock.
<<<<
You know what? The writer of the article posts on the same web as the Satanists!
>>>>
Really ! I didn't know that !
1) Could you show us that this is true ?
2) And if #1 is true, does the writer, knowing that this is so, invite these same people to come to her church to speak ( just like some of the people in the said article did ) ?
My point :
There is a difference between not knowing that you are on the same website as people whose worldview you do not endorse and inviting them openly to preach and teach in your pulpit.
I didn't say the same website. I said the same web...aka internet...and you know what? the internet was invented by Al Gore, the tree-hugging do nothing positive who took bribes from Chinese Buddhist monks who were under a vow of poverty.
You've got to wonder when Texans have jumped the shark. That's as bible belt as you're going to get. Maybe it's just the liberal influence that comes with bigger cities and mega churches.
Have you ever seen the Max Lucado infomercial? Jesus, the cross, Christ, sin, the Bible, salvation, etc are never mentioned once.
Feel free to be, or follow the kind of Christian that will deny Christ for personal gain and see how far it gets you in God's eyes. My guess is not far.
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