“FAITH UNDONE” by Roger Oakland
the emerging church…a new formation or an end-time deception
One would be hard-pressed to find a more complete description of the various end-time deceptions currently exploding in our churches in one single paperback book. Roger has accomplished this feat in “Faith Undone”.
Why is his book so relevant today? Consider this statement. “In the near future, Christians of every denomination will have to decide whether to support or reject the spirituality behind the emerging church.”
Here are some of the topics he covers in his 13 chapters.
- Emerging Spirituality
- Mysticism
- Post-Modernism
- Labryinths
- Contemplative Spirituality
- Yoga
- The “Eucharistic” Christ
- Purpose Driven Ecumenism
- The Kingdom of God on Earth
- The New Reformation
From Chapter 1 – A New Kind of Church
“It is not the ambience of the emerging church that causes me to write this book. It is the theological underpinnings….But is this ‘new reformation’ actually the way God has instructed us to go?… A new form of Christianity will replace faith with a faith that says man can find his own path to God and create a perfect kingdom of God here on the earth. The Word will become secondary to a system of works and rituals driven by ancient mystical practices.” (pp. 12-13)
This last sentence “The Word will become secondary to a system of works and rituals driven by ancient mystical practices”, is so very true of every deceptive practice being introduced into the church and the world today. This falls in line with occultist Alice Bailey who said “the teachings of the East and of the West must be fused and blended before the true and universal religion could appear on earth”.* When the church embraces occult teachings, we have to come to our senses and take notice of what is happening right in front of our eyes. The Bible warns of this deception but people do not want to listen.
Roger also says:
“This book does not attempt to identify every key player in the emerging church movement. There are too many…my objective is not to attack individuals but rather to unveil a belief system. Thus, this is not a book out to get the bad guys. On the contrary, it is a book that seeks to rescue those involved with the emerging church and countless others heading in that direction.”
“In the near future, Christians of every denomination will have to decide whether to support or reject the spirituality behind the emerging church. If the emerging church continues unfolding at its present pace, mainstream evangelical Christianity will be restructured so that the biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ will be considered too narrow and too restrictive.” (p.20)
This is happening this very instant and many are totally unaware. This is why Roger’s book is so important. Let’s take a look at some of his other findings. This is from Chapter 6, When West Meets East.
“In the early ’80s, I became aware of a major shift in thinking that was sweeping the Western world. Religious pagan practices of the past, once relegated to a world of darkness, were now being embraced as the ways and means of ushering in an age of enlightenment….Every method and therapy imaginable imported from Hinduism, Buddhism and every form of Eastern mysticism suddenly was in vogue. The age of enlightenment had arrived, we were told.” (p.93)
This cannot be more true. Think back even farther when the Beatles swept in from England in the mid 60’s. They themselves delved into Hinduism and Transcendental Meditation because of George Harrison’s fascination with the East. The baby-boomers of today are already familiar with these practices so it is no wonder that it is not a stretch for them to readily accept yoga and meditation into their life. What does Roger have to say about this?
“Today it is becoming increasingly common to hear about churches promoting Christian yoga or Christian leaders suggesting the best way to enhance one’s prayer life is by getting in tune with God through repeating a mantra. What was once described as New Age and occultic is acceptable now in some Christian circles. ”
“Anyone who cares to do the research will find that yoga and its connection to Eastern religion remains the same. Linking oneself with the universal energy is still its goal. A Christian can believe that yoga is for health and well being if he or she wants, but the facts have not changed.”
“Can a Christian incorporate Hindu spiritual practices in order to get closer to the Jesus Christ of the Bible?” (pp. 94,96)
Roger goes on to explain why the answer to this question is NO. But you will have the read the book for the remaining argument. Let’s go on to Rick Warren and some of his extraordinary quotes found in Chapter 9, The Kingdom Of God On Earth.
“Rick Warren’s reformation, which will bring in the Kingdom of God through global cooperation for a common cause, will include Catholics, Muslims, and homosexuals – a combination hardly similar to the 16th century reformation…Rick Warren believes that God has shown him not only the boundaries (or lack of them) of this coming global kingdom, but also the strategy to bring it about. Before Warren came up with the plan, he says he asked Jesus to show him how to reach the world. He explains:” (p.149) (Warren’s comments in red)
RW “Then I said, ‘How did You do it? You wouldn’t have left us without a strategy.’ And I found the answer in a passage in Matthew 10 and Luke 10 where Jesus sends His first followers out…He says, ‘When you go into a village, you find the man of peace in every village, in every government, in every business, in every church.* The man of peace does not have to be a Christian believer. Could be Muslim. Could be Jewish. Because when Jesus said, ‘Find the man of peace, there were no Christians yet. Jesus hadn’t died on the cross. There was no resurrection. He’s just saying, go out and find somebody to work with.” (pp. 149-150)
“Jesus did not say they were to look for a man of peace of every town, Rather he said ‘whatsoever city or town ye shall enter , enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go hence” (Matthew 10:11)…it is important to realize that the criterion for staying in a house was not the greeting of peace itself but whether those in that house received their message.
“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.” (Matthew 10:14)
“Let me speak very boldly here: if we are going to link hands with those who believe in another gospel or no gospel at all for the sake of establishing an earthly, unified kingdom, we will not be building the kingdom of God.” (p.151)
RW “I stand before you confidently right now and say to you that God is going to use you to change the world…I’m looking at a stadium full of people who are telling God they will do whatever it takes to establish God’s Kingdom ‘on earth as it is in heaven.’ What will happen if the followers of Jesus say to Him, ‘We are yours’? What kind of spiritual awakening will occur?” (p. 153)
“What does Warren mean by ‘whatever it takes’?
I am going to advance to Chapter 12, A New Reformation, for the next Rick Warren quote.
“In an article written by Rick Warren, “What Do You Do When Your Church Hits a Plateau?”, Warren told pastors and church leaders not to be discouraged about slow change in their churches. He told them it would take time…and in many cases, it would take these resisters either leaving the church or simply dying. Warren exhorts:” (p.204)
RW “If your church has been plateaued for six months, it might take six months to get it going again. If it’s been plateaued a year, it might take a year. If it has been plateaued for 20 years, you’ve got to set in for the duration. I’m saying people are going to have to die or leave. Moses had to wander around the desert for 40 years while God killed off a million people before he let them go into the Promised Land. That may be brutally blunt, but it’s true. There may be people in your church who love God sincerely, but who will never, ever change.” (p.205)
“By making statements like this, Rick Warren marginalized those who won’t go along with the new reformation that he is hoping for. While Warren doesn’t say that people should kill them, he does say that God may have to end their lives, just like when ‘God killed off a million people before he let them go into the Promised Land.'” (p.205)
These are frightening statements and I am sick of Rick but he will have to be dealt with. There is so much more in “Faith Undone”, like Warren telling his followers that the details of Christ’s return are none of our business, (I can’t tell you everything!), but we must move on to the emergents.
There are so many involved in the emergent movement that one needs to go to www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com or http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/ to check out all the names, but Roger gives much attention to Brian McLaren. (blue comment) McLaren was named one of the country’s top 25 “Most Influential Evangelicals” in 2005 by Time magazine.
“In an interview, Brian McLaren questioned the idea of God sending His Son to a violent death, calling it “false advertising for God”:
BL “One of the huge problems is the traditional understanding of hell. Because if the cross is in line with Jesus’ teaching then-I won’t say, the only, and I certainly won’t say the primary–but a primary meaning of the cross is that the kingdom of God doesn’t come like the kingdoms of this world, by inflicting violence and coercing people. But that the kingdom of God comes through suffering and willing, voluntary sacrifice. But in an ironic way, the doctine of hell basically says, no, that’s not really true. That in the end, God gets His way through coercion and violence and intimidation and domination, just like every other kingdom does. The cross isn’t the center then. The cross is almost a distraction and false advertising for God.”
“What an extraordinary example of faith under attack and the consequences of thinking outside the box. If McLaren is right, all those who have ever lived and believed in Christ’s atonement have been misled and wrong. McLaren has taken the freedom to to reconstruct what faith means by distorting the Scripture, or worse yet, saying the opposite of what the inspired Word of God says. This is blasphemy!” (pp.192-193)
I have resisted taking the final comment from Roger’s book from the last chapter, Or An Endtime Deception, even though there are many gems to pick from, and have selected this from p.217
“The emergent reformation, when it comes to fruition, will stand on the side of the line drawn in the sand that says all humanity is One–regardless of religion, beliefs–we are all One. That One-ness will mean one with all creation too, and inevitably with God. This is what the New Age movement is striving for–a time when all of mankind will realize both their unity and divinity–and the Gospel as we know it, according to Scripture, will be no more.”
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Others mentioned in the book – Alice Bailey, Rob Bell, Ken Blanchard, Marcus Borg, Bob Buford, Tony Campolo, Peter Drucker, Richard Foster, Matthew Fox, Thomas Keating, Dan Kimball, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Erwin McManus, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Doug Pagitt, Leonard Sweet, and Robert Webber among others.
How is it that this one book can cover so many names and issues? It is because they are all related and together they have one goal and purpose in mind, which is Faith Undone, a must read for every Christian.
Order this book at Lighthouse Trails Publishing.
* Marilyn Ferguson, The Aquarian Conspiracy p.280
* Government, business, church is Druckers 3-legged stool.
74 comments
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December 22, 2007 at 12:47 am
Kim
Oh Mary… but that is why we love you!!!
Merry Christmas to all…..
even though it started as a pagan holiday (saturnalia)
mee..too picky too….
December 23, 2007 at 10:51 am
Peg
Thanks Kim and all, and a very Merry Christmas to all of you too!
Jeff — I’ll answer your question(s) in another post.
BTW there are a couple musical Christmas treats over on my blog if you’d like to pop over for a visit. One is a hysterically funny medley of Christmas carols (“Music for the Holidays”) and the other is “Joseph’s Song” with photo clips from The Nativity Story.
Feliz Navidad!
December 23, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Peg
Jeff wrote: curious about where it is you’re coming from
Short version: I agree with 99.9% of what CS Lewis and John Stott teach.
Long version: Raised Presbyterian, attended Catholic university, have been a music director in Lutheran, Baptist, Presby, Methodist, Catholic, and Episcopal churches.
Shortly after graduating college I prayed for someone to teach me the kind of faith CS Lewis had, and the Lord led me to a phenomenal pastor — an Anglican priest (at the time working in the Episcopal church) who is also one heckuvan evangelist. He’s now in his 70s but in his younger days he was one of the “associates” in Billy Graham & Associates.
Getting to know not only him but his colleagues and parishioners — amazing people of faith — I began to realize there’s a beautiful oasis in Christendom Anglicans call the “via media” (the “middle road”) where every believer in Jesus is welcome. My Protestant friends loved it. My Catholic friends loved it. My family loved it.
My pastor and like-minded colleagues throughout the Anglican church taught basically a very Protestant theology combined with a Catholic style of worship — very much what CS Lewis taught.
(of course the stodgy old hierarchy of today’s Episcopal church looks down their noses at us and calls us “Bapto-Presbo-Episcopalians” but I digress… I’ve already posted here about the adventure the Pittsburgh diocese is going through in making a stand for Christ against our own church hierarchy, and how our bishop and pastors are risking their careers, and the laity are risking the church buildings their steelworking and coal-mining parents and grandparents built with their own hands, rather than compromise with heresy.)
I’m not here to sell anyone on Anglicanism because I know the Catholic worship style isn’t comfortable for everyone, especially for folks who have come out of Catholic parishes that are apostate. I do caution folks though about assuming anyone who attends a church that looks Catholic is in spiritual danger — the Holy Spirit is very much alive in the liturgical churches, including some Catholic parishes I would love to show you.
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Interesting you should mention the ecumenical movement. I think there are two levels to it: (1) all the hierarchies of various denominations negotiating with each other and (2) a truly ecumenical feeling “on the ground” among the members of various churches.
(HUGE CAVEAT: When reading from this point on it’s important to keep in mind I’m writing from Pittsburgh and not from the East or West Coasts. Pittsburgh is very midwestern in mindset and theology.) The grass-roots ecumenical movement locally is incredibly strong, lots of co-operation between all the denominations, including Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. Much of this is a result of a guy named Sam Shoemaker who some 50 years ago started a prayer campaign among church leaders to make Pittsburgh as famous for God as it is for steel. When clergy pray together like this amazing things happen……! I’ve seen some of the results of this ministry first-hand, it’s awesome.
Nothing we see from “emergers” is new- nothing.
Agreed. There is nothing new under the sun. Honestly, though… having talked to some emerging pastors here locally…. if Willow Creek and Saddleback are claiming to be emerging churches I am going to fall over laughing!! No way. They’re far too traditional and left-brained to be emerging.
Also are y’all aware there has been a split in the emerging movement? There is the “Emergent” (with a T at the end) group which is the more radical, out-in-left-field, made-in-California movement… and there’s the “Emerging” (with an -ing at the end) group who, while they may look strange physically, are theologically pretty Biblical. Brian McLaren belongs to the first group and the “emerging” group is distancing themselves from his teaching pretty quickly.
I think of the “emerging” group as being sort of a bunch of ‘spiritual teenagers’ who are awkward now but will grow up into responsible members of society with our help and loving care.
…at least that’s how things are here in the ‘burgh. It may be different in the blue states….
December 23, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Lee
Peg,
Let’s hope it’s not going to be like this in Pittsburgh:
http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word/5933
Yikes!
December 24, 2007 at 8:38 am
Kim
Oh boy…the elijah list and Kathryn Kuhlman….
Don’t get me started..this year anyway!!!
There are enough worms in those two cans for many fishing trips.
December 24, 2007 at 11:00 am
Peg
Ummm… yess… well, every movement of the Spirit attracts a certain number of flakes from the Lunatic Fringe, eh?
Interesting thing about Kuhlman tho…. while I have always been put off by that whole scene… she ministered here for a long time and I have met many people who claim to have received healings at her services. I suppose it’s true what they say — miracles happen through the faith of the one who believes, regardless of any other factors.
December 24, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Kim
I have read accounts of healings that have occurred b/c of Kuhlman. I have also read of those whose healings did not last. This was heavily wrote about when she was here in Seattle/Vancouver.
My uncle was healed at a Oral Roberts meeting many, many years ago. He was in a motorcycle accident as a youth and lost part of his foot causing him to wear a built up shoe. To look at his leg today, is fascinating….His leg grew. His thigh is 1 1/2 inches longer than the other. This is easily evident by his knees. One knee is now well below the other which evened his legs so that he no longer has to wear the built up shoe.
But here is the deal. My uncle believes God healed him not Roberts. My uncle has a faith generally unseen today. So yes i believe it is true that miracles happen through faith.
When one looks at the scandals of the televangelists…never mind i don’t want to to there today…
But Benny Hinn…(disregard last paragraph) says that he received his power from the grave of Kulhman..If this is true then this power is demonic.
December 24, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Lee
But Benny Hinn… …says that he received his power from the grave of Kulhman..If this is true then this power is demonic.
I sent the Elijah List Bill Yount link in my previous post to a friend who I’m trying to show the various false teachings going on today; and, underneath this link I wrote, “Benny Hinn is said to have gone to her grave to receive some of her ‘anointing.'”
There is lots more to this story; but, I don’t wish to take this further off the original topic.
December 25, 2007 at 12:37 am
Kim
hmmm…
I have an article waiting in the wings. I guess the Lord is saying, it is time to post it.
December 25, 2007 at 11:31 am
Peg
My uncle believes God healed him not Roberts.
Totally agree, that’s it exactly.
But Benny Hinn… says that he received his power from the grave of Kulhman..If this is true then this power is demonic.
OMG that is just downright creepy. Like something out of Night of the Living Dead or something.
It also sounds somewhat related to your most recent post, the testimony of the former New Ager. All these false teachings in the ‘charismaniac’ churches… they’re all about grasping for power aren’t they? And it’s a power that we don’t have a right to in the first place. “…Jesus Christ, who, though in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but instead emptied himself taking the form of a servant…” If our Master lived this way, how much more should we…
Offtopic, here’s a piece of good news! One of our pastors announced tonight at the Christmas Eve service that our church is taking part in a city-wide effort to place a New Testament in every home in Pittsburgh by the middle of 2008. How’s that for vision, co-operative effort, and evangelism? (I get proud of our guys sometimes, can you tell?) 🙂
February 27, 2008 at 9:48 am
Robin Ward
Hi Peg
In mathew ( and others) , Jesus warns of false teachers ” within the Fold” and for us to be wary of them and avoid them. Can you please identify ( NAME NAMES) of a few for me I’m sure they wont mind since they will deny it anyway ; . This is “the last times” so please make me aware of some
Thanks Rob.
February 27, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Kim
I’ll name names…..
Where to start…so many….Chuck Pierce, Rick Warren, C. Peter Wagner, Paul Crouch, Kenneth Copland, Benny Hinn, Bill Hybels, Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, Ken Wilber, Richard Foster, Matthew Fox, Marcus Borg, Tony Campolo, Henri Nouwen, Deepak Choprah, Marilyn Ferguson, Robert Schuller, Oprah Winfery, Marianne Williamson, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Donald Neal Walsch, Mike Bickle, Rob Bell, Eugene Peterson, Paul Cain, Kim Clement, Dutch Sheets, Leonard Sweet, Dallas Willard, Brennan Manning, Jack Canfield, Betty Eadie, Joel Osteen, Rick Joyner, Morris Cerullo, T.D. Jakes….Joyce Meyer, Gerald Jampolsky…Bill Hamon
Hey wait…
go here.
Click to access MasterList.pdf
March 8, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Simon
What is at the root of this problem within the churches. Simple the church loved being in power over the world, than the world said to the church what you believe can’t be proved so the church said OK we will believe what you show us. Now the church is attempting to regain power by readjusting itself according to how the world thinks. This is nothing new, any search in church history will see the cycle within the church of power and lose of power. Today there is added spiritual power to the mix. When ever God is taken out of the picture or God is diminished in our eyes these things will always happen. God hasn’t changed we have. Self effort even with power can’t save one soul, can force others to conform but cannot reach the heart. Nothing is new under the sun this has been tried and failed before. The church can’t emerge for the simple reason that the church doesn’t belong to itself, it is Christ’s So that leaves one reason why it emerges by our own efforts and hard work. What a lot of waste of time and energy for man cannot accomplish God’s purpose never has and never will. What I am saying to whom do we really belong and where is our real focus for God is able to reveal to us what is of Him or not and is able to keep us from being ensnared in it. So where are our hearts what is its focus?
March 9, 2011 at 5:10 am
Simon
If I am not mistaken Many are looking for great signs and wonders, yet God will raise up men to preach repentance without any accompanying signs so that the dependence on signs and wonders may be broken.