What’s in a Video? Part Three: Al Mohler’s Mystic Contemplationism
The next snippet of profound unction in the 2012 Resolved Conference promotion video (http://youtu.be/3BbyzPkE_kc) is that of Al Mohler, president of Southern Theological Seminary. Along with CJ Mahaney, he is one of the “core four” of the Together For The Gospel conferences. Again, a close examination of words used in this video speak to the false doctrine they teach, and Mohler’s excerpt is no exception.
Mohler refers to us being continually “rescued” by the Scriptures. Per the usual, the verbiage is deliberately ambiguous, and could apply to initial salvation or our life as Christians, or both. There is a sense in which the Scriptures continually save Christians from the consequences of sin and instruct us on how to please the Lord. But Mohler is speaking of using the Scriptures to contemplate on the gospel with the result being, as stated by others, a “mere natural flow” of obedience. This is because it is not really us obeying, it is a manifestation of the active obedience of Christ. John Piper would say that we experience the manifestation of Christ’s active obedience in our lives when the obedience is accompanied by a willing spirit and joy. If we are confronted with the necessity to obey, and have not the joy, Piper’s counsel is to go ahead and obey, but ask for forgiveness:
I am often asked what a Christian should do if the cheerfulness of obedience is not there. It’s a good question. My answer is not to simply get on with your duty because feelings don’t matter. They do! [Especially since he makes joy synonymous with true salvation in When I Don’t Desire God]. My answer has three steps. First, confess the sin of joylessness. ( John Piper: Treating Delight as Duty is Controversial ebooklet; ch3, Desiring God.org )
This is simply the Bibliology of their doctrine: the Bible has one primary purpose; it is for contemplating the gospel and the works of Christ. Biblical imperatives are a fruit catalog of things we can’t do, and are in the Bible to evoke thankfulness to Christ for obeying the imperatives for us. The result of this Gospel Contemplationism is what they call, “new obedience,” or what Piper calls, “Beholding as a way of becoming.” If you read the Forward to Uneclipsing The Son by Rick Holland, you will also find out that John MacArthur Jr. has bought into this nonsense. The secondary use of the Scriptures is for controlling the totally depraved zombie sheep and church polity.
Of course, they are not going to say it plainly, but this all boils down to the idea that we are resaved every day. Their motto is, “The same gospel that saved us also sanctifies us.” It’s a progressive justification. They call it “progressive sanctification,” but that’s deception. Likewise, New Calvinist Paul David Tripp teaches that Romans 7:24 refers to a “daily rescue” (Paul David Tripp: Playing With The Box; Southeastern Theological Seminary chapel service, Spring 2007). Couple that with the New Calvinist maxim, “We need the gospel just as much today as when we got saved,” and the kind of “rescue” they are talking about is apparent.
And this is also exactly what Mohler means in the promo clip when he said we are “rescued by the Scriptures.”
paul
What’s in a Video? Part Two: Rick Holland as Sectarian
“For the most part, these are the most influential pastors in the country being challenged with an exclusive gospel. How can that not send cold chills up the backs of discerning Christians?”
My YouTube page is not something that I promote; it is really just a workshop for my videos that are used on PPT. So, any hits on them directly on YouTube are just incidental from web surfers. However, the amount of hits on the 2012 Resolved promo clip, even in the short time that I have had it uploaded is astounding, not to mention my surprise that incidental surfers are also commenting on the video. The video has received nothing but negative comments, zero likes, and to date, 12 dislikes. Apparently, the promo clip doesn’t play well with the world in general. Keep in mind that these videos are not posted on YouTube in any particular context.
But that’s no big deal with this bunch; as others have aptly pointed out, they do not target individuals, unregenerate or otherwise, they are targeting churches, and rich ones. Note the locations of their conferences; even if many could afford the entry fee, most folks can’t afford to take one step in Palm Springs. Of course, a lot of this is being funded out of church budgets; i.e., churches (and the hard working average Joes that support them) are paying for their leaders to learn a false gospel, and to come back to take over their church with it.
Since Grace Community Church has been the promoter of this conference for nine years, the order of the pontification in the promo clip by the enlightened ones are of logical order. First, the big cheese, MacArthur; second, former GCC staff member and primary promoter Rick Holland; third, Al Mohler; fourth, Steve Larson; lastly, CJ Mahaney.
The words used by Holland are very specific and telling. The conference is very “serious” about, “God,” “sin,” “commitment,” and “the gospel.” The clear implication is that most churches don’t really know God in a significant way, what sin really is, or what the gospel really is. Farfetched? Well, words mean things. Holland states in the clip that the conference is an “opportunity” to “INTRODUCE” how to “experience” God in an “intimate” way. The clear assumption is that attenders don’t already know that. For what other reason would there be an introduction? For the most part, these are the most influential pastors in the country being challenged with an exclusive gospel. How can that not send cold chills up the backs of discerning Christians?
The biblical definition of “heretic” in the Bible is really “sect.” The word primarily refers to groups that promote false doctrine, or individuals who belong to such groups. Specifically, they are groups that divide the church with false doctrine. That is the specific biblical definition of heresy, and it is always linked to division in the church. Quibbling about the color of the carpet may cause divisions in the church, but the Bible never mentions it. Again, division is always linked to sectarianism.
Hence, churches might as well be efficient and hire Dr. Kevorkian to come in and do the job forthwith. It’s cheaper, faster, and far less painful. Congregants can also get a head start with “moving on with their lives.” And also, they won’t have to be offended by hearing about how all the sacred sacrifice that built their church was for naught, and performed by people who didn’t even know what the gospel is.
Ya, pay for your pastor to go to the 2012 Resolved Conference. Do that, great idea.
paul
What’s in a Video? Part One: MacArthur’s Fall
“CJ Mahaney could not be an elder in MacArthur’s church for many reasons, but yet, MacArthur joyfully gives him credibility as being an elder par excellent …. MacArthur’s endorsement of Mahaney assumes his innocence in a long list of unresolved conflict, and rubs salt in the wounds of Mahaney’s victims.”
The promo video for this year’s 2012 Resolved Conference is sickening for anybody that can think for themselves. I use YouTube to post my videos, and have received comments from people there regarding the clip (http://youtu.be/3BbyzPkE_kc):
Where is my barf bag? God, please deliver us from conferences and churches,
Kinda hokey. Just from the images…who do you think is being worshiped here?
For anybody who has any grey substance between their ears at all, it’s obvious who is being worshiped. But the video was not designed out of the figment of somebody’s imagination. The images and what is stated has meaning. I received the following comments on my blog concerning the light from heaven thing going on in the video:
Paul I am confused about the sparkly stuff that is falling down on these enlightened ones. Is this fairy dust?
That was very disturbing to watch.
What’s with the beams of light streaming down behind them and all the little snowflakes? It looks like they are trying to make them look like they are speaking to us from heaven or something…all ethereal and everything.
I was thinking of the same things you were about the fairy dust- strange indeed. Another thing to notice was the movie like ending of the promo- felt like I was about to watch the avengers or transformers. I guess that epic ending was to evoke a response of awe and wonder at the sheer excitement of seeing the “Christian” heros of modern evangelical movement. Next we will see them donned with capes and claim abilities of being able to see right through your depraved soul [actually, Mark Driscoll is making that claim of late].
But believe it or not, the “light from heaven” thing has meaning. Notice that the beams of light come down, but the little dots are going up. That’s the Gnostic cybernetic loop of how the totally depraved zombie sheep receive the truth of the gospel. The truth of the word is cycled from heaven through the spiritually enlightened elders. Farfetched? Well then, consider this statement from heretic/New Calvinist Dr. Devon Berry:
The text here implies that there was an interactive nature between three entities: The preacher, the hearers, and the Word. Note this cycle: Paul, from the Word, delivers words. The Bereans, from Paul’s words, go to the Word. The Word cycles from God, through the preacher, to the people, back to the Word, and this, verse 12 tells us, produced belief in the God of the Word. An important thing to note is that this happened daily – suggesting a regular interaction between preaching, personal study, and the Word.
Berry was making the case throughout the particular message that sanctifying truth only comes through Reformed elders, a belief widely held among New Calvinists. And I believe that the coming down of light, and the going up of the dots are a subtle allusion to the direct connection that New Calvinists believe these men have with heaven that is efficacious to the evangelical peasantry. Other illusions to Gnosticism in this video will be mentioned in the forthcoming parts.
In all, MacArthur’s willingness to be a part of all of this speaks for itself. It is an endorsement of the worst kind of heresy (the fusion of justification and sanctification) and those who propagate it. MacArthur’s appearance at this conference illustrates his utter indifference to basic biblical principles; such as, the importance of reconciliation, justice, and the qualifications of elders. CJ Mahaney could not be an elder in MacArthur’s church for many reasons, but yet, MacArthur joyfully gives him credibility as being an elder par excellent. MacArthur also shows his true heart towards the spiritually abused and his total lack of compassion towards them. MacArthur’s endorsement of Mahaney assumes his innocence in a long list of unresolved conflict, and rubs salt in the wounds of Mahaney’s victims.
The only thing in all of this that could be virtuous for MacArthur is the fact that this is the “Culmination” of the Resolved Conference. I strongly suspect that this is MacArthur’s way of gaining separation from Mahaney. But at the same time, it makes him a party to the concerted effort to protect the image of the New Calvinist movement which propagates a blatantly false gospel. It’s no accident that MacArthur is no longer invited to the T4G conference, and it is no accident that this conference (primarily sponsored by MacArthur’s church; ie, he has some control of it) is going to be terminated. Something is going on, but like the Piper controversy at Mac’s church, and the Mahaney controversy at RC Sproul’s church, nobody is talking. The image of the spiritual Camelot of our day must be protected. Gag.
paul
Abused Congregation Pioneering Exodus From New Calvinism
A group of embattled, ravaged parishioners have ultimately lost the fight to save their church from a business as usual New Calvinist hostile takeover. Per the usual, their pleadings to other churches and ministries for help fell on deaf, indifferent ears. Authority = truth; game over. The teachings that these Christians endured for the better part of two years was hyper-antinomianism on steroids. The pastor’s sermons were so outrageous that a visiting adolescent was disturbed by the idea that she couldn’t do anything to please the Lord that she loves. Got millstone?
However, I must say, they put up one heck of a fight. But what they are seriously considering next is phenomenal, and will be the wave of the future—they are starting their own church. If the leaders that comprise their fellowship of churches will not stand with them when wolves attack, what else is left? As author John Immel aptly states it:
When the sheep figure out that the shepherd only defends against the wolf because he wants the same wool and mutton. When it dawns on his herd animal mind that he will be eaten either way, he finally stands up like a man and argues against the definition of “God’s Glory” equaling being served up for dinner. In that moment, the howl from the wolves and the shepherds is the same.
I received this news along with a request for some suggestions on what should be the primary focus of a new church, but first, there has been an ongoing request from the same folks for remarks on Transitioning: Leading Strong-arming Your Church Through Change by Dan Sutherland. So, I will kill two birds with one stone here.
The book was one of the worst books I have ever read in my life. Not because of its wicked protocol for taking over churches, but rather its lifeless outline form with worn-out clichés and churchy truisms making up the points and sub points. The whole book can be summed up the same way:
1. Vision.
A. Sell a group of leaders on your vision.
B. Find a way to eliminate any mere sippers of the Koolaid from the leadership team.
2. Divide the congregation into small groups.
A. Put the groups under the authority of the Kool-aid guzzling leadership team.
3. Mark those who dare think for themselves.
A. Begin process of neutralizing thinkers.
4. Totally depraved zombie sheep resist change only because its change and would
wonder aimlessly about without the strong guidance of the enlightened ones.
5. Totally depraved zombie sheep cannot handle change because:
A. They think they only need grass and a pond.
B. They don’t like new stuff.
C. They think more sheep equals less grass for them.
D. They are afraid the Shepherd won’t have time to find them if they get lost.
E. If too much is going on, they will forget where the pond is.
Now, for suggestions on starting a new church. First, broadcast the idea that you are Bible centered, and make the Bible your sole authority for everything. I see God’s people becoming very hungry for this. Second, focus on Christ’s mandate to make disciples. Third, the leaders should equip, and the congregation should minister. Fourth, unity is measured by agreement on truth, and nothing else. Fifth, elder led, and elder/congregational rule. In our day, do I really have to sell that? Sixth, Jay Adams has done most of the heavy lifting on sanctification stuff. Invest heavily in his material. When word gets out that real help can be found there from the word of God, trust me, people will come. The gospel is problem-centered. Seventh, don’t let cowards into leadership. Eighth, don’t let anti-separatist into leadership. Ninth, never forget what you have learned from your wounds. Tenth, don’t over-react to your wounds in planning for the future.
And lastly, you have no idea how much freedom and joy in the Lord you are going to experience if you do this.
God’s speed my dear friend,
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
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