The EMERGING CHURCH MOVEMENT – Its ROOTS, Its REALITY and Its RESOLVE PART 1

By James Fire

EZEKIEL 3:17
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

1 PETER 5:8 
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

ACTS 20:29-31
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

2 PETER 2:1
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

Over the course of more than three and a half decades I have witnessed once faithful ministers of the Word fall from their own steadfastness and allowed infiltration and corruption by Satan, the great enemy of the church, who is ever seeking to corrupt and pollute the chaste bride of Christ and her purity.

We are in the days of the apostasy; many falling away from the faith; many more will. By God’s grace, may we watch and pray, warn; and exhort, rebuke, reprove with all patience (2 TIM 4:2) those who are steering away from the truth, and giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons (1 TIM 4:1).

The following is a two part summary article that is composed of a great many TTUF articles on the subject of the Emergent Church movement. Also included in these articles are the latest news regarding this phenomena, ministry and book links that help expose these heresies and accompanying videos!

GENESIS 1:1-2
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

God concluded His creation on the 6^th day, after daily bringing increased order to the chaos (“without form and void”) at the end of each day. He pronounced His finished work, His One World Order as “very good” (vs. 31).

Then in the realm of heaven – Lucifer one day basically declared “Not Thy will O God, be done, but my will be done” (ISAIAH 14:12-14; EZEK 28:12-15). 

At that point, Lucifer was out of order; no longer submitted to God’s Unified World Order he started a different world order, a second world order, a new world order and conspired with other angels against God, and drew a third of them after himself (REV 12:4).

Upon the realm of earth – Lucifer then attempted to recruit the man, and his wife to his cause; when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, denying God’s will – they fell into sin and took on a sinful nature. Legally speaking, the human race would no longer be led by the steward of God’s choosing – Adam – but rather by Lucifer aka Satan, who at that time took on the title of “the god (ruler) of this new world order” (2 COR. 4:4).

At the Tower of Babel, (GEN 11:1-9) this New World Order developed into a one world government and religion. God disbanded them by confusing their one world language, creating dozens of languages, and forcing people to group together into separate nations based on their common language.

As the nations were dispersed, these people took with them the religion of Babylon, including what became known as “the mystery schools” and “esoteric societies” which kept the occult (meaning “secret” or “hidden”) knowledge throughout these thousands of years.

All religion, except for biblical, Mosaic Judaism, and Christianity, come from man’s own creation; no doubt inspired by and directed to Satan, under various names of course, to be worshiped by the fallen race of mankind. Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism as well as Wicca and various forms of paganism – all came about much later, but their beliefs were based on the Babylonian religion:

John the apostle in the book of REVELATION said:

REVELATION 17:3-6
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON The GREAT, The MOTHER Of HARLOTS And ABOMINATIONS Of The Earth. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

For more on Babylon, both its history and future destiny, watch this video (5 min 41 sec) from the excellent series, KNOW YOUR ENEMY, by the Fuel Project:

‘Harlot’ by biblical definition is a symbol of false religion (JER 3:1,6,8 and EZEK 16:15-16, and elsewhere). The “Mother of harlots” therefore would be the source, the origin that gave birth to all false religion and this includes the mystery schools as well: “MYSTERY” – the many schools of the occult.
And she is riding (comfortably) on – the Beast!!?

We even see these mystery schools in the books of Isaiah and Daniel (ISAIAH 2:6; 47:13; DAN 2:27; 4:7).

By the Devil’s diabolical determination, this Plan which he has been building for thousands of years – like the brick and mortar of the Tower of Babel – will finally be completed in the days of anti-Christ. Presently, this Plan is affecting, in one way or another, every church here in America, and the world. If you don’t believe this, then you need to listen up and learn precisely what the strategy of this “Plan” is!

I want to help raise the alarm and call Christian’s attention to this abomination, so that we might be on our guard, test every teaching we hear in our churches by the light of Scripture, and remain steadfast in our prayer closets, never forgetting for a moment that this is a spiritual warfare!

The Nineteenth Century – the 1800’s was a very significant time for the occult as well as ideologies that formed the basis of what we’re seeing today: a new world order that is Babylon Reborn. Four events in history – among many others – were very significant:

(1). The birth of The Theosophical Society, (2) the theory of evolution according to Charles Darwin, and (3) two books written by H.G. Wells. These all developed and promoted various ideologies that would form the New World Order.

(4). Additionally, there came forth Biblical skeptics, liberal scholars that promoted doubt and disbelief in Biblical truth in the eyes of their students; that is, Liberal Christianity, which has infiltrated most of Christendom.

“The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 by Helena Blavatsky and several others. Its objective: the investigation, study and explanation of [occult] phenomena. They  “… formed a universal brotherhood of humanity and encouraged students in the study of comparative religion, philosophy, and science; also to investigate the unexplained laws of nature and the [occult] powers latent in man.

“As early as 1889 Blavatsky [secretly] told a group of Theosophical students that the real purpose of establishing the Society was to prepare humanity for the reception of the World Teacher or ‘the Christ’ (read that, anti-Christ) when he appeared again on earth. This was repeated again more publicly by Annie Besant in 1896, five years after Blavatsky's death.”

After Annie Besant, Alice Bailey assumed leadership.

Alice Bailey (born June 16th, 1880) in England; raised in an orthodox Christian family which she would say later, made her very unhappy and a bad tempered little girl.

The Twentieth Century - In 1917 she moved to the USA, where she was introduced to the teachings of Theosophy. She met, and married, her 2^nd husband Foster Bailey (33rd degree Scottish Rite Freemason).

Between 1919 and 1949 (the year of her death), she produced twenty-four books (produced by her organization’s own publishing company, Lucis Trust*, originally called the Lucifer Publishing Co). Nineteen of these books were written by her Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul- supposedly, a spirit entity that channeled information through her.

Much of the content of these books dealt with "The Plan." Which in turn influenced the birth of many New Age groups (the various schools of the occult were named ‘the New Age movement’ by Alice Bailey herself): The Church Universal and Triumphant, Benjamin Creme's The Tara Center, the Robert Muller Schools and The Temple of Understanding, to name a few.

* Today, the Lucis Trust is run through an international Board of Trustees whose membership is populated by an international conspiracy of elitists like the Rockefellers, Kissinger, George Soros and other globalists committed to their new world order government and are members of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Bilderbergs, and the Trilateral Commission.

Most importantly, Lucis Trust influences powerful business CEOs and national leaders throughout the world, providing worldwide financial support for all of Alice Bailey’s New Age groups [World Goodwill, Triangles, Lucis Publishing, Lucis Trust Libraries, and the New Group of World Servers]. It also maintains the UN Meditation Room.

In her own words, Sarah McKechnie, the New Age President of The Lucis Trust talks about Satan, Lucifer and the United Nations in this video (Note to reader: This is a secular video, not a Christian perspective, but McKechnie's own words reveal the truth of the occult origins and purposes of 'the Plan'):

The late Robert Muller, the Assistant Secretary-General of the UN was also a mystic and was deeply committed to the teachings of Alice Bailey. He developed a World Core Curriculum based on her philosophy and whose ideologies have already been incorporated into our own American Public School system. 

Think about that – our Public School’s official philosophy was inspired by demonic spirits!

Just as the demonic realm infiltrated the school systems, our society at large was likewise infested by the teachings of Neale Donald Walsh who wrote Conversations with God, Helen Schucman: A Course in Miracles and Barbara Marx Hubbard: The Revelation, and many others who have stated that their New Age ideas were channeled to them by ‘God’ or spirit guides, or ascended masters. Many who practice contemplative prayer are also receiving ‘divine messages’– we will address contemplative prayer and Spiritual Formation Movement later.

1 TIMOTHY 4:1 
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

For more about Walsch, Hubbard, Williamson and Schucman, here is a three part article for your consideration, based on Warren Smith's book False Christ Coming: Does Anybody Care? Part One.

Alice Bailey taught that, “prior to the coming of the [World Teacher] . . . at the head of all great organizations will be found either a Master, or an initiate who has taken the third initiation of Theosophy. At the head of certain of the great occult groups, of the Freemasons of the world, and of the various great [denominations] of the Church, and resident [leaders] in many of the great nations will be found initiates or masters… [they] are gathering in those who, in any way, show a tendency to respond to high vibration, seeking to force their vibration, so that they may be of use at the time of the coming of the [World Teacher].”

These ‘vibrations’ are also what Alice Bailey called “overshadowing” and “psychic impressions” both of which are euphemisms for demonic influence and or possession by those that Bailey referred to as “the ascended masters” or what EPH 6:10 states are Satan’s own “principalities and powers”.

“The time must come when . . . the Buddha, the guide and teacher of illumination for millions of the East, and the work of the Christ, Who came as the teacher and savior recognized first by the West, must achieve fusion. There is no . . . conflict in Their teaching. There is no competition between Them. They stand forth as the two greatest world teachers and saviors.” They shall fuse together to form “the world religion” which will serve the World Teacher [anti-Christ].

EVOLUTION: The Theory of Iniquity

The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life.

Produced in the 19^th century and championed in the 20^th century, Charles Darwin’s infamous book laid the ground work for acceptance of evolution as scientific (though the idea had already existed in Hinduism for thousands of years, in a physical as well as a spiritual sense). Note in the title “Favored Races” – meaning the strongest, the best of them shall be fittest to survive and flourish.

This book all on its own has caused many professing Christians to doubt their faith. If evolution is true, then the Genesis account of creation is false, as is the fall of man into sin – and if these are false, then there is no sin and no need of a Savior. The Bible therefore can and must be abandoned – that is the conclusion of those schooled in Darwinian evolution, both in public and in higher education.

For an excellent resource that disproves this awful and scientifically poor theory, check out The Evolution Handbook online!

Those in the Theosophical Society believe in evolution and even classified 'root races' from the very basest to the most supreme – those supreme, the most highly evolved, are the adept in the mysteries.

Incidentally, there was a very infamous person who was an avid reader and enthusiastic supporter of both Alice Bailey’s books and that of Charles Darwin – Adolf Hitler. Nazism was certainly brimming over in occult beliefs!

H.G. Wells, a Fabian Socialist – defined: “one who believes that a shift towards global socialism is inevitable but should be achieved in a gradual, imperceptible manner ('change by erosion') so as to not cause notice or alarm”. Not only a famous novelist of the 19th century of The Invisible Man, and War of the Worlds, but also of non-fiction.

It was Mr. Well's wish that this Power Elite of Fabian Socialists would eventually surface and be made known to the world, but the other members were resistant to this idea, which caused a break between Mr. Wells and his comrades; it was later that he published his book The Open Conspiracy: Blueprints to a Global Revolution. And soon after, The New World Order.

Another Socialist by the name of Carroll Quigley (professor at Georgetown U and mentor to former President Bill Clinton) was allowed to study the records of the most powerful of global socialists and their agenda for world government, and he went on record to say,

“I have objected, both in the past and recently, to a few of its policies...but in general my chief difference of opinion is that it wishes to remain unknown, and I believe its role in history is significant enough to be known.” ~ Carroll Quigley, Tragedy and Hope, published 1966.

Much of Carroll Quigley's work in this book had to do with what has been known as 'Round Table Societies'.

1928 -- H.G. Wells wrote: The Open Conspiracy: Blue Prints for a WorldRevolution:

“The political world of the Open Conspiracy must weaken, efface, incorporate and supersede existing governments .... the character of the Open Conspiracy will then be plainly displayed, it will be a world religion [the woman riding the beast] ...The immediate task [is] a planned World State, appearing at a thousand points of light [but]...generations of propaganda and education may have to precede it. Wells wrote a second book pub. in 1940, entitled, The New World Order).
Both phrases “thousand points of light” and “new world order” were used by former President George Bush Sr. in his congressional address prior to the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Bush Sr. and Jr. are members of Skull and Bones, aka the Bavarian Illuminati.

Let's watch a video from:

EMERGENT/EMERGING CHURCH Documentary

Wellhausen and Corrupt Company

Religious liberals of the 19^th and 20^th century, beginning mostly in Europe, specifically in Germany, spawned by Professor Julius Wellhausen and others accepted biological evolution as a fact (Westcott and Hort, two liberal theologians who had a profoundly bad influence in biblical scholarship that resulted in our modern translations, likewise found the theory [beyond dispute]”). They carried evolution to a next so-called rational step:

Man’s ideas have evolved upward from the primitive to the complex. And so, the religious liberal says, our ideas of God have also evolved and are continuing to evolve.
Religious change is the evolution of ideas, part of the natural order and survival of the fittest. 

Hence, there is no sin of violation of God’s law. To the liberal theologian, sin is only lack of maturity, a lack of proper evolution. The answer to sin is not redemption in Jesus Christ, but education, man directing and controlling his own evolution.
As mankind is enlightened (‘enlightenment’ false Gospel of Gnosticism), we will do away with war, hatred, famine and greed (see J.G. Machen, Christianity and Liberalism).”

These Schools of Higher Criticism (of the Scriptures), were dominated by rationalists (Modernists), liberal theologians and those who doubted, even disparaged the truth of the Bible.
They influenced the church with their views and have done a rather complete job: once reputable seminaries and universities: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, founded upon God’s Word, have since gone liberal, adopting a less than literal view of the infallible, inerrant Scriptures. The Christian denominations are all but dead spiritually.

For a concise explanation of Modernism vs. Post-Modernism, go here.

It was about this time when most of our modern translations began to spring up, with increasing deterioration to God’s Word.

The plan and purpose of the Satan is to steal away our spiritual weapons and faith in the victory in Christ, with which we may fight him – primarily by questioning, casting doubt upon and watering down the Word of God; neglecting God’s Word in our pulpits as well as in our parlor rooms. Add to this, lives so busy that we have little or no time for prayer; being so spiritually weakened, we seldom declare or feel able to share the Gospel. A denial even, of the effectiveness of Christ’s blood atonement on the Cross. Let's hear what Brian McLaren has to say about this:

A video of BRIAN McCLAREN's ATTACK AGAINST HELL AND JESUS ATONEMENT

So the darkness encroaches deeper and deeper into all aspects of our society . . . 

It’s easy to see where the Emergent Church Movement gets its ideology from. Being devoted to the ‘evolvement’ of Christianity means that improvements independent of the Bible are not only possible, but also are progressive and good! 

Doctrines and beliefs established by Emergent authors, they believe, are superior to those written by prophets and apostles of the Bible, because they are more ‘spiritually evolved’ than those prophets and apostles that lived thousands of years ago.

So What Is The Emergent Church??

Breaking it down simply: they see the Bible as inspired of God only in a general sense, and that God’s Word continues to be revealed in the telling of stories today in the same way that stories were shared by the writers of the Bible and in shared spiritual experiences. 

They question the idea of absolute truth and renounce any that believe in such, revealed in Scripture as being arrogant, biased, and unlearned. They have a low view of the Bible.

Emergent Followers also place a high priority on experiential spirituality that involves mystical practices (we’ll address this soon). They like the idea of their meeting rooms or sanctuaries having candles, incense, statues (icons), making the sign of the cross over themselves, low lit environment, even stations of the Cross. 

Some place meditation labyrinths just outside of their buildings for people to walk through. They have a desire for a more sensual religious experience rather than teachings from the Word of God.

Some Emergent Quotes: They disregard biblical truth regarding:

-The Blood Atonement: 

“‘That Jesus suffered as a substitute for us’ because of our sins ‘is a pre-civilized barbarity’.” ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick, pastor of Riverside Church, NYC. And also:

“‘Too many theories of the atonement assume that by one single high priestly act of self-sacrifice Christ saved the world. These legalistic theories of the atonement are in my judgment a theological disgrace’.”

“‘The Church's fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be re-imagined in Christian faith. Why? Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it.” 

~ Alan Jones, Episcopalian priest; who also said:

“‘The other thread of just criticism addresses the suggestion implicit in the cross that Jesus' sacrifice was to appease an angry God. Penal substitution [the cross] was the name of this vile doctrine’.”

The Emergent Church will chaff at the idea of JOHN 14:6; rather, they will talk about ‘the way of Jesus’ which is not just for Christians, but for Buddhists and Muslims too, without their having to leave their own religion!

-Spiritual rebirth (“born again”) resulting from receiving Christ Jesus and His atoning work: 

“...my mother, a convert to Evangelical Christianity. . . hoped I would have one of those dramatic ‘born again’ experiences. That was the way she had come into a personal relationship with Christ. . . But it never worked for me. It took me quite some time to realize that entering into a personal relationship with Christ does not always happen that way (JOHN 3:3,5; 1 PET 1:23). 

In my case, intimacy with Christ developed . . . primarily through 'centering prayer' . . . say[ing] his name over and over again. Jesus is my mantra. . ." - Letters To A Young Evangelical ~ Tony Campolo

-The Deity of Christ:

“What if tomorrow someone digs up definitive proof that Jesus had a real, earthly, biological father named Larry, and archeologists find Larry’s tomb and do DNA samples and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the virgin birth was just [a myth] the Gospel writers threw in …Could you still be a Christian? Is the way of Jesus still the best possible way to live?” ~ Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis, pg. 26-27.

Rob Bell wrote a book recently that, regardless of his denials, demonstrates his view of Universalism - the book is called Love Wins; here is a Biblical treatment of that work.

Emergent folk are agreeable with calling Jesus, Master or Teacher, Leader or even ‘Coach’ but seldom or never as LORD or GOD made flesh!

-The Last Days and The Second Coming as well as all eschatological prophecies of the scriptures: 

“When the disciples wanted to talk about prophecy, Jesus quickly switched the conversation to evangelism. He wanted them to concentrate on their mission in the world. He said in essence, “The details of my return are none of your business. What is your business is the mission I have given you. Focus on that!” (PDL, p. 285) ~ Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life. Also:

Rick Warren was actually laying ground work for the emerging church’s new reformation, a reformation that rejects thinking about the return of Christ and works more at convincing the multitudes that Christ is already in them as a global Christ-consciousness - a term used by New Age Spiritualists that adheres to the belief that the 'Christ-Spirit' once indwelt Jesus of Nazareth, but departed from Him at His death on the cross, but may indwell all who are open to it, and that this Christ-Spirit will be most powerfully manifested in the World Teacher who is to come (the Anti-christ). 

Rick Warren also happens to be a member of the CFR, whose mission is world government. He got his teachings in part from Robert Schuller, who got his from Norman Vincent Peale, who got his from Florence Scovel Shinn, an occultist.

-Scripture as the absolute Truth and Word of God, and Scripture in their totality being inspired by God:

“I let go of the notion that the Bible is a divine product. I learned that it is a human cultural product. As such it contained [people’s] understandings and affirmations, not statements coming directly or somewhat directly from God . . . I realized that whatever ‘divine revelation’ and the ‘inspiration of the Bible’ meant (if they meant anything), that they did not mean that the Bible [has] divine authority.”

"Our words aren't absolutes. Only God is absolute, and God has no intention of sharing this absoluteness with anything, especially words that people have come with to talk about Him. 

"Let's make a group decision to drop once and for all the ‘Bible-as-Owner's-Manual’ metaphor. It's terrible. It really is. 

"This is part of the problem with continually insisting that one of the absolutes of the Christian faith must be a belief that 'scripture alone' is our guide. It sounds nice, but it isn't true. . . When people say that all we need is the Bible, it is simply not true." ~ Rob Bell

See also this excellent article from LET US REASON on Rob Bell's Universalist beliefs.

-The Kingdom of God as something yet future and ushered in by Christ Jesus Himself at His Second Advent:

They believe that the establishment of the Kingdom of God must be accomplished by the church – to find cures for diseases, to ensure social justice (Socialism) for all, the educate the needy, to feed the poor, etc., etc. [Rick Warren’s PEACE plan (PHIL 3:19-20 “[they] mind earthly things” vs. “our conversation is in heaven”)]. 

Only when we fulfill these objectives of ‘the Gospel’ – will Christ come back; and there are some Emergent leaders who will even argue that point!

- The Resurrection of Christ: 

“To think that the central meaning of Easter (resurrection) depends on something spectacular happening to Jesus' corpse misses the point of the Easter message and risks trivializing the story. To link Easter primarily to an afterlife. as if our post-death existence depends on God having transformed the corpse of Jesus, is to reduce the story to a . . . yearning for our survival beyond death." ~ Marcus Borg

Biblical narrative and truth, in the minds of Emergent Church folk, is reduced to mere story and becomes uncertain . . . due to continual religious evolution and makes the discovery of absolute truth impossible and always beyond reach.

2 TIMOTHY 3:7-8
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

It’s vital for all of us that love the LORD Jesus Christ, that we earnestly contend for the faith, that we stand up for righteousness, that we not compromise the Word that's been entrusted to us, that we do indeed genuinely love the sinner, hate the sin (not the other way around as some might practice), and to faithfully herald the gospel that our LORD commissioned us with.

To find out whether or not the fellowship that you attend is drifting towards Emergent thinking, look at these signs that may indicate that the emergent church is influencing it.

No doubt that these post-modernist Emergent Leaders see us Biblical Christians as quaint, old-fashioned, out-dated relics, but to the LORD God, we are His holy priesthood, His beloved children, citizens of His eternal Kingdom!

So let's end part one with another video:

The Emergent Church & The New Age - Johanna Michaelson

To continue on to PART TWO, click on this link!