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The War on Bible Prophecy, Part 486




That’s tongue-in-cheek, of course—barely. I’ve written before about what I am calling the “War on Bible Prophecy,” and the truth is, I could write about it endlessly, because it is so pervasive in American evangelical circles today.

Never thought you’d read a statement like that, did you?

I didn’t, either.

This is not a mystery. The future scenario outlined by God in Genesis 3—the enmity between the woman and her Seed, and the serpent and his seed—is clearly played-out today, as the world loathes both Israel and the Messiah.

So then, a key battleground in this long war against Israel is the current direct attack on Bible prophecy.

In his book, The Emerging Church, Dan Kimball makes the following statement:

“The basis of learning has shifted from logic and rational, systematic thought to the realm of experience. People increasingly long for the mystical and the spiritual rather than the evidential and fact-based faith of the modern soil.”

A couple points. Those young people today who are leaning in this direction are doing so because Dan Kimball and his friends are pushing them in that direction with their mystical teachings. Secondly, his comment of course is heavily biased; there are also plenty of people left who will respond to that approach that Emergents so hate, the “evidential and fact-based” apologetic that worked so well the last 2,000 years, between the time of Christ and the apostles…and Dan Kimball.

At a Catalyst Conference in March, 2011, speaker Christine Caine said, “God is still in the miracle business today.”

He certainly is, but the problem for Caine and her friends in Emergent is that they so dislike the eschatology of their parents and grandparents that they are ignoring the biggest miracle in our world today: the fulfillment of predictive prophecy, centered around of course Israel.

Emergents (Caine might dispute that she is Emergent, but the fact is, she pals-around with tons of them) hate Bible prophecy because it pushes against their own understanding of prophecy: man can save himself and is carving-out a glorious future.

This latter view is in direct contrast to the biblical view, which is crystal clear: the Savior must return to prevent man from destroying himself. Of course, if you are a Purpose-Driven pastor or follower drunk on your own accomplishments, this is a hateful view!

Let me digress just for a moment, and attempt to show you what we are up against, in the battle for the hearts and minds of young people—all of whom could find the freedom they so long for, in the God of the Bible.

Brad Lomenick, who leads the Catalyst team (www.catalystspace.com), periodically lists people he’d love to meet. A few months ago, he published another list, and added a list from his assistant, Michelle Hoeft. Among the folks they’d love to have dinner with:

•Nelson Mandela (hugger of dictators and quasi-Marxist)

•Richard Branson (maverick businessman)

•Melinda Gates (wife of Bill Gates)

• Malcolm Shabazz (Malcolm X grandson)

• Michelle Obama

• J.K. Rowling (“Harry Potter” author)

• Zach Galifianakis (profane comedian)

• Eminem (profane rock star)

Why are Brad Lomenick and Michelle Hoeft encouraging young people to follow such people? The answer in part is that they want to prove that they are relevant and the farthest thing from stodgy.

Problem is, those change-agents listed above do not have a biblical worldview, and the world loves them. Please read James 4:4 and meditate on it:

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Also note 1 Corinthians 15:33:

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”

Hey, guess what? Bad company corrupts good company. This is practical, real-life stuff that should be taught to young people. The Bible is, among other things, a practical-living guide from the Lord.

Our young people today are taught instead that we should follow after rock stars, mystics, and political change-agents.

How sad.

An off-shoot conference effort from Leadership Network (the engine-driver for Catalyst) is “The Nines.” In September, 2009, it was announced:

“We are collaborating with Leadership Network to put-on a free online conference - THE NINES.

“The NINES will be held at your desk, on your computer screen, all day, on 9/9/09 (that's the Tuesday after Labor Day).

“The NINES will feature over 70 phenomenal speakers and leaders of innovation all across the Church. Each speaker will have 9 minutes to give their message, so the content will be focused and practical - not a lot of fluff!

“Speakers include: Mark Driscoll, Perry Noble, Alan Hirsch, John Ortberg, Steven Furtick, Margaret Feinberg, Mark Batterson, Anne Jackson, Neil Cole, Dino Rizzo - and many, many more.”

Problem is, guys like Driscoll and Ortberg have a skewed view of eschatology, and they are influencing many people.

In his landmark book, The Emergent Church: Undefining Christianity, Bob DeWaay explains clearly just how Emergents view eschatology. His book is one I’d highly recommend.

You see, for example, Ortberg (pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California) not only attended the odious “Christ at the Checkpoint” conference recently, he once taught at Willow Creek Church, where pro-Palestinian founders Bill and Lynne Hybels give the stage to various left-leaning speakers.

In a July 23, 2002 letter to President Bush, several left-leaning religious leaders urged him to support a Palestinian state; Ortberg was a signatory.

Driscoll, of course, has made his views on the Rapture known far and wide, and he also practices (oddly enough, I think) Reformed Theology, never a friend of Israel or Bible prophecy.

So, my friends, this is a tiny part of what we’re up against. The forces arrayed against the teaching of Bible prophecy are deeply networked, motivated, well-financed, and aggressively opposed to that “old-time religion.”

I’m already at work on “The War on Bible Prophecy, Part 487.”

It’ll be a long series.

jim@prophecymatters.com




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Zechariah 12:3,9:
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.


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