The Lord has had me speaking out against the seeker-friendly, emerging movement for a little over 3 years now. Because I have those that are just entering the battlefield for the souls of men to fight these decieving spirits, I thought it best to warn you ahead of time of the arguments you may hear from these “followers”. This is only my personal experience, though others may find they too have heard these arguments. I would have no doubt about that if it were true because the spirit that leads this movement is lead by one spirit. The spirit of anti-christ. So here they are:
1. Stephanie, have you read that book? ( In other words, we don’t believe the Holy Spirit speaks and warns, we want you to really study and read and then make an intelligent descision.) By the way, I have read several of the books, but only up to point. Kinda like pornography, you only need look at the first page to tell where it is going!
2. I don’t agree with everything he says, but I don’t agree with everything someone else says either. (In other words, I’ll over look all the false stuff and only pay attention to what I think is truth.)
3. Stephanie your just being judgemental, a legalist. ( We hate authority or accountability. You have no right to inspect our fruit or teachings!) Oddly enough many of them will then begin to make fun of me or after the Holy Spirit has spoken to me through the Word and led me to write, they begin to judge those writings and belittle them. Huh?
4. You know, Rob was not denying the virgin birth when he was casting doubt on it. He was simply saying if it wasn’t true that he would still follow. He and his son could keep jumping. ( Sounds like such devotion and love for the Lord in the midst of planting seeds of doubt in the Lord. Sadly Rob, you can keep jumping all you want, and you can even keep following, but it would be pointless. For your faith would be like that of every other false religion out there. Your god would have to be a liar and your following futile. Without the virgin birth there is no salvation for man and Jesus would not be who He said He was. So yes the virgin birth really does matter.
5. Paul became all things to all people for the sake of trying to win some over. ( You can see my devotion on A Visit to Mars Hill for that one)
6. Who am I to say that they won’t go to heaven. Their religion has some truth in it.
7. What is hell really? I think it could just be the suffering we endure here on earth. ( I wish I even knew how to answer this, but some things are just better off left alone.)
8. Why would I want to point out that sin in their life (fornication, homosexuality, etc.) What is the difference in that sin Stephanie and say…. over-eating? (In other words, we just want to love them in their sins. Who cares whether they turn from them or not any time soon. I mean, what is sin anyway? There’s just to many of them and who are we to say which one is worse than the other. So, just keep quiet.)
There are many more arguments that I have come up against from way to many of these guys. Amazing thing is that since the Lord has moved us around in 3 different states over the last 3 1/2 years, I have found these guys all have the same arguments. Though they have never met, you can tell the spirit that has gained control over their thoughts. Their arguements are almost carbon copied, or should I say cookie-cut. It is so scary that all around the U.S. they use the exact same attacks against me, from the West Coast to the East Coast. Sometimes it is like a bad dream. Anyway, I share all of this to prepare those of you who the Lord has called into the battle and to encourage those of you already in it. Know that you are not alone in the attacks. Maybe you even have some you can add to my list!
hmm, the reason why people are kind of harsh against you, could it be that you speak without much tact? although it is neccessary to warn people and correct them when their paths go wrong, it is not neccessary to speak in a harsh manner.
well, if this is not the case, i would pray that you would have faith to continue doing what God wants you to do.
or people may reject us sometimes because we do not set an example ourselves. you may not know it, but from another perspective you might have something which you are lacking. i would also pray for you that you would examine yourself constantly and ask God to correct any part of your life where you go wrong. who knows? the people may be God’s own way of telling us we have something missing in our lives or something we need to take note of.
the last thing i want to say is, have faith and do what God wants you to do. He has a plan which we all do not know, but by doing our own jobs right, He will find a way out. Because this is His world, and He is always in control. Everything is within His predictions.
If you need prayers, just email me. i will be more than happy to pray together with you.
Ningxin,
Could you please let me know how I am speaking without tact. Are you part of this movement? Is that why my writing has bothered you so much? When Jesus said to Peter, “get behind me Satan” would that be considered tactful to you. Warning people isn’t very popular, and sharing the attacks others have used on me may not sound all warm and fuzzy, but we must know how to battle the arguments.
I most certainly will continue to pray that the Lord gives me faith to continue on what He has called me to do. I will continue to test the spirits and expose them whenever the Lord allows me too. I also say AMEN to examining ourselves and seeing if there is anything that the Lord needs to correct in our own lives first. That is so important if we will even be able to be used by the Lord.
I am sorry if my personal experiences from attacks by others has offended you or bothers you. But I have know doubt many need to be warned of what we are battleing and sometimes it helps to know others are hearing and experiencing what your going through. You may continue to pray for me though, that would be much appriciated.
you are getting something wrong here. warning people and speaking with tact are totally 2 different matters at all. you dont have to use a harsh tone to warn people. also, i did not say that you are definately not speaking without tact. i merely suggested that the reason people react badly towards you is because you might be speaking without tact.
in case you want to know, i am not part of the anti-Christ movement. i have no interests in going to hell.
no i am not bothered by the attacks you get from others. i am not the one who get all that.
Okay now I think I am understanding what you are trying to say. Yeah, I am not worried about if the reason they attack me is over using a tactful tone. I know that is not the problem at all. I do disagree though that we don’t ever have to use a “tone” to speak to certain people. Though we may not degrade them, I am very able to call out the spirit that is guiding them. And just as I speak to my children at time, firmly, I might add, when they are doing something destructive, it may be necessary at times to speak with our brothers and sisters that way to warn them. Thanks for taking the time to respond though. I am glad to hear you are not a part of this movement.
yeapx i’m glad you understood what i want to say. i am saying this because i used to be quite unpopular due to the untactful tone and speeches i used on other people, even though i meant concern. it usually ended up in misunderstanding and strained relationships with other people. and so in the end the concern i have on others backfired. i was kind of worried it may happen to you too.
hmm i think you are right that sometimes we have to use a harsher tone to warn our brothers or sisters. whatever the case, i hope you are able to complete the task the Lord gave you to do.
I feel as Paul when he speaks to Timothy in I Tim 1:15 “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, Of whom I AM CHIEF.” With this precious humble spirit, Paul confesses his own wretchedness before his brothers and sisters in Christ. This in no way prevents him from speaking boldly before the brethren in chapter 4:13-16 “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” The hardship of fellowship with the seeker-friendly movement is that they identify your spiritual gift for you, and if you happen to fall into the ‘leadership’ or ‘prophectic’ gifts category, they confine you to leadership that leads to shallow, fruitless doctrine with little to NO exhortation; and they confine the prophet [Strongs 4396- "One who speaks forth or openly" also translates the word 'nahbi' meaning "one in whom the message of God springs forth"] to speaking only what is palatable and soothing to the mainstream world in the name of seeker-friendly teaching. God has a different message that doesn’t concern itself with seeker-friendliness with the world: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer…” II Tim 2:15-17a.
But, sadly, as Paul prophecied in II Tim 4:3,4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have ITCHING ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.”
So let me encourage you to continue blessing the faithful, exhorting the body, and rightly dividing the Word, dear sister, for the time is urgent.
Soli Deo Gloria
AMEN Shaun! I can most certainly declare with Paul that I am that wrectched sinner who Jesus came to save. The good news about that salvation and His power now living in me is that I no longer desire that sin. I have seen His power give me victory over temptations and when I do stumble His Spirit convicts and His grace forgives me. I agree 100% with what you said about the seeker-friendly church movement. The unfortunate thing is is that the Lord only commanded us to go out and preach the gospel and make disciples of men teaching them to obey. He was the One who would draw them and only His Spirit can save them. Throughout the Bible He even gives us fruit to look for. The problem is man has decided he has a better way of growing the Church (notice I did not say Kingdom) for many will find on that day they were only a part of a building. Marketing Jesus, preaching cheap grace and shallow repentance and picking the attributes we want about Jesus and then calling those the fundementals are sadly producing many false converts. I just pray that as the Lord has had mercy on me and many others to open our eyes to this last days apsotasy so many more eyes will be opened and they will obey the Lords voice to flee and to study and show themselves approved.
I know that when people are approached with the truth and they are not ready to receive it, they are automatically guarded and the hearts are not able to receive it. Just today, I was reading in 1 Kings 22 about Ahab’s feelings for Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord. He said, “I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad.” The truth? Micaiah was a prophet of the Lord and was speaking the truth. Stephanie, I do believe that you are a holy spirit driven woman who has been designated to speak the truth and I will be your prayer warrior for these topics you are discussing are vital durings these times.
Melissa,
Thank you so much for your prayers and for sharing your heart with me about all the things our Lord and Savior is doing in your life. I can not wait to see where the road with Him leads you and the things He will do in your life! I am praying for you and so blessed by your honesty and humble heart. Keep pressing into the Lord for truth. He will not let you down, no matter the cost. God bless you as you continue to seek to be used by our Heavenly Father!