UPDATE: “YOU’RE ‘THAT’ CHRISTIAN…TOO!”


This is one of those pleasant and tender happenings amidst the din of battle in which the Lord kind of spiritually puts His hand upon a very weary shoulder and says, “Keep on, you’re doing fine.” In Emergent Church: “You’re ‘That’ Christian” I introduced you to a young man who holds to Biblical Reformed theology and wants to go into the overseas mission field to answer the call to serve Jesus Christ there.

I’d also mentioned in that piece his letter brings out the re-education process (diaprax) now going on within the new evangelicalism, and most particularly the Emergent Church. As I pointed out previously suffice to say that emerging Hollow Men like Guru Brian McLaren and Rob Bell are conditioning people to see those of us who hold to Biblical Reformed theology as “that” kind of Christian. And “that” kind of Christian is a derogatory reference to “TR’s” and “fundies,” which is slang for those of us who are genuine faithful and obedient followers of Jesus who carry out what our Master asks us to: Read the Bible, pray and do what it says.

In his original letter this young man told us about a “close relative of mine” and how he I had been having “such a hard problem talking with him.” This was due to the fact that “it’s very difficult to have meaningful dialogue within a postmodern context. It makes talking about truth very difficult.” He also mentioned there “seems to be a growing hostility within this philosophy/movement against what they call ‘fundamentalism.’ ”

In a wonderful testimony of God’s mercy and grace his latest letter to me shares the good news that it seems in the Lord’s sense of humor…well, now…they are both “that” kind of Christian:

Pastor Ken,

Here is an update on my close relative, whom i wrote about awhile back. he is doing AWESOME! we went to worldview weekend last weekend and we’ve been talking about lots of things, and just this week he tells me, “i found this website with all kinds of stuff about the emergent church and rob bell and stuff” and i said, “well, i know of a pretty good one :) apprising.org” and he said, “YEAH! That’s the one!”

and anyway, he’s been reading some articles and actually has been talking to a friend of his that he tells me is “totally emergent” and has been discussing with him why the bible needs to be believed completely and not just selectively. praise God! after that conversation (where i was labeled a “fundamentalist”) we didn’t talk for a couple weeks, not a hostile silence, just the business of our lives kept us apart, but i decided that the best thing i could do for him was pray, pray, pray and trust the Spirit to move in his life. and He did!

he called me up two weeks later to tell me how God was working in his life. so anyway, you’ve got another member of my family reading your site now, and we’ve been meeting every week for prayer for transformation for the college campus in town, our whole city, our churches, our state, our nation, our world, ourselves. God is going to do something huge and i am super pumped that He is making the bond of brotherhood in Christ the core aspect of our cousinship in blood.

God bless you, keep fighting the good fight.

“That” Christian