The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ ” And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?” (Mathew 16:1-3, NASB)

The Sound Of The Misconceived

In this piece I’m going to present a brief synopsis of a point of view that has become all too common in the evangelical community today concerning those of us in the field of discernment being critical of another’s ministry. What follows is actually a compendium of some of the things that people have expressed to me personally and some of what I have seen and read elsewhere concerning my labor for Christ here at Apprising Ministries. I felt led of the Lord to submit this as another perspective for those who have misconceptions of my ministry and for those who’ve not had the opportunity to see this side of me. It also provides a good illustration for teaching as well.

I sure hope he doesn’t mind my pointing it out because it definitely made me smile but perhaps Daniel Chew summed it up best with his comment about the inaugural SliceCast that Ingrid Schlueter and I did recently:

Thanks a lot for this SliceCast. It’s a blessing hearing the two of you speak. This is especially so for Pastor Ken. Don’t ask me why, but the image I got of him from his website are totally different from how he sounds like, though I do appreciate his articles and hard work for the Body of Christ.

Daniel, my brother, somehow I do suspect that you’re not alone. Now this might come as a surprise to some but I wish you to know that I am not the least offended by what any have said. One simply cannot be too thin-skinned and do this kind of ministry in today’s world of indifference that is masquerading as “tolerance.” In fact one of the men the Lord modeled AM after was Dr. Walter Martin who often provoked similar reactions. And he would regularly say, “let us agree to disagree agreeably,” which is something rooted in my life verse of 1 Corinthians 15:10 – But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.

Let me also point out that when dealing with differences of opinion I am reminded by the Lord to always keep remember Philippians 3:15-16 as well:

Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:15-16, ESV)

So against this backdrop we hear:

I was just reading what you had to say. I want you to know that I’m not writing to refute you or even to defend so and so. But there is a right and wrong way to correct, and it would appear that instead of being so “negative” we need to focus more on someone’s heart and less on their head. It’s just that I find the tone in your writing to be very spiteful. For someone who is supposed to be a pastor you come across as one of the most unloving people on this planet.

You know meekness is not weakness, I say it is strength under control. Ok, maybe there were some good points in the article but it definitely came across as vitriolic and personal. I must tell you that I find your work very meanspirited. And just who are you to start off an article by calling someone you are supposedly correcting “pitiful” when you ought to be rebuked yourself! You sure don’t show the grace that Jesus did as He shared God’s love and told them about the kingdom.

No, instead you come across not just as an unloving Christian, but really as an overall unloving and downright arrogant person. While there are some that are wolves in sheep’s clothing, and certainly no one is perfect and can be criticized, but you are only looking to tear them down. Don’t you know that harsh rhetoric is by nature divisive and it will never bring the Church together? You sound like you believe you are above reproach! And I’m not alone in disliking this kind of language.

Today so many people like you spend so much time arguing about issues that don’t really matter. You need to understand that so and so brings out the importance of biblical community probably better than anyone I’ve ever read even though he doesn’t preach the Gospel of salvation as through the penal substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross. But so and so has connected more people to the kingdom of God than you ever will and he doesn’t divide them over beielfs, he just teaches them to love each other in a genuine biblical community.

And I know many, many non-Christians who want nothing to do with Jesus because of the tone and attitude of people like you. Even Albert Mohler suggests “reading refuse” just so you’ll know what’s out there. I want to make sure you know that I say this out of love and hope you will see it as one follower of Jesus calling another one to be more Christ-like. Let’s move on to what Christ truly envisioned for His Church and I know it’s not what we have now. It is interesting that you just state your opinions but then you don’t allow anyone else to even comment.

And after reading your writing, I’d shutter to think that you represent (or follow) Christ, and if you were personally “sent” by Christ it seems to me that you would better reflect the values of the kingdom. Love, put Christ first and remember that we are fellow travelers together but everyone has their own leg of this journey that they must work out. You better be careful not to put a stumblingblock in front of people because thi sgives them an excuse not to listen. As so and so points out, you need to let God sort these things out so you don’t end up a fool pulling up the Lord’s wheat along with the tares.

In His grace, love, peace, etc…

And Now…The Other Side

I’m not going to do a point by point refutation because those who have had much interaction with the neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church immediately recognize the rhetoric of postmodernism. However I must tell you that not a few of those I compressed here were people who assured me that they were not involved in this Emergent movement nor even particularly sympathetic to it. And I have no reason to doubt this. What has happened today through the influences of this whole new evangelical rebellion against the authority of God’s Word with its orientation to please people and make Christianity seem “fun” is that they have exchanged the Cross for the world.

Please stay with me with me here because there is an even deeper underlying issue that someone finally needs to address. You see, very few of these people so exuberant in offering their opinions regarding my writings were pastors, and yet they found no problem in saying these kinds of things to me. And this itself is yet another byproduct of the seeker sensitive, and focused on me, “Disneyland” version of the Christian faith. Now I am clearly on record elsewhere that I am not speaking in favor of some forced authority or anything of the sort. But it needs to be understood that when I write about a Rick Warren or a Brian McLaren or a Rob Bell or a Joel Osteen I am writing as one of their peers. Whether they personally would accept me as such is of absolutely no concern to me whatsoever.

By the way, the reason I included the salutation at the end of that pseudo-letter is that these people who are so quick to voice their views will almost always use a combination of those words at the end of their little tantrums. The vast majority of those following the Emergent rebellion itself will usually be quite condescending in all lower case letters and then suddenly end with the obligatory “peace.” We don’t want to get sidetracked into wrestling with the serpent here, so just let me point out that for the better part of this year I have been thoroughly enmeshed in studying this Emergent “conversation” and have found virtually no one in it who was willing to listen. And a large part of conversing is actually listening to what others have to say.

In the spirit of 1 Corinthians 15:10, I will say that had I been in churches which taught this new evangelical man-centered rubbish perhaps I would also see things the same way they do. And yes, to some I know I do come across as an unloving Christian, but others who know this side of me have a completely opposite view. The problem with this latent arrogance within American new evangelicalism is that they are not mature enough to take the time to consider what someone like me has been through. Men who are truly called by God to lead know how the Lord afflicts them in order to open their eyes while He forges them through the fire of adversity all the while hammering us into shape on the anvil of suffering (see–Psalm 119:65-71).

No, it’s not a pretty picture. And they say: “You can’t tell people things like this it’ll turn them away.” Did you ever think that maybe they need to go? The truth is anyone who is familiar with the writings of men who were actually used by God will know they talked about this process. As a matter of fact an old preacher once gave some sage advice to an aspiring minister: “If you can possibly do anything else with your life, then son you’d best do that.” The life of true Gospel ministry is a life of “others can, you cannot.” And that’s why the Disney churches have nothing but hirelings behind the pulpit who have never met the real Jesus Christ of the Bible. The warped and toxic fruit of this Purpose Driven Emergent rebellion against the Word of God speaks loudly and defiantly for them.

But Those Who Are Wise Shall Understand

Near my home is a sizeable running brook and while I was seeking the Lord about his thoughts on the American Church He spoke to my heart that I should remind them: Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? (1 Corinthians 5:6, ESV). Then it was as if my Master gave me an insight I will share with you, this brook continues to carry away pieces of dirt from underneath the trees along the bank which then fully exposes their roots, and eventually these big strong trees themselves shall fall. Just a little something for you to contemplate; and if you find yourself driven to be among this rebellion which has come emerging in new evangelicalism, then I humbly suggest that you mediate on this for a while today.

I write this in a prayerful attempt to help you see that the “rounding off” of doctrine is itself a slow and subtle process which only leads to an eventual fall. And you must come to understand the times in which you are now living. While within the historic orthodox Christian faith we aren’t all going to approach the methodology of the Gospel the exactly same, this is only because some of us have different ministries to perform in the Church. Mine is not one I chose, it’s not one that I necessarily enjoy all the time, and you may take my word that the training for it is brutal spiritually. Not a plea for sympathy, it’s to state a fact. And you may be sure I am not the only one with messages like this today.

The Lord is raising up those of us who are called by Him along the lines of Isaiah 6:8-10 to speak to those who have now foolishly reimagined Jeremiah 23. We are to warn them in the spirit of Ezekiel 3 as consistent with Luke 3:1-18. I pray that somehow you’ll just “know” when you read this and that you will hear the Voice of the Great Shepherd within mine as I tell you that this time we are now living in is not one for “Christianity as usual.” With this apostasy sweeping through evangelicalism with all the speed of an Oklahoma wildfire I would humbly ask those of you who haven’t to read So Take Off The Gloves as it will give you further illustration of what the Lord is trying to alert His Church to.

A Final Personal Perspective

This will be the last time I’m going to cover this but I am constrained by the Lord to do so here for the benefit of increasing readership and because of the current misconceptions among our young as to what it truly means to follow the Master’s command to love one another. Apprising.org was never intended as a “blog” site per se which is why I do not offer a “comments” section. The website was actually a gift to me from the Lord that I might have an “Internet pulpit” to preach God’s Word. The blog software is simply for my convenience as I am not someone with a thorough knowledge of web technology, but I must remind people that I also a contributor at Slice of Laodicea and a columnist at Christian Worldview Network where comments are allowed.

For those who may see my work along the lines expressed the pseudo-letter above, please keep in mind that no one is forcing anyone to hear what I preach. In similar fashion to a physical church building, if one doesn’t wish to listen to my proclamations in the Lord they are certainly free not to “come in.” And as far as my “rhetoric” not bringing the church together, unfortunately so many today just don’t know the Scriptures because it is written:

For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. (1 Corinthians 11:18-19, NASB)

Beloved, when you hear people accuse you of being harsh and judgmental just for telling them the Truth from God’s Word you need to see it for what it actually is. Their anger reveals the subtle influences of new evangelicals like the Rick Warrens and the Brian McLarens and the Richard Fosters and the Joel Osteens. Because of the false teachings of these leaders within the Ecumenical Church of Deceit today so many professing “followers of Jesus” simply will not follow true Christians such as myself as we follow Jesus…to the cross (see–Matthew 10:32-42). If you are on their path I exhort you to prayerfully read through those verses on your knees in order that you might compare them to what you see currently emerging in driven by purpose “Christian” outreach today.

Please know that those with ministries like mine are not machines and sometimes we wish that we hadn’t seen what we do now. There are times when I also wish that I could just relax and enjoy the things so many other Christians seem to take for granted. However, when you listen carefully to how many in the Body of Christ truthfully feel that we might be living at the end of the Age of Grace it is cause to pause and think about something. If you make the time to examine the writings around the time just before Christ was born and especially Luke 2:25-38 there was a real expectation that Messiah was to come “soon.” I offer that today it just might also be that the Lord is stirring His people to believe this Age will be ending “quickly.”

And Then Shall The End Come

As it was then, so it will be today, “soon” could be hundreds of years from now, I sure don’t know, but my heart is burdened by a couple of passages of Scripture as I prayerfully write. First:

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:36-39)

Let’s not get all bogged down here in an eschatological debate and instead just think about this for a moment: Noah was building a huge boat in the middle of the desert. Do you think there was any chance that he might have looked a little foolish to those who wouldn’t hear what God was saying? And then there’s this:

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4)

Leaving aside our pet end time theories, could we not make a case that today the very walls of what passes for the Church are tumbling down all around these unsuspecting babies? Immature brats busy playing games with their little toys, and by the rules they themselves have made up (see–Mark 7:6-9, es. v.7); and then as those of us attempt to warn them that “the Day of the Lord” draws nigh, just as petulant little children they stomp their feet and say: “You are so harsh and unloving to point out that God says we need to grow up, get to work, and be about our Master’s business?”

Perhaps I have been negligent to teach on this more thoroughly, though I have alluded to it before. But for the benefit of our newer readers, people are reacting to what I have been led to teach publicly in a way quite similar to the way Jesus also addressed leaders of man-centered religion publicly in Matthew 23. Surely you don’t think He only said those kinds of things to them just once do you? And was He not love in human flesh? Well, you don’t seriously think the Master spoke this absolute Truth to these pretenders in Joel Osteen’s tone of voice with Brian McLaren’s dispassionate air of scholasticism all the while smiling for another photo shoot like Rick Warren do you?

Ah, but how gently, though still speaking the truth directly, did Jesus handle Nicodemus who approached Him privately in John chapter 3. You see, there Nicodemus saw another side of Jesus just as I pray you have seen another side of me here writing as if approached more “privately.” Men and women, this is the best I can do to try and help you see that I am only doing what I am led to do while leaving those I address to God for Him to bring about His desired result through this particular work. Ephesians 1:11 clearly tells us that the results are entirely up to the Lord – In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

You need only add the practice of Contemplative Spirituality to the above and here we have now uncovered the root of the problem of the ECoD of new evangelicalism, the duplicitous daughter of her mother the apostate Church of Rome. By rejecting the Doctrines of Grace recaptured by God’s Reformers in their lust for the world they have actually fallen in love with themselves and now worship man himself. There is more to come on this another time but for now I close with Charles Spurgeon who speaks to the heart of the matter in The Relationship of Marriage:

God never began to love his people. It were impossible for the spiritual mind to entertain so unworthy a thought. He saw them in the glass of his decrees; he foresaw them, with his eye of prescience, in the mass of creatureship, all fallen and ruined; but yet he beheld them, and pitied and loved them, elected them and set them apart. “They shall be mine,” saith the Lord.

It always seems inexplicable to me that those who claim free will so very boldly for man, should not also allow some free will to God. I suppose, my brethren would not like to have to be married to somebody whom they had not chosen, and why should Jesus Christ not have the right to choose his own bride?

Why should he not set his love where he will, and have the right to exercise, according to his own sovereign mind, that bestowment of his heart and hand which none could by any means deserve? This know, that he will have his own choice whether we impugn the doctrine or not; for he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he will have compassion on whom he will have compassion.