All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit (Proverbs 16:2).

Rob Bell And XXXchurch?

This piece is a bit unusual for me but here I simply wanted to make a few personal comments and prayerfully draw you attention to some of the things that are kind of intermingled regarding Rob Bell, XXXchurch and this whole farce known as “National Porn Sunday”. This all began for me when I read my colleague Ingrid Schlueter’s post Anti-Porn “Ministry” Brings Shame on Jesus Christ at Slice of Laodicea.

Her short article concerns the freak show which is known as XXXchurch and as a pastor I strongly agree with Ingrid when she says that, “This ministry is not anti-porn. It is porn. They don’t represent Jesus, they publicly shame Him. She then goes on to give a reason of crystalline clairty as to just why this is:

Rather than lifting high the cross of Christ and preach Him crucified, these “Christians” travel the country raising high a 25-foot inflatable mock-up of a reproductive organ, claiming they have to do it to get attention for their so-called message.

Alright, here’s how my thought process went. Since this supposed XXXchurch is quite a titillating and very questionable area of “ministry,” as well as one that young people would probably think is “cool,” I began to wonder if Rob Bell was involved in some way. From studying the very seeker sensitive Emergent Church, and it most certainly is SS, I suspected Bell’s involvement. Was I personally shocked by this idea of XXXchurch? Not in the least. I happened to have lived in Los Angeles as a professional musician for two years, I’m not easily shocked.

Ok, now I anticipate some more questions here. Was I surprised to find out that Rob Bell “knew these guys.” Nope. Sorry, wrong again. Did it catch me off guard that Rob had been the one who would be instrumental in bringing, ahem, exposure to their “work” for Christ? O, most definitely not! Somehow I just knew Bell would be at the bottom of this spiritual sewer. And sure enough, clever Rob would be the one to come up with the catchy li’l title “Porn Sunday.”

Now let me further point out, those of you with any semblance of understanding about proper Christian decorum will notice immediately that these fine gentlemen did not choose to call this apparently much needed event “Anti-Porn Sunday,” now did they? Then I would go on to write Rob Bell’s Porn Sunday “Mission” because Bell made it a mission of his to bring this subject to a Sunday morning service at infamous Mars Hill Bible Church.

What’s The Use Of Talking When Nobody’s Listening

I also decided to write this article mostly from the position of a journalist simply presenting the facts involved. I also placed inside the piece a number of hyperlinks which would take the reader who actually wanted to arrive at an informed opinion directly to my sources. And despite a few remarks here and there I decided not to comment just to see how people would react. You see, I already knew this Emergent rebellion against the Word of God is known by an inane moniker “the conversation.”

At the same time for over a year now I’ve had many conversations with those involved in this quite convoluted conversation. I’ve done so through private email exchanges, on many message boards and even in face to face dialogue on the subject of the Emergent Church. This has affored me the opportunity to “converse” with people from Dan Kimball, a well known Emergent pastor and author of The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations to Emergent pastor/editor Bob Hyatt to Emergent church planter Andrew Jones and perhaps even with the youth minister at your own church.

You see, that’s how I learned long ago that this conversation is in fact decidedly one-sided. O sure, if you happen to agree with them great. Ah, but if you don’t, then you’d best get ready to wrestle with the snake. You start on one subject, and then round and round and round you go in emerging circles going nowhere. If you have any doubts, then take a gander at pro-Emergent E-What and see for example how Rob Bell’s “apologist” Chris “Letter-of-the-Law” Lyons gives you book length peeks into the art of talking to oneself.

As a matter of fact often his lengthy Scripture expositions, usually based on teachings originating with unregenerate third century rabbis, are so far away from the historic orthodox Christian faith that as my friend likes to say: “You can’t even get a radar fix on ‘im.” And if you’re reading this ol’ BP; yes, you’re still my friend. I have chosen to provide this background to help people see why this stuff just doesn’t faze me anymore. When I write I know these people won’t listen and so I just don’t bother arguing with them.

But I do have to admit that what I was actually surprised by in all of this is the amount of daffy defense for this XXXchurch/Rob Bell Porn Sunday foolishness. Just check out the feedback section for Rob Bell’s Porn Sunday “Mission” as it appears at Christian Worldview Network here. Then you should be able to notice just how deep this new centered on man reformation of Robert Schuller has penetrated into the rapidly apostatizing evangelical community. When older and uninformed “Christian” adults who should know better think nothing of “correcting” the Lord’s teachers, well…America, we have a problem.

Don’t Look Now Emergent But Your Fruit Is Showing

Be that as it may–and I pray he doesn’t mind–but the founder of CWN Brannon Howse, who was kind enough to give an “unknown” like me a chance to be among his role of columnists, wrote me in a bit of righteous indignation. I certainly understand why he could have been frustrated because it appeared obvious to me, based on the ignorance on so many of the comments, most had not actually followed the links provided within my article. If they had they should have clearly seen what these men are really about with their lame “ministry” excuse to be around the Porn industry.

Brannon, and I’m sure others as well, couldn’t believe how people could be defending these guys. Perhaps even wondering why I hadn’t been a bit more forceful in my initial presentation. But he wouldn’t know that I get letters virtually every single day from those under the spell of Bell. These “loving” Bellites tell me that Apprising Ministries is nothing a website to “hate on” the Elvis of Emergent. Uh-huh, right. Anyone who hasn’t had the Holy Spirit touch a nerve and pull on their security blanket can see from the category index here is much more at AM than Rob Bell.

We need to keep in mind here that the Bible tells us – A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control (Proverbs 29:11). In warfare, and especially in the darkness, occasionally one must be willing to draw enemy fire so others can obtain their position. And so, if you remember the boxer Muhammad Ali, lately I have oftentimes been led by my Master to adopt a kind of spiritual “rope-a-dope” technique. As you can see from Love Letters From Emergents if one waits long enough those who follow the Hollow Men of the Emergent Church will eventually reveal their rotten fruit.

But with that mission accomplished I am now happy to point you to Ingrid’s latest article at CWN, which shows you more specifically “about how this ‘church’ does its ministry.” The title of her piece speaks volumes in itself: Wally the Weiner and Phallic Evangelism. I am truly disgusted that an article like this even had to be written, as I know she is as well. What a sorry and sad indictment concerning the dying evangelical church of the self in America that it is being taken captive by the apostate Church of Rome through her Ecumenical Church of Deceit of the new evangelicalism.

However, at the same time I also want to say a public thank you to Ingrid for watching my back.