ARE CHRISTIANS ABOUT BEING COOL?

By on Sep 13, 2012 in AM Missives, Current Issues, Features

As I monitor enemy intel along the Internet front of this Truth War here at Apprising Ministries much of my coverage is of syncretism slithering about, which is causing a form of Christianity in lust for approval from the world. So much so, its gospel is essentially: We are to make the world a better place.

Satan is clever; a pinch of sweet truth added to cover up the bitter taste of his poison. A secondary aspect of the Gospel is for the regenerated Christian to assist his fellow man. However, this can never be at the expense of the Gospel. Likely, you’ve heard this foolish phrase: Preach the gospel, if necessary, use words.

It’s attributed to apostate Roman Catholic monk Francis of Assisi. By the way, a quick aside; he never said it. From Mark Galli, “senior managing editor of Christianity Today,” who also wrote Francis of Assisi and His World. We don’t share his over-all view of Francis but he is correct when he says:

Francis of Assisi is said to have said, “Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.”

This saying is carted out whenever someone wants to suggest that Christians talk about the gospel too much, and live the gospel too little. Fair enough—that can be a problem. Much of the rhetorical power of the quotation comes from the assumption that Francis not only said it but lived it.

The problem is that he did not say it. Nor did he live it. And those two contra-facts tell us something about the spirit of our age. (source)

Yes, it does. Years ago Christian apologist Dr. Walter Martin (1928-1989) was right when he said, “the spirit of this age is universalism.” We’ve heard it recently as the Love Wins mythology of former icon of the Emerging Church and now TV producer Rob Bell.

It’s also fueled by the superstitions of Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism. At the same time in the Seeker Driven camp, now mixing in with Reformed sectors of evangelicalism, we have heard much about contextualizing; supposedly making the Gospel more accessible to today’s pouty postmodern culture.

What we end up with is a proliferation of cult of celebrity pastors mixing in worldliness in their church services. For example, we have the following from a couple of members of an emerging ecumenical evangelical magisterium growing up around the Elephant Room (ER).

You likely know that ER is co-hosted by James MacDonald and his New Calvinist friend Mark Driscoll. Now consider Prophet-Leader Craig Groeschel And An Evangelical Gangsta’s Paradise and To Open Worship Perry Noble’s NewSpring Church Rocks Kiss. Groeschel and Noble are mentors to ER’s Steven Furtick.

Against this backdrop I point you to How Cool can a Christian be? It’s actually written by Lina AbuJamra who tells us:

I am the Women’s Ministry Director at my church, Harvest Bible Chapel, and a Pediatric Emergency Physician in Chicago. (source)

If Harvest Bible Chapel sounds familiar, it’s where James MacDonald is pastor. In her interesting piece concerning Christians seeking to be cool AbuJamra brings out:

It’s like they think if they can blend into the world – look like everyone else, sound like everyone else,… I’m not sure when being “cool” became the standard of all Christian behavior.

The truth is that the more you think about it, the more you’ll realize that cool and Christian are often mutually exclusive. In other words, there is no place for cool in Christ’s version of Christianity…

I don’t mean to burst your cool bubble, or sound like your standard party pooper, but if you still think you can be cool and follow Jesus, I think you may be confusing Biblical Christianity with your cheerleading squad. (source)

I wonder how her pastor, below boasting of his new tattoo, and his celebrity pastor friends feel about this rebuke…

[mejsvideo src=”https://www.apprising.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MacDInk.mov” width=640 height=360]

Further reading