Emergents

The so-called emergent church is a very dangerous and subtle movement, mostly from within existing evangelical circles. The idea is that a new era is emerging. Remember that the Bible warns us in 2 Thes 2:1-3 that in the end times there will be a great falling away. “Falling away” means you belonged to a group (pure gospel) once, but now no longer believed exactly what you believed before.

This is nothing but part of the very broad New Age movement where the emphasis is on an alleged “shift in consciousness” towards a golden era- a shift away from the era of the fish (Christian symbol in past ages of persecution. The word “fish” in Greek is IXTHUS- these letters are used to form the phrase “Iesus Xriston Theo Yios Soter- “Jesus Christ God’s Son our Savior”). In Astrology the Water-carrier (AQUARIUS) is the next symbol following the fish (PISCES). Thus the New Age movement, including the emergent church, likes to use the rainbow (carrying water) as their symbol/ logo. This logo usually does not have the usual seven colors of a real rainbow but rather less or more colors. The rainbow is sometimes used to indicate unity- people of different colors and creeds uniting in one; it is also sometimes used to indicate “God”s outpouring of “the spirit” and manifest in experiences such as trances, “falling/ laughing/ dancing/ spitting/ vomiting etc in the spirit”.

In reality the emergent church is indeed an emerging of falsehood that prepares the way for the Antichrist- who will not come as the Antichrist but as “the Christ”- thus deceiving many. He will oppose everything that is called God and exalt himself above God and will sit in the rebuilt Jewish temple  “shewing himself that he is God.” 2 Thes 2:4.

Emphasis are placed on things like “Contemplative spirituality” and candles instead of Biblical prayer. The saying often goes “I am spiritual not religious”.

Since the devil is the father of all lies he distorts truth of the pure gospel of Chirst in subtle but cunning ways.

Here are some quotes from emergent church leaders: (source= http://www.forgottenword.org/emergent.html  FORGOTTEN WORD MINISTRIES)

“My goal is to destroy Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for the movement of Jesus Christ,” McManus, author of a new book calledThe Barbarian Way, said in a telephone interview. “Some people are upset with me because it sounds like I’m anti-Christian. I think they might be right.”—Erwin McManus, from The Barbarian Way

“Many Christians use “Breath Prayers” throughout their day. You choose a brief sentence, or a simple phrase that can be repeated to Jesus in one breath.” —Rick Warren

“The fact is that contemplative spirituality will play a huge part in the Church of the future, and candles are just the beginning.” Duane Cottrell

“He [Brian McLaren] cites Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, with their emphasis on spiritual disciplines, as key mentors for the emerging church.”—The Emergent Mystique, Christianity Today, 11/04

“[W]e should stop to reflect and to treasure the words, to turn them over and over in our minds, repeating them …”—Richard Foster, Renovare

“Some of the values of the emerging church are an emphasis on emotions, global outlook, a rise in the use of arts, and a rise in mysticism and spirituality.”—Josh Reich
Creating Worship Gatherings for the Emerging Church

“Church Should Be Like a Dance Club” —Josh Reich
Creating Worship Gatherings for the Emerging Church

“I stopped reading from the approved evangelical reading list and began to distance myself from the evangelical agenda. I discovered new authors and new voices at the bookstore-Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen and St. Teresa of Avila. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. Contemplative spirituality seemed to open up a whole new way for me to understand and experience God. I was deeply moved by works like The Cloud of Unknowing, The Dark Night of the Soul and the Early Writings of the Desert Fathers.” —Spencer Burke, The Ooze