Calm Down a Little Concerning Rob Bell

Carl Trueman with his always interesting take on things:

It strikes me that, amid all the hype and hoo-hah this week surrounding a certain author, we need to remember that promise. Teachers -- true and false -- come and go; they have done so for centuries, and few have made any lasting mark, let alone those who write paperback potboilers. But the church has survived; the gates of hell shall still not prevail; and the church will be built. Yes, we must defend the truth, with learning, passion and fortitude; but we should remember that the battle is not won through our efforts, and we must not be caught up in overestimating the importance of the present moment. After all, how many `defining moments' do we hear about in a typical year? And how many of such moments truly define anything at all?

If we really believe Matt. 16:18, I would suggest that we will not panic with every wind of false doctrine which comes our way, nor will we be intimidated by astronomical sales figures for bad books or tickets to hear false preachers. We will rather focus on what we should be doing: humbly preaching and teaching and believing the word. Sometimes, I suspect the over-the-top panic and outrage of the orthodox when faced by the latest challenge are really functions of self-importance and an impoverished doctrine of God. They seem to imply that our age is unique, the future of Christianity really does depend solely on us, and the church is really jeopardised by the latest heterodox blockbuster.

Read the rest.

Twelve Ways To Be Anti-Christian in Teaching

Justin Holcomb:

1. Downplay the law of God and his grace. Tell people God is not that angry about cosmic treason, and grace isn't that amazing.

2. Don't mention God the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit. Assume that people already know enough about them.

3. "The Little Engine That Could" should be the foundation of your theology.

4. Remember that God is passive, so you better be really active... or else.

5. Remember, no other Christians get it right except for your tribe, of which you should be chief.

6. Only use Scripture as a proof-text—don't actually teach it.

7. Hell is real, but don't let that concern you or your hearers and readers. It's more important to have a good theology of evangelism than to actually tell others about Jesus, his cross, and his resurrection.

8. Talk about technique a lot, because techniques are concrete. Miracles like regeneration, God turning haters into lovers, and the fruit of the Spirit are too abstract to be helpful.

9. Guilt is a great motivator. Use it wisely.

10. In their sanctification, people should fake it till they make it. Tell them how.

11. Be condescending. Make sure your theology is un-gracious in content and tone.

12. People really want Good Advice instead of Good News, so be a people-pleaser and only give lots of advice.

Prosperity Gospel in Africa

Desiring God Blog:

Here’s a gripping article from Christianity Today which highlights the explosive growth of prosperity teaching in Africa. An excerpt:

…prosperity-tinged Pentecostalism is growing faster not just than other strands of Christianity, but than all religious groups, including Islam. Of Africa's 890 million people, 147 million are now "renewalists" (a term that includes both Pentecostals and charismatics), according to a 2006 Pew Forum on Religion and Public life study. They make up more than a fourth of Nigeria's population, more than a third of South Africa's, and a whopping 56 percent of Kenya's.

All the more reason why we want to support an important partner in their work to bring solid, biblical, God-exalting theology to South Africa.

Reflections on the Osteen Trial

Jared Wilson reflects on the reports of the court appearance of Joel and Victoria Osteen as a result of Victoria's altercation with a flight attendant. If you have not read about it you can do so here. I think this post could walk the line of being gossip, but I fully resonate with what Jared writes below and I think Joel and Victoria do preach a false gospel, thus we need to be informed about what this incident can demonstrate about their theology.

To sum it up: Osteen's Christianity fosters a sense of entitlement (which is made clear in the story), and Biblical Christianity fosters a sense of humble thankfulness and servanthood. Read the following, especially the part about the evangelistic implications. Remember, this guy "pastors" the biggest "church" in America.

Here's another important one, though

McKamie also asked Osteen whether his family was used to getting special treatment, making reference to an anecdote in one of the pastor's books in which he wrote about being allowed to take an expensive television camera onboard a flight to India even though it was against the rules.

"You feel that you're entitled to the favor of God ... to do things other people can't do," McKamie said.

"All of God's children are," Osteen said.

And that's the money quote. That's how Osteen and his variety of prosperity gospelism position Christian identity -- to be better, higher, more favored by the world than anybody else. It is a position of entitlement. And it is the antithesis of grace. Because they believe they deserve special treatment. The camera incident cited there comes from an anecdote in Your Best Life Now, where Osteen describes being told by a clerk that he would have to check a camera with luggage, that it couldn't be carried on. He basically argued with her, got nowhere, and then the pilot, who overheard, tried to placate Osteen by offering to stow it in the cockpit. Osteen writes (p.36):

The woman behind the counter glared at me and shook her head, clearly aggravated. I just smiled and said, "Sorry, ma'am; it's the favor of God."

No sir. It's being an ass. And I imagine after that incident, that clerk didn't come away thinking, "Wow, God is awesome to favor a believer that way." She was likely thinking, "Wow, what a jerk your followers are, God." Osteen and his devotees believe they know their place. As children of God, they are entitled to money, health, good jobs, special treatment. They know nothing of the cross. And it makes me wonder if they've actually read any Jesus in the Gospels. We are not entitled to anything. We have graciously been made co-heirs with Jesus, and our response, out of gratitude and joy and love for God, should be humility and servanthood and sacrifice.
Certainly we can wipe up a spill every now and then. As lovers of God and neighbor, it is our job.

Interview with a Prosperity CEO

ThinkChristian.net posts an interesting series of interviews with John Copeland, CEO of Kenneth Copeland Ministries. Check them out here.

Revival iPod

At first I found this funny, then silly, then my emotions transitioned sadness, and now I am just ticked. This stuff needs to stop.