The Things to Come

Lord bless everyone who contended for the faith over the recent social justice controversy. Stay the course! We may not know exactly what it all means this side of the kingdom but this might be a glimpse –I have one thing to relate to you, and this ought to make your heart beat just a bit faster. I can’t get this out of my mind:

The  church of Laodicea in Revelation 3 is generally taught by bible scholars as being the final apostacized church that will be around when Jesus returns. I have always believed that. Yesterday,  I looked up the meaning of that word “Laodicea” on Blue Letter Bible. It means, “justice of the people”. Wow. Is this a shout-out from the Lord to us, who will be the ones to understand these times, that His coming is at the door? What are we to think when our very world is obsessed with justice, and the church is right there with the world in what it pursues? Of course our mighty God, who knows the end from the beginning, communicates these gems to His people to help them watch and be ready.

Are you?

You know that stuff between your ears that “they” call “gray matter”? Well, it’s time for the church to start using it, dust off those critical thinking skills, because hey, gray matters.

I am a pretty black and white person when it comes to doctrine and such as constitutes absolute truth. I am also black and white in the rest of my life too but try and spread my toast with a lot of grace for stuff that doesn’t matter so much like where to have breakfast with my spouse on the occasional holiday, or any number of things that come up in inter-personal relationships. I mean, we all have to learn to do well in groups and love covers all.  But the church has either lost all it’s critical thinkers to death or Alzheimers, or no one wants to  listen to the remaining few who are not afraid to call ‘em like they see ‘em. And their critics prefer to play the guilt card by claiming that those who try and speak out on critical issues are simply not “loving”.  Nice try, but I will not bite on that one. I really don’t care for guilt trips in any form.

I get all this ponderment from the latest and greatest move in the church, “social justice”. I mean, come on – is there really anyone over 40 in this world, with their eyes open, who really believes anything in life is fair or just? Or that our hard earned money should be stolen by those who believe in it,  in order to give it to those who want to believe in it? How just is that? I work hard for my money and don’t want to give it to those who won’t.  And just what about life, since oh say, grade 1, has ever been fair or just, from who gets born first in your family to the one beats you out for that job you really wanted, to dozens of other examples.  Reality is our friend. Social justice gospel advocates are not.

Black and white matters, so speak out while you can. Gray matters – so use your gray matter  along with your bible – to figure out the gray, the compromise zones – and stay away from all of that. I really think that the Lord is challenging all of us to let our yay be yay and our nay be nay in so many areas. I find it significant that with books like The Shack, and with speakers like Jim Wallis, these issues are so polarizing because black and white and gray are all involved here. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground in the issues of the day, both secular and sacred. The Lord is calling us to make choices that will determine the final leg of our race in Christ. Now is not the time to drop the ball but to make God honoring choices in all areas, all shades. He is at the door!

As the truth war heats up and the desire for discernment grows cold (I think when you mix the two you get something called, “lukewarm”) I am having some clarity of thought.

There seems to be 2 distinct camps within Christendom right now that will draw some serious lines in the sand, I predict. It already has. Rick Warren, who has influenced the church today more than any of us really realize, said back in 2007 that the greatest threat to the church is DISUNITY and this is Satan’s greatest tool. That really accounts for a lot of what he does, chit-chatting with Muslims on our common faith, for instance, and telling pastors that some folks (those old stubborn bible thumpin’ ones) would rather die than change, so your congregation won’t shift as quickly to his mode of ministry as quickly as you might like. Anyway, so we have a camp that has been influenced more by purpose and feelings than by Scripture.

The other camp is thinking that there might be a danger of lukewarmness and such in that approach, and believes that the Satan’s greatest tool is DECEPTION. Like deception in the areas of ecumenism, social justice, and that why-can’t-we-all-just-get-along attitude that surely God will have to bless regardless of sound doctrine on the “majors”.  Now, some folks in the first camp think that there may even be some wiggle room as to what the majors actually are. But, you know, God is love, and as long as it makes me feel good I know it’s from God because it’s all about how I feel. So I can just play fast and loose with things that make me feel good.

Here’s what I see happening all over this land, which will continue to crank up: These 2 camps will never come together. I know what I believe about the “worldview revolution” that is flooding the church and the secular world right now, and I condemn it wholeheartedly because it involves a whole lot of compromise and people pleasing – walking before men.  I want nothing to do with it, because it is sly and cunning and what breaks my heart is that so many Christians refuse to see it and come against it or even listen to those sounding the two-minute warning.  And these two concepts are very polarizing.  That’s why the church growth movement, The Shack, Purpose-Driven, and even what is going on regarding a local festival and their controversial speaker(s) are polarizing too. People feel very strongly one way or another on all the above: unity for the sake of it,  or deception at the heart of it – talk about your “polar opposites”.

As Joseph Farah wrote way back in 2007 in a column entitled, “Rick Warren’s Inquisition” – “Satan loves unity – as long as those unified are knowingly or unknowingly serving him. He’d love for all of us to “go to hell in a handbasket.”

From Ingrid Schlueter at VCY America:

Each summer, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, hosts the “Lifest”Christian music festival. This festival, which is expecting as many as 70,000 in attendance, has put Jim Wallis on the docket of speakers for July 9th.

Wallis’ upcoming appearance at Lifest proves that he is an individual who continues to secure his position as the leading voice of the political arm of the emergent New Spirituality movement.

Those who recognize his name probably know him through his 40 year relationship with the “Sojourners” organization. As an establishment liberal, he weaves his brand of social justice into the Bible, all the while blaming Wall Street for the ills of American society and calling for state-sponsored redistribution of wealth. Click here to listen to an interview between Ingrid Schlueter and Mare Danielsen regarding the beliefs of Lifest speaker Jim Wallis.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Greatest Earthquake: Israel Connection

Three months to the day after this joint declaration the  nation of Chile was devastated by the massive earthquake. What is also very significant is that on March 11, 2010, the very day of  Chile’s new president’s inauguration, the country was hit with four very powerful aftershocks. One that reached 7.2 magnitude. These aftershocks hitting at the very time of the inauguration is very telling that something is going on with Chile and the Holy God of Israel. The fact the epicenter of this enormous earthquake was literally under the feet of the Chilean Palestinians is even more telling. At the time of the earthquake, the Palestinians in Israel were rioting because the Israelis had claimed several Biblical sites as national parks. The Palestinians in Chile were supporting them.
1960 Chile Earthquake
Although the 2010 earthquake was extremely powerful, it pales in comparison to the earthquake that hit Chile on May 22, 1960. This earthquake known as the Valdivia Earthquake was 9.6 magnitude and was the most powerful in recorded history. This earthquake has ominous prophetic implications and warnings. It is a picture of the massive earthquakes described in the Bible which strike during the Day of The LORD.
Tsunami Effect of 1960 Quake

The power and destruction of this earthquake is unmatched in modern history. The earthquake ruptured a fault line for 600 miles and devastated the coast of Chile, but its power affected the entire Pacific rim. It sent massive tsunamis racing across the Pacific Ocean. Waves up to 35 feet high smashed in an arc from Alaska to New Zealand. Japan and Hawaii were heavily damaged by the tsunamis. The tsunamis swept over small islands off Chile’s coast literally causing the towns to disappear. Lesser waves hit the coasts of South and Central America along with the United States.
In Chile, the earthquake triggered five volcanoes and caused a new one to erupt! It triggered massive land slides and cut all lines of communication, roads and power. One of the most awesome aspects was that two small mountains disappeared! There were numerous after-shocks and the people of Chile were terrorized by these events. To many, it must have seemed like the end of the world.
The Israel Connection
Eichmann as Nazi

On May 11, 1960, Israeli agents captured Adolf Eichmann in Argentina, and on May 21, he was brought back to Israel for trial. On May 23, Israel announced to the world the capture of Eichmann. He was the Nazi architect of the holocaust and was responsible for the death of over six million Jews. Eichmann was tried in Israel and found guilty of this mass murder. In 1961 he was executed.
On the day Eichmann was landed in Israel there were four fore-shocks 7.0 or greater in magnitude in Chile with the largest being 7.9. The epicenter of this 7.9 earthquake was under Concepcion which has the largest Palestinian population outside the Middle East. These four earthquakes by themselves would have been an awesome event, but they were overshadowed the next day by the massive 9.6 monster. There were five powerful earthquakes within 48 hours after the Nazi architect of the holocaust set foot on Israel! The earth was literally shaking at this time. Many of the world newspapers had the arrest of Eichmann and this earthquake on the front page together! On both the radio and TV news, these stories were back to back!. These two events had the attention of the entire world.
Front page May 24, 1960
Front page May 25, 1960
Zoom of front page May 25, 1960
What are the chances of the greatest earthquake in modern history occurring at the very time the architect of the holocaust was arrested and then both events are front page headlines around the world? This appears as a warning from the Holy God of Israel that the holocaust is past and in the future such attacks on the Jewish people are going to be met with the massive earthquakes which are described in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. This earthquake was a clear warning of what is going to happen at the battle of Armageddon, when the nations of the world are following up on what Eichmann and the Nazis started.
Earthquakes in the Bible
Earthquakes are mentioned in the Bible and what is interesting is the timing of the event. God times the earthquake, so it then becomes a warning or a weapon. An earthquake occurred at the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross that gained everyone’s attention:
Matthew 27:54 “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”

The Bible warns that as the Day of LORD approaches which will usher in the Battle of Armageddon and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, there will be an increase in great earthquakes. The Greek word used for great is mega. We now use the term mega-earthquake to describe one that is awesome. Both the 8.8 and 9.6 magnitude earthquakes fit the description of mega. The gospel writers warn that world-wide mega-earthquakes will be a major sign of the approaching Day of The LORD and God’s judgment on the world:
Matthew 24:7 “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

Someone emailed me this verse today:

Jude 20-23  But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.  And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

If this isn’t last days encouragement, tell me what is? Don’t we all need that, at least if we are looking and watching and waiting and daily vexed by the world and what passes for the Church.  Of course if you are not looking upward, then most of what I will say here and will make no sense, so you can skip this and continue on with your head in the sand. How’s that workin’ for you?

I am not a boat rocker by nature. I am a peacemaker; I hate controversy and like everyone else, want to have friends and put the best spin on most everything. At least that’s  been my path. But the time has come to just  not worry about all that.  I believe that God of course puts such personality traits in us, and once filled with the Holy Spirit at conversion,  we begin to grow in grace and become meeker with time, not more abrasive. (Note I didn’t say, ‘bold’, I said, ‘abrasive’ as in off-putting or annoying.) But the challenge here in these verses is not to some, but to all, regardless of our nature. There is a job to do, Christian. There is a time to be bold and live with our convictions and a time to be meek and gracious and kind. These verses suggest that to me and making a distinction is very important.

Today there is an overused phrase, “the road less traveled”. I’m not sure exactly what that means in light of contending for the faith in the midst of rampant apostasy and falsehood and reinventing postmodern Christianity (which technically does not exist, it is a made up buzz word for those with an agenda). But I am going to suggest that narcissistic believers today are all about their own personal journey and self-discovery and neglect the idea of real community as described in the Bible. Not the wimpy left-handed social networking coffeehouse “relationship” and “conversant” sandbox Christianity so popular today, but real Spirit-led regenerate community where the gifts of the Spirit are in play, including the ones that serve to keep an eye on where the church is going and are willing to stick their necks out and protect the flock. I think the road less traveled recently and without warning, became “the boat less rocked”.  Those who do rock the emergent and all things reinvented pleasure yacht today are called unkind things, lumped into a category and accused of throwing sand and spoiling all the relevant fun. When will the church realize there are other gifts in the body, placed there for a reason, and  despite the “lack of love” accusation that is designed to provoke a deep-wound response, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Political correctness has infiltrated the church just like the world. It is nothing more  than censorship and of the worst kind. To speak out about false teaching and error today engenders responses that I couldn’t imagine only a few years ago. Everyone has sacred cows it seems, and the farther we sink into apostasy, the less teachable the body seems to become. What is to become of the church where everyone does what is right in their own eyes, gouging out the eyes and stopping up the ears of the church? Censorship has no place in the body but rather those who have been trained by the Word who see the writing on the wall need to be heeded, because there ARE absolutes, doctrine is not a dirty word, and above all, Jesus is coming soon, and so much is at stake.  There are beloved older saints who are doing all they can – I think of Dave Hunt, Pastor Chuck, Jacob Prasch, David Hocking, and others with great apologetic gifts; wonderful pastors who do not walk before men, who are doing all they can and paying an incredible personal price. The way will get narrower, darker, and perhaps God is giving  us some hard choices today. But in light of ecumenism, emergent heresies, far-left political agendas (in the church!), the meditative/mystical movement, the Islam/Christianity common ground movement, Dominionism and other such mischief, the boat less rocked, while on calm seas, is not taking anyone anywhere.

Don’t be afraid to rock that boat, you might snatch someone from the fire.

Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding,

if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;

Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:3-5

If you were of the impression that social justice is simply caring for the disadvantaged, then you need to upgrade your thinking on it or you will risk being deceived by today’s definition of the term. After all, who among us who claims to know God would ever be against reaching out to the poor and alleviating suffering however we could?  Case in point, Haiti. A healthy church will naturally care for “the least of these”. But Wallis takes any collective sense of moral responsibility we may have for the disadvantaged and redefines and manipulates it for his own agenda.

This is the manipulation, and this is important – keep this in mind when you watch the extreme changes going on in our country today – Wallis’ Social Justice turns all the political hot button issues of the day into moral issues with a divine, biblical mandate. Everything from the economy, jobs and education, to healthcare, global warming, race issues and immigration – now carries with it the moral imperative of fairness, equity, and validity – and that mindset is responsible for our current administration’s frenzy to push through legislation on all the above.

And if you question this new global village moral imperative, I have no doubt your Christianity will be called into question as well at some point. This “new morality” is radically changing our country as we speak, and has been for some time via organizations like ACORN.  But you might be asking, what does this have to do with the church?

Social Justice turns on something called  the Social Gospel. What is the Social Gospel? And did Glenn Beck realize he was signing up for an endless war of words with Wallis when he recently called him on his evil mix of Marxism and the bible?

Here’s the comment that got Glenn into hot water with Wallis last month:  “This (social justice) is a complete per-version of the gospel…I beg you, look for the words, ‘social justice’ on your church’s website. If you find it, run as fast as you can”. [1] Now, Glenn and I part ways quite a bit theologically, but I have to give him credit for seeing this new religion of works and collective guilt and collective-ism for what it is. He is one of the few who actually does.

The roots of the social gospel go back to the 19^th and 20^th centuries. That was when many Protestant denominations took on liberal theology, which includes  the post-millennial view that Jesus cannot return until mankind has brought justice to the earth by ridding itself of all social evils. At that time slavery, temperance, women’s rights, child labor, and equity for the working stiffs who were caught in the industrial revolution’s 12 hour work days were the new causes of the liberal churches.

Wallis believes he was born in the wrong century and says so in his book – and is longing for those early days of social justice awareness, or ‘Great Awakenings’ as they were called – and puts them on a par with true Holy Spirit – led revivals;  hence the name of his book, “The Great Awakening”- the one he is calling for today.

TA McMahon, in his article called, “The Shameful Social Gospel”, warns of a gospel that is being tinkered with by some who call themselves evangelicals but in reality are ashamed of the true gospel, presenting one to the world that is more palatable, political, and ecumenical. This has been the primary gospel of the mainline Protestant denominations throughout the 20^th century, and still is today. It’s popularity rose and fell with the times; if you are old enough you experienced a wave of it during the civil rights era of Martin Luther King and Vietnam. Just listen to the oldies channel long enough, and you will hear of the many social and moral causes of the ‘60s.

Heretic Emergent guru Brian McLaren says this: “I think our future will require us to join humbly and charitably with people of other faiths – Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, and secularists in pursuit of peace, environmental stewardship and justice for all people, things that matter greatly to the heart of God.” TA says this: “No, what matters to the heart of God is that all should come to repentance and believe the true Gospel. God’s Word gives no commission to the church to fix the problems of the world.” [2]

Rick Warren took the social gospel to new levels, by hobnobbing with world leaders and presenting his global PEACE plan to mobilize churches to address poverty and disease and telling us not to bother with prophecy. Remember too, when Rick Warren interviewed the 2008 Presidential candidates? Ever wonder how he got that job? I sure have. Now Jim Wallis is carrying this very same agenda to the highest levels of our government as an appointee of the president.

Wallis’ has also found a kindred spirit in Willow Creek. Pastor Bill Hybels’ wife Lynne is a major contributor to Sojourner’s. Willow Creek offers classes on social justice. The Willow Creek Association offers churches of any denomination anywhere an opportunity to align themselves with their main campus for a yearly fee, giving those churches access to their annual summits, leadership training and sermon ideas – in effect creating a denomination via the back door. They claim there are 13,000 Willow Creek Association member churches throughout the world. Do the math on this one – look at the potential influence a Jim Wallis could have on the church if even half of them choose to emulate Willow Creek in their growing emphasis on the social gospel?

There is a movie coming out soon entitled, “With God on Our Side”. I want to pre-warn you about this film – Jan Markell (www.olivetreeviews.org) tells us that “it is aimed at changing the end-time views of evangelicals and the theology that says the Jews are God’s chosen people and have a divine right to the land.”

The producer of this film announces that there is “a biblical alternative for Christians who want to love and support Israel – a “new” theology that doesn’t favor one people group over another but instead promotes peace and reconciliation for both Jew and Palestinian” instead of endless Middle East violence.

The only problem with that pie-in-the-sky thinking, is that the Palestinian leadership does not WANT peace with Israel. They want a one-state solution, they want the destruction of Israel. The film’s  message to evangelicals is that the US’ old pro-Israel foreign policy was based on end-time theology and has created great suffering among the Palestinians. But today’s more socially aware and compassionate Christians will reject that old policy and realize that the Palestinians are the victim group most in need of Christian compassion. Wallis, McLaren and Campolo are promoting the film. I tell you all this because when you hear about this movie, which you likely will, in light of our subject here, you will be able to cut through the propaganda and see it for what it is, another vehicle for social justice – social gospel indoctrination, and an unbiblical spin on the clear teachings about Israel presented throughout the Scriptures.

Now, Marxism is nothing new to this old world and will pass away. What Wallis is promoting is nothing new either.  But let’s take the wood, hay, and stubble of Wallis’ dry old social justice gospel and throw some last days fuel on it: like the Emergent church’s mix of Catholicism and liberal Protestantism; add Rick Warren’s global PEACE plan, and Willow Creek’s annual leadership summits featuring speakers like Bono, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Tony Blair and Rick Warren, and before long things are burning out of control in the church. Throw in the fact that the forward to Wallis’ book is written by Jimmy Carter, an anti-Israel leftist; other endorsers are Bill Hybels, Bono, and Brian McLaren, who is also on the Sojourners’ board of directors and a regular contributor on it’s blog, and a picture of a last days lukewarm church really comes into focus.

Let’s look at some current quotes by Wallis on key biblical issues to give you a fuller picture of this man. Remember, he calls himself an evangelical pastor.

On being born again: Jesus proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…He is saying that a whole new order is about to enter history, and if you want to be a part of it, you will need a change so fundamental that the Gospel of John would later refer to it as a “new birth”. Being born again was not meant to be a private religious experience that is hard to communicate…but rather the prerequisite for joining a new and very public movement – the Jesus and kingdom of God movement.”The Great Awakening, p.60

On Israel: “The completely one-sided support for Israel from conservative evangelicals rests on 2 things: one, a very dubious interpretation (and I’m being generous here) of biblical prophecy…in which the modern state of Israel is still equated with the Old Testament notion of ‘God’s Chosen People’, and a complete  denial of the existence of Palestinian Christians.” Jim Wallis, “Politics Pushes Uneven Policies”, September 17, 2007

On Gay Rights: ”Abomination is a pretty strong word…there is a debate and questions over the meaning of the word “abomination.”(Referring to Leviticus 18:22) As heard on Moody Christian Radio Network, in Chicago, Feb.19, 2008, when asked about government sanctions on civil unions for gays. www.americansfortruth.com

On the Kingdom: “The kingdom of God, which Jesus came to inaugurate, is meant to create an alternate reality in this world, and ultimately to transform the kingdoms of this world” The Great Awakening, p. 56

On Repentance: “We are all familiar with the famous pop culture image of a street evangelist holding up a sign reading, “Repent, for the end is near!” But repentance is…often misunderstood. This week, one could imagine a group of pastors, priests, rabbis, and imams holding up a sign on Wall Street for the titans of the financial industry to see, reading, “Repent, or the end could be near again….let’s have some sermons on the repentance of Wall Street.” (read that, “capitalism” – ed. – Wall St. Repent, by Jim Wallis, 4.29.10

Sojourners On Bible Prophecy: “It’s all too easy to make fun of the extreme examples of prophecy belief that we encounter on bumper stickers and best-seller lists. When people talk breathlessly of the dangers of Universal Product Codes and automated teller machines as signs of the impending Tribulation, giggles and head shaking are hard to repress…when we ridicule apocalyptic interpretations of bar codes and the European Common Market, we are …properly rejecting an interpretive method that (suggests a) correspondence between biblical events and symbols, and our own lives. Ought Revelation to be included within the family of Christian texts, or should it be thrown on the fire of apocalyptic excesses? “ Wes Howard-Brook, “Apocalypse Soon? Sojourners January 1999

On the Imminent Return of Jesus: Not a word could I find on our blessed hope. But then, I don’t see any kind of genuine hope in anything he espouses, nor do I get a hint of a biblical relationship with God. If we are not going to be fruit inspectors on this guy, then the church is totally abdicating its responsibility regarding truth. Period.

Equating biblical care of the downtrodden with the welfare state is rapidly changing the face of the evangelical church. This “pseudo-Christian” morality-based religion for the last days is infiltrating every corner of American society and the church seems to have either lost the will to identify and counteract it’s influence, or feels so guilty about it’s mega-excesses that it is operating out of a sense of works not in keeping with repentance. Wallis’ book is the most preachy, shaming, finger-pointing rant I have ever read; I suppose in the absence of Christ’s righteousness in a person’s life, all that’s left is self-righteousness, which utterly lacks the sweet savor of having been in the presence of Jesus.

But I believe this is a preview of an even deeper level of apostasy, a marriage of religion and politics that will ultimately come together under the dictatorial reign of Antichrist, who “causeth all, both small and great,  rich and poor, free and slave…” to receive his mark – is this the “level playing field” Wallis and others are working toward? If that’s true, then this is deception of the highest possible caliber, and I find it thoroughly sobering in light of the lateness of the hour.

So, just how late is it?

Allow me to ask one more time, why is this man a keynote speaker at a huge local Christian festival aimed primarily at our youth?

Some closing comments: Social reformers deceptively blur the lines between two kingdoms, seeking to turn houses of worship into distribution centers for their causes. What they choose to ignore is that all the ills of society are merely symptoms – the root cause is sin. They reject the cure for sin through the cross of Christ and instead treat symptoms – but in removing the cross, they are conveniently free to affirm anyone’s beliefs, and the result is a broad road, inclusive global social justice revolution, or what I call, “The Theory of Revolution”. We have been watching this take place right under the church’s nose for the last few years, and it’s becoming clearer by the day who is aligning themselves with whom, and what kind of agenda is being promoted.

Wallis says in his book that the majority of his audience is under 30 and half of those are under 25. He speaks frequently at major universities, some secular, and more and more at conservative Christian colleges. This is how it was done back in the 60s when Wallis was young; today’s liberal thinkers got their worldview from the counterculture agendas of America’s universities. But lest you think Wallis himself is just another counterculture hippie type out there on the fringes of the establishment -

Note this picture:

“World Economic Forum”. This is the annual invitation-only event in Davos Switzerland that brings together the world’s most influential politicians and economists as they work to bring the world under a global authority.

Consider also, that Sojourners’ receives a portion of its considerable funding from the Open Society Institute,[3] this is billionaire leftist George Soros’ organization. In  my next update we will look much closer at him and other revolutionaries like him, so stay tuned for that.

Also, back in 2007, the National Association of Evangelicals hosted a dinner gathering called, “A Global Leaders Forum”. That alone should raise a red flag. The keynote: Ban Ki Moon, current head of the UN. What is he doing at the NAE event, you ask yourself? (Every Christian should be asking themselves about this.)  Wallis himself says of the event, that some Christians today, those who read books like “Left Behind”, might say he had dinner with the Antichrist (that night).

He goes on to say: “Last night, the supposed Antichrist was listening to gospel music, speaking of his own faith, quoting scripture, celebrating a new alliance with “the evangelical church” on the critical issues of poverty and global warming, and bringing the conservative Christian crowd to its feet in smiling agreement with the UN secretary’s agenda. Indeed, leader after Christian leader insisted this was a biblical agenda.[4]

I don’t know about you, but in light of the times, that sends a bit of a chill up my spine. How gullible can one be, who hears the head of the UN quote a bible verse and then jumps to the outrageous conclusion that the UN has a biblical agenda? To me this defies comprehension but then so much today does, and this of course is the heart of deception.

My challenge is this: to those who may receive this information, to be open and teachable regarding the times. The bible commands us to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints! This applies to all who call themselves believers, not just a few.

Now is not the time to hang on to any “sacred cows” of personality but to be so in love with truth in our innermost being that nothing matters except to make sure we are on the side of truth. After all, if there is no such thing as absolute truth, is such a thing as a lie? If we don’t know the real thing, how can we spot a counterfeit?

It is our prayer that the Lord would direct and guide you regarding this matter and all matters of faith, earnestly seeking His mind and heart in all things as laid out in the Word.

Mary Danielsen

[2] The Shameful Social Gospel, TA McMahon. http://www.thebereancall.org/node/7062

[3] http://theothermccain.com/2010/03/13/surprise-sandinista-stooge-jim-wallis-endorses-socialist-obamacare-bill/

[4] Dinner with the Antichrist” by Jim Wallis.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2007/10/dinner-with-the-antichrist-by.html

I want to introduce you to someone I briefly mentioned in 2 earlier prophecy updates, regarding trends today in the evangelical church. I would say that this person is one of the top “change agents” today, and the timing of his surge in popularity is very interesting, considering

1) the ideology of our current administration,  2) the advance of liberal theology via the emerging church and church growth movements, and 3)the current state of doctrinal apostasy the church finds itself in today. Are all these connected? Through this man, they are indeed.

Now, I take no pleasure in going after the rising stars of the church movement of the hour, and to be honest, just reading about their exploits and agenda tends to steal my peace. My experience has been, however, that unbiblical trends in the church tend to snowball, producing even worse trends; that each heretical book or teaching that comes along seems to lead to a worse one down the road; the bible says in 2Timothy 3:13 that in the last days, “evil men and seducers (imposters) shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived”, suggesting to me a progressive pattern of deception  that we really need to stay on top of.

So, I feel compelled to bring you this information so that you will be better equipped to discern and observe a progression that I have been following for a long time, and that you would understand how people like this man want to influence your kids and your thinking about what our worldview as believers should be.

There is so much information overload out there, that unless you knew the proverbial frog before he jumped into the proverbial pot, you might be overwhelmed in keeping up, and so  I am going to take a few minutes to help you sort out the latest trend blowing through the church.

For those who remember the old “Dragnet” TV show, allow me to “reinvent” Joe Friday: “The story you are about to hear is true. None of the names have been changed – and the only thing I’m interested in protecting is the gospel of Jesus Christ”.  Let’s dive in.

I am speaking of Jim Wallis, who will be one of the keynote speakers at Lifest this July. (Lifest is a large music fest that takes place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin every summer, featuring the latest artists from the Christian community, as well as various speakers. On it’s own website, it says it expects up to 70,000 attendees over the course of the  weekend, which in this area, covers a considerable section of the population.)

If we are going to do any critical thinking at all on this subject, we really need to get a kodak moment of “the big picture”.

So, in my desire to be thorough on this subject, I read nearly 50 different articles about him and his activities over the last 4 decades, by many different writers -some by himself and his associates, others by both Christian and secular observers. I also read his book, The Great Awakening, because I  don’t want anyone who might be in the sound of my voice to think that I have not taken the time myself to get inside our subject’s head. In reality, anyone with internet access could probably have all the info they need on him within 10 minutes – he is not shy about his agenda.

So who is Jim Wallis?

For nearly 40 years, he has expressed himself through an organization called, “Sojourners”. He was raised in an evangelical family in Detroit, and attended Trinity Evangelical Divinity school, but his radical political views made it impossible for him to finish there. [1]

At that time, he also founded an anti-capitalist magazine called, “The Post-American” in which he called for the redistribution of wealth and an economy managed by the government. He also experimented for a season with communal living in search of a utopian lifestyle.

In 1975, he moved his work to Washington DC and renamed it Sojourners. He wasn’t just against the Vietnam war, he rejoiced in America’s defeat there – there is a big difference – showing his leftist sympathies by publicly criticizing the Vietnamese and Hmong refugees who fled that communist regime (we called them “boat people” back then), by claiming they were leaving to support their consumer habit in other lands…that being greedy capitalists made it just too hard to live under a dictatorship. [2] Where is the “liberal compassion” in those sentiments?

He supported the Sandinista Communists in their attempt to take over Nicaragua in the 80s, actively participating in resistance against the American military – AND working side by side in this cause with none other than Jeremiah Wright, the radical anti-American Chicago preacher who was our president’s pastor for 20 years.

Wallis also supported the FMLN, a communist terror group from El Salvador itching to spread their Marxist revolution throughout South America. The word “traitor” does come to mind at this point. [3]

In 1983, the organization, “Accuracy in Media” published a lengthy book on the far left policies of Wallis and his organization, documenting 53 political positions of Sojourners on such issues as Israel’s right to exist, terrorism, socialism, capitalism, human rights, etc  – and compared their positions on these subjects with those of the Soviet Union. In all 53 position statements, it was found that Sojourners’ views were completely in line with the views of hardline Soviets.

Joan Harris, who did the reporting on this, observed, “Sojourners never criticizes a Marxist state. The US and the West are the only violators of human rights to them because they are capitalist. Marxists, by Sojourners’ own definition, cannot violate human rights.”  Wallis calls himself a “Progressive” – but keep in mind that “progressive” is as far left as you can go politically without actually taking a right turn in the process.[4]

Wallis believes that Castro’s Cuba, Chavez’s Venezuela, and Ortega’s Nicaragua are the Marxist paradises the US should emulate. It is not extreme at all to say, that one of his goals is the end of the US as we have known it — “Post-Americanism” finally realized. So, after being arrested by the US government 22 times in 40 years, where has he soft-landed? As spiritual advisor to President Obama.[5] Now, with the help of our own government, he hopes to turn mere ideology into policy. He is a living, breathing advocate for total government control, complete socialism, or “totalitarian socialism”.

Wallis has known Obama for over 20 years, and during the “Reverend Wright” damage control days, he was right there advising him on how to spin it, and helping him draft many “faith based initiatives”, to make the far left appear to have some form of religion, to sell the church the idea that here is a spiritual alternative to the now defunct Religious Right, which Wallis eulogizes endlessly in his book.

So, in light of all this, allow me to ask a question at this point: why is this man speaking at a local Christian festival aimed primarily at our youth?

In their own words, Sojourners’ Mission statement is this: “founded in 1971, our mission is to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church and the world.”

What this is Social Justice that is supposed to transform our churches, even us as individuals? Doesn’t the Holy Spirit do the transforming work in all things? The dictionary defines it as, “The equitable distribution of advantages, assets, and benefits among all members of a society.” Without turning this into political science 101, I’ll keep it simple by saying that this is also the definition for “social-ism”: a  government-controlled economy and the redistribution of wealth.

[2] http://www.traditionalvalues.org/pdf_files/jim_wallis.pdf

[3] ibid

[4] ibid

[5] Frontpage Magazine, March 17, 2009. http://97.74.65.51/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=34385

In my last post I mentioned taking the temperature of the church from time to time. Today I got a worse reading than yesterday’s rant would indicate.