Enter His Courts With Scaramouch at Cedar Creek Church

Sunday worship needs more scaramouch. At least that’s what I’m lead to believe based on an opener to come out of Cedar Creek Church during their Sunday worship service. They did a rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody, using wigged head banging men to spice it up.

Bohemian Rhapsody mentions scaramouch. What is scaramouch?

“1. capitalized : a stock character in the Italian commedia dell’arte that burlesques the Spanish don and is characterized by boastfulness and cowardliness
2a : a cowardly buffoon : rascal, scamp”

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scaramouch

That’s an amazing unintentional and accurate metaphor. Tactics like this during worship boast more in our human genius to keep people in the church instead of trusting in the means God uses to save and grow his church. We end up trusting in our own genius. Ultimately this leads to total buffoonery.

For those who think it's mean, judgmental and un-loving to criticize Cedar Creek Church (or any other popular teacher/church) here's something just for you: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.

If you're having a knee-jerk reaction to try and defend this kind of "worship" service, check out: Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs.

Here's a very extensive documentary exposing the problems with the "Seeker-Friendly" church model: Church of Tares: Purpose Driven, Seeker Sensitive

Finally, here's an article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.

Joo-Joo Eyeball & Monkey Finger at Kensington Troy Sunday Worship Service

Have you ever sang about joo-joo eyeball, toe-jam football, monkey finger, and walrus gumboot at your Sunday church worship service? Kensington Troy did during their 09-11-2016 Sunday worship service.

This isn’t the type of singing scripture tells to use when we come together during worship.

“Ephesians 5:18-19 ESV

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Colossians 3:15-17

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Worship lyrics should be distinctly bible centric, not Beatles centric. Let’s come together around scripture, not around joo-joo eyeball, and monkey finger.

Pastoral Shouting Match with Ed Young and Steven Furtick!!!

• HYPE-O-RAMA OF PASTORAL (& OVERLY DRAMATIC) SHOUTING! BECAUSE SHOUTING PROVES THAT SOMETHING IS TRUE!! Just like using ALL CAPS!!!!
• OBLIGATORY FOOTAGE OF EMOTIONAL WORSHIPPERS WITH HANDS RAISED! (Wide aperture on lens for that shallow depth of field look; this says "spiritual, but not religious" like nothing else)
• CHEERING A LOT... AND THEN CHEERING SOME MORE!! WHY IS THERE SO MUCH CHEERING?? JUST KEEP CHEERING!!!!
• OBLIGATORY FOOTAGE OF ATHLETE GETTING READY TO WIN!! WOW-HE'S READY TO KICK SOME BUTT!!! JUST LIKE OUR CHURCH!!!!!
• NO LOSERS ALLOWED; THIS IS WHERE SUPER-CHRISTIANS LEARN HOW TO WIN!!
• OBLIGATORY FOOTAGE OF DRUMMERS DRUMMING AS PEOPLE DANCE AROUND IN SLOW MOTION!! (Wide aperture on the lens again; nice touch)
• COOL YOUNG ROCKSTAR WORSHIP LEADERS!!
• ONCE YOU BECOME A DIAMOND IN AMWAY YOU CAN QUIT YOUR DAY JOB!! (Oh wait, that's a different, but very similar, conference...) 
• SOMETHING ABOUT GOD... SOMEWHERE... OH YEAH, GOD WANTS YOU TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAM DESTINY THINGY!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!! (Continue cheering until further notice...)

Watch this conference promo video and ask yourself: Does this look like an actual Christian conference, or a motivational conference full of shouting, exaggerating and people being told how great they are? Ask yourself: Is this video trying to accurately describe a conference, or is it emotionally manipulating me into wanting to get pumped up and join all the cool people shown here? 

Perhaps this is the motivational speaker that that Ed Young should hire for next year's conference...

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A related article:

When Did the Church Turn Into Amway?

Fighting for the Faith episodes that show how Ed Young twists God's Word:

Fighting for the Faith Ed Young

Fighting for the Faith episodes that show how Steven Furtick twists God's Word:

Fighting for the Faith Steven Furtick

For those who think it's mean, judgmental and un-loving to criticize Ed Young or Steven Furtick (or any other church leader) here's something just for you: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.

If you're having a knee-jerk reaction to try and defend this video, check out: Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs.

Finally, here's an article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.

Welcomed by Sadness at The Rock Church

Sadness (the character) literally welcomed you if you attended the Inside Out theme at The Rock Church. The images provided by their Facebook page are a perfect unintended metaphor for what is going on.

So what’s the big deal? This wasn’t an extra curricular outreach. The Rock Church was doing this during their official Sunday worship service. They are unintentionally confessing many things by greeting people at the door with movie themes.

They confess that entertainment, movies, movie characters, and not Jesus are to be on your mind as you enter church. What greets you at the door? What is your attention drawn toward?

Jesus wouldn't be the first thing on my mind if I viewed the above at the door of my church for Sunday worship.

I like Star Wars, but should my church be drawing my attention to Stormtroopers before an official church worship service?

This literally does church inside out. Is our “product” so lame that we think gimmicks are needed to make it appealing? Is the problem that we view the gospel as a product that needs pop culture references to make it appear relevant?

If you attend a church like this, or are involved in leadership making use of these gimmicks, please repent of this nonsense. Our message is the power of God unto salvation. God works through word and sacrament, he doesn’t need manmade religious gimmicks, which are actually neo-traditions of men if you think about it. If you’re looking for something that is actually dry, cold, manmade tradition, then movie theme gimmicks are it. Go back to focussing on the gospel, that is God’s message and God’s power.

Bill Hybels Talks About Popeye (Much) More Than Jesus

In his sermon entitled "Unwavering: A Story of Obedience" Bill Hybels mentions the cartoon character Popeye dozens of times-he specifically quotes him fifteen times! He does this because God gave him a direct revelation: God told Bill Hybels to write and preach about our "Holy Discontent," which is a term he invented and repeats dozens of times throughout this sermon (which just happens to be the title of his book). Instead of using exegesis to draw the meaning out of the Bible, Hybels crams his concept of Holy Discontent into the story of Nehemiah and then uses Popeye to back up this theory. He doesn't mention Jesus at all until the end of the sermon (when he wants to inflict guilt upon his listeners). But don't worry, even though this is all conjured up in Hybels mind, he says God gave it to him. 

Listen to Todd Wilken give an amazing sermon review on this episode of Issues Etc.

"Holy Discontent" is a variation on the Purpose Driven Life; it's the idea that God didn't just die on the cross to just pay for your sins (because that isn't enough in seeker-friendly theology); God really wants you to take whatever you're most angry about and act on it. Basically, the Gospel is all about how God wants you to do stuff-lot's and lot's of stuff. According to Bill Hybels, God will look at your hands to see if they're all scarred and bloodied (like His) when we get to heaven. If you haven't done enough stuff (and your hands are nice and pretty), then God will be very disappointed with you. Get to work, Christian! Don't you wanna be like Popeye, Bono, Martin Luther-King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Bill Hybels?!

“For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

— 1 Corinthians 2:2

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For those of you who think it's mean and un-loving to criticize Bill Hybels (or any other popular teacher) here's a list of Bible verses to consider: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.

Finally, here's an important article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.

Prophetic Super Bowl Analysis

Lance Wallnau, a major celebrity in the New Apostolic Reformation and key teacher of the Seven Mountain Mandate took time on Super Bowl Sunday to weigh in on the prophetic significance of the game. We've posted Lance's pregame video and post game analysis. 

The absurdity of the these videos, in their attempts to plumb the prophetic meaning of Super Bowl 50, demonstrate just how far off the rails the Charismatic Movement has travelled. None of this nonsense has any value in fulfilling the Great Commission. In fact, this is an impediment to accomplishing the Great Commission.

Lance Wallnau is a leader within the New Apostolic Reformation.

Bill Hybels: "God Uses A Re-Crafted Schedule To Transform Lives"

This one minute video clip is from the Willow Creek YouTube channel:

Pastor Hybels says: "I've never seen a tool that God uses more predictably in transforming human lives than a re-crafted schedule." This short clip is the conclusion of a 45 minute sermon (that feels like three hours) called "The Power of Your Schedule" which can be heard in a very thorough, funny and scathing sermon review by Chris Rosebrough (the sermon review starts at 1 hour 12 minutes into the program):

Is Hybels teaching from the "Book of Statistics" or something?? If God uses a re-crafted schedule more predictably than any other thing, why did He fail to mention it in His Word?

“Wow. Now I can see that I wasted a lot of my time on earth... I should have been teaching people to ‘re-craft their schedules’ instead of all that other stuff I did.”

— Said Jesus Never

Closing thoughts: Seriously, there's nothing wrong with being productive and efficient with our time, and setting goals and using some sort of planner is a good idea-just remember that God is not captive to our plans. Most importantly, Bill Hybels is supposed to be a pastor, not a life coach or business advisor. Although he mentions in this "sermon" that people in his church should, perhaps, get it on their schedule to study the Bible (duh!), he's setting a terrible example by not preaching from God's Word for this entire "sermon." 

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.”

— 2 Timothy 4: 2

“For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

— 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’-yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your ignorance. All such boasting is evil.”

— James 4:13-16

Battle of the Crazy Gigantic Extreme Christmas Spectacles!!

Which of these church productions is the most massively spectacular? The most magnificent, colossal and gargantuan? The most unbelievably extreme, bodacious and over-the-top?? 

But more importantly, do these über expensive spectacles help the church fulfill the Great Commission or are they signs of the decadence and corruption of Evangelicalism?

Here's a heartwarming Christmas story: At John Hagee's Mega-Church they expect members to tithe regularly; however, they realize that some people are poor, unemployed or just "down on their luck," so the non-tithers are required to go listen to Pastor Hagee sing and play the saxophone at Christmas and pretend they enjoyed it. This will compensate for their inability to tithe for one year...

Closing thoughts: it's obvious there are a lot of talented, hard-working volunteers putting in a tremendous effort in these productions; they are to be commended for that. But, in the desire to get people to show up and then "make a decision" for Jesus, these productions take so much time and energy from a church body it seems possible that very little time is left for actual Bible study and discipleship. Just something to think about.