Enter The Joy of The Master

I think all Christians are guilty of overly hero-worshipping a particular preacher, theologian or spiritual leader. But wait long enough and they will always let you down.

When I was younger and being a person of low self-esteem by nature, I used to enjoy the uplifting messages of Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer.

It didn’t take too long of course to realise that Osteen rarely mentions Christ, sin, repentance and obfuscates on the way of salvation even on national television. Joyce was better. She actually reads and tries to preach the Word of God. Unfortunately, she like Osteen is a terrible role model with her unnecessary multi million dollar homes and private jets.

Both also subscribe to the ‘name it and claim it’ prosperity gospel and particularly in the case of Meyer, believe and preach that as mini gods ourselves, we can speak into existence anything we want, just as God spoke the universe into existence ex nihilo. This is obviously false and no different from Rhonda Byrne‘s The Secret – the principles of the so-called laws of attraction as propagated by new age secular pastrix Oprah Winfrey. Oprah of course denies that Christ is the only way to salvation in willful defiance of Jesus claims about Himself in the book of John in the New Testament.

After abandoning such idolatry, I began to pay more attention to John Piper, he of quivering voice and blood earnest sincerity. I listened to Ask Pastor John for many months and found him to be largely theologically sound in his Calvinistic convictions. I was also impressed by his decades-old scandal-free ministry which speaks of a man of great character.

However although we could never speak of Piper and Osteen/Meyer in the same breath, disturbing trends began to emerge with Piper too.

http://pulpitandpen.org/2016/09/28/is-john-piper-disqualifying-himself-as-a-pastor/

The concept of Christian Hedonism.

https://www.the-highway.com/christian-hedonism_Masters.html

His support of the irreverend Mark Driscoll.

http://www.driscollcontroversy.com/

His whitewashing of ecumenical, church growth guru and gospel diluter Rick Warren.

https://www.challies.com/articles/thinking-about-rick-warren-john-piper/

The cast of modern day montanists and musicians he shares the stage with at The Passion Conference:

Louie Giglio (Picture says a thousand words)

Carl Lentz (Who denies Christian particularism)

http://pulpitandpen.org/2016/10/18/carl-lentz-to-oprah-winfrey-you-dont-have-to-be-a-christian-to-have-a-relationship-with-god/

The ‘forked tongue’ of Hillsong and the ‘genuine’ Carl Lentz (Part 1).

Francis Chan (Affirmer of Mike Bickle/Ihop & Michael Brown)

http://afellowtruthseeker.blogspot.kr/2014/01/be-careful-with-francis-chan.html

Beth Moore (!)

http://www.piratechristian.com/messedupchurch/2017/1/the-beth-moore-cornucopia-of-false-doctrine-frenetic-speeches-and-mysticism

Christine Caine

https://bereanresearch.org/six-reasons-not-to-follow-christine-caine/

Hillsong 

The origins of Hillsong (Part 1): The New Order of the Latter Rain

Whether it is The New Apostolic Reformation (Bill Johnson/Bethel),

 

New Calvinism (Matt Chandler/Mark Dever)

The Emergent Church (Rob Bell),

Ecumenism (A high percentage of contemporary pastors)

Church Growth Pragmatism/Seeker Sensitivity & a diluted gospel (Rick Warren)

The Social/Marxist Gospel (Tim Keller)

http://www.newcalvinist.com/kellers-political-motivation/kellers-marxist-sympathies/

The net result is that it is extremely hard to find men who put a high value on the accurate exegesis of scripture and the clear preaching of the Gospel or those who do but sell out to worldliness and worldly methods to proclaim it.

The best that it seems you can get these days are the old school reformed cast of John McArthur, Phil Johnson, Todd Friel, Al Mohler and their group – great men – discerning, biblically sound and alert to heresy, error, charlatans and deceivers.

But even here I have been disappointed.

If you have been following the excellent Pulpit & Pen website, you’ll be aware of men like Friel and Johnson calling out Dr Michael Brown for his affirmation and whitewashing of even the worst purveyors of charismatic nonsense. They are right to do this.

But there is no little hypocrisy in their doing so:

 

It all goes to prove that as Christians, we have to be alert and discerning.

None of even these good men are without fault.

It’s easy to steer clear of most of the obvious heretics and deceivers listed earlier on this page.

But even among the better men, as this video points out, there is often a surprising lack of self-awareness.