There's been a slight change of plans. What was supposed to be three parts, has turned into four. Too much to compile into three parts, so the third was split into two, to make four. Here is part 3. Part 4 can be read here.
The outrage and hatred against perverted and false teachings and presumptuous error and sin (see Ps 119:127-128; Rom 12:9; Rom 16:17; Eph 5:11) continues marching forward in this second to last episode of exposing the apostasy of EMC, wherein we will cover the following points of apostasy:
"4. EMC’s Worship and Living is Liberal, Worldly, and Unholy. This Includes Pro-Homosexuality."
"5. EMC Proclaims Righteousness, Love and Grace But Not According to Scripture, While Claiming What I am Doing is Not Loving and Gracious."
Well then, let's get rolling. The ship is sinking.
4. EMC’s Worship and Living is Liberal, Worldly, and Unholy, Including Pro-Homosexuality.
(a) "Christian" Contemporary Worship Music (CCM) and Judging Music.
It seems the world of Christianity today, which is mostly apostate, including evangelicalism, have equally made it their stance that you cannot judge music, that music is somehow a personal juxtaposition or moot point. People question the criteria for judging and the ability to judge music. They don’t know how to judge what’s good or bad. They can’t go any further than saying that musical style is personal taste or preference only, there is no objective means of judging between the good and the bad.
The typical argument in defence of worldly, fleshly music is that the Bible doesn't tell us what bad music is. Music is apparently neutral. ‘Hey, just relax, it’s not that bad.’ Or, 'The Bible doesn't say anywhere specifically that there is sinful music.'
If music is neutral why does the world call it “the universal language?" 2 Pet 3:3 tells us that "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts." Since these are religious scoffers, a necessary part of the justification for walking after one's own lusts involves a delicate balancing between professed adherence to the Scriptures and a walk according to those lusts. To overcome this difficulty, one simply increases and expands the number of things that "cannot be known or culturally applied" from Scriptures, paving the way to God-approved lust following. Interestingly, at the same time, often these same people have no trouble stretching the "application" of the Scriptures to whatever trendy social justice issue happens to be the cultural rage at the time.
The false arguments however are in defiance of what Scripture teaches. When the Bible speaks of worldliness, we can understand what that means and we do know what it means. The Bible doesn’t say, “Thou shalt not smoke crack cocaine.” Yet the Bible does make that point, but it must be applied to do so. The same argument can be made for dress standards and corrupt communication. The bible doesn't tell us what is profane. It doesn't tell us what the attire of a harlot, the clothing of a prostitute is. Scripture applies to cultural issues. And of course the same can be applied to music. God demands His Word applied to cultural issues. To obey God’s Word, the Bible must be applied to cultural issues. When one disobeys God on cultural issues, he is sinning against God. When one continues to disobey God, thus sinning against Him, in a characteristic manner, he inadvertently exposes his unregenerate hell-bound estate (1 Jn 2:3-5) and carcass abiding on the broad path that leads to destruction.
This is actually an attack by Satan on the Word of God. From the Garden of Eden to the Wilderness of Temptation to Our Present Day, Satan has opposed God’s plan by undermining God’s Word. He questions its inspiration, “How do we know God said it?” He questions its preservation, “How do we know this is what God said?” In this area of knowing godly music and ungodly music, we see another conspiracy of Satan, “How do we know what God meant?”, which is actually an attack on the clarity and truth absoluteness of Scripture, together with its corollary, “How can we know the application of what God said?”
The conscience works off the law of God, written or in the heart (Rom. 2:14-15). Satan opposes God by confusing God’s righteous standard. He damages the conscience of mankind. Satan himself rejects God’s law and influences all people to do the same. He blurs the boundaries to harm the operation of man’s God-given, inbred warning-device. The negation of the law lessens the work of the conscience over sin. Satan replaces God’s direction with toleration. He persuades men not to judge. His world system has taken on this ungodly philosophy, and now it has spread into churches and religious organizations. He attacks the principles of God’s Word. He convinces men that they no longer have Scriptural authority to apply Biblical principles to their way of life. This creates a system of unsaved people, because at the foundation of Satanic attack, is the doctrine of salvation. Unsaved people feigning Christianity cannot consistently apply the Bible to their lives, so they won’t (and can't) have wisdom, understanding, or discernment too.
Satan loves almost nothing more than to take away from the worship of God. To do this, he gladly confuses men about what pleases the Lord in worship. The devil happily nullifies the kind of music that God enjoys, songs that align with His character or nature. He can sabotage the worship of the Lord by causing doubt about someone’s ability to judge what God likes and doesn’t like. And the doubt actually starts long before that, even as they come to "follow Jesus," not from a regenerate heart but one that has a form of religion and self-love and self-fulfillment that doesn't save. They believed a lie, which leads to a life of doubt and confusion over God's Word, and music inevitably will fall into that trap.
The false position we are describing here comes from a perversion of liberty and passages such as Rom 14, and irrational and false argument that since the Bible doesn’t use the terminology ‘rock,’ ‘rap,’ ‘pop,’ jazz,’ or ‘country-western,’ we can’t judge those musical styles to be wrong. With the absence of those terms, we are bereft of the ability to discern what kind of music God wants to hear from us. They would say that we can only judge the words of a song, not the musical style. Oookay. Based upon this same standard of "liberty," can they or anyone else prohibit (as Rom 14 issues): Smoking a crack pipe? (Scripture doesn’t say its wrong to smoke crack); Sculpting a Bible or cross out of dung (fecal matter)? (Feces is an amoral substance); Saying a four letter word? (No verse says that these are wrong to say. Words are just symbols that depend on context, so it comes down to man’s opinion); Writing poetry and prose explicit of the act of marriage? (Nothing in the Bible says this is wrong); Shaping the unleavened bread for the Lord’s Table like animal crackers or choo-choo trains? (Scripture is silent on the shape of the bread); see who can throw their Bibles the furthest in the church parking lot? (The Bible says nothing about this); and the list goes on. Based on their standards of judgment, none of these are wrong because nothing in the Bible says that they are. In their point of view, you might be able to apply principles, but then human opinion would come in, there would be disagreement, and you would need to defer to Rom 14 on this. The purveyors of this false view of liberty and judging will argue that these issues are entirely different. They are not however. Most of them are exactly like the music issue in the application of Scripture, except that Scripture has more to say about music than the above issues.
The matter of not judging music and everything else is exceedingly wrong, unbiblical, evil and foolish, as is the matter of not being able to absolutely apply Scripture to every single area and aspect of life. The weak, pablum, and flesh-serving arguments of the pop music protectors like EMC, are repulsive. The attack on application of Scripture by neo-evangelicals, reformed calvinists / other protestants, and by others, is a devious, ungodly attack of Satan on the Word of God and He uses his minions to accomplish it. So those who attack application of Scripture to all areas of this life, including music, are evil workers and the ministers of Satan (2 Cor 11:12-15). I won't be marginalized by this ungodly, devious crowd. People, and especially Christians, can judge music, and must. By refusing to "judge" (or so they say, since all men judge, only they use their own personal opinions to judge vs using the Word of God, as commanded for true believers: Jn 7:24), they present a serious spiritual danger and reflection of unregeneracy, but also a demonic attack on the Word of God and obedience to it.
And when we do judge, which is completely and perfectly Biblical, and necessary, they weaponize Matt 7:1 and cry “judge not” (Matt 7:1), reflecting even more of their true nature, and corrupting ever more Scripture, which commands and demands judging: 1 Cor 2:14-16; 10:15; Jn 7:24. “But he that is spiritual [i.e. saved] judgeth all things” (1 Cor 2:15), since he has the indwelling Spirit of God, and thus he is commanded to judge and test everything (see 1 Cor 6:1-5; 5:3; 10:15; 14:29; Ac 17:11; Ps 37:30; 58:1; Pr 21:3, 15; Ze 8:16; Matt 7:15-20; Jn 7:24; Lk 12:57; Rom 16:17; 1 Th 5:21; 1 Jn 4:1-2; 2 Jn 1:9-11). Judging is not optional and “It is joy to the just to do judgment” (Pr. 21:15). Its also not unloving. True Biblical love actually produces judgment (read Phil 1:9-10). Lost people, false pretending “believers,” do not like to be judged, yet almost everything they argue is by matter of judging, albeit falsely and hypocritically (Rom 2:1-5; Matt 23:1-36; Lk 6:37-49). Of course they don't. They are after all the hypocrites illustrated in Matt 7:1-5. Click the link to continue reading The False Philosophy of "Judge-Not" and “Don't Reprove.”
So we will judge. (And not only music, but absolutely everything for "he that is spiritual judgeth all things," 1 Cor 2:15a)
Rock music (i.e. CCM) violates numerous biblical passages. This is not an arbitrary interpretation or application of God's Word. God hates rock—CCM— music. He doesn't accept it as worship. Rock music itself is a fleshly lust that wars against the soul (1 Pet 2:12). It was not invented by the godly. It conforms to the spirit of this age (Rom 12:2). It is not lovely (Phil 4:8). It makes provision for the flesh (Rom 13:14). The genre itself means something and that meaning is corrupt and evil.
Nothing about CCM is Biblical. Not its lyrics, not its musicians, not its melody, not its beat, not its attraction, not its flaunting sensual style, nor its syncopating voice tones (why not just sing in a normal voice, without syncopating the tone, which only draws attention to you, NOT God?) It is great apostasy in a generation of apostates. CCM has a worldly, non-judgmental, doctrinally unsound, anti-separatist, ecumenical and anti-godly philosophy that is most definitely contrary to the sound apostolic doctrine and faith found in God’s Word (Rom. 16:17; Eph. 5:6-11). It is these things even when the lyrics are allegedly Christian (they are not, but extremely watered-down, vague, and applicable to any false god). The rock medium is so very anti-Christian in its ethos: its libertarian, anti-authoritarian, equates infatuation and sexual attraction with love. You cannot Christianize ungodly, worldly, rock and roll music. Yet this is what EMC attempts with CCM, which itself attempts to intermix the Thrice Holy God with the unholy world which is spiritual adultery and must always be treated as a symptom of a lost person, since the truly saved do not love the world anymore (1 Jn. 2:15-17; Jam. 4:4; 1 Cor. 2:12), and those who commit spiritual adultery are friends of the world and thus enemies of God (Jam. 4:4), the strongest language possible to describe a false believer, since "enemy" in Jam 4:4 is the lingual best descriptive of Satan, and none of God's children are His enemies.
The music that EMC loves and listens to, all of which is of the CCM genre (i.e. "Christian" Rock), greatly dishonours and disobeys God, thus sinful behaviour, because of what it illustrates or produces: fleshly lusts (1 Pet. 2:11), worldly lusts (Ti. 2:12), conformity to this world (Rom. 12:2), provision to the flesh (Rom. 13:14), profanes the Name of God (Lev. 18:21), fashions according to former lusts (1 Pet. 1:14), ecstasy (1 Cor. 12:1-3), sensuality (Jam. 3:15) and Satanic (Mk 8:33; Jam 3:15; 1 Pet 5:8). Not only does this music demonstrate these unscriptural attributes, it also greatly dishonours and disobeys God in what it doesn't produce and demonstrate, which includes showing God reverence (Lev. 19:30, many others), true spirituality (Jn. 4:23-24), beauty and loveliness (Phil. 4:8 — the opposite is unlovely or ugly), holiness (Rom. 12:1), gender distinctiveness (1 Cor. 6:9), godliness (Ti 2:11-14; 1 Tim 6:11), solemnity (Lev. 23:36, many others) — the opposite of reverent and solemn are superficial, foolish, thoughtless, vapid, flippant, trivial, and more, excellent overall descriptions of CCM and worship at EMC.
It is obvious that music speaks a very strong language. It causes people to worship a false "god," a false "christ," and embrace a false "gospel." It can ‘persuade’ many to engage in activities they would never otherwise get involved in. A simple illustration, why don't nightclubs play gospel music or militant march music? The reason is very obvious. One is very dishonest and greatly deceived when they take the seductive, syncopated sound of the world, and sing the songs of Zion to those melodies, while claiming that music is neutral or such music can be Christianized.
Music does communicate — it may be of a “solemn sound,” (Ps 92:3), a “joyful sound” (Ps 89:15), and “uncertain sound.” (1 Cor 14:8), but those are by no means the only sounds music can communicate. As a means of communication, just like speech, it can be filthy, corrupt, proud, sensual, fleshly, carnal and blasphemous. If we don’t know what corrupt communication is, which requires discernment, then we can’t even judge words, let alone music. Music can exalt God or degrade Him. Words can be wrong. Music can be wrong. Both need to be judged. Both need discernment, and the Holy Spirit through the Word of God will give that kind of understanding, but only to a genuine born again believer.
Rock music (i.e. CCM) is corrupt communication. The Bible doesn't say what corrupt communication is. It expects us to know. We have known. We do know.
The entertainment and “worship” music of EMC and its people is judged to be wholly worldly and unBiblical, which genre includes “Christian” Rock and Roll (CCM), and other outright worldly and ungodly music (such as country, pop, rock), which they dare call “worship” (its actually only worship of the flesh). These forms of ungodly and worldly music are loved and played at all the EMC churches, in their homes, in their cars and on their phones. It’s part of their every day life, while godly music is not! They have great affection for music that is unscriptural, worldly, ungodly and of “another spirit” that preaches “another Jesus” and “another gospel” (2 Cor. 11:4). They replace “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19) with praise (?) choruses and other contemporary songs filled with unsound doctrine and “vain repetitions” (Matt. 6:7) that have nothing like the content of the 150 inspired psalms of the Bible or traditional godly songs such as those by Fanny Crosby. They use worldly music (e.g. rock, jazz, blues, easy-listening, country-western, pop, rap) always written to encourage rebellion, sexual immorality and wickedness, put Christian words to it, and think God will accept it. How horribly deceived can the contemporary professing Christian get? Many also gravitate to outright worldly music that has no pretence of religion, though it differs little from what they call "Christian" Rock Music.
Nothing about CCM or “Christian” rock or anything else remotely like it, is actually Christian, regardless of the vague, shallow lyrics that might contain the word "God" or "Jesus" on rare occasion. It is entirely worldly, ungodly and the unfruitful works of darkness (cf. Rom 12:1-2; 1 Jn 2:15-17; Eph 5:5-11). It portrays a false gospel and a false Jesus and a thus a false god. The world of contemporary worship is a terribly dangerous world filled with gross heresies and false christs. Many of the influential CCM artists worship a false non-trinitarian "god," and others are “Jesus Only” Pentecostals who deny the Trinity, and so go their songs. Denying the Trinity is worshipping a false god. Some CCM artists worship a false non-wrathful, non-vengeful "god" (such as Stuart Townend), which is a brazen rejection of the very God of the Bible. Majority CCM artists worship a false non-judgmental "god," such as the ungodly, false, and diabolical "god" of The Shack (which book is also loved by many EMC people, and on its own speaks volumes to the corrupt and deceitful dead nature of most, if not all, of its people), which is very popular and endorsed by Michael W. Smith, Andy Crouch and many other CCM artists and has been well received in prominent CCM circles such as Calvary Chapels, Vineyard churches, and Hillsong. They also worship a false universalist "christ," rebel "christ," rock and roll "christ" and those who mix the holy Rock Jesus Christ with the unholy rock of this world are worshiping a false god.
EMC puts on their own rock concerts every Sunday morning, which they dare call "worship." Astonishing. When they perform, it is entertainment and amusement. It is not solemn and God-honouring worship. When the "music pastor" (whatever that is) plays the piano, he does the effeminate soulful eye clinching, placing his face close to the piano on occasion, with a gentle bobbing of his head with the rhythm. The rock band sings for effect with a breathy and sultry quality, throatiness, the clenched eyes, all the artificial signals of fake authenticity. There is a kind of falsetto effeminate voice when a male sings (including the "music pastor"), singing into microphones ice-cream cone style by syncopated breathy and sensual tones, with a standard rock guitar jamming look and typical rock trap set too, and sometimes the bodies groove like in a night club. Grimaces, bending backwards some, swaying side to side, head bobbing, all to the groove of the audience with their hands lifted high and eyes closed, bodies swaying sensually to the carnal beat and the golden calf, blasting out of the alter into the itching ears of the lust-driven groovers. This ungodly rock and roll music and syncopation with the showmanship only feeds the emotions and flesh of listeners. Thats it. God cannot be glorified. The music is Charismatic, always contemporary, with unsound dumbed-down lyrics and unBiblical melody. The music always has a focus on emotionalism, irregardless of their denial of that, and none are doctrinally sound or actually present Scriptural truths.
This world, fleshly and nauseating music that they jam to and amuse themselves with, originates from the world of contemporary (so-called) praise and worship. This is the sort of worldly music and rock and roll attitude that I entertained prior to my conversion. EMC knows their love of this ungodly and worldly music better than I do, but here are a few examples: Hellsong, Bethel, Elevation, Maverick City music, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Mark Hall and Casting Crowns, Matt Maher, City Alight, Phil Wickham, Brian Doerksen, Third Day, Big Daddy Weave, Kari Jobe, and the list goes on and on, which are all listed by EMC churches on their Apple Music and Spotify "playlist for what [they] are singing as a church," or otherwise loved by EMC people. Let's consider one of anyone we could expose here, one much beloved by EMC. Big Daddy Weave is a “Christian” rock band that promotes the ecumenical and “non-judgmental” philosophy that permeates CCM, laden with unsound and unscriptural doctrine, preaching the “unconditional love” and self-esteem heresies of psychoheresy (“Big Daddy Weave’s Mike Weaver Talks about ‘Redeemed,’ Lifeway, n.d.). According to Big Daddy, godly living, a good tree known by its good fruit, is apparently not true grace (“Big Daddy Weave Bio,” website), while the “grace” they and their friends in the CCM scene promote is clearly not the grace of God. Not even remotely close (see Ti. 2:11-14). Its not true Christian grace and liberty at all but an antinomian license to fulfil the lusts of the flesh, a seriously perverted grace (Ju 1:4), as if God can be fooled and mocked. The band even has a slanderous song about the “Pharisee” (Fields of Grace album), not the Pharisee mind you that unscripturally adds works to grace for salvation, the very definition of pharisaicalism (Matt 23), but rather applied to those who seek to obey all of God’s Word from a regenerate heart, and thus reprove and rebuke ungodliness and worldly lusts, with Biblical authority. They don't like that and I am pretending to be shocked. They, including EMC, apply the same label to me, further revealing their simple-mindedness and rebellious nature to God's Word. Even the name "Big Daddy" reflects the irreverence these worldly, blasphemous musicians have towards God.
These spiritually blind musicians, are the blind singing to the blind. They “profess that they know God, but in works they deny him,” (Ti. 1:16). CCM musicians are ungodly, worldly and actually Satanic (2 Cor 11:12-25), pretending to be playing "Christian" music to "God" when its anything but. Their music is raucous, proud, extremely worldly, sensual, only appealing to the flesh, ungodly, anti-God, anti-Christ, purveying a false "Jesus," false "gospel," and unclean spirits, and is spawned in the depths of hell where it belongs. Not most but ALL of this music ought to be cast into the fire where it belongs. Not only because of the ungodly and heretical and apostate musicians, but also because of the music itself. Over and over the 7-11 music is played with the same awful, trance-inducing, flesh-stimulating beat. This is post-modernism neo-evangelical "Christianity," but don't dare call it Biblical Christianity. Though these individuals receive total acceptance of their “worship,” the Bible portrays them as ungodly people producing unfruitful works of darkness, thus unsaved people (Jam 4:4; 1 Eph 5:5-11).
Do EMCer's ignore the fact that God has sent fire from heaven and burned people up for offering Him false worship (Lev. 10:1-2)?
This infatuation with the world's nauseating music dovetails with EMC's love of amusement and entertainment, to the extent of literally having circus shows and rock concerts in church, and even a full-fledged gymnasium, fulfilling the prophetic last days of ungodly false "believers" who are "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" and "Hav[e] a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (2 Tim 3:4-5). What does God prescribe for attitude towards these churches? 2 Tim 3:5 tells us, as the verse continues, "from such turn away."
Yes, they even stage ungodly rock concerts in the church! Though there are many more, a few examples will be given. Brian Doerksen, a “Christian” rock and roller and serious heretic with no Biblical testimony of salvation, with a history of service to the exceedingly heretical vineyard churches, this man and his band were hosted by the EMC LCCF church for their 2019 Christmas show. Go here to read more about this heretical, unregenerate, world-loving CCM Musician — Brian Doerksen.
Another example is the worldly, rock and roll jamming band The Color (picture👇🏻) who have rocked it out at EMC churches, even only recently in 2023. The long hair, tattoos, effeminate appearance, reflects their carnality to the core. Unreal! But they are on tour. Such worldly success. How nice. Even two Juno awards! Bravo 👏🏻 , the demons in hell are celebrating. They call it the “No Greater Love tour,” but what "love" is the question for the ages. Its painfully obvious that “The Color” actually does not have the first clue as to what true, Biblical, Godly love actually is. What they have isn’t even sentimentalism but an erotica, sensual and lustful type of ungodly “love,” the type of worldly "love" that reigns supreme in the world, and in evangelicalism. The "love" they exudate is a love of self and of popularity and of the spotlight, evidenced by their serious exaltation of accomplishments on their website, social media, concert announcements, and so on, ad perfectum. Nauseatingly, they call themselves "bona fide road warriors," when they are polar opposite. Maybe "bona fide" carnal warriors and "bona fide" servants of Satan (read 2 Cor 11:12-15). That would be more like it. This is not meant to be a diss. The Bible is clear that this is Satanic servitude. The front page of the June 2015 The Messenger plastered a "Christian" rocker rocking out at the biennial Abundant Springs EMC event (which always hosts "Christian" rockers). Below the picture it read, "The Color in action at Abundant Springs 2015.” No shame, no repentance, only glorification in evil by EMC. This group is likely even worse in worldliness and unholiness than Doerksen and many other CCM musicians, considering their worldly, sensory stimulation at their rock and roll shows. There is absolutely no difference between these rockers and secular rockers. The lyrics they sing are not Biblical, so thats no different either. The unBiblical, effeminate, soft-spoken, behaviour and appearance and perversion of man-hood of these men is nauseating to the core, another serious issue with CCM musicians and evangelicals in general. Everything about Jordan Janzen, the lead musician of this band, is effeminate and worldly, no different than the rest of them, for they “are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.” (1 Jn. 4:5). The connection with EMC? They are Mennonite, and possibly a connection through Steinbach Bible College.
It is astounding how far from the Bible these Mennonites have drifted. Is this really taking place in a church?! Verily, indeed. EMC might come with the title "church," but its far from the pillar and ground of the truth that Christ started and governs. This is unholy, unrighteous, and ungodly, through and through and at best could be coined as a Laodicean type church.
The EMC web page displays pictures of rockers rocking it out in rock concerts and the people grooving to it like any other sensual, worldly and ungodly concert. The following rock and roll groups have also performed at EMC, in particular the LCCF Church (the EMC church we have researched): Tim Neufeld, a "Christian" rocker performed at EMC LCCF (Sept 19, 2016), and so have Keepers of the Faith (Dec 01, 2016). Members of High Valley have toned it down a bit, and now lead "worship" at this EMC church. Venture Teams International (now Action Ventures) loves rock and roll music, and is highly valued and held in high regard by EMC considering their 2006 alumni reunion consisted of at least 8 people who attend(ed) EMC LCCF (VTI Pathways, Sept 2006). How many has it been since then? So definitely likeminded in doctrine and practice (Am 3:3), and highly embraced. A VTI Promo Video found previously on YouTube (now defunct) shows an extremely worldly, evil and ungodly pop rock video. At the 49 sec mark in the video, a guy appears to be hypnotized, and chained to the floor, something clearly of the devil. Can someone please tell me where in God’s command of preaching and teaching the gospel of Christ and truth of God’s Word, and holy, godly living does this satanic wickedness come into play? And why would a so-called “Christian”organization promote this wickedness? And why would a professing church be yoked together with such evil, ungodliness, and heresy (2 Pet. 2:1-22), the “unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11)?
The video continued on with a guy bearing long dreadlocks playing in a massive rock band, full light show and all the sensory stimulation of a worldly heavy metal rock concert. Even the VTI promoters on the video shewed forth worldly and immodest manner of dress, punk hair styles, worldly appearance, etc, evil unfruitful works of darkness. The dancing, drama, hypnosis, heavy rock music and rock bands, and ungodly appearances is completely of the world, of the Devil, and certainly NOT of God and has absolutely nothing to do with the Lord Jesus Christ or God’s Word but everything to do with the god of this world, which is the devil. Completely and without question. True born again believers were once like this, “foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, . . . But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared” (Ti. 3:3-4). Notice they once were like that, serving the lusts and pleasures of their flesh, deceitfully, foolishly and disobediently (v. 3), but then the new birth happened, and never again are they like that after being regenerated permanently by the Spirit of God (vv. 4-7). What does that say of people like EMC?
God definitively declares that those who He has saved will “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11), quite the opposite of what we see occurring at EMC, who instead are cozied up with evil, fulfilling the lusts and pleasures of their flesh, proving to be yet carnally minded and plausible unregeneracy (Rom. 8:1-14). The song on the video sings, “...don’t let it go/ don’t lose your soul” but they along with everyone that enjoys this darkness have already lost their souls (Mk. 8:34-37), they are already condemned and under the wrath of God (Jn 3:18, 36).
“He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.” (Pr. 19:16).
The support for ungodly, worldly, and evil rock and roll music is noted even in their writings. The report “Not everyone is a rocker yet!” by Abe Warkentin appeared in the EMC publication The Messenger. His unBiblical and simple-minded claim that “People worship in different ways. We have to respect that and learn from one another” is astonishing, and further supports my point about their unregenerate nature. Yes and then no, in response to what he states. Yes, "people worship in different ways" because lost people have completely different likes. Saved people on the other hand ALL worship the same: in holiness, godliness, and righteousness. Why? Because they are saved and have the same indwelling Holy Spirit. Notice He is "Holy," NOT unholy! People at EMC do worship in various different ways because they are almost entirely unsaved, if not completely. They worship their flesh, and a false god of their imagination, and not the God of the Bible, and following after the lusts of their flesh (2 Pet 3:3). Whatever it is that people offer God with music says what they believe about God. If what they offer isn’t Biblical beauty and holy, that reflects their understanding of God and also shapes their and others understanding of God, Who is shaped in people’s imaginations by what He is offered in worship. If it is worldly and lustful, for instance, as the music at EMC is, then that is their perception of God. This is a form of idolatry, and it relates to the gospel. We are what we worship (Ps. 115:8), and what we love reflects who we are, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” (Pr. 23:7a), and that reveals much about EMC. No, we don’t learn "to respect that," "but rather reprove them." (Eph 5:11b). We expose it for what it is, which is evil and "unfruitful works of darkness" (Eph 5:11a), and then we separate from them and their wicked music ("Have no fellowship" Eph 5:11a). Its called obedience to God’s Word, not wicked compromise and tolerating evil. I know, its a concept mostly foreign to the likes of EMC, because they don't learn from the Bible, from God, but they "learn from one another."
It is unholy and ungodly CCM Rock music (or rap, or heavy metal, or some other wicked and worldly genre) in concert that attracts EMC youth to EMC church concerts, to events outside of the church (such as YC Alberta, Abundant Springs) and even to the EMC churches themselves. This is highlighted in a highlights video of the Abundant Springs 2023, plainly revealing how utterly corrupt, Biblically bankrupt, unbiblical, ungodly, worldly, unholy, woke, effeminate, rebelliously disobedient, pleasure and entertainment-driven, this heretical denomination really is. Rappers. Rockers. Long hair in dreadlocks. Lessons on rapping and rocking. Women teaching men (And why is it that women are essentially always driving the vehicle at EMC, as in this promo video — its a rhetorical question, the answer is because women run the home and wear the "pants" literally and shamefully, doubly, something we cover in detail in the last chapter, Part 2). Pleasure, amusement, and entertainment completely rules the day, at a kindergarten level. Boys with long hair, when nature itself (never mind the Bible!) teaches that its a shame. More effeminacy such as boys acting like girls, wearing ear rings, etc. EMC is not only a shame and disgrace, but utterly and (almost) hopelessly unregenerate and heretical to the very core. CCM, "Christian" rock and other ungodly music, is very obviously a normal part of the EMCer's life, even though its a complete contradiction of terms and greatly opposed to God’s Word in so many ways.
The ungodly CCM rock bands, including those who appear at EMC churches, don’t even call it "gospel music," they don’t refer to their own raucous, worldly, pop-music as "gospel music," in spite of their claim that it's “Christian” music. They shouldn’t call it “gospel music,” or “Christian music” for that matter, since that would be a blatant falsehood. It isn't gospel that they are presenting in their so-called “worship,” even though "gospel music" itself is not historic, biblical worship. It arose in the late 19th century as a means of manipulation and pandering to a fleshly lost crowd under the guise of promoting the gospel. The gospel is to be preached, not sung to an audience, like what these people are allegedly doing. This is really basic Christianity, but the simple minded don't get it, which are mostly religious reprobates, “men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” (2 Tim 3:8). The songs that are sung, including the ones regulated by EMC churches, sing of “another Jesus” and “another gospel” and “another spirit” (2 Cor 11:4), which reflects the heretical and unregenerate nature of the musicians and those who love this unscriptural raucous and carnal service.
This reminds me of the words of O. Talmadge Spence,
“There is coming into the earth a universal form of worship. It always has music. Music is more prominent than preaching” (“Music in the Last Days,” 1991, foundations.edu)
God will not accept worldly (Rom 12:2; 1 Jn 2:15), sensual (Jam 3:15), or fleshly (1 Pet 2:12; Rom 13:14; Ti 2:12) irrational music or performance as worship. He calls for rational (Rom 12:1-2) worship in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col 3:16), not “vain repetitions, as the heathen” (Matt 6:7). God does not want the emotions or the will alone, but also the key element of a “sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7; Ti 2:6; Matt 22:37) and sound doctrine. All “worship” that substitutes emotionalism for the conscious actings of the mind, which is CCM, is demonic. This attack on godly worship is of Satan, who opposes God’s plan by undermining God’s Word and Godly worship.
Those who listen to CCM and other contemporary rock music masquerading as "Christian," have a false view of the character of God. Our concept of God will determine what kind of music we use to worship Him and the manner in which we worship Him. If we think that God is unholy and a cool dude who hip hops to modern rock music with watered down "Christian" lyrics, we will worship him with such music and our lifestyle and appearance will reflect this concept of God. If, on the other hand, we believe that God is a fearfully Holy God before whom the hosts of heaven fall in awe and reverence and holiness, our worship music and our very lifestyle and appearance will reflect this holiness and separation from the world. Those who mix the holy Jesus Christ with the unholy rock of this world are worshiping a false god. By turning from the pattern of Scripture, such professing Christians and churches lead people to think that God is not holy and righteous, but worldly and fleshly like the “worship” they offer Him.
People that love this worldly music love the world. I think that would go without saying. The Bible however says that those who love the world are not saved and those who are truly saved have a new love, the love of God — they exchanged masters at salvation (Matt. 6:24) and never again love the world and thus are separated from the world and all its allurements, appeals and pursuits (I.e. music, fashion, entertainment, pride of life, popularity and the public spotlight, worldly pleasures, materialism, riches, friendships, etc). Though a true believer may still conform themselves to the world in some regard for some time (Rom 12:1-2), that does not mean they love the world — conforming can come through allurement, weakness to temptation through the flesh, baggage carried over from pre-salvation life, etc. The new, inherent nature of the regenerate saint wills to live after the Spirit, but the flesh is weak. Its a struggle, even as the greatest missionary that ever lived, penned (Rom 7). The desires for the flesh must be short lived in believers, the Spirit of God by the instrumentality of grace leading and guiding His vessel unto holiness, godliness and righteousness (Ti 2:11-14), and by God's chastening hand of love (Heb 12:5-11). Those that love God will obey Him, which means obeying all His Word, not picking and choosing what they will obey and what they will ignore or reject (Jn. 15:18-20; 17:14-16; Rom. 6:17-22; 8:1-17; 1 Cor. 2:12; 7:34; 1 Jn. 2:15-17; 3:1, 11-13; 4:5; 5:19; Jam. 1:27; 4:4). Lovers of God no longer pattern themselves after the things of the world, but after the things of God. They leave off the entire licentious and carnal scene, which again includes music and by extension all worldly music whether it comes under the banner of “Christian” or not, if it doesn’t align with the truths and principles found in Scripture. There is neutral music such as classical and other, but neither CCM or secular rock music falls under the banner of neutral. They regulate their senses by the Scriptures but a shallow, simple, foolish, heretical, hypocritical and rebellious generation that professes Christianity but whose heart is far from Him (Mk 7:6-7, 9), does not.
Lust is the reason for apostasy in 2 Pet 2-3, but that's apparently not a fundamental to some. They argue that music is not a "fundamental" or "essential" doctrine. People change their theology and their judgment to keep their music, entertainment, whatever. This is self-autonomy, not under control of Jesus, denying the Lord who bought them (2 Pet 2:1), an essential attribute of the false teacher. But it's not a “fundamental,” did I say that? Don't talk to me about music or lust, because I'm diving deep into the atonement. The deep dive bypassed lust. Ju 1:4b says they are “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness." They are sanctifying worldliness (music, entrainment, dressing, appearance, etc.). Folks really do err not knowing the Scriptures. Even hearing and not doing ends up with deception. Wresting the word. Laying it aside. All of this is not good.
The most important qualification for music is its direction, which must be “to the Lord.” Worship is recognizing Who God is and giving Him what He wants, which is the greatest consideration concerning worship music. When we understand Who God is by studying and obeying His Word, we will give Him what He wants. The direction of vocal and instrumental music in Scripture is always “to the Lord.” Music should not be a matter of our taste or our feelings, but for God’s pleasure in accordance to His Word. Some might think or say that we cannot know what God wants to hear. This is not true. We determine what He wants by Scriptural principles. This is how we worship Him “in truth” (Jn 4:23-24). We must allow Scripture to regulate the kind of music we use in our personal lives and in church. That eliminates most kinds of music that were invented for self-gratification–fleshly, lustful, unresolved, angry, rhythm dominated music, which, again, is all the world of CCM. Born again believers are interested in music for God that will represent Who He is, not what their flesh would like to hear.
Not knowing and understanding godly music vs ungodly music is an attack of Satan on Scripture, and his assault on discernment and the ability to apply the Bible to a believer’s life. We can apply Biblical principles to everything, including music. We can know what God wants us to do regarding everything, using the Bible. No one needs wisdom or discernment if obedience to God relates only to explicit statements of Scripture. And this is why true Biblical wisdom and discernment is an important evidence of true conversion (e.g. 1 Jn 2:20-21, 27; 1 Cor 2:14-16; Ti 2:11-14; etc).
The Lord expects His servants to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” and “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Th 5:21-22). In other words, He wants us to have wisdom and understanding, that is, discernment, and reject that which is not good but evil. When God says “be not conformed to the world” (Rom 12:2), He means that we have to discern the spirit of the age and not be like it and its culture. When He commands us to “abstain from fleshly lusts” (1 Pet. 2:11), He expects us to discern what fleshly lusts actually are. When God exhorts us “not [to be] brought under the power of any” (1 Cor. 6:12); it isn’t optional, therefore we must know what those fleshly lusts are. We are required by Scripture to practice discernment, testing, judging, and obedience. These are non-optional for the true believer, and all true believers will do this because they have the capability to do so. Since music is a worship issue, hardly anything is more important than our discernment concerning music. Tolerating all styles as adequate or acceptable for worship not only lacks discernment but destroys it as well. Worst of all, God isn’t praised or glorified.
The word “new” is used to characterize the born again believers song more than any other feature of our salvation — new as in “different.” When someone is born again and his life changes, His song changes. Only other true born again believers can really understand it. Everything changes for the repentant sinner at the new birth. What the world once offered holds no more pleasure for the redeemed saint. They forsook worldliness at conversion, for they overcame the world through the new birth (1 Jn. 5:3-4; 2:15-17; Jn. 6:24). There is a markedly different life of every born again believer, because he is “in Christ,” which translates into “he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17). Notice ALL things are become new and that old things are passed away. It’s not new added to the old, like a new patch of cloth added to an old garment, but new in its entirety (Mk. 2:17, 21-22), with all old things passed away,
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” (Rom. 6:6).
That very importantly includes music, which affects so much. The true graced-saved blood-bought saint has a new song and it’s one that aligns with the truth of holiness and righteousness and godliness of Gods Word, and delivers from ungodliness and worldly lusts which is the only way the grace of God teaches and leads (Ti. 2:11-14). Churches must never alter their music to fit the taste of the world. The worldliness, unscriptural and sinful elements and false doctrine in the music (and even otherwise) happening at EMC, meets none of these Biblical requirements. It’s not of God.
Neo-evangelicals (which is essentially all evangelicals today) in general and the EMC denomination in particular speak much about worshipping and praising God (it’s literally plastered everywhere in their sermons, articles, publications and websites); but God is only worshipped in spirit and in truth, for "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (Jn. 4:24), “for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” (Jn. 4:23). ONLY “true worshippers . . . worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:23), NOT false worshippers, irregardless of their sincerity and lip service. Those that are worshipping their flesh through CCM, “Christian” Rock, are NOT “true worshippers” of God. Their worship is offered really not to God, though they might make that claim, but a preening before an audience. Much like the Pharisees did to useful effect. Everything mentioned thus far in this expose report of EMC, not only with this ungodly and worldly music of “another spirit” documented here in this section but also the false gospel and false doctrine, massive amounts of error including Scripture wresting, worldliness, the toleration of sin, and to be mentioned next, embracing blatant heretics and apostates, all of which (which is much) clearly reflects a people NOT worshipping God in spirit or in truth. I’m not sure how much plainer it could get, but those that are blind, cannot see or discern. They are experience orientated people, seeking after and producing emotional experiences, but not God-orientated people, which would be evident by obedience and allegiance to God’s Word. You are imitators, and as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But thy speech bewrayeth thee. Like the Jewish religious hypocrites, majority of “evangelicals” “honoureth [the Lord Jesus] with their lips, but their heart is far from [Him].” (Mk. 7:6). They speak much about “praise and worship” but Jesus rebukes their worldly and ungodly worship, and not just their melody and fleshly beats, but also the false doctrine they sing as well.
“Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mk. 7:7)
And like those hypocrites, they “lay aside the commandments of God” (Mk. 7:8), and,
“Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. . . . Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” (Mk. 7:9, 13).
By their fleshly tradition, they are mimicking what Satan has always been doing, which is ”savouring not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men” (Mk. 8:33b). Men pleasers. Flesh appeasers. Lust followers. World lovers. Ironically, “evangelicals” typically label those that actually believe and obey the Bible as “legalists” and “Pharisees,” but according to the Lord Jesus Christ, they are in fact the very ones that reflect the Pharisaical and hypocritical behaviour.
There is a tendency toward finding justifiable reasons condoning and using that which evolves from carnality, sensuality, secularism, and worldliness (seen especially in such areas as music—e.g. CCM, but also in theatrics, emotionalistic and psychological manipulations, promotionalism, and general appearance). The Bible is manipulated and misinterpreted to justify these ends, along with the construction of manifold logical fallacies. EMC people are all about their fun and entertainment, driven by a lust for pleasure, but nowhere in the NT do any of the Greek words translated "fellowship" imply fun times. Rather, they talk of "the fellowship of the ministering to the saints" (2 Cor. 8:4) as sacrificial service and financial aid (e.g. 1 Tim. 6:18), and that true believers “continue stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Ac. 2:42).
CCM music is idolatrous. Paul wrote that the idol was nothing (1 Cor 10:19). Sure. That was also a Corinthian argument. The meat was also nothing (1 Cor 10:19). It was just meat. And meats were for the belly and the belly for meats (1 Cor 6:13). Another Corinthian argument. But Paul said, not really. Demons were actually involved with the idol. Demons were also involved with the meats. The association was much stronger than a skillfully crafted piece of wood and a nice cut of steak. And there is more to notes than just notes in the hands of men.
This false worship is what EMC does, day in and day out. Its as normal for them as breathing in oxygenated air and breathing out carbon dioxide. What isn't normal for them is discerning the difference between godly music and ungodly music, or worshiping God in spirit and in truth (Jn 4:23-24) or having someone expose and oppose their bad, worldly, repugnant, flesh-carnal worshiping music. That is abnormal.
EMC has “put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean” as the LORD God demands of professing believers, thus “violat[ing] my law, and have profaned mine holy things” (Ezk. 22:26). God is speaking to false priests here, false pretending “believers,” which fits the EMC denomination to precision.
CCM fulfils the lusts of itching fable-loving ears (2 Tim. 4:3-4). It is mostly fleshly lust-fulfilling strange fire that gets false professing “believers” emotionally addicted to a different strain of the world’s music. And like all addictions of the natural man (i.e., the lost man, 1 Cor 2:14) which is the carnally-minded man (Rom. 8), it is never satisfied and there is a progression into more and more of the world’s sensuality, for the eyes of the unsaved are never satisfied. It exposes their heart, for "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (2 Tim 3:13). A love for this music reveals seed sown on thorny ground in the farming parable, choked out by “the care[s] of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, . . . and the lusts of other things entering in, . . . choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Matt. 13:22; Mk. 4:19; Lk. 8:14), which is lost, unsaved soil, false professing ground, people that have never been converted. Their mind is natural, carnal, fleshly, and not spiritual because they are of the flesh and not the Spirit (Rom. 8:1-16). A saved person does not live by the flesh, for he is no longer in the flesh (Rom. 7:4-6). His old man is “crucified with Christ” (Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20; 5:24). Therefore he is “dead to sin” and “freed from sin” and not “a servant of sin” and thus does not “live any longer therein;” for he is never again under its dominion, or power, but rather now under grace and “a servant of righteousness” and “now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” (Rom. 6:1-22). That doesn't mean he will never sin again; it does means exactly that it says, that sin has no power, no dominion, no control over the saint any longer. This means he is not living after the flesh and its carnal lusts anymore. He is a new creature with a new heart that is under the power of the Holy Spirit.
The lovers of this sensational-type of music however “are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.” (1 Jn. 4:5). The world loves this type of music, and so do neo-evangelicals, and thus they are two peas in a similar pod. It is evident that the Word of God is not their guide, but rather their feelings and emotions, which evidentially means they are yet in the flesh, and thus unconverted (cf. Rom. 8:1-17).
This worldly, ungodly, carnal music is idolatry and a sacrifice to devils, NOT to God:
“What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.” (1 Cor. 10:19-21)
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Is. 5:20).
Whenever there is an introduction of CCM to a church, it is always accompanied by many other changes in the church’s overall philosophy, beliefs and practices, such as an attitude of broadminded tolerance to error and worldliness, a “positive” focus, ecumenism, and rejection of “separatism,” worldliness, modest standards diminished, and more. But its not because of the music as is often argued, which is only a symptom, but rather because of the underlying yet-lost depraved and diseased condition of the “natural man” (1 Cor. 2:14, the carnal man) gratifying his flesh, the only thing he or she knows and has ever known. Yes rock and roll music, whether lyrics being clearly secular or supposedly “Christian,” is certainly "spiritual;" it is the spirit of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Any man that confuses “Christian” rock and roll (i.e. CCM) with godly spiritual music is far too blind to lead God’s people as a pastor or elder (same thing) or deacon. They should cease even calling themselves a "Christian."
The experience of the rock music is the threshold through which victims enter the massive lie and fraud of the Charismatic movement. The contemporary evangelical church has very little interest in theology and doctrine. It’s about style. And style is the Trojan Horse that lets Charismatics in the church. Because once you let the music in, the movement follows. It all of a sudden becomes common. Sound like the Charismatics, sing like they do, have the same emotional feelings that they have. It’s a small step from doing the same music to buying into the movement. EMC is using music that is unacceptable to draw people in, but it draws in the goats. They’re using the music of the world to suck people in as if somehow people would get saved through the music. The two have no connection. That is why many people from EMC churches bounce right over to charismatic churches. They fit right in. Its not that different, only a bit more charismatic. For now.
Truth is antithetical. You can’t love truth if you don’t hate error. Nothing is more effectively building the “one-world church” than CCM, so those involved in it are clearly not of God but fulfilling the pogrom of the Antichrist, whether wittingly or unwittingly. Rather than loving the truth and hating error, those that love this music have these behaviours reversed. This music is a bridge to everything else that is unholy and ungodly, while the truly saved have “escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Pet. 1:4). CCM is the music of ecumenical evangelicalism and the sound track of end-times apostasy. The worship liturgy of the emergent church is CCM. That this music is loved by Roman Catholics is tell-tale, and it come as no surprise that some of its musicians are even Catholic themselves or at least yoked together in close fellowship with Catholics. CCM agrees in every point with the ungodly music of Exodus 32. It is carnal, it is ecumenical, it is motivated by sinful lusts, and it is producing (in many churches) the worst immorality imaginable, since it comes from “another spirit.” (2 Cor. 11:4). It also blasphemously misrepresents God, caricaturing Him so strangely that the CCM god resembles the God of our salvation no more than the golden calf resembled Jehovah. “Worship teams” and listeners work up a frenzy not unlike the prophets of Baal leaping on the altar at Mount Carmel. The new music of postmodern religion would be right at home with the pagan anthems shouted out in the worship of the golden calf. Eph. 5:11 says that not only is the believer to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, he is also responsible to reprove them. Hence this report. That is the very thing that worldly Christians such as EMCer’s consider “judgmental” and hateful and decidedly uncool. But not only in music, the ways of the world are readily accepted by the neo-evangelical because he loves the world, thus void of the Father’s love and relationship (1 Jn. 2:15b; cf. 2 Cor. 6:14-18) and in fact an adulterous enemy of God (Jam. 4:4), clearly language depicting an unconverted people.
I exhort all that listen and enjoy this type of worldly and ungodly music to urgently and earnestly examine themselves whether they be truly in the faith (2 Cor 13:5) because according to God's Word you are probably not. Why not? You are offering false worship to God and Jesus said the only worship acceptable to God is “worship[ping] the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” (Jn. 4:23-24). CCM, which appeals only to the flesh and senses, completely violates both of these aspects of true worship, which then means lovers of this music are not worshipping the Father but something or someone else. People that continue to offer false worship to God, which is also a false gospel, have a dead (unsaved) spirit and do not know the truth. The Spirit of Truth has not taught them the truth, through His written Truth. They have deceived themselves and embraced a lie. They have never performed the first act of worship necessary for the sinner, which is offering their entire soul to God (Matt. 6:24; Lk. 14:25–15:32), which means turning (repenting) to God from all their sin, their self, their stuff, their people, their love of the world and its music (incl. CCM), etc (all idols), in godly sorrow, and turning to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, fleeing from the wrath of God they are presently abiding under (read Matt. 3:1-10; 10:32-39; 11:28-30; 16:24-26; 19:16-30; Mk. 1:15-20; 8:34-38; Lk. 5:31-32; 9:23-26, 57-62; 12:8-9; 13:1-5, 23-30; 14:16-35; 17:26-33; 18:9-17, 18-30; Jn. 3:3-21, 36; 12:24-26; etc).
None of the people involved in this evil are innocent. Its all wilful, volitional, the byproduct of denying the Word of God and searing the conscience. Its sinful, and wilfully so. You are who you worship. Who and what you worship is how you worship. EMC people, and essentially most of evangelicalism, don't know God, seeing they think He's fine with rock music. He most definitely isn't. This continues the mumbo jumbo of evangelicals. How cunning.
Mk 8:34-37 and 10:21 and Lk 14:25-15:24 is the need of the hour at EMC, for true Biblical conversion to happen, which then immediately brings victory over the world, i.e. overcoming the world by separation (1 Jn. 5:4-5; 2 Cor. 6:14-18) and such are never of the world again (Jn. 17:14-16), and true conversion removes the love of the world and replaces it with the love of the Father (1 Jn. 2:15-17), and thus will no longer be spiritual adulterers and enemies of God (Jam. 4:4). When this happens, true conversion that is, the saint has no desire to listen to any of this ungodly, flesh-stimulating CCM and “Christian” Rock music anymore, and he casts it into the bin of poison where it belongs, and then burns it. Joyfully! And by this they are merely following the pattern of true conversion, to "repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance," (Ac 26:20) just like the true believers exemplified at Ephesus (Ac 19:18-20).
This subject has taken up a lot of space, but its necessary space because of the extraordinary emphasis on music in churches and peoples lives today, EMC churches and people not exempt. There is an Incongruity of Contemporary Worship Music (CCM) and Country Music (High Valley) with God's Word, since Contemporary Worship Music is Dishonouring to God. Truly, Christian Contemporary Music (CCM), is the Soundtrack of End-Times Apostasy. You should read these articles and come to understand how bad, evil and unfruitful the works of dark CCM music really is.
(b) Doctrine of Godliness, Sexuality and Gender Distinctive Clothing
EMC does not consent to the doctrine of godliness (1 Tim. 6:3). This is noted not only through the worldly and ungodly music but also through immodesty and gender confusion, women dressing like men, men acting like women, and other means such as tattooing.
Immodesty and gender indistinctive dressing. God designed male and female. He also designed each for a different role. Being male and female looks different because they are made for two different purposes. Sure, there is similarity. They are both human, man and woman. They are both created by God. They are both equal in essence. But their roles are different. God designed them different and designed their bodies different for the two distinct roles. God also designed differences in appearance, symbols of manhood and womanhood. Male and female look different. It’s not a matter of looking different. They look different. God expects designed distinctions in appearance. These are symbols of the roles God designed. This is how Christians have believed and practiced throughout history.
The world doesn’t recognize roles designed by God. It doesn’t recognize God as Designer. The world doesn’t want to obey God. The world wants to do what it wants. Christians are different. True Christians, the only Christians, recognize God’s designed distinctions and support them. Like Jesus received His role, followers of Jesus receive theirs.
"Transgender"men claim they are women. How do they show that? They wear the female symbol — the dress, the skirt, the long hair. Everyone knows that. When you break down the roles, you break down the symbols. This is why 1 Cor 11:3-16 is given such space. The world, as of its father the Devil, hates God and hates His design. So-called Christians today want a Christianity that gets along with the world. They even explain it as an evangelistic strategy. They call it incarnational and missional. They are relating to the world by dressing like the world. They are even more "godly" because they don’t look different than godless pagans, who reject God’s design. The manipulation of Scripture and deception of carnal minds, is astounding.
The symbol in most places for much of history, and especially in cultures that recognize God’s design has been men wearing pants and women wearing skirts. This isn’t fundamentalism. It is the entire Western culture. This was a good thing. The culture began eradicating the symbol in rejection of the designed distinct roles, which started in the early 20th century, when women started pushing against God's order of authority. Most everyone knew that. Most still know it.
Sodomy is a deviation from God designed distinction. It leads to confusing the symbols. Our culture never replaced the symbols, and it doesn’t recognize the distinctions in role. Christianity has followed suit. Now Christians are mocked if they believe and practice like Christians did for the entire history of Christianity, and not only Christians but majority of the world. Even now sodomy is accepted in churches, including EMC (to a degree in the EMC, discussed last point in this section). You might reject sodomy, but principally you don’t if you reject distinct roles and the symbolism. You rebel against the role distinction when you rebel against the symbols. God wants public support. Not supporting, not advocating, not celebrating, is going against.
Truth is antithetical. You can’t love truth if you don’t hate error. Those who reject the symbols support the error of role reversal. And the role reversal has been occurring with the women since the early 20th century, and its totally accepted as normal in the EMC denomination. Its called transgenderism, and now you know the rest of the story (of how the transgender movement is so prevalent today, and so much silence from the evangelical world: they've been promoting it for a century!)
The issue of not wearing gender distinctive clothing happens to also be a gospel issue, which is why we cover it under the second point of report No. 1. Immodesty reveals carnality and love for the world and not spiritual mindedness and love for God, so according to Scripture, evidently unsaved and treated as such (see Rom. 8:1-16; 1 Jn. 2:3-5). They, like majority of “Christians” today consider dressing of little consequence, but it is a clear biblical issue, and gospel issue. It’s tied into salvation because as we think in our heart, so are we. Good fruit comes from a good tree, corrupt fruit from a corrupt tree.
God created distinctions in clothing (De. 22:5) and if religious but unsaved people follow the pattern, how much the more those that are truly converted!
EMC no longer has a standard for modesty. If they do, I'd like to know about it. It's relative and fluid. Women dress like men (yes pants are mens garments and have always been — cf. De. 22:5; up till the 1940's pants were essentially illegal on women and would attract immediate dismissal from any church) but so far men aren't dressing like woman (as far as I know, but who knows with the acceptance of Sodomy+LGBQT+EVIL). Girls wear such tight clothing, nothing is left to the imagination. Its actually the attire of a harlot. You don't want to judge. You aren't allowed to judge. Everyone can dress like they want. And if they can't, what are you going to tell them? There's nothing to say. Scripture isn't definitive. It's all very subjective. Very Bad, with many further consequences. But they have some standards apparently; just not Biblical ones? Are woman allowed in church with bikinis? Or preachers, male or female, topless? Okay, so you have some standards and draw some lines . . . just not God’s standards and lines. It's all very subjective. Very, Very Bad.
De 22:5, a timeless prohibition that stood true long before the old covenant and long after the coming of the new covenant, makes it clear that men are to dress as men, and represent themselves as men, because God desires no observable confusion between the gender He gave and our expression of it.
"The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God."
For women to put on a male garment there has to be one designated, and for men to put on a female garment, there must be one. Do EMC men wear dresses? Of course not, but here at 20/20 I hope all readers know that women don’t wear pants either. Women that wear pants (which includes culottes) oppose the design of God, and dishonour Him. They are rebelling against His authority. True born again believers however want to honour God. Those rebellious against God, as we see in Rom 1, are rebellious against God’s design. This is also how this subject relates to salvation. Someone is not worshiping the Creator, is not thankful, when he or she does not want to fit with, conform to, glorify God’s design.
Another reason why contemporary professing Christian women do not dress in line with God's regulations in Scripture is because of shame (also the same reason for other worldliness). They are ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ and His holy standards. They are not ashamed of their sins and worldliness, errors and false teachings, but ashamed of Jesus Christ and His standards. Ashamed means to not confess him publicly especially under inconvenient circumstances and to be offended because of His Name or Word, which does relate to manner of godly dressing. Like the stony soil which is unsaved (Matt 13). It also refers to not obeying Scripture. Mk 8:34-38 (like Matt 10:32-39; 16:24-26 and Lk 9:23-26) notes that being ashamed of Jesus Christ and His words (v 38) is categorically connected to refusing to become Christ’s disciple (vv. 34-37) — by refusing to exchange masters, from this world to the Lord (vv. 36-37), refusing to deny self and losing one’s life for Christ and the gospels sake (vv. 34-35), refusing to take up the cross and denying self and following Christ (v 34) — whose end will be an eternity in the unquenchable fires of hell. Those who rather than being ashamed of their sins (Rom 6:21; cf. Rom 1:16; 2 Tim 1:8, 12, 16) are ashamed to confess and follow Jesus and His Words in this evil and adulterous world, will have Christ ashamed of them at His return and be denied by Him (Lk 12:8-9; 2 Tim 2:11-13) and eternally damned in hell—for Christ is “not ashamed to call [true believers] brethren (Heb 2:11), “God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb 11:16).
We also cover this subject in greater detail here: Immodesty and Transgenderism.
Effeminacy. When God created the woman through the man, he created her with a different role than the man. He made the woman to complement the man. Men and women are different. Scripture throughout distinguishes men from women in their traits, their roles, their functions, and their appearances. To do His moral will, God intends for men to be men and women to be women in the way His Word prescribes. To oppose the plan of God, Satan and the world system attack and confuse biblical manhood and womanhood. Men become more feminine and women become more masculine (noted externally in the shortening of their hair, and wearing men's garments, pants). From this arises sex and gender confusion. It damages both sexes, but especially the man.
Cultures are required to create differences between male and female. Godly cultures will. We do this by making application of scripture to the culture. Effeminate traits from our ungodly culture are tragically found in many evangelical churches, which include men that act cowardly or “womanish” in battle, acting like a woman in their demeanour, speech, lispy sentences, light gestures, soft mannerisms, and flamboyant jokes, wears pink, sports long hair, wears ear rings, effeminate style clothing, soft-spoken, etc.
Some of this comes about because women rule over the men. Many times scripture says to the woman, “Keep silence or stay quiet” (1 Cor 14:34, 1 Tim 2:11-12). This says, “Let the man lead.” When things aren’t going well for a nation, Is 3:12 explains:
"As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them."
This is role, function, and quality reversal. That means men are not ruling according to God’s design. Now men accept this quietly for the most part, especially in evangelicalism. They know if they say anything, they are in trouble. As a first indication of a man deferring his own manhood, he stops standing spiritually. Men lack spiritual strength or conviction. When men check with their wives, that might sound happily egalitarian. Maybe they use their wives as an excuse for their weakness. I’m not saying men can’t confer with their wives, very often today men can’t decide because they’re weak.
This problem is noted all over neo-evangelicalism, EMC of course not exempt.
Tattooing. In another area where ungodliness is noted, is the matter of tattooing. Just a mere few decades ago, tattoos were considered exceedingly sinful and pagan to professing Christians, and no one would have ever even dreamed about getting one. Now as we live in the last days of the last days and we get closer to the coming of the Antichrist and the Great Tribulation, we find professing “Christians” wanting to follow after the lusts of their flesh as well. So they get tattoos.
Tattoos are indeed pagan and evil, and those that profess to be Christian make a mockery of God and you know the sign of the times when such thing as “Christian” tattoos are glorified. Tattooing continues to be intimately associated with idolatry, paganism, moral debauchery, and rebellion. That hasn't stopped. Nothing has changed and “Christianizing” something doesn't suddenly make it right. What is right is what the Bible says. Even unsaved people know that tattoos are pagan and wrong and ungodly. The author, Clay Thompson, in an article of the Pacific News Service for July 27, 1996, titled “Pagan Fashion’s New Frontier - Facial Tattoos,” who makes no claim to be a Christian, associates tattoos with paganism. He connects it with a “new reverence for pagan beliefs.”
Tattoos are most definitely wrong, Lev. 19:28; and 21:5 make that crystal clear, as does 1 Th. 5:22, “Abstain from all appearance of evil,” and tattoos are certainly evil and works of darkness. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). One of the biggest reasons why professing Christians accept this practice is because of their inability or their lack of desire to apply the Word of God and obey it. They are mere rebels that come with the self-appointed label "Christian." They want to live after their own lusts, and don’t understand the application of Scripture in principle to absolutely everything in this world, which also fits their inability to righty divide the word of truth. Partaking of the pagan practice of tattooing is what Gentiles do, and what
“The Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” (1 Cor. 10:20-22).
You cannot put the Christian tag on something that is pagan. It is devilish.
Keep reading here, Tattoos Galore - A Clear Attestation of the Pagan Culture of Modern "Christianity."
Doctrine of Godliness. Besides the above things mentioned here, all of which could easily fit under this heading as well, the following requires mentioning. In the past EMC LCCF (and I am sure other EMC churches have hosted the same or worse events) sponsored the event “Two-gether Intimately,” a course taught by the “Reverend Ruth Clarence” which wasn't the first time this course had been hosted. Whats this about a female “Reverend”? A female "pastor"? How wickedly rebellious I say, yet EMC not only tolerates it, but embraces it and encourages it! Women holding any positions of leadership in a church or any position where they are teaching men (including the reading of Scripture from the pulpit) is entirely and rebelliously unscriptural (1 Cor. 14:33-35; 1 Tim. 2:11-14). And so is this lascivious course of concupiscence that EMC embraces and hosts, entirely opposed to everything God’s Word teaches about holiness, righteousness and godliness. Its shameful, publicly discussing private bedroom matters of marriage. It’s worldly and carnally driven, meant to feed the flesh, lusts, and emotions of man. It’s unbelievable and shameful that one even needs to write this, and that the people of LCCF have so little discernment, to the point of complete absenteeism. Members of EMC LCCF attempted to deny this was put on by their church, but that was a falsehood. Even if it hadn't been put on by this compromised and heretical church, would it really have made that much of a difference, amidst all the other terrible compromise, worldliness and ungodliness? But it was indeed staged by the EMC church, noted further in a 2010 “Two-gether Intimately” brochure where the advertisement for the program had the EMC church listed as the contact, with dates. But this is not the only time EMC LCCF hosted this ungodly, worldly, lusts of the flesh, course. A ladies-only seminar was held in a joint collaboration between this Church and another church.
Attempts to shirk responsibility for their unBiblical lasciviousness, which is what ungodly men turn the grace of God into (Ju 1:4), is nothing new for heretical and apostate denominations who are always maligning reprovers and rejecting reproof. The truth is, “Reverend Ruth Clarence” and her husband, and their ungodly, sensual, lascivious worldly programs, are ravening wolves in sheep’s clothing, horribly depraved and void of true Biblical conversion (obviously), but that is all lost to the EMC leaders who have zero spiritual discernment and discretion. On a side note, in another place we mention Karlene Thiessen's false gospel and worship, but it appears she had connections to this course as well. That is quite something. It seems her name appears alongside many unBiblical and ungodly and woke events and things (e.g., she recommends the extreme heretic and apostate Shane Clairborne, false social-justice "gospel" programs that preach false gospels and completely opposed to God’s Word, has associated with MCC, a rabidly anti-Semitic/social-justice false “gospel”/ extreme apostate group, loves “Christian” Rock music on her previous show “Joyful Praise” at the unscriptural, ecumenical and neo-evangelical radio station CIAM, etc). Or this is just normal "Christianity" at EMC?
What’s the future hold for EMC? The seductive nature of the “lust of the eyes, and the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life” (1 Jn. 2:16) know no boundaries and can never be quenched and its lure for pleasure is an ongoing chain of lusts that has no end. One can never fully satisfy the flesh, for the eyes of man are never satisfied. With the extremely heretical false teacher Joyce Meyer (who happens to be popular among EMC ladies) and her false non-judgmental Shack god, coming out with a new “Love Revolution” course for ladies, it must only be a matter of time before such a program comes knocking at EMC's door.
At any rate, those that feed the lusts of the flesh and eyes are those that love the world, and God is very clear that these are unsaved false professors and His love is not in them (1 Jn. 2:15-17). They are not hated by the world but rather loved (Jn. 15:18-20; 17:14-16). They are His enemies (Jam. 4:4). What part of what Jesus said here concerning true believers, do they not understand:
“I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (Jn. 17:14-16).
Many people, including those at EMC, don’t actually want the Jesus of the Bible but rather the Jesus they have made up in the carnal imagination of their unsaved intellect. These are Laodicean-type of lukewarm “Christians” (and not just for this reason but all the reasons documented in this report), which are false, lost, Christian by name only, and they fill the churches of our day, especially “evangelical” ones but one soon coming day God will spew them out into eternal hell fire (Rev 3:14-18):
“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” (vv. 16-18).
Here is what we are to do with those who consent not to the doctrine of godliness:
"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; . . . from such withdraw thyself." (1 Tim. 6:3-5).
(c) Worldliness, Yoking with the Culture of the World. Corrupt Fruit, from Corrupt Trees.
Besides what has been mentioned, many other elements of a love for the world is present. The culture in our post-modernism times is unBiblical, ungodly, materialistic, narcissistic, nihilistic, skeptical and woke (or woke-tolerant). One of the main characteristics or tenants of being woke is that feelings matter more than truth. This happens to also be a major characteristic of neo-evangelicalism, which is rampant at EMC churches and it’s members. They severely lack discernment and thus amuse themselves with seriously unscriptural, compromised, heretical and blasphemous Hollywood movies and others that loosely carry the label "Christian," such as The Sound of Freedom, exposed at that link, and Fireproof. I wouldn’t even want to know how many folks in the EMC positively approve of these unscriptural movies (and others like it, such as Courageous, Faith like Potatoes, etc) or the extremely heretical and blasphemous TV show, The Chosen, and enjoy it!
EMC is absorbed into the ungodly culture of the world. Neo-Evangelicalism looks to cultural fads to define what is perceived as acceptable style, and that is exactly what EMC does. Not only do they allow pagan cultures to dress their people, they also allow modern pagan culture to influence their music as illustrated by their love for Rock music and hosting Rock concerts in their churches (!), as discussed previous point. Drifting into this godless culture also requires (and paradoxically advances), a shift from absolutism to relativism. A saltless people don't preserve a godly, God-fearing culture but destroy it, since judgment begins at the house of God (or so professed).
"Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Lk 14:34-35).
Herein we see the major inconsistencies and hypocrisies evident in much of Neo-Evangelicalism. They claim to and maybe even attempt to oppose some of the secular culture, at least that which negatively effects their freedoms, finances, social life, etc, all the while they have accepted it and allowed it to influence them. Even worst, they have propagated and endorsed this secular and pagan culture as acceptable for Christians to indulge in for entertainment and lifestyle.
The utterly corrupt fruit that falls from these corrupt trees (Matt 7:15-20), is absolutely astounding and mind-numbing. In maybe no greater way is this noted than in many of the homes of EMCer's, evident by their lives, public social media accounts, and other means. Many of the children that grow up in EMC homes will go on to live after the lusts of their flesh and the world, follow humanism and anything else that fits this paradigm, fulfilling the corrupt fruit produced by corrupt trees. They either outright or subtly reject the God of the Bible, and invent their own god that fits with their love of the world, the flesh, and the eyes, the corrupt fruit of hypocrisy, which is the leaven of the Pharisees, what they've been exposed to all their life. Children get tattoos, punked out hair and appearance, go homosexual, marry unbelievers, get indoctrinated to become psychologists (which is primarily more than just evil humanism, but a false god), attend much worse churches (such as Charismatic, Orthodox, etc) and more, rebelling against and rejecting the God of the Bible. They double the sins of their parents.
True born again Christians however are quite differently. They allow the Bible to define their lives, dress, music, and every other aspect of their lives, and are not conformed to this world (Rom 12:1-2).
Those that are born again love not the world and thus are separated from the world (Jn 15:18-20; 17:14, 16; Rom 6:17-22; 8:1-17; 1 Cor 2:12; 7:34; 1 Jn 2:15-17; 3:1, 11-13; 4:5; 5:19; Jam 1:27; 4:4). Salvation “deliver[s] us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Gal 1:4b). The world is overcome through the new birth (1 Jn 5:4-5), as is the devil (1 Jn 2:13-14; 4:4). Jesus prayed concerning the truly saved,
“I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (Jn 17:14-16).
Of all that Jesus could have or may have prayed, He associated a big chunk of it with "not of the world." It seems that the Apostle Paul understood this when he wrote a crucial command of sanctification in Rom 12:2, "Be not conformed to this world." It seems that the Apostle John comprehended it, because he wrote in 1 Jn 2:15-17:
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
Those that love the world are absent of the Father's love. This doesn't mean that sometimes they have the Father's love in them; No, they never have His love and do not actually know it, even though they proudly parade it. The reason being is that they are still in the flesh and dominated by its desires and lusts (v. 16), and not in the spirit and after the will of God. Two verses later, John connected those verses with v. 19:
"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."
"Of the world" and "of us" are a contrast with one another. If they were not "of us," based on those previous verses, it appears that they "loved the world" and were "of the world" instead. That fits with the thorny soil in the farming parable as well (Matt 13), and exemplified by Demas (2 Tim 4:10).
In Jn. 15:18-19 Jesus again reiterates this truth,
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
The world doesn't hate EMC because EMC is of the world. EMC also doesn't like to be hated, so they go out of their way to not be hated, but that is a deadly issue in of itself that ties into their false gospel of self-fulfillment, self-esteemism, psychology infested sermons and teachings, and worldliness. In the end, it exposes their unregenerate conditions, another purpose to what Jesus said in Jn 15, 16 and 17.
True born again believers are separated from the world. Not isolated (like many Mennonites, Amish, Hutterites have historically done) but actually separated from the world which compels godly and holy separated living. True born again Christians are those who have "thy word" which is the Word of God, and "the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world," just like Jesus was "not of the world," but that doesn't mean isolated from the world, as Jesus prayed, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world," but rather, separated from the world and its system (which is governed by the "prince of this world" Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) which opposes God and His Word and holiness and righteousness, "that thou [God] shouldest keep them from the evil." God will keep His own from the evils of this world, for "They are not of the world, even as I am [Jesus] not of the world.” (Jn 17:14-16).
What is it to be "of the world"? If someone is not to be "of the world," (Jn 15:18-19; 17:14-16; 1 Jn 2:15-17; 2 Pet 2:20; Ti 2:12-15; etc) then he needs to know what "of the world" is? Can he know? I contend that "of the world" has become meaningless in evangelicalism and much of fundamentalism. People know the words, but they do not give an interpretation or an application of these words. "Not of the world" is not some arbitrary concept. It actually means something. The adverb "worldly" can represent the prepositional phrase "of the world." If someone is not worldly, then he is not of the world. What is worldliness? When is someone worldly? It's nearly impossible for neo-evangelicalism to be worldly anymore, because they've made it meaningless.
To love the world (1 Jn 2:15) is not the same thing as loving chocolate cake or donuts. It is to love the world system (its music, likes, dress, appearance, attitudes, persona, entertainment, etc), which results in conforming to the spirit of the age (Rom 12:2). Those who conform to the spirit of the age love the world. They are of the world. And that means they are not of God. They are spiritual adulterers and enemies of God (Jam 4:4). A vast majority of churches today are worldly, including all in the EMC denomination. That means they are not "of God." They are "of the world." Because of a particular view of the grace of God, they think they are saved. It is not the grace of God (Ti 2:11-14). They have turned the grace of God into lasciviousness (Ju 1:4).
With worldliness having no meaning in these so-called churches, they can be worldly and it doesn't matter to them. Professing believers can be worldly and it means little to nothing. By staying worldly, churches keep their worldly people. Since they don't preach against worldliness or at least explain what it means, the people most often don't know anything is wrong. They don't even know that worldliness clashes with being a Christian. If these churches stood and preached against worldliness, they would shrink to almost nothing. People want the world, but they also want Jesus in their back pocket, in case they need a goody-meister to bring them their lusts or deliver them from some flesh-induced problem.
For someone not to be worldly, which Jesus prays for all true believers, His children, he will not think worldly, act worldly, wear worldly dress or have a worldly appearance, listen to or play worldly music, or love worldly things. For all of that to occur, worldliness must have meaning. It does have meaning.
It is true that someone can externally not be worldly and then be worldly internally, in the heart. This is true. However, that doesn’t mean that someone is not worldly if he or she claims not to be worldly in the heart (because we don’t really know what they are in the heart), but he or she is in fact worldly on the outside. Why? They fear being marginalized (from people that fit into the world), but that is a symptom of unregeneracy, because these people actually do love the world. Truly saved people on the other hand obey the Word of God; they don't fear public perception because they overcame the world when they were converted (1 Jn 5:4-5). How can we tell that they actually love the world? The music, the dress, the attitudes, the language, the entertainment, the priorities of life, they emphasis, etc.
Because a true born again Christian is sacred and his body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, he can’t associate with external things that clash with God. Christians are in the world, but not of the world. The false professors joke about some of the trends that born again believers once stood against. C.S. Spurgeon for instance, believed that if you were someone who regularly attended the theatre, you probably weren’t saved. There is a sinfulness with strange apparel, resulting in transgenderism. Part of personal holiness, biblical separation, has been to avoid ungodly associations in the world. Not to do so has always been worldliness. It still is.
Those that are worldly, like EMC, need to be genuinely born again, so they can be sacred and holy and won't desire to associate with things of the world that clash with God.
(d) Pro-Homosexuality
The world of neo-evangelicalism is rampant with homosexuality and toleration of this wickedness. Practically daily it seems some co-called evangelical "Christian" leader comes out of his dark closet of immoral reprobation, evident (through his corruption of Scripture, false teachings, love of the world, and more) long before he became brave and publicly identified with the occupants of Sodom and Gomorrah. At least on a weekly basis, its some wicked CCM artist that is adored and fawned over by neo-evangelicals. In 1998, CCM star Kirk Franklin said that “homosexuality . . . is a problem today in gospel music--a major concern--and everybody knows it” (Church Boy, pp. 49-50). Consider some examples. Derek Webb, former lead singer of the popular CCM band Caedmon’s Call, recently produced the song and video, “Boys Will Be Girls,”supporting transsexual drag queens. James Cleveland, the “King of Gospel,” was a homosexual who died of AIDS. Marsha Stevens, author of “For Those Tears I Died” and co-founder of Children of the Day, one of the first contemporary Christian music groups, left her husband, “married” a woman, and started her own label called BALM (Born Again Lesbian Music). In 2008, popular CCM singer Ray Boltz who after 33 years of marriage and four children announced his homosexuality, divorcing his wife to live with a man. The same year, Clay Aiken, a Southern Baptist who was runner-up on American Idol in 2003 and went on to become a multiplatinum recording artist, admitted publicly that he is homosexual. In 2010, Anthony Williams, who performs under the name of Tonex and whose album Out the Box was nominated for a Grammy, revealed that he is a homosexual. Also the same year, Jennifer Knapp, hard- rocking Contemporary Christian musician, came “out of the closet” with her lesbianism. In 2014, Dan Haseltine of the popular CCM band Jars of Clay announced his support for “gay marriage,” and Vicky Beeching, British CCM musician, announced that she is a lesbian. In 2016, Trey Pearson, lead singer of the popular Christian rock band Everyday Sunday, came out as “gay.” And the list goes on. In 2010, Douglas Harrison said, “... you can’t swing a Dove Award without hitting upon evidence of the longstanding, deep-set presence of queer experience in, and its influence on, Christian music culture at all levels” (“Come Out from among them,” Religion Dispatches, April 30, 2010). (Source). All these people fit under the genre of CCM, but this is a mere smidgen of sample size.
Not surprisingly, much of evangelicalism treats Christians who oppose sodomy as misguided, mean-spirited, dangerous Pharisees. But the doctrine of the Pharisees is leaven, and that is hypocrisy (Matt 16:11-12; 23:1-36) and this is evangelicalism, along with virtually all the rest of Christendom today.
Supporting CCM music, is supporting its musicians, which is supporting their lifestyles, which in this case includes homosexuality, but also many, many other sins, evils, heresies and false teachings. EMC is guilty by association, what Am 3:3, among other passages, makes clear:
"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"
But EMC is more than just guilty by association.
Though they might not (yet) have an official position regarding homosexuality, many people within the denomination and even church leaders approve of the ungodly and sinful practice. Terry M. Smith, long time editor of The Messenger, describes the belief of homosexuality within the EMC Denomination in a nutshell:
“Several readers have responded by phone, in person, or by letter about the news item “Samesex attraction discussed at CMU” (Feb. 20, 2008). Some ask: Is this the EMC position? It might be asked in return: Which part? That a person might struggle? Or change? That a parent is concerned about a child? That discussion is helpful? That “I can’t believe that God condemns homosexual behaviour as such. The gift of sexuality remains a mystery to me, like many other gifts from God”
Smith, like the deceptive chameleon and master of logical fallacies that he is, actually completely ignores what the severe and evil problems were in that "news item." The heretical Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) put on a homosexuality forum which featured “Val Warkentin, who runs a Christian support group for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered people.” There was absolutely nothing spoken against this homosexual affirming dialogue, only serious beating around the bush and circular reasoning. In fact, never has anything been written in opposition against homosexuality by EMC, at least that I have come across. I would be shocked if there was.
That was back in 2008, around the time when sodomy was being pushed and absorbed by many apostate churches and denominations, and by now its very likely much worse. So yes, we can say there is a pro-homosexual undercurrent amongst most EMC churches, which is why children growing up in this worldly and heretical environment, sometimes become sodomites and lesbians. I know of some cases, and their identities I will not expose because this is not about them but about the false and heretical system that they grew up in, the cause behind it, though of course they are fully accountable and responsible for their own ungodly and wicked choices. There is blame on the parents who raised them up in the unBiblical neo-evangelical system, yet they cannot play the blame game. The children of members also post pro-homosexual pictures or reference to the evil pride perversion of the rainbow, and then parents (members of EMC churches) back and support their children. On a public forum.
Later in the same year, the article “Truth Stands on its own” (The Messenger, June 25, 2008) by Henry Hiebert of Steinbach Manitoba, was published where he discusses homosexuality and allegedly what God has to say about it. However, he never once mentions what God actually say’s about it. More beating around the bush by these bush rangers. He manages to completely avoid the topic while claiming to talk about it (I know, its amazing how chameleon like these evangelical are) but of course he doesn't neglect mentioning, surprise, surprise (considering the false love that pours out of evangelical churches today), that we must “treat them with love.” Thats the focus by Hiebert when it comes to sodomy. How do we love the lost including wicked reprobates like sodomites? By preaching the truth to them. This is how. We are to “love one another. And this is love, that we walk after [God's] commandments” (2 Jn. 1:5-6) and one of His commandments is to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15) which means to preach against sin and evil like Christ and the Apostles demonstrated, and also involves,
“hav[ing] no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light” (Eph. 5:11-13)
“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (Jn. 3:20-21).
NO reprobate sodomite will ever come to the light through EMC preaching, for there is no clear and plain reproof of their evil. (For the woke, leftist, diabolical spies reading here, yes, every sodomite/LGBQT+EVIL mentally unstable reprobate needs to be converted to Christ. They need to repent of their evil. They do need to undergo conversion therapy, which is the true gospel of Jesus Christ preached into their dull of hearing ears, because they are well on their way down the broad path to eternal damnation in the lake of fire). That is probably why some of them are so comfortable in EMC churches. To tolerate their evil like EMC does and speaking soft positive ear tickling words, is NOT loving them. This is deceitful. Its actually wicked and showing hate, the actions of an enemy (Pr. 27:6). To treat a homosexual with love is to show him the error of his way, to teach him the truth of God’s Word and Gods judgment upon him and the condemnation he is under and how evil his sin really is before God (Rom. 1:26-32; Lev. 18:22; 20:13) and the eternal judgment he is facing in hell. How could Hiebert show a homosexual “love” when he can’t even tell him how much God hates His sin, something he can’t even do here in a written “Christian” publication, never mind to his face? The truth is God truly hates sodomy as He proved by bar-b-qing Sodom and Gomorrah with everyone in it, with exception of Lot and two daughters and a wife who was turned into a pillar of salt. The Bible says homosexuals are to be put to death (Lev 20:13; Rom 1:32; 13:4). In Rom. 1 God shows how much wrath He has towards sexual perverts as homosexuals. Here is the truth of homosexuality that Mr. Hiebert completely manages to avoid:
“Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (v. 32).
It certainly seems that the position of pro-homosexuality is becoming the norm at EMC. There is pro-homosexuality and serious compromise and heresy to support their ungodly position, which is just as bad as allowing it full steam into their churches. You can say EMC is still "in the closet" but just barely, so give it some time, and they will bravely exit the closet and be just like Bethel Mennonite Church, LGBQTSI+EVIL affirming and everything else woke and evil.
This is how bad things are at EMC.
Apostasy.
~o————————————————————o~
In concluding this 4th point, so much for EMC LCCF's claim that they have been "Bible believing, [and] God honouring” over the past 50 years. They clearly and obviously have not. They have deceived themselves. I would say this to them,
"There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart." (Neh 6:8)
Followed by, you are indeed as “many, which corrupt the word of God” (2 Cor 2:17) and “handle the word of God deceitfully” (2 Cor 4:2).
Turn from your vanities, and repent:
"Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways." (Ac 14:15-16)
Repent and be ye converted:
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Ac 17:30-31)
5. EMC Proclaims Righteousness, Love and Grace but Not According to Scripture, While Claiming What I am Doing is Not Loving and Gracious.
Dovetailing with the previous point, EMC proclaims the righteousness of God and the love of God and the grace of God, obviously very important elements of Biblical Christianity, but does EMC actually represent Biblical righteousness, and the true love and grace of God? They claim these Biblical elements are demonstrated in their worship, beliefs, doctrines, practices, appearances, godliness, egalitarianism, relations, really everything in their "Bible believing, [and] God honouring” present and past, but how do these important doctrines actually line up with what Scripture saith?
I don't have a monopoly on these Godly attributes, but I know the One that does. And He has given us His Word so we can know exactly what they mean and how they are applied, namely for those who are truly regenerate:
"All the words of my [the Lord Jesus Christ] mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge." (Pr 8:8-9)
"Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" (Pr 22:20-21)
The below (and really what's already been written, especially the last point), will demonstrate they have greatly deceived themselves with the wool pulled over their eyes, having "not renounced the hidden things of dishonesty," but "walking in craftiness," and "handling the word of God deceitfully;" rather than "by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." (2 Cor 4:2).
(a) Righteousness. The true imputed righteousness of God that is given at salvation (Rom 4:1-8), always produces practical righteousness. Always.
“If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him” (1 Jn 2:29)
You cannot have imputed righteousness without practical righteousness. That isn't true Biblical Christianity.
This connection, present in all true born again believers, is found throughout the Bible, including in the book of Proverbs (e.g. Pr. 11:6a; 12:12b; 13:6a; 14:2a; etc). But what we see EMCer's practicing is not Biblical righteousness. Listening to ungodly, worldly music; dressing and behaving like the world; confounding the sexes that God hath made through gender indistinctive clothing (De 22:5) and chopping of women's hair again confounding the sexes (1 Cor 11:2-16); using modern Bible perversions; terribly watered-down and shallow preaching with tons of Scripture perversion; corrupt and perverted gospel; many false doctrines; and more, is unrighteous and unholy. Attending ungodly and worldly concerts is unrighteous and unholy. Hosting worldly and ungodly concerts in “church” is ungodly and unholy (such as Brian Doerksen and Color). Having rock bands on stage on Sunday morning running the "worship" service is unrighteous and unholy. Having woman teaching men in the church (e.g. reading the scriptures from the pulpit or teaching while singing their breathy, sensual CCM songs) is unrighteous and unholy. Etc.
These are only a fraction of the unrighteous behaviour going on at EMC. The list goes on and on, and we haven't even listed the sins and worldliness that is embraced and exercised by majority of EMC attenders.
True born again believes are righteous however (1 Jn 2:29). They are righteous because Christ is righteous, to whom they are conformed.
"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. . . . Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." (Rev 22:11, 14-15)
(b) Love. Love of God always produces obedience (Jn 14:15, 21-24; 1 Jn 2:3-5; 2 Jn 1:5-6), so that,
“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” (1 Jn 2:4-5).
EMCer's do not obey Gods Word in many areas, a list as long as a book. Many of these things are mentioned in this lengthy report, yet undoubtedly there is more. So do they love God then? Not according to these passages of scripture and there is yet much more of the same. Those that disobey God’s Word prove they don’t actually love the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of the lip service they give to it. Additionally, the “Jesus” they love is “another Jesus” (2 Cor 11:4).
But they speak of "love." Much. To speak of love at the expense of truth and obedience, is not Biblical love. At best it’s sentimentalism. Love is never divorced from obedience and truth. The neo-evangelical professor of Christ is very confused over love, but is it any wonder? With so much perversion and heresy on every hand, so much tickling of the ears occurring in these churches, truth moves from a position of absoluteness to relativism, and there is a serious drought of discernment over simple Biblical truths, so that even love has become a casualty of evangelical heresy.
They don't actually have a love for God and His Word, even if they say that, demonstrated by their disobedience and love for a worldly type of "Christianity" (1 Jn. 2:15-17; Jam. 4:4). There is love for ungodly things. Love for unscriptural and ungodly music, dress, hair, entertainment, false teachers, heresy, the world, etc.
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (Jam. 4:4)
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. . . . And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 Jn. 2:15-17)
Since God’s Word commands the judging and testing of all things (Jn 7:24; 1 Cor 2:15; 10:15; Lk 7:43; 12:57; Phil 1:9-10; Lev 19:15, 35-37; Pr 21:3, 15), judging is loving, but judging also becomes a casualty in these environments, with their mantra "judge not, lest ye be judged," — the one time they are able to ignore the shame of quoting from the King James Bible. But like love, Matt 7:1 is also corrupted, divorced from its context and the rest of Scripture, guilty of privately interpreting Scripture (2 Pet 1:21) another mark of a false teacher (2 Pet 1:21-2:3).
Churches like EMC think they have a superior love, but at best it is nothing more than sentimentalism. It makes the people doing it feel like its love and the people receiving it that they are being loved. But they are not. Love takes the hit. And since God is love, His attribute is diminished in people’s minds as well. Love rejoices in the truth and not in iniquity (1 Cor 13), but at EMC love rejoices in iniquity, and not in the truth. Quite the opposite. This is evident even by their response (or lack thereof) to this expose.
Biblical love becomes a casualty, alongside other doctrine, in all of neo-evangelicalism including EMC, when "love" divorces doctrine and "unity" rejects the truth. All four things mentioned here (love, doctrine, unity and truth) become casualties. Evidently, neo-evangelicals believe their main goal is to eliminate doctrinal distinctives and to emphasize unity among those claiming to be Christian. That false teachings is founded upon the heretical philosophy of ecumenical evangelicalism where "love" is apparently more important than doctrine or truth (same thing). They claim (sometimes openly, always under their breath), that doctrine divides, whereas love unifies. Its the pitchfork that drives their "ministry." After all, the "greatest of these is charity [love]" (1 Cor 13:13). But is it true? Far from it. Not only is love corrupted, so is 1 Cor 13:13 (Love is the greatest out of faith, hope and love, because only love is eternal. We don't need faith or hope in heaven. That is the meaning of the passage, the context bearing witness to that.) In the chapter that is so-called "the love chapter" (1 Cor 13), we read that "Charity [i.e. Love] . . . rejoiceth in the truth." Love, faith and hope are virtues, but truth is far above it. There is no contrast. It has an altogether different status. It is the frame of reference, the foundation, the atmosphere without which virtues such as love cannot even exist at all.
Without truth to define anything including a virtue or fruit, to interpret it, to protect it, to guide it, to channel it — love can and will become a total disaster. And that is exactly what we see everywhere in contemporary type churches, everywhere in evangelicalism including at EMC. These are bastions of false love.
Truth is not on the same level as virtues. Virtues would shrivel up and die if it were not for truth. One cannot imagine life on earth without water. Water is absolutely essential for all of life, as long of course as it stays within proper channels, within its canals, aqueduct, and pipes and systems, including in the human body. But when water gets out of control, it is the second greatest catastrophe that can happen to this planet, second only to fire. On the one hand, it is an absolute blessing, but on the other hand, it can be a curse. So it is with love.
How does the Word of God define love? The Bible is the only source we look for an answer, since only Gods Word is absolute truth and He is the author of love. “Love is of God” (1 Jn 4:7). Since truth is the parameter to understanding anything about everything, and God is love, let's consider God's definition of love. Love without divine definition (God's revealed words within where it must flow) becomes the most horrible thing on earth. It can destroy human life worse than genocide on a mass scale, and can be reduced to satanic sentimentalism.
First, what love is not. Love is not an emotion. Emotions are unstable, undependable and unpredictable. Love is not broad-mindedness. Love is not non-judgmentalism. Love is not non-critical tolerance. Love is not tolerating error or sin (“Love … Rejoiceth not in iniquity,” 1 Cor. 13:6).
Love is also not a feeling, though it is expressed often in such manner. This relates to one of the most consequential matters, a right understanding of love. Love will produce feelings and even the right ones. However, in of itself, love isn’t a feeling. Feelings that are called love are actually lust. Love is very good, and lust is bad. Scripture teaches abstaining from lust. We sin when we are drawn away of our own lusts. Love is fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). The Holy Spirit, God Himself, produces actual love in a person (Rom 5:5). That limits what it could be, because only believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and a lot of unbelievers have feelings that they think are love and even called love.
Love, by divine definition, is to obey Gods commandments.
“And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.” (2 Jn. 1:5-6)
“If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings” (Jn 14:23-24a).
Love is walking in the truth toward God and people. It is fulfilling God's law toward God and people. God couldn't love us if He was contaminated by falsehood or error.
Only those who dwell in God, dwell in love (1 Jn 4:16), and those that truly love God, obey His Word. People that are truly born again will love God by keeping His commandments. It is the hallmark evidence of true conversion. They “love His name” (Ps 69:36) and “love [His] salvation” (Ps 70:4) and love His Son so they keep His words (1 Jn 2:3-5; 2 Jn 1:5-6; Jn 14:15, 21-24)
They are loved by God (see also Pr 8:17-21). Those that say they love God but don’t obey Him, don’t actually love Him (Jn 14:15-24), and “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” (1 Cor 16:22). That means to be accursed at Christ’s coming.
Evangelicals like EMC puff up their alleged "love" towards others, hence the repeated misuse of Matt 25, "straining at a gnat, and swallowing a camel" (Matt 23:24). They claim to love their brethren by not speaking negatively, judgementally, "harshly," reprovingly, or other such manners. They tolerate the errors and wrongs and sins and worldliness of those around them (including those in their own household), because they "love" them. The Bible however tells us HOW we love our brethren and KNOW we love our brethren, and its vastly different then what we see occurring in heretical environments such as EMC:
“BY THIS we know that we love the children of God, WHEN we love God, and KEEP his commandments. For THIS is the love of God, that we KEEP his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 Jn 5:2-3).
2 Jn 1:5-6 says the same:
"And now I beseech thee, . . . that we love one another. AND THIS IS LOVE, that we walk after his commandments.”
These passages are extremely clear in how we love our brethren. If we don’t obey God, we don’t love God. If we don’t obey and thus love God, then we don’t, and can't, love our brethren. It’s that simple. That is the cascade effect of what the Bible clearly teaches. To love our brethren one must first love God. But to love God, one must first obey God. That obedience starts with obeying the gospel (2 Th 1:8; 1 Pet 4:17), which results in the new birth (Jn 3:3-21; Rom 3:10-28; Mk 1:14-15; etc), and thereafter produces obedience to God's Word,
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:10)
Love, as defined by God, is doing for a person that which is best for him in the light of eternity, no matter what the cost may be. That is how it is defined by God.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (Jn 15:13)
Consider a key Scripture which illustrates the distinction between love and Truth.
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn 8:31-32)
Ultimate freedom may only be achieved by total submission — unconditional surrender to truth, which is unconditional surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing here about love.
Yet the Word of God rightly divided and harmonized, tells us that without love for truth, one cannot be saved (thus love and truth dovetail), unlike those people referenced in 2 Th 2:10 whom have been deceived by Satan:
"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
True Biblical love is without dissimulation (hypocrisy), so it abhors (hates extremely) that which is evil and cleaves to that which is good (that which is Biblical).
“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” (Rom. 12:9)
“Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.” (Ps. 97:10)
In so doing, they reflect the same loves and hates of God.
"Thou [the Son of God] hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." (Heb 1:9)
This Biblical truth is far removed from institutions such as EMC. Those that truly and genuinely love truth will hate every false way (Ps. 119:104, 128). Those that love righteousness, hate sin and error (Rom. 12:9; Heb. 1:9). But EMC has it just backwards. They hate the truth and love that which is evil. I do not need to rehash examples of that, as there are plenty already given in parts 1 through 4, in this part and more to come.
False "love" (sentimentalism) produces churches full of children that make false professions, and embrace false love, and the revolving door keeps revolving. Their "Bible camps" assist in propelling this delusion, deception and darkness along, producing the next generation of false pretenders. Most, if not all, of these kids remain unsaved. And then later that starts showing up in their behaviour. The answer for that from parental or church leadership isn’t conversion or methodology. The answer is parenting tactics. More spanking. Less television. More grounding. Big threats. Public embarrassment. Pushes to conform. Eventually comes toleration for the behaviour and wilful deception to the false profession, as the kids near the age of ejecting from home. You can’t however get an unsaved person to act like a truly saved person. And if you do, he won’t always keep acting like a saved person. He or she can only maintain that act so long. Could it be the unbiblical methodology and the false gospel and love? In very many cases the deception is real. The parents themselves are unsaved, so they cannot discern the difference between saved and unsaved. They do not actually even understand true salvation, having given salvation and the new birth a new corrupt meaning where grace becomes a licence of licentiousness and many important elements of the gospel are missing awol.
You aren't actually "loving kids" when you don't see their unsaved nature, and conformity to false professions and not teaching them the truth. You don’t love kids by using unbiblical methodology. You love them when you go and preach to them the truth, the true gospel. If they want the gospel, they’ll come. If they don’t want it, they won’t. That is what Jesus did. And He is love. He defines love. You aren't loving your kids or the kids at the "Bible camp," but actually hating them, just like when you aren't spanking them. But then again, what else can we expect when the parents and the entire churches have the exact same problem. Lots of playing church, next to zero true Biblical Christianity. Lots of professions, very, very few true conversions. I mean as rare as hens teeth. And those that would be truly converted (not because of the EMC church but in spite of it), won't last in the system for very long. They will know it is wrong, sinful, erroneous, and opposed to God's Word, and flee from it even as God's Word demands (e.g. 2 Cor 6:14-18; 2 Jn 1:9-11; 1 Tim 6:3-5; 2 Tim 3:5-9; 4:3-4; Eph 5:5-11; etc). They will obey these passages, and what Rev 18:4 commands:
"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."
Loving someone is teaching and training them to live by faith. Living by faith is operating based upon what the Bible says. Seeing what it says and then doing it. That doesn't happen at EMC.
Let's see what Scripture has to say about how love is demonstrated, and its not tolerating evil, false teachings, paganism, error, false believers, sin, worldliness, etc, even when these unBiblical things are found in your children.
True Biblical love obeys the truth. There are many who speak glowingly of their "love" for Jesus Christ and even for their fellow men, but in Jn 14:15, 21-24, the Lord Jesus stresses that obedience to His Truth (the whole of God's Word) is the only means of loving him, and its a critical evidence of someone loving Him and being truly converted:
"If ye love me, keep my commandments. . . . He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. . . If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. " (Jn 14:15, 21, 23-24).
This is really God's acid test or litmus test of love and faith — does a man obey the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ? This is the meaning of, "The just shall live by faith" (Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38). It makes no difference how much we talk about our "love" if we do not obey the Lord Jesus Christ. It is obedience that counts first and foremost, not words, though our words will also either justify or condemn us (Jn 12). And only those that are truly born again, will actually truly love the Lord Jesus Christ and thus obey Him. That means, and what John 14 is clearly teaching, among many other passages of Scripture, only those who are truly born again love the Lord Jesus Christ, which they demonstrate by obeying His words.
This is also means that EMC is not actually loving the Lord Jesus Christ, and what they claim as "love" is not love, but a selfish kind of lustful fulfillment, which fits with the false gospel of self-fulfillment they have embraced and kowtowed to.
Lets consider a few ways this is true at EMC:
When you do not separate from the world and its allurements — you are sinning against God, not obeying His Word, and thus don't love Him.
When you love ungodly, worldly, "Christian" Contemporary Music (CCM), music that offends a Thrice Holy God (and His children) who has commanded the singing of “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph 5:19) and to love obedience to His Word greater than gold and to “hate every false way” (Ps 119:127-128), and to “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good” (Rom 12:9), and rejecting the fact that ALL so-called “Christian” contemporary music is entirely of the world, of the flesh and nothing about it is Biblical, not its lyrics, not its musicians, not its melody of syncopation, not its beat, not its attraction or adoration, not its flaunting sensual style, and that it altogether has a worldly, non-judgmental, anti-separatist, ecumenical and ungodly philosophy that is most definitely contrary to the sound apostolic doctrine and faith found in God’s Word (Rom 16:17), running in complete opposition to the holiness and godliness and righteousness of the grace of God (Ti 2:11-14) — you are sinning against God, not obeying His Word, and thus don't love Him.
When you sing songs in sensual and syncopating, unresolving tones — you are sinning against God, not obeying His Word, and thus don't love Him.
When you entertain yourself in ungodly, worldly ways such as with Hollywood movies and the Theatre — you are sinning against God, not obeying His Word, and thus don't love Him.
When you're unconcerned about how the clothes you or your spouse wear might offend God (Gen 3:7-11, 21) and could be a stumbling block to men, and that non-gender distinctive clothing (women dressing as men or men as women) are an abomination to God (De 22:5) and not considering what you wear reflects the nature of your heart (Pr 23:7) and that truly saved saints live after the Spirit and not after the flesh, for “the old man [flesh] is crucified with [Christ]” (Rom 6:6; Gal 2:20; 5:24) and so “they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts,” (Gal 5:24), and that dress relates to the gospel, in that the true grace of God that saves (Ti. 2:11) also “teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts,” and to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” so as to “purify unto [Christ] a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Ti 2:11-14) and further relates to the gospel as to who God is (His holiness, righteousness) and how the gospel changes someone's life completely, fruit of true saving repentance, a new creature, old things passed away and all things are become new (2 Cor 5:17) and the believer's affections for God and love for Christ unto obedience — you are sinning against God, not obeying His Word, and thus don't love Him.
When you embrace false doctrine, false gospels, false unity, or other error — you are sinning against God, not obeying His Word, and thus don't love Him.
When you are not utterly horrified and outraged at what modern versions in the English language (and other languages) have done in adding, removing and changing massive amounts of the words that make up God’s Word (which He has magnified above all His name!--Ps 138:2), and thereby also corrupting doctrines of Gods Word, all of which falls under the frightful condemnation of Rev 22:18-19, and not fleeing from these counterfeits unto the real Sword of the Spirit (in English, the KJV) — you are sinning against God, not obeying His Word, and thus don't love Him.
When you don’t care what God says about baptism, which is the most important commandment for the new believer, an evidence of ones salvation, knowing that the mode is absolutely everything what baptism is all about (what the very word actually means), knowing the very picture of it, immersion in water, a picture of salvation as one having died to the old life and raised to newness of life, and the very mode God the Son himself was baptized with and further acknowledging that both pouring and sprinkling are never mentioned in scripture and completely corrupt the ordinance — you are sinning against God, not obeying His Word, and thus don't love Him.
When you're unconcerned about the fact that EMC churches are not “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15), but rather on the broad path that leads to destruction and hell (Matt 7:13-14), being representative of the large inordinate mustard tree (Matt 13:31-32) and the complete leavening of the loaf (Matt 13:33) and are rather happy committing spiritual adultery with an institution that entertains massive doses of the leaven of sin (1 Cor 5:6) and error (Gal 5:9), and false ecclesiology, while personally disobeying the hundreds of passages that command separation from all that wilfully teach and practice error, including Rev 18:4 — you are sinning against God, not obeying His Word, and thus don't love Him.
The list could go on. Everything in this life is to be tested by the Scriptures, and the Scriptures must be applied to everything. When you cannot do that, cannot understand, or plainly refuse to obey God's Word, you need to be saved. You are a false professing "believer," and you are right at home in your "evangelical" church, since essentially everyone else alongside you is in the same boat. Continue reading here on Evidence of Salvation in John's Epistle’s.
Heretical churches such as the EMC proudly proclaim that everyone needs to just focus on the simple commandment of love, even quoting Jn 13:35 (“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” -- though they don't use the KJV) as if love is divorced from the truth, or love is some amoeba-like micro-organism floating around in space ready to attach itself to anyone that is "loving" enough and has his priorities straight, certainly not one who tests someones "love" by Scripture. The "love" that these deceived and confused professors embrace is completely divorced from the truth of Scripture and tolerates error and sin. It clashes entirely with God. Apparently their “love” is to be divorced from Biblical truths such as “bible versions,” “method of baptism,” “what church you attend,” “amount of scripture you memorize,” “type of music you listen to,” “clothes you wear” and more. Apparently the Bible doesn’t speak about these things but only “love,” and somehow it’s separated from behaviour and beliefs. Wow. How horribly corrupt is the manner and philosophy of these heretics?! Sadly such horrible lies are common place among “evangelicals” today, incidentally revealing their true nature which is the natural man — a lost and hypocritical estate.
To speak of love between brethren at the expense of truth and obedience, is not Biblical love. Its a satanic counterfeit.
Obedience without love is theoretically possible, but love without obedience is, in practice, impossible. It is a satanic substitute for God's way and truth.
True Biblical love teaches the truth, the whole counsel of truth. The Lord Jesus declared, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? . . . Feed my sheep." (Jn 21). True born again believers and thus teachers, will teach the truth to others regardless of the cost, but not falsehoods, or counterfeit gospels, or lies, or pervert and wrest the Scriptures, etc. True teachers and servants of Christ will obey the Great Commission by firstly preaching a true gospel (and not a corrupt gospel as such found in the EMC, in whom is also found the Great Omission), and baptizing them by immersion in the name of the Triune God, and then teaching God's children in the whole counsel of God, whatsoever the Lord Jesus had commanded them, which is the Word of God.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matt 28:18-20)
This task is the responsibility of every true born again Christian, especially males, whereas females are not preaching to men or baptizing anyone or leading anyone.
In Ac 20, we find a good example of the Apostle Paul who obeyed the great commission. One notes that he says nothing about love to the Ephesians in this passage. But he exhibited the supreme love of any disciple toward the Ephesians. What did he do for them? Did he say fill their ears with superfluous flummery of affectionate 'I love you'? Ac 20:26-27 gives the answer:
"Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."
EMC is a million miles removed from this truth. They don't even know or believe the whole counsel of God. They corrupt the Scriptures, as scoffers, so they can walk after their own lusts (2 Pet 3:3). It is evil and the "unfruitful works of darkness" (Eph 5:11).
True Biblical love opposes and exposes all that is contrary to the truth, which is protection. Love is referred to in Gal 4:15 where we read of, "speaking the truth in love." Love is the manner and method of speaking the truth. Love is the servant of the truth. It makes it easier to receive, absorb, and digest. But it must never be allowed to eclipse or set aside the truth. God's truth can never change. But there is no teaching whatsoever in the Bible that suggests that love is more important than doctrine or truth.
Did the Lord Jesus encourage His disciples to listen sympathetically to their religious leaders of that day? His answer is given in Matt. 7:15,
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."
Yet neo-evangelicals groups like EMC are constantly in fellowship, unity, and association with false teachers that are wolves in sheep's clothing. This is the fake and false "unity" that exists all over neo-evangelical groups, including EMC. Truth is infinitely more important than the false unity of the world.
Teaching the truth means teaching and warning against that which is false, errors. Warning of heresies, false teachings, and teachers is both blunt and necessary as Paul says in Gal 4, in order to tell them the truth and protect from dangerous errors, which are worse than poison and toxins. God's sanctification purifies. He that is pure, purifies himself (1 Jn 3:3).
True Biblical love corrects and reproves error and sin. It must, for the sake of God's truth. In Rom 16:17 the Apostle Paul begs,
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which causes divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."
Those that love the Lord Jesus will watch for anything which may destroy His truth, warn of it and then avoid it, and them. They will warn others and avoid such people and churches and groups. Biblical purity and sound doctrine is always contaminated by impurity, unholiness, bad associations and unsound doctrine. A mere association of the good with the bad will never make the bad thing better. The good gets worse; the bad does not improve. God demands separation. The same with a rotten apple in a barrel. The bad one never gets better, but the good ones go rotten (1 Cor. 15:33). It is spiritual adultery to blatantly submerge doctrinal purity for the sake of worldly ecclesiastical unity. This is a completely denial of God's Word.
(c) Grace.
Churches like EMC tout and flaunt grace but is it the grace of God? We know what God’s grace is by what He says in His Holy Scriptures. For instance in Ti 2:11-14.
In Ti 2:11-14 we read that the very same “grace of God that bringeth salvation” also “Teach[es] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; . . . that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
God's grace which converts the sinner's standing in Christ, also converts the sinner's manner of life (Ti 2:11-14; Phil. 1:6; 2:13). Notice that the true grace of God (not the false and licentious “grace”--Ju 1:4, tolerated and embraced by most evangelicals today) brings the regenerated saint to deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts” and “redeem[s] us from all iniquity” — not continue in the ways of the sinner, no, not even thinking after such an unscriptural fashion. The born again believer has “the spirit which is of God” (1 Cor. 2:12) and “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16) so he doesn't even think after such a manner. But the carnally minded person would and does, the one described for us in Rom. 8:1-14, which is a person yet in their flesh (cf. Rom 7:6) and lost in their sins (cf. Eph 2:1-3), and who yet has the “spirit of this world” (1 Cor. 2:12). They live and walk in the flesh and in the spirit of the world, while pretending to be in the Spirit of God. They have never been regenerated. Their manner of thought is of that nature because they are conformists and imitators and professors, but not possessors of Christ and eternal life and of the Spirit and the mind of Christ, etc, so they are unregenerate but pretending to be “Christians” as we see many examples throughout Scripture, including the first three soils described by Jesus (the wayward, stony, and thorny, especially the latter two — Matt. 13; Mk. 4). The grace of God that saves delivers the saint permanently from a love for the world, and thus inadvertently causes the world to hate those that are truly regenerated (Jn. 15:18-20).
Gods grace, always produces characteristic holiness, godliness and righteousness but not worldliness (Ti 2:11-14) or lasciviousness (Ju 1:4) or love of the world (1 Jn 2:15-17) which is the kind of “grace” we see in many evangelical churches including EMC, who “turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness,” (Ju 1:4).
Nowhere is this sort of true grace of God seen in evangelicalism, including EMC. But that’s the true grace of God that saves and then sanctifies.
“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” (Ti 1:15-16).
But Paul says those with this false view of the true grace of God (Rom. 5:21; Ti. 2:11-14) are yet dead in their sins (Rom. 6:1-2, 11-18)— i.e. they are yet lost, false pretenders, hypocrites. For that same true “grace of God that bringeth salvation” — thus saves the sinner (Ti. 2:11), also teaches the saint to “deny ungodliness and worldly lusts,” and to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Ti. 2:11- 13), all categorically denied and rejected by the people of EMC, seen here by example of their ungodly and unrighteous and worldly music, as they “fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11).
I have heard EMCer's speak of “relying on grace and that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is sufficient” but the grace they espouse is not the grace of God (i.e. Ti. 2:11-14), but a licentious licence to sin (in this case, this sentence was declared in a mans argument for adultery in this case and unscriptural celibacy) and used as a humanistic tool to further their fleshly and ungodly lusts and misplaced affections. The general consensus and philosophy of the average neo-evangelical is that somehow sin is tolerated by grace, since grace is greater than sin. Paul shut that unscriptural argument down real fast, and twice in the same chapter: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom. 6:1-2, see also 15). This extremely false philosophy clearly condemns any person that believes in such a manner as lost (Rom. 6:15-23). No wonder there is such terrible confusion, compromise, contradiction and hypocrisy among neo-evangelicals in general and EMC in particular. Many don't know their head from their feet when it comes to the Bible, and all the while encouraging sin.
God's “grace” is not a garbage can. “Grace” doesn’t just keep taking all of your bad stuff and putting it in the garbage can. “Grace” doesn’t just keep taking your garbage. The true grace of God is a cleansing agent. It actually cleans your life up (Col 1:4-6; Matt 13:23). It makes you a brand new person (2 Cor 5:17). It changes how you life. Grace actually puts sin to death. That is what God’s grace does. The true grace of God changes a life (Ti 2:11-14). Sin does not have dominion over you anymore (Rom 6). Sin does not characterize your life anymore (1 John). The same grace that saves (Ti 2:11) also leads, teaches, directs, helps the saint to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and unholiness and live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world (Ti 2:12-14).
That is what the true grace of God does, but the “grace” we see in evangelicalism in general, and EMC in particular, is not like this at all. Its an entirely different “grace” that allows for sin, allows for worldliness, allows for fleshly lusts, allows for false teachings and perversion of Scripture and doctrine, all under the banner of “grace” and “love,” but its a cheap counterfeit "grace" that “turns the grace of God into lasciviousness.” (Ju 1:4).
Both legalism and libertinism are equally bondage. Permissiveness is lust, “fleshly lusts, that war against the soul” (1 Pet 2:11). EMC shortens the regulations so they are free to do what they want to do, and freedom is characterized in this way, but its still bondage to sin. Shortening the list doesn’t change the bondage. They are not free from sin, but free to sin. Sin is still in dominion, sin is still the boss. You might argue, ‘are you saying that after salvation you won’t sin anymore, and have a life of perfectionism?’ No, but you are saved from the dominion of sin (Rom 6). Sin will not rule over you; you are no longer under its charge. Sin is never again a habitual or characteristic lifestyle anymore, and that includes worldliness and embracing doctrinal errors and false teachings, all of which are sin as well. God’s grace is the growth agent in sanctification: increased holiness, godliness, righteousness and less sinning, which starts immediately at conversion (e.g. Col 1:4-6; Jn 14:15-24; 15:1-10; 1 Jn 3:1-10; etc), because that is the true grace of God, and all true born again believers have this grace.
Not only do they not exhibit true love, grace and righteousness according to Scripture, but despise the one that does.
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But in speaking the truth I am being unloving and ungracious is the rallying, nauseating cry.
Jesus intentionally created conflict (read Lk. 6:6-11; 12:51; 13:10-17). He called Gentiles “dogs” (Mk. 7:27) and false teachers “swine” (Matt 7:6). Paul did the same: “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers,” (Phil. 3:2a). Paul also called them “liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;” (Ti. 1:12-13). Jesus called lost religious folks very “harsh” things in Matt. 23, such as children of hell (v. 15), “blind guides” (vv. 16, 24), lovers of money (vv. 16-18), “fools and blind” (v. 17), “blind” (v. 26), “clean” externally but “within . . . full of extortion and excess” (v. 25), “whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness” (v. 27), “full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (v. 28), “serpents” (v. 32), “vipers” (v. 32), persecutors and murderers of the righteous (vv. 34-35) condemned to the “damnation of hell” (v. 32). He even whipped false teachers and false brethren out of the temple for desecrating its holiness (Jn 2:15-16; Matt 21:12).
Were these things unloving? Wasn’t Jesus practicing what He preached? How unloving and ungracious and unkind were the Apostles, especially Paul? The truth is, all these things are the love and grace of God in action, and there are yet many many more examples in Scripture. We are to be as our Master and Lord (Matt 10:25) and just like the Apostles (1 Cor 4:16-17; 11:1; etc). But many “evangelicals” hate true Christianity because it opposes the fake version they have believed and received, the one of the world, that comes only with positivity even though 3/4 of the Bible is negative, the one that tolerates error and sin in the name of "love" and "grace." This fake “Christianity” does whatever is right in its own eyes, not what God says in His Word. It lives after getting their itching ears scratched.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim 4:3-4).
EMC propagates falsehoods, fiction and fables, fabricated out of sheer cloth, and what they believe is not the exception by any means but the general rule throughout “evangelicalism” today. But it’s got Satan’s fingerprint written all over it, who attacks Gods Word and the doctrines found therein, corrupting Gods truth and causing people to undermine absolute truth, sound doctrine and to rebel against God and to be deceived by another Jesus, gospel and spirit (2 Cor 11:4). He started it 6,000 years ago in the Garden when he whispered to Eve, “Yea hath God said?” (Gen 3) and he’s never stopped. He attempted the same with God the Son, but He refuted and rebuked him with His Word (Matt 4:1-11). He comes as an angel of light, as do his ministers, as ministers of righteousness (2 Cor 11:12-15).
God's Word commands and demands separation from heretical institutions such as EMC that promote and propagate error and false teachings, worldliness, ungodly and false worship, liberalism, false love, false grace and false righteousness (Rom 16:17). By the division and offence of their heretical doctrine, they prove to not be serving the Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly, and their big churches are the product of good words and fair speeches that deceive the hearts of the simple (Rom 16:18), which are unsaved people (Rom 16:18; Pr 1:22; 7:7; 8:5; 9:4, 16; 14:15, 18; Ps 19:7; 119:130; etc).
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." (Rom 16:17-18)
EMC ought to give careful and urgent heed to this question by the LORD:
“Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence” (Jer. 5:22a).
Click here for Part 4