There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death… “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.”
(Proverbs 14:12, Luke 6:26, NASB)

Recently Christian radio host and researcher Jan Markell from Olive Tree Ministries asks the key question, and particularly in regard to our impressionable youth: Will the “Emergent Church” Submerge Your Church? It will if we don’t let people know that men like Rob Bell of the neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church have “left the building.” This Emergent Christian “communicator” is a fast rising star on the Emergent scene, and with Sex God, his forthcoming book due in March of 2007, I’m afraid that unfortunately Bell is not likely to fade away anytime soon.

In fact there are those who wonder if he might actually be the next Billy Graham? Just prior to Bell’s recently concluded Everything Is Spiritual tour Religion Reporter Cathleen Falsani of the Chicago Sun Times considers that very question in The next Billy Graham. Among other things she tells us that the 35 year old Rob “Bell doesn’t exactly fit most people’s image of a Christian pastor… He’s fond of punk music, he surfs and has a trampoline in his yard, but he also knows Hebrew and Greek and can preach the gospel astutely, and, apparently, with great appeal.”

As a minister of Jesus Christ myself I certainly don’t find that Rob Bell preaches the Gospel “astutely,” nor do I find that his message has any real appeal for a true Christian. And I can confidently tell you that this whole sad non-testimony of Christ should never be that of a pastor-teacher who has actually been sent by God: “I’ve come to terms with [the idea that] whatever it is I do apparently helps people and I’m most humbled by that, so I’m going to try to keep doing it, to be true to whatever it is that God’s given me to do,” [Bell] says. “You’d be a fool to think that there weren’t larger powers at work here.”

Now I’m with you there Rob. But then the above article also tells us:

Bell’s detractors have accused him of championing a postmodern fad, of relativizing Scripture, of elevating form above substance.

“When people say that the authority of Scripture or the centrality of Jesus is in question, actually it’s their social, economic and political system that has been built in the name of Jesus that’s being threatened,” Bell says. “Generally lurking below some of the more venomous, vitriolic criticism is somebody who’s created a facade that’s not working.”

I think we need to bring Rob Bell back to earth and remind him of something he said earlier, “You’d be a fool to think that there weren’t larger powers at work here.” And here we are agreed. But Rob the question that you had better ask yourself, and you’d best ask it quick, is: Exactly what larger powers are at work through me?

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12-13)

…there will be more to come…

see also:

ROB BELL: A VERY POOR CHRISTIAN “COMMUNICATOR”

EMERGING WITH WHAT THE BIBLE MEANS

ROB BELL: SALVATION FANTASIES (PART 2)

ROB BELL: SALVATION FANTASIES

ROB BELL AND THE EMERGENT MYTH

THE WORLDLY WISDOM OF ROB BELL

ROB BELL FAILS THE TEST