‘Christian’ Schools bankrupting families

An article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald today, Schools move to bankrupt parents, describing how many private schools are chasing families for large amounts of unpaid school fees, no doubt due to fallout from the Global Economic Crisis (GFC). Some of these schools are Christian schools from various denominations – Protestant, Catholic, and non-denominational. They have every legal right to pursue families for unpaid fees.

For those schools that call themselves ‘Christian’, who market themselves as places which teach children Christian values and ways – is there any kind of moral dilemma here? As Christians, we aren’t supposed to take each other to court , though some ‘Christians’ may have tried to take advantage of that, and behaved unethically while expecting no legal comeback. Admittedly, this isn’t Christians taking one another to court – it is organisations that claim to be Christian, taking families to court, who may or may not be Christian. But it does raise the issue.

Some of the fees owed seem to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. They’ve been allowed to mount up because it has been deemed to be in the interests of the children for them not to change schools. Is it really in the kid’s interests to let fees mount up to a level that is impossible for a family to repay without selling their house? Particularly assuming that the school’s intention was to sue if it got to a certain level?

Can schools which behave this way – and there seem to be a lot of them – really be regarded as places where children will be taught Christian values?

1 Cor 6:7-8

7-8These court cases are an ugly blot on your community. Wouldn’t it be far better to just take it, to let yourselves be wronged and forget it? All you’re doing is providing fuel for more wrong, more injustice, bringing more hurt to the people of your own spiritual family.

(The Message)

Read the original article here.
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RavingPente

The Doctrine of Ultimate Excellence

Many times over the years in my Pente churches, I was taught that as Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit, we have an access to the divine Creator that no unsaved person has. Therefore, we (the church) should be able to produce results that are more amazing, more creative, more wonderful than a non-saved person can.

A couple of examples – worship music. Our original music, because of the indwelling and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, had the potential to be at least equal to, and ultimately better than, music ‘of the world’. Another example – as a creative person, your designs, whether they be engineering, business, architectural, graphic or whatever, all had this greater potential.

There was an aspiration for great achievements. We were encouraged to settle for nothing less. This was sometimes kind of difficult, when despite praying and putting in every effort, you might produce good work, but not the amazing top of the league stuff that you felt could be achieved if you really heard from God during the process. Of course, there were some very talented people to be seen within the church, in their different fields, but the result of being clearly better than anyone ‘in the world’ (or even ‘as good as’ at times) was somewhat elusive. Plus to be honest, while sometimes the music was excellent, somehow I could always point to something just as or more impressive ‘in the world’ – the church didn’t seem to have this outstanding ‘betterness’ in its achievements that it preached should be achievable in theory.

I did test this out myself. I certainly put my best efforts in. Despite achieving competence, praying with all my heart, and giving my absolute best efforts, being the best was (to be honest) not something that I could achieve when comparing myself with the top students at university or the greatest professionals in my field. Although by the time I finished uni I had realised that there might be some problems with this doctrine! Being competent, professional, doing a good job and delivering exceptional client service certainly were achievable – it was just this notion of access to the ultimate Creator delivering the ideal of the ultimate result that seemed elusive.

And one other thing – tithing my time didn’t seem to work either. Strangely. The idea here was that time spent on ‘God’, or church related activities, would be returned to me ten or one hundred fold, so my work or study would not suffer as a result of spending time on those particular other things. In fact my work should in theory be blessed as a result.

So why is this stuff taught? And why is it so important? Does the Bible emphasis that the body of Christ should deliver the ultimate achievements in a material sense?

Danny Nalliah’s comments to the students at Lighthouse Christian College (highlighted on Lance’s blog) reminded me of all this, when he urged the kids to be doctors, not nurses; directors, not clerks, and leaders, not followers. This could be a great way for a church to have more power in society, but is it what God wants for us?

Is it OK if you find that you are not in a ’significant’ job; not producing ‘amazing’ results, though putting in your best and competent effort; and in fact growing in the fruit of the Spirit and following the Lord in your daily life – but perhaps in a quieter kind of a way. If it is OK – why do we hear so much that says otherwise from these people looked up to by many as leaders in the Christian walk? Are they denying the real world for many people and will it come back to bite their followers? Does it even matter?

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RavingPente

99 Bottles of ‘Smear’ on The Wall…

First Bottle:

Hannah’s Anointing Oil

Hannah’s life story of how she travailed to birth the future of Israel in the midst of a tumultuous seas

on in history (1 Samuel) will help you better understand the year ahead so that you can bring forth the “new.”

Hannah’s Anointing Oil was developed for the year ahead. The fragrance is incredible, as it consists of rose (for blossoming forth), pomegranate (for success, healing, overcoming, and ending well), and apple (for beginning and maintaining health to succeed throughout the year).

Second Bottle:

Harvest Anointing Oil

Harvest Anointing Oil represents the mindset that God is developing at this time in His people: the mindset of multiplication and harvest.

Anoint your home, business, church, and friends with this anointing oil!

Third Bottle:

Pomegranate Anointing Oil

The pomegranate, which represents healing, prosperity and overcoming, was a highly valued fruit in Biblical times.

Cultivated in Egypt and highly esteemed by the Israelites, the carved figures of the pomegranate adorned the tops of pillars in Solomon’s temple. In shades of blue, purple and scarlet, this fruit ornamented the hem of the robe of the High Priest, representing fruitfulness, blessings, and the favor of God. And, as described in the book of Numbers, chapter 13, pomegranates were brought back by the spies to show the people how fertile the Promised Land was.

Sweet and spiced aromas characterize this anointing oil and its delicious (although not edible) fragrance will permeate and warm your soul.

Fourth bottle:

Queen Esther Anointing Oil

Queen Esther Anointing Oil is a 1/4 oz. mixture of Olive oil with the fragrances of jasmine, sandalwood, and myrrh.

Anointing oil means much more than just putting a smear of oil on someone and praying. Did you know that anointing yourself is a Biblical tradition? Many use these oils on their face as protection from the elements. Olive oil is one of the best skin care products there is. Some use it to moisturize nails, hair & tired feet and to soften scar tissue. Many use it in the bath.

This anointing oil is made by an Israeli licensed perfumer who has won the highest and most prestigious Awards of Excellence that Israel offers.

The last bottle was made famous among women by Palin… EndTimesPropheticWords made this known to me. See the many more bottles at:

http://www.elijahshopper.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=21

The Hillsong Takeover of GCCC

There’s a bit more rap here:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,25391680-3102,00.html

This is not a takeover. We are simply expanding our tent.

Hillsong takes over Garden City Christian Church

Article from: The Courier-Mail By Tuck Thompson April 27, 2009 11:15am

CELEBRITY evangelist Brian Houston and his Hillsong mega-church have taken over one of Brisbane’s largest Pentecostal churches, Garden City Christian Church. Sydney-based Mr Houston and his wife Bobbie were elected senior pastors of Garden City Christian Church yesterday. The fate of pastor Steve Dixon is yet to be explained to the congregation or made public. Security guards prevented the media from entering church grounds during a secret ballot of registered members.

The GCCC website later said the Houstons were chosen by “an overwhelming majority”. Congregation members said Pastor Dixon intended to remain at the church but Hillsong said he was leaving in 12 months to go to Hong Kong. Pastor Dixon, who attended yesterday’s service and election, declined to be interviewed. Church member Priyance Nicks, a 20-year-old student from India who collects Brian Houston’s CDs, was pleased with the vote. “He preaches good and his way of conveying messages touches your heart,” said Mr Nicks, carrying a Good News Bible. “Whenever he comes here, there is going to be a big crowd.”

Many church-goers were unwilling to speak publicly. Others voiced their opposition to Hillsong in subtle ways. “Vote No, Keep Local Leadership,” read a message inside the windscreen of a vehicle parked outside the church entrance on Rover St, Mount Gravatt, in Brisbane’s south. The church would not release details of the vote but church-goers said it was 79 per cent in favour of the Houstons from 669 ballots. Some church members were suspicious of the outcome, saying scrutineers were selected by the church board which had nominated the Houstons. Hundreds of churchgoers were not allowed to vote because they were not registered. Pastor Houston declined to be interviewed.

Christian Evangelicals Supporting Torture

Both a news issue and a church issue…

This is quite shocking to me – but maybe not to others here. An article in the Washington Post said that 54% of church goers in the US would always or sometimes support using torture on terrorists, and the biggest group making up that percentage are white, evangelical Protestants.

Here is the article, Why the Faithful approve of Torture by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite.

The author of the article puts it down to the “penal theory of atonement” which is part of evangelicalism, where Jesus was tortured to death for our sins. She see the approval of torture of terrorists by a large number of evangelical Christians as a symptom of the large role that pain and suffering play in the Christian faith.

Is there something wrong with the “penal theory of atonement”? (There’s a debate that could go on forever! Yet for years I was completely unaware that there was any other approach to what Jesus did for us on the Cross.) Has the author of the article just got this reason completely wrong?

I know of course many evangelical Christians who would not support torturing anyone. There are dilemmas where this will become a very difficult issue. Most of us fortunately don’t have to directly confront those situations. No doubt that is why some Christians do support torture in at least some cases.

Other Christians have thought through their approach and are prepared to suffer or die rather than offer that kind of violence themselves. These people might often be seen as left wing, and might also be involved in social justice issues in society.

Is it shocking that evangelical Christians sometimes support torture, and don’t see it as in conflict with their faith, despite Jesus offering no violence and even healing the person his disciples attacked when he was taken away for crucifixion? (Matt 26:51-52; Luke 22:49-51; John 18:10-11). Is it the Christian right going too, too far? A lot of these people would be ‘pro-lifers’ as well. It seems strange to be anti-abortion and pro-torture. Or is there some line that’s crossed for one and not the other. Many churches in the US advised their congregation on how to vote – based frequently on a candidate or parties approach to abortion. Yet the same right wing supported and allowed torture. Is there some contradiction here? Can anyone really claim that one party is more “Christian” than another?

Are there circumstances in which as Christians we should support torture?

(Note: My Pente ex-church set a pretty good example in the last Australian election, by choosing not to take a public stance on voting policy. Nothing here is meant to imply that our churches here are as extreme as those we hear about in the US, politically. In my experience, they are not.)

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RavingPente

Jesus: “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is- WOOO! Gyagyagyagya! Bubbalubbalooba!”

I wonder if this is why Paul said we are a peculiar people? Doubt it.

I have officially labelled this spirit the “Shubba Bubba Spirit”. Mainly because I’ve seen it around Sydney as well, and people are stuck in this spirit fetish, calling out “DADDY!” to God and acting immaturely. (Not to mention this spirit likes it when we rhyme or play with alliteration.)

The Holy Spirit calls us to maturity and to get off milk and onto meat. However, this continual state leaves you only dependant on ‘experiences’ and starves Christians from the truth of the Word of God. This so-called outpouring is keeping people in a state of drunkenness that I find actually repels people from God and confuses others in the body of Christ. People who don’t have these experiences feel condemned and think that God doesn’t love them.

Anyways. Here’s the final clip I’d like to leave you with.

What are your thoughts on this Shubba Bubba Spirit Outpouring? Will this really lead people to the Lord? Will this help grow the body of Christ? Is this of God or not? (I don’t think so, but I have had Him minister to me more strongly in these times among such people then He usually does!)

Saw these from the ETP which I thought was worth discussing here: http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/new-ecstatics-the-oddest-kind-of-street-witness-ever/

The Coming Evangelical Collapse

The Internet Monk, Michael Spencer, is very widely read, so some of you may already have read his article on ‘The Coming Evangelical Collapse’. While he makes it very clear that he does not consider himself a prophet, the article describes his opinion of the likely future of Evangelicalism. I won’t quote the entire article, which has 3 parts, but its well worth a read.

IM predicts that the evangelical church as we know it will collapse as it has lost its theological core. He predicts that as a result of the political choices of the Evangelical movement to date, much of society will be left with a negative or antagonistic attitude towards Christianity. Vacuous megachurch structures will still remain for some time. The most dominant remainder of evangelicalism will the the Charismatic-Pentecostal Christians. The Catholic and Orthodox traditions will be impacted to some degree by incoming Evangelicals who have moved on. A small, very active remnant from the Evangelical traditions will work towards a second reformation of Evangelicalism – their work will be of benefit, but won’t revive the tradition.

IM stresses that he could be wrong about any of this – it is his opinion, not a prophecy.

Here are some interesting quotes from the articles:

From the first article, The Coming Evangelical Collapse

“…Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become particularly hostile towards evangelical Christianity, increasingly seeing it as the opponent of the good of individuals and society…”

“…Evangelical churches have now passed into a three part chapter: 1) mega-churches that are consumer driven, 2) churches that are dying and 3) new churches that whose future is dependent on a large number of factors. I believe most of these new churches will fail, and the ones that do survive will not be able to continue evangelicalism at anything resembling its current influence. Denominations will shrink, even vanish, while fewer and fewer evangelical churches will survive and thrive.”

From the second article: What will be left after the evangelical collapse?

“…An evangelicalism far from its historical and doctrinal core. Expect evangelicalism as a whole to look more and more like the pragmatic, therapeutic, church growth oriented megachurches that have defined success. The determination to follow in the methodological steps of numerically successful churches will be greater than ever. The result will be, in the main, a departure from doctrine to more and more emphasis on relevance, motivation and personal success….with the result being churches further compromised and weakened in their ability to pass on the faith…”

“…Charismatic-Pentecostal Christianity will become the majority report in evangelicalism. Within that community, the battle for the future of evangelicalism will be fought by those who must decide whether their tradition will sink into the quicksand of heresy, relativism and confusion, or whether Charismatic-Pentecostalism can experience a reformation and renewal around Biblical authority, responsible leadership and a re-emergence of orthodoxy.

I see signs of life on all those fronts, but the key issue of leadership and the preparation of leaders leaves me with little hope that Charismatic-Pentecostal Christianity can put its house in order. The dynamics of leadership within this tradition have conspired to bring the worst kinds of leaders to the forefront.

The stakes in Charismatic-Pentecostal Christianity are very high. It has become a worldwide missions phenomenon, and it has become a community carrying the most virulent and destructive heresies and errors in evangelicalism. The next 15-25 years will be crucial for this community. I am hopeful, but not optimistic. I see and hear little from this community’s younger leadership that indicates there is anything close to a real recognition of the problems they face.”

The third article is The Coming Evangelical Collapse – Good or Bad?

Well, this is quite a different prediction from what the proponents of the New Apostolic Reformation would have us believe. Not overly cheerful first up, but IM has no doubts that God will prevail and the gospel will be heard to the ends of the earth. Food for thought, either way.

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RavingPente

Small Churches: Beautiful

This is article was written by Stuart McGregor in 2002 and does a pretty good study on the differences between mega-churches and the humble, average  70 membered,  community church.

Click to read the pdf here: http://www.definitive.co.nz/essays/smallchurches.pdf

Once again, like many researchers he says the following about the lie that megachurches pump out that ‘thousands are being saved’:

“The interesting thing about the statistics on church growth is that whilst the bigger churches are growing, it’s not from evangelism… Only 5% of large church congregations are for unchurched backgrounds. This figure is also reflected in the United States, Canada and Australia. The ‘evangelistic triumph’ often heralded by the large Church growth is a myth that needs dispelling.”

One thing that this article should address is the rivalry that mega churches use to distance themselves from humble ministries. Phil Pringle on numerous occasions has made throw away statements why his church is better and why the local churches are dying.  Other ministries with ‘1000-member-mind-sets’ have also be-littled various local ministries. (And believe me I get around and have heard-so!)

It’s the local ministries that do soup kitchen’s, help the burnt out (or conferenced-out) Christians from ‘bigger and better’ ministries.

Since 2003, when I discovered the power of local community churches, I realised that they (and I will say they are the truer church) face more persecution then these mega-ministries because it’s these mega-ministries that persecute them! Don’t believe me? The article does kind-of suggest this with the ‘musical chairs’ analogy. It’s the mega-church that says the community church is STILL dying, but not with their help. They want the community church dead and they want to be seen as the truer church while the local churches never saw this as a goal.

It is usually the bigger churches that get media limelight in a bad way. That bad outlook gives non-believers a tainted view and view even the local ministries in that same light (church wants your money! you can’t question! etc).

When mega-churches put on their conferences, they do attract community-based ministries. Unfortunately, the local church generally has to deal with the damage caused by such events due to dodgy teachings, theologies, watered-down-gospels, inspiration to covet great succes, condmenation and striving to get their church like the mega-church, divisions due to controversial things in conferences, anti-christ spiritual attatchments (depending on what speakers do at events), etc.

A few local pastors have made the comment about Hillsong and CCC too that they specifically focus on the Caucasian middle-class -> rich people in the local areas and then leave the poorer up to the community churches to look after. This is true actually. Community churches generally allow the homeless to use their facilities and share their buildings (sometimes for a price) with other churches from different nationalities. This ranges from Caucasian services to Tongan services, Chinese Services, African Services, Korean Services, Malaysian Services, etc. Community churches also allow community events or workshops to use their facilities, truly integrating them into the community – drama, dance, theatre, music, sport, art, childcare, etc.

When events like this are successful, I have seen how dirty and greedy the mega-churches get and openly compete with local churches. Mega-churches DO sheep steal, I have seen them and they also take the fruit of the local churches labor. I have seen this too many times.

This is to only demonstrate that their methods are successful. They do such things to survive and to climb to keep being recognised as cutting-edge or leading the way forward. What this man writes about is what I see in the Australian churches. But it may be the NZ community churches aren’t persecuted by the mega-churches over there.

Might add more to this in the morning. Enjoy this man’s read!

EDIT: As someone else pointed out to me at church on Sunday morning, this is the response to these mega-churches in light of the community-based churches. I’ve been expecting and not expecting this.

https://www2.messengerinternational.org/product.asp?id=ENGCDJ129A

You see, mega-ministries and leaders like John Bevere will never say that they are failing. They just ignore the voice of the researchers, trample over the little ministries to prove that their ministry is the “pure, progressive, purposeful, passionate, presence-filled, powerful, prayer-driven, positioned and prosperous“, and then ‘prophetically’ live up to their titles by now suggesting that we need to look at developing small churches or ‘helping’ small churches. You see, Bevere’s “insightful thoughts” and observation of “trends” are what propelling the church forward, not the community churches that have been chugging along the entire time copping the grunt from the bigger circus animals.

I suppose we’re gonna start seeing similar things as to what Hillsong did to GC3: these bigger ministries looking at ‘empowering’ local ministries as long as they take on their church brand/identity.