UNITY at the end of the Age

The cry of the hour is unity. This proclamation comes from all who claim Christ as their own. From Roman Catholics to Mormons to certain Mainline Protestant Churches everyone wants to unite for the cause of Christ.

Mormons want unity also. Books are written to close the gap of differences such as How Wide the divide by a evangelical and Mormon scholar.  They participate in PK events and distribute their materials in their church. The lines are vanishing before our very eyes.

On TBN 3/8/99 a Trinitarian Bishop Clarence McClendon and Oneness Pentecostal Bishop Noel Jones discussed how to have unity together in their ministries and to learn from each others differences . They discussed how they can restate the Godhead in better terms.

Some claim we need to tear down the walls that divide us . Now certainly if they divide us from pursuing the commands of Christ and divide from his doctrine I can agree to a certain extent. But there may be a reason why a wall was erected in the first place. It was to keep out that which is not conducive to Christian teaching and practice. Israel had a wall around the city to protect the inhabitants and they had a watch man on the wall to sound the alarm when an enemy approached. The early church quickly built spiritual walls lest the first cults joined them with their distorted teachings on Christ. So walls are not always bad things, but a buffer zone to maintain the truth.

One of the most concerning areas is with the prophet and apostle movement within the Church itself.

Peter Wagner who promotes spiritual warfare against spirits as essential element to evangelism wants unity and to do away with denominations.  A national symposium on the post denominational Church was convened by Dr. Peter Wagner at Fuller theological in may of 1996.  Bill Hamon one of the leaders of the prophetic movement said of this event, "This was a historical occasion in God’s annals of Church history.   It was prophetically orchestrated by the holy Spirit to fulfill Gods progressive purposes of bringing His church to its ultimate destiny…the consensus of the panelist was that there are still apostles and prophets in the church, and there is an emerging Apostolic movement that will revolutionize the 21^st century church". (Prophetic Destiny and the Apostolic reformation by Dr. Bill Hamon p.18)

And No wonder Hamon would be thrilled by all this, Wagner has been saying for years "Many of your churches also are now becoming involved in the prophetic movement.   And I’m talking about serious prophecy; I’m talking about Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah kind of prophecy, where God speaks to the Churches." Hamon trains people to be prophets and has said before the 1980’s are over, God will have raised up and called forth thousands of prophets." (prophets and personal prophecy, Bill Hamon p.28) So he has a school for those who want to be prophets.  Now you can enroll to be a prophet.  But if we look at the bible, many, if not all who were called to this position fought against it.

So the word we need to hear are from modern prophets not the word delivered by the original apostles/prophets but new prophets, new words.
Speakers include: C. Peter Wagner, Paul Cain, Chuck Pierce, Cindy Jacobs, Bill Hamon, Dutch Sheets, Rick Joyner, Kingsley Fletcher, Mike Bickle, Jim Laffoon, Barbara Wentroble and Ted Haggard.

It was in the 1950’s Cain was engaged to be married, one night while he was driving his Lincoln Jesus materialized and said he was jealous of his fiancé’. The apparition then asked Cain to remain single and celibate. Cain kept driving and ran through some red lights and was pulled over. The lord, of course conveniently disappeared, but the Santa Maria policeman who stopped the car turned pale when he approached the drivers window and shined a flashlight inside. "Wheres the other person," he asked." (Exerpts from Prophecy Roy Rivenburg special to the Times )

Paul Cain states, "all the sick are gonna be healed, the dead are gonna be raised and nations are gonna turn to God in a day." (Bob Jones and Paul Cain, "Selections from the Kansas City Prophets," audiotape from discernment newsletter) this is the very same thing Benny Hinn had said in his Honolulu crusade in 1999, this is pure latter rain heresy. The bible does not speak of the healing of all this side of heaven without our new transformed bodies.  Nor does it teach of a great revival that will sweep all the unbelievers into the Church at one time. Unless one is speaking about a Church that unites all this can never happen. The Christian gospel will never be accepted by the many.  Never has, never will!

"God's raising up a new standard, a new banner, if you will, that's going to radically change the expression, the understanding of Christianity in our generation...God has invited us to have a role in establishing a new order of Christianity...God is offering to this generation something He has never offered to any other generation...beware lest old order brethren rob you and steal this hope from you." (Paul Cain, "You Can Become the Word!", 1989, Vineyard Prophetic Conference)

Whatever happened to remaining in the truths that we were taught? Titus 1:9 "He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it."  If anyone tells you to receive the new truth that will ignore the old truth, they are telling you (unintentionally or not) not to believe the bible.  Instead of the old prophets and apostles, we are to listen to the new prophets and apostles. This is dangerous. This is what made Mormonism what it is as well as numerous others who claim to represent Christ.

What is behind this whole new movement that has since surfaced? Vinson Synan one of the leaders of A.D, 2000 says"in all revolutions there are noisy and dangerous time as the OLD ORDER Is replaced by the now ... after the dust settles. WE CAN PROCEED TO BUILD the beautiful kingdom that the Lord has purposed from the foundations of the World" - (Fullness, Jan. - Feb. 1990. Vinson Synan, p. 24).

We build the kingdom, I don’t think so! This is the essence of the kingdom now, take it by force (or by politics if possible) camp. Jesus told us to pray for his kingdom to come, not make it for him.  We prepare people to be ready to enter the Kingdom Christ will rule by having the spiritual kingdom born inside them first.  If we build the kingdom who is going to rule it?

There are other forces at work within the walls of the church. I don't doubt the sincerity of PK's leaders or those who attend , there has been much good done. But there is something wrong when statements are made that clearly go against what Jesus taught.

Bill McCartney, has suggested that PK was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, that the church had never been united in its history, but that PK was going to bring it all together for the first time!  Do we need a movement to do this when it is the Church that is already commissioned to do this. If one wants to uphold the Church in its commission fine but to say that their movement will be responsible

It was Paul Cain who was part of the Vineyard movement that some claim is the most anointed prophet in the world today. Cain in turn said William Branham is the greatest prophet that ever lived. Think about that, this means he is greater than Moses or Jeremiah, Isaiah who wrote about the 2^nd coming more than any other prophet . Greater than even Jesus who also was a prophet. It was Jesus himself who said John the Baptist was the greatest prophet who ever lived.  Matt.11:11-13   "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Greater in position not as a prophet). " And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."

Cain claims to have seen a vision over a hundred times since the late 50’s where stadiums are filled with people praising God.  That sporting events would be cancelled, and instead revival meetings were held bringing millions to Christ.

James Ryle is PK Coach McCartneys pastor.  So we can now see the Vineyard PK connection.  This has been birthed by the Vineyard who has brought us such products as the apostle/ prophet movement, demon possession in Christians and ecumenism and numerous other strange winds of doctrine.Those who exercise Christ's commands by scrutinizing certain statements and goals are labeled as being moved by spirits of dis-unity.  It is Ryle who several years back had a dream about the beatles and interpreted the dream as music through them was Gods intention to bring a world wide revival but was used in a way not intended by God. So the Lord lifted the anointing off them and holds it in his hand looking for others he can place it on so the distinct sound can capture hearts.

Mike Timmis a Roman Catholic PK board member interprets Christ's prayer for unity in John much like in Catholicism.  On Oct. 4, 1997 at a PK gathering in Washington, D.C. Timmis prayed, "We recognize that we do have doctrinal differences...but, Father, we will not let these differences destroy our unity...this applies to Protestants of all persuasions; it applies to the Orthodox Church; it applies to Roman Catholics, of which I am one!"  The focus is unity, but is it the unity Christ intended?

Dave Hunt points out in his Berean newsletter, in Atlanta, Georgia  PK gathered 39,000 pastors.  The conference brought together representatives of the apostate World Council of Churches and National Council of Churches, evangelicals, Mormons and Roman Catholics, including 600 priests. PK Vice-President of Pastoral Ministry Dale Schlafer declared that this new unity is based not upon doctrine (i.e., truth) but upon relationships.

PK leaders pronounce their intentions, claiming the backing and inspiration of God for their ecumenical agenda.  They find fault with  anyone who may disagree with giving PK his enthusiastic support. Speaking at a clergy conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 19, attended by over than 3,000 pastors and church members, McCartney said that God told him to say that "every church that names the name of Jesus is supposed to give Promise Keepers $1,000." (Steve Persall, "McCartney appeals for church donations," The Denver Post, Feb. 20. 1998).

What kind of direction is this? Promise Keepers is not the pillar and ground of the truth. The Church is and it should not relinquish its mission over to an organization that has its unity based on fellowship instead of Christ's teachings. To think that every church in America should contribute to its cause is the very opposite of what the bible says, to support your local church. Whenever the church slacks in its mission we will always find those who want to take the helm. While there are good ideals in some proposals it should be left up to the Church and the individual on the amount of participation. but this is not the case, in a militant attitude McCarrtney proclaimed... Now I want you to hear this: On January the first, in the year 2000, we're calling for every church that names the name of Jesus Christ to gather at twelve o'clock noon on the state capitol [in their area]...we're asking every pastor to come with his men....We're going to...sweep this nation...! And then...Promise Keepers [in AD 2000] is going to turn and go globally!"

Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Catholics, Episcopalians, Brethren, Pentecostals, Charismatics, Jesus Only, Church of Christ, and everybody else, are to put aside doctrinal differences and have unity. McCartney proposed in his design for the Church by saying that every pastor in America was expected to congregate in his (or her) state's capitol in January in the year 2000 to witness to the fact that his (or her) church has obeyed the Promise Keeper's plan and has networked together with the other churches in his (or her) community. This was the program put forth by Bill McCartney in October 1997.(in Honolulu, HI as well as other places)

One of the stated goals of Promise Keepers is to ‘break down denominational barriers’ and promote unity among Christians.  I can agree if it is upon the eternal truths of Scripture but not anything else.  He mentions Jesus Only that deny the Trinity, Roman Catholics whose church's teachings denies salvation by faith. Church of Christ that teach salvation is obtained through baptism. Some of these denominations are ordaining homosexuals and marrying them. These are all suppose to just ignore what makes them who they are and unite with everyone else.  Is this the unity Christ spoke of, without doctrine, a unity by naming his name only. Is this done  to make the church a political power to change society or increase funding for their goal.  One can only wonder what the intent is. One thing we do know the intent is the same as Christ's intent or when Paul wrote to young Timothy in 1 Tim.4:6,13,16 .

When Jesus prayed for the Church to be in unity just as he and the Father are. This prayer was already answered. It is not something we now need to strive for, but something we need to maintain.Why? Because it was already given, Eph.4:3 " Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit."  Christ's prayer is answered by everyone being baptized into the body by one Spirit.(1 Cor.12:13 we are in God and he is in us)   By cooperating in teaching right doctrine, and doing his work the unity is kept by diligence, it is exerting effort to protect what he has delivered to his Church as eternal truths.

If we look at outward unity as the indicator of spiritual unity we have failed to understand what is meant by Christ.

Who will run this one leadership pray, tell?  Mark 10:42-44 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all."

A servant will not exercise authority over others he serves. Promise Keepers does teach to serve ones wife but it is the very opposite on what they teach for the Church.   The Church was never organized to have one leadership over the whole Church as in the Roman Catholic order, but a plurality of elders throughout local bodies. What may have begun with right intentions is not staying on course of Scripture. Before we all jump on ship and sail off into the sunset, we had better check the course charted. Once you land there may be no turning back, lest it is perceived as mutiny.