Be Imitators of God

by Mike Ratliff

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:16-23 ESV)

The clarion call of Emergence Christianity, New Calvinism, the Acts 29 Network, Missional/Dominionism, Seeker Sensitivity, et al is for people to come be part of their group or push and be “transformed.” It is as if the “transforming” is done via their ministry. They have the secret. They have the formula. They have the anointing by God and via their “group salvation” people are also “transformed” as a group. Into what? That is not said. As we saw a few weeks ago, the key process used here is Diaprax which is the Hegelian Dialectic put into motion to create change for the sake of change. It is based on the concept that truth is never found in the thesis nor the antithesis, but the synthesis of the two through many cycles of the Diaprax process. This new synthesis is the “truth” they are looking for. They combine unbelievers and believers together and force synthesis. This is the transformation they are talking about. This is also called compromise in the Word of God and those who proclaim to be Christians who buy into it are also called hypocrites and apostates. This is not the transformation that Christians are called to in God’s Word nor is it the end of what we will look like if we obey God’s command to be imitators of Him.

Speaking the Truth

by Mike Ratliff

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:4-16 ESV)

Biblical discernment is not legalism. It is not being a know-it-all who just rains on everyone’s parade, taking all the fun away from those exploring new ways of “experiencing God” or “expanding their faith.” No, it isn’t that at all. First and foremost it is done from the context of maintaining unity within one body and one Spirit through speaking of truth in love so that all truly in Christ will grow up in every way into Him who is their head. Those who exercise this discernment from this motive may at times appear to be focusing on the shortcomings of certain “Christian leaders” to the chagrin of those who follow them. Well, the reason we do that can be quite exasperating on our part I assure you. Why? Those who are deceived by these deceivers DO NOT LISTEN.

Manservants Maidservants and Obedience

by Mike Ratliff

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. (Luke 1:46-49 ESV)

It was about 18 months ago or so, I posted something in which I focused on the Greek word δοῦλος which is translated as “servant” in most modern versions of the New Testament. However, it is best translated as a form of “bondservant” such as “manservant,” “maidservant,” or even as “slave.” The reason I remember it so well was I received one comment in which a person copied my text from my post into their comment and used the cross-out feature on the word “slave” that I had used and replaced it with the word “servant.” That was deliberate. It was a deliberate refusal by that person to see himself or herself as one whose will was in total submission to God in all cases.

Those Who Practice Homosexuality Will Not Inherit The Kingdom of God

by Mike Ratliff

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. (Romans 1:26-27 ESV)

My friend Ken Silva told me this evening that the Postmodern paradigm sees, “… affirming gays as liberating them from their oppressors…” This postmodern mindset is deeply engrained in what is known as Emergence Christianity. This is why its leaders nearly all line up and stand with their “gay friends” in support and do not attempt to get them to repent of their sin because they actually believe that a person can be a practicing homosexual and a good Christian at the same time. Well, actually, I do understand what they are saying and I do understand the underlying compassion that leads them to this, but there comes a point as Christians when we cannot cross certain lines. What God calls sin is sin regardless of how we or anyone else “feels” about it. What does God’s word say about those who will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Speak Not to Please Man but to Please God

by Mike Ratliff

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10 ESV)

I ended yesterday’s post, Rejoicing in Faith, by saying:

“I saw a comment today on Facebook that went something like this, “Being a Christian is something we are, not something we do.” I would like to add to that, that it is something we are that causes us to do right (Ephesians 2:10). Think about that as you meditate on these pastors and Christian leaders making light of God’s truth as they pick a choose what to believe as true based on their own sense of what is true instead of believing God.”

This post is the result of my own meditation and thinking on these things last night and today as I dealt with those who did not like it that some of us are drawing the circle of Christian Authenticity very small. I like to think of the gate that all true believers enter as being small, narrow, and hard to find (our Lord’s own words) and the way they go from there to their Lord from there as being straight and narrow and full of tests and trials. In any case, the more I mediated on these things, the more clear it became to me that those who are compromising like this who were formerly quite solid in their ministries like Dr. John Piper are doing so for the very same reason that any one else is deceived.

Rejoicing in Faith

by Mike Ratliff

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (James 5:7,8 ESV)

The confidence of the true Christian cannot be in men or the faithfulness of their so-called Christian leaders. No, no matter how well known or published or how solid his reputation is, he is still a sinful man. The Christian’s faith and trust and confidence is not in any other Christian, or in any earthly institution. No, it is in Christ our rock. The false teachers have always known this and that is why they always teach “another Jesus” that is more like the pagan gods of other religions or even more like just one of us than the perfect Son of Man who we learn of in the Word of God. We who really know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour are new creations and have faith that believes God and even when it is under heavy attack, as it seems to be continually nowadays, God has provided us a way to rest in Him and finding peace and joy that the unregenerate cannot understand. 

Is the Church living Out in Tangible Ways the Ethical Implications of the Gospel?

by Mike Ratliff

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Timothy 1:5 ESV)

I’m sure the title of this piece got the attention of some of you. What is Ratliff thinking? Has he gone missional and incarnational on us? The point of this piece is to show that the genuine Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ does indeed have ethical implications and the Church is obligated to live these out in tangible ways. However, the missional people who have created their own contextualized version of this in order to appeal to post-modernism, will probably not agree with what I am about to say here about these true ethical implications of the gospel. To them it is all in the framework of cultural reform and Dominionism with an emphasis on justice and fairness. Are these the true makeup of the call of the church as it lives this out as it should? 

No Other Gospel

by Mike Ratliff

This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. (Galatians 5:8-10 ESV)

One of the first things lost when apostasy sets in is adherence to the genuine Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as the one and only way God has provided to save people from their sins, bringing them into an eternal relationship with Him through their propititiation, the Lord Jesus Christ. In our time, with Relationship Theology having come to the fore, it has become akin to a ‘sin unto death’ to cause grief or hurt feelings in some one else by daring to explicitly give them the truth of the doctrine of Total Depravity and their need of a Saviour. The ‘sin of hurting someone’s feelings’ has become a major issue in our time. Things have been turned upside down. 

Hegelian Dialectic and Diaprax Videos

Here are the links to the two videos that God used to open the truth to me in this series in my research so far. I am sure there will be more, God willing.

These videos complement each other very well so I suggest you watch them both.

Diaprax the Church and Globalism

The Acts of the “Dialoguers”: What is the Hegelian Dialectic?

μόνῳ σοφῷ Θεῷ διὰ ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν

Is It Too Late For That?

by Mike Ratliff

And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” (Revelation 22:10-11 ESV)

Every time I see or hear the phrase having to with Rick Warren being described as “America’s Pastor” there is a part of my me that I have to get help from my Lord to get control of because he most certainly is not my pastor nor do I consider him a genuine pastor of the Body of Christ at all. He seems to be everywhere. He is an expert in a process called Diaprax, which uses the Heglelian Dialectic to create compromise and change in the direction he desires within the visible church. He calls this transformation when it is nothing more than a form of works righteousness. What continually mystifies me, however, is how well known Christian leaders continually line up to be his friend or at least be part of the circus that is going on around him. The Word of God, Sacred Scripture tells us to not be yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). We have plenty of evidence that the Leadership Network and those “pastors” it has sponsored and let loose on the visible church are anything but genuine believers and this includes Rick Warren so what business do pastors like Dr. John Piper have in fellowshipping and participating in ministry with him? 

The Earth is the Lord’s

by Mike Ratliff

The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.  (Psalm 89:11 ESV)

In our post The Way The Truth and The Life a few days ago in this video, it was made very clear that the real work done via Diaprax by Leadership Network and those it sponsors such as Rick Warren is done in the background in a way that will not be obvious to the Church. Why? It is done this way because what is being done can only be accomplished via deception. If these people were upfront with what they were trying to accomplish, it would be stopped cold. However, we are now in a stage in their process where we see the carnage of apostasy with local church after local church all across this globe going the way of man-focused seeker-sensitivity, losing their eternal focus, and along with that, the Gospel itself. Remember that this was accomplished as a fruit of deceit. In the New Testament, the word that is translated from the Greek as “deceit” is δόλος or dolos. Our Lord Jesus lists δόλος as one of the sins that come out of the human heart in Mark 7:22. He stated about Nathanael that there is no δόλος in him in John 1:47. Paul and Peter also include δόλος in their list of vices (Romans 1:29; 1 Peter 2:1). Let’s face it, δόλος is serious to those who truly fear God. Of course, to those who have no fear of God, so what, right? Let’s take a closer look. 

Our Declaration of Dependence

by Mike Ratliff

Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.  (Psalm 33:20-22 ESV)

The movements we are seeing all around us, whether Christian in form or not, that are attempts to improve the world, to bring in some form of utopian existence or a new level of evolution, or whatever; are all simply examples of the same thing that happened in the Garden of Eden when Man rejected God’s plan and went with his own (Genesis 3). The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) is an example of men coming together in disobedience to God’s command to try to improve on what He has promised to give them. The stuff going on now with globalization of the Church via Dominionism, the Seeker Sensitive movement via Diaprax, et cetera, are just current day examples of professing Christians doing things their own way because they consider God’s way to be ineffective or boring or outdated, et cetera. These movements are declarations of independence from God as Lord and are markers of people who may profess to be Christian, but by these actions, they prove they are anything but. 

The Way The Truth and The Life

by Mike Ratliff

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 ESV)

The evidence of the culpability of Ralph Winter in at least part of the development of the Seeker Sensitive movement from Fuller Theological Seminary is becoming more and more clear as we dig and learn and God provides the proof. It is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with the pieces being scattered across many boxes in a cluttered attic at times. However, we must not forget that Winter was one of the mentors of Rick Warren at Fuller. My friend Christine Pack does a fine job of exploring Winter’s connection with the Seeker Sensitive movement here along with his influence on the theology of Rob Bell and Shane Hipps. Another friend of mine, Kit, sent me the link to this video dealing with Diaprax and the globalization of the Church via the Seeker Sensitive movement. I watched it today and I highly recommend that you do as well. It is over 2 hours long, but it is well worth the time. You may want to take notes.