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Commentary by Roger Oaklandwww.understandthetimes.org I meet many people at conferences who come from a wide variety of church backgrounds. They tell me that the church they had attended for years has radically changed. Their pastor no longer teaches the Bible. Instead the Sunday morning service is a skit or a series of stories. The…
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Commentary by Roger Oaklandwww.understandthetimes.org Reaching our present generation seems to be the catch phrase that many emergent church leaders are promoting. In order to be effective in reaching the postmodern mindset, it is necessary to stimulate the senses by providing sounds, sights, smells and tastes that will lead the participant into a sensational experience.…
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Commentary by Roger Oaklandwww.understandthetimes.org Not every Christian is called to be a watchman. This is understandable. The body of Christ is made up of men, women and children with a variety of gifts and callings all important for the body of Christ to be healthy. The watchman or watchwoman is a person called by…
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Commentary by Roger Oaklandwww.understandthetimes.org Promoters of the emergent conversation say we are on the verge of an era that promises renewed spiritual awareness. “Spiritual disciplines” are being touted as the avenue to a “spiritual reformation” that will take Christianity to a new and higher level of spirituality drawing all participants closer to God. Books…
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Commentary by Roger Oaklandwww.understandthetimes.org The heart and core of the Christian faith is the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures. This foundational belief is under attack by many who are considered to be leaders of the Emerging Church movement that is sweeping the world and “re-inventing” Christianity. It is for this reason…
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Commentary by Roger Oaklandwww.understandthetimes.org Those who support the Emerging Church Movement justify that “reinventing Christianity” is necessary in order to “reach” the present generation. Reaching the present generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ is a challenge for pastors today. Young people growing up in the 21st century have a completely different worldview than their…
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Commentary by Roger Oaklandwww.understandthetimes.org Proverbs states there is a way that “seems right” to man. [1] However, Jesus said what seems right to man may not be right with Him. [2] For this reason, Christians must be led by the Spirit of God and follow God’s Word. [3] However, as the Bible teaches, it is possible to believe one is…
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Commentary by Roger Oaklandwww.understandthetimes.org Over 400,000 churches have now participated in Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven program. Quite obviously, millions of Christians have bought into the idea that the details of Christ’s return are none of our business, and we must help usher in a new reformation to eradicate the global problems facing the earth.…
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Commentary by Roger Oaklandwww.understandthetimes.org The only way we can be certain we know the biblical Jesus is to know the Word of God. As Jesus Himself stated: Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide…
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Commentary by Roger OaklandUnderstand The Times International: Roger Oakland Ministrieswww.understandthetimes.org1.800.689.188 Recently, I read a Facebook post by a southern California pastor stating that the “emerging church” was no longer a problem for him or his church. He also stated that the “emerging church” was just another passing fad that had come and then disappeared…