You'll Never Be The Way You Should Be????

Yesterday, my friend Dena, posted a link to a Brennan Manning video on You Tube.  I knew of Brennan Manning...knew he wrote a book called The Ragamuffin Gospel...associated him (rightly or wrongly) in my mind with the emergent church movement and just kind of felt that he seems to be the kind of guy who might hang out with Philip Yancey. 

I loved this video...right until the very final sentence when he should have kept on talking.  He should have added something like...

....until you allow my spirit to permeate your being and from the inside out I will guide you back to how "you should be"...or in the words of a Linda Musgrove song...called "I'll Take You Back"

I'll take you back to where you were in me before the fall of man. 

I'll restore your soul, I'll reconcile your heart

I'll give you back your true identity. 

I'm removing the veil from your eyes

So that you can clearly see

You will be with me in paradise

On this earth you'll walk with me.....

And you most definitely will be "as you should be." Trust me. 

There are several other Brennan Manning videos that can be accessed from this video. (you know how YouTube lists related videos off to the right) There are also links to videos declaring that Brennan Manning is proclaiming a false gospel...is an angel of light...wolf in sheep's clothing etc. etc. Quite a few other preacher/teachers fit into this category...and there are videos to "prove it."  Joyce Meyer's, Joel Olsteen, Mother Teresa....and the list goes on.  Even Billy Graham.  Especially Billy Graham. There was a video called Why Billy Graham is Going To Hell.  Self described as an:

Excerpt from the sermon preached by Pastor Steven L Anderson at Faithful Word Baptist Church in Phoenix, AZ, independent, fundamental, soul-winning, King James Bible preaching.

Boy oh boy...makes me want to high tail it to Phoenix to get me some of that independent, fundamental, soul-winning, King James Bible preaching.  Guess You Tube will just have to do in the meantime.

There are also links to quite a few John MacArthur videos.  I was exposed to a lot of his teachings back in the days of being a newbie Christian...a free spirit in a very conservative reformed, Calvinistic church.  Not a good fit. 

I know his teachings are Calvinistic... which makes me wonder about the video where he promotes a book he authored called Safe In The Arms of God which espouses the view that all babies go to heaven.  Perhaps he disagrees with the father of Calvinism himself who declares:

 "There are babies a span long in hell."

There are a lot videos from his appearances on The Larry King Show.  Among them is a video where he twists the gospel to defend the war in Iraq, explains why homosexuality destroys families and explains the "true gospel."

I don't not like John MacArthur...although I would like to mess up his perfectly coiffed hair a bit.  I know he has spent his life as a teacher/preacher.  How can he so miss the mark?  What makes the videos I mention above (and provide links to) worth watching are the opposing opinions of other guests on the show with him...and just the "you've got to be kidding" factor...the check in one's spirit upon hearing some of the ludicrous things he proclaims as truth.  My advice...stick with Brennan Manning or the many other teachers who have a clue to the heart of God and the magnitude of the true gospel.