J. Grant Swank, Jr.
NazNet's Moderator Hans Deventer continues to state that the Church of the Nazarene does not believe in the Bible.
This is what Deventer states on NazNet:
"It is clear that the Church of the Nazarene requires of its members belief in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Nowhere it says that we must believe in the Bible. Which of course makes sense."
Yet the denomination does state this:
"We believe in the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, by which we understand the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, given by divine inspiration."
In other words, the denomination does believe in the Bible.
Deventer has this idea that one can love Jesus and be done with the Bible as an inerrant revelation. Deventer has gone on about this numerous times as if he has a festish about it.
Yet it is Jesus who had such a high respect for the Old Testament data thereby leading Christians to believe that Jesus has the same high respect for the New Testament--that is a respect so as to regard the writ as pure communication.
Deventer has this cause of diverting the Church of the Nazarene from biblical orthodoxy. NazNet founder and owner Dave McClung permits this to continue.
NazNet crashed recently. Yet as it seeks to resurrect itself, Deventer starts up again with his heresies, a prime one being his disregard for the Bible as inerrant. He delights in underlining the Bible as error-riddled.
One can believe that it will not be long until moderator Scott Cundiff, Texas pastor, will soon be posting the same heresy in that Cundiff agrees with the theological liberalism of Deventer, McClung all the while standing silent as this site states itself to be a "friend" to the Church of the Nazarene.
NazNet is a chief enemy to the Church of the Nazarene. It has been for a long time. Yet Pied Piper McClung and colleagues continue to drag into their mystique particularly the inquiring young who are being duped, thus damaging the fiber of the church.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
GOD CRASHES NAZNET
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
NazNet lost its content. It crashed.
Why not?
NazNet claims to be a "friend" of the holiness Church of the Nazarene. Instead, it is Judas to that denomination.
NazNet proclaims unsaved souls are annihilated at death, that there is no eternal hell, that there is an "intermediate" state for all souls upon death, all of which is anti-Bible.
NazNet proclaims that the Bible is untrustworthy. It is riddled with errors.
Therefore, the more one reads the Bible, the less one knows about God. One does not have to believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God, just hug Jesus. That is enough.
NazNet champions infant baptism over adult, believers' baptism though nowhere in the Bible is there record of an infant being baptized.
NazNet has a love affair with the emerging church, the latter espousing feeling over doctrine, emotion over theology based upon Scripture.
NazNet's former moderator chaplain states she would not marry two persons of the same gender; however, she will never proclaim publicly the biblical position on the matter. So it is with Barbara Moulton.
The chief anti-Bible proponents on NazNet are Netherlerlands Nazarene Hans Deventer and South Texas District pastor Scott Cundiff, the latter two endorsing the Bible as fallible.
Deventer is particularly enthusiastic regarding the annihilation of the wicked, the Bible aas second-class literature, infant baptism, the Church of the Nazarene evolving into an Episcopal-like "high church" denomination, and the emerging church being the church of the future. His "intermediate state" of the soul upon death is like unto Roman Catholic teaching on purgatory and limbo.
There is little accent on NazNet regarding the biblical call to holiness, Sanctification explained in-depth is wanting. The pure life is sidelined for heresies aplenty.
When it comes to Wesleyan teaching, Scott Cundiff states that holding to the Bible as fallible helps him understand all the more his Wesleyan holding. Whatever that means is beyond imagination. Cundiff states that the more he researches the Word, the less he understands the Bible's deity.
Yet on Cundiff's church website he states his congregation lives out the old-fashioned southern style gospel. Obviously he preaches one thing from the small-congregation pulpit while playing agnostic maximum on NazNet. The South Texas District leadership and pastors have been informed of this Cundiff double-life.
NazNet founder/owner Dave McClung, known for his wealth in business ventures, permits these heresies. McClung, long held with esteem by politicos in the Church of the Nazarene Kansas City headquarters, has worked his way into the egocentric mainstream of the denomination so as to get by with this apostasy.
However, the Church of the Nazarene General Superintendents, General Secretary, and department heads have all been informed in copious detail of NazNet's Judas role in relation to the denomination. That did prompt the General Superintendents to come out with their own reasonable statement regarding the fallacies of the emerging church, thus somewhat silencing the NazNet cheerleading.
McClung has set up a site that is in competition with the Church of the Nazarene, not a friend to it. McClung knows what he is doing. He is establishying himself as a Pied Piper to young pastors in particular. They are weaned away from biblical truth and Wesleyan teaching for outright heresies.
McClung's cronyism is well-known within the church. He is power hungry in his latter years and has used NazNet as a competing churchly "community."
Now NazNet has come under the heavy hand of God. God's anger has wiped out NazNet's content. It as a site crashed. Now McClung is trying to resurrect upon the ashes. Yet the rebuilding is still heresey with Deventer once again starting off with his defense of the error-riddled Scripture.
Deventer states boldly that the Church of the Nazarene nowhere asks Christians to believe the Bible. That is outright blasphemy as well as a bald lie. Devener knows that; however, he is clever with his double-talk and so works again to dupe the ignorant.
It is amazing how apostate these site henchmen have become. Nevertheless, there it is on the Internet for the world to read.
NazNet provides its own evidence for spiritual disobedience.
Why then should not God crash the site? And He will continue to discipline the NazNet owner and moderators who work daily to undermine his eternal Word.
NazNet lost its content. It crashed.
Why not?
NazNet claims to be a "friend" of the holiness Church of the Nazarene. Instead, it is Judas to that denomination.
NazNet proclaims unsaved souls are annihilated at death, that there is no eternal hell, that there is an "intermediate" state for all souls upon death, all of which is anti-Bible.
NazNet proclaims that the Bible is untrustworthy. It is riddled with errors.
Therefore, the more one reads the Bible, the less one knows about God. One does not have to believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God, just hug Jesus. That is enough.
NazNet champions infant baptism over adult, believers' baptism though nowhere in the Bible is there record of an infant being baptized.
NazNet has a love affair with the emerging church, the latter espousing feeling over doctrine, emotion over theology based upon Scripture.
NazNet's former moderator chaplain states she would not marry two persons of the same gender; however, she will never proclaim publicly the biblical position on the matter. So it is with Barbara Moulton.
The chief anti-Bible proponents on NazNet are Netherlerlands Nazarene Hans Deventer and South Texas District pastor Scott Cundiff, the latter two endorsing the Bible as fallible.
Deventer is particularly enthusiastic regarding the annihilation of the wicked, the Bible aas second-class literature, infant baptism, the Church of the Nazarene evolving into an Episcopal-like "high church" denomination, and the emerging church being the church of the future. His "intermediate state" of the soul upon death is like unto Roman Catholic teaching on purgatory and limbo.
There is little accent on NazNet regarding the biblical call to holiness, Sanctification explained in-depth is wanting. The pure life is sidelined for heresies aplenty.
When it comes to Wesleyan teaching, Scott Cundiff states that holding to the Bible as fallible helps him understand all the more his Wesleyan holding. Whatever that means is beyond imagination. Cundiff states that the more he researches the Word, the less he understands the Bible's deity.
Yet on Cundiff's church website he states his congregation lives out the old-fashioned southern style gospel. Obviously he preaches one thing from the small-congregation pulpit while playing agnostic maximum on NazNet. The South Texas District leadership and pastors have been informed of this Cundiff double-life.
NazNet founder/owner Dave McClung, known for his wealth in business ventures, permits these heresies. McClung, long held with esteem by politicos in the Church of the Nazarene Kansas City headquarters, has worked his way into the egocentric mainstream of the denomination so as to get by with this apostasy.
However, the Church of the Nazarene General Superintendents, General Secretary, and department heads have all been informed in copious detail of NazNet's Judas role in relation to the denomination. That did prompt the General Superintendents to come out with their own reasonable statement regarding the fallacies of the emerging church, thus somewhat silencing the NazNet cheerleading.
McClung has set up a site that is in competition with the Church of the Nazarene, not a friend to it. McClung knows what he is doing. He is establishying himself as a Pied Piper to young pastors in particular. They are weaned away from biblical truth and Wesleyan teaching for outright heresies.
McClung's cronyism is well-known within the church. He is power hungry in his latter years and has used NazNet as a competing churchly "community."
Now NazNet has come under the heavy hand of God. God's anger has wiped out NazNet's content. It as a site crashed. Now McClung is trying to resurrect upon the ashes. Yet the rebuilding is still heresey with Deventer once again starting off with his defense of the error-riddled Scripture.
Deventer states boldly that the Church of the Nazarene nowhere asks Christians to believe the Bible. That is outright blasphemy as well as a bald lie. Devener knows that; however, he is clever with his double-talk and so works again to dupe the ignorant.
It is amazing how apostate these site henchmen have become. Nevertheless, there it is on the Internet for the world to read.
NazNet provides its own evidence for spiritual disobedience.
Why then should not God crash the site? And He will continue to discipline the NazNet owner and moderators who work daily to undermine his eternal Word.
Friday, March 5, 2010
NAZNET CHAPLAIN BARBARA MOULTON = QUIET LIBERAL SUPPORTER
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
While NazNet moderators Hans Deventer and Scott Cundiff took owner/founder Dave McClung’s web site from holiness/evangelical/conservative to emergent church liberal, former moderator chaplain Barbara Moulton played cheerleader.
Whatever Deventer and Cundiff posted that was in keeping with the swing from conservative to liberal Moulton cheered on with comments or posting her name in agreement with their heretical positions.
McClung stood by permitting his site to be turned from “friend” to Church of the Nazarene to Judas the betrayer. If there is ever an enemy on the Internet to that denomination, it is NazNet.
The Church of the Nazarene Board of General Superintendents, Nazarene Theological Seminary, Nazarene Bible College, countless district superintendents, Nazarene headquarters’ department heads, Holiness Today editors and other personnel have been informed of the NazNet betrayal.
Moulton is known for her refusing to take a public witness on God’s abhorrence for homosexual activity. She, a chaplain, stated she would not marry two persons of the same gender. But she emphatically stated that she would not make a public testimony concerning the biblical position on the matter.
The latter would be in keeping with Deventer and Cundiff’s posted suspicions that the Bible is in fact without error.
Moulton’s refusal to speak in public on behalf of God was posted on the Internet. With that, McClung stated that she was “pained” by the exposure. However, McClung did not appear pained that his chaplain moderator refused to stand alongside God in His revelation in Scripture.
Moulton then became known as the gay-mum. She was mum on the gay nuptial issue. That spiked a number of responses from biblical believers asking how a Christian chaplain could be so cowardly.
Shortly, Moulton’s name disappeared from the NazNet masthead. Obviously, the “pained” Moulton led to her absenting herself from being moderator. However, she continues to post on NazNet.
Deventer and Cundiff still hold their moderator positions though their postings have been exposed far and wide. Deventer calls the exposure all “lies.” However, whatever has been revealed concerning his theological liberalism has been supported by his quotes from his postings. The same with Cundiff.
Cundiff, pastor of a small church in Alvin, Texas, knows that clergy and district leaders on the South Texas District Church of the Nazarene know of his double-tongue. They know that he preaches the typical Nazarene message from his hometown pulpit while playing the cavalier theological liberal emergent church enthusiast on NazNet.
Cundiff has even stated that the more he studies the Bible the less he knows God. Evidently to get his pastor’s salary check plus benefits, he does know God when preparing his Sunday msesages.
Deventer, from the Netherlands, knows his district superintendent has been informed of his liberal postings. Yet there is no sign that he still cannot believe in the Bible, that unsaved souls are annihilated at death, that there is an "intermediate state" for souls upon death, that he hopes God takes all souls to heaven, that there is no eternal hell, and that the emergent craze has a lot going for it as the new church.
Moulton, in the meantime, remains on NazNet as a contributor. Her postings are usually quite trivial, not broaching in-depth theological matters. However, NazNet readers cannot but remember that she was the chief cheerleader for Deventer’s and Cundiff’s liberal positions throughout.
Read NAZNET DISTORTS at http://naznetdistorts.blogspot.com/
While NazNet moderators Hans Deventer and Scott Cundiff took owner/founder Dave McClung’s web site from holiness/evangelical/conservative to emergent church liberal, former moderator chaplain Barbara Moulton played cheerleader.
Whatever Deventer and Cundiff posted that was in keeping with the swing from conservative to liberal Moulton cheered on with comments or posting her name in agreement with their heretical positions.
McClung stood by permitting his site to be turned from “friend” to Church of the Nazarene to Judas the betrayer. If there is ever an enemy on the Internet to that denomination, it is NazNet.
The Church of the Nazarene Board of General Superintendents, Nazarene Theological Seminary, Nazarene Bible College, countless district superintendents, Nazarene headquarters’ department heads, Holiness Today editors and other personnel have been informed of the NazNet betrayal.
Moulton is known for her refusing to take a public witness on God’s abhorrence for homosexual activity. She, a chaplain, stated she would not marry two persons of the same gender. But she emphatically stated that she would not make a public testimony concerning the biblical position on the matter.
The latter would be in keeping with Deventer and Cundiff’s posted suspicions that the Bible is in fact without error.
Moulton’s refusal to speak in public on behalf of God was posted on the Internet. With that, McClung stated that she was “pained” by the exposure. However, McClung did not appear pained that his chaplain moderator refused to stand alongside God in His revelation in Scripture.
Moulton then became known as the gay-mum. She was mum on the gay nuptial issue. That spiked a number of responses from biblical believers asking how a Christian chaplain could be so cowardly.
Shortly, Moulton’s name disappeared from the NazNet masthead. Obviously, the “pained” Moulton led to her absenting herself from being moderator. However, she continues to post on NazNet.
Deventer and Cundiff still hold their moderator positions though their postings have been exposed far and wide. Deventer calls the exposure all “lies.” However, whatever has been revealed concerning his theological liberalism has been supported by his quotes from his postings. The same with Cundiff.
Cundiff, pastor of a small church in Alvin, Texas, knows that clergy and district leaders on the South Texas District Church of the Nazarene know of his double-tongue. They know that he preaches the typical Nazarene message from his hometown pulpit while playing the cavalier theological liberal emergent church enthusiast on NazNet.
Cundiff has even stated that the more he studies the Bible the less he knows God. Evidently to get his pastor’s salary check plus benefits, he does know God when preparing his Sunday msesages.
Deventer, from the Netherlands, knows his district superintendent has been informed of his liberal postings. Yet there is no sign that he still cannot believe in the Bible, that unsaved souls are annihilated at death, that there is an "intermediate state" for souls upon death, that he hopes God takes all souls to heaven, that there is no eternal hell, and that the emergent craze has a lot going for it as the new church.
Moulton, in the meantime, remains on NazNet as a contributor. Her postings are usually quite trivial, not broaching in-depth theological matters. However, NazNet readers cannot but remember that she was the chief cheerleader for Deventer’s and Cundiff’s liberal positions throughout.
Read NAZNET DISTORTS at http://naznetdistorts.blogspot.com/
Thursday, March 4, 2010
NAZNET LAID BARE TO NAZARENE SEMINARY & BIBLE COLLEGE
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
The heresies posted on NazNet have been communicated to the Nazarene Theological Seminary administration and faculty, Kansas City, MO, as well as the Nazarene Bible College administration and faculty, Colorado Springs, CO.
It is imperative that these educational institutions for clergy know the anti-Bible teachings on NazNet, the site owned and founded by Dave McClung.
NazNet claims to be a companion to the holiness denomination but is not.
NazNet moderators Hans Deventer and Scott Cundiff, for instance, both disclaim the Bible as the infallible Word of God.
They teach emergent church tenets such as the Scriptures not being reliable; therefore, one is left to pick and choose what one believes.
They follow the lessons of emergent church guru Brian McLaren who states there are no “objective truths.” That means there are no eternal absolutes. Therefore, write your own religion. McLaren brings all religions under one tent.
This kind of heresy is applauded on NazNet among other anti-Bible teachings such as the annihilation of the unsaved at death, there being an “intermediate state” upon death, and a good God not permitting an eternal hell.
Read NAZNET DISTORTS for other disclosures at http://naznetdistorts.blogspot.com/
The heresies posted on NazNet have been communicated to the Nazarene Theological Seminary administration and faculty, Kansas City, MO, as well as the Nazarene Bible College administration and faculty, Colorado Springs, CO.
It is imperative that these educational institutions for clergy know the anti-Bible teachings on NazNet, the site owned and founded by Dave McClung.
NazNet claims to be a companion to the holiness denomination but is not.
NazNet moderators Hans Deventer and Scott Cundiff, for instance, both disclaim the Bible as the infallible Word of God.
They teach emergent church tenets such as the Scriptures not being reliable; therefore, one is left to pick and choose what one believes.
They follow the lessons of emergent church guru Brian McLaren who states there are no “objective truths.” That means there are no eternal absolutes. Therefore, write your own religion. McLaren brings all religions under one tent.
This kind of heresy is applauded on NazNet among other anti-Bible teachings such as the annihilation of the unsaved at death, there being an “intermediate state” upon death, and a good God not permitting an eternal hell.
Read NAZNET DISTORTS for other disclosures at http://naznetdistorts.blogspot.com/
NAZNET MAKES A SANCTIFIED GOD CRY
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
It is so very, very sad; nevertheless, it is fact.
NazNet, set up as a site friendly to the holiness Church of the Nazarene has gone for anti-Bible teachings such as are popular now in the emergent church.
Brian McLaren, stroked emergent church guru, has become the New Age messiah for NazNet and like sites spreading across cyberspace.
NazNet moderators Hans Deventer and Scott Cundiff are two of the prime leaders with founder/owner Dave McClung giving permission for these heresies.
A web site that should be teaching the world via the Internet the marvelous life of sanctification has given itself over to being avant-garde theologically liberally.
The world is in miserable shape. It needs the biblical call of saving grace and sanctifying grace. In the meantime, we have the likes of Deventer, Cundiff and McClung endorsing the
Bible as riddled with mistakes.
Deventer states outright that he does not believe the Bible except for his hug with Jesus. Cundiff states outright that the more he studies Scripture the less he knows God. McClung goes on his merry way allowing this blasphemy.
There sits a web site telling readers that it is a companion to the Church of the Nazarene when in fact it is the enemy to the Church of the Nazarene.
Read NAZNET DISTORTS at http://naznetdistorts.blogspot.com/
Those of us who love the biblical doctrine of sanctification suffer. We would pray for the site to give all energies to explaining God’s Word offering the holy life possibility. Instead, readers go to the site to read trivia, nonsense and heresy—all provided on one NazNet.
There is so much that NazNet could do as an instructor concerning the biblical doctrine of holiness. That teaching is rare within Christendom. Therefore, NazNet could pick up on that void to give forth with some of the most amazing scriptural data.
Instead one gets the impression when perusing NazNet that it tries everything but holiness as a viable theme. Why? The reason is obvious. If moderators are theologically liberal so that they question the authenticity of Scripture’s divine revelation, they personally have no living relationship with the Holy Spirit.
With that, they have nothing to teach that is biblically sound. Their minds have been given over to the reprobate mind. They are captured by the latest fads sweeping across too much of the evangelical church.
Would that NazNet would break before God, confess its waywardness and begin the mission of teaching biblical holiness. For instance, the site could begin with the lesson of sanctification being sweet surrender. What a magnificent place to begin.
Sanctification, simply stated, is sweet surrender.
When one becomes saved, he takes Christ's blood upon his soul. In that, he receives divine mercy. Sins are cleansed. This is a divine act beyond our fondest imaginations.
When the saved one then becomes sanctified, he yields his all to Christ. In salvation, one takes grace. In sanctification, one gives all to God.
Picture yourself now standing before God. In your hands are all that you have and are: wardrobe, vehicles, properties, family, friends, wallet, health or sickness, desires, reputation, abilities, dreams, future ambitions, finally death and eternal destiny.
Lift all of this to God. Give it all to Him without reservation. That is the surrender of sanctification. You received at salvation; you now yield at sanctification.
In that moment of submitting completely, the Holy Spirit accepted your all. He then cleansed it in order to return it as holy to you. Now what you submitted is ready for the kingdom's good.
Previously, it was used chiefly for your own self-focused "good."
At the time of sanctification, you are made pure by the Holy Spirit. He takes away your selfishness, stubbornness and stupidity which clung to things for your own welfare. In place of all that, He gives you grace to abandon to God. Now you no longer live for self but for the Savior alone.
When you were first saved, your sins were cleansed. Now that you are sanctified, your sin nature is cleansed. This is the "double cure" of which we sing in the hymn, "Amazing Grace."
How does the Christian remain sanctified? Simply put: remain surrendered to the Holy Spirit in everything. Do not take back anything that you yielded to God. Leave all with Him--everything old, everything new—past, present, future.
As long as your soul submits completely to the Lord, you are continually cleansed. This is all accomplished by His grace, not of works, lest anyone should boast of his own human achievements.
Grace saves us from our sins. Grace sanctifies us from our sin nature. Therefore, God receives all the glory.
Can one remain sanctified completely until death? Certainly. By an act of free will, one becomes saved and sanctified. One chooses these opportunities of divine grace. Likewise, the believer may exercise free will for holiness till death. The decision is always left with us.
Less than surrender is misery. It is a double-minded life--living for God, yet living secretly (and sometimes obviously) for one's self. This is evidently difficult and trying to the soul.
Total surrender is sweet in that it returns one's soul completely to God. Instead of straining to plot one's own benefits, one yields all such maneuvering to God. Therefore, there is a freedom from striving in everything.
The on-going life of sanctification then is perfecting the surrender. It is learning from the Holy Spirit how to consecrate the most practical items to God--life's minors and majors. It is being taught how to think with God ("the mind of Christ").
It is discovering that material less is spiritual more.
Sanctification in this life has no conclusion but "more." There is always more to come upon in God, more to precision, more to uncover of one's own self and of God's self. That is why it is such an exhilarating adventure.
How then does "the law" enter into this sanctifying grace? Is one at liberty to do as one pleases once one comes into this release? No. Instead, one finds that God's commandments are the key to freedom within. Therefore, the sanctified yearn for more of God's statutes.
The Bible speaks of the "law of liberty." This is one more aspect of the sweet surrender. It is experiencing being a slave to God in order to be free from sin and self-centeredness. These paradoxes are lived out dynamically in the sanctified walk.
When the sanctified read of God's expectations (laws) in the Word, they become as delicacies to be enjoyed. Before sanctification, the double-minded believer shunned God's laws for they appeared restrictive. After sanctification, the believer binds God's laws to his heart for they are indeed liberating.
Abiding by God's law releases one from being legalistic. Legalism is adhering to man-made laws.
Living by God's laws is not cold, sharp and unkind legalism; instead, it is gentle, understanding and patient.
Satan thrives on a legalistic religion. The Holy Spirit tutors the sanctified in the eternally true laws of God.
First century Judaism was founded upon legalism. Jesus offered the truth which would set one free from such humanly manufactured bondage. For that reason, Jesus was murdered by the religious system.
Live out the law of holy love and you yourself will be set free. Strap the commandments of God to your soul joyfully; in that you will be released from your chief enemy--stubborn self.
Sweet surrender not only includes yielding tangibles and inner drives. It also includes pain, confusion, tormented thinking, betrayals of the past, disappointments, ponderings of suicide, doubts and dreads.
The true sweetness of this surrender is realizing that the Father is willing to accept these hurts--for healing. Many have been made whole when they submitted those wounds of the heart which they thought they had to contend with till death. No. "Cast all your cares. . ." means all.
Frequently, Bible preachers and teachers request their hearers to yield tangibles and inner drives.
But it is not that frequently that such speakers get around to the awful burdens that many sincere grace-children carry all the time. Therapeutically, it is needful that we preach the "full gospel"--submit to Him the bleeding souls, too. He can soothe. And He does.
Sanctification is one of the most enticing dimensions of the gospel. It is sad that it is not set forth more often. Our souls are made for this opportunity of grace. To lack this experience is to remain partially bound in spirit.
When Jesus said that He came to set us free, He meant it. Sanctification is that wide, open door.
Have you come to God with your all? Have you stood before Him with everything? Then have you yielded all of this--pain and pleasure--to the One who formed you?
Let Him take this package for its cleansing. Satan will lie to you that God will rob you blind, leave you bankrupt. Do not believe the father of deceit.
The Holy Spirit will instead make your offering holy, returning it to you for heaven's sake.
From that moment onward, keep that package in God's plan. In that, you will experience in the depth of your soul the sweetness of your on-going surrender.
Such will continue, if you will it, till you see Him face to face when walking through the door of death.
Eternal life will be continuing the sanctification without threat of Satan's intrusion. It will in fact be "holiness forevermore."
Read DISCOVER HOLINESS at http://www.michnews.com/J_Grant_Swank_Jr/gs030110.shtml
It is so very, very sad; nevertheless, it is fact.
NazNet, set up as a site friendly to the holiness Church of the Nazarene has gone for anti-Bible teachings such as are popular now in the emergent church.
Brian McLaren, stroked emergent church guru, has become the New Age messiah for NazNet and like sites spreading across cyberspace.
NazNet moderators Hans Deventer and Scott Cundiff are two of the prime leaders with founder/owner Dave McClung giving permission for these heresies.
A web site that should be teaching the world via the Internet the marvelous life of sanctification has given itself over to being avant-garde theologically liberally.
The world is in miserable shape. It needs the biblical call of saving grace and sanctifying grace. In the meantime, we have the likes of Deventer, Cundiff and McClung endorsing the
Bible as riddled with mistakes.
Deventer states outright that he does not believe the Bible except for his hug with Jesus. Cundiff states outright that the more he studies Scripture the less he knows God. McClung goes on his merry way allowing this blasphemy.
There sits a web site telling readers that it is a companion to the Church of the Nazarene when in fact it is the enemy to the Church of the Nazarene.
Read NAZNET DISTORTS at http://naznetdistorts.blogspot.com/
Those of us who love the biblical doctrine of sanctification suffer. We would pray for the site to give all energies to explaining God’s Word offering the holy life possibility. Instead, readers go to the site to read trivia, nonsense and heresy—all provided on one NazNet.
There is so much that NazNet could do as an instructor concerning the biblical doctrine of holiness. That teaching is rare within Christendom. Therefore, NazNet could pick up on that void to give forth with some of the most amazing scriptural data.
Instead one gets the impression when perusing NazNet that it tries everything but holiness as a viable theme. Why? The reason is obvious. If moderators are theologically liberal so that they question the authenticity of Scripture’s divine revelation, they personally have no living relationship with the Holy Spirit.
With that, they have nothing to teach that is biblically sound. Their minds have been given over to the reprobate mind. They are captured by the latest fads sweeping across too much of the evangelical church.
Would that NazNet would break before God, confess its waywardness and begin the mission of teaching biblical holiness. For instance, the site could begin with the lesson of sanctification being sweet surrender. What a magnificent place to begin.
Sanctification, simply stated, is sweet surrender.
When one becomes saved, he takes Christ's blood upon his soul. In that, he receives divine mercy. Sins are cleansed. This is a divine act beyond our fondest imaginations.
When the saved one then becomes sanctified, he yields his all to Christ. In salvation, one takes grace. In sanctification, one gives all to God.
Picture yourself now standing before God. In your hands are all that you have and are: wardrobe, vehicles, properties, family, friends, wallet, health or sickness, desires, reputation, abilities, dreams, future ambitions, finally death and eternal destiny.
Lift all of this to God. Give it all to Him without reservation. That is the surrender of sanctification. You received at salvation; you now yield at sanctification.
In that moment of submitting completely, the Holy Spirit accepted your all. He then cleansed it in order to return it as holy to you. Now what you submitted is ready for the kingdom's good.
Previously, it was used chiefly for your own self-focused "good."
At the time of sanctification, you are made pure by the Holy Spirit. He takes away your selfishness, stubbornness and stupidity which clung to things for your own welfare. In place of all that, He gives you grace to abandon to God. Now you no longer live for self but for the Savior alone.
When you were first saved, your sins were cleansed. Now that you are sanctified, your sin nature is cleansed. This is the "double cure" of which we sing in the hymn, "Amazing Grace."
How does the Christian remain sanctified? Simply put: remain surrendered to the Holy Spirit in everything. Do not take back anything that you yielded to God. Leave all with Him--everything old, everything new—past, present, future.
As long as your soul submits completely to the Lord, you are continually cleansed. This is all accomplished by His grace, not of works, lest anyone should boast of his own human achievements.
Grace saves us from our sins. Grace sanctifies us from our sin nature. Therefore, God receives all the glory.
Can one remain sanctified completely until death? Certainly. By an act of free will, one becomes saved and sanctified. One chooses these opportunities of divine grace. Likewise, the believer may exercise free will for holiness till death. The decision is always left with us.
Less than surrender is misery. It is a double-minded life--living for God, yet living secretly (and sometimes obviously) for one's self. This is evidently difficult and trying to the soul.
Total surrender is sweet in that it returns one's soul completely to God. Instead of straining to plot one's own benefits, one yields all such maneuvering to God. Therefore, there is a freedom from striving in everything.
The on-going life of sanctification then is perfecting the surrender. It is learning from the Holy Spirit how to consecrate the most practical items to God--life's minors and majors. It is being taught how to think with God ("the mind of Christ").
It is discovering that material less is spiritual more.
Sanctification in this life has no conclusion but "more." There is always more to come upon in God, more to precision, more to uncover of one's own self and of God's self. That is why it is such an exhilarating adventure.
How then does "the law" enter into this sanctifying grace? Is one at liberty to do as one pleases once one comes into this release? No. Instead, one finds that God's commandments are the key to freedom within. Therefore, the sanctified yearn for more of God's statutes.
The Bible speaks of the "law of liberty." This is one more aspect of the sweet surrender. It is experiencing being a slave to God in order to be free from sin and self-centeredness. These paradoxes are lived out dynamically in the sanctified walk.
When the sanctified read of God's expectations (laws) in the Word, they become as delicacies to be enjoyed. Before sanctification, the double-minded believer shunned God's laws for they appeared restrictive. After sanctification, the believer binds God's laws to his heart for they are indeed liberating.
Abiding by God's law releases one from being legalistic. Legalism is adhering to man-made laws.
Living by God's laws is not cold, sharp and unkind legalism; instead, it is gentle, understanding and patient.
Satan thrives on a legalistic religion. The Holy Spirit tutors the sanctified in the eternally true laws of God.
First century Judaism was founded upon legalism. Jesus offered the truth which would set one free from such humanly manufactured bondage. For that reason, Jesus was murdered by the religious system.
Live out the law of holy love and you yourself will be set free. Strap the commandments of God to your soul joyfully; in that you will be released from your chief enemy--stubborn self.
Sweet surrender not only includes yielding tangibles and inner drives. It also includes pain, confusion, tormented thinking, betrayals of the past, disappointments, ponderings of suicide, doubts and dreads.
The true sweetness of this surrender is realizing that the Father is willing to accept these hurts--for healing. Many have been made whole when they submitted those wounds of the heart which they thought they had to contend with till death. No. "Cast all your cares. . ." means all.
Frequently, Bible preachers and teachers request their hearers to yield tangibles and inner drives.
But it is not that frequently that such speakers get around to the awful burdens that many sincere grace-children carry all the time. Therapeutically, it is needful that we preach the "full gospel"--submit to Him the bleeding souls, too. He can soothe. And He does.
Sanctification is one of the most enticing dimensions of the gospel. It is sad that it is not set forth more often. Our souls are made for this opportunity of grace. To lack this experience is to remain partially bound in spirit.
When Jesus said that He came to set us free, He meant it. Sanctification is that wide, open door.
Have you come to God with your all? Have you stood before Him with everything? Then have you yielded all of this--pain and pleasure--to the One who formed you?
Let Him take this package for its cleansing. Satan will lie to you that God will rob you blind, leave you bankrupt. Do not believe the father of deceit.
The Holy Spirit will instead make your offering holy, returning it to you for heaven's sake.
From that moment onward, keep that package in God's plan. In that, you will experience in the depth of your soul the sweetness of your on-going surrender.
Such will continue, if you will it, till you see Him face to face when walking through the door of death.
Eternal life will be continuing the sanctification without threat of Satan's intrusion. It will in fact be "holiness forevermore."
Read DISCOVER HOLINESS at http://www.michnews.com/J_Grant_Swank_Jr/gs030110.shtml
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
NAZNET LACKS THE VOICE OF CONVICTION
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
NazNet’s froth is overwhelming. That web site is laden with the superficial. Yet if it were true to being “friend” to the Church of the Nazarene, as it states it is, it would fire up the holy convictions.
That church was begun in the blaze of conviction—“holiness unto the Lord is our watchword and song.” That was the preaching point. That was the lifestyle. That was the mission. And there was never a doubt about it.
Yet the voice of conviction is fading from today's pulpit.
Why?
Partly because a premium has been put on appeasement, cordiality, management methods, arbitration, dialog, suave and debonair, political maneuvering, relativism, and "don't make waves."
There has been a loss of holiness ethics, biblical understanding, spiritual knowledge and, in general, a washout of black-and-white morality.
Therefore, when one does speak today with the voice of conviction, he may be regarded as hyper in personality. He may be labeled as brash or uncouth, out of step.
It is rather risky today then to speak without compromise regarding biblical truths: tithing, hell as well as heaven, Jesus as the sole hope of salvation, God's Day kept holy, separation from sin, biblical loyalties, sanctified lifestyles, spiritual discipline, daily devotions, fidelity in marriage, honesty in finances and the like.
If and when one does preach on the Bible's fundamental themes, there is the real danger of running into crossfire with certain power plays in the camp.
That is why numerous pulpits have acquiesced to the harmless and hilarious, limp and languid.
Sad.
Yet when one researches the Bible, he discovers a God with the voice of conviction.
No wonder there is this staccato throughout Scriptures: "Thus saith the Lord." In other words, God’s declaration is a given; it has been revealed from eternity and therefore is not open to question. With that, such revealed truth is conveyed with conviction, no compromise permitted. Simplicity and forthrightness are absolutely necessary in the communication—clear and clean.
When this God pronounces His eternal imperatives, He speaks with gusto through dedicated preachers. Take, for example, the prophets warning Israelis of their backsliding, not tithing, desecrating the Lord's holy day, sexual license, materialistic cravings in neglecting their poor. Not nice topics delivered in soft tones; but all necessary if the prophets were going to be true to God.
Further, when this God implanted Himself in Jesus, that voice of conviction took flesh and dwelt among us—with raised voice on occasion. With stern countenance on occasion. With authority always.
When a preacher speaks with the Jesus-voice of conviction, those who are behaving under God applaud, encouraging such messages to continue.
I can hardly picture Jesus toppling Temple tables in a meek and mild manner. Nor telling hypocrites that they were of their father the devil while wearing a sweet smile.
Can one imagine John the Baptist with a Gentleman's Quarterly profile while castigating Herod for sleeping with a woman not his wife?
And what about Paul's demeanor when preaching to one congregation after
another, warning listeners of zealots plotting to undo his gospel planting?
The Bible is electric with power, riddled with zeal, moving and disturbing with a God who means business, refusing to play religious games to placate.
Why then does today's church find itself so easily comfortable?
Read NAZNET DISTORTS at http://naznetdistorts.blogspot.com/
NazNet’s froth is overwhelming. That web site is laden with the superficial. Yet if it were true to being “friend” to the Church of the Nazarene, as it states it is, it would fire up the holy convictions.
That church was begun in the blaze of conviction—“holiness unto the Lord is our watchword and song.” That was the preaching point. That was the lifestyle. That was the mission. And there was never a doubt about it.
Yet the voice of conviction is fading from today's pulpit.
Why?
Partly because a premium has been put on appeasement, cordiality, management methods, arbitration, dialog, suave and debonair, political maneuvering, relativism, and "don't make waves."
There has been a loss of holiness ethics, biblical understanding, spiritual knowledge and, in general, a washout of black-and-white morality.
Therefore, when one does speak today with the voice of conviction, he may be regarded as hyper in personality. He may be labeled as brash or uncouth, out of step.
It is rather risky today then to speak without compromise regarding biblical truths: tithing, hell as well as heaven, Jesus as the sole hope of salvation, God's Day kept holy, separation from sin, biblical loyalties, sanctified lifestyles, spiritual discipline, daily devotions, fidelity in marriage, honesty in finances and the like.
If and when one does preach on the Bible's fundamental themes, there is the real danger of running into crossfire with certain power plays in the camp.
That is why numerous pulpits have acquiesced to the harmless and hilarious, limp and languid.
Sad.
Yet when one researches the Bible, he discovers a God with the voice of conviction.
No wonder there is this staccato throughout Scriptures: "Thus saith the Lord." In other words, God’s declaration is a given; it has been revealed from eternity and therefore is not open to question. With that, such revealed truth is conveyed with conviction, no compromise permitted. Simplicity and forthrightness are absolutely necessary in the communication—clear and clean.
When this God pronounces His eternal imperatives, He speaks with gusto through dedicated preachers. Take, for example, the prophets warning Israelis of their backsliding, not tithing, desecrating the Lord's holy day, sexual license, materialistic cravings in neglecting their poor. Not nice topics delivered in soft tones; but all necessary if the prophets were going to be true to God.
Further, when this God implanted Himself in Jesus, that voice of conviction took flesh and dwelt among us—with raised voice on occasion. With stern countenance on occasion. With authority always.
When a preacher speaks with the Jesus-voice of conviction, those who are behaving under God applaud, encouraging such messages to continue.
I can hardly picture Jesus toppling Temple tables in a meek and mild manner. Nor telling hypocrites that they were of their father the devil while wearing a sweet smile.
Can one imagine John the Baptist with a Gentleman's Quarterly profile while castigating Herod for sleeping with a woman not his wife?
And what about Paul's demeanor when preaching to one congregation after
another, warning listeners of zealots plotting to undo his gospel planting?
The Bible is electric with power, riddled with zeal, moving and disturbing with a God who means business, refusing to play religious games to placate.
Why then does today's church find itself so easily comfortable?
Read NAZNET DISTORTS at http://naznetdistorts.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
HERETICAL NAZNET HANS DEVENTER’S BOSS TALKS
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
NazNet moderator Hans Deventer divulged on Dave McClung’s site that Deventer’s Nazarene District Superintendent had contacted him.
I had communicated with the Netherlands District Superintendent regarding Deventer’s heresies blatantly posted on the supposed “friend”-to-Nazarene web site.
Read NAZNET DISTORTS at http://naznetdistorts.blogspot.com/
These heresies included Deventer not believing in the Bible, holding that unsaved souls are annihilated at death, that souls go to an “intermediate state” upon death, and that there is no immediate entrance into heaven upon death for saved souls.
Further, Deventer was quite enthusiastic about the emergent church’s fuzzy teachings, mainly that one does not need “objective truths”—that is, moral absolutes—as long as one has sweet Jesus. Moral absolutes get in the way. Hugging Jesus is the all-in-all. Deventer stated: “I don’t believe the Bible. . .”
Deventer also aggressively pushed for a worldwide infant baptism acceptance throughout the Church of the Nazarene, though no infants are ever mentioned being baptized per the New Testament. Deventer expressed that he just could not understand why Nazarenes did not get the message that infant baptism was far more superior than infant dedication. Infant dedication is the traditional mode in that denomination.
Deventer definitely leaned in the ritualistic-liturgical “high church” direction of Anglican/Episcopalian when it came to worship style. He delighted in referring to “communion” as the “Eucharist,” the latter term not traditionally used in the denomination. “Communion” is the preferred term.
His theology was old-time liberalism cloaked in his own confused entanglement phrases. Deventer’s communication style was the more unclear the more posh, typical of emergent church proponents.
Deventer stated on NazNet that his boss had received ten emails in two days concerning Deventer’s various anti-Bible posts, none in keeping with the historic Church of the Nazarene.
The District Superintendent told me that he would speak to Deventer about matters. Apparently the boss followed through.
The Church of the Nazarene Board of General Superintendents, Nazarene Theological
Seminary and Nazarene Bible College administrations and faculties have also been informed of NazNet’s theological liberal positions, Deventer’s in particular.
The question then comes down to this: How does Dave McClung, founder/owner of the site, permit these gross theological distortions propagated especially by his two prime moderators—Hans Deventer and Scott Cundiff?
McClung is a wealthy businessman who has held prestigious positions on various denominational boards as well as being one-time President of Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy, MA.
Read “Naznet's Dave Mcclung's Cronyism Ups Emergent Devilment” at http://www.articlesbase.com/blogging-articles/naznet039s-dave-mcclung039s-cronyism-ups-emergent-devilment-1903633.html
Why then does he advertise his site as a “friend” to the Church of the Nazarene when he allows constant anti-Bible moderator positions expressed? Some individuals have reached the conclusion that McClung was in fact creating his own Internet church in competition with the Church of the Nazarene.
Read ” Naznet Hans Deventer's Boss 'Will Discuss Questions'” at http://www.magic-city-news.com/J_Grant_Swank_61/Naznet_Hans_Deventer_s_Boss_Will_Discuss_Questions13076.shtml
NazNet moderator Hans Deventer divulged on Dave McClung’s site that Deventer’s Nazarene District Superintendent had contacted him.
I had communicated with the Netherlands District Superintendent regarding Deventer’s heresies blatantly posted on the supposed “friend”-to-Nazarene web site.
Read NAZNET DISTORTS at http://naznetdistorts.blogspot.com/
These heresies included Deventer not believing in the Bible, holding that unsaved souls are annihilated at death, that souls go to an “intermediate state” upon death, and that there is no immediate entrance into heaven upon death for saved souls.
Further, Deventer was quite enthusiastic about the emergent church’s fuzzy teachings, mainly that one does not need “objective truths”—that is, moral absolutes—as long as one has sweet Jesus. Moral absolutes get in the way. Hugging Jesus is the all-in-all. Deventer stated: “I don’t believe the Bible. . .”
Deventer also aggressively pushed for a worldwide infant baptism acceptance throughout the Church of the Nazarene, though no infants are ever mentioned being baptized per the New Testament. Deventer expressed that he just could not understand why Nazarenes did not get the message that infant baptism was far more superior than infant dedication. Infant dedication is the traditional mode in that denomination.
Deventer definitely leaned in the ritualistic-liturgical “high church” direction of Anglican/Episcopalian when it came to worship style. He delighted in referring to “communion” as the “Eucharist,” the latter term not traditionally used in the denomination. “Communion” is the preferred term.
His theology was old-time liberalism cloaked in his own confused entanglement phrases. Deventer’s communication style was the more unclear the more posh, typical of emergent church proponents.
Deventer stated on NazNet that his boss had received ten emails in two days concerning Deventer’s various anti-Bible posts, none in keeping with the historic Church of the Nazarene.
The District Superintendent told me that he would speak to Deventer about matters. Apparently the boss followed through.
The Church of the Nazarene Board of General Superintendents, Nazarene Theological
Seminary and Nazarene Bible College administrations and faculties have also been informed of NazNet’s theological liberal positions, Deventer’s in particular.
The question then comes down to this: How does Dave McClung, founder/owner of the site, permit these gross theological distortions propagated especially by his two prime moderators—Hans Deventer and Scott Cundiff?
McClung is a wealthy businessman who has held prestigious positions on various denominational boards as well as being one-time President of Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy, MA.
Read “Naznet's Dave Mcclung's Cronyism Ups Emergent Devilment” at http://www.articlesbase.com/blogging-articles/naznet039s-dave-mcclung039s-cronyism-ups-emergent-devilment-1903633.html
Why then does he advertise his site as a “friend” to the Church of the Nazarene when he allows constant anti-Bible moderator positions expressed? Some individuals have reached the conclusion that McClung was in fact creating his own Internet church in competition with the Church of the Nazarene.
Read ” Naznet Hans Deventer's Boss 'Will Discuss Questions'” at http://www.magic-city-news.com/J_Grant_Swank_61/Naznet_Hans_Deventer_s_Boss_Will_Discuss_Questions13076.shtml
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