The Passion Conference: Judah Smith Glorifies ...Judah Smith

From part 3 of a 3-part series on the 2013 Passion Conference:

"...Before sending your child off to a conference that calls itself Christian, look into the people who are going to be filling your child's mind. Those who claim Jesus may not be all that sterling of a role model as you would want. 

Overall, I took away that what was taught to the young adults at Passion 2013 was that visions are normal and to be expected. If you're not having visions and hearing God's voice speaking to you personally, something is wrong with you. Topically addressing the scripture in a skeleton context while filling the rest of the time with personal anecdotes and description of ecstatic experience is a sermon. What we experience in ecstatic mode is to be preferred to diligent study of the word. In other words, the bible is OK, but visions are better. The world's social ills can be fixed with zeal and money. Plus, fixing the world's social ills with zeal and money should be the purpose of my life. A real faith includes volume, excitement, drama, and surfing from one high encounter with God to the next....
I have been blogging a discernment series on what was taught at the Passion 2013 conference held in Atlanta this January. There was a star studded Christian lineup of speakers and singers at the conference. Unfortunately, that did not guarantee that the Word was handled correctly. Much was taught that was heretical. What was not overtly heretical was implicitly denigrating of preaching, the bible, and church as an organization. I had done an examination of the lead singer for Jesus Culture in part 1, and looked at what Louie Giglio said in part 2. Those links are below. All was balanced against what the bible says.

In this part I'll present a bare bones synopsis of what Judah Smith said, and then conclude lower down.

Judah Smith talked with the kids at Passion 2013. It is all the rage these days to pooh-pooh doctrine. To mock religion. William Young did it in The Shack, writing,

--the dusty old King James Bible
--church attendance is "religious conditioning"
--“Images of family devotions from his childhood came spilling into his mind, not exactly good memories 
--"God’s voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellect"

The cumulative effect of these subtle denigrations of what Jesus holds dear have an effect. In this piece, Smith is talking about Genesis 1, "Let us make man in our image." He denigrated traditional Christianity, too. He said--

"For those of you who are not scholars, you are wondering who's "Us" and who's "Our"? God, I know this is awkward, but who are you talking to? I suppose you could create an alter-ego, but really, who are you talking to, God? ... For those of you who are so scholarly and have been around church forever, you say, [he makes his voice a sing-song nasal so the mocking quality would become evident] "Clearly that is a a reference to the triune Godhead." For the rest of us that watch NFL games and have a real life, it's a bit [garbled]."

There are several messages here just in this short snippet, and none have anything to do with proper biblical understanding or preaching. Smith taught 60,000 kids that--

--If you've 'been around church forever' you're not a respected elder. You're outdated deadwood.
--Proper study is not to be desired or you risk being branded a "scholar". In my day they were called disciples.
--Studying the bible and going to church means you don't have a 'real life'. 
--It is cool to mock the brethren

He also said, 

--Without community our world will not see God
--Trusting leadership is not easy (reminds me of the secular revolutionary mantra from hippie 1960s 'don't trust anyone over 30')
--Going to a local place where people know you is not easy (he rarely says "church") 
--Jesus is building something. He is not just here just to individually save people.

Parents, is that what you want your child learning? That leaders are hard to trust and church isn't real life? That is what these people are teaching. Before sending your child off to a conference that calls itself Christian, look into the people who are going to be filling your child's mind. Those who claim Jesus may not be all that sterling of a role model as you would want.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

LOUIE GIGLIO, PASSION 2013, AND JESUS CULTURE

(reprinted in full from Apprising Ministries)
By Ken Silva 

pastor-teacher on Jan 2, 2013 in AM Missives, Current Issues, Features

I told you here at Apprising Ministries in Beth Moore And John Piper Set For Passion 2013 With Louie Giglio that once again those two well-respected mainstream evangelicals would be appearing at Giglio’s Passion conference which, as of this writing, is in full swing.

Here’s some notables in the lineup for this year:

(source)

Giglio, Chan, Moore and Piper return to Passion from last year and now we have sinfully ecumenical emerging musician David Crowder1 added to the mix. Another couple of special guests are:

(source)

I covered ecumenical evangelical magisterium candidate Judah Smith previously in Judah Smith With Justin Bieber’s Swag Coach Ryan Good and Charismatic Quasi-Prosperity Preacher Judah Smith; seen below in a skateboarding contest with pop singer Justin Bieber:

The focus here is upon a group called Jesus Culture, which had previously been flying under the radar. Not anymore. In Jesus Culture And Judah Smith To Join Piper, Moore, Chan And Others At Giglio’s Passion 2013 by Christian Research Network Associate Editor Erin Benziger she tells us:

The group’s website tells us that it was spawned out of the youth group at Bill Johnson’s Bethel Church in Redding, California.

For those who are unfamiliar with Johnson and Bethel, the following video shares some of the “signs and wonders” shenanigans that take place there, and also demonstrates some classic Bill Johnson Scripture-twisting:

(source)

Since Bill Johnson isn’t the focal point, here I’ll just let you know that:

Bill and Brenda Johnson are the Senior Pastors of Bethel Church in Redding, California. Bethel Church is firmly aligned with the Word-Faith movement and identifies with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), or the Third Wave Movement with its “prophets,” “apostles,” and alleged manifestions. Bill Johnson is called an “apostle” by C. Peter Wagner (See  TBC  5/97, 2/07). His theology has amounted to what some call a “ de facto  denial of the deity of Christ.” (source)

Obviously, we’re dealing with an absolute theological train wreck at Bethel Church (BC). However, as Benziger points out, this is the pastor and pastrix and church from which the Jesus Culture (JC) phenomenon has come.

This isn’t guilt-by-association; it is a fact. JC tells us so right on their Facebook page, as you see below:

(source

So, JC itself is quick to point out that they’re not “just a band, but…a ministry of Bethel Church.” Therefore, now that Louie Giglio has made the decision to bring JC to his Passion 2013, JC itself witnesses for BC.

As such, we have every right to examine the theology taught to JC by pastor Bill and pastrix Brenda at their BC since they are an extension of that church. This all goes to the credibility of JC and their ministry.

In closing this out. for now, we return to Erin Benziger’s earlier post under the subheading The “Teaching” of Jesus Culture where she informs us:

Jesus Culture does more than simply play music, however. It seems that, at times, various members of the group also may preach or teach. Below is [a video of] Jesus Culture member Kim Walker-Smith preaching to a large crowd at the Awakening 2011 event, and offering a rather detailed account of her own personal encounter with “Jesus.” (source)

Walker-Smith’s JC bio contains confirmation that for her and husband Skyler, “Bethel Church in Redding, CA is our home church,” and this peculiar phrase that sounds like a Jehovah’s Witness: “Holy Spirit is my friend.”

As Benziger pointed out, the video clip below comes from a longer video entitled Preaching Kim Walker-Awakening 2011, which is 47:36 minutes of a rambling hyper-charismatic message of seeking “God’s presence.”

The clip comes about two-thirds of the way in. I caution you that what you’re about to hear quickly goes from mildly annoying to blasphemous. It also become quite clear that Kim Walker-Smith is spiritually clueless.

Before we get to that, it’s important that I give you the proper context from which to view the over-arching mission of JC. We get a clearer picture as to just how nefarious this group is spiritually looking atAwakening 2011 (A2011).

You need to understand that A2011 was put on by the JC ministry itself, as in The Jesus Culture Awakening 2011 and was:

(source)

Now here was the lineup for this JC A2011 followed by an exclusive Apprising Ministries video clip of the main event promo combined with those of JC’s pastor Bill Johnson, Reinhard Bonnke, NAR apostlette Cindy Jacobs2 and NAR apostle Lou Engle3:

(source)

Here’s what “apostle” Lou Engle prophesied for Jesus Culture to be a part of and what Louie Giglio’s now brought to Passion 2013 for his Jesus Generation:

(source)

Against this Erin Benziger gives you a little preview of the fables you’re about to hear from Jesus Culture preachette Kim Walker-Smith. Benziger’s actually uses a very understated tone as she tells us:

Kim Walker-Smith claims that she spoke with Jesus, that He cuddled her, and that she saw God the Father. And while she acknowledges that such visions are not regular occurrences, she nevertheless indicates that she’s had multiple encounters with Him.

One wonders how many people sitting amongst that large crowd left disappointed that night that they had not “encountered” Jesus as Kim Walker-Smith claimed that she had. Walker-Smith’s recollection of the vision is natural, and seems to presume that everyone should experience such a thing. (source)

Here’s the bottom line: All of this kind of WF/NAR skubalon is what Louie Giglio, John Piper and Beth Moore have now just helped expose your youth to at Passion 2013. Are we really ok with that?

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Further reading

• JOHN PIPER, RICK WARREN & FOSTER-WILLARDISM
• BETH MOORE AND KEN SILVA DISCUSS HER DEMONIC VISION
• WRETCHED: RUN FROM THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION

Endnotes

1. http://defendingcontending.com/2010/02/28/david-crowders-crowded-theology/, accessed 1-2-13. ↩
2. http://www.narwatch.com/2012/03/01/new-apostolic-prayer-guide-attacks-california-labor-unions-prepares-for-election-2012/, accessed 1-2-13. ↩
3. http://www.narwatch.com/2010/10/17/lou-engle-only-one-of-many-of-sen-brownbacks-nar-apostle-problems/, accessed 1-2-13. ↩

JESUS CULTURE AND JUDAH SMITH TO JOIN PIPER, MOORE, CHAN AND OTHERS AT GIGLIO’S PASSION 2013

By Christian Research Network Associate Editor Erin Benziger of Do Not Be Surprised…
This is a repost of an original article on Do Not Be Surprised…

A new year means a fresh batch of conferences. And a fresh batch of conferences means a whole new crop of questionable decisions being made by the leaders and organizers of those gatherings.

To start off the 2013 conference season is Louie Giglio’s Passion 2013. Held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, it will run from 1–4 January. Giglio aims this gathering specifically at young people, and according to the event’s website, last year saw “more than 40,000 students and leaders from around the world” at the US event.

Source

Passion targets the younger generation with such high-profile names as Beth Moore, John Piper, Francis Chan, rapper Lecrae and this year, pastor Judah Smith of The City Church in Seattle and popular Christian band, Jesus Culture.

Read FULL ARTICLE HERE