Brian McClaren wrote a book entitled “Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crisis, and a Revolution of Hope” If there is one thing that needs to be changed it is the title of the award for the best South African Christian book. Please change it to “The Dalai Lama Prize”.”
But first we need to take a brief glimpse of what Stephan Joubert wrote on his blog recently so that you may get my gist.
This murder [on Eugene Terreblanche] is disgusting, to say the very least. That freedom song is also bad, no doubt about that. But why people choose to draw a very straight line between murders and this song baffles me. I grew up in church singing the same religious hymns week after week, with little effect! The Ten Commandments was also read in services every single Sunday morning. When older people ask me nowadays why we stopped reading Exodus 20 in church on Sundays, I just ask them to recite the Ten Commandments right there on the spot. Up to date nobody could do this, in spite of hearing this very text 52 times a year for 20-30 years! Little effect, I say!
Stephan Joubert says: “Little effect, I say.” God says:
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
“Me thinks” Stephan Joubert is guilty of the very same thing of which he accuses others. He is drawing a straight line between the alleged ineffectiveness of a song that calls for the murder and destruction of the “boer” and “farmer” in South Africa and the alleged ineptitude of the Ten Commandments and Christian hymns to change lives in South Africa.
Stephan Joubert may have been reared in a church where the singing of hymns and the routine reading of the Ten Commandments had very little effect on the lives of their congregants, but has he forgotten that God never gave his Ten Commandments to change lives? In fact, Paul very clearly declared that the Law, although it is holy, just and good, brings about death in stead of life for it is the very Law that proves how exceedingly sinful mankind’s sins really are. If there hadn’t been any Law we would never have known what sin was but now that we do know and hitherto brazenly continue to break God’s Law we are bringing death and destruction upon ourselves.
Everyone, including Stephan Joubert, who does not acknowledge that the song “Kill the boer, kill the farmer” is a hideous violation of God’s Law will quite naturally sit back in their lazy boy arm chairs and say in an air of hauteur: The song ‘Kill the boer, kill the farmer,” is as impotent and ineffective as Christian hymns and the Ten Commandments. It has “Little effect, I say!” I would therefore earnestly like to remind Stephan Joubert that God’s Law is “our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The Law of God serves merely as a mirror in which we may see ourselves and acknowledge how filthy we have been contaminated by our sins in our beloved country, and that we all desperately need to come to Christ, the only Saviour of the world.
How on God’s earth did Stephan Joubert manage to win the prestigious Andrew Murray Prize when he has so little regard for God’s Law? (Matthew 5:19). Have we become so corrupt in our Christian religiosity that we applaud, praise and prize men who have apostatised from the faith? One of the main reasons why our country is in such a mess, is not because our government has supposedly lost the ability to curb the hideous crimes, but because “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Psalm 9:17)
What are the signs of a nation who has forgotten God? Read the following God-dishonouring quotes from the lips of one of our most distinguished religious prize-winning leaders and you will see what the signs are.
The strange thing about Christian one liners/slogans is that you often find the words “turn back…” in them.
“Turn back to God.”
“Turn back to the Bible.”
It makes me wonder why: turn back?
Shouldn’t it rather be: “Go forward?”
Leonard Sweet, world renowned futurist, theologian, author, speaker and the guru of those who seek God’s plans in new, meaningful ways, including myself, refuses to use the term retraite or retreat. He’ll immediately tell you that Christians never retreat. We advance. Therefore, the gatherings that he hosts at his island and mountain homes are called advances!
Christians shouldn’t turn back to the Bible or the church. Then we’re heading in the wrong direction. We move forward to God. We advance. (Emphasis added) – Stephan Joubert
The most dangerous deceivers are those who claim to be Christians but have no qualms in asserting that there are truths in religions other than the Christian faith. E-church and e-kerk, engineered by Stephan Joubert, Dries Lombaard, Dries Cronjé and others, have openly supported Rob Bell’s claim that there is truth in other religions such as Buddhism.
He (Rob Bell) says you must engage the culture. I must listen to the Buddhists. You must hear what those guys have to say. Then Christians get a big fright because they do not hear clearly what Rob Bell says. He does not say, become like them; he says, read their stuff, find out why they are so important. They too might have truth. Truth is not only in Christianity. Truth can be found in Judaism. You can find truth in atheism. You can find truth in whosoever. God’s general revelation is a little wider, but you say Jesus is Lord.
We must find new ways. We must give form to new ways. We must find new partners. We must listen when the biggest growing spirituality in the world is presently not Christianity. And then we musk ask, why not? Why does Buddhism grow the fastest? Why do they have what we don’t have? Why does the American Neurological Society, when 40 000 of the world’s neurologists come together, invite the Dalai Lama to address them? Why do they get the Dalai Lama, the head of the Buddhists? – Stephan Joubert in a sermon he gave at the Kemptonkruin DRC on 1st March 2009.
South Africa and especially the Afrikaner church community are ecstatic over Stephan Joubert’s prize-winning book and yet he doesn’t know what the difference is between the ecclesia (church) of God and Buddhism? Now fancy that! Joubert, previously professor in New Testament at the University of Pretoria, formerly a pastor of the Afrikaans Christian Church in Auckland, New Zealand and presently a tent maker pastor of the DRC congregation Kempton-Kruin in Kempton Park and an innovator in the field of electronic service . . . does not know why the Buddhists have what the Christian Church does not have? Well, I must admit that I too do not know why the Buddhists have what we don’t have but I do know what the Christians have what they don’t have. We, all the blood cleansed children of God (not all in the Christian fold are saved) have Jesus Christ whom they don’t have. They do not have Jesus Christ, not because He does not want them to have Him, but because they themselves shun HIm and his cross.
In an interview James A. Beverley had with the Dalai Lama some very interesting insights about the Lama’s view of Jesus Christ came to light.
I reminded him of his belief that Jesus is “a fully enlightened being” and asked, “If Jesus is fully enlightened, wouldn’t he be teaching the truth about himself? Therefore, if he is teaching the truth, then he is the Son of God, and there is a God and Jesus is the Savior. If he is fully enlightened, he should teach the truth. If he is not teaching the truth, he is not that enlightened.”
As the Dalai Lama felt the momentum of the question, he laughed more than at any other time in the interview. He obviously understood the argument, borrowed from C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity.
“This is a very good question,” he said. “This is very, very important, very important.” Even in Buddha’s case, he said, a distinction must always be made between teachings that “always remain valid” and others that “we have the liberty to reject.”
He argued that the Buddha knew people were not always ready for the higher truth because it “wouldn’t suit, wouldn’t help.” Therefore, lesser truths are sometimes taught because of the person’s ignorance or condition. This is known in Buddhist dharma as the doctrine of uppayah, or ‘skillful means.’ The Dalai Lama then applied this to the question about Jesus.
“Jesus Christ also lived previous lives,” he said. “So, you see, he reached a high state, either as a Bodhisattva, or an enlightened person, through Buddhist practice or something like that. Then, at a certain period, certain era, he appeared as a new master, and then because of circumstances, he taught certain views different from Buddhism, but he also taught the same religious values as I mentioned earlier: Be patient, tolerant, compassionate. This is, you see, the real message in order to become a better human being.” He said that there was absolutely no lying involved since Jesus’ motivation was to help people.
Do you follow his argument? Due to my own lack of “uppayah” or “skillful means” I decided to list it in the following way so that I may understand it in a more structural way in my non-”uppayah” brain.
- Jesus Christ was a fully enlightened being who reached a high state, either as a Bodhisattva or an enlightend person through Buddhist practices [such as meditation] or something like that .
- However, the Buddha explained that people were not always ready for the higher truth [which of course the Buddhists alone possess] because it would’nt suit or help them [which is rather strange because truth can only essentially be truth when it sets you free of all the lies you have believed]. Therefore, lesser truths [which apparently are lesser potent than the higher truths in Buddhism and therefore cannot set you free] are sometimes taught because of a person’s ignorance or condition [ for instance bad karma?].
- Although Jesus had reached a higher level of enlightenment, He had to tone down his Bodhissattva wisdom when He appeared as a new master [in the guise of the Son of God as the Christians believe]. Because of different circumstances [aka "a different and primitive worldview" as our dear friends in the DRC Seminary at the Univerisity of Pretoria believe] He was compelled to teach certain views different from Buddhism [such as that He was crucified, was buried, was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven and will return again to judge the world in righteoussness].
- However, Jesus remained faithful to the core teachings of Buddhism because He continued to teach “the message of compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, simplicity, then self-discipline.” In fact, He was only faithfully upholding with valour the truth all religions supposedly adhere to.
James A. Beverley brilliantly responded to the Dalai Lama’s semi Buddhist-Christian ramblings as follows:
While the Dalai Lama’s claim that Jesus is a fully enlightened being offers some common ground with Christian faith, he does not seem to grasp the difficulties inherent in his position.
In the four gospels the integrity of Jesus’ moral teaching is intimately linked with the accuracy of his self-identity, not only by the opponents and disciples of Jesus, but also by Jesus himself. It is impossible to picture an enlightened Jesus once a Buddhist perspective is used to evaluate his truth claims. For example, Jesus praised Peter for his belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus said God revealed this to the disciple. From a Buddhist perspective, there is no God to reveal anything. If there is no God, then Jesus is not the Son of God, and Peter’s confession is false. What does this suggest about the integrity of Jesus as a teacher?
Furthermore, why is it that humans in Jesus’ day could not be given the same Buddhist message delivered by Gautama Buddha just a few centuries earlier in India? The Dalai Lama rightly recognizes that good teaching modifies itself to the audience to some degree. Was the karma so bad in Israel to require withholding the Buddha’s teachings on reincarnation, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the nature of enlightenment?
Finally, claims that Jesus is really a Buddha in disguise are no compliment to Jesus or Buddha. How would Buddhists feel if Christians claimed that Gautama was really a Christian figure ahead of his time?
But then again, who needs Jesus Christ when you do not even need Buddha?
In terms of his own faith, the Dalai Lama drew a parallel between emotional love for Buddha and Christian love for Jesus. He said that his reflection on Buddha’s teaching and sacrifice has led him to tears at times. Does he thank Buddha for the good things in his life?
“Frankly speaking, my own happiness is mainly due to my own good karma,” he said. “It is a fundamental Buddhist belief that my own suffering is due to my mistakes. If some good things happen, that is mainly due to my own good actions, not something related to a direct connection with Buddha.”
I have it on good authority that the Mosaic Church in Johannesburg where Stephan Joubert appears regularly as a preacher and teacher occasionally show statues of Buddha on their overhead screens during church services.
Can it really be possible that a prize-winning laureate does not know why a religion such as Buddhism is one of the fastest growing religions in the world and why Christianity is dwindling? If Stephan Joubert would only retract his foolish assertion that “Christians shouldn’t turn back to the Bible or the church” and repentantly and contritely return to God and his Word, he would have known and acknowledged what Jesus said about the last days.
- BUT THE [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach, (1 Timothy 4:1)
- And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error. And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity, (Matthew 24:10-12)
- Herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching. For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions. (2 Timothy 4:2-4)
- But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it. (Matthew 7:14)
- If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. (John 15:25).
- Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8b)
The above few passages from Scripture prove beyond any doubt that Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, is completely incompatible with Buddhism and why no truly born-again and Spirit-filled child of God would ever be invited to speak at a gathering of the American Neurological Society where 40 000 neurologists hung on the lips of the Dalai Lama. Does Stephan Joubert, our revered winner of the Andrew Murray Prize, really think Jesus Christ whom he claims to follow will listen to a man whom the Buddhists claim is a reincarnated god? Says who? Dave Hunt wrote the following article some years ago
The recent stunning events in Eastern Europe have probably moved the world closer to the “peace” that precedes Antichrist’s rise to power. The partnership between Gorbachev and the Pope could play an important role. When the world imagines it has achieved “peace and safety,” sudden destruction will come (1 Thess 5:3). A powerful spiritual “peace” delusion seems to be gathering momentum.
Take for example a peace poster popular in North America and Europe. Its full-color replica was the front cover of the December 1989 issue of Whole Life Times, a major New Age monthly. The scene offers a magnificent view of the sprawling eleven-story, gilt-roofed “Palace of the Gods” in Lhasa, Tibet, ancient residence of the Dalai Lamas. Towering in the background are the snow-capped Himalayas overarched with a dazzling rainbow—all mirrored perfectly on the glassy surface of a lake.
Superimposed upon the breathtaking landscape is a head-and-shoulders picture of Tenzin Gyatso, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet,” smiling most benignly. His huge image rises out of the palace, dwarfing it and blocking the view of a portion of the majestic mountains behind. In large print at the bottom of the poster/magazine cover are the words, “Peace on Earth.” The blasphemous implication is clear: The promise of the angels at the birth of Christ will be fulfilled through the Dalai Lama!
This was the December issue, but it contained no mention of Christmas or of Jesus Christ. The entire magazine was devoted to “Peace on Earth” and how to attain it—yet the “Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6), through whom comes “peace with God …through the blood of his cross” (Rom 5:1; Col 1:20), was not mentioned even once in its pages. His gospel has been replaced by the human potential gospel of self-help and self-esteem that occupies each issue of Whole Life Times and has even invaded the church.
This poster and magazine represent an attitude that permeates society and is growing. That Jesus Christ alone can bring peace to this earth is considered an intolerably dogmatic statement and is rejected out of hand—not because it can be shown to be false, but because it is too narrow-minded for today’s pluralistic world.
Christianity is called a religion. Those representing it are limited to what they can say or do in the public arena. It is considered improper, even illegal in some places such as the public schools, to offer Jesus Christ as a solution to the moral problems that plague society, much less as the hope for world peace.
Not so with Buddhism. The Dalai Lama is immune to criticism, given access to all levels of government, education and society, and respected as the ambassador of religious tolerance. Yet he engages in the most blatant missionary activity, initiating tens of thousands around the world into occultic Tibetan Buddhist beliefs and practices. He is also associated with the World Hindu Congress, which has as its goal the neutralization of Christianity and the establishment of a Hindu-Buddhist belief system as the world religion. So much for “religious tolerance.”
The Dalai Lama taught in Santa Monica that it was possible for all human beings to eventually become a Buddha, a being of the highest wisdom and compassion and power…[through] a method called Deity Yoga….Deity Yoga…is a special conscious act of…visualizing the illusion that we are already…god-like…[able] to create our own reality…[that we] are Buddhas.
Do we realize to what extent our so-called Christian leaders who call themselves Christ-followers have drifted from the Word of God and yet dr. Pieter van Niekerk, Elize Parker and Christo van der Rheede award him the prestigious Andrew Murray Prize? Murray is probably already tired of turning in his grave over and over again having noticed how many times his namesake prize has been awarded to writers who have openly and unashamedly turned their backs on God and his Word. Stephan Joubert has no intention to obey Jesus Christ’s command to go into all the world and to make disciples of all the nations and to teach them to observe everything He commanded us. While he bravely and audaciously encourages everyone to engage other religions, particularly Buddhism because it too supposedly holds truth in its bosom, he brazenly admits that he would never try to convince Buddhists and Hindus to receive Jesus Christ as their only Saviour. Here are his own words:
It [the Emergent Church] involves people who have a passion to say [that] the world and its culture in our generation need to be won back to Christ. And therefore I am not going to criticise their culture but I’m going to engage it. Therefore, I’m not going to take on their spirituality and postulate my truths. I’m going to listen to what they have to say because I can prove [to them] the truth ad infinitum as I did in the 1960’s, and I can debate with a Buddhist or a Hindu and sit there with them and say ‘here is my truth, here are my stuff.’ But now as an Emerging Church guy I will say [to them], let us listen . . . I’m not going to try and change you but you also have the right to hear how I feel and I’m not going to make any excuses for who I am. I’m not going to force my religion down your throat.
Stephan Joubert assertively promised never to shove his faith down a Buddhist’s or a Hindu’s throat which implies that he deems the alleged truth in other religions to be as potent as the truth in Christianity. Consequently he would not want to evangelize people in other religions when their own truths are able to redeem them? Brian McLaren echoes his sentiments.
I must add, though, that I don’t believe making disciples must equal making adherents to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many circumstances to help people become followers of Jesus and remain within their Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish contexts.” – A Generous Orthodoxy, p. 260
Let me remind Stephan Joubert that the truth in Christianity is not an abstract concept; it is a Person. Jesus Christ is not only the very essence and embodiment of love, but also of compassion, righteousness, longsuffering, grace, mercy and truth. Some of the other religions may endorse and even try to practice all these virtuous truths but it means nothing because Jesus Himself once said “ . . . without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5b). No man, no matter what religion he belongs to, is capable of knowing and practicing the truth, love, compassion, justice, peace etc. without Jesus Christ. How can they when they reject Him and his cross of reconciliation? Therefore, to say or even imply that there is truth in other religions and even atheism is an affront to Jesus Christ and his Word. It suggests that we need to tap into the alleged truths in other religions so that we may enhance and fill up that which is lacking in the Truth, Jesus the Christ.
I agree with Stephan Joubert that “That freedom song is also bad” but does he realize that there is something even worse and far more dangerous? Yes! you have guessed it — deception, false doctrine, and doctrines of demons.
1 Timothy 4:1 BUT THE [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach,
Is the notion that there are truths in other religions, equal to those in Christianity, a doctrine of God?
Allow me to quote to you once again what Alice Bailey wrote in one of her books:
Your spiritual goal is the establishing of the Kingdom of God. . . .
“It is time that the church woke up to its true mission, which is to materialize the kingdom of God on earth, today, here and now.… People are no longer interested in a possible heavenly state or a probable hell. They need to learn that the kingdom is here, and must express itself on earth … The way into that kingdom is the way that Christ trod. It involves the sacrifice of the personal self for the good of the world, and the service of humanity…” — Alice Bailey (Cited in chapter 15 of “In The Name of Purpose”).
