Update 12/04/15: I took this post offline for awhile, due to the women’s ministry at Times Square Church (pastored by Carter Conlon and his wife Teresa) studying a series by the heretical contemplative Beth Moore as recently as May 2015. I find it ironic (and sad) that such a church, known for its discernment, is studying (or has studied) a false teacher such as Beth Moore. Note the following excerpt from the May 2015 Times Square schedule, found here:
WOMEN’S MINISTRY
Monthly Prayer Fellowship: Second Sunday of every month. Next Meeting: June 14 (No meeting on May 10), 1:00–2:30PM, Room 205. Women’s Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study: Every Wednesday, 10:00AM–12:00PM, Room 205. New Bible Series, “Children of the Day,”by Beth Moore (April 22–August 19). Childcare is provided for both meetings.
For a summary of the errors of Beth Moore click here; note also the links for further research at the bottom.
Still, the following sermon excerpt by Carter Conlon is excellent. I am putting it back online with reservations, assuming for now that the Beth Moore series has been dropped by Times Square Church since May 2015.
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In memory of 9/11:
Carter Conlon is currently Senior Pastor of Times Square Church, which was founded by the late David Wilkerson. Below is a moving video/audio of Carter Conlon preaching, with scenes from 9/11. But the message is far more serious than 9/11 – it has to do with the eternal destiny of our souls.
There are several versions of this video; here is a version with captions:
Click here for the transcript of this moving video. I have copied and pasted the entire transcript here. (I have emphasized certain points by bolding. Also, I have slightly revised the transcript to match the audio clip more exactly):
Run For Your Life Video [Transcript] by BraveheartedGospel.com
Sermon: Run For Your Life – Preacher: Carter Conlon
On the first Sunday following the tragedy of September 11th, 2001, Carter Conlon delivered this soul-stirring message at Times Square Church in Manhattan. The sermon was titled, Run For Your Life and it is certainly worth the effort to listen to it in its entirety:
Listen to me like you’ve never listened to me ever in your life.
We have got to lay our lives down for the purposes of God. This is not a Sunday School picnic, the church of Jesus Christ. This is not an invitation to have continuous good times. This is a war for the souls of men.
Come out from among them. Run for your life. Because this is about your life. This is not just about an opposing theology or conflicting viewpoint on Jesus, this is about your life.
My mind is forever branded with the stories that I heard of police officers from the city of New York. As people were fleeing from a crumbling building there were police officers and firemen and others that were running towards the buildings saying “Run for your life,” at their own peril. And in some cases I believe they knew they were going to die but there was a sense of duty. I was crying out to God, I said “God, oh Jesus, don’t let my sense of duty be less for Your Kingdom than these beloved firemen and policemen were for those that are perishing in a falling tower. We’re living in a generation when Truth is falling into the streets. I want to be among those that are not running away from the conflict but running into the conflict and saying, “Run for your life.”
Run from gospels that focus only on success and prosperity. Run!
Run from those who use the name of Christ only for personal gain. Run from those that are picking your pocket in the name of Jesus. Run!
Run from gospels that only focus on self improvement. Run!
Run from churches where men and not Christ are glorified. Run!
Run Body of Christ, Run! Get out! Don’t touch the unclean thing.
Run from churches in America and Canada where there is no Bible. There’s no cross in the theology. There’s no soul-searching word. There’s no repentance from sin. There’s no mention of the blood of Jesus. Run! It’s unclean. Run!
Run from churches where you’re comfortable in your sins. If you come into the house of God and you’ve got sin in your life and you’re not convicted of it, you’re at a table of devils.
Run from pulpits that are filled with political men, who are using the pulpit of God for a personal political agenda. Run!
Run from those who preach division between races and cultures. Run!
Run! Get out! Turn it off! Get away from it!
They know nothing of God.
Run from ungodly spasmodic movements and aimless empty prophesying. Beloved Church, run for your life!
Run from preachers that stand and tell stories and jokes. Run like you’ve never run before!
RUN!
RUN!
RUN!
[Like Carter Conlon, it is also my dream to warn Christians, to beg with them to flee from false teachers, from churches that are preaching false gospels.]
NOTE – Following is the entire sermon (approx. 1 hr., 16 mins.):
Click here for the transcript of this sermon.
FOR FURTHER VIEWING AND READING
Click here for a listing of 383 free downloadable audio sermons by Carter Conlon.
How can you run if your husband loves these types of churches and is unable to hear anything in opposition to their teachings. I have been praying for fellowship with other Christians for support to endure but not sure were to turn in LA area of So Cal.
Excellent question. (BTW, let me know if you want me to revise your online comment to hide your personal details.) I forwarded your question anonymously to some friends, to see what they would do in your situation. Following are their responses so far:
Debby Kay wrote: “You finally get so fed up and so starved for real truth you just leave…with or with out him. That is what I finally had to do!”
Manny wrote: “I have two good friends who each on their own, had to decide to leave their church within the past several years, due to false teaching or compromising of doctrine. Both their spouses are still at the old church. It happens. When God tells you to flee, you have to flee, thus you have to listen to God first.
Both my friends are in the same mode of patience with their spouses. For one, it has been about 6 years- the other about a year. They continue to pray that they will start seeing more truth about what is going on. But certainly no one can be forced to see the truth- God must reveal it to them.”
Dave wrote: “My experience is similar. When I first started blogging about Spiritual Formation, etc., my wife didn’t really understand what all the hullabaloo was about. She thought I should not rock the boat, but just pray that God deals with people in the denomination. But whenever I got a chance, I would read to her the comments of readers of my blogs who were agreeing with me that things were increasingly heretical. Now she’s starting to agree with me on things. We still prefer different churches, but I’m praying she sees the problems in her preferred church are serious enough to leave – she’s come a long way.”
John wrote: “A marriage remains sacred before God. When you are faced with this it is hardly different than having a spouse who lives in sin or some such. There are Christians in a family who are punished for even going to church. God is not just in a church. Jesus said, “I will never leave YOU.” He will give the person ways to feed her soul and be a witness for Christ. Think of it as a mission field.”
Thank you all for taking time to reply to my question. I agree that marriage is sacred and in my circumstance I can be a testimony of God’s faithfulness to provide the spiritual feeding, patience and endurance I need. I will continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will work in my husband to increase discernment against the many false teachings springing up in churches. I also see that this is definitely an opportunity to speak the truth in love to others we fellowship with. I am not afraid of confrontation, but in the same time I want to remain respectful and study the word in order to be ready when I am faced with false doctrine. Although often the most frustrating thing is that you are not taken seriously or are marked as a trouble maker.
Thank you again to all of you and God Bless.
Seija, I’m glad we could help. If you are on Facebook, I would suggest joining this Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/concernednazarenes/?notif_t=group_activity They have been a great encouragement to me. This is where I anonymously posted your question and received the responses I reposted here. God bless you – Dave
There was another pastor there who was born in Zambia. a white guy. I used to love his sermons. Where is he now?
Good question, Linda. I’m not sure who this individual would have been. Perhaps another reader will see this comment and provide the answer. God bless you – Dave
old post, but can’t help but respond to Linda…
Neil Rhodes is in Colorado. here’s his twitter account: https://twitter.com/PsNeilRhodes
Also, Carter Conlon has a website. Here’s Run For Your Life
You mentioned Beth Moore and called her teaching heretical. What is it about her teaching that is against the Bible?
Good question Jeanie. I’m no expert on Beth Moore, but Googling “Beth Moore heretical” will bring up a number of informative articles. The main issue I have with her is her emphasis on contemplative prayer. Hope that answers your question, at least partially. God bless you – Dave P.S.: Here is one of many articles listing issues with Beth Moore: http://www.deliveredbygrace.com/say-no-more-beth-moore/
There is so much real and serious apostasy right now, taking issue with how Moore prays is petty. The only prayer Jesus asked us to follow was the Lord’s Prayer Are we now to say it is the only acceptable prayer? Prayer is communication with a real person (not man). The individual personality of the supplicant will always come out.
Than you for your comment. Fact is, Beth Moore is into contemplative prayer, which IMHO is a huge heresy nowadays, taught by many. And this is only one of the heresies/false teachings Beth Moore is propogating. Google “Beth Moore heretical” and you’ll easily find articles listing her various heretical teachings. I know many people think Beth Moore is great – but God’s Word tells us to test everyone and be good Bereans. God bless you – Dave P.S.: Can you give some examples of what you think involve “real and serious apostasy”? (I’m pretty sure I will agree that the examples you cite do involve apostasy.)
My question or comment if you want to call it that is this: I have been a church member and saved-christian my entire life (I’m 50 now). Grew up Methodist and converted to FWB about 20 years ago. Left 1 church about 15 years ago to attend another one closer to my home. I left the church completely about 3 years ago because I was fed up with the hypocrisy, the vanity, the money grubbing, lying, cheating people who think they are such good Christians. At one point in my church experience, we had a deacon in our church whose ex-wife attended, his current live-in girlfriend and the woman rumored to be his mistress. All of this was going on under the nose of the pastor. Don’t get me wrong, there are some pastors that would insist they would never allow such to go on, but those same pastors are secretly having affairs, embezzling money, addicted to porn and other such atrocities. just go to any news site, on any given day and you will find a pastor accused of such.
The point I’m trying to get at, “organized” religion is a farce. You make Christianity so much harder than it has to be. It is not technical and complicated. Do you think for one minute that in Jesus’ time, he ever got paid to preach? Did he ever once tell his disciples that drinking wine would cause them to go to hell? Did he preach prosperity? No he didn’t. Interpretation is left to the individual, but the problem with churches today is that the preacher preaches HIS opinions and the church says “Amen”. This is WRONG on so many levels.
You cannot pick and choose which commandments to follow. Isn’t adultery just as sinful as lying? Isn’t covetousness just as sinful as taking the Lord’s name in vain?
Churches and society want to cherry pick sin. It doesn’t work that way. We are all sinners and none are perfect. We live our short lives the best we can. We should all love each other, respect each other and yes, pray.
“Religion” needs to quit analyzing faith and teaching people all this crazy talk. I mean, really….what is contemplative prayer???
Do you really think Jesus told people to be contemplative when they pray?
NO. He told them to pray to their father for their daily bread, forgive others, and help us not to succumb to temptation of evil. Did he tell us to sing a solo in the church cantata so people would praise our beautiful voice? Did he tell us to have pastor appreciation Sunday where we honor someone other than GOD. Did he tell us to have a BBQ fundraiser to build a new addition on the church, or to sell blankets to raise money for a bus? No, No, No. He also didn’t tell us that if we give $100 to the church, we will receive $200 from GOD. This is sick false teaching.
I’m also fed up with the way we treat people of other faiths. My best friend has become a Jehovah’s Witness. Since becoming one, ALL of her friends have disowned her. My observation of that is they were not very good friends at all. We don’t turn our backs on people just because they worship differently. I work with a Muslim and a Hindu. They are wonderful, generous, caring people who I have a tremendous amount of respect for.
We cannot condemn nor dispute things that we don’t understand or know about. How can a preacher stand in the pulpit and incite the audience about not becoming a JW or Hindu or Muslim when I guarantee you he knows nothing about their background either.
I am sick of brainwashing by ALL religions. That’s why I choose none.
I have faith and I have a belief in my GOD. Going to church will not enhance that faith.
Those that teach organization to believe are wrong and they are sick.
I wish the country would wake up and realize this. I’d disgusted!!
Thank you for your comments and thoughts, Sutton. You covered a number of interesting points. Some things I agree with – such as prosperity preachers – I too oppose them. Other things I disagree with – such as your problem with preachers “inciting” their audiences as you put it not to become JW or Hindu or Muslim. As exclusivist as it sounds, Jesus said He is the only way to Heaven. If I get a chance, I’ll respond to each of your points in your comment. BTW, if you don’t mind my asking, do you have a Facebook account or blog where you’ve written more about your views? This would give me more insight as to where you’re coming from. God bless you – Dave