Brennan Manning’s ‘Ragamuffin Gospel’ — Not really the Gospel at all !

July 11, 2007

From an article entitled ‘Ragamuffin‘ in Christianity today, find these excerpts:

The first time the late singer-songwriter Rich Mullins heard former Franciscan priest Brennan Manning on tape as he drove through the edge of the Flint Hills in Kansas, his eyes filled with tears. He steered the truck to the side of the road. There, as he later wrote, the message “broke the power of mere ‘moralistic religiosity’ in my life, and revived a deeper acceptance that had long ago withered in me.”

Dallas Willard, who penned The Divine Conspiracy and Renovation of the Heart, once wrote that Manning’s writing “throws firebrands into your soul.”

Singer and writer Michael Card calls Manning when he’s “in a bad place” and has named his oldest son after him. The priest’s book Lion and Lamb: The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus “healed my image of God,” Card told Christianity Today.

Psychotherapist and spiritual director Larry Crabb turns to Manning for advice.

Eugene Peterson, who wrote The Message, describes Manning’s Reflections for Ragamuffins as a “zestful and accurate portrayal that tells us unmistakably that the gospel is good, dazzlingly good.”

Members of U2 read Manning’s books.

Singer Michael W. Smith “can’t even remember” how many copies of The Ragamuffin Gospel he has given away. Author Philip Yancey considers Manning a good friend.

From a message The Overwhelming Love of God delivered at Newsong Church we find:

• The message is opened up by a story from St. Francis of Assisi (Roman Catholic)
• Starting at around (8:58) minutes into the message, we begin to get a glimpse of how Manning defines the Gospel (not a real Gospel) at all. Manning says that ‘after thousands spending literally thousands and thousands of hours of prayer, meditation, silence, solitude, living in caves, monasteries deserted places, I am now absolutely convinced that on judgment day the Lord Jesus is going to ask us one question and only one question. Did you believe that I loved you, that I desired you, that I waited for you day after day, that I longed to hear the sound of your voice? The real believers will answer yes Jesus; I believed in your love and tried to shape my life as a response to it.

This is Manning’s false Gospel, a Gospel where God is loving and forgiving but never a judge, disciplinarian or punisher, contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture. Do we really believe there will be a dialogue like this with our Judge.

• At around (13:24 min) Manning begins to explain his time as a volunteer prisoner. He spills a French phrase which translated is, “Cry the gospel with your life, communicate through friendship”. That is, you can’t communicate through preaching and teaching cause the people your with don’t go to church anyway.

Since when does someone have to go to church in order that we may teach and proclaim the true Gospel to them. The Apostle Paul writes to the Romans, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” — Romans 1:8

Paul says in Romans 1:14-15, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. Paul said that he came to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified.

We should walk out our lives as Christians, displaying the life of Christ in us, that we know. However, it is the proclamation of the Gospel we must do at all cost. Manning would do well to study Romans 10:5-21 (The Message of Salvation to All).

• At (15:05 min) we hear of Manning’s own ‘decisive moment’ …
• At (19:09 min) Manning begins a discussion of how God relentlessly pursues us. (No discussion of sin, righteousness, etc. is mentioned.)
• Finally, at (21:20) Manning guides the congregation in a mind emptying state of prayer. (Manning is a contemplative mystic that you can take to the bank.)

My friends, The Ragamuffin Gospel is not the Gospel of the bible. It is a false Gospel designed by the enemy to deceive. It should not suprise you that well known ‘evangelicals’ have embraced Manning and the doctrines of demons he purveys. It is important however to understand and take a stand against such deception in the Church. We must not loose sight of the clear command found in Jude 1:3 to contend for the faith. Brennan Manning is welcome in many evangelical churches throughout the nation and his calendar is full at this very hour with such opportunities to spread the lies of the Satan.

Before you buy your next book, CD, or DVD, from the likes of Rich Mullins, Michael W. Smith, or any ‘Christian Artist’ or author, do your homework. To that end, find the following links that will faithfully help you in such research.

1. http://www.apprising.org/
2. http://www.svchapel.org/Resources/BookReviews/book_reviews.asp?ID=218
3. http://www.christianresearchnetwork.com/
4. http://www.pro-gospel.org/
5. http://www.symphonyofscripture.com/
6. http://www.sliceoflaodicea.com/
7. http://www.stevenjcamp.blogspot.com/
8. http://www.lighthousetrails.com/
9. http://blog.shanetrammel.com/
10. http://watcherslamp.blogspot.com/

Posted in Brennan Manning, Catholicism, Dallas Willard, Doctrine, Michael W. Smith, Mysticism, Rich Mullins