a review of Ron Boehme's book.
LEADERSHIP FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
By Ron Boehme
This article is a review of Ron Boehme’s book.
This book is an example of a dangerous trend in the modern church. There is a growing movement among liberal Protestants, Roman Catholics, and even Evangelicals dedicated to creating a vision of global unity, that sets Christians up for synthesis with pagan movements. The areas of concern with Leadership for the 21st Century are that:
1. It advances a Kingdom Now/Dominion/Reconstruction point of view;
2. It quotes favorably two individuals who stand for New Age paganism, and includes their books in the bibliography (with no warning as to the pagan, globalist world-view that they advocate). These individuals and their books are:
John Naisbitt, Megatrends
M. Scott Peck, The Different Drum
It is our conviction that, in these days of world-wide deception, the deceptive views of pagan globalists must be exposed and warned against, not name-dropped and quoted favorably. We consider Ron Boehme to be a Christian brother who loves the Lord and would not intentionally mislead anyone. God’s Word, however, refers to that “serpent Satan who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9) and we know that world history is building towards the world system of the Antichrist. Therefore, unbiblical views of global utopia must be refuted.
BACKGROUND
Leadership for the 21st Century was published by Frontline Communications, a Division of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), in January 1989. Subtitled “Changing Nations Through the Power of Serving”, the back cover says, “The choice is ours… someone must rise to lead.” Ron Boehme founded YWAM’s base in Washington, D.C. He was on the National Steering Committee of the Coalition On Revival (COR) and he worked out of the YWAM national office in Seattle, Washington as the director of the Revive America project. Mr. Boehme was also active in the leadership of Pastor ‘s Prayer Coalitions in Kitsap County, Washington with a “Celebration of Unity” theme.
“A VISION FOR CHRIST’S LORDSHIP IN THE NATIONS”
Leadership for the 21st Century asks us “to dream” about world-wide revival and advocates that we take dominion, and bring about a world-wide Christian utopia through “servanthood” in every sphere of society. The danger with this mentality is:
1. It is un-biblical. The Word of God does not prophesy a world-wide revival in the last days before Jesus’ return. It prophesies a great apostasy. Our call is to snatch individuals from the fires of hell, to proclaim the truth, and to set godly examples, all by preaching Jesus Christ and him crucified. We are not called to attempt to Christianize the world-system or to encourage unregenerate people to try to live by the law apart from Christ or to take over this world in any way. This world system is headed for global unity in rebellion against God and sudden destruction.
2. Trying to give Christians a “vision” for taking dominion to create a one-world global utopia (even if it is supposed to be “Christian”) sets them up for deception. Christians looking for a form of global unity (especially if it is at the expense of sound doctrine) are set up to be synthesized with other global unity movements that are being used to set up the world-system of the Anti-Christ based on a one-world government, a one-world economic system, and a one-world religion. And, for an example of this synthesis, one has to look no further than Ron Boehme’s book.
“KINGDOM NOW” AND PAGAN GLOBAL UNITY
Leadership for the 21st Century incorporates a synthesis between the globalist vision of “Kingdom Now, Dominion, Reconstructionism” and the globalist vision of the New Age pagan, John Naisbitt, and the “Christian Mystic”, M. Scott Peck.
John Naisbitt and Megatrends
Naisbitt says we are between an old era and a new era.
The institutions of the old era, family and church, are being replaced by the ancient tribal concept of networking.
High technology has spawned a self-help mentality characterized by a highly personalized value system (each person does what is right in their own eyes).
The self-help movement has spawned the Human Potential movement (which Naisbitt characterizes as e.g., est, TM, Rolfing, Yoga, and Zen, which are based on Eastern Mysticism and the Occult).
The world is being united into a “Global Village” through computer and satellite technology.
Naisbitt wrote the forward for the 1987 edition of Marilyn Ferguson’s, The Aquarian Conspiracy, which is a New Age vision for mankind based on global unity and a vastly enlarged view of human potential. Naisbitt wrote, “My book, Megatrends, was the soft-core document on change; The Aquarian Conspiracy was the ‘hard-core stuff.'”
Megatrends is also featured in the New Age Catalogue.
M. Scott Peck
Peck’s books are found in both Christian bookstores and New Age bookstores.
In The Different Drum, he advocates a one-world government; becoming a mystic; and mystical meditation. He refers favorably to the occultists Aldous Huxley, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and Carlos Castenedas. He says that “Community Making” is the salvation of the world, in which small groups of people meet regularly and a “spirit” descends regardless of what religion they are. M. Scott Peck says he believes we are on the verge of a leap of human evolution.
He says that humans are evolving toward godhood in The Road Less Traveled.
The Road Less Traveled is recommended reading in The Aquarian Conspiracy .
The Different Drum is prominently displayed in the New Age Catalogue . Ron Boehme sent his manuscript to over 250 people worldwide. A leader of Youth With A Mission told him that his book was too Christian right wing and that he needed to broaden the scope and be more inclusive by including the Christian left wing. This YWAM leader suggested M. Scott Peck, including his book The Different Drum . Ron read The Different Drum and decided to quote that book in Leadership for the 21st Century and to include it in his bibliography.
“UNITY”
Central to the “Vision” for global revival is the unbiblical concept of unity advocated in Ron’s book. This view comes from a twisting of John 17:20-23. These verses are being used widely throughout the evangelical Christian church to justify humanly organized coalitions and public events that promote a unity at the expense of sound doctrine. These verses are taken as a command to Christians to organize ecumenical-style unity movements. It must be noted, however, that:
-
This passage is a prayer by the Son to the Father, not a command to believers. God will answer that prayer for all who truly belong to Jesus (the wheat among the tares).
-
“Tower of Babel” style of unity is an attempt to do in the flesh (in the name of “Peace, peace!”) what only the Spirit of God can accomplish. It should concern us that at the very time the whole world is crying, “Peace, peace!” and “global unity” and “New World Order”, Christians are saying the very same things.
THE BLESSED HOPE
Leadership for the 21st Century promotes an unbiblical world-view that sets Christians up to think they are serving God when, instead, they may be serving the very structure of the Antichrist. Rather than trying to Christianize the entire world system, we ought to trust in the Sovereign God who loves us; doing today what He has given us to do; trusting and obeying Jesus today; proclaiming the truth to whoever will listen while leaving the results in God’s hands; leaving the future in God’s hands; snatching individuals from the fire; warning others of the world-wide deception and the coming judgment; putting our hope in eternity, and not in this corrupt world system; and, especially, looking to that “Blessed Hope” of the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!