1999
Christian to “Spirit”
Why would the _____ Ministries want to change the name of one of its three radio stations from “Christian” to “Spirit”? Recently, the Seattle radio station with call letters K___ changed its name from the Christian Music Station to “Spirit ____”: “THE HOPE IS IN THE HITS”.
According to Bill Virgin of the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER newspaper – “Christian radio K___ prefers to let music deliver the message” (October 21, 1999)
“K___-FM, operated by _____ Ministries, is advertising itself these days as “Spirit ____,” and that reflects more than a new marketing campaign. Michael Tedesco, the station’s promotions director, says the station has decided to deliberately move away from a model used by many Christian music stations.
“”This market is so unique, and so removed from the Bible Belt, we felt we had to go in a different direction,” he says.
“The station isn’t banning music with a Christian message; K____-FM’s old tag line was “the message is in the music,” and Tedesco says that underlying message is one of hope. But rather than proselytize between the songs, the station will rely on the music to deliver the message.
“”Believers are going to know the message, but we don’t want it so much in your face . . . that non-believers will be turned off,” he says.”
Universal
The reason this is of concern to me is that increasingly, professing Evangelical Christian leaders and organizations are moving away from the name of Jesus towards a general message of “The Spirit” and “spirituality”. And this trend is occurring at a time when many of the other worlds leaders and organizations are promoting a Universal Religious Vision that also ignores or rejects the name of Jesus as the only hope for individuals.
The CREDO Institute promotes CREDO spirituality among the Chaplains of the U.S. Navy: “We want to carry on the work of the Spirit…Homemakers and homeless, prisoners and judges, bishops and workers, students, sailors, searchers and skeptics; people of many faiths – all are part of the Credo family”
A well known author, M. Scott Peck, who is often quoted by Evangelical Christian authors, also promotes a work of the “Spirit” with or without naming the name of Jesus. The following quotes are from his book, The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace in the chapter titled, “The True Meaning of Community”.
“Community is a spirit – but not in the way that the familiar phrase ‘community spirit’ is usually understood…. The spirit of community is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that community is solely a Christian phenomenon. I have seen community develop among Christians and Jews, Christians and atheists, Jews and Muslims, Muslims and Hindus. People of any religious persuasion or none whatever can develop community.”
“The members of a group who have achieved genuine community do take pleasure – even delight – in themselves as a collective.”
“When a group enters community there is a dramatic change in spirit. And then new spirit is almost palpable.”
[The spirit of community], “…is thought of as descending upon the group, just as the Holy Spirit is said to have descended upon Jesus at his baptism in the form of a dove. … Thus for those of Christian orientation the work of community building is seen as preparation for the descent of the Holy Spirit. The spirit of community is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that community is solely a Christian phenomenon. I have seen community develop among Christians and Jews, Christians and atheists, Jews and Muslims, Muslims and Hindus. People of any religious persuasion or none whatever can develop community…. Any group of people (no matter what their religious persuasion or whether the word “Jesus” is ever spoken) who are willing to practice the love, discipline, and sacrifice that are required for the spirit of community, that Jesus extolled and exemplified, will be gathered together in his name and he will be there.”
No Other Name
If people who profess to be followers of the Lord Jesus back away from the name of Jesus and try to preach a message of “the spirit” with out preaching the Jesus of the Bible in terms of the Gospel of the Bible, then their message becomes “A different Gospel” (see Galatians chapter 1). Because…
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
Four Ways Christians Are Deceived
Motivational Seminars Promote a False Religion
Return to Issues of Concern Among Christians