I now feel it is time to write publicly about my conversation with Tim Keller when, in a city of 8 million people, God put us side by side on a tram. I heard a man speaking behind me who sounded like Tim Keller. I turned around and asked, "What is your name?" He answered, "Tim Keller, and you are Dwayna. I have read what you have written about me on your blog and the teachings at Redeemer." I took a breath and calmly responded, "Ok, well the teachings have been very grievous to me." Tim said, "I know, I know," and quickly changed the subject to real estate in NYC. He asked, changing the subject, "Have you found the real estate to be less expensive on Roosevelt Island than other areas such as the Upper East Side?" And, so we talked real estate for the entire tram ride.
Someone emailed me recently in support of Redeemer, and he asked me to post his comments on a previous blog post entitled "The Way of the Monk" at Redeemer Presbyterian Church NYC . My response follows his.
From Francisco:
Hi Dwayna:
It's my pleasure to make my acquaintance with someone so full of Jesus.I had trouble getting into your blog,so that's why I'm sending you this email.Someone recently sent me this The Way of the Monk email. I need to speak up in defence of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC.I've been there for a year,and I've been pleased with the ministry and ministries of Redeemer.The Lord planted Redeemer in the heart of New York City 20 years ago;the same time He planted Times Square Church with David Wilkerson in NYC 2 years earlier.So we can see that the Lord was doing something in NYC at that time;or as some dear saints have said,that this was an answer to prayer,so the Lord should raise a testimony for Himself in this "great city".
In August last year I left a church which I attended for more than 3 years because I wasn't getting the Word/good doctrine.Later in November I began attending Redeemer,and I can tell you that I am learning from God's Word from the teaching ministry of Pastor Tim Keller.
If you go to http://sermons2@redeemer.com (you should put this on your Favorites on your PC) and click on the Discovery box,you'll get a sample of the sound teaching at Redeemer.
2/14/1999 How Sin Makes Us Addicts
9/11/2005 The Prodigal Sons (Strongly Recommended/A Landmark Message for Redeemer PC)
9/12/2003 What Is the Gospel? (Very Good)
Regarding The Way of the Monk,I know that we will never find a perfect church.We learn and grow as we continue in our Christian walk.
Pastors,churches and ministries will make mistakes,and it's up to believers to point this out as our dear sister was strong enough to do.
1) In the Sunday Bible School after the morning services, we used 2 workbooks for 2 different classes.They are How People Change and Helping Others Change.They're both from http://www.ccef.org/ just in case you wanted to look into this.
2) If you go to the Redeemer Church homepage at http://www.redeemer.com/ at the bottom of the page you'll find a link that says "I don't know what to believe."If you hit that link it'll open to a page that says Skeptics Welcome. One of the features of this ministry is Christianity Uncorked. (sic) That's where Christians can bring unbelieving friends to a restaurant (here in NYC) once a month and talk in a non-church environment about God Jesus, hell and so on.
3) If you go to http://www.monergism.com/ and type in the search engine TIM KELLER MP3 ,you'll find 6 titles/messages under the heading THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTIANITY:WHY IT'S SO HARD TO BELIEVE IT? These 6 arguments are the same ones found in his book The Reason for God-Belief in an Age of Skepticism.(http://www.thereasonforgod.com/) (This as you can tell is geared for skeptics and atheists,and for us believers as well,to polish up on our apologetics skills.
A few lines below that you'll find THE PRODIGAL SONS-RECOVERING THE HEART OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.I don't know if it's the same one I gave you in the last email,or a different version of it.I haven't heard it in a while.
Yours truly.
Francisco
P.S. You are welcome to put this on your blog, and use my name as well.
My response:
Francisco,
Thank you for writing and forgive my delayed response due to a busy schedule.
I have also attended services at Redeemer and spoken with Tim Keller in person. Sadly, the proliferation of the erroneous, anti-biblical “contemplative prayer” foray is blasting full-steam ahead at Redeemer. And, as for the books sold in the bookstore when I visited, the resources promoted contemplative prayer and feminism by mystics such as Julian Norwich who taught to the witchcraft practice of calling God “Mother”!
Though Tim Keller told me in person, when we met and spoke, he had read my concerns on my blog, he did not want to discuss them when we saw each other and only wanted to discuss NYC real estate (as we rode along a tram in NYC side by side). He looked directly at me and told me my name, though it was our first time meeting in person. He said he knew me from my blog and had read my grievous concerns about the occult movement of contemplative prayer growing at Redeemer. However, Tim obviously did not want to discuss it.
Did you know that rat poison is 99% benign? It is the 1% of poison that will kill us.
“YOU CANNOT DRINK THE CUP OF THE LORD AND THE CUP OF DEMONS.”
(1 Corinthians 10:31)
“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8
“They are of the world: therefore they speak of the world, and the world heareth them” (1 John 4:5)
“Enter ye in through the strait gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in…” (Matthew 7:13)
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A member of our witnessing team in NYC wrote that blog post on “The Way of the Monk...”, and I support her and agree with all she has written fully.
Thank you for permission to post your comment, and I will be sure it is posted to be read by others.
In Jesus,
Dwayna
