As I blogged on June 30, 2011, Ergun Caner is still stretching the truth about himself and his family from the pulpit - as evidenced by his sermon delivered on June 26, 2011 at Brookwood Church in Burlington, NC.The audio of that sermon was posted for maybe 4 or 5 days on Brookwood's podcast page before it disappeared.
Since that sermon, Caner preached one other time, possibly two times at Brookwood, and those sermons were not posted on the church's podcast.
Then, in their Sunday July 17, 2011 church bulletin, they gave the reason, as shown in the graphic above:
"We apologize, but it has been requested that we not podcast Dr. Caner's messages."
At least they gave an explanation: someone requested they not be podcast, and they obliged.
I wonder who would make such a request?
And why not podcast his sermons?
Is he afraid to have light shown on his words?
I don't know of any preacher who would preach the gospel and actually request that his sermon NOT be put on the Internet. Even the big name preachers who came in to FBC Jax for the pastor's conference - Platt, Mohler, Hunt, Vines, Merritt - have their full sermon videos posted on the FBC Jax Vimeo site here.
So why is Caner so special? Wouldn't he WANT his sermons broadcast so people can see that he truly has changed his ways? Wouldn't he want the gospel proclaimed in his message to go forth?
Unless.....well, we get the picture.
Final thought: with Ergun Caner's history of telling fibs in the pulpit which allowed him to build a huge following in SBC circles for nearly a decade, why should we believe that he has changed his ways unless he is willing to give his sermons the widest circulation possible? And now with his apparent desire to not have all of his sermons broadcast on the Internet, why would anyone want to grant him access to the ears and minds of young people at a retreat where there will be no cameras or recordings?
Won't you wonder what stories he is telling your kids?
Or does the truth just not matter, as long as everyone has a great time and Caner gives a great performance?
lol-I thought he paid no attention to the "haters"? He's now hiding from them?
ReplyDeleteIt's kinda like being de-friended on Facebook. Access denied.
God hates Ergun Caner's boldfaced sinful lying (of which he has not truly openly and publically repented of) and bombastic, exaggerated story telling, I wonder how long he can continue to ignore or hide from God? Wait until he dies and then the JUDGMENT? Horrors...
ReplyDeleteHere's a message for Mr. Caner:
The LORD our Righteousness ~ by J. C. Ryle
a message we all need to hear...
Proverbs 16:4 The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. 5Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished. 6By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil. 7When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
What is next?
ReplyDeleteWill they now ban all electronic devices whenever and wherever Caner speaks?
I simply suggest for SBC and Evangelicals to create a CP type fund that pay these 'teachers' who have a propensity to lie and exaggerate NOT to preach.
I would recommend buying an inexpensive digital recorder and showing up at the public events where he is speaking. Then the message can be recorded posted openly for all to hear.
ReplyDeleteThat tells you a lot about Brookwood Church.
ReplyDeleteWhat a coward that Pastor is.
What a joke their ministry is.
What a disgrace to hide Ergun's sin...now Erguns sin will be upon them.
If I were a member of that Church, I would saturate that place with my absence.
That is one reason why Brookwood Church is dead and has been dead for many years.
No Backbone.
What this tells me is Ergun Caner and his handlers are reading this blog.
ReplyDeleteTo Ergun Caner:
I would encourage you to make a public apology of your errors. Lot of secular people do this when their errors are found out and they make a public apology and go on to rebuild their lives. You and your friends are making this too hard on yourself.
When I read this all I could thing of was the song
ReplyDelete"For I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for Christ"
Caner preached (if you want call it that) in a church in New York after 9-11 and requested the audience to take no pictures or record what he was about to say as it would put him & his family in danger.
He's starting all over folks, same line, but more selective in his lying. Truth always surfaces!
Speaking at a youth camp is the ultimate experience - all the kiddos have their iPhones, other electronic devices at home - no recording, no tweets, no Facebook posts.
ReplyDeleteMaybe some concerned camp workers will report in and let us know what Caner preaches to the kiddos.
It was only a matter of time until the lying began again (if indeed it ever stopped) If you've ever known a habitual liar, you know they seem to have no control over it. The only option is to part company!
ReplyDeleteWhy would any church or pastor continue to push this guy and his tall tails? What is to be gained by this? I have a feeling that it's an in your face attempt to show his critics that they can do just about anything they please, truth be damned. This just shows that their integrity has sunk to somewhere near the common septic tank.
ReplyDelete“Why would any church or pastor continue to push this guy and his tall tails (tales)?”
ReplyDeleteBecause it’s what the people want to hear. They, we, want to believe God can save not just a person out of Islam but a hardened jihadist hell bent on the destruction of America. That’s what sells, that’s where the money is; and as we all know whether we want to admit it or not, money is power.
Dr. Caner’s true testimony is a wonderful story of being saved out of extraordinary circumstances but somehow that’s not good enough. I know all of us have wonderful testimonies but how many of us face death for converting?
Look at what has happened in the churches across America, no longer is it good enough to preach the word and let the Holy Spirit convince, convict and redeem, instead we must throw out the old and bring in that which entertains and tickles the ear.
Indeed, you have hit the nail on the head when you said, “it's an in your face attempt to show his critics that they can do just about anything they please, truth be damned.”
No longer is the message of the modern church a message of an all inclusive love that we love one another despite our differences. No, now we preach a mean message that we love you as long as you agree with us and do as we say. Disagree, and your trash, disagree and it’s “if you don’t like it leave.
This modern message polarizes the fellowship, creating an us against them mentality and absolute fidelity to the man at the front of the church.
So centered on the preacher is the modern message that he can no longer share the stage. Instead our pulpits are redecorated so that he alone is center stage.
I really like what Thy Peace had to say. I support that post 100%.
ReplyDeleteIt really is never too late to stand up and say, "I was wrong, I am sorry, and I repent."
Ergun, once you do that, I believe your popularity will, eventually, increase. It seems you are an excellent speaker with a sharp mind. With prayer, I bet you can find ways to turn this whole fiasco into something that honors our Lord Jesus Christ. When you do that, the blessings are sure to come.
I will be praying for you.
It's tall tales and not tails. I know better.
ReplyDelete"Ergun, once you do that, I believe your popularity will, eventually, increase."
ReplyDeleteThe Christian life has zilch to do with popularity, it is all about honesty and integrity and faithfulness to the Word of God.
I believe Ergun Caner's popularity is decreasing, he is a stench to God. He needs to seriously repent of his wicked sinfulness.
God could strike him down stone cold dead any moment to be remembered no more.
1 Corinthians 3:7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
Galatians 6:3For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Behold, I am vile!
(James Smith, "Daily Bible Readings for the Lord's Household")
"Behold, I am vile!" Job 40:4
JOB did not always think so. While at a distance from God—he could boast, argue, and contend with God! But when brought into the presence of God's holiness—the contrast was so striking, that he sunk down in astonishment, clothed with shame, and filled with self-loathing!
The manifestation of God's glory to a sinner—always produces the same effect!
ISAIAH felt as Job did, and exclaimed, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! My eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!" Isaiah 6:5
Pride and self-righteousness can never live in God's presence!
The nearer to God—
the more we discover our depravity,
the more we loathe ourselves, and
the more precious does the person and work of Jesus become!
Proud people have never been brought into God's presence!
Only clear, correct and humbling views of SELF—will make Jesus precious to us!
It is only as we see our own vileness—that we shall value the Saviour's righteousness!
It would be great if Caner would confess and apologize, but that won't happen. That is not why I continue to write about Caner.
ReplyDeleteI just want the average person in the pew to know what they are facing when they see Caner coming to their church or preaching at their kids' youth rally or retreat. I want pastors to know that people in the pew, the "noses an nickels", know about Caner, and that they don't like someone who has lied to congregations to fill their pulpit to either continue lying, or making himself the victim.
Granting him access to pulpits like Ronnie and Nick Floyd's, and granting him access to the youth at FBC Jax actually hurts Ergun, and lessens the chance that he will come clean with the Christian community.
Sunday, he wants to let his scars tell his story. Two days this week, he tries to wipe his wikipedia page. Now this. I hope the irony is not missed.
ReplyDeleteMoses Model - can you email me so we can discuss the Wikipedia issue?
ReplyDeleteYou wpould think that a person who seems to want to entertain would want video exposure. Could it be that he said something that might cause someone to respomd in a negative way?
ReplyDeleteI watched the Revolt 2011 live video feed every nite. Nothing inappropriate was said to these youth. Nothing outside of the gospel. Caner needs to be left alone to do what God calls him to do. Find another target, people. Your obsession is getting stale.
ReplyDeleteIf Ergun Caner lying to those marines did not stop him from doing what God has called him to do, then I am pretty sure that a few thousand Christian critics will most likely fail. Most of what Ergun calls blessings in his life happened when he was lying the most. God will do what He wants regardless of us.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, most of what we call our God experience, can be explain with natural causes. I sympathize with Dallas Willard on that one.
ReplyDeleteJust as sad as the allegations about Caner is this blog posting something as fact (that Caner made them take the sermons off) and then bloggers jumping on the raw piece of gossip. There may be a perfectly valid reason for their actions and since you don't know the actual truth, then perhaps you should not be blogging about it. But then this blog is not noted for truth and/or integrity.
ReplyDeleteHey, fair enough there is no source that has said Ergun asked for the podcasts to be taken off. This is unsourced speculation.
ReplyDeleteHowever, we know that during 2009-2010, Ergun did ask for podcasts of his sermons to be removed from some church websites. Two, we know that someone claiming to work for Ergun has been wiping his wikipedia this week. One of the things, he was trying to wipe off was an unhonest sermon that he taught less than a year ago, last September.
There are copyright reasons that a speaker like Caner may not allow for his sermons to be distributed through a third party vender. Perhaps Brookwood did not sign the right paperwork. Then again perhaps Brookwood wants to defend a Man of God. Then again maybe a veteran in the church watched the videos of Ergun lying to those marines and asked for them to be taken off. Then again, maybe they were lost digitally.
You are right there are hundreds of reasons and we do not know why. Still, a dishonest Man of God is not above suspicion.
Hey, thanks for the lecture, Douglas. I did not say the Christian life had anything to do with popularity. What I said was that Ergun has a chance to regain the popularity he once enjoyed by coming clean with the church and with God.
ReplyDeleteSurely you, Douglas, are smart enough to understand that "popularity" exists within Christendom. Yes? For example, I like Chuck Swindoll. He's popular with me. Is that OK with you?
Imagine that. Trying to re-write history on the Wikipedia page for Caner. And it is an Eppling from Jacksonville who is involved in the latest attempts.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, quite interesting info about the Wikipedia page!!! Btw, has it occurred to anyone that perhaps the reason Caner seems to have no conscience about his lying is that he's nothing more than an opportunist, a scam artist? Who better to prey on than trusting church folk?
ReplyDeleteAnd...who better to help cover up than someone who's position in the church depends on the $ that a personality such as Caner brings in? Something to think about.
The wikipedia user claimed to be Dave Eppling, not Chip Eppling. Dave has worked with Caner for a number of years. He was brought into LBTS under Ergun and has since transferred to the Liberty Law School.
ReplyDeleteAlso, remember the user claimed to be Dave. Anyone can claim to be anyone on wikipedia. Then again, how many people are familiar enough with Ergun to know who Dave is.
Dave Eppling and Ergun Caner have been friends for years (since college) and Dave is as loyal as they come when it comes to Caner.
ReplyDeleteFYI - Dave is or was one of Caners armed security detail. Everywhere Caner preached, Dave was there with concealed firearm.
bio for David Epperling on Liberty's website. http://law.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=22651
ReplyDeleteInteresting that he jumped from dean of a middle school to a high position at LU's seminary.
"Hey, thanks for the lecture, Douglas."
ReplyDeleteYour'e welcome.
How bad can it be? Many churches are broadcasting Bill Hybels' Leadership Summit. Here's a man who believes in merging Christianity with the Muslim belief system. You know, the whole one-world religion, one-world government thing.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Evans. visiting at Gateway Church in Southlake, TX a couple of weeks ago, declared the "government, police and the IRS are all of the Lord."
They were very proud of this online broadcast and featured it on their website! It's called "a teachable spirit." Translation: A brainwahsable spirit.
Seeing as churches don't have to pay taxes, I can understand why the IRS might seem pretty nifty to them. These churches love them some (tax free) government.
Submit to the coming police state! It's of the Lord!
Choice 1:
ReplyDeleteRepent to God and the men that you have wronged (by lying to gain fame and fortune).
Choice 2:
Slander those who call you to repentance, pridefully refuse to admit to any wrongdoing, rename bold-faced lies as slips of the tongue, attempt to destroy evidence and avoid all accountability (remove youtube videos, edit Wikipedia pages, and refuse to podcast your sermons).
Jimmy Evans. visiting at Gateway Church in Southlake, TX a couple of weeks ago, declared the "government, police and the IRS are all of the Lord."
ReplyDeleteThe early church had this power; the church appears to be gaining this power again. I would gladly submit if that was not abusive. We are sheep in the eyes of the Holy God. But we do not have to be sheep in the physical earth. The church is counting on the stupidity.