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Cornerstone Newsletter

The Church Growth Movement's Evolution Into The Emerging Church
Part 3 - The Rise Of Corporate Babylon In The Church

"Your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery" Revelation 18:23

By Greg DesVoignes

As we noted in the first article on the CGM, the corporate leadership of the world now believe that the so called "paradigm shift" into the long waited for New Age is dependent upon them. You cannot hardly pick up a business /leadership book, or books on global perspectives without seeing the business world's perspective on this.

For instance, futurist and founder of the World Business Academy, Willis Harmon says in his book Global Mind Change, "Leaders in world business are the first true planetary citizens" pg. 132, and associate Rinaldo Brutoco says in The New Paradigm Of Business, "Because business is fully internationalized, it is the only institution... to serve as a catalyst for the broader planetary evolution that is underway" pg. 6.

Recall business was one of Peter Drucker's desired solutions to world issues.  The Church was just one part of it.

As Revelation 18 prophesied, the "merchants" [emporos; wholesale tradesmen, both fixed and traveling] would be the "great men" [megitanes; very great, lords] of the earth. It also says there would be a close association between this corporate world and the risen Babylonian system, they refer to as the "new paradigm". As we look in other prophetical books concerning Babylon, such as Daniel, we can see the parallels between then and now.

The Chaldeans of Babylon were also merchant peoples, a powerful force for Babylon, and in the world. They were the catalysts for the spreading of the Babylonian kingdom. Looking back in history and in scripture, the Chaldeans were also the professional occultists of this unified society that was set up according to the structure of nature, the universe, and geometry. As one historian put it;

"One can discern an underlying vast philosophical system, in which man eternally linked with the movements of celestial bodies whose laws were immutable & inescapable. All life was but an infinite part of the universe". Albert Champdor, Babylon, 1958, PG 170.

Their temples were important centers of business, which was a vital part of the economic and social life of each community. Their ideal was the establishment of justice and equity on the earth. [Does this sound like today?] As we look at the underlying move in business today and the CGM, there is not much difference.

Business writer Hazel Henderson says, "...our Earth has much to teach us... When we can feel this kind of attunement to the whole creation, we are transported... to the "high"... [of] 'peak experiences'... [we] seek new challenges in our societies for order, peace and justice and to develop our spirituality". The New Paradigm of Business, pg. 270

Henderson continues;
"The Age of Light is an image that reminds us that it is the light from the sun that drives the earth’s processes... The Age of Light will also be a time of re - weaving the world's cultures, most of which down through history have understood our planet's total dependence on the sun" Ibid., pg. 269, 274

Interesting comments from a book on business. Are these things business, religion, or the religion of business today? It sounds like ancient Babylon… because, it is not ancient anymore.

"Business in the new Paradigm seems to be evolving as a spiritual discipline... The emerging paradigm is going to include some synergetic combination of ancient spiritual wisdom and modern science... ancient wisdom is becoming something of a context for our actions". Micheal Ray, Ibid. pg. 291, 292.

(Note:  For more insight on the move to "combine ancient spiritual wisdom and science", see the articles on "Birthing The False Church Through Ecumenism" and "Visualization and Contemplative Meditation:  Sorcery In The Church")

In old Babylon, the temples were the centers of business and social life. In the new, the businesses are becoming the temples for the same purpose; spirituality, and an influence in the social life in each community.

What does it take to be a "true Planetary citizen? Being a global citizen in a society, like ancient Babel, without borders, unified in all aspects. This is the suggestion of world business today, and they are the catalysts. They are, as Rev 18 says, merchants of the ancient Babylon and her system.

The Church is just one of many groups, one more cell that the New Age system requires to make this metaphysical synergistic "at one" religious plan work, to make all an infinite part of the universe.  They are successfully accomplishing this through the adopted philosophies and materials of the Church Growth Movement.

Where will the CGM take the church if we follow their experts / philosophies from the business world? Perhaps the question should be, "Where HAS the CGM taken the church at this time?" As of November 1999, the Willow Creek Association had over 3,000 churches worldwide that are paying members of this association.  As of 2018, depending on the source of the information, there are between 10,000 to 13,000 member churches in 90 countries.

Go To> CGM Part 4: Building On The Principles Of Nature:  Erwin McManus