This Preeminent Darkness: 30+ Cultural Movements Rise Against Christianity

By Stephen Phinney

My devotion to studying the Lord’s prophecies, particularly when it comes to culture, is anchored in my love for releasing the Life of Christ from within. As a teacher, I believe the view of culture must be through the mind of Christ that lives within all born-again believers.

Jesus cares deeply about the culture we live!

In the pages of this book, you will discover some of the top trending cultural movements that rise against the mind of Jesus. Scripture reveals our Lord’s thinking regarding each movement. It is my mission to unfold the doctrines of Christ as these movements rise against Christianity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781387667161

Book preview

PREEMINENT

Preeminent, what a nasty word - at least when

it comes to the dark side. The term has Latin roots

and derives from ‘minere,’ which means

paramount or mountain. Today it is used

to depict a person of unquestionable rank

or supremacy. Meaning no one can rise above

their control. Thus, preeminence is the

supreme force that dominates a culture.

-PHINNEY

THIS

PREEMINENT

DARKNESS

30+ Cultural Movements Rising

Against Christianity

Dr. Stephen r. Phinney

THE HOLY WORD OF GOD

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible  (NASB). Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963,  1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1975 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

This Preeminent Darkness

Copyright © 2022

eBook ISBN 978-1-387-66716-1

Imprint: Lulu.com

Publisher: X-CHANGED LIFE PUBLISHING

A Division of IOM America

P.O. Box 71

Sterling, Kansas 67579

[phone]

IOMAmerica.net

[e-mail]

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Phinney, Stephen Ray

This Preeminent Darkness / by Dr. Stephen R. Phinney

© 2022

X-Changed Life Publishing®

Cover Design: SARADZIC & Inphinnity Designs

Editing: IOM America | Sharon Lackey | X-CHANGED LIFE PUBLISHING

Grammarly Editorial Team

548 Market Street, 35410

San Francisco, CA 94104

Special Thanks: Sharon Lackey is our Editor in Chief. She is an award-winning recipient of the Compassion In Action Award for being a faithful non-profit volunteer. Her sacrificial dedication to editing this book is appreciated. Thank you, Sharon!

Dedication:

To my Grandchildren

This book is for you!

Your faithfulness to God’s Divine

Culture is my greatest joy!

This book is also dedicated to my beloved

wife, Jane. Her faithfulness in

advancing me in my writings is

close to my heart.

Honey, I am eternally grateful for you!

Endorsements

As a teacher, my number one passion is to help people understand the truth revealed in the Holy Spirit-inspired Scriptures. Tragically, if people do not understand how to interpret the Scriptures, they will slip into error as they make the Bible proclaim whatever they want it to. Leading people to freedom also requires the courageous step of pointing out the errors that people believe. This may not allow such a one to be popular but being popular was never the agenda of a new covenant teacher. This has been the heart of my ministry, and I believe it is the heart of Dr. Phinney. It was easy to partner with IOM America because they share the same heart of proclaiming the truth and exposing the lies that the enemy hurls at the church to keep the church from fully experiencing the freedom that is their birthright in Christ. -Frank Friedmann

With my dad’s writings, you never have to fear lukewarm teachings, and you will receive a bold message of your inadequacy apart from Christ.  No matter the subject, he clearly states that co-crucifixion is the pathway to freedom from living in bondage to our crucified old man.

-Jess Phinney

The Life of Christ reflected in Dr. Phinney’s writings is the real deal.  I am so blessed to know the Founder personally and learn from him.  I can't count the times I have recommended their resources to others.

-Wendell Smock

Stephen's writings come from a gift like Paul, who witnessed Christ to the world during Christianity’s formative years. He is a student of God’s Word.  He presents Biblical Truth with clarity and passion sculpted from personal trials and the blessings born through those trials.

-Gale Ethridge

Dr. Stephen Phinney's ministry clearly articulates the Life of Christ within the indwelt believer, and it keeps that focus on all his writings - while challenging them through Scriptures to consider a different perspective on living out the Life of Christ within. – Loida Leone

INTRODUCTION

We, His People, Will Not Be Silenced

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:6-7)

Preeminent, what a nasty word.

At least when it comes to the dark side. the term has Latin roots and derives from minere, which means paramount or mountain. Today, it depicts a person of unquestionable rank or supremacy, Meaning no one can rise above their control.

Modern Hebrew depicts darkness as obscurity: "the state of being unknown, inconspicuous, or hidden. Pictorial Hebrew אֹפֶל reveals the meaning as a hidden leader of massive authority."

Christianity Going Rogue.

The phrase going rogue has a specific meaning of "behaving erratically or dangerously. Today’s expression is more likely to indicate that someone is displaying a high degree of independence or failing to follow the expected script of humanity. When we unite these words, as in our title, we have this: a supreme authority who will lead from a hidden place, will be erratic and dangerous, and will not follow the life-script of humanity."

Jesus gave us a warning.

"So Jesus said to them, ‘For a little while longer, the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.’" (John 12:35)

When Jesus said, For a little while longer, the Light is among you, He was serious. He knew that a global convergence was soon to be upon humanity.

Convergence is "an act or instance of converging and a point in which the lines of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ will converge, resulting in a society without a conscience."

Convergence requires a mastermind, and it is not an accidental phenomenon. Convergence is a strategic plan implemented by hidden governance, and the objective is to neutralize minds to control the masses. Once the convergence is solidified and normalized, preeminent darkness will overpower light - temporarily, that is.

Convergence is an event known in the Word of God as The Apostasy. It is also known as the falling away. I believe our Lord ignited this event in 2020. Time will tell. However, Jesus's words, "Walk while you have the Light so that darkness will not overtake you," could not be more relevant in our present end-times. We cannot stop this coming convergence; God ordains it.

"But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)

The ideation of sin needs a conscience, and sin surfaces as a misnomer when the conscience becomes seared. If we walk in the Light, the conscience becomes a guiding force to prepare us for living in a preeminent dark society.

A dark society does not function without deception. Deception within the Church cannot multiply without passivity, and passivity is the gateway to impotence.

Passivity is the greatest enemy of the Gospel!

In evaluating the present condition of the Body of Christ, we discover a mystery that separates the sheep from the goats - the silencing of the lambs.

When you look at our society today, what do you see? If you are alert to the scheme of the enemy of God, most likely, you will see the church slipping into the modality of blending the values and core doctrines of the Word of God in and with the lukewarm mindset of the Antichrist. This madness method is the sting of death (1 Cor. 15:56), where co-burial in Christ and the Resurrection Life fades into the emergent Social Gospel.

Often, I am asked, Why is the Social Gospel dangerous?  The quick answer is that the Social Gospel considers relationships more important than doctrines. The more complex answer is disturbing - people who propagate the Social Gospel define the authentic Gospel through self-life experience, better communicated as the feeling-based gospel.

Since the Social Gospel is the global religious view of Socialism, both the Social Gospel and Socialism (as a government) provide the root deception that leads to the captivation of all people into one-world governance. Both ideations are rooted in a feeling-based belief system. However, both aim to eliminate the freedom of liberty, meaning the conservative branches with a Biblical worldview become frustrated in asserting the sound doctrines of God's absolute Word, fearing condemnation, and being bullied into silence. Sadly, this demonic ideation works with most fake and real believers in Christ. Keep in mind the leading ramification is that silence provokes passivity. Thus, passivity silences the lambs of the Living God, which ultimately removes the testimonies of and for Jesus Christ.

The Ultimate Challenge:

Equipping the authentic Saints of Jesus Christ is a massive challenge. Since the leading social misnomer accepted by our culture is anti-authority, when the real Gospel is presented authoritatively, the masses default to this cultural ideation. Suppose you are blocked from presenting authority as the foundation for ushering in conviction. In that case, the listeners will default to, You are not my daddy while being passive in answering the question, Who is your daddy?

Here is the clincher.

There are only two daddies - the Father of Lies (Satan) and God the Father. There is a confession when you encounter an individual who separates these primaries into other father figures. Unless authoritative figures are under God the Father and managed by God the Father, each is identified as under the Father of Lies. This kind of clarity of authority provokes a growing movement of hostility. No one places themselves under authority. All of humanity is born under the limited authority of the Father of Lies (Romans 6; Galatians 2:20). To get out from under this horrific position of slavery, one must be crucified with Christ, buried with Him, and then, and only then, can the individual be translated under the authority of God the Father.

Most loathe the idea of slavery.

Today, research reveals that slavery, racism, sexism, and poverty are the leading ideological issues that provoke hostility or resistance. However, I would like to point out that slavery is at the top of the pile. Since all humanity is born as a slave to Satan, all are forced into slavery. Due to Adam and Eve's act of rebellion, humanity was placed under the master, the Father of Lies - via the seed line of Adam. Thus, slavery became obligatory and not an act of choice.

As most understand, enslaved people need to be purchased to transfer ownership. The price that Christ was burdened with was His Life. Remember that God the Father honors the system of releasing a slave. He kept to the rules and placed this price tag on His Son. Jesus knew He had to go to the Cross of death to make this payment, and He willingly paid the price required by the old master - death. While Satan thought he had finally won the mastery battle, he didn't expect Jesus to be resurrected. Furthermore, he didn't expect the Father to place Jesus's resurrected Life into authentic believers on Pentecost. And he certainly didn't plan for acts of the indwelling Life to be the standard from Pentecost forward, releasing millions through the generations from being under the slavery of sin to being bondslaves unto Christ.

What is a demonic master to do?

Folks, this is theology 101. Satan developed a system of deception - silencing the lambs of God. He probably thinks that if he can silence the real-deal believers and the authentic Gospel, transferring mastery to him will fix Jesus's plans to reach an enslaved people through conversion where Jesus comes to live in the born-again believers. Sad to say, his plan is working, which confirms what Jesus said, that the road to destruction is wide, and many are on it, and the road to Heaven is narrow, and few are on it (Matthew 7:13-14).

We must remember that God is not into numbers. He is into gathering the faithful few who will authentically honor Him as God, accept Jesus as their Life, and remain committed to the absolute doctrines and requirements to enter the gate, which grants eternal Life to all who enter by His indwelling faith.

The Leading Cause of Christian Passivity.

Modern Christians tend to be intimidated by cultural movements so much that droves are suffering from the temptation to renounce their faith in Christ. So, what would be the leading cause of this demonic passivity? The fear of fronting demonic doctrines and movements.

Our subject, This Preeminent Darkness, tackles these demonic doctrines and movements head-on. While you would think Christians would be the example of battling the enemy's tactics, research proves they are not. Most integrate demonic doctrines into their lukewarm faith, resulting in a compromised testimony, causing the believer to fade into a social gospel.

Our mission is to separate darkness from light while empowering the people OF Light (Jesus Christ) to shine forth in darkness to deliver the people of darkness into the Kingdom of Light and Life.  Therefore, our bottom line is that authentic Christians should not be silent in advancing the Gospel THROUGH culture and not refrain due to culture.

So, why this book?

Honestly, I have found few books that address culture with the mindset of viewing the preeminence of Christ when considering culture and its movements.

Today, the lion’s share of publications tends to wash out the Truth of viewing life through the mind of Christ, which the Scriptures tell us dwells within all authentic born-again believers. Secondly, most quality books I read on our topic don’t finish with an introduction to the pure doctrines of real-deal Salvation in Christ. In other words, they don’t close the deal! And more importantly, most ignore the topic of culture and life viewed through the mind of Jesus Christ.

Text Description automatically generated

The Father, The Downfall of The Millennial Generation: Our church culture has gone up-side-wrong. In an age where Christianity is anything you make it, Dr. Phinney brings the reader back to the basic doctrines of the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. With his compelling research of Christ, Culture & Creator, he delivers a theologically sound analysis of both the Millennial & Z Generations. (IOMAmerica.net/phinney-books)

CHAPTER ONE

Christians Renouncing Their Faith

You can't renounce something you never had to start with.

Statistics never lie. Really? While I enjoy the plethora of hours I’ve spent researching, I have kept a few primary factors in mind: First, statistics are typically gathered from deceived people. Second, and more importantly, these statistics are compiled from followers of Christ, not indwelt believers, a distinction that holds a confession. Allow me to explain.

Toward the end of 2020, many leading Christian Research Institutions gathered data on the trending ideology of deconstructing one’s faith. Two of those institutions called it the new normal. All agreed it is the fastest-growing movement within the church today. More alarming is that the lion's share of these deconstruction stories comes from pastors who deconstruct their faith. On one leading website, these pastors said, Those who deconstruct their faith discover a life-giving and ultimately faith-affirming process. The problem with this kind of stinky thinking is that most who deconstruct their faith never return. Is this heresy at its best? You will need to decide.

The Word is always absolute. Today, the masses have made it relative.

A question found on a trendy website, which encourages Christians to deconstruct their faith, begs for clarity: What happens when everything you once believed about God begins to crumble? First, this is a foolish, subjective, and relative question. It isn't the doctrines of God that are crumbling, but rather the person asking the question who is melting into the progressivism of unbelief. The standard for those who suffer from unbelief is simple; someone must be blamed for their discomfort. And that someone is usually God.

While researching many stories of Christians renouncing their faith, I found a common denominator. In 100% of these cases, a traumatic event ignited the process. Most suffered from the loss of a loved one, and some had a dramatic social history of depression, frequently sustained by a history of suicidal ideations or attempts. In fewer stories, I found readers who stumbled across skeptical content online were challenged to question the reality and authenticity of the Bible and the existence of Jesus. However, in those cases, the readers' backgrounds were filled with atheism before exploring such misnomers. In every case, I found a disdain and fear of being judged by others expecting God to change all of life for their demise.

Doubt is the driving force behind deconstruction.

Doubt is a healthy and needed emotion. Without doubt, salvation(s) is impossible. Without a doubt, God can separate a lost generation from the demise of a demonic culture and church. The irony is that doubt usually refutes the absolute truth source, thus, blaming God. The displaced blame hinders, if not eliminates, the source that is put in place to deliver them from their difficult circumstances while offering hope for a new life in Christ. God does not reconstruct a new life in Christ by an existing life; He terminates a life through co-crucifixion with His Son (Rom. 6:6, Gal. 2:20). This absolute fact becomes the greatest fight-for-life in a lost soul. Remember, the miracle of salvation is in dying to live –eternal life.

Recently the UK released statistics regarding their people's faith, claiming 56% of their population have no faith. Americans are not far behind. The deception hidden within these statistical walls is erroneous, meaning the surveyed populous is non-religious and is confused about following Christ versus being indwelt by Him.

All humans are devout in their religious beliefs, even atheists. The question is, Who is their god? For self to be God, one must renounce all other gods. Once this is accomplished, the individual can form any god they desire, ultimately fulfilling Satan's goal perpetrated on Adam and Eve - You will be like God (Genesis 3:5). Both Adam and Eve became their individualized gods since the sin of self-governance and self-authority was appealing. Hopefully, you can see that the ideology of theological deconstruction is not new. It was the first sin and certainly will be the last as well.

A progressive mind is the beginning of a stupid mind.

An independent mind is the most dangerous element in all of life. Before you react, allow me to explain.

Progressive thinking is not progressive at all; it is regressive. While many believe progressive thinking keeps up with progress, it does not. Progressivism is a political philosophy in support of social reform. The idea that progress is advanced through science, technology, economic development, and social organization is supposedly vital to improving the human condition without God, but rather through science. The movement was ignited during the Age of Enlightenment in Europe by the Masonic Temple worshippers, who were/are universalists. Their objective was to demonstrate that societies can better themselves by strengthening empirical self-knowledge and individualized self-as-God as the foundation of a progressive society. This movement replicated the original sin, spreading throughout the world as the dominant philosophical thought for all humanity. Also, historians determined this ideology or revolution as the leading cause for the masses to forsake their beliefs in God's absolute doctrines and His Holy Word. Since absolutes are the greatest enemy of dependence, Satan's objective took the front position through progressivism, an ideology stealing the hearts and minds of millions who once believed in the absolutes of God and His written Word.

It takes a stupid mind to determine what God means by what He says. Remember that stupid means knowing the Truth but refusing to act upon it. A mind such as this diminishes what God said: My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways (Isaiah 55:8).

While churches make money from liberal educators,