Way back in
1976 C. Peter Wagner had already expressed a
foundation of sand upon which his entire "apostolic"
kingdom is built. To back up his notions, he and
his friends such asJohn
Wimber,Paul
Cainand many others
began to get the cart before the horse. They
tried to create revival where there was none with
unbiblical and even heretical ideas. They
imported occult ideas from false religions into the
churches, such as"slain
in the spirit"and called the
results "revival". The means they used were the
counterfeit revivals of theWord Of Faith
Movement, theVineyard
movement, theToronto
"Blessing", theBrownsville
"Outpouring"and on down
the line to latestTodd
Bentley "Lakeland Revival". The
proof that the means have all been unjustifiable is in
the unjustifiable ends. Lakeland has now come to
an apparent abrupt end due to false healing and dead
raising claims, many false teachings, a false
"transferable" anointing, and sexual misconduct.
You can read about these things in ourTodd
Bentleysection. Yet the
leadership of theNew
Apostolic Reformationhas
not even been slowed by yet another bad end brought
about by the self-destruction of the means. In
the latest ElijahList the false prophets are
prophesying even greater revivals to come.
There is a
new phenomenon especially among some island churches
where handkerchiefs are being handed around a
congregation claiming that they have an anointing that
can cause people to be healed and other miraculous
things happen to them. The problem with this idea is
especially evident in two things: (1) that this can
and is being considered by many to be Christian magic
and (2) that it is being taught as being something
that should be a normal part of the Christian
experience. It is taught that if you have faith
you will believe in touching the handkerchief that you
will be healed, freed from demons, or get a special
anointing. But faith is not proven by signs and
wonders.
This chart should be of
grave interest to those in YWAM and those supporting
YWAM and its agenda with the IPM or "First Nations"
movement led by people like Daniel Kikawa (Perpetuated In
Righteousness), Don Richardson (Eternity in Their
Hearts:Startling Evidence of Belief in the One True
God in Hundreds of Cultures Throughout the World), John Dawson (Taking Our Cities
for God: How to Break Spiritual Strongholds), Richard Twiss (One Church, Many
Tribes : Following Jesus the Way God Made You), Terry LeBlanc (Creating Christian
Indians: Native Clergy in the Presbyterian Church) and many others.
You will notice a very close comparison in this
chart between false religion and so-called
"Christian" leaders. Please read whatYWAM,The
Emerging Chuch, theWCGPand
others are teaching that are almost exactly what the
Baha'i teach.
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Three
Fallacies Of Third Wave Spiritual Warfare
Teachings by Sandy Simpson
When
so-called Christians employ Biblical pagan methods
to rid themselves of demons, they end up giving the
enemy an opportunity to deceive them and a foothold
in their lives. When Israel disobeyed the
Lord's command to come down to Jerusalem and worship
Him in the temple under the Law, and instead chose
to set up altars in the high places, the result was
that they ended up worshiping demons. They
thought they were worshiping God, but ended up
worshiping Baal and Ashtoreth. You cannot live
a life glorifying to the Lord unless you obey Him.
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The Duties of
Christian Leadership by Sandy Simpson
Christians, and especially Christian
leadership, are called to be salt and light in a dark
world.
Matt.
5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth.
But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be
made salty again? It is no longer good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You
are the light of the world.A
city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people
light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they
put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone
in the house. In the same way, let your light shine
before men, that they may see your good deeds and
praise your Father in heaven.
When the
Lord tells us to be salt and light, He states both the
positive and the negative. That is the way with
all Scripture. We can’t just take the positive
and be done with the subject. We have to
consider all the ramifications of being salt and
light. Salt is used to season food and make it
taste good. It was and still is used as a
preservative. In the same way Christians are to
be salt in the world. Without the witness of
Christ, without standing for the truth, life is
ultimately tasteless and rotten. Anyone here who
was a sinner for any length of time without the Savior
knows what I am talking about. But the flip side
is that salt can lose its saltiness. Christians
can lose their saltiness by diluting the Gospel
message to the point where it is useless. Let me
give you an example of a washed out Gospel often
preached in churches today.
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Smack Dab in the Middle of the
Apostasy by Sandy Simpson
'Antichrist'
No More: Evangelicals Praise Pope Most are unreserved in
their praise on political, social, and even theological
matters, but critique of papacy remains. Compiled by Ted Olsen,
04/05/2005 04:30 p.m.
Among the names mentioned, who praise the
Pope in this article, were "Evangelical" leaders such
as:Evangelical Episcopalian Fred
Barnes; Wheaton College's Mark Noll; Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod President Gerald B.
Kieschnick; National Association of Evangelicals
President Ted Haggard; Focus on the Family President
James Dobson; Charles Colson who organized the
evangelical side of the Evangelicals and Catholics
Together; Paige Patterson, President of Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary; Presbyterian Church in
America Pastor-brothers David and Tim Bayly;
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al
Mohler; Dallas Theological Seminary President Mark
Bailey; Credenda Agenda Editor Douglas Wilson; and
Evangelical Alliance, the United Kingdom's version
of the stateside National Association of
Evangelicals.
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Marriage A
Biblical Illustration Of Our Faith Commitment To Jesus
Christ For Salvation by Sandy Simpson
Marriage as a metaphor for our
relationship to Jesus Christ.
Marriage is used as a metaphor for our
relationship to God many times in the Bible.
Let's look at the picture God wants His people to
see about their relationship to Him, and His
relationship to them.
TI have been
challenged lately to think again about what the Gospel
message is all about. This has come as a result
of hearing what I considerto be, at the very least,
"gospel lite" and at the most no gospel at all being
presented by a number of neo-evangelicals, Third
Wavers and outrightheretics. The interesting
thing is that many seem to be preaching the same
message. What is most intriguing is that
false teachers like Benny Hinn, ecumenicals, and even
some preachers I would considerto be orthodox in their
theology are preaching a "gospel" that is very
similar.The question is: Is this new gospel message
really the Gospel at all?
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Leviathan by Sandy Simpson
This
creature that existed, and may yet exist, is used as
a description of themightand
power of the enemy.
Isaiah
27:1In
that day theLORDwill
punishLeviathanthe
fleeing serpent,WithHis fierce and great
and mighty sword, EvenLeviathanthe
twisted serpent; And He will kill thedragonwholivesin
the sea. (NASB)
Speaking of the “day of the Lord”, when
the Lord comes back again to rule and judge the
earth, Isaiah says that the Lord will punish
Leviathan the dragon.Satan
is likened to leviathan, a serpent, and he is said
to live in the sea.
Revelation 13:1Andthe dragon stood
on the sand of the seashore.Then
I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having
ten horns and seven heads, and on his hornswereten
diadems, and on his headswereblasphemous
names. (NASB)
Again the dragon comes out of the sea,
which is symbolic of the nations of the world, but
perhaps is also tied to a literal meaning.He
has multiple heads which are symbolic of the heads
of the nations of the end times, but he is also said
to have multiple heads before the symbolism of the
nations of the revived Babylon come into being, as
recorded in Ps. 74:14 and Job.
Many Christians today (having allowed themselves
to be diapraxed by false teachers on TV, in books,
in seminars and on tape) have begun to accept a
mixture of Pre Mil and Post Mil doctrines.
Many claim they still hold to a Pre Trib Rapture (or
another Pre Mil scenario) and at the same time would
claim that Christians are in a great end times
revival, that "Transformation" is taking place all
over the world, and that our mandate is to retake
dominion over the whole world including its
businesses, social agendas and political arenas (a
Post Mil scenario). But what many "Christians"
today do not realize is: the mixture they
have accepted is oxymoronic.
There are two kingdoms being taught
in many churches today. Teaching about one of the
kingdoms is on the decline while the other is being
promoted all over the place. I am warning
Christians that they need to check out who is using
the word "kingdom", the books they have been reading
and recommend on building "the kingdom", the people
they have been hanging out with at conferences, and
what they mean by "the kingdom".
There are so many people who claim to
be Christians today, claiming that they are God.Not just a
“little god” but God Almighty.I hate to tell
them but there is only one God/man who could ever claim
that and His name is Jesus Christ.
1 John
4:4-6 You, dear children, are from God and have
overcome them, because the one who is in you is
greater than the one who is in the world.They
are from the world and therefore speak from the
viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to
them. We are from God, and whoever knows God
listens to us; butwhoever is not
from God does not listen to us.This
is how we recognize the Spirit {Or spirit} of truth
and the spirit of falsehood. The reason
why false teachers, who deny one or more of the core
doctrines of the Faith, gain so many followers is that
they are saying what the world wants to hear.
They organize their churches so that they cater to
unbelievers, and once non Christians come in they are
fed a diet devoid of the essential nutrition of the
Gospel and sound doctrine. False teachers
conduct surveys to see what non-believers are looking
for in a "church" and then provide those things.
False teachers claim they are bringing people into the
Kingdom when in fact they are bringing them out of the
world and back into the world, the only difference now
being that they are spending their money in support of
some apostate leader and/or group.
The NAR proponents claim to be
foundational Apostles to the modern church. This
claim is exactly what Paul warned the Church about
regarding false apostles. The term "false
apostles" is used only once in the Bible in 2 Cor.
11:13. False apostles are identified as those who
claim they areequalwith
the the foundational Apostles. The NAR proponents
go even further! They claim to beGREATERthan
the original Apostles.
Jude 1:1-2 Jude, a servant of Jesus
Christ and a brother of James, To those who have
been called, who are loved by God the Father and
kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours
in abundance. Jude was the brother of Jesus Christ.
But it is significant that he calls himself the
brother of James. Jude wants everyone to know that,
though he is a half-brother of Jesus Christ through
his mother Mary, he considers himself to be a
servant of Jesus. I’m sure there were those who
tried to idolize him for being the brother of Jesus
Christ. If he had the character of some of the
current large crop of false teachers, he would have
written “Jude, the brother of Jesus Christ.” I’m
sure if some of these modern heretics could trace
their roots back to Christ, they would use that
information to get support for themselves and power
over people. But Jude does just the opposite. He
calls himself the servant of Jesus Christ. He is
addressing this letter to those who have been
called, and who are loved by God the Father and kept
by Jesus Christ. So he is addressing this letter to
Christians. God has called every true believer.
You can get more information here. A Word of Encouragement from
Paul
Run the Race, Win the Prize by
Sandy Simpson
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly
await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who, by the power that enables him to bring
everything under his control, will transform our
lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious
body. Jesus Christ is coming again. We
are citizens of heaven, not this earth, and Jesus
will come to take us to our homeland. So true
believers eagerly await His coming, unlike those who
oppose the cross of Christ who think they must take
dominion over the earth or laugh at the idea of the
Rapture. There are many of them today.
We know that when Jesus comes, by His power, He will
bring everything under His control. We are not
called to do that as the Church. Jesus will do
that when He comes, and when He comes we will be
changed and receive our everlasting bodies that will
never wear out.
1 Cor. 15:51-57 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We
will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a
flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will
be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For
the perishable must clothe itself with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When
the perishable has been clothed with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then
the saying that is written will come true: "Death
has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death,
is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the
law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Today,
in
a majority of churches, we see the result of the
seeker-friendly,"purpose-driven", church
growth, Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation
methods and teachings and their product I am
calling"Entertainment-style Christianity"
(ESC). But ESC churches are not only
missing out on the cutting edge of true
Christianity, but areheading down the road to
apostasy.
True
biblical
Christianity is "interactive". Those in
ESC are taughtto be spectators at mega-church
entertainment events. They are not taught
the Bible but rather to be enamored with the
oratoricalskills of the preacher, and to not
dare question anything that is shoved down the
throats of the "laity" by the ruling
"anointed"elite. They are treated to a
circus atmosphere including wild CCM music with
people flailing around and acting like they are
on drugs, topreachers who tell endless stories
about themselves and joke about everything while
actually making profundity mundane, to hula
dancing,to banners and marching in the church
and around it, to the blowing of shofars, to
slain in the spirit and wild
manifestations. Theirsears are tickled by
guest speakers who make up sermons out of their
own imaginations instead of the written
Word. They are entertainedwith gold dust,
gold fillings, "angel" feathers, "angel"
footprints, drunk in the spirit antics, and
during these displays they can go outand get a
latte and a snack at the church snack bar.
They come into these mega churches and leave
without being personally challengedother than
with tired worldly psychology, and without
anyone being able to find out what they are
doing in their private lives. A
smallpercentage attend "cell groups" where they
are diapraxed into consensus instead of
challenged to be Bereans and think and act
forthemselves. They live like the world
during the week, then come to church where the
world is not only welcomed but accommodated.
Commentators
seem to think that this section of Habakkuk was
addressing theCeasarsand
their drunken desire for power.Seems
these two things often go together.
Those who
love drunk in the spirit are no exception.They
are trying to get others to share in their
debauchery and the false hope of an end-times
worldwide revival, currently through the Saturate
2020 events.Though
these were two of the hereticaldistinctivesof
the New Order of the Latter Rain, these ideas are
nothing new.The
righteous continue to live by faith, while the
proud boast in their drunken state.
Saturate 2020 is another in a long
line of Latter Rain revivals which do not meet the
criteria of a Biblical revival at all (Acts
3:19). The Toronto “Blessing” and
Brownsville “Revival” both came into towns all over
the world with the promise that people were getting
saved and nothing weird was going on at their
meetings. This was always a lie as the
true Gospel was not preached but instead people were
invited forward to have hands laid on them in order
to transfer an impartation. Meanwhile
false doctrines were laid down in order to get
people involved in churches like Bethel Church in
Redding, CA. We are warned in Scripture
about this. Galatians
2:4 But it was because of the
false brethren secretly brought in, who
had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have
in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into
bondage.
2
Peter 2:1 But false prophets also
arose among the people, just as there will also be
false teachers among you, who will
secretly introduce destructive heresies,
even denying the Master who bought them, bringing
swift destruction upon themselves.
The fact that some formerly Biblical churches have
joined this circus is a testament to their lack of
teaching discernment. Some of these
denominations were warned repeatedly about the
Latter Rain, Word of Faith and the New Apostolic
Reformation yet they apparently wanted to remain
“willfully ignorant”. The people
advertised as being involved with this latest
“revival” are almost all associated with Bethel in
some way and promoters of what they teach.
This is not a true Biblical revival but rather a
revival of the occult and New Age among
Christians. This meeting is actually
hurting the cause of Christ and will not have any
real beneficial effect on the culture of California,
which has turned decidedly evil for
decades. These Dominionists
will not be saving the planet, but are rather
setting people up for the coming
antichrist. Nor will they rid the world
of coronavirus, but rather likely add to it.
Should biblical Christian
churches be Christ-centered (Christocentric)?
Should the doctrines of the Father (Patriology) and
the Holy Spirit (Pnematology) also be equally
emphasized? Can a church be Patriocentric or
Pnemacentric and be biblical?
The answer to these questions
are quite simple from a biblical perspective.
There have been charges leveled at some movements such
as the Pietist Movement in Germany and other movements
that they place too much emphasis on Christ to the
exclusion of the Father and the Holy Spirit.
This may be true to a certain degree. The
doctrines of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit must be
taught with equal emphasis so that Christians will
know what they believe.
But should a church be
Patriocentric or Pnemacentric? No. For
instance, there are far too many churches today,
having been influenced by hyper-Pentecostalism and the
Latter Rain, that are Pnemacentric. They spend
most of their time focusing on the Holy Spirit to the
exclusion of preaching the Gospel while, in fact, they
don't even have a biblical doctrine of the Holy
Spirit. I believe that because classic
Evangelicals, to a certain degree, dropped the ball in
defining the Person and role of the Holy Spirit it
gave an opening to Third Wavers to step in with their
erroneous ideas of Pnematology.
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The
Letter to Laodicea Is a Warning to the TRUE
Church Today by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Rev.
3:14-22 And unto the angel of the church of
the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen,
the faithful and true witness, the beginning of
the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou
art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold
or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and
neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my
mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing;
and knowest not that thou art wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire,
that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that
thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes
with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I
love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore,
and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I
grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my Father in his
throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches.
Much has been made of this passage, using it to
point out what is happening today in the apostate
churches around the world. It is true that
they believe they are rich in spiritual things
when they are very poor. It can be applied
in one sense to theWord of Faithmovement.
It is true that the "River" movement of Latter
Rain teachings do think they are hot when actually
they are cold.
But this letter to the end
times church of Laodicea is actually talking to
biblical Christians who are born again. The
apostate movements of theLatter
Rain,Third
Wave,Toronto
"Blessing",Vineyard,Brownsville
"Outpouring",Word
of Faith,New
Apostolic Reformation,World
Gathering on Indigenous People,Manifest
Sons of God,Seeker
Friendly,Church
Growth,Emerging
Churchand many others have
already had their lampstands removed (Rev. 2:5)
because of their apostasy and have already been spit
out of the Lord's mouth (Rev. 3:16). We can
know this because of what the Bible says about those
who teach false doctrines (1 Tim. 6:3-5, 2 Tim. 4:3)
and make false prophecies (1 John 4:1). These false
churches, false movements and false brethren (Gal.
2:4) are already under the judgment of the warnings
of theseven
letters, as all but two of the original first
century churches are today (only the two who Jesus
did not warn still survive today). Therefore
theletters
to the churchesapply to
those churches who have not had their lampstands
removed and been spit out of the mouth of God
because of heresy and false prophesy. So the
warning to the true biblical churches today
remains. Why is this warning significant to
us?
It is significant because,
by in large, it isthe
true
Church today that has allowed the movements
mentioned above to infiltrate and take over the
agenda for what is called "Christianity" today.
In Titus 1:6-11 Paul tells
Titus to appoint "overseers" in the
churches. The word "overseer" isepiskoposin Greek and
means bishop, curator, superintendent,
guardian, watchman. Overseers are to
be shepherds to the sheep, watchmen,
guardians.
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You can get more information here. Jesus
Cares for You by Sandy Simpson
The story of the feeding of the 5000 is
found in all the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke &
John. When something is repeated in the Bible it means
that it is important and is something we must try to
understand. There is often a deeper meaning in
sentences or stories that are repeated.
In this same story repeated in Mark 6:34
it says:
"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had
compassion on them, because they were like sheep
without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many
things."
One of the main things that Jesus is... is
compassionate. He cares for His people. He was
compassionate then and He is still compassionate
today. Jesus came and saw the needs of the people. So
He did two things. He met their physical need of
hunger for bread, and He also met their spiritual
hunger for the bread of life. As Jesus told us in John
... He is the bread of life. The Bible, the Word of
God, being the word of the Father and the Son, is also
the bread of life. Jesus is the living example
of the Word as it also says in John "The Word was made
flesh and lived among us".
This
paper
exposes what General Boykin has been doing in Calvary
Chapels and his associations.
He
isGrand Chancellor of
the Vatican's Jesuitical "Knights of Malta", an
ecumenical society under the leadership of Rome
where Catholics, Protestants and a plethora of
others unite in what cannot be a unity of the Faith.
We just finished as study in the book of Jonah
in our Bible study groups. As we studied
through that true story I became aware of an
application for Church leaders today.
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What Does The Bible Teach About
"Synergy"?
by Sandy Simpson
Synergy is also a concept being adapted and
taught today as a major tenet of the Third Wave, New
Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement. Dutch
Sheets was one of the first to introduce this concept
to that movement back in the National School of the
Prophets - Mobilizing the Prophetic Office Conference
at Ted Haggard's New Life Church in Colorado Springs,
CO on May 12, 2002.
HUMOR: Time for a rewrite of the old
hymns. In this day and age of Third Wave
revival movements and Word-Faith dominion, the old
hymns just aren't cutting it anymore. Not only
are they old fashioned musically, but the lyrics
are, for the most part, particularly depressing.
They talk of sin, death, repentance, the cross, the
blood of Jesus and a whole host of other disgusting
subjects. There are also too many lyrics in
them, frankly, which takes away from the "worship"
atmosphere. Repetitiveness is what we need, not dead
doctrinal concepts. The old hymns are just too
biblical. Give us a beat to move our feet, not
concepts to move our hearts and minds!
Here is a list of some hymns that
could be "upgraded" to meet the criteria of the
Third Wave, Word-Faith, Latter Rain, Manifest Sons
Of God, New Apostolic Reformation. This list
is by no means complete. If you don't
recognize the hymns mentioned perhaps it would be
worth your time to go back and read them, then
compare what they say to the new doctrines.
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for further information. Almost
Saved by Sandy Simpson
“To be almost saved is to be totally
lost.” – Adrian Rogers
There are many so-called
“Christians” today who are clearly “almost saved” by
their testimonies and/or actions.But
to be “almost saved” is to be completely lost.A person who is drowning and almost
saved drowns.A woman who is
almost pregnant is not pregnant.King Agrippa
said, “You are almost persuading me to be a
Christian (Acts 26:28)” but being almost persuaded
is not enough to be saved.
The word “almost” means “very nearly”,
“not quite.” In light of this we may conclude that
to come close to the target, or “almost” hit it,
means to completely miss the mark. (Shalem Evangelical Church
Bush Hall Yard Gap, St. Michael)
"Silence
the noise of your songs" by Sandy Simpson, 5/26/19
Amos 5:21-27 “I hate, I reject your
festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn
assemblies. “Even though you offer up to Me
burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not
accept them; and I will not even look at the peace
offerings of your fatlings. “Take away from Me the
noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the
sound of your harps. “But let justice roll down like
waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings
in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel?
You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun,
your images, the star of your gods which you made for
yourselves. Therefore, I will make you go into exile
beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God
of hosts. When I first reread this passage in Amos, a
few things struck me. First of all the Lord is
bringing judgment on Israel for carrying on religious
ceremony without true dedication to the Lord.
They sing songs and present their offerings while
harboring idols. I was reminded of how the Lord
must view the heretical apostate mega church
celebrations of today. There is a lot of pomp
and circumstance, yet little or no obedience to the
Word of God. The Lord does not look favorably
upon worship of that type, no matter the hype, no
matter the noise, no matter the show. He
actually “hates” it.
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How To Find A Good Church by Sandy Simpson, 2003
Here’s how to find a good church.
What you need to find is a church that not only has
orthodox doctrinal statements but teaches, both
explicitly and implicitly, in line with the core
doctrines of the Faith. These are
Bible-believing Christ-centered churches that are
balanced in their theology. Be sure to test all
churches before you become involved. It is
acceptable to get involved with a house church or
Bible study as long as there is someone who has the
gift of teaching there to lead the study of God’s
Word.
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking our own
assembling together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another; and all the more as you see
the day drawing near.
The Christian life is not one to be
lived alone. Trust me; I have sympathy for those
who have been spiritually injured by false churches,
false prophets, false teachers and false
apostles. It is often a long road back from the
diaprax of heresy. But to undo the brainwashing
you will need help, especially from those who are
already ahead of you on your journey back. The
first century church was known for the following:
Acts 2:42 They were continually
devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
This is a good gauge to tell if you are
involved in an effective assembly of believers, no
matter how small. Remember that the first
century churches were in homes. In my experience
smaller churches are much better at doing the above
and more. Avoid mega churches.
This book was written by my mother and
is about my family's experience as missionaries in
Micronesia. Juanita went to be with the Lord in
August of 2018. This book has been a blessing to
many people around the world and I want to share it
with you. - Sandy Simpson
This is the
story of a young woman who goes to the ends of
the Earth with her pastor husband and two small
children. While describing the hardships of
living in a remote village on a remote Pacific
Island in the 60's, it also gives us a vision of
the joy the family experienced as well. The
heart of the book is the story of how the author
survives the death of her husband and goes on to
serve God and the Micronesian people in her own
right.This book
reveals a woman of great faith and courage. In
addition, the book is well written and a pleasure
to read.Having met the author, I will add that
there are thousands of people throughout
Micronesia who love her and who have benefited
by her faithfulness and commitment over the
years. Read the book and get to know this
wonderful woman. Review by Richard
D.
Shewman on Amazon.
Deliverance! A Biblical
Guide To Freedom from "Another Spirit" The Possible
Consequence of the Unbiblical Practice of "Slain
In the Spirit" by Sandy
Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
The cases are legion. Let's look
at John (a pseudonym) as one case in thousands that I
read through the years in the emails sent to my site.
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A Short
History of Dominionism by Sandy Simpson
In
order to understand where the modern fusion called
“Dominioism” comes
from, I want to first give you definitions of
Kingdom Now, Dominionism
and Reconstructionism.
Dominionism is
sparsely defined as follows:
“Dominion Theology (also known
as Dominionism)
is a group of Christian political ideologies
that seek to institute a nation governed by
Christians based on their personal
understandings of biblical law. Extents of rule
and ways of achieving governing authority are
varied. For example, Dominion Theology can
include theonomy,
but does not necessarily involve advocating
Mosaic law as the basis of government. The label
is applied primarily toward groups of
Protestants in the United States.” [1]
It
is more closely defined this way:
“Dominionism,
or Christian Dominionism
is a term coined by social scientists and
popularized by journalists to refer to a subset
of American Christianity that is conservative,
politically active, and believes that Christians
should, and eventually will, take control of the
government. The term is sometimes used as a
“catch-all” by bloggers to describe any
politically active Christian, but not every
conservative, politically minded Christian is
a Dominionist.
Christian Dominionists
believe that God desires Christians to rise to
power through civil systems so that His Word
might then govern the nation. The belief that
“America is a Christian nation” is sometimes
called “soft dominionism”;
the idea that God wants only Christians to hold
government office and run the country according
to biblical law is called “hard dominionism.”
[2]
“Hard Dominioism” as it is
called in the above definition, is what C. Peter
Wagner (deceased) of the New Apostolic Reformation
(a term he coined) have been advocating, following
the teachings of the New Order of the Latter Rain
and Reformed Theology “Reconstructionism”.
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Maturity
Training by Sandy Simpson
Heb. 5:14 But solid
food is for the MATURE, who by constant use
have trained themselves to distinguish good
from evil.
At the core
of maturity in Christ is the issue of training
to be able to distinguish between good and evil,
right and wrong. But in today’s churches this
issue has not only been downplayed, but actually
swept aside.
I run a
website and get hundreds of emails every week.
Since the website deals with apologetics against
false teachers and false prophets, about half
the email I receive is blasting me for even
bringing up the issue. These emails are from
“Christians” who claim I am not “anointed”,
don’t understand the work of the Holy Spirit,
etc. I am forced to remind them of Hebrews 5 and
Ephesians 4 and the biblical definition of
maturity in Christ. Maturity is not defined as
following dynamic speakers, running after people
who claim the ability to perform signs and
wonders, those with wealth, charismatic teachers
with large numbers of followers, those with name
recognition, and prophets who make wild
prophecies. It is defined simply as training
ourselves to know the difference between good
and evil.
Where do
Christians get solid food? From voices in their
heads, intuition, imaginations, flights of
fancy, signs, wonders? No. Solid food is
consumed by feeding on the meat of the written
Word of God.
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Bill Johnson
Quotes by Sandy Simpson
This article is about the use of
invective while attempting to do apologetics or
teaching discernment. Invective is defined as a
noun: insulting, abusive, or highly critical language
ie. "he let out a stream of invective". I admit
to using invective at times in the past. My goal
is to stop that practice and focus on the facts, not
attack an individual’s ability to comprehend.
In the case of Christians, the first
thing to consider when doing apologetics is our
mandate to reconcile people to Christ, no matter who
they are.
2 Cor. 5:18-21 Now all these things
are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through
Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world
to Himself, not counting their trespasses against
them, and He has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God were making an appeal through
us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to
God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our
behalf so that we might become the righteousness of
God in Him.
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for further information. Ten Questions For those who Claim the "Supreme Beings" of the
Nations are the True God
by Sandy Simpson
I have some questions for those of
the World Christian Gathering of Indigenous People
(WCGIP) adherents such as Don Richardson,
Daniel Kikawa,
Richard Twiss
(deceased), Terry LeBlanc, Danny Lehman, Aloha KeAkua,
YWAM as well as many in the Emergent Church (EC) ...
the questions arise from their claim that the
"supreme beings" of the nations are all the True
God, YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. You can read more on this subject in
our book "Idolatry In Their Hearts" or in
the WCGIP
section of my site.
My
main question for them is this: When did ANY of the
Patriarchs and Prophets in the Old Testament and the
Apostles or Jesus Christ in the New Testament EVER
claim that the "supreme beings" of the nations
were Elohim/YHWH,
the one True God? Let's look at some examples
in the form of questions and you can check out the
source links as well.
10
Questions is available is now
available in booklet format. You can order
here or at Lighthouse Trails here.
$1.95
per copy, bulk orders get a discount.
Go here
for further information. Real Revival by Sandy Simpson
Acts 3:19 Therefore repent and
return, so that your sins may be wiped away,
in order that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord;
There has been so much hype of
"revival" in our modern day that it is easy to
forget the true biblical criteria and definition of
revival. Revival cannot be brought about by signs
and wonders or "laying" on of hands to transfer
apostolic or prophetic "anointings". In fact there
is no such thing in the Bible.The Biblical criterion
for revival has, as a precondition, repentance. The
word "refreshing" is also defined as "revive".
I received a letter from Peter Popoff.
This infamous televangelist, in the past, was
found to be guilty of wearing an earpiece so that
his accomplices in his sound booth could feed him
personal information on people in his audience
while he was claiming to get personal messages
directly from God. This letter proves that,
not only is he back as a regular on TV, he is also
back to his old tricks.
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further information. Occult Practices
in the Churches How the occult has been fully
integrated into many Christian lives and fellowships by Sandy Simpson
The Bible is quite clear about occult
practices.Neither Israel nor the
Church is to have anything to do with the way the
world tries to gain secret knowledge.The
Gnostics were and are known for promoting new
revelation that is either loosely tied to Scripture
taken out ofcontext
or not at all.The Israelites
seeking information from the dead or in omens were
judged harshly by the Lord who had warned them
numerous times to stay away from that stuff.
Yet due to the influences of
heretical teachers in the New Apostolic Reformation,
Word of Faith, Emergent Church, and
the New Age many have been successful in getting lots
of churches and denominations into occult practices
that have been thinly disguised as “Christian�?.Many of those who follow these
people, I’m sure, have no
idea how far they have strayed into the occult.
First I want to give the
dictionary definitions and then Biblical warnings
against these practices.Then I
will give examples in the churches taken mainly from
the ElijahList
e-newsletter.
List of Practices Detestable To God
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 “When
you enter the land which the Lord your God gives
you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable
things of those nations. There shall not be found
among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter
pass through the fire, one who uses divination,
one who practices witchcraft, or one who
interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts
a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who
calls up the dead. For whoever does these
things is detestable to the Lord; and
because of these detestable things
the Lord your God will drive them out before you.
Isaiah 8:19When they say to you, “Consult the
mediums and the spiritists
who whisper and mutter,�? should not a
peopleconsult their God?Should theyconsultthe dead on behalf
of the living?
Using the above list from Deuteronomy and
Isaiah, let’s take a look at each individual
practice.
New Important Book! Dominionism! How Unbiblical Action Can
Change The Churches by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp &
Sandy Simpson
Preface
By Sandy Simpson
The title and cover art of this work
are a play off of the book by C. Peter Wagner entitled
“"Dominion! How Kingdom Action Can Change The
World". In contrast to this specious claim we
have titled this book “Dominionism! How Unbiblical
Action Can Change The Churches�?. We think that
is far more in keeping with what we will present in
this series of articles and essays on the subject of
Kingdom Now/Dominionism.
Indeed, many churches have already been
changed by accepting the false teachings that
constitute Dominionism. This started decades ago
under Reformed Reconstrucionism and Latter Rain
theology, but even before that in the Roman Catholic
Church (RCC). The attempt of Constantine to
protect Christians from being persecuted, since he
claimed he had become one of them, turned out to begin
a journey in syncretism and Dominion. It wasn’t
long before corrupt church officials began to try to
seize power all over Europe and beyond as the “Holy
Roman Empire�?. The Reformation itself was a
reaction to the lengths to which the RCC had gone to
take control over the Scriptures, the nations, the
kingdoms, and the people for financial gain.
They sold indulgences, promising those who came up
with enough money a much shorter time in
Purgatory. Those same ploys are being used today
on what has been loosely called “Christian
television�? by the sale of trinkets and promises of
healing, financial gain and even salvation.
These ideas all coalesce in
Dominionism. If it were true that the Church
needs to take over the planet, then we would be seeing
the unstoppable plans of God’s physical Kingdom
unfolding. But we do not. All we see are
failed prophecies, empty edicts and declarations
coming from false apostles and false prophets.
They love to fool Christians with talk of the
“kingdom�? when it is clear they are talking about a
different “kingdom�?; a Kingdom Now not a Kingdom
come. Jesus taught us to pray: “Thy Kingdom
come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven�?. The implication is that we are to be
about building His spiritual Kingdom while praying for
and expecting His physical Kingdom to come. The
only way we can do that is to continue in the Great
Commission till He comes, not attempt to rule where
God has not given the Church the authority to
rule. Jesus will do that when He returns. If we
go off on the tangent the Dominionists want us to go,
we will not only miss out on the blessings of His
Kingdom to come, but may well be deserving of
judgment.
This book is online and available as a
download at this time for $15. The printed books are now here!
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Seeds, Soil & Fruit by Sandy Simpson
Matt. 13:38-39 The field is the
world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the
kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The
harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are
angels. Matthew 7:17 Likewise every good
tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad
fruit.
Original sin is the bad seed in
everyone. We all start with a bad seed.
Jer. 17:9 The heart is
deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who
can understand it? Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God, Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as sin
entered the world through one man, and death through
sin, and in this way death came to all men, because
all sinned
We need to have the bad seed destroyed
and replaced with good seed.
Gal. 5:24 Those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature
with its passions and desires. Rom. 6:6 For we know that our
old self was crucified with him so that the body of
sin might be done away with, that we should no
longer be slaves to sin 1 Pet. 1:23 For you have been
born again, not of perishable seed, but of
imperishable, through the living and enduring
word of God.
The good seed is the Word, the Gospel.
Luke 8:11 "This is the meaning
of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 1 John 3:9 No one who is born of
God will continue to sin, because God's seed
remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because
he has been born of God.
Bad seeds are from the enemy and are full
of false doctrine and a false gospel.
Matt. 13:38-39 The field is the
world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the
kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The
harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are
angels.
Will the Real Blasphemers
Please Stand Up? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
This subject is one so serious that I
do it with great fear and trepidation. Nonetheless,
because I get so many e-mails accusing me and other
Bereans of blasphemy, among other serious charges, I
felt it was necessary to clear up some issues on this
topic. Because of my stand for the truth of God's Word
juxtaposed against all the false teaching that is
going on today, I think it is important to do a quick
study on what blasphemy is actually all about from a
biblical standpoint. There are many references
to blasphemy in the Bible and from them we can find
out how and why that term was used.
You will see that the word "blasphemy"
in the Scriptures is the very definition of what the
false teachers and false prophets are doing today!
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for further information. "Glitter Christians" by Sandy Simpson
This is a name I came up with for
people attending and teaching at Oral Roberts
University in the 70s. Even back then I had come
to realize that their way of representing Christianity
was not in line with the Scriptures. At that
time I didn’t know that Oral Roberts was carrying on
the Word of Faith traditions of New Thought
practitioners such as Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland,
Essex Kenyan, Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuler,
and many other false teachers of the time.
Though I didn’t know anything about Word of Faith or
New Thought then I knew that the way they were
representing Christianity was just not right
somehow. Their desire to portray Christians as
rich, beautiful, healthy, perfect, and virtually
sinless (holiness) went directly against the example
of Jesus, the Apostles and the early church.
Studies in Worldview MP3 CD click below to order for $25. plus s/h
Studies in Worldview MP3 DVD click below to order for $25. plus s/h Screwtape Legacy by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
The book by C.S. Lewis called
"Screwtape Letters" was a clever idea in exposing a
number of tactics of the enemy. Those principles
are still at work today in many churches.
Following is a list of some of the things the enemy
wants to see in churches and Christians in order to
bring them down.
Bradford Pear Christianity by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
I was driving along and noticing that
spring has sprung here in North Carolina. One of the
first trees to bloom is the Bradford Pear. I began to
notice how that tree has proliferated almost
everywhere and then my wife looked up the information
on this tree on the web. As she began to read the
facts about this tree and its proliferation I began to
see an allegorical parallel to what is going on in
much of Christendom. But before I get into what the
Bradford Pear can show us about the churches, I need
to present the facts about the tree.
The Lord's Prayer, Our Prayer by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
Matt. 6:9-13 This, then, is how
you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed
be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our
daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have
forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
This model
prayer that Jesus taught the disciples to pray
contains many important precepts. It should
probably be called "The Disciple's Prayer". It
starts with a very important concept in the first
verse.
The Fallacious Arguments of
Neo-Universalists by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
The new Universalists are not as
vocal about their Universalism ideas but are far
more deadly to the Church as they are not rejected
like classic Universalists were decades ago.
The new Universalists would include Emerging Church
leaders like Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet, Spencer
Burke, Alan Jones and others like Wycliffe, Society
of Biblical Literature, World Christian
Gathering of Indigenous Peoples, Richard Twiss,
Daniel Kikawa, Terry LeBlanc, Rick Warren, Henry
Nowen, YWAM, Tony Campolo, Robert Schuller, George
Otis Jr., and even Billy Graham.
The future of apologetics and
discernment ministries by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
I admit that I am
very skeptical about the future of discernment and
apologetics ministries. I don't see the next
generation coming up to replace those who have stood
for the truth for so long. Fortunately many apologists
have gone to be with the Lord but who will replace
them? I don't see replacements coming up who will take
the place of those who have been fighting the fight
the years. I run a web site where I collect articles
and materials from all over the world and present them
in a sort of Reader's Digest format so that people can
come to one place to get the latest information on
heresies in the churches as well as research past
ones. What I've seen in the last couple of years is
that the production of regular materials is declining
to the point where it's becoming difficult to find one
article for my site to post every day. Of course I
write my own articles but don't have enough time to
write an article on a daily basis. I am very concerned
because of the tsunami of false ideas from the enemy
in the churches. At the same time, unfortunately, I
see a lot of younger people who don't even recognize
anymore that something is wrong.
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Church History & The Core
Doctrines by Sandy Simpson
This 4-DVD set is a combination of a
condensed study on Church History and the Discernment
Toolkit series which deals with the core doctrines of
the Church and how to use them to discern error.
The Church History DVD takes a different approach to
Church History in that it does not celebrate the
Catholic Church but rather exposes it as false
Christianity. It covers World religions, false
Christianity and finally a study of the true remnant
Church through history following the story of the many
martyrs who stood up for true Biblical faith.
The "Weight of Glory" by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light
affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
(KJV)
This is both an incredible source of
hope for Christians who are downtrodden, and a
source of escalating heresy in many churches.It is
critical that we understand what Paul was talking
about when he wrote the phrase “weight of
glory�?.Jacob Prasch has repeated this phrase in his
teachings over the years … “A text, out of context,
in isolation from co-text is always a pre-text."A
huge problem today is that individuals and movements
tend to yank verses out of their context and build a
cult of heresy around them.This is called eisegesis
or plugging your own ideas into the Scriptures
instead of exegesis, gaining understanding and
interpretation of the Bible by studying it in
context and in the scope of the whole written Word.
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further information. Did God Put "Eternity In Their
Hearts" or "The World In Their
Hearts"? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
In the introduction to Mike
Oppenheimer's and my book "Idolatry In Thier Hearts"
I exposed the fact that Don Richardson pulled the
phrase "Eternity In Thier Hearts" to use as his book
title from it's context in Ecc. 3:11. He did
this to support his thesis, which actually
contradicts the second part of that verse, where it
states that man cannot fathom what God has done.
Richardson, rather, sets forth what has become the
foundation for the false teachings of the WCGIP,
YWAM, a number of Bible translation societies and
the Emerging Church ... the propostion that men from
Gentile cultures have always been seeking God and
that Gentile cultures were already worshipping the
true God before missionaries came with the Gospel.
But as I further investigated this
verse I found that Richardson even ignored the true
meaning of the FIRST half of the verse in favor of a
few translations that use the phrase "eternity in
their hearts".
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Christians who “turn
away�? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
Jeremiah 3:10-11 And yet for all
this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto
me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the
LORD. And the LORD said unto me, “The backsliding
Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous
Judah.�? (KJV) Israel had turned away from the Lord
and had gone after the gods of Canaan, namely
Baal and Asherah. Because Israel had
prostituted herself with false gods in worshipping the
polytheistic gods that started at Babel, God had
declared He was divorcing Israel and would send them
into exile until they again returned to the true God.
But Judah prided itself in doing what God had
commended as they had Jerusalem and the Temple.
They disdained Israel for setting up altars to Baal
and Asherah poles on high hills. Yet God was not
fooled by Judah’s pretence. In the KJV it says
they were not worshipping God with their whole heart
but “feignedly�?.
Prophets for profit by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
2 Cor. 2:17 Unlike so many, we do
not peddle the word of God for profit. On the
contrary, in Christ we speak before God with
sincerity, as those sent from God.
There are many false teachers on TV
these days who peddle the word of God for
profit. They make promises of healing that do
not come true by claiming if they are given a
financial gift the person will receive healing and
riches. When what they promised does not happen
the person is blamed that they did not have enough
faith. This often destroys the faith of people who
fall into the traps of these snake oil salesmen.
I have no problem with people charging for their
materials if they cost to be produced, even though it
is hoped that when a person cannot afford to pay for
books and DVDs they will receive them free of
charge. But the charges levied on people for
conferences and speaking engagements is often
excessive. A minister of God can ask for support
and deserves it if they are being diligent in their
study and proclamation of the Word. But
experiences and feelings often come with a price today
and that is not right.
"Mistake" or "Sin"? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
Today we often hear the word
"mistake" coming from pulpits, and especially in
defense of false teaching and false prophesy.
"Cut him some slack! He just made some
mistakes". "We all make mistakes, so don't
judge lest you be judged." We even hear the
word "mistakes" being substituted for the word "sin"
in many presentations of what I have termed "Gospel
Lite" today. So is it proper to substitute the word
"mistake" for the word "sin"? We'll look at
the problem of one word "mistakenly" being used for
the other.
Holy Ghost IGNORED! by Sandy Simpson
This 3-DVD set is a message based on this movie review.
"Holy Ghost Reborn" is the second
film in the "Holy Ghost" series released by Bethel
Church in Redding, CA. Tim Wirth and I
reviewed the first "Holy Ghost" film and that review
is freely available on YouTube here:
I am sorry to say this but Bethel is
clearly a cult of Christianity holding to most of
the teachings of the Latter Rain and Word of
Faith. They have demonstrated repeatedly a
manipulative atmosphere targeting young people in
particular while preaching rank heresy. This
new film is a continuation of those false teachings
and practices. I pray for the young people in
that church that they will come to know Jesus Christ
as their Savior and thus come to know the true Holy
Spirit.
This 3-DVD set is only $30. plus s/h.
for US.
Holy
Ghost
IGNORED! Part 4 - Addendum with Tim Wirth &
Sandy Simpson
This "Holy Ghost IGNORED! Part 4 -
Addendum is part of a 3-DVD series by Sandy Simpson
reviewing the film "Holy Ghost Reborn". This addendum
features a number of false teachings of Bethel Church
in Redding, CA that I was not able to include in the
3-Part series. Get
the whole thing! It is very important to see
what has become the "new" Christianity.
Servant Authority by Sandy
Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
The world system has always been a "top
down" structure, starting at the apex of the pyramid
and going down to the bottom. In kingdoms we have the
king at the top, then the princes, common people,
slaves. In a democracy we have the President at the
top, the VP, the Sec. of State on down to the
citizens. In business we have the CEO at the top,
upper management, lower management, office workers and
the janitors. Unfortunately, sometime in the
third century, the church started to have a top down
structure. This is also when the church began to be in
error. The church of Rome began to have a "top down"
structure that started with the pope, then cardinals,
then bishops, then priests, then the people. Well,
what about that? Eph 4:11 It was he who
gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to
be evangelists, and some to be pastors and
teachers, This all sounds like a "top down"
structure. But the problem is that people have not
seen an important fact about these gifts of the Spirit
-- man looks at function and title, God looks at aim
and goal! Read on. Eph. 4:12 to prepare
God's people for works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up. These are not gifts given for
title or to give people job descriptions. They are
given because there are people out there who need our
help! The church needed the Apostles. They were the
ones who were the foundation of the church. They were
the ones who saw Jesus in the flesh and were taught by
Him personally. They wrote the New Testament
Scriptures. Though the gifts of apostle and prophet
are different today than in biblical times, the gift
of evangelism, pastoring, teaching and others are
still the same. A person who is an evangelist does not
just have a title so he can rule over people. The
reason that he has the gift to be an evangelist is so
that he can tell others the good news. Why do we have
pastors? Are they supposed to rule the church and get
everyone to support them and bow to their demands? No.
They are to serve the church by helping people to come
to a fuller knowledge of Jesus Christ, to equip the
saints to become more like Jesus every day.
The true structure of Christianity is
symbolized as an inverted pyramid!
�Overtake you like a thief� by Sandy
Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 But you,
brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would
overtake you like a thief; How serious will it be
for a person to be overtaken in �that day� like a
thief overtakes a household when he slips in and
steals? Will it just be a surprise for those
who claim to be Christians who will get a slap on
the wrist by the Lord but still proceed to
heaven? Will they simply lose rewards but
still gain the ultimate reward? What is this
darkness that the brethren are not in? 1
Thessalonians 5:3-5 While they are saying,
�Peace and safety!� then destruction will come
upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a
woman with child, and they will not escape.
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day
would overtake you like a thief; for you are all
sons of light and sons of day. We are not of
night or of darkness;
Generic and Specific by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
In my article �Blasphemizing
the
Bible� I give a number of examples of how a lot
of modern Bible translation societies are putting the
names of �supreme beings� in the Bible in the place of
God or YHWH. In this article I'm going to examine two
of the excuses they make for making those
substitutions in the Bible in many hundreds of
different languages today.
(1) They claim that God has many
different names and therefore they think they are
justified in putting the names of various gods of
various cultures in Bibles, as long as they are
considered �supreme beings�.
(2) The second excuse they give is that
the names of the �gods� they are placing in the Bible
are generic terms for God, like the words �God�,
�Theos�, �Dios� and �Elohim�. By generic I mean a word
that can be used for any deity whether of the one true
God or other false gods who claim to be God.
I will go through both of these excuses
and show that they are both unbiblical, therefore the
Bibles they have translated with names of other gods
in them, or names they claim are generic, prove that
they have �blasphemized� those Bibles.
The Ugly Side
of Diaprax by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
There has been a concerted effort by
the false teachers from many movements inside the
church such as Word of Faith, New Apostolic
Reformation (NAR)/Latter Rain, World Gathering on
Indigenous People and Emerging Church among others to
diaprax people into thinking that the church has been
ineffective until they came along with their new and
improved ideas on how to take over the world.
This is always a feature of the Hegelian Dialectical
process put into action by praxis, thus diaprax.
In order to form a new paradigm or worldview the
leadership of these movements must vilify orthodox
Biblical Christianity.
Deluded! by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
There are so many "Christian" leaders
out there that teach delusional teachings. These
teaching are dangerous and can lead a person to
shipwreck their faith.
Healer? Heal Thyself! by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
A good subtitle for this article might
be "Practice What You Preach!" There is no doubt
that God can and does heal people today. But the
false doctrines of the Word-Faith Movement about
"declaring" healing, "name-it-and-claim-it", etc. have
been proven to be lies by the very people who sell
this deceit. If you don't know about where these
famous "faith healers" go when they need healing, you
may be surprised. Why couldn't they heal
themselves when they purported to be able to heal
others by virtue of their superior faith? What
happened to the extraordinary faith they claimed to
have, enough faith to heal and be healed? Since
they are the ones who taught that all you have to do
is claim the healing that is in the Atonement (Is.
53:5) why did they not do so? Don't their deaths
prove that what they were preaching was a lie and
pragmatic witchcraft rather than biblical relality?
God�s Attitude toward the
�Supreme Beings� of the Nations by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
It is quite clear from Scripture that
YHWH does NOT consider the �supreme beings� of the
nations to be Himself, the One True God. This is
in opposition to the teachings of Don Richardson,
Daniel Kikawa, Richard Twiss and many others promoting
the World Christian Gathering of Indigenous People
movement, Emergent Church and Liberal
theologies. I have proven this time and time
again in my articles on the subject but I am going to
consolidate the information from the Bible in this
article by studying the false gods named in the
Bible. I am sure I will not be able to cover
every instance of supreme beings mentioned in the
Bible but I (1) want to deal with some of the major
ones (2) show you where they are found in the Word,
and (3) prove that they were the �supreme beings� of
those nations named by the patriarchs, prophets and
Apostles and that they were not monotheistic gods but
polytheistic in the tradition of Babel where the false
religion of polytheism first took root through the
worship of Nimrod and Semiramis.
You need to "nip it in the
bud"! by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
I am writing this article to address
a subject that I have often observed. It is
the fact that if you do not get the leaven out of
your church the leaven will become the
leadership.The Bible teaches quite clearly that if
you let the leaven in you will leaven the whole
lump.
Galatians 5:9 A little leaven
leavens the whole lump of dough.
We see this often in the case
of many �Christian� movements that have allowed a
small error to exist in their churches and have not
dealt with those issues. It then ends up
metastasizing into worse and worse problems as time
goes by.
The New Panentheistic "God" Of
Christendom by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
Now, I bet you read the title of this
article and thought I had misspelled the word
"pantheism". Just so that those of you who write
to me advising me of words I have misspelled in
articles (and I do often) I want to tell you that I am
using the term "panentheism" as coined by Karl C. F.
Krause. You can read more about this word and
concept in an excellent book called "A
Time Of Departing" by Ray Yungen.
There is a new "God" being promoted in
the Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and
Word of Faith movements whose teachers are regularly
seen on TBN, Daystar, SkyAngel, CBN and other
"Christian" TV networks. Some of those teachers
even have, what would be considered, a fairly typical
statement of faith or doctrinal statement they
endorse. But by what they teach they end up
promoting a false unbiblical view of God, especially
through their actions and experiences. The whole
phenomenon of "slain in the spirit" and all the antics
that go with it are brainwashing an entire generation
of Christians to put their faith in another Jesus,
another Spirit, another Gospel. This new "Jesus"
and "Holy Spirit" is clearly pantheistic or
panentheistic in nature. Though some of these
teachers would claim to be believing in the God who is
One God in Three Persons, by what they teach they deny
the very revealed character of God from Scripture.
What Should I Say? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this booklet.
How do you answer an invitation to
attend a meeting where you know nothing about the
speaker or what will be done there? What happens if
they want to announce the meeting at your church and
invite everyone? What do you say to a person who tells
you that you don�t have the Holy Spirit even though
you are a Christian? What should you do if you think
something is wrong, or your conscience is bothering
you about something that was said or done? The
answer?
Go to the Scriptures!
The Bible has all the answers to your
questions. This little booklet is an attempt to deal
with a few of the typical statements you will hear
from people who have become involved in the Third Wave
revival movement. By �Third Wave� I am referring to
teachers, �prophets� and any meeting associated with
the Toronto �Blessing�, Brownsville Assemblies of God,
Rodney Howard-Browne, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland,
Rod Parsley, Marilyn Hickey, Joyce Meyers, Bethel
Church, Lakeland and many others who appear on the
Trinity Broadcasting Network and the 700 Club on
TV.
Hopefully the statements and answers in
this booklet will set you off on an investigation of
your own in the Word. If you need help, and you have
access to the Internet, you can visit my web site
called �Deception In The Church� that deals with these
issues and has the articles mentioned in this booklet.
Luring People To Destruction By The Unscrupulous Use Of The
"Gospel" Message by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
Phil.
1:14-18 Because of my chains, most of the
brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the
word of God more courageously and fearlessly. It
is true that some preach Christ out of envy and
rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter
do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the
defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of
selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they
can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But
what does it matter? The important thing is that in
every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ
is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I
will continue to rejoice,
If you see what I see in this passage,
this argument cannot be used for people like Benny
Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and the hundreds, even
thousands of Third Wave ministers today who are not
merely envious and self ambitious, but are also
teaching outright false doctrine. Paul was not talking
about heretics in this statement, but "brothers in the
Lord" who preach the Gospel with wrong motives. Third
Wave teachers not only have wrong motives, they also
have the wrong message. This argument cannot be
used for people like Hinn, even if they manage to
preach enough of the "Gospel" for people to come to a
saving knowledge of the Lord, because they are also
teaching and practicing heresy.
One of Satan�s Final
Masquerades by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
2 Corinthians 11:14 And
no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel
of light.
Satan often disguises himself
with the purpose of deceiving people. One way in
which I believe he is putting on a masquerade is by
appearing as �Mary� to millions of people worldwide.
Attack Of The Enemy On The Churches by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
So much heresy is entering the churches
these days. As you would suspect, sometimes it
is due to a pastor attending a conference or reading a
book and becoming diapraxed with unbiblical
ideas. He then starts to weave those ideas into
his messages and begins to invite speakers to the
church who expound on those ideas. Then when
confronted by someone in the church who has
reservations about the new stuff being taught, they
are told to not talk about it and just go along with
the program. If that person does not they are
ostracized, slander behind their back, and often told
to leave (which is what they should do in any
case).
But my observation is that it is not
only the pastor who causes unbiblical changes to
influence a church. Often the pastor is
blissfully unaware of influences coming into his
church. They often come in through (1) the
worship team (2) women�s groups (3) bookstore (4)
children�s programs (5) interdenominational prayer
efforts and (6) relief and mission
organizations. If unchecked this type of
infiltration is much more subtle and can become deeply
rooted.
Marks Of False Religion by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one
takes you captive through philosophy and empty
deception, according to the tradition of men,
according to the elementary principles of the world,
rather than according to Christ.
In context Paul is especially
addressing, though perhaps not to the exclusion of
other false religion, what had become the false
religion of the Pharisees and Jewish leadership.
There were many Jewish so-called �Christians� making
the rounds among the fledgling early churches who were
trying to get the Gentiles to come under the Law from
which Christ had purchased their freedom. John
Gill states this case well in his commentary.
Universalism in the
World has Permeated the Church by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
The current fad of interfaith
solidarity and unity is simply a thin guise of
inclusivism, Universalism and pluralism.
Universalism is defined by
Dictionary.com as: The doctrine that emphasizes the
universal fatherhood of God and the final salvation
of all souls. (Source)
Universalism is a religion and theology that
generally holds all persons and creatures are
related to God or the divine and will be reconciled
to God. (Source)
Pluralism is defined as: The
doctrine that reality is composed of many ultimate
substances. � The belief that no single
explanatory system or view of reality can account
for all the phenomena of life. (American Heritage
Dictionary, (Source)
Inclusivism is: "Inclusivism posits
that even though the work of Christ is the only
means of salvation, it does not follow that explicit
knowledge of Christ is necessary in order for one to
be saved. In contrast to pluralism, inclusivism
agrees with exclusivism in affirming the
particularity of salvation in Jesus Christ. But
unlike exclusivism, inclusivism holds that an
implicit faith response to general revelation can be
salvific. God expects from man a response
proportional to the light given. Saving faith is not
characterized so much by its cognitive content as it
is by its reverent quality." (Ken Keathley, None
Dare Call It Treason: Is an Inclusivist a Paul
Revere or a Benedict Arnold? (Ken Keathley,
Assistant Professor of Theology and Philosophy New
Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, (Source)
We deal with these old heresies
brought forward to modernity, these ideas that all
men have have a relationship with God that will
cause them to be able to avoid judgement in our book
on the teachings of the World Gathering on
Indigenous People movement called �Idolatry In Their
Hearts�. The idea that all men who
worship a �god� are worshipping the true God, YHWH,
has bubbled up to the very top of our societies and
religions, and even Christendoom, and should sound a
warning alarm to true Biblical Christianity.
Instead, as usual in our day, most Christians are
asleep at the wheel while Universalists claim that
you can pray to a �god� like Allah and be praying to
the true Trinue God, YHWH. I also dealt with the
fact that Allah is not YHWH, both in our book and in
the article �Is Allah The
Same As YHWH?�.
What We Need Is A Reverse
Paradigm Shift! by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
I'm going to warn you now. I am
going to let you in on some information tonight that
is going to radically change your world view.
You are likely going to experience the beginnings of a
reverse paradigm shift and after tonight there will be
no way to go back the way you came. You will be
faced with choices that you may never have known you
had. You will be faced with a new way of looking
at things that is going to cause you to rethink
everything that is being taught in the Emerging Latter
Rain churches. It is going to be radical because
the basis for this message doesn't come from Jesus
Christ visiting my room last night bodily, but from
His holy written Word. So buckle down your seat
belts, you're likely in for a bumpy ride!
Matt. 7:15-23
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in
sheep�s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious
wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do
people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from
thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit,
but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot
bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good
fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their
fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who
says to me, �Lord, Lord,� will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,
�Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and
in your name drive out demons and perform many
miracles?� Then I will tell them plainly, �I never
knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!�
False Teachers Revisited by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
I often receive requests to present
updated false teachings and false prophecies by the
myriad of heretics out there. We do try to keep
up with all the latest. But I have to remind
people that those we have exposed as false on our site
have not repented of what they have already done in
the past, which is why they are still on our
site. So what they are doing now has no
relevance as to whether or not they are now to be
considered a true Biblical teacher. If and when
they repent, that is renounce their false teachings
and false prophecies, make restitution to those they
have deceived, and begin to teach sound Biblical
doctrine we will give you that information. As
of now NONE of the people we have exposed have
repented of their Latter Rain, Word of Faith
teachings, heretical practices or their false
prophecies. But in the interest of helping you
to respond to a person who inquires by saying: "Those
articles are old and you need newer materials" well,
here is some newer stuff you can add to the
pile. For you and me this really makes no
difference, but for those who are living in deception
perhaps it might demolish one of their arguments
against the truth.
Testing The Spirits by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Sometimes I really wonder why someone
who claims to be a Bible believing pastor, for
instance, refuses to listen to the truth. It
frankly boggles my mind. I don't know if it is
as a result of the postmodern paradigm or just that
they have no love of the truth left. I don't
know how that can happen in a truly regenerate
person. You would think that the Holy Spirit
would confirm the truth to them, first in their
conscience, and finally through the written
Word. But these days it is a miracle if it gets
that far. I don't know if their conscience has
been so seared that they don't hear the Spirit or if
they just don't want to know the truth because then
they would be responsible for it. I know that I
cannot know their motives or the reasons why they
reject truth and refuse to talk about false teaching,
but I do know one thing: we are called as true
believers to test the spirits. We must do this
even if the result is not to our liking or befuddles
us as to the reasons.
1 John 4:1 Dear
friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, because
many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Questions for Those Who Claim
the "Supreme Beings" Of the Nations Are the True
God by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
I have some questions for those of the
World Christian Gathering of Indigenous People (WCGIP)
adherents such as Don Richardson, Daniel Kikawa,
Richard Twiss (deceased), Terry LeBlanc, Danny Lehman,
Aloha Ke Akua, YWAM as well as many in the Emergent
Church (EC) ... the questions arise from their claim
that the "supreme beings" of the nations are all the
True God, YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. You can read more on this subject in our
book "Idolatry
In
Their Hearts" or in the WCGIP
section of my site. My main question for them is this:
When did ANY of the Patriarchs and Prophets in the Old
Testament and the Apostles or Jesus Christ in the New
Testament EVER claim that the "supreme beings" of the
nations were Elohim/YHWH, the one True God?
Let's look at some examples in the form of questions
and you can check out the source links as well.
How To Discern, Test &
Judge Rightly by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
In running
a web site with thousands of articles, 1-2 million
hits per month from all over the world, and hundreds
of e-mails per week, I have come to realize, with
time, that there is a terrible problem in
Christendom today. The problem stems from an
existential subjective view of the world that has
filtered into the church from secular society, but
also from the teachings of heretical wolves who have
taught an entire generation of churchgoers
completely unbiblical methods of discernment or to
get rid of any discernment altogether.
A house built on the rock will
stand. The Rock is God and in particular, Jesus
Christ. Therefore His written Word is the
teachings of the His Holy Spirit and a Rock we can
depend on. Anyone who wants to prove anything
theologically, historically, scientifically or
anything else needs to start with correct
information. If you start with a faulty
foundation, as you build your arguments, they begin to
fall apart because they are not supported in God"s
truth. If you want to build on a firm
foundation, you need to start the process by a careful
study of God"s Word in context of the verse and
according to the whole counsel of God"s Word.
The Bible is the best commentary on the Bible.
Karma (by any other name) by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
According to Wikipedia:
"Karma means action, work or deed;
it also refers to the principle of causality where
intent and actions of an individual influence the
future of that individual. Good intent and
good deed contribute to good karma and future
happiness, while bad intent and bad deed contribute
to bad karma and future suffering. Karma is
closely associated with the idea of rebirth in some
schools of Asian religions. In these schools,
karma in the present affects one's future in the
current life, as well as the nature and quality of
future lives - or, one's samsara. With origins in
ancient India, it is a key concept in Hinduism,
Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Ching
Hai and others."(emphasis mine)
Mirram-Webster defines it this way:
the force created by a person's
actions that is believed in Hinduism and Buddhism to
determine what that person's next life will be like:
the force created by a person's actions that some
people believe causes good or bad things to happen
to that person
His Name, The Only Name by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
Zechariah 14:9 NIV The LORD will be
king over the whole earth. On that day there will be
one LORD, and his name the only name.
The reason I wrote this
article based on Zech 14:9 is that I was reminded of
how many so-called Christians, who are influential in
the churches, are promoting the worship of God in the
names of other gods.
Replacement Theology On
Steroids by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
So, as you can see, the root of this
teaching is that Israel no longer holds the
distinction of being the tree from which the Root of
David (Jesus-Rev. 5:5, 22:16) came. They are
no longer the "natural branches" (Israel-Rom. 11:21)
on to which Gentile Christianity (the wild
shoots-Rom. 11:17 or wild branches-Rom. 11:24) are
grafted in (Rom. 11:17-24). According to
Replacement Theology, Christianity has now become
its own branch apart from Israel (the natural
branch) that produced the Root and all the promises
of the Bible to Israel have been taken away from
them and given to the Gentile Church. This is
why you hear so many false teachers taking verses
out of context from the Old Testament and
willy-nilly applying them to the Gentile
Church. This methodology has been going on for
decades in liberal churches and has been popularized
by many false teachers on TV. But the fact is that
Replacement Theology is utter false doctrine.
It denies promises made to Israel, some of which
have already been fulfilled and some which are yet
to come to fruition. But when you add the fact that
the Inclusivist WCGIP proponents are now saying that
God planted hundreds of different trees, cultures
all over the world, that are not connected to the
natural branch, tree and Root, you have what can
only be termed Replacement Theology on steroids!
Those Who Do Not Lead
Christians to Maturity by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
The Scriptural definition of maturity
is to learn to discern truth from error so that the
Christian will no longer be double minded, blown about
by every wind of teaching and by the schemes of crafty
people. But the problem today is that so few
Christian teachers are feeding their flock's solid
food. They are serving up milk and, because of
that, people are starving. Yet they often don't even
know they have been on a starvation diet. Amos
8:11 "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign
Lord, "when I will send a famine through the land
- not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord."
"... and all liars" by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
Lying is a problem for all people (Ps.
116:11). We are all sinners (Rom. 3:23).
Those of us who are Christians are "sinners saved by
grace" (Eph. 2:8) indwelt by the Holy Spirit in our
"new self" (Col. 3:10). But we still live in our "old
self" which we must "put off" (Eph. 4:20-25) by taking
up our cross daily and following Christ (Luke
9:23). The difference between unbelievers and
those who are truly born again is that believers no
longer "practice sin" (1 John 3:9, see my Bible study
on 1 John!) They have the indwelling Holy Spirit
(Rom. 8:11) who convicts them when they lie (John
16:8). True believers then repent (1 John 1:9) and go
on to "practice righteousness" (1 John 2:29) with the
Lord's help. The unregenerate, the false
brothers, or those who have fallen away (Gal. 5:4,
Mark 4:17), practice lying. They practice a
lifestyle of lying because their consciences are
seared (1 Tim. 4:2) and the Holy Spirit, when
convicting them, cannot break through the hardness of
their unrepentant hearts (Eph. 4:17-19, Heb.
3:13).
Four Books That the Enemy Has
Used To Corrupt Christianity by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
The four books that have changed the
church by giving an introduction to the false
teachings of the New Apostolic/Latter Rain (NAR), the
Emerging Church/Contemplative/Catholic Mysticism (EC),
pragmatic Church Growth (CG) methodologies of C. Peter
Wagner, Robert Schuller and Peter Drucker, and the
teachings of the World Christian Gathering on
Indigenous People (WCGIP) are as follows:
Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by
Jack Deer, Celebration of Discipline by Richard
Foster, Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren &
Etnerity In Their Hearts by Don Richardson.
These four books were widely read
by Christians from virtually every denominational
background before their ramifications and the
movements they would spawn were known. They lay
error alongside truth so were considered not to be a
threat to churches. Therefore these books then
became part of the consciousness of many Christians
and churches, thereby laying the basis for the
introduction of the modern day false teachings of the
NAR, EC, CG and WCGIP that have become part of the
landscape of Christendom today.
Night Marchers and UFOs on the
Big Island by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
With the resurgence of the old
religion of Hawaii and the continual invocation of
Pelé and other "deities" for years in the secular
culture and even in churches with regards to
worshipping 'Io, is it any wonder that those beings
are beginning to manifest again? In a story
called "Night
Marchers" on the Kawaihae site and in a YouTube
video on the same subject, eyewitnesses claim
all kinds of sightings that they think are the
warriors, ancestors and demi-gods of Hawaii coming
back. Interestingly the
first
book the Hawaiian Heritage site recommends in
its "Suggested Reading" list is "Perpetuated
in
Righteousness" by Daniel Kikawa that we
reviewed in our book "Idolatry
In
Their Hearts" by Sandy Simpson and Mike
Oppenheimer. Since Kikawa claims that 'Io is the
True God and one that the Hawaiians worshipped in
secret, we have to wonder if Kikawa also thinks 'Io
is showing up in these night marches? Since YWAM,
Aloha Ke Akua and Hilo New Hope participated in
worshipping 'Io at the "edge of Hale-ma'uma'u
Crater" it sounds like they have all been inviting
the old "gods" to return to Hawaii.
"They Will Believe The Lie" by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
I am doing a Bible study right now on
what I would call "renewing our minds". It is
based on this verse:
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing
and perfect will.
The only way to renew our minds is to
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, confess our sins,
and be saved, then to study the written Word and allow
the indwelling Holy Spirit to teach us. Our
minds are corrupted by virtue of the sin nature and
what we have learned in life because our filters are
off. I gave an illustration of straining coconut to
make coconut milk. If you use a 1 inch screen
everything will pass through. Even if you use a
quarter inch screen you will get mostly coconut meat
in your milk. You have to use a fine screen in
order to separate the milk from the leftover.
Our filters are off and the first thing God begins to
do is correct our worldview, because if your worldview
is off you will not understand God's reality. We
need to learn to see things from His
perspective. This is why I started this study by
going back to an original problem.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 The coming of
the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan
works. He will use all sorts of displays of power
through signs and wonders that serve the lie,
and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who
are perishing. They perish because they refused to
love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God
sends them a powerful delusion so that they will
believe the lie and so that all will be
condemned who have not believed the truth but have
delighted in wickedness.
This has always been an interesting
passage to me for a few different reasons. What
is "the lie" that is talked about here in verse 9 and
11? What are the ways that "wickedness deceives
those who are perishing" and how long has this been
going on or does this only begin to happen at the
coming of the lawless one? In what way does "the
lie" cause those who do not believe the truth to
"delight in wickedness"?
Updated! The First Nations Movement Deceiving The Nations! 4-DVD Series Critical
Missiological Issue!
The "Indigenous People's" (IPM) or
"First Nations" movement is an unbiblical movement
teaching heresies and doctrines of demons. It is being
spread worldwide by YWAM, Don Richardson, John Dawson,
Richard Twiss, Terry LeBlanc, Daniel Kikawa and many
other adherents. The IPM or World Christian
Gathering On Indigenous People is full of the false
teachings of the Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation
(NAR), Word-Faith, Dominionism, Latter Rain and many
other false theological systems. But it does
have it's own distinctives that are driven by the
works of Daniel Kikawa, Richard Twiss, and Don
Richardson in particular. They are teaching
Christians to "redeem" their cultures by worshipping
their former gods, pretending they are YHWH.
Go here for
ordering information. Only $10. per DVD or $35. for
the 4-DVD set, plus s/h. for US. The First
Nations Movement 4-DVD Set
The First Nations
Movement DVD 1 (1) Perpetuating Nations' Myths - Mike
Oppenheimer (2) 11 Reasons To Reject This Movement,
Part 1 - Sandy Simpson The First Nations
Movement DVD 2 (1) The Fingerprints Of God? - Mike
Oppenheimer (2) 11 Reasons To Reject This Movement,
Part 2 - Sandy Simpson The First Nations
Movement DVD 3 (1) The New Indigenous "Christian"
Religion - Sandy Simpson (2) Did God Put Eternity In Their
Hearts? - Sandy Simpson (3) The Missionaries Brought A Foreign
God - Sandy Simpson (4) Catholic Syncretism - Sandy Simpson The First Nations
Movement DVD 4 (1) "Monotheism" In Ancient Cultures -
Sandy Simpson (2) The History Of The Knowledge Of God
- Sandy Simpson "Christians" Who Try To Poke
Holes In Sola Scriptura by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article: "Christians"
Who Try To Poke Holes In Sola Scriptura
There are a number of the leadership
of the Emerging Church (EC) who do not believe that
the Bible is the highest authority for the Christian
faith. Most do not believe that the Bible is
inerrant in the original manuscripts and many do not
acknowledge that the Bible is our highest
revelation. Yet this is a core doctrine over
which true believers and false brethren must
separate. Those who try to poke holes in Sola
Scriptura make excuses like (1) we need to
reinterpret the Bible through the lens of postmodern
culture and religion (2) the Bible never uses the
words "Sola Scriptura" therefore it is not a
Biblical concept (3) there is new revelation for the
church through the Holy Spirit apart from what is
written and the precepts of the Bible and (4) the
Bible just doesn't address our postmodern situation
therefore we cannot rely on it for the truth and
answers for our problems today. I will prove
that all the above arguments, and more, from EC
leaders and others is exactly what they are
teaching. I will give you quotes from their
teachings, videos and books. The postmodern church
and its "movements" are abandoning Sola Scriptura in
their rush to be like the Roman Catholic Church,
which takes its authority from a mix of Scripture
and tradition.
"As a result the Church, to whom the
transmission and interpretation of Revelation is
entrusted, "does not derive her certainty about all
revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both
Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored
with EQUAL sentiments of devotion and reverence."
(Roman Catholic Catechism, Given October 11, 1992,
the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the
Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, in the fourteenth
year of my Pontificate. Page 31).
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. per DVD plus s/h.
for US.
Updated DVD! The Question Of Dominion by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article: The
Question Of Dominion.
I am writing this article as an
apologetic against the Third Wave, Latter Rain, Word
of Faith and Reformed Theology teachings that the
Church is to rise up and take over the systems of
government, businesses and every other aspect of
life. "See, the problem is, is that Satan has had
too much of his way in our society because he has a
government! And the only way to overthrow a
government is with a government. It won't
happen otherwise. So therefore the government
of the church has to get into place in the extended
church just like we do have it very well in place,
we haven't reached our goal yet ..."
(Transcript of C. Peter Wagner, Arise Prophetic
Conference, Gateway Church, San Jose, CA,
10-10-2004) Wagner has substituted the "government
of the church" for the coming government of Jesus
Christ in the Millennial Kingdom. Wagner is
"Kingdom Now" while the Bible teaches "Kingdom
Come". What I wanted to do with this article is put
the issue of dominion to rest by studying the
definition the Bible gives to dominion and ruling
authority. When we look at the subject we can
easily ascertain what is going on today and what God
requires of the Church.
Go here for
ordering information. Only $10. per DVD plus s/h. for
US.
Shepherd Or Hireling? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on the
article: "Shepherd
Or
Hireling?"
The Bible lays out the definitions
of both an overseer (under shepherd) and a
hireling. John 10:11-13 I am the good
shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the
sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the
shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the
wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and
the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and
careth not for the sheep. (KJV) 1 Tim.
3:1-3 Here is a trustworthy saying: If
anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he
desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above
reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate,
self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to
teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but
gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
(NIV) Titus 1:7-13 Since an overseer is
entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless, not
overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to
drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest
gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves
what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy
and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the
trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that
he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute
those who oppose it. For there are many rebellious
people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those
of the circumcision group. They must be silenced,
because they are ruining whole households by
teaching things they ought not to teach - and that
for the sake of dishonest gain. Even one of their
own prophets has said, "Cretans are always liars,
evil brutes, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true.
Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be
sound in the faith. (NIV) A hireling does not really
care about being a watchman, but is more concerned
with protecting his reputation, position and
income. A true watchman will guard the flock
against wolves from within (Acts 20:30) and without
(Acts 20:29) no matter the cost to his reputation,
position or income. Following is a little quiz you
can take to see if you are a true Biblical under
shepherd as a leader in your church, are becoming a
hireling, or are one now.
Go here for
ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
Too many churches today are allowing
music to be used in their services that is not
glorifying to the Lord and can actually be a
hindrance to the teaching of sound doctrine. Pastors
and leaders should be using their leadership role to
test what is being played and sung in their
churches. Though some are quick to test preaching
and teaching from their pulpits, many ignore the
music being used in the same services. This is a
tragic mistake. Music is a powerful medium. It is
something that effects deeply the body, mind and
emotions. It is a proven fact that music often stays
with a person far longer than what is taught or
preached. Songs roam around in our heads, especially
if the melody appeals to us. What is often
overlooked is the serious impression music makes on
people, and the teaching they are getting over and
over again as they allow the song to repeat in their
minds and on their lips. Music teaches things much
more subtly yet sometimes far more effectively.
That's why the lyrical content of music in the
church, as well as its effect on the spiritual lives
of those who perform and listen, should be
vigorously examined by the leaders of the
church. This is a 2-DVD set.
Go here
for ordering information. Only $20. per 2-DVD set plus
s/h. for US.
2 Cor. 13:5 Examine
yourselves to see whether you are in the faith;
test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus
is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?
People who call themselves followers of
Christ or "Christians" and claim they are born again
must believe certain things. If they do not then
they fail the test of faith. They can claim they
are born again all they want and "once saved, always
saved" but if they fail the test of faith there is no
eternal security. Only God knows who will be
saved, from beginning to end, because of His
foreknowledge and omniscience (Rom. 8:29, 1 Pet.
1:2). God did not make an arbitrary judgment
about who would be saved and who would not. His
Spirit is given to those He foreknew, when convicted
of sin by His Holy Spirit, would choose to believe and
commit themselves to Jesus Christ. We are not
God and we do not have His omniscience.
Therefore, according to Paul, we must be sure our
belief system is in the right place once our eyes have
been opened to the Truth. I am not saying we do
not have assurance of salvation, but our assurance
comes not only because of His Atonement and promises
of salvation but from our continuing in the Faith,
which is always the Biblical criteria. Those who would
be Bible teachers must teach according to the whole
counsel of God's Word. Let me be clear. There
is only one way to salvation. That is by
grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
I will deal with a few of those issues following, but
it is important to recognize that being saved is not
just a matter of believing that Jesus lived, or that
He was a man, or simply giving mental ascent to His
existence in whatever form.
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for
US.
"Blasphemizing" The Bible by Sandy
Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
I am going to go over an article I
wrote back in 2006 in preparation for the book I wrote
with Mike Oppenheimer called 'Idolatry in Their
Hearts'. This book is an apologetic against the
false teachings of the World Christian Gathering on
Indigenous People movement, the Emerging Church and
the New Apostolic Reformation which got their ideas
from the book "Eternity in Their Hearts" by Don
Richardson. At the time that book came out no
one really saw the dangerous ideas Richardson was
promoting. All they would have had to do was
look at the two subtitles of that book to understand
the implications. The first subtitle in the 1981
edition read: The Untold Story of Christianity among
Folk Religions of Ancient People. Those who read
this book found some interesting cross-cultural ideas
but apparently missed the false premise of the book
starting with the subtitle. How could Christianity be
"among folk religions" where the Gospel had not been
preached (Rom. 10:14-15)? At that time Christians who
read the book were apparently satisfied that, though
there was some questionable material present, it made
for an interesting discussion on how to do
cross-cultural ministry. The subtitle it has today,
which was first published in 1984, is as follows:
Startling Evidence of Belief in the One True God in
Hundreds of Cultures Throughout the World. This
should have been a red flag for many Christians but
then, who reads subtitles? But how could the
"One True God" be known to Gentiles who did "not know
God".
Go here for
ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for
US.
Resources For Pastors including "Good English Bible
Translations" by Sandy
Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
I was talking with a pastor after a
Wednesday night service and he mentioned that I said I
had done an article comparing English Bible
translations. He called me up later and asked me
to come back and present the contents of that article
I sent out in about 2002 to my mailing list for the
Pacific Waves Newsletter which, unfortunately, I can
no longer afford to publish and mail. However an
archive of past issues of that newsletter can be found
here.
In that article I detailed a number of good and bad
resources for pastors including Bible translations,
concordances, commentaries, Bible dictionaries,
etc. I present an edited version of part of that
article on this DVD, particularly dealing with English
Translations of the Bible. Translation is a very
detailed endeavor and should only be undertaken by
those with a proper education in that subject and a
sound doctrinal background. I read a few books
on that subject and it helped me understand the
complexities involved. Hebrew is a rich language
so it is hard to distill one Hebrew word down to one
English word. Greek is a very technical language
and it is also not easy to translate. This is
why it is imperative to use the good English
translations out there for comparison along with a
good concordance and Bible dictionary.
Go here for
ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for
US.
A TALE OF TWO KINGDOMS Kingdom Now or Kingdom Come? by Sandy
Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article.
There are two kingdoms being taught in
many churches today. Teaching about one of the
kingdoms is on the decline while the other is being
promoted all over the place. I am warning
Christians that they need to check out who is using
the word "kingdom", the books they have been reading
and recommend on building "the kingdom", the people
they have been hanging out with at conferences, and
what they mean by "the kingdom".
Go here
for more information or click on the "Add To Cart"
below. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
BIBLES STUDIES IN
DISCERNMENT by Sandy
Simpson
Bible studies in Galatians, Philippians,
Ephesians, Colossians, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Jude
with a focus on applying timeless discernment
priciples to our modern times.
Go here
for more information or click on the "Add To Cart"
below. The price is $18. per book plus s/h.
BIBLES STUDIES IN
DISCERNMENT Companion
CD! by Sandy
Simpson
Contains the PDF text to the book BIBLE
STUDIES IN DISCERNMENT plus extra studies by Sandy
& Juanita Simpson covering many issues of
apologetics and discernment.
Go here
for more information or click on the "Add To Cart"
below. The price is $10. per cd plus s/h.
A Whole Lot Of Wishful
Thinking These Days! by Sandy
Simpson
This DVD series is a teaching based on this article.
In this DVD series I want to detail
a number of beliefs people have these days that have
no basis in Scripture. I am going to roam all
over the map, so to speak, and try to give fairly
short answers on a number of topics and also give
you useful links to articles that will help you deal
with any particular issue. It is truly amazing
how many false ideas people cling to without giving
a thought to what the Bible has to say on the
subject.
Only $20. plus s/h. for US. Go here for
ordering details.
Signs Of Apostasy In The
Churches In The End Times by Sandy
Simpson
This 2-DVD series is a teaching based on
this article.
There are many signs of the great
Apostasy, or falling away (2 Thes. 2:3) indicating
we are living in the end times (Mt. 24: 3-14)
I am going to go through some indications of the
Apostasy in the churches as a follow up to the signs
of the times in the world.
Only $20. plus s/h. for US. Go here for ordering
details.
The Responsibilities of a Good Shepherd by Sandy
Simpson
This CD is a message based on this
article.
Emerging Church CD &
Free DVD All the
links to resources and articles we have on the
Emerging Church on one CD. by Sandy
Simpson
(The Emerging Church only is
downloadable!)
When you purchase
the "Resource Tools - Emerging Church" CD for $10.
plus s/h you will also receive a brand new free
DVD called "The Emerging Church" that features
Gary Gilley, Ray Yungen, Joanna Michaelson, Mike
Oppenheimer and Sandy Simpson.
From Church To Emerging
Church DVD Series by Sandy
Simpson
The issue of the Emerging Church and
it's introduction into many churches and mission
organizations has reached a critical point. Many
do not undersand what is being leavened into churches
by the EC leadership. Many would be shocked to
know their belief systems involve Universalism, New
Age, defense of postmodernism, Interfaithism, and many
other false doctrines. In order to reach out to
this generation the EC leadership is proposing a whole
new "map" to deal with what they perceive is a lack of
understanding on the part of the churches on how to
communicate. EC proponants believe the
"scripture" for today is evolving and must change in
order to reach postmoderns.
Go here
for ordering details on this 2-part DVD series!
Idolatry In Their Hearts Landmark
Book! by Sandy
Simpson & Mike Oppenheimer
Does having eternity in your heart mean
that you know God and are His child? Could Gentile
cultures understand the Gospel from the stars? Did God
create man's cultures? Has God always been in the
process of redeeming cultures from the time of Babel
by placing in them a true revelation of Himself? Is
there the worship of YHWH in all cultures and
religions through the names of supreme beings?
Have all cultures always had a way to make things
right between them and God? These questions and many
more are answered in this book that addresses the
false teachings of The New Apostolic Reformation
regarding missiological methods as being carried out
by many agencies including the World Christian
Gathering on Indigenous People, YWAM, and many Bible
societies.
The New Apostolic
Reformation - What is it and where is it going? Every Pastor
Needs This! by Bill
Randles, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Jacob Prasch, Mike
Oppenheimer, Orrel Steinkamp, Gary Gilley, Dave
Hunt, Sandy Simpson and others.
This is a 6-DVD
expose of the NAR and it's leadership
of C. Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Chuck Peirce, Dutch
Sheets, Bill Hamon, Jack Deere and others.
Lessons In Forgiveness Great Study! by Sandy
Simpson Through the
years I have been presented with many
opportunities to forgive. Sometimes the situation
was so severe that it took me some time to forgive
and start the process of healing for myself, and
eventually for others. I learned that a Christian
needs to forgive other people even if they have
not repented of their sins. That can be really
hard if we let it be hard. But if we give our
burdens over to the Lord, He will carry them and
that frees us up to treat other people with love,
compassion, and be in the right frame of mind and
heart to set them up for reconciliation with Jesus
Christ. That does not mean we tolerate their sin.
We simply forgive them for what they have done to
us, whether perceived or real, and move on to
looking for ways to redeem them. We can then
present to them the "truth in love" even when we
have to rebuke them.
by Sandy
Simpson was written to
help believers to realize the absolute necessity
of growing to maturity in Christ. Many churches
are urging Christians to push aside discernment in
favor of experience. It is our hope that this book
will inspire many believers to fight the good
fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Tim.
4:7).
The New Apostolic
Reformation - What is it and where is it going? Companion Book! by Sandy
Simpson is now available in book form. This
is the DVD script plus commentary by Sandy Simpson.
The commentary of the DVD series is not in the book,
but there are many more quotes available than in the
video series. Good reference material.
Also available on CD-ROM.
Letters To The Church Timely! by Sandy
Simpson is a fitting manual for the
Revelation Christian. All the precepts are in the
seven letters in Revelation 1:9 - 3:22 to help us
keep the faith, stay in sound doctrine, and reach
out to those who are perishing. I hope and pray that
this book will help the
reader to be an "overcomer".
DISCERNMENT TOOLKIT Demolish Arguments! by Sandy
Simpson Want to be able to see your way
through to clear biblical discernment? Want a set of
tools that will allow you to disciple your loved
ones so they will stand firm in the Faith? Want to
sort out many of the false arguments and teachings
that have invaded the churches? Then DISCERNMENT TOOLKIT book is for you!
DISCERNMENT TOOLKIT DVD Study Series! by Sandy
Simpson is taken from the book but includes a
lot of footage of false teachers and false prophets.
It covers the core doctrines, how we can use them to
test, and examples on the DVD that can be paused for
discussion. Also includes a teacher guide and
links to resources on the web. This 3-DVD
series is available now!
SPIRIT OF TRUTH OR SPIRIT
OF ERROR? Important Video Information On Benny Hinn! by Sandy
Simpson, Mike Oppenheimer & Jacob Prasch
features tons of
video showing the teachings and prophecies of Benny
Hinn. This is a proven tool to keep people
away from heresy.
THE EMPTY PULPIT Highly Recommended! by Mike
Oppenheimer What is Christianity? What
significance does the cross have? Are there
teachings that can wreck our faith? We live in an
age unlike any other in the history of man. To
follow the Lord among the unique challenges we must
understand Scripture and live by it. Available for
$20- includes shipping. Apologetics
Coordination Team HIGHLY recommends this book.
It deals with many crucial issues for the Church
today.
Go here
to order the book by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, P.O. Box 860683, Wahiawa, HI 96786.
(2)New
Age/Eastern Mysticism In The Churchesby
Sandy Simpson, 9/18/05 Within my lifetime there has been a monumental change
in the churches. In the last few decades New Age Eastern
Mysticism and Gnosticism has entered a majority of
Christian churches. It entered very slowly, like a frog
in a pot. When the pot is slowly brought to a boil with
a live frog in the pot it has been observed that he will
not jump out because he does not feel the changes in
temperature until he is boiled to death. The "slow boil"
of New Age brainwashing in the churches started a long
time ago, but even in the last 20 years or so the
changes are stark. None of the New Age practices I will
mention could be found in most churches at that time,
and would have been soundly dismissed as unbiblical and
heretical. Many will ask, "Where has the New Age entered
the churches?" All you have to do is think about it a
little and you will see that many churches have adopted
New Age teachings and ideas and "Christianized" them,
when none of them are biblical.
(3)THE
EMERGING
CHURCH - Revival or Return To Darkness?by
Roger Oakland, Understand The Times, 10/05 History reveals that Christian fads and trends come and
go. It seems that it is common for many pastors and
church leaders to constantly look for some new
methodology, "new wave" or "new thing" God is doing,
"right now." We live at a period in church history
that is characterized by enthusiasm for methods and
means that facilitate church growth. Large churches are
commonly equated with successful pastors and successful
church growth methods. Whatever it takes to reach that
objective, is acceptable, we are told. Church growth has
become the measuring stick for successful Christianity.
(4)The
Emergent
Churchby Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries,
11/05
A series of articles on the Emerging Church.
(5) The
Emergent Church: A Dangerous Fad or Solid New
Movement? by Jan Markell, Olive
Tree Ministries, Inc., 5/05 While the movement is ecumenical and attracts numbers
and particularly youthful followers, it hardly seems
biblical when so much involves the extra-biblical.
(6) The Emerging/Emergent
Church - and their use of "diaprax"
by Sandy Simpson, 11/28/05 The concept of the Emerging Church, as advertised
worldwide in books, the web and on TV by the likes of
Brian Mclaren, Leonard Sweet, Richard Foster, Dan
Kimball, Rick Warren, Ken Blanchard and a whole host of
others, seeks to cater to the postmodern mindset while
using diaprax to achieve its goals. The Hegelian
Dialectic is used in concert with praxis (known as
"diaprax") to brainwash an entire generation into
creating a new hybrid Christianity. This new religion is
full of Eastern mysticism and Gnosticism, while
systematically redefining the teachings of Jesus Christ,
the Apostles and Prophets within a subjectivist,
existentialist worldview.
(7) Satan, The First
Postmodernist by Sandy Simpson,
12/1/05 This is an article written after giving further thought
to the definition of "postmodernism" given by the likes
of postmodernist Leonard Sweet and other Emerging Church
promoters.
(9) Lowering
Standards
In Christ's Name by Ken Silva, Apprising
Ministries, 12/05 Let's stop here for a
moment and apply this text to our times of lowering
standards in Christ Name in favor of our quite
irreverent seeker sensitive purpose driven emerging
"worship" so common today. I offer that, in what might
have begun as good intentions, we are now making the
exact same mistake that Uzzah made. Evangelical
leaders and pastors have decided for themselves that
our Lord understands how our arrogant and capricious
culture doesn't like "formal" worship, so we took it
upon ourselves to make a few changes.
(13) Series Of Articles
On the Emerging Church by Ken Silva,
Apprising Ministries, 1/06
Go to this web site to read a
whole continuing series on the Emerging Church.
(15) The
Transformation
of the Emerging Church by Ken Silva,
Apprising Ministries, 1/06 In this next series I will
present conclusive evidence that there are those in
and around Emergent-US
who have found the emphasis on "Christian" mystic
traditions-a core doctrine of the theology of the
Emergent Church-fertile ground in which to plant
neo-pagan spiritual elements absolutely hostile to the
historic Christian faith. Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3 & Part
4.
(16) Emerging:
from
Tradition to Transition to Transformation by
Herescope, 1/31/06 In order to understand the
Leadership Network's involvement with the formation of
an Emergent Church movement, it is necessary to take a
few posts to explain the bigger picture. There is a
much broader historical and philosophical context in
which to view this "paradigm shift" to an "emerging"
church.
(17) Emergent
"New
Breed" Leaders by Herescope, 2/2/06 One of the key tenets of
the Latter Rain cult is the concept of a "NEW BREED"
or a "NEW SEED" of elite super-Christians, the
formation of a superior race of young generation
believers who will manifest great power to conduct
end-time signs and wonders and rule over the Earth.
(18) A
GREAT Compromise by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries,
2/10/06
(19) A How
Can These Things Be? - Purpose Driven, Emergent,
Transformational, & New Age in the Churchby Scott
MacIntyre, Wood & Steel, 2005 Today's churches are full of men who
have lost sight of the fact that it is Jesus who
builds the church"not their ideas, plans, or
abilities. Christian men who have recognized their own
abilities as leaders in the corporate sense have
mistakenly believed they are imminently qualified to
be pastors. It becomes a career move largely based
upon their own inventory of abilities and
strengths.
(21) The
Emergent
Elijah by Dave Green, The Kingdom Come,
3/06 What if the Emergent Church crowd could re-write some
of the "meanie" parts of the Bible? What would it
look like? The following is an account from the story of
Elijah & the prophets of Baal. Much of the
narrative is from actual things Brian McLaren has
written in his books (McLaren is one of the main
advocates of the "emergents").
(22) Evangelical
Leaders
Promote New Age and Eastern Spiritual Practices
by Lighthouse Trails In what appears to be a sweeping phenomenon, Christian
leaders are embracing practices and a new spirituality
that borrows from Eastern mysticism and New Age
philosophy. The changes are taking place worldwide and
involve many of the most popular evangelical leaders
including Rick Warren, Brian McLaren, Richard Foster,
Tony Campolo, and Eugene Peterson.
(23) Contemplative
Christian
Wizardry by Steve Muse, Eastern Regional
Watch, 3/22/06 Every example of prayer in the Bible has the individual
that is praying actively involved in the process, and
praying to God with words or tongues and/or asking a
petition of God. Never is there a mention of
emptying our minds of all thought so that we can achieve
"divine union" with God.
(25) The
Emerging
Church by Gary Gilley, Think On These Things,
April 2006
A series of articles on the Emerging Church. Read Part
1, Part
2 & Part
3.
(26) Think,
It's
Not Illegal...Yet by Ken Silva, May 15,
2006 Again I rise to warn the Church that what is going on
through the Devil's pagan practice of
Contemplative/Centering Prayer (transcendental
meditation in Christian terminology) is that his forces
are marshaling an attempt to get you to shut down your
critical reasoning skills through an influx of Eastern
non-thinking. The short of it is they are actually
spreading the logical fallacy of a false analogy
regarding so-called "Christian" mysticism. Basically
this is like comparing apples with oranges, both are
fruit but with differing distinguishing characteristics
that make each unique or dissimilar.
(27) Calvary
Chapel's
New Official Position Paper On The Emerging
Church/Contemplative Prayer by Calvary Chapel
Costa Mesa, 5/06
Pastor Chuck Smith has come out with the official Calvary
Chapel Outreach Fellowship Statement on the Emerging
Church. This is apparently in response to some in
Calvary Chapels who are teaching the false doctrines of
the Emerging Church such as Chuck Smith, Jr. and Danny
Lehmann.
(28) Soaking
Prayer
And It's Connection To Contemplative, Reiki And The
Occult by Lighthouse Trails Research Project,
5/26/06
"Soaking prayer is a modern form of contemplative prayer
... People put themselves in an attitude of stillness,
focusing on Jesus and open to the Holy Spirit but with no
requests or agenda. The aim is to be still in God?s
presence, "waste time with Jesus.". The Toronto church
sees soaking prayer as one of the main ways in which they
encourage people to be open to the Holy Spirit." (SOAKING
PRAYER by Roger Harper)
(29) Yoga
and
Christianity Compatible? posted by Jim
Bublitz, Slice Of Laodicea, May 27, 2006 Here's an interesting email posted on the Lighthouse
Trails website. It should be of interest to the Emerging
Church "communities" that are integrating yoga into
their services, and for other churches that offer it as
a midweek elective. The email is from the Classical Yoga
Hindu Academy.
(30) THOMAS
KEATING
ON CONTEMPLATIVE/CENTERING PRAYER by Ken
Silva, Apprising Ministries, 5/27/06 What you are about to see is the definition of
Contemplative/Centering Prayer, or what is actually
transcendental meditation lightly sprayed with Christian
terminology from a man universally known as an authority
of this practice. In his own book on so-called spiritual
"practices and disciplines" called The Sacred Way
Emergent theologian Tony Jones recommends a book called
Open Mind, Open Heart (OMOH) by Thomas Keating.
(32) Beth
Moore
Gives Thumbs Up to "Be Still" DVD by
Lighthouse Trails Research Project, Newsletter, 6/06
Beth Moore's statement of "apology" should be
disregarded - new information takes precedence. The Be
Still DVD by Fox Home Entertainment was just released in
April. Featured speakers include Richard Foster, Dallas
Willard, Max Lucado, Beth Moore and many others. Shortly
after the DVD was released, Ingrid Schlueter of Slice of
Laodicea spoke with Beth Moore and told Moore that the
DVD was promoting the mystical practice of contemplative
prayer. Within one hour, Moore issued a statement to
Slice of Laodicea and asked that they post it on their
website, which they did. However, there has been a
growing concern about her statement and the fact that
Moore's ministry, Living Proof Ministries, never placed
the statement on their website. Lighthouse Trails has
now received emails from a number of people who have
sent us a new statement from Living Proof Ministries.
Because Living Proof is issuing this statement to the
public, we are making this available for all to read.
According to this recent email, Moore's original
statement of apology should now be disregarded. The
statement clarified: "[W]e believe that once you view
the Be Still video you will agree that there is no
problem with its expression of Truth." Living Proof is
offering to send a free copy of the DVD to anyone who
receives their email statement and wishes to view the
DVD, saying that, "[I]t would be our privilege to do
this for you to assure you that there is no problem with
Beth's participation in the Be Still video."
(33) The
Emerging
Church: Another Road to Rome by Roger Oakland,
Understanding The Times, 6/06 A prayer station created for use during the Emerging
Church service at Capo Beach Calvary illustrates what
Chuck Smith Jr. means by allowing his congregation to
"feel" and "know with the heart and not with the
brain." This prayer station was on display during
the month of April, 2005. Further, the prayer station
complete with candles, incense and icons featured an
instruction sheet to assist church attendees in how to
pray with an icon.
(34) Beth
Moore's Illicit Tent of Meeting by Bob DeWaay,
6/06 Recently, on Ingrid Schlueter's Web site Beth Moore
denies that she promotes approaches to prayer that have
Eastern overtones. The issue arose from her
participation on the Be Still DVD which has been
critiqued on this site by Ingrid and then Brian Flynn.
Brian and I viewed a segment of Beth Moore on that DVD.
We found disconcerting her poor understanding of Exodus
33:7-11, the passage she uses as her proof text. In her
discussion of Moses' tent of meeting she proposes that
each believer can have their own tent of meeting where
they can go to have two way conversations with God.
(35) Emerging
Interfaith
Compromise by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries,
6/06 Finally, as far as those in the other false religions
such as Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, you have already
seen that the Bible has told us in no uncertain terms
these people are in reality offering their worship and
sacrifices to demons and not to God. So what knowledge
about the Lord could the true Christian possibly acquire
from them? The truth is that child of God isn't to learn
about our Creator from pagans, rather as an ambassador
of Christ, the job of the Christian is to proclaim the
Gospel of salvation to these lost people. And it most
cetrtainly is not to end up in Emergent Interfaith
Compromise with them.
(36) What's
Wrong
With Yoga, Especially Christian Yoga? by
Cassandrah Batya, June 21, 2006 Biblical Christians should start asking their own
questions of all churches and individuals that are
promoting "Christian" Yoga. Where is this practice
in the Bible? Why is this eastern pagan heresy
being given a Christian title? How does The Gospel
of Christ fit into any of this? What does light
have to do with darkness?
(37) The
Emerging
Church by Roger Oakland, Understanding The
Times, 6/22/06 For some years we have seen some dramatic changes in
terms of how the church has changed. While it is true
Christianity must be relevant in order to be effective,
how far can we stray from biblical standards and still
be sound Christian witnesses of the gospel?
(38) Emerging
Into
What? by Roger Oakland, Understanding The
Times, 6/23/06 Rick Warren and others are saying we need to pay
attention to the emerging church. Things are changing,
they say and the "emerging church" has the answers for
our generation. But what will the emerging church emerge
into? Could it be a form of Christianity that embraces
experience rather than God's Word?
(38) The
Kundalini Effect and Contemplative Prayer by
Brian Flynn, 6/06 On a pro-contemplative spirituality web site, I came
across the descriptions of those who had experienced the
effect of contemplative prayer. Some of this is very
disturbing and should be read with care.
(39) The
Kundalini
Connection: Evangelicals Embrace Energy Of The Serpent
excerpts from the new book "Yoga
And
The Body Of Christ" by Dave Hunt, The Berean Call,
Newsletter, July 2006 This entire discussion always brings us back to the
most fundamental fact about yoga. No matter what
physical beneit might be derived from the exercises
themselves, yoga inevitably involves Eastern meditation.
And Eastern meditation, unlike Western contemplation or
reflection, accompanies an intentional dissociation from
our conscious minds. This shutting down of the mind is,
in fact, a total abdication of our God-given
responsibility that Jesus declared is the first and
great commandment: to love Him with all our heart, soul,
and mind (Deuteronomy 6:5-6, Matthew 22:37). Thus, we
are violating one of the true God's most basic
commandments every time we give our minds over to the
intentional "nothingness" of yoga and associated
"relaxation techniques."
(41) New
Age Pathways In The Church by Mike
Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 7/06 People will always chase the new thing[s] down wherever
they are not holding to and practicing the old thing
accurately- God's eternal word. Ancient it may be, but
it is the truth that stands the test of time, to all
cultures and all generations and that is what our focus
should be on.
(42) Thomas
Merton:
The Contemplative Dark Thread by Jackie Alnor,
Apostasy Alert, 7/06 It is remarkable that elements within the church today
would point to dead heretics such as Merton as a source
for any kind of spiritual truth. The man was truly
demonized and corrupted many undiscerning souls who no
doubt are with him in hell to this day.
(43) Christian
Yoga
Renamed Is Still Hinduby Subhas R. Tiwari,
Hinduism Today, 07/19/06
CAUTION: This article us by a Hindu master in yoga
philosophy. But it does show that Yoga can never be
severed from its roots in Kundalini Hinduism.
(44) Tony
Jones
Says by Rev. Ken Silva, July 22, 2006 "Tony Jones is the National Coordinator of Emergent. He
talked with RELEVANT
about the movement, its leaders and dispelled rumors
about what Emergent is really all about. A full profile
of the emerging church and Emergent was featured in the
July/August issue."
(45) Emerging
Church
and Postmodern Spirituality Debate by Bob
Dewaay, Pastor of Twin City Fellowship, radio host of
Critical Issues Commentary vs. Doug Pagitt, author of
"Church Re-Imagined: The Spiritual Formation of People in
Communities of Faith"
This is a PodCast of the event also available on CD.
(46) Focus
On
The Family Says OK Once Again To Contemplative Prayer
by Lighthouse Trails Research, 8/5/06 We find it incredible that Focus on the Family likens
contemplative prayer (which has roots in Hinduism and
other eastern religions) to attending church services,
reading the Bible, singing hymns and listening to
sermons? This is a preposterous statement. Has Focus on
the Family slipped so far down the contemplative
spirituality slope that they do not at all see this? How
can they in any measure endorse the writings of Richard
Foster who teaches that anyone at all can be a sanctuary
for God by practicing contemplative prayer and who says
we should all without shame enroll in the school of
contemplative prayer? What a grievous time this is!
(47) Enemies
Of
The Cross by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries,
8/6/06 The above mentioned evangelical organizations are
giving money and support to, as well as publishing the
books of, men reversing the Reformation and openly
denying the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ
before the world. Men and women, I ask you: What else
could we possibly call these but enemies of the Cross?
It truly is as my dear friend and brother in arms Cecil
Andrews of Take Heed Ministries has keenly observed: "I
have found over the years that what I would call the
"shoots and buds" of someone's "heresies" have a
tendency to develop and strengthen over time until they
eventually "blossom fully.""No one who denies the Son
has the Father"
(48) Postmodernism
by Michael Penfold, Webtruth, 8/06 A new kind of language stalks the land, based on a
widespread contemporary ideology called postmodernism,
the chief characteristic of which is the rejection of
absolute objective truth. "What's true for you may not
be true for me," encapsulates the postmodern idiom
fairly well. Despite its recent origin, postmodernism
already dominates the media, academia, politics and much
of 'the church'. Statistics reveal that a majority of
young people in the West hold to the following 'truth';
"There is no such thing as truth." A thing may be cool,
OK or workable, but to say it is 'true' implies
something else is 'false', a judgment call that assumes
a hierarchy of correctness - perish the thought.
(49) Laurie
Beth Jones' Four [Pagan] Elements of Success
by Bob DeWaay, Critical Issues Commentary, 8/11/06 Now, Laurie Beth Jones enters the market promoting yet
another version of temperament study: Earth, Wind, Fire
and Water. Using these ancient pagan categories, she has
developed her Path Elements Profile (PEP) and sells the
program to businesses. She claims, "Insights surrounding
PEP have helped save marriages, unite families, discern
career directions, and select everything from jobs to
spouses." (from her book The Four Elements of Success).
(50) Emergent
Church:
Spencer Burke's Panentheism Emerges by Ken
Silva, Apprising Ministries, 8/11/06 Here is another example of just how far off the rails
the Ecumenical Church of Deceit actually is and why the
deception of the neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church
is going to have catastrophic results upon the youth of
our nation. Some of you might remember an article I did
here at Apprising Ministries called The Emergent Road To
Universalism which dealt with a forthcoming book by
Spencer Burke of the Emergent Ooze. Frankly I dropped
the story because I thought it was just too ridiculous
even by substandard Emergent standards.
(51) What
is
the New Age Movement? - A brief synopsis by
Sarah Leslie, Discernment Ministries Newsletter,
September-October 2006 In the following excerpt you will learn how New Age
leaders are "working" the media in order to best
position themselves and their message. You will gain
backstage information about how publicity decisions are
made, how leaders have learned to pull back when their
message is too controversial, and how they patiently
wait for a ripe opportunity to launch the next phase of
their agenda. The similarities to leading evangelicals,
who also manipulate public relations, will be quite
evident.
(52) Unwinding
the
Labyrinth: A Christian walk ... away from God by
Brian Flynn, excerpt from Running Against the Wind,
September 4, 2006 If you are a church pastor that promotes this practice
or has one installed in your church then I would say you
should do one of two things: either throw a rug over it
and apologize to your congregation or resign. If you
lack the fundamentals of understanding, the means of
grace by which your flock can truly draw closer to Him,
then you are not qualified to pastor anyone.
(53) Assemblies
of
God: Committed to Spiritual Formation, Contemplative
and Emerging by Lighthouse Trails Research,
9/06 With all of the influence that contemplative/emerging
is having on AOG denomination, it is not surprising to
find out that Purpose Driven has also found its way into
the movement (it too is a big proponent of both
contemplative and emerging). A search on the AOG USA
website produces over 600 entries for "Purpose
Driven."
(54) Dallas
Willard
- An Emergent Conspirator by Ken Silva,
Apprising Ministries, 9/18/06 The current issue of Christianity Today tells us Dallas
Willard "is on a quiet quest to subvert nominal
Christianity." But with the Reformation denying
Spiritual Formation (aka Contemplative Spirituality)
espoused by Willard and his co-conspirator Living
Spiritual Teacher Richard Foster the truth is they are
actually on a quest to subvert true historic orthodox
Christianity.
(55) Neo-Orthodoxy:
An
Emergent Overview by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon,
10/06 The following comes from Contemporary Theology""an
overview of theology over the last 50 years. It deals
mainly with pinpointing certain theological trends and
the most influential and well known movements of the
day" by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon. As you read
through this you should be able to see where the new
evangelicalism has been heading. The views of
neo-orthodoxy are quite obvious within the three major
pillars of the Ecumenical Church of Deceit - the the
Purpose Driven Church, the Word Faith Church and most
particularly the neo-liberal cult of the Emergent
Church.
(56) Meaningless
Offerings
and Christ's Return by Ken Silva, Apprising
Ministries, 10/16/06 My guess is that there are some who have come to be a
bit exasperated with me and are awaiting a thorough
biblical analysis of the neo-liberal cult of the
Emergent Church within the new evangelicalism. Some
Christians hoping for Bible verses with which to
confront the Emergent, and the Emergent looking for
verses with which they can dispute. And this is one of
the important points I am making in this short piece.
The so-called "conversation" of the Emergent Church
movement is not really interested in dialogue because
they have already decided beforehand what they believe.
In my experience with leaders and pastors within
Emergent Church I've yet to meet one who was actually
willing to truly consider an opposing view.
(57) "Christian"
Yoga by Roger Oakland, Understand The Times
Radio Commentary, 10/25/06 There are a number of people in the world today who
believe mankind is entering into a whole new era. The
pathway to higher consciousness, they say, is within the
grasp of all those who are willing to pursue it. Is this
thinking here to stay, or is it just a passing fad?
(58) Red
Moon
Rising: An Army for God with a "Violent Reaction" by
Lighthouse Trails Research, 10/19/06 While Greig's book and ministry may, at first glance,
appear to be a movement of prayer, research shows that
both the book and the movement are heavily influenced by
contemplative spirituality and New Age thought. And
while youth around the world are taking shifts (to pray)
in Greig's boiler rooms (prayer rooms), they may be
getting into something entirely different than biblical
prayer. If your youth group is considering incorporating
Red Moon Rising and 24-7 Prayer into their agenda, a
second look may be worthwhile.
(59) Rob
Bell
Denies The Gospel by Ken Silva, Apprising
Ministries, 10/21/06 When I continue in Part Two I'll show you a bit more
about the social gospel which is being repainted by
Emergent Hollow Men like Rob Bell, who through their
misunderstanding the true nature of man are simply
reimagining all over again the very "Cult of Liberal
Theology."
(60) The
Emerging
Church - Revival Or Return To Darkness? by
Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, September
2006 History reveals that Christian fads and trends come and
go. It seems that it is common for many pastors and
church leaders to constantly look for some new
methodology, "new wave" or "new thing" God is doing,
"right now." We live at a period in church history
that is characterized by enthusiasm for methods and
means that facilitate church growth. Large churches are
commonly equated with successful pastors and successful
church growth methods. Whatever it takes to reach that
objective, is acceptable, we are told. Church growth has
become the measuring stick for successful Christianity.
(61) What
Are
They Saying? by Lighthouse Trails Research,
11/03/06 Quotes from Emergent leaders.
(62) Ted
Haggard
Replacement (as President of the NAE) Promotes
Contemplative Spirituality and the Emerging Church
by Lighthouse Trails Research, 11/07/06 After the recent exposure of Ted Haggard, the National
Association of Evangelicals (NAE) has replaced Haggard
with interim president, Leith Anderson. Anderson is the
pastor of Wooddale Church in Minneapolis, which is the
former church of Lighthouse Trails author Brian Flynn,
(author of Running Against the Wind). Choosing Anderson
for the NAE president may help to speed up the
infiltration of contemplative spirituality into the
evangelical church - Wooddale Church has been promoting
it for some time.
(63) A
Southern Baptist Pastor Investigates Emergent And
Contemplative Within The SBC (Southern Baptist
Convention) by Ken Silva, Apprising
Ministries, 11/14/06 As this progresses you will see that I have great
reason for concern that the influence of the Emergent
Church and its core doctrine of Contemplative
Spirituality is indeed spreading within the once
conservative Southern Baptist Convention which at last
check still claims to be a Protestant denomination.
(64) Emergents
Help
Humanity Awaken to a New Spirituality by Slice
Of Laodicea, 12/11/06 (Note: this article is no longer
online or archived) Take some time on this New Spirituality book site.
Study the titles of the books and see how the mystical
Jesus, the experiential Jesus, the redefined Jesus, is
the man of the hour. Study the titles and see where
things are headed. Some of these titles would rest
easily on the shelves of your Christian bookstore like,
Putting on the Mind of Christ. (It's not the Christ of
the Bible..) The church without discernment is being
actively seduced into this satanic deception of
counterfeit spirituality.
(65) How
to
Create an Emergent Movement by Herescope,
11/16/06 "Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the
Lord commandeth it not?" (Lamentations 3:37)
(66) WORDS
OF
ENCOURAGEMENT: THREE MEN OF GOD EXPOSE THE ROTTEN ROOT
OF THE "POSTMODERN" EMERGENT CHURCH by Ken
Silva, Apprising Ministries, 12/11/06 We simply must face facts here, evangelicalism has
become a thing “an idol“the way we
"do church." And because the Christian Church in America
has been waffling on the doctrines of grace for too long
God has sent and allowed deceptions into our midst. Not
to mention extremely well placed attacks by Satan e.g.
the counterfeit Christianity of the new cult of liberal
theology the Emergent Church. And the Lord had warned
us“ For the time is come that judgment must
begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us,
what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel
of God? (1 Peter 4:17, KJV).
(67) The
Church
Growth, Emerging Church - Daiprax Agenda - The
Diabolical Practices of 'Ministers' Across America
Today by Dean Gotcher, Authority Research,
12/12/06 We are not to be an offense to others, but in sharing
God's word with others, when it becomes an offense, it
is not up to us to water it down, candy coat it, or to
change it?humanize it, to make it acceptable. To behave
in such a way is not only a praxis of deceiving
ourselves but also a praxis of taking pleasure in
deceiving others. The definition of the word offense is
"(skan-dal-id'-zo) to put a stumbling block or
impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and
fall, to entice to sin, to cause a person to begin to
distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey,
to cause to fall away, to be offended in one." Source:
The Bible Collection 10.1.629 (c) 2006
(69) BIBLE
BUTCHERY
- How To Make God's Word Say Whatever You Like And
Ignore What God Said It Actually Says - The Cut
& Paste Hermeneutics Of Rick Warren and The
Gnostic Interpretation Of The Parables By Brian
Maclaren & Peter Tsukahira by Jacob
Prasch, Moriel Ministries, 12/14/06 "Let Not Many Of You Be Teachers, For We Teachers Shall
Be Judged More Strictly Than the Rest" (James 3:1)
This warning The Holy Spirit gives through The Apostle
James is daunting. While we shall stand before the
judgment seat of Christ, those of us posing to teach
God's Word to others will be held more accountable than
others, because teachers can most easily mislead others.
Being misled is one thing, but misleading others -
either being cognizant of the error, or teaching error
out of out own ignorance doesn't matter. In the secular
world if a non lawyer gives false legal advice he can
mislead another with serious consequences, or if a
non-medic mutilates a sick or injured person , it is
unimportant if he or she were sincerely trying to do
good or not. If they really cared about the ones they
tried to help they would not have attempted to illegally
practice medicine or law, misrepresenting themselves as
qualified in a field they are not. Their acts are ones
of criminal fraud, and the law does not care about their
professed 'good intentions'.
(70) Understanding
The
Emerging Church by Roger Oakland,
Understanding the Times, 12/06 Attempting to come up with a definitive explanation to
describe all that is happening in the Emerging Church
movement is an impossible task. Probably the best way to
do this would be to examine the numerous books that have
been written on this topic and come up with some general
trends that seem to be consistent. This series of
programs will attempt to do this.
(71) How
to
Know When the Emerging Church Shows Signs of Emerging
in Your Church by Roger Oakland, Understanding
The Times, 12/06 The world is changing. So is the Christian evangelical
church. There was a time - not that long ago - when the
Bible was considered to be the Word of God by the
majority of evangelical Christians. Now that we are well
into the third millennium and the post-modern,
post-Christian era, the term evangelical can mean almost
anything. What has happened? Why is this happening and
what is the future for mainstream Christianity?
(73) Christian
Or
Christ "Follower" by Lighthouse Trails
Research, 12/22/06 Christian or Christ-follower. It's a distinction that
is being made more and more today, and often the latter
term, Christ follower, is replacing the former term,
Christian. Even many Christian leaders are making the
switch. But just what does it mean? Emerging church
leader, Erwin McManus says his "goal is to destroy
Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for
the movement of Jesus Christ."
(74) Christian
Yoga:
Rooted in Hindu Occultism by Chris Lawson,
1/5/2007 Dear reader, the following article has been written in
order to convey information about the unbiblical
practice of Christian Yoga. Sadly, many professing
Christians in the church are too undiscerning to know
any better. Even Hindu's recognize that "Christian Yoga
is still Hindu".
(75) Christianity
Today
Article Promotes Lectio Divina and Breath Prayers
by Lighthouse Trails Research, 1/19/07 In the current online edition of Christianity Today, an
article by contemplative proponent Keri Wyatt Kent is
instructing on the practice of lectio divina and breath
prayers. As with most contemplatives, Wyatt Kent says
that her prayer time was filled with too many "words,"
saying her time studying the Bible became "stale." She
then explains how she found the solution to the
dreariness of her spiritual life.
(70) Roman
Emergent
Matrix by Watcher's Lamp, 3/20/07 Folks who experienced the 40 Days of Purpose in their
churches or who have read the book, may not have noticed
the embedded references to Catholicism.
(71) A
Line Has Been Crossed ... No Turning Back? by
Lighthouse Trails Research, 3/30/07 Right before our very eyes mainstream Christendom is
converging with the New Age movement. In 2007, two
events are scheduled, and if they actually occur without
a public outcry by Christian leaders then we will have
entered into a full-fledged paradigm shift, and a line
will have been crossed that will very likely mean no
turning back.
(72) The
Emerging
Civil War by Paul Proctor, Biblically
Speaking, NewsWithViews And you know what? It's working - because this Emergent
leaven is everywhere in Southern Baptist life today and
almost no one in SBC leadership and authority that I
know of is resisting it - at least not publicly.
(74) The
Emerging
Spiritual Revolution by Herescope,
4/17/07 In his blueprint for "the emerging spiritual
revolution" (The Emerging Order, p. 95), Jeremy Rifkin
wrote about how to manipulate the Charismatics to create
a new Dominionist worldview for science, economics and
spirituality. This worldview is New Age, representing a
new world order created out of the humus of Hermeticism.
Rifkin suggested that the Charismatics could provide the
nonrational component, while the evangelicals could work
on the theological logistics of a "new covenant vision
and a new world view."
(75) AM/CRN
Exclusive:
Erwin McManus At Origins - The Experience 2007
by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 4/07
The Origins Conference (April 30-May 3), put on by
cultural architect, distinguished futurist and lead pastor
for Mosaic Erwin McManus is now underway. Origins is "an
interactive experience which mobilizes people to serve
through the discovery of one's uniqueness. Includes
Gallup's StrengthsFinder, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, and
Character Matrix (based on Uprising by Erwin
McManus)."
(76) On
Tap-Have
Suds With Your Buds! - A "Ministry" of The Journey
Church by Sherry Neese, ApostasyAlert, May 31,
2007 The real kicker was an event for the men of the church
called "On Tap". The "requirement" for attending this
group is to be over 21 and "a person who wants to think
or at least think about thinking and have a beer and
some suicide wings with other guys" at a local
restaurant. Great! The church is promoting alcohol
consumption as the manly thing to do. What kind of
message is this sending to the boys in the church?
(77) Is
Your
Church Doing Spiritual Formation? by
Lighthouse Trails Research, 6/11/07 Is your church involved in a Spiritual Formation
program? If so, you might want to ask the question, what
does Spiritual Formation look like? It's a fair
question, and one, that if not asked, could end up
surprising you when your church changes in ways you
never imagined.
(78) Dan
Kimball
and the Emerging Church and Eastern Meditation
by Steve Muse, Eastern Regional Watch, 6/13/07 As I read Dan Kimball's book, The Emerging Church, I
realized the book opened up a Pandora's Box of concerns
for what Kimball was communicating to this new
generation of churches about vintage Christianity.
Reading the book, I became impressed with a very
disturbing sense that Kimball is attempting to take
today's youth back into an experience-based relationship
with God much like the Catholic mystics have revealed to
us through their writings. And now through contemplative
prayer and contemplative spirituality we are to come
into a deeper relationship with God. On the Internet,
countless sites promote the Emerging Church experience
with its myriad forms of worship and prayer-and on most
of these sites Kimball's book is heartily promoted.
(79) Rob
Bell:
Hitting the road on a mission of "misplaced" faith
by Lighthouse Trails, 6/14/07 "A lot of people see Jesus as just for Christians but I
keep discovering that his teachings are really about
what it means to be human." - Rob Bell, Manchester
Evening News (June 15, 2007). According to a news report
from Manchester Evening News (Britain), emergent leader
Rob Bell is "setting out on an ambitious theatre tour of
Britain with his message, Calling All Peacemakers." As
do most emergents, Bell believes in a
universal/interfaith religion where all one has to do is
add Jesus to their own religion - it isn't necessary to
become a Christian and identify with the body of Christ.
One can remain a Hindu, continue practicing Hindu
rituals but just say they like Jesus the best. This is
what we call the new missiology, and its evangelists
include Rick Warren, Brian McLaren, and many other
emerging church proponents.
(80) Episcopal
Priest
says, "I am Both Muslim and Christian" -- That's OK
with the Emerging Church by Lighthouse Trails
Research, 6/18/07 The June 17th headline in the Seattle Times newspaper
reads, "I Am Both Muslim and Christian." Janet Tu,
religion reporter for the Times has written the piece on
an Episcopal priest named Ann Holmes Redding. Redding
has been a priest for more than 20 years, and she became
Muslim 15 months ago. The article is her
coming-out-of-the-closet debut. Redding explains: "I am
both Muslim and Christian, just like I'm both an
American of African descent and a woman. I'm 100 percent
both." Interestingly, the article quotes Kurt
Fredrickson, director of the doctor of ministry program
at the pro-contemplative/emerging Fuller Theological
Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. Of Redding's choosing to be
both Muslim and Christian, Fredrickson seems to be
opposed to Redding's decision and states, "The most
basic [question] would be: What do you do with Jesus?"
But there is a twist to this story, and obviously, it's
one the Seattle Times didn't include in their own
report. While Fuller Theological Seminary and probably
most evangelical institutions would say you can't be
both Muslim and Christian, in truth they are saying the
opposite every day. How you ask? Simply by promoting
contemplative and/or the emerging church, which
countless Christian organizations, ministries, schools
and churches do now.
(81) LifeWay's
Fitness
Expert Promotes Yoga - New Age Movement continues to
Haunt Southern Baptist Convention by Bud
Press, Director, Christian Research Service, June 29,
2007 For years, the Southern Baptist Convention (hereinafter
SBC) has warned Christians about the dangers of Yoga and
the New Age Movement. The SBC has developed articles,
resolutions, and Interfaith Evangelism Belief Bulletins
warning against the New Age Movement and Yoga. LifeWay
Christian Stores, a division of the SBC, removed Susan
Bordenkircher's Yoga for Christians and Brooke Boon's
Holy Yoga from its main online bookstore. SBC officials
have spoken out against Yoga and other forms of the New
Age Movement. For decades, solid, Bible-based Christian
apologists and cult-evangelists have warned the body of
Christ about Yoga and the New Age Movement. God's word,
the Bible, warns about false teachers, worldly
philosophies, strange doctrines, and traditions of men,
and commands Christians to avoid them. But despite the
warnings, LifeWay and its own fitness expert, Branda
Polk, promotes Yoga and encourages Christians to
participate in Yoga classes.
(82) Contextual
Theology
- Falling From Truth Through the Emerging Church
by Roger Oakland, Understand the Times, 7/24/07 In order for the emerging church to succeed, the Bible
has to be looked at through entirely different glasses,
and Christianity needs to be open to a new type of
faith. Brian McLaren calls this new faith a "generous
orthodoxy."1 While such an orthodoxy allows a
smorgasbord of ideas to be proclaimed in the name of
Christ, many of these ideas are actually forbidden and
rejected by Scripture.
(83) Southern
Baptist
'Kids' Bowing To Yoga - The Facts, the Dangers, the
Photos, the Warnings by Bud Press, Director,
Christian Research Service, August 16, 2007 Introduction: Across the Western world, professing
Christians are participating in New Age practices such
as contemplative spirituality, labyrinth, and Yoga--all
of which is preparing the way for something darker and
more sinister.
(84) Faith
Undone by Roger Oakland, Understanding
The Times, 8/07 Is the emerging church movement just another
passing fad, a more contemporary approach to
church, or a bunch of disillusioned young people
looking for answers? In fact, it is actually
much broader and is influencing Christianity to
a significant degree. Grounded in a
centuries-old mystical approach, this movement
is powerful, yet highly deceptive, and it draws
its energy from practices and experiences that
are foreign to traditional evangelical
Christianity. The path that the emerging church
is taking is leading right into the arms of
Roman Catholicism and ultimately to an
interfaith perspective that has prophetically
profound ramifications.
(85) Emerging
Arrogance by Herescope, 8/27/07 Daily we are inundated with a flood of evangelical
literature and e-mails and website postings that all
indicate a crazy new form of arrogance flaunted by
Christian leaders. Much of this is new doctrine -- under
various guises, with inventive interpretations that suit
the need of the moment. Perhaps nowhere is this most
evident than in the new teachings on so-called "servant
leadership."
(89) Artificial
Milk
- Weaning Evangelicals Off The Word by T.A.
McMahon, The Berean Call, 2/07 Apostasy is rampant within the evangelical church
today. At least that's my perspective as one who has
observed religious trends and developments for three
decades. Read Part 1,Part 2
& Part
3.
(90) End-time
Deception
in the Emerging Church by Prof. Johan Malan,
Middelburg, South Africa, 9/07 We are living in a time when increased pressure is
exerted upon all churches to fundamentally change their
doctrines. The Bible is considered less dogmatic since
modern humanity is not prepared to restrict its freedom
by a narrow and literal interpretation of Scripture. A
biblical concept of God, an evangelical doctrine of
salvation and premillennial teachings on end-time events
are among the major casualties in the new reformation
which is currently under way. These tenets all stand in
the way of kingdom reforms aimed at ensuring a happy
future to a united humanity of all faiths. In the
emerging postmodern world, people regard themselves free
to determine their own values and beliefs. When their
religious views differ substantially from the Bible they
merely discount biblical teachings as having been
written from the perspective of an ancient world-view
when people still believed in a devil and hell, and also
in a vindictive God who is intent on punishing sin. In
the postmodern world, people think in terms of new
paradigms which clash with a literal interpretation of
Scripture. Since religion is no longer determined by
faith but by subjective human reasoning, they simply
deconstruct modern and pre-modern beliefs, and
substitute them with postmodern views which emanate from
their humanistic world-view.
(91) Christians
Are
Mixed Up - In Mysticism by Marsha West,
NewsWithViews.com, September 15, 2007 More and more of those who profess Christ are
"experiencing God" in ways that lands them smack dab in
the middle of the New Age movement. Read Part
1 and Part
2.
(92) Novelty and Change Will
Lead Them by Orrel Steinkamp,The Plumbline,
Volume 12, No. 5, Sept/Oct 2007 There exist today hundreds of people in Christian think
tanks and agencies whose whole view of ministry is to
promote and induce cultural change into the church. It
is called contextualization or transformation. But
transformation is basically inducing change into the
Christian church. Pastors who are properly trained in
transformation and contextualization principles are
known as transformational pastors. Pastors are also
called to be "change agents." For further reading on
this topic, please refer to my earlier newsletter,
entitled "Transformation Thinking for Dummies." The
overriding feature of seeker-sensitive and
transformational activities is to change the church to
resemble the culture as closely as possible and thereby
insure survival and success in today's changing society.
There is more to it than outward appearances.
Seeker-sensitive churches low key their doctrinal
statements, lest they scare away the seekers. Although
doctrinal stances do not officially change, the
week-by-week teaching exhibits the church as fellow
travelers in the culture. The process of transformation
calls not only for change but perpetual, ongoing change;
in order to entice an ever-~hanging seeker population.
Forgotten entirely these days, is the fact that God's
people are meant to be a leaven within the culture, a
pocket of resistance to the foibles and ethos of the
flesh. However, I suspect there are still some seekers
left who expect to find something unique and noticeably
different at church than in the world at large.
(93) Emergent
Confusion by The Berean Call, 9/26/07 The emergent church is fond of quoting St. Francis
regarding his "take" on how one communicates the Gospel.
(94) Surrender
is
not an Option: An Evaluation of Emergent Epistemology
by David Kowalski, 9/29/07 While most leading Evangelical scholars have strongly
opposed the many unscriptural teachings found in the
emerging church movement, some popular Evangelical
leaders have openly befriended the movement and some
Christian magazines have spoken favorably of certain
emergent books. This phenomenon may pass with time.
David Smith observes that when the theology of hope
first appeared in the 1960's "Many conservatives early
in the movement's life saw the theologians of hope as
fellow travelers"[38] due to certain outward
similarities to Evangelicalism. As conservatives became
more familiar with the substance of this movement's
teachings they realized their first impression had been
wrong. Perhaps as more Evangelicals become familiar with
all of the teachings of the emerging church movement and
consider the serious implications of their theology of
surrender they will choose to disagree with the
sociologically based theology, morality, and
spirituality which the epistemology of this movement has
birthed.
(95) The
Kingdom
of Emergent Theology - Part 1 by Gary Gilley,
Think On These Things, 9/07 Emergent kingdom theology, like its liberal
postmillennial predecessor, is based not so much on the
observation of an improving world but on feelings of
desperation. McLaren admits that many might see his
kingdom views as a mere pipe dream, but if that is so,
"what do [we] have to look forward to if they are
right? Simply more of the same in human history""
But truth does not emerge from groundless optimism or
"what if" desperation; it emerges from the
Scriptures. What God says about life now, the
future and the kingdom is what matters. In answer
to McLaren's question, we have much to look forward to,
for Christ will one day bring His kingdom to earth, at
which time the very social and earthly issues that
concern emergent people will be corrected and made
right. But this kingdom will come through the
power of Christ, not the good deeds of men. It will come
when He returns, not as a prelude to it. It will
not only remedy societal wrongs it will usher in the
world-wide righteousness and justice of Christ. We
have much to look forward to when the kingdom comes, but
it will come about because of God's actions, not
ours. It is right that we seek to correct social
ills, but our actions do not usher in Christ's
kingdom. Read Part
1,Part
2 & Part
3.
(96) Mysticism
&
Global Mind Change - Shaping a New Civilization - Part
1 by Berit Kjos, Kjos Ministries,
10/04/07 Do you wonder why yoga, labyrinths and other
meditational practices have suddenly emerged in churches
across America? Or why "Christians" now use the
old occult formulas practiced by sorcerers, alchemists
and "enlightened" yogis (a combination of concentration,
meditation, visualization and mental projection) to
invoke the presence of "God"? This East-West
synthesis didn't happen by chance. For several decades,
influential church leaders have been promoting a "new
way of thinking," a more experiential religion, an end
to "separatism," and an inclusive oneness that would
fulfill their vision of an earthly "Kingdom of God."
(97) The
Avalanche
of Spiritual Formation by Lighthouse Trails,
10/03/07 A move away from the truth of God's Word to a mystical
form of Christianity has infiltrated, to some degree,
nearly all evangelical denominations. Few Bible teachers
saw this avalanche coming. Now that it is underway, most
do not realize it has even happened.
(98) Todd
Friel
Interviews Doug Pagitt of the Emergent Church,
Reformed Voices blog, Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Listen to this interview with Emerging Church leader Doug
Pagitt to understand Pagitts view on hell, other
religions, etc. It it clear from this interview that
Pagitt has little understanding of the Bible and is trying
to diaprax people with the heretical views of the Emerging
Church.
(99) Transcript
Of
Todd Friel And Doug Pagitt On WOTM Radio on
Apprising Ministries, 11/8/07
If you haven't seen the below Apprising Ministries would
like to point you to a post by Rob Willmann where he made
the time to transcribe the recent appearance on Way of the
Master Radio by Doug Pagitt, a leader in the neo-liberal
cult of the Emergent Church.
(100) Contemplative
Proponent
J. P. Moreland Says Christians Too Committed to Bibleby Lighthouse Trails Research, 11/21/07 According to a Christianity Today article, Biola
University professor J.P. Moreland says evangelical
Christians are too committed to the Bible. His talk at a
recent Evangelical Theology Society meeting was titled
"How Evangelicals Became Over-Committed to the Bible and
What Can Be Done About It."
(103) Dumping
Sola
Scriptura by Herescope, 11/29/07 When evangelical leaders talk about a Second
Reformation, they mean reversing the tenets of the First
Reformation. A stunning example of this occurred
recently when evangelical professor J.P. Moreland
blasted "over-commitment to the Bible" and neglect of
"work on broad cultural themes." If this is the current
state of apologetics in the evangelical world, then
grievous times have arrived.
(104) Contextualization
by Steve Camp, Camponthis, 12/15/07 Contextualization. It is the latest buzz word adopted
by emerging/emergent/missional adherents who want to be
contemporary and cool, yet biblical both at the same
time thinking they have found something new that will
revolutionize evangelism and redefine the church of the
21st century. This missional arrogance has its roots in
what is known as Sociolinguistics. "It is the study of
the effect of any and all aspects of society, including
cultural norms, expectations, and context on the way
language is used. Sociolinguistics overlaps to a
considerable degree with pragmatics."
(105) Warren
Smith
at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on The New Age and
Emerging Church, 1/29/08 Listen to Warren Smith's talk on The New Age and The
Emerging Church at the the Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa
last week online here. Simply click on the link to his
speech. We've been astonished to find that Warren's
previous Herescope posts about Oprah Winfrey, Marianne
Williamson and the Course in Miracles have taken on a
life of their own in cyberspace. Many people around the
country have been sending these posts to family and
friends and their loops. Praise the Lord for this
important warning getting out. For people desiring more
information about the false gospel in A Course in
Miracles, Warren Smith's first book The Light That Was
Dark contains his fascinating testimony about his
personal experiences with this Course.
(106) Can a
pagan practice be Christianized? by Marsha
West, 1/25/08 Is yoga just a way of reducing stress or is there more
to it than that? I mean, everyone's doing it so it has
to be a good thing"right? The short answer is that
there's more to yoga than meets the eye. So bear with me
as I explain the reasons practicing yoga "stretches
traditional Christian boundaries" and why Christians
should avoid yoga and seek other alternatives.
(107) Evangelical
Mysticism? by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call,
February 1, 2008 I find myself increasingly grieved these days by what I
see taking place among those who profess to be
evangelicals. I know the term "evangelical" has
undergone radical changes regarding its meaning and
practice. Yet when I use the term, I'm going by a very
simple definition: I'm referring to those who claim to
accept the Bible alone as their authority for knowing
and receiving God's way of salvation and for living
their lives in a way that is pleasing to Him.
(108) 5
Reasons Why the Emerging Church is Now Receding (Don't
Bury The Emerging Church, Yet!) by Roger
Oakland, Understanding The Times, 2/5/08 Trevin Wax's article titled "5 Reasons Why the Emerging
Church is Now Receding" posted February 5, 2008, asks
some interesting questions and raises some valid
concerns with regard to the Emerging Church. However,
unfortunately Wax has drawn conclusions that steer
readers far from an accurate picture of understanding
the times from a biblical perspective and it is
necessary to sound the alarm.
(109) In
Defense
of Chuck Smith & Calvary Chapel, Dave Hunt and
Roger Oakland by Jacob J. Prasch, Moriel
Ministries, 2/6/08 Moriel Ministries & Jacob Prasch take extreme
exception to the statement critical of Chuck
Smith, various Calvary Chapels, Roger Oakland and Dave
Hunt by Richard Abanes of Saddleback Church in reaction
to their expressed position regarding The Purpose Driven
Agenda of Rick Warren.
(110) "Pragmatic
Evangelicalism" Has Peaked by Orrel Steinkamp,
The Plumbline, Volume 13, No. 1, January/February,
2008 "Something ... just happened in the evangelical
community. For most of a generation evangelicals have
been romanced by the 'seeker-sensitive' movement spawned
by Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. The guru of
this movement is Bill Hybels. He and others have been
telling us for decades to throw out everything we have
previously thought and been taught about church growth
and replace it with a new paradigm, a new way to do
ministry... The size of the crowd rather than the depth
of heart determined success. If the crowd was large then
surely God was blessing the ministry. Churches were
built by demographic studies, professional strategists,
marketing research, meeting 'felt needs' and sermons
with these techniques. We were told that preaching was
out, relevance was in. Doctrine didn't matter nearly as
much as innovation. If it wasn't 'cutting edge' and
consumer friendly it was doomed. The mention of sin,
salvation and sanctification were taboo and replaced by
Starbucks, strategy and sensitivity.
(111) Rob
Bell
"Undefines" Holiness by Bob DeWaay,
2/14/08 In Velvet Elvis, Bell lists a number of transcendent
experiences that he claims overwhelmed him to be in awe
of God. The first one for Bell happened as a teenager at
a concert performed by Irish rock group U2, where he was
"overwhelmed with the word true."[i] These extraordinary
experiences he also describes as "holy" and "sacred."
The problem is that his usage has nothing to do with the
Biblical meaning of the terms "holy" or "or
sacred."
(112) Emerging
Church
Leading Protestants Back To Rome by Mike
Gendron, Proclaiming The Gospel Ministries, 2/08 We have been receiving an increasing number of reports
about Protestants who are converting to Roman
Catholicism. There is now a series of three books which
herald the testimonies of former Protestant pastors who
have found the broad way to Rome more enticing and
fulfilling. What is causing this growing apostasy? Who
is behind this reversal of the Reformation? Why are so
many Protestants being seduced by the piety of this
false religion? Many evangelicals are puzzled and are
searching for answers. Although it is disheartening and
discouraging, we should not be surprised because: "the
Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will
fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful
spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1).
(113) The
Death
Of Discernment In The Church by Mike Gendron,
Proclaiming The Gospel Ministries, 2/08 The critical issue in the Church today is the purity of
the Gospel. That alone is the rudder that must guide the
Church through stormy waters that have been stirred up
by every wind of doctrine. Take away the ability to
discern objective truth and churches turn into
cafeterias serving whatever junk food people want
instead of the disciplined diet they need for spiritual
life and health. Without a steady diet of the whole
counsel of God, churches become entertainment centers
for goats instead of sanctuaries for the Shepherd's
sheep (Mat. 25:32). Unregenerate people, who are never
exhorted to examine their faith, will continue attending
church to enjoy the music, entertainment and "feel good"
messages. Unless these people are confronted with their
sin, their need for a Savior and the eternal
consequences of a spurious faith, they are destined to
hear these terrifying words from Jesus: "'I never knew
you; depart from Me" (Mat. 7:23).
(114) Christian
Yoga by Roger Oakland, Understanding The
Times, 2/20/08 There are a number of people in the world today who
believe mankind is entering into a whole new era. The
pathway to higher consciousness, they say, is within the
grasp of all those who are willing to pursue it. Is this
thinking here to stay, or is it just a passing fad?
(115) Evangelical
Mysticism? by T.A.McMahon, The Berean Call,
February 1, 2008 I find myself increasingly grieved these days by what I
see taking place among those who profess to be
evangelicals. I know the term "evangelical" has
undergone radical changes regarding its meaning and
practice. Yet when I use the term, I'm going by a very
simple definition: I'm referring to those who claim to
accept the Bible alone as their authority for knowing
and receiving God's way of salvation and for living
their lives in a way that is pleasing to Him.
(116) Ancient-Future
Heresies by McMahon, T.A., The Berean Call,
February 28, 2008 We desperately need to heed the words of Jesus in
Revelation chapters 2-3 that give critical warnings to
churches that profess to be His.
(118) Potentialy
Harmful,
and Dangerous Spiritual PracticesResearched
and Compiled by Chris Lawson, Spiritual Research Network,
3/27/08 Please note that the SRN staff issues a warning about
the following topics because they are either or all of
the following:: (1) Founded on occult principles; (2)
Dangerous forms of occult and mystical practices; (3)
Based on the writings and beliefs associated with either
paganism, spiritism, occultism or mysticism; (4)
Mystical and supernaturalistic health related methods.
(119)Does
Rick
Warren Have Reservations about the Emerging Church?
by Lighthouse Trails, 3/29/08 If Rick Warren has reservations about some things in
the emerging church, those reservations are not about
the mystical components of this movement.
(120) Confession
is
Good for the Soul by Jackie Alnor, Apostasy
Alert, March 31, 2008 When I see Bible-believing churches adopt Roman
Catholic traditions, such as the liturgical use of
incense, candles, and icons, I recoil in disgust. When
Roman Catholic church fathers are quoted by Protestants
to prove some theological point, I roll my eyes.
(121) One
step forward and three steps back by Mike
Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 4/08 Willow Creeks affiliation with the emergent church
movement.
(122) Warfield
and
Contemplative Spirituality by Herescope,
4/10/08 Benjamin B. Warfield's writings on mysticism help to
orient Christian believers to understand the
implications of contemplative and mystical
spirituality's challenge to orthodox and biblical
Christianity.
(123) Emerging
Church
Spreading Spiritual Cancer by Marsha West,
4/18/08 What this is really all about is truth. False teachers
stare at Truth but fail to recognize the identity of
truth. Jesus himself said, "I am truth." Thus we know
that Truth is an aspect of God Himself. Christianity is
the only truth because it is anchored in the Person of
Jesus Christ. Moreover, truth is crucial to a realistic
worldview. Which is why committed Christians mustn't buy
into the lie that truth is a matter of preference or
opinion. In case you haven't notices, in our postmodern
culture we are experiencing the death of truth - and the
death of truth could mean the death of civilizzation! I
wrote this down, but I don't remember who said it.
"Truth is true if no one believes it. A lie is a lie if
everyone believes it." And that's the truth!
(124) Emergent
MIND
Change by Herscope, 4/25/08 Dr. Dennis Cuddy, in his bi-weekly NewsWithViews column
on April 7 made a startling observation. Cuddy, an
historian and author with expertise in the mental health
arena,* noticed that there were similarities in Brian
McLaren's new book everything must change: Jesus, Global
Crises, and a Revolution of Hope and Eckhart Tolle's new
book touted by Oprah's Book Club, A New Earth: Awakening
to Your Life's Purpose. Both authors define mental
illness in terms of wrong belief systems which are
harming the planet:
(125) POINTS
to
PONDER - Rick Warren, Richard Abanes, Ken Blanchard,
Psychics, Yoga by Bud Press, Christian
Research Service, April 26, 2008
Richard Abanes' book, Rick Warren and the Purpose that
Drives Him, was published July 2005. On page 15, Abanes
tells of an interview between he and Warren, which took
place on May 4, 2005. During the interview on pages 28-29,
Abanes records Rick Warren stating that, "Well, I do know
Ken Blanchard. But we're not close friends--no
closer friends than half-a-dozen other celebrities" (emp.
added, book on file).However, in his February 19-20, 2005
article, "The Skills of Leadership: Leading Like Jesus
Part 3," Rick Warren stated that, "My good friend Ken
Blanchard who wrote The One Minute Manager
and a bunch of other books he always says, Catch people
doing something right. We always do the opposite. We catch
them doing something wrong. But catch people doing
something right and affirm it" (Pastors.com, click HERE
for PDF file, page 12, bold emp. added).
(126) Do
The
Dobsons and Focus on the Family Agree with the
Emergent Church? by Brannon S. Howse,
4/28/08 While I respect much of the great work of Dr. Dobson,
Shirley Dobson and Focus on the Family, there has been a
recent trend that is disturbing. This past weekend,
Shirley Dobson appeared with Dr. Robert Schuller on his
Hour of Power. Click here to view her appearance:
http://www.crystalcathedral.org/hour_of_power/index.php I don't take issue with Mrs. Dobson's message on behalf
of the National Day of Prayer but rather her appearance
on his show and her closing remark that affirmed the
"work" of Dr. Schuller.
(127)What
Is
Contemplative Prayer? by Roger Oakland,
Understanding The Times, 4/29/08 Contemplative prayer can be traced back to 3rd century
monks who were looking for ways to contact God by
mystical techniques. Such prayer methods are making a
comeback. Will Christians be enlightened or will they be
introduced to eastern mysticism?
(128) The
New
Wave of Apologetics by Tim Wirth, Nogoofyzone
Weblog, 4/26/08 There is a New Wave of Apologetics sweeping through the
Body Of Christ for some years now. But before we see
what apologetics is not, let's study and see what it is.
(129) The
New
Age Morphing . . . Into the Church by
Herescope, 5/13/08 How has the New Age morphed itself over the past 35
years since the public launching of "The Aquarian
Conspiracy"?
(130) Emergent
Road
Show Receives Sponsorship From Major Organizations
by Lighthouse Trails, 5/22/08 Three "of the most outspoken" leaders of the emerging
church (Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, and Mark Scandrette)
will be going on a national road tour this summer and
are receiving sponsorship from several large
organizations. Some of those sponsors are
Christianbook.com, Jossey-Bass, Compassion
International, International Bible Society, and
Zondervan.
(131) The
Emerging
Church - The Rising Generation - A Maturing Church?
by Jewel Grewe, Discernment Ministries, Discernment
Newsletter, Volume 19, Number 3, May/June 2008 How far from Biblical Authenticity this has come! We
now have Ancient-Future Heresies that Journey to the
Past to find Future Spirituality.
(132) Earth:
The
Old Story, The New Storyby Herescope,
5/29/08 Emergent church leaders are re-packaging and marketing
the Creation Spirituality myth to the evangelical
church. According to Emergent church leader Brian
McLaren, human beings on planet Earth need to change our
"framing story."
(133) Ancient-Future
Faith
Or Do All Roads Lead to Rome by Gary Gilley,
Think On These Things Newsletter, June 2008 - Volume 14,
Issue 6 Rumors are starting to circulate that the emergent
church movement is running out of steam. After
making the biggest splash and the most noise of anything
in the Christian community for many years it appears to
be approaching exhaustion. Some like Rob Bell and
Erwin McManus who are clearly in the "emergent
conversation" have denied their involvement. And
people seem a bit tired of hearing about postmodernism,
its rejection of universal truth and its promotion of
relativism. After all, how long can people live
questioning the obvious and denying reality? These
things play out nicely in philosophy class and in
college coffee shops, but have serious limitations in
the real world. Maybe it is time for the emergent ship
to leave the dock and make way for the next fad.
(134) What
is Centering? - Can we find God or enhance our
experience of Jesus by entering into an altered state
of consciousness? by Pastor Don Matzat,
7/08 The reality of Christ is never discovered within but is
always extra nos, outside of us. Christ is to be sought,
not in the inner self nor in some questionable technique
borrowed from occultism or the fringes of psychological
theory, but in the external and objective means of Word
and Sacrament. The intrusion of these methods into the church should
not only cause us concern, but anger!
(135) Ancient-Future
Faith,
Its Practices by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, July 2008 - Volume 14, Issue 7 In a recent sermon dealing with the emergent/emerging
church, Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill in Seattle
and self-described emerging church leader, identified
four lanes in which the emergent/emerging movement is
traveling. In the first lane are emerging evangelicals
who believe in basic Christian doctrine, such as the
Bible being God's Word and Jesus dying for our sins.
They also tend to form the "hip, cool church," according
to Driscoll. Pastors who may fall in this category
include Dan Kimball and Donald Miller. Without
taking much time to debate with Driscoll at this point,
I would certainly challenge the notion that Donald
Miller is a supporter of basic Christian doctrine.
Kimball, on the other hand, does hold to certain
doctrinal positions such as the three ancient ecumenical
creeds, but would not want to drift much beyond them.
(136) Beware
of This Doctrine of Demons by Heidi Swander,
Herescope, 8/12/08 It's called
"contemplative" or "centering" prayer and if you
haven't heard about it yet, chances are
unfortunately good that you will soon. It's
invading churches like a virus in which
submicroscopic pathogens contaminate the body
many hours or days before the victim is aware of
its presence. Contemplative prayer is one of a
number of ancient mystical practices or spiritual
disciplines, as their proponents refer to them,
which are being encouraged at an alarming rate by
evangelical churches. It is all part of
something called Spiritual Formation and the
Emergent Church, a movement that as John MacArthur
states in his book, The Truth War, is subtly
changing the beliefs and doctrines of the
evangelical church as we know it.
(137) The
Emerging
Church by Jason Carlson, 8/30/08 Carlson relates his experience in and out of the
Emergent Church . He sounds an alarm at our Olive Tree
Ministries "Understanding the Times 2007"
conference. This is an MP3 of his radio
interview with Jan Markel.
(138) Who's
Laughing
Now? by Bud Press, Christian Research Service,
September 9, 2008 Years ago, many parents laughed when their children
were introduced to Yoga, Transcendental Meditation,
relaxation, and visualization techniques in the secular
schools and YMCA. Many school teachers and principles
shrugged their shoulders and thought the techniques
would help develop calmer, better behaved students. On
the job-site, professing Christians participated in
company-sponsored "Stress Reduction" seminars. They
laughed under their breath and refused to speak out
against it--for fear of losing their jobs. Now, many
companies across the nation offer Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki,
and other New Age practices as regular motivational
courses for employees. Despite the complaints and
concerns, many bookstore managers and officials within
the "Christian bookstore" industry laughed and continued
to advertise and promote books written by New Age
authors. The "bottom line" (money) was more important
than the spiritual welfare of the innocent and unwary.
(139) Ancient-Future
Faith
- It's Beliefs by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things Newsletter, August 2008 In his most recent book Finding Our Way Again, The
Return of the Ancient Practices, Brian McLaren, the most
recognizable name in the emergent church movement,
signals a shift, or at least a new emphasis within
emergent, toward ancient practices of earlier periods of
church history.
(141) The
American
Church - Descent Into Darkness Part 1 by No
Other Gospel, 10/7/08 ICABOD is written upon our doorposts. We have embraced
other gods, we have turned our backs upon the Lord God,
the only God, maker of heaven and earth. We have
embraced a social gospel, which lauds mans good works
and excludes the Savior that bought them. ICABOD is
written upon our house.
(142) Who
Goes
There? - Encountering Voices in the Silence of
Contemplative Prayer by Pastor Larry DeBruyn,
10/8/08 Through practicing the discipline of solitude and
silence, contemplative spiritualists hope to hear God
personally speak to them. As one nationally known
personality stated on the Be Still DVD, "intimacy
automatically breeds revelation."[1] But if a voice
speaks, there is some question regarding its identity.
Therefore, in the video's same segment, "Fear of
Silence," Richard Foster offers advice about how to
discern who might communicate in the stillness.
(143) MacArthur:
The Emergent Church is a Form of Paganism
interview with John MacArthur by Paul Edwards
"The Paul Edwards Program," WLQV Detroit, 10/08 Paul Edwards, host of "The Paul Edwards Program" on
WLQV in Detroit, interviewed pastor-teacher of Grace
Community Church John MacArthur about the emerging
church movement in America. Paul begins the interview by
asking Pastor John to respond to a radio interview with
prominent emerging church leader Doug Pagitt. In the
clip from October 22, 2007, Pagitt denied that there is
a place of eternal conscious torment for persons who die
apart from faith in Jesus Christ.
(144) The
Nanotechnological
Transhuman Cyborg by John Loeffler of the
Steel On Steel, radio program interviewed Dr. Martin
Erdmann, Saturday, October 18, 2008 John Loeffler of the Steel On Steel radio program
interviewed Dr. Martin Erdmann this week on the topic of
the new emergent scientific religion of transhumanism
and how it seeks to use nanotechnology to design super
humans and super soldiers of the future: part human,
part machine. Herescope readers have special permission
to access this fascinating interview online.
(145) Coming
From
a Nazarene University President by Psalm 11:3
- Warning The Nazarene Denomination About The Emergent
Menance, 10/25/08 I am printing with permission a exchange a friend
and sister in the Lord of mine had with a president of a
Nazarene University. You should be shocked at his
comments. I have left the names out at the request of my
friend.
(146) Going
Downhill
Always Goes Faster Than Going Uphill by Mike
Oppenheimer, October 20, 2008 We welcome new leaders and recognize them for their
service to Christ. Today there are many new leaders, but
there is a shortage of biblically well trained leaders
who are aware of the issues and have answers to
them.
(147) My
Reflections on the Emerging Church by Scott
Tibbetts, 11/08 ... the EC is left with no gospel, no good news for the
nations. This is why I have felt when I read EC
literature I sense no conviction of true guilt before a
holy God, no great appreciation for the atoning work of
Christ on the cross, no longing for heaven. EC is
very big on bringing in the Kingdom of God to earth now,
they are big on "Christian spirituality," big on an
"encounter with God," but the pining for heaven as
expressed by the Apostle Paul in Phil. 1:21, "For to me
to live is Christ, to die is gain," I sense very
little. If there is no real gospel, no real people
will go to a real heaven. And this is the burden of my
heart.
(148) Understanding
The
Emerging Church by Roger Oakland,
Understanding The Times, 11/17/08 My greatest concern about the Emerging Church is the
overall direction that I discern it is headed. This
direction, in my opinion is away from a faith in Jesus
that is based on His Word, to a faith driven by
experience and headed towards Roman Catholicism.
(149) Why
Christian
Leaders Should Not Promote Henri Nouwen by
Lighthouse Trails, 11/22/08 At the end of his life, in the last book he ever wrote
(Sabbatical Journey), Henri Nouwen said the following:
Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open
the door to God's house, all human beings can walk
through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not.
Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his
or her own way to God.1 Even though such a statement
does not at all fit within biblical Christianity, and in
essence denies the very foundation of Christ's work on
the Cross, Henri Nouwen is touted as a great spiritual
figure by countless Christian leaders, pastors, seminary
professors, etc.
(150) Irony:
Muslim
Leaders Warn Against Yoga - Christian Leaders Remain
Silent by Lighthouse Trails, 11/23/08 According to a Fox News article, Muslim leaders in
Malaysia are telling Muslims that Yoga is dangerous for
them because of its Hindu roots. And yet, Christian
leaders in America say virtually nothing against
contemplative spirituality, which is also based on
eastern-style meditation principles and practices.
(151) A
Still Small Voice - "Contemplative Prayer and the
'Elijah Experience'of 1 Kings 19:12" by Pastor
Larry DeBruyn, 11/24/08 Elijah's Mt. Horeb experience, when he heard "a sound
of sheer silence" (1 Kings 19:12, NRSV), has stimulated
a tradition of desert spirituality which pursues
solitude in order to hear the voice of God.
Practitioners of lectio divina (i.e., reading sacred
things) also desire such encounters.
(152) Memoirs
of
an Emergent Church Victim by Heidi Swander,
12/8/08 I realize as I write this that there are many of you
who only dream of finding a solidly biblical church
home. Some continue to attend an unhealthy church
because you don't know what else to do. Some
choose to stay and fight - which I did for a while --
but you have to know when the gig is up and it's time to
move on. And then, where to move on to? Pray
about it. Set standards that you will not waver
from. For me a church must be Bible-based,
doctrinally sound, pro-Israel, premillennial. Sit
down with the pastor and grill him on your important
standards that are essential to a healthy church.
(154) Emerging Church Quotes
compled by Sandy Simpson, 12/08
Quotes by Emerging Church leaders.
(155) Allelon: Unity in the
Church or Unity with the World? by Sandy
Simpson, 12/08 The EC promoted and taught by groups like Allelon is
full of the teachings of false teachers who have
introduced ideas and practices that are not Biblical.
(156) The Fallacious
Arguments of Neo-Universalists
by Sandy Simpson, 1/4/09 The new Universalists are not as vocal about their
Universalism ideas but are far more deadly to the Church
as they are not rejected like classic Universalists were
decades ago. The new Universalists would include
Emerging Church leaders like Brian McLaren, Leonard
Sweet, Spencer Burke, Alan Jones and others like
Wycliffe, Society of Biblical Literature, World
Christian Gathering of Indigenous Peoples, Richard
Twiss, Daniel Kikawa, Terry LeBlanc, Rick Warren, Henry
Nowen, YWAM, Tony Campolo, Robert Schuller, George Otis
Jr., and even Billy Graham.
(158) Desperate
Sheep
Without a Shepherd by Jan Markell, Olive Tree
Ministries, 3/2/2009 The impact of the "New Age Movement", also called "the
new spirituality," in all Western societies is
overwhelming. Learn more here.
(160) The
Challenge
of Pragmatism - Part 1 by Gary Gilley, Think
On These Things Newsletter, 3/09 If there is a common religion to be found within the
Western world it surely is pragmatism - the religion of
"what works?" Pragmatism has no cathedrals; it
follows no liturgy, hires no pastors and cannot be found
in any listing of denominations, yet it is woven into
the very fabric of the Western church.
(161) The Ugly
Side Of Diaprax by Sandy Simpson,
4/10/09 There has been a concerted effort by the false teachers
from many movements inside the church such as Word of
Faith, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)/Latter Rain,
World Gathering on Indigenous People and Emerging Church
among others to diaprax people into thinking that the
church has been ineffective until they came along with
their new and improved ideas on how to take over the
world. This is always a feature of the Hegelian
Dialectical process put into action by praxis, thus
diaprax. In order to form a new paradigm or
worldview the leadership of these movements must villify
orthodox Biblical Christianity. Let's look at some
of those statements.
(162) Jesse
Middendorf
promotes the new age/Catholic practice of Spiritual
Formation by Nazarenepsalm113, April 16,
2009 Dr. Jesse Middendorf, general superintendent of the
Church of the Nazarene, recently expressed his support
of this event, noting that "Spiritual formation is at
the heart of our understanding of a Wesleyan-Holiness
lifestyle. Our theology requires that we apply ourselves
to growth both in understanding and in practice. I
applaud the effort to provide this event for members of
our global family in the Church of the Nazarene."
(164) Corrupt
Counsel
by the Double-Minded:The American Association of
Counselors by Sherry Neese, 1/14/08 Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Journey, Soul Care,
Spiritual Disciplines; What do they mean? Much of
so-called Christian counseling is replete with buzzwords
such as spiritual formation, spiritual journey, soul
care, spiritual disciplines, etc., as several
discernment ministries have documented. Spiritual
Formation: "A movement that has provided a platform and
a channel through which contemplative prayer is entering
the church. Find spiritual formation being used, and in
nearly every case you will find contemplative
spirituality. In fact, contemplative spirituality is the
heartbeat of the spiritual formation movement."
(165) WASHINGTON:
Walking
the Labyrinth at Washington's Church by Mark
Tooley, VirtueOnline, 4/18/09 Would George Washington or Robert E. Lee have walked
the labyrinth? This potentially New Age tool is now
available at Christ Episcopal Church in Old Town
Alexandria, Virginia, which both generals once soberly
attended.
(166) Coming
to
Christ Through Mysticism? by Roger Oakland,
Understand the Times, 4/19/09 The spiritual formation movement teaches that if people
practice certain spiritual disciplines, they can become
like Jesus and model their lives after Him. But being
born again and having the indwelling of Christ is not a
prerequisite. Neither is receiving Him as Lord and
absolute Savior. What spiritual formation offers is an
alternative to God's plan of salvation revealed in
Scripture.
Updated! (167)
The Emerging Church
- Introducing Heresies by Sandy
Simpson, 4/20/09 But there were also false prophets among the people,
just as there will be false teachers among you. They
will secretly introduce destructive heresies,
even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing
swift destruction on themselves. (2 Pet. 2:1)
(168) Some
Contemplative
Terms and What they Mean by Ray Yungen,
Lighthouse Trails, 4/30/09 In order to help others who might be involved with some
form of mysticism, it is important to be aware of these
terms and understand their basic meanings.
Updated! (169)
The
Emerging
Church - Circa 1970 by Herescope, 5/1/09 -
Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3, Part
4, Part
5, Part
6, Part
7, Part
8 & Part
9. The Emergent/emerging church movement was first tried
with that name back in 1970 at a series of conferences
sponsored by Faith at Work. This fact is disclosed in
Hiley Ward's book Religion 2101 A.D.: Who or What Will
Be God? (Doubleday, 1975). The book is a compendium of
futurist thought, including the science fiction and
paranormal and metaphysics activities extant in the
early 1970s. But first the background information to put
this all in context.
(170) Mark
Driscoll
to Speak at Crystal Cathedral by Lighthouse
Trails, 5/7/09 According to Mark Driscoll's church calendar and other
reports as well, Mark Driscoll will be speaking at
Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral on June 14th. While
many evangelical leaders have promoted Driscoll, he has
been the topic of a number of Lighthouse Trails
articles. Driscoll was one of the early "emergent"
leaders mentored by Leadership Network (Bob Buford) to
form the first emergent team (McLaren, Pagitt, Seay,
etc.) Since then, Driscoll has publicly denounced some
of the teachings and "theology" of that group. However,
he has promoted contemplative spirituality and the new
sexual spirituality, both of which are part of the
emerging philosophy.
(171) Early
Experiential
Emergents by Herescope, 5/9/09 The fact that Faith at Work was attempting to start an
Emerging Church Movement as early as 1970 is quite
relevant to the Emergent/Emerging Church today. The
ramifications of this are quite stunning. For example,
Faith at Work was a leading sponsor of Brian McLaren's
"Everything Must Change" tour a year ago.
(172) "Emerging
Theology" Is An Oxymoron by Sandy Simpson,
5/8/09 There was no theology presented in this lecture, per
se. The overriding theme was that the EC wants to
help Christians "find God in the world" and for them to
"look like Jesus". Sounds good but what does that
mean? Does that mean going back to Roman Catholic
liturgy and the Eucharist which Middendorf
promotes? Does it mean incorporating mystical and
New Age practices into the churches? Does that
look like Jesus? I think not.
(173) Donald
Whitney
and Spiritual Disciplines - Spirituality Without
Boundaries by Bob DeWaay, Critical Issues
Commentary, Issue 111, March/April 2009 The problems with Whitney's book are these: serious
category errors, a lack of boundaries, failure to
understand the means of grace, pragmatism, the
endorsement of false teachers such as Richard Foster and
Dallas Willard without caveat, and his own toned-down
version of mysticism. I shall proceed to show what I
mean by interacting with his ideas.
(174) "The
Spiritualization
of Science, Technology, and Education in a One-World
Society" by Herescope, 5/21/09 This emerging trans-modern worldview, involves a shift
in the locus of authority from external to 'inner
knowing.' It has basically turned away from the older
scientific view that ultimate reality is "fundamental
particles," and trusts perceptions of the wholeness and
spiritual aspect of organisms, ecosystems, Gaia and
Cosmos. This implies a spiritual reality, and ultimate
trust in the authority of the whole. It amounts to a
reconciliation of scientific inquiry with the "perennial
wisdom" at the core of the world's spiritual traditions.
It continues to involve a confidence in scientific
inquiry, but an inquiry whose metaphysical base has
shifted from the reductionist, objectivist, positivist
base of 19th- and 20th-century science to a more
holistic and transcendental metaphysical foundation. -
Willis Harman's essay, "Bringing About the Transition to
Sustainable Peace" (Part One: "A Changing Worldview"),
cited in footnote bb, Erdmann, M Eur J Nanomed 2009;
2:31-38.
(175) Emergent
New
Paradigm Pastor (Mike Erre) to Speak at Calvary Chapel
Costa Mesaby Lighthouse Trails, 5/25/09
Emerging/emergent spirituality is making serious
inroads into Christianity. Churches and Christian
colleges, unaware of the subtle undermining of such
spirituality, are embracing teachers and leaders of this
movement and pointing others to them. Often they are
unaware of what these teachers really believe and teach.
In light of an event (Movement 2009) scheduled to take
place on May 29th at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, the
Calvary Chapel mother church, with RockHarbor pastor,
Mike Erre (and a similar event (Pure Worship) that took
place earlier this month), Lighthouse Trails is posting
this special report.
(176) "Emergent"
or
"Emerging"? Makes No Difference - Going in the Same
Direction - Away from Truth toward Deception
by Lighthouse Trails, 5/30/09 It was Shakespeare who said a rose by any other name
would smell as sweet. In the case of the "new
spirituality" that has pervaded so much of Christianity,
emergent church by any other name is just as harmful.
While some are saying they are not "emergent" but are
emerging, the overall beliefs (and mission) of
each--emergent and emerging--are the same.
(177) Is
the gospel being preached in the emergent church
movement? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 6/1/09 We are to be keepers, protectors and proclaimers of the
gospel, it is to be the same message that was given to
the apostles nearly 2,000 years ago. The gospel can be
changed from applying new innovations.
(178) The
Depths
of Our Concerns for Calvary Chapel and Other Christian
Organizations by the Editors at Lighthouse
Trails, 6/10/09 Calvary Chapel is not the only Christian organization
that is being influenced and changed because of
contemplative/emerging spirituality. The Nazarene Church
has deeply absorbed this new spirituality, as we have
reported in many articles. Also, the Christian
Missionary Alliance and Mennonite denominations have
been hugely affected. Southern Baptist is another that
has been pulled into the contemplative/emerging whirl of
deception. Many Reformed/Calvinist churches have started
going in this direction, as have Foursquare and
Assemblies of God. It has even been reported to us that
some Amish communities and Independent Baptist churches
are feeling the effects. And the list could go on and
on.
(179) Evangelicals:
Emergent
and Erotic by Herescope, 6/12/09 This fall (October, 2009), one major seminary is
hosting a one-day seminar on, "Sacred Sexuality." One
purpose of the conference includes, "Casting a Vision
for the Sexually Healthy Church," and one workshop is
titled, "Holy Eroticism: Marital Intimacy."
(180) 2009
Summer/Fall
Christian Conferences Provide Platform for
Contemplative/Emerging Speakers by Editors at
Lighthouse Trails, 6/16/09 Many Christian-led conferences taking place throughout
North America during the summer and fall of 2009 are
providing platforms for speakers who are helping to
further the new spirituality. In many conferences, the
speaker line-ups are a blending of
non-emerging/non-contemplative speakers with those who
are of that camp. Doing this gives an unmerited
credibility to the teachings of the
contemplative/emerging speakers. While some say there is
nothing wrong with Christian teachers sharing the
platform with those who promote a false approach to God
(i.e., mysticism), the Bible is clear that "A little
leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Galatians 5:9). And by
silently standing with the wayward teacher, one must now
share the responsibility of his or her error.
(181) Should
Pastors
Warn Their Congregations About Contemplative
Spirituality? by Lighthouse Trails,
6/29/09 Lighthouse Trails believes that contemplative
spirituality must be addressed head on. Recently, we
were contacted by a pastor who told us he did not see
the reason to focus on these "negative" aspects (such as
contemplative and emerging). He wanted to know why we
did what we did.
(182) Christian
Leaders
Giving Mysticism to Our Youth by Ray Yungen,
Lighthouse Trails, 7/1/09 The cover of the July/August 1999 issue of Group
Magazine, a leading resource magazine for Christian
youth leaders, featured a teenage girl, eyes shut, doing
contemplative prayer. The article, "Ancient-Future Youth
Ministry" begins by declaring: "It's Sunday just after 5
p.m.... Seven adults are sitting around a
"Christ-candle" in the youth room. There is no talking,
no laughter. For 10 minutes, the only noise is the sound
of their breathing ... now it's 7 p.m.--one hour into
the night's youth group gathering. There are 18 senior
highers and five adults sitting in a candlelit
sanctuary. A gold cross stands on a table.... They're
chanting the "Jesus Prayer," an ancient meditative
practice."
(183) Spiritual
Formation
is Dangerous.... And Here's Why from a book
review on Castles in the Sand by C. Pack, 7/8/09 As a former New Ager, I have become increasingly
alarmed at the New Age/New Spirituality practices and
beliefs that I have seen flowing into the church. I was
saved in a conservative, evangelical church that boldly
proclaimed the gospel: Jesus is THE Way, THE Truth and
THE Life, and no-one comes to the Father but by Him.
Yet, within 2 years time, this same precious church
began to preach sermons on past mystics (St. John of the
Cross), began offering yoga classes, and began to adopt
practices that eerily reminded me of my New Age days...
all of which are an assault on the true gospel.
(185) Disciplines
to
Deception in the Southern Baptist Convention
by Ken Silva, 7/15/09 Within a source paper called Spiritual Disciplines:
Pathway to Christian Maturity (SDPCM), from the Georgia
Baptist Convention (SBC), we learn what is now
considered consistent with a proper Protestant approach
to spirituality for Christians in the Southern Baptist
Convention. Continuing along the lines of Richard Foster
Forming Protestant Southern Baptist Convention
Spirituality here Apprising Ministries begins with the
following from Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker
mystic Richard Foster in SDPCM.
(186) Spree
Wales by Miguel Hayworth, 7/17/09 Spree Wales is organised by Ecumenical/Emergent groups
such as Ignite, The Salvation Army, Big Ideas, Scripture
Union, The Boys Brigade, Evangelical Alliance, Show
Jesus and World Horizon.
(187) Divination
Is
Forbidden By God - Divination: any attempt to foretell
the unknown by occult means by Chris Lawson,
Spiritual Research Network, 7/18/09 Divination also includes forms of Contemplative
Centering Prayer whereby contact with the spirit world
[demonic] can easily be made. This occult prayer
method [which many Christianize] can and does oftentimes
lead to the full conversion of ones spirituality to a
pantheistic, panentheistic, Eastern occult view of
reality. This form of prayer divination
places into the minds of humans ideas that are not only
unbiblical, but thoroughly occult and antichrist.
The Self-induction and alteration of ones consciousness
[into the Alpha-state], which so often is engaged in by
undiscerning people, can quickly lead to full blown
spirit contact, "snapping", and even demonic possession.
Thorough documentation is abounding in Indian Yogic
Spirituality; Self-Realization cults, etc.
(188) Spectacles
for
Spectators by Pastor Larry DeBruyn,
7/21/09 Were the accommodating Aaron a leader in a contemporary
church, he would have called for the worship team-a
drummer, lead singers, and guitarists-to be assembled,
the electrical crew to ready the "sanctuary" with the
newest audio-visual equipment including multiple giant
screens on which to project a fast paced collage of
images, and the sound techs to coordinate the flashing
strobe lights with the pulse of the drum beat, and to
time the release of a fireworks display that would
flash, bang, and belch forth smoke as the worship
reached a frenzied climax. All of this, and perhaps
more, could be employed to recreate the narrative of
Israel's Sinai experience (See Exodus 19:18-19; Exodus
32:17-18.).
(189) A
Chat with Ray Yungen and Mike Oppenheimer
posted by nazarenepsalm113 on July 22, 2009 A chat we filmed back when we originally filmed our
Concerned Nazarenes DVD. This is the first time this has
been seen publically. Mike and Ray chat about
contemplative prayer, its roots as well as the new age
and the new spirituality as well as some bits about Rick
Warren and Saddleback..
(191) "Rick
Warren,
Leonard Sweet, and Sweet's 'New Light' Leaders"
by Warren Smith, 7/28/09 Shortly after Deceived on Purpose was published, I came
across a book titled Quantum Spirituality: A Postmodern
Dialectic written by Rick Warren's "Evangelical"
colleague Leonard Sweet. Also, around the same time, I
was given a cassette tape set of a presentation Sweet
had done with Warren in 1995. Their recorded discussion
is titled The Tides of Change and was packaged as part
of an ongoing series called "Choice Voices for Church
Leadership." At the time this audio project took place,
Sweet was a Christian author, Methodist minister, and
the Dean of the Theological School at Drew University.
According to information on the tape set, this
presentation was about ministry on the emerging "new
frontier."
(192) Chief
Saddleback
Apologist Defends New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet
by Warren Smith, 7/28/09 This is part two of an introduction to Warren Smith's
new book, A "Wonderful" Deception. In last week's
installment, it was revealed that Rick Warren's and
Leonard Sweet's evangelical "new reformation" appears to
be moving toward the New Age/New Spirituality. In this
week's section, Saddleback's chief apologist defends
Leonard Sweet's working relationship with Rick Warren,
even though Sweet's affinity with New Age leaders is
clearly evident.
(193) A
"Wonderful" Deception - The Further New Age
Implications of the Emerging Purpose Driven Movement
by Warren Smith, 7/09 "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the
land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests
bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it
so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?" Jeremiah
5:30-31 Five years after writing Deceived on Purpose:
the New Age Implications of the Purpose Driven Church,
former New Age follower Warren Smith continues to reveal
how Christian leaders-wittingly or unwittingly-are
leading the church into a spiritual trap. A "Wonderful"
Deception examines church metaphors, concepts, and
beliefs that are essentially the same as those being
used in today's New Age teachings. And while biblical
prophecy is being minimized and explained away, the "new
science" is being used to prepare the world-and the
church-to accept a New Spirituality and a false New Age
Christ. This book explains how all the puzzle pieces are
in place for the "strong delusion" described in 2
Thessalonians. A "Wonderful" Deception pierces right
into the heart of this deception while preparing
believers in Jesus Christ to effectively stand against
it.
(194) Our
Father
in Heaven or Our Mother on Earth? by Berit
Kjos, 8/5/09 The following from Berit Kjos is from her book A Twist
of Faith, which identifies and warns against "goddess
spirituality." Keep in mind that The Shack and Sue Monk
Kidd's book, The Secret Life of Bees (recently made into
a movie) carry the "goddess spirituality" theme within
their pages through the Black Madonna figure. We should
not underestimate the impact these books (and their
spiritual overtones) are having on millions of people.
It can be subtle at first, but remember what happened to
Sue Monk Kidd: she started out as a conservative
Southern Baptist Sunday school teacher. After she was
introduced to the writings of Thomas Merton, her
spiritual outlook began to change. Eventually, she came
to believe that the God of the Bible was not the true
God and that a feminine goddess (one which dwelt in all
things - even graffetti on a wall) was. Is it any wonder
that Lighthouse Trails became alarmed to see David
Jeremiah favorably talking about Sue Monk Kidd in his
book Life Open Wide and saying that she was one of a
handful of people who had learned the secret to a
"passionate" life. If you have not read some of our
material regarding Sue Monk Kidd, The Shack, and David
Jeremiah's book, we urge you to do so. The spiritual
welfare of your loved ones may be at stake. (see links
at bottom of this post)
(195) "Fractals,
Chaos
Theory, Quantum Spirituality, and The Shack"
by Warren Smith, 8/9/09 The following is the third installment (see: part one,
part two) that we are posting of Warren Smith's new
book, A "Wonderful" Deception. We hope you have find the
chance to read all three chapters that we have made
available. They are very important in helping to explain
the new spirituality that has come into Christianity
through today's major Christian figures.
(196) Emergent
Ideology
is Here, What Will You Do? by Manny Silva,
August 19, 2009 It is clear to me, that the movement called the
emergent church movement has slowly but surely
infiltrated into the very heart of the Nazarene
denomination. There is no doubt about it
now. The only question now is, what do we
do? At first I thought it was just a few renegade
churches and colleges, but that is not the case.
It is more than that, and it is very disturbing.
It has particularly been welcomed by almost all Nazarene
universities, and even our seminaries and Bible
colleges.
(197) Understanding
the
Error of Spiritual Formation by Roger Oakland,
8/23/09 A move away from the truth of God's Word to a mystical
form of Christianity has infiltrated, to some degree,
nearly all evangelical denominations. Few Bible teachers
saw this avalanche coming. Now that it is underway, most
do not realize it has even happened.
(198) A
Renewed Confidence in the Word of God by Gary
Gilley, Think On These Things, August/September 2009 -
Volume 15, Issue 5 Emergent spokesman Brian McLaren calls for the
evangelical community to get over its love affair with
certainty. He writes, "Drop any affair you may
have with certainty, proof, argument - and replace it
with dialogue, conversation, intrigue, and
search."[1] Are we to take McLaren
seriously? If so, then the best way to get over
our love affair with certainty, according to McLaren,
would be to replace it with uncertainty, or more
commonly, mystery. It is definitely in vogue at
this point in church history to make the rather
"certain" claim that we cannot be certain about
anything. Of course, the irony of such certainty
about uncertainty is obvious. But much like
impossible political promises, when statements are left
unanalyzed and unchallenged they tend to be uncritically
absorbed by the minds of some people, often resulting in
great harm.
(200) Why
Must
Everything Change? by Jan Markell, August 31,
2009 That "old-time religion" we once loved is evaporating
because guys like Brian McLaren and his Emergent buddies
have convinced people that "everything must change." The
one-world religion is literally on the horizon. Look
over a fence and you will see it approaching.
(201) Carl
Rogers
- Father of the Emergent Culture by Sarah H.
Leslie, 1993 NOTE: This article was originally published in 1993. It
was rediscovered recently while sorting old papers. It
is timely and applicable to the current series Herescope
has been running on the early history of the
Emergent/Emerging church movement. The context of the
early Emerging Church culture was Humanistic psychology
with all of its tenets and practices, which were being
imported into the evangelical and Protestant churches
indiscriminately and wholeheartedly at the time.
(202) Meditation
and
Contemplative Prayer: Test the Spirits by
Warren B. Smith, 9/19/09 Not long after our conversion, my wife and I sat down
one day and talked about the ultimate spiritual
deception described in the Bible--the great "falling
away" of the church and the coming of Antichrist. We
agreed that for someone like Antichrist to be credible
in the world, he would need a majority of the people who
call themselves Christians to believe that he was
Christ. If he could get enough Christians--especially
Christian leaders--to follow him, he could then
discredit and marginalize those who oppose him. But to
get people who call themselves Christians to believe
that he was Christ he would first have to successfully
redefine Christianity. To do that he would have to
introduce non-Christian teachings and practices into the
church, while at the same time make them appear
Christian. His obvious goal would be to convert
undiscerning and unsuspecting believers into a more
eastern and mystical, New Age "Christianity." While
invoking the name of "God" and "Christ" he would
actually turn the Bible upside down--just as we had seen
in A Course in Miracles and in our New Age teachings.
(203) G12
Master
Plan Could Expose Thousands of Nazarenes to
Contemplative/Emerging Spirituality by Philip
Gray, 10/3/09 "Training Today's Leaders for Tomorrow's Churches" is
the motto for New Church Specialties, a Christian
consulting organization that largely reaches Nazarenes.
But New Church Specialties and the affiliated New Church
University (where pastors and leaders are mentored and
trained) are a conduit for the new spirituality, and
their G12 Master's Plan could potentially expose
thousands of Nazarenes to contemplative spirituality and
the emerging church.
(204) Emergent
Inebriates
- Some thoughts on "Pub Theology." by Pastor
Larry DeBruyn, 10/10/09 As he begins to rip into "a screaming guitar solo," a
band member sarcastically yells out at the audience,
"Let's go to church boys!"[1] Welcome to Pub Theology.
As the reporter describes it, Pub Theology is "a Sunday
night show that's one part church and one part party."
Among other posters on the barroom walls, one alludes
and adds to the final verse of the biblical chapter on
love. It reads, "Faith, Hope, Love and Beer." WARNING:
The biblical text reads, "But now abide faith, hope,
love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1
Corinthians 13:13, NASB).[2]
(205) Discussion
of
the Emergent Conference by Pastor Bob DeWaay
with Chris Rosebrough, 10/09
This is an MP3 file. In this must-hear
discussion at TFC you'll hear DeWaay and Rosebrough
explain how this EC apostasia-paloosa is very rapidly
emerging into another religion entirely.
(206) "Pub
Theology"
Emergent Inebriates - There They Go Again!by
Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 10/14/09 "A growing number of Christian groups from a variety of
denominations are taking God to the bars, launching
religious-themed pub nights dubbed 'martini masses' or
'theology on tap' in an effort to broaden their reach."
(207) Merton
&
Nouwen: Sacrificing Truth for Mystical Experiences
by Ray Yungen, 11/01/09 Contemplative advocates propose that there has been
something vital and important missing from the church
for centuries. The insinuation is that Christians have
been lacking something necessary for their spiritual
vitality; but that would mean the Holy Spirit has not
been fully effective for hundreds of years and only now
the secret key has been found that unlocks God's full
power to know Him. These proponents believe that
Christianity has been seriously crippled without this
extra ingredient.
(208) Emergent
SAMIR
SELMANOVIC on Finding God in all Religions
posted by Lighthouse Trails under The Emerging Church,
11/5/09 This misguided effort to unite all things, to give
people the option of maintaining their own religious
practices, suggesting they do not have to call
themselves Christians is a spiritually slippery slope
and an undoing of the Christian faith.
(209) A
List Of Christian Colleges Promoting
Contemplative/Emerging Church Teachings by
Lighthouse Trails, 11/09 In November 2004, Lighthouse Trails Research issued its
first alert to Christian colleges that are promoting
contemplative spirituality. The four colleges listed in
that alert were San Fransisco Theological Seminary,
Biola University, Bethel University, and Lincoln
Christian College and Seminary. Since then, several
other alerts have been issued. What has become all too
painfully clear is that the majority of Christian
colleges in North America have in varying degrees begun
to incorporate contemplative spirituality into their
colleges. It is not just a few schools - it is most, and
for those who understand the dangers of contemplative
(and emerging), it is obvious that Christian colleges
are in a crisis of faith.
(210) The
Two
Trees by Herescope, 11/20/09 Looking at this tree, it is obvious that what passes
for "Christian" meditation in our modern era springs
from the Gnostic roots of this occult tree. Is it any
wonder that this tree then bears corresponding occult
fruit? Note that this contemplative tree does not
promise life, only "wisdom," which just happens to be
what the serpent promised Eve if she ate of the fruit of
the tree in the Garden of Eden.
(211) The
New
[Age] Spirituality: The Folly of the Ages by
Ray Yungen, 11/09 The reason the New Age is wrong is that it takes
devotion, trust, and glory away from the One who created
us and gives it to man and the rebellious familiar
spirits who deceive man into self-glorification. An
analogy of this would be that of an artist's canvas or
paint-rather than the artist taking credit for the
painting, the canvas or paint takes the credit.
(212) Christian
Soldiers
Standing Up For Jesus? by Ken Silva,
11/23/09 You know I can't help but wonder, among our professing
Christian brothers and sisters today, just where are
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew
5:6)? Among our so-called Christian "leaders" we see
striving for phony unity with their compromised
man-centered message-while courting their favor-speaking
from the viewpoint of the world, which is why the world
listens to them (1 John 4:5); just where are those
who are persecuted because of righteousness (Matthew
5:10)? Do they seriously not know that Christ Jesus said
of those who do hunger, and of those that are
persecuted, theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
(213) More
Questions
About Break Forth Canada by Pastor Adam
Gislason, 11/27/09 First, is this a "Christian Conference?" I am not
convinced that it is from the research that I have done
on both Break Forth Canada and their line up of false
teachers.
(214) Taize
services
are gaining in popularity by Lighthouse
Trails, 12/7/09 Taize is part of the contemplative prayer movement.
This article is posted, not as an endorsement but rather
to report on the growing popularity of contemplative
practices.
(215) "Bus
Ride
to the Future" - A True Story About Yoga by
Caryl Matrisciana, 12/17/09 When I was twenty years old, my family returned from
India, where I was born and lived for most of my life,
to England, our homeland. It was during the turbulent
sixties, and I was about to be introduced to a movement
that didn't even have a name yet. How could I have
possibly known then that the strange and mystical
religion I had been surrounded by in India would someday
be at the heart of a spirituality that would influence
millions around the world?
(217) Mark
Driscoll
IS a Contemplative Proponent by Lighthouse
Trails, December 21st, 2009 Although Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Fellowship in
Seattle Washington, is said to have denounced certain
aspects of the emergent church, Driscoll is a proponent
of the main element behind the emerging church -
contemplative prayer.
(218) Article
on
Mark Driscoll's Site Takes Scripture Out of Context to
Defend Contemplative by Lighthouse Trails,
12/24/09 LTRP Note: The following comment was sent to Lighthouse
Trails from a man in Holland regarding our recent
article, Mark Driscoll IS a Contemplative Proponent. We
have posted it to help people see how contemplative
proponents have taken Scripture out of context to
erroneously defend mystical-type spirituality. To see
another example of this misuse of Scripture regarding
contemplative, see Ray Yungen's comments at bottom of
this post.
(220) What's
Wrong
With A More Social Gospel? by Paul Proctor,
January 6, 2010 With a self-sustaining focus on acquiring evermore
results and relationships (i.e., "church growth") by way
of pragmatism and consensus, none of which is biblical,
today's Christians are, by and large, being persuaded
and trained week after week to embrace surveys,
marketing principles, public relations programs and
people skills as their new commandments with
dialectically-trained consultants and facilitators
posing as prophets and preachers - people pleasers who
know how to work the crowd and steer the herd while
selectively applying the scriptures as needed to
maintain a biblical appearance of righteousness and
religiosity.
(221) Enter
The Labyrinth by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us
Reason Ministries, 1/11/10 Walking the labyrinth has become a popular spiritual
exercise across the country and around the world. I
first read of it in Leadership Magazine, a Christian
publication and became a bit concerned, since looking
into it further I'm definitely concerned.
(223) Contemplating
the
12 Steps by John Lanagan, My Word Like Fire,
1/17/10 As time has gone on, I have become increasingly
aware that contemplative spirituality is latently,
sometimes blatantly, interwoven throughout 12 Step
Spirituality. When we think of meditation in AA (and
other 12 Step groups), we naturally think of Step 11:
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our
conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying
only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to
carry that out.
(224) Emergent
Worship-Wonder
Or Wasteland? by Pastor Larry DeBruyn,
Discernment Newsletter, Vol. 21, No. 1, January/February
2010 If evangelicals seek to derive worship experiences from
ancient traditions or contemporary culture, they will
become bound to those bases and turn worship from the
wonder of the Word into a wasteland of the world.
Worship will be so carnal minded that it is of no
spiritual and heavenly good.
(225) Fictionally
Fighting
Contemplative Spirituality by John Lanagan, My
Word Like Fire, January 25th, 2010 As Lighthouse Trails Ministries has grimly noted, 2009
was a year in which contemplative
spirituality-essentially New Age meditation-made great
inroads into the culture, and especially into the
church. A Canadian writer is fighting back. Castles in
the Sand is Carolyn Greene's intriguing novel about the
invasion of contemplative spirituality into a
traditional Christian college. Greene is using fiction
as a weapon, and while the book may not seem like one of
the "great stones" hurled by King Uzziah's soldiers,
even a small stone, if guided by the Lord, can cause a
giant to fall.
(226) Buddhist/Universalist
Sympathizer
Woos Nazarene Students at NNU by Lighthouse
Trails Editors, 1/25/10 Below is a link to a video* of a lecture that took
place at Northwest Nazarene University in Idaho, one of
the Nazarene Universities that is strongly promoting the
contemplative/emerging spirituality. The lecture,
presented by NNU Thomas Oord and College of Idaho, Denny
Clark, was taught by Dr. Jay McDaniel, a self-proclaimed
"Christian" Buddhist universalist sympathizer who is
said to be highly influenced by the late Catholic
panentheistic monk, Thomas Merton. This is an 83 minute
video, but for those who want to understand the paradigm
shift that has occurred in the church and continues
wooing millions with the mystical, universalist
spirituality, this video is well worth the watch.
(227) God
in
all things? The basis for contemplative spirituality
by Ray Yungen, Lighthouse Trails, 1/26/10 It is, of course, easy to find many passages which link
the way of the Christian Knower with that of his brother
in the East. They bear witness to the same efficacy of
method. What did she mean by the term "Christian
Knower"? The answer is unmistakable! In the first
chapter, we saw how occultism is awakening the mystical
faculties to see God in everything.
(228) Northwest
Nazarene
University President Responds Regarding New
Spirituality Speaker by Lighthouse Trails
Editors, 1/29/10 We believe this is a case of a university president who
does not appear to understand the nature of the current
spiritual deception sweeping through the church, and
very much so the Nazarene denomination.
(229) "Into"
the
Mystery - On Musical Mediatrixes by Pastor
Larry DeBruyn, 2/1/10 The New Testament knows nothing of musicians who
possess either the position and authority to escort
Christians into God's "soaking" presence. No matter how
talented, singers and worship leaders who make claim to
being mediators between God in heaven and Christians on
earth can do so only by usurping the role of Christ for
us and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in us.
(230) The
"Kingdom
of God" in the Emerging Church: A Theology of Despair
and Hopelessness by Bob DeWaay, February 11th,
2010 Imagine a world where the polarity of time is reversed
so that history moves backward toward Paradise rather
than forward toward judgment. Consider a world in which
God is so immanently involved in the creation that He is
undoing entropy1 and recreating the world now through
processes already at work. Think of a world where the
future is leading to God Himself in a saving way for all
people and all of creation. This imaginary world is our
world viewed through the lens of Emergent eschatology.
(231) Assemblies
of
God Leader Promotes Universalist "Christian" in AOG
Magazine by John Lanagan, Word Like Fire,
February 15th, 2010 What would you do if a Superintendent of a large
denominational district wrote an article promoting a
universalist author? And what if this article was
published and distributed in a popular
denominational magazine? What if, in several months of
back and forth emails, the Superintendent never took
steps to correct this, and in fact, continued to express
his admiration for the universalist?
(232) Dr.
Jay
McDaniel And Mysticism At Northwest Nazarene
University by Ken Silva, 2/15/10 Along with other online apologetics and discernment
ministries such as Lighthouse Trails Research (LTR) at
Apprising Ministries I'm doing what I can to alert you
as to how far corrupt Contemplative
Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) ala Living Spiritual
Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, with an assist
from his spiritual twin Dallas Willard, has now
penetrated mainstream evangelicalism.
(233) Universalism:
The
Gospel Message of Emergent and New Age Spirituality
by Sola Sisters, 2/18/10 One of the greatest misconceptions in this country
today is that the New Age Movement of the 80s and 90s is
(1) a thing of the past and (2) has nothing whatsoever
in common with Christianity. Nothing could be
further from the truth on either count. Let me
explain.
(234) The
Quantum
Christ: Entering the World AND the Church Through
Popular New Age & Christian Leaders by
Warren B. Smith, 2/17/10 The New Age/New Spirituality is already heralding
quantum physics as a "scientific" basis for their
contention that God is not only transcendent but also
immanent-"in" everyone and everything. Physicist Fritjof
Capra's 1975 best-selling book on quantum physics-The
Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between
Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism-was the first to
present this proposed scientific/spiritual model to a
mass audience.
(235) Contextual
Theology
- Falling From Truth Through the Emerging Church
by Roger Oakland, 1/10/10 In order for the emerging church to succeed, the Bible
has to be looked at through entirely different glasses,
and Christianity needs to be open to a new type of
faith. Brian McLaren calls this new faith a "generous
orthodoxy." While such an orthodoxy allows a smorgasbord
of ideas to be proclaimed in the name of Christ, many of
these ideas are actually forbidden and rejected by
Scripture.
(236) Nazarene
Pastor
Fired For Fighting Emergent Ideology by
ReformedNazarene, 2/19/10 Disturbing trends continue to develop in our
denomination. Recently, I sent out a prayer
request for a pastor and his church that decided to
leave the Nazarene denomination, rather than stay and
bow to emergent ideology and priorities. Soon, I
will be posting some information regarding those who
have been forced to leave their churches ("Divorced From
The Church"). More and more Bible believing
Nazarenes are finding themselves ostracized and are even
being labeled as cult members, hateful, dividers, "used
by the devil""etc. On and on it goes, with no
biblical justification! Students are subject to
ridicule or harassment for standing up against
unbiblical teachings at their universities.
(238) Keating,
Kundalini
and Contemplative Prayer by Brian Flynn,
2/10 How much more evidence do the leaders in our churches
require before they repent of promoting this practice
When Rick Warren stated in his first book, Purpose
Driven Church that Foster's spiritual formation was a
wakeup call to the church, he gave the green light to
millions to practice something that could potentially
have long or permanent lasting damage on
practitioners.
(239) Could
This
Really Be the End of the Age? by Ray Yungen,
February 28th, 2010 However, in 1984 I had an unexpected encounter that
changed my entire outlook. A newfound friend educated me
about the New Age movement and its end-times
implications. After a period of investigation, I came to
believe this could very well be the time period the book
of Revelation showcases. Instead of a vague and obscure
manifestation of prophecy, I saw something distinct and
pervasive happening in our churches and society. And
incredibly enough, this shift has been predicted from
both sides of the struggle.
(240) Missionary
or
Missional - The Emerging Church "On a Mission from
God" by Bob DeWaay, 3/3/10 For hundreds, if not thousands, of years Christians
have used the term "missionary" to describe one who goes
out to preach the gospel to an unsaved world headed
toward judgment-repentance for the forgiveness of sin
found in the death and resurrection of Christ. The
mission of the missionary was to proclaim the absolute
truth of the gospel-a fact proven by Jesus' resurrection
from the dead. The gospel is "good news" because it
provides condemned sinners with a certain escape from
God's wrath. Emergent's word "missional" does not convey
this meaning.
(241) Updated! The Emerging Church -
Introducing Heresies by Sandy Simpson,
4/20/09 But there were also false prophets among the people,
just as there will be false teachers among you. They
will secretly introduce destructive heresies,
even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing
swift destruction on themselves. (2 Pet. 2:1)
(242) Castles
in
the Sand visits Shane Claiborne by John
Lanagan, My Word Like Fire Ministries, 3/11/10 Before a packed auditorium at Warner Pacific College in
Portland, Oregon, activist Shane Claiborne gave
his message of peace, love, and brotherhood. An engaging
speaker, and a man dedicated to his beliefs, Claiborne
had the crowd laughing and reminiscing with him as he
recounted past adventures and experiences. During the
time he spoke he emphasized again and again our
Christian duty to help the poor and the oppressed.
(243) The
Cross
versus the "Higher Self" by Ray Yungen,
2/12/10 The New Age and Christianity definitely clash on the
answer to the question of human imperfection. The former
[the New Age] espouses the doctrine of becoming
self-realized and united with the universe, which they
see as God but in reality is the realm of familiar
spirits. On the other hand, the Gospel that Christians
embrace offers salvation to humanity through grace
(unmerited favor).
(244) A
Beth Moore Expose' by Apprising Ministries,
3/13/10 Apprising Ministries pieces like How Would You Know
Beth Moore? I've shared my concerns about people like
Moore who appear to claiming to receive special
revelation directly from God.
(245) Into
the
Arms of Rome Through Ancient Church Fathers and the
Eurcharist by Roger Oakland, March 18th,
2010 Many emerging church leaders are suggesting the need to
study the ideas and beliefs of church leaders of the
post-disciple era. They say if pastors and church
leaders reintroduce these teachings from the past, we
will have spiritual transformation and successful
churches in the 21st century. But wait a minute!
If the church that emerged from the New Testament church
was based on ideas and beliefs foreign to Scripture, why
would we want to emulate a previous error? When
doctrines of men replace the doctrine of Scripture, many
are led astray. It has happened in the past, and it is
happening now. Following doctrine not based on the Word
of God always results in the undoing of faith. (from
Faith Undone, ch. 5, pp. 77-80).
(246) BEWITCHED!
"Evil
Eye over Evangelicalism" by Pastor Larry
DeBruyn, 3/28/10 Of their attitude toward this New Age system of
spirituality, Horowitz notes the double minded attitude
of evangelicals towards it (See James 1:8.). He notes
that even while evangelicals "heaped scorn upon the New
Age," they adopted "some of its most popular therapeutic
premises."
(248) Emerging
Church
Leaders, Evangelicals Sign'Covenant For Civility'
by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 3/30/10 Emergent Church leader Brian McClaren, social justice
guru Jim Wallis and some evangelical notables such as
Chuck Colson, have signed a document called the
"Covenant for Civility".
(249) A
Covenant for Civility - A New Order of the Third Way
by Herescope, 3/31/10 This is getting to be a regular event! Yet another
broad ecumenical coalition has gathered together to sign
yet another "covenant" for "common ground" and
"civility." The Discernment Research Group warned over a
year ago that this tactic would be increasing.
(250) Man's
Dangerous
Hunger for the Occult and the Supernatural by
Carl Tiechrib, 3/31/10 Yes, the physical world is a marvelous wonder, filled
with many transfixing and puzzling surprises. It still
baffles man by its beauty and complexity. So too the
non-physical universe, including mental and spiritual
components, is a place of fascination. However, when
dabbling and dealing with the supernatural - and the
mind sciences that sometimes attempt to explain or
exploit it-a mental, emotional, and spiritual minefield
is encountered. And just as wandering into a physical
minefield will destroy the body, so too will a spiritual
minefield destroy the soul.
(251) Christian
Leaders
Celebrate Easter But Promote Atonement Deniers - Makes
No Sense by Lighthouse Trails, 4/1/10 The contemplative prayer movement and the new emerging
spirituality continue to wreak havoc on the body of
Christ and on the preaching of the Gospel to the lost.
For eight years, Lighthouse Trails has shown through one
report after the next the teachings by many that
outright or indirectly deny the substitutionary
atonement of Jesus Christ (the basic essence of the
salvation for the believer). And yet today many
Christian leaders, professors, and pastors continue to
promote atonement deniers or those who resonate with
them. And we say again, it makes no sense to celebrate
Easter while promoting those who deny the atonement. A
case in point. Calvary Chapel teacher, Gayle Erwin, has
his endorsement of The Shack on the back cover of the
book and on The Shack website. Yet, Erwin
continues addressing Calvary Chapel pastors (e.g.
recently at the SW Calvary Chapel Pastors Conference
with Greg Laurie and other Calvary Chapel pastors). But
William Paul Young, author of The Shack has denied the
biblical substitutionary atonement as we showed in John
Lanagan's 2009 article, The Shack Author Rejects
Biblical Substitutionary Atonement.
(252) Why
Evangelicalism
is failing a new generation as is the Emerging Church
by Apprising Ministries, 4/4/10 And there you go; as a former Southern Baptist, Carol
Howard Merritt would walk away and then find a home in
an innovative, intergenerational congregation within the
liberal/progressive PCUSA. Merritt said above that "this
is an important moment for progressive Christians";
that's where the Emerging Church is headed, toward a new
form of progressive Christianity with its lie of
universalism. So I counter that this is instead a very
critical moment in time for actual evangelicals; do you
now have the spiritual intestinal fortitude to expel
such as these-who are spiritually immoral-from among
your midst? Because if you do not, you'd best know this;
their spiritual cancer will also kill the mainstream of
the visible church in just the same way as that of their
evil forebears once mortally wounded the mainline
denominations.
(253) The
Seductive
Poison of Apostasy: A look at "180", a new book from
the Nazarene Publishing House by Eric Barger,
April 15, 2010 180 is a compilation of several authors, including
Emergent leader and author, Leonard Sweet, Frederica
Mathewes-Green (who, along with Sweet and Emergent
godfather, Brian McLaren, contributed to the book The
Church in the Emerging Culture: Five Perspectives), G.P
(Graham) Taylor (author of Shadowmancer), and
Baptist-bred biographer-turned-fiction-writer, Ace
Collins. A few of the other contributing authors include
Emergent youth speaker, Mark Oestreicher, Karen Spears
Zacharias, Patricia Raybon (who has endorsed
contemplative spirituality and favors Catholic mystics),
Cameron Conant and Bob Buford, the founder of Leadership
Network, (the suspected genesis point which spawned
today's Emergent movement and its original leaders).
Buford also served as the initial chairman of the Peter
F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management, now
known as "Leader to Leader Institute."
(254) Emergent:
"Why
Can't Everybody be Right?" by Bob DeWaay,
4/19/10 Emergent writers decry any approach that declares some
ideas to be true and others false. Propositions force
people to decide what to believe. One Emergent writer,
Dwight J. Friesen, explains his view: "The theological
method of orthoparadoxy surrenders the right to be right
for the sake of movement toward being reconciled one
with the other, while simultaneously seeking to bring
the fullness of convictions and beliefs to the other.
Current theological methods that often stress
agreement/disagreement, win/loss, good/bad,
orthodoxy/heresy, and the like set people up for
constant battles to convince and convert the other to
their way of believing and being in the world."
Propositional truth claims do not fit into the Emergent
"conversation" because they divide people. But the price
of giving up such claims is to give up the very claims
that the Biblical writers made.
(255) What
Are
We Left With? by Jacob Prasch, Moriel
Ministries, 4/2/10 As emergent apostate McLaren continues his satanic
agenda to dismantle the Gospel, and as John Piper
promotes Rick Warren, the real question emerges: "What
Are We Really Left With?"
(256) Emerging
Church
Theologian Leonard Sweet Not To Speak At Pastor Skip
Heitzig's Calvary Chapel by Ken Silva,
4/28/10 Sandy Simpson comments: "This is a victory
for the cause of Christ. Let's just hope their
claim to not support the agenda and teachings of the EC
is true. Jackie Alnor comments: "And
Phoenix Preacher bloggers have a collective conniption
fit! PP's leader, Michael Newnham says: "Heitzig just
breathed new life into the ODM movement"they are now
empowered as never before." Translation ODM means
"online discernment ministries" which is a derisive
term." ... Ken Silva comments: "Today however, I
was contacted by Nelson Walker, who is a pastor at
Calvary of Albuquerque (CoA) where Skip Heitzig is
Senior Pastor. What pastor Walker told me was that CoA
happens to have "beautiful facilities" that are also
sometimes used by others, which would be the case of
this National Worship Leader Conference. He told me that
this was not a CoA event, but even so, Leonard Sweet has
been asked "not to speak though he will be in
attendance. Pastor Walker said that CoA was in not
supportive of the Emerging Church."
(257) Questions
Arise:
Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at
Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? by
Lighthouse Trails, 5/1/10 Stablein told my associate that a decision whether or
not have Sweet speak at CoA has not yet been made and
she felt it was "premature" for pastor Walker to have
said Sweet will definitely not be speaking at CoA. In
addition, I've just spoken myself with Lighthouse Trails
Research (LTR); I was informed that also on Thursday,
April 29 they were contacted by David Bow, another
pastor at CoA. Bow told LTR, at that time, he was under
the impression that Sweet was going to be speaking at
CoA. So you may wish to stay tuned as we attempt to
bring this rather fuzzy picture into focus.
(258) WARNING:
Monvee
- Leadership Network's Spiritual Formation &
Mystical Spirituality by A Ministry In His
Service, Sola Sisters, 5/5/10 In a recent post about Monvee, we talked about Catholic
mystic Thomas Merton who once compared mystical
meditation to the same powerful experience generated by
mind-altering drugs. And as we noted, the problem
with mystical meditation is that it is far more
dangerous than drugs. Monvee, the new product put
out by Leadership Network, markets itself as a way for
Christians to draw closer to God through something
called "Spiritual Formation." But, the Spiritual
Formation techniques taught by Monvee, which are the
same thing as the "mystical meditation" referenced by
Thomas Merton, are identical to classic occultic
meditation practices taught in Hinduism, Buddhism,
wicca, paganism,etc.
(259) The
National
Worship Leader Conference is still advertising that
both Skip Heitzig and Leonard Sweet will be speaking
at their conference at the Calvary Chapel Albequerque
church by Ken Silva, 5/8/10 A number of Lighthouse Trails' readers contacted us
over the last couple days sending us copies of an email
they each received from an undisclosed personnel at
Calvary Chapel Albuquerque. The form letter states:
Thank you for contacting us here at The Connection and
thanks for writing to Pastor Skip. We always love to
hear from you. The conference is not a Calvary
conference. The conference is being put on by
Worship Leader Magazine using our facility - just like
CAPE, Home school graduation, funerals, etc.
Therefore, Leonard Sweet is not speaking at "Skip's
Church". [LT: Heitzig is one of the speakers at
this event.] He is part of a conference using Calvary's
facilities. Leonard Sweet will attend the conference but
WILL NOT BE SPEAKING. It is our prayer that God will
continue to reveal Himself to you through His Word as
you seek to know Him.Love in Christ, Connection
Communications. Despite these emails sent out by
CCA, Leonard Sweet AND Skip Heitzig are listed as
speakers. What is Skip's picture and name doing
there if he is not a part of it? So what is this garbage
about Skip just letting them use his church? Someone is
not telling the truth!
(260) Letter
to
the Editor: National Worship Conference & Calvary
Chapel Not a Good Mix at Lighthouse Trails,
5/13/10 I have been reading your posts regarding C.C.
Albuquerque and Leonard Sweet. I thought you might like
the following information so that we might all be able
to determine the truth regarding this matter. According
to Calvary Chapel Albuquerque's website on their
upcoming events page, Dr. Leonard Sweet will in fact be
speaking. If you scroll down to about the 17th event "
National Worship Conference " there is an audio promo
posted which states that Mr. Sweet will in fact be
speaking: http://www.calvaryabq.org/events.asp I would
also like to point out that Leonard Sweet while
blatantly New Age, is not the only speaker in question.
There are many other people in this upcoming conference
who are a part of Saddleback and Willow Creek. Both
pastors of both churches, Rick Warren* and Bill Hybels
respectively, are graduates of the Robert Schuller
School of Church Leadership, and both pastors also
endorse contemplative prayer, a 'Christianized' brand of
Hindu meditation practices.
(261) Beyond
a
Doubt: Contemplative Spirituality = New Age Movement
by Ray Yungen, 5/18/10 Before writing my book, A Time of Departing, I made
sure I could prove, beyond a doubt, that contemplative
prayer had not only slipped into the Christian faith,
but also prove it is an integral part of the New Age
movement.
(262) Emerging or
Submerging? by Brian Brodersen, Calvary Chapel
Magazine, Issue 44, Summer 2010
Finally a good response from a Calvary Chapel pastor to
the influx of Emergent teachings into Calvary
Chapels. The only statement I disagree with in this
article is that Brodersen says: "I believe time will tell
that this new movement will turn out to be nothing more
than a passing fancy of a few disenchanted men." We
know from long experience that heresy begets heresy and
does not really ever go away till Christ comes back which
is why we must reject it. However this article does call
EC teachings what they are ... heresy. Thanks for
this article Brian.
(264) The
Other
Side of Emergent: The New Apostolic Reformation
by Herescope, 6/1/10 Today is the launching of a new book, co-authored by
Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola. This marks the open
marriage of the Emergent movement with the New Apostolic
Reformation (NAR). Sweet and Viola's book, Jesus
Manifesto, is subtitled "Restoring the Supremacy and
Sovereignty of Jesus Christ," and it pushes the envelope
on redefining Jesus, including "You can be a Jesus
Manifest."[2] A quick glance at the lineup of key
endorsers for this book includes a list of who's who in
Emergent, the Latter Rain cult, neoevangelicalism and
the New Apostolic Reformation.
(265) Using
Contemplative/Centering
Prayer as "Christian" Meditation by Ken Silva,
Apprising Ministries, 6/4/10 The most dangerous aspect of the new spirituality is
this idea of some supposed "spiritual disciplines,"
which must be performed in order to more fully
"experience" God.
(266) A
Revolutionary World Peace - Whose Revolution?
by Warren Smith, 6/6/10 As more and more talk arises about a "spiritual
revolution" or awakening, believers should be asking, is
this a revolution from God? Or is this coming global
"revolution" part of the great falling away of which the
Bible speaks? Consider the following article by Warren
B. Smith, and next time you hear a Christian leader
talking about revolution, ask yourself, "Whose
revolution is this?"
(267) Deceitful
Mysticism by Ken Silva, 6/10/10 In recent posts such as Leonard Sweet, Frank Viola, And
The Third Way and Root Of This New Downgrade here at
Apprising Ministries I've been showing you how deeply
the practice, and results, of Contemplative
Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) within the pretending to be
Protestant squishy evanjellyfish community. And in Mark
Driscoll And Neo-Reformed New Calvinist Contemplative
Spirituality I've also shown you that CSM has now pretty
much metastasized throughout the church visible as it's
now even festering within the neo-Reformed camp.
(268) A
Subtle And Dangerous Shift In Christianity By
Marsha West, News With Views, June 13, 2010
It seems everyone's practicing yoga meditation these days.
Physicians recommend it to their patients which means it's
beneficial"right? Meditation is said to relieve stress,
anxiety, hypertension, acne and post-nasal drip, so go for
it! Just tighten those abdominal muscles, inhale deeply
and chant Maaaaaaaaa all in one breath and your concerns
will drift away like a feather floating on the
win........
(269) Saddleback
Promotes
Chrstianized Mantra Meditation by by Christine
Pack, Sola Sisters, 6/15/10 Rick Warren's Saddleback Church website features two
books by Quaker and mystic Richard Foster, today's
leading proponent of something known as "Spiritual
Disciplines" or "Spiritual Formation." Also
promoted are several other books focusing on the
Spiritual Disciplines, which teach a practice that is
nothing more than a "Christianized" version of mantra
meditation, a pagan practice borrowed from Hinduism and
Buddhism. In this pagan practice, a person will
"empty" the mind employing some kind of device: rhythmic
music, repeating a word or phrase, focusing on
breathing, etc., in an attempt to connect to God.
(271) Dangerous
Prayers by Paul Proctor, News With Views, June
25, 2010 You see, there are those in the Church today who
practice what is called "Contemplative Prayer" - a New
Age style mantra that is all about emptying one's mind
to allegedly "find God within" by repeating certain
words or phrases over and over until the mind is
disengaged and no longer thinking - achieving an altered
state of consciousness or (alpha state) known as "The
Silence" which is indeed "dangerous" considering it
opens one up to what the Bible calls "familiar spirits"
(demonic influences). It's rooted in Eastern Mysticism
where it is more commonly referred to as "Transcendental
Meditation."
(272) Rising
Christian
Imperialism Fueled By Dominionism Theology by
Don Koenig, Apprising Ministries, 7/2/10 Most Christians might think I would have to be nuts to
warn others about the possibility of rising Christian
imperialism at a time when Christianity is under
oppression by the secular Far Left and Islam but apart
from my mental condition I try to stay one step ahead of
the curve.
(273) Dialectic
Deception:
Do you know where they are taking you? by
Sandy Simpson, exceprt from the DVD "The Emerging Church",
7/2/10 Sandy Simpson on Dialectic Deception. The following
video link is to a segment from Concerned Nazarenes DVD
project on the new spirituality. This particular segment
is an interview between missionary Sandy Simpson
(founder of Deception in the Church) and interviewer
John Loeffler.
(274) Experiencing
God
through Deceitful Mysticism by James
Sundquist, Richard Bennett, Berean Beacon Ministries and a
former Roman Catholic Priest, 7/9/10 - YouTube video
Professional deception and clever fraudulence are
running rampant in mystical claims to experience God.
Thus, the signature of Satan is seen in St. John of the
Cross, Ignatius Loyola, Madame Guyon, Carl Jung, Richard
Foster, and in such as Mother Teresa, Rick Warren, Brian
McLaren, Leonard Sweet, Phyllis Tickle, and other
deceivers of the Emerging Church movement who transmit
this plague. In this illustrated DVD, Richard
Bennett and James Sundquist expose the deceitful shams
that prevail at the present time. They also
explain the scriptural method of biblical meditation and
genuinely experiencing God.
(275) Is
BSF
(Bible Study Fellowship) Heading in the Contemplative
Direction? by Lighthouse Trails, 7/13/10
Bible Study Fellowship, a ministry of Bible studies
that has been around for over 50 years, is utilized by
many Bible believing Christians. On the BSF website, it
states: "In all, there are over 1,000 BSF classes with
200,000 class members in 38 nations across six
continents! Over 800 of the classes are held in the
U.S." Recently, a number of BSF supporters/participants
contacted Lighthouse Trails with concerns that the
organization may be becoming influenced by contemplative
sources, most likely unbeknownst to many or most of BSF
board of directors and Bible Study teachers. In the May
2010 issue of the BSF magazine, a book list includes
three contemplative proponents: contemplative pioneer
Dallas Willard, emerging proponent Dan Allender, and
Pastor Timothy Keller of Redeemed Presbyterian in New
York.
(276) The
CORNERSTONE
Festival - My Cornerstone Experience by
Herescope, 7/16/10 Among the bands and speakers, there were a many
Dominionists, Vineyard, and Protestant/Catholic combined
peoples putting out their theology. The Gospel may have
been presented, but not once did I hear mention of Jesus
Christ's sanctifying work or His precious gift of
salvation. Instead I heard about the greatness of the
monks and the need to make productive communities.
(277) Update
on
the Church of the Nazarene and the
Emerging/Contemplative Movement: Where are the
Battlegrounds? by Reformed Nazarene,
7/16/10 The Emergent Church Movement is a serious problem for
the Christian church. It threatens practically all
Christians regardless of denomination. I've been a
Nazarene all my life, but if you are reading this and
are anything but Nazarene, it probably makes no
difference. Whether you are Southern Baptist,
Presbyterian, Methodist, Calvary Chapel, or one of many
other evangelical denominations, chances are you are
either facing this danger, or you will be soon.
(278) Did
Jesus
Teach the Divinity of Humanity? - Investigating
the intent of Jesus' statement, "You are gods"
by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 8/3/10 Mystic, New Age, cultic and Word of Faith spiritualists
commonly assume that in the essence of their being they
are divine, that either they are or can become gods.[1]
For example, by employing The Third Eye mystics attempt
to contemplate into a consciousness of their divine
nature.
(279) Evangelical
Christianity
Catapulted into Seeing "God" with New Interspiritual
Eyes by Ray Yungen, 8/13/10 Contemplative advocates propose that there has been
something vital and important missing from the church
for centuries. The insinuation is that Christians have
been lacking something necessary for their spiritual
vitality; but that would mean the Holy Spirit has not
been fully effective for hundreds of years and only now
the secret key has been found that unlocks God's full
power to know Him. These proponents believe that
Christianity has been seriously crippled without this
extra ingredient. This kind of thinking leads one to
believe that traditional, biblical Christianity is
merely a philosophy without the contemplative prayer
element. Contemplatives are making a distinction between
studying and meditating on the Word of God versus
experiencing Him, suggesting that we cannot hear Him or
really know Him simply by studying His Word or even
through normal prayer-we must be contemplative to
accomplish this. But the Bible makes it clear that the
Word of God is living and active, and has always been
that way, and it is in filling our minds with it that we
come to love Him, not through a mystical practice of
stopping the flow of thought (the stillness) that is
never once mentioned in the Bible, except in warnings
against vain repetitions.
(280) A
Special Report: Christianity Today Treats
Contemplative Controversy as Legitimate Issue in Cover
Story About Beth Moore by Lighthouse Trails
Editors, 8/16/10 In the August 2010 cover story of Christianity Today,
the magazine has brought out two things that the major
Christian media has thus far ignored - one, that Beth
Moore, described as "the most popular Bible teacher in
America" by CT is a proponent of contemplative
prayer, and two, that there is a debate over whether
contemplative meditation is of Eastern religious origin
or not. This Lighthouse Trails special report will look
at both of these facets, Beth Moore's contemplative
propensities (incidentally, she is noted in CT for
influencing "millions" of women) and the vital question
as to whether contemplative prayer is indeed rooted in
Eastern mysticism.
(281) From
Truth
to a New Spirituality by Berit Kjos, March 10,
2008
To view a chart showing the transition from truth to a New
Spirituality, click the link above. This is a helpful tool
when trying to explain to others how this transition is
taking place in the world, and in the church today.
(282) Sexuality
in
the New Reformation by Roger Oakland,
8/24/10 It may seem out of place to include a section on
sexuality in [Faith Undone] on the postmodern
reformation. However, one aspect of the topic cannot be
ignored, and it has become an earmark in the emerging
church-that aspect is related to homosexuality.
(283) Letter
from
a Victim of "Spiritual Formation" in his Church
from Nick, a Lighthouse Trails reader, 8/25/10 I'm praying on once again opening dialogue with my
Pastor (by e-mail) and asking bluntly if the church is
Emergent and/or Universalist. I don't know
if he's rationalized the changes or truly doesn't see
the danger involved, but his ministry staff is all for
it, and sadly even his wife (Creative Arts Ministry
Director). My heart goes out to him and yet I have this
need to have him say yes, so I can move on. I know
this is not right, yet I can't seem to help myself. God
continues to show me that this is not going away.
(284) A
Warning And A Plea by Ray Yungen, 9/3/10 Many people today believe that it is wrong to talk
about and warn of an endtime, apocolyptic time period.
Rather, they say, we should spend time meditating and
employing our higher powers to reach happiness and
enlightenment in life. We each have a choice to make. Do
we seek after this consciousness, or do we humbly call
upon the living God and accept His free gift of
salvation and eternal life?
(285) Confronting
The Superstitious Church Of The 21st Century
by G. Richard Fisher, PFO, 1998 How do we go about resisting the superstition, the
fads, the nonsense and mysticism that has overtaken the
Church at large? 1) A Total Commitment To The Doctrines
Of Scripture.2) A Total Commitment To The Local Church.
3) Total Commitment To and Reliance On The Christ Of The
Scriptures.
(286) Christian
Broadcast
Network (CBN) Peddling Contemplative Spirituality
by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 9/6/10 You are probably aware that CBN stands for the
Christian Broadcasting Network, which was started by Pat
Robertson[2], and is very popular with-as well as highly
influential within-the more middle-of-the-road crowd of
the charismatic and Pentecostal movement; whereas the
Trinity Broadcasting Network comprises sort of the
lunatic fringe, and the more heretical, of the Word
Faith movement. So you see, with CBN and its
programming, we're undoubtedly dealing here with a very
large segment of Christians within the church visible.
Not long ago in Beth Moore Attacks The Protestant
Reformation, if you don't know Moore is a wildly popular
SBC Bible teacher who works closely with the
aforementioned Shirer, I reminded you that the crown
jewel of CSM is a form of meditation in an altered state
of consciousness known as Contemplative/Centering Prayer
(CCP); i.e. transcendental meditation lightly sprayed
with Christian terminology. It has become a real source
of concern for those of us in the ministry field of
online apologetics and discernment because this spurious
CCP, which attacks the Reformation principle of Sola
Scriptura, is now even associated with people around the
neo-Reformed camp like "New Calvinists" such as Dr. Tim
Keller, and the controversial Mark Driscoll with his
church planting Acts 29 Network, which is already on the
outskirts of the Emerging Church.
(288)Eucharistic
Adoration
and the Emerging Church by Roger Oakland,
9/12/10 When Christians begin to chase after powerful mystical
experiences that supposedly bring them closer to Christ,
this becomes like a slippery slope that will have
disastrous results. The emerging church is on this
slope.
(289) Jim
Wallis
and Soujourners making Muslim-Christians by
Ken Silva, 9/25/10 That's precisely what's wrong with a lot of "mission"
work in the big tent way; there's no such thing as "a
biblical faith" that functions as part of "a Reformation
movement within" a pagan religion. You need to
understand that apart from faith in God through Jesus
Christ all other religions, no matter how noble they may
appear on a purely human level, are idolatry i.e.
worship a false god that is, in reality, at least a
demon.
(290) Dallas
Willard
Says: Follow the Example of Mystic Teresa of Avila
by Carolyn A. Greene, 10/3/10 Many Christian organizations, schools, and ministries
are using the writings of Spiritual Formation pioneer
(and a colleague of Richard Foster) Dallas Willard. Yet
on his website, he tells his readers to follow the
example of Teresa of Avila. (source) If you have not
read the based on a true story novel Castles in the
Sand, we highly recommend it as it shows the truth
behind spiritual formation and focuses in particularly
on Teresa of Avila, a Catholic nun from several
centuries ago who used mystical experiences to "enter
God's presence," even to the point of levitating. Below
is a chapter from Castles in the Sand by Carolyn
A. Greene. Then you decide if Dallas Willard is giving
sound advice when he says that Teresa of Avila is an
example to follow.
(291) The
Emerging
Church And Spiritual Evolution by Ken Silva,
10/5/10 I've told you here at Apprising Ministries that
evangelicalism made a horrible mistake when it embraced
the sinfully ecumenical neo-liberal cult of the Emerging
Church-a veritable Trojan Horse full of heresy-now
blossomed into an Emerging Church 2.0 pushing its new
form of postmodern Progressive Christianity as "big
tent" Emergence Christianity.
(292) The
New
Age Movement: Who's Laughing Now? by Bud
Press, Christian Research Service, September 9, 2008
Years ago, many laughed and brushed-off the New Age
Movement as a mere fad that would eventually fade away.
But behind the scenes, it slithered into every strata of
our society--homes, elementary and high schools,
bookstores, jobs, colleges, universities, churches, and
pulpits.
(293) Southern
Baptist
leader on yoga: Not Christianity by Dylan
Lovan, Associated Press, Oct 7, 2010 LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A Southern Baptist leader who is
calling for Christians to avoid yoga and its spiritual
attachments is getting plenty of pushback from
enthusiasts who defend the ancient practice. Southern
Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler says the
stretching and meditative discipline derived from
Eastern religions is not a Christian pathway to God.
(294) Ancient-Future
Spirituality
Not Biblical by Roger Oakland, 10/9/10 (Robert) Webber, like many emergent leaders, was trying
to differentiate between Roman Catholic and catholic (as
a universal body). However, the Roman Catholic Church
does not make this distinction because they claim an
apostolic succession of papacy (popes) beginning with
the apostle Peter. Therefore, all of Catholicism is
Roman Catholicism. Some in the emerging church do not
show an attachment to the authority of the papacy but
embrace the practices and early history of the Catholic
Church as described above by Webber. But many
Protestants who began by attaching themselves to the
history, teachings, and practices of the early Catholic
Church have now taken the natural next step of becoming
Roman Catholic. (For more on this, see chapter 5, Faith
Undone.)
(295) Biblical
Atonement
or New Age At-One-Ment? by Warren B. Smith,
10/14/10 This "Atonement," or "atoning," is when each person
remembers and affirms and experiences their "oneness"
(at-one-ment) with God and creation. The "Atonement" is
the Course's key to undoing "fear" and dispelling the
illusion that man is "separate" from God. The
Course stresses that the healing of the world is
dependent upon each person's fulfilling their Atonement
"function" to teach this "oneness" to the world. When
everyone comes to understand that "all is love and all
is God," then "inner peace" and "world peace" will
finally happen. Only "fear" and the illusion of
"separation" stand in the way of man's attaining this
peace for himself and his world. (For more on this and
the "false christ," read Warren B. Smith's new
Lighthouse Trails release, False Christ Coming: Does
Anybody Care?
(296) Emerging
Church
Leader Samir Selmanovic Worships With Witches
by Ken Silva, 10/15/10 Well, accolades from apostates aside, you should be
able to see that with FHM Samir Selmanovic is in
violation of God's Word with this interspiritual
worship; it's well beyond simply befriending people of
other faith, which is desirable for the Christian. No,
with Selmanovic and others in the Emergent Church we
cross the line into participating in pagan religions,
which has always been something God forbids. O, but just
because Jesus wants us to know - what pagans sacrifice
they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you
to be participants with demons (1 Corinthians 10:20),
heretics like Selmanovic aren't going to let a little
thing like what the Lords says stop them because they
are - lovers of self (2 Timothy 3:2).
(297) Christians
Troubled
When They Learn The Truth About Yoga by Marsha
West, News With Views, 10/16/10 Believers are called to meditate upon the Word of God -
an external Word that comes to us by divine revelation -
not to meditate by means of incomprehensible syllables."
-Albert Mohler "All forms of yoga involve occult
assumptions, even hatha yoga, which is often presented
as a merely physical discipline." -Douglas Groothuis
(298) Fighting
Spiritual
Evolution In The Emerging Church by Ken Silva,
10/18/10 I want you to realize that the prevailing view in
contemporary educational institutions is postmodern.
Emergent is postmodern theology. I talked to a college
professor from Japan who spoke at a conference here in
America that was attended only by other college
professors-Christian ones. He said almost to a person
those professors were postmodern. They were praising
people like Stanley Grenz for saving evangelicalism from
irrelevance.
(299) COLLEGE
ALERT:
CMA Simpson University Students Seek Contemplative
Chapel Experience reported by Lighthouse
Trails Research, October 19th, 2010 Simpson University in Redding California (part of
Christian Missionary Alliance) is just one of countless
Christian schools that has gone into the
contemplative/emerging camp. Please see our links below
this article for more information.
(300) In
Need
of a Pastor for Your Church? Try Looking at
NON-Contemplative Collegesby Lighthouse Trails
Editors, 10/20/10 We received the following email today from a pastor in
Belgium. We are posting it because we believe there are
many Christian churches who start off with
biblically-based pastors but end up with
pro-contemplative, pro-emerging replacement pastors
because they are often choosing new pastors from
Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries, of
which the majority are training future pastors right
into the "new" spirituality. If your church is in search
of a new pastor, please use wisdom, knowledge, and
discernment, praying always that the Lord will guide
you. And if your particular denomination is one
that is especially bent toward the
contemplative/emerging spirituality (sadly, most of the
denominations are this way - some more than others),
then you have a bigger challenge than you may have
realized.
(301) A
Glorious Destiny? by Roger Oakland,
10/22/10 Neale Donald Walsch, a prominent leader in the New Age,
is one of those with new reformation on his mind. He
states: "We are suggesting that people become modern day
Martin Luther's and take the five steps to peace and
tack them up on church house doors, as Martin Luther did
with his 95 theses in 1517 in Wittenburg, Germany, which
started of course, the first Reformation. Our intention
is to stimulate the second great Reformation of world
religion. That is our intention, our goal and our
purpose. We intend to, in fact, inspire the second great
Reformation of world religion." Comments like the one
above are quite interesting because Walsch is not a
Christian, but he speaks of a religious reformation he
is hoping to witness. But Walsch's reformation does not
include Jesus Christ.
(303) Atonement
Wars by Gary Gilley, 11/4/10 When Steve Chalk and Brian McLaren accused evangelicals
who believed in the substitutionary death of Christ of
embracing a form of Divine child abuse,[1] Christians
everywhere did a double-take. Having sung with
gusto for years that great line penned by Charles
Wesley, "Amazing love, how can it be that Thou my God
shouldst die for me" Christians could not believe that
they were being accused of promoting child abuse by men
who claimed to be at least on the fringes of the
evangelical community. What McLaren and
Chalk had done was bring to the surface for all to see
the long-standing debate by theologians about the
meaning of the cross. Almost no one in
Christian circles doubts the historicity of the
crucifixion, but why Christ died has long been
contested. Of late, due to the rising popularity
of everything from the Emergent Church to the
Ancient-Future Faith movement to the New Perspective on
Paul, the significance of Christ's cross-work, often
called the atonement, has regained traction. In
particular what has often been called "penal
substitution," that the Son, "suffer[ed] instead of us
the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity
as the penalty for sin" has come under intense
attack.[2] It is the purpose of this study to
identify the various views held by Christians on the
atonement, analyze briefly the three major theories, and
then develop a biblical defense for penal substitution
as the central meaning and purpose behind the cross. Read
Part
1 & Part
2.
(304) On
Spiritual
Formation by Pastor Larry DeBruyn,
Contemplative Spirituality, 11/11/10 Within evangelical movement, especially on the part of
the emerging church, we hear a lot of talk about
"spiritual formation."[1] The difference I have with the
spiritual formation movement is not regarding the
destination-Paul wrote that Christians need to grow-up
"to the measure of the stature which belongs to the
fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13)-but over the
journey, how emerging evangelicals are proposing we get
there. As the Holy Spirit incorporates Christ within and
among believers, He sets Christ-likeness as the
objective for every believer because that is the very
meaning of the name, "Christian."
(305) VCY
America/Lighthouse
Trails Radio Show on Those Who Claim Orthodox
Christianity But Promote Emerging/Contemplative
by Lighthouse Trails Editors, 11/17/10 On Tuesday, November 16th, Ingrid Schlueter invited
Lighthouse Trails editor Deborah Dombrowski on the
CrossTalk radio program to discuss Christian figures who
claim to hold to orthodox Christian doctrinal statements
yet continually promote the emerging/contemplative
spirituality. You can listen to this broadcast by
clicking here.
(306) Author/Lecturer
Roger
Oakland Says Good-bye to Calvary Chapel by
Lighthouse Trails Editors, 11/23/10 The initial reaction by Chuck Smith over Faith Undone,
released in 2007, was very favorable. But that was not
the consensus by many in the movement. Roger had named
names, including Rick Warren as well as Chuck Smith's
nephew Chuck Fromm (editor of Worship Leadermagazine).
Soon, Roger began feeling the heat for speaking up. A
number of events took place, many of which Lighthouse
Trails reported on as they occurred.
(307) Bible
Gateway
Now Gateway to Heretical Authors - Could Point
Millions to Emerging Teachings by John
Lanagan, 11/28/10 For years Bible Gateway has been relied upon for
accurate Bible translation. In 2008, Bible Gateway
was purchased by Zondervan Publishing, and for some
months now, Bible Gateway's online General Store has
served as gateway to a number of heretical authors.
(308) The
Dangers
of Yoga - Introduction (MP3 Audio Message) by
Chris Lawson, Spiritual Research Network, 12/5/10 This introductory message entitled the Dangers of Yoga
- Introduction is for Christians and non-Christians
alike. The message includes an overview of why yoga is
dangerous and why Christians are deceived in their
thinking that they can combine yoga with the Christian
faith. The message includes definitions of Yoga,
the biblical prohibition in Deuteronomy 18 condemning
any and all involvement with the world of the occult,
"occultism" defined, the philosophy and practice of yoga
cannot be separated, the aim and purpose of all yoga -
Kundalini arousal and possession states [called
Enlightenment in India], overview of Dangers of Yoga
series, and more.
(309) The
"Creeping"
Effect - The New Age and Evangelical Christianity
by Ray Yungen, 12/6/10 If you have ever wondered why New Age authors and their
teachings are creeping past many Christians, then maybe
the definition of creeping might help. The term means:
slowly advancing at a speed that is not really apparent
until you look back over a long time period. For
instance, creeping inflation is not noticed in the short
term, but when one looks back over twenty to thirty
years, it is shocking. A meal that cost two dollars in
1970 now may cost eight dollars-however, the increase
moved so slowly that the impact was diminished.
(310) Philip
Yancey
and the Gay Christian Network by Ken Silva,
12/8/10 ... here we have Philip Yancey, an alleged evangelical
Protestant and editor at large for Christianity Today
magazine, going to apostate Roman Catholic mystics to
learn about prayer. He even says that if we want to "go
deeper" into Contemplative/Centering Prayer (CCP),
meditation in an altered state of consciousness which is
the crowning jewel of CSM, "there's Thomas
Merton."
(311) Spread
Of
Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism: Lectio Divina
by Ken Silva, 12/9/10 A main focus of the online apologetics and discernment
ministry Apprising Ministries has been covering the rise
in popularity within Protestant evangelicalism of
practicing corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism
(CSM) ala Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic
Richard Foster and his spiritual twin Dallas Willard.
It's a rapidly spreading-and very dangerous-fad; and if
left unchecked by spiritually timid evangelical leaders,
at the very least CSM is going to be the cause of much
division within the church visible, and at its worst it
will blur doctrinal distinctives to the point of laying
foundation for a Global Religion.
(312) Mysticism
by Gary Gilley, 12/9/10
Article that catalogs the entrance of mysticism into
evengelical Christianity. Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3, Part
4, & Part
5.
(313) The Emergent
Church Teaching On The Trinity "Loving Community"
by Sandy Simpson, 12/10/10 There is a fairly new teaching in the Emergent Church
(EC) on the Trinity as an example of a "loving
community" thereby giving evidence that anyone who names
the name of Christ is to be a loving community, in unity
with "humanity".
(314) Max
Lucado's
Quoting Of Contemplative Mystics by Lighthouse
Trails, 12/17/10 Cure for the Common Life, by author Max Lucado, is a
book about "living in your sweet spot." Lucado tells
readers in chapter one to "[h]eed that inner music," and
quoting mystic Martin Buber from his book, The Way of
Man (a book on Jewish mysticism), Lucado tells readers
they each have a "divine spark." Buber had panentheistic
affinities as he embraced the teachings of Hasidism
(Jewish mysticism) and believed that this divine spark
that Lucado refers to is in every human being and every
part of creation. Through Lucado's book he quotes other
mystics and contemplatives: Saint Thomas Aquinas,Thomas
Merton, Eugene Peterson and Richard Foster.
(315) Letter
to
the Editor: Contemplative Prayer Alive and "Well" in
American Churches at Lighthouse Trails,
12/19/10 This fall I ordered Ray Yungen's book, A Time of
Departing, and was also sent Roger Oakland's book, Faith
Undone. Thank you! I first devoured Ray's
book and finished Roger's this morning. "Speechless" is
how I feel! I hardly know what to say, except that
I am very grateful for their research and writing.
Ten years ago I may have wondered what it was they were
upset about; however, in recent years I can attest
personally to some of these atrocities within the
church. A few years ago, we were members of a
PCUSA church in which the associate pastor and his wife
(dear friends) delved full-speed into studies, sessions,
and retreats on Prayer (contemplative, meditative,
breath, Taize, etc.). I participated but all the
while sensed there was something not right about all of
it. All of what Ray and Roger mention regarding
contemplative prayer and related mysticism is definitely
alive and well. And, we are in a mid-size
midwest town.
(317) Considering
Reiki?
Watch This Video First posted by Lighthouse
Trails, 12/29/10
Video on the practice of Reiki invading the churches as
promoted by the Emerging Church.
(318) The
Emerging
Church Is Unaware It's Dead by Ken Silva,
12/31/10 Its primary legacy is that through its core doctrine of
corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM),
masquerading as spurious Spiritual Formation ala Living
Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster and
his spiritual twin Dallas Willard, the Emergent Church
leaders have been quite successful in taking the focus
off proper Christian spirituality; and instead putting
it upon mere subjective feelings.
(319) Spread
Of
Contemplative Spiritualiy/Mysticism: Lectio Divina
by Ken Silva, 1/1/11 It's a rapidly spreading-and very dangerous-fad; and if
left unchecked by spiritually timid evangelical leaders,
at the very least CSM is going to be the cause of much
division within the church visible, and at its worst it
will blur doctrinal distinctives to the point of laying
foundation for a Global Religion.
(320) Be
Prepared
- A Vast Number Are Coming in Christ's Name by
Ray Yungen, 1/7/11 I have heard two interpretations of Jesus' reply. The
first interpretation asserts various individuals will
claim to be the returning, incumbent Jesus Christ. The
other view says a number of messiah figures will appear
and gather followers to themselves in a similar fashion
to cult leader Jim Jones or Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, the
guru leader who set up his idea of utopia in Oregon. I
now believe neither of these interpretations encompass
the bigger picture. It is in light of numerous New Age
statements that Matthew 24 takes on new significance.
(321) Baptism,
Bible
... and beer? by Patrick Condon, Associated
Press, 1/7/2011 A Minnesota bar is one of the unconventional places of
worship around the country fostered by an evangelical
movement known as "the emerging church."
(322) The Truth Behind The
Postmodern Emergent Church by Sandy Simpson,
1/7/11 I am quite familiar with what drives the younger
generation today because it was what I had to repent of
when I was a youth. So I know the desire to try to
justify yourself and what you are doing because you want
to be able to continue to do those things while
assuaging your conscience because so many others are
doing them along with you. I attempted some of the
same tactics when I had drifted away from the Lord early
in my life. But no amount of jury-rigging the
truth can change God's absolute truth. The bottom
line is that, as believers, we either have to choose to
follow the foolishness of men or the wisdom of God. 1Co
3:19 For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He
catches the wise in their craftiness"; {Job 5:13}
(323) Does
the emergent church movement preach the gospel that
saves? by Mike Oppenheimer, 1/10/11 An appeal to pursuers of the new church movements. We
have a duty to be keepers, protectors and proclaimers of
the gospel, it is to be the same message that was given
to the apostles nearly 2,000 years ago. What has saved
us is to save others. This gospel can be changed from
applying new innovations. Even Brian McLaren admits the
way that emerging church presents the message can be
changing the gospel.
(324) Samir
Selmanovic,
The Emerging Church and Pagan New Humanism by
Ken Silva, 2/17/11 When we look at the bio on his personal website, we
find that Samir Selmanovic has "been integral to the
birth of the emerging church movement, serving as a
member of the Coordinating Group of Emergent Village, as
well as representing emergents at the Interfaith
Relations Commission of the National Council of
Churches."[1] So, as one of the leaders within this
EC-seeker driven for the "counter-culture"-movement he's
a primary source as to what its warped and toxic
theology is all about: The love of the self (cf. 2
Timothy 3:2), i.e. mankind in love with its own kind. We
may indeed be living in the time when we'll at least see
the beginning of the end of the Age of Grace.
(325) The
New
Age Christian-An Accepted Oxymoron by Ray
Yungen, 2/18/11 The current popularity with meditative mysticism
presents a very new and perplexing challenge for
evangelical Christianity. We are beginning to encounter
the New Age or Aquarian Christian. This new term
describes someone who remains in his or her home church
and professes the Christian faith but has also
incorporated various aspects of the New Age or Aquarian
mindset into his or her life. New Age author David
Spangler was very optimistic about the possibility of
this integration when he wrote, "The point is that the
New Age is here " it builds itself and forms itself in
the midst of the old."1
(326) PARENTS
BEWARE:
American Girl Doll Company Recommends Yoga, Mantras,
Meditation, and Breath Prayers by Lighthouse
Trails, 2/27/11 American Girl is a doll company that has had a
reputation for selling wholesome dolls; for many
Christian parents, American Girl has been an
alternative to Barbie Dolls. Once included in American
Doll's mission statement was the goal to "reinforce
positive social and moral values."1 That statement was
found on their website in 2000. But American Girl today
is reinforcing and promoting New Age practices.
(329) Postmodern
Liberalism
Pits Jesus Against The Bible by Ken Silva,
3/6/11 Unfortunately, we're living in a time of growing
spiritual blindness as Jesus sends 1 Peter 4:17
judgments against the visible Christian church; this
darkness is why mainstream evangelicalism would make
such a foolish decision to embrace the sinfully
ecumenical neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church aka
the Emerging Church with its quasi-universalism in a new
version of postmodern Progressive Christian theology
under their spiritual circus "big tent" of empty
Emergence Christianity. Apprising Ministries brings you
the following words of warning circa 1985 by Dr. Walter
Martin (1928-1989), a renowned defender of what he so
often referred to as "the historic orthodox Christian
faith."
(330) Nazarene
Pastor
Fired For Fighting Emergent Ideology by Manny
Silva, Concerned Nazarenes, 2/20/10 Disturbing trends continue to develop in our
denomination. Recently, I sent out a prayer
request for a pastor and his church that decided to
leave the Nazarene denomination, rather than stay and
bow to emergent ideology and priorities. Soon, I
will be posting some information regarding those who
have been forced to leave their churches ("Divorced From
The Church"). More and more Bible believing
Nazarenes are finding themselves ostracized and are even
being labeled as cult members, hateful, dividers, "used
by the devil""etc. On and on it goes, with no
biblical justification! Students are subject to
ridicule or harassment for standing up against
unbiblical teachings at their universities.
(332) The
New
Age Christian-An Accepted Oxymoron by Ray
Yungen, Lighthouse Trails Research, March 18, 2011 The current popularity with meditative mysticism
presents a very new and perplexing challenge for
evangelical Christianity. We are beginning to encounter
the New Age or Aquarian Christian. This new term
describes someone who remains in his or her home church
and professes the Christian faith but has also
incorporated various aspects of the New Age or Aquarian
mindset into his or her life. New Age author David
Spangler was very optimistic about the possibility of
this integration when he wrote, "The point is that the
New Age is here " it builds itself and forms itself in
the midst of the old."
(333) WIDE
IS THE GATE- The Emerging New Christianity by
Caryl Matrisciana, 3/21/11 When Christianity starts to leave
the Bible out of the equation, apostasy isn't far off!
YouTube video featuring Caryl Matrisciana, Roger
Oakland, Mike Gendron and others.
(334) Body-Mind-Spirit
-
Changing Science, Changing Mindby Herescope,
3/29/11 The New Age Movement has always seen itself as being in
charge of the healthcare reform agenda. This may
surprise people who think that this is just a secular
political agenda. From its very beginning healthcare
reform was intended to be the chief conduit for global
mind change. To the New Age "Aquarians," healthcare
reform itself was viewed as a channel in an occult
sense, a pathway to communicate a New Age worldview. To
pull off this massive shift would necessitate a
transformation from a scientific paradigm to the
mystical. Medicine needed to become holistic with an
active spirituality component - the New Age/New
Spirituality.
(335) David
Jeremiah's
Book Life Wide Open - Still Sold on His Website -
Still Includes New Agers by Lighthouse Trails,
3/29/11 Lighthouse Trails receives emails from time to time
from readers asking if there is still "a problem" with
David Jeremiah and his 2003 (redone in 2005) book, Life
Wide Open. In the second edition of A Time of
Departingby Ray Yungen is an expose about the book, and
today some question as to whether our report is still
relevant has arisen. Because David Jeremiah continues
selling the book on his website and through the general
book marketing avenues (Amazon, etc), we believe our
report remains valid.
(336) How
the
"Quantum Christ" (God is in everything) is Tranforming
the World . . . and Entering the Church! by
Warren B. Smith, 3/30/11 In his 2009 book So Beautiful, Leonard Sweet
underscores his quantum "relational worldview"14 by
favorably quoting from William Young's The Shack
regarding relationship.15 He also tells readers to look
to Margaret Wheatley's Leadership and the New Science to
further understand his quantum view on the "spiritual
and social significance of relationship."16 And he still
continues to refer readers back to his 1991 book,
Quantum Spirituality. While appearing to be somewhat of
a 21st century renaissance man who leaves everyone in
the wake of his postmodern intellect, Leonard Sweet's
"scientific" postmodern/quantum/New Age view on things
raises some critical questions-particularly in regard to
his association with Rick Warren. If Warren, Sweet, and
other Christian leaders continue to move the church
towards the New Spirituality, how will it ultimately
play out? Will we see Warren, Schuller, Sweet, McLaren,
and other "New Light" leaders signing a mutual accord
someday affirming that God is "in" everything? Will that
proclamation be based on new "scientific findings" from
quantum physics? Will they explain that [Jesuit] Pierre
Teilhard de Chardin and the "God" of Neale Donald Walsch
and William Young had it right-that "the sub-atomic
reality" is that God is in every atom? That God really
is-scientifically speaking-"in" everyone and everything?
But what about the inevitable reaction that will come
from those referred to by Rick Warren as
"fundamentalists"18 when they accuse Warren of
flip-flopping? Will Warren defend his new worldview by
repeating what he said at the Saddleback Civil
Forum-that "sometimes flip-flopping is smart because you
actually have decided a better position based on
knowledge that you didn't have"? Armed with seemingly
scientific "facts" from quantum physics, will Warren
defend his new worldview by stating, "That's not
flip-flopping. Sometimes that's growing in wisdom"? Is
this where Warren, Sweet, and other Christian leaders
will try to take the church? Are they about to take a
big "quantum leap" into the New Spirituality of a New
Age that is based on the findings of the "new science"?
Given the continued New Age implications of the emerging
Purpose Driven movement, it would seem that this is a
real possibility.
(337) The
Visible
Church In An Accelerating Apostasy by Ken
Silva, Apprising Ministries, 4/2/11 Let me tell you something that I have learned; I know
the liberals. I know them well; I was one of them. And
they are the most dangerous, insidious, and
all-pervading cult that's loose in the United States
right at this moment. They make the Jehovah's Witnesses,
and the Mormons, and all of the Mind Sciences, and the
Occult, look like Sunday School teachers. Do you know
why? Because these other people are outside the Church;
and these devils are in it! And they're doing it in
Jesus' Name.
(338) Hazards
unfolded
by Emerging Church leaders by Richard Bennett,
4/4/11 It is quite difficult to define properly the Emerging
Church movement. The basic conviction behind the
movement is that Christianity needs to be reinvented to
become relevant to our postmodern generation.
(339) Bryan
and
Hope Colleges Added to Contemplative Christian School
List by Lighthouse Trails, 4/15/11 Bryan College has been added to our list of Christian
colleges and seminaries that promote
contemplative/spiritual formation. We also added
Hope College of Holland, Michigan to our contemplative
list today. A look at their 2010 textbook list shows
evidence that the teachers at Hope College are turning
to contemplative advocates to teach Hope College
students.
(340) Knowing
the
True Christ in an Age of Counterfeits on
Crosstalk Radio, Date: April 21, 2011 • Host:
Ingrid Schlueter • Guest: Warren Smith
Warren Smith (B.A. University of Pennsylvania; M.S.W.
Tulane University) is a free lance writer and community
social worker who was formerly involved in the New Age
movement. He has served as a program coordinator for
people with special needs, directed several homeless
programs, and has worked most recently as a Hospice social
worker in New Orleans and on the California coast. He has
written extensively on the subject of spiritual deception
and has been widely interviewed on radio and television.
He is author of The Light that was Dark, Deceived on
Purpose, A Wonderful Deception and False Christ Coming:
Does Anybody Care? Having been saved out of the New Age
movement, Warren Smith knows that there are many "christs"
in the world today. As we are about to observe Good Friday
and the resurrection of Christ, Warren underscores the
importance of knowing the true and risen Christ, not a
counterfeit. The discussion begins with mention of Shirley
McClain. She may not have been taken seriously years ago
because of her New Age beliefs yet she was recently on the
Oprah Winfrey Show. Why? It's because some New Age
teachings are no longer considered "fringe" but are now
mainstream. Smith proves the point when he references
Purpose-Driven author Rick Warren who has brought in three
New Age doctors into his church through his "Daniel Plan".
From there the discussion moves on to Marianne Williamson
and her deceptive book, A Return to Love: Reflections on
the Principles of A Course in Miracles, the deceptive use
of Bible terminology by New Age proponents, the experience
that pointed him to Christ, the ties that the
Emergentmovement has with the New Age, and more. Also
mentioned was Chuck Klein's Understanding the Times
conference on April 30th in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Pastor
Larry Debruyn, Sarah Leslie and Warren Smith will be
speaking on counterfeit spirituality. Listen: RealAudio
| Windows
Media | MP3
(341) Celebrating
the
Resurrection, But Denying the Atonement by
Lighthouse Trails, 4/24/11 As we here at Lighthouse Trails have joined with other
believers in exposing the truth about the emerging
/contemplative spirituality, we have come to learn that
the core of the New Age believes that the teachings of
the East and of the West must be fused and blended
before the true and universal religion-for which the
world waits-could appear on earth. In other words, all
religions must come together under the umbrella of
metaphysics (mysticism). While the average Christian
would agree that this doesn't line up with Scripture,
the Christian church has been overtaken by this very
concept, but in a deceitful and often subtle manner. The
underlying layers of this dark and anti-Christ theology
rejects the very thing that can save a soul-the
atonement for sin on the Cross by Jesus Christ. He was a
substitute, and He took our place. Without that
atonement, we are lost forever.
(342) Altered
States:
A Different Gate - The sober Christian in a
spiritually inebriated age by Sarah Leslie and
Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 4/28/11 New Age Movement (NAM) rose in prominence during the
late 1970s, and remains popular today. One component of
NAM spirituality was meditation associated with
"Transcendental Medication" (TM), a Hindu religious
practice that was popularized and introduced to the
Western culture by the Beatles and their personal guru,
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1914-2008).[1] The Maharishi is
credited with introducing Hindu mysticism to western
culture along with that religion's spiritual disciplines
such as Yoga. A savvy marketer, he seized every
opportunity to repackage Hindu spirituality to sell to
American culture, one part of which consisted of
meditative techniques that promised practitioners
"increased creativity and flexibility, increased
productivity, improved job satisfaction, improved
relations with supervisors and co-workers," and so
on.[2] At that time TM was marketed so as not to appear
as a religion, but propagandized to be a way to realize
"better health, stress relief and spiritual
enlightenment."
(343) Defend
The
Deity Of Christ by Ken Silva, Apprising
Ministries, 5/5/11 Do you see now; the Bible teaches that Jesus always has
been God, and when He was born of the Virgin Mary, He
then became Man. Whether someone wants to believe this
or not is between that person and God. However, if they
choose not to believe what God's Word says they should
stop telling people that the Christian Church "made this
doctrine up." Yet this is precisely what skeptics, the
Mind Sciences-like Christian Science and the Unity
School of Christianity-are telling people around you.
(344) The
New
Look of Christian Missions by Roger Oakland,
5/18/11 Emerging spirituality is changing the way missions is
being conducted. The idea is that you can go for Jesus,
but you don't have to identify yourself as a Christian
or part of the Christian church. This concept spills
over into some missionary societies too, where they
teach people from other religions they can keep their
religion, just add Jesus to the equation. They don't
have to embrace the term Christian.
(345) Yoga
in
the Church by Lighthous Trails, 5/21/11
More than ever, Yoga has entered the Christian church.
Lighthouse Trails receives reports nearly daily of
Christians who are practicing Yoga and churches that are
allowing Yoga to be practiced at their churches. Yoga is
the heartbeat of Hinduism, a belief system that
completely contradicts biblical Christianity and puts
practitioners in harm's way. Yoga is a gateway into
eastern mysticism. If you have loved ones who are
getting into Yoga, please warn them of its
dangers.
(346) Manchester
Cathedral Transforms into a Serpent's Casino - A study
in the paradigm shift of the Emergent church
by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/22/11 Sacred space, inclusive gospel, pilgrimage, spiritual
formation are all recognized words found in emergent/new
age teaching. This is a church that has been refashioned
to be something to everyone and stands with next to
nothing that Christianity holds to. While one can read
of a very short statement of faith that is orthodox, it
is missing important details. What they practice is in
contradistinction to what they claim to believe.
(347) The
Cost
for Being Careless About the Gospelby
Lighthouse Trails, 6/14/11 You may recall that in the Old Testament the Israelites
took great pains in transporting the Ark of the
Covenant. According to the instructions given by God to
Moses (Exodus 25:13-15), the Ark was to be carried by
staves (poles) on the shoulders of the Levites (1
Chronicles 15:15). However, in 1 Chronicles 13:7-10,
contrary to Moses' specific instructions, they put the
Ark on a cart to be pulled by oxen. But the unexpected
happened. When "Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark,
for the oxen stumbled . . . the anger of the Lord was
kindled against Uzza, and he smote him" (1 Chronicles
13:9-10). The Levites, who were the "pastors" of that
day, were careless about following Moses' instructions;
and it ended up costing a life. The Ark of the Covenant
was a type and foreshadowing of the Gospel. It was
sprinkled with blood to symbolize Christ's death on the
Cross. Today, similar to back then, so many pastors and
Christian leaders have become careless about the Gospel.
If you are one who has grown careless with the Gospel,
isn't it time to make some changes and return to
following the instructions of the Lord?
(348) Letter
to
the Editor: Pastor Stopped Purpose Driven/Emergent
Teachings After Learning of the Errors by
Lighthouse Trails, 6/15/11 Concerning the last article here, by Steve Muse, I want
to share a word of encouragement to him and to
you! After learning in the past year of the
attacks on the people of God, the church, from reading
at Lighthouse Trails website, God led me to share with
my three pastors . . . Senior, and two young assistants
. . . the information I learned from you. In the
past few months, they have stopped the "Emergent, Rick
Warren, and all of the other false teachings, and are
once again preaching and teaching the Word of
God!! And guess what?! Souls are being saved
so wonderfully that it is almost too much to take in . .
. the change is so dramatic that all I can do is praise
our Wonderful Lord as I stand in awe at His marvelous
Grace!!
(349) TRAVESTY
at
LIFEST - PARENTS: Don't Send Your Kids -
Radical-Emergent/Liberal Jim Wallis to Speak at Lifest
(What is Luis Palau Doing There?) by
Lighthouse Trails and VCY America, 6/17/11 From Ingrid Schlueter at VCY America: Each summer,
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, hosts the "Lifest"Christian music
festival. This festival, which is expecting as many as
70,000 in attendance, has put Jim Wallis on the docket
of speakers for July 9th. Wallis' upcoming appearance at
Lifest proves that he is an individual who continues to
secure his position as the leading voice of the
political arm of the emergent New Spirituality movement.
Those who recognize his name probably know him through
his 40 year relationship with the "Sojourners"
organization. As an establishment liberal, he weaves his
brand of social justice into the Bible, all the while
blaming Wall Street for the ills of American society and
calling for state-sponsored redistribution of wealth.
Click here to listen to an interview between Ingrid
Schlueter and Mare Danielsen regarding the beliefs of
Lifest speaker Jim Wallis.
(350) LABYRINTHS
in
the Spirit of Life event, are prayer Paths that
Promote the Occult by First Plumbline
Apologetics, 6/18/11 What is a Labyrinth? A maze, a prison, a sacred
precinct, a place of peace... the labyrinth is an enigma
and a riddle, one that has puzzled historians for
centuries. Where did it come from, how was it used? Why is it making a comeback?
(351) How
Much
Does the Gospel Weigh? by Lighthouse Trails,
6/20/11 In last week's article, "The Cost for Being Careless
About Gospel," we established how the Gospel is a
standard and the central theme of the entire
Bible. We can think of it like a balancing scale,
weighing truth against error. But how much does the
Gospel weigh? That might sound like a foolish question,
but let's take a moment to see how a balancing scale
works. Basically, it is an arm extending from both sides
with a fulcrum in the middle. A standardized weight is
then placed on one side, and subsequently everything
placed on the other arm of the scale with be measured
and valued by that standardized weight. A false scale,
as Proverbs states, uses a deceptive weight purported to
be a standardized weight when it really is not.
Consequently, everything weighed on that scale for the
next five, ten, or a thousand years will have an
erroneous result. A false scale just keeps on lying
because the standard is wrong.
(352) New
Book
and Upcoming Conference Bring More Confusion Out of
Calvary Chapel Movement by Lighthouse Trails,
6/24/11
In 2006, Calvary Chapel made a public stand against
contemplative spirituality and the emerging church; they
also stated: "The teaching and positions of Rick
Warren have come into conflict with us at Calvary Chapel.
Pastor Chuck has directed us to discontinue this product
effective immediately. Chuck Smith read Deceived on
Purpose, A Time of Departing, and Faith Undone and found
them right on. In a number of radio programs, Smith
favorably acknowledged the work of Lighthouse Trails, and
in private e-mails to editors at Lighthouse Trails, he
made his support of our work and warnings to the body of
Christ evident. But over the past few years, several
confusing things have taken place that leave many
wondering just what direction the Calvary Chapel movement
is really heading. An upcoming conference called Twelve:
2011 Global Online Gathering held by Saddleback Church and
Rick Warren is another example of why many people are
becoming increasingly confused about Calvary Chapel.
(353) WIDE
IS
THE GATE - The Emerging New Christianity Vol.1
by Caryl Productions, 6/27/11 Once there were two Church choices, Roman Catholicism
and Protestantism, but in recent decades Christianity
has been redefined giving rise to unprecedented
quasi-Christian spiritual philosophies and practices.
Claiming to be "revivals" are these the counterfeits
Jesus warned would occur before His return? (Luke 18:8)
Many so-called Christian leaders are introducing
innovative teachings based on new Bible translations and
paraphrases that alter the timeless truths of Holy
Scripture. A more progressive spirituality, with roots
in eastern mysticism, is replacing faith in God's Word.
This "New Christian Spirituality" poses as a more
relevant "New Gospel" for today's Postmodern culture
that prefers subjective and emotional feelings, rather
than absolute truths. Biblical Truth is the foundation
for knowing God. His promises and prophecies. At
Pentecost, the Church was given the Holy Spirit of Truth
to be guided into all Truth. Jesus Christ, Who is Truth
Incarnate, taught that after His death, resurrection and
ascension to Heaven, He would bring His Church to His
Father's house before returning with them to govern the
world for a 1000 year Kingdom period. Biblical faith
trusts God's promise to fulfil these prophecies. However
many within the Emerging, Seeker-friendly, Purpose
Driven, New Apostolic, Roman Catholic, Protestant,
Reformed, neo-Evangelical, Charismatic and Pentecostal
Churches deny many teachings and Prophesies in God's
Word as literal Truth. Many promote the false gospel of
transforming the world for the common good, encouraging
a "working together", and bringing about social justice
on planet earth. Through modern marketing techniques and
business management skills a global agenda of faith,
commerce and government is being orchestrated for
churches to partner with other faiths for world peace
and unity. This man made utopia will usher in the reign
of Antichrist and his kingdom, preceding the coming of
the True Jesus Christ and the True Kingdom of God on
earth.
(354) Maintream
Evangelicalism
Embracing Contemplative Mysticism by Ken
Silva, 6/29/11 The EC would prove to be a Trojan Horse where Satan has
been able to off-load his ne0-Gnostic mystic corruption
Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM), an
infestation of which is now becoming pandemic within the
very heart of the church visible. I've told you before
that this spurious CSM-the refried Roman Catholic
mysticism "discovered" by Living Spiritual Teacher and
Quaker mystic Richard Foster, and now perpetrated as
supposed Spiritual Formation with an able assist from
his spiritual twin SBC minister Dallas Willard, was a
core doctrine in the EC right from its hatching in hell.
(355) Contemplative
Spirituality
Lands on Charles Stanley's In Touch Magazine . . .
Again by Mike Stanwood, 6/30/11 Is this the kind of example of biblical Christian
living that Charles Stanley's readers have come to
expect to see in his magazine? Unfortunately, this is
not the first time an article promoting
contemplative/emerging figures has emerged from the In
Touch magazine.
(356) Seven-Eleven
Songs by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 7/2/11 Some songs, that repeat . . . repeat . . . and repeat .
. . the same seven-word lyrics eleven times or more, are
called "seven-eleven" songs. As with repetitive praying
(Jesus warned about this when He said, "And when you are
praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the
Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard
for their many words," Matthew 6:7.), questions surround
the musical mechanism of repetitive praising, singing,
or chanting, as a means of inducing consciousness of
God.
(357) TBN
Hosts
"Ancient Wisdom" Author Laurie Beth Jones by
Lighthouse Trails, 7/3/11 On June 30th, TBN (Trinity Broadcasting) hosted an
event that focused on Christian counseling. One of the
speakers was "Ancient Wisdom" author Laurie Beth
Jones. A little research on and quotes by Laurie
Beth Jones describing her spirituality. Her Mission: "To
inspire the divine connection in all of us" (from back
cover, Jesus, Entrepreneur: Using Ancient Wisdom to
Launch and Live Your Dreams)
(358) Does
the
ministry of "the four living beings" justify lyrical
repeating? by Pastor Larry DeBruyn,
7/12/11 Some songs, that repeat . . . repeat . . . and repeat .
. . the same seven-word lyrics eleven times or more, are
called "seven-eleven" songs. As with repetitive praying
(Jesus warned about this when He said, "And when you are
praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the
Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard
for their many words," Matthew 6:7.), questions surround
the musical mechanism of repetitive praising, singing,
or chanting, as a means of inducing consciousness of
God.
(359) Is
the
"Emerging Church" the Latest Postmodern Fad?
by Dr. Ron J. Bigalke, CARM, 7/12/11 What is the "Emerging Church"? Is the movement another
fad that is popular currently but will be soon
forgotten? Certainly, we can recall many recent crazes
of our own lifetime. It seems, in their search to be
relevant, many pastors and church leaders are always
seeking new methods to grow the church. The contemporary
church is inundated with those seeking new methods and
means of church growth. Whatever pragmatic approaches
allow one to accomplish church growth, it is accepted.
However, time and again in the Bible, it is primarily
the preaching of the Word-the enunciation of words-that
God uses to draw the lost to Himself.
(360) The
"New"
Emerging Theology Breeds Atheism in a Generation of
Young People by Lighthouse Trails,
7/25/11 One day we received a call from one of our readers who
wanted to share some news concerning his pastor's son.
He told us the son, after sitting under Dallas Willard
for four years in university, declared himself to now be
an atheist. How could this have happened? The boy was
raised in a Christian home. Dallas Willard claims to be
a Christian. While we do not know the details of this
boy's story, the following fictionalized account could
very well be his story and that of many other young
Christians today.
(361) The
Shack
Bible by Ken Silva, 8/3/11 Yes, you read that right. Get on your heavy mud gear as
Apprising Ministries takes you off-road mentally mudding
deeply into the postmodern Wonderland of Humpty Dumpty
language where the meanings of words descend into its
muck and mire.
(362) YOGA:
Posture
to Apostasy - Can yogic practices be integrated with
the Christian faith? by Pastor Larry DeBruyn,
8/15/11 East is east, and west is west, and if Christianity is
to remain Christian, "the twain," meaning yoga and
Christianity, should never be integrated. The soul that
is engaged to Jesus Christ cannot commit spiritual
harlotry by flirting with the yogic practices intended
to introduce them to Hindu gods. As John the Apostle
wrote: "Little chidren, guard yourselves from idols" (1
John 5:21).
(363) Southern
Baptist
Convention Rejects Gender-Neutral NIV Bible But
Embraces The Message, Renovare Bible, and
Contemplative Books by Lighthouse Trails,
9/4/11 While the SBC's willingness to stand up against this
new translation Bible translation is worth noting, we
are puzzled that they find nothing wrong with Eugene
Peterson's translation The Message paraphrase and
Richard Foster's Renovare Spiritual Formation Study
Bible. On their LifeWay Resources website, they sell The
Message and the Renovare "Bible." They also carry the
New Men's Devotional Bible (NIV), which includes
"contributions" by New Age sympathizer Rob Bell.
They also carry books by contemplative authors such as
Gary Thomas, including his book Sacred Pathways where he
tells readers to repeat a word for twenty minutes and
Sacred Marriage where he references several times a
tantric sex advocate.1 They carry books by
contemplative proponent Pete Scazzero including
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, a resource for those
wanting to practice contemplative prayer. To get a good
glimpse at Scazzero's propensities, check out his
favorite books section on his website - it's a plethora
of mystics, emergents, and New Agers sympathizers. And
there are countless other examples of contemplative
authors that LifeWay is selling. A search on the store
website will bring these up.
(364) Ron
Luce
Of Teen Mania Leading Your Youth Into Spiritual
Bondage by Ken Silva, 6/22/11 Here's yet another example of how evangelicalism is
spiritually passing your youth through the fire of
Molech. "Youth ministers" like Ron Luce-a regular on
Trinity (Blasphemy) Broadcasting Network steeped in the
Word Faith heresy-are leading your youth right back into
the spiritual bondage of CSM and its crown jewel, a form
of meditation in an altered state of consciousness
commonly known as Contemplative/Centering Prayer (CCP),
which flowered through the antibiblical monastic
traditions of apostate Roman Catholicism.
(365) Turning
to
Contemplative Mysticism or a Relationship with Jesus
Christ? Which Will it Be? by Ray Yungen,
9/25/11 If you have read A Time of Departing, the book I wrote
about contemplative spirituality, and are left wondering
about your relationship with God, remember that knowing
Jesus Christ is not merely religion or spirituality but
is rather a personal relationship with Him.
(362) Just
Say
No To Contemplative/Centering Prayer by Ken
Silva, 10/24/11 The crown jewel of CSM is a supposed spiritual
discipline known as Contemplative/Centering Prayer
(CCP); however, this is actually a form of meditation
while in an altered state of consciousness-i.e.
transcendental meditation-lightly sprayed with Christian
terminology. No way around it; warped "wordless" prayer.
Updated! (363)
The
Social
Gospel, Yesterday and Today by Gary Gilley,
Think On These Things, October/November 2011 - Volume 17,
Issue 5 - Read Part
1 & Part
2. What is unfolding before us is what the Emergent leader
Brian McLaren terms "missional." Missional, McLaren
tells us, is "a generous third way," between the
conservative "personal Savior" gospel and liberal
version of it.[35] McLaren further explains, "My
missional calling: blessed in this life to be a blessing
to everyone on earth" My mission isn't to figure out who
is already blessed, or not blessed, or unblessable. My
calling is to be blessed so I can bless everyone."[36]
He continues, "From this understanding we place less
emphasis on whose lineage, rites, doctrines, structures,
and terminology are right and more emphasis on whose
actions, service, outreach, kindness, and effectiveness
are good". (In order) to help our world get back on the
road to being truly and wholly good again, the way God
created it to be""[37] Rob Bell adds, "For Jesus, the
question wasn't how do I get into Heaven? But how do I
bring heaven here?...The goal isn't escaping this world
but making this world the kind of place God can come to.
And God is remaking us into the kind of people who can
do this kind of work."[38] The rationale of McLaren and
Bell is a mere echo of the original founders of
liberalism.
(364) "Contextualization"
of
the Gospel - A Free-Falling Catastrophe by
Roger Oakland, 11/5/11 While reaching today's generation for the cause of
Christ is something we as Christians should all desire,
we must remember Jesus Christ challenged us to follow
Him and be obedient to His Word. Scripture commands us
to "be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).
But the emergents are leading followers in the opposite
direction, teaching that the Word of God needs to be
conformed to people and cultures instead of allowing it
to conform lives through Jesus Christ. Reimagining
Christianity allows a dangerous kind of freedom; like
cutting the suspension ropes on a hot air balloon, the
free fall may be exhilarating but the results
catastrophic.
(365) An
Epidemic
of Apostasy - Christian Seminaries Must Incorporate
"Spiritual Formation" to Become Accredited by
Lighthouse Trails, 11/16/11 What do the two accreditation organizations -
Association of Theological Seminaries and Association
for Biblical Higher Education - have in common? Both
associations require schools that wish to be accredited
to include Spiritual Formation within the school's
infrastructure. Just what exactly does that mean for
these 350 some seminaries and Bible colleges? Well, it
means that if they want to receive and maintain their
accreditation, they are going to have to incorporate
Spiritual Formation (i.e., contemplative spirituality)
into the lives of their students.
(366) The
"Selection
Process" - New Age Eschatology by Warren B.
Smith, 11/26/11 SELF-described "futurist" and "conscious evolutionist"
Barbara Marx Hubbard writes that in 1966 she heard an
"inner voice" that came in response to a question she
had asked aloud and directed to God-"What is our story?
What in our age is comparable to the birth of Christ?"
After asking the question she said she fell into a
dreamlike state and was given an intense vision of the
future.
(397) Letter
to
the Editor: Heartbroken in Southern California
at Lighthouse Trails, 11/27/11 I am tired"and very heartbroken"I never thought it was
going to be like this. I thought the "them" would not be
inside the Church. The Lord has given me a crash course
on Jude, 2 Peter, and 1 Tim.
(398) "A
Whole
New Species of Church Is Emerging" by Tamara
Hartzell, Lighthouse Trails, 12/9/11 There is a "Christian" book that epitomizes the current
path of the counterfeit Christianity, which is emerging
as the old faith crumbles away. Although there are many
such books published now, Growing Spiritual Redwoods by
William Easum and Thomas Bandy provides a clear
illustration of the "new way of thinking," and has been
acclaimed as "perhaps the best book about church
transformation."Bill Easum is "one of the pioneering
pastors of the church growth movement," and is "one of
the most highly respected church consultants and
Christian futurists in North America." Tom Bandy
"consults with congregations for church growth and
transformation," and "congregational and denominational
leaders regard Tom as one of the leading thinkers and
writers today."4 The two joined forces to form Easum,
Bandy and Associates, which consults "with churches of
every size and culture" and links "countless" leaders
through "one of the largest religious interactive
websites in North America."In spite of the blatant (New
Age) New Spirituality in their book, Growing Spiritual
Redwoods has received high praises by men who are
popular leaders themselves in today's Christianity. Rick
Warren, Lyle Schaller, and Leonard Sweet-whose own books
are self-evident that he has fallen for the (New Age)
New Spirituality-have given this book the following
endorsements:
(399) Moody
Publishers
Releases Prayers for Today: A Yearlong Journey of
Contemplative Prayer by Lighthouse Trails,
12/13/11 What we are going to address in this article is the new
book that Moody Publishers just released in September,
Prayers for Today: A yearlong journey of Contemplative
Prayer. This is not going to be a full fledged book
review. It doesn't need to be to prove our point. The
book is a collection of various prayers by a wide
assortment of writers (e.g. the prayer of confession,
the prayer of thanksgiving, the prayer of renewal, etc).
Near the end of the book, Kurt Bjorklund, the author,
has a section titled "Works Cited." He lists "the
sources for prayer utilized in this book." There are
around 70 sources. It is from these sources that the
prayer collections are gathered. At least a dozen of
these are books by contemplative authors who Lighthouse
Trails has written about in the past: Richard Foster,
Brennan Manning, Ken Boa, Leighton Ford, Max
Lucado, Meister Eckhart, Thomas Aquinas, Teresa of
Avila, and Mother Teresa, all strong advocates of
contemplative prayer.
(400) Labyrinths
-
Popping Up at Lots of Seminaries and Christian
Colleges by Lighthouse Trails, 12/14/11
Speaking of Christian seminaries and spiritual formations,
check out some of the seminaries that now have labyrinths,
a tool used for contemplative prayer, but we hope you
won't consider going to these schools. We believe that
labyrinths will be showing up in more and more
Protestant/evangelical schools and churches as
contemplative spirituality sinks its teeth into modern day
Christianity, holding on for the long haul.
Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary - Columbia,
SC
Lutheran Theological Seminary - Philadelphia, PA
Eastern Mennonite Seminary - Harrisonburg, VA
San Francisco Theological Seminary - San Francisco,
CA
Phillips Theological Seminary - Tulsa, OK
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary - Louisville,
KY (Accredited with ATS)
Eden Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary - Decatur, GA (Accredited
with ATS) - Presbyterian
Luther Seminary - St. Paul, MN - Lutheran
Lancaster Theological Seminary - Lancaster, PA
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary - Elkhart, IN
Manchester College - North Manchester, IN (Church of the
Brethren)
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary
Northwestern University - Evanston, IL
Abilene Christian University - Abilene, TX (Church of
Christ)
(401) On
Theosis,
or Divinization by Pastor Larry DeBruyn for
Contemplative Spirituality, Mysticism, 1/11/12 As defined by the Orthodox Church, deification
(theosis) postulates that a Christian can become
subjected to "God's full and perfect penetration . . .
in which [state of being] the operations and energies of
human nature cease, having been replaced by the Divine
Operations and Energies." Though it has been part of
"the spirituality" of the Orthodox Church for centuries,
belief in divinization or theosis is emerging amongst
today's evangelicals.
(402) Six
Years
Later - Focus on the Family Still Defending
Contemplative Prayer by Lighthouse Trails,
1/14/12 LTRP Note: The following letter to the LT editor and
the response this person received from Focus on the
Family is used with permission from our reader.
Important to note that FOF's response is similar to the
response FOF was giving back in 2006 (when we received a
letter from them) when asked why they were promoting
Richard Foster and Gary Thomas and where they stood
regarding contemplative spirituality in general. In
comparison, the 2011 response from FOF is more detailed
than the 2006 letter from the same FOF staff member (Tim
Masters from the Executive Office) but is essentially
saying the same thing. Worth noting, the arguments that
Masters gives in defense of contemplative prayer have
been scripturally refuted by Lighthouse Trails authors,
showing how contemplative advocates have taken Bible
verses and used them out of context. We have given
references to a number of those refutations below.
(403) 100
Top
Contemplative Proponents Evangelical Christians Turn
To Today by Lighthouse Trails, 1/15/12 Over the years, many of our readers have asked for a
list of authors who are promoting contemplative prayer.
Well here is a list we have compiled. This is from
10 years of research at Lighthouse Trails. The
list includes those authors who directly teach
contemplative prayer as well as those who have
consistently promoted contemplative prayer teachers. All
of the names below are in one of these two categories.
If you are a skeptic, this is not guilt by association,
but is rather guilt by promotion or proxy. It is not
possible to list every single contemplative prayer
advocate, as the number of those in this category
increases weekly with new book releases. Some of these
names are not "evangelical" Christians but are to be
found in either the Catholic camp or the New Age camp.
We include those in this list because they are names
that are being recommended or referenced by
evangelical/Protestant leaders. We have found these
names below to be the most influential in this area. At
times, we will replace names with others as they come to
our attention. If you need information on any of these
names below, you can find most of them using our blog
search engine or our research site Topical Index.
(404) 50
Top
Organizations With a Significant Role in Bringing
Contemplative Spirituality to the Church by
Lighthouse Trails, 1/21/12 From 10 years of research at Lighthouse Trails Research
Project, we have found the following fifty organizations
to have had a significant role in bringing contemplative
spirituality into the evangelical/Protestant church. If
you do not know or understand the implications of this,
we urge you to educate yourself as soon as possible.
(405) Lectio
Divina:
A Doorway to Contemplative and Centering prayer
by Lighthouse Trails, 2/2/12 Lectio divina! There's a lot of talk about it these
days. Numerous books have been published and more are on
the way. An increasing number of evangelical/Protestant
figures are writing, endorsing, and teaching it. Some
people think lectio divina simply means to read a
passage of Scripture slowly (or "praying the
Scriptures") then ponder or think on that Scripture.
That can be a part of it. But if you ask mystics or
contemplatives what it entails (- and who would know
better than they?), they will tell you that lectio
divina (pronounced lex-ee-o di-veen-a) always includes
taking a passage of Scripture (or other writings),
reading it slowly, then working your way down until you
have just a word or small phrase from the passage that
you are meditating on (repeating over and over).
(406) The
New
Look of Christian Missions by Roger Oakland,
2/9/12 Emerging spirituality is changing the way missions is
being conducted. The idea is that you can go for Jesus,
but you don't have to identify yourself as a Christian
or part of the Christian church. This concept spills
over into some missionary societies too, where they
teach people from other religions they can keep their
religion, just add Jesus to the equation. They don't
have to embrace the term Christian.
(407) Olivet
Nazarene
University 105th School Added to Lighthouse Trails
Contemplative School List by Lighthouse
Trails, 2/11/12 On Saturday morning, Lighthouse Trails received an
e-mail from a concerned parent whose child is attending
Olivet Nazarene University. The parent told us that
Richard Foster's book Celebration of Discipline is part
of a required Freshman course. We have also discovered
that Spiritual Formation (i.e., contemplative
spirituality) is integrated in various aspects of the
school including their Christian Education program,
Practical Ministries, Youth Ministry, and the School of
Theology. Thus we have added Olivet Nazarene University
to our list of Christian schools that promote Spiritual
Formation.
(409) The
Submerging Church by Josaph M. Shimmel,
2/29/12 What are Emergent Church leaders teaching that has so
many of our current generation tuned in to their
"doctrine," but tuned out to holy scripture? How have
Emergent leaders captured the hearts and minds of
unsuspecting people all over the world, departing from
many of the clear teachings, commandments and warnings
found in the pages of the bible? Often preferred to be
understood as a "conversation" or a... Go to the
link above to order this DVD.
(410) "Deliteralizing"
the
Bible: from Plato to Peterson - Scripture amidst the
Shadows by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 3/2/12
Increasingly, evangelical-emergent leaders are viewing
the Bible as "metaphor"-to be constituted of less than
literal language from which the reader subjectively
derives spiritual meanings. To fully grasp the sense of
God's Word, the reader must do so through the lens of
the metaphor.[2] This "new hermeneutic" asserts that
ignoring the nuances of metaphor makes the Bible
unintelligible. For example, Eugene H. Peterson
(well-known composer of The Message) states in Eat This
Book that "if we do not appreciate the way a metaphor
works we will never comprehend the meaning of the text."
(411) "The
Lord's
Prayer" in The Message by Gary F. Zeolla,
3/2/12
"The Lord's Prayer" is the simple prayer that Jesus gave
to us as an example of how to pray. Most Christians have
it memorized. But maybe the prayer as Jesus gave it to us
is too "outdated" or hard to understand for today. At
least, that is the attitude of some Bible versions. They
feel a need to alter it to make it updated and easier to
understand. The Message (MSG) by Eugene Peterson is one
such version. This article will compare The Lord's Prayer
as it appears in the MSG to an actual literal translation
of the Greek text. For the latter, I will use The Lord's
Prayer as it appears in my forthcoming Analytical-Literal
Translation of the New Testament: Devotional Version
(ALTD).
(412) Young
Life's
History of Embracing Contemplative Authors Continues
by Lighthouse Trails, 3/8/12 No one can doubt that Young Life, a 72 year old
Christian organization that reaches out to young
people, has a heart for kids. Volunteers and paid staff
work diligently week after week in communities
throughout America, Canada, and over 60 other countries
to help get teens on the right path in life. In the
course of a year, hundreds of thousands of kids come
into contact with Young Life. Unfortunately, while their
zeal to help kids is commendable, Young Life has been
turning to contemplative mystics for guidance and
spiritual instruction for at least two decades.
(413) Saddleback's
Interfaith
Initiatives Pastor Teaches Kingdom Circles (the New
Emerging Missiology) by Amy Spreeman, Stand Up
For Truth, 3/13/12 With all the buzz about the interfaith aspect of
Saddleback Church's P.E.A.C.E. Plan and the controversy
over the King's Way initiative that partners Rick
Warren's church together with the Islamic community,
many question just how Saddleback is reaching Muslims
after promising not to convert anyone to Christianity.
Could it be that not converting anyone is one reason
Pastor Warren is getting so many questions about
Chrislam?
(414) Evil
Men
and Imposters Grow Worse and Deceive by Heidi
Swander, March 21, 2012 I've been memorizing the tiny book of Jude in the last
few weeks. It is amazing to me to think of Jesus'
brother writing to first century Christians and saying,
"For certain men have crept in unnoticed . . . ungodly
men who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny
the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ," (v. 4).
It's amazing because it sounds like the DVD I've just
previewed; a new and timely video entitled, The
Submerging Church: How the Emerging Church is Drawing
Multitudes Away from Biblical Christianity.
What we're observing in the 21st century was already
prevalent at the inception of the church.
(415) Romantic
Panentheism:
A Review of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
by Bob DeWaay, 3/22/12 Let me state this clearly: Ann Voskamp has written a
book sharing her pain and offering help through her
discovery of eucharisteo_ (to give thanks). She chose a
literary style that I and other reviewers found
difficult to work with, but the style she chooses is her
prerogative. Where her work warrants challenge is in her
reliance on panentheism, romanticism, sensual language
and those whose viewpoints she approvingly cites. What
follows is my evaluation of Voskamp's contribution, and,
through my analysis I intend to protect her readers from
the errors she has introduced.
(416) Today's
Evangullible
Church by Warren B. Smith, 3/27/12 In today's evangullible church, countless believers are
yielding to the temptations of our Adversary and falling
away (Luke 8:13). Giving in to the compromised teachings
of the emerging apostate church, once faithful believers
are succumbing to the deception that Jesus warned would
come in His name (Matthew 24:3-5). Those who could have
been overcomers become succumbers-unless, of course,
they remember what they received and heard, and hold
fast, and repent (Revelation 3:3).
(417) Kundalini
Energy
(the effects of Soaking Prayer) by Ray Yungen,
3/27/12 Because "soaking prayer" is becoming increasingly
popular, and because we believe the effects of it are
potentially dangerous (kundalini), we are posting this
warning by Ray Yungen. As well as the links below this
article, we have information on our research site about
"soaking prayer."
(418) Theater
Church
- Spectacles, Stories and Diminishing Scripture
by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 4/9/12 It is impossible to see how the emotiveness and
imaginings of theater church will serve in any way to
promote the mind of Christ in believers by reining their
thoughts into obedience to Him. So, "Believers, Beware!"
EXODUS THIRTY-TWO may soon be coming to a theater-church
near you!
(419) Mark
Driscoll
and Liberty University Are Good Match - Both Promote
Contemplative Spirituality by Lighthouse
Trails, 4/10/12 While there has been some efforts, including a ballot,
to stop Driscoll from speaking at Liberty University
(Liberty is co-sponsoring the event), Lighthouse Trails
can see how Mark Driscoll and the Liberty University of
today are a good match with respect to contemplative
spirituality - they both promote it. When all is said
and done, contemplative is such a significant issue
(given that its roots are anti-Gospel) that to share
this propensity with each other, as Driscoll and Liberty
do, from our point of view, makes the two entities on
the same page. In other words, Driscoll is there because
the school resonates with him.
(420) Henry
Blackaby's
Mysticism-Lite Negates Sola Scriptura by Ken
Silva, 4/12/12 The central issue with the Blackabys, as well as with
gurus teaching the Contemporary Spirituality/Mysticism
of Foster-Willardism, is that their "experience" always
ends up interpreting the Bible for them. However, this
is absolutely backward-and sure to lead to spiritual
disaster. In fact, this is really the exact same
dead-end road that would end up producing the centered
on the self (i.e. mankind) theology of apostate Roman
Catholicism in the first place.
(422) Revisting
Awana's
Move Toward Contemplative - And Another Look at
"Perspectives on Children's Spiritual Formation
by Lighthouse Trails, 4/14/12 Update April 2012: Because Awana's book, Perspectives
on Children's Spiritual Formation is circulating the
market, and because we hear from Lighthouse Trails
readers who ask about Awana and their promotion of
Spiritual Formation (i.e., contemplative), we are
reposting this information about this book. Prior to
posting this revisit article, we contacted Broadman and
Holman, the publishers of the book, and learned that the
book is still in active print.
(423) Contemplative
Prayer by Gary Gilley, 4/17/12 Of all the spiritual disciplines the Spiritual
Formation Movement promotes, none is more important than
prayer and the intake of God's Word. On the surface we
would expect little resistance to these two disciplines
since they have been recognized as essential to
spiritual growth by virtually all Christians from all
traditions. Sadly, upon closer examination we discover
that what is meant by most evangelical Christians when
they reference prayer and Bible intake is not always
what the leaders within spiritual formation mean.
(424) God
in
Everything? The Premise of Contemplative Prayer
by Ray Yungen, 4/18/12 The physical world, human beings, and everything that
is are all forms of the Ultimate Reality, all
expressions of God, all "one with the Father." He means
not all Christians but all people. This is nothing less
than Hindu samadhi with Christian spray paint. Those in
this movement who are honest have no qualms about
acknowledging this-as one adherent did so aptly when he
confessed, "The meditation of advanced occultists is
identical with the prayer of advanced mystics." (Ray
Yungen, A Time of Departing, 2nd ed. 2006, pp. 28-32)
(425) Jesus:
The
illumined Illuminator by Marsha West, at
Forgotten Word Ministries, 4/30/12 Contemporary Christianity is following "every wind of
doctrine" in spite of the fact that Scripture warns
about taking this route. Self-professed Christ followers
no longer "endure sound teaching, but having itching
ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to
suit their own passions" (2 Tim. 4:3). Regrettably, many
believers have embraced neo-Gnosticism. One of the many
obstacles the first century Church faced was Gnosticism,
a heresy that held that salvation was only available to
those who possessed the hidden truths of Christ.
(426) The
Great
Evangelical Disaster by Jan Markell, May 1,
2012
Dr. Frances Schaeffer correctly summed things up years ago
when he said, "Here is the great evangelical disaster --
the failure of the evangelical church to stand for truth.
The evangelical church has accommodated the spirit of this
age. First there has been the accommodation of Scripture,
so that many who call themselves evangelicals hold a
weakened view of the Bible and no longer affirm the truth
of all that it teaches." How did we get here? Paul Smith
-- brother of Calvary Chapel founder Chuck Smith --
brilliantly documents the decline and fall of
evangelicalism in his new book, New
Evangelicalism:
The New World Order.
(427) Clowning
Around
in the Pulpit: Fresh Expression of Emerging Church
Ecumensim by Christ Lawson, Spiritual Research
Network, 5/2/12 This issue contains an example of rife apostasy that
will shock the uninformed and serve as a sober reminder
of the battle for truth that we are all in. The title of
my article is Clowning Around in the Pulpit: Fresh
Expressions of Emerging Church Ecumenism. What you read
is what I saw personally in Scotland. This is just a
sampling of what is really occurring in the United
Kingdom as far as apostasy.
(428) The
Origins
Of Contemplative/Centering Prayer by Ken
Silva, 5/4/12 You also need to realize that this spurious CSM, with
its spurious spiritual practices aka "disciplines," is
actually absolutely hostile to the historic Christian
faith and still very much an integral part of the
theology of the neo-liberal cult operating openly now
within the Emerging Church. In laying out this case as
would a prosecutor in a court of law I'll call upon a
couple of these leading EC authorities as expert
witnesses concerning the origin of CCP, being its one of
their core practices.
(429) A
Global Religion - Is God in Grafitti? by Ray
Yungen, 5/9/12 What is happening to mainstream Christianity is the
same thing that is happening to business, health,
education, counseling, and other areas of society.
Christendom is being cultivated for a role in the New
Age.
(430) Beware
Of
Emerging Spirituality and Emergence Theory by
Ken Silva, 5/11/12 Along the lines of the Apprising Ministries post The
Emergence Of A New God, here we'll hear a bit more about
the mystic mush god with a man-shaped hole in its heart,
now being preached by the sinfully ecumenical Emergent
Church aka the Emerging Church (EC). The EC is far from
dead.
(431) Updated!Quantum
Mysticism
In The Church: Cosmos, Codes, And Cryptologies
by Gaylene Goodroad, 5/12/12 - Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3, Part
4, Part
5, Part
6, Part
7, Part
8 & Conclusion.
Initially, terms such as Chaos Theory, Metacosm, and
Hyperdimensional or Holographic Universe seemed
starkly out of place. Familiar with the bizarre
teachings and science fictionesque concepts of Tom Horn
(the subject of two previous Herescope articles),[ii]
the more I read, the more I began to see other ominous
connections between Horn, his collaborators, and New Age
physics.[iii] These men are not only taking their
readers beyond physical realities, but beyond what is
written in Scripture.[iv] Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(434) Seminary
President
in Iowa Warns Against the New Spirituality and
Spiritual Formation by Dr. James Maxwell III,
President Faith Baptist Bible College and Seminary,
Ankeny, Iowa, 5/26/12 Like many false teachings, The New Spirituality uses
Christian terms and practices but infuses into them
meanings far different from what we find in Scripture.
Even some evangelicals have embraced various forms and
teachings of this movement. In this article Dr. James D.
Maxwell III, the president of Faith Baptist Bible
College and Seminary, exposes the dangers of The New
Spirituality and offers suggestions for how believers
should respond to it.
(435) Catholic
Mysticism
and the Emerging Church by Richard Bennett,
5/29/12 Mysticism attempts to gain ultimate knowledge of God by
a direct experience that bypasses the mind. Catholic
mysticism working together with the Emerging Church,
needs to be reexamined. Old-time mystics such as Loyola,
Teresa of Avila, and John of the Cross need to be
examined again along with modern so-called evangelical
mystics such as Richard Foster. All of this, and more,
is accomplished in this professional presentation along
with graphic inserts of persons and events. An analysis
is also made of Phyllis Tickle who has surfaced as a
formidable leader of this toxic movement. The fall from
power of Tony Jones, a former leading light of the
movement, is also documented. As we reexamine this topic
we notice that show has been viewed more than 13,800
times on You-Tube alone. As you watch and listen to this
distinctive DVD, we encourage you to make it known by
forwarding its URL to others. YouTube
video.
(436) Sacred
Reading
(Lectio Divina) by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, 6/15/12 As we have seen in the last two Think on These Things
articles, "Spiritual formation is viewed by a growing
number of evangelicals as an ancient ministry of the
church, concerned with the 'forming' or 'shaping' of a
believer's character and actions into the likeness of
Christ." [1] Spiritual formation is
distinguished from biblical discipleship primarily by
its source of authority and its methodology. On
the one hand, discipleship as defined by the Bible turns
to the Word of God as the final and ultimate authority
over all matters of life and godliness. This means
that if one truly desires to be a follower of Jesus
Christ, he will turn to the inspired Scriptures to
determine both truth and how to "observe all that I
[Christ] commanded you" (Matt 28:20). Spiritual
formation pays lip-service to Scripture but the true
source behind the movement is the extrabiblical
teachings and experiences of those in the past who
supposedly have discovered the "secret" of deeper
intimacy with God. Bruce Demarest says it this way: "For
our help, [in the context of growth in the Spirit] we
can turn to our Christian past - to men and women who
understood how the soul finds satisfaction as we grow in
God, and how His Spirit finds a more ready home in us."
[2] Richard Foster and Gayle Beebe concur:
"Through their reflections, the great saints witness to
the work of the Holy Spirit and, when we study them,
guide our spiritual life as well." [3] While
Scripture is referenced by spiritual formation leaders,
it is Scripture filtered through the experiences and
insights of the "spiritual masters," as they are often
called, that set the pace in spiritual formation.
(437) Wide
is
the Gate: The Emerging New Christianity, Vol. 2
by Caryl Matrisciana, 6/25/12
This DVD (in five parts, 216 minutes total) lays bare
today's deceptive movements and the popular trends that
are leading an undiscerning church away from biblical
Christianity and into the ecumenical unity of the
one-world religion of the coming Antichrist. It gives an
urgent warning to believers and calls for a return to the
faith once-for-all delivered to the saints. Watch the
preview here.
(438) Yoga
in
the Church: A Conspiracy Leading to Strong Delusion?
by Dave Hunt, 6/27/12 We are the most highly informed and sophisticated
society in history and are currently in the midst of a
hi-tech explosion beyond anyone's wildest imagination
only a few years ago. Yet at the same time, increasing
millions in the West are buying into yoga, an occult
practice that has been part of primitive Oriental
superstitions and religions for thousands of years. Why
is this happening? Finding an answer to that question
will give us a good start toward understanding what yoga
really is, why it is so appealing, and the havoc it is
wreaking upon our culture.
(439) Where
Are
We Going? by David Dombrowski, 7/3/12 At Lighthouse Trails, we have dedicated ourselves over
the years to expose the delusions that have crept into
the church and to exhort believers to cling to the
Gospel message as our only true assurance of safety. May
I say, too, that most of the opposition (and often the
most vehement) we have encountered comes from those who
call themselves Christians.
(440) Emerging
Spirituality
- Bridging the Gap between Good and Evil by
Roger Oakland, 7/6/12 The serpent's temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden,
that we can be like God, remains with mankind to this
very day. Satan's plan is to lessen or eliminate (he
hopes) the gap between himself and God.
(441) Are
all
angels safe? by Marsha West, 7/13/12 Sadly, many Christians who have embraced The Silence
aka contemplative, or centering, or breath prayer are
woefully unaware that what they're practicing is
unbiblical meditation. And then we have "Christian yoga"
spreading like a wild fire through the Christian
community. I realize that this may not go over well with
some readers, however, even if your yoga class is led by
a Christian and held in a church, it is taboo! The
bottom line is this: Angels would not, could not,
promote anything God expressly forbids - and He forbids
His children to have any part in pagan religious
practices, nor are we to embrace the world's
philosophies.
(443) Biola's
New
Gay and Lesbian Student Group - A "Fruit" of Their
Contemplative Propensities? by Lighthouse
Trails, 7/25/12 LTRP Note: Regarding the article below about Biola
University, we find it little wonder that Biola
University now has a homosexual student group that has
formed on campus. Biola has been promoting contemplative
spirituality for several years, and as we have often
indicated, when people being embracing
contemplative/emerging spirituality (as Biola has done),
spiritual (and morality) outlooks change. One of the
"fruits" of contemplative spirituality, aside from
interspirituality, is a change and leniency in attitudes
toward homosexuality. Roger Oakland talks about this in
Faith Undone in the section on the new sexuality (see
excerpt below). Thus, Biola, perhaps unwittingly,
has provided a breeding ground for homosexuality for
students. Whether homosexuals have come to Biola to
infiltrate it or whether already existing Biola students
have decided to begin living a homosexual lifestyle
(likely both senarios have occurred), the fact is when
Biola entered the contemplative arena, they entered into
a realm that produces dramatic and devastating results.
When you've got Christian figures such as Dan Kimball,
Philip Yancey, Tony Campolo, Mark Driscoll, and other
popular authors who have become advocates for the "new"
sexuality (some of them outrightly promoting a laxed
view on the homosexual lifestyle), you are going to see
countless Christian youth turning toward homosexuality.
Why can't parents see this before putting their kids
into contemplative colleges. Your child may come home at
Christmas break, not just practicing mantra meditation
and yoga but also telling you he or she is now gay or
lesbian.
(444) Exposing
the
Quantum Lie: God is NOT in Everything by Bob
DeWaay and Warren B. Smith, 7/28/12 - These are 4 video
preview clips (each about 10 minutes long) taken from Bob
DeWaay and Warren B. Smith's lecture series, Exposing the
Quantum Lie: God is NOT in Everything. You can get the
entire 4 lectures at the Lighthouse
Trails
store.
(445) New
Zealand
Pastors Create Sports Bar Church Service Complete With
Beer Drinking by Christine Thomasos ,
Christian Post Reporter, 8/1/12 Pastors Calvin Culverwell and Vic Francis will
officially turn Albany Sports Bar in Auckland, New
Zealand into a house of worship on Sunday. After the
initiative was in the works for a year, the Albany
Sports Bar will officially serve as a church on the
first Sunday of each month beginning on Aug. 5.
(446) The
Cross
is Barbarity & a Slaughterhouse Religion - So Says
Emerging Church Leaders by Roger Oakland from
"Faith Undone", 8/7/12 The heart and core of the Christian faith is based upon
Jesus Christ's shed blood at Calvary as the only
acceptable substitutionary atonement for mankind's sins.
The Gospel message requires this foundation. The Bible
says the wages of sin is death-thus every person alive
should receive the penalty of spiritual death because
none of us is without sin, since we are born with our
sin nature intact. Satan hates the Gospel message. He
understands what the Gospel means, and his agenda is to
deceive mankind from understanding and believing so they
can suffer eternally with him. While Scripture is very
clear about the necessity of Christ's death in order for
us to be saved, some believe this would make God a
blood-thirsty barbarian. Embedded within the structure
of the emerging church is just such a belief.
(447) Former
New
Age Follower Shares Testimony and Warning by
Warren B. Smith (From
False
Christ Coming: Does Anybody Care?), 8/8/12 As New Age believers years ago, my wife and I had no
reason to doubt any of the "new revelation" that was
coming our way. When we were students of A Course in
Miracles in the early 1980s, it never occurred to us
that Helen Schucman had received her spiritual dictation
from anyone other than the real Jesus Christ. As members
of A Course in Miracles study group, we studied what the
"Jesus" of the Course said and applied his teachings to
our lives. Having never read the whole Bible for
ourselves, we thought the Course was helping us to
understand what the Bible was "really" saying. We
accepted the Course's interpretation of the Bible
completely. It had a certain logic and seemed to make
sense. We believed we were on the right path. Meaningful
"coincidence" that had led us to the Course, and the
supernatural signs that often accompanied our study
appeared to confirm that we were spiritually where we
were supposed to be.
(448) Letter
to
the Editor: Eastern University to Add Labyrinth With
Grant From Calvin Institute at Lighthouse
Trails, 8/13/12 Hi Lighthouse Trails: I've read your blog and
appreciate very much all of the information and insights
you share with your readers. I wanted to update you on a
recent development on the university where my _______
attends. I recently read a press release that they
are building a labyrinth, and this caused me great
concern. Of course, that is the school that Tony
Campolo helped to form. Even more unsettling is
the organization that they received the grant from
[Calvin Institute]. . . . My hope is that it will
not be a requirement for the students, but I still find
it quite sad, and almost a rebellion from their
Protestant background. My thought is that you might use
this to sound a warning when and if appropriate. I
am thankful for organizations such as yours that work to
get the word out to others.
(449) "A Utopian
Kingdom and Global Healing?" by Roger Oakland,
Understand The Times, 8/18/12 The emerging church talks a lot about the kingdom of
God on earth, but in language and philosophy much
different from the Bible. One emergent writer hopes the
emerging church will handle the problems of this world
in a manner that is "smarter" and "more effective" than
those who have gone before.
(450) New
Theology,
Gnosticism and the New Age by Gene K. Smith,
2006 Most Christians don't really want to talk about
"negative" issues such as sin and Satan. Most would
rather believe the modernist Post Millennial view that
the all church members are truly Christian. Many still
believe that mankind can, by his own efforts, eliminate
evil, poverty, war, etc. and then usher in God's eternal
Kingdom for all. But God's unchanging Word presents a
different scenario ...
(451) Quantum
Mysticism
Conference DVDs by Herescope, 8/21/12 Discernment Ministries held a very special research
conference in Niles, Michigan June 21-23. Niles is the
new home of our ministry's library, the Opal Reddin
Library, which archives over 40 years of research
material in the Latter Rain, Dominionism, Third Wave and
New Apostolic Reformation. We heard incredible
sessions from Warren Smith, Dr. Martin Erdmann, Pastor
Larry DeBruyn, Gaylene Goodroad, Jewel Grewe, Pastor
Jeff Whittaker, and Sarah Leslie, which covered:
· The emerging eschatology involving the
return of space alien creatures, Nephilim and Mayan
legends in December 2012. · The rise of Quantum Spirituality, merging quantum
physics with eastern mysticism and postmodern
evangelicalism. · Technocracy and Transhumanism and how the this is
changing the church and the world. · The latest research on the New Apostolic Reformation
and the Latter Rain false apostles and prophets. · How Hollywood is being used by the Quantum
Spirituality advocates to create stimulating new imagery
to promote pagan mythologies and idolatries. · How evangelical leaders are using ancient occult
writings, apocryphal writings, astrology and modern UFO
lore to build upon Scripture.
(452) Letter
to
the Editor: Tens of Thousands Introduced to
Contemplative Advocates Gungor and David Crowder at Greg
Laurie's Harvest Crusade at Lighthouse Trails,
8/28/12 Our Comments: This is another strong indicator that
mainstream evangelical Christianity is going
contemplative. In this particular case, tens of thousands
of people were introduced to contemplative advocates
Michael Gungor and David Crowder. Regarding the connection
between the band Gungor and Calvary Chapel, in June 2011
Lighthouse Trails wrote an article titled "Another Calvary
Chapel Hosts a Gungor Concert". The article pointed out
that Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale and Calvary Chapel St.
Petersburg (both in Florida) had hosted events with
Michael Gungor's band.
(453) To
Open
Worship Perry Noble's Newspring Church Rocks Kiss
by Ken Silva, 8/29/12 This is Perry Nobles' NewSpring Church worship band
playing Rock And Roll All Night by the secular rock band
Kiss. And if you're not familiar with this ode to
hedonism, no need to worry, NewSpring Church even
supplies the lyrics for your"*cough* entertainment"
(454) Solitude
and
Silence by Gary Gilley, 8/30/12 But when the leaders of the Spiritual Formation
Movement speak of quiet and solitude they are
referencing something very different from a "quiet time"
comprised of Bible reading and prayer.
(455) Lectio
Divina:
What it is, What it is Not, and Why It is a Dangerous
Practice by Lighthouse Trails, 8/30/12 Lectio Divina - There's a lot of talk about it today;
umpteen books are published and more are on the way
about lectio divina; and an increasing number of
evangelical/Protestant figures are writing about it,
endorsing it, and teaching it. Some people think lectio
divina simply means to read a passage of Scripture
slowly (or "praying the Scriptures") then ponder or
think on that Scripture. That can be a part of it. But
if you ask mystics or contemplatives what it entails
(And who would know better than they?), they will tell
you that lectio divina (pronounced lex-ee-o di-veen-a)
always includes taking a passage of Scripture (or other
writings), reading it slowly, then working your way down
until you have just a word or small phrase from the
passage that you are meditating on (repeating over and
over). Basically, you are coming up with a mantra-like
word or phrase that has been extracted from a passage of
Scripture, which, according to contemplatives, if
repeated for several minutes will help you get rid of
thoughts and distractions, so then, they say, you can
hear the voice of God and feel His presence.
(456) Southern
Baptist
Convention Rejects Gender-Neutral NIV Bible But
Embraces The Message, Renovare Bible, and
Contemplative Books by Lighthouse Trails,
9/23/12 While the SBC's willingness to stand up against this
new translation Bible translation is worth noting, we
are puzzled that they find nothing wrong with Eugene
Peterson's translation The Message paraphrase and
Richard Foster's Renovare Spiritual Formation Study
Bible. On their LifeWay Resources website, they sell The
Message and the Renovare "Bible." They also carry the
New Men's Devotional Bible (NIV), which includes
"contributions" by New Age sympathizer Rob Bell.
They also carry books by contemplative authors such as
Gary Thomas, including his book Sacred Pathways where he
tells readers to repeat a word for twenty minutes and
Sacred Marriage where he references several times a
tantric sex advocate.1 They carry books by
contemplative proponent Pete Scazzero including
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, a resource for those
wanting to practice contemplative prayer. To get a good
glimpse at Scazzero's propensities, check out his
favorite books section on his website - it's a plethora
of mystics, emergents, and New Agers sympathizers. And
there are countless other examples of contemplative
authors that LifeWay is selling. A search on the store
website will bring these up.
(457) Be
Still
- Contemplative, or Listening Prayer and Psalm 46:10
by Pastor Larry DeBruyn for Contemplative Spirituality,
9/23/12 "Be still, and know that I am God . . ." (Psalm 46:10).
Those promoting contemplative or "listening" prayer
refer to this Scripture as a biblical endorsement for
pursuing this spiritual discipline. As a precondition
for experiencing Soul-to-soul communication from God,
contemplative Christians advocate cultivating quietude
for the purpose of creating a spiritual tabula rasa
(i.e., Latin for blank slate) in which personal
communication from God can be received. Influential
Christian leaders and spiritual directors encourage
listening prayer (praying without words) as a means to
experience "God's guidance in everyday life." At face
value, Psalm 46 verse 10 appears to endorse this
increasingly popular but ancient and mystical way to
pray.
(459) Profane
Preachers
Contribute to Killing the Conscience by Marsha
West, The Christian Post, 9/29/12 There seems to be a growing trend in the Church for the
clergy to feed the sensual appetite through their
sermons. What we are dealing with are pastors who have
dirty minds and potty mouths. The word that best
describes them is profane.
(460) "Prepare
to
chill out, D.C.: Eckhart Tolle, spiritual
mega-teacher, making his first D.C. appearance"
with comment by Lighthouse Trails, 10/1/12 "Christ is your God-essence or the Self, as it is
sometimes called in the East. The only difference
between Christ and presence is that Christ refers to
your indwelling divinity regardless of whether you are
conscious of it or not, whereas presence means your
awakened divinity or God-essence." (Eckhart Tolle, The
Power of Now, p. 104) LTRP Note: The following article
is posted not as an endorsement but rather for research
and informational purposes. Lighthouse Trails has posted
articles about New Age guru Eckhart Tolle before
(especially after the big promotion Oprah gave him a few
years ago), and we find it worth noting that the
visit by Tolle to Washington DC takes place the day
after the first presidential debate for this election.
As we have often reported, the new age/"new"
spirituality permeates our Western society including
those who govern our countries. See the "Related
Articles" below for important information and
documentation.
(461) The
Labyrinth
Journey: Walking the Path to Fulfillment? by
Carl Teichrib, Forcing Change, 10/9/12 Understand, Christians looking for ways to bring in new
relevancy within church worship did not "rediscover" the
labyrinth as a spiritual tool. As we shall see, it's
been part of the esoteric world for a very long time.
Which is why, today, labyrinth walks and "prayer
journeys" are being promoted by Rosicrucian groups [4],
at New Age festivals and celebrations [5], and
throughout the neo-pagan world. Not surprisingly, one of
America's largest witch, shaman, and neo-pagan
assemblies, the 2005 Pagan Spirit Gathering at Wisteria,
OH, held a night-time Summer Solstice Labyrinth ritual,
which was described as a "transformative, walking
meditation through an all night labyrinth formed by 1000
lighted candles".
(462) The
Social
Gospel, Yesterday and Today by Gary Gilley,
11/2/12
What is unfolding before us is what the Emergent leader
Brian McLaren terms "missional." Missional, McLaren tells
us, is "a generous third way," between the conservative
"personal Savior" gospel and liberal version of it.[35]
McLaren further explains, "My missional calling: blessed
in this life to be a blessing to everyone on earth" My
mission isn't to figure out who is already blessed, or not
blessed, or unblessable. My calling is to be blessed so I
can bless everyone."[36] He continues, "From this
understanding we place less emphasis on whose lineage,
rites, doctrines, structures, and terminology are right
and more emphasis on whose actions, service, outreach,
kindness, and effectiveness are good". (In order) to help
our world get back on the road to being truly and wholly
good again, the way God created it to be""[37] Rob Bell
adds, "For Jesus, the question wasn't how do I get into
heaven? But how do I bring heaven here?...The goal isn't
escaping this world but making this world the kind of
place God can come to. And God is remaking us into the
kind of people who can do this kind of work."[38] The
rationale of McLaren and Bell is a mere echo of the
original founders of liberalism. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(463) The
Idolatry
of "I am!" by Larry DeBruyn, Guarding His
Flock Ministries, 11/15/12 One of my seminary professors stated in a theology
class, "God created man in His own likeness and image,
and man has been returning the compliment ever since."
Again, like one pundit put it, "Man is the ape that
wants to be God." In many ways, shapes, and sizes, the
"man-is-God" teaching still comes to us.
(465) Spiritual
Formation
at Worship by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, October/November 2012 - Volume 18, Issue 5 The “face” of the Spiritual
Formation Movement, as well as contemplative
spirituality and emergent Christianity, is often first
noticed within evangelical churches by the incorporation
of traditional Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
practices and liturgies. Many of these practices are
being introduced at special events and eventually find
their way into the regular services of the church.
Worshippers are often confused by what they are
experiencing and do not understand what is taking place.
It should be understood that when traditions borrowed
from errant groups such as Catholics and Orthodoxy are
taken into evangelical worship and life, and are done so
without a careful examination of Scripture, what is
being adopted is more than just methods. There is a
comprehensive, and in many ways wrong, theology upon
which these practices rest. Methods do matter, and we
are naïve to think that we can take techniques from
false religions and not eventually embrace their
theology.
(466) Should
Christians
Do Contemplative Prayer? That's a Good Question!
by Lynn Lusby Pratt, 11/21/12 The process itself is the same for mystics of all
religions-in Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, in Hinduism with
transcendental meditation and yoga, in Sufism (Islamic
mysticism), in the meditation of New Age spirituality,
and in contemplative prayer. Participants are advised to
choose a “sacred word.” But the
repetition renders any words meaningless (ask a psych
prof), so it doesn't really matter whether a Christian
says "Jesus loves me" or a Buddhist says "Hail to the
Lotus." The repetition induces an altered state of
consciousness in which the practitioner senses a "union
with the divine," having presumably contacted the god of
choice.
(467) Christian
Mysticism by Pastor Daryl Hilbert,
11/26/12 ... in one degree or another, Christian Mysticism does
not rely upon the Scriptures for its truth and
spirituality, but rather upon one’s own
feelings, impressions, and intuitions.
(468) How
the
"Quantum Christ" (God is in everything) is Tranforming
the World . . . and Entering the Church! by
Warren B. Smith, 3/12 The New Age/New Spirituality is already heralding
quantum physics as a "scientific" basis for their
contention that God is not only transcendent but also
immanent "in" everyone and everything. Physicist Fritjof
Capra"s 1975 best-selling book on quantum physics "The
Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between
Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism "was the first to
present this proposed scientific/spiritual model to a
mass audience. In it, Capra explains that he gained new
spiritual insights through a mystical experience he had
sitting on a beach in Santa Cruz, California in 1969...
(469) The
Top
50 "Christian" Contemplative Books – A "NOT
RECOMMENDED Reading List" and 25 Christian "Bridgers"
to Them at Lighthouse Trails, 12/10/12 LTRP Note: Ray Yungen and the editors at Lighthouse
Trails have put together our Top 50 "Christian"
Contemplative Books - A "Not Recommended Reading List."
If your pastor, your professor, your children, or your
friends are reading any of these books, then they are
being led down a path that will take them toward a
mystical, panentheistic spirituality where only
deception lies in wait. And keep in mind, if they
are reading other books that are pointing to the books
and authors below, this may ultimately have the same
results.
(470) Fantasy
or
Reality? - Where is your faith? by Sarah
Leslie, 12/10/12 The Emerging Fantasy-Driven Worldview - With the rise
of interest in the Mayan calendar date of Dec. 21, 2012
among Evangelicals, there is a concurrent noticeable
shift in perceptions of reality. What is reality? What
is fantasy? Are church people mixing the two together in
strange new ways?
(471) Emerging
Christianity by Berit Kjos, 2006 Those who read A New Kind of Christian and its popular
sequel will be caught up in an unusual dialogue.
Identifying with the "Christian" teacher Neo and others
who model the "new" Christian beliefs, readers are
encouraged to challenge God, question His commands,
twist disturbing truths, and pursue visions that fit
contemporary culture. Read Part
1, Part
2 & Part
3.
(472) COMPARISON:
“New
Spirituality” Leaders Reject and Ridicule
the Second Coming of the Lord VERSUS Bible Prophecies
Standing in Stark Contrast by Lighthouse
Trails, 12/23/12 Many people feared that the world would come to an end
on December 21, 2012 because of Mayan calendar
"prophecies." Many New Agers believed that the 21st
would be significant in seeing a global wide spiritual
epiphany. In the midst of all this, there is the issue
of the return of Jesus Christ. What do New Spirituality
“ leaders have to say about the end-times and
the return of Jesus Christ versus what does the Bible
have to say? There is a vast difference in the
two. The Bible tells us that in the last days men
will be scoff and scorn the idea of Jesus Christ
returning.
(473) The
Post-Truth
Transformation of a Wordless "Faith" by Tamara
Hartzell, 12/24/12 In today's shifting Christianity, people think it is
simply a matter of "moving the fence" in order to be
more inclusive. They don't understand that we can't
broaden the truth of Who the Lord Jesus Christ is any
more than we can broaden the truth of Who God is. The
Word of God tells us the truth of Who the Lord Jesus
Christ is, and, again, the truth and faith that are in
the Word of God give us the Christian faith, not the
faith of another religion. In other words, the truth of
Who the Lord Jesus Christ is gives us the Christian
faith. This is the faith that is given to us by God in
His Word. The Lord Jesus Christ does not 'move the
fence;' that is, He does not change the truth of Who He
is to be more inclusive. The truth is what it is whether
people believe it or not.
(474) "The
Lord
is my Shepherd! I shall not want." (Psalm 23:1)
by David Dombrowski, Lighthouse Trails Research,
12/30/12 Many people feared that the world would come to an end
on December 21, 2012 because of Mayan calendar
"prophecies." Many New Agers believed that the 21st
would be significant in seeing a global wide spiritual
epiphany. In the midst of all this, there is the issue
of the return of Jesus Christ. What do New Spirituality
“ leaders have to say about the end-times and
the return of Jesus Christ versus what does the Bible
have to say? There is a vast difference in the two. The
Bible tells us that in the last days men will be scoff
and scorn the idea of Jesus Christ returning.
(475) Ignatius
by Gary Gilley, Think On These Things, December/January
2012/2013 - Volume 18, Issue 6 One of the most popular and strongly promoted
activities within spiritual formation is known as
“The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius
Loyola.” As the name implies, these are
exercises or activities invented by the Roman Catholic
monk Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century to enhance
spiritual life, first his own and then that of the monks
within his monasteries. The exercises are complicated
and difficult, and were practiced almost exclusively by
Catholic monks for over 400 years until the birth of the
modern Spiritual Formation Movement in the latter part
of the 20th century. Today there is no doubt more
interest in the exercises than at any other point in
history. To grasp Ignatius’s Spiritual
Exercises, we will begin with a short history of
Ignatius, including the society of monks he founded,
move to the original 16th century exercises as found in
Ignatius’s book, examine their modern
application especially among Protestants, and then
discuss why the Exercises are of deep concern to lovers
of biblical Christianity.
(476) A
Brief Snyopsis of The Emerging Church by
Pastor Daryl Hilbert, 1/1/13 How do we respond to the Emerging Church Movement?
Answer: the same way the Scriptures have always exhorted
believers to respond, by putting forth an emphatic
effort and strenuous struggle on behalf of the truth, by
contending earnestly for the faith once for all handed
down to the saints, and metaphorically, by waging war
for the truth.
(477) “Reimagining”
God by Tamara Hartzell, 1/6/13 In today’s shifting Christianity, people
think it is simply a matter of “moving the
fence” in order to be more inclusive. They
don’t understand that we can’t
broaden the truth of Who the Lord Jesus Christ is any
more than we can broaden the truth of Who God is. The
Word of God tells us the truth of Who the Lord Jesus
Christ is, and, again, the truth and faith that are in
the Word of God give us the Christian faith, not the
faith of another religion. In other words, the truth of
Who the Lord Jesus Christ is gives us the Christian
faith. This is the faith that is given to us by God in
His Word. The Lord Jesus Christ does not “move
the fence!” That is, He does not change the
truth of Who He is to be more inclusive. The truth is
what it is whether people believe it or not.
(478) The
Cross
versus the “Higher Self”
by Ray Yungen, 1/17/13 The New Age and Christianity definitely clash on the
answer to the question of human imperfection. The former
[the New Age] espouses the doctrine of becoming
self-realized and united with the universe, which they
see as God but in reality is the realm of familiar
spirits. On the other hand, the Gospel that Christians
embrace offers salvation to humanity through grace
(unmerited favor). Romans 3:24 boldly states:
“… being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus.” In Romans 6:23 we read: “For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This
gift is not earned or given as a reward for earnest or
good intentions as Scripture clearly states.
(479) The
Postmodern
Deconstruction of Biblical Truths by Prof.
Johan Malan, Mossel Bay, South Africa (December
2012) We are living in a time of the most immense and
relentless attacks on the Christian faith since the
beginning of the church dispensation. The present
onslaught does not primarily occur on the physical level
in order to persecute and torture Christians, but rather
on the spiritual and doctrinal level with a view to
utterly deceiving them. These assaults constitute a
determined and final effort by the kingdom of darkness
to completely obliterate the Christian faith and replace
it with the Antichrist’s alliance of false
world religions.
(480) The
Emerging
Church And The Wild Goose Chase Into Postmodern
Progressive Christianity by Ken Silva,
6/5/11 The sinfully ecumenical neo-liberal cult of the
Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church continues on
their foolish Wild Goose Chase; so here at Apprising
Ministries I continue tracking the destruction in the
wake of The New Downgrade And Its Apostles Of Unbelief.
As I do you’ll come to see that the
EC’s new postmodern version of Progressive
Christian theology under their spiritual circus
“big tent” Emergence Christianity
depends upon philosophy and not Biblical theology.
(481) Soaking
– the Trendy Approach to a Holy God
by Kevin Kleint, 1/29/13 During my stint at the Elijah List (2001-2008), the
practice of “soaking” grew immensely
in popularity among the “prophetic”
church, and continues to grow now. Usually, the
“soaker” has a
“soaking” CD playing in the
background that is conducive to the
“soaking” experience. Most of the
time, these CD’s have music playing, with a
“prophet” or “prophetic
person” either speaking,
“prophesying” or singing with the
music. Elijah List contributors such as Todd Bentley,
Stacey Campbell and the Kansas City prophets (Mike
Bickle, Bob Jones, Paul Cain, etc.) have released entire
“worship” CD series created for this
very purpose. To the spiritually young and immature, the
practice of “soaking” seems SO
RIGHT. They think: “Who wouldn’t
want to get in contact with God’s Holy Spirit?
What better way to experience the Presence of God? The
people who practice it prophesy a LOT and they seem so
‘spiritual’, this MUST be the right
way to do things ……
Right?” Unfortunately, Wrong.
(482) The
Post-truth
Transformation of a Wordless Faith at The
Berean Call, 2/5/13 In today’s shifting Christianity, people
think it is simply a matter of “moving the
fence” in order to be more inclusive. They
don’t understand that we can’t
"broaden" the truth of Who the Lord Jesus Christ is any
more than we can broaden the truth of Who God is. The
Word of God tells us the truth of Who the Lord Jesus
Christ is, and, again, the truth and faith that are in
the Word of God give us the Christian faith, not the
faith of another religion.
(483) LifeWay
Stores
Drops “Warning” Labels on Emergent
Books – Says Not Relevant Anymore by
Lighthouse Trails, 2/11/11 According to a Christianity Today article, LifeWay
Christian Stores (resource department for Southern
Baptist Convention) has decided to end their
“Read with Discernment” labels
program that began in 2007.1 Books that LifeWay was
carrying at that time by emerging church authors such as
Rob Bell and Brian McLaren were suppose to receive
labels telling potential readers that they should used
discernment when reading the books as the books
“may have espoused thoughts, ideas, or
concepts that could be considered inconsistent with
historical evangelical theology.” But, says
Christianity Today, LifeWay has decided to end the
warning program. Chris Rodgers, LifeWay’s
director of product standards and customer relations,
said: “We have been thinking about doing away
with them for some time . . . They have kind of become
irrelevant.”
(485) The
Eerie
Silence of a Silent Church by Warren B. Smith,
author of False
Christ
Coming: Does Anybody Care?, 3/1/13 Why is there almost no call for spiritual discernment
within the Church? . . . Why are there so few warnings
about a counterfeit “new gospel”
movement that maligns the person of Jesus Christ and
threatens the lives of His followers?
(486)The
Real
Roots of the Emergent Church (Film) by Elliott
Nesch, Holy Bible Prophecy, 3/4/13 Film: This Christian documentary film The Real Roots of
the Emergent Church will take an honest look at the
leaders of the Emerging Church movement such as Brian
McLaren, Doug Pagitt, Tony Jones, Rob Bell, Tony
Campolo, Steve Chalke, Peter Rollins, Dan Kimball,
Richard Rohr, Phyllis Tickle, Spencer Burke and others.
Who are they and what are they teaching? Become familiar
with the postmodern Emergent Church and its popular
tactic of literary deconstruction applied to the Bible.
This film takes an in-depth look at what the Emerging
Church believes concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
the Scriptures, absolute truth, hell, homosexuality,
mysticism, contemplative prayer, other religions, and
eschatology in comparison to the Bible. Much more than
candles and couches! Participants: Eric Ludy, Joe
Schimmel, Chris Rosebrough, Bob DeWaay, Gary Gilley, Ray
Yungen, Robert LeBus, Jay Peters, James Sundquist, and
Elliott Nesch.
(487) The
Rise
of Apocalyptic Paganism in the Church: Bible Prophecy
in Crisis by Herescope, 3/7/13 The eschatological teachings of the postmodern
evangelical church are in a state of revision and flux.
It is no longer possible to categorize endtime teachings
according to the old standard recognizable
Postmillennialism, Amillennialism and Premillennialism.
There are emerging permutations in these teachings,
hybrid eschatologies that blend in New Age evolutionary
progression, quantum physics (including quantum
spirituality), “incarnating” Christ,
“Forerunner Eschatology,” science
fiction, UFO lore, secret codes, and ancient pagan
mythology, astrology and apocryphal writings. The result
is a prophecy mish-mash. These strange new
configurations of eschatology are apocalyptic in nature
and go far beyond the descriptions of an apocalypse that
are found in Scripture alone. Postmodern endtime
prophecy no longer reflects the humble Gospel message of
salvation, nor does it find hope in the soon return of
Jesus Christ.
(488) Questions
For Those Considering Yoga (4:18) - Video by
Chris Lawson, 3/8/13 It is for good reason that Christian pastors in India
have been found to weep over the ignorance of Christians
in the West that do yoga for "exercise." Christian or
non-Christian, it seems that most people in Western
civilization have never been properly warned about the
dangers of yoga. Asking simple questions, Chris Lawson
presents various straightforward considerations that
people should seriously think about before launching
themselves - and those around them - into influences
that the the world of yoga can produce within them, upon
them and through them.
(489) John
Piper
Says No to Catholic Contemplatives But Yes to
Protestant Contemplatives by Lighthouse
Trails, 3/11/13 This past week we received an e-mail from a reader who
brought to our attention a video online showing where
popular Calvinist teacher John Piper is asked the
question: “Is there such a thing as
contemplative prayer or Christian meditation in the
Reformed and Puritan tradition?”
(490) Emerging
“Progressive”
Spirituality: Joining the New Age with Christianity,
and Christian Leaders Say OK by Lighthouse
Trails, 3/21/13 No one group understands emerging
“progressive” spirituality as much
as those in the New Age. That’s because it is
their religion. So when the evangelical emerging church
movement rose to the forefront, New Agers must have
found it quite intriguing and most likely rewarding to
see their belief system finally take root in
Christianity.
(491) Reputedly
Conservative
Churches Embrace 'Holy Yoga' by Dr. Paul M.
Elliott, 4/3/13 "Holy Yoga" is a syncretistic mingling of Hinduism and
Christianity. It is a latter-day manifestation of the
same evil spirit that drove King Ahaz of ancient Judah.
We find the sad record of his syncretism in 2 Kings
chapter 16 and 2 Chronicles chapter 28. Ahaz saw and
admired a great pagan altar in Damascus. So, he decided
to have a copy of it made in Jerusalem and set up in the
temple alongside the brazen altar of the one true and
living God. Ahaz caused the Levitical priests to offer
sacrifices upon it.
(492) Contemporary
Christian
Divination: The False Claims and Practices of
Christian Mystics by Bob DeWaay, 2007 Those today who are evangelical Christians, who know
God through the gospel, yet dabble in the practices of
the pagans, are spiritual “sons of
Jeroboam.” They are, like Jeroboam, very
creative in making Christianity relevant to the current
culture. The problem is not Western rationalism as the
contemporary mystics all claim. They are fighting an
obsolete battle. The prevailing culture in America is
very much “spiritual.” They claim
the need for mystical experience to fight against
modernity when they are in a post-modern culture that
has embraced the East. The danger today is not that
people think that the material realm is all there is, it
is that they think they can contact the spiritual realm
their own way. They are practicing divination.
(493) How
to
Know When the Emerging Church Shows Signs of Emerging
Into Your Church (Booklet) by Lighthouse
Trails, 4/7/13 I am convinced we are seeing apostasy underway, exactly
as the Scriptures have forewarned. This means that this
current trend is not likely to disappear. We must
continue to proclaim the truth in the midst of deception
with love.
(494) Christians
mystically
encountering God by Marsha West, RenewAmerica,
4/16/13 For a couple of decades there has been a big push by
numerous evangelical leaders to incorporate pagan
practices into the visible Church. These unbiblical
practices have their origins in Eastern religions such
as Hinduism and Buddhism, likewise the New Age movement.
Roman Catholic Trappist Monks fully embraced Eastern
religion's pagan practices. Through the writings of
Thomas Merton, Basil Pennington, William Menninger and
Thomas Keating these practices have been introduced into
mainline Protestant churches as well as independent,
nondenominational, charismatic and Pentecostal churches.
(495) NEW
PRINT
BOOKLET TRACT: The New Missiology – Doing
Missions Without the Gospel by Roger Oakland,
4/27/13 Emerging “progressive Christianity”
is changing the way evangelical/Protestant missions is
being conducted. The idea is that you can go for Jesus,
but you don’t have to identify yourself as a
Christian or part of the Christian church. This concept
spills over into some missionary societies too, where
they teach people from other religions they can keep
their religion, just add Jesus to the equation. They
don’t have to embrace the term Christian.
(496) Christian
Colleges
that Promote Contemplative by Lighthouse
Trails, 4/29/13
A list of "Christian" colleges that promote Emerging
Church, Contemplative Prayer and Spiritual
Formation.
(498) Fasting
and
Spiritual Direction by Gary Gilley, Think On
These Things, April/May 2013,Volume 19, Issue 2 The list of spiritual disciplines that has been adopted
within the Spiritual Formation Movement is almost
endless. We could analyze the divine office,
Benedict’s Rule, use of the Rosary and prayer
ropes, monasticism, journaling, the Eucharist, and
pilgrimage, among many others. But we will conclude our
study of the disciplines with fasting and spiritual
direction.
(499) Avoiding
the
Dangers of Yoga, Mysticism, New Age and the Occult
by Chris Lawson, 5/10/13 Some portions of these articles were originally
published in 2010, under the title "Defining Deception:
What Is Yoga, Mysticism, New Age and The Occult?" The
following, which is part one of this two-part series,
covers the terms “Mysticism” and
“Yoga.” Part two of this series (see
below) covers the term “New Age (New
Spirituality/New Gospel/Contemplative spirituality) and
the term “Occult.” Biblical warnings
against these philosophies and the spiritual practices
they entail are given throughout both articles.
Read Part
1
& Part 2.
(501) Letter
to
the Editor: Christian & Missionary Alliance OK
With Ruth Haley Barton and Other Contemplatives
by Lighthouse Trails, 5/16/13 Two and a half years ago the leadership of the Western
PA District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance
invited Ruth Haley Barton to speak to its pastors and
lay delegates at its annual District Conference. I sat
in amazement as I watched my fellow pastors nod their
heads in affirmation as Mrs. Barton said Moses went in
to the desert to meditate. I didn’t see
my fellow pastors turn to the book of Exodus to read the
account of Moses. My Bible says Moses went to the
desert to escape being killed by Pharaoh.
(502) Harding
University
& School of Theology – Another Christian
University Added to Contemplative Colleges List
by Lighthouse Trails, 5/20/13 After a concerned parent contacted us, we researched
Harding University in Arkansas and Harding School of
Theology in Tennessee (both under the same umbrella) and
discovered that Harding needed to be added to our list
of Christian schools that are promoting contemplative
spirituality. Both the University and the School of
Theology have integrated Spiritual Formation (i.e.,
contemplative) into their schools.
(503) Moody
Pastors
Conference Teaching Lectio Divina This Week ;
And Seven Years of Warning by Lighthouse Trails Go
Unheeded by Lighthouse Trails, 5/22/13 On May 20-23, Moody Bible Institute held its annual
Pastors Conference (this year called re|Focus). Keynote
speakers included Alistair Begg, Voddie Bauchman,
Michael Easley (former Moody Bible Institute president)
and a number of other evangelical pastors and speakers.
On Tuesday, during one of the breakout sessions, Peter
Spychalla, Director of Prayer Ministries, East White Oak
Bible Church in Illinois gave a teaching on the
contemplative practice called lectio divina (see page 35
of brochure)
(504) Will
Assemblies
of God Leaders Ignore Contemplative Evidence?
by Lighthouse Trails, 5/26/13 LTRP Note: This an update to our previous articles
regarding Assemblies of God’s invitation of
contemplative leader Ruth Haley Barton to their 2013
General Council conference. Please see the links at the
bottom of this page for a chronological listing of
articles relating to this matter.
(505) Contemplative
Spirituality
Concerns Part 1 (Video) by Chris Lawson,
Spiritual Research Network, 5/31/13 Many people today - Christians and non-Christians - are
engaging in Contemplative Spirituality practices. What
many do not realize is that the Spiritual Formation
"centering prayer" movement, with its mystical and
occult methods and techniques, is part of a global
Interfaith system of spirituality, a spirituality that
is rooted in Eastern mysticism and philosophies such as
pantheism (All is God, God is all), monism (All is one)
and panentheistic (All in God, God in all) evolutionary
occultism (the "hidden" things, "universal cosmic
energies," quantum spirituality, etc). This short
introductory video speaks to fact that the "centering
prayer" and "meditation" movements within the the New
Spirituality/New Gospel/New Age movement are hostile to
the Person, nature and work of Jesus Christ and the
biblical Gospel.
(506) The
New
Missiology: Doing Missions Without the Gospel (Tract)
by Roger Oakland, 6/4/13 Emerging "progressive Christianity" is changing the way
evangelical/Protestant missions is being conducted. The
idea is that you can go for Jesus, but you don't have to
identify yourself as a Christian or part of the
Christian church. This concept spills over into some
missionary societies too, where they teach people from
other religions they can keep their religion, just add
Jesus to the equation. They don?t have to embrace the
term Christian.
(507) Coming
to
Christ Through Mysticism? by Roger Oakland,
6/9/13 The spiritual formation movement teaches that if people
practice certain spiritual disciplines, they can become
like Jesus and model their lives after Him. But being
born again and having the indwelling of Christ is not a
prerequisite. Neither is receiving Him as Lord and
absolute Savior. What spiritual formation offers is an
alternative to God’s plan of salvation
revealed in Scripture.
(508) Concerns
Grow
as Moody Presses Forth Down Contemplative Path
by Lighthouse Trails, 6/10/13 As we explained in our May 22nd article,
“Moody’s Pastors’
Conference Teaching Lectio Divina This Week”
we have been warning Moody Bible Institute and Moody
Radio (owned by MBI) for seven years. Moody has rejected
our warnings, has refused to accept our free,
non-obligatory copies of A Time of Departing and Faith
Undone, and has continued to promote contemplative
spirituality.
(509) New
Age
“Christianity”? by Roger
Oakland, 6/13/13 The amazing thing to me is how quickly Christianity has
been changed in such a short period of time. Why has
this happened? Does it have something to do with the
Word of God being undermined? It seems to me that
Christians have joined hands with the New Age, and we
now have a New Age Christianity that the Bible warns us
about.
(510) NEW
BOOKLET
TRACT: An Epidemic of Apostasy – How
Christian Seminaries Must Incorporate
“Spiritual Formation” to Become
Accredited by Lighthouse Trails, 6/16/13
What do the two accreditation
organizations—Association of Theological
Seminaries and Association for Biblical Higher
Education—have in common? Both associations
require schools that wish to be accredited to include
Spiritual Formation within the school’s
infrastructure. Just what exactly does that mean for
these 350 some seminaries and Bible colleges? Well, it
means that if they want to receive and maintain their
accreditation, they are going to have to incorporate
Spiritual Formation (i.e., contemplative spirituality)
into the lives of their students.
(511) "Contextualization"
of
the Gospel: A Free-Falling Catastrophe by
Roger Oakland, 6/19/13 If Paul had been adjusting (contextualizing) the Word
of God to fit the culture and context of the lives of
those he spoke to, he would not have said “the
aroma of death leading to death.” He took the
spiritual state of these people very seriously, and he
had full confidence that God’s Word, unaltered
and unchanged, could reach into the heart and soul of
any person who would receive Christ by faith. Whether a
person is young, mentally challenged, or of a different
culture or ethnic group, the Gospel is God’s
Gospel, and He made it so that all who receive it by
faith will understand His love and forgiveness and have
eternal life. . . .
(512) The
Truth
About Energy Healing (Booklet) by Ray Yungen,
Lighthouse Trails, 6/25/13 New Agers and occultists believe that man has more than
one body, that there are other invisible bodies
superimposed on the physical body. They refer to one of
these as the etheric body and believe there lies within
it energy centers called chakras (pronounced shock-ras).
The term chakra means whirling wheel in Sanskrit, the
ancient Hindu language. They were seen by those with
clairvoyant powers as spinning balls of psychic energy.
It is taught that there are seven chakras, which start
at the base of the spine and end at the crown chakra at
the top of the head.
(513) The
Duty
And Danger Of Opposing The�Emergent� Movement
by Bill McCumber, 6/28/13 The duty is simple. The gurus and leaders of this
emergent movement, conversation, dialogue�call it what
they will�do not base their teachings and writings upon
Scripture but upon their own opinions. They do not
submit to the authority of the Bible but seek to impose
their authority upon the Bible. They dismiss the clear
witness of the Bible to itself as the inspired Word of
God. When this has been done the witness of the Bible to
God, to Jesus Christ and to salvation from sin is
rejected outright or dangerously distorted.
(514) The
Labyrinth
Journey: Walking the Path to Fulfillment? (Booklet)
by Carl Teichrib, Lighthouse Trails, 7/2/13 Beyond all of this, just as walking the labyrinth is
used for initiation in cults, it serves as a catalyst to
draw people into more serious forms of New Age or
eastern-style meditation cloaked under terms like �the
silence,� �centering prayer,� or �contemplative prayer.�
Yes, the majority of Christians would affirm that their
labyrinth prayer walk is completely focused on Jesus
Christ. That may be true, but it doesn�t excuse the fact
that the labyrinth is, by its theological nature, an
inter-religious and deeply mystical device. If God is
going to bless the labyrinth experience, how is He going
to deal with 2 Corinthians 6:14-16?
(515) Author
Phyllis
Tickle brings emergent church discussion to Menucha
lectures at Understand The Times, 7/5/13
Phyllis Tickle, a lively authority on the future of the
Christian church, will present the 2013 Wright Lectures
on Oct. 13-15 at Menucha Retreat and Conference Center
in Corbett. Attendance is limited to 60 people, and
registration is open. Tickle will speak on two of her
books, "The Great Emergence" and "Emergence
Christianity: What It Is, Where It Is Going and Why It
Matters." She will offer extended question and answer
periods and encourage small group conversations on the
implications of what participants are hearing. Tickle is
an Episcopal lay minister and founding editor of the
religion department at Publishers Weekly. She says the
Christian church is entering a post-denominational
period against a backdrop of sociological and cultural
shifts that have created a distrust of all institutions.
Mainline churches are becoming less hierarchical and
more communal, she says, allowing Protestantism to renew
and redefine itself. "Wherever it's going, there's every
reason right now to rejoice," she says. "God is doing a
new thing amongst us and it's call emerging or emergent
Christianity."
(516) YOGA
and
Christianity � Are They Compatible? (Booklet)
by Chris Lawson, Lighthouse Trails, 7/7/13 Western Culture Embraces Yoga: It is no secret that
Yoga is taking Western civilization by storm. In just a
little over a hundred years, a mystical revolution has
occurred that millions of Westerners have wholeheartedly
embraced. Amazingly, the Western Judeo-Christian view is
in the process of a paradigm shift toward the same
perspective as yogic India.
(518) From
the
Frying Pan into the Fire: Women of Faith Partners with
New Age Advocate Roma Downey by Lighthouse
Trails, 7/25/13 We fear we must say yes to John Lanagan�s question.
Women of Faith is going from the frying pan into the
fire. In a June 21st Christian Post article, �Mark
Burnett, Roma Downey Partner With Women of Faith,
�Believe God Can Do Anything� Tour,� it explains
how Women of Faith �has partnered with �The Bible�
producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey to incorporate
parts of the highly successful History Channel program
into its �life-changing� tour. That probably sounds
UN-alarming to most people. After all, what could be
wrong with a program called The Bible? And
the series (now seen by over 100 million people), The
Bible, is being promoted widely by many Christian
organizations and ministries with a broad marketing
target.
(519) The
Spirituality
of Teresa of Avila � A Mystic to Whom Contemplatives
Turn by Lighthouse Trails, 7/27/13 Castles in the Sand by Carolyn A. Greene is a story
based on true facts and addresses the fast growing
contemplative prayer movement within the
evangelical/Protestant church. The story is about a 21st
century Christian college girl who is introduced to the
writings of a 15th century mystic girl, Teresa of Avila
in her Spiritual Formation class. Teresa of Avila
is one of the ancient mystics to whom modern day
contemplatives turn. For example, Richard Foster
includes her in Devotional Classics, Sanctuary of the
Soul, and Longing for God. We think when you read
this chapter of Castles in the Sand, you will see how
the spiritual practices of Teresa of Avila line up with
the occult but not with biblical Christianity. If you
didn�t get a chance to read chapter one when we
posted it, here it is again: (chapter one). Below is an
excerpt to chapter two with a link to the entire
chapter.
(520) An
Epidemic
of Apostasy � How Christian Seminaries Must
Incorporate �Spiritual Formation� to Become Accredited
(Booklet) by Lighthouse Trails, 8/1/13 Spiritual Formation: A movement that has provided a
platform and a channel through which contemplative
prayer is entering the church. Find spiritual formation
being used, and in nearly every case, you will find
contemplative spirituality and its �pioneers� such as
Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and Henri Nouwen.
Spiritual Formation is based on �spiritual disciplines�
that can be practiced by people of any faith to make
them more �Christ-like.� Rebirth through Jesus Christ
and regeneration through the Holy Spirit are not
essential. Rather it is a works-based �theology� that
has strong roots in Roman Catholicism and ancient
paganism.
(521) WHO
GOES
THERE? Encountering voices in the silence of
contemplative prayer by Larry DeBruyn,
8/22/13 If whispers repeat the Word of God, then they are
unnecessary. If whispers contradict the Word of God,
then they are heresy. If they add to the Word of God,
then they point to Scripture�s inadequacy and
insufficiency. To this point Proverbs warns: �Add thou
not unto his [God�s] words, lest he [God] reprove thee,
and thou be found a liar� (Proverbs 30:6, KJV). �
DeBruyn
(522) The
Stillness
and Lectio Divina at a Mennonite �Biblical� Seminary?
by Menno-lite, 8/29/13
The seminary for the Canadian Conference of Mennonite
Brethren Churches is there to equip and educate future
pastors, leaders, missionaries, counsellors and teachers
for ministry within the Mennonite Brethren constituency.
This fall, one of the courses offered by the Mennonite
Brethren Biblical Seminary to equip future pastors and
teachers and missionaries is listed on the CMU 2013-14
COURSE TIMETABLE: BTS-5960M Being with God in Stillness
and Scripture (1.0 credit hour) This course will draw on
biblical, historical and experiential resources for
developing a conversational relationship with Jesus Christ
through the practices of stillness, and `sacred reading�
of Scripture (lectio divina). Students will complete
several assignments after participating in a one-day
workshop. (In 2013 this workshop will be offered in two
Ontario locations.) Instructor: Andrew Dyck
http://www.mbseminary.ca/cmu-courses Is this really a
biblical practice?
(523) The
Quantum
Christ: Entering the World AND the Church Through
Popular New Age & Christian Leaders by
Warren Smith, 8/30/13 The New Age/New Spirituality is already heralding
quantum physics as a �scientific� basis for their
contention that God is not only transcendent but also
immanent��in� everyone and everything. Physicist Fritjof
Capra�s 1975 best-selling book on quantum physics�The
Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between
Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism�was the first to
present this proposed scientific/spiritual model to a
mass audience. In it, Capra explains that he gained new
spiritual insights through a mystical experience he had
sitting on a beach in Santa Cruz, California in 1969
(525) The
Metaphysical
Explosion & the Higher Self � A Path to Spiritual
Enlightenment or a Road to Dangerous Deception?
by Ray Yungen, 9/7/13 After 25 years of research, I fully understand why so
many people have embraced metaphysics (mysticism) and
why they seek transformation for humanity as a whole. By
and large, they have rejected orthodox (old paradigm)
Christianity as being unacceptable, but still want to
retain spiritual meaning and a utopian vision in their
lives. In addition, they see metaphysics as helpful
towards improving the quality of their daily lives,
whether it be better health, more loving relationships,
inner peace, or guidance for success and prosperity.
They would think it the height of ignorance and folly to
condemn such seemingly wonderful ways to better the
human condition.
(526) Drinking
to
the Gospel: Presbyterian Church in New Zealand
Embraces Alcohol to Evangelize, Attract Members, Make
Money at Understand The Times, 9/13/13 With promotional events like "Wine and theology
evenings" and "Beer and barbeque" church services,
congregants of New Zealand's dying Presbyterian Church
are now embracing alcohol as an evangelism tool to
attract more members and increase their bottom line
according to a new study coming out of that country.
Highlighting new research by religion expert, Dr. Geoff
Troughton of Victoria University of Wellington, in a
Medical Xpress report on Tuesday, revealed that the
Presbyterian Church's anti-alcohol campaign had slacked
off radically since the 1990s to shore up their bottom
line and attract more people to the dying church. "Some
churches are now experimenting with using alcohol as an
evangelization tool. Rather than seeing alcohol
consumption as a marker of secular culture in need of
change, it has become part of efforts to promote
Christianity. 'Wine and theology' evenings and 'beer and
barbeque' church services are among the methods being
explored," said Troughton in the report.
(527) Emergent
Church:
Is The Bible Inerrant by Ken Silva,
9/21/13 As a pastor-teacher sent by Christ someone is welcome
ask me the exact same question: �Do you believe that the
Bible is the inerrant Word of God?� Answer: Absolutely;
it is the only Book inspired the one true and living
God�the Creator of mankind�and as such it is the sole
source of authority for how God wishes all of His
creation to live their lives, no matter what culture
they may be part of. My reason for stating it like that
is because this is exactly how Jesus Christ of Nazareth
approached Holy Scripture, and no one has the right to
call themselves Christian without having the same view
of the Scriptures that His Master had.
(529) Letter
to
the Editor: The Affects of �Spiritual Formation� in a
Christian Church at Lighthouse Trails,
10/10/13 From Lighthouse Trails I ordered the book by Ray Yungen
For Many Shall Come In My Name. This is where I
first was introduced to the concept or should I say the
term Centering Prayer. The subject matter so moved
me that I ordered 10 copies and provided it to my pastor
to distribute it to the ministry team at church.
Thinking maybe they were unaware of the direction the
church was moving in. Looking back I never realized how
naïve I was! How unprepared! I believed that the books
would be read and I would receive some type of response.
Negative! Upon giving the Pastor the book and its
copies, the reaction was not what I hoped for. He looked
at the back and said that it had no supporting
commentaries[endorsements] on the back. Looking inside,
he said it looks like he�s probably a Baptist. Getting
over the shock of that statement, or should I say trying
not to show how much that statement shocked me, I told
him that the supporting commentaries might get me to
read the book, but it would be the contents that would
make or break the book for me. He thanked me and
took the books with a promise of getting back to
me.
(530) The
Advent
of the �Ancient Wisdom� by Ray Yungen,
10/11/13 A Time magazine article on what America believes
reveals that fourteen percent of the U.S. population
sees God as �a Higher Power or Cosmic Force.�9 This
would confirm the number that Eckhart Tolle spoke of
(thirty million New Agers). How would any movement
achieve such an enormous following so quickly? What is
it that drives such rapid growth? The answer to this
question cannot be ignored or dismissed as irrelevant.
(For more information, read Ray Yungen�s book, For
Many
Shall Come in My Name)
(531) Is
Your
Church Doing Spiritual Formation? by
Lighthouse Trails, 10/14/13 Is your church involved in a Spiritual Formation
program? If so, you might want to ask the question, what
does Spiritual Formation look like? It�s a fair
question, and one, that if not asked, could end up
surprising you when your church changes in ways you
never imagined. In a 2002 Christianity Today article, it
stated: �Spiritual Formation is in.� The article reveals
who is largely responsible for starting the movement:
"Now many evangelical seminaries offer programs in
spiritual formation. Renovare, which Richard Foster and
others founded in 1989 to cultivate spiritual formation
(especially among evangelicals), today offers retreats
and resources worldwide."
(533) Letter
From
Focus on the Family Confirms Past Reports � They DO
Promote Contemplative Spirituality by
Lighthouse Trails, 10/18/13 Recently, Lighthouse Trails received a letter from one
of our readers who sent us a letter she had received in
2012 from Focus on the Family after she inquired about
their views on contemplative spirituality. On a number
of occasions in the past, Lighthouse Trails has issued
reports showing Focus on the Family�s promotion of
contemplative spirituality. In more than one instance,
Tim Masters (in the Office of the President), on behalf
of Focus on the Family, has written to Lighthouse
Trails and/or LT readers expressing the organization�s
acceptance of contemplative.
(534) Mega-Pastor
Steven
Furtick Faces Examination by Trinity
Foundation, 10/30/13 Elevation Church Pastor Steven Furtick has attracted
some unwanted attention. WCNC reporter Stuart
Watson recently uncovered Furtick�s large $1.7M house
tucked in the woods away from public scrutiny and doubly
hidden in a specially created trust. The expose asks a
lot of questions about how mega-pastors with a
ready-made audience can profit from book
royalties. It also raises questions about the
suitability of compensation committees comprised of
fellow pastors with a vested interest as contrasted with
a long-held church tradition of elders and deacons
having decision-making authority.
(535) Does
God
Sanction Mystical Experiences? by Ray Yungen,
11/9/13 Nowhere in the Bible is the silence equated with the
�power of God,� but the message of the cross (1
Corinthians 1:18) most certainly is!
(536) Sojourners
Founder
Jim Wallis� Revolutionary Anti-Christian �Gospel� (and
Will Christian Leaders Stand with Wallis?) by
M. Danielsen, Lighthouse Trails, 11/23/13 LTRP Note: We first posted the following commentary in
June 2010. We felt it was timely to post it again for
those who have forgotten about it or for those who have
not yet read it, especially in view of Jim Wallis�
SoJourner magazine�s endorsement of Brian McLaren�s new
CANA Initiative, which we wrote about yesterday. If you
want to know where things are going, this article will
be most �enlightening.�
(537) Letter
to
the Editor: A New Believer Shocked to Learn New Age
Practices in Christian College by Lighthouse
Trails, 11/24/13 No question about it in my mind � this is the great
falling away happening before our eyes. I was also once
a member of the Anthroposophical Society � an offshoot
of the Theosophical society. The mystical Christ being
preached more and more is the same as the
anthroposophical Christ taught by Rudolf Steiner, a
gnostic version of Christ.
(538) Another
Jesus
Calling (Book) by Warren B. Smith, 11/25/13
For those who have read Jesus
Calling and been troubled by it but didn�t know why,
�Another Jesus� Calling will give substance to your
concerns and will equip you to help your friends who
may be reading Young�s book also. And if you have read
Jesus Calling and see nothing wrong with it, consider
the claims of �Another Jesus� Calling. Beyond all
this, �Another Jesus� Calling serves as a discernment
tool in rightly handling the Word of God. You will lay
down this book with renewed understanding of the
essential role of the Bible and the Gospel message in
keeping on (or returning to) the right path.
(540) Letter
to
the Editor: Campus Crusade for Christ �Gospel Message�
Includes Spiritual Formation/Contemplative
Spirituality by Lighthouse Trails,
11/28/13 A couple years ago Campus Crusade for Christ changed
their 60-year-long name to CRU in order, they said, to
reach more people for Christ. What they don�t realize is
that the �Christ� of contemplative prayer is not the
Jesus Christ of the Bible. The �Christ� of contemplative
prayer will introduce adherents to Henri Nouwen, who
stated near the end of his life after years of
practicing contemplative mysticism.
(541) Letter
to
the Editor: Church of 43 Years Builds Labyrinth,
Promotes Mystical Rituals and Social Gospel by
Lighthouse Trails, 12/5/13 I left my church of 43 years, because they were
promoting books like Ruth Haley Barton�s �Solitude and
Silence�; they had built a Labyrinth next to the
Memorial garden where my parents ashes lay and were
performing mystic rituals along with contemplative
prayer and Spiritual Formation.
(542) Embracing
Contemplative
Shows Ill Effects at Moody Bible Institute in
Ecumenical �Road to Rome� Event by Lighthouse
Trails, 12/14/13 For over seven years now, Lighthouse Trails has
followed Moody Bible Institute�s continued promotion of
contemplative spirituality. Although the organization
has denied that they are promoting contemplative, the
evidence has consistently existed. Those who have a good
understanding of contemplative spirituality are aware of
the inevitable outcome for followers of contemplative.
This outcome is a change in spiritual attitude that
leads to the following � ecumenism (a joining together
of all religious traditions, in particularly Catholicism
first, then Islam), interspirituality (all paths
lead to God), panentheism (God is in all), and
eventually universalism (all are saved, regardless of
belief � thus no need for the Cross).
(543) Biblical
Discipleship
� Prayer by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, November/December 2013 - Volume 19, Issue 5
The Spiritual Formation Movement has rocked the church.
Ancient disciplines, most often practiced within the
monastic movement in the early centuries of
Christianity, have been dusted off, repacked, and
resubmitted to believers as the means for obtaining
spiritual growth. There is increasing discussion about
fasting, journaling, pilgrimage, simplicity, solitude,
silence, contemplative prayer, and spiritual direction
in Christian literature. What can be learned from this
renewed interest in spiritual formation and what are the
dangers? The last eight editions of �Think on These
Things� have been written to interact with the history,
teachings and dangers of the Spiritual Formation
Movement. I want to now turn from the disciplines
practiced in modern spiritual formation to the biblical
alternative to spiritual formation, as described in the
earlier articles. We will examine the means, or
disciplines if you choose, which the Word of God clearly
identifies as ways God has designed for His people to be
transformed into Christ-likeness and to experience
intimacy with Him.
(544) Letter
to
the Editor: Where Can My College-Age Child Receive a
Four-Year Degree? by Lighthouse Trails,
12/20/13 We appreciate your attention to the wayward teaching at
many Christian schools, but have a serious question. The list
of non-contemplative schools is mostly Bible
colleges. What would you suggest to a student who is not
going into full-time ministry, is looking for a liberal
arts or sciences degree, and quite frankly, needs the
fellowship of other believers at his age? Our son will
latch onto campus lifestyle, is involved at church, but
is not inclined to seek philosophy or meditative styles.
He�s a straight shooter who has been in Christian
schools all his life. Our initial thoughts are to
consider a Bible school for a semester or two prior to
going to a Christian university, or to be extra critical
of which professors and classes are taken for Bible
requirements. What would you do?
(545) Holiday
Cheer
& Christianizing "Shiva" - Lord of Yoga?
by Chris Lawson, 12/23/13 "Yoga may for a time provide seemingly beneficial
health and an abundance of physical energy. However, in
the end there is a trade off, the human soul and spirit
become spiritually defiled. Moreover, a built in hostile
resistance against the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His
Word becomes a subtle, and even blatant, reality in the
life of the practitioner. When one engages in Yoga,
biblical discernment goes out, and human will softness
and the free acceptance of New Age spirituality comes
in. In the end, the forces of darkness have their way -
the practitioner of Yoga is enslaved to the will of
hostile baleful entities. Although all might seem well
and happy on the outside, the internal life of the
striving yogi becomes dismantled, piece by piece, year
after year, until at last, the soul is damned in its
rejection of Christ the Savior of the world." -
Chris Lawson
(546) The
Present
of �His Presence� - �Emmanuel� � God is with us!
by Larry DeBruyn, Herescope, 1/1/14 As biblical as Pratico�s statement is, it is deficient
in one major aspect. Not only is God �with� us, but
under terms of the New Covenant, He�s �in� us! He�s
present in/with us at all times and through all the
experiences of life, death and eternity. That is why the
Lord Jesus described that which He would give to
believers eternal life (John 3:15, 16, 36; 6:40; 10:28;
17:2-3). In continuum, the Lord�s presence resides
with/in believers from now into eternity, and this
divine presence we cultivate by faith in God�s Word, not
by invoking it.
(547) T.A.
McMahon
on "Social Gospel" In "Wide Is The Gate" by
T.A. McMahon, 1/2/14
Question: I�ve been watching the Wide Is the
Gate video series with some friends. We watched
�Youth Movements and the Social Gospel� from volume 2 in
which T. A. McMahon states: �in trying to solve the
problems, fix the world, many Christians don�t realize
that they�re actually going to be helping the Antichrist
develop his kingdom.� My friends were disturbed by this
statement and understood it to mean that Christians should
not help with anything that makes the world a better
place. The world is destined to be destroyed and only
those who are going to follow the Antichrist want to make
it better. Is this what you meant?
(548) An
�Enlightened�
Race? by Caryl Matrisciana, 1/5/14 I see many similarities in the United States, and in
the Western world at large, to German society in the
1930s. Christians by the carloads rush from one
conference to another to learn about community,
leadership, small groups, and the like. But I propose
that what they are getting isn�t training to be good
leaders but rather subtle induction to being good
followers, lulled to lay aside independent thinking.
�Follow, follow, follow!� chants the chorus of today�s
leaders, all the while singing the praises of Eastern
concepts and mystical practices. Our way of thinking�and
not thinking�is being radically altered, and the
majority of people, including Christians, don�t even see
what is happening. (Extracted from Out of India by Caryl
Matrisciana, pp. 213-216)
(549) John
Piper
And Linger Conference With Ihop�s Stephen Venable And
His Contemplative Teaching by Ken Silva,
1/18/14 Yesterday Apprising Ministries told you about John
Piper And Stephen Venable Of IHOP Together At Linger
Conference. The upcoming Linger Conference (LC),
scheduled for February 14-15, 2014. features NC mentor
John Piper, a well-known charismatic, and current Acts
29 president and �reformed charismatic� Matt Chandler.
Also at LC will be Stephen Venable, who is �a missionary
at� IHOP currently serving �as an instructor� at IHOP
University. In addition, he�s �part of the senior
leadership team of the Antioch Center for Training,�
which is an extension of IHOP. The truth is, Stephen
Venable is as dedicated to IHOP as it gets.
(550) Understanding
Mantra
Meditation and Altered States by Ray Yungen,
1/21/14 The meditation most of us are familiar with involves a
deep, continuous thinking about something. But New Age
meditation does just the opposite. It involves ridding
oneself of all thoughts in order to still the mind by
putting it in the equivalent of pause or neutral. A
comparison would be that of turning a fast-moving stream
into a still pond. When meditation is employed by
damming the free flow of thinking, it holds back active
thought and causes a shift in consciousness. This
condition is not to be confused with daydreaming, where
the mind dwells on a subject. New Age meditation works
as a holding mechanism until the mind becomes
thoughtless, empty and silent.
(551) Letter
to
the Editor: Evangelical Free Church Snowballing into
Spiritual Deception Through Contemplative/Emerging
by Lighthouse Trails, 1/22/14 I never thought I would be writing you, but I would
like to tell you how much I appreciate your efforts, for
few are those doing your type of ministry, certainly not
in my experience, especially at the local level by
church leadership! Let me get straight to the point of
my writing�my wife and I have been attending an
Evangelical Free Church for approximately five years
now, but recently things are beginning to snowball in
several areas.
(553) Biblical
Discipleship
� Prayer by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, November/December 2013 - Volume 19, Issue 5
The Spiritual Formation Movement has rocked the church.
Ancient disciplines, most often practiced within the
monastic movement in the early centuries of
Christianity, have been dusted off, repacked, and
resubmitted to believers as the means for obtaining
spiritual growth. There is increasing discussion about
fasting, journaling, pilgrimage, simplicity, solitude,
silence, contemplative prayer, and spiritual direction
in Christian literature. What can be learned from this
renewed interest in spiritual formation and what are the
dangers? The last eight editions of �Think on These
Things� have been written to interact with the history,
teachings and dangers of the Spiritual Formation
Movement. I want to now turn from the disciplines
practiced in modern spiritual formation to the biblical
alternative to spiritual formation, as described in the
earlier articles. We will examine the means, or
disciplines if you choose, which the Word of God clearly
identifies as ways God has designed for His people to be
transformed into Christ-likeness and to experience
intimacy with Him.
(554) �Christian
Palestinianism�
& Emergents Lynn Hybels and Jim Wallis Come to
Multnomah University For �Justice� Conference
by Lighthouse Trails, 2/15/14 On February 21st and 22nd, Multnomah University
(formerly called Multnomah School of the Bible) in
Portland, Oregon, once considered a biblically-based
evangelical school, will be hosting the simulcast
Justice Conference with speakers Lynn Hybels and Jim
Wallis (both emergent leaders who are part of the
�Christian Palestinian� movement). Other emergents such
as N.T. Wright will also be at the Justice Conference.
(555) Pastor
Steven
Furtick�s �House from Heaven� by Herescope,
2/19/14 My intention in drawing attention to the controversy
over Furtick�s house-scandal is because what�s happening
with him and Elevation Church are symptomatic of what is
going wrong in evangelicalism. As a whole and for the
most part, excepting, of course, Samaritan�s Purse and
many other good and godly missions and ministries, the
evangelical movement does not have a good reputation
among outsiders. As far as the movement�s PR is
concerned, rotten apples are spoiling the whole, and
millions of followers are allowing it to happen. So it
becomes incumbent that these wealth-gospel ministers and
ministries be held up to the scrutiny of Holy Scripture
to see how God�s word indicts their obvious and blatant
spiritual shenanigans.
(556) How
Elevation
Church, Pastor Furtick produces 'spontaneous' baptisms
by Stuart Watson / NBC Charlotte, 2/23/14 To get those thousands of baptisms takes a lot of
planning. And Elevation produced a document to show
other churches how they could do likewise. It�s titled
�Spontaneous Baptisms � A How-To Guide� and the church
shared it freely on the Sun Stand Still website. But
parts of the mass baptism guide have drawn sharp
criticism � from other Christians. Page one shows that
the first people instructed to respond to Pastor
Steven�s call to baptism were not converts suddenly
inspired but Elevation volunteers carefully planted in
the crowd.
(558) Multi-Sensory
Worship:
Prayer Stations, Icons, Incense, and Candles
by Roger Oakland, 3/7/13 Stimulating images that provide spiritual experiences
are an essential element of the emerging church. While
many are bewildered as to why their churches are
darkening their sanctuaries and setting up prayer
stations with candles, incense, and icons, promoters of
the emerging church movement say they know exactly what
they are doing.
(559) Hegel�s
Marxist
Dialectic � a Tool Used By the Emerging Church to
Bring About a �New World Order� by Mike
Oppenheimer, 3/17/14 One of the earliest forms of employing the dialectical
method was the Dialogues of Greek philosopher Plato. in
which the author sought to study truth through
discussion in the form of questions and answers. The
Greek philosopher, Aristotle, thought of dialectic as
the search for the philosophic basis of science, and he
frequently used the term as a synonym for the science of
logic.
(560) Biblical
Discipleship
� Fellowship by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, March/April 2014 - Volume 20, Issue 2 As we continue to pursue the specific means found in
Scripture that the Lord has given us to aid in spiritual
growth, we now turn to the subject of fellowship. We are
reminded at this point that some within the Spiritual
Formation Movement claim that virtually anything can
become a means of spiritual formation. But without
specific biblical support it is presumptuous on our part
to infuse some activity, no matter how spiritual or
pious it may seem, with qualities which aid our
progressive sanctification. If we are to be true to the
inspired text of Scripture we must search for
instruments which the Holy Spirit has explicitly
proclaimed to be means of promoting discipleship. So far
we have found that both biblical prayer and the
Scriptures are two such activities. Now we will examine
another, that of fellowship with other believers, and
the body of Christ.
(561) Mark
Driscoll's
Distorted View on Noah and Salvation . . . (And How
Some People Have a Very Strange Idea as to the Meaning
of God�s Salvation) by Lighthouse Trails,
3/30/14 LTRP Note: With the release of the Hollywood movie Noah
and its blasphemous representation of God�s truth as
told in the Bible and an outright attack on
Bible-believing Christians, coupled with emerging
Christian figures (such as Mark Driscoll who misses the
point while trying to make a point in his claims that
Noah was not a righteous man1), the article below by Dr.
Harry Ironside is timely.
(562) Visualizing
Jesus? by Caryl Matrisciana, 4/7/14 To a person such as myself, who has been exposed to the
Hindu concept of maya (that life is an illusion), this
method becomes particularly suspect. Can we mentally
create an �envisioned Jesus� to speak to us at our whim?
What makes us think we can manipulate the God of the
universe to appear at our every request? How can we be
sure we�ve contacted the real Jesus?
(563) Why
Yoga
Cannot Be Christianized! (Audio) by Chris
Lawson, 4/8/14 Yoga poses (asanas) and breathing techniques
(pranayama) are based upon Yoga's pantheistic occult
evolutionary philosophy. They are designed to work
together, as a New Age occult Worldview. And Christians
are trying to mix the poses and breathwork with their
Christian beliefs?
(564) They
Say
God Would Never Send His Son to a Violent Death For
the Sins of Mankind at Lighthouse Trails,
4/18/14 LTRP Note: As you read this article by Roger Oakland,
remember that as millions of proclaiming Christians give
remembrance this weekend to the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ, countless pastors, teachers, and
leaders will be promoting contemplative spirituality,
which is a driving force behind the view that is
addressed in this article. Thus, we ask the question
this time every year, do they not realize that by
promoting contemplative spirituality, they are in
essence, by proxy, denying the atonement? Next time your
pastor or Sunday school teacher favorably quotes Henri
Nouwen, Brennan Manning, or any number of contemplative
mystics or encourages the practice of lectio divina or
walking the labyrinth, consider sharing this article
with that pastor or teacher.
(565) Understanding
the
Difference: Biblical Atonement or New Age At-One-Ment?
by Warren B. Smith, 4/19/14 The Course also teaches that while �Christ� is in
Jesus, so �Christ� is in everyone�and that the �Christ�
in everyone is their divine connection with God and with
each other. The Course further teaches that a �slain
Christ has no meaning.�4 It states that wrong thinking
has produced the misperception that man is a �sinner�
and that he needs an external Christ to save him from
his �sins.� The Course teaches that salvation has
nothing to do with Jesus� death on the cross. Salvation
comes from what the Course calls the �Atonement�
(�at-one-ment�) process.
(566) From
Truth
to a New Spirituality by Berit Kjos, March 10,
2008 The occult quotes listed under Transition and New
Spirituality were dictated by seducing spirits channeled
by influential occultists such as Alice Bailey (spirit
guide Djwhal Khul) and Neale Donald Walsch (a
counterfeit "God"). These revealing messages were
compiled by our friend and fellow-researcher Tamara
Hartzell and explained in her insightful report: "Are
you 'Being led away with Error of the Wicked' to the New
Age Ark of Oneness?" The endnotes are numbered as they
appear in her report.
(568) The
Mission
Of The Church Is To Preach The Gospel by Ken
Silva, 5/4/14 But historically, conservative Christianity has always
seen social improvement as taking a backseat to the
church�s true calling of proclaiming the gospel and
making disciples. It has never seen the
social agenda as an end in itself � until
now. The social gospel became the hallmark of the
liberal church,�because the liberals had emptied their
message and ministry of biblical truth and were
left with no other �good news� than solving physical
problems. Sadly, evangelicals today are
increasingly adopting the missional, social gospel of
liberalism.
(570) That
Time
of Year Again~Looking for a Christian College This
Fall For Your Child? Better Think Carefully About
Which One to Attend by Lighthouse Trails,
5/6/14 As Lighthouse Trails has reported over the last several
years, a growing number of evangelical/Protestant
colleges, seminaries, and universities are integrating
contemplative spirituality and emerging ideologies into
their schools. If you, or someone you know, are
currently looking for a Christian school, we beseech you
to check potential schools very carefully. Ask to see
textbook lists, search their websites to see if they
have spiritual formation programs, and find out who
speaks at their student chapels. It would also be a good
idea to contact the school chaplain and ask some good
questions.
(572) Campus
Crusade
for Christ �Gospel Message� Includes Spiritual
Formation/Contemplative Spirituality by
Lighthouse Trails, 5/17/14 I am a semi-retired pastor who has been growing more
and more troubled by the trend in evangelical churches
toward new age, emergent, and eastern mysticism. We were
looking for some sound material to give to a Korean lady
who is showing interest in Christianity. We went to
Power to Change, __________ (formerly Campus
Crusade for Christ) to secure something useful for this
purpose. We were sold a booklet titled �Knowing Jesus
Personally.� It was looking good as we studied the
content, until we came to the chapter on being empowered
by the Holy Spirit.
(573) One
Woman�s
Story About Jesus Calling: A Surprise I Never Expected
That Changed My Life! at Lighthouse Trails,
5/21/14 Over the past month, God has opened my eyes to see just
how deceived I have been when it comes to what I read,
what I listen to, and who I go to for Godly wisdom. As a
Christian, my greatest desire is to be a true disciple
of Jesus Christ, the REAL Jesus Christ. In order to
pursue that, I must know the Truth, I must know Jesus
Christ, I must know the Word of God. I would like to
share my testimony with you in regards to this past
month and talk about how God has rekindled a deep desire
in me for the Truth. Then Jesus said to those Jews who
believed Him, �If you abide in My word, you are My
disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the
truth shall make you free.� John 8:31 & 32.
(574) The
New
Age/New Spirituality�s Alternative to Armageddon � The
Selection Process by Warren B. Smith,
5/31/14 In this future described by Hubbard�s �Christ,� anyone
who refuses to see themselves and others as �God� and
�Christ� will be removed by the �selection process.�
Those professing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior
would be subject to this process.
(575) Oprah
Winfrey
to portray God in film adaptation of The Shack
by BreathCast News, 6/12/14 It appears Hollywood is not slowing the trend of
christian faith inspired films as the global hit "The
Shack" will soon be heading to the big screen.
Originally a book written by William P. Young, it will
be adapted into a film directed by Oscar Winner Forest
Whitaker and will star Oprah Winfrey and British actor
Idris Elba, best known for his role of Russel 'Stringer'
Bell in HBO's "The Wire."
(576) Letter
to
the Editor: What To Do When Christian Charities, Such
as Compassion, Turn Contemplative/Emergent by
Lighthouse Trails, 6/21/14 While Lighthouse Trails does not make recommendations
for churches and organizations (largely because we do
not have the manpower to follow up on such
recommendations to confirm whether a particular church
or organization is still biblically based), we do bring
warnings to the body of Christ about groups that have
strayed from a biblical viewpoint and become ecumenical,
contemplative, emerging, and a part of the liberal
social justice movement.
(577) The
Dangers
of Spiritual Formation?�And Some Ways it is
Influencing Your Children by Berit Kjos,
8/9/14 Spiritual Formation has become a widely used term that
was introduced to the evangelical church in the 1970s,
primarily through a Thomas Merton disciple named Richard
Foster and his longstanding, best-selling book,
Celebration of Discipline. Today, there are few venues
in the church that have not been influenced by the
Merton/Foster model of Spiritual Formation.
Updated! (579)
The
low-information evangelical by Marsha West,
8/12/14 Being that the Lord condemns paganism, His people are
to have nothing to do with it. No dabbling! Steer clear
of anything to do with mantra meditation. Methods such
as contemplative prayer...centering prayer...breath
prayer...are forbidden! Even though this will ruffle
some feathers, my advice is to steer clear of
"Christian" yoga. "Take no part in the unfruitful works
of darkness, but instead expose them." (Eph 5:11)
Read Part
1 & Part
2.
The attractive Tree of Contemplative Practices is laden
with enticing fruits for contemplative meditators to
partake of. But, beware! For this is not a tree with
fruits one should be snared into sampling, but rather this
is a tree that is full of toxic fruits. To find out why
please read on!
(581) Discernment
Detractors:
Calling Good Evil by Warren B. Smith,
8/17/14 While our Adversary furiously attempts to undermine the
importance of discernment by ridiculing it, we are not
ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11).
(582) How
the
New Age Has �Creeped� Into the Church by Ray
Yungen, 8/21/14 If you have ever wondered why New Age authors and their
teachings are creeping past many Christians, then maybe
the definition of creeping might help. The term means:
slowly advancing at a speed that is not really apparent
until you look back over a long time period. For
instance, creeping inflation is not noticed in the short
term, but when one looks back over twenty to thirty
years, it is shocking. A meal that cost two dollars in
1970 now may cost eight dollars�however, the increase
moved so slowly that the impact was diminished. This
same kind of movement has happened within our society
and has gradually become mainstream. What was once seen
as flaky is normal today�even useful. This trend is
impacting evangelical Christianity at only a slightly
lesser degree than secular society. The reason for the
slight variance is that many, perhaps most, Christians
have not yet grasped, or come to terms with, the
practical mystic approach that New Age proponents have
already incorporated into the secular world, as well as
Christendom.
(583) Contemplative
Spiritual
Formation in Mennonite Sunday School Curriculum
by Menno-Lite Blog, 9/9/14 The September issue of the Mennonite Brethren Herald[1]
is promoting a long awaited new curriculum for children
from age 3 to grade 8. Shine has been in the works for
three years, and is now available and coming to Sunday
School classrooms in a Mennonite church near you. ...
The article explains the importance of one of the
aspects of this curriculum � the spiritual formation of
children: Why is spiritual formation for children
important, and why do you call it that now instead of
�Sunday school�?
(584) Roots
of
the Spiritual Formation Movement by Gary
Gilley, 9/12/14 For these reasons, and perhaps several more, I do not
see any diminishing of the influence of spiritual
formation on the church in the decades to come. This is
certainly one of the greatest threats facing biblical
Christianity today. May the Lord raise up a generation
that will return to the Sacred Text and stand once again
on Sola Scriptura.
(586) Church
of
Tares: Purpose Driven, Seeker Sensitive, Church Growth
& New World Order (Video) by Elliott
Nesch, 9/20/14 Can the Church borrow the marketing tools of the world
and apply them to the Church? What is the history of the
Church Growth movement and its false premises? Who is
involved in the new evangelicalism and second
reformation? Why are these movements embracing
contemplative mysticism? How does this movement play
into the New World Order? These questions and more are
answered in Church of Tares: Purpose Driven,
Seeker-Sensitive, Church Growth & New World Order.
Church of Tares chronicles the man-centered pragmatism
of these evangelical Christian movements in comparison
to the Bible's instruction for building the Church of
Jesus Christ. As a sequel to The Real Roots of the
Emergent Church, Church of Tares documents the
connections between the liberal Emergent Church movement
and the Church Growth movement. Both movements'
leadership were discipled by business management guru
Peter Drucker, who was attracted to the megachurch
movement as a social phenomenon that could bring about
his "new society" and New World Order. Megacurch pastors
Rick Warren and Bill Hybels as well as Leadership
Network founder Bob Buford all acknowledge Drucker (who
professed not to be a Christian) as their mentor and
have built their organizations upon his secular business
management philosophies rather than the foundation of
Jesus Christ. The fruit of these movements is great
compromise of the Gospel and the Great Commission. Rick
Warren claims to be ushering in a new spiritual
awakening and second reformation with his P.E.A.C.E.
Plan. But this reform appears to be a social reformation
rather than a spiritual one by joining together in
ministry with unbelievers to fight global giants. Such
compromise has led to the affirming response letter to
the Common Word document which declares Muhammad to be a
prophet and the Bible and Qur'an to be of the "same
Divine origin." Written, edited, narrated and directed
by Elliott Nesch. Original interviews with: Paul Smith,
leader in the Calvary Chapel movement founded by his
brother Chuck Smith, who also wrote the foreword to Paul
Smith's book New Evangelicalism: The New World Order.
Phil Johnson, executive Director of Grace to You, a
Christian tape and radio ministry featuring the
preaching ministry of John MacArthur.
http://teampyro.blogspot.com Chris Rosebrough, Captain
of Pirate Christian Radio and Host of the Fighting for
the Faith radio program, holds a degree in Religious
Studies and Biblical Languages from Concordia
University. http://www.fightingforthefaith.com Joe
Schimmel, Senior Pastor of Blessed Hope Chapel in Simi
Valley, California, head of Good Fight Ministries and
producer of such films as The Submerging Church and They
Sold Their Souls for Rock and Roll.
http://www.submergingchurch.com &
http://www.goodfight.org Gary Gilley, Senior Pastor of
Southern View Chapel in Springfield, Illinois, and
author of several books including This Little Church
Went to the Market: The Church in the Age of
Entertainment. Bob DeWaay, former Senior Pastor of Twin
City Fellowship in Minneapolis, Minnesota, author of
Redefining Christianity: Understanding the Purpose
Driven Life Movement, The Emergent Church -- Undefining
Christianity as well as over 90 articles on important
theological issues through Critical Issues Commentary
(http://cicministry.org/). Ray Yungen, speaker, research
analyst and author of A Time of Departing and For Many
Shall Come in My Name. James Sundquist, founder of Rock
Salt Publishing and author of Who's Driving the Purpose
Driven Church? http://www.perfectpeaceplan.com Eric
Ludy, bestselling author of dozens of books on Christian
thought and living, the President of Ellerslie Mission
Society, teaching pastor at the Church at Ellerslie, the
lead instructor in the Ellerslie Leadership Training.
Robert LeBus, Bible researcher, apologist and
evangelist.
(587) Christian
meditation:
what's biblical and what's not by Marsha West,
9/23/14 In Joshua 1:8 God said: "This Book of the Law shall not
depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day
and night, so that you may be careful to do according to
all that is written in it." So, what exactly did God
have in mind when He told Joshua to meditate on His
word? Well we can be certain of one thing. The Lord was
not suggesting that Joshua sit in the lotus position and
repeat a mantra until he attained altered states of
consciousness. "These help bring one into states other
than normal waking consciousness, in which a person
becomes open to mystical experience, the spirit realm,
or cosmic consciousness," warns Bill Muehlenberg.
The sort of meditation God had in mind was not Eastern
meditation. He has made it clear that His people are not
to adopt pagan practices and those who do are out of His
will. The purpose of eastern-style meditation is to
"seek the God within." That's pantheism, brethren.
People who hold this view believe that God is all and
all is God. "A tree is God, a rock is God, an animal is
God, the sky is God, the sun is God, you are God, etc."
The biblical view is that God is separate from His
creation. Genesis 1:1-30
(588) Contemplative
Music
for Children? by Berit Kjos, 9/25/14 While Christian contemplative music specifically for
children has not become popular yet within the
evangelical church, there is plenty of music designed to
help children meditate in New Age, Catholic, and
mainstream (Episcopal, Orthodox, etc.) circles. One CD,
Children�s Yoga Songs and Meditations plays songs
repeating various mantras such as �Om,� �Sa Ta Na Ma� (a
form of Kirtin Kriya yoga), and other Hindu and Buddhist
chants.
(589) Is
Your
Church Doing Spiritual Formation? - Important
Reasons Why They Shouldn�t (Booklet) by
Lighthouse Trails, 10/2/14 Is your church involved in a
Spiritual Formation program? If so, you might want to
ask the question, what exactly is Spiritual Formation?
It�s a fair question, and one that, if not asked,
could end up surprising you when your church changes
in ways you never imagined.
(590) Evangelical
Christianity
Being Catapulted into Seeing God with the New Eyes of
Contemplative Prayer by Ray Yungen,
10/8/14 Contemplative advocates propose that there has been
something vital and important missing from the church
for centuries. The insinuation is that Christians have
been lacking something necessary for their spiritual
vitality; but that would mean the Holy Spirit has not
been fully effective for hundreds of years and only now
the secret key has been found that unlocks God�s full
power to know Him.
(592) Should
Christians
Practice Martial Arts? (MP3) with Gaylene
Goodroad, 11/28/14 Program Description: Tom continues his discussion with
Gaylene Goodroad, author of My Life in "The Way" and
former second-degree black belt sensei nidan. Is it
true, as the saying goes, that "nobody fools Chuck
Norris"? Or has he been deceived by the Eastern
philosophies of his profession? Listen to Part
1 & Part
2.
(594) Mennonite
Magazine
Offers: �Find Yourself a Thin Place this Christmas�
by Menno-Lite, Lighthouse Trails, 12/13/14 In an article called Have a �thin� Christmas in the
December 2014 issue of the MB Herald, readers are
encouraged to find God in the �thin places� this
Christmas.
(595) Letter
to
the Editor: There is No Doubt That Moody Has Gone
Contemplative � This Year�s Radio Programs Proves It
by Lighthouse Trails, 12/20/14
LTRP Note: Lighthouse Trails first brought up the issue of
Moody Bible Institute (and Moody Radio) heading in the
contemplative direction over eight years ago (see links
below). At one point, Moody issued a statement titled
�Moody Responds to Lighthouse Trails,� denying our claims.
That statement remained on their website for over 5 years.
We noticed recently that the statement has now been
removed. But even though Moody has denied that they are
going contemplative, we have watched in dismay as they
have continued to do so. This past week, we were
notified by two different Lighthouse Trails readers that
Moody�s radio program Midday Connection has brought on as
a radio guest James
Bryan
Smith 9 times this year to do a series on
contemplative spirituality. Smith is a founding member of
Richard Foster�s contemplative-pioneering organization
Renovare and a minister of the United Methodist Church. He
is also the author of a number of works promoting and/or
teaching Spiritual Formation and contemplative
spirituality. You can read one article we wrote about him
here.
The book by Smith that is discussed below that is being
used by Moody in a series is titled The
Good
and Beautiful God. This is the first in a series by
Smith called The Apprentice Series. There is also The Good
and Beautiful Life and The Good and Beautiful Community.
The Good and Beautiful God teaches the contemplative
practice called lectio divina and espouses the teachings
of Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. It appears that
Moody is pulling out all the stops when it comes to
contemplative spirituality. And we know what that means�an
eventual distancing from the biblical Gospel. Drs. Harry
A. Ironside (early 1900s) and Dwight L. Moody (1800s �
founder of Moody Bible Insititute and Moody Publishers
(also going contemplative), were both preachers at Moody
Church. Can you imagine their shock and horror if they
were here today to witness this apostasy at one of the
most historically trusted Christian organizations?
(596) �Hip�
Church
Gives Biblical Christians New Label: �Hater�
by Jim Fletcher, 12/23/14
Oddly, within American evangelicalism and media circles, a
concept and term have emerged that place conservative
Christians on the outside, in effect, becoming �other.�
And we all know what happens when a group is labeled
�other� (see Jews, World War II). Sometime back, the
progressive mega church pastor, Steven Furtick (Elevation
Church, Charlotte, North Carolina), mentored as he is by
evangelical bigwigs like Rick Warren and Bill Hybels, felt
bold enough to post a YouTube video in which he sneeringly
challenged what I�d call traditional Christians to
basically get out of the way, because their time is
past.
(597) Letter
to
the Editor: The �Mentoring-Leadership� From the Past
Four Decades That Has Caused Downward Paradigm Shift
at Lighthouse Trails, 2/21/15 What captured my attention was not the movement!
It was the �mentoring-leadership� shown at high seminary
levels of the eventual blending of Catholicism (the late
Dr. Chuck Colson spoke at one of D.T.S.�s graduations),
contemporary �Christian� music, and charismatic leaders
into the mix of evangelism, counseling, and music fields
including dozens of nationally known evangelicals.
It was not surprising, therefore, to see the very rapid
acceptance of marginal Christianity in the leadership of
Hybels, Warren, Bright, and now emergent leaders such as
Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, and the more extreme
theological departures of such leadership. My heart is
very saddened with the compromise of the late Howard
Hendricks (at one time one of my four favorite teachers
at seminary). I had written to him but was given
mild rebuke for being critical of the PK movement.
I filed it away but now see the �rubbed shoulder�
philosophy affecting virtually every former evangelical
leader including Dr. Erwin Lutzer and others. The
purpose of this e-mail is to encourage someone there to
put together a booklet that synthesizes these trends
into one gradual, but obvious, move into apostate
Christianity.
(598) IF:
Gathering
Leader/Pastor Melissa Greene�A Female Version of
McLaren, Bell, Rohr, and Merton at Lighthouse
Trails, 2/24/15 Today, we received this letter to the editor: Recently
my church hosted an IF Gathering conference. I had
already done research and found some disturbing facts
about some of the various speakers. I wrote a
letter to the leadership detailing all the information I
had gathered. I thought I would pass it along for
your info. NOTE: Melissa Greene, one of the IF
Team � she has a very revealing message that is posted
on her profile page which is linked to the IF Gathering
page. In her message she references several New
Age and Emergent authors including , Richard Rohr,
Phyllis Tickle, Brian McLaren, Frederick Buechner and
Rob Bell� Her ending comments on her message are pretty
shocking. If you have someone on your staff who
has the time to listen to it, I think it would be worth
the time.
(601) Christian
Pastors
and Leaders � Exchanging the Word of God for a �New�
Way of Doing Things by David Dombrowski,
4/13/15 The church of today is very much astir. Everywhere we
turn, embellishments are being added to
Christianity as if to improve it. The old ways do not
seem to satisfy anymore. A great influx of new teachings
and practices have exchanged the God of old as depicted
in the pages of the Bible with a deity much more
palatable to the post-modern mind. Brennan Manning
illustrates this when he stated in one of his books, � .
. . the god who exacts the last drop of blood from His
Son, so that His just anger, evoked by sin, may be
appeased is not the God revealed by and in Jesus Christ.
And if he is not the God of Jesus, he does not
exist.� This �progressive� contemplative/emerging
church has gone so far as to place in pulpits men who
blaspheme God and who deny the atonement. But let us
step back for a moment to see how emerging thought has
developed. Such a statement did not come out of the
blue, but as Ray Yungen suggests, a �creeping� effect
made it all possible.
(602) Mennonites
Walk
Ruth Haley Barton�s Mystical Bridge by
Lighthouse Trails, 4/15/15 Ruth Haley Barton, founder of The Transforming
Centre[1], was trained at the Shalem Institute for
Spiritual Formation which teaches: �This mystical stream
[contemplative prayer] is the Western bridge to Far
Eastern spirituality � It is no accident that the most
active frontier between Christian and Eastern religions
today is between contemplative Christian monks and their
Eastern equivalents.� �Tilden Edwards, Shalem Founder[2]
Barton, who could not find peace or direction in her
Baptist roots or through reading the Bible and praying,
found fulfillment through spiritual direction. Now she
incorporates a blend of Eastern and Roman Catholic
contemplative spirituality and monastic practices in her
retreats and books on practicing the presence of God in
the silence and sacred rhythms of prayer. Lately she has
been very instrumental in leading entire Protestant and
Anabaptist church congregations and their leaders into
these same practices through spiritual direction and
discernment seminars.This year, the Mennonites have once
again[3] brought in Ruth Haley Barton to help them make
decisions in the silence regarding some very important
upcoming issues that include LGBTQ and anti-Israel BDS
resolutions. How tragic to see an entire church
delegation over looking all that is necessary in their
discernment process (the Bible), thereby shunning to
declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) in seeking
guidance from an apprentice of Thomas Merton and Tilden
Edwards.
(603) The
Labyrinth
Journey: Walking the Path to Fulfillment? at
Lighthouse Trails, 4/27/15 The following article is also in booklet form. Click
here to see if there are labyrinths in your region. The
number of them is growing significantly as contemplative
spirituality continues overtaking many denominations and
ministries.
(604) Letter
to
the Editor: �Awakening America Alliance� Brings SBC
President Ronnie Floyd Together with New Age Roma
Downey by Lighthouse Trails, 4/28/15 I�m sending you this e-mail (see below) that I got from
the �Awakening America Alliance� about their recent
biennial �RESET SUMMIT� held in Atlanta, Georgia.
�Awakening America Alliance� states this as their
ultimate goal: �The Alliance�s ultimate goal is serving
kingdom initiatives for spiritual awakening and
missional living. The Reset Summit is a part of their
pursuit of a fresh Christ-Awakening across the nation�in
every state, every county, every church, and every
heart. Gathering leaders from these various spheres of
influence not only builds relationships, but reflects
one of their foundational principles��history is
transformed among friends.� I am sending you this
because I noticed that participants included Roma Downey
(and husband Mark Burnett)! This is a conference for
national Christian leaders, and Ronnie Floyd (President
of the Southern Baptist Convention) along with other
denominational prayer and church leaders participated.
What is Roma Downey doing at a National Christian
Leader�s conference for an American �spiritual
awakening�?
(605) A
Fortress of Solitude � Entering the SILENCE by
Mike Oppenheimer, 5/4/15 Jim Burns is President of HomeWord and Executive
Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at
Azusa Pacific University. His radio broadcast is heard
on over 800 stations a day (including Calvary chapels
KLHT in Hawaii) and heard around the world via podcast
at HomeWord.com So when I heard Burns interview with
Ruth Haley Barton giving her such a great review I was
very concerned.
(606) God�s
Desire
and A Warning and a Plea by Ray Yungen,
5/5/15 Just what exactly is God�s desire for mankind? Does He
want to send people to Hell? Does He want anyone to live
eternally without Him? Scripture is very clear about
this when it says: The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance. (II
Peter 3:9) God makes a strong plea to all people, giving
them every opportunity to receive Him. It is God�s
desire that none should perish eternally. That�s why he
offered His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ�the only perfect
sacrifice for mankind�s sin: Therefore as by the offence
of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one
[Jesus] the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life. (Romans 5:18) What it comes down
to is the preaching of the higher self versus the
preaching of the Cross. The New Age is saying that God
is the higher self in man�that God is just a meditation
away.
(607) IF
it
is of God�Answering the questions of IF:Gathering
(Booklet) by Cedric H. Fisher, 5/9/15 IF:Gathering came in like a storm, one of those winter
events that seem to appear out of nowhere. No one saw it
coming. A team of highly popular women�authors,
bloggers, and speakers coming together�what a great
idea. But it wasn�t novel. Professing Christians have
been making pilgrimages for decades to high-energy
conferences with a star list of speakers and singers. As
with so many of these other conferences, IF purported to
do the work of God. However, IF was unique in that it
was mostly a digital event. It was greatly effective.
The IF:Gathering held its second event in February of
2015 and involved 1200 women at the physical location,
with a possible 100,000 or more watching by 40,000 live
links in more than 120 countries. The ongoing influence
of IF after the conference has the potential to reach
hundreds of thousands of women all while flying under
the radar of pastors and church leaders who may be
accepting IF:Gathering at face value, not knowing
anything about this group of high energy talented women
leaders.
(608) C3
Presence
Conference 2015 HeresyReel: Day 1 Session 4 � Phil
Pringle by Churchwatcher, 5/12/15 This is one of a series of articles covering the
absurdity preached at Presence Conference 2015. We are
broadcasting these HeresyReels to discourage you from
accepting the messages from the clearly false teachers
invited to speak at these C3 Presence Conferences
� remember, just because they are �popular� does
not mean they are legitimate.
(609) Quantum
Christianity:
Has the gateway to heaven been discovered? by
Albert James Dagar, Media Spotlight 5/13/15 It is my hope that those who read this will at the very
least question what they
hear from well-known teachers
within the Body of Christ,
and will study God�s Word
diligently to show themselves
approved�workmen who need not be ashamed, rightly
dividing the Word of Truth. God�s mysteries in relation
to His creation are to remain mysteries
until He reveals all He
wishes to reveal to His
resurrected saints. What happens
in the quantum realm stays in the
quantum realm. Let�s live in the real world in which He
desires us to move in obedience to Him.
(610) What's
New
with the New Age? with Warren Smith (Part 1),
5/16/15 (Tom McMahon) Today and next week I�ll be discussing an
important topic with a friend of mine who is an author
of numerous books, including The Light That Was Dark:
From the New Age to Amazing Grace , and Deceived On
Purpose , as well as another very valuable book that we
discussed in detail when he was on with me last, and the
book is Another Jesus Calling . But the topic for today
and for next week, the Lord willing, is sorcery, and my
guest is Warren Smith. Warren, thanks for joining me on
Search the Scriptures 24/7.
(612) The
Ultimate
New Age Deception: Many Shall Come, Saying �I Am
Christ� by Ray Yungen, 5/27/15 I believe the Bible contains an important signal that
the changes of times and seasons may indeed be at hand.
In Matthew 24:3-5, which is a chapter dealing with the
tribulation period, Jesus spoke these revealing words to
His disciples concerning the signs of His coming and the
end of the world (age): "And as He sat upon the mount of
Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying,
Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be
the sign [indication] of thy coming, and of the end of
the world [age]? And Jesus answered and said unto them,
Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come
in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive
many.�
(613) A
Fortress of Solitude � Entering the SILENCE by
Mike Oppenheimer, 6/1/15 Jim Burns is President of HomeWord and Executive
Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at
Azusa Pacific University. His radio broadcast is heard
on over 800 stations a day (including Calvary chapels
KLHT in Hawaii) and heard around the world via podcast
at HomeWord.com So when I heard Burns interview with
Ruth Haley Barton giving her such a great review I was
very concerned. Read Part 1 -
A Fortress of Solitude � Entering the SILENCE &
Part 2 -
Man's Wisdom or God's.
(614) Be
Still
and Know That You are Not God!�God is Not �in�
Everyone and Everything (Booklet) by Warren B.
Smith, 6/22/15 Our Spiritual Adversary would have everyone believe
that we are all �one� because God is �in� everyone and
everything. Using every promotional means
possible�including a creative and ingenious perversion
of quantum physics�he is attempting to convince the
world and the church that while Jesus was Christ, so is
everyone. And while Jesus was God, so is everyone else.
To underscore this heretical New Age doctrine of God and
Christ �in� everyone, he would have us further believe
that nothing of any significance happened on the Cross
of Calvary. However, the Bible makes it very clear that
something extremely wonderful and overwhelmingly
significant did happen on the Cross of Calvary. For it
was on that Cross that Jesus Christ died to save the
world as He defeated sin (1 John 2:2), death (2 Timothy
1:10), and the Devil himself (Hebrews 2:14). As the one
and only Christ, He is our Rock (1 Corinthians 10:1-4),
He is our Foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11), and in every
sense of the word He is the Saviour of the world (1 John
4:14).
(615) Perilous
Times
and the True Purpose and Dangers of Yoga (MP3)
by Chris Lawson, 6/26/15 This past Friday I visited one of the wealthiest
churches in Newport Beach, California. With full
permission from the "Holy Yoga" instructor, I sat
quietly in the back of the church Yoga Class. I simply
attended the class as an observer and I quietly wrote
down some notes. I was as transparent and kind and
respectful as possible when I arrived early and I
personally asked the instructor for permission to
observe the class. Permission was granted. I then sat as
silently as is humanly possible as an observer, sitting
near the back of the yoga class. After about 15 minutes
I was told to leave. Why was I told to leave? I was told
to leave because I was "making people feel
uncomfortable." Uncomfortable? Yes, "uncomfortable." For
taking notes on "Holy Yoga", and as a Christian and
former attendee of this church? Again, I simply went to
observe the "Holy Yoga" class. Even the church website
invites us to this class - "All generations and levels
of experience are welcome!" As I sat and observed the
blending of Yoga with Christianity, and was then asked
to leave the Holy Yoga class, my concerns for the
spiritual safety of the attendees was thoroughly
validated - again! (Perhaps more details on this
later!)
(616) Christian
Colleges
Falling Deeper into Apostasy As They Cave in to
Supreme Court Ruling by Lighthouse Trails,
7/9/15 Quick to jump on the band wagon for accepting the
homosexual lifestyle is Baylor University, (the largest
Baptist university in the world). According to a July
8th 2015 Time magazine article titled �This University
Has Dropped Its Ban on �Homosexual Acts,�� Baylor
�dropped a prohibition on �homosexual acts� from its
sexual conduct policy�this past May. But Baylor is not
the only one. A Christianity Today article, dated July
8th 2015, titled �Hope College and Belmont to Offer
Benefits to Same-Sex Spouses� explains how Belmont
University (in TN) and Hope College (MI) are �extending
benefits to same-sex spouses of employees after last
month�s Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex
marriage nationwide.� By the way, you can be sure
Christianity Today isn�t too upset about these
changes�they�ve been promoting the emerging church and
contemplative spirituality for a long time. Wheaton
College has already headed down this path showing
acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle, and many others
will follow suit. And remember, those colleges are
training the next generation of pastors and church
leaders so the affects will undoubtedly be remarkable.
It appears it is too late to stop the tide of what is
happening to Christian colleges. But at Lighthouse
Trails, we will continue to send out a warning to
parents and grandparents to keep their kids out of these
schools and try to find ones that are in a
fast-diminishing group of biblically based colleges. At
the very least, we hope parents and grandparents will
make sure their college-age kids and grandkids are well
equipped to live in a world that rejects Christ and in a
church that ignores spiritual deception.
(617) Letter
to
the Editor: Looking for Good Bible Based Children�s
Curriculum by Lighthouse Trails, 7/12/15
To Lighthouse Trails: I am coordinator of my church�s
children & youth ministries, and I am looking for
solid, Bible-based children�s and youth curriculum. I
would appreciate any suggestions you may have. I
am so skeptical of much of the curriculum out there now
especially with so much of the emergent ideas creeping
in. Thank you for any input you can offer. Our Comment:
The publishers on the following list are Christian
publishers that have been publishing contemplative and
emergent materials for several years:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/publishers.htm.This
list includes Zondervan, NavPress, Thomas Nelson (and
Tommie Nelson), and InterVarsity. Baker Books and
Multnomah publishers are also on the list as they too
now publish that type of material. If curriculum is used
from any of the publishers in this list, there will most
likely be threads of contemplative/emergent ideas woven
throughout much of their material. The list of
publishers on this page �
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/publishersgood.htm
� do not publish contemplative, emergent material to our
knowledge. However, many of them are smaller publishers
and may not have study curriculum. We do mention Harvest
House and Barbour publishing on this list; however we
include them with a cautionary note. Sadly, we removed
Moody Publishers from this list some time ago. As with
all things, use discernment and weigh all things against
Scripture. As Christians, we must �Test all things� and
�Try the spirits� through the screen of Scripture (1
Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1).
(618) In
Case
You Still Aren�t Sure About The Shack and Its Author .
. . by Lighthouse Trails, 7/17/15 In case you still aren�t sure about William Paul Young
and his book The Shack�in case you still have some
doubts as to whether Young is really of a New Age/New
Spirituality persuasion�in case after reading articles
at Lighthouse Trails revealing Young�s anti-biblical
views on atonement and the Cross�and in case after
reading Warren B. Smith�s booklet The Shack and Its New
Age Leaven that documents Young�s affinity with New Age
thinking, then perhaps his recently posted �Twenty Books
Everyone Should Read� list on Young�s blog will convince
you that The Shack or any of Young�s writings should not
be sitting on the shelves of Christian bookstores and
North American pastors� offices and should never have
become a New York Times best-seller having found itself
there through primarily Christian readers (not to
mention the big plug it received from endorsements by
Eugene Peterson [The Message] and Calvary Chapel speaker
Gayle Erwin. You can see the entire list of Young�s
recommended books by clicking
here. Below we are giving you a partial list of
the authors whom William P. Young recommends. After
looking at this list, you decide for yourself.
(619) Would
Jesus
Magnify His Presence Above the Word of God? by
Warren B. Smith, 7/22/15 In Jesus Calling, �Jesus� promotes the experience of
his presence above God�s Word. Psalm 138:2 tells us: "I
will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name
for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast
magnified thy word above all thy name." Because
God has magnified His Word above His name, this lets us
know we will never experience His presence in any way
that is not totally consistent with the truth of His
Word. Thus, we can know that any presence that comes
calling and claims the name of �Jesus� as its own but
does not line up in every way with God�s Word is not the
presence of God. God will never put His name or
experiencing His presence above His Word.
(620) The
New
Age Then and Now - Acts 19 (Audio) by Chris
Lawson, 7/23/15 We live in a world that is hostile to the biblical
Jesus Christ of Nazareth. So too, many of us have
experienced growing hostility from non-Christians and
from apostate Christian churches that have become
theologically offensive to Jesus Christ. This audio
message considers various topics in the Christian
missions life, cross-cultural work, spiritual warfare,
and the biblical injunction to confront teachings that
are hostile to biblical revelation. Topics mentioned: -
Boldly reasoning, speaking and persuading individuals to
repent of sin and believe in the biblical Gospel,
instead of ecumenical Interfaith �dialogue.� - The
danger of Occult healing arts, lying signs and wonders,
and demonic manifestation and possession states that
deceptively mislead people under the guise of being
"gifts of the Holy Spirit." - The problem of New Age and
ecumenical Christian churches engaging in dialogue and
alleged �Gay Christian� workshops. Teachings and people
mentioned: New Thought Metaphysics (Warren Felt Evans,
Phineas Quimby), Christianized Metaphysics for
Evangelical Ecumenism (Norman Vincent Peale, Robert
Schuller), Mormonism (Brigham Young, Joseph Smith),
Evolutionism, Hinduism, Yogi�s, Theosophy and Occultism
(Helena P. Blavatsky, Annie Besant), Mind Science Cults
(Christian Science - May Baker Eddy), Guru�s (The
Beatles and the Hare Krishna cult), Modern Occultism
(George Gurdjeiff), Theosophical Society (Helena P.
Blavatsky, Annie Besant, Nicholas Roerich), Spiritism,
Spiritualism and Christian Spiritualism (Moses Hull),
Rudolph Steiner (Anthroposophy and the Anthroposophical
Society), Rosicrucian Movement (Max Heindel and the
Order of the Rose Cross), Unity School of Christianity
(Charles and Myrtle Fillmore), Church Universal and
Triumphant (Elizabeth Claire Prophet), Science of Mind
and Religious Science (Ernest Holmes), Religious Science
(Terry Cole Whitaker), The Sleeping Prophet (Edgar
Cayce), George Baker (aka �Father Divine�), Scientology
(L. Ron Hubbard), Erhard Seminars Training (Werner Hans
Erhard), Foundation of Human Understanding (Roy
Masters), The Silva Method (Jose Silva), The Aquarian
Conspiracy (Marilyn Ferguson), The Master Plan (Alice
Bailey), Unitarianism (Richard Buckminster "Bucky"
Fuller), Templeton Prize (John Marks Templeton, Bill
Bright and Charles Colson), Word of Faith Movement
(Prosperity Gospel - Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland,
Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey, Oral Roberts), and more.
(622) A
Trip to India�to Learn the Truth About Hinduism and
Yoga (Booklet) by Caryl Matrisciana,
8/25/15 Thirteen years had passed since my family had left
India. Now I found myself on an airplane returning
there. I was filled with excitement and nostalgic
memories. Would I bump into old friends with whom I had
lost contact over the years? Would anything have
changed? I was travelling with a small group of
international cult experts. We had received a grant
enabling our research group to travel around India,
visiting gurus and their ashrams.
(623) Letter
to
the Editor: Please Send Your Evidence and Examples for
Calvin College ASAP by Lighthouse Trails,
8/30/15 Dear Lighthouse Trails: You list Calvin College, Grand
Rapids, MI, as being contemplative, formation.
Please give me evidence, examples of this, also any
emergent info, too on them. ASAP, please. Our
Response: Finding evidence and examples to show Calvin
College�s contemplative/emergent persuasions is NOT like
finding a needle in a haystack. This college is
saturated with evidence and examples. Here are a few ...
(624) The
New
Age Desire versus God�s Desire by Ray Yungen,
9/14/15 What it comes down to is the preaching of the higher
self versus the preaching of the Cross. The New Age is
saying that God is the higher self in man�that God is
just a meditation away.
(625) �Contemplative
Spirituality
� the Source of the Catholic Church�s Expansion�by
Ray Yungen, 9/24/15 I had always been confused as to the real nature of
this advance in the Catholic church. Was this just the
work of a few mavericks and renegades, or did the church
hierarchy sanction this practice? My concerns were
affirmed when I read in an interview that the mystical
prayer movement not only had the approval of the highest
echelons of Catholicism but also was, in fact, the
source of its expansion.
(626) Be
Still
and Know That YOU Are God? Is That Really What
Scripture Says? by Warren B. Smith,
10/1/15 Eileen Caddy�s New Age understanding of the �God
within� and �oneness� started with an inner voice that
told her �Be still and know that I am God.� Like Caddy,
so many people who have been raised in today�s church
have been similarly deceived into believing that the �be
still� verse from Psalm 46:10 is God�s heavenly
instruction to enter into solitude and silence so they
can hear His voice. Ironically, the real meaning of this
verse has nothing to do with sitting in silence,
practicing the presence, or any meditative practice.
Undiscerning church leaders have misappropriated Psalm
46:10 to justify contemplative prayer. They now use this
verse to incubate a �conversation with God.�
(627) Letter
to
the Editor: Left Standing Alone After Challenging
Pastor Over C&MA Emergent Teachings at
Lighthouse Trails, 10/3/15 At some point, I began to see, through Lighthouse
Trails, a few things on the Alliance and its ties with
the emergent church and spiritual formation. As I really
began to dig, I was horrified. I called four C&MA
seminaries to ask them if they offered classes on
Spiritual Formation. I was told very enthusiastically,
yes they offered many classes in Spiritual Formation.
When I called Simpson University, I was even told that
if I wanted to dig deeper into that sort of thing, they
recommended Bill Johnson�s [Bethel Church] School of the
Supernatural.
(628) YOGA:
Exercise
or Religion�Does it Matter? (Booklet) by Ray
Yungen, 10/9/15 The Yoga boom, which began in the 1990s, is changing
the very social fabric of our society in a way that will
last well into the future. People need to be aware that
Yoga serves spiritual ends and also need to realize just
what the nature of that spirituality entails. Yoga is
the religion of namasté (i.e., man is God). The fact is,
there is no need for the Cross of Jesus Christ in Yoga.
To the contrary, Scripture tells us: . . . that in the
ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his
grace in his kindness toward us through Christ
Jesus.(Ephesians 2:7)
(629) Letter
to
the Editor: Heartbroken in Leaving Her Southern
Baptist Church Over Deception Issues at
Lighthouse Trails, 10/19/15 At that time, I had to leave on a trip for a family
matter. Before we returned from that trip, I
checked the local newsletter online and saw the
announcement that the pastor had cancelled Prayer
Meetings and instituted Cottage meetings to teach
Richard Foster�s book on Contemplative Prayer. I
was heartsick.
(630) Spiritual
Formation
Versus The Life of Christ�Which One Will You Choose?
by Lighthouse Trails, 11/9/15 Spiritual formation is sweeping quickly throughout
Christianity today. It�s no wonder, when the majority of
Christian leaders have either endorsed the movement or
given it a silent pass. For instance, in Chuck
Swindoll�s book So You Want to Be Like Christ: 8
Essential Disciplines to Get Your There, Swindoll
favorably quotes Richard Foster and Dallas Willard.
Swindoll calls Celebration of Discipline a �meaningful
work�1 and Willard�s book The Spirit of the Disciplines
�excellent work.�2 In chapter three,�Silence and
Solitude,� Swindoll talks about �digging for secrets . .
. that will deepen our intimacy with God.�3 Quoting the
contemplative poster-verse Psalm 46:10, �Be still, and
know that I am God,� Swindoll says the verse is a call
to the �discipline of silence.�4 As other contemplative
proponents have done, he has taken this verse very much
out of context.
(631) �Too
Much
God Talk�: Rob Bell�s �Progressive� Successor Steps
Down from Leading Mars Hill by Heather Clark,
1/26/15 GRANDVILLE, Mich. � Kent Dobson, who took over the
leadership role at Mars Hill in 2012 after controversial
author and speaker Rob Bell left the congregation he
founded, has now also decided to step down, stating that
�being a pastor is not who I am.� �My place here has not
felt right, like I was wearing someone else�s suit that
didn�t quite fit and I tried to get it tailored and
maybe I had shoulder pads from the 90�s or something. I
don�t know,� he told the congregation on Sunday. �It
just felt like it didn�t quite fit me so well.� Dobson
said that he feels restless and uncomfortable around
�too much God talk.� �I�ve felt restless, but I�ve
always felt restless and a bit homeless when it comes to
church and when it comes to God talk,� he explained.
�When I hear too much God talk, I start to feel like
(shudders) [it�s] too much religion. I don�t know; it
gives me a restless feeling. A lot of times I feel like
an outsider at my own party.�
(632) What
Christian
Leaders Need to Know � The Final Outcome of Practicing
Contemplative Prayer: Interspirituality by Ray
Yungen, 12/5/15 LTRP Note: With more than 90% of the Christian colleges
and seminaries now bringing in contemplative
spirituality via Spiritual Formation programs, and with
Christian leaders such as Rick Warren and Beth Moore
endorsing the movement, and with countless pastors
giving it a thumbs up to their congregations, isn�t it
time professors, pastors, and leaders understand what
the final outcome of contemplative prayer is? Isn�t it
time they understand that leading Christians and church
goers down this path is leading them away from the
Cross, not toward it. At Lighthouse Trails, we believe
it is beyond time for this understanding to occur.
(633) Are
Christian
Leaders Leading the Church Down the Broad Road of
Delusion? by Warren B. Smith, 12/9/15 Traditional Christian believers frequently mention the
analogy of the frog that is so slowly and gradually
boiled in a kettle of water that it dies before ever
realizing what is going on. Yet many believers fail to
realize that the very same thing is happening to them as
they tell that story. How else do you explain the rapid
rise of the �new gospel� movement with hardly a word of
concern within the Church about what�s been happening?
As �new gospel� advocates continue to publish
bestselling books and flock to the airwaves in
ever-increasing numbers to advance their cause, there is
a strange silence within Christianity. Does the Church
have any idea what is going on?
(634) Children
at
Risk: Mudras, Chakras, Mantras: Deceptive Meditative
Techniques by L. Putnam, 12/19/15 A recent Facebook Post captioned: �Help Your Child
Achieve Calmness!� showed a picture of a little girl
sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, hands out, and with
her fingers fixed in a mudra position. What finger
position is that? To be precise, it is the �Gyan
Mudra� or �Chin Mudra� finger position in which the
index finger touches the thumb tip to form as perfect a
circle as possible with the other fingers extending
upward. Why do people do this? Yoga aficionado
Gertud Hirschi, in her book Mudras: Yoga in Your
Hands, tells us why: �We can effectively engage
and influence our body and our mind by bending,
crossing, extending, or touching the fingers with other
fingers.� Hirschi goes on to pinpoint just what
this finger position really means: �The thumb is
symbolic of cosmic (divine) and the index finger is
symbolic of individual (human) consciousness. The
ultimate goal � is oneness of humanity with cosmic
consciousness.�
(636) Catholic Contemplative
Meditation Techniques Explode Top Down Among Alliance
Denominational Leaders by Orrel Stienkamp,
1/9/16 Maybe you haven't heard much about Catholic
Contemplative PrayerfSpirituality. Generally it hasn't
reached congregational level that much. But Catholic
Contemplative prayer techniques and spirituality is
often hidden by the code word �Spiritual Formation.�
This incursion into Evangelical training and leadership
training, nevertheless is deep and broad. This includes
many traditional evangelical denominations and non
denominational mega churches. Rick Warren promotes it.
lI�IOP and Bill Johnson�s Redding movement. It can be
discovered by perusing course offerings and especially
required reading in Spiritual Formation offerings and
leadership courses in the majority of Evangelical
Schools and seminaries. In my case in the large church I
attend it appeared out of nowhere in a study book
�Emotionally Healthy Spirituality� calling us to get off
the fast paced life style. But Peter Scazzaro, the
author, told our class directly on a DVD that he was
introducing us to Contemplative Prayer. The Pulpit
ministry followed the book thematically but avoided
terms like contemplative and centering prayer and nobody
knew what was actually going on, thankfully. But once
again in the small groups the Scazzaro's bibliographies
were loaded with quotes of the most famous Catholic
Contemplative authors, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen,
Richard Rohr Thomas Keating and others. But until
recently I never thought that it had burrowed deeply
across the board among virtually all evangelical
leadership groups from say Focus on the Family to Fuller
Seminary.
(637) Letter
to
the Editor: �Christian� Psychology Going
Contemplative? at Lighthouse Trails,
1/14/16 Many Christians seek the help of psychologists or
counselors. While psychology generally does not lead one
to Christ or point to His Word and typically has a
humanistic foundation, and while many Christian
counselors do not offer biblically based counsel as
well, things have gotten even worse as Lighthouse Trails
has witnessed over the last 15 years as both camps are
moving more and more into the New Age/contemplative
meditation camp.
(639) Authors
To
Avoid: Who is Bringing the �New� Spirituality Into the
Church? by Chris Lawson, 1/16/16 Each of the following authors professes to be Christian
and/or uses biblical terminology in his or her writing,
yet promotes at least one of the following serious false
teachings: contemplative spirituality (i.e., Spiritual
Formation), the emergent, progressive �new�
spirituality, the seeker-friendly, church-growth
movement (e.g., Willow Creek, Purpose Driven) and/or
Yoga. (This list is from the booklet A
Directory of Authors: Three NOT Recommended Lists.)
(640) Meditation
and
Experience by Herescope, 1/24/16 Spiritual meditation, as it is commonly practiced
around the world, is done for the purpose of achieving
an experience of the presence of God. This "presence"
feeling, often described as a sense of oneness with the
Divine, can create a powerful psychological and physical
sense of peace. This much-desired spiritual experience
thus serves to validate one's faith -- if one "feels"
God's presence then that means one is on the right path
to a higher form of spirituality. Thus meditation
becomes a discipline, a device, even an art, whereby man
believes he can do things to achieve inner peace and a
unity with God.
(641) Is
The
Emerging Church History, or Has it Entered Your
Church? by Roger Oakland, 2/29/16 Recently, I read a Facebook post by a southern
California pastor stating that the �emerging church� was
no longer a problem for him or his church. He also
stated that the �emerging church� was just another
passing fad that had come and then disappeared never to
be heard of again. His church was going to focus on what
was positive and insinuated that �hyper discernment
ministries� were scaring his sheep into believing they
were living in the last days and that apostasy was
rampant. The comments by this pastor are not uncommon.
In fact, there are few shepherds today who are warning
the sheep in their flocks of the dangers that lurk not
only outside the fold but also within their own fold
that they are called to protect. A good shepherd must
keep watch over his flock as there are many wolves
lurking around seeking whom they may devour. Ignoring
these dangers does not make the problems go away. Sheep
can easily be misled by false unbiblical teachings that
act as a grain of arsenic in a milk shake. The milk
shake may look and taste good, but the grain of arsenic
will be enough to kill someone.
(642) Looking
for
a Christian College for Your Child in 2016 � Better Be
Careful! by Lighthouse Trails, 3/6/16 Spring 2016 is almost here, which means parents will be
diligently helping their college-age children search for
Christian colleges, seminaries, and universities for
enrollment for this coming fall. As many of you know,
Lighthouse Trails has been researching Christian
colleges for 14 years. Three years ago, we published a
report called An Epidemic of Apostasy, which revealed
that the majority of Christian colleges, seminaries, and
universities had begun to incorporate contemplative
spirituality (through Spiritual Formation programs) into
their schools. The report showed how much of this was
happening because accreditation associations were
requiring schools to include Spiritual Formation in the
lives of their students if they wanted to be
accredited.
(643) Roots
of
the Spiritual Formation Movement by Gary
Gilley, Think On These Things, August 2014 - Volume 20,
Issue 4 During the past two years most of the articles sent out
by Think on These Things have dealt with the issue of
the Spiritual Formation Movement. And while we have
examined the birth of the modern movement as well as its
key beliefs, leaders and teachers, both past and
present, we now want to turn our attention in this final
article to their ancient roots. Coupled with this it
would be of value to discuss the attraction of the
movement, especially for evangelicals. Having already
documented in previous articles serious errors in
doctrine and practice, why do so many evangelicals
embrace the disciplines and look to the so-called
�spiritual masters� for guidance? These issues of origin
and attraction overlap but we will look at them
separately for clarity�s sake.
(644) Kyle
Odom,
the Man Who Shot Idaho Pastor, Says Meditation Started
it All by Lighthouse Trails, 3/11/16 LTRP: A �manifesto,� written by former Marine Kyle
Odom, the 30-year-old man who shot Idaho pastor Kyle
Remmington, reveals that his life started to change
drastically when he began doing meditation while in
university to relieve stress. The meditation experiences
led him to come into contact with familiar spirits
(which he thought were aliens) and eventually led to two
suicide attempts and then the shooting of Pastor
Remmington. While Lighthouse Trails is not saying that
every person who practices meditation is going to go
crazy and start shooting people, we stand by our warning
of 14 years that meditation does introduce meditators to
demonic realms. For most, this realm seduces people into
a complacent deception, and they may even appear more
peaceful. For other meditators, like the student at Le
Tourneau Christian University who graduated and told his
parents he was now an atheist, they turn away from their
Christian faith. Satan has many different methods of
stealing a soul. And for some, these demons torture and
torment a person, until they can eventually become like
Kyle Odom. The occult (Satan�s domain) is not to be
tampered with. When you consider that over 90% of the
Christian colleges and seminaries are introducing
contemplative spirituality (a belief system that
incorporates meditation) to the lives of their students,
it should make every Christian shudder and every
Christian leader repent for allowing this into the
church (not to mention how it has entered secularism
even more so). Remember when Richard Foster told his
contemplative followers that they needed to say a prayer
of protection before practicing contemplative prayer.
Why would one need to do that . . . unless he is
entering demonic realms? Meditation leads one to believe
that God is in everything and all is connected together
(this belief is an anti-christ religion, and that is why
when people practice meditation, they are going to be
influenced by familiar spirits).
(645) Fortune
Magazine:
�Meditation Has Become A Billion-Dollar Business�
by Jen Wieczner, Fortune, 3/16/16 In 2015 the meditation and mindfulness industry raked
in nearly $1 billion, according to research by
IBISWorld, which breaks out the category from the
alternative health care sector.
(646) The
Defiling
Influence of Spirit Contact by Chris Lawson,
3/18/16 We are living at a time where contact with the spirit
world is commonplace. Even in many Christian settings,
where spiritistic activity and occult literature are
condemned, �messages� and so-called �words from God�
that have been communicated to humans by fallen angels
(and peoples� vain imaginations) are misleading people
on a grand scale. Furthermore, the amount of heretical
practices and material that countless ministries and
leading names in the Christian bookstore industry,
create and promote, both locally and globally, is
staggering.
(647) A
History of AWANA�s Contemplative Tract Record and the
Implications of Their New CEO by Lighthouse
Trails, 3/19/16 For over a decade now, Lighthouse Trails editors
have been concerned about the direction that the AWANA
children�s club is heading. Today, in this report, we
want to first give an overview of our past decade of
reporting on AWANA, and then we want to share some new
information that should concern every parent and
grandparent who has a child or grandchild in AWANA.
(648) Watkins�
100
Most Spiritually Influential People of 2016 � How Many
Names Do You Know? by Miscellaneous,
5/11/16 Watkin�s Mind Body Spirit Magazine released its 2016
top 100 most spiritually influential people alive today.
If you have been reading Lighthouse Trails for some
time, you will recognize several names. One thing all of
these names have in common is an affinity toward
mysticism. Sadly, a number of these New Ager/New
Spirituality names have had significant influence,
either directly or indirectly, on the Christian church
in the last several years: e.g. Thomas Keating, Richard
Rohr, Julia Cameron (The Artist�s Way), Pope
Francis, Rhonda Byrne (The Secret), and Rob Bell. Click
here
to read how Watkin�s determined who should be on the
list.
(649) Spiritual
Formation
Leader, Larry Crabb, Says �The greatest need in modern
civilization is the development of communities.�
by Lighthouse Trails, 5/14/16 Larry Crabb�s recent remarks perfectly illustrate the
�fruit� of contemplative spirituality � a move away from
the Gospel and personal salvation through Jesus Christ
and a move toward an emerging, ecumenical
all-paths-lead-to-God kind of mentality. Where did
Christ or the disciples ever say man�s greatest need in
in the development of communities?
(650) Evolution�s
Role
in a Quantum Spirituality by Caryl Matrisciana
and Roger Oakland, 5/31/16 There is a clear but complex marriage between physical
evolution and transcendental evolution. Ironically,
while forcing out creationism, many scientists and
educators push for an equally religious alternative.
They cling to the Eastern concept that the next stage of
man�s evolution will arrive in spiritual terms. Many
�prophesy� a development�a quantum leap from biological
evolution into a sort of �mystical emergence.�
(651) Southern
Baptist
Leaders Call for a �Great Awakening� in US�But SBC
Continues Promoting the Anti-Gospel New Spirituality
at Lighthouse Trails, 6/16/16 The article quoted several Southern Baptist pastors
attending the summer event who named numerous sins from
which Southern Baptists and Christians in general needed
to repent: pride, racism, apathy, and so forth. While
these are all sins that Christians do need to repent of
if they are guilty of them, there was no mention
of one sin that is having detrimental effects within SBC
and the Christian church at large. We are referring to
the Southern Baptist�s sinful embracing of the �new�
anti-Gospel spirituality, which includes occultic prayer
practices (contemplative) and emergent/social
justice/anti-Christianity ideologies. We present two
pieces of evidence to show both of these are true
statements.
(652) Is
God
in Graffiti? at Lighthouse Trails, 8/22/16 What is happening to mainstream Christianity is the
same thing that is happening to business, health,
education, counseling, and other areas of society.
Christendom is being cultivated for a role in the New
Age.
(653) Letter
to
the Editor: Received Flyer on Sarah Young�s Newest
Booklet at Lighthouse Trails, 9/14/16 To Lighthouse Trails: The Prophecy Conference in
Appleton Wisconsin was excellent. Thank you for
recommending that we attend. We could only attend
Friday�s sessions but it was well worth going. Coming
home with our new copy of the expanded second edition of
Another Jesus Calling, we were met with a brochure from
Family Christian in our mailbox. On page six, we found a
prebuy offer for Sarah Young�s new book called Jesus
Always. It�s another 365 day devotional with new
revelations from Sarah�s �Jesus.� We were shocked. Why
we were shocked, I don�t know at this point. It�s
obvious that these attacks on the Body of Christ are now
unrelenting. It seems that facts, reason, and truth
simply don�t matter any more. And so the delusion grows
ever stronger for those who refuse to receive a love of
the truth. Thank you again and again for fighting the
good fight. It was a blessing to be able to thank Warren
Smith in person. He is such a dear brother in Christ. We
continue to pray for you all. P.M.
(654) Something
to
Think About � Richard Rohr, the New Age, and Young
Evangelical Christians by Lighthouse Trails,
9/25/16 When you consider that Catholic contemplative mystic
Richard Rohr once said in an interview that his
publisher told him his largest audience was young
evangelical Christians, and when you know what Rohr
truly believes in and stands for, how can mature
Christians stand by and say nothing? Our Christian
leaders not only remain quiet on these issues, they help
promote people like Rohr by quoting them in their books
and sermons and then blame traditional biblical
Christianity for being the cause of so many young people
leaving the faith. But young evangelicals (like your
children and grandchildren) are walking away from true
Christianity and into the arms of anti-biblical
emergents because Christian leaders, pastors, colleges,
seminaries, and para-church organizations are pointing
them in that direction.
(655) The
Goal
of Contemplatives: Changing the Consciousness of
Humanity � One Contemplative Prayer After the Next
by Ray Yungen, 9/29/16 Sue Monk Kidd became enamored with contemplative
spirituality while attending a Southern Baptist church.
We could possibly dismiss that and say she was just an
untaught member of the laity who was spiritually lacking
in discernment. Maybe her spiritual dryness was a result
of her not being grounded firmly enough in the faith.
But what about the leaders and pastors whom so many look
up to and who are considered trusted individuals in the
church? Surely they are able to discern what is
spiritually unsound. It seems safe to make this
assumption. Right? Unfortunately, this is no longer the
case.
(656) Letter
to
the Editor: �It truly was a time of departing for me!�
at Lighthouse Trails, 10/3/16 I will be forever grateful to Ray Yungen and this book
for being the instrument God used to open my eyes to
this new/old teaching that is consuming churches
everywhere. Every Christian in America needs to know
about this � even if you�re in a good church. Even good
pastors can be fooled by it because it�s so subtly
deceptive. And it�s absolutely pervasive. It is
everywhere. So arm yourself with knowledge, and A Time
of Departing is a great place to start!
(657) Christian
Leaders
Finally Beginning to Speak Out About Jesus Calling,
Saying: �WE LOVE IT!!� at Lighthouse Trails,
10/15/16 On a fairly new Thomas Nelson web page, the mega
publisher of Jesus Calling has posted a number of
�Endorsements� for Jesus Calling by Christian and other
religious and secular leaders. The list of endorsers
includes: Max Lucado, Roma Downey, Josh Warren (CEO,
Purpose Driven Communications), Mark Batterson (The
Circle Maker author), Melinda Gates (Bill Gates� wife),
Rev. James Martin, SJ (a Jesuit priest), best-selling
author Shauna Niequist, O.S. Hawkins (author of The
Joshua Code and The Jesus Code), Dr. Jack Graham, singer
Sheila Walsch, Dr. and Mrs. Richard Lee (speaker for
�There�s Hope in America television series), Kathy Lee
Gifford, country singer Charlie Daniels, singer Reba
McEntire, James Robison (who works closely with Beth
Moore), Mike Gallagher (from Salem Radio Network),
veteran Christian singer Phil Keaggy, and numerous other
evangelical, Catholic, and secular personalities.
(658) Spiritual
Formation
- A Dangerous Substitute For the Life of Christ
by Lighthouse Trails, 10/31/16 "Sometimes we think of spiritual formation as formation
by the Holy Spirit. Once again. That�s essential. . . .
But now I have to say something that may be challenging
for you to think about: Spiritual formation is not all
by the Holy Spirit. . . . We have to recognize that
spiritual formation in us is something that is also done
to us by those around us, by ourselves, and by
activities which we voluntarily undertake . . .There has
to be method."�Dallas Willard, �Spiritual Formation:
What it is, and How it is". Aside from the fact that
Spiritual Formation incorporates mystical practices into
its infrastructure (remove the contemplative aspect and
you don�t have �Spiritual Formation� anymore), Spiritual
Formation is a works-based substitute for biblical
Christianity.
(659) Christianity
is
Missing Out on Something Vital - Is This True?
by Ray Yungen, 11/17/16 Contemplative advocates propose that there has been
something vital and important missing from the church
for centuries. The insinuation is that Christians have
been lacking something necessary for their spiritual
vitality; but that would mean the Holy Spirit has not
been fully effective for hundreds of years and only now
the secret key has been found that unlocks God's full
power to know Him. These proponents believe that
Christianity has been seriously crippled without this
extra ingredient. This kind of thinking leads one to
believe that traditional, biblical Christianity is
merely a philosophy without the contemplative prayer
element. Contemplatives are making a distinction between
studying and meditating on the Word of God versus
experiencing Him, suggesting that we cannot hear Him or
really know Him simply by studying His Word or even
through normal prayer-we must be contemplative to
accomplish this. But the Bible makes it clear that the
Word of God is living and active and has always been
that way, and it is in filling our minds with it that we
come to love Him, not through a mystical practice of
stopping the flow of thought (the stillness) that is
never once mentioned in the Bible, except in warnings
against vain repetitions in the New Testament and
divination in the Old Testament.
(660) Remembering
the
Enticing Appeal of Richard Foster and Beth Moore’s Be
Still Film by Lighthouse Trails, 11/19/16 In 2006, a DVD film was released by Fox Entertainment
called Be Still. Lighthouse Trails wrote extensively
about it at the time, warning our readers that the DVD
was an infomercial for contemplative prayer. Recently, a
caller who very much understood the deceptive dynamics
of the contemplative prayer (i.e., Spiritual Formation)
movement, reminded us about the film, and we e-mailed
her a copy of all the transcripts (we had transcribed
the entire film in 2006). The film includes Richard
Foster, Buddhist-sympathizer Catholic convert Peter
Kreeft, Dallas Willard, Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer,
Michelle McKinney Hammon, Max Lucado, and Calvin Miller.
(661) Jesus
Calling
Messages Compared to Channeled Spirit Messages (Audio)
by Chris Lawson, 1/2/17 Examining Sarah Young’s “listening prayer�? method and
her own words: - Crafty teachings embraced in Christian churches. - The danger of “channeled�? literature such as God
Calling (Edited by A.J. Russell) - Sarah’s Young claims she was inspired by God Calling
to write her “Christian�? devotional, Jesus Calling. - Destructive heresies, “deceptive words,�? and the
exploitation of Christians in the Christian Marketplace. - Extensive listing of “channeled�? entities, including
various demon spirits named and masquerading as numerous
biblical personalties, including “Jesus.�? - Direct quotes from Sarah Young’s Q&A Interview’
from CBN, and other mentions from Christianity Today. - Damage control for Sarah Young’s “False Christ�?
implemented by the publisher of Jesus Calling. - Direct quotes from The Encyclopedia of New Age
Beliefs and The Donning International [New Age/Occult]
Encyclopedic Psychic Dictionary - explaining “literary
mediumship,�? “listening�? prayer, and “clairaudience�?
- that are virtually identical to Sarah Young’s alleged
contemplative “listening prayer.�? - There are only three options as to what Jesus Calling
really is: (1) personal human delusion, (2) total
deception writing, or (3) spiritistic communication
under the guise of “Jesus Calling.�? - Massive documentation refuting Jesus Calling on the
SRN webpage titled ‘Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling: Another
New Age Jesus’. - Article by Lighthouse Trails Editors titled, ‘About
That Jesus Calling - Ten Things You Might Not Know’. - Mention of numerous New Age metaphysical terms
(buzz-words) found in Jesus Calling, given by Sarah
Young’s “Jesus,�? to Sarah Young. - Will Sarah Young and her publisher who is doing
damage control confess and repent from what they have
done - in plain site! Scriptures in order of mention: 2 Peter 1:12 - 2:3;
Jude 1-4, 24-25; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4, 12-15; Matthew
7:15-23; Psalm 46; Genesis 3:1-5; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 1
John 3:24 - 4:6; Matthew 24:1-3, 11, 23; Matthew 7:1-5,
15-23
(662) The
Real
Roots of the Emergent Church (Video) by Elliot
Nesch, 1/7/17 Because diversity characterizes the Emergent Church
movement, it is difficult to paint everyone in the
movement with a broad brush. Some have observed that
defining the Emergent Church is like nailing jello to a
wall. All participants agree on their disillusionment
with the institutional church, but do not all agree on
where the church is destined to go from here. They share
a common concern with many evangelicals over the state
of the modern church, especially the mega-church
phenomenon and “seeker-friendly�? churches. For this
reason, many evangelicals who observe the Emerging
Church are fascinated by it, drawn to its creative
approaches to worship, genuineness of many of the
leaders and desire to reach Gen Xers. However, these
evangelicals fail to look beyond it to understand its
underlying theology, or lack thereof. This Christian
documentary film The Real Roots of the Emergent Church
will take an honest look at the leaders of the Emerging
Church movement such as Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, Tony
Jones, Rob Bell, Tony Campolo, Steve Chalke, Peter
Rollins, Dan Kimball, Richard Rohr, Phyllis Tickle,
Spencer Burke and others. Who are they and what are they
teaching? Become familiar with the postmodern Emergent
Church and its popular tactic of literary deconstruction
applied to the Bible. This film takes an in-depth look
at what the Emerging Church believes concerning the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Scriptures, absolute truth,
hell, homosexuality, mysticism, contemplative prayer,
other religions, and eschatology in comparison to the
Bible. Much more than candles and couches! Subjects of
this film were contacted for direct interviews. Doug
Pagitt, Tony Jones and others were contacted in April
2011. No response. At a Love Wins book signing, Rob told
us he would be willing to do an interview and to contact
his church which was done several times with no
response. We do not fault them for that knowing they are
all probably very busy people. But for this reason we
have resorted to their own public statements. This film
is our way of joining the conversation. Participants:
Eric Ludy, Joe Schimmel, Chris Rosebrough, Bob DeWaay,
Gary Gilley, Ray Yungen, Robert LeBus, Jay Peters, James
Sundquist.
(663) The
Desert
Fathers and the Methods They Used by Ray
Yungen, 1/9/17 In many ways, the Desert Fathers were like Cain—eager
to please but not willing to listen to the instruction
of the Lord and do what was right. One cannot fault them
for their devotion, but one certainly can fault them for
their lack of discernment.
(664) Mysticism:
Its
Origin and Impact on Contemporary Christian Thought
by Zachary Doppelt, 1/22/17 Within Evangelical Christianity there has been a
resurging interest in the writings of the mystics and
their intuitive approach to God. This has been
noticeable with the growing interest in authors such as
Richard Foster, Henri Nouwen and Thomas Merton, as well
as the leadership of such scholars such as Bruce
Demarest. While many evangelicals may not be familiar
with each of these names, many books being written today
cite these authors as influential, often because these
authors purport a form of deeper spirituality. Sometimes
this spirituality is seated in the emotions and is
predominantly experiential; however for some it is far
more intricate and complex.
(665) Chuck
Swindoll’s
Ministry Says Stop Sending Lighthouse Trails Booklets
by Lighthouse Trails, 1/26/17 Since early 2016, Lighthouse Trails has been sending
out short letters and topical booklets that we publish
to dozens of Christian leaders in America. Thus far, we
have received a few responses, usually short notes from
the ministry office thanking us for sending the
materials. This week, we received an e-mail from Chuck
Swindoll’s ministry telling us to remove him from our
list and to no longer send him materials. The
e-mail stated: Please remove Chuck Swindoll and Insight
for Living Ministries at PO Box 5000, Frisco, Texas
75034, from Lighthouse Trails Publishing’s mailing list.
As a not-for-profit ministry, we strive to use every
penny wisely and imagine that you do too. Because
of the time and effort required to process the huge
amount of correspondence we receive, we respectfully
request that you remove our organization from your
mailing list. This may also help you save some
printing and postage costs. Thank you for taking
the time to update your records. We sincerely
appreciate your prompt assistance with this matter.
While we do not want to be presumptuous in thinking that
busy successful Christian leaders would even want to
give Lighthouse Trails a moment of their time, we do
find it disconcerting (though not really surprising)
that Chuck Swindoll has refused our booklets. Swindoll
is discussed in Lighthouse Trails articles partly
because of a book he wrote titled So You Want to Be Like
Christ: Eight Essential Disciplines to Get You There
(see Ray Yungen’s article below). It’s a sad
state of affairs when leaders have the time to read
Henri Nouwen, Mother Teresa, Richard Foster, and Dallas
Willard, and other contemplative authors but not enough
time to read material that questions the
contemplative prayer movement. Nevertheless, at their
request, we will remove Chuck Swindoll’s name from our
leader’s list. But this does not remove him or other
Christian leaders from being responsible for what they
are doing and teaching or from having to answer one day
to the one Who judges all things. We told Chuck
Swindoll’s office that we would let our readers know of
its request.
(666) A
Time of Departing and New Spirituality Terms - The
Emergent Trojan Horse Has Unloaded Its Cargo! (Audio)
by Chris Lawson, 2/3/17 Terms, concepts and practices you should be aware of
and warned about! For more information please see Ray
Yungen's excellent book entitled A Time of Departing.
Book description at Lighthouse Trails: "A revealing
account of a New Age spirituality that has infiltrated
much of the church today. Exposes the subtle strategies
to compromise the gospel message with Eastern mystical
practices cloaked under evangelical terminology and
wrappings. Topics include: Contemplative Prayer, Yoga,
Labyrinths, Spiritual Directors, Reiki, Desert Fathers,
Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Disciplines, Purpose
Driven and the Emerging Church Book description at
Amazon: "A revealing account of a New Age spirituality
that has infiltrated much of the church today. Exposes
the subtle strategies to compromise the gospel message
with Eastern mystical practices cloaked under
evangelical terminology and wrappings. Topics include:
Contemplative Prayer, Yoga, Labyrinths, Spiritual
Directors, Reiki, Desert Fathers, Spiritual Formation,
Spiritual Disciplines, Purpose Driven, and the Emerging
Church. Some questions this book answers ... What
exactly is contemplative spirituality and how is it New
Age? Who are some of the major proponents of
contemplative prayer and how are their teachings
entering the church? Is Rick Warren s Purpose Driven
paradigm promoting the contemplative prayer movement?
What is wrong with Christian yoga? What is the emerging
church really all about and why is it spiritually
dangerous?"
(667) Evangelical
Universities
& Seminaries Offering Master of Arts in Spiritual
Formation – Going into the Deeper Waters of
Contemplative Spirituality by Lighthouse
Trails, 2/9/17 Over the past decade, while most evangelical colleges,
seminaries, and universities have allowed the influence
of the Spiritual Formation movement into their schools
to one degree or another, not all of them had gone so
far as to create a Master’s Degree program in Spiritual
Formation. In fact, ten years ago, there weren’t that
many schools that had Spiritual Formation degree
programs. But things are changing rapidly. Today, a
large number of the evangelical seminaries and
universities have such degree programs.
(668) Biola
University
Brings in Emergent Speaker for Students, as Pathway to
Apostasy Continues by Lighthouse Trails,
2/28/17 On February 22nd, 2017, Biola University hosted a
one-evening live recording of the renowned public radio
podcast “ON BEING with Krista Tippett.�? During the
event, which was free to attend to all Biola students
and others, Tippett interviewed artist Enrique Martinez
Celaya. Biola, a Christian university, began wandering
into the contemplative/emergent camp many years ago,
particularly via their Spiritual Formation program at
the Talbot School of Theology, but it has now spread
into other areas as well.
(669) Potentially
Harmful
and Dangerous Spiritual Practices (Audio) by
Christ Lawson, 3/3/17 Potentially Harmful and Dangerous Spiritual Practices
Warning About New Age, Holistic, Mystical/Occult
Practices. Spiritual-Research-Network.com See detailed
list of Potentially Harmful and Dangerous Spiritual
Practices. Watch video on Vimeo! I consider
all of the ‘Potentially Harmful and Dangerous Spiritual
Practices’ that I mention (and many more) to have the
potential to be spiritually harmful, if not downright
exceedingly dangerous. I am issuing these warnings
because many New Age, holistic and mystical/occult
spiritual practices we warn about include either one,
two, three—or all four of the following components of
the occult/psychic worldview: Mystical and
supernaturalistic health related methods. Founded on
occult principles. Dangerous forms of occult and
mystical practices. Based on the writings and beliefs
associated with either paganism, spiritism, occultism or
mysticism. Furthermore, many undiscerning Christians and
churchgoers are involving themselves these days with
potentially dangerous and dangerous mystical/occult
practices. Just because something "feels good" or can
bring "healing" does not necessarily mean it is of God -
even if it is found in a church or prayer setting.
(670) William
Paul
Young (THE SHACK AUTHOR) & His Connection with
Panentheist Richard Rohr by Lois Putnam,
3/4/17 LTRP Note: The Shack movie is about to be released.
Millions of Americans will go to theaters to watch the
movie. Most likely, the majority of them will be church
goers and proclaiming Christians since The Shack book is
vetted as a Christian story. Recently, a church
contacted Lighthouse Trails and ordered 300 copies of
Warren B. Smith’s booklet The
Shack
and Its New Age Leaven. If you have family, church
members, pastors, and friends who might be considering
attending this movie, please pick up some copies of the
booklet and pass them out. As you can see from the piece
below by Lighthouse Trails author Lois Putnam, William
Paul Young resonates with panentheists (God is IN all),
and we know from our research that The Shack resonates
with this concept too. Please do what you can to warn
everyone you know. The false “Christ�? of The Shack has
big plans to deceive many. If you can’t afford to buy
the booklet, you can print the content from our blog;
but we believe this very inexpensive booklet is a better
way to go (in a published bound format, it helps give
credibility to the material and the source).
(671) “Shack�?
Author
Paul Young States in Just-Released Book—Christ Is
“In�? Every Single Human Being by Warren B.
Smith, 3/10/17 YOUNG PUBLICLY ENDORSES UNIVERSAL SALVATION In his
just-released book, Lies We Believe About God,
best-selling author Paul Young openly describes himself
as a universalist. In chapter 13, Young would have us
believe it is a “lie�? to tell someone, “You need to get
saved.�?1 Young asks himself the rhetorical questions,
“Are you suggesting that everyone is saved? That you
believe in universal salvation?�?2 He answers, “That is
exactly what I am saying!�?3 Young then goes on to teach
that “every single human being is in Christ�? and that
“Christ is in them.�?
(672) An
Appendix
on the Al Mohler Situation: “The Contemplative
Christian (The Christian of the Future?)�? by
Ray Yungen, 3/18/17 LTRP Note: In view of our recent post on Albert Mohler
who promoted the book The Benedictine Option (a book
that encourages contemplative prayer practices), we are
posting this article by Ray Yungen from his book A Time
of Departing so readers who are unfamiliar with the
contemplative prayer movement can gain better
understanding. Within the evangelical world,
contemplative prayer is increasingly being promoted and
accepted. As a result, it is losing its esoteric aspect
and is now seen by many as the wave of the future. One
can’t help but notice the positive exposure it is
getting in the Christian media these days. In Today’s
Christian Woman, a popular and trusted Christian
magazine, feature titles make the appeal to draw closer
to God. The author of one such article says, “Like a
growing number of evangelicals, I’ve turned to spiritual
direction because I want to know God better.�?1 But
without exception, every person she cites is a dedicated
contemplative, one being Ruth Haley Barton, author of
Invitation to Solitude and Silence. Barton was trained
at the Shalem Institute (founded by panentheist Tilden
Edwards); and in fact, that organization was featured in
the article as a resource for the reader. However,
considering the content of many statements on the Shalem
Institute website, how could Shalem even be listed as a
resource for Christians?
(673) Hillsong
United
promotes New Age Jesus of ‘The Shack’ at
Understand the Times, 3/29/17 This is an excellent article that reveals the true
theology of the popular musical group Hillsong. The fact
that support is shown for "The Shack" shows no biblical
discernment. Sad to say many megachurches embrace both
Hillsong and The Shack as a means of drawing crowds.
(674) Have
You
Heard the Term, “Thin Places�?? by Roger
Oakland, 3/31/17 Mantra-style meditation is actually divination, where
practitioners perform rituals or meditation exercises in
order to go into trances and then receive information
from spiritual entities. Campolo elaborates on the fruit
of mysticism, an atmosphere he calls “the thin place�?:
The constant repetition of his name clears my head of
everything but the awareness of his presence. By driving
back all other concerns, I am able to create what the
ancient Celtic Christians called “the thin place.�? The
thin place is that spiritual condition wherein the
separation between the self and God becomes so thin that
God is able to break through and envelop the soul.1 This
term “thin place�? originated with Celtic spirituality
(i.e., contemplative) and is in line with panentheism.
(675) Our
Daily
Bread (i.e., Radio Bible Class) Still on the
Contemplative/Emergent Path by Lighthouse
Trails, 4/1/17 It was ten years ago that Lighthouse Trails wrote its
first article about Radio Bible Class ministries (now
called Our Daily Bread Ministries). That article shocked
many readers because Radio Bible Class is a ministry
that has been around since 1938 when Dr. Martin DeHaan
founded it in 1938. It has been considered a staple of
Christianity with the highly popular Our Daily Bread
booklets. According to one source, 10 millions copies of
the booklets are published per issue in 37 languages. 1
Our Daily Bread Ministries also has two universities:
Our Daily Bread Christian University and Christian
University GlobalNet. There is also a publishing arm of
Our Daily Bread Ministries, Discovery House, plus radio
and television programs. If you add up the years, the
printings, and the programs, it is safe to say that
Radio Bible Class/Our Daily Bread has influenced
hundreds of millions of people. We’ll get to the point.
When Dr. Martin DeHaan ran the ministry until 1965,
there were no signs that things were amiss. When his son
Richard DeHaan took over running it until 1985, things
did begin to change. But the biggest change (from a
negative point of view) began to take place when
grandson Mart DeHaan began running the ministry. He was
replaced by his brother Rick in 2011, but sadly the
emergent/contemplative focus that came in during Mart’s
watch has remained today as one of our readers reminded
us this month. You can read our previous articles here
to get a recap on what has been taking place.
(676) Letter
to
the Editor: Please Add BiblicalTraining.Org to
Colleges/Schools Promoting Spiritual Formation
(Contemplative Prayer) at Lighthouse Trails,
4/5/17 I have been studying Bill Mounce’s “Basics of Biblical
Greek�? textbook. It is an excellent course of study,
but Mr. Mounce puts a plug for his website
biblicaltraining.org. Though they are a Calvinist-based
ministry, there are some good apologetic things and
history things that I’ve looked at. I was shocked though
when in their Foundations area (designed for new or
young Christians) they have an entire course on
Spiritual Formation. I thought it might just be a bad
choice of words so I checked the syllabus. It turns out
the instructor quotes Richard Foster, Dallas Willard,
and references the “Nine Sacred Pathways.�?
(678) ‘I
Have
Deep Regrets’: Graphic Artist Who Designed ‘Shack’
Novel Renounces Book by Heather Clark,
Christian News, 4/11/19 The graphic artist who helped design the controversial
best-selling novel “The Shack�? has come forward to
express his regret for being a part of the project out
of his concern that it contains false doctrine. “[O]ver
10 years ago, I was captivated by the story and felt
honored to be part of the graphic creation of the book.
I was so drawn into it, wanting to know the God it
portrayed,�? Dave Aldrich of Aldrich Design posted to
social media on Tuesday. “The Shack’s story wonderfully
painted this picture to me of an incredibly knowable and
loving God, one full of forgiveness, but without being
judgmental.�? He said that the novel led him into
reading other authors such as Rob Bell and Brian
McLaren, and he found himself at the edge of accepting
universalist beliefs before he came to realize the
danger. “I thank the Lord that He pulled me back from
that edge,�? Aldrich wrote.
(679) The
Cross
is Barbarity & a Slaughterhouse Religion – So Says
Emerging Church Leaders by Roger Oakland,
4/17/17 Some emerging church leaders do say they love the
Cross, but an underlying theme is gaining momentum among
them. It says Jesus’ going to the Cross was an example
of sacrifice and servanthood that we should follow; but
the idea that God would send His Son to a violent death
for the sins of mankind—well, that is not who God is. A
loving God would never do that! Such a violent act would
make Christianity a “slaughterhouse religion.�?1 Liberal
theologian and pastor of the Riverside Church in New
York City, the late Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969),
believed that the doctrine of the atonement, where
“Jesus suffered as a substitute for us�? because of our
sins, is a “precivilized barbarity.�?2
(680) Why
One
Should Not Glean From Jennifer Kennedy Dean’s Prayer
Studies by Lois Putnam, 4/22/17 On a recent Sunday morning a vivacious older lady stood
in front of a congregation, of what can only be termed a
solid gospel preaching, mission minded church, and
announced to the women that all should sign up for its
newest Bible study program that would begin
shortly. Touting both Set Apart, and Living a
Praying Life she stated that the author –Jennifer
Kennedy Dean–was also part of the National Day of
Prayer. At my seat –I was writing down the
information–for I knew my immediate assignment as a
discerning Christian was, as Acts 17:11 instructs, to
look into Dean to see if all she’s taught and written
stands up to scripture. In short, “Should one
glean or be learning from this writer Jennifer Kennedy
Dean?�? So that very afternoon I began my
investigation. And it wasn’t long into my research
that I found “red flags flying!�? So what
was it that made me know that Dean, and her numerous
books were something that I should not be buying
into, nor following?
(681) The
New
Age World Today’s Children Have Been Born Into
by Berit Kjos, 4/25/17 During a flight delay in Chicago in the late nineties,
I spent my time browsing the airport bookstore near my
terminal. When a young woman next to me picked up a copy
of Conversations With God, the first book in the popular
series by Neale Donald Walsch, I had to ask, “Are you
familiar with that book?�? “A friend told me I should
read it,�? she answered. She then told me she was a
Christian. “But it’s not about Christianity,�? I warned
her. “It may sound good and use a lot of Christian
words, but its message turns God’s truth upside down.�?
She thanked me and put the book back. My thoughts
drifted back to a Christian conference some years
earlier where several publishing house editors had
concluded that the “New Age movement had peaked.�? No
need for more books on that topic, they said, for the
faddish seductions of the “beautiful�? side of evil
would soon fade away.2 They couldn’t have been further
from the truth. While those early blooms of occult
enticements might have peaked in interest among
Christians, the seeds of deception sown during the 1960s
and 1970s had already taken root in well-cultivated soil
across America. Since then, the poisonous fruit
disseminated through The Beatles, Napoleon Hill, Shirley
MacLaine, Marianne Williamson, Hindu gurus, goddess
worshippers, and countless other spiritual advocates of
New Age spirituality has sprouted everywhere—in schools,
churches, movie theaters, television, books, the news
media, and the Internet. Syncretism, mysticism, and a
subjective self-focused spirituality have become the
norm.
(682) The
Shack’s
Universal Papa by Warren B. Smith, 4/30/17 In his book Unshackled, Pastor Larry DeBruyn describes
how William P. Young’s “Papa�? bears a striking
resemblance to “the name, nature, and nurturing
potential�? of this Polynesian Earth goddess Papa.7
Quoting from a source on Hawaiian gods and goddesses,
DeBruyn cites the references they make to the
“comfort,�? “care,�? “guidance,�? and “unconditional
love,�? that are given to people “in times of crisis and
grief�? by this Hawaiian Papa and how her “intervention
instills calming reassurance and healing.�?8 Young seems
to parallel the same script as The Shack story wholly
revolves around the comfort, care, guidance, and
unconditional love that is given by Papa to his main
character, Mack, during his time of crisis and grief—how
Papa’s intervention instills calming reassurance and the
ultimate healing of Mack’s “Great Sadness.�?9
(683) Letter
to
the Editor: AWANA Now Teaching Children to Hear the
Voice of God at Lighthouse Trails, 5/2/17 LTRP Note: Today, the church is “reaping the fruit�? of
nearly 40 years of Spiritual Formation influence (since
Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline was released
in 1978). Lighthouse Trails has warned its readers on a
number of occasions about the direction AWANA children’s
club is going with regard to contemplative spirituality
(i.e., Spiritual Formation) (see links below). In the
following letter to the editor, you can see that AWANA
is now teaching children to “listen to God�? (the goal
in contemplative prayer). We thought AWANA clubs was to
teach children the Word of God through memorization.
Since when did they take it upon themselves to teach
children to listen to God voice? If you have
children or grandchildren who participate in AWANA, we
strongly urge you to examine all AWANA literature and
teaching tools carefully as well as discuss your
concerns with your children’s AWANA leaders and make
sure they understand the dangers of contemplative
spirituality. The big emphasis in today’s church is,
“Hear God’s Voice!�? It’s all about feel-good and
mystical experiences. What a tragedy the focus
isn’t on “Know God’s Word.�? Jesus said, “Sanctify them
through thy truth: thy word is truth�? (John 17:17).
(684) Quantum
Christianity:
Has the gateway to Heaven been discovered? by
Albert James Dager, 5/5/17 New Agers have taken the research into quantum theory,
and in particular string theory, to mean that we are all
part of one big whole—a universal consciousness that is
reflected in the macro world which we perceive as
reality. To them, what we see and experience with our
senses is not true reality; true reality is a tenuous,
vibrating expression of magnetism, light and energy—a
“Force�? that permeates the universe. Some Christians
have taken a cue from New Age quantum spirituality to
suggest that the New Agers are\ correct in many of their
assessments, but that they have merely missed the mark
on the spiritual reality of that “Force�? having
personality—that the Force is “God.�? To New Agers, and
mind-science practitioners, among others, the concept of
“god�? is that of a universal “all mind,�? which
encompasses everything and everyone as “god�?—a form of
pantheism. The study on which we are about to embark
will be found fascinating and even strange—surreal in
many respects. But before we address the
mystical—and articularly the Christian
mystical—beliefs associated with the quantum realm, we
must take a short course in quantum theory.
(685) When
a
Young Girl Meets a Mystic and Is Introduced to Lectio
Divina by Carolyn A. Greene, 5/8/17 LTRP Note: The following is an excerpt from Carolyn A.
Greene’s novel, Castles in the Sand, the first novel
published that addresses the contemplative prayer
(spiritual formation) movement. In this excerpt, the
young Christian Teresa [Tessa], now attending a
Christian college, is in her dorm room, thinking about
her new spiritual director, Ms. Jasmine, who has
promised to teach her students how to enter the “inner
life�? just like the mystics of the past. For Tessa, a
lonely foster girl who lost her parents years earlier in
a tragic accident, this talk of a better, more
fulfilling life was just what she was looking for.
(686) The
Blood
of the Saints by Ray Yungen, 5/12/17 One of the main tenets of New Age thought is peace,
goodwill, and the unity of all humanity. Remember, the
Age of Aquarius is to be the Age of Oneness. In context
with this idea, the New Age term cleansing is quite
disturbing. A number of books make reference to those
who are laggards when the New Age reaches its maturity.
New Age leaders consider these resisters as eventually
the only hindrance in allowing this global oneness to
occur.
(687) “Shack�?
Theology:
Where Is the Devil? by Warren B. Smith,
5/13/17 The Shack’s author, William P. Young, quotes C.S. Lewis
favorably and frequently in his books, but The Screwtape
Letters by Lewis is not one of the books from which he
has quoted. I bring up Lewis, not as an endorsement, but
to point out a discrepancy. The Screwtape Letters is a
novel that presents some of the many ways Christians can
be effectively seduced and deceived by Satan and his
demons—a subject that is completely ignored in The Shack
and in Young’s other books. The discrepancy is that
Young chooses quotes from authors like Lewis to
serve his own personal and theological agenda while
conveniently ignoring writings by the same author that
actually contradict his agenda. The Screwtape Letters is
a perfect example.
(688) Emergent
IF:
Gathering Conference Coming to a Town Near You (Coming
For Your Daughters and Granddaughters)! by
Lighthouse Trails Editors, 5/23/17 Have you heard of the IF: Gathering? If you haven’t,
you most likely will soon enough. The women’s movement
started just a few years ago but is already making some
big inroads into the evangelical scene. On the outer
appearance, this looks like a legitimate Christian
movement – the women who lead and speak at IF: Gathering
are young and vibrant; they talk about Jesus, they go to
church; some of them homeschool their kids—it all looks
so Christian. But underneath this outer thin Christian
layer lies an emergent atmosphere . . . and the target
is your young evangelical daughters and granddaughters.
(689) What
Your
Church Needs to Know Before Doing a Priscilla Shirer
Study by Lighthouse Trails, 6/3/17 This week, our office received a call from a woman who
was concerned that her church is going to be doing a
study using material by Priscilla Shirer. Our caller
wanted to get some information she can show her pastor
as to why her church should not be doing a Priscilla
Shirer study. Because Priscilla Shirer is a
contemplative proponent, we concur with our caller’s
concerns. In John Lanagan’s booklet, Beth Moore
& Priscilla Shirer – Their History of Contemplative
Prayer, Lanagan shows how both Moore and Shirer have
been advocates of contemplative spirituality for quite
some time. In that booklet, and this is what we want to
focus on in this article, Lanagan discusses a woman
named Jan Johnson. Because Priscilla Shirer embraces and
has gleaned spiritually from Johnson, we need to take a
closer look at what Johnson believes.
(690) William
Paul
Young’s Christless “Shack�? by Warren B.
Smith, 6/13/17 According to William P. Young, The Shack was written to
help his “mostly grown children�? understand his
theology—what he believes.5 He describes what he wrote
for them in The Shack as “theology wrapped in story.�?6
But what kind of “theology wrapped in story�? never
names the name of Jesus Christ? What kind of Jesus is he
presenting to his kids and to his millions of readers?
The answer is that he is presenting “another Jesus�? who
is a pantheistic, universal, Christless “Jesus.�? While
the apostle Peter was commended by the Lord Jesus Christ
for recognizing and openly acknowledging Him as “the�?
Christ, William P. Young would not receive that same
commendation. People may love The Shack, but The Shack’s
“Jesus,�? is not Jesus Christ. Whosoever transgresseth,
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.
He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both
the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and
bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your
house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth
him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. (2 John
1:9-11)
(691) Does
Your
Pastor Know That Yoga And Christianity Are Not
Compatible? by Chris Lawson, 6/18/17 LTRP Note: We are hearing more and more reports about
evangelical churches embracing Yoga. If your church is
entertaining the idea of introducing Yoga classes to the
church or if you know of a local church that is doing
this, please give that pastor a copy of this booklet and
ask him to reconsider. To order copies of YOGA and
Christianity – Are They Compatible? in booklet form, click
here. Those churches that welcome Yoga will in
time be drawn in to the “new�? spirituality and away
from God’s Word. This is serious, and there is no time
to waste. If you cannot afford to buy a booklet for a
pastor, e-mail us his name and address, and we will send
it for you at no cost to you. Let’s do what we can to
stop Yoga from entering so many churches. We were told a
story this week about a place of business where the
owners said that all employees had to begin Yoga classes
in order to reduce stress. While one employee who was a
Christian refused to participate, he observed that
eventually two of the non-Christian employees became
Hindu. Shockingly, the owners of the business were
Christians.
(692) Letter
to
the Editor: Former New Age Follower Shares Vital
Information With Her Pastors and Church Leaders
at Lighthouse Trails, 6/21/17 Several years ago, I learned that our church was
planning to do a labyrinth walk. A pattern had
been set up in one of the rooms, and stations were
placed along the path at which to perform rituals and
meditate. From my experience in the New Age prior to
becoming a Christian, I knew this was something
Christians should not be doing. I found
information on the Internet about the background and
purpose of the labyrinth, which I presented to our
pastor. Some years later, I came across Warren Smith’s
book, Deceived on Purpose: The New Age Implications of
the Purpose-Driven Life. It caught my attention,
as our church was studying, The Purpose-Driven Life. As
I read the book, I could see that quotations used were
by New Age or non-Christian people. Also, the
statement that “God is in everything and everyone�? is
not true.
(693) Sad
News
About Charles Stanley’s In Touch Magazine by
Lighthouse Trails, 6/29/17 Lighthouse Trails has watched in dismay over the past
few years as Charles Stanley’s In Touch magazine has
made the decision to promote contemplative/emergent
names. When our editors picked up a copy of the August
2013 issue and saw a feature article written by Jonathan
Wilson-Hartgrove, we decided to call In Touch Ministries
to find out who was responsible for the content in the
magazine. Sadly, the response we received from the
editorial department at In Touch left us with a sinking
feeling that the evangelical church has been seduced and
there was no turning back.
(694) Dear
Ladies—Are
You a Discerning One or a Deceived One? by
Lois Putnam, 7/8/17 “Yet Another One—An Undiscerning Believer—Is Being
Deceived!�? Not long ago a dear friend wrote me an
e-mail that she titled: “Yet Another One.�? In her
note she wrote that a former pastor’s wife had just
messaged many on Facebook touting “Jesus
Calling.�? Now this seasoned pastor’s wife
seemed to have absolutely no clue or discernment that
there were any problems with Sarah Young’s devotional
Jesus Calling. Sadly, she had never read Warren
Smith’s classic critique: Another Jesus Calling.
(695) Sorceries
or
Salvation—Which Will It Be? by Ray Yungen,
7/10/17 Salvation is having personal faith and trust in the
person and finished work (sacrifice) of the Lord Jesus
Christ. We have “peace with God�? (Romans 5:1), are
“forgiven�? (Ephesians 5:4), and are “reconciled�? to
God (2 Corinthians 5:18) only by Him. That’s where our
faith or trust is to be directed. The notion of
achieving Christ consciousness (as offered in the New
Age) is just not compatible with being redeemed by
Christ’s precious blood. The two just don’t mix.
(696) Shack
Author
Says “ I Want to Be More Like Oprah�? by
Warren B. Smith, 7/15/17 Oprah Winfrey interviewed Shack author William Paul
Young on July 9, 2017 on her Super Soul Sunday
television program that was broadcast on her OWN
network. Young and Oprah appeared to be like two peas in
a New Age pod as they talked of child abuse, traded
spiritual quips, and seemed to continually marvel at the
other’s brilliant insights. At one point midway in their
conversation, Young answered his own rhetorical question
regarding where Jesus dwells—he stated that “Jesus
dwells in our hearts.�? His quick, authoritative
response was consistent not only with Oprah’s
longstanding New Age beliefs but also with The Shack’s
“Jesus�? who presented this same New Age heresy when he
stated that God “dwells in, around, and through all
things.�? This false teaching is the foundational
teaching of the New Age/New Spirituality/New World
Religion. The Bible is very clear that God is not “in�?
everyone and everything.
(697) David
Jeremiah:
“Appreciates Sarah Young and Jesus Calling�?
by Amy Spreeman, Berean Examiner, 7/16/17 Pastor David Jeremiah recently worked with
JesusCalling.com to produce a podcast titled, Keeping
Hope In A Darkened World. In addition to promoting his
new book, the pastor also promoted Sarah Young, the
author of the Jesus Calling books, studies, devotionals,
calendars, and coloring book. The transcript of the
interview regarding his admiration for the multi-million
dollar Jesus Calling empire is as follows: Narrator: “As
a pastor and a teacher, Dr. Jeremiah advocates daily
prayer and scripture reading. He appreciates how Sarah
Young has helped many with their prayer lives through
the words of Jesus Calling.�? Dr. Jeremiah: “When I read
Sarah’s work, it’s pretty obvious to me why it’s been so
highly regarded and received. She makes prayer very
personal. Sometimes prayer isn’t personal, sometimes
prayer can be very cold and empty. Maybe that’s why a
lot of people have a hard time sustaining any kind of a
prayer ministry. What Sarah has done has made it
possible for people to say, “I talked to God today…I
communicated with my Father.�? That’s what prayer is
supposed to be and she has moved the ball down the field
quite aggressively in that direction.�?
(698) Letter
to
the Editor: Even Good Churches Being Affected by
Contemplative Authors at Lighthouse Trails,
7/25/17 Dear Lighthouse Trails, I visited a church in my area
for the first time today. When I looked online at the
church’s doctrines before my visit, the doctrines looked
very biblically sound. The church’s site clearly states
that the pastor preaches from the Bible verse by verse,
and he did. With all of the faithfulness to the Word of
God that I observed, I was very surprised to glance at
some bookshelves, which was the church library for this
small church, and see one of Dallas Willard’s books on
the shelf! I didn’t get a chance to look through the
other books, but I wish I had now for the purposes of
this letter. The pastor even attended Bob Jones
University, which I know you have listed as not being
contemplative. These contemplative books clearly seem to
be getting into the hands of pastors and Christians
everywhere. A pastor’s seminary and even an individual’s
denomination doesn’t seem to dictate who is reading
them. As I was thinking about my experience today and
doing some research on your site, I found this list of
The Top 50 “Christian�? Contemplative Books – A “NOT
RECOMMENDED Reading List�? and 25 Christian “Bridgers�?
to Them and am planning to share this list with the
pastor from the church I visited today and others. I
pray that more Christians will realize that many popular
authors and teachers are leading the church toward a
new, mystical spirituality and away from traditional,
biblical Christianity. I pray that Christians will take
heed, compare every teaching and practice of men to the
Word of God, and warn others so that more know will know
what is happening today within the Church.
(699) Guest
Commentary
on Andy Stanley’s Sermon: “Speaking the Way the First
Century Christians Did�? - Guest Commentary by
Don Jasmin, Fundamental Baptist Ministries, 8/4/17 Let’s truly speak like the first century Christians
spoke, not like Andy Stanley and the worldly emergent
Christians and the New-Evangelical imitators do today.
In Acts chapter two, the Apostle Peter preached a
classic sermon dealing with the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ based on Ps. 16:8-11, where he spoke
“freely�? about David’s decease—Acts 2:29—and Christ’s
resurrection—Acts 2:30-36.
(700) Yoga
-
The Bare Facts by Bayith Ministries, 8/12/17 An email discussion in seven parts: (1) Introduction;
(2) Basic Yoga Theory; (3) Yoga and the Brain; (4)
Warnings from Yogis; (5) Western Yoga and Kundalini; (6)
A Kundalini Testimony; (7) Some Conclusions.
(701) SHACK
THEOLOGY:
Universalism, TBN, Oprah, and the New Age (Booklet)
by William B. Smith, 8/17/17 I have written a number of short articles pertaining to
The Shack and its author William P. Young. My intention
has been to shed some light on the leaven of
universalism that is at the heart of the book’s often
errant theology. This booklet presents seven of these
articles.
(702) Is
Your
Child or Grandchild Heading to Christian College This
Fall? – 9 Things You Should Do Before He Goes
by Lighthouse Trails, 8/18/17 Fall is quickly approaching, and by now, if you have a
child or grandchild who is going to attend Christian
college this year, he or she is most likely enrolled and
ready to go. As Lighthouse Trails has reported over the
last several years, the majority of
evangelical/Protestant colleges, seminaries, and
universities are now, to varying degrees, integrating
contemplative spirituality and emerging ideologies into
the lives of their students. With this in mind, you
might consider doing the following nine things so that
you and your child can know what to expect in that
school and how to deal with it:
(703) Pressing
On
Through It All (Book) by Warren B. Smith,
8/19/17 Dangers of Inner Healing, Visualization, Guided Imagery
and Occultism - From a teaching given the 2016 Sanctuary
Conference titled, The Christianising of Occult
Techniques
(704) Taizé
Worship
– Growing in Popularity, But Roots Are in Mystical
Monasticism by Chris Lawson, 8/28/17 The worship practiced at Taizé has attracted many
people from around the globe and from many different
denominations. While many of the words found in Taizé
worship music are words found in Scripture or words that
do not necessarily contradict Scripture, the Taizé songs
and worship services themselves are centered around
contemplative, ecumenical, and oftentimes emergent
spirituality themes. The emphasis is not on the teaching
or exhortation of the Word of God but rather is to help
participants “experience�? God through sensory-focused
music and singing.
(705) Prairie
Bible
Institute: A Rose By Any Other Name OR A Deception By
Any Other Name – It’s All the Same at
Lighthouse Trails, 9/4/17 Lighthouse Trails has researched and reported on
Prairie Bible Institute a number of times over the past
several years (e.g. our article: “COLLEGE ALERT: Letters
to Lighthouse Trails Prove Prairie Bible Institute
(Alberta) Has Gone Emergent�?) And even though school
leadership has, at times, insisted they were not
contemplative or emergent, every time we have observed
them, we have come to the same conclusion – that’s
exactly what they are. “Christian Formation�? is just
another term for Spiritual Formation or Spirituality. It
is rooted in contemplative spirituality. In Prairie’s
description for the Christian Formation program, it says
students will: “Engage with Christians of the past that
have thought deeply about Christian growth and
formation�? (emphasis added). Which Christians of the
past? (Or the present?) We can gain some insight into
who PBI is turning to for spiritual guidance by looking
at PBI’s current textbook list for 2017. These may or
may not be books being used in PBI’s Christian Formation
program, but they are books being used in the school.
One thing we’ve learned over the years, when a
school is immersed in contemplative spirituality, it
isn’t just in the Spiritual Formation program; rather,
it is integrated throughout the school.
(706) The
First
and Final Deception by Berit Kjos, 9/9/17 We need to show our children how to be in the world but
not of the world. We can be God’s ambassadors in an
increasingly corrupt land, but we cannot allow its
darkness to quench His light in us. We can demonstrate
God’s concern for the poor, but we can’t compromise with
a counterfeit social gospel and New Age solutions.
(707) Popular
Books
That Introduce Children to the Occult and 5 Steps You
Can Take to Protect Your Kids (Booklet) by
Berit Kjos, 9/10/17 God’s enemy fights as hard as ever to win the hearts
and loyalties of our children—and he has added all kinds
of high-tech tools to his arsenal. To resist his
strategies, they first need to understand them and have
in their hearts the Word of God. That’s why God told His
people long ago to base all conversation on His
unchanging truth and to teach His truth diligently to
our children (see Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Everything we say
must reflect the reality of God—His love, His
omnipotence, His promises, and His warnings. To prove
that our God is far greater than the plethora of
alternatives that are out there, our lives must
demonstrate faith in the midst of difficulties and His
triumph in the midst of turmoil. This is possible, not
by our own strength, but by His power and grace. Then,
seeing His greatness, children learn to trust His
promises.
(708) Wm.
Paul
Young Teaches New Age Lie About Separation on TBN
by Warren B. Smith, 9/23/17 Invoking a vision that was reputedly given by God to
friend and fellow author C. Baxter Kruger, Young
described this alleged lie as the “lie of separation.�?
But as a former New Ager, I recognized what Young was
calling the “lie of separation�? was in and by itself a
lie. What he was teaching had nothing to do with
biblical Christianity and everything to do with the
false teachings of the New Age/New Spirituality/New
World view. In fact, what Young was attempting to convey
to countless TBN viewers was the same thing I had been
taught and was teaching when I was in the New Age—that
there is “no separation�? between God and creation
because God is “in�? everyone and everything.
(709) On
Christian
Mysticism: A Conservative Evangelical Perspective
(Book) by Bruce Norman MacPherson, 10/5/17 Many Christians are "climbing over the fence" to reach
intimacy with God but are in severe danger because they
are entering the dark realm of mysticism. It is the
wrong path and will not lead to God. It looks enticing,
but stop! Don't go there! Christian mysticism is a
cancer subtly invading Christianity, and it needs to be
unmasked. This book is a call to a return to basic
Christianity! To Christian Formation that is truly
rooted in the Bible.
(710) Don’t
Be
Afraid to Speak Up – A Woman Whose Friend Pulled Her
From the Fire by Mary, 10/6/17 LTRP Note: The following story was submitted by a
Lighthouse Trails reader and was written by her friend
who just passed away. We are posting it as an
exhortation to those who feel discouraged in trying to
talk to friends, family, and church members about
spiritual deception. We must pray to the Lord for
courage and never think it’s better to remain silent
when someone we know is heading in the wrong direction
spiritually. Had it not been for an “outspoken�? friend,
Mary might not be with the Lord today.
(711) Meditation’s
Role
in the End of the Age by Ray Yungen, 10/10/17
Throughout my Christian life I have periodically heard
fellow Christians suggest we are in the last days. Often
these comments were initiated from current cases of
violent crimes, sexual perversions, war, or natural
disasters. Since I knew history had repeatedly
encountered these calamities, such predictions of
Christ’s imminent return rang hollow. However, in 1984 I
had an unexpected encounter that changed my entire
outlook. A newfound friend educated me about the New Age
movement and its end-times implications. After a period
of investigation, I came to believe this could very well
be the time period the book of Revelation showcases.
Instead of a vague and obscure manifestation of
prophecy, I saw something distinct and pervasive
happening in our churches and society. And incredibly
enough, this shift has been predicted from both sides of
the struggle.
(712) The
Impact
of Practical Mystics versus Cults by Ray
Yungen, 10/14/17 Evangelical scholar David L. Smith correctly assessed
the powerful, yet subtle, impact New Age spirituality is
having on society when he made the following
observations: Not since Gnosticism at the dawn of the
Christian era has there arisen a philosophy as pervasive
and threatening to orthodox Christianity as the New Age
movement . . . It would be difficult to find any area of
life, which has not been touched or redirected to some
degree by the concepts of this movement.1 Smith
recognizes that, rather than just a small segment, the
overall social fabric of society is being impacted. This
movement has clearly evolved well past the subculture
stage into something much more dynamic and
sophisticated. This stunning change has been brought
about by the rise of a new breed of mystic—one that
presents mysticism as a complement to secular goals and
one that is adept at easing the public’s natural impulse
to reject the strange and unfamiliar.
(713) Revealing
Quotes
by Influential Contemplatives at Lighthouse
Trails, 10/15/17 These revealing quotes are from well-known figures who
have significantly influenced the religious landscape in
today’s culture. Sadly, they have helped to mislead
millions with their promotion of contemplative prayer (a
mystical, panentheistic-rooted practice).
(714) Lighthouse
Trails
Sends Out 6th Letter to 160 Christian Leaders
by Lighthouse Trails, 10/24/17 On October 23rd, Lighthouse Trails sent out the 6th
letter plus two booklets to 160 influential Christian
leaders in the evangelical camp. We began mailing out
short letters and Lighthouse Trails booklets in February
2016 to a list that started with 100 names. To learn
more about this project, click here to read the first
letter we sent out. To see our current list in PDF,
click here. Not all the names in the list are those in
deception. This list has a variety of persuasions within
the evangelical camp. We are compelled to send each of
these people specific information on various important
issues that are basically not being addressed in the
church today. If you have a name and mailing address of
an influential pastor, author, or leader whom you would
like us to add to our list, you can e-mail that to
editors@lighthousetrails.com and we will include him or
her on the next mailing. We must have a good mailing
address (only U.S. addresses at this time) to add a name
to the list. If you print the leaders list, please
consider praying that some of these individuals may
understand the urgency of our warning.
(715) On
Meditation:
What it is. . .by W.H. Griffith-Thomas,
10/31/17 In light of the contemplative spiritual movement’s
influence over evangelicalism among its publishers,
educational institutions, churches and pastors, this
writing by Dr. Griffith-Thomas is reproduced. From
Scripture he informs seekers about what meditation is.
In discussion about contemplative spiritually many of us
have warned, and justifiably so, about the dangers of
meditation and what contemplation is not. Yet in this
chapter titled “Meditation�? written a century ago,
Thomas in his book Grace and Power reminds seeking
readers about what Godly meditation is. Read this and be
blessed!
(716) “God’s
Dream�?
– From the “Jesus�? of Jesus Calling – A Deceptive
Scheme by Warren B. Smith, 11/2/17 Consistent with many other New Age implications
contained in her channeled messages, Sarah Young’s
“Jesus�? introduces the New Age idea of “God’s Dream�?
in Jesus Calling when he states: I may infuse within you
a dream that seems far beyond your reach.1 In Jesus
Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids, the January 6th
message/devotion is titled—and has “Jesus�? telling the
children—“Dare to Dream My Dream.�?2
(717) Labyrinths
Have
Found Their Place in the Christian Church by
Lighthouse Trails, 11/5/17 We received the top two photos this week from a reader.
Below that are photos of various labyrinths in churches
across North America. We have posted these, not to
single out these particular churches, but rather to show
examples of how many denominations have now incorporated
the contemplative mystical practice of walking the
labyrinth. And this is only showing some of the churches
that have labyrinths on site. There are countless
churches, ministries, and denominations that may not
necessarily have labyrinths on site, but pastors and
leaders encourage their congregations or followers to
use them (e.g., the Reformed Church of America), or they
encourage their congregations to visit retreat centers
that have them. Carl Teichrib has written an
excellent article/booklet on labyrinths that is worth
the read.
(718) What
You
Need to Tell Your Local Public School Officials About
Children and Mindfulness Meditation by
Lighthouse Trails, 11/15/17 Today we received a call from a concerned woman who
found out that a local public school was about to
introduce mindfulness meditation to children at the
school. She called the school and has been granted a
5-minute time slot at an upcoming school meeting to
explain why the school should not teach mindfulness
meditation to children. During our phone conversation
with the concerned woman, we developed a short outline
of how to address this issue with school officials.
Meditation (and Yoga) will soon be practiced in most
public schools in America. Whether you have children at
a public school or not, do what you can to help prevent
your own local public school from incorporating
meditation into the lives of the children. And keep in
mind, it’s just a matter of time before Christian
schools will be introducing mindfulness meditation and
Yoga as well. We know this because the condition of
today’s North American Christianity is of such a nature
that Christians are being persuaded to go along with the
culture; and, of course, with contemplative meditation
so prevalent in the church, Christians are being
conditioned to accept all forms of New Age meditation.
(719) Reiki
in
the Church! – Is Disciples of Christ An Indicator of
Things to Come for the Evangelical Church? by
Lighthouse Trails, 11/17/17 The denomination, Disciples of Christ (aka The
Christian Church or The Disciples) is a mainstream
evangelical group that has ties with the World Council
of Churches and is known for its ecumenical efforts. But
even though one would expect to find a liberal, emerging
viewpoint within the denomination, it came as a surprise
to us to learn that the group has some strong ties to
the occultic practice called Reiki, which is a form
of New Age “energy healing.�? Is this connection
to Reiki an indicator of what is to come for the
evangelical church?
(720) Mysticism
Takes
the Place of Christianity – Hostility Against
Believers Will Grow by Lighthouse Trails,
12/2/17 This week, two items on the Internet were brought to
our attention, both of which may seem to be unrelated to
each other but in actuality have a connection that we
find to be an eerie reminder of the days in which we
live. The first item is a Tweet written earlier this
week by Lynne Hybels (wife of the mega church founder of
Willow Creek, Bill Hybels). The Tweet stated: 25 yrs ago
I lost the Christianity of my youth. Found a deeper
faith embracing silence, centering prayer, doubt,
mystery, Jesus. Recognized my own deep brokenness &
moved toward the brokenness of the world. 25 yrs later,
the world’s overwhelming pain pushes me again into
silence. As many of you may know, Lynne Hybels is part
of the emergent church and someone who has proven
herself to be against the nation of Israel. If someone
were to ask us what are two of the main characteristics
of the emerging church, we would say mysticism and an
anti-Israel sentiment.
(721) Theology
to
Justify Abortion by Pastor Jim Jenkins,
12/3/17 The occasion for my controversial remarks to a group of
pastors happened shortly after the grand opening of the
new Planned Parenthood facility in Eugene, Oregon. The
mayor (the former head of the local Planned Parenthood
organization) had been effusive in her praise of the
work of Planned Parenthood. The ceremony was replete
with all the trappings one might expect at the opening
of a hospital or new school. So a few days later, when I
was attending the monthly meeting of the district
pastors in the denomination I served for over thirty
years, I brought up the very troubling article that was
featured in the Register Guard newspaper titled “Local
Clergy Persons Christen New Planned Parenthood
facility.�?[3] There was a picture of joined hands
obviously belonging to clergy bedecked in clerical robes
and, yes, they did in fact have some form of liturgical
rite to “bless the ground�? of a building that would be
used to facilitate termination of babies. When I voiced
my concern to my fellow pastors about “christening�?an
abortion facility, nearly every one of them began to
squirm and divert their eyes from me. The message was
clear. “Don’t go there… Let’s talk about something
else.�? I then described what actually takes place in
late term abortions, and not a few of my colleagues gave
a look that said, “It’s inappropriate and I am offended
that you would bring this up.�?
(722) New
Age
Jesus Calling "Messages" Received via Sarah Young's
Contemplative Prayer Method - This is Identical to
Passive, Telepathic-Psychic Literary Mediumship!
by Chris Lawson, 12/16/17 This eleven part audio series by Chris Lawson is being
broadcast from Atascadero, California on Radio Refuge
throughout the months of November and December.
Each episode is ten minutes in length and includes a
short content overlap to assist new listeners. This
message is also available under the title Sarah Young’s
Jesus Calling Messages Compared to Spirit Channeled
Messages Note for Jesus Calling devotional
readers: This series includes direct quotes from Jesus
Calling author Sarah Young, from her personal interviews
with news correspondents, which are then compared to
definitions from The Donning International Encyclopedic
Psychic Dictionary (June G. Bletzer, Ph.D.).
(723) It's
Christmas!
“Harry Potter�? Visits “The Shack�? at
Herescope, 12/20/17 Looks like the concept of “god�? in the book and movie
The Shack is spreading.[1] Fiction and fantasy have
merged. J.K. Rowling, author of the occult Harry Potter
series of books, popular reading among even many
Christians, has announced that like The Shack, she
believes “God is a Black Woman.�?[2] (Rowling’s
declaration, as well as The Shack‘s fiction, reminds me
of The Black Madonna.)[3] Both Rowling and Wm. Paul
Young write from a worldview where almost anything or
anyone, even God, can be imagined to be whatever
mythmakers want or need her/him/them to be; kind of like
Christmas, upon a whim, when we wish upon a star, Christ
can become Claus. From Disneyworld to Star Wars, magic
creates myths.
(724) Letter
to
the Editor: Removed Children From 4-H After Flyer
Arrives Announcing Mindfulness for 4-H by
Lighthouse Trails, 1/18/18 “The more you practice mindfulness, the easier it will
be to be mindful when you are in a stressful
situation.�? – 4-H club flyer, 2018 (Kentucky) Dear
Lighthouse Trails: Recently, we took our young children
out of 4 -H and not too soon!! I have attached the flyer
that came out this weekend to every family here
[Kentucky] involved in 4-H. Keep in mind that this is
elementary age children! In case it didn’t come through,
it’s an entire flyer telling/teaching the children how
to practice “mindfulness “ . . .
(725) Contemplative
Prayer
or the Holy Spirit – It Can’t Be Both by Ray
Yungen, 1/19/18 Sue Monk Kidd (author of The Secret Life of Bees)
became enamored with contemplative spirituality while
attending a Southern Baptist church. We could possibly
dismiss that and say she was just an untaught member of
the laity who was spiritually lacking in discernment.
Maybe her spiritual dryness was a result of her not
being grounded firmly enough in the faith. But what
about the leaders and pastors whom so many look up to
and who are considered trusted individuals in the
church? Surely they are able to discern what is
spiritually unsound. It seems safe to make this
assumption. Right? Unfortunately, this is no longer the
case.
(726) Letter
to
Editor: Pastor Studying at Christian College in Maine
Discouraged by Lack of Discernment at
Lighthouse Trails, 1/23/18 Note to Lighthouse Trails: As a pastor, I decided to go
back to seminary for some extra courses that were
offered at a Christian college in Maine as the price was
right. I shortly noticed very real problems when one
course was using a book authored by a Catholic apologist
(unsaved), and this was the only book that was to be
used. There was no response when I brought up the issue.
The second course was on theology, who’s teacher
apparently had Masters degrees in many areas of religion
but had no knowledge of contemplative spirituality or
anything else going on in the churches today. When I
approached him to warn him of his using material by
several of these authors (e.g., Brian McLaren, Andy
Stanley) etc., he brushed me off as a simple laymen
pastor who knows nothing. Sad to think of how far back
this country has fallen, but even more sad at the lack
of discernment in our seminaries and our churches.
(727) Moody
Publishers
in 1995 Drops “The Light That Was Dark�? by Warren B.
Smith – Says New Age Not An Issue Anymore by
Lighthouse Rails, 2/11/18 In 1992, Moody Publishers published Warren B. Smith’s
autobiography, The Light That Was Dark. The book
chronicled Warren’s years in the New Age movement and
then he and his wife (Joy) becoming believers in Jesus
Christ. While The Light That Was Dark was selling well
amidst Warren being interviewed on over 250 radio and
television shows (interestingly only one by Moody),
three years after the book was released, Moody pulled
the book off the market telling Warren that the New Age
was not an issue any longer.* That was 27 years ago.
Fast forward to today – and where is Moody Publishers
and the church at large in relation to the New Age
movement that Moody said was no longer an issue that
needed to be addressed in the church?
(728) Bad
News
for Gaither Followers – Gloria Gaither Praises New Age
Teachers Sue Monk Kidd and Richard Rohr by
Lighthouse Trails, 2/17/18 Gloria Gaither is the author of many influential songs
including “There’s Something About That Name.�? She
writes glowing reviews of the two books listed below.
One by Richard Rohr, a Roman Catholic priest and the
other by Sue Monk Kidd who believes herself to be a
goddess. These book reviews are from Bill & Gloria
Gaither’s Homecoming Magazine website.
(729) Would
Jesus
Magnify His Presence Above His Word? by Warren
B. Smith, 2/20/18 In Jesus Calling, “Jesus�? promotes the experience of
his presence above God’s Word. Psalm 138:2 tells us: I
will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name
for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast
magnified thy word above all thy name. (emphasis added)
Because God has magnified His Word above His name, this
lets us know we will never experience His presence in
any way that is not totally consistent with the truth of
His Word.
(730) Exposing
the
Quantum Lie – God is NOT in Everyone! at
Lighthouse Trails, 2/22/18 Four video preview clips (each about 10 minutes long)
taken from Bob DeWaay and Warren B. Smith’s lecture
series, Exposing the Quantum Lie: God is NOT in
Everything. This profound, insightful, and biblical
material is absolutely vital to understanding what is
happening in the church today. You can get the entire 4
lectures at the Lighthouse Trails store. It’s on sale
now too and contains about 4 hours of lecture material
by Smith and DeWaay.
(731) Many
Just
Now Learning About the Dangers of Spiritual Formation
by Lighthouse Trails Editors, 3/16/18 Today, our office received a phone call from a woman
who had signed up through her church (with her husband)
to take a college course from a local Christian
seminary. The course is being held at her church and is
on Spiritual Formation. The woman said she was
unfamiliar with what Spiritual Formation was when she
started the course, but from the pastor’s description of
what the course would be about, it sounded like a good
thing. However, as she began reading the required
textbooks (by Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and Eugene
Peterson), she grew increasingly uncomfortable and
concerned. A search on the Internet for some of the
terms and ideas being used led her to Lighthouse Trails.
(732) “Father
of
the New Age Movement�? – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin –
on List of “40 Influential Christian Books�?
by Lighthouse Trails, 3/19/18 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, often called the “Father of
the New Age movement,�? is on a list of “40 influential
Christian books�? on two popular Christian news sites,
The Christian Post and The Christian Examiner. The
article, which provides the list, states: Every
thoughtful Christian can probably appreciate these 40
volumes in the journey to grow into a deeper
understanding of life and existence through the Bible. .
. . These books have influenced countless Christians
across vast periods of time. Along with Chardin’s name
are other New Age/panentheist-promoting names such as
Brennan Manning, Matthew Fox, Henri Nouwen, and Pope
Francis.* Any discerning “thoughtful Christian�? will
understand the implications of Chardin’s and these other
names being on a list that purports to represent
Christianity and influence “countless Christians.�?
(733) Emergent
Eschatology:
The Road to Paradise Imagined by Bob DeWaay,
4/6/18 After publishing my book1 about the Emergent Church, I
attended an Emergent conference in Chicago, where Dr.
Moltmann spoke to his dedicated following—250 Emergent
leaders. One such follower, Danielle Shroyer, had
published a book about his theology, describing it as
"neo-Hegelian, panentheistic, universalism."2 The front
cover of the book contains an endorsement by Moltmann.
Interacting with various Emergent leaders confirmed how
foundational Moltmann's theology and its unique
eschatology is to their movement. By attending
that conference and hearing Moltmann in person I
verified what is contained in this chapter. He did teach
universalism. He does teach a cosmic reconciliation of
all things to God without a future, cataclysmic
judgment. As I show in the following research, G. W. F.
Hegel's philosophy includes the idea that all
contradictions must synthesize into a progressively
better world. Those who follow this idealistic
philosophy claim that it is not necessary to choose
between theism and atheism because the synthetic
reconciliation will happen no matter what. They believe
it is built into the very being of the cosmos. We can
either help it along or hinder it, but it will happen.
(734) Understanding
Paul’s
Appeal at Mars Hill – And How the Emerging
Interpretation Really Got it Wrong by Mike
Oppenheimer, 4/14/18 Editors Note: Today, it is common to hear the argument
that since Paul quoted pagan poets in Acts 17, it’s OK
for Christians to quote those who teach false doctrine.
Adherents of the emerging church and contemplative
spirituality have basically turned Acts 17 into a
license for a free-for-all kind of “I can quote anybody
I like, because Paul did�? attitude. In this
article/booklet, Mike Oppenheimer takes a close look at
this section of Scripture to see if this is really the
example Paul was setting and also shows, on the grander
scale, the outcome of practices where the Gospel is
being diffused and Christianity is being absorbed into
the beliefs of a particular culture.
(735) The
Conscious
Discipline Program’s Link to A Course in Miracles and
Mindful Meditation by Lois Putnam, 4/15/18 Conscious Discipline, the creation of Dr. Becky A.
Bailey, is a program used in hundreds of educational
settings the world over–Head Start, private schools, day
cares, Montessori schools, Christian schools, public
schools and more. This discipline program loudly touts
its shift from a reliance on “fear to love,�? and from
“punishing to teaching.�? Shockingly, this seemingly
wonderful program is filled with principles and
teachings directly out of the New Age “Bible�? — A
Course in Miracles!
(736) Oneness
vs.
Separation Heresy “Now�? in the Church (Bookelt)
by Warren B. Smith, 4/23/18 On the March 12, 2017 episode 5 of Trinity Broadcast
Network’s long running Restoring The Shack television
series, Shack author Wm. Paul Young stated that it is a
“lie�? to believe that God is “separate�? from His
creation.2 Invoking a vision that was reputedly given by
“God�? to friend and fellow author C. Baxter Kruger,
Young described this alleged lie as the “lie of
separation.�? But as a former New Ager, I recognized
what Young was calling the “lie of separation�? was in
and of itself a lie. What he was teaching had nothing to
do with biblical Christianity and everything to do with
the deceptive anti-christ teachings of the New Age/New
Spirituality/New Worldview. What Young was attempting to
convey to countless TBN viewers was the same thing I had
been taught when I was a part of the New Age
movement—that there is “no separation�? between God and
creation because God is “in�? everyone and everything.
But God is not “in�? everyone and everything.3
(737) About
the Occult concepts and practices in the church
by Mike Oppenheimer, 4/28/18 Both Helena Blavatsky and Alice Baily spoke of a
universal church, a church that would come under the
masters teachings and practices at the end of the 20th
century, This would be done through the disciples who
are following these (ascended) masters. “towards the
close of this century … This Church will be nurtured
into activity by the Christ and His disciples when the
outpouring of the Christ principle, the TRUE second
Coming has been accomplished�? (Alice Bailey, The
Externalization of the Hierarchy, Lucis Publishing. p.
69.) The Jesus of this counterfeit spirituality, a
universal church is one of the masters, he as an
enlightenened soul became god like all the masters. He
teaches others to become masters. Anyone who supports
this concept shows they have a flawed view of God, they
have a complete misunderstanding of the eternal one, the
creator. How do you worship God in truth if you believe
that you are gods too? Scripture tells us man is NOT
God.
(738) Letter
to
the Editor: Yoga/Qi Gong Meditation Practices Took Her
Away From Christ by Vanessa, 4/30/18 After 1-2 years of practicing “chair yoga,�? attempts
at meditation (it didn’t work for me), and a Chinese
practice called qi gong . . . I completely turned my
back on ANY Christian ways I might have had! I quit
Bible reading, study, most praying; my Christian life
just disappeared. These two life views CANNOT be done
together—either you’re a New Ager involved in stuff like
this or a Christian; you cannot be both . . . I should
know (having gone through this before). Recently, I
disavowed my Yoga/qi gong practices and “went home�? to
be a sheep in HIS Pasture . . . My spirit is at peace
again. Yoga/qi gong takes OVER your mind, body and
spirit.
(739) Jesus
Calling,
Contemplative Prayer, the New Age, and Psalm 46:10
by Warren B. Smith, 5/17/18 Countless references to meditating, being quiet, being
still, relaxing, resting, letting go, and reciting Psalm
46:10 are found throughout God Calling and Jesus
Calling. They are all suggested ways of entering into
“the silence�? to experience God’s presence. The New
Age/New Spirituality likewise places great emphasis on
these same ways of entering the silence in order to
experience God’s presence. The reason so much emphasis
has been put on stillness and invoking Psalm 46:10 in
the New Age/New Spirituality is because stillness has
provided a “channel�? for supernatural communication.
What I came to realize years ago was that the silence
allowed deceptive spirits to establish contact with
those of us who were naïve and undiscerning
“listeners.�? The conditions of stillness, openness, and
receptivity were ideal for deceptive spirits to inject
ungodly thoughts and understandings into our minds. And
now the same thing is going on in the church which sees
no need to test the spirits.
(740) Why
Jesus
Is No Longer the Only Way for Many American Christians
at Understand the Times, 5/23/18 Comment from UTT: This article indicates that the trend
being promoted by the emerging church that Jesus Christ
is not the only way for salvation is being widely
accepted by those who call themselves Christian. Without
question, this is the apostasy the Bible foretold would
happen in the last days.
(742) The
pantheistic revelation of the new age movement
by Mike Oppenheimer, 6/20/18
Throughout history people using all kinds of means have
had perception change, call it a paradigm shift or a
revelation. They see everything as one, the oneness of
life invades their thinking it is a very powerful
paradigm.“This universal "I" includes not only every
person, but also every thing (e.g., soil, wooden boards,
raindrops). As one NDEr puts it, "we are all part of one
big, living universe.... I look at a forest or a flower
or a bird now, and say, 'That is me, part of me.
("Raymond moody a nd Paul Perry The light beyond p.42)
“I walked out into the field out into the meadow and the
hayland, where the hay had been freshly cut
climbed up upon a sack of hay lying there flat on my
back dreaming. Watching the wildlife, the swan, the
Cranes, the Geese, the Ducks all winding their way to
the northland, to their home breeding ground. And
I remember the thought came to me what guides those
birds back to the same place that their parents had
deposited the eggs from they came. What is it that will
cause them in the fall to come back to the Wintry
quarters? “There was a question in my mind. Has man lost
something that the birds have? From that moment on I
began to think and feel and endeavor to interpret the
meaning of nature. It became a part of me I began to
realize that I was a product of nature. Not something …
setting aside on the mountain the high spot to judge the
rest of the animals on the earth. “For I too was product
of nature perhaps no better than the old cow on the
hillside. Being a product of nature it behooved me to
cooperate with nature.�? (audio of Shaklee's leader
banquet Minneapolis in 1971).
(744) From
the New Age to Amazing Grace by Warren B.
Smith, 6/24/18
As New Age believers years ago, my wife and I had no
reason to doubt any of the “new revelation�? that was
coming our way. When we were students of A Course in
Miracles in the early 1980s, it never occurred to us
that Helen Schucman had received her spiritual dictation
from anyone other than the real Jesus Christ. As members
of A Course in Miracles study group, we studied what the
“Jesus�? of the Course said and applied his teachings to
our lives. Having never read the whole Bible for
ourselves, we thought the Course was helping us to
understand what the Bible was “really�? saying. We
accepted the Course’s interpretation of the Bible
completely. It had a certain logic and seemed to make
sense. We believed we were on the right path. Meaningful
“coincidence�? that had led us to the Course, and the
supernatural signs that often accompanied our study
appeared to confirm that we were spiritually where we
were supposed to be. But at the height of our
involvement with the Course, the Lord intervened.
(745) MINDFULNESS—What
You May Not Know and Should Have Been Told (Booklet)
by Lighthouse Trails, 7/12/18
Currently, “mindfulness�? is being introduced to tens of
thousands of public schools across America. One group
alone, Healthy Schools Program, which includes
mindfulness as part of its program, is in over 30,000
public schools (that’s about one third of all public
schools in America).1 Programs such as Healthy Schools*
claim that children behave better and think more clearly
when they incorporate mindfulness exercises into their
school regime. Researcher and author Ray Yungen states:
In recent years, a type of meditation known as
mindfulness has made a surprising showing. Based on
current trends, it has the potential to eclipse even
Yoga in popularity. You will now find it everywhere that
people are seeking therapeutic approaches to ailments or
disorders. . . it is presented as something to cure
society’s ills.2 School administrators, principals,
teachers, and other school officials are being told that
mindfulness is safe, is not religious, and is not the
same as eastern or Buddhist meditation. This booklet
will examine several aspects of mindfulness and will
help to show why mindfulness meditation should not be
brought into the schools and taught to children.
(746) Jesus
Calling Devotional Bible by Sarah Young -
Reviewed by Warren B. Smith, 7/14/18 Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John
14:6), and the true Jesus does not contradict Himself
regarding His last words before ascending into heaven or
any other matter. Nor does He put forth untrue,
disparaging remarks about Abraham and Isaac. While it is
not the purpose of this article to catalog all the
concerns that arise when reading Sarah Young’s Jesus
Calling Devotional Bible, these two examples alone
should be enough to keep any sincere believer far away
from the Jesus Calling Devotional Bible.
(747) “GOD’S
DREAM�?—Satan’s Ultimate Scheme (Booklet) by
Warren B. Smith, 7/17/18 Google the term “God’s Dream,�? and you will
immediately find countless references on Christian
websites to this popular spiritual term. An
ever-increasing number of Christian authors, pastors,
youth leaders, evangelists, bloggers, musicians, and
everyday believers are using the term “God’s Dream�? as
if it has some sound scriptural basis. It doesn’t. Keep
looking, and you will find that the concept of “God’s
Dream�? is also presented by a wide variety of New Age
leaders, authors, gurus, bloggers, and false Christs.
Most Christians using the concept of “God’s Dream�? are
unaware it is an overlapping New Age term that can be
traced at least as far back as the early 1900s where it
was referenced in two New Age magazines published for
those interested in the occult teachings of Theosophy
and the coming of a false Christ named Maitreya. “God’s
Dream�? was the title of a poem that prefaced an article
about practical theosophy in a 1904 issue of New Century
Path magazine.�?1 “God’s Dream�? also appeared in an
article about reincarnation in a 1916 issue of The
Theosophical Path magazine.
(748) Taizé—A
Community and Worship: Ecumenical Reconciliation or an
Interfaith Delusion? (Book) by Chris Lawson,
7/23/18 Over 100,000 young people visit Taizé Community in
France every year. Many of them are from Christian
homes. What's more, an increasing number of
churches are introducing Taizé worship practices in
their church services. Just what exactly is Taizé? Chris
Lawson uncovers the truth about this interfaith
community.
(749) Is
the “Emerging Church�? a Thing of the Past? by
Roger Oakland, 8/3/18 Recently, I read a Facebook post by a southern
California pastor that the “emerging church�? was no
longer a problem for him or his church. He stated that
the emerging church was just another passing fad that
had come and then disappeared never to be heard of
again. His church was going to focus on what was
positive and insinuated that “hyper-discernment
ministries�? were scaring his sheep into believing they
were living in the last days and that apostasy was
rampant. The comments by this pastor are not uncommon.
In fact, fewer and fewer shepherds today are warning the
sheep in their flocks of the dangers lurking not only
outside the fold but also within the fold. A good
shepherd must keep watch over his flock as many wolves
are lurking around seeking whom they may devour.
Ignoring these dangers does not make the problems go
away. Sheep can easily be misled by false unbiblical
teachings that are like a grain of arsenic in a milk
shake. The milk shake may look and taste good but the
grain of arsenic will be enough to kill someone.
(750) Dispelling
the Rumor That God Can Be Found “Only in the Silence�?
by Lynn Lusby Pratt, 8/9/18 LTRP Note: From Beth Moore to Chuck Swindoll to Dallas
Willard, Christian leaders are telling us we can’t
really know God without the silence (stilling the mind).
But is this really a biblical mandate?
(751) Jesus
Movement of 70s Not Same as Emerging Church Today
by Rita, 8/27/18 Do you remember “the Jesus Movement�? of the late 60s
and early 70s? The Lord brought to my mind something,
and I thought I would share. I don’t know what was
taking place where you lived in that era, however, where
I lived, kids were bringing God’s Word with them to
school. God’s Word was vitally important to them during
that time. I am quite sure you realize that this new
movement [the emerging church] does not emphasize God’s
Word and, in fact, encourages reading nearly everything
BUT God’s Word. I was just amazed at the difference
between the two movements!
(752) Catholic
Mysticism and the Emerging Church (Audio) by
Richard Bennett, 8/28/18 Catholic mysticism has helped mightily to transform the
New Age Movement from being counter-culture to being
embraced by Evangelicals, and Western civilization as
such. Catholic mysticism has affected almost every facet
of life without being noticed or perceived.
(753) Welcome
to the New (Contemplative) Christianity – Just Breath
In . . . Breath Out by Lighthouse Trails,
9/13/18 The acceptance of contemplative prayer has hit an
all-time high in the church. And is it any wonder?
Christian media, Christian publishers, pastors, mission
societies, Bible societies, authors, radio hosts, youth
leaders, women’s group leaders, and Christian ministry
leaders are all promoting it more than ever. The
video below that was posted on Charisma Magazine’s
website on September 10th is yet another example of how
Christian media (Charisma being one of the most popular
Christian magazines today) is doing their part to get
masses of Christians involved with contemplative
prayer (remember our recent article on YWAM’s goal to
get all YWAMer’s doing contemplative prayer).
(754) Popular
Christian Magazine – RELEVANT – Tells Millennials to
Practice Breath Prayers and Mindfulness Meditation
at Lighthouse Trails, 9/17/18 A summer 2018 Relevant Magazine article titled “Why
Learning to Breathe May Be the Best Way to Pray,�?
tells readers that, "Breath prayer [are] an ancient
Christian prayer practice with origins in the lives of
the Desert Fathers and Mothers, is a vehicle we can use
to live out Scripture’s call to “pray without ceasing.
(1 Thessalonians 5:17) . . . Breath prayer offers
stressed-out Christians a simple way to respond to
stress by turning our attention to the presence of God
and reaching out to Him for grace." Relevant Magazine*
is listed on the Lighthouse Trails “50 Top
Contemplative-Promoting Organizations�? and has a long
history of promoting contemplative prayer.
(755) Some
Thoughts Worth Considering on "Pub Theology"
by Larry DeBruyn, 9/25/18 First, Pub Theology is not church. If it is, then
where’s the reading of Scripture, the apostles’
teaching, prayer and observance of the Lord’s Table?
(Acts 2:42) But on this point, we can be certain that
the band will avoid any impression of being too
“churchly or preachy.�? But beer steins are no
substitute for communion cups. In fact, to the true
church, the apostle Peter announced that, “the time past
of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of
the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts,
excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable
idolatries�? (1 Peter 4:3). Second, Pub Theology is not
theology. Reportedly, the band’s opening song was Joan
Osborne’s one-hit wonder, “What if God was one of us?�?
The lyrics add, “Just a slob like one of us.�?[2]
Imagine . . . God being a slob like the rest of the
inebriated crowd at the bar. Given such a humanizing of
God, what we’re dealing with is not Pub Theology, but
pub idolatry. “And changed the glory of the
uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible
man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping
things�? (Romans 1:23). Do you think Joan Osborne’s
lyrical questions in any way resemble or affirm the
great Christological passages of the New Testament?
(John 1:1 ff.; Colossians 1:15-17; Philippians 2:5-11).
By the way, these cited passages are comprised of
theological statements extracted from early Christian
hymns. Would the pub theology band sing them? I’d think
they’d estimate that the lyrics of these biblical hymns
are far too dogmatic, stodgy, and preachy for the
“boys�? at the bar! Third, Pub Theology is not Christian
outreach. To attain a “spiritual�? end, it employs
carnal, fleshly, and worldly means. But the apostle Paul
wrote to the Ephesians, “And be not drunk with wine,
wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord�? (Ephesians 5:18-19). If the song “What if God was
one of us?�? gives any indication, probably none of the
other music the band plays includes “psalms, and hymns,
and spiritual songs.�?
(756) Warning:
Hymary.org (Via Calvin College) Tainting Old Hymn With
Contemplative Advice by Lighthouse Trails,
9/30/18 Lighthouse Trails has known for several years that
Calvin College is a contemplative-promoting institution,
but it looks like that influence has seeped into a
ministry of Calvin College, Hymnary.org, an online
resource that provides the lyrics and information for
thousands of hymns. A Lighthouse Trails reader brought
to our attention this week that on the hymn page for a
hymn written in 1862 by Joseph H. Gilmore, Hymnary.org
wrote an introduction paragraph on Lectio Divina. While
there is nothing in Gilmore’s hymn, He Leadeth Me, or in
his biographical information, to suggest that this hymn
has anything to do with contemplative prayer or that
Gilmore wanted the words of the hymn repeated over and
over for the intent of getting singers of the hymn to
enter some sort meditative state, Calvin College and
Hymnary.org have taken the liberty of tying the hymn to
the contemplative practice of Lectio Divina. On the
“Leaders Notes�? on the He Leadeth Me page at
Hymnary.org, it states: Lectio Devina (sic) is a common
devotional practice in which one spends a significant
amount of time reflecting and meditating on one verse of
Scripture, or a short passage. It is amazing what the
Holy Spirit can say to us when we take time to listen
and ponder, but also, like Gilmore, what we hear when we
least expect it, such as when we read through as
familiar a passage as Psalm 23.
(757) The
Emergent Church’s War on the Word by Gregory
Reid, 10/1/18 It was, of course, inevitable that the Emergent Church
would begin to have babies that were even more
unbiblical than itself. Andy Stanley is one of those
spiritual offspring of a departure from biblical faith
and adoption by experiential religious deception. In
2016, he told a group of pastors at the Southern Baptist
Convention that they needed to get the spotlight off the
Bible (August 2016 “Onward�? conference). Now his
spiritual “children�? are following suit.
(758) “Together
2018�? – “A New Jesus Movement�? for a Mystical
All-Inclusive “Christianity�? by Lighthouse
Trails, 10/18/18 Nick Hall’s Together event is back again (October
20-21), this year as Together 2018 at the Texas Motor
Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas (which can hold around 1/2
million people). On the event’s Facebook page, it reads:
Love Matt Chandler? See him and many more for free on
October 20-21 as we bring the nation together for an
event that we believe will spark another Jesus
movement!! Join us for this FREE EVENT at Texas Motor
Speedway in Dallas-Fort Worth as we #MoveCloser to Jesus
and the world around us! Visit togethergeneration.com to
learn more! On the promotional video (near the 26-second
mark) on the Facebook page, it calls this effort “a new
Jesus movement�? (obviously referring to the Jesus
movement of the 1970s). On the promotional video below,
it lists the line up of speakers and musicians which
includes a conglomeration of popular evangelical and
charismatic celebrities including Bethel Music from Bill
Johnson’s extreme charismatic, contemplative Bethel
Church, Jesus Culture (an offshoot of Bethel Church),
Hillsong, Francis Chan (who recently said God was going
to kill those who criticize Christian leaders),
Priscilla Shirer (a long-time strong advocate for
contemplative prayer), her father Tony Evans, Ravi
Zacharias (who will share a platform with “anyone�? in
order to share “his�? message), and Loren Cunningham
(founder of YWAM, which recently announced it wanted
“all�? YWAMers to practice contemplative prayer).
(759) Letter
to the Editor: My Former Baptist Pastor Went From
Spiritual Formation Into the Orthodox Church
by Lighthouse Trails, 10/20/18 Yesterday, I was reading 1 Corinthians 1 and 2, where
Paul is writing about the wisdom of God versus the
wisdom of the world. I was reminded of our former
Baptist pastor in the early ’80s who was highly
intellectual, which attracted a lot of people from
academia in our college town. (Although that wasn’t the
attraction for my husband and I; we are those who Paul
would call “not wise after the flesh.�?) He eventually
took a pastorate in another state in the mid-’80s and
moved away. Since he came to mind while reading 1
Corinthians, I wondered how he was doing these days and
looked him up. I was shocked, dismayed, and heartbroken
to learn that he is now an Orthodox priest! How could
one be a Baptist pastor for 38 years and then turn to
Orthodoxy? . . . I remember he highly respected Bible
scholars of “higher criticism.�? It seems that he
eventually got discouraged and disillusioned and (by
2000) left his Baptist church to do some soul searching.
And this is where he absolutely took a wrong turn.
Instead of turning to Scripture and studying God’s Word
for answers, he began delving deep into “church�?
history. This took him further down the road to the
Ancient Fathers and the more he read, the more he was
convinced that the true church was in Orthodoxy. By
February 2007, he was ordained a priest in the Orthodox
church.
(760) Roma
Downey Promotes New Age Doctrine (God “In�? Everyone
& Everything)—Christian Leaders Say Nothing
by Lighthouse Trails, 11/2/18 Proclaim 19: First she’s there; now she’s gone, or is
she? New Age sympathizer Roma Downey was scheduled to
speak at the National Religious Broadcaster’s 2019
convention, Proclaim 19. Sharing the docket with her are
highly popular evangelical names like John MacArthur,
Rick Warren, Greg Laurie, and Kirk Cameron. Lighthouse
Trails reported on the story with the release of Greg
Reid’s booklet, Butterfly Illusions (which unveils the
strong New Age messages in Roma Downey’s new book, Box
of Butterflies). Shortly after the release of the
booklet, Lighthouse Trails learned that Roma Downey’s
name (along with her husband Mark Burnett) had been
removed from the speakers list for Proclaim 19. Calls to
the NRB office in Washington, DC by Lighthouse Trails
editors provided no answers as to why Downey’s name was
gone other than being told “it has not yet been
decided�? if she will be speaking there.
(762) Assemblies
of God megachurch pastor warns yoga has “demonic
roots�? at The Word Like Fire, 11/15/18 According to the Springfield News Leader: A pastor of
an Assemblies of God megachurch recently took aim at
yoga, saying it has “demonic roots�? and warning
Christians to avoid the popular activity. Pastor John
Lindell told the attendees of James River Church in
Ozark — which has a congregation of about 10,500,
according to a 2016 report — that the positions in yoga
were “created with demonic intent to open you up to
demonic power because Hinduism is demonic.�?
(763) “Temple
Prostitutes�? – Another “Fruit�? of Contemplative
Spirituality by Lynn Lusby Pratt, 11/18/18 That title was a crack I made around 2006 when I became
aware of the new wave of false teaching entering the
church. One aspect of that teaching hinted that our
experience with Jesus was (should be?) sexual.
(Christians who use a mantra, as in contemplative
prayer, and go into an altered state of consciousness
sometimes have erotic experiences, which they mistakenly
believe to be “union�? with God/Jesus.) There was new
interest in/promotion of the “bridal mysticism�? of
medieval nuns like Teresa of Avila: “Body and spirit are
in the throes of a sweet, happy pain…and a spell of
strangulation…swoon-like weakness…�? There were quotes
in Christian books, like Tony Campolo saying, “There is
nothing wrong . . . with eroticism in worship.�? And Ann
Voskamp: “Mystical union…. God as Husband in sacred
wedlock, bound together, body and soul… To know him the
way Adam knew Eve. Spirit skin to spirit skin…�? Ken
Wilson: “I was having feelings of connection with the
divine… [that] reminded me very much of the amorous
feelings I have for my wife.�? You may not have
connected the dots, but go back to the Old Testament
(and general history) as a reminder that pagan religions
typically include sexual ritual. And when believers in
God step away from God’s path, it inevitably trends
toward an “anything goes�? sexual culture. There are
loads of Scripture warnings against following pagan
practices (ex: Deuteronomy 12:30-32)—not to mention any
number of explanations of failures to obey those
warnings (ex: 1 Kings 14:22-24). And at some point, says
2 Kings 23:7, the quarters of shrine prostitutes were
actually “in the temple of the Lord�?! Click
here to continue reading.
(764) Would
Jesus Magnify His Presence Above His Word? by
Warren B. Smith, 12/31/18 In Jesus Calling, “Jesus�? promotes the experience of
his presence above God’s Word. Psalm 138:2 tells us: I
will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name
for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast
magnified thy word above all thy name. (emphasis added)
Because God has magnified His Word above His name, this
lets us know we will never experience His presence in
any way that is not totally consistent with the truth of
His Word. Thus, we can know that any presence that comes
calling and claims the name of “Jesus�? as its own but
does not line up in every way with God’s Word is not the
presence of God. God will never put His name or
experiencing His presence above His Word.
(765) Happy
New Year from the New Age "Christ" - AGAIN! by
Herescope, 1/9/19 Eleven years ago on January 3, 2008 this blog reported
that Oprah Winfrey was providing a highly visible
platform for her longtime friend Marianne Williamson to
teach New Age spirituality to the masses. Here is how
Warren B. Smith described this pivotal event: "On New
Year’s Day, New Age leader Marianne Williamson got the
new year off to a rousing start on Oprah & Friends
XM Radio as she began to systematically teach the New
Age principles of A Course in Miracles.... Both Oprah
Winfrey and Marianne Williamson have openly stated that
they believe the principles of A Course in Miracles can
change the world."
(766) Divination
Is Forbidden By God by Chris Lawson, 10/30/16 Divination: any attempt to foretell the unknown by
occult means. It is very clear that the God of the Bible
strictly forbids all forms of divination. This
includes all forms of mediumship, channeling, witchcraft
[Wicca], occultism, psychic, fortune telling, tarot
cards, reading tea leaves, etc. Divination is
forbidden by God because it unlocks the door to the
world of the demonic and spiritual deception. Leviticus
19:31 - Regard not them that have familiar
spirits, neither seek after wizards to be defiled by
them: I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 20:6 -
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar
spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them,
I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut
him off from among his people. 1 Samuel 15:23 - For
rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness
is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected
the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from
being king. Divination also includes forms of
Contemplative Centering Prayer whereby contact with the
spirit world [demonic] can easily be made.
This occult prayer method [which many Christianize] can
and does oftentimes lead to the full conversion of ones
spirituality to a pantheistic, panentheistic, Eastern
occult view of reality. This form of prayer
divination places into the minds of humans ideas that
are not only unbiblical, but thoroughly occult and
antichrist. The Self-induction and alteration of
ones consciousness [into the Alpha-state], which so
often is engaged in by undiscerning people, can quickly
lead to full blown spirit contact, "snapping", and even
demonic possession. Thorough documentation is abounding
in Indian Yogic Spirituality; Self-Realization cults,
etc. The following list clearly shows the may ways
that divination has been practiced throughout the ages.
(767) Letter
to the Editor: My Christian University Professor
Graded Harshly for Mentioning Lighthouse Trails
by Lighthouse Trails, 1/25/19 LTRP Note: The following letter to the editor is posted
with permission. It is written by a graduate student of
a Christian university. We find the professor’s remarks
to this student provocative, especially considering what
we discovered after reading the professor’s post. Please
see our comments after the two posts below.
(768) Out
of My Mindfulness – Part 1 by Lynn Lusby
Pratt, 2/1/19 ACLJ attorney Jay Sekulow’s bulletin of December 11,
2018 focused on complaints about Buddhist/Eastern
meditation being forced on school kids. More from that
in a minute. Various “relaxation” programs have been
appearing in the public schools for years. Most parents
and teachers didn’t pick up on the religious
implications because (1) parents often didn’t even know
this was going on; (2) most of us are naïve/uneducated
about Eastern religions/the occult/New Age; and (3) the
language describing these programs has been deliberately
disguised. Clear back in 1981, Jack Canfield (the
Chicken Soup for the Soul guy) was interviewed by
Science of Mind magazine. He described how to blur the
terminology to get these practices accepted in the
schools: “If we…point out to educators that they have an
‘essence’ that can be invoked through ‘meditation’. . .
they’ll be put off by the buzzwords. But if we give them
an experience that leaves them feeling better about
themselves . . .” (Dec 1981, p 108. Quoted in Ray
Yungen’s For Many Shall Come in My Name).
(769) Understanding
the Spirituality of Sue Monk Kidd (author of The
Secret Life of Bees) by Ray Yungen, 2/4/18 Sue Monk Kidd’s spirituality is spelled out clearly in
her book When the Heart Waits. She explains: "There’s a
bulb of truth buried in the human soul [not just
Christian] that’s “only God” … the soul is more than
something to win or save. It’s the seat and repository
of the inner Divine, the God-image, the truest part of
us". (emphasis mine)1 Sue Monk Kidd, an introspective
woman, gives a revealing description of her spiritual
transformation in her book God’s Joyful Surprise:
Finding Yourself Loved. She shares how she suffered a
deep hollowness and spiritual hunger for many years even
though she was very active in her Baptist church.2
(770) Emergent
Eschatology: The Road to Paradise Imagined by
Bob DeWaay, 2/12/19 "because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the
world in righteousness through a Man whom He has
appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising
Him from the dead." (Acts 17:31) After publishing MY
BOOK1 about the Emergent Church, I attended an Emergent
conference in Chicago, where Dr. Moltmann spoke to his
dedicated following—250 Emergent leaders. One such
follower, Danielle Shroyer, had published a book about
his theology, describing it as "neo-Hegelian,
panentheistic, universalism."2 The front cover of the
book contains an endorsement by Moltmann. Interacting
with various Emergent leaders confirmed how foundational
Moltmann's theology and its unique eschatology is to
their movement. By attending that conference and hearing
Moltmann in person I verified what is contained in this
chapter. He did teach universalism. He does teach a
cosmic reconciliation of all things to God without a
future, cataclysmic judgment. As I show in the following
research, G. W. F. Hegel's philosophy includes the idea
that all contradictions must synthesize into a
progressively better world. Those who follow this
idealistic philosophy claim that it is not necessary to
choose between theism and atheism because the synthetic
reconciliation will happen no matter what. They believe
it is built into the very being of the cosmos. We can
either help it along or hinder it, but it will happen.
Since I wrote this book, the movement has continued and
in many ways is now a version of theological liberalism.
LeRon Shults has moved to Europe and is now an atheist.
Theological liberalism and political liberalism are
hardly different. When we hear the term "progressive,"
we should realize that the definition of "progress" is
that of Hegel and his various followers (theistic or
atheistic). The reason for the heated passion we see in
political debate is that those who are not joining the
progressive agenda are seen to be hindering the process
of social and spiritual evolution that will supposedly
make the new cosmos a paradise for all.
(771) The
"Goddess" Running for President - Marianne Williamson:
"Spiritual Guru" & "High Priestess" by
Herescope, 2/21/19 "Women must remember the sacred nature of our Goddess
self...."~Marianne Williamson[2] "There is an
underground of people in America who are seeking higher
wisdom.... My campaign for the presidency is dedicated
to this search for higher wisdom. Its purpose is to
create a new political possibility in America -- where
citizens awaken, our hearts and minds are uplifted...."
~Marianne Williamson, Marianne2020.com Marianne
Williamson, self-proclaimed "goddess," "priestess,"
prolific New Age author and speaker, and "F.O.O."
(friend of Oprah Winfrey)[3] has launched her bid to
become the U.S. President. She is being called "a bit of
a wildcard."[4] So far the press is not giving her
candidacy a lot of attention. And she seems to
acknowledge she isn't really a serious candidate. She
might just be a front for Oprah running, or a sidekick
for another candidate. Or maybe she hopes to garner
enough political credibility for herself that she could
eventually head up a newly created Peace Department.
Whatever the case, she is serious about inserting her
own brand of spirituality into the Progressive mix
brewing up on the Democrat side. And this could be the
most important takeaway from her candidacy.
(772) How
To Know When the Emerging Church Shows Signs of
Emerging Into Your Church (Booklet) by Roger
Oakland, 2/25/19 It was six years ago in January 2013 that Lighthouse
Trails began publishing topical booklets. In February of
that year, we released one by Roger Oakland called How
To Know When the Emerging Church Shows Signs of Emerging
Into Your Church. This booklet has been invaluable to
many because it lists several of the signs that show if
your church is going down the emergent path. Some people
have tried to say that the “emerging church” is dead,
gone, a thing of the past. But that is anything but the
truth. While names and terms have been at times altered
by emergent change agents, this ecumenical, mystical,
interspiritual emergent “church” is still alive, and
these signs are still happening (even more so) in
churches across North America.
(773) Marianne
Williamson: If I Am President, I Will Take Control of
Your Children and Make Them New Agers by
Lighthouse Trails, 3/11/19 Course in Miracles promoter, Marianne Williamson, who
is running in the 2020 presidential election, has big
plans for the children of this country if she is
elected. Among other things, part of those plans is to
make sure children in American public schools are
trained in mindfulness meditation. While tens of
thousands of public schools in the U.S. are already
teaching children mindfulness meditation, no doubt, with
a New Age president, every school would be including it.
As president, I would advocate for the following:
Mindfulness training in the schools.—Marianne
Williamson, 2019 (source) Williamson also promises to
advocate for “universal pre-K.” This would help make
sure that children as young as 3 and 4 would be placed
into the public school system. Advocates of universal
pre-K believe they need more time with America’s
children and want to get their hands on them much
earlier than 5 or 6 (Kindergarten). Parents beware. If
Marianne Williamson (or another candidate with her
“values,”) becomes president, this country’s children
will be at even greater risk than they are now. And you
can be sure, she will not be advocating for
homeschooling families.
(774) Eastern
Meditation Sneaks into the Church by Prof.
Johan Malan, 3/18/19 There is a widespread resurgence of Eastern meditation
among nominal Christians in the West. In many churches
and other Christian circles, prayer is increasingly
replaced by meditation, which is also described as
contemplation, centring prayers, or quiet prayers.
Meditation is often accompanied by Yoga relaxation
exercises and relaxed breathing in order to promote a
mental shift from the rational left brain to the
intuitive right brain. The basic objective with
meditation – whether it be Hindu-based Transcendental
Meditation (TM), Buddhist, Islamic or ‘Christian’
meditation – is to acquire a situation of complete rest
in your body, soul and spirit, thereby eliminating
stress and facilitating contact with deeper, more
creative levels of your consciousness. Rational thinking
is intentionally suppressed and switched off while you
transcend to mystical spheres to make contact with your
deeper self. According to Naomi Humphrey (Meditation –
the inner way) meditation helps to deliver you from
spiritual and mental bondage, and also from fear, by
enabling you to transcend to a new perception of
reality. The result is a holistic way of life in which
spirit and matter become integrated. The inner journey:
Meditation has an inner focus. You are not searching for
a God who is outside of you, but learn to overcome the
barrier of domination by human thoughts to discover God
deep within yourself. This is an Eastern practice aimed
at self-deification. A Roman Catholic priest and
practitioner of meditation, Adrian B. Smith, says in his
book, TM – an aid to Christian growth, that he accepts
this Eastern concept of God: "The great religions of the
East are more accustomed to seeking the God who is
within, both within the cosmos and within one's own
depth. This leads more easily to an interior form of
prayer – or centring prayer… The Judeo-Christian
tradition looks more often to the God without… TM can,
by developing a consciousness of the depth within us,
lead us to greater interiority – to an experience of
God's presence deep within us." According to him,
meditation also leads to greater unity and harmony in
the world: "People who are enlightened experience a new
harmony with other people and with the cosmic world.
They have entered a new era of harmonious relationships
which is one of the fruits of the Kingdom." During daily
meditation, usually two sessions of 15 to 20 minutes in
a seated position with your eyes closed, a mantra is
used to obtain an altered state of consciousness. A
mantra is a short phrase or a single word which is
repeated over and over until your rational thoughts have
been put to rest to allow for a deep spiritual
consciousness. The manta is repeated until your own
thoughts fade away and are replaced by a mystical
experience in which you receive inspirational
suggestions (brainwaves) and thoughts of an unknown
origin.
(775) Letter
to the Editor: Yoga at Our CMA Church in Canada Broke
Our Hearts at Lighthouse Trails, 3/24/19 LTRP Note: We are posting this letter to the editor not
to single out this one particular Christian &
Missionary Alliance church because the CMA denomination
from top leadership down has embraced contemplative
spirituality (see links below), and thus, it is no
surprise that Yoga would enter in as well. This is
happening in numerous other evangelical and Protestant
denominations also. As you can see from this letter to
the editor and the ones listed below, these letters to
Lighthouse Trails are written by CMA members who have
witnessed first-hand what is happening in CMA. We are
compelled to also point out that every CMA college has
now embraced contemplative spirituality (via Spiritual
Formation programs) (as you can see on our Contemplative
Colleges list).
(776) Was
Jesus was a socialist? by Mike Oppenheimer,
4/2/19 Socialism becomes the majority trend to the naïve youth
being educated in the new America. Even some inside the
church have accepted this premise of Jesus being a
socialist, who taught the principles of socialism. The
church needs to have some solid answers for this
position that the early church practiced socialism.
First, socialism is a government run policy (it is soft
communism which is anti-God) it is not something run by
the church. On that alone we have a major divide that
should prevent Christians from accepting it. The claimed
goal of “Socialism’ is to cure the unfairness that has
taken place, to bring about economic equality. The
belief is that wealth should be collected by the
government and evenly distributed to members of society
that are poor. What they do not tell you is that it
keeps a major portion of the population on the lower end
never to rise any further. It squashes anyone who wants
more The true facts are always ignored, Socialism
depends on the rich and once the rich are gone, no more
socialism, turmoil results. Read Part 1
& Part
2.
(777) Roma
Downey’s Financial Contribution to New Ager Marianne
Williamson Raises Many Questions by Lighthouse
Trails, 4/4/19 Evangelical leaders such as Rick Warren, Greg Laurie,
and David Jeremiah have shown public support for Roma
Downey and her books, movies, and other media work for a
number of years now. Lighthouse Trails has attempted to
alert these leaders and the church at large that while
Downey may be a sincere person, she is a New Age
sympathizer and has consistently supported those
sympathies. This week, a Lighthouse Trails reader sent
us a link to a March 27, 2019 article from the Center
for Public Integrity that disclosed that Roma Downey
contributed $2600 to Marianne Williamson’s 2014 run in
California for Congress. Proof of this contribution can
be seen on a government website (Federal Election
Commission) that shows a tax record for Marianne
Williamson for the year 2013 (when the contribution by
Downey was made – see page 135 of the report). Marianne
Williamson is one of today’s foremost New Age leaders
and is running for president in 2020. It was because of
Williamson that the New Age “Bible,” A Course in
Miracles (see video), became popular in mainstream
America after Williamson’s book Return to Love
(promoting A Course in Miracles) was featured on the
Oprah Winfrey Show. A Course in Miracles has the
quintessential New Age message that God dwells in every
human being and that each person has a Christ
consciousness. It is this same New Age “God” who
believes that “the era of the single savior is over”(1)
and that Hitler actually did the Jews a favor by killing
them.
(778) Esoteric
Evolution by Sarah Leslie, Herescope, 4/12/19 This is an abstract of a thesis.[1] This abstract
represents a summary of four decades of prior published
writings by this author and her associates known as the
Iowa Research Group and Discernment Research Group. The
thesis itself has already been written. The substance of
this abstract can be found in published material
referenced in these footnotes, and its documentation
includes the embedded hyperlinks and footnotes which
lead to other prior published writings and vast amounts
of original source material. In other words, this
abstract represents a rather unorthodox presentation of
a thesis which has not necessarily been published in
printed form in scholarly journals, nor in a book. But,
rather, a substantive portion of this thesis and its
accompanying documentation has been published previously
online on the Internet, particularly on the scholarly
research blog Herescope. This abstract provides an
overview of evolution as a cosmological and metaphysical
paradigm that seamlessly unites science with
spirituality in a manner that corrupts the truth.
Evolution is more than an alternative to the creation
story. Evolution is not just a scientific concept; it is
a spiritual worldview.[2] This abstract is not by any
means complete, nor exhaustive. This is simply a broad
overview of the topic of spiritual evolution,
particularly its mysticism and esoteric applications to
postmodern life in both the culture at large and also
the church.
(775) Celebrating
the Atonement and the Resurrection While Promoting
Contemplative – A Profound Contradiction by
Lighthouse Trails, 4/25/19 In 1922, liberal pastor and theologian Harry Emerson
Fosdick stated the following words in his sermon titled
“Will the Fundamentalists Win?”: “It is interesting to
note where the Fundamentalists are driving in their
stakes to mark out the deadline of doctrine around the
church, across which no one is to pass except on terms
of agreement. They insist that we must all believe in
the historicity of certain special miracles,
preeminently the virgin birth of our Lord; that we must
believe in a special theory of inspiration-that the
original documents of the Scripture, which of course we
no longer possess, were inerrantly dictated to men a
good deal as a man might dictate to a stenographer; that
we must believe in a special theory of the
Atonement-that the blood of our Lord, shed in a
substitutionary death, placates an alienated Deity and
makes possible welcome for the returning sinner.”
Fosdick considered the doctrine of a blood atonement a
“slaughterhouse religion”.
(776) Hear
About the New Age Movement! (Video) by Warrren
B Smith, 4/27/19 For those who want to read the back story, Warren has
published his testimony of coming out of the New Age
Movement in his groundbreaking book The Light That Was
Dark: From the New Age to Amazing Grace. His many other
books and booklets can be accessed HERE.
Over the past fourteen years Warren B. Smith has been a
frequent contributor to the Herescope blog, both in
writing and research. He has authored many articles
about the New Age Movement, and has also written about
how it has been entering the evangelical church world.
Warren Smith YouTube channel HERE.
(777) The
“Jesus” of “Jesus Calling” Tells Us to “Laugh at the
Future” by Warren B. Smith, 5/8/19 The “Jesus” of Jesus Calling completely contradicts the
sober warnings of the true Jesus Christ in Matthew 24,
Mark 13, and Luke 21 when he states: “The future is a
phantom, seeking to spook you. Laugh at the future!”1 In
the Bible, Jesus Christ makes it clear that the future
is no laughing matter. In Matthew 24 and in other
verses, He describes the serious events that will
transpire at the end of time as very real and not a
phantom. He tells His disciples to “not be troubled” by
these future happenings, but He does not tell them to
take the future lightly or to laugh at the future.
Rather, He tells them to watch and be ready and to not
be deceived by the false Christs and false prophets that
will come in His name (Matthew 24:3-5, 24, 42, 44).
(778) Ravi
Zacharias, What Part of Contemplative Prayer Don’t You
Understand? by Lighthouse Trails, 5/23/19 The headline of this article may seem disrespectful at
first glance, but we say it with all sincerity and not
meaning to sound derogatory. At Lighthouse Trails, we
won’t pretend it isn’t discouraging when after 17 years
of ministry, evangelical leaders (those men and women
with all the influence and platform – the ones who are
followed by millions) will not speak up and warn about
contemplative spirituality. Many of them can’t because
they are promoting it. But then there are those who
don’t outright promote and might even say if asked, “Oh
no, I don’t adhere to any kind of New Age mystical
prayer practices.” But those very ones who say such
things turn around and allow contemplative spirituality
to be promoted in their very own organizations. A case
in point is Ravi Zacharias.
(779) The
Desert Fathers—Borrowing From the East by Ray
Yungen, 6/14/19 Catholic priest William Shannon in his book, Seeds of
Peace, explained the human dilemma as being the
following: "This forgetfulness, of our oneness with God,
is not just a personal experience, it is the corporate
experience of humanity. Indeed, this is one way to
understanding original sin. We are in God, but we don’t
seem to know it. We are in paradise, but we don’t
realize it."1 Shannon’s viewpoint defines the basic
underlying worldview of the contemplative prayer
movement as a whole. One can find similar quotations in
practically every book written by contemplative authors.
A Hindu guru or a Zen Buddhist master would offer the
same explanation. This conclusion becomes completely
logical when tracing the roots of contemplative prayer.
Let us look at the beginnings of this practice.
(780) Be
Still and Know That You are Not God!—God is Not “in”
Everyone and Everything by Warren B. Smith,
6/19/19 Our Spiritual Adversary would have everyone believe
that we are all “one” because God is “in” everyone and
everything. Using every promotional means
possible—including a creative and ingenious perversion
of quantum physics—he is attempting to convince the
world and the church that while Jesus was Christ, so is
everyone. And while Jesus was God, so is everyone else.
To underscore this heretical New Age doctrine of God and
Christ “in” everyone, he would have us further believe
that nothing of any significance happened on the Cross
of Calvary. However, the Bible makes it very clear that
something extremely wonderful and overwhelmingly
significant did happen on the Cross of Calvary. For it
was on that Cross that Jesus Christ died to save the
world as He defeated sin (1 John 2:2), death (2 Timothy
1:10), and the Devil himself (Hebrews 2:14). As the one
and only Christ, He is our Rock (1 Corinthians 10:1-4),
He is our Foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11), and in every
sense of the word He is the Saviour of the world (1 John
4:14).
(781) Purpose-Driven
Mandate: Those Who Focus on Bible Prophecy “Not fit
for the kingdom of God” by Roger Oakland,
6/24/19 Many who were once looking for the return of Jesus have
fallen asleep. We now live in a period of time where
numerous prominent Christian leaders are telling the
Christian masses that paying attention to the signs of
our times in light of the Bible is a waste of time. And
many of them take it a step further and accuse those who
believe what Bible prophecy says about the end of the
age of being negative and self-centered. In the
still-popular Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren was
actually laying ground-work for the emerging church’s
new reformation, a reformation that rejects thinking
about the return of Christ and works more at convincing
the multitudes that Christ is already in them as a
global christ-consciousness. As you will see in the
following documentation, Warren has a low regard for
Bible prophecy. Perhaps this helps explain why so many
who once were anticipating the return of the Lord have
become occupied with worldly ambitions.
(782) Letter
to the Editor: Churchless in North America at
Lighthouse Trails, 7/14/19 We are writing this letter to encourage others in their
journey to find a Bible-believing church that values
sound biblical doctrine and the authority of
Scripture. We became aware of a significant shift
in our C&MA [Christian & Missionary Alliance]
church after they picked-up a new hip pastor from a
California mega church. Some of the first things
we noticed included the new lingo and dress-down look,
the extensive use of The Message, the feel good TED
Talks salted with a few out-of-context Scriptures, the
kicking out of the old worship team and the bringing in
of the very loud rock-band-style worship along with
smoke and lights, the removal of mailboxes in order to
bring in the Emerging pastor’s book table, removal of
crosses and Bibles (one day, we led a couple to Christ
and could not find one Bible in the church to give
them), the embracement of native-related issues with an
actual smudging ceremony performed in the sanctuary, the
supporting of community organizations that embrace
abortion and homosexuality, the social-gospel message,
SHE conferencing, and the promotion of Yoga, etc.
The list is endless and goes on and on, typical for a
lot of mega churches (emerging/seeker sensitive/purpose
driven).
(783) Enneagram:
Pagan Mysticism Promoted as Christian Growth
by Bob DeWaay. 7/28/19 Enneagram is relatively new to evangelicalism but is
now becoming popular and can be found in some
evangelical colleges and universities. Before describing
the Enneagram and its accompanying teaching, I need to
document my sources and define some key theological
categories. The three books that are part of this review
include: Richard Rohr and Andreas Ebert, The Enneagram A
Christian Perspective, (Crossroad 2019 translated from
the 1989 German edition); Christopher L. Heurtz, The
Sacred Enneagram, (Zondervann, Grand Rapids, 2017); and
Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile, The Road Back to
You - An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery,
(InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, 2016). In this
article, references to these books will be bracketed
with page numbers. To understand my critique of
Enneagram we need to understand two important religious
worldviews. The first is the worldview I endorse and is
the view of Christian theism through the ages. Christian
theism says that the Triune God of the Bible existed as
God from all eternity. God as Father, Son and Holy
Spirit existed before anything was created. This means
that God is non-contingent. God was perfect in all His
divine attributes before anything was created. Once God
created, He was and always is transcendent to the
creation. The transcendent Creator cannot be dependent
on His own creation. This quality is called "aseity" in
Christian theology. A view that is very popular today
denies the transcendence of God in important ways. This
view is called panentheism. A simple way of explaining
panentheism is that "God is in everything." Though the
Enneagram authors I review here do not claim a certain
view, their teachings and desire to incorporate Buddhism
and other philosophies of the East indicates
panentheism. Today's popular panentheism rejects the
idea that history is linear—having a beginning in
creation out of nothing and ending in eternal judgment.
I wrote about this in my book on the Emergent Church.
Also, God being in everything helps give credence to the
idea of social and spiritual evolution which is popular
with religious ecumenists such as these authors.
(784) Beware:
Mindfulness Meditation, Especially for Children, is
Dangerous by Lighthouse Trails, 8/2/19 As a fast-growing number of public schools are
incorporating mindfulness meditation into the lives of
the school children, few seem aware of just how
dangerous meditation can be, especially for children.
The following is an extract from our 2018 booklet on
mindfulness as a reminder to parents and grandparents.
Numerous research reports show that meditation can be
dangerous, especially for the vulnerable and weak (a
category in which children fit). A preface to an article
titled “Meditation is Touted as a Cure for Mental
Instability but Can It Actually Be Bad for You” written
by Dr. Miguel Farias* states: If it’s so powerful, might
meditation also do harm to sensitive souls? [While]
researching a mass murder, Dr. Miguel Farias discovered
that, far from bringing inner peace, [meditation] can
leave devotees in pieces.
(785) Letter
to the Editor: Continuing Concern About Moody Bible
Institute at Lighthouse Trails, 8/12/19 LTRP Note: When we received the following note this
past week from a reader, we were reminded again about
Moody Bible Institute and some of its professors. Moody,
which claims to be a Bible-based learning institution,
has an obligation to its donors and students to not veer
from biblical truth and to make sure the school only
uses professors who adhere to this framework.
(786) “Liberal
Christians Gather at Wild Goose Festival to Pray — and
Plan” at Lighthouse Trails, 8/26/19 “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Luke
8:8 LTRP Note: The following news story is posted for
informational and research purposes and not as an
endorsement of either content or the source. It is worth
reading this article (written earlier this summer)
because it is a glimpse of the face of today’s emergent
church and just how influential it really is. Roger
Oakland laid it out in Faith Undone (2007) and Warren
Smith defined it in A “Wonderful” Deception (2009). Both
men were trying to warn the church of what was coming
and how it would come, but few pastors and leaders
listened. Now, as the church slept, the enemy has crept
in – big time.
(787) The
Tragic Influence of Catholic Priest Richard Rohr’s
Mysticism on Millennial Evangelicals by
Lightouse Trails, 9/27/19 An April 2019 Religion News Service article titled,
“For Millennials, Mysticism Shows a Path to Their Home
Faiths” reveals how young (millennial) evangelicals are
“[d]iscovering the Christian mystical tradition through
the work of Franciscan friar Richard Rohr.” The article
states: [Anthony] Graffagnino [28] was one of a number
of millennials drawn to The Universal Christ—a four-day
conference in New Mexico’s capital last month led by
Rohr, one of the preeminent Christian contemplatives of
the last century. . . . millennials are increasingly
finding contemplative spirituality appealing. Whether
it’s in the stillness of silent meditation, walking a
labyrinth, or centering prayer; the practice of engaging
with scripture through Lectio Divina, the Ignatian
tradition’s Daily Examen; or a combination of Buddhist
mindfulness, Kundalini breath work and Taizé prayer,
many young adults are happy (to borrow a line from Van
Morrison) to sail into the mystic. . . . The
contemplative tradition is “expansive enough… that it
leaves room as you grow,” he said. “To be Christian is
to see Christ in everything.” (source) Lighthouse Trails
has been warning about Catholic priest and mystic
Richard Rohr’s influence over young evangelical men for
awhile now. Ray Yungen reported in his book Simple
Answers that one of Richard Rohr’s publishers told Rohr
that his biggest group of followers is comprised of
young evangelical men. (source) That means that many of
the sons and grandsons of evangelicals are under the
influence of a man who is panentheistic, New
Age-sympathizing, and a mystic.
(788) Spiritual
Experiences: What Spirit? (Video) by Warren
Smith, 10/5/19 The following lecture is by former New Age follower
Warren B. Smith. For many other lectures by Warren,
visit his new YouTube channel. Once on that channel, you
can subscribe so that you can get notifications whenever
a new video by Warren is posted.
(789) Diaprax
Goes To Seminary by Paul Proctor, 10/6/19 I mentioned in a previous article that many churches
and organizations not officially belonging to the Willow
Creek Association were now adopting Willow Creek’s ways.
It shrewdly allows them the social and financial
benefits of compromise without the carnal stigma of
being affiliated. An example of this can be found in a
recent Baptist Press article by Richard D. McCormack
entitled: 'Interactive Team-Building Seminar' Called
Cutting-Edge Way of Learning'
http://www.baptistpress.com/bpnews.asp?ID=14603 Mr.
McCormack reports that a workshop was held at
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth,
Texas for the purpose of introducing a 'new style of
learning' based on a program called 'EPIC'. (Experience,
Participate, Image-Rich and Connection) John Herring,
pastor of discipleship at The Church at Brook Hills in
Birmingham, Ala. was quoted as saying "it is the model
of things to come for teaching in our churches". Little
does he know that what seminar leaders Leonard Sweet and
Keith Kline were teaching is Diaprax.
(791) Unlocking
“the Secrets”—How Silly! by Lynn Lusby Pratt,
10/12/19 I talk a lot about the trendy but biblically erroneous
teachings on new spiritual technologies. The suggestion
that we can finally unlock the “secrets” to a full life
of faith capitalizes on our culture’s desperate search
for purpose and prevalent “fear of missing out.” But not
only is it dangerous for Christians to go looking for
these things; if we just back up and look at the lives
of a few Bible heroes, the logic even becomes downright
silly! Let’s see… Joseph—Should we label him
ineffective, spiritually lacking? After all, he didn’t
have the Catholic mystics to lead him into self-torture,
levitation, and erotic encounters with entities.
Joshua—Look what all Joshua accomplished. His only
“secret” was to obey God’s commands and be bold. Could
he have accomplished more if he’d done lectio divina?
(702) The
Shameful Social Gospel by T.A. McMahon,The
Berean Call, 10/19 For various reasons, Christians of different sorts have
tinkered with “the gospel of Christ” as though it needed
adjustments. Not major alterations, most will tell you,
but just some minor tweaking here and there. The changes
often begin by one’s declaring that there is no real
change involved, simply a shift in emphasis. Yet no
matter what the rationale may be, the end result is
being “ashamed of the gospel of Christ.”
(703) The
Enneagram—An Enlightening Tool or an Enticing
Deception? (Booklet) by Lighthouse Trails,
10/31/19 Today, there is an increasing amount of interest by
Christians in the Enneagram, a nine-pointed diagram used
to determine personality traits and character
tendencies. While it may seem harmless and nothing more
than a useful tool, the Enneagram is a seducing lure to
deception and an example of what the Bible refers to as
“the wiles of the Devil.” In this booklet, we hope to
show how this tool is drawing participants away from
biblical truth and in an enticing but dangerous
direction.
(704) Beyond
a Doubt: Contemplative Prayer EQUALS New Age
Meditation by Ray Yungen, 11/7/19 Before writing my book, A Time of Departing, I made
sure I could prove, beyond a doubt, that contemplative
prayer had not only slipped into the Christian faith,
but also prove it is an integral part of the New Age
movement. In fact, New Agers see contemplative prayer as
one of their own practices. Why would both New Agers and
Christians claim contemplative prayer as their own?
Certainly you will not find the New Age movement
promoting someone like Dwight Moody or Harry Ironside,
but you will find many instances such as this in which
New Age therapist Jacquelyn Small cites contemplative
prayer as a gateway to the spirituality to which she
belongs.
(705) Letter
to the Editor From Dallas Theological Seminary
Student—DTS Does Advocate for Contemplative
Spirituality at Lighthouse Trails, 11/12/19 The relationship Dallas Theological Seminary has with
contemplative spirituality has been debated on
Lighthouse Trails, and defended by DTS. As a current
student, I can confirm some departments and professors
do advocate explicitly for the contemplative brand of
spirituality. The school requires four semesters
of spiritual formation. Students must engage with the
curriculum as prescribed, but additional work is
optional for those wishing to receive academic
credit. The first semester spiritual formation
material encourages students to study Adele Calhoun,
Marcia Ford, Richard Foster, Donald Whitney, Dallas
Willard, PT Forsyth, Paul Pettit, James K.A. Smith, Gary
Thomas, and others. “Silence” is listed as a discipline
in the curriculum itself, and the workbook asks students
to rate their own engagement with this and other
practices.
(706) The
New Age Road to a U.S. “Department of Peace”
at Lighthouse Trails, 11/17/19 Marianne Williamson, “unveiled” her plans for a
Department of Peace in the United States. But as you
will read in the following article by former New Age
follower Warren B. Smith, Williamson’s Department of
Peace has been in the making for many years. Regardless
of who becomes the next president, efforts by Williamson
and numerous members of Congress and others are not
going away until the Department of Peace is established.
And as Smith lays out, this department will be anything
but peaceable for Bible-believing Christians.
(707) Letter
to the Editor From Man From India: Yoga is a Doctrine
of Demons! at Lighthouse Trails, 11/24/19 I am from a Hindu background. The word Yoga has
developed from the word Yog. Yog means union. So when
you do Yoga, you can expect your spirit to be in union
with “divine spirit” completely. According to Bishnu
Puran, one of the Hindu scripture yoga is “complete
union between spirit of god and man.” So when you do
Yoga, you are focusing on uniting with some spirit. We
know it is not the Spirit of the Lord God.
(708) Biblical
Christianity – The Biggest Obstacle to the New Age
by Ray Yungen, 12/10/19 The New Age and Christianity definitely clash on the
answer to the question of human imperfection. The former
[the New Age] espouses the doctrine of becoming
self-realized and united with the universe, which they
see as God but in reality is the realm of familiar
spirits. On the other hand, the Gospel that Christians
embrace offers salvation to humanity through grace
(unmerited favor). Romans 3:24 boldly states: “… being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus.” In Romans 6:23 we read: “For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(709) GC2
Conference on Mental Health Includes “Spiritual
Formation” Teachers Rick Warren and Ruth Haley Barton
by Lighthouse Trails, 12/21/19 On December 12, 2019, Christianity Today posted an
article by “new” Christianity pastor Ed Stetzer, giving
a recap of the GC2 Summit that took place on December
6th. The article, titled “Lies Pastors Believe, Part
One,” states: Two months of planning for our GC2 Summit
on Facing Hard Truths & Challenges in Pastoral
Ministry couldn’t have prepared us for what we saw God
do this past Friday. Over 400 leaders joined us in
person and nearly 80 livestreamed in from all over the
world to hear pastors and counselors talk about
leadership, burnout, and mental health. If you were
unable to join us, you can purchase the full day’s
recordings through the GC2 website. They will be
available until January 10, 2020. The messages from
leaders such as Rick Warren, Derwin Gray, Ruth Hayley
Barton, Drew Hyun, David Wang, Philip Ryken, Margaret
Diddams, and others reflected the most important
messages pastors need to hear today. With at least three
of the nine speakers being strong advocates for
Spiritual Formation (a synonym for “contemplative
spirituality”)—Rick Warren, Ruth Haley Barton, and David
Wang (a pastor of Spiritual Formation)—it is clear that
organizers of GC2 believe Spiritual Formation is a
crucial element of “the most important messages pastors
need to hear today.”
(710) “Roma
Downey and Lightworkers Media Options Bestselling
Author Debbie Macomber’s ‘Angels Everywhere’ Book
Series” at Lighthouse Trails, 12/27/19 LTRP Note: The following news clip is posted for
informational and research purposes and not as an
endorsement for either the content or the source.
Lighthouse Trails has been issuing warnings about the
New Age propensities of Roma Downey for the last few
years because of the promotion of Ms. Downey by popular
Christian leaders such as Greg Laurie and David
Jeremiah.
(711) Catholic Priest Believes
Francis Chan Heading Into Catholic Church Based on
Eucharistic Sermon by Lighthouse Trails,
1/15/20 Francis Chan, author of
Crazy Love, is one of the most popular authors and
speakers within the evangelical church today. He has
been the subject of a number of Lighthouse Trails
articles based on his ecumenical activities as well as
statements he made threatening that God will destroy
those who challenge Christian leaders. Last week, Chan
gave a sermon promoting the Catholic view of communion
(i.e., the Eucharist), which led to several online
responses, one of which was a Catholic priest who
weighed in with a YouTube video* expressing his zeal and
belief that Chan is about to convert to the Catholic
faith.
(712) Mysticism in the Church: 10
Things to Watch For by Lynn Lusby Pratt,
1/20/20
As unsettling changes take place in your Christian
environment, you might find yourself in this scenario: (1)
In my Christian reading, I get a gritty feeling about a
phrase here or a teaching there. Then . . .(2) I sense
that new meanings are being applied to established
Christian terms. Then . . .(3) I find outright heresy in
books and/or sermons. (4) I notice certain names repeated
in those sermons or in the endnotes of books. (5) I voice
concern to my minister, but he’s dismissive: “Now, now, we
can’t all agree on everything.” (6) I see acceptance of
practices that I’ve discovered are misleading: Eastern
wellness techniques . . .(7) and contemplative prayer . .
.(8) and interspirituality. (9) But I also wonder if I’m
missing out, if I’m not as spiritual as others who are
having “experiences.” (10) I come to realize that I can’t
blindly follow authorities; they may be losing their grasp
of the Scriptures. I’ll get into the Word for myself, stay
connected to the church [the body of Christ] and to the
real Jesus.
(713) The New Age Christian—An
Accepted Oxymoron by Ray Yungen, 1/24/20 The current popularity
with meditative contemplative mysticism presents a very
perplexing challenge for evangelical Christianity. We
are now encountering the New Age or Aquarian Christian.
This term describes someone who remains in his or her
home church and professes the Christian faith but has
also incorporated various aspects of the New Age or
Aquarian mindset into his or her life. New Age author
David Spangler was very optimistic about the possibility
of this integration when he wrote, “The point is that
the New Age is here . . . it builds itself and forms
itself in the midst of the old.”1 What has fueled the
momentum of this trend is the buffet-style dining
approach that has become a hallmark of American
religious sensibilities in the last thirty years—you
take what you want and leave the rest. Americans are
picking and blending religions as if they were ordering
espressos: pick your espresso blend, but you still get
coffee—pick your spiritual path, but you still get God.
Whatever suits your spiritual tastes, you bring
together. The result is hybrid New Age spirituality.
(714) Christian Colleges and
Seminaries in More Trouble Than Ever As Many Plunge
Into Emergent Spirituality by Lighthouse
Trails, 1/30/20 For nearly 18 years,
Lighthouse Trails has been reporting on the slide that
evangelical colleges, universities, and seminaries have
been taking into the contemplative/emergent/ecumenical
river. It would be great if we could say there’s been a
real turn around and things at these colleges are
getting better. It would be great if we could say that
your college-age child is safe in most Christian
colleges today. And it would be great if we could say
that these schools have realized the error of their ways
and have made dramatic efforts to get back on the
biblical course. Unfortunately, we cannot say any of
these things because they simply are not true. We were
once again reminded of how far off the track evangelical
schools have gone when earlier this month we received an
e-blast from Christianity Today announcing a 50%-off
tuition special for qualifying students to Seattle
Pacific University. That will sound very enticing to
parents who are looking for Christian education for
their college-age children at affordable rates. But
let’s take a glance at what these children will be
introduced to if they attend Seattle Pacific University:
At SPU’s Center for Biblical and Theological Education,
students will be introduced to various forms of
contemplative spirituality, and faculty members are
being trained to pass them on. For instance, in a 2019
faculty retreat syllabus, the list of activities at the
retreat include lectio divina, praying with icons,
sabbath keeping, Ignatian Spirituality, and Prayer of
Examen. At the upcoming 2020 Winter Discernment Weekend,
prospective students will be introduced to “Guided
Prayer” and Lectio Divina. “Spiritual Formation” and
contemplative spirituality are integrated throughout the
spiritual infrastructure of SPU. Faculty Staff Bulletins
are peppered with recommendation and accolades for
Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, and numerous other
hard-core mystics and panentheists.
(715) D is for Deception – The
Language of the “New” Christianity by Kevin
Reeves, 2/12/20 A number of years ago, a
book written by emerging-church leaders Brian McLaren
and Leonard Sweet was released. The book was called A is
for Abductive: the language of the emerging church.
Going through the alphabet, the authors identified many
terms they hoped would be picked up by the younger
generation, thus creating a unique emerging spiritual
atmosphere. They called it a “primer with a mission.”1
That mission that McLaren, Sweet, and other like-minded
change agents embrace has been successful in bringing in
a new kind of “Christianity,” which is not biblical
Christianity but rather a “New” Christianity now
permeating the halls of Christian colleges, seminaries,
evangelical churches, small groups, ministries, and
organizations. We have compiled in this booklet common
terms and their basic meanings to help uncover the true
meaning behind some of the deceptive language of the
“New” Christianity (i.e., the New Spirituality).
(716) Letter to the Editor: Is
the EFCA Lining Up With the Emergent Church?
at Lighthouse Trails, 2/18/20 LTRP Comments: We agree
that there are some EFCA leaders and pastors who are not
promoting or embracing emergent church teachings or
heading in that direction. However, we also share your
concerns about EFCA as a whole and about their present
leadership and direction. What we were observing in 2013
and 2014 regarding the EFCA has now borne its emergent
“fruit.” As you can see in this 2011 recommend resources
list, EFCA had made the decision to go down the
contemplative mystical path. And now today, as you have
pointed out, partly through EFCA groups like Creo
Collective, they have followed the “natural” course that
contemplative leads to—emergent, “progressive,” social
justice; and based on what has happened to so many other
denominations, we predict it will only get worse for the
EFCA. Once a group starts down the contemplative path,
only a determined and committed effort and desire to
stop will keep that group from going full-blown
emergent, socialist, and ultimately anti-Gospel.
(717) Lilly Endowment’s
Contemplative-Focused Clergy Renewal Program Updated
Lists by Lighthouse Trails, 2/22/20 In 2013, we posted an
article titled “What’s Up with Lilly Endowment – Funding
Pastoral Sabbaticals with a Contemplative Agenda.” Below
is a copy of that article (with excerpts from a related
2007 article). In it, it provides a link to the list of
churches whose pastors were “winners” of the 2012 Lilly
Endowment grants. Last week, we received a call from one
of our readers asking for current lists. We have placed
the links for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 at the end of
the article. If you are in a church where your pastor is
planning to go on a sabbatical, whether it is sponsored
by Lilly or not, find out if he is going to be spending
part of his sabbatical time at a monastery or a
contemplative retreat center and reading
contemplative-influenced books. If he is, then very
likely he will come back with an entirely different
spiritual outlook—one that looks more like Catholic
mystics Thomas Merton and Richard Rohr than the biblical
apostles Peter, John, and Paul.
(718) LECTIO DIVINA – What it is,
What it is not, and Should Christians Practice it?
by Lighthouse Trails, 2/26/20 There’s a lot of talk
about it today; umpteen books are published and more are
on the way about lectio divina; and an increasing number
of evangelical/Protestant figures are writing about it,
endorsing it, and teaching it. Some people think lectio
divina simply means to read a passage of Scripture
slowly (or “praying the Scriptures”) then ponder or
think on that Scripture. That can be a part of it. But
if you ask mystics or contemplatives what it really
entails (And who would know better than they?), they
will tell you that lectio divina (pronounced lex-ee-o
di-veen-a) always includes taking a passage of Scripture
(or other writings), reading it slowly, and repeating it
as you work your way down to where you have just a word
or small phrase from the passage that you are
“meditating” on (repeating over and over). Basically,
you are coming up with a mantra-like word or phrase that
has been extracted from a passage of Scripture, which,
according to contemplatives, if repeated for several
minutes, will help you get rid of thoughts and
distractions, so then, they say, you can hear the voice
of God and feel His presence (going into the silence).
(719) Lent and Contemplative – A
Likely Match by Lighthouse Trails, 3/3/20 According to Wikipedia,
Lent is: . . . a solemn religious observance in the
Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash
Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks (40 days)
later on Holy Thursday, the memorial of the Lord’s
supper the Thursday of Holy Week before Easter Sunday.
The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer
for Easter through prayer, doing penance, mortifying the
flesh, repentance of sins, almsgiving, and denial of
ego. This event is observed in the Anglican, Eastern
Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Presbyterian,
Oriental Orthodox, Reformed, and Roman Catholic
Churches. Some Anabaptist and evangelical churches also
observe the Lenten season.1 While the Bible does not
give any instruction to practice or participate in Lent,
many churches do. In fact, since the contemplative
prayer movement has come into full swing, more and more
churches are observing Lent. And, in fact, Lent is often
being used as the open door to bring contemplative
prayer into a church. This is largely done through the
multitudes of books from religious publishers who have
now become conduits for contemplative spirituality.*
Here are the titles of some books currently on the
market that incorporate contemplative into Lent ...
(720) The Goal of Contemplatives:
Changing the Consciousness of Humanity – One
Contemplative Prayer After the Next by Ray
Yungen, 3/15/20
Two authors from Great Britain portrayed a stunningly
clear picture of New Age spirituality. They explained:
[T]he keynote of it appears to be a movement for
synthesis derived from an understanding of the
underlying unity behind all things and the sense of
oneness that this brings. This oneness of all life is
the crux of the New Age movement.1 Catholic priest, the
late Basil Pennington defined the contemplative
spiritual worldview in his book Thomas Merton My
Brother. He related: The Spirit enlightened him [Merton]
in the true synthesis [unity] of all and in the harmony
of that huge chorus of living beings. In the midst of it
he lived out a vision of a new world, where all
divisions have fallen away and the divine goodness is
perceived and enjoyed as present in all and through
all.2 The first viewpoint describes God as the oneness
of all existence. In Merton’s new world, God is
perceived as being present “in all and through all.” It
certainly appears that the same spirit enlightened both
parties. The only difference was Merton’s revelation
worked in a Christian context just as Alice Bailey
predicted. Unfortunately, this context is now
commonplace in Catholic circles, becoming so in mainline
Protestant churches, and being eagerly explored and
embraced by an ever-increasing number of evangelical
Christians.
(721) Passion Conference Louie
Giglio Gives Thumbs Up to Enneagram—Could Influence
Scores of Young Evangelicals by Lighthouse
Trails, 4/21/20 Louie Giglio is an
extremely popular megachurch pastor and author as well
as the founder and leader of the Passion conferences,
which have drawn in hundreds of thousands of mostly
young people since 1997.(1) On the week of March 16th,
Giglio (a Calvinist) was a guest on emergent
social-justice “Gospel” advocate Ian Morgan Cron’s
Enneagram podcast. A week later, part 2 of the interview
took place. While it of no great surprise that Giglio
(who has shown himself to be part of the ecumenical,
“new” spirituality in more ways than one(2)) would form
an attachment to Morgan Cron’s Enneagram, it is most
unfortunate: because of Giglio’s vast following, the
Enneagram has now received a substantial thumbs up in
the evangelical world, especially among young
evangelicals. So not only are Giglio’s followers being
influenced by Calvinism and the New Spirituality, they
are also being led into New Age-rooted practices. For
those who are unfamiliar with the Enneagram, Lighthouse
Trails released a booklet in October of 2019 titled The
Enneagram—An Enlightening Tool or an Enticing
Deception?.
(722) Is Christianity Missing Out
on Something Vital? Contemplatives Say “Yes”
by Ray Yungen, 5/6/20 Contemplative advocates
propose that something vital and important is missing
from the church for centuries. The insinuation is that
Christians have been lacking something necessary for
their spiritual vitality; but that would mean the Holy
Spirit has not been fully effective for hundreds of
years and only now the secret key has been found that
unlocks God’s full power to know Him. These proponents
believe that Christianity has been seriously crippled
without this extra ingredient. This kind of thinking
leads one to believe that traditional, biblical
Christianity is merely a philosophy without the
contemplative prayer element. Contemplatives are making
a distinction between studying and meditating on the
Word of God versus experiencing Him, suggesting that we
cannot hear Him or really know Him simply by studying
His Word or even through normal prayer—we must be
contemplative to accomplish this. But the Bible makes it
clear that the Word of God is living and active and has
always been that way, and it is in filling our minds
with it that we come to love Him, not through a mystical
practice of stopping the flow of thought (the stillness)
that is never once mentioned in the Bible, except in
warnings against vain repetitions in the New Testament
and divination in the Old Testament.
(723) “Over 100 Pastors Sign
Letter to Ohio Board of Education Opposing Yoga,
Meditation Being Taught in Schools” by
Heather Clark, 5/8/20 More than 100 pastors
recently signed a letter to the Ohio Board of Education,
which was also sent to 39 school districts, to express
opposition to yoga and transcendental meditation being
taught in schools as they are rooted in Eastern religion
and are a spiritual practice at their core. The letter,
signed by 105 pastors from various denominations, notes
that yoga has been taught during school hours in Clear
Fork, Galion, Lexington, Lucas, Mansfield and Shelby
counties and asks for an assurance that such practices
will be discontinued. “Yoga is not merely an external
physical practice with a purely physiological effect,
but rather an internal spiritual practice advertised as
being able to provide the power to change an individual
and transform the world,” it reads. “Specifically,
yoga’s ‘stretching’ and ‘breathing’ components, called
‘asanas’ and ‘pranayama’ in Sanskrit, are intended to be
spiritually transformative.”
(724) Warning: Zondervan
Introduces Its First-Ever Film, Nine: The Enneagram
Documentary— to Release in Theaters Fall 2020
at Lighthouse Trails, 5/21/20 LTRP Note: The news
release below regarding the Christian publisher,
Zondervan, is posted for informational and research
purposes. Lighthouse Trails warned about the Enneagram
in our booklet, The Enneagram—An Enlightening Tool or an
Enticing Deception? (written by Lois Putnam), which we
released last Fall. Obviously, when one of the largest
evangelical publishers releases a film (their first film
ever) on the Enneagram, it’s clear this is a
fast-growing trend within evangelicalism. We believe the
Enneagram (as is Lectio Divina) is a gateway “tool” to
further integrate the occultic contemplative prayer
movement into the church, a movement that has so
significantly influenced millions of Christians.
(725) Letter to the Editor:
Kaiser Permanente Among Those Pushing Mindfulness and
Meditation Due to Coronavirus at Lighthouse
Trails, 5/23/20 LTRP Note: While New Age
meditative practices (including “mindfulness”
meditation) have integrated into all facets of our
Western society, including the church, for some time,
there has been an even stronger push for them since
coronavirus began. Purveyors of eastern-style meditation
are using the elevated levels of stress that the
“pandemic” has caused to sell the idea that we need
meditation practices to help alleviate that stress. The
following letter to the editor gives one example (see
links below for other examples).
(726) A Fortress of Solitude …
Entering the SILENCE by Mike Oppenheimer,
6/2/20 God can speak to us at
anytime, we are not required to be silent. It usually
occurs when we are learning, reading or active and
ministering. Job 38:1-3 Then the LORD answered Job out
of the whirlwind, and said: "Who is this who darkens
counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself
like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer
Me.” Job did not enter silence, yet we have the longest
conversation recorded in the Bible. The only silence
should be from those who are promoting this Catholic
monk practice in the church. Read Part 1
& Part
2.
(727) The Enneagram by
Gary Gilley, 6/13/20 The Enneagram is a
complicated and esoteric system that would require years
of training to understand and implement properly; and
even then, there exist vast differences among Enneagram
experts. This is in direct contrast to the
relative simplicity, clarity, and perspicuity of
Scripture. Additionally, when all the smoke has
cleared and the theories exposed, the Enneagram is
nothing more than human ideas, conjectures and general
observations, cobbled into such a muddled system that
even the experts can’t agree. Most importantly, the
Enneagram is claiming territory over which God’s Word
has staked its claim: salvation, sanctification,
knowledge of self, and knowledge of God. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(728) Contemplative Prayer – Does
Our Intent to Find Jesus Justify the Method?
by Lighthouse Trails, 6/19/20 [I]f you were to jump off
a cliff with the intent to fly saying the word “fly, fly,
fly” as you jump off and someone else jumped off the same
cliff with the intent to hit the bottom saying “fall,
fall, fall” as he jumps off, in either case both will hit
the bottom. – Ray Yungen If our intent is to find Jesus,
is the method of going about this acceptable, even if the
method might happen to be a Buddhist meditation style.
Brian Edgar, former Director of Theology and Public Policy
for the Australian Evangelical Alliance believes it is ...
(729) The Shack and a New Age View
of the Trinity by Mike Oppenheimer, 8/25/20 Today, the word Trinity,
or Trinitarian theology, is taking on a whole new meaning,
one of which most Christians are unaware but one that is
working its way into the church through the highly popular
book, The Shack. Let me explain. Many people have defended
their admiration for The Shack, saying it is “just a
novel.” But Shack author William Paul Young admits that
The Shack is more than a novel; he considers it a
theological book ...
(730) Overcomer or Succumber?
by Warren B. Smith, 8/30/20 Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your
labour is not in vain in the Lord.—1 Corinthians 15:58
overcome—to get the better of in a struggle; to conquer.
succumb—to give way (to), to yield, to submit (to succumb
to persuasion). Today’s Evangullible Church In today’s
evangullible church, countless believers are yielding to
the temptations of our Adversary and falling away (Luke
8:13). Giving in to the compromised teachings of the
emerging apostate church, once faithful believers are
succumbing to the deception that Jesus warned would come
in His name (Matthew 24:3-5). Those who could have been
overcomers become succumbers—unless, of course, they
remember what they received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent (Revelation 3:3).
(731) Letter to the Editor: Liberty
University Taking Students on “Spiritual Journey” With
Contemplative/Emergent Leader Richard Foster
at Lighthouse Trails, 9/10/20 For 18 years, Lighthouse
Trails has been warning about the contemplative prayer
movement and its role in creating an “emergent”
“progressive” church. Part of our investigative research
scope has included Christian universities and seminaries,
a majority of which now promote contemplative
spirituality. Liberty University, one of the largest
Christian universities in the U.S., has been on the
contemplative/emergent path for many years. We take this
matter extremely serious because the “fruit” of
contemplative prayer in a person’s life is the formation
of a “new” spiritual outlook that resembles more of a New
Age thought (interspirituality and panentheism) than a
biblical one. As for contemplative pioneer, Richard
Foster, please read our article/booklet “A Serious Look at
Richard Foster’s “School” of Contemplative Praye.” and
make sure your children and grandchildren are not being
influenced by a deceived school.
(732) Where
Are We Going? by David Dombrowski, 10/18/20
What will be the end of this resurrected city of Babylon?
Revelation says, “Therefore shall her plagues come in one
day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be
utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who
judgeth her” (Revelation 18:8), and again it says, “for in
one hour is thy judgment come” (Revelation 18:10).
Apparently, the judgment to come will be speedy and
severe. So, while we can only speculate on the details of
what will happen, we can be sure that a massive delusion
will encompass the world and that severe judgment will
also take place. Just knowing this, let us, as believers
in the Lord Jesus Christ, cling all the more dearly to the
Word of God and the Gospel message. Jesus died on the
Cross to save sinners and rose from the dead to conquer
death; our hope is in Him and nowhere or no one else. And
while it is scary to think of persecution of the
believers, it is more frightening to think of God’s
judgment on those who abandon God’s Word for a lie. May we
remember that no matter what we might suffer as
Christians, the safest place to be is in God’s will.
Knowing this, let us encourage one another with the
comfort and hope that is in the Lord. And let us be
assured that we know where are we are going. Looking for
that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us,
that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus
2:13-14
(733) Letter
to the Editor: Our Sad Departure From the Church of the
Nazarene Over Unbiblical Teachings at Lighthouse
Trails, 11/30/20
LTRP Note: For over a decade, Lighthouse Trails has been
issuing warnings regarding the Church of the Nazarene’s
embracing of contemplative and emergent teachings (i.e.,
Spiritual Formation). We have focused largely on the
numerous Nazarene universities that have been training
future Nazarene pastors with these unbiblical teachings.
In 2004, our editors spoke with Dr. Jim Diehl (then a
General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene) who
called us because he read A Time of Departing (the book
that exposes contemplative spirituality) and found it
right on. We told him at that time what was happening in
the Nazarene schools. Sadly, the many warnings by LT and
others for so many years have gone unheeded. The following
letter by a Nazarene couple is further proof of that. Dear
Lighthouse Trails: I have been a fan of your ANA (Anti New
Age) materials for a while. You have been the center
of a lot of books, booklets, and research as our family
has been reconsidering our membership in the Church of the
Nazarene. We recently left the denomination and
ordered some booklets to give out to the board to help us
explain why. The new pastor did not even allow us
one last meeting with them!
(734) Enneagram
Divination by Herescope, 12/10/20
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words.
The graphic exhibit above is from the Winter 1998 issue of
Gnosis magazine, which billed itself “A Journal of the
Western Inner Traditions.” This is an occult periodical
titled with the ancient word gnosis, the Greek word for
knowledge.[1] Gnosticism was a potent heresy in the early
church, and it has shown up in many guises throughout
church history. This Gnosis cover image depicts an
utterly unclothed woman in a trance (I covered her up).
This image is credited to have come from a Tarot card
deck, which is witchcraft.[2] The magazine contains an
article about G.I. Gurdjieff titled “Oracles Within: The
Inner Animal Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff” which has to do
with shapeshifting, from the very deepest dregs of
Satanism. In case our readers have never considered the
utter depth of depravity of man described in the verses in
Romans 1, particularly verse 23 (“And changed the glory of
the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and
creeping things”) the exhibit below from page 36 of the
article about Gurdjjieff in Gnosis magazine illustrates it
(again I covered up the nakedness): “
(735) Clamoring
Like Seals by CrossWise, 1/10/21
Hubbard understands those of her elite group as the ones
that must wield the sword, and etc., as per above: We, the
elders, have been patiently waiting until the very last
moment before the quantum transformation, to take action
to cut out this corrupted and corrupting element in the
body of humanity. It is like watching a cancer grow;
something must be done before the whole body is
destroyed.9 These “defective seeds” must go, for “it is a
case of the destruction of the whole planet, or the
elimination” of this one-fourth of the population.10 But
there is a silver lining! Her readers are not charged with
this act.11 They can just sit passively by—sort of like
what some did during World War II, I suppose. …We are in
charge of God’s selection process for planet Earth. He
selects, we destroy. We are the riders of the pale horse,
Death. We come to bring death to those who are unable to
know God. We do this for the sake of the world… Now that
[the planetary system] is being born into its universal,
whole-conscious phase, the disconnected must be
destroyed.12 While it’s the elders that do the cleansing,
it is the others still alive that will be tasked with the
reconstruction: You do not have to participate in the
destruction. You are to be responsible for the
construction which shall begin as the tribulations come to
an end.13 You didn’t expect the elders—the elites—to clean
up, did you?
(736) The
Social Gospel: Imposing a Cultural Mandate into the
Great Commission by Gary Gilley, 1/13/21
It has proven almost impossible for the Church to keep the
biblical command of the Great Commission in balance with
the Cultural Mandate, once such a mandate is accepted as
part of the mission of the Church. Those
following this philosophy would abandon the
Christ-given mission of making disciples for the task of
improving society. Those churches and Christians who saw
the error of the social gospel continued to center their
lives and ministries on the Great
Commission. It is the descendants of these very churches
and believers who are now being influenced to widen their
understanding of the calling of Christ to include a social
improving agenda. Unless there is a return to the biblical
mandate given in the New Testament, the evangelical Church
is in danger of repeating the same error of the 19th and
20th century Church with predictable results.
(737) Agnes
Sanford and her Unbiblical Inner Healing method's
by Mike Oppenheimer, 1/16/21
Certain people have a great influence in the era of modern
Christianity, some are not a good influence. One of them
is Agnes Sanford. She was born in 1897, the daughter of a
Presbyterian missionary in China, and the wife of an
Episcopal rector. She is considered to be one of the
principal founders of the inner healing movement and one
of the more influential shapers of the modern charismatic
movement. She introduced to the body of Christ numerous
non-Christian teachings, philosophies into the Church
through the 1960’s to about 1980, and though she is gone
she is still is an influence today. She was also a
promoter of the Manifest sons of God heresy found in the
Latter Rain movement by William Branham. She wrote many
books in her religious career, you can literally find the
same ideas she wrote of in mystical and new age literature
that has been written prior. Sanford is most known by her
first book, “The Healing Light”, ( old over half a million
copies since 1947 when it was originally published), and
ending with her last book, “The Healing Gifts of the
Spirit” which contained a mixture of metaphysical concepts
and Mind Science. She included an endorsement in the front
of her last book “The Healing Gifts of the Spirit” by “The
American Theosophist.” They wrote: “... an inspiring
handbook for developing one’s own capabilities for richer
living and giving .” Theosophists are Spiritist’s who are
part of the New Age Movement, they are not a good
endorsement. She believed what we hear from so many others
today,that Christians today should do the same miracles
that Jesus did ( Sealed Orders, pp. 13, 26).No doubt many
who say this have read her books.
(738) InterVarsity’s
“2030 Calling” – Raising Up Young Evangelicals to Be the
Mystics of Tomorrow by Lighthouse Trails,
1/17/21
For many years, Lighthouse Trails has tried to warn the
church about evangelical publishing houses that are
releasing countless materials which promote and teach
contemplative spirituality. One of the publishing
companies that is at the forefront of this effort to bring
the New Age/new spirituality practice of contemplative
prayer into the church is InterVarsity Press which has a
particular focus on young evangelicals. In light of this,
our concerns have only heightened upon learning of
InterVarsity’s “2030 Calling,” especially when we consider
how contemplative spirituality is one of the most robust
vehicles that lead young evangelicals into an
anti-biblical, anti-moral, “progressive,” pro-emergent
outlook. What is Contemplative Prayer? For those
unfamiliar with the term “contemplative prayer,” it is a
mystical prayer practice which uses repetition of a word
or phrase to enter the “silence,” “stillness,” or
so-called “sacred space” in order to, supposedly, hear the
voice of God. In fact, contemplative proponents like Beth
Moore say you cannot even be close to God without this
inner stillness. However, as author and researcher Ray
Yungen points out, it is a great deception for Christians
to believe this is a safe and legitimate method of
communing with God, and no where in Scripture are we
admonished to do this. In actuality, though one’s intent
may be to seek the Lord, practicing something that is
virtually identical in method to eastern meditation
practices such as Transcendental Meditation is dangerous
and will get the same result as TM practitioners—and that
is to reach a spiritually demonic realm. And as Yungen
explains, the “fruit” of practicing contemplative prayer
is interspirituality (all paths lead to God), panentheism
(God is in all), and universalism (all are saved).
(739) Letter
to the Editor: K.P. Yohannon (Gospel for Asia) Going
Contemplative? at Lighthouse Trails, 2/10/21
LTRP Note: The following letter to the editor is written
by one of our readers out of a deep sadness and concern
that K.P. Yohannon, in his 2020 book, Never Give Up, is
showing a strong affinity to contemplative mystics. In
that book, Yohannon says he is learning things from the
Desert Fathers and the early mystics (calling them
“incredible Christians” and “giants of the faith” pp.
92-93) that no one had told him about in his earlier
Christian years. How tragic that a Christian man who grew
up in a country that is mostly Hindu is pointing his
followers to mystics who embraced practices similar to
those in Hinduism as Lighthouse Trails has documented for
nearly two decades. And with popular evangelical leaders
like Calvary Chapel pastors Skip Heitzig and Chip Lusko
and Bible Answer man Hank Hanegraaff endorsing the book,
many unsuspecting Christians will now be introduced to the
contemplative mystics and their practices. Lighthouse
Trails has obtained its own copy of Never Give Up and
confirms what is being said in this letter and even more
so.
Updated! (740) Agnes
Sanford and her Unbiblical Inner Healing method's
by Mike Oppenheimer, 2/14/21
Certain people have a great influence in the era of modern
Christianity, some are not a good influence. One of them
is Agnes Sanford. She was born in 1897, the daughter of a
Presbyterian missionary in China, and the wife of an
Episcopal rector. She is considered to be one of the
principal founders of the inner healing movement and one
of the more influential shapers of the modern charismatic
movement. She introduced to the body of Christ numerous
non-Christian teachings, philosophies into the Church
through the 1960’s to about 1980, and though she is gone
she is still is an influence today. She was also a
promoter of the Manifest sons of God heresy found in the
Latter Rain movement by William Branham. She wrote many
books in her religious career, you can literally find the
same ideas she wrote of in mystical and new age literature
that has been written prior. Sanford is most known by her
first book, “The Healing Light”, ( old over half a million
copies since 1947 when it was originally published), and
ending with her last book, “The Healing Gifts of the
Spirit” which contained a mixture of metaphysical concepts
and Mind Science. She included an endorsement in the front
of her last book “The Healing Gifts of the Spirit” by “The
American Theosophist.” They wrote: “... an inspiring
handbook for developing one’s own capabilities for richer
living and giving .” Theosophists are Spiritist’s who are
part of the New Age Movement, they are not a good
endorsement. She believed what we hear from so many others
today,that Christians today should do the same miracles
that Jesus did ( Sealed Orders, pp. 13, 26).No doubt many
who say this have read her books. Read Part 1,
Part 2
& Part
3.
(741) Does
‘Vision Casting’ Have Anything To Do With Abiding In
Christ And Bearing Much Fruit? by Mike Ratliff,
2/24/21 I have always listened closely to the direction the Lord
has lead me as I become troubled by something I have heard
someone preach or someone asks me a question that causes
me to become troubled in my spirit or circumstances become
skewed in such a way that the Holy Spirit uses that to get
my attention and through these various “things” and many
others, I start praying, asking for direction, looking
deeply into the Word, asking godly counsel from men I know
who do the same thing. This post below was written and put
online back in August of 2015…. We had just moved from
Deer Creek to Yukon and were not yet settled where we
would attend church. I was researching this when I heard a
sermon from one of the pastors of a church we were looking
at. What I heard troubled my spirit and this post was the
result. If you are serious about your walk, and you should
be, then you probably already know that the visible church
is full of man-centered preaching and teaching. Vision
Casting is just one of the man-centered teachings that
come from this. On the other hand, a genuine God centered
handling of worship and preaching and teaching will always
be about God, the Son, the Holy Spirit, all bound to the
Word of God and the message will be bound to the Gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ, not in any way some sort of
motivational pep-talk to get people busy being religious.
(742) InterVarsity
Press Calls on Christians to Engage in Lectio
Divina—Leading Them Down a Road of Peril at
Lighthouse Trails, 4/29/21 Long-time Lighthouse Trails readers are well aware that
InterVarsity Press (one of evangelical Christianity’s
biggest publishers) began down the contemplative
spirituality path many years ago. But most Christians are
not aware of this and many turn to publishers like IVP for
their spiritual nourishment. But doing so leads to
spiritual disaster rather than spiritual benefit.
(743) The
Nature Behind Contemplative Prayer: The Heart of
Occultism by Ray Yungen, 6/12/21 Many Christians might have great difficulty accepting the
assessment that what is termed Christian mysticism is, in
truth, not Christian at all. They might feel this
rejection is spawned by a heresy-hunting mentality that
completely ignores the love and devotion to God that also
accompanies the mystical life. To those who are skeptical,
I suggest examining the writings of Philip St. Romain, who
wrote a book about his journey into contemplative prayer
called Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality. This
title is revealing because kundalini is a Hindu term for
the mystical power or force that underlies Hindu
spirituality. In Hinduism, it is commonly referred to as
the serpent power.
(744) Mindfulness:
What You May Not Know And Should Have Been Told
by Lighthouse Trails, 6/28/21 Currently, “mindfulness” is being introduced to tens of
thousands of public schools across America. One group
alone, Healthy Schools Program, which includes mindfulness
as part of its program, is in over 30,000 public schools
(that’s about one third of all public schools in
America).1 Programs such as Healthy Schools* claim that
children behave better and think more clearly when they
incorporate mindfulness exercises into their school
regime. Researcher and author Ray Yungen states: In recent
years, a type of meditation known as mindfulness has made
a surprising showing. Based on current trends, it has the
potential to eclipse even Yoga in popularity. You will now
find it everywhere that people are seeking therapeutic
approaches to ailments or disorders. . . it is presented
as something to cure society’s ills.2 School
administrators, principals, teachers, and other school
officials are being told that mindfulness is safe, is not
religious, and is not the same as eastern or Buddhist
meditation. This booklet will examine several aspects of
mindfulness and will help to show why mindfulness
meditation should not be brought into the schools and
taught to children.
(745) After
Ignored Warnings by LT, Gungor Worship Leader Tweet Says
Buddha, Muhammad and You Are Christ at
Lighthouse Trails, 8/4/21 LTRJ Note: In 2012, Lighthouse Trails tried to warn the
church about the contemplative-promoting band, Gungor, in
our article titled Tens of Thousands Introduced to
Contemplative Advocates Gungor and David Crowder at Greg
Laurie’s Harvest Crusade. Our warning was ignored by
Christian leaders such as Greg Laurie and certain other
large Calvary Chapel churches. As for Michael Gungor, we
do not find it surprising that after practicing
contemplative prayer all these years, he moved into the
interspiritual (i.e., all paths lead to God) camp. As Ray
Yungen pointed out so succinctly, this is the “natural”
course contemplative practitioners tragically take. And
this is why, after nearly 20 years, Lighthouse Trails
continues warning the church about occultic mystical
practices such as centering prayer and contemplative
spirituality. The following news story is posted for
informational and research purposes.
(746) Sarah
Young’s New Agey Mystical Moonlight Conversion
by Warren B. Smith, 9/8/21 In the original introduction to Jesus Calling, Sarah
Young described how it was a walk in “God’s glorious
creation” that led to her mystical moonlight
conversion—that her “heart” was “converted” to “Jesus”
when she “felt” “enveloped” by the “warm mist” of His
“Presence.” Her account is reminiscent of how many of us
fell prey to deceptive spiritual experiences rather than
heeding warnings from the Word of God about “another
Jesus,” “another gospel,” and “another spirit.” (2
Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6-7; 1 Timothy 4:1). Note
how Young clearly transitions right from “it was God’s
glorious creation that helped me open my heart to Him”
into her walk in the “snowy mountains” with its “cold
moonlit beauty.” It is a continuous flow from one
paragraph to the next.
(747) Contemplative
Prayer or the Holy Spirit – It Can’t Be Both! by
Ray Yungen, 9/17/21 Two authors from Great Britain portray a stunningly clear
picture of New Age spirituality. They explain: [T]he
keynote of it appears to be a movement for synthesis
derived from an understanding of the underlying unity
behind all things and the sense of oneness that this
brings. This oneness of all life is the crux of the New
Age movement.1 Catholic monk M. Basil Pennington defined
the contemplative spiritual worldview in his book Thomas
Merton My Brother. He related: The Spirit enlightened him
[Merton] in the true synthesis [unity] of all and in the
harmony of that huge chorus of living beings. In the midst
of it he lived out a vision of a new world, where all
divisions have fallen away and the divine goodness is
perceived and enjoyed as present in all and through all.2
The first viewpoint describes God as the oneness of all
existence. In Merton’s new world, God is perceived as
being present “in all and through all.” It certainly
appears that the same spirit enlightened both parties. The
only difference was Merton’s revelation worked in a
Christian context just as occultist Alice Bailey
predicted. Unfortunately, this context is now commonplace
in Catholic circles, becoming so in mainline Protestant
churches, and being eagerly explored and embraced by an
ever-increasing number of evangelical Christians.
(748) Shamanism
Revived - The Seduction Of Christianity Audio Book -
Chapter Nine by Dave Hunt, 9/18/21 The Bible clearly states that a great Apostasy must occur
before Christ's second coming. Today, Christians are being
deceived by a worldview more subtle and seductive than any
before. What are the dangers in the growing acceptance and
practice of:
* Positive and possibility thinking
* Healing of memories
* Self-help philosophies
* Holistic medicine
The seduction of Christianity will not appear as a frontal
assault or oppression of our religious beliefs. Instead,
it will come as the latest fashionable philosophies
offering to make us happier, healthier, better educated,
and even more spiritual. A compelling look at the times in
which we live and a clear call to every believer to choose
between the original and the counterfeit.
(749) Another
Shack Betrayal: A Cat Named Judas by Warren B.
Smith, 11/4/21 The name Judas has been described as the most hated name
in all the world. Except for Shack author William Paul
Young and maybe a few exceptional others, hardly anybody
ever names anyone or anything Judas. It is one of those
forbidden names like Jezebel or Lucifer that people would
never dream of naming their child, their dog—or their cat.
The very name denotes a sense of treachery and betrayal.
After all, Judas was the one who openly betrayed Jesus and
paved the way for His crucifixion. So what was William
Paul Young thinking? Why does The Shack’s most endearing
character—Missy—have a cat named Judas?1 And it seems
especially odd to have a cat with that name in a family
where the mother’s faith is described as “deep”2 and Missy
is asking sincere questions about Jesus’ death.3
(750) Concerns
About the Lectio 365 App (aka: Pete Greig and Lectio
Divina) by Lighthouse Trails, 11/11/21 This group is connected with Pete Greig (Red Moon Rising)
whom we warned about several years ago. Greig is a
founding “team” member of Lectio 365 and has proven
himself to be a long-time strong emergent contemplative
proponent.
https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=4009. A
perusal of the Lectio 365 website reveals just as many
concerns as back when we first warned about Greig.
Plus, the site is promoting Greig’s book,
https://www.24-7prayer.com/redmoonrising showing that the
propensity has not changed (for the good) over the years.
In fact, it has only gotten worse, which is what happens
with contemplative prayer. Here you can see that they are
promoting Black Lives Matter:
https://www.24-7prayer.com/justice. Thus it would stand to
reason that they are promoting Critical Race Theory as
well. And, of course, the Lectio 365 app is inspired by
the practice of Lectio Divina.
https://www.24-7prayer.com/lectio365-resource. Sadly, many
young people are attracted to groups like this. Below is
the content of our article on Lectio Divina. See also the
links below that for documentation.
(751) The
Global Church Network: Is It a New Age Path to
“Back-door” Ecumenism? by Cedric Fisher, 2/15/22 This article is about the largest pastor’s network, also
called a church, that appears to have the goal of becoming
the global church. Professing Christians should know that
there must be a one-world government to fulfill the
prophesies of Revelation 13. They should also know that
there must also be a one-world church or religion to
compose the False Prophet’s kingdom. Thus, when a rapidly
growing entity fraught with heresy and New
Age/Christianity, joined by over 2500 denominations and
ministries, including many heads of denominations,
notorious politicians, journalists, and other secular
icons, rises up to loom over all the other church
networks, it is significant. I took a closer look at this
network. This article presents some of my discoveries. I
concluded that it is a dangerous organization based on
Leonard Sweet’s influence alone. Why are the heads of
denominations, including the Assemblies of God, Church of
God, Nazarene, et al, joined with this network?
(752) Video
Critique: The Chosen—Calling John the Baptist “Creepy
John” and Jesus and John the Baptist Arguing About Herod
at Lighthouse Trails, 2/24/22 Did you know that in the hugely popular series, The
Chosen, the apostle Peter continually calls John the
Baptist “creepy John”? Yet the Bible highly esteems John
the Baptist saying he would “be great in the sight of the
Lord” and come in the spirit and power of Elijah—Luke
1:15-17. Did you know that in The Chosen, Jesus and John
the Baptist get into an argument about whether John should
confront Herod or not. But would the Bible’s John of the
Baptist, who said he was not even worthy to untie the
laces of Jesus’ sandles, argue with Jesus Christ, and is
there any hint in God’s Word that Jesus disapproved of
John the Baptist’s confronting a leader who was committing
adultery? The following video, done by a man who gave us
permission to use his video, shows and discusses these
scenes and others from The Chosen. As did our booklet, The
Chosen Series: 10 Critical Concerns,1 the video below
provides ample evidence that The Chosen discredits God’s
Word.
(753) NAMB
& David Platt Church Plant Promotes Enneagram For
Church Training by Capstone Report, 3/22/22
A church in Virginia planted by the New City Network–a
partnership funded by NAMB and McLean Bible Church
promotes the use of the Enneagram in its new member
training class. Conservative Christian experts warn of the
dangers of the Enneagram. SBC Presidential candidate Willy
Rice is vice chairman of the NAMB trustees charged with
oversight of NAMB.
(754) Christianity’s
‘Trip’ To The East by Don and Joy Veinot –
Midwestern Christian Outreach, 3/28/22
“[M]any of the leading voices in the spiritual formation
movement stress the need for more intuitive
interpretations of spirituality. They encourage believers
to incorporate a wide variety of extrabiblical spiritual
practices, such as contemplative prayer, silence,
meditation, creative expression, and Yoga. In fact, some
of the most popular methods of spiritual formation have
been lifted from Catholicism, new age mysticism, or other
religions and rebranded with biblical-sounding
terminology.” The 1960s and ’70s was a time of great
transition for Western culture – and in our opinion, not
in a good way. Sadly in our view, America led the way down
that slippery slope. Social mores and long-held religious
tenets were challenged and often discarded by young
people, which raised the eyebrows of former generations
and truly frightened many parents.
(755) Lesbians
And Homosexuals To Train Leaders At AWANA ‘Child
Discipleship’ Conference at CRN, 3/29/22
“It is clear the direction the ministry is moving—the same
direction that the rest of mainstream Evangelicalism is
going. Ultimately, this is going to have an effect from
the top down and it will make its way into your church if
it is not stopped.” AWANA is a program used by many
Evangelical churches as a tool to train children in
various areas of discipleship, primarily, Scripture
memorization. While churches use the program in varying
degrees—ranging from nothing more than practicing and
reciting Scripture to using the full curriculum—it should
be noted that the direction the ministry is going is
troubling, to say the least.
(756) New
YouTube Channel for Ray Yungen Lectures by Chris
Lawson, 4/7/22
Lighthouse Trails friend, author, and ministry colleague
Chris Lawson (director of Spiritual Research Network) has
created a new YouTube channel for Ray Yungen’s lecture and
conference videos. We want to thank Chris for providing
this resource; and we hope you will get a chance to check
it out. For those who are not familiar with Ray’s work, he
has played a major role for the last 20 years in the
ministry of Lighthouse Trails helping to equip the church
in understanding and avoiding spiritual deception. The
lectures on the YouTube channel contain vital information
and documentation that continues to be relevant today. Ray
passed away in 2016, but his legacy of discernment lives
on. Ray
Yungen’s YouTube channel.
(757) Sorceries
or Salvation—Which Shall It Be? by Ray Yungen,
4/10/22
Just what exactly is God’s desire for mankind? Does He
want to send people to Hell? Does He want anyone to live
eternally without Him? Scripture is very clear about this
when it says: The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering
to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) God makes a
strong plea to all people, giving them every opportunity
to receive Him. It is God’s desire that none should perish
eternally. That’s why He offered His Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ—the only perfect sacrifice for mankind’s sin:
Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came
upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness
of one [Jesus] the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life. (Romans 5:18) What it comes down to
is the preaching of the higher self (as taught in
contemplative spirituality) versus the preaching of the
Cross. The New Age says that God is the higher self in
man—that God is just a meditation away.
(758) The
Enneagram Is The Face Of God And The Body Of Christ?
by Marcia Montenegro – Midwest Christian Outreach, 4/26/22
The distortions of God continue unchecked in the culture
of the Enneagram celebrities. A recent example is Rev.
Michael John Cusick, M.A., L.P.C., founder and CEO of
Restoring the Soul, an organization in Colorado. IAN CRON
recently promoted Michael John Cusick on his Typology
podcast. In doing a bit of research on Cusick and his
organization, I came across his podcast, “Episode 100 –
Kelley Gray, ‘5 Ways the Enneagram Can Strengthen Your
Marriage, Part II: Understanding How Your Partner Handles
Conflict’” on Luminary.
(759) “Progressive”
Christianity—After Our Children and Grandchildren
by Berit Kjos, 5/4/22 Today’s “progressive” emerging churches have little love
for the old certainties that have grounded genuine
Christians in God’s revealed truth for 2000 years. They
say those precious guidelines don’t fit the new dialectic
and collective ways of thinking. Today’s
entertainment-driven Christians prefer “feel good”
assurances stripped of unwanted references to sin, guilt,
or moral boundaries.
(760) Letter
to the Editor: I Discovered the Christian College I Was
Attending Was “Woke”! by S.M., 5/11/22
I am grateful to God for using you and your website to
open my eyes on so many spiritual war fronts. The reason I
am writing this e-mail is because I am looking for a list
of Christian higher education establishments that have
signed on with the woke movement. I recently applied to a
“Christian” college (College of Bbiblical Studies [CBS],
Houston) after first pre-checking the name of the
institution against your list of Christian colleges that
promote spiritual formation. I thought I was safe since it
was not on the list, but boy was I wrong! I recently
watched a DVD titled Enemies Within the Church, and I was
struck when they noted that woke “Christian” colleges and
seminaries focused heavily on philosophy and worldviews
rather than Scripture. I was dumbfounded when I heard this
because one of the required classes I had signed up for at
CBS seemed to be heavily focused on philosophy and
worldviews. This greatly concerned me, so I dug a little
deeper and found that one of the professors teaching at
CBS actually wrote the book Woke Church.
(761) The
Big Picture: How the World and the Church Are Being
Deceived: Ten Spiritual Devices by Warren B.
Smith, 5/22/22
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not
ignorant of his devices. (2 Corinthians 2:11) Many years
ago, I was recruited into the New Age movement to help
implement its deceptive peace plan. The same devices used
to deceive me into accepting its teachings are the same
devices being used today to deceive the world—and the
church. These devices are preparing everyone for a
seemingly “wonderful” peace plan that is being
euphemistically described as God’s Dream for the world.
The following are ten of these deceptive spiritual
devices.
(762) Sarah
Young’s Heretical Book ‘Jesus Calling’ Has Sold
40,000,000 Copies by Protestia, 6/4/22
It can’t be denied: The Jesus of Sarah Young sounds
suspiciously like a twenty-first century, Western,
middle-aged woman. ~ Tim Challies In an announcement
betraying the sad state of affairs in the Christian World,
Publishers Weekly has announced that Sarah Young’s Jesus
Calling devotional has sold over 40,000,000 copies across
all formats and editions. Three years ago it had sold
30,000,000 copies, meaning that it shows no sign of
slowing down and is one of the best-selling ‘christian’
books of all time.
(763) Dallas
Jenkins’ “definitive (final) comments” on the Mormon
issue exposed presented by The Word Like Fire
Ministries, 6/5/22 Video is done by a former Mormon whom we have featured
before. Recently Dallas Jenkins, creator of The Chosen,
has tried to wiggle out of some of his comments such as
Christians and Mormons “love the same Jesus.” This
excellent and short video demonstrates that, in spite his
masterful effort at muddying the waters, Jenkins did make
these claims. Click here
to watch the video.
(764) Letter
to the Editor: Diana Butler Bass and Westmont College
Steered Daughter Away From the Faith at
Lighthouse Trails, 6/6/22
Dear Lighthouse Trails: I thank you for the work you are
doing for God’s kingdom. I enjoy your newsletters and have
been taught many things to steer clear of because of your
faithful and great teaching. Thank you from the bottom of
my heart. Our daughter, unfortunately, attended a
Christian college in the mid 90s (Westmont College in
Santa Barbara, California), and they steered her away from
the faith. I still don’t understand exactly what they
taught. But I do know that her mentor and one of her
professors (a Ms. Diana Butler—you’ve probably heard if
her) really did a number on her. Anyway, I digress and
just wanted to not only ask for the information in the
book, A Time of Departing, but also to say thank you. May
I ask that you and your team please pray for our
daughter’s salvation. We want so desperately for her
to seek the Lord. She isn’t receptive to our views at all.
We’re praying for a miracle. C.H.
(765) Evangelical
Race Consultant Says Only ‘Redeemed’ (Woke) White People
Should Be Hired And Promoted At Seminaries by
The Dissenter, 6/26/22
The IF Gathering conference has been a blemish on the
Evangelical Church since it started in 2014 hosting people
from nearly every aberrant theological sect of Christendom
while avoiding any actual gospel content. The annual
conference exists to advance the “woke church” movement,
the Prosperity Gospel, and charismatic charlatanry into
mainstream Evangelicalism and includes speakers ranging on
the spectrum from extremely troubling views to rank
heretics.
(766) Christianity
Is Missing Out on Something Vital – Is This True?
by Ray Yungen, 8/13/22 Contemplative advocates propose that something vital and
important has been missing from the church for centuries.
The insinuation is that Christians have been lacking
something necessary for their spiritual vitality; but that
would mean the Holy Spirit has not been fully effective
for hundreds of years and only now the secret key has been
found that unlocks God’s full power to know Him. These
proponents believe that Christianity has been seriously
crippled without this extra ingredient. This kind of
thinking leads one to believe that traditional, biblical
Christianity is merely a philosophy without the
contemplative prayer element. Contemplatives are making a
distinction between studying and meditating on the Word of
God versus experiencing Him, suggesting that we cannot
hear Him or really know Him simply by studying His Word or
even through normal prayer—we must be contemplative to
accomplish this. But the Bible makes it clear that the
Word of God is living and active and has always been that
way, and it is in filling our minds with it that we come
to love Him, not through a mystical practice of stopping
the flow of thought (the stillness) that is never once
mentioned in the Bible, except in warnings against vain
repetitions in the New Testament and divination in the Old
Testament.
(767) Letter
to the Editor: The Salvation Army Continues on the
Ecumenical Road at Llighthouse Trails, 10/25/22
LTRP Note: Lighthouse Trails first wrote about the
Salvation Army’s move into the contemplative/emerging camp
in July of 2006 in an article titled, “Salvation Army
Joins the Contemplative/Emerging Ranks.” Later that year,
we reported on Salvation Army’s partnering with Pete
Greig’s emergent 24/7 Prayer and Boiler Rooms movement. In
2008, we reported that Salvation Army had linked arms with
Rick Warren’s ecumenical PEACE coalition. In 2009, we
showed Salvation Army’s connection with the ecumenical G12
Master Plan and in 2010, SA’s involvement with the G8
World Religions Summit. Then in 2019, showing TSA’s
prolonged ecumenical propensity, we posted an article
titled “World Leader of Salvation Army Meets With Pope
Francis/Vatican to Discuss Ecumenical Plans.”
(768) Letter
to the Editor Reveals Salvation Army Pushing Yoga,
Meditation, and Mystic Henri Nouwen at
Lighthouse Trails, 11/21/22
I am enclosing some magazine articles put out by the
Salvation Army during the summer of 2022. One of them is
from Peer magazine that is for teenagers and college-age
kids. The article from that magazine is about [the
Catholic contemplative mystic] Henri Nouwen. The other
article, “Meditation in Movement,” is from SAconnects and
is an article about so-called “Christian Yoga.”
(769) Jackie
Hill Perry Repents Of Using And Promoting The Enneagram,
Calls It Demonic by The Dissenter, 1/12/23
“If we could just get her to repent of all of her other
false teachings, such as Same-sex-attracted Christianity,
feminism, the social gospel, and charismaticism, and get
her to step down and sit under solid Bible teaching, she
might become credible.” The Enneagram, which is touted as
a way–apart from the Scriptures–to gain insight into one’s
“true self,” restoring balance and developing more
desirable qualities to one’s personality and reaching a
state of spiritual “freedom,” is a system of personality
typing and self-awareness that was developed in the 20th
century by George Gurdjieff and Oscar Ichazo. Its origins
have been linked to Gnostic principles and teachings, but
its compatibility with Christianity is highly contested by
Bible-believing Christianity.
(770) What
Christian Leaders and Pastors Need to Know – The Final
Outcome of Practicing Contemplative Prayer by
Ray Yungen, 1/18/23
The final outcome of contemplative prayer is
interspirituality. If you have truly grasped the portrait
I have tried to paint in my books and articles, you have
begun to see what this term signifies. The focus of my
criticism of mystical prayer must be understood in the
light of interspirituality.
(771)Evolution
& the New Age Movement by Sarah Leslie,
Herescope, 1/20/23
Over the past several decades America has undergone a
profound transformation from a culture that was primarily
Christian to one that is now largely pagan. One of the
primary reasons for this change has been the widening
influence of Eastern mysticism. A central tenet of all
Eastern religions is the belief that man is evolving.
(772) Christianizing
the Force by Sarah Leslie, Herescope, 1/20/23
During the past few years, many strong voices within the
Church have sprung up, sounding the alarm concerning the
spiritual dangers of Yoga. They expressed concern as
so-called “Christian” Yoga groups cropped up all over the
country seducing unsuspecting believers away from the
simplicity in Christ. Many of these discerning speakers
and authors have not made the connection with the Martial
Arts to its Eastern mother, Yoga.
(773) What is the “He Gets
Us” campaign? by Sandy Simpson, ACT, 2/4/23 There is a new campaign called “He Gets Us” presenting a
false Jesus. It is funded to the tune of $1 billion
and promotes a “Woke” Jesus. A $20 million ad buy
will be spent on ads during the Superbowl. Following the
money and backers leads to organizations such as Servant
Christian Foundation #1, whose donors remain
anonymous. However, this organization’s website is
linked to The Church of the Servant #2 and The Seattle
School of Theology & Psychology #3.
(774) He
Gets Us Exposed: The Money And Marketing Behind The $20
Million Superbowl Ads by Ray Fava – Evangelical
Dark Web, 2/10/23
“In attempting to brand Jesus as rebellious, radical, and
anti-establishment, the He Gets Us campaign, initiated by
the Servant Foundation, is going to squander what they
forecast to be a billion dollars by 2025 on a puerile
advertising campaign that misapplies Scripture and
slanders Christ. Moreover, it is reliant upon pro-abortion
creatives, Mormons, and apostates to create a presentation
that will fail to lead people to Christ. God’s word does
not come back void, but one must utilize Scripture for
this to be true.” While watching or attending sporting
events in America, the people have become exposed to the
He Gets Us campaign. Whether via commercials or through
stadium advertising, messages about Jesus are presented in
the most trifling manner with banal statements like “Jesus
left it all on the field” to more unscriptural statements
like “Jesus was a refuge” and “Jesus was fed up with
politics, too” in vain attempts to make Jesus more
relatable to a modern audience.
(775) Bible
Project’s Tim Mackie And Contemplative Prayer by
John Lanagan – The Word Like Fire, 3/6/23
“Why do Mackie and Tyler Staton not know this about
Keating? Sure, Keating can speak “Christianese” if that is
what his audience requires. He can speak of Trinitarian
love, or about Christ with seeming sincerity. But it
doesn’t take much effort at all to learn about Keating’s
actual theology.” “And that’s because the Divine Presence
is always with us. This can be understood as the glorified
Christ, or as the Holy Spirit, or as the Trinity, or as
the Higher Consciousness, or as the One Self, or as the
Higher Self.” – Contemplative prayer advocate Thomas
Keating. Yikes! Unholy.
(776) Will
“Revival” in Christian Colleges Bring About a Generation
of Mystics — With “Woke,” Not Biblical, Values?
by Lighthouse Trails, 3/8/23
One of the things we find interesting about the current
“wokeism” movement that is infecting numerous Christian
colleges and universities today is that we often hear some
news source or pastor or other Christian figure ask, “How
did all these schools become woke so fast.” What much of
the church leadership is not doing is “connecting the
dots.” One of the “fruits” of a school going contemplative
is “wokeism.” Some of the other “fruits,” (which actually
help define “Christian wokeism”) of the contemplative
movement are: A move from a biblical creation view to a
more humanistic evolutionary opinion. This explains why so
many young people attending contemplative schools come
away four years later as atheists, leaving behind the
faith of their youth and their parents. Moving away from
an exclusive view that Jesus is the only door to salvation
and embracing a more inclusive idea that all paths lead to
God. A spiritual outlook that takes on Buddhist and/or New
Age-type characteristics. Changing morality views from a
conservative stance to a more liberal stance (which spills
over into the political arena as well – e.g., abortion). A
relaxed, even embracing, view on homosexuality and other
sexual deviances. Social justice taking the place of
biblical true justice. Dismissing the idea that Israel and
the Jews have a significant role in Bible prophecy for the
endtimes which often leads to antisemitic sympathies. A
diminishing view on the inerrancy of the Bible.
(777) The
Bible Project’s Tim Mackie Believes Penal
Substitutionary Atonement Stems From Pagan Sacrifice
Rituals by John Lanagan – The Word Like Fire,
3/17/23
“In his denial of the Penal Substitutionary Atonement, Tim
Mackie is following in the footsteps of The Shack author
William Paul Young, and many others.” Pay close attention
to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these
things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both
for yourself and for those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:16)
Concerns about Bible Project and its co-founder Tim Mackie
continue to grow. The recent discovery of Mackie’s
advocacy of anti-biblical meditative practices has been
stunning.
(778) Makes
No Sense for Contemplatives to Celebrate Easter
by Lighthouse Trails, 4/7/23
The Church’s fixation on the death of Jesus as the
universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross
must be reimagined in Christian faith. Why? Because of the
cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it.1—Alan
Jones, Episcopal contemplative priest. The New Age
believes that the teachings of the East and of the West
must be fused and blended before the true and universal
religion—for which the world waits—could appear on Earth.
In other words, all religions must come together under the
umbrella of metaphysics (mysticism). While the average
Christian would agree that this doesn’t line up with
Scripture, the Christian church has been overtaken by this
very concept, but in a deceitful, cunning manner. And it
rejects the very thing that can save a soul—the atonement
for sin on the Cross by Jesus Christ. He was a substitute,
and He took our place. Without that atonement, we are lost
forever.
(779) Visio
Divina: A Mystical Practice by Any Other Name Is Still a
Mystical Practice at Lighthouse Trails, 4/15/23
The term was not typically used in the English form until
the 21st century and most of that use has occurred in just
the last few years. Today, dozens and dozens of books have
been published which include the term. In the Preface
(written by editors) of Spiritual Formation: Following the
Movements of the Spirit (a book written by the late
Catholic mystic Henri Nouwen), it states: Although the
editors have used the term visual divina for many years in
workshops and retreats, visio divina—the Latin version of
sacred seeing—has started to appear on Web sites devoted
to contemporary prayer and meditation. The postmodern
practice of visio divina, combined with the ancient
practice of lectio divina, provides an integrative,
sensory, spiritual approach to connecting with divine
creativity and presence in sacred word and image. (p. 137)
The book also states: The ancient practice of meditating
on visual images has recently been identified as visio
divina (divine or sacred seeing). In our world of many
words, sitting in silent reflection with an image may aid
in the descent of your mind into the heart. (emphasis
added) We know from studying contemplative spirituality
for over twenty years that the “descent of your mind into
the heart” is contemplative language referring to the
altered state of consciousness that is reached during
mystical meditation.
(780) “Asbury
Students, Professor Join Tony Campolo’s Pro-gay,
Progressive Protégé, Shane Claiborne, to Discuss
‘Revival’ in Viral Video” at Lighthouse Trails,
5/2/23
LTRP Note: The following out of house article by Christian
News Network is from February 16th, 2023, but even though
it is over two months old, we believe it is another piece
of the puzzle regarding the “Asbury revival.” For those
who are not familiar with the names Shane Claiborne and
Tony Campolo, you may visit our research site and use the
search engine to find ample information about both of
them. They are part of the emergent/progressive/woke
church. You may also wish to read our March 6th article
“Will ‘Revival’ in Christian Colleges Bring About a
Generation of Mystics — With ‘Woke,’ Not Biblical,
Values?”
(781) Why
Do Evangelical Churches Look So Much Like The Secular
Culture Around Them? at CRN, 5/4/23
“It’s high time for us to rise up, dust off our Bibles,
and stand firm on the solid rock of God’s Word. We must
reject the temptation to bow down to the idols of modern
culture and instead be unwavering ambassadors for Christ.
Our mission is to spread the Gospel, call sinners to
repentance, and uphold the truth that there is no
salvation apart from Jesus.” As the eschatological clock
continues to tick, and as we ever approach Christ’s
return, it seems like every self-promoting,
virtue-signaling Evangelical has jumped on the bandwagon
of ever-shifting cultural movements. These trends, ranging
from the use of preferred pronouns to a misguided
“compassion” for mothers willing to take their unborn
children to be killed on the altar of convenience, have
been creeping into our churches and our homes watering
down the truth of God in His word and robbing Him of His
glory in creation.
(782) Is
Your Church Doing “Spiritual Formation”? (Important
Reasons Why They Shouldn’t) by Lighthouse
Trails, 5/22/23 Lighthouse Trails wrote this report in 2014. Since then,
we have watched “Spiritual Formation” explode within the
church. After over twenty years of warnings, to our
dismay, the issue has not been challenged or even
questioned by most of today’s Christian leaders and
pastors. Is your church involved in a Spiritual Formation
program? If so, you might want to ask the question, what
exactly is Spiritual Formation? It’s a fair question, and
one that, if not asked, could end up surprising you when
your church changes in ways you never imagined.
(783) The
Story Of Us: We Preach Not Jesus, But the Story Of Us:
We Preach Not Jesus, But Ourselves by Shane
Rosenthal, 7/13/23 “Rather than focusing on Christ’s death, burial and
resurrection as testified by a multitude of reliable
witnesses and written in advance throughout the
Scriptures, many Christians today have chosen to proclaim
a different gospel entirely. This new and improved gospel
is The Story of Us. This story is one that is perceived to
be much more credible and effective than the story of
Jesus, because, unlike the story of Jesus, it can’t be
refuted. The end result is that we’ve inverted Paul’s
statement in 2Cor 4:5—we preach not Jesus, but ourselves.”
In her book, Spirituality for Dummies, Sharon Janis
writes, “In a nutshell, spirituality relates to your own
personal experience and relationship with the divine…Dogma
can muddy the waters of a spiritual path.” Similarly, in
his book Conversations with God, Neale Donald Walsch
writes that “leaders, ministers, books, and even the Bible
itself are not authoritative sources.”…
(784) A
Dangerous Walk With Eugene Peterson by Warren B.
Smith, 7/24/23
The danger of entrusting one’s Christian walk to Eugene
Peterson and his Message translation was dramatically
underscored in a 2007 book Peterson wrote titled The Jesus
Way.
(785) Russell
Moore’s Church-Teaching Partner Says New Age Breathing
Techniques Originate In Jesus by The Dissenter,
8/25/23
A few months ago, I published a video on Twitter of a man
named Curtis Chang who made the asinine argument that
getting the COVID vaXX was just like Jesus saving
people—the vaccine “redeemed an abortion” the same way
Jesus redeems sinners. That was literally his argument.
Chang, a contributor at the pro-evolution BioLogos
organization and the author of several books, including
The Anxiety Opportunity: How Worry Is the Doorway to Your
Best Self, has joined forces with former SBC ERLC head,
Russell Moore, and progressive grifter, David French, to
create a curriculum for churches to teach congregants
about politics.
(786) Christian
Journaling, Mystical Spirituality, And New Revelations
From God? by Chris Lawson, 9/6/23
Spiritual Journaling, spirit journaling, Christian
Journaling, and newfound daily devotional “revelations”
have become excessively popular. Many people claim
receiving direct spirit revelations from God, and others,
messages from Jesus Himself. Others claim to receive
prompts from the Holy Spirit through Christian Journaling,
which many are not from God. Some famous Christian authors
even give no scriptural warnings as they teach people how
to listen for “messages from God.” These practices can be
spiritually hazardous!
(787) Christian-Cloaked
Occultism by The Dissenter, 9/13/23
“These practices, seductive as they may be, drift away
from the core biblical teachings and often have more in
common with New Age or occult beliefs than they do with
orthodox Christianity. It’s a growing concern that
necessitates unwavering discernment.” In Part XIII of our
hard-hitting series on the Snares of the Modern Church, we
unmask one of the most pernicious yet insidious traps that
have ensnared unwitting believers—occultism. Yes, you read
that right. We’re talking about occult practices that have
slithered their way into modern Christianity, camouflaging
themselves as “spiritual disciplines” or “deep prayer
methods.” From Lectio Divina promoted by well-known
figures like John Piper, to Contemplative Prayer endorsed
by many leaders including the late Tim Keller, these
practices have wormed their way into mainstream Christian
thought.
(788) Meditation’s
Role in the End of the Age by Ray Yungen,
9/18/23
Throughout my Christian life I have periodically heard
fellow Christians suggest we are in the last days. Often
these comments were initiated from current cases of
violent crimes, sexual perversions, war, or natural
disasters. Since I knew history had repeatedly encountered
these calamities, such predictions of Christ’s imminent
return rang hollow. However, in 1984 I had an unexpected
encounter that changed my entire outlook. A newfound
friend educated me about the New Age movement and its
end-times implications. After a period of investigation, I
came to believe this could very well be the time period
the book of Revelation showcases. Instead of a vague and
obscure manifestation of prophecy, I saw something
distinct and pervasive happening in our churches and
society. And incredibly enough, this shift has been
predicted from both sides of the struggle.
(789) InterVarsity
Press Claims Success of Their New-Age Promoting
Enneagram Book, The Road Back to You by
Lighthouse Trails, 10/12/23
Last week, a news release from InterVarsity Press, arrived
in our inbox (Lighthouse Trails is on their e-mail list in
order to track their continual flow of
contemplative/emergent/New-Age sympathizing books). The
news release was announcing the seven-year anniversary of
the release of their book, The Road Back to You by Ian
Morgan Cron and is a book about the Enneagram. The release
states: "Self-awareness seems like the thing that everyone
wants but yet it may be the very thing that is still
elusive to so many of us. Seven years ago, The Road
Back to You was published and it became an instant hit.
The book introduced the enneagram to thousands of people
within months and then just kept going and going. I don’t
think that’s because the Enneagram was already popular.
Most people didn’t know what the Enneagram was until they
read the book. What I believe happened is that people
learned about the Enneagram and then discovered that the
Enneagram led them toward greater self-awareness. The kind
of self-awareness they had been looking for."
(790) The
Dangers Of Spiritual Formation And Spiritual Disciplines
by Mike Ratliff, 11/8/23
20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary
principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the
world, do you submit yourself to decrees: 21 “Do not
handle, nor taste, nor touch”? 22 Which deal with
everything destined to perish with use, which are in
accordance with the commands and teachings of men; 23
which are matters having, to be sure, a word of wisdom in
self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment
of the body, but are of no value against fleshly
indulgence. Colossians 2:20-23 (LSB) As we have been
seeing, in the attacks on the Church by what is now called
“Progressive Christianity,” what the enemies of God’s
Truth are actually constructing is a Spiritual Labyrinth
whose complexity is designed to confuse and deceive.
(791) Bill
Gothard on Visualization as “One of the Most Basic
Aspects of Faith” by Don and Joy Veinot, 12/2/23
Bill Gothard’s unique and at times, unbiblical teachings
have impacted churches, homeschool groups, and Christians
far beyond the over two and a half million that have
attended his Basic Seminar. If his teaching on authority
is applied consistently, Jesus was a sinner, visualization
is “one of the most basic aspects of faith,” and First
Century authoritarianism is the biblical model for
Christians and the church. We decided to post an excerpt
of our updated and newly released book, A Matter of Basic
Principles: Bill Gothard and His Cultish Teaching. This
comes from chapter three, “The Emerald City.”
(792) The
Mystical Revolution: How Millions of People Have Been
Introduced to the Aquarian Age by Ray Yungen,
1/13/24
Most people understand there’s been a number of
revolutions over the past forty years or so, beginning in
the ’60s. For instance, there’s been the sexual
revolution, the feminist revolution, and what you might
call the drug revolution. These were social movements that
changed and altered society to a significant degree.
Before this time period, people more or less stayed with
convention. They more or less conformed to society’s
expectations and codes of behavior. There were technical
revolutions and philosophical revolutions in the past, but
the revolutions we have had since the 1960s have turned
society in a totally new direction.
(793) Overlapping
Narrative for a False Christ by Warren B. Smith,
3/17/24
The following is an extract from the 2023 Lighthouse
Trails book written by seven LT authors, A
New Narrative for a “New” World. This portion below
is by former New Age follower, Warren B. Smith. While
reading this, test yourself to see how many of these terms
you recognize and how many you may have heard in a church
or Christian setting.
(794) Warning:
Jenny Allen’s “Gather 25″—Another Effort for “UNITY”
Outside the Confines of Truth at Lighthouse
Trails, 4/9/24
ecently, a Lighthouse Trails reader contacted us,
concerned that his church is going to be using a book by
IF:Gathering founder Jenny Allen. Lighthouse Trails posted
a number of articles about IF: Gathering in the past
because of its strong emergent influences. Today, Jenny
Allen is still involved in bringing dangerous teachings to
the church.
(795) Craig
Groeschel’s Life Church Introducing New
Age/Contemplative Practices to Tens of Millions Through
Its YouVersion Bible App at Lighthouse Trails,
5/4/24 I attend Life Church with Pastor Craig Groeshcel. I have
loved my church and the YouVersion Bible app for years.
Life Church is the creator of the YouVersion Bible app,
which was created in 2008. But in the last couple of
years, I have seen error creep into both my church and the
app. My intention in writing you is to expose the
contemplative prayer devotionals that are being promoted
by the app which has 750 million downloads as of 11/2023
and is being promoted heavily by Life.church.
(796) Teresa
of Avila – An Ancient Mystic Who Helped Shape Today’s
Spiritual Formation Movement by Carolyn A.
Greene, 5/29/24
"And still they told me my visions were the work of evil
spirits! For six years, I was on trial . . . six years! So
many prayers and masses said, I grew weary of them all!
Yet still the trances and favors have become more violent
and frequent . . . oh, I am in distress, such great
distress. I am weary, and so tired . . . so very, very
tired.—Teresa of Avila" Teresa of Avila was a Carmelite
nun who was born in Spain in 1515. As a young girl with an
active imagination and great love for books, she was
profoundly affected by her mother’s death, which left her
emotionally empty. In despair, she threw herself before an
image of the Virgin Mary and begged her to be her new
mother. This extreme devotion to the Mother Mary soon gave
way to an interest in fashion as her beauty blossomed.
With it, the passion for reading, writing, and romance was
rekindled. Teresa’s concerned father sent her away to
boarding school at an Augustinian convent. However, when
Teresa fell dreadfully ill with malaria, the nuns sent for
her father who came to take her home. Recuperating from
the serious illness and suffering from headaches, Teresa
read a book given to her from her uncle called The Third
Spiritual Alphabet by Francisco de Osuna, from which she
learned the practice of the prayer of recollection.*
Though previously not interested in reading about such
things, her illness had transformed her into a more
serious kind of girl. She soon learned to practice “the
prayer of quiet,”** a state where the soul is completely
absorbed.
(797) What
Is Spiritual A.I.D.S.? by Don & Joy Veinot –
Midwestern Christian Outreach, 8/5/24 “The influence of Buddhism and Hinduism on Contemplative
Prayer is apparent. Words such as “detachment,”
“transformation,” “emptiness,” “enlightenment,” and
“awakening” swim in and out of the waters of these books.
The use of such terms certainly mandates a closer
inspection of what is being taught, even though
Contemplative Prayer is presented as a Christian
practice.” Nehemiah is one of my favorite Old Testament
books, and while reading it this week, I came across a
familiar favorite passage of mine. Though I am familiar
with the passage, I was struck anew with its importance.
Nehemiah had overseen the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall
after Israel’s return to her land after exile. In this
passage they were installing the new gates to the city.
Nehemiah states in Nehemiah 7:1 “The gatekeepers, the
singers, and the Levites had been appointed.”
(798) Marie’s
Story: My Journey Out of One of the Largest Churches in
America at Lighthouse Trails, 8/11/24
I had to figure out what I was supposed to do. I couldn’t
unknow what I now knew. As a prayer leader at Life Church
online, I had promoted the YouVersion Bible app and sent
that link to all new believers as well as to anyone who
currently didn’t have the app. But now, how could I
endorse the app that promotes and teaches contemplative
prayer, Spiritual Formation, breath prayers, and much
more? I continued to research and found nothing to
convince me that I should stay. The more I prayed about
what to do, and the more I sought counsel from friends
outside of Life Church, the more I realized I had to
leave. How could I support a church that was truly an
emergent, mega church that was veering from God’s truth in
so many ways.
(799) The
New Spirituality at Lighthouse Trails, 8/13/24
Through Which Avenues is this New Mystical
Spirituality Entering the Church?
(800) Calvary
Chapel Costa Mesa Leader Dismisses Israel’s Present
Right to Their Homeland! by Emergent Watch,
8/17/24
In the latest example of the errors of Calvary Chapel
Costa Mesa leadership – Brian Broderson – currently
co-pastoring with his son Char Brodersen – let’s Char take
callers on live on KWVE radio (the program CC founder
Pastor Chuck Smith founded) On Calvary Global Network’s
KWVE radio program “Pastor’s Perspective – on August 12th,
2024 – Calvary Chapel’s soon-to-be “Senior Pastor” Char
Brodersen answered a phone-in question regarding the
Jewish people and their right to the Biblical homeland.
The original broadcast was over an hour in length. So we
can’t be accused of taking him “out of context’ – the
entire section with this caller, and Char’s response has
been screen captured. (also lest the original be deleted
or edited). Click
here to continue reading.
(801) Lighthouse
Trails to Send Out 24th Mailing to Christian Pastors and
Leaders by Lighthouse Trails, 1/13/25
Since 2016, Lighthouse Trails has been sending out topical
booklets (usually two-three times a year) to a growing
list of pastors and Christian leaders. On Friday, January
17th, Lighthouse Trails will be sending out our first
mailing of 2025 to Christian leaders and pastors. Our
current list has around 1100 names. If you would like your
pastor or a church leader to begin receiving these free
mailings, please send the name and a valid mailing address
to us at editors@lighthousetrails.com. The names and
addresses on this list will remain confidential and not be
given or sold to anyone. Please note, if you are sending a
church address, we need a mailing address (which is not
necessarily a street address). Many churches do not have a
mail receptacle on location (and thus those envelopes are
returned to us, and we are charged a fee).
(802) The
Final Outcome of Practicing Contemplative Prayer
by Ray Yungen, 1/20/25
The final outcome of contemplative prayer is
interspirituality (i.e., all paths lead to God). If you
have truly grasped the portrait I have tried to paint in
my book, A Time of Departing, and articles I have written,
you have begun to see what this term signifies. The focus
of my criticism of mystical prayer must be understood in
the light of interspirituality. Just what exactly is
interspirituality? The premise behind interspirituality is
that divinity (God) is in all things (panentheism), and
the presence of God is in all religions; there is a
connecting together of all things, and through mysticism
(i.e., meditation) this state of divinity can be
recognized. Consequently, this is a premise that is based
on and upheld by an experience that occurs during a
self-hypnotic trance linking one to an unseen world rather
than to the sound doctrine of the Bible. It is important
to understand that interspirituality is a uniting of the
world’s religions through the common thread of mysticism.
New Age teacher Wayne Teasdale, a lay monk who coined the
term interspirituality, says that interspirituality is
“the spiritual common ground which exists among the
world’s religions.”
(803) Should
Christians Dialogue With Obvious Apostates And Heretics?
by Mike Ratliff, 3/2/25
8 Now to sum up, all of you be like-minded, sympathetic,
brotherly, tender-hearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not
returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but
giving a blessing instead, for you were called for the
very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST
KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING
DECEIT. 11 HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE
MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. 12 FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD
ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR
PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO
EVIL.” 1 Peter 3:8-12 (LSB) This era of the Church is one
of extreme deception due to compromise with the standards
and focus of the world. Separation between the Church and
the world is not being kept. Instead, the holy barrier
between the two has been breached as false prophets have
welcomed in not only the world and its ways into their
churches, but have also embraced the mysticism of the
Eastern religions.
(804) Is
Progressive Christianity Christian? by Don and
Joy Veinot – Midwest Christian Outreach, 3/4/25
Will the “old guard” liberals stand up for ideals they
devoutly championed just “yesterday?” Or will they just
keep their mouths shut and embrace the new – and very
dogmatic “religion” of the far-left “Progressives”? In his
1923 book Christianity & Liberalism, J. Gresham Machen
asserts that liberalism is another religion unto itself,
far removed from the biblical Christianity from which it
came. We think he makes some good points. In Chapter Two
of his book, he takes the liberalism (of his day) to task
concerning their public hostility toward doctrine – when,
in fact, they had simply created new doctrines that
comport with what Machen points out is essentially a new
religion.
(805) Lent
and Contemplative . . . A Likely Match by
Lighthouse Trails, 3/8/25
While the Bible does not give any instruction to practice
or participate in Lent, many churches do. In fact, since
the contemplative prayer movement has come into full
swing, more and more churches are observing Lent. And, in
fact, Lent is often being used as the open door to bring
contemplative prayer into a church. This is largely done
through the multitudes of books from religious publishers
who have now become conduits for contemplative
spirituality.*
(806) Warning:
Stay Away from “YogaFaith”—So-Called Christian Yoga
by Lighthouse Trails, 5/7/25
YogaFaith is an organization that has been around for more
than a decade that teaches and promotes what they call
“Christian Yoga.” However, as Lighthouse Trails has shown
for many years, there is no such thing as Christian Yoga.
It’s an oxymoron because the two terms are diametrically
opposed to each other.
(807) Progressive
Christianity Watch: Bad Music Choices Edition by
Chris Queen – PJ Media, 5/11/25
“The operative line in that song is “We’ve got no idea
what we’re doing” — because they don’t have a clue. It’s
bad not only because it hints at universalism but also
because it simply doesn’t make any sense.” It’s been a few
weeks since I’ve written one of these, so I figured we
were due for another look at the silliness that
progressive churches engage in. A few weeks ago, I shared
a musical-themed column, and I have another one. Think of
this as Progressive Christianity 2: Electric Bugaloo.
(808) Is
“Side B” Christianity Biblical? by Ken Ham,
5/13/25
The Bible commands us to “take no part in the unfruitful
works of darkness,” which, in context, include sexual
immorality—and yet many in the church are bending over
backward to find creative ways to accommodate sexual
immorality to “lower the entry bar” for unbelievers or the
discipleship hardships for professing believers,
especially those who identity as LGBTQ. And one of those
“creative” methods for skirting biblical teaching is
what’s known as “Side B Christianity, which may at first
glance seem compassionate and just another way to
encourage sinners to “come as you are,” but remember that
Jesus invites all to come as they are—but he never calls
them to stay as they are.
(809) The
Blood of the Saints by Ray Yungen, 5/26/25
One of the main tenets of New Age thought is peace,
goodwill, and the unity of all humanity. Remember, the Age
of Aquarius is to be the Age of Oneness. In context with
this idea, the New Age term cleansing is quite disturbing.
A number of books make reference to those who are laggards
when the New Age reaches its maturity. New Age leaders
consider these resisters as eventually the only hindrance
in allowing this global oneness to occur.
(811) What
is Christian Gnosticism? by GotQuestions,
7/16/25
There is actually no such thing as Christian Gnosticism,
because true Christianity and Gnosticism are mutually
exclusive systems of belief. The principles of Gnosticism
contradict what it means to be a Christian. Therefore,
while some forms of Gnosticism may claim to be Christian,
they are in fact decidedly non-Christian. Gnosticism was
perhaps the most dangerous heresy that threatened the
early church during the first three centuries. Influenced
by such philosophers as Plato, Gnosticism is based on two
false premises. First, it espouses a dualism regarding
spirit and matter. Gnostics assert that matter is
inherently evil and spirit is good. As a result of this
presupposition, Gnostics believe anything done in the
body, even the grossest sin, has no meaning because real
life exists in the spirit realm only. Second, Gnostics
claim to possess an elevated knowledge, a “higher truth”
known only to a certain few. Gnosticism comes from the
Greek word gnosis which means “to know.” Gnostics claim to
possess a higher knowledge, not from the Bible, but
acquired on some mystical higher plane of existence.
Gnostics see themselves as a privileged class elevated
above everybody else by their higher, deeper knowledge of
God.
(812) Meditation’s
Role in the End of the Age by Ray Yungen, 8/7/25
In light of the many who will be coming in Christ’s name,
I also believe the occultist Alice Bailey’s prophecies can
provide further insight into what the apostle Paul called
in 2 Thessalonians the falling away. Bailey eagerly
foretold of what she termed “the regeneration of the
churches.”2 Her rationale for this was obvious: The
Christian church in its many branches can serve as a St.
John the Baptist, as a voice crying in the wilderness, and
as a nucleus through which world illumination may be
accomplished.3 In other words, instead of opposing
Christianity, the occult would capture and blend itself
with Christianity and then use it as its primary vehicle
for spreading and instilling New Age consciousness! The
various churches would still have their outer trappings of
Christianity and still use much of the same lingo. If
asked certain questions about traditional Christian
doctrine, the same answers would be given. But it would
all be on the outside; on the inside a New Age
contemplative spirituality would be drawing in those open
to it. The world is opening its arms to wholly embrace a
spirituality that will exist under the umbrella of
mysticism. The correlating theme will be—we are all One.
When the man of lawlessness does rise to power with a
one-world economy and political base, he will seduce many
into searching for their own Christ consciousness rather
than the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Rob Bell
(1) Deconstructing
Rob
Bell's False Gospel by Chris Rosebrough,
Fighting For Faith, July 21st, 2009 In this version of his Fighting for the Faith podcast
from his Pirate Christian Radio apologist Chris
Rosebrough does a serious and thorough deconstruction of
the gospel-less gospel of Rob Bell, a popular icon in
the egregiously ecumenical Emerging Church aka Emergent
Church-morphing into Emergence Christianity (EC). How
refreshing to hear Rosebrough bring our attention to the
critical importance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as he
reminds the Body of Christ that "the Gospel is not a
side issue. The Gospel is at the very heart and center
of Christianity; you get the Gospel wrong, you are
sending yoursefl-and other people to Hell."
(2) What
Does
Rob Bell Think about the TNIV? comment by
Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 9/19/10 The clip that you are about to watch is of paramount
importance. If ever there was someone speaking Jesuit
"speak" the speaker on the clip is speaking Jesuit
"speak". Question: Why is the Word of God under so much
attack? Why are those who stand up for the Word of God
under attack? Answer: Satan hates the Word of God. He
hates God. There is an organization that wants to set up
the kingdom of god with out God. Hello! You can read
about this organization in the book of Revelation. Why
would anyone want to take the word man
(http://www.av1611.org/) out of the Bible? Could it be
to hide the fact that there is a man who will someday
say that he is god. This man will be embodied by Satan.
Hello! If our web site is down following this alert, you
will know what happened. God says He will protect men
(women) (children) from wolves who are wolves although
they look like shepherds or even the sheep. Come on
Bible believing Christians. Wake up! Pride goeth before
destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall
(Proverbs 16:18) Taken from the Holy Bible and not the
TNIV ... Check It Out!
(3) Everything
is
not Spiritual - A Critique of Rob Bell's Pan-Spiritual
Worldview by Pastor Larry DeBruyn for The New
Spirituality, 2/12/11 Among emergent church leaders there exists a growing
trend to merge the secular with the sacred, to mix
unspiritual and spiritual together. Emergent reality is
viewed to be One, to be a monistic whole.
(4) Rob
Bell
Teaching Universalism by Ken Silva,
2/26/11 Two years ago in Rob Bell And Christian Universalism I
began to show you that Rob Bell is as much a
universalist as his friends comprising the unholy EC
trinity of apostates, Living Spiritual Teacher and EC
guru Brian McLaren, universalist Emerging Church pastor
Doug Pagitt, and his friend Tony Jones, the progressive
"theologian in residence" at Solomon's Porch.
(5) Love
Wins,
A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every
Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell - Reviewed
by Steve Blackwell In the sixties we were bombarded
with "love," and we have seen what that experiment has
produced; a whole generation of babies murdered in the
womb. Today, love is in the air once again, and Rob
Bell has captured the essence of this love fest by
making scandalous claims against God. He has put words
into the mouth of God that are pure and simple lies;
Rob has made God a liar. Rob's definition of love has
been plucked out of thin air, and can nowhere be found
in the document given to us by God Himself. Rob's
definition of love comes not from the Living God, so
it must come from another source. Where, or who, might
that source be. There is only one other source; if it
is not from Heaven then, it is from Hell; if it is not
God, then it is Satan. This is a trustworthy saying,
because it comes from the Book of Truth, the Bible,
God's own words.
(6) Rob
Bell
the wolf exposed by Nazarenepsalm113, March
16, 2011 MSNBC Host Makes Rob Bell Squirm: "You're Amending The
Gospel So That It's Palatable!"
(7) If
Rob
Bell and Neale Donald Walsch are Right, Then Hitler
Will Be in Heaven! by Lighthouse Trails
Research, 3/20/11 If Rob Bell is right, in his new book Love Wins, then
Adolph Hitler (murderer of over 6 million Jews) will be
in Heaven. According to the prolific New Age author
Neale Donald Walsch (author of the best-selling
Conversations with God), Hitler will indeed be in
Heaven. He says God told him so. The following excerpt
from Warren Smith's book False Christ Coming: Does
Anybody Care? has some interesting insights and quotes
about Walsch's views on Hitler.
(8) Brian
McLaren
Takes On Al Mohler Over Rob Bell by Ken Silva,
Apprising Ministries, 3/23/11 With this in mind, I'll bring to your attention that
guru McLaren has decided to wade into the minor flap
raised by one of his disciples, the Emerging Church rock
star pastor Rob Bell, with his new book of mythology
called Love Wins. The saga of Mohler and McLaren begins
with Mohler's article We Have Seen All This Before: Rob
Bell and the (Re)Emergence of Liberal Theology where he
correctly showed that Bell's musings are indeed quite
similar to what the late cult expert Dr. Walter Martin
labeled, "The Cult of Liberalism."
(9) Open
Rebuke by Paul Proctor, News With Views,
3/23/11 The Emerging Church controversy has caught the
attention of the mainstream media again and in a big way
with the latest book from Rob Bell, entitled, "Love
Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every
Person Who Ever Lived" - a "universalist" view from a
popular "Christian" author and pastor that has already
drawn numerous objections from many evangelical leaders
including several sharp commentaries from the president
of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, R. Albert
Mohler Jr. - the latest of which appeared in the Baptist
Press, titled, "Rob Bell and the (re)emergence of
liberal theology."
(11) "Is
Rob
Bell teaching Universalism? Are people saved
after death?"by Alex Carmichael, CARM,
4/6/11 From a Biblical perspective, all
one really needs to counter Bell's claim that there is
the possibility of a sinner coming to saving faith in
Christ after death is to look at one verse, to see if
that hypothesis holds any water. And that verse
is (Hebrews 9:27). (Hebrews 9:27, NKJV) says:
"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after
this the judgment," This is a key verse in refuting
Bell's claim.
(12) First
Sermon
By Rob Bell At Mars Hill Bible Church by Ken
Silva, Apprising Ministries, 4/11/11 If one doesn't recognize here that Bell is praising
"the mystics" for their supposedly superior spiritual
understanding, which is but a reimagined Gnosticism, I
personally believe it's simply because they just do not
wish to see. And a classic symptom of the deception one
receives as they continue on in this unbiblical practice
of meditation in altered states of consciousness is a
distorted view of the actual nature of unregenerate
mankind.
(14) New
Zondervan
CEO Fan Of Rob Bell by Ken Silva, 5/7/11
It's critical that you recognize that for years now
postmodern progressive liberal leaders in the Emerging
Church have been using the exact same strategies to take
over the younger sectors of mainstream evangelicalism.
This is the proper backdrop to consider New Zondervan
CEO Scott Macdonald says he's a fan of Rob Bell.
(15) The
Unbelief
Of Rob Bell by Ken Silva, 5/9/11 Rob Bell's denial of eternal punishment goes hand in
hand with a warped view of the gospel" Having rejected
biblical authority, Bell has set himself up as his own
authority.
(16) Hell-Questioning
Pastor
Resigns From Michigan Megachurch by Billy
Hallowell, The Blaze, 9/23/11 GRANDVILLE, Mich. (The Blaze/AP) - An evangelical
pastor (Rob Bell) who started a firestorm earlier this
year with his book that questions traditional Christian
beliefs about hell is leaving his Michigan megachurch to
share his message with a broader audience.
(17) 'Love
Wins'
raised hell for Rob Bell at Mars Hill, The New Yorker
says by Matt Vande Bunte, MLive,
11/29/12 GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Fallout from Rob
Bell’s bestselling “Love
Wins” book pushed him to leave the West
Michigan megachurch he founded, according to The New
Yorker. And the television show Bell went to work on in
California has stalled, Kelefa Sanneh writes in the
magazine’s Nov. 26 issue. In a profile of Bell
called “The Hell-Raiser,” Sanneh
chronicles the former Mars Hill Bible Church
pastor’s personal “search for a more
forgiving faith," and concludes that he might fit better
on the beaches of southern California than in a West
Michigan pulpit.
(18) Rob
Bell
to Teach Teens That Christian Beliefs About Hell are
‘Misguided and Toxic’ at
Lighthouse Trails, 3/9/13 Author and speaker Rob Bell is set to release a teen
version of his book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven,
Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived
nationwide next month. In a promotional video created
for Love Wins: For Teens, Bell explains that the book is
designed to teach youth that God is the life of the
party, rather than the one that spoils
everyone’s fun.
(19) Rob
Bell
Emerges Out of the Closet . . . and the Wool (Again)
by Elliott Nesch, 3/19/13 The Emergence Christianity leaders continue to come out
of the closet, and out of their sheep costumes, as one
after another they end up mirroring Western postmodern
culture in support of gay marriage.
(20) Accommodating
the
Culture: The author of Sex God endorses same-sex
marriages by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 3/21/13 As one who has followed Rob Bell’s career for
almost a decade, from the time he was the youth pastor
at the church I grew up in, Calvary Church of Grand
Rapids, Michigan, and then as the founding pastor of the
Mars Hill Bible Church in suburban Grandville of the
same city, I wondered when he, as he seemed so bent to
be culturally relevant, would finally out what he really
thought about same sex marriages.[2] Well, now he has,
and not surprisingly, at least to me (I spotted him as a
false teacher a decade ago, for false teachers always
seem engaged to the culture more than to Christ), he
recently endorsed same sex marriages in the friendly
confines in of all places, the liberal Grace Cathedral
in San Francisco during a forum held Sunday, March 17,
2013.[3] In this endorsement he has taken cue from
political leaders (the President comes to mind, as also
recently, Hillary Clinton), for they too are ever
testing the political winds of fortune to see which
direction they’re a’ blowing.
(21) No
Hell
Bell Comes Out in Support of Homosexuality by
The Berean Call, 4/1/13 Rob Bell, author of the best-selling and controversial
book Love Wins , which challenges the Christian teaching
of Hell, came out in support of homosexual marriage on
Sunday and called “narrow”
Christians to repentance.
(22) Rob
Bell
Debates Homosexuality vs. The Bible (VIDEO) at
Lighthouse Trails, 6/5/13 LTRP Note: The following is from Stand Up For the Truth
radio program. We apologize for the occasion in the
interview where Rob Bell swears. It is shortly after the
16 minute mark so you could mute the video at that
point. We do believe this is an interview worth
watching, however. We would like to point out also, for
those who may think that Rob Bell is in a minority
extreme group for thinking the way he does, that popular
evangelical leaders such as Tony Campolo, Philip Yancey,
Dan Kimball, and others have all played a part in
bringing about this paradigm shift within evangelical
Christianity. It’s not just Rob Bell and Brian
McLaren
(23) Rob
Bell's
'Love Wins' Nudged 1,000 People to Leave Mars Hill
Bible Church, Says Michigan Megachurch Successor
at Understand The Times, 11/21/13 Mars Hill Bible Church, the congregation founded by
author Rob Bell, lost about 1,000 people over their
former pastor's controversial 2011 book, Love Wins: A
Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person
Who Ever Lived, according to the Grandville, Mich.,
megachurch's new pastor Kent Dobson. Dobson was chosen
by Mars Hill Bible Church in 2012 to replace Bell, who
founded the congregation in 1999. "I would say about
1,000 people left (over 'Love Wins'), and that's okay. I
don't think even a lot of them left in anger," he added.
"They just thought 'Well, Mars Hill's not the place I
thought it was.' Surely some people were upset, but on
the other hand it wasn't exactly a mass exodus. Rob had
been saying everything in that book for five years."
(24) Rob
Bell
Is Now Walking With Oprah Winfrey Through The New
Spirituality by Ken Silva, 4/16/14
Neo-gnostics like Oprah Winfrey, and possibly Bell himself
now, are trying to get others to understand that it
doesn�t so much matter what you believe about God as long
as you believe the world is spiritual. I showed you
before, also using her own words, that Oprah Winfrey is
not a Christian�though �she was raised Baptist.�
(25) Rob
Bell
and Oprah Wrap Up New Age Tour�EQUALLY YOKED
by Lighthouse Trails, 11/22/14 This past weekend, former evangelical pastor Rob Bell
and former television icon Oprah wrapped up their
national 8-city �Oprah�s The Life You Want Weekend� New
Age tour. Joining Bell and Oprah on the tour were other
two New Age sympathizers � Deepak Chopra and
Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love). There was a time,
not too many years ago, when Bell�s best-selling book
Velvet Elvis was being read by millions of young
evangelicals, and the book was touted by Christian
leaders and college professors. It was a disaster in
discernment in the church as even back then Bell was
promoting the New Age. In a 2007 article, a Lighthouse
Trails stated, �Velvet Elvis and Bell�s Noomas are a
trojan horse that will deliver to young unsuspecting
kids from Christian homes a hearty helping of the New
Age (i.e., mysticism and panentheism). And if they are
introduced to the New Age under the guise of Christian
literature, many of them will be seduced by �doctrines
of devils.'� Bell, who stepped down from the evangelical
pastorate in 2011, has finally openly shown his true New
Age colors by yoking himself with Oprah Winfrey, the
most influential New Ager in the world today.
(26) Rob
Bell
promotes �Mother God� and �apophatic meditation� in
new �Liturgists� show at Understand The Times,
7/25/15 In addition to (or perhaps because of) his new The Rob
Bell Show on Oprah Winfrey�s OWN channel, Rob Bell has
been busy with his ZIMZUM of Love book promotions and
now his new The Liturgists program, a podcast he has
quietly launched with a dozen or so other theological
partners who �do not actively promote our names and
personal images� for ego reasons. What do The Liturgists
talk about when they talk about God the Father? Well
actually, they talk about God the Mother. That�s
not a typo.
(27) Universalist
Rob
Bell Jumps on Mysticism Bandwagon at
Understand The Times, 8/4/15 Hipster preacher Rob Bell is mashing up quantum
physics, Jewish Kabbalah and Catholic mysticism to
explain humanity's future evolution. In his
30-city "Everything is Spiritual" tour, the former
megachurch pastor and short-lived Oprah Winfrey Network
talk-show host delivers a two-hour monologue aimed at a
millennial generation less interested in sin and
judgment and more attuned to science and cosmic
connections. "A bunch of the old stories that we used to
rely on just aren't working anymore," Bell told a crowd
of almost 500 during a tour stop in Durham. "I want to
take a stab at a new story." Wearing a gray denim
jacket, a white collared shirt, chinos and ankle boots,
Bell used only one visual aid: a large dry-erase board
in the shape of a long, skinny triangle. In the far left
corner he drew a small black dot representing the Big
Bang. Moving to the right, as the universe expanded over
the course of his talk, he sketched milestones of
evolution over 13.8 billion years.
(28) Insider�s
View
of Rob Bell�s Stop in SF for �Everything is Spiritual
Tour� at Lighthouse Trails, 8/19/15 LTRP Note: We post this because it is important for
people to understand what the deception looks like that
young Christians are being saturated with through
individuals such as Rob Bell. Bell�s tour, Everything
is Spiritual, is panentheistic in nature but
disguised in some Christian vernacular.
(30) Rob
Bell's 'Love Wins' Revealed 'Startling' Multitudes of
People Backing Universalism at Understand the
Times, 9/21/18 A modern Christianity professor and author who opposes
universalism admitted that he was "startled" by how many
people came out supporting the belief following Rob
Bell's 2011 book, Love Wins. Michael McClymond, the
author of The Devil's Redemption: A New History and
Interpretation of Christian Universalism, said in an
interview with The Gospel Coalition posted last week
that ever since he was a student he has been engaged
with biblical studies on the topic of salvation.
"Several years ago what really surprised me was not Rob
Bell's book, Love Wins (2011), with its well-worn and
hackneyed arguments. Instead, I was startled by the
multitude of people I thereafter encountered holding
that universalism was biblical and evangelical
teaching," said McClymond, who teaches at Saint Louis
University in Missouri.
Richard Foster
(2) Response
To
A Defender Of Richard Fosterby James
Sundquist, 12/04 The departure from these teachings by Richard Foster
and the host of teachers he promotes is the reason we
must withdraw from them. "If there come any unto you,
and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [your]
house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth
him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." II
John 2:10-11 Thomas Merton, Morton Kelsey, Basil
Pennington, Benedictine Monks, Ignatius Loyola, Brennan
Manning, Isaac Pennington, Basil Pennington, Madeleine
L'Engle, Thomas Keating, Harvey Cox, Agnes Sanford,
Madame Guyon, John of the Cross, Evelyn Underhill,
Thomas Kelly, Tilden Edwards, William Vaswig (also of
Renovare who, like Foster learned his meditation from
Agnes Sanford and a great admirer of occultist Carl Jung
and his "sitting in silence" therapy), Karen Mains,
Lynda Graybeal, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Meister
Eckhart, George Fox, Henri Nouwen, Teresa of
Avila, Brother Lawrence (who also taught the emptying of
the mind), Julian of Norwich, Siang Yan Tan
(psychologist), Lao-Tse (Taoism), Zarathrustra
(Zorastrianism) and a host of other "masters" or
"spiritual directors" (past or present) of the
Traditions of Discipline that Richard Foster promotes
and endorses do not bring this doctrine, so none of
them, or their teachings should be brought into our
houses or houses of worship. And by doing so, we
do become partakers of their evil deeds....yes false
doctrine is evil deeds. We must
command them as Paul did Timothy to the Ephesians to
"Not teach false doctrines any longer!"" Richard
Foster's teachings whether or not he says otherwise, are
a blend of Eastern mysticism and gnosticism...another
Jesus and another gospel. Oh foolish Americans,
who hath bewitched you?
(3) Renovare'
Renovates
The Bibleby Dave Hunt, The Berean Call,
August 2005 God never adjusts Himself or His Word to the tastes of
men. He never changes anything to appeal to the corrupt
appetites of the ungodly in any age-all must come to Him
on His terms. He commands all men everywhere to repent
because of coming judgment (Acts 17:30, 31). "Let the
wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD"" (Is 55:7).
There is no softening of the gospel to make it "seeker
friendly."
(4) Richard
Foster
and Gnostic Mysticism by Ken Silva, Apprising
Ministries, 05/19/06 There are those who have been offended that I dared
enter the Contemplative Temple and touch their
"anointed" Buddha Thomas Merton. But here is another
example of the reimagined Gnostic mysticism currently
being taught to your pastor through Living Spiritual
Teacher Richard Foster. Through his books the Guru of
Contemplation has introduced Evelyn Underhill as an
expert witness on the subject of alleged "Christian"
mysticism. Therefore we have just as much right to read
and interpret her materials as Foster himself does.
(5) A
Call To Repentance by Dave Hunt, The Berean
Call, 11/06
Some of the worst heretics and practitioners of the
occult, while claiming to be Christians, have gotten
together in what they call the Chrysostom Society. It
began with Richard Foster, Calvin Miller, and Karen Mains,
joined later by Eugene Peterson. "They felt it was really
important to just get together, write together, and
believe in each other as practitioners of a craft to the
glory of God."(Mars Hill Review, 1995, "A Conversation
with Eugene Peterson.") It is a "craft," all right.
Truth has been assassinated by political correctness, the
gospel has fallen victim to "we must not offend other
religions," God is being mocked, and eternal souls are
being robbed of the salvation that is only in Jesus
Christ. That tragedy prevails in nearly all churches. Let
us weep and repent for the church, for our country, for
ourselves, and speak the truth in love.
(6) Reiki,
Thomas
Merton and Richard Foster by Ray Yungen, From
the Lighthouse, 11/07 This is why it is so important to understand the
connection between the writings of Richard Foster and
Brennan Manning with Merton. Promotion indicates
attachment, and attachment indicates common ground.
Something is terribly wrong when a Reiki master and two
of the most influential figures in the evangelical
church today both point to the same man as an example of
their spiritual path. (from chapter 5, A Time of
Departing) To understand more about the connection
between Foster, Manning, and Merton, read A Time of
Departing in its entirety.
(7) Richard
Foster by Roger Oakland, Understanding The
Times, 4/1/08 Richard Foster, a promoter of contemplative prayer is a
student of Thomas Merton. In a previous program we
documented that Merton learned his procedures for
contemplative prayer from Buddhists and Hindus. So what
about Foster? Does he also believe you can Christianize
messages from demons?
(8) Richard
Foster:
The Bible a reliable guide despite inconsistencies
by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 3/18/10 It's not evangelical Protestant Christianity; and
worse, this highly subjective CSM is truly hostile to
the proper Christian spirituality of Sola Scriptura.
Here's a couple of examples from Foster. The first is
from a 2005 piece in Quaker Life called The With God
Life: An Interview with Richard Foster. While
hawking The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, which
had just come out, the Quaker mystic tells us how the
experience-oriented Quakers subjectively approach God
"in the gathered silence."
(10) Richard
Foster's
Renovare Turns to Panentheist Mystic Richard Rohr and
Emerging Darling Phyllis Tickle For New Book Project
by Lighthouse Trails Editors, 9/15/10 ... take a look on the 25 Books form page and see the
list of members on the 25 Books Editorial Team. Of
course, there is Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. But
look at two other names: Phyllis Tickle, the emerging
church's darling "mentor" (who once said that Brian
McLaren was the next Luther), and Richard Rohr, founder
of the Center for Action and Contemplation. For those
who still have yet to be convinced that Richard Foster
is indeed a New Age sympathizer, this should seal the
verdict by the fact that Tickle and Rohr are included in
an editorial board to decide which 25 books Christians
should read.
(11) Richard
Foster
on Meditation AKA Contemplative Prayer by Ken
Silva, 12/7/10
Richard Foster: Contemplative Prayer immerses us into
the silence of God. How desperately we in the modern
world need this wordless baptism" Contemplative Prayer
is the one discipline that can free us from our
addiction to words. Progress in intimacy with God means
progress toward silence" It is recreating silence to
which we are called in Contemplative Prayer"
(13) Richard
Foster's
Contemplative Prayer or Terror? by Roger
Oakland, 11/14/11 Proponents of contemplative prayer say the purpose of
contemplative prayer is to tune in with God and hear His
voice. However, Richard Foster claims that practitioners
must use caution. He admits that in contemplative prayer
"we are entering deeply into the spiritual realm" and
that sometimes it is not the realm of God even though it
is "supernatural." He admits there are spiritual beings
and that a prayer of protection should be said
beforehand something to the effect of "All dark and evil
spirits must now leave."1 Where in Scripture do we find
such a prayer? Where in witchcraft?
(14) Richard
Foster's
Renovare President Admits They Have Taught Spiritual
Formation to "Hundreds of Thousands of People"
by Lighthouse Trails, 12/10/11 Renovare, as many of you know, is Richard Foster's
organization and his mainstay platform for promoting
contemplative spirituality. In a November 2011 letter to
supporters, Renovare president Christopher Webb states
the following: "At this writing I am attending a
gathering of national ministries that promote Bible
reading and engagement; spiritual formation is at the
very top of the agenda. Last week I spoke at a
conference for three hundred pastors; spiritual
formation was the number one concern. In the few weeks
before that I led a retreat for spiritual directors,
spoke at a congregational conference, and addressed a
denominational gathering; in each case, spiritual
formation was at the heart of the conversation." Webb
admits that "Renovare has played a crucial role in
focusing the attention of pastors, churches, seminaries,
and denominations on spiritual formation," saying that
they have taught the "basic principles of [spiritual
formation] to hundreds of thousands of people." Webb
adds "But more than this, we've advocated for the
central importance of formation in Christlikeness to the
wider Church."
(15) Richard
Foster's
Renovare Promoting Emerging Heretic Tony Jones
by Ken Silva, 12/30/11 Now to be sure, we're not the least bit surprised that
Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard
Foster would recommend the warped work of apostate Dr.
Tony Jones, heretical "theologian in residence" at the
social gathering (not a church in the Biblical sense) of
his equally heretical friend and "pastor," universalist
Doug Pagitt. I mean, not when at least two state
conventions in the Southern Baptist Convention quite
specifically recommend both guru Foster and wannabe guru
Jones as you'll see clearly documented in Alabama
Baptist Convention (SBC) Encourages You To Learn Lectio
Divina From Apostate Tony Jones. Nah, really comes as no
surprise at all.
(16) The
Roots
of Spiritual Formation by Lighthouse Trails,
4/15/12 To understand spiritual formation, all one needs to do
is understand the spirituality of Richard Foster.
Lighthouse Trails has documented his beliefs through A
Time of Departing and Faith Undone, as well as through
numerous articles on the Lighthouse Trails Research
site. In this particular article, let us turn to a small
book Richard Foster wrote called Meditative Prayer.
Foster says that the purpose of meditative prayer is to
create a "spiritual space" or "inner sanctuary" through
"specific meditation exercises" (p. 9). Foster
references several mystics in the book who can point the
way to these exercises: Madame Guyon, Teresa of Avila,
Francis de Sales, Henri Nouwen, and Thomas Merton.
Foster breaks the contemplative process down into three
steps.
(17) Renovare
To
Hold Contemplative Retreat at the Billy Graham
Training Center – A Big Green Light For
Contemplative Prayer by Lighthouse Trails,
6/24/13 This coming October contemplative pioneer, Richard
Foster’s Renovare team will hold their Life
With God Retreat at the Billy Graham Training Center at
the Cove. Those who are familiar with the infrastructure
of Richard Foster’s spirituality will
understand that the teachings that are represented at
Renovare do not line up with traditional evangelical
teachings. While the doctrinal statements on paper
between Renovare and many evangelical/Protestant
churches may look similar, what is believed, taught, and
emphasized in reality is much different as Lighthouse
Trails has documented for 11 years now. The model of
spirituality that Richard Foster and Renovare have drawn
from is developed by Catholic monks who because of their
mystical practices embrace panentheism (God is in all
people and all things) and interspirituality (all
religions lead to God at the mystical level).
(18) Larry
Crabb
to Join Richard Foster�s Renovare Contemplative
Conference - Christian Leaders Continue to Promote
Crabb by Lighthouse Trails, 3/10/13 On April 3rd, Richard Foster�s Renovare organization
will be presenting the Formation for Whole Life
conference in Houston, Texas. According to several
sources, including Rick Warren, Christianity Today, and
Lighthouse Trails, Richard Foster is a key player in the
contemplative prayer movement (aka: Spiritual Formation
movement). Speakers at this year�s Renovare conference
include contemplative figures Ruth Haley Barton, Mark
Scandrette, Richard Foster, and Kyle Strobel. Joining
the team of speakers will be Larry Crabb, a popular
evangelical author and speaker, who years ago switched
from a psychology focus to a focus on Spiritual
Formation (i.e., contemplative prayer).
(19) "What
is
Renovaré / the Renovaré Bible?" by
GotQuestions, 3/3/15 For these and other reasons, Renovaré is considered by
some to be a theologically dangerous movement. Like many
parts of the contemplative spirituality movement,
Renovaré preys upon the spiritually hungry and points
them not to the cross of Christ or God's inerrant Word
but to man�s traditions and emotional human experience.
The wise and discerning Christian will examine carefully
all claims of the Renovaré movement and compare each
with Scripture. That which contradicts the Word of God
must be rejected.
(20) A
Serious Look at Richard Foster�s �School� of
Contemplative Prayer (Booklet) by Ray Yungen,
9/1/15 "[W]e should all without shame enroll as apprentices in
the school of contemplative prayer."1�Richard Foster,
Celebration of Discipline: :the Path to Spiritual Growth
Christianity is not complete without the contemplative
dimension."2�Richard Foster In Portland, Oregon there is
a large bookstore devoted entirely to New Age
spirituality. Every Eastern mystical and metaphysical
topic under the sun is found there. Interestingly, there
is a sizable section on contemplative prayer with
Catholic monk Thomas Merton having a whole shelf devoted
just to his writings. Why would a New Age bookstore give
valuable space to a topic that purports to be Christian?
That is a legitimate question. May I suggest the reason
is that the �Christian� mystical tradition (i.e.,
contemplative prayer) shares a sense of profound kinship
with the Eastern mystical tradition. There is ample
evidence to support this claim.
Updated! (21) Fostering
a new Spiritual Discipline: Follow me into ... the
quiet zone by Mike Oppenheimer, 2/3/16 - Read
Part 1,
Part 2,
Part 3,
Part 4
& Part
5. Richard Foster is known for his book �Celebration of
Discipline.� Few are aware that it contains numerous New
Age teachings in it. Foster�s book Celebration of
Discipline, has sold several million copies, was
selected by Christianity Today as one of the top ten
books of the 20th century. Christianity Today named it
number eleven in the "Top 50 Books That Have Shaped
Evangelicals." Despite their endorsement, it is a book
that should be avoided at all costs. This may sound
harsh to some but if you hear what Foster teaches it
become apparent, it is not what the Bible teaches.
(22) Thomas
Merton,
Richard Foster, and a Sufi Master by Ray
Yungen, 2/5/17 LTRP Note: Keep in mind three
things as you read this article: 1) a strong link
exists between Thomas Merton and the evangelical
church, and that link is Richard Foster (author of
Celebration of Discipline); 2) Richard Foster once
said Thomas Merton “stands as one of the greatest
twentieth-century embodiments of spiritual life as a
journey�?(1); 3) the current “Spiritual Formation�?
movement within Christianity was spawned by Richard
Foster and Dallas Willard, and both men were ignited
by Thomas Merton. As you read this account of Thomas
Merton, know that this same spiritual outlook that is
described below has entered the church in no small
way. Maybe it’s time you ask your pastor, “What do you
think about Richard Foster and Celebration of
Discipline?�?
(23) Dallas
Willard,
John Ortberg, Richard Foster – Are We Wrong in Calling
Them Emergent/Contemplative? by Lighthouse
Trails, 8/20/17 The real crux of this matter comes down to the
contemplative prayer movement, which because it has its
roots in panentheism (God in all) and interspirituality
(all paths lead to God) as we have been able to
document in our writings these past many years, it is
basically a synonym for the emerging church. In fact,
without contemplative prayer, the emerging church would
not have had the success (if you will) that it has had
because contemplative prayer is the force that drives
it. And given the fact that there are so many variables
equal between the two, if someone is a proponent of
contemplative prayer, we classify him as part of the
emerging church. Many people mistakenly think that the
emerging church would just be those of the caliber of
Brian McLaren or Rob Bell. But we cannot agree with this
at all. We believe the documentation we have gathered
these past 15 years clearly shows that the two movements
are one in the same.
(24) Luis
Palau’s
Son (President of the Luis Palau Association) Teams Up
With Richard Foster’s Renovare by Lighthouse
Trails, 11/26/17 Richard Foster’s founding contemplative organization,
Renovare, has announced their upcoming (June 2018)
celebration of the 40th anniversary of Foster’s book
Celebration of Discipline. Kevin Palau, son of the
world-wide known evangelist Luis Palau and president of
the Luis Palau Association, is listed on the Renovare
website as one of the speakers for the June 2018 event.
(25) Friends
of the Inner Healing Teaching of Agnes Sanford
by Mike Oppenheimer, 1/28/21
Agnes Sanford was also a mentor to Richard Foster.
Foster, a former Quaker who relied on the “inner light.”
Dave Hunt and Tom McMahon in Occult Invasion quotes
Richard Foster who wrote, " I have been greatly helped
in my understanding of the value of the imagination in
praying for others by Agnes Sanford .... This advice.
[of] prayer through the imagination . . . pictur[ing]
the healing ... and much more, was given to me by Agnes
Sanford . (Foster, Celebration, pp. 36.136.) Foster
endorsed Sanford and her books and wrote I have
discovered her to be an extremely wise and skillful
counselor in these matters” and calls her book The
Healing Gifts of the Spirit “an excellent resource ”
(Celebration of Discipline, 1978, p. 136, footnote 1).
An entire chapter by Sanford is found in his book
Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home and another
chapter by her in Spiritual Disciplines. Sanford delved
deeply into New Thought, Jungian psychology, and other
dangerous fields. She said that she got her doctrine of
a “spiritual body” within the physical body from New
Thought teacher Emmet Fox (Sealed Orders, p. 115; quoted
by Berean Call).
(24) “My
Difficult Lonely Journey of Trying to Warn the Church
of Apostasy and Apathy” at Lighthouse Trails,
12/14/21
Around 2006, having moved north of Toronto, we started
going to _____________, and we liked it there; even
though Brethren do not traditionally have pastors, this
one did. Anyways, as a bit of a speaker sometimes, I was
asked to lead a home Bible study. The book I was to use
was on prayer by a fellow I had never heard of named
Richard Foster. The Chapel had also recently (prior to
us joining the church) used Rick Warren’s book, A
Purpose Driven Life. While reading Foster’s book, I was
shocked by its content. It was speaking about Catholic
mystics and popes in glowing terms and then about
Ignatius of Loyola and his spiritual disciplines.
Fortunately, the Internet was available, and I
researched the author and the persons referred to like
Merton and Henri Nouwen. Most of the elders of the
church were in the Bible study I led, and they got an
expose of the author and the book. Sadly, I don’t think
most of them agreed with me or cared. Later, I got an
earful for daring to research the author. There were and
are still some in that church who care for the truth but
many just want to be told pleasant words by which to
live by preachers who take anecdotes from life and apply
it to believers. Nice people, but prophecy is considered
a dubious topic.
(25) Judgment
Day! Chapter Three: Who Inherits the Promised Land?
(Video) by The Berean Call, 11/6/23
This is the most comprehensive examination to date of
ancient biblical prophecy and modern-day Middle East
politics regarding Islam, Israel and the nations—which
includes the United States of America! Painstakingly
researched using up-to-the-minute data, Judgment Day! is
sure to become a respected resource for scholars,
analysts, pastors, professors, politicians, and lay
people alike. Amazing historical facts and firsthand,
eyewitness insight make this book a thrilling, sometimes
troubling read—but one necessary for a heavenward
understanding of the prophetic times in which we live.
... "those who still claim to be Evangelical Christians
are denying the veracity of scripture especially when it
comes to Israel. A case in point is the Renovare
Spiritual Formation Bible edited by Richard J Foster
(and) Eugene Peterson author of The Message (Bible) a
blasphemously perverted version of the New Testament."
Steven
Furtick
Furtick is a mixture of Emergent Church, Word of Faith
and New Apostolic false doctrines.
(1) Why
is
Steven Furtick Acting Like a Cult Leader? by
Crosswalk, 3/20/15 Charlotte pastor Steven Furtick and his Elevation
Church are making waves this week as more is revealed
about Elevation�s odd fixation on their �Lead Pastor� as
well as some of the questionable practices of the
church, including �spontaneous baptism.� Indeed, many
people are sounding the alarm and calling Pastor Furtick
a �cult-leader in the making,� though Elevation Church
describes him as a visionary they need to unequivocally
support. Reformation 21�s Todd Pruitt and Matthew Paul
Turner both share a page from Elevation�s Sunday school
coloring book that�s been circulating around. The image
depicts the Elevation congregation looking up at Furtick
in the pulpit. The text reads, �We are united under the
visionary,� and �Elevation Church is built on the vision
God gave Pastor Steven. We will protect our Unity in
Supporting His Vision.� Of this, Matthew Paul Turner
writes, �While the grownups are listening to Pastor
Steven preach, the little ones are in Sunday school
learning about �unity.� I actually cringed when I saw
this. Not even the fundamentalist church I was raised in
featured coloring pictures of our pastor. There�s
nothing good or holy or trustworthy about this kind of
b.s. It�s dangerous religion. It�s the kind of
evangelical brainwashing that all of us should be
calling out. This should make us angry. Because its
wrong. And because it�s not Christianity.�
(2) Steven
Furtick by Matt Slick, CARM, 3/20/15 First of all, Furtick is not very doctrinally minded;
otherwise, he wouldn't allow a heretic such as T. D.
Jakes (who denies the Trinity) to preach in his
church. Furtick affirms the Trinity and the deity
of Christ11, but as a pastor he is required to uphold
orthodoxy and not promote preachers who deny even one
essential christian doctrine. This is a very
serious issue. Second, he violates scripture in his
promotion of women pastors. This is also a serious
issue, and I politely offer to publicly debate Pastor
Furtick on this topic.12 My goal is promote God's
truth, not man's opinions. Third, his mockery of the
doctrines of grace is shameful. We are not saying
he must affirm the doctrines of grace as found in
Calvinism, but his disdainful attack upon them and those
who hold to those doctrines is a serious concern.
It shows a lack of pastoral care for Christians who
don't agree with him on these issues, and it risks
violating Scripture. So, Pastor Steven Furtick, if you
are interested I would be glad to talk to you about
these issues. I invite you to do so in Christian
love and concern, letting the Bible be our guide.
(3) �Hip�
Church
Gives Biblical Christians New Label: �Hater�
by Jim Fletcher, 3/20/15 Sometime back, the progressive mega church pastor,
Steven Furtick (Elevation Church, Charlotte, North
Carolina), mentored as he is by evangelical bigwigs like
Rick Warren and Bill Hybels, felt bold enough to post a
YouTube video in which he sneeringly challenged what I�d
call traditional Christians to basically get out of the
way, because their time is past.
(4) Sun
Stand
Still by Steven Furtick - Reviewed by Ken
Silva
(5) T.
D.
Jakes, Rob Bell, and Steve Furtick Make it Onto
Oprah�s New Age Super Soul 100 List of �Awakened
Leaders� by Lighthouse Trails, 11/10/16 Along with T.D. Jakes, Steve Furtick, and Rob
Bell are some other names you might recognize. Remember,
week after week, millions of North Americans still
follow Oprah. Even many Christians read the materials of
these listed below and find themselves enamored with the
people and the teachings of the New Age. Deepak Chopra,
Caroline Myss, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Michael
Beckwith (from The Secret), Eckhart Tolle, Elizabeth
Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love), Esther Hicks (The Secret),
Gary Zukav, Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul),
Pastor John Gray (from Joel Osteen�s Lakewood Church),
Marianne Williamson (A Course in Miracles teacher), Tony
Robbins.
Updated! (6) The
Elevation (church) of Steven Furtick by Mike
Oppenheimer, 12/30/20
Steven Furtick has been a rising star in Christian
circles for some and now he has arrived on TBN,
replacing of all people Kenneth Copeland who has been
there since their inception. Don’t think this will bring
any improvement to TBN, it will not. What he brings is a
more subtle and acceptable non-biblical teaching to the
younger generation. Earning a master’s degree from
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, which after
watching his sermons did not help as this man’s
understanding of Scripture is shallow. He tends to have
a narcissistic view that finds a way into his stories,
as applications, as he transfers his own theology to
Scripture. Furtick uses a Seeker Driven model,
motivational speech, mixing human wisdom and copying
word faith philosophy to express his interpretations of
the Bible to his audience. Regardless, Furtick is a
popular pastor in America. His church comes in third
behind Hillsong and Bethel in popularity. The fact that
Oprah Winfrey who does not endorse real Christianity
approves of Furtick (as she did Joel Osteen) should be a
red light to anyone that loves God’s Word. Her network
named Steven Furtick to their Super Soul 100 Influencers
list in the Soul Teachers category in 2016. He joins New
Agers like Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, Tony Robbins,
Rob Bell; a host of non believers, not a group one would
normally want to be associated with unless they are
willing to compromise. Read Part 1
& Part 2.
(7) 81,000
Words!? An Analysis Of Steven Furtick’s Last 10
Sermons Should End His Career by Protestia,
7/2/21 “Stay far away from this deceitful man who rejects
God’s word for his own popularity.” An analysis of the
10 hours of ‘Pastor’ Steven Furtick’s sermons has
revealed woeful unfaithfulness to the scriptures and a
watered-down message of sin and repentance, according to
YouTuber Colin Miller. Using a software program, Miller
uploaded nearly 10 hours of audio into an application
that could detect and extract all the usages of certain
words and phrases from his teaching, enabling him to
track his usage and do a word analysis in order to see
what sort of things are important, or in this case
unimportant to Elevation Church.
(8) Major
Heresy with minor Bible teaching by Mike
Oppenheimer, 7/11/21 Steven Furtick has 13,000 in attendance each week in
his services and far more on the internet. When he says
“See, I think Jacob – his name means supplanter, but his
new name Israel is almost just as bad . It means
struggles with God.” Actually ‘Israel’ means 'Prince of
God' a name God gave him as a blessing, and to a nation.
His teaching is at best guesswork, and he more often
personalizes the text and reads himself into the
Scripture passage. At worst it is like this… “It’s
always been in you. There’s nobody who can leave my life
who can keep God from keeping his covenant with me. I’m
not in covenant with a person. I’m not in covenant with
a political party. I’m in covenant with God Almighty! I
am God Almighty!” “Get that off you! That’s not your
name. That’s not your station. That’s not your end. It’s
in me! It’s in me! It’s in me! It is God who worketh in
you! It’s always been in you.” Declaring himself to be
“God Almighty” (not you but himself) is blasphemy. Make
no mistake this is what he meant as you listen to how he
said it, he is arrogant, showing the spirit it was said
in; and God is not an ‘it, nor was he always in 'you.'’
(9) Steven
Furtick And Other Heretics Win ‘Christian Music’ Dove
Awards For 2021 at CRN, 10/27/21 “The commercialized Christian music industry not only
enables this idolatry but promotes it to the degree that
God’s glory is robbed from Him at many levels, including
in churches. The vast majority of Christian contemporary
music is produced by celebrity artists who’ve
compromised on biblical truths in order to serve their
own selfish desires.” As if the celebrity Christian
lifestyle alone wasn’t enough to cause most
Bible-believing Christians to [become sick at their
stomachs], the fact that almost all of them are rank
heretics should leave us with no other choice.
(10) Could
Elevation Church Replace The Scandal-Plagued Hillsong
On The World Stage? at CRN, 4/9/22 Steven Furtick is a charismatic Word of Faith pastor
who has aligned himself with many of the giants in the
prosperity gospel, including Word of Faith Oneness
pastor, T.D. Jakes, and has been praised by former
Hillsong NYC [disgraced] pastor, Carl Lentz who stated,
“your church and your life are such good examples of
what happens when you mix unadulterated focus on JESUS,
ferocious faith and availability with the grace of
God…absolutely anything is possible.” As Hillsong Church
has been plagued by multiple scandals over the last
several years including its latest scandal involving its
top leader, Brian Houston, the international
organization now appears to be crumbling before our eyes
opening the doors for another corporate conglomerate to
fill its shoes.
(11) Would
You Pay $2480.30 For Tickets To A Steven Furtick/
Elevation Worship Concert? by Protestia,
10/18/22 Steven Furtick is the Lead Pastor of Elevation Church.
As head of a Southern Baptist-associated, 25,000-member
multisite campus with 17 locations, he is known for
having the term “narcigesis” (narcissistic exegesis)
named after him based on his inability to exegete
scripture in a way that doesn’t make every story revolve
around him…” Last year we criticized the expensive
prices that tickets to see Steven Furtick and The
Elevation Worship band cost, questioning whether or not
it made sense from a financial or spiritual perspective.
Individual tickets ranged from about $38 for the
nosebleeds, up to $195 for front-row access, with most
tickets in the 50-110$ range.
(12) Pastors,
Ditch The Metrosexual Persona: God Calls You To Be A
Faithful Shepherd And Steward Of His Word by
The Dissenter, 1/9/23 “The infamous Steven Furtick, Judah Smith, the
disgraced former Hillsong pastor, Carl Lentz, and many,
many more, share the same dangerous and insidious
personality – one of ego, entitlement, and a thirst for
power at any cost. But their egos and proclivity for
self-promotion are not their only danger—these pastors
also share a matching doctrine of deception and error,
one that is designed to lure the unwary into their web
of lies and manipulation.” As the shadows lengthen and
the veil between worlds grows thin, a new and terrifying
force has emerged from the depths of the church. It is
the rise of the metrosexual pastor, a creature of
preening vanity and superficiality, whose hunger for
attention and adoration knows no bounds.
(13) Steven
Furtick Sells Tickets For Worship Service Tour For
Hundreds Of Dollars Eachby The Dissenter,
3/8/23 Steven Furtick is a perfect example of what Jude tells
us in verse 12, “These are spots in your feasts of
charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves
without fear: clouds they are without water, carried
about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without
fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.” If there
has been a more blatant example of Matthew 19:24 being
played out in modern times than the Furtick family, I’ve
not seen it. Jesus’s words were clear, “it is easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a
rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
(14) Heresy
Alert! Steven Furtick Says Whatever God Is, ‘You Are
Too’ by Protestia, 2/15/24 God is perfect. God is sinless. God is omnipresent. God
is omnipotent. God is omniscient. God is omnibenevolent.
God is a million other things that we are not, and any
suggestion to the contrary is rank heresy.’ Steven
Furtick is the Lead Pastor of Elevation Church, a former
Southern Baptist-associated, 25,000-member multisite
campus with 17 locations. He is known for having the
term “narcegesis” (narcissistic exegesis) named after
him based on his inability to exegete scripture in a way
that doesn’t make every story revolve around him and
you.
Tony Jones
(1) Tony
Jones'
continuous leftward slide into apostasy by
Marsha West, 12/1/08 Emergent Church guru Tony Jones,
the former national coordinator of Emergent Village,
has been holding the issue of homosexuality "in
abeyance" because "homosexuality is one issue that I
don't want to get wrong." On November 23 he came out
with his personal view on this hotly debated topic.
Drum roll please"" He's for it. After years of
pondering and praying, praying and pondering, he
managed to come up with the wrong answer. How do I
know this? Because his "revelation" doesn't line up
with Scripture.
(2) Heretic
Alert:
Tony Jones by Chrystal, Slaughter of the
Sheep, 2/6/09 Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in
sin did my mother conceive me." I don't really believe I
need to post any commentary on Emergent church author
and speaker, Tony Jones. His nonsense speaks for
itself. However, I will say a few words on one of
his latest posts from his blog. He maintains that
original sin is not Biblical. What he has effectively
done to those who put credence in his words is amputate
the whole of salvation and Christ Jesus' atoning work
from the Bible, and has set them on a works-based path
that will lead to nothing but destruction.
(3) The
Emergence
of a new god by Apprising Ministries,
9/10/09 In articles such as Christianity 21: Emerging Voices Of
A Pseudo-Christian Faith and Tony Jones And Christianity
21: The Future Of Apostate Christianity, a while back,
Apprising Ministries first brought this upcoming
Emerging Church C21 conference to your attention.
(4) Tony
Jones
Argues For Open Marriage And Polyamory by Ken
SIlva, 8/11/11 Behold where the Emerging Church will now begin trying
to move the younger sectors of evangelicalism, who like
the leaders in the neo-liberal cult within the EC,
largely do not hold to sola Scriptura themselves: open
marriages and practicing polyamory (many partners). Here
you have a professor of Christian spirituality with a
well known ostensibly evangelical seminary arguing
against monogamy.
Dan Kimball
(1) Dan
Kimball
and the Emerging Church and Eastern Meditation
by Steve Muse, Eastern Regional Watch, 6/13/07 As I read Dan Kimball's book, The Emerging Church, I
realized the book opened up a Pandora's Box of concerns
for what Kimball was communicating to this new
generation of churches about vintage Christianity.
Reading the book, I became impressed with a very
disturbing sense that Kimball is attempting to take
today's youth back into an experience-based relationship
with God much like the Catholic mystics have revealed to
us through their writings. And now through contemplative
prayer and contemplative spirituality we are to come
into a deeper relationship with God. On the Internet,
countless sites promote the Emerging Church experience
with its myriad forms of worship and prayer-and on most
of these sites Kimball's book is heartily promoted.
(2) Emerging Church Quotes
compled by Sandy Simpson, 12/08
Quotes by Emerging Church leaders.
(6) Follow
Up:
Dan Kimball and the Emerging Church by
Lighthouse Trails Editors, 11/22/10 This is a follow up to the recent radio show between
VCY America and Lighthouse Trails. If you haven't
already listened to it, you can do so here.
Below
we are providing some documentation to support what was
said on the radio show.
Brennan Manning
(1) Beware
of
Wolves in Sheep's Clothing by Mike Gendron,
Proclaiming The Gospel In the last ten years, he has
become a popular speaker in many "evangelical"
churches. Manning was ordained to the Franciscan
priesthood after graduating from St. Francis Seminary
in 1963. Later he was theology instructor at the
University of Steubenville (a Catholic seminary and
catalyst for Mary to be named co-redeemer). After
being treated for alcoholism and leaving the
Franciscan Order in 1982, he married Roslyn Ann
Walker. The marriage has since ended in divorce but
his popularity as a writer and speaker continues to
grow despite his proclamation of "another" gospel.
(2) Brennan
Manning�s
�New Monks� & Their Dangerous Contemplative
Spirituality (Booklet) by Lighthouse Trails,
8/26/13 Little did I know when I began to
read The Signature of Jesus, the time and effort that
would be involved in understanding it. I am not a
theologian by training. My background is in technical
management in electronic component manufacturing.
However, I stumbled onto something that I became
convinced was very dangerous and little understood.
(3) Letter
to the Editor: Brennan Manning Book Review by John
Caddock Saved Me From Years of Wandering in the
Wilderness by Lighthouse Trails, 2/19/21
LTRP Note: The following letter to the editor is one
we received a few years ago, referring to a book
review about Brennan Manning’s book, The Signature of
Jesus. The review was written by John Caddock and was
the first piece we ever read on the Internet refuting
contemplative prayer shortly after we met Ray Yungen
and read his then-unpublished manuscript A Time of
Departing over twenty years ago. This book review by
Caddock has opened the eyes of many people and is
still doing so today as this letter reveals. Below the
letter is the full review. As with all our blog
articles, you can print it freely. It is also
available in booklet format for those needing that. We
are reposting this because the contemplative prayer
movement is having more negative impact in the church
than ever before, and the influence of pioneers like
Brennan Manning remains robust. Keep in mind that
while many of our long-time readers are fully aware of
the dangers of the contemplative prayer movement and
have personally stayed clear of it, there is probably
not one of them who does not have a family member or
friend who is not delving into this. We have gone
through a mystical occult paradigm shift, and there is
no turning back.
Brian McLaren
(1) Brian
McLaren
In Denial by Rev. Ken Silva, December 30,
2005 As the "New Christianity" of the growing synchronistic
ecumenical religion of Purpose Driven new Evangelicalism
within the Emergent Church takes deeper root we see more
and more leaders within the Body of Christ in apparent
denial concerning an emerging New Downgrade
No-Controversy. For example, Brian McLaren, a leading
churchman in the Emergent convoluted conversation, is in
denial about the vicarious penal substitutionary
atonement of Christ Jesus on the cross.
(2) Brian
McLaren
And Hell by Rev. Ken Silva, December 30,
2005 Prominent Emergent Church theologian Brian McLaren has
said: "For many Christians, their faith is primarily
about what happens to people after they die. That
distracts them from seeking justice and living in a
compassionate way while we're still alive in this life.
We need to go back and take another look at Jesus'
teachings about hell. For so many people, the
conventional teaching about hell makes God seem vicious.
That's not something we should let stand."
(3) Brian
McLaren
And Evangelical Panentheism by Rev. Ken Silva,
1/18/06 In Brian
McLaren
And The Emerging Church I began to explore what
McLaren's particular theology has been emerging into,
and now beginning with this series we start putting all
the pieces together. As I previously stated I am not
someone prone to conspiracy theories so what I offer is
something I was most definitely not looking for.
However, what I am going to be showing you is based on
my careful and personal analysis of what McLaren himself
writes as well as what those he associates with and
endorses have said in their own books. Also
read Part
2, Part
3,Part
4, Part
5, and Part
6.
(4) An
Emerging
Pastoral Assessment by Rev. Ken Silva,
1/30/06 I feel led to present the following pastoral assessment
for the edification of the true Body of Christ as
evidence of the devastating results that the counterfeit
Christian teachings of men like Brian McLaren have
already been having on the Christian witness among our
youth. You are about to see a living testimony of what
has been happening within our Lord's Church because our
leaders failed in recognizing the new liberalism which
is now being spread like the black plague of theology
throughout Evangelicalism by this Emerging Church
movement.
(5) Brain
McLaren:
Turning Aside To Myths by Rev. Ken Silva,
2/10/06 I will have to admit that I find it a little odd
looking around at the various writings about Brian
McLaren where his non-stand about homosexuality (or
about anything else for that matter) actually has
surprised people. There is little chance that McLaren is
ever going to come down on the side of what the Bible
says about this forbidden lifestyle because of his own
views on Scripture. In fact, this becomes near
impossible now through his involvement with "living
spiritual teachers" like Alan Jones and Marcus Borg. You
see their warped view of Christian spirituality, twisted
as it is by the practice of neo-pagan mysticism only
figures to draw McLaren further away from believing what
Holy Scripture says. This is also tied to how McLaren
approaches the Bible because the Emergent spiritual
director follows a very allegorical "Alexandrian School"
approach to Holy Scripture so he would not readily see
what it clearly appears to be saying when read at face
value. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(6) Brain
McLaren: A Prime Example Of Diaprax by Sandy
Simpson, 2/16/06 I have written in a previous article called The
Emerging/Emergent
Church - and their use of "diaprax" briefly
detailing the use of the Hegelian Dialectic and praxis
(diaprax) by New Apostolic and Emerging Church
leaders. What I want to show in this article is a
perfect example of diaprax in the teachings of Brian
McLaren, a main leader in the Emerging Church. If
you want to read the entire transcript of "An New Kind
Of Christian - Part 1", a video teaching by Brian
McLaren, you can access it here.
I
also urge you to watch the video for yourself which is
available online here.
When
you watch be aware of the intentional and even
unintentional uses of brainwashing techniques. I
will only quote certain parts of McLaren's teachings to
emphasize the use of diaprax as well as other false
teachings.
(10) Brian
McLaren
- A True Son Of Lucifer by Jacob Prasch,
Moriel Ministries, 3/06 But with no biblical compass for determining the
direction in which he is misleading his followers
because of his dismissal of propositional truth, truth
itself can not be a factor in McLarens unsolvable
equation in his delusional fantasy world where two plus
two can equal six or co-equally can equal ten if you
feel that works for you. Objective reality is
assassinated by a subjective morality that in the end is
by any biblical standard - no morality at all; Post
modernism comes to church.
(11) The
Emergent
"Jesus Worldview" by Discernment Research
Network, 6/6/06 Herescope has warned about a "biblical worldview" and a
"Christian worldview" in previous posts because these
terms are loaded with extra-biblical agendas and
meanings, particularly dominionism. The other day we
encountered the phrase "Jesus worldview" from none other
than Brian McLaren of Emergent Church fame.
(12) Brian
McLaren:
The Emergent Cult Leader by Ken Silva,
Apprising Ministries, 7/19/06 Brian McLaren is beyond question a leading authority in
the Emergent Church and is influencing thousands through
his speaking engagements and numerous writings. In his
latest book The Secret Message of Jesus McLaren
apparently has "discovered" what has escaped the Church
of Jesus Christ for nearly two thousand years until he
happened to come along. In typical fashion McLaren tries
to hide his criticism and contradiction of the historic
orthodox Christian faith behind "if," but it becomes
clear enough that these are his own personal
beliefs. Right in line with other religious cult
leaders McLaren shows he doesn't think the Church has
correctly understood the message of Jesus down through
the centuries when he writes: "if this reading of the
Gospels is accurate, why didn't scholars see it a
hundred or five hundred or eighteen hundred years ago?"
(13) Brian
McLaren:
Sower Of Confusion by Ken Silva, Apprising
Ministries, 8/7/06 Brian D. McLaren is Chair of the Board of Directors of
Emergent Village as well as an author published by
Zondervan. He is also among Adjunct and Visiting
Professors, along with his good friend Leonard Sweet, at
George Fox Evangelical Seminary, a school designed to
demonstrate "the meaning of Jesus Christ by offering
spiritual formation and education for ministry."
McLaren's website lists him as speaker, emergent
networker, Christian activist." He also just happens to
be a "Christian" minister of the Gospel who openly
denines the vicarious penal substitutionary atonement on
the Cross of Jesus Christ: "I'm sure that [justification
by grace through faith in the finished atoning work of
Christ on the cross] is a facet of the gospel, and it's
the facet that modern evangelical protestants have
assumed is the whole gospel, the heart of the gospel.
But what's the point of that gospel?"
(14) Emergent
Church:
All Faith Traditions Emerging by Rev. Ken
Silva on August 11, 2006 In this short piece I remind you of the "historic"
meeting between leaders of these two Emergent "faith
traditions" in January of this year. We are headed
toward a universal inclusivism that Landres himself says
is "blurring the line between the 'sacred' and the
'secular';..." This is not in any, way shape or form,
Christian theology and yet Emergent Guru Brian McLaren
says: "I'm thrilled with the possibility of developing
friendship and collaboration in ways that help God's
dreams come true for our synagogues, churches, and the
world."
(15) Emergent
Inclusiveness
and Brian McLaren by Ken Silva, Apprising
Ministries, 9/4/06 One of the most prominent leaders within the Ecumenical
Church of Deceit is Emergent leader Brian McLaren.
McLaren is slated as plenary speaker at Going Forward
Together: Third Millennium Christianity taking place
November 16-19, 2006 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
in Richmond, Virginia.Lord willing I'll have more on
this later but for now I have been trying to warn the
Body of Christ about this neo-liberal cult of the
Emergent Church which is attempting to bring inclusivism
into the Lord's Church. Years ago Dr. Walter Martin
preached a message called The Spirit of the Age in which
he said the spirit of the age was universalism. It turns
out Martin was right and as he further warned that it is
"actually quite hostile to the historic orthodox
Christian faith."
(16) Brian
McLaren:
Save The Planet by Slice of Laodicea,
9/11/06 Below Steve Muse of Eastern Regional Watch wrote: "I
came across this article yesterday, Evangelical Author
Puts Progressive Spin On Traditional Faith by Caryle
Murphy of the Washington Post, which clearly reveals
Brian McLaren's heart and mind with regard to
Evangelical Christianity." In this article Murphy
unknowingly brings out just how far away from the
Christian mission the Emergent rebellion against the
Bible led by McLaren has now strayed.
(17) Report
On
Brian McLaren, Emergent Church Leader by
Jewel Grewe, Dicernment Ministries Newsletter, Volume
17, Number 6, Novemeber/December 2006
On October 24, 2006 Brian McLaren
spoke at the Wake Divinity School, Wait Chapel, North
Carolina. A friend of Discernment Ministries went to
hear this talk and below are some notes taken during
this event.
(19) A
New Vision For God's Kingdom on Earth by
Lighthouse Trails Research, 1/30/07 "Imagine a World, A New Vision for God's Kingdom on
Earth" - These are the words used to describe the upcoming
"Big Event 2007" with Brian McLaren held at Woods Memorial
Presbyterian Church, Severna Park, Maryland in February.
With workshops titled "What are the world's greatest
problems?" and "Youth in Today's Challenging World," at a
quick glance to most, the conference would seem benign.
But just what does this mean, "A New Vision for God's
Kingdom on Earth," or as a PowerPoint presentation* says
about the event, "the kingdom of God is here now"?
(20) Brian
McLaren:
Postmodern Christianity Understood as Story by
Jennifer Riley, Christian Post Reporter, Mon, Feb. 18 2008
02:43 PM ET He (McLaren) suggested that the mainline become more
flexible in practice while evangelicals "loosen up" on
some of their doctrinal system.
(21) "Reframing
Jesus" by Herescope, 2/29/08 Be prepared for a total makeover of Christianity in
Brian McLaren's most recent book, Everything Must
Change.
(22) Formula
Zero
- Racing towards oblivion - Who is Brian McLaren?
by Neil Richardson, Vanguard Newsletter, Issue 23, July
2007 Brian McLaren's brand new formula of Christianity when
tested by the Word of God proves to be, like the first
chapter of A Generous Orthodoxy, nothing but a big zero.
He dismantles every single major doctrine of the Bible:
the authority of Scripture, the nature of God and Creation,
the nature of Man and Sin, who the Lord Jesus is, why He
died, who the Holy Spirit is, what His work is in
converting unbelievers, what the unchanging Gospel is
that we proclaim, what being part of the Body of Christ
means, how truth and unity must connect, the doctrines
of hell and the devil.
(23) Updated! How
"Everything
Must Change" - A Pastor Reports on Brian McLaren's
"Everything Must Change" Tour by Herescope,
6/2/08 - Read Part
1, Part
2,Part
3,Part
4 & Part
5. The emergent community's fixation with non-Biblical
practices rooted in the Middle Ages has been responsible
for leading many sincere pilgrims to explore the
"ancient-modern" church through candles, incense,
adoration of icons and relics, etc. The audience was
repeatedly encouraged to cast off their old "framing
story" (the way they see the world) including such bad
things as doctrinal and systematic Bible study, since
(according to emergent thought) nothing can be
definitely known. Therefore, any positive statements
that sounded like confidence in the existence of
absolute truth were scoffed at as being "narrow minded
and proud".
(24) McLaren's
"Everything
Must Change" Tour by Pastor Jeffrey Whittaker,
6/08 We've all heard it said: "The more things change, the
more they remain the same". The Bible says it another
way in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10: The thing that hath been, it
is that which shall be; and that which is done is that
which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the
sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See,
this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was
before us. I found that the essence of these statements
are still proving to be axiomatic after my experience at
the "Everything Must Change" conference held at Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana with emergent church leader
Brian McLaren. I sat through session after session
listening to the emergent "gospel"; complete with
medieval chants and choruses of despair, apologies to
the Native American Indians of the St. Joseph River Valley, as well as to
"Mother Earth" for scarring her through our mining and
oil drilling operations. The sarcasm with which
traditional Scriptural positions were discussed, coupled
with repeated swipes at Christians who were (in McLaren's opinion) waiting to
be "snatched away", "evacuated", or "beamed up", brought
one particular Scripture passage constantly to my heart
and mind.
(25) Transformation
Of
The Church by Jeff Whittaker, Herescope,
10/14/08 Pastor Whittaker gives a lively and animated report of
his personal experience attending Emergent church leader
Brian McLaren's "Everything Must Change" conference in
Goshen, Indiana. His entertaining and eye-opening report
details the extent to which this movment has adopted the
non-biblical practices and doctrines of earth-centered
spirituality.
(26) The
Mindset Of Mockers In The Last Days by Mike
Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 11/6/08 The Bible speaks a lot about scoffers and mockers
in the last days, those who question the word because
they have departed from the faith.
(27) THE
COMING
KINGDOM - Evolution or Revolution? by Pastor
Larry DeBruyn, November 17, 2008 According to Brian McLaren, "the Second Coming
Jesus"-once held by an evangelical consensus to be one
of the five fundamentals of the Christian faith-needs
rethinking.
(29) Brian
McLaren
Wants End Time Believing Christians Robustly
Confronted by Editors at Lighthouse Trails,
5/4/09 In an April 2009 article in Sojourner's magazine by
emerging church leader, Brian McLaren, McLaren clearly
has targeted Christians. But not just any Christians.
McLaren is talking about Christians who believe Jesus
Christ is coming back again, suggesting that these type
of Christians are the reason there is no peace in the
Middle East. He says what these end-time believing
Christians are doing is "terrible," "deadly," and
"distorted."
(30) Brian
McLaren
of Emerging Church to Celebrate Ramadan by
Apprising Minsitries, 8/17/09 Ramadan is the Muslim holy month of fasting for
spiritual renewal and purification. It commemorates the
month during which Muslims believe Mohammed received the
Quran through divine revelation, and it calls Muslims to
self-control, sacrificial generosity and solidarity with
the poor, diligent reading of the Quran, and intensified
prayer. This year, I, along with a few Christian friends
(and perhaps others currently unknown to us will want to
join in) will be joining Muslim friends in the fast
which begins August 21. We are not doing so in order to
become Muslims: we are deeply committed Christians. But
as Christians, we want to come close to our Muslim
neighbors and to share this important part of life with
them" (Online source)
(31) Brian
McLaren
Imagining A Different God by Ken Silva,
9/4/09 Today McLaren informs us that: "Sister Joan Chittister
writes a provocative reflection on God and evolution,
and on the God of evolution, here. (Thanks Mike Todd!)
There are strong resonances between what Joan is saying
and what my upcoming book explores. Most of us grew up
learning about the God of Laws, the God who made sense
in Sir Isaac Newton's mechanistic universe. (Nothing
expressed this contextualization better than the little
booklet "Four Spiritual Laws," which could have been
called "Four Spiritual Mechanisms.") Now, we are
struggling to imagine a bigger God, a God who makes
sense in the evolutionary universe of Darwin, Einstein,
LeMaitre, Hubble, Heisenberg, and Kuhn "" (Online
source)
(32) Brian
McLaren
and Evangelical Pantheism by Ken Silva, 9/09 A mystic himself McLaren also associates with such as
Living Spiritual Teacher Alan Jones and "Progessive
Christian" scholar Marcus Borg, another Living Spiritual
Teacher, who will all take us into the void of a
bankrupt New Age of Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism
(CSM). In truth we're encountering a neo-paganism
consistent with Eastern religions e.g. Buddhism and
Hinduism all mixed up into a new Gnosticism, which then
emerges as a pseudo-Christianity teaching that within
all mankind is the indwelling spark of the divine; i.e.
that on some level, man is also like God. Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3 & Part
4
(33) Liberalism
2.0
- The New Progressive Christian Theology by
Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 3/16/10 Since this attempt at "transforming Christian
theology," to use McLaren's friend progressive/process
theologian Dr. Philip Clayton's term, is still
developing I would say there is a level of sincerity in
McLaren's posture of asking questions. However, don't
kid yourself, such as these new Gnostics believe that
they're on a mission from God and they're not about to
stop actively promoting what some are beginning to call
a "big tent" version of Christianity. Let's be clear;
this is absolutely not merely a rehash of liberalism,
rather, it's an attempt to cobble together a new, more
user-friendly, version of it.
(34) Brian
McLaren:12
Step groups may help us escape Bible by John
Lanagan, My Word Like Fire, 3/23/10 In his book, A New Kind of Christianity, Emergent
leader Brian McLaren attacks Biblical understanding, and
tries to revise both God and the Bible. In his chapter
on reinterpreting God's Word, he notes, "Even for those
of us on this quest, breaking out of centuries-old
habits won't be easy""
(35) Apostatizing
from
the Apostle - Oh, and By the Way, from Jesus Too!
by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 4/3/10 An ideology contending that Paul somehow obstructs the
understanding of Jesus is not a new. At core, liberal
Christianity disdains Paul's message. Professing
Christians can show themselves to be "enemies of the
cross of Christ" (Philippians 3:18), and because they
are, they will seek to dismiss Paul's letters as
relevant to a "Jesus-only" faith. But at stake in the
debate about whether Paul hinders or helps our
understanding of the life and mission of Jesus is the
authority that his writings, as well as those of Peter,
Matthew, and John, will play in that understanding. If
these apostolic writings are dismissed, then Christians
will be removed from "the foundation of the apostles and
prophets," will be without "Christ Jesus himself as the
chief cornerstone," and will be "foreigners and aliens"
in the world (Ephesians 2:20, NIV).
(36) Brian
McLaren
Spreading Division In Christianity by
Apprising Ministries, 4/7/10 McLaren's idea of writing a scholarly approach to
"Christian Faith of tomorrow" seems to involve
mischaracterizing Christians, setting up and knocking
down a laughable straw-man argument that we view
Scripture through a "Greco-Roman" lens, spewing forth
vitriol at fellow Christians - all the while holding
forth a smug attitude of false humility and piety.
(37) Brian
McLaren
Inadvertantly Reveals Who He Worships by Ken
Silva, July 16, 2010 The god Of Mysticism's Mystery Not The One True And
Living God Revealed In The Bible. Apprising
Ministries reminds you that just about a year ago Living
Spiritual Teacher and Emerging Church guru Brian McLaren
placed up the video below, which he tells us was "a song
i've written over the last few days "" It's actually an
ode to his god whom we find out McLaren refers to as
Majestic Mystery. So as you can see from our opening
text above, McLaren and the Mystics have now
inadvertently revealed just who it is that they are
worshipping"
(38) Why
Are
Women of Faith Promoting Mystic/Emerging Brian
McLaren? by John Lanagan, My Word Like Fire
Ministries, 10/15/10 Who owns Women of Faith? Founded by Christian 12 Step
advocate and author Steve Arterburn, Women of Faith was
purchased by Thomas Nelson Publishers in 2000. Many of
the books promoted by Women of Faith are, logically
enough, published by Thomas Nelson. Incredibly, one
author who has a number of books for sale in the Women
of Faith bookstore is apostate Brian McLaren. In
describing McLaren's The Secret Message of Jesus, we are
informed: "When Brian McLaren began offering an
alternative vision of Christian faith and life in books
such as A New Kind of Christianand A Generous Orthodoxy,
he ignited a firestorm of praise and condemnation that
continues to spread across the religious landscape. To
some religious conservatives, McLaren is a dangerous
rebel without a doctrinally-correct cause. Some
fundamentalist websites have even claimed he's in league
with the devil and have consigned him to flames." [1]
"But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who,
after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell;
yes, I tell you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:5) As noted in the
article, Women of Faith Spread The Message, this
organization is already exposing thousands of women,
many of them new believers, to Eugene Peterson's
deceptive paraphrase,The Message.
(39) Brian
McLaren
and Richard Foster's Editorial Team Agree with
Lighthouse Trails - Contemplative Prayer and Eastern
Mysticism Are Same Thing by Lighthouse Trails,
11/2/10 To those who know and embrace the glorious Gospel of
Christ, there can be no fellowship with religions that
reject the very foundation of the biblical Christian
faith. Something is radically wrong when someone who
claims to be a Christian has a sense of solidarity with
someone who has a view that man is divine (i.e., man is
God). Shear logic should point out the truth of what we
are trying to say. Lighthouse Trails' hope is that you
look at this issue with an open mind and honest
discernment. The truth is in plain view.
(40) Time's
Up
Brian McLaren by Ken Silva, 1/20/11 Well, looking again at Brian McLaren's non-stand about
homosexuality (or about anything else for that matter),
you need to understand this. There was always little
chance that McLaren is ever going to come down on the
side of what the Bible actually says about the deviant
and sinful lifestyle of having sexual relations with
another of the same sex, i.e homosexuality, because of
his own warped and toxic views concerning the inspired
texts of Holy Scripture. You should know that McLaren
sees the Bible in a very allegorical "Alexandrian
School" approach to Scripture so he would not readily
see what it clearly appears to be saying when simply
read at face value.
(41) The
Crossless
Gospel by Gary Gilley, Think On These Things,
February/March 2011 - Volume 16, Issue 6 In Brian McLaren's The Secret Message of Jesus he
claims to have discovered the true gospel that Jesus
came to give. According to McLaren this message
has been missed by Christians for generations but
fortunately for all of us he and a few of his friends in
the emergent church movement have been able to break
Jesus' code and unravel His true, but secret, message. I
should clarify at this point that in no sense do I view
McLaren as an evangelical; I believe he and the emergent
church are old fashioned liberals with new window
dressing. Be that as it may, many in evangelical
circles are listening to him and therefore his positions
need to be addressed. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(42) Brian
McLaren
Takes On Al Mohler Over Rob Bell by Ken Silva,
Apprising Ministries, 3/23/11 With this in mind, I'll bring to your attention that
guru McLaren has decided to wade into the minor flap
raised by one of his disciples, the Emerging Church rock
star pastor Rob Bell, with his new book of mythology
called Love Wins. The saga of Mohler and McLaren begins
with Mohler's article We Have Seen All This Before: Rob
Bell and the (Re)Emergence of Liberal Theology where he
correctly showed that Bell's musings are indeed quite
similar to what the late cult expert Dr. Walter Martin
labeled, "The Cult of Liberalism."
(43) Connecting
the
"Dots" on Brian McLaren by Michael Theophilus
(a Christian pseudonym), 5/13/11 First, let me say that this research report is prepared
under the Christian pseudonym, Michael Theophilus, i.e.,
Michael (who is like God-made in "our image") and
Theophilus (lover of God). The main reason for the
pseudonym is that the author is not intended to be the
subject nor the focus of this report. Rather, it is this
Watchman's prayer and wish that the reader's entire
focus be on the information that is revealed in this
report so that my fellow Watchmen may sound theirs
alarms as the Lord directs them to do so. PURPOSE: The
purpose of this report is to connect the dots, i.e., the
false teachers (heretics and apostates), some of whom
are currently in "the church" with one another, as well
as revealing some of their connections with others who
claim no Christian beliefs, but rather are shown and/or
are known to be Satanically connected directly or
indirectly through their occultic (New Age, Gnostic,
etc.) writings and/or affiliations, e.g., Brian McLaren
being connected to Barbara Marx Hubbard and both of them
being connected to Lucis Trust.
(45) An
Open
Letter to Brian McLaren by Jim Fletcher,
8/19/11 Jim Fletcher is right. Friends of Israel today are
treated like we have a mental disease. Even within
evangelicalism, we are scorned and marginalized. What is
our crime? I guess it's our interpretation of the Bible
for we see Israel's land as God-given, not a piece of
property that can be divided up and handed over to
terrorists. I have written and spoken on Emergent Church
issues for years and have aimed often at one of its
leaders, Brian McLaren. Most of those in this stream
consider Israel to be an inconvenience at best and
dangerous at worst. Sister ministry leader Jim Fletcher
expresses my sentiments about McLaren and his followers
who claim that friends of Israel are worse than Muslim
terrorists. Thanks, Jim.
(46) Conference
To
Indoctrinate Children Into Brian McLaren Mythology
by Ken Silva, 9/7/11 In this way, Living Spiritual Teacher and EC guru Brian
McLaren, universalist EC pastor Doug Pagitt, and his
friend Dr. Tony Jones, the progressive "theologian in
residence" at Solomon's Porch headed by Pagitt-along
with a whole host of Emergent apostates-were given
virtually free reign over what are now a new generation
of teachers.
(47) Brian
McLaren:12
Step groups may help us escape Bible by John
Lanagan, My Word Like Fire, 5/23/10 In his book, A New Kind of Christianity, Emergent
leader Brian McLaren attacks Biblical understanding, and
tries to revise both God and the Bible. In his chapter
on reinterpreting God's Word, he notes, "Even for those
of us on this quest, breaking out of centuries-old
habits won't be easy"In the same paragraph, McLaren
makes an interesting statement. "No wonder those of us
who want and need to change our approach may need to
form twelve-step groups to deprogram our thinking."
(48) Like
We
Said, Brian McLaren Wants the Minds of Your Children
and Grandchildren by Lighthouse Trails,
4/7/12 On May 7-10 2012, in Washington, DC, Brian McLaren will
be a speaker at the Children, Youth, and a New Kind of
Christianity event. He will be joining other emergent
leaders - Tony Campolo, Shane Claiborne, Samir
Selmanovic and other "progressives." In the video below
(a promotional for the event) McLaren tells viewers that
they are holding the conference so they can figure out
how to get their message into children's curriculum.
And, no doubt, they will do it. After all, virtually all
of the large Christian publishers are now publishing
emerging/contemplative material.
(49) May
2012
Conference To Indoctrinate Children Into Brian
McLaren's Mythology by Ken Silva,
4/19/12 Now you have the necessary backdrop to see what's going
on-and what's at stake-with this piece from American
Baptist Press Conference seeks to nurture children,
youth in 'new kind of Christianity'.
(50) Conference
Seeks
to Nurture Youth in a New Kind of "Christianity"
by The Berean Call, 4/25/12 TBC: McLaren's purpose is to "reach" Christian youth
with his ideas, which in practice deviates little from
far left politicians, and is devoid of the hope of the
Gospel. For example, the speakers at this apostate event
include Rev. Jeremiah Wright and speaker's topics
include: Ivy Beckwith, "Godspell, Footloose (the
original) and a New Kind of Children and Youth
Ministry," Susan Burt, "Opening the World of Faith by
Nurturing the Imaginative, Questioning Spirit," Patricia
Lyons, "Harry Potter, God and Youth: Using Fiction to
Transform Young Readers into Young Theologians," Dave
McNeely, "A New Kind of Sexuality: Finding a Framework,"
Melinda Melone, "Welcoming Rainbow Kids: Resources and
Approaches for Working with Youth in the GLBTIQA (Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Transexual, Intersex,
Queer, Questioning, Ally) Community.
(52) Brian
McLaren
Leads Ceremony At Son's Same-Sex Wedding by
Ken Silva, 9/26/12 Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian and a
prominent Christian speaker, led a non-traditional
marriage commitment ceremony this weekend, according to
The New York Times. Held at the Audubon Naturalist
Society in Chevy Chase, Maryland, this ceremony included
"traditional Christian elements," but no bride. And the
groom-one of them-was McLaren's son, Trevor McLaren. The
Timesreports that Trevor McLaren wed Owen Ryan Saturday
in Washington, D.C., followed by the afternoon
commitment ceremony.
(53) Brian
McLaren
tour focuses on inter-faith relations at
Understand The Times, 10/25/12 Emerging church leader Brian McLaren will be visiting
six English cities this winter. He'll be picking up on
the themes of his new book, "Why Did Jesus, Moses, the
Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?" The tour has been
organised by Greenbelt in partnership with book
publisher Hodder & Stoughton. McLaren will be joined
in each city by a faith leader from a non-Christian
faith tradition. Together, they will explore Christian
identity in a multi-faith world and respectful
engagement between the faiths.
(54) Smilingly
Leading
You To Hell by Forgotten Word Ministrires,
12/1/12 Brian McLaren may well be the nicest guy around. He
recently faced a good bit of criticism for leading a
commitment ceremony following his son’s
same-sex wedding—a ceremony that included
“traditional Christian elements.” In
the aftermath, McLaren was as nice as he has ever been.
On his blog he answered a former fan who now understood
that he could no longer see McLaren as a mentor. This
person was reeling, trying to figure out who could now
help guide him in his understanding of the Christian
faith. McLaren’s answer was nice; it had the
appearance of humility and genuinely sorrowful
affection. Yet it was radically opposed to the Bible. He
rashly changed the way we interpret Scripture, denying
what the Bible makes so clear. If you allow him to,
Brian McLaren will “nice” you
straight to hell.
(55) Brian
McLaren
addresses SDA conference by The Berean Call,
10/7/13 Brian McLaren is making inroads with his unbiblical
Gospel in many places, including the Seventh day
Adventists. Here are some excerpts from the 2013
Adventist Forum Conference
(57) Brian
McLaren�s
Mystery Project Out of the Bag � Cana Initiative � A
Gathering of Emergents by Lighthouse Trails,
11/21/13 If you want to understand where the
emerging/emergent/contemplative/progressive church is
heading and how they are going to get there, just read
the chapter by chapter synopsis of Faith Undone. Pay
attention to the sections that talk about the denial of
the atonement of Jesus Christ for our sins and the
kingdom of God on earth now (prior to Christ�s return)
being established. We don�t know how much money Brian
McLaren and his wife donated to kick off the new
initiative, but we do know he and the others means
business. Watch in the future to see how many
books are published by CANA initiators. In the past
decade, numerous publishers have provided ample platform
for McLaren and the others. Some of the more outstanding
publishers catering to emergent have been: Wiley &
Sons, Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, Baker (Emersion Books),
Intervarsity Press, and NavPress. McLaren�s most recent
book, Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed
Cross the Road?: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith
World and his 2014 upcoming book We Make the Road
by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation,
Reorientation, and Activation are examples of what we
have to look forward to from these CANA Initiators.
(58) Brian
McLaren�s
Palestinian Justice Speech by Menno-lite,
6/6/14 The Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) regional
conference recently took place this last April at First
United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon[1]. It was
called Seeds for Justice and Hope for Palestinians and
Israelis � What is required of US? Since there are quite
a few Mennonites who are fond of both Brian McLaren and
Sabeel, it is fitting for this blog to draw attention to
what was taught during McLaren�s one hour plenary
session. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(59) McLaren's
"Palestinian
Justice" Speech, part 1 by The Berean Call,
9/3/14 The Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) regional
conference recently took place this last April at First
United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon[1]. It was
called Seeds for Justice and Hope for Palestinians and
Israelis � What is required of US? During the first half
hour[2], McLaren�s talk began with his background in the
Plymouth Brethren, Darby, dispensationalism, and the
Jesus people movement. From there he went to questioning
his beliefs in the Bible, fast-forwarding to Greenbelt
to Sabeel to Israel � all parts of his journey to
rethinking and writing. Unfortunately, McLaren�s
experiences on his quest left him with a jaded
perception of �church� as a place where there are
questions you can�t ask and explanations you can�t give.
Through his doubting and rethinking process, he
concluded that in the same way that the Christian
religion created Europe and failed Europe, the
Christians created the injustice that currently exists
in Palestine.
(60) Brian
McLaren
and a New Era of Bible Reading at The Berean
Call, 11/12/14 We've moved into a new era of approaching the Bible,
controversial Christian author and speaker Brian McLaren
says. It's an era that could see Christians abandoning
the idea that there is one "right" way of interpreting
Scripture � an era he calls Bible 3.0. Bible 3.0, as
McLaren characterises it, is an approach that sees the
Bible less as inerrant and more as being "in
conversation with everything and everyone." It is an
approach to Scripture that has been made necessary, if
not inevitable, by the unprecedented access readers of
the Bible have to a broad range of readings and
interpretations of the Bible through the internet.
Whereas in the past, Christians might have had to go to
another denomination's church or part of the world to
hear a different take on Scripture, today the internet
allows us to immediately access a myriad of different
interpretations of the same text.
(61) Brian
McLaren,
You Have Missed the Boat With Your “All-Inclusive
Reformation�?—Homosexuals and Feminists: Yes; The
Bible and White Christian Men: No by
Lighthouse Trails, 11/10/17 As groups around the world celebrate the 500th
anniversary of the Reformation with highly ecumenical
events and speeches, Brian McLaren, once likened to
Luther,1 has outlined his view of what the next
reformation will look like in an article he wrote on
November 1, 2017 titled, “The Last Reformation … and the
Next Reformation.�? A disgruntled former
evangelical Christian, McLaren says that the first
reformation was led by white European men whose belief
of an inerrant Bible was “papal authority with paper
authority.�? In contrast, McLaren says the next
reformation will be much different: "The last
reformation is associated with one “great man�?–Martin
Luther. He was joined by other “great men�? – all white
and European. The next reformation will be associated
not with one “great man�? but with many diverse
people–especially women and people of color. The
contribution of Liberation Theology, Black Theology,
Feminist/Eco-Feminist/Womanist/Queer and related
theologies will be as central to the next reformation as
white European theology was to the last reformation.2"
Beth Moore
ACT Note: Though not a recognized EC leader she endorses
Be Still DVD and eastern religious style "prayer".
(1) Beth
Moore
Gives Thumbs Up to "Be Still" DVD by
Lighthouse Trails Research Project, Newsletter, 6/06 Beth Moore's statement of "apology" should be
disregarded - new information takes precedence. The Be
Still DVD by Fox Home Entertainment was just released in
April. Featured speakers include Richard Foster, Dallas
Willard, Max Lucado, Beth Moore and many others. Shortly
after the DVD was released, Ingrid Schlueter of Slice of
Laodicea spoke with Beth Moore and told Moore that the
DVD was promoting the mystical practice of contemplative
prayer. Within one hour, Moore issued a statement to
Slice of Laodicea and asked that they post it on their
website, which they did. However, there has been a
growing concern about her statement and the fact that
Moore's ministry, Living Proof Ministries, never placed
the statement on their website. Lighthouse Trails has
now received emails from a number of people who have
sent us a new statement from Living Proof Ministries.
Because Living Proof is issuing this statement to the
public, we are making this available for all to read.
According to this recent email, Moore's original
statement of apology should now be disregarded. The
statement clarified: "[W]e believe that once you view
the Be Still video you will agree that there is no
problem with its expression of Truth." Living Proof is
offering to send a free copy of the DVD to anyone who
receives their email statement and wishes to view the
DVD, saying that, "[I]t would be our privilege to do
this for you to assure you that there is no problem with
Beth's participation in the Be Still video."
(4) Beth
Moore's Illicit Tent of Meeting by Bob DeWaay,
6/06 Recently, on Ingrid Schlueter's Web site Beth Moore
denies that she promotes approaches to prayer that have
Eastern overtones. The issue arose from her
participation on the Be Still DVD which has been
critiqued on this site by Ingrid and then Brian Flynn.
Brian and I viewed a segment of Beth Moore on that DVD.
We found disconcerting her poor understanding of Exodus
33:7-11, the passage she uses as her proof text. In her
discussion of Moses' tent of meeting she proposes that
each believer can have their own tent of meeting where
they can go to have two way conversations with God.
(3) A
Beth Moore Expose' by Apprising Ministries,
3/13/10 Apprising Ministries pieces like How Would You Know
Beth Moore? I've shared my concerns about people like
Moore who appear to claiming to receive special
revelation directly from God.
(4) Beth
Moore Exposés by PFO, 6/6/10
She is a best-selling author whose Bible study books and
workbooks have sold more than 10 million copies, and who
leads the pack of authors at LifeWay, the publishing arm
of the Southern Baptist Convention. She is said to be an
"evangelical superstar" and "one of the most respected and
sought-after Bible teachers," whose conferences draw women
- and some men - by the thousands. She's Beth Moore, the
blond, petite 52-year-old with a Texas accent, who has
become a Christian darling among believers of all
denominations. Unfortunately, what she does deliver
in her many resources is a lack of discernment, an
unhealthy ecumenism, careless use of words, and a poor
exegesis of the Word of God. In 2007, following repeated
requests for a critique of Beth Moore, PFO offered its
first article which examined both the teaching found in
her best-selling book, When Godly People Do Ungodly
Things, and her unorthodox associations. Because of
the popularity of that initial evaluation, PFO received
calls for additional articles surveying her unabashed
mysticism and faulty biblical interpretations.
(5) Beth
Moore
Praises Brother Lawrence And Obscures The Reformation
by Ken Silva, 9/5/11 Interstingly enough, both of them are pretty iffy about
Reformation theology, most specifically that the Roman
Catholic Church teaches another gospel. This clip below
is from the Be Still DVD, which is an ode to the
unbiblical practice of Contemplative/Centering Prayer
(CCP).
(6) SBC
Lifeway
Bible Teacher Beth Moore Praising Apostate Mystic and
Contemplative Prayer by Ken Silva,
12/21/11 In the section of the Be Still"And Know That I Am God
DVD called Cloud of Witnesses: Contemplative Figures
Throughout History, i.e. so-called "Christian" mystics,
SBC Bible teacher Beth Moore gives us some very
revealing information concerning a growing rebellion
against Sola Scriptura within "Protestant"
evangelicalism.
(8) Beth
Moore
The Mystic by Ken Silva, 1/12/12
As I pointed out in Beth Moore Seeking Direct Revelation
From God At Passion 2012 Moore tells us herself she was
apparently doing so along with the other speakers: "I
didn't take many pictures during the sessions because I
didn't want to be distracted and miss God. I wanted to
worship and to receive a word myself! I know you get
that." (Online source) It seems to me that if she meant in
Scripture then she wouldn't have to worry about "missing"
what God has to say and can "receive a word" from God at
any time, no?
(9) Straightening
Out
Beth Moore On Discernment by Ken Silva,
2/19/12 The Roman Catholic Church condemned the Gospel of Jesus
Christ; this was at the very heart of the Protestant
Reformation. So we have to ask: Does SBC Bible teacher
not know this? And we also need to ask: Why does
Lifeway, publishing arm of the SBC, promote Beth Moore's
heretical view on its website?
(10) Beth
Moore's
Classic Chat With God by Ken Silva,
8/19/12 The reason I brought this up is because charismatic big
names in the SBC, e.g. like Rick Warren and Beth Moore,
have been led by their subjective feelings-allegedly by
God-to become protholics. They're not really Protestant,
and not quite Roman Catholic. Unfortunately, all who
follow feelings eventually end up there. Don't you think
it's rather odd that two of the most visible voices in
the SBC, the largest Protestant denomination in the
United States, actually repudiate the Protestant
Reformation with their sinful ecumenicism? Yet, Warren
and Moore will often claim to be receiving direct
revelation form God. In fact, you'll hear Beth Moore
below even tell us that Jesus "can be the bossiest
thing." This video is Moore's infamous "Hair Brush
Story," which she retold on Life Today January 11th of
this year. Seems in April of 2005 she was at the
Knoxville airport waiting to board the plane when
apparently God took over control of her ...
(11) Beth
Moore
and Ken Silva Discuss Her Demonic Vision by
Ken Silva, 9/26/12 The Roman Catholic Church long ago condemned the Gospel
of Jesus Christ; this was at the very heart of the
Protestant Reformation. Beth Moore needs to be brought
to account for this demonic vision and to repent of her
sinful ecumenical teaching. And shame on the SBC for not
only promoting it, but even charging people for it!
(12) Beth Moore
Bio by Matt Slick, CARM, 1/14/13 We must be very careful when listening to a
teacher. Beth Moore, in my opinion, is not to be
trusted to properly teach from the word of God.
She is leading many astray with her approval of
contemplative prayer, personal revelations, and faulty
biblical exegesis. Yes, I know that many claim to
have been helped by her. That is fine. But,
the experience of feeling helped is not where truth
lies. Rather, it is God's word that is the
standard of what is good and bad, not if we are helped
through the wolf of pop psychology in Christian
terminology. Therefore, I cannot endorse Beth
Moore.
(13) Examining
Beth
Moore's statement: the 'Bride is paralyzed by
unbelief' by The End Times, 7/8/13 Last night, I was thinking about something Beth Moore
said. I want to look closely at the content of what Beth
Moore said in this example I will show you. I am
personally offended by it and I'm spiritually grieved by
it.
(14) Beth
Moore's
'Twelfth Month Redemption' by Don't Not Be
Surprised, 12/12/13
She tells her viewers that she used a search on Bible
Gateway to find every instance of the 'twelfth month' in
Scripture. Then she looked up these passages and found
that many of them described some type of reversal in
circumstances. This, she concludes, must mean that God
offers reversals of fortune in the twelfth month of the
year. Thus, everyone who has had a difficult and trying
2013 needs to pray that God would redeem the year in this
final month of December. Moore's attempt to universally
apply a principle that God redeems an entire year in the
twelfth month is pure manipulation of the biblical text
that could lead many of her devoted followers into despair
if they find that such a reversal does not happen to
them.
(15) Beth
Moore
Worships At Joel Osteen's Church As Pastrix Christine
Caine Preaches by Ken Silva, 12/24/13 Certainly we should be able to see that Joel Osteen
Moving One Step Closer To Mainstream Evangelicalism when
someone as revered in conservative Christian circles as
Beth Moore feels comfortable enough to announce she was
going to go and join in fellowship with 1) someone like
Osteen and his false gospel, and 2) with women in
rebellion against God�s Word.
(16) Future
Outpouring
�Prophecy� Of Beth Moore by Ken Silva,
3/24/14 Moore tells us, �In mid-November of 2012, God dropped a
word so convicting on my heart,� so �I knew God was
talking to me� and � I have rarely � if ever � received
clearer orders from God.� In her post Moore speaks of a
�fresh work of Christ� bringing a �revival� through the
�wind� of the Holy Spirit, i.e. a new outpouring.
(17) Is
Beth
Moore�s �Spiritual Awakening� Taking the Evangelical
Church Toward Rome? by Lighthouse Trails,
8/14/14 Editor�s Note: Lighthouse Trails bears no animosity
toward Catholics. We have a genuine love and concern for
them. However, we are obliged to speak up about the
teachings of the Catholic Church, especially as we
witness the �emerging� of Protestantism and Catholicism,
which is taking place via Christian leaders today.
(18) Beth
Moore
Talks 'Unity' with Word Faith Teacher Joyce Meyer
by Do Not Be Surprised, 8/15/14 Is this what Beth Moore meant when she claimed to have
received personal, direct revelation from God to "stop
sowing over and over again in the same field"? Is this
the unity of which Moore spoke at James Robison's Awaken
Conference? It certainly seems that way.
(19) Beth
Moore
& Priscilla Shirer�s History of Contemplative
Prayer and Why War Room Should Not Have Used Them
(Booklet) by John Lanagan and the Editors at
Lighthouse Trails, 9/22/15 Contemplative prayer, which Priscilla Shirer refers to
as her �brand new way� and Beth Moore says is essential
in really knowing God, is in reality an ancient prayer
practice that is essentially the same as New Age or
Eastern meditation though disguised with Christian
terminology. Those who participate and enter the
contemplative silence, as it is called, open themselves
to great deception.
(20) The
Beleaguered
Disciple: One Woman�s story of finding discernment and
losing Beth Moore at The Pen, 10/10/15 The bottom line is this. I don�t care if Beth
Moore studies are actually �good� and do not contain
false teaching � one cannot separate the studies from
what Moore says and does elsewhere, with whom she
associates. She associates with Joyce Meyer,
Christine Caine, Joel Osteen, James Robison, and
Hillsong. This is associating with false teaching
at best, heresy at worst.
(21) Letter
to
the Editor: Churches in Deception Covering Their
Tracks and Targeting Women at Lighthouse
Trails, 3/214/16 It used to be on a church website somehow�some slide,
or announcement, etc.�but then later it was hidden
in the links, or the church bulletin, or the
women�s ministry where a Beth Moore book was listed. Now
in the bulletin, when it is a Beth Moore book, they only
label the study with a title or theme name. But
when I Google that name, I get a book title by
Beth Moore. They are hiding it deliberately.
(22) Letter
to
the Editor: Serious Concerns Over Beth Moore’s New
Series, “Entrusted�? at Lighthouse Trails,
12/8/16 LTRP Note: We find it noteworthy that on the eve of our
going to press with Roger Oakland’s new book, The Good
Shepherd Calls, we read this letter to the editor that
arrived in our inbox this morning. The things this
letter talks about are some of the same things Roger
discusses in the book. What’s more, this letter to the
editor is more proof that it isn’t just Lighthouse
Trails, Understand The Times, and a handful of other
discernment ministries that see what is coming about.
(Those whom we challenge and critique want people to
think that it is indeed just a handful, but it
isn’t.) Based on the phone calls, e-mails,
letters, and social media comments for nearly 15 years,
it is clear that many Bible-believing Christians
understand the times in which we live and see the
apostasy coming upon the church. As for the letter
below, we commend this woman for speaking up and warning
her church members.
(23) Women can teach, but
not Beth Moore by Sandy Simpson, 8/11/17 False teaching disqualifies anyone from teaching!
Let’s look at what Beth Moore is teaching.
(24) Beth
Moore Preaches About As well As A Dog Can Walk On Its
Hind Legs by Protestia, 11/19/20
That is to say, not very well. You want to hear some bad
preaching? We have some bad preaching for you. In a
newly unearthed clip, Beth Moore – both the doting
perfect princess of Lifeway/SBC proper and the
red-headed stepchild of the faithful remnant within,
preached a sermon in March 2020 at Progressive Baptist
Church in Chicago. She was introduced by Senior Pastor
Charlie Dates in glowing terms as “Auntie Beth,” who
commended her to his congregation “I hope you will
receive with me with all the honor in the world, the
esteemed privilege we have to hear from one of God’s
leading women in the world, Beth Moore.” If the name
Charlie Dates sounds familiar, you likely know him from
an article we wrote where we relayed that, being an SBC
Executive Committee Panel Member, he said the SBC “Don’t
Need Black Faces with White Theology/Voices/Ideas
Leading the Convention.” But in the clip below, Moore
makes this fascinatingly bizarre and eisegetical
connection between Noah getting drunk at some point
after becoming a farmer and…Christians getting drunk off
their own fruity giftedness? And something about getting
lit and being alone? Who are the sons covering Noah’s
nakedness? Is that metaphorical too? What in world is
going on here? The historical-grammatical method is far,
far away from this one.
(25) Beth
Moore Says God Is Judging His People Because They
‘Sinned Grievously’ By Supporting Trump at
Christian Research Network 1/23/21
“God is judging the Church for sinning “grievously” by
“wedding evangelicalism to a political party.” Because,
it wasn’t about protecting religious freedom — that we
all know is now gone. It wasn’t about protecting unborn
life — that we now know will be in greater danger. It
wasn’t about protecting the consciences of people who
don’t want to be forced to deny reality when it comes to
sex and gender.” Beth Moore is the Southern Baptist
Convention’s top lady-preacher and prime merry-andrew of
Evangelicalism. Beth Moore, like her spiritual brother,
Russell Moore (no relation), has lead the charge in
opposing conservative policies in the political realm,
primarily railing against the evil orange man, daily.
Today, she has what she’s been asking for. Moore has
repeatedly lambasted conservative Evangelicals who
supported Donald Trump while giving approval to those
who support the pro-sodomy, pro-abortion anti-religious
freedom political party. The Democrats, unlike the
Republicans, stand for everything that God is against.
In fact, the Democrat party platform is like the
antithesis to the 10 Commandments. Yet, Beth Moore, like
the growing swaths of leftist Evangelicals, are
increasingly encouraging “political diversity” and
giving approval to leftists.
(26) Birds
Of A Feather: Karen Swallow Prior Defends Beth Moore,
Slanders The Church by Protestia, 4/7/21
“False teachers like Beth Moore and Karen Swallow Prior
for too long have ignored the Word of God’s clear
proclamations regarding men and women in the church (and
by extension the family), and have led the Southern
Baptist Convention downhill to the point where the
denomination may not be salvageable.” In an op-ed
published at Religion News Service, SEBTS professor,
notorious functional egalitarian, Karen Swallow Prior,
blamed the Southern Baptist Convention (her
denomination) for “leaving women to fend for themselves”
and basically forcing Beth Moore to leave rather than
see Moore’s ministerial ambitions stifled.
(27) Beth
Moore Now In Open Rebellion To The Bible at
CRN, 4/12/21
“I beg your forgiveness where I was complicit. I could
not see it for what it was until 2016. I plead your
forgiveness for how I just submitted to it and supported
it and taught it. I trusted that the motives were godly.
I have not lost my mind. Nor my doctrine. Just my
naivety. And, dudes, do not DM me. Spend your energy
tending to your house.” In a showcase of how progressive
Beth Moore has become, the lady preacher, err Bible
teacher, and famous Never Trumper, attacked the biblical
doctrine of complementarianism as a “doctrine of MAN.”
In her Twitter thread against complementarianism, Beth
Moore cites 2016 as year she changed.
(28) Beth
Moore Demeans Godly Women As ‘Just Packing The
Brothers’ Lunchkits’ at CRN, 5/13/21
“Beth Moore likes to build straw men so she can tear
them down while she laughs and mocks faithful leaders
and Christians in the Church and now, other women who
choose obedience over rebellion.” Beth Moore has been on
the attack against Scripture for a long time. Last year,
Moore launched her tirade against the Word of God by
attempting to pit Paul against Jesus implying that the
two contradicted each other in the Bible. Now, she
openly denies the objective interpretation of Scripture
based on authorial intent which has been practiced by
the Church as long as the Scriptures have been around.
(29) Beth
Moore’s Living Proof Ministry Is In The Red. Is Her
Ministry Empire In Danger? by The End Time,
6/15/21
“Beth Moore’s departure from the SBC, strategically
announced just prior to the SBC annual meeting, in fact
gives her more flexibility and latitude than ever.
Sadly, her forty-year unbiblical influence leaves SBC
messengers to clean up her mess in attempts to retake
the ship and steer it from shoal infested rocky waters
to deeper, calmer seas.” The 2021 Annual Meeting of the
Southern Baptist Convention is occurring in a few days
(June 15-16). Messengers from member churches from all
over the United States have poured in to Nashville in
order to attend…
(30) The
Most Popular False Teacher In Evangelical Circles
at CRN, 7/24/21
In one of the rare situations where Beth Moore actually
wrote something biblically sound and true — a clear
position on the sinfulness of homosexuality — she later
retracts the statement and insists that she’s “exceeded
Scripture” and then said that by writing that, she was
“doing more harm than good.” Beth Moore started out in
the early 1990s primarily as a women’s Bible-study
teacher.
(31) Beth
Moore Affirms Divorce For Women Who Don’t Want Sexual
Relations With Husband at CRN, 7/31/21
“She kicks against the goads with God’s word anyway, and
she does so in the name of Jesus–something she complains
about other people doing.” Beth Moore is championing a
new cause: sexual coercion. If it isn’t one thing, it’s
another–from denying the sinfulness of homosexuality to
promoting feminism, you can rest assured that if she’s
on it, her position is probably unbiblical.
(32) Commentary:
Has Beth Moore Inadvertently Become a Proponent of
Critical Race Theory (CRT)? by L. Sharp,
8/17/21
The CRT lie is that every white person is inherently
racist (whether they know it or not) [and in] a
“perpetual state of guilt and apology to people of
color. . . . It doesn’t matter if they never felt or
acted as if they were superior to others because they
were white; they are white, and therefore, according to
CRT, they are racist.” Beth Moore has been moving away
from the Bible for a while now. Lighthouse Trails has
documented over the years her becoming a proponent of
contemplative prayer, “emergent” doctrine, and ecumenism
(most notably with Roman Catholicism). See link:
https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?s=beth+moore
Beth Moore publicly announced on March 9, 2021 that she
was “no longer a Southern Baptist” See link:
https://religionnews.com/2021/03/09/bible-teacher-beth-moore-ends-partnership-with-lifeway-i-am-no-longer-a-southern-baptist/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInIm4-fSL8gIVwj2tBh0Sewj5EAAYASAAEgLqNvD_BwE
Recently, on Twitter (July 21, 2021), she decided to
vent her frustrations, specifically aimed at the fact 6
Southern Baptist Seminary Presidents had signed a
statement in Nov. 2020, declaring that Critical Race
Theory (CRT) was “incompatible with the Baptist Faith
& Message”. This Nov. 2020 statement was a shift
from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) 2019
statement calling CRT “insufficient to diagnose and
redress the root causes” of societal ills, but could be
used as an “analytical tool to aid.” Perhaps her
criticism of the SBC has escalated, after the more
recent June 2021 SBC Convention, where the SBC shifted
very clearly toward non-support of CRT.
(33) The
Increasingly Uncharitable Political Posturing Of Beth
Moore by Peter Heck, 8/24/21
“When proclaiming what those Scriptures teach is
“godly,” believers should be dutifully committed to
speaking only where it speaks, and identifying as our
opinion where it doesn’t.” A lot was made recently of a
state senator in Texas bastardizing the Word of God in
spectacular fashion as she made her case for securing
election integrity. There’s nothing quite like ripping a
Bible verse out of context to support one’s political
agenda to get a bevy of online Twitter theologians
worked into a lather. It’s not that I don’t think such a
galling misapplication of Scripture needs correcting;
it’s more that I’m perplexed at the selective
application of outrage and contempt over the offense.
Consider that just a few days after the Texas clip went
viral, well-known Bible teacher Beth Moore decided it
appropriate to use her own social media account to
adulterate a teaching of Christ Jesus Himself.
(34) Beth
Moore Says Abstaining From Gay Sex Is A ‘Sacrifice’
For Gay Celibates at CRN, 10/9/21
“Moore explains that homosexuals who choose not to
practice their sin are actually “sacrificing” themselves
for this cause.” Beth Moore has said some of the most
ludicrous things over the years, but until recently,
nobody would have suspected that she had completely sold
herself out to the LGBTQ agenda. The militant gay mafia
would have everyone believe that homosexuality and other
sexually deviant behaviors are normal and natural, and
therefore, should be accepted and celebrated by everyone
— including Christians.
(35) Beth
Moore is finally "home" by Elizabeth Prata,
The End Time, 12/25/21
I am not remarking on a liturgical service or anything
about Anglicanism. I am saying that Beth Moore’s
departure from the SBC to a place where her heart’s
desire has always been to serve in a place the Bible
forbids has finally been satisfied. She is finally
“home”. Recently Beth Moore departed Lifeway, renounced
being a Baptist, and loudly left the Southern Baptist
Convention. In June she declared on her Twitter that she
had found a “small liturgical church” in her area. Beth
has been mightily enjoying this small, liturgical
church. It is an Anglican church. Anglican, not
Episcopalian.
(36) Beth
Moore Scolds Men Who Believe Women Shouldn’t Post
Immodest Pictures On Social Media at CRN,
2/11/22
“The raging feminist wing of professing Christendom
always likes to come in and defend the indefensible.
First up, Beth Moore…” First, I want to start by stating
that the problem of immodesty is not unique to
women–there are plenty of men who do the exact same
thing. It is unclear why some give a pass to men while
not to women. However, in the context of this latest
incident, the men involved would not give a pass to men.
(37) Beth
Moore Preaches Sunday Morning At Baptist Megachurch In
Houston, Belittles Her Husband at CRN, 8/9/22
Beth Moore’s feud with the Southern Baptist Convention
didn’t last long. After last year’s departure from the
denomination, because it would not allow women to preach
in pulpits, she announced that she was “no longer a
Southern Baptist” and canceled her contract with
LifeWay. Apparently, that hasn’t stopped her from
preaching in Baptist pulpits. ... She then followed up
her Sunday morning sermon by belittling her husband on
Twitter.
(38) The “Jesus is my boyfriend” syndrome
at Famine In The Land, 8/12/22
Jesus is not your boyfriend – “so that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:10-11. By pandering to her Twitter fan
club, Beth Moore reveals her distorted, irreverent, and
false view of who Jesus is. Mark and avoid this deluded
teacher.
(39) Paula
White Joins Forces With Demonic ‘Moonies Cult’
at CRN, 8/19/22
New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) queen Paula White
demonstrated a further lack of biblical discernment and
an increasing glut of demonic hand-holding when she got
up on stage and gave a keynote address at the World
Christian Leadership Conference which took place August
11-15, 2022. The conference was founded by Dr. Hak Ja
Han Moon, the widow of the Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon,
co-founder of the Universal Peace Federation and the
World Unification Church.
(40) Beth
Moore Heads Preaching Conference At Gay-Affirming
‘Christian’ University by Marsha West, 9/17/22
Baylor launched a website on sexuality last week which
appears to take a softening stance on homosexuality. The
website states that it is “committed to providing a
caring, loving and supportive community for students in
all aspects of their lives, including the development of
their sexuality.“ Beth Moore is one of Evangelicalism’s
foremost progressive activists who has used her platform
to advance some of the most godless ideologies in the
Church which are contrary to the doctrines taught in
Scripture.
(41) Beth
Moore Chastises Christians Who Publicly Humiliate
Heretics by Protestia, 1/21/23
“Writing articles or sharing pictures or memes of why
Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, or some false teacher who
says he’s the second coming of Christ, is a virtue, not
a vice, and is a work of the spirit. The fact that she’s
mad about it is very, very telling.” Days after Beth
Moore took exception to Jonathan Edwards’s sermon
‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’ for very
BethMoorish reasons, she took to Twitter to chastise
those who would publicly humiliate heretics and share
pictures and memes about why they are so bad.
(42) Beth
Moore Rants Over Women Not Being Allowed To Preach In
The SBC On The Podcast Of An Advocate For ‘Gay
Christianity’ by The Dissenter, 3/5/23
Preston Sprinkle is the founder of the Center for Faith,
Sexuality, & Gender, a ministry dedicated to
advocating and promoting “Side B” “gay Christianity.”
Similar to Revoice, of which he is also an original
advisory board member, Sprinkles’ ministry promotes the
aberrant belief that one can continue living as an open
homosexual so long as they don’t engage in homosexual
sex. And it was to Preston Sprinkles’ podcast that Beth
Moore turned to complain about the Southern Baptist
Convention’s decision to take a harder stance against
women preaching.
(43) Imam
Stands In Pulpit At Beth Moore’s Church And Preaches
From The Koran by The Dissenter, 9/2/23
“Beth Moore’s church has now invited a Muslim Imam to
come deliver a sermon and offer a prayer of worship in
front of the church. This Imam came and took the
pulpit…” Beth Moore, when she apostatized a few years
ago and left a somewhat biblical denomination for a
completely apostate denomination, made it clear that her
intentions were to continue to rebel against God by
performing the function and role of a pastor, which the
Scriptures reserve for men.
(44) Debunking
Leftist Myths About Jesus – Jesus Was A Feminist
by The Dissenter, 12/16/23
“Jesus did not come to promote a revolt against societal
norms but to offer a radical transformation of the
heart, one that transcends social and political
structures and exposes the deadening rot within our very
being.” In the battleground of contemporary Christian
discourse, figures like Beth Moore and Kristin Du Mez
emerge not as benign participants but as antagonists,
waging a calculated campaign to hijack Christianity in
service of their feminist agenda. With the assistance of
effeminate men masquerading as leaders of the
Evangelical Church, Beth Moore now brazenly flouts
biblical mandates (1 Corinthians 14:34), trading
biblical fidelity for egalitarian feminism.
(45)Beth
Moore Joining ‘Volf’ In Sheep’s Clothing For Painters,
Prophets, Poets Conference by Protestia,
5/23/24
Volf [is a] progressive thinker who argued in 2016 that
all Christians should vote for Hillary Clinton, as her
worldview was more in line with Christian principles and
beliefs than Donald Trump. He has strenuously argued
that Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship the same
God…” Beth Moore continues her bad choices tour, joining
noted Episcopal Priest Miroslav Volf for the Painters,
Prophets, Poets Conference, a three-day affair in
October where “all are invited into the work of
envisioning and promoting Christ’s work of remaking the
world in their own particular places, in their own
particular ways.”
(46) Beth
Moore Denounces Southern Baptists As ‘Masters Of
Diversion’ For Dealing With Women Preachers by
The Dissenter, 6/6/24
“This accusation is not only unfounded but also
hypocritical. Moore herself uses this tactic to divert
attention from her many, many false teachings as well as
her alignment with liberals, rank heretics, and
God-hating social activists who promote everything from
abortion to homosexuality.” In 2021, the popular
Evangelical lady-preacher, Beth Moore, left the SBC
after it became apparent to her that she would not be
able to impose her feminist ideology on the
denomination. Moore’s departure from the Southern
Baptist Convention (SBC) has been portrayed by her and
her supporters as a principled stand against systemic
abuse and sexism.
(47) I
Got Invited to a Beth Moore Bible Study, Should I Go?
by Steven Whitlow – Clear Truth Media, 7/27/25
“In today’s world, the better question is, “Have they
publicly stood strong against the spirit of the age?”
What’s the easiest way to discern this? Watch them, read
their tweets, see who they associate with, and see what
they champion.” A few weeks ago, I was asked this
question by a sincere member of our congregation. Her
question was not vindictive or angry; she isn’t spending
a lot of time on X trying to figure out which Christian
celebrity to crucify next. She simply wanted to make
sure that her limited time was spent studying the word
of God from a trusted, reliable source. At Clear Truth,
our aim is to equip the everyday believer for everyday
life. Everyday believers from across the country are
gathering in homes, coffee shops, and churches with
resources from all across the evangelical landscape.
These resources are published by churches, independents,
and the mega-evangelical conglomerates that control the
narrative. Regardless of who is doing the publishing, or
who is making the money, it is imperative that when
believers gather to study that they do so with
biblically-faithful resources.
Doug Pagitt
(1) Doug
Pagitt
and the Emerging Church Gay Agenda by Ken
Silva, Apprising Ministries, 8/26/10 A couple of these apostate EC elite I mentioned above
would be the heretical quasi-universalist Emerging
Church pastor Doug Pagitt, who heads the Emergent
Solomon's Porch, and his equally heretical "theologian
in residence" Tony Jones. As I showed you in Emergence
Christianity Theologian Tony Jones And His Unrepentant
Homosexual Christians Jones has played the man and gone
on record that he personally affirms a lifestyle of
having sexual relations with another of the same sex,
i.e homosexuality, is a viable one for the regenerated
Christian. Doug Pagitt, not so much; although the
evidence I brought out in Doug Pagitt, The Emerging
Church, And Affirming Homosexuality leaves little doubt
that Doug Pagitt's in agreement with his friend Tony
Jones.
(2) The
Kind
Of Christianity Doug Pagitt Offers by Ken
Silva, Apprising Ministries, 9/1/10 Apprising Ministries has told you before that the
sinfully ecumenical Emerging Church, which has now
blossomed into a full-blown neo-liberal cult that's
operating within mainstream evangelicalism itself, would
prove to be a Trojan Horse unloading critical-thinking
skills numbing Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism
under the guise of so-called Spiritual Formation ala
Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard
Foster and his spiritual twin Dallas Willard. Online
apologetics and discernment ministries tried to warn you
that the primary goal of the Emergent Church has been to
attack the Protestant Reformation-specifically Sola
Scriptura-but, unfortunately, the warnings went
unheeded. Instead mainstream evangelical churches made
the horrible decision to use their Young Adult and Youth
ministries as spiritual guinea pigs feeding them on
materials from apostate EC leaders. Two of the most
notorious of these would be the heretical
quasi-universalist Emerging Church pastor Doug Pagitt,
who heads the Emergent Solomon's Porch, along with his
equally heretical "theologian in residence" Tony Jones;
two-thirds of the unholy trinity of the Emerging Church,
with the other being guru Brian McLaren. Sadly, these
men will have much to answer for having caused so many
to make shipwreck of their faith (see-1 Timothy 1:19).
(3) Toxic
Theology
Of Doug Pagitt by Ken Silva, 9/3/10 Here I agree that Pagitt is quite right; pagan
religions are "not at all in contrast with [his]
Christianity"; however, this is not even remotely close
to the historic, orthodox, Christian faith once for all
delivered to the saints.
(4) Articles
on Doug Pagitt by Apprising Ministries,
9/20/10
A number of articles on Pagitt.
(5) Doug
Pagitt
and homosexual sin by Ken Silva,
10/12/10 In Doug Pagitt And The Emerging Church Gay Agenda I
reiterated that online apologetics and discernment
ministries tried to warn you the primary goal of the EC
has been to attack the Protestant
Reformation-specifically Sola Scriptura-but,
unfortunately, the warnings went unheeded. As I pointed
out before, this is the reason why God moved me to begin
covering the issue of a growing acceptance within
evangelicalism that the deviant and sinful lifestyle of
having sexual relations with another of the same sex,
i.e homosexuality, is a viable one for the regenerated
Christian.
(6) Doug
Pagitt
Excited About Interfaith Powwows At Solomon's Porch
by Ken Silva, 2/3/11 The link takes us to the You Tube clip below, which in
part we have because Fuller Seminary Sponsors Emerging
Church Heretic Doug Pagitt; such is the growing
syncretism within rapidly apostatizing evangelicalism.
As you'll see Pagitt's excited that tonight the
"Holistic, Missional, Christian Community" Solomon's
Porch kicks off its new "Thursday Torah Teaching with
Rabi Joseph Eidelheidt [sic]"[1] series at something
called "Solomon's Porch Gathering Space."
Leonard Sweet
(1) Ding Dong, Ding Dong,
Wake Up Leonard Sweet!
by Sandy Simpson, 11/27/05 This article will expose Leonord Sweet as a
postmodernist who apparently is so caught up in his
postmodern paradigm shift that he is unable to think
clearly at all, let alone teach. On his The
Double
Ring Video by Leonard Sweet, Sweet's SoulCafe,
1998, Vol. 3 which I have transcribed here in totality,
you can hear the bell toll twice announcing the demise
of Christianity falling headlong into a global apostate
end times false religion.
(2) Satan, The First
Postmodernist by Sandy Simpson,
12/1/05 This is an article written after giving further thought
to the definition of "postmodernism" given by the likes
of postmodernist Leonard Sweet and other Emerging Church
promoters.
(5) Engineering
The
Emergent Experience by Watcher's Lamp,
2/12/07 In a classic case of the
dialectic process, Leonard Sweet has declared, " "the
old model of church is killing the West," at a
conference at Baylor University. Sweet continues to
state, "in the midst of an ever-changing culture, and
more specifically, postmodernism the church must
become missional, relational and incarnational, rather
than remain attractional, propositional and colonial."
In layman's terms"the emergent way is in, the
seeker-sensitive is out. Perhaps the seeker-sensitive
way is the first step toward the emergent way, with
the final destination for Rome ?
(7) New
Age
Sympathizer Leonard Sweet To Speak at Pastor Skip
Heitzig's Calvary Chapel Church from Warren B.
Smith's book, A "Wonderful" Deception, 3/26/2010 LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS REPORT:This coming June, Calvary
Chapel Albuquerque (a veteran Calvary Chapel church
pastored by Skip Heitzig) will host the National Worship
Leader Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico and will
feature New Age sympathizer and emerging church leader,
Leonard Sweet. The NWLC event will take place in three
different U.S. locations with Sweet participating in two
of them.
Updated! (8) Leonard Sweet Quotes
compiled by Sandy Simpson. 3/10 This is a page containing a number of quotes proving
Leonard Sweet, probably the leading spokesman promoting
Emergent Church, is a false teacher. I will comment in
blue about each quote. The issue of Sweet being
invited into many churches and Christian universities to
speak has become even direr as recently he was invited
to
speak at a Calvary Chapel conference.
(9) David
Spangler,
Leonard Sweet and Quantum Spirituality by Ken
Silva, Apprising Ministries, 5/2/10 Apprising Ministries has been telling you in posts like
Liberalism 2.0 The New Progressive Christian Theology
and Brian McLaren Addresses TransFORM East Coast
Conference that, while the spiritually obtuse within
evangelicalism would like to think so, the neo-liberal
cult of the Emerging Church is not dead at all. In fact,
the just wrapped up TransForm East Coast conference
launches the Emergent Church 2.0 with a new more
clearly defined progressive/neo-liberal theology aka
Emergence Christianity.
(10) On Emergent Church leaders
calling apologetics and discernment ministries "Online
Discernment Ministries" (ODM)by Sandy
Simpson, 5/14/10 It does not surprise me at all that prominent Emergent
Church (EC) leadership and others associated with that
movement would use name calling as a way to try to shut
up opposition to their false teachings. This is
typical for Christian liberals. Rather than answer
to what they have been writing in their books and
teaching on in public for years, they resort to name
calling. The term they are using lately is ODM
meaning online discernment ministries. They use
that term in a disparaging way but the term itself shows
that they do not know how to do research and are not
interested in the facts about many apologetics
ministries.
(11) Letter to George Fox
University regarding Leonard Sweet by James
Sundquist, 6/4/10 Dear President Robin Baker, Chuck Conniry, Dean,
Faculty and Administration of George Fox University and
fellow defenders of The Faith: Please find attached my
response to Chuck Conniry and Randy Woodley of George
Fox University, the complete comprehensive full report
on Leonard Sweet vs. Scripture. In particular, I respond
to Randy Woodley's accusations.
(12) Leonard
Sweet,
Frank Viola and the Third Way by Ken Silva,
6/8/10 This would be the third way, the alleged "new
reformation" of the Emerging Church 2.0 with its
Emergence [theory] Christianity that's slithering its
way deeper into the mainstream of the squishy
evanjellyfish community; and, maybe into your own local
church. If I were you, I'd be closely checking the
theology of your Worship leaders and Youth pastors by
asking some very hard, and precisely defined, questions.
It's an incontrovertible fact that this spiritual
skubalon has been coming out of mainstream evangelical
publishing houses for years now aimed right at that
demographic; you ignore this at their peril.
(13) Quantum
Spirituality
Has Entered the Church Through Christian Leaders
by Warren Smith, 7/20/10 Leonard Sweet is definitely one of the point men for
today's emerging/postmodern/Purpose Driven Church. As
Rick Warren has aligned himself with Sweet, it is
important to remember that Sweet has described former
and present New Age figures as his "heroes" and "role
models." He has openly acknowledged that his quantum
"new cell theory" understanding of "new light
leadership" was formulated with the help of veteran New
Age leader David Spangler. Additionally, Sweet describes
mystical New Age priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin as
"Twentieth-century Christianity's major voice." And
while Sweet's almost "in your face" New Age sympathies
are there for all to see, Rick Warren, and other
Christian figures continue to hold him in high esteem.
But it is just business as usual as Warren's apologist
tells us that "Doctrinally/theologically, Leonard Sweet
is about as Christian as anyone can get."
(14) Moriel
and
Way of Life Ministries Report on Concerns Over Calvary
Chapel Embracing of New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet
at Lighthouse Trails Research, April 26th, 2010 Moriel has received a number of inquiries and comments
regarding the invitation by Skip Heitzig extended to
Leonard Sweet, the New Age Christian mystic usually
identified with the "Emergent Church", a movement
against which senior Calvary pastor and founder Pastor
Chuck Smith publicly opposed. The event is to be held at
Calvary Chapel, Albuquerque along with the so-called
music ministry of a Roman Catholic worship leader in
what has been described as the first official New
Age/Ecumenical event to take place at a Calvary Chapel.
This despite the majority of Calvary Chapel pastors not
subscribing to the event's Ecumenical agenda who support
the expressed position of Pastor Chuck Smith opposing
tenets and practices of the Post-Modern mysticism
defining the Emergent Church, seeking to prevent it from
entering into Calvary Chapels. The announcement follows
a public financial scandal reaching the secular press at
the same church in 2008. Moriel cannot speak for Skip
Heitzig and we urge those contacting us to rather direct
their comments and questions to him. Moriel and Jacob
Prasch do dismiss Leonard Sweet as a dangerous deceiver,
and although not opposed to Catholic people we reject
Ecumenical union of any kind with Roman Catholicism. We
also firmly endorse the position expressed by Pastor
Chuck Smith in opposition to this "emergence" which was
undertaken by him in a personally painful yet noble and
necessary reaction to its attempted influx into a
Calvary Chapel in California. Moriel and Jacob Prasch
also sanction the caveats issued to Calvary Chapel
pastors by former New Ager Warren Smith who was invited
by Chuck Smith to address a major Calvary Chapel pastors
conference regarding these faulty trends.
(15) Leonard Sweet and His Quantum Spirituality
Date: September 09, 2010
Host: Ingrid Schlueter, Crosstalk Radio
Guest: Sandy Simpson
Listen: RealAudio
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(16) 10
Minute
Video Preview - Part 4 - Exposing the Quantum Lie
by Warren Smith, 9/10/10 Warren Smith continues to expose the Quantum Lie, and a
lot more proponents come onto the scene as the big
picture begins to unfold. Watch how The Shack, The Truth
Project, The Secret, Rick Warren, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Neale
Donald Walsch and others all begin to be "on the same
page" in terms of belief. For the Full DVD please see
http://www.lighthousetrails.com.
(17) Assemblies
of
God Theological Seminary and Professor Earl Creps
Promote Contemplative Spirituality by
Lighthouse Trails, 9/10/10 While Creps ends that discussion with "I am painfully
orthodox doctrinally," resources he offers throughout
his blogs and websites would paint another picture.
Under Apologetics Resources, Creps recommends Leonard
Sweet's book, Quantum Spirituality. Listen to Sweet, as
he describes the New Light in his book: "I have followed
those 'New Light leaders' ... [S]ome of those who led
[me] into new light are: ... Matthew Fox, Richard Mouw,
Rowan Williams." Others that Leonard Sweet thanks
include: Morton Kelsey, M. Scott Peck, Walter
Bruggemann, Ken Wilber, Thomas Berry and many other New
Age sympathizers.
(18) Giving
Leonard
Sweet a nudge by Ken Silva, 9/14/10 So his theology hasn't changed despite what he said in
his rather patronizing A Response to Recent
Misunderstandings filled with postmodern Humpty Dumpty
language; the truth is, Christian missionary Sandy
Simpson of the respected online apologetics and
discernment ministry Deception In The Church put
together Leonard Sweet Quotes, and nothing he quotes
Sweet as saying there, or in my Emergence Christianity:
Quantum Shift To Panentheism, has been retracted.
(19) Southern
Baptist
Theological Seminary Gives Favorable Review of Book by
New Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet by
Lighthouse Trails, 2/23/11 In the January 24th issue of Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary's Towers magazine sits a review of
Leonard Sweet's recent book, Jesus Manifesto (p. 11).
The review states that Sweet's book "can be a good
resource for young and old Christians alike." The review
was written by Towers managing editor Aaron Cline
Hanbury who on his own blog recommends "grounded"
Christians read Rob Bell's book, Velvet Elviswhere Bell
tells readers to study New Age mystic and tantric sex
advocate Ken Wilber for three months for a "mind-blowing
introduction to emergence theory and divine creativity
[panentheism (God in all) and pantheism (all is God)]"
(p.192 V.E.).
(20) How
the
"Quantum Christ" (God is in everything) is Tranforming
the World . . . and Entering the Church! by
Warren B. Smith, 3/30/11 In his 2009 book So Beautiful, Leonard Sweet
underscores his quantum "relational worldview"14 by
favorably quoting from William Young's The Shack
regarding relationship.15 He also tells readers to look
to Margaret Wheatley's Leadership and the New Science to
further understand his quantum view on the "spiritual
and social significance of relationship."16 And he still
continues to refer readers back to his 1991 book,
Quantum Spirituality. While appearing to be somewhat of
a 21st century renaissance man who leaves everyone in
the wake of his postmodern intellect, Leonard Sweet's
"scientific" postmodern/quantum/New Age view on things
raises some critical questions-particularly in regard to
his association with Rick Warren. If Warren, Sweet, and
other Christian leaders continue to move the church
towards the New Spirituality, how will it ultimately
play out? Will we see Warren, Schuller, Sweet, McLaren,
and other "New Light" leaders signing a mutual accord
someday affirming that God is "in" everything? Will that
proclamation be based on new "scientific findings" from
quantum physics? Will they explain that [Jesuit] Pierre
Teilhard de Chardin and the "God" of Neale Donald Walsch
and William Young had it right-that "the sub-atomic
reality" is that God is in every atom? That God really
is-scientifically speaking-"in" everyone and everything?
But what about the inevitable reaction that will come
from those referred to by Rick Warren as
"fundamentalists"18 when they accuse Warren of
flip-flopping? Will Warren defend his new worldview by
repeating what he said at the Saddleback Civil
Forum-that "sometimes flip-flopping is smart because you
actually have decided a better position based on
knowledge that you didn't have"? Armed with seemingly
scientific "facts" from quantum physics, will Warren
defend his new worldview by stating, "That's not
flip-flopping. Sometimes that's growing in wisdom"? Is
this where Warren, Sweet, and other Christian leaders
will try to take the church? Are they about to take a
big "quantum leap" into the New Spirituality of a New
Age that is based on the findings of the "new science"?
Given the continued New Age implications of the emerging
Purpose Driven movement, it would seem that this is a
real possibility.
(21) Southern
Baptist
Theological Seminary Gives Favorable Review of Book by
New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet by
Lighthouse Trails, April 1, 2011In the January 24th
issue of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Towers
magazine sits a review of Leonard Sweet's recent book,
Jesus Manifesto (p.11). The review states that Sweet's
book "can be a good resource for young and old
Christians alike." The review was written by Towers
managing editor Aaron Cline Hanbury who on his own blog
recommends "grounded" Christians read Rob Bell's book,
Velvet Elvis, where Bell tells readers to study New Age
mystic and tantric sex advocate Ken Wilber for three
months for a "mind-blowing introduction to emergence
theory and divine creativity [panentheism (God in all)
and pantheism (all is God)]" (p.192 V.E.).
I told you we were headed into a land where words
have no fixed meaning; as we're told Leonard Sweet is
"one of the top Evangelical leaders." Essentially the
word has become meaningless; and Sweet is a minister
in the rather liberal United Methodist Church.
(25) Leonard
Sweet:
Changing The Emergent Leopard�s Spots by
Discerning The World, 3/5/15 Like Leonard Sweet who hails New Ager, David
Spangler, Willis Harman, M, Scott Peck, Matthew Fox
and other contemplatives as the �New Light Leaders�
and among the most creative religious leaders in
America today, (who) . . . . are . . . . carving out
channels for new ideas to flow, (2) Sephan Joubert has
his own little crowd of Emergent contemplatives whom
he lusciously hails as �Today�s new saints [who] are
those who in solitude find peace and quiet with God
and manifest it in genuine ways.� Leonard Sweet
2015However hard they may try to persuade their
followers that their association with well-known
contemplatives and New Agers does not defile their own
spotless anti-Emergent character, they need to explain
why they are still tenaciously, happily and openly
fraternizing with the leaders of the Mosaïek Church in
Fairland, Johannesburg who are all full-blooded
contemplative emergents. (Please see the
billboard on the left announcing Leonard Sweet�s visit
to the Mosaïek Church on March 10th, 2015).
(26) Letter
to
the Editor: Ravi Zacharias to Share Platform with
New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet at Synergize 2016
at Lighthouse Trails, 6/21/16
Ravi Zacharias was general editor of Walter Martin�s
2003 revised,updated, and expanded edition of Martin�s
classic reference book originally published in 1965:
�The Kingdom of the Cults.� In the �General Editor�s
Introduction� of that 2003 edition, Ravi Zacharias
credits Martin as contributing to his own thinking on
the task of apologetics and says he considers it a
�distinct honor� to have been asked by Walter Martin�s
family to become general editor of the updated edition
of Martin�s classic reference book. Ravi Zacharias also
says in that General Editor�s Preface (2003): �Of one
thing we can be sure: Where we find truth, often in
close proximity we also find a way that distorts and
faults . . . the power to deceive is enormous.� How can
Ravi Zacharias have written that in 2003 and be willing
to speak at a conference with Leonard Sweet?
(27) On
Leonard
Sweet: Connectness Or Correctness – Which Will It
Be? by Tamara Harzell, 9/6/17 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine. For the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the
truth, and shall be turned unto fables.�? (2 Timothy
4:2-4) Sadly, it has become quite obvious that the
time has already come. Openly preferring the fables of
man’s imagination to the doctrinal truth of God’s
Word, today’s shifting Christianity is heaping to
itself teachers to scratch its itching ears. People
are choosing to be led in “a way that seemeth right
unto a man�? rather than in the way that is right unto
God as set forth by God in the Word of God. In Leonard
Sweet’s 2009 book, So Beautiful: Divine Design for
Life and the Church, which, sadly, is just as
anti-truth, anti-God, anti-Christ as everything else
that caters to today’s epidemic of itching ears, this
“[r]enowned professor and theologian�? —who has worked
for “years as a mentor to pastors�? and “is a frequent
speaker at national and international conferences,
state conventions, pastors’ schools, retreats�? as
well as “a consultant to many denominational leaders
and agencies�? —asks a question that effectively sums
up the new way of thinking: “What if we were to think
connectness rather than correctness?
(28) The
Significance of Understanding Leonard Sweet’s “More
Magnificent Way of Seeing Christ” (Booklet)
by Warren B. Smith, 3/8/19 Over the past few decades, a number of New Age
sympathizers have had a significant influence in the
evangelical church. One of the chief is Methodist
author, speaker, and teacher Leonard Sweet. Sweet
openly calls the Father of the New Age Movement—the
late Jesuit priest Teilhard de
Chardin—“twentieth-century Christianity’s major
voice.” Sweet also teaches the foundational New Age
doctrine that God is “in” everyone and everything—that
God is embedded in all creation. Brought forward and
popularized by Rick Warren, Leonard Sweet and his New
Age sympathies have not been adequately addressed by
today’s pastors and church leaders. A look on Sweet’s
website shows he has partnered with numerous popular
figures such as Brian McLaren, Mark Batterson (Circle
Maker), Erwin McManus, Mark Driscoll, Frank Viola, and
Karen Swallow Prior (professor at Liberty University).
The following booklet by Warren Smith reveals the “New
Age Christianity” that Leonard Sweet has helped to
bring into the church.
(29) How
the “Quantum Christ” (God is in everything) Is HAS
Transformed the World . . . and Entered the Church!
by Warren B. Smith, 9/21/21 While appearing to be somewhat of a 21st century
renaissance man who leaves everyone in the wake of his
postmodern intellect, Leonard Sweet’s “scientific”
postmodern/quantum/New Age view on things raises some
critical questions—particularly in regard to his
association with Rick Warren. If Warren, Sweet, and
other Christian leaders continue to move the church
towards the New Spirituality, how will it ultimately
play out? Will we see Warren, Schuller, Sweet,
McLaren, and other “New Light” leaders signing a
mutual accord someday affirming that God is “in”
everything? Will that proclamation be based on new
“scientific findings” from quantum physics? Will they
explain that [Jesuit] Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and
the “God” of Neale Donald Walsch and William Young had
it right—that “the sub-atomic reality” is that God is
in every atom? That God really is—scientifically
speaking—“in” everyone and everything? But what about
the inevitable reaction that will come from those
referred to by Rick Warren as “fundamentalists”18 when
they accuse Warren of flip-flopping? Will Warren
defend his new worldview by repeating what he said at
the Saddleback Civil Forum—that “sometimes
flip-flopping is smart because you actually have
decided a better position based on knowledge that you
didn’t have”? Armed with seemingly scientific “facts”
from quantum physics, will Warren defend his new
worldview by stating, “That’s not flip-flopping.
Sometimes that’s growing in wisdom”? Is this where
Warren, Sweet, and other Christian leaders will try to
take the church? Are they about to take a big “quantum
leap” into the New Spirituality of a New Age that is
based on the findings of the “new science”? Given the
continued New Age implications of the emerging Purpose
Driven movement, it would seem that this is a real
possibility. (from chapter 13 of A “Wonderful”
Deception by Warren B. Smith)
New Sandy Simpson
Messages in Books,
CDs & DVDs
NEW BOOK!
Reverse Paradigm Shift by Sandy Simpson
We live in a
topsy-turvy world of opposing ideas.It is
easy to get lost and overwhelmed.We as
Christians often don’t realize how much we have
been diapraxed by the world, the flesh and the
devil.Our
paradigm has been altered to such a degree that,
without the solid foundation of Scripture, we
are often set adrift without the anchor God has
provided us.Our paradigm is our worldview, our
understanding of reality.Without
the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the written
eternal Word, we really have no hope of
understanding reality, our cultures, or our
lives.I
have written this book to clue the reader into
some of the issues that surround the modern
born-again believer and how to reverse the shift
that has exponentially changed our perspective
in some cases.Fortunately, in the foreknowledge of our
Lord, He provided us with a roadmap to navigate
our fallen world.We don’t need a new map, as Emergent
Church advocates claim.We
need the tried and true map of the ages.There
is “nothing new under the sun”.There
have always been false prophets and false
teachers who are there by the will of the enemy
to mislead and ultimately destroy the faith of
many.We
are clearly living in the Apostasy foretold in
the Bible that has been growing preceding the
appearance of the Antichrist.We
need to carefully test ourselves to be sure we
are in the Faith, and then hold on to the hope
we have in Christ.
The “Jesus is my boyfriend” syndrome