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Decoding the Evangelical's Manifesto for Global Ecumenism

Source: Miscellaneous News Source

Guest article by Watcher's Lamp

Since the passing of Jerry Falwell, it seems that politically motivated religious groups are competing for the attention of the American electorate during this campaign season.

First, Red Letter Christians announced that we are trying to create a new movement that seeks to make faithfulness to Biblical Christianity an imperative for progressive politics. With media exposure, the group recasts the image of a "Christian" in the 21st century, i.e. sympathetic toward the bondage of homosexuality and inclusive toward other religious belief systems. The Red Letter Christians misrepresent Biblical Christianity to the general public.

Now, another self appointed "non-group" of public square Christians step up to the podium at the National Press Club to act as spokesmen ( though the event is described as an invitation to join the effort ) for Evangelicals to announce: " We're different, we're sorry, and we'll change for the global good."

The Evangelical Manifesto claims it does not represent a formal organization though it has assumed the responsibility of redefining what it means to be a globally responsible Evangelical.

The expressed intent of the Manifesto claims to "depoliticize" faith or "take religion out of politics." Which is interesting, giving the venue of the National Press Club.

The Proponents of the Manifesto

Liberal "theologians" such as:

Dr. Richard Mouw, President of the man-centered, humanist Fuller Theolgical seminary

Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals

Dallas Willard, contemplative guru for the Emerging church movement.

America's pastor, Rick Warren has been rumored as a participating architect, but has not officially stepped up as a signatory. Click here to read this entire article.

See: Related Story

This article or excerpt was posted on May 13, 2008@ 12:34 pm .

From:
Category: * New Evangelicalism


Kay Warren Joins Heavy-Weight Emergents at Envision 08

Source: Editors at Lighthouse Trails

Kay Warren, wife of Purpose Driven pastor Rick Warren, will join several heavy-weight emergent leaders at the upcoming Envision 08 event this June. Kay Warren will share a platform with Brian McLaren, Jim Wallis (Sojourners magazine), Shane Claiborne, Jay Bakker (son of PTL Jim Bakker), Doug Pagitt, and several other speakers who share emerging church proclivities.

In saying "heavy-weight," we mean those whose theologies incorporate the essence of the emerging church: mysticism, ecumenism, panentheism, interspirituality, down-playing the authority of Scripture, a non-biblical view of the atonement, and a kingdom-now eschatology. Kay Warren promotes contemplative mystic Henri Nouwen, while her husband has been a major promoter of both contemplative spirituality (i.e., spiritual formation) and the emerging church for some time. Recently, Kay Warren participated at Robert Schuller's Rethink Conference.

One of the speakers at the Envision 08 is Samir Selmanovic, a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor-turned- emergent leader and director of Faith House Manhattan, an interfaith organization in New York. Selmanovic is one of the co-authors of An Emergent Manifesto of Hope. Roger Oakland discusses Selmanovic's beliefs in his book, Faith Undone:

Samir Selmanovic ... has some interesting and alarming views on Christianity. He states:
The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not Christianity but rather the kingdom of God.... to believe that God is limited to it [Christianity] would be an attempt to manage God. If one holds that Christ is confined to Christianity, one has chosen a god that is not sovereign. Soren Kierkegaard argued that the moment one decides to become a Christian, one is liable to idolatry.1
On Selmanovic's website, Faith House project, he presents an interfaith vision that will "...seek to bring progressive Jews, Christians, Muslims, and spiritual seekers of no faith to become an interfaith community for the good of the world. We have one world and one God."2

While Selmanovic says he includes Christians in this interspiritual dream for the world, he makes it clear that while they might be included, they are in no way beholders of an exclusive truth. He states:
Is our religion [Christianity] the only one that understands the true meaning of life? Or does God place his truth in others too? Well, God decides, and not us. The gospel is not our gospel, but the gospel of the kingdom of God, and what belongs to the kingdom of God cannot be hijacked by Christianity.3
While it is true that God is the One who decides where He is going to place truth, He has already made that decision. And the answer to that is found in the Bible. When Selmanovic asks if Christianity is the only religion that understands the true meaning of life, the answer is yes. How can a Buddhist or a Hindu or a Muslim fully understand truth when their religions omit a Savior who died for their sins?

Though world religions may share some moral precepts (don't lie, steal, etc), the core essence of Christianity (redemption) is radically different from all of them. Interspirituality may sound noble on the surface, but in actuality, Selmanovic and the other emerging church leaders are facilitating occultist Alice Bailey's rejuvenation of the churches. In her rejuvenation, everyone remains diverse (staying in their own religion), yet united in perspective, with no one religion claiming a unique corner on the truth. In other words all religions lead to the same destination and emanate from the same source. And of course, Bailey believed that a "coming one" whom she called Christ would appear on the scene in order to lead united humanity into an era of global peace. However, you can be sure that if such a scenario were to take place as Bailey predicted, there would be no room for those who cling to biblical truth.

As is the case with so many emergent leaders, Selmanovic's confusing language dances obscurely around his theology, whether he realizes it or not. Sadly, for those who are lost and who are trying to find the way, the emerging church movement offers confusion in place of clarity. It blurs if not obliterates the walls of distinction between good and evil, truth and falsehood, leaving people to stumble along a broken path, hoping to find light. (from Faith Undone, pp. 187-189)
What Selmanovic has expressed is emerging spirituality. And McLaren, Claiborne, Pagitt, and the other emerging speakers at Envision 08 resonate with him. This global, universal, mystical, interspiritual paradigm shift that Selmanovic and the others are propagating lines up with the same spirituality that Oprah, Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, and a myriad of other New Age leaders are presenting to the world today. The emerging church should really be called the merging church, for it is a merging together of all beliefs, all faiths, and all gods.

The question must be asked, why are Rick and Kay Warren continually promoting this emerging church and its New Age type gurus rather than warning others about it? The answer to that can be partly found in the Warrens' admiration and promotion of Henri Nouwen, for you see, Nouwen, if he were alive today, would align himself with the emerging church. We can say that because of so many statements Nouwen made to that effect, such as when he said that Christian leaders must move from the "moral to the mystical" (In the Name of Jesus). And when he said, in the last book he ever wrote: "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" (Sabbatical Journey, hardcover edition, p. 51).

Notes:
1. Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones, An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, Samir Selmanovic section, "The Sweet Problem of Inclusiveness," pp. 192-193.
2. From Faith House Project website: http://samirselmanovic. typepad.com/faith_house/2.WhatisFaithHouseProject.pdf.
3. Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones, An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, p. 194.

This article or excerpt was posted on May 12, 2008@ 3:01 am .

From: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
 Category: * Purpose Driven


"I Just Had a Vision!"

Source: Editors at Lighthouse Trails

LTRP Note: In 2007, Lighthouse Trails published the apologetic biography, The Other Side of the River by Kevin Reeves. For twelve years, Reeves was part of a River church, one in which visions, signs and wonders, and other mystical manifestations occurred. His story tells what happened during those years in a church that was so influenced by the Toronto Blessing, Kenneth Copeland, the Kansas City Prophets, John Wimber, and the spiritual hysteria and manipulation that these hyper-charismatic movements encourage. Because of the recent stories coming out of Florida with Todd Bentley's revival, we hope you will read Reeves account. Below is an excerpt from his chapter on visions.

"I Just Had a Vision!"
by Kevin Reeves

There is perhaps nothing so powerful as a vision. When the heavens open and our eyes look upon fantastic things once hidden, it can alter the course of our lives:

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 6:1-5)
A glimpse into heaven itself to behold the God of all flesh made Isaiah panic with self-loathing. His innermost heart was revealed in the light of the Lord's glory, and there was no place to hide.

Who wouldn't want to have a vision of this magnitude? And why shouldn't we? On the day of Pentecost, the Christians present experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit: "[A]nd your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams"(Acts 2:17).

Never in the history of our planet have so many who call themselves Christian claimed visions from God. Encounters with Christ, angels, demons, even saints long departed have begun to appear in book form, crowding the charismatic section of our local Christian bookstores. The popularity of visions never seems to wane, and the more a person has and the greater the scope, the quicker he is skyrocketed to Christian stardom. People with virtually no genuine theological training are suddenly propelled into the teaching arena, regaling vast audiences with tremendous accounts of their own spiritual derring-do. And while the stories continue to scale the heights of plausibility, an amazed public looks on, vicariously a part of the panoramic excitement and often with hands folded atop a closed Bible in their laps.

Sadly and without exaggeration, the above account is an apt description of the spiritual maelstrom that always characterized [my former church]. Sunday services were routinely stopped to give opportunity to report a vision that occurred during worship. Many in the congregation would listen with rapt attention as one person after another would share what had transpired "in the spirit." Sometimes demons would make an appearance; sometimes it was the Lord Jesus Himself.

Angels were a particular favorite. I can't tell you how many times angels made an impromptu appearance at our services.... No one halted the festivities to suggest examining the claim in the light of God's Word. It was merely taken at face value and used to bolster our self-image as the church on the cutting-edge of God's worldwide movement....

The cries of "I saw!" reverberated throughout my church my whole tenure there. Sometimes the visions were two-dimensional, sometimes 3-D, and sometimes the person was actually caught up into them, in the same way the apostle John was translated into the heavenly realms in the book of Revelation. They moved as participants in the vision itself, walking, feeling, etc. As our pastor consistently reminded the congregation of its prophetic calling, dreams and visions grew to paramount importance. They were used to chart our congregation's very course, and any resistance or verbal doubt was severely frowned upon or openly dismissed....

Many people cannot appreciate the gravity with which visions are accepted in many charismatic circles, and consequently cannot understand the bondage that results. If someone has a vision of "the Lord Jesus" and is given a message to convey to you, for you to treat it lightly is to despise the very words of God. You are bound to carry out the instructions of this visionary or face the consequences. The ensuing fear can be devastating, especially if the message contradicts your own conscience or understanding of the Scriptures.

The new believer is especially vulnerable because he is led to believe that all these visions are from God. Furthermore, any hindrance to, or lack of visions on his own part is due, he is told, to lack of maturity and failure to fully trust the leadership....

At my best count, there are less than thirty visions or dreams recorded in the entire New Testament, and of these only about fifteen took place in the book of Acts. And this in a period, from the birth of Christ to the last chapter of Acts, encompassing about sixty years.

I have come to the conclusion that visions are not the norm for a believer, but a rare occurrence. Of those saints in the Bible described as having bona fide visions from God, a mere handful had more than one recorded vision in their entire lifetime. Furthermore, none of these occurrences were initiated by the individual, but were the result of a divine act of God. In explaining mystical experiences, which is the category visions fall into, I like this explanation by research analyst Ray Yungen:
While certain instances in the Bible describe mystical experiences, I see no evidence anywhere of God sanctioning man-initiated mysticism. Legitimate mystical experiences were always initiated by God to certain individuals for certain revelations and were never based on a method for the altering of consciousness. In Acts 11:5, Peter fell into a trance while in prayer. But it was God, not Peter, who initiated the trance and facilitated it.(ATOD, p. 34)
Compared with the frequency of modern visions by many charismatic churchgoers, these past biblical heroes seem almost deficient in their relationship to the Lord....

I believe that most of what are reported as visions are not such at all, but could be more appropriately termed mental pictures. The two are certainly not synonymous. Mental pictures occur constantly during our waking hours but don't necessarily have anything to do with the spiritual, whereas visions always have their origin in the supernatural realm. As we speak in conversation, we see mental images, memories, etc., to correspond with the dialogue; reading gives us the same experience. Even television viewing offers the same scenario, as the images dancing across the screen click on our own past experiences or connections with our present situations. This can transpose into our times of prayer, giving us mental pictures that may or may not be of God....

The practice itself can be dangerous, actually maneuvering an innocent Christian in the wrong direction. In many cults, and, unfortunately in much of the Pentecostal arm of the church, it has already done just that....

According to the Bible, there are three sources of visions--God, the devil, and the flesh. Of these, only one can be trusted as to motive and authenticity. As for the other spiritual experiences originating with the kingdom of darkness or human sensuality, they must be discarded, and immediately. They are not impotent fantasies, but are corrupt from the word go and will quickly lead astray anyone whose attraction they capture. (seeEzekiel 13:3-8)...

I cannot stress this enough--contrary to popular fallacy, there is no such thing as a harmless false vision. Its fraudulent nature alone is enough to condemn it in the eyes of God; those who give ear to it will eventually have their faith in Christ contaminated, perhaps shipwrecked. Attendees of the Peoples Temple were regaled with stories of angelic visitations and "revelation knowledge." The reverend Jim Jones capitalized on his self-proclaimed intimacy with heaven to lead a group of followers into mass suicide in the Guyana bush.1 Don't think that the average believer in Christ is immune to this kind of deception. In the wake of gold teeth and gold dust miracles showing up in various River congregations worldwide, stories of angel feather sightings have set a portion of the charismatic church wild with jubilee. One West Coast church said that "tiny white feathers and gold flakes" appeared during the service.2 Such occurrences were the next logical step in an already deception-heavy system of super-spirituality, rationalization, and the frenzied pursuit of illusion....

Any spirit, vision, dream, prophet, experience, whatever, that does not agree with the revelation of Jesus Christ as set down in the Scriptures is not of God. Water may look pure, but unless we know the source from which it is drawn we may drink to our own ill health. A close examination with a magnifying glass may betray bits and pieces of debris, or worse yet, organisms roaming its depths that, taken internally, would cause debilitating disease.

Am I suggesting we carry around a magnifier to inspect anything coming our way? Perhaps that is just what is needed. For too long, we've covered our eyes with blinders instead and accepted a testimony to our detriment, simply because the person giving it named Christ and seemed sincere. Paul said even deceivers within the church would attempt to pass themselves off as the real article (II Corinthians 11: 3-4, 13). We can judge without being judgmental. Peripheral issues we can overlook, knowing full well the sole reservoir of truth does not rest with us.

But in the presentation of Christ, there can be no leeway. A false image of the Savior--His character, words, or deeds--will lead us away from the truth, and consequently, away from God. And eventually, that is what every fraudulent vision will do--take away from the person of Christ and demand our attention and adherence to its personalized message. I have seen it happen, as one vision after another proclaimed in my former congregation boosted our elitism and remolded Jesus just a bit more into the user-friendly image we preferred. With virtually no accountability, fear of redefining Christ's biblically revealed character faded bit by bit into obscurity....

This current state of things within the church is just the outgrowth of an inner movement attempting to differentiate between truth and revelation. It is being stated by popular authors that truth is where God has been, but revelation is where He is at the moment. This dichotomy is a contrived one. The Word of God is truth and revelation both, and the timeless truth of God's Word applies to all saints throughout all ages. Again, the implication of this kind of compartmentalized thinking is that the Scriptures fall embarrassingly short when it comes to equipping the saints for life in today's world.

In a mad dash to embrace the new thing, many Christians have run right past the only place of refuge, God's Promise, that can keep us from hurtling down the face of an impossibly steep cliff. I can testify to the broken lives and empty spirituality that remains when the initial high wears off. We had congregation members regularly spending their cash to jet to this or that prophetic conference. They just had to keep up with the latest move of God, and bring it back with them to our church. Running after other gods, ancient Israel attained to this spiritual bankruptcy on a regular basis. But we can take heart, for their failures can be our lessons:

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

For those former seers willing to swallow a large helping of humble pie, there is most certainly hope. For those willing to repent, the grace of our Lord will lead past every soulish and narcissistic revelation, helping us to walk in humility and the simple freedom of Christ Jesus.

For the rest, the road can only lead further into deception and confusion, compounding itself with every new revelation that adds to, subtracts from, or contradicts Scripture.

I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think to cause my people to forget my name. Jeremiah 23: 25-27

Notes:
1. In 1978, cult leader Jim Jones lead over 900 followers in a mass suicide in northern Guyana.
2. Mary Owen "Oregon Church Says Gold Dust, Feathers Fell During Meetings" (Charisma magazine, September 2000, http://www.charismamag.com/display.php?id=517, accessed 01/07).


Related Articles:
Todd Bentley and Contemplative Prayer

Those Who Resist by Kevin Reeves

A Review - The Other Side of the River

John Wimber's Paradigm Shift, The River Movement and the Kundalini Effect

Coming into Alignment

This article or excerpt was posted on May 11, 2008@ 2:10 pm .

From: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
 Category: * Signs, Wonders, and Visions

MYANMAR Update from Understand the Times

Source: Editors at Lighthouse Trails

As we reported a few days ago when the cyclone disaster hit Myanmar, Roger Oakland's ministry Understand the Times has four orphan homes in Yangon, Myanmar, and the welfare of the children and staff at the orphanages was unknown. We are overjoyed to report that Roger has now received emails from the homes, and all the children and workers at all four homes are safe! We are praising the Lord with Understand the Times for His graciousness and mercy to these precious ones. We also pray that many in Myanmar will turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Savior during this terrible time of such devastation and loss, where the death toll may rise as high as 100,000 with over a million people now homeless.

The following is a statement by Roger Oakland and also the emails he received from his people in Myanmar:

Update on Situation from Bryce Lodges in Yangon

Early this morning I received two more letters from our Understand The Times representatives in Yangon. All our immediate family have been preserved from the storm.

We are presently in the process of sending someone over to Yangon to provide assistance and to help organize the dispersal of assistance through Understand The Times in the surrounding area.

Please pray for favor that we may receive the necessary visas and be able to go.

A fund for supporting the victims of the Myanmar disaster has been established at www.understandthetimes.org.

Checks can be sent to our two offices in Canada and USA.

Following are the two letters that were received today:

Dear Roger,

Internet access was down, now only I can email you again. Hope that you are getting better in these days. With our children we are always praying for your health.

At the time thousands of people lose their lives, by His protection, we are survived but our programs and plan of wedding was failed on Saturday and changed on Sunday. It turned to helping others in needs especially for our members. Since every one was busy with his own work, phone line and transportation problems caused by the storm and flood, so we just called a church pastor, Philip and Dante and only some of our neighbor and made wedding at home.

We learned so many lessons from those things happened. we felt that God has taught
us not to love the world neither the things that are in the world. It made clear that our earthly life is just really temporary and unreliable. Now, the city of Yangon and it's surrounding areas lose it's beautifulness. It has a lot of changes and different from the time you came to Myanmar.... [The prices] of things are getting higher day by day.

And unlimited numbers of outskirt people are in trouble because they are homeless and without food. By His grace in this time we have privileges to show our love, care and concern to our church members at Shwelinpan who are in trouble by giving rice and the funds they are really in need.

Among our members at Shwelinpan, two of the tents (houses) were fallen down and faded away. another one of the roof was destroyed. One was survived.

If we can not continue to supply their need, they will be without food and house. So, I let you know the condition of our church members at Shwelinpan. Beside, thousands of outskirt people are in great trouble. they can not solve the problems they have by their own.

Please pray that these things lead them to know and trust the Saviour alone.

Your brother in Christ

Elisha

Dear
Brother Roger:

I am so sorry that I could not give you information about us earlier.

I know that many people concern about our situation. We are saved.

Bryce Lodges One, Two and my family are saved. We do not suffer any serious damages.
But the prices are sky rocketed.

Thank you so much for your concern.

Prayer Requests:

1. Give thanks to God for He has saved us from this storm.

2. Pray for all the Bryce children for the coming admissions to the school. Usually,
admissions start about May 20.

Sincerely yours,
Mang

This article or excerpt was posted on May 8, 2008@ 9:56 am .

From: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
 Category: * Signs of the Times


"An Evangelical Manifesto" Released

Source: Editors at Lighthouse Trails

LTRP Note: Lighthouse Trails is posting this section of "An Evangelical Manifesto" with a link to the document itself, not as an endorsement but rather for research purposes.

An Introduction
"An Evangelical Manifesto is an open declaration of who Evangelicals are and what they stand for. It has been drafted and published by a representative group of Evangelical leaders who do not claim to speak for all Evangelicals, but who invite all other Evangelicals to stand with them and help clarify what Evangelical means in light of 'confusions within and the consternation without' the movement. As the Manifesto states, the signers are not out to attack or exclude anyone, but to rally and to call for reform.

"As an open declaration, An Evangelical Manifesto addresses not only Evangelicals and other Christians but other American citizens and people of all other faiths in America, including those who say they have no faith." Click here to read the rest of the introduction and see a list of people in the "Steering Comittee."

Click here to read the "Evangelical Manifesto."

Some of the signers include:
* The signers we have listed below are from organizations that promote contemplative spirituality to one degree or another. Kay Arthur is the exception.

Leith Anderson

Don Argue
Chancellor, Northwest University

Kay Arthur
Founder, Precept Ministries

Mark Bailey
President, Dallas Theological Seminary

Mark Batterson
Pastor, National Community Church, Washington, D.C.

Doug Birdsall
Executive Chair, The Lausanne Movement

Darrell Bock
Research Professor of New Testament, Dallas Theological Seminary

George Brushaber
President, Bethel University

Bob Buford
Businessman/Founder, Leadership Network

Ergun Caner (Note: Ergun Caner has informed Lighthouse Trails that his name was added to the Evangelical Manifesto without his consent or knowledge. He has issued a public statement regarding this, and his name has now been removed from the list.
President, Liberty Theological Seminary/Author

M. Daniel Carroll R.
Distinguished Professor of Old Testament, Denver Seminary

Loren Cunningham Co-Founder, Youth With A Mission

Jack Hayford
Founding Pastor, The Church on The Way, President, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel

Dean Hirsch
President, World Vision International

Kelly Monroe Kullberg
The Veritas Forum

Duane Litfin
President, Wheaton College

Max Lucado
Senior Pastor, Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, Texas, Author

Erwin Lutzer
Pastor, Moody Church, Chicago, Illinois, Gordon MacDonald Author/Pastor

J. P. Moreland
Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Biola University

Shirley Mullen
President, Houghton College

Mark Noll
Professor of History, University of Notre Dame

John Ortberg
Pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, Menlo Park, California

William Pannell
Senior Professor of Preaching, Fuller Theological Seminary

Mel Robeck
Professor of Ecumenics, Fuller Seminary

Marguerite Shuster
Professor Preaching, Fuller Theological Seminary

Ronald J. Sider
President, Evangelicals for Social Action

Harold Smith
Editor in Chief and CEO, Christianity Today International

Rich Stearns
President, World Vision U.S. Joe Stowell President, Cornerstone University

Stephen Strang
Founder, Charisma Magazine

Jim Wallis
Founder and Editor, Sojourners Magazine

Amos Yong
Professor of Theology, Regent University

Rick Warren's name does not appear on the list of signers that is posted at the Evangelical Manifesto website at this time. According to reports, such as this one from World Magazine, he is one of the signers: "Evangelical Manifesto" calls for reform

This article or excerpt was posted on May 7, 2008@ 2:26 pm .

From: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
 Category: * Global Peace


GUINNESS DRAFT CREATES WASHINGTON BUZZ

Source: Miscellaneous News Source

Event Name: An Evangelical Manifesto
Event Date: May 7, 2008
Event Type: News Conference
Time: 9:30 AM
from National Press Club

Sponsored by: Evangelical Manifesto
Event Location: First Amendment Lounge
Details: GUINNESS DRAFT CREATES WASHINGTON BUZZ:
'An Evangelical Manifesto' To Be Publicly Launched at National Press Club by Prominent Christian Leaders, Encouraging Other Adopters
WHAT: Press conference to unveil the contents of "An Evangelical Manifesto," drafted by Dr. Os Guinness, vetted by a nine-person steering committee and supported in charter signature by more than 80 of the nation's leading Evangelical Christians. Join a representative group of prominent Christian leaders as they unveil an important declaration that seeks to clarify the confusions and corruptions surrounding the term "Evangelical" that have grown so deep that the character of what it means has been obscured and its importance lost. WHO: Dr. Os Guinness, Author Dr. John Huffman, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, CA Dr. Richard Mouw, Fuller Theological Seminary David Neff, Christianity Today Richard Ohman, Businessman Larry Ross, A. Larry Ross Communications Click here to read more.

This article or excerpt was posted on @ 9:29 am .

From:
Category: * Global Peace


PART 1: 'An Evangelical Manifesto' criticizes politics of faith

Source: Editors at Lighthouse Trails

LTRP Note: The following article is from CNN, reporting on a document that is going to be released this Wednesday and signed by several "evangelical" leaders including Rick Warren. Lighthouse Trails will issue an article on this document after it has been released. In the meantime, we thought our readers would want to learn about "An Evangelical Manifesto," another effort by some highly influential figures to marginalize biblical Christians.

CNN
Associated Press

'An Evangelical Manifesto' criticizes politics of faith

AP - Conservative Christian leaders who believe the word "evangelical" has lost its religious meaning plan to release a starkly self-critical document saying the movement has become too political and has diminished the Gospel through its approach to the culture wars.

The statement, called "An Evangelical Manifesto," condemns Christians on the right and left for using faith to express political views without regard to the truth of the Bible, according to a draft of the document obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

"That way faith loses its independence, Christians become 'useful idiots' for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology," according to the draft.Click here to read this entire article.

Related Stories from Lighthouse Trails:

Hostile Sentiment Toward "End-Time" Believing Christians Increasing

Rick Warren Says Christians Have "Big Mouth[s]" and "Haven't Done Zip"

Rick Warren Predicts Christian Fundamentalism To Be Enemy of 21st Century

Purpose Driven Resisters - Must Leave or Die

The Spirituality of Barak Obama and Rick Warren

This article or excerpt was posted on May 5, 2008@ 9:45 pm .

From: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
 Category: * Purpose Driven


Time Magazine's 2008 Most Influential People List

Source: Editors at Lighthouse Trails

According to Time magazine, the following people are among the 2008 100 most influential people in the world. The ones we have listed all have some connection to promoting the New Age movement:

#1 - Dalai Lama
#3 - Barack Obama
#4 - Hilary Clinton
#22 - Oprah Winfrey
#67 - Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)
#81 - Rupert Murdoch

This article or excerpt was posted on @ 2:41 am .

From: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
 Category: * New Age/New Spirituality

Christian Colleges That DO NOT Have Spiritual Formation Programs

Source: Editors at Lighthouse Trails

Disclaimer: These colleges are listed, not necessarily as an endorsement or recommendation, but rather to show schools that do not have Spiritual Formation programs, nor do we know of any promotion of contemplative prayer or the emerging church within each of these schools. They also do not promote Purpose Driven materials, which are a catalyst for contemplative spirituality. Before sending your student to any of the schools listed below, please check out other criteria at the school that will influence your student.

Ambassador Baptist College (North Carolina)

Baptist Bible College Graduate School (Missouri

Berean Bible Institute(Wisconsin)

Blue Letter Bible Institute (Online

Bob Jones University (South Carolina)

Boston Baptist College(Massachusetts)

Calvary Chapel Bible College (California)

Corban College (formerly Western Baptist College - Oregon)

Heartland Baptist Bible College (Oklahoma)

The Masters College (California)

Pensacola Christian College Florida

Pillsbury Baptist Bible College (Minnesota)

Special Note: If your student is not yet aware of what the New Age movement really is, you should ask them to read For Many Shall Come in My Name. The book is a compelling overview of the New Age movement. This book will prepare young people and adults alike to recognize dangerous and non-biblical practices and beliefs that are being introduced into countless Christian schools.

If you know of a Bible-believing Christian college or seminary that does not promote contemplative or emerging and does not have a Spiritual Formation program, please drop us an email and tell us the name of the institution. We would like to post some of these on our research site.

This article or excerpt was posted on @ 2:09 am .

From: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
 Category: * Contemplative Colleges


The Great Emergence: A Reformation Every 500 Years?

Source: Understand the Times with Roger Oakland

By Roger Oakland

Phyllis Tickle is a best-selling author and the founding editor of the religion department at Publishers Weekly. She is also a friend of the emerging church. Doug Pagitt says of her:

Phyllis Tickle is the best friend the emergent movement could ever have.1
In the fall of 2008, Baker Books (through their partnership with Emergent Village-Emersion Books) will release Tickle's book called The Great Emergence. The following description of the book confirms Tickle's allegiance to emerging spirituality:
[I]ntended to provide a practical, positive vision of the church as it steps into the future. Tickle says the book will discuss the development of the emerging church, what she calls the "Great Emergence," placing it among the other great phenomena in the history of Christianity, including the Great Schism and the Great Reformation. "Every 500 years," Tickle said, "the empowered structures of institutionalized Christianity, whatever they may be, become an intolerable carapace that must be shattered so that renewal and growth may occur. Now is such a time."2
In a PBS interview, Tickle referred to this "[e]very 500 years" theory and said, "the church has a giant rummage sale." She said, "Christianity is in the midst of a new reformation that will radically remake the faith."3 At the Joint Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) where Tickle and McLaren shared a platform, one participant noted that, "[Tickle said] Brian McLaren is to this new reformation what Martin Luther was to the Protestant Reformation."4

If indeed Brian McLaren, or any of the emergent leaders or upstarts, lead and direct this new reformation, it will do as Tickle says--"radically remake the faith." Emergent proponent Troy Bronsink reveals that this remaking will include all of humanity and all of creation. In An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, Bronsink, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), states:
Emergent ... is a gift given to all the church that is placing us in tension with things as they are.... we will discover courage to let go of the old orientations, see creation expanding.5
He continues:
If the emergent conversation is to have a "next chapter," it will need to learn from other sketches outside of Western Christendom as well as from within the depths of other traditions (denominations and communions) once dismissed on rational-political grounds, and it must continue, all the more, to seek ways of sketching that benefit the rest of creation.6
Bronsink says that emergent is "a guild of prophets" that will lead the way for "existing practitioners of Christianity."7 He says they will create an "environment" that will equip "any and all for the process of emergence."8 He adds that "practices of meditation" are necessary to "sustain" the emergent hope(9) but gives a word of caution to emerging seekers:
[M]erely seeing ourselves as a creative agent within the domain of the Christian church will domesticate Emergent into what one critic has already claimed is an "asterisk on the landscape of American church growth." On the other hand, seeing the integrated whole of the church (emerging and otherwise) as a creative agent within creation, Emergent can be a place where practitioners embody the church's creative agency for all of emerging society. (emphasis added)10
Bronsink says the emerging church must not become confined within the structure of Christianity, and this is perhaps where we can understand the theological limits of the emerging church. Those limits? There are none! The sky is the limit for the all-encompassing emerging church that includes all faiths, and all creation. Atonement is not part of this new reformation because all creation is already being saved and unified with God. It's no wonder emerging prophets over the past several decades from [Henry] Fosdick to Alan Jones to Brian McLaren reject penal substitution--in their grand emergence, it just isn't needed.

A poem from An Emergent Manifesto of Hope illustrates what the emerging church calls expanded redemption. I think you will see how such a theology has no room for atonement through Jesus Christ. The poem reads:
Not only soul, whole body!
Not only whole body, all of the faithful community!
Not only all of the faithful community, all of humanity!
Not only all of humanity, all of God's creation!11
This is very contradictory to what Jesus said:
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22-23)
It's a noble and comforting notion that all humanity and creation are redeemed, but it doesn't square with biblical spiritual reality.

Emergent leader Karen Ward asks the question, "Is there an 'emerging' theology of the atonement?"12 She answers, "I think not." Calling it "the mystery we're in," she refers to the atonement as at-one-ment,13 a term occultist and New Age prophet Alice Bailey uses to refer to our (all humanity's) oneness and equality with God.14 Ward explains her views:
We are being moved, as a community, beyond theories about atonement, to enter into atonement itself, or at-one-ment-the new reality and new relationship of oneness with God which Christ incarnated (in life, cross, and resurrection) and into which we are all invited "for all time."15
The emergent reformation, when it comes to fruition, will stand on the side of the line drawn in the sand that says all humanity is One--regardless of religion, beliefs--we are all One. That Oneness will mean one with all creation too, and inevitably with God. This is what the New Age movement is striving for--a time when all of mankind will realize both their unity and divinity--and the Gospel as we know it, according to Scripture, will be no more.

Notes:
1. Steve Knight citing Doug Pagitt, "Phyllis Tickle to Write Book for Baker Books/Emersion"(Emergent Village, May 30, 2007, http://www.emergentvillage.com/weblog/phyllis-tickle-to-write-book-for-baker-booksemersion).
2. Ibid.
3. Fred Plumer, "What is Progressive Christianity Anyway?" (The Center for Progressive Christianity, http://www.tcpc.org/library/article.cfm?library_id=377).
4. Citing from Emergent Village Weblog, http://www.emergent village.com/weblog/emergent-and-the-new-reformation).
5. Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones, An Emergent Manifesto of Hope (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2007), Troy Bronsink section: "The Art of Emergence," p. 68.
6. Ibid., pp. 68-69.
7. Ibid., p. 69.
8. Ibid., p. 70.
9. Ibid., p. 71.
10. Ibid., pp. 72-73.
11. Ibid., p. 83.
12. Robert Webber (editor), Listening to the Beliefs of the Emerging Churches (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), Karen Ward chapter: “The Emerging Church and Communal Theology,†p. 163.
13. Ibid., pp. 163-164.
14. Throughout Alice Bailey’s writings is the concept of humanity’s at-one-ment (oneness) with God.
15. Robert Webber (editor), Listening to the Beliefs of the Emerging Churches, Karen Ward, op. cit., p. 164.

This has been an excerpt from Faith Undone by Roger Oakland, from chapter 12, "A New Reformation?"
This article or excerpt was posted on @ 1:53 am .

From: http://www.understandthetimes.org
 Category: * Emerging Church


FGBC (Fellowship of Grace Brethern Churches) Promotes Contemplative Spirituality and the Emerging Church

Source: Miscellaneous News Source

The FGBC (Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches) is an association of 260 North American churches of the Grace Brethren movement, which has an historical heritage dating back to the 18th century. Currently, there are over 2000 churches and around 750,000 Grace Brethren members. According to the main FGBC website, FGBC churches are autonomous (self-governed), and FGBC believes that the Bible is their authority. Thus, it is most unfortunate to report that FGBC is heading into the contemplative/emerging camp through several various avenues.

The CE National is a ministry arm of FGBC that provides "ministries and resources" to educate and lead FGBC children, youth, and adults. One of the programs, 412 Commission (based on 1 Timothy 4:12), is "designed to nurture young leaders in an effective discipling environment." Last December, the Commission exposed students to emerging church leader and New Age-practice proponent Rob Bell. 1 In view of Bell's resonance with the Sisters of Marywood (recently featured in Reiki News for their "success" with the occultic practice, Reiki) and his emphasis on New Age mystic Ken Wilber, introducing FGBC kids to Bell is alarming. Of the meeting with Bell, an FGBC writer states: "[O]ur view of God was blown out of the box we had it in."

On a FGBC blog by one of CE National's leaders, Bob Hetzler (CE National's YouthNet Commission and director of Fusion, the young adult division of FGBC's Momentum youth conference), Hetzler states that Rob Bell's Nooma videos (a Trojan Horse for Bell's non-biblical spirituality), have been a best-selling resource for youth. 2

Sadly, just about one month ago, Hetzler recommended people read Brian McLaren and other pro-emerging books to get help in understanding the emerging church movement. This will certainly give students the perspective from an emerging point of view, but Hetzler's resources do not alert to the serious and dangerous mystical affinities of the emerging church or of its promotion of the Kingdom now theology or its interspiritual and universalistic beliefs. It is disappointing that Hetzler didn't point to a book like Faith Undone, in which Roger Oakland precisely and accurately shows the true nature of the emerging church.

Incidentally, on Hetzler's blog, he has links to Dallas Willard, Relevant magazine, Leadership Network, and the Ooze, all of which are some of the most influential promoters of the emerging church, and all of which have a propensity toward the mystical. Because Hetzler is instrumental in working with FGBC churches, his promotion of contemplative and emerging resources cannot be underestimated.

The CE National "lending library" is filled with contemplative and emerging related books and authors: Under Youth Ministry, they recommend Mark Oestreicher (from Youth Specialties who calls Christianity "an Eastern religion"), Rick Warren (a major promoter of both contemplative and emerging), Duffy Robbins, Doug Fields (Saddleback), Wayne Rice (Youth Specialties co-founder), Tony Campolo, Mike Yaconelli, and Tony Jones. Other various categories include New Ager Jack Canfield, mystic proponent Richard Foster, Larry Crabb, John Eldredge, Robert Webber, Tony Campolo, and many others with similar spiritual proclivities.

BMH Books is a publishing arm of FGBC. A new release of theirs titled Spiritual Friends is written by Robert Kellemen. The book was originally published by RPM Books. In that 2004 edition, Kellemen quotes atonement denier Alan Jones from his book Exploring Spiritual Direction. This makes sense that Kellemen would turn to Jones because Kellemen's book is about spiritual direction, which is a philosophy that Jones believes in also. Some may be thinking, "What is wrong with spiritual direction?" But the kind of spiritual direction that is being promoted here is contemplative spiritual direction. In other words, spiritual direction (through trained spiritual directors) is needed to help people develop their spiritual formation through contemplative prayer practices. For those who may doubt that this is what Kellemen is referring to, all one needs to do is look to the Acknowlegments in his book, where he thanks Larry Crabb who "contributed" to his own theories on spiritual direction. Crabb is a psychologist who turned to spiritual direction (i.e., contemplative spirituality). This is documented in a Christianity Today article, "Got Your Spiritual Director Yet?." In that article it states: [N]ow he [Crabb] believes that in today's church, therapy should be replaced by another, more ancient practice--"spiritual direction." Today, Crabb promotes mystical practices, as can be seen in his various writings (such as The Papa Prayer, where he encourages the use of centering prayer.

In Kellemen's book, he also looks to other mystical-type prayer proponents for guidance: Henri Nouwen, Eugene Peterson, Thomas Aquinas, Dallas Willard, John Eldredge, Dan Allender, Ignatius Loyola, Tilden Edwards (who said in his book, Spiritual Friend, that contemplative is the bridge between Eastern religion and Christianity - see A Time of Departing), Richard Foster, David Benner, and Marjorie Thompson (from her book Soul Feast ).

Marjorie Thompson does not hide her draw to eastern-style mysticism. She states, "The practice of contemplative prayer might give a Christian ground for constructive dialogue with a meditating Buddhist" (from Preface). In essence, Thompson resonates with New Age philosophy as she indicates in her book by often favorably referencing and/or promoting people like Matthew Fox, Thomas Keating, and others with panentheistic views (God is in all). Of Keating and eastern mysticism, she states:

A way of prayer closely related to this ancient form [the Jesus prayer] is now enjoying a revival among Christians of several traditions. It is called "centering prayer," and is a good way to introduce the person in the pew to contemplation. Centering prayer is based on a fourteenth-century treatise titled The Cloud of Unknowing. In this way of prayer, you select a single word that sums up for you the nature and being of God. Single-minded focus on this prayer word in silent concentration becomes a vehicle into the mystery of divine presence and grace. The method bears a striking resemblance to Eastern meditation with mantras but has developed independently out of the mystical strands of Western Christianity.
If FGBC incorporates Kellemen's spiritual orientation into their denomination, some day many of their churches may resemble the vision of Matthew Fox's christ-consciousness or of Thomas Keating through mantric prayer.

Grace College/Seminary (FGBC representative college) is also allowing the contemplative influence into student's lives. Last April (2007), at their chapel, they had Richard Twiss, and this April they had Shaine Claiborne (who was recently cancelled at Cedarville because of his emerging church spirituality). Also Kay Warren spoke in February. Warren promotes contemplative through her recommendation of Henri Nouwen's book, In the Name of Jesus, which states we need to move from the "moral to the mystical."

The last avenue our report will point out is that FGBC is allowing contemplative/emerging influences through their youth events. Momentum, taking place this June, recommends several ministries such as Youth Specialties and CPYU. 3 At the 2008 Driven Conference, one of the speakers is Kary Oberbrunner, author of Called: Becoming Who You Were Born to be (also published by FGBC's BMH Books). Oberbrunner, a graduate of Grace College and pastor of an FGBC church, quotes New Age leader Marianne Williamson on the first page of his book (and again on p. 143), calling her words "inspiring" and offering no warning about her but rather says they have inspired his own soul. Perhaps Oberbrunner does not know who Marianne Williamson is, but if that is the case, we hope he will now take the time to learn and remove her reference from his book. Pointing to Williamson is the same as pointing to Oprah, A Course in Miracles, and Eckhart Tolle, all of whom are strong opponents of biblical Christianity and the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Kary Oberbrunner has announced that he is now in contract with Zondervan publishers. Given the fact that Zondervan is one of the main influencers for contemplative/emerging spirituality in evangelical Christianity, this probably isn't a good sign that they resonate with him. In his book, Oberbrunner expounds on the kingdom teachings of emerging leaders Doug Pagitt and Robert Webber, and even references panentheist Basil Pennington. Pennington stated the following in a book he co-authored with Thomas Keating:
We should not hesitate to take the fruit of the age-old wisdom of the East and capture it for Christ. Indeed, those of us who are in ministry should make the necessary effort to acquaint ourselves with as many of these Eastern techniques as possible ... Many Christians who take their prayer life seriously have been greatly helped by Yoga, Zen, TM and similar practices (see chapter 2, ATOD)
It is our prayer and hope that FGBC and its leaders will stop going in the contemplative direction and make a renewed commitment to biblical truth. Lighthouse Trails would like to offer a complimentary copy of A Time of Departing and Faith Undone to any of FGBC's 12-member Fellowship Council Board of Directors. These 12 men help to lead FGBC and make decisions that affect the entire movement. We think if they would take the time to study these issues, they will find that contemplative spirituality and emerging philosophy are not biblical and not the direction in which FGBC founders, who were often persecuted for their defense of the faith, would have taken believers.

This article or excerpt was posted on May 3, 2008@ 8:04 pm .

From:
Category: * Contemplative


BGC World Magazine Article by Contemplative Jan Johnson; Includes Yoga Poses

Source: Editors at Lighthouse Trails

BGC World magazine is a publication of the Illinois-based Baptist General Conference. BGC has a long history dating back to the 1800s when Swedish Baptists came to America to escape religious persecution. With a heritage like that, it is with dismay that we must report that the May 2008 BGC World magazine is carrying an article about fitness written by contemplative proponent Jan Johnson. The article, titled Bent Every Which Way shows photos of a young woman in various yoga positions.

Jan Johnson is the author of Enjoying the Presence of God and When the Soul Listens. In the latter book, she states:

Contemplative prayer, in its simplest form, is a prayer in which you still your thoughts and emotions and focus on God Himself. This puts you in a better state to be aware of God's presence, and it makes you better able to hear God's voice, correcting, guiding, and directing you. (p. 16)
Johnson's explanation of the initial stages of contemplative prayer leaves no doubt that "stilling" your thoughts means only one thing; she explains:
In the beginning, it is usual to feel nothing but a cloud of unknowing.... If you're a person who has relied on yourself a great deal to know what's going on, this unknowing will be unnerving. (p. 120)
Johnson points to several mystics in the book, including Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Madame Guyon, Brother Lawrence, John of the Cross, and others. Brother Lawrence would resonate with Johnson's message of "unnerving" prayer. In his book, The Practice of the Presence of God, it says he "danced violently like a madman" when he went into the "presence."(1) Thomas Merton likened contemplative prayer to an LSD trip(2) while Henri Nouwen denounced Jesus Christ as being the only way to salvation.3 He did this after years of practicing mysticism and encouraged Christians to move from the "moral to the mystical."4

In Johnson's book, she references the book, The Cloud of Unknowing Ray Yungen discusses this book:
To my dismay, I discovered this 'mystical silence' is accomplished by the same methods used by New Agers to achieve their silence--the mantra and the breath! Contemplative prayer is the repetition of what is referred to as a prayer word or sacred word until one reaches a state where the soul, rather than the mind, contemplates God. Contemplative prayer teacher and Zen master Willigis Jager brought this out when he postulated:
Do not reflect on the meaning of the word; thinking and reflecting must cease, as all mystical writers insist. Simply "sound" the word silently, letting go of all feelings and thoughts.
Those with some theological training may recognize this teaching as the historical stream going back centuries to such figures as Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Julian of Norwich. One of the most well-known writings on the subject is the classic 14th century treatise, The Cloud of Unknowing, written by an anonymous author. It is essentially a manual on contemplative prayer inviting a beginner to:
Take just a little word, of one syllable rather than of two ... With this word you are to strike down every kind of thought under the cloud of forgetting.
The premise here is that in order to really know God, mysticism must be practiced--the mind has to be shut down or turned off so that the cloud of unknowing where the presence of God awaits can be experienced. Practitioners of this method believe that if the sacred words are Christian, you will get Christ--it is simply a matter of intent even though the method is identical to occult and Eastern practices. (A Time of Departing, 2nd ed., p. 33)
Many Christians do not understand that yoga is the heartbeat of Hinduism and it does not belong in biblical Christianity. Pastor Larry DeBruyn explains:
Christianity cannot be integrated with yoga and remain Christian. To think otherwise imperils the Christian truth and faith. As the managing editor of Hinduism Today, Sannyasin Arumugaswami, remarks, "Hinduism is the soul of yoga" based as it is on Hindu Scripture and developed by Hindu sages. Yoga opens up new and more refined states of mind, and to understand them one needs to believe in and understand the Hindu way of looking at God. . . . A Christian trying to adapt these practices will likely disrupt their own Christian beliefs". East is east, and west is west, and if Christianity is to remain Christian, "the twain" should never be married.5


Jan Johnson is in like-minded company with Merton, Lawrence, Nouwen, and The Cloud of Unknowing, but given the Baptist General Conference's heritage, incorporating the spirituality of Johnson into BGC seems like a paradox of major proportions. What's more, the yoga photos are what we would call truly "unnerving."

Notes:
1. Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God (New York: NY: Doubleday, Image Book edition, 1977, translated by John Delaney), p. 34.
2. Thomas Merton said this to Matthew Fox, as Fox stated in an online interview.
3. Henri Nouwen, Sabbatical Journey, page 51, 1998 Hardcover Edition
4. Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus, 1989.

For more information on Yoga and its dangers, please read Yoga and the Body of Christ by Dave Hunt and watch Yoga Uncoiled by Caryl Productions.

Also see our database of Yoga articles.

This article or excerpt was posted on May 2, 2008@ 1:16 am .

From: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
 Category: * YOGA


Those Who Resist

Source: Kevin Reeves

These are critical days for the body of Christ. We are in the epoch of church history spoken of by the apostle Paul as "perilous times" (II Timothy 3:1). What makes the danger all the more imminent is that not much of the church believes it. Many of us have owned the glorious but erroneous vision of an end-times remnant walking in unconquerable power, transforming entire societies. The result has been nothing short of catastrophic. How soon we forget. Every cult in the world has sprouted from the fertile soil of deception, always initiated by a drastic move away from the primacy of the Word of God into the nebulous, self-defining atmosphere of experience. At New Covenant, our desire to accumulate otherworldly wealth (i.e., supernatural power) had ushered us into a contrived system of personal spiritual elevation much like such active cults as Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witnesses.

In the case of my former congregation, our pre-supposed love of the Word of God, along with our ignorance of and opposition to nearly every scriptural warning about false doctrine and seducing spirits in the church, left us open to bizarre teachings and practices. As we embraced mysticism, our biblical parameters melted away. Yes, we were sincere, but what we were wanting was diametrically opposed to our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Like physical signs of pain, there were signs in our church that something was terribly wrong.But just like the person who ignores the pain and avoids going to the doctor, we too ignored what should have been so obvious. That is, until it got so bad that avoidance was no longer an option.

Why do people ignore warning signs? It's like a motorist painting over his oil pressure gauge so he won't notice the depleting measure. But the reality of the situation will become evident enough when his engine seizes up, and the car comes to a sudden halt. I've discovered that in the spiritual arena most people will do exactly this: they take pains to look the other way when something bumps up against their doctrine. As a Christian, there's no quicker way to start a fight with a friend than to tell him that some of his most fervent beliefs are wrong. I know. I've lost my share of friendships that way. The problem comes when folks aren't willing to deal with the uncomfortable. And the horror of it is that in spiritual matters, we're dealing with eternal things. While the person who ruins his vehicle can at least purchase another, the human soul is irreplaceable....

In my own case, association with a cutting-edge group offered me security and personal power, and for years, the paranoia of offending God kept me from asking too many unsettling questions. It's ironic that, in a fellowship that taught a watered-down version of the fear of the Lord, it was fear that motivated me to stay put.

Many other Christians find themselves in this same predicament, especially those with a genuine heart for the truth. When some doctrine foreign to biblical Christianity is introduced into the congregation, they want to inquire about its origin and validity, but fear holds them in check. If it comes from the pastor, who surely must be more spiritual than the rest of the group, then God must simply have approved it. Therefore, questioning or opposing the pastor or church leadership is seen as opposing the Lord Himself.

But God doesn't work that way. Throughout the Bible are examples of those who love the Lord who questioned authority when it was wrong. And what's more, "prove all things" is clearly God's instruction to the believer (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

This manipulative pastoral attitude of squelching sincere inquiries was recently brought home in a frightening way. A friend of mine attended a local church service, knowing that the pastor was fully in support of the so-called Brownsville revival. She was nonetheless unprepared for the chilling threat from the pulpit. After reminding the congregation of the judgment deaths of Ananias and Sapphira for opposing the Holy Spirit, the pastor looked directly at the congregation and said, "If you think about questioning anything that goes on in this service ... well, you just be careful!"

Two plus two still equals four. His meaning was quite plain. If you want to end up like that evil-hearted couple, just go ahead and do some serious inquiry into the teachings or manifestations of this group.

Brothers and sisters, something is seriously wrong here. Brutalizing the saints with a threat from an angry heart is not the Bible way. But it is becoming quite a fashionable pastime for leadership to silence even well-intentioned criticism with threats and ridicule. It has been going on from both the Toronto and Brownsville pulpits for years and has spilled over into many other groups in the church to