(2) New Age/Eastern Mysticism In The Churches by 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 Church by 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.

(8) Eastern Regional Watch Ministries (ERWM) - Emerging Church by Steve Muse
Great apologetics site on Emerging Church.

(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.

(10) Dr. Larry Spargimino Interviews Warren Smith About Present Day 'Repackaging of the New Age' - Part One by Southwest Radio Church Ministries, 12/17/05
RealPlayer - Windows Media Player

(11) Dr. Larry Spargimino Interviews Warren Smith About Present Day 'Repackaging of the New Age' Part Two by Southwest Radio Church Ministries, 12/17/05
RealPlayer - Windows Media Player

(12) Crosstalk's Ingrid Schlueter Interviews Brian Flynn About 'Christian' Yoga by VCY America, 12/17/05

(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.

(14) The Emerging Church Markets Catholicism by Richard Bennett, Berean Beacon, PDF, 01/25/06

(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 Church by 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. 

(20) Emergent Evangelical Prophet Tony Campolo by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 02/05/06
Also read Part 4.

(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.

(24) Emerging Church Deception
Good web page on Emerging Church issues.

(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.

(31) Series Of Radio Programs & Transcripts On The Emerging Church by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times, 5/06

(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 Hindu by 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
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

(68) The Critical Question Before The Church by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 12/12/06
The Emergent Church is not a move of God.

(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?

(72) Eastern Mysticism in Evangelicalism interview with Sarah Leslie and Ingrid Schlueter, 1/2/07
This is an audio interview available in these formats: RealAudio | Windows Media | MP3 | Order Tape or CD

(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.

(76) Online Christian Bookstores Continue to Promote Yoga and the New Age Movement by Bud Press, Christiani Research Service, 1/22/07
They continue to do it, despite the Biblical warnings against it.

(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. 

(73) An Open Rebuttal to Rev. Jerry Falwell's Commentary, The 'Emerging Church': Straying from the Gospel by Paul Proctor, 4/07
Though it is laudible that Falwell has seen some problems in the Emerging Church, his statement leaves room for major false teaching to continue.

(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 Bible by 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." 

(101) Ken Blanchard Endorses Book 'Inspired' by Hindu Guru Co-founder of Lead Like Jesus continues down New Age road by Bud Press, Director, Christian Research Service, November 26, 2007
But now, over two years later, Ken Blanchard has not kept his promise. He continues down the broad New Age road. He is hindering the furtherance of the gospel, and is causing the unwary to stumble along the way.

(102) Pastor John MacArthur of Grace To You Refutes Doug Pagitt, Emergent church leader by John MacArthur, Grace To You, 11/07
This is a video clip of MacArthur refuting Pagitt's promotion of Yoga in churches.

(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. 

(117) Your Local Christian Bookstore Could Be Dangerous to Your Spiritual Health by Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline, Volume 13, No. 2, March/April
Gone are the days when filling your cart at a Christian bookstore is safe for your spiritual health. 

(118) Potentialy Harmful, and Dangerous Spiritual Practices Researched 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 Story by 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. 

(140) Spirituality & Sex - The God of Sex versus Sex God by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 9/08
Read Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3.

(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.

(153) A Personal Testimony: Why Christian Leaders Should Not Promote Henri Nouwen by For the Author, 12/12/08
Please read the important article at Lighthouse Trails
Why Christian Leaders Should Not Promote Henri Nouwen that inspired the diatribe which follows.

(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.

(157) The Emerging Church by Mike Oppenheimer, 1/09
(1) The Emergent church's view on the Bible
(2) The underlying problem with the Emergent Church movement?

(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.

(159)  The Emergent Church Could Submerge Yours! by Jan Markell, Olive Tree Ministries, 3/12/09
What are the signs that you may be in an Emergent Church?

(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.”

(163) Spiritual Formation? - Another name for Contemplative Spirituality by Lighthouse Trails, 4/09
Those who are teaching "spiritual formation" believe we cannot be "deep" Christians without it. 

(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. 

(184) Are Christian and Emerging Leaders Heading Toward a False Christ Through Quantum Spirituality? byWarren Smith, 7/11/09
[The question must be asked] Are they [Christian and emerging leaders] 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"? 

(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..

(190) New YouTube: Ray Yungen on the Emerging Church & Interspirituality at Lighthouse Trails, 7/23/09
The following is a 10-minute YouTube preview of Ray Yungen's DVD from the New Face of Mystical Spirituality series. 

(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. 

(199) The Emergent church?  The New Apostolic Reformation? How would you know if your church partakes of these false doctrines? by Last Days Alert, 8/28/09
If your church has replaced their teaching format, introduced new spiritual classes or changed their worship style, I urge you to research the authors in your church book store and also the guest speakers to find out if they belong to the Emergent Church or The New Apostolic Reformation.

(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?

(216) The Dangers of Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines - A Critique of Dallas Willard and The Spirit of the Disciplines by Bob DeWaay, 12/09
Practices called “spiritual disciplines” that are deemed necessary for “spiritual formation” have entered evangelicalism. 

(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.

(219) Journey Into Wholeness or Journey Into Worldliness? - A comment on "40 Days of Reflection & Growth" (Spiritual Formation) being taught at Trevecca Nazarene University by Sandy Simpson, 12/15/09
The bottom line is that this EC type of questionnaire gets the student to look within themselves for the answer instead of to the written Word.  This can only lead to more confusion and will certainly not lead to spiritual formation. Part 1 - Journey Into Wholeness or Journey Into Worldliness? - A comment on "40 Days of Reflection & Growth" (Spiritual Formation) being taught at Trevecca Nazarene University by Sandy Simpson, 12/15/09
Part 2 - Pragmatic Methodology versus Practical Theology - a comment on "Finding Your Spiritual Gifts" by C. Peter Wagner by Sandy Simpson, 1/18/10

(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.

(222) Nazarene Church Has Lost It's Way by WordPress.com, 1/16/10
Blog detailing the Nazarene denomination's fall into apostasy.

(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.

(237) Misguided Shepherds: Christian leaders who have given in to Contemplative Spirituality by Lighthouse Trails, 2/10
David Jeremiah of Turning Point Ministries walk toward contrmplative spirituality.

(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.”

(247) Jan Markel interview with Pastor Bob DeWaay and his trip to an Emergent Conference at Critical Issues Commentary, 3/29/10
This is an MP3 file.

(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.

(252) YOGA: All the things they failed to warn you about! at Spiritual Research Network, 4/8/10
A page with many articles on the dangers of Yoga and Christian Yoga.

(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.

(263) ON CREATION 2010 – “Contemporary Christian Music Sways Youth to Worldly Lifestyles, Doctrinal Confusion and New Age Spirituality” by Ellen Pope, Free-Lance Writer, 5/25/10
We believe the following commentary is thought-provoking and useful in further understanding the methods of the new spirituality. Keep in mind that a growing number of Christian musicians are becoming involved in the contemplative emerging movement.

(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.

(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.”

(1) A Critique On The Ministry Of Richard Foster by Wendy Howard, editor of Despatch magazine, Queensland, Australia, 1999
I feel very bad about this expose' as Richard Foster was a former youth pastor in a church I attended some 29 year ago.  At that time he was a real blessing to our youth group and was not dabbling in New Age mysticism.  When I first read his book "Celebration of Discipline" I thought that it had some good ideas.  At that time I was very naive to the dangers of the New Age entering the church.  It wasn't until I read Dave Hunt's book "The Seduction Of Christianity" that those issues were brought to light in my mind.  At that time I didn't like the way Richard Foster had been "singled out" by Hunt, but I later realized that my anger at Hunt mainly stemmed from the fact that Richard was my friend.  Hunt also attacked me, in a round about way, because I was doing Christian instrumental music which had been given the unfortunate label of "Christian New Age" by the CCM industry.  I was no more into New Age than Hunt but was producing Christian music with Biblical themes.  I also believe that meditation on Scripture and prayer is a perfectly Christian practice.  What I did not like in Foster's book was the "visualization" techniques because they smacked of the occult and necromancy.  Little did we all know that Dave Hunt's book would turn out to be very prophetic in it's prediction that these occult techniques would take the current Third Wave counterfeit revival movement straight into the occult.  Now, with hindsight, we can see where Foster went away from truth into error. I hope this expose' will help him to see the error he was partially responsible for in the Third Wave today, and repent of it.  We have all made mistakes, we have all sinned.  It is our responsibility to believe and repent.  I repented of my mixing of New Age concepts with Christianity long ago.  I can only pray that Richard Foster will do the same.

(2) Response To A Defender Of Richard Foster by 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 Bible by 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.”

(9) Contemplative Pioneer Richard Foster’s Spiritual “Legacy” by David Cloud, Way of Life Ministries, 6/30/10
Richard Foster’s writings have been at the forefront of the contemplative movement since the 1970s. No one has done more than this man to spread contemplative mysticism throughout Protestant and Baptist churches.

(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.

(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.

(3) The Emerging Church by Dan Kimball - Reviewed by Gary Gilley

(4) The Emerging Church by Dan Kimball - Reviewed by Steve Muse

(5) They Like Jesus, But Not The Church by Dan Kimball - Reviewed by Lighthouse Trails Research

(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.

(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.

(7) Examining the Theology and Dangers of Contemplative Emerging Church Spirituality by Spiritual Research Network, 2/06
Brian McLaren Confused About Homosexuality? This ought to be a very clear warning to the entire Evangelical Church how bad Mr. McLaren's theology is. 

(8) Christianity Defaced as Leader of Emergent Church Movement Embraces Mysticism by Richard Bennett, 3/06
The Emerging Church movement has hailed as its “manifesto” Brian McLaren’s book, A Generous
Orthodoxy.

(9) Brian McLaren - Emerging, But Into What? by Lighthouse Trails
A good page of artilces on McLaren.

(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.

(18) Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture by Ken Silva, Apprising Ministries, 12/06
Read this whole series.

1. Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture 1
2. Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture 2
3. Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture 3
4. Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture 4
5. Brian McLaren And The Clarity Of Scripture 5

(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.

(28) Brian McLaren and his views on hell and the atonement and other issues by Nazarenepsalm113, March 31, 2009
Unbeliever Brian McLaren and his views on hell and the atonement. Scary that this guy was voted one of the top influential evangelicals by Time Magazine.

(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…

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.

(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).

(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.

(3) Eastern Regional Watch Ministries (ERWM) - Emerging Church by Steve Muse
Great apologetics site on Emerging Church.

(4) Leonard Sweet: Quantum Spirituality and 
a Christ Consciousness! by Lighthouse Trails
Leonard Sweet (endorsed by Rick Warren) thanks New Agers for helping him find the "New Light"

(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 ?

(6) Rick Warren and Leonard Sweet Together Again -- Sweet: Reinvent yourself for the 21st century or die by Lighthouse Trails Research, 5/07
The 2007 Catalyst Conference will be taking place this October, and long-time colleagues Rick Warren and New Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet will be speakers.

(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.

(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.

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