2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren,
by the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be
not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor
by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ
is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that
day shall not come, except
there come a falling away [G646:
Apostasy] first, and
that man of sin be revealed, the
son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of
God, shewing himself that he is God.
I begin with the scripture above
because Paul tells us there are two signs that precede the
day of the Lord and Christ's coming to gather us to Himself.
This is the blessed hope that we are to watch for. According to the
Bible, God's Word is Truth. The Greek word used for "falling away"
is apostasia and it means: defection from truth (properly,
the state) ("apostasy"): falling away, forsake. Therefore any
teaching that strays from what the Bible, God's Word, says is a
defection from the Truth and an apostasy.
This is not limited to the secular, but is a great part of many
who consider themselves Christians who have beliefs and
practices in direct contradiction to God's Word. I believe in God's
literal Word being the foundation for all belief and whatever
deviates from that is no longer in line with Biblical Christianity.
I'm not trying to exclude anyone, just uphold the value of taking
God at His Word and living it as best as I can. I'm not perfect
either, but there is a time prophesied in which people will fall
away from the Truth to fables.
1 Timothy 4:1-9 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to
marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe
and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and
nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For
it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the
brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good
minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and
of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse
profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto
godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness
is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that
now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful
saying and worthy of all acceptation.
There are many beliefs out there that depart from the Truth. Some
are more subtle than others. This page will be a work-in-progress
watching the various forms of deception, blatant and subtle, so that
you are not in darkness regarding what God's Word says about much of
the deception that is part of the end-times. In fact, that is the
first thing Christ warned about when asked about the time of the
end. The ultimate end of this apostasy will lead people away from
God and into a one world religion that will eventually worship the
antichrist.
Matthew 24:3-5 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto
him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and
what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the
world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed
that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying,
I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Matthew 7:15-23 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by
their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of
thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but
a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is
hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye
shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the
will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in
that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in
thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew
you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Until you learn what you don't know, you
have no idea how blind you are. Blindness comes from a lack of
understanding of Truth, the inability to see it. The Bible says
that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. That
is our Truth, not material things or man's rule, this Truth is
eternal. The Word of the Lord endures forever.
1 Peter 1:25
Revelation
3:14-22 And unto the angel of the church of the
Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful
and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I
know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would
thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because
thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have
need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou
mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be
clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As
many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore,
and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in
to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as
I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his
throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches.
Is this speaking to the "prosperity gospel" being preached
around the world? It seems many Christians today are too wrapped up in the world
and conforming to it. The ways of the world hold more importance than the ways
of God and spending time with Him. The desire to "get ahead" in the world takes
our time away from God. Less time reading God's Word means less foundation upon
which to build belief leading to a lukewarm attitude not based on Truth of God's
Word, but feelings and impressions built from ideas here and there, both
Christian and secular. I've had to un-learn many things because I did not keep
God's Word central in my education of reality. Rather I conformed
somewhat to the world while holding onto the basics I had learned
growing up. Looking back now, I don't believe that was enough.
This mixing and mingling of belief is what Babylon was all
about. It is what God warned Israel not to do because they were set apart as
God's people to follow His ways. How much more as followers of Christ are we to
walk in His ways written in the Bible? These are the ways of selfless love
toward God and others with the recognition of Yeshua as the Messiah that died
for the sins of the world, rose again and is going to come again. This is
obedience to God and a requirement to build a personal relationship with Him.
God and sin cannot coexist and we as Christians are temples that God dwells in
with us by His Holy Spirit. So let us return to the Book and His ways and get
out of the world and the indifference to righteousness in order to fit into the
world. Let's fit into God's kingdom now, even if it brings hatred against us for
speaking the Truth.
Trust the Word of God, for it is
Truth.
The above
website and associated
newsletter covers in greater detail the pulling away from
Biblical Christianity that is happening more and more today as
experience drives belief over the Book for more and more believers.
We must be cautious and guarded about this because God is not the
only being we can have supernatural encounters with. Also see the
Slice of
Laodicea blog and the
End Times Prophetic, Prophecy, Visions, Dreams, Revelation,
Christian Blog for more. I believe it is possible to be so
caught up in
searching for signs and wonders that they cause us to miss the
subtle and every-day miracles that God works in the lives of them that
love Him. I know in my study of Bible prophecy, I have learned more
detail about the future than any man tried to guess at, only this is
all God's Word, not man's word. If you don't believe that, then this
is all foolishness to you. But many ministries that people see
through and then associate with all Christianity are not following
God's Word, but men's fables and tickling words.
2 Timothy 3-4:18 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors,
heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into
houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away
with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood
Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds,
reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no
further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as
their's also was.
But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner
of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them
all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers
shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But
continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast
been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And
that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are
able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
I charge thee
therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge
the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach
the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will
come when they will not endure sound
[Biblical] doctrine; but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and
shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things,
endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full
proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the
time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I
have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only,
but unto all them also that love his appearing. Do thy diligence
to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having
loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.
Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me
for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. The cloke
that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with
thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. Alexander
the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according
to his works: Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly
withstood our words. At my first answer no man stood with me,
but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to
their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and
strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known,
and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of
the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every
evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to
whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Titus 2:7-15 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in
doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound
speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the
contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of
you. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and
to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not
purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn
the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace
of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present
world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.
Let no man despise thee.
This website is an examination of Biblical doctrine in light of
end-time events currently unfolding. One of those prophesied events is
an apostasy from Truth, the Bible. That alone is the foundation to
determine sound doctrine. However, it is just not the bits and pieces we
choose to accept but the whole collection of 66 books written by the
Holy Spirit through 40 authors over thousands of years. We are to teach
the Gospel while looking for the blessed hope,
the
coming of Christ. In determining what the Bible has to say about how
that will come about, here are some things that I've learned about
different types of spirituality out there being used to chip away at the
foundation of Truth through the teachings of men and doctrines of demons
showing signs and lying wonders to deceive. I encourage you to learn
what the
Bible has to say about what is going to unfold in the near future.
“Lucifer
comes to give us the final ... Luciferic initiation ... that
many people now and in the days ahead, will be facing -- for it
is an initiation into the New Age. ... No one will enter the New
World Order unless he or she will make a pledge to worship
Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will take a
Luciferian Initiation.” |
David Spangler,
Director of Planetary Initiative, United Nations
Reflections on the Christ [Book: 1978], quoted in 'Unicorn
in the Sanctuary', by Randy England, 1978,
Interconnections
Must-read link
Constance Cumbey: Discovering the New Age
Movement
Constance Cumbey
Author of
Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow: The New Age Movement and Our
Coming Age of Barbarism tells her story on how she
discovered the New Age Movement. Its an exciting story to hear
as the truth of the new age movement is exposed from the shadows
it hides behind, revealing its dark purposes and satanic plot in
its hope for the Anti Christ. Constance also tells her thrilling
account of how she basically shattered a Benjamin Creme
gathering by saying the Lords Prayer, while they were waiting
for Maitreya to show.. Get ready for an exciting time as
Constance Cumbey tells her story. Filmed at the
Radio Liberty 2006 conference, hosted by Dr. Stanley Monteith.
The popularization of the very name New Age
has been attributed to her writings. Born Alice LaTrobe-Bateman
in Manchester, England on June 16, 1880, she grew up as a
society girl and enjoyed all the privileges of the British
upper-class. At the age of 35, her life changed forever and
later, in her unfinished biography she wrote:
"I discovered, first of all, that there is a great and
divine Plan... I discovered, for a second thing, that
there are Those Who are responsible for the working out of
that Plan and Who, step by step and stage by stage, have led
mankind on down the centuries."
Alice had her first contact with a voice that
claimed to be a master in November of 1919. Calling himself the
"Tibetan," he wanted Alice to take dictation from him.
Concerning this, Alice wrote:
"I heard a voice which said, "There are some books which
it is desired should be written for the public. You can
write them. Will you do so?"
Alice felt reluctant at first to take on such
an unusual endeavor but the voice continued urging her to writ
the books. Alice experienced a brief period of anxiety in which
she feared for her health and sanity. She was finally reassured
by one of her other masters that she had nothing to fear and
that she would be doing a "really valuable piece of work." The
valuable work" Alice was to do lasted thirty years between 1919
and 1949, by means of telepathic communication, Alice Bailey
wrote nineteen books for her unseen mentor.
To occultists, the significance of the Alice
Bailey writings was that they foretold that in the coming
Aquarian Age "the teachings of the East and of the West must be
fused and blended before the true and universal religion - for
which the world waits - could appear on earth."
[This one sentence sums up the entire theme of my
book,
A Time of Departing]
There also would be a "Coming One," whom she
called "the Christ," who would not be the Lord Jesus Christ whom
Christians await the return of, but an entirely different
individual. This man would embody all the great principles of
occultism, chiefly the divinity and perfectibility of man,
and consequently expect recognition and honor as to his own
lordship and divinity.
This sounds a lot like what Albert Pike wrote of in 1871
regarding "the true light through the universal manifestation of
the pure doctrine of Lucifer, brought finally out in the public
view." This is the Biblical
man of sin from
Revelation 13:1-10. Ray's book is
focused on the origins of these occultic teachings and how they are
creeping into the church and focused on the inner self. With the New
Age, the focus is on self and bettering oneself and ones place in
society. This all took off in the 60's sex, drugs and rock n' roll
movement. To understand the spiritual influence brought about by
music, watch
They Sold Their Souls for Rock N' Roll and see how popular bands
like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Marilyn Manson and others
forward the wicked agenda that has blinded generations.
Matthew 6:19-21
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also.
I believe that Raphael and Alice Bailey's "Tibetan" are
familar spirits. I also believe they are revealing their plan
of operation in their writings. The intent of these beings
can be seen by what the following metaphysical practitioners
convey:
It is all there -- just look for
it. Seek the immortal, eternal Spirit that dwells within you
-- the "I am presence," containting all that was, is, or
ever shall be.... The whole of life will become more
meaningful as you live from the center within. Remember that
you are Gods in the Making.
|
Donald Yott, Man and Metaphysics (New
York, NY: Sam Weiser, Inc., 1980), p. 103.
It is not necessary to "have faith"
in any power outside of yourself.
| Shakti Gawain, Creative Visualization,
op. cit., p. 15.
The Angel of Light
Who do you think would want you to believe something like
that? Who would want you to believe that God does not exist
outside of yourself -- that you don't need o have faith in
anything external. New Age writer/philosopher David
Spangler reveals who in his book Reflections on the
Christ when he writes:
Some being has to take these
energies into his consciousness and substance and channel
them as it were to those other beings who must receive them,
in this case humanity. The being who chose to embody these
energies and to be in essence the angel of man's inner
evolution is the being we know as Lucifer. | David
Spangler, Reflections of the Christ
(Findhorn Foundation, second edition, 1978(, p. 36.
He lays out the entire program behind the New Age movement in
the following explanation:
He [Lucifer] comes to make us aware
of our power within, to draw to ourselves experience. He
comes to make us aware of the power of creative
manifestation which we wield.
When you are working with the laws
of manifestation you are in essence manifesting a Luciferic
principle. | David Spangler
“No one will enter the New World Order
unless he or she will make a pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter
the New Age unless he takes a Luciferian initiation.” |
David Spingler Director of Planetary Initiative,
United Nations
link
Even if Spangler had not written these words, the link
between Lucifer and the New Age movement would still be evident
to Christians from reading 2 Corinthians 11:13-15:
For such are false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles
of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no
great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the
ministers of rightrousness; whose end shall be according
to their works. (emphasis mine)
For this deception to be effective, he would have to come as
an "angel of light." To judge a belief system as being satanic,
one should compare how close it comes to Satan's own statements
about himself. God is asking him, "How art
thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"
(Isaiah 14:12). Then
He reminds Satan of his own words when he challenged God:
For thou [Satan] hast said in thine
heart, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of
the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will be
like the most High." (Isaiah
14:13-14, emphasis added)
Then later, when Satan deceived Eve in the Garden, he said:
For God doth know that in the day
ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye
shall be as gods, knowing good from evil. (Genesis
3:5, emphasis mine)
Without a doubt, the New Age movement fits that bill.
Matthew 7:20
So then, you will know them by their fruits.
The results are in! And sadly, they are not surprising. In a church
age where the average professing Christian is both "in" the world
AND "of" the world...In a church age where the average pulpit is
filled with compromise and half-truths...In a church age where
uninspired commentaries pass for the inspired word of God...Here's
the latest statistics:*
70% of those claiming religious affiliations believe
multiple religions can lead a person to salvation.
57% of evangelical Christians say that multiple
religions can lead to salvation.
57% of evangelical Christians say that multiple religions can
lead to salvation, though nary an evangelical theologian or minister
would be likely to say that."*
Ya' know, it's one thing to be silent about something
that is false, but it's quite another thing to CLEARLY PRESENT THE
TRUTH IN LOVE! Where is the pastor who will boldly proclaim
from the pulpit that "THE BIBLE ALONE IS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD!"
Where is the preacher that will unapologetically declare that "JESUS
ALONE IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN!" The Bible says,
Acts 4:12 There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other
name (Jesus) under heaven that
has been given among men by which we must be saved.
And Jesus says,
John 14:6
I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the
Father, but through Me.
Self-help tips from the pulpit this Sunday won't be of much
value come Judgment Day.
Jeremiah 10:21 For the shepherds have become stupid and have not sought
the Lord.
-57% of evangelical Christians say that multiple religions
can lead to salvation.*
We live in a day much like the
one that Jeremiah lived in. He declared, "Those
who handle the law do not know Me (God)" (Jeremiah
2:8). Can you imagine? A pastor of a
church? A minister who proclaims the Word of God each Sunday? Not
even having a relationship with the One he/she supposedly
represents?
Jeremiah 5:30-31
An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land; the
prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own
authority; and My people love it so! But what will you do at
the end of it?
Can you imagine? A pastor running his church based on
the principles of a best selling book rather than the Word of God?
A minister or Bible school professor replacing the innerant/infallible
Scripture with his own ideas and calling them "The Bible?"
Well, it happened in Jeremiah's day... And it's happening RIGHT
NOW!
* Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life Survey (36,000
people), San Francisco Chronicle, "Americans Reshape Religion,"
p.1.
In the following passages, take note that some of those shut out
of the marriage and even those that cast out demons and do miracles
in Christ's name and who call Him Lord are not of Him.
Matthew 25:1-13
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins,
which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They
that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While
the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at
midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go
ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed
their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your
oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying,
Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye
rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they
went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went
in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward
came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you
not.Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the
hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 7:15-23 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall
know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or
figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good
fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree
cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring
forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit
is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits
ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say
to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works?And then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
This is not a judgment of the following as if I
have some kind of authority to do so. I am just a watchman and when
I see warning signs, I must speak up to bring awareness. My concern
is that some of these ministries focus less on Christ (while still
using His name) and more on signs and wonders and drawing those
looking for personal experiences rather than the Truth of God's
Word. I don't claim infallibility in determining error, but I ask
you to just look honestly at these things and search the Bible for
yourself as well. Rely on God's Word over man's word, including my
own things I share.
Acts 17:11
What is happening to mainstream Christianity is the same
thing that is happening to business, health, education,
counseling, and other areas of society. Christendom is being
cultivated for a role in the New Age. The entity, Raphael,
explains this very clearly in the Starseed Transmissions:
We work with all who are vibrationally sympathetic;
simple and sincere people who feel our spirit moving, but
for the most part, only within the context of their
current belief system.
(emphasis mine) | Ken Carey, The Starseed
Transmissions, op. cit., p. 33.
He is saying that they "work," or interact, with people who
open their minds to them in a way that fits in with the person's
current beliefs. In the context of Christianity this
means that those meditating will think that they have contacted
God, when in reality they have connected up with Raphael's kind
(who are more than willing to impersonate whomever the person
wishes to reach so long as they can link up with them.)
This ultimately points to a global religion based on
meditation and mystical experience. New Age writer David
Spangler explains it the following way:
There will be several religious and spiritual disciplines
as there are today, each serving different sensibilities and
affinities, each enriched by and enriching the particular
cultural soil in which it is rooted. However, there will
also be a planetary spirituality that will celebrate
the sacredness of the whole humanity in appropriate
festivals, rituals, and sacraments. There will be a more
widespread understanding and experience of the holistic
nature of reality, resulting in a shared outlook that today
would be called mystical. Mysticism has always overflowed
the bounds of particular religious traditions, and in the
new world this would be even more true.
| David Spangler, Emergence: The Rebirth
of the Sacred, op. cit., p.112
The rise of centering prayer
is causing many churches to become agents of transformation.
Those who practice it tend to embrace this one-world-religion
idea. One of the main proponents of centering prayer had this
revelation:
It is my sense, from having
meditated with persons from many different traditions, that
in the silence we experience a deep unity. When we go
beyond the portals of the rational mind into the experience,
there is only one God to be experienced.... I think it has
been the common experience of all persons of good will that
when we sit together Centering we experience a solidarity
that seems to cut through all our philosophical and
theological differences. (emphasis mind) | M.
Basil Pennington O.C.S.D., Centered Living
the Way of Centering Prayer (Liguori, MO: Liguori
Publications, Revised edition, 1999), pp. 198,200
In this context, we may compare all the world's religions to
a dairy herd. Each cow may look different on the outside, but
the milk would all be the same. The different religious groups
would maintain their own separate identities, but a universal
spiritual practice would bind them all together - not so much a
one-world church as a one-world spirituality. Episcopal priest
and New Age leader Matthew Fox explains what he calls "deep
ecumenism":
Without mysticism there will be no
"deep ecumenism," no unleashing of the power of wisdom from
all the world's religious traditions. Without this I am
convince there will never be global peace or justice since
the human race needs spiritual depths and disciplines,
celebrations and rituals, to awaken its better selves. The
promise of ecumenism, the coming together of religions, has
been thwarted because world religions have not been relating
at the level of mysticism. | Matthew Fox,
The Coming of the Cosmic Christ (New
York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), p. 65.
Fox believes that all world religions will eventually be
bound together by the "Cosmic Christ" principle, which is
another term for the higher self.
As incredible as this may sound, it appears to be happening
now. The New Age is embedding in American religious culture far
deeper and broader than many people imagine. If your concept of
the New Age is simply astrology, tarot cards, or reincarnation,
then you could easily miss the real New Age as it pulses through
the religious current. If mystical prayer continues its advance,
then we could one day see, perhaps sooner than we expect, many
Christian churches becoming conduits of New Age thought to their
membership.
Is God Graffiti?
Sue Monk Kidd is a best selling novel writer. Her book,
The Secret Life of Bees has sold over four million copies,
mainly to women. At one time a Southern Baptist Sunday school
teacher, she became attracted to centering prayer as a way to
know God more deeply. Today, she is the Writer in Residence of
the Sophia Institute, which is devoted to "foster[ing] the
emergence of the sacred feminine" (i.e., the
Divine feminine). Monk Kidd now adheres to what New Agers
teach, that this mystical force (called God or Divinity)
is in all things, nothing excluded:
Deity means that divinity will no
longer be only heavenly... It will also be right here, right
now, in me, in the earth, in this river, in excrement and
roses alike. (emphasis mind) | Sue Monk Kidd,
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter
(New York, NY: HarperCollins, First HarperCollins Paperback
edition, 2002), p. 160.
She reiterates this in her 2006 book, First Light, in which
she writes:
If I am intent on centering my life
in the presence of God, then I must understand what I
believe about where this presence can be found... God became
the steam of my soup, the uprooted tree, the graffiti on the
building, the rust on the fence. | Sue Monk Kidd,
First Light (Carmel, NY: Guideposts
Books, 2006) pp. 96,98
But what if the graffiti is gang graffiti about killing
members of a rival gang or even worse, what if the graffiti is
cursing God with vile language? Well, Monk Kidd would still
say that the graffiti is God. Why?
It is because New Agers believe God is not a being but Being
itself. In other words, there is nothing that is not God.
This is the decision that the world is now facing -- is God a
personal being or is God the Universe and all that it
entails? It is this vital question that we will explore in
the following chapters of this book.
The "Wiles" of Satan
Ephesians 6:11 warns: "Put on the whole armour of God, that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil"
(emphasis mine).
The word wiles in this verse translates ingenious
trap or snare. In order for a trap to be effective,
proper bait is needed 00 something that is alluring, that looks
and feels valid. For example, let's take the case of the Reiki.
The average Reiki practitioner would think it outrageous and
ridiculous that someone would even suggest that Reiki is
linked to Satan. One Reiki practitioner offered this comment on
the positive nature of Reiki:
During a Reiki treatment, you can
expect to feel any number of sensations; warmth, coolness,
tingling, deep relaxation, or at times you may not feel
anything discernible. Sessions usually last one hour, and
afterward you will feel calm and relaxed. you will sleep
better and have a general sense of well-being. |
Jennifer Thebodeau,
link
Does this sound like something that is Satanic? Most people
would not only say no but would feel that something of this
nature probably would have to come from God. In The Reiki
Factor, Reiki master Barbara Ray says:
Reiki has reemerged as a trasformative tool for energy
balancing, for natural healing, for wholing and for creating
peace, joy, love, and, ultimately, for achieving higher
consciousness and enlightenment. | Barbara Ray, Ph.D.,
The Reiki Factor
(Smithtown, NY: Exposition Press, Inc., 1983), p. 12.
Enlightenment is the same as self-realization, especially in
the context of a metaphysical practice. When a Christian hears
someone claim to be God, he immediately should recognize the
pronouncements of Satan, "Ye shall be as
gods" (Genesis 3:5)
and "I will be like the most High"
(Isaiah 14:14). Hear
this closely, He said, I will be like the most High (God)
... I will be like God.
In view of this, the only logical conclusion is that the
power behind Reiki is satanic. The key is not to think in
terms of how the popular culture sees Satan, but rather how the
inspired writers of the Bible portrayed Satan -- a master
deceiver and counterfeiter of the Truth. He is one who comes as
"an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14) to offer mankind
godhood (you are divine and the master of your own destiny).
The sad thing about all this is that these experiences are so
real and convincing. People experiencing the superconscious
testify that deep meditative states are incomparably beautiful
and harpazoous. They experience intense light flooding them,
andhave a sens of omnipotent power and infinite wisdom. In this
timeless state, they experience an ecstasy compared to nothing
they have ever known before. They feel a sense of unity with all
of life and are convinced of their own immortality. Such
experiences keep them returning for more. One is not going to
believe he or she is God if one doesn't feel like
God.
The late New Age leader Peter Caddy related an incident in
which a group of Christians confronted him and tried, as he put
it, to save my soul. He told them to come back and talk
to him when they've had the same wonderful mystical experiences
he has had. the point he was trying to make was that these
naive Christians had no idea what the metaphysical life is
all about and if they did, they would want what he had
rather than trying to convert him to their way of
thinking.
Feelings such as this are common in New Age circles and have
hooked many over the past twenty years. They feel something this
great has to be of God. A similar account is related in
Acts 8:9-11:
But there was a certain man, called
Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and
bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was
some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least
to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of
God. And to him they had regard, because that of long
time he had bewitched them with sorceries. (emphasis
mine)
In the Greek, the word bewitched means to amaze
or astound. Sorcery means using the power of familiar
spirits. What this man was doing had to have appeared good,
otherwise the people would not have felt that "this man is the
great power of God." The truth of the matter is, he wasn't of
God, it just appeared that way.
In light of all this, it is easy to see why the coming of the
Christian Gospel to Ephesus, that bastion of the Ancient Wisdom,
had such a dramatic effect:
And many that believed came, and
confessed, and shewed their deeds.9Many
of them also which used curious arts brought their books
together, and burned them before all men: and they counted
the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of
silver. (Acts 19:18-19,
emphasis mine)
The word curious is translated from a Greek word
meaning magical. The magical or metaphysical arts went
out the door when the Gospel of Christ came in. The two were not
only incompatable, but totally opposite as the
following account reveals:
And when they were at Salamis, they
preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and
they had also John to their minister. And when they had gone
through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain
sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was
Barjesus: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius
Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and
desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer
(for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them,
seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then
Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost,
set his eyes on him. And said, O full of all subtilty
and all mischief, thou child of the devil,
thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease
to pervert the right ways of the Lord? (Acts
13:5-10, emphasis mine)
"For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth."
Romans 1:16
For various reasons, Christians of different sorts have tinkered
with "the gospel of Christ" as though it needed adjustments. Not
major alterations, most will tell you, but just some minor tweaking
here and there. The changes often begin by one's declaring that
there is no real change involved, simply a shift in emphasis. Yet,
no matter what the rationale may be, the end result is being
"ashamed of the gospel of Christ."
To be "ashamed of the gospel" covers a number of attitudes from
being totally embarrassed by it to thinking one can improve upon it
a bit to make it more acceptable. One example of the former is the
recent claim by an Emerging Church author that the teaching
regarding Christ's paying the full penalty for the sins of mankind
through His substitutionary death on the Cross is irrelevant and
viewed as "a form of cosmic child abuse." More subtle examples
include trying to make the gospel seem less exclusive, and the
"softening" of the consequences from which the gospel saves mankind,
such as the wrath of God and the Lake of Fire.
Prevalent among many religious leaders who profess to be
evangelical Christians (i.e., Bible-believing Christians) is the
promotion of a gospel that is acceptable to, and even admired by,
people throughout the world. Today, the most popular form of this is
the social gospel.
Although the social gospel is common to many new movements among
evangelicals, it is not new to Christendom. It had its modern
beginning in the late 1800s, when it developed as a way to address
the various conditions in society that caused suffering among the
populace. The belief was, and is, that Christianity will attract
followers when it demonstrates its love for mankind. This could be
best accomplished by helping to alleviate the suffering of humanity
caused by poverty, disease, oppressive work conditions, society's
injustices, civil rights abuses, etc. Those who fostered this
movement also believed that relief from their conditions of misery
would improve the moral nature of those so deprived.
Another driving force behind the introduction of the social
gospel was the eschatological, or end times, views of those
involved. Nearly all were amillennialists or post-millennialists.
The former believed that they were living in a (symbolic
thousand-year) time period in which Christ was ruling from heaven,
Satan was bound, and they were God's workers appointed to bring
about a kingdom on earth worthy of Christ. Post-millennialists also
believed they were in the Millennium, and their goal was to restore
the earth to its Eden-like state in order for Christ to return from
Heaven to rule over His earthly kingdom.
The social gospel, in all of its assorted applications, helped to
produce some achievements (child labor laws and women's suffrage)
that have contributed to the welfare of society. It became the
primary gospel of liberal theologians and mainline denominations
throughout the 20th century. Although its popularity alternately
rose and fell as it ran its course, it was often energized by the
combination of religion and liberal politics, e.g., Martin Luther
King Jr. and the civil rights movement. Midway through the last
century and later, the social gospel influenced developments such as
the liberation theology of Roman Catholicism and the socialism of
left-leaning evangelical Christians. It is in this present century,
however, that the social gospel has gotten its most extensive
promotion. Two men, both professing to be evangelicals, have led the
way.
George W. Bush began his presidency by instituting the White
House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. His objective
was to provide government funding for local churches, synagogues,
mosques, and other religious ministries that were providing a social
service to their community. Bush believed that programs run by
"people of faith" could be at least as effective as secular
organizations in helping the needy, and perhaps more so because of
their moral commitment to "love and serve their neighbor." As he
prepares to leave office, he has declared that he considers his
Faith-Based program to be one of the foremost achievements in his
tenure as president. Presidential candidate Barack Obama stated
that, should he win the election, he will continue the Faith-Based
and Community Initiatives.
Rick Warren, the mega-selling author of
The Purpose-Driven Church
and The Purpose-Driven Life,
has taken the social gospel to where it's never been before: not
only worldwide but into the thinking and planning of world leaders.
Warren credits business management genius Peter Drucker with the
basic concept that he is executing. Drucker believed that the social
problems of poverty, disease, hunger, and ignorance were beyond the
capability of governments or multinational corporations to solve. To
Drucker, the most hopeful solution would be found in the nonprofit
sector of society, especially churches, with their hosts of
volunteers dedicated to alleviating the social ills of those in
their community.
Warren, acknowledging the late Drucker as his mentor for 20
years, certainly learned his lessons. His two
Purpose-Driven books, translated into 57 languages and
selling a combined 30 million copies, reveal the game plan for what
Drucker had envisioned. Warren had local churches implement this
vision from his books through his enormously popular 40 Days of
Purpose and 40 Days of Community programs. To date, 500,000 churches
in 162 nations have become part of his network. They form the basis
for his Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan.
What is his P.E.A.C.E. plan? Warren's presentation of the plan to
the church is found at www.thepeaceplan.com. On video, he identifies
the "giants" of humanity's ills as spiritual emptiness,
self-centered leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy, which he
hopes to eradicate by (P)lanting churches, (E)quipping leaders, (A)ssisting
the poor, (C)aring for the sick, and (E)ducating the next
generation.
Warren uses the analogy of a three-legged stool to illustrate the
best way to slay these giants. Two of the legs are governments and
business, which have thus far been ineffective, and, just like a
two-legged stool, cannot stand. The third very necessary leg is the
church. "There are thousands of villages in the world that have no
school, no clinic, no business, no government--but they have a
church. What would happen if we could mobilize churches to address
those five global giants?" Warren reasons that since there are 2.3
billion Christians worldwide, they could potentially form what
President Bush has termed a vast "army of compassion" of "people of
faith" such as the world has not yet experienced.
In addition to the Christian
version, Warren has an expanded
inclusive version of the
P.E.A.C.E. plan that has drawn support and praise from political and
religious leaders and celebrities worldwide. At the 2008 World
Economic Forum, he declared, "The future of the world is not
secularism, but religious pluralism...." Referring to the ills
besetting the world, he declared, "We cannot solve these problems
without involving people of faith and their religious institutions.
It isn't going to happen any other way. On this planet there are
about 20 million Jews, there are about 600 million Buddhists, there
are about 800 million Hindus, there are over 1 billion Muslims, and
there are 2.3 billion Christians. If you take people of faith out of
the equation, you have ruled out five-sixths of the world. And if we
only leave it up to secular people to solve these major problems, it
isn't going to happen" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGytW4yh0C8
).
To accommodate working with people of all faiths Warren has
revised the "P" in his P.E.A.C.E. from "planting evangelical
churches" to "(P)romoting reconciliation" and the "E" from
"equipping [church] leaders" to "(E)quipping ethical leaders."
Warren has elsewhere acknowledged his practical shift to pluralism:
"Who's the man of peace in any village--or it might be a woman of
peace--who has the most respect?...They don't have to be Christian.
In fact, they could be Muslim, but they're open and they're
influential, and you work with them to attack the five giants [to
which he has added global warming]." He quotes a secular leader who
affirms what he's doing: "I get it, Rick. Houses of worship are the
distribution centers for all we need to do."
Warren has joined the advisory board of Faith Foundation,
established by former British prime minister and recent Roman
Catholic convert Tony Blair. The Foundation's goal is to further
understanding and cooperation among the six leading faiths:
Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jewish. How does the
Cross fit into this ecumenical gathering? It doesn't. Critical to
achieving that ecumenical goal is the elimination of the problem of
exclusive religions, a
concern articulated by one of the World Economic Forum panelists:
"There are some religious leaders in different religious faiths who,
in seeking to affirm their own faith and its authenticity and
legitimacy...deny other people their faith with its legitimacy and
authenticity. I don't think we can keep going like this
without...spawning the kind of hatred we are all here to try and
solve. I think it's up to us to hold the clergy's feet to the fire
of whatever faith. That we insist that we affirm what is beautiful
in our own traditions while at the same time refusing to denigrate
other faith traditions by suggesting that they are illegitimate, or
consigned to some kind of evil end."
The Bible declares all the religions of the world to be
"illegitimate" and "consigned" not to "some kind of evil end" but to
their just end. Only belief
in the biblical gospel saves humanity: "Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name [Jesus Christ] under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved;...He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him"
(Acts
4:12;
John 3:36).
The history of the social gospel is, in nearly every case, a
sincere attempt by Christians to do those things that they believe
will honor God and benefit humanity. In every case, however, the
practical working out of "benefiting humanity" has compromised
biblical faith and dishonored God. Why is that? God's Word gives no
commission to the church to fix the problems of the world. Those who
attempt to do so are starting out under a false premise, "...a way
which seemeth right unto a man,"
not God's way. So where can
it go from there? "The end thereof are the ways of death," i.e.,
destruction (Proverbs
14:12). Furthermore, the problems of the world are all
symptoms. The root cause is
sin.
much more...
Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leaventh the whole lump.
The Shack is being
described as a “Christian” novel and is currently ranked number one
on the New York Times
bestseller list for paperback fiction. Many believers are buying
multiple copies and giving them to friends and family.
The Shack reads as a true
story, but is obviously allegorical fiction. The book conveys
postmodern spiritual ideas and teachings that challenge biblical
Christianity – all in the name of “God” and “Jesus” and the “Holy
Spirit.” Author William P. Young’s alternative presentation of
traditional Christianity has both inspired and outraged his many
readers. All the while his book continues to fly off the shelves of
local bookstores.
Much like New Age author James Redfield’s book
The Celestine Prophecy,
The Shack is a fictional
vehicle for upending certain religious concepts and presenting
contrary spiritual scenarios. Allegorical novels can be a clever way
to present truth. They can also be used to present things that seem
to be true but really are not. Some books like
The Shack do both.
I was drawn into the New Age Movement years ago by books and
lectures containing parabolic stories that were not unlike
The Shack. They felt
spiritually uplifting as they tackled tough issues and talked about
God’s love and forgiveness. They seemed to provide me with what I
spiritually needed as they gave me much needed hope and promise.
Building on the credibility they achieved through their
inspirational and emotive writings, my New Age authors and teachers
would then go on to tell me that
“God” was “in” everyone and everything.
I discovered that author William P. Young
does
exactly the same thing inThe
Shack. He moves through his very engaging and emotional
story to eventually present this same New Age teaching that God is
“in” everything.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me first provide some
background material concerning this
key New Age doctrine that “God is
in everything.” A good place to start is with Eugene
Peterson, the author of the controversial Bible paraphrase
The Message. After all,
Peterson’s enthusiastic endorsement of
The Shack is featured right
under the author’s name on the front cover.
Ironically, it was Peterson’s endorsement that caused me to be
immediately suspicious of this high-profile, bestselling “Christian”
book. Through his questionable paraphrasing of the Bible, Peterson
had already aligned himself in a number of areas with
New Age/New
Spirituality teachings. One obvious example was where he
translated a key verse in the Lord’s Prayer to read
“as above, so below”
rather than “in earth, as it is in
heaven.” “As above, so below” was a term that I was very
familiar with from my previous involvement in the New Age Movement.
This esoteric saying has been an occult centerpiece for nearly five
thousand years. It is alleged by New Age metaphysicians to be the
key to all magic and all mysteries. It means that God is not
only transcendent — “out
there”— but He is also immanent
— “in” everyone and everything.
But, as I found out just before abandoning the deceptive teachings
of the New Age for the Truth of biblical Christianity, God is not
“in” everyone and everything. The Bible makes it clear that man is
not divine and that man is
not God (Ezekiel 28:2, Hosea
11:9, John 2:24-25, etc.) In
Deceived on Purpose: The New Age
Implications of the Purpose-Driven Church, I quoted the
editors of the New Age Journal
as they defined “as above, so below” in their book,
As Above, So Below:
“'As above, so below, as below, so above.' This maxim implies
that the transcendent God beyond the physical universe and the
immanent God within ourselves are one.”
(p. 32)
My concern about Peterson’s undiscerning use of “as above, so
below” in the Lord’s Prayer was underscored when the 2006
bestseller,
The Secret, showcased
this same occult/New Age phrase. In fact, it was the introductory
quote at the very beginning of the book. By immediately featuring
“as above, so below” the author
Rhonda Byrne was telling her readers in definite New Age
language that “God is in
everyone and everything.” Towards the end of the book,
The Secret puts into
more practical words what the author initially meant by introducing
the immanent concept of “as above, so below.” On page 164
The Secret tells its
readers—“You are God in a physical body.”
Most significantly, in his book The
Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom, New Age
leader
Benjamin Crème reveals that a
New World Religion
will be based on this foundational “as above, so below” teaching of
immanence — this idea that God is “in” everyone and everything:
“But eventually a new world religion will be inaugurated
which will be a fusion and synthesis of the approach of the East
and the approach of the West. The Christ will bring together,
not simply Christianity and Buddhism, but the concept of God
transcendent — outside of His creation — and also the concept of
God immanent in all creation — in man and all creation.”
(p. 88)
“…a fresh orientation to divinity and to the acceptance of
the fact of God Transcendent and God Immanent within every form
of life. “These are foundational truths upon which the
world religion of the future will rest.” (p. 88)
[link added]
In a November 9, 2003 Hour of
Power sermon – just two months before he was a featured
speaker at the annual meeting of the National Association of
Evangelicals – Crystal Cathedral minister
Robert Schuller unabashedly aligned himself with this same New
Age/New World Religion teaching. The man who claims to have mentored
thousands of pastors, including Bill Hybels and Rick Warren, stated:
“You know in theology — pardon me for using a couple of big
words — but in theology the God we believe in, this God of
Abraham, is a transcendent God. But He is also an immanent God.
Transcendent means up there, out there, above us all. But God is
also an immanent God — immanence of God and the transcendence of
God — but then you have a balanced perspective of God. The
immanence of God means here, in me, around me, in society, in
the world, this God here, in the humanities, in the science, in
the arts, sociology, in politics — the immanence of God…. Yes,
God is alive and He is in every single human being!”
But God is not in every
single human being. God is not in
everything. One of the many reasons I wrote
Deceived on Purpose was
because Rick Warren presented his readers with this same “God
in everything” teaching. Quoting an obviously flawed
New Century Bible
translation of Ephesians 4:6, Rick Warren — whether he meant to or
not — was teaching his millions of readers the foundational doctrine
of the New World Religion. Describing God in his book,
The Purpose-Driven Life, he
wrote:
“He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything.”
(p. 88)
Compounding the matter further, “immanence” has been taught as
part of the Foundations
class at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. An ill-defined reference
to immanence on page 46 of the Saddleback
Foundations Participants Guide
plays right into the hands of the New Spirituality/New World
Religion by stating:
“The fact that God stands above and beyond his creation does
not mean he stands outside his creation. He is both transcendent
(above and beyond his creation) and immanent (within and
throughout his creation).”
All of this discussion about “God in everything” immanence is to
explain why The Shack is
such a deceptive book. It teaches this same heresy. This book
ostensibly attempts to deal with the deeply sensitive issues
surrounding the murder of a young child. Because of the author’s
intensely personal story line, most readers become engaged with the
book on a deep emotional level. However, the author’s use of poetic
license to convey his highly subjective, and often unbiblical,
spiritual views becomes increasingly problematic as the story line
develops. This is most apparent when he uses the person of “Jesus”
to suddenly introduce the foundational teaching of the New
Spirituality/New World Religion — God is “in” everything. Using the
New Age term “ground of being” to describe “God,” the “Jesus” of
The Shack states:
“God, who is the ground of all being, dwells in, around, and
through all things….” (p. 112)
This false teaching about a “God” who “dwells in, around, and
through all things” is the kind of New Age leaven that left
unchallenged could leaven the church into the New Age/New
Spirituality of the proposed New World Religion. And while many
people have expressed a great deal of emotional attachment to
The Shack and its characters
— this leaven alone contaminates the whole book.
Clearly, the “Jesus” of The Shack
is not Jesus Christ of the Bible. The apostle Paul chided the
Corinthians and warned them that they were vulnerable and extremely
susceptible to “another Jesus”
and “another gospel” and
“another spirit” that were
not from God (2 Corinthians 2:11). In the Bible, the real Jesus
Christ warned that spiritual deception would be a sign before His
return. He further warned that there would be those who would even
come in His name, pretending to be Him (Matthew 24:3-5;24).
more...
"We have received grace and apostleship to bring about the
obedience of faith...the righteousness of faith...the
righteousness of faith...the righteousness which is by
faith...the righteousness based on faith...leading to obedience
of faith." Romans 1:5; 4:11,13; 9:30; 10:6; 16:26 (bold
mine)
False teachings abound and delusion is EVERYWHERE! Everywhere I
look a new "ministry" is being built on "beachfront property"
(please read Matthew 7:24-27 if you don't understand what I mean).
Jeremiah warned against it,
"They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially,
saying, 'Peace, peace,' but there is no peace." -see Jeremiah
6:14 & 8:11
But the people couldn't see. The apostle Paul warned us,
"While they are saying, 'Peace and safety!' then destruction
will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with
child..." 1 Thessalonians 5:3
But we refuse to learn. The "repentance-free" gospel of today's
popular evangelical Christianity is leading the multitudes astray.
An entire generation is being lost to a "false gospel of grace" that
doesn't require the kind of faith that Paul describes as necessary
for salvation.*
Lighthouse Trails Research Project Note: In
2007, Lighthouse Trails published the apologetic biography,
The Other Side of the River
by Kevin Reeves. For twelve years, Reeves was part of a River
church, one in which visions, signs and wonders, and other
mystical manifestations occurred. His story tells what happened
during those years in a church that was so influenced by the
Toronto Blessing, holy laughter, the Kansas City
Prophets, the Word-Faith movement, and the spiritual hysteria
and manipulation that these hyper-charismatic movements
encourage. Because of the recent stories coming out of Florida
with Todd Bentley's revival, we hope you will read
Reeves account. Below is an excerpt from his chapter on visions.
"I Just Had a Vision!"
by Kevin Reeves
There is perhaps nothing so powerful as a vision. When the heavens
open and our eyes look upon fantastic things once hidden, it can
alter the course of our lives:
Isaiah 6:1-5
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting
upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the
temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings;
with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his
feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and
said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is
full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice
of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then
said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of
unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
A glimpse into heaven itself to behold the God of all flesh made
Isaiah panic with self-loathing. His innermost heart was revealed in
the light of the Lord's glory, and there was no place to hide.
Who wouldn't want to have a vision of this magnitude? And why
shouldn't we? On the day of Pentecost, the Christians present
experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit: "[A]nd your young men
shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" (Acts
2:17).
Never in the history of our planet have so many who call themselves
Christian claimed visions from God. Encounters with Christ, angels,
demons, even saints long departed have begun to appear in book form,
crowding the charismatic section of our local Christian bookstores.
The popularity of visions never seems to wane, and the more a person
has and the greater the scope, the quicker he is skyrocketed to
Christian stardom. People with virtually no genuine theological
training are suddenly propelled into the teaching arena, regaling
vast audiences with tremendous accounts of their own spiritual
derring-do. And while the stories continue to scale the heights of
plausibility, an amazed public looks on, vicariously a part of the
panoramic excitement and often with hands folded atop a closed Bible
in their laps.
Sadly and without exaggeration, the above account is an apt
description of the spiritual maelstrom that always characterized [my
former church]. Sunday services were routinely stopped to give
opportunity to report a vision that occurred during worship. Many in
the congregation would listen with rapt attention as one person
after another would share what had transpired "in the spirit."
Sometimes demons would make an appearance; sometimes it was the Lord
Jesus Himself.
Angels were a particular favorite. I can't tell you how many times
angels made an impromptu appearance at our services.... No one
halted the festivities to suggest examining the claim in the light
of God's Word. It was merely taken at face value and used to bolster
our self-image as the church on the cutting-edge of God's worldwide
movement....
The cries of "I saw!" reverberated throughout my church my whole
tenure there. Sometimes the visions were two-dimensional, sometimes
3-D, and sometimes the person was actually caught up into them, in
the same way the apostle John was translated into the heavenly
realms in the book of Revelation. They moved as participants in the
vision itself, walking, feeling, etc. As our pastor consistently
reminded the congregation of its prophetic calling, dreams and
visions grew to paramount importance. They were used to chart our
congregation's very course, and any resistance or verbal doubt was
severely frowned upon or openly dismissed....
Many people cannot appreciate the gravity with which visions are
accepted in many charismatic circles, and consequently cannot
understand the bondage that results. If someone has a vision of "the
Lord Jesus" and is given a message to convey to you, for you to
treat it lightly is to despise the very words of God. You are bound
to carry out the instructions of this visionary or face the
consequences. The ensuing fear can be devastating, especially if the
message contradicts your own conscience or understanding of the
Scriptures.
The new believer is especially vulnerable because he is led to
believe that all these visions are from God. Furthermore, any
hindrance to, or lack of visions on his own part is due, he is told,
to lack of maturity and failure to fully trust the leadership....
At my best count, there are less than thirty visions or dreams
recorded in the entire New Testament, and of these only about
fifteen took place in the book of Acts. And this in a period, from
the birth of Christ to the last chapter of Acts, encompassing about
sixty years.
I have come to the conclusion that visions are not the norm for a
believer, but a rare occurrence. Of those saints in the Bible
described as having bona fide visions from God, a mere handful had
more than one recorded vision in their entire lifetime. Furthermore,
none of these occurrences were initiated by the individual, but were
the result of a divine act of God. In explaining mystical
experiences, which is the category visions fall into, I like this
explanation by research analyst Ray Yungen:
While certain instances in the Bible describe mystical
experiences, I see no evidence anywhere of God sanctioning
man-initiated mysticism. Legitimate mystical experiences were
always initiated by God to certain individuals for certain
revelations and were never based on a method for the altering of
consciousness. In
Acts 11:5, Peter fell into a
trance while in prayer. But it was God, not Peter, who initiated
the trance and facilitated it. (ATOD,
p. 34)
Compared with the frequency of modern visions by many charismatic
churchgoers, these past biblical heroes seem almost deficient in
their relationship to the Lord....
I believe that most of what are reported as visions are not such at
all, but could be more appropriately termed mental pictures. The two
are certainly not synonymous. Mental pictures occur constantly
during our waking hours but don't necessarily have anything to do
with the spiritual, whereas visions always have their origin in the
supernatural realm. As we speak in conversation, we see mental
images, memories, etc., to correspond with the dialogue; reading
gives us the same experience. Even television viewing offers the
same scenario, as the images dancing across the screen click on our
own past experiences or connections with our present situations.
This can transpose into our times of prayer, giving us mental
pictures that may or may not be of God....
The practice itself can be dangerous, actually maneuvering an
innocent Christian in the wrong direction. In many cults, and,
unfortunately in much of the Pentecostal arm of the church, it has
already done just that....
According to the Bible, there are three sources of visions--God, the
devil, and the flesh. Of these, only one can be trusted as to motive
and authenticity. As for the other spiritual experiences originating
with the kingdom of darkness or human sensuality, they must be
discarded, and immediately. They are not impotent fantasies, but are
corrupt from the word go and will quickly lead astray anyone whose
attraction they capture. (see
Ezekiel 13:3-8)...
I cannot stress this enough--contrary to popular fallacy, there is
no such thing as a harmless false vision. Its fraudulent nature
alone is enough to condemn it in the eyes of God; those who give ear
to it will eventually have their faith in Christ contaminated,
perhaps shipwrecked. Attendees of the Peoples Temple were regaled
with stories of angelic visitations and "revelation knowledge." The
reverend Jim Jones capitalized on his self-proclaimed intimacy with
heaven to lead a group of followers into mass suicide in the Guyana
bush.1 Don't think that the average believer in Christ is
immune to this kind of deception. In the wake of gold teeth and gold
dust miracles showing up in various River congregations worldwide,
stories of angel feather sightings have set a portion of the
charismatic church wild with jubilee. One West Coast church said
that "tiny white feathers and gold flakes" appeared during the
service.2 Such occurrences were the next logical step in
an already deception-heavy system of super-spirituality,
rationalization, and the frenzied pursuit of illusion....
Any spirit, vision, dream, prophet, experience, whatever, that does
not agree with the revelation of Jesus Christ as set down in the
Scriptures is not of God. Water may look pure, but unless we know
the source from which it is drawn we may drink to our own ill
health. A close examination with a magnifying glass may betray bits
and pieces of debris, or worse yet, organisms roaming its depths
that, taken internally, would cause debilitating disease.
Am I suggesting we carry around a magnifier to inspect anything
coming our way? Perhaps that is just what is needed. For too long,
we've covered our eyes with blinders instead and accepted a
testimony to our detriment, simply because the person giving it
named Christ and seemed sincere. Paul said even deceivers within the
church would attempt to pass themselves off as the real article (II
Corinthians 11:3-4, 13). We can judge without being
judgmental. Peripheral issues we can overlook, knowing full well the
sole reservoir of truth does not rest with us.
But in the presentation of Christ, there can be no leeway. A false
image of the Savior--His character, words, or deeds--will lead us
away from the truth, and consequently, away from God. And
eventually, that is what every fraudulent vision will do--take away
from the person of Christ and demand our attention and adherence to
its personalized message. I have seen it happen, as one vision after
another proclaimed in my former congregation boosted our elitism and
remolded Jesus just a bit more into the user-friendly image we
preferred. With virtually no accountability, fear of redefining
Christ's biblically revealed character faded bit by bit into
obscurity....
This current state of things within the church is just the outgrowth
of an inner movement attempting to differentiate between truth and
revelation. It is being stated by popular authors that truth is
where God has been, but revelation is where He is at the moment.
This dichotomy is a contrived one. The Word of God is truth and
revelation both, and the timeless truth of God's Word applies to all
saints throughout all ages. Again, the implication of this kind of
compartmentalized thinking is that the Scriptures fall
embarrassingly short when it comes to equipping the saints for life
in today's world.
In a mad dash to embrace the new thing, many Christians have run
right past the only place of refuge, God's Promise, that can keep us
from hurtling down the face of an impossibly steep cliff. I can
testify to the broken lives and empty spirituality that remains when
the initial high wears off. We had congregation members regularly
spending their cash to jet to this or that prophetic conference.
They just had to keep up with the latest move of God, and bring it
back with them to our church. Running after other gods, ancient
Israel attained to this spiritual bankruptcy on a regular basis. But
we can take heart, for their failures can be our lessons:
Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were
written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort
of the scriptures might have hope.
For those former seers willing to swallow a large helping of
humble pie, there is most certainly hope. For those willing to
repent, the grace of our Lord will lead past every soulish and
narcissistic revelation, helping us to walk in humility and the
simple freedom of Christ Jesus.
For the rest, the road can only lead further into deception and
confusion, compounding itself with every new revelation that adds
to, subtracts from, or contradicts Scripture.
Jeremiah 23:25-27 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies
in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long
shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies?
yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which
think to cause my people to forget my name.
Notes:
1. In 1978, cult leader Jim Jones lead over 900 followers in a
mass suicide in northern Guyana.
2. Mary Owen "Oregon Church Says Gold Dust, Feathers Fell During
Meetings" (Charisma magazine, September 2000,
http://www.charismamag.com/display.php?id=517, accessed 01/07).
Holy Laughter or Strong Delusion
Discernment-Ministries Inc. -
By Warren Smith - I watched the video again.
It was entitled Signs and Wonders Camp meeting 1994. Pastors
of huge charismatic churches were stumbling around the church stage
"drunk" with "holy" laughter. Wanting to testify to the fact that
"holy" laughter had transformed their ministries and their lives,
many of them were unable to speak when called on to do so. But their
"drunken" condition became their testimony. Their halting
speech was seen as "proof" of the "power of the spirit" that had
come over them. The congregation roared in approval as pastor after
pastor laughed uncontrollably and then fell to the floor. Standing
alongside the "drunken" pastors was evangelist Rodney Howard-Browne,
the self described "Holy Ghost bartender" who was serving up this
"new wine" of "holy" laughter. Many Christians today believe that
Howard-Browne is God's appointed channel for imparting joy and
revival to the end-times church. Other Christians see Howard-Browne
as a false prophet who is inflicting great damage to the body of
Christ.
Early last spring the Spiritual Counterfeits Project
received a fax from someone expressing concern about a new
phenomenon called "holy" laughter. He said that a San Francisco Bay
Area Vineyard Church was experiencing what was being described as
"revival" and that the manifestation of "holy" laughter was being
cited as one of the signs of this "revival." Church members and
visitors were reportedly breaking into fits of spontaneous and
uncontrollable laughter during their nightly services.
Later when I talked with several members of the
San Francisco Vineyard congregation I was told how hundreds of people were
getting "hit" with "revival"--how some people were getting so "soaked in the
spirit" they would lose consciousness for up to several hours after falling to
the ground with "holy" laughter. The Vineyard members described "holy" laughter
unqualifiedly as "awesome" and definitely "the work of the Lord."...
But what does the Bible say about laughter? Last summer, after
watching Rodney Howard-Browne on TBN, I consulted my concordance to
see if there was any biblical precedent for "holy" laughter.
Surprisingly, I found only 40 references to laughter in the Bible;
34 of them were in the Old Testament, while only 6 were in the New
Testament. Of those 40 references 22 of them referred to scornful
laughter, as in Nehemiah 2:19
when Nehemiah said, "they laughed us to scorn."
Of the 18 remaining references to laughter, seven of them referred
exclusively to Abraham and Sarah's initial disbelief and ultimate
astonishment that God would give them a child in their old age.
Barely into my study on laughter I was already down to my last 11
references.
In Job 8:21 Bildad,
one of Job's false comforters, wrongly advised Job that if he
were in right standing with God he would be prosperous and full of
laughter. The Psalmist in Psalm 126:2
recorded that when the captivity of Zion was over, "then
was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing."
Proverbs 29:9 says, "if
a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh,
there is no rest."
With only 8 remaining references I had seen nothing in the Bible
up to this point that suggested anything even resembling "holy"
laughter. In Ecclesiastes 2:2
Solomon says, "I said of laughter, it is mad."
Ecclesiastes 3:4 says,
there is "a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance."
Ecclesiastes 7:3-4 says, "sorrow
is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the
heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of
mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth."
Ecclesiastes 7:6 says, "for
as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a
fool: this also is vanity."
Ecclesiastes 10:19 says that "a
feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry."
Interestingly the Bible's last three references to laughter--the
only three references to authentic laughter in the New
Testament--warn against laughter. These three references
actually seemed to underline Solomon's contention in Ecclesiastes
that "sorrow is better that laughter" and that now is a time to
weep and not to laugh. In
Luke 6:21 Jesus says, "blessed are ye that weep now:
for ye shall laugh." In Luke 6:25
Jesus says, "woe unto you that laugh now! for
ye shall mourn and weep." James
4:9 tells us not to laugh but to "be
afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to
mourning, and your joy to heaviness."
I had searched the scriptures to find any biblical precedent for
"holy" laughter and there was none. To my amazement, I had
discovered that there were surprisingly few references in the Bible
to any kind of laughter. Did this mean that God doesn't have
a sense of humor or that people in the Bible never laughed? No. It
just meant that laughter apparently was not something that God chose
to emphasize very much. And certainly Jesus' last words on
laughter--"woe unto you who laugh now!"--were
not ones that would seem to give any encouragement to a "laughing
revival."
The Lord says, "Come now, and let us reason
together" (Isaiah 1:18.
Here are some of my concerns about "holy" laughter and "the laughing
revival."
(1) There is no biblical precedent for "holy" laughter.
Laughter is rarely mentioned in the Bible. Yet, when it is,
the Bible seems to make more of a case for holy sorrow
than for "holy" laughter. Scripture supports Solomon's
contention that "sorrow is better than laughter." It does not
support the present "laughing revival."
(2) Substituting the word joy for laughter is a non sequitur.
It is inaccurate and misleading.
There is no scriptural authority for equating biblical
references to joy with the involuntary manifestations of "holy"
laughter. Just because there are insufficient Bible texts to
make the case for "holy" laughter, it does not follow that you
can simply redefine the word laughter by substituting the word
joy.
(3) "Holy" laughter advocates rarely, if ever, discuss the
need to "test the spirits."
The Bible warns us that not every supernatural manifestation
is necessarily from God. 1 John 4:1
says, "Beloved, believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false
prophets are gone out into the world." Charles and
Francis Hunter write in their book Holy Laughter, "Once
you begin to walk in the supernatural you really have to be
ready for anything and everything and never question the way God
does it!" (p.65)
(4) "Holy" laughter advocates rarely, if ever, talk about the
Spirit's express warning that in the latter times some people will
be supernaturally seduced by deceptive evil spirits into following
them and not the one true God.
1 Timothy 4:
warns, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,
that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils."
(5) "Holy" laughter advocates rarely, if ever, talk about the
Bible's warnings of false prophets who come in the name of Jesus but
bring with them "another spirit."
2 Corinthians 11:4
says, "For if he that cometh preacheth
another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive
another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel,
which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."
(6) Many laughter advocates condescendingly discourage and
even openly intimidate sincere Christians who question the "laughing
revival."
According to the August Charisma article, Rodney
Howard-Browne "disparages" people who "try to apply theological
tests" to what he does. The Hunters' book Holy Laughter
refers to skeptics as God's "frozen chosen." Mona Johnian
writes, "skeptics, hesitaters and procrastinators do not get
anointed." She warns "that any person or church that wavered
could be eliminated."
(7) Rodney Howard-Browne's prayer to God just prior to his
"anointing" ("either you come down here and touch me or I'll come up
there and touch you") was unscriptural.
Howard-Browne's prayer was the essence "my will be done." It
was not "thy will be done," as taught by Jesus in
scripture. Why should we automatically assume that it was God
who answered his prayer?
(8) "Holy" laughter advocates, in talking about "signs and
wonders," rarely, if ever, mention the Bible's many warnings about
deceptive signs and wonders.
In Matthew 16:4
Jesus warns, "a wicked and adulterous
generation seeketh after a sign." In
Matthew 24:24 JESUS
says, "For there shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect." In 2 Thess. 2:9
the apostle Paul warns of the coming Antichrist, "even
him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power
and signs and lying wonders."
(9) "Holy" laughter advocates seem to lay hands on almost
everybody. The Bible specifically warns against this.
The eighth chapter of Acts describes how the disciples would
not lay hands on Simon, a baptized believer, even though he
desperately wanted the gift of the Holy Ghost, because his heart
was "not right in the sight of God." 1 Timothy 5:22 warns us to "lay
hands suddenly on no man." Yet "holy" laughter is passed
on from person to person without so much as a second thought.
(10) "Holy laughter advocates blatantly disregard the biblical
admonition that things be done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 14:40
says, "Let all things be done decently and
in order." Mona Johnian in her book Fresh Anointing
says, "decently and in order! We must do things decently and in
order. The Bible itself commands it, cry those who are
frightened by that which is beyond traditional order" (p. 35).
She advises her readers to "break with tradition" (p.45).
(11) The chaos and confusion that usually characterizes the
"laughing revival: contradicts the Bible's description of the Person
of God.
1 Corinthians 14:33
states, "For God is not the author of
confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
(12) Laughter advocates rarely if ever, discuss the well
documented demonic deceptions that have manifested in past revivals.
To combat the deception that arose during the Welsh revival
at the turn of this century authors Jessie Penn-Lewis and Evan
Roberts wrote "War on the Saints: a disclosure of the
deceptive strategies used by evil spirits against God's people."
Both were very involved with the revival and were extremely
concerned about the demonic manifestations that began to
dominate their meetings. The forward to War on the Saints
warns of "the grave dangers that beset the path of uninformed
enthusiasm."
(13) A number of Christians have experienced the equivalent of
"holy" laughter when they were in the New Age.
Indian Guru Bhagvhan Shree Rajneesh was affectionately known
by his followers as the "divine drunkard" because he was reputed
to have drunk so deeply from the well of the "Divine." As a
former follower of Rajneesh I met hundreds of Sannyasins who had
flown to India "to drink" from "Bhagwan's wine." When followers
were physically touched by Rajneesh, or even if they were merely
in his presence, they would often experience feelings of great
exhilaration and joy. Disciples of Swami Baba Muktananda would
often manifest uncontrollable laughter after receiving Shaktipat
(physical contact) from the guru.
(14) The "laughing revival" could one day merge with what the
New Age calls the coming day of "planetary Pentecost."
Barbara Marx Hubbard, (revered New Age leader and a 1984
Democratic nominee for the Vice Presidency of the United
States), writes in her book, Teachings from the Inner Christ,
how the human race will soon experience a day of "Planetary
Pentecost." Hubbard, claiming to be in contact with "Christ,"
writes: "the Planetary Smile is another name for the Planetary
Pentecost. When enough of us share a common thought of our
oneness with God, Spirit will be poured out on all flesh paying
attention" (p.79). In her book The Revelation, Hubbard
says "Christ," in describing the planetary smile, said: "an
uncontrollable joy will ripple through the thinking layer of the
earth. The co-creative systems, which are lying psychologically
dormant in humanity will be activated. From within, all
sensitive persons will feel the joy of the force, flooding their
systems with love and attraction...as this joy flashes through
the nervous systems of the most sensitive peoples on earth, it
will create a psycho magnetic field of empathy, which will align
the next wave of people in synchrony, everywhere on Earth. This
massive, sudden empathic alignment will cause a shift in the
consciousness of Earth" (p. 234-235). Writing in Happy Birth
Day Planet Earth, Hubbard repeats what she heard from
"Christ." He said, "as the planetary smile ripples through the
nervous systems of earth, and the instant of co-operation
begins, and empathy floods the feelings of the whole body of
Earth, separation is overcome, and I appear to all of you at
once (p. 10-11).
The controversy over "holy" laughter is already splitting
congregations and causing deep divisions in the body of Christ. And
while many people have already taken sides, there are many more who
are still trying to figure out just what is going on. Is this really
a move of God, or is this the kind of deception the Bible warns
about in Matthew 24,
1 Timothy 4:1, and in the
second chapter of Thessalonians?
Unity is indeed the heartfelt desire of every sincere Christian (Psalm
133:1). But the Bible warns of massive deception that
will come at the end and in Christ's name. Before the Church--in the
name of unity--free falls into a worldwide "laughing revival," we
had better be sure what it is we are uniting with.
In reflecting on "holy" laughter during these very troubled
times, I recalled a music special I had seen on television a number
of years ago. In the midst of an otherwise polite Hollywood type
crowd, a male vocalist sang straight faced and sober into the teeth
of their celebration. His words were electric and piercing, and they
seemed to hang in the air. He sang, "you're laughing now, but you
should be praying. You're in the midnight hour of your life."
